Browsing: success

Seeing Cody Rhodes have so much success makes Arn Anderson feel like a proud uncle.

The two aren’t related by blood, but Anderson has been close with the Rhodes family since he and Cody’s late father Dusty were fierce in-ring rivals. Anderson — who has known Cody since he was young — served as Cody’s on-screen advisor in AEW and also made a special appearance with him at a WWE event last year.

Rhodes is currently on his second reign as WWE Champion, having won the title from John Cena at SummerSlam this August. Busted Open Radio asked Anderson what it was like as a viewer to see Rhodes defeat Cena (who Anderson also played a role in mentoring) in that passing of the torch moment.

“Like a doting uncle. Very, very proud of him,” Anderson responded. “Because he did it the right way. He had a tough road to climb being Dusty Rhodes’ son. You know, most people don’t realize, he’s always going to be compared to his dad. That’s not fair, because nothing about him is like his dad was. They were both megastars in different ways, different eras, in different times in the business. I would just say his dad would be very proud.”

Rhodes’ next title defense is set for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1. He’ll be facing off against Drew McIntyre.

On November 20, Anderson is scheduled to make an appearance for MLW at a live special in Charleston, South Carolina. His son Brock Anderson is part of the MLW roster.

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Mark Scheifele couldnâ€t have asked for a better start to this season.

Over the weekend, Scheifele surpassed mentor Blake Wheeler as the Winnipeg Jets†all-time points leader. On Monday, he scored for the fifth consecutive game in Winnipegâ€s win against the Calgary Flames — his longest goal streak since February 2022.

And to top it all off, the Jets, who won the Presidents†Trophy last season with 116 points, are back near the top of the standings after winning five in a row.

“Heâ€s been such a consistent player,†Jets coach Scott Arniel told reporters after Scheifele broke Wheelerâ€s record. “He has such great offensive skills and instincts.â€

Scheifele, 32, is out to prove that his 39 goals and career-high 87 points last season were not an outlier (and that he deserves a spot on Team Canada at the Winter Olympics). Truthfully, it will be difficult for him to continue scoring on 26.9 per cent of his shot attempts — more than double his rate from last season (11.9 per cent). But he is getting to the high-danger scoring areas far more frequently, which could allow him to maintain his inflated shooting percentage for a little longer.

Roughly 80 per cent of Scheifeleâ€s shot attempts (21 of 26) have come from the slot. Only Montrealâ€s Juraj Slafkovsky (82.8 per cent) has taken a higher percentage of his shots from the slot out of the 144 forwards with at least 20 attempts this season. (Last season, 64.2 per cent of Scheifeleâ€s shot attempts came from the slot, leading to 33 of his 39 goals.)

After netting the game-winning goal against the Flames on Monday, Scheifele credited his linemates, Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi, for helping to spark his blazing-hot start. Winnipeg has outscored its opponents 5-2 at 5-on-5 over the 69-plus minutes when its top line has been on the ice. Connor has been setting up Scheifele exquisitely, feeding him on all three of his one-timer goals.

Connor, Scheifele and Vilardi have picked up where they left off last season, when they formed the highest-scoring line in the NHL with 50 on-ice goals at 5-on-5. But it is worth noting that they have not dominated territorially. The Jets have generated 44.6 per cent of the expected goals at 5-on-5 during the top lineâ€s minutes, compared to 51.5 per cent a season ago.

Collectively, the Jets have a 37.2 xGF% at 5-on-5, including a league-worst 8.06 expected goals for (1.81 per 60 minutes). Scheifeleâ€s goal-scoring frenzy has helped prop up the Jets, as has the play of reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, who has already stolen three games this season based on the number of goals he has saved above expected. Hellebuyck has recorded steals in each of his past two starts, saving a combined six goals above expected against the Flames and Nashville Predators.

Most of Hellebuyckâ€s best work has been done on the penalty kill, where he has saved 6.6 of his league-leading 9.5 goals above expected. That is why Winnipeg has stopped a league-best 96.3 per cent of opposing power plays despite ranking 26th in shorthanded shot quality against per two minutes.

“When you have (Hellebuyck) in net or (Eric Comrie), you trust in those guys so much,†said Scheifele, who is averaging a career-high 1:18 of shorthanded ice time per game. “Iâ€m still getting used to it. Thereâ€s still some bad reads that I make out there and (have) got to clean up.â€

It isnâ€t easy following up on a Presidents†Trophy season. Since 2005-06 (excluding shortened seasons), the winners of that award have averaged around a 15-point decline the year after finishing atop the league standings.

The Jets†good fortune is bound to run out eventually, but the good news is that critical reinforcements are on the way in the form of key defensive forward/captain Adam Lowry, top-six winger Cole Perfetti and top-four defenceman Dylan Samberg. All three will bolster the Jets†lineup. In the meantime, Winnipeg will continue to lean on Scheifele and Hellebuyck as the team banks points that could prove critical come April.

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October 16, 2025 | Chris Bryden

Bramford Community Table Tennis Club are celebrating being nominated for this year’s Active Suffolk awards.

The club, formed back in 2024 as a direct result of a Ping In The Community project, supported by both Table Tennis England and Active Suffolk through their Fit Villages initiative, have been shortlisted for the ‘Active Community of the Year’ award, with the winner of each respective category being announced on Friday 14th November at Trinity Park in Ipswich.

Since the formation of the group last year, the club has seen a surge in membership and an increased sense of belonging to those in the village.

With an ‘all abilities welcome’ mantra, Bramford Community TTC is helping to reduce social isolation by getting people out of the house and onto a table tennis table with the hope of developing a sense of community.

Table Tennis England earlier in the year worked alongside the club and Active Suffolk to produce a Spotlight On piece about the impact the group has had on the local community. This can be viewed below:

For a list of full nominations for the 2025 Active Suffolk awards, please see the link below:

A huge congratulations from all at Table Tennis England and best of luck to Bramford Community Table Tennis Club in mid-November at the awards evening!

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MONTREAL — Cole Caufield finished a dizzying overtime sequence with a highly skilled shot that beat Joey Daccord and stamped a dramatic 5-4 win over the Seattle Kraken in the Montreal Canadiens’ home opener at Bell Centre on Tuesday.

He had rifled home the goal that made it 2-1 Canadiens in the eighth minute of the second period, too. The puck came to him and was off his stick in a millisecond, uncorked in a way few in the NHL could replicate.

That was 30 minutes of game action before Ivan Demidov produced his second highlight-of-the-night-candidate — a gorgeous move that froze Daccord and tied the game 4-4.

The fifth pick in the 2024 NHL Draft produced his first with a high-speed, pull-up-and-pass play to Alex Newhook for a tap-in that opened the scoring.

Yes, fans in attendance were treated to Caufield and Demidov making game-altering plays and tapping into their natural talents to remind everyone how fortunate the Canadiens are to have them.

Nick Suzuki has done that, too, since the start of the season, producing a league-high six assists through four games. And Lane Hutson, fresh off signing his eight-year, $70.8-million contract extension Monday, came with his best on Tuesday.

But the Canadiens know they wouldnâ€t be 3-1 on their season without the ordinary plays Mike Matheson has made in the background.

Yes, it is the ordinary that has made Matheson “exceptional so far,†according to Newhook.

Martin St. Louis said, “Mikeâ€s been tremendous.â€

“Without him, who knows where we are?†asked Caufield.

And Suzuki, who called Matheson Montrealâ€s best defenceman, put his finger on why heâ€s made such an impact to this strong start.

“I think as heâ€s gotten older, heâ€s found a way to feel out the game more and not take as much risk,†the captain said. “Mikeâ€s been so poised. Perhaps more so this season than Iâ€ve seen before.â€

If the 32-year-old keeps it up, he becomes indispensable to the Canadiens.

You know theyâ€re thinking it.

After locking up Hutson on Monday and signing five-year contract extensions for themselves Tuesday, Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes must be contemplating what itâ€ll take to keep Matheson in Montreal beyond this year. The Pointe-Claire, Que. native is in the final year of a deal paying $4.85 million per, and heâ€s undeniably a huge piece of the fabric thatâ€s woven the vaunted culture of the Canadiens, and they know it.

Itâ€s what they hoped Matheson would be when they traded for him four summers ago.

He put up 19 goals and 96 points over his first 130 games. And then, with Hutsonâ€s arrival, he assumed the role of becoming their top shutdown defenceman and leading penalty killer.

The transition wasnâ€t necessarily as smooth for Matheson as his patented skating stride, but it wasnâ€t nearly as rocky as some in the market made it out to be last year.

But now? With more experience under his belt?

Matheson looks as comfortable as can be in his role, and the Canadiens are benefitting tremendously.

Theyâ€ve felt it since the start of the season, but they particularly felt it on Tuesday night, when they were prone to complicating the game and playing “jumpy,†as Newhook put it.

Matheson was sure-footed and steady, calming play that needed to be calmed.

Itâ€s been what heâ€s done since the season started. With the depth of the Canadiens bolstered, and with game-changing talent throughout their lineup, Matheson has been able to use his teammates more efficiently and adopt a less-is-more approach thatâ€s increased his value.

It is the approach he thinks all the Canadiens should have.

“You look around the league, especially teams that are successful in the playoffs, they play boring hockey,†Matheson said. “As much as that might not be the most fun to watch all the time, thatâ€s what wins. It gets people off their feet when thereâ€s a really nice move or something like that, but more times than not it doesnâ€t work. I think weâ€re understanding more and more that the more connected we are, the more we use each other, the better and better weâ€ll be.â€

Right now, heâ€s driving that.

“Itâ€s hard to say ‘simple†with all he does, but at the end of the day his role on the team has definitely changed a lot and it takes a special person and player to kind of adapt to his role that way,†said Caufield. “To all of us, we know how special a player and person he is. Every day, he just works. Itâ€s special to have a player like that. Heâ€s a huge leader for our team. He plays against their top line every night, kills penalty, goes back and breaks the puck out every time and takes a hit. Where heâ€s come is a long way, and heâ€s a very special piece to have.â€

Matheson will be a difficult piece to keep.

The Canadiens wonâ€t be able to do it at just any price. But losing him might cost them more.

Itâ€ll require a fair deal and a strong pitch to keep Matheson from the allure of unrestricted free agency as the salary cap is skyrocketing and the scarcity of minute-munching, penalty-killing, offence-stimulating defenceman like him becomes more and more evident. The Canadiens will be incentivized to give it to him if he keeps playing as he has.

Matheson would welcome that with open arms.

He called the opportunity to potentially stay with the Canadiens and see through the process theyâ€ve embarked on together over the time heâ€s been in Montreal “super motivating.â€

But Matheson also said heâ€s not spending his days thinking about anything other than the plays heâ€ll have to make to help the Canadiens win their next game.

His mind is in the right place, and thatâ€s as much a reason the Canadiens are off to a good start as the game-breaking plays some of his teammates have delivered.

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  Sean AllenOct 13, 2025, 03:00 PM ET

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  Sean Allen is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. He was the 2008 and 2009 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year.

The 2025-26 NHL season is underway, and every team has played at least twice in the league’s first week, with the New York Rangers playing a league-leading four times.

If you’re in daily leagues, paying attention to the upcoming schedule and player pickups is essential to keeping your roster competitive.

Every Monday, we’ll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We’ll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.

Resources: Goalie depth chart | Daily lines | Projections | Play for free | Player rater | Most added/dropped | Mock draft lobby | How to watch

Forwards

Anton Lundell, LW, Florida Panthers (2.87 FPPG, 38.0% available): While the best advice is to not overreact to early-season results that get amplified by the excitement of the return of hockey, you don’t want to sleep on a potential breakout when there are other reasons to buy in. Lundell’s availability is slipping quickly, but there might still be time to pickup the Panthers’ answer to Aleksander Barkov’s likely season-long absence. Bonus for custom leagues: Lundell’s LW eligibility is like getting a free extra center in your lineup.

It’s your league. Run it how you want.

Choose your league size, customize the scoring and set the rules you want to create the fantasy hockey league you want to play in.

Create your custom league for free!

Elias Lindholm, RW, Boston Bruins (3.43 FPPG, 35.9% available): While we are on centers you can sneak into your lineup at other positions, can you find it in your heart to forgive Lindholm’s disappointing first season with the Bruins? The Bruins have seemingly forgiven him and trotted him back as the center atop their very top-heavy depth chart. Lindholm has two goals and two assists across the first three games, and looking like he’s in sync with David Pastrnak this season.

Shane Pinto, C, Ottawa Senators (5.10 FPPG, 69.9% available): Set aside for a moment Pinto’s role as a member of the Senators top power-play unit; his even-strength line with Claude Giroux and Ridly Greig already has three goals across two games when on the ice together. They are also one of the top 10 lines early in the season for shot attempts rate. Now, recall that Pinto also gets to take the ice with Ottawa’s top catalysts on the advantage.

Matty Beniers, C, Seattle Kraken (3.00 FPPG, 85.9% available): It makes sense when you consider the results to this point of his career, but it still looks weird to see Beniers available in the vast majority of fantasy leagues. Before you get completely tired of him, remember he isn’t 23 until November and the early returns from this season show him as the Kraken’s true No. 1 center. His line with Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle is getting top-tier 5-on-5 minutes and staying together on the power play.

Marco Kasper, C, Detroit Red Wings (2.00 FPPG, 30.1% available): Just like the 2021-22 version of Dylan Strome, Kasper finds himself between Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. While Kasper’s wingers are on a different team and a little longer in the tooth, there is still a lot of potential. This line is fourth in shot attempts rate in the league at this stage, but is also a wash on scoring with two goals for and two against. Kasper also has a physical component to his game and should remain fantasy relevant through a combo of points and hits.

See also:

• Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning (2.25 FPPG, 79.5% available)

• Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets (2.60 FPPG, 35.3% available)

• Andrei Kuzmenko, LW, Los Angeles Kings (2.27 FPPG, 82.5% available)

• Leo Carlsson, C, Anaheim Ducks (2.60 FPPG, 77.4% available)

• Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Colorado Avalanche (2.33 FPPG, 62.0% available)

• Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers (2.00 FPPG, 35.5% available)

Defense

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Zeev Buium, D, Minnesota Wild (3.05 FPPG, 70.3% available): The optimist wants to recommend a pickup of Buium because he is getting full control of the blue line for the Wild power play and the results have been great. But that minus-4 rating is very real. Buium and Jared Spurgeon have been on the ice for zero goals and allowed three at 5-on-5. It’s made more stark by two other Wild D pairs both sitting in the top five for shot attempts rate in the league, as Spurgeon and Buium rank 61st.

Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes (2.25 FPPG, 90.1% available): Third pair, schmird pair. Nikishin and Shayne Gostisbehere have averaged 12:41 together at 5-on-5 and have been on the ice for five — yes, a league-leading five for a defensive pair — goals at even strength.

Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (1.87 FPPG, 62.8% available): Maybe we got a little too hyped on the shiny new toy by collectively drafting Seth Jones and mostly ignoring Ekblad. But they are both on the Cats’ top power-play unit, and that will probably stay true at least until Matthew Tkachuk returns later this season. Ekblad and Gustav Forsling are a formidable first pair and have been dominating the shot attempts through three games (61.8% Corsi for), with four goals while they are on the ice together.

Andrew Peeke, D, Boston Bruins (2.73 FPPG, 93.3% available): His 6.7 fantasy points from only hits and blocked shots is the early high-water mark for the season. If you are looking for a cheap defender that can contribute at the bottom of your lineup, look no further.

Sam Rinzel, D, Chicago Blackhawks (2.03 FPPG, 81.0% available): Averaging 3:43 per game on the power play? Almost all of that with Connor Bedard and the top unit? And only one goal allowed at 5-on-5 with his regular defense partner, Matt Grzelcyk? Sign us up.

See also:

• John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks (2.45 FPPG, 96.8% available)

• Simon Edvinsson, D, Detroit Red Wings (2.40 FPPG, 34.5% available)

• Matt Roy, D, Washington Capitals (2.10 FPPG, 86.6% available)

• Artem Zub, D, Ottawa Senators (3.60 FPPG, 92.6% available)

Editor’s Picks

1 Related

Goaltenders

Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah Mammoth (2.50 FPPG, 67.9% available): The Blackhawks, Flames, Sharks and Bruins are on tap for this week and none of the games are in back-to-back sets. Vejmelka might be seen in a much more positive light at this time next week, and his 5.0 fantasy points per game aren’t exactly shabby at the moment.

Scott Wedgewood, G, Colorado Avalanche (3.93 FPPG, 59.8% available): Mackenzie Blackwood is likely out for at least two more games, perhaps longer. Wedgewood is reaping the benefit in the meantime, with 11.8 fantasy points and 100% crease share. The Sabres and Blue Jackets are on tap to start the week.

See also:

Short-term streamers

Justin Brazeau, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (2.97 FPPG, 88.1% available): The potential for Brazeau to continue earning his fantasy keep depends entirely on Evgeni Malkin. Can Geno keep up this pace? Probably not. Still, you could do worse in the short-term in deeper leagues.

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Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators (1.70 FPPG, 35.2% available): Defensive fantasy metrics don’t mean too much this early in the season, but it’s at least worth noting that the Predators have the best fantasy schedule on paper, with a four-game road trip through Canada against the Senators, Leafs, Canadiens and Jets. It’s worth starting O’Reilly on his volume alone, but the opponents also bode well.

Frank Nazar, C, Chicago Blackhawks (3.00 FPPG, 59.3% available): Combine O’Reilly with Nazar and you have a center to start every day of the week. Playing away from Bedard at even strength, Nazar is more than holding his own with Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi on his flanks. The trio has three goals at 5-on-5 (granted, also two against).

Jack McBain, C, Utah Mammoth (2.30 FPPG, 94.8% available): If Barrett Hayton continues to miss time, McBain gets to continue playing up the lineup alongside Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz.

Tristan Jarry, G, Pittsburgh Penguins (4.80 FPPG, 71.0% available): This is a very cautious recommendation. Jarry looked good in his start against the Islanders and, on paper, the Ducks, Kings and Sharks are collectively a solid schedule for a goaltender. But there are concerns. The Ducks have dominated possession through two games, and the Sharks have handed out negative fantasy points to opposing goaltenders. That said, looking for goalie help in the early season isn’t easy and Jarry will be available.

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OTTAWA — In the first two games of the 2025-26 season, the Ottawa Senators have shown how far theyâ€ve come and how far they need to go.

Against Tampa Bay on Thursday, they showed their ability to be resilient, breaking out to dominate and score at five-on-five. But against Florida — the best team in the world for two seasons — they werenâ€t even close in a 6-2 defeat.

A friendly reminder to worried Senators fans: itâ€s a long season, and youâ€re never as good or as bad as one result. Hereâ€s what weâ€ve learned about the Ottawa Senators through two games.

The first two games of Linus Ullmark’s season have been shaky, to say the least. Evan Rodrigues’ goal Saturday was emblematic: the puck bounced off Ullmark’s glove, turning what could have been a huge save into a back-breaking goal.

“I (messed) that up,†Ullmark said. Letâ€s be clear: itâ€s not all on the 32-year-old. But heâ€s allowed 10 goals on 52 shots this season for an .808 save percentage, with a league worst minus-4.7 goals allowed above expected, according to MoneyPuck.com. Thatâ€s not getting Ottawa to the playoffs.

“Mind of a goldfish,†Ullmark said about moving on.

Ullmark was brought in to stop those deflating goals that sometimes felt inevitable in Ottawa for a half decade. Last season, he accomplished that feat for the most part with a .910 save percentage.

“There’s a couple instances where a save for me would probably have kept the game closer,†Ullmark said.

Itâ€s still early — thereâ€s 80 more games and a potential playoff run for Ullmark to change the script. But if his poor play continues, Ottawaâ€s old crease demons will sprout back and we may have a goalie controversy yet again.

One thing weâ€ve learned and can say with almost 100 per cent certainty is that Shane Pinto is going to get PAIDthis summer.The pending restricted free agent has shown he’s able to match up against the elite forwards in the NHL, all while scoring 20-plus goals.

In the first two games of the season, Pinto has four goals and an assist while defending the toughest matchups. He is leading the team with a 71 per cent expected goals share at five-on-five while Ottawa has outscored opponents 4-1.

“Room to grow, heâ€s taken steps every year in the league,†said head coach Travis Green. “As far as matchups, heâ€s really learned that side of the game. There is room to grow. Can he be a consistent 25-goal scorer?â€

Maybe even a 30-goal scorer, coach.

Pinto has also been rewarded with power-play time this season, which should increase his scoring punch.

“As the years go on, you start to realize that there are plays to be made,†said Pinto. “You have a lot of good players around you, and there might be a little bit more time than you think.â€

Nick Cousins can apparently see the future, repeatedly shouting “Ka-ching!†as Pinto spoke to reporters after the Tampa game.

The fascinating question is what Pintoâ€s next contract will look like.

We scoured the league for recent deals for young (when they signed), good-to-elite two-way centres and here are some comparables: Philip Danault (six years x $5.5 million), Mason McTavish (6x$7M), Ryan McLeod (4x$5M), Anton Lundell (6x$5M), Anthony Cirelli (8x$6.25M).

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Many of these deals were signed in a flat cap world, and the dynamic of negotiations may change drastically with the salary cap potentially rising up to $104 million next season.

So far this season, Pinto is effectively Ottawaâ€s second-line centre, playing alongside Ridly Greig and Claude Giroux while taking on the toughest defensive assignments. He will likely command somewhere in between second-line centre and third-liner money.

Ottawa would be smart to lock up Pinto for as long as it can. With its core signed on team-friendly deals, the reward should be keeping Pinto with $30 million in cap space next year.

Ottawaâ€s penalty kill is a problem

The Senators†Achilles heel last season was their 19th-ranked penalty kill, which was backed up by terrible analytics, too. Ottawa finished third-last in expected goals against per 60 while short-handed at five-on-four, according to MoneyPuck.com.

The woes have bled into this season. Through two games, Ottawa’s killed just three of eight for a 37.5 per cent clip.  Weâ€ve run the math and itâ€s awful, but itâ€s only two games.

The crux of the issue has been Ottawaâ€s diamond formation. The philosophy behind it is to force the opponent to the outside and keep the slot clear. However, Sportsnet’s Kevin Bieksa made an excellent point on the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast Saturday, saying players now are too good at shooting to sit back and give them time and space. They will simply score.

“Itâ€s a work in progress, itâ€s got to be better,†Green said after a 2-for-5 effort against the Panthers.

Itâ€s Jordan Spence time

Ottawaâ€s third pairing of Nikolas Matinpalo and Donovan Sebrango has played a combined 50 NHL games, while Jordan Spence — who’s been a healthy scratch both games — has 61 points in 160 games.

Matinpalo and Sebrango have been caved in and outshot 11-5 with a 40.54 expect goals percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick. Meanwhile, Spence had great analytics on a third pair in Los Angeles while providing elite zone exits — an issue Ottawa and its third pairing had specifically against Florida.

Spence has more skill and experience than Sebrango and Matinpalo, and Ottawa needs a jolt. Itâ€s time for him to play.

Weâ€ve been more on the negative side, so hereâ€s a positive: Ottawaâ€s five-on-five play looks better so far after being a huge question coming into the season for a team that finished 31st in five-on-five goals last season.

Ottawa absolutely dominated a good Tampa Bay team at five-on-five. The Senators were outplayed by Florida, but their penalty kill hurt them as much as five-on-five.

In total, the Senators outscored opponents 5-4 at five-on-five with an expected goals rate of 59.92 per cent in the first two games. Last season, Ottawa had a 49 per cent expected goals share while averaging 1.69 five-on-five goals per game.

It may be early, but against two very good teams, the Senators held their own at five-on-five, and it’s a reason to be optimistic as they play lesser teams this week in Nashville, Buffalo and Seattle.

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SAN FRANCISCO – Somewhere beneath the frequent chatter related to the Warriors†relatively elderly core, there is a quieter concern about their roster.

Theyâ€re still small by NBA standards. They donâ€t have a classic rim protector in the mold of ex-Warrior Andrew Bogut or, in todayâ€s game, Victor Wembanyama or Walker Kessler. All three stand at least 7 feet.

Golden State must find a way to offset that deficiency, and the logical start is by strengthening its point-of-attack defense. If your defense lacks a natural deterrent, closing the freeway to the rim becomes imperative.

That message is being delivered to all the guards and wings on the roster, particularly those not named Stephen Curry. Itâ€s on the minds of Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Will Richard. Same applies to Deâ€Anthony Melton, who wonâ€t be active until November at the soonest. There is depth within the teamâ€s backcourt defenders.

Moody, who at times last season filled that role, seems energized by the prospect of expanding his opportunities.

“It really let me know how fun it is,†he said Friday, referring to last seasonâ€s trial. “I really enjoyed picking up high, bothering the ball, reaching when I can. Thereâ€s just a feeling to it. As a kid I used to love to wrestle . . .  it just kind of feels like that when I’m chasing guys around, grabbing trying to get the ball. It just kind of takes me back there, and I like it. Itâ€s fun.â€

At 6-foot-5, with a 7-foot wingspan, Moody is well built to match up with the likes of such dangerous ballhandling scorers as Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and James Harden of the LA Clippers.

Payton, 32, concedes that his athleticism has diminished a bit over the years, but realizes on-ball defense is the greatest asset he can brings to the Warriors.

“I probably wouldn’t be here without it,†he told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. “It wasn’t so I’m pretty sure I got to keep that ‘on lock†and just cause havoc. I know I’m not same athletic guy I used to be a few years ago. But when it gets down to the crunch time, gets down to April and beyond, I can still do it. They can look to me to guard that guy.â€

There were numerous games last season when the Warriors built substantial leads, only to get cooked down the stretch, with opposing guards doing most of the torching. There also were games when the Warriors simply couldnâ€t compete with teams that bullied them at the rim.

In the Warriors†final game of the season, Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals at Minnesota, they gave up a whopping 72 point the paint. Golden State was minus-22 in the paint.

Itâ€s conceivable that whoever starts the season sharing the backcourt with Stephen Curry will be the primary point-of-attack defender. With Melton out of action, coach Steve Kerr could follow a game-by-game matchup plan until someone seizes the role. Could be Moody or Payton. Podziemski, who makes up for what he lacks in athleticism with persistence, is another potential option.

He was prone to fouls last season – too much reaching – and his plaintive complaints to officials often led to lapses in focus. This was pointed out by Kerr as an issue the third-year guard must control to continue his development.

“The big thing to show another leap would be emotional maturity,†Podziemski said this week. “Talking to the refs is included in that. But, just keeping a composure about myself so that my teammates see that.â€

The Warriors will have defenders on the back line. Al Horford, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III in the starting lineup, with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quentin Post coming off the bench. Post is 7-feet but lacks the instincts and athleticism to be a consistently effective rim protector.

Golden Stateâ€s defense will rise and fall with the ability of its point-of-attack defenders to limit penetration. Kerr has several candidates, mostly young and spirited, and he might have to use them all.

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Velvet Sky and Angelina Love, collectively known as the Beautiful People, will soon be TNA Hall of Famers, an honor only a select few have obtained so far. During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, the duo discussed their influence on TNA Wrestling and how they proved more popular than some of wrestling’s greats. Love said:

“Kurt Angle was in TNA. Sting. Christian. Hall. Kevin Nash. Booker T. Theyâ€re all there. And we were getting the highest-rated segments.â€

Love recalled seeing on a weekly basis that she and Sky had the highest-rated segments, describing the feeling as “unbelievable.” Sky added that rather than being jealous or resentful, the men on the roster were thrilled to see the pair shine.

“The guys werenâ€t like, ‘These girls are stealing our shine.†They were like, ‘Hell yeah, girls. Hell yeah!â€â€¦ We had the support of everyone.”

Sky and Love will be inducted at Bound for Glory 2025 alongside Mickie James, marking the first-ever all-female class of inductees. All three are former TNA Knockouts Champions and worked multiple times with one another.

Though known as the Beautiful People, the influence the pair had on TNA proves they were much more than titilation. TNA Bound for Glory 2025 will take place on October 12, 2025, at Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:In this week’s episode of All Elite Conversation Club, PWTorch contributors Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner cover these topics:

(00:00) Introduction
(02:43) Gregg’s passionate defense of AEW against violence criticism from wrestling media coverage
(14:57) Joel’s analysis of AEW’s core identity split between pay-per-view excellence and weekly TV inconsistency
(19:51) Darby Allin flamethrower segment
(27:00) Dynamite Pittsburgh follow-up coverage and post-All Out directions
(33:02) Women’s Tag Team Championships announcement as Tony Khan’s major reveal
(39:21) Orange Cassidy’s return setup with Kyle Fletcher TNT title implications
(46:38) MJF’s emotional promo
(52:23) Adam Copeland taking time-off following Beth attack
(54:42) Jurassic Express reunion analysis
(56:06) The Acclaimed reunion skepticism
(59:02) Kris Statlander heel turn is a missed opportunity
(1:06:00) All Out buy rate success
(1:08:16) Wrestle Dream venue
(1:09:36) Collision and Dynamite six-year anniversary show announcements
(1:12:14) Zach’s email and odd man out trivia part 2

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson recently got emotional while talking about his daughter, Ava, and her journey in the world of pro-wrestling. During a media event tied to his film The Smashing Machine, he paused, collected himself, and shared how proud he is of her for forging her own path.

Oh man, Iâ€m so proud of her,” The Rock said. “I am so proud of her because itâ€s what I did and I love what I did and I love wrestling, I grew up in wrestling. She was born into it too just like I was and when she said, ‘Hey, I wanna do what you do.†But the difference is — itâ€s where I get emotional because sheâ€s like, ‘I wanna do what you do… I wanna carve my own path,†and thatâ€s the difference and that was a big deal when I heard that.,” he added.

Iâ€m telling you, it never happened. I never got that call. Like, hey, can you call someone? I never got that call and thatâ€s the truth, and thatâ€s the thing that makes me proud… When you donâ€t get that call — look, I would have been there anyway. I would have made that call. But when you donâ€t get it, it gave me a profound sense of pride because I was like, alright, I helped, with her mom, raise an amazing human being.†(H/T: Fightful)

The Rock became emotional when talking about his daughter, Ava, and her journey in pro wrestling:

“I am so proud of her because itâ€s what I did and I love what I did and I love wrestling, I grew up in wrestling. She was born into it too just like I was…â€

🥹â¤ï¸

(TikTok | mtvuk) pic.twitter.com/3Ll51OsPFB

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) September 25, 2025

His remarks underscore two things: his love for the sport, and his admiration for a child who wants to earn her place rather than trade on a name. He acknowledged that, of course, he would have made calls if she had asked, but the fact that she never did made all the difference.

Ava’s Path in WWE NXT

Ava began her WWE journey at the Performance Center, where she trained extensively before making her on-screen debut in NXT. She was first introduced as a member of The Schism, a faction that gave her a platform to gain valuable experience and presence in front of fans.

Over time, she has transitioned into a leadership role, now serving as the General Manager of NXT. This position highlights WWEâ€s trust in her abilities and showcases how she is steadily carving out her own identity within the brand, separate from her fatherâ€s legacy.

She wasn’t available on the September 23 episode of NXT, which saw the invasion of TNA wrestlers during the main event of the night.

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