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SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath-the-surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
Kushida and Maclin square off at Rebellion
This Sunday is a chance for Impact Wrestling to redefine itself—and the same goes for the two men wrestling in the main event.
Instead of being headlined by Josh Alexander, who is the longest-reigning champion in company history, the main event of the Rebellion pay-per-view is a title match between Steve Maclin and Kushida.

1. We’ve said it many, many times. We love the pitch clock. We can’t get enough of the pitch clock. God bless the pitch clock.
Major League Baseball’s pitch clock has shaved about a half hour off games this season. 
Average time of game the past five seasons:
2023: 2:382022: 3:032021: 3:102020: 3:072019: 3:05
The days of three-and-a-half-hour games are no more. The dead time during a game is gone, and action is way up. The pitch clock could not have worked out any better—except for one thing.
Since games are now shorter, that means teams have less time to sell beer at games.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s coach at Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr has been given one game to save his job, sources told ESPN.

At least four teams — the Diamondbacks, Rangers, Twins and Brewers — have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning as the implementation of the pitch clock has led to shorter games.

The PGA Tour has released its 2023 fall schedule, which features seven official events with over $56 million in prize money up for grabs.

Louisiana wide receiver Michael Jefferson, who was considered a potential middle-rounds pick in the NFL draft, was involved in a multicar crash and required multiple surgeries, his agent told ESPN.

Giants star running back Saquon Barkley does not plan to sign his franchise tender before the team’s offseason program begins Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Newsday.

Former UFC star Nate Diaz is back and his next move will be a boxing match against YouTube star turned professional fighter, Jake Paul.
The fight, which was announced Wednesday afternoon by Most Valuable Promotions and Real Fight Inc., will take place Saturday, Aug. 5 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
The eight-round fight will be held at 185 pounds with 10-ounce gloves. It will be aired globally on DAZN and be available for pay-per-view on all cable and satellite providers.

Charles Barkley is known for making guarantees while on Inside the NBA, but this time he bit off a little bit more than he could chew. The Hall of Famer predicted that the Heat would beat the Hawks in the play-in tournament Tuesday because “the Hawks stink” and when Shaquille O’Neal asked Barkley to make a bet, he responded with pure confidence.
“Bet it. Whatever you want to,” he said. “A billion dollars.” 
Fortunately for Barkley, he didn’t make such a bet—Atlanta won the game 116–105. Hawks point guard Trae Young rubbed it in Barkley’s face on Wednesday morning.

College athletics, like anything, do not function without financial support and Syracuse may have bit the hand that feeds it. The Orange’s top booster has vowed not to back the school’s athletes through Name, Image and Likeness.
Adam Weitsman is disassociating from the university and from the basketball program in particular.
The 54-year-old, who owns a scrap metal processing company in upstate New York, has an estimated net worth of more than $1,000,000,000. That’s billion with a B.
Weitsman is a billionaire who pumps a large amount of money into Syracuse athletics.