Sports
Dirty Finishes at WWE Saturday Night Dominate Ahead of Clash in Italy
Saturday Night’s Main Event left fans with more questions than answers. Taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home state of Michael Jackson, SNME definitely wasn’t the thriller WWE thought it would be. The great news is that this was a well-paced show with minimal ads, unlike WWE’s counterpart on ESPN.
However, every match had a dirty finish, and some would argue the wrong person/team won at times. With only two weeks to build the PLE, Triple H and the creative team rushed to present us with five matches. With the bar set low, how did the superstars fare inside the squared circle?
Let’s hit the headlines.
Jade pins the Champ
Rhea kicked off the show to the biggest reception of the night to team up with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B Fab, aka the ‘Takeover,’ entered the ring paying homage to Michael Jackson with their gear. The matchup started off awkwardly, but eventually everyone got their chance to shine. Michin got her fifteen minutes of fame, though, outshining all the other stars. The ending was a bit odd, with the babyfaces celebrating in the ring before Jade pushed them out of the way. Cargill hit Ripley with Jaded to score the victory and build momentum toward their next clash.
Jade and Rhea will collide this Sunday at ‘Clash in Italy’ for the WWE Women’s Championship. Since Jade got the win Saturday, by WWE’s booking, she will fall to the champ in Italy. We could’ve had Bliss or Flair take the pin, but Triple H wants Jade to look strong heading into her championship contest.
Sucking the So(u)l of the Arena
Fans in attendance were BOOING after Sol won by DQ against Becky Lynch in a non-title match. Sol Rucca lost her first two matches on the main roster and goaded the Women’s IC champ to a match at SNME. Lynch accepted, but said Rucca didn’t deserve a title shot, which was understandable. What doesn’t make sense is how this was booked. Rucca got her offense in early and dominated for a total of three minutes. She attempted her finisher called the ‘Sol Snatcher’, but hit the referee instead.
That same referee, Jessica Carr, had been in every PLE match of Lynch’s since WrestlePalooza. The champ has never liked her, and of course, some sort of shenanigans happens whenever Carr is around. This time, Carr called the match, and Rucca was given the win by DQ. In a backstage segment, GM Nick Aldis told Becky Lynch she is facing Sol for the title at Clash in Italy. They could’ve just had Rucca win in short fashion and then grant her a title match. Instead, this happened. Don’t be surprised if Rucca captures the title and soul of the crowd in her first win on the main roster. Stranger things have happened.
CERO MIEDO
That translates to ‘Zero Fear’ in English, and is the motto of Penta. Many fans (myself included) hoped we would see a title change hands in this match. Penta and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page fought for the Intercontinental Championship. Page showed the world his arsenal and proved he could keep up with Penta. He gloated throughout the match, but Penta continued to use his aerial ability to his advantage. There was a moment where Page sent the champ over the announce table, and almost won by count-out. However, you cannot win the title unless it’s by pinfall or submission. The challenger got the champ back in the ring, but an exposed turnbuckle led to his demise. Despite kicking out of the Penta Driver, Page lost after being hit by a Mexican Destroyer off the top rope. Quite the PLE debut for the former NXT North American champ, and he’s impressing the higher-ups, so expect him to win the belt before the year is out.
Paige and Brie Bella are Still Untouchable
When Paige returned to WWE at WrestleMania 42 and won the tag titles with Brie Bella, the excitement couldn’t be contained. As weeks went on, it felt like this duo had a stranglehold on the women’s tag team division. A once-thriving division, including Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax, turned into a revolt against Paige. She is a great performer, but Triple H and co. are biding their time for Nikki to come back and the Bella Twins to turn on Paige. That didn’t happen tonight. Instead, this was an average match that ended in Brie reinforcing her tag partner’s pin for the victory.
The babyfaces cheated to win, so does that mean they’re turning? Probably not if WWE’s storytelling has anything to say about it. Nia Jax and Lash Legend are likely to get a rematch, whether it’s just them or several other tag teams. All four competitors have their strengths, but the WWE Universe wants to see Paige in singles action soon.
20/20 Vision
The main event between the Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) was all sorts of fun. Between Paul and Ford’s athleticism, these two teams knocked it out of the park. That was until Bron Breakker showed up and got tossed over the announce table by Angelo Dawkins. Then, Paul Heyman put Theory’s foot on the rope after Ford flew off the top rope. Finally, Paul knocked out Ford with the brass knuckles which led to Theory going for a desperation pin and victory.
After the match, Bron Breakker speared the daylights out of the Street Profits as the Vision stood tall to end the show. WWE wants to rebuild the tag team division, but making the Profits look weak after being AWOL isn’t a great look. On top of that, they released the New Day and Motor City Machine Guns. On the bright side, the team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass is rumored to return this summer. Get ready to chant, “Bada bing, bada boom. Realest guys in the room. How you doin’?”
The End of an Era
Saturday Night’s Main Event began in 1985 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. WWE brought back the PLE in 2024, eventually giving Peacock exclusive rights to the show. WWE has one more SNME this year at Madison Square Garden, which is the most prestigious arena in pro wrestling history.
Their deal with Peacock expires at the end of 2026, and might be the end of the road for SNME. Look, it’s great to see the retro themes or the ring announcers doing their schtick with microphones hanging from the balances. However, when there were no title changes, multiple dirty finishes, and mediocre wrestling, is there any reason to continue it? This will certainly be a talking point among the pro wrestling media outlets for the next week, but it may be overlooked because…
A Chef’s Kiss in Italy
Looking ahead, WWE is presenting the first-ever PLE in Italy. ‘Clash In Italy’ takes place this Sunday in Italy at 2pm/ET, but it might as well be called ‘Rematch in Italy’. Two matches already took place at WrestleMania, one at Backlash, and one at SNME. Roman Reigns will clash with Jacob Fatu for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tribal Combat match: Falls Count Anywhere stipulation where the loser acknowledges the other as the Tribal Chief.
Meanwhile, Gunther will look to put Cody Rhodes to sleep and become the new WWE Undisputed Champion. Out of all the title matches on this card, this looks to have the highest odds of a title change. That is, unless Randy Orton returns and seeks revenge.
Jade Cargill faces Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s title, and after tonight, it sure looks like we’re headed toward Ripley continuing her dominance. Another women’s bout added to the card was Sol Rucca taking on Becky Lynch for the Women’s IC title.
Lastly, Brock Lesnar is back, looking for Oba Femi’s blood after swerving the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 42. After losing to Femi, Lesnar put his gloves and boots in the ring, signaling his retirement. Instead, he did a sneak attack on Raw to set up this battle between two titans. Neither man can afford to lose, and that’s how you want it to be.
There could be one or two matches added before this Sunday, so tune in to Monday Night Raw and see what WWE has to offer. Friday Night SmackDown has been a chore to sit through, but with a PLE on the horizon, it could have some developments in store.
Sports
Emotional Layne Riggs wins Truck Series at Charlotte: 'Did it for Kyle'
Feb 12, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Truck Series driver Layne Riggs (34) during practice for the Fresh from Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images CONCORD, N.C. — Layne Riggs made clear what was on his mind as he took the checkered flag under caution to win the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.
“Did it for Kyle, man, did it for Kyle,” Riggs said in a dedication to two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who passed away Thursday at age 41 due to complications from pneumonia. It was just nine days ago that Busch won the Trucks Series race in Dover, Del.
In a race thrice delayed by rain from its scheduled Friday night start and run under NASCAR’s adverse conditions provision with a noon time limit, Riggs completed 110 of a scheduled 134 laps before the clock ran out.
He earned his second victory of the season, his first at Charlotte and the seventh of his career in a race that featured a record 11 cautions.
After a celebratory burnout in the tri-oval, Riggs, who led a race-high 52 laps and won the second stage, collected the checkered flag, exited his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford and performed a deep bow to the crowd in the grandstand — emulating Busch’s signature victory move.
Despite the win, however, Riggs’ mood was restrained.
“Our hearts are really heavy this weekend,” he said after giving Ford its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory on a 1.5-mile intermediate speedway since Ben Rhodes won at Charlotte in 2023. “I’ve been kind of struggling with it a little bit, just trying to keep my game face on and ride. … I was borderline sobbing there at the end.”
“But these guys (the No. 34 team) have put a smile on my face,” he continued. “Great job to everybody at Front Row Motorsports. Thank you so much to my teammate Chandler Smith. We had a little teammate restart there (on Lap 104). He stuck with me and pushed me.
“I’m super proud of him and the performance we had today.”
Ironically, after pushing Riggs to the lead, it was Smith who spun underneath third-place finisher Connor Zilisch off Turn 2 on Lap 106 to cause the final caution and allow Riggs to claim the win under caution after the clock struck noon.
Kaden Honeycutt was second when the yellow slowed the race for the last time, and with the runner-up finish, he retained his series lead by 11 points over Riggs.
“I definitely wanted to be the guy that gave Kyle (Busch) the bow there, because he definitely deserved it,” Honeycutt said. “If I had won, I was planning on giving (Busch’s son) Brexton the flag, because he (Kyle Busch) probably would have laid another butt-whipping on us if he was here.
“Just a bad week for all of us; a tough weekend for the whole community. Hug your loved ones, appreciate them, tell your mom and dad that you love them even if you don’t have a great relationship with them. Life means more than racing, for sure. Second is good, still have a points lead and we will fight in Nashville next week.”
Ben Rhodes ran fourth behind Zilisch, followed by Gio Ruggiero. Stage 1 winner Christian Eckes, Brandon Jones, Tanner Gray, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and William Sawalich completed the top 10.
Corey Day started from the pole in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Busch had been slated to drive, but Day’s race ended early in a dramatic accident on Lap 47.
Running in the top 10, Day threw a block on the No. 17 Toyota of Ruggiero on the backstretch, but contact from Ruggiero’s truck turned Day’s Silverado sideways and airborne.
Day’s truck completed one full rotation in mid-air before landing upright and colliding with the inside wall near the entrance to Turn 3 with bone-jarring impact.
After leaving the infield care center, Day expressed disappointment at not being able to deliver a good finish in Busch’s honor.
“The 17 got a big run there off of (Turn) 2,” Day said. “He kind of started to shade down, and I shaded with him. He shaded back up, and that was it.
“My spotter didn’t do anything wrong. He told me he was there. I thought I was clear, and I wasn’t. I hate it for the No. 7 guys. This is exactly what I didn’t want to do there. I just wanted to give them a good run. I feel terrible.”
–Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
Sports
Cards-Reds game ppd., to be made up as part of DH on Aug. 17
May 13, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of the tarp on the field as rain falls before the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The start of the game was delayed due to inclement weather. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Sunday’s scheduled series finale between the St. Louis Cardinals and Reds in Cincinnati was postponed due to inclement weather.
This game will be made up as part of a split-doubleheader on Aug. 17.
The series opener on Friday also was postponed due to inclement weather. The National League Central rivals played a doubleheader on Saturday as a result, with the Cardinals posting an 8-1 win in the first game before the Reds rebounded with a 7-6 victory in 11 innings.
The Cardinals have lost three of their last four games heading into Monday’s opener of a three-game series against the host Milwaukee Brewers.
The Reds, in turn, have won three of their last four games. They open a three-game series against the host New York Mets on Monday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
'Double' trouble: Katherine Legge crashes, exits Indy 500: 'I'm gutted'
HMD Motorsports driver Katherine Legge (11) during the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Katherine Legge swerved from her high-side position to avoid a collision with Ryan Hunter-Reay but her Indianapolis 500 and attempt for the “double” with a Sunday night entry in the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 ended in a spinout.
Legge was uninjured in the incident and will travel to Charlotte to run in the NASCAR race. The British driver was making the sixth bid to complete both races on Memorial Day weekend before the 45-year-old ran into trouble in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon.
Her Indy 500 experience lasted just 18 laps.
Coming out of Turn 2, Ryan Hunter-Reay lost control of his Chevrolet and bounced off the wall at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As he tried to right himself, Legge said she couldn’t see much ahead of her because of smoke from Hunter-Reay’s car. When she finally saw the car, Legge had to take quick action to avoid him. After a sharp left turn, she wound up crashing into the infield fence, with her car sustaining significant damage.
Both drivers were out of the race and checked in the medical tent. No apparent injuries were sustained.
“He came back up the track, so last minute I had to go left. It just wasn’t enough time to avoid,” Legge said Sunday.
Legge was able to exit her No. 11 Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing without assistance. Hunter-Reay was also uninjured.
“Desperately frustrating,” Legge said of her mindset Sunday afternoon. “To be taken out by something not in your control, it would be slightly better to be taken out by something in your control … we were looking forward to a long day, 1,100 miles.”
Legge had only a few hours to switch her gear, her car and her mindset entering the Coca-Cola 600.
“I need to have an attitude adjustment, because right now I’m pissed,” Legge said. “And disappointed. I need to get on that plane and try and get into the right mindset.”
The “double” calls for a driver to compete in two premiere races, covering 1,100 miles with barely a moment to spare between the Indy and NASCAR Cup Series races. Five drivers previously have attempted the double since John Andretti hatched the idea in 1994 for AJ Foyt Racing. Andretti finished 10th at Indy but was knocked out after 220 laps at Charlotte due to engine trouble.
“Very few drivers ever get the opportunity to attempt the ‘double,’ and I do not take that opportunity lightly,” Legge said last week. “This challenge is about pushing through perceived limits … and trying to do something unique.”
Tony Stewart in 2001 is the lone driver to finish on the lead lap of both races on the same day.
–Field Level Media
Emotional Layne Riggs wins Truck Series at Charlotte: 'Did it for Kyle'
Cards-Reds game ppd., to be made up as part of DH on Aug. 17
