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Natalya feels extremely liberated by exploring her “Nattie†side.

The WWE Superstar spoke with Chris Van Vliet on his Insight podcast about her new gimmick, which sees her take on a more aggressive side outside of WWE as the “Lowkey Legend, Nattie.†Natalya said that the character emerged organically, noting that it came to her after she had finished writing her new book.

“I had signed this new contract with WWE. And I think with Triple H, I think he really wanted to find the right thing. I think he didnâ€t want to just throw me in stuff that didnâ€t matter. I think he really wanted to find the right thing. The thing with him is that I believe heâ€s a forward thinker. So he was like, we just canâ€t rush into it. We just have to find the right thing for you.

“And because I had expressed when I was signing my new deal, I was like, I [have] to grow. This isnâ€t just about money for me. This is about growing. I have to grow, I have to evolve. I feel like Iâ€m in the best shape of my life; I love wrestling and I need something to dive into.â€

Natalya didnâ€t know exactly what to dive into

She felt like she was in a creative rut around WrestleMania season, noting that she didnâ€t know where she fit in despite being an 18-year veteran of WWE.

“So Josh Barnett and I got to talking, and he was like, ‘Letâ€s do Bloodsport.†I was like, Iâ€d love to do Bloodsport. We got to talking about me doing Bloodsport, and I said, Iâ€m going to ask for permission. I walked up to Triple H. He was at the ringside. He was doing a rehearsal for Monday Night Raw. Walked up to him [and] I told him, ‘Listen, Iâ€ve spoken to Josh Barnett. Iâ€d love to do Bloodsport.†And Hunter was like, ‘Sure.â€

“I was so afraid that he was going to say no, because I was like, I really, really, really want to do something Mania weekend. I need to do something; my creative juices are just feeling so stifled. He said yes right away. And heâ€s like, yeah, absolutely, absolutely, no problem at all. And I know that the company really respects Josh, and theyâ€ve let talent work and do stuff at Bloodsport before. He said yes, so supportively that I was like, I remember that day. I was so excited. I ran up to TJ, and I was like, Hunter loved it. He was like, Yeah, go for it. So I took that as a this is my mission to build something that Iâ€ve never built before.â€

Natalyaâ€s book, The Last Hart Beating,will be released on October 28.

Read More: WWE Raw Results: Review, Grades, Card For Oct 20

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Jeff Hardy is immensely grateful to be able to compete in 2025, a year that for a time, the former WWE World Champion thought he’d never see. When The Hardys sat down with Justin Barrasso for Undisputed, Matt shared what had changed the most for the brothers in the ring.

“The biggest difference between then and now is Father Time. The amount of abuse weâ€ve put our bodies through.â€

Jeff then shared his somber reasoning, that he felt that he would not live to see 2025. Hardy explained his belief, sharing that the action and bumps he took in the early 2000s left him contemplating his own mortality.

“Tell you the truth, I didnâ€t think Iâ€d be alive in 2025… It was madness back in the early 2000s.â€

Not only are the brothers alive in 2025, but the veterans are thriving. Matt and Jeff recently captured the House of Glory Tag Team Titles, kicking off their fourth current tag title reign. At TNA Bound for Glory, the Hardys retained the WWE NXT and TNA World Tag Team Titles against Team 3D, in what is believed to be the final match of Bully Ray and Devon.

Jeff’s fears about his mortality stemmed from his work in the ring, and he did not reference his past issues with substance abuse. Nevertheless, both Hardy Boys are grateful that they can still entertain fans worldwide in 2025.

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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels didn’t go out of his way to lobby the Chicago Bears as they evaluated their options with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler spoke to a source who said the Bears “were very vocal very early” about making Caleb Williams their preferred choice, though Chicago officials performed general “due diligence” on Daniels.

The feeling was seemingly mutual.

“Going No. 1 was not a focus for Daniels, the source added, so he didn’t stump for Chicago in the process,” Fowler reported. “He liked the Washington situation and was comfortable with his spot in the draft.”

If Daniels had any reservations about going to the Bears — one of the biggest quarterback graveyards in the NFL — then he wasn’t the only one.

ESPN’s Seth Wickershamreported in his book, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, that Williams “was so concerned about being picked by the Chicago Bears in 2024 that he and his family weighed circumventing the entire NFL draft.”

The Bears going 5-12 and firing both head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron served to illustrate the apprehensions of the Williams family.

The fact that Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year while helping the Commanders make the playoffs led people to wonder whether Chicago erred in having such a singular focus on Williams during the scouting process.

The pendulum may be shifting again based on the first six weeks of the 2025 season.

Washington (3-2) is higher up in the NFC standings than Chicago (2-2), but Williams has performed better than Daniels on an individual basis. He’s averaging more passing yards (231.8) with a slightly higher completion percentage (62.3), and he’s 13 spots higher in QBR.

Rehashing the 2024 NFL draft contains some revisionist history because Williams was the consensus No. 1 quarterback almost from start to finish. He was certainly higher up boards than Daniels. A vast majority of people agreed with the Bears’ assessment.

In time, Daniels may remain content with landing in Washington. Thanks to the offseason hiring of coach Ben Johnson, the Bears could become a much more QB-friendly setting than they were this time last year and for much of their history.

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(Photo: Eric Bolte, Imagn Images)

Just one game into the season, and Rick Tocchet’s tenure as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, fans can already say they’ve seen this movie before.

The Flyers lost a close 2-1 contest to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, and, generally, it can be argued that keeping the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions within range the whole night is in achievement in itself.

But, these were the champs without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, and the Flyers were at full strength with the exception of Cam York. Tocchet’s appointment, for better or for worse, is going to be defined by results–wins and player development–and not moral victories.

It may seem harsh, yes, but that’s the reality. And I’m not here to pass judgment one way or another after one measly game.

But, we’ve seen this before, right?

The Flyers wasted a superb goaltending performance from Dan Vladar, gave the Panthers five power play opportunities, and recorded just 20 shots on goal. Low-event hockey was a criticism that Tocchet had in Vancouver, and it showed up in his first game in Philadelphia.

Fired Flyers Coach John Tortorella Resurfaces as NHL Analyst
Fired Flyers Coach John Tortorella Resurfaces as NHL Analyst
Seven months after being fired by the Philadelphia Flyers, longtime NHL head coach John Tortorella has resurfaced, joining ESPN as an NHL analyst for the 2025-26 season.

Things can change, especially with altered line combinations, quickly. As reported by PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor, Tocchet got to work quickly on that point, seemingly preparing to insert Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin into the Flyers’ lineup while changing up some ineffective lines.

One of those ineffective lines was that of Christian Dvorak, Sean Couturier, and Matvei Michkov. For all Michkov’s talents, he’s not necessarily a creator of offense with his legs like a Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon.

For whatever reason, Michkov was paired up with two support players who have the same issues in their respective games.

And, for Dvorak, a dependable vet and strong faceoff taker like him attempted only two faceoffs (winning one), took two penalties, and played fewer minutes on the penalty kill than Noah Cates, Travis Konecny, Couturier, Garnet Hathaway, and even Owen Tippett.

His role didn’t make much sense, but a reunion with Trevor Zegras should be beneficial with both players.

Flyers Reportedly'Open' to Trading Emil Andrae
Flyers Reportedly ‘Open’ to Trading Emil Andrae
After Emil Andrae failed to make the Philadelphia Flyers roster out of training camp, the team is reportedly open to moving on from the undersized defenseman.

As for Luchanko and Grebenkin, Tocchet is wisely leaning towards replacing Nick Deslauriers and Rodrigo Abols with the two prospects.

Abols and Deslauriers played 8:05 and 7:31, respectively, so, given that they hardly played, it really ended up being a waste of two spots in the lineup. Even if Grebenkin and Luchanko had gotten 12 minutes or so, it’s valuable experience to open up your season against the defending champs and see the pace and level at which they play.

Fortunately, the Flyers play the Panthers again on Monday, and they’ll have the Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on Saturday night.

Tocchet isn’t going to be a miracle-worker by any means with the state of the defense, but he should be aspiring to get more out of the forwards after some of these combinations looked dreadful, even in the preseason.

Fortunately, it seems the first-year Flyers coach is making progress immediately, which should be at least modestly refreshing.

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One former Arsenal player has made the claim that manager Mikel Arteta did not want him to leave the club.

Arsenal spent big across the summer window by bringing in the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, amongst others, with Arteta thrashing out the size of his squad.

But as most will know, getting new faces in requires the need to get others out, with the 23-year-old in question leaving late in the window and previously explaining how he only learnt of his exit via social media.

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Arsenal player says Mikel Arteta DID NOT want him to leave

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reshuffled his squad heavily this summer

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reshuffled his squad heavily this summer (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Gunners’ backline has been set in stone for the most part across the last 12-18 months.

Budging duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes proved difficult for the now-departed defender, who admitted most of the stuff printed in the press about his exit was completely fabricated.

Arsenal players Christian Norgaard and William Saliba

Arsenal players Christian Norgaard and William Saliba (Image credit: Getty Images)

“I laughed at those stories because it was exactly the opposite,” said Jakub Kiwior when speaking to TVP Sport about how some had reported how Arsenal wanted to keep him.

“The club didn’t want to let me go and it took a long time for them to agree to the transfer. I was valued there; no one wanted to get rid of me. Arteta didn’t want me to leave for Portugal either, so I never felt unwanted. The decision to leave was entirely mine. I wanted to play, but with Gabriel and Saliba ahead of me, the chances were small.”

“I convinced him myself,” added Kiwior as he detailed conversations with Arteta. “I went to talk to him and explained how I saw everything. He understood my ambitions and my desire to play, and he thanked me for how I behaved as both a person and a player.”

“He accepted my reasoning, spoke with the sporting director, and things moved quickly after that,” the defender added. “It was FC Porto who convinced me. At one point, they were calling every day. They fought hard and never gave up, even after several rejections from Arsenal.

“They showed how much they cared, so I decided to bet on them. I had many offers, but when I saw Jan Bednarek had joined, I told myself: if it works out, it will be great, and it really is.”

Jakub Kiwior in action for FC Porto

Jakub Kiwior in action for FC Porto (Image credit: Getty Images)

FourFourTwo notes that Kiwior was right in understanding that breaking up Saliba and Gabriel’s partnership was going to be tough, and at 25, playing regular first-team football remains a priority.

Given he is only on loan with Porto, there is still a chance he could have a career at the Emirates, should he impress in Portugal this season.

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Now with 14 world championships to her name, Charlotte Flair proclaims herself as the “top girl” in WWE. Back in her early career days, however, Flair admittedly felt like one of her own titles topped her. During an interview with “Post Run High,” she revealed which one.

“When I won the Divas Championship from Nikki Bella, I wasn’t ready. The title owned me. I didn’t own the title,” Flair said. “You don’t want it to be about the title. You want it to be about you. It’s about the person holding it. So I didn’t think I got to that until I became the inaugural Raw Women’s Champion at WrestleMania 32, AT&T Stadium, and I retired the Divas Championship.

“One of my opponents, but also peer, sent me a picture of the AT&T Stadium, and it was myself, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch,” she continued. “We were front and center of AT&T Stadium. Triple H was on one side, Roman Reigns was on the other, Shane McMahon, Undertaker, but I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is really silly fan art. Why are they putting us front and center of the stadium?’ Oh no, my face was front and center of the stadium. That’s when it really hit, like that’s me.”

As an athlete, Flair noted that her confidence has fluctuated throughout the years, but in her triumphant moment as WWE Women’s Champion at WWE WrestleMania 32, she finally felt herself making progress on WWE’s main roster. As for the initial marker of feeling like a “top girl,” Flair says that occurred at WrestleMania 35, when she, Becky Lynch, and Ronda Rousey cemented themselves as the first ever all-women’s main event on WWE’s grandest stage. In the present day, Flair reigns as one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions alongside Alexa Bliss.

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

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Jude Bellingham’s omission from the England squad marks the first time in four years that the Real Madrid star has missed out on a call-up when fit and available.

Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions squad is the same as it was last month bar Bukayo Saka and Jarrell Quansah getting the nod in place of injured duo Noni Madueke and Tino Livramento.

That means there is no place for Bellingham, who missed last month’s victories over Andorra and Serbia with a shoulder injury – and despite the midfielder having returned to action for Real in the interim, there is sense in Tuchel opting to keep his star player out of the fold this month.

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Thomas Tuchel’s Jude Bellingham call makes sense from multiple angles

Harry Kane slaps hands with England's midfielder #10 Jude Bellingham as he celebrates scoring a goal during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers Europe zone, 1st round group K football match between Andorra and England at RCDE Stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, on June 7, 2025.

Jude Bellingham has been an England regular since he was a teenager (Image credit: MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty Images)

The FA’s press release accompanying the squad chose to put a positive spin on Tuchel’s selection as being representative of the same group of players performing so well in that 5-0 domination of Serbia in September’s break.

While there’s some truth in that, it’s not the entire story; September’s late replacement call-up Ruben Loftus-Cheek has retained his place in the squad, for instance, despite having played no part in either game.

Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid C.F looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between LOSC Lille and Real Madrid C.F. at Stade Pierre Mauroy on October 02, 2024 in Lille, France.

Jude Bellingham only returned for Real Madrid on September 20 (Image credit: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

We would like to see Tuchel try and claim with a straight face that the Milan midfielder, whose last cap came in 2018, was genuinely ahead of Bellingham in his thoughts for next summer’s World Cup.

Bellingham absence naturally led to tabloid-led questions as to whether there is a ‘problem’ between Tuchel and the midfielder, and an implication that the Real Madrid star may now fall into the same boat as Phil Foden and Jack Grealish – two other attacking talents who have found themselves out of favour in recent months.

Those asking the questions will already have known the answer, realistically; they will also have known that it is so prosaic as to be un-headline worthy.

The simple truth is that Bellingham returned from that injury less than a fortnight ago and has played just 100 minutes of competitive football across four appearances this season – only one of which was as a starter.

Xabi Alonso is clearly managing Bellingham’s minutes just at the moment, so it is only sensible that Tuchel should do the same – especially given the nature of the games England have coming up.

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England Euro 2024 squad Jude Bellingham of England celebrates after scoring his penalty during the penalty shoot out of the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between England and Switzerland at Dusseldorf Arena on July 6, 2024 in Dusseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Jude Bellingham is a luxury Thomas Tuchel doesn’t need to rush back (Image credit: Getty Images)

A friendly against Wales and a qualifying match against Latvia do not exactly scream of an urgent need to rush a player back from injury.

Much as there will be some pride on the line against immediate neighbours, the game ultimately does not matter bar the minor implications for England’s place in the FIFA World Rankings.

Respectfully, Tuchel also has good reason to feel that the likes of Saka, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Harry Kane should be able to provide enough firepower to get past a Latvia side that was seen off 3-0 last time they met back in March.

Two of England’s goals in that victory came without Bellingham on the pitch: he was substituted off just before Kane got England’s second, with Eze going on to make it three.

Jude Bellingham gestures to the England fans after his goal against Slovakia at Euro 2024.

Jude Bellingham gestures to the England fans after his goal against Slovakia at Euro 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Player welfare has been an increasingly vocal concern among players and managers in recent years, yet few managers are ever willing to put their money where their mouth is and give players extra time off.

Tuchel’s decision achieves that and comes with a couple of other fringe benefits. For one: Bellingham has nothing to prove about his ability, either in general or when it comes to coming up with the goods for England.

As such, what would Tuchel actually stand to learn from having a look at a not-quite-fully-fit Bellingham? Far less than he is going to learn about whether players like Rogers and Loftus-Cheek are worth taking to a World Cup, we would wager.

Second, it helps Tuchel send a message to his squad – less that nobody is untouchable (that was already clear from his dropping Foden), but that if you perform well for the national team and get results, you have a much better chance of being retained next time around.

That’s just as it should be, surely?

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Jack Perry is happy to be back in AEW, even if it took longer than expected.

Perry spoke with Haley Miller for VICE ahead of AEWâ€s 6th Anniversary episode of Dynamite on Wednesday. Perry was absent from AEW television since December 2024, but returned after a ten-month absence at AEW All Out.

The former Jungle Boy thought he would only miss about a month or so, but says he always knew that heâ€d reunite with Luchasaurus.

“I did not know I was gonna be off for as long as I was. I thought I was gonna be off a month or two and then be back. But then things just change a lot and thatâ€s how it goes. I will say, Luchasaurus and I were always going to be back together doing something,†Perry said. “We knew that from the day that we broke up as a tag team the first time. I also felt I had such a good run the year before. I was like, ‘I donâ€t know if Iâ€m gonna be able to top that right now.†We concluded this is probably the best time for us to do this.â€

Jack Perry doesnâ€t have anything else in the way of a Jurassic reunion

The date of Perryâ€s next match has not been announced yet. However, heâ€s expecting that the 10-month layoff will take time to get used to physically, even if the response has been great so far.

“I feel great to be back. Especially under these circumstances with someone whoâ€s one of my best friends, and I mean, so much has happened. Itâ€s something that was always gonna happen, us coming back together,†Perry explained. “So many things have gotten in the way so for it to finally come to fruition and then get that kind of response feels great.

“In terms of physicality, this is the longest that Iâ€ve gone [without wrestling] in my life since I was like 16 or 17 years old,†he added. “Iâ€m sure itâ€s gonna feel absolutely horrible the day after my first match back; thatâ€s just part of the game. But Iâ€m looking forward to it.â€

Read More: Stingâ€s Son Making In-Ring Debut

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