Darby Allin is a daredevil. So, it's no surprise that the cherished AEW star was eager to shade WWE during AEW Meal And A Match.
Allin, RJ City, and Renee Paquette sat down to discuss Allin's bloody spectacle with Brody King. While King bled ladles of blood, the three talked over sushi about match preparation, Allin's most dangerous bump, and, well, WWE's brand messaging.
“That’s why with wrestling, I think being a spokesperson for the younger kids, they can see me and relate. I’m not just coming into AEW and being like, ‘Yo, everything’s perfect, I’m a superstar.’ Superstar is just such a stupid term. We’re like, ‘You’re down here, we’re up here, we’re superstars. I’m one of you who just made it, you know what I mean, and you can make it too.’”Darby Allin
Allin's point is that anyone can make it to the big leagues. While WWE's "Superstar" branding for their performers is a snobbish, gatekeeping term that can dissuade young people from attempting to chase that pro wrestling dream.
Do you think Darby Allin is right? Is WWE's "Superstar" moniker an arrogant way of saying "We're better than you"?
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After a down 2023 season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen re-established himself last season as one of the team's more reliable defenders. In training camp, the 26-year-old seems to be picking up where he left off. “Riq’s locked in this year,” Seattle third-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon said, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “He just continues to be better. Riq’s got a lot of stuff to show a lot of people.” But can Seattle keep him? Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Woolen will make $5.4 million this season (h/t: Spotrac). Per Over The Cap, the Seahawks are projected to have roughly $61M in cap space in 2026, but they also have other players to sign. Seattle soon will give a top-tier contract to Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and offensive tackles Charles Cross and Anthony Lucas also may merit bigger deals soon. The Seahawks won’t have a lot of salary cap space left if they want to extend most of their top young players. In training camp, Woolen frequently defends against Smith-Njigba, who is one of the more dynamic route-runners in the league. The Seahawks are labeling him as one of the top performers in training camp. Woolen could be one of the top options by the trade deadline later in the season. He could give a team a much-needed upgrade in defending against the passing game. The Seahawks could get a good package in return if they are unable to extend to a longer contract.
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 Red Wings have announced that they are bringing back their iconic 'Hockeytown' logo to center ice at Little Caesars Arena for their 100th year in the NHL. A somewhat familiar look is coming back to center ice at Little Caesars Arena, which has been the home of the Detroit Red Wings since 2017. A special fan polling has resulted in the announcement that the iconic former 'Hockeytown' logo from Joe Louis Arena, their former home, is coming back as part of a new special logo for the team's 100th year. Asia Gholston, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing for Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, released the following statement. The center ice fan vote, launched in partnership with Meijer, was a great way to get fans involved in Red Wings Centennial right from the start. Through an incredible response to this vote, fans have made it clear they're fired up for what's to come in celebrating 100 years of Hockeytown, which is only possible due to their unwavering support for the Winged Wheel. The Red Wings featured the 'Hockeytown' logo at Joe Louis Arena in 1996, which remained until the building's closure in 2017. The Red Wings then used the same logo in their 1st year at Little Caesars Arena, but since then have just utilized a large team logo. The Red Wings celebrate their 100th year in the NHL The Red Wings were founded in 1926, but are in the midst of the longest drought of postseason hockey in their history. Considering that they've now been around for 100 years, that postseason absence is a surprising statistic. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has started to feel some heat for having not been able to get the team to the postseason in each of his first 6 years on the job.
Abdul Carter showed flashes of dominance in his preseason debut with the New York Giants on Saturday, and fellow pass-rusher Micah Parsons believes fans are going to see a lot more of that for years to come. Carter was disruptive on several plays at the line of scrimmage during the Giants' 34-25 win over the Buffalo Bills. He showed tremendous burst and appeared to get into the backfield with ease, and that was against Buffalo's first-team offense. On Sunday, Parsons shared a video on social media that showed Carter giving the Bills fits. Parsons also paid the rookie a massive compliment. "They asked me if Abdul could be a (sic) another great ! I told them he could be the best one!" Parsons wrote on X. Carter responded by telling Parsons he can't wait to see the four-time Pro Bowl linebacker "get paid what you EARNED!!" Parsons and Carter are both Penn State alumni. They each wore the No. 11, which is a famous jersey number for the Nittany Lions and has been worn by some of the best players in program history. Parsons, of course, has already established himself as one of the best defensive players in football. He is currently in a contract standoff with the Dallas Cowboys. Carter was the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. If he lives up to expectations, he should be just as productive as Parsons in relatively short order.
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