Sports
Reports: LIV pitching 10-event, international schedule to investors
Oct 27, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of the LIV Golf logo statue during the Pro-Am tournament before the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images LIV Golf is pitching a reduced 10-event international schedule to potential investors, Sportico and CNBC reported.
The league reportedly is seeking $250 million to $350 million in funding to continue operations beyond this year after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced its financial commitment will end at the conclusion of the season.
According to the reports, LIV Golf’s investment pitch outlines a plan built around international tournaments and uses the high attendance figures in Australia and South Africa as benchmarks.
The 2026 LIV Golf calendar originally featured 14 events, including five in the United States. A tournament scheduled for New Orleans from June 25-28 has been postponed.
Bloomberg reported earlier this week that LIV Golf is preparing for a potential bankruptcy filing.
An LIV Golf spokesperson responded to that report with a lengthy statement to Golf Digest.
“LIV Golf is firmly focused on securing a transaction that positions the organization for the long-term,” read the statement. “As we begin presenting our go-forward business plan to prospective capital partners, we are focused on achieving a sustainable future and there are multiple pathways under active exploration.
“We continue to see great momentum on the course and with support through the 2026 season and a clear plan to raise capital, leadership is focused on identifying the right long-term strategic partners who believe in our mission to grow the game of golf worldwide. These conversations are just getting underway, and as they progress, the company expects to gain further clarity around the structure and timing of a potential transaction.”
In addition to the loss of PIF funding, LIV Golf soon may be facing a talent vacuum. Golf Digest reported that agents for several players have reached out to the PGA Tour about potential pathways back for their clients.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dirty Finishes at WWE Saturday Night Dominate Ahead of Clash in Italy
Saturday Night’s Main Event left fans with more questions than answers. Taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home state of Michael Jackson, SNME definitely wasn’t the thriller WWE thought it would be. The great news is that this was a well-paced show with minimal ads, unlike WWE’s counterpart on ESPN.
However, every match had a dirty finish, and some would argue the wrong person/team won at times. With only two weeks to build the PLE, Triple H and the creative team rushed to present us with five matches. With the bar set low, how did the superstars fare inside the squared circle?
Let’s hit the headlines.
Jade pins the Champ
Rhea kicked off the show to the biggest reception of the night to team up with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B Fab, aka the ‘Takeover,’ entered the ring paying homage to Michael Jackson with their gear. The matchup started off awkwardly, but eventually everyone got their chance to shine. Michin got her fifteen minutes of fame, though, outshining all the other stars. The ending was a bit odd, with the babyfaces celebrating in the ring before Jade pushed them out of the way. Cargill hit Ripley with Jaded to score the victory and build momentum toward their next clash.
Jade and Rhea will collide this Sunday at ‘Clash in Italy’ for the WWE Women’s Championship. Since Jade got the win Saturday, by WWE’s booking, she will fall to the champ in Italy. We could’ve had Bliss or Flair take the pin, but Triple H wants Jade to look strong heading into her championship contest.
Sucking the So(u)l of the Arena
Fans in attendance were BOOING after Sol won by DQ against Becky Lynch in a non-title match. Sol Rucca lost her first two matches on the main roster and goaded the Women’s IC champ to a match at SNME. Lynch accepted, but said Rucca didn’t deserve a title shot, which was understandable. What doesn’t make sense is how this was booked. Rucca got her offense in early and dominated for a total of three minutes. She attempted her finisher called the ‘Sol Snatcher’, but hit the referee instead.
That same referee, Jessica Carr, had been in every PLE match of Lynch’s since WrestlePalooza. The champ has never liked her, and of course, some sort of shenanigans happens whenever Carr is around. This time, Carr called the match, and Rucca was given the win by DQ. In a backstage segment, GM Nick Aldis told Becky Lynch she is facing Sol for the title at Clash in Italy. They could’ve just had Rucca win in short fashion and then grant her a title match. Instead, this happened. Don’t be surprised if Rucca captures the title and soul of the crowd in her first win on the main roster. Stranger things have happened.
CERO MIEDO
That translates to ‘Zero Fear’ in English, and is the motto of Penta. Many fans (myself included) hoped we would see a title change hands in this match. Penta and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page fought for the Intercontinental Championship. Page showed the world his arsenal and proved he could keep up with Penta. He gloated throughout the match, but Penta continued to use his aerial ability to his advantage. There was a moment where Page sent the champ over the announce table, and almost won by count-out. However, you cannot win the title unless it’s by pinfall or submission. The challenger got the champ back in the ring, but an exposed turnbuckle led to his demise. Despite kicking out of the Penta Driver, Page lost after being hit by a Mexican Destroyer off the top rope. Quite the PLE debut for the former NXT North American champ, and he’s impressing the higher-ups, so expect him to win the belt before the year is out.
Paige and Brie Bella are Still Untouchable
When Paige returned to WWE at WrestleMania 42 and won the tag titles with Brie Bella, the excitement couldn’t be contained. As weeks went on, it felt like this duo had a stranglehold on the women’s tag team division. A once-thriving division, including Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax, turned into a revolt against Paige. She is a great performer, but Triple H and co. are biding their time for Nikki to come back and the Bella Twins to turn on Paige. That didn’t happen tonight. Instead, this was an average match that ended in Brie reinforcing her tag partner’s pin for the victory.
The babyfaces cheated to win, so does that mean they’re turning? Probably not if WWE’s storytelling has anything to say about it. Nia Jax and Lash Legend are likely to get a rematch, whether it’s just them or several other tag teams. All four competitors have their strengths, but the WWE Universe wants to see Paige in singles action soon.
20/20 Vision
The main event between the Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) was all sorts of fun. Between Paul and Ford’s athleticism, these two teams knocked it out of the park. That was until Bron Breakker showed up and got tossed over the announce table by Angelo Dawkins. Then, Paul Heyman put Theory’s foot on the rope after Ford flew off the top rope. Finally, Paul knocked out Ford with the brass knuckles which led to Theory going for a desperation pin and victory.
After the match, Bron Breakker speared the daylights out of the Street Profits as the Vision stood tall to end the show. WWE wants to rebuild the tag team division, but making the Profits look weak after being AWOL isn’t a great look. On top of that, they released the New Day and Motor City Machine Guns. On the bright side, the team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass is rumored to return this summer. Get ready to chant, “Bada bing, bada boom. Realest guys in the room. How you doin’?”
The End of an Era
Saturday Night’s Main Event began in 1985 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. WWE brought back the PLE in 2024, eventually giving Peacock exclusive rights to the show. WWE has one more SNME this year at Madison Square Garden, which is the most prestigious arena in pro wrestling history.
Their deal with Peacock expires at the end of 2026, and might be the end of the road for SNME. Look, it’s great to see the retro themes or the ring announcers doing their schtick with microphones hanging from the balances. However, when there were no title changes, multiple dirty finishes, and mediocre wrestling, is there any reason to continue it? This will certainly be a talking point among the pro wrestling media outlets for the next week, but it may be overlooked because…
A Chef’s Kiss in Italy
Looking ahead, WWE is presenting the first-ever PLE in Italy. ‘Clash In Italy’ takes place this Sunday in Italy at 2pm/ET, but it might as well be called ‘Rematch in Italy’. Two matches already took place at WrestleMania, one at Backlash, and one at SNME. Roman Reigns will clash with Jacob Fatu for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tribal Combat match: Falls Count Anywhere stipulation where the loser acknowledges the other as the Tribal Chief.
Meanwhile, Gunther will look to put Cody Rhodes to sleep and become the new WWE Undisputed Champion. Out of all the title matches on this card, this looks to have the highest odds of a title change. That is, unless Randy Orton returns and seeks revenge.
Jade Cargill faces Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s title, and after tonight, it sure looks like we’re headed toward Ripley continuing her dominance. Another women’s bout added to the card was Sol Rucca taking on Becky Lynch for the Women’s IC title.
Lastly, Brock Lesnar is back, looking for Oba Femi’s blood after swerving the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 42. After losing to Femi, Lesnar put his gloves and boots in the ring, signaling his retirement. Instead, he did a sneak attack on Raw to set up this battle between two titans. Neither man can afford to lose, and that’s how you want it to be.
There could be one or two matches added before this Sunday, so tune in to Monday Night Raw and see what WWE has to offer. Friday Night SmackDown has been a chore to sit through, but with a PLE on the horizon, it could have some developments in store.
Sports
Braves' Bryce Elder brings strong form into start vs. Nationals
May 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) throws against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Among the biggest surprises in the National League this year has been the re-emergence of Bryce Elder.
Ahead of his start for the Atlanta Braves on Friday against the visiting Washington Nationals, Elder (4-2, 2.01 ERA) appears to be back in top form.
Elder, a 2023 All-Star, went 10-16 with a 5.59 ERA in 38 starts between 2024 and ’25. Currently fifth in the NL in ERA, the 27-year-old right-hander has been among the most important performers for the National League East-leading Braves.
Elder took his first home loss of the year on Saturday despite tossing eight innings. He permitted three runs on seven hits in a 3-2 defeat against the visiting Boston Red Sox.
“I thought Bryce gave us exactly what we needed,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “He did an outstanding job.”
Elder, who has compiled a 3-2 record and a 3.18 ERA in seven career starts against the Nationals, is just one of the many Braves enjoying a stellar start to the year. Atlanta leads the majors in wins (35), batting average (.266), homers (72) and ERA (3.09). Ahead of the weekend series, the Braves have won nine of their past 12 games.
Of the Braves without impressive numbers is offseason acquisition Mike Yastrzemski, but he made key contributions on Thursday. The veteran outfielder went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and an RBI double in Atlanta’s a 9-3 win over the Miami Marlins.
“Yaz is swinging the bat well,” Weiss said. “He’s worked really hard and it’s paying off. … We’re just swinging the (bats) really well as a team. We’re passing the baton and we’re doing all the things it takes to play winning offensive baseball.”
Washington enters a six-game road trip coming off a 4-3 homestand. First-year manager Blake Butera’s club leads the majors with 280 runs, but the Nationals’ offense is coming off a rare lackluster showing in a 2-1 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday. That result kept Washington from sweeping the three-game series
“I think overall, we had a chance to win all of them,” Butera said. “Proud of the way the guys fought (on Thursday). I thought we had a few opportunities, we just couldn’t get that big hit with runners in scoring position.”
Washington right-hander Miles Mikolas (1-3, 6.91 ERA) will be in search of his first road win of the year when he starts on Friday. Amid an unimpressive first two months with his new club, Mikolas has shown signs of improvement of late. In three May starts, he is 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA. He was 0-3 with an 8.23 ERA through the end of April.
Last time out, Mikolas went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, striking out four and walking one in a no-decision against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
In nine career appearances (eight starts) against the Braves, Mikolas is 3-4 with a 3.33 ERA.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers, Orioles eager to ignite struggling offenses in opener
Detroit Tigers center fielder Matt Vierling (8) walks off the filed after struck out against Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, May 21, 2026. The Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles will look to get their seasons untracked when they meet Friday night in Baltimore.
It’s the beginning of a 10-game homestand for the Orioles, who just finished a 1-5 road trip.
“We’ve shown that we can play with anyone,” Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said. “We just have to allow ourselves to play with anyone. Whether it be on the pitching side, defensively, offensively. We just have to get everything clicking at once.”
The Orioles were swept in three games vs. Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Monday through Wednesday. They failed to protect a two-run lead in the eighth inning of their most recent game, a 5-3 setback to the Rays.
Albernaz called that situation “a big-time gut punch.”
Detroit, meanwhile, is in the midst of a six-game losing streak and has gone seven games in a row without scoring more than three runs.
The Tigers are coming off a 1-6 homestand that included two defeats in 10-inning games. They fell 3-1 to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday afternoon.
“We’re wearing it,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said.
The Tigers are 11 games below .500 for the first time since 2023. Detroit players insist they’re united despite the on-field woes.
“We all got to stick together, you know,” Casey Mize said. “And we are, in my opinion.”
But it’s not necessarily a happy clubhouse.
“We’re just frustrated. We’re trying. We’re doing everything we can,” outfielder Matt Vierling told The Detroit News. “We expected to be better than this, and we’re just overall frustrated. All we can do is show up tomorrow and try to win a ballgame.”
Baltimore has been held to three or fewer runs in 10 of its last 13 games. Albernaz said the Orioles have looked passive on the base paths at times.
“That’s when we lose some opportunities out there,” he said. “(We need to be) aggressive on the bases. When we’re pushing the envelope on the bases, that’s when good things happen for us.”
Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso has begun to show a power stroke, raising his home run total to nine. Five homers have been opposite-field shots.
Baltimore infielder Jackson Holliday played third base for the first time in the major leagues for one inning Wednesday. But he could bounce around the infield based on his workload in the minor leagues while on injury rehabilitation assignments.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt (3-3, 5.44 ERA) will head to the mound on Friday for Baltimore, coming off a five-inning stint in which he gave up four runs and took the loss Saturday at Washington in a 13-3 outcome. He has won in his last two starts at home.
Bassitt is 4-4 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 career starts vs. the Tigers.
Detroit right-hander Jack Flaherty (0-5, 5.77 ERA), who’ll start the series opener, has lost three consecutive starts, including Sunday vs. Toronto when he allowed four runs in six innings in a 4-1 setback. Flaherty has averaged more than one strikeout per inning this season (48 in 43 2/3 innings).
Flaherty, who pitched part of the 2023 season for the Orioles, has faced Baltimore only once. He lost in that 2024 game, giving up three runs in six innings.
–Field Level Media
Dirty Finishes at WWE Saturday Night Dominate Ahead of Clash in Italy
Braves' Bryce Elder brings strong form into start vs. Nationals
