Browsing: facing

Londyn Dior is under a lot of pressure in her next match, but as she pointed out, pressure makes diamonds.

Dior spoke with WrestleZoneâ€s Ella Jay ahead of Who Runs The World? 2, an all-female wrestling event promoted by Metroplex Wrestling and ROH Womenâ€s Champion Athena. Dior will be in action against AEW Womenâ€s World Champion Kris Statlander and Maya World in a triple threat match, and she previewed what to expect this weekend.

“Kris Statlander, thatâ€s a whole ‘nother ball game. Iâ€ll be facing a woman whoâ€s at the very top, so itâ€s a lot of pressure, but Iâ€m ready for it,†Dior explained. “Pressure makes diamonds and thatâ€s why Iâ€m the ‘Diamond Princess.†And Maya, weâ€ve been in the ring so many times that I know her like the back of my hand. Itâ€s really Kris who Iâ€ll be looking out for.â€

Londyn Dior also recalled her experience at the debut Who Runs The World? event, praising the working environment of women sharing a common goal.

“Honestly, it was amazing. Itâ€s a lot of pressure. I always say that as womenâ€s wrestlers, we carry pressure on our backs, more than, letâ€s say a typical male wrestler. Everybody carries pressure but I feel like we carry a lot more,†she noted. “And I was in an environment where every woman wanted to make the show as great as they can. Weâ€re all just very supportive of each other. It just felt so amazing, it felt like a very positive and amazing atmosphere. I canâ€t wait to have it again this Saturday.â€

Who Runs The World? 2 takes place on Saturday, October 25 at Southern Junction Texas in Irving, Texas. More event information can be found on the Metroplex Wrestling website.

Read More: Elijah Gives Update On His In-Ring Return From Injury

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A toy influencer was recently arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars†worth of wrestling toys.

This week, the San Diego County Sheriffâ€s Department conducted a search at the residence of 36-year-old Brittany Gomez and 52-year-old Miguel Dominguez. The latter, TheGizmo619 as he goes by online, a content creator who specializes around wrestling toy collecting.

According to the police (via EWrestling News), the couple was arrested and charged with felony charges. These ranged from grand theft, possession of stolen goods, and theft of merchandise.

The report notes that police found “hundreds†of stolen WWE action figures, totaling over $1,000 in stolen goods. Police believe that the couple were planning on reselling the figures. According to police, the figures were likely from places like Target and Walmart. Currently, though itâ€s unclear exactly what types of figures were a part of the robbery or how the couple stole them, nor their means of selling.

As of now, the toys will remain in custody of the police as they continue to investigate. No word on the status of the couple or what type of punishment theyâ€ll face is available as of yet.

READ MORE: WWE SmackDown Results: Review, Grades, Card For Oct 17

What do you think about this case? Let us know in the comments section below.

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OTTAWA — For Ottawa Senators fans, déjà vu comes in autumn. When the leaves are falling, so are the Senators down in the standings.

Itâ€s only been five games with a 2-3-0 record: not terrible, but not good either. A gutsy late comeback win against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday complicated a “sky is falling†vibe in Sensland while allowing for a much-needed ray of hope.

Compounding a bad start on the scoreboard for Ottawa with losing Brady Tkachuk for six to eight weeks after thumb surgery is a massive blow to a Senators team that wanted to take the next step.

With a five-game sample to work with, let’s take a look at what’s concerning about the Senators’ slow start and whatâ€s not.

Bleak outlook with Tkachuk out long-term

If you take any team’s best player out of the lineup for a long time, the team will be significantly worse. Thatâ€s the case with Tkachuk and the Senators. Tkachuk is Ottawaâ€s best play driver, top scorer, and emotional leader.

There will be a clear goal for the Senators without their captain.

“We have to have that belief in our identity that the team is not one player,†said Lars Eller.

Tkachuk’s absence for now may be mitigated by Shane Pinto, who is on an absolute heater, leading the league in goals with six. Ottawa needs depth scoring in the absence of their captain, and when your third line centre is on pace for 98 goals that helps.

Even if Pinto scores 30, thatâ€s a big boost for a team that struggles to score with or without Tkachuk.

Coach Travis Green said after Thursdayâ€s game that he’s leaving Pinto alone because heâ€s so hot with his scoring touch. Hopefully, Green will have that chance with others soon, including Drake Batherson, Fabian Zetterlund and Dylan Cozens. Regardless, Ottawa will struggle to conjure up all of Tkachukâ€s firepower.

Goals against down a man count the same as goals allowed at even strength. If you canâ€t kill penalties in the NHL, your route to winning games and making the playoffs will be terminated. That’s happening in Ottawa: they’ve given up nine goals while shorthanded on 20 attempts.

The only time Ottawa’s penalty kill has looked good was against Nashville, going six for six while shorthanded.

“We saw a version of what we want to be, as far as being aggressive,†said Green about his shorthanded unit.

The hot topic in Sens land has been the team’s use of a diamond penalty kill formation. It was unsuccessful last season, producing the 19th-best kill — and now is second-last at a truly awful 55 per cent in the first five games.

Last season, the Senators gave up the seventh most high-danger chances on their penalty kill; so far this season, they rank eighth in high-danger chances allowed per 60 according to Natural Stat Trick.

“Thereâ€s been a few breakdowns. There’s also a few lucky goals that kind of found their way,†said Green about the penalty kill.

You make your own luck. Sometimes youâ€re unlucky because youâ€re bad.

The problem with the diamond formation is that players are planted in a zone on the ice: they are mostly playing the zone, not the man. Sportsnet.ca spoke to a former NHLer in the off-season who explained that “you donâ€t want to think, just play†when youâ€re on the penalty kill. A byproduct of the zonal marking has been that the Sens often cede possession to the best players in the world: the goal is to limit them to the outside, but give a player like Connor McDavid time and he’ll burn you. Match that with the half-second it takes for a Senator to make a read in the zone coverage. That happened on Thursday when Chandler Stephenson walked right into the slot untouched to give the Kraken a 3-2 lead in the third.

If itâ€s broken, fix it.

Chabot-Jensen are struggling

Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen were a revelation to begin last season, with stellar plus-minus and analytics up until Jensen hurt his hip in November. For the rest of the 2024-25 season, the duo was fine but not elite.

After off-season hip surgery, Jensen hasnâ€t looked the same, and the pairing has struggled. Theyâ€ve been outscored five to two, while having a putrid 38 per cent expected goals share. Itâ€s still early, but itâ€s worrisome that they donâ€t have the spark so far.

Senators need saves, but improvement is showing

It starts with Linus Ullmark, who allowed 10 goals on 52 shots in his first two games. But in his last two starts, he has rebounded, stopping 52 of his last 57. Ullmarkâ€s track record in Ottawa has been great highs and some lows. The middle ground still looks to be a good-to-great starting goaltender.

The Senators currently have a team save percentage of .818, which is surely not what they will finish with. It’s only five games, too. The good news is that Ullmark was exceptional against Seattle, making stellar save after stellar save to give his team a chance for a miraculous comeback. There are concerns after Ullmark admitted to less-than-ideal off-season training preparations, but heâ€s trending in the right direction despite an .862 save percentage so far.

Meanwhile, there is real cause for concern with Leevi Merilainen, who was dreadful in his first start against Buffalo on Wednesday, allowing seven goals on 30 shots. Ottawa bet big on the 23-year-old with just 14 games of experience heading into the season. Nevertheless, Merilainen has a great AHL track record and wonâ€t allow seven goals a game every start.

Give it time. The fact that the Senators are 2-3-0 with that poor a save percentage is a testament to the team.

One clear concern is that Ottawa has allowed the first goal in each of its first five games.

Donâ€t fret, because here comes some optimism after all that gloom.

Improved play at five-on-five

Last season, Ottawaâ€s Achilles heel wasnâ€t goaltending or even the penalty kill but the severe lack of goals at five-on-five, where the team finished second last. This season, Ottawa has been middle of the pack, averaging the 18th most five-on-five goals per game early on. But when you look under the hood, there is more reason to believe.

The Senators sit eighth in expected goals share at 60 per cent at five-on-five, while 11th in expected goals for per game at five-on-five. Against Buffalo and Tampa Bay, Ottawa didnâ€t allow a shot on goal at five-on-five for over 20 minutes. Impressive stuff.

“Our five-on-five game is close (to where we want it to be)â€, said Green.

Plus, Ottawa is tilting the ice with Jake Sanderson and Jordan Spence on the first and third defensive pairings, respectively, with over 58 per cent for Sanderson and 67 per cent for Spence in terms of expected-goals share.

If all the strong five-on-five play persists over a long season, the Senators will be in a great position to start finding ways to win.

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• 32 Thoughts: The Podcast

  Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

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They are poised to score more

The Senators have been unlucky, with the worst PDO at .916 in the NHL. Itâ€s a statistic that combines a teamâ€s save percentage and shooting percentage, used to suggest if a team is lucky or not.

In Ottawaâ€s case, they have created a lot of shots but havenâ€t scored with a low shooting percentage, while they’ve allowed many goals on few shots. In five games, you can sometimes lose three because of bad luck mixed with some bad goaltending. Over 82 games, you are likely to return to the mean.

In the NHL, with so much parity, the little details make the difference between fortune to misfortune. Ottawa could be on track for a year from hell, but more likely, they will prove to be a better team than they’ve shown so far.

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AEW

Following their big reunion at the AEW All Out pay-per-view on September 20, the Jurassic Express will wrestle their first pay-per-view match in over three years on October 18 at AEW WrestleDream, and there is a big cash prize on the line for the winners.

Following their first match as a team since 2022, Jack Perry and Luchasaurus were viciously attacked by The Young Bucks, who wanted to revenge on the Jurassic Express for getting the better of them at All Out and on the sixth anniversary edition of “AEW Dynamite.” After beating Perry and Luchasaurus down, Nick Jackson took to the microphone to issue a challenge for a tag team match at WrestleDream, which was confirmed later on in the night. However, the match will have the added stipulation of having $500,000 on the line, which will naturally give The Young Bucks some added motivation given their recent financial troubles.

Young Bucks vs Jurassic Express.
$500,000 MATCH.
6th match official for WrestleDream!

MATT/NICK GOTTA LOCK IN AND WIN THIS ONE TO BECOME RICH AGAIN. 😭 pic.twitter.com/gYEbSeczzb

— Drainmaker (@DrainBamager) October 8, 2025

Ever since they lost their Executive Vice-President titles at AEW All In Texas, Matt and Nick Jackson have been ridiculed by everyone in AEW. With that said, the former AEW Tag Team Champions looked to have turned their fortunes around on the September 10 episode of “Dynamite” when they teamed up with the Death Riders to win $500,000 by beating Brodido and The Opps. However, Nick’s love of casinos and reckless spending put The Young Bucks back to $0, so much so that they were actually looking for a money match during the Title Tuesday episode of “Dynamite.”

WrestleDream won’t be the first time that The Young Bucks and the Jurassic Express have met on an AEW pay-per-view. The two teams originally met at the 2020 All Out pay-per-view where Matt and Nick Jackson picked up the win. Over one year later, Perry and Luchasaurus teamed up with Christian Cage to defeat The Bucks and Adam Cole in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Full Gear 2021, and after winning the AEW Tag Team Championships at the beginning of 2022, Perry and Luchasaurus defeated The Young Bucks and reDRagon in a three-way match at Revolution 2022.

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“Do you want a player to die on court?”

That was the question Holger Rune asked an official as he was treated by a doctor and physio in gruelling conditions at the Shanghai Masters.

With temperatures reaching as high as 34C and humidity at 80% in the daytime at the end of a long season, players are feeling the impact physically.

Conditions are similar 500 miles west at the Wuhan Open, where Emma Raducanu retired from her first-round match on Tuesday with dizziness. On Monday, matches on the outside courts were halted and the roof on the main court closed.

After retiring with illness from a match against Sorana Cirstea on Tuesday, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko revealed she had “suffered a heat stroke”.

Iga Swiatek enjoyed a 6-1 6-1 rout of Marie Bouzkova, but the world number two said afterwards she was grateful not to have played on Monday, when the heat was “too much for most of the players”.

“I hope the other matches will be scheduled at a time where girls can compete, rather than just die on the court,” Swiatek added.

Back in Shanghai, Rune had his blood pressure taken and an ice towel around his shoulders after feeling unwell in his third-round win over Ugo Humbert on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic said the conditions in his gruelling third-round win were “brutal”, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard said he felt like he was “dying on the court” because of the humidity, and Jannik Sinner could barely walk as he was hit by cramps in his Sunday night match.

Terence Atmane, who retired from his first-round match on Thursday, posted on Instagram that his on-court stress was heightened by the heat.

“After the first point of the match both of my hands were shaking,” the Frenchman wrote.

“After the second game and a comfortable 2-0 lead I immediately felt my entire body shaking and I was suffocating after every point.

“The heat stress I’ve faced today could have been worse than losing my consciousness for an hour and just rapid heartbeat…”

Rune, as he was being treated on Sunday, asked why men’s governing body the ATP has no heat rule in place.

“It’s a very good question,” was the reply.

Denmark’s Rune returned to the theme on Tuesday after a three-set win over Mpetshi Perricard in the fourth round.

The world number 11 said he thought “every player would agree†a rule should be introduced.

“We can handle a certain amount of heat, because weâ€re strong and mentally strong as well, but there is always a limit.

“Itâ€s also important to take care of your health. We need to survive.â€

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Roxanne Perez doesnâ€t have to worry about “when†she gets called up to the WWE main roster anymore. However, she says facing pressure can be a good thing.

Perez and Raquel Rodriguez recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about their tenure in Judgment Day. The pair are two of the newest members of the group, with Perez getting added to the lineup in June.

Prior to her spot on RAW being formalized, Roxanne Perez made several main roster appearances in 2025, including in this yearâ€s Royal Rumble match and a match with Tiffany Stratton on SmackDown. She also appeared in the Womenâ€s Elimination Chamber match, as she qualified as a member of the NXT roster by beating Rodriguez in a qualifying match.

During this time, and towards the end of her NXT Championship reign in 2024, Perez was one of the names consistently mentioned when the topic of main roster call-ups was approached. Perez was asked about not having the pressure of “when†might be. “The Prodigy†noted that pressure can be a good thing, too.

“I think regardless, pressure is good. Being part of both brands, itâ€s not like I was just doing NXT and not coming back to the main roster. I was doing both,†she pointed out. “Theyâ€re having me go to SmackDown and RAW, coming back to NXT, so I thought that was really fun. I thought it was a great opportunity to continue showing the world why they call me ‘The Prodigyâ€. And why I deserve a spot like in Judgment Day. Now Iâ€m having so much fun and enjoying my time.â€

Roxanne Perez faces off with Lyra Valkyria on this weekâ€s episode of WWE RAW.

Read More: WWE RAW Star ‘Quietly Signed†A New Contract — Report

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NEW YORK – Cam Schlittler, a fireballing 24-year-old righty who grew up rooting for the Red Sox, officially entered the Yankees†universe on July 9, when he made the first of his 14 starts down the stretch.

Connelly Early, the No. 6 prospect for the Red Sox per MLB Pipeline, wasnâ€t in the plans to be in the clubâ€s starting rotation in September, let alone October.

Fittingly, as this AL Wild Card Series between the forever rivals gets ready to go the distance with Game 3 on Thursday night, it will pit a pitching matchup nobody could have predicted even a month ago.

But thatâ€s Red Sox-Yankees, when another great subplot always seems to be right around the corner.

“Obviously it is going to be loud here. Two rookies, Game 3, Wild Card, Yankees-Red Sox. Imagine that?†said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It should be a fun night.â€

Not to mention an unprecedented one.

This will be Earlyâ€s fifth career appearance, including playoffs, and Schlittlerâ€s 15th. Itâ€ll be the first game in postseason history between two starters each making their 15th career appearance or fewer (regular season and postseason combined).

The matchup will be the third-youngest in win-or-go-home games. Here is how they rank:

Schlittler grew up in Walpole, Mass., then took his talents to Northeastern University in Boston.

Through it all, he rooted for the Sox. And then the Yankees took him in the seventh round of the 2022 Draft and everything changed.

There is at least one Massachusetts family who will be rooting for the Yankees on Wednesday.

“I would say so,†Schlittler said. “Growing up in Boston, I take pride in being from Boston. When it comes to my career and where I wanted to be, this is where I wanted to be. [My family], they are full Yankee guys now. They don’t wear [Yankees gear] around as much in Boston just because. But when they are here, they are very prideful about it.â€

Schlittler (4-3, 2.96 ERA) showcased triple-digit velocity through his first 14 big league starts after being promoted in July and quickly earning a place in the rotation. This will mark Schlittler’s first career outing vs. the Red Sox, though he did face them once as a Northeastern University freshman in a Fort Myers, Fla., exhibition.

Likewise, Early has never faced the Yankees.

It will be interesting to see which offense adjusts more quickly to a starting pitcher theyâ€ve never faced.

Early will become the fifth pitcher in history to make a postseason start within his first five MLB appearances.

Dylan Lee (ATL) (opener) – 2021 WS G4
Shane Baz (TB) – 2021 ALDS G2
Ryan Merritt (CLE) – 2016 ALCS G5
Matt Moore (TB) – 2011 ALDS G1

The opportunity for Early to start the biggest game of the season for the Red Sox came about when Lucas Giolito was shut down just prior to the playoffs with an irritated right flexor tendon.

“Yeah, Iâ€m super excited about it. Really good feeling to get this opportunity, and just ready to get out there,†said Early.

His teammates have developed an eye-opening amount of confidence in someone who has such a small sample size.

“He reminds me a lot of [Red Sox injured star rookie] Roman [Anthony],†said Boston outfielder Jarren Duran. “Theyâ€re both so young, but they’re so calm, cool and collected, and it’s awesome to see that. I can’t wait to see him get on the mound tomorrow and see that big smile he always has when he’s competing.â€

It is a big spot for Early to be in, but one he earned by notching a 2.33 ERA in those first four starts in the regular season after he was called up to fill in for injured No. 5 starter Dustin May, who still hasnâ€t returned to action.

It has been a swift rise for a pitcher the Red Sox selected out of Virginia in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft. Before going to Virginia, a major college baseball program, Early was at Army throwing in the low 80s. In those days, he was finding time for baseball when he wasnâ€t fulfilling his military requirements.

On Thursday, the season will end for one of these two young pitchers. It should be fascinating to see how it unfolds.

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Bishop Dyer remains motivated as ever to prove he can hang with the best pro wrestling has to offer. The former WWE superstar known to fans as Baron Corbin for 13 years works to reinvent himself in the next chapter of his career. He didnâ€t waste any time making his presence felt in Major League Wrestling starting at Battle Riot VII.

“Iâ€m doing it backwards,†Dyer said of his journey. “I think for the most WWE talent, at least a vast majority of it, they did the independent scene prior to coming to WWE. Thatâ€s how they built their name. Thatâ€s how they built equity in their character and social media to get the attention of WWE. Whereas I was lucky and fortunate to get a tryout and made it that way.

“So, I never got to experience the wild west, if you will, of the independent scene. For me, when my career ended, I know I missed a lot in that aspect. I wanted to wrestle in some of these bigger independent companies because there is a ton of talent on these rosters, especially when you look at an MLW roster. The list of talent they have is amazing. Itâ€s up-and-comers, itâ€s guys that are independently established, and true legends like [Satoshi] Kojima.â€

The veteran considers himself lucky to be able to control where he works. This includes dates on the independent scene. His criteria for taking bookings comes down to how a particular promotion treats their talent and takes care of them. Dyer decided to work for MLW due to the way the company tells stories across continuous programming rather than just one-off matches. Controlling his schedule has also helped the dedicated husband and dad be home more.

“My wife works full-time. She owns her own company, so she is very busy as well,†Dyer explained. “When I was on the road with WWE, she would work five days a week. Then sheâ€d come home to be a mom because I would be gone. A lot of times too Iâ€d be gone on the weekends, which really sucked for her. When weâ€re doing full tours, Iâ€m leaving the house Thursday, and coming home Monday or Tuesday. She works all week and has to keep the kids entertained Saturday and Sunday. They are young, 3 and 6, so they are busy bodies. For me to be home, Iâ€m taking two shows a month, relatively. I told myself I would really enjoy this year and pump the brakes on things and be a part of it all. Iâ€m very good at home at being that family man and being with my kids because thatâ€s all that matters to me at the end of the day.â€

He continued, “So, now Iâ€m getting to take my kids to school every day, picking them up every day. Itâ€s elevating a lot of stress from her. Itâ€s also giving me a lot of joy because I get to be here and a part of everything. Iâ€m not missing birthdays, school functions, and school events. Those kinds of things. I really do it as a blessing. Having the ability to go and wrestle twice a month, it doesn’t bother them like it used to when I was leaving every single weekend. They are excited for me. They are excited when I’m telling them who Iâ€m working and where Iâ€m working. Iâ€ll show them videos of the guys because they are so used to the WWE thing and just know the main names. My daughter asked about John Cena all the time like theyâ€re friends, which is hilarious. I think they are excited. I think with that too, if Iâ€m doing shows in fun places, I can bring them and stay a few days. Like my wife’s favorite thing to say now is we can plan things.â€

Outside the ring Dyer has also been able to explore his other interests. Whether itâ€s providing cook tips on TikTok or winning 14 gold medals through ju-jitsu, the performer is living his best life. Adding to his other business ventures along with working as an analyst and host for Pro Wrestling Nation 24/7 on Sirius XM is a budding coffee business.

“Itâ€s called Open Air Coffee where we sell through ecommerce, but I’m building a facility in Tampa,†Dyer said. “I have 8,000 sq. ft. and Iâ€m building a coffee roastery, a community roastery for all the coffee shops in the area, even Orlando…Weâ€re doing something cool here. With that, not having that WWE paycheck consistently, it can add some stress when youâ€re financially building a company and things like that. It can be stressful, but I have the time to do that now. Also, exploring new things..

“Weâ€re also getting to go to more concerts now, which I love so much because we can plan stuff again. Having that freedom to do my thing is really fun and allows me to be creative again. When youâ€re in that cog of WWE, the creativity of the talent gets lost a little bit. Someone else is writing the stories and helping you evolve your characters where as now, especially in the wrestling world I can do it all myself. Iâ€m building the ‘Nomad†Bishop Dyer. I can wear what I want to wear. Iâ€m not wearing weird suit vests and stuff like that. Iâ€m really getting to do me and be creative from social media to food to coffee to jiu jitsu to planning activities with the kids.â€

Dyer has enjoyed his time in MLW, reconnecting with Dominik Dijak to form The Skyscrapers. Together the two imposing figures won the MLW Tag Team Championship alongside their savvy manager Saint Laurent.

“Working with Dijak is great because we were sharing the ring before in NXT,†said. “We were both grinding and always trying to better ourselves. When I got the email about the plan and that they were going to put me and Dijak together as a team as The Skyscrapers, instantly I smiled because what a really cool ode to the past. They do a great job of incorporating things from the past.

“Pairing me with him and giving us The Skyscrapers name, I was worried at first. But it has gotten a great reception. People love it because we have the same type of aura if you will. Weâ€re big dudes who can move. Weâ€re very athletic. We can be very violent and physical with our opponents. Itâ€s a really cool thing. Having Saint Laurent as our manager, itâ€s extra heat poured on. Iâ€ll take as much as I can get. We do a great job with that. Itâ€s fun and exciting, but itâ€s nice too at MLW because youâ€re not pigeonholed to just that tag team. Iâ€m also competing in the Opera Cup where Iâ€m facing Kojima. Iâ€m getting to do multiple things with one company with 95 percent of the roster Iâ€ve never worked with.â€

Dyer still remains a fan, watching pro wrestling across the board weekly. Not only to stay on top of things for his “Busted Open†work. He is proud to see his former tag team partner Bron Breakker continue his ascent to the top in WWE.

“I like him in The Vision, but I donâ€t like him in The Vision,†Dyer explained. “I think he is such a star. He carries so much personality, athletic ability, and with what he can do in the ring he is truly special. Obviously, Iâ€m partial to him because we created The Wolf Dogs, and that woke a lot of people up to how good I am as well. We were doing some pretty incredible matches, and I think I did a good job bringing a little bit of personality out. Not just being the tough angry guy, but having fun with it. I think it helped him evolve. We bettered each other. So, when I see him in the background of a group because you have [Paul] Heyman, Seth [Rollins], Becky [Lynch], and then Bronson [Reed] and Bron are a step behind them.

“He is not a background player. I know itâ€s buying time and getting him reps, but you kind of just put him in another tag team. He is a singles star all the way through. The day he turns on Seth Iâ€m going to be so happy whenever that happens because I think he is going to headline a WrestleMania at some point. I love supporting him and what he is doing and the stuff he is putting out there. He is out of his mind, and I love it. He does these crazy things, and Iâ€m just like just be safe. Itâ€s exciting. Itâ€s fun to support guys.â€

Despite WWE deciding to part ways with Dyer, he still has love for his former employer. The 41-year-old is grateful for the opportunities given. He stays in touch with colleagues there to catch up and share news like getting to wrestle the legendary former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima coming up at Slaughterhouse on October 4. The Long Beach event will air on YouTube and beIN Sports.

“When I found out I was wrestling Kojima, Iâ€m texting [CM] Punk, Iâ€m texting Finn Balor,†Dyer said. “Guys who appreciate it. It was really cool to get that response from them of how cool that is that I get to do this now.â€

The talent is looking forward to stepping up against Kojima. Wrestling in Japan is also on Dyerâ€s to-do list because he finds his style likens to theirs.

“For me, itâ€s a test of am I as good as I think I am and I feel like I would have a lot of success over there,†Dyer said. “This will be a test to say yeah you will or keep working. Itâ€s one of those things. Iâ€m always under the mindset I can get better every day. I was training at Nattieâ€s gym Wednesday continuing to get better. Iâ€m always bouncing ideas off of TJ [Wilson] because I want to make sure I give him the best opponent I can give him being the legendary he is. I think itâ€s definitely a place to plant my flag and say Iâ€m for real. I respect him and look up to Kojima as a superstar and the things he has done and the physicality he brings.

“He has beaten countless people by a clothesline. Thatâ€s as old school and rough as it gets. For me, it’s an honor to step in the ring with him, but when the bell rings, Iâ€m going to set all of that aside and weâ€re going to fight. This is to continue to the next level of the Opera Cup. Thatâ€s the ultimate goal, to walk away with that. If I have to put Kojima down in the process, I will. And I will give him his respect afterward and prior to. But between those bells, this is what we do. Weâ€re prize fighters in a sense and will go to war. For me too, I think it will open peopleâ€s eyes that Bishop Dyer is for real. That Iâ€m just not some WWE guy. He is out here making a name for himself, accomplishing big things, and continuing to further his career between those ropes.â€

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Derbyshire were closing in on a huge victory against Kent when bad light forced a premature end to day three of their County Championship match at Canterbury.

Kent were 135-5 in their seconds innings, still 291 behind, after Luis Reece ripped out their top order with 4-33.

That came after Jack Morley took 5-99 as the visitors dismissed Kent for 271 in the first innings, a lead of 427.

Ekansh Singh and Ben Dawkins both hit career-best scores of 71 and 61 respectively, but when the former was out Kent’s last four wickets went for just nine runs.

Derbyshire enforced the follow-on and Reece reduced them to 20-3 before Joey Evison and Ben Compton offered some resistance. Reece eventually got Evison for 52, but Compton was unbeaten on 55 when the light failed.

The lights were on when play began on time, with Kent on 117-2.

Morley, who removed nightwatcher Michael Cohen with the final ball on day two, struck again in his first full over of the morning, getting Jaydn Denly lbw for a five-ball duck.

Ekansh was given a life when Wayne Madsen couldn’t cling on to a slip catch after he flashed at Ben Aitchison, but Dawkins was strangled as soon as Zak Chappell returned from the Nackington Road End.

Ollie Curtiss got his first first-class runs, but Morley had him brilliantly caught by Martin Andersson at midwicket for 14, leaving Kent on 217-5 at lunch.

Morley claimed his fifth in style by clinging on to a sharp return catch from Ekansh at the second attempt and in doing so he became the first Derbyshire spinner to claim five wickets at Canterbury since Les Townsend in 1931.

There was raucous applause from The Nackington Road End when Joey Evison hit Harry Came for successive boundaries to earn Kent a solitary bonus point, but he then slashed Reece to Aneurin Donald at first slip, before Aitchison got his second strangle of the day when Harry Finch flicked him behind for 14.

Corey Flintoff went for a second-ball duck, hitting Aitchison straight to the sub fielder Nick Potts at square leg and Matt Parkinson lasted four balls before he edged Reece to Wayne Madsen, who took an outstanding one-handed grab at second slip.

There was worse to come as Reece bowled Dawkins for nought with the second ball of the second innings and then had Denly caught behind for four in his next over.

Reece got his third of the innings when Ekansh was caught behind for four, but Compton and Evison steadied things.

The latter was dropped by Amrit Basra off Chappell when he was on 28 in the final over before tea, at which point Kent were 61-3. He was dropped again on 52 when he drove Dal to midwicket, but Donald put him down, apparently while celebrating a catch he hadn’t actually taken.

Donald’s embarrassment was fleeting as Evison chipped Reece to Andersson in the next over and Dal then bowled Curtiss for four but Compton swept Morley for four to pass 50 and bad light stopped play at 17:39 BST, with eight overs remaining.

Match report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay

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Sep 24, 2025, 04:10 PM ET

PHOENIX — Defiant Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia says he’s not worried about the multiple lawsuits his franchise is facing, with claims ranging from discrimination to wrongful termination.

Ishbia called the lawsuits a “money grab” on Wednesday at Suns media day.

The franchise have been sued multiple times since 2024. Most recently, two minority owners of the Suns sued Ishbia in August, demanding to see records in order to investigate the status of the team’s business and financial condition.

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“As you guys know, anyone can file a lawsuit on any day they want for any reason they want,” Ishbia said. “I could file a lawsuit for that question, right? But the truth is, you’ve actually got to win a lawsuit.

“Where I’m different than most successful people, or people that you say have a lot of money, is we don’t settle. So if we don’t do anything wrong, I’m not paying someone. If their threat is they’re going to go to the media and write [about] a lawsuit, have fun. Cool. Write it.”

Ishbia continued: “I hope you guys all report on how many lawsuits we actually lose. Because we haven’t lost one of them, and we’re not going to lose any of them, to be honest, because they’re ridiculous.”

Among the lawsuits the team is facing:

In July, the Suns confirmed they fired Gene Traylor, a former security manager who filed a lawsuit against the team in May alleging discrimination, harassment and unlawful retaliation. The team said at the time that Traylor was terminated after an outside investigation found he’d violated company policies regarding confidential information.

Earlier in July, former Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging unequal treatment based on race and gender, unequal pay based on race and that her employment was terminated in retaliation for complaints about unequal treatment.

In November, Andrea Trischan sued the Suns, alleging racial discrimination and unlawful retaliation that led to her termination. Trischan was the team’s former manager of diversity, equity and inclusion for about 10 months in 2022 and 2023.

Ishbia, a mortgage executive, bought a majority stake of the Suns and Phoenix Mercury from embattled owner Robert Sarver for $4 billion. Ishbia and his brother, Justin, said then that they would be acquiring more than 50% of the franchises, which includes the entirety of Sarver’s share as well as some holdings from minority partners.

The sale was officially approved in February 2023.

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