The 2016 Cleveland Browns are playing for the future and that is okay. We know they are playing for 2017 and beyond because all 14 draft picks made the 53 man roster. Also the Browns let go of veteran linebacker Paul Kruger and traded former first round picks Justin Gilbert and Barkevious Mingo. But with that being said the 2016 season isn't a throw away season. This year we will see if guys like Danny Shelton, Cam Erving, Nate Orchard, Corey Coleman, and Terrelle Pryor are the future for this team. If the Browns go 3-13 its most likely for the best. It means that Robert Griffin III struggled and the Browns need to draft their franchise QB next year. But that's April talk.
Previewing this season is difficult because there are so many uncertainties. RGIII and receiver Josh Gordon hasn't played in a regular season game since 2014. Terrelle Pryor and Corey Coleman, the Browns' Starting wideouts, have a combined one career catch. Cam Erving is going to finally start and play center, the position he was drafted in the first round to play. And I didn't even mention all the rookie and second year players on the defense.
Offense
The Browns will be a solid offense. I expect the running game to be focal point for this team. If Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell can get 3.5 yards per carry it will open up the down field attack. But I see Crowell/Johnson being a solid duo in the backfield. Both bring different dimensions to the offense. Crowell is a one-cut powerback who has shown improvement hitting holes and being more decisive.
Johnson is great catching the ball out of the backfield and he is really good running the ball (who is Miami of Florida's all time leading rusher). Johnson might be the most complete back for the Browns and I expect him to get most of the carries by the end of this year.
The Receiver are extremely young and raw but they don't lack height or talent as in previous years. Tight End Gary Barnidge will lead the team in catches this year. Barnidge is the security blanket for RGIII. Barnidge will be trying to repeat last year where he caught 79 passes for over 1000 yards and 9 TDs. Don't expect the TDs to increase but the catches will.
Josh Gordon will be the Browns' number one receiver when he returns from his suspension week 5. Gordon is on a road of redemption. He was reinstated by the NFL after being suspended indefinitely for violating substance policy multiple times. Gordon is an All-Pro Receiver who is in a contract year. Expect a huge year from him. With the threat of Gordon other pass catchers on this team will flourish, and rookie Corey Coleman might be the main beneficiary.
Coleman was the Browns first round pick this year (15th overall) after a few trade downs. Coleman was also the first wide receiver taken in the 2016 draft. Coleman will have growing pains this year like every rookie. He going to drop passes, run wrong routes, and look lost at times...but be patient. There is a reason Coleman was ranked as the best receiver in the draft by Pro Football Focus, just like there is a reason Hue Jackson and company took him as their first pick.
Terrelle Pryor is entering this season with a lot of hopeful expectations. He shown the ability to get open down the field. Pryor is an obvious weapon in the red zone and as a down field threat but he's shown a willingness to block down field. Pryor looks like a solid NFL receiver who has a ton of potential. Last point on Pryor is that Hue Jackson likes to keep defenses honest and is willing to call some trick plays. I expect Pryor to throw for at least one touchdown and to have a handful of carries.
Now the Offensive line play has only two question marks but they are huge. Cam Erving and whoever is playing right tackle. Cam Erving struggled immensely during the preseason. There were multiple times he was the cause of negative plays. Now understand he is finally playing his true position so almost think of him as a rookie.
Right tackle is an interesting spot. As of right now Austin Pasztor is the starter, but there is a high chance Shon Coleman or Spencer Drango takes over at some point. Pasztor is an average lineman who doesn't have much potential so he seems to be a place holder for one of the rookies eventually. Also not to mention Alvin Bailey who was a starter for the Seattle Seahawks. There might be a chance Bailey plays if Erving or one of the guards go down.
We know what we are going to get with future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas and the two starting guards Joel Bitonio and John Greco.
And last but certainly not least Robert Griffin III. RGIII is the biggest question mark on this football team. He played a solid QB during the preseason but he still looked indecisive at times against base defenses. He's shown that he can take hits and throw the ball down field accurately but can he continue to make strides in those areas and to learn and adapt throughout the game. And the final and most important question mark: Can he stay healthy? I think RGIII will play over 10 games. He will produce solid numbers and not lose us any games. Hue Jackson has a lot of comfort in Griffin. So until fans are shown other wise we have to trust Hue Jackson.
Defense
I don't see much hope for the Browns defense this year. But for the Browns to have success on defense they will need to get pressure on the quarterback. They are extremely young both at linebacker and at the two safety spots. Now if Joe Haden can return to his All-Pro status that will help out the young pass rushers Carl Nassib, Emmanual Ogbah, Joe Schobert, and Nate Orchard. Tramon Williams seems to be on the last leg of his career and Jamar Taylor has under performed in his career. Taylor a former second round pick of Miami was traded to the Browns along with a seventh round pick (which ended up being Scooby Wright) for a seventh round pick in this past draft.
Now with all that being said the defensive backs in general look terrible on paper. Tramon Williams and Joe Haden as the starters at cornerback with Ibraheim Campbell and Jordan Poyer as the Safeties. Poyer played a solid safety the past few years in sub packages so expect him to improve from the beginning of the season to the end. Ibraheim Campbell was the Browns fourth round pick from Northwestern last year. He played sparingly behind Donte Whitner but has shown in the preseason he is a big hitter. Behind Poyer and Campbell are Don Jones and Derrick Kindred. Don Jones is the veteran backup. Jones was drafted in the seventh round in 2013 from Arkansas State. Kindred played well during the preseason but at the same time it was against second team quarterbacks. Kindred is also a big hitting safeties and we didn't see much of what they can do in coverage. Like stated in the paragraph above the way this defense keeps the team in games is the pass rush. There aren't going to be many "coverage sacks" and the team most likely won't be "locking down the lake."
The linebackers are young but have shown some progress during the preseason. Nassib balled out, Ogbah was really solid and so was Orchard. Free agent pickup Demario Davis might be the second coming of D'Quwell Jackson. Davis has everywhere during the preseason. Running down tackles eight yards down field. He played solid during pass coverage, and he seemed take that leadership role with a lot of pride. Christian Kirksey had a solid preseason and first two years with the Browns. Him being side-by-side with Davis will do nothing but help him even more since Davis is just as athletic as Kirksey. Expect Davis and Kirksey to jump off the screen when you watch them is year.
And now to the defensive linemen. It really starts with nose tackle Danny Shelton. He consistently got out played by an undrafted free agent Jamie Meder. Shelton looked slow getting off the ball, and at points just looked lost. He was getting manhandled by single blockers, which is one of the main reasons why the run defense was so terrible last year and during the preseason. Losing Desmond Bryant for the season is a huge loss but at the same time the Browns are playing for future.
Final Prediction
The Browns are going to go 4-12. Don't ask what games they are going to win because I have no idea. But I know that somehow, someway Hue Jackson will get this team to four wins. RGIII will have a solid year which means the Browns will have a decision to make about the QB position. Again we have to remember that is like a tryout year. Young guys will make dumb mistakes but if we can see improvement from game one to game 16 its going to be a successful year.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Mississippi @ Florida State (ESPN, 8pm)
TENNIS
U.S. Open, Round of 16 (ESPN 2, 7pm)
======
WWE Raw (USA, 8pm)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC, 8pm)
Bachelor In Paradise (ABC, 8pm)
So You Think You Can Dance (FOX, 8pm)
Rizzoli @ Isles (TNT, 9pm)
The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe (Comedy Central, 10pm)
Running Wild with Bear Grylls (NBC, 10pm)
Mistresses (ABC, 10pm)
Major Crimes (TNT, 10pm) Mary and Jane (MTV, 10pm)
Loosely, Exactly Nicole (MTV, 10:30pm)
The Cleveland Browns cut day, like most teams, was swift and heavy. While there weren't many surprises, there were some notable names that are no longer with the team.
The Browns traded CB Justin Gilbert in a rare in division trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2018 sixth-round pick. In his 23 career games, Gilbert has 39 combined tackles and 1 interception.
Browns agreed to a one-year contract with former Denver Broncos punter Britton Colquitt. The punter with eight seasons under his belt, had 84 punts last year for Denver, averaging 43.6 yards.
As for the Browns and running back Raheem Mostert, his agent announced on Twitter his client was cut. The Browns likely view George Atkinson as a replacement for Mostert, who seemed to be the favorite for the No. 3 running back job until a hamstring injury interfered a couple of weeks ago.
The team also released S Rahim Moore. The 6th year DB was picked up by the team in the offseason, but the team obviously has decided to go in another direction. Moore had 16 combined tackles and 1 interception last season with Houston.
Also leaving Cleveland is veteran WR Marlon Moore along with the following waived players:
DL Kenton Adeyemi, DL Chigbo Anunoby, DB Pierre Desir, RB Jahwan Edwards, DB Mikell Everette, OL Dan France, WR Taylor Gabriel, DB Charles Gaines, OL Garth Gerhart, TE Connor Hamlett, TE J.P. Holtz, WR Darius Jennings, OL Kaleb Johnson, OL Mike Matthews, LB Jason Neill, DB Eric Patterson, P Kasey Redfern and LB Justin Tuggle.
The Browns did manage to claim running back George Atkinson, defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun defensive back Marcus Burley, defensive end/outside linebacker Tyrone Holmes and linebacker Corey Lemonier before the Sunday deadline. Cleveland also signed veteran DL Stephen Paea.
Here's what the roster looks like as of now:
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks (3): Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown, Cody Kessler; Running backs (3): Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson Jr., George Atkinson Fullback (1): Malcolm Johnson Wide receivers (6): Terrelle Pryor, Andrew Hawkins, Corey Coleman, Ricardo Louis, Jordan Payton, Rashard Higgins Tight ends (3): Gary Barnidge, Randall Telfer, Seth DeValve Offensive line (8): Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, Cameron Erving, John Greco, Austin Pasztor, Shon Coleman, Spencer Drango, Alvin Bailey
DEFENSE
Defensive linemen (7): Danny Shelton, John Hughes III, Stephen Paea, Carl Nassib, Xavier Cooper, Jamie Meder, Tyrone Holmes Linebackers (9): Christian Kirksey, Demario Davis, Tank Carder, Dominique Alexander, Scooby Wright III, Emmanuel Ogbah, Nate Orchard, Joe Schobert, Corey Lemonier Defensive backs (10): Joe Haden, Jamar Taylor, Tramon Williams, Tracy Howard, Ibraheim Campbell, Jordan Poyer, Derrick Kindred, Don Jones, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Marcus Burley
SPECIALISTS
Kicker (1): Patrick Murray Punter (1): Britton Colquitt Long snapper (1): Charley Hughlett
Reserve/Suspended
Receiver Josh Gordon (4 weeks)
Defensive end Armonty Bryant (4 weeks)
PRACTICE SQUAD
OL Dan France
TE Connor Hamlett
WR Darius Jennings
OL Kaleb Johnson
QB Kevin Hogan
OL Anthony Fabiano
DT Gabe Wright
- The Eagles corrected a huge mistake by taking advantage of the desperate Vikings. Philadelphia's deal of Sam Bradford to the Minnesota in exchange for a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-round pick cures the loss of Teddy Bridgewater. It's worth noting that the Eagles paid Bradford an $11 million signing bonus essentially for offseason practices, so the Vikings "only" owe Bradford $24 million over the next two seasons. Sam Bradford brings a fully guaranteed $7M cap hit to the Vikings for 2016 ($17M in 2017); leaving dead caps of $5.5M in '16 & '17 w/ the Eagles.
- Former Broncos and Eagles QB Mark Sanchez is going to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.
- Former Browns QB Austin Davis and 5th year passer is signing with the Denver Broncos. He will come in as the No. 3 and mentor Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch initially.
- The San Diego Chargers are waiving CB Steve Williams to make room for former Browns CB Pierre Desir.
- The Atlanta Falcons announce they've waived WR Nick Williams to make room for former Browns WR Taylor Gabriel.
- Cleveland Indians starter Corey Kluber, who's making a serious case to win his second AL Cy Young Award, has been named the AL Pitcher of the Month for August. Kluber went 5-0 with 44 strikeouts and a 2.43 ERA in August, holding opponents to a .224 average. Corey hasn't lost a game since July 3, going 7-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 10 starts. Opponents have hit .224.
- Lawrence Taylor often had no trouble finding the quarterback during a 13-year NFL career that enshrined him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. But off the gridiron, he has found trouble of various sorts.That pattern repeated itself Friday afternoon when Taylor was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, and charged with driving under the influence, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. The former New York Giants star was driving a 2010 Bentley on the Florida Turnpike south of Palm Beach Gardens when he allegedly struck the right side of a mobile home and also sideswiped a Florida Highway Patrol vehicle, troopers said. Police say the former professional athlete was arrested after he performed poorly on three field sobriety exercises at the crash site. The damage to the trooper cruiser was minimal,said Sgt. Mark Wysocky. Taylor was brought to Wellington Regional Medical Center after complaining he was going to throw up, the highway patrol said. He was then taken to Palm Beach County jail, according to highway patrol.
The two-time Super Bowl champion's checkered past includes:
-In 2011, he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a teenaged girl and was sentenced to six years probation.
-He was suspended twice during his NFL career for substance abuse.
-He was arrested multiple times after retiring from football in 1993.
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr will not return to competition during the remainder of the 2016 season as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms. Hendrick Motorsports officials made the announcement Friday morning, saying that Alex Bowman and four-time series champ Jeff Gordon would split time in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remaining 12 races of the season. Gordon is drove the No. 88 as Earnhardt's replacement this past weekend at Darlington.
Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE brings you the Weekend 3 Count. W3C brings you wrestling news, rumors and recaps from around the wrestling world. You'll find news and recaps involving WWE, NXT, TNA, ROH, Lucha Underground, GFW, NJPW, House of Hardcore and any Indy promotion that I find an interesting story or a cool discovery in. Be sure to check out the W3C every Sunday afternoon at @TripleThreatCLE.
*** WWE ***
- New WWE Universal Champion Crowned: This past week on RAW, Kevin Owens defeated Roman Reigns, Big Cass and Seth Rollins to win the vacant WWE Universal Championship in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match. The big story of the match is not only Owens taking the title, but Triple H returning and turning on Rollins to help Owens win it.
- Alberto Del Rio Finished: According to Uproxx, Alberto Del Rio has officially opted out of his WWE contract and has asked for his release from the company. Del Rio had the clause placed in his contract when he resigned with the WWE last October. Del Rio along with his current girlfriend Paige are both serving 30 day suspensions due to failing their wellness policy drug tests.
- Alberto Del Rio and Paige Harassed: Mister Saint Laurent recently stated on his podcast that the WWE's Mark Carrano approached Alberto Del Rio and Paige, who are a couple and harassed them about being together. MSL stated the following on his podcast:
"Mark Carrano, who fans might know from Total Divas, kind of like the office liaison guy, approached Del Rio and Paige individually and harassed each of them about their relationship. It was indicated that the office wanted them to sever their romantic relationship."
MSL continued on to on to say that WWE threatened to fire Paige if she did not split up with Del Rio. He said:
"A lot of people speculated if this was the reason WWE split them up in the draft and that's definitely what happened. The company did not want them together. They split them up in the draft by design and they threatened to fire Paige if she didn't break up with Del Rio."
Paige is currently serving a 30-day suspension for her first violation of the WWE Wellness Policy and also dealing with back and shoulder injuries. Del Rio is reportedly finished with WWE, after being unhappy over creative decisions for months now, and will be free to work anywhere imminently.
- Is Seth Rollins Careless In The Ring?: A lot of talk about Seth Rollins has been making the rounds this week on the internet. Many wrestling fans are arguing over whether or not Seth Rollins is careless inside the square circle. Within a two year span, Rollins has broken John Cena's nose, ended Sting's career with a buckle bomb, injured his own leg power bombing Kane off the ropes and now just recently costing Finn Balor 4-6 months of his career with another buckle bomb. Some think these are just freak accidents that could happen to anyone, others think Rollins is being careless and not taking things seriously inside the ring. WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart, who has been very vocal these days about everything going on in WWE stated that he could see another injury coming and that he'll "hopefully stop hurting the talent before someone gets killed."
- Bo Dallas Arrested: Last weekend it was reported that Bo Dallas was pulled from overseas tours following an altercation at a United States airport. PWInsider reported that Bo was arrested for public intoxication/drunkenness at 7:25pm local time after police were notified about someone who had to be removed from a flight to Puebla, Mexico. Bo was said to have been yelling expletives at flight crew members during the altercation. Bo was later found by airport authorities slumped over, 6 gates away from the flight he was removed from. Police described Bo as smelling of alcohol and he admitted to drinking "a little." The police report described Bo as "swaying side to side" and speaking with a "thick tongue" while slurring his speech. He was questioned by police and it was determined that he was "intoxicated to the point he was a danger to himself and others." He was then placed under arrest. This is Bo's second arrest to date, the first happening back in 2012 for a DUI while working for NXT.
- Goldberg Returning?: According to TMZ Sports, Bill Goldberg is in talks with WWE about a possible return to the company. Goldberg hasn't wrestled since his time in the WWE from 2003 - 2004. He made an appearance at last year's Legends of Wrestling event at Citi Field in New York, which saw him come to the aid of Rob Van Dam and hit Scott Steiner and Doc Gallows with his finishers.
- The Headbangers Return: This past Tuesday on Smackdown Live, Mosh and Thrasher, The Headbangers, returned to the WWE to compete in the Smackdown Live World Tag Team Championship Tournament. It's unknown if they'll be present for awhile or if it was just for the tournament.
- Luke Harper Update: Luke Harper, who's been out the past 6 months with a torn ACL is scheduled to start retraining at the Performance Center. If all goes well Harper could be back by late September.
- Smackdown Live World Tag Team Tournament: We are now down to the Final Four in the tournament to crown the first ever WWE Smackdown Live World Tag Team Champions. They are: American Alpha, The Usos, The Hype Bros. and Heath Slater and Rhyno.
- Ryback Talks WWE: Former WWE superstar, Ryback, debuted his new podcast last week and talked about his last few months in WWE. Ryback claimed to have turned down a 3 year $1.5 million dollar contract. Ryback also called the WWE liars. Ryback stated that Vince McMahon lied to him and said that Vince was going to make him the company's top heel, all he had to do was listen to everything Vince told him to do. Ryback also claims that he was told by Vince that Ryback was going to squash AJ Styles at Wrestlemania 32, but that also never happened.
- PWI 500: This week, Pro Wrestling Illustrated released their yearly Top 500 magazine, where they rank their best 500 wrestlers from all over the world. This year in the 26th annual edition, Roman Reigns was announced as being #1 on the list. Reigns tweeted out his gratitude and thanked the fans and everyone at PWI.
- WWE Hall Of Famer Mr. Fuji Passes: Last Sunday morning, WWE was saddened to announce that WWE Hall of Famer Harry Fujiwara, known to WWE fans as Mr. Fuji, passed away at the age of 82. WWE stated the following on Mr. Fuji's passing:
“His career will be remembered by different generations for different reasons but Mr. Fuji, whether as a Superstar or manager, is one of the most entertaining performers in the history of WWE.”
*** Cruiserweight Classic Recap ***
The Elite 8 in the tournament met this week to see who advanced to the Final 4.
-- Gran Metalik defeated Akira Tozawa, by pinfall, with the Metalik Driver. After the match, Tozawa gets a chant from the fans and shakes hands with Metalik for respect.
-- Kota Ibushi defeated Brian Kendrick, by pinfall. Ibushi reverses the Bully Choke, unloads a series of kicks on Kendrick and hits the Golden Star Power Bomb for the win. After the match, Kendrick gets "Thank You Brian" chants and a hug from Daniel Bryan who trained with Kendrick at Shawn Michaels' wrestling school.
- Cruiserweight Division News: Two weeks ago WWE announced that the Cruiserweight Division would finally be coming to RAW on September 19th. WWE also announced Rich Swann, Brian Kenrick, Noam Dar, and TJ Perkins as its first four competitors. This week WWE announced Tomasso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and Cedric Alexander for the division as well.
*** NXT ***
- Who'll Be Called Up Next?: The Inquisitr recently posted a top 5 on the NXT stars that they think will be called up to the WWE soon.
5. Bobby Roode
4. Austin Aries
3. Asuka
2. Samoa Joe
1. Shinsuke Nakamura
- Triple H Announces Takeover: Toronto: Triple H, WWE and NXT officially announced that they have a huge weekend lined up for Survivor Series weekend. NXT will show their pay per view NXT Takeover: Toronto on Saturday November 19th, one night before WWE Survivor Series takes place. Both events and also RAW on Monday will take place at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Ember Moon Interview: Newcomer to NXT, Ember Moon, was recently interviewed. Moon talked about wrestling for Booker T in his Reality of Wrestling promotion, how she trained with Booker T, Vance Archer and General Skandor Akbar, Booker helping her with her high flying move set, Booker suggesting that she travel around the world to get noticed quicker and how she plans to break the barriers set by the 4 Horsewomen of NXT (Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley).
*** TNA *** - TNA Recap:
-- Mike Bennett cuts a promo. He's saving TNA tonight and wants to clear things up with Moose. Bobby Lashley appears and guarantees victory over Bennett. Moose appears and guarantees he'll be the deciding factor in tonight's world title match.
-- Broken Matt Hardy defeated Crazy Steve, by pinfall. Brother Nero attacks Steve with his boot, allowing Matt to hit the Twist Of Hate for the win. After the match, Steve tells Matt that his son Max is now Rosemary's baby. The Hardy's rush off to find Reby Sky and Max.
-- Broken Matt Hardy uses Vanguard One to scan the Hardy Estate. The scanning reveals that Rosemary is in Max's bedroom.
-- DJ Z defeated Trevor Lee, Mandrews, Rockstar Spud, Andrew Everett and Braxton Sutter, in an Ultimate X Gauntlet Match, to win the vacate TNA X Division Championship.
-- Drew Galloway cuts a promo. Galloway says the fans turned their back on him, disrespected him and chose to cheer for a referee (Aron Rex) last week. Galloway promises to put Rex in the hospital. TNA President Billy Corgan arrives and says that Aron Rex talked Corgan out of suspending Galloway. Aron Rex hits the ring and brawls with Galloway around ringside until TNA Security separate both men.
-- Broken Matt Hardy finally contacts Reby Sky and tells her to get Max because his match with Crazy Steve was just a setup so Abyss and Rosemary could kidnap Max.
-- Ethan Carter defeated Eli Drake, by pinfall, with the One Percenter.
-- Reby Sky, Max and Señor Benjamin enter the Estate safe room. Reby tells Señor Benjamin to watch Max because she's going to look for Rosemary.
- New TNA Knockouts Champion, Allie cuts a promo. Allie is ecstatic to be the champion and thanks the fans. Sienna interrupts, but Maria Bennett cuts her off and tells Sienna to take the night off. Maria blames Allie for ruining everything and says this celebration is not for Allie, but will be for her opponent.....Maria.
-- Maria Bennett defeats Allie, by pinfall, to win the TNA Knockouts Championship. Maria ordered Allie to lie down and be pinned or be fired.
-- Mike Bennett gives Moose a pep talk, hands him a lead pipe and tells Moose to do the right thing tonight.
-- Reby Sky chases Rosemary throughout the Estate. Rosemary throws what looks like a baby off the balcony. Señor Benjamin appears with Max informing a heartbroken Reby that Max is safe. Reby tells Señor Benjamin to prepare the battlefield for a massacre.
-- Bobby Lashley defeated Mike Bennett, by pinfall, in a No DQ Match, to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Moose appears with the lead pipe, but refuses to help Bennett. Bennett gets a spear from Lashley allowing Lashley to score the pinfall.
-- Mike Bennett insults Moose, calling him names and mocks Moose for not helping him. Moose lays Bennett out with the Playmaker.
-- It's announced that next week it'll be The Hardy's vs. The Decay in a "Delete Or Decay" match at the Hardy Estate.
- Is Dixie Carter Leaving TNA?: Sources are saying that former TNA President Dixie Carter may be leaving TNA soon. With Billy Corgan now running TNA as the brand new TNA President, many think that Dixie is planning on leaving TNA altogether soon.
*** RING OF HONOR *** - ROH TV Recap:
-- Shane Taylor and Keith Lee defeated War Machine, by pinfall, with a double team top rope power bomb.
-- Cheeseburger vs. Tim Hughes vs. David Starr vs. Joey "Diesel" Daddiego goes to a No Contest. BJ Whitmer and Punisher Martinez arrive both now managed by Kevin Sullivan. Punisher curb stomps Hughes, power bombs Starr and then hits his South Of Heaven finisher on Cheeseburger.
-- The Cabinet defeated Dalton Castle and The Boys, by pinfall, in a Six Man Tag Team Match. Kenny King hits a superplex, Titus and Coleman hit a flying leg drop/frog splash combo for the win.
-- New ROH World Heavyweight Champion Adam Cole cuts a promo. Cole brags about being a two time champ and then mocks Kyle O'Reilly. Cole says O'Reilly will never be a world champion and it makes O'Reilly jealous.
-- The Addiction defeated The Young Bucks, by pinfall, to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship. Kamaitachi tries to interfere, but the Motor City Machine Guns make the stop. Nick Jackson suicide dives into Kamaitachi and Alex Shelley. Chris Sabin grabs a steel chair away from Kazarian, swings it at Daniels and accidentally hits Matt Jackson instead. Kaz covers Matt and scores the pinfall.
** Field Of Honor Recap **
ROH was live last Saturday night at the MCU Park in Brooklyn, New York. The show presented wrestlers from ROH and NJPW.
-- Kushida defeated Dalton Castle.
-- Bobby Fish defeated EVIL, to retain the ROH Television Championship.
-- Michael Elgin defeated Donovan Dijak, to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.
-- The Addiction defeated The Briscoes, War Machine, The Cabinet, Yano and Gedo and Cheeseburger and Will Ferrera, to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship in a Six Team Gauntlet Match.
-- The Bullet Club ("Hangman" Adam Page, The Young Bucks and Takahashi) defeated The Motor City Machine Guns, Lio Rush and ACH in an Eight Man Tag Team Match.
-- Kyle O'Reilly defeated Katsuyori Shibata.
-- Adam Cole defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito and Jay Lethal, in a Fatal Four Way Match, to retain the ROH World Heavyweight Championship.
- New ROH Title Announced: Ring Of Honor announced this week that a new title will be created and the winner will be crowned at the All Star Extravaganza pay per view. That title will be the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship. This will be the first time we've seen a U.S. promotion run with a Six Man Title since WCW had one in the 80's.
- Truth Martini Finished: ROH announced that Truth Martini is no longer with the company. Martini is expected to have neck surgery soon, reason for leaving the company. Martini was actually supposed to return at Death Before Dishonor, however, plans of that changed when ROH turned Jay Lethal face in his feud with Adam Cole.
- Matt Tavern Returning: ROH announced that Matt Taven will be returning to the ring in September. He will wrestle in Mexico on September 16th before returning to the ring for ROH. Taven has been doing commentary for ROH TV, and teasing that he will debut a new version of The Kingdom.
** ROH All Star Extravaganza Card **
- "ROH World Heavyweight Championship Match": Adam Cole (c) vs. Micheal Elgin
- "ROH World Tag Team Championship, Triple Threat Ladder Match": The Addiction (c) vs. The Young Bucks vs. The Motor City Machine Guns
- "ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match": ??? vs. ???
*** LUCHA UNDERGROUND ***
- Season 3 Debuts: Season 3 of Lucha Underground debuts this Wednesday at 8pm on the El Rey Network. As always I'll recap every episode for you in the Weekend 3 Count every Sunday. The following was the advertisement for this Wednesday's premier:
“Wheel of Misfortune: The luchadores return to the Temple and a spin of the wheel can determine their fate; Rey Mysterio also in action.”
*** NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING ***
- Kazuchika Okada Backstage In WWE: NJPW star Kazuchika Okada was spotted backstage during NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 2 and WWE SummerSlam. Rumors have been shot down of a WWE signing because he’s signed to a New Japan deal, he legally cannot talk with WWE. Okada was reportedly there just as a guest of new NXT World Champion Shinsuke Nakamura.
*** GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING ***
- GFW Partnering With The Tennessee State Fair: Global Force Wrestling announced that they will be partnering with the Tennessee State Fair to run a series of shows taking place on each night of the event. The company will have a card each day for ten consecutive days from September 9th through the 18th during the fair.
*** W3C Wrestler Of The Week ***
This week's Wrestler Of The Week goes to the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla.....Chris Jericho! Jericho was first noticed in NJPW and ECW, moved on to become one of WCW's top cruiserweights in the Cruiserweight Division and then skyrocketed to huge success in the WWE.
- ECW Television Champion (1 time)
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion (4 times)
- WCW Television Champion (1 time)
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion (2 times)
- WWE Undisputed World Champion (1 time)
- WWE World Heavyweight Champion (3 times)
- WWE Intercontinental Champion (9 times)
- WWE European Champion (1 time)
- WWE Hardcore Champion (1 time)
- WWE World Tag Team Champion (7 times) - with Chris Benoit (1), The Rock (1), Christian (1), Edge (2), and Big Show (2)
- WWE Bragging Rights Trophy (2009) – with Team Smackdown (Kane, R-Truth, Matt Hardy, Finlay, and The Hart Dynasty (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd)
- WWE Slammy Award (3 times)
Superstar of the Year (2008)
Tag Team of the Year (2009) - with Big Show
Extreme Moment of the Year (2014) - Hitting a cross-body on Bray Wyatt from the top of a steel cage on Raw
Jericho has also won many independent championships, trained in the famous Hart Dungeon, is the lead singer of the hard rock band Fozzy and hosts his own Podcast called Talk Is Jericho.
- Best Of Chris Jericho:
- Best Of Chris Jericho 2:
- Chris Jericho's Top 50 Matches:
And that's this week's W3C! Join me every Sunday afternoon as I bring you news, recaps and rumors all around the wrestling world!
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 8pm)
Masters Of Illusion (FRI, The CW, 8pm & 8:30pm)
What Would You Do (FRI, ABC, 9pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 9pm)
Killjoys (FRI, Syfy, 9pm)
Dark Matter (FRI, Syfy, 10pm)
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A Football Life: Brett Favre (SAT, CBS, 8pm)
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Army @ Temple (FRI, CBS SportsNet, 7pm)
Northwestern State @ Baylor (FRI, FOX Sports, 7:30pm)
Colorado State @ Colorado (FRI, ESPN, 8pm)
Toledo @ Arkansas State (FRI, ESPNU, 9pm)
Kansas State @ Stanford (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 9pm)
Georgia Tech @ Boston College, From Dublin, Ireland (SAT, ESPN 2, 7:30am) Bowling Green @ Ohio State (SAT, Big Ten, 12pm)
Oklahoma @ Houston (SAT, ABC, 12pm)
Hawaii @ Michigan (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
Eastern Kentucky @ Purdue (SAT, ESPNews, 12pm)
Western Michigan @ Northwestern (SAT, ESPNU, 12pm)
Missouri @ West Virginia (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 12pm)
Kent State @ Penn State (SAT, Big Ten, 3:30pm) LSU vs Wisconsin (SAT, ABC, 3:30pm)
UCLA @ Texas A&M (SAT, CBS, 3:30pm)
Miami (Ohio) @ Iowa (SAT, ESPNU, 3:30pm)
Texas State @ Ohio (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 3:30pm)
Louisiana Tech @ Arkansas (SAT, SEC, 4pm)
Georgia @ North Carolina (SAT, ESPN, 5:30pm)
San Jose State @ Tulsa (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 7pm)
Massachusetts @ Florida (SAT, SEC, 7:30pm)
Southern Mississippi @ Kentucky (SAT, ESPNU, 7:30pm)
South Dakota State @ TCU (SAT, FOX Sports, 8pm) USC vs. Alabama (SAT, ABC, 8pm)
Clemson @ Auburn (SAT, ESPN, 9pm)
Arizona @ BYU (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 10:30pm)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Charlotte @ Louisville (FOX Sports, 7pm)
Indiana @ Florida International (ESPNU, 7:30pm)
South Carolina @ Vanderbilt (ESPN, 8pm)
Rice @ Western Kentucky (CBS SportsNet, 8pm)
TENNIS
U.S. Open Tennis, Second Round (ESPN 2, 7pm)
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Running Wild With Bear Grylls (NBC, 8pm) Battlebots, SEASON FINALE (ABC, 8pm)
IMPACT Wrestling (POP, 8pm)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC, 9pm)
Big Brother (CBS, 9pm)
Match Game (ABC, 10pm) Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, SEASON FINALE (FX, 10pm)
Queen Of The South (USA, 10pm)
Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'n Out (MTV, 10pm)
Joking Off (MTV, 10:30pm) Tracks, PREMIERE (Spike, 10:30pm & 11pm)
Kingin' With Tyga (MTV, 11pm)
After a bitter sweet end to the 2015 season the Ohio State Buckeyes are back with a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball to try and contend for a Big Ten and National Championship. Last season ended with a historically talented team beating Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes then went on to dominate the NFL draft by having two players picked in the top 5, three more picked in the top 20, another 5 in the next two rounds, and 12 players total for the whole draft. With all of that success comes many questions as to whether or not the youth of this football team can grow up quick enough to keep the Buckeyes in the National Championship hunt. Here are 5 players to keep your eyes on this season, beginning with Saturdays battle against the Falcons of Bowling Green State.
1. J.T. Barrett
With Braxton Miller and Cardale Jones moving on to the NFL the quarterback position is all J.T. Barrett's. Barrett had his ups and downs last season but eventually settled in as the starter for the Buckeyes, but never reached his 2014 form. J.T. is one of the few veterans on this team and thankfully for the Buckeyes it comes at the most important position on the field.
If Barrett can play like he did in 2014 not only can he keep the Buckeyes in the playoff hunt, he will put himself in the Heisman discussion. Despite everything J.T. brings to the table physically, the skill that might be the most important this year is his leadership. With 12 players moving on to the NFL including offensive stars Zeke Elliot, Michael Thomas and Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett will have to lead a group of talented young players through this season with minimal mistakes if the Buckeyes want to find themselves back in the playoff.
2. Raekwon McMillan
The defense will be anchored this year by middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan. The third year standout from Georgia is coming off of a 119 tackle season and looking to solidify his stock as the top middle linebacker in next years draft (if he decides to enter). McMillan is everything you look for at his position and with Joey Bosa, Von Bell, Eli Apple and Darren Lee all leaving for the NFL, Raekwon will have to lead this young, but talented, Buckeyes defense.
3. Mike Weber
Mike Weber has some of the biggest shoes to fill this season. He will be taking over for the number 4 pick in the draft and Buckeye fan favorite Ezekiel Elliot. Originally thought to be splitting time with Bri'onte Dunn, the running back from Michigan now has been named the starter after Dunn was dismissed from the team for domestic violence. At 5'10 and 215 pounds he fits the build for what you are looking for in a running back. The Buckeyes have a lot of young talented players on offense and although Weber was named the starter, don't expect the redshirt freshman to immediately have the workload, or success of Zeke.
4. Tyquan Lewis/Sam Hubbard
Although Joey Bosa got most of the attention at defensive end, Tyquan Lewis was able to make a name for himself as a pass rusher. Lewis took advantage of Bosa being the center of attention last year with eight sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Things will be tougher for Lewis this year with Bosa gone but that is something he is going to have to get used to if he wants the same accolades.
Sam Hubbard will be on the other side of Tyquan Lewis. In a rotation roll last year he found the quarterback 6.5 times with eight tackles for loss. Recruited to be a linebacker, the former lacrosse standout was also used and tight end in practice before the coaching staff decided to move him to the defensive line. Now at 6'6 and 265 pounds he mixes athleticism with size and speed that you will not find in many others at his position. Don't be surprised if sacks and TFL's double this year.
5. Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel was the recipient of quite an honor from coach Urban Meyer last week. "I think he's our No. 1 playmaker on offense right now," Meyer said. The do-it-all H-back has the skills to give defenses headaches at running back, wide receiver, and anywhere else Meyer may want to line him up. Despite the high praise from Meyer, Samuel will most likely split time with often injured but dynamite senior Dontre Wilson at the hybrid position.
These are just 5 player/positions I have highlighted but this team is filled with young dynamic athletes who, if they can learn on the fly, have the ability to put the Buckeyes back in the National Championship playoff. With a tough road test against the Oklahoma Sooners early in the year, these Buckeyes will have to grow up quick. If they can get past Oklahoma they have a great chance to run the table until a showdown against Michigan at the end of the year.
What: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Bowling Green State Falcons When: Saturday September 3, 2016 at 12:00 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio Watch: Big Ten Network Line: OSU -28, O/U 64
Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE, is here with your NXT Recap Edition.
This week's NXT took place at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Samoa Joe gets an update on his condition from the doctor after his NXT World Championship loss to Shinsuke Nakamura. Tye Dillinger battled Buddy Murphy in one on one action. Steve Cutler battled Kenneth Crawford in one on one action. No Way Jose battled Angelo Dawkins in one on one action. Liv Morgan battled Aliyah in Women's Division one on one action.
*** NXT ***
- Backstage, the NXT doctor informs NXT GM William Regal and Samoa Joe that Joe will not be medically cleared due to his dislocated jaw and other additional injuries. Joe is angry and walks out.
- Tye Dillinger vs. Buddy Murphy: The match closes out with Murphy tossing Dillinger to the floor and then tosses Dillinger back into the ring. Murphy connects with a double knee off the top rope on Dillinger and gets a very close near fall. Dillinger drops Murphy with a back body drop and then connects with ten stomps. Dillinger drops Murphy with the Tye Breaker and scores the pinfall. Winner: Tye Dillinger, by pinfall.
- Backstage, Tommaso Ciampa says that Johnny Gargano will be out a little while with his leg injury. The Revival suddenly attack Ciampa from behind and brawl out to the ring. NXT Officials try to separate everyone, but The Revival end up laying out Ciampa with the Shatter Machine.
- Steve Cutler vs. Kenneth Crawford: The match closes out with Crawford unloading on Cutler and hits a spinning superman punch. Crawford hits a standing shooting star on Cutler and gets a near fall. Crawford charges Cutler in the corner, but eats a standing double foot stomp by Cutler. Cutler hits a Fisherman’s Michinoku Driver on Crawford and scores the pinfall. Winner: Steve Cutler, by pinfall.
- Backstage, Hideo Itami calls Austin Aries a baby for complaining about his ruptured ear drum he got from Itami's Go To Sleep at Takeover: Brooklyn 2. Itami warns Aries to be careful or he'll be put to sleep again.
- No Way Jose vs. Angelo Dawkins: The match closes out with Dawkins applying a rear chin lock, but Jose fights it off with a series of punches. Jose lands a couple axe handles and a clothesline on Dawkins. Jose hits a punch, followed by cobra clutch slam for the pinfall. Winner: No Way Jose, by pinfall.
- Backstage, Andrade “Cien” Almas is upset that he lost to Austin Aries at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn 2. Aries interrupts and says he's not happy because everyone in NXT steal Aries' huge moments. Jose challenges Aries to a match next week.
- Liv Morgan vs. Aliyah: The match closes out with Aliyah landing an axe kick on Liv and gets a near fall. Liv hits a drop kick on Aliyah and follows with a bulldog. Liv drops Aliyah with a spin kick for the pinfall. Winner: Liv Morgan, by pinfall.
- Backstage, No Way Jose says he's back on the right track after winning tonight. Bobby Roode interrupts and tells Jose he has a nice head.
- Shinsuke Nakamura Promo: Nakamura says he always wanted to face the best in Japan, he always wanted to challenge himself and it all paid off as he became the NXT World Champion. Nakamura says the NXT World Title has true meaning with him as the champion. Nakamura respects Samoa Joe, but the Joe Era has ended and the Strong Style Era has just begun.
