College Sports
Philippine youth squads test mettle in Malaysia water polo tilt
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Aquatics Inc. (PAI) formed 30-man Philippine junior teams (boys and girls) to participate in the 60th Malaysia International Age-Group Water Polo Championships, which will be held April 18-20 at the National Aquatic Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PAI Executive Director Anthony Reyes said the young water polo athletes are made up […]
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Aquatics Inc. (PAI) formed 30-man Philippine junior teams (boys and girls) to participate in the 60th Malaysia International Age-Group Water Polo Championships, which will be held April 18-20 at the National Aquatic Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PAI Executive Director Anthony Reyes said the young water polo athletes are made up of competitive age-group swimmers and have undergone rigorous training under Serbian coach Filip Stojanovic for the past eight months. They will compete in the 21-under (boys) and 24-under (girls) divisions.
The squads and head coach Roi Dela Cruz and Sherwin Dela Paz will leave for Malaysia on Wednesday.
“These young players, composed mostly of teenagers, recently started a 10-year developmental and training program of the Philippine Aquatics Inc. (PAI) through the leadership of president Miko Vargas and Secretary General and Rep. Eric Buhain (1st District, Batangas) with the support of the Philippine Sports Commission,” said Reyes.
“Also, this event is part of PAI’s preparation as PSC is all out in supporting the aquatics plan to send a women’s team to the 47th SEA Age-Group Championships in Malaysia and the 33rd SEA Games scheduled this December in Thailand. The last time that the country sent a women’s team to this prestigious biennial event was in 2019,” added Reyes.
The women’s team is composed of Sabee de Guzman, Monica Arlante, Julia Basa, Marga Morrison-lonie, Cyril Espongja, Sam Balagot, Raesher Dela Paz, Shinloah San Diego, Ashly Addison, Josie Addison, Mitzie Llegunas, Zoe Ferrer, and Alex Picardal, while the junior boys comprised of Kennzie Dumanglas, Joaquin Mirasol, Miel Ugaban, Matthew Romero, Caleb De Leon, Lance Adalin, Matthew Dasig, Niklas de Guzman, Hugo Lopez, Ted Tolentino, Dave Geda, Andre Establecida, Julian Malubag and Sebastien Castro.
Meanwhile, Reyes expressed his gratitude to artistic swimmer Zoe Lim for winning a bronze medal (13-14) class in the recently concluded 2025 West Australian Artistic Swimming Cup in Perth, Australia.
“Congratulations to Zoe (Lim). Consistent ang ating mga atleta sa artistics swimming since nagbuo tayo ng team sa Asian Age-Group Swimming Championship when the country hosting the event in February last year.”
For her part, Lim’s teammate Carmina Sanchez Tan, a silver medalist in the 2024 SEA Age Group Swimming Championship, is currently competing in the 2025 US National and Junior Artistic Swimming Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is competing in the Solo, Duet and Team Free routines as a member of The Meraquas of Irvine Artistic Swimming Team.
College Sports
High school football will never be the same in era of transfers, NIL money
When Charles Dickens began his 1859 novel “A Tale of Two Cities” with the legendary line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” who knew that it would aptly describe the state of amateur football in 2025? From college athletics to high school athletics, if you’re a parent, coach, athlete […]
When Charles Dickens began his 1859 novel “A Tale of Two Cities” with the legendary line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” who knew that it would aptly describe the state of amateur football in 2025?
From college athletics to high school athletics, if you’re a parent, coach, athlete or fan, you have plenty of stories to tell. Take notes, because there’s so much material you’ll be able to write a book, launch a podcast or participate in court cases still to be decided.
“It’s all crazy,” said future Hall of Fame football coach Matt Logan of Corona Centennial.
Football isn’t in a crisis but it is in a black hole with stakeholders seeking an escape path.
With final rules still not adopted in how name, image and likeness is supposed to work and college programs not only paying their own athletes but high school recruits, too, everyone is adjusting on the fly. Parents trying to navigate the changes are hiring agents, who are showing up to high school camps trying to find clients. There’s the college transfer portal and something similar in high school that saw more than 17,000 students switch schools in California last year.
Until NIL rules are figured out, it’s roll your eyes and don’t be surprised at anything.
Some elite high school players have been reclassifying their graduation years to take advantage of money opportunities. And that’s after parents held them back entering high school to be bigger, stronger and faster as a 16-year-old freshman.
It’s all legal and even logical but the changing landscape is riddled with pros and cons and bad actors.
One big concern in high school sports is that parents might be too focused on scholarships for their kids and earning NIL money while forgetting the real reason people play sports — for the love of the game.
“For me, the whole value in sports has been degenerated,” Logan said. “You don’t play sports to get a scholarship. You play to learn how to lead, how to take orders, how to be a good teammate, how to work together. This could be the only chance to have fun, play with their friends, have a great experience.”
There have been football scandals in recent years — twice at Narbonne High, which had City Section championships taken away in 2019 and 2024 for using ineligible players. Now the football community is focused on what the Southern Section intends to do this fall about Bishop Montgomery, which supposedly has numerous transfer students (some from Narbonne) and is so confident it’ll ‘ll be declared eligible that a trip to Hawaii and a nonleague game against powerful Mater Dei have been scheduled.
Every week, coaches have to decide how to deal with players and parents who have little patience and many options. It’s a balancing act, and for the elite of the elite, coaches can’t even count on juniors returning as seniors because of opportunities to skip ahead to college.
“I understand why they are doing it. They have my full support,” said Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse, who’s losing star defensive lineman Richard Wesley to Oregon a year early after he reclassified to the class of 2026.
Ellinghouse is embracing the idea his job is to “put them into positions to have life-changing opportunities.”
There are many different paths to success and failure. Remember how LaVar Ball didn’t care that his youngest son, LaMelo, was 13 years old playing summer basketball as a freshman for Chino Hills. He threw him in against older players and the rest is history. He averaged 25.2 points this season for the Charlotte Hornets as a 23-year-old in his fifth NBA season.
There are others who were 19-year-old seniors in high school, stopped developing, kept switching schools and will probably blame their coaches for not making the pros when the truth is it’s difficult to become a professional athlete.
It is the best of times with all kinds of money to be given out for being a good athlete. It is the worst of times because many of the treasured lessons from playing amateur sports no longer receive priority treatment. What happened to the importance of getting a college degree?
It will take someone with magical ideas to return a balance to the amateur sports world.
College Sports
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College Sports
Area students honored for academic achievements at colleges, universities
CENTRAL PENN COLLEGE Mountain Top student earns dean’s list honor Patricia Searfoss, Mountain Top, was named to the Central Penn College dean’s list for the winter 2025 term. Searfoss is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Of the students who took classes, 38% made the dean’s list. To qualify, an undergraduate student […]
CENTRAL PENN COLLEGE
Mountain Top student earns dean’s list honor
Patricia Searfoss, Mountain Top, was named to the Central Penn College dean’s list for the winter 2025 term. Searfoss is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in business administration.
Of the students who took classes, 38% made the dean’s list. To qualify, an undergraduate student must carry six or more credits and earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or better for the term.
EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY
ESU Theatre Department presents Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’
ESU’s Department of Theatre recently presented Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible.’ The cast and crew of nearly 40 included the following area residents:
• Jesse Carey, West Wyoming.
• Rebekah Hughes, Drums.
Kingston student spends spring break learning abroad
Traditionally a time to rest and recharge, spring break served as a rewarding learning opportunity for students in three East Stroudsburg University programs. Costa Rica, Guatemala and a cruise bound for the Bahamas became classrooms for the groups as they applied critical skills, learned from industry professionals and immersed themselves in other cultures.
Katelyn Mynes, Kingston, traveled to Guatemala to learn about public health and nursing.
In Guatemalan hospitals and group homes, students majoring in nursing and public health got to see classroom concepts being applied on the front lines of health care.
Led by Dr. Royal and Assistant Professor of Health Studies Elaine Rodriguez, Ph.D., the students shared a variety of cultural and service-learning activities from March 8 to March 15.
Working in rotations that included shadowing nurses and physicians in a hospital and assisting residents of a group home with mental and physical challenges, the group was exposed to settings and scenarios they can’t experience in the classroom.
Students also visited historical landmarks, an active volcano, and learned about major Guatemalan exports like coffee and cocoa. The group spent time in multiple cities but were primarily based in Antigua during the trip.
Local student leader recognized
East Stroudsburg University’s Student Activity Association, in conjunction with the Student Government Association, hosted its annual Student Organization Awards Banquet on Sunday, April 6. The banquet honored select clubs and organizations for their achievements during the 2024 calendar year.
During the banquet, Richermy Batista, Hazleton, a senior majoring in political science, received the Robert J. Dillman Student Leader Impact Award.
ESU’s Department of Biology participates in conferences
The Department of Biology at East Stroudsburg University recently participated in three conferences, allowing students to present research they’ve completed during their studies at ESU.
• The Northeast Natural History Conference was held in Springfield, Mass. April 4-6. Kelly Murman, a graduate student from Avoca, gave an oral presentation on “A Dietary Analysis of Four Streamside Salamander Species in Eastern Pennsylvania.”
• The 56th Annual Meeting of the Commonwealth of PA University Biologists (CPUB) was held on the campus of Bloomsburg University on April 5. During the conference, Gianna Donahue, a senior from Nanticoke, along with two other students, presented “Preliminary analysis reveals increased activity of oxidative stress enzymes post exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles in Daphnia magna.” Their project was developed from course-based research the students conducted in the Animal Physiology lab course.
During the conference, student awards were also given out. Donahue earned 2nd place in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal poster presentations.
Political Science and Economics students inducted into honor society
ESU’s Department of Political Science and Economics recently held the joint induction ceremony for the Iota Chi Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society) and Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Honor Society of Economics).
Local residents who participated are:
• Gianna Donahue, Nanticoke.
• Maya Kasa, Wyoming.
Students visit Aramark headquarters
On Tuesday, April 8, students majoring in hospitality, recreation, and tourism management (HRTM) at East Stroudsburg University visited Aramark’s world headquarters in Philadelphia for a firsthand look at the company’s operations and career opportunities.
The students on the trip are taking a Foundations of Food and Beverage Management course with Chuck Meitner, Ph.D., assistant professor of HRTM.
Local students in the class are:
• Mary Popielarz, Dallas.
• Riley Tolsma, Shickshinny.
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
Dallas student helps beautify community
More than 230 Hofstra students went into the community on a recent Saturday morning to garden at neighboring homes. The University’s Annual Pride and Plant event connects students with local homeowners, who need help with yard work and planting.
Among the participating students was Elena Burdge, Dallas, who is studying Pre-Physician Assistant studies.
The beautification event, which started in 2017, was sponsored by Hofstra University’s Office of Commuting Student Services and Community Outreach, directed by Anita Ellis.
Student employees recognized
During National Student Employment Week, Hofstra University celebrated the impact and experiences of student workers across campus and in the surrounding community. Through the student employment program — whether through Federal Work-Study or other opportunities — students are receiving more than just a paycheck. They’re building transferable skills, gaining practical experience, forming meaningful professional relationships, and in many cases, engaging with the wider community.
Jacqueline Meuser, Shavertown, is among the many student workers at Hofstra.
THE HONOR SOCIETY OF PHI KAPPA PHI
New members elected
The following local residents were recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.
• Jennifer Kasel, Kingston, at Pennsylvania State University.
• Kelsey Leck, Shickshinny, at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
• Alison Rancont, Freeland, at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
• Briana Sebastian, Wilkes Barre, at Texas A&M University.
They are among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Fall 2024, Winter 2025 degree recipients announced
Kutztown University conferred degrees for 414 students for the 2024 fall semester and 2025 winter session.
The university announces degree conferment twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. Commencement exercises are held in May and December; however, students finish the requirements for graduation throughout the entire year.
The cumulative grade point average necessary for honors distinction is: with honor (cum laude) 3.40; with high honor (magna cum laude) 3.60 and with highest honor (summa cum laude) 3.80.
Students who have requested privacy (FERPA) are not listed publicly.
Local graduates are:
• Morgan L Allen, Freeland, Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art, summa cum laude.
• Thaddeus K Erzar, Wyoming, Bachelor of Arts in political science, summa cum laude.
• Peter Joseph Ferdinand, Sugarloaf, Bachelor of Science in business administration – marketing.
• Mackenzie Lynn Kile, Mountain Top, Master of Business Administration; Certificate in Decision Making; Certificate in Leadership.
• Anthony Nelson, Wyoming, Bachelor of Science in computer science; Certificate in Scripting for Data Manipulation, cum laude.
• Annie R Plitnick, Sugarloaf, Bachelor of Arts in English professional writing, summa cum laude.
• Nicholas A Semanek, Wyoming, Bachelor of Arts in music – commercial.
• Adam Matthew Wisnewski, Wyoming, Bachelor of Science in computer science; Certificate in Scripting for Data Manipulation, summa cum laude.
LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE
Regan Welch Participates in theater production
Regan Welch, Nescopeck, participated in Wig and Buckle Theater Company’s recent production of “Sorority House of the Dead” at Lebanon Valley College. The show ran in late March.
Welch, a graduate of Berwick Area Senior High School, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology at The Valley.
Karly Kile inducted into honor society
Karly Kile, Nescopeck, was one of the Lebanon Valley College students recently inducted into Phi Sigma Iota during the College’s Inquiry celebration.
Kile, a graduate of Berwick Area Senior High School, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in actuarial science at The Valley.
Phi Sigma Iota, the Department of Languages honor society, recognizes outstanding accomplishment in the study or teaching of any of the academic fields related to a foreign language, literature, or culture. These fields include not only modern foreign languages, but also classics, linguistics, philology, comparative literature, bilingual education, second language acquisition, and other interdisciplinary programs with a significant foreign language component. Phi Sigma Iota is the highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages, with 250 chapters of Phi Sigma Iota at institutions of higher learning in the U.S., Mexico, and France.
MUHLENBERG COLLEGE
Shickshinny resident recognized for academic excellence
Academic awards are bestowed each spring at Muhlenberg College’s annual Honors Convocation — a formal academic ceremony designed to honor and celebrate leadership and scholarly excellence in the college community. This year’s convocation was held Sunday, April 27, in Egner Chapel.
Lindsay Sherrick, Shickshinny, received the Elizabeth A. Carlson Memorial Prize, awarded for outstanding creative leadership in dance.
A graduate of Northwest Area High School, Sherrick is studying dance and media and communication at Muhlenberg College.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GLOBAL CAMPUS
West Hazleton resident completes Leadership Development Program
Alba Espinosa, West Hazleton, completed the Leadership Development Program through the University of Maryland Global Campus chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success during the 2024-25 academic year. The leadership program prepares NSLS members to be effective leaders in their lives and careers.
NSLS is a leadership development organization with more than 1.5 million members and more than 700 chapters across the United States and Latin America. NSLS began 20 years ago to help the greatest number of people in the most significant way through a dedicated mission to build strong, successful leaders. The society encourages community action, volunteerism, personal growth and strong leadership from its chapters and members around the world.
UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION
Kingston student’s research selected for SCHOLAR Day
The University of Mount Union hosted its 18th Annual Student Celebration Honoring Our Latest Academic Research (SCHOLAR) Day on Tuesday, April 22.
SCHOLAR Day is traditionally a campus-wide, day-long event filled with presentations showcasing academic excellence and scholarly research conducted by Mount Union students.
Alexa Harvey, Kingston, was selected to present a research project titled, “Free Your Mind Support Group,” during Mount Union’s SCHOLAR Day.
UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON
West Pittston student inducted into honor society
Madison Kuharchik, West Pittston, was among the University of Scranton students inducted into Alpha Phi Sigma, the national honor society for criminal justice students.
For induction into the honor society, students must be a junior or senior having a criminal justice major or minor, complete at least four criminal justice courses, maintain a 3.2 grade point average overall as well as in criminal justice, and have a standing in the top 35 percent of the class.
The University’s chapter of the honor society was established in 1982.
Kuharchik is a senior majoring in forensic chemistry at the Jesuit university.
Duryea student inducted into honor society
Andrew Mauriello, Duryea, was among the 30 University of Scranton students inducted into Alpha Mu Gamma, the national honor society for students of foreign languages. The University’s chapter of the honor society was established in 1973.
Mauriello is a junior biochemistry, cell, molecular biology major at the Jesuit university.
Local residents inducted into Counseling Honor Society
The following local residents were among the 36 University of Scranton students inducted into Chi Delta Rho, the University’s chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society for counseling. The international honor society was established in 1985 to recognize outstanding achievement and service within the profession of counseling. The University’s chapter of the honor society was established in 1994.
• Federico Gutierrez, Hazelton, a graduate student pursing a school counseling degree.
• Angelina Penatzer, Pittston, a graduate student pursing a clinical mental health counseling degree.
• Madison Moyer, Mountain Top, a graduate student pursing a clinical mental health counseling degree.
• Destiny Andes, Kingston, a graduate student pursing a clinical mental health counseling degree.
• Kayleen Post, Kingston, a graduate student pursing a clinical mental health counseling degree.
• Kendalyn Yurkin, Shickshinny, a graduate student pursing a school counseling degree.
Local residents inducted into Communication Honor Society
The following local residents were among the 18 University of Scranton students inducted into Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society for communication majors. The national honor society was founded in 1985 to encourage high levels of scholarship and leadership in the field of communications. The University’s chapter was established in 1999.
• Ethan Lieberman, Mountain Top, a senior journalism and electronic media major.
• Alex Taylor, Duryea, a senior journalism and electronic media major.
Local residents inducted into Counseling and Human Services Honor Society
The following local residents were among the 16 University of Scranton students inducted into Tau Upsilon Alpha, the national human services honor society. The University’s chapter of the honor society, established in 2008, recognizes academic excellence of undergraduate counseling and human services students.
• Adina DeStefano, Yatesville, a sophomore pursuing a counseling and human services degree.
• Jocelyn Mendoza, Wilkes Barre, a senior pursuing a counseling and human services degree.
Local residents inducted into Healthcare Administration Honor Society
The following local residents were among the 32 University of Scranton students inducted into Upsilon Phi Delta, the national honor society for graduate and undergraduate students in healthcare administration programs. Students must have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 for induction. The University’s chapter of the honor society was established in 2002.
• Priyal Patel, Mountain Top, a senior pursuing a health administration degree.
• Brandon DaGrosa, Hazel Township, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Health Administration degree.
• Shashank Kotakonda, Shavertown, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Health Administration degree.
West Pittston student inducted into honor society
Daniel Marinelli, West Pittston, was among the University of Scranton students inducted into Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the only existing international honor society in the computing and information disciplines.
Undergraduate requirements for induction into the honor society include junior academic standing, completion of 18 credits in computing sciences and a grade point average of 3.2 or higher. Graduate requirements for induction include completion of 15 credits in software engineering courses and a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. The University’s chapter of the honor society was established in 1985.
Marinelli is a junior computer science major at the Jesuit university.
College Sports
Dhull, Truong bows out of NCAA singles and doubles tournament
Story Links CLAREMONT, CA – The Skidmore College women’s tennis senior duo of Konika Dhull and Grace Truong saw their NCAA singles and doubles tournament run come to a close, with Dhull falling in the second round of the singles competition and the duo bowing out in round one of the doubles […]
CLAREMONT, CA – The Skidmore College women’s tennis senior duo of Konika Dhull and Grace Truong saw their NCAA singles and doubles tournament run come to a close, with Dhull falling in the second round of the singles competition and the duo bowing out in round one of the doubles portion.
FIRST AND SECOND ROUND SINGLES
- Facing off against Carnegie Mellon’s Shelly Zinchenko in round one, Dhull pulled away in an exciting three-set match that saw the senior win set one 6-3, concede set two 2-6, before advancing onto the second round with a closely contested 6-4 victory in the third set.
- Competing against the second-seeded Emily Kantrovitz of Emory in the second round, Dhull was defeated in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 to bow out of the tournament.
FIRST ROUND DOUBLES
- Taking on Brooke Despriet and Ansley Carpenter of Sewanee, the Skidmore duo of Dhull and Truong lost set one 1-6, before nearly forcing a third set after losing in tiebreaks, 7-4, to concede the second set 6-7.
College Sports
Saturday's Night Main Event recap & reactions
WWE jumped back in to prime time last night (May 24) with their third installment of the relaunched Saturday Night’s Main Event, emanating from the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. You can get the full results at our live blog here. Let’s jump into it. Ruining Wrestling [embedded content] The main event title match between […]
WWE jumped back in to prime time last night (May 24) with their third installment of the relaunched Saturday Night’s Main Event, emanating from the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. You can get the full results at our live blog here.
Let’s jump into it.
Ruining Wrestling
The main event title match between Jey Uso & Logan Paul, serving as Paul’s guaranteed yearly world title match, ended up playing into the larger story in WWE. That would be the John Cena story.
Cena’s earlier match with R-Truth was short and to the point. Ron Killing’s mission was to remind John who he really was. He felt short of his goal and Cena renewed his vows with heeldom by kicking Truth in the nuts to get the win.
He later ran into Jey Uso backstage and told him that a YouTuber like Logan Paul would really “ruin wrestling,” which happens to be The Last Real Champ’s mission statement.
That brings us to the world title main event between Uso & Paul. It was a solid title bout. I know lots of words are made on social media and wrestling corners of the web about how Uso can’t wrestle, which makes for a bad champion. My response to that would be to not ignore your ears. These crowds do not care. I was inside Allegiant Stadium when Jey Uso won the title. There was yeeting as far as the eye can see, with zero concerns how many thumbs downs Uso videos on YouTube have gotten.
Logan Paul, as much as the man outside the sport grates on me, continues to show flashes in the ring. And they did what they needed do, with the crowd into it (even got a “This is Awesome” chant, but I will say those are very easily handed out nowadays), until we got to the important part.
That would be John Cena pulling the referee out of the ring when Uso had secured the win. He really is all about this ruining wrestling thing. That led to the return of the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes to save the day, neutralize Cena, and allow the champ to get the win over Paul.
Immediately after, Cody made the challenge for a tag team match at Money in the Bank – John Cena & Logan Paul vs. Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso. (Thank all the Gods Travis Scott’s name was not muttered.) While Cena & Paul are going to make an interesting team, and I look forward them exploring that dynamic, Cody & Jey were tag team champions. Rhodes saving the day was as much about saving his friend as it was stopping his enemy.
Given I’m not ready to see Logan Paul win the title (though have resigned that one of these years, he will), I’m perfectly fine with this match being used to set up Money in the Bank in two weeks. It’s also smart to try to get folks who may be tuning in out of curiosity free on NBC to consider checking out the PLE in a couple weeks.
The Third Man
The opener to this event was the high profile tag match between the new duo of Seth Rollins & Bron Breakker against the more tenuous group of CM Punk & Sami Zayn.
The hot crowd helped this by the numbers tag match feel special. This degree of star power will do that. I did have the thought that Punk can still go when his number is called. Yeah, he sometimes looks like he’s 46 years old with those years of wear and tear, but when it’s time, he can still do it.
The true moment of the match was the somewhat shocking return of Bronson Reed to aid Seth & Bron.
I called this shocking for two reasons. 1) That ankle injury was gnarly, and I thought he’d be out much longer than he was. 2) Within the story, he has history with Rollins that you’d think would prevent an alliance. But they don’t call Seth the Architect for nothing, and right now, he’s Frank Lloyd Wright.
A little detail that I appreciated is that even though he took a Bronson crossbody through a barricade, Punk still tried to get his hands on Paul Heyman inside the ring. This is despite Heyman being surrounded by evil genius Seth and two big Brons. It’s a sign of true hatred for the man who betrayed him on the biggest stage.
It also allowed Reed to deliver a returning Tsunami to the Second City Saint (though no Wade on the call).
I love the addition to Reed to Seth’s team – a team that’s going to need a name soon. Bron & Bronson are a nasty duo. Good lucky to anyone who wants to step to these beefy dudes. Also, it’s much better than returning to Solo. Reed saw where the the trajectory of both teams were going and chose wisely.
A Definitive End (probably)
I give Drew McIntyre & Damian Priest a ton of credit. I was not into this feud when they booked it for WrestleMania. But they’ve brought a physicality to the feud that had me looking forward to this match the most.
They delivered with the physicality again tonight in their cage match. (Part of me wanted to old school blue cage to go with the old school theme, but I understand why they didn’t.) However, the ending left my surprised.
Damian Priest used a chair to the throat and then a con-chair-to to his nemesis before walking out of the cage and winning the match.
Between the two men, Drew is still the man with the higher ceiling. So I figured he’d win what I assumed was the blow off match. So it was surely surprising to see Damian not just beat McIntyre, but to do it with a period at the end of the sentence. This feud feels over and Priest definitively won it.
I don’t care he didn’t pin him. Leaving Drew for dead in the ring and leaving him behind is symbolic enough. And it saves McIntyre taking a pin while still losing convincingly. To give him a moment to save face, the Scotsman refused a stretcher and walked off on his own.
It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for these men. That type of win would put Damian back in the title picture, but I don’t imagine he’s facing John Cena. Drew will be fine after this, but could such a definitive beating be an impetus for a face turn? Is he getting time off since it sounds like he’s often working hurt? We’ll see what the coming weeks have in store.
And Still
Zelina Vega retained her United States championship despite interference from the Secret Her-vice.
It was a fine match that ended with a pretty cool Code Red from the top turnbuckle. Generally, I have no issue with Vega, but she’s a pretty bland babyface right now. That’s not a real big deal for someone holding a secondary title, but the contract with Chelsea is stark.
Green has been special when it comes to her characters and personalities dating back to when she was the Hot Mess Laurel Van Ness in TNA in 2017. (Damn, that was 8 years ago?) Chelsea’s work as her current iteration is always entertaining. Her type of cowardly heel is going to get hers like she did tonight, but it is noticeable that when someone so entertaining loses to someone who really needs to refreshen their character.
It feels like these new Saturday Night’s Main Event shows have been trying to find their place when it comes to importance. They have the vibe down. The retro set up has been fantastic and I really loved the no frills small entrance right into audiene they used here. It’s a true throwback – well outside Dude Wipes as a sponsor. No guy in the 1980s was using a product remotely similar to Dude Wipes during those Reagan years.
While they have the vibe down, the importance hasn’t been there. The first couple shows felt more like a glorified house shows. But tonight felt more like a very important Raw bordering on a B level PPV. The return of Bronson Reed was a great moment, moving that story forward. We had what felt like a definitive end to a feud, or at least the end of an important chapter, with Priest’s win inside the cage. And of course Rhode’s return to set up the Travis Scott free tag match at MITB.
The lone women’s match left something to be desired (it was the only match that wasn’t long enough to have a commercial break). But this was generally a fun two hours with more story implications than SNME past.
Grade: B+
Sound off below.
College Sports
Video
Posted May 24, 2025As Duke and NC State land key players like Dame Sarr and Darrion Williams, the Tar Heels find themselves in a race against time. Isaac Schade explores the growing impatience among UNC Basketball fans as they await transfer decisions from recruits such as Luka Bogavac and Jamir Watkins. [embedded content] Related: Basketball, […]
Posted May 24, 2025
As Duke and NC State land key players like Dame Sarr and Darrion Williams, the Tar Heels find themselves in a race against time. Isaac Schade explores the growing impatience among UNC Basketball fans as they await transfer decisions from recruits such as Luka Bogavac and Jamir Watkins.
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