As usual, AEW has announced matches and segments in advance for the lineup of their weekly television show, Dynamite.
With bell time just hours away, it’s time to look ahead to tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT.
The show is expected to start with Austin, TX at the H.E.B Center. Although not confirmed, the belief is that the headliner will be Jon Moxley fighting Santana in an eye for an eye match after Moxley attacked Santana’s eye last week.
AEW will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds as the promotion gets closer to their next pay-per-view event, Revolution, that takes place later this month.
AEW Dynamite Lineup
AEW holds this show in Austin, TX at the H.E.B Center on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. AEW is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Sammy Guevara will face Dustin Rhodes in a singles match
Jon Moxley will fight Santana in an eye for an eye match
AEW World Tag Team Champions Adam Page and Kenny Omega vs. SCU
AEW Women’s Champion Riho vs. Nyla Rose
MJF vs. Jungle Boy
Join us here later tonight for AEW Dynamite Results and our post-show Takeaways feature.
WWE has announced that John Cena will make an appearance on Smackdown as the company heads to WrestleMania 36. Cena will return to Smackdown on Friday, February 28th, 2020.
The show is scheduled to take place inside Boston’s TD Garden. Cena was born and spent his early life in nearby West Newbury, Massachusetts.
News of Cena’s return to Smackdown was first reported on Fox’s WWE Backstage.
Cena has several movies slated for a 2020 release. He plays Jakob Toretto in F9: The Fast Saga and voices the role of Yoshi in Dolittle. Cena is also scheduled to join the cast of the upcoming Suicide Squad movie slated for a 2021 release.
“It was on SmackDown where The Cenation Leader made his dynamic debut nearly 18 years ago, when he channeled “Ruthless Aggression” to challenge WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle in his debut match,” a WWE press release for Cena’s appearance reads. “Since that fateful night, Cena went on to become WWE’s standard-bearer, earning 16 World Championships and inspiring countless WWE fans to “Never Give Up.”
WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair has opened up about her relationship with Becky Lynch, discussing whether there was any jealousy between them. She also addressed whether she felt any backstage resentment towards her during his first major push and shared the advice her father, Ric Flair, gave to her.
“I didn’t sense resentment,” Flair said during her interview with The Herd. “If anything, I think we raised the bar for the men as well, like having competition. I was never raised to think that I couldn’t do what men could do. So, when I started at WWE, I just wanted to prove how athletic I was. It was more of the chip on my shoulder of being Ric Flair’s daughter.”
“It’s just… OK, I have to work harder than everyone, male or female, and then I think the boys actually were like, ‘Wow, the girls are really digging it.’ And then the guys that have little girls are like, ‘OK, we want to bring our little girls to the show and see what you can do.’ I didn’t sense resentment.”
Ric Flair’s Advice
Charlotte revealed how Ric told her how the most important part of any segment is the “minute you walk through the curtain.” She explained how if she isn’t able to believe in herself, the crowd won’t either. Flair opened up about the anxiety and doubt that still affects her backstage before her music hits. When her theme plays, it allows her to focus and realign with the character she wants to portray.
“So here’s this Queen that’s confident, that’s independent, that is standing out in a male-dominated world, and that was just the message I wanted to send to everyone. So, I just played that over and over in my mind.”
Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch
When asked about her current relationship with the RAW Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair joked how “Number one doesn’t talk about number two.” She explained how the two needed each other to become who they are now: “The Man” and “The Queen.”
“Um, so Becky and I call ourselves ‘Thelma & Louise.’ This roller coaster that we’ve been on professionally and personally makes us who we are today,” Flair said. “I needed The Man to be The Queen, and she needed The Queen to be The Man.”
She continued, “I don’t want to use the word ‘jealousy’ because there is such a competitive nature to both of us. I want to be the best, she wants to be the best, and that’s very important to have in this business because once you’re at that point where, ‘OK, I don’t want to be on top anymore…’ If you don’t want to be on top then you’re in the wrong place.”
Charlotte Flair emerged victorious from the Women’s Royal Rumble matchup back in January. This victory has earned her a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 36. At the time of writing, however, she has still not made her decision despite NXT Champion Rhea Ripley’s attempts to entice her into a matchup.
WWE NXT is back for another episode with an interesting lineup, so let’s take a look at the preview for the show.
The company will present the fallout from last week’s show but also be driving hard to sell the next special for the NXT brand, TakeOver: Portland, that goes down this Sunday.
The company is building up this show around the top feuds heading into TakeOver: Portland including NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa.
WWE holds this show in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University and air it on the USA Network. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
The fallout from the return of The Velveteen Dream
Final build for Adam Cole vs. Tommaso Ciampa
How will Keith Lee and Donovan Dijakovic get ready for TakeOver?
Latest hype for Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair
Will Lio Rush or Angel Garza emerge as the No. 1 contender to the NXT Cruiserweight Title?
WWE could also announce another match for TakeOver: Portland. As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for NXT.
Join us here later tonight for WWE NXT Results and our post-show NXT Takeaways feature.
Earlier this week, WWE announced WrestleMania 37 will be held at the brand new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Stephanie McMahon took part in a press conference in Los Angeles Tuesday morning and spoke about what and who she hopes to see at the big event next year.
“We’re always talking to Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson and hoping he’s gonna come back,” Stephanie said when asked if WWE hopes the Rock will be part of the event. “Sometimes it pans out and sometimes it doesn’t but we’re always talking.”
“I think the Rock is the perfect example of what happens when WWE and Hollywood come together so I hope he’ll be a part of it but I can’t promise anything,” she added.
As for Ronda Rousey, McMahon is also hoping to see a return of the former RAW Women’s Champion at WrestleMania 37.
“I sincerely hope we have Ronda Rousey back for WrestleMania here at SoFi only I don’t want to be the one facing her in the ring,” McMahon joked. “It didn’t work out so well for me last time, I think I’ll let her do her own thing.”
“In all seriousness, I hope so,” McMahon later added about Rousey. “I think she’s very serious about coming back. I think she has some things in her personal life that she wants to do and when the time is right she’ll be back, I have no doubt about that.”
McMahon’s comments can be heard in the player below:
During the WrestleMania 37 press conference, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns was asked about challenging for the WWE Universal Championship. He was also asked who he would rather wrestle for the title: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt or Goldberg. Those two Superstars clash for the Universal Championship later this month during WWE’s Super ShowDown event in Saudi Arabia.
“I mean, I just want my title, to be honest,” Reigns said. “Nobody took it from me. I had to relinquish it due to circumstances. So I’d just prefer my title. Honestly, from a completely honest standpoint, I would much rather face The Fiend. He’s busted his ass all year long for it.”
He continued, “No offense to Goldberg, I think he’s a great performer, he’s a great Superstar, but I’m into the future right now and helping out the guys who are gonna be in the locker room with me, and there’s no doubt that Fiend has put a lot of work into what he’s done, as we all have. Like I said, it’s my time now. We’ve had fun with that Fun House, but it’s time to bring it home.”
#WWE Superstar Roman Reigns was asked if he would rather face Goldberg or Bray Wyatt “The Fiend” at Wrestlemania if he wins the Elimination Chamber match. He said would rather face The Fiend. pic.twitter.com/uCxmyLq4Yd
At the time of writing, Roman Reigns doesn’t have a match scheduled at WrestleMania 36. The only match currently slated is between the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre. Reigns did, however, recently tease his interest in a matchup next year against his cousin, Dwayne “The Rock “Johnson.
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WWE RAW Superstar Drew McIntyre has opened up about having to alter his accent for the benefit of the WWE Universe. McIntyre, who hails from Scotland, caught up with the BBC to discuss his ambitions of being Scotland’s first WWE Champion. During their conversation, McIntyre noted how he has had to “adjust” his accent during his time in the company.
“We have the most difficult accent in the world to understand and I had to adjust it slightly because I was sick of hearing ‘what?’ for the first four years I was here,” he explained. “I need the world to understand me when I’m champion, raise the title and say, I bloody did it for Scotland.”
Clearly confident with his chances, McIntyre also stressed how “I was the first ever Scottish guy to win the Royal Rumble, the first every British guy to win it and hopefully I’ll be the first ever Scottish world champion.”
Drew McIntyre, who has been on an undeniable tear within WWE, is set to face off against WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. The two clash at WrestleMania 36. He earned this championship opportunity after winning the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble in January.
WrestleMania 36 takes place on April 5th from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
XFL commissioner Oliver Luck spoke with NPR over the weekend and noted that his league approached Colin Kaepernick about playing. According to Luck, the two sides were not able to come to a deal due to Kaepernick’s salary demands.
“We gave it some thought,” Luck said. “We have some pretty significant salary restrictions, you know. We’re a start-up league, so we want to make sure that we can be fiscally responsible and fiscally prudent. And the salary requirements that some folks shared with us were, in our case, exorbitant, so we couldn’t go down that path.”
Luck would continue to say that what Kaepernick’s representatives were asking for was outside of the XFL’s range.
“We spoke with his representative and the salary requirements that were broached in that conversation were exorbitant and certainly out of our range,” Luck later added.
Luck would also say that players in the XFL are required to stand for the National Anthem.
“Players have numerous opportunities to express themselves with all the platforms that exist today,” Luck said of the rule. “So, you know, standing for the national anthem we believe is a part of their responsibility as players in our league. But we think it’s important to have that requirement for our players.”
The XFL posted strong ratings for Week 1 of its 2020 season over the weekend.
ABC's XFL opener averaged 3.3 million viewers. Some recent non-football sporting events that drew a similar-size audience:
Dec. 31: Liberty Bowl on ESPN: Navy-Kansas State Dec. 25: Celtics-Raptors on ESPN Dec. 29: Liga MX final Leg 2 on Univision: Chivas-Club America
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has responded to Jon Jones’ recent comments. The current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion expressed his belief that it was “inevitable” that he would eventually be in a WWE ring. Addressing Jones’ words during a recent appearance, Lynch stressed how being a pro wrestler isn’t as easy as most MMA fighters believe it to be.
“Inevitable? That is a pretty big word. Look, I think people think that this is a cakewalk, there is nothing like what we do,” Lynch stated. “And it’s not as simple as just walking in here. You have to make a name for yourself, and you have to obsessed with it, you have to love this. This isn’t a thing where you have one fight every six months, this is a thing where you are fighting three, four, sometimes seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.”
She continued, “For people to sometimes think that it’s an easy thing that they can just stroll into, it kind of irks me. It irks me, it does. Because I love this business, I love it more than anything. And if he loves it like I do, well then come along, I’ll show you the ropes. But if he just wants to make some easy money, this ain’t the way to do it.”
When asked which UFC fighter would translate best to WWE, Becky Lynch was quick to point to Conor McGregor. She noted how most of his personality is borrowed from pro wrestling anyway, including his strut. Lynch added how McGregor “gets it,” especially from a promo, talking perspective.
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Roman Reigns has pitched for a high-profile match for next year’s WrestleMania during a recent WrestleMania 37 press conference. “The Big Dog” shared his interest in a matchup against none other than his cousin, WWE Legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“I said it earlier, man: If there’s a stadium — Hey, DJ, check it out. Not bad, right? You know, everyone’s always dream matching me and him,” Reigns said. “First of all, we’re family, so it’s all love, but if there was going to be an event for him to compete in, to perform in…a venue to hold that mass-scale of attention that he’s going to bring, it’s right here in your backyard. You know what I mean? You ain’t gotta go far.”
It was recently revealed that WrestleMania 37 would take place at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The event is scheduled to take place on March 28th, 2021.
Despite the excitement at the announcement, WrestleMania 36 is just over the horizon. The show airs on April 5th from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. At the time of writing, the only match announced for the event is a WWE Championship match. Brock Lesnar will be defending his title against the winner of the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble, Drew Mcintyre.
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Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 2.337 million viewers in Ontario, CA at the Toyota Arena on the USA Network, which is up from the 2.168 million viewers the previous week.
RAW Viewership
Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
Hour 1: 2.411 million – Last Week: 2.318
Hour 2: 2.396 million – Last Week: 2.164
Hour 3: 2.204 million – Last Week: 2.022
The episode was expected to increase in its viewership from last week. The reason for that is due to the lack of competition it faced as well as it serving as featuring the fallout from last week.
Here is the hourly 18-49 demos breakdown:
Hour 1: 0.81 – Last Week: 0.72
Hour 2: 0.81 – Last Week: 0.66
Hour 3: 0.77 – Last Week: 0.63
Some of the matches that took place include RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Asuka (w/Kairi Sane), Angel Garza (w/Zelina Vega) vs. Cedric Alexander, Ricochet vs. Bobby Lashley, Aleister Black vs. Akira Tozawa, and AOP (Akam & Rezar), Murphy & Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe & The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) in an eight-man tag team match.
There was also a segment with Matt Hardy and Randy Orton where Hardy confronted Orton over attacking Edge. Hardy was attacked as a way to write him off of TV.
WWE will attempt to increase its viewership for Monday Night RAW next week due to no sports competition and the road to WrestleMania on its way.
In case you missed the show, you can check out the seven takeaways here.
WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin recently updated fans on the second season of the ‘Straight Up Steve Austin’ show on FOX.
“We’ll be heading back here [The Broken Skull Ranch] in about a day or two” Steve Austin revealed on the Stone Cold Podcast. “To start work on projects, start work on Straight Up Steve Austin here in about a month and a half. I’m looking forward to this season, it will be season two. We will be travelling a bit across the United States of America. I’m sure we will be flying to some of those locations. I might just haul ass in my pickup truck, just to get some miles on that sum bi*ch. I’m thinking Straight Up will be airing in about August.”
The first series of Straight Up Steve Austin aired on the USA Network August 12, 2019 following Monday Night RAW. The show focuses on Austin and a celebrity guest. They both swap stories about their lives and careers as they travel across the country.
The first series featured Rob Riggle, Sal Vulcano, Baker Mayfield. WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, Gabriel Iglesias, Trace Adkins and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
USA Network recently sent out the following press release regarding the second season:
USA NETWORK RENEWS ‘STRAIGHT UP STEVE AUSTIN’ FOR SEASON 2
– Interview-Based Series hosted by WWE Legend Stone Cold Steve Austin, was 2019’s #1 New Unscripted Cable Series for Men 18-49 & 25-54 –
NEW YORK, NY – January 10, 2020 – USA Network today announced it has picked up hit unscripted series STRAIGHT UP STEVE AUSTIN for a second season. Expected to premiere this summer, Season 2 will consist of 8 half-hour episodes and is produced by Line by Line Media with Austin and Dave Barsky (“Dirty Jobs”) as executive producers.
The unique interview-based series; hosted by retired WWE Legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, was 2019’s #1 new unscripted cable series for Men 18-49 and Men 25-54.* In every episode, Steve and a celebrity guest get real, heading out to different cities across America to take part in one-of-a-kind adventures, while swapping stories about their lives and careers. It’s a unique twist on the standard interview show. With no studio, no couch and no cue cards — just a straight up good time and good old-fashioned American fun.
STRAIGHT UP STEVE AUSTIN joins a growing lineup of unscripted programming at USA. Including docu-comedies CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST (2019’s #1 unscripted cable series on VOD), GROWING UP CHRISLEY and MIZ & MRS; and big buzzy reboots TEMPTATION ISLAND (USA Network’s #1 new series of 2019). And the reboot of THE BIGGEST LOSER (debuting January 28, 2020).
WWE RAW commentator Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler recently discussed the ‘lapsed’ fanbase for the company that seemingly has taken an even bigger hit over the past decade plus. Lawler was referring to a tweet from F4W’s Bryan Alvarez, who mentioned that WCW and WWE pulled a combined 8 million viewers around 19 years ago; and WCW went out of business shortly after. WWE is now ‘lucky’ if they manage to get 2.5 million viewers to watch RAW on a Monday.
Although the change of landscape for television always plays a factor, Jerry Lawler believes that the way to bring back these ‘lapsed’ fans is to sprinkle some older more established starts into the mix.
“At one time there were 8 million people watching, watching wrestling on a Monday night,” Jerry Lawler began. “And now you’re lucky if you have two and a half million. I think a lot of those fans that are not watching right now are fans of guys like Edge. And of course The Rock, Stone Cold [Steve Austin], those guys. I just think…if you brought some of them back?”
Lawler then discussed how ‘internet fans’ seemingly do not like the veterans in these prominent positions. “Here’s the crazy thing. You know, you got these internet fans that sit around there and do nothing but pick and criticise every single thing that happens on the show. Then you got the writers that read all this stuff from your critical fans and they try to go and kind of book by [it]. Then you know they’re the ones that go ‘they’re keeping some young talent from being from having their day in the sunshine.’ Well, some of that old talent are the ones that might make the difference.”
“They might come back if on occasion you brought some of these people back.” – Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler elaborated further, saying “that 5 million fans that aren’t watching anymore, you know. Though those 5 million fans were fans of these guys that aren’t on TV anymore. They might come back if on occasion you brought some of these people back.”
Triple H signed with WCW in early 1994 but was gone the following year. He signed his first WWF contract in January of 1995 shortly after. Eric Bischoff was asked about his reaction to Triple H’s departure on a recent episode of his 83 Weeks podcast.
“I remember (Triple H gave notice) and I remember I didn’t really care,” Bischoff said. He would continue to say that he never had high aspirations for Triple H in WCW.
“Look, I wasn’t excited about hiring Paul Levesque,” Bischoff said. “I really could have taken or (left) him.”
Bischoff continued to say that Triple H not living near Atlanta was an issue in WCW at the time.
“I was really trying to concentrate our roster and build our roster around people who lived in close proximity to Atlanta,” he continued.
“I wasn’t excited about Paul when he came in and I wasn’t that disappointed when he left,” Bischoff said in contrast to reports Conrad Thompson had read. “Not that I didn’t think that he had talent, not that I didn’t think he was all that valuable.”
Bischoff would continue to say, however, that he feels Triple H saw going to WCW as a way to get noticed by WWE.
“I think he looked at WCW as a transition and a platform and an opportunity to get noticed to go to WWE,” he continued.
Bischoff’s comments can be heard in the player below:
WWE announced yesterday that they have signed the daughter of the Rock, Simone Johnson. The 18-year-old has been spotted at the WWE Performance Center several times over the years but the company made her signing official recently.
The Rock posted the following to his official Instagram account to congratulate Simone:
“It means the world to me,” Simone Johnson said in a statement. “To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity, not only to wrestle, but to carry on that legacy.”
Simone Johnson Signs With WWE
Johnson has not been shy about sharing her pro-wrestling ambitions over the years. She was named Golden Globes Ambassador in 2017 but told the Hollywood Reporter she had aspirations other than a career in film.
“As much as I love and admire the film industry,” she told the Hollywood Reporter. “I don’t see myself pursuing a career in it at the moment. I plan to study business in college — NYU, hopefully — and after graduating, I want to pursue wrestling and eventually transition into talent management.”
Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and talked about being in a management role with AEW. During the conversation, he spoke about what metrics the companies use to evaluate how popular some of their stars are.
“Numbers have been on our side and I’m not a big numbers guy, I’m a feeling guy,” Cody said.
One metric that is particularly valuable in helping to evaluate the popularity of a wrestler Cody says, is merchandising.
“Merchandising never steers you wrong,” Cody said about using merchandise sales numbers to determine how popular a wrestler is. “Our top stars at AEW also sell the most shirts.”
Cody was asked about AEW wrestlers who are doing particularly well in this regard.
“Orange is always a safe bet but I’ll also point out Joey Janela, only because Joey’s the type of wrestler that I don’t always understand,” said Cody. “I’m a different type of wrestler, I like old-school Southern wrestling.”
“It’s actually cool to see that he moves the needle in a direction and it’s cool to understand why,” he continued to say about Janela.
Luchasaurus was another wrestler mentioned as someone who does well in this metric. Darby Allin was heavily praised during the conversation as well.
“Everyone who you see represented on the show, they’re doing really well numbers-wise, there’s nobody who’s not,” Cody said. He would continue to say that nobody really knows why Orange Cassidy does so well but he does.
Brandi Rhodes recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Live and talked about the Nightmare Collective angle in AEW. According to Rhodes, she is no longer involved in the angle, though Mel and Luther will still likely continue to be aligned on the show. The other Nightmare Collective member, Awesome Kong, is currently away from the promotion as she films the final season of Netflix’s GLOW.
“It’s a question that has been going on for a while enough that I want to address it,” Rhodes said. “I want to address it one time and then I’m not going to talk about it probably ever again, we’ll see.”
“The Nightmare Collective became the Nightmare Collective,” Brandi said. “There was no original ‘hey, let’s do a Nightmare Collective.'”
“The original thing was supposed to be myself and Awesome Kong, me managing Awesome Kong,” Brandi continued. “Awesome Kong came to me with an idea of wanting to change her look, and kind of her vibe, still being an assassin of sorts.”
Rhodes would continue to say that Kong was not physically feeling great as things moved forward so changes to the angle had to be made and more people were added to the group. She would then say as the Nightmare Collective angle developed, she wasn’t feeling the storyline.
“I started to see that the music was not playing how I liked it,” Brandi said. “I didn’t feel it and I started to notice that audience members are on the same page as me.”
Brandi Rhodes Goes To Therapy, Leaves Nightmare Collective
Rhodes then said it was her decision to change the angle and she put together the video series with the therapist which essentially ended her involvement in the Nightmare Collective.
“I made the decision to do the series that I put out with the therapist, I hired the actress that was the therapist,” she continued.
“That definitely doesn’t mean its dead now that I’m not there,” Rhodes continued, suggesting that Mel and Luther would likely continue the angle.
Matt Hardy came out to confront Randy Orton on RAW last night regarding his attack on Edge. Orton then attacked him as well and may have seemingly provided a storyline explanation for Hardy’s pending departure from WWE.
Hardy posted the following to Twitter after RAW last night:
“Matt Hardy is expected to leave WWE in March,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The report would continue to speculate that Hardy is the leading candidate to play the exalted one in AEW’s Dark Order angle.
“Hardy is the leading speculated name for the leader of the Dark Order since they just started teasing a leader and Hardy just started putting out the videos,” Meltzer continued.
According to a report from PW Insider last month, the reason Hardy has not re-signed with WWE is due to concerns over how he would be used in the company.
WWE RAW aired live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Becky Lynch put her RAW Women’s Championship on the line against Asuka during tonight’s show.
WWE RAW Results (2/10)
Becky Lynch def. Asuka to retain the RAW Women’s Championship
Street Profits def. Mojo Rawley & Riddick Moss
Riddick Moss pinned Mojo Rawley to become the new 24/7 Champion
Angel Garza def. Cedric Alexander
Rhea Ripley def. Sarah Logan
Ricochet def. Bobby Lashley
Aleister Black def. Akira Tozawa in a squash match
Rollins, Murphy, and AOP def. Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and Viking Raiders
Here are 7 takeaways from this week’s episode of RAW:
Shayna Baszler Took A Bite Out Of Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch defended her RAW Women’s Championship against Asuka in the first match of the night. Kairi Sane was ringside for the title match.
Match Recap: Asuka controlled the action early and applied Headlock. Becky quickly escaped and applied a Headlock of her own. Asuka broke free but The Man leveled Asuka with a shoulder tackle and flexed for the crowd. Lynch followed it up with a couple Clotheslines and then a Dropkick. Becky went for a Clothesline off the apron but Kairi shoved Asuka out of the way and took the impact. Asuka capitalized with a boot to the back and rolled Lynch into the ring.
Asuka launched Becky into the ring post and went for the Hip Attack but Becky got out of the way. Lynch applied the Dis-Arm-Her on the ropes and followed it up with a Reverse DDT on the apron. Asuka once again battled back and planted Becky with a Superplex for a near fall. Lynch hit a Leg Drop off the second rope but Asuka immediately went for the Asuka Lock but Becky countered into a roll-up for a two count. Lynch then hit a Rock Bottom for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Shayna Baszler attacked Becky from behind. Baszler locked in the Kirifuda Clutch for a moment before whipping her to the canvas. Shayna then took of her mouth piece and bit her neck like vampire. Shayna had blood all over her face and exited the ring. Lynch was then taken backstage by WWE’s medical staff. Lynch refused to get in the ambulance and opted to steal it instead.
Opinion: Baszler versus Lynch at WrestleMania has been rumored for some time now. I’m looking forward to see how this feud develops over the next couple months before the biggest PPV of the year. It sure as hell started off different with Baszler taking a bite out of Lynch as if she were some kind of zombie vampire. Asuka and Becky had another very good match tonight as well.
Drew McIntyre was a guest on MVP’s VIP Lounge tonight on RAW. MVP congratulated McIntyre on eliminating Brock Lesnar, winning the Royal Rumble, and earning a title shot at WrestleMania. Drew joked that every time someone says WrestleMania he has to point at the sign.
MVP told Drew that he needs to focus on the prize and not what all the “non VIP” people have to say. MVP claimed that some people are saying that McIntyre is not ready to be WWE Champion yet. MVP added that his in-ring career is behind him and offered to become McIntyre’s business manager.
McIntyre asked the crowd and they booed. Drew stated that he doesn’t need someone thinking for him and a business partner to kiss his ass. MVP said he has never been an ass-kisser but he is an ass kicker. Drew was about to the leave the ring but MVP grabbed him. McIntyre hit MVP with the Glasgow Kiss and then the Claymore Kick. McIntyre then mocked MVP’s ballin’ pose to end the segment.
Charlotte Still Hasn’t Accepted Rhea Ripley’s Challenge
Rhea Ripley was interviewed backstage tonight about Charlotte still not answering her challenge. Sarah Logan interrupted and said that Ripley cannot just do whatever she wants and show up on RAW. Logan then marched to the ring and demanded a fight with Ripley. Charlotte stood on the entrance ramp for the match.
Match Recap: Ripley hit Logan with a Clothesline while staring at Charlotte on the ramp. Rhea connected with a Dropkick as Flair clapped. Rhea followed it up with the Riptide for the easy pinfall victory.
After the match, Rhea demanded an answer from Charlotte for the title match at WrestleMania. Flair pointed out that Ripley has to defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair at TakeOver this Sunday and Rhea could possibly lose the title. Charlotte then shouted “woo!” to end the segment.
Randy Orton came down to the ring during the final hour of RAW. Orton stood silently in the ring for a bit as the WWE Universe relentlessly booed him. Randy stated that he still owed everyone an explanation for brutally attacking Edge two weeks ago on RAW.
Orton paced the ring before saying what he did hurt him more than it did Edge. Matt Hardy interrupted and the crowd chanted “delete!”. Matt said he wanted to know why Randy attacked Edge and got into the ring. Hardy added that everyone knows their history and the crowd chanted “Lita!”. Matt pointed out that there was a time that he hated Edge more than anyone but before that they were best friends that wanted to live out their dream of being WWE superstars.
Hardy added that alongside Jeff, Edge, and Christian they revolutionized the Ladder Match and invented the TLC Match. Hardy claimed that any hate that he had for Edge disappeared when he had to retire from injury and that he could not imagine if wrestling was taken away from him before he was ready. He then asked Randy what is wrong with him and Orton responded by going for an RKO. Matt blocked it and beat Orton down in the corner.
Orton quickly battled back and planted Hardy with the RKO. Randy rolled to the outside and grabbed two steel chairs. He placed Matt’s head on one of the chairs and hit him with the other one (Con-Chair-To). Orton then exited the ring but stopped on the entrance ramp. Randy smiled as RAW went to a break.
Opinion: This was a terrific promo by Matt Hardy as his time in WWE seems to be winding down. Matt’s past with Edge is well documented and it was smart of WWE to use that in this storyline. Orton got even more heat tonight and Edge has even more of a reason to get revenge.
Ruby Riott Returned To Put Liv Morgan In Her Place
Ruby Riott made her return last week and attacked Liv Morgan. Tonight on RAW, Riott was interviewed backstage.
Riott stated that she knows the real Liv Morgan and she is like a puppy that needs to be walked around on leash. Ruby claimed that Liv will always be a follower and she came back to put Morgan in her place.
Becky Lynch returned to the arena in the ambulance later in the show. Her neck was bandaged as she hopped out of the ambulance and marched into the arena.
The Man came down to the ring with a pissed off look on her face and without the RAW Women’s Championship. Becky grabbed a mic as the crowd chanted her name. Lynch demanded to know where Shayna was so she could bash her face in.
Becky added that she doesn’t care how tough Shayna is or who she hangs around with. Lynch vowed to break Shayna down week by week and that she is looking for her.
The Monday Night Messiah & His Disciples Picked Up Another Win
Seth Rollins, AOP, and Murphy kicked off the show to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Rollins said he was proud to stand here as your Monday Night Messiah and that name has grown on him. Seth claimed that he was here to make the tough decisions for everyone and lead them into the future. Seth rolled footage from the 6-man Elimination match as Tom Phillips accidentally referred to Murphy as Buddy.
Seth bitched about Joe, Owens, and the Viking Raiders interfering in his match and costing him an opportunity at the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Rollins vowed to preach a message of unity and will not leave the ring until that message is heard. Kevin Owens interrupted and the crowd loudly chanted “KO!”.
Rollins warned Kevin to not get in over his head or he will get taken out. Owens told Seth that he sounded stupid and now looks stupid on top of it. Kevin added that he is not alone and the Viking Raiders theme hit. Erik and Ivar came to the ramp and then marched to the ring with Owens. A brawl broke out as Rollins stood alone in the ring. Samoa Joe snuck up behind Rollins and locked in the Coquina Clutch before AOP broke it out. Owens hit Murphy with a Stunner as AOP and Rollins retreated. Later on RAW, Owens, Joe, & the Viking Raiders battled Rollins, Murphy, & AOP in an 8-man tag team match.
Match Recap: Rollins tried to cut another promo before the match and a brawl broke out as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Erik slammed Murphy to the canvas. Joe and Owens then took turns beating down Murphy. Akam tagged in and planted Erik with a Spinebuster. AOP, Rollins, and Murphy took control and isolated Erik in the corner of the ring. Ivar tagged in and leveled Murphy with a Clothesline as RAW went to a break.
Back from commercial, Kevin Owens was isolated in the ring as Akam beat him down. Murphy tagged in and stomped on Owens’ midsection before throwing him to the outside. Seth hit Owens with a cheap shot as the ref was distracted. Owens shrugged it off and hit Murphy with a Fallaway Slam into the barricade. Back in the ring, Akam prevented Owens from making a tag and Rezar tagged in.
Rezar dropped an elbow and went for the cover but Kevin kicked out at two. Murphy tagged in and applied a Headlock as the crowd got behind Owens. Kevin broke free and connected with a DDT. Samoa Joe and Rollins tagged in and Joe beat Seth down in the corner. Joe followed it up with a Senton and Seth rolled out of the ring. Viking Raiders knocked AOP out of the ring and joined Joe in a triple Suicide Dive.
Rollins hit Joe with a Superkick but Joe was able to lock in the Coquina Clutch. Seth broke free but Joe hit him with a Uranage. Another brawl broke out and Owens made his way to the top rope. Owens took everyone out besides Joe, Rollins, and Murphy with a Cannonball. Murphy tagged in and Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch. Murphy tapped out but the ref was distracted by AOP. Rollins hit Joe with the Stomp and Murphy pinned Joe for the victory.
Opinion: The main event capped off a very solid edition of RAW this week. The feud between Shayna Baszler and Becky Lynch should be great as WWE builds towards WrestleMania. However, the storyline between Orton and Edge has been excellent so far and was once again the best part of RAW in my opinion.
A big match that is being locally advertised for the WWE Elimination Chamber event has surfaced online.
The WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 8th from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. A commercial aired in the area that advertised what could end up serving as the main event.
Roman Reigns vs. Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. King Corbin vs. Robert Roode with the winner challenging for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 36.
This ad literally just aired in Philly area for Elimination Chamber ? WOWWWW someone’s not gonna be happy that this just got out
Roman vs Braun vs Bryan vs Shinsuke vs Corbin vs Roode winner faces Universal Champion at Wrestlemania pic.twitter.com/fpg4JJIj1X
— The Lariat Pro Wrestling- Frank Sarne (@TheLariatPW) February 11, 2020
Bray Wyatt currently holds the title and will make his next title defense against Goldberg at the Super ShowDown event later this month.
Since the Royal Rumble, it’s been reported that Wyatt will hold the title until WrestleMania 36. For those who want to find out who his expected opponent will be, click here.
WWE often takes full advantage of the “card subject to change” disclaimer, so it’s possible they will go in a different direction with at least one of these stars in the match. The match indicates where WWE’s storyline plans are headed in the month ahead.
The Elimination Chamber show is the last pay-per-view before WrestleMania.
A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Super ShowDown PPV.
On Monday’s episode of RAW, it was announced that United States Champion Andrade, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, AJ Styles, R-Truth, and Rusev will battle in a Gauntlet Match to earn the right to receive the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.
It’s possible that WWE could add more stars to this contest. This also means that Styles is cleared or will be cleared come the day of the show after suffering a shoulder injury at the Royal Rumble.
WWE presents the Super ShowDown pay-per-view event on Thursday, February 27, 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Super ShowDown Card
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Ricochet
WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt vs. Goldberg
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. John Morrison & The Miz
Roman Reigns vs. Baron Corbin – Steel Cage Match
Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy Gauntlet Match: Andrade, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, AJ Styles, R-Truth, Rusev
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
Fans have been wondering why WWE has booked Sami Zayn as a manager instead of an active in-ring performer.
It turns out that Zayn is working as a manager because of a creative decision, not because of an injury, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. He’s been the manager of Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura for months.
Although there had been speculation that the reason why WWE put him in a manager role was due to him dealing with shoulder issues over the last year, that’s not the case.
It turns out that Sami is currently not injured. Instead, he’s not wrestling regularly because this is the role WWE creative has for him right now.
It was noted that Zayn was medically cleared from shoulder issues a while back. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on when Sami might return to regular in-ring action.
Zayn has worked some matches since before being moved as a manager last summer but mostly multi-man matches on live events.
His last match at a TV event, which was a dark match at a SmackDown episode in Detroit, Michigan, saw Braun Strowman & The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) defeat Cesaro, Sami Zayn & Shinsuke Nakamura in a six-man tag team match.
Shayna Baszler has made her debut on WWE RAW and did so in a big way.
The former NXT Women’s Champion appeared on Monday’s episode of RAW in Ontario, CA at the Toyota Arena on the USA Network by attacking Becky Lynch, who made her latest title defense as RAW Women’s Champion against Asuka.
The segment ended when Baszler bit the back of the neck of Lynch and they did some fake blood to make it more real.
Baszler’s appearance on this show and her now being a full-time star on RAW has been reported about over the last week.
This has been expected for quite some time but her move to the main roster had been delayed. However, Dave Meltzer noted last week that her being moved is something that has been planned for probably close to a year.
Baszler entered into the Women’s Royal Rumble Match as a surprise entrant last month.
The belief is that Baszler will challenge Lynch for the RAW Women’s Title at WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania.
WWE presents the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 5, 2020 in Tampa, Florida at the Raymond James Stadium that will air on the WWE Network.
The latest update on Jeff Hardy’s WWE status has surfaced online.
According to a report by PWinsider.com, he could be returning to action soon as he’s scheduled to be at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida next week. He’ll be doing so in order to have his progress towards an in-ring return checked on.
While his deal with WWE was scheduled to expire on Sunday, March 1, it’s expected that WWE will add extra time to the contract to make up for the time he’s been out.
WWE has done this with various stars in the past.
Hardy is slated to make his return to court on April 6th, which is the day after WrestleMania 36 to face the charges related to his DWI arrest from October 3, 2019 in Moore County, NC. This happened after he was arrested in Myrtle Beach, SC on July 13, 2019 for public intoxication.
It was reported last month that WWE officials have pushed Jeff to address his personal health as a result of those charges, which he has been working hard to do so.
Hardy underwent knee surgery back in May with the expected timeline that he is going to be out of action for approximately 6-9 months following surgery to repair a damaged knee.
The guest for the fourth episode of WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWE Network show is set and it’s Big Show who will be appearing.
The guest for the show, “Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions,” was recently announced.
Big Episode Of Steve Austin’s Show
On Monday, WWE confirmed via a post on Twitter that Austin’s third guest will be none other than the future WWE Hall of Famer. The episode premieres on WWE’s streaming service on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. ET.
Austin has stated in previous interviews that he has already filmed a few episodes of the show. So far, WWE has aired one episode with one interview featuring a legend each month.
Last month, Austin had the chance to interview former WWE Champion Kane, which marked the third episode. Now, the fourth installment will see Big Show appearing.
Big Show was the surprise partner of Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe for their six-man tag team match against Seth Rollins and AOP on an episode of RAW last month. He made a follow-up appearance but has since been written off of television.
During his time away from WWE, he had to undergo the knife several times. In fact, in the last two years, he’s undergone five surgeries.
