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6 Takeaways From WWE RAW (1/8)

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The January 8th, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN. Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s episode of RAW:

Hardy & Wyatt Shared Another Laugh

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Woken Matt Hardy faced Curt Hawkins tonight on RAW and came down to the ring with new entrance music. It was also announced that Hardy will be in the Royal Rumble match on January 28th.

Hardy bit Hawkins while the referee wasn’t looking. Hawkins battled back and took control of the match. Hawkins climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for a Crossbody but Hardy got out of the way. Hardy then slammed Hawkins’ face into all three turnbuckles over and over again. Matt planted Hawkins with the Twist of Fate for the pinfall victory.

The lights in the arena went out and Bray Wyatt appeared in the ring. Bray and Hardy stared at each other for a moment and then started laughing. The two Superstars got in each other’s face and continued to laugh before Wyatt retreated.

I feel like WWE is wasting an opportunity here with this feud. A rivalry between Wyatt and Woken Matt Hardy should contain chaos and memorable moments every week. Instead, this is just phoned in right now and there is barely anything to it. It took such a long time for Matt Hardy to become Woken in WWE, you would think WWE would have something better than this prepared.

The Miz Returned To RAW

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Elias performed a song for The Miz in the ring. The Miz then made his return to WWE and came down to the ring with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel for an edition of Miz TV. The crowd gave Miz a great reaction when he asked if they missed him.

The Miz went on to praise Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel for turning around their careers last year. Axel stated that 2017 was the best year of his life and that every singe day felt like “Mizmas”. Dallas chimed in and stated that it felt like they were winning a Mizzie award every single day. Bo started a “thank you Miz” chant and some fans played along.

Dallas then presented The Miz with a gift, which was a framed photo of The Miz. Bo comically added that he will have a difficult time falling asleep tonight without the photo. Axel then gave The Miz his jacket and referred to it as a new coat. Dallas didn’t want to be shown up so he gave The Miz the watch off of his wrist. Axel then took off his shoe and gave it to The Miz. The Miz told them to stop and take a seat.

The Miz stated that 2017 was a huge year but he has a lot planned for the future. The Miz spent the next couple of minutes bragging about his run with the IC Title and how he made Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel relevant on RAW. Miz claimed that he simply let Reigns borrow the Intercontinental Championship while he was off filming The Marine 6. He added that he is coming back for his title and that he will become the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time.

It is great to see The Miz back on RAW. It has been pretty noticeable that he wasn’t on the show for the past several weeks. It was announced that The Miz will get his IC Title rematch in two weeks at the 25th anniversary of RAW.

Enzo Amore Is Still The Cruiserweight Champion

Enzo Amore
Enzo Amore (Photo Credit: WWE.com)

Enzo Amore defended his Cruiserweight Championship against Cedric Alexander tonight on RAW. This match was supposed to happen last week but Enzo missed the show due to an illness.

Enzo cut a promo before the match. Enzo thanked Nia Jax for bringing him chicken noodle soup while he was recovering in the hospital last week. Amore added that Alexander teamed up with Goldust recently and that is the closest he will get to gold in 2018.

Alexander controlled the match early and Nia Jax was shown concerned backstage. RAW went to a commercial break and during it Enzo was able to take control of the match. Enzo beatdown Alexander for a minute and then connected with a Dropkick for a two count.

Cedric connected with a massive kick and went for the cover but Amore was able to kick out at two. Alexander followed it up with a springboard Clothesline and Enzo rolled out of the ring. Alexander connected with a dive onto Enzo Amore outside the ring. Enzo grabbed his ankle in pain and sold an injury as the referee started to count. Alexander got in the ring at the count of 9 and then Enzo Amore was counted out.

Alexander won the match via count-out but did not capture the Cruiserweight Championship. Nia Jax was once again shown backstage as trainers were checking on Amore.

It was hard to envision Alexander winning the title here given then the fact that he was a replacement for Rich Swann in this match. I’m still curious to where this storyline with Enzo and Nia Jax is heading. However, I don’t think Enzo Amore is adding anything to the Cruiserweight Championship. It is hard to get invested in the Cruiserweight division and tune into 205 Live when you are presented with no incentive to do so on RAW.

Strowman Sent Brock Lesnar To The Hospital

Lesnar stretcher
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar came down to the ring alongside his advocate. Paul Heyman once again started complaining about Lesnar having to defend his Universal Championship against multiple challengers at the Royal Rumble. Heyman added that Lesnar  laughed in Kane’s face last week and that the same thing will happen on January 28th at the Royal Rumble. Heyman said that the real question is who will Lesnar pin at the PPV. Will Lesnar pin Kane or Strowman, or will he stack them on top of each other and pin them both at the same time.

Kane attacked Lesnar from behind as they were making their way back up the entrance ramp. Lesnar battled back and the brawl continued backstage. Braun Strowman came out of nowhere and launched Brock onto a table backstage. Strowman then slammed a cart into Kane as Kane was on the floor. Strowman then launched a grappling hook in the air and it latched on to part of the stage.

Braun used his strength to tear down part of the stage and it fell onto Lesnar and Kane. Lesnar was taken away in an ambulance and Kane was able to limp away. Brock pleaded with Heyman to let him out of the ambulance but they wound up heading to a local hospital.

This was great and hopefully we get more moments like this as we make our way towards Royal Rumble. This match would be much more interesting if it becomes No DQ or another stipulation added to it.

Nia Jax Attacked Asuka

nia jax asuka

Alexa Bliss approached Nia Jax backstage. Alexa stated that she is worried that Enzo Amore is holding Nia Jax back. Nia disagreed and said that she wanted to become a champion like Enzo. Jax then announced that she will be in the women’s Royal Rumble match on January 28th.

Bliss brought up the possibility of Nia Jax getting her shot at the RAW Women’s Championship against her at WrestleMania 34. Bliss used this as a way to get Nia Jax to go over after Asuka and try to take her out. Bliss claimed that Asuka said something bad about Nia Jax and then whispered it into her ear.

Asuka then made her way down to the ring but Nia Jax attacked her from behind. Nia beat Asuka down and then made her way back up the entrance ramp. Nia stopped at the top of the entrance ramp and stared at Asuka. The camera cut to Asuka and she looked very pissed off as the segment ended.

Alexa Bliss has once again convinced Nia Jax to do her dirty work. Jax is a Superstar that I wouldn’t mind seeing win the first ever women’s Royal Rumble on January 28th. She hasn’t really had her moment on the main roster yet.

The Miz Sent A Message To Roman Reigns

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Photo Credit: WWE.com

WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns kicked off this week’s episode of RAW and made his way down tot he ring. Reigns got his typical reaction from the crowd and began cutting a promo about how he silenced Samoa Joe last week when he defeated him to retain his title.

Jason Jordan interrupted and joined Roman in the ring. Jordan claimed that he re-watched the match last week and got goosebumps because he felt like he was a part of something meaningful. Jordan added that Reigns proved that this really is his yard and thanked Reigns on behalf of he and his tag partner, Seth Rollins.

Rollins’ music then hit and Seth joined the party in the ring. Rollins told Jordan that he still had a lot to learn and that he was stepping on Reigns’ moment. Jordan said that it was all their moment and claimed that they are the most dominant trio in WWE. Balor, Gallows and Anderson then came down from backstage.

Balor stated that he was dominating with Gallows and Anderson before Jordan even knew that Kurt Angle was his father. The crowd then started chanting “who’s your daddy?” at Jason Jordan. RAW GM Kurt Angle and announced that the two teams will face each other in the RAW main event.

Balor, Gallows and Anderson went on to defeat Reigns, Rollins and Jordan in the main event. Jordan ran into the ring and the referee didn’t realize that Reigns was tagged in. Gallows and Anderson planted Rollins with a Magic Killer and then Reigns took them both out. Jordan and Reigns began arguing and that led to the team’s downfall. Balor connected with the Coup de Grace on Rollins to get the pinfall victory for the Balor Club.

After the match, The Balor Club was shown with smiles on their faces as Reigns and Jordan continued to argue in the ring. The Miz and The Miztourage leaped into the ring and attacked Jordan, Rollins and Reigns. The Miz delivered a Skull Crushing Finale to Reigns in the middle of the ring to the delight of the crowd. They chanted “one more time!” and The Miz obliged and hit another Skull Crushing Finale on Reigns as RAW went off the air.

I doubt that The Miz will get his title back when he gets his rematch two weeks from now at RAW’s 25th anniversary. It was good to see Balor, Gallows and Anderson pick up the victory tonight and I hope WWE continues to build the Balor Club up. All three of those Superstars have been underutilized on RAW, Gallows & Anderson to a ridiculous extent. There are only two more episodes of RAW left until the Royal Rumble. I’ve yet to feel the buzz that a big WWE PPV is around the corner.

Miz & Maryse To Star In Their Own TV Show On USA Network

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We’ve noted how WWE has been working on a reality TV show for The Miz and wife Maryse, which would follow their lives in Los Angeles and on the road with WWE. The show would feature appearances by real life friends Dolph Ziggler and singer Ryan Cabrera, as well as some of Maryse’s family members.

Miz confirmed on tonight’s RAW that the show will be airing on the USA Network some time this year.

Below is WWE’s announcement on the new show:

The Miz & Maryse to star in new USA Network unscripted show “Miz & Mrs.”

USA Network has greenlit “Miz & Mrs.,” a docuseries chronicling the lives of The Miz and Maryse. The six-episode, half-hour series will feature the married pair, known for being larger than life both in and out of the ring, as the Superstars become parents for the first time.

Produced by WWE and Bunim/Murray Productions and expected to air in 2018, “Miz & Mrs.” will complement USA’s WWE programming, which includes five hours of live programming each week, 52 weeks a year, with Monday Night Raw and SmackDown LIVE.

“As the exclusive television home for WWE’s flagship programming, USA Network is excited to give this passionate fanbase even more of two of WWE’s most colorful Superstars, The Miz and Maryse,” said Heather Olander, SVP of Alternative Development and Production. ““Miz & Mrs.” is an intimate, behind-the-scenes glimpse at this iconic couple as they face one of their most exciting challenges yet – becoming parents.”

““Miz & Mrs.” will undoubtedly be the most must-see show on television,” said Miz and Maryse. “We can’t wait to share this next chapter of our lives with our fans as we get ready to welcome our daughter into this world.”

Steve Austin, Undertaker, Hall & Nash, Flair & More Confirmed For RAW 25

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WWE has confirmed more big names for the RAW 25th Anniversary episode that takes place on January 22nd from two locations in New York City – the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the Manhattan Center.

Here is a roll call o the Below is the updated list of non-regulars scheduled to appear that night and above is a new promo for the show.

  • “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
  • The Undertaker
  • Scott Hall and Kevin Nash
  • DX: Shawn Michaels, Triple H and The New Age Outlaws
  • Ric Flair
  • Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
  • Free agent John Cena
  • WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar
  • The Bella Twins
  • JBL and Ron Simmons
  • The Dudley Boyz

WWE RAW Results & Live Discussion (1/8)

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The January 8th, 2018 edition of WWE Monday Night RAW took place at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN.

– This week’s broadcast begins with a video package recapping the history between Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns.

– Michael Cole welcomes us to the FedExForum in Memphis, TN. He’s joined by Corey Graves and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T at the broadcast table.

– WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns comes out to the ring first to kick off tonight’s show. Reigns gets on the mic and talks about beating Samoa Joe last week. Fans are already giving Reigns the “What” chants. Reigns starts to talk about avenging Dean Ambrose, but then Jason Jordan comes out to interrupt. Jordan gets in the ring and starts thanking Reigns for what he did to Joe last week. Fans chant “Who’s your daddy” at Jordan until Jordan’s tag partner Seth Rollins comes out. Rollins sets in the ring and tells Jordan he appreciates what he’s trying to do, but he’s got a lot to learn. Rollins says Jordan means well, but he’s stepping on Reigns’ moment right now. Jordan interjects that this is all of their moment, and they’re all Champions now who run the show. Reigns says enough of this “we” stuff. Jordan admits they’re not The Shield, but the three of them are pretty good, maybe the most dominant group in all of WWE. Fans boo Jordan more until Finn Balor, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson come out to interrupt. Balor gets on the mic and says he’s been rolling with Gallows and Anderson pre-WWE, 10 years before Jordan even knew Kurt Angle was his dad. This prompts more “Who’s your daddy” chants from the crowd. The Club comes down to the ring and they call Jordan a nerd. Jordan looks like he wants to fight, but RAW GM Kurt Angle comes down and tells them to wait until the main event tonight. The six-man tag of Jordan, Reigns & Rollins vs. Balor, Gallows & Anderson is booked for tonight’s main event.

– Still to come: WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is in the house, and The Miz will make his return.

– We see Bayley, Sasha Banks and Mickie James are backstage, headed towards the gorilla position. They face Absolution next.

– Back from the break, we see another replay of Stephanie McMahon’s female Royal Rumble announcement.

Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose: Mandy starts off against bayley and gets the upper hand early on. Mandy beats down Bayley in the corner then hits a powerslam for a tow count. Bayley fights back and lands a suplex of her own. Paige and Deville pull Rose to safety, and Sasha tags in. Sasha fires up and knocks Sonya off the apron, but when she turns around she receives a knee to the face from Mandy for a two count. Sonya tags in and continues the beat down on Sasha. Rose tags back in and knocks Bayley off the apron. Sonya gets in a cheap shot on Sasha while the ref is distracted. Sasha rolls up Mandy out of nowhere but Sonya breaks it up. Bayley knocks Sonya to the outside, then Sasha comes back with a Banks Statement on Mandy in the middle of the ring. Mandy taps out.

Winners: Sasha Banks and Bayley

– Absolution recovers at ringside while Sasha, Bayley and Mickie celebrate in the ring.

– Still to come: The Club vs. Reigns, Rollins and Jordan.

– We see a replay of Brock Lesnar and Kane brawling last week. Lesnar is in the house and he’ll address Kane later tonight.

– Goldust shows up in Cedric Alexander’s locker room for some words of encouragement. Goldust says he believes in Cedric, and wishes him luck in his Title shot.

– Speaking of Goldust, the announcers promote the Mixed Match Challenge and show us footage of Goldust meeting his partner Alicia Fox.

Matt Hardy vs. Curt Hawkins: “Woken” Matt Hardy comes out to the ring with new entrance music. We see a pre-taped video of Matt announcing his participation in the Royal Rumble this year. The opening bell sounds and Hardy and Hawkins lock up. Hardy bites Hawkins when the ref isn’t looking, then works over Hawkings in the corner. Hawkins fights back and goes up top for a cross body, but misses. Matt hits a German suplex into the corner, and repeatedly slams Hawkins head into the corner. Matt follows up with the Twist of Fate for the three count.

Winner: Matt Hardy

– After the match, Bray Wyatt hits the ring. Wyatt and Hardy stare each other down and trade evil laughs, and the segment ends.

– Back from commercial break, Elias is in the ring under the spotlight with his guitar. Elias sings a song trashing Memphis, and then isngs a song which ends up being an entrance for The Miz.

– The Miz’s real music hits, and The Miz comes out to the ring with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. They enter the ring for a special edition of Miz TV. Fans chant “welcome back” as The Miz begins to talk. He discusses filming The Marine 6 and visiting troops overseas. Miz says he is thankful to two people right now, Axel and Dallas for representing The Miztourage and turning their careers around. Dallas and Axel each present The Miz with gifts, trying to one-up each other. Dallas and Axel start gifting Miz the watches and coats they’re wearing right now. Miz tells them to shut up and sit down in the chairs. The Miz says he has a lot more planned, and says everything he touches turns to gold. He says he hasn’t forgotten about being attacked by The Shield. He says 2018 will be a year of celebration – for his daughter being born, and for him recapturing the IC Championship. The Miz declares now that he’s back, he’s coming for Reigns, and Reigns can “believe that.” Miz drops the mic and leaves with Axel and Dallas.

– Balor, Gallows and Anderson are backstage talking about their pre-WWE experiences together, and then strategy for tonight. Balor says 2018 is the year of The Balor Club.

– Still to come: Cedric Alexander finally gets his Cruiserweight Title shot from Enzo Amore.

– WWE Cruiserweight Champ Enzo Amore is out to the ring for a promo. He talks about being sick for New Year’s Day and unable to compete because he was in the hospital. He thanks Nia Jax for bringing him soup when he was sick, and tells Cedric that Goldust is the closest he’ll come to gold in 2018.

WWE Cruiserweight Title: Enzo Amore (c) vs. Cedric Alexander: The opening bell sounds and Cedric takes control early on. Cedric hits a big kick as we see Nia backstage watching on a monitor. Enzo turns it around and sends Cedric out to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Enzo uses the ref for a cheap shot and continues beating on Cedric. Enzo hits a running dropkick for a two count. Cedric starts to fight back, but Enzo stuns him with a knee to the face. Cedric comes back with a dropkick, and follows up with a handspring into a flying kick. Cedric pins for a two count, then Enzo starts fighting back with elbow strikes. Cedric fires back with another kick to the head, then springboards in for a flying clothesline but Enzo dodges it. Enzo rolls outside, and Cedric hits a suicide dive on him. Enzo starts selling an ankle injury as Cedric rolls back in the ring. A trainer is out to check on Enzo and the ref counts him out.

Winner via count out: Cedric Alexander

– Enzo retains the Cruiserweight Title due to the count out finish. We see Nia backstage again looking concerned about Enzo’s injury. Enzo is helped to the back as Cedric celebrates his win.

– Back from the break, Enzo is backstage being checked on by a trainer. He says Enzo will undergo x-rays and maybe an MRI. Nia Jax walks in and Enzo thanks her and starts trying to no-sell his injury.

– RAW GM Kurt Angle is backstage on the phone with a surprise entrance in the women’s Rumble match. Angle says they haven’t been in the ring in years, but he knows they’ll be great for the Rumble. The Bar walks in and interrupts. They want their Tag Title rematch, and Angle books it for the Royal Rumble PPV. The Bar also wants competition for tonight, and Angle tells them to head down to the ring and wait for their opponents. The Miz walks in and talks about he and Maryse having their own reality show on the USA Network soon. Miz says Angle can prove he knows how to run RAW by giving Miz another IC Title shot against Reigns at the RAW 5th Anniversary Show. Angle thinks it’s a good idea and books the match.

– Asuka is backstage warming up, and she gets interrupted by Alexa Bliss. Bliss warns Asuka that Nia Jax might be coming for her.

Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews: Dana Brooke is at ringside in Titus Worldwide’s corner. Sheamus and Titus start off with back and forth brawling. Titus decks Sheamus with a shoulder tackle, then tags in Crews. Crews briefly works over Sheamus until Sheamus fights him off and tags in Cesaro. Cesaro and Sheamus briefly double team Crews until Crews fires back with a dropkick. Crews follows up with a standing moonsault for a 2 count. Crews throws Cesaro outside and Cesaro strts selling an injury. Back in the ring, Sheamus tags in and double teams Crews with Cesaro. Sheamus starts dropping knees on Crews and keeps him grounded. Sheamus misses a shot in the corner and hits the ring post, allowing Crews to get the hot tag to Titus. Titus tags in and cleans house. The match falls apart with the non-legal men running in, and the finish comes when Titus rolls up Sheamus out of nowhere for the three count.

Winners: Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews

– After the match, Sheamus and Cesaro are in shock at the loss. Titus Worldwide celebrates as we see the replays.

– We see another replay of what happened between Kane and Brock Lesnar last week.

– WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is out to the ring next with Paul Heyman by his side. Heyman introduces his client, and talks about Lesnar having to defend against multiple challengers at the Royal Rumble PPV. He says Lesnar took what Kane had and laughed in his face, the same way he will at the PPV with Kane and Strowman. Heyman says the only question is whether Lesnar will pin Kane or Strowman. Or, will Lesnar stack them and pin both. Heyman continues to talk about how dominant Lesnar is before leaving. As Lesnar and Heyman are leasving, Kane attacks Lesnar from behind. Kane and Lesnar brawl into the backstage area, and Strowman runs in and joins in the fight. Strowman tosses Lesnar onto a table, then hits Kane with a road case. Strowman grabs a grappling hook and throws it up onto some scaffolding. Everyone around is yelling at Strowman to stop. Strowman pulls the structure down using the grappling hook, and it falls into Lesnar and Kane. Heyman screams as we go to commercial.

– Lesnar is being stretchered out as we return from commercial. Kane was able to get to his feet and he stumbles away. Lesnar begs Heyman to get him out of the ambulance, but they ride off to the local medical facility.

– Rhyno takes on Samoa Joe next in a match that we’re told Rhyno requested so he can show Heath Slater how to toughen up.

Samoa Joe vs. Rhyno: Slater is at ringside in Rhyno’s corner. Joe controls the opening moments of this one. He hits an inverted atomic drop and a senton for a two count. Joe keeps control as Slater cheers on Rhyno. Rhyno tries to mount a comeback, but Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch for the quick win.

Winner: Samoa Joe

– After the match, Joe stares down Slater, then Charly Caruso comes in the ring to interview Joe. He says he’s beaten years off of Reign’s career each time they stepped in the ring. Joe says everything is coming crashing down on Reigns, and Joe is going to finish the job. He says until then, he’s focused on winning the Royal Rumble, and says he plans to eliminate John Cena first.

– Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax are backstage talking about Enzo. Alexa says she thinks Enzo is holding Nia back, but Nia disagrees. Nia talks about entering the Royal Rumble, but Alexa tries to get her to focus on Asuka. Alexa brings up a possible Bliss vs. Jax WrestleMAnia 34 ream match, if Nia can take out Asuka first. Bliss says Asuka was talking trash about Nia, but Nia points out that Asuka doesn’t speak English and walks off.

– Asuka is on her way down to the ring when Nia Jax attacks her from behind. Nia continues the assault and stands tall as Asuka sells the beating. Referees check on Asuka and Nia leaves towards the back.

Roman Reigns, Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson: The opening bell sounds and Balor and Rollins start this one off trading holds. Rollins connects with a kick, and then they trade counters until Balor connects with a kick of his own for a two count. Anderson tags in and hits a spinebuster on Rollins for another tow count. Anderson works over Rollins some more, then tags in Gallows. Reigns tags himself in and hits a Samoan Drop on Gallows. Balor runs in, but Reigns and Rollins double team him and throw him outside. Reigns hits a Drive By on Gallows and Anderson at the same time at ringside, then Rollins hits a suicide dive on Balor at ringside. Rollins and Reigns stand tall in the ring, as Jordan joins them acting like he did something. Back in the ring, Balor goes at it with Rollins. Balor is working over Rollins’ arm, but Rollins counters and sends Balor into the turnbuckle. Reigns tags in and unloads on Balor with clotheslines, then drops him with a big boot. Reigns goes for the superman punch, but he gets distracted knocking Anderson and Gallows off the apron. Balor takes advantage of the distraction with a Sling Blade on Reigns. Anderson tags in and pummels on Reigns. Gallows tags in now and continues to beat on The Big Dog. Gallows drops Reigns and keeps him grounded and fans try to rally behind the IC Champ. Reigns fights back but Gallows pulls him down by the hair. The ref warns Gallows, and he tags in Anderson. Anderson runs in and hits a knee on Reigns for a two count. Reigns catches him with a big tilt-a-whirl slam, then Anderson tags in Gallows. Reigns tries to get the tag, but Gallows stops him with a big boot. Gallows hits a suplex on Reigns for a two count, then continues beating on Reigns. Reigns comes back with a superman punch, then Anderson and Rollins tag in at the same time. Rollins gets the upper hand on Anderson, then he knocks Gallows and Balor off the apron. Rollins hits a blockbuster on Anderson, then hits a suicide dive on Balor and Gallows at ringside. Back in the ring, Rollins hits a slingblade on Anderson, then a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Gallows and Anderson try to double team Rollins, but Rollins fights them both off. Jordan runs in and clotheslines Gallows to the floor. Anderson hits a sinebuster on Rollins for a two count. Gallows stops Rollins from tagging in Jordan, then he knocks Jordan off the apron. Rollins hits an enziguri on Gallows, then Gallows tags in Balor. Rollins dodges a slingblade and drops Balor. As Reigns waits for the tag from Rollins, Jordan enters the ring and the refs gets distracted by him. The confusion leads to Gallows and Anderson hitting a Magic Killer on Rollins. Reigns comes in and drops them both, then Jordan comes in again and Reigns argues with him. Anderson pulls Reigns to the floor and Gallows joins in brawling with him at ringside. Reigns sends Gallows into the ring post, then hits a superman punch on Anderson. Reigns spears Gallows on the floor next. Jordan helps Rollins to his feet, but Balor charges and hits dropkick on Rollins as Jordan moves. Balor knocks Jordan down, then hits the Coup De Grace for the win.

Winners: The Balor Club

– After the match, Reigns and Jordan exchange heated words while Rollins is down on the mat. Balor, Anderson and Gallows celebrate their win on the ramp. As Jordan checks on Rollins, The Miz, Dallas and Axel run in and attack. They beat down Jordan and Rollins first, then triple team Reigns. Miz hits a Skull Crushing Finale on Reigns, then fans chant “one more time.” Miz hits another one on Reigns as Axel and Dallas celebrate. The Miz stands tall over Reigns as RAW goes off the air.

8th Team Announced For WWE Mixed Match Challenge

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On Monday, WWE confirmed two more teams for Mixed Match Challenge, the upcoming tag team tournament featuring teams comprised of inter-gender mixed tag teams.

In addition to the team of Miz and Asuka announced earlier today, we now know Goldust will be pairing up with Alicia Fox.

WWE has yet to confirm the number of teams participating, but here’s an updated look at the teams:

  • Finn Balor and Sasha Banks
  • Bobby Roode and Charlotte
  • Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss
  • Rusev and Lana
  • Jimmy Uso and Naomi
  • Apollo Crews and Nia Jax
  • The Miz and Asuka
  • Goldust and Alicia Fox

WWE Mixed Match Challenge premieres on the Facebook Watch streaming service on Tuesday, January 16th at 10pm (Eastern) after SmackDown Live.

The winning team will be awarded $100,000 to donate to a charity of their choosing.

More Wrestle Kingdom Post-Show Press Conference Videos

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New Japan Pro Wrestling has uploaded several more post-show press conference videos from last week’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event at the Tokyo Dome.

There are a few more press conference videos available at the official NJPW YouTube Channel, as well as custom WK12 “tron” videos for Okada, Naito and Jay White.

WM35 Location Update, Shayna Baszler On Why She’s In WWE

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– It appears that WWE is planning to hold WrestleMania 35 in the Northeast part of the U.S. in 2019, per a report from PWInsider. There’s still a chance plans could change as WrestleMania 34 was originally expected to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, however, New Orleans offered WWE a better deal.

We previously posted a video from Shayna Baszler’s Twitter in which she goes nuts and chokes out a fellow NXT Performance Center trainee, Jessie Elaban. Baszler is expected to make her NXT TV debut this Wednesday, and Tweeted out the following about why she’s in WWE:

Over the weekend, WWE posted this video of Baszler interrupting a training session at the WWE Performance Center. Baszler offers to show Jessica Elaban the proper way to apply a submission hold.

Update On Chris Jericho Possibly Working Another NJPW Event

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It appears that Tetsuya Naito’s attack on Chris Jericho at the New Year’s Dash event following Wrestle Kingdom 12 last week could’ve beeen to set up a match between the pair.

Per a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, the current plan is to have Jericho vs. Naito go down at the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) USA: Strong Style Evolved show on March 25th from Long Beach, California at the Walter Pyramid.

The Walter Pyramid seats approximately 5,000 fans and hosted the 2-night 2017 G1 Special event that saw Kenny Omega be crowned the first-ever IWGP United States Champion. Ticket information and match card will be announced soon at NJPW1972.com.

Cedric Alexander Comments Cruiserweight Title Shot, Titus O’Neil Calls Out H&M

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– As we’ve previously reported, Cedric Alexander is set to receive his shot at the Cruiserweight Title tonight on Monday Night RAW against Enzo Amore. Alexander earned his shot several weeks ago by defeating Drew Gulak on RAW, however, the match was put on hold as Amore was sidelined from WWE TV with the flu. Alexander Tweeted out the following regarding finally getting his shot at the strap tonight:

https://twitter.com/CedricAlexander/status/950093107743412231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

– WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil called out clothing line H&M for a racially insensitive ad on Twitter. Check it out:

The Rock Tweets Finn Balor, Dalton Castle’s ROH Title Challenger Announced

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– Former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor recently Tweeted about receiving several “electric shocks” and asked how former WWE Champion The Rock deals with it on a daily basis. “The Great One” responded:

– Ring Of Honor has announced Dalton Castle’s first challenger for the ROH World Heavyweight Title. Castle will defend his strap against Punishment Martinez at their International TV Taping on January 20th:

Ring of Honor Wrestling International Television Taping
Local Time: Saturday, Jan 20, 2018 06:00pm CST
Nashville Municipal Auditorium
417 4th Ave N

Nashville, Tennessee 37201

ALREADY SIGNED

ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

ROH WORLD CHAMPION DALTON CASTLE vs. PUNISHMENT MARTINEZ

MATT TAVEN vs. “THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” CODY

ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (ALEX SHELLEY & CHRIS SABIN) vs. BEST FRIENDS (BERETTA & CHUCKIE T.)

ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS ADAM PAGE & THE YOUNG BUCKS vs. SOCAL UNCENSORED (CHRISTOPHER DANIELS, FRANKIE KAZARIAN, & SCORPIO SKY)

JAY LETHAL vs. FLIP GORDON

“THE VILLAIN” MARTY SCURLL vs. SHANE TAYLOR
WOMEN OF HONOR
“THE GATEKEEPER” KELLY KLEIN
“THE EXOTIC GODDESS” MANDY LEON
KAREN Q.
BRANDI RHODES

“BONESAW” JESSIE BROOKS

… AND MORE!

How WWE Could Possibly Book The Undertaker vs. John Cena At WrestleMania 34

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The 25th Anniversary special episode of Monday Night RAW later this month is supposed to begin to lay the groundwork for several WrestleMania storylines. One such storyline could be for a match between John Cena and The Undertaker. The show is set to go down on January 22nd and will be the go-home show to the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV).

During the latest installment of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez speculated how WWE could book The Undertaker vs. John Cena on RAW’s 25th Anniversary special. Alvarez said The Undertaker could tease retirement on RAW before Cena comes out to the ring and challenges “The Phenom” to one last match at WrestleMania 34. Alvarez also said that there is a “big plan” for Cena’s match at this year’s WrestleMania.

It’s said to be “bigger than the championship matches on the card.” With the possibilities running very thin, a match between The Undertaker and John Cena is the only match that could make sense as it pertains to what Alvarez is referencing to.

Discussion: What do you think the “big plan” for John Cena is at WrestleMania 34? If it is a match against The Undertaker, how would you like to see it booked?

The Miz’s Partner For WWE Mixed Match Challenge Announced

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WWE has announced another team for the Mixed Match Challenge tournament.

On Monday morning, the sports entertainment company officially announced that The Miz, who is slated to make his return to television this week on Raw, will team up with former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka.

Blow is WWE’s official statement on the team being made:

The team of The Miz and Asuka will represent Team Red in the WWE Mixed Match Challenge tournament, airing exclusively on Facebook Watch beginning Tuesday, Jan. 16. Upon learning that they would team together, the newely-formed tandem had a simple message for the WWE Universe, “we will win!”

Regardless of whether or not people like The Miz, they absolutely must respect the outspoken Superstar. In addition to being a former WWE Champion, a seven-time Intercontinental Champion, a two-time United States Champion and a Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner, The A-Lister stands as a six-time Tag Team Champion. This shows that he can indeed play well with others and do so at the top of his game.

The Empress of Tomorrow has been unbeatable since beginning her run in NXT. This includes an unprecedented 523 days reign as NXT Women’s Champion, a title she vacated before taking on the new challenge of the main roster. Since joining Raw, the dynamic competitor has taken WWE by storm, most recently making Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss tap out to the Armbar in a non-title match as she sets her sights on the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match. There is no indication that Asuka knows how to lose.  

Put simply, Miz’s tremendous experience, mixed with the skill of the undefeated Asuka, may prove to be an extremely effective combination.

Together, Miz and Asuka will do battle in the ground-breaking tournament on Facebook Watch, where male-female WWE Superstar pairings will attempt to win $100,000 for a charity of their choice. Each showdown in the competition will follow traditional Mixed Tag Team Match rules: When tagged, male Superstars face off with the opposing team’s male competitor, and female Superstars battle fellow female competitors.

Check back with WWE.com to learn other #WWEMMC combinations as they become available. Follow WWE Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook for updates, and find out how you can impact the show’s matchups, stipulations and more along the way. WWE Mixed Match Challenge begins Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 ET/7 PT, exclusively on Facebook Watch.

Update On Neville’s Status With WWE

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It’s been well documented that the former Cruiserweight Champion was initially scheduled to lose to Enzo Amore in a lumberjack match on Raw in mid-October. However, plans changed to Kalisto wrestling Amore when Neville never showed up to TV that week. WWE has officially denied that he quit the promotion.

At the time, it was reported that Neville was frustrated by the direction of his character, the lack of pay-offs and the rough WWE life on the road. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion has reportedly been “miserable in WWE” since January of last year. It’s been reported that Neville had pushed for his WWE release with the idea of working the indies and making a name for himself there.

In an update, Dave Meltzer noted on Sunday’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Neville is still under contract with the WWE but wants out of the company. It was also noted that WWE will not grant him his release and will make him sit out the remainder of his contract.

Several Matches Announced For Next ROH TV Taping

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Ring of Honor is scheduled to hold a TV taping on January 20th in Nashville, Tennessee at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The promotion has recently announced several matches for the upcoming taping. Here is the current card:

ROH World Title Match: Dalton Castle © vs. Punishment Martinez

Singles Match: Matt Taven vs. Cody

ROH Tag Team Title Match: Motor Machine Guns © vs. Best Friends

ROH Six-Man Tag Team Title Match: Adam Page & The Young Bucks © vs. Social Uncensored

Singles Match: Jay Lethal vs. Flip Gordon

Singles Match: Marty Scurll vs. Shane Taylor

Enzo Has High Praise For Neville, Wants Him Back In WWE

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WWE Cruiserweight champion Enzo Amore recently spoke with The Sun about his former rival Neville, who has been off television for months and whose future with WWE is in question.

Despite their heated television, Enzo says Neville is one of his favorite people in the business and hopes WWE will do what is necessary to make amends with the British high-flyer. While Neville has not made any public comments regarding his absence, Neville alludes that WWE’s travel schedule may have been a factor.

“He worked the 205 division with the hardest schedule in silence, he was working Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then Mondays and Tuesdays,” said Enzo. “When guys were catching red-eye flights from the west coast after Raw, Neville was driving on to the next town or taking an early morning flight.

He continued, “It’s the hardest schedule in pro wrestling because you are closing out 205 [Live] at the end of the week. I hope Neville comes back and we feud. I have never seen a guy work like he does.”

Enzo said Neville was more agile in the ring than anybody he’s ever seen and compared him to Dynamite Kid. “I have seen him tear it up in matches that no one will ever see – absolute bangers – I would love to move around with him because that dude can dance.”

Head over to TheSun.co.uk to read the full interview.

Jeff Jarrett Returns To The Ring Against Jerry Lawler At NBA Game (Video)

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Jeff Jarrett returned to the ring over the weekend – and captured championship gold – at a Memphis Grizzlies NBA game.

Jarret, who recently completed a WWE-sponsored substance abuse rehabilitation program, battled Memphis legend Jerry “The King” Lawler to capture the Memphis Grizzlies Wrestling championship.

The match took place during half-time in a makeshift ring that was constructed in the upper deck of the FedExForum, site of Monday’s WWE RAW.

Unfortunately for Jarrett, his title reign was short-lived. After his victory of Jerry Lawler, NFL player DeAngelo Williams hit the ring (with Grizzlies mascot ‘Super Grizz’) and won the belt from Jarrett.  Williams played football at University of Memphis and appeared for Impact Wrestling last year.

https://twitter.com/Devin_Walker5/status/949508156656439296

 

RAW Preview: Miz Returns, Enzo vs. Cedric, Reigns’ Next Challenger

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Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Memphis, Tennessee at the FedEx Forum.

With the Royal Rumble less than 3 weeks away, WWE is advertising the following items for tonight:

– The Miz returns to Monday Night RAW after taking several weeks off to film The Marine 6 with Shawn Michaels and Becky Lynch. Will Miz look to reclaim his Intercontinental Championship or focus his attention on the Royal Rumble?

– After a hard fought victory over Samoa Joe, Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns awaits his next challenger.

– Can Braun Strowman and Kane co-exist with their triple threat Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar looming?

– Finn Balor and his “good brothers” Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson look to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

– RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss plots her next move after a loss to Asuka last week.

– Cedric Alexander challenges Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore.

Join us here tonight for our weekly WWE RAW Live Coverage!

NJPW Owner Wants To Sign More WWE Talent

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New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s President, Takaaki Kidani, recently sat down with Tokyo Sports to talk about his promotion’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event.

During the interview, Kidani stated he is looking to work with more performers who, like Chris Jericho, have a history with WWE.

Takaaki Kidani to Tokyo Sports

“I will be able to pay more (fight money), and I also want more players involved with WWE to appear. I will do it until I say ‘Let’s get along’ from the other side. It has not become an adversarial relationship yet. It is also important to build a foundation in the United States.” Kidani told Tokyo Sports (via Google Translate).

The original article can be found here. 

As New Japan looks to continue its expansion in the United States, utilizing current and former WWE talent could be a piece of the puzzle to attract American fans. New Japan’s partnership with Ring of Honor makes NJPW/ROH a viable alternative for disgruntled WWE Superstars looking to ply their trade in a different environment.

Discussion: If you’re New Japan, which WWE Superstars are you (realistically) looking to sign?

Rusev & Aiden English Training Lana for MMC (Video)

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Rusev & Lana are 1 of 6 teams that have been announced thus far for WWE’s upcoming Mixed Match Challenge tournament. The show is to debut on Facebook Live on January 16th, 2018 after Smackdown.

In preparation for the tournament, Rusev & Aiden English are helping Lana develop her wrestling skills.

Mixed Match Challenge

Here are the 5 other teams named thus far for the tournament:

  • Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman
  • Charlotte Flair and Bobby Roode
  • Sasha Banks and Finn Balor
  • Naomi and Jimmy Uso
  • Nia Jax and Apollo Crews

The following Superstars are expected to be in the tournament but have yet to be given a partner:

  • Alicia Fox
  • Asuka
  • Bayley
  • Goldust
  • the Miz
  • Fan Vote: Jason Jordan or Elias or Samoa Joe
  • Becky Lynch
  • Carmella
  • Natalya
  • Sami Zayn
  • Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Fan Vote: A member of New Day

Rey Mysterio To Headline UK Arena Show

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Former WWE/WCW/Lucha Underground Superstar Rey Mysterio will once again be making his way to the United Kingdom. The Luchador legend will be making an appearance for 5 Star Wrestling against one of the UK’s biggest rising stars, Zack Gibson.

The match will be headlining the company’s February 1st show in Liverpool’s Echo Arena, it will also be available to view in the UK on the FreeSports Freeview channel. For UK readers the channel info is as follows:

  • Freeview: Channel 95
  • Sky: Channel 424
  • Freesat: 252
  • TalkTalk TV: Channel 95
  • BT TV: Channel 95

You may remember the 5 Star Wrestling name, the company offered CM Punk $1 Million dollars to appear as part of their 128 man tournament that was subsequently cancelled.

https://twitter.com/ZackGibson01/status/950005905340452864

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Confirmed for Rev Pro ‘High Stakes’

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Revolution Pro’s ‘High Stakes 2018’ event is once again shaping up to be one of the biggest events on the UK calendar. The company has now revealed that IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will be making his return to the company to face ‘White Lightning’ Mark Andrews on January 20th at London’s York Hall.

Both men are considered veterans of the UK scene, both are former PROGRESS World Champions and both have seen success on a much broader, worldwide scale; Andrews won TNA’s Boot Camp show and appeared sporadically for the company before joining the WWE UK Division and of course Ospreay has been tearing it up on New Japan’s Juniors circuit.

This could easily be one of the best matches on UK shores in 2018, keep an eye out for Rev Pro’s On Demand like days after the January 20th event.

WWE UK Championship Being Defended Next Sunday

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Pete Dunne will be defending his WWE United Kingdom Championship on Sunday January 14th against fellow WWE UK superstar Joseph Conners.

The pair will face off as part of PROGRESS Wrestling’s 61st Chapter event ‘Don’t Touch Me…Don’t…Don’t Touch Me’ inside Birmingham’s O2 Academy. The match was originally scheduled to take place at Chapter 59 but was postponed due to the severe winter weather conditions, forcing Dunne to remain in Dublin, Ireland where he performed for OTT Wrestling the night before.

This highly anticipated bout could well be one of the last that the ‘Bruiserweight’ has in a PROGRESS ring, his incredible rise to stardom through the WWE UK division will likely see him make an appearance in this year’s Royal Rumble event and quite possibly see him perform at Wrestlemania in April.

ICW Fight Club Returns 1/21 with ‘It’s Always Raining in Glasgow’

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Insane Championship Wrestling’s (ICW) Fight Club show will be making it’s return on January 21st when they host ‘It’s Always Raining in Glasgow.’ The company always over delivers when it comes to their event posters and fans of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ will likely agree that they’ve pulled it off again (check out the tweet below).

Emanating from the company’s spiritual home of the Garage in Glasgow, Scotland the event will feature some massive bouts heading into the ‘Square Go’ pay per view event the next night.

The matches currently announced are:

  • ICW World Heavyweight Championship – “The Oddity” BT Gunn (c) vs Red Lightning
  • Glasgow Street Fight – The Kinky Party (Sha Samuels & Jack Jester) & Kenny Williams vs The Filthy Generation (Stevie Boy, Aspen Faith & Lewis Girvan)
  • Mikey Whiplash vs Jordan Devlin
  • “The International Sex Hero” DCT vs Joseph Conners
  • “The Regulator” Wolfgang vs Kid Fite
  • Leyton Buzzard (w/ Joe Hendry) vs Chris Renfrew
  • Ravie Davie & Kasey vs “The King Of All Evil” Bram & Martina

If you want to check out ICW then their On Demand service is available here.

https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/940184133363486721

Enzo Amore Set To Defend Cruiserweight Title On RAW

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It looks like Enzo Amore is ready to make his in-ring return on Monday Night RAW, as WWE announced that tomorrow night he will finally defend his Cruiserweight Title against Cedric Alexander:

From WWE.com:

“It is now official that Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore will defend his Cruiserweight Title against Cedric Alexander tomorrow night on Raw.

“The match, originally scheduled to take place last week, had to be postponed after The Certified G was hospitalized with the flu. However, with Amore now out of the hospital and ready to compete, he will square off against one of the most dynamic and toughest challengers to his title reign – 205 Live standout Alexander.

“Will Enzo be at full health for the title contest, or will Raw be Cedric’s night to rise to the top of the Cruiserweight division? And how will the Zo Train factor into the major championship match? Find out tomorrow night on Raw!”

Last weekend Amore reportedly got sick during WWE’s annual holiday live event tour after working with Kalisto that entire week. He did not wrestle in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and waited to go to the hospital until he flew into Miami, Florida for last week’s RAW. There he received IV treatment and attempted to talk WWE officials into allowing him to compete on RAW hours before the show.

His request was denied and Amore was instead ordered to return to his hotel room and rest up as it was feared he could be contagious. Cedric Alexander has been waiting for his Cruiserweight Title shot for the past several weeks after defeating Drew Gulak for the No. 1-contender’s opportunity on RAW.

Vince Russo Talks Vince McMahon Surrounding Himself With ‘Yes Men’

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Former WWE and WCW writer Vince Russo was recently interviewed on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast to talk about his time in the industry. The highlights can be found here below:

Where the “crash TV” concept came from when writing for the Attitude Era:

“Basically where “crash” TV came from is real simple because there is no reason in the world that they should not instill the same freaking work ethic and if they instilled this today the show would go from a one to a ten overnight. Where “crash” TV came from was because we were going head to head with Monday Nitro. The way Ed (Ferrera) and I wrote the show is you had a television with a wrestling fan sitting in front of that television set on Monday night and they had a choice between Nitro and RAW.

“When they flip over to RAW and they are watching RAW they are begging you to give them a reason and give them a low and give them the opportunity to tune over to the other show and (bro) knowing if they tune over to the other show and there is something good there, they may never come back. Ed and I literally wrote that show like the wrestling fan was sitting in front of his TV on Monday nights and he had the remote control in his hand and he was begging you to let him flip over to see what was going on on Nitro. That is where “crash” TV came from and you know what? There is no reason in the world that it should not be the same psychology today.”

The main issue plaguing WWE across the board:

“Here is the problem in a nutshell and this is the problem across the board. It’s because of politics and that is what it is all about. It is all about ego and because of ego, politics and power they have people in key positions that have no reason being there. You know how in every other big company like if you work for Apple or you work for a Chevrolet, any company you work for will want to hire the best people to make their company better. That is how companies become better. You look at kids coming out of college and you look at people that are out there with experience and you are always looking for better people to make you better. Bro, wrestling is the complete opposite.

“They have inadequate people in key positions that got there because of politics and if you are on the outside looking in and you have any kind of talent whatsoever they will do anything in their power to keep you away. They will bury you, they will start campaigns online, they will smear your name, they will lie about you, they will make crap up about you and anybody that is better than them they just destroy because they are protecting their spot. When somebody comes in that is better than them all of a sudden they are exposed. There is no light at the end of the rainbow and they don’t have the right people in there and they don’t have the right people doing the key jobs and that is evident every time you watch one of their shows.”

Vince McMahon surrounding himself with “yes men”:

“Bro, you want to know something that makes no sense? All of these clowns, they are all writing to please Vince. They are all writing to please a 72 year old man. Unfortunately, 72 year old men are not your audience.”

Challenging Vince McMahon on booking calls:

“I will never forget there was a Summer Slam at Madison Square Garden with AC/DC Highway to Hell and I’ll never forget the main event was Taker vs. Austin. Taker and Austin were really good friends and they wanted to go into that match at Madison Square Garden and they wanted to make it a babyface match because as a shoot they were very close. I remember getting in a yelling match with Vince McMahon and lets face it Taker and Austin were the top guys and they earned that spot so Vince wanted to make them happy and I couldn’t understand that.

“I remember saying to Vince and especially in New York at Madison Square Garden that people do not want to see a babyface match between Austin and Taker, they want to see these guys freaking kill each other. It’s freaking New York City bro this isn’t Wisconsin and I remember yelling at him in his freaking car. The end of that story is they had their babyface match and there was no response and both guys knew why but that doesn’t matter. My point is that I got away with that stuff because at the end of the day Vince knew my passion and he knew that Vince Russo wasn’t about power and ego and money and all that crap but he was about wanting the show being the best it could absolutely be.

“Vince knew that and if he didn’t know that do you know how many times he would have fired me? He knew what my agenda was and he knew where my heart was and it was always in the show being the best it could be. Today it is all about protecting your spot and making sure you are safe, write something that Vince will like and OH MY GOD bro it is freaking horrible.”

The biggest misconception people have about himself:

“You know what part of the misconception is about me and listen I’m not saying this to be braggadocios because I swear to you I do not have an ego and I don’t give a crap. But I wrote for characters long enough to know what gets a character over and at the end of the day here is what gets a character over. Basically you’ve got to find something in them that is very real so when they go out and portray that (character) you magnify it a million times over and people believe it. They are not acting because it is real to them. That is the key to getting a character over. With that said, when they started putting so much freaking pressure on me to get rating at WCW, bro I never wanted to be a character on TV and I never had any intentions of being a character on TV. To this day, I promise you that is 90% of the reason why so many people disdain me.

“They disdain me because in their minds I am still that character and I’m not. That is not me, I don’t carry myself that way and I swear to God that I buried myself at WCW and later on in TNA buried myself because I never put on a power play, I never wanted power, never wanted more money I just wanted to write the television show. That is all I cared about and those around me who were political animals buried me and were burying me because they were afraid of me and because they knew my talent. The only way they were going to bring me down was to continue to bury me over and over again until they convinced that person that I was the person that they wanted me to be. Bro, I didn’t fight back because my whole theory was if you want to buy into that and want to believe them than no problem just get rid of me and let them do the job and lets see what happens.

“With TNA, you can look at TNA and you can look at the numbers and you can pinpoint exactly where Russo left the company. You can look at those numbers and see that Vince wrote up to this point and than Vince left because you look at that number month after month and they started losing more and more audience. So that is the misconception, people don’t know me, they have no idea of who I am and they don’t know about Vince Russo the son, the husband, the father, they know of me as being a fictional character that they saw on TV.”

You can listen to Russo’s interview on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling by clicking this link here.