– Now that Kaitlyn has returned to professional wrestling a lot of rumors have been floating around about a potential return to the WWE for the former Divas Champion. PWInsider is reporting that there is currently no sign that WWE will sign Kaitlyn back to a deal. It was noted that if Kaitlyn is back in professional wrestling she likely has bigger goals than just working the independent scene.
– NXT star The Velveteen Dream recently took to Twitter to shoot on “indy guys” coming into NXT and “taking up spots.” Here’s what he had to say:
This past Monday on RAW WWE opened up the show with a near-two hour Seven-Man Gauntlet match with names such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, and Braun Strowman. For a match that lasted nearly two hours it was actually pretty entertaining. Seth Rollins put on an amazing performance after lasting more than half of the match, and also earning two clean pinfall victories over WWE’s biggest stars – Roman Reigns and John Cena.
All seven men involved in the match will compete in the Elimination Chamber this weekend. The winner punches their ticket to WrestleMania 34 and will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. PWInsider reports that Vince McMahon was actually the person who suggested the Gauntlet match for Monday Night RAW. This reportedly shocked a lot of people backstage because Vince suggested it “out of nowhere.” It’s said that he traditionally isn’t very high on these kinds of matches. After the plan was laid out Vince approved the length and presentation of the show.
Some fans actually believed that this was a Triple H suggestion given how different it was from usual plans. It turns out that Vince was the mastermind behind Monday’s Gauntlet match idea.
As we’ve previously reported, WWE has plans to turn Seth Rollins heel after WrestleMania 34 so he can feud with Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, those plans were initially for Dean Ambrose before he suffered his unfortunate bicep injury that has sidelined him for the past several months. The original plan was for Ambrose to feud with Reigns after The Shield reunion. Now those plans have been changed for Seth Rollins.
Roman Reigns is currently expected to win this weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV); which features other names such as Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, and Braun Strowman. The winner will go on to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34.
It’s expected that after Reigns dethrones Lesnar he will feud with Seth Rollins, who’s expected to turn heel. RAW currently has a shortage of top heels that are up for the task, thus their decision to turn Rollins.
Brock Lesnar is currently awaiting the results of this weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) to see who he will defend his Universal Championship against at WrestleMania 34. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, and Braun Strowman will compete inside the Chamber to determine who gets those honors.
It’s expected that Reigns will win the Chamber match and go on to dethrone Lesnar for the Universal crown at “The Show Of Shows.” Lesnar has a ton of options after his WWE contract expires. He could either re-sign with the company and focus on a potential feud with Bobby Lashley, or go back to the UFC and once again chase the moniker of “Baddest Man On The Planet.”
As we reported recently, this year’s SummerSlam ticket featured pictures of Superstars such as Ronda Rousey, AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns, The Usos, Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, Naomi, Charlotte Flair, Randy Orton, and Samoa Joe – no Lesnar in sight. Per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the reason Lesnar wasn’t featured is because he won’t be under contract with WWE at that point and there’s no guarantee he’ll be with the company. WWE decided not to use him in any promotional material for the event.
A return to the UFC is definitely possible as President Dana White has said he believes “The Beast” will fight in the Octagon this year. Jon Jones called out Lesnar last year, and with Jones nearing a return from a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation soon, the door is still open for that fight.
Monday’s edition of WWE RAW featured a standout performance by Seth Rollins in the 7-Man Gauntlet match. The match, officially the longest match in WWE history, saw Rollins best the other participants in Sunday’s Elimination Chamber match, including Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, and Braun Strowman.
Rollins started off the night with Reigns and picked up the upset win via rollup pin. The pair put on quite the back-and-forth before “The Architect’s” win and John Cena entered next. Rollins and Cena probably put on the best bout within the Gauntlet match, but again Rollins was able to pull off a clean pinfall win over “The Leader Of The Cenation.” He lasted in the match for over an hour and picked up two clean pinfall wins over WWE’s biggest stars.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rollins’ big night on RAW was the beginning of an effort to position him as a heel challenger to Roman Reigns in the months after WrestleMania 34. Rollins’ role at WrestleMania is currently undecided after his originally scheduled opponent, Jason Jordan, was forced to undergo neck surgery.
This weekend’s Elimination Chamber match will determine who will go on to WrestleMania and challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal throne. It’s no secret that Roman Reigns is the strong favorite to emerge victorious on Sunday and challenge The Beast on April 8th.
With Dean Ambrose out of action due to injury and this latest Shield reunion effectively dead on arrival, it will be interesting to see how Rollins is transitioned to a heel and how they’d jumpstart a potential post-WrestleMania program with Reigns.
Does a post-WrestleMania Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins program interest you? Let us know in the comments.
Major League Wrestling has confirmed another match for next month’s MLW: Spring Break show from Orlando (3/8): Garza Jr. vs. Último Ninja.
Below is the official word, including an updated look at the card – featuring the Semi-Finals of the MLW Road To The World Championship tournament.
FAMED LUCHA LIBRE FAMILY TO CLASH IN MLW AS GARZA JR. BATTLES ÚLTIMO NINJA ON MARCH 8TH IN ORLANDO
ORLANDO – The spectacular Lucha Libre style of professional wrestling will be showcased in Major League Wrestling on March 8th at Gilt Nightclub as Garza Jr. vs. Último Ninja has been signed for MLW: Spring Break ’18 in Orlando.
Latin impresario Salina de la Renta of Promociones Dorado presents the match featuring two of Mexico’s emerging stars in Garza Jr. and Último Ninja in a clash of cousins from one of Mexico’s most famous wrestling families.
3rd generation luchador Garza Jr. is no stranger to the big spotlight having competed before some of the largest crowds in Mexico all the way to Japan. The nephew of Hector Garza, Garza Jr. is faced with a fascinating challenge as he faces a man he has teamed with in the past to win gold in his cousin Último Ninja.
A native of Monterrey, the powerhouse highflyer Último Ninja looks to make a big statement with a high profile win on March 8th. Ninja will need to rely on his signature moves like the Tope En Reversa as this match is a big test for the up and comer. See Garza Jr. vs. Último Ninja LIVE.
Impact Wrestling tonight is a taped show from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida. Tonight’s show is the 4th to come out of the company’s tapings held the second week of January.
Impact recently released plans to return to Orlando in April. Impact Wrestling plans on hosting their first “Redemption” pay-per-view on the 22nd, followed by a series of TV tapings to run that same week.
Redemption isn't just the name of our next PPV, its a mission statement. We're not asking for redemption, we plan to earn it – little by little every week. Jump on board now because we're creating something special. Thanks for watching, we'll see you next week. #IMPACTonPoppic.twitter.com/rIokdF4AKC
It’s been an interesting few months for Cody. The 32-year-old has been engaged in one of the more unique storylines in wrestling with Kenny Omega and has been working on organizing a show in a 10,000 seat arena for September.
He has also taken the time to comment publicly on gun issues and the potential mild irony of him doing so while also claiming to be the leader of Bullet Club.
Bullet Club leader, handgun owner, rifle owner…I'm all those things.
BUT I'd gladly take part in gun safety courses/do a mental evaluation/and register ANNUALLY. Those types of common sense regulations plus bans on a great many semi & fully automatic guns is what we need. https://t.co/IEuVVJyI2n
Cody has subtly referred to himself as the leader of Bullet Club multiple times throughout his angle with Kenny Omega. He has changed the bio on his Twitter profile page so that it lists him as leader of the faction. This despite no other Bullet Club member recognizing him as such.
I love America. There's no better place. It's disappointing the only voices that get heard on this topic are extreme "ban all" or "my rights to bear arms"…I think most Americans want sensible new policy in place. Genuine common sense gun reform. https://t.co/gcDnjhzsOc
Ring of Honor increased attendance for their big events in 2017 and it appears that the trend will remain this year.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the Supercard of Honor event that the Baltimore based promotion is slated to hold has sold 4,621 tickets.
This marks the all-time record for the promotion by more than 1,000. The building is set up for 5,700. Ring of Honor will hold their Supercard of Honor XIII event on Saturday, April 7th, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Lakefront Arena. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app. Kenny Omega vs. Cody has been the only match confirmed thus far for this show.
The updated betting odds for the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event have been released.
Oddsmakers have placed the lines for two of the newer matches announced for this show that includes Asuka -750 being favored over Nia Jax +450 as well as Matt Hardy -215 favored over Bray Wyatt +165.
There hasn’t been a huge change in odds for both the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches.
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, February 25th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. This will be an exclusive RAW brand event and the final RAW PPV before Wrestlemania 34. Here are the odds:
Men’s Elimination Chamber Roman Reigns -600 Braun Strowman +400 Seth Rollins +600 Finn Balor +1700 John Cena +2000 The Miz +3500 Elias +4300 Women’s Elimination Chamber Alexa Bliss -280 Sasha Banks +190 Bayley +575 Sonya Deville +600 Mickie James +2500 Mandy Rose +4500 Singles Matches Asuka -750 vs Nia Jax +450 Matt Hardy -215 vs Bray Wyatt +165
Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 3.280 million viewers, an increase from 3.105 million the previous week.
RAW featured a 7-man gauntlet match, with Seth Rollins going the distance and defeating John Cena and Roman Reigns en route to victory. The ‘match’ (which was actually 6 matches in one) was technically the longest match in WWE history at over 106 minutes.
Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com:
Hour 1: 3.518 million
Hour 2: 3.509 million
Hour 3: 2.821 million
The increase in viewership is a good sign for WWE as we head into Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
Last May it was reported that 27-year-old, Io Shirai, had signed with WWE. The next month, however, Shirai’s medical examination with the company revealed a neck injury and her offer was rescinded. It is also believed the medical examination revealed a minor heart ailment as well.
Shirai’s doctors in Japan are willing to clear her to perform but evidently, WWE doctors are not. Since her experience with WWE, Shirai has returned to Stardom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFpuWEHRW8
Io Shirai Turns Down Women of Honor Opportunity
According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Shirai turned down a chance to be in ROH’s Women of Honor tournament due to feeling as though it could hurt her chances of going to WWE someday. Other Stardom wrestlers, such as Mayu Iwatani and HZK will be participating.
WWE has told prospective recruits in the past that they prefer performers who have not wrestled on a national TV program, such as Ring of Honor has. They have made several exceptions to this rule in recent years, however.
Should this report prove correct, it would mean Shirai is of the belief WWE doctors could potentially clear her somewhere down the line.
Dream and Jose had a little dance-off before the bell rang. Dream started out in control and beatdown Jose in the corner. Dream took a break to dance in the middle of the ring and it cost him because Jose leveled him with a Clothesline.
Jose connected with a series of chops and then sent him to the mat with a Back Body Drop. Dream charged at Jose but he got out of the way and sent Dream out of the ring. No Way Jose connected with a Crossbody outside the ring as NXT went to a break.
When NXT returned, Dream booted Jose in the face and then draped him across the top rope. Dream connected with a swinging Neckbreaker and then made his way to the top rope. Dream leaped but Jose got his legs up and went for a roll-up but Velveteen Dream kicked out at to.
No Way Jose hit an Arm Drag and a few chops to Dream in the corner. Dream connected with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Death Valley Driver. Dream climbed to the top and hit the Purple Rainmaker Elbow Drop for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Dream grabbed a mic and addressed the crowd. Dream stated that he should sweep the NXT Year End Awards and added that his name was on the tip of everyone’s tongues in the crowd tonight.
NXT GM William Regal announced that the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be returning in two weeks. The winners of the tournament will win the Dusty Cup and also be rewarded a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships at NXT TakeOver.
The Atlanta crowd greeted Nikki by chanting her name as Cross beat the hell out of Borne in the corner. Borne battled back and slammed Cross to the mat for a two count. Borne stomped on Cross against the ropes several times but Nikki had a smile on her face the whole time. Brorne connected with a snap Suplex for another two count.
Cross connected with a Crossbody and followed it up with a few forearms. Nikki launched Borne into the corner and connected with a Splash. Nikki climbed to the top and hit another Crossbody. Cross hit The Purge (swinging Neckbreaker) for the pinfall victory.
Almas went for a a couple of roll-ups right away and Gargano rolled out of the ring as NXT went to a break. When NXT returned, Almas connected with an awesome elbow to Gargano’s face. Johnny battled back and Clotheslined Andrade out of the ring. Gargano was going to go for a Suicide Dive but Vega got in the way. Candice sprinted into the ring and leaped the ropes and took her out with a Suicide Dive.
Gargano connected with a Cannonball to Almas outside the ring. Candice and Zelina battled all the way up the entrance ramp and backstage. Back in the ring, Almas had taken control and slammed Johnny on the ring apron for a two count. Gargano hit a chop and sent Andrade to the ring apron. Almas grabbed Gargano’s arm and locked in an Arm Bar while tangled up in the ropes. Almas broke the hold before the referee counted to five.
Almas drove Gargano’s shoulder into the turnbuckle and stomped on his chest a few times as the crowd booed. A “Johnny Wrestling!” chant broke out as Almas thew Gargano to the corner as NXT went to a commercial break.
When NXT returned, Andrade had an Arm Bar applied in the center of the ring. Gargano battled to his feet and connected with a boot to the side of the face. Johnny hit a chop and then hopped up to the second rope and connected with a Headscissors. Gargano followed it up with a slingshot Spear.
Andrade and Johnny traded punches in the middle of the ring. Gargano missed with a kick and Almas showed off his strength and hit a Buckle Bomb. Almas followed it up with a running knee in the corner for a two count.
Almas went for the Hammerlock DDT but Gargano blocked it. Almas threw Gargano through the ropes and Johnny hit the ring post shoulder first. Gargano kicked Almas in the face as the two Superstars battled on the ring apron. Almas escaped to the ring and Gargano went for another slingshot Spear but Almas countered into an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring.
Gargano broke the hold by reversing into a roll-up for two. Almas connected with another running knee to the back of Gargano’s head as he was against the turnbuckle. Andrade went for the cover but Gargano kicked out at two.
Almas perched Gargano up on the top rope and went for the Hammerlock DDT but Gargano fought him off. Johnny escaped through the ropes and shoved Almas to the floor. Johnny leaped through the ropes and hit a ridiculous Tornado DDT. Johnny brought Almas back into the ring and hit a Slingshot DDT for two.
Gargano and Almas traded punches while on their knees in the middle of the ring. They both got up while continuing to trade shots. Almas hit a chop but Gargano responded with a Superkick. Andrade went for the elbow but Gargano ducked and Almas hit the referee. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape but the referee was down. Tommaso Ciampa got in the ring and cracked Gargano in the back with his crutch. Almas then hit the Hammerlock DDT for the pinfall victory. Johnny Gargano’s NXT career is now over.
The crowd chanted “thank you Johnny!” as Gargano and LaRae made their way backstage. Ciampa was then shown and he sarcastically waved goodbye to Gargano as NXT went off the air.
Lucha Underground has moved its tapings away from their original venue in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles to a warehouse that holds more people. The promotion will begin filming season four of their show this Friday at the new warehouse in Union Central Cold Storage on Industrial Street in Los Angeles. Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the promotion is looking to base its talent in L.A. for the entire five weeks of taping to save money on travel.
Tapings will take place Friday through Saturday and talents will be filming vignettes midweek. There is no news on who will be involved in the full roster for season four, but it’s known that some of the roster from last season will not be brought back due to budget concerns. Lucha’s budget issues is also part of their decision to move venues, as the previous Boyle Heights location in East L.A. was more expensive.
The roster will look a lot different at the end of the season, as many talents being used this season will be working under the agreement that their characters will be written off storylines so they can be released from their seven year contracts.
WWE Superstar Apollo recently did an interview with The Mirror to promote WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) this weekend. Below are some of the highlights:
How have you found working with Titus O’Neil and being a part of Titus Worldwide?
“I’m enjoying everything we’re doing with Titus Worldwide. We’ve got the addition of Dane Brooke and to me I think it’s a great dynamic. Titus is an amazing guy, inside and outside of the ring. He’s helped me a lot, not just in WWE, but in my real life. He’s taught me to be myself and show people more personality and more character.
“He is such an amazing human being, being around him on camera helps me, allows me to be myself and whether or not we continue with this, hopefully I can continue to be more comfortable and more relaxed like that on camera and take the personality that I’ve shown in Titus Worldwide and carry it on to another tag team that I’m in, or as a singles competitor. I think we’ve proved we are worthy competitors, we are great competitors and given a chance, we can make things happen.
“Titus helped me to understand that WWE is not only all about wrestling. He helped me to understand that I need to learn to be an entertainer as well. When you are having fun, people can feel that and they can have fun themselves, so he is helping me to be more relaxed on camera and open up my personality and not be afraid to go out there and make a fool of myself and just have fun. I think when I first got to WWE, I took myself a little too seriously.
“I was like ‘I just want to be a great wrestler’, but I think there is a lot more to that when it comes to WWE and he has helped me to understand that, which has worked out a lot better for me. People have recognised that I do have personality and I do have character and charisma, so I thank him for that every day.”
The group is becoming more prominent on Raw and we have seen you emerge as challengers to Cesaro and Sheamus for the Raw Tag Team Championships. Do you think tag team wrestling is a way you can show a different side to yourself?
“Yes it is. Me and Titus have two different styles, but when you put us together, it’s very interesting. Titus and myself, we can go out there and be funny or whatever the case may be, but when it’s time to get to business, we get serious, we put that face on and go out there and throw people around and have that killer instinct. It’s great for us to be able to showcase that and it’s only just the beginning. Keep on the lookout because we’re coming.”
What do you think you need to do to become a champion in WWE?
“You know I’m hoping it will happen sooner rather than later, but for the moment I’m just focused on my work. I just keeping grinding and stay focused, stay humble and any opportunity I get, I take full advantage of it. I try to be the best I can and if there’s something that needs to get done, if they need me to do something specific, I try and make sure I do that to the best of my ability.
“Staying injury free is another thing I try and do, especially with the talent that’s out there right now, if you get injured, someone else will come in and take your spot. So I train as hard as I can, make sure i stay healthy especially with my eating and dieting and the rest will take care of itself. I just focus on the things I can control and hope the rest will fall into place.”
You can read Apollo’s full interview with The Mirror by clicking this link here.
WWE Superstar Luke Gallows recently did an interview with Sky Sports to talk about several professional wrestling topics. He explained how Bullet Club members The Young Bucks over in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) owe it to themselves to sign with WWE and leave their mark on the professional wrestling industry:
“I hope the Young Bucks come in,” Gallows said. “I think they’re highly, highly talented and if you want to make your mark in sports entertainment, if you want your name to go down in the annals of sports entertainment history, you absolutely have to come to WWE.
“This is the pinnacle. It doesn’t get bigger than this. There’s no bigger worldwide stage than WWE. So I think the Young Bucks owe it to themselves to come out here and thrive.”
While Gallows, a former talent in NJPW, acknowledges Japan is a great place to work as a professional wrestler, he says you can’t beat the platform of WWE:
“Japan is a great place to wrestle but WWE is a worldwide platform and you can’t beat that. Their reach is all across the world.”
You can read Gallows’ full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.
We’ve noted that Jeff Jarrett will be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame prior to WrestleMania 34. Jarrett will join Bill Goldberg, Ivory, and The Dudley Boyz thus far. Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reports that Triple H was actually the person who pushed to have Jarrett inducted this year.
“The decision to induct Jarrett was pushed for by Triple H. Following the hire of former longtime TNA employee Jeremy Borash, the question now exists whether Jarrett would fit into Triple H’s team for NXT and developmental.”
Triple H has really been taking on a bigger role in WWE as of late. Now serving as the head of talent relations, “The Game” has also taken over 205 Live in addition to his duties on NXT.
– “Ms. Money In The Bank” Carmella recently answered a question from a fan on Twitter asking her where she got the idea for her moonwalk entrance. Michael Hayes jumped in and claimed that Carmella has stolen “everything I ever did”:
Hi @CarmellaWWE where did you come up with the moon walking idea, Only wrestler i can remember doing it was @MichaelPSHayes1
@CarmellaWWE__ has stolen everything i ever did!!! Where do U think she came up with Fabulous??? Let me guess, next she will write her own theme song!!! Bahahaha
– WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz is one of seven men that will be involved in this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match. He took to Twitter and listed out each of his adversaries’ gimmicks, claiming to be the only ‘real’ thing involved in the match:
It can be argued that Seth Rollins was the MVP of the 7-man Gauntlet match on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. Rollins put in a record breaking performance which lasted over an hour and saw him defeat both John Cena and Roman Reigns.
With Jason Jordan now seemingly out potentially beyond WrestleMania question marks have been raised over the match that Rollins will have come the ‘show of shows.’ Here are 3 names that we feel could realistically have a bout with Seth:
John Cena
John Cena (Photo credit: Instagram @WWE)
A potential bout with John Cena could be ideal for Rollins, although this would absolutely be determined by the potential return of The Undertaker…and whilst WWE have managed to keep any plans for the Deadman under wraps there is always the possibility that last year really was his last ride.
Following this week’s Gauntlet match there is an inbuilt story, Cena could not defeat Rollins even after a gruelling match with Reigns. It would be the man who arguably built modern day WWE versus the man who calls himself The Architect, both men are former World Champions and have carried the company at different times…does this mean that it should be a marquee match at WrestleMania? If Undertaker is definitely retired then Rollins then it absolutely could be.
Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns (photo: WWE.com)
Again, this is a bout that is ultimately determined on how WWE decides to book the Chamber match this Sunday. Whilst the general consensus has been steered towards a Lesnar/Reigns main event at WrestleMania the company could decide to throw a curve ball and put Braun Strowman in the main event slot.
It certainly isn’t out of the realms of possibility for Braun to take what would be considered a minor ‘shock’ win and for Reigns to then be left matchless for the Grandest Stage of Them All. Here is where Rollins slots in, again you have an inbuilt story, these two men have dominated WWE since their debut as The Shield and are both on fairly equal footing in terms of Championships won.
This isn’t a likely match for Rollins to have come WrestleMania but it would certainly gain a huge positive reaction for Seth going up against the most divisive character in WWE.
Finn Balor
Photo Credit: WWE.com
In an ideal world this final spot would be given to Dean Ambrose, however the ‘Lunatic Fringe’ is still out of action due to an injury sustained in December of last year, he is expected to be out for at least another 7 months with rehab.
The re-invention of Finn Balor as the leader of the Balor Club has reinvigorated the character and given somewhat of a purpose to Gallows and Anderson. The story here is also inbuilt in that Seth cost Balor an extended period of time back when he injured the former Universal Champion during the bout to crown the inaugural champion…something that you have to believe WWE has had sitting on the back burner (they should do).
Finn Balor really needs a big WrestleMania win if he is to begin moving forward with his career on the WWE main roster and a victory against Rollins would give him a healthy dose of momentum.
Who would you like to see Seth Rollins face at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments.
The 1st round of the 16-participant single-elimination tournament to crown a new Cruiserweight Championship concluded last night on 205 Live.
The first match last night saw newcomer to 205 Live, Buddy Murphy, defeat Ariya Daivari. In the 2nd tournament match last night, Mustafa Ali defeated Jack Gallagher.
Also last night, 205 Live General Manager gave a tournament update which included the first unveiling of brackets.
205 Live Tournament Brackets
2nd round matches confirmed for the tournament include:
Cedric Alexander vs. TJP
Roderick Strong vs. Kalisto
Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali
Mark Andrews vs. Drew Gulak
Of the remaining participants, only Kalisto and TJP have held the Cruiserweight Championship previously.
The finals of the tournament is scheduled to take place at WrestleMania.
Cesaro went from a singles competitor to a tag team performer with Sheamus. If you recall, they were in the middle of a best-of-7 series of matches against one another when then-RAW General Manager and WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley put them together as a tag team.
Sheamus and Cesaro have gone on to be very successful, winning the Raw Tag Team Championships 3 times so far. “Sometimes you get in a frustrated mindset,” said Cesaro. “Working with Sheamus reminded me to enjoy the moment. Sometimes, you have to let things take the natural course. As long as you work hard, good things will come. I firmly believe that.”
“I would like to think there is something special about Cesaro no matter what I do,” said Cesaro. “I just try to make the best of every single opportunity. I’m always trying to push forward and push the envelope. “That’s why Sheamus and I click so well, even as opponents. We never take it easy, we never take a night off, we always want to go out and deliver. That’s what we do as a team.”
He noted that performing the sharpshooter is a tribute to his former tag team partner, Tyson Kidd.
“My sharpshooter, that’s a Tyson Kidd shout-out and tribute,” said Cesaro. “I started doing the move after he got hurt. You may notice that I do the move, like Tyson did and like Owen Hart did, with the right leg, while Bret Hart and Nattie do it with the left.”
WWE Superstar Nia Jax recently did an interview with Dave LaGreca and Mark Henry on Busted Open Radio yesterday. During the interview Jax was asked about her thoughts on former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey signing with WWE. Jax said she’s excited for Rousey coming to WWE and claimed she’s a big part of the women’s revolution:
“I’m very excited. Ronda Rousey was a huge part in the women’s revolution around the world and part of the WWE and now she’s coming to the WWE. It’s going to be absolutely amazing. She’s so talented and has so many things to bring to us. It’s literally going to expand the women’s division and people don’t realize how much she’s going to bring to us and how far it’s going to take us. I personally am very excited for her to come. She’s willing to put in the hard work.
“I’ve seen her put in the hard work in the UFC and how hard she worked to get to where she got. I know she’s going to prove herself in the WWE. I’m very excited to step in the ring with her and see what we can do together. I have nothing but positive things to say for anyone who wants to come to the WWE because it is not an easy place to get into and not an easy place to get through, so if you feel like you can make it here and get through, I say welcome. Let’s do it.”
When Rousey does finally get to the WWE locker room, however, Jax said that the former Olympic Judoka needs to show respect:
“Respect is #1 in this business. You definitely have to walk into the door with a lot of respect: a lot of eye contact, a lot of handshakes, introducing yourself. We are a very tight-knit family at WWE. We are very protective of our family. When an outsider comes in, you want to make sure the outsider is worthy to step into the family. When Sasha Banks says she had nothing nice to say (on a previous episode of Busted Open), it’s not necessarily that she wants to go out and be mean, but rather making sure that this outsider is worthy to step into her family.”
Jax revealed that John Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 28 was her inspiration for becoming a professional wrestler:
“I got to sit front row with my aunt and watch Dwayne and just see the energy not just in the ring, but the fans. At the end of the day, they are what make us who we are, and just seeing their energy and passion that they had watching that match is what gave me the bug. I said ‘oh my god, I want to do this. I want to put on a great match and I want these people to be interested in what I’m doing’.”
She also explained how impressed she was with Seth Rollins’ recent performance in the Seven-Man Gauntlet match on Monday Night RAW:
“I was standing by Gorilla staring at the screen just watching and these guys were putting on an amazing show. Seth Rollins, I think, tore the house down. All of them did, but Seth outdid everyone. Seth has always been such a great athlete. You’ve always seen that since he’s been on the road, but watching last night made me a bigger fan of his. It was really cool. I almost forgot I was on the show!”
– As we’ve mentioned, former WCW World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Universal Champion Goldberg will be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame Class. It has not officially been announced who will be inducting Goldberg, however, PWInsider‘s Mike Johnson is reporting that Paul Heyman is being rumored as the man for the job. Here’s what he had to say:
“This word is that Paul Heyman will be inducting Goldberg into the Hall of Fame. I don’t know how that makes any sense but that’s the story making the rounds. I guess they are both Jewish? I don’t know. I don’t get it.”
– Last night the final match of the first round of the WWE Mixed Match Challenge tournament took place. WWE has announced its second round (quarterfinals) match-ups here:
Finn Balor & Sasha Banks vs. The Miz & Asuka
Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss vs. Jimmy Uso & Naomi
Rusev & Lana vs. Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair
Next week’s first quarterfinals match-up will be between Finn Balor & Sasha Banks vs. The Miz & Asuka:
– Hurricane Helms’ appearance at the Royal Rumble last month may only be the beginning of his WWE return. Shortly after the Rumble appearance Helms had this to say:
“If that was my last time in a WWE ring, and I don’t think it will be, to have probably the loudest pop of my career, what a way to come full circle.”
Current 205 Live star Daivari posted a Tweet to promote his match against Buddy Murphy last night, announcing his intentions to go on and win the Cruiserweight Championship. Helms responded by telling Daivari to keep the title warm for him, indicating he may soon be joining 205 Live:
– SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions The Usos recently took part in a conference call for Catch Au Quotidien. During the call they were asked about New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) stars The Young Bucks. This caught the attention of Matt Jackson of The Bucks, who said he’d love to work with the SDL Tag Team Champs in the future:
PWG has announced the full card for their next event, which is titled Time is a Flat Circle.
The show will be headlined by Chuck Taylor defending his PWG World title against Keith Lee. In the co-main event, Matt Riddle will take on Zack Sabre Jr.
The event is slated to take place on Friday, March 23rd. Here is the full card:
Chuck Taylor vs. Keith Lee for the PWG World title
Matt Riddle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Will Ospreay vs. Adam Brooks
Desmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs. Flamita & Bandido
Jeff Cobb vs. Jonah Rock
Brody King vs. Jake Atlas vs. Eli Everfly vs. Douglas James
