– Braun Strowman got ill during WWE’s ongoing holiday tour and returned home on Thursday, according to PWInsider.com.
On the first two nights of the live event tour, Strowman had a brief brawl with Kane before powerslamming him through a table, which you can see below when WWE stopped at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12mNIihLJRY
– On WWE Superstar Superfan, Bayley sits down with Peter Rosenberg to talk about being a WWE superfan ever since she was a kid and reveals who her favorite WWE stars are. During the interview, Bayley reveals how Matt Hardy ruined a relationship she had.
– Former WWE star Jean-Pierre LaFitte (Carl Ouellet) celebrates a milestone birthday on Saturday as he turns 50 years old.
A comprehensive review of the top 10 professional wrestlers of 2017 has been released by Sports Illustrated. The detailed article, written by Justin Barrasso, features what qualifiers have been used, as well as explaining each entry.
Below is the final list, as well as a selection of highlights from the feature:
Barrasso begins by providing a description of what qualities are assessed when making the decisions, as well as highlighting notable omissions:
“For this top 10 list, the format was based on a combination of work rate, drawing ability, and overall impact on the business in 2017.”
“A wrestler’s skill at consistently elevating his opponent was also emphasized. Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest of all-time, and an integral part of his brilliance was his ability to make you believe in the man standing across from him in the ring.”
Superstars that don’t feature on the list include:
Finn Balor
Shinsuke Nakamura
Tetsuya Naito
Christopher Daniels
Trevor Lee
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Brock Lesnar
Barrasso explains that while Brock Lesnar can easily draw a crowd, his success was primarily down to his opponents.
“Lesnar shined in his Survivor Series encounter with AJ Styles, but that was courtesy of Styles.”
Top 10 Wrestlers of The Year 2017:
10: Keith Lee
“Keith Lee is a modern day mix of Samoa Joe and Bam Bam Bigelow. He transitioned in 2017 from an afterthought in Ring of Honor to a workhorse across the independent scene, delivering moves that most super heavyweights only dream of hitting.”
“A closer look at Lee’s work from this year showed a focus on his timing. He is a student of the game, moves exceptionally well, but also redefined his body from the beginning of the year to the end.”
9: Cody Rhodes
“Rhodes took a considerable risk, but he has successfully parlayed his family name and WWE credentials into far greater star magnitude than he ever achieved with the “WWE machine” behind him. He had memorable encounters with Christopher Daniels in Ring of Honor and even Kazuchika Okada in the main event of the AXS TV G1 Climax Special in July. The sky is the limit for Cody in 2018, starting with his date at Wrestle Kingdom 12 with Kota Ibushi.”
8: Matt Riddle
“Riddle is not selfish and does not eat people up in the ring, but he is also able to protect himself and his own aura. He is a phenomenal ambassador for independent wrestling, and there is a reason his merchandise lines were so long at shows in 2017.”
7: Kevin Owens
Photo Credit: WWE.com
“Owens was consistently overshadowed by various other storylines that WWE chose to highlight throughout the year, but he constantly delivered compelling work in the ring. That feat is nearly impossible to achieve in WWE, as the weekly television grind overexposes talent to the point where the extraordinary becomes ordinary.”
“Owens made everything he did meaningful, cementing himself as a top heel in the business during 2017.”
6: Kazuchika Okada
“Okada steered the ship during New Japan’s maiden voyage into the United States for its G1 Special in the USA on AXS TV in July, where he worked with Cody Rhodes. Okada’s work is so finely-tuned and compelling that the match was Rhodes’ best match of the year, where it fell somewhere closer to the tenth best match of Okada’s year.”
5: Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman delivering a Running Powerslam to Brock Lesnar at WWE No Mercy 2017. (Photo Credit: WWE.com)
“Outside of his No Mercy match with Brock Lesnar, which was a complete and utter failure, Strowman added intrigue with an ambulance match with Reigns, which took place after the spot on Raw where he flipped an ambulance, and even withstood a trip inside a garbage truck. WWE’s booking philosophy is built around delivering memorable moments to its fans, and Strowman created more than anyone else in 2017.”
4: John Cena
“Despite looking past-his-prime at the Survivor Series-which was largely the result of being surrounded by the likes of Finn Balor, Bobby Roode, and Braun Strowman-Cena has played a role in the most memorable matches of 2017, including his Royal Rumble win over AJ Styles, as well as a SmackDown loss to Shinsuke Nakamura and a compelling feud with Roman Reigns.”
3: Roman Reigns
“Reigns also succeeded in a variety of matches. The Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules, Fatal 4-Way at SummerSlam, and ambulance match are all part of his 2017 resume, and he even closed out the year with compelling television bouts with Cesaro and even Jason Jordan. To add to all of that, Reigns and Braun Strowman combined to deliver the feud of the year.”
2: AJ Styles
AJ Styles celebrating after winning the United States Championship at WWE Live Event
“Styles made every match entertaining, whether it was the Money in the Bank ladder match, a two-on-one affair against the Singh Brothers in November, or a match on SmackDown against The Miz in January. Styles started and ended 2017 as WWE champion, but was placed in lackluster feuds throughout the year with McMahon, Baron Corbin, and most recently Jinder Mahal.”
1: Kenny Omega
Photo Credit: SI.com
“Unlike Styles and Reigns, who have the WWE wagon entrenched firmly behind them, Omega has created his own buzz in America. Along with some of the best bouts of the year, an ability to enhance his opponent, and a must-see intangible, Kenny Omega is Sports Illustrated’s Wrestler of the Year for 2017.”
Check out the full feature by Justin Barrasso here at si.com with further details and explanations for each of the entries on this list.
Alongside their list of the top 25 matches of 2017, WWE have released another list that details a further 10 matches which could have also featured.
Some of the main highlights from the list include:
Johnny Gargano VS Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III)
Neville VS Gentleman Jack Gallagher for the Cruiserweight Championship (Fastlane)
Alexa Bliss VS Mickie James for the RAW Women’s Championship (TLC)
Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match (SmackDown Live 27th June)
Pete Dunne VS Mark Andrews (United Kingdom Championship Tournament Semi Finals)
Kairi Sane VS Bianca Belair (Mae Young Classic Second Round)
However, there are other matches that seem slightly more questionable:
Luke Harper VS Randy Orton (Elimination Chamber)
After breaking away from The Wyatt Family, Luke Harper found greater freedom and potential for success, before fading away and returning as a Bludgeon Brother later in the year. And although Harper’s match against Randy Orton was notable, the encounter with AJ Styles seems slightly more worthy of note:
Shinsuke Nakamura VS Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown Live 20th June)
This match between Nakamura and Ziggler seemed much more like a sigh of relief as the beginning of the feud failed to live up to expectations as Shinsuke made his main roster debut at Backlash. Thankfully they both managed to pull everything together on June 20th’s SmackDown Live.
Enzo Amore VS Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship (RAW 9th October)
This shoe-horned title match was put together after Neville walked out on the company, and it appears as though it only made this list out of respect to Kalisto and the unique circumstance surrounding the match, rather than the quality of wrestling on show from both competitors.
WWE supplemented this entry with a quote from Kalisto to mark the occasion:
“That was one of the first times I closed down Raw. It was breathtaking. When I get moments like that, I always try to take full advantage and give my all, everything I have, so I can make sure I can perform at my best. Being there, in that moment, was very surreal. It was one of the best days of my life. I feel like I opened the door for everybody to get an opportunity at the Cruiserweight Title. I closed down that clause. That moment when everybody started celebrating, it made me happy. It made me smile that everybody had an opportunity. Who knows? Maybe 205 Live can close down a pay-per-view. My dream is to have a Ladder Match at WrestleMania where all the Cruiserweights can display their true art.”
Sami Zayn VS Braun Strowman Last Man Standing Match (RAW 2nd January)
As the final entry, I want to make a pun using Strowman’s “I’m not finished with you” tag-line, but the whole Sami Zayn proving himself against Braun Strowman was a painful feud that dragged. The emphasis that WWE are pushing with this entry is Zayn’s ability to last 10 minutes before losing to Strowman, and it says a lot that this was Sami Zayn’s only highlight in 2017 that was pinpointed by WWE.
Opinion:
Personally, I would be much more interested in a list that was put together by viewer votes. Ratings and reviews will have made up a key part of the decision making process for both this and the previous list of Top 25 Matches In 2017. However, with the focus being on underrated matches, it may have been more interesting to seek out the direct views of the fans.
Roman Reigns first won the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz on 22nd November’s edition of RAW:
Fast forward a month, and Reigns found himself able to retain his title against Samoa Joe after he used his Champions advantage to full effect, being disqualified. He was later fined by WWE for pushing the referee official.
Kurt Angle has now arranged a rematch as Reigns is set to take on Samoa Joe during 2018’s first episode of RAW. Angle has also added the stipulation that Roman Reigns will lose his Intercontinental title if he loses the match via disqualification.
It’s also worth noting that The Miz has been cleared to return to the ring, after fulfilling his role in the next edition of The Marine franchise with Becky Lynch and Shawn Michaels. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him return and make the match a triple threat. as he never claimed his contractual rematch.
WWE have released a promotional video ahead of the 25th anniversary of their Monday night show, RAW. The video features the retro RAW intro with an updated roster to maximize nostalgia and open the door for younger fans to experience a part of what WWE was like 25 years ago.
Compare that to the current RAW intro video and, call me old fashioned, I think I prefer the old one!
The special edition of the show is set to take place on 22nd January at the location of the very first episode of RAW in Manhattan. The anniversary show will feature WWE Superstars past and present, but will be the third “historic” show in less than a month as RAW also aired on Christmas Day and New Years Day for the first time ever this year.
Add that to the Royal Rumble on 28th January, and it’s looking like a pretty full on month for the red brand; not to mention the following RAW ppv Elimination Chamber on the 25th of February. If you’re not a fan of the RAW roster or the longer slot that it holds, the first part of 2018 could be quite painful and slow.
However, WWE will be sure to cash in on the nostalgia kicks on the RAW anniversary, with potential implications for the Royal Rumble on the following Sunday. The upside of having so many RAW shows: WWE have to keep things fresh and entertaining to boost or maintain good numbers in case it becomes stale and repetitive. Surely?
Opinion:
Don’t forget, WWE announced that there wouldn’t be any Superstar Shakeups in 2017. If they wanted to set up any matches for WrestleMania, now is the time put things in place, otherwise there won’t be another draft until after the main event of 2018.
Bonus:
Here is a collection of intros from 2002-2006 for extra nostalgia, or just to make you cringe.
With Matt Hardy successfully bringing his Broken persona to WWE, the veteran sat down with his brother Jeff, and Finn Balor on Table for 3. The short clip below provides an introduction to the round-table interview which can be found the WWE Network.
The interview also contains Balor and Jeff Hardy discussing their use of face/body paint in the ring (transcribed by WrestlingInc.):
“It’s very hard to explain, but it’s almost like putting on a mask protects you from people’s judgments and lets you completely flow freely, like, with all your aggression and our animosity against anything. And I think everyone, deep down, has insecurities issues, especially in this business. And I find that maybe getting to hide behind the paint, so to speak, kind of protects you from those insecurities and helps me channel a different side of my personality that isn’t always available to me.”
Finn continued by describing how the mask surprised him in ways that he hadn’t previously thought about.
“I didn’t realize how much the paint was going to affect how I moved and how I walked. And it wasn’t something that consciously happened. It was because the first time I’d done it was a Tokyo Dome show, I want to say in 2013-14, and I walked out there and I was a completely different person. I hadn’t rehearsed anything, planned anything, but I remember walking to the ring almost in a limp and I was like, ‘why the hell am I limping?’ It was almost as though the paint took control and it changes the direction your mind moves in.”
Jeff also provides his own view on his use of body paint, agreeing with Finn about the freedom that it allows.
“Every time I paint my face, I’ve always thought of it as my alien skin, the reptilian inside me that makes me different. When I think of aliens, I think of the skin, like, the abstract piece I do on my face, it doesn’t matter. I’m just in such a free zone. I’m just so at peace with myself when I’m doing it. And then, when I do the deal when I close my eyes, and take a picture, I go, ‘tonight, that is my canvas. My face is my canvas.’ Then, I get that, man. You go out there and you’re just more somehow, like, because you’re not your normal self. And to me, it just feels artistically free to express yourself and don’t have a care in the world about what anybody else is thinking! And so, I would be, on purpose, I would be real messy, a lot of the time, with neon, glow-in-the-dark paint. Even after I’d paint my face, I’d go smear it all over my hands and give people confidence not to care at that point in time and just have faith and confidence in yourself and just roll with it.”
The golden nugget of this interview comes in the form of Finn’s aspirations for the future. Balor explains that he wants to evolve, much in the same way that the Hardys have, with the goal of a new alter ego in the next 5-10 years.
“Obviously, seeing [the Hardys] continue to evolve the last 25 years, that inspires me to keep evolving my character. And I’m quite happy with how I’m doing at the moment, but I’m always trying to push myself to create something new and I think my main goal going forward over the next 5, 10 years would be maybe create another alter ego like you guys have.”
As a bonus to an already eye opening interview, Jeff Hardy hinted at the “inevitable” match-up between The Enigma and The Demon:
“I’ve heard it a lot, man, and people are kind of waiting to see us, like, ‘I can’t wait to see ‘The Enigma’ and ‘The Demon’ in the ring at the same time’ with painted up faces. Hopefully, that’s inevitable, so we’ll see.”
WWE Champion AJ Styles recently did an interview with The Orlando Sentinel to discuss a variety of professional wrestling topics. “The Phenomenal One” talked about being recognized as one of the best in-ring performers in the business today, his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble, and bonding with his fellow WWE Superstars through video games. You can check out the highlights here below:
Being recognized as one of the best performers in the world today:
“I take a lot of pride in what I do. No matter who I’m in the ring with, I want it to look like what it’s supposed to be. We call it sports entertainment, but it’s supposed to be a contact sport. I want to make that in-ring contact as real as possible, and [also make it real] outside the ring.
“The magic is making the fans question whether these two guys really like each other or hate each other. That performance is what the business is all about … it’s the storylines that people remember.”
His WWE debut in the Royal Rumble:
“Everything pales in comparison to the Royal Rumble. The response I got that night from the fans, after a couple of years out of the U.S. mainstream, is something I’ll never forget. I was really worried about how much the people would actually remember me, but that response made it something really special.”
Bonding with his fellow Superstars through video games:
“These are a group of guys and girls I really enjoy going to work with. You walk in and you’ve got [the New Day’s] Xavier Woods and his video games – that’s right up my alley. So a bunch of us start playing UFC or Madden, and that’s fun. Because you know, idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”
You can read Styles’ full interview with The Orlando Sentinel by clicking this link here.
– It looks like WWE is experimenting with the possibility of turning Tye Dillinger heel soon. Several reports note that Dillinger has been working heel at this week’s WWE live events for the annual holiday tour, losing to Sin Cara. Fans said that Dillinger was playing the heel role down a bit.
– Former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman and his kids were at last night’s WWE live event in Hartford, Connecticut. WWE posted the following video:
Former WWE Superstar Eva Marie recently did an interview with GQ to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “All Red Everything” discussed the similarities between acting and professional wrestling, how her workout routine has changed since leaving the WWE, and cheat meals. Here are the highlights:
The similarities between acting and professional wrestling:
“Honestly, they are very similar. In the ring, you’re constantly working out and honing your craft, and you’re doing the same thing with acting, too—taking classes and working with vocal coaches. I think the thing that stands out for me is that in the WWE, we were in a new city every night. When you go to a movie set, though, you get to be at the same location for awhile. I had become very used to not even bothering to unpack my suitcase. Suddenly, it was like, ‘Oh wow, I get to stay in one place!'”
How her workout routine has changed since leaving WWE:
“Oh, my workouts have definitely changed. In WWE, I focused more on Olympic lifting. I had to make sure that I was physically able to lift another human being at all times. Now, I’m going for a different, leaner look. High-intensity interval training and Tabata workouts are really good for me, because they prevent me from getting bored, and don’t require me to be in the gym for two hours. I can get in, do what I need to do, and get out.”
Cheat meals:
“Oh my God, there are so many! I’m Mexican and Italian, so my mom is a fantastic cook. I s–t you not, every time I go back home, I gain, like, 10 pounds, just because her food is so hard for me to turn down. Plus, I’m not there all the time, so I give myself a little allowance to enjoy it more. I’m a sucker for bacon waffles—they’re to die for. And I love banana pancakes. I should just honestly film my cheat day because people would be impressed by how much food I can put down.
“When my husband and I first started dating, I had just started my WWE tryouts—I think I was in my third week. I went over to his place and he made banana pancakes. I really liked them, so he asked ‘Do you want another one?’ That kept going, and I swear I put down about 20 of them. I was training at the time, but also, they were that good. I do not play around when it comes to cheat days.”
You can read Marie’s full interview with GQ by clicking this link here.
– A hype video has been released for IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega’s clash with former WWE Champion Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo, Japan next month:
– Giant Bomb has an article with Omega and WWE star Xavier Woods naming their top ten video games of the year. In the article Omega and Woods discuss gaming with one another as they’ve both run into each other at gaming conventions over the years, and have built up quite the friendly rivalry.
“Two men met on neutral ground (the rolling hills of The Netherlands) for their yearly meeting where they argue, eat, play video games, almost fight, and talk about their top 10 games of the year… This is their 2017 story.
Kenny: Another year and another top 10! Last year, my good friend Austin and I had so much fun working together, we thought we’d do it again in 2017. I anticipate our lists will be a little different from each other, so this should fuel some very fun and… friendly debate.
Austin: Yes, fun and friendly are the words that I would use for it. I’ll start off by saying that I am honored to be doing another top 10 list with one of the greatest, creative, and most charismatic performers that I have ever met in my life. The one, the only, KENNY OMEGA!
Kenny: And I am glad to introduce a man with the greatest YouTube gaming channel going today, one of the most versatile, intelligent, and talented humans on this Earth… AUSTIN CREED! And you know what…? I’ll say it. I thought you were all just trombones, pancakes, and shenanigans… but heck, you’ve been no slouch in the ring this year either!”
– On RAW this past Monday Hideo Itami hit a GTS on Brian Kendrick that caused the former Cruiserweight Champion to suffer a broken nose and orbital bone. WWE sent out a Tweet to update fans on Kendrick’s status, and Itami responded by issuing out a ‘get well soon’ Tweet to Kendrick:
– WWE posted a clip of Asuka commenting on her undefeated streak and the upcoming all-female Royal Rumble match next month. Asuka said she’s still undefeated and that’s not going to change at the Rumble:
WrestleMania 34 is set to feature in New Orleans during the city’s tricentennial celebration in 2018. However this was not always going to be the case. According to a source from PWInsider, the original venue was set to be the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The last time New Jersey hosted WrestleMania was in 2013:
With New Orleans hosting a year after in 2014:
Therefore, it seems like that the Metlife Stadium is in the running for hosting WrestleMania 35, much to the disappointment of all UK fans who pleaded for a London based venue, although nothing has been confirmed yet.
https://youtu.be/U4r26kTMakc?t=10s
Opinion:
From an unbiased logical point of view, it makes sense to have WrestleMania in the US, both logistically and financially. And if there were ever a venue for UK and European fans to visit, New Jersey is on the East coast which is one of more accessible points to those who can hop over the pond.
Newly crowned Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Champion Dalton Castle recently did an interview with ROH on a number of professional wrestling topics. Castle discussed the support he has received from ROH fans, if he could put into words how it felt being handed the ROH World Title at Final Battle, and not initially being seen as ROH World Championship material. Here are the highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Sih6Q9QN0
The support he has received from ROH fans:
“It has been nothing but amazing. I have always felt like a champion and I knew I could work hard to make it so. But, to also have the fans of ROH loudly accept me as their champion has made this whole experience beyond amazing.”
Putting into worlds how it felt to have the ROH World Title handed to him at Final Battle:
“No way. There was so much going on in my head it was crazy. The feelings I had at that exact moment would probably best be described with a dance.”
Not being considered Championship material earlier in his career and if it bothered him:
“No, I never doubted my abilities. I belong in a pro wrestling ring and knew if I just continued to be fearless I would be able to be myself and move up. It wasn’t a moment that I started to see ‘I have what it takes,’ it was more I noticed others started to see what I already knew.”
You can check out Castle’s full interview with ROH by clicking this link here.
– As most of you know, some WWE stars had to work on Christmas Day for an episode of Monday Night RAW in Chicago. PWInsider reports that WWE did something special for those Superstars who worked on RAW and SmackDown Live that week, as the company paid for their hotel rooms as a way to say thank you for being away from their families during the holidays.
– WWE is set to begin broadcasting their Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook Watch in January. Although he’s not one of the Superstars competing, John Cena took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on the challenge:
The @WWE continues to evolve and provide new ways for stars to be born. Excited to see #WWEMMC LIVE on Facebook Watch on January 16th. pic.twitter.com/O77FpWSbgm
– We previously noted that Rolling Stone named The Miz their 2017 WWE Wrestler Of The Year. The Miz recently Tweeted out his reaction to the news, taking a shot at WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns in the process (who defeated Miz for the strap on RAW last month):
– England’s Tottenham Hotspur football club posted a video of midfielder Mousa Dembele engaging in a joke battle with WWE Superstar Finn Balor. Check it out below:
– SB Nation sent out a Tweet recently in which they asked fans what sporting event they’d recommend everyone go to. Model Chrissy Teigen responded to the Tweet and mentioned how much fun she had when she was at WrestleMania 24 in Orlando in 2008. Unfortunately Teigen had to leave the event early and was very upset about it. Stephanie McMahon responded to Teigen’s Tweet and officially invited her to WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans:
Name a sporting event you went to this year that you'd recommend to everyone for next year
.@ChrissyTeigen We’re sorry you had to leave early! Consider this your official invitation to #WrestleMania34 in #NOLA this year! @TripleH said to let him know if anyone tries to make you leave early this time! They’ll have a whole locker room to deal with! https://t.co/9A7Eewoliy
– WWE has a video up in which SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan talks about the possible teams we could see from the blue brand in the Mixed Match Challenge. Check it out:
This week’s SmackDown Live was thoroughly entertaining, and a great boxing day treat for all fans of the WWE Universe. The show started off with Daniel Bryan taking charge and laying out the plans for the US Title and SmackDown Live Tag Team Titles for the next few weeks.
And it all ended with a beautifully crafted Kevin Owens win over AJ Styles. Hats off to Sami Zayn for is performance at the side of the ring with Shane McMahon.
Inbetween all that was the continued return to the ring for Breezango as they took on The Bludgeon Brothers again, and Ruby Riot’s demolition of the SmackDown Live women’s division.
All this amounted to an increased viewership from last week’s average of 2,578,000 to this week’s 2,656,000. However SmackDown Live’s numbers are actually down compared to this time last year when the show drew an average of 2,885,000 – a decrease of over 200,000 viewers.
The B-Show also lost out to it’s big brother as RAW drew a Christmas Day viewership of 2,703,000 which, again, is down on it’s ratings from last year: 2,855,667.
WWE will understand though, as previous figures have shown a dip in viewers over holidays as only a portion of fans will tune in. Although the company promoted the special historic shows, it was always going to be difficult to win over viewers especially with the shows being aired on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I mean, how can WWE compete with the inevitable family board games, post feast naps and endless games of charades that take hold over the festive holiday period!?
But does this all account for the overall decrease in ratings from last year? Numbers don’t lie and comparing January and February’s digits to those of last year may reveal if WWE have lost out in 2017.
The WWE Network is believed to be adding another territory from the 1980s to their classic content early next year.
Almost 100 episodes of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling is set to premiere on the streaming service January 8th, 2018.
From WWE.com
“New Classic Content: January 2018
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling makes its WWE Network debut with this month’s new on-demand offering. Featuring nearly 100 episodes and over 70 hours of throwback action, travel as far back as 1981 and see the very early careers of WWE Hall of Famers such as “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Sgt. Slaughter, Ric Flair, and more. Enjoy a small taste of the latest offering with this New Classic Content collection, featuring 10 memorable episodes from 1981-1983.”
WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page recently spoke with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:
Possible appearance in the Royal Rumble Match:
“If they call me, I’ll be there. But if I never get in the ring again, I am so happy to have had the run I had.”
Helping Justin Credible with his substance issues:
“I didn’t get a phone call from him, I made a phone call to him. Because of helping Jake, and Scott, Vader, and Mick Foley … just by reaching out and helping the guys, when someone is hurting, they’ll contact me. So I know about it pretty much right away. I always loved PJ. He’s a great kid who just made some bad decisions… I told him if he gets to work doing the [DDP Yoga] program five days a week, we’ll talk every day or a minimum of every other day. I told him, if he gets on track for a month, then I’ll bring you down here, and we’ll work together, and I’ll start to really treat him this time. I’ll actually teach him how to teach what I do.”
Vince McMahon bringing back the XFL: “McMahon has always been a visionary. But, again, they’re a multi-billion-dollar company, and it really comes down to the talent. So I don’t know how you do that. But if he’s got a plan… I’m sure he’s got a plan, because… the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. Some of my biggest victories have come directly after some of my biggest failures… He knows what he did wrong, and probably wants to go back and go, I think I got this this time. I’m sure he’s going to make plenty of mistakes on the way to get there. Who really knows where it’s going to be when it’s all said and done. I love to watch what McMahon does. I love to watch. Vince is a genius.”
Former WWE Divas champion, Kaitlyn, is returning to wrestling. Rumors of the fitness guru’s potential return to the ring began this fall, as she was spotted training inside a ring for the first time in years.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdSX8CZg9cB/
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn also appeared on the Ross Report earlier this year and did not rule out a return to the ring. She will be taking on Rachel Ellering on February 10th, 2018 for Coastal Championship Wrestling.
Mae Young Classic competitor, Jazzy Gabert, revealed her WWE status on the Edge and Christian podcast recently. The German wrestler was eliminated in the 1st round of the MYC by Abbey Laith but made a sizeable impression with fans.
Jazzy Gabert
The Alpha Female announced on the show she was offered a WWE contract following the Mae Young Classic appearance but failed a medical. WWE doctors found 3 herniated discs in her neck which resulted in WWE rescinding their initial offer.
Gabert plans on having surgery to correct the issue in the spring. Should she be medically cleared, WWE would be in a position to offer her another contract.
Right now on @EandCPod we have @alphafemale1 It’s an emotional roller coaster. From her tumultuous beginnings to being taken in by Masahiro Chono’s family, Japan, MMA, and finally her road to WWE. Then the bombshells come. This show needs to be heard. https://t.co/Zrx4nTAdbO
WWE announced yesterday that Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, will appear on the New Year’s Day edition of Monday Night Raw. The event will emanate from the American Airlines Center in Miami, Florida.
The only announced match for the show thus far is a Cruiserweight Championship bout between Cedric Alexander and Enzo Amore.
WWE.com statement on Brock Lesnar:
“Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will ring in the New Year by returning to Raw, four weeks before he defends his title against both Braun Strowman and Kane in a Triple Threat Match at the Royal Rumble event. How will The Beast Incarnate address his monstrous opponents? Also on Raw, Cedric Alexander challenges Enzo Amore for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship!”
– WWE has posted a new video on their YouTube channel in which Cathy Kelly announces that the finals of the United States Championship Tournament will take place at next month’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) on January 28th. SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan announced the tournament this past Tuesday after Dolph Ziggler seemingly relinquished the title just days after winning it at Clash Of Champions.
Also on this past Tuesday’s SmackDown, both Jinder Mahal and Bobby Roode won their respective matches to advance to the second round of the tournament. You can check out the remaining first round matches, and possible second round matches of the tournament here:
First Round
Bobby Roode def. Baron Corbin
Zack Ryder vs. Mojo Rawley
Jinder Mahal def. Tye Dillinger
Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English
Second Round
Bobby Roode vs. Mojo Rawley or Zack Ryder
Jinder Mahal vs. Xavier Woods or Aiden English
– Some fans may have noticed that the Velveteen Dream has been absent from WWE TV since his loss to Aleister Black at NXT TakeOver: WarGames in November. There is currently no word on why he has been missing TV time, however, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that he is listed on booking sheets for the month.
Dream hasn’t been at the WWE Performance Center since November either. There was a brief mention of Dream being injured on NXT TV but no further details were given.
PWInsider is reporting that IMPACT Wrestling officials are planning on having their next live pay-per-view (PPV) event in either late April or early May of 2018. IMPACT’s first PPV event of 2018 will be their Lockdown event, in which all matches are contested inside of a steel cage.
Lockdown was previously one of TNA’s biggest annual PPV events before it was re-branded in 2015 as a special episode of IMPACT instead. IMPACT hasn’t done a Lockdown episode since January of 2016. The company is also planning on doing more live PPV events in 2018 but now word yet on when those might take place.
WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan won a $140.1 million lawsuit last March against Gawker for publishing a sex tape of his that he didn’t know was being recorded. Gawker tried to plead that they were protected under the First Amendment because the video was newsworthy. Gawker would eventually declare bankruptcy and settled in bankruptcy court to pay “The Hulkster” $31 million.
In the tape Hogan could be heard making some violently racist comments and was fired from WWE which cost him role as a judge on WWE Tough Enough in summer of 2015. Gawker claimed the only reason Hogan sued them was to try and prevent the racist comments from becoming public.
Per a report from ABC Action News, Hogan is now in yet another lawsuit regarding the tape, this time against radio personality and host of the 1025 The Bone morning show, Mike “Cowhead” Calta. Also being sued is Calta’s former co-worker Matt “Spice Boy” Loyd, and Cox Radio who are the owners of The Bone. The lawsuit accuses Calta and Loyd of “stealing, disseminating, using and exploiting illegally-recorded video.”
A motion to dismiss the case made by the defendants was denied by the judge. A response is required from them within 20 days. Hogan is seeking unspecified damages after claiming the tape ruined his professional wrestling career.
