watt a comeback

J.J. Watt pun-ishes his hair haters with epic Instagram post

A serious Watt dropped a witty retort to haters.

Photo via J.J. Watt/Instagram

Just when it seems there wasn’t enough manufactured controversy in this year’s Super Bowl — to say nothing of the mass shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade — J.J. Watt’s hair became a thing.

The all-time and always-honorary Houstonian showed up for his CBS Super Bowl LVIII coverage sporting a thick, spiky ’do, as opposed to his normal, close-cropped look.

Why are we even discussing the former Houston Texan powerhouse’s hair? Simply put, because most of the damn sports world has been transfixed with it. Watt quickly was subject to comparisons to pointy-haired food TV persona Guy Fieri — who called it a “good look” on X.

I for one thought it was a good look @JJWatt https://t.co/mzP2yoDLXx
— Mayor Guy Fieri (@GuyFieri) February 12, 2024

Heavyweight Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari weighed in with an early-2000s music reference, dropping a pic of Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath on X. (Nice pull, David.)

@JJWatt be like: pic.twitter.com/TMZiY3b8Mq
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) February 12, 2024

Forget the Taylor Swift/Jason Kelce love-hate: J.J.’s hair cut a line between supporters and dudes who mocked him for looking like he was “headed to prom after this.”

“You ever switch up your hair and wonder if anyone will notice?” Watt asked on X, followed by, “They notice.”

You ever switch up your hair and wonder if anyone will notice?

They notice.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 12, 2024

Heck yes they do, Justin James. Watt addressed HairGate on the Pat McAfree Show on Wednesday, February 14. “All of them are fair,” Watt deadpanned, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I like it, so I really don’t care. There’s some Guy Fieri there, there’s certainly some Sugar Ray, there’s definitely a little ’90s boy band action. … I absolutely loved the memes and the jokes. They were hilarious.”

They might have been hilarious, but Watt’s hysterically self-aware Instagram reply on Thursday, February 15 is Hall of Fame-worthy for pro athlete prose.

“Ratings spiked to their highest peaks in history,” Watt wrote. “Honored to be a small part of a crew that gels together so well.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JJ Watt (@jjwatt)

And the praying hands emoji? Bravo. Fans famous and everyday chimed in, including his brother T.J., co-hot Nate Burleson, and even Watt collaborator fashion brand Mizzen+Main, who ranked his comment a “10/10.”

With comedy chops this sharp, Watt looks ready to host another episode of Saturday Night Live.

fight night

Boxing promoter will build dedicated arena in north Houston

Photo courtesy of PlaceNEW Studios.

Red Owl Boxing currently rents a venue at 12539 Perry for events, but will soon have their own arena.

For the first time in decades, Houston will have a dedicated arena for live boxing. Red Owl Boxing recently announced that it will be open the Owl's Nest in 2027.

“Houston is a phenomenal city for boxing, and an arena of our own allows us to deliver consistency at the highest level in terms of fan experience, fighter experience, and in-house operations,” said Gabriel Fanous, Red Owl Boxing executive chairman, in a statement.

Previously, Red Owl hosted 17 live boxing shows between 2021 and 2025 at a rented venue on Perry Road. This new one, to be located at 2929 FM 1960, will feature several improvements, including a mezzanine level with luxury suites, a green room for content creation, expanded truck bay for television vans, entrance ramps for more dynamic fighter introductions, and a proper box office and concession stand. Its total space will be 25,000 square feet, and it will host 21 live boxing events in between 2027 and the end of 2028.

The new venue also comes with a new face at the top of the promotion. Veteran combat sports and media attorney Greg Bloom has been appointed CEO of Red Owl. Previously, Bloom was CEO at at Bareknuckle Boxing (BKB), where he oversaw a massive expansion promoting fights across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East as well as bringing BKB to several new television markets.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to help lead Red Owl Boxing into its next chapter," said Bloom. "Gabriel Fanous’s forward-thinking business model exemplifies the authentic passion that the company has for the great sport of boxing."

“In Greg Bloom, I have a process-focused leader with ample experience in building combat sports media companies,” said Fanous. “I don’t hire people and tell them what to do. I hire smart people so they can advise me on what to do.”

Red Owl's next live event will be Friday, May 28 at the Archer Music Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Undefeated super featherweight Deonte “Lay ‘Em Down” Brown will take on Yohan Vasquez. The match will be screened lived on DZAN.

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