She has been a dedicated worker since her NXT debut, and now Superstar Shayna Baszler has herself a new WWE deal.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. Thus far, when you look at the females that WWE have brought in from the world of mixed martial arts, it is Shayna Baszler who has fit in the best. She has looked comfortable from that first showing in NXT. Baszler had one of the more memorable and dominant NXT Championship title reigns. She may not be the best to cut a promo, but she can talk and she comes off believable and not at all forced. Unlike someone else, who was more accomplished in MMA, but nowhere near as good in WWE.
And before I get hate, I do know that there are female Superstars in NXT who have a similar MMA background-maybe not as extensive-who could very well end up eclipsing Baszler’s high main roster bar. And she set the bar high with the NXT title reign, as well as some main roster tag team gold. Sadly, because of some poor decisions (thanks Vince), Baszler never was allowed to capitalize on an insanely dominant time in the Elimination Chamber and turn it into a world title. At least, not yet.
For all that she’s done, Shayna has earned herself a new deal. According to Fightful, the 44 year old has indeed come to terms with a new multi-year deal. My first thought upon hearing the news was, wow, I somehow didn’t realize she’s 44. Beyond that, good for her. She’s a key part of Pure Fusion Collective, which while young, could become a new dominant faction in WWE. And with the new deal, she should be able to be an integral part of the group for as long as they will have her.
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It's the Browns. When the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this April, they had a total of five quarterbacks on their roster between their incoming rookies, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and the injured Deshaun Watson. And despite the kind of confusing nature of their stockpiling so many QBs, it sounds like the team could double-down on the the decision by the time the regular season kicks off. According to The Athletic's Zac Jackson, "the Browns absolutely might keep all four quarterbacks" heading into Cleveland's season opener. While also adding, "No, Shedeur Sanders is not going to start Week 1 for the Browns. But he's put a lot of pressure on his coaches and fellow QBs headed into this week — the biggest week of training camp as the Browns head to Philly." Fans reacted to the reporter's update on X: "At this point it's not even a QB room anymore. It's a pitching rotation now," a user said. "One as a starter, One as a backup, One to hold on field goals, And one listed as a wide receiver for tax purposes," another commented. "[Shedeur Sanders] should be developed and shouldn't be thrown out there week 1 but he should be considered to be put over Gabriel and Pickett," a fan pointed out. "While also finally getting meaningful reps with the 1's." "I'm a Shedeur fan who wants Flacco to start with Shedeur at QB2," another person replied. "Sitting behind a veteran QB can be very valuable, and you know he'd be ready if he had to come off the bench. Just my .02." "This isn't unprecedented," another user posted. "The Patriots kept 4 QBs in the 2000 season. Worked out ok for them. Not saying there's a Brady in their QB room. But if they have 4 guys who they think are NFL worthy (even if none are QB1 right now), they can make it work." The Browns have been bitten by the injury bug thus far in camp with Pickett and Gabriel both dealing with ailments this preseason — opening up a window for Shedeur Sanders to earn his way up the depth chart. Sanders played well in Friday night's debut with a 14-of-23 performance for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the way to a 30-10 win over Carolina. But head coach Kevin Stefanski says the team in "evaluation mode" when it comes to their QBs.
The Atlanta Dream returned one of their most prized possessions, Brittney Griner, for a matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. Griner had missed three straight games ahead of the team's matchup against Phoenix. She was working through a neck injury that kept her sidelined, joining Rhyne Howard as another Dream star to be dealt an unfortunate injury. After missing three straight games, Griner returned to the lineup to play her former team, helping Atlanta earn a 74-66 victory over the Mercury. Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko discussed the return of Griner after the game, mentioning that she had a great performance against one of the best teams in the WNBA. "I thought BG was great," Smesko said. "She was moving great. She looked really good out there. Defensively, she was excellent. She was controlling the point. I thought really good first game back for her." Griner finished the win over the Phoenix Mercury with two points, two rebounds and one assist. She capped off the night playing 13 minutes in her first game back with the Atlanta Dream. Griner is currently playing in her first season with the Dream, looking to help lead Atlanta to a WNBA title alongside stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. While the Dream have dealt with several injuries and setbacks during the season, they have climbed up the league standings, holding the No. 3 slot in the entire WNBA. Throughout her first season with the Dream, Brittney Griner has posted 10.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
Quarterback Dak Prescott seems optimistic about the 2025 Dallas Cowboys. Perhaps he's a little too optimistic. On Saturday night, Mike Leslie of WFAA-TV in Dallas shared a clip of the Cowboys QB chatting with Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke. At the end of the conversation, Prescott issued a bold prediction. "We'll meet y'all in the NFC Championship," he said. Prescott's comment may have been tongue-in-cheek. Throughout the offseason, however, the 32-year-old QB has made it clear he believes Dallas is a championship contender. After the Philadelphia Eagles won their second Super Bowl in February, Prescott said there isn't a massive gap between the Cowboys and their NFC East rival. Despite Prescott's confidence, it's hard to envision the Cowboys threatening the Eagles or the Rams as one of the NFC's top teams. The Cowboys went 7-10 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season. Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in 2024, missing nine games. The 2023 second-team All-Pro could rebound with new star wide receiver George Pickens. Still, a coaching change may make that more challenging. This offseason, Dallas rookie head coach Brian Schottenheimer replaced Mike McCarthy. While it's just preseason, the team looked sloppy in the coach's first game. During the 31-21 road loss to the Rams, the Cowboys committed 11 penalties for 83 yards. The contract standoff with EDGE Micah Parsons, who's entering the final year of his rookie deal, is lingering over the team. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated they hadn't made any progress before Saturday's loss. "I'm glad to see [Parsons is] working out, in shape, and feels great, and so all of that's good," the owner told Kristi Scales of KRLD-FM in Dallas. "And I don't have anything to comment on." The Rams and Eagles, meanwhile, don't have as many problems as the Cowboys, making their path to a championship seem much easier. As of Sunday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook gives the Eagles the best odds (+360) to win the NFC and the Rams the fourth best (+950). The Cowboys have +2200 odds. Prescott should consider lowering expectations. It may be challenging for the Cowboys to make the playoffs this season, let alone the NFC Championship Game.
Longtime New York Rangers analyst Larry Brooks has suggested that the team could name JT Miller, who was re-acquired this year, as their new captain and official successor to ex-Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. The New York Rangers do not have a captain right now following the controversial trade of Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks in December. But according to Larry Brooks, they may have found one. Why Naming Miller Captain Could Signal a Culture Shift for the Rangers It followed a period of tension between Trouba and Rangers management led by GM Chris Drury, who reportedly threatened to waive him if he didn't accept a trade. Months later, the Rangers re-acquired JT Miller from the Vancouver Canucks; he was taken by the Rangers with the 15th pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Per longtime Rangers analyst Larry Brooks of The New York Post, the Rangers should name Miller their new captain and the successor to Trouba. The captain's sweater is not just another piece of laundry. It represents the organization's ethos. The Rangers acquired J.T. Miller to change the team culture. The 32-year-old is hard-edged and can be abrasive. That is the identity the Blueshirts should adopt. Miller was traded to the Rangers after a long public feud with Canucks teammate Elias Pettersson was confirmed by executive Jim Rutherford. JT Miller Expected to Be Named Captain of the New York Rangers, Less Than a Year After Trade From Vancouver The Canucks traded Miller to the Rangers, who took him in the 1st round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a 1st round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Miller returned to the place where he began his NHL career, and had 35 points (13G, 22A) in the 32 games he played after the trade. If Miller does become captain of the Rangers, he would be the 29th player in team history to wear the 'C' on his sweater.
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