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"WWE SmackDown" takes place live from the Nutter Center in Dayton, and it'll be the last stop for the blue brand prior to "Backlash 2025."
Some potential spoilers have already surfaced for the show. While the company has announced five matches for this Saturday's PLE, it's unclear if there will be an addition announced on Friday's episode of "SmackDown." There is a major name reportedly lurking backstage, however.
One major name whose appearance will not be a surprise is John Cena. The Undisputed WWE Champion has been advertised for "Friday Night SmackDown." He will address being dropped by two RKOs from Randy Orton prior to their title match this Saturday.
We'll also find out who the No. 1 contender is for Tiffany Stratton's WWE Women's Championship. It'll be Nia Jax and Jade Cargill battling for the right to challenge Stratton. Naomi has been a thorn in the side of Cargill, and she might make a run-in.
Who will get the next shot at @tiffstrattonwwe and the WWE Women's Championship when @Jade_Cargill and Nia Jax collide in a No. 1 Contenders Match TONIGHT on #SmackDown?
— WWE (@WWE) May 9, 2025
8ET/7CT on @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/vbTrbXjbXW
There will also be tag team action, as LA Knight and Damian Priest will take on the deteriorating duo of WWE United States Champion Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa. Fatu is set to put his gold at stake against Knight, Priest, and Drew McIntyre in a fatal four-way match at "Backlash."
Potential spoilers will be updated as they become available. Stay here once "WWE SmackDown" starts at 8 p.m. ET, as live results will also be updated here.
'WWE SmackDown' Spoilers
PWInsider reports that Alexa Bliss is backstage at the Nutter Center. There's no word on whether or not she will appear on camera. More spoilers will be updated here if available.
'WWE SmackDown' Live Results
More must-reads:
- Ohio State exorcises Michigan demons with blowout road win
- No. 12 Miami bolsters CFP case with blowout win at No. 22 Pittsburgh
- The 'Five game-winning-drives in a season' quiz
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Cooper Flagg speaks out after his first game against LeBron James
The Dallas Mavericks’ No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg has often been compared to LeBron James. Many believe that Cooper Flagg has the potential to one day surpass LeBron James’ NBA legacy. For what it’s worth, Flagg has already broken James’ few records, and considering he’s 18 years old, the Dallas Mavericks star has time in his favor. But it would be easier said than done, as Flagg finally got a chance to face off against James during the Mavericks’ final NBA Cup group-stage matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Cooper Flagg praises LeBron James The Mavericks’ nightmarish season continued as they suffered a 129-119 defeat at the hands of their Western Conference rivals. While Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were the stars of the show, James had an off-night. Despite that, Flagg had nothing but praise for the four-time NBA champion. “It’s incredible, obviously, to see what he’s still able to do. However old he is, it’s just incredible, and I think the best thing for him is how smart he is. “He’s always one of the smartest players on the court. He played with such a high IQ, making the game easy on himself,” Flagg said after the game. “Tonight, he didn’t do anything crazy; he didn’t have to. He just kept it simple and just made the smartest plays on every possession.” Despite being 40 years old, James’ elite IQ allows him to impact the game even during off-nights, and that’s what Flagg noticed. LeBron James vs. Cooper Flagg Even before playing a single game against him, James predicted Flagg’s development would be similar to Kawhi Leonard. However, Flagg has yet to reach that level as he had 13 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists against the Lakers. He didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but it was still an excellent double-double in the loss. On the other hand, James finished the night with 13 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the 10-point win. Looking at their stats, it makes sense why Mark Cuban compared Flagg to James. But let’s not forget that the two stars on the opposite end of their careers.
Hal Steinbrenner’s comments on Yankees’ profits point to a larger issue
Over Thanksgiving week, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner provided fans with plenty of news to digest. Among notable items that are circulating, four things stand out: his resolve to lower the payroll below $300 million, the insinuation that the Yankees are not a profitable ballclub, the assumption that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ astronomical payroll played no part in their dominance and his purported support for a salary cap. When seen together, these four items seem to suggest a severe reluctance to spend. Steinbrenner made it clear he wants to come in under the luxury tax threshold. Interestingly, he called the correlation between spending and championships weak, alluding to his Yankees as well as the New York Mets as examples of teams with high payrolls and limited success. However, this opens up a discussion about how said money was spent. The Mets notably dumped a record sum on signing Juan Soto, but did little elsewhere. But what about the Yankees? When asked if it was fair to say the Yankees turned a profit after engrossing over $700 million in revenue, Steinbrenner had this to say, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch: “That’s not a fair statement or an accurate statement. Everybody wants to talk about revenues. They need to talk about our expenses, including the $100 million expense to the City of New York that we have to pay every February 1, including the COVID year. So, it all starts to add up in a hurry. “Nobody spends more money, I don’t believe, on player development, scouting, performance science. These all start to add up.” Altogether, the Yankees spent slightly under $305 million on players’ salaries in 2025. For a breakeven season, the Yankees would have needed to spend over $395 million elsewhere. Where did it all go? Steinbrenner mentioned the $100 million expense to New York City. As for the bulk of their expenses, the Yankees owner pointed towards player development, scouting and performance science. This raises a more serious question about mismanagement. The Yankees are overspending on failing analytics If most of the money was spent on development, scouting and performance science, one could easily argue that the cost has outweighed the benefits. Despite having spent so much, these efforts have produced very little. Over the years, the Yankees have seen more failures than success stories when developing major league talent. Promising players and top prospects like Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier, Deivi Garcia, Miguel Andujar, Domingo German, Chance Adams, Justus Sheffield, Oswald Peraza and Estevan Florial, among many others, never panned out. The team also gave up on Carlos Narvaez and Agustin Ramirez in favor of Austin Wells, who underperformed the pair of rookie backstops this past season. Another catching prospect, Yankees 2018 first-round draft pick Anthony Seigler, who struggled during his time in the Yankees’ farm system as recently as last year, excelled with the Milwaukee Brewers in Triple-A this year. Anthony Volpe, Will Warren, Luis Gil and Jasson Dominguez are four current works in progress. It might also be fair to say the torpedo bat craze the Yankees started has officially ended. Of their recent triumphs, the Yankees boast Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler. Going further back, one might add Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge to the list; however, Judge’s swing was actually developed by famed hitting coach Richard Schenck, not the Yankees. Spending on these efforts is by no means a waste; nonetheless, it’s clear the Yankees are grossly overspending for something that isn't even working. Whether it means an organizational shakeup or reallocation of funds to target proven major league talent, Steinbrenner’s approach needs to change.
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.
Steelers Make Asante Samuel Jr. Announcement Everyone Was Waiting For
The Pittsburgh Steelers are adding a player many have been waiting for just before thier Week 13 matchup with the Buffalo Bills. The team announced that practice squad cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. will be added to the active/inactive list for the game. Samuel Jr. signed to the Steelers' practice squad two weeks ago after being medically cleared to return from spinal contusion surgery. Samuel Jr. played four games last season before being shut down and will now be active for the first time since. " He's been here for a short period of time. He's been working his tail off to not only get in football condition but learn what to do. It's been a good endeavor thus far, but it's too early in the week for me to speculate in that regard," head coach Mike Tomlin told Steelers On SI about Samuel's progression. The Steelers are banged up at cornerback as Darius Slay returned last week from a concussion but played limited snaps and Joey Porter Jr. spent the week dealing with a hip injury that he suffered in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. James Pierre was also dealing with injuries throughout last week's game. Porter Jr. and Slay are both cleared to play against the Bills but Pittsburgh is adding to their room to ensure that they have quality depth at the position. Since losing DeShon Elliott, the Steelers have moved Jalen Ramsey to safety full-time, leaving Slay, Porter Jr. and Pierre as their outside options with Brandin Echols working the slot. Samuel Jr. comes in to provide added depth on the inside and another notable name to the group. How Will Steelers Use Samuel Jr.? The Steelers could have Samuel Jr. step into a starting role on the inside but will likely have the veteran play behind Echols as the nickelback. Still working his way back into football shape, the limited role will allow Pittsburgh to see where he's at health and stamina wise and adjust accordingly moving forward. Samuel Jr. will likely also play special teams throughout the game, getting to work into the mix with Danny Smith's group as well. With Samuel Jr. being added to the active/inactive roster, he will revert back to the practice squad after the game without having to pass through waivers. As a former second-round pick with plenty of starting experience in the NFL, Pittsburgh will likely need to sign Samuel Jr. to the active roster at some point if they decide to continue using him on defense. Otherwise, other teams will come calling to poach him from the practice squad. Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter for the latest news and updates on the Pittsburgh Steelers
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