In April, WWE released a months-long, detailed taping schedule. This week, the company reportedly both veered from those filming plans and started planning how to resume their live event schedule.

Last month, WWE’s taping schedule from April through the beginning of July was revealed through an “exclusive” piece published on Pro Wrestling Sheet that featured several quotes from anonymous insiders about the company’s health and safety procedures. According to PW Insider, WWE broke from that schedule this week, and rather than taping just this week’s and next week’s episodes of Raw yesterday, taped this week’s Raw, Smackdown, 205 Live, and Main Event.

Another, much more obvious change from the week’s Raw will reportedly continue at future tapings. The NXT wrestlers in the audience (seen this week watching Raw from behind plexiglass while standing six feet apart and not wearing masks, said by commentary to have been medically tested before the event), are here to stay and will be used for all WWE programs going forward.

According to WrestleVotes, WWE has begun discussing internally how to resume live events (with regular fans in attendance) this summer. The WWE insider Twitter account posted, “I’m hearing that internally the WWE live event schedule is slowly being rebuilt. I’m still not expecting anything with fans prior to July, however. Discussions about ticket sales going forward have also begun, with social distancing guidelines remaining in place. That’s tricky.” Flordia Governor Ron DeSantis previously speculated that sports in the state could have limited amounts of fans in attendance in June or July.

HBO Max has finally launched, and like a lot of people, you might be wondering if your HBO subscription will get you in the door at no extra charge. It’s a valid question, given that cable packages are pricey, with or without premium channels, and paying for HBO Max on top of HBO doesn’t sound appealing. The good news is that HBO Max is serious about standing as a formidable rival to Netflix and Disney. Not only will the service offer 10,000+ movie and TV titles (both on the library catalog and original content sides), but it’s shaping up to be competitive, price-wise. We’ll try and clear up some confusion here.

The Cost Of HBO Max If It’s Not Part Of Your Existing HBO Package:

If you’re coming to HBO Max dry — that is, if you aren’t one of the fortunate viewers who will be rolled into membership with an existing HBO subscription elsewhere or as an HBO Now subscriber — then HBO Max’s standard price will run $14.99 per month. That’s a higher price than Netflix’s standard plan ($12.99) and lower than its premium plan ($15.99). HBO Max also runs the same baseline price as HBO Now, although a special introductory deal was once available to lock people into a 12-month HBO Max rate at $11.99 per month.

Naturally, anyone who can avoid being charged separately for HBO Max will want to do so. We’re all thrifty! So it only makes sense to look for ways to save money. First, let’s recap the other ways that you might already watch HBO: mainly, the other two HBO streaming services (HBO Go and HBO Now) already offered.

What Is HBO Max Vs. HBO Go And HBO Now?

– HBO Max is the newcomer streaming platform from WarnerMedia. The service will feature 10,000+ hours of premium content, which includes HBO’s entire library, HBO Max Originals, tons of Warner Bros. movies and TV shows, and much more.

– HBO Go is the on-demand streaming service that HBO cable viewers already receive as part of their subscription. The service includes HBO’s original content and rotating monthly selections, and access is tied directly into your specific cable TV package.

– HBO Now is a standalone, on-demand streaming offering for people who don’t hold a cable or satellite package but still want to subscribe to HBO and watch on a smart TV, laptop, tablet, phone or other compatible devices. The current price for this service is $14.99 per month, and many current HBO Now subscribers will automatically receive HBO Max access without any added cost.

So If You’ve Got HBO, Do You Get The HBO Max Upgrade For Free?

Maybe. The current guidelines aren’t clear cut, and they’re very much in flux. Here’s where the issue stands as of now:

– Those who subscribe to HBO (and, in turn, HBO Go) through a cable TV service may (or may not) be in luck. As it stands, there’s no deal between HBO and some cable TV service companies, but that could change in the future. However, HBO subscribers who pay for the channel through Charter or an AT&T package will receive HBO Max at no added charge. That includes subscribers to the AT&T-owned DirecTV, IPTV, AT&T TV, which means that millions of these HBO customers will get rolled into HBO Max. In a late-breaking announcement, HBO Max also announced partnerships with Alice USA, Cox Communications, Microsoft, National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), Samsung, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Verizon. Comcast has also hopped on board to provide HBO Max access to Xfinity X1 and Flex customers at no extra cost.

– HBO Now subscribers who pay straight through HBONow.com will automatically receive access to HBO Max. So will subscribers who sign up for HBO with the Hulu add-on or use Apple, Google, or YouTube TV to access HBO. And HBO Max has made a special point of saying that more partnerships might pop up before and following launch. Right now, though, it remains unclear whether those who pay for HBO Now as an add-on service through Amazon Prime or Roku will also gain access to HBO Max with no extra charge.

– We do know that neither HBO Go nor HBO Now will be erased from existence for the foreseeable future. You can keep on doing your thing and pretend that HBO Max doesn’t exist, but you probably will want to enjoy the expanded library if you can.

Where The Topic Goes From Here:

If you’re a cable subscriber who remains (understandably) puzzled on whether you’ll receive access to HBO Max at no extra charge, your best bet is to ask your cable provider. That’s easier said than done, we know. HBO Max’s FAQ page is also a good source for updates because, soon, HBO Max will also be the only place to stream every episode of Friends and enjoy an expanding slate of wonderful-sounding HBO Max Original TV series and movies. Beyond an included cable package, the easiest way to get HBO Max rolled into an existing HBO service is through HBO Now (directly or through Hulu), so if you’re tempted to cut the cord, there’s one more reason to do so. That, however, might feel like a drastic move, so maybe hang tight and see what happens — other partnerships may very well surface as HBO Max evolves.

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After as many as 6.3 million viewers tuned into “The Match” last weekend, Phil Mickelson and the event’s producer both are encouraged and believe the competition could turn into an annual charity match, with new participants each year.

The 2020 event raised $20 million for coronavirus relief, and Mickelson told Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times that this year’s precarious version of “The Match,” which included a socially distanced broadcast and intimate moments with golf cart cameras and mic’d up players, gave him optimism about making it a more consistent treat for golf fans. In 2018, “The Match” featured only Mickelson and Tiger Woods, but producer Bryan Zuriff said the natural rivalry between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning was key to this year’s event’s success.

“I don’t know what specifically it will look like but it would be a competition while also being entertaining and getting the right mixture of individuals to have their personalities come out the way Peyton and Tom shined in this last one,” Mickelson told the LA Times. “They were humanized with their golf game yet they were competitive and they were funny and entertaining. They let their sense of humor come out. It’s about finding the right mix of those competitors and I don’t think we could get two better guys than who we had in Peyton and Tom.”

Mickelson hopes they can continue to get different types of celebrities and athletes involved going forward. While Zuriff, the producer, admitted Steph Curry was part of the initial plan for the 2020 event until Manning came up, Mickelson sees Tony Romo, Patrick Mahomes, or even Michael Jordan being in play. All bets are off on the ratings if Jordan plays, but if the production schedule of The Last Dance is any evidence, it may take a while to convince him.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 2021 version (or is it too late to squeeze another one before the end of this year?) include Hollywood celebrities as well. Among the guys on Mickelson’s mind are Larry David and Bill Murray, who would be a delight.

Other pro golfers could come on as well, though Mickelson admitted that they need to be entertaining people for the event to work. Still, Brooks Koepka or Justin Thomas would be perfectly fine, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if future editions of “The Match” were blown out to include six or eight people.

No matter what it looks like, the powers that be seem determined to keep putting on “The Match” going forward, and that’s a treat for all of us.

Toronto duo Japandroids unveiled a big project Wednesday. The group is culminating their nearly 15 years as a band with a live album recorded in Toronto’s historic venue Massey Hall.

Aptly titled Massey F*cking Hall, Japandroids pull from their entire catalog on the 12-track live album. To preview the project’s lively sound, Japandroids shared the live rendition of the 2009 Post-Nothing track “Heart Sweats.”

In a statement alongside the live album’s announcement, Japandroids drummer David Prowse said “Heart Sweats” is one of their most energetic songs to perform: “We’ve always loved playing that one live. It’s just got a great sense of momentum and never fails to get me hyped. During that tour we were playing it second or third in the set. It consistently feels like the moment in the set where I just get that sense of ‘oh yeah we’re cooking now,’ and everything just locks in and we’re ripping through the rest of the set. All the nerves are gone and it’s the moment where we’re just locked in and totally in the zone.”

Prowse continued that playing Massey Hall was a big accomplishment for the band:

“We never thought we’d have the opportunity to play at Massey Hall. It’s the most legendary venue in Canada by far, but it didn’t seem like a natural spot for a band like us to play. It’s a 100+ year old seated theatre, which isn’t the usual type of spot you expect to see Japandroids. Honestly, when we got off the stage that night, I remember feeling a sense of relief and exhilaration, but the whole thing felt like a bit of a blur. It was a very emotional show for me. We were both pretty nervous getting up on that stage.

I really, really miss live shows. I miss playing them and I miss being in the crowd. When you love music, there are few things more uplifting and cathartic than being in a room full of people at a live show. To not have that opportunity to experience live music together with a group of people has been hard to adjust to. It’s disorienting and it makes me sad to think about it. I hope that maybe in some small way people who are feeling similarly can find some solace in this record. They can hear the crowd and listen to us having the time of our lives at a historic venue and maybe that makes life a little easier for a minute, and reminds them that those moments will happen again down the road.”

Listen to “Heart Sweats” above and find the Massey F*cking Hall cover art and tracklist below.

1. “Near To The Wild Heart Of Life”
2. “Fire’s Highway”
3. “Heart Sweats”
4. “Arc Of Bar”
5. “Younger Us”
6. “North East South West”
7. “The Nights of Wine And Roses”
8. “No Known Drink Or Drug’
9. “Continuous Thunder”
10. “Young Hearts Spark Fire”
11. “Sovereignty”
12. “The House That Heaven Built”

Massey F*cking Hall is out 6/19 via Anti. Pre-order it here.

In May of 2010, Rick Ross declared his mission statement for the next decade: “It’s next level time, Elroy Jetson time,” he told online outlet 57thave. Artists use a rotating assortment of superfluous cliches to pump up new music, so the interview wasn’t exactly his “the souf got sum to say” moment. Ross, who fashioned himself as “the biggest boss,” was prone to self-mythologizing quotables like “I need $10 million a year just to function.”

And at the time, Ross was probably the last rapper that rap fans were taking at face value. In 2009, the then-34-year-old was getting needled by most of the rap world after being “exposed” as a correctional officer in 2008. That he survived universal ridicule and 50 Cent’s 2009 onslaught of viral disses to sustain a career was a miracle. But then “BMF” dropped, and even his detractors realized he was set for takeoff. His 2010 output began with the Albert Anastasia EP, the prequel to Teflon Don, which was released on mixtape site DatPiff 10 years ago today.

With the vaunting “BMF” and “MC Hammer,” as well as the silky “Super High,” Ross deafened the knocks on his credibility and entered a new tier of rap stardom by personifying a popular adage: “The bigger the lie, the more they believe.”

By 2010, Rick Ross was lucky to simply be treading water as a signed mainstream artist. He had gone through two years that would have torpedoed almost any artist. In 2008, late journalist Sam Ferguson divulged for Hip-Hop Weekly that Ross had worked as a corrections officer at the South Florida Reception Center for 18 months. Ross initially denied the allegations, but a photo then surfaced of Ross in uniform. The specter of a rapper ideating himself a drug kingpin while previously working as a CO was considered too far fetched for many consumers to suspend disbelief on, and his then-successful career was in jeopardy.

At the start of 2009, Ross seemingly sought to shift his narrative in one of the most dangerous ways possible: by dissing 50 Cent. On “Mafia Music,” he called the G-Unit boss a “jealous stupid motherf*cker” and accused him of burning his child’s mother’s house down. Ross has said that 50 gave him an odd look at the 2008 BET Awards (50 says he doesn’t even remember seeing Ross) which necessitated the shots. Regardless of the genesis, the two clashed online, with 50 Cent vowing to “f*ck (Ross’) life up for fun.” On top of dropping numerous diss records, 50 pulled numerous viral stunts, including dropping an “Officer Ricky” cartoon, taking Ross’ child’s mother out on a shopping spree, and releasing a sex tape of one of Ross’ other children’s mother. The onslaught was so vicious that even 50’s then-archenemy Game told Ross that “50 eatin’ you boy.”

The double blow of two successive years of bad headlines would have made most MCs a mere footnote in rap history, but Ross’ talent prevailed. He had been in the rap game since the ‘90s, toiling through situations at several record labels before being signed by Def Jam in 2006. Between his skills and his determination, he wasn’t going to allow himself to be easily dismissed.

Deeper Than Rap went number one on the strength of singles like “Maybach Music 2,” “Magnificent,” and “Rich Off Cocaine.” Ross had defied 50 Cent’s assertion that his career would be dealt a death blow and exemplified the cognitive dissonance that’s become more normalized for most rap fans in 2020. It was possible to acknowledge Ross’ past job and note that 50’s volleys were pretty stinging while still enjoying Ross’ music. Hip-hop fans had long clung to a “keep it real” mantra, but once enough people had acknowledged that nothing was real but the feeling of the music, Ross felt creative liberation to push the fantasies further — and make them impossible to ignore.

Ross played to his late-aughts resilience by naming his next album Teflon Don. The album was set for a summer 2010 release, but Ross first sought to feed the streets with a suite of testers. He linked with in-demand producer Lex Luger after freestyling over his now-iconic “Hard In The Paint” instrumental, with a tenacious delivery and deflective lyrics like, “You think I give a f*ck what other n***s think? / Make another million every time a n***a blink.”

Lex’s spastic, booming drums and stirring synths were an ideal soundscape for Ross and both men knew it. Luger has said that he sent Ross approximately 210 beats in a week span, and was told not to give away two beats. One became “MC Hammer,” and the other was “BMF.” At the time, songs named after people had become a prevalent trend, and Ross had picked two of hip-hop’s most infamous brands to homage for his stories of consumption and corruption.

The tracks led off Albert Anastasia with a full speed ahead fury. “MC Hammer’s” urgent, escalating synths sounded like the leadup to a battle for the fate of the universe — and Ross met the gravity of the production with an undeniable vigor. If fans were going to give him the leeway to bend the truth with his boasts, then he’d contort it beyond recognition, galvanized by Luger’s skillful production. Ross pushed the braggadocio to the furthest end of the spectrum, going on a lyrical shopping spree to rival the man who blew a $30 million fortune by screaming to the top of the heavens that “I got 30 cars, whole lot of dancers / I take them everywhere, I’m MC Hammer.” The lyrics varied between were outrageous, funny, and downright crude at some junctures. It was thrilling throughout, but still didn’t quite compare to.

“BMF” retained the intensity of “MC Hammer,” but had a groove more fit for commercial consumption on his homage to Big Meech and the infamous Black Mafia Family drug organization. FBI prosecutors allege that BMF grossed $270 million in drug profits before being taken down by the FBI in 2005, and BMF members were indeed “blowin’ money fast.” Ross did his bombastic best to score their lifestyle, with decrees like “cocaine running through my big veins” and “stunt so hard make ‘em come indict me” that were obviously outrageous but also fit the Scarface redux vibe he was doing for.

The silky “Super High” with Neyo was another standout from Albert Anastasia. He visited the gold-adorned well of his luxurious “Maybach Music” singles, getting into “Ricky Rozay” player mode and declaring “if you lookin’ for me, you can find me in the Guinness Book.” Other standouts from the project include the jazzy “Gotti Family” with Yo Gotti, the “300 Soldiers” war cry, and a pair of lyrical exercises in “Knife Fight” and “White Sand Pt. 2,” featuring Kool G Rap, who Ross was once scouting to join Maybach Music.

Ross was always charismatic, but this moment showed him hitting a serious stride. He rhymed with relatively less intricacy than normal, taking his time to make sure every bar was a quotable and punctuating them with his now-iconic “UNGH” adlib. Like so many great adlibs, it was catchy and easily applicable to real-life situations. Lex Luger’s production to elevate himself from a successful rapper to a legitimate pop culture fixture.

It’s the charisma he first displayed here that paved the way for the Nike commercial, the since-nixed Reebok deal, and made brands like Wingstop and Checkers realize he was a natural pitchman. Those Albert Anastasia standouts are also core tracks from Teflon Don which helped push his career into a different stratosphere.

With “BMF” and “MC Hammer,” Ross proved that spectacle strips context. He has an all-time knack for grandiose lyricism which may have made him one of the best people to fight off the career trials he faced in 2008 and 2009 — however self-inflicted they were. Critics sought to push him out of the rap game, but with captivating music and over the top opulence, he towered over the pitfalls on the way to a legendary career.

Rick Ross is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

When HBO Max announced last week that they’ll actually #ReleaseTheSnyderCut (which is still far from finished) in 2020, it took about ten seconds for fans to clamor for an “Ayer Cut” of 2016’s trashtastic Suicide Squad. The film, although ridiculously successful on a financial note, was a narrative disaster that subbed in Blob People in place of an overarching villain. The Warner Bros./DC movie was about a Dirty Dozen-esque gathering of bad guys, so I guess someone maybe gave up on a “big bad” and figured Blob People would work? Well, let’s just say that director David Ayer has been quite vocal in his displeasure for what hit theaters.

Ayer has lamented the loss of most of Jared Leto’s Joker in the movie and claimed that people haven’t truly seen his vision materialize onscreen. So of course he’d like to finish an Ayer Cut, and with Twitter being Twitter, someone asked James Gunn — who is currently finishing up a relaunch called The Suicide Squad — what he thinks of an Ayer Cut surfacing in the near-ish future.

Well, Gunn is cool with this happening and isn’t giving any indication of feeling like his toes might be smooshed. “I’d be okay with whatever @DavidAyerMovies & Warners wanted to release with that no problem,” the Guardians of the Galaxy helmer tweeted.

And Ayer reacted with gratitude and praise while calling Gunn “good people” and “a master filmmaker.” He’s also excited to see Gunn’s “take on these characters.”

The lovefest continued with Gunn repsonding, “I feel the same way about you, man.”

The nerd affection between these guys is evident, and more than that, this is about filmmakers supporting their own. Hollywood is reeling, along with much of the world, from the pandemic, and getting everyone back on their feet feels more important than squabbling over comic book characters. Gunn and Ayer are pure class, no doubt.

Soccer will return to the United States next month. The National Women’s Soccer League, which was unable to kick off its 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will head to Utah for a 25-game tournament beginning on June 27. The league announced the news of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup in a release.

“As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality, and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners, as well as our new and current commercial partners, the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer back to the United States,” NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement. “This exciting month-long tournament will showcase our league’s talented players and provide our fans the type of world-class entertainment they’ve come to expect from the NWSL.”

The league’s nine clubs will each play four matches, which will serve to sort out seeding for an eight-club, single-elimination knockout tournament. Unsurprisingly, the matches will be played in stadiums without fans, something we have seen in Germany’s Bundesliga in the weeks since it returned to play. It is, however, unclear how many members of the World Cup-winning United States Women’s National Team will participate — according to the New York Times, players from the national side are “split” on taking the pitch, with some “wary of the health and injury risks of a compressed season played — except for the semifinals and final — on artificial turf and during a pandemic.”

As the release explained, the tournament will be hosted by the Utah Royals, which will offer up its various facilities to make sure players are able to participate in a safe and controlled environment. All personnel heading to Utah for the tournament will undergo a COVID-19 test 48 hours before they make their way to the Beehive State, and upon arrival, they “will be subject to consistent testing, temperature readings, and symptom review” until they leave.

This “international-style” tournament allows the league to safely return to the pitch and will be hosted by Dell Loy Hansen, owner of Utah Royals FC, who will accommodate all housing, training, and competition needs for the league’s nine teams and create an “NWSL Village” to control as much of the environment as possible.

“With the efforts of our frontline workers, our state’s early adoption of preventative measures, and our facilities at Zions Bank Real Academy, Rio Tinto Stadium, and America First Credit Union Field, Utah is uniquely prepared to host the nine teams in the NWSL and put on a tremendous tournament,” said Hansen. “With the full support of the Governor and the medical experts in our community, we are thrilled to bring the tournament to Utah.”

The tournament’s schedule is still to be determined, but it will be broadcast on CBS — the first match and the final will air on the main network, while the rest will air live on CBS All Access and via replays on CBS Sports Network.

The death of 22-year-old pro wrestler Hana Kimura started a conversation about online harassment that has some Japanese politicians talking about cyberbullying laws, and much more immediately, it has begun to have consequences for Terrace House. Kimura performed on the reality show from September 2019 until it went on a production hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, and received increasing harassment as the show went on, which she mentioned in social media posts shortly before taking her own life.

Terrace House‘s distribution was quickly paused after Kimura’s death, and earlier today, the show announced that it will not resume production on its current season. The rest of the already-filmed episodes also will not be broadcast on Fuji TV, and no further episodes of the season will be released internationally on Netflix.

The show also released a statement about Kimura’s passing, saying, “The news of Hana Kimura’s passing has made us speechless. We respectfully offer our deepest condolences to her family, and pray from the bottom of our hearts for her happiness in the next world.” Cast members from the 2019-2020 season and past seasons have commented on Kimura’s death, some mentioning that they experienced similar harassment from viewers during their time on the show.

Terrace House has aired since 2012, with seasons taking place in different areas of Japan (Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Nagano) and one season set in Hawaii. The show’s premise is that six strangers live in a house together (always three men and three women) and form friendships and romantic relationships as they pursue their life goals, with their actions analyzed and joked about remotely by a panel of entertainment personalities.

I don’t remember who gave the commencement speech at my college graduation (some boring egghead, probably), but I do recall that it wasn’t Adam Sandler.

It should have been, though. We could all stand to listen to the Uncut Gems star, who’s amassed a reported $420 million fortune while dressed like he’s meeting the other dads for a game of “hoops” at the YMCA. That’s the American dream, right there. Sandler couldn’t give an in-person commencement speech to this year’s high school and college graduates, for obvious and unfortunate reasons, but he did try to cheer them up with a mini-sermon on Twitter. He also shared a picture of his cap-and-gown younger self.

“Hellooooo high school and college class of 2020. Holy cow. Way to go. You did it. You are officially smart. You worked hard and you deserve the respect. Sorry it’s a rough time to be graduating, but you know what I did the night of my high school graduation?” Sandler tweeted. “I sat at home with my parents and we all just stared at each other just like you’re doing now. Then the fun began. Love you all. Congratulations. Enjoy it and get ready to go save the world. We need you.” He signed the tweet, “Love, The Sandman.” Love you, too, buddy, as long as you make another Grown Ups movie.

Give the grads something to look forward to: more water park-based hijinks.