WWE fans have never been one to shy away from voicing their opinions, whether they are optimistic or pessimistic ones. They are the backbone of the company, and without them, the ship would sink, so they have earned their right to do just that.
Following the recent success of yet another WrestleMania, this time number 42, the company went into overhaul mode yet again, as there was a new wave of unfortunate releases for some unlucky WWE Superstars.
Earlier this week, more than 20 Superstars were released from the company. Some of the most notable names included the likes of Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, and the entire Wyatt Sicks faction, who all fell victim to this reset button.
Some fans will obviously be devastated by this, but there is one name not on that list who has caused the most uproar and resulted in a real speed bump for Triple H and his business.
Triple H’s First Tweet After Cuts Gets Taken Over
With his role at the top of the company, Paul “Triple H” Levesque is the true architect of WWE’s modern creative direction. With this responsibility comes his involvement in marketing and promotional work, involving posting on social media.
WWE released 23 Superstars in the aftermath of WrestleMania 42, and it’s emerged who was the main decision maker behind the cuts.
The post pictures Reigns with his arms crossed, captioned: “The OTC returns to Tampa, Fl… #WWEBacklash is LIVE from the @benchmark_arena in 2 weeks!”
Now usually, this would result in engagement about the event, with fans voicing their thoughts on Roman Reigns, or perhaps the arena. But not this time. Within minutes, the post was swarmed by loyal WWE fans demanding the return of one Kairi Sane.
WWE Fans Want One Released Superstar Back Already
Sane was part of the unlucky group to be released from the company, and it is safe to say, this has not gone down well with fans. The message was impossible to miss. Some users kept it short and direct, while others added photos, GIFs, and throwbacks to highlight why the Japanese star’s absence will sting. Others took a different route, aiming their abuse at Triple H and making things ugly.
Sane brings a very specific mix of international appeal, charisma, and in-ring style that’s hard to replace. Pair this with her iconic moments with Asuka as part of The Kabuki Warriors, there is no doubt the women’s division will have a Sane-shaped hole.
As of now, Triple H hasn’t responded to the messages, nor has WWE made any official comment, but with so many fan-driven movements influencing company decisions in the past, from the return of Cody Rhodes to the push of LA Knight, the Pirate Princess demands may prove too difficult to ignore.
It may just be wishful thinking, but the message is clear: WWE fans haven’t forgotten about Kairi Sane, and they likely will not rest unless she steps into that ring again.
The UFC world was left stunned last weekend as Ilia Topuria suffered the very first defeat of his professional MMA career, losing via TKO against Justin Gaethje at the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington D.C.
The ex-lightweight world champion was pulled out by his corner after the fourth round of the headlining event at the White House as he failed to recover from a devastating left-right combination from the veteran American that left him bloodied in the third.
Gaethje’s explosive display was full of hard-hitting punches plus knees and uppercuts. Topuria’s inability to deal with the constant physical beat down meant an upset occurred and the challenger snatched away the lightweight crown to become a first-time undisputed champion in the UFC.
Topuria, who has also held the belt at featherweight, now has to deal with a fight fallout and feeling which he has never experienced as a professional, which is responding to and coping with a loss.
Ilia Topuria’s Close Friend Opens Up About Fighter’s Reaction
Amber Searls via Imagn Images
In the days since the 31-year-old’s brutal defeat in the American capital, a close friend of his, Pablo Motos, has spoken out to reveal the kind of emotions the fighter is currently experiencing and what his current state of mind is.
Speaking on his ‘El Hormiguero’ chat show, Motos touched on a recent conversation he had with Topuria, stating: “We were talking about something we’re going to do this summer, making jokes, and then he said a phrase I loved.
A lot has been said about Topuria’s health after his war with Justin Gaethje, but a close friend probably knows best, and he’s spoken out.
“He looks at me with his eyes closed and says, ‘Champions, when we fall, we fall hard.’”
Motos then revealed what Topuria’s intentions are in the Octagon and how he wants to go about avenging his world title loss to Gaethje, saying: “They’re already looking toward the future. He was telling me, ‘I’d love to do the rematch in Spain with Gaethje.'”
What Next For Ilia Topuria
Topuria’s desire to jump into a rematch demonstrates that he is keen to rectify his shortcomings against his most recent opponent and reclaim his spot at the top of the lightweight division.
Topuria, who is of Georgian and Spanish descent, has not fought in Spain since the very early days of his professional MMA career, with his last bout in the country coming in a 2016 featherweight title triumph over Jhon Guarin at Mix Fight Events 28 in Valencia.
It remains to be seen what Gaethje intends to do moving forward after achieving his career-long dream of becoming an undisputed UFC champion at 37.
Should Topuria get his wish and get another crack at Gaethje in his home country, it would surely be one of the most anticipated UFC events of recent times.
Arsenal have placed an official bid to sign wonderkid Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Gunners have been linked with a move for the 16-year-old for some time now, with reports of an offer emerging as early as last month.
Monga, who has been compared to Ousmane Dembele and described as a ‘deadly’ finisher, is expected to leave the Foxes this summer following their relegation to League One, despite having broken into the first-team as a 15-year-old.
And Arsenal have shown the keenest interest in him, with talks progressing over the last few weeks between the Gunners and his representatives over a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Now, according to Romano, Arsenal have lodged an official bid to sign the 16-year-old winger. He tweeted: “Arsenal sent official bid to Leicester City to get Jeremy Monga deal done. 16-year-old winger keen on joining #AFC and deal moving quickly now with optimism to sign #LCFC talent, seen as huge prospect for the future.”
Newcastle were hoping to land the young talent, but while they were trying to lower his fee, the Reds stormed in to agree to his £34.6million release clause, and the deal is as good as done. When Muñoz will agree personal terms remains to be seen, given he is busy at the World Cup with Spain, but Liverpool will be confident of striking a deal, especially with a Spanish boss now in place.
Liverpool are not done there
Ken Blaze (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
It was unclear how bold Liverpool would be in this transfer window, given their huge spend and lack of return last summer, but the questions are now being answered. The Reds are already closing in on an exciting young talent in Muñoz, and that is only going to be the start of their business, according to a fresh report.
Football Insider claim Muñoz will be the first of five new signings this summer, with a central midfielder, centre-back, right-back and right-winger all required by Iraola.
The right-winger and centre-back signings will come as no surprise, given the exits of Ibrahima Konate and Mohamed Salah this summer. Meanwhile, many have called for more options in the middle of the park, while Conor Bradley battling his way back from a serious injury issue looks to be forcing the Reds to add more depth at right-back.
Muñoz can play on the right-wing, and he is a right-footer, but he has traditionally played on the left, liking to cut inside.
Shearer’s Reds warning
Speaking to Betfair last week, Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer warned that Liverpool need to recruit heavily in this summer’s transfer window. “Liverpool are going to have to go again in the transfer market,” he said. “Mohamed Salah’s gone, so they obviously need someone to replace him.
“They’ve also got Rio Ngumoha, who’s obviously a great talent, but for the future.So Liverpool need several players, I think, if they want to compete again at the very top. And certainly, in wide positions, they’re going to have to strengthen.
“I’m not surprised with who they’re being linked with, like Diomande and Barcola. I guess it’s only a matter of time before that, that would be the position that they announce.”
