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Champions League: Bayern drown out the noise, and was this the worst penalty award ever?

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Champions League: Bayern drown out the noise, and was this the worst penalty award ever?

Football very rarely goes to plan.

AC Milan’s new strike force were supposed to quickly start scoring a lot of goals. Feyenoord selling their best player was supposed to mean their season was over. Bayern Munich were supposed to crumble away from home again. Oh, and VAR was supposed to eradicate horrendous refereeing decisions.

As you can see from last night’s Champions League play-off knockout clashes, the sport rarely fails to disappoint when it comes to predictability.

Here Tim Spiers analyses the key talking points from Wednesday evening’s matches.

That penalty decision…

“Football is becoming a completely different sport. Football is now going in a direction that has nothing to do with the game… I don’t know the rules anymore and I certainly don’t like it.”

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What on earth could have happened to leave one of European football’s most highly respected managers so utterly dismayed?

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini was rendered angry and bereft by the decision to award Club Brugge a 91st minute penalty in the first leg of their play-off in Belgium. You could understand why.

Behold, one of the worst penalty decisions you are ever likely to witness…

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“Listening to footballers and coaches, they all have a completely different idea of ​​fouls,” an exasperated Gasperini added. “The tragedy is the contacts: everyone dives to steal and win a yellow or a penalty.”

To recap, a decent tie was winding down to a 1-1 draw, probably a satisfactory result for both sides, when the clocked ticked over 90 minutes and into three minutes of stoppage time.

A seemingly harmless pass went into the box, which Atalanta defender Isak Hien had under control, chased by Brugge striker and Swedish compatriot Gustaf Nilsson.

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As Hien jostled for position, his arm appeared to slightly catch Nilsson, who went to ground. There was barely an appeal from the home fans or any Brugge players, but a penalty was given.

Hien was in disbelief, kneeling on the ground, head in hands. Six Atalanta players surrounded the referee in protest, while Gasperini gestured with not one but two hands, in a manner only Italians can reasonably pull off.


Incensed Atalanta players confront referee Halil Umut Meler (Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)

VAR Pol van Boekel (from the Netherlands) somehow upheld the decision made by Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler who, after not showing a card all match, booked three Atalanta players (Hien, plus Rafael Toloi and Juan Cuadrado for arguing) in the confusion that followed.

Nilsson got up and scored the penalty, at which point Gasperini whipped off his jacket and stormed down the tunnel before the match had even finished.

Atalanta’s incensed players continued their protests after full-time and security had to escort some of them off the field.

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Gasperini addresses the media after the game (Lars Baron – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

“Those who follow football know that it is not a penalty,” midfielder Marten De Roon said, while even Brugge player Hans Vanaken conceded they were “a bit lucky”.

“It’s just ridiculous,” added Atalanta’s Belgian attacker Charles De Ketelaere, who was returning to his old club for the first time, while calling the referee “arrogant”. “If you ask 100 people, I think out of 100 none would say that was a foul.”

Well, funny you should say that Charles, because one of those 100 people clearly wasn’t former referee Christina Unkel, who kept things tight in the referees’ union.

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Next week’s return leg in Bergamo is tantalisingly poised, then, while next month’s Sweden international get-together should be pretty interesting for Nilsson and Hien, too…

Fab Four flounder

They have been dubbed the Fab Four — a fearsome, fantastic attack that can fire Milan up the Serie A table and deep into the Champions League knockout stages.

USMNT star winger Christian Pulisic, flying wide man Rafael Leao, skilful genius Joao Felix and prolific Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez, four hugely talented players who, in tandem, could prove to be one of Europe’s most electrifying strike forces.

Joao Felix joined on loan from Chelsea last week while Gimenez was signed from Feyenoord, where he had scored 16 goals in 19 games this season, for £26.7million.

And here the Fab Four were in Rotterdam of all places, the home of Feyenoord, unleashed as a quartet for the first time.

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The result? Feyenoord 1 AC Milan 0. And Milan’s expected goals (xG) tally for the night? Precisely 0.57.

Fab Four? How about The Four Flops?


A disappointed Pulisic departs the fray in Rotterdam (Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

OK, it’s only one match and they will need time to gel, but this was certainly an underwhelming evening for Milan’s front players, three of whom were subbed off before the night was done.

Sergio Conceicao’s struggling side could have avoided all this had they won away at Dinamo Zagreb in the final round of group games, but ended up losing 2-1 in Croatia, reflecting what has been a hugely inconsistent season for a team that lies 17 points behind leaders Napoli in Serie A.

Out in Rotterdam they created precious little with an XI that included no Italian players, in what was a fairly incident-free encounter.

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Well, except for one that goalkeeper Mike Maignan will instantly want to forget…

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Pulisic’s Milan suffers first-leg loss to Feyenoord in UCL playoff

Who needs a manager?

This was quite a result for Feyenoord, whose fans must have been fearing the worst given recent turbulent events at the club.

Manager Brian Priske, who succeeded Arne Slot in the summer when the 46-year-old left to manage Liverpool, was sacked just two days before the visit of Milan.

Priske had actually won his final game in charge at the weekend, a 3-0 derby victory over Sparta Rotterdam, but Feyenoord are a lowly fifth in the Dutch Eredivisie, went out of the Dutch Cup to PSV last week and were spanked 6-1 by Lille on Matchday 8 of the group stage, when a victory in France would have seen them finish in the top eight.

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Given recent results — and the sale of best player Gimenez to Milan, a transfer which happened after the draw was made for the play-off round — Feyenoord’s supporters could be forgiven for thinking their club was waving a white flag for this tie.

Step forward Maignan, Milan’s France international goalkeeper, with this absolute howler in the third minute of the match.

Nothing much seemed to be on when Igor Paixao cut inside from the left and sent a fairly harmless-looking effort low towards the keeper’s near post, but Maignan, not helped by horribly wet conditions in the Netherlands, pushed the ball into the net.

Video for UK readers

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That was pretty much that for the night, other than Paixao smacking a shot off the bar in the second half, and attempting another from the half-way line.

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Feyenoord’s xG of 0.58 was only fractionally better than that of Milan on what was a fairly dull evening. But, after the week they just endured, that was absolutely fine with Feyenoord.

Bayern hush Parkhead

They may be enjoying themselves at the top of the Bundesliga, eight points clear of Bayer Leverkusen, but Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich have still shown vulnerabilities this season — especially on the road when faced with an intimidating away atmosphere.

They have only dropped nine points in the league, but seven of those have been lost away from home. In the Champions League they won all four home group games but lost three of four on the road, including at Aston Villa and Feyenoord where the volume was turned up to 11.

Football atmospheres don’t get much louder than Celtic Park on a big European night, so this was a serious test of Bayern’s European credentials. The pre-match noise was so ear-splitting that Celtic defender Alistair Johnston nodded his approval as the decibels went above jet engine levels when the teams lined up before kick off.

When former Bayern youngster Nicolas Kuhn put Celtic in front after just 25 seconds, they could probably hear the noise in Munich. However, that was correctly ruled out for offside and Bayern slowly turned the screw in Glasgow, establishing some dominance in the din and then clinically scoring either side of half time to take charge of the tie.

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Michael Olise’s strike was one to savour…

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And then a criminally unmarked Harry Kane volleyed in from close range for his 29th goal from 29 appearances this season to quell the Celtic Park roar. That was the 19th goal he has scored beyond Kasper Schmeichel for club and country — five more than he has managed against any other goalkeeper.

Brendan Rodgers’ side rallied impressively in the final stages, with Daizen Maeda’s header keeping their hopes alive, but they will need a minor miracle in Germany next week to progress to the last 16.

Card appeal dashes a dream

The Champions League is supposed to be a competition where dreams are made.

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However, for Monaco’s Libyan midfielder Moatasem Al-Musrati, his competition debut turned into a nightmare against Benfica.

The 28-year-old, who is on loan from Besiktas, was on a booking when he saw team-mate Breel Embolo unceremoniously dumped to the floor by Benfica defender Alvaro Carreras.


Denis Zakaria (left) comforts Al-Musrati as he departs the field (Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Al-Musrati thought it was a foul and Italian referee Maurizio Mariani agreed, blowing his whistle. Al-Musrati, though, wanted more than that; he wanted Carreras booked and so gently gestured the universal sign language for “show him a card, ref” in the official’s direction.

Nope, can’t do that. Second booking and then a red, Al-Musrati was off. He will now miss the second leg, and with Monaco 1-0 down you have to wonder if the on-loan midfielder will play again in the Champions League this season. Or perhaps ever again.

On the flip side, Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis is very much living out his Champions League dreams, scoring his sixth goal in the competition this season to give Bruno Lage’s side a crucial advantage going into the return leg in Lisbon next week.

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Pavlidis scored when this fixture was played in the group stage, too (Benfica won 3-2), as well as scoring a hat-trick against Barcelona and adding another against Juventus.

Only six players have scored more in 2024-25 and it’s an exclusive list — Serhou Guirassy (10), Robert Lewandowski (nine), Raphinha (eight), Erling Haaland (eight), Vinicius Jr (seven) and Kane (seven).

What happens next?

Wednesday’s results

Club Brugge 2 Atalanta 1
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 2
Feyenoord 1 Milan 0
Monaco 0 Benfica 1

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Next week’s second legs

Tuesday, February 18
Atalanta (1) vs Club Bruges (2)
Bayern Munich (2) vs Celtic (1)
Milan (0) vs Feyenoord (1)
Benfica (1) vs Monaco (0)

Wednesday, February 19
Paris Saint-Germain (3) vs Brest (0)
PSV Eindhoven (1) vs Juventus (2)
Real Madrid (3) vs Manchester City (2)
Borussia Dortmund (3) vs Sporting CP (0)

Eight teams will advance to the last 16, to join Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa.

The draw for the last 16, quarter-final and semi-final will take place on Friday February 21.

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(Top photos: Getty Images)

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Raising Cane’s owner Todd Graves on how viral Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski dunk tank came to be at Fanatics Fest

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6 hours ago

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July 18, 2026

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Raising Cane’s owner Todd Graves on how viral Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski dunk tank came to be at Fanatics Fest

Tom Brady, LeBron, Jeter UNITE at Fanatics Fest

FOX Business’ Madison Alworth reports live from Fanatics Fest in New York City, detailing the immense gathering of sports fans and athletes. CEO Lance Fensterman reveals that mega-stars such as Serena Williams and David Beckham are attending. The festival anticipates 200,000 attendees over its four-day run, showcasing its significant growth since 2022.

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Fanatics Fest is a viral moment waiting to happen considering the plethora of superstars under one Manhattan roof, and perhaps the first one came on Thursday’s opening day at the Javits Center in the Raising Cane’s activation.

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It was a legendary combination of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and 500 gallons of Raising Cane’s famous sauce filled in a dunk tank. Brady, whose accuracy with a football is still unmatched, didn’t miss his target.

Gronkowski went splashing into the sauce, as Brady and Raising Cane’s owner Todd Graves joined the masses in celebrating one of the coolest moments to kick off Fanatics Fest.

Todd Graves, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady attend Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center in New York City on July 16, 2026. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Fanatics)

Before Brady’s toss pulled the seat out from under his favorite tight end when they were both in the NFL, Fox News Digital caught up with Graves to find out how a dunk tank filled with his brand’s famous sauce came to be.

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“I never thought of a Cane’s Sauce dunk tank, but partnering with Fanatics and Fanatics Fest, which is great,” Graves explained. “They’re amazing partners. One, Michael Rubin and I have been friends, and talk about business, help each other out in many different ways. A rising tide lifts all boats. Before we started partnering with Fanatics, I loved what he was doing, I loved the fanfare, I loved having sports and entertainment figure heads – everybody from Tom Brady to Kevin Hart , right? All that together, I was like, ‘Man, let’s partner. Let’s do this deal.’

TOM BRADY DRAWS INSPIRATION AFTER MEETING WITH MAKE-A-WISH TEAN HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT AT FANATICS FEST

“With Fanatics Fest, partnering with them wasn’t just like, ‘Here, come, do whatever you think of.’ No, it was, ‘Let’s put our minds together and do what we can.’ So, they came up with the idea. Actually [CEO of OBB Media] Michael Ratner was like, ‘Let’s do a Cane’s Sauce dunk tank.’ I was like, ‘Yes!’ And he was like, ‘Let’s do Brady dunking Gronk.’ Oh my God, I couldn’t think of two better people doing it.”

Graves believed the moment was going to be “legendary” and “going to be something in Cane’s lore” forever. And when the brand opened its first doors in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Aug. 28, 1996, Graves wasn’t thinking 30 years down the road two of the most recognizable athletes in the country would be making this happen.

“The crews are already so excited about it. The fans will love it. What better guy like Gronk, and to have Brady hit the target. It’s ideal,” Graves added.

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Tom Brady throws football during Raising Cane’s dunk tank event, where Rob Gronkowski fell into 500 gallons of Cane’s Sauce. (Raising Cane’s)

Brady and Gronkowski got the crowd going with a little chicken Hail Mary moment, with the quarterback tossing some Cane’s chicken fingers into a cup of sauce the tight end was holding. But then, the moment of truth.

In classic Gronkowski fashion, he was chirping Brady from his seat, but the FOX Sports NFL colleagues knew what the end result was going to be with that. Brady toyed with Gronkowski at first, hitting a Cane’s logo just above the target on purpose, and did so again with a different one.

Then, on his third throw, Brady struck true, and all of the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Gronkowski caused a Cane’s Sauce explosion when he fell in. There was a splash zone if you were close enough, and it was a moment fans, media and everyone else who witnessed it couldn’t stop talking about.

As Gronkowski wiped the sauce from his eyes, and Brady calmed down from all the laughter he caused, Graves was right there to thank them both for the epic moment he’ll never forget.

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Todd Graves, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady attend the Cane’s Sauce Dunk Tank Showdown hosted by Graves at Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center in New York City on July 16, 2026. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s)

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“Through growth, I have 100,000 crew members now, and we have 1,000 locations and we’re about to turn 30. For me to walk in here and see our logos up here and see people that want to come and be a part of Cane’s, it’s a dream come true. To do a dunk tank, and Tom Brady and Gronk want to do that, I built a brand that’s special to my crew and customers. So, an absolute dream. I always have to pinch myself and part of my job is doing things like this, which is great,” Graves said.

“We love what we do. I love my company, I love my crew and customers. This is just something I think we can do some fun for them, because I know how much I’m going to enjoy it.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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Commentary: With Will Smith out indefinitely, Dodgers need to trade for a catcher

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July 18, 2026

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Commentary: With Will Smith out indefinitely, Dodgers need to trade for a catcher

NEW YORK — Lost amid the headlines about Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers face this unexpected reality as the trade deadline looms: They would like to add a starting pitcher, but they need to add a catcher.

Will Smith has not played in six weeks. In a “best case” scenario, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday, Smith would miss another month.

That left Roberts to make a jolting admission, when I asked him if the team really can count on Smith returning this season.

“We don’t know,” Roberts said, “but we certainly are counting on it.”

Would it be nice for the Dodgers to get their three-time All-Star catcher back in time for October? Of course.

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Should the Dodgers count on it? Of course not.

The Dodgers won’t know where Smith stands by the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That means now is the time to acquire a catching option they may or may not need later.

Dalton Rushing, the primary catcher in Smith’s absence, has a .799 OPS. Among the 24 major league catchers with at least 200 plate appearances entering play Friday, Rushing ranked fifth in OPS.

He is hitless in his last 13 at-bats. His batting average: .266 before Smith’s injury, .233 since then.

On defense, Rushing ranks next-to-last in defensive runs saved among major league catchers, ahead of only the Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe. On Friday, in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees scored their only run on Rushing’s passed ball.

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In past Octobers, the Dodgers have prioritized defense at catcher. In the 2020 World Series, Austin Barnes caught ahead of Smith in four of the six games, including the final two.

In 2025, with Smith recovering from a hand injury, Ben Rortvedt started ahead of Rushing in the Dodgers’ first four postseason games. Rortvedt was a trade deadline acquisition last summer, picked up with pitcher Paul Gervase from the Tampa Bay Rays for catcher Hunter Feduccia.

Will Smith bats for the Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants on April 22.

(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

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Rortvedt, currently playing in triple-A for the New York Mets, fits the profile of what the Dodgers need now: a defense-first catcher with major league readiness. With Smith injured, the Dodgers first tried and then cut minor league journeyman Chuckie Robinson at backup catcher. Their current backup, Eliezer Alfonso, made his major league debut in his ninth professional season; he is hitless in nine at-bats.

Could the Dodgers pursue an established catcher, say Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins or Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens of the New York Mets? Possible, but probably not necessary.

Rushing could be their guy. Smith could be back.

Smith has started and re-started baseball activities, only to find out that the inflamed disk in his neck flares up.

“He hasn’t been able to get over the hump,” Roberts said.

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The Dodgers are trying another round of complete rest before asking him to try hitting or throwing again.

“We felt that, if he’s inactive, it gives it a good chance to get all the inflammation out, the soreness out, the pain, increase flexibility, all of it,” Roberts said. “Then he has a fighting chance to work his way back. Trying to do everything — even at a lesser dosage — just wasn’t feasible.”

Trying to trade for Skubal might not be feasible, at least so long as his Detroit Tigers remain in the American League wild-card race. The Tigers won seven of their final 10 games in the first half, and they face teams with losing records in 13 of their 16 second-half games ahead of the trade deadline, starting with the Angels this weekend in Anaheim.

The Dodgers do not need a depth starter. However, they might do well to find someone they would feel comfortable starting the third or fourth game of a playoff series, lest they count on Blake Snell (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) and Shohei Ohtani (knee) all returning to the mound healthy and effective.

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Important, yes. As important as another catcher, no.

For a team that will spend almost half a billion dollars on its player payroll and luxury tax this season, its most important trade deadline pickup could be a catcher making maybe $1 million.

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AEW star Kenny Omega blasts social media user over Charlie Kirk comment

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18 hours ago

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July 17, 2026

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AEW star Kenny Omega blasts social media user over Charlie Kirk comment

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All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Kenny Omega blasted a social media user over a remark made about Will Ospreay and Charlie Kirk.

The X user made a critique about Ospreay’s mic skills on Thursday, writing, “Will Ospreay is as bad on the mic as charlie kirk, but can’t sell the neck as well as he did.”

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Kenny Omega enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Wrestle Dynasty event at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 5, 2025. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

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Omega, who is friends with Ospreay inside and outside the ring, slammed the poster.

“What the f— is wrong with you? It isn’t hard to try having some class,” he wrote in response.

“A dear friend battles back from a career threatening injury, is no doubt still fighting pain today, and is somehow mocked and compared to a dude that was murdered. I get that a joke is a joke but these things should really be kept separate in my opinion.”

Kenny Omega looks on after the tag match during the Power Struggle – Super Jr. Tag League 2018 at Edion Arena Osaka on November 03, 2018 in Osaka, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

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When one X user came to the defense of the commenter, Omega responded once more.

“Please extend my apologies, genuinely. Perhaps I’ve become too sensitive after my own brush with death. I also know of Will’s efforts behind the scenes more than most so it was sad to see such a harsh comparison,” the current AEW champion added.

Kirk, a conservative commentator and the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in September. Tyler Robinson was arrested in Kirk’s murder.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk spoke during his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Kirk was fatally shot while appearing at the event. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

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Robinson’s trial is currently ongoing.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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