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Where will Bronny James play next year? A breakdown of his top schools – Yahoo Sports

Posted: September 7, 2022 at 6:18 pm

Bronny James is entering his senior year of high school, coming off a great summer and European tour with his high school team, Sierra Canyon, last month. LeBron James' oldest son has kept his recruitment under wraps his entire high school career, but a few schools are starting to emerge as viable options and official visits are being scheduled for the fall.

His first visit took place over the weekend as Bronny, LeBron and agent Rich Paul traveled to Columbus, Ohio, and were seen on the sideline ahead of the Ohio State-Notre Dame football game. Ohio State's student section started chanting, "We want Bronny," after spotting them.

Where else will Bronny potentially visit this fall and where will he end up playing next season? Yahoo Sports takes a look at the teams known to be in on James, how he would fit within the program and other high school recruits who could be joining him.

If there's a preconceived favored program, Ohio State is it.

Bronny was born in Columbus, LeBron was born and raised in Akron, and has said in the past that if he didn't play basketball, he would have been a wide receiver and played at Ohio State. The university is sponsored by LeBron's Nike division, with athletes on the men's and women's basketball teams wearing LeBron-designed shoes and the football team outfitted in his designed cleats. LeBron has been to multiple sporting events at Ohio State over the years and it would be a bit of a homecoming if Bronny chose to play for Chris Holtmann and his staff.

The Buckeyes do a great job developing guards and have a handful of notable alumni currently in the NBA: D'Angelo Russell, Mike Conley Jr., Duane Washington Jr. and most recently, the No. 20 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Malaki Branham. The Buckeyes finished last season 20-12 and fourth in the Big Ten.

Ohio State already has two commitments in the 2023 high school class: four-star power forward Devin Royal and center Austin Parks. There's availability and room for Bronny to come in and compete for early playing time. He's one of the best on-ball defenders in his class and has a solid jumper. He's a plug-and-play guard who is getting more comfortable as the primary ball-handler.

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LeBron James, left, poses with his Bronny James after a Sierra Canyon High School basketball game in 2019. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

There was a report from On3 Sports that named Oregon as the front-runner. LeBron quickly shut down that speculation stating in a tweet, "He hasnt taken 1 visit yet and has only had a few calls with coaches and universities. When Bronny makes his choice youll hear it from him."

Oregon is the flagship school for the Nike brand and head coach Dana Altman has already landed top players in the 2023 high school class. Five-star Kwame Evans and four-star Mookie Cook have already committed to the Ducks along with four-star guard Jackson Shelstad. Cook was actually cast to play a young LeBron in the feature film about his childhood and high school career coming out next year and filmed the movie this past summer.

"It's kind of hard to play LeBron because he's literally one of one," Cook told Yahoo Sports. "Of course I watched a ton of film and just the way he saw the game at that young of an age, man, he's something else."

Bronny teaming up with the player who played his father in a movie would be fun to watch on the court, but LeBron made it very clear they're still early in the process and reports that Oregon is the early leader appear to be false.

Head coach Juwan Howard and LeBron have had a great relationship for years. Howard has made back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 in his first two seasons as head coach and has turned around the program.

There are always a handful of things to consider when choosing a college program. Howard played in the NBA for 19 seasons and was an assistant coach when LeBron played for the Miami Heat and won two championships in South Florida. Trusting a coach and his staff to push Bronny each day at practice could give Michigan a slight edge.

The only thing that could hurt Michigan's chances of landing Bronny is Michigan is a Jordan Brand-sponsored school. This might not seem like a big deal, but to put things in perspective, all Bronny's other potential college programs are sponsored by Nike. Bronny has played on Nike-sponsored teams his entire high school career. LeBron is one of Nike's biggest athletes and the name, image and likeness opportunities that could surround Bronny will undoubtedly be considered.

The Wolverines don't have a commitment from any player in the 2023 high school recruiting class yet but are in a good spot with five-star Isaiah Collier and four-star center Papa Kante. Bronny has played alongside top guards his entire high school career; he played with NBA guards Brandon Boston Jr. and Ziaire Williams, and played off the ball last year alongside UCLA freshman Amari Bailey.

Head coach Andy Enfield and two assistants sat courtside at every one of Bronny's games at Nike's Peach Jam in July. USC is the hometown school and would be relatively easy for LeBron and the rest of the family to be at home games when schedules permit. Bronny's little brother, Bryce, is only a sophomore and will be playing varsity this season with his older brother. Bryce is starting to come into his own game, listed at 6-foot-5 and Bronny would be only an hour away and could still be close to family.

USC finished last season 26-8 and third in the Pac-12. The Trojans don't have a commitment for the 2023 high school class yet but are in a good spot with James, and five-star prospects A.J. Johnson and Isaiah Collier.

Penny Hardaway is the most recent head coach to get involved in Bronny's recruitment. Similar to Howard and Michigan, Hardaway brings pro experience to the college level and has landed top players in the past. James Wiseman, Precious Achiuwa and Jalen Duren all played under Hardaway and were first-round NBA draft picks. Last year, Hardaway landed the top recruit in the nation, Emoni Bates, but due to injuries, Bates didn't play a ton his freshman year and ended up transferring to Eastern Michigan in his hometown.

Last season, Hardaway added Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown to his coaching staff. The knowledge and depth the pair bring will be intriguing for the James family and an option to explore. Right now, Memphis is in a good spot with one of the top point guards in the class, D.J. Wagner Jr., but has yet to land a player in the 2023 high school class.

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AEW All Out: Tony Khan excited about nearly full-strength roster – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 6:18 pm

AEW owner Tony Khan gestures to the crowd. (Photo Credit: AEW)

A year ago, Tony Khan and AEW were in the midst of a pro wrestling revolution. Sure, the company had been around since 2019, but last summer Khans promotion was able to sign and debut three massive talents all wildly popular with fans in a matter of weeks.

The debuts of Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk should have represented the start of one of the most exciting times in the companys brief history, unlocking myriad potential matchups most enthusiasts had only dreamed of. Instead, AEW was forced to scramble somewhat over the past 10 months due to several health issues among its three new signings as well as three of the company stalwarts in Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega.

Looking back at a year with these wrestlers, its been the strangest thing because of the availability, Khan told Yahoo Sports. We had the first three champions in the history of AEW Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega and then we added these three stars in the summer of last year. Within a couple of months, Omega, due to a variety of injuries, had to step away in November. Moxley, for his personal health, had to step away in November and right after that, Jericho had a blood clot. All of a sudden we went from having these six huge stars on top of the talent up and down the card to having our first three champions need to take time for their health.

The absence of three foundational stars forced Khan to adapt, quickly crafting programs involving Cole, Danielson and Punk against other talent in MJF, then-champion Adam Hangman Page, and Orange Cassidy. As AEW continued to march along during the first half of the year, leading up to one of the companies signature events, Double or Nothing, it seemed as if the roster had finally turned a corner health-wise.

Although Omega, one of AEWs executive vice presidents, was still recuperating, Jericho and Moxley returned in peak physical form and provided an extra level of star power.

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Once again, however, the injury bug struck and AEW would lose newly crowned champion Punk to a foot injury, Cole to a torn labrum and concussion, and Danielson to a concussion.

We felt like things were really clicking and then boom, we lose Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson on the same night to injury and CM Punk gets hurt not long after, Khan said. It all happened in the matter of about a week. The summer was way different than what we had planned, but thankfully we had Jericho and Mox back.

Complicating matters was the fact that Khan and AEW were on the cusp of launching an entirely new tentpole pay-per-view event, Forbidden Door, where AEW talent would compete against overseas stars from New Japan Pro Wrestling. All of a sudden, AEW needed to crown a new, interim, world champion, setting the stage for a reinvigorated Moxley and Japanese wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi to square off.

I think Forbidden Door was the most challenging pay-per-view weve ever put together, Khan said. People dont know half of the stories about the challenges. It was really pushing and pulling to get the wrestlers from New Japan sooner than they were originally scheduled to arrive. New Japan worked with me and we got Will Ospreay and Tanahashi in a little earlier than planned. Nobody will know the full plans, but Ive publicly admitted there were some really cool matches that had to change in the build to Forbidden Door and that changed the rest of the summer.

Moxley versus Tanahashi lived up to the hype, with the former AEW champion emerging as the winner and essentially becoming the driving force behind the company for a summer that looked to be uncertain at best.

It was a fitting, full-circle moment for Moxley, who stepped away from the company last November to seek treatment for an admitted alcohol addiction.

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 26: Jon Moxley in the ring during the AEW Dynamite - Beach Break taping on January 26, 2022, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

[Since hes been back] His mind is clearer, his body is healthier, hes leaner, hes more fun, hes having a better time, Khan said. Jons always been a great professional and great to work with, but honestly hes been better than ever since he got himself totally clean and sober. A total breath of fresh air since his return. Its fitting that he had this great run throughout the summer and is the AEW champion. Hes been one of the driving forces that has helped us beat this injury bug.

The burden on Moxley and Jericho would be lifted as the summer went on, as Danielson returned to action in July and then Punk and Omega in August at two of AEWs bigger shows, Quake at the Lake and House of the Dragon a direct tie-in to one of the most coveted and successful intellectual properties in entertainment, requested by Warner Bros. Discovery, AEW and HBOs parent company.

It was great to get Danielson back at the end of July after he had been gone for a few months and he has been a huge part of the show since he returned, Khan said. He had a great comeback match with Daniel Garcia it was more than a great match, I believe it was a star-making bout for Garcia. We built something really cool around The American Dragon versus the Dragon Slayer. It was a classic and one of my favorite matches we ever had on Dynamite. I think it showed that we can adapt and work to be a really good partner for Warner Bros. Discovery and promote their projects.

Now, this Sunday, AEW is holding its signature event, All Out, with as close to a full-strength roster as it has had in a calendar year. Moxley is set to face Punk again for the AEW World Championship and in what is Khans most-anticipated match, Jericho against Danielson Lionheart versus The American Dragon.

I was sitting in an audience wearing a Tazz shirt holding a Chris Jericho sign as a 13-year-old at Jerichos last two matches in ECW, Khan said. His second-to-last match against Sabu and his match the very next night against 2 Cold Scorpio. When he came back in this kind of condition [having lost 30-plus pounds], where he looked like Lionheart again, it was very fitting for him to bring it back.

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 26: Chris Jericho is introduced during the AEW Dynamite - Beach Break taping on January 26, 2022, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Sundays card represents somewhat of a reset for AEW and the start of a new season hopefully for Khan, one that comes with fewer curveballs and less treacherous waters to navigate than the past 12 months have provided him.

The goal is to strike a balance between having happy fans, good stories and a happy locker room, Khan said. I think for the most part we do have that. I think the really exciting thing about All Out and this week for AEW is that we are approaching a full-strength roster again.

It felt like last year we kicked off a season it was a wild, tumultuous, one but we had some of our greatest business heights. It has been challenging but I do believe this will wind up being one of our greatest pay-per-views.

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It took ‘a whole year to find the person I’m hiring’: Small biz owner – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 6:18 pm

Small business owner Nesha Pai says it took a year to find a solid bookkeeper for her accounting business based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"If you're a big company you might have a bigger pool, but for the small business for me for example it's been very difficult," said Pai. "It took me a whole year to find this person that I'm now hiring."

Pai reviewed more than 150 resumes and interviewed about 10 people for the part-time position, which offered $25-35K a year, benefits, and a 401K plan matching contributions.

"It's just been hard to find good talent," she said.

Pai CPA already has five employees, serving about 80 small businesses accounting needs across different industries. Demand boomed during the pandemic, as small companies asked for accounting services to apply for PPP loans and survive the lockdowns.

My demand is growing way past my capacity," said Pai. "All of a sudden the floodgates are open for me. I have the demand, I don't have the capacity."

Kayla Marx places an order outside the door of Day's Espresso and Coffee Shop (REUTERS/Bryan Woolston)

'It's something that I have never witnessed in my 30 years of business'

Al Cediel, the owner of ALFA Driving school in Atlanta, faces the same issue.

Cediel says business spiked once classes went online during the lockdowns. However, his $20/hour job openings for drivers haven't attracted many applicants over the last two years.

In those two years Ive only been able to hire 2 qualified people and Im looking for at least 3 more, Cediel said.

Its very difficult. Its something that I have never witnessed in my 30 years of business, he added. Ive had to put myself as an owner, in the position of do-it-all."

'Humans are the fossil fuel of the growth engine'

Hiring is one of the biggest challenges facing businesses, according to WSJ/Vistage polling of small and midsize firms.

"Humans are the fossil fuel of the growth engine, and there simply aren't enough humans out there for the amount of jobs, Joe Galvin, Chief Research Officer of Vistage told Yahoo Finance. We still see 54% of our members say that their inability to hire is impacting their ability to operate a full capacity."

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Galvin added, "52% of our community still plan to increase headcount in the year ahead."

Katherine Anderson and Zach Lucido plan a delivery schedule as part of an effort organized by The London Plane restaurant. (REUTERS/David Ryder)

The survey shows economic conditions have led one-in-five small businesses to slow their pace of hiring, with only 8% instituting a hiring freeze, layoffs, or rescinded job offers.

Compared to their hiring plans at the start of 2022, the plans of most small businesses (70%) have not changed. Small businesses say the biggest factors that help attract talent are higher salaries, benefits, and bonuses.

"Myself included, and even my restaurant clients and retail clients are facing this. In order to attract that higher talent pool, we need to offer a higher compensation," said Pai. "There's desperation almost."

Pai says she's still looking for more bookkeepers for her growing business.

"I know it's out there because pre 2020, when I was hiring, I had many applicants to choose from back then," she said. "I'm always looking cuz it could take me another year."

Ines Ferre is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering the US stock market from the floor of the New York Exchange.

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Bet $10 on any football game and win $100 in free bets – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 6:18 pm

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Bet $10 on any football game and win $100 in free bets - Yahoo Sports

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Mitchell Trubisky named one of the Steelers’ captains, a sign he will start in Week 1 – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 6:18 pm

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has yet to announce which quarterback will start in Week 1, but the team's social media account may have ruined that surprise. Mitchell Trubisky was named a team captain Monday, a sign he will get the start when the team takes the field Sunday.

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If this news came out in early August, it would not have come as a surprise. Trubisky signed with the Steelers in free agency and prepared all offseason to be the team's starter. While the Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, Pickett received third-string reps early on in camp. Barring a tremendous preseason, it appeared Pickett wasn't a threat to win the job.

Well, Pickett delivered a strong preseason, showing timing and precision with the Steelers' offense. He finished the preseason with 261 passing yards and three touchdowns. Pickett did not throw an interception in three games. Trubisky did not perform poorly in the preseason, throwing two touchdowns with no interceptions.

The Steelers gave another indication Trubisky would start Sunday. He's listed as the team's No. 1 option on a depth chart released by the club Monday.

The Steelers released an updated depth chart on Tuesday, which still had Trubisky as QB1, but there was an important change. Pickett, who had originally been listed as No. 3 on the depth chart, was named as Trubisky's main backup, with Mason Rudolph serving as the third-stringer.

Though Pickett will likely start the year on the bench, he should have an opportunity to jump into the starting lineup soon. Pickett impressed enough to put pressure on Rudolph and Trubisky. Given how great Pickett looked in the preseason, Trubisky likely doesn't have a lot of room for error. If he gets off to a slow start, Pickett could see significant playing time before the Steelers' Week 9 bye.

It's up to Trubisky to prove he deserves to remain in the starting lineup. Trubisky has put up solid numbers in the past, but has not developed in line with his No. 2 overall draft status. After leaving the Chicago Bears, Trubisky opted to sit behind Josh Allen on the Buffalo Bills last season and develop.

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It's possible Trubisky is a new man after leaving Matt Nagy behind and operating albeit in a backup role with a functional offense in Buffalo. If that's the case, Pickett will stay on the bench longer, but the Steelers will probably be winning games.

But if Trubisky hasn't progressed during his year as a backup, it's only a matter of time before Pickett hops into the starting role. Pickett put the pressure on Trubisky with an excellent preseason, so it's up to Trubisky to come out early and play mistake-free football if he wants to keep the job.

Mitchell Trubisky was named a captain with the Steelers. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Earnie Shavers, regarded as one of the hardest punchers in boxing history, dies at 78 – Yahoo Sports

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Earnie Shavers died Thursday, one day after his 78th birthday. (Getty Images)

Earnie Shavers, who earned a reputation as the hardest puncher in the game during a golden era of heavyweight boxing in the 1970s, died Thursday, a day after he turned 78. The cause of death is unknown.

Shavers fought primarily during the '70s, though his career stretched from 1969 through 1995. He was 74-14-1 with 68 knockouts in his career.

He fought both Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes for the heavyweight title. He fought Ali for the title on Sept. 29, 1977 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Ali won a 15-round unanimous decision.

Ali had dubbed Shavers The Acorn before the fight because of his shaved bald head. But Ali had to fight a brilliant 15th round to get the decision and afterward uttered one of his greatest lines when talking about Shavers punching power.

Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk in Africa, Ali said after the fight.

Former heavyweight champion George Foreman said in an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman that the hardest punchers he fought were Gerry Cooney, Ron Lyle and Cleveland Williams. When Letterman asked Foreman about Shavers, Foreman had a telling response.

I never fought Earnie Shavers, thank goodness, Foreman said.

Shavers fought Holmes twice, the first time being a non-title bout on March 25, 1978 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in his first bout after losing to Ali. Holmes won a 12-round decision over Shavers in that match and, in his next fight, beat Ken Norton to win the vacant WBC title.

Shavers and Holmes fought for the WBC belt at Caesars on Sept. 28, 1979. In the seventh, Shavers knocked Holmes down. Holmes got up and proceeded to stop Shavers in the 11th.

After the fight, Holmes said the punch Shavers hit him with to drop him was the hardest hed ever been hit.

Shavers wasnt a big man for a heavyweight at 6 feet tall and around 210 pounds. In todays game, hed be encouraged to compete at cruiserweight, which has a 200-pound limit.

But he was feared by all of his peers, who routinely raved about his power.

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Shavers made several comebacks but was done for good in 1995 after losing by knockout in the second round at 51 years old.

He was an easy-going, fun-loving guy who made a habit of showing up at major boxing events after his retirement. He was always in demand by fans for pictures and autographs and reveled in the attention he received.

The biggest win of his career was clearly on March 23, 1979, when he knocked out Norton in the first round at the then-Las Vegas Hilton. He also had a win over former heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis as well as Jimmy Young.

He lost a shootout to Lyle in Denver in 1975. Lyle went on from that victory to a fight with Foreman, which would be one of the greatest slugfests in boxing history. But Lyle had no doubt which of the two was the bigger puncher.

Hey man, thats the hardest Ive ever been hit in my life, Lyle said of Shavers. And George Foreman could punch, but none of them could hit like Earnie Shavers did. When he hit you, the lights went out. I can laugh about it now, but at the time, it wasn't funny.

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Kanye West pleads with fans to cease online attacks on Adidas creative directorhours after calling him out on Instagram – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 6:18 pm

Kanye West has pleaded with his followers not to attack Adidas creative director Alasdhair Willis, despite criticizing him on social media only hours earlier in one of a slew of posts related to West's ongoing feud with the retailer.

The rappers feud with Adidas and his other retail partner Gap has escalated in recent days; West accused the brands of copying his designs, and he has made it clear that he thinks Adidas new Adilette slides are a rip-off of his Yeezy slides.

He has also attacked the retailers for not adhering to his desires regarding the promotion of his Yeezys line, and for making decisions without his permission. Last week, he even claimed that he would start his own independent Yeezy store starting in Atlanta, ending his decade-long deal with Gap and long-term partnership with Adidas.

West called out the Adidas CCO on Instagram Tuesday, posting a picture of Willis and writing: To the creative director of Adidas Alasdhair Willis Ive done songs with your father in law. How can you watch Adidas do what theyve done to a fellow creative and not say anything and never even meet me or call me? Why did I have to do this in public?

In another post shortly after, he pulled back on his attack: To all the Ye fans, please take down any meme of Alasdhair. I believe this is a good guy and he will actually call me and actually help.

He captioned the second post: Lets see if we can speak to him first. Me and Paul McCartney have made a lot of great music, Im cool with the family, referring to Willis wife Stella McCartney, daughter of the veteran musician.

Kanye West and Paul McCartney have collaborated four times, most notably on their hit song FourFiveSeconds with singer Rihanna.

In April this year, Willis became the chief creative officer of Adidas after he helped push forward the collaboration between the brand and designer Stella McCartney in 2005he has been married to McCartney since 2003, and they have four children together.

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Willis is in charge of leading Adidas design team and heads up its Performance, Originals, and Sportswear labels.

Aside from Adidas, he is also creative director of British fashion heritage brand Hunter and cofounder of Wallpaper magazine.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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UFC legend Anderson Silva will face Jake Paul in boxing match on Oct. 29 in Arizona – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 6:18 pm

Jake Pauls critics will moan, and note that the You Tube sensation turned boxing prodigy pro boxer is again taking the easy way out. Hes facing Anderson Silva 47-year-old man on Oct. 29 at Gila River Arena in Phoenix, Arizona in the main event of a Showtime Pay-Per-View card. That 47-year-old man only has four boxing matches, theyll moan.

His supporters will point out that 47-year-old is arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history and that he is, by far, the toughest test of Pauls fledgling boxing career.

Showtime made the Silva-Paul bout official on Tuesday.

It should be pointed out that both points of view are correct. Since he turned professional on Jan. 30, 2020, Paul has fought: AnEsonGib, a social media influencer; Nate Robinson, a former NBA player; Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley (twice with Woodley), ex-MMA fighters; and now Silva. MMA and boxing are similar sports but not the same, and both Askren and Woodley had wrestling as their base in MMA.

Yes, Silva is 47 and yes, his win over ex-middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is hardly something to brag about. Chavez battled drug and alcohol issues throughout his career and by the point he fought Silva, he was no longer interested in fighting, barely trained and was spotted throughout his camp partying.

Silvas boxing debut came on May 22, 1998, when Paul was 16 months old. He didnt box again until 2005 and then not again until 2021 after hed finished his MMA career.

But even at 47, Silva is a vastly superior striker to both Askren and Woodley (and, it goes without saying, to Robinson and AnEsonGib). Hell be by orders of magnitude the finest fighter that Paul has faced.

Paul is still a developing boxer, and if he didnt have a widely recognizable name, hed either not be boxing at all or would be facing boxers the world has and never will have heard of.

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His name is big enough, though, to sell tickets and pay-per-views, though he seems much more popular in the MMA space than he does in the boxing community.

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A bout with a 47-year-old Silva is a fairly matched fight, though a bout with a 37-year-old Silva would have been a gross mismatch.

Anderson Silva will face Jake Paul on Oct. 29 at Gila River Arena in Phoenix, Arizona (Getty Images)

The only bad thing here is that Paul is treading on Silvas name and stellar reputation to boost his own reputation, and Silva may be at a point in his career where hes not able to do anything about it.

What the success of these boxer-versus-MMA fighter shows prove and theres a wide range from amazingly good to very poor is the gullibility of the public. I remain amazed five years later that there were more than a handful of people who figured Conor McGregor had a chance to defeat Floyd Mayweather. He didnt, and the fact that McGregor won a couple of rounds was simply due to Mayweather playing and carrying McGregor to build up drama before he got to work.

Yet, even despite that outcome, there are plenty who still believe an MMA fighter would have a chance in a boxing match against a similarly situated boxer. An MMA fighter would beat a boxer easily and every time if they fought MMA instead of boxing. But when they box, the boxer is going to win going away.

The only difference is in a case like this, where Silva is 22 years older than Paul, clearly years past his prime and not really a boxer.

If Silva wins, it says a lot more about Paul than it does Silva. And if Paul wins, well, given Silvas age and recent track record, it doesnt prove anything other than that Silva was well beyond his sell-by date. Silva, remember, was 1-7 with a no-contest over the last seven years of his UFC career. He was hardly the guy who dominated the sport for nearly 2,500 days.

Paul, though, is a master salesman and none of that matters to him.

Anderson The Spider Silva is the most versatile fighter the world has ever seen, Paul said in a statement. Just a year ago, he outclassed boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and showed the world why he is often referred to as the greatest fighter of all time. Every expert, from MMA to boxing, has said Jake Paul wont fight Anderson Silva. They said Jake Paul is afraid of Anderson Silva, and Jake Paul would lose to Anderson Silva.

Well, to all the non-believers Jake Paul is fighting Anderson Silva. Its an honor to have the opportunity to share the ring with the greatest UFC striker of all-time. On Saturday, October 29, I will walk humbly into the ring, touch gloves with a living legend and do my best to exterminate The Spider.

Of course, Chavez was hardly a boxing champion when Silva defeated him. It had been more than nine years since he was a champion on the night he fought Silva, but hey, Paul is a salesman and he has PPVs to sell.

The result will come down to Silvas legs. If hes got his legs under him, hell win the fight. If he doesnt, Paul will probably take him by decision.

Either way, the result will prove very little. But it will do business and those who criticize it should remember that fact. The fight game is a business, and at the end of the day, thats really all that matters.

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UFC legend Anderson Silva will face Jake Paul in boxing match on Oct. 29 in Arizona - Yahoo Sports

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NFL betting preview: Mahomes, Herbert and the rest of our favorite passing props – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 6:18 pm

Quarterbacks get most of the attention in the NFL. That's why they always win the MVP awards.

There are passing props on just about every starting NFL quarterback at BetMGM. Our Yahoo Sportsbook team takes a look at our favorite overs and unders for passing yardage and touchdowns:

MARK DRUMHELLER: Unders on QB props (passing yards and TDs) hit at a 74% clip last season per Betsperts Connor Allen. There isnt a QB in the league in a worse position than Justin Fields. Chicago has the worst OL in the NFL and the second-worst set of receivers. Fields under 3,299.5 yards are as good as gold.

NICK BROMBERG: Patrick Mahomes has thrown for over 4,700 in each of the three full seasons hes played the NFL. His only season as a starter with fewer than 4,700 yards came when he missed time because of a knee injury in 2019. Thats why I really like Mahomes to throw for over 4,649.5 yards this year.

Patrick Mahomes is looking for another big season with the Kansas City Chiefs. (AP Foto/David Banks)

PETER TRUSZKOWSKI: Justin Herbert to go over 4,699.5 passing yards. He eclipsed 5,000 last season and I expect him to be near the top of the league again. The Chargers will need to throw the ball to keep up in games against their loaded division. My only concern would be injury, but thats a concern with anyone.

GREG BRAINOS: Kirk Cousins over 31.5 passing touchdowns. Hes cleared this in each of his seasons with Justin Jefferson, and that was in Mike Zimmers vanilla offense. I see Cousins tossing 40+ scores under Kevin OConnell this season, which is why Im also putting a taste on him to lead the league in passing touchdowns at 18-to-1.

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: Baker Mayfield cruises over 3,600 yards (-115) if he simply stays healthy. Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore can drag him there. And dont be spooked by 2021 Mayfield; he wasnt healthy for most of the year and the Browns set him up to fail. All is forgiven.

FRANK SCHWAB: Id rather bet unders than overs, because more can go wrong in an NFL season than can go right. Theres a trio I like: Jameis Winston under 3,749.5 (he wasnt a high-volume passer last season and is an injury risk now), Mac Jones under 3,949.5 (another low-volume passing offense) and Matt Ryan under 3,899.5 as my best bet. The Colts threw for 3,588 yards last season, not that much has changed around the quarterback position and I expect them to be good and protecting a lot of leads. Ryan will be efficient but not a 3,900-yard passer.

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NFL betting preview: Mahomes, Herbert and the rest of our favorite passing props - Yahoo Sports

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Projected top picks Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson to square off in exhibitions in Las Vegas – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 6:18 pm

NBA fans will get an early look at the potential top two picks in the 2023 draft next month.

European star Victor Wembanyama, the projected No. 1 pick in next years draft, will travel with the Metropolitans 92 from Paris to Las Vegas for a pair of exhibition games on Oct. 4 and 6, according to ESPNs Jonathan Givony.

Wembanyamas team will take on the G League Ignite, which will match him up against projected No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson.

The games, which are set to be broadcast on an ESPN network, are sure to draw plenty of scouts and attention.

Wembanyama is one of the most anticipated players out of Europe in recent memory. The 18-year-old stands 7-foot-4 barefoot and has an 8-foot wingspan, and he was named the French LNB Pro A Best Young Player for two straight years.

Yahoo Sports Krysten Peek described him as Rudy Gobert mixed with Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis. Or more simply, hes a larger Giannis Antetokounmpo without any weaknesses. Wembanyama is easily the most talked-about prospect since LeBron James.

Henderson is entering his second season with the Ignite this fall, and is one of three players on the team projected to go in the first round of next years draft. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 14 points, five rebounds and 3.6 assists last season, and hes been turning heads for years.

"I think what separates me from the rest of the players in my draft class is I just played an entire season in the G League," Henderson told Yahoo Sports. "I'm basically a pro. I've been around pro settings and pro development and that's really helped prepare me for next year."

The Ignite will open their season officially on Nov. 4, and the team will play a full 50-game schedule for the first time. Metropolitan 92s season will start later this month, and theyll have three games before they travel to Nevada.

Victor Wembanyamas Metropolitans 92 and Scoot Hendersons G League Ignite will play a pair of exhibitions in Henderson, Nevada, next month. (Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

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Projected top picks Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson to square off in exhibitions in Las Vegas - Yahoo Sports

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