On a recent edition of the Table For 3 show on the WWE Network, Road Dogg, WWE Hall Of Famer Jeff Jarrett, and RAW Superstar Elias sat down for a chat.
During the episode, Road Dogg made a very interesting revelation. It turns out that the current theme song for WWE Champion AJ Styles wasn’t originally written for him. Instead, it was written for IMPACT Wrestling’s James Storm.
Storm had a brief run in WWE with the NXT brand back in 2015. Instead of signing a deal with WWE, however, he instead decided to return to IMPACT Wrestling. AJ Styles made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble shortly after, and decided to use the song.
Here’s what Road Dogg had to say:
“That was originally written and developed for James Storm,” said Road Dogg. “And James passed [on the theme song] and he went a different direction, and AJ stepped in and it just worked out perfectly.”
Tonight (Tues. May 15, 2018) former NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas will make his main roster debut on SmackDown Live. Almas’ manager, Zelina Vega, took to Twitter and noted she has Almas “focused and ready” for his debut tonight:
Former RAW Tag Team Champion, and son of WWE referee John Cone, Nicholas has been uploading WWE-related videos on YouTube.
He first created the channel a few years ago for video gaming, but now he has been posting WWE-related content including showing off his WWE t-shirt and looking at some wrestling figures he has. Check it out here:
Nicholas was selected as Braun Strowman’s WrestleMania 34 tag team partner out of the audience. They took on The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) for the RAW Tag Team Championships and wound up winning the titles.
The following night on RAW, Nicholas and Strowman relinquished the titles due to a scheduling conflict with Nicholas (he’s still in school).
Hulk Hogan continues to talk about a potential return to the WWE.
Hogan has been a household name in the world of professional wrestling for decades now. He has wrestled some of the biggest names in the history of pro wrestling, and although he has a long-lasting relationship with the company, there have been some hiccups between the two sides throughout the years.
Currently, he’s outside of the bubble of the sports entertainment company but it appears that it’s just a matter of time before they bring him back.
Hogan was fired from WWE in the summer of 2015 after racially charged comments from a sex tape came to light. Gawker alleged that Hogan only filed a lawsuit against them to prevent the racial statements from being released. Hogan’s WWE return has depended on the company being reasonably sure that bringing him back won’t cause a big backlash due to his racist comments.
Hogan was interviewed by The Buffalo News to promote an upcoming autograph signing in the area. During this interview, he talked about the fans who are still upset about the racially insensitive comments he made.
“People know me. I’m human being like anybody else, and sometimes, people make mistakes. When they do, you watch that person a little bit more closely than you did before to see what kind of person they really are. I just want people to judge me by my actions, not a few misspoken words. To those few fans who feel (hurt), I’m forever sorry, and I’ll do whatever I can to make them feel comfortable with me.”
Earlier this month, TMZ Sports reported that Hogan and WWE have been in contact and the talks have been “positive.” According to the report, for the Greatest Royal Rumble event, WWE was requested to bring Hogan in and appear at the event. WWE officials were also keeping an eye on Hogan’s speech from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame induction.
“Until you hit a home run, it’s not a home run. All these things say it’s imminent or rumors, that’s like saying ‘maybe, possibly, could be.’ Until I’m back home with the WWE, I’m not home. Hopefully some day I can go back home and be with my family, the wrestlers and all the people I love. I just really, really hope it happens.”
What are your thoughts on him making a potential return to the WWE? Sound off in the comment section below.
One former WWE superstar is headed to Impact Wrestling.
On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, the promotion announced that Rich Swann will be appearing at their TV tapings on June 1st and 2nd at St Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. The promotion sent out the following announcement:
Despite the fact that Swann has gone on record in the past by stating that he plans to retire from wrestling after finishing his indie bookings, he decided to return to the ring and continue to take indy bookings.
Back in December, Rich Swann was arrested in Gainesville, FL and was charged with Kidnapping and False Imprisonment, which is a third-degree felony in Florida that is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted.
The charges were later dropped. However, it was announced in February that Swann and WWE parted ways. What are your thoughts on him working for Impact? Sound off in the comment section below.
Last night’s RAW dark match featured a Six-Man Tag Team match between the teams of Bobby Lashley, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins against Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Elias.
After the match was over, Elias came out to the ring and got the opportunity to sing to the crowd. You can check out the video here below:
Michael Cole has been teasing Matt Hardy and his “Woken” persona for quite some time on WWE TV. Hardy has been also been teasing taking action against the RAW commentator for his comments recently. It seems that there are already “plans in motion” for that to happen very soon.
Reby Hardy recently took to Twitter to respond to a fan’s question on Twitter, asking when the “OBSOLETE MULE” Cole would finally be silenced. Here’s what she had to say:
As we’ve noted, Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks’ self-funded “All In” event sold out in less than 30 minutes. The event goes down on September 1st from the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
According to a report from Bodyslam.net, WWE’s reaction to the “All In” event selling out is – nothing. Apparently the WWE is not at all concerned or conversing about “All In.” The biggest topics of conversation backstage in WWE right now includes the Greatest Royal Rumble event, WWE’s stock price, and the current European tour.
The report also suggest that some people actually laugh at The Bullet Club because they sell a lot of t-shirts, but they wrestle in front of small crowds. Of course, “All In” will seat 10,000 fans – and the event sold out.
Discussion: What do you make of WWE not reacting to “All In” backstage? Do you think they’re simply no-selling the news? And how do you feel about those backstage mocking The Bullet Club?
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have the kind of on-screen relationship that will have them involved in each other’s careers for the foreseeable future.
The pair were good friends on WWE NXT, until Zayn won the Championship and was betrayed by Owens. Once both men found themselves on the main roster they had some classic battles inside the ring and continued their rivalry.
Now, Zayn and Owens are friends again and are currently on Monday Night RAW together. There have been hints recently that the duo could turn on each other again very soon. Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, that will indeed happen.
WWE seems to be taking a slow-burn approach with these two, but they will inevitably feud with one another down the road again. If it’s dragged out long enough, perhaps this could lead to a singles match between Owens and Zayn at WrestleMania 35 next year in New Jersey.
Discussion: How do you feel about WWE having Owens and Zayn feud over a long period of time? Would you like to see them have a singles match at WrestleMania?
The independent All-In event being promoted by Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks is getting the attention of some of the biggest names in wrestling. The show has sold 10,000 tickets, making it the first non-WWE wrestling event to reach the 10,000 ticket mark in some time.
Former ECW owner and current WWE on-air manager Paul Heyman commented on the success on Tuesday, writing on Twitter that the “truly epic” ticket sales news would make the late Dusty Rhodes proud.
What @CodyRhodes and #TheYoungBucks@MattJackson13 / @NickJacksonYB have accomplished is truly epic. They have built a brand, self-marketed yourselves, negotiated your destinies on multiple continents AND sold over 10,000 tickets to your own event … on your own terms.
It goes without saying that #Dusty would be so very very proud of @CodyRhodes and @MattJackson13 and @NickJacksonYB, and I hope everyone involved is proud of themselves, because this particulatr accomplishment cannot and should not be understated.
Heyman previously credited Cody Rhodes in an interview with NBC Sports, where Heyman compared him to one of the biggest stars in wrestling history – Stone Cold Steve Austin.
“Cody reminds me a lot of when Steve Austin got out of WCW,” Heyman told NBC Sports in April. “In that Steve needed to find himself and when I put him on camera in Philadelphia at 5 o’clock in the morning, after a show, is when a truly pissed off, tired, aggravated Steve Austin found his inner persona that morphed into Stone Cold Steve Austin.
“Cody has found himself in that very same way in that his angst over not being able to bring forward what he envisioned for himself in WWE has propelled him to new heights outside of WWE. He would have never found that within the company. Kudos to Cody for leaving and for sticking to his vision and to finding that box office appeal that has always lived inside of him.”
All-In takes place on September 1st at the Sears Center in Illinois. The show is scheduled to be headlined by Cody Rhodes challenging Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Title. If Cody wins, it will mark the first time a father and son have both held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
EVOLVE returns this weekend with two new shows. EVOLVE 104 is scheduled to take place on Friday in Summit, IL at the Summit Park District and EVOLVE 105 on Saturday in Livonia, MI at the Monaghan Knights Of Columbus Hall. The promotion has stacked the lineups for these upcoming events. The main event for EVOLVE 104 will see Austin Theory defend the WWN Title against DJ Z while EVOLVE 105 will see Matt Riddle defend the EVOLVE Title against Keith Lee. Here are the cards: EVOLVE 104
Main Event #1 – WWN Championshp Match Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly defends vs. DJZ Main Event #2 – Non-Title EVOLVE Champion Matt Riddle vs. Shane Strickland EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Match – Anything Goes Chris Dickinson & Jaka with Stokely Hathaway vs. The End Heavyweight Challenge Match Keith Lee vs. James Drake Grudge Match Tracy Williams vs. Dominic Garrini with Stokely Hathaway Special Challenge Match AR Fox with The Skulk vs. Zachary Wentz Freelance Rivalry Comes To EVOLVE Anthony Henry vs. Stevie Fierce Freelance vs. WildKat Matt Knicks, Chris Castro & Isaias Velazquez vs. J.Spade, Amarok & Jonny Flex Four Way Freestyle Darby Allin vs. Trey Miguel vs. Myron Reed vs. Snoop Strikes
EVOLVE 105 EVOLVE Championship Match – No Rope Break Match – The Final War Matt Riddle defends vs. Keith Lee EVOLVE Tag Team Championship Match (if Catch Point retain at EVOLVE 104) Chris Dickinson & Jaka with Stokely Hathaway & Dominic Garrini defend vs. James Drake & Anthony Henry Grudge Match Tracy Williams vs. Odinson of The End Special Attraction Match Darby Allin vs. Shane Strickland The Present vs. The Future Match #1 – Non-Title WWN Champion Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly vs. Trey Miguel The Present vs. The Future Match #2 DJZ vs. Zachary Wentz The Present vs. The Future Match #3 AR Fox vs. Myron Reed Tag Team Attraction The End vs. N8 Mattson & Orlando Christopher
What are your thoughts on this lineup? Do you plan on watching? Sound off in the comment section below.
Braun Strowman was involved in an incident that was accidentally botched.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in London, England at the O2 Arena on the USA Network, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre defeated Finn Balor and Braun Strowman in a tag team match.
During the match, Strowman broke the Greatest Royal Rumble trophy that he received along with a title belt for winning the 50-Man Royal Rumble Match last month at the WWE Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on the WWE Network in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah International Stadium.
The spot happened when he tackled Drew McIntyre in the match, which you can see here.
Ronda Rousey is featured in the first trailer for the upcoming “Mile 22” film.
If you recall, she was filming this movie around the time that she made her surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in January.
The movie is expected to be released on August 3rd, 2018 and stars Rousey, Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, and John Malkovich. The description of the film reads like this, “In a visceral modern thriller from the director of Lone Survivor, Mark Wahlberg stars as James Silva, an operative of the CIA’s most highly-prized and least understood unit. Aided by a top-secret tactical command team, Silva must retrieve and transport an asset who holds life-threatening information to Mile 22 for extraction before the enemy closes in.”
Although Rousey has only competed in one match in her pro wrestling career, the WWE has already announced that Rousey would challenge Nia Jax for the RAW Women’s Title at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
Do you plan on seeing this movie? Sound off in the comment section below.
– The big news thus far this week involves Ronda Rousey.
The sports entertainment company has announced that the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion would challenge Nia Jax for the RAW Women’s Title at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena.
After the news was made official, fellow Horsewoman, Shayna Baszler took to her official Twitter account to comment on the news by writing the following:
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross had some high praise for WWE NXT star Lacey Evans in a recent post on his Twitter account. He sent out the following message:
“This lady is on the road to becoming very special in @WWE. #BlueChipper.”
Tonight’s SmackDown will feature WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura squaring off once again, with the winner earning the right to choose the stipulation of their match at Money in the Bank.
Here is the updated card for WWE’ next pay-per-view event:
WWE Championship Match (Stipulation TBA) AJ Styles defends against Shinsuke Naamura
RAW Women’s Championship Match
Nia Jax defends against Ronda Rousey
Men’s Money in the Bank Laddeer Match: Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Bobby Roode vs. Kevin Owens vs. Two Smackdown Wrestlers TBD
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
Ember Moon vs. Charlotte vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Two Raw Wrestlers TBD vs. Three Smackdown Wrestlers TBD
WWE Money in the Bank 2018 takes place on Sunday, June 17th from Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena.
Roman Reigns’ win against Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 probably meant more than the passing of the torch to the people backstage as it also sealed Roman’s position as the new locker room leader – a spot that was held by the Dead Man for a long time.
During a recent interview with The Sun, The Big Dog was asked if the Last Outlaw thinks that he is doing a good job as the top guy of the company.
Replying to it, Reigns said that he doesn’t want to reveal much about his discussions with Taker but claimed that the former World Champion has seen his body of work:
“I don’t like to talk too much about what me and the Deadman talk about. He’s still one of those characters – one of those guys in the locker room who has a lot of mystique. But he’s seen my body of work and I think I’ve done a good job of using everything I was able to take from him within that main event at WrestleMania.”
Apart from this, Roman Reigns talked about how the Undertaker understands the shifts in the business, how he combats with the negative fan reaction and more. You can check out his full interview here.
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw saw Kevin Owens pulling double duty. He first wrestled in an Intercontinental Championship match against Seth Rollins in a losing effort.
The former Universal Champion then went on to replace Jinder Mahal in the announced Triple Threat main event of the show which saw Kevin winning the bout and qualifying for the Money In The Bank.
However, Owens’ night didn’t end there as he wrestled one more match after this. He teamed up with Sami Zayn & Elias to face the team of Bobby Lashley, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins in a dark main event.
The tag match was won by the faces to send the crowd home happy. It’s worth mentioning here that Rollins, Lashley, and Elias also pulled double duty during the night as they had wrestled matches earlier in the show.
Bobby Roode On Qualifying For Money In The Bank
This week’s episode of Raw saw Bobby Roode, Alexa Bliss and Kevin Owens qualifying for their respective Money In The Bank matches after winning separate bouts during the event.
After the show, WWE posted a Raw fallout video featuring Bobby Roode where the former NXT Champion talked about his victory and the upcoming Ladder match.
Roode said that being the WWE Champion has been his dream since he was 8 years old and the title is the reason why he is here. The video can be seen below:
WWE is back in London’s O2 arena for Smackdown and 205 Live tonight. Only two matches have been announced thus far for Smackdown. There is a lot at stake in both matches, however.
Smackdown Live Preview (5/15/2018)
AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Commissioner Shane McMahon has announced that the winner of this match will earn the right to choose the stipulation for their upcoming title match at the Money in the Bank PPV.
Styles and Nakamura have now wrestled each other on the last 3 PPVs. Styles won the first match but the following two would both end in draws.
Andrade “Cien” Almas Makes His Smackdown Debut
The former NXT champion will finally make his debut on the main roster tonight.
His journey to Smackdown was not without its obstacles but Almas was able to turn his time in NXT around thanks in part to the ringside assistance of Zelina Vega.
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match the New Day vs the Bar
Even though this will be a tag team match, the winning team is only allotted one entrant into the Money In The Bank match.
This dynamic could get interesting for the winning team if there is dissension regarding which member is picked to enter the Money In The Bank match.
Carmella’s Royal “Mellbration”
Carmella plans to throw a big celebration in honor of her first defense of the Smackdown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair.
The champion contends that her celebration will upstage even the royal wedding.
205 Live Preview
205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick, has not revealed too many details about tonight’s episode. What he has revealed, however, is that much like the last time the brand was in London, stars of the UK division will compete against members of the 205 Live roster tonight.
While no matches have been officially announced, UK wrestlers Mark Andrews and Tyler Bate could likely find themselves competing tonight.
Last night Monday Night Raw took place from the 02 Arena in London. Former WWE tag-team champions, the Hart Dynasty, reunited backstage during the event.
The moments were captured on Natalya’s social media accounts.
A little #HartDynasty reunion backstage at #Raw with two people who helped me get to where I am today! From training with me relentlessly in The Dungeon to having my back traveling across entire world doing what we love… thank-you @DBSmithjr and @TJWilson for everything! ? pic.twitter.com/vgzmmXBExU
While the Hart Dynasty officially began their professional wrestling careers in Florida Championship Wrestling in 2007, its members have been wrestling together long before then. Harry Smith, who now wrestles under the name Davey Boy Smith Jr and Natalya Neidhart are cousins. The British Bulldog and Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart were often opponents in the British Bulldogs vs Hart Foundation rivalry of the 1980s. In the 1990s, they became teammates in the Hart Foundation stable and eventually were put together as a tag team in WCW as well.
Tyson Kidd was a family friend of the Hart’s growing up in Calgary. As a kid, he would often practice in the family wrestling ring along with Harry, Natalya, and Teddy Hart.
Speaking of Teddy Hart, he has reinvigorated his own wrestling career as of late. In addition to making several appearances on the independent scene, he has also made appearances along with Impact Wrestling stars through Destiny Wrestling. He had been a member of the Hart Dynasty while in WWE developmental, although he never cracked the main roster as the other members did.
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
It has been an interesting last month and a half for Davey Boy Smith Jr. He was wanted for questioning by police after an incident over WrestleMania weekend. Smith is accused of (and would later admit to) throwing coffee at Jake “the Snake” Roberts. The incident goes back to comments Jake had made about Smith’s father on a podcast episode.
The beef between the two was reportedly squashed on a recent phone call. Bret Hart is said to have moderated a call between Jake and Smith.
After selling out Chicago’s Sears Center Arena in under 30 minutes, members of the Elite are likely feeling pretty good these days.
We still don’t have any official matches for the show. We know Cody will be challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship currently held by Nick Aldis. We don’t know if Nick Aldis will still be the champion come September 1st, 2018, however.
Matt Jackson has commented on the length of All In. He specifically mentioned he does not want the show to be a five or six-hour marathon as some New Japan Pro Wrestling shows are. Jackson was interviewed by WrestleZone radio recently and answered questions on what fans can expect on September 1st.
Jackson was asked specifically about how long All-In will be.
“I like three hours,” Jackson said. “I have a short attention span and I’m a father of two. I think I’m a millennial, I’m 33 now. I think three hours is realistic and I am going to try and keep it around that.”
NJPW often runs shows which pass the 4 and even 5-hour mark. The Greatest Royal Rumble was also a show of similar length.
In terms of other wrestlers which could still be booked for the show, Jackson mentioned the booking team gets a lot of requests.
“I was asked the other day about “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan and I was like, ‘He’d probably cost $150,000 just to make an in-ring appearance.’ I can’t afford that,” Jackson said. “When we first announced this show, I think everyone just assumed we had these endless funds so just go ahead and bring in whoever! Sometimes there are names that are just unrealistic. It really is just three guys running a show. Give me a break.”
Jackson also stated NJPW has been great about the event and said they could ask for whatever wrestler they wanted. Kazuchika Okada seems like a good choice.
WWE RAW was taped in the O2 Arena in London, England. Here are 11 takeaways from this week’s show:
Roman Reigns Was Denied Another Opportunity To Qualify For The MITB Ladder Match & Took Out His Anger On Jinder Mahal
Photo Credit: @WWEUniverse on Twitter
Roman Reigns kicked off this week’s episode of WWE RAW. Reigns had a smirk on his face as the crowd booed him down to the ring. Roman said that he got robbed last week by Jinder Mahal. Reigns challenged Jinder to come out to his yard and face him like a man.
RAW GM Kurt Angle’s music hit to a great reaction from the crowd. Angle joined Reigns in the ring and informed him that Jinder will not be coming out. Angle stated that he got a call over the weekend and was informed of a couple of things. He was told that he was wrong to deny Jinder Mahal an opportunity to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match. He was thinking emotionally and needs to use logic next time because that is “what is best for business”.
Angle then announced that Mahal will battle Elias and Bobby Lashley tonight in a Triple Threat Match to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match. Kurt then said WWE management will not be giving Roman Reigns any more opportunities to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match. Roman stated that he understood that Angle has a family and is just doing what he has to do to keep his job. Roman added that now he has to go do what he has to do and left the ring as the crowd sang “na-na-na-hey-hey-hey-goodbye”.
Reigns was shown looking around for Jinder Mahal backstage. Reigns found him and threw him into a wall backstage. Reigns continued the beatdown down to the entrance ramp. Roman connected with a Superman Punch and then geared up for the Spear. Kurt Angle and WWE officials then separated the two and Mahal ran away as the crowd chanted “Roman sucks!”.
Later on RAW, Jinder Mahal said that he will still be able to compete tonight after Kurt Angle noted that tonight was the last night to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match. Mahal stated that he has battled adversity before and will do what Roman Reigns couldn’t do and qualify for the match.
Mahal was shown later on RAW once again. Mahal had apparently spent the past two hours getting his ribs taped up. Mahal limped his way around backstage and walked into a Spear from Reigns that sent him crashing through a cardboard wall. It was then announced that Jinder will not be competing in the MITB qualifying match.
Seth Rollins Retained The Intercontinental Championship In A Great Match
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Owens started off the match in control and beatdown Rollins in the corner. Seth battled back with a Clothesline and then a couple chops in the corner. Owens rolled out of the ring to regroup for a moment. Seth went for a Suicide Dive, but Owens caught him and threw Rollins into the ring post. Back in the ring, Owens connected with a Senton for a two count. Owens applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Seth quickly escaped with a Jawbreaker, but Owens launched Rollins back to the outside of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Kevin Owens was back in control of the match as the crowd got behind Rollins. Seth threw Owens out of the ring, but Owens tripped him up and dragged Seth to the outside. Owens went to Powerbomb Rollins but Seth escaped to the apron. Rollins hit a ridiculous Falcon Arrow to Owens on the ring apron and both men crashed to the floor.
Back in the ring, Owens and Rollins traded punches. Rollins once again threw Owens out of the ring and then connected with a Suicide Dive. Rollins sprinted back into the ring and hit a second Suicide Dive. Seth threw Owens back into the ring and hit him with a springboard Clothesline.
Rollins planted Owens with a Blockbuster off the second rope for a two count. Owens battled back and connected with a DDT for a two count. Rollins escaped the Pop-Up Powerbomb and then Owens dodged the Curb Stomp. Rollins connected with Enziguri, but Owens bounced off the ropes and leveled Seth with a Clothesline for another two count.
Owens went for a Senton off the top but Rollins was able to get his knees up. Owens dodged the Curb Stomp again, but Rollins then connected with the Revolution Knee for a two count. Seth climbed to the top rope and went for a Frog Splash but Owens got his knees up.
Seth caught Owens on the top rope with a right hand. Owens then planted Rollins with a Superplex and Seth rolled out of the ring to avoid the cover. Owens threw Seth back into the ring and then made his way up to the apron. As Owens was getting back into the ring, Rollins connected with a Curb Stomp for the pinfall victory.
Later on RAW, Owens confronted Kurt Angle backstage. Owens demanded a rematch but Angle declined. Owens then said that he was going to call Stephanie McMahon and walked away.
Nia Jax Will Defend The RAW Women’s Championship Against Ronda Rousey At WWE Money In The Bank
Nia Jax confronted Ronda Rousey earlier today at the NBC Universal Upfront Event in New York City. Rousey was interviewed by Cathey Kelly about her debut at WrestleMania. Rousey said that was in the past and that she has a lot of hard work in front of her. Charlotte Flair showed up and yelled “woo!” into the microphone.
Nia then interrupted and asked Rousey if she was capable of becoming RAW Women’s Champion. Jax challenged Rousey to a match at WWE MITB. Rousey said that was a huge honor, but she believed that there were a lot of women that deserved that opportunity first. Nia said that may be true, but she is not challenging them, she is challenging her. Rousey accepted the challenge and Charlotte got in between them and said this is going to be good.
Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas asked Kurt Angle for a RAW Tag Team Championship match. Bo and Axel said that they wanted to be known as The A-Team from now on. Angle explained that they couldn’t use that name because it was the name of a TV show and a movie remake. Bo suggested that they be called The B-Team, with the B standing for “best”. Angle stated that they have never won a tag match in WWE and couldn’t just give them a title match. Angle added that he will give them a match if they left him alone for the rest of the night. The B-Team agreed and high-fived as Angle got out of there as fast as he could.
Later on RAW, The B-Team battled Breezango. Axel and Dallas wore t-shirts that simply had the letter B on them and got a great reaction from the London crowd. Tyler Breeze tried to roll-up Bo Dallas a few times to start off the match. Bo then beatdown Breeze int hr corner and tagged in Axel. Curtis connected with a DDT for a two count. Bo tagged back and was greeted with a German Suplex from Breeze. Fandango and Axel then tagged in. Fandango hit a Clothesline and then a DDT for Axel for a two count.
Fandango booted Bo off the ring apron and then planted Axel with a Powerslam. Dallas launched Breeze into the barricade and then tagged into the match. Axel and Bo then teamed up and slammed Fandango to the canvas for the pinfall victory. Both Axel and Dallas couldn’t believe they won the match and celebrated in the ring.
After the match, Axel and Dallas were asked what kind of emotions they were feeling right now. Axel shouted “that just happened!” and Bo said that anything is possible. The B-Team then said that they were coming for the RAW Tag Team Championships. Axel started a B-Team chant and the crowd shouted along.
Bobby Roode Qualified For The Men’s MITB Ladder Match
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Bobby Roode, No Way Jose and Baron Corbin battled in a Triple Threat Match to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match tonight on WWE RAW. Corbin knocked Jose to the outside to started off the match. Roode then beatdown Corbin in the corner. Roode followed it up with a Blockbuster to Corbin for a two count. No Way Jose then got back in the match and connected with a Clothesline to Corbin outside the ring as RAW went to a break.
When RAW returned, Corbin and Roode were back in the ring. Corbin connected with a Side Slam for a two count. Corbin knocked Jose off the ring apron and then slammed him into the barricade. Baron got back into the ring and stomped on Roode in the corner. Jose got back into the ring and booted Corbin in the face.
No Way Jose connected with a Crossbody off the second rope. Roode planted Jose with a Spinebuster but Corbin broke up the cover. Roode hit a Clothesline to Jose off the second rope and then posed in the ring. Jose regrouped and Clotheslined Bobby out of the ring. Corbin then leaped off the ring apron and decked Roode with a Clothesline.
Back in the ring, Corbin planted Jose with a Chokeslam Backbreaker for a two count. Roode got back into the ring but ran right into a Deep Six for a two count. Roode then threw Corbin into the ring post and then planted No Way Jose with the Glorious DDT for the pinfall victory. Bobby Roode has now qualified for the men’s MITB Ladder Match.
Natalya, Sasha Banks & Ember Moon Defeated The Riott Squad
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Ember Moon, Sasha Banks & Natalya faced the Riott Squad tonight on RAW. Ember Moon and Sarah Logan started off the match. Moon knocked Logan to the mat and tagged in Sasha Banks. Sasha connected with a series of right hands and then bounced Logan’s face off the top turnbuckle. Logan rippled Banks down by her hair and then carried her to the corner.
Ruby Riott tagged in briefly and connected with a right hand before Liv Morgan tagged in. Morgan beatdown Banks in the corner for a second and tagged Ruby back in. Sasha battled back and knocked Ruby and Logan out of the ring. The Riott Squad tried to attack Banks but Natalya and Moon got in their way as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Banks was in control and connected with a Dropkick to Logan. Ruby Riott distracted Banks and Sarah connected with a knee to the ribs. Logan bashed Sasha’s head off the canvas a couple of times and then tagged in Ruby Riott.
Ruby applied a Chin Lock and then bounced Banks; head off the top rope. Liv tagged in and slammed Banks face-first to the canvas for a two count. Natalya tagged in and knocked Logan off the apron. Natalya connected with a basement Dropkick and then followed it up with a Clothesline. Moon and Ruby battled on the outside the ring as Morgan took down Natalya with an Enziguri for a two count.
Moon threw Logan out of the ring and Banks connected with Double Knees off the apron. Moon then took out Ruby Riott with a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Natalya locked in the Sharpshooter on Liv Morgan in the middle of the ring. Morgan quickly tapped out and Natalya, Banks and Moon won the match.
RAW Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt faced The Revival tonight on RAW. Matt Hardy complimented Dash Wilder’s athleticism during the match and said that it flabbergasted him. Hardy then gave Wilder a standing ovation and the crowd joined along. The B-Team were shown backstage taking notes during the match.
The Revival isolated Matt Hardy in the corner and beat him down. Dawson focused his attack on Hardy’s knee and kept him trapped in the corner. Wilder tagged back in and continued to attack Hardy’s injured leg. Matt battled back and connected with a Side Effect.
Dawson and Bray tagged in. Bray connected with a Splash in the corner and followed it up with a Uranage. Matt tagged in and planted Wilder with a Twist of Fate. Bray and Matt followed it up with the Kiss of Deletion to Dawson for the pinfall victory.
Sami Zayn Rambled About Vertigo & Invited Lashley’s Sisters To RAW Next Week
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Sami Zayn came down to the ring and claimed that he looks a lot like Prince Harry looks like him. Zayn then brought up Bobby Lashley and that how he returned to RAW as the same night as him. Sami said that Lashley tried to make an impact on RAW at his expense and showed a photo of Lashley Suplexing him.
Zayn scolded the crowd for cheering Lashley during the Suplex and complained about contracting vertigo because of that Suplex. Zayn pulled out a note from his doctor and then put on his reading glasses. Sami read the symptoms of vertigo and then proceeded to blame them for all of his recent failures.
Sami rolled footage of Lashley’s interview with Renee Young that aired last week on RAW. Zayn claimed that Lashley targeted him because Lashley wants to be him. Sami pointed out that Lashley was wearing a hat just like his. Zayn added that he went on Facebook and reached out to Lashley’s three sisters. Sami stated that Lashley’s sister have a story to tell and that Lashley isn’t the person he claims to be. Zayn said that Lashley’s three sisters will be on RAW next week to expose Lashley for who he really is.
Alexa Bliss Qualified For The Women’s MITB Ladder Match
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Bayley, Alexa Bliss and Mickie James battled in a Triple Threat Match to qualify for the women’s MITB Ladder Match. Bliss and James teamed up and knocked Bayley out of the ring to start off the match as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Mickie had Bayley in a Chin Lock as Bliss taunted her.
Bayley booted Alexa in the face and then broke the hold with a Jawbreaker. Bliss responded with a Dropkick that sent Bayley flying across the ring. Mickie tried to roll-up Bliss from the behind. Bliss got pissed off and shoved Mickie James. They decided to work together again and beatdown Bayley in the corner.
Bayley battled back and connected with a Crossbody onto both of them. Bayley hit a flurry of Clotheslines and then a Belly to Back Suplex to Bliss. Mickie booted Bayley in the ribs, but Bayley shrugged it off. Bayley shouldered Alexa in the midsection, but then walked into an uppercut from Mickie. Bayley slammed Mickie face-first into the turnbuckle. Bliss slammed Bayley to the mat and went for the cover but Mickie broke it up with a boot to the face.
Alexa and Mickie once again teamed up on Bayley. Bliss accidentally hit Mickie in the face and the two started arguing. Bayley took advantage and hit them both with a Splash. Bayley knocked Mickie out of the ring and then focused on Bliss. Bayley connected with a Bayley to Belly on Bliss but Mickie broke up the cover.
Mickie and Bayley battled outside the ring. Bayley knocked Mickie to the floor and then got back into the ring. Alexa connected with a big right hand and followed it up with a DDT for the pinfall victory. Alexa Bliss now joins Charlotte Flair and Ember Moon in the women’s MITB Ladder Match.
McIntyre & Ziggler Escaped With A Win Over Balor & Strowman
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Braun Strowman & Finn Balor faced Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler tonight on RAW. Drew and Braun had a stare down to start the match off. Drew smiled and then retreated to the ring apron. Ziggler and Balor then locked up in the middle of the ring. Balor took control and hit a Dropkick for a two count.
McIntyre tagged in and pointed at Braun Strowman. Finn tagged in Braun and the crowd chanted “get these hands!”. The two giants circled each other in the ring and then Drew tagged back out as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Braun Strowman and Finn Balor were in control. Braun Body Slammed Balor on top of Ziggler. Balor looked confused and Braun shouted “get up you are fine!”. Balor obliged and Dropkicked Ziggler out of the ring. Finn went for a Suicide Dive but McIntyre tripped Balor up on the apron.
McIntyre tagged in and beatdown Balor in the corner. Drew then stomped on Finn’s head and then his hand. McIntyre connected with a chop in the corner and Ziggler tagged back in. Dolph taunted Strowman as Braun paced around on the ring apron. Finn reached for a tag but Dolph prevented it with a Neckbreaker for a two count.
Drew McIntyre tagged back in and kneed Balor in the midsection. McIntyre hit another chop and then missed with a big boot and crashed into the turnbuckle. Strowman and Ziggler tagged in. Braun decked Dolph with a shoulder tackle and then clubbed Ziggler across the chest.
Strowman geared up in the corner and charged at Dolph in the corner. Ziggler dove out of the way and Strowman crashed into the ring post. Balor tagged in and knocked Ziggler down to the mat. Ziggler connected with an elbow to the face, but Balor responded with an Enziguri. Balor knocked McIntyre off the ring apron and then planted Dolph with a Slingblade.
Balor Dropkicked Ziggler into the turnbuckle and then made his way to the top rope. McIntyre grabbed Balor from behind but Finn booted him away. Braun Strowman then shoulder tackled McIntyre into the Greatest Royal Rumble trophy outside the ring. Ziggler crotched Balor on the turnbuckle and then pinned him for the victory.
Kevin Owens Qualified For The Men’s MITB Ladder Match
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
RAW GM Kurt Angle was shown on the phone backstage with Stephanie McMahon. Angle got pissed off when Stephanie told him to give Kevin Owens another oppurtunity to qualify for the men’s MITB Ladder Match. Owens interrupted Elias’ performance and came down to the ring as Jinder Mahal’s replacement in the match.
Bobby Lashley, Elias and Kevin Owens battled to qualify for the men’s MITB Ladder Match. Elias and Owens teamed up to beatdown Lashley to start off the match. Lashley battled back and planted Owens with a Neckbreaker and then Clotheslined Elias out of the ring as RAW went to a break.
RAW returned as Kevin Owens was being launched into the barricade by Bobby Lashley. Lashley then brought Elias into the ring and Owens grabbed Lashley’s leg from behind. Elias connected with a Dropkick that knocked Lashley to the floor. Owens rolled Lashley into the ring and teamed up with Elias to beat him down.
Owens and Elias started trading punches as the crowd chanted “walk with Elias!”. Owens elbowed Elias to the canvas and followed it up with a Senton for a two count. Elias slammed Owens to the mat as Lashley got back into the ring.
Lashley slammed Elias to the mat and then Owens attacked from behind. Lashley beatdown Owens as the crowd chanted “Bobby’s sisters!”. Lashley connected with a Spinebuster, but turned around into a knee to the face from Elias.
Elias was then alone in the ring as the crowd sang “walk with Elias”. Elias asked JoJo to bring him his guitar and Elias took a seat on the ring apron. Elias asked JoJo to hold the microphone so the people could hear him sing. Owens once again interrupted the performance, but Elias connected with a knee to the face.
Lashley got back into the ring and bounced Elias’ face off the top turnbuckle. Owens connected with a Superkick to Elias and then missed with a Cannonball in the corner. Elias hit an Elbow Drop off the top rope but Lashley dragged him out of the ring during the cover.
Lashley chased Elias back into the ring and planted him with a Clothesline. Lashley slammed Owens face-first into the mat and then went to Suplex Elias. Owens attacked Lashley, but Bobby connected with a double Suplex to both Elias and Owens as the crowd booed.
Owens booted Lashley in the face and then climbed up the turnbuckle. Elias caught him with a jab to the ribs and then planted him with a Powerbomb. Lashley broke up the cover with a Dropkick and then traded punches with Elias. Lashley lifted Elias over his shoulders and dropped him to the mat.
Lashley connected with the Dominator on Elias and went for the cover but Sami Zayn dragged him out of the ring. Zayn then threw Lashley into the ring post and followed it up with a Helluva Kick while Lashley was against the barricade. Owens then hit a Frog Splash onto Elias in the middle of the ring for the pinfall victory. Owens now joins Strowman, Balor, Roode, The Miz and Rusev in the men’s MITB Ladder Match next month.
Opinion: The highlight of this week’s episode of RAW was definitely the match between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. Bobby Lashley is already having trouble getting over with the crowd and I don’t see that trend stopping anytime soon. The most laughable moment of the night goes to Roman Reigns Spearing Jinder Mahal through a “wall”. It just looked incredibly cheap.
I’m getting tired of seeing Braun Strowman in useless tag matches every week. Yes, he has already qualified for the men’s MITB Ladder Match, but he really has nothing to do on RAW right now. I definitely would be interested in a feud with McIntyre and Strowman in the future. However, McIntyre and Ziggler are a team and I’d like to see them quickly rise to the top of the division. They have been preaching that they are going to make RAW their own and expose the Superstars in the back that have simply been cashing a check. I’d like to see them continue to dominate every week against lesser competition to make them come off as unstoppable. McIntyre did his best to avoid Strowman tonight and I thought it made him look weak. He also got launched into the Greatest Royal Rumble trophy and broke it, which now officially makes that event entirely pointless.
As for Rousey versus Nia Jax at WWE Money in the Bank, that match has outside interference written all over it. Rousey has been defending Natalya against Mickie James on recent episodes of RAW. I’m guessing that they are going to have an angle where someone is jealous of Rousey for being granted a title opportunity after only one match in WWE and will ruin the title match at the PPV.
Overall, RAW wasn’t good this week. The Authors of Pain have seemingly already become an afterthought. I’d like to see them be built up as a team, not being featured on the show does nothing but hurt them. The Revival continue to be buried on RAW, even though they are an excellent tag team. The card for Money in the Bank is already coming into form and it looking like we are about to get several weeks of filler before the PPV on June 17th.
What did you think of tonight’s episode of WWE RAW? Let us know in the comments below.
When asked if he would watch CM Punk’s next UFC fight, Roman Reigns told Alex McCarthy of the Give Me Sport podcast this week that he will watch, but only “if it lasts more than 30 seconds” this time.
Reigns was more supportive of Universal Champion Brock Lesnar’s possible return to UFC. Reigns said he thinks Lesnar should make the move now if he does in fact want to step back in the octagon. “Now is the time to pull the trigger, he’s not getting any younger,” Reigns said. “I fully support whatever [Lesnar] wants to do.”
The Big Dog on The Monster Among Men
The former World Heavyweight Champion praised relative WWE newcomer Braun Strowman for his progress in the company. Reigns says he’s proud of Strowman, and called their feud one of his favorites of his career so far.
Reigns added that “no matter what anyone says, I made a monster.”
Reigns on his favorite performers on the WWE roster
Roman had high praises for John Cena and The Usos, who he says are “heads and shoulders above everybody else on the mic.”
When asked about Daniel Bryan’s recent return to action, Reigns called him “one of the best to ever step in the ring.” He added “You want me to turn heel? Put me in with Daniel Bryan.”
Roman on his fellow members of The Shield
Reigns says there’s no timeline for Dean Ambrose’s return to the ring just yet. Reigns says they need him back, and adds that Ambrose is “rehabbing like a man man.” Reigns mentions that Ambrose has moved to Birmingham, AL full-time for injury rehab.
He praised Seth Rollins for developing into a real locker room leader in WWE. Reigns thinks Rollins has continually grown as a performer in every area.
The full interview with Reigns will be on the Give Me Sport podcast later this week.
WWE Superstar Becky Lynch was recently a guest on former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory, to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During the interview, Lynch discussed her close friendship with former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair:
“It’s awesome. You know when you are traveling, you are traveling with somebody who has the same schedule and likes doing the same things. Goes to the same gym, eats at the same food places and things like that,” Lynch said.
“That is one thing that makes the traveling more convenient, but also someone you can vent to all the time, or stay up with. It just makes the road life that much easier.”
Lynch then discussed her year in WWE in 2017. Although she enjoyed some of the opportunities she had outside the ring, as well as being a part of the first-ever Women’s Money In The Bank (MITB) Ladder match, 2017 wasn’t her best year:
“I mean, this year has been a mixed bag because I did a lot of great things,” she said. “I achieved a lot of the goals I had set out for myself. I moved to Los Angeles, California, which I love. I got to be the lead female in Marine 6.
“I did some stuff with Nickelodeon, and of course we got to do the first and second ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. We’ve had the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble and Women’s WrestleMania Battle Royal, so there’s some great points there.
“Being somebody who is ambitious and complacent,” she continued, “I know I won’t look at 2017 as my most successful year.
“I wasn’t on television and featured in storylines as much as I would like to be, but of course that sets you up for the following year where we say to ourselves, ‘Okay, that may not be what I wanted, but how can we kick down the door and makes sure that 2018 is going to be better and bigger?'”
You can listen to Lynch’s full interview on Chasing Glory by clicking this link here.
It seems that one member of the WWE’s NXT roster has suffered a significant injury, and will need to take a lengthy period of time off.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that NXT star Riddick Moss has suffered a torn achilles tendon and could be out of action for up to eight months. It’s currently not known when or where he suffered the injury, however, he was at last week’s NXT tapings on crutches.
Moss just did a segment in which he and his tag team partner, Tino Sabatelli, split up. Interestingly enough, Sabatelli recently underwent surgery for a torn pec and will also be out-of-action for eight months.
Riddick signed with WWE back in 2014 and debuted in December later that year on a NXT live event. He started to team up with Sabatelli in October of 2016 and split after their loss to Heavy Machinery. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more….
WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne recently did an interview with SPORTbible to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Dunne first discussed what WWE Superstars he’d like to work with inside the ring, to which he named current Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan:
“There’s so many people I’d love to work with like Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan coming back now – there’s a huge list of people but honestly right now my priority is making this UK show a success.
“If we can be the first sort of territory being established, almost being the guinea pig and making it work, it will do absolute wonders for the wrestling scene in general. That’s my responsibility and focus for now and then down the line I’d love the chance to work with people Rollins, Bryan, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.”
Dunne also says that he hopes some new faces get a shot in the WWE UK Tournament:
“I urge people to go and watch PROGRESS, ICW and places like that and they’ll see the depth of talent themselves. There’s a few people like Zack Gibson, Flash Morgan Webster, Chris Brookes (CCK) and Travis Banks – all these guys are based in the UK that are killing it all over the country three, four or five times a week.
“It would be great seeing some of them get a shot on this one. And if not, it’s good to see how it’s developing – how you can start off on the smaller shows, get yourself on places like PROGRESS and this stuff [WWE] seems achievable now. There’s a clear pathway that wasn’t there seven years ago.”
As the WWE’s UK Champion, Dunne has the heavy responsibility of representing UK wrestlers. He discussed the pressure behind representing competitors from his homeland:
“I obviously feel proud of what I’ve done and the fact I’ve brought it this far. Being in a position to get the most exposure and being on NXT and stuff, it is a responsibility – I don’t feel pressure as such but there is that responsibility there to make sure I’m not just representing myself right, but the UK brand in general.
“But there’s still that collective effort. It was the same when Tyler was holding the title – the same mentality that we want to kill it and put on the best shows possible. We want to make it hard for NXT shows to match it, that was the outlook in Blackpool and hopefully that’ll be the same again at the Royal Albert Hall.”
You can read Dunne’s full interview with SPORTbible by clicking this link here.
Former ECW and WWE Superstar Taz recently took to his radio show, The Taz Show, to talk about several professional wrestling topics. One such topic was who he believes is the most underrated talent on WWE’s roster. Taz didn’t hesitate to name Apollo Crews as the man he thinks has potential to be a big star:
“[Apollo] is for sure just a stud in the ring,” said Taz. “Just a straight stud in the ring, and I really feel like he is underutilized for sure. So he, for me, would be my main guy currently.
“Now I know his promo work is not amazing, also all of that needs to be a part of the package. Your promo work, your look, your in-ring work and all that jazz. So, all of that stuff obviously is vital. He probably doesn’t have the promo stuff down too good.”
In addition to Crews; Taz also names Zack Ryder, Becky Lynch, and Pete Dunne. He also noted that fans should keep their eyes on NXT’s Velveteen Dream.
Discussion: Do you agree with Taz’s assessment of Crews? And who else do you think is being underutilized by the company right now?
You can listen to The Taz Show by clicking this link here.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre is back with the WWE, and after a brief stint as NXT Champion, he was called up to the main roster as part of a tag team with Dolph Ziggler.
He recently did an interview with WWE’s website to talk about his return to the Monday Night RAW locker room. McIntyre opened up about how different the locker room is since his last stint with WWE from 2007 to 2014:
“I remember thinking, ‘Man, people are so relaxed now,’ acting like it’s not live Raw. There’s no tension in the air. Everyone is just getting along like we’re at band camp.
“There are Superstars that deserve to be at the top and do give everything. But unfortunately, a vast majority wouldn’t have survived 11 years ago when I got signed. Those who ask themselves, ‘Is he talking about me?’ Positive or negative, the answer is probably yes.”
You can read McIntyre’s full Q&A with WWE by clicking this link here.
