Browsing: legends

WorldofVolley :: Volleyball Legends Honored at the 2025 International Volleyball Hall of Fame Ceremony

The official induction ceremony for the International Volleyball Hall of Fame (IVHF) Class of 2025 has been held, celebrating some of the sportâ€s most remarkable figures whose careers have left a lasting impact on volleyball worldwide.

The Class of 2025 inductees include:

  • Dimitar Karov (Bulgaria) – Male Indoor Player
  • Ivan Miljković (Serbia) – Male Indoor Player
  • Rosa García Rivas (Peru) – Female Indoor Player
  • Francesca Piccinini (Italy) – Female Indoor Player
  • Laura Ludwig (Germany) – Female Beach Player
  • Kent Steffes (USA) – Male Beach Player
  • Jürgen Wagner (Germany) – Coach
  • Barry Couzner (Australia) – ParaVolley
  • Guillermo “Willy†Paredes (Argentina) – Referee

In addition to these inductees, the IVHF Special Awards recognized key contributors whose dedication and influence have advanced volleyball far beyond the court:

  • Joop Alberda – Mintonette Medallion of Merit
  • Professional Association of Volleyball Officials (PAVO) – Court of Honor Award
  • Peter Diamond – Mayoral Award of Excellence
  • Paul Sunderland – Award for Media Excellence
  • Elegant Affairs – William G. Morgan Award

As volleyballâ€s highest distinction, induction into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame symbolizes not only elite performance but also enduring contribution to the sportâ€s growth and spirit.

Following this yearâ€s ceremony, the Hall now proudly honors 185 players, coaches, referees, and leaders from 27 countries, solidifying its role as a beacon celebrating the gameâ€s global legacy.

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Pokemon Legends Z-A Review, Gameplay Impressions and Videos

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A continues a necessary evolution for the franchise that began with Pokemon Legends: Arceus in 2022.

While some may have seen Arceus as a mere one-off release, the Legends series has the potential to run adjacent to the core, traditional dual-release series because it truly enhances the Pokemon world in every way. Pokemon Legends: Z-A features improved gameplay, graphics, exploration, story and quality-of-life features.Â

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a perfect entry for gamers looking to jump into the world of Pokemon for the first time and especially for gamers who are already fans of the series. Blending mechanics from across different Pokemon titles, Z-A is a must-play for all Switch gamers.

The gameplay system of Pokemon Legends: Z-A makes for a more realistic game as the franchise continues experimenting in that direction. Whereas the traditional Pokemon games may be more lenient for younger or newer games because they can take their time with decisions, this system may be more enjoyable for advanced gamers or those who want a bit more agency and decision-making possibilities in their gameplay. As a result, this gameplay may be controversial to some who have grown accustomed to the traditional turn-based gameplay.Â

While still turn-based in a sense, this gameplay system is active with both trainers making decisions in real time. Gamers must hold down the ZL button to pull up the battle commands for their Pokemon and from there can select different moves. Once a command is used, players must wait for the command to replenish itself in order to use it again. While this is happening, the opponent is operating within the same system so it’s important to be mindful of which attacks have and haven’t been used by the opponent. Waiting for a Pokemon’s move to replenish is a much better system than a Pokemon having a set number of times they can use a move before needing to go to a Pokemon Center or using an item to replenish. Speaking of items, players can use certain items to increase how quickly a Pokemon will replenish their moves, which makes the speed stat feel even more important than in many other games.

Mega Pokemon is the featured mechanic and story element in Z-A. Certain Pokemon can transform into their Mega version if they have a specific item. The Mega mechanic, which enhances a Pokemon’s moves and can make boss fights quite challenging, may be controversial to those wanting to maintain a strictly traditional aspect from the original games. Outside of Mega forms, certain moves can also become Plus Moves, which triggers after a certain amount of time that the player can toggle to perform increased damage. Considering Pokemon has been around for nearly 30 years, it’s wise to continue experimenting. Given that Mega Pokemon are typically reserved for boss battles, it’s a welcomed new wrinkle for this experience.

Among the best aspects of Z-A is the emphasis on battling. While the franchise has always made it a point to feature battling as the player looks to obtain gym badges, Z-A switches the approach by having the player battle to improve their rank, starting at the bottom with a Z rank. From there, it’s all about battling to the top of the rankings. Z-A features an active day/night cycle and nighttime is when one specific area in the city becomes a battle zone for trainers to enter and earn points to eventually enter a promotion match to rank up. Within this battle zone, players can pick up cards that apply certain challenges for the player to meet to earn even more points, for example knocking out an opponent with fire-type moves. All of these systems layer on top of each other to create a highly engaging gameplay loop that is well paced and well done within the story. With the spotlight on battling to earn experience for Pokemon and earn points for promotion matches, nighttime is easily the most enjoyable time of the game.

In the city, wild Pokemon can attack the main character in specific zones called wild zones. If the player takes too much damage, they will black out just like would happen to a Pokemon in other games. It makes for a good addition to the gameplay because it adds another layer for the gamer to be mindful of not just during battles but when exploring the world. This mechanic helps the world feel more alive and dynamic, while providing the gamer with more to consider during battles as they switch between Pokemon. It can also be used as a strategic option to take a hit in place of a Pokemon to avoid them taking damage but the player can only take so many hits before blacking out so it’s an interesting strategy to implement.Â

Players need to be mindful of the environment during battles. For example, if there’s a structure in the way of an attack, the attack will hit the structure and not pass through it to the opposing pokemon. Players can use this to their own advantage as well so it adds another fun layer of strategy to each battle.Â

Even outside of battle, this applies to attempting to catch Pokemon. It’s an easy, seamless and more realistic system that avoids some of the nuisances of previous Pokemon games. For example, players can throw a Poke ball at a wild Pokemon to try to catch it if it is tame enough or the player can attack the Pokemon to knock them out first to increase the chances of catching the Pokemon. If a Pokemon is knocked out, the player has a very quick window to try to catch the Pokemon, which is significantly better than the old games where knocking out a Pokemon in battle wouldn’t allow the player an attempt to catch them. At Pokemon Centers, a non-play character will have the player’s errantly-thrown Poke balls available to receive at no cost, which is a brilliant quality-of-life feature because just by nature of the control scheme or camera it can be easy to misjudge a throw. These are just two of the many fantastic quality-of-life features in Z-A.

During battle, all Pokemon gain experience unless they were knocked out. Another smart quality-of-life feature is allowing players who fall to a boss battle to restart with the previous damage they dealt to the opponent. This allows players to avoid the frustration of having to start a boss from scratch after making significant progress. Considering some of these boss battles against Mega Pokemon can be challenging, especially if underleveled, this was a necessary inclusion.Â

Players can evolve Pokemon directly from the menu instead of them automatically evolving after leveling up, which is a great change from the original games in case players don’t want to evolve a specific Pokemon. Players can swap a Pokemon’s moves in the menu instead of Pokemon forgetting moves, which is another amazing quality-of-life feature that the original games would have benefited from including.

Of course, Pokemon Legends: Z-A includes multiplayer for ranked and private battles, plus trading. These features have always been a core aspect of Pokemon dating back to the original Game Boy. Given the enhancements in gameplay, it’s going to be awesome to watch competitive matches and battle friends because of the many different party combinations.

The map is fantastic with clear objective markers to avoid getting lost. It’s easy to identify which missions are for the main story and which are side quests (which there are dozens of throughout the game). Players can fast travel to previously-visited locations quickly with minimal loading time, especially when playing on the Nintendo Switch 2. The verticality of the world is impressive with tons of items to find. One Pokemon can follow the player around, which has always been a welcomed feature ever since it was seen in Pokemon Yellow. It’s not just for show either, it’s crucial for exploration because certain maneuvers by a Pokemon can create new paths or destroy obstacles, such as a boulder or pile of sludge, to progress to new areas or find items.Â

Finally, Pokemon Legends: Z-A runs smoothly with no technical issues or glitches whether running in TV mode or handheld on Nintendo Switch 2. Although there’s still no voice acting, the soundtrack and sound effects are very well done. The game does a good job throughout the story of giving background and personality to the different characters, especially those closest to the main character. Compared to previous games, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is easily the best-looking Pokemon game to date. Environments of Lumiose City look great. Depending where the player is in the city, it can be populated with people and Pokemon, or appear to be barebones and isolated to give it an unsettling atmosphere. It’s awesome to see people and Pokemon both out and about in the city because it makes it feel one step closer to realizing that dream of seeing the anime come to life in a video game. The Legends series has done the best job at recreating that feeling and Z-A is another step in the right direction for the franchise achieving that vision.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is easily one of the best Pokemon games ever released regardless of genre. The Legends series continues to trend in a more mature direction for the series with its gameplay, graphics and story.Â

The more active, fast-paced gameplay of Z-A requires more quick thinking and planning from the player compared to the traditional turn-based series. There is more challenge in battles and even exploration in Z-A compared to most Pokemon games, which will be a welcomed addition for more experienced gamers. Although the Mega mechanic may be controversial for some gamers, the difficulty spike helps push Z-A to being a more strategic game instead of mindlessly mashing the attack button.Â

Featuring a well-paced story with a compelling mystery and arguably the best gameplay in the franchise to date, Pokemon Legends: Z-A manages to surpass Pokemon Legends: Arceus and cement itself as one of the best games in franchise history. In a packed year for Nintendo featuring Game of the Year contenders Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a must-play hit.

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Pokemon Legends Z-A Review, Gameplay Impressions and Videos

blank

Pokemon Legends: Z-A continues a necessary evolution for the franchise that began with Pokemon Legends: Arceus in 2022.

While some may have seen Arceus as a mere one-off release, the Legends series has the potential to run adjacent to the core, traditional dual-release series because it truly enhances the Pokemon world in every way. Pokemon Legends: Z-A features improved gameplay, graphics, exploration, story and quality-of-life features.Â

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a perfect entry for gamers looking to jump into the world of Pokemon for the first time and especially for gamers who are already fans of the series. Blending mechanics from across different Pokemon titles, Z-A is a must-play for all Switch gamers.

The gameplay system of Pokemon Legends: Z-A makes for a more realistic game as the franchise continues experimenting in that direction. Whereas the traditional Pokemon games may be more lenient for younger or newer games because they can take their time with decisions, this system may be more enjoyable for advanced gamers or those who want a bit more agency and decision-making possibilities in their gameplay. As a result, this gameplay may be controversial to some who have grown accustomed to the traditional turn-based gameplay.Â

While still turn-based in a sense, this gameplay system is active with both trainers making decisions in real time. Gamers must hold down the ZL button to pull up the battle commands for their Pokemon and from there can select different moves. Once a command is used, players must wait for the command to replenish itself in order to use it again. While this is happening, the opponent is operating within the same system so it’s important to be mindful of which attacks have and haven’t been used by the opponent. Waiting for a Pokemon’s move to replenish is a much better system than a Pokemon having a set number of times they can use a move before needing to go to a Pokemon Center or using an item to replenish. Speaking of items, players can use certain items to increase how quickly a Pokemon will replenish their moves, which makes the speed stat feel even more important than in many other games.

Mega Pokemon is the featured mechanic and story element in Z-A. Certain Pokemon can transform into their Mega version if they have a specific item. The Mega mechanic, which enhances a Pokemon’s moves and can make boss fights quite challenging, may be controversial to those wanting to maintain a strictly traditional aspect from the original games. Outside of Mega forms, certain moves can also become Plus Moves, which triggers after a certain amount of time that the player can toggle to perform increased damage. Considering Pokemon has been around for nearly 30 years, it’s wise to continue experimenting. Given that Mega Pokemon are typically reserved for boss battles, it’s a welcomed new wrinkle for this experience.

Among the best aspects of Z-A is the emphasis on battling. While the franchise has always made it a point to feature battling as the player looks to obtain gym badges, Z-A switches the approach by having the player battle to improve their rank, starting at the bottom with a Z rank. From there, it’s all about battling to the top of the rankings. Z-A features an active day/night cycle and nighttime is when one specific area in the city becomes a battle zone for trainers to enter and earn points to eventually enter a promotion match to rank up. Within this battle zone, players can pick up cards that apply certain challenges for the player to meet to earn even more points, for example knocking out an opponent with fire-type moves. All of these systems layer on top of each other to create a highly engaging gameplay loop that is well paced and well done within the story. With the spotlight on battling to earn experience for Pokemon and earn points for promotion matches, nighttime is easily the most enjoyable time of the game.

In the city, wild Pokemon can attack the main character in specific zones called wild zones. If the player takes too much damage, they will black out just like would happen to a Pokemon in other games. It makes for a good addition to the gameplay because it adds another layer for the gamer to be mindful of not just during battles but when exploring the world. This mechanic helps the world feel more alive and dynamic, while providing the gamer with more to consider during battles as they switch between Pokemon. It can also be used as a strategic option to take a hit in place of a Pokemon to avoid them taking damage but the player can only take so many hits before blacking out so it’s an interesting strategy to implement.Â

Players need to be mindful of the environment during battles. For example, if there’s a structure in the way of an attack, the attack will hit the structure and not pass through it to the opposing pokemon. Players can use this to their own advantage as well so it adds another fun layer of strategy to each battle.Â

Even outside of battle, this applies to attempting to catch Pokemon. It’s an easy, seamless and more realistic system that avoids some of the nuisances of previous Pokemon games. For example, players can throw a Poke ball at a wild Pokemon to try to catch it if it is tame enough or the player can attack the Pokemon to knock them out first to increase the chances of catching the Pokemon. If a Pokemon is knocked out, the player has a very quick window to try to catch the Pokemon, which is significantly better than the old games where knocking out a Pokemon in battle wouldn’t allow the player an attempt to catch them. At Pokemon Centers, a non-play character will have the player’s errantly-thrown Poke balls available to receive at no cost, which is a brilliant quality-of-life feature because just by nature of the control scheme or camera it can be easy to misjudge a throw. These are just two of the many fantastic quality-of-life features in Z-A.

During battle, all Pokemon gain experience unless they were knocked out. Another smart quality-of-life feature is allowing players who fall to a boss battle to restart with the previous damage they dealt to the opponent. This allows players to avoid the frustration of having to start a boss from scratch after making significant progress. Considering some of these boss battles against Mega Pokemon can be challenging, especially if underleveled, this was a necessary inclusion.Â

Players can evolve Pokemon directly from the menu instead of them automatically evolving after leveling up, which is a great change from the original games in case players don’t want to evolve a specific Pokemon. Players can swap a Pokemon’s moves in the menu instead of Pokemon forgetting moves, which is another amazing quality-of-life feature that the original games would have benefited from including.

Of course, Pokemon Legends: Z-A includes multiplayer for ranked and private battles, plus trading. These features have always been a core aspect of Pokemon dating back to the original Game Boy. Given the enhancements in gameplay, it’s going to be awesome to watch competitive matches and battle friends because of the many different party combinations.

The map is fantastic with clear objective markers to avoid getting lost. It’s easy to identify which missions are for the main story and which are side quests (which there are dozens of throughout the game). Players can fast travel to previously-visited locations quickly with minimal loading time, especially when playing on the Nintendo Switch 2. The verticality of the world is impressive with tons of items to find. One Pokemon can follow the player around, which has always been a welcomed feature ever since it was seen in Pokemon Yellow. It’s not just for show either, it’s crucial for exploration because certain maneuvers by a Pokemon can create new paths or destroy obstacles, such as a boulder or pile of sludge, to progress to new areas or find items.Â

Finally, Pokemon Legends: Z-A runs smoothly with no technical issues or glitches whether running in TV mode or handheld on Nintendo Switch 2. Although there’s still no voice acting, the soundtrack and sound effects are very well done. The game does a good job throughout the story of giving background and personality to the different characters, especially those closest to the main character. Compared to previous games, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is easily the best-looking Pokemon game to date. Environments of Lumiose City look great. Depending where the player is in the city, it can be populated with people and Pokemon, or appear to be barebones and isolated to give it an unsettling atmosphere. It’s awesome to see people and Pokemon both out and about in the city because it makes it feel one step closer to realizing that dream of seeing the anime come to life in a video game. The Legends series has done the best job at recreating that feeling and Z-A is another step in the right direction for the franchise achieving that vision.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is easily one of the best Pokemon games ever released regardless of genre. The Legends series continues to trend in a more mature direction for the series with its gameplay, graphics and story.Â

The more active, fast-paced gameplay of Z-A requires more quick thinking and planning from the player compared to the traditional turn-based series. There is more challenge in battles and even exploration in Z-A compared to most Pokemon games, which will be a welcomed addition for more experienced gamers. Although the Mega mechanic may be controversial for some gamers, the difficulty spike helps push Z-A to being a more strategic game instead of mindlessly mashing the attack button.Â

Featuring a well-paced story with a compelling mystery and arguably the best gameplay in the franchise to date, Pokemon Legends: Z-A manages to surpass Pokemon Legends: Arceus and cement itself as one of the best games in franchise history. In a packed year for Nintendo featuring Game of the Year contenders Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a must-play hit.

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WWE Plans For Long-Term NXT/TNA Invasion Story Revealed, Returning Legends Expected

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WWE and TNA are moving forward into a new chapter of their historic working alliance. As a highly-anticipated creative program kicks off, new details are being leaked on just how complex plans are.

Shawn Michaels and Carlos Silva led their brands into another battle on Tuesday’s live NXT episode. The 12-minute main event saw NXT Champion Oba Femi defend his title against fellow WWE talent Trick Williams, who also had his TNA World Championship on the line. The referee called the match when TNA’s Mike Santana, who was on commentary, got into it with Williams at ringside.

For days there had been talk of another massive interpromotional brawl, which was fueled by TNA wrestlers sitting in the crowd for Tuesday’s episode. The competition hit the ring after the NXT vs. TNA title match ended in a No Contest, and this emptied the locker-room as male and female stars from both companies began brawling while the crowd went wild.

Several TNA wrestlers were also seen backstage throughout Tuesday’s show. The company was represented by Eric Young, Matt Cardona, Moose, Frankie Kazarian, Cedric Alexander, The IInspiration, Steve Maclin, Steph De Lander, Mance Warner, Lei Ying Lee, Xia Brookside, Zachary Wentz, and Victoria Crawford.

Michaels made it known that the war is not over. WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development shared a post-show clip from behind-the-scenes.

“This doesn’t end here @ThisIsTNA. #WeAreNXT,” Shawn Michaels wrote.

The warning from Michaels fueled speculation on WWE sending a crew of Superstars to TNA’s Impact tapings. Now word is that the NXT vs. TNA storyline will be a major part of the build to the 21st Bound For Glory pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Sunday, October 12 in Lowell, MA at the Tsongas Center.

WWE Has Big Plans For NXT vs. TNA

The NXT vs. TNA invasion angle kicked off to major buzz this month, and sources are now revealing how this storyline will be a longterm program involving top talents from both brands. Fightful Select adds that the creative direction is set to continue well through Bound For Glory.

NXT is set to have “an accelerated presence” on WWE programming, apparently to help with buzz for the TNA invasion angle. WWE brought several familiar faces, and notable names, to NXT this week, including talents that have not worked the NXT-TNA partnership until now. While there are some wrestlers that WWE officials do not want featured, there is talk of using some former Superstars or legends, including The Hardys.

Fans recently noticed how TNA does not have a TV taping scheduled for the week after Bound For Glory, but they do have three Impact tapings scheduled for November 13-15 at a venue to be named in Orlando, Florida. The latest report from backstage is that this scheduling is not an accident as it will factor into the NXT vs. TNA storyline going well through Bound For Glory.

Sources could not confirm what is planned, but it was noted that we could see “something unconventional or different” for TNA TV tapings coming out of Bound For Glory. In regards to rumors of TNA taping at the WWE Performance Center, it was said that the dates would not be listed on ticketing websites this early, if that is the plan.

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WWE Legend’s Daughter Is A Candidate To Join SmackDown Faction

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Arianna Grace hopes to join Chelsea Green’s Secret Hervice on WWE SmackDown.

WWE legend Santino Marella’s daughter Arianna Grace, who currently performs on NXT, has also appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where she acted as the liaison between both promotions. Interestingly, her father is currently signed to TNA.

Meanwhile, Chelsea Green’s right-hand woman, Piper Niven, ambiguously disappeared from SmackDown a few weeks ago. The other day, Green addressed the Scotswoman’s absence onX/Twitter and noted that she had sent Niven off to do a “top-secret special assignment.†In the meantime, she also declared that there was a temporary opening in her faction.

Green urged the WWE roster to send in their resumes. Enter Grace!

Arianna Grace Expresses Interest In Joining Chelsea Green On WWE SmackDown

It seems like the perfect opportunity for Triple H to bring in an NXT darling to the main roster.

Chelsea Green is someone any young star can pick up a thing or two from. Arianna Grace, 28, would greatly benefit from Green’s mentorship on the main roster.

Grace playfully wrote to Chelsea on X/Twitter, reminding Green that she was also Canadian-American, and that she wanted to submit her resume.

I selfie everyday, am great with emojis, my Starbucks order never gets messed up, when the WiFi is out- I just use my data and Iâ€m Canadian and American! Iâ€d like to submit my resume. @ImChelseaGreen,” wrote Grace.

The Green Regime had been making NXT appearances in the last several months. In fact, the successful pairing of Chelsea and current North American Champion Ethan Page got WWE wondering whether it would be better if Page should debut on the main roster by aligning with the former Women’s United States Champion.

Chelsea Green has often been cited as a fast-learning, championship-worthy all-rounder in WWE. But so far, she has mostly performed as comic relief. While that is also one of her strong points, perhaps her faction’s appeal could help her climb up the ranks and cement her position in the women’s division? Only time will tell.

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