On a segment that will appears on Tuesday’s episode of Ellen, an emotional Ronda Rousey told host Ellen DeGeneres that she contemplated suicide following her November 2015 loss to Holly Hom.
The former UFC champion appeared on the show to help promote her Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, but the first part of their conversation centered around her title loss to Holm, the first time she’s truly opened up on camera about that night. At first, subdued and serious, she said that things weren’t perfect going into the fight but that’s how things go. She cited that it was her third title fight in nine months and that she felt tired, but nothing too out of sorts with other fights she’s had.
She said that Holm’s first shot “knocked out on her feet”, cutting open her mouth and knocking her teeth loose. She lost her depth perception and that she was swinging blindly.
She then got choked up when talking about what happened in the locker room afterward. She said she thought, “What am I anymore if I’m not this?” and said she had thought about “killing myself” and that she was “nothing” before looking up to boyfriend and UFC heavyweight Travis Browne. She said she saw him, thought that “I need to have his babies and to stay alive” and that he was meant to be there at that time.
She said she does want to fight Holm next and to be the one that beats her.
President Donald Trump has revealed he is considering pardoning the late heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali.
He refused to serve in the Vietnam War because of his religious beliefs, declaring himself a conscientious objector, and saying, "I ain’t got no quarrel with the Viet Cong."
In 1967 he was convicted of draft evasion, and stripped of his heavyweight crown. The Supreme Court, however, overturned his conviction in 1971.
He regained the boxing title in 1974.
Muhammad Ali, photographed in Chicao in 1966
Mr Trump is currently on something of a pardoning spree, having recently pardoned former White House advisor Scooter Libby in April, and Republican operative Dinesh D’Souza.
In May, Mr Trump granted a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, boxing’s first black heavyweight champion, after being urged to do so by Rocky star Sylvester Stallone.
This week, on the urging of Kim Kardashian West, he pardoned a Tennessee grandmother serving a life sentence for her first offence – a non violent drug conspiracy charge.
He also floated potentially commuting the sentence of former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, and pardoning Martha Stewart.
The president then said on Friday, ahead of his departure to the G7 summit in Canada, that he was thinking "very seriously" about pardoning Ali.
"He wasn’t very popular then, he certainly is, his memory is very popular now," he said.
"I’m thinking about Muhammad Ali, I’m thinking about that very seriously."
Floral tributes outside Muhammad Ali's childhood home in Louisville, Kentucky, in June 2016Credit:
Getty
Ali’s lawyer, however, poured scorn on Mr Trump’s suggestion.
“We appreciate President Trump’s sentiment, but a pardon is unnecessary," said Ron Tweel in a statement.
"The US Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Muhammad Ali in a unanimous decision in 1971. There is no conviction from which a pardon is needed."
Ali, who was born in Kentucky as Cassius Clay, changed his name after converting to Islam in the 1960s.
Remembered as much for his traiblazing activism as his boxing prowess, he died in 2016 aged 74, after a long battle with Parkinson’s.
There are still two days to go but the drama has already begun in the tiny city-state of Singapore. Ahead of Tuesday’s summit between the US and North Korea the signs are already in place that there will be no shortage of geopolitical pageantry and plenty of surreal prime-time TV.
Touching down at Changi airport in an Air China 747 around 3pm, Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, was immediately whisked to the downtown luxury St Regis hotel in his personal black stretch Mercedes Benz, flanked by a motorcade of over 20 vehicles.
His jogging bodyguards – a hit at the inter-Korean summit in April – made a brief appearance, running alongside his car in dark suits and ties in the afternoon humidity…
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European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel | Pool photo by Setphanie Lecocq via Getty Images
How Europe reacted to the new EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund deal
What European leaders had to say on the agreement of a budget and coronavirus recovery package.
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Relief and happiness were palpable Tuesday among those who had been involved in the arduous budget negotiations.
Across Europe, politicians expressed optimism following news that EU leaders had agreed on a long-term budget and a recovery package. But there were also those voicing apprehension and disappointment.
President of the European Council Charles Michel
“Europe is united, Europe is present. We have demonstrated that the magic of the European project works because when we think that it is impossible, there is a spring in our step thanks to respect and cooperation.”
He added: “It’s the first time in European history that our budget will be linked to our climate objective, the first time that the respect of the rule of law is a decisive criteria for budget spending.”
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen
“We negotiated four long days and nights, more than 90 hours, but it was worth it,” von der Leyen said, adding that it was “regrettable” that some spending areas — like the health programs — were reduced in the final deal among leaders.
“Europe’s recovery will be green. The new budget will power the European Green Deal, it will accelerate the digitalization of Europe’s economy,” she said.
President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde
“Thank you for your resilience and determined action over the last days,” Lagarde said in a tweet. “We can only fight the economic consequences of COVID-19 by working together. Today’s agreement by @EUCouncil shows that when most needed, the EU steps up and comes together to help the people of Europe.”
President of France Emmanuel Macron
“I want everyone to measure the distance traveled in two months … in two months we were able to build a consensus,” Macron said at a press conference in the early morning, praising the occasion as an “historic day for Europe.”
But he also conceded that the deal was not flawless. “Is it a perfect mechanism? No, but we were able to change something fundamental … which is to borrow in common and have a real transfer mechanism.”
Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel
“It was not easy that we needed so many days, it showed also that we came from different directions. But what counts for me is that we ended up getting it together and that we are now all convinced of what we decided to do,” the German chancellor said during a joint press conference with Macron.
Prime Minister of Italy Giuseppe Conte
Hit hard by the crisis, Italy needed a deal more than most. “We are satisfied, we approved an ambitious recovery plan, adequate to the needs we are experiencing, which will allow us to face this crisis with strength, with effectiveness,” he told reporters. “It’s a historic moment for Europe. It’s a historic moment for Italy.”
Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez
Kudos from Spain: “It is a great agreement for Europe, it is a great agreement for Spain,” the country’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said. “The agenda of the European Union and the agenda of Spain are in absolute synchrony.”
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte
One of the so-called Frugal Four countries’ leaders, Mark Rutte, was not quite as euphoric, refusing to call the moment historic. “That’s a term I wouldn’t use,” he said. But Rutte lauded the governance model of the deal, which gives the Netherlands the possibility to trigger an “emergency brake” on payments if it thinks a government hasn’t fulfilled its reform promises.
Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz
Another one of the more frugal negotiators, Austria’s Sebastian Kurz showed himself satisfied in a tweet Tuesday morning. “After four days of negotiations we were able to reach a good result for the #EU and #Austria on the #MFF and the #RecoveryInstrument. Thank you to all colleagues, especially to the #frugals!” he said.
Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin
Another voice in favor of a more frugal EU, Finland’s Sanna Marin also welcomed the result. “The whole [package] contains many things that are important for Finland. The result can be considered good from Finland’s point of view,” she said on Twitter.
Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin
“Overall this is a strong package,” the Irish prime minister said. “It has been a very challenging number of days negotiating this package, but it has been worthwhile and the solidarity displayed throughout this summit is something that I think will stand Europe in good stead into the future.”
Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki
“I’m happy to say we overcame the crises that threatened the EU,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a press conference, adding that he was pleased that there was no link between the rule of law and funds in the proposed deal. “These are two separate issues and we kept that in the conclusions,” he said.
Prime Minister of Belgium Sophie Wilmès
Belgium’s Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès called the agreed budget “a good deal” on Twitter. “With a 2021-2027 budget of 1.074 billion and a recovery plan of 750 billion, the European Union has never decided to invest so ambitiously in the future,” she said.
President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda
The Lithuanian president tweeted a picture of himself playing chess, captioning it: “None of us expected EUCO to be a blitz. We successfully avoided a blunder. A moderately successful Round Robin & a couple of stalemates. It took us 5 days & 50 moves to make the deal. Congratulations to all EU27!”
Portugal’s António Costa also chose to tweet a picture of himself — with a broad smile on his face. “Agreement reached at the European Council. A specific economic recovery instrument was approved for the first time, with a total value of €750 billion,” he said, calling the outcome “a sign of confidence to Europe and Portugal for economic recovery in the face of COVID19.”
Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković
Tweeting a picture of the Council’s final plenary session, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said he was happy with the deal he secured, calling it a “guarantee of a quick economic recovery and further balanced development of the country.”
German parliamentarian Franziska Brantner from the Greens
Brantner decried the decision to drastically cut funding for health-related programs. “This summit shows national selfishness and obliviousness to the future,” she wrote on Twitter. “In the middle of the corona crisis, drastically reducing the planned program to better coordinate and equip health systems is simply absurd.”
Geert Wilders, leader of far-right Dutch Party for Freedom
The Dutch politician called the deal “madness” and accused his country’s Prime Minister Mark Rutte of throwing away “billions that we should have spent in our own country.”
Marine Le Pen, leader of far-right French party National Front
Marine Le Pen lashed out at Emmanuel Macron via Twitter, accusing him of having “signed the worst agreement for France in the history of the EU.” She said that “to protect his ego,” Macron had sacrificed France’s future and independence. “European taxes, abandonment of our agriculture, colossal financial commitment of the country,” she complained.
Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right AfD’s group in the German parliament
In a similar fashion, the German far-right’s Alice Weidel attacked Angela Merkel on Twitter. “Merkel is once again pursuing European politics against the interests of German citizens and taxpayers in order to be celebrated as a ‘great European.’ Breach of the law and the constitution is accepted. Merkel and #Macron are the gravediggers of democracy in #Europe,” she said.
Ska Keller, co-leader of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
The Greens would have liked to see more climate commitment. “The good news is that there is a deal,” Ska Keller, one of the party’s presidents in the European Parliament tweeted Tuesday, immediately adding some of her concerns about the contents: “The list of bad news is long: cuts to health and climate programs; not more than vague words on rule of law; cuts in long-term budget.”
European Parliament President David Sassoli
MEPs have the power to veto the budget deal. “This is an unprecedented agreement between governments to revive the European economy,” Sassoli tweeted. “We must now work to improve these instruments, we won’t give up on a more ambitious MFF and clarity on new own resources. The @Europarl_EN will work to protect the interests of EU citizens.”
This article is part of POLITICO’s coverage of the EU budget, tracking the development of the seven-year Multiannual Financial Framework. For a complimentary trial, email [email protected] mentioning Budget.
Gary Neville is not concerned that Liverpool will create a dynasty because he believes they do not have the resources.
The Reds have won the title after a 30-year wait but Neville says they need to win more trophies before they can be considered a ‘truly great side’.
He believes that Liverpool will not be able to match the exploits of truly great teams because they spend relatively modest amounts of money compared to their rivals.
“I’m not concerned. I’d be concerned about Liverpool for a long period if they were bought out by super rich owners that invested at the level of Manchester City and Manchester United.
“Liverpool are still quite modest with their transfer business compared to the other clubs. Their owners don’t have the money of a Manchester City, the spending power of Manchester United or Chelsea,” he told Sky Sports.
READ MORE: Only shame is that Liverpool brilliance will escape history books
“But that makes Jurgen Klopp’s achievement all the greater. You’ve got to hand it to him, and the people behind the scenes who have done the recruitment over the last few years, it’s been absolutely brilliant.
“In the last four years, Liverpool winning the league wasn’t a sure-fire win by any stretch of the imagination, they hadn’t won it for 30 years and they have always been a club that have invested at a level below Chelsea, City, United and even Arsenal.
“Liverpool are a massive club, one of the most successful in the country, but it’s so much more difficult without the money to spend that the other clubs are.
“At this moment in time Klopp and his players are overachieving. He’s turned £30m players into £130m players. Some clubs turn £130m players into £30m players, that’s the problem.”
Mikel Arteta says there are no guarantees that Mesut Ozil will play for Arsenal again amid reports of a bid from Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Ozil has yet to kick a ball since the Premier League season resumed in June and it now appears that the writing could be on the wall for him at Arsenal.
Sky Sports reporter Bryan Swanson asked Arteta: “In terms of Mesut Ozil… Is there definitely a way back for him? Can we expect to see him playing for Arsenal again?”
FEATURE: Top ten most surprising player declines since 2018
To which the Arsenal boss replied: “I don’t know. He’s training with the team and he’s available for selection so we will make the decision on a daily basis.”
When asked whether Ozil will play again, Arteta added: “No because I have to select him and I have 24 players in this squad and at the moment he is not being selected but we will see what happens for he next game.”
Pushed on whether he will be selected before the end of the season, Arteta continued: “He has the same chances as everybody else.”
A report in Bild (via Sport Witness) claims that Ozil has options if he wants to leave with the German publication saying that Ozil ‘had an offer’ from Fenerbahce.
However, they claim it was rejected by the German who is happy to stay at Arsenal where he reportedly earns just under €25m per season.
Ozil is eyeing a ‘sporty comeback’ but Arteta’s comments don’t sound too promising for the 31-year-old.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes David De Gea is “mentally strong enough” to deal with the criticism coming his way as Man Utd prepare for a crucial Premier League clash with West Ham.
Victory on Wednesday will see them take a huge stride towards a top-four finish ahead of Sunday’s season-ending trip to fellow hopefuls Leicester.
But Solskjaer’s side head into the game reeling from the disappointment of Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals – a match in which De Gea produced a calamitous display.
MAILBOX: Man United defeat was not a sh*t-show after all!
“We’ve just got to stick together, stay strong,” the Man Utd boss said.
“Now we’ve got two games to go and we’ve given ourselves a very good chance.
“This is not going to become a David De Gea press conference. We’re just going to stick together.
“We’ve got two games, so we’re just going to focus on that one.
“David’s mentally strong enough to know that his job is to perform in training the next day and then be ready for the games.”
Pushed on De Gea and everybody talking about the goalkeeper, Solskjaer said: “That’s your job to talk about and write about – and my job is to prepare the team for West Ham and that’s what we’re doing.
“We’re just focusing on that one. We’re not going to talk about individuals because no one here is going to feel like we put more pressure on them.”
Another negative on a difficult day in the capital was the nasty-looking clash of heads that saw Eric Bailly taken to hospital.
Solskjaer said: “Eric stayed down in London after for all the checks, so he’s done all the checks.
“I didn’t see him yesterday. He’s following the protocols that’s needed so, for me, I don’t think that he’ll be ready for this game. I’ve not seen him this morning yet.
“I think everyone’s available apart from that. No other injuries from last week.”
Bayer Leverkusen are still holding out for Kai Havertz’s asking price but are willing to compromise over how Chelsea pay for the attacker, according to reports.
Yesterday, The Athletic journalist David Ornstein claimed that Chelsea were ‘closing in on the signing of’ Havertz with the Blues ‘the only club ready to pay what it will take to secure him’.
Sources told Ornstein that the fee is likely to be around €80m (£73m) for Havertz, while they were ‘nearing an agreement on the proposed personal terms’.
MAILBOX: Man United defeat was not a sh*t-show after all!
And The Guardian on Tuesday also claims that Chelsea are ‘closing in on’ the Germany international although they are yet to agree a fee for the 21-year-old.
The report believes the Blues are hoping to strike a deal for ‘€80m plus add‑ons’ but Leverkusen want ‘as much as €90m’ for their star player.
BUY THE BRAND NEW 2020/21 CHELSEA SHIRT WITH 5% OFF HERE!
Fabrizio Romano, who contributed to the report in The Guardian, says that Chelsea will decide this week ‘their final budget for transfers’ at which point they will see how much they have left for Havertz.
Meanwhile, Bild’s head of football Christian Falk puts Leverkusen’s demands at €100m for Havertz but admits the German side would be willing to compromise over the structure of the deal.
NEWBERRY, S.C. – The second D2Wrestle.com National Wrestler of the Week award presented some tough choices, and ultimately two wrestlers stood out. This week’s winners are St. Cloud State’s Clint Poster Findlay’s Nick Goebel .
Poster also earned NSIC Wrestler of the Week honors after winning first place honors in the 157 lbs. bracket at the 2014 Harold Nichols Open at Iowa State University on Nov. 8 in Ames, Iowa.
Poster began his title run with a first round bye and followed that with a 5-0 decision victory versus Leivon Lewis of Ellsworth CC. In the next round, Poster tallied a 7-0 win against Tagen Lambotte of Iowa and then charted a medical forfeit versus Chase White of Nebraska-Kearney. In the semifinals, Poster added a fall at 2:16 against Daniel Woiwor of Iowa State. In the championship bout, Poster rolled to a 6-2 win against Joe LaVallee of the University of Missouri.
On the day, Poster scored a perfect 5-0 record for the Huskies. For his efforts, Poster was also named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference’s Wrestler of the Week this week. A resident of Pierz and grad of Pierz High School, Poster is a two-time All-American and is currently ranked number two in the nation this season among NCAA Division II wrestlers in the 157-pound bracket.
As a team, SCSU is ranked #5 in the nation among DII squads and is the three time defending NSIC champions. The Huskies placed sixth at the 2014 NCAA Division II championships and finished as the NCAA Division II runner-up in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Minnesota/USA Wrestling will be providing free live video streams of several high school events this season. Kicking off live event coverage are the Hastings Invitational and Osseo Invitational on Saturday, November 29th.