Home Blog Page 1493

Edge Discusses Why He Thinks Pro Wrestlers Can Easily Transition Into Acting

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE Hall Of Famer Edge recently spoke with The Wrap to talk about various topics. During the interview, he spoke about why Hollywood loves working with wrestlers and the transition from the wrestling business to acting.

The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion stated that if you made it to the top with your promos as part of the package, it’s because you could speak and you made it sound like it wasn’t this rehearsed thing. He brought up how a lot of times there are wrestlers who have bullet points and talk where it starts when they feel an audience and react to what’s happening.

“I think it is good training to a set and having a script and going, ‘Right, OK, I can adapt on the fly if the director sees this scene happening a different way. I can adapt on the fly if the other actor takes it this direction’ because you are used to adapting on the fly live.”

Obviously, Edge has had a great wrestling career as he achieved many of the goals that he set out to accomplish once starting. However, he’s the first to say that wrestling is a very demanding thing because not only do you wrestle but your a manager, you book cars and hotels for yourself. 

“Your day begins as soon as you wake up and it ends when you get to bed. And it could be in a Motel 6 because there are no other hotels open and it’s 4 o’clock in the morning. That keeps you humble and it keeps you hungry.”

Mick Foley Praises Becky Lynch After RAW Invasion, Matt Hardy Teases Becoming GM

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Mick Foley Praises Becky Lynch After RAW Invasion

SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has been the talk of the wrestling community on Tuesday morning after she led the women’s division of the blue brand in an invasion on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Kansas City, MO at the Sprint Center on the USA Network.

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley caught the end of the show and saw this angle. He decided to take to his official Facebook page to write a quick post about the segment and gave praise to the top women’s star of SmackDown Live. He wrote the following:

“I was involved in my share of bloody battles in my day, but in none of them did I approach the level of coolness, of confidence, of sheer badassery as displayed by Becky Lynch on last night’s episode of WWE Raw . THIS is the face of the company…the face of #TheMan. I was there when Stone Cold Steve Austin took off like a rocket after the 1996 King of the Ring #Austin316 moment. If looked and felt alot like …THIS! Let me hear your predictions for #SurvivorSeries.”

Matt Hardy Teases Becoming GM

Former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy teased becoming the RAW General Manager while watching this week’s show. He claimed that he could delete any problems. He wrote, “Maybe #RAW needs a new General Manager who can DELETE problems..”

It’s been reported that Hardy would be taking an extended break to deal with nagging injuries and he has been “shadowing” WWE producers behind the scenes and is transitioning to a backstage role with the company.

The 3 Count: Becky Lynch 3:16

Jake Skudder
-
0

Welcome back to The 3 Count. Last week I discussed Tetsuya Naito and the two ‘mystery men’ that WWE were reportedly looking to sign from NJPW. Every week I will be looking at the hot topic in pro wrestling, this could be WWE or otherwise. This week’s topic should really come as no surprise…it’s The Man, Becky Lynch.

Straight Fire

Becky refers to herself as ‘straight fire,’ now she appears to be setting the entire company on fire. Last night’s RAW ended with the Irish Lass-kicker standing with a bloody nose goading Ronda Rousey. In terms of anti-hero characters they don’t come with much more hype than Becky has right now.

What led to Becky becoming this phenomenon? The fans always had a soft spot for the Smackdown Live Women’s Champion. Live audiences giving her a fair reception on shows with almost Dean Ambrose in 2014 perfunctory cheers and applause.

The Underdog

Something that WWE and wrestling fans have in common is the lure of the underdog. We saw this in the build to WrestleMania 30, with Daniel Bryan finally overcoming the odds and main eventing the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment. Could anyone have predicted that Bryan Danielson of ROH fame would even get to WrestleMania? Could anyone have guessed that he would main event the thing? If you would have told me this in 2005 I would’ve laughed you out of the room. Another thing that wrestling fans seem to enjoy is a good anti-hero, the biggest can be seen referenced in the headline of this article.

When WWE decided to have Becky Lynch ‘turn’ on her friend Charlotte Flair and engage in a feud it is doubtful that they would’ve been building to Lynch vs Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series next Sunday, at least in they way it turned out. When Charlotte stole the win over Carmella at Summerslam the seeds were sown for the feud, but WWE went into this thinking that Flair was going to be the fan favourite…how wrong they were.

Becky Did Nothing Wrong

With WWE pushing Becky Lynch as the antagonist they missed a vital ingredient…Lynch didn’t actually do anything wrong. Fast forward to today and the more that WWE attempted to push Lynch as a vicious heel the more that the audience where drawn to her and got behind the Irish Superstar. Last night’s appearance on RAW solidified Lynch as the ultimate anti-hero, the symbol of a bloodied Lass-kicker in her Smackdown Live shirt on RAW oozed attitude…but let’s not pretend that Becky is just an Austin clone or re-hash. ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch is the perfect attitude and character for 2018’s WWE.

The question is, were WWE extremely tone deaf when it came to the way Lynch was portrayed? Or was this the plan all along, to make the Survivor Series bout a de-facto face vs face match against Rousey? The optimist in me hopes that they had at least somewhat of an idea of Lynch’s popularity, the realist knows that they butchered the push and got extremely lucky.

WWE is now in a very delicate position with Becky. How many times have we seen something completely organic and cool be ruined by the company when they decide to get behind it? Fandangoing, Zack Ryder, Ryback (yes, really)…we all have our own examples. The key here is to just let Becky be Becky and let her natural charisma and vision drive this push, but again the realist in me knows they’ll likely choke all the fun out of it.

How do you think WWE should book Becky Lynch going forward? 

Hurricane Shane Helms And Cody Hall Trade Shots On Twitter

Chris Stephens
-
2

Hurricane Helms and Cody Hall were involved in a social media beef earlier today. Things started innocently enough when Hall expressed he isn’t a fan of comic books or super-heroes.

Normally, little would come from this. Comic icon Stan Lee died yesterday, however, likely meaning the topic is a sensitive one for some.

Hurricane Helms vs Cody Hall Via Twitter

Helms then offered advice for Hall, telling him he should delete his account. At this point, the two men realized they share the same move in their arsenal. Hall commented on his chokeslam versus Helms’.

This led to a conversation regarding who gets paid more to do the chokeslam.

Hall then brought up a time when his father paid for Hurricane’s lunch, which seems nice of the legendary Scott Hall.

It should be noted that at this point even most of each guy’s Twitter followers stopped chiming in and just allowed the two to have their own public conversation.

Helms then disputed Hall’s claims he offered no advice during the match.

Somebody finally at this point decided the conversation should go into DMs. Evidently, Hall disagreed with this, however.

Hall then offered up the following when Hurricane responded that he had at least found a spot in the wrestling business.

Things finally came to a stop after Hall posted the following:

Cody Hall is currently competing in Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Global League. He’s 0-2 so far, having lost to Maybach Taniguchi and Go Shiozaki.

Steve Austin Talks About How Jim Ross Impacted His Career

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE Hall Of Famer Steve Austin recently did a  fan Q&A session on The Steve Austin Show where he talked about a wide range of topics including the tremendous impact that fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross had on his legendary professional wrestling career.

Austin brought up how he watched Ross on Mid-South Wrestling and NWA television while growing up. He also shared a story about how Ross helped him get signed to WCW.

Austin stated that he got a call up to WCW and that Ross was one of the guys that lobbied for him to be signed then they hit it off as they both like football. He recalled Ross knowing that he played college football. Thus, due to the Oklahoma Sooners – Texas Longhorns rivalry, there was a bond and Ross respected and liked football players.

He thinks that Ross liked guys that were athletic, salty, easy to work with, not people that are toxic or that are trainwrecks. “So, man, me and Jim always hit it off and we became the best of friends.”

For years now, Austin has been regarded as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sports entertainment company. He has feuded with the biggest names in the history of professional wrestling including Vince McMahon, The Undertaker The Rock, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and the list goes on and on. He has held nearly every title that the company has to offer.

Becky Lynch Chews Out Reporter Wearing Ronda Rousey Jacket (Video)

Chris Stephens
-
3

Becky Lynch attacked Ronda Rousey on Raw last night. In 5 days arguably the two hottest acts in wrestling will collide one-on-one at Survivor Series.

Earlier this month the WWE was in the UK. While there, Becky was involved in an altercation during a planned sit-down interview. The reporter arrived wearing a Ronda Rousey jacket and Becky did not take kindly to this.

WWE recently posted video of the altercation to their YouTube channel:

Becky Lynch Offended By Reporter’s Ronda Rousey Jacket

Lynch originally questioned the reporter who noted that her Ronda Rousey sweater was official WWE merchandise.

“I don’t know if you know this,” Lynch started. “Or if you’ve done any work coming into this interview, to interview the champ but I actually have a big match against Ronda Rousey. I think it’s a little bit disrespectful and unprofessional to come in wearing a Ronda Rousey jacket. So if you actually want to do this interview maybe go out there, take your jacket off and come back in.”

Lynch will take on Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series in a Champion vs Champion match. Lynch won the title back at Hell in a Cell from Charlotte Flair and defended it successfully against Flair at Evolution.

WWE Hall Of Famer Backstage At SmackDown Live (Potential Spoiler)

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Some news and notes have surfaced regarding tonight’s (November 13, 2018) episode of WWE SmackDown Live in St. Louis, MO at the Enterprise Center on the USA Network.

First up, Pwinsider.com is reporting that WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is in town for the show. As of this writing, there’s word yet on if The Nature Boy will appear on the show. It’s possible that he is used to talk his daughter, former SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, into being the captain of the women’s Survivor Series team against Team RAW at this Sunday’s pay-per-view event in Los Angeles, California.

Flair has not been seen on SmackDown Live since SmackDown 1000 last month when Evolution (Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista) reunited together.

Also, for those who are wondering, WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is not slated to appear on the show in order to further build his champion vs. champion match at Survivor Series against WWE Champion AJ Styles. Thus, the next time that they square off, it won’t be until Survivor Series.

Finally, Triple H and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon are not backstage at the show. Instead, Michael Hayes and Kevin Dunn are the ones in charge of running the show.

Shane McMahon Pokes Fun At Stephanie McMahon After RAW Brawl, The Marine 6 Trailer

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Shane McMahon Pokes Fun At Stephanie McMahon After RAW Brawl

As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Kansas City, MO at the Sprint Center on the USA Network, SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch led the women’s division of the blue brand in an invasion of the flagship show of the company.

This led to RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon telling Acting General Manager Baron Corbin that he needed to make sure that RAW is the superior brand at Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view event in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center on the WWE Network.

SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon decided to have some fun through the power of social media by taunting his sister by writing the following, “Hey Steph, you’re welcome for the help….We just made #Raw better! #SDLive Women rule.”

The Marine 6 Trailer

“The Marine 6: Close Quarters” is now available on Blu-ray and Digital platforms, which features The Miz, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels and Lynch. The synopsis for the movie reads like, “Jake Carter and another former Marine, Luke Trapper, join forces to rescue a kidnapped girl from a gang of international criminals.”

The trailer for the film, which is under the WWE Studios banner, can be seen here:

Becky Lynch Responds To Ronda Rousey’s “Millennial” Promo From Raw

Chris Stephens
-
2

Becky Lynch has recently responded to Ronda Rousey’s promo from last night on Raw. Rousey took aim at Lynch’s sensitivity and compared her to stereotypes of the millennial generation.

“Becky, you are so hypersensitive,” Rousey said last night. “You aren’t just the man, you are the millennial man. You are the skinny jeans wearing, V-neck sporting, avocado toast munching, winged-shoe wearing, millennial man, with a bubble-wrapped ego and a porcelain self-perception. Someone needs to tell the man that I am not Charlotte Flair, Raw is not Smackdown, and being offended doesn’t make you right.”

Becky has since offered up the following response on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1062395955511808002

“When you’re babbling on about avocados, I’m main-eventing my show AND your show. Did you hear that last night, Ronda? That’s the sound they make when The Man comes around.”

Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series

For the second year in a row, WWE will run a Champions vs Champions theme at Survivor Series. To a casual observer, this would seem like the biggest night of the year for WWE as it would determine the best of the best. Last year, Charlotte Flair defeated Alexa Bliss in the women’s Champion vs Champion match, arguably making her the top woman wrestler in WWE of the year in storyline.

Paige Comments On Rumors That She’s Cleared To Wrestle Again

Andrew Ravens
-
1

WWE fans are still dealing with the fact that Paige is no longer able to compete in the squared circle.

Thus, when rumors started to go around online on Tuesday morning that the former WWE Divas Champion and current SmackDown General Manager had been cleared to return to the ring and is able to bump if needed, fans were excited to see what it may lead to. It was also noted in the rumors that WWE officials WWE doesn’t want her in a physical role despite being cleared.

That joy didn’t last long as Paige responded to a fan who brought up the rumors by writing the following on her official Twitter account, “Nope. I’m not. At all. One more knock to my neck could result in paralysis. Don’t read “facts” on the internet. As much as I want that to be true it’s 100% not.”

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1062370814085992449

Her in-ring career ended when she was in a six-woman tag match back in late December at a live event that needed to be called off after she took a hard kick to the back from Sasha Banks that she wasn’t ready for and it stunned her. The early belief was it was just a mild stinger, leading to her losing feeling in her extremities.

WWE pulled her from the ring and set up further testing that led to the call being made that she would not be cleared by WWE doctors to wrestle again. It was a situation described as similar to Edge’s medical disqualification from competing in the ring.

Since then, she has made a great transition from being an active wrestler to being an authority figure on weekly WWE television.

John Cena’s New Commercial For Skyy Vodka Is Pretty Weird (Video)

Staff
-
2

WWE Superstar John Cena stars in two new commercials for Skyy Vodka. One of them is inspirational and promotes tolerance, diversity and patriotism. The other one is quite strange. If you’ve ever seen John Cena’s Instagram page, you know he has an offbeat sense of humor. That quirky side is on display in the second video below.

Johh Cena Presents: The Pledge

“The Pledge” features Cena declaring he’s proudly American and pledging allegiance to American ideals. “I pledge allegiance to the American dream,” he says. “And the freedom to live your best life. To civil discourse. To writing your own history. To giving back. And to you being you. And to all those who make America what it is and will be. I’m John Cena, and I’m proudly American.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNuiH2N7CJc

John Cena Presents: SKYY Blue

In a spot titled “Skyy Blue,” John Cena heads up a 3-man boy band with two familiar looking backup singers. Cena spouts off romantic phrases like “When we close our eyes, all we see is that gorgeous face” while also declaring he’s John Cena and he’s proudly American. Drink up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDzkpf4kC1k

Update On The Possibility Of Jason Jordan’s In-Ring Return

Steve Russell
-
0

We only recently reported an update on Jason Jordan and his optimistic outlook regarding his chances at returning to the squared circle as an in-ring competitor.

Unfortunately, Dave Meltzer has since remarked on Jordan’s current health condition and, according to him, it doesn’t look good.

“I don’t know that it’s over for sure but it’s been a long time,” Meltzer said. “He’s been out for 10 months? Is that about right? It’s been a long time. Obviously, it’s not a good sign that he’s been out for this long.”

Although by no means a final declaration on Jordan’s chances, it is a concerning observation nonetheless — especially if Jason is pushing himself to heal and rehab with focused ambitions on returning.

Big Plans

The former American Alpha star was at the beginning of a major singles push that would have propelled him into the WWE’s main event picture, with feuds against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania having been planned. He was also revealed to be the (storyline) son of none other than Kurt Angle.

It was via that storyline that the WWE was able to write Jordan off of Raw. Having lost the tag titles in January, his in-ring activity was pared down dramatically over February. The WWE then had Kurt Angle send him home, allowing a very hurt Jordan an opportunity to receive neck surgery.

Hopefully, it’s not as serious as speculated, and that Jason Jordan’s recent Tweet, full of hope and optimism over his future and potential return, can become a reality.

Smackdown Live! 11/13 Preview

Chris Stephens
-
0

Tonight’s episode of Smackdown will emanate from the  Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. It will be the go-home show for Sunday’s Survivor Series.

Smackdown 11/13 Preview

No matches have been confirmed thus far for Smackdown. Normally, there are at least 2 confirmed matches but tonight the show appears to be a bit more open-ended. Much like Raw sometimes is, tonight will all be matches which were not announced ahead of time.

4 segments have been confirmed, however.

Reaction To Becky Lynch’s Invasion

Becky Lynch invaded Raw last night to get at Ronda Rousey before Sunday. Shortly after, the entire Smackdown women’s team (with a few others) hit the ring for a pre-Survivor Series Raw vs Smackdown melee.

Will the Raw roster show up in St. Louis like the Smackdown roster did last night?

Can Daniel Bryan and the Miz Get On The Same Page?

Daniel Bryan and the Miz are co-captains of the Smackdown men’s Survivor Series team. Last week, the two longtime rivals actually started to get along as they named Shane McMahon, Rey Mysterio, and Samoa Joe as their 3 teammates. Tonight, we’ll find out if Miz and Bryan can continue to put their differences aside for the sake of brand superiority.

Will Charlotte Flair Captain Team Smackdown?

Last week on Smackdown, Charlotte Flair did not come out for the introductions of Team Smackdown. This allowed Mandy Rose to get some promo time as she ran down the rest of the team. Flair was involved in the Smackdown vs Raw melee to close out Raw last night, however. Does that mean Charlotte has reconsidered and will be on the team? We’ll likely find out tonight.

Smackdown Tag-Team Division Finalizes Survivor Series Team

Last week, the Usos defeated the New Day to earn the captaincy for their team on Sunday. They quickly picked New Day as the first confirmed members of their team. Tonight, we will find out who will join them on the Smackdown tag-team Survivor Series team.

Jim Ross Confirms AXS TV Role Is Ending

Steve Russell
-
0

It appears that Good Ol’ JR, Jim Ross, may be wrapping up vocal duties for AXS TV, bringing an end to his stint as an NJPW English commentator.

Initially announced in January 2016, Jim Ross would go on to partner with MMA star (and self-professed geek) Josh Barnett to provide English commentary for a delayed version of the New Japan product, catering to an ever growing American audience.

He would go on to provide commentary for numerous live New Japan shows taking place on American soil, including Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Long Beach, California.

Expiration Dates

Ross is still currently signed under two separate contracts, one for AXS TV and one for the WWE. His AXS TV contract expires on December 31st this year and, with the WWE contract still intact until March 31st 2019, it’s unlikely that we will be hearing Jim Ross’ voice accompany the action of Wrestle Kingdom 13 when it takes place on January 4th.

Once April 1st rolls around, however, Ross will once again be a free agent, giving him freedom of movement and choice as to who he continues to commentate for.

Taking to Twitter, JR confirmed that he was on his way for a final recording session for AXS TV:

Rush vs. MJF Signed For MLW Never Say Never (12/13)

Staff
-
1

MLW World Middleweight Champion Maxwell J. Friedman will have his hands full when MLW debuts in Miami next month.

Major League Wrestling has a ‘double shot’ booked for Miami on December 13th and 14th at the Scottish Rite Temple arena. Both shows will be television tapings for MLW Fusion, which airs Friday nights on beIN SPORTS.

MJF’s opponent for MLW Never Say Never on 12/13 will be none other than Rush. The leader of Los Ingobernables made his MLW debut last week in Chicago at Fightland. El Toro Blanco and looks to climb the ladder in MLW next month.

Speaking of ladders .. MLW Zero Hour the following night (12/14) will feature a 4-way Ladder Match for MJF’s World Middleweight title. The participants in that match will be MJF, Kotto Brazil, Jason Cade and Marko Stunt.

Tickets are now on sale for both MLW Miami shows at MLWTickets.com.

SmackDown Live Superstar Cleared To Return

Steve Russell
-
0

Normally accompanying Andrade “Cien” Almas ringside, Zelina Vega had begun to transition to a more physical role before suffering an unfortunate injury that has kept her sidelined from competing inside the squared circle.

The good news, however, is that Zelina has been cleared to return by WWE Medical officials.

Speaking on PWInsider, Mike Johnson provided an update regarding Vega’s current health status, stating that “She is on the road. She is in St. Louis for SmackDown and she has been cleared to return to her active duties working alongside Andrade “Cien” Almas.”

A Mutually Beneficial Business Relationship

Zelina has been instrumental in Almas’ career resurgence, helping him to regain and maintain a focus that he had lost during his tenure in NXT.

Their relationship has been built solely on business and mutual financial gain. This unique approach has helped to separate the two from a number of other superstars with female management. Her skills would eventually lead Almas to NXT Championship gold.

There was concern within the WWE after October’s Evolution event after she took a bad bump post-elimination. The worry stemmed from a belief she may have suffered a concussion, so she was pulled from live events as a precaution.

Mojo Rawley Was Glad To See The End Of The Hype Bros.

Steve Russell
-
2

If you felt that the Hype Bros. team were a bit…bland…then you’re not alone. Turns out that Mojo Rawley, who comprised half of the team with Zack Ryder, pretty much felt the same way.

Rawley spoke recently with Lilian Garcia for her podcast, Chasing Glory. During the course of the conversation, they covered a number of topics including his place in the WWE, how happy he is with his position, and his previous experiences with football and the NFL.

Despite admitting that he learned a lot from Zack Ryder, Mojo was quick to point out that the Hype Bros. was a project that neither man was emotionally invested in from the start.

“He [Zack Ryder] didn’t want to do it, I didn’t want to do it but we weren’t gonna say no… we’re not gonna turn down an opportunity,” Rawley explained. “We both looked at it. You don’t know when these [opportunities] are gonna come across. Here’s two guys that are literally polar opposites. He had the path that I didn’t have.”

“It Ruined My Identity”

The end of the Hype Bros. was less of a bang, more of a whimper for both superstars.
Rawley reflected on how they broke the team up, saying, “I think we reached the point that there was no more that could be done with that tag team. Even though we didn’t accomplish much, I don’t think there was much more to learn from one another.”

“We didn’t really like how the Hype Bros turned out to be,” Rawley added. “‘Stay Hype’ all of a sudden kind of became ‘oh, I’m always energetic, I’m always laughing, I’m always making jokes.’ It ruined my identity I felt like,” Rawley confessed.

“I don’t know how we got to that point,” he said. “When I noticed that it was going down that path, I felt like it was too late. It was something to this day that I hate. I hate that. [Zack Ryder] started to feel that way too with where this tag team was going. The day that team died, careerwise, was one of the best things that could have happened to us.”

https://soundcloud.com/user-708023247/mojo-rawley-from-nfl-football

Becky Lynch Has Perfect Response To Getting Busted Open

Steve Russell
-
4

The ending of last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw was an explosive way to lead us into this Sunday’s Survivor Series event.

With Becky Lynch leading the fray, attacking Ronda Rousey backstage and locking her in her Dis-Arm-Her submission, Lynch would strut out onto Raw to confront the Women’s Raw Survivor Team.

However, she didn’t come alone.

Even with Rousey making her way out to assist the Raw roster, the SmackDown invaders were able to rally, with Lynch attacking an injured Rousey with a steel chair before leaving the ring bloodied, courtesy of a broken nose.

In response to this, The Lass Kicker took to Twitter with an awesome reaction to the blood masking her face:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1062231777253748736

With both women coming off major wins in recent events, they both have a wave of momentum behind them coming into Survivor Series. They also seem to have the fans attention firmly affixed on the outcome of their champion-versus-champion clash.

Becky’s brazen attack and proud display of her “Irish war paint” only add to the feud that has developed between the two women, and further propels Lynch as a top star within the company — one that has been compared numerous times to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

With this brash attitude, disregard to injury, and anti-hero persona, it’s hard to argue against.

Eric Bischoff Delivers TED Talk About Politics & Wrestling

Ethan Renner
-
0

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff took part in his first-ever TED Talk over the weekend at the TEDxNaperville event outside Chicago, Illinois.

https://twitter.com/EBischoff/status/1061723295492554758

TED is a nonprofit that holds and organizes events that feature lectures from notable thought leaders, and accomplished professionals in a wide variety of industries and walks of life. A statement on TED’s website states that “Our agenda is to make great ideas accessible and spark conversation.”

Bischoff’s spoke about his TED Talk on this week’s episode of his 83 Weeks podcast.

“I had a great TED Talk… It was a really fun experience,” Bischoff said. “I talked about politics and wrestling, and how much politics and current media is becoming more and more like professional wrestling,” Bischoff said.

Bischoff, an ardent political conservative, did not inject his personal views into his talk. “I didn’t take sides. It was a very bipartisan approach to the topic, so no one would be able to tell which side of the equation I fall on,” he said.

“I am going to post this TED Talk up on Patreon at some point,” Bichoff added. The 83 Weeks Patreon page can be found here.

Listen to this week’s episode of 83 Weeks covering Eric Bischoff’s 2002 WWE Debut:

Neville Hits Back At Haters Accusing Him Of Steroid Use

Rayan Sayyed
-
4

Former WWE Superstar Neville who is now known as PAC, recently resurfaced on social media and has been in talks when he showed off his new physique:

After he shared his photo of his new jacked look, many started accusing him (unsurprisingly) of using steroids.

It is needless to say that the baseless accusations didn’t please Pac at all, and he responded back to haters with a clear message:

“I am a STEROID FREE SAVAGE!

Fueled only by HATE AND VENGEANCE.”

Pac recently returned to the ring after a one year absence from professional wrestling. He faced Flamita in an International Special Single’s Match at the Gate of Destiny event for the Dragon Gate promotion.

You can check out the match here on Dragon Gate’s new streaming service, which was first announced by Pac himself as he appeared in the promo for the streaming service.

Pac is also set to make his return to Revolution Pro. On 22 November, Pac will be appearing for Rev Pro at the Portsmouth Guildhall. It is not known who he is going to face yet.

 

Spoilers: Impact Wrestling TV Taping Results (11/12)

Andrew Ravens
-
2

The spoilers from the Impact Wrestling TV taping that took place on Monday, November 12th, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Sam’s Town Casino has surfaced online.

These matches and segments will air over the coming weeks on POP TV. As a reminder, Impact Wrestling is airing at a new time, which is 10 PM Eastern on Pop TV. You can check out the spoilers from Monday here.

Impact Wrestling TV Taping Results

– Mixed Tag Match: Taya Valkyrie & Johnny Impact defeated Tessa Blanchard & Moose. Post-match, Brian Cage comes down to attack Moose and gives Kross a German Suplex. Cage helps Taya & Johnny up as the fans chant “Option C!”

– Jake Crist defeated Willie Mack to qualify for the Ultimate X match at Homecoming.

– Allie (w/ Su Yung) defeated Heather Munroe. After the match Allie gets a glove and applies a Mandible Claw. Kiera Hogan arrives, throws Su into the stairs. Moments later, Su and Allie recovered to stand tall.

– Ethan Page defeated Matt Sydal Page to advance to Ultimate X with a roll after a series of pinfall attempts.

– Jordynne Grace defeated Ruby Raze with a Vader Bomb.

– Rich Swann defeated Jake Crist with a roll up to qualify for Ultimate X. Post-match, Swann is attacked by Davebut Sami pulls him off and tried to make peace. Willie Mack appeared and went after the Crist.

– Trevor Lee defeated Trey Miguel in another Ultimate X qualifier with a Double Knee Press off the top rope.

– Fenix defeated Santana. The two teams shake hands after the match.

– Moose vs. Brian Cage ended when Eddie Edwards attacks Moose on the outside for the DQ. He hit him weapons before Moose finally retreats.

– The suit is brought down by the referees. Kikut Aro, Dezmond Xavier, Alisha Edwards, KM & Fallah Bahh defeated Disco Inferno, Rohit Raju (w/ The Desis) Katarina, Jake Crist (w/ OVE) & Eli Drake. After the match, Disco refuses to put the Turkey Suit on until Scarlett Boudreaux convinces to do it. KM says they all chipped in to get him this turkey suit. Disco stomps off and takes off the suit to close the show.

Update On WWE’s Plans For Brock Lesnar & The Universal Championship

Chris Stephens
-
3

Brock Lesnar re-gained the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel. He defeated Braun Strowman in a match which was originally to involve Roman Reigns. Lesnar had help from Baron Corbin, however. The Raw authority figure hit Strowman in the back of the head with the title belt before the match. This allowed Lesnar to pick up the win after delivering multiple F-5s to his injured opponent.

According to a recent report from Wrestling Observer Radio, Lesnar vs Strowman III (Brock beat Strowman at No Mercy 2017 as well) will not happen at WrestleMania, however.

“I was told directly that Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman is not going to happen at WrestleMania,” Dave Meltzer said. There are only so many dates Lesnar’s schedule is open for the match to take place, however. If WrestleMania is not the date, it begs the question of when is.

When Will Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman II Take Place?

Unless something changes, the match won’t take place at the TLC PPV either.

“Right now Lesnar’s not booked in San Jose (TLC) which is the December PPV,” Meltzer continued.

With WrestleMania and TLC ruled out for Strowman vs Lesnar III, it leads the Royal Rumble as a likely date for the match. Another possibility is WWE would hold off on the match until after WrestleMania but that would likely mean another round of contract negotiations with Lesnar. A still further possibility is Lesnar vs Strowman happens sometime in between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

Last night, Stephanie McMahon told Braun Strowman that if he captains the Raw Survivor Series team to victory he will get another title shot. Lesnar will face AJ Styles on Sunday.

Twitterati Reacts To Becky Lynch-Led SmackDown Invasion of Raw

Rayan Sayyed
-
6

Becky Lynch and the rest of the SmackDown women’s roster invaded Raw last night as Survivor Series is just around the corner.

Becky Lynch first surprise attacked Ronda Rousey backstage with the Disarmher after Alexa Bliss had announced the five members of the Raw Survivor Series team.

Led by Lynch, the entire SmackDown women’s roster attacked the Raw women’s team in the ring. Ronda Rousey attempted to rescue her Raw colleagues but she apparently had too much damage done to her arm by Lynch earlier, and was unable to do much. She was attacked by Lynch again but with a steel chair this time.

During the chaos, Becky had her nose busted open. Her face was pretty much bloodied from the damage.

She proved that she really is The Man and the entire segment was much more impressive because of her. Seeing Becky smiling after destroying the Raw team without even caring about her half-bloody face was surely the moment of the episode for many.

WWE Superstars and Hall of Famers reacted to the invasion segment with much praise for The Irish Lass Kicker.

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1062226053232451585

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1062193791619207168

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1062219865233051648

https://twitter.com/DijakovicWWE/status/1062196855017275392

https://twitter.com/PeytonRoyceWWE/status/1062214567986688000

https://twitter.com/TeganNoxWWE_/status/1062300403281395712

Dean Ambrose Reveals Why He Turned On The Shield On Raw (Video)

Rayan Sayyed
-
5

The “Lunatic Fringe” has finally revealed what made him turn on his partner Seth Rollins a few weeks ago on Raw.

After defeating Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre in a tag-team championship match on the October 22nd episode of Raw, Ambrose turned on his partner Rollins, which was a big surprise move.

It was the same night when Roman Reigns revealed that he has been fighting from leukemia.

Ambrose again attacked Rollins last week after he lost the tag team titles to The Authors of Pain in a handicap match.

On this week’s episode of Raw, Seth Rollins was looking for answers about the betrayal from his Shield brother, and it was finally revealed in a weird promo.

Ambrose, sitting on a car next to a lit barrel, explained that he attacked Rollins because he believed that Rollins and Reigns made him weak because he had to watch their backs. He used to believe that the Shield vest made him strong, but he doesn’t think so anymore.

Saying that, he poured gasoline over the vest and threw it onto a burning barrel.

You can check out the promo below:

Read more:

10 Takeaways From WWE RAW (11/12)

10 Takeaways From WWE RAW (11/12)

Robert Lentini
-
4

The November 12, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. Here are 10 takeaways from the final episode of RAW before Survivor Series:

Braun Strowman & Stephanie McMahon Made A Deal

Strowman Stephanie RAW 11 12

RAW kicked off with a Battle Royal to determine the captains of RAW’s tag team for Survivor Series.

Braun Strowman’s music hit and he marched towards the ring. Strowman beat the hell out of everyone for a bit before everyone teamed up on him. Strowman battled back and leveled Axel, Gable and The Revival with shoulder tackles outside the ring.

Strowman grabbed a chair and got inside the ring. Slater and Roode rolled out of the ring and retreated up the entrance ramp. Braun demanded a microphone and set up the chair in the middle of the ring.

Braun said that tonight’s episode of RAW was brought to you by the monster among men. Strowman took a seat on the chair and stated that he is done chasing Corbin around. Braun added that he is not leaving this ring until Baron Corbin gets these hands.

RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon came down to the ring. Stephanie stated that Braun has every right to be upset but he cannot hold RAW hostage. Stephanie told Strowman to channel his rage towards Survivor Series. Stephanie claimed Shane McMahon disrespected everyone on RAW’s roster by winning the World Cup.

Strowman shouted that he doesn’t give a damn about Shane McMahon or representing RAW at Survivor Series. Strowman added that he knows when someone is trying to manipulate him and demanded that Corbin come down to the ring.

Stephanie boasted about Team RAW beating Team SmackDown at Survivor Series the past two years. Stephanie stated that Strowman can have whatever he wants if he leads Team RAW to victory.

Strowman said he wanted another Universal Championship match and a fight with Corbin. Stephanie agreed to the terms but added that Strowman cannot lay a hand on Corbin until after Survivor Series.

RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey interrupted and made her way down to the ring. Rousey stated that there is nothing Stephanie can say to motivate her against Becky Lynch. Ronda said that she cannot wait to show “The Man” how it is really done and rip her arm off. Rousey said that maybe she doesn’t have to wait and started walking towards Stephanie.

RAW GM Baron Corbin interrupted and said that everyone needs to calm down. Corbin told everyone to focus their aggression on Team SmackDown and then got into the ring with Strowman as the crowd chanted “get these hands!”.

Corbin claimed that it is a must-win situation and that they cannot get over-confident. Corbin put his hand on Rousey’s shoulder and tried to give her a pep talk. Rousey took him down with an Arm Drag and left the ring.

Strowman got in Corbin’s face but Stephanie quickly broke it up. Braun told Corbin to enjoy his time as Stephanie’s lapdog because, after Survivor Series, he is going to neuter him.

Tamina Defeated Ember Moon

Tamina Nia Ember RAW 11 12

Tamina faced Ember Moon tonight on RAW. On last week’s show, Tamina and Nia Jax teamed up to beat down Moon. Nia Jax accompanied Tamina down to the ring for the match tonight.

Ember immediately was distracted with Nia Jax and Tamina capitalized with a boot to the midsection. Tamina launched Ember into the corner and charged at her. Moon escaped out of the corner and went for a roll-up but Tamina blocked it.

Moon connected with a flurry of kicks and then an Enziguri that knocked Tamina down to one knee. Ember hit a forearm to Tamina’s face and went for the cover but Tamina kicked out at two. Alexa Bliss, Captain of the RAW Women’s Team, was shown backstage watching the match as Moon knocked Tamina out of the ring.

Ember hit a Dropkick off the ring apron that sent Tamina into the barricade. Moon once again became distracted by Nia Jax and Tamina capitalized with a Clothesline as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Tamina had Moon in a Headlock as Alexa Bliss looked on from the back. Moon battled back with a Dropkick and followed it up with an Enziguri.

Tamina connected with a giant punch and Moon bounced off the ropes and hit Nia with a Suicide Dive. Nia Jax didn’t move at all and just stared a Moon as she got back into the ring. Ember hit Tamina with a Crossbody and then climbed up to the top rope to set up for the Eclipse.

Jax hopped up on the ring apron to distract Moon. Tamina hit Ember with a Superkick and followed it up with the Splash off the top rope for the pinfall victory. After the match, Nia attacked Ember Moon and hit her with a Leg Drop.

Dean Ambrose Burned His Shield Vest

Dean Ambrose RAW 11 12

Corey Graves invited Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins down to the ring for an interview. Seth got a great reaction from the crowd as he walked down the entrance.

Seth hyped his match against Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series for a moment. Rollins admitted that he didn’t give a damn about Nakamura right now because tonight was RAW.

Rollins turned his attention for Ambrose and demanded answers. Seth said that Dean is not man enough to come out here and tell him why he did what he did. Dean Ambrose appeared on the jumbotron sitting on a car and next to a barrel of fire.

Ambrose said that he doesn’t need to give a reason. Dean called Rollins selfish and that he used to think that The Shield made him strong. Ambrose claimed that Rollins and Reigns made him weak and that it was a burden to have to watch their back.

Ambrose poured gasoline on his Shield vest and threw it into the fire while mocking Rollins’ burn it down catchphrase. Rollins then threw his microphone and marched up the entrance ramp.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1062160301523644417

Finn Balor Is On Team RAW At Survivor Series

Finn Balor RAW 11 12

Kurt Angle’s music hit and the crowd erupted. Dolph Ziggler’s theme then took over and Ziggler came down to the entrance ramp with a smile on his face. Drew McIntyre then joined him and they made their way to the ring.

McIntyre said that he told everyone that he was going to take over when he arrived on RAW. Drew boasted about breaking The Shield and then breaking Kurt Angle’s ankle.

Drew called Angle an embarrassment. McIntyre claimed that he saw Angle’s will to win fading when he looked into his eyes. McIntyre poked fun at Angle crying last week and said that he had never been more disgusted in his entire life.

McIntyre added that he has worked for 18 years for this moment now. Drew shouted at everyone to look into his eyes and said: “RAW is my show now and it belongs to him”.

Drew said that he will not allow any more nostalgia acts on this show and was then interrupted by Finn Balor. Finn accused McIntyre of crossing the line last week by humiliating Kurt Angle.

McIntyre said that Finn was just upset that he kicked his head off last week on RAW. Drew stated that Balor is exactly what is wrong with this place and told him to go backstage and cry with his little Balor Club.

Finn told McIntyre to shut up and challenged him to a match. Drew told Finn that he has to defeat Dolph Ziggler and then maybe he will come down to his level and face him. McIntyre then hit Balor with a headbutt as RAW went to a commercial break.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1062165642671988736

When RAW returned, Ziggler was in control and had Finn in a Headlock. Balor eventually escaped but Dolph hit him with a Dropkick for a near fall. Dolph followed it up with a Splash in the corner. Finn connected with a kick to Ziggler’s face and then climbed up to the top rope. Ziggler shoved him back down to the canvas as RAW went to a break.

Ziggler connected with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Finn battled back with a chop and then a kick to the face. Finn followed it up with a Double Stomp for a two count. Balor hit a Slingblade but Ziggler shrugged it off and hit Finn with a DDT for a near fall.

Dolph followed it up with a Fameasser for another two count. Balor booted McIntyre off the ring apron and sent Ziggler out of the ring. Finn flipped onto them both and rolled Ziggler back into the ring. Balor went for the Coup de Grace but Dolph got out of the way. Balor then rolled Ziggler up for the victory.

After the match, Stephanie McMahon and Baron Corbin approached Balor backstage. Stephanie told Balor that he is on the men’s team on RAW. McIntyre and Ziggler tried to get in Balor’s face but Stephanie shut it down. Stephanie told Drew McIntyre to do what he did to Kurt Angle to the SmackDown men’s team.

Ruby Riott Continued To Disrespect Natalya

Ruby Riott RAW 11 12

The Riott Squad came down to the ring. Ruby Riott rolled footage of her breaking Jim Neidhart’s glasses last week on RAW.

Ruby Riott said that she struck a nerve with Natalya and the entire WWE Universe after breaking the glasses. Riott stated that she understands why she has gotten the backlash.

Riott said that she humiliated Natalya in front of a worldwide and that she enjoyed every second of it. Ruby claimed that she didn’t take it far enough and that The Riott Squad has had to scratch and claw for everything they have got.

Ruby poked fun at Natalya for crying like a baby last week and that it clicked as to why Jim wore those sunglasses. Ruby said that he was ashamed to look at his own daughter.

Natalya’s music hit and Natalya attacked Ruby from behind. Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan helped Ruby out and beat Natalya down. Sarah lifted Natalya up and Ruby leveled her with a Clothesline.

Gable & Roode Are Captains At Survivor Series

Gable Roode RAW 11 12

The Battle Royal that was supposed to happen at the beginning of the show went down at the end of the second hour of this week’s RAW. Heath Slater was the first eliminated.

The Revival was the next team eliminated. Viktor threw Kalisto over the top rope to eliminate Lucha House Party. The B-Team was then eliminated and it was down to Gable & Roode vs. The Ascension.

Gable flipped onto Viktor but Konnor took him down with a shoulder tackle. Gable locked in an Arm Bar over the top rope on Konnor. Bobby Roode then snuck up behind Konnor and eliminated him.

Chad Gable and Bobby Roode are the captains of the RAW Tag Team at Survivor Series.

Brock Lesnar Demolished Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers

Lesnar Heyman RAW 11 12

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar came down to the ring with Paul Heyman. Heyman introduced himself as the advocate for the only two time Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar.

Heyman said that nobody deserves a congratulation more than Brock Lesnar. Heyman congratulated Braun Strowman on proving that he is an almost unbeatable monster and noted that Brock Lesnar hit him with 5 F5s at Crown Jewel.

Paul then congratulated the rest of SmackDown’s roster for avoiding the beating that AJ Styles is going to get this Sunday at Survivor Series. The crowd then broke out in an “AJ Styles!” chant.

Heyman claimed that Styles was going to Suplex City at Survivor Series. Heyman said that there is nobody on the planet that Lesnar wants to take to Suplex City more than AJ Styles this Sunday at Survivor Series.

Heyman said that this Sunday at Survivor Series, Brock Lesnar will win with an F5 and called Brock the champion of champions. Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp.

Mahal told Lesnar and Heyman not to underestimate AJ Styles. Jinder said that he was focused on a dream match against Brock Lesnar last year at Survivor Series and AJ capitalized on it and took the WWE Championship. Mahal offered to share his mantra with Lesnar and Brock told Heyman that he should hear this because he is Jewish.

Jinder got in the ring and repeated “Shanti” several times. Lesnar hit Jinder with a Clothesline and then delivered several ridiculous German Suplexes to the Singh Brothers. Lesnar then hit Mahal with an F5 on the floor outside the ring.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1062180867924205568

Bobby Lashley Will Be On Team RAW At Survivor Series

Lashley RAW 11 12

Bobby Lashley faced Elias again on this week’s episode of RAW. The winner of the match would be the final member on Team RAW at Survivor Series. Before the match, Lashley came down to the ring with sunglasses on. Lio Rush hyped up Lashley and said that he has the most magnificent body in the world.

Lashley posed in the ring as Lio Rush said that his body was art. Lashley then bent over and posed for the crowd in ridiculous fashion. Elias interrupted by playing his guitar and then pulled out his cell phone. Elias claimed that he was on the phone with child protective services and that Lashley was in the ring with a child that he kidnapped weeks ago.

Elias added that Lashley was just bent over in front of the child. Lashley called Elias a clown and dared him to come down to the ring and say it to his face. Elias said that Lashley sucks and played a tune on his guitar.

Lashley started off the match with a Headlock. Bobby then threw Elias to the canvas and stomped on his a couple of times. Lashley sent Elias to the corner and charged at him.

Elias got out of the way and then leveled Lashley with a Clothesline. Lashley knocked Lio Rush off the ring apron and then launched Bobby out of the ring. Elias hit a running knee to Lashley’s face off the apron. Elias slammed Lashley into the ring post but Bobby shrugged it off and slammed Elias into the steel steps. Lashley rolled inside the ring as Lio Rush held onto Elias’ leg from under the ring. The referee counted to ten and Elias was counted out.

After the match, Elias slammed Lio Rush into the barricade and brought him into the ring. Elias launched Lio through the ropes and onto Lashley on the outside.

Lashley will join Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, and Braun Strowman on the RAW men’s team at Survivor Series.

Alexa Bliss Announced The RAW Women’s Team

Alexa Bliss Survivor Series Team

Team Captain Alexa Bliss announced the RAW women’s team for Survivor Series during tonight’s show. Bliss came down to the ring with Mickie James, Tamina, and Nia Jax. Alexa said that this Sunday is about proving that RAW is better than SmackDown. Bliss demanded victory this Sunday.

Alexa stated that she sent Natalya home to regroup but she will be on the team at Survivor Series. Alexa also announced that Nia Jax and Tamina were on the team. Bliss said that the winner of this next match will be the final member of Team RAW.

Sasha Banks battled Bayley for the final spot on the team. Bliss, Mickie James, Tamina, and Nia Jax were ringside for the match. Bayley started off the match in control and rolled Banks up for a two count. Bayley hit a Clothesline for another near fall.

Sasha connected with a knee that sent Bayley out of the ring. Back in the ring, Banks climbed to the top rope and hit Bayley with Double Knees for a near fall. Bayley knocked Banks back out of the ring and went for a Dropkick but Sasha caught her.

Sasha slammed Bayley’s ribs into the ring post and followed it up with Double Knees against the post. Banks went for Double Knees again but Bayley got out of the way at the last second. Banks slammed into the ring post and then Bayley rolled her up for a near fall.

Bayley went for the Bayley to Belly but Banks dodged it and sent her to the apron. Bayley battled back and knocked Banks to the apron as well. Sasha charged at Bayley but she countered into a Bayley to Belly on the apron. Both Superstars fell to the floor as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Bayley went for an Elbow Drop off the top rope but Sasha got her knees up. Sasha went for the Bank Statement but Tamina, Nia Jax, and Mickie James got into the ring and attacked them. Alexa Bliss joined them and announced Ruby Riott as the fifth member of Team RAW.

Becky Lynch & The SmackDown Women’s Team Invaded RAW

Becky LYnch RAW 11 12

Becky Lynch attacked Ronda Rousey backstage at the end of this week’s RAW. Becky applied the Dis-Arm-Her and then taunted her after security broke it up.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch then came down the entrance ramp to a great reaction from the crowd. The SmackDown women’s roster then attacked RAW’s women’s division from behind.

Nia Jax and Charlotte battled in the corner of the ring as Becky launched Alicia Fox to the outside. Lynch was bleeding badly from her nose and Rousey’s music hit. Ronda sprinted to the ring as Lynch retreated out of the ring.

Ronda was favoring her arm and Becky got back inside the ring and hit her with a chair. Charlotte then took out Nia with a Spear outside the ring as Becky continued to hit Rousey with the chair.

Becky then led the SmackDown team through the crowd and Ronda Rousey was pissed off in the ring. Stephanie McMahon got pissed off at Corbin backstage and said that this cannot happen. Stephanie asked Baron what is going to do about it to make sure they win on Sunday as RAW went off the air.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1062191968703471617

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1062193791619207168

1...1,4921,4931,494...3,383Page 1,493 of 3,383