As if the upcoming June 7th MLW FUSION taping wasn’t stacked already..
MLW has announced the return of high-flyer Sammy Geuvara. “Mr. Money’s Worth” will square off against Fred Yehi as part of the “5 Main Events In One” card from Orlando.
This will be a MLW FUSION taping for beIN SPORTS. Tickets are available at MLWTickets.com.
Guevara’s MLW return was brokered by Promociones Dorado impresaria Salina de la Renta. Yehi, known as “The Man of 1,000 Counters,” uses a cutting edge counter grappling style that converts his defense into a dominant offense which often leaves adversaries disoriented.
Matches signed thus far for MLW’s June 7th card include:
BOUNTY MATCH:
Shane Strickland vs. Brody King
TRIPLE THREAT TO CROWN THE WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS:
Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix (presented by Salina de la Renta) vs. Jason Cade & Jimmy Yuta vs. Dirty Blondes (managed by Col. Parker)
BOILER ROOM BRAWL MATCH:
Sami Callihan vs. MVP
Jake Hager (managed Colonel Parker) vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
Rich Swann vs. ACH
Fred Yehi vs. Sammy Guevara (presented by Salina de la Renta)
Talent signed for June 7th thus far include:
Barrington Hughes
Kotto Brazil
Simon Gotch
“Bad Boy” Joey Janela (with Aria Blake)
Maxwell J. Friedman
Mike Parrow (managed by Colonel Robert Parker)
Rhett Giddins
Watch Major League Wrestling: FUSION Friday nights at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on beIN SPORTS. Learn more about MLW’s new TV series: MLW.com/fusion.
Some interesting news has surfaced online that has implications for tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live and the Money in the Bank PPV.
It’s well known by now that as a result of the ongoing storyline injury angle with Big Cass, WWE has booked Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center on the USA Network. The winner of this match will face Samoa Joe next week on SmackDown Live in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.
The WrestleVotes Twitter account is reporting that as of last week, the plan was to have a United States Title match take place at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
With Hardy holding the U.S Title, it’s likely that either he will not win tonight against Bryan or lose to Joe next week, which would allow him to defend the title at MITB.
“Regarding Smackdown tonight, as of last week a US Title match was planned for Money In The Bank. With that said, I’m not expecting a Jeff Hardy win tonight unless those prior MITB plans have changed. I guess he could theoretically win & lose to Joe next week but we’ll see.”
Fans can expect to see Sasha Banks on WWE television for years to come.
She signed with WWE and placed in their developmental brand, NXT, in 2012. While under contract with the sports entertainment company, she has been featured in several historical moments.
Her match against Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7, 2015 was the first women’s match to ever headline a major WWE event as well as the first women’s Iron Man match. the longest women’s match in WWE history at the time with a length of 30 minutes.
In 2016, she and Charlotte Flair became the first women to headline a WWE pay-per-view event and the first to compete in a Hell in a Cell match (both at Hell in a Cell in October 2016), the first women to main event Raw in a women’s match since 2004.
Between WWE and NXT, Banks has had five championship reigns due her being a former NXT Women’s Champion and a record-tying four-time Raw Women’s Champion.
Wrestle Votes, which has broken previous WWE stories in the past, reports that Banks has re-signed with WWE a couple weeks ago. It was noted in the tweet that there are plans to make her a “key part of the women’s division for years to come.”
Contract news: hearing that Sasha Banks has re-signed to remain w/ WWE within the last week or so. She will continue to be a key part of the women’s division for years to come. Sasha certainly earned her new deal. She moves lots of merchandise & the young fans love her.
Total Bellas returned on Sunday night with the premiere of the series’ third season. With all of the buzz surrounding the volatile relationship of John Cena and Nikki Bella, there were high expectations for the show’s viewership.
According to Showbuzz Daily, the Season 3 premiere averaged only 517,000 viewers.
This was way down from last year’s Season 2 premiere, which did 681,000 viewers. The Season 2 finale last October had 674,000 viewers. That’s a decline of approximately 23% in between seasons, so interest in the show is clearly waning.
This season is focused around John Cena and Nikki Bella’s relationship unwinding and Daniel Bryan’s return to WWE active competition.
Here are some video clips from the Total Bellas Season 3 premiere:
Even though some fans want him to retire, former WWE Champion Big Show is sticking around.
For those who may not recall, Big Show revealed during WrestleMania 34 week in April that he signed a new multi-year deal with the WWE in January and won’t be retiring anytime soon.
The former WWE Champion recently did an interview on Steve Austin’s podcast, and during this appearance, he talked about signing a new three-year contract with the sports entertainment company. Here is what he had to say.
“I spent some time with the big man himself. We talked. Hunter and I talked because we were concerned about my hip. We were concerned about a lot of things. And they put together a nice three-year deal for me, so I’m there another three years. I can do a lot more work with things that I’m passionate about, Special Olympics and being a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics. I get a chance to have a bit more free time now. I’m not in the trenches for five days a week like I was for 20 years at every house show and TV. I was probably on TV too much as a giant when I should have been an attraction.
The future WWE Hall of Famer continued by stating, “Instead, I was in there working all the time.” Show said, “now, I’m in a bit more of a limited role and we’re finding the right creative for me. And there’s not a lot of pressure on me to be there every week, and get people over, or carry two or three segments, or whatever we’re doing. I can kind of show up, help the younger guys here and there, and pursue outside projects that are important to me. All in all, after going through that hell with my hip surgery and Vince and [Triple H] gave me a hell of a deal, Steve. [Austin] know[s] how this business is and after 20 years in this business, I didn’t expect to get the respect they gave me by giving me this deal. It’s one of those kinds of things that’s humbling because both of them really appreciated the work that gave the company and put me in a position to where, I mean, in all sincerity, they gave me this deal in January and I haven’t done a damn thing yet.”
– Former WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz decided to have some fun through the power of social media.
The big news thus far this week was the reports of WWE signing with Fox to bring SmackDown Live to Friday nights for the next five years for the total of a $1 billion price tag.
Miz, who was moved from WWE’s flagship show Monday Night RAW to SmackDown Live last month as part of the Superstar Shakeup, took to Twitter to take credit for the sports entertainment company getting the new huge TV deal.
– It was rumored that WWE Mae Young Classic Winner Kairi Sane was backstage at this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Albany, NY at the Times Union Center NY on the USA Network. Those rumors turned out to be true.
It’s being reported that the real reason she was there was due to WWE needing her to film footage for upcoming episodes of the Edge & Christian show for WWE Network. She is still in NXT with no future plans of bringing her up to the main roster.
What are your thoughts on WWE SmackDown Live airing on Fox? Sound off in the comment section below.
WWE officials decided to book an interesting segment involving Bobby Lashley and Sami Zayn.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Albany, NY at the Times Union Center NY on the USA Network, Zayn was part of a segment that had him bring out Lashley’s three sisters as a way to try and expose him.
It turned out to not be Lashley’s actual sisters but rather it turned into a parody segment. Thus, it did not get over very well with the fans in attendance or those watching from home.
We do know the identities of two of the wrestlers playing Lashley’s sisters. Jessica was played by independent wrestler “Mr Everything” Victor Andrews while Frances was played by wrestler Max Caster, who currently works for the Create A Pro Wrestling Academy.
I want to thank everyone for your congrats to my twin cousin Jessica on her #raw debut tonight. I couldn't be prouder of her. Lol. No really thank you everyone. It was a great moment for me. Like I always say, "Don't just be anything. Be EVERYTHING!!"
Former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore (Eric Arndt) will be making his first public appearance since his departure from the company back in January.
The former Cruiserweight Champion posted a photo and message announcing that he will be in Times Square in New York City next Monday night at 9pm to thank his supporters.
“I want to engage, interact, and personally thank all of you who ever supported me! It was you who wished me luck on my future endeavors,” he wrote. “But I won’t need luck … just you.”
Enzo Amore’s WWE Departure
Amore was suspended and later released from WWE following an allegation of sexual assault. The alleged victim accused him of assaulting her at a Phoenix hotel in October 2017 while she was under the influence of drugs.
He vehemently denied the allegations, but reportedly did not speak with WWE about the situation until it went public. He was released on January 23rd.
Last week, Amore and issued a statement (via his attorney) announcing the case had been dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Smackdown and 205 Live will emanate from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA tonight. A few changes have been made to the card since matches were announced last week.
Big Cass was originally scheduled to face Samoa Joe in a Money in the Bank qualifying match but after selling an injury on the recent European tour, WWE has pulled Cass from the match. Instead of Cass vs Joe, Daniel Bryan will face Jeff Hardy with the winner facing Samoa Joe in a MITB qualification match next week.
Smackdown 5/22/18 Preview
Daniel Bryan vs Jeff Hardy
Smackdown General Manager, Paige, announced this match on Twitter recently. She stated that due to big Cass’s injury, the winner of Daniel Bryan versus Jeff Hardy will meet Samoa Joe next week. The winner of that match will qualify for Money In The Bank.
MizTV w/the New Day
New Day defeated the Bar in a match to determine which team would be able to select one member to compete in the Money In The Bank match.
This week on Smackdown, the Miz has promised to find out which member they will pick.
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match Billie Kay vs Lana
Billy Kay will wrestle Lana in singles action with the winner qualifying for the Money In The Bank match.
It’s a big match for both as Lana doesn’t have much success in the ring and Billie Kay is still relatively new to the main roster.
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match Naomi vs Sonya Deville
The former member of Absolution, Sonya Deville, will get a chance to qualify for the money in the bank match tonight. Naomi will be a tough opponent, however.
205 Live 5/22/18 Preview
Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander Segment
Buddy Murphy will challenge for Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship next week on 205 Live. We can expect some type of segment to preview this match tonight.
Akira Tozawa vs Hideo Itami
These two had been a tag team in recent weeks, only two successive losses led to infighting amongst the pair.
Tonight they will meet in one-on-one action to determine who was the stronger of their team.
WWE has informed their broadcast partners that all PPV events will now be extended to 4 hours in length. The promotion only recently reverted back to all co-branded PPVs following WrestleMania 34.
Big events, such as SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble, could even run longer than the new 4-hour standard. This is according to a recent report from PW Insider which is stating WWE has communicated this information to those who still air these shows in a traditional pay-per-view format.
Listings for the Money in the Bank PPV are stating the start time as 7PM. The Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia was 5 hours in length.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNH_50ibzLM
WWE PPV Length
The length of WWE pay-per-views has been steadily increasing over time. Originally, even the big 4 PPVs rarely lasted longer than three hours. When the company first switched to a monthly pay-per-view format, non-cornerstone shows were dubbed as “In Your House” events and had a run time of only two hours.
In recent years, however, PPV lengths for WWE and other promotions have increased. While New Japan Pro Wrestling has seemingly decreased their show length, it was not uncommon for some shows to run as long as five hours or more not too long ago.
The switch to longer PPVs is likely a way to book more talent on the shows. Following WrestleMania 34, WWE moved away from brand-specific PPVs and announced that all of these events will now be co-branded. As this creates more competition for spots on the events, WWE may have decided it was in their best interest to create more space on these shows.
What do you think of the new 4-hour standard length for all WWE PPVs? Tell us in the comments section below:
Arguably one of the most influential figures in the history of pro wrestling, former WCW President Eric Bischoff, recently took part in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit. The always outspoken Bischoff commented on controversial decisions he made during his tenure with World Championship Wrestling as well as how he would book WWE’s current product today.
Eric Bischoff AMA Highlights
Bischoff’s response to being asked why he unmasked Rey Mysterio Jr. and Juventud Guerrera:
“The goal in unmasking Rey and Juventud was to further establish their real characters with the audience. And while the strength of the mask in Mexico is obviously very important and even moreso today in the United States than it was back in the late ’90s, but Rey and Guerrera were very good-looking athletes.
As anyone who’s worked with Vince McMahon or WWE will tell you, you sell emotions with your face and expressions during a match. To a certain degree, masked wrestlers are at a certain disadvantage at getting the audience to relate to them by seeing their facial emotions during a match. The goal was to attempt to broaden the appeal for those characters by allowing the audience to feel their emotions at a greater level during matches.”
On if he would stick with Roman as the top guy if he were in charge of WWE:
“I might stick with Roman or move onto someone else. It’s impossible to say unless someone is involved with the process on a very close basis. I don’t know enough about Roman’s strengths/weaknesses as a person to know what his potential really is.
I think that is often the case when fans judge talent and wonder why someone is not getting a bigger push, or why someone is getting such a big push, when as fans/viewers you don’t really see everything there is to see when it comes to a specific talent’s skills, abilities, or potential.”
On how he would make modern day wrestling feel less bland:
I would try to bring more spontaneity to the product, I would de-emphasize the scripted performances, and emphasize talent who have the ability to cut great unscripted promos. The scripted nature of both matches and promos creates an atmosphere of sameness. Clearly this works, as we’re reading now with the Smackdown on Fox news, but that sameness makes the product feel stale and predictable.”
On if he regrets not pushing more mid-card talent or cruiserweights in WCW:
“I don’t regret anything because I’ve said in my 83 weeks podcast, context is really king. In terms of context, the Cruiserweight division was a very important part of Nitro’s success. That, combined with the fact that we had a very dense main event roster (Savage, Hogan, Piper, Sting, Luger, Goldberg, DDP, to name a few) that there’s only so much room at the very top. With context of the time, I don’t regret pushing some of that well-established talent off to the side to try to make room for a lesser known, though incredibly talented roster, but any objective person would most likely agree that the only reason why Jericho/Eddie/Benoit were able to get over the way they did was because of the massive amount of prime time exposure that I gave them in WCW.
But I wouldn’t have been able to achieve that same thing during the late ’90s with the Cruiserweight division because I had too many bigger stars in main event positions.”
The May 21st episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Here are 11 takeaways from this week’s show:
Stephanie McMahon Returned To RAW
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
This week’s episode of WWE RAW kicked off with RAW GM Kurt Angle coming down to the ring for some major announcements. Angle stated that Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax will have a contract signing tonight for their title match at WWE MITB.
Angle was about to announce a Fatal 4-Way qualifying match for the women’s MITB Ladder Match, but was interrupted by RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie called their match at WrestleMania water under the bridge and claimed to have forgiven Angle. Stephanie added that she is a leader and will always do what is best for business.
The crowd chanted “you tapped out!” and Stephanie admitted that she did. Steph stated that she wanted to see Angle’s growth as a leader continue. Stephanie McMahon said that she will be presiding over the contract signing tonight and not RAW GM Kurt Angle.
Angle said that he could always use more room for guidance. Stephanie claimed that Kurt has been giving Roman Reigns far too much latitude and that needs to end tonight. Roman Reigns joined the party and entered the ring.
Reigns was greeted with “Roman sucks!” chants as Roman asked Stephanie to say what she has to say to his face. Stephanie stated that she doesn’t understand Reigns’ tone and threatened that Roman is going to need to find another line of work because of his “Samoan temper”.
Roman threatened to go backstage and destroy all Stephanie’s favorite Superstars is she doesn’t show him some more respond. Stephanie said that she doesn’t play favorites because she is in charge of a bunch of revenue streams and that is beneath her. Roman told Stephanie to cut the corporate crap and to speak the truth to him. Reigns said that Stephanie doesn’t want him anywhere near the Universal Championship or the MITB contract.
Stephanie said that Roman lost his shot and that if he wants to go take that up with someone, he should go take it up with Jinder Mahal. Reigns said that he already did that and then Kevin Owens came down to the entrance ramp. Owens claimed that him winning the MITB contract is what is best for business.
Kevin stated that Roman needs to know the truth about how everyone really feels about him. Owens admitted that he really likes Roman Reigns and asked the crowd to chant “thank you Roman!”. The crowd didn’t and Owens told Reigns that he tried. Owens said that Stephanie is correct about her not playing favorites because he has had issues with her brother and father, yet Stephanie still positioned him as the cornerstone of RAW.
Owens put his arm on Stephanie’s shoulder and Steph told him to never to do that again. Stephanie once again said that she doesn’t play favorites and announced that Owens will battle Roman Reigns right now.
Kevin Owens faced Roman Reigns tonight on RAW. The two Superstars locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the match. Owens retreated to the ropes and told the referee to get Reigns away from him. Owens then applied a Headlock and dropped Reigns down to his knee.
Roman quickly got back up and reversed the hold. Roman then leveled Owens with a shoulder tackle that sent him tumbling out of the ring. Owens took his time getting back into the ring, but still walked into a right hand to the face. Roman beatdown Owens in the corner and then bounced his head off the turnbuckle.
Reigns hit a few more punches to the face and then Owens responded with a right hand that did nothing besides piss Reigns off. Roman unloaded a series of punches to the face and then connected with a massive one that knocked Owens to the canvas. Roman headbutted Owens in the corner as Owens tried to plead for mercy.
Owens connected with a boot to the face and hopped up to the second rope. Roman punched Owens in the face once again and Kevin fell to the floor outside the ring. Reigns paced around the ring before exiting to the outside. Roman grabbed Owens and brought him back into the ring.
Kevin Owens quickly rolled back outside and leaned up against the barricade to regroup. Roman once again followed him to the outside and then missed with the Drive By. Owens connected with a Superkick to the face and the action returned to the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Owens was perched up on the top rope and Roman joined him up there. Owens connected with an elbow to the face that knocked Roman to the mat. Owens hopped down and Reigns decked him with a Clothesline. Owens responded with a DDT for a two count.
Roman connected with a Samoan Drop and went for the cover, but Owens was able to kick out at two. Reigns geared up for the Superman Punch, but Owens countered into a roll-up for two. Owens hit another Superkick, but Reigns exploded out of the corner and hit a Superman Punch for a two count.
Owens rolled out of the ring as Reigns was about to hit the Spear. Reigns followed him and connected with a Spear outside the ring. Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh then attacked Reigns and the match ended in a DQ. Jinder launched Roman into the barricade and then threw him into the ring.
Mahal continued the beatdown in the ring and then Kevin Owens joined him. Seth Rollins came down to the ring to make the save. Rollins knocked both Jinder and Owens out of the ring as RAW went to a break.
Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns then faced Kevin Owens and Jinder Mahal in a tag match. Jinder and Rollins started the match off. Rollins connected with a Dropkick and then hit a Crossbody onto Mahal outside the ring. Reigns tagged in and dropped Jinder to the canvas.
Roman beatdown Jinder in the corner, but Mahal battled back with an elbow to the face. Owens tagged in and stomped on Reigns while taunting him. Mahal tagged back in and stomped on Reigns a coupe more times. Jinder then applied a Headlock in the corner of the ring as Rollins tried to fire Reigns up.
Owens tagged back in and beatdown Reigns in the corner. Owens once again applied a Headlock in the corner of the ring and started to taunt Seth Rollins. Roman fought out of the hold and leveled Owens with a Clothesline. Owens sent Jinder flying to the floor outside the ring. Reigns dived for a tag but Mahal dragged Rollins off the ring apron. Owens hit a Cannonball in the corner for a two count as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Roman Reigns was still stuck in the ring. Reigns battled back with a couple of right hands, but Owens quickly knocked Roman back down with a boot to the ribs. Owens applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring and demanded that the referee keep asking Reigns if he wanted to quit.
Roman battled back to his feet and lifted Owens onto his shoulders. Owens escaped but got a boot to the face for his troubles. Rollins and Mahal then tagged in and Seth connected with a Clothesline. Rollins followed it up with a Slingblade and then Clotheslined Jinder to the outside.
Seth hit Owens with a Suicide Dive and then delivered one to Mahal on the opposite side of the ring. Back in the ring, Rolling connected with a Blockbuster off the second rope for a two count. Sunil Singh hopped up on the ring apron and distracted Rollins. Mahal capitalized and slammed Seth to the canvas for a two count.
Rollins blocked the Khallas and dropped Jinder with an Enziguri. Owens tagged in and planted Rollins with a Gutbuster. Owens leaped off the second rope onto Seth for a two count. Reigns knocked Mahal out of the ring as Rollins Superkicked Owens in the face. Rollins then connected with the Curb Stomp to Owens for the pinfall victory.
Jinder Mahal attacked Reigns and Rollins with a steel chair on the entrance ramp. Mahal hit Reigns several times with a chair on the entrance ramp before WWE officials were able to break it up.
It was then announced that Roman Reigns will face Jinder Mahal at WWE Money in the Bank. It was also announced that Seth Rollins will defend the IC Title against Jinder Mahal on next week’s episode of RAW.
Bobby Lashley Beatdown His “Sisters”
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Sami Zayn came down to the ring to interview Lashley’s three sisters in an effort to expose him for his lies. Frances, Cathy and Jessica came down to the ring to ring. Well, actually it was just three men dressed in drag.
Zayn thanked them for joining him tonight and said that he totally sees the resemblance. Sami asked “Cathy” why she had to carry a broom everywhere she went. Cathy claimed that it was her mother’s broom and she used it to defend herself against Bobby Lashley.
Frances stated that she carried the helmet everywhere she went because Bobby would hit her with his knuckle on the top of her head as hard as she could. Zayn commended her bravery and moved on to Jessica.
Jessica stated that she carried a towel around everywhere she went because Lashley would make her cry all the time. A tissue wasn’t enough to handle all the tears and that the towel would be “sopping wet” by the end of the night.
Cathy claimed that Lashley only loves himself. Frances stated that their parents hated Bobby and were ashamed of him. They then shipped Lashley off to reform school. Jessica called Bobby a brat and claimed that he used to steal candy. It got so bad that Lashley’s parents would call the cops on Bobby because things got so bad.
Zayn went on a rant and called Lashley a menace to society. Lashley interrupted with a smile on his face and slowly made his way down to the ring while pumping his fist in the air. Bobby chuckled into the microphone and said that he couldn’t believe that Cathy was still single.
Bobby complimented Jessica’s outfit and stated that Frances has a big hairy mustache that all women want to have. Lashley thanked Sami for doing this for him and called him a great friend. Sami threatened to Helluva Kick Bobby in the face and called him a piece of garbage. Zayn stated that Lashley’s family thinks he is a piece of garbage.
Lashley then charged at Sami but Bobby’s “sisters” attacked Lashley from behind. Lashley battled back and hit the three men pretending to be his sisters. Lashley put the helmet on Frances and punched him in the face. Bobby threw Cathy out of the ring and then booted Jessica in the midsection. Lashley started whipping Jessica with a towel and then slammed him to the mat. Lashley threw Cathy out of the ring with the broomstick and then posed in the ring.
Opinion: It is hard to imagine how anyone thought this segment was a good idea. It rivals the “This is your life” promo with Alexa Bliss and Bayley as being one of the dumbest things I’ve had to sit through watching WWE in recent years.
Ember Moon Defeated Alexa Bliss
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Alexa Bliss faced Ember Moon tonight on RAW. Mickie James joined Alexa ringside for the match. Bliss threw Ember to the mat to start off the match and then stood on her back. Bliss stomped on Ember’s head a few times, but Moon hopped right up and leveled Bliss with a Crossbody for a two count.
Bliss rolled out of the ring to try and regroup. Ember followed her out there and knocked her to the floor. Moon was distracted by Mickie James and Bliss launched Ember into the barricade. Back in the ring, Alexa locked in an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Bliss then slammed her to the mat for a two count as RAW went to a commercial break.
Alexa was still in control of the match when RAW returned. Moon battled back and connected with a Side Slam. Ember followed it up with a Dropkick and then Alexa grabbed the ring apron. Moon dragged her into the ring as Alexa hung onto the apron. Mickie came into the ring with one of her heels in her hand. The referee stopped her and sent her to the back.
Ember dropped Mickie and then Alexa rolled her up from behind for a two count. Ember got pissed off and booted Alexa in the face. Moon then hit the Eclipse off the top rope for the pinfall victory.
Baron Corbin faced No Way Jose tonight on RAW. Jose started off the match in control, but Corbin quickly battled back and connected with a Clothesline off the ring apron. Baron stomped on Jose outside the ring and then brought him back inside.
Corbin launched Jose into the ring post and then shoved his boot in his face. Corbin applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as the crowd made absolutely no noise. A smattering of people started cheering for Jose as he made his way back to his feet.
Jose broke the hold and threw Baron into the ring post. Jose hit a boot to the face and followed it up with a Clothesline. Jose planted Corbin face-first to the mat for a two count. Corbin hit Deep Six on Jose and followed it up with End of Days for the quick victory.
Opinion: I find this feud to be completely pointless. No Way Jose is never going to be a star in WWE and Corbin has been running in place for what feels like an eternity now. A victory over No Way Jose is not a “huge win!” for Corbin, even though Michael Cole shouted it during the broadcast.
Dolph Ziggler Defeated Chad Gable
Photo Credit: @WWEUniverse on Twitter
Chad Gable had a conversation with Kurt Angle backstage. Angle stated that he wanted to replace Jinder Mahal with Gable in the MITB Ladder Match but management got in the way. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler interrupted and started poking fun at Gable and Angle. Kurt Angle said that this will get settled in the ring later.
Chad Gable faced Dolph Ziggler later on RAW and Drew McIntyre was ringside for the match. Ziggler connected with an elbow to the jaw and followed it up with a Dropkick for a two count. Dolph followed it up with a Neckbreaker. Gable threw Ziggler into the turnbuckle and then hit a German Suplex for a two count. Ziggler headbutted Gable and then hit a Superkick for the pinfall victory. After the match, Drew McIntyre got into the ring and hit Gable with a Claymore.
The B Team (Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas) faced Breezango again tonight on RAW. Axel and Tyler Breeze started off the match. Axel quickly rolled out of the ring to talk things over with Bo Dallas. Curtis got back into the ring and immediately tagged in Bo.
Breeze took control and tagged in Fandango. Fandango connected with a few jabs to Bo’s face for a two count. Fandango danced over Bo Dallas and it cost him. Axel and Dallas teamed up and slammed Fandango to the mat. Bo then pinned Fandango for the victory.
Axel and Dallas celebrated all the way up the entrance ramp and shared a hug with Corey Graves. Bo and Axel then slid down the entrance ramp on a computer chair with their fists in the air.
Ronda Rousey Vowed To Take Nia’s Title & Her Arm At WWE Money In The Bank
Photo Credit: @WWE On Twitter
RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon came down to the ring for the RAW Women’s Championship contract signing. RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax came down to the ring first and Stephanie congratulated her for winning the title. Stephanie then introduced Ronda Rousey and she came down to the ring.
Rousey asked Stephanie how her arm was and Stephanie said that it was doing really well and she appreciated her concert. Stephanie asked Rousey how it felt to leapfrog the entire women’s division. Ronda said that she knows what Stephanie is trying to do, but Nia Jax challenged her.
Stephanie claimed Nia Jax was trying to make a name for herself by facing Rousey because she has never had a singles match in WWE. Stephanie stated that Nia is bigger and more powerful than Rousey. Stephanie added that Nia also knows that Rousey hates losing and that after she does lose, Ronda will leave WWE.
Steph turned her attention to Nia Jax and said that Rousey knows the truth about Nia Jax and that she is lazy. Stephanie wondered if Rousey could even get Nia Jax in the Arm Bar because of how big and powerful she is. Nia interrupted and said that Rousey cannot get the Arm Bar on her.
Jax said she was sick of hearing that lazy crap and she has been hearing it her entire life. Nia stated that the truth is that she is going to make a name for herself by beating her at Money in the Bank. Jax and Rousey then signed the contract. Ronda then moved the table out of the way and grabbed the microphone.
Ronda said that she was happy the truth came out and then extended her hand. Nia shook Ronda’s hand, but Rousey didn’t let go. Ronda said that she is going to take Nia’s title and her arm. Nia and Ronda then had a stare down as Rousey’s music hit.
Natalya Qualified For The Women’s MITB Ladder Match
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Dana Brooke, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan & Natalya competed in a Fatal 4-Way match tonight on RAW. The winner of the match qualified for the women’s MITB Ladder Match next month at the PPV.
Liv Morgan beatdown Natalya in the corner to start off the match. Dana Brooke unloaded several punches to Sarah Logan in the corner. Natalya battled back and planted Sarah Logan with a Suplex. Natalya then threw Morgan to the canvas and followed it up with a Dropkick for a two count.
Sarah leveled Natalya with a Clothesline as Liv Morgan hit Dana with an Enziguri that sent her out of the ring. Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan were the two Superstars left in the ring. They looked up at the MITB briefcase above the ring and then shared a laugh. They then teamed up and beatdown Natalya in the middle of the ring.
Dana Brooke dragged Liv Morgan out of the ring and the two took each other out with a double Clothesline. Back in the ring, Logan connected with a knee to the face to Natalya after Ruby Riott distracted her. Logan threw Dana Brooke out of the ring and then Natalya slammed her to the mat. Natalya then applied the Sharpshooter on Sarah Logan for the submission victory.
After the match, Natalya said that she has Ronda Rousey as her training partner. Natalya stated that Rousey is become the new RAW Women’s Champion and that she is going to become Ms. Money in the Bank.
Bobby Roode faced Elias yet again tonight on RAW. Before the match, Elias performed a song in the ring and was interrupted by Bobby Roode. Elias then attacked Roode during his entrance and beat him down in the corner of the ring.
The referee asked Roode if he stilled wanted to compete and Bobby shouted “absolutely!”. Roode then threw his robe on Elias’ face and decked him with a Clothesline. Roode then hit another Clothesline that sent Elias out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
Elias had Roode in a Headlock when RAW returned. Roode escaped and connected with a couple chops to the chest. Bobby followed it up with a forearm to the face and then a Spinebuster for a two count.
Elias countered the Glorious DDT into a roll-up for a two count. Roode hit a Neckbreaker and then made his way up to the top rope. Elias crotched him on the turnbuckle and then hit the Drift Away for the pinfall victory. Braun Strowman delivered a shoulder tackle to Elias on the entrance ramp and made his way down to the ring for the main event.
Braun Strowman Defeated Finn Balor In The Main Event
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Finn Balor and Braun Strowman had a conversation with Stephanie McMahon backstage. They were trying to talk to RAW GM Kurt Angle, but Stephanie informed them that Angle had lent her his office for tonight.
They asked for a rematch against Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. Stephanie announced that they will be facing each other in a match later tonight. Stephanie had a basket of fruit on a table, along with a framed picture of Vince McMahon.
Strowman and Balor then faced off in the main event of this week’s RAW. Braun controlled the match early and threw Finn into the turnbuckle. Braun spent the next few minutes beating the hell out of Balor in remarkably boring fashion. Finn finally fought back for a moment, but Strowman knocked him back to the mat with a headbutt. Braun clubbed Finn across the chest and asked Balor if he had enough.
Finn slapped Braun in the face and Braun got pissed off. Strowman knocked Balor out of the ring and then charged towards him. Balor planted Strowman with a Slingblade and then rolled inside the ring. Balor went back to the outside and Dropkicked Strowman over the barricade.
Braun quickly got back, but Balor hit a boot to the face. Finn connected with a Double Stomp off the apron and then followed it up with a Coup de Grace off the barricade. Balor rolled back into the ring as the referee started counting. Braun got back into the ring and leveled Balor with another shoulder tackle.
Braun charged at Balor in the corner, but Finn got out of the way and Strowman crashed into the ring post. Balor connected with a Dropkick to the face and made his way to the top rope. Braun dragged him down and planted him with a Running Powerslam for the pinfall victory. After the match, Strowman lifted Balor up for another Running Powerslam, but then placed him on his feet in the corner. Strowman then pointed at the MITB briefcase suspended above the ring and then posed as RAW went off the air.
Opinion: This entire show felt phoned in. Bobby Roode and Elias are still having matches on RAW for some reason. It is not leading to anything at all, they are just fighting to kill time. The only thing that was memorable tonight was how bad the Lashley and Sami Zayn segment was. The main event was very boring and the crowd couldn’t have cared less. There are some nights when the crowd is terrible and they take away from the show. This was not one of those nights. They had nothing to cheer about or get excited for throughout the entire three hour show.
What did you think of this week’s RAW? Let us know in the comments below.
WWE has announced two matches for next week’s episode of RAW on the USA Network.
First, Seth Rollins will defend the Intercontinental Title against Jinder Mahal. Also, there will be a last chance qualifying gauntlet match involving Sasha Banks, Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Mickie James, Bayley, and Dana Brooke.
The winner of this match will be added to the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the upcoming MITB pay-per-view event.
WWE has announced a new match for the upcoming the Money in the Bank PPV.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Albany, NY at the Times Union Center NY on the USA Network, the sports entertainment company announced that Roman Reigns would take on Jinder Mahal in a singles match at this show.
The Money in the Bank pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Here is the updated card:
– Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode
– Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya
WWE is scheduled to hold a live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 7th. The promotion recently updated the card for the show. The sports entertainment company has officially announced a new match for this upcoming show, which was Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman & WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Elias, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens in a six-man tag team match. WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt, WWE Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, Finn Balor, Bobby Roode, Dolph Ziggler are also advertised for the show.
The WWE will be announcing more matches for this live event in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card for the show:
– Singles Match: Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal.
– Six-Man Tag Team Match: Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman & WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Elias, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens. – Ronda Rousey’s WWE MSG debut. What are your thoughts on this card for the show? Sound off in the comment section below.
After winning the WWE Title from John Bradshaw Layfield at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, the sports entertainment company has continued to keep John Cena as a babyface due to his popularity with younger fans. For years now, the older male audience has called for the former WWE Champion to turn heel and go to the dark side. Not only because they want to change Cena from being portrayed as a babyface, which he has done for over a decade but also because he was such a great heel back in the day.
Cena recently spoke with Arash Markazi for ESPN.com to promote the YouTube Red animated series called “Dallas & Robo,” which is set to premiere on May 30. During the interview, he talked about his future with the WWE despite all of his projects outside of the ring “I’m far from done with the WWE. The WWE will always be my home, but in this current state of affairs right now with all this extra cool stuff that’s going on, it’s fun to try. It’s a great time to be able to take a chance and I’m so eternally grateful to the WWE and its audience for bringing me to this point.
I realize I’d be nowhere without them and I never forget them. I promise as soon as I have any sort of downtime, like I had when I was at the Greatest Royal Rumble and the string of shows I did before WrestleMania, anytime free time I get will not be free, it will be spent at my home in the WWE.”
Visit ESPN to read their full interview with John Cena.
– The WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida now has an official website. If you’re interested in becoming a WWE Superstar, visit WWEPerformanceCenter.com, where you can learn more about the facility and submit an application to attend a tryout and begin your Superstar journey.
– The Heyman Hustle has released a video of Paul Heyman kicking off WrestleMania 34 Week from New Orleans with his sold out “An Evening With Paul Heyman” live show from the Joy Theatre. Award-winning documentarian Ary Dalton was on hand to capture this exclusive report from the event:
– Former WWE Superstar Summer Rae (Danielle Moinet) is featured in this new ad for Kicker Audio. The spot will air on national television in the coming weeks.
Kicker produces a wide range of audio products and is the official sponsor of the upcoming Country Stampede music festival.
– Former WCW Champion David Arquette returned to the ring over the weekend. Arquette stopped by RC’s Wrestling School in Woodford, Virginia and spent the day training with Chris Sharpe. According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Arquette was there filming for a documentary and spent all day there running drills. Sharpe noted that Arquette got put through his paces but showed dedication throughout the day.
Massive props to @DavidArquette who jumped right in & wrestled with the class all morning. He could have easily just come to hit a few moves, take some pictures & then leave. He didn't. He stuck it out & busted his butt for several hours. He has earned our respect! pic.twitter.com/iLS8MOXeXK
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has rebounded after suffering a “sudden illness” last week.
We noted earlier on the site that the WWE Legend announced on social media that he was unable to fulfill his scheduled appearances last week as a result of this illness. If you recall, just last August, he had to be hospitalized due to doctors needing to remove an obstructed part of his bowel.
Because of this, he dealt with complications including kidney failure, which required dialysis treatment.
On Monday (May 21, 2018), Flair shared a new video on his official YouTube channel promoting his latest social media platform, which you can watch below. It’s great to see the WWE Hall of Famer styling and profilin once again.
The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) had to deal with some backlash from WWE fans.
The tag team is back on TV but that doesn’t take away the fact that both Dawson and Wilder have dealt with some hurdles along the way since being called up from NXT where they were a dominant tag team to the main roster. They are known for their incredibly physical style.
The former NXT Tag Team Champions have suffered injuries since being called up but it appears that is in the past. Make no mistake about it though, most fans are rooting for them to make it big.
However, there were some fans who decided to troll the former tag champs on Twitter by criticizing them for working recent NXT live events.
Keep in mind that Tyler Breeze also made a surprise appearance at an NXT event last weekend and the majority of fans loved these surprises.
The former NXT Tag Team Champions tweeted the following about the negative feedback from fans:
The May 21st edition of WWE RAW aired live from the Times Unions Center in Albany, NY.
– RAW GM Kurt Angle comes out to the ring to kick off this week’s episode of RAW. Kurt starts running down what’s in store for the women’s division coming up, including Ronda Rousey challenging for Nia Jax’s Women’s Championship. Stephanie McMahon comes out to interrupt. Stephanie steps in the ring as the fans chant “you tapped out.” Stephanie says she did tap out, and she then starts talking to Kurt about his performance on the job. Stephanie accuses Kurt of letting his emotions get in the way, so Stephanie will personally preside over the contract signing between Ronda and Nia.
Stephanie starts cutting a promo Kurt for letting his emotions get the best of him in dealing with Roman Reigns. And with that, Reigns comes out to interrupt. Reigns steps in the ring and Stephanie says Reigns needs to stop letting his “Samoan temper” get the better of him. Kevin Owens comes out to the stage to interrupt. Owens has a mic with him, and he thanks Reigns for taking out Jinder Mahal last night, allowing Owens to take his spot in the Money In The Bank match. Owens walks into the ring and says he actually likes Reigns, and he tries to lead the crowd in a “thank you Roman” chant.
Kevin starts sucking up to Stephanie and leans his arm on her. Stephanie tells Owens to never touch her again, but he was right about one thing — she does what’s best for business and doesn’t play favorites. Stephanie says Owens and Reigns are going to settle their issues in the ring — and that’s going to happen right now. Reigns smiles and Owens protests, as Stephanie and Kurt leave the ring and the ref hops in.
– Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns: Owens starts off strong, but Reigns levels him with an uppercut and takes control. Reigns throws Owens to the outside and follows him out. Reigns throws a chop but Reigns no-sells it and drops Owens with a right hand on the floor. Reigns takes Owens back in the ring, but Owens goes right back outside for another breather. Reigns follows him out again and misses the Drive-By, and Owens capitalizes and takes Reigns back in the ring. Reigns fires up and hits some clotheslines in the corner. Owens fights back and charges, but Reigns hits a Superman punch out of nowhere. The fight spills outside again and then Jinder Mahal runs in out of nowhere. The ref calls for the DQ, and Seth Rollins runs in for the save.
Winner: No Contest
– This one gets turned into a tag match during the commercial break.
– Kevin Owens & Jinder Mahal vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns: Jinder and Owens start this one off strong and they take turns double teaming The Big Dog. Seth finally gets the hot tag and cleans house. Seth goes for a suicide dive on Jinder, but Owens grabs his feet and blocks it, so Seth drops Owens first. Seth then follows up with a suicide dive on Jinder on the other side of the ring. Seth brings Jinder back in the ring, then goes up top and hits the Blockbuster. Seth looks for the curb stomp now, but Sunil Singh gets on the apron for the distraction. Seth turns around into a shot from Jinder for the two count. Jinder looks for the Khallas, but Seth kicks him down. Owens tags in and blocks a shot from Rollins, then follows up with a gut buster. Owens hits a flying elbow drop, but Reigns breaks it up. Reigns drops Jinder, but then Owens superkicks Reigns down. Owens looks for a Pop Up Powerbomb, but Seth escapes and hits a superkick and then the curb stomp for the win.
Winners: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns
– After the match, Jinder comes back out of nowhere on the ramp and beats down Seth and Reigns. Jinder beats on them with a steel chair and stands over Reigns’ body on the ramp. Jinder leaves and Reigns and Rollins slowly get to their feet, and referees help them to the back.
– We get a look back at Bobby Lashley’s interview about his sisters.
– Sami Zayn comes down to the ring and gets on the mic. Sami brings up Lashley and his sisters. Sami introduces “Bobby Lashley’s sisters.” Three individuals come out to the stage, who appear to be men in women’s dresses and wigs. The three “sisters” get in the ring, and Sami starts interrogating them about their childhoods with Lashley. His “sisters” start describing Lashley as a violent, horrible person, and they say he was lying last week about loving his sisters. As they continue talking about Lashley being a bad kid, Lashley’s music hits and the former TNA Champion comes out to interrupt. Lashley comes down to the ring and steps in, walking past his fake sisters. Lashley steps in the ring and makes fun of his fake sisters. Lashley says Sami is hilarious and a great friend, and he thanks Sami for doing this for him. Sami gets sick of Bobby mocking him, and says he should kick Bobby in the face like a piece of garbage, because that’s what Bobby’s family thinks of him — he’s garbage. Sami goes to run and Bobby grabs him, but then his fake sisters jump in and they all stomp on Bobby. Lashley fights back and decks Sami, and then decks the fake sisters. Lashley clears the ring while Sami yells at him from the ramp. Sami retreats up the ramp as Lashley poses on the corner.
– We go to the announcers, who show us footage from the NBC Universal media event last week of Nia Jax challenging Ronda Rousey, and Ronda accepting.
– Renee Young is backstage with Alexa Bliss for an interview about Ember Moon. Alexa says the element of surprise is the greatest weapon, and Alexa didn’t even know who Ember Moon was last week. Alexa is out for a match with Moon next.
– Ember Moon vs. Alexa Bliss: Mickie James is at ringside in Alexa’s corner for this one. They lock up off the opening bell and Alexa slams Ember down by the hair. Alexa stomps on Ember now, then taunts the crowd as Ember recovers. Ember hits a cross body on Alexa and sends her outside. Ember follows her outside and hits a hurricanrana on Bliss, then Ember gets distracted by Mickie. Alexa comes back and Slams ember from behind into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Bliss works on the shoulder and keeps Moon grounded. Moon tries to mount a comeback, but Bliss slams her down. Moon finally comes back with a dropkick, but the ref gets distracted by Bliss and Mickie gets in the ring. The ref turns around and sees her, and he ejects Mickie from ringside. Moon drops Mickie, then Bliss rolls Moon up from behind for a two count. Moon fights Alexa off and then hits the Eclipse for the three count.
Winner: Ember Moon
– Moon celebrates her win on the corner as Bliss recovers.
– Stephanie McMahon is backstage when Finn Balor walks in, and then Braun Strowman, and they’re looking for Kurt Angle. Stephanie says this was Kurt’s office, but he was nice enough to let her borrow it for the night. Stephanie has made a few changes, including a photo of Vince McMahon on display. Balor and Strowman want a rematch against Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, but Stephanie doesn’t seem receptive to the idea. Stephanie reminds them they’ll be against each other at Money In The Bank, and she says Balor should blame Strowman for their loss last night. Stephanie books Balor vs. Strowman in a singles match tonight, and Strowman crushes an apple in his hand.
– No Way Jose vs. Baron Corbin: Jose comes out with his conga line. The opening bell sounds, and Jose unloads on Corbin. Jose blocks a shot and takes Corbin out on the floor. Corbin comes back off the apron and drops Jose, then stomps on him. Corbin brings it back in the ring and beats on Jose in the corner. Joe comes back with a kick and then slams Corbin down for a two count. Jose waits for Corbin to get up as he looks for the knockout punch, but Corbin counters it. Corbin follows up with a Deep Six, and then the End of Days for the three count.
Winner: Baron Corbin
– Corbin stands tall over Jose after the match as his music plays.
– Kurt Angle is backstage trying to get cell phone service, when he gets interrupted by Chad Gable. Angle and Gable chat about Gable possibly being in a Money In The Bank qualifying match, but then Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler walk in. Drew talks about beating Balor and Strowman last week, and says they’d love to do it again, but those decisions are above Angle’s pay grade now. They make some jokes about Kurt not being in his office anymore, and they mock Gable too. Gable says they aren’t as special as they think they are, and Drew steps up top Gable. Angle gets between them, and says they’ll settle it in the ring tonight. Drew and Ziggler walk off, and Angle calls them jackasses.
– We see a pre-taped promo from Tyler Breeze and Fandango making fun of The B Team’s custom t-shirts made with Sharpies. Breeze says they’ll prove that there is only room for one b-team on RAW.
– The B Team vs. Breezango: The opening bell sounds and Breeze an Axel start things off. Breeze takes control, and Axel rolls outside to regroup with Dallas. Back in the ring, Axel tags in and Breeze drops him for a two count. Fandango tags in and they double team Bo. Axel gets the tag and The B Team double-teams Fandango, which leads to Axel scoring the pin on Fandango out of nowhere.
Winners: The B Team
– After the match, Axel and Dallas go wild celebrating all the way up the ramp. They celebrate over to the announce table and high-five everyone, then they continue celebrating back at ringside.
– Stephanie McMahon comes out to the ring for the contract signing between Women’s Champion Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey. Stephanie says the world was shocked by Nia’s “challenge heard around the world” to Ronda. She hypes up their Title match at Money In The Bank, and then introduces the Champion first. Nia Jax comes out to the ring, and then Ronda Rousey comes out next. Stephanie tries to instigate some heat between Nia and Ronda, saying that there are women more deserving than Ronda, and then Stephanie eventually brings up people calling Nia “lazy.” Nia gets up and says she’s tired of people always calling her lazy, and declares she will beat Ronda at Money In The Bank. Nia signs the contract and stands up. Ronda signs and stands up, then moves the table aside, and then goes to shake Nia’s hand. Nia shakes, and Ronda says she’s going to take both the Women’s Title, and Nia’s arm. They step closer and have a stare-down as Ronda’s music hits and we go to commercial.
– Chad Gable vs. Dolph Ziggler: Back from commercial, this one is already underway. McIntyre is at ringside in Ziggler’s corner. Gable takes down Ziggler early and wrestles him down to the mat. Ziggler turns it around and hits a dropkick, then keeps Gable grounded. Ziggler continues to work over Gable until Gable takes him down and rolls him up for a two count. Ziggler gets up and starts working over Gable’s knee. Ziggler blocks a German suplex attempt, and follows up with a neckbreaker on Gable. Ziggler charges at Gable in the corner, but Gable stops him with an elbow to the face. Gable dodges a superkick, and then rolls up Ziggler for a two count. Gable sends Ziggler int othe corner and hits a German suplex for a two count. Ziggler comes back with a headbutt and then a superkick for the three count.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
– After the match, Drew hits the ring and hits the Claymore kick on Gable. Ziggler and McIntyre stand tall over Gable as we go to commercial.
– Dana Brooke vs. Natalya vs. Liv Morgan vs. Sarah Logan: This one is a qualifying match for the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match. Th opening bell sounds, and Liv goes after Natalya, while Logan beats down Dana. Liv works over Natalya in one corner, while Logan and Dana brawl in the other corner. Logan and Dana fight out to the apron, and then Natalya comes over and goes after Logan. Natalya hits a suplex on Logan for a two count. Liv comes at Natalya but misses a shot, and Natalya slingshots her down. Natalya continues to beat on her and hits a basement dropkick for a two count. Logan comes back out of nowhere and floors Natalya, but Dana breaks up the pin. Dana clotheslines Logan down, but then Liv drops Dana with an enziguri. Liv and Logan are alone in the ring now, and they tease fighting, but they decide against it and go to beat on Natalya some more. Dana pulls Liv out to the floor and drops her hard. Natalya hits a side Russian leg sweep on Logan, and then goes for the sharpshooter but Ruby distracts her from ringside. Logan drops Natalya for a two count. Dana comes in, but Logan sends her into the ring post and Dana is down. Logan turns around into a discus clothesline from Natalya. Natalya follows up with a Sharpshooter, and Logan taps out.
Winner: Natalya
– Natalya now has a spot in the Money In The Bank ladder match. After the match, Natalya does an in-ring interview where she talks about training with Ronda Rousey. She says after the pay-per-view, Ronda will be Champion and she will be Ms. Money In The Bank.
– Elias is out to the ring for a song. The crowd chants along with Elias to start. Elias takes credit for WWE’s stock being at record highs, and he takes some shots at Albany. Bobby Roode’s music hits, and we have a match. As Roode gets in the ring, Elias attacks Roode from behind and beats him down before the bell. Roode tells the ref he’s good to go, and the ref calls for the opening bell.
– Elias vs. Bobby Roode: Roode fires up and unloads on Elias with strikes. Roode sends Elias out to the ringside floor and Roode stands tall in the ring. Back on the mat, Elias comes back with a clothesline on Roode. Elias works on keeping Roode grounded now, until Roode fights up and hits a big spinebuster for a two count. Roode looks for the DDT, but Elias counters and backdrops him. Elias hits knee, but then Roose fires back with a kick. Roode misses the blockbuster, and he starts selling a knee injury off the landing. Roode connects with a swinging neckbreaker on Elias, and then he goes up top. Elias crotches Roode on the top rope, then Elias pulls Roode down and hits the Drift Away for the three count.
Winner: Elias
– Elias heads up the ramp after the match. Before Elias can get to the curtain, Braun Strowman comes charging out and he levels Elias by bumping into him. Braun heads down to the ring for his main event match with Balor.
– Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman: The opening bell sounds and they stare each other down and then start trading shots. Balor tries to take down Strowman, but Strowman clubs him down. Braun headbutts Balor down, and then whips him hard into the corner. Braun screams and talks trash to Balor, blaming Balor for getting pinned last week. Balor finally fights back and starts taking out Braun’s knee. Braun is hobbling around selling the knee, but he still drops Balor again for a two count. Braun kicks Balor out through the ropes to ringside. Braun follows him outside and throws Balor into the ring. Braun gets back in and continues to work over Braun, until he misses a shot in the corner and Balor boots him in the face. Braun charges again, but Balor dodges and Braun crashes into the turnbuckles. Balor boots him in the face again and follows up with more strikes. Braun no-sells a chop, and then headbutts Balor back down. They fight out to ringside again, and Braun strikes Balor out of mid-air. Braun yells at Balor again, asking if he’s had enough. Braun says he’s done playing, and while Balor tries to fight back, Braun drops him again. Balor rolls outside, and Braun follows. They run around the ring and Balor hits the Slingblade on the floor. Balor runs around and dropkicks Braun over the barrier into the crowd. Balor rests up against the barrier for a breather, and Braun raises up from below the barrier and grabs Balor from behind. Balor fights off Braun by kicking him in the neck, and Braun is down. Balor comes off the apron with a double foot stomp on Braun on the floor, and then he hits the Coup De Grace off the barrier onto Braun again on the floor. Back in the ring, Braun misses a shot in the corner and Balor dropkicks him into the turnbuckles. Balor goes up top for the Coup De Grace, but Braun grabs him by the throat. Balor escapes and runs the ropes, but Braun catches him in a powerslam. Braun drops his shoulder straps and picks up Balor for a second running powerslam, then he pins for the three count.
Winner: Braun Strowman
– After the match, the ref checks on Balor as Braun’s music hits. Braun walks over and picks up Balor, then sets Balor in the corner. Braun leaves Balor alone to recover, and Braun walks back to the middle of the ring and looks up at the briefcases. Braun looks at Balor, and then walks off as RAW goes off the air.
Former WCW and WWE ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta recently did an interview with The Wrestling Estate to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Cappetta first discussed professional wrestlers today, such as Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks, succeeding outside of WWE:
“Yeah, and it’s healthy for everybody. When I see the success of Cody, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, I call it the democratization of wrestling. That’s a group of guys who have gained power, mostly independent from a major corporate organization. If WWE ever seeks them out or if they ever want to go to WWE, there’s an even playing field that didn’t exist in the past.
“I would compare them to Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher, who didn’t need American promoters in order to have a successful wrestling career. They were able to call their own shots. And now they’re All In promotion in Chicago. I wish them well. They’re really sharp. It was more difficult to do in the past because today there are free marketing tools available online, but they’re very savvy in how they use them.”
Cappetta then discussed Roman Reigns and his current position in WWE. In regards to his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34, Cappetta thoroughly enjoyed it and called it a ‘brutal’ match he’d show to anyone who thinks wrestlers aren’t athletes:
“I like Roman Reigns. I don’t understand what exactly they’re doing with him, and I don’t really understand why the fans boo him, other than they’re following what somebody else said they should be doing.
“Anybody that saw the WrestleMania match between him and Lesnar, you’ve got to have respect for these guys. What a brutal match. That would be a match I’d show someone who says these guys aren’t athletes.”
In regards to the late-WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino, Cappetta says he ranks him in the top five all-time greats:
“Top five. There would not have been a healthy WWF to purchase and take forward and expand if it wasn’t for Bruno. I kind of chuckle when I hear Mr. Today Wrestler is seven-times world heavyweight champion. But how long did he hold that title for?
“Sammartino was a two-time champion, but he held it for a long stretch of time and carried the promotion on his back. There’s a big difference and it sort of diminishes the title. That kind of phraseology is meant to build up the personality for the here and now, but it shuts out the historic importance.”
You can check out Cappetta’s full interview with The Wrestling Estate by clicking this link here.
Former NXT Champion Samoa Joe recently did an interview with Sky Sports to promote the WWE’s European tour. During the interview, Joe was asked about some of the feuds he has been a part of before he joined WWE.
This was in reference to the work that Joe has done with other promotions such as IMPACT Wrestling and Ring Of Honor (ROH). The interviewer joked that they couldn’t mention the names of the other companies.
Joe revealed that he is allowed to name other companies while with WWE, but he chooses not to in order to anger some wrestling fans:
“Yeah, I worked with him at a bunch of other companies other than here. No, we can, we can totally say the name, I chose not to. Everybody says ‘Oh, you can’t say the name’ no, I don’t because I know at home you’re going to get on your message board and you’re gonna be like, ‘He didn’t say it! He didn’t say it!
“Just say it for me!’ I’m not saying it because you’re reacting that way and you’re a grown human being, it’s ridiculous. … You know! You already have the information, you just want me to say it again? It’s just so redundant.”
You can read Joe’s full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.
Last weekend, the All In press conference took place from the Pro Wrestling Tees retail store in Chicago, Illinois. It was an eventful afternoon to say the least. In addition to the announcements that Rey Mysterio is All In and Cody Rhodes will challenge for the NWA Championship on the show, All In sold out 10,000+ tickets in just a half hour.
Jenn Sterger hosted the press conference and dropped a bombshell during an appearance on Collider’s Bodyslam podcast. Sterger says
“I’m just saying [All In] literally might be the best in the world. I will only say someone wearing sweatpants and training for something walked into the back of the building that the press conference was in, with marks, mind you, lining the entire sidewalks in the front of the building, and I just kept thinking ‘If they knew you were back here, they would literally tear down the front of the store.'”
Best in the world .. training for something .. if that wasn’t obvious enough, she added,
“What better way, if you were going to make your return to wrestling, than the biggest indie show ever?”
As reported earlier this month, a CM Punk meet and greet event will be taking place in Chicago during “All In” weekend (8/31) at the same venue this press conference took place. We’ll find out on September 1st if CM Punk is in fact All In, but it’s remarkable either way that Cody and the Young Bucks didn’t even need a confirmed appearance from CM Punk to sell out the event.
You can listen to a clip of Jenn Sterger’s comments below:
Roman Reigns is a hot topic of conversation in the professional wrestling world. Much of that discussion has to do with whether or not The Big Dog should turn heel or not.
Reigns is continuously pushed as the top babyface of the company, but the WWE Universe has been denying him for the past several years by booing him relentlessly.
Many WWE legends, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, believe the time is now to turn Reigns heel. Add former WCW star Kevin Sullivan to that list.
He recently joined Interactive Wrestling Radio (IWR) and offered his thoughts on the Reigns situation. Here’s what he had to say:
“It is so easy. I think I could get him (Reigns) up and running in 8 weeks. To me, it doesn’t matter if they cheer him or boo him as long as it gets asses in seats. I used to think you could get a guy over just by pushing him. You can’t do that anymore. This is now. Wrestling fans are conasaursnow.
“Like the cigar days or the wine craze where everybody was a conasaur of wine. Now everybody is a conasaurs of wrestling and they’re not going to take you shoving people down their throat. I think this is a challenge that they think they’re going to win. I think they should cut their losses and turn him.”
You can listen to Sullivan on Interactive Wrestling Radio by clicking this link here.
According to a report from Austin Kellerman, the trial for CM Punk and Colt Cabana against WWE doctor Chris Amann has been delayed. It was set to take place this morning but apparently the case was reassigned to a new judge, Judge Elizabeth Budzinski, thus the reason for the delay:
WWE Superstar Maria Kanellis recently took to Instagram to post a lengthy comment to her critics. Here’s what she had to say:
“Tell me again how I don’t belong, how I don’t deserve it, how I am talentless… thanks for the inspiration a-holes. I worked in WWE for 5 and a half years before working on the Indy’s. I could have quit after WWE. Married some rich dude ‘to take care of me.’ I didn’t. I worked my ass off. My house was foreclosed on in 2012. My reality show got dropped. I kept working.
“So, I graduated with honors with a bachelors degree. My husband had a drug addiction. So, I fought for my marriage. I got pregnant. So, I started a business. I had a baby… so, now I’m working my way back. I’m not done. ‘Fans’ keep running your mouths. And I’ll say thank you because one of my favorite things to do is prove people wrong. ‘Fans’ forget I love this business. I love wrestling. I love managing. And I’m not done.”
