Browsing: special

The uniforms of award winners from the 2024-25 NBA season will look a little different for opening week.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (MVP), Evan Mobley (Defensive Player of the Year) and Stephon Castle (Rookie of the Year) will have their respective trophy icons sewn above the Nike swoosh on the front of their uniforms.

Members of the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams will also don a specific patch. However, individual awards have precedence over that one. For example, Gilgeous-Alexander will only wear an MVP patch, although he was named to the All-NBA first team.

The patch will be worn only for their season debut, with 35 different players set to wear one. The uniform will then be auctioned off by Sotheby’s, the official game-worn source of the NBA, during the season. Each player will receive a uniform to keep.

The NBA is launching a new trophy patch program for the first game of the 2025-26 season to recognize award winners. NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson (Coach of the Year) and Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti (Executive of the Year) will wear lapels to acknowledge their accomplishments.

According to Christopher Arena, head of on-court and brand partnerships of the NBA, the league recognized how some players who win individual awards don’t get their moment of recognition. The Rookie of the Year may be on vacation when the award is announced, Arena referenced. The MVP or Defensive Player of the Year likely gets to hoist the trophy in front of his home crowd during the playoffs.

With the NBA looking to highlight its trophy icons announced in December 2022, the patch idea came to life.

“We wanted to shine a little bit of a light on what those trophies are, what they look like and give those players a little moment. Now, do I think at the first game of the year they’re all gonna get out there and get a standing ovation? Maybe not,” Arena told ESPN. “But they’re gonna walk in that day, they’re gonna see that trophy patch on their jersey and they’re gonna remember that that’s what they did and maybe it’s motivation for that one night.”

It’s a first-of-its-kind program separate from that of Fanatics/Topps, which organized debut patches for every NBA rookie’s first game and gold logos on the back of the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year award winner uniforms for the entire season. However, the league drew inspiration from it.

The NBA is no stranger to patches — they’ve been featured on uniforms for special occasions like the NBA Finals or Christmas Day games. But this is the furthest the league has gone for player recognition.

Each individual award trophy is named after a former player and features specific iconography on the patch. The Michael Jordan Trophy for the league’s most valuable player has a player leaping in the air. The base also has five sides in a nod to Jordan’s league MVPs.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP patch has five sides, similar to the Michael Jordan trophy. NBA

The patch on Gilgeous-Alexander’s uniform is similarly designed with five sides. Mobley’s uniform patch is a player in a defensive stance, sharing similarities with the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy he received.

It will be the same for Jalen Brunson (Clutch Player of the Year), Stephen Curry (Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year), Payton Pritchard (Sixth Man of the Year), Dyson Daniels (Most Improved Player of the Year) and Jrue Holiday (Sportsmanship Award). Their patches also have elements specific to their award trophy.

The league will track how the players and fans respond with hopes of the patches being a long-term inclusion.

“We want this to be a tradition, so when a player does win an award and he does have the opportunity to hold the trophy up or not, he knows that next season, I’m getting a patch,” Arena said.

He also emphasized the inclusion of All-NBA team members in the program. With there being 15 All-NBA members as opposed to 24 NBA All-Stars, Arena called the 15-member group “elite.” He added that one of the first things mentioned when looking back at a player’s career is their All-NBA team appearances.

No different than other awards, players aren’t able to bask in recognition for this specific accomplishment.

“Just by the way it works out and how we issue awards, it’s sort of the last thing we issue and we talk about. And so it doesn’t get the flowers like we were talking about …,” he said. “These 15 guys accordingly were the best in the league that year and we thought that was worthy of a patch.”

The patch each All-NBA team member will wear for the first game of the 2025-26 season. NBA

The idea came together over the summer with weeks of deliberation. The league looked at various options for locations, though NBA uniforms have a concrete placement for specific patches.

The league had discussions about featuring the patch on the back of the jersey above a player’s last name, which holds the Larry O’Brien Trophy icon, indicating how many championships a franchise has won. However, with the trophy in the center, adding the patch made it off-center with decision-makers struggling to identify if they should move it left or right. A shoulder stripe was also an option. However, it’s typically reserved for commemoration.

Eventually, they landed on the right side of the uniform above the Nike swoosh.

“We love our trophies. We love the tradition we’ve built. We love the consistency. The icons that we want them to become,” Arena said. “And so we’re hoping by giving them some front-facing exposure here, that people will start to connect the dots and they’ll be as revered as any other trophy in sports.”

Source link

Does anyone have it better than Tommy Fleetwood right now? One of the most likable golfers on Earth has suddenly turned into a world-beater, winning tournaments and piling up Ryder Cup victories.

On Sunday he added another trophy to his case, wining the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi, India. It’s Fleetwood’s eighth career DP World Tour title and adds to the success of his last couple of months.

In August, he won the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup title — including the $10 million bonus — to ease the sting of a series of close calls and finally kick the label as the best player to never have won on the PGA Tour. A month later he earned a team-high four points at the Ryder Cup, helping Europe win a rare road game.

“I think everybody needs something to push them or to motivate them,” Fleetwood said Sunday. “I apply myself in trying to achieve the best possible at all times, and there’s plenty of times where things haven’t gone my way, but the last two tournaments I’ve been in contention I’ve won, so maybe things are starting to even out a little bit.”

This week he was among a group of stars — including Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Viktor Hovland — playing the DP World Tour stop in India. Fleetwood held the 36-hole lead but trailed Keita Nakajima by two entering the final round.

Playing in the final pairing on Sunday, however, Fleetwood had extra motivation to pick up a victory — his son, Frankie, wanted to celebrate with him on the 18th green.

“We were playing golf last week. I mean, to be honest, he never shuts up, so there’s always something coming out of his mouth, and he just happened to say randomly, he said, ‘You know what you’ve never done?’ He said, ‘You’ve never won a tournament and I’ve been able to run on to the 18th green,’” Fleetwood said. “He just said it as a passing comment. I didn’t really say anything. I don’t think I said anything back to him, but I wrote it down when I got back, and I had it in my mind. I know that there’s events to come while we’re playing at home, and obviously I’m lucky that my family get to travel with me quite a lot. But it was something that I had wrote down. It was kind of this quote, it was: You have never won and I’ve run onto the green. That was the quote that was there, and that was something that would drive me.”

On Sunday, Fleetwood birdied four in a row from Nos. 7-10 to take a two-stroke lead over Nakajima, who managed just one birdie on the front nine. When Fleetwood stepped to the par-5 18th tee his lead was still two. He parred to shoot seven-under 65, finish 22 under and win by two.

Earlier in the week, the broadcast showed Frankie following his dad and mimicking his shots. On Sunday, Frankie was waiting by the 18th green.

“There’s going to be many more times where I hopefully get the chance to do that,” Fleetwood said. “But that was like all day today, had in my mind could I put myself in a position where I can actually make that moment happen. It’s just one of those little things it means a lot to me. It means so much to me. That was really cool. That’s what I wanted to do all day.”

Fleetwood’s eighth DP World Tour win also extends his season. He was not yet eligible for the two DP World Tour playoff events in November, but his win Sunday vaulted him from 94th to 25th in the Race to Dubai, making him eligible for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

“I’ve had such a great year, but there was a couple of things that disappointed me, and my run on the DP World Tour was one of those things,” Fleetwood said. “Just not being where I want to be in terms of the Order of Merit and things and how I’ve played when I have played this tour, that was something that was bothering me. This means a lot, this win.”

Football crossword, anyone?

Saturday morning is a time for lying in bed with a cuppa, the paper and a pen as you get involved with a puzzle – and that’s the thinking behind FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword.

Another crossword conquered. We applaud your dedication to the fine art of the puzzle, but now it’s time to move the needle back to pure, unadulterated football facts. You’re in safe hands, as these next challenges are brought to you, courtesy of Kwizly, and they require a true PhD in the history of the sport.

We start with the sheer scale of the English game. If you can name every club in the top seven tiers of English football, you’ve achieved something truly special. This challenge runs deeper than the Premier League and the Championship, right down to the regional trenches where true football heritage is built.

Speaking of history, we’re asking for gold, silver, and bronze. See if you can name every Ballon d’Or top three since 1992. We follow that with a challenge that crosses borders and requires remembering both the giants and the occasional shock appointment: can you name all 22 men to manage England?

We’re rounding out this session with two tests of supreme trophy knowledge. Firstly, name every player to win both the Champions League and Europa League. They are the double-European champions, and their ranks are small. Secondly, prove your domestic domination by naming every English champion, FA Cup winner and League Cup winner. Want more of this in your life? Be the first to know about new quizzes by signing up to the FourFourTwo newsletter today.

The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.

Source link

John Cena’s retirement match caused major plans to be changed by a WWE Hall of Famer.

Last year, John Cena confirmed that 2025 will mark the final year he will compete in WWE as a superstar before officially retiring in December. Throughout his Farewell Tour, he faced the likes of AJ Styles, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and more. After Crown Jewel last weekend, he only has four appearances left before his retirement match.

Last month, WWE confirmed that John Cena’s last match will occur on December 13, at Saturday Night’s Main Event at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Although a final match for The Cenation Leader has already been announced, his final opponent has yet to be revealed.

Throughout his Farewell Tour, John Cena paid tribute to his former rivals by doing their finishers during his matches. Now, it’s one of his former rivals’ turns to honor the 17-time World Champion before he officially hangs up the boots.

Booker T Moves Wrestling Event For John Cena’s WWE Retirement Match

On X (Twitter), Booker T, WWE Hall of Famer and owner of the Reality of Wrestling promotion, announced that he will move the company’s Subzero event to December 20 so that fans can properly support John Cena’s retirement match. The two-time Hall of Famer added that he wanted the wrestling world to come together to watch and honor The Cenation Leader as he wrestles for the final time.

In honor of @JohnCenaâ€s final match taking place December 13th on Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event, we at @TheOfficialROW have made the decision to move our annual winter event, #SubZero, to December 20th. Some moments in this business are bigger than any one show — and this is one of them. We want the entire wrestling world to come together to watch, reflect, and honor the greatest of all time as he takes his final bow. #ThankYouJohn“

In honor of @JohnCenaâ€s final match taking place December 13th on Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event, we at @TheOfficialROW have made the decision to move our annual winter event, #SubZero, to December 20th.

Some moments in this business are bigger than any one show — and this is one… pic.twitter.com/clY9afQm8p

— Booker T. Huffman (@BookerT5x) October 15, 2025

John Cena and Booker T shared the ring several times since 2004, mainly feuding for the United States title. At that year’s No Mercy event, the former defeated the latter in a Best of Five Series match to become the new US Champion.

Source link

Wales’ World Cup qualifier at home to Belgium on Monday already had the feel of a big game. Now, it has the makings of a defining night.

That is because Wales’ fate is back in their own hands, thanks to Belgium’s goalless draw at home to North Macedonia on Friday.

If Craig Bellamy’s side win their three remaining games, they will qualify for next summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

That, though, is quite a big if.

The most imposing hurdle to clear is arguably their next one.

This might not be the Belgium that finished third at the 2018 World Cup or the team that topped the world rankings just three years ago, but they are still formidable opponents with the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku among their phalanx of attacking talent.

Not that Wales are intimidated, not with a head coach as single-minded – and optimistic – as Bellamy.

“I believe there’s always a special moment coming,” he said.

“Players have been in this situation so many times over the last 10 years, especially Cardiff nights. When we’ve managed to qualify, it’s been here. The crowd is used to this environment and these moments.

“You just have to embrace it. Embrace it and enjoy it. Tomorrow night we’re home, full stadium, just enjoy every second of it.”

Source link

It was a good opening week of the season for the Florida Panthers.

After picking up a pair of one-goal victories over the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers to kick off their 2025-26 campaign, Florida welcomed the Ottawa Senators to Sunrise on Saturday and earned a resounding 6-2 victory over their divisional rivals.

Despite going into the season without several key players due to injury, the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions have continued humming along, playing their physically challenging brand of hockey while receiving contributions from up and down the lineup.

Florida has also gotten off to an excellent start on special teams. Weâ€ll see if all this success can continue once they hit the road next week.

For now, letâ€s get to the takeaways from Florida capping off a perfect 3-0-0 homestand:

POWER PLAY SUCCESS

The Panthers have scored power play goals in all three of their games so far this season.

Overall, theyâ€ve cashed in five times out of 12 opportunities, good for a 41.7% success rate that will be incredibly difficult to sustain over the course of an entire season.

All kidding aside, there are several reasons why Floridaâ€s power play has been so formidable, as they can throw two very unique units at you that each feature some potent offensive players.

They’re also keeping things relatively simple and leaning on the foundational pieces they began installing early in training camp.

“Weâ€re not overcomplicating it,†said Panthers defenseman Seth Jones. “Obviously we have new units this year, so we did a lot of work in the preseason to try to get everyone in the right spots and everyone understand what the plays are, and just being direct. It really ties into our five-on-five game, there’s nothing crazy about it.â€

STEADY ON PK

Just as Floridaâ€s power play has been a major source of strength, their penalty kill has been equally reliable.

Through three games, the Panthers†PK has killed off each of the seven power plays its been called upon to extinguish, allowing only seven total shots against while down a man.

As Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice pointed out, this yearâ€s killers have done well to replicate the success they found last season and, similarly to what Jones said about the power play, are doing so by keeping things simple.

“I don’t think that they’ve changed much,†Maurice said. “We look a little different on it because of the personnel that’s out, but the structure of it (looks the same). Those defensemen have done a really fine job of being able to play off of different forwards, and we’ve run a lot of different combinations. The D have done a nice job in that structure.â€

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ALL OVER

Florida has scored 11 goals over their three wins, with nine different players lighting the lamp.

The overall points have been spread evenly throughout the lineup as well.

Four of Floridaâ€s defenseman have multiple points (Seth Jones, Jeff Petry and Gus Forsling each have two assists), and representatives from all four of the Panthers forward lines have scored goals.

“It’s going to be the critical piece,†Maurice said of the teamâ€s depth scoring. “We going to have more nights of two and three (goals), like the first two games, than we will like tonight, so you need to have as many people as you can coming to the rink believing they can get score, that they have that positive feel. I think each line has generated enough that they’re feeling positive about their game, so they don’t really need to change it.â€

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS – FLORIDA

Panthers wrap up perfect season-opening homestand with 6-2 victory over Ottawa

Panthers pay tribute to former forward Nick Cousins during Senators visit to Sunrise

Dmitry Kulikov placed on IR, could miss several months with upper-body injury

Panthers Den: Opening the season with a pair of tight wins, previewing Ottawa matchup

Panthers to host Senators in matchup of teams who’ve played some very contentions games in recent years

Photo caption: Oct 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (11) scores a goal past Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

Source link

On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins were set to square off against the New York Rangers for the second time in three games to start the season. They got the best of Mike Sullivan’s Rangers the first time around in a 3-0 opening night shutout.

This game – even if it started out pretty promising – did not have the same result.

Trailing just 1-0 after the first period on a shorthanded goal by Mika Zibanejad and outshooting the Rangers, 9-4, the Penguins opened up the second period strong, as Ben Kindel scored his first career NHL goal to tie the game. But the Penguins allowed five unanswered goals to the Rangers and were defeated by a score of 6-1.

Even after Adam Fox scored to put the Rangers back in front, 2-1, the Penguins didn’t lose much momentum. However, it all seemed to go downhill after a missed holding call that saw Penguins’ forward Bryan Rust – who returned to the lineup Saturday after missing the first two games to injury – get hauled to the ice, and then a subsequent hooking penalty by Kindel resulted in a Rangers’ power play goal by Will Cuylle.

“Got on the wrong side of the puck, kind of a lazy penalty in the o-zone,” Kindel said. “So, something I definitely want back and will definitely learn from it. I can’t be costing my team like that. They scored a big goal on the power play there, and it kind of changed the momentum of the game, so just going to learn from those things.”

From there, New York took over. And, unfortunately, the special teams woes didn’t end there for the Penguins.

With less than five minutes to go in the second, the Penguins took a bench penalty for Too Many Men, and Fox lit the lamp for the second time in the game to put the Rangers up, 4-1. In the third period, Matt Rempe and Taylor Raddysh added goals for the Rangers, and they walked out winners.

Penguins’ Top Forward Prospect Ben Kindel Records First Career NHL Goal
Just one game after Pittsburgh Penguins’ 19-year-old defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke tallied his first goal in the National Hockey League on a beauty of a wrist shot off the rush, the other teenager on the Penguins’ roster did the same thing.

When Rust was asked what went wrong in the second period and on special teams, he chalked it up to the Penguins’ lack of response in the detail of their game.

“We didn’t handle it well,” Rust said. “We let in one goal there, and I just think we just kind of lost our details on both the kill and the PP.”

It wasn’t a pretty one, but there were some positives and negatives. Here are some thoughts and observations:

– There were few standout players in this game after the first 20 minutes of play, but I do want to start with Connor Dewar. He did not register a goal, but he tied for the team lead in shot attempts and was very noticeable.

In the first period, he generated a few scoring chances on his own. On one occasion, he forced a turnover at center ice and brought the puck into the offensive zone himself, skating around a defender before getting a shot off. He was cycling well down low, good on forecheck as per usual, and finding the net-front with regularity.

I quite liked Dewar’s game in the pre-season, and that has – so far – carried into the regular season.

– Probably the player who stood out positively the most in this game, however, was Filip Hallander.

He was everywhere. The 25-year-old forward was generating chances down low for his linemates, crashing the net, using his vision and playmaking skills to find the open man and get creative. The puck just kept finding him, and he kept delivering on creating space and generating chances.

Youth Movement Cultivating Fresh Identity For Penguins
On Thursday night against the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins’ rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke became the first teenager to score a goal for the Penguins since Daniel Sprong in 2015.

If anyone else deserved a goal Saturday, it was Hallander. He’s one of the hardest workers on this team, and if he keeps playing like this, that hard work is going to be rewarded.

– Speaking of deserving goals, what else can I say about Kindel and Harrison Brunicke?

Kindel did take that hooking penalty in the second period, but – that aside – he turned in another solid performance. His goal was a thing of beauty, as it certainly isn’t easy to snipe a longer-range wrister past one of the best goaltenders in the league in Igor Shesterkin. And, not only that, Kindel also capitalized off of a neutral zone turnover by the Rangers, and he carried the puck into the zone and scored off the rush.

His 200-foot game is really showing up for the Penguins, and he continues to get better.

“The offensive side, I think it’s been there pretty consistently,” head coach Dan Muse said. “This guy has got a lot of poise with the puck, puts himself in great areas, then defensively, I think it’s an area he’s continued to get better. He’s young. There’s going to be the details of the game, there’s going to be little things that constantly are coming up, as they should, and I think it’s just going to be good for just continuing to learn the game at this level.

“It’s different. This is the highest league in the world. So, while there’s been a lot of good, there’s also plenty of learning that should be taking place and will be taking place.”

Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) on X
TAKE A BOW, KID ðŸŒ

As far as Brunicke, it wasn’t a flawless game, but it was another good one. And there was a moment when the 19-year-old stood up for a teammate, too.

Near the end of the second period, Rangers’ rookie forward Noah Laba took Penguins’ forward Blake Lizotte down against the boards in front of the Rangers’ bench. Brunicke took exception and went after Laba, which did make the Penguins shorthanded again to start the third period.

However, the gesture didn’t go unnoticed by teammates.

“It’s huge. That kid is out there defending his teammate,” Rust said. “He isn’t scared to go in there. He isn’t scared to do something for the team, and I think that takes a lot of character.”

They’re both supremely talented players with elite hockey sense, and the returns in production are already starting to show. If they keep this up, they need to stay. Period. They’re getting better with each and every game, and they’ve earned it up to this point.

– Onward to the negative, I have not been particularly inspired by the play of Caleb Jones through three games. He is, by far, recording the lowest ice time per game among Penguins’ defensemen, and, speed aside, he just isn’t bringing much.

Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton – both right-shot defensemen – worked a bit on their off-sides during the pre-season, and they have both played their off-sides at some point. It’s probably about time to give one of those guys a game, anyway. The left side could benefit from some experimentation.

– Kris Letang was injured during this game and only played one shift in the third period. Muse said Letang is being evaluated for an injury, but he did not specify the type.

This will be an interesting situation to monitor, especially since the Penguin head out West next week. If he goes to injured reserve, the Penguins already have eight defensemen, and – as mentioned before – they have two right-shot defensemen who have been scratched for the first three games.

My feeling is that they may end up recalling a forward instead of another d-man, should Letang be out longer-term.

Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) on X
#LetsGoPens    head coach Dan Muse said defenseman Kris Letang is being evaluated for an injury.

– After two outstanding games, Erik Karlsson was not particularly good in this one. Like everyone else, he started out well in the first 20 – aside from failing to take away the pass on the shorthanded two-on-one that led to Zibanejad’s goal – and fell apart afterwards.

He wasn’t even credited with any giveaways in this game. It just looked like the life got sucked out of him in the second, and he began to get more hesitant with the puck, along with the rest of his teammates.

– On a positive note, it was a warm reception for Sullivan in Pittsburgh. The Penguins showed a nice tribute on the video board during the first TV timeout, and he received a standing ovation.

Sullivan has never been known to show emotion, but he got a little teary-eyed while this was happening. As the winningest coach in franchise history – and after 10 years in Pittsburgh – he deserved the ovation that he got.

Really nice tribute by the Penguins and by the Pittsburgh faithful.

Mike Sullivan’s Time In Pittsburgh Deserves To Be Celebrated
If folks have been keeping tabs on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last year and a half, they very well know that the organization is going through a plethora of change.

Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!

Source link

John Cena had a phenomenal surprise for AJ Styles tonight.

The two old rivals came face to face one last time at the latest Crown Jewel: Perth event from Australia. The TNA original was the first to enter the arena and the Cenation Leader entered second.

As the ring announcer Alicia Taylor was introducing John Cena, the 17-time world champion handed her a handwritten note and asked her to announce it next.

The note turned out to be a special introduction for AJ Styles, featuring a tribute to his storied career. It included mentions to his time in TNA and NJPW as well as WWE

” Ladies & Gentleman, The definition of Total Nonstop Action, the Ace and Undisputed Boss of The Bullet Club,

It is our honor as fans, and my honor as an opponent to see if he can beat up John Cena one final time, he is the face that runs the place, The Phenomenal, AJ Styles.”

Beautiful tribute from Cena to Styles ?

“Ladies & Gentleman, the definition of Total Non-stop Action. The ace and undisputed boss of The Bullet Club, it’s our honour as fans and my honour as an opponent to see if he can beat up John Cena one final time. He is the face that runs… pic.twitter.com/zfXcWjxjxz

— The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) October 11, 2025

The two arch-rivals then went on to deliver a classic match. John Cena continued his tradition of paying tribute to his rivals, busting out moves such as Sister Abigail and RKO during the bout.

In the end, Cena delivered a Tombstone Piledriver to Styles and followed it up with a big Attitude Adjustment for the pin. The two wrestling legends shook hands and shared the hug after the match to conclude the whole thing.

Source link

TNA Wrestling proved a real point and sent a dangerous message at ShowDown.

WWE NXTâ€s October 7 episode was a special ShowDown event, which was a major crossover between NXT and TNA Wrestling. The night was promoted as a battle of brands, and the event carried the energy of an invasion storyline, even if they had to change that event name.

The main event was a Menâ€s Survivor Series-style match that saw NXTâ€s Ricky Saints, Trick Williams, Jeâ€Von Evans, and Myles Borne take on TNAâ€s Mike Santana, Frankie Kazarian, Moose, and Leon Slater. Joe Hendry served as the special guest referee, adding even more intrigue to the contest.

Frankie Kazarian was able to take out Myles Borne early on, which gave TNA an advantage. Then Jeâ€Von Evans was eliminated by Leon Slater to make it 4 on 2 as they went to another commercial break.

The match continued until Trick Williams walked off on Ricky Saints, leaving him to fend for himself. The former Ricky Starks was alone with the rest of the TNA team, and things didnâ€t look good for him. Suddenly, he was able to get a pin on Frankie Kazarian to take him out of the match.

Leon Slater jumped on Saints after that, but the NXT Champion didnâ€t lay down. Then Saints was able to pin Slater as he turned a splash into a pin while he got his knees up. Moose jumped in next, but Saints fought him off the best he could. Saints kept taking all the abuse he could from Moose as Joe Hendry served as referee. Moose tagged in Mike Santana after that to continue the abuse on Saints. They continued and Moose accidentally speared Santana for a near fall, and then Moose nailed Saints with a powerbomb before Santana hit a Spin The Block to take out Ricky Saints for good and win the match for TNA Wrestling.

We will have to see what is next for TNA Wrestling and NXTâ€s relationship. This ShowDown event was certainly a special night for pro wrestling.

Whatâ€s your take on the ShowDown event, and how it all turned out? Do you think that they should have booked it better? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

Source link

The Hardy Boyz have cemented themselves in further into pro wrestling history.

The ShowDown event on the October 7 episode of WWE NXT also featured a Tag Team Championship Unification Match that brought together two generations of tag team wrestling. Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin of DarkState represented NXT as tag team champions, while TNA sent Matt and Jeff Hardy as with their tag team titles.

The two teams met with both championships on the line, each looking to walk away as the unified titleholders. Naturally, this was a match that a lot of people had their eyes on.

This match kicked off the historic show, and the Hardy Boyz showed up for their 3rd match in NXT ever, as they wore all white for the occasion. The Dudley Boyz and TNA President Carlos Silva were also at ringside for the match.

The Hardy Boyz are shoo-in WWE Hall of Famers, but they have never held the NXT Tag Team Titles. They walked into ShowDown with the full intention of adding another title to their vast collection.

Although only two members of DarkState were supposed to be in this match, all four members jumped the Hardy Boyz to start things off. Then Matt and Jeff fought them all off before the bell even rang. Then things got going, as both teams tried their best to keep up the matchâ€s momentum and gain an advantage.

They wrestled through a commercial break, and by the time we came back, Jeff Hardy was selling in the middle of the ring. Fans chanted for Hardy as the match continued. Then Jeff nailed a Whisper In The Wind on both DarkState members, so he could tag in his Broken brother.

Matt Hardy was able to get out of Doomsday Device and hit a Twist of Fate on each member. Jeff got the tag after that and he climbed up for a Swanton Bomb to win the match and claim the NXT Tag Team Titles. History was made at ShowDown, and now the Hardy Boyz will be around NXT much more often.

Whatâ€s your take on the tag team title match at ShowDown? Did the end surprise you at all? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

Source link