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Browsing: Kevin
Image credit:
(Photo by Eddie Kelly)
Coastal Carolina head baseball coach Kevin Schnall has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in Conway through the 2030 season, the school announced Wednesday afternoon.Â
The news follows Schnall’s historic 2025 debut that further elevated the Chanticleers†national prominence. Coastal Carolina won a nation-leading and program-record 56 games, captured the Sun Belt Conference championship, swept Auburn in a road super regional and rode a 26-game winning streak all the way to the national championship series in just the second Omaha trip in school history.Â
“I want to thank Chance Miller, President Dr. (James) Winebrake, Board Chair Natasha Hanna, and our entire Board of Trustees for their continued trust and support,†Schnall said in a school-issued statement. “I’m honored and grateful to receive a contract extension from an institution that means so much to my family and me. We couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished as a program—especially bringing Coastal baseball back to Omaha in 2025.â€
RELATED: See the top 15 highest-paid college coaches for 2026
Prior to the extension, Schnall made $500,000 in total compensation for 2024 after receiving a series of bonuses for postseason success. His base salary entering the season was $367,500, according to The Post and Courier. The university also extended associate head coach Chad Oxendine and assistant coaches Matt Williams and Matt Schilling.
“These extensions and the University’s commitment to our staff and program reflect a shared vision for the future of Coastal baseball,†Schnall said. “Coastal baseball isn’t going anywhere. Our pursuit of excellence and championships continues.â€
Schnall is just the fourth head coach in NCAA history to lead a team to the College World Series in his debut season and the only one to win his College World Series debut. Schnall is also the only first-year head coach to open the NCAA Tournament with eight consecutive wins. His 56 victories marked the most by a rookie head coach in Division I history.
For his efforts, Schnall became the first coach ever to win National Coach of the Year honors in his inaugural season as a Division I head coach, affirming his seamless transition from longtime assistant to program leader.
“We’re thrilled to extend Coach Kevin Schnall and his outstanding staff,” Coastal Carolina athletic director Chance Miller said. “I’m incredibly grateful to President Winebrake and our Board for their strong support and partnership. We’re excited to continue building on our strong baseball tradition with Coach Schnall leading the way for years to come.”
Schnall succeeded legendary head coach Gary Gilmore, who retired following the 2024 season after nearly three decades at the helm and a national championship in 2016. A former Chanticleer catcher under Gilmore in the late 1990s, Schnall joined his mentorâ€s staff in 2001 and, apart from a brief three-year stint away, remained part of Coastalâ€s dugout for more than two decades.
That deep familiarity eased what could have been a tumultuous transition. The programâ€s defining traits—player development, relentless competitiveness and a blue-collar identity—remained intact under Schnallâ€s watch.
“The overall theme didnâ€t change,†former Coastal ace Jacob Morrison said. “Weâ€re selfless. Relentless. Thatâ€s our motto. Schnallâ€s been such a big part of the program even when Coach Gilmore was here. Itâ€s so easy to play for him.â€
By locking in Schnall and his entire staff through 2030, Coastalâ€s administration signaled a long-term commitment to sustained national relevance.
“When [Schnall] speaks,†said infielder Blake Barthol, “it makes me feel like I could run through a brick wall. Iâ€ll do anything for that guy.â€
As AJ Dybantsa enters his freshman season at BYU with high expectations, he revealed that Kevin Durant is one of the NBA stars that he looks to emulate on the floor.
“I be spamming hesi pull, I ain’t gonna lie,” Dybantsa told Boardroom’s Rich Kleiman (15:50 mark). “I watch too much Kevin Durant not to do it.”
“KD was my favorite player since I started watching him play,” he said (6:14 mark).
The 18-year-old also recounted his experience watching the Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft after playing against him prior to their respective college careers.
“You know what’s crazy? I’m a month younger than Coop, he was in our class,” Dybantsa said (13:58 mark). “I’ve been playing against Coop since eighth grade. So watching him just go number one, it was like, ‘We were just playing with/against each other.’ It was crazy. Crazy.”
He committed to the Cougars in Dec. 2024, explaining that their coaching staff filled with NBA experience aligned with his long-term goal of making it to the association.
“I mean obviously my ultimate goal is the NBA and after they hired Kevin Young, he hired a strength coach from the Milwaukee Bucks,” Dybantsa said (8:38 mark). “A dietician from the Suns, analytics from the Suns. He just started stacking NBA prototypes around us. And it was just a family atmosphere on my visit. They were changing my name at the football game…There was less distraction there.”
It isn’t difficult to imagine him playing in the NBA in the near future, as he was listed as the No. 1 overall prospect in the country as part of the 2025 recruiting class (via 247Sports’ composite rankings).
He averaged 21.5 points and 12.7 rebounds to go along with 3.2 assists per game during his 2024-25 high school season, according to MaxPreps.
Dybantsa also stood out during the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, recording 14.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game while shooting 50 percent from the field.
He was projected to be off the board with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft during the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman.
For now, Dybantsa will focus on his inaugural year at BYU and look to help the school build upon a 26-10 finish during its 2024-25 campaign.
The Cougars will open their regular season against Villanova on Nov. 3.
Kevin Durant was enjoying what he was seeing out of Baker Mayfield during Sunday’s matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers.
“Aye Baker, you f–kin HOOPIN,” the Houston Rockets superstar posted on social media.
It’s unclear if Durant was impressed with a moment in particular, but Mayfield certainly provided a few options:
The fiery Mayfield has become one of the best watches in the NFL as his career resurgence continues in Tampa Bay. He threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2023 and followed that up with a career year (4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns) last season, leading the Bucs to the playoffs in each campaign.
Through the first five games this season he threw for 1,283 yards, 10 touchdowns and just one interception, with the Bucs going 4-1. But while the results speak for themselves, Mayfield’s passion and ability to turn seeming disasters into big plays have added major entertainment value to the mix.
Oh, and he’s doing all of this without ever having his top wide receiver trio of Emeka Egbuka, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin healthy at the same time.
But Mayfield just keeps finding a way. It’s always a good sign when players from other sports are showing you love. Week after week, highlight after highlight, Mayfield has everybody enjoying the show.
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
SHOW SUMMARY:This installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault jumps back to the Sept. 18 and Sept. 20, 2007 podcasts covering vintage ROH events.
First, PWTorch contributor Jamie Penick and PWTorch columnist Sean Radican discuss the May 11, 2007 “Reborn Again” ROH event released this month on DVD which includes Bryan Danielson vs. Adam Pearce, Kenta vs. Delirious, Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bobby Fish, plus El Generico (Sami Zayn) and Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens) in action. This originally dropped on Sept. 18, 2007.
Next, a podcast from Sept. 20, 2007 with PWTorch ROH Audio Host Jamie Penick talking with PWTorch contributor Chris Vetter about that Saturday’s ROH PPV taping in Chicago Ridge, Ill. Vetter attended the event in person and gave a detailed overview of the show.
This is another episode in our VIP Podcast Vault series going back to our earliest podcasts. We will continue to present VIP Podcasts from 18 years ago exclusively for PWTorch VIP members on our VIP Podcast Feed.
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WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash recently underwent a minor heart procedure, which he recently opened up about, shooting down reports that it was a major surgery. In a recent episode of his podcast, “Kliq This,” Nash commented on whether anyone reached out to him from the wrestling industry following the news of his heart procedure.
“I text Cody [Rhodes] back because he asked how my procedure went, Cody did,” Nash said before recalling what he said to Cody Rhodes about his current feud with Seth Rollins. “And I told him, I said: you know, it’s nice to see two f**king guys that caliber, you know, that basically give you, like, just by putting their name next to each other, give you a fire star angle.” Nash went on to opine that the work rate and promo work of the feud will likely be great and that the two men give the feud a feeling of real sports.
Nash was then asked if he thinks that the WWE Universal Champion has some creative liberty in the storytelling of the match. “Yes. I think that Paul [Levesque] would [allow it] when you’re at that level,” he expressed, adding that Paul Levesque might see it one way, but as someone who was one of the boys and – as Nash put it- always one of the best minds, he’ll always consider input. “The last thing you wanna do is book a guy when he’s got an idea that might be easier for him to accomplish. Paul’s always going to -He’s a great communicator with the talent.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Kliq This” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Besides competing in the WWE ring, Drew McIntyre is also making waves in Hollywood. Kevin Nash believes a former WWE star is helping him make his mark in Hollywood.
McIntyre recently landed a role in the upcoming Highlander reboot. McIntyre will star alongside Henry Cavill, who plays the role of Connor McLeod. McIntyre will portray his brother, Angus MacLeod.
During a recent conversation on Kliq This, Kevin Nash spoke about McIntyre and his forthcoming role in the Highlander movie. Nash responded to a fanâ€s comment about being unhappy with McIntyreâ€s position in WWE and how the movie allowed him to take a break from TV. Nash mentioned the reunion of Batista and McIntyre in the film and noted that this isnâ€t a coincidence. This is why he believes that Batista could be helping Drew McIntyre get more opportunities and action in Hollywood.
“Thatâ€s the second film that him and Batista have been together in. So I think Daveâ€s helping Drew get some action,†Nash said (H/T: WrestlingInc).
Prior to the Highlander reboot, Batista and Drew McIntyre shared the screen in 2024â€s The Killerâ€s Game. As far as his WWE career goes, Drew McIntyre last competed at last monthâ€s Wrestlepalooza event, where he unsuccessfully challenged Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Since then, he started a feud with Jacob Fatu on WWE SmackDown.
Read More:Santos Escobar Re-Signs With WWE — Report
Kevin Nash was less than pleased to see his recent royalties coming in and touched on how much of a shift he’s seen in that regard since Endeavor bought WWE in 2023.
On his podcast Kliq This, Nash was speaking to his co-host Sean Oliver about a conversation that the former previously had with his WWE Hall of Fame peer Sean Waltman also known as X-Pac. Nash mentioned that he was chatting with Waltman for one of their weekly calls and the latter laughed on the phone mentioning that obviously ‘Big Daddy Cool’ had received his recent round of royalties.
In responding to Waltman and then touching on how he had seen the signs of a shift in the wake of TKO’s takeover of everything, Nash said:
“I said, ‘Holy f**k.†I said, ‘The last one was good… this one was rotten.†I mean, it was half… When I was making huge money in my royalties, it was broken down. It would say ‘nWo t-shirtsâ€, ‘nWo womenâ€s t-shirtsâ€. Now it says ‘nWo intellectual property†and thereâ€s just a number.”
“It got weird when they sold. It started when they sold, all of a sudden… the weirdness starts.”
Kevin Nash continues to expound upon his thoughts on recent TKO royalties
Kevin Nash is not the only one noticing a change of the times with the major paradigm shift in WWE since merging with UFC under the TKO umbrella. It is a multi-pronged situation with many consumers also noticing seemingly ever growing price points with being a WWE fan. This comes across both in terms of wanting to attend live events but also for those watching the product at home.
To revisit the Nash point, the former WWE and WCW champion said he could ultimately speak only to his situation but stated that the recent shift in royalty amounts is to the scale of several millions of dollars. Nash also pontificated on what the difference in that sense would be for figures like The Rock or Steve Austin who, per Nash, command greater percentages of their merchandising royalties and the like.
Kevin Nash did mention in a cursory way that he brielfy had the idea of involving forensic accountaunts for the purposes of a lawsuit. But after his co-host Oliver mentioned Nash was a TKO shareholder, the former NWO member mentioned that while his long time friend Paul Levesque was in charge that Nash would simply roll along with whatever is happening with TKO considering his connection to Triple H.
Kevin Nash says WWE royalty payments “got weird” after the company’s merger with UFC to create TKO Group Holdings.
On an episode of his Kliq This podcast, Nash revealed that he recently received a royalty payment from WWE that was for much lower than he expected. He said he called Sean Waltman to discuss.
Nash said:
“(Sean Waltman and I) both got our royalty checks and I called him and heâ€s laughing on the other side of the phone and says, ‘Obviously, you got your royalty check.’ I said, ‘Holy f–k. The last one was good, this one was rotten.’ I mean, it was half.“
He continued to say that after TKO took over the process, the royalty payments were not as detailed as they had been previously.
“When I was making huge money in my royalties, it was broken down. It would say NWO t-shirts, NWO womenâ€s t-shirts. Now it says NWO intellectual property and thereâ€s just a number.”
“It got weird when they sold. It started when they sold,” he continued.
“I can only go by what I was making, I can only imagine what like Hulk, Austin, Rock. If you take all those guys – I think Steve was at 50 percent of his merch. Some of mine was at 25 – When you take that and you cut that in half and put that back on the books, thatâ€s several million dollars.”
However, Nash concluded that so long as his longtime friend Triple H is in charge of WWE, he will just roll with whatever happens.
“My thing with it is, I would never do anything to put any bad light on Paul,” he continued. “As long as Paulâ€s in charge, I just roll with everything.”
The full episode of Kliq This is available below:
previous story
Kevin Owens (Photo credit Scott Lunn – @ScottLunn © PWTorch)
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
The following report originally published 5 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
KELLERâ€S WWE RAW REPORT
OCTOBER 5, 2020
ORLANDO, FLA. AT AMWAY CENTER (“THUNDERDOMEâ€)
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
Announcers: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Samoa Joe
[HOUR ONE]
-Phillips and Saxton introduced and previewed the show, including the Drew McIntyre & Street Profits vs. Randy Orton & Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode plus Bray Wyatt on The KO Show
-They went to a pretaped segment with Randy Orton who walked through what the various Legends did to him in the Ambulance Match. He said in those moments, he saw nothing but darkness and felt nothing but excruciating pain. He said seeing them gather and laugh and smile at his expense last week made him feel sick. He noted the Street Profits joined them at the poker table.
He said for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. He said that came in the form of a much-needed reintroduction to the Legend Killer. He said he wanted them to feel the way he did when those ambulance doors closed. He said he made sure they felt the same pain he did. He said he watched them through his night vision goggles as they looked to their right and to their left in the dark. He said Big Show stood and started swinging, and he knocked him down over the poker table. He said next he walked over to Christian, looking everywhere for help. He said he snuck up to him and said, “Say hi to Edge for me.†He said he took a chair from Shawn Michaels and kicked his head in. He said finally he went to Ric Flair who was trying to escape out the door. He said he turned him around and he met his fate. He said heâ€d like to have seen Drewâ€s reaction when he saw the price paid by those who tried to stop the Legend Killer. He said the full bill wonâ€t be paid until he holds the WWE Title again.
Orton then issued a challenge “directly†to Drew through the camera for a Hell in a Cell match. He said if Drew wants to cement his legacy, facing him and beating him in the Cell could do it. Drew barged into the room, paused and shot Orton an intense look, and then shoved him against the wall violently. Drew punched away at him and took him down hard. “What do you know about hell?!†he asked as he punched away at him. A bunch of officials and referees ran into the room and frantically pried them apart.
(1) ZELINA VEGA & NATALYA & LANA vs. MANDY ROSE & DANA BROOKE & ASUKA
Zelina was in the ring with her music fading. Then Natalya for her full ring entrance. Mandy came out first, then Dana. (News Flash: Dana did not flex her biceps like a proud six year old boy after lifting a heavy toy.) Mandy took out Lana with a running knee and scored the three count. Brooke flexed her muscles with her teammates on the ramp afterward.
WINNERS: Asuka & Rose & Brooke in 5:00.
-Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax walked out to ringside and surrounded Natalya and Lana. Jax lifted Natalya on her shoulders. Lana yanked her to safety. Jax gave her a Samaon drop through the announce table – again!!!
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: Iâ€m not against just doing this every week for the rest of the year. Nothing against Lana.) [c]
-R-Truth stood in front of an ink board where he had created a his mock draft. The top picks on Smackdown were Mercy the Buzzard, Little Jimmy, Sam Roberts, Mr. McMahon, Charlie Caruso, and Brother Love. On Raw, Huskus, R-Truth, Michael Cole, Peter Rosenberg, Road Dogg, The Other Carmella, Ranjin Singh. He then noticed a janitor in a mask and thought it was Randy Orton. The janitor swung a mop at Truth, but hit the ref. It was Drew Gulak, and he rolled up Truth for the three count to win the 24/7 Title. He then ran away with the belt.
-They went to Phillips, Saxton, and Samoa Joe at ringside in front of the collapsed table.
-Backstage Ricochet, Apollo Crews, and Mustafa Ali were chatting. (They decided to film that for no apparent reason.) Then, conveniently, MVP happened upon them. (I bet theyâ€re happy they decided to film their otherwise innocuous conversation since it suddenly got interesting with MVP there!) MVP said tonight they are on the clock because, for one night only, he has an opening in the Hurt Business. He said Cedric Alexander said no several times and he finally came around and look at his career now. He said theyâ€re on the clock. Crews told Ali and Ricochet to ignore him. Ricochet seemed to be considering the offer after Crews and Ali left the scene.
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: They should all take him up on the offer, honestly.) [c]
-Seth Rollins and Murphy stood in the ring. They cut to a video package on the Seth & Murphy and Mysterio family drama last week. Seth asked Murphy for the mic. He wouldnâ€t hand it over. Murphyâ€s said he had something to get off his chest. He said heâ€s been his loyal disciple, but for him to remain his disciple, he needs Seth to apologize. Seth, expressing disbelief, asked why he needs to apologize to him. Murphy said he should apologize to Aaliyah Mysterio. Seth yanked the mic angrily out of Murphyâ€s hands.
Seth said he could have shared all of their DMs, including the ones where she expresses all her feelings about her family, such as Dominik being the chosen one and how her parents donâ€t acknowledge her accomplishments. He said he could have put that out there last week, but he didnâ€t, and Murphy wants him to apologize? He poked Murphy in the forehead and said, “Disciple.†He pointed at himself and said, “Messiah!†He repeated that. Then Dominikâ€s music played. He came out with Humberto Carrillo. They attacked Seth and Murphy, clearing the ring. Phillips said, “This match has not been made official yet.†They stereo dove onto both of them at ringside. [c]
(2) SETH ROLLINS & MURPHY vs. HUMBERTO CARRILLO & DOMINIK MYSTERIO
Murphy tagged himself in by slapping Sethâ€s back after Dominik knocked him into the ropes. Seth yelled at Murphy that he didnâ€t need him to tag in and he didnâ€t need him in general. Murphy yelled back at him. Dominik tagged in Humberto who dove at Seth and Murphy. He hit Murphy with a top rope dropkick. Murphy rebounded from his back bump like he had bounced on a trampoline.
A Seth distraction opened up Murphy to schoolboy Humberto for a near fall. Murphy DDTâ€d Humberto. Dominik and Seth went at it at ringside. Seth threw Dominik over the ringside barricade, then turned to Murphy and told him he doesnâ€t need him. Humberto then landed a corkscrew dive onto them. Back in the ring, Humbert kicked Murphy in the face. Then he kicked Seth. When he leaped off the top rope a second later, Murphy kneed him out of mid-air and scored the pin. Joe called it “unbelievable accuracy!â€
WINNERS: Murphy & Seth in about 6:00.
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: Lots of good action, especially in that closing sequence.)
-Backstage they were filming Adam Pearce talking on his cell phone. Braun Strowman then walked up to him and said he knows Raw Underground isnâ€t happening tonight. He said he didnâ€t drive all the way there for no reason, so he wants a match and, if he doesnâ€t get one, heâ€ll wreck the locker room. Pearce said heâ€s not a Raw wrestler, but after the draft they might see a lot more of each other. Pearce said he can give him an exhibition, though. Braun asked what that is. Pearce explained that itâ€d be unsanctioned, assuming he can find an opponent. Braun said if that means someone is going to get these hands, heâ€s alright with it. Keith Lee then walked up to Pearce and said, “Sign me up.†Pearce nodded.
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: Iâ€ll never understand why WWE starts these segments by filming someone doing something youâ€d never show on TV because itâ€s so boring and unremarkable – a guy on a phone – and have the person of interest walk up to them instead of the other way around. They could so easily film Braun on the warpath approaching Pearce who is standing 20 feet away when they begin the scene. Itâ€s the difference between coming across like a skit on a bad sitcom versus a more natural documentary or backstage roving sports report scene.) [c]
-They were filming Murphy yanking off his wrist tape. Then, Seth barged in and raged at Murphy that he should apologize to him. He said he has until 10 p.m. to come find him and apologize if he wants to remain his disciple or there will be hell to pay.
-Phillips plugged “an exclusive interview†with McIntyre.
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: Wow, congratulations, WWE Monday Night Raw, on this exclusive. I knew your hard work would pay off some day and youâ€d eventually have a “big get†like an interview with the WWE Champion. You deserve it.)
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “The Nicky’s Club” with Nick Barbati, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch†on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
[HOUR TWO]
-The KO Show: Kevin Owens said heâ€s felt different for a couple of days. He said he knows The Fiend changes people. He said tonightâ€s KO Show isnâ€t going to be about having a nice chat. He threw the chairs and sign out of the ring. He said itâ€s different tonight. He threw to a video package from Fridayâ€s Smackdown where Owens interviewed Alexa Bliss who said she has been cleansed by The Fiend, and then The Fiend attacking Owens.
Back in the ring, he said Fiend ripped the breath out of him. He said these dark souls keep going after him. He said first it was Aleister Black, and wondered if next itâ€d be The Brood. He told Bray to bring the puppets and his sweater vest out there. Bray appeared on the screen. He smiled and waved. Fiend said Kevin is his new friend, and itâ€s always nice to make new friends. He brought up finger painting and sleepovers and playing ball “or burying a body together in the woods.â€
The pig asked in a panic what happens if he gets drafted to different brand next week. The Rabbit said he doesnâ€t want to leave The Funhouse. Bray said friends stick together no matter what brand theyâ€re on. Bray (poorly) sang a song about how friends warm your heart. The Buzzard then ate the Rabbit as he said, “Til death do us part.â€
Owens called it a demented Mr. Rogers Reboot. He said they could have been friends, but theyâ€re not. He said he attacked him on Friday. He called him to the ring so he doesnâ€t have to wait until Friday to beat the hell out of you. Bray said, “Thatâ€s not very nice and I donâ€t like bullies, and neither does He.†He said whatâ€s going on between him and Bliss is not KOâ€s business. His voice got sinister and he said he has no idea what he got himself into. He said this Friday on Smackdown, heâ€ll know. They showed images of The Fiend. He waved bye.
After the jingle played, KO said heâ€s not waiting until Friday, so heâ€s going to find him. As he walked up the ramp, Aleister Black attacked him with Black Mass. [c]
-Charly Caruso interviewed Drew backstage. Drew said every time he sees Orton, heâ€s going to kick the crap out of him and it will continue in the main event all the way to Hell in a Cell. He said his answer is yes. “Iâ€m not locked inside the Cell with you, youâ€re locked inside the Cell with Drew McIntyre. Iâ€m not sending you to purgatory; Iâ€m sending you straight to hell.â€
-The announcers reacted. Joe said the Cell seems like the only setting to conclude this feud. Phillips talked about the Braun vs. Lee unsanctioned match. He threw to a sponsored video package on Braun.
(3) BRAUN STROWMAN vs. KEITH LEE
They locked up. Then circled each other, smiling with respect at each otherâ€s power. Lee checked Braun. Braun barely moved, then brushed his shoulder. Braun dropkicked Lee. Lee rolled to the floor. Braun went after Lee at ringside, but Lee kicked him as he charged. He kneed him and then whipped him toward the steps. Braun reverse-whipped Lee into the stairs instead. The ref counted to ten.
WINNER: Double countout in 2:00.
-Braun yelled at the ref for counting him out. He called him a moron. Braun then checked Lee into the barricade, which tipped over. Lee was down and slow to get up. They cut to a replay. Lee stood and eyed Braun. Officials tried to talk Braun out of going back after Lee. He pushed past them. Lee leaped off the stairs and went after Braun. They fought up the ramp. Lee shoved him into the LED boards. Lee tackled Braun off the stage onto a landing pad below. Three referees leaped down to check on them. “They need a forklift!†exclaimed Joe. (Great line there.)
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: I felt giving away this match with so little build was a mistake, but that segment made me want to see more between them.) [c]
-Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin made their ring entrance. [c]
-In the ring, MVP spoke before the match that Ricochet, Crews, and Ali are on notice. He said if they run around and try to play tough, prepare to fold when they see the black and gold. He said they – Hurt Business – fit the description of what nightmares are made of.
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: MVP is doing such consistently good work on the mic these days.)
-As he walked to the ring, Ali said MVP lost last week because he pushed back at him. Crews said with MVP, itâ€s always about the excuses. Ricochet interrupted and said he knows MVP gave him until the end of the night to make a decision. Ricochet then said, “Itâ€s a pass.†He laughed uproariously. He asked if he almost had him tricked. He asked if MVP is mad. MVP said heâ€s about to find himself on the business-end of some hurt. Ricochet said for the past couple of months, heâ€s been on the business-end of a beatdown.
(4) BOBBY LASHLEY & SHELTON BENJAMIN (w/MVP) vs. RICOCHET & APOLLO CREWS (w/Ali)
The Hurt Business isolated Ricochet. He made a comeback with a dropkick, tagged in Crews, and they clotheslined Lashley over the top rope to the floor. [c]
Lashley was working over Ricochet after the break. Next they took over on Crews for a while, including a high one-armed clothesline followed by Hurt Lock (Full Lashley/Full Nelson) for the tapout.
WINNERS: Hurt Business in 10:00.
-Backstage, Aaliyah told Murphy sheâ€s been waiting all night to talk to him. He apologized to her. She said he should be worried about Seth, not her. She asked Murphy if heâ€s really considering apologizing to Seth. He paused and took a deep breath and said he is. [c]
-Backstage MVP was singing and saying “those kids are fools†to Lashley and Shelton. Ali approached them. MVP said he must be out of his mind being around them alone. Ali told MVP when heâ€s done with him, heâ€s going to after Lashley and Shelton, too.
-They went back to the announcers at ringside who reacted to Ali. Phillips said heâ€s got moxey.
-Seth made his full ring entrance. He waited for Murphy to come out and apologize. Murphy made his entrance next. Phillips said there appear to be honest feelings between Murphy and Aaliyah. Joe noted how young Aaliyah is, and said Seth might be the only stable thing in his life. Seth insisted Murphy apologize. “It shouldnâ€t be this difficult!†he said. He began yelling and grabbed his beard. “I made you what you are,†he said. “I made you and I can break you.†He tackled Seth and punched away at him. He knocked Seth out of the ring and then tackled him over the announce desk. Seth swung a kendo stick, but Murphy ducked. He got a hold of the stick and bashed Seth. He told Seth to apologize to him. Seth begged him to stop. Seth called for Aaliyah. Seth said, “Iâ€m sorry.†Murphy dropped the stick. Seth then leaped at a disarmed Murphy and dug his thumbs into his eyes. Seth then whacked Murphy with the stick.
Seth grabbed a chair. Aaliyah ran out and covered Murphy. Seth backed away. Dominik ran out and had a serious talk with his sister. Rey and his wife walked out next. Seth walked up the ramp. Dominik asked Aaliyah, “Are you kidding me?†The Mysterio family left together. Seth was shown waiting for them backstage. Dominik asked Aaliyah to remember what Murphy did to their dadâ€s eye. “What were you thinking?â€
-They showed Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax chatting backstage. [c]
-They replayed clips of the Seth-Mysterio Family segment.
(5) NIA JAX & SHAYNA BASZLER vs. THE RIOTT SQUAD (Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan) – Womenâ€s Tag Team Title match
After Jax beat up Riott, Baszler asked for a tag. Jax hesitated, but finally did. Baszler worked over Riottâ€s arm, including stomping on it. As Jax beat up Riott at ringside, they cut to a break at 3:00. [c]
Riott tagged in Morgan and took over against Baszler a few minutes after returning from the break. Jax joined in. Four-way action ensued. Baszler caught Riott with a knee, then applied a Kirafuda Clutch for the tapout win. Riott had to pry Baszler off of Morgan after she didnâ€t release the sleeper.
WINNER: Baszler & Jax in 10:00 to retain the Womenâ€s Tag Team Titles.
-The Street Profits talked backstage about their scheduled main event match. They closed with “We Want the Smoke!†Drew walked up and dryly said, “The smoke is all yours, and Iâ€m going to kick the crap out of Randy.†They began their march to the ring. [c]
(6) MVP (w/Bobby Lashley, Shelton Bejamin) vs. ALI
As MVP dominated from the start, Saxton wondered if it was a mistake Ali came out alone. Ali did a 360 flip out of an MVP clothesline. Ali made a comeback with a kick to MVPâ€s head. MVP rolled to the floor to regroup with Shelton and Lashley. Then all three members of Hurt Business entered. They cornered Ali. The lights flickered. The Retribution logo appeared. They surrounded the ring as their logo appeared everywhere. MVP asked Ali if heâ€s with them. Ali joined them center-ring to fight alongside Hurt Business. Ali then rolled out of the ring and walked up to two of the Retribution members. Ali stared them down, then turned and smiled as if to reveal heâ€s with them. He ordered, “Get them!†Phillips gasped, “Oh my God!†Retribution attacked Ali. The announcers tried to make sense of what was going on.
WINNERS: No contest in 4:00.
-Retribution beat up Hurt Business as Ali watched. Joe asked how long Ali has been planning this. Ali entered the ring and looked around. He nodded and then Retribution lined up behind him, signalling that he was their leader pulling the strings from the beginning.
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: The problem here is that Iâ€m not sure the average viewer at home knew whether Ali revealing he was with Retribution meant he was turning heel or Retribution were babyfaces all along. Iâ€m still not 100 percent sure. They beat up a heel faction. I am overall happy because Ali deserves a more prominent role. Heâ€s great in the ring and has a real alpha personality and charisma that has never been close to fully utilized by WWE.) [c]
-Phillips touted Hurt Business as the only group that has stood up to Retribution. Joe again wondered how long Ali has been scheming this. Saxton said we know that Ali has been behind Retribution all along. (Do we know that? Or should I say, how does Saxton know that?) Phillips threw to a video package on the Draft.
-Orton made his ring entrance. Then Ziggler and Roode began theirs as they cut to a break. [c]
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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(7) RANDY ORTON & DOLPH ZIGGLER & ROBERT ROODE vs. THE STREET PROFITS & DREW MCINTYRE
Drew beat up Roode and Ziggler in the opening minute. Orton went for a sudden RKO, but Drew blocked it. Montez Ford leaped onto Roode and Ziggler at ringside, then yelled into the camera as they cut to a break a minute into the match. [c]
Back from the break, Roode took over against Ford with a spinebuster. Orton slammed Ford onto the announce desk. Phillips said it shattered one of their monitors. (Thatâ€s why they always move them first!) Orton taunted Drew as he beat up Ford. Ford recovered enough to put up a fight, but Orton yanked him hard to the mat. Orton took a cheap shot at Dawkins, then tried to lure Drew into the ring. Drew held off as the ref warned him. Ford then gave a distracted Orton a DDT. Orton tagged in Ziggler just as Ford tagged in Drew. He tossed Ziggler around and fended off Roode, then went after Orton, and dragged him into the ring. He mounted him and punched away. Ziggler and Roode swarmed Drew. Drew headbutted Roode and Ziggler. Dawkins then schoolboyed Ziggler for a near fall. Ziggler tagged in Orton who isolated Dawkins in his corner. He then gave him a draping DDT. Dawkins blocked an RKO and then gave him a spinebuster and tagged in Ford. Ford landed a frog splash for a believable near fall, broken up by Ziggler and Roode. Ziggler went for a Zig Zag on Ford, but Drew gave him a Claymore to knock him out of the ring. Drew then delivered a running boot to Roode. Orton, though, then caught Drew with an RKO for a three count.
WINNER: Orton & Ziggler & Roode in 11:00.
(Kellerâ€s Analysis: Stop the presses! A upcoming PPV challenger in a non-title tag match pinned the champion! The match was non-stop good action.)
A neck injury has prevented Kevin Owens from being around for much of John Cena’s retirement tour, but the former WWE grand slam champion still found a way to honor his longtime rival.
Owens got an early start on Halloween by dressing up as Cena:
“Can you see me?” Owens wrote in a post on Instagram.
Even though Halloween is still a few weeks away, true believers know it’s never too early to start celebrating as soon as the calendar flips to October.
Per Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News, Owens and his family were cosplaying as different pop-culture figures during a recent trip to the Magic Kingdom.
Owens went all out with his Cena attire, including wearing the knee pads with the jorts. The former WWE universal champion has been out of action since March due to a neck injury that resulted in his planned WrestleMania 41 match against Randy Orton being called off.
There has been no definite return date for Owens after he underwent neck fusion surgery, or if he will be able to get back in the ring at all, but he has said the hope is to be back at some point in 2026.
One of the many sad parts about Owens being out of action is it prevented fans from getting one more match between him and Cena. The two had a terrific feud in 2015 when Owens made his main-roster debut, challenging Cena for the United States title.
Owens even spoke about his hope of getting a match with Cena this year, specifically on May 31 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of their first showdown at Elimination Chamber.