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On October 8, WWE took NXT to The Factory in Chesterfield, Missouri, in Randy Orton’s backyard for a great night for fans. The most exciting event of the night had to be “The Viper” getting back into the ring for a solid fight with NXT’s Je’Von Evans, which was the main event. Having the home crowd behind their man, it was a great competition between youth and experience, which the audience found rather thrilling. Randy Orton showed his amazing skills in the NXT and became victorious in the fight.
Randy Orton vs. Je’Von Evans: A Thrilling Main Event
The main fight for the evening was Randy Orton wrestling Je’Von Evans, a current WWE wrestler who competed against Randy Orton, an iconic wrestler of WWE. The audience was so excited and very interested to watch their favorite wrestler in NXT perform. The more the match went on, the more both performers provided the audience with a highly epic battle.
Multiple times during the match, Evans sought to nail a cutter on Orton, a maneuver that could have been huge for the NXT hopeful. Yet, Orton replied to the move twice; he knew how to outsmart the young man. Throughout the fight, Evans was able to get it right the third time as he hit the cutter, and the impact reverberated throughout the crowd.
The RKO Seals the Win for Randy Orton
However, the match was not over yet after Evans’ cutter, which had shot itself to victory. The action swung back in the last seconds again, and with that, Orton took advantage of the position for his signature move, the RKO. What everyone was waiting for was finally done, but the move was not done properly. Somehow, the RKO landed just a little off, as both the live audience and those watching at home would have noticed.
Although, it didn’t take down the energy of the match. However, Orton decided to end this great fight and get the win with the RKO. It was probably not their best finishing move, but the outcome left fans with great appreciation for both wrestlers.
A Memorable Night For Orton’s Hometown Audience
Overall, this match was fought in a very successful manner and the fans and the followers enjoyed the match in the arena. The fans went to The Factory filled with happiness after seeing Orton perform in his home state. His decision to make this sort of amazing comeback, and the excellent confrontation with Evans, will always be remembered.
As for what’s next, only time will tell. If Randy Orton gets back in NXT to have another feud with Evans. Even fans are anticipating another match between Orton and Je’Von Evans in case he is promoted to the main roster. To date, what one can do is turn his attention and look forward to the next chapter of Orton’s career.
Conclusion
Randy Orton made quite a triumphant return to the ring, which kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the night. There was a minor hiccup in the actual wrestling match, but serious competition was shown in this fight culminating in Orton’s RKO. Everyone was given something to think about at the match, and the future face off between Orton and Evans makes it doubly exciting for both of them. The night will unquestionably go down in Orton’s legendary WWE tenure as one of the most significant nights.More must-reads:
- Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated legacy
- Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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Ric Flair shares his emotional reaction to Hulk Hogan’s death
Ric Flair on Thursday shared his emotional reaction to the news of Hulk Hogan’s death. News came out on Thursday that Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, died at the age of 71 due to cardiac arrest. Flair, who was one of the other biggest personalities in the wrestling world at the time of Hogan’s popularity, wrote a post on social media about the late wrestler, whom he called a “close friend.” “I Am Absolutely Shocked To Hear About The Passing Of My Close Friend @HulkHogan! Hulk Has Been By My Side Since We Started In The Wrestling Business. An Incredible Athlete, Talent, Friend, And Father! Our Friendship Has Meant The World To Me. He Was Always There For Me Even When I Didn’t Ask For Him To Be. He Was One Of The First To Visit Me When I Was In The Hospital With A 2% Chance Of Living, And He Prayed By My Bedside. Hulk Also Lent Me Money When Reid Was Sick. Hulkster, No One Will Ever Compare To You! Rest In Peace My Friend!” Flair wrote on X. Flair, 76, was five years older than Hogan. Their wrestling careers overlapped, and the two were rivals in WCW, and later WWE. Though they had their differences and disagreements as they were among the most popular performers in the wrestling world, they were able to mend matters and become friends over the last decade. Hogan had even referred to Flair as the “greatest wrestler of all time,” putting himself second in that conversation.
Vikings training camp recap, Day 2: Defense continues to impress
It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that through two days of training camp, the Vikings' defense appears to be pretty far ahead of the offense. Brian Flores is now in his third season as Minnesota's defensive coordinator, and many of his key players have been in the scheme since he arrived. Others are now in their second year, and even some of the newcomers seem to have picked things up quickly over the course of this offseason. Meanwhile, the Vikings are breaking in an offense with a new starting quarterback (and a new backup), as well as some new pieces on the offensive line and elsewhere. Expected or not, my main takeaway from Thursday's practice was how impressive this defense already looks. On a beautiful 80-degree day at TCO Performance Center, Flores' group appeared to be in mid-camp form, if not ready for the regular season to begin already. That was also the case on Wednesday, when they snagged a pair of pick-sixes on the first day of camp. The lone interception on Thursday went to 14th-year safety Harrison Smith, the league's active leader in picks by a healthy margin. In a 7-on-7 period, he snagged a J.J. McCarthy pass that deflected off of Lucky Jackson's hands, then — in humorous Smith fashion — proceeded to lateral it to teammate Jay Ward shortly thereafter. So many different members of the first-team defense stood out at least once. Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Harrison Phillips blew up run plays and got into the backfield. Jonathan Greenard roasted tackles with speed off the edge. Blake Cashman burst unblocked through a gap on a blitz for a would-be sack. Ivan Pace Jr. did the same off a stunt. Isaiah Rodgers made a great play to break up a McCarthy back-shoulder ball intended for Rondale Moore (who, at 5'7", probably won't be the recipient of many back-shoulder targets in game action). The Vikings were second in defensive DVOA last season, and I don't think there's any question that they got better — at least on paper — over the course of the offseason. That doesn't guarantee more dominance this season. But it's hard not to get excited about a defense that has a chance to be incredible up front with Allen, Hargrave, Phillips, Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Cashman, and Pace. If the secondary reaches its potential, Flores could be cooking with all kinds of gas this season. That context is also why no one should panic if McCarthy and the offense aren't particularly sharp over the course of training camp. This defense might just be better than any they'll see over the entire regular season. Here are some other notes from Thursday's practice. Jeff Okudah is a player to watch. He's the No. 3 corner with the first-team defense right now, alongside Byron Murphy Jr. and Rodgers. The former No. 3 overall pick is on his fourth team in as many seasons, but he's only 26 years old, and if anyone is going to help him revive his career, it feels like Flores and Daronte Jones could be the coaches to do it. Okudah is physical and not afraid to come up in run support, which he did for a would-be TFL in this practice. Mekhi Blackmon has been working with the second-team defense so far. I think I'm obligated by law to comment on McCarthy's performance, even if just for a few sentences, every day throughout camp. I thought he was fine on Thursday, but maybe a bit more shaky than on Day 1. There was the INT to Smith. He also sailed a ball over Justin Jefferson's head when trying to layer an intermediate throw early in practice, which led to a discussion with Kevin O'Connell and others while watching the replay. But McCarthy also completed plenty of passes, most of them of the short variety. He's shown quite the rapport with Jordan Addison, who was his top target in this practice after Jefferson departed (more on that in a second). McCarthy's fastball is impressive, and he used it to connect with players like Addison, Jalen Nailor, and even rookie Tai Felton late in practice. His best throw of the day was an intermediate out route to Addison, who was covered tightly by Theo Jackson. Jefferson sat out most of the team drills out of precaution after experiencing some minor tightness in his legs following a leaping catch. You can read more on that here, but the key thing to emphasize is that it's nothing significant or concerning. Josh Metellus, whose full participation in Wednesday's practice was a story due to his contract situation, watched practice from the sideline on Thursday due to what the Vikings described as a minor ankle issue. It'll be interesting to see if Nos. 18 and/or 44 are out there on Friday. Some of the depth guys on the defensive line will be fun to track over the course of camp. Levi Drake Rodriguez goes 110 percent all the time and ended up in the backfield on a couple plays, including one where he wound up on the ground near Sam Howell's legs (which coaches don't like). Jalen Redmond burst through the line for a TFL at one point. On another rep, Gabriel Murphy and rookie Elijah Williams put pressure on Max Brosmer, who got a few snaps in this practice after not seeing any on Wednesday. Brosmer, by the way, attempted the longest throw of the day, but it was just out of the reach of a well-covered Dontae Fleming. More Vikings coverage
Tigers, Blue Jays trending in opposite directions after break
The Toronto Blue Jays didn't cool off in their first road game since the All-Star break, rolling to an 11-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The teams will play the second game of a four-game series on Friday night. Toronto was held scoreless until the sixth, then racked up all of its runs in a three-inning span. The Blue Jays, who had a 10-game winning streak shortly before the break, have won six of seven games since the Mid-Summer Classic. "These guys have been relentless," Toronto manager John Schneider said. "I've heard a lot of talk about us being a gritty team that isn't sustainable. I think the exact opposite. I think we're gritty as hell, but I think a lot of the stuff that we're doing is going to lead to a lot of wins." Jose Berrios (6-4, 3.87 ERA), who will start for the Blue Jays on Friday, has a 2-1 record in four July starts despite a 7.11 ERA. He collected a victory on Sunday against the San Francisco Giants despite being charged with four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Berrios was pulled after just three innings in his previous outing, when he allowed four runs and five hits against the Athletics. Before that, he posted eight quality starts in 10 outings. The veteran right-hander is 7-3 with a 4.23 ERA in 16 career appearances (15 starts) against Detroit. He had a no-decision against the Tigers on May 18 after giving up two runs and eight hits in six innings. Detroit's Keider Montero (4-2, 4.28 ERA) will make his 15th appearance and ninth start of the season. Montero has gotten plenty of chances to seize the No. 5 spot in the rotation, vacated when prized rookie Jackson Jobe required Tommy John surgery, but hasn't secured it. Following a sharp six-inning stint against Tampa Bay on July 7, Montero gave up three runs and five hits in three-plus innings against the Seattle Mariners on July 12. In his first post-All-Star-break outing, Montero allowed four runs, four hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings against the Texas Rangers on Saturday. The second-year right-hander faced Toronto once last season, surrendering five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Tigers still hold an eight-game lead in the American League Central but they are playing more like cellar-dwellers. They have lost 10 of their last 11 games, including four straight. Detroit is 1-6 since the break, having scored just 13 runs during that span. The Tigers were limited to a Jahmai Jones solo homer on Thursday until they scored three meaningless runs in the ninth. The team and its fans were spoiled by a glorious three months, and now the club is dealing with adversity for the first time this season. "You know, it's been 11 days, but it feels like it's been a lot longer, and I think maybe that's because of the (All-Star) break," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "A lot of it is just the way that baseball is. We can choose to bring that garbage into tomorrow, or we can reset and get back after it. "I know this team, I know the conversation around it over the last couple weeks. We've got to piece it back together."
Pelicans exec makes team's stance on Zion Williamson crystal clear
It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
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