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Seth Rollins†World Heavyweight Championship reign officially ended on the October 20, 2025 episode of WWE RAW—but what fans saw on-screen wasnâ€t the original plan.

The show opened live from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, with General Manager Adam Pearce standing in the ring, ready to make a major announcement. But before he could speak, Bron Breakker appeared backstage holding the World Heavyweight Title, flanked by Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman. The trio made their way to the ring as Pearce finally confirmed what many had feared: Seth Rollins was injured and required surgery, forcing him to vacate the title.

Now, weâ€re learning that the segment didnâ€t unfold exactly how WWE had originally intended. According to WrestleVotes, there were significant last-minute changes made to the opening of RAW.

“A source backstage at #WWERaw in Sacramento tells me there were a lot of late changes to the opening segment where Adam Pearce stripped Seth Rollins of the World Heavyweight Championship. Original plans had things playing out differently than what we ultimately saw on screen.“

While itâ€s still unclear what the original version looked like, what aired showed Pearce reclaiming the title from Breakker—who had been flaunting it since he and Reed turned on Rollins one week prior. Paul Heyman tried to do damage control in the ring, cutting a promo to keep his clients looking strong as the new direction unfolded.

The unexpected shift is part of WWEâ€s fast pivot following Rollins†injury. Heâ€s expected to be out for an extended period—possibly through WrestleMania—which left the company scrambling to reset its main event scene.

Was the late change a smart move by WWE or just more chaos behind the curtain? Should they have handled Rollins†title loss differently? Drop your take in the comments and let us know what you think.

October 20, 2025 11:21 pm

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Champions, like Oklahoma City, preach continuity.

Continuity is boring. At least to many NBA fans it is — player movement is the lifeblood of the sport. The more the better. Itâ€s what drives ratings and draws eyeballs. This offseason saw a lot of players switch teams, but which of those moves will matter? Who are the players who changed teams that will have the biggest impact? Here are seven names to watch — and in the case of a few, we have fantasy basketball notes from our Rotoworld crew on how these moves can affect your teams.

Kevin Durant (Houston)

This was obviously the biggest player move of the offseason — 73% of NBA GMs voted Durant as the player acquisition that will make the biggest impact this season. Anyone who watched Houston last season — especially during their first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Warriors — realizes that for all the young athletes on their roster, the Rockets†halfcourt offense needed help.

Enter Kevin Durant. He is a walking halfcourt offense. Heâ€s one of the best pure shooters and scorers ever to play the game. As evidence, even in a down year in Phoenix last season, he averaged 26.6 points, shot 43% from 3-point range, plus grabbed six rebounds and dished out 4.2 assists a night. Durant is the guy the Rockets can run off a screen, get him the rock, and watch it rain buckets.

The only question is how much playmaking will fall to Durant with point guard Fred VanVleet out with a torn ACL? While Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard are playing the point and initiating the offense, it seems likely that Durant will handle much more of the shot creation than initially expected. He can handle it, but the Rockets are going to be better in the halfcourt with him off the ball.

Desmond Bane (Orlando)

The only more natural fit than KD in Houston this offseason was Desmond Bane going to Orlando — 17% of NBA GMs thought this was the most impactful offseason move, and it was voted the best under-the-radar acquisition by those same GMs.

The Magic lack shooting and need a bit more shot creation next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They get that in Bane — a career 41% shooter from beyond the arc — without giving up defense. Orlando is ready to win now, and spending to get Bane is the best sign that they are looking to take a big step forward in the East.

Myles Turner (Milwaukee)

This was the surprise move of the offseason for a couple of reasons. First, because Turner was a key part of Indianaâ€s run to the Finals, why would ownership try to take a hard line on what they would offer one of the better stretch fives in the league? However, that surprise was nothing compared to the shock of the Bucks waiving and stretching more than $100 million of Damian Lillardâ€s salary, then using that savings to sign Turner.

For the Bucks, at this point in their careers, Turner is an upgrade at center over Brook Lopez — but the pressure will be on him to do more. The entire league is watching Giannis Antetokounmpo and his mood, and if Turner isnâ€t ready to be the No. 2 on this team and have them top five in the East, things get interesting.

Noah Rubin, Rotoworld: Myles Turner left Indiana after a decade with the Pacers to join the Bucks, and heâ€ll fill out the starting center role that Brook Lopez occupied for most of the past seven seasons. During the last few years, Lopez was an elite source of three-pointers and blocks, while playing next to Giannis Antetokounmpo made up for his lack of rebounding prowess. Now insert Turner, who has similar statistical strengths and weaknesses. Itâ€s a flawless fit, but the Bucks didnâ€t make many other moves this summer, which means Turner will likely be made more of a priority on offense. The 37-year-old Lopez played 31.8 minutes per game last season, which would be a career-high for Turner. He could easily be in for one of his most productive seasons.

Cameron Johnson (Denver)

For my money, this was one of the best pickups of the offseason. Denver doesnâ€t give up anything on offense — Johnson put up 18.8 points a game last season while shooting 39% from 3, MPJ averaged 18.2 points and hit 39.5% from beyond the arc — but the Nuggets get a better defender and a more consistent player. Johnson is fast going to be a favorite of Nikola Jokic and Nuggets fans.

Kristaps Porzingis (Atlanta)

No team made a bigger bet on a player this offseason than Atlanta on Porzingis (except maybe Turner in Milwaukee). Atlanta needed a better rim protector in the paint and a pick-and-pop partner to pair with Trae Young. Porzingis is that, and he paired with the Hawks†other offseason additions (Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard) and getting Jalen Johnson back healthy, this is a Hawks team dreaming of a top-four seed in the East.

However, that dream hinges on Porzingis being healthy. He played in just 42 games last season, partly due to a mysterious virus (which he is reportedly over), and he has played in 65+ games twice in his 10-year NBA career. Atlanta needs him to do that again and be healthy for the playoffs.

Noah Rubin, Rotoworld: After two seasons in Boston, Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Hawks for pennies on the dollar. He battled a strange illness during the playoffs last year, and while health is certainly still a concern, Porzingis is an excellent fit next to Trae Young in Atlanta. Theyâ€ll likely manage his minutes and games played, but heâ€s had plenty of fantasy success without needing to play a heavy role. His floor-spacing ability at his size is going to open up driving lanes for both Trae and Jalen Johnson, and the entire offense will thrive as a result. This team has a chance to be incredibly dangerous in the East, and Porzingis†fit is a big part of that. Heâ€s also dynamic enough to share the floor with Onyeka Okongwu at times, which will allow both bigs to enjoy strong seasons.

Deandre Ayton (Los Angeles Lakers)

From the moment they traded for Luka Doncic, the Lakers started looking for a screen-setting, rim-running big man on offense who can also protect the paint on defense. They have signed Ayton, who has been those things in the past — he was the starting center on Phoenixâ€s Finals team in 2021 — but has not always been consistent.

“He is gonna have a lot of responsibility this year for things that we want to do,†Austin Reaves said of Ayton. “If we want to be as good as we think we can be, we need him to be at his best, whatever that looks like.â€

The Lakers have bet big this year that his best looks a lot like it did in Phoenix a few years back — heâ€s averaged 7.3 points and 7.7 rebounds, plus 1.7 blocks a game and seems to be finding his way this preseason — and if it does the Lakers will have found their big man (and Ayton will have set himself up for a nice payday next summer).

Cooper Flagg (Dallas)

It feels like cheating to choose the No. 1 pick for this list (he did technically change teams from Duke to Dallas), but in a season that starts without Kyrie Irving for the Mavs, Flagg could have a massive impact.

Flaggâ€s defense and all-around game can help Dallas not just make the playoffs this season but even make some noise once there. Heâ€s not going to be Luka Doncic out of the gate, but he can give Mavericks fans hope they can get back to the heights of this franchise.

Bonus name: Norman Powell (Miami), via Noah Rubin, Rotoworld: To start last season, Norman Powell was incredibly productive as one of the primary sources of offense for the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard sidelined. Now, he enters a similar situation, with Tyler Herro (ankle) out to start the season. Powell should get off to a hot start, and even after Herro returns, the Heat will still need Powellâ€s offense to remain competitive. He was pushing for an All-Star appearance in the West last year, but in the East, he may actually be able to do it this season. Coming off the best season of his career, Powell may be able to replicate that production, and perhaps even improve on it.

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The Brazil side of the early 2000s was arguably the last truly great Selecao team.

The devastating full-back pairing of Cafu and Roberto Carlos was supplemented by an awe-inspiring frontline of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, and it was this side that won Brazil’s last World Cup title in 2002.

Only once since then have Brazil reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup, with the 2014 last-four thrashing on home soil by Germany an occasion that every Brazilian football fan would rather forget.

Former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel scored nine goals in 33 appearances for Colombia, but his strike in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in 2003 remains something he will never forget.

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By all accounts, the vibes are good heading into this season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Sure, there are questions — Joel Embiid and Paul George remain out with uncertain timelines after offseason surgeries, and Jered McCain is out for a few more weeks with a torn thumb ligament — but the feeling around a team without high external expectations is good.

Thatâ€s very different than last season.

In a story discussing how the vibes went south so fast in Philly last season, Yaron Weitzman of The Ringer says that there were frustrations with Joel Embiid and his vague injury timetables — players and coaches were unsure whether the star would play night-to-night, and he only played 19 games — but things got much worse after details of a playerâ€s only meeting in November went public.

“The organization was built around one guy who doesnâ€t trust anyone and mostly keeps to himself,†one former Sixers staffer said. When Embiid appeared in just 19 games last season, that isolation created organizational chaos …

Tension escalated after a November players-only meeting was leaked to ESPNâ€s Shams Charania, with grievances directed at Embiid becoming public. The breach damaged locker room trust and appeared to affect Embiid most significantly.

“People left that night feeling like they had turned a corner. Everyone promised to keep the details in-house. And then they wake up and all the details are out,†a person close to a player said.

“It all created an environment of dysfunction,†said an associate of a Sixers player.

Maybe a player talked to Charania. Maybe a player detailed the meeting to his agent, who spoke to Charania. However it happened, nobody seems to be disputing the details of the report, but rather that it got out. It led to even more distrust with Embiid and his camp.

Philadelphia is looking to put that behind them, get the vibes right and their stars on the court with a young and promising backcourt — Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, McCain and Quentin Grimes — and make a playoff push in a down Eastern Conference. Itâ€s training camp, but so far the vibes are still good.

Weâ€ll see how those vibes hold up when the inevitable struggles that come to every team hit the Sixers this season. Hopefully it goes better than last season.

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The TNA roster has been invading “WWE NXT” over the last couple of weeks, and the tensions are going to result in a showdown on October 7 at, you guessed it, WWE vs. TNA Showdown, though the show initially had a different name, Invasion. The name had been a callback to the WWE vs. WCW cross-branded Invasion PPV from 2001, but WWE was reportedly forced to change the event’s name due to the current tensions in the Middle East.

Fightful Select has confirmed reports that WWE changed the name of the event, as October 7 will mark the second anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel, which sparked the latest wave of aggression in the Gaza Strip. The company had reportedly received unspecified “pushback.” There had been an op-ed in Israel Hayom, which accused WWE of being insensitive to Israeli fans by using the “Invasion” branding on such a sensitive day. The change was initially reported by WrestleVotes, though without the reasoning.

The show is set to be the first major interaction between WWE and TNA. The two companies have been in partnership for the better part of 2025, but that had mainly manifested as talent and title sharing, with WWE stars competing in TNA and vice versa until the announcement of Tuesday’s show. The October 7 event will feature two Survivor Series-esque matches between Men’s and Women’s teams from each company, as well as a North American Title match between Ethan Page and former X Division Champion Mustafa Ali, and a Winner-Take-All Match between the TNA World Tag Team Champions, The Hardys, and the NXT Tag Team Champions, Darkstate.

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John Cena was reportedly lined up for a history-making moment during his farewell run—but plans may have changed after Brock Lesnar stepped back into the picture.

According to Billi Bhatti on The Dirty Sheets Wrestling Informer podcast,WWE was preparing for Cena to finally win the Intercontinental Championship from AJ Styles at Crown Jewel in Perth. That win would have made Cena a career Grand Slam Champion, filling the last gap in his Hall of Fame resume. But the return of Brock Lesnar at WrestlePalooza may have thrown the entire arc off course.

Bhatti explained that Cena was scheduled to work a storyline-heavy feud with Styles for the IC title. Instead, he ended up in a surprise match with Lesnar—one that reportedly wasnâ€t part of WWEâ€s long-term creative direction.

“Crown Jewel was originally supposed to be a show where John Cena won the Intercontinental Championship from AJ Styles. Now, I was led to believe that because that wasnâ€t happening, that the match was done — and we never saw AJ Styles win the championship from Dominik Mysterio and carry the Intercontinental Championship on the show.â€

That match with Lesnar came at a cost. According to Bhatti, it may have burned through three of Cenaâ€s limited contractual appearances—two for the build, one for the match—leaving no room to build or drop the IC title.

“Because of this entire situation where John Cena doesnâ€t have time to lose the Intercontinental Championship, he also doesnâ€t have time to build up this match. The AJ Styles match, in terms of it being for the Intercontinental Championship, seemingly was canned.â€

Bhatti theorized that WWEâ€s original vision had Cena winning the title, defending it in a rematch against Dominik Mysterio, and eventually putting someone over at Survivor Series or in his final match on December 13. Dominik, who currently holds both the Intercontinental and AAA Mega Championships, could have been positioned as a key part of Cenaâ€s farewell arc.

“I think you would have circled back to Dominik Mysterio ending up winning the Intercontinental Championship back from John Cena — which would have meant John Cena would have been able to put over somebody whoâ€s the son of one of his very close friends, Rey Mysterio. It all made sense and it would have elevated Dominik Mysterio.â€

While Bhatti made it clear that not all parts of the arc were confirmed, he did stand firm on one key point:

“The part where John Cena was supposed to win the Intercontinental Championship from AJ Styles was 100% happening.â€

With Cena vs. AJ Styles now confirmed for Crown Jewel as a non-title match, Bhatti said the match seems to be happening with “absolutely no build,†likely because of how Lesnarâ€s surprise return consumed Cenaâ€s remaining schedule.

Itâ€s unclear if WWE might revisit the Grand Slam angle or if that opportunity has quietly slipped away forever.

Do you think WWE should still find a way to give John Cena the Grand Slam before he retires? Or is the moment already gone? Let us know your thoughts below.

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

September 25, 2025 7:36 pm

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There has been no love lost between Alan Shearer and Sunderland over the years.

The Newcastle United legend has unsurprisingly never been popular with his home-town club’s arch-rivals and fittingly scored his final Magpies goal against the Black Cats in April 2006.

It was a time when the teams met regularly but their clash at the Stadium of Light in December will be the first Tyne-Wear derby in the league since 2016, with Sunderland back in the top flight after eight years away.

The Black Cats have settled back into life in the Premier League impressively and sit seventh after five games – six places higher than Newcastle and above fellow promoted clubs Leeds United and Burnley.

And Sunderland’s form has even won praise from Shearer – who is ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest Premier League players of all time – with the former striker telling Betfair: “At home Sunderland are unbeaten and when you look at the three promoted teams, they’ve made a right good start.

“When you compare it to last season, where teams have struggled and it’s been a long time since teams have got the first win, whereas Burnley, Leeds got a great result against Wolves and Sunderland as well, going down to 10 men [against Aston Villa].

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“Sunderland have made a great start to the season, and I think what message that sends out is that anyone going to those three teams will find things tough.

“I think it’s still very early, but a lot of people would’ve changed their opinion already and say that Sunderland can stay up – because of their home form, they’ve a really good chance of staying up.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has guided his side to seventh in the fledgling league table (Image credit: Getty Images)

“The home form was always going to be key to any of the promoted teams. Sunderland will be absolutely delighted with the start they’ve made.”

The Black Cats host the Magpies on Saturday, December 13, with the return fixture at St James’ Park currently scheduled for Saturday, March 21.

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When John Cena made his entrance at WWE Wrestlepalooza, he brought out many of his young fans with him, dressed like him. In that moment, viewers were possibly under the impression that Cena was going over Brock Lesnar.

But this was Brock Lesnar’s first match in two years, and he does not simply do the job. An athlete of his stature needs a very good reason to take the fall. This is John Cena’s Farewell Tour, but The Greatest Of All Time has a few more dates before his final match on December 13.

Throw in Paul Heyman and the former UFC Heavyweight Champion’s reunion, and it seems the seeds have been sown for a blockbuster WarGames match in November. Perhaps this is why WWE decided to go with Brock Lesnar drawing first blood.

John Cena Was Originally Slated To Beat Brock Lesnar At WWE Wrestlepalooza

According to BodySlam via Patreon,as of Saturday morning, John Cena was scheduled to defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestlePalooza, but plans were reportedly changed.

Lesnar manhandling The Last Real Champion broke the hearts of many children in attendance. With this bold move, Cena now has a redemption arc to complete before he rides off into the sunset. A win over Lesnar to end his career could be the endgame.

The Never Seen 17 made a career out of overcoming the odds. Big Match John has endured many painful losses and bounced back from them. Should WWE continue the Lesnar storyline till December, it would be reminiscent of Cena’s rivalry with The Rock.

The Farewell Tour has been filled with highs and lows. Despite it peaking with a solid heel turn in March, the success of the heel run is debatable. Eventually, the fans could not continue booing the natural babyface star, and he gave up his villainous ways before SummerSlam, much to everyone’s delight.

The next few weeks should give us a clearer idea of where his story is headed.

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The last time the Ryder Cup was in the United States — Whistling Straits, late September 2021 — Phil Mickelson…

Tiffany Stratton is not medically cleared.

In a social media post shortly before Raw on Monday, NXT GM Ava announced that Stratton would be unable to compete. Instead, former NXT Womenâ€s Champion Lyra Valkyria will team with Stephanie Vaquer and Rhea Ripley to take on Fatal Influence.

“After her WWE Womenâ€s Championship Match on SmackDown, Tiffany Stratton is not medically cleared to compete at Homecoming. As a result, former NXT Womenâ€s Champion Lyra Valkyria will be taking her place in the six-woman tag team match against Fatal Influence,†she wrote.

After her WWE Womenâ€s Championship Match on SmackDown, Tiffany Stratton is not medically cleared to compete at Homecoming. As a result, former NXT Womenâ€s Champion Lyra Valkyria will be taking her place in the six-woman tag team match against Fatal Influence.

— A V A (@avawwe_) September 15, 2025

Stratton defended the WWE Womenâ€s title against Jade Cargill, a match that ended in a double countout after both women went through a barricade. Nia Jax assaulted Stratton further after the match, laying her out with the Annihilator.

Jacy Jayne and Fatal Influence were arguing in the ring last Tuesday when former NXT Womenâ€s Champions Stratton, Vaquer, and Ripley made a surprise appearance. The show ended with the former NXT stars taking out the current crop of talent, leaving the veterans standing to close out the show.

WWE NXT Homecoming, Tuesday, September 16 —

• Rhea Ripley, Lyra Valkyria, & Stephanie Vaquer vs. Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Jazmyn Nyx
• NXT North American Champion Ethan Page defends against Tyler Breeze
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss defend against Izzi Dame & Tatum Paxley
• Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa
• The Grayson Waller Effect with NXT Champion Oba Femi & number one contender Ricky Saints

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