Browsing: dropped

WWE fans were enraged when R-Truth departed from the company when they didnâ€t sign a new deal with him. It didnâ€t take long for cries to “Bring Back Truth†to snowball into his return. However, they quickly changed direction for him after that.

R-Truth returned at Money in the Bank this year to take out John Cena. That was a big surprise, and it also appeared that Ron Killings was going in a new, serious, direction.

Things didnâ€t stay serious for long in R-Truthâ€s world. Although he cut his hair and displayed a bit of ruthless aggression like his childhood hero John Cena, he is cracking jokes again and has seemingly moved away from the Ron Killings persona.

While speaking to NYP Sports, R-Truth expanded on his return to a less serious character. He discussed what it was like to step away from his usual character and show a more serious version of himself, returning to the Ron Killings persona. He said the experience was fulfilling but explained why he ultimately went back to his lighthearted approach.

“It felt good. I think everybody has that part of them inside of them they want to let go and just come back with purpose and come back with selfish purposes… just like—it felt exhilarating.â€

R-Truth also acknowledged what fans expect from him. After all, heâ€s made the WWE Universe laugh for a long, long time at this point. Since heâ€s known for his comedic bits, that is simply what he is going to give them.

“But like, when you go back to it, thatâ€s not—those people want to see R-Truth. The guy that made chicken salad out of… you know what Iâ€m saying? They want to see that guy that can take your emotions and make you feel. And the generational connection you had with my mom, my dad, my grandfather, my niece, my nephew, my uncle…â€

R-Truth said fans relate more to his upbeat personality, which connects across generations. “When I was like down and out,â€he continued, “when I was like hitting adversities in life, you made me believe, you made me feel, you made me… Thatâ€s who they miss. I think everybody has that Ron Killings that come out and hit me raw. We all got that inside of us.â€

We will have to see what R-Truth does next in his WWE career. At this point, his fans have certainly proven to the company that they love having him around. However, they might prefer to see him in the way theyâ€ve known him for years.

Although R-Truth did perform as Ron Killings for years, prior to joining WWE, R-Truth built a notable career in TNA Wrestling. During his tenure there, he became a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and held the NWA World Tag Team Championship twice alongside B.G. James and Konnan. He also captured the TNA World Tag Team Championship and won the 2003 Gauntlet for the Gold Tag Team match with B.G. James. So, heâ€s done a lot in pro wrestling to warrant a serious character, but thatâ€s just not what this stage of his career calls for.

What’s your take on R-Truth’s return to WWE and moving away from a serious persona? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

October 16, 2025 11:06 am

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Last Wednesday, Jude Bellingham was named England’s men’s Player of the Year for 2024-25. Less than 48 hours later, he was dropped.

England manager Thomas Tuchel explained the decision by pointing to the player’s lack of game time at Real Madrid after undergoing shoulder surgery in the summer — Bellingham, 22, has started just one game in four appearances this season and has yet to complete 90 minutes — but scratch the surface of that explanation, and a more complicated picture emerges.

Tuchel has repeatedly stressed the lack of time he has to work with his team before next year’s FIFA World Cup finals, heightening the need to bring key players together as often as possible. He also described September’s camp as the best of his tenure, believing the 5-0 thrashing of Serbia in a World Cup qualifier in Belgrade was the product of a positive and focused nine days together.

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Tuchel opted to retain almost all of the players from that group when October’s squad was announced, replacing the injured Noni Madueke with his Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka, and including Jarell Quansah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek from the outset after drafting them in last month following withdrawals. Saka, incidentally, has not completed 90 minutes for Arsenal since the opening weekend of the season.

“Team spirit is the key factor in the end,” Tuchel said last week. “We want to go to the tournament, we have to qualify first.

“We want to develop something special and I truly believe the fans can feel there is a team out there that loves to play for each other, that loves to run for each other, that is there to give everything.

“That was clearly visible in the match against Serbia, so now it is on us to follow up on that and for that we didn’t take any chances. We took a very straightforward decision to go with the same group of players.”

But that “straightforward” decision included leaving out officially England’s best player of the last year, prompting the question: Is there more going on?

Experimenting with alternatives

Tuchel was asked directly if England can win the World Cup without Bellingham. He chose to reframe the argument.

“Do I believe we are a stronger team with Jude? Yes,” he replied. “Is he one of the best players in the world in midfield? Yes. But I told you last time when he was injured: what will we do if a player like Jude is injured before the World Cup? Do we then cancel? Do we not travel?

“This is a team sport. Everyone has a particular role and it can happen right in front of the tournament and then we have to find solutions. It can never be the solution to depend on one player in football.”

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Bellingham is a stunningly gifted footballer, and it seems inconceivable that he would not be part of England’s starting lineup at the World Cup. Curiously, England have won 26 of 42 games with Bellingham in the team, but without him that record improves to 13 wins, 6 draws and just 1 defeat.

In Bellingham’s favor is his unmatched ability within the England squad to bend a game to his will. There are arguably only a handful of players in the world who possess his combination of match-winning talents. He must, however, maintain a level of performance, and it is clear that Tuchel is prepared to calibrate his thinking by giving at least equal weight to what players deliver in an England shirt as opposed to what they do for their clubs. Taking Tuchel’s argument at face value, he is of course right to assert that England need to identify alternatives were Bellingham to suffer an injury.

Tuchel has so far preferred a 4-2-3-1 system, and Morgan Rogers was excellent against Serbia as England’s No. 10. Rogers’ intelligence with the ball and industry without it makes him a strong candidate, and he is likely to continue when Wales visit Wembley on Thursday for a friendly. Morgan Gibbs-White is a possible alternative, as perhaps is Loftus-Cheek, but it is surprising given Tuchel’s reasoning for Bellingham’s omission that Phil Foden was also left out. Foden was often pushed out to the wing under ex-coach Gareth Southgate to accommodate Bellingham, but only last month his boss at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, reiterated a widely held view that the 25-year-old is at his best when playing centrally.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has not been called up by manager Thomas Tuchel for the national team’s October fixtures despite recently returning to play for Real Madrid. ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Opting not to use Foden is even stranger when considering another obvious selection, Cole Palmer, is unavailable through injury. The Chelsea playmaker is absent with a groin problem and his rapid rise at Stamford Bridge has only advanced his case for a starting spot next summer, after coming off the bench to score in last summer’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, Southgate’s final game in charge.

Sources have told ESPN that Tuchel has also considered using Bellingham alongside Harry Kane as split strikers in a 4-4-2 shape, mindful of England’s lack of elite quality in the No. 6 position. Elliot Anderson’s impressive performances against Andorra and Serbia offer encouragement that Tuchel could yet solve that problem, freeing the manager up to play Declan Rice alongside Anderson and then pick four attack-minded options ahead of him in a 4-2-3-1 system.

Squad dynamic

This is where things gets tricky, because the assertion that last month’s camp was the best under Tuchel in terms of camaraderie by implication casts a degree of doubt over those who were absent.

“I think the last camp was the best I’ve been part of, to be honest,” winger Anthony Gordon told ESPN. “In terms of just the vibe of the camp, everyone seemed really happy, really content. On the pitch, we put in probably our best performance and it seemed like everything just clicked on and off the pitch.

“So it doesn’t surprise me that the same team has been called up, but we can’t be complacent and think that’s going to be fine from now on. We’ve got to better our levels again.”

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Tuchel explains Bellingham’s England squad omission

Thomas Tuchel explains why Jude Bellingham is not a part of his latest England squad.

Quansah has only been called up for six camps in total — and is yet to make his full England debut — but the former Liverpool defender agreed. “With all the squads here, we’ve always got a good team chemistry,” the Bayer Leverkusen defender told ESPN. “When you put together good performances it breeds a good positivity about the camp.

“The September camp can be tough, with the start of the season, but the way we performed in that … everyone saw how good it was. And that builds positivity and a strong team chemistry.”

There are no publicly documented cases of Bellingham being involved in any issues within the camp. Tuchel pointedly insisted there was “no problem” between him and Bellingham, Foden or Jack Grealish, for that matter, after the trio were left out of his latest squad. However, sources have told ESPN that some relationships within the group were strained during last summer’s run to the Euro 2024 final. Bellingham was seen shouting angrily in Southgate’s direction as the game threatened to slip away from them.

UEFA Group K

GPPTSGD1 – England515+132 – Albania58+23 – Serbia47-14 – Latvia54-45 – Andorra50-101 qualifies / 2 in playoffs

Southgate admitted after the final that he would have taken Bellingham off for extra time had the squad not fallen behind with Mikel Oyarzabal‘s goal in the 86th minute.

More pertinently, Tuchel publicly criticized elements of Bellingham’s behavior in a radio interview in June when he said: “If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive.”

Tuchel later apologized — with the valid mitigation that he was speaking in a second language — but the German effectively chose to double down on the Bellingham issue by leaving him out this month.

As former England international Gary Neville, later part of the national team’s coaching staff under Roy Hodgson, said: “He’s definitely sending him a message. If you think about England managers over the last 20, 30 years, they always get their star players back in, even if they haven’t played a game just to get them back in amongst it.

“So it is a message to Jude Bellingham. I don’t think he’ll take it any other way. They are enough signals we have seen in Thomas Tuchel’s press conferences to know he isn’t scared to make a tough decision. There are obviously things that he doesn’t like — not just about Jude Bellingham but other players as well, and he’s thinking, ‘I’m going to send them a message.'”

So, it’s up to Bellingham to respond during his time with Real Madrid.

Bellingham’s cameo as a substitute in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Villarreal prior to the international break was a mixed bag. The view that there is a mini-preseason over this fortnight could be exactly what he needs to regain his best form for a big month at Real, including a UEFA Champions League clash with Juventus before the season’s first Clásico against Barcelona on Oct. 26 (stream LIVE at 1:15 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.). Bellingham’s Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, will join up with France for the international break despite suffering an ankle sprain shortly after scoring his side’s third goal against Villarreal.

Gordon said: “You definitely notice when he [Bellingham] is not here because he’s such a big presence and such a big player, but I think he’s been injured, he’s had a tough couple of months. It has probably done him some good, to be honest. He’s played so much football for his age. It’s mad. He’s younger than me, it’s crazy. He’s played so much football and he’s only just done his shoulder so it gives him time to build a rhythm up and start playing again.

“I think we all know if he’s playing week in, week out for Real Madrid,” Gordon said, “he’s going to be in the England team.”

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A comical coordination error resulted in a dropped catch towards the end of India’s innings (Screengrabs) The ICC Womenâ€s World Cup clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday produced not only tense cricket but also a comical moment in the field that had fans and commentators talking. During the 50th over, Indiaâ€s Richa Ghosh attempted a pull shot off a short delivery from Diana Baig. The top-edge went straight into the air, offering an easy catch opportunity between the wicketkeeper and backward point. However, both fielders collided trying to take it, and the ball was dropped. Thankfully, neither player was injured in the process. Kranti Gaud capitalised on the same, hitting a boundary on the next ball before miscuing an attempted drive on the following delivery. She was caught by Aliya Riaz at mid-off for 8 runs off 4 balls. The sequence continued to add to the drama, with Renuka Singh Thakur coming to the crease and being dismissed off the very next delivery, also caught, this time by Sidra Nawaz off Diana Baig. Despite the hiccup, India posted a competitive total of 247 all out in 50 overs on a pitch that offered some moisture, slowing the ball down and giving bowlers some control. Watch the comical moment hereKey contributors included Harleen Deol (46), Jemimah Rodrigues (32), Deepti Sharma (25), and Richa Ghosh, who remained unbeaten on 35. Wickets fell steadily throughout India’s innings, and Pakistan bowlers made sure to keeping India in check despite the brief comedic error.

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Which moment from the India vs Pakistan match do you find most notable?

The dropped catch, coming so late in the innings, became a talking point on social media as well. India will now look to regroup as Pakistan aim to chase the total. India will look to stamp early dominance over Fatima Sana’s side who are searching for their first win of the tournament.

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Sanju Samson of India drops a catch during the Asia Cup match between India and Bangladesh at Dubai International Stadium. (Getty Images) Bangladesh came excruciatingly close to booking a spot in the Asia Cup final against India on Sunday (September 28). Instead, it will be a blockbuster at the Dubai International Stadium featuring India and Pakistan. It will be the first instance of an Asia Cup final featuring the two arch-rivals.Pakistan were 51 for 5 when Nurul Hasan and Mahedi Hasan dropped Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 12th over. Afridi, who was on one run at the time, retaliated with two sixes in a 13-ball 19, giving Pakistan a little momentum. After his dismissal, Parvez Hossain Emon dropped Mohammad Nawaz at zero, and Nawaz went on to score 25 off 15 balls, including two sixes and a four.

India enter another final but continue to be sloppy in the field | Concerns ahead of title clash

Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons felt the dropped catches, and “bad decisions” from the batters, was the reason they were unable to chase down the 136-run target. In the end, Bangladesh lost by 11 runs. If they had held on to their chances, and everything else remained the same, Pakistan would have added 43 runs fewer.”When we dropped Shaheen and Nawaz, that’s where the game changed,” he said. “Before that, we were in control. Some of the catches maybe [had something to do with the lights] but I don’t think the ones we dropped had anything to do with the lights,” said Simmons.The fielding could once again be in the focus during the Asia Cup final with India also guilty of being shaky in the field. The Suryakumar Yadav-led team has let go of 12 catches in the five matches, for a catching efficiency of 67.5 percent. Only Hong Kong had dropped more chances.Varun Chakravarthy was asked about India’s poor record in the field during the Asia Cup and the spinner acknowledged the stadium’s ‘rings of fire’ makes things difficult.”You can’t give excuses at this level. As a team, we have to definitely start catching those because we will be qualifying for the finals. We should be taking these catches, but definitely, if you ask me about rings of fire, it comes in the eye, something. It is a little bit of disturbance,” Chakravarthy said after India’s 41-run victory against Bangladesh.After India’s win over Pakistan on Sunday, captain Suryakumar Yadav reflected on the fielding woes and joked, “The fielding coach T Dilip has emailed the boys with butter on their fingers to appear before him.”

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Middle-order batsman Karun Nairâ€s Test career may have come to an end after the 33-year-old was dropped from Indiaâ€s Test setup as the BCCI announced Indiaâ€s 15-man squad for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies.

Starting October 2 in Ahmedabad, India will host the West Indies, led by Roston Chase, for a two-match Test series, with the second fixture slated for Delhi from October 10. This is the first home Test series for Shubman Gill as Indiaâ€s Test skipper.

The BCCI has trimmed down the expanded squad that travelled to England earlier. From that, the exclusions are Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Akash Deep, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, and Anshul Kamboj. Pant is ruled out of this series due to the fractured toe he sustained in the Manchester Test. Ravindra Jadeja is the vice-captain for the IND vs WI Test series.

The two players who are added to the squad, or rather make their returns, are Axar Patel and Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal, who played a Test match last year in Dharamsala against England and hit a fifty on his Test debut and then featured in the Perth Test, missed out on the England tour due to an injury he suffered during the IPL.

IND vs WI: Why Karun Nair Is Dropped From West Indies Test Series Squad?

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explicitly mentioned that Nair failed to live up to the selectors†expectations on the tour of England, managing 205 runs in four Tests, with a best score of 57, in what was a high-scoring series. Agarkar said that Padikkal, who replaces Nair in the squad, can currently offer “a little bit more†than Nair.

Agarkar said on Nairâ€s exclusion, “We expected more from Karun. Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. Wish we could give everyone 15-20 Tests, unfortunately it doesnâ€t work that way.

“Padikkal was in the Test squad in Australia, played against England in Dharamsala, got a fifty there. Heâ€s shown some decent form. Frankly, we expected a bit more from Karun.â€

Nair has been out of action since the England tour due to an injury, while Padikkal returned from his injury and made his opportunities count: in the Duleep Trophy semi-final, he hit a fifty, and against Australia A, he slammed a knock of 150 runs, top-scoring in the match.

With Padikkal being only 25 years old, compared to the 33-year-old Nair, the scales tipped towards the youngster. For Nair, this is likely the end of his journey with the Indian Test team, his comeback after eight years lasting only one Test series.

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India squad for West Indies Tests Announced:In a selection call that underscores both opportunity and consequence, India have recalled Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Reddy for the upcoming two-Test home series against West Indies. The 15-member squad, announced on Thursday, will be led by Shubman Gill, with Ravindra Jadeja named vice-captain in the continued absence of Rishabh Pant.

Pant, recovering from a foot fracture sustained during the final Test at Old Trafford, remains unavailable, leaving India once again leaning on a combination of youth and returning form to steady the middle order. Among the notable omissions are Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran, two names that have now become almost synonymous with the fringes of Indian Test selection.

Nair, 33, has paid the price for a modest return on his England comeback, having managed just 205 runs at 25.62 across four Tests, including a solitary fifty at The Oval. In contrast, Padikkal has edged his way back into the squad with weight of runs, most recently a 150 for India ‘A’ against Australia ‘A’, following a hamstring layoff. His last Test appearance came in Perth late last year.

Nitish Reddy also returns after a knee injury cut short his England tour. His inclusion shores up the seam-bowling all-rounder slot, offering a versatile option in a squad that tilts heavily toward spin for subcontinental conditions.

“Selections are a mix of faith and form,†Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar said. “Karun had the platform, but you need to make the most of it at this level.â€

Indeed, while Easwaran warmed the bench through five Tests in England, selectors felt no need for a reserve opener in home conditions, instead favouring middle-order flexibility and all-round depth. With Pant out, wicketkeeping duties will once again fall to Dhruv Jurel and N. Jagadeesan, the latter having impressed in domestic red-ball cricket.

Despite workload concerns, Jasprit Bumrah has been named in the squad, fresh off duty at the Asia Cup, which concludes just four days before the opening Test. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna complete the pace attack. The spin contingent, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and the returning Axar Patel, reflects Indiaâ€s traditional home advantage.

While the squad features familiar names, Nairâ€s exclusion from not just the Test side but also the Irani Cup squad for the Rest of India raises larger questions about his standing. That match, against Ranji champions Vidarbha, will feature several Test hopefuls, including Akash Deep, Khaleel Ahmed, and Anshul Kamboj.

For Padikkal and Nitish, the West Indies series offers a timely stage. For others, it may already be curtains.

India squad for West Indies Tests:

Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel,  N. Jagadeesan (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah

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Sep 22, 2025, 07:08 PM ET

STAMFORD, Conn. — Multiple criminal charges were dropped Monday against former NBA guard Ben Gordon, who was arrested in 2023 after authorities say he began behaving erratically in a Connecticut juice shop.

Gordon, who helped lead UConn to the NCAA national championship in 2004, completed a probation program approved last year by a state judge. The weapons and threatening charges the basketball star had faced will now be erased from his record.

His lawyer, Darnell Crosland, said Gordon has been dedicated to making progress with his mental health issues since the arrest. Crosland credited the former player with teaching him about how to balance daily stresses of life.

“Mental health is really important and the court saw his commitment to doing the right thing in life and that is why they sealed his record and dismissed all of his charges,” he said in a statement. “I am blessed to have been his lawyer.”

Gordon was arrested at a Stamford juice shop on his 40th birthday, just hours after UConn won its fifth NCAA men’s basketball championship. Police said several 911 callers reported that Gordon was acting aggressively and bizarrely, and he continued to act erratically when officers arrived. Police forced him to the ground and handcuffed him outside the store.

Gordon has talked and written about his bipolar disorder and depression, which he said have played roles in several arrests over the years.

The third overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, Gordon played 11 seasons in the league. As a rookie for the Bulls, he won the NBA’s Sixth Man Award. After five seasons in Chicago, he went on to play for Detroit, Charlotte and Orlando.

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