Why Michael J. Fox defied director's demand to channel Michael Jackson during beloved Back to the...

Fox revealed the personal pantheon of &34;rock guitar gods&34; he called upon for one of the scifi classic's big set pieces. Why Michael J. Fox defied director's demand to channel Michael Jackson during beloved Back to the Future scene Fox revealed the personal pantheon of &34;rock guitar gods&34; he called upon for one of the scifi classic's big set pieces. By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.jpg) Ryan Coleman Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

Fox revealed the personal pantheon of "rock guitar gods" he called upon for one of the sci-fi classic's big set pieces.

Why Michael J. Fox defied director's demand to channel Michael Jackson during beloved Back to the Future scene

Fox revealed the personal pantheon of "rock guitar gods" he called upon for one of the sci-fi classic's big set pieces.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

EW's editorial guidelines

December 25, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET

Michael J. Fox in 'Back to the Future'. Credit:

Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

- Michael J. Fox says he went off script for one of *Back to the Future*'s most memorable scenes.

- In the famous "Johnny B. Goode" dance performance, Fox "ditched the idea of mimicking Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger" as originally planned.

- Instead of those icons ("not guitarists!"), Fox channeled his own "rock guitar gods," including Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Eddie Van Halen.

Michael J. Fox had a vision for one of *Back to the Future*'s most iconic scenes, and he wouldn't be stopped from manifesting it.

The 1985 sci-fi comedy classic depicts the exploits of a young man named Marty McFly (Fox), who is accidentally transported back in time to 1955. In between meddling in his future parents' love affair and then scrambling to get them back together so he doesn't cease to exist, a plot contrivance "forces" Marty onto the stage of a school dance, where he serenades his parents' classmates with a rocking version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode."

The dance scene is one of the most enduring and beloved moments from the original *Back to the Future*. In his new memoir of the making of the film, *Future Boy*, Fox calls it "my favorite scene in the movie." Still, it took a lot of finagling to make — scores of extras, complicated choreography, and Fox's guitar rehearsals made for a complicated shoot.

"I worked harder on the 'Johnny B. Goode' scene than any other portion of the movie," he writes. But Fox had a plan to get it right — even if it meant staking out his own path, separate from the one laid down by director Robert Zemeckis.

Fox includes the "Johnny B. Goode" segment of the *Back to the Future *script in *Future Boy*, which reads in part, "Marty euphorically begins cavorting around like Little Richard. Marty whips off his sport coat and throws it in the crowd. Now, Marty tears open his shirt and does some Elvis pelvis moves! Girls scream. Marty's movements become Mick Jagger–­esque, then take on a Michael Jackson style."

Ultimately, Fox notes that the dialogue and action in the finished film became "quite different from the scripted version." His first order of business? "I ditched the idea of mimicking Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger (not guitarists!) and replaced them with tributes to my own rock guitar gods."

Fox subsequently breaks down beat for beat the movements he designed with choreographer Brad Jeffries as nods to each of his idols.

"As the song progresses, Marty holds the guitar low and falls to his knees without missing a chord (Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin); slings the guitar over the back of his head (Jimi Hendrix); and performs a Pete Townshend trifecta."

He also worked to achieve an "intense right-­hand hammering, an homage to Eddie Van Halen," and finally, "added in a bit of Slash (Guns N' Roses), with a rumbling downward slide along the E string."

Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Eddie Van Halen.

Chris Walter/WireImage; Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty; Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty

Fox's efforts paid off, resulting in the arguable highlight of the entire movie, despite having zero bearing on its plot. Fox is careful not to describe his success as despite Zemeckis, however, but because of him, writing that the auteur "allowed me the personal freedom" to paint outside the lines with his performance in the scene.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter***.****

Michael J. Fox addresses notorious 'Back to the Future' goof that fans still hound him about

Why future 'Office' star was fired from 'Back to the Future' after Michael J. Fox was hired

The "Johnny B. Goode" scene recently made its way back onto the front page when this summer, Gibson launched a global search for the Cherry Red Gibson ES-345 guitar that Fox plays on stage, which has gone missing.

Fox relays in *Future Boy *that the guitar has stayed top of mind for him over the past 40 years, too, but not because of its mysterious whereabouts.

"To play 'Johnny B. Goode,' Marty borrowed Marvin Berry's Gibson ES-­345, a guitar first introduced in 1958 —­ three years after the 1955 scene in the movie," Fox explains.

This "temporal inconsistency" is something that "guitar aficionados and *Back to the Future* fans have pointed out again and again."

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

- Comedy Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Comedy"

Read More

---

Source: Comedy

Published: December 28, 2025 at 10:38AM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in

December 28, 2025

Why Michael J. Fox defied director's demand to channel Michael Jackson during beloved Back to the...

Fox revealed the personal pantheon of &34;rock guitar gods&34; he called upon for one of the scifi classic's big s...

Read More

See Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Marissa Bode playing their characters in happier times in the deleted scene. Wicked finally releases cut scene with shirtless Fiyero and Boq See Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Marissa Bode playing their characters in happier times in the deleted scene. By Sydney Bucksbaum :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/headshotb5dc24df8d5d43d1a16c9ce0e0383119.jpg) Sydney Bucksbaum Sydney Bucksbaum is a staff writer at . She has been working at EW since 2019 and is a published author.

See Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Marissa Bode playing their characters in happier times in the deleted scene.

Wicked finally releases cut scene with shirtless Fiyero and Boq

See Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Marissa Bode playing their characters in happier times in the deleted scene.

By Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum is a staff writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2019 and is a published author. Her work has previously appeared in *TV Guide Magazine*, E! News/E! Online, *The Hollywood Reporter*, Mashable, Bustle, IGN, DCComics.com, Inverse, *The Daily Northwestern*, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

December 26, 2025 4:25 p.m. ET

Jonathan Bailey in 'Wicked'. Credit:

Universal Pictures

*Wicked* has finally released an infamous deleted scene featuring Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater both shirtless as Fiyero and Boq, and fans couldn't be happier.

After *Saturday Night Live* alum and *Wicked* cast member Bowen Yang teased on Trisha Paytas' podcast last year that there was a cut scene featuring the two fit actors "ripping their shirts off," audiences have been left wondering whatever happened to that footage. But they don't have to wonder any longer, because the scene in question has been unveiled online.

*Entertainment Tonight* shared the deleted montage scene from the first *Wicked* film on Friday, featuring Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), Glinda (Ariana Grande), Nessarose (Marissa Bode), Fiyero, and Boq skipping class at Shiz University to frolic in the woods together.

Ethan Slater and Marissa Bode in 'Wicked'.

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

The core group of characters play badminton, picnic, and make lovely memories, unaware that their time as friends is extremely limited. The scene also shows Boq picking up an axe, foreshadowing his fate in *Wicked: For Good*; a sweet kiss between Fiyero and Glinda; and Elphaba gifting Glinda a pair of black boots.

As for how the two men end up shirtless, Fiyero is the first to rip off his clothes after working up a sweat chopping wood, delighting Glinda and Elphaba, who are watching nearby. Not wanting to be shown up, Boq then tears off his own shirt, much to Nessarose's joy.

While Yang previously said the scene was cut for time, he also believed that it was because Slater was too "jacked" to make it believable that Boq was "insecure" next to a shirtless Fiyero.

Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey kissed too fiercely in cut 'Wicked: For Good' scene

Cynthia Erivo explains 'sex cardigan' origin in 'Wicked: For Good': 'She felt safe and comfortable'

"Look, he is jacked under that shirt," Yang said on Paytas' podcast. "They shot a whole montage after 'Popular'… just to show the audience these are all friends now — Fiyero, Glinda, Elphaba, Nessa, and Boq — the five of them, running around in the fields, hanging out. There was one moment, and there were paparazzi shots of this because they had to shoot in, like, a park in London, of them hanging out, where it's Boq and Fiyero, Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater, ripping their shirts off. And so you were supposed to see Jonathan Bailey in his full shirtless glory, like flexing."

Yang went on to explain that Boq feels "insecure" in that moment, "wanting to look hot too," which is why he copies Fiyero.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

"But then it's like, 'Wait, Ethan's got a great body,'" Yang said. "I might get in trouble for saying that. But the movie's out, it's fine."

Who can say if the deleted scene changed *Wicked* for the better, but we've all been changed for good now that it's been released. Watch the scene above.

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

- Musical Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Musical"

Read More

---

Source: Musical

Published: December 28, 2025 at 10:38AM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in

December 28, 2025

Wicked finally releases cut scene with shirtless Fiyero and Boq

See Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Marissa Bode playing their characters in happier times in...

Read More

Zack Snyder shares test photos of Henry Cavill in Christopher Reeve's Superman suit: 'It was unde...

Cavill played the superhero in &34;Man of Steel,&34; &34;Batman v Superman,&34; and &34;Justice League.&34; Zack Snyder shares test photos of Henry Cavill in Christopher Reeve's Superman suit: 'It was undeniable' Cavill played the superhero in &34;Man of Steel,&34; &34;Batman v Superman,&34; and &34;Justice League.&34; By Sydney Bucksbaum :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/headshotb5dc24df8d5d43d1a16c9ce0e0383119.jpg) Sydney Bucksbaum Sydney Bucksbaum is a staff writer at . She has been working at EW since 2019 and is a published author.

Cavill played the superhero in "Man of Steel," "Batman v Superman," and "Justice League."

Zack Snyder shares test photos of Henry Cavill in Christopher Reeve's Superman suit: 'It was undeniable'

Cavill played the superhero in "Man of Steel," "Batman v Superman," and "Justice League."

By Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum is a staff writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2019 and is a published author. Her work has previously appeared in *TV Guide Magazine*, E! News/E! Online, *The Hollywood Reporter*, Mashable, Bustle, IGN, DCComics.com, Inverse, *The Daily Northwestern*, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

December 26, 2025 6:14 p.m. ET

Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill as Superman. Credit:

Warner Bros.; Clay Enos/Warner Bros.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's… Henry Cavill wearing Christopher Reeve's original Superman suit.

*Justice League* director Zack Snyder has shared two early test photos of Cavill in the iconic cape and spandex that solidified the actor's run as the Man of the Steel.

"Henry Cavill. The original Superman suit," Snyder captioned an Instagram photo Thursday. "This photo. It was undeniable."

While sharing another, more close-up shot, Snyder added, "With the last image I shared, and this one we showed WB, everyone agreed: Henry Cavill was Superman. That's where the journey began."

Henry Cavill in 'Man of Steel'.

This isn't the first time Snyder has offered a glimpse of Cavill in Reeve's original suit. In 2017, the filmmaker posted a behind-the-scenes shot of Cavill in the costume sitting in a makeup chair on set. However, these new photos are more in character and out in the world, showing Cavill in all his Superman glory.

"First test with Henry," Snyder wrote in the caption of the first photo posted to his Vero account in 2017, of which a blurry version emerged online three years prior. "I knew right away he was my Superman."

Christopher Reeve in 'Superman'.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty

As Snyder explained during a 2016 interview, "We didn't have the suit made when Henry was auditioning, so he wore the original Christopher Reeve suit. He put it on and when he came out of the trailer, everyone was like, 'Dang, you're Superman!'"

Cavill recalled feeling imposter syndrome in that moment when speaking to * *in 2011. "All I could think was, 'Oh, God, they're going to look at me and go, 'He's not Superman. Not a chance,''" Cavill said. "The actor inside me was going, 'You're not ready! You're not ready!'"

But Snyder revealed that "no one laughed" when Cavill first walked out wearing that suit.

Henry Cavill Dons Christopher Reeve's Superman Suit In Test Shot

James Gunn says it was 'terrible' letting go of Henry Cavill ahead of new 'Superman'

"Other actors put that suit on and it's a joke, even if they're great actors," Snyder added. "Henry put it on, and he exuded this kind of crazy-calm confidence that just made me go, 'Wow. Okay, this is Superman.'"

Reeve played Superman across four films between 1978 and 1987, paving the way for Cavill to debut as the beloved superhero (with his own modernized suit) in 2013's *Man of Steel*. Cavill continued wearing the cape in Snyder's follow-ups *Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice *(2016) and * Justice League *(2017), and also made a cameo in 2022's *Black Adam*.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Despite a promise of more to come as Superman, plans for Cavill to return to the character were scrapped after James Gunn and Peter Safran rebooted the onscreen DC Universe. David Corenswet took over the role, beginning in this year's *Superman*, opposite Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan.

"It was really unfair to him and was a total bummer," Gunn previously said of the way Cavill found out about the recasting.**

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

- Superhero Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Superhero"

Read More

---

Source: Superhero

Published: December 28, 2025 at 10:38AM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in

December 28, 2025

Zack Snyder shares test photos of Henry Cavill in Christopher Reeve's Superman suit: 'It was unde...

Cavill played the superhero in &34;Man of Steel,&34; &34;Batman v Superman ,&34; and &34;Justice League....

Read More

Celebrini gets goal and assist in return home as Sharks top Canucks 6-3 to stop 3-game slide

Celebrini gets goal and assist in return home as Sharks top Canucks 63 to stop 3game slide December 28, 2025 at 1:21 AM 0 San Jose Sharks' Macklin Celebrini (71) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP) VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist in a return to his hometown, powering the San Jose Sharks past the Vancouver Canucks 63 on Saturday night.

- - Celebrini gets goal and assist in return home as Sharks top Canucks 6-3 to stop 3-game slide

December 28, 2025 at 1:21 AM

0

San Jose Sharks' Macklin Celebrini (71) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks with his teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist in a return to his hometown, powering the San Jose Sharks past the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 on Saturday night.

The 19-year-old center extended his point streak to seven games, with five goals and nine assists during that stretch.

Igor Chernyshov scored his first NHL goal and added an assist for the Sharks. Ryan Reaves, John Klingberg, William Eklund and Collin Graf each had a goal. Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 shots as San Jose snapped a three-game skid.

The Canucks got a power-play goal from Linus Karlsson, a short-handed goal from Drew O'Connor and an even-strength goal from Marco Rossi.

It was Rossi's first goal in a Vancouver jersey. The 24-year-old center was acquired from Minnesota with winger Liam Ohgren and defenseman Zeev Buium as part of a blockbuster trade for star defenseman Quinn Hughes on Dec. 12.

Conor Garland and Filip Hronek each had two assists for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko made 31 saves.

Celebrini made it 5-3 when he fired a one-timer past Demko from the top of the faceoff circle for his 20th goal of the season at 16:20 of the third period.

Graf scored into an empty net 35 seconds later.

Chernyshov has five points (one goal, four assists) in his first five NHL games. Graf has scored in each of his last four games.

Rossi, Buium and Ohgren all played their first home game for Vancouver. Elias Pettersson returned from an upper-body injury to play his 500th regular-season game.

Vancouver went 4-1-0 on its pre-Christmas trip through New Jersey, New York, Boston and Philadelphia, but has just four wins on home ice this season (4-11-1).

Up next

Sharks: Take on the Ducks in Anaheim on Monday.

Canucks: Visit the Seattle Kraken on Monday.

___

AP NHL: https://ift.tt/Mm8Wwxv

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

Read More

---

Source: Sports

Published: December 28, 2025 at 09:27AM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in

December 28, 2025

Celebrini gets goal and assist in return home as Sharks top Canucks 6-3 to stop 3-game slide

Celebrini gets goal and assist in return home as Sharks top Canucks 63 to stop 3game slide December 28, 2025 at 1:21...

Read More

Weigman throws 4 touchdown passes as Houston beats LSU 38-35 in Texas Bowl

Weigman throws 4 touchdown passes as Houston beats LSU 3835 in Texas Bowl December 28, 2025 at 1:42 AM 0 1 / 5Texas Bowl FootballHouston quarterback Conner Weigman (1) wears a cowboy hat as part of his MVP trophy after the Kinder's Texas Bowl NCAA football game, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) HOUSTON (AP) — Conner Weigman threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns as Houston rallied from an early deficit for a 3835 victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl on Saturday night. It was the final game for LSU before new coach Lane Kiffin takes over on the sideline next year.

- - Weigman throws 4 touchdown passes as Houston beats LSU 38-35 in Texas Bowl

December 28, 2025 at 1:42 AM

0

1 / 5Texas Bowl FootballHouston quarterback Conner Weigman (1) wears a cowboy hat as part of his MVP trophy after the Kinder's Texas Bowl NCAA football game, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

HOUSTON (AP) — Conner Weigman threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns as Houston rallied from an early deficit for a 38-35 victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl on Saturday night.

It was the final game for LSU before new coach Lane Kiffin takes over on the sideline next year. Kiffin was hired Nov. 30, leaving playoff-bound Ole Miss, but interim coach Frank Wilson III remained in charge on the field for the Tigers' bowl game.

LSU (7-6) finished 2-3 under Wilson after Brian Kelly was fired during the season.

Weigman finished 27-of-36 passing and rushed for 56 yards for the Cougars (10-3), who were playing about 6 miles from their campus at the home of the NFL's Houston Texans. He threw touchdown passes of 8 and 4 yards to Amare Thomas and 7 yards to Tanner Koziol to end the first half as Houston climbed out of a 14-0 hole to take a 21-14 lead into the break.

Ethan Sanchez made a 25-yard field goal to give the Cougars a 31-28 lead with 7:42 remaining. LSU went three-and-out, and Dean Connors rushed for a 20-yard touchdown with 2:23 left to give Houston a 10-point lead.

Zavion Thomas cut the deficit to three with a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 1:15 to go, but Houston recovered the onside kick to ice it.

Koziol caught nine passes for 76 yards and a TD. Thomas had seven catches for 66 yards and two scores, and Connors ran for 126 yards for Houston. The Cougars outgained LSU 437-344.

LSU opened a 14-0 lead in the first 4:12 on a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Barion Brown to start the game and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. to Trey'Dez Green.

Van Buren finished 16 of 26 for 267 yards and three touchdowns. He threw scoring passes of 4 yards to Green and 6 yards to Kyle Parker, sandwiched around a 2-yard TD pass from Weigman to Traville Frederick Jr., to tie it 28-all early in the fourth quarter.

Green had 80 yards receiving, and Parker had 68 yards receiving.

The takeaway

LSU: After starting the season 4-0, the Tigers lost six of their final nine games.

Houston: The Cougars, who finished No. 21 in the CFP rankings, had a six-win improvement from coach Willie Fritz's first season to his second.

Up next

LSU: Hosts Clemson on Sept. 5 next year in the first game of the Kiffin era.

Houston: Hosts Oregon State on Sept. 5 to start next season.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://ift.tt/r6QGkYA and https://ift.tt/SbZ839i

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

Read More

---

Source: Sports

Published: December 28, 2025 at 09:27AM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in

December 28, 2025

Weigman throws 4 touchdown passes as Houston beats LSU 38-35 in Texas Bowl

Weigman throws 4 touchdown passes as Houston beats LSU 3835 in Texas Bowl December 28, 2025 at 1:42 AM 0 1 / 5Texas Bo...

Read More

MCG curator admits Boxing Day pitch error after 36 wickets fall in 2 days

MCG curator admits Boxing Day pitch error after 36 wickets fall in 2 days December 28, 2025 at 2:01 AM 0 1 / 3Australia England CricketEngland's Brydon Carse, right, completes a caught and bowled on Australia's Michael Neser, left, on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Melbourne Cricket Ground staff have admitted that the pitch prepared for the Boxing Day test was skewed too heavily in favor of bowlers, as an attempt to avoid a dull draw instead triggered a frantic twoday landslide of wickets.

- - MCG curator admits Boxing Day pitch error after 36 wickets fall in 2 days

December 28, 2025 at 2:01 AM

0

1 / 3Australia England CricketEngland's Brydon Carse, right, completes a caught and bowled on Australia's Michael Neser, left, on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Melbourne Cricket Ground staff have admitted that the pitch prepared for the Boxing Day test was skewed too heavily in favor of bowlers, as an attempt to avoid a dull draw instead triggered a frantic two-day landslide of wickets.

Curator Matt Page, recruited to inject "life" into the MCG deck following a lifeless 2017 Ashes stalemate, conceded Sunday that leaving 10mm of grass on the surface proved excessive. The decision resulted in 36 wickets falling across just 142 overs of play, leaving the surface under intense scrutiny from players and officials alike.

"I was in a state of shock after the first day... to see 20 wickets in a day," Page said. "I've never been involved in a test match like it and hopefully never involved in a test match like it again.

"It was a roller-coaster ride for two days to see everything unfold."

The result marked the first time in 129 years a series has produced multiple two-day finishes, following a similar result in the first Ashes test at Perth.

Despite a first win for England in Australia since 2011, captain Ben Stokes was scathing in his assessment, suggesting that other nations would face harsher consequences for such conditions.

"I'm pretty sure if that was somewhere else in the world there'd be hell on," Stokes said to the BBC after the match ended Saturday. "With 36 wickets in less than two days and no total over 200, I think you can read into that a lot.

"If that was another condition somewhere else... you probably would get a pasting."

Despite the criticism and the millions of dollars in refunds for ticketholders triggered by the early finish, Australian Travis Head, the leading run scorer for the series, defended the difficulty of the groundsman's role.

"Everyone wants to see wickets. No one wants to see blokes get 300s, Head said. "There needs to be a balance and sometimes we're going to see the balance like last week err to the batters and some weeks we're going to see it to the bowlers.

"So I do feel for him especially, obviously, in terms of the Boxing Day test and the amount of people. It's been highly talked about and it's probably the most talked about Ashes series that we've seen for a long time in terms of the last three or four weeks around everything that everyone does."

ICC match referee Jeff Crowe is expected to rate the surface this week, which takes into account feedback from both captains.

The fifth and final test of the series starts Jan. 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australia leads the series 3-1 and has retained the Ashes.

___

AP cricket: https://ift.tt/RAgI1zG

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

Read More

---

Source: Sports

Published: December 28, 2025 at 09:27AM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in

December 28, 2025

MCG curator admits Boxing Day pitch error after 36 wickets fall in 2 days

MCG curator admits Boxing Day pitch error after 36 wickets fall in 2 days December 28, 2025 at 2:01 AM 0 1 / 3Austral...

Read More

Conner Weigman (4 TDs), No. 21 Houston top LSU in Texas Bowl

Conner Weigman (4 TDs), No. 21 Houston top LSU in Texas Bowl Field Level MediaDecember 28, 2025 at 1:48 AM 0 Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) runs the ball during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria LysakerImagn Images (Maria LysakerImagn Images) Conner Weigman set a program bowl record with four touchdown passes, leading No. 21 Houston to a 3835 victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl in Houston on Saturday evening.

- - Conner Weigman (4 TDs), No. 21 Houston top LSU in Texas Bowl

Field Level MediaDecember 28, 2025 at 1:48 AM

0

Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) runs the ball during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images (Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)

Conner Weigman set a program bowl record with four touchdown passes, leading No. 21 Houston to a 38-35 victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl in Houston on Saturday evening.

After Houston took the lead on a 25-yard Ethan Sanchez field goal with 7:42 left, the Cougars (10-3) extended the margin to 38-28 on Dean Connors' 20-yard touchdown run with 2:23 left.

LSU (7-6) responded with a 3-yard scoring run by Zavion Thomas but failed to recover the onside kick, allowing Houston to run out the clock.

Weigman, who earned MVP honors, completed 27 of 36 passes for 236 yards in his first game without an interception since Oct. 25 for Houston, which won its third straight bowl game since the 2021 season.

"We wanted to end the season the right way, send the seniors off right," Weigman said. "The brotherhood we've built over these past seven, eight months, it means the world to me, I know it means the world to my teammates. I'm so proud of these guys. I love this team."

Amare Thomas caught the Cougars' first two touchdowns, finishing with seven catches for 66 yards. Tanner Koziol racked up a game-high nine catches for 76 yards and a TD, and Dean Connors had 126 rushing yards and a score on 16 carries.

Michael Van Buren Jr. was 16-of-26 passing with a season-high 267 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers, who had their three-game bowl winning streak snapped (2022-24).

Trey'Dez Green finished with four catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns -- his second career multi-TD game, both of which have come in the Texas Bowl -- and Kyle Parker had seven catches for 68 yards and a score.

LSU jumped out to a 14-0 lead 4:12 into the game on just four offensive plays. Barion Brown returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, extending his SEC record with his sixth career kick-return score. It was the first time LSU returned an opening kickoff for a touchdown since 1978.

After a Houston punt, the Tigers quickly added their lead with a 23-yard pass from Van Buren to Green.

The Cougars responded with a 14-0 run of their own behind two Thomas touchdown catches. Weigman found the junior receiver on an 8-yard score midway through the first and a 4-yard TD early in the second.

Houston took a 21-14 lead into halftime after an 11-play, 90-yard two-minute drill ended with Weigman's third TD pass of the first half to Koziol with 4 seconds left.

Green leveled the score on LSU's first second-half drive with a leaping one-handed grab in the end zone with 9:31 left in the third.

Houston took the lead on its ensuing drive with a 2-yard touchdown grab by Traville Frederick Jr. with 4:42 left in the third. The lead again didn't last, with Van Buren finding Parker for a 6-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 28.

"We just kept fighting and persevering," Cougars coach Willie Fritz said. "I thought we played in all three phases at times. The offense controlled the ball for the most part, and when we needed big plays, the defense did it. Total team effort."

--Field Level Media

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

Read More

---

Source: Sports

Published: December 28, 2025 at 09:27AM on Source: RON MAG

#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle

byKris Ronald

in

December 28, 2025

Conner Weigman (4 TDs), No. 21 Houston top LSU in Texas Bowl

Conner Weigman (4 TDs), No. 21 Houston top LSU in Texas Bowl Field Level MediaDecember 28, 2025 at 1:48 AM 0 Dec 27, 2025...

Read More