Jeddah Superdome to host return of WWE King and Queen of the Ring

Jeddah Superdome to host return of WWE King and Queen of the Ring
WWE King and Queen of the ring will take place at Jeddah’s Superdome on May 24-25. (WWE)
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Updated 22 May 2024
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Jeddah Superdome to host return of WWE King and Queen of the Ring

Jeddah Superdome to host return of WWE King and Queen of the Ring
  • Likes of Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul and Becky Lynch will take part in the action this weekend

JEDDAH: WWE is set to return to Saudi Arabia with the double-header of SmackDown and King and Queen of the Ring this weekend at Jeddah’s Superdome.

The action will kick off on May 24 with the Kingdom’s inaugural SmackDown event, which will be broadcast live globally.

WWE superstars will battle it out in the semifinals of the the King and Queen of the Ring, with the finals taking place on May 25.

The Superdome, the world’s largest pillarless structure of its kind, will host the first King of The Ring event to take place since 2015, and the first crowning of a Queen of The Ring since the inaugural Queen’s Crown Tournament, which took place at WWE Crown Jewel in Riyadh in 2021.

The match card for this weekend includes:

Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Logan Paul

WWE King and Queen of the Ring is set to be headlined by Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul in a Championship vs. Championship match. Rhodes will be mounting a defense of his new Undisputed WWE Championship after he solidified his reign at WWE Backlash: France.

WWE Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan

Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch will put her title on the line against Liv Morgan. Lynch won the title in a battle royal after Rhea Ripley was forced to vacate the title after suffering an injury from Morgan backstage. Lynch last eliminated Morgan in the battle royal, but The Liv Morgan Revenge Tour continues with her latest shot at dethroning the champion.

Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed (Triple Threat Match)

Sami Zayn will put the Intercontinental Title on the line in a Triple Threat Match against Chad Gable and “Big” Bronson Reed at WWE King and Queen of the Ring. After ending Gunther’s historic title reign at Wrestlemania 40, Zayn was challenged by Gable despite his help in ending the longest Intercontinental Title reign in WWE history. Reed also attacked Zayn and Gable to set his own claim to the title. As a result, all three will battle for the championship.

Queen of the Ring final

There is just one match left until the Queen of the Ring Final, and Bianca Belair and Nia Jax will battle it out to make it there. Belair bested Candice LeRae and Tiffany Stratton, setting up a meeting with Jax, who took out Naomi and Jade Cargill in the tournament.

Belair and Jax have never faced each other one-on-one and with the crown just inches away, each Superstar will be out to prove herself. The winner will face Lyra Valkyria, who won her place in the final after Monday Night Raw this week, in a match against Iyo Sky.

King of the Ring final

On Friday Night SmackDown, Randy Orton and Tama Tonga will compete for a position in the King of the Ring final against Gunther, who defeated Jey Uso in the semifinal match on Monday Night Raw.

Orton made his way into the semifinal after taking out AJ Styles and Carmelo Hayes, while Tama Tonga bested Angelo Dawkins and LA Knight. Before this year, Orton had not yet won a single King of the Ring Match in his career. Now he is set on making his promise to eliminate The Bloodline to advance to the final match on Saturday night.


Without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr draws 0-0 at Persepolis in last AFC Champions League group game

Without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr draws 0-0 at Persepolis in last AFC Champions League group game
Updated 1 min 34 sec ago
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Without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr draws 0-0 at Persepolis in last AFC Champions League group game

Without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr draws 0-0 at Persepolis in last AFC Champions League group game
  • The club had already secured a place in the round of 16, finishing third in the West group behind fellow Saudi clubs Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal

After leaving Cristiano Ronaldo at home, Al-Nassr drew 0-0 away against Iranian club Persepolis on Monday in the last round of the AFC Champions League Elite group stage.
The Saudi Arabian team had already secured a place in the round of 16 of the continental competition and coach Stefano Pioli took a weakened team to Tehran.
Al-Nassr finished third in the West group behind fellow Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal. The top eight advance from each of the two 12-team groups, divided into eastern and western geographic zones.
Al-Ahli beat Al-Gharafa of Qatar 4-2 with former Premier League players Ivan Toney, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino all scoring, along with Brazilian winger Galeno.
Also, Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan defeated Qatar’s Al-Sadd 2-1 to move into the second round.


Alcaraz beats Cilic in straight sets to advance at Qatar Open

Alcaraz beats Cilic in straight sets to advance at Qatar Open
Updated 7 min 52 sec ago
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Alcaraz beats Cilic in straight sets to advance at Qatar Open

Alcaraz beats Cilic in straight sets to advance at Qatar Open
  • Alcaraz will play either Zhang Zhizhen of China or Italy’s Luca Nardi next

DOHA, Qatar: Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz overcame Croatian veteran Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4 Monday to reach the round of 16 at the Qatar Open.
The 36-year-old Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion who has fallen to No. 192 in the rankings, was playing his first match of the season after recovering from a long-term knee injury. The Croatian led 4-3 and 0-40 on Alcaraz’s serve in the second set, but the Spanish four-time major winner managed to recover and then broke in the next game.
“I am just really happy that I stayed calm at that moment, breathing, going through my routines, making good points,” Alcaraz said. “That’s why I was able to win in two sets.”
Alcaraz will play either Zhang Zhizhen of China or Italy’s Luca Nardi next.
Earlier, seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov lost 6-4, 6-4 to Jiri Lehecka.
Also on Monday, eighth-seeded Jack Draper beat Alexei Popyrin 6-2, 7-6 (4) to set up a meeting with another Australian, Christopher O’Connell.
Several other top players will play their first matches on Tuesday.
Second-seeded Alex de Minaur will face Roman Safiullin. Novak Djokovic, who had to pull out of his Australian Open semifinal with a hamstring injury, will take on Matteo Berrettini.
Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Stefano Tsitsipas will also play on Tuesday.


Barcelona returns to top of La Liga with 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona returns to top of La Liga with 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano
Updated 18 February 2025
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Barcelona returns to top of La Liga with 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona returns to top of La Liga with 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano
  • The defeat ended Rayo nine-game unbeaten streak that stretched back to Dec 7

BARCELONA, Spain: Barcelona returned to the top of the Spanish league on goal difference on Monday after Robert Lewandowski’s first-half penalty secured a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.
The Catalan club took advantage of weekend slip-ups by Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid to move onto 51 points, the same as Madrid and a point clear of Atlético.
Madrid drew 1-1 at Osasuna on Saturday and Atletico was held by the same score at home by Celta Vigo.
Barcelona took the lead after 27 minutes when Pathe Ciss brought down Íñigo Martínez in the box, and a penalty was awarded after a video review. Lewandowski sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.
Both sides had chances to score after that.
Augusto Batalla saved well from Lamine Yamal, who was playing the 100th game of his career, while at the other end Jorge De Frutos had the ball in the net for Rayo only to see it ruled out for offside.
De Frutos was always dangerous for Rayo but as the game went on the home side took control as it extended its unbeaten run to 12 matches.
The defeat ended Rayo nine-game unbeaten streak that stretched back to Dec 7.


Pakistan win bronze at 22nd Asian Junior Squash Team Championships

Pakistan win bronze at 22nd Asian Junior Squash Team Championships
Updated 17 February 2025
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Pakistan win bronze at 22nd Asian Junior Squash Team Championships

Pakistan win bronze at 22nd Asian Junior Squash Team Championships
  • Republic of Korea made national sporting history as their men’s team won the tournament for the first time
  • In women’s event, Hong Kong ended Malaysia’s decade of dominance by claiming title for first time in 14 years

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan team has won a bronze medal at the 22nd Asian Junior Squash Team Championships held in Hong Kong, state media reported on Monday.

The Asian Junior Team Championships have been held biennially since 1983.

“South Korea secured the gold medal while Malaysia got silver,” Radio Pakistan reported. “Pakistan and India won bronze medals.”

The Republic of Korea made national sporting history as their men’s team won the tournament for the first time, while in the women’s event, hosts Hong Kong ended Malaysia’s decade of dominance by claiming the title for the first time in 14 years.

Prior to Sunday’s conclusion at Hong Kong Squash Center, Republic of Korea had never reached the final of the Asian Junior Team Championships.

Completing the medals in the men’s event were No.6 seeds Pakistan, who beat No.5 seeds Japan in the quarterfinals but lost to Republic of Korea in the semis, and No.4 seeds India, who upset hosts Hong Kong, China in the quarter-final before losing out to Malaysia in the semis.

Completing the medals in the women’s event were No.3 seeds India and No.5 seeds Singapore, with India finishing second in Pool B after comprehensive wins over China, Macau – China, and Mongolia, before losing out to the hosts in the semifinals, and Singapore coming second in Pool A after wins over No.4 seeds Republic of Korea as well as Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei before eventually exiting to Malaysia in the last four.


Revived Champions Trophy up for grabs with no clear favorite

Revived Champions Trophy up for grabs with no clear favorite
Updated 17 February 2025
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Revived Champions Trophy up for grabs with no clear favorite

Revived Champions Trophy up for grabs with no clear favorite
  • Reigning ODI world champions Australia are among several countries sending weakened contingents 
  • Pakistan are defending champions and hosts as they stage a first global tournament since 1996 World Cup

The sprinkling of stardust over the Champions Trophy may appear somewhat thin on its return to the calendar after eight years but fans can expect a wide open one-day international tournament in the absence of an overwhelming favorite.
The tournament featuring the top eight teams in the ODI format was discontinued by the International Cricket Committee (ICC) after the eighth edition in 2017, when Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Pakistan beat India in the final.
Pakistan are therefore holders as well as hosts as they stage a first global tournament since the 1996 World Cup, even if political tensions mean India will play all their matches, including the March 9 final should they make it, in Dubai.
Reigning ODI world champions Australia are among several countries sending weakened contingents with Steve Smith standing in as captain of a squad featuring a second-string pace attack.
Regular skipper Pat Cummins, fellow quick Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh were all ruled out by injury, while left-arm quick Mitchell Starc withdrew for personal reasons and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has quit ODIs altogether.
Sri Lanka did not make the cut for the Champions Trophy but nevertheless handed the Australians a humbling reality check in the run-up to the tournament with a 2-0 series drubbing.
Reigning Twenty20 world champions India have made the finals of the last three ICC events and Rohit Sharma’s team signaled their fine form by winning seven of eight limited-overs matches against England.
Runners-up in the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil, India boast one of the world’s most destructive batting lineups but will be without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been laid low by a back injury.
Seamer Mohammed Shami’s impressive return to action in the home series against England was a big relief for Rohit, who will also expect vital contributions from spin all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.

SOUTHEE BACKS NZ

New Zealand will also fancy their chances of claiming the title having won the tri-nation trophy in Pakistan, beating the hosts in the final of a warm-up tournament also featuring 1998 champions South Africa.
Mitchell Santner’s Black Caps side went through the tournament unbeaten and now have a fair idea of the kind of conditions they will face in the Champions Trophy.
“If you look at the track record of New Zealand in ICC events, they are always there or thereabouts,” former New Zealand pace spearhead Tim Southee told the ICC.
“In a tournament like the Champions Trophy, if you get on a bit of a roll, anything can happen. I’d love to see the Black Caps there and hopefully lifting the trophy at the end.”
England were unable to defend to defend the T20 or ODI World Cup under Jos Buttler and are now licking their wounds after a tour of India where they were blanked 3-0 in the 50-overs matches.
They have already lost the services of Jacob Bethell through a hamstring injury, while their bowling trio of Brydon Carse (toe), Jamie Overton (hamstring) and Jofra Archer (hand) are all nursing fitness issues.
Giant-killers Afghanistan will make their Champions Trophy debut following their sixth place finish in the ODI World Cup in 2023, when they beat former champions England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan, who face New Zealand in the tournament opener in Karachi on Wednesday, are hoping a successful Champions Trophy will pave the way open for more such tournaments as the country battles perceptions that it is not safe for visitors.
The icing on the cake would be if Mohammad Rizwan, a stumper-batter like Sarfaraz, could guide Pakistan to a first global title since their Champions Trophy triumph in England eight years ago.