After Spain lifted the World Cup trophy, federation president Luis Rubiales grabbed player Jenni Hermoso's face and kissed her on the lips. What followed was a viral moment, a denial of consent, and the start of Spain's #SeAcabo reckoning.
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Spain's men's team has long been revered globally, but the women's side spent decades fighting for basic recognition — jerseys, a domestic league, respectful treatment. It was only in 2021 that a full professional league arrived, finally giving players a taste of what professional infrastructure looked like [1] — Gwendolyn Oxenham "Spain's pro women's league founded in 2021: Spain did not have a full domestic professional women's football league until 2021, decades aft…" 03:15 . The relationship with the federation had already frayed when, in September 2022, 15 players signed a letter refusing call-ups until coaching and management conditions improved. France had faced something similar and appointed a new coach; Spain's federation simply sidelined the protesters and built a new team. Only 3 of the 15 were included in the World Cup squad. That replacement side — unfamiliar names beside a few veterans — surprised the world. They beat Zambia 5-0 in their opener (Zambia had just beaten Germany), lost to Japan in a match that paradoxically forged their unity, and carried a joyful ethos all the way to the final, where their pre-match mantra was simply: 'Let's play like kids.'
Spain did not have a full domestic professional women's football league until 2021, decades after the men's league was established and long after comparable nations.
Fifteen Spanish women's players signed an email refusing to be called up until team conditions and the coach's management style improved, but were largely shut out instead of heard.
Spain opened the World Cup with a 5-0 victory over Zambia — a team that had just previously beaten Germany — in a display of spectacular, beautiful football.
Only 3 of the 15 players who boycotted were on the World Cup squad; the federation rebuilt with a largely new, unproven team that most people didn't expect to win.
Before the World Cup final, Spain's squad made a pact: play like kids. After absorbing a group-stage loss to Japan, they found unity in joy, and that spirit turned a controversial, untested squad into world champions.
Thomas's wife deferred her CrossFit career — she's in the global top 1% of athletes — to put him through law school debt-free. He wants her to chase the dream now; she wants the emergency fund and house down payment first. On a $200K lawyer income with no debt, the opportunity cost is just a few months of slower saving.
Underground calisthenics battles are exactly like UFC meets a rap battle — 150 people crowded around a circle, fighters walking out with masks and chains, nicknames like 'Extra Money' vs 'Calisthenics the Prince,' and people throwing money and betting. The battle set: 100 burpees, 50 muscle-ups, 75 dips, 75 squats with a 65-pound dumbbell. This is the next big spectator sport.
Rico Verhoeven controlled the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion for approximately 10 rounds — and had his appeal upheld when officials admitted the fight was stopped after the bell. The result was never overturned. Rogan calls it either incompetence or corruption, and argues the money behind Usyk made an upset politically inconvenient.
Rogan lays out a blunt case: boxing's 3-judge system is structurally broken, and the judges know who the promoter wants to win. Glory's 5-judge format is the right model. Corruption doesn't have to be conscious — just knowing Usyk is the cash cow is enough to tilt the scales.
With the Usyk-Wilder fight stalling and Fury-Joshua coming too late, the real fight the world wants is the rematch. Rico is a free agent. Usyk vacated his belts. The story is unfinished and both Rogan and Rico know it. His Excellency Turki Alasheikh already called for it ringside — the question is money.
Rico texted Jason Statham during the Canelo-Crawford fight. Statham showed Rico's highlight videos to promoters. Two days later, Rico was on a call about fighting Anthony Joshua. When Joshua pulled out, Rico pitched Usyk himself — Undisputed vs. Undisputed. Usyk said yes in two weeks. The whole thing started with one text.
Every heavyweight who faced Usyk tried to move to the right — straight into his power hand. Rico and Peter Fury identified the obvious solution: move left, away from the left hand, and smother him with size. It sounds simple. Nobody had done it. That one adjustment was the foundation of 10 dominant rounds.
MMA fans boo when fights go to the ground. They love stand-up. Kickboxing is pure stand-up. Yet it barely exists in America while boxing and MMA are enormous. Rogan's diagnosis: no promotion machine. If the UFC got behind kickboxing the way they've built MMA, it would explode. The talent is there — the storytelling machine is not.
A nation of 17 million people gave the world Ramon Deckers, Peter Aerts, Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef, Rob Kamen, Ernesto Hoost, and Rico Verhoeven. Rico's theory: the country is so small that every gym shares knowledge freely. In the US, you need a flight. In Holland, you drive 40 minutes and spar the national champion.
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