WWE officially kicked off its new era on Netflix last night with a blockbuster debut show. The event delivered some unforgettable moments, highlighted by Rhea Ripley ‘s triumphant victory. The Eradicator claimed the Women’s World Championship in a thrilling showdown against Liv Morgan . Following her hard-fought win, Mami sent a three-word message to her fans, signaling the start of a new chapter.
Ripley took to X to share a picture of her triumphant victory over her arch-nemesis, Morgan. The Nightmare appeared thrilled to reclaim the Women’s World Championship, marking a significant milestone in her career. Accompanying the post was a simple yet meaningful message, hinting at her next chapter in WWE after seemingly closing the book on her rivalries with Morgan and Dominik Mysterio.
The other side.
Rhea Ripley via X
It was a night to remember for Rhea Ripley, who not only dominated Morgan but also delivered a devastating ‘Riptide’ to Mysterio. With her statement-making performance, Ripley now looks ahead to what could be her next chapter, which is the road to WrestleMania. Triple H has firmly reestablished Mami as the top force in WWE’s women’s division.
The other side. #RAWonNetflix pic.twitter.com/hk98FimZTu
— RheaRipley_WWE (@RheaRipley_WWE) January 7, 2025
The 28-year-old star had been absent from the Women’s World Championship scene for nearly a year. Now, with the title back on her shoulders, Ripley may shift her focus to her next challenger. Speculation is already swirling about potential matchups, with Becky Lynch and IYO SKY emerging as likely contenders, possibly at the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.
Rhea Ripley was on top of the world last night as she captured the Women’s World Championship on Raw. However, her celebration took an unexpected turn when she was interrupted by WWE legend The Undertaker. Returning with his iconic American Bada** persona, The Deadman made his way to the ring, circling it on his motorcycle before coming face-to-face with Ripley on the stage.
The two stars stood on the aisle, greeting the WWE Universe packed inside the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Ripley and The Undertaker capped off their momentous encounter with the iconic one-hand-raised gesture, creating a lasting image. It was a legendary moment between two generational greats, bridging eras in a way only WWE can deliver.
The Undertaker and Rhea Ripley share an incredible moment #RawOnNetflix | #WWEonNetflix pic.twitter.com/tAm2kYb4ki
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) January 7, 2025
Following Monday Night Raw, The Phenom congratulated Ripley on her hard-fought victory over Morgan. The Undertaker appeared impressed by The Eradicator’s rising dominance and popularity within the company. With such a memorable appearance from The Deadman, fans are left wondering where he might surface next in WWE.
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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers only officially joined the Pittsburgh Steelers shortly before their three-day mandatory minicamp in June and, thus, is still learning about his new teammates in the early days of training camp. Rodgers is also using summer practices as a way to introduce himself to members of the Steelers' defense. During a Wednesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Steelers star pass-rusher T.J. Watt detailed what it's been like to go against a Rodgers-led offense on the practice field. "Frustrating, because he talks a lot of smack," Watt said about Rodgers, as shared by Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated. "He really does. A lot of the no-look passes are things that we're getting used to. I like to bat down a lot of passes at the line of scrimmage. He's able to manipulate the defense good, so that's been very frustrating. Hopefully, one day we get the better of him." Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently gushed over the arm talent Rodgers flashed during his first handful of training camp practices with the club. This past Tuesday, Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith mentioned that Rodgers' "release and how he generates power" is still "unbelievable" even though the future Hall of Famer will turn 42 years old this coming December. Multiple injury issues slowed Rodgers last fall when he was with the New York Jets. Current Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams was Rodgers' teammate last season and is convinced the veteran signal-caller can still be among the top half of the quarterbacks in the NFL if he's able to stay healthy through a grueling campaign. "His cadence is deadly," longtime Steelers defensive lineman and team captain Cameron Heyward added about Rodgers during the show segment. "The thing he does best is he knows how to abuse the play clock. It's ridiculous, but it's gonna make us better." It remains to be seen if Rodgers will take even a handful of snaps in Pittsburgh's preseason opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 9. History shows he could give Steelers fans a highlight-reel moment or two if he participates in that exhibition contest.
First-year head coach Pete Carroll is tinkering with the Las Vegas Raiders' offensive line early in training camp. On Tuesday, second-year offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson was moved to the second-team unit at center, with Jordan Meredith handling the first-team reps, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic. On Thursday, Powers-Johnson was moved to the first-team right guard. The Raiders initially wanted Powers-Johnson to play at center in the upcoming season, but "changed their mind" when they released veteran Andre James in March. "Powers-Johnson started games at guard last year, but the intent was for him to lock in on center after the team released Andre James this offseason," Reed wrote. "That was the case through OTAs, but the staff changed their mind once training camp got rolling. "According to coach Pete Carroll, the logic is Meredith is too small to play guard but holds up well at center. They signed Alex Cappa to start at right guard, but Powers-Johnson is a superior option there." Meredith, a six-foot-two, 300-pound athlete, is decidedly much smaller than the six-foot-three, 328-pound Powers-Johnson. Carroll believes the competition between Meredith and Powers-Johnson this summer will ultimately make the team better. "It's the heart of everything," Carroll told reporters on Thursday regarding the battle at center between Meredith and Powers-Johnson, via video from Taylor Rocha. "These guys are battling for their playing time... JPJ is working his tail off, and both those guys are battling, so it just makes us better." It's hard to see the Raiders benching Powers-Johnson if Meredith earns the starting center job. He should at least earn the starting right guard job after he made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2024. He is too talented not to start for Las Vegas.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been hit with the injury bug as training camp is in full swing. The first major injury occurred with tight end D.J. Thomas Jones, who suffered a torn achilles and may be out for all of the coming season. Then, the injuries began to bunch up. Yesterday alone, the Steelers lost three players from the same position, with all of them suffering injuries in their knee on the same day. The Steelers will now, temporarily at least, be without the services of three defensive tackles due to knee injuries all suffered on Wednesday. According to head coach Mike Tomlin, the team lost three defensive tackles during practice. Dean Lowry, Jacob Slade, and Esezi Otomewo all suffered knee injuries and are being evaluated. The Steelers would go on to workout Cameron Young, a former fourth rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, in order to try to address the injuries. He has not signed at this point in time. With roughly two more weeks of training camp remaining, the Steelers will need to address their depth at the defensive line at some point. Whether that comes from free agents, tryouts or shifting positions of players is unclear, but it is clear that moves in some direction do have to be made. If the Steelers go into the season with this depth, or more realistically the lack of depth, the lengthy season is likely to cause issues for them down the stretch. It does, however, provide an opportunity for players like Yahya Black to shine, as the rookie draft pick should have an easier time climbing the depth chart now.
The New York Yankees are set to acquire right-handed closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates, ESPN and the New York Post reported Thursday. The Pirates will receive three minor leaguers from New York: top catching prospect Rafael Flores, fellow catcher Edgleen Perez and outfielder Brian Sanchez, per the reports. Bednar, 30, is 2-5 with a 2.37 ERA and has 17 saves in 42 appearances for the Pirates this season. The two-time All-Star is 14-23 with a 3.23 ERA and 101 saves in 293 relief appearances over seven seasons with the San Diego Padres (2019-20) and Pirates (2021-25). The Yankees now have three relievers with closer experience in the bullpen with Bednar, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. The Williams-Weaver duo has combined for 25 saves this season with Wiliams recording 17 of them. Flores, 24, is batting .279 with 16 home runs and 60 RBIs in 97 combined games at Double-A and Triple-A in the Yankees' system this season. The undrafted Orange County, Calif., native was in the Yankees organization for four seasons. Perez, 19, and Sanchez, 21, are playing at Single-A this season.