Author: PlayActionNews

The pair will play each other seven times in the next 18 days

Editor’s note: This article is part of the Program Builders series, focusing on the behind-the-scenes executives and people fueling the future growth of their sports.After crafting last season’s roster that exceeded expectations, Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon is now tasked with taking the next step.The Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, three of the five Eastern Conference teams ahead of the Pistons in the 2024-25 NBA standings, have had drastic personnel changes this summer. With no clear hierarchy in the East, Langdon and the Detroit front office were focused on their young core rather than seeking…

Boxing history is full of lessons for fighters who overlook smaller opponents. The latest example Jake Paul should heed before facing Gervonta Davis comes from 2018, when a faded heavyweight was humbled by a former lightweight. That night in Aberdeen, Scotland, Danny Williams, the same man who sensationally knocked out Mike Tyson in 2004, was stunned by Lee McAllister, a fighter who had most recently campaigned as low as 147 pounds. The Danny Williams vs Lee McAllister Upset McAllister, a former Commonwealth champion at 135 pounds, moved up more than SIXTY pounds to face Williams at heavyweight in what many…

No fanbase in the league will enter September thinking very much about the 2026 NFL Draft.Give it a few weeks.With the college football season kicking off in full this weekend, now feels like a good time to take an early look at what the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft could look like. Plenty is going to change between now and then, of course, but we’ll project anyway. The following draft order was based off Austin Mock’s NFL wins projections for The Athletic.The odds of Manning returning to Texas for a fourth season aren’t very long — many believe…

Panpayak “The Angel Warrior” Jitmuangnon accepts his role as the measuring stick for undefeated Russian prospect Asadula Imangazaliev. The veteran striker plans to discover whether the knockout artist can handle elite-level punishment. The Thai faces Imangazaliev in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 122 on August 29 inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. The flyweight Muay Thai clash streams live in Asia primetime as the 250-win veteran tests the 9-0 Russian’s credentials. Panpayak immediately accepted this challenging matchup when ONE Championship presented the opportunity. The former Lumpinee Stadium and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion never avoids difficult assignments regardless…

There were rumors that the Cleveland Browns would keep four QBs on their active 53-man roster. On Monday, the Browns made a smart decision by trading away one of those players.  NFL insiders announced that the Browns traded QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders for a 2026 fifth-round pick. Las Vegas’ backup Aidan O’Connell suffered a wrist injury and will start the year on the IR. Head coach Pete Carroll wanted to add a QB with experience. Kenny Pickett provides that for the Raiders in 2025. He’ll be Geno Smith’s backup. Kenny Pickett is now a member of the Las…

Right-hander Jonah Tong, the No. 52 prospect in baseball, will make his major-league debut with the New York Mets this week, according to league sources. Tong is expected to start the Mets game against the Miami Marlins on Friday.“It’s all about him dominating the minor leagues,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s hard to keep him there.”President of baseball operations David Stearns talks often of wanting to see prospects “conquer” a level before being promoted. Tong accomplished that, insomuch as one can, in two Triple-A starts. With Syracuse, Tong has yet to allow a run, striking out 17 and walking three…

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without forward Max Strus to start the season this fall.Strus underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a fracture in his left foot, the team announced. Specifics of the injury aren’t known, though Strus went down recently in an offseason workout. Strus is expected to be sidelined for three to four months, meaning he will miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 campaign.Advertisement[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]Strus averaged 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season, his second with the Cavaliers. Strus was limited to 50 games…

The Commanders have the oldest team in the NFL this year, and the oldest team in the NFL in more than a decade, based on the average age of all the players on their 53-man roster.The Packers, meanwhile, are the youngest team in the league for the third consecutive year.According to data compiled by Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com, the average age of the Commanders’ 53 players is 28.1. Kempski has been tracking the average ages of all NFL initial 53-man rosters since 2012, and the Commanders are the first team ever to have an average age over 28. The previous…

Donte Johnson plans to complete a 50lb body transformation after signing for the UFC. The 6-0 prospect competed in the opening bout of Dana White’s Contender Series on Tuesday. Standing at 6ft 6in and weighing 229lbs, Darion Abbey looked like he’d be a hard man to beat. It looked like a mismatch when Donte Johnson, who gave up seven inches in height, stood across from his gigantic opponent – but it didn’t matter as the 5ft 11in, 209lb heavyweight stormed to a 64-second knockout victory. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCDonte Johnson eyes welterweight UFC debut After becoming the latest addition…