TWIW – This Week In Wrestling 7/13/2024

BY JEFF KNAPP

This past weekend, the WWE & NXT held their respected PLE, Money in the Bank and Heatwave. There were so many things that happened over the weekend but John Cena announcing that he will fully retire in 2025 but will wrestle at least into Wrestlemania. No word yet on how far into 2025 he will go but I’d love to see him make it until Survivor Series.

On Saturday, not only did Solo pin Cody Rhodes but Drew McIntyre won the money in the bank and decided to cash it in later that night but was screwed over once again by his rival, CM Punk. The women’s MITB match was one for the ages and at the end, we saw Tiffany Stratton emerge as Tiffy in the Bank.

On Sunday for NXT Heatwave, almost all the Champions walked out as champions including the newly minted Kelani Jordan, who put on an athletic display not outmatched by Sol Ruca. I just love watching these 2 women compete and if all goes well, for another 15 years. Now, when I said almost all, Trick Williams couldn’t retain the NXT Championship but didn’t get beat either. Newly signed, Ethan Page pinned Je’Von Evans.

There have been internal talks inside the WWE on creating a women’s IC and US titles for their respected brands. I personally hope to see this happen by or at Survivor Series.

This week the WWE announced the signing of Joe Tessitore. Word is that Tessitore will work alongside analysts Wade Barrett and Corey Graves. Joe has worked for ESPN and ABC and for many he was the head play-by-play commentator for ABC’s Holey Moley.

On Raw we saw some new developments, including the fining and suspension of Drew McIntyre, the formation of another trio consisting of Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, and Sonya Deville and the big news coming out of Raw was the return of Rhea Ripley. She was not happy with Dirty Dom to say the least.

On NXT this week, you saw Charlie Dempsey and company look like they were putting a body in the trunk and driving off, well that will be for the explanation of Damon Kemp no longer being with the company.

Speaking of NXT, this was fun from start to finish. Wes Lee was in the ring about to make a huge announcement, which many took as a retirement or him leaving but was interrupted by his for MSK / Rascalz partners from TNA/NXT, Zach Wentz and Trey Miguel.

There was also the addition of 2 other Raw/Smackdown roster members last night with Cedric Alexander and Ashanti Adonis. Cedric has been floating around for a long time and I hope this is the break he needs.

NXT wasn’t done there. Trick Williams was without a partner and needed one to take on Ethan Page and Shawn Spears. Somebody must have said his name because here comes Joe Hendry.

On Wednesday it was announced that Stephanie Vaquer, the current CMLL World Women’s and World Women’s Tag Team Champion has been stripped of her titles because she has abruptly left the promotion and it appears that she is WWE bound. I love the signing but doing it this way isn’t the way things are supposed to happen. Let’s see if any other news of why she left so sudden comes out.

Wednesday on AEW Bryan Danielson won the men’s bracket of the Owen Hart Cup and will now face Swerve Stickland in what will be a banger of a match.

Mariah May defeated Willow Nightingale in the Women’s Owen Hart cup tournament and will face her mentor, Toni Storm. Speaking of that, Mariah turned on Toni and left her a bloody mess at the top of the ramp. It was a great swerve since many people believed Toni would turn on her.

On Thursday’s edition of TNA, we saw multiple NXT wrestlers appear. 1st Izzy Dame competed (and lost to) Jordynne Grace and later Charlie Dempsey defeated Zachary Wentz.

We also found out that next week on TNA when Santino announced that the No Quarter Catch Crew will face the Rascalz in a 6-man Tag Team Match next week.

On Friday, CJ Penny AKA Lana announced that she is no longer with AEW but wants to continue with professional wrestling, possibly as a manager. 

Speaking of no longer with AEW is the Nature Boy Ric Flair. The partnership between AEW and Flair’s Wooo! Energy has finished up as well, so I’m sure between that and with Sting retiring, there weren’t any plans for him.

At the NOAH Destination event on Saturday morning, July 13, 2024, at the Budokan Hall in Japan, it was announced that the two WWE NXT Superstars,  Josh Briggs and Tavion Heights will be part of the competitor field for the annual N1 Victory Tournament.

It has been reported that longtime WWE veteran Natalya has signed a new contract with the company. No details on length  were made public as of this writing.

Rollcall of Current Champions from Around The Wrestling World

WWE

Undisputed WWE Champion – Cody Rhodes

World Heavyweight Champion – Damian Priest

World Tag Team Champions – The Judgement Day (Finn Balor & JD McDonagh)

WWE Tag Team Champions – DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa

WWE Women’s Champion – Bayley

Women’s World Champion – Liv Morgan

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – Isla Dawn & Alba Fire

WWE US Champion – Logan Paul

WWE Intercontinental Champion – Sami Zayn

NXT

NXT Championship- Ethan Page

NXT Women’s Champion – Roxanne Perez

NXT North American Champion – Oba Femi

NXT Women’s North American Champion – Kelani Jordan

NXT Tag Team Champions – Nathan Frazer & Axiom

NXT Heritage Cup – “The Don of NXT” Tony D’Angelo

AEW

AEW World Champion – Swerve Strickland

AEW TNT Champion – Jack Perry

AEW Women’s Champion – Toni Storm

AEW TBS Champion – Mercedes Mone

AEW World Tag Team Champions – Young Bucks

AEW & ROH Unified Trios Champions – Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & Austin & Colton Gunn)

AEW International Champion – Will Osprey

AEW Continental Champion – Kazuchika Okada

TNA 

TNA World Champion – Moose

TNA X Division – Mustafa Ali

TNA Tag Team Champions – The System (Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers)

TNA Digital Media Champion – AJ Francis

TNA Knockouts Champion – Jordynne Grace

TNA Knockouts Tag Champions – The System (Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich)

ROH

ROH World Champion – Mark Briscoe

ROH TV Champion – Atlantis Jr.

ROH Pure Champion – Wheeler Yuta

ROH Tag Champions – The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)

ROH Women’s Champion – Athena

ROH Women’s TV Champion – Billie Starkz

NWA

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion – EC3

NWA World TV Champion – Max The Impaler (unified men’s and women’s)

NWA World Jr Heavyweight Champion – Alex Taylor

NWA National Champion – Thom Latimer

NWA Mid America Heavyweight Champion – Jeremiah Plunkett

NWA World Tag Team Champions – Blunt Force Trauma – (Carnage & Damage)

NWA US Tag Team Champions – VACANT

NWA World Women’s Champion – Kenzie Paige

NWA World Women’s Tag Team Champions – The King Bees (Charity King & Danni Bee)

NJPW

IWGP World Champion – Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Global Heavyweight – David Finley

IWGP Junior Heavyweight – Douki

Strong Openweight Champion – Gabe Kidd

IWGP Television Champion – Jeff Cobb

IWGP Tag Team Champions – TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions – Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors)

Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions – TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls)

NEVER Openweight Champion – Henare

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Champions – Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Oleg Boltin

KOPW 2023 – Great O Khan

IWGP Women’s Champion – Mayu Iwatani (Shared with Stardom)

Strong Women’s Champion – Mercedes Mone (Shared with Stardom)

AAA – Triple A Worldwide

AAA Mega Champion – Nic Nemeth

AAA Latin American Champion – Octagon Jr

AAA World Cruiserweight Champion – Komander

AAA World Tag Team Champions – Negro Casas and Psycho Clown

AAA World Trios Champions – Los Vipers (Abismo Negro Jr, Psicosis & Toxin)

AAA Reina de Reinas Champion – Flammer

CMLL – Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

CMLL World Heavyweight Champion – Gran Guerrero

CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion – Averno

CMLL World Middleweight Champion – Templario

CMLL World Welterweight Champion – Titan

CMLL World Lightweight Champion – Stigma

CMLL World Tag Team Champions – Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja)

CMLL World Trios Champions – Los Bárbaros (Dragon Rojo Jr., Bárbaro Cavernario & El Terrible)

CMLL World Women’s Champion – VACANT

CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Champions – VACANT

Stardom

World of Stardom Champion (main title) – Maika

Wonder of Stardom Champion (secondary title ie: IC tite) – Mika Iwata

Goddess of Stardom Champions (tag) – God’s Eye (Syuri and Konami)

Artist of Stardom Champions (trios) – Empress Nexus Venus (Maika, Mina Shirakawa & Xena)

High Speed Champion (lightweight or x type of title) Saya Kamitani

Nate’s Notes Profiles: The NHL Career of Jimmy Carson

BY Nate Moser

The Wayne Gretzky trade rocked the hockey world. Some hockey fans never thought they would see The Great One play in any other jersey other than the Edmonton Oilers. In August of 1988 though, arguably the greatest player in the sport was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings. The full deal was Gretzky, Marty McSorley, and Mike Krushelnyski for Martin Gelinas, Jimmy Carson, three first-round picks (which all eventually became Jason Miller to the New Jersey Devils in the 1989 Draft, Martin Rucinsky in the 1991 Draft, and Nick Stajduhar in the 1993 Draft), as well as $15 million in U.S. cash. As much as the Gretzky side of the huge trade gets discussed, a key talent who also was moved on the other side was Carson. He may be remembered for being a part of that deal, but his career was so much more than being acquired by the Oilers.

First Two Seasons in L.A.

Carson was one of the best players in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He was chosen second overall by the Kings, after the Detroit Red Wings selected winger Joe Murphy with the first overall pick. Some notable names that were also selected in this draft included Brian Leetch (New York Rangers), Adam Graves (Red Wings), Teppo Numminen (Winnipeg Jets), and Jyrki Lumme (Montreal Canadiens) among others.

Carson made his NHL debut for L.A. in the 1986-87 season. He joined a stacked Kings lineup that had the likes of Luc Robitaille, Marcel Dionne, Bernie Nicholls, and Dave Taylor. Dionne was traded in the middle of the season to the Rangers, but Carson still finished third on the roster in scoring for the Kings. He had 79 points in 80 games (37 goals and 42 assists). Only Robitaille (84 points) and Nicholls (81 points) had more. L.A. made the 1987 playoffs, and Carson tallied a goal and two assists for three points in five games.

His second campaign for the Kings saw Carson hit the 100-point mark along with Robitaille. Robitaille led the whole team with 111 points (53 goals and 58 assists), while Carson finished with 107 points (55 goals and 52 assists). The Kings made the postseason again, and in five contests, Carson notched five goals and three assists for eight points.

Things were going well for Carson. He was surrounded by great talent in teammates like Robitaille, Nicholls, and Taylor. L.A. was deep with talent as they also had skilled reinforcements like Jim Fox, Bobby Carpenter, and Steve Duchesne. However, Kings management worked on a move that would tip the hockey world sideways.

Going to Edmonton and the Red Wings Years

As previously mentioned, Carson was one of the players who were a part of the Gretzky Trade. While this was exciting for Kings fans landing Gretzky, there was reason for excitement on paper looking at the Oilers roster for Carson. He would not be playing with Gretzky, but other legends of the game were still there like Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, and Kevin Lowe. Carson found his way to achieve 100 points again, which was good enough to be second on the Oilers for 1988-89. Only Kurri had more points with 102 (44 goals and 58 assists). In the 1989 postseason, however, Carson only produced two goals and an assist in seven games.

It became known that Carson was not happy in Edmonton as he requested a trade. He played in four games for the Oilers in 1989-90, before deciding to sit out and was suspended by the organization. Carson wanted to play for a team in the U.S. Oilers general manager Glen Sather eventually dealt Carson to Detroit, which was beneficial as he was born in Michigan. The full deal between the Oilers and Red Wings was Carson, Kevin McClelland, and a fifth-round pick in 1991 for Adam Graves, Petr Klima, Joe Murphy, and Jeff Sharples.

The Red Wings are where Carson spent parts of four seasons. As a member of the Detroit club, he put up the following stats:

  • 1989-90: 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points in 44 games
  • 1990-91: 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 64 games
  • 1991-92: 34 goals and 35 assists for 69 points in 80 games
  • 1992-93: 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points in 52 games

While in Detroit, Carson got to play on a squad that included Steve Yzerman, Bernie Federko, and Gerard Gallant. Carson was also on the Red Wings when Sergei Fedorov and Nicklas Lidstrom entered the league for the team. In the middle of the 1992-93 campaign though, Carson was traded back to a familiar spot in L.A. He was back in the organization he began with, and now he got to play with Gretzky himself.

Final Seasons with L.A., Vancouver, and Hartford

Carson was reunited with some of his L.A. teammates from his first stint with the club like Robitaille and Taylor. He played in 34 games for the rest of the 1992-93 season and accrued 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points. Carson then split the 1993-94 campaign with the Kings and the Vancouver Canucks. In 25 games with L.A., he scored four goals and provided seven assists for 11 points. With the Canucks, he amassed 17 points in 34 games (seven goals and 10 assists).

The last two campaigns of Carson’s career were with the Hartford Whalers in 1994-95 and 1995-96. He played on two Whalers teams where he was teammates with Chris Pronger, Brendan Shanahan, Andrew Cassels, Darren Turcotte, Geoff Sanderson, Glen Wesley, and Jeff O’Neill. In 1994-95, Carson produced nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 38 games. As for 1995-96, he accumulated one goal in 11 games. In total, Carson played in 626 NHL regular season games and amassed 275 goals and 286 assists for 561 points.

Carson was more than just a player who was part of the return in the Gretzky trade. He was a great player in his own right. He will never be able to unlink himself from one of the most famous trades in sports history, but he deserves credit for what he was able to do with his own game. He accrued 100-point seasons on multiple occasions. He notched 55 goals as his career best in 1987-88, and he got 49 goals in 1988-89 with Edmonton. He played with many legendary talents on the various clubs he went to, but he had the skillset to take care of business by himself. I would consider Carson an underrated player. He was not a superstar caliber talent, but he was great when he needed to be. He deserves more credit than he gets.

A TRUE LEADER

BY MARK HALPERN

         A leader is defined as someone who directs a group of people towards a common objective. Jalen Brunson wants to win a championship and he wants to win it in New York and it shows. Jalen Brunson could have commanded a huge payday but to help bring in other talent he accepted a 4-year friendly deal for $157 Million when he could have gotten close to $300 Million.

     The Knicks had yet another successful year by making it one step further this past season and made it to the divisional final. The Knicks  were just that close to going to the Conference championship if it weren’t for injuries to many key players. Brunson was a huge snub for the All-Star Game this season as he averaged 26.8 points 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Brunson helped the term “Never Quit New York” really come out as he often played injured to help this team. Taking this friendly deal and the prospects of getting Julius Randle back to this team makes them more attractive to bring in other big-time talent.

   Brunson leads a Knicks team that will consist of  Julius Randle, Mikal Bridges (Knicks Just Traded for), Mitchell Robinson (for now), and OG Anunoby with Josh Hart as the ultimate 6th man is solid but it’s not enough. The Knicks still need more and right now it’s in the capable hands of Leon Rose. Many Rumors about a potential Walker Kessler trade to Jalen Duran have been mentioned but, rumors aren’t going to be enough. Brunson’s selfish gesture to this organization shows how committed he is to them. Madison Square Garden was on its feet for this Knicks team up to the last seconds and for once it was cheers and not jeers. There is no doubt that this Knicks team can go farther if they pick up 1-2 players preferably a center because Mitch just can’t do it all anymore and the loss of Hartenstein is big cause he moved well with this team but, this team has enough fire in its belly from last year with a great outlook for next year and as always “GO NY, GO NY, GO.”   

Utah Improves Blue Line Before First Season

By Nathan Moser

The Utah NHL club has gone to work on improving their defense significantly this offseason. They acquired Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and also received John Marino from the New Jersey Devils. They also locked up Sean Durzi to a contract extension and signed Ian Cole as a free agent. To say that Utah general manager Bill Armstrong has been busy reworking the blue line would be an understatement. The roster already had another two defenders on their team from the Arizona Coyotes Era in Juuso Valimaki and Michael Kesselring. That is where things stand currently. On the official Utah team website, the defense is made up of Marino, Sergachev, Cole, Durzi, Kesselring, and Valimaki.

Marino and Sergachev Become Staples

With a lot of changeovers on the Utah backend, two defenders who have the opportunity to be leaders for the franchise are Sergachev and Marino. With Sergachev, he knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup multiple times. He was a key player on Tampa’s blue line along with other players like Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak among others. Originally drafted in 2016 by the Montreal Canadiens, he was dealt to Tampa and he grew his stats as a solid talent who was so important to how the team played. While with the Lightning, Sergachev notched the following:

  • 2017-18: nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points in 79 games
  • 2018-19: six goals and 26 assists for 32 points in 75 games
  • 2019-20: 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points in 70 games
  • 2020-21: four goals and 26 assists for 30 points in 56 games
  • 2021-22: seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 78 games
  • 2022-23: 10 goals and 54 assists for 64 points in 79 games
  • 2023-24: two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 34 games

Looking back, Montreal probably wishes they had given Sergachev more time, because he could still be a vital part of their blue line if they waited a little longer for the production to come. As great as things were with the Lightning though, the salary cap was an issue that Tampa had to deal with. Along with letting go of captain Steven Stamkos in free agency to the Nashville Predators, the Lightning also moved on from Sergachev by dealing him to Utah. Credit goes to Armstrong for acquiring a stellar talent and taking advantage of a tough position that Tampa was in with the cap.

Marino was also Armstrong taking advantage of another team’s lineup situation. The New Jersey Devils were tied to free agent defensemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon. That, mixed with other solid blueliners like Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes, Marino was available for other teams to get. Utah made sure they came away with their guy, as they traded two second-round picks (one in 2024 and the other in 2025) for Marino and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

Marino will be playing on his third NHL team this fall. He started out on the defense for the Penguins before he was dealt to New Jersey for fellow defender Ty Smith. With the Devils, Marino accrued the following numbers:

  • 2022-23: four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 64 games
  • 2023-24: four goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 75 games

Now, Marino has the chance for more responsibility on his shoulders. He can become one of Utah’s best defenders and grow as a leader on the backend. He is 27 years old as well, so he is hitting his prime or about to do so, which is a perfect situation for the new expansion club.

Armstrong Getting Cole

Another veteran to provide some help in the defense core is Ian Cole. Like Sergachev, Cole has also won the Stanley Cup twice, which he did while a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. While he is not as known for his offense, he is a nice depth veteran addition. He played last season for the Vancouver Canucks. In 78 regular season contests, he accrued two goals and nine assists for 11 points. He has also suited up for the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning. In his career so far, Cole has produced the following numbers offensively:

  • 2010-11 (Blues): one goal and three assists for four points in 26 games
  • 2011-12 (Blues): one goal and five assists for six points in 26 games
  • 2012-13 (Blues): one assist in 15 games
  • 2013-14 (Blues): three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 46 games
  • 2014-15 (Blues): four goals and five assists for nine points in 54 games
  • 2014-15 (Penguins): one goal and seven assists for eight points in 20 games
  • 2015-16 (Penguins): 12 assists in 70 games
  • 2016-17 (Penguins): five goals and 21 assists for 26 points in 81 games
  • 2017-18 (Penguins): three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 47 games
  • 2017-18 (Blue Jackets): two goals and five assists for seven points in 20 games
  • 2018-19 (Avalanche): two goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 71 games
  • 2019-20 (Avalanche): four goals and 22 assists for 26 points in 65 games
  • 2020-21 (Avalanche): zero points in two games
  • 2020-21 (Wild): one goal and seven assists for eight points in 52 games
  • 2021-22 (Hurricanes): two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 75 games
  • 2022-23 (Lightning): three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in 78 games
  • 2023-24 (Canucks): two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 78 games

Cole being added into the mix along with Marino and Sergachev provide stability on defense that will be beneficial for the other blueliners and the whole rest of the team.

Starting in Utah on a Good Note

There are going to be a lot of eyes on Utah’s first NHL season, and GM Armstrong did what he could to add skill this offseason to improve their results and potentially get into a postseason spot. There is a lot of work that will need to be accomplished on the ice with the talent, but Armstrong did a stellar job putting them in position to achieve their goals. On the blueline, guys like Sergachev, Marino, and Cole will provide a boost for others like Durzi and Valimaki. This bolstered blue line will help the forward group as well as the goalies in Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka. How much improvement occurs in the win column will be determined starting in October.

HELP

BY MIKE Rifkin

The New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 7-5 on Tuesday night. The win propels the Mets to .500 (45-45) on the season. Now, you’d think a victory and getting back to .500 would be nice and it is, everything would be positive? No, Jose Quintana was a positive with seven shutout innings, but the Mets bullpen did what it has done most of the year, imploded.  Adam Ottavino and Reed Garrett allowed five runs, only to be bailed out by Dedniel Nunez and Edwin Diaz respectively. But this latest implosion almost cost the Mets for the second straight day. 

The Mets bullpen ERA for the season is 4.16, which doesn’t seem bad but it’s been a struggle all season long. The Mets bullpen has an ERA of over 10 so far this month, which is reminiscent of what happened in May, which right now is the biggest reason the Mets currently sit on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. Here’s the problem: there are not many people in the bullpen you can trust. Even Edwin Diaz has had blow up moments this season, so even the lockdown closer is a problem, who can Carlos Mendoza turn to in a big spot? Reed Garrett, was really good in April, but since has been inconsistent, like everyone else in the pen. 

The fans are not the only ones who have noticed that the Mets need bullpen help. According to reports, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (who should be an All-Star) has told President of Baseball Operations David Stearns and Owner Steve Cohen to get bullpen help. Even though the trade deadline is three weeks away, there aren’t many teams in sell mode at the moment, and the ones who are probably are asking for a hefty price that the Mets won’t want to pay at the moment. The Mets did acquire Phil Maton from the Rays on Tuesday. Maton has a 4.58 ERA this season and a career 4.28 ERA, but was a member of some good Astros teams. 

If the players are seeing the issues in the bullpen, if the fans are seeing the issues with the bullpen, then certainly David Stearns sees the issues in the bullpen. To quote a lyric from the greatest band of all time “Help me get my feet on the ground, won’t you please help me.” So yes the Mets bullpen needs some “HELP, NOT JUST ANYBODY HELP.”

Homegrown Options

By Mike Rifkin

For the second time in three seasons the New York Rangers lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. So how does a team that has lost in the Eastern Conference Finals ger better? Most Ranger fans wanted GM Chris Drury to grab a top line Right Winger to play with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Players available through free agency included Jake Guentzel, Jonathan Marchessault, Tyler Toffoli, Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko amongst others. 

Did Chris Drury sign any of these players? Well the answer to that is no he didn’t. But Drury did add a winger as he acquired Reilly Smith from the Penguins in exchange for draft picks. Smith should add some depth to the top nine, but this doesn’t mean he’s playing with Kreider and Zibanejad, so if not Smith who is? Could Drury still look for outside help on the top line, sure, but I don’t think that’s necessarily going to happen unless it’s a need again at the trade deadline. So, who is going to get the opportunity to play with Kreider and Zibanejad when training camp opens in September? In my opinion there are three options to get the opportunity in house. 

Let’s start with Kaapo Kakko, the former second overall pick is still only 23 years old and if you read social media, people are willing to give up on him. Kakko in 2022-23 had career highs in goals (18) and points (40) in 82 games played. Entering this season fans and the organization had high expectations for Kakko, and well they didn’t get met. Part of that was due to an injury Kakko suffered, so he ended the year with 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games. Kakko has played with Zibanejad and Kreider in the past, so maybe he gets the first crack in training camp.

Did someone say young players who broke out in 2022-23? Well, that was Filip Chytil, who had 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games played. Chytil was limited to 10 regular season games with an upper body injury. He had six assists in those 10 games, Chytil did return during the playoffs and even played some Right Wing with Zibanejad and Kreider. If the Rangers liked what they saw they can try that unit again in camp. But the organization might want to put Chytil back at his natural Center position. 

The other option is Brennan Othmann. Othmann had a cup of coffee with the Rangers this season, but should get a massive opportunity to make the roster in training camp. The 2021 first round pick had a really solid season in Hartford posting 21 goals and 49 points in 67 games. Othmann is guy who plays with high energy and finishes his checks, so maybe he gets a crack at the top line as well. 

If the right side on the top line is a void at the deadline I would expect Drury to go after someone. But for now I think entering training camp the Rangers will look at all the options above, unless a deal falls into their lap.

John Cena’s Ultimate Retirement match prediction

With the announcement of John Cena’s retirement at Money in the Bank for Wrestlemania 41, I have came up with 16 matches.John cena could have as a retirement match. One match representing each of his world title wins with some repeat rivals and new opponents he never faced. I would have John Cena versus Ric Flair on there but due to Ric Flair’s age, he won’t be allowed. Without further ado, here are my 16 matches that John Cena could have as a retirement match at Wrestlemania 41

Vs Randy Orton

Vs The Rock

Vs Seth Rollins

Vs AJ Styles

Vs CM Punk

Vs Damian Priest

Vs Drew Mcyntire

Vs Roman Reigns

Vs Cody Rhodes

 Vs LA Knight

Vs Steve Austin

Vs Kevin Owens

Vs Sami Zayn

Vs Bron Brekker

Vs Finn Balor

Vs Logan Paul

Comment below what dream matches you want to see Cena in.

Joseph Brothers Unite in St. Louis

By Nathan Moser

There have been multiple examples of brothers being able to play on the same team in the NHL. There were the Stastny brothers, the Sutters, the Niedermayers in Anaheim, the Staals, and the Sedins in Vancouver. The newest duo of brothers who will start playing together starting in the 2024-25 NHL season is forward Mathieu Joseph and defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Both recently joined the St. Louis Blues during this offseason, and now they find themselves as teammates.

Mathieu Joseph’s NHL Career

Mathieu Joseph was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He first debuted for the Lightning during the 2018-19 NHL campaign. In 70 games, Joseph produced 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. He suited up the following season in 37 regular-season contests, accruing seven points in that span (four goals and three assists). He was part of the Lightning during their dominant runs to two straight Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. He might not have gotten the same attention as some of his teammates in Tampa like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, or Brayden Point; but Joseph played his role well. Tampa was a well-oiled machine that kept succeeding.

During Mathieu’s time in Tampa, he posted the following regular-season stats:

  • 2018-19: 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 70 games
  • 2019-20: four goals and three assists for seven points in 37 games
  • 2020-21: 12 goals and seven assists for 19 points in 56 games
  • 2021-22: eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 58 games

During the 2021-22 campaign, Joseph was traded to the Ottawa Senators. The full deal was Joseph and a 2024 fourth-round pick for Nick Paul. Joseph as a Senator posted nice complementary stats that stabilized an offense that had the likes of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. Mathieu accumulated the following during his tenure in Ottawa:

  • 2021-22: four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 11 games
  • 2022-23: three goals and 15 assists for 18 points in 56 games
  • 2023-24: 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 72 games

Following 2023-24, Mathieu was dealt to the Blues along with a 2025 third-round choice for future considerations. The 2024-25 campaign will be his first in St. Louis, and not too long later, he found out who he would be adventuring that part of Missouri with.

PO Joseph’s Career So Far

While Mathieu started out with Tampa, Pierre-Olivier (PO) began his time in the league with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2017 Draft. In the 2019 NHL offseason, however, PO was traded, along with forward Alex Galchenyuk, to the Penguins in exchange for winger Phil Kessel, Dane Birks, and a 2021 fourth-round pick.

PO made his NHL debut during the 2020-21 season, playing in 16 games and accruing five points (one goal and four assists). He then spent the following few seasons putting up these numbers while in Pittsburgh (he spent time in their AHL affiliate squad as well in both 2019-20 through 2021-22):

  • 2021-22: zero points in four games
  • 2022-23: five goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 75 games
  • 2023-24: two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 52 games

Joseph became a free agent this offseason and inked a contract with the Blues shortly after Mathieu was dealt there. This will be the first time that the brothers will be on the same NHL team. They both can be significant depth additions to a Blues team that also brought in Claude Julien as an assistant coach this offseason; and has a cast of new teammates for the Joseph brothers that include Jordan Binnington, Pavel Buchnevich, newly acquired forward Radek Faksa, Robert Thomas, and more. Blues fans will see how the brothers do together once the 2024-25 season officially gets underway in October.

All About Bron

By Mike Rifkin

Some consider LeBron James the greatest Basketball player of All time. On Wednesday, James and the Lakers agreed to a two year 104 Million dollar contract that includes a player option for 2025-26 and a no trade clause. James had declined his 51 million dollar option prior to re-signing with LA. While the Western Conference in the NBA is very deep, it feels like so far the Lakers summer has been about catering to LeBron as opposed to winning a championship.

The Lakers hired JJ Redick to become the next head coach of the team after firing Darvin Ham. Now Redick has zero coaching experiences, but he’s worked for ESPN and most recently broadcasted the NBA Finals. But Redick also had been doing a podcast with James. The Lakers did make an offer to UConn coach Dan Hurley, who opted to stay in school. But if Hurley was the Lakers top candidate, wouldn’t they have made him a better offer? Or did they just want to make people interpret that they were going there and had already decided on Redick. 

The Lakers also drafted Lebron’s son Bronny in the second round of the NBA draft. Bronny played one season at USC before deciding to go pro. Lebron and Bronny will be the first father and son duo to play together in the NBA. Now while I have no issue with the Lakers drafting Bronny, it’s about how this was handled that I don’t like. Lebron and Bronny’s agent Rich Paul was calling teams during the second round of the draft and telling teams that Bronny would go to Australia rather than play for their teams. While it will be a tremendous moment that LeBron gets to play with his son, just sharing the floor on another team would have been a special moment as well. 

So far what the Lakers can boast about in the LeBron era is they won the 2020 NBA Championship (bubble) and they were the winners of the first Play-in tournament, of which they hung a banner for. Outside of that the LeBron era in LA hasn’t been all that great. So let’s say this is Lebron’s last contract and the Lakers don’t win another title, will we remember this similarly to Michael Jordan on the Wizards? No, it’s been better than that, but for the Lakers to cater everything to James and to only win one title would be disappointing. Will the Lakers regret catering to Lebron instead of preparing for life after him? Only time will tell.

HAS THE WNBA CREATED A WAR BY ACCIDENT?

By Mark Halpern and Dan Ryans

War is a powerful word to describe what is happening in the
WNBA. Before the season began the league’s audience had already
increased 27% because of draftees Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. These
two new basketball phenoms are tearing it up on the court, which comes
with problems that have been spilling outside of games. This is very
unfortunate as it shows a light on the game that nobody expected. Caitlin
Clark, the No. 1 draft pick of the Indiana Fever, set a record by
out-selling jerseys of certain male athletes. The WNBA unanimously
designated Clark as the face of the league because of what she did in
college on and off the court. It’s an honor that few professional athletes
ever get the chance of being.
On the other side, we have Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, who
is breaking records on the court. Just the other day, Reese recorded her
10th straight double-double setting the bar high for it to be broken. Off
the court, she reminds me of a child begging for more like Oliver Twist.
I truly believe Reese is Jealous of Clark because we see Angel give
Caitlin the business on the court. The verbal abuse towards Clark is
because the WNBA chose a Caucasian and not Reese who is African
American. Resse has a big mouth and acts immaturely during press
conferences about her and Clark.
Throughout this season, we have seen Clark get hammered
violently, not only by Reese, but also other players on teams who support Reese. These WNBA players have beaten down Clark badly
thinking they can get away with it. The big factor is the way Clark is
handling it, which hasn’t been easy. Caitlin knows what it takes to be in
the league. She has taken the licks and keeps on playing. The last time
we saw a race war in basketball was in 1979 when Earvin “Magic”
Johnson and Larry Bird entered the NBA. It was the same thing, but on a
more violent scale with multiple brawls between the Celtics, Lakers, and
other teams because of Magic and Bird.

I do not believe in any way that the WNBA created this problem
on purpose. No professional league is going to cause an intentional rift,
but it’s out of its hands. We see how Reese talks about Clark and that
shows her weakness and insecurities. Her “I guess some people get a
special whistle” comment, about the referees changing a common foul
call to a Flagrant 1, took it to another level. Reese clearly shows a
southern bravado. No offense, it’s tough to grow up in the South as an
African American and she proved that with determination, hard work,
and a dream. Caitlin Clark is from Des Moines Iowa, much further north
than Louisiana. We have seen the hard work she put in to accomplish her
dreams as well. The League decided on Clark because she is
sophisticated and very well-spoken. The WNBA has had its share of stars. This league has been going strong for 28 years now and made the dreams of thousands of young
girls come true, Reese and Clark included. Women were given the
chance to play the sport they love at the highest level and on the national
stage. Angel and Caitlin have taken this opportunity to the mountain top.
I can’t believe that we are seeing the backlash from Resse and others
who attack Clark physically and verbally. When do we say enough and
start levying fines? You hit them where it hurts, taking the paycheck and
playing time.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have a chance to help pull the
WNBA from bankruptcy. If this behavior continues and clear intentions
are made, it will filter into the audience & advertisers. The WNBA
already is losing money $50 million this year alone. Big sponsors don’t
want to be involved in anything that has to do with this mess. The
League has to get together and talk it out. This issue needs to be
squashed sooner than later.