Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Participants
In addition to the above mentioned names, the below 19 Superstars have also declared for the match:
Dash Wilder
Scott Dawson
Baron Corbin (previous winner)
Mojo Rawley (previous winner)
Tye Dillinger
Matt Hardy
Dolph Ziggler
Fandango
Tyler Breeze
Goldust
Heath Slater
Rhyno
Zack Ryder
Primo Colon
Kane
Curt Hawkins
Shelton Benjamin
Chad Gable
Aiden English
This will be the 5th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The tournament’s previous winners include: Cesaro, Big Show, Baron Corbin, and Mojo Rawley.
At Saturday’s WWE Business Partner Summit, Triple H announced on Saturday that the United Kingdom Championship Tournament is returning in June. The 2-night event will emanate from London’s Royal Albert Hall on June 18 and 19.
The first WWE UK Championship Tournament was held in January 2017 from Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom and aired live on WWE Network. 19-year-old Tyler Bate was crowned the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion.
Several of the wrestlers who participated in the inaugural tournament went on to sign WWE deals, including reigning champion Pete Dunne.
Paul Heyman only throws his name behind talent he sees something in and it’s evident he sees something in Tommaso Ciampa.
The 32-year-old Ciampa has been involved in a buzz-worthy rivalry with his former tag-team partner, Johnny Gargano, on NXT recently. Gargano was expelled from the brand due to his loss in a career vs title match with Andrade “Cien” Almas. Despite this, he has come back to haunt his rival, Ciampa on several occasions.
Gargano has stocked Ciampa in the NXT parking lot, at his home, and anywhere he can get his hands on him. In response, Ciampa requested an unsanctioned match with Gargano which will take place tonight at Takeover: New Orleans.
Ciampa’s social media game lately has included several taunting photos directed at Johnny Gargano as well as releasing t-shirt designs only to later reveal they will not be going on sale.
Paul Heyman and his Looking 4 Larry agency have recently signed a deal with Banca Studios to produce un-scripted content.
CM Punk and Batista were both at the C2E2 expo in Chicago recently. An interaction between the two former wrestlers involved Punk not wanting to eat chickpeas.
Batista posted the following on Twitter:
@CMPunk Man!! People change!! Win a few world wrestling titles,write a hit marvel comic series, fight in the ufc,and marry a @nytimes best selling author and all of the sudden you’re too good for chickpeas! ? pic.twitter.com/3Da7GKXpb7
Punk and Batista’s careers have followed a somewhat similar pattern. Both were champion wrestlers who left the business to pursue other interests. Each of them has a professional MMA fight on their resume, tho Batista won his and Punk lost.
They’ve each been employed by Marvel as well as Punk has written an edition of the Thor graphic novels and Batista has a reoccurring role in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. It does not appear they share the same interest in chickpeas, however.
A popular podcast hosted by Conrad Thompson (engaged to Ric Flair’s daughter, Meghan) and Bruce Pritchard (Brother Love) will be making its way to the WWE Network.
The “Something to Wrestle with Podcast” has gained a loyal following of listeners due to the often comical but always interesting content. Pritchard has a lot of insight into what went on inside WWE during the late 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.
— Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard (@PrichardShow) April 7, 2018
Pritchard’s WWE Firing in 2008
After spending 22 years with the company, WWE fired Pritchard in 2008. His firing was largely seen as a move made by Stephanie McMahon. It was reported at the time that Stephanie was not high on Pritchard and had called him out in front of others during several meetings.
Pritchard spent five years with TNA Wrestling in a backstage role before being officially released by the company in 2013. He would return to the company briefly in 2017.
Fans of the cult-hit show, Lucha Underground, will be excited to know they only have 67 sleeps left until the premiere of season 4. The promotion released a poster last night which featured the premiere date of June 13, 2018 for the next season.
Previously all that was known about a premiere date for the next season was that it would air in the summer of 2018.
Lucha Underground Season 4
While we will avoid posting spoilers, there are several hurdles which season 4 of Lucha Underground will have to get out of the way.
For starters, the end of season 4 saw Dario Cueto shot and bleeding in his office, though it was never clear if he had died. Lucha Underground has also announced season 4 will take place inside a different temple.
Filming for the season began in late February and continued throughout March. Earlier seasons of Lucha Underground are available on Netflix.
PROGRESS Wrestling held the first of their two planned Chapter event shows from New Orleans last night. Chapter 66 ‘Mardi Graps’ took place from the Pontchartrain Convention Center in New Orleans in front of a packed crowd. The show featured the first ever ‘Thunderb*stard’ match to take place outside of UK shores as well as a huge triple threat bout between WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne, 205 Superstar Mark Andrews and ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster. The show was headlined by a World Championship bout between Travis Banks and Shane Strickland. Here are the results:
PROGRESS World Tag Team Title Match – The Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) b. Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) – James Drake pinned Tyler Bate and the GYV successfully defend their World Tag Team titles
Will Ospreay b. Mark Haskins – This match two former PROGRESS World Champions in a ‘dream’ bout type scenario, Ospreay took the pinfall win after hitting the OsCutter
Ringkampf (WALTER & Timothy Thatcher) b. David Starr & Keith Lee (replacing Jack Sexsmith) – Ringkampf took the pinfall win after WALTER hit a Powerbomb on David Starr
Thunderb*stard Match – Jeff Cobb b. Chris Brookes, Joey Janela, Parrow, MJF, Austin Theory & Rickey Shane Page – Cobb hit the Tour of the Islands to gain the pinfall win over Chris Brookes and advance to a PROGRESS World Title match at Chapter 67.
Jinny & Mercedes Martinez b. Shazza McKenzie & Toni Storm – Jinny and Martinez took the win after Martinez pinned McKenzie. Martinez will now face Toni Storm for the PROGRESS Women’s Championship at Chapter 67.
Matt Riddle b. Jimmy Havoc – Riddle won via submission despite interference from Vicky Haskins
Pete Dunne b. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster – Dunne took the pinfall win after Andrews hit Webster with a SSP which led to Dunne hitting Andrews with the Bitter End. After the match Eddie Dennis came out to confront Andrews but the 205 Live Superstar left the ring
PROGRESS World Championship Match – Travis Banks b. Shane Strickland – Banks took the win via pinfall after hitting a ‘Super’ Kiwi Crusher, this was a hellacious bout that left the New Zealand star bloodied. He now faces Jeff Cobb in the main event of Chapter 67.
Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro) held their now annual Wrestlecon event yesterday at the Sugar Mill, 1021 Convention Center Blvd in New Orleans. This promised to be a stacked card featuring some of the best performers from the UK scene as well as seeing some of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s most well known stars. Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Will Ospreay and Minoru Suzuki were on hand for the show and Suzuki-Gun member Zack Sabre Jr defended his British Heavyweight Championship against CHAOS member Tomohiro Ishii. Here are the results:
David Starr b. Martin Stone via pinfall – Starr had his feet on the ropes in a controversial finish
Adam Brooks b. Brian Cage – The Australian star took the win after hitting a low blow, roll up combo
Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero & Chuck Taylor b. KOTA Ibushi, Shane Strickland & Flip Gordon – Ospreay still appeared in this match despite the injuries he sustained last weekend, his team eventually took the win
Minoru Suzuki b. Jeff Cobb – Suzuki took the tap out win after locking in a sleeper
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Juice Robinson b. Aussie Open – The New Japan team defeated the rising UK scene stars
British Undisputed Heavyweight Championship Match Tomohiro Ishi b. Zack Sabre Jr – Ishii pins ZSJ to become the NEW British Heavyweight Champion, he will now likely go on to defend this title against Keith Lee at the Epic Encounter event.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay confirmed earlier this week that he would be performing in New Orleans this weekend as part of the massive independent shows surrounding WrestleMania.
The UK sensation took part in a hellacious bout with longtime rival Marty Scurll last weekend as part of New Japan’s Sakura Genesis event which saw him land awkwardly on his head following a One Man Spanish Fly from the ring apron to the floor. The match garnered a 5 Star review from journalist Dave Meltzer.
Ospreay participated in bouts for EVOLVE, Wrestlecon, PROGRESS, Rev Pro and WWN on Thursday and Friday. He has updated fans on Twitter confirming that whilst he is indeed working injured he will honoring his commitments for the rest of this weekend. Check out the tweet below:
You guys clearly know what I’m dealing with. But I will not quit until I complete my weekend of promises.
UK based promotion RIPTIDE Wrestling has announced the next batch of bouts for their upcoming ‘Spring Break’ event on May 4th.
The Grizzled Young Veterans tag team will be making their way to Brighton to face Adam Chase & A-Kid, the Anti-Fun Police and Kip Sabian with a mystery partner. You may recognise one half of the Grizzled Young Vets in Zack Gibson, he is appearing as part of WWE’s United Kingdom Championship Invitational this weekend and could be challenging for the title this Sunday against Pete Dunne.
Other bouts already announced for this massive show include Wild Boar vs PROGRESS ATLAS Champion WALTER, Jimmy Havoc taking on his protege Jinny, Jack Sexsmith facing 205 Live Superstar Mark Andrews and Chakara, Sierra Loxton and Pro Wrestling: EVE Champion Samii Jayne colliding in a triple threat match.
Tickets for the show are available to purchase now via Ticket Tailor.
The production setup for WrestleMania 34 inside the the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans has been completed.
WWE released the following “set reveal” video for WrestleMania 34, presented by RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Naomi, Carmella and Sasha Banks.
WWE.com also posted a photo gallery inside the stadium showing a better look at the stage and the massive lighting structure erected above the ring.
What do you think of the WrestleMania 34 set? How does it compare to previous years?
Paul Heyman inducted Goldberg into the WWE Hall of Fame tonight on the WWE Network. Heyman introduced himself as the advocate for Brock Lesnar. Heyman noted that it may have crossed people’s mind that the former owner of ECW is inducting a WCW star into the WWE Hall of Fame. Heyman stated that he aspires to be half the father that Goldberg is to his son.
Paul added that on a professional level it is difficult to find opponents for Brock Lesnar. Heyman stated that they needed to find someone to kick Brock Lesnar’s ass after he ended The Undertaker’s streak and took Cena to Suplex City. They needed to find someone that could beat Brock Lesnar and people would buy into it and that sure as hell ain’t Roman Reigns. Heyman noted that everyone chanted Goldberg’s name when he took the fight to Brock Lesnar. Heyman then introduced Goldberg as the main event of the class of 2018.
Goldberg exited his room and walked backstage as people cheered him on. Goldberg came onto the stage and shared a hug with Paul Heyman. Goldberg waved to the crowd as they chanted his name. Goldberg started off his speech by asking “how the hell did this happen?”.
Goldberg joked that just like this matches, his speech will be short. He said that his journey began in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is the son of Ethel and Dr. Jed Goldberg. Goldberg stated that his parents instilled values in him to be successful and to give everything he has at every time and to treat everyone like you wanted to be treated. Goldberg thanked his sister and said that she basically raised him as his parents duked it out in a bitter divorce.
He thanked his brothers and called him great guys to look up to. Goldberg said that all he ever wanted to do was to be in the NFL and to be a role model for children. He added that he a successful college career at the University of Georgia and played for the Atlanta Falcons, which drew some boos from the New Orleans crowd.
Goldberg said that an injury and an utter lack of talent ended his football career, so he had move on. Goldberg added that he was lost and had no money. Goldberg pointed to DDP in the crowd and said that he always suggested that he should come and learn how to wrestle. Goldberg brought up watching wrestling with his grandmother every Saturday night and that his favorite was Bruiser Brody.
Goldberg stated that with the help of a lot of people, they came up with the character Goldberg. He added that his set up move was so devastating that it was easy to copy, and then asked where Roman Reigns was. Goldberg stated that he had no idea that he was going to wrestle Hulk Hogan until he saw it on TV on a Thursday night. Goldberg added that he owes Hogan one and continued with his speech.
He noted that WCW came crashing down and brought up Kevin Nash ending his streak on his birthday and said he owes him one too. He thanked Bischoff for giving him his shot and that he is greatly appreciative of that. Goldberg brought up Arn Anderson, Kevin Sullivan and Bobby Heenan. Goldberg thanked everyone behind the scenes and said that he owes thanks to so many people. He stated that he doesn’t believe that there has ever been a character that depended on so many moving parts, like the announcers and referee Charles Robinson.
Goldberg mentioned Lex Luger, the Steiner Brothers, the Guerrero family, Ron Simmons, Curt Hennig and Rick Rude and said that they were a huge influence on his career. Goldberg joked that Big Show hated to be upside down in the Jackhammer. Goldberg then thanked Jim Ross and stated that they go way back. He said that the first phone call he made about getting into this business was to Jim Ross.
He stated that he knew that there was a price to pay in WWE and noted screaming at Triple H in front of Stephanie McMahon at a toy convention in NYC. Goldberg admitted that he kind of copied Stone Cold with his look and thanked him. He admitted that he sucked in 2003-2004 and quickly moved on. Goldberg stated that he still resents it to this day, but thanked Steve Austin for helping him out and said that he loved him.
Goldberg said that he walked around with a chip on his shoulder after his first run in WWE. He claimed that it was a difficult time and that he was not proud of how he performed and acted in his first run. Goldberg said then he had a family and wondered what his son would think about wrestling. He added that it all started with WWE 2K17 and that it seemed as if time had healed some of the wounds.
Goldberg started training 6 days a week and worked his ass off because he wanted it again. It wasn’t just a job, he loves you people and loves being that guy for you. 50-years-old, 12 years away from the business and it was time to come back. Goldberg thanked his wife and then said pointed at his son Gage and said that he did this for him. He said that their support pushed him to a level he didn’t know that he could to get to and added that he just wanted them to experience the wrestling world.
He thanked his wife, Wanda, and noted that her only goal in his return was to see him erase his wrestling demons and be at peace. Goldberg said that he was so proud to be Gage’s father and the he was his world. Goldberg thanked his in-laws and joked that that they had no clue what they were in for when they entered this world. He then thanked all of his friends for helping him along the way.
Goldberg then thanked the fans and said that they made him love wrestling. He said that he will do anything for the fans and a “one more chant” broke out. Goldberg then told a story about Stephanie McMahon telling him that he cannot headbutt the doors before he goes down to the ring. Goldberg joked about cutting his head open when he returned and forgetting what he was supposed to say during a promo. Goldberg told Stephanie that he had to get into character and he would pay for the doors. Stephanie once again said no. When the time came for his entrance, he punched the door instead and broke his hand and admitted that nobody knew up that until tonight. Goldberg then was in the ring with Austin later that night and said that he drank 13 beers because his hand hurt so damn much.
Goldberg then said that there was a guy sitting right in front of him that influenced his decision to become a wrestler. He said that he looked as Sting as a man and not as wrestler. Goldberg said that he admired Sting because he had integrity. Goldberg added that Sting and DDP made him and he will forever be grateful for that.
He said that he originally looked at wrestling as just a business, but has truly acquired a love for the fans and the dreams that wrestling has made come true for people. He added that this was a much better payoff than the NFL Hall of Fame ever would have. Goldberg said that he realizes more so than ever before that there is where he belongs. He then boasted about being 2-1 over Brock Lesnar and having the strength to Jackhammer anyone in the room and has the knowledge & wisdom to know that a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket could never be as badass as a Georgia Bulldog. Goldberg said that he had one final question and shouted “who’s next?” to end the speech.
Big Show said that he was so honored to talk about his friend, Mark Henry. Big Show stated that Mark became like family to him while traveling on the road with him for so many years. Big Show said that one night he saw Mark Henry and he looked sad. He asked if he was okay and Mark looked up and said that he has been trying to break this quarter in half for the past 30 minutes and all he can do is bend it.
Big Show stated that Mark Henry is one of WWE’s best recruiters. He would find anyone that was interested in the business and take the time to talk to them. Big Show added that Mark Henry is also not a guy you want to test. A guy came up with a camera without asking for a picture backstage once and Henry covered 15 feet in one step, grabbed the camera and crushed it.
Mark Henry came down to the stage to a great reaction from the crowd. Mark gave honor to God because it is going to take God to get him through this without crying. The crowd started chanting “Sexual Chocolate” and Henry thanked them. Henry thanked the Big Show and said that it has been a great ride in this business. Mark stated that he respects everyone that loves this business and that he knows how difficult it is to travel and miss a lot of stuff.
Henry stated that he was humbled and that he was in shock that he was able to make it 20 years. The crowd chanted “you deserve it!” and Henry thanked the crowd. Mark said that when he was 9-years-old his grandmother took him to a show and it just so happened that his favorite wrestler was on the card. Henry paused for a moment and started to choke up. Mark Henry said that he got to go see Andre the Giant and once upon a time he was one of the kids running to the barricade to see the wrestlers. Henry noted that some kids behind him knocked him down and Andre picked him up and that is why he is here today.
He said that he did not get here by himself and thanked all the people that inspired him and believed in him. Henry said that the backbone of his strength was his mother and she bought him his first set of weights when he was 10-years-old. He added that she was looking down on him right now smiling and proud. Henry called his mother a historical cook and then pointed to his belly and the crowd laughed.
Henry thanked all of the coaches and trainers for giving him the foundation to become the strongest man in the world. Henry said that he used to watch matches with his grandmother and that was their thing. He stated that he loved the Junkyard Dog, the Iron Sheik and Andre the Giant and that they were his idols.
Mark said that one day he got a call from Vince McMahon and he promptly hung the phone up because he just knew it was one of his friends pranking him. Dr. Terry Todd then called Mark and asked him why he hung up on Vince McMahon and that he might want to take his call if he calls him back. Vince called him back and probably was the biggest mark in the history of professional wrestling. Mark stated that half the conversation was him asking Vince if he could meet Yokozuna and if he could wrestle The Undertaker. He added that the business gave him a lot and that he was fixated on meeting legends that he watched on television. He then signed with WWE in March of 1996 and never looked back.
Henry said that he knew from the first couple of weeks in the business that this was going to be something like he has never seen before. He noted that he initially didn’t have the in-ring success that he should have because he wasn’t focused enough. He said that this business needs you to be focused because you have other people’s lives in your hands. Henry brought up Big Cat Ernie Ladd and how he told him to come over and sit under the learning tree. There was a technical difficulty that caused a loud noise and Henry asked if that was God or Ernie. Big Cat put a lot of pressure on Henry and Mark added that Ernie is looking down and proud of the work he has done.
Mark Henry brought up the Hart family and how they mentored him for a year and thanked them. Henry said that he first met Owen Hart in Canada and that he brought so much joy to his life and he wished that he could be here with us. Henry asked the camera to zoom in on him and then addressed Owen’s widow, Martha, and said that Owen needs to be here. He belongs here and it is his birth right.
Mark Henry then brought up his alter-ego, Sexual Chocolate. The music hit Henry turned into Sexual Chocolate. Henry brought up the time he and Stephanie danced. Henry asked if Stephanie was married and added that doesn’t matter to Sexual Chocolate. Mark then pointed at his wife and said wow that was fun. Henry said that when he told D’Lo Brown about Sexual Chocolate he almost fell out of the car laughing. He said that there is no way that they are going to allow him to do that on television, but they did. Henry thanked Mae Young and Chyna for making Sexual Chocolate.
Henry brought up the Nation of Domination and said that was fun. He said that D’Lo is his brother and thanked him for being there for him. Henry thanked The Godfather for all the knowledge that he gave to him. He also thanked Ron Simmons and said that when you look up man in the dictionary there is a picture of Ron Simmons. Henry noted that Simmons was the first recognized WCW World Heavy Champion. Henry thanked him for being a positive role model to his children.
Mark stated that he met Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson back in 1995 and that he was the offspring of wrestling. Henry said that he helped out Dwayne the rock and told him that he could pay him back later. Henry noted that The Rock is doing pretty good now and he joked that he could use that money back and that the interest has been compounding daily.
Henry brought up winning the ECW title and winning the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011. Henry thanked Big Show, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton for helping him with that. He added that he turned the corner from being the world’s strongest man to becoming a world champion. Henry apologized if he left anyone out and stated that he has been a wrestling fan for more than 40 years and has been living this wrestling dream. Henry then thanked his family for years of support. Henry pointed out that his son his dressed up like him in his retirement speech and that he already thinks he is a WWE Superstar.
Mark stated that he is very proud of what WWE has done to foster diversity and that the future will be brighter with everyone of us living as one. Henry stated that there was one more thing he needs to do and took off his jacket. The pink suit jacket was brought out and Henry put it on. Mark stated that some fans might think that he has a lot left in the tank and that they are right. Henry cut a promo and said to John Cena that he should have gotten a shot at that title. Henry looked at AJ Styles and said that he has a title that he can take. Henry called out Roman Reigns and then said that he was just playing. Henry said that he was incredibly lucky and that he proudly accepts his place in the WWE Hall of Fame and then shouted because “that is what I do!” into the microphone. Henry then raised his fist with the HOF ring and pose for the crowd.
Road Dogg inducted Jeff Jarrett into the 2018 class of the WWE Hall of Fame. Road Dogg stated that he met Jarrett 25 years ago and that they were both hungry 2nd generation performers. He was told that day that he was going to be Jeff Jarrett’s roadie. Road Dogg said that he would tell a bunch of stories about Jarrett in the 90s, but he doesn’t remember them. He added “don’t do drugs” and then said all kidding aside, he has a handful of really special relationships in his life and Jarrett is one of them. Road Dogg then introduced Jeff Jarrett to the stage.
Jarrett came onto the stage with his own microphone and Road Dogg took it away and said that this isn’t 1995. Road Dogg then took Jarrett’s cowboy hat. Jarrett walked up to the podium and became emotional. Jarrett stated that he is never going to make it through this damn speech and the crowd laughed.
He said that April 6th, 1986 was his first match and 32 years later to the day he is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. Jarrett talked a bit about his career and how he turned his character into a smart ass punk kid that thought he was a country singer. Jeff said that his best match was with Shawn Michaels in July of 1995. Jarrett called Shawn Michaels the greatest of all-time and that their has never been anyone close to his athleticism and timing. Michaels was shown in the crowd as Jarrett thanked him for what he has done for this industry. Jeff brought up teaming up with Shawn and facing Razor Ramon and Diesel. Jarrett acknowleged The Miz in the crowd and stated that he was making the Intercontinental Championship proud.
Jarrett said that he has been blessed and cursed throughout his career. He was a Four Horsemen, in the NWO and inducted to a certain club in Japan at one time. He has been Superkicked by Chuck Norris, gave the Figure Four to Ben Stiller and has hit countless people with his guitar. Jarrett noted that he lost to Stephanie McMahon in her first match and then wished Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle luck in their tag match on Sunday.
Jeff got emotional again and brought up Road Dogg and said that he loved him more than words can say. Jarrett said Owen Hart’s name and the crowd immediately started chanted it. He said that he is asked about all the time and that he takes every opportunity to talk about Owen as a human being. He called him a man’s man with a tender heart and that we lost him far too early. Jarrett shared a story that Owen Hart called Hacksaw Jim Duggan pretending to be a pizza delivery driver. Owen told Duggan that he needed to get down to the hotel lobby right now or there is going to a fight. Hacksaw came down to the lobby in his boxers and a 2×4 ready to fight. He shared another rib by Owen in San Jose. It was a house show and there was a guy running sound and Owen got to him. During Ahmed Johnson’s match, Johnson and his opponent were both down in the ring. Owen got on the headset and said to play Ahmed Johnson’s music. Owen did that three times during the match.
Jarrett brought up Owen’s final rib in Chicago and that he and Owen were set to face Edge and Christian. Owen explained an elaborate rib to Jarrett and the executed it in front of a sold out crowd. Edge and Christian were hitting ten punches in the corner at the same time and stopped at 9 to look back each other with a smile. When they looked back down, Owen and Jarrett had big red clown noses on and Edge & Christian lost it. The entire building is laughing their asses off. Edge and Christian throw them into each other and their noses pop off. Edge and Christian came out from backstage and put a clown nose on Jarrett.
Jeff then thanked his family and closed his speech out with a poem he read on Memphis Wrestling TV when he was 18-years-old. Road Dogg comes out and with a couple of cowboy hats and they started singing “With My Baby Tonight”. Jarrett joins his family in the crowd to sing along. He returned to the stage with Road Dogg to finish the performance.
WWE has announced a ton of new content coming to the WWE Network in 2018, including a video version of Bruce Prichard’s popular Something To Wrestle podcast, a second installment of the Mae Young Classic tournament, a new season of the Edge and Christian show and much more.
Here’s a full list of the new programming coming this year:
Camp WWE (new season)
Ride Along (new season)
The Edge and Christian Show (new season)
Table For 3 (new season)
WWE Story Time (new season)
WWE 365: AJ Styles
WWE 24: The Hardys – Woken
WWE 24: RAW 25
WWE 24: Ronda Rousey
The 2nd Annual Mae Young Classic
WWE King of the Ring UK Tournament
Elias: Unplugged
Something Else to Wrestle Podcast with Bruce Prichard
Triple H inducted Kid Rock into the Celebrity Wing of the WWE Hall of Fame tonight. Triple H stated that the Celebrity Wing of the Hall of Fame was about people coming in from the outside and amplifying it for all of the fans. He said that Kid Rock had a huge impact at what we all love and that music makes you feel something. It can take you back to a special memory and to a special time in your life.
Triple H asked who in this room doesn’t picture Michael Hayes when they hear Free Bird. He added that the Attitude Era had a soundtrack to it and that Kid Rock was a huge part of that soundtrack. He said that Kid Rock loves the wrestling business and that he is a genre defining superstar. He can write a country ballad, hip hop track and a kickass rock song. He can do anything and his music, just like WWE, are hard-hitting and make everybody in the room stand up.
He noted that this year’s theme song is Kid Rock’s “Celebrate” and that hundreds of thousands of people will come to New Orleans to celebrate. Kid Rock is about creating memories and celebrating life and good times. Triple H said that is why everyone is here, to create memories that will last a lifetime. It is why 70,000 people will sit in that stadium as one and love every single minute of it. The soundtrack to this trip and the memories will be the American Bad Ass, the one and only Kid Rock.
"Music makes you feel something… it takes you back to a special time, known as the ATTITUDE ERA!" @TripleH is proud to induct the anthemic artist @KidRock into the 2018 #WWEHOF! pic.twitter.com/omXvj8bUZ6
Kid Rock shared a hug with Triple H and waved to the crowd. Kid Rock thanked the crowd and said that this was better than any Grammy any day of the week and that is saying a lot. There is no politics involved here, he didn’t have to kiss anyone’s behind and all that stuff. He said that WWE just called him up and asked him if he wanted to come into the Hall of Fame and he said “hell yeah”.
Kid Rock said that he wasn’t supposed to thank Vince, but did it anyway. He said that Vince McMahon changed the landscape of American entertainment. He was also warned to stay away from politics and then cracked a few jokes about democrats. He brought up The Undertaker and The Rock. He added that he loves Ric Flair like corn flakes and called Hulk Hogan a great friend. Kid Rock noted that he knows what it is like to be on the road and away from their family. He asked for a round of applause for what the wrestlers do to entertain everyone and what they put their bodies through.
Kid Rock thanked his family, friends, band, manager and the fans for spending their hard earned money to come see all of us entertain you for so many years. Kid Rock thanked Jesus and accepted the award of his late bandmate Joe C. Kid Rock thanked the fans one more time and tipped his hat to the crowd.
Molly Holly inducted Ivory into the WWE Hall of Fame tonight. Molly said that she was happy to present a woman with a sports entertainment career spanning twenty years. Molly stated that Ivory’s passion for adventure led her to live each day to the fullest and that she did all of this with her faithful companion, Frankie the cat.
Molly added that she was in a hotel in Texas with Ivory during the attacks of September 11th, 2001. She added that Ivory was determined to lift others up and that the Superstars were given an option whether to compete or not two days later and that Ivory chose to compete twice that night. Molly added that Ivory had tremendous work ethic and confidence on the microphone has kept her at the forefront at the women’s revolution. She stated that Ivory joined social media to help her gear up for this night and connect with her fans. Lillan Garcia then came out and introduced Ivory as a true trailblazer, humanitarian, 3 time women’s champion and now WWE Hall of Famer.
Ivory stated that Lilian sings like an angel but can be a little devil and noted that one night she pretended that car was running out of gas to freak everyone out. Ivory said that Molly was the wiser one of them and was always lovely to drive with. Ivory brought up Hurricane Katrina and how it displaced tons of people and animals. She said that she was booked in Ohio on an independent wrestling show, but raised money for the animals and then drove to Mississippi and worked for 10 days with the rescued animals.
Ivory said that she couldn’t wait for the female Superstars to tear the house down at WrestleMania 34. She added that the female Superstars have come a long way and that things were different back in the day. She added that Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling changed the landscape forever. Ivory then brought up Trish Stratus, Jazz, Terri Runnels, Stephanie McMahon and Gail Kim. She said that the division continues to grow and she is proud to be their sister.
She thanked the fans for helping her over the past several months and stated that she wouldn’t be their without them. Ivory compared the moment to getting married and added that she has never been asked to get married. A couple of fans shouted “marry me Ivory!” and Ivory said that in a lot of ways this is like a wedding experience. The Right to Censor alarm then went off.
Ivory mentioned Luna Vachon, Chyna, Mae Young and the Fabulous Moolah. Ivory added that her father was here in spirit and that her mother was watching from home. She continued with the wedding jokes and said that she was ready for her final vows now. She then thanked the fans, colleagues, memories and moments that will stay with her forever. Ivory then thanked everyone for being her witness and blew the crowd a kiss to end her speech.
JUST MARRIED: @MorettiIvory & Sports-Entertainment!!! ??
Jimmy Hart inducted Hillbilly Jim into the WWE Hall of Fame tonight. Hart stated that Hillbilly Jim grew up loving 3 things, playing his guitar, going to his grandmother’s house every week to watch professional wrestling and playing basketball for his high school. Jimmy noted that Hillbilly Jim took a job as a bouncer at a bar/nightclub. He would work as a bouncer during the day and then play music during the night. One day, a local wrestling promoter came in and said that he wanted to make Jim a star and put him on the road.
Hillbilly Jim still waited for that one phone call from the WWE and he finally got it. Hart brought Hillbilly Jim blowing his knee out and had to undergo a 6 hour operation. The doctor told him that it would be a miracle if he ever wrestles again. Hillbilly Jim made his comeback at WrestleMania 3. Hart said that Hillbilly Jim was the person that got him into WWE and that he wouldn’t be up here today if it wasn’t for him. Hart added that Hillbilly Jim has been his friend for almost 39 years now and then introduced Hillbilly Jim.
Hillbilly Jim said that he knows that this can be kind of a long evening and that he was going to try to keep his comments as brief as he could. He said that he had some things to talk about and a lot of people to thank. Hillbilly noted that he was in a gym one day in Kentucky and a guy came up to him and said that he would be good for this business. The man was Beautiful Bruce Swayze and that started him going and it never slowed down for him.
He brought up Jim Ross’ HOF speech and how he used a word that described him and the word was “opportunity”. He stated that everyone needs to take their opportunities seriously because they will go to the next person if you don’t. Jim brought up taking every opportunity that came before him. He noted getting a call from Stu Hart and he invited him to come compete at Stampede Wrestling. He stated that Stu was wonderful him and he got to work several times a week.
Hillbilly then brought up Bruce Hart and thanked him. He added that he got another call from a WWE future Hall of Famer that he has an idea for him if he wants to come to Memphis. The man was Jerry Lawler and he and Jerry Jarrett wanted to do some stuff with them in Memphis. Hillbilly Jim brought up meeting Pat Patterson and how he helped him get into this company.
He said that he never wanted to leave and he stayed the entire time. Hillbilly said that Hogan took him under his wing and that his deal was made right there. He added that this business took an old boy from Kentucky that didn’t have anything really besides a big hillbilly smile. They took him and made it possible for his family to have a whole lot of everything. Jim noted that the industry can be tough on families and that he is glad he survived.
Jim stated that the fans accepted him from day one and they never left him. He said that he was asked by a writer and responded that “it is not about how I want to be remembered, it is that I will be remembered”. Jim brought up thinking about the wrestlers that aren’t here and mentioned Johnny Valiant, Andre the Giant, Lord Alfred Hayes, Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, Freddie Blassie, Captain Lou Albano, Macho Man and Randy Savage. Hillbilly added that he has never gotten over losing his friend Roddy Piper. The crowd chanted Roddy as Hillbilly told everyone to enjoy WrestleMania weekend.
"I accept this induction on behalf of YOU, the FANS… the fans accepted me from DAY ONE and they NEVER left me!" – #HillbillyJim
WWE’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony aired tonight on the WWE Network. Jerry “The King” Lawler hosted the event and was greeted with “Jerry” chants from the crowd in attendance. The Dudley Boyz were the first Superstars to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during the ceremony.
Edge and Christian inducted Bubba Ray and D-von Dudley. Christian stated that 5 years ago that he watched Edge get inducted into the Hall of Fame and that he knew that this day would come for him. Edge interrupted and said that Christian was trying to induct himself into the Hall of Fame. Edge joked that Christian wasn’t going in the Hall of Fame, you are inducting again. The crowd chanted “you deserve it!” at Christian.
Christian said that wasn’t what he was trying to say and brought up the Dudley Boyz. Edge poked fun at internet fans for flipping out that Paul Heyman wasn’t inducting the Dudleyz and told them to relax because mom’s macaroni and cheese is still waiting for them upstairs.
Edge stated there was two reason that they are inducting the Dudleyz:
We don’t owe them any money
We owe them a lot of receipts
Christian joked that they were the only two in the locker room that actually liked Bubba. Edge brought up ECW and Christian stated that ECW was the place that gave birth to the Dudley Boyz. Edge added that the Dudley Boyz would incite riots in ECW and helped build the company.
Edge brought up trying to build up WWE with Matt & Jeff Hardy and the The Hardys were shown in the crowd. Edge and Christian noted that the first test for the Dudley Boyz was the APA and they beat their asses. Ron Simmons was shown in the crowd and he grabbed a microphone and shouted “damn!”.
Edge added that there is no E&C or Hardys without the Dudley Boyz. Edge joked that there were five fearless wrestlers and then Devon. Christian noted that they created TLC and that match would later become a PPV. Christian stated that they all decided that they weren’t getting paid enough for the TLC match and addressed it with Jim Ross. Jim Ross replied with “you felt like your pay was a little soft?”. Edge did his best Bubba impression and said that Bubba Ray responded with “J.R., I feel like I just got kicked in the nuts”. Edge admitted that they did get a bump in pay following that meeting.
Edge noted that the Dudley Boyz have won more Tag Team Championships than any other team in the history of this industry. Christian and Edge put on some Dudley Boyz glasses and Edge instructed Christian to get the Dudleys.
Bubba and D-von shared a hug with Edge and Christian and put on the glasses they were wearing. D-von stated that it was an honor and a privilege, but Bubba quickly interrupted and told D-von that he just says “testify!” and that was all he has to do. D-von responded that he was office now and Bubba cracked up. D-von noted that he may have gotten the tables for 20 years, but now he tells Bubba when to speak, talk and when to move. D-von told Bubba to get his ass in line because he is going first and is about to testify.
Bubba once again interrupted and said that he sometimes gets a text from the boys that reads “D-von is my producer LOL”. D-von stated that they are just glad that Bubba is not their producer. Bubba immediately responded that if he was their match might get over and started laughing. D-von claimed that he was the one that got them over when they were in the ring.
D-von brought up Hulk Hogan and said that he mesmerized him as child and made him want to become a professional wrestler. D-von added that he tried to look like Hogan, hell he had the tan. D-von admitted that he even tried to get his hair to look like Hogan’s growing, but realized later on in life they pretty much have the same hairdo. D-von brought up Roddy Piper, Macho Man, Steamboat and Andre the Giant and added that he knew at that point that he wanted to be the guy he saw on TV. D-von noted that he didn’t have a dad growing up and said that he told his sons that were in the crowd that one day they will be able look up at him being honored and say “that is my father”.
D-von said that he could talk about his momma for about 30 minutes, not as long as MR. T, but he could go on and on. He stated that they made it through moving out of Brooklyn and moving on up like the Jeffersons and they never looked back. D-von added that he was honored and privileged to say that he loves his mother and his mom blew him a kiss in the crowd. D-von added that his sons were the reasons why he took the ass kickings that he took during his career. D-von continued that his sons are wrestling themselves and they are going to follow in the footsteps of their father and their uncle.
D-von thanked Bubba and stated that he couldn’t have done it with anyone else besides him. He added that he wasn’t just his brother in the wrestling business, but he was his brother in life and then shook his hand. D-von then said “Bubba, now you can talk” and Bubba made his way to the microphone.
Bubba said that he didn’t know if he could follow him for once. Bubba noted how important family was to them. Bubba stated that he wished his mom and dad could be here today because they would have loved it. Bubba said that he did the closest thing he possibly could and took out their in memoriam cards. He said that he was in the front row when Jimmy Snuka jumped off the steel cage in Madison Square Garden and said that he and D-von were die hard WWE/WWF fans. D-von claimed that Bubba cant say the “F word” and Bubba responded “sorry sir, that will never happen again sir”.
Bubba added that he went to go see WrestleMania 3 and as he was walking out of the arena with his dad and his uncle, his dad asked him how he liked the show. Bubba responded “that is going to be me one day”. Bubba said that his uncle was here tonight and he told him to shut up and get in the car. Bubba flaunted his HOF ring and Bubba’s uncle was shown in the crowd laughing.
Bubba stated that tonight was vindication for them for all the hard work they have done. Bubba added that they are the most proud of being the first original ECW act to be inducted into the WWE HOF. Bubba pointed out Tommy Dreamer in the crowd and he got a great reaction. Bubba thanked the entire ECW roster and every man and woman that stepped in the ring with them. He thanked Paul Heyman for listening to them when they asked to be put together as a team. They thanked Spike as well and said that he was the toughest 150 lb man in the ECW locker room. D-von thanked him for everything that he put his body though to help make the Dudley Boyz.
Bubba thanked every team that wrestled with them because they needed them to help get over. Bubba added that the Sex Pistols “My Way” song sums up their career because they did things their way. D-von then thanked Tommy Dreamer and said that he remembers him being there when he had his tryout in ECW. D-von added that Dreamer helped him along the way so much and thanked him from the bottom of his heart. Devon added that their are so many wrestlers here tonight that he did that for and said that he loved him from the bottom of his heart. Bubba thanked Dreamer once again and then brought up the future misses Dudley, Velvet Sky. Bubba thanked her for being here tonight and his partner in life.
Bubba said that the first time he ever met Vince was at an airport in NYC. He saw Vince and Linda right behind him and said hello to them. Bubba didn’t know if Vince remembered him and Vince did and stated that he was looking forward to working with them. D-von brought up Simmons and Bradshaw and APA was shown in the crowd. D-von brought up introducing himself to Ron and Simmons kept saying his name wrong and always called him that. D-von added that APA gave them the stamp of approval to the locker room. D-von brought up the Reverend gimmick and Bubba told him to not bring that up and to wrap it up.
Bubba thanked Mae Young and claimed that she got the Dudley Boyz over more than anyone else. Bubba said that he will never forget the first night they slammed her and hit the What’s Up?” headbutt. Mae grabbed Bubba after they were done and said “hey hot shot, if you are going to slam me, you slam me like one of the boys” Bubba then called Mae Young the toughest man he has ever met in his life.
Edge, Christian, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy then joined the Dudley Boyz on the stage. Bubba noted that they have not been in the same place at the same time since TLC II. He added that it was the 6 of them that created their history together. Bubba noted that sometimes the wrestling business can be bitter and selfish, and said that they wouldn’t be standing here today without everybody that was on the stage right now. The Hardys, Edge & Christian and The Dudley Boyz then posed on the stage.
D-Von was about to continue to speak when the Dudley Boyz theme hit. A “producer” came out from the back and told them to wrap it up. Bubba and D-Von started arguing with the producer and then Bubba grabbed him. Bubba told D-Von to get the tables and the crowd chanted along. D-Von set up a table and the Dudleys Powerbomed him through the table as the crowd erupted. D-Von then said “oh my brother testify!” and the Dudley Boyz posed on the stage.
This producer obviously never heard the third commandment…
The WWE Hall of Fame “Class of 2018” induction ceremony takes place at the Smoothie King Center and airs live on the WWE Network at 8 PM ET. For those watching live – sound off with your thoughts on the speeches and inductees in the comments section!
Below is the lineup of inductees for tonight, and some photos from the Smoothie King Center:
– Bill Goldberg
– The Dudley Boyz
– Ivory
– Jeff Jarrett
– Hillbilly Jim
– Mark Henry
– Kid Rock
– Warrior Award recipient Jarrius “JJ” Robertson
Roman Reigns will once again be headlining WrestleMania as he battles Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship on Sunday night. Reigns has been subjected to backlash from wrestling fans for years while WWE has tried over and over again to present him as the face of the company. Fans of Roman Reigns believe that he deserves to be “The Guy” in WWE, while others have grown tired of WWE placing him in the main event.
Here is a look back at some of the times WWE has tried to get the fans behind Reigns and the backlash it created from fans:
The Evil Boss Makes His Return (2015-2016)
Sheamus defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Reigns at WWE TLC 2015. Roman scaled the ladder and was inches away from retrieving the title, but Alberto Del Rio and Rusev came down to the ring and interfered. Reigns fought them off with a couple of Superman Punches, but turned around into a Brogue Kick from Sheamus. The interference allowed Sheamus to retain his title. After the match, Reigns lost his mind and beatdown Sheamus, Del Rio and Rusev.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and WWE officials came down to the ring to stop Reigns. Roman turned his attention towards Triple H and delivered an epic beatdown to the WWE COO. The following night on RAW, Vince McMahon made his first appearance on WWE RAW in over a year. McMahon was fired up and wanted to fight Reigns. Sheamus interrupted and stated that he wanted the pleasure of beating an apology out of Roman Reigns himself. Sheamus asked for a match that night and added that he wanted to put the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line. The crowd chanted “yes” and Vince McMahon said that there was no chance in hell of that happening. Reigns insulted Vince’s manhood and McMahon made the match official.
Vince added a stipulation to the match, if Reigns didn’t win he would be fired. Vince then extended his hand for a handshake, but delivered a low-blow instead. Roman went on to win the match to become to the WWE World Heavyweight Champion later that night.
Reigns was then forced to put the title on the line in the 2016 Royal Rumble. The League of Nations got their revenge for what down at TLC 2015 and attacked Reigns during the match. Roman made his triumphant return to the match a half hour later, but ultimately lost the belt to Triple H. Reigns went on to recapture the title at WrestleMania 32, but the fans had already turned their backs on him once again.
Daniel Bryan Shakes Roman Reigns’ Hand At WWE Fastlane 2015
Roman Reigns won the 2015 Royal Rumble in Philadelphia to become the #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31. The Philadelphia crowd booed Reigns out of the building, as most of them wanted to see Daniel Bryan win the match and headline a second straight WrestleMania.
Despite winning the Royal Rumble match, Reigns went on to battle Daniel Bryan at WWE Fastlane 2015 to determine who will face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31. Reigns and Bryan put on a very solid match. Bryan went for the running knee but Reigns countered into a Spear for the pinfall victory. Following the match, Daniel Bryan shook Roman Reigns’ hand and told him to kick Brock Lesnar’s ass at WrestleMania. The crowd was fully behind Daniel Bryan, but WWE hoped that Bryan showing Reigns respect would get them on Roman’s side.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhYKPqZsvBM
Unfortunately for WWE, their plan didn’t work out. The crowd at Levi’s Stadium for WrestleMania 31 were more behind Brock Lesnar than Roman Reigns. Seth Rollins wound up cashing in his MITB briefcase and pinned Roman Reigns to become the new champion. Even though Rollins was a heel at the time, the crowd rejoiced as the fireworks went off around him on the entrance ramp.
The Rock Saves Roman Reigns At WWE Royal Rumble 2015
Photo Credit: WWE.com
The month before WWE Fastlane 2015, Reigns won the Royal Rumble match. The crowd turned on the match immediately after Daniel Bryan was eliminated. It was a foregone conclusion that Reigns was going to win and the crowd wasn’t having it all. The final three Superstars in the match were Reigns, Kane and Big Show. Reigns eliminated them both and seemed to have won the match. However, Rusev was hiding outside the ring and had not been eliminated. The Philadelphia crowd at Wells Fargo Center grabbed onto that last bit of hope tjat Reigns wouldn’t win as Rusev snuck into the ring to try to and eliminate Roman. However, Reigns eliminated Rusev shortly after and won the match anyway.
After the match, Kane and Big Show attacked Roman Reigns from behind. The Rock came down to the ring and helped out Roman Reigns. The Rock then raised Reigns’ hand and the crowd booed them out of the building. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon came down to the entrance ramp pissed off because Reigns won and The Rock was in the ring celebrating with him. The hashtag #CancelWWENetwork was the number one trend on Twitter following the show. Amazingly, even The Rock couldn’t get the fans to cheer Reigns at WWE Royal Rumble 2015.
https://www.instagram.com/p/yT6y3qIh_e/
Roman Reigns “Retires” The Undertaker At WrestleMania 33
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Last year at WrestleMania 33, Roman Reigns faced The Undertaker. The entire build to this match was both Superstars wanted to prove that WWE was their yard. Reigns defeated The Undertaker by connecting with a massive Spear. After the match, The Undertaker left his hat and jacket in the ring to symbolize that he was retired.
The following night on RAW, Reigns came down to the ring to an unbelievably negative reaction from the crowd. Roman stood tall in the ring and took it. Whenever he tried to talk, the crowd would get angrier and chant louder. After several minutes of hearing nothing but negativity, Reigns simply stated “this is my yard now” and left the ring to a chorus of boos.
The negativity towards Reigns has never been as loud as it was on the RAW after WrestleMania 33. The victory over The Undertaker did not cause the majority of fans to find a new level of respect for Roman Reigns, it just made them even more sick of him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsoq1MteXSU
John Cena Raises Roman Reigns’ Hand At WWE No Mercy 2017
Photo Credit: WWE.com
WWE just recently had John Cena pass the torch to Roman Reigns at WWE No Mercy 2017. The build up to this match featured several promos in which Cena and Reigns traded insults. During one promo, Reigns forgot his lines and Cena told him that he is going to have to learn how to do promos if he wants to be “The Guy”. Reigns blasted John Cena for being a part-timer and Cena responded by stating that he could do this part-time better than Reigns could ever do full-time.
John Cena lost to Roman Reigns at No Mercy and raised his hand after the match. John Cena claimed that Reigns was not capable of being “The Guy”, but after the loss he showed Reigns a ton of respect. Cena then appeared on RAW Talk following the PPV and stated that he didn’t pass the torch to Reigns, Roman took it. Cena added that WWE’s future is in good hands with Roman Reigns.
John Cena emotional saying future in good hands. Says he didn't pass the torch. Roman Reigns took it. Put him over huge on #RawTalk. #WWE
Roman Reigns called Brock Lesnar “Vince’s boy” on March 12. Lesnar had been no-showing episodes of WWE RAW and Reigns was pissed off about it. Reigns took it as a sign of disrespect to him, the Superstars in the back and the WWE Universe. Reigns marched backstage and confronted Vince McMahon. The two then argued in Vince’s office and Reigns was indefinitely suspended. Vince admitted to Renee Young that Lesnar does have special privileges, but claimed that he has earned them.
On this past Monday’s episode of RAW, Kurt Angle instructed WWE Superstars to line up on the entrance ramp to prevent Reigns from getting into the ring with Lesnar. Reigns asked the Superstars if they really wanted to protect a part-timer who didn’t respect them. The Superstars cleared a path for Reigns to get into the ring. Lesnar rolled out and grabbed a chair before getting back in the ring with Reigns. Roman connected with 5 Superman Punches, but somehow Lesnar shook them off and planted Reigns with an F5.
Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns this Sunday at WrestleMania 34. The build for this match has placed Reigns in the position of fighting not only for the title, but for the Superstars in the back and all of the fans that enjoy WWE. UFC President Dana White has conveniently announced that Brock Lesnar will be returning to UFC at some point. WWE is hoping that enough fans in New Orleans will cheer for Reigns during the match this Sunday.
The storyline for this match has had Lesnar attack Reigns while he is in handcuffs and mercilessly beat him down. Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, has admitted on the microphone that Lesnar only cares about the money and doesn’t give a damn what the fans think. Vince McMahon even suspended Roman Reigns for questioning him and accusing him of catering to Lesnar. All of these elements are supposed to get you on Roman Reigns’ side at WrestleMania 34. Just like every previous attempt to get the majority of fans on Reigns’ side, it will likely backfire on Sunday night.
Former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee (AJ Mendez) has launched a new “Call Me Crazy for a Cause” GoFundMe campaign to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The campaign currently has raised $2,105 of a $25,000 goal with 16 people donating. You can see the campaign at this link.
Above is a video promo for the campaign and below are details on the campaign, which were sent out by GoFundMe today:
Call Me Crazy for a Cause
My name is AJ Mendez and I’m a fighter. I have fought to go from a scrawny kid growing up in severe poverty to a wrestling champion on international television. I have fought to go from a college dropout to a bestselling author. I have fought to go from being confused and scared lying in a hospital bed after a suicide attempt to being in charge of- and proud of- my Bipolar Disorder diagnosis.
I have always considered myself a one-girl revolution; responsible for making the change I want to see in the world- starting with myself. But headed into my next battle, I was so grateful to have an army alongside me. About a year ago, I teamed up with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. I had written my book Crazy Is My Superpower as a way to reclaim hateful words like “crazy” and to showcase the beauty in our differences. But I needed the guidance of mental health professionals to continue the conversation and help shatter the stigma around mental illness. NAMI has given me invaluable support and the tools necessary to help educate others.
NAMI provides no-cost, essential information, education and support to individuals and families in need. They raise awareness and advocate for the 60 million Americans affected by mental health conditions. They give help and hope, so crucial to those still navigating their mental health journeys. NAMI saves lives.
As a NAMI Ambassador I want to help them keep up the good fight. This campaign will raise funds to support their amazing work–helping to equip NAMI’s grassroots volunteers with training for our no-cost education, support and awareness programs offered in communities across the country and supporting our no-cost HelpLine, which responds to tens of thousands of inquiries each year to people in need of essential support sand referrals. And you can earn fun rewards in the process! No donation is too small and anything you contribute will be greatly appreciated.
Thursday’s Impact Wrestling episode, featuring a Case vs. Case main event with Eli Drake defeating Moose, drew 294,000 viewers. This is down from last week’s 399,000 viewers, which was the best Impact viewership since The Final Deletion episode in July 2016, which drew 410,000 viewers.
Impact ranked #128 on the Cable Top 150 this past week. Last week’s show ranked #104.
The Jersey Shore return on MTV topped the night with almost 5 million viewers across both episodes.
Below is our 2018 Impact Viewership Tracker:
January 4th Episode: 309,000 viewers January 11th Episode: 276,000 viewers January 18th Episode: 309,000 viewers January 25th Episode: 310,000 viewers (Genesis edition) February 1st Episode: 319,000 viewers (Reboot) February 8th Episode: 294,000 viewers February 15th Episode: 300,000 viewers February 22nd Episode: 262,000 viewers March 1st Episode: 365,000 viewers March 8th Episode: 325,000 (Crossroads edition) March 15th Episode: 350,000 viewers March 22nd Episode: 362,000 viewers March 29th Episode: 399,000 viewers April 5th Episode: 294,000 viewers April 12th Episode:
2017 Total: 16.147 million viewers 2017 Average: 311,000 viewers per episode
– Below is the latest episode of WWE Playback with Paul Heyman re-watching Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg for the WWE Universal Title from WrestleMania 33:
– Kane, Aiden English, Curt Hawkins, Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable are now official for the fifth annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34. Below is the updated list of confirmed participants:
* Kane, Aiden English, Curt Hawkins, Shelton Benjamin, Chad Gable, Primo Colon, Zack Ryder, Rhyno, Heath Slater, Goldust, Matt Hardy, Scott Dawson, Dash Wilder, Tye Dillinger, Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Mojo Rawley, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, TBA
– Natalya revealed on Twitter that she’s filming a “Table For 3” episode with Nia Jax and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix in New Orleans. As noted, WWE will be filming several specials for the WWE Network this weekend. Natalya tweeted:
– Below is another new WrestleMania 34 Diary video with 2018 WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett and his family traveling from Nashville to New Orleans for the big weekend. Jarrett greets various WWE Superstars before being asked to spell his name at check-in for a throwback moment.
– WWE Shop has released new t-shirts for Nia Jax, Triple H, WWE Champion AJ Styles, Carmella, Finn Balor and Matt Hardy, just in time for WrestleMania 34. Remember to visit WWE Shop via this link to save on your purchases.
– WWE veteran Goldust tweeted the following praise for the current locker room this week:
