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Kyle Busch after crash with Kyle Larson: 'Can't afford days like this' NASCAR
The Post’s Joseph Staszewski brings you around the world of professional wrestling in his weekly column, the Post Match Angle.
This is a Paul Heyman we have never seen before — and it tells us plenty about the story of The Bloodline.
Throughout his Hall of Famer career, Heyman has always exuded a sense of control and certainty over every situation he is in. There was always an almost smug confidence about the superstar he was managing, from CM Punk to Brock Lesnar to Roman Reigns.
Heyman knew what would happen before it did, so sure of it he would give you not predictions but spoilers.
What’s been building since Roman Reigns lost the Undisputed WWE Universal championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 is the unraveling of Heyman in the position he now finds himself where he is no longer in the loop, no longer in control.
Solo Sikoa has grabbed the reins of The Bloodline in Reigns’ absence, making decisions like the violent Sonny Corleone about who to bring in and who to attack without Heyman’s input or guidance. It’s under the guise of being in communication with Reigns — which Heyman clearly is not.
Heyman tried to slyly bring Sikoa back under his wing and was rejected. He asked who’s “we” when the new leader said we have Rhodes in check. All likelihood is “we” is the “Final Boss” Rock because none of this sounds like Reigns.
Heyman has pretty much told you Reigns is not at the center of these Bloodline decisions, saying on multiple occasions that he and the Tribal Chief decided against bringing in the dangerous Toma Tonga and Tonga Loa. This week on SmackDown, he referenced background checks to insinuate a criminal element to the new members.
“They’re not even people,” Heyman said in the ring. “They’re bloodthirsty, sadistic thugs,”
Heyman is already distancing himself from this group, setting up both he and Reigns to redeem themselves as babyfaces down the road.
What we got in the ring — after Heyman pleaded with Kevin Owens to back off The Bloodline because Sikoa doesn’t respect him as Reigns did — was the Wise Man showing the desperation, fear and frustration around his current situation.
All the certainty and smugness are stripped away and replaced with someone feeling unsure and useless as he awaits the true king to return in Reigns and make him relevant again.
Heyman’s history with Owens makes Owens unable to believe Heyman could be making a genuine attempt to act in his best interest. He believes Heyman is still pulling the strings and is just trying to instill fear. Owens, who has flipped between heel and babyface multiple times in his career, doesn’t think Heyman can be redeemed, even as he insists he is.
“Maybe I’m nor trying to help you,” Heyman said. “Maybe I’m trying to save you.”
It sets Heyman over the edge because what good is he if everyone is just ignoring him. A wise man’s currency is his wisdom, and right now he has to feel bankrupt. He let us know it in a rare exacerbated rant.
“A man can’t redeem himself after all these years?” Heyman said. “How many times have you redeemed yourself? But me, oh no. Let’s not think Paul Heyman can ever redeem himself. Not Paul Heyman! Not Paul Heyman! He can never redeem himself.
“Why won’t you understand what you’re up against with these thugs? Why won’t you understand what I’m trying to do for you, right now. I’m a frickin’ Hall of Fame wise man. But no! Let’s not listen to the Hall of Fame wise man. Let’s just sit here and think I have some vision for the future of Solo taking over the entire Bloodline. Why won’t anybody listen to me!”
We’re listening, Paul. We hear you. Thank you again for taking us for another ride — that maybe, just maybe, is your road to redemption.
A.J. Styles’ “retirement” angle with Rhodes to close Smackdown was such a blatant ripoff of the famous Mark Henry one with John Cena from June 2013 that it’s just semi-lazy creative. The American Nightmare’s story continues to feel similar to Cena’s around that time: losing then winning WrestleMania, a feud with Brock Lensar and now this.
Styles wore a powder-blue suit compared to Henry’s pink fit. Both called out the champion and attacked them after they raised their hands, and both men talked about returning to family. You could see Styles wasn’t genuine — and did a fine job laying it on think — from a mile away. Henry did praise the segment, and at least we may get another five-star match out of this.
Will Ospreay winning the gauntlet match and getting to face Swerve Strickland for the AEW world championship at Forbidden Door likely works two ways: Either Strickland’s reign is cut way too short, or the more likely scenario is that not using the Tiger Driver 91 catches up to Ospreay in defeat. He gets in a rut and loses the International championship, too, fights his way back to win the Owen Hart tournament and beats Strickland at Wembley Stadium for the title by using the Tiger Driver.
Mercedes Moné is already raising the level of the women’s matches in AEW, but it was a shame they used the mystery attacker angle to hotshot an unannounced match on Dynamite against Skye Blue, which ended up being very good.
We posed the question last week if the Dominik Mysterio-Liv Morgan kiss was going to lead to WWE leaning more into sultry romance, which is exactly what they did. Morgan in bright red lipstick and high boots seductively caressed Mysterio multiple times, and he showed a slight interest.
WWE even had Pat McAfee do an unnecessary slow-motion telestrator segment with it later in the show before Morgan came up to defend Mysterio from Braun Strowman. Let’s see how far this goes, and Finn Balor has been doing an excellent job playing defense for Mysterio so far.
WWE sure is dragging out Otis and the Alpha Academy turning on the authoritative Chad Gable with a very small tweak to the situation they are being put in. Fans at Raw thought Otis was finally going to put his coach in his place, but it was just before another slam of Sami Zayn. Is WWE risking the actual moment — likely at Clash at the Castle —from having the same emotional impact, especially with Gable praising his teammates afterward?
The Young Bucks as EVPs feel powerless if Tony Khan has already undone their firing of Christopher Daniels — their biggest heel move so far — and empowered him as an interim EVP. While Jack Perry should win the TNT championship tournament anyway, the Bucks simply giving him the belt may have generated even more heat.
As a big fan of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa’s work in NXT, I’d love to see them get a tag team championship run on the main roster. But something feels missing from their booking that’s keeping the audience from truly investing in them. They need more wins and maybe fewer silly segments with Miz and R-Truth. Beating WWE tag team champions A‐Town Down Under last week is a start.
It took just one promo for the Kris Statlander‐Stokely Hathaway heel combo to already show me some potential. There is already a rapport there, and Statlander looks ready to sink her teeth into being the bad guy.
The New Day-Final Testament story has me greatly intrigued and maybe falsely hopeful it leads to Big E’s return. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are clearly outnumbered and need help, or does WWE dare break up the New Day?
Finally finished “Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage” by Jon Finkel, and it really is an excellent portrait of a complex man. One thing that stood out from the book was Savage’s love and treatment of kids, including during events for George Steinbrenner’s children’s charity in Tampa for many years.
Logan Paul vs. L.A. Knight is long overdue, and it leaves Jey Uso to have to shoot for being Mr. Money in the Bank as he stated on Raw. WWE has pretty much roadblocked any other meaningful creative avenues for him right now.
Matt Riddle, MLW
The former WWE star outlasted 39 other competitors in MLW’s Battle Riot on Saturday to earn a golden ticket for a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight championship at a time of his choosing. It was a title that eluded Riddle during his brief run in MLW from 2017-2018. His post-WWE run continues to progress positively, and he could now become the face of the promotion.
Roxanne Perez (c.) vs. Jordynne Grace, NXT Battleground at UFC Apex (Saturday, 8 p.m., Peacock)
Grace’s appearance on NXT television sent shockwaves through the industry as it took TNA’s and WWE’s loose brand partnership to the next level with many hoping for more collaboration across the two companies. Grace, the TNA Knockouts world champion, is one of the best and most accomplished female performers in the industry. So how does NXT handle her here, especially with a heel champion in Perez? It feels like all options are on the table, including Grace actually winning.
The New York Jets have become a team this offseason who many consider to be the best in their division and at the top of the entire league.
Much of that is based upon Aaron Rodgers looking healthy as he returns from his torn Achilles.
With the future Hall of Famer back in the mix, this offense should certainly improve upon the horrendous output they had last year where they ranked near the bottom of the NFL.
If Rodgers is able to maintain his health, the expectation is that he'll return to his form that saw him win two consecutive MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, but at 40 years old, there should be some caution placed upon that thought.
What would certainly assist in making the offense look much better than in seasons past is if their wide receiver room is able to perform at a high level.
The Jets know what they're getting from Garrett Wilson who has emerged into a star after winning the Offensive Rooke of the Year in 2022 and putting up back-to-back 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons during his first two professional campaigns.
New York searched for improvements around him, signing Mike Williams in free agency and drafting Malachi Corley.
Based on the projections from Artificial Intelligence program Grok, it seems like this room could actually be formidable in 2024.
We asked @grok to predict the Jets' WRs stats this season 🔮 pic.twitter.com/h1z4W3741V
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) May 27, 2024
If this comes true, not only would Wilson put up his third straight 1,000 yard season, he would also have career year with over 100 catches and his most yards ever.
With Rodgers throwing him the football compared to who was previously doing so, it's not hard to imagine a scenario where someone as talented as this 23-year-old could have this type of season.
Maybe the most important thing, though, would be Williams going over the 1,000 yard mark as well.
The last time the veteran wide receiver reached those types of numbers was in 2021 when he had his best year. He caught 76 balls for 1,146 yards and was able to stay healthy for all 16 games.
That hasn't been the case for the 6-foot-4 big play threat the past two seasons as he missed four contests in 2022 with an ankle injury, then sat out their playoff game after suffering a small transverse process fracture in his back.
He then tore his ACL in Week 3 last season and is working his way back from that injury.
This projection certainly is on the positive side of things as those statistics would be the second-best output he's ever had across his seven years of professional football.
However, if Corley can catch 62 balls for just over 800 yards, then that's a huge win for the Jets.
Not only would it prove that their rookie can play in the NFL, but they would also be able to pair him with Wilson for multiple seasons going forward and give Rodgers, and their next quarterback, a solid set of weapons for years to come.
When Adam Moelis co-founded a fintech startup named Yotta in 2019, he wanted to give Americans a new way to save money to help them cushion the ups and downs of life.
Instead, his company has inadvertently been a source of deep pain for thousands of customers who relied on Yotta accounts to receive paychecks, pay bills and save for emergencies.
The crisis began May 11, when a dispute between two of Yotta's banking partners — fintech middleman Synapse and Tennessee-based Evolve Bank & Trust — led to the lockup of accounts at Yotta and at least two dozen other startups. Synapse declared bankruptcy earlier this year after several key clients abandoned the firm amid disagreements over the tracking of customer funds.
For the past three weeks, 85,000 Yotta customers with a combined $112 million in savings have been locked out of their accounts, Moelis told CNBC. The disruption had upended lives, forced users to borrow money for food and thrown upcoming events like surgeries or weddings into doubt, he said.
"The stories are heartbreaking," Moelis said. "We never imagined something like this could happen. We worked with banks that are members of the FDIC. We never imagined a scenario like this could play out and that no regulator would step in and help."
The ongoing mess has exposed the risks in a corner of fintech that grew in prominence during a boom in venture investment — and it will likely reverberate for years as regulators increase scrutiny of the space.
The so-called "banking as a service" model allowed consumer fintech companies to quickly launch savings accounts and debit services, with firms like Synapse acting as a bridge between the startups and FDIC-backed banks that ultimately held deposits.
The heart of the dispute between Synapse and Evolve Bank involves a foundational function of finance: keeping accurate ledgers of transactions and balances. Synapse and Evolve disagree on how much of Yotta's funds are held at Evolve, and how much are held at other banks that Synapse worked with.
Synapse hasn't responded to requests for comment, and Evolve has blamed Synapse for the breakdown.
The Synapse bankruptcy has mostly ensnared lesser-known consumer fintech firms, especially after larger fintech players including Mercury and Dave fled the Synapse platform in the past year.
That has left Yotta, which encouraged users to save money with free weekly lottery-style sweepstakes, as one of the largest companies to be affected. Accounts at crypto firm Juno and at Copper, which offered savings accounts for families and teens, also have been frozen.
Moelis, who has been in contact with other fintech principals impacted by the Synapse failure, estimates that at least 200,000 total customer accounts with balances are locked. While Synapse has said in court filings it has 10 million end users, it's likely that active accounts are far smaller, Moelis said.
The fintech co-founder said he believes the relatively limited scope of the issue, and the fact that most of those affected aren't wealthy, has given regulators clearance to let the situation play out. Last year, regulators swiftly intervened in the regional banking crisis that threatened uninsured deposits of startups and rich families, he noted.
"To me, if this was happening at a larger scale, I think regulators would have done something by now," he said. "We've got real, everyday Americans that aren't necessarily wealthy and don't have the ability to lobby that are being impacted."
The Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. have declined to comment on the issue. Representatives of the agencies have pointed to efforts they've made to encourage banks to manage the risks of using fintech partners.
But developments in the California bankruptcy court overseeing the Synapse failure give Moelis hope that at least some relief — a partial release of funds, perhaps — may be coming.
Last week, former FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams was named trustee over Synapse. Her job is to develop a plan to maintain Synapse systems and craft a solution "that allows funds to be returned to end users, to the rightful owners of those funds, as soon as humanly possible," said Judge Martin Barash.
For his part, Moelis said he doesn't side with either Evolve or Synapse in their dispute — he just wants the situation resolved.
"I don't know who's right or who's wrong," he said. "We know how much money came into the system, and we are certain that that's the correct number. The money doesn't just disappear; it has to be somewhere."
Sarah Jessica Parker reading Erik Larson’s The Demon of Unrest outside Gramercy Park on May 21. Photo: Dina Litovsky
It’s only her today,” a production assistant told a pedestrian on East 21st Street on the warm morning of May 21. The her in question needed no clarification because a few steps away, Sarah Jessica Parker had just made her way up the stoop at 3 Gramercy Park West, over and over, in take after take of a moment from season three of And Just Like That … (Presumably, the PA was referring to the core Carrie-Charlotte-Miranda lineup because Aidan, a.k.a. John Corbett, appeared on the set soon thereafter. His character’s good-bye at the end of season two seems not to have stuck.) In Carrie’s scene, she held an animated conversation with an actor in coveralls. A van parked at the house suggests that he’s an exterminator. Does Carrie Bradshaw have rats? Is this whole season an Eric Adams psyop? We don’t know, and we won’t until And Just Like That … returns sometime in 2025.
Sex and the City–spotting has become familiar, almost cozy, after 115 episodes (and counting) and two movies over 26 years. Encountering the show is not quite as common as running into the Law & Order universe, but it’s hardly exotic, partly because fictional Carrie, like real-life Sarah, is an out-and-about New Yorker. On this day, about 25 fans stood quietly at the corner of Gramercy Park West and 21st Street, taking pictures and videos. One passerby (named Sarah herself) said that she lives close by and had been surprised to see Carrie pop up in her neighborhood. “But it’s fun,” she said, adding that she follows Parker on Instagram. You could spot most of the fans texting friends, likely with a variation on “Guess who I just saw.”
Shortly after noon, the shot was complete, and the crew began resettling the camera crane and everything around it. Another PA made a polite announcement to the onlookers: “This next shot, we’re going to be facing this direction,” he said, “so we’re going to have to have you move.” And just like that, they dispersed.
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When The Notebook premiered in 2004, it cemented itself as one of the best classic romance movies.
Now, 20 years since the Nicholas Sparks film first hit the big screen, it continues to be heralded as one of the most beloved American romance films of the 21st century.
Starring Ryan Gosling as lumber mill worker Noah Calhoun and Rachel McAdams as heiress Allie Hamilton, the film depicts the two characters as lovers from opposite sides of the tracks, longing for one another despite Allie’s parents’ disapproval of Noah. Spanning decades, the film addresses the couple’s long, and at times forbidden, love affair.
But while The Notebook is a classic we’ll always return to, everyone needs to spread their “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird” wings from time to time. Luckily, there are plenty of great romance movies that will satisfy your taste for The Notebook, while providing fresh angles, timelines and more.
Including love stories that are dramatic, tender, humorous and surprising, here are 13 movies to watch if you love The Notebook.
If there’s one rom-com that’s a total crowd pleaser, it’s Notting Hill. Starring Hugh Grant as bookshop owner William Thacker and Julia Roberts as American movie star Anna Scott, the 1999 movie sees the pair strike up a conversation when Scott buys a book from Thacker’s shop.
Later, the pair run into each other, quite literally, on the streets of London's Notting Hill, causing Scott’s juice to spill all over her. When Thacker invites her into his apartment to clean up, she surprises him with a kiss.
The hijinks and swoon-worthy moments that follow will satisfy any romance fan.
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A Sparks film everyone can indulge in: Dear John. Starring Amanda Seyfried as Savannah Curtis and Channing Tatum as John Tyree, the 2010 film is based on the Sparks novel of the same name and begins during springtime in Charleston, S.C.
In the movie, John is home in America while on leave from his military deployment to Afghanistan. In Charleston, he meets Savannah, a college student on spring break. The pair are an unlikely duo — him with a history of poor choices, her building Habitat for Humanity homes in her spare time — but they quickly fall in love.
Things aren’t simple for the pair, so the film keeps you locked in as it follows John and Savannah through their trials and tribulations across the years.
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If you’re looking for a modern romance with small marks of history, the 2020 movie,The Photograph, is an ideal watch. Starring Issa Rae as Mae, an assistant curator in New York City, and LaKeith Stanfield as Michael Block, a reporter, the two become tied when Block is tracking down a photograph of a woman named Christina Eames — who happens to be Mae’s mother.
With a narrative that oscillates between past and present, this is a tale of family, friendship and romantic longing across time and space.
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The 2012 film The Lucky One, also based on a Sparks novel, stars millennial heartthrob Zac Efron as Logan Thibault and Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling as Beth Green. The movie traces Logan’s departure from the Marines, which has left him with PTSD, as he makes his way to a small town in Louisiana and meets Beth.
But their meeting isn’t all happenstance. Logan was searching for the woman shown in a photo he brought home from combat. This creative love-at-first-sight tale includes mystery, drama and a heavy dose of romance.
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With a less predictable narrative arc than many high school romance flicks, The Spectacular Now stars Shaliene Woodley as do-gooder Aimee Finnicky and Miles Teller as party-going Sutter Keely. This 2013 film sees the two characters unexpectedly forge a romantic bond after Aimee finds Sutter sleeping on a front lawn in the middle of her paper route. When she eventually tutors him, sparks fly.
This movie breathes new life into the classic tutor-meets-jock romance and deals with tough material such as addiction.
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A beloved Sofia Coppola film, Lost in Translation (2003) stars Bill Murray as Bob Harris, a mid-life-crisis-having movie star, opposite Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte, a fresh college graduate.
Set in Tokyo where Bob is promoting a whiskey brand and questioning his 25-year marriage, he meets Charlotte who is accompanying her soon-to-be husband on a work trip. When the unexpected pair link-up, they form a unique bond that helps them both.
If you’re looking for romantic themes but want something a bit outside of the box, this is it.
With depictions of first desire that cut to the bone, this 2017 coming-of-age romance will crack your heart open.
Call Me By Your Name follows 17-year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), the son of an archaeology professor, and 24-year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer), a graduate student of the professor, as the pair stay in the Perlman family home in Northern Italy for the summer – and Elio falls in love for the first time.
From heart-wrenching scenes to a stunning Italian backdrop, it’s a must-watch for romance fans everywhere.
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Another tale of forbidden love, Endless Love (2014) follows Jade Butterfield (Gabriella Wilde) and her classmate David (Alex Pettyfer), who has long had a crush on her, during the summer before Jade leaves for college.
While Butterfield isn’t one to party, she asks her parents for a soiree as her graduation gift. As she doesn’t have many friends, David gets a large crowd to show up, making Butterfield's night (her year, even?).
From that point on, the pair are inseparable despite her father’s wishes and they have the summer of a lifetime.
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Inspired by the real-life couple that challenged the interracial marriage law in America last century, Loving begins in 1958 and follows Mildred (Ruth Negga), a Black woman, and Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton), a White man. The pair fell in love in their town of Caroline County, Va., after knowing each other as family friends.
If you’re a fan of legal dramas but are still on a romance kick, this 2016 movie is for you.
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2018’s A Star is Born went beyond the normal romance fandom, with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga delighting fans by even performing “Shallow” — a song featured in the hit movie — at the 91st Academy Awards.
Before the fame of their heart wrenching song, the film wowed with two central characters, Jackson “Jack” Maine and Ally, and their passionate love affair, musical careers and Jack’s alcohol addiction.
Like The Notebook, the film follows the pair’s love story over a number of years.
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Based on the acclaimed novel by James Baldwin and adapted for the screen by Academy Award winning director Barry Jenkins, 2016 movie If Beale Street Could Talk is a tale wherein love must overcome all odds.
The film revolves around Clementine “Tine” Rivers (Kiki Layne) and Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James), who were best friends as children and lovers as adults. However, things go awry when Fonny is wrongfully accused and convicted of rape. Now, Tine must use all of her power to free him.
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An intense class-clash is perfectly portrayed in Love Story (1970) with Ryan O’Neal playing Oliver Barrett IV, a Harvard student and heir, and Ali MacGraw playing Jennifer "Jenny" Cavilleri, a Radcliffe student studying classical music.
Much like Allie and Noah in The Notebook, Oliver’s parents threaten to keep his inheritance if he marries Jenny. Of course, domineering parents are no match for love.
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Starring Barbra Streisand as Katie Morosky and Robert Redford as Hubbell Gardiner, The Way We Were is a 1973 romantic drama with politics at the center.
Morosky and Gardiner meet in college where Morosky is involved in anti-war activism and Gardiner, an intelligent WASP with no particular political affiliations, falls for her despite the two having little in common on paper. While the couple is beyond the age of parental encroachment on their relationship, the film portrays the challenges they face as two people who love each other but aren’t willing to sacrifice their personal passions.
If you like The Notebook’s ability to carry you through time, you’ll love this movie, too.
