Month: October 2023

Long before she was the EST of WWE, Bianca Belair was destined to be the best. She hadn’t yet dominated track competitions, turned heads at CrossFit, or main evented WrestleMania, but her drive — even at five years old — was there.

As she sat at a football banquet for her brother, Belair recalls telling her mom “I want a trophy, too.” That moment was a turning point that would lead her to global superstardom. And it’s something she reflects on fondly in her recent partnership with NBC Sports in an effort to give fans an outlet for the Sunday Scaries as they immerse themselves in Sunday Night Football.

“Sunday Night Football is one of the ways that I’m able to jumpstart my week, and I’ve just had so many amazing memories with football,” Belair tells Uproxx Sports. “It’s a form of self care and self care has this misconception when people think of it, being spas and candles and cucumbers and that’s not always what self care is. It’s things that you enjoy and that’s what NBC Sports is doing. They have these nationwide watch parties and it brings people together that just love football and it gives them an unforgettable night.

“The Sunday Scaries, it’s the feeling of anxiety that you get every Sunday before the start of your new work week,” she continues. “Everybody knows that I’ve struggled with depression, I still struggle with anxiety. So, I was really excited about teaming up with them because they’re making football more than just a game. And they’re using it to jumpstart people’s work weeks to take the scaries out of their Sundays.”

Even with the amount of time she spends on the road, Sunday Night Football is an important part of Belair’s week. She loves watching games with her husband, Montez Ford, and his tag team partner, Angelo Dawkins.

“We’re usually leaving a show where we’re the ones back in the competitive environment, so it allows us to step outside of that and we get to be the fans and we get to be the ones that boo and cheer and have our teams that we’re going for,” Belair says. “So it just brings us back down to normalcy and it’s able to jumpstart our week and it helps soothe my anxiety. That’s my best form of self care and I feel like I can get all that with Sunday Night Football.”

Belair has long been a competitive person. It led her to track as her early interest in sports evolved alongside her admiration for Florence Griffith-Joyner. She speaks glowingly about how FloJo branded herself by blending sports and fashion, and how Belair mixed her own style by running races in leotards. By the time she was in high school, she was making the team’s track uniforms. And when she got into CrossFit, she was able to explore her creativity by making her own outfits that helped her stand out.

From an early age, Belair had a mindset that when you look good, you feel and perform good.

“The pageantry that goes into wrestling has really stuck with me,” Belair says. “I love designing and sewing my own gear and showing my talent. When I watch a video game or see my action figure, it’s the gear that I had on. So it’s just the extra element where I’m able to use my creativity with wrestling.”

Belair didn’t join WWE with a plan of designing her own gear, if only because there are so many other things that need to happen before you can even consider getting into the ring in front of a crowd. But once it became clear that she was a superstar in the making, her creative disposition took over.

“Once I started getting word that I was going to start getting in the ring, I started reaching out to gear makers. I’m a very hands-on person and I’m a very creative person, and what I had in my mind, I couldn’t verbalize to the person. What they made was great, but it wasn’t what I wanted, and I just realized I’ve done this before. I did it with track, I did it with CrossFit. It was very intimidating when it came to making stuff for wrestling because I never had done it before,” Belair says. “My husband bought me my first sewing machine when I was in NXT in 2016 and I just started watching a lot of YouTube videos. It was trial and error. I still have the first pair of pants that I’ve ever sewn — I actually didn’t wear them in the ring because they probably would have split open.”

It’s hard for Belair to nail down one outfit that’s her favorite — she creates each piece of gear with the intention to only wear it once. But if she absolutely has to pick one above the rest, it’s what she wore against Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38.

“That was the first time that I really pushed myself to make something out of my normal pattern that I usually wear,” Belair says. “That one really intimidated me. I used a fan design for that, and I loved that collaboration because that fan, I think, was a teenager at the time that they made that design. I just really wanted to push them to continue with their skill because they’re so talented. It’s really hard to pick because I’m connected to all of them in a different way.”

Belair’s gear is only a single component of what’s made her one of WWE’s biggest stars. The EST isn’t a moniker, it’s how the former Women’s Champion approaches her work in WWE.

“It’s really about just having passion and love for the sport. When you’re a champion and you’re constantly in the title picture, and you’re one of the faces of the company, it’s always go, go, go, it’s grind, grind, grind. And it can be very easy to just get in autopilot mode and you have to really remember why you’re in this,” Belair says. “I’m able to have an influence and have an impact on a large amount of people inside the ring. But for me, it’s what I do outside the ring and the impact that I have outside the ring. I’m not just doing Raw and Smackdown. I’m also traveling throughout the weeks to do appearances and do community events and stuff behind the scenes. That’s what drives me.”

Belair is one of the faces of the company, above any era and not confined to a division. She’s paving a path of her own alongside the varied styles that come with WWE’s packed women’s division — a division that got even stronger in recent weeks with the addition of Jade Cargill.

“It’s always been a huge goal and mission of mine to bring myself and my culture and representation to WWE. And it’s only going to get bigger with Jade coming in the picture,” Belair says. “There’s so many amazing possibilities that can come out of it, singles matches, tag matches. Going from being one of the first Black females to main event WrestleMania and now having Jade come in, it’s just showing how much WWE is evolving and continues to evolve.”

The more competition, the better. While she acknowledges what each star can add to the roster, make no doubt about it: that competitive edge never left and she’s ready to continue proving why she’s one of the faces of WWE.

“It’s great to be one of the faces. It’s great to be one of the girls that gets to be in the top positions and be representation,” Belair says. “For awhile, I would just be so proud of myself with trying to do it the right way. And now I’m just to the point where there’s not a right way to do it. You just do it your way and everybody brings a dish to the table, then you can have a whole meal. And that’s what we all do.

“We all collectively add to this division. And I’m just grateful that I’m one of the women that can bring my dish to the table. I want to be the main dish. We’re all fighting to be the entree, but that’s what makes the meal even better. You’re the girl that’s the top. You’re the girl that gets to show this women’s division. It means everything.”

Ridley Scott has opinions. He’s an anti-comic book movie guy, but in a way that makes Martin Scorsese and Steven Soderbergh seem diplomatic. If you offer him a backhanded compliment, he will repeatedly hurl expletives in your face, before politely telling you to keep talking. And while he’s a fan of Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning work in Joker, of the film itself he has mixed feelings.

In a new interview with Deadline (in a bit weeded out by IndieWire), the acclaimed filmmaker talks about Phoenix, his Gladiator baddie with whom he’s reunited for Napoleon. In the past Scott has spoken about how Phoenix is the “best player of damaged goods” in the business. Well, who’s more damaged goods than Arthur Fleck? (Other than perhaps Napoleon Bonaparte, of course.)

“I was blown away by his outrageous film Joker,” Scott said. Sounds like a rave! Or was it? “I didn’t like the way it celebrated violence but Joaquin was remarkable.”

Phoenix’s work in Joker is one reason Scott believed he’d be “an amazing asset to Napoleon,” both in a creative and commercial sense. He added, “There were only two actors I had in mind for the role. I won’t mention the other one.”

Napoleon hits theaters on November 22, and if you enjoy it then you’ll be stoked to learn Scott has an even longer cut he thinks is “fantastic.”

(Via Deadline and IndieWire)

SZA’s time on the road could bleed into 2024. Although the “Kill Bill” singer only has a few dates left on the second North American leg of the SOS Tour, fans could have the opportunity to catch her live quite soon after it concludes. SZA hinted at a miniature tour run while sharing Lana, the modified deluxe version of her SOS album.

On Saturday, October 7, in a post uploaded to her official X (formerly Twitter) page, SZA proposed that idea to fans. “[I] was thinking I wanna do an intimate mini tour for [the] deluxe [album],” she wrote. “But ONLY in the most turnt cities from the ‘SOS Tour.’ I made a list. Y’all deserve a reward. I’m so grateful .”

Followers who had attended one of her previous concert stops chimed in to advocate for their respective cities.

“Atlanta better be on it, niece,” wrote one.

SZA quickly replied, “U already know.”

If SZA does follow through with the smaller tour run, she wouldn’t be the first artist to pull it off. Earlier this year, Ed Sheeran simultaneously embarked on two distinctively different live show runs, the more significant production Mathematics Tour and the stripped-back Subtract Tour.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson has impressed to start his NFL career, as the first round pick out of Florida has shown why his athleticism and arm talent made him such an intriguing prospect.

Unfortunately, Richardson’s running ability has led to him taking some big hits as well, already missing a week earlier this season with a concussion. On Sunday, Richardson scrambled to his right against the Titans and got driven into the ground on his throwing shoulder, immediately tapping at his shoulder/collarbone area while on the ground as the trainers came out to check on him.

Richardson would leave for the injury tent to get evaluated further and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew would enter the game for him. Hopefully the injury is not something as severe as a collarbone and is more in line with the AC joint sprain that Derek Carr suffered recently but was able to come back quickly and play through against the Patriots this week. We’ll have to wait for an official diagnosis and further testing to know what it is, but for a Colts team that was playing well with its dynamic rookie QB, it’s an unfortunate sight seeing him have to leave with the training staff for the second time in five weeks.

The initial report was he was questionable to return with a right shoulder injury, which hopefully means it is not a collarbone issue.

Drake’s latest solo album, For All The Dogs, has stirred up several heavy online debates. From the blatant featured guest omissions and accusations of failing to appropriately credit other artists’ work to the speculated disses on the project, Drake’s latest has been a constant topic of conversation online. However, despite trending across social media, he’s opted not to issue a response.

Then Joe Budden critiqued the album during a recent episode of his self-titled podcast. Immediately after getting wind of Budden’s remarks, Drake hopped into the Instagram comments to clap back. Now, via Drake’s Instagram Stories, the beef seemingly continues.

In the series of posts, Drake pulled inspiration from a tense stand-off between several titans in the National Basketball Association (NBA). “You thought you was Kobe , ” wrote Drake, quoting basketballer Draymond Green’s infamous jab at now-retiree Paul Pierce.

For viewers of the post who didn’t know about the exchange, Drake uploaded the video clip as well. Where Green pokes at Piercing, saying, ”Chasing that farewell tour? They don’t love you like that.”

Drake repurposed the shade to make fun of Budden’s retirement from rap music to pursue entertainment media full-time, which he did after expressing that he felt unappreciated in music. Below, you can see Budden’s original remarks that might have kickstarted this back-and-forth.

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/joebudden/?img_index=1

David Gordon Green has had an odd career. He started as an indie king, improbably moved into stoner studio comedies (sometimes with action), and has added Danny McBride comedies and horror revivals to his arsenal. He started by rebooting Halloween into a new trilogy, and he’s now in the midst of doing the same to The Exorcist. He’s a busy guy, which is why isn’t so sure that he’ll be personally directing the other two in the latter franchise.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (in a bit teased out by The AV Club), Green was hesitant to confirm whether or not he’ll be directing The Exorcist: Deceiver, the first sequel to the just-released The Exorcist: Believer. One reason: He’s still got to work on HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, on which he’s an executive producer.

“My intention is just to start making things, and as those plans come together, if I find myself in that [The Exorcist: Deceiver] director’s chair, I’d be thrilled,” Green admitted. “But right now, I’m navigating it from a story perspective and looking at my realities of life as I pivot.”

Green added that “one of the things that’s been really great between these horror franchises is doing that comedy series on HBO, The Righteous Gemstones. So it’s fun to be able to step away, take a deep breath, have a big laugh, and then get back to work in the genre.”

Mind you, that doesn’t mean Green is stepping away from those Exorcist movies. He’s still very hands-on in laying out this new trilogy. Speaking with Uproxx recently, he said they have a “roadmap” about how the overall story will progress. He also compared it to how he and his writers, including McBride, worked on the Halloweens, saying with first one “was two-thirds of our first script. And then the success of that gave us permission to just make the second one just anarchy and go ballistic. In this one, we have a roadmap of where we go with two and three, but nothing sacred, nothing confirmed. Wherever you go, there are problems.”

The Exorcist: Believer is now in theaters.

(Via THR and The AV Club)

“La Fórmula” musician Maluma is one of the most lusted-after men in Latin music. He’s on the road for his Don Juan World Tour, and admirers are working overtime to grab his eye. Unfortunately, one woman seemed to allow her desires to overstep his personal boundaries.

During Maluma’s New York City concert at Madison Square Garden on Friday, October 6, as he greeted attendees before taking the stage, one woman attempted to grab at his private area. He immediately physically and verbally shut down the fan’s advances while venue security stepped in.

Once a clip of the incident gained traction across social media, people jumped to Maluma’s defense.

“That’s weird and unruly. He responded in the best way one can possibly behave,” wrote one.

“This is disgusting :(,” chimed another.

“This isn’t cute or funny,” penned one.

“Y’all be forgetting that celebrities are real ppl too sometimes,” barked another.

“He reacted very well… You don’t go about touching people without consent,” remarked yet another.

“People are way too comfortable sexually assaulting celebrities. I would’ve had her kicked out,” sternly put another.

Despite the uncomfortable encounter, Maluma took to his Instagram to thank supporters for the special evening, writing, “MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WAS DRESSED IN TRICOLOR LAST NIGHT … I woke up with a smile that will last me a lifetime! THANK YOU, NEW YORK, THANK YOU, LATINOS, this is just the beginning. #DonJuan.”

https://www.instagram.com/maluma/?img_index=1

Last month, Olivia Rodrigo announced a massive 2024 world tour in support of her latest album, Guts. Tickets, as they tend to be for popular events these days, might be hard to get, but it turns out the tour announcement didn’t tell the whole story when it comes to Rodrigo’s upcoming schedule: As part of their Member Week, American Express is partnering with Rodrigo for a Card Member-only concert experience on Monday, October 9, at the Theatre At The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. PT, the show is set to start at 8, and tickets go on sale (for only $25 each, by the way) on October 8 at 10 a.m. PT. Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards Rodrigo’s new nonprofit, Fund 4 Good. Find more information about getting tickets here.

Aside from the performance itself, the event will also feature a complimentary matcha experience, featuring “matcha lattes from LA-based small business Midori Matcha, in a commemorative reusable cup,” as well as a tasty surprise treat after the show.

Rodrigo shared a statement about the event, saying, “I’ve been excited by the response to Guts and I can’t wait to perform live for my fans. Partnering with American Express for my Guts world tour, the Guts Gallery pop-up experiences, and now this intimate performance for my fans means so much. Since we’re making the show available on my YouTube during Member Week, Livies around the world can get a sneak preview of what’s to come on tour!”

Fans can still catch the performance even if they’re unable to make it in person: After the concert, video of the show will be available on Rodrigo’s YouTube channel for a limited time, from October 10 at 8 p.m. ET to October 12. The video will also include “special stories behind each song, and viewers will get an inside look at Olivia like never before.”

Every NFL team has its own language, where different words or phrases represent different plays or adjustments on the field. Peyton Manning’s “Omaha” call became such a big thing he named his production company after it, but every quarterback has his own keywords and phrases that let the rest of the offense know what play or blocking scheme they’re going to change to based on what he’s seeing from the defense.

On Sunday morning in London, the NFL Network’s mics picked up Josh Allen making an audible in the late second quarter, as the Bills were trying to drive down for their first points of the game. On a 2nd and 3, Allen barked out “LEBRON JAMES” to make an adjustment, with the resulting play being an incompletion after he got flushed to his right and just threw it away.

We don’t always get that crystal clear audio at the line of scrimmage, but Allen’s “LeBron James” call was unmistakeable and caught the ear of the King himself, who now is very curious as to what his name means to the Bills offense.

While I don’t have the All-22, the play the Bills ended up running featured two vertical routes and an out route to the bottom of a bunch formation, with an out-and-up move to the single side with the running back running to the flat from the middle after going through his pass pro. I don’t know if LeBron is an actual playcall for that play or just an audible letting the team know which of two playcalls they would go with or what, but for LeBron’s curiosity, that’s what ended up happening after his name got shouted out at the line.

It’s been almost a year since Elon Musk took over the social media service formerly known as Twitter, and boy has he made some big changes. That important verification system? Gone. Those once-banned anti-Semites and former presidents? Unbanned. The robust team that sought to zap dangerous misinformation? Gutted. Many of the features that made Twitter popular, including its own name, have now been removed or sanded down. Soon another popular thingmagig — Twitter/X Circles — will vamoose as well. But how long will it remain?

As per The Verge, fans of the Circles feature will bid it adieu on October 31.

After this date, you will not be able to create new posts that are limited to your Circle, nor will you be able to add people to your Circle,” reads a post on the X help center. “You will, however, be able to remove people from your Circle,” with instructions on how to do that.

Launched in August of 2022, Circles allowed users to share posts exclusively with a limited group of people of their choice. Need to post something spicy or controversial or secretive but only for people you trust? Then you only have till month’s end to do that.

Circles debuted mere months before the Musk takeover. By April of 2023, people were reporting that their clandestine Circles were mysteriously appearing in the “For You” timeline, allowing people they don’t want to see those posts to see them.

As usual, Musk and company have not given a reason for deep sixing Circles.

(Via The Verge)