Latest news with #XavierWoods
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Saints receiver Chris Olave brushes off concussion concerns and laughs off trade talk
METAIRIE, La. — Chris Olave, the New Orleans Saints leading receiver in two of his first three seasons, wanted to make two things clear. He is not concerned about the long-term implications of repeated concussions and sees himself spending his entire career with New Orleans. Olave has been a full participant in non-contact, offseason practices and this week's mandatory minicamp, but has not played in an NFL game since last Nov. 3. That was the day he was leveled by Panthers safety Xavier Woods during a downfield route across the middle of the field.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Saints receiver Chris Olave brushes off concussion concerns and laughs off trade talk
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chris Olave, the New Orleans Saints leading receiver in two of his first three seasons, wanted to make two things clear. He is not concerned about the long-term implications of repeated concussions and sees himself spending his entire career with New Orleans. Olave has been a full participant in non-contact, offseason practices and this week's mandatory minicamp, but has not played in an NFL game since last Nov. 3. That was the day he was leveled by Panthers safety Xavier Woods during a downfield route across the middle of the field. Olave remained in a prone position on the field for several minutes, after which he was taken from the stadium to a Charlotte hospital. While he was permitted to return to practice in December, he never returned to the lineup. 'It was tough, man, at first.; I ain't never really sat out that long,' Olave said after practice on Wednesday. 'That was really my first major injury. ... Just not being able to go and practice and go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but I feel like I'm ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December. So, I feel like I'm good.' Olave has had at least four confirmed concussions in his first three seasons. The first occurred when he was a rookie in 2022 during an Oct. 9 game against Seattle. He missed just the following game and finished the season with team highs of 72 catches for 1,042 yards. During the 2023 season, he did not miss a game after a Week 12 concussion against Atlanta and finished that season with team highs of 87 catches and 1,123 yards receiving. Last season, however, he missed nine games because of two concussions. He sat out just one game after his first against Tampa Bay on Oct. 13 before the Nov. 3 one in Carolina ended his third NFL season. Olave consulted with specialists after the most recent head injury. 'They said I was OK back in December when they cleared me. It was just unlucky situations I was being put in,' Olave said. 'God's got me at the end of the day. I'm not worried about nothing. So, just got to go out there 100% and be ready.' Saints rookie coach Kellen Moore, hired in February after winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, has largely brushed aside questions about Olave's concussion history. 'I don't worry too much about that,' Moore said. 'We feel really really good about Chris. He's had an excellent offseason, an excellent career so far and (has) an excellent future. 'We feel like we've got a good one in him,' Moore added. So, apparently, do some other teams who've reportedly asked the Saints about their willingness to trade Olave as New Orleans rebuilds from a five-win 2024 season. The Saints also have lacked a proven quarterback since veteran Derek Carr's sudden retirement in May. All three of New Orleans current QBs have less than three season of experience and not a single NFL win. But Olave expressed optimism about those young QBs — rookie Tyler Shough, second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener. 'The young QBs are good,' Olave said. 'I don't think they're going to come in and have hiccups. I feel like they got a good head on their shoulders. They got a good IQ. They're ready to play NFL ball. So, I'm excited.' Olave also laughed off reports that he's the subject of trade offers. 'It's all rumors, man,' Olave said. 'In the offseason, everybody's trying to have something for clicks. So, I love it here. I love the front office. I love my coaches. I'm excited to be here and I want to be here forever.' ___ AP NFL:
Forbes
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
WWE WrestleMania 41 Results: New Day Wins Tag Titles In Branded Match
The New Day looked to make history as they battled the War Raiders for the WWE World Tag Team ... More Titles. The New Day won a record 11th tag team title with a shady win over the War Raiders. The match had the tall task of following an emotional Jey Uso win to start WrestleMania, but these two pro's worked very hard to do just that. In the end, the New Day won and immediately ran off with the titles like thieves in the night. The New Day and the War Raiders competed in a highly athletic tag team match featuring a series of impressive double-team maneuvers, and even a big-man moonsault from Ivar that dazzled Allegiant Stadium. The New Day's road to WrestleMania started with a surprising heel turn on the December 2 broadcast of WWE Raw. Just when it seemed like the legendary faction would split amid struggles in the tag team division, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston instead turned on Big E. Given the impeccable heel turn, and the ensuing heat for the group in the weeks ahead, their slot at WrestleMania can safely be considered a disappointment. Competing in a tag team match at WrestleMania is every tag team's dream, sure, however their strong heel turn had the potential to be featured much higher in the card. But given the amount of talent left off this card, an 11th Tag Team Title reign for the New Day is yet another impressive feat in their Hall of Fame careers. Whether a babyface or a heel, the New Day will always be gamers. Xavier Woods is integral to WWE's blossoming relationship with the gaming community. Woods, the creator of the UpUpDownDown video game channel on YouTube, played WWE 2K25 on a 100,000 square foot screen at Resorts World in Las Vegas. The latest iteration of WWE x Gaming is its partnership with Supercell''s Clash of Clans, one of many sponsors of WWE and its impressive marketing arm. 'Under the new partnership, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, The Undertaker, Bianca Belair and other WWE Superstars will be reimagined as iconic characters inside the world of Clash of Clans, culminating in an enhanced match sponsorship at WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas,' read a press release last month. Integrations include: In addition to Jey's 'Thrower' integration, Jey Uso's customized YEEter character has been used over 250 million times. 'I like how they came up with the concept of drawing somebody like me on there. I'm a big fan of Clash of the Clans since back in the day. It's real cool having a skin in the Clash of Clans Game,' said Uso. Despite his experience in 'Clash,' Jey admitted the "P.E.K.K.A" character was the most challenging. The New Day's next challenge will be putting back the pieces together when it comes to their fractured relationship with Big E. Whether they get back together as heels or babyfaces, a New Day reunion feels inevitable.
Forbes
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Everything To See And Do In Las Vegas For WrestleMania 41 Week
WrestleMania 41 emanates from Las Vegas, Nev. this April for only the second time in WWE history. The last WrestleMania Vegas—WrestleMania IX at Caesars Palace—gave WWE one of its greatest WrestleMania set designs to atone for arguably its worst WrestleMania. WWE is operating at or near Peak Cinema in 2025, breaking one live gate record after another with sky-high ticket prices headed into WrestleMania Easter. WWE's plethora of sponsorship deals include a recently announced partnership with Clash of the Clans which will feature a branded match at WrestleMania 41. That alone might be better than WrestleMania IX. WrestleMania week is a pro wrestling super hub. WrestleMania generated over $1.25 billion for its host city of Philadelphia last year, and countless promotions benefited from the biggest week in wrestling with piggybacking events. In 2025, however, WWE will be defying the laws of physics by piggybacking on itself. With more WWE-branded events than ever before, many indie wrestling promotions will now share a space with WWE ID shows. Wrestling-themed nightlife staples such as Remix Rumble and WaleMania's 10th anniversary will now coexist with four consecutive nights of WWE's WrestleMania After Dark in the Fontainebleau Hotel. WrestleMania is such a large-scale event, WWE had to stage a takeover of its own creation. And the takeover has already started with help from the New Day. As part of the ongoing rollout of WWE 2K25, five WWE Superstars—Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Dakota Kai and Tyler Breeze—played 2K25 on a 100,000 square foot screen at Resorts World in Las Vegas. Resorts World, home to a WrestleMania-week slots tournament hosted by former WWE announcer Kayla Becker (F.K.A. Kayla Braxton), will be a popular location among wrestling fans and talent. The venue is in close proximity to several means of transit throughout the city, such as the Las Vegas Loop, the Las Vegas Monorail and the M Ride. Fans will be able to use these methods of transportation to arrive at Allegiant Stadium, home of WrestleMania 41, the T-Mobile Arena (SmackDown, NXT Stand and Deliver and WWE Raw After Mania) and the Las Vegas Convention Center (WWE World.) WWE World takes place from April 17 to April 21, where there will be meet-and-greets with top stars such as Cody Rhodes, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre, Mike Tyson, Jey Uso and The Undertaker. Undertaker will have a busy week after reprising his 1 Deadman Show in the BleauLive Theater at the Fontainebleau Hotel. This is the same location as the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame with headlining inductee Triple H. WWE World will also feature the largest superstore in WrestleMania history with exclusive merchandise, memorabilia, autograph signings and immersive exhibits. WWE, in partnership with Medium Rare, announced its first-ever WrestleMania After Dark experience at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Las Vegas. WrestleMania After Dark takes place every night from Thursday, April 17 to Sunday, April 20 at LIV nightclub with live performances from DJ Valentino Khan, Metro Boomin, Machine Gun Kelly, Flo Rida and Rob Gronkowski. WrestleMania After Dark will include appearances from a bevy of WWE stars such as The Usos, Liv Morgan, Bron Breakker and Rey Mysterio. Saturday the 19th will be especially packed with WWE NXT Stand and Deliver inside the T-Mobile Arena, WrestleMania Saturday and a potential Yeet Celebration at WrestleMania After Dark featuring Jimmy and Jey Uso. Wrestling enthusiasts won't have to wait until night time to mingle with fellow fans and stars, as former WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley (Dean Muhtadi) will host Slam Fest day parties at Palms Casino Resort on April 19 and 20. The Palms Pool event is advertising Mandy Sacs (F.K.A. Mandy Rose), Shelton Benjamin, MVP and Ric Flair, who will be hosting a 'Woo!' contest on the 19th. Flair recently noted he will be in attendance for John Cena's potentially record-breaking 17th world title win in Sunday's main event against Cody Rhodes. The Palms will also be a venue for one of WWE's many co-branded shows during WrestleMania week as part of its emerging WWE ID program. WWE ID will present tournament matches in partnership with GCW: The Collective at the Palms on April 16. WWE ID Tournament matches, which will eventually crown the inaugural WWE ID men's and women's champion, will also take place in FSW Vegas from the FSW Arena. WWE ID promotion KnokXPro—headed up by WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi—will feature a weekend of events from April 16 through April 18 in the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. WWE ID's potentially game-changing involvement in the indie wrestling scene has been the cause of spirited debate in the wrestling community. Some feel WWE ID is good for the wrestling business as it will showcase smaller promotions, while giving wrestlers a path to the mainstream superstardom that they seek. Others fear WWE ID could experience the same pitfalls of NXT UK, while sucking the soul out of independent wrestling domestically. Regardless of the fate of WWE ID, WWE has every right to capitalize on the event it created. As a two-night showcase amid a week of hype, WrestleMania has turned into a festival, and the residual interest in outside shows is a business unto itself. Most importantly, any show with a connection to WWE will have onsite medical staff, thereby mitigating tragedies like Vincent Steele's fatality during a local New York wrestling show last month. This despite the rapid response from first responders who were on the scene within minutes of Steele's cardiac event. In years prior, WrestleMania week was the most lucrative timeframe for independent wrestling promotions to piggyback on the biggest wrestling event of the year. This meant wrestling fans were spoiled with a diverse array of renegade live entertainment. Everything from Bloodsport to Ring of Honor emanated all in one city. Now owned by rival promotion AEW, ROH Supercard of Honor will not take place during WrestleMania weekend per usual, and many of the more high-profile shows will happen under the WWE ID brand. Whether this is a sign of the corporatizing of WrestleMania week events, or a necessary sea change to make indie wrestling more professional, remains to be seen. Wrestlecon is a WrestleMania-week institution and one of the largest gatherings of pro wrestlers from the past, present and future of this business. This year's Wrestlecon emanates from the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. In between wrestling events, WrestleMania tourists can play Topgolf at the MGM Grand, or Swingers Indoor Mini Golf at the Mandalay Bay for those with a stronger short game. No genre brings out the jubilant child among exuberant adults like pro wrestling, and Vegas' Play Playground at the Luxor does just that. With virtual reality, physical games and tactile games to name a few, the Play Playground is Chuck-E-Cheese for adults, equipped with a full bar. The Play Playground will play host to a video game tournament on Friday hosted by WWE's Mike Rome. For the more psychedelic tourist, the Omega Mart offers an interactive supermarket with several trap doors that lead to imaginative exhibits within an alternate reality. With origins dating back to 2009, Omega Mart features a display of custom-made products and contributions from over 300 artists that have to be seen to be believed. There is no shortage of meals and dining in Las Vegas. Wally's at Resorts World is a popular option for brunch, and the wood oven French Toast comes highly recommended. Beer Park in the Paris Hotel sets the perfect vibe for a pregame at a tailgate without the parking lot. For those looking for the best steak in Vegas, it's a tie between Orla at the Mandalay Bay and Barry's Downtown Prime at Circa Resort and Casino. Before attending any of the late night WrestleMania events, such as WrestleMania After Dark, fans are encouraged to enjoy a post-match drink at Glitter Gulch Tiki Bar. Las Vegas has something for everyone, and the entire city will exist in concert with WrestleMania and wrestling-themed activities. The theme will be 'Pick your Poison,' and with the latest-emanating WrestleMania of all time in Sin City, fans will have plenty of time to indulge.
USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee Titans move up in ESPN's post-free agency power rankings
Tennessee Titans move up in ESPN's post-free agency power rankings With the first wave of free agency under the books and the pre-draft process ramping back up, the Tennessee Titans have made some moves to improve some of the weakest areas on their roster. They have greatly improved their offensive line, totally revamped their inside linebacker room and added depth to the defense. There is still work to do. The Titans still have needs at quarterback and wide receiver, plus depth is questionable across the roster. All these moves are a step in the right direction, but have they been enough to pull them out of the NFL basement? According to ESPN's team of reporters for NFL Nation, the Titans are no longer dead last in their power rankings, and they offered up an under-the-radar move made by the team in free agency. 31. Tennessee Titans Way-too-early ranking: 32 Under-the-radar move: Signing safety Xavier Woods Signing the veteran to a two-year, $10 million deal is an extreme bargain. Woods played at least 90% of the defensive snaps for the Panthers over the past two seasons. That durability is much-needed considering Amani Hooker hasn't played a full season in his six-year career. Woods also brings a tone-setting attitude to Tennessee and should help shore up the last line of defense, which gave up plenty of long runs to backs last season. -- Turron Davenport As Davenport pointed out, Woods could be a significant addition heading into 2025 and stabilize the Titans' safety position. His experience could also add a veteran presence and leadership to a defense that was on the rise last season. The Titans defense struggled to stop the run and pressure the quarterback in 2024. The additions of Woods and Cody Barton should help against the run and help that area. The pass rush is still somewhat of a question mark after releasing Harold Landry and bringing in a couple of veteran edge rushers, Dre'Mont Jones and Lorenzo Carter. Tennessee could add an edge early in the draft to bring a young, dynamic player into the fold. Offensively, the Titans have improved their biggest need heading into free agency by signing Dan Moore and Kevin Zeitler to bolster the offensive line. Now, they just need to find a quarterback and some wide receivers to round out the unit.
