WRESTLING REPORT
Clash of Champions is shaping up to be a great event.
Sep 4, 2019, 7:07 am
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Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio, Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio shows www.nerdthugradio.com!
Raw started off strong with a contract signing between Seth Rollins and Brawn Strowman getting interrupted by AJ Styles and the rest of the OC. Ziggler and Roode came out and helped The OC beat down Rollins and Strowman after the match which was actually some smart writing. Lacey Evans and Natalya put on a great match, although there wasn't any story built from it, so it was a curious pairing. A Sasha vs Becky Lynch match looks promising they are both great wrestlers but the rivalry feels rushed a little bit. After all of that build up of how tough Cedric Alexander is supposed to be, he then loses to Baron Corbin? That's confusing at best. Is anyone else over the Viking Experience? The end to the Samoa Joe and Ricochet match was confusing but portrayed well, setting up a triple threat match into the finals of the King of the Ring on the Raw side. The Bayley heel turn at the finale was a great move that while they've been hinting at it, they haven't over sold it and it was a great moment.
Smackdown also came out strong with Bayley reminding everyone she's fighting Charlotte Flair for the title at the upcoming pay per view. Thankfully Elias eliminated Ali in the King of the Ring tournament, Ali is just one of those guys who keep getting a push that feels undeserved and this run in the King of the Ring was no different. Aleister Black asking people to come fight him during a King of the Ring tournament kind of feels like a missed opportunity, doesn't it? The tag match between Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross against Fire and Desire was exciting and a great preview for a potential rematch at Clash of Champions. I feel like the Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston rivalry has dragged on forever and am ready for it to be over. As happy as I was Ali was eliminated, I'm equally disappointed Chad Gable remains in the King of the Ring tournament. I'm so over the 24/7 title, at this point it's a massive joke and while sometimes it's fun, it's also never going to be taken seriously. The finale to Smackdown finally paid off the Roman Reigns lameness that they've been running for awhile and while Eric Rowan comes out of this great, I'm not sure if this is a good enough payoff.
Clash of Champions is setting up as an exciting pay per view with a lot of the rivalries building up rather well and potentially a lot of titles could change hands with most of them on the line.
Feel free to check out my brand new comic book Another Day at the Office email me for details or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
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Astros stumble again as Braves complete gut-wrenching series sweep
Apr 17, 2024, 4:51 pm
Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander will make his season debut Friday night at the Washington Nationals.
Houston manager Joe Espada made the announcement Wednesday.
“Getting him back is huge because it brings a level of confidence to our team, a boost of confidence that we’re going to get someone who’s been an MVP, a Cy Young (winner) on the mound,” Espada said. “It's (good) for the morale and to get stuff started and moving in the right direction.”
The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. He made two rehabilitation starts, the first for Triple-A Sugar Land on April 7 before Saturday’s start for Double-A Corpus Christi.
Espada wouldn't say how many pitches the 41-year-old would be limited to but said they'll keep an eye on his workload.
“We've got to be careful how hard we push him early,” Espada said. “I know he’s going to want to go and stay out there and give us an opportunity to win, but we've got to be cautious of how hard we push him early in the season.”
Verlander wasn’t thrilled with the results in his rehabilitation starts, but he said Monday that those games were valuable in getting him prepared to come off the IL.
He allowed seven hits and six runs — five earned — in four innings against Frisco on Saturday. He struck out three, walked one and threw 51 of 77 pitches for strikes.
Verlander allowed six earned runs and struck out six while pitching into the fourth inning for Sugar Land on April 7.
The Astros have gotten off to a tough start with Verlander and fellow starters Framber Valdez and José Urquidy on the injured list. They enter Wednesday's games last in the AL West with a 6-13 record.
Espada hopes Verlander can be the boost the team needs to get on track.
“It’s good to get him back in the rotation,” Espada said. “With what he means to this club just to get him back on track, getting some innings from him (to) build our rotation with the pieces that we need to move forward is exciting.”