Mark Henry took part in an interview with TMZ Sports recently and addressed recent comments made by Lio Rush. Rush was released from WWE last month and has since taken shots at Henry for comments Henry made about him last year.
Henry took issue with Lio Rush not being honest with him about having backstage heat while he was on the main roster in 2019. Henry talked about this on Busted Open Radio. Then recently Rush took a few shots at Henry in regards to this.
Henry noted to TMZ that he has helped bring in many wrestlers of color to the WWE Performance Center.
“If you go down to the performance center at NXT, probably 25 I think, people of color in the facility, probably about 80 plus percent of them I helped get them there,” Mark Henry said to TMZ. “I mean, it’s completely opposite.”
“And, you can’t question my blackness. Like nobody can question my blackness, pull my black card. No, not allowed. Nobody,” Henry continued.
He then made reference to having Ivy League lawyers and considering legal action for slander.
“For him to go there was absolutely was the worst thing he could have possibly done. It’s one of those things if I take legal action for slander then… I’m not sure yet.”
“My lawyer went to Harvard. I don’t know what kinda lawyers he’s dealing with, but I got those Ivy League people around me, and they’re pissed!”
Henry’s comments can be heard in the player below:
Lio Rush Responds
Rush has since responded to Mark Henry’s comments to TMZ.
Rusev was amongst the many names released from WWE last month. He has since started his own streaming channel on Twitch. It was on Twitch recently that Rusev made some comments about former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho. Rusev noted that while they were both in WWE, Jericho was a leader in the locker room.
“I love Chris. Chris is a great dude,” Rusev said about Le Champion. “Having him backstage when I was with the WWE… He was great. He’s a great leader, man. He cares so much. He was probably the biggest leader of the whole locker room, to be honest.”
Lana recently posted a video where she appears in-character and addressed Rusev’s release. Since in storyline the two are divorced, she didn’t have much positive to say about her real-life husband but did imply he would be fine outside WWE.
“I can assure all of you guys – not that I’m talking to Rusev every day or something like that – but I can assure you that the man that I found in 2013 in NXT, discovered him, the man that climbed up the ladder in WWE is made up of a lot,” Lana said in the video.
WWE Superstar and host of UpUpDownDown Xavier Woods recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast.
During the interview with James Delow, Xavier Woods would discuss a number of topics during his time with WWE. These included his New Day run, the creation of UpUpDownDown and his eventual return from injury.
One of the points raised during the interview was Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship win at WrestleMania 35. Woods would discuss how emotional the moment was for him, Big E and Kingston when Kofi beat Daniel Bryan to win the Championship.
A Lot of Emotions
“It’s a lot of emotions and I…it always comes up when we’re talking about this, that picture of Big E and me holding Kofi and I’m bawling uncontrollably” Woods would begin. “Because it’s super meaningful for a lot of reasons.”
Xavier Woods would then talk about the importance of Kofi becoming the first ever African-born WWE Champion. Woods would also discuss representation in pro wrestling, saying how previously he felt there wasn’t someone who represented him as a young black man watching the product. “As a kid growing up? There wasn’t always someone in the limelight that represented me and the way that I look.”
Xavier Woods on the Angle
Woods elaborated further, saying “to be able to be a part of this angle? Of the story? Where I am able to help prop up the person who is able to be that for this next generation of kids? I have not done anything in my career that has meant more than that. And I will most likely not do anything in my career that will mean more than that moment.”
The creator of UpUpDownDown would then describe the moment with Kofi as “perfect.” Using the analogy of blackjack and saying that they hit 21 with the angle. “There’s not many moments in wrestling that I would say are perfect. That was perfect. When I tell people that wrestling is incredible? Like, that’s what I’m trying to say like, no, you’re not always gonna land on 21 when you’re playing blackjack. But, you know, as long as you can stay around like 17/19? You’re okay. But that was 21, that was the best that could possibly have been done.”
Woods would finish by saying how to him it’s the greatest moment in pro wrestling. “And so that’s the greatest moment in wrestling, to me, just for the personal reasons. But then, also being able to be in in wrestling in that time where so many things had to come together for that most perfect moment.”
It’s importance of Kofi’s win at WrestleMania 35 is undeniable. Even with the way in which Brock Lesnar would defeat Kingston to take the title? There’s no doubt that the moment will live on in history and the match itself between Bryan and Kofi was fantastic to boot.
Drew Gulak is the latest WWE star to depart from WWE.
On Saturday, there was speculation that Gulak was gone after his profile was moved to the WWE Alumni section on WWE’s official website, which happens when a talent is released by the company.
It turns out that the news is true, according to a report by Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet. Pwinsider.com reports that this wasn’t a release but rather Gulak’s WWE contract expired on Friday.
It was added the two sides had been discussing a new deal but had not yet come to terms on the deal before Gulak’s existing deal expired.
The departure has not been announced publicly, but that will likely change soon.
He just worked a match on Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. He took on Daniel Bryan in a losing effort as part of the Intercontinental title tournament.
This match came after WWE officials had decided to pair him up with the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion as of late by being his coach.
Drew joined WWE in 2016 where he went onto be used as part of the cruiserweight division for the most part.
Brie Bella talked about her marital problems with Daniel Bryan being shown for the world to see.
She did so in an interview with TVInsider.com. These issues that many married couples deal with are airing on the current season of Total Bellas on the E! Network.
Brie started out by talking about how she is in quarantine with her husband Daniel Bryan, Nikki, and Nikki’s fiancé Artem Chigvintsev while watching the show and reliving the problems that they had, which brings back those feelings.
She said that you’re never prepared for reality television or what is going to happen.
“[Bryan and I] never had the intention of showcasing our marriage the way we did this season.”
She stated that what happens when you’re on camera is that the producers start to realize what is really going on. They ask whether she and Bryan are distant and not happy.
“You start to ask these same questions and realize, I’m not happy. We are distant and evolving differently. But Bryan and I put on a brave face and show this part of our marriage because we do believe a lot of married people who have kids go through this.”
Brie also talked about Total Bellas and being in quarantine.
Christian joined The Wrestling Inc Daily podcast to talk about the new film Cagefighter which also features Jon Moxley and former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell.
Earlier this year, the UFC Hall of Famer expressed interest in a potential move to WWE.
In this interview, he was asked about Liddell’s interest and how he thinks he would do inside of the squared circle. According to the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, he sees him in the same way as WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan.
“He’s obviously got the look for it. It’s kinda like Hulk Hogan whereas any time Hogan walks into a room, he’s got that distinctive look. Everybody, whether you’re a wrestling fan or not, you know who he is. Chuck has that same thing. Whether you’re an MMA fan or not, he’ll walk into a room and everyone goes, ‘Oh, that’s Chuck Liddell.”
“I think that even at his age, he definitely brings something to the table. He also appreciates it and said it publicly that he’s a wrestling fan.”
Christian stated that Liddell appreciates what wrestlers bring to the table and that it’s a lot tougher than people give it credit for.
He added that is another thing he likes about the film because it gives credibility to the wrestler which I appreciate.
It should be noted that Liddell isn’t looking to do a run in WWE but rather just one match. Shane McMahon, who is good friends with Liddell, has expressed interest in trying to make a deal. Time will tell whether it works out.
Otis won the most unique men’s Money in the Bank match in history last Sunday. As AJ Styles and King Corbin fought over the briefcase atop the ladder, it fell from both their hands and into Otis’. The win not only means a future title shot for him but a potential move up the card to main event status.
Otis recently took part in an interview with Between the Ropes, and spoke about WWE’s use of cinematic matches since fans have been prevented from attending live events.
“I think everything happens for a reason. That’s a very strong quote that I live by,” Otis said. “That Boneyard match, I mean, I just felt like I was watching a cool thriller action movie, like big thumbs up to everybody that worked on that. The Firefly match, our Money the Bank match.”
Otis continued to talk about how the pandemic helped open the door for WWE to run with these creative match types.
“If this pandemic didn’t, unfortunately, pan out, I don’t know if you would have thought of that Boneyard match or thought of that awesome Firefly Funhouse match. I think we could definitely be in the norm here though.”
Otis on Working With Mandy Rose
Otis faced Dolph Ziggler in single’s competition at WrestleMania 36. Not only did he win the match but he also celebrated after with his new storyline girlfriend Mandy Rose. Otis also commented on what its like working with Rose during the interview.
“Everybody asks how’s Mandy behind the curtain. She’s awesome, man. Some may be surprised being but being that beautiful and being that humble at the same time, it’s awesome, man. The hardest part of the storyline is making sure she doesn’t laugh or I don’t laugh at certain things in the backstage segments but it’s fun.”
Ryback was with WWE from 2006 until 2016. Ziggler has been with the company since 2004. Their paths crossed several times in the ring but according to recent comments he made, Ziggler was not a fan of working with the Big Guy. During a recent Twitter back-and-forth, Ziggler noted that he would do whatever it took to avoid getting in the ring with Ryback.
“I did whatever I could to get out of a Ryback match, only getting hit once. It was the safe thing to do & not breach my contract. Plus they said being in the ring with you, counted as community service. ps: feel free to google the word ‘safe,’” Ziggler Tweeted.
Ryback started the thread when he tagged Ziggler in the following Tweet:
“Woooo the “random diva” even complimented your massive forearms! well the one, anyway,” Ziggler responded.
“Had to have been the one that knocked you out when you “forgot” to duck. Still baffles me to this day a guy with your neck width crumbled so easily, but shooters all have their weaknesses,” Ryback then Tweeted.
I did whatever I could to get out of a Ryback match, only getting hit once. It was the safe thing to do & not breach my contract. Plus they said being in the ring with you, counted as community service. ps: feel free to google the word “safe”
Ryback recently noted on his podcast that he believes we are seeing the fall of Vince McMahon.
“I honestly think we’re seeing the fall of Vince McMahon” Ryback stated. “He is truly being tested now, and I think he’s going to go down in flames. He’s going to go down swinging. Regardless, I could see him…he’s the type that will lose everything in the battle. And it’s the fact that there, it’s so public this, it’s right in your face what’s going on. And it’s almost like well ‘what do you guys gonna do about it?’ Okay, that’s worked in the past. The coronavirus is the one variable that he can’t control, and all it’s gonna take is one superstar dying, or their family member dying.”
Matt Hardy has teamed with Kenny Omega for the last two weeks on AEW Dynamite. This week the team defeated Santana and Ortiz but the week before, they lost to Le Sex Gods (Sammy Guevara & Chris Jericho) in a street fight.
The Inner Circle has since challenged the Elite (and likely Hardy as well) to a Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing. Hardy is also scheduled to take on Sammy Guevara on next week’s episode of Dynamite.
Hardy took to his official YouTube page recently to cut a promo on his upcoming opponent.
“You would think after you poked the bear as many times as you’ve poked the bear you would have learned your lesson,” Hardy said to Guevara in the video.
Hardy would continue to talk about Sammy’s involvement in the destruction of Vanguard-1.
“Then you pushed him way too far because you Sammy were involved in the destruction of Vanguard-1 and that incident, regardless of what you felt about it, it made everyone feel something.”
Hardy’s promo is in his classic Matt Hardy persona. He refers to his Broken persona as a separate person.
“You know what Damascus felt? He felt fury and rage and anger because regardless of what anyone thought about it, Damascus the Broken One, he loved Vanguard-1 like a man loves a dog that he’s had his entire life.”
“This Wednesday you have accepted Damascus’ offer to step in the ring and go one-on-one Sammy? He’s coming for blood, he’s coming to break you into little pieces the same way you broke Vanguard-1 into pieces, Sammy.”
Santana and Ortiz debuted with AEW last year after having had a lengthy run with Impact Wrestling as LAX. Now known as Proud & Powerful they are members of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction. Recently on Konnan’s “Keepin it 100” podcast, Santana and Ortiz commented on what things are like behind the scenes with the Inner Circle and how the “Bubbly Bunch” segments come together.
“We’re just all in a group text and Jericho and all of us shot ideas and we figured it out,” Ortiz said about how the Bubbly Bunch segments were created. “Jericho literally sent us ‘alright, this is what you’re doing this week.’ He pretty much sent out a script for us. I’d have to do so many scenes, Santana would shoot so many scenes.”
They would continue to say that group texting is helping them come together as a team.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Santana said. “We all put these ideas together and everybody’s been into it and it’s been fun and it’s been getting good feedback.”
“And its been helping our relationship with all of us,” Ortiz added. “Because we’re on the group chat adding ridiculousness.”
Disco Inferno then pointed out that when the NWO started in WCW, they were a clique backstage. Disco asked Santana and Ortiz if the same thing was happening in AEW with the Inner Circle.
“Everybody chills together,” Ortiz answered, noting it’s not very cliquish backstage in AEW.
WWE Superstar and host of UpUpDownDown Xavier Woods recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast.
During the interview with James Delow, Xavier Woods would discuss a number of topics during his time with WWE. These included his New Day run, the creation of UpUpDownDown and his eventual return from injury.
At the end of the interview Woods was thrown a curve ball, he was asked by Delow to submit his suggestion for The Undertaker’s final match. The new ‘Last Ride’ documentary series by WWE began last week and it detailed how ‘Taker is looking to have one final ‘great match’ before he rides off into the sunset. Woods’ suggestion for the Deadman was…interesting.
Xavier Woods on ‘Taker’s Final Match
“This is for me specifically right?” Xavier Woods began, almost apologising before he gave his answer. “Perfect opponent for The Undertaker? Papa Shango.”
Woods would then explain his scenario where he believes that a cinematic style match with Papa Shango and The Undertaker would work. “Think about this, in that WrestleMania match, that Boneyard Match? We saw greatness. We saw powers being used. Magic was being used, that house blew up!”
Papa….Shango?
Xavier elaborated further, saying “it [Boneyard match] was incredible. The only thing about it? Only ONE person had ‘powers’ and we got such an incredible match! Imagine if there were TWO people with powers!? Shango making him [Undertaker] BLEED the BLOOD.”
After much laughter (although Woods did seem pretty serious about this), Xavier Woods would then reference the feud between Papa Shango and The Ultimate Warrior. Shango would ‘curse’ Warrior during their feud, leaving him the writhe in pain and unable to properly compete. “What did he [Shango] burst? Was it Warrior’s appendix? Something was messed up in his guts? Yeah he did something. Like think about that, this [Shango vs Taker] would be so good, so give that to me!”
If you could pick a final opponent for The Undertaker who would it be? Please also feel free to give reasons as to why it wouldn’t be Papa Shango.
After his three-decades-long illustrated career in the wrestling business, Attitude Era star D-Von Dudley has finally decided to hang his boots and he has announced his retirement from active competition. The former champion made the announcement on the latest episode of his Table Talk podcast.
He first noted that he was a little frustrated on not being able to wrestle for one more year as he wanted. However, Dudley continued by saying that he is extremely happy being a producer now and while he may do occasional appearances; he is done with wrestling:
“Even though I was a little frustrated about not continuing to wrestle for that one more year that I wanted, I’m extremely happy now being a producer and not wrestling. I have officially hung it up, I’m done. Except for different appearances that they may want me to do on the show, but no more wrestling.
No more fighting for the titles. None of that anymore. I’m done. I’m officially done.” said D-Von Dudley. “I’ve had my fifteen minutes of fame and it was a good ride. It really was. The old-timers used to tell me don’t blink, because when you do it’s over. It goes that fast. And it did feel like it went really, really fast.”
The wrestling veteran started training in 1991 and made his debut in 1992. He first made his name when he joined the original ECW in 1996 where he also met his partner Bubba Ray Dudley. Both the stars left the company in 1999 to join WWE. Their battles with the Hardy Boys and Edge and Christian during the time are now part of the history.
D-Von Dudley had a lengthy stint with TNA from 2005 to 2014 as well and he won multiple titles during his time in the company. He returned to WWE in 2015 and the former Champion has been working as a producer for the company since 2016.
During his WWE stint, Lio Rush made more headlines with reports of his relationship and disagreements with the WWE management than he did with his performance in the ring.
The recently released star spoke to SportsKeeda on the matter and he talked about things like his firing from the company, his interactions with Vince McMahon and more.
Discussing his relationship with the godfather of NXT Triple H, Rush claimed that he doesn’t really know if he ended things on good terms with the Game:
“Triple H… I don’t know if it ended on good terms or not because I feel like me and Hunter, we clashed heads a lot. We were always in disagreement as far as what the plan was for me and how he saw me as a character or how he saw me as an asset to the brand.”
Lio Rush continued by explaining that he felt like they were always disagreeing on the things and it was bad because he looked up to the King Of Kings when he was a kid:
“I feel like we were just always disagreeing all the time and it sucked because obviously I looked up to Triple H when I was a kid [but] at the same time, I’m an employee of his and he is my boss.
So it was hard for me to separate the two and it was kind of disappointing every time I had a conversation with him – but the lack of communication leading up to the initial release was with Hunter.”
Lio Rush has been outspoken about his time in WWE since he was released from the company in April alongside other stars such as Kurt Angle and Rusev.
He had revealed how he found out about his firing and during a new interview, he explained the reasoning behind the company’s decision to abruptly end his pairing with Bobby Lashley. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.
Some WWE superstars have decided not to work the shows due to health concerns over coronavirus, but there are others who are not able to appear due to the various restrictions, like Robert Roode.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer provided some update on the absence of the former NXT Champion and revealed the reason why he hasn’t been featured on WWE programming recently.
Per Meltzer, both Roode and the Singh Brothers live in Canada and they haven’t been used by the company for their shows in recent weeks because they are not able to get into the United States due to the current travel bans.
It’s worth mentioning here that Brock Lesnar lives in Canada as well but he was able to make an appearance for the WrestleMania 36 event from the Performance Center.
Regarding Lesnar’s appearance at the event, it was noted that WWE was able to ‘pull strings’ to make it work so he can compete against Drew McIntyre at the Show Of Shows.
For those who don’t know, both Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn have pulled out of the tapings due to coronavirus concerns and latest reports reveal that the WWE management is not very happy with Zayn’s decision.
The Montreal Screwjob is one of the most infamous incidents in the history of wrestling and now Earl Hebner, who was the referee for the match is making some interesting claims about the whole thing.
The former WWE employee recently appeared on the VOC Nation podcast where he talked about the incident in detail among other things.
At first, he said that at the time he didn’t think that the screwjob was a work. However, the current AEW official then claimed that after thinking things over, he now believes that both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels knew what was going to happen beforehand:
“At that time, I really didn’t think it was a work; today, I think it was, somebody had to be the gopher, somebody had to ring the bell, and to make it look official, it was me.
It’s bothered me for a long time. Now that I’ve been with Bret, talked to Bret, been on some indie shows with him, we’re great friends now, believe me.” said Earl Hebner. “I’m pretty sure that both of them knew it was a work … the only one that didn’t know at the time was me … I know I (got screwed), but I don’t know if they did.”
Becky Lynch made the surprising announcement of her pregnancy on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw and it appears that WWE had to make significant changes to their plans due to this revelation.
According to reports from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former Raw Women’s Champion was originally expected to compete at the Money In The Bank PPV and defend her title against Nia Jax.
This match was obviously nixed after the company learned about Becky’s pregnancy though this is not the only major change they had to make to the PPV.
According to reports, the original plans for the women’s Money In The Bank match were different as well and it was the former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler who was initially planned to win the ladder match.
Since the Money In The Bank matches were taped in mid-April, it means that the company was aware of the situation by then and they adjusted the plans accordingly.
The changed plans saw Asuka winning the Money In The Bank match and the Japenese star was then awarded the Raw Women’s Championship after Becky Lynch relinquished the title.
There are no words yet on what the company is planning for Shayna Baszler now but it wouldn’t be a surprise if she goes after Asuka for the title in the future.
WWE SmackDown aired from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WWE Money in the Bank. Charlotte Flair returned to SmackDown tonight. Money in the Bank winner Otis was the guest on an episode of Miz TV. The Intercontinental Championship Tournament also began on tonight’s episode.
SmackDown Results (5/15)
Elias def. King Corbin to advance in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament
Dana Brooke def. Naomi
Daniel Bryan def. Drew Gulak to advance in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament
Braun Strowman & Otis def. The Miz & John Morrison
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Otis Joined Miz TV
Otis joined Miz and Morrison for an episode of Miz TV. John joked that Otis was pregnant and maybe he should relinquish the briefcase like Becky Lynch relinquished the RAW Women’s Championship.
They showed several pictures of Otis’ youth and Otis thanked his mother for helping him because he had a learning disability. The Miz got pissed off and called Otis a buffoon. Miz added that he cannot believe he won the briefcase without even climbing the ladder and that he doesn’t deserve Mandy Rose.
The Miz demanded that Tucker team up with him tonight for a tag team match. Otis claimed that Tucker wasn’t here tonight and Miz suggested that he find another partner by the end of the show.
Match Recap: Elias controlled the match early and hit Corbin with a few chops in the corner of the ring. Corbin battled back and unloaded several elbows to Elias’ chest. Elias connected with a Clothesline that sent Corbin out of the ring. Elias climbed to the top rope and hit a Crossbody outside the ring.
Corbin launched Elias into the barricade before rolling him back into the ring. Corbin grabbed Elias’ guitar and started strumming it. Elias hit Corbin with a Dropkick through the ropes and sent him flying into the steel steps as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Corbin tripped up Elias on the ropes and hit him with several right hands for a near fall. Corbin followed that up with a massive Clothesline for another near fall. King Corbin hit a Spinebuster and went for a cover but once again Elias kicked out. Corbin followed that with a Chokeslam for yet another two count. King Corbin taunted Elias and smashed his guitar over the ring post. Elias got fired up and hit a knee to the face. Elias then rolled up Corbin for the victory.
Opinion: The announcers sold this as if Elias got pissed off after Corbin broke his guitar. All he did was hit a knee and roll him up. He didn’t attack him after the match or anything. He just left after getting his ass kicked the majority of the match. I honestly do not want to see these two wrestle each other again for a very long time. This “rivalry” has not been entertaining at all.
Bayley Challenged Charlotte After She Insulted Sasha Banks
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte came down to the ring to begin the second hour of SmackDown. Charlotte claimed that the numbers were crunches, conclusion was clear and people want more Charlotte Flair. Charlotte boasted about being a Flair for a bit before SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks interrupted.
Bayley said that the Fox executives must have a thing for blondes or just go crazy like all the other sheep simply because she is Ric Flair’s daughter. Bayley boasted defeating Charlotte in the past and told Flair to go back to NXT or RAW.
Charlotte wondered why Sasha Banks is content standing in Bayley’s corner. Bayley told Flair to shut up and challenged her to a match. Flair accepted and once again turned her attention to Banks. Charlotte asked if Sasha was going to be her own woman or is just happy being an afterthought.
Opinion: I thought this was a good segment and Charlotte and Bayley can put on a great match in their sleep. The inevitable rivalry between Banks and Bayley is something I’m looking forward to as well. Charlotte showing up on every brand is ridiculous but I’ve come to expect it at this point.
Daniel Bryan Advanced In The IC Title Tournament In A Great Match With Drew Gulak
Drew Gulak squared off against Daniel Bryan in the first round of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament.
Match Recap: Bryan brought Gulak to the canvas but wound up rolling to the apron to escape a submission hold. Gulak and Bryan locked up in the middle of the ring and Daniel connected with an Arm Drag. Bryan applied the Yes Lock but Gulak quickly reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Gulak locked in a Dragon Sleeper but Bryan was able to get his leg on the ropes to break the hold.
Bryan hit a Suplex and went for an Arm Bar but Gulak was able to block it. Daniel went for the Yes Lock but Gulak transitioned into a roll-up. Daniel quickly escaped and the two superstars locked up in the middle of the ring once again. Gulak launched Bryan out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Gulak hit a Belly to Back Suplex before locking in a Full Nelson. Bryan tried to break free but Drew brought him to the mat with a Headlock. Bryan hit a Knee Drop but Gulak wouldn’t let go. Bryan hit a Shinbreaker and followed it up with three Dragon Screws.
Daniel went for an Ankle Lock but Gulak reached the ropes. Bryan hit a German Suplex and didn’t let go. Gulak escaped into a roll-up for a near fall. Drew connected with a beautiful Michinoku Driver for a two count and went back to the Full Nelson. Bryan sent Gulak into the ropes and hit an awesome release German Suplex that sent Drew flying across the ring.
Gulak ducked under the Running Knee and rolled up Bryan for a two count. Drew hit a Powerbomb for a near fall and then applied the Gulock (Dragon Sleeper). Bryan escaped and hit another Dragon Screw. Daniel applied the Heel Hook and rolled Drew back into the middle of the ring. Gulak reached for the ropes but had no choice to give up. Daniel Bryan advanced in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament.
After the match, Renee Young interviewed Daniel Bryan in the ring. Bryan noted that he had to forfeit the IC Title five years ago when he was forced to retire. Daniel stated that he wanted to win the title and defend it every week. Bryan added that he wanted the Intercontinental Championship to represent the best wrestler in WWE and he believes that is him. Gulak and Bryan shook hands following the interview.
The Miz & John Morrison battled Otis and Universal Champion Braun Strowman in the main event of this week’s show. Strowman told Otis he would think about it when he was asked earlier in the show. Otis told Braun that he wasn’t going to cash in tonight.
Match Recap: Otis and John Morrison started off the match. Morrison went for a Headlock but Otis shoved him to the corner. John hit Otis with a boot to the face but Otis responded with a massive Clothesline. Otis knocked The Miz off the ring apron and planted John with a Body Slam. Braun Strowman tagged in and they hit a double Caterpillar Elbow Drop as SmackDown went to a break.
The Miz had Otis in a Headlock when SmackDown returned. Miz sent Otis to the corner and unloaded some kicks to Otis’ midsection. Miz leveled Otis with a Clothesline and mocked Strowman by flexing in front of him. The Miz applied a Sleeper Hold and brought Otis to the corner.
Morrison tagged in and Otis planted them both with a double Suplex. Strowman tagged in and hit Miz with a Splash. Braun slammed Morrison to the canvas and launched Miz into the turnbuckle. Strowman launched Miz across the ring with ease and then chased Morrison around the ring.
Braun ran over Miz with a shoulder tackle and chased him into the ring. Strowman sprinted at Miz but Morrison shoved him out of the way and the Universal Champion launched himself into the ring post. Strowman shrugged it off and hit the Running Powerslam on Morrison for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Mandy Rose came down to the entrance ramp. While Strowman was looking at her, Otis tried to sneak up behind him. Strowman turned around and Otis said he was just kidding. Mandy Rose and Otis then hugged and posed next to Strowman as the show went off the air.
Opinion: Overall, this week’s episode of SmackDown was a decent show. The main event was entertaining but Gulak versus Bryan was by far the match of the night. Next week’s show should be better as three matches have already been announced. Otis & Mandy vs. Ziggler & Deville, Bayley vs. Charlotte, and Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy in the first round of the IC Title Tournament.
WWE has announced the full bracket for the Intercontinental Title tournament.
There will be 8 competitors in the tournament. The winner of the tournament will be crowned the new Intercontinental Champion.
AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Drew Gulak, Elias, Jeff Hardy, King Corbin, Sheamus, and Shinsuke Nakamura were confirmed as competitors. You can see the matches here:
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus
Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak
Elias vs. King Corbin
WWE booked Elias vs. King Corbin and Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak on Friday Night SmackDown this week.
WWE has yet to confirm when the tournament finals of this tournament will take place.
This tournament came about due to WWE stripping Sami Zayn of the title earlier this week. The reason for this booking decision was due to Zayn being off of television.
While not confirmed, there’s a belief that Zayn has decided against wrestling during the COVID-19 outbreak due to concerns he has with getting it.
Zayn won the championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event back on March 8. It should be noted that WrestleMania 36, which saw Zayn defend against Daniel Bryan, marked Zayn’s first and only title defense since winning it.
It was revealed earlier this week that WWE released NXT Rachael Ellering, Rachel Evers in WWE NXT, back in April as part of the mass talent and staff cuts due budget cuts.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Ellering talked with WWE officials about having issues with the medical team as well as medical procedures a few months back.
At the time, Ellering got reconstructive knee surgery and was recovering from it. Per the report, her complaints about the medical team and their procedures were not received well, which ultimately led to her departure.
She was given two options a few weeks back, but what those options were wasn’t mentioned. However, both of them had her get released in the end. It was noted that she chose one of the options before getting released.
The former NXT star has made it known in interviews that she was interested in leaving WWE on her own before the release.
Evers, the daughter of the legendary manager Paul Ellering, worked the first two Mae Young Classic tournaments. She signed with NXT in January 2019.
The Undertaker will be 70-years-old the next time that his contract with WWE expires. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, The Undertaker signed a 15-year contract extension with the company last year.
This comes after it was noted last August that the former WWE Champion is considered to be a WWE lifer after he signed a big-money deal with WWE in early 2019.
Per the report, the deal came together when WWE Chairman Vince McMahon angrily reacted to the non-WWE dates Taker was booking.
McMahon made an offer to Taker that couldn’t refuse financially in August that led to him signing the deal. At the time, there weren’t many details about it aside from the fact that Taker could no longer work the non-WWE signing dates that he had started to book.
Taker was pulled from the Starrcast II convention, which ran on the same weekend as AEW’s Double or Nothing after he had already been announced to appear.
When Taker’s previous deal expired last year, he started to agree to do appearances and then broke character by joining social media platforms. McMahon reportedly got so mad that Taker would actually take non-WWE bookings that he made him a big-money offer.
While McMahon was upset with Taker, the lucrative contract was offered once things calmed down between the two. Going back to 2018, it was reported that Taker was charging $25,000 per hour for non-WWE signing appearances.
Matt Riddle recently did an interview with Fansided where he spoke about a wide range of topics including the potential match against Brock Lesnar.
Riddle has made it known for years that he wants a match against the former WWE Champion with the desire for it to serve as Lesnar’s retirement match. He has called out Lesnar through interviews and on social media.
While Riddle understands that the chances of this match happening aren’t looking good, he will continue to pursue it.
“I shook the 8-ball and it’s not looking good, it’s not looking good (laughs). I’ll be honest. Am I going to stop? No. I really want the match, even if he takes some of the things I said wrong or personal. I get it, I guess.
I mean I don’t, but whatever. At the end of the day, I think I’m going to become valuable enough where he’ll want the match. When I do that and that day comes, I’ll get my dream match. But that’s a lot of work and I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.”
The NXT star thinks the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida would be the perfect place for this fight to take place as he considers it a safe place.
He added that he thinks the match would be good as their styles of a smaller wrestler vs. bigger talent makes for a good clash.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion added that his call outs aren’t something to be seen as disrespectful.
The WWE Superstar formerly known as Rowan (or previously as Erick Rowan) will be going by a new name outside of WWE. Rowan’s new moniker was revealed recently on his new ProWrestlingTees store.
Rowan’s new name will be “Erick Redbeard” as seen on the merchandise below.
Rowan was one of many WWE Superstars released from the company last month.
Erick Rowan/Redbeard In WWE
The 38-year-old from Minnesota signed with WWE in February of 2011. He reported to Florida Championship Wrestling shortly after. Before signing, Rowan was trained by Eddie Sharkey and later spent some time living and training in the Pro Wrestling NOAH dojo in Japan.
In 2012, he was placed in the new Wyatt Family stable along with Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt. His tag-team with Luke Harper won championship gold in WWE twice. They held the NXT Tag Team Championships as members of the Wyatt Family. Later, Harper and Rowen won the Smackdown tag team titles as the Bludgeon Brothers. Rowan would also once hold tag-team gold on Smackdown along with Daniel Bryan.
In 2013, the Wyatt Family was voted the Best Gimmick of the year by subscribers to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Renee Young has worn a lot of hats in WWE. She’s been on the RAW broadcast team, served as a backstage interviewer, and was a host of the popular yet ultimately canceled “Talking Smack.” In a recent interview, Young revealed that she would love to be a manager in WWE. She even specifically mentioned Elias as someone she is interested in possibly managing.
“I would love to do that, I’ve always kind of wanted to dabble in it,” Young said. “One person who I thought for a second, I was like, ‘Oh, should we pitch a thing?’ was Elias. I thought it would be really fun to manage Elias as, like, his band manager or something.”
Young also revealed during the interview that she would like to see a certain cinematic match come back. As the conversation turned to cinematic matches at WrestleMania, Young mentioned the Hollywood Backlot Brawl as her favorite WrestleMania match.
“One match that I keep insisting that we put on is the Hollywood Backlot Brawl because that is my favorite WrestleMania match. So, I’m still going to the powers that be hoping that we can get a little Roddy Piper and Goldust in our lives.”
The world lost Owen Hart on May 23rd, 1999. He fell to his death in front of thousands of onlookers from the Kemper Arena ceiling during the Over the Edge PPV in Kansas City. He was only 34-years-old at the time of his death. Owen left behind a wife, 2 children, and countless friends, family, and fans.
Owen’s tragic fall will be the topic of Dark Side of the Ring’s season 2 finale. His widow Martha appeared on Talk is Jericho recently to discuss Owen, the documentary, and more. During the conversation, Martha revealed the legal battles that have taken place between her and WWE.
“It was really tough. I have to say it was a knock-down-drag-out fight/battle against them,” Martha said during the discussion. “A lot of people might not realize this but they actually sued me for breach of Owen’s contract.”
“They had in their contract that you could only sue them in Connecticut but I wasn’t suing them about Owen’s contract, it was something totally different. But through that process of the lawsuit, they were trying anything and everything to muddy the waters or just intimidate me.”
“This was a company, they have deep pockets, and they can pay lawyers forever to just keep this case going and going.”
Martha continued to mention details of the lawsuit filed against her.
“Vince sued me because he wanted the case moved to Connecticut because in Missouri you are allowed punitive damages but in Connecticut you’re not. So he was so worried that ‘oh my god, there’s so much negligence here that the punitive damages are just going to be through the roof.’ So he sued me which was really tough because I had to actually hire lawyers in Connecticut to fight that lawsuit while I was battling the wrongful death lawsuit in Kansas City.”
Martha continued to talk about coming to the realization that the wrongful death lawsuit would only ever end up being about money. This motivated her to create the Owen Hart Foundation.
The Owen Hart Foundation
The Owen Hart foundation helps fund many charitable causes including a scholarship fund and a homeowners fund for low-income families and individuals. Martha would continue to talk about how the work of the foundation mirrors the kind of person Owen Hart was.
“Owen was a practical man of profound integrity, a wonderful husband and devoted father. He would be extremely proud of the good work carried out by the Foundation and would be honoured to be remembered for what he loved best, which was his sincere kindness to all people,” reads the website of the Owen Hart Foundation.
A clip from Talk is Jericho featuring Martha Hart’s comments can be heard in the player below:
There have been speculations about the WWE status and future of Rey Mysterio after the injury angle the company pulled off on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer who has previously revealed that Rey’s WWE contract is nearing its end has provided some more update on the situation. According to Meltzer, the Mexican wrestling legend had yet to sign a new deal with the promotion as of last week.
Rey Mysterio signed his current contract for a ‘very high’ amount of money and it’s uncertain if he will be able to get a similar deal under the current economic circumstances.
Regarding the injury angle from this week’s Raw, it was noted that it was a deliberate decision from the company to write Mysterio off the television in case he doesn’t return.
Rey Mysterio signed an 18 months contract with WWE back in December 2018 and while the exact date for it is not known, his deal is nearing its end.
WWE is likely to offer him a large contract to keep him away from the competition but the financial burdens are still there and it would be interesting to see if the two parties are able to come to an agreement.
