Author Archives: Noah Stewart

WWE Is Changing!

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The WWE aka World Wrestling Entertainment is one of the biggest pulls on television today by being one of the longest consecutive running TV shows in history since 1993. Whether you would tune in after a long day of work on Monday by putting on Monday Night Raw, or you were celebrating the fact that it is finally the weekend and enjoying your Friday with Friday Night Smackdown, WWE always found a way to entertain us. It sure as hell entertained a young me and still does till this day. How could you not like a show that is on every week with long term storytelling?

Ever since Vince McMahon had stepped down as chairman and CEO of the WWE after a former employee filed a lawsuit for trafficking and sexual abuse, WWE has been better than ever. It has been a breath of fresh air ever since that evil man was out and his son in law would eventually take over, Paul Levesque aka Triple H. The legend of the game, Triple H has delivered week in and week out by putting on banger after banger and each story is told to perfection. He has already gave us one of the best Wrestlemanias of all time with Wrestlemania 40 in Philadelphia just a couple of week ago, and gave us a legend filled main event with special appearances from all time greats, John Cena and The Undertaker. 

One of the best moves that Triple H has made ever since taking over full creative control, was bringing back the illustrious WWE draft. I have written articles on the NFL draft just because I absolutely love any sports draft, except baseball only because the players drafted don’t even touch the major league field for around three to four years. Anyways, the WWE draft is back this Friday on April 26th and I will be tuned in with my other screen next to me showing the Canucks playoff game. Got to support the Canucks always you know?

I was wondering if the draft would end up coming back for the 2024 year, and I was happily right as the topic of this year’s Draft came up during Levesque’s appearance on “IMPAULSIVE” with Logan Paul, as the WWE United States Champion asked if he could switch to “Raw” when it hits Netflix. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll see people float all over the place. In a month, there’s a thing called the Draft so that’s when you can switch around and make moves and it’s all open to giving the best shows available on all things,” said Levesque.

 

If you don’t know exactly how the WWE draft works, I will fill you in and let you know. The draft first took place over twenty years ago in 2002 and we see Smackdown stars head to Raw, or the other way around. We also get to see some major call ups from the developmental brand, NXT, which are always my favorites as it gives some lesser known stars with big skills, the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage of them all. The rumor is that the super stars actually are not aware of where they will be drafting, leaving a shock and excitement aura around their reactions. If you are a big fan of WWE like myself , then you have to remember back in 2002 at the inaugural WWE draft, when the Undertaker was drafted to Monday Night Raw with the first pick by Ric Flair. Undertaker got absolutely livid and it was awesome, scripted or not scripted.

 

The rules alongside the talented superstars available have been announced for the two day event and one major takeaway from it right away, is the fact that champions will be staying on their respective brand and show. That means WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, WWE Women’s Champion Bayley, United States Champion Logan Paul, and WWE Tag Team Champions Austin Theory and Grayson Waller will all be staying on Friday nights, while World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch, Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, and World Tag Team Champions The Miz and R-Truth will all be calling Monday Night Raw home. The only champions that do not apply to this, are the Women’s Tag Team Champions, The Kabuki Warriors as they i

More about the rules though, for night one of the WWE draft on April 26th, there will be four rounds giving the brand 16 picks. Then on Monday’s Raw there will be six rounds, totalling 24 picks. Monday’s Raw will feature six rounds of draft picks being announced. Each round will consist of the brands making two picks apiece for a total of 24 picks (12 for Raw and 12 for SmackDown). Raw will get the first pick on Monday, with Smackdown getting the first pick on Friday. The rosters will not be able to move at all once May 6th hits, as the rosters will be locked.

A couple of interesting takeaways came from the announcement of the WWE draft superstar pool. One being that C.M. Punk would be a part of the pool and could be drafted on Monday night. If you did not know, Punk would make his long awaited return to his hometown of Chicago, on November 25th of last year, at Survivor Series. He would make his in-ring debut at the Royal Rumble this year, but would sadly end up tearing his tricep by taking a DDT from Drew Mcintyre and I don’t know about you, but watching that hurt my tricep.

Another interesting takeaway would be the fact that the Judgement Day are available to be drafted, except for Rhea Ripley due to her injury, and Damian Priest as he is a champion who will be protected. On the last edition of Monday Night Raw, we saw Damian Priest claim that he does not need The Judgement Day, but The Judgement Day needs him. Could you see the big faction maybe splitting up on draft day? I think it could be a great move, as it would mean Finn Balor would become the leader once again, and be able to run the tag team division with J.D. McDonough while Dominik Mysterio is sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

 

Roman Reigns is not featured in the draft pool, but the rest of The Bloodline is, including Tama Tonga and actually Paul Heyman is eligible too so who knows, you might see Paul Heyman finding a new guy to manage soon, who knows! Maybe Jey and Jimmy Uso will get drafted to the same brand and run back the uneventful twin versus twin fight that happened at this year’s mania. I can’t wait for the draft to commence on Friday and end on Monday, it is gonna be so huge. First I get to watch the NFL draft and then just the next day after is the WWE draft, how perfect is that honestly. The WWE draft kicks off this Friday and of course I will be watching but are you going to be watching? Is your favorite superstar going to end up on a new brand or even maybe your favourite NXT superstar will finally get the call up they rightfully deserve, you just have to wait and see!



NHL’s new team is buzzing

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Well well well… It has finally happened. The now former team known as the Arizona Coyotes are taking their roster talents down to Salt Lake City. The Arizona Coyotes have been playing a very depressing college arena that only holds around four thousand people. Who bought the team you ask? It was bought by Smith Entertainment Group who paid between 1.2-1.3 billion for the franchise. Ryan Smith leads the purchase as he is an owner of another Salt Lake sports team, the Utah Jazz. Smith and his wife Ashley have also announced that the team will share uniform similarities with their Utah basketball counterpart, the Jazz.  If you are a Coyotes fan then you are probably in the middle of how you feel about the big move, but in my opinion, I have never liked this move more.

How did the team even end up playing in a college arena you ask? It’s simple. Bad management. The Coyotes were kicked out of Arizona due to the fact they could not finalize a long term lease. The small capacity that Mullett Arena holds would not have been enough to stay there for another year, after they called that place home for two years. Voters in Tempe rejected three different propositions that included the construction of a two million dollar entertainment district, and once that happened, it was like watching an old building collapse after standing on barely anything for so long. Owner, Alex Meruelo, was killing Yote fans and leaving them high and dry. I swear before the move to Utah was announced, Meruelo had put out the blueprints for a new arena in both Arizona and Phoenix, saying “hockey belongs in Arizona”. Well that may be true, we will just have to wait and see.

Before we get too much into the logistics of the new Utah hockey club, I’d like to destress some Coyotes fans real quick. The Arizona Coyotes and their franchise is not dead nor ended. If the opportunity arose for a new expansion team in the NHL, Arizona will have first bid on being that team. Alex Meruelo has all the rights to the Arizona Coyotes for the upcoming five years, including their likeness and their logo , so we’ll just have to wait and see if they eventually make their return. The franchise will remain inactive but we have all seen teams such as Minnesota and Winnipeg have made their return just like the Arizona Coyotes plan to do as well.

With this being the plan for Arizona, this means that they will put a hold on their franchise records as they are treating the move to Utah as beginning as an entirely new franchise, fresh and from the start. Shane Doan is a former Coyotes legend with his son now playing on the team as well. Doan was asked about the move and felt like he wasn’t the best person to ask the question to. “I think I’m probably the worst person to ask,because I’m always the eternal optimist and so I’m going to assume that it’s going to. I’m viewing this as a chapter that’s closing. It’s not the end of the book. Hopefully, something like that happens, but I mean, that’s not my job to worry about.” said Doan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsMAzas1FfI

There have been mixed emotions from players across the Coyotes franchise but they will embrace their new home down in Utah. Players received a warm welcome when landing in Utah as they were greeted by over 100 local kids that would chant the words “Go Utah! Go Utah!” and that was already a slight tell into the love and praise they would get down in Salt Lake. Coach Tourigny summed up the situation in the perfect way.

“We’re 70 people who got traded the same day and we’re going to the same place,” coach André Tourigny said. “I think all of that creates some magic. I think we’ll just be tighter with that. When you want to win championships, you need to go through the trenches together. We went through some trenches this year.” said Tourigny. During Wednesday, April 24th, the whole team attended a fan celebration at their new home, the Delta Centre. It was a free event and the crowd was packed and buzzing. The players were in awe and each took a chance on the mic to greet the Utah fan base and get them pumped up. If this was any indication on how the barn was buzzing during the season, then the former Coyotes now Utah players, will be absolutely dialed in and put on a show for their new fanbase. More than twelve thousand fans attended the event and that is already three times more than what their former arena’s capacity was.

The team’s nickname has been a big pondering thought as of late, but now we have some information on what it looks to be. Owner Ryan Smith announced they would be using a march madness style bracket in order to find the perfect name for the team. Following that announcement he would go on to file eight trademarks under the Utah name. I will tell you the names and you let me know which you seem to find fitting. The Utah Venom, Utah Blizzard, Utah Ice, Utah Mammoths, Utah Fury, Utah Outlaws, Utah Yetis, and easily my least favourite, the Utah Hockey Club. Please oh please just do not go with the Utah Hockey Club, I just find it absolutely terrible and we saw the reaction the NFL had with the ‘Washington Football Team’ and it was nothing but a bunch of backlash. Utah already has a good rep going for them, and I hope they do not cost themselves at all. At the end of the day, I think the team should go with the Utah Ice. Basic, but rightfully fitting.

Owner of the team Ryan Smith, will proudly represent the Utah fan base and let everyone know how impactful Utah sports and events truly are. “The one thing I do know about Utah is, people show up,” Smith said. “We just had the NCAA Tournament here for basketball, and the entire arena was full. It’s just different. It’s just different here. I mean, [the Jazz have] 291 straight sellout games at the Delta Center. I think every concert that’s come into town has sold out. It’s just what we do. We show up. I have a lot of faith in the people of Utah.” said Smith.

Everything seems to be falling into place for Utah and their new hockey team. They have so many young stars of the next generation like Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse. They both didn’t know too much about Salt Lake before making their departure for the landmark, but they already love it with Crouse saying the beautiful mountains reminds him of Canada. The team has been building its way to the future as they hold 20 picks in the first three rounds over the next few years. Time will tell how this franchise will turn out, whether it be the Utah Venom, or even the Utah Hockey Club, it should be pretty electric. Ryan Smith says there is no other sport like hockey, and he is absolutely right.




Receivers galore

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I am back with the second part of my NFL draft preview. I couldn’t all just put it in one part with how many stars are available this year. This is my favourite time of the year so I really have so much to tell you, this is easily one of my favourite sports drafts due to how many stars go in late rounds! One of the quarterbacks who played in the Super Bowl this year was actually the very last pick in the draft or as they like to call it ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ and that did not let that stop him and carry on to be a Super Bowl calibre quarterback. The top prospects around the collegiate world will gather in Detroit for the NFL draft and it all kicks off on Thursday April 25th and will end on Saturday, April 27th. I don’t know about you but I will be watching probably every round (except for when the Canucks play obviously).

In this article, I will be focusing on another offensive position, that being wide receivers. I would talk about the defense but with this draft loaded class, it’s rumored that it could be the most offensive players taken in the first round EVER. The wide receiver class is so loaded that if there were not so many outstanding quarterbacks in this year’s draft, then a couple of these receivers could easily find themselves taken in the top five picks.

If you were to ask any Indianapolis Colts fan, who their best franchise wide receiver was of all time, the easy answer for them is former Super Bowl champion, Marvin Harrison. He dominated the league back in his day and was a fan favourite, and now that his time has passed, it is now his sons time to shine on the biggest stage of them all. Marvin Harrison Jr will look to continue his fathers legacy on the field. The 6 ‘3 Ohio State Buckeye receiver played in all 13 games last season and participated in the famous Rose Bowl in which he set a record for the most receiving touchdowns in the Rose Bowl with three.

 

Marvin Harrison Jr has been dominant all throughout his collegiate career and one of the best wide receiver prospects we have seen in quite a long time. Despite a slender frame and being lengthy, he maintains his strength as he benches over 300 pounds. Harrison basically checks every box teams are looking for at receiver, combining elite speed and length with technical skill as both a route runner and catcher and it also doesn’t hurt that his dad is in the Hall of Fame, giving a slight boost to his name. He really checks each box of every team’s needs, you could see some movement happen on draft day in order to trade up and select the young standout receiver. Ohio State has produced some of the best NFL players and today we could see the same with Harrison, as he was also the first player in school history to have two 1,000 yard receiving seasons. Harrison will need to work on his push off speed in order to compete with today’s speedy NFL cornerbacks.

 

Harrison is not the only star calibre wide receiver available in the draft, as the LSU Tigers have standout receiver, Malik Nabers. In 2022, Nabers would go on to lead the SEC conference in receptions with 72 while also ranking second in receiving yards with a total of 1,017 yards. In the following year he would be put on the First Team All SEC which is a pretty huge accomplishment in my opinion and I think you would agree after hearing some of these stats. He would go on to set the school record for receptions with a whopping total of 189 and then he would go on to set yet again another school record for total receiving yards with a grand total of 3,003. Damn. He is the next big thing coming out of the LSU locker room though, I easily expect him to find himself in the top ten of the draft. 

 

Nabers is a smaller guy but has shown that he can beat bigger defenders with his hand fighting and quick movement off the ball. His grab and go ability to catch short passes then easily create long plays out of them is fantastic to watch, it is really a work of art. Nabers is a field-tilting speed merchant with big-play talent and elite production and he has rare, explosive traits that help him separate both before and after the catch. On his weak side though, he can get himself into big free open spaces but at what cost? He does a little too much route running for it and it ends up being a little too late and the quarterback is either on the ground or the ball is already thrown.

 

Continuing on the theme we have of immaculate receivers, let me tell you about one of my favourite receivers available this year, his name is Rome Odunze. He played for the Washington Huskies for his entire collegiate career and was a fan favoruite down there for the fans as he led the FBS with a school record for receiving yards, amassing over 1,600 yards. Jeez. He was the captain of the Huskies squad and he and Michael Penix Jr had a crazy connection. They even made it all the way to the National Football Championship but fell short to J.J. McCarthy and his Michigan Wolverines. 

 

Odunze has a lot to prove when he enters the big stage, as he is slightly injury prone and will be competing against many talented NFL cornerbacks in the big leagues. Odunze occasionally gets hung up on physical press at the line and he will need to continue to develop his release package to keep corners guessing. His route running is unrefined at times; he’ll juke back and forth at the stem of his route and end up running right into the defender. He will need to continue to develop more discipline and nuance in his cuts and footwork. Nabers was also the Offensive Skill Player of the Year, which is a pretty impressive feat. If he works on his attention to detail while route running, he could develop really well. You can trust him to catch the ball though, as he will always fight for it and go up to make an impressive catch.

I truly can’t wait for the draft to kick off as I will be sitting in my chair watching the whole thing relaxing. Free agency was already such a buzz with so many movements, but what’s in store for us to witness when the NFL draft begins? We just gotta wait and see. Where are you gonna end up watching the draft? Are you going to watch all of the days? You know I will be as I just may have been counting down the days for a while now, I think I really just miss football. Be ready for next Monday the 29th though, as I will be breaking down the results of the draft and we will take a look at the biggest winners and losers of the draft.





Quarterback Qunandrum

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It’s finally time for one of my favourite events for each sport, the draft. No matter what sport it is, I always tune in just to see where the young prospects may land, and especially I tune in to see if my favourite team managed to land a valuable prospect. I enjoy the NFL draft a bit more though, as even though it is a total of seven rounds, there are so many stars that have been made from the late rounds. Think of Tom Brady. Not even a question that he is the greatest of all time, but did you know he was drafted in the second to last round? Insane. It’s hit or miss and you never know if your team will be able to uncover a hidden gem. 

For the first time ever, the draft this year will take place in Detroit. Starting on Thursday April 25th, and will conclude on Saturday, April 27th. If you didn’t know, this year’s draft looks to be a little bit different, as it seems to be like we might see the most offensive players drafted in the first round then we ever have. Heck, we could even see the top three picks to kick off the night, all ending up being quarterbacks. That is how stacked the offensive prospects are. It gets even better because I think this is just funny, that the Carolina Panthers traded away this year’s first round pick and it ended up being the number one overall pick. Look away now Panther fans because ouch…

There are more than thousands of college graduates that will be available this weekend for the star studded event, and look to fulfill their dreams by becoming a NFL professional football player. There could be many quarterbacks drafted early, with the highly potential first pick, former Heisman trophy winner, Caleb Williams. Williams has been rumoured to be the first pick for months now and now we will most likely see it happen tomorrow. He has put on a show for the USC Trojans and for a brief time in Oklahoma, but in the past 2 years of his career, he has thrown a total of 72 touchdowns and 8,000+ passing yards.

Caleb Williams is legit, at least in my opinion he is. He has got the stats to prove it and if you watched any of his game film then you would be left in awe. I talked about his passing stats, but this guy has the agility of a leopard. He set the school record for USC for the most rushing yards in a single season by a quarterback with 382 rushing yards and picking up double digit touchdowns, with ten. Williams will more than likely be the first overall pick and be rocking the navy blue and orange, Chicago Bears uniform. His ability to keep his team in the game when there is high end pressure is immaculate but his hero-ball mentality can be costly at times and put him in a pickle. The one contrast of that though is his ability to remain calm with his eyes and arm in the pocket, waiting to create, instead of just forcing it.

Moving on to the other quarterbacks available in this hefty stock of the draft, the next pick will be J.J. McCarthy, at least in my opinion. McCarthy is the quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines who is coached by very talented and now back to being an NFL head coach, Jim Harbaugh. They are coming off a huge win, as they beat the Washington Huskies in the National College Football Championship 34-13. McCarthy came out of high school as one of the best five star recruits, but it wasn’t till last year where he really proved doubters wrong.

 

McCarthy was able to pick up some shiny goldware as last year he was able to become the Big 10 Quarterback of the year and was also a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, but fell short to who i was just talking about earlier, Caleb Williams. You can truly trust McCarthy with the ball in his hands and to remain in control, as he set a school record for the lowest interception percentage with 1.64% and set the school record by completing 67.6% of his career passes. He is a true iron man as in the season where they picked up the National Championship, he started every single game leading up to it. He needs to be careful that he doesn’t stay too long in the pocket as he tends to not be able to air out the ball fully and his scrambling ability is mediocre.

 

The last quarterback that I will be talking about is Jayden Daniels of the LSU Tigers. I know that Drake Maye and Bo Nix are out there too, but in my opinion, I feel like Jayden Daniel’s ceiling is way above the rest of them. Daniels is coming off an impressive season as he was able to launch 40 touchdowns. During the combine, he was able to land first place in the athleticism test, showing off his skill set to the NFL scouts in attendance. Daniels played a total of five years during his collegiate career, and he wasn’t just a tiger during his career, but he also spent a majority of time down in Arizona State as a Sun Devil.

Daniel’s is another quarterback that has a Hesiman trophy under his belt, as he grabbed that during his 2023 season. He was also another of the finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, but he was cut short of picking it up. He led the entire FBS with 11.7 passing yards per pass attempt and even led in yards per rush with 8.4 and that’s the first instance since 1996 that someone led the FBS in both of those categories. If you thought Williams was agile, this guy is just built differently. He led all quarterbacks with a school quarterback record with a total of 1,134 rushing yards (now you know why his average is so high because wow) and it gets better as he is the only FBS quarterback in history to throw for 12,000 yards and rush for over 3,000 in his career. He is a speed demon on the field, but he will have to hit the weight room in order to improve, as he is a liability with a smaller frame, leaving his durability to be low.

Whether it be the Bears, Patriots, Commanders, or even the Broncos, any of these teams could select one of these talented quarterbacks. Luckily if you are the Chicago Bears though, you get first choice at any of these talented young prospects. Where are you gonna end up watching the draft? Are you going to watch all of the days? You know I will be as I just may have been counting down the days for a while now, I think I really just miss football. Free agency was already such a buzz with so much unexpected movement, so what’s in store for the draft? We will just have to wait and see. Be ready for next Monday the 29th though, as I will be breaking down the results of the draft and we will take a look at the biggest winners and losers of the draft.



The Canucks season of success

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The Vancouver Canucks have had a surprising season, but not in a bad way like they usually do. Every single expert analysis or anyone to do in the sports world, had the Canucks finishing near the bottom of the league. They were expected to be the bottom of the barrel and not anywhere close to even making the playoffs. Boy, were they ever wrong about that.

Canucks fans were skeptical heading into this year’s season, as even when it seems like we have the right assets, we fall short every year. But sometimes all you need is a year’s time and you’ll be the next big thing, and that is exactly what happened to the Vancouver Canucks. Last year, they were barely able to crack the .500 win percentage, landing themselves 6th in the division at a sad, just sad record of 38-37-7. Were analysts and doubters wrong for second guessing the Canucks? Probably not. But that was until this season when they finally got the respect on their name that they deserve. All you needed to see to know the Canucks were serious contenders, was their home opener with the absolute obliteration of the Edmonton Oilers, defeating them by a whopping 7 goals.

For a long time, the Canucks stood tall at the tippy top of not just their respective division, but the whole entire league. The Canucks were genuinely the best team in the league, led by the best coach in the league, Rick Tocchet. By the end of the season, they slid down the standings ever so lightly, with the major reason being the fact that our star goal-tender and Vezina trophy candidate, Thatcher Demko, had suffered a rough injury that would end up putting him on the long term injured reserve, sidelining him until the playoffs began. The Vancouver Canucks still were able to manage coming out on top of the Pacific division, to win their first Pacific division title since the realignment. They finished with an astonishing record of 50-23-9.

Halfway through the season at the all star game break, the Canucks were 33-11-5 and already only 12 point outs from matching their previous point total. From considered as a contender for the #1 pick, to consider as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, the Canucks were back and better than ever. Arguably one of their more impressive statistics at the halfway mark was the fact that they were 29-0-1 in games that they were leading after the initial first two periods. Let alone, being the only team with 25 or more wins under that stat category as well. At the halfway point, they were leading the league in goals scored in the first period, but by the end of the season they had fallen down to 6th in the league, hich is still pretty impressive if you ask me. The Canucks also found their way in regulation often, as they were tied for third in the league for the least amount of regulation losses this season, with 23.

The signings during the offseason and the mid season trade inquiries were a big part of the Canucks success this year. During the time off, they put pen to paper with Ian Cole, Carson Soucy, Casey DeSmith, and Teddy Blueger. All of these role players have done their part in some way, even when injuries collide with them, they still find a way. Casey Desmith was a huge part of the Canucks ability to maintain the one seed in the Pacific division. DeSmith had to step when the team needed him most, after Vezina trophy candidate Thatcher Demko suffered an unlucky injury close to the mid season mark. DeSmith stepped up and did what he could and picked up 12 wins in 29 games with a .896 save percentage and a 2.89 save percentage. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story though, as he was a big motivator for the squad. Arturs Silovs, who is a young up and coming goal-tender within the Canucks organization, also made some late season appearances and picked up a point in each of his 4 games played, with three of them being much needed wins.

At the trade deadline, we saw how serious and how dedicated the Canucks were to winning and continuing their path to the cup. They made slime bigger moves by shipping out Andrei Kuzmenko, and bringing in Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames. He has been a difference maker for the Canucks this year to a great extent. At times, he is not fully playing his best hockey and got caught in some droughts, but once he heats up, he is on fire for awhile and not just for himself and his point totals, but his ability to create plays in tricky scenarios has been magnificent. The Canucks also brought in another member of the Calgary Flames, the big man, the enforcer, Nikita Zadorov. He has been huge for us defensively, laying out his body whenever he can but his mind can get the best of him and he has his slip ups. But him, Dakota Joshua, and Conor Garland on the same team has been a treat to watch as they are some of the grittiest enforcers that we have in the league, even with Garland being a bit tinier than the others. I would say Tyler Myers is also a huge enforcer for us but he is also very costly for the Canucks as well.

The Canucks clinched their playoff spot, and you guessed it, that means Vancouver playoff hockey is so back. It was set in stone that they would be talking on the wild card team, the Nashville Predators in the first round series. At the end of the regular season, Head Coach Rick Tocchet commented on the upcoming playoffs. “Looking forward to it, it’s going to be a fun time for the guys, I want them to enjoy it…It’s going to be exciting… Our fans have been noisy this season so (they’re) just gonna amp it up another level” said Tocchet

The upcoming series with the Nashville Predators have high stakes as does every playoff series, but the Canucks want to prove themselves. Roman Josi vs Quinn Hughes is a huge defensive matchup as they are two of the highest acclaimed defenders in the league. Rick Tocchet spoke to the media about the two stellar defensemen and how their battle will look.  

“They are the same (player), they drive play, they both have the puck on their stick a lot, they both can defend because of that. They are a fourth forward out there, they both break the puck out very well and they walk the blue line REALLY well…In one series you got two of the best defensemen in the league. I’m sure they are game planning for Hughes just like we are game planning for Josi…they are that good.” said Tocchet.

The Vancouver Canucks are ready to slay the dragons once again by taking down the Nashville Predators. As I am typing this outro though, it has been announced that Thatcher Demko is injured and could possibly miss the rest of the playoff series. Casey DeSmith will be playing between the pipes and carry over his success from the regular season, over into the playoffs.

 

Factions are falling apart

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The Triple H era of wrestling is in full swing and he has changed the outlook on professional wrestling for the better. Vince McMahon is out of creative control after he announced he would be stepping down, late last year but he is now officially done with the WWE after he received a bombshell lawsuit from a former WWE employee, accusing the former chairman of sexual abuse and trafficking. As a big fan of wrestling since I was a kid, I am very pleased that he is out, not just because of his dirty and disgusting behavior behind the scenes, but his terrible decision making when it comes to giving superstars a push to the main event, or just releasing stars that had no business being let go. The Triple H era of WWE has changed everything for the better.

The April 23rd edition of Monday Night Raw was a banger, and Triple H delivered big time. Whether it was one of the four tag teams/factions that split up or had a moment, the new WWE Women’s Champion, the return of the ring general Gunther, and even a World Tag Team Championship match, it was a great episode of Raw. It has only been two weeks since Wrestlemania in Philadelphia concluded and it left fans in awe. Now we get to see all the aftermath that falls out after this historic event. This edition of Raw was also the final episode with their current roster, as the long awaited WWE Draft returns this Friday on April 26th to Friday Night Smackdown. Could these tag team/faction mishaps or breaks up, alter their relationship at the draft by being sent to different shows? I don’t know about you but the draft is one of those things that will always pull me in, so you know I will be tuned in this Friday.

Starting off in reverse order, as I will tell you about the main event which was the battle royale for the vacant Women’s World Championship and if you haven’t watched WWE in recent times, then you may be wondering why the championship is currently vacant, and I’ll tell you why. Liv Morgan had a backstage segment two weeks ago, where she began the Liv Morgan revenge tour. She found the current champion at the time, Rhea Ripley,  and attacked her, injuring her shoulder in the process. Her plan was in motion and all she needed to do was win the battle royale in the main event of Raw.

The favourites heading into the match were Nia Jax, Liv Morgan, and Becky Lynch. The women began to eliminate one another by tossing them over the top rope until only one remained. The final three were standing in the ring, and you guessed it, it was the three favourites. Nia Jax is the irresistible force and one of the strongest competitors today, so Lynch and Morgan plotted together and combine their strengths in order to toss Jax out of there, and they did. It was now the final two and Morgan looked to be inching towards winning the title. They battled it out on the ring apron and Morgan even looked to have won it after she hit the codebreaker, knocking Lynch backwards until Lynch caught Morgan with an up-handle slam, as Morgan hit the floor. There it was, Becky Lynch is now a seven time champion and she looks to keep the title warm, before Rhea Ripley eventually returns.

Now a quick rapid fire section, highlighting some of the smaller events on such a huge card. Sheamus came out with his original theme song to confront the Scottish sociopath Drew McIntyre. It was a mic battle for the ages, as Sheamus would berate Drew with insults, until Drew would start poking fun at Sheamus and his weight gain since his return. That followed with Shinsuke Nakamura coming out to battle the Irishman Sheamus. It was a grueling match that saw Sheamus come out on top as Drew would watch from ringside. It seems like Sheamus versus Drew is the direction they’re heading in.

World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest would come out to confront the hype energy superstar in Jey Uso. They would battle on the mic for a while until it was announced that it would be Priest vs Uso at Backlash in France for the World Heavyweight Championship and that looks to be a slobberknocker. That wasn’t the only time we saw Priest that night, as he would come out to attack Andrade and Ricochet, stating that he does not need the Judgement Day, but they need him.

The theme of the night was tag teams turning on eachother. After the championship match between D.I.Y. and Awesome Truth was over, Gargano would shake the hands of their allies congratulating them on their win, but Ciampa had other plans as he would shake his head, and not even acknowledge the champions and walk out of the ring. Are we really about to see Ciampa turn on Gargano for what seems to be like the 100th time? Time will tell I guess…

It gets better though, as after Chad Gable’s heel turn on Sami Zayn last week, he looked to address the WWE universe on why he did what he did. He got in the ring with Alpha Academy and one by one would berate them. He would call Tozawa a loser letting him know he is worthless. Shifting his attention to Maxxine Dupri, letting her know she is pretty as a princess. How nice, right? Yeah no. He would go on to call her dumber than a bag of rocks, ouch. Even his loyal tag team partner was a target of his verbal attacks, giving him the title of the biggest disappointment of them all. They all took the verbal beating and would pledge to the olympian. I honestly like the direction they are taking with a heel Gable, if executed properly, this could be huge.

Gunther and imperium would make their return after suffering a heartbreaking and historic loss to Sami Zayn at Wrestlemania a couple of weeks ago, and it felt weird seeing Gunther without any gold around his waist. The New Day would serenade them with a little diss track, reminding Gunther that he is no longer a champion. They would have a quick match which resulted in The New Day coming out on top, as imperium would fall down and down faster then they ever could of thought Gunther would snap and attack his fellow members of imperium leaving everyone in a state of shock. Ludwig Kaiser would console Giovanni Vinci in the ring for a while, but the moment was getting a little too long, something was going to happen and I knew it. Kaiser would throw Vinci into the barricade and attack him. Another faction or tag team has lost itself.

This all seems to be a slight set up for the upcoming WWE draft and we will just have to wait and see how everything unfolds. We are also getting closer and closer to another international premium live event which will be Backlash in France. Some matches have already been announced, but we will wait and see if any other announcements come out.

Deadpool 3 looks intriguing

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The famous antihero Deadpool is back to complete the trilogy for Marvel. If i’m honest, one of my favourite superheroes or characters from the marvel universe, is undeniably without a doubt Deadpool. No matter who your favourite superhero is, we can all agree  that you and me both are excited for the upcoming Deadpool movie.

The raunchy comedy always gets me going, especially if I had a few libations while watching. I’m also a big fan of the way that Deadpool’s character breaks the fourth wall and talks to the camera. I don’t know about you but it makes me feel like I’m a part of the movie. The film will finally make its debut in July, after first being teased in September and November of 2023, until it was pushed back due to the writers and actors strike.

In the first movie, we saw the character development of Wade Wilson and how he came to be the inevitable and invincible Deadpool. The second movie he was a part of the X-Men, and when worlds collide in Marvel, it gets me going! If you didn’t know, they actually filmed the first two movies down here in Ryan Reynolds hometown Vancouver, but sadly they won’t be returning to Vancouver to film, but instead they will be filming on the other side of Canada, down in Toronto.

Now let’s take a deep dive into what we know about the upcoming movie. The second trailer came out this morning on April 22nd, with the first showcase of the movie happening on the biggest stage of them all, the Super Bowl. The first trailer that came out, had shattered records. In the first 24 hours, the trailer had already surpassed 365 million views which was even more than anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home. The highly awaited MCU movie plans to hit the cinemas in July and I don’t know about you but I’ll be in the cinemas on opening day with my $20 bucket of popcorn and my $10 fountain drink.

This Deadpool film will be unlike any other, as he will be partnered up with co-star Hugh Jackman who will play his iconic Wolverine. There isn’t too much information that we have about his role, but after watching the trailer a couple times, i’ve put together the idea that Wolverine is washed up and Deadpool needs him, but is Wolverine willing to help is the question. Deadpool looks to become the ‘hero among heroes’  with the trailer teasing that Deadpool needs Wolverine’s help, as he already destroyed the world just like he needs to. We know that there’ll be multiversual antics between the two, but we will have to wait and see. Jackman isn’t the only big face making its debut in the Deadpool franchise, but actress Emma Corrin will be in the film as well, playing the debut of the X-Men villain, Cassandra Nova.

In the second movie, we were introduced to many heroes apart from the X-Men and I’ve got good news! If you enjoyed their part in the movie, then don’t get too excited but Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shatter, Yukio, and Peter all make their return alongside Stefan Kapičić is back in his role as Colossus. Sadly, Zazie Beetz who played Domino, announced that she will not be back for the third movie. If you were a fan of the loveable girlfriend of Deadpool who had slipped her way out of death, then rejoice because Morena Baccarin will return to the trilogy film as Vanessa. Fans hope to see more of her in this year’s movie as they felt like she was being shorted of screen time.

“I can understand that people felt that way and I certainly was disappointed that I didn’t have more to do, because I just loved the part so much, But in watching the film and reading the script, it felt like such an emotionally pivotal role in the film and the entire arc of his character in the film is set into motion because of what happens to my character.” said Baccarin.

Josh Brolin is still unconfirmed as the actor for Cable but what we do know is the fact that Vinnie Jones will not be making his return as the famous Juggernaut. In one major announcement, Marvel came out with information that two certain actors will make their return for the trilogy. That being, Leslie Uggams will return as Blind al as we also saw in the trailer as she’s back with her funny antics and quotes, and Dopinder is also back, being played by Karan Soni who will now complete the hat trick by being in all three of the Deadpool movies.

When talking about the movie, director Shawn Levy said that this isn’t Deadpool 3 in any way but something totally different. “It’s the third Deadpool movie, but it’s not Deadpool 3. It’s a different thing that’s very much Deadpool and Wolverine, And it’s not trying to copy-cat anything from the first two movies. They were awesome, but this is a two-hander character adventure.” said Levy. There was a very slight easter egg involved in the trailer, as at one point we see a destroyed 20th Century Fox logo destroyed and broken, buried in the snow.

Back in October of 2022, Jackman had said “I’ll probably have more fun on this movie than any other I’ve ever done.” That’s pretty huge coming from Jackman who is a renowned actor who has been in plenty of films. Now talking about the trailer, we see that Deadpool and Wolverine somewhat relate as they both sit at the bar drinking but there is one difference made from that scene. Deadpool has gained and holds the respect and love from those around them, but Wolverine on the other hand, does not have any respect, even in his own universe. We got this intel as the bartender reminds Wolverine that he is not welcome here or sadly even anywhere in his universe.

One of the biggest events that occurred in the movie, was right at the very end where we see Wolverine and Deadpool take a huge jump into the magical portal. Does this mean a sorcerer from the MCU universe will be involved in the film? This could be a little insight that we might see Dr. Strange or even Wong, but it is unlikely so who knows, we may be introduced to a whole new sorcerer.

Cassandra Nova will be making her villain debut and we are all excited to see. During the trailer we get a glimpse of her home base and it was pretty recognizable as it was a huge Ant-Man mask. This just proves what kind of villain she is, as she walks out of a decomposed, former helmet of an Avenger, Ant-Man.

As the months begin to count down and the week turns to days, we will soon be watching the much anticipated and be licking our lips at the Deadpool & Wolverine movie. Like I said earlier, Deadpool is one of my favourites in the MCU and there is nothing stopping me or getting in my way from not enjoying this movie. Both the last Deadpool movies were immaculate and hit all the right spots, from action to comedy to drama, it had it all. And now we get to see that once again but this time accompanied by the decorated Wolverine.

The Warriors of Vancouver

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The Vancouver Warriors season is now officially concluded, and we can look back on how it went. You may have been scared or worried around the halfway mark of the year as they were near the rock bottom of the standings, at an abysmal record 2-8. Another blooper season was ahead for us Warrior fans, and things were not looking too good for our future. Not making playoffs is a common theme here around Vancouver sports but Head Coach Curt Malawsky is a hometown native and he wants to keep lacrosse in this city, doing whatever it takes.

Momentum had shifted and the Vancouver Warriors picked up the slack and ended up going on a 5 game win streak and winning 6 of their last seven before the final game of the regular season. Those big wins were not just against weaker teams, but they took the motivation they had, they used to grab some big wins over big big names like the defending champions, the Buffalo Bandits. There was a strong chance that this could be that time to shine for Vancouver sports as the Canucks already punched their ticket to the playoffs, and the Warriors looked to follow it up. 

 

Unfortunately, the Vancouver Warriors fell short in a tightly congested battle with the San Diego Seals, losing 16-9. This meant the Warriors would have missed the 2024 playoffs by just a tiny strand of hair. Their final record at the end of the season was 8-10, in which four teams had the same record but only one of them was able to get in. After the loss in San Diego, Curt Malawsky never dwells on losses but only focuses on what’s next in their story. 

“We’ve been on a real good run here winning 6 of the last 7, but you understand what the standard is to be an elite team in the National Lacrosse League…losing stinks but you have to learn from losing. Never ever question our guy’s heart, never ever question their work ethic, and never ever question their passion and how much they care about the front of their shirt. Next time we are in a position like that, a do or die game, it’s a different level. You always have to lose before you start to win… and I think that’s something the guys will take away from it. Should be proud of the run we made” said Malawsky.

If the Warriors began to heat up a tad bit earlier into the season, then we would be watching both Canucks and Warriors playoff games at Rogers Arena, and that would be electric and we will just have to wait for next year.

Missing the playoffs is always less than ideal, but there are positive takeaways from the Warriors season. For instance, the Warriors have not been able to pick up eight or more wins in a season, dating back to 2017, but now that is all different with this year. Curt Malawsky has brought a whole new level of competition back to his hometown, leaving fans like you and I, glued to our seats or standing in the party zone during the whole game. Lacrosse has never been such a lively experience at Rogers Arena until this year, as the barn always was packed and the crowd never let up. I attended 3 games this season, two as a media member, one in the crowd and each of those times I went, I was always so tuned into the game as the music never stops playing and the fans never stop cheering. Head Coach and GM Curt Malawsky is more than proud to have lacrosse in Vancouver.

“We had a really good run and I think we legitimized lacrosse here in Vancouver. We’ve had some tough, thin years and I like to think that fans could appreciate the way we play, the effort, the passion, the dedication, the selflessness, and the support. I don’t think we’d make that run without the support of the fans and I’ll remember those last few games at home and all the fans that were there. We got draft picks in the bag coming…and we’ll try to put a good product forward for the province of British Columbia” said Malawsky. 

The Vancouver Warriors are building towards the future with their young draft talent already making waves on the turf field. Braiden Laity and Owen Grant are two of the young studs that have been able to make their name big when playing. They both have had stellar seasons, even both of them picking up a rookie of the week nod in back to back weeks. Just a couple years back, in 2021 is when we drafted one of the hardest working and dedicated players on the team, with the 4th pick, the Warriors selected Adam Charalambides. If you have seen this guy play, then you would be left in awe with his ability to create open shot opportunities, and move the ball with flawless perfection. Charalambides has been a key factor to the Warriors success this year as he was second on the with points, finishing off two shy away from the 100 point mark, with 98. This was almost double his previous amount of points last season, when he scored 59 points. 

Assistant captain Keegan Bal was tearing up Rogers Arena, and every city the Warriors visited. I can not even count how many games this young star has picked up an hatrick, because there would be way too many to count. Bal was 5th in the whole league in goals scored with 49 shots finding the back of the net. Bal hit many personal milestones throughout the year, as he scored more goals in this season then he has in any other, and the same guess with assists. This was Bal’s first time being a 100 point scorer, and he was one of the most, if not the most, entertaining players to represent the Vancouver Warriors. Bal will continue to be a bright young star for us in the next coming years and use his seniority to help lead the next generation of Warriors players.

Curt Malawsky is a really big reason that the Warriors got themselves into the position that they were. Malawsky is coming off an impressive season with the Calgary Roughnecks, winning the NLL Head Coach Of The Year award. He needed to find a new home this year, and luckily his hometown team, the Vancouver Warriors, had an empty void in the head coach slot. Malawsky is proud to be the bench boss for Vancouver and proud to lead a squad of many talented stars. 

“(They) never quit, stay in the fight is our mantra…I just liked how the guys cared about each other. You know the sacrifices they made for each other. It’s what they did in that room that turned the season around and you know being a part of a group of young men that really care about something and care about each other, really cared about the front of the shirt. I’m really proud of those guys in the room… we had a good run” said Malawsky.

If you are a Vancouver Warriors fan, then do not be too worried that we missed the playoffs this year, because if this is any insight into how well the Warriors will play next season and the years following, then we are in for our treat. Curt Malawsky continues to revitalize the lacrosse landscape in the province of British Columbia, and you better make sure you head to a game next year, tickets are cheap, and watching the Warriors is priceless enjoyment.



The NBA playoffs are here!

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I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for my favourite time of the year, playoff season!

Luckily both the NBA and NHL playoffs usually fall under the same time schedule so we get double the action, but today I’m going to be talking all about the NBA playoffs. I have loved watching and playing basketball since I was just a young kid. I don’t know, there was always something so enticing about it. I picked my favourite team to be the Chicago Bulls since they had a player with the same last name as my first name and he also rocked my number I wore while playing sports growing up. That year the Bulls took on the Boston Celtics in the first round and unluckily, the Bulls were eliminated but not without sparking a whole new joy in a young brain of mine. This just shows that no matter who your favourite team is, you have story behind it.

The 2024 NBA playoffs begin on April 20th and each matchup looks more enticing than the last and boy, I can’t wait. There still are two deciding games left as the Sacramento Kings take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a battle for the final Western Conference playoff spot in which the winner will take on the team with the best record in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder.. Then on the Eastern side of it, my favourite team, the Chicago Bulls take on the Miami Heat with the winner advancing to the final Easter spot, to play the team with the best odds to win the championship, the Boston Celtics. Star players of the Heat and Pelicans, Jimmy Butler and Zion Williamson had both suffered injuries in their first play-in game, leaving them to be questionable in the game that matters most. I’m praying that my Chicago Bulls will be able to pull away with the victory, since it would be a playoff series rematch of the Celtics and Bulls, which was the series that kick started my passion for basketball.

Western Conference

Now one of the biggest playoff series coming up is the 2023 Western Conference finals rematch between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are once again the underdog of the matchup, but when you have LeBron James on your team, you can’t be counted out. The Nuggets had dominated the Lakers year round as they swept the season series 3-0 and if that is any hint at what the playoff series might look like then… yikes. It will be a dogfight between two of the league’s most dominant big men in recent times. Former 2 time MVP,  Nikola Jokic will be standing toe to toe with nine time all-star Anthony Davis. Will the Nuggets be able to complete another sweep over the Lakers in a consecutive playoff rematch?

Transitioning over to the other side of Los Angeles basketball, the LA Clippers matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. I feel like I have seen this matchup way too often but I must be mistaken since they haven’t played each other in the playoffs since 2021. This game was meant to be on the big stage of LA due to the big named players on both teams. The players of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and James Harden all combine for 47 all star game appearances, and even six NBA scoring titles. This will be an historic matchup as it features some childhood favourite players who are still making the journey for a championship ring. The Mavericks are the underdogs heading into the series but they may be the best bet on underdogs of this year’s playoffs.

In my opinion, there were some surprising teams that actually excelled this season. One of them being the Minnesota Timberwolves who finished third in the Western Conference with a 56-26 record which is a major improvement from being the 8th seed just last year. The T-Wolves take on the 6 seed Phoenix Suns led by former NBA champion Kevin Durant who is no stranger to the magnitude of playoff games. Even though the Suns are the lower seed between the two teams, they have put on impressive play against the Timberwolves, sweeping them during the season 3-0 by a cumulative amount of 47 points. Timberwolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns has only been able to play in 2 games since March 4th due to injury, leaving fans to wonder if he will be ready for such a high stakes game.

Eastern Conference 

Moving on to the Eastern Conference, the theme carries through with teams that have had bounce back seasons compared to last year. I have to say that the Eastern team that I would give the comparison of the Timberwolves season to is the Orlando Magic. Whether you tuned in to see their young core dominate the game, or you just wanted to hear the catchy theme song they have that I couldn’t get out of my head for a while. After having a more than disappointing season last year as they missed the playoffs, finishing with the record of 34-48 but this year was a completely different Orlando Magic team as they secured the 5th seed with a record of 47-35. The Magic will play the 4th seed Cleveland Cavaliers and I think it will be one of those matchups that goes to game 7 due to them both having young cores and tying the regular season series 2-2. The teams also both ranked in the top 10 defense and on the lower half of the offensive rankings. Both teams are built around their big man Jarett Allen, Evan Mobley, Jonathan Isaac, and Paolo Banchero, so don’t expect the games scoring to be high, but a gritty battle nonetheless.

A team that truly surprised me with how high they ended up being seeded, was the New York Knicks as they ended up grabbing the two seed in the east, in which the last time they finished with that seeding position was over a decade ago, during the 2012-13 season. The scary thing is they are faced up with the intimidating Philadelphia 76ers led by big man Joel Embiid. The 76ers were at one point near the top of the Eastern standings, until their star player in Embiid went out with an injury till the near end of the season, leaving the 76ers to slowly slip down the standings and wind up in the play-in tournament. In games where the 76ers have played Joel Embiid, the squad has gone an astounding 31-8. They collided with the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament battle and were inches close to defeat but snuck away with the one point victory to confirm their playoff position. We haven’t seen these two teams meet in the playoffs since 1989, but when they met in the regular season, the Knicks bested the 76ers beating them three out of four times, with all three of the Knicks wins being above double digits and the biggest win margin being 36. Two young promising stars of the next generation, Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson will showcase their talents against each other in the playoff series.

The last of the matchups that have already been determined, is the Indiana Pacers taking on the Milwaukee Bucks and there is a bit of history behind the battle. Five months ago, the teams faced off and the Greek freak Giannis would go berserk for 64 points and a Pacers rookie scored his first points. As soon as the game concluded, the Pacers had run off with the game ball before Giannis could even notice, and Giannis would go in a full pursuit to obtain the ball for his stellar performance. This playoff matchup has been a long time in the making as it hasn’t occurred for 24 years. Both teams are offensive threats as they find their squads both ranked within the top six offesnes in the league. The Bucks look to continue for playoff success even after firing Adrian Griffin mid season and transitioning over into an old school coach who has paid his dues, Doc Rivers. The Pacers look to continue their success from the regular season as they beat the Bucks 4-1, hoping that same win rate can transition over into the playoffs.

The NBA playoffs start on Saturday April 20th and I will be tuning into a lot of these matchups, especially if my Chicago Bulls are able to secure the 8th seed. In all seriousness, this is a very competitive year of playoff matchups, with hype and anticipation floating around them all, hopefully your favourite team will go all the way and win the coveted NBA championship.

Banger after banger

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Now that the dust has settled, and UFC 300 is officially a week in the past, I can give you an insight on just how spectacular that night was and boy, was that ever one of the best fight cards I’ve seen, top to bottom. From the bloody wars to start off the night, to the most insane knockout I have ever witnessed, it was a great show. If you don’t know too much about the UFC, i’ll tell you all about it by starting off with telling you that the Ultimate Fighting Championship is the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world since 1993.  If you weren’t a big fan of the event before Saturday, then you picked the right time to start watching as this event was easily the biggest night in mixed martial arts history, and I’ll tell you why. The  President of the UFC, Dana White knew this card had to be unlike any other, and that’s why he said that “in the history of combat sports, there has never been a card better than this, top to bottom” and that was not a prediction, but just an insight into how spectacular this event came to be.

First off, just to give you a little background on the mega event, Dana White, had changed the fight of the night bonus alongside the performance of the night bonus from $50k, all the way up to $300k. This was a power move from White as fighter pay has been a topic of discussion for awhile now, and with this bonus, it gives fighters an incentive to perform at a whole nother level. Even if you weren’t a huge fan of the UFC going into this event, you probably were after. A cumulative of 13 different fighters on the card held championship gold at some point, alongside 16 fighters that are currently ranked in the top 15 and crazy enough, UFC 300 took place 11,111 days after the inaugural UFC 1 went down.

The event began with the early preliminary fights, in which usually the fighters are middle of the pack fighters, you don’t see many big names but that was all different for UFC 300. This card was supposed to have you sitting in your seat from the very first fight to the main event, and the only time I had gotten out of my seat was to go to the washroom or just go and grab a quick beer, so I’d say that Dana White delivered with his promise. If you were watching with me on Saturday, you would’ve seen me glued to the screen with non stop excitement, and that probably goes hand and hand with any other UFC enthusiasts that tuned in.

Early Preliminary Card

The card started off with a huge bang, and it only went up from there. Opening up UFC 300 was former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson “Figgy” Figueiredo taking on former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt who also coached a season of the reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. It was an absolute battle until the inevitable happened and someone was finished. Figgy and Garbrandt were trading shots and grappling attempts but after Figgy was initially looking for the arm-triangle, he was able to land some clean strikes and transition into the rear naked choke, where Garbrandt had to give in and submit. Following the fight, Garbrandt had announced that he was hospitalized after the fight.

“I felt great in my fight, until I started to experience vertigo I couldn’t control the spinning once it was to the ground…I ended up going to the hospital where I was still experiencing the vertigo throwing up until 4 am. I’ll get this corrected, I’ve dealt with vertigo since 2012. Thank you to the fans that came out to support, it wasn’t my night, but I love doing what I do” said Garbrandt. 

The fight that followed right after, was the matchup that fans were enticed by due to their status. Jim Miller would take on Bobby Green, in which it would be a battle for the ages. Jim Miller’s has elite legend status as he is the only fighter to compete at UFC 100 in 2009, UFC 200 in 2016, and now completing the trilogy by fighting at UFC 300 in 2024. Whats even more impressive about this, is the fact that only one other fighter that fought on the UFC 200 card, remains active. Now, let me tell you about the fight a bit. It was a complete bood bath from the first round to the final round. Jim Miller’s main goal, was to put on a show for the fans in attendance and all across the world, and he delivered. Even though he wasn’t able to pull away with the victory, he was still able to leave his mark literally, by staining the mat for the rest of the night with his blood. Bobby Green picked up the decision victory in one of the biggest fights the early prelims have seen.

The Main Card

Now when we talk about the main card, there is many different ways you could describe it. Historic, record breaking, sensational, or even mind-blowing. But the way I would describe it to you or anyone, is eye opening. Why? Because each fight delivered from the first round to the last, leaving fans and even myself in awe and hoping that I could see more events like this in the future. The main card consisted of two title fights and even a fight between two legends of the sport for the title of being the Baddest Motherf***er. Five fights, 6 former champions, one huge main card.

Former champion Charles Oliveira took on rising star Arman Tsarukyan in a 3 round lightweight clash, and that was the perfect fight for fans to tune into and set the bar as it made sure fans were ready for the upcoming title fights. If you are a fan of wrestling and grappling then this fight was made for you as Oliveira and Tsarukyan were showcasing their flawless transition and takedown skills as it was a battler of the wrestlers. The judges had the contest tied 19-19 in points going into the final round. Both corners know they needed to get in the octagon and walk out with a finish, but Arman Tsarukyan was able to state his case and give himself a bigger name by defeating Charles Oliveira by split decision.

The biggest fight of the night was between former champions Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje would class for the BMF title. This was a perfect matchup for any UFC fan as Holloway has been know for his ability to put on all time classics and showcase his iron chin of steel. He is known for not being knocked out and has even never been knocked down to the canvas. The fight was a complete slobberknocker as Holloway would piece up Gaethje with his powerful boxing abilities. At the end of round 2 before the buzzer went off, Holloway would hit Gaethje with a swift spinning back kick to the nose, shattering Gaethje’s nose. There was a slightly controversial moment in the fight where it looked like Holloway was knocked down for the first time in his career, but it was later discredited and counted as a slip instead.

 The fight was near the end and it was already an all time classic. It looked like Holloway would cruise his way to a decision victory to capture the BMF title, but as time winded down to 20 seconds, Holloway would point at the mat to signal that they should swang and bang, and Gaethje would eventually agree and they began to throw haymakers. It was with one final second on the clock where Holloway would connect with the cleanest and meanest punch if i’ve seen, sending Gaethje falling face first to the canvas and laying him there outcold. It may have been the biggest holy sh*t moment I have ever witnessed, leaving me with my jaw touching the floor in awe.

The ref of that fight was well rounded Marc Goddard who has paid his dues. The third man in the cage with the fighters was Goddard and he was left in visible awe after the knockout and even asked for his reaction to be released. “I’d love the UFC to release the mic’d audio from me, I literally screamed out at that ending, first time in 20 years. It was an automatic reaction I guess. I’m still speechless. Still have goosebumps. Both of these guys are the epitome of our sport. Sheer class. What a privilege” said Goddard.

The final fight of the night was the main event for the UFC Light Heavyweight championship and  decorated former two division champion Alex Pereira would defend his gold against the former holder of the belt, Jamahal Hill. Now i’ll be honest and admit it but Alex Pereira is one of the scariest dudes I have ever seen. His death stare and eyes that don’t move are just a frightening sight and I have no idea how his opponents remained calm and compose when standing across the octagon from the towering Brazillian kickboxer. Jamahal looks to recapture his championship gold which was once his, until he had to relinquish due to injury. Pereira and Hill began the fight trading exchanges as Hill was looking to dominant with his leg kicks, while Pereira would land clean punches constantly, despite being a kickboxer all of his life. Pereira would take a hard kick to the groin area, but before referee Herb Dean could step in, Pereira waved him off and not even 5 seconds later, he had flatlined hill in round one with a clean left hook and followed it up with ground and pound to retain his title. 

Just like that, the main event was over in round one, and the whole UFC 300 experience was over, or so we thought. Heading into the post fight press conference, President and CEO of the UFC, Dana White would announce a couple mega fights for upcoming events. The biggest takeaway from those announcements was that finally after all the lengthy discussions, Conor McGregor would make his return to the octagon to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in Las Vegas. If this event was able to et you into the sport, then you will not be disappointed with the future schedule of fights as Dana White has been putting on mega show after mega show, with the next event being next week as Nicolau takes on Perez on April 26th.