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Cody Rhodes' new contract is a huge win for WWE
Cody Rhodes. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Cody Rhodes' new contract is a huge win for WWE

Cody Rhodes is arguably WWE's hottest star. He will headline both nights of WrestleMania 40 and has won the Royal Rumble twice. His fanbase is consistently growing and always engaged. Since returning to the company following his tenure with AEW, Rhodes has been positioning himself as the babyface of WWE.

Now, it would appear he intends to continue his story as one of the biggest names in professional wrestling. During an interview with Justin Walker, Rhodes revealed that he's signed a fresh multi-year deal to remain with WWE.

"I can tell you 40 is out of the question just because, not to give you scoop, it was widely reported, but I did sign a new contract with WWE," Rhodes said. "It extends beyond my 40th birthday. The plan is still, when it's time to step out, to step out without it being a painful process. Solely because I saw my dad [Dusty Rhodes] as an old man wrestler and he loved it and enjoyed it, but as his son it was hard to see... It's not 40 anymore. I'll update the number. I hit the prime run late in the game. I often forget that I'm nearing 40."

Rhodes has previously discussed his intention to retire from professional wrestling at 40. Clearly, that plan has changed. When you're on a run of this magnitude and creating generational wealth, it makes sense to continue charging forward.

Nevertheless, Rhodes isn't sticking around because of the money. He's doing it because he's living out his dream. He is from a family of professional wrestlers. He's part of a legacy. And now, he's taking that legacy to new heights. 

Of course, his decision to stay with WWE moving forward is also a huge win for the company. Not only can they continue telling his story, but they also get to keep one of their leading stars for the foreseeable future. 

Everything is trending in the right direction for WWE at the moment. Rhodes is a big part of that. Their partnership is working extremely well. Fans will be excited to see what comes next and whether we finally get to see Cody finish his story. 

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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Ric Flair Clarifies Viral Remarks About Hulk Hogan’s Death
Wrestling

Ric Flair Clarifies Viral Remarks About Hulk Hogan’s Death

WWE Hall of Famer and 16-time world champion Ric Flair is no stranger to controversy. "The Nature Boy" has once again found himself in that part of the internet where he says too much. In an appearance on the DOUBL3 COVERAGE podcast, Flair was asked about Hogan's death by host Zach Hirsch. Flair said: I talked to him the day before he died. I shouldn't say this, but what killed him was street drugs. When the doctor wouldn't prescribe anymore, he was in so much pain, and he had that neck surgery where he got infected, back in the hospital. Imagine 10 back surgeries, 2 knees, 2 hips, and then when the doctor would not prescribe any more pain medicine, he just couldn't do it in any good conscious, they just went and got the drugs off the street. And his body just said, bingo, I couldn't do it anymore. What Did Ric Flair Say About His Hulk Hogan Comments? In a tweet on X, Flair posted a statement, attempting to clarify his remarks on what led to Hogan's death. Flair's love for Hogan has been well-documented since the legend's passing in July. He famously broke down crying in a live appearance on TMZ, just minutes after the news of Hogan's passing was announced. He also said of Hogan on the DOUBL3 podcast that the situation was "sad, what a great guy." More sad for Flair, he is experiencing the loss of most of the peers of his generation. After speaking on Hogan, Flair said: Yeah, all my buddies are going, boy. You know, Mike Rotunda IRS. Yeah, he's real sick right now. My best friend just had a stroke...knock on wood guys. Live it out every day. After Flair's clarifying tweet, most fans seem to not really care. They just send their love to "The Nature Boy."

Jerry Jones claims Jets turned down absurd trade offer involving Micah Parsons, Quinnen Williams 
NFL

Jerry Jones claims Jets turned down absurd trade offer involving Micah Parsons, Quinnen Williams 

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. Jerry Jones says Jets turned out incredible trade offer for Quinnen Williams “I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 103.5 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation. “A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].” Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a one, and we didn’t get it done.” Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5. If true, Jets made a big mistake If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal. Although Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus, he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass-rush win rate. Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass-rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge-rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss. Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they were already prepared to move on from Williams. Adding an extra first-round pick on top would also give the Jets an opportunity to add another starter — if not a star — on a rookie contract. That would help to offset the financial cost of acquiring Parsons. How realistic is Jerry Jones' claim? But Jones’ words should also be taken with a grain of salt. He has spent a lot of time trying to retroactively justify trading away Parsons, especially after using some of the resulting draft capital to acquire Williams. Claiming that the Jets were not interested in Parsons and a first-rounder for Williams serves to downplay the former’s value and boost the latter’s. The idea that the Jets could not afford to pay Parsons does not hold water, either. After his extension, the All-Pro edge-rusher’s cap hit in 2025 is just $9.97M. New York certainly could have designed a similar contract structure and absorbed Perhaps the Jets didn't want to commit so much money to Parsons as they were clearly contemplating a rebuild. Parsons would still be a cornerstone for that effort, but he may not have wanted to weather any losing seasons in the hopes of a future turnaround. But again, adding another first-round pick would have accelerated that process, and a core of Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson seems like a solid foundation for the Jets to build from. That is an expensive trio, but having elite players at three of the sport’s most important positions is a good problem to have. Instead, the Jets declined the Cowboys’ initial offer for Williams before moving him and Gardner at the deadline as part of what appears to be a full-on franchise reset.

Dallas Cowboys' chances of beating Lions just increased with an update the NFL world will hate to hear
NFL

Dallas Cowboys' chances of beating Lions just increased with an update the NFL world will hate to hear

The 6-5-1 Dallas Cowboys are looking to extend their win streak to four in a row next Thursday when they take on the 7-5 Detroit Lions on primetime television. Though the Lions are known as one of the best teams in the conference, they are struggling to be consistent on offense, and the defense has serious problems, too. There are a lot of factors that go into Detroit's biggest issues on offense, which was known as one of the scariest units in the league not that long ago. But it all starts with the trenches, where they simply haven't been the same. The Lions' offensive line's struggles reached the point where they had to draw former second-team All-Pro center Frank Ragnow out of retirement. However, Ragnow's return is over before it even got a chance to get going. Lions announce Ragnow failed his physical ahead of Cowboys matchup On Saturday, the Lions announced Ragnow's activation to the 53-man roster isn't happening after he failed his physical. "The medical exam revealed a Grade 3 hamstring strain that will keep him from participating for the remainder of the regular season," the team's statement reads. "For that reason, Frank will not be rejoining the Lions." It was already unlikely Ragnow would play in Week 14 due to his inactivity this year. However, the Lions are reaching must-win territory, so it wasn't out of the question. This update confirms it. It's a disappointing update even though it helps the Cowboys' chances of winning. You never want to see a star's return get ruined before it even starts. But it is what it is in football. With that being said, there's no denying it's an objectively positive development for a Dallas team starving for any break it can get as it tries to make the playoffs. Cowboys' rising DL will face struggling Lions OL Over the last few years, the motor driving the Lions' success was its offensive line. Now that it's struggling, Jared Goff's play is showing flaws, and the run game has been inconsistent. On the other side, the Cowboys' defense is quickly improving. Since Quinnen Williams' arrival via trade, Matt Eberflus' unit has shown an ability to pressure the quarterback and stop the run. While it hasn't been perfect, it's that interior defensive line that's sparked quality play. The Cowboys are 3.5-point underdogs against the Lions heading into Week 14 but this advantage in the trenches could position them to pull off a third consecutive upset. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*'); This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Arch Manning has defining performance of college career in win over Texas A&M
College Football

Arch Manning has defining performance of college career in win over Texas A&M

In the biggest game of his college football career so far, Texas quarterback Arch Manning grew into the superstar he was touted to be with the nation watching. No. 16 Texas (9-3) earned a huge rivalry win over No. 3 Texas A M (11-1) in Austin on Friday in large part thanks to the second-half play of Manning. Manning was only 8-of-21 for 51 yards in the first half, and the Longhorns trailed the Aggies 10-3 at the break. Texas had an opportunity to kick a field goal and cut the A M lead to four at the break, but an intentional grounding penalty incurred by Manning took that opportunity away. Arch Manning lights up the scoreboard in second half But with the help of a Texas defense that rattled TAMU QB Marcel Reed in the second half, Manning and the 'Horns scored 24 second-half points in a winning effort. Texas' first drive of the second half netted three points, but a strike from Manning to Ryan Wingo on the next UT possession gave the Longhorns the lead and gave Manning some confidence. After another defensive stop, Manning led a six-play, 83-yard TD drive to put the Longhorns up by 10. After Texas A M responded, Manning did as well, running away from the Aggie defense on a 35-yard scoring sprint that ultimately served as the deciding blow. In the end, it was Reed — the more experienced and consistent of the two quarterbacks — that made the back-breaking mistake, throwing an interception deep in Texas territory on a drive that looked poised to end with points. The victory was a team effort for Texas, which will await Saturday's slate of games and beg for several playoff contenders to lose to have a shot at the 12-team playoff field. But it was Manning who would be the face of it. Manning went 14-of-29 for 179 yards and a touchdown through the air and added 53 yards and a score on the ground. The win serves as the biggest moment of Manning's young UT career. Going into Saturday, Manning's sophomore season was marred by inconsistent play. A career day against Arkansas was contrasted by middling performances against Ohio State and Georgia. Standout efforts in wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were overshadowed by no-shows against UTEP, Kentucky and Florida. But Manning rose to his greatest challenge on Saturday, delivering a win in a rivalry game that nobody in the state of Texas — whether they wear burnt orange or maroon — will soon forget.

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