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WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura had the wrestling world talking following the recent WWE tour of Japan that saw Nakamura make a number of references to the President of New Japan Pro Wrestling, his long-time friend Hiroshi Tanahashi. Nakamura even shouted Tanahashi out in a post-match promo, leading many to wonder if it’s possible that Nakamura will be Tanahashi’s final opponent when “The Ace” retires from wrestling at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4. Various things would have to fall into place in order for it to happen, but Dave Meltzer stated on “Wrestling Observer Radio” that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
“I would just say, it’s not a done deal right now. Could it happen? I mean Nakamura has in his contract he can do stuff in Japan, that was part of the deal he signed. So it’s a weird political thing, because obviously New Japan and AEW work very closely together.” Meltzer noted that a WWE Superstar has appeared on a New Japan show since the company established a partnership with AEW, that being Karl Anderson at Wrestle Kingdom 17, who was under contract with WWE when he dropped the NEVER Openweight Championship to Tama Tonga. However, Meltzer claimed that was a very difficult match to pull off due to the negotiations backstage.
With that said, Meltzer believes that all of the talk of AEW President Tony Khan being angry with New Japan potentially bringing Nakamura in likely won’t happen because, at the end of the day, it’s Tanahashi’s decision. “My gut is that, and I could be dead wrong, but even though WWE and AEW are feuding and all the stuff WWE does to AEW constantly. I do think that Tony Khan, I don’t know. People are going ‘oh he’s going to get really mad’ I don’t know. Maybe he will but I don’t think so. I just think it’s Tanahashi’s retirement and if Tanahashi wants to retire against Nakamura and they can pull that off, I think it should be okay.”
Please credit “Wrestling Observer Radio” when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Chris Jerichoâ€s latest career twist might be setting sail straight back to WWE.
The seventh edition of Jerichoâ€s Rock ‘N†Wrestling Rager at Sea is officially locked in for November 7–11, 2026. The cruise, dubbed “The Seventh Cruise of a Seventh Cruise,†will depart from Miami aboard the Norwegian Jewel and head to Bimahi, Bahamas. As always, fans can expect live wrestling, music from FOZZY, comedy sets, podcasts, and legendary wrestling guests. But this time, thereâ€s one big difference—no AEW.
None of the promotional material for the 2026 cruise mentions All Elite Wrestling. There are no AEW wrestlers announced, no branding, nothing. And thatâ€s got people talking, including Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Alvarez didnâ€t waste time calling it out.
“Jericho Cruise has been announced for 2026. Nobody from AEW on the boat. No references to AEW.â€
Meltzer then jumped in with some layered context, pointing to previous years where AEW talent was added later, but he admitted the signs are starting to add up.
“Somebody told me that last cruise he did, there were no AEW people announced until months ahead. But I will say this: people in WWE believe that heâ€s coming to WWE, for what thatâ€s worth.â€
The longtime journalist pointed out Jerichoâ€s recent shift in content—like no longer reviewing AEW matches on his podcast—and said it might be intentional.
“He doesnâ€t review AEW matches anymore, heâ€s reviewing other matches and things like that… I think that if [a WWE return] happens, heâ€s not going to be saying it. Heâ€ll want it to be a surprise.â€
Meltzer even floated the idea of a WWE Royal Rumble appearance leading to a WrestleMania match and Hall of Fame induction, which has reportedly been rumored for a while. Then came the part that really got fans speculating. Meltzer revealed that Jericho hasnâ€t been on AEW TV since April and suggested that Tony Khan might already be aware of Jerichoâ€s possible departure.
“If heâ€s not back on AEW television by January, I think people are going to kind of figure that part out… Heâ€s been ready for a couple months… And then nothing happened. After about a month after the tour ended and he didnâ€t come back, I started thinking: Tonyâ€s probably not bringing him back and probably figures heâ€s going to WWE.â€
Jerichoâ€s AEW contract is set to expire in December 2025, but the stripped-down cruise and lack of AEW connections seem to be telling their own story. Still, Jericho hasnâ€t confirmed anything. In fact, he might be playing things close to the vest on purpose.
During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Jericho looked back on some of his careerâ€s biggest moments—his WWE debut, “A little bit of the bubbly,†the Festival of Friendship, and the Dinner Debonair—but intentionally left the fifth spot on his list open.
“Thatâ€s the way I always think of it. ‘Whatâ€s your favorite moment of your career?†Current, now. If I didnâ€t think it was the best, then why am I doing it?… We leave the space blank, and weâ€ll see what happens.â€
And when asked point blank whatâ€s coming next for him, Jericho gave his classic cryptic response:
“We donâ€t know, right? Weâ€ll just have to see.â€
With WWE insiders allegedly expecting his return, a Royal Rumble comeback in January would mark a dramatic full-circle moment for the 35-year wrestling veteran.
For now, fans are left watching the horizon. Whether he stays with AEW, shows up in WWE, or shocks everyone with a totally different path, Jerichoâ€s next chapter is already getting people talking—and thatâ€s exactly how he likes it.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Should he finish Chris Jericho finish his career in WWE or stay loyal to AEW? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
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SUMMARY of #882 cover-dated October 8, 2005: The cover story features Wade Keller’s analysis of the newsworthy WWE Homecoming edition of Raw… Pat McNeill looks at the growing trend of indy promotions offering their weekly shows in digital streaming online… Bruce Mitchell’s feature column looks at Vince McMahon, Ultimate Warrior, and the First Amendment… Wade Keller’s feature column examines in-depth the first edition of TNA Impact… Part three of the Torch Talk with Jeff Hardy features his explanation for why he’s not in TNA’s X Division at this point and if he will be in the future… Ringside Beat features a detailed report on ROH’s New York event featuring Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi… WWE Newswire details the behind the scenes craziness with the WWE-Spike TV controversy, the crazy Ultimate Warrior-WWE story, the latest financials for WWE Inc., and much more… Wade Keller’s End Notes talks about the 18th Anniversary of the Torch, the newsletter’s extreme makeover, and random thoughts on the week in wrestling… Also, TNA Newswire, Top Five Stories of the Week, The Raw Big Story, The Smackdown Big Story, The TNA Impact Big Story, and more…
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SHOW SUMMARY:In this episode of PWTorch Dailycast series “Acknowledging WWE,” Javier Machado and Mike Meyers acknowledge:
- The Saudi Arabia WrestleMania
- AI in wrestling and entertainment, the ethics of resurrecting dead wrestlers for “dream matches”
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- Cody vs. Seth – a champion vs. champion match with some actual intriguing build
- Vaquer vs. Tiffany – a champion vs. champion with much less intriguing build
- Styles vs. Cena – a match with some build on social media I guess???
- Cena’s rumored final opponent
- Peacemaker vs. Green Arrow at WrestleMania 43
- Ripley & Iyo vs. Asuka & Kairi – the glorious soap opera
- Reigns vs. Reed, part 2
- The Jey Uso saga – a true sequel to the Bloodline story
- LA Knight is doing good for himself
- Charlotte and Bliss and the Curse of the Women’s Titles
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One of the most sacred and traditional practices in Mexican culture is Lucha Libre. Itâ€s a style of wrestling best known for its performers wearing a variety of masks.
Out of respect, a performer isnâ€t known by their public name unless it is said by them. That rule also applies to the mask. Unless they get the mask taken away from them in a stipulation match or they decide to wrestle without it, removing someoneâ€s mask is a huge no-no in the world of Lucha Libre.
These masks come in a variety of colors and sizes. Some have decorations on them like feathers or horns that incorporate their character into the mask.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the WWE YouTube channel uploaded a video featuring WWE and AAA wrestlers. They were shown many masks and were asked to do a blind ranking of them. This video is a great way to honor masks from the legends that made Lucha Libre what it is today.
This showed how much respect current WWE and AAA wrestlers have for their predecessors that donned the sacred masks of Lucha Libre. With the exception of Dominik Mysterio, which was obvious going in, the wrestlers had a lot of good things to say about everyone.
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Mr. Iguana and Penta gave their flowers to legends of the sport. Hearing Penta talk about how much Psicosis means to him was good to hear, and I could definitely see why he uses the black and white pattern in his mask.
It was interesting to see El Grande Americano on the list because he has made enemies of so many luchadors in the last couple of months. Unsurprisingly, the majority of wrestlers that ranked him did so near the bottom of the list. Maybe if he played nice with them, the ranking would change. But for now, his overall ranking by them is in the lower half.
Overall, this was a great video showing how much masks mean to Lucha Libre culture and wrestling as a whole. Itâ€s a tradition dating back generations, with Mexican wrestlers taking it very seriously. A luchador is almost always anonymous, with the mask protecting their identity and their personal life from the public.
Doing so is smart, as it separates the character from the person playing the character. It was nice to see the variety of masks worn by these wrestlers. The range colors, shapes, and sizes all play into their character and how they want to be portrayed for the fans.
Getting both WWE and AAA wrestlers involved in this video was a great idea. WWE wants to strengthen the bond with AAA to make their partnership as fruitful as possible. A way to do that is to incorporate them into WWE programming and videos. This was an informative showcase of Lucha Libre culture and how masks fit into Lucha Libre overall.
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Weâ€ve all seen the movie that played out with Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday before. A new report lights a fire under rumors that Antetokounmpo is eyeing another team — right now the Knicks — but then he comes out and throws cold water on it, calming things down. For now.
Here is what Antetokounmpo said on Wednesday, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“Iâ€ve said this many times, I want to be in a situation that I can win and now Iâ€m here. I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. Iâ€m here to lead this team to wherever we can go and itâ€s definitely going to be hard. Weâ€re going to take it day-by-day, but Iâ€m here. So, all the other extra stuff does not matter. I think Iâ€ve communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love that the moment I step on this court or in this facility I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. Iâ€m locked into whatever I have in front of me.
“Now, if in six, seven months, I change my mind, I think thatâ€s human too, youâ€re allowed to make any decision you want, but Iâ€m locked in. Iâ€m locked in to this team. Iâ€m locked in to these guys, to this group and to this coaching staff and to myself.â€
Unsurprisingly, coach Doc Rivers was trying to play things down as well.
“If you read [Antetokounmpoâ€s] comments this summer, every comment heâ€s made is about being in Milwaukee, loving the city, but for some reason. And itâ€s funny, whatâ€s the old saying, you create the story and then you report on the story you created. And thatâ€s what it feels like. And it gets old for us. But at the end of the day, thereâ€s nothing we can do about it, but I can tell you Jon has never called a team about Giannis. That has never happened. And until that happens, you really donâ€t have a story.â€
Notice Antetokounmpo said, “if in six, seven months I change my mind,†which would be next offseason, not him pushing for a trade at the February deadline. Antetokounmpo realizes that trading his $54.1 million salary in-season to a place he wants to be is incredibly difficult and unlikely to happen.
The real inflection point in this relationship between the Bucks and Antetokounmpo comes next offseason, when Antetokounmpo is extension eligible and the Bucks can offer a max deal of four years, around $260 million (or more, depending upon the salary cap). In the past, every time he was extension eligible, Antetokounmpo has used that as leverage to get the Bucks to do more to build a contending team, but he ultimately signed the deal and stayed in Wisconsin. He may well do that again, or he might refuse to sign it and then the trade talks are on.
Until then, Antetokounmpo says he is all in with the Bucks for this season.
Collin Morikawa asked for “chaos†ahead of the Ryder Cup – but that wasn’t what he had in mind.
Speaking Wednesday ahead of the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic, his first start since his U.S. team lost the Ryder Cup at home for the first time in more than a decade, Morikawa said he didn’t take any responsibility for riling up the crowd ahead of the biennial matches.
Before the Ryder Cup, Morikawa said that he was surprised by the tameness of the crowds during the practice rounds and was hoping for “chaos†during the matches, because the Americans could use that energy to their advantage.
“I think we really have to tap into that,†he said at the time. “I hope they come strong.â€
But Morikawa, who went 0-2-1, didn’t envision the crowd behavior like what the players experienced at Bethpage Black and admitted that it “crossed a line.†Several players were targets of the hostile crowd, none more so than Rory McIlroy, who endured abusive taunts and comments that disrupted his pre-shot routine.
“I think we’ve taken what I said a little out of context,†Morikawa told reporters on Wednesday. “Ryder Cups are meant to have a lot of energy, and I think me saying the word ‘chaos,’ I didn’t mean for them to be rude, right? So that’s not on me, I believe, for me to take credit for people being rude.
“What I meant was I wanted energy, right? You wanted people to be proud of the country they’re rooting for. Me saying one word, everyone listened, but I don’t think I have the power to do that amongst people. I think fans can do and say what they want sometimes. It probably crossed a line out there. It wasn’t in my groups, but definitely what people were hearing. There’s a line that needs to be drawn.â€
The PGA of America has publicly apologized for what it viewed as unacceptable fan behavior, and it vowed to provide a better experience for players and spectators at the 2029 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.
Morikawa said, unlike in football or basketball stadiums, golf is unique in that fans are closer to the action – just outside the rope lines, and able to make their voices heard instead of being drowned out in a packed stadium.
“You look at a lot of other sports, you don’t really hear much. Things are said, but golf has that different aspect to it,†he said. “So I think you have to learn how to find that division of what’s appropriate and what’s not.â€
Xander Schauffele, the team’s leading points-getter at 3-1, said that fans were mostly frustrated with the players’ performance.
“There were some unsavory things said at certain times,†he said Wednesday, “and I really wish we could have played better to have them cheer for us a bit more. New York’s a tough place to play for anyone. I even got a few comments to play better. I’m not taking much personally when it comes to what fans say.â€
He is arguably basketball’s greatest ever player.
But before his 23rd season in the NBA, and with speculation about his future already rife, is LeBron James about to announce his retirement plans?
The 40-year-old’s cryptic post on his social media channels on Monday has got fans of the LA Lakers superstar wondering if he is ready to call time on his court career.
A teaser video for “The Second Decision” shows him sitting down across from another man on a basketball court, with the caption: “The decision of all decisions. October 7th. 12pm EST.”
It echoes what became known as “The Decision” in 2010 – when in a televised announcement from a gym, James revealed he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat.
On Tuesday, at 17:00 BST, he could reveal something similarly significant for his career.
James turns 41 in December and has already made plenty of history in the game.
Last season he became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points across regular season and play-off games.
In April 2025 his influence beyond sport was shown when he became the first professional male athlete to be honoured as a Ken doll by Barbie makers Mattel.
In the NBA, no other player has made it to a 23rd season.
Since being drafted first overall by hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, switching to the Heat in 2010 and then joining the Lakers in 2018, James has won four league titles and broken a host of records.
One record came after his son Bronny was drafted by the Lakers in 2024 and they became the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game.
Last week the 6ft 9in superstar insisted he was “excited about the opportunity to be able to play the game that I love for another season”.
“The thing still pushing me is the fact that my love for the game is still high,” he added.
He may be ready to announce his 23rd, record-setting season will be his last.
But others are not so sure. With a string of investments and off-court ventures in tow, many of those engaging with the teaser on Instagram and X suspected he would be making a promotional announcement for one such vehicle.
Time will tell.
Rarely does it take four great rounds to win a golf tournament. Often, it takes three, maybe just two really great ones to be at the top of the leaderboard. But most importantly, it requires zero bad rounds, which Max Homa has come to understand quite well in recent years.
The 34-year-old tallied up just 64 strokes Saturday — his best round in three months — vaulting him up the leaderboard at the Sanderson Farms Championship, even with a closing bogey, to sit just a few strokes back of the lead. It’s the kind of round that stands out much more to casual golf fans at home than to pros in the thick of it like Homa. It’s natural when you see “HOMA -8” like many people saw Saturday, you might wonder if Homa could be trending back into form.
We thought this during the PGA Championship in May, when Homa carded a second-round 64, only for golf to quickly punch back, humbling him to a T60. We thought it in July when Homa contended at the John Deere Classic, finishing T5. And we’ll think it now for the next 24 hours at least. Just don’t expect Homa to hold on to this one round for proof. It was his Friday 72 that stood out to him more.
During a short interview following his third round, Homa was asked, “Do you feel like your swagger is maybe coming back to you a little bit?”
He’s been here before.
“I don’t know about that,” Homa began. “I think I know — especially after that long layoff — I know that, if I don’t get in my own way, I’m one good round away from being in a golf tournament. On a week that’s good, maybe I play two [great rounds] and I’m ahead.
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“I just think I know what’s in there, and I know if I can stay out of my own way, I can turn — like yesterday mentally felt like I could have shot 2-, 3-over and turned it into even. I know those are little things that don’t seem great when you’re in 40th, but I never really felt like I was out of this golf tournament on a hard golf course where the game feels pretty solid.
“I don’t know if it’s swagger, but I just think like my patience seems to be better and I’m more tolerant of things that don’t go great, and I have a lot of confidence that I can put up a few good scores.”
Homa didn’t have his best stuff in that second round but grinded out a bunch of pars, getting up and down six times when he missed the green. That’s how you turn 75 into 72, which has been one of the most difficult — but also most validating — things for Homa recently.
His good is still really good, which is part of what you hear in that answer. It’s just when he’s not great — keeping those days around par, maybe even one under, are how you make a bunch of cuts, how you hang around in tournaments, and how you simply survive until your best stuff comes back.
Taking his calendar year into account, Homa has had almost exactly the same amount of above average rounds as below average. To no surprise then, his season has fluttered with plenty of missed cuts and a handful of moments in contention. DataGolf has him at a 0.15 Strokes Gained rating, just a notch above the PGA Tour standard, which puts him at 127th in the DataGolf ranking.
That level of golf is still good, and totally sustainable, but it’s about as low as Homa has been in the last five years. The occasional 73, 74 or 75 has snuck in over the summer, but on a frequency of about once a month. Back in the spring and early summer, Homa was carding those rounds about once a tournament. All of which starts to look like he’s bottomed out. And is a reminder that it’s not always so much about your best rounds, but about limiting the damage of your worst rounds.
Pierre-Luc Dubois was a young player finding his NHL way.
Unlike the big centre’s time in junior, he quickly learned there was plenty of everything in pro locker rooms.
Stick tape? Take as much as you need. Chewing gum? Fill your pockets. Post-game protein shakes? Name a flavour. And among the many items on offer was something he hadn’t used before — smelling salts.
“It’s one of those things,” Dubois said. “When you come into the league … you grow a routine.”
The use of smelling salts is a routine the NFL tried to curb, even ever so slightly, back in August. The league announced it would bar teams from directly giving out ammonia-based inhalants to players, but fell short of banning the product outright.
Citing a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning from 2024, the NFL pointed to a lack of evidence supporting the product’s safety or efficacy, along with the potential risk of masking concussions.
Smelling salts were originally developed to revive people who had fainted, but for years have been marketed to athletes seeking energy boosts or added alertness.
The small packets that snap open are also a common sight on NHL benches. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said recently there are no plans to change the league’s policy that allows teams to distribute smelling salts, but added it is being studied.
“I’m not sure we necessarily share the NFL’s concern,” Daly said at the recent NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas when asked about the concussion element. “Certainly we’re aware of the fact that the (FDA) has issued warnings for use of the product … really on kind of false advertising basis that it does something that it doesn’t do, more than anything else.”
Hockey Quebec, the game’s governing body in that province, banned smelling salts in February after at least one coach was suspended in relation to the use of the inhalants by players in the under-11 age group, while Sport P.E.I. has also raised concerns.
Hockey Canada said in August that while the organization doesn’t have a policy for stimulant products such as ammonia-based smelling salts, “there are concerns with their use when not medically prescribed.”
“Hockey Canada will continue to work with our members to better understand the availability and use of ammonia-based smelling salts and other stimulant products with hockey players across the country,” the statement read.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League, meanwhile, went further back in the summer, stating since its inaugural 2023-24 season that “all teams have been directed not to supply smelling salts and to advise players that their use is strongly discouraged.”
Dubois, now a member of the Washington Capitals after stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings, said that although he doesn’t endorse anything when it comes to smelling salts, it’s his experience that they help “waking you up.”
“It just kind of stuck,” he explained. “It’s like, start of the game where, ‘OK, we’re having fun.’ And then right before the first faceoff, I do the smelling salts, and it’s just like, ‘OK.’ I click into, ‘This is game time.’
“I would never do them in a different context than hockey.”
St. Louis Blues centre Robert Thomas said that buzz right before puck drop hits the spot.
“You can feel the oxygen get through your whole body, and bring some excitement to let you think a little clearer,” he said before quickly adding, “That could just be how I feel sometimes. I don’t know the science behind it, but seems like it works. A lot of guys love it.”Â
Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis isn’t convinced smelling salts have the impact some players believe.
“I think people exaggerate a little bit, but they do help,” he said. “Wakes you up, shocks your system a little bit. Kids shouldn’t be doing it, and it’s probably smart that they ban that. But I like them.
“Just the little jolt that gives you before a game.”
Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard said he tried smelling salts a couple of times in his 2024-25 rookie season.
“Startles you a little,” he said. “I don’t think they need to be banned. We’re adults. We can make our own decisions. If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for you.”
Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, meanwhile, would be happy to see the end of smelling salts in the NHL — if only for purely selfish reasons.
“The only times I smell them is when someone has it beside me and I catch a whiff,” he said with a laugh. “I’d love it if they banned them.”