Browsing: Booker

Booker T is catching heat for pointing the finger at Jade Cargillâ€s AEW background after her recent SmackDown match ended in a bloody botch. Cargill was busted open during the September 26 triple threat bout, and Booker claimed the issues stemmed from her being “fresh off†her AEW run. That comment didnâ€t sit right with a lot of people—and not just in WWE.

According to Fightful Select, talent from WWE, AEW, and even TNA were confused by Booker Tâ€s claim. Many pointed out that Jade Cargill has already wrestled more matches in WWE than she ever did in AEW, so the argument that sheâ€s still raw from her previous run doesnâ€t exactly add up.

Booker addressed the situation on his Hall of Fame podcast, comparing the match to triple threats heâ€s seen at his own promotion, Reality of Wrestling. He said it came down to miscommunication and a lack of in-ring chemistry among the three women.

“You could tell there was a lot of miscommunication in the match, as well. For me, itâ€s no different than what we do at Reality of Wrestling with girls and triple threats. Trying to put the girls in the best position to be comfortable in the ring is the most important thing.â€

He then broke down the dynamic between Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, and Nia Jax, suggesting their different experience levels may have been a factor.

“You have NIL talent in Tiffany Stratton. You have Jade Cargill, who is pretty much just fresh off her AEW run. Just think about the time in AEW for her. She probably didnâ€t learn a whole lot. No disrespect or anything, but she was put on a wing and never really got a chance to wrestle anybody. Right?â€

Booker went on to say that Nia Jax likely felt she had to lead the match and that the entire situation led to a chaotic performance.

“Then, you have Nia Jax, who has been there and is going to feel like, ‘I need to quarterback this thing. I feel I know more than these girls.†It could have been a plethora of things, but you can tell there was a lot of miscommunication. One thing about matches like that, the only thing theyâ€re going to remember is the finish. You have to get everybody to that point where that finish can happen and boom, it goes off without a hitch. That didnâ€t happen in this match. Was it a botch? Heck yeah, it was a botch. A miscommunication. A screw up. Whatever term you want to put on it. That can happen on live television.â€

While Booker didnâ€t intend it as a shot, his remarks have rubbed many in the industry the wrong way. With Jade proving herself week after week in WWE, some feel itâ€s time to stop leaning on her AEW past as an excuse and give her credit for how far sheâ€s come in WWEâ€s system.

Booker Tâ€s take may have sparked a conversation, but for many wrestlers and fans alike, the reality doesnâ€t match his assessment.

Do you think Booker T was being too harsh on Jade Cargill? Or was he just keeping it real based on what he saw? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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The 2025-26 NBA season is here! Over the next few weeks, we’re examining the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and win projections for all 30 franchises — from the still-rebuilding teams to the true title contenders.

2024-25 finish

• Record: 36-46 (11th in the West, missed playoffs)

Offseason moves

• Additions: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Jordan Goodwin, Jared Butler, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea, Isaiah Livers, CJ Huntley, general manager Brian Gregory and head coach Jordan Ott

• Subtractions: Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Tyus Jones, Mason Plumlee, Vasilije Micić, Cody Martin, Monte Morris, TyTy Washington Jr., Damion Lee, Bol Bol, Jalen Bridges, general manager James Jones and head coach Mike Budenholzer

Devin Booker signed a max extension with the Suns this summer. (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

The Big Question: Can the Suns rebuild a respectable team on the fly?

OK, so … that didnâ€t work.

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Donâ€t believe me? … Wait, really? Seems kind of odd that youâ€d dispute this, considering the Suns finished 10 games under .500, missed the playoffs for the first time since the bubble, fired their head coach (again), traded away the future Hall of Famer theyâ€d estranged by surreptitiously trying to move him at the 2025 trade deadline, and used the stretch provision to eat nearly $100 million worth of the former All-Star that theyâ€d mortgaged what remained of their future to get.

OK, well, if you donâ€t believe me, just ask the guy who signed off on it all.

[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]

“After last season, we said, ‘That old stuff that we did? It didnâ€t work,’†Suns owner Matt Ishbia told reporters at Phoenixâ€s media day session.

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See? (One hopes that “trade for older stars†isnâ€t the only “old stuff†that the Suns plan to leave in the past.)

Out with the old, in with the new, in an offseason overhaul that has turned the Suns from the third-oldest roster in the NBA last season to whatâ€s projected to be a middle-of-the-pack group this season. The idea: Get younger, bigger, more athletic; develop more camaraderie and esprit de corps; form a new organizational ethos, developing an identity predicated on toughness, physicality and defense — a team, frankly, that sounds a lot like the one to whom they just traded Kevin Durant — while installing a more aggressive defense and demanding a more competitive, more enjoyable-to-watch brand of ball than what Phoenix mustered during what Devin Booker recently called the two toughest years of his career. (Hereâ€s where we remind you that the Suns didnâ€t win more than 24 games in his first four pro seasons.)

Good thing, then, that one of the key pieces coming back to the Valley in the KD deal was Dillon Brooks — a perennial habitual line-stepper and tone-setting, vibe-shifting perimeter stopper who played an integral role in Houstonâ€s transformation from one of the NBAâ€s most permissive defenses into one that finished seventh and fourth in defensive efficiency after his arrival.

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The 29-year-old was one of just three players in the NBA last season to rank in the 95th percentile or higher in average matchup difficulty, individual perimeter defense and defensive positional versatility, according to The BBall Indexâ€s metrics, alongside Jeremy Sochan and Dorian Finney-Smith. He did so while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range on 6.3 attempts in 31.8 minutes per game across 75 starts — all career highs.

The hope: Veterans Brooks, Royce Oâ€Neale and EuroLeague standout Nigel Hayes-Davis take on top opposing options and wreak havoc in the gaps; young wings like second-year forward Ryan Dunn and rookie Rasheer Fleming follow suit, generating deflections, steals and blocks; Booker and Jalen Green just hold their own at the point of attack; an intriguing but unproven center room led by ex-Hornets Mark Williams and Nick Richards, backed by rising sophomore Oso Ighodaro and 7-foot-2 No. 10 overall pick Khaman Maluach, provides more rim protection than the Suns have seen in a minute.

[Get more Suns news: Phoenix team feed]

Get all that to work out, and maybe Phoenix has the positional size, quickness, athleticism and tenacity to climb out of the bottom 10 and back toward league-average defensive efficiency. Get that, and find a path toward more efficient offense in no-traditional-point-guard lineups helmed by the newly re-extended Booker and the inarguably explosive Green than they did when Booker, Durant and Beal failed to mesh, and maybe the Suns wonâ€t wander through the desert in their search for respectability for quite as long as most predict.

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Would that kind of change result in a dramatic shift in the win column? Maybe not right away. But this yearâ€s Suns arenâ€t going to be measured in wins and losses; theyâ€re going to be measured in success.

Donâ€t believe me? Tell â€em, Mat:

See? (Câ€mon, you know what he means.)

Best-case scenario

Booker turns the page on the failed experiments of the last two seasons and turns in the kind of full-tilt scoring and playmaking season that us “Point Book†heads have been clamoring for, vying for the league lead in scoring while putting up career-best assist numbers and vaulting back into the conversation for an All-NBA spot. Green finds shot-selection and rim-pressure religion, blossoming into an increasingly efficient and exciting second banana for a better-than-expected offense. Williams finally stays healthy, turning those flashes he showed in Charlotte into consistent two-way impact. The Suns grind their way to play-in contention; this time, that doesnâ€t feel like a disappointment.

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If everything falls apart

The vibe shift is short-lived. New coach Jordan Ott looks overmatched, the defense doesnâ€t come together, and Booker and Green mesh about as well as Book/KD/Beal did — which is to say, very badly. Add it all up, and the Suns, elevated levels of scrappiness aside, look like one of the worst teams in the West. And with their 2026 first-rounder leveraged to all hell, no tradable firsts through 2032 and $23 million worth of waived-and-stretched salary on their books for the next half-decade, they canâ€t even enjoy the fruits of the badness; the long walk through the desert is just starting.

2025-26 schedule

• Season opener: Oct. 22 vs. Sacramento

Even in a roundly disappointing season, the Suns had the point differential of a 34-win team with Booker on the court, according to Cleaning the Glass. If the star guard — who last season played more than 70 games for the first time since 2017 — stays healthy, Phoenix would seem to stand a good chance of flirting with a win total closer to the mid-to-high 30s.

More season previews

East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

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West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • Los Angeles Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

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You never know what Matt Riddle will speak about when heâ€s given an open forum. This is especially true if he has someone to address.

Matt Riddle was speaking to TMZ Sports†Inside The Ring when the topic of Booker T came up. Booker had recently said that Riddle burned bridges with WWE through his comments. He also claimed that Riddle showed little respect for the business and made it harder for himself to return.

Riddle responded with a mix of humor and honesty in signature cadence, which is how he addresses many things. “I wouldnâ€t say heâ€s 100% wrong, you know,â€Riddle said. He then brought up CM Punk as an example of someone who came back after bigger issues.

“Not to bring up old people, but CM Punk… he filed a lawsuit against WWE for years, right? And heâ€s there. So… and best wrestler in the world.â€

“Booker T… he speaks out a lot. Talks all about everything on his podcast. Every time Iâ€ve seen Booker T face to face, heâ€s a gentleman. Heâ€s a scholar. Heâ€s giving me [] for not wearing shoes. Heâ€s telling me, ‘Youâ€re not professional. You donâ€t wear shoes.†Iâ€m like, ‘What the [] does that mean, dude? Iâ€ll kick you in the face for not wearing a shoe, you know.â€â€

Matt Riddle finished with a direct message to Booker T. He addressed the two-time WWE Hall of Famer by saying that he has no beef with him.

“Youâ€re sweet as candy, brother. But whenever thereâ€s some interview or Twitter, thatâ€s why I have no beef. And I feel like youâ€re the same way. Youâ€re going to talk your feelings. Youâ€re going to say what youâ€re going to say.â€

Matt Riddle also addressed his beef with Brock Lesnar during this interview. He accused the Beast Incarnate of going into business for himself. So, there are a few people in the pro wrestling world who may not see things on Riddleâ€s level.

Although some may want to avoid speaking out about their firing, Matt Riddle also spoke openly about his WWE release. He also brought attention to the fact that it went down just before he was slated to get a hefty payday.

At the time of his WWE release, Matt Riddle had reportedly burned too many chances with the company. Ringside News also exclusively reported at the time that Matt Riddleâ€s WWE release came after a dozen or more backstage infractions.

What’s your take on Matt Riddle? Did he burn too many bridges in WWE? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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By Ella Jay

Sept. 25, 2025 9:51 pm EST

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Among the WWE Wrestlepalooza card, Jimmy and Jey Uso marked their first televised tag team match in six months, with The Vision’s Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed as their opponents and LA Knight as the special guest referee. Breakker and Reed ultimately emerged victorious in the bout, courtesy of a double spear followed by a Tsunami. Their collective in-ring performance, however, didn’t win over all the viewers, including WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.

“You could tell those guys were off. You could tell the chemistry just wasn’t there. Let’s just be honest here,” Booker said on the “Hall of Fame” podcast. “If I’m not mistaken, that might be their first time working together. Jimmy and Jey just getting back together. It’s like [Buff] Bagwell said when him and I had that match, ‘My timing’s off, Booker’s timing’s off.’ Even from the chair shot, hitting Brunson Reed, for that to happen, for the chair to ricochet back and catch you square in the center of your forehead, things aren’t clicking.”

When further analyzing The Vision vs. The Usos, Booker stated that one of Breakker’s final spears seemed different than his usual ones, though specifics on how weren’t mentioned. On a more positive note, Booker applauded Knight for guiding the match, so much so that Booker gave him an unofficial “A” grade.

“[Knight] went out there and quarterback that thing and got those guys back on the right track when they were actually veering off kilter there a little bit,” Booker said. “It wasn’t the greatest tag match, but there again, it’s hard to go out there and perform at the highest level each and every time.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Hall of Fame” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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WWE WrestlePalooza is already in the books but some people were shocked when ESPN writer Andreas Hale gave the show a C grade. Thatâ€s why itâ€s not a surprise that Booker T has now come to WWEâ€s defense and criticized the rating.

While speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T strongly disagreed with ESPN writer Andreas Haleâ€s C grade for WrestlePalooza, saying the show deserved a much better score.

Booker T explained that there were only five matches and none of them were bad. Two were outstanding, with the womenâ€s world title match as the biggest highlight. He praised Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre as a hard-fought battle and called the mixed tag team match possibly the best of its kind heâ€s ever seen. Because of this, he felt giving the event a C grade made no sense.

Booker compared it to the recent Crawford–Canelo boxing match. Some people rated that fight low even though it was a skilled and well-planned match. He said wrestling is similar: itâ€s about long-term stories, not just instant action. He believes that the John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar match is only the first chapter of a bigger story that fans havenâ€t seen play out yet.

“There were five matches on the show — only five — and not one was bad. Two of them were absolutely stellar. The womenâ€s world title match was the crown jewel, Cody and Drew had a hell of a time, and the mixed tag might have been the best of its kind Iâ€ve ever seen.

So how do you give a show like that a C? Thatâ€s crazy — thatâ€s a crazy take. I look at it from different angles. Coming off the Crawford–Canelo fight: it wasnâ€t the greatest fight ever, not Haggler–Hearns or Leonard–Durán, and it wasnâ€t an all-out war. But it was a technical battle between two experts, and some people still called that a C.

When I look at professional wrestling, I look at the whole story. Itâ€s not easy to knock it out of the park every time. We have to layer and build stories to reach the bigger picture. We donâ€t even know where the John Cena–Brock Lesnar story might go. So when people rush to judgment — as Johnny Cochran would say — I always say sit back, watch, and wait, because the best is yet to come.â€

The WWE Hall of Famer admitted the Cena–Lesnar match might rank last of the five but said it was full of drama and emotion. He pointed out how some children in the crowd were crying real tears, which he sees as proof the match worked. For him, getting that kind of reaction matters more than high-flying moves or five-star ratings.

Booker also questioned why wrestling is now graded like a school test with letters like A or C. To him, the show told great stories and set up what comes next, making it far better than the grade suggested.

Booker said while the match could always be improved, it was still a classic Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena fight and an important part of WWEâ€s larger storyline.

“What more did people want from Brock and Cena? Iâ€m not saying it was the best match of the night — if I ranked them, it would probably be last out of the five — but it had strong dramatic moments. For the naysayers, go back and watch the footage. When they pan the crowd, youâ€ll see kids crying real tears. As a babyface, if I can get a real tear from someone in the audience, Iâ€ve done my job.

Donâ€t just watch the match; watch the crowd. Youâ€ll see emotion, drama, and real theater. Was it the greatest match ever? Was it a five-star bout full of flips? No. But for pure drama, it was very good — and the announcements added to it.

I donâ€t know when wrestling became about letter grades. We went from star ratings to A, A+, maybe A++. For me, it was simply a damn good match leading to whatever comes next. Could it have been better? Sure. Could it have been worse? Absolutely. Was it a classic Brock Lesnar–John Cena fight? I think so.â€

WrestlePalooza may not have been filled with nonstop five-star action, but Booker made it clear that it gave fans what truly matters: drama, real emotion and storylines that set up the future, which is everything that makes pro wrestling great.

Do you agree with Booker Tâ€s defense of WrestlePalooza? Was ESPNâ€s C grade too harsh, or do you think the event didnâ€t live up to the hype? Sound off in the comments.

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

September 23, 2025 10:39 am

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The Dallas Cowboys are going to be shorthanded going into their highly anticipated Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers.

ESPN’s Todd Archer reported Monday offensive guard Tyler Booker will miss four-to-six weeks after he suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears. He pointed out the offensive line is already without center Cooper Beebe for at least three more games.

What’s more, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported wide receiver CeeDee Lamb suffered a high ankle sprain as well and likely won’t take the field against Green Bay. Schefter wrote that “the Cowboys want to see how Lamb is doing the next 10-14 days before making further determinations about his status.”

Team owner Jerry Jones provided an update on the outlook for both players:

Here is a look at the updated offensive depth chart with so many injury concerns looming:

Lamb suffered his injury in the first half against the Bears, and the offense struggled to build any type of consistency without him on the field.

While Chicago gave up 52 points against the Detroit Lions the previous week, it held Dallas to a mere 14 points and picked off Dak Prescott twice. It also intercepted Joe Milton III after the backup entered the game in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys offense looked nothing like the unit that put up 40 points in its Week 2 win over the New York Giants.

Things only figure to get more difficult against the Packers. The shorthanded offensive line will be tasked with blocking Micah Parsons, who will be firmly under the spotlight in the matchup against his former team following the headline offseason trade.

Green Bay gave up just 13 points to the same Lions team that destroyed the Bears and is yet to allow more than 18 points in a single contest.

It appears to be one of the best defenses in the league in the early going this season, and Prescott will have his hands full without his top weapon in the receiver room and with some of his offensive line missing.

If the Cowboys lose again, they will be 1-3 and facing an uphill battle to get back into the postseason picture in the NFC.

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Booker T believes WWE is creating the talents of the future in NXT right now. WWE Hall of Famer Booker…

Wwe/Getty Images Former WWE star Matt Riddle was all over…