Browsing: Contract

Jeff Cobb left NJPW earlier this year and signed with WWE, quickly associating himself with Solo Sikoa. According to a new Fightful report, Cobb signed a three-year deal, which will take him through the spring of 2028.Â

Cobbâ€s NJPW departure caused controversy at the time as he was one half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions. As a result, the company announced that those titles would be vacated. Cobb went on to have his final match in NJPW on April 19 against Hiroshi Tanahashi.

At Backlash, Cobb made his debut by helping Jacob Fatu retain the United States Championship against LA Knight. Cobbâ€s name was quickly changed to JC Mateo, and over the course of the year became part of Solo Sikoaâ€s MFT group with Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Talla Tonga.

On the most recent episode of SmackDown, the MFTs confronted The Wyatt Sicks. The confrontation ended up becoming a brawl, with everyone being thrown out of the ring except for Erik Rowan and Talla Tonga. The two traded blows until Rowan booted Talla out of the ring.

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Bryan Rose

Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.

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The state of the Edmonton Oilers†goaltending is such that trade rumors connecting potential trade acquisitions should be believed.

Where thereâ€s smoke, thereâ€s often fire, and the smoking ruins of the Oilers†many defeats this season give Edmonton GM Stan Bowman good reason to shake the trees in the trade market and see what goalies could be available to change things up between the pipes for his team.

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On Sportsnet’s ‘Saturday Headlines,’ Elliotte Friedman indicated thereâ€s interest from Edmonton in Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. But whatâ€s likely an obstacle to this trade being consummated is Pittsburghâ€s unwillingness to retain salary on Jarryâ€s current contract.

The 30-year-oldâ€s salary of $5.375 million runs for an additional two seasons after this one, and acquiring him would be a huge commitment given his roller-coaster performances in previous seasons.

Jarryâ€s individual numbers this season, including a .913 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average in 12 appearances, are significantly better than current Oilers starter Stuart Skinnerâ€s .889 SP and 2.86 GAA in 21 starts.

Based on goaltending statistics today, Jarry would be an upgrade on Skinner. But the real question is – are the Oilers really in a position to take on Jarryâ€s full contract, or is that a dealbreaker for Bowman?

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To answer, Edmonton should not take on Jarry’s full contract, and it should be a dealbreaker for Bowman and the Oilers that the Penguins don’t want to retain his salary.

The Oilers presently have only $159,167 in salary cap space. That means theyâ€re going to have to move out money to make space for Jarryâ€s salary.

Tristan Jarry (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

If Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas was willing to retain some salary, it would be far easier for Bowman to clear out a retained amount of cap space to gamble on Jarry, rather than taking on his full cap hit.

Bowman would have to move out roster players and weaken their offensive or defensive depth, or both. All that for a goaltender who has been inconsistent in the past.

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Edmontonâ€s recent history of making bad investments in net – Jack Campbell as one example – makes the Oilers gun-shy to risk Jarry falling flat and being stuck with him for another two seasons.

Theyâ€ve already brought in Connor Ingram, and heâ€s struggling at the AHL level. So the thought of trading for Jarry, then shortly thereafter regretting it and being stuck with another potential buyout situation for years to come, could haunt Edmonton’s front office.

Indeed, rather than pursuing Jarry and being responsible for his full contract, itâ€s probably better to stay with Skinner. Heâ€s in the final season of his contract that pays him $2.6 million, which gives the Oilers some freedom in how they’d like to handle Skinner.

Not to mention, he has been between the pipes in both of Edmonton’s runs to the Stanley Cup final in the last two years.

NHL Hot Seat Radar: Oilers’ Stuart Skinner Steps Up

NHL Hot Seat Radar: Oilers’ Stuart Skinner Steps Up The NHL Hot Seat Radar series highlights which NHL figures are under serious pressure to improve. The Edmonton Oilers had much better goaltending this past week, while the Flames and Kings still have scoring issues.

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Besides, even if Skinner continues to struggle this season, itâ€s not as if Jarry is going to be the only goalie available via trade. As the year unfolds and thereâ€s some separation in the standings, thereâ€s likely to be other options for the Oilers in net.

Regardless of what other options are out there, it makes sense for Bowman to be more patient and see what trade opportunities bubble up between now and the March 6 trade deadline.

If the Penguins are dead-set against salary retention for Jarry, the Oilers should move on and take their chances either with Skinner or someone else who isnâ€t as big a risk of failing.

Edmonton is on the clock when it comes to superstar Connor McDavid, so there should be a sense of urgency when it comes to the Oilers†goaltending. But Jarryâ€s rebound season is still in its infancy, and the last thing Edmonton should want is a reclamation project thatâ€s still in its early stages.

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Bowman has to balance the needs of the moment with Edmonton’s long-term needs, and that means either finding a veteran goalie who isnâ€t as much of a long-term risk or sticking with Skinner and letting the chips fall where they may, then possibly moving on from Skinner when he becomes a UFA in the summer.

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The talent situation in TNA Wrestling just got even more complicated.

On December 6, Fightful Select reported that more contract expirations are looming as the promotion prepares for its major television debut with AMC in January. Among the names confirmed, Killer Kellyâ€s current TNA deal is set to expire this month—but thereâ€s already movement behind the scenes.

According to Sean Ross Sapp, negotiations between Killer Kelly and TNA are already underway:

“Killer Kellyâ€s TNA contract was set to expire in December. However, we also learned that the two sides have already been in discussions regarding an extension.â€

But thatâ€s not the only situation heating up. Kellyâ€s fiancé, Myron Reed, is also working in TNA—but without a contract. Despite his appearances alongside Rascalz members, heâ€s been operating as a free agent.

“We were able to confirm that Kellyâ€s fiancé Myron Reed is actually working in TNA without a contract. However, he has also been in discussions about a possible deal.â€

The Rascalz are central to the conversation right now. Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel are both on deals expiring in December, while Dezmond Xavier—formerly part of the group—is also currently unsigned. Itâ€s an entire faction either out the door or one foot from it.

TNAâ€s contract drama doesnâ€t end there. Jake Somethingâ€s deal also runs out at the end of the year, earlier than most expected. And names like AJ Francis, Mike Santana, Steve Maclin, and Mustafa Ali are either nearing free agency or waiting for improved offers in the wake of the AMC deal.

With WWE already talking to talent and multiple deals up in the air, TNAâ€s front office is now racing against the clock to prevent a mass exodus right before their big relaunch.

Do you think TNA will keep stars like Killer Kelly, or is a roster shake-up inevitable? Sound off in the comments and tell us who you think is staying—or already on their way out.

December 6, 2025 11:53 pm

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Former TNA president Scott Dâ€Amore recently opened up about Rhinoâ€s shocking “appearance†at a 2019 show.

In 2019, Rhino seemed to appear at TNAâ€s Slammiversary show, dressed in a hoodie and mask, to deliver a Gore to Michael Elgin. The moment was surprising to fans all over the world, but there was a catch to it. At the time, Rhino was still under contract with WWE and thus not able to be at the show at all. In his latest edition of Dâ€Amore Drop on Yahoo! Uncrowned, Dâ€Amore revealed the secrets of how the moment came to be.

“I have never talked about this publicly, but when we were booking Slammiversary XVII in Dallas in 2019, Don Callis, my co-EVP with TNA at the time, looked at me and said: ‘We need Rhino to do a run-in. We need to set up what weâ€ll be doing for the rest of the summer.†Now, Rhino was under contract with WWE,†Dâ€Amore wrote. “He was waiting out his contract. There was no non-compete period, and it was our intention to bring him in as soon as we were legally able. We already had big plans for Rhino, but those plans could not start at Slammiversary.â€

Dâ€Amore reveals how they pulled off Rhinoâ€s “appearanceâ€

Dâ€Amore went on to note that, while they knew Rhino couldnâ€t do the show, they figured someone could pretend to be Rhino in the moment. After years of speculation, Dâ€Amore revealed that it was none other than he who was the man in the mask.

So I said, ‘Don, you know Terry cannot do the show.†And Don looked at me with that Callis smirk and said, ‘Yeah, but Rhino can,’†wrote Dâ€Amore. “‘We just need someone who looks like him, moves like him, and can hit a Gore like him. Someone under a hoodie who can fool the fans for 20 seconds.†‘That is crazy,†I told him. ‘There is nobody who resembles Terry. The size of his legs alone — nobody else has legs like that.†And Don said, ‘Scott … you have legs like that.’â€

Dâ€Amore went on to note that he eventually agreed and then began practicing. He said he spent time watching Rhinoâ€s moves and made sure to memorize how he would hit his Gore. In the end, the moment fooled folks, so much so that before he revealed it was him, people at WWE thought Rhino had breached his contract.

“I even heard WWE had internal discussions about it. ‘How could Terry be so unprofessional? Did he really think we would not know it was him? It was clearly him. Nobody else has legs like that.’â€

READ MORE: CM Punk Was Warned Against Wearing Tribute Gear For WWE Legend On TVÂ

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SAN DIEGO — The Padres’ already deep bullpen mix just got a bit deeper.

On Thursday afternoon, the team announced that right-hander Ty Adcock has agreed to a one-year Major League deal with the club.

The 28-year-old has made 18 big league appearances across the past three seasons with the Mariners and Mets. He owns a 5.48 ERA, albeit in just 23 innings.

Adcock has spent most of the past two seasons pitching at Triple-A. Last year, he posted a 4.66 ERA at the Mets†affiliate in Syracuse. Lately, however, he has impressed in the Dominican Winter League, pitching for Estrellas Orientales. He has allowed two earned runs over nine innings and 15 strikeouts to no walks.

With six openings on their 40-man roster (now down to five), the Padres felt it was worth banking on Adcockâ€s stuff. He sports a fastball that averaged 97 mph with a cutter in the low-to-mid 90s and a high-80s slider. With less than a year of service time, Adcock is still a couple years away from arbitration eligibility and is under team control for the foreseeable future.

Adcock joins a strong bullpen mix which already projects as one of the best in baseball. But right-hander Jason Adam might not return from quadriceps tendon surgery until after Opening Day. Thereâ€s also yet to be clarity on the possibility the Padres move a reliever into the rotation. Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon have been the big names mentioned. David Morgan is a possibility as well.

Wherever those pitchers end up, the signing of Adcock provides the Padres with further depth — a valuable commodity in any bullpen.

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How much assistance did TNA Wrestling get from WWE when it comes to their new media rights deal with AMC?

On Tuesday morning, TNA Wrestling fans got the news theyâ€ve been waiting for: the company has signed a new media rights deal to begin airing iMPACT on the AMC network in 2026. News began to trickle out following the announcement that WWE had a hand in helping TNA secure its new deal with AMC, but is there any truth to that?

TNA President Carlos Silva recently sat down with Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated. When asked how much involvement WWE had in helping TNA procure their new media rights deal with AMC, Silva said WWE wasnâ€t involved in the negotiations with AMC whatsoever.

“No, we did all the negotiations ourselves with me leading the charge on the TNA side, and then [Creative Artists Agency] leading the charge as our representative and our partner on the deal,†Silva said. “Look, WWE and NXT are very important partners to us. So we kept them in the loop.

“They knew what was coming. They knew about the deal before you knew about the deal. But no, theyâ€ve got their own deals. Theyâ€re very busy with their deals. So they let us go out and cut a deal and get on a major network. And I think theyâ€re happy for us. And we were happy with the way it went.â€

Will TNA iMPACT be live more often in 2026?

Hot off the heels of the new TV deal, TNA President Carlos Silva sat down with WrestleZone Managing Editor Carlos Silva this afternoon to discuss a wide variety of subjects.

Among the topics discussed, the possibility of iMPACT being live more often in 2026 than it has been in the past. You can check out Silvaâ€s comments on the matter by clicking here.

Look for our full interview with Carlos Silva dropping on WrestleZone soon.

READ MORE: ESPN Reportedly ‘Unhappy†With Current WWE Deal

What do you make of Carlos Silvaâ€s comments? Are you surprised to hear that WWE had no involvement in the negotiations of TNAâ€s new TV deal with AMC? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.

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TORONTO — The Blue Jays, already with one of the best rotations in baseball, just flexed their muscle again.

Theyâ€ve agreed to terms with right-hander Cody Ponce on a three-year, $30 million deal, a source confirms to MLB.com, a fascinating move to land the 31-year-old whoâ€s been reborn after four seasons pitching in Japan and Korea.

The club has not confirmed the deal.

Last season, Ponce — a 2015 second-round pick of the Brewers who saw parts of two big league seasons and pitched in the Minor Leagues for six — made the jump to Korea with the Hanwha Eagles and it all came together with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts over 180 2/3 innings, a stunning number in a league full of quality contact hitters. That set a single-season strikeout record in the KBO — a remarkable season that included an 18-strikeout game in May — and earned him the league MVP Award. (Ponceâ€s teammate with Hanwha this season? Eagles legend and former Blue Jays ace Hyun Jin Ryu.)

Ponceâ€s first three seasons pitching in Japan (2022-24) didnâ€t exactly catapult him back to MLB. His incredible 2025 season in Korea was built on an uptick in velocity, which now sits in the mid-90s and can creep up toward 97-98 mph. Thatâ€s a couple of ticks above where we saw him in MLB with the Pirates in 2020-21. Heâ€s also added a splitter, a pitch the Blue Jays seem eternally drawn to. Kevin Gausman has one of the best splitters in the game, and Dylan Cease throws one, too, so Ponce is in good company.

How this all fits together, though, is fascinating.

If the Cease signing was the final rotation move of the Blue Jays†offseason, everyone would have understood, but this is strength on top of strength. The Blue Jays now have six pitchers who can be easily projected as MLB starters, with a solid depth group beyond that.

MLB starters: Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Jose Berríos, Cody Ponce
Depth options: Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis, Gage Stanifer, Lazaro Estrada, Adam Macko

The times sure have changed in Toronto, havenâ€t they?

The easy response here is to trade someone, but this isnâ€t a video game. The Blue Jays didnâ€t expect Lauer to be one of the most important pitchers in this organization last season, but thatâ€s the nature of baseball. They arenâ€t going to roll out the same five starters all season, so this isnâ€t a “problem†and doesnâ€t need to be “fixed†in any hurry, but that doesnâ€t discount the fact that this represents a surplus in value. Ponce is one of several options here who could be a relief or bulk option, but the Blue Jays will surely prefer to stretch him out first.

Berríos†situation, in particular, feels most interesting given his opt-out following the 2026 season and two years remaining if he chooses to opt in. Late last season, following a downtick in velocity and a move to the bullpen, Berríos hit the IL for the first time in his MLB career. For such a respected pitcher who prided himself on making 32 starts a year, those were difficult moments for Berríos, as he was forced to watch the Blue Jays†World Series run play out without him.

Beyond 2026, though, this becomes much clearer. In addition to Berríos†opt-out, both Gausman and Bieber will be free agents. Cease is in place as the ace, and Yesavage could be the Blue Jays†next great homegrown star, but thereâ€s no logjam one year from now. Given that next offseasonâ€s free-agent class isnâ€t exactly stacked, either, the Blue Jays have done well with these early pieces of business in Cease and Ponce.

Now the focus can shift fully to the bullpen, where a closer — or at least competition — remains a priority. Theyâ€ll need one big bat, too, with Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker atop both the market and the Blue Jays†list.

The Blue Jays have already set the tone in this market by making two aggressive, decisive moves before the baseball world rolls into Orlando, Fla., for the Winter Meetings next week. Already the story of the year with their surprise run to the World Series, theyâ€re starting to feel like the story of the offseason, too.

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NEW YORK — Free agent reliever Devin Williams has agreed to a contract with the New York Mets, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday night.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical and had not been announced.

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Multiple media reports indicated the sides agreed to a three-year contract.

Williams spent last season across town with the New York Yankees, going 4-6 with a career-worst 4.79 ERA and 18 saves in 22 chances. He lost the closerâ€s job, regained it and then lost it again before finishing the year with four scoreless outings during the American League playoffs.

The 31-year-old right-hander is a two-time All-Star who twice won the Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award with the Milwaukee Brewers while Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was running that team. Williams also was voted the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year.

Milwaukee traded Williams to the Yankees for pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin last December.

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With the Mets, Williams could replace free agent closer Edwin Díaz or complement him in a rebuilt bullpen.

Williams was pitching for the Brewers when he gave up a go-ahead homer to Mets slugger Pete Alonso in the deciding Game 3 of their 2024 NL Wild Card Series. The three-run shot put New York ahead in the ninth inning, and the Mets won the series.

Known for a changeup so deceptive it’s called The Airbender, Williams struck out 90 batters and walked 25 in 62 innings over 67 appearances during his lone season in pinstripes. He made $8.6 million in 2025.

After the Yankees were eliminated from the postseason, Williams said he was open to re-signing with the team.

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“At first it was a challenge, but Iâ€ve grown to love being here,†the reliever said in October following a 5-2 loss to Toronto in Game 4 of their AL Division Series. “I love this city. I love taking the train to the field every day. Yeah, I really enjoyed my experience here.â€

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NEW YORK — In establishing his reputation as an ace bullpen architect, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has long sought high-octane stuff in relievers. Monday, he acquired one of the most potent arms in the sport.

In their pursuit of an improved bullpen, the Mets agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with free-agent reliever Devin Williams, according to multiple sources. The deal includes a $6 million signing bonus, which brings the total guarantee to $51 million, albeit with deferrals. The team has yet to confirm the move because it’s not official.

The signing will bring Williams across town from the rival Yankees, where he spent all last season.

Of note, multiple sources said the Mets still have interest in re-signing incumbent closer Edwin Díaz even after agreeing to terms with Williams. The latter is comfortable serving in a setup role if the Mets do retain Díaz, according to one of those sources.

Williams did not receive a qualifying offer from the Yankees, so there is no Draft pick compensation attached to him, or penalty for signing him.

On the surface, Williams had the worst season of his career in 2025. In 67 appearances after being dealt from the Brewers to the Yankees the prior December, the right-hander posted a 4.79 ERA. He had entered the 2025 campaign with a career ERA of 1.83 in six seasons with Milwaukee.

But a look under the hood reveals that Williams actually had some bad luck last season. His FIP was more than two runs lower than his ERA, at 2.68. And his expected ERA was 3.04. The hard-hit rate against him — while a career high — wasnâ€t alarmingly high, at 35.7%.

His signature “airbender†changeup was still effective in 2025, though not quite as dominant as in years past — opponents hit .194 against the pitch last season and it generated a 37.3% whiff rate. It is that pitch upon which Williams built his career. It is also that pitch that Pete Alonso famously hit for a go-ahead, three-run homer in the ninth inning of 2024 Wild Card Series Game 3. Williams hasn’t enjoyed his usual levels of success since that night.

Primarily a two-pitch pitcher with a mid-90s four-seam fastball and the changeup, Williams used the changeup more than the four-seamer last season, as heâ€s done for most of his career — 52.4% to 47.4%.

Williams†results toward the end of the regular season were encouraging. Over his final nine appearances, he didnâ€t give up a run while walking two and striking out 12 in nine innings. The two-time All-Star then appeared in four postseason games for the Yankees, throwing four more scoreless frames.

During his seven-year Major League career, Williams has been relatively durable, outside of a 2024 season that saw him miss significant time due to stress fractures in his back. He made his season debut on July 28, and in 22 appearances the rest of that season with Milwaukee, he posted a 1.25 ERA and struck out 43.2% of the batters he faced.

Much of Williams’ story in Queens will depend upon the role in which he serves. If the Mets can re-acquire Díaz, who is a free agent for the first time in his career, they will create one of the better 1-2 bullpen punches in the game. Both the Mets and Díaz have expressed mutual interest in a reunion, but Díaz recently assessed the odds at “50-50.” He’s seeking a multi-year deal on the open market.

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The New York Mets have agreed to a three-year contract with former Yankees closer and two-time All-Star reliever Devin Williams, Yahoo Sports’ Russell Dorsey confirms.

The Athleticand ESPN first reported the news. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan,the contract is worth more than $50 million in guaranteed money.

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Williams, 30, was one of baseball’s best relievers during a six-year stint with the Milwaukee Brewers. He made two All-Star teams while posting a 1.83 ERA with 375 strikeouts and 112 walks in 235 2/3 innings pitched during his Brewers stint. He took over as closer in his last three seasons in Milwaukee and recorded 68 total saves.

The Yankees acquired Williams and his airbender changeup in a blockbuster trade last offseason, sending pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr., infield prospect Caleb Durbin and cash in return to Milwaukee. Williams now leaves the Yankees to join the crosstown rival Mets after a disappointing season in the Bronx.

Williams, 31, struggled out of the gate with the Yankees and was demoted from his closing job after 10 games. His performance improved over the summer, and he regained the role later in the season, but he finished the campaign with a career-worst 4.79 ERA and 1.129 WHIP while tallying 18 saves in 62 innings pitched. He closed 29 of the 67 regular-season games in which he appeared.

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Williams finished the regular season strong. He didnâ€t allow a run in 22 of his final 23 outings and pitched four scoreless innings in the postseason for the Yankees. The Mets will certainly be hoping that version of Williams shows up in Queens.

The Mets are signing Williams as veteran closer Edwin Díaz is also a free agent. A reunion between Díaz and the Mets remains possible, but the three-time All-Star, who was at his best this past season, is expected to command a lucrative contract on the open market. Williams is Yahoo Sports’ No. 27 free agent this winter. Díaz is ranked No. 11.

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