Spurs struggled last season, securing survival on the final day and finishing just two points above the relegation zone. Maddison said it was tough not to be able to help out.

“We probably struggled a little bit for creativity and I’m watching the games thinking, ‘what would I be doing there?’,” he said.

Despite those tough experiences, the midfielder described how Italian head coach Roberto de Zerbi helped lift the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after taking over in March.

“He’s very clever. He’s very tactical. He’s obsessed with football, you can see that,” said Maddison.

“But to be honest, when he first came in – in comparison to pre-season and what we’re training now – he didn’t want to make it too complicated. He just wanted us to get the love back for playing football.”

One of the first things the Italian did, revealed Maddison, was to organise a team meal, where alcohol was allowed.

The 29-year-old described De Zerbi telling his team: “We’re all going to be drinking alcohol, we’re all going to be having a good night.”

Maddison explained: “He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax.

“That feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together, straight away.”

Another thing De Zerbi did early on in his tenure was to put Maddison on the bench.

“I was almost like, ‘I’m not ready to play yet, boss’,” the midfielder said.

“But he said no. He said I can come on the bench in my slippers if I want. He just wanted me around the group and he thought that would benefit the group. I took that as a massive compliment and just acted as if I was part of the bench, part of the team.

“I’m not saying that’s the reason why, but we managed to steer clear of the danger, which was a good feeling.”

The midfielder made his return against Leeds on 11 May, but he has not been risked in pre-season so far. Despite that, Maddison remains confident for the season ahead.

“I’m working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season,” he said.

“I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football. Because if I’m fully fit and I’m healthy, then I know what I’m capable of. And I know that I can affect games more than a lot of players in this league. So, let’s just hope for that.”

FILE – Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson handles the ball during an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Dallas, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

DALLAS– The Dallas Mavericks and Klay Thompson have agreed on a contract buyout, ending a two-year NBA tenure that was wrecked by the shocking trade of Luka Doncic.

Thompson intends to sign with the Miami Heat once he clears waivers, according to a person familiar with the five-time All-Star’s plans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because Thompson has yet to reveal that detail publicly. Assuming he is not claimed by another club, Thompson may be able to sign with the Heat as early as Sunday.

READ: NBA: Klay Thompson moves up 3-point list as Mavericks rout Jazz

The buyout announcement comes after the Mavericks missed the playoffs in both of Thompson’s seasons, which came after Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024.

Thompson joined Dallas in a sign-and-trade with Golden State, giving the Mavericks one of the league’s all-time great 3-point shooters to complement Doncic and another high-scoring guard in Kyrie Irving.

But the high hopes for that threesome imploded after the Mavericks sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for the oft-injured Anthony Davis in a deal before the trade deadline in 2025. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee a month later and hasn’t played since. Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards just before the February trade deadline last season.

The Doncic trade ended up derailing the franchise, although Dallas overcame steep odds to win the draft lottery a few months later. With the No. 1 overall pick, the Mavericks selected Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg, who ended up winning Rookie of the Year.

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) gestures after scoring a 3-pointer during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The addition of Flagg led to Thompson coming off the bench in most games for the first time since his rookie year with Golden State.

The buyout of Thompson is the latest in a major retooling of the Dallas roster. His departure leaves just five players from opening day two years ago, along with a new front office in president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz and a new coach in Dusty May, who replaced Jason Kidd.

Thompson won four NBA titles alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with the Warriors. The 36-year-old spent his first 13 seasons with Golden State, although he missed two entire seasons with knee and Achilles injuries.

The five-time All-Star averaged 12.9 points and shot 39% from 3-point range in his two years with the Mavericks. His career marks are 19.6 points per game and 41% shooting from beyond the arc.

Thompson passed Damian Lillard for fourth place on the career 3-point list in January. He has 2,899 3-pointers, trailing Curry, James Harden and Ray Allen.

Thompson missed the playoffs just twice in the 11 seasons he played for the Warriors. He matched that number in his only two seasons with Dallas.

“Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization,” Ujiri said. “We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career.”

The second week of the NFL preseason is underway with five games in the books entering the weekend. 

Preseason football is like a box of chocolates as Forrest Gump would say, “You never know what you’re going to get.” That’s because some squads have their starters chained to the bench, some play minimal snaps and some could receive as much of a half of work. Observing who could emerge as a real contributor from the chaos that is preseason football is tricky given the varying degrees of skill levels on the field all at the same time, but it’s possible to identify who maximized their opportunity and who would like a do-over. 

Let’s kick off the weekend by identifying the winners and losers of Week 2 of the 2026 preseason.

Winners

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De’Zaun Stribling 

San Francisco 49ers 2026 second-round pick wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, the rookie 33rd overall pick out of Ole Miss, is THE breakout star of the preseason this year. After catching four of his five targets for 46 yards receiving on Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers, Stribling is now up to 11 catches for 109 yards receiving on 13 targets. That makes Stribling the first player since at least 2017 to produce at least 11 catches combined within the first 20 minutes of two consecutive preseason games, per CBS Sports Research. Many preseason All-Stars don’t end up contributing much outside of special teams for their respective squads, but it’s safe to say Stribling will have a place on head coach Kyle Shanahan’s play call sheet early this regular season. That’s especially true when factoring in how snake-bitten by injury San Francisco is at the position.

The Houston Texans defense

No, Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley Jr. and the rest of the starters from the NFL’s No. 1 total defense (277.2 total yards per game allowed) in 2025 weren’t on the field Thursday night, but the Houston Texans‘ ferocious tenacity on defense certainly was. 

They bullied Las Vegas Raiders first overall pick rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the first half, generating an 80-yard pick-six by fourth-round rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz and an 11-yard sack by second-round rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. 

Seeing McDonald flash pass rush chops like this should send shivers down the spines of offensive coordinators all around the league. If there was an area Houston needed to shore up on their defense, it was defensive tackle, and they were able to do so by drafting McDonald, the 2026 NFL Draft’s top defensive tackle prospect in the eyes of many, including yours truly. McDonald, who is listed at 6-foot-3-inches tall while weighing 326 pounds, was more of a run stuffer than a pass rusher in college at Ohio State, but if he can find his groove early on when tasked to get after the quarterback, Houston’s defense could be a much greater problem for the rest of the league. 

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Jermod McCoy 

Tennessee All-SEC cornerback Jermod McCoy profiled as a likely first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft until the medicals surrounding his knee scared teams away. McCoy did suffer a torn ACL in January of 2025, but fears about inflammation and arthritis in his knee caused him to tumble all the way down to being the 101st overall pick and a fourth-round draft choice. 

In the Raiders’ 22-20 preseason victory over the Texans on Thursday, McCoy appeared to be moving well and in phase with opposing wide receivers when tasked with dropping back into man coverage. Perhaps he can end up becoming the best value pick of the 2026 rookie draft class if given the opportunity to receive snaps with Las Vegas’ starting defense. 

Geno Smith

Outside of Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, perhaps no other quarterback had a more depressing 2025 season than Geno Smith. The two-time Pro Bowler led the NFL in both sacks taken (55) and interceptions thrown (17) last season while attempting to pilot then-offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s scheme with the Las Vegas Raiders. Those statistics made Smith just the sixth quarterback since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to lead the NFL in both sacks and interceptions in the same season. Kelly had to trudge back down to the college ranks, where he is now Northwestern’s offensive coordinator. 

Smith, a second-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2013 NFL Draft, returned to New York after the Jets acquired him and a 2026 seventh-round pick from the Raiders in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. He kicked off his second stint with the Jets with a perfect drive while leading the Jets’ starting lineup on the opening possession against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday before head coach Aaron Glenn decided he’d seen enough from the 35-year-old veteran quarterback to end his night. 

Smith completed all seven of his throws on New York’s opening drive, including the 13-yard scoring strike to tight end Jelani Woods. He also connected with both of the Jets’ top wide receivers, Garrett Wilson (one catch on one target for 10 yards) and Adonai Mitchell (two catches on two targets for 29 yards), to finish the night with 65 yards passing. Perhaps Smith’s 2025 season was more a product of the overall ineptitude of Kelly’s and Pete Caroll’s offensive coaching staff. Carroll was given the boot after just one season in Las Vegas, after all. 

New York Jets defense

The 2025 New York Jets became the first team in NFL history to finish a season with zero interceptions in a regular season. That dry spell unofficially ended in Week 2 of the preseason. Safety Andre Cisco jumped Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard’s throw to wide receiver Roman Wilson for the takeaway. 

Jets cornerback Samuel Womack III, a 27-year-old journeyman, generated New York’s second takeaway of the night on another interception of Howard. Safe to say New York is an exponentially better ball-hawking group than their 2025 squad. 

Bo Nix

The last time Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was on a football field, he was fresh off breaking his ankle in an overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round. He returned to action in Week 2 of the preseason and thrived in his two drives, helping generate 10 points for Denver. Nix connected with new No. 1 target Jaylen Waddle up the seam, and the former Miami Dolphins speedster blew by Green Bay Packers All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney for a gain of 35 yards. That’s the big play threat Denver sorely lacked in 2025. 

He then capped the drive by lofting a pinpoint pass to running back RJ Harvey on a wheel route down the right sideline for the 21-yard touchdown toss. Denver head coach Sean Payton ended Nix’s night after the Broncos drilled a 53-yard field goal at the conclusion of his second drive, so he finished with 76 yards passing and a touchdown on 6 of 9 passing. Not a bad way to shake the rust off after suffering a broken ankle. 

Packers special teams

Special teams have been a bugaboo for Green Bay for the last several seasons since the Packers’ all-time scoring leader, Mason Crosby, took over as the team’s kicker following the conclusion of the 2022 season. The dark days at Green Bay’s kicker position might be over thanks to sixth-round rookie Trey Smack. He drilled two 58-yard field goals in the first week of the preseason, one of which didn’t count because of a defensive penalty. In Week 2 in Denver, he smacked, pun intended, a 51-yard kick, a 59-yard kick and a 43-yard kick through the uprights, the latter of which occurred as time expired in the first half. Green Bay All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in Denver last season, is fired up about Smack’s performance from the couch.

It wasn’t just Smack showing out for the Packers’ special teams unit. Veteran wide receiver Skyy Moore took the game’s opening kickoff for 30 yards out to the Green Bay 37, and veteran running back Pierre Strong Jr. ripped off a 68-yard kickoff return down to Denver’s 32. Looks like Packers new special teams coordinator Cam Achord has found an early groove in Green Bay. 

Jonathan Brooks

Brooks, who was the first running back drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft with the 46th overall pick in the second round by the Carolina Panthers, finally found the end zone in the NFL for the first time. Brooks tore his ACL in his final season at the University of Texas, and he missed the entire 2025 NFL season with another ACL tear he suffered in 2024. He is back in action this preseason, and Brooks was able to shimmy his way into the end zone from a yard out at the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Losers

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Fernando Mendoza

First overall pick, rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a couple of “Welcome to the NFL” moments on Thursday night against the smashmouth Houston Texans defense, tossing an 80-yard pick-six and taking an 11-yard sack. He finished his night with just 86 yards, and the interception return touchdown thrown while completing 8 of his 15 passes. 

“It was a play action play, went through my progression, probably should’ve checked it down to the flat. I saw the flat player get over late to him,” Mendoza told reporters when asked about his interception return touchdown thrown. “At that point, I started backing up and threw the check down to Mike Washington. It was not a good throw, we weren’t on the same page and it was an interception.”  

Mendoza did have some nice moments, like a 22-yard dart to Raiders wide receiver Jalen Nailor in the middle of the field and just in between the Texans’ zone defense. He wasn’t asked to make a ton of those high-difficulty throws over the middle in college, but they are a staple of head coach Klint Kubiak’s Shanahan-tree offense. 

Overall, Mendoza had a tough night at the office despite the occasional flash here and there. 

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Punter JK Scott

Surrendering a punt return touchdown as a punter is never fun, but Los Angeles Chargers punter JK Scott earns a spot on this list for how he allowed San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing to take his punt back 83 yards for the score. Scott had a chance to make a tackle on Cowing near the 49ers’ 45-yard line, but instead of feigning any interest in bringing down San Francisco’s return man, he sidesteps out of the way, almost appearing to hold the door open for him. 

When factoring in Scott will turn 31 years old on Oct. 30 during his ninth NFL season, it’s understandable that he made a business decision in the preseason. However, he could have made it just a smidge less obvious, and in doing so, helped prevent a touchdown on special teams. 

Will Howard

The 2025 New York Jets became the first squad in NFL history to finish a season with zero interceptions in a regular season. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard, the starter for the home team on Friday, acted as New York’s slump buster, tossing not one but two picks the Jets’ away on throws intended for wide receiver Roman Wilson over the middle of the field. Not a great way to stay ahead of third-round rookie Drew Allar on the depth chart. 

Liam Coen

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales gave the NFL world a glimpse of his starters, giving quarterback Bryce Young and his starters two drives on Friday night. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen didn’t meet the moment, keeping quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of his starters in street clothes on the sidelines. Boring. 

A dream of competing in the Melbourne Cup has been set aside for South Australian galloper Sir Kingsford, who will instead focus on local Cup races.

After finishing as the runner-up in the Port Adelaide Cup at Morphettville in May, Sir Kingsford crossed the border to contest the Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington. This race offers the winner a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup.

Sir Kingsford struggled with the distance, leading trainers Gary and Nichole Searle and Brianna Callanan to make the decision to keep the gelding to a maximum of 2000 metres this preparation.

“It found him out,” Gary Searle said of the 2800m journey. “I always had my doubts, because he’s got that little bit of brilliance about him and you have to let him roll a bit. I didn’t go there last year after he won the Port Adelaide Cup because I had doubts, but this year, the owner said, ‘let’s find out’ so we did.”

Sir Kingsford begins his ‘spring’ campaign a little earlier this year in the Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Park on Saturday.

This race leads into the Listed Balaklava Cup (1600m) on September 16, the Listed Murray Bridge Cup (1600m) on October 3, and the Listed John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.

These were three races Sir Kingsford contested last year, though a trip to Melbourne for the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley proved unsuccessful, as the track did not suit him.

If all goes according to plan, Sir Kingsford could head across the border again in December for a tilt at the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m).

“We put him out after Flemington, he had a month in the paddock and then a couple of weeks of doing a bit of equestrian work,” Searle said. “He was bouncing, so we thought we would bring him in. We’ll run him in this, which he will probably need, but in saying that, he has a bit of a spring in his step, the old fella, so I don’t think he will disgrace himself. After this, we’ll go to the Balaklava Cup, the Murray Bridge Cup and the John Letts Cup. We went through that last year. We ran third in the Murray Bridge Cup and second to Air Assault in the John Letts Cup. Air Assault has got the wood on us up to 1800 (metres), but maybe he might end up in Melbourne this year. He’s going to be running in races that are going to be short of his best, but I’ll treat him a bit different this prep as I won’t be getting out past 2000 metres. We’ll keep him nice and fresh and train him more as a sprinter.”

Searle noted that Saturday’s race features most of the likely contenders for the Balaklava Cup, a race Sir Kingsford competed in first-up last year.

He added that if Sir Kingsford were to target the Ballarat Cup in December, there would be sufficient time to follow a similar autumn racing schedule as the previous year.

“We could have a freshen up and have a go at the Oakbank Cup again and the Port Adelaide Cup again and just go down that path,” Searle concluded. “It’s just so hard with these horses in South Australia with their rating. They go up quick, and you get stuck there.”

Compare Australian betting sites for the best racing markets.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced a stunning comeback against China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian to storm into the women’s doubles semifinals of the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi on Friday, becoming the first Indian women’s doubles pair in 15 years to secure a medal at the prestigious tournament.

The world No. 39 Indian pair, who entered the tournament unseeded, recovered from a slow start to defeat the Chinese combination 15-21, 21-16, 21-13 in the quarterfinal at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The victory also guaranteed India a medal at the World Championships.

The achievement is particularly significant as Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa were the last Indian women’s doubles pair to win a World Championships medal, claiming bronze in 2011.

The medal is India’s first guaranteed podium finish at the 2026 World Championships so far. PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Unnati Hooda and Ayush Shetty, among others, had been eliminated earlier in the tournament.

India can add another medal later on Friday, with fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty taking on Chinese third seeds Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the men’s doubles quarterfinals. A victory for the Indian pair would guarantee a second medal for the hosts.

Slow start, Chinese pair take opening game

The Indian pair struggled to settle into the contest as Jia and Zhang raced to a 5-0 lead. Gayatri’s poor judgement made it 0-6 before India finally opened their account. Treesa then produced a smash for 2-6, but errors from the Indians allowed the Chinese pair to maintain their advantage.

India gradually found their rhythm. Gayatri’s drop and good judgement on the backline helped the Indians close the gap, while a Treesa smash brought them within a point at 8-9.

A net error from India allowed China to enter the mid-game interval with an 11-8 lead.

Gayatri continued to make an impact after the interval, making a good call on the backline before Treesa’s brilliant net play helped India regain the serve. A Gayatri smash then reduced the deficit to 11-13.

The Indians appeared to be building momentum. China hit wide to make it 12-13, and a brilliant defensive exchange from India ended with a Treesa smash to make it 13-15. Another Chinese error made it 14-15.

But India could not sustain the fightback. A net error and two successive wide shots allowed China to move ahead again. India managed another point at 15-18, but the Chinese pair regained control and reached game point at 20-15. Despite a late opportunity to fight back, Gayatri made an error in defence and China closed out the opening game 21-15.

Indians turn the match around

The second game began with another error from India at the net, although China immediately returned the favour with a wide shot. A wild smash and a wide shot from Gayatri then left India trailing 1-4.

The Indians slowly began to find their range. After trailing 1-5, they used better net play to move to 5-6, although a long shot from Gayatri and another Indian net error allowed China to retain the lead.

Two fortunate points helped India close the gap to 7-8 before a long serve and poor defence again put them under pressure.

Then came the turning point.

Gayatri unleashed a series of powerful smashes, helping India draw level at 10-10. China hit long on the next rally and India entered the interval with an 11-10 advantage.

The Indians continued to attack after the break. Gayatri’s net play made it 13-10 before a wide shot from Treesa and a wild Gayatri smash allowed China to close the gap.

India responded with another smash to move 14-12 ahead. A long serve from China extended the advantage, although a brilliant defensive rally from the Indians ended with China taking the point to make it 15-14.

The Indian pair then stepped up again.

A Chinese smash into the net made it 16-14. India continued to dictate the pace, and a long, smash-and-drop exchange followed by resolute defence eventually forced China into another error, giving the Indians an 18-15 lead.

China hit into the net again to make it 19-15. Gayatri then made an error at the net, but a Chinese shot went long to put India within one point of taking the game.

At 20-16, China again went long, and the Indians closed out the game 21-16.

India dominate the decider

The Indians began the deciding game with an error, Gayatri sending a wild smash into the net, but quickly recovered to establish a 4-2 lead.

At 1-4, the Chinese pair briefly appeared to have India under pressure, even catching both Indian players in the same area of the court. Treesa responded with a brilliant smash, and India immediately shifted the momentum.

The combination of disciplined defence and aggressive attack began to trouble the Chinese pair. Gayatri’s serve was followed by another Chinese net error before her smash forced a wild reply and extended India’s lead to 5-4.

India were now firmly in control.

China’s errors continued to mount as the Indians pressed them at the net. Treesa produced a fierce reply that forced the Chinese pair to hit long and wide, taking India to 8-4.

Even when India briefly showed signs of losing concentration, the pair recovered quickly and forced another Chinese error. China reduced the deficit to 9-5 with good net play, but the Indians maintained the pace.

Treesa was particularly effective around the net, repeatedly forcing the Chinese pair into difficult replies. A Chinese judgement error made it 11-5.

The Indians combined attack and defence brilliantly, although one shot went long at 11-6. Gayatri then engaged in a fierce net battle and forced another Chinese shot into the net as India moved to 12-6.

India were now dictating almost every exchange. They moved to 14-6 before China benefited from a fortunate point.

The Chinese pair tried to fight back with fast, aggressive exchanges. Treesa attempted to break the rhythm with a soft shot at the net but failed, allowing China to move to 14-8.

However, a Chinese error handed India the serve again.

A long serve from Gayatri made it 15-9, followed by a short Chinese serve. India continued to attack at the net and moved to 17-9. China then hit into the net before another wide reply took the Indians to 19-9.

There was a brief nervous spell for India as two soft replies from Treesa went into the net, allowing China to reduce the deficit to 19-11.

But the Indians held their nerve.

Treesa produced a flat shot that China could only return into the net, taking India to 20-11 and match point. Gayatri’s error made it 20-12, followed by another soft Treesa reply into the net for 20-13.

The next rally ended the contest.

China sent a wild reply wide, and Treesa immediately went down on the court in celebration. Gayatri turned towards her father and coach, Pullela Gopichand, who watched the historic moment seemingly dumbstruck.

The Indian pair had completed a remarkable comeback — from losing the opening game to winning the next two — and secured a place in the World Championships semifinals.

For Treesa and Gayatri, the victory is more than a semifinal berth. It puts their names alongside Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa as only the second Indian women’s doubles combination to win a World Championships medal and ends a 15-year wait for India in the discipline.

Manchester United have agreed a £65m deal for Carlos Baleba as they look to make the Brighton player their third midfield signing of the summer.

United’s offer, which could rise by £5m, means they have resurrected their interest in Baleba, a player they first targeted last summer.

Brighton then valued the 22-year-old at over £100m, but were also reluctant to sell, but Baleba’s price has dropped after a difficult year.

United have turned back to him after missing out on two midfielders they liked, with Mateus Fernandes instead joining Tottenham from West Ham and Elliot Anderson moving to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest.

They had also agreed to sign Ederson from Atalanta before a medical revealed concerns and the deal for the Brazil international fell through.

While Baleba is currently out after an ankle problem, it is not thought to keep him out for long or to be enough of an issue to prevent a transfer from going through. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue with the midfielder either.

United have bought two midfielders in this transfer window, with Andrey Santos joining from Chelsea for £48m and Youri Tielemans arriving from Aston Villa for £35m.

But they have lost Casemiro while Manuel Ugarte is sidelined and Mason Mount has missed their last two-pre-season friendlies.

In a huge moment, Shinsuke Nakamura officially unveiled WWE’s newest superstar – a 36-year-old former New Japan Pro Wrestling star. They even have a new tag team name.

The partner of Shinsuke Nakamura is none other than Hiromu Takahashi, who now goes by the name of “Kyoki” after debuting in WWE. Together, they will be known as Bakusai and have straight-up said that they would be going after the MFTs and the WWE Tag Team Championship. This is a huge boost for the tag team division, and it’s going to be interesting to see the impact that Kyoki fka Takahashi has in WWE as well as the tag team division at large.

Shinsuke Nakamura’s new tag team could be a part of WWE’s larger plan

It had been rumored for a while that WWE wanted to revamp the tag team division. These rumors tend to pop up every few years, and little is actually done to improve the division, except for small pockets of time. For example, when The Motor City Machine Guns debuted, it looked like WWE was taking the tag team division seriously and stacking it up, but that has been slowly dismantled over the course of two years.

Either way, the MFTs need a challenger, and Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki seem like an interesting duo. With over ten years under his belt in WWE, Nakamura needs a new challenge. Although he has been a tag team champion before, he has never been fully integrated into the tag team division.

It leaves one glaring question, however – who else is there in the tag team division? Fraxiom hasn’t been properly utilized for ages through no fault of their own, and Damian Priest and R-Truth are completely out of the title picture after a loss in their rematch to the MFTs on the 21st August episode of SmackDown. Hopefully, there is a big plan in place.