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April 17, 2026

Officials run 28 heats as Margaret River swell hits

Organizers at the Margaret River Pro in Margaret River, Western Australia, said a solid swell filled Main Break, producing overhead to head-high, six- to eight-foot surf that enabled A-class power surfing. Judges rewarded aggressive approaches throughout the day, and photographers captured a pumping first day as athletes pushed for high-performance turns and committed maneuvers.

Officials ran 28 heats on day one: eight Women’s Round 1 heats, four Men’s Round 1 heats and 16 heats to finish Men’s Round 2. First call was set for 6:50 a.m. AWST Thursday, with a possible 7:05 a.m. start; the event runs through April 26.

The world’s best surfers have arrived for Stop No. 2 on the Championship Tour and as part of the GWM Aussie Treble, an early-season indicator of form. Kanoa Igarashi called the six- to eight-foot waves “so rippable,” likening Margarets at that size to a “big XL version of Lowers,” and said he struggled early but found his rhythm after the first 20 minutes. Organizers said coverage and heat running will depend on how the swell and local conditions evolve, with fans and media poised to follow a concentrated period of high-performance surfing over the coming days.
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April 16, 2026

2026 hybrid rules disrupt qualifying; teams seek fixes

Earlier this week the FIA, Formula 1 and the 11 teams agreed to push changes to the 2026 power‑unit, battery and energy‑management regulations ahead of the Miami Grand Prix to address safety, performance and qualifying issues. The decision followed a high-speed crash in Japan that intensified safety concerns after Haas driver Oliver Bearman was involved. A high-level meeting on Monday was followed by an electronic vote and an F1 Commission decision. F1 chief Stefano Domenicali and Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane supported the effort; they said tweaks could be introduced at Miami, but officials stressed changes will be iterative rather than a single overhaul.

Teams and regulators blamed the problems on the new 2026 package, which shifts power‑unit output toward a near 50-50 split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and a much larger hybrid element, introduces lift-and-coast energy management and active aerodynamics, and mandates advanced sustainable fuels. Those measures increased overtaking but forced drivers to back off in the fastest corners to recharge batteries several times per lap, diluting qualifying and creating dangerous speed differentials. Permane highlighted excessive harvesting and “super-clipping” that left cars running out of battery on straights. Teams also warned that the Sprint format and the Monaco schedule leave little opportunity to trial complex fixes.

Proposals under consideration include raising the super-clipping charge rate from 250 kW to 350 kW, cutting peak electrical deployment from about 350 kW to near 200 kW, and reducing the battery’s permitted energy store. A more extreme option, supported by Red Bull, would increase ICE fuel flow. Regulators and teams acknowledged that battery- and deployment-focused fixes would mitigate symptoms but would not fully eliminate the yo-yo pass-and-repass effect; only a meaningful increase in ICE power would address the root cause, but that carries short-term technical, competitive and logistical complications and is therefore unlikely this season. Permane and FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis signaled a possible staged rollout across races, with simpler measures likely at Miami and more extensive testing planned in Montreal and Barcelona.
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April 16, 2026

Non-interference call at Margaret River sparks clash

A controversial non-interference ruling at the World Surf League stop in Margaret River set off a heated dispute during Heat 9 of Men’s Round 2. Reigning world champion Yago pulled back as local wildcard Jacob Wilcox appeared beneath him, and both surfers believed interference had occurred. Two of five judges signaled interference but the majority did not, and officials ruled no interference. About ten minutes later Wilcox caught a wave that effectively turned the heat in his favor, and the day, the league’s longest on record at 28 heats, was overshadowed by the contested call.

Tempers flared in the water and continued up the stairs, prompting a locker-room security call. The dispute spilled into the car park, where Wilcox, Yago’s coach, former boxer Danny Green, WSL security and others confronted one another and the situation nearly became a physical brawl. A reporter said they were told to “delete footage.” WSL security eventually calmed the scene and both parties left separately. There were no reported physical blows.

The episode cast a spotlight on officiating decisions and the potential for off-field incidents to follow contentious in-competition rulings at the Margaret River stop.
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April 16, 2026

Billings stop can swing PBR standings before World Finals

The Billings stop, scheduled April 17-19 at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark, has emerged as a pivotal late-season event that can reshape individual standings and postseason team seeding ahead of the PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, May 7-17. With two regular-season stops remaining, the two-day Billings format awards 20 go-round points for a win, 80 event aggregate points for first place and nine ride-score bonus points for rides of 90.00 or higher, meaning a single strong weekend can swing a rider’s standing by more than 100 points. Organizers have reshaped the bull pen and are resting some top bulls ahead of the World Finals, a move that could open opportunities for adaptable riders to climb the standings and improve team seeding.

The individual leaderboard entering Billings underscores the event’s import. John Crimber led the standings by 220.5 points over Sage Steele Kimzey, a seven-time PRCA champion, and an 83.5-point gap separated Kimzey from No. 4 Brady Fielder. Fewer than 200 points separated positions No. 2 through No. 10, a group that includes Leandro Zampollo, Alex Cerqueira, Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, Dalton Kasel, Clay Guiton and Cort McFadden. Zampollo is returning from a groin injury, sits third in points and is still seeking his first event win. Daniel Keeping jumped from No. 32 to No. 20 following Sioux Falls, and Dener Barbosa moved into the Top 40 after last weekend’s results. Several riders are managing recent injuries, including Hudson Bolton with rib and groin issues and Kaiden Loud with an ankle concern. Former champion Cassio Dias has struggled after switching back to his Brazilian rope, experiencing a hand pop loose, a hard hit and a trampling, and is slated to draw the bull Black Eyes. Marco Rizzo returns to Billings with his mother one year after breaking his leg at the same event.

Friday’s card in Billings will include the Monster Energy Team Challenge semifinal between No. 2 Austin Gamblers and No. 3 Kansas City Outlaws, with the head-to-head winners advancing to the Team Challenge Championship and the winner slated to play No. 1 Missouri Thunder in Tacoma for the team title. The Unleash The Beast rounds in Billings will air on Paramount+, while the Monster Energy Team Challenge semifinals will be broadcast on CBS. Individual results from Billings will affect regular-season standings and postseason team seeding ahead of the World Finals, raising the stakes for riders and teams at this late-season stop.
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April 16, 2026

Scripps adds PWR women’s rodeo to ION and Grit

Scripps Sports announced a multi-year exclusive broadcast partnership with Professional Bull Riders (PBR) to carry Premier Women’s Rodeo (PWR) on its national networks ION and Grit. The partnership begins in May and will air the PWR Championship from Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday, May 17 at 1 p.m. ET.

The collaboration will expand in 2027 to include an original series, ‘PWR: Road to the Championship,’ on Grit and a commitment to deliver at least 18 hours of PWR programming across 16 broadcasts. Both ION and Grit will culminate their coverage with the 2027 PWR Championship. The deal leverages ION’s national footprint of more than 126 million U.S. households and marks the first time Grit will incorporate select sports and targeted original programming in its 12-year history.

Scripps executives said the partnership advances the company’s strategy to elevate women’s sports and storytelling on linear television. PBR CEO Sean Gleason said the move gives PWR a national platform to reach millions of viewers and signals a broader programming push for both networks.
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April 15, 2026

Camozzi, Rodriguez clash for interim BKFC title in Denver

Chris Camozzi will meet Esteban “Mohawk” Rodriguez in the main event of BKFC 88 for the interim BKFC World Cruiserweight Championship. The fight is scheduled for Friday night at the National Western Center in Denver and will stream live worldwide on The BKFC App.

Camozzi, a former BKFC World Champion who lost the cruiserweight crown to Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara at BKFC 83 in Italy, said he wants to reclaim a world title before he retires and to continue enjoying the sport. He described Rodriguez as the most aggressive opponent he has faced, calling him wildly chaotic, more of a brawler than a technician and unpredictable. Camozzi said he will rely on cleaner boxing and a tailored game plan to “control the chaos,” framing the matchup as a stylistic clash between disciplined boxing and raw aggression. Camozzi enters the bout with a 4-2-0 BKFC record and is the betting favorite, while Rodriguez is the underdog coming in on a three-fight win streak with one loss across his last six outings.

The undercard features Ramiro Figueroa, favored after four wins in five BKFC appearances, against Elvin Brito. A heavyweight pairing matches Josh Copeland with Corey Willis, two fighters coming off recent defeats. The card also includes the BKFC debut of former UFC and PFL competitor Josh Fremd, who is listed with the shortest odds and serves as a betting focal point for the event.
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April 15, 2026

NLL posts match IDs for Toronto-Ottawa, Rochester-Buffalo

The National Lacrosse League posted Week 20 headlines for Toronto vs. Ottawa and Rochester vs. Buffalo this week but did not include game reports or box scores. Each listing on the league site appeared as a match identifier only, with no date, venue, final score or individual statistics.

The league indicated typical coverage would include game date and time, venue, roster notes or key player updates and standings implications; those elements were not present.

Readers must consult the articles’ full text or the official box scores, when published, to learn results and any impact on standings or playoff positioning.
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April 15, 2026

Ottawa-Halifax decides final NLL playoff spot Saturday

The NLL’s final-week playoff race comes down to interdependent clinching scenarios that will decide the last two playoff berths and which teams host quarterfinal games. Four clubs, Halifax, Ottawa, Las Vegas and San Diego, are battling for those final spots. Ottawa visits Halifax on Saturday at 6:00 PM ET in a winner-takes-all matchup. Las Vegas and San Diego meet twice in Week 21, on Friday at 10:30 PM ET and Saturday at 10:00 PM ET; a sweep by either team would immediately clinch a playoff berth for the sweeper. If Las Vegas and San Diego split the two-game series, Las Vegas would rely on Rochester’s result versus Georgia to advance, and San Diego could advance with at least one Georgia loss. Other combinations of results between Las Vegas and San Diego would make the Saturday rematch decisive for playoff qualification.

Six teams have already clinched playoff berths, and Colorado and Vancouver have locked in quarterfinal home sites. Colorado, Vancouver and Buffalo remain in contention for the top overall seed. Colorado holds the simplest path. A win or certain combinations of rival losses would give it the top seed. Vancouver can clinch the top overall seed with a win plus a Colorado loss. Buffalo needs a win plus several other specific results to claim the top seed. Buffalo, Toronto, Saskatchewan and Georgia each have defined paths to host first-round home games depending on wins and losses elsewhere.

Recent Week 20 results provided context: Buffalo beat Rochester 12-6 to extend a seven-game winning streak; Vancouver edged Halifax 8-7; Colorado defeated Saskatchewan 13-11; San Diego topped Georgia 9-7; and Toronto beat Ottawa 10-6. Earlier this week Philadelphia upset Las Vegas at Xfinity Mobile Arena, selling out the lower bowl and winning 11-5. Lukas Nielsen had seven points; Kyle Jackson had two goals and four assists; Sam LeClair had two goals and three assists. Philadelphia’s Nick Damude and the team combined for a franchise-record 60 saves. An on-ice fight occurred between Eric Fannell and Rhys Blake. The Week 21 StubHub Power Rankings list Buffalo atop the board at 11-6, Vancouver and Colorado at 12-5, Toronto at 11-6, Saskatchewan slipping to fifth after its third straight loss, and lower-ranked San Diego and Halifax still alive in the postseason race.
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April 15, 2026

Lawrence wins; Webb and Roczen shape Cleveland fantasy

RM Fantasy SXperts preview and predict the Cleveland stop of the AMA Supercross Triple Crown ahead of the series’ return to Cleveland. The event is scheduled for Saturday at Huntington Bank Field, the first Supercross staged at the venue in 30 years. Because it is the final Triple Crown race of the season, the format’s effects on scoring and strategy are central to the previews and to fantasy decisions.

The previews use last weekend’s Nashville results as immediate context. Hunter Lawrence won, Cooper Webb finished second and Ken Roczen was third. RM Fantasy SXperts cite those outcomes when shaping their picks and outlook for the Triple Crown finale.

Ohio natives Cade Clason, Logan Karnow and Jeremy Hand are among the competitors, underscoring local interest. Clason and Karnow grew up riding mini bikes and Hand has family roots in the motocross industry. Clason also promoted the race last fall by riding his bike onto the field during a Cleveland Browns game and expects a strong turnout of family and local fans. Riders plan to visit an indoor bike park before and after the race, highlighting community and grassroots ties around the event.
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