WWE And Big 12 Expanding Partnership In A Unique Way
It appears that WWE and the Big 12 are reportedly expanding their partnership in an unexpected way later this year.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic took to social media this week to reveal some interesting details behind the expanding partnership between WWE and the Big 12, tweeting out:
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'Sources: The Big 12 and WWE are expanding their partnership this fall. WWE will hold several episodes of Friday Night SmackDown in Big 12 markets, the night before football games. Includes a Week 0 show in Ireland before KSU/ISU and an Orlando show before UCF/UNC, Chris Vannini said in a post.
This is a unique strategy by Triple H to attempt to engage with a new fanbase this fall and convert some college football fans into professional wrestling fans. Whether or not it will work remains to be seen.
Stay tuned to WrestleZone for more on this expanding partnership as it becomes available.
READ MORE: Adam Pearce Signs Former NXT Champion To WWE RAW
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What do you make of this overall report? Are you excited to see WWE expand its partnership with the Big 12 later this year? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
The post WWE And Big 12 Expanding Partnership In A Unique Way appeared first on Wrestlezone.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Sublime Stanley Cup Final rolls on tonight. Plus: PWHL expansion draft anticipation
Red Light newsletter 🏒 | This is The Athletic's hockey newsletter. Sign up here to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. Good morning to everyone except front offices that say 'as per team policy, terms were not disclosed' when they make transactions. It's game night, let's get into it. … you didn't miss any hockey. The weekend delivered our first three-day break of the Stanley Cup Final. We'll get another before Game 4, and again before Games 6 and 7 (if necessary). Weirdly, the only two-day break left on the schedule is between Games 4 and 5, which have travel in between. Edmonton is close to Sunrise, right? Advertisement The good news is that the extra night off gave everyone one more day to get rested and healthy for a crucial Game 3 … The series shifts to Florida, tied 1-1 after the Panthers' Friday night win. We've got a lot of moving parts here. In fact, let's break out the bullet points: Game 3 is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, Max and Sportsnet. I think it has been. If we're just going based on the first two games of every Stanley Cup Final since 2005, this one is at least on the podium, if not taking home gold. That's partly because it's been a legitimately great start, with a pair of overtime games, plenty of offense and multiple highlight-reel plays. It's also because the bar is kind of low. In fact, this is only the sixth time in the cap era that a Stanley Cup Final has been split 1-1 after two games. The other 14 series all saw a team take a 2-0 lead. Of the five previous splits, three — the finals in 2015, 2018 and 2020 — didn't feature any overtime at all. We did get one overtime in 2019, when the Bruins won Game 1 in regulation only to have the Blues come back with an OT win to square the series in Game 2. But with all due respect to those Gloria-infused days, the only final whose start really compares to this one was in 2013, when the Blackhawks and Bruins served up a triple-OT classic in the opener that was won by Chicago, followed by a Boston win midway through the first extra period in Game 2. That series ended up being one of the better finals in recent memory, featuring an additional overtime in Game 4 and the 17-seconds game in Game 6. It didn't go seven games, though, which I think we can all agree would be unacceptable for the Oilers and Panthers. For now, at least, we can't complain. If this hasn't been the best two-game start to a final in the cap era, it's been awfully close. 🚨 The only thing weirder than an NHL goalie is a third-string NHL goalie. Peter Baugh had a fun piece on some of the guys who held that role for championship teams, and the weird thing that connects many of them during the Cup handoff. 🐀 Speaking of weird connections, Michael Russo found one between veterans Corey Perry and Brad Marchand. Advertisement 🥅 We can enjoy the final, but let's not forget how we got here. I've got you covered with a ranking of the 14 series that led us to this one. 👶 The NHL Scouting Combine has wrapped up, meaning your favorite team now has a good idea of which player it will claim to be shocked was still available when their pick came up. Eric Stephens has more on the week and how much the draft process has changed over the years. 🍁 And finally, be sure to check out this slick YouTube video in which we try to explain the Canadian Cup drought. Come for the high-quality content, stay for the nagging feeling that you didn't think my voice would sound like that. It's expansion draft night in the PWHL. We covered some of the basics in the last edition of Red Light, but a lot has changed since then. New homes for superstars such as Sarah Nurse and Hilary Knight are taking the spotlight, but you can track all of the moves right here. With the draft set for 8:30 p.m. ET tonight (we'll have live coverage), I asked Hailey Salvian to check in with an update. Sean: As someone who follows the PWHL but doesn't know all the ins and outs, the last few days have seemed stunning to me. Are league insiders surprised too, or is this more a case where casual fans just have to play some catch up? Hailey: Honestly, the whole process has been pretty wild. When you see the rules — specifically that teams could initially protect only three players — you know that stars are going to be on the move. But its one thing to understand that and another to see players like Knight, Nurse and Alex Carpenter left unprotected by their respective teams. Not protecting Carpenter, who ranks third all-time in league scoring, might have been the only real surprise to me over the last few weeks. Because as baffling as it is to leave Nurse or Knight unprotected, you can at least understand why teams might have made those decisions. Advertisement In terms of who signed and where, nothing was too surprising. I figured the general managers in Seattle and Vancouver would want to use their five signing slots on top players who were left unprotected, rather than negotiate with free agents who might still be available later this summer. And for the unprotected players, its reasonable that they'd want to dictate where they go, rather than take their chances in the draft. If you're a casual fan who feels overwhelmed, don't feel bad. It's been a whirlwind for literally everyone involved, from die-hard fans to players, agents and your local Athletic PWHL writers. Sean: What should we be expecting tonight, and are there any realistic options that could add to the surprise factor? Hailey: Without knowing the draft order (which the league won't be revealing until the broadcast starts) it's hard to project exactly what might happen. My safe assumption is that once the top remaining players (like 2024 fourth-overall pick Hannah Bilka) are off the board, both general managers will look for the best players at the best price — rather than just grabbing the top scorers or most recognizable names. Vancouver and Seattle will need to keep the salary cap — which will go up to $1.34 million next season — in mind and won't want to spend too much on 12 players out of what will need to be a 23-player roster. Each GM would do well to keep some money earmarked for free agency, where top players such as Natalie Spooner, Tereza Vanišová and Jesse Compher might be available, and the entry draft, with some top young talent incoming. There will surely be some off-the-board picks, but I don't expect any extra fireworks from side trades or truly wild selections. Sean: When the dust finally settles, are Vancouver and Seattle going to be contenders right away? Hailey: It's hard to imagine Seattle and Vancouver coming out of the draft without having legit playoff-caliber rosters. If either team is bad next season, that would likely be due to user error. The rules have been set up for these teams to contend on day one. Last time around, I wondered about the USA/Canada divide in this Stanley Cup Final, especially with everything that's happened between the two nations both on and off the ice in recent months. I wasn't sure whether that would impact allegiances, and so I asked Red Light readers what they thought. Well, the results are in, and … well, there's a bit of patriotism playing out, but you have to squint to see it. Up north, we're all-but-unanimous in backing the Oilers, and 60 percent of the Edmonton bandwagon says it's because they're Canadian. That's a majority, but not as much as you might expect given how much the 'bring Stanley home' message has been beaten into the ground up here. As for you Americans, you barely seem to have noticed the cross-country stakes at all. What you have noticed is that the Panthers are a bunch of dirtbags, with the overwhelming majority of you saying that you're rooting for Edmonton. I wasn't expecting that, but I can only assume it's because your entire country has fallen in love with Oilers legend Dwayne Jetski. After a string of admittedly tough questions, today I gave you one where the answer was staring you in the face. The record for most final appearances without a Conn Smythe win is held by the Florida Panthers, who are currently in the final for the fourth time in history but have never had a player win playoff MVP honors. (They lost the final in 1996 and 2023 and then won the Cup last year, but Connor McDavid was the rare case of a player on the losing team getting the Conn Smythe.) Advertisement Of course, we don't know who'll win the MVP honors this year — Sam Bennett has a sneaky good chance if the Panthers win — so maybe you don't want to count the 2025 final just yet. If that's the case, it knocks the Panthers down to three appearances. That would tie them with the Vancouver Canucks, who went to the final in 1982, 1994 and 2011, only to see their opponent skate off with the Cup — and the Conn Smythe. 📫 Love Red Light? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Important Name Forced To Intervene In Bringing R-Truth Back To WWE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. On June 1, 2025, Ron "R-Truth" Killings announced on social media that WWE was not renewing his contract. The news sparked an immediate and widespread backlash from fans and talent alike, with the hashtag #WeWantTruth trending globally. Just days later, at Money in the Bank, Killings made a shocking return by attacking John Cena during the main event. This sudden reversal left many wondering if his departure had been a storyline all along. In the post-show press conference, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque added to the confusion. When asked about the situation, he simply stated, "All part of the show." However, Killings' own son, Christopher, quickly refuted that claim in a since-deleted social media post, calling the comment "cap." That means no. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A new report from Fightful Select has provided more evidence that the situation was not a planned storyline. A WWE higher-up confirmed the sequence of events, stating that Truth's initial departure was legitimate. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: R-Truth attends Netflix's Debut of WWE Monday Night Raw at Intuit Dome on January 06, 2025 in Inglewood, California According to the report, when WWE initially reached out to Killings for a return, he "didn't seem to entertain the calls." The dynamic changed only when WWE President Nick Khan personally took over the negotiations. It was noted that it is "rare that Nick Khan gets involved in negotiations." The higher-up emphasized that "this one was important to the company and locker room." Bringing Killings back was viewed internally as a "good sign that the roster and fan response being listened to overcame everything else." Unsurprisingly, the WWE roster is said to be "ecstatic" about his return. The report also states that when other talent asked Killings or WWE management directly, they were told the situation was not a work. This aligns with comments from people close to his family, who indicated the new deal was finalized very late in the week. The shift to using his real name, Ron Killings, is also part of the new direction. A source in WWE management noted that Killings "had indicated in the past that he wanted to have at least more of a serious run in-ring before ending his career." His value was clear, as promotions like TNA and GCW were immediately interested in booking him upon news of his availability. This leverage likely contributed to the urgency of WWE's efforts to re-sign him. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.


New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
THE BAT X fantasy baseball cheat sheet: Add Ben Brown, stream Agustín Ramírez
Baseball season is well underway, and with a plethora of articles, statistics and metrics available, it can be challenging to know who to start, sit, fade and trade. Using Derek Carty's THE BAT X projection system, The Athletic has developed a weekly program that helps fantasy managers with difficult roster decisions. Advertisement THE BAT X has been the most accurate original projection system in fantasy for five consecutive years and provides estimates based on a wide range of metrics, including Statcast metrics like exit velocity and barrels, as well as ballpark effects, weather conditions, matchups and much more. Another important concept to understand is regression to the mean, which means players performing above their typical level of play are likely to decline, while those underperforming are likely to improve. This week's iteration suggests adding Ben Brown and streaming Agustín Ramírez. And there's more … so much more. Let's get to it. Projections are based on a 12-team, mixed-league roto format with 23-player rosters. For a more thorough explanation of THE BAT X, read Carty's explainer. For first-time readers, we compare players' year-to-date value (value to this point in the season) against their projected rest-of-season value (value for the remainder of the season and not including YTD value). Values are expressed as dollars, and $0 represents a starting caliber player in the aforementioned 12-team mixed roto league format. This gives you an idea of which players may be available on your waiver wire, their value for the remainder of the year and why you should grab them before anyone else can. The differential can tell you all you need to know, but because this is a model, you'll want to use the projections alongside knowledge of your league. For example, Colton Cowser has thus far performed at a -$17.10 value, but THE BAT X expects him to have a rest-of-season value of $10.60. Cowser has only had 37 at-bats this season so far, so his Statcast numbers aren't validated yet, but they're trending toward red. While his .216 batting average and .275 OBP don't stand out, his xBA is .243 and his xwOBA is .337 (not spectacular but better), and he's hit three home runs so far. Last year, he finished with a .242 BA, a .321 OBP, 24 home runs and nine stolen bases in 499 at-bats. At age 25, he could improve this year, but it's too early to tell by how much. On this list, J.T. Realmuto, Luis Robert Jr. and Brenton Doyle have the highest predicted rest-of-season values but are relatively highly rostered. On the pitching side, Ben Brown (who has been on this list frequently) and Reese Olson (IL15) have the best projections for the remainder of the season, despite playing at -$18.50 and $2.70 levels, respectively. Brown is still available in many leagues, while Olson (even on the injured list) is more highly rostered. To date, Brown is 3-4 with a 5.37 ERA (4.23 xERA) in 63.2 innings pitched; however, his fastball velocity is in the 74th percentile, and his strikeout percentage is 27.7 (80th percentile). Additionally, he's in the 67th percentile or better in chase percentage, whiff percentage, walk rate and extension. He could certainly improve going forward. Like the waiver wire, fades are determined based on the year-to-date roster value compared to THE BAT X's projected rest-of-season value. THE BAT X has suggested fading or trading Steven Kwan for weeks. In a previous iteration, Carty said of THE BAT X projection on Kwan, 'It just doesn't buy his power at all. He doesn't hit the ball hard; he doesn't hit the ball in the air much…. He has one of those extreme outlier profiles, though, where he has insane bat control, which is tougher to quantify, and maybe that just carries him beyond the projection. But all the Statcast metrics going into the projection just say he's got no power.' Advertisement Since then, Kwan's year-to-date value has dropped by over a dollar, but his ROS value has risen slightly. If you haven't traded him yet, it could be time. For players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cal Raleigh and Pete Alonso, you're looking for high-level players as returns. While these three have been playing great baseball, THE BAT X expects some regression. So, you could attempt to ship them for players who are also playing at a high level today and have a ROS value that matches PCA's, Raleigh's, and Alonso's YTD values. None of these players are drop candidates though. Alex Bregman, who has the only negative valuation for the remainder of the season, is highly rostered and on the IL but is nearing a return. Keep an eye on how he performs. His xBA, xSLG and xwOBA to date are all lower than his actual stats. According to THE BAT X projection system, the following pitchers are overperforming their rest-of-season projections and could be considered fades or trade bait. Kevin Gausman has a low YTD value and an even lower ROS value, so THE BAT X suggests ridding yourself of him now before it gets worse, maybe for someone on the trade targets list below. Through 76.2 IP, Gausman is 5-4 with a 3.87 ERA, which is serviceable. He relies heavily on his four-seamer (662) and split-finger (460), while sometimes turning to his slider (101). With a fastball velocity in the 52nd percentile, that strategy may not continue to work. Outside of Gausman, Kodai Senga and Merrill Kelly have performed relatively well but could be great trade bait, as THE BAT X expects regression. Trade targets are similar to the waiver wire and fades, determined by current roster value versus THE BAT X's projected rest-of-season value. These are players you might want on your roster for the rest of the season. You can even compare this list to the 'Fade or Trade' list above, and see if there are deals to be made. For example, maybe you think of shipping Kwan for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who just came off the IL and has performed below expectations but is on the hard-hitting Yankees with plenty of chances to score and bring batters in. While Chisholm's YTD value is far below Kwan's, his ROS value is superior. This isn't to say, 'Go make this trade today,' but instead to illustrate how to use the two lists in coordination. Advertisement Gunnar Henderson, whose YTD value increased by $2 over the last week, is another great player to target with a ROS valuation of $29.70. He's now hitting .265 with eight home runs and seven stolen bases. He also had a 54.7 hard-hit percentage, which is in the 96th percentile. Given his K% (26.4) and BB% (7.7), he needs to find more discipline at the plate, but if he does, he could fare much better going forward. As for pitchers, last week we discussed George Kirby, who tops this list again. Since then, his ERA has dropped from 11.42 to 6.53, and his xERA is 4.23. He has one win under his belt now and has pitched in only 20.2 innings. The rust continues to come off, and his fastball velocity (96.2 mph), K% (28.4) and BB% (4.5) are all above the 80th percentile in the league. He's still not performing as expected, so managers may be willing to let him go for a lesser return, and a ROS value of $25.10 from THE BAT X is promising. With negative YTD values, Cole Ragans, Spencer Strider and Dylan Cease may have managers willing to deal. Here are hitters with favorable pitching matchups this week. On Tuesday, many of the San Francisco Giants could have a good game, including Heliot Ramos, Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee, as they go against the Colorado Rockies. Marlins Catcher and first baseman Agustín Ramírez is available on many waiver wires and could have a big game Monday evening against Pittsburgh. Here's a look at hitters who have been over- and underperforming using weighted on-base percentage (wOBA) and expected weighted on-base percentage (xwOBA). Batters with an xwOBA lower than their actual wOBA could fall to numbers closer to expected, while hitters with lower wOBAs could surge as the season continues. This list includes players who have outperformed their expectations in the past 30 days, as measured by wOBA and xwOBA. Aaron Judge, with his 'underperforming' yet still incredible .435 xwOBA, is obviously fine. While Hyeseong Kim appears on this list as an overperformer, he is a rookie with only 58 at-bats, and his Statcast information can't be validated yet, outside of his incredible 87th percentile sprint speed, which has enabled him to nab six stolen. He's on a loaded Dodgers' team, but is barely rostered and hitting .414 with a 1.029 OPS and two home runs. The rookie isn't playing every day yet, but he has made a solid case for increased usage. The players on this list are the top underperformers in the past 30 days based on wOBA and xwOBA. We spoke about Ben Rice last week, but he's still around 46% rostered (Yahoo), and his Statcast metrics are all red, except for his Whiff, K and BB rates. If he can improve in those categories, his breakout could be bigger than it is right now. Luis Rengifo, who has had bad luck over the past 30 days, according to his xwOBA, is Rice's foil. His metrics, across the board, look pretty terrible, but his Whiff and K rates are 70th-percentile or above. He's still in the lineup with a .206 average and only one home run, and while his xBA is .271, I still wouldn't chase him based on his lack of power in the metrics and a 36th-percentile sprint speed. Finally, we get to the top-scoring offenses of the week. The Dodgers are on the list every week it seems, regardless of the matchup, due to their impressive roster. The Yankees face Kansas City and Boston, both of which are in fourth place in their respective divisions. Chisholm Jr., Judge, Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger could have better-than-usual weeks. THE BAT X projections have predicted the best one- and two-start pitchers of the week, as well as pitchers to consider benching and the best matchups for bullpens. The best projected pitcher this week is Spencer Strider, who is also a trade target despite having a 0-5 record and 5.40 ERA. His xERA is not much better at 5.19. He's getting whiffs, but that's about it right now. Still, THE BAT X projects he'll improve, and he's at the top of the list this week. Tarik Skubal will likely always be on the top one-start pitchers list because he's nearly unstoppable, with a 2.16 ERA and strong Statcast metrics across the board. Going against the Orioles, he could dominate. At the top of the two-start pitchers list is Chris Sale, who will face the Brewers (third place in the NL Central) and the lowly Rockies (12-53). Sale is 3-4 but with a 2.93 ERA. He's struggling with walks a little, but otherwise has been impressive with a 30.9 (!) K rate and 34.7 (!) Chase%. On this list, Griffin Canning is the most available on waivers and sports a 2.90 ERA with a 6-2 record. His expected stats are much worse than his actual stats, but this is a good week to start him against Washington and Tampa Bay. Based on matchups, the Mets' bullpen should perform well, but that's typical, as they have the best team ERA in the league at 2.85. The Cubs' Daniel Palencia has a 1.64 ERA and five saves. His strikeouts are great, but he needs to reduce his walks a bit. Still, he's around 47% rostered on Yahoo, so if he's available on your wire, consider grabbing him this week, as he faces the Phillies and Pirates. THE BAT X projections powered by EV Analytics. (Photo of Agustín Ramírez: Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)