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The Milwaukee Bucks have some concern about Khris Middleton’s’s status for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Pacers on Friday. While speaking to reporters after practice on Thursday, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said that Middleton didn’t practice after spraining his ankle during Milwaukee’s 125-108 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

When asked if there was concern about Middleton’s status for Game 3, Rivers said “yeah, a little,” while also saying, “It’s another holding our breath situation, so honestly, I don’t know.”

Middleton exited Tuesday’s game in the first quarter after rolling his right ankle trying to plant his foot while trying to get past Pacers forward Pascal Siakam. He walked back to the locker room, but soon returned back to Milwaukee’s bench and proceeded to play the rest of the game.

Khris Middleton went to the locker room momentarily after an apparent ankle injury, per the Bucks.

He’s back on the bench but has yet to return to the game. pic.twitter.com/2ZZEIf0yyQ

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 24, 2024
After the game, Middleton said “I’ll be all right,” in regards to his ankle, but despite playing for the rest of the game on Tuesday, it appears as though the injury has worsened. With Middleton’s status suddenly in question for Friday, it delivers another blow for the Bucks who are still without star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Rivers said on Thursday that Giannis — who injured his calf earlier this month — did the most work that he’s seen since being out, including shooting and moving around, however he didn’t participate in any live drills. That doesn’t sound like he’ll be ready to return in Game 3, and adding in Middleton’s status that means the Bucks could find themselves extremely short staffed against a Pacers team that had no difficulty scoring in Game 2.

Without Antetokounmpo and potentially Middleton, that means more responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Damian Lillard, who has had two solid back-to-back performances for Milwaukee. It will also mean the Bucks will need to lean a bit more on Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis to score in the starting unit, and will require guys like Jae Crowder and Pat Connaughton to knock down some shots. Perhaps Middleton will be able to play in Game 3 and this is just all precautionary, but from the sounds of Rivers comments, his status is something to monitor before Game 3.

Several options in Thursday’s NBA DFS player pool, who are off to inauspicious starts to the 2024 NBA playoffs, will get another shot at redemption tonight. Tobias Harris, OG Anunoby, Austin Reaves and Jalen Suggs are all averaging 11 points or fewer in the postseason, thus disappointing both their teams and those daily Fantasy basketball players that rostered them in NBA DFS lineups. Harris has been the biggest disappointment as he came into this year with a 17.1 ppg postseason average but is putting up just 8.5 ppg so far on 39% shooting.

His price tags on NBA DFS sites like FanDuel and DraftKings have dropped, which means he could be a value pick for Thursday. However, it would be beneficial to your NBA daily Fantasy strategy to know that Harris was locked down by the Knicks in the regular season, averaging just 6.3 points across four games. What other trends should you be aware of before setting your daily Fantasy basketball lineups for Thursday? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Mike McClure.

McClure is a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account.

This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.

On Wednesday, McClure highlighted Heat forward Nikola Jovic as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Jovic had 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block, returning 38.25 points on DraftKings and 37.8 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, April 24
For Thursday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is rostering Lakers forward LeBron James who is listed at $9,500 on DraftKings and $10,500 on FanDuel. The Lakers being in a 2-0 hole isn’t the fault of James, who is averaging 26.5 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in the series. Despite L.A. suffering 10 straight defeats to Denver, James has still scored at least 21 points in each of his last 11 games against the Nuggets, with five double-doubles over that stretch.

James gets a two-day rest between Games 2 and 3, and he’s been at his best this season when having two days off. James averages his most points (27.1), rebounds (8.4) and assists (9.1) with two days of rest compared to any other rest interval. He’s also been on an incredibly efficient shooting run as of late as over his last nine games, counting both the regular and postseason, James is converting on 61.1% of his field goal attempts and 52.5% of his 3-point attempts.

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Magic forward Jonathan Isaac ($4,800 on DraftKings and $5,700 on FanDuel). In part due to injuries, Isaac started just two regular season games over the last four years. However, he started in each of the first two games of Orlando’s series versus Cleveland, getting the nod ahead of Wendell Carter Jr. and Moe Wagner at center.

Isaac is a defensive ace who contributes across the board, doing so on a very affordable NBA DFS price point. Over his last six games versus Cleveland, he’s averaging 8.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals. Like many young players, Isaac performs notably better at home as the series shifts to Orlando for Game 3 tonight. He averaged more points, rebounds, assists and blocks at home than on the road this season, while also shooting better percentages from the floor, the free throw line and from beyond the arc. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, April 25
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

Who is DFS pro Mike McClure putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Thursday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.

The series has shifted over to the Sunshine State as the No. 5 seed Orlando Magic are hosting the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. These teams split the season series 2-2 but that hasn’t been the case in this series. On Monday, the Cavaliers outlasted the Magic 96-86 to go up 2-0 in this 2024 NBA playoffs series. Orlando plays better at home, logging a 29-12 record at Kia Center during the regular season.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at the Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. The Magic are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Cavaliers vs. Magic odds, while the over/under for total points is 201.5. Before making any Magic vs. Cavaliers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 90-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,800. Anyone following the model has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Cavaliers vs. Magic and just locked in its picks and Game 3 predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Magic vs. Cavaliers:

Cavaliers vs. Magic spread: Orlando -2.5
Cavaliers vs. Magic over/under: 201.5 points
Cavaliers vs. Magic money line: Orlando -141, Cleveland +119
CLE: The Cavs are 4-2 ATS in their last six games
ORL: The Magic are 1-5 ATS in their past six games
Cavaliers vs. Magic picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Forward Evan Mobley joins Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt and makes a serious impact. Mobley is an agile big man who has the skill to handle the rock if needed. The USC product plays with good timing as a shot blocker and is always crashing the boards. Mobley averaged 15.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in the regular season. In Game 1, the 22-year-old had 16 points, 11 boards, and three blocks.

Guard Darius Garland is a shifty playmaker who has a quick release with a knack for hitting shots off the dribble. The Vanderbilt product also owns a nice floater in the lane. He put up 18 points and 6.5 assists per contest in 2023-24. In his last outing, Garland notched 15 points, four assists, and went 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. See which team to pick here.

Why the Magic can cover
Forward Paolo Banchero continues to be the Magic’s best player on the floor. Banchero is an all-around threat due to his playmaking and scoring ability. The Duke product gets into the lane consistently and has the vision to get his teammates good looks. Through the first two contests, Banchero leads the team in points (22.5) with five boards and four assists per game. He had 21 points, three assists, and three rebounds in his last outing.

Forward Franz Wagner gives the Magic another capable ball handler and scorer. Wagner plays with good instincts and has a smooth jumper to space out the floor. In the regular season, the Michigan product averaged 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. In the Game 1 loss, Wagner racked up 18 points, seven boards, and three steals. See which team to pick here.

How to make Magic vs. Cavaliers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 206 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.

So who wins Cavaliers vs. Magic, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Magic vs. Cavaliers spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 90-58 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.

Roman Reigns and Logan Paul are touching down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Nov. 5. The undisputed WWE universal championship is on the line as the superstars of WWE make the long flight over for the Crown Jewel PPV event.

WWE’s Crown Jewel events are notorious for recruiting legends and outsiders for rare appearances, for better or worse. Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Undertaker, Goldberg, Tyson Fury and Cain Velasquez have all previously appeared at the show. The 2022 edition takes a more measured, story-driven approach yet features Reigns defending his world title against social media superstar Paul. The main event is built around Paul’s desire to one-up his exhibition boxing match against Floyd Mayweather and the potential that he can land one lucky shot on Reigns. Paul impressed in performances at WrestleMania 38 and SummerSlam, but few expected him to receive a main event title shot so soon.

Also on the card is a real-life recreation of Godzilla vs. Kong. Two of WWE’s largest superstars, Braun Strowman and Omos, will test the durability of the ring when they exchange blows on Saturday. Other notable matches include Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match, and Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross in a steel cage.

Take a look below at the confirmed and predicted matches.

2022 WWE Crown Jewel matches
Undisputed WWE universal championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul: Paul made his first appearance since SummerSlam on an episode of SmackDown in September. Paul set his sights on the top and challenged Reigns. WWE hosted a press conference in Las Vegas on Sept. 17 that formally set the groundwork for Crown Jewel’s main event. Paul and The Bloodline have repeatedly traded barbs on episodes of SmackDown since.

The O.C. (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) vs. Judgement Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominick Mysterio): Balor had spent weeks attempting to recruit his old friend Styles into Judgement Day. The villainous group gave Styles an ultimatum on Raw: either you’re with them or against them. Styles appeared and feigned allegiance to Balor. It was all a ruse to welcome Anderson and Gallows back into the fold. The two factions, each boasting Bullet Club alumni, will meet in a six-man tag team match.

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley: There is unfinished business between Lesnar and Lashley. The two collided at the 2022 Royal Rumble in a WWE championship match that left something to be desired. Lashley emerged victorious to kickstart his second reign as WWE champion. Lesnar has not forgotten the taste of defeat. The former UFC champion made an unexpected return to Raw and leveled Lashley. The impact of the attack left Lashley vulnerable in his United States championship defense that same evening. Seth Rollins usurped the title from Lashley and avoided backlash as Lashley focused on Lesnar.

Braun Strowman vs. Omos: Much like Thanos vs. Galactus, there is only room for one destroyer in the WWE universe. Omos, flanked by his manager MVP, made it clear that Strowman was a target. Strowman officially challenged Omos on the Oct. 21 episode of SmackDown. Omos appears to have the upper hand, effortlessly shoving Strowman out of the ring in the first physical encounter between the two.

Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Steel cage match): McIntyre is on the warpath. Kross and Scarlett have repeatedly ambushed McIntyre since the duo returned to WWE in August. McIntyre was on the verge of defeating Kross in a strap match at Extreme Rules before Scarlett sprayed mace in McIntyre’s eyes. Tensions boiled over the following week on SmackDown after McIntyre laid out Kross with a car door. All this leads to a steel cage match at Crown Jewel that intends to cut off Kross from his lifeline Scarlett.

Undisputed tag team championship — The Usos (c) vs. Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland): The Bloodline kicked their feud with the Brawling Brutes into overdrive on the Oct. 21 episode of SmackDown. After burying Butch and Holland under an announcer’s table, The Bloodline brutally attacked Sheamus’ left arm with two steel chairs. The severity of the assault should theoretically write Sheamus off TV and buoy a motivated Butch and Holland. This should be a fun follow-up to their solid tag team title match on the Sept. 23 episode of SmackDown.

Raw women’s championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley (Last Man Standing match): WWE announced a Raw women’s championship match between Bayley and Belair The booking comes after Bayley defeated Belair in a non-title match on the Oct. 24 episode of Monday Night Raw. Belair looked prime to defeat Bayley before Nikki Cross interfered and attacked everyone, opening the door for Bayley to capitalize.

Women’s tag team championship — Asuka & Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Damage CTRL: Asuka and Bliss beat Dakota Kai and IYO SKY on Raw to win the titles, now the former champions get their rematch at Crown Jewel. The two sides have had several prior run-ins with Asuka and Bliss backing Bianca Belair and Damage CTRL backing their leader, Bayley.

WWE Crown Jewel is set to go down on Saturday as WWE returns to Saudi Arabia. WWE is bringing most of its top stars to the event, taking another big swing in its controversial relationship with the country’s government.

In the main event, Roman Reigns will defend the undisputed WWE universal championship against social media star Logan Paul. Reigns has been the universal champion since August 2020 and unified that title with the WWE championship at WrestleMania 38 in April. Paul has only had two matches in his career, teaming with The Miz to defeat The Mysterios and then defeating The Miz in a singles match.

Also on the card is a real-life recreation of Godzilla vs. Kong. Two of WWE’s largest superstars, Braun Strowman and Omos, will test the durability of the ring when they exchange blows on Saturday. Other notable matches include Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match, and Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross in a steel cage.

Let’s take a closer look at who our CBS Sports experts predict will come out on top at WWE Crown Jewel, which begins Saturday at noon ET from Mrsool Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and streams live on Peacock.

2022 WWE Crown Jewel predictions
Undisputed WWE Universal Championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul: This is such an odd match. It seemed WWE would build Paul up through more special matches before throwing him into any sort of title match. While he has been truly outstanding in his two matches, there’s basically no way Paul walks away as undisputed champion. That said, there’s a chance he could win by disqualification to remain undefeated while not taking the title off of Reigns. It makes more sense that Reigns just takes the win here while Paul looks good enough that there’s no damage done to him as a rising star. Pick: Roman Reigns retains the title — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)

Raw Women’s Championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley (Last Woman Standing Match): In any other match type, I’d likely lean toward Bayley to end Belair’s long run and freshen things up a bit. But having Bayley go over under Last Woman Standing rules just doesn’t feel right and Belair managing to Superwoman her way through another challenge is far more likely. Pick: Bianca Belair retains the title — Brookhouse

The trajectory of Damage CTRL is confusing. The group was primed to take over the women’s division upon its debut. Dakota Kai and IYO SKY lost a tag team title match, won them two weeks later and recently dropped the belts to Alexa Bliss and Asuka. The trio was also single-handedly thwarted by Belair at Extreme Rules. WWE was probably wise to not replicate The Bloodline’s title dominance with Damage CTRL, but their momentum has felt very start and stop. Salvaging the group probably means handing Bayley the title through nefarious means. Pick: Bayley wins the title — Mahjouri

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley: Lesnar lost to Lashley at Royal Rumble earlier this year. That was the first time the two men had ever met in a one-on-one match. WWE likely would like to be able to return to this match again in 2023 and letting Lesnar get the win back is the most direct way to accomplish that. It’s also hard to imagine Lesnar losing three straight matches. You have to go back to 2003 to find the last time that happened. Pick: Brock Lesnar wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Steel Cage Match): McIntyre cannot afford three consecutive pay-per-view losses. The Scotsman was one of WWE’s few believable main eventers at the end of Vince McMahon’s tenure and it would be a shame to see him fall from grace after a strong showing at Clash at the Castle. Kross has been presented very well so far. His aura is certainly worth preserving, but Kross has no clear and immediate route to the world title. Give McIntyre a much-needed win in a competitive showing against Kross to set up the trilogy. Pick: Drew McIntyre wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

Braun Strowman vs. Omos: Omos is very much a work in progress and that is fine. He should not pick up the win. Strowman is a much more seasoned big man that you can reliably insert into a major feud. Strowman’s departure last year was bizarre. WWE had put so much time into developing a monster of a human with surprising athleticism only to drop him. Shredded and looking better than ever, Crown Jewel should be Strowman’s stepping stone to something bigger. Pick: Braun Strowman wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

The O.C. vs. The Judgement Day: The Judgement Day earned much-needed momentum against Edge at Extreme Rules and you would like to see them build off it further. Unfortunately, it may not be worth having The O.C. lose. Styles is the most successful of all six competitors in the match. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows recently returned to WWE after being woefully underutilized in their last stint. The three have cohesion and a longtime friendship, so there shouldn’t be much disjointedness in their chemistry. Expect The O.C. to emerge victorious to capitalize on The Good Brothers’ recent returns. Pick: The O.C. wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

Undisputed Tag Team Championship — The Usos (c) vs. The Brawling Brutes: The Brutes, along with leader Sheamus, have developed into a consistently entertaining group. That said, it’s nearly impossible to see The Usos losing the undisputed belts in a match without much more build than this. Pick: The Usos retain the titles — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Women’s Tag Team Championship — Alexa Bliss & Asuka (c) vs. Damage CTRL: The women’s tag belts still feel as though they’re lacking any real consistent direction. On IYO SKY and Dakota Kai, they felt like a tool that could help prop up Damage CTRL as a force. But the run was relatively short-lived and the titles were flipped to Bliss and Asuka in what felt like something of a random Raw match. It’s hard to see flipping them back less than a week later. What would the point of the title change have been if they do that? Pick: Alexa Bliss & Asuka retain the titles — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

WWE Crown Jewel offers mainstream faces, MMA crossovers, a battle of behemoths and more. Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul headlines the company’s return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Reigns will defend his undisputed WWE universal championship against Paul at a rare daytime premium live event. A family feud is bubbling with Jake Paul joining his brother at Crown Jewel to fend off Reigns’ tribe, The Bloodline. Paul impressed in his two previous WWE matches, but he’ll need to land a lucky punch against one of the most dominant champions in WWE history.

Brock Lesnar lends his star power to the card in a sequel to his 2022 Royal Rumble match against Bobby Lashley. Both former WWE champions have significant MMA experience. Lesnar is the former UFC heavyweight champion while Lashley achieved a solid 15-2 record fighting in organizations including Bellator and Strikeforce.

Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday afternoon in Saudi Arabia.

Watch 2022 WWE Crown Jewel
Date: Nov. 5
Location: Mrsool Park — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Start time: Noon ET (kickoff show starts at 11 a.m. ET)
Watch live: Peacock

2022 WWE Crown Jewel match card
Undisputed WWE universal championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Logan Paul
The O.C. (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) vs. Judgement Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest and Dominick Mysterio)
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Street Cage Match)
Braun Strowman vs. Omos
Raw women’s championship — Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley (Last Woman Standing Match)
Undisputed tag team championships — The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland)
Women’s tag team championships — Alexa Bliss and Asuka (c) vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky) vs.

Only one premium live event remains on WWE’s calendar for 2022. Survivor Series WarGames gets an upgrade from the traditional format of elimination team matches to a battle of attrition fought inside of a cage. WWE’s final major event of the year takes place at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Nov. 26.

The Bloodline and Damage CTRL are expected to battle their rivals in men’s and women’s WarGames matches, respectively. WarGames is a team-based match featuring two rings contained within a large cell. The match begins with one representative from each team duking it out. The remaining competitors enter in a staggered format and the contest cannot conclude until all participants are locked in the cage. The winner is determined by pinfall, submission, surrender or knockout.

SmackDown women’s champion Ronda Rousey will defend her crown against Shotzi at Survivor Series. Shotzi was awarded the title shot after defeating Lacey Evans, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, Raquel Rodriguez and Xia Li in a Six-Pack Challenge on the Nov. 11 episode of SmackDown.

In order to ensure you stay up to date with all of WWE’s signature events — each of which will be covered right here by CBS Sports — check out the entire 2022 pay-per-view schedule (at least the events we know about at this time) below along with the dates and locations of all key upcoming events.

A near career-ending concussion and a willingness to open up have led Sheamus to what many consider his best WWE run. Sheamus has already carved out a Hall of Fame career. Oddly, it is the version of Sheamus with 20 years of experience, one in pursuit of a secondary title, that has connected with WWE fans the most.

Sheamus headlines WWE Survivor Series on Saturday, teaming with the Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland), Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens to take on The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa) in a WarGames match. Sheamus’ status at the top of the card is partially a reflection of his renewed passion for the art.

“I love what I do. I’m still very passionate about what I do,” Sheamus — who was promoting his Celtic Warrior Workouts YouTube channel — told CBS Sports. “I’m probably more passionate than I’ve ever been.”

Sheamus suffered a terrible concussion at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, that sidelined him for nearly eight months. It was a visit to Hall of Famer Edge’s house that sparked a yearning to craft an undeniable legacy. There he was confronted with the one roadblock to achieving a career Grand Slam (winning the world, tag team, intercontinental and United States titles).

“When I got the concussion at Mania in New York, I thought my career was going to be over,” Sheamus said. “I kept doing Celtic Warrior Workouts and I was actually at Edge’s house and I saw the titles on the wall. I saw the intercontinental title, and I was like, ‘I can’t give up now. I’m so close to getting that final piece of the puzzle.’ That motivated me to come back in the best shape possible.”

Check out the full interview with Sheamus below.

Sheamus is only the second superstar in WWE history, coincidentally behind Edge, to win the King of the Ring tournament, Money in the Bank ladder match and Royal Rumble. A main roster superstar since 2009, Sheamus won the WWE championship in his third year by defeating John Cena. Labeled a product of the corporate machine, Sheamus often had difficulties winning over fans.

“It didn’t matter what I did, the crowd had turned against me because they felt the machine was behind me and it just didn’t matter how hard I beat up my body,” Sheamus said. “I just wasn’t going to win them over.”

There were pockets of fan enthusiasm here and there, but nothing holds a candle to the appreciation Sheamus, now 44, experienced after his universally acclaimed match against intercontinental champion GUNTHER at Clash at the Castle.

“Every time I get in that ring, it’s a blessing,” Sheamus said. “It’s an opportunity to show everybody what I could do because that literally could be my last time in the ring. I don’t want to go out that way. I don’t want to do it in a way where it’s so lackluster. So my mentality is to treat every match… like a WrestleMania moment. I can’t go out there and half-ass anything. It’s just not in my DNA. I want to go out there and want to put on banger-after-banger and I want to raise everybody.

“The biggest thing is the weight off my shoulders. I’m not so concerned about everything and paranoid about everything and every nitty-gritty little thing. I’m just going out there totally relaxed and totally worry-free.”

mia-yim-monday-night-raw-wwe-survivor-series-wargames-pro-wrestling-news-november-25-2022-v2.jpg
WWE
Mia Yim hit the ground running when returning to WWE in November. In less than 30 days, Yim has aligned with The O.C. in their ongoing feud with Judgement Day and linked up with Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair for Survivor Series WarGames.

It is a complete reversal of fortunes for Yim who, one year prior, was released by WWE. Yim had a promising run on the NXT developmental brand before graduating to the main roster as Reckoning in the terribly maligned Retribution stable. The group was an immediate dud, due in great part to a lack of direction and a silly presentation. Yim and her husband, current AEW star Keith Lee, were handed their walking papers on Nov. 4, 2021, as part of a larger round of releases.

“When I originally got released, I honestly knew it was coming so it wasn’t that much of a surprise,” Yim told CBS Sports ahead of Survivor Series. “I was more surprised with my husband getting released.

“We were getting ready to get married in a month or two. Real life outside of wrestling was really starting to pick up and the momentum was going. It was the first time in my life where it was a rearrangement of my priorities because wrestling has been my life since I turned 18 and started training.”

Check out the full interview with Mia Yim below.

For the first time in nearly 15 years, Yim questioned if her time in the sport was up. A concoction of new priorities, self-doubt and a dwindling passion tempted Yim down a different path.

“Wrestling took a backseat and it made me realize that wrestling isn’t everything, life still goes on and to focus on the people you love,” Yim said. “I really had to evaluate if I wanted to continue to wrestle because I wasn’t sure that I did.

“Not only was I not sure if I wanted to do it, but I felt like maybe my time was up. Maybe I’m not as good as I was five or 10 years ago, so maybe it was just time to hang it up. I just needed to find myself and see if I could still go with all these new talents.”

Motivated by her friends, Yim returned to her old stomping grounds of Impact Wrestling in May. She measured herself against up-and-comers and legends. She hadn’t lost a step. Yim got the call six months later to return to a very different WWE than she exited. A meandering role in the Retribution stable of Vince McMahon’s regime had been replaced with an invitation to The O.C. under Triple H’s creative lead.

“Coming back, it was like ‘Let’s go!'” Yim said. “I have such high respect for Triple H and what he’s done with NXT.

The O.C. is compromised of A.J. Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. It is a spiritual successor to Bullet Club, a faction that originated in New Japan Pro Wrestling and is arguably the most renowned stable since NWO took over the wrestling world in WCW in the ’90s.

“I never thought I’d be part of that group just because they are so notable and memorable and they mean so much in the wrestling world,” Yim said. “When I was invited, it was an honor for me. I’ve known the boys for a while.”