The Ariel Helwani Show

The prolific sports journalist, TV personality, and author tells Ariel about his 29-year run at ESPN and some of the biggest and most controversial stories he's covered. The guys discuss: his iconic 2005 feature about former American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer (4:45) the approach that his father, Dick Schaap, took to journalism (13:51) differences between journalism today and when he first came up forming his own name for himself (26:53) if he's ever considered leaving sports his legendary live sit-down interview with Bobby Knight in 2000 (37:10) his favorite piece he's ever worked on For more from Jeremy, you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @jeremyschaap.If you want to support our show, simply give "The Ariel Helwani Show" a 5-star rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It goes a long way!Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

One of boxing’s rising stars joins the show a few weeks ahead of his June 4 showdown with George Kambosos Jr. After telling Ariel how he discovered boxing, Haney discusses his relationships with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Terence Crawford, and Eddie Hearn, why he had to leave Matchroom to sign with Top Rank, why he converted to Islam in 2021 (26:30), how he plans to avoid the pitfalls of fame (29:42), and much more.You can follow Devin on Twitter and Instagram @RealDevinHaney.Devin Haney is a 23-year-old American professional boxer who boasts a pristine 27-0 record. He is currently the WBC world champion and is set to face George Kambosos Jr. for the undisputed lightweight title in Melbourne, Australia, on June 4.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

The prolific Action Bronson joins the show this week! He’s an MMA superfan and one of Ariel's favorite entertainers, and he stops by to talk about the creative process behind his new album, Cocodrillo Turbo. He also talks about his favorite locations to perform, how losing over 150 pounds has made him better on stage, his pro wrestling fandom, AEW’s Hook using one of his songs as his entrance music, hanging out with Alexander Volkanovski, Nathan Diaz's holdup with the UFC, his thoughts on the greatest diss track of all-time, and much more. You can follow Action on Twitter @ActionBronson and Instagram @bambambaklava.Action Bronson is a New York-born rapper, actor, and entertainer. His new album, Cocodrillo Turbo, drops on April 29. For more information, please visit actionbronson.com.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

Ariel's favorite fitness instructor joins the show! After Ariel thanks her for helping him figure out life last year, Lovewell tells Ariel all about her wide-ranging career, which has taken her to the big stage alongside the megastars of the music industry, boutique fitness studios in New York City, the gardens of Martha's Vineyard, and now to one of the world's leading health and fitness companies, Peloton. In this conversation, Lovewell discusses the role of therapy in helping her improve at her job, the beauty of the collective shared struggle in her classes, and if she expected Peloton to reach the levels of success that it has. Plus, she goes behind the scenes of her life, telling Ariel what it was like growing up in a low-income family in ritzy Martha's Vineyard (16:20), her parents' divorce, a devastating loss she suffered in her mid-20s (45:38), and much, much, more.You can follow Emma on Twitter and Instagram @emmalovewell. To learn more about her, please visit livelearnlovewell.com.Emma Lovewell is a cycling instructor for Peloton, an American exercise and media company that helps people live their best lives. A renaissance woman, Lovewell came to Peloton after several years as a touring professional dancer, where she performed alongside the likes of Drake and The Rolling Stones. Her love for music shines through during her classes, where she offers motivation and positive thoughts to all that participate in her rides.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

One of the nation's top NFL reporters joins Ariel for a conversation about Glazer's public struggles with mental health issues, which he refers to as "the gray." Glazer tells Ariel why he decided to start speaking out about his struggles, how he hid his crippling anxiety for years, how his worst experiences have paved the way for the life he lives now, and so much more. Plus, he tells Ariel why he started training MMA, his relationships with Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, and about his new book, Unbreakable: How I Turned My Depression and Anxiety into Motivation and You Can Too.You can follow Jay on Twitter and Instagram @JayGlazer.Jay Glazer is an NFL insider for FOX Sports and is one of the stars of the award-winning studio show FOX NFL Sunday. He is also the co-founder of Merging Vets and Players (MVP), an organization that trains combat veterans to reach their highest levels of performance after serving in the armed forces, as well as co-founder of the Unbreakable Performance Center.Glazer's new book -- which features a foreword from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson -- is available now.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

Before heading off to Dallas to cover WrestleMania for BT Sport, Ariel catches up with professional wrestling journalist John Pollock. The two old friends preview pro wrestling's biggest event by discussing topics like Ronda Rousey's relationship with the fan base, if Cody Rhodes will square off against Seth Rollins like everyone expects, and Pat McAfee's highly-anticipated return to the ring. Plus, the guys also talk about their favorite WrestleMania matches of all time, as well as MJF's upcoming free agency in 2024.You can follow Pollock on Twitter and Instagram @iamjohnpollock.John Pollock is Canadian professional wrestling and MMA journalist. He's the co-founder of PostWrestling.com, a news site that covers all the biggest stories in the crazy world that is professional wrestling. For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

Maxwell Jacob Friedman, one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling, joins Ariel to discuss his young -- but very successful -- career. MJF tells Ariel when he first developed an interest in pro wrestling and then discusses his journey to AEW, if he thought AEW would be a formidable competitor to WWE when the promotion first launched, and what AEW is doing so well right now. He also discusses his influence, getting rejected by WWE early on and his appearance as a child on “Rosie.” Plus, he talks about his upcoming free agency in 2024, his love for the business side of pro wrestling, how long he hopes to pursue this career, and much more.You can follow MJF on Twitter and Instagram @The_MJF.Maxwell Jacob Friedman is an American professional wrestler who currently wrestles for All Elite Wrestling, the top competitor to WWE. At just 26 years old, MJF is considered to be one of the biggest stars in not just AEW, but all of professional wrestling.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

One of Ariel's best Hollywood friends joins the show this week to discuss Astin's acclaimed acting and singing career. The Pitch Perfect star tells Ariel what it was like growing up as a guy in musical theater, and also about his first big break. Then, Astin tells a great story about how he was selected for Pitch Perfect, why the movie franchise took off, and his well-documented relationship with then-co-star Anna Camp. They also discuss stories about his burgeoning solo music career, upcoming roles, and how he was nearly cast in an NBA show and a documentary about former UFC champion Chris Weidman.You can follow Astin on Instagram and Twitter @skylarastin.Skylar Astin is a New York-born actor, singer, and songwriter. His first big role was as Georg in the Broadway show Spring Awakening. He then earned a role as Jesse in cult favorite Pitch Perfect, which catapulted him into the national spotlight. Since the 2012 hit, Astin has appeared in 21 & Over, Pitch Perfect 2, and Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist, among others. He's also set to play a role in the upcoming 18th season of the award-winning TV show Grey's Anatomy. On top of that, he recently announced he'll star alongside Geena Davis in the pilot of a CBS show.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

The prolific sportswriter joins the show to discuss his illustrious writing career. Pearlman tells Ariel about the moment he knew he wanted to be a journalist and the 1999 incident that helped take his writing career to new heights while he was at Sports Illustrated. Then, Pearlman talks about his transition to writing books, the art of biography writing, how many more books he hopes to write, what still motivates him, and the surprising answer to what he hopes his legacy is.Jeff Pearlman is an American sportswriter. A former senior writer for the prestigious Sports Illustrated, Pearlman is most known for his work as an author. He has written nine books, six of which have appeared on The New York Times' bestseller list. One of his books, Showtime, has recently been made into a docuseries which is airing now on HBO. It's titled Winning Time, and it focuses on the unforgettable 1980s Los Angeles Lakers.Pearlman is also the co-host of the Two Writers Slinging Yang podcast and the writer behind one of Ariel's favorite Substack pages.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers

One of America's favorite sports broadcasters joins Ariel to talk about his 27-year run at ESPN, which concluded in spring 2021. The guys discuss Mayne's political commentary on social media and how ESPN executives felt about it, as well as Mayne's bold decision to enter into contract negotiations without an agent (15:52). Plus, he tells Ariel whether he still watches SportsCenter, if he holds any resentment toward ESPN for asking him to take a paycut, if the highlight show will ever make a comeback, his 2016 interview with Conor McGregor (29:22), his relationship with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (34:26), and his work with Run Freely, a charitable organization that provides financial support to veterans.Kenny Mayne is an American sports broadcasting legend. During his 27-year run at ESPN, Mayne entered American households as the host of SportsCenter and as the star of many unforgettable "This is SportsCenter" commercials. He also contributed to off-the-beaten-path stories, most notably in horse racing, motorsports, among many others.You can follow Kenny on Twitter @kenny_mayne and Instagram @mayne.kenny.For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Ariel's YouTube channel.Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers