Browsing: Turning

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Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch finally addressed the former Vision’s turn on her husband, former World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, on WWE television. Lynch cornered Paul Heyman outside of Adam Pearce’s office following her DQ loss to Maxxine Dupri earlier on “WWE Raw” and told him that he would be sorry when Rollins returns.

Lynch told Heyman, who she called a “penguin-faced prick” to listen up and said his snake oil salesmen tactics wouldn’t work on her, because she has never trusted him or liked him. “The Man” said that her husband didn’t trust Heyman either. She said Rollins never needed him and he used Heyman. She told the WWE Hall of Famer that her husband knew that The Vision was going to turn on him and he was surprised it took them so long.

She told Heyman not to worry, because when Rollins gets back, he’s not going to hurt him, but Heyman is nothing without the former champion. She said whatever “new nepobaby” Heyman decides to attach himself to, Rollins is going to “kill them.” She explained he’s not going to kill Heyman, but he’s going to wish that Rollins had. Lynch shoved Heyman into the wall and walked away, with the manager looking stunned.

Due to his injury, Pearce stripped Rollins of the World Heavyweight Championship earlier in the night. Rollins was reportedly injured during his match against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel, but in storyline, he was written off by Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed’s attack last week on “Raw.”

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AEW star MVP could link up with an old WWE co-worker in the future to make a movie about his life.

On a new episode of his Marking Out podcast, MVP was asked if he’s given thought to turning his life story into a book or movie. MVP said he has considered the idea but has not done anything concrete like writing a manuscript yet. He’s had early talks with WWE legend Dave Bautista about Bautista’s production company Dogbone Entertainment bringing his story to the big screen.

“I have thought about it, and many people have asked me about it, and it’s something that I want to do. And I’ve actually talked to my good friend Dave Bautista,” MVP said.

“We’ve talked about, with his production company, taking the steps to turn my life story into a movie. It’s something that — I trust Dave to do it. I wouldn’t trust just anybody with it, because my life story is not PG, man. My life story is rated R as [f*ck]. Rated X. I mean, legit, we have to get it like PG-13 at the minimal. But, yeah, it’s something Dave and I have talked about, and it’s on the back burner.â€

MVP believes his life story — which includes spending nearly a decade in jail for committing an armed robbery on a cruise ship — is one that would make a great film.

“My life is a movie, man. A movie in the making,” he said. “From my teenage years in Miami as a graffiti artist/gang member, becoming an armed robber, going to prison, nine and a half years in prison, and all the bullsh*t I survived and saw in there, and then coming out and becoming — well, being a bouncer and bodyguard on South Beach, and selling weed and steroids to support my wrestling habit, going on to eventually making it as a professional wrestler.”

When it comes to writing a book about his life, MVP has not started that process yet because he wouldn’t want to use a ghostwriter. He would want to write the book himself like Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, and Bret Hart have.

At WrestleDream this past weekend, The Hurt Syndicate (MVP, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) became the new number one contenders to the AEW Trios titles. They will be challenging Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata for the belts.

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

SUMMARY of #883 cover-dated October 15, 2005: The cover story features Wade Keller’s in-depth expanded two-page cover story on the Jim Ross announcing mess. Also, a three page in-depth exclusive Torch Talk interview with Mike Goldberg, who talks about his decision to turn down WWE’s offer to replace Ross as host of Raw. Plus, a full page of reader letters reacting to the Ross situation, and Keller’s End Notes talks about WWE.com’s spin on the situation… Bruce Mitchell writes about Brock Lesnar’s apparent courtroom win over WWE freeing him up to wrestle for New Japan… Pat McNeill looks at the growing list of gimmick matches in pro wrestling… In-depth WWE No Mercy coverage of the PPV few people actually saw including Keller’s match report and star ratings, Roundtable Reviews from Torch staff, and Reader Reax… WWE Newswire with the scoop on the proposed Steve Austin-Hulk Hogan match at WrestleMania 22, Brock Lesnar’s situuation, WWE vs. UFC ratings breakdown, and more… TNA Newswire with the inside story on Sean Waltman’s disappearance, ratings reaction, and TNA taping notes… ROH Newswire with exclusive quotes from Gabe Sapolsky and a preview of this coming weekends events… Plus the 1995 Backtrack, Live Event Spotlight on Australia’s WSW card, and more…

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Becky Lynch didnâ€t make the trip to Australia with Seth Rollins for the latest run of WWE events, and she might be regretting that decision now.

Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel, Seth Rollins defeated Cody Rhodes in the main event, becoming the new menâ€s Crown Jewel Champion. Unfortunately, on the coast-to-coast headbutt, Rollins appeared to injure himself even though he was able to finish the match.

Rollins spoke about the injury on the Crown Jewel Post Show. He admitted that the move could have long-term ramifications, teasing that he was potentially injured.

Less than 48 hours later, The Vision turned on Seth Rollins in the closing moments of WWE RAW when Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed savagely attacked the World Heavyweight Champion and left him lying. This move is being reported as a major creative pivot as Breakker wasnâ€t set to break away from Rollins until some point next year.

Becky Lynch isnâ€t happy with The Vision

Rollins†wife, WWE Womenâ€s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch, didnâ€t make this trip to Australia over the weekend. A decision that she seemingly regrets now.

The Man took to social media today to react to the closing moments of RAW, tweeting out:

“Iâ€m gone for one week…,†Becky Lynch said in a post.

Lynchâ€s presence at RAW likely wouldnâ€t have changed anything, as it appears Rollins†injury is very much legitimate. With new reports suggesting he could be heading towards surgery for his shoulder or rotator cuff to repair the damage.

Stay tuned to WrestleZone for more information as it becomes available.

READ MORE: Original Plans For Seth Rollins At WWE WrestleMania 42 — Report

What do you make of Becky Lynchâ€s comments? Are you disappointed that Seth Rollins†potential injury has basically derailed plans for The Vision faction heading into WrestleMania 42? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.

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

SHOW SUMMARY:In this weekâ€s Interview Classic episode from ten years ago (10-8-2015), PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch columnist Bruce Mitchell interviewed former WWF Champion Bob Baclund. Backlund spoke about the decision to write his 480 page autobiography, what he wrote about that he wouldnâ€t have had had written the book decades ago, and the transition from him to Hulk Hogan. After phone connection issues cut the interview short about 40 minutes into the show, Mitchell analyzed one of the major turning points in Backlundâ€s career when Vince McMahon Sr. committed to him over the surprisingly strong draw as heel champion, “Superstar” Billy Graham.

Then, in a bonus segment, a previously-VIP-Exclusive Aftershow podcast with Jason Powell that we forgot to post last week from Sept. 29, 2015 covering these topics: Reaction to the reaction to Raw and predicting next weekâ€s ratings, who were Triple Hâ€s biggest influences, evaluating Paul Heyman-Big Show segment, making an issue of Kevin Owens†weight, WWEâ€s selective acknowledgment of history, and more as they answer email questions.

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Looking back someday, it may be hard to identify the exact moment when soccer altogether lost the silhouette that had loosely contained its shape for a century. When its governing bodies let go at last, handing the reins to the horses. When the last line holding against the sportâ€s self-immolating avarice collapsed and all were free to just do whatever they want. When crotchety pundits were finally right and the game was fully gone.

Or maybe weâ€ll know precisely when it was: 6 October 2025, when the Uefa executive committee declared in an extraordinary release that it was opposed to domestic league matches being played abroad – while allowing two of them “on an exceptional basis.†Barcelona and Villarreal will stage an ostensibly domestic La Liga game in Miami in December. Milan and Como are to play a Serie A match in Perth, Australia – a mere 20-hour flight from Italy – in February.

In their statement, Uefa took pains not just to express its opposition to the measure, but also to lay the blame for it at the foot of Fifa, whose rules it said were “not clear and detailed enough†to merit a rejection. Uefa said it wants to work with Fifa to create new rules to curb league games played abroad – presumably in a way that will not run afoul of Relevent Sports, the sports promotion company whose antitrust suit got Fifa to drop its statutes. Relevent dropped Fifa from the suit without prejudice, meaning it can be reopened at any time if things arenâ€t to the promotion companyâ€s satisfaction.

“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent,†Uefa president Aleksander ÄŒeferin said. Itâ€s hard to see how that can be true. This is not how precedents work.

The floodgates are open. The toothpaste has been squeezed from the tube. The foundation upon which professional soccer is built, structured primarily as a series of domestic circuits, is cracked. Any game can now theoretically be played anywhere, wherever the highest bidder happens to be. Once the Spanish league – or any league – is no longer a thing that can only be played on home soil, there is no going back.

We have been on a long, unrelenting march to this place for decades. And the forces that carried the sport there were powered at least partially by American money and methods. We have to be frank about that.

The La Liga president, Javier Tebas, spent more than seven years working to put a Barça league game in Miami in an effort to keep up with the Premier League – a cash-churning colossus created through the American model of sporting monetization. He and others have done this because all of soccer sees the United States as an ATM with no pin number, luring one competition after another. In this effort, Tebas was abetted by Relevent, an American promoter.

Clubs will now be free to chase after revenue anywhere they can find it. People may try to get in their way on account of the sportâ€s – or the players†or the fans†– best interests, but they stand little chance of actually stopping anything with so much money at stake.

Villarreal will play 18 home games this season, to every other La Liga teamâ€s 19. Their fans will get one fewer match in their city, although they will be compensated with offers of free flights to Miami. Barça and Villarreal players – not to mention those of Milan and Como – will have travelled substantially more for their domestic competition than their rivals have this season. The impact of this in-season barnstorming on title races, relegation and promotion is inevitable.

A great many people were clear-eyed about the ramifications downstream. Real Madrid – co-instigators of the failed European Super League, authors of the sportâ€s Galacticos era that kickstarted the financial arms race – sounded like the improbable voice of reason here.

“The integrity of the competition requires that all matches be held under the same conditions for all teams,†the Spanish club wrote in a statement. “Unilaterally modifying this regime breaks the equality between contenders, compromises the legitimacy of the results and sets an unacceptable precedent that opens the door to exceptions based on interests other than strictly sporting. If this proposal is carried out, its consequences would be so serious that they would mean a before and after for the world of football.â€

The Spanish Professional Footballers†Association was opposed as well. As was the Football Supporters Europe group. So has ÄŒeferin been, who before Mondayâ€s announcement said in an interview: “Football should be played in Europe, and fans should be able to watch it at home. They cannot travel to Australia or the United States to see their teams.â€

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The European Unionâ€s commissioner for sport, Glenn Micallef, in his own lament, argued that “strong, community-based clubs are the heart of the European sport model. Moving competitions abroad isnâ€t innovation, itâ€s betrayalâ€.

Ah well, nevertheless. Ultimately, Uefa did not make this decision alone. The leagues made it. Fifa made it by agreeing to change its policies when it was dismissed from the Relevent lawsuit. Soccerâ€s professional ranks made it a long time ago, when they started playing domestic super cup competitions far afield, in China and in the Gulf and the United States.

Whoever you want to blame, European soccer has now become fully Americanized, opting for unfettered capitalism, bound by no border or tradition. And now, officially, something essential is lost.

• Leander Schaerlaeckens†book on the United States menâ€s national soccer team, The Long Game, is out in the spring of 2026. You can preorder it here. He teaches at Marist University.

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WWE legend Randy Orton provided another subtle hint that he’s turning heel soon.

The latest episode of WWE SmackDown saw Randy Orton team up with Cody Rhodes to take on The Vision’s Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker. The stars were in for a great challenge and had a heavy task ahead of them. Things were going well until Seth Rollins showed up to ruin the occasion.

However, a subtle tease from Randy Orton suggests the alliance with Cody Rhodes may not be for long.

WWE Legend Randy Orton Could Not Move His Eyes Away From The Undisputed WWE Title

Last week, Orton was seen quite ardently looking at the title before handing it over to Rhodes. The star was once again caught doing the same during a backstage segment with The American Nightmare.

Orton was having a conversation with Cody Rhodes on the latest episode of WWE SmackDown and did not move his eyes from the title.

Oh that heel turn is coming#Smackdownpic.twitter.com/YTGu5Khsnk

— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) October 4, 2025

It was an interesting tidbit into the psyche of Orton, who is unwilling to let his passion and love for the 15th world title go away just yet. The star may have to put his friendship with Rhodes on the back burner and finally turn heel for a chance to win the Undisputed Title.

It will be interesting to see how things pan out during and after Crown Jewel.

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That intervention at Exeter lit a spark that has stayed with Wheeler throughout his career.

After leaving for Queens Park Rangers in 2018, he spent time on loan at Milton Keynes Dons and Portsmouth before six seasons at Wycombe Wanderers, during which Wheeler helped the Chairboys win promotion to the Championship in 2020.

As his career progressed, he became more and more interested in sustainability within sport, giving talks and lectures on the subject and being nominated at last year’s BBC Green Sport Awards.

Wheeler feels that outside interest – a “diversification of identity” – helped him as a player.

It meant he was not just solely focused on football but had other goals that allowed him to step away from the relentless pressure of getting results on the pitch.

He feels strongly that allowing players to have interests outside of football is a key asset to make them more successful on the field – an issue he hopes to promote.

“It’s championing the ability of players to not only pursue an education, but also other interests and hobbies and still be a successful footballer,” Wheeler says.

“I think it’s an archaic and harmful thing to not champion that as a manager, as a football club, because there are so many players that fall out of the game.

“Even the ones that have 15 to 20-year careers, long successful careers, come out of the game and the statistics are alarmingly high for depression, addiction, marriages falling apart, bankruptcies.

“It’s not really a surprise to me because I found it very difficult to come to terms with, and I had all these other things going on.

“I think from five years old most of us identify as a sportsman, as a footballer and that’s our main part of our identity, that is reinforced throughout our whole childhood into adulthood.

“It’s the main thing you’re known for, that you’re celebrated for and by leaving that part of you behind it’s leaving a big chunk of you behind that was a source of validation.”

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