Browsing: Adam

R Ashwin and MS Dhoni (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently found himself in a humorous situation when a person impersonating Australian cricketer Adam Zampa contacted him on WhatsApp, asking for the phone numbers of several Indian players.Ashwin shared screenshots of the conversation on Instagram, captioning it “Fake Adam Zampa tries to strike.†The post quickly went viral, with fans loving Ashwinâ€s sharp and witty replies to the impersonator.The fake Zampa asked Ashwin for the contact details of players such as Abhishek Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube. Ashwin decided to play along, joking that he would send the list and asking if those names were enough.He then turned the tables by asking the impersonator if he had MS Dhoniâ€s number. When the fake Zampa replied that he did, Ashwin requested the number in return. The chat ended on a hilarious note, with Ashwin quipping that he was “Compiling in Excel†when the impersonator again pressed for the contacts.This wasnâ€t Ashwinâ€s first brush with online impostors. He revealed a similar incident involving someone pretending to be his former Chennai Super Kings teammate Devon Conway.“After the IPL got over, one guy messaged me, claiming to be Devon Conway, ‘Hi buddy, how are you?’ and I also responded, ‘We’ll stay in touch. You’re playing in MLC; I’ll watch the games.’ He then asked, ‘I’ve lost Virat Kohli’s number, can you share it?’ I thought, why is he asking for Virat’s number? I thought I should ask him, but I didn’t want Devon Conway to misunderstand. Then I picked up Virat Kohli’s card and gave him a different number,” Ashwin shared on his YouTube channel.In a separate development, Ashwin recently defended pacer Harshit Rana after earlier questioning his inclusion in Indiaâ€s ODI squad against Australia.”I have always reiterated that no player should be attacked below the belt. When the attack becomes too personal, the genre changes. I would like to talk about Sanjay Manjrekar, who has criticised me throughout my career. But I have never held any grudge against him. What they say might be right or wrong, as long as the criticism doesn’t get personal, I am fine with it,” Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel.Ashwin also voiced his concern over the psychological toll of harsh social media criticism on young players.”Assume Harshit sees the reel in which he is being harshly criticised, and he is about to play a match for India, wouldn’t he be shattered by this? And if his parents and friends see it, what will be their mindset? We can definitely criticise their skill, their style of cricket and the trade that they are plying. But it shouldn’t get personal. It may be funny once or twice, but it shouldn’t be a running theme. The reason they are doing this is that there is an audience for it. Negativity sells these days. They sell whatever is in demand. We should avoid consuming such content,” he added.

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Adam Coleâ€s in-ring future with AEW is more uncertain than ever, and a new update makes it clear—heâ€s still not close to coming back.

During a Fightful Select Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp responded to a fan asking about Coleâ€s status. While many hoped the former TNT Champion was on the mend, Sapp painted a much more serious picture.

“Nowhere near returning last time I checked. I donâ€t want to get into too much private stuff, but he knew he was going to face issues dealing with this concussion and he has.â€

Cole isnâ€t doing any coaching, producing, or behind-the-scenes work either—and for good reason.

“Iâ€ve not heard of him doing coaching or anything like that and I donâ€t think traveling would help him recover.â€

This backs up what many sources have been hearing privately for months: Cole is dealing with a tough recovery, and AEW is giving him all the time he needs. But what happens next is unclear, especially with his absence already affecting the companyâ€s direction.

Back in July, Dave Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio that Coleâ€s abrupt exit from AEW All In: Texas wasnâ€t part of any storyline. It was a legitimate scare that played out in real time. According to Meltzer, Cole was cleared to compete as late as Friday night. Then everything changed overnight.

“So what happened is, again, itâ€s like—I donâ€t know that itâ€s a concussion, but what happened to him would lead one to believe it was a concussion, OK? But I donâ€t know that. Like, look, Friday night he was still doing the match. And it wasnâ€t like it was touch and go. You know, maybe yes, maybe no. I mean, if he was diagnosed with a concussion Friday night, heâ€s not doing the match. Thatâ€s just reality. Theyâ€re not going to let anyone—especially with his history—go out there. Absolutely not.â€

Meltzer said Cole woke up Saturday feeling symptoms that made it impossible to wrestle, and there was no internal debate about whether heâ€d perform.

“Saturday morning, he woke up and something had happened. And it was just like—he canâ€t do the match. And he needs to take time off. And it wasnâ€t a debate. It wasnâ€t his call. It wasnâ€t Tony saying, ‘Can you just go through and drop the title?†It was like, no. It was a no.â€

Both Cole and Tony Khan were visibly shaken during the post-show media appearance. Meltzer added:

“Tonyâ€s reaction, as best I could tell, was—he was really shaken up. And Adam was shaken up. You could tell from the interview. I think what he said was that he doesnâ€t want to make a rash decision or anything, but it was a scary situation.â€

With no firm timeline and no backstage involvement, Adam Coleâ€s role in AEW is effectively frozen. While Khanâ€s loyalty may keep him employed, itâ€s unclear what the future holds—especially if his recovery continues at this pace.

What do you think AEW should do with Adam Coleâ€s role while he recovers? Should they bring him on camera in a non-wrestling capacity or give him complete space to heal? Sound off in the comments below.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

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AEW/Lee South

What was a hastily-booked WrestleDream match between Samoa Joe and AEW Men’s World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page has turned into a bloody war for AEW’s top prize. St. Louis watched as the veteran Joe attempted to dominate the young Page, but while Page scored his win on paper, he left the Chaifetz Arena only with the help of security guards as his body, broken by The Opps, struggled to carry him home.

The champion found himself overwhelmed in the early goings of the match, as Joe’s brute force tossed him like a ragdoll. Page was only saved by his sheer agility, but all formalities were dashed the moment the fight spilled to the outside. Joe shoved Adam against the barriers, and while Page managed to land some aerial offense onto the Huntington Beach native, a Barrel Kick gone awry caused the champion to start bleeding from his mouth as he began to falter.

Joe continued to wear down on Page, but Page miraculously pushed through to break out of Joe’s typically-lethal submission to land two Buckshot Lariats for the win. Joe, understandably emotional after his loss, was comforted by Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs. Page attempted to extend his respect to Joe with a handshake and an embrace, only to be swarmed by The Opps not two breaths after. Shibata and Hobbs beat the champion as Joe collected Page’s title, taunting him with it before leading the charge to hoist Page up on the top turnbuckle. Joe laid the AEW Men’s World Championship on the ground before Page, and Shibata and Hobbs unceremoniously tossed the broken champion onto his title to end the night.

Despite the beatdown, Page is set to continue his world title reign at 99 days and counting. So far, Page has defended against contenders like MJF, Jon Moxley, Lee Moriarty, and Kyle Fletcher.

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AEW/Lee South

“Hangman” Adam Page is scheduled to make the fifth defense of his second reign as AEW World Champion at WrestleDream, defending it against a former champion in his own right, reigning Trios Champion Samoa Joe. Page won the title at All In Texas in July, dethroning Jon Moxley and ending what had been built as a reign of terror under the Death Riders, having since seen off Moxley again, as well as another former champion in MJF at Forbidden Door, TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher at All Out, and then ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty on “AEW Dynamite.” And his feud with Joe came a result of their working together against the Death Riders, with Joe perceiving a lack of respect from the younger champion and deciding to call his shot, and Page, being the younger champion, accepting the challenge with a point to prove.

While there is every chance that Joe could turn up and do to Page what he did to MJF at Worlds End 2023, locking in the Coquina Clutch and taking the title, it does feel like the stage has been set for the champion to further cement his reign than for a new one to be crowned. That in itself begs the question — if not Joe, then who will be the next World Champion? And with that, who shouldÂbe the next World Champion? Well, short of a crystal ball, one could not honestly pretend to know exactly how things will pan out. But it doesn’t take the fun out of running through the options on the table and making a pretentiously educated guess, a breaking down of the belt held by Page and the immense field of options to inherit the mantle when and where the time comes for it.Â

MJF

AEW/Lee South

There aren’t very many that walk into a world title challenge knowing that they will have at least one more guaranteed shot, but that’s what MJF did when he made his challenge for the title against Page at Forbidden Door.Â

Having won the Casino Gauntlet match at All In: Texas, he goaded Page into accepting their title match without the need to exercise his contract under the threat of — wait for it — setting Mark Briscoe on fire, after Page had already goaded MJF into saying he would use the contract… It was messy, but the takeaway was MJF keeping his contract, though without the purported cash-in rule and it being declared he will have to give a week’s notice before the consequent title match. And that, at least from the outside looking in, looks like a remarkable amount of creative effort to keep a world title match saved for another day. Since losing to Briscoe in their Tacks n’ Tables match at All Out, MJF cut a promo that very much spelled some time away to reset, and it feels as though he will be returning for the World title when he does so.Â

It’s not as though MJF would be an out-there choice to dethrone Page; at his best he has been the best heel in the company, if not the entirety of wrestling, and his maiden run with the title saw him become the longest-reigning champion. Naturally, there is the fact that Page has already beaten MJF and had done so in such a convincing fashion, and that does make it hard to envision things going the other way. But so often does wrestling do the job of taking that route, for better or worse, and in the field of challengers it just seems as though MJF has enough going for him to be their logical next step.Â

However, just because one thinks he will, doesn’t mean one thinks he should. And that brings us to…

Eddie Kingston

AEW/Lee South

It has to be said before rationalizing this point that there were numerous options for this role, whether that be a former challenger in Kyle Fletcher, Page’s arch-nemesis and former champion Swerve Strickland, former WWE World Champion Bobby Lashley, or somehow yet to be World Champion Will Ospreay. But along with those options came their own unique and individual arguments against each case: Ospreay, for example, is sidelined indefinitely with severe neck issues, so while he may yet hold the title it would take a miracle – or a health & safety nightmare – to see him as the next champion.

Enter: Eddie Kingston, fresh off of his return to the ring at All Out and gearing for a fight seemingly every Saturday. To put it bluntly, time is running out for AEW to crown the “Mad King,” with his last injury wiping over a year off his career and coming at a time where it just started to feel like he was making headway as a potential champion. His journey has been earnestly inspiring; he’s by no means perfect in his approach or the objective best at what he does, but he’s someone who puts his all into being the best they can be — a very good and, crucially, very compelling wrestler. He could have been the one to end the reign of Moxley had it not been for said injury, but there is an inarguable value in putting him opposite Page for the title, whether as the working hero or the resentfully bitter heel, and his next shot should really be the one after so many opportunities.

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Manchester United keep tabs on Adam Wharton, the Reds will not consider Thomas Tuchel as Ruben Amorim’s replacement, Vinicius Junior to make way for Erling Haaland at Real Madrid.

Adam Wharton, 21, is emerging as a target for Manchester United. The England international is admired at Old Trafford and the club might bid as much as £60m for the Crystal Palace midfielder. (Mirror), external

Meanwhile, United will not consider England manager Thomas Tuchel as a potential replacement should they sack Ruben Amorim. (Sun), external

Bayern Munich are determined to extend the contract of defender Dayot Upamecano, 26, amid interest from Liverpool, despite the German club not being able to agree an improved offer for the centre-back who could leave for free in June 2026. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Real Madrid are planning to sell forward Vinicius Junior, 25, for a world record fee in a bid to fund the signing of 25-year-old Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. (CaughtOffside), external

Nottingham Forest have a real interest in Rafael Benitez as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou should they decide to part ways with the Australian manager. (Football Insider) , external

Manchester United are facing a battle with Tottenham Hotspur for 26-year-old Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:This installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault jumps back to the Sept. 18 and Sept. 20, 2007 podcasts covering vintage ROH events.

First, PWTorch contributor Jamie Penick and PWTorch columnist Sean Radican discuss the May 11, 2007 “Reborn Again” ROH event released this month on DVD which includes Bryan Danielson vs. Adam Pearce, Kenta vs. Delirious, Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bobby Fish, plus El Generico (Sami Zayn) and Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens) in action. This originally dropped on Sept. 18, 2007.

Next, a podcast from Sept. 20, 2007 with PWTorch ROH Audio Host Jamie Penick talking with PWTorch contributor Chris Vetter about that Saturday’s ROH PPV taping in Chicago Ridge, Ill. Vetter attended the event in person and gave a detailed overview of the show.

This is another episode in our VIP Podcast Vault series going back to our earliest podcasts. We will continue to present VIP Podcasts from 18 years ago exclusively for PWTorch VIP members on our VIP Podcast Feed.

DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINK

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VANCOUVER — The most valuable Vancouver Canuck last season was probably their coach, so Adam Foote is trying to replace not only his friend and mentor but the teamâ€s MVP.

Itâ€s not a bad outcome if Foote turns out to be Rick Tocchet 2.0.

He didnâ€t even plan to coach the Canucks — “I thought I was going with Rick†— until general manager Patrik Allvin and Canucks president Jim Rutherford approached him in May, asked Foote to interview, and then hired him.

But what has become clear as the Vancouver Canucks prepare to open their season of salvation Thursday (7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+) against the Calgary Flames is that Foote, hired partly for organizational continuity, has strong ideas of his own and is his own coach.

He is not trying to be Toc 2.0, although, like the coach who brought Foote back into the National Hockey League as an assistant less than three years ago, the new head coach has been the Canucks†most important figure so far.

“You know, even when they were working together, they had different ideas about things,†Rutherford told Sportsnet. “I mean, not always, but certainly (sometimes) they didnâ€t view things exactly the same. So, yeah, Adam is very much his own guy. Heâ€s a real thinker — thinks things through and thinks things ahead of the curve.

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“We don’t have to rehash everything that happened here last year but, you know, we all understand that it didn’t go right. And Adam was aware of most of those shortcomings or issues that were dealt with, so he was prepared to tackle them. He understands the importance of communication, and the fact that he knew what went on here last year was a great advantage to him getting this job.â€

Immediately after he was hired, Foote began repairing the Canucks’ leadership, reaching out to key players over the summer and imploring them to take accountability and support each other. Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek, among others, have been setting an example since training camp opened, and the team seems transformed by this new dynamic.

Foote also made it a priority to connect with enigmatic centre Elias Pettersson, who was like a hologram last season but now looks inspired and confident. And the head coach and his staff have re-energized players with fresh ideas about attacking and playing with pace and aggression. The speed and intensity of Vancouver practices, even in the pre-season, appear to be higher than last season.

“Weâ€re in a different place than we were last year, probably more at peace,†Hughes said this week.

Said winger Kiefer Sherwood: “I think we’re all feeling a lot more comfortable and on the same page. There’s a different energy around the team this year, a different buzz. Footy is really good at communicating and allows guys to, you know, be themselves. But heâ€s also very clear in what he expects. And, obviously, he was a leader, too, right? Like, he knows. Anytime you’re a captain in the NHL, let alone win a couple of Cups, with his pedigree, you know what it takes. I think he’s done a great job of just getting everyone to kind of pull the rope in the same direction.â€

After an 18-year playing career that saw the ferocious shutdown defenceman from Whitby, Ont., win a pair of Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche and Olympic and World Cup gold medals with Canada, Foote is a rookie NHL head coach at age 54.

“I mean, this doesn’t happen every day at my age,†he said, smiling. “Iâ€d let (opportunities) go. I was always in hockey, but I wanted to be around my family. But Rick took a chance on me and taught me a lot. And now Jim and Patrik took a chance on me.

“I didn’t even know until a year and a half ago that, OK, I might be able to do this (as a head coach). Or want to do it and put in the time. This is fun, itâ€s good. Itâ€s the closest thing to playing. It’s just fun to be around the guys.â€

Regarding the critical importance Foote has placed on Canucks leadership as a catalyst for team-building, he said he would have done the same thing were he hired to coach an experienced, Stanley Cup-winning team like the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“It’s like raising kids; if they understand the contract, they’re part of it,†he explained. “They agree to it, and then there’s more accountability. And the thing is, they hold themselves accountable. I just look at it like this is what we have to do. Because when the puck drops, we’re going into a battle and if you’re not on the same page, people get into trouble.â€

“My confidence in Footy, obviously, is very high,†senior defenceman Tyler Myers said. “For me, it’s just the way he manages people. I think he’s got a read on a room that is as good as I’ve seen in any coach. He really knows what the room needs at different times throughout the year, and I expect him to take that into his head coaching position.

“Honestly, this just seems natural to him. I can tell he’s kind of carried it from when he played. It just seems like it’s part of his personality, part of his identity. It doesn’t seem like he has to force anything.â€

Foote said his transition has been helped immensely by his rebuilt coaching staff, which includes respected assistants Kevin Dean and Brett McLean, and Footeâ€s old friend and teammate, Scott Young, who had been a major part of hockey operations as the Canucks†player-personnel director.

The head coach said the only time he felt nervous was the first day of training camp in Penticton, B.C., and during his initial address to players and team staff.

“You don’t know if they’re going to understand your jokes, but you want to send the right message,†Foote explained. “But I think the preparation we did with the leadership group in the summer, they understood my message. We don’t talk about it every day, but we practise it.

“I believe in the process. As a player or a coach or as an assistant coach, there’s a process. We put the work in, and we create good habits and we believe in it. I know that sounds boring, but that gives me more confidence. Itâ€s confidence that can help you rest at night, rest your brain a little bit more.â€

The Canucks were able to sleep well during the pre-season because they were able to play faster and more aggressively without sacrificing the defensive ideals that Tocchet introduced — details that were as responsible as anything for the team finishing with 90 points despite last seasonâ€s drama, chaos and injuries.

A surprisingly broad youth movement, headlined by 18-year-old centre Braeden Cootes, has further stoked internal enthusiasm. The Canucks went 4-2 in the pre-season, and noticeably got stronger and built momentum as it progressed, and had none of the injuries to top players that helped torpedo last season.

Players have looked as connected and cohesive on the ice as they seem to be in the dressing room.

But now theyâ€ve got to show this in games that count.

“Weâ€re not talking a lot about last year,†defenceman Marcus Pettersson said. “We put that behind us. It’s this year. We’re talking about here and now, and how we can get better today, and how we can get closer together as a group today.

“There’s not one recipe for winning. Every group is different, every player, every personality is different. Youâ€ve just got to find your thing and kind of roll with it. Find your identity. I think that’s one thing that I’ve learned: the years that it hasn’t gone well, maybe you struggle, youâ€re talking about your team’s identity and how you want to play. The teams that win, they know their identity. Florida is a great example of that. Identity, I think, is a real thing.â€

Said captain Hughes: “The structure is really good. Footyâ€s kind of got a brilliant hockey mind, so that also makes it easier on everyone. It’s fun to be around the rink now. I think weâ€ve got a great group of guys. I don’t know how the year is going to go, but I think that we played good hockey in the pre-season, and usually … that (leads to) a good start. Our attention to detail is in a good spot. Everyone’s in good shape. Camp was put together intelligently. We’re ready to go.â€

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Adam Cole’s love of gaming is no secret, and now the AEW star has joined a new video game outside of the wrestling world. Cole has provided his voice for a new game ‘Curiosity’ from DarkBear Studios. The game is now available on Steamand Steam Deck and is currently on offer for a limited time.

From DarkBear Studios:

“In Curiosity, players embody a small but determined cat on a perilous climb home. Every leap requires precision, patience, and persistence: one mistake can send you tumbling down. With nine lives to spare (and consequences for losing them all), players must master every jump, uncover mysterious lore, and survive a journey thatâ€s as emotional as it is demanding.

“Drawing inspiration from titles like Only Up and Getting Over It, Curiosity offers a modern evolution of the genre: combining the viral tension of vertical climbing games with a rich story; a hand-crafted world, and traditional platforming elements like secrets, collectibles, checkpoints, and even potential skips for the most daring players.”

Cole’s voice acting role comes amid his latest injury in AEW. In July, Cole was forced to vacate the TNT Championship due to another concussion. At All In: Texas, Cole admitted that he is uncertain about his pro-wrestling future and the wrestling world shared messages of support for the AEW star.

It remains to be seen whether Cole returns to the ring, but Curiosity shows that there are opportunities for him outside of the squared circle. We at SEScoops are continuing to wish Cole the very best on his recovery.

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This Weekâ€s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the  Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site:

• Updates on Crown Jewel and WrestleDream, interest level, lineups and what could be added
• Notes on Tuesdayâ€s AEW/NXT head-to-head battle
• Odds regarding upcoming big matches
• Tokyo Dome ticket sales and notes from Hiroshi Tanahashi and Aaron Wolf
• NXT No Mercy coverage
• New Japan Destruction in Kobe notes
• CMLL Noche de Campeones notes
• Fuerza Guerrera retires with a look back at his career
• Television ratings are crazy this week and what is the change
• One of the most impressive attendance streaks in history has ended
• CMLLâ€s focus on women’s wrestling in October
• Tessa Blanchard back in CMLL
• AAA goes head-to-head with CMLL featuring AEW and WWE stars on each show
• Saya Kamitani becomes double champion
• Go Shiozaki leaves NOAH
• King of Pro Wrestling show finalized
• Mistico vs. Bandido singles match this past week
• Bret Hart talks his career and we look back at what he said
• New wrestling documentaries
• European star may have cost himself his career with full details as to what happened
• MLW makes comment on WWE business on its TV show
• Upcoming TNA TV news
• Thoughts on Andradeâ€s return to AEW and what happened
• History of pro wrestling on the SuperStation
• Zuffa Boxing TV deal and notes on the promotion
• Dana White on 60 Minutes coverage
• How UFC went from almost dying to a $15 billion business, the moves it made and how Vince McMahon killed one of its biggest TV deals
• What happened with Wanderlei Silvaâ€s boxing match after it was over
• Notes on stockholder lawsuit against TKO
• WWE top star to take time off for major movie role
• WWE headed to Japan for big shows
• Injury updates
• Updates on Edris Enofe and Jazmyn Nyx leaving the company

This Weekâ€s Back Issue

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Wednesday Update

WWE

• WWE uploaded the complete Hardy Boyz vs. DarkState match from NXT last night, which saw Matt & Jeff Hardy get the victory to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions. They will be defending both the NXT & TNA Tag Team titles against The Dudleys in a tables match at TNA Bound for Glory this Sunday.
• PWInsider reported that the word at NXT last night was that WWE was looking to have TJP serve as a guest coach at the Performance Center later this month.
• TKO will announce its third quarter financial results on Wednesday, November 5:
  • TKO Group Holdings, Inc., a premium sports and entertainment company, will release its third quarter 2025 results after market hours on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The live teleconference to discuss these results and provide a business update is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT the same day.
• Xavier Woods confirmed that he has signed a new WWE contract: “How do yall know this stuff? I didnt say anything! But yes. You’re gonna see my sexy face for a while longer even though you dont deserve it. 22 years in the game and about to make the next bit even better than the rest. @WWEâ€
• On ESPNâ€s Ahora o Nunca, Stephanie Vaquer reflected on winning the Womenâ€s World Championship at Wrestlepalooza:
  • It was the best [match] of my career so far, and the result of the match was the dream of my life.
  • I’m proud because it wasn’t just a match for the most important championship, it was against one of the best in the world, Iyo Sky, someone I’ve admired for many years. So, the fact that I could compete for this title with her proved in the ring why we are both among the best in the world right now.
  • It was very emotional to reach gorilla after the match and have everyone applaud and congratulate me, not just the producers and coaches, but the people I work with every day. Someone as important as Triple H, who for me is not only my boss but someone I’ve admired for a long time, not only as a wrestler but also as a businessman now in charge of the WWE family.
• The Miz is celebrating his 45th birthday today. On Instagram, John Cena gave a nod to his old rival by posting a photo of Miz.
• WWE Vault put together a compilation video on the story of Ravenâ€s Flock in WCW from 1997-1998.

Other Wrestling

• On a new episode of her Close Up interview show, Renee Paquette spoke with AEW Womenâ€s World Champion Kris Statlander.
• Adam Cole is part of the voice cast for the new video game “Curiosity†from DarkBear Studios that launched on Steam and Steam Deck starting today. Here is how the game is described:
  • In Curiosity, players embody a small but determined cat on a perilous climb home. Every leap requires precision, patience, and persistence: one mistake can send you tumbling down. With nine lives to spare (and consequences for losing them all), players must master every jump, uncover mysterious lore, and survive a journey thatâ€s as emotional as it is demanding.
  • Drawing inspiration from titles like Only Up and Getting Over It, Curiosity offers a modern evolution of the genre: combining the viral tension of vertical climbing games with a rich story;  a hand-crafted world, and traditional platforming elements like secrets, collectibles, checkpoints, and even potential skips for the most daring players.
• Bandido vs. Hechicero for the ROH World Championship is set to air on this Thursdayâ€s episode of ROH TV. The match is from a CMLL event that took place on October 3 and is a rematch of their highly praised Death Before Dishonor title bout.
• Sareee defending the IWGP Womenâ€s Championship against Alex Windsor is among the other matches airing on Thursdayâ€s ROH TV.
• Here is the lineup for Thursdayâ€s Bound for Glory go-home edition of TNA Impact:
  • TNA World Champion Trick Williams kicks off the show ahead of his Bound for Glory title defense against Mike Santana
  • No DQ match: Joe Hendry vs. Eric Young
  • Matt Cardona vs. Ryan Nemeth
  • Mustafa Ali vs. JDC
  • Bound for Glory contract signing with TNA Knockouts World Champion Kelani Jordan and Indi Hartwell
• On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Scarlett Bordeaux said she felt WWE was “misogynistic” in how they handled her contract situation by saying that they would get to her new deal once Karrion Kross had sorted his contract out:
  • One of the last questions before the 24-hour notice was given, [Kross] asked where I stood in all these contract negotiations. And they said, ‘We’ll get to her once we’re done with you,’ which I took as them using me as leverage against him. I do feel like if he agreed within the 24 hours that they would have offered me something, would it have been the same amount as it was before? Would it have been less? I don’t know. But all in all, it felt like a massive, massive red flag, and I did feel like it did come off a bit misogynistic, because originally I was hired before [Kross], and the idea that I have no value without him, and it’s only determined by whether or not he signs, that came off as very misogynistic to me.
• SoCal Val interviewed Velvet Sky for WrestlingNewsCo.

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The 2026 NBA All-Star game is coming to the Clippers†new home, the Intuit Dome, and the NBAâ€s ongoing investigation into possible salary cap circumvention by the team to get more money to Kawhi Leonard is not going to change that, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

“Thereâ€s no contemplation of moving the All-Star Game,†Silver said Monday, while at the NBC Sports headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, to discuss the networkâ€s return to broadcasting NBA games (including the All-Star Game). “Planning for the All-Star Game and the surrounding activities are operating completely independently of the ongoing investigation.â€

This shouldnâ€t be a surprise. The NBAâ€s All-Star Game is a massive production and undertaking that goes well beyond just the on-court games and showcases. Players and league sponsors plan events and parties, hotels and venues are booked, and fans plan trips to the host city around the All-Star events. To rip that up and move a game less than five months out would be an impossible task. The NBA did move the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte in reaction to the “bathroom law†in North Carolina; however, it made that move in the previous summer (the league returned to Charlotte with the game two years later, in 2019).

The league is investigating an alleged “no-show†endorsement contract Leonard had with a Clippers sponsor, a company called Aspiration, that team owner Steve Ballmer had invested in multiple times. Aspiration also became a team sponsor and the Clippers bought environmental credits from the company — that was Aspirationâ€s “business†— for the Intuit Dome. The relationship between the Clippers and the sponsor fell apart in 2023 (although not before minority owner Dennis Wong made a $2 million investment in Aspiration, just before Leonard received one of his $1.75 million endorsement payments). Aspiration has since filed for bankruptcy, and its CEO pled guilty to defrauding investors.

At the heart of the allegations — first uncovered by the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast — is that Leonard did no work or marketing for Aspiration yet got a $48 million endorsement deal ($20 million in now-worthless stock). People with Aspiration told the podcast that this deal was about circumventing the salary cap. Both Leonard and the Clippers have maintained their innocence, saying they were duped and defrauded like other investors, and that they welcome the leagueâ€s investigation.

There is no timeline for when that investigation will be complete, but it will not stop the All-Star Game from coming to the Intuit Dome.

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