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Pro wrestling legend Booker T sets expectations for next great superstar ahead of ‘WWE LFG’

Legendary professional wrestler Booker T will be one of the four coaches tasked to find the next top competitor on the upcoming A&E series “WWE Legends and Future Greats.”

The show, also known as “WWE LFG,” takes 16 budding professional wrestlers and lets them learn under the guided eyes of Booker T, Mickie James, Undertaker and Bubba Ray Dudley. While each coach has their own styles and backgrounds, Booker T has experience as a coach.

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A fan, right, takes a picture with WWE wrestler Booker T before the Houston Dynamo play the Seattle Sounders in the first leg of the MLS Western Conference Championship at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on Nov. 21, 2017. (Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

Booker T is the founder of the independent promotion Reality of Wrestling (ROW), which became an independent wrestling school for WWE’s latest developmental program, WWE ID. Much like his fellow coaches, he has been through the ups and downs that pro wrestling has to offer. He has been a world champion with WWE, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, and he has been on the independent and international scenes.

He explained to Fox News Digital in a recent interview what he is looking for in a pro wrestler.

“How much heart they have, how much they really, really want it, and how far they’re willing to go because with professional wrestling, I tell my students, it’s not going to come to you,” he said. “You got to go to it as far as the studying side of it.

“Do you really want to be a professional wrestler or do you want to just play wrestling? It’s so many different elements that goes into it. But I’m looking for the guy that wants it. It’s hard to judge a book by its cover because you might see the one guy, he may have everything on the outside you’re looking for, but it may have zero on the inside that you’re looking for. On the other hand, it could be totally the opposite.”

Aside from being a prolific singles competitor with multiple world championship reigns, Booker T broke into WCW as a tag-team wrestler with his brother, Stevie Ray. The two were known as the Harlem Heat and took the tag-team scene by storm.

Former WWE Superstar Booker T cuts a promo for the upcoming 2020 Royal Rumble to be held at Minute Maid Park, on Sept. 18, 2019 in Houston. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)

JEY USO CHOOSES GUNTHER AS WRESTLEMANIA 41 OPPONENT WITH WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE LINE

The Harlem Heat were 10-time tag-team champions in WCW. Booker T also won tag titles with Rob Van Dam, Goldust and Test.

He told Fox News Digital he was not looking for one person to have a certain specialty, rather a person who is ready for any type of challenge.

“I’m looking for someone who can find themselves in situations, and no matter what the situation is, they know how to figure it out,” he said. “A lot of these guys are dealing with this competition from just about every aspect we possibly can put them in – from a tag-team perspective, from a singles perspective, from a surprise perspective.

“There’s going to be so many different elements that we’re going to put them through. They’re going to, like I say, run the gambit as far as that goes. But I’m looking for someone who’s prepared for those situations because, just like I’ve been talking to my students since day one, preparation is the only luck you’re going to have in making it in this business.”

“WWE Legends and Future Greats” features four coaches trying to develop the next great superstar. (A&E)

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“WWE Legends and Future Greats” is on A&E at 8 p.m. ET starting Sunday.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
JD Vance, Treasury Sec Scott Bessent to meet with Zelenskyy as Trump team sets sights on Russia-Ukraine war

Vice President JD Vance will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday after years of railing against the U.S.’ continued funding of Ukraine in the war against Russia.

The vice president will meet with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, a Vance spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital, just ahead of U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg’s trip to Ukraine on Feb. 20.

Trump announced on Tuesday he would also send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to meet with Zelenskyy in Ukraine.

“This War MUST and WILL END SOON — Too much Death and Destruction. The U.S. has spent BILLIONS of Dollars Globally, with little to show,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

‘LET’S DO A DEAL’: ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP

Then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at Trump Tower in New York City on Sept. 27, 2024. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo)

Bessent is expected to talk about sanctions, rare Earth minerals and where U.S. funding has gone with the Ukrainian leader.

Trump tasked Kellogg with hashing out a peace deal with Ukraine and Russia to bring the three-year-long war to an end. Last week Kellogg met with Ukrainian delegations at the State Department.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are also attending the conference where the Russia-Ukraine war is sure to be a top focal point.

RUSSIA SAYS US RELATIONS ‘ON THE BRINK OF A BREAKUP,’ WON’T CONFIRM TRUMP-PUTIN TALK

The U.S. does not have a concrete plan yet to end the war, contrary to public reporting, and is listening to concerns and proposals from allies, a European official familiar with peace talks told Fox News Digital.

“Munich is too soon to unveil a Ukraine peace plan,” the official said. “The negotiations between the principals – Trump, Zelenskyy, Putin – will be tough. All options to end the killing are on the table – the course of action will be Trump’s call. There’s still plenty of room to ramp up sanctions.”

Vice President JD Vance will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday after years of railing against the U.S.’ continued funding of Ukraine in the war against Russia. (Getty Images)

Trump said last week he might meet with Zelenksyy himself in the days ahead.

“I will probably be meeting with President Zelenskyy next week and I will probably be talking to President Putin,” Trump said.

In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier Monday night, Trump emphasized the need for Ukraine to give the U.S. access to its rare Earth minerals in exchange for its defense. He also suggested Ukraine “may be Russian” someday.

“They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian some day, or they may not be Russian some day,” Trump mused.

“We are going to have all this money in there, and I say I want it back. And I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare Earth,” Trump said. “And they have essentially agreed to do that, so at least we don’t feel stupid.”

TRUMP’S ‘RARE’ PRICE FOR US MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE CALLED ‘FAIR’ BY ZELENSKYY

President Donald Trump announced he would send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine. (Vincent Alban/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Both Zelenskyy and Putin have remained opposed to direct talks with each other. Putin is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from regions in the south and east that Kyiv still has control over. Zelenskyy has scoffed at any territorial concessions to Moscow, though he has admitted Ukraine may have to rely on diplomatic means to take back some of its territory.

Vance was long at the forefront of opposition to Ukraine aid in the Senate.

“I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another,” he said in February 2022 as Russia invaded.

“Vladimir Putin is not Adolf Hitler. It doesn’t mean he’s a good guy, but he has significantly less capability than the German leader did,” Vance said in an April 2024 speech on the Senate floor.

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A Munich Security report, released just days before world leaders gather in Germany, said that Trump’s election has turned the U.S. into a “risk to be hedged against.”

“Without global leadership of the kind provided by the United States for the past several decades, it is hard to imagine the international community providing global public goods like freedom of navigation or tackling even some of the many grave threats confronting humanity,” the report warned. “The US may be abdicating its historic role as Europe’s security guarantor – with significant consequences for Ukraine.”

February 11, 2025
‘Can’t be trusted’: Schiff sets social media ablaze after clashing with Kash Patel during explosive hearing

A clash on Thursday between Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI director, set social media ablaze when conservatives ripped into the new California senator after what they saw as a win for the Trump nominee.

Schiff, in his line of questioning at Patel’s confirmation hearing, began by asking Patel whether he stood by prior testimony that he had nothing to do with the recording of a song about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot inmates.

“[That] is interesting, because here’s what you told Steve Bannon on his podcast: ‘So, what we thought would be cool is if we captured that audio and then, of course, had the greatest president, President Donald J. Trump, recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we went to a studio and recorded it, mastered it, digitized it, and put it out as a song.’”

KASH PATEL ENRAGES ADAM SCHIFF IN CLINTONIAN BATTLE OVER THE WORD ‘WE’ AND A JANUARY 6 SONG

The two quibbled over the meaning of “we” and whether it included Patel.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s choice to be director of the FBI, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“Yeah, and you’re part of that ‘we’ — right — when you say ‘we,’ that includes you, Mr. Patel,” Schiff said.

“Not in every instance.” Patel said, adding he had not personally participated in the recording or mastering of the single.

Schiff responded, “Well, that’s new. So, when you said ‘we,’ you didn’t really mean you. Is that your testimony?”

“Not unless you have a new definition for the word ‘we,’” Patel said.

In Thursday’s hearing, however, Patel said he was using the word “we” appropriately, while Schiff said he had “promoted the hell out of it,” referencing the inmates’ single.

“I don’t know what that means, but I promoted the heck out of raising money for families in need,” Patel shot back.

In another exchange, Schiff asked Patel if an FBI director promoted a song about people who sprayed pepper spray in the face of an FBI agent, “would you say they were fit to be director?”

“I am fit to be the director of the FBI,” Patel said.

Supporters of the Trump administration hammered Schiff and praised Patel over the exchanges.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a Democratic Senate candidate, speaks during a Get Out The Vote meet and greet at IATSE Local 80 March 4, 2024, in Burbank, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

MAJOR CHANGES PATEL COULD MAKE ON DAY 1 AT FBI

“California’s Senator @SenAdamSchiff screams and screeches about the January 6th choir during Kash’s confirmation – and completely misses an opportunity to represent commonsense Californians,” former DNI Director Richard Grenell posted on X. “We want representatives who don’t lie. Who don’t miss the big picture. Schiff is partisan and petty.”

National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker said “any committee that [Sen. Mazie] Hirono, Schiff or [Sen. Sheldon] Whitehouse is on is one where Democrats completely lose all credibility.”

“I honestly thought Bernie Sanders yelling at RFK Jr. about onesies was going to be the craziest thing from the hearings this week,” Daily Signal columnist Tony Kinnett said. “Then I watched Adam Schiff yelling at Kash Patel for 5 minutes about song remixes. Good Lord.”

“Schiff can’t be trusted to serve on committees,” Judicial Watch Chairman Tom Fitton said.

Schiff argued he had won the exchange.

“Kash Patel raised money for January 6 insurrectionists who attacked law enforcement. I asked him to look those officers in the eye and tell them he was proud of what he did. He couldn’t,” Schiff wrote on X.

It was one of a number of fiery exchanges during the hearing. Democrats quizzed Patel about his record, including statements he had made in his book, “Government Gangsters.”

Patel slammed what he described as “grotesque” attacks against him.

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“If the best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI,” he said.

“I stood with them here in this country, in every theater of war we have. I was on the ground in service of this nation. And any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair.”

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

January 30, 2025
American figure skater sets record straight on viral rumor amid airline tragedy

American figure skater Jon Maravilla set the record straight on a story that went viral amid the airline disaster that occurred near Reagan International Airport on Wednesday night.

Maravilla told The Daily Beast in an interview on Thursday he was denied from his flight because of his dog but he was set to fly out of Detroit and not Wichita, Kansas, where the doomed flight originated from. Media reports from Russia originally claimed he was supposed to be on the plane, pointing to Instagram posts from his personal account.

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He told the outlet it was unclear where the reports came from but he was heartbroken over the fate of some of his friends.

“I still can’t believe it,” he told the outlet. “I was just with them watching them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time.”

He added that he was in a parking lot when he started to learn the flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter had originated from Wichita.

Officials said Thursday there were no survivors of the crash and that the mission went from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. Nearly 30 bodies were pulled from the Potomac River.

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

At least six of those who died in the crash had ties to the Skating Club of Boston.

The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe identified those with ties to the club as athletes, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, two coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, and Jin Han, the mother of Jinna, and Molly Lane, the mother of Spencer, were identified as the victims with ties to the skate club.

“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe said in a statement posted to social media. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 of 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.

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“These athletes, coaches, parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp.”

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
Bookmaker sets Travis Kelce proposal odds for Super Bowl LIX

The Super Bowl always brings some of the year’s craziest sports bets, and sometimes it has nothing to do with what happens on the field — at least during the 60 minutes of game time.

One of those bets involves a certain celebrity couple.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop superstar Taylor Swift were the talk of the town in Las Vegas last year, and some suggested he would propose to her on the field after the game.

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Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Football fans will have a chance to bet on that during this year’s Super Bowl. FanDuel Sportsbook is providing the choice in Canada of whether Kelce will propose to Swift on the field after the Super Bowl’s conclusion, according to the New York Post.

The odds were set at +750 that Kelce will propose, with a $10 bet yielding $75 if it were to happen.

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On the flip side, Kelce not proposing to Swift has -1500 odds, which means there is a 93.75% chance it doesn’t happen at the Caesars Superdome Feb. 9.

Kelce and Swift created one of the biggest stories in the NFL during the 2023 season, and it only heightened when the Chiefs made it to their second consecutive Super Bowl, this time against the San Francisco 49ers in “Sin City.”

Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce react after the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Swift attended the game despite being on international legs of her Eras Tour, and they were spotted sharing a celebratory kiss on the field after the overtime victory.

This time around, there have been rumors an engagement is imminent for the power couple, especially with Swift spotted wearing an infinity ring in New York City earlier this month. Speculation has run rampant online ever since.

Swift is expected to be at the game just as she was in Kansas City for the 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills. There will also be specuation about who will be a part of her star-studded entourage in the luxury suite. She was spotted with rapper Ice Spice, actress Blake Lively and actor Miles Teller, among others, in Las Vegas.

But the main question will be whether Kelce has an extra celebration in store if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl over the Philadelphia Eagles, which they did in the 2023 Super Bowl to begin their run at history.

Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

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Kelce and the Chiefs will kick off Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET from New Orleans, where they could become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Lombardi Trophies.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 29, 2025
White House sets record straight about impact of Trump’s federal funding freeze

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the pause on federal financial assistance will not include food stamps, Social Security, or Medicare and welfare benefits.

Following the temporary freeze on federal assistance, ordered by the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Americans may be wondering if the freeze will impact them.

In her first official press briefing Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the federal grants and loans pause will not impact individual assistance going directly to Americans.

The OMB confirmed the freeze does not apply to student loans and Pell Grants, as the order clearly states financial assistance to “individuals” is exempt.

The pause, which will take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday and remain in effect pending a review by the Trump administration, will also not impact Social Security, food stamps, or Medicare and welfare benefits, Leavitt confirmed.

BIDEN’S LATEST ROUND OF STUDENT LOAN HANDOUTS BRINGS ADMIN TOTAL TO MORE THAN 5 MILLION

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday. (AP / AP Images)

FOX Business previously reported the pause is limited to programs, projects and activities that may be impacted by President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

Some of those programs include diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the Green New Deal, and funding nongovernmental organizations that contradict the national interest.

Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. ( Samuel Corum/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

After agencies complete a comprehensive analysis of their federal financial assistance programs, which will be required by Feb. 10, they will be reviewed for consistency with the president’s priorities.

The memo noted the federal government spent more than $3 trillion on federal assistance in the 2024 fiscal year, according to previous reporting.

NEW YORK REPUBLICAN PROPOSES TO SLASH STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified what will be impacted by President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal assistance. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told The Wall Street Journal that the freeze “will mean missed payrolls and rent payments and everything in between: chaos for everything from universities to non-profit charities, state disaster assistance, local law enforcement, aid to the elderly, and food for those in need.”

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FOX Business requested comment from Schumer following Leavitt’s remarks, but did not immediately receive a response.

The pause could be as short as a day, White House officials told FOX Business. Agencies can also request exemptions on a case-by-case basis.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this story.

January 28, 2025