Home Blog Page 1797

Chris Jericho Comments On WrestleMania Status, Sends Message To Naito

Andrew Ravens
-
19

Chris Jericho recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about his status for WrestleMania 34, his upcoming match with Kenny Omega at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event next month and more. 

While we almost certainly haven’t seen the last of him in a WWE ring, Chris Jericho gave a hard sell for the upcoming NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 pay-per-view as the premiere opportunity to see him wrestle in 2018. 

Chris Jericho’s metal band Fozzy recently announced their Spring 2018 tour dates and they have a show scheduled for Hampton Beach, New Hampshire on Sunday, April 8th (WrestleMania Sunday). It’s the strongest indication yet that Jericho won’t be competing at the show.

Here are the highlights of what Jericho told Justin Barrasso of SI about:

If he will appear at WrestleMania 34:

“If you want to see Chris Jericho wrestle, the Tokyo Dome is where you’re going to see me. If you watch one show this year, that’s the one to watch.”

“I could go back to the WWE, I love working for Vince McMahon,” said Jericho. “But if I showed up tomorrow, as of right now, I am not slotted for the main event of WrestleMania. I am in the main event at Wrestle Kingdom.”

His match being billed as a double main event and Naito:

“I’m not the one calling this a double main event, it’s New Japan calling it that–and they’ve already sold more tickets this year, with three weeks before the show, than last year. I’d say it’s a smart move to bring Chris Jericho in and a smart move to make Alpha-Omega a double main event. If Naito doesn’t like that, then tough luck. That’s pro wrestling.

Naito, don’t worry about what I’m doing, just worry about what you’re doing,” offered Jericho. “You’re going on last, but just because you’re last doesn’t make you the main event. See WrestleMania 18 if you want to know more about that. I don’t give a sh– who’s on last. If Naito is pissed off at me, then go out and prove it. It makes me want to work harder. Worldwide, and I’m just telling the facts, Alpha-Omega is the main event.”

Kurt Angle On Braun Strowman’s Rise, Roman Reigns Having Room To Improve

Staff
-
12

WWE RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently spoke with Muscle and Fitness to promote next month’s RAW 25th Anniversary special. Angle spoke about a variety of topics, including what inspired him to want to join WWE over 20 years ago.

In speaking about his role as RAW GM, Angle said the position is a big challenge for him because he’s never had to promote for anyone else but himself. “I actually enjoy it,” he said. “You know Vince McMahon saw me as one of the best actors on the roster…that’s a huge compliment coming from [him]. It’s just about trying to make things look real.”

When asked about Roman Reigns, Angle said he’s impressed by Roman but does not think he has reached his peak yet in terms of what he’s capable of.

Finally, Angle had high praise for Braun Strowman and said he sees shades of himself in the Monster Among Men. Angle has seen a lot of guys come and go during his illustrious career, but says Strowman is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest big men in the history of pro wrestling.

“I don’t like to compare myself to anybody, but he’s picking up quicker than anybody I know. He’s on his way, if he stays healthy, to be one of the best big men in the great history of the big men. That’s how much ability he’s displayed.”

Backlash 2018 Details, SmackDown Signs Honorary Superstar (Video)

Jon Fuentes
-
5

– WWE announced at last night’s SmackDown Live taping that the company would be returning to  the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for the 2018 Backlash pay-per-view (PPV) event on May 8th. If you’d like to get tickets, the Ticketmaster pre-sale code is BACKLASH.

– Also at last night’s SmackDown Live, WWE signed an honorary new Superstar – Make A Wish kid, Kaitlyn Alexander. Kaitlyn chose “The Shadow” as her ring name and was introduced to the WWE Universe by SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan and ring announcer Greg Hamilton in a dark segment. Kaitlyn signed her WWE contract earlier in the day before the show:

Matt Hardy On Being “Woken” In WWE, His Goals At This Time In His Career

Jon Fuentes
-
2

In the latest installment of WWE Network’s “Table For 3” program; WWE Superstars Matt Hardy, Jeff Hary, and Finn Balor were featured. Matt discussed a number of topics such as he and Jeff’s return to WWE, his new “Woken” character with the promotion, and his goals at this point in his career. You can check out the highlights from Matt’s comments here below:

Being more comfortable performing as “Broken” or “Woken” Matt because he has no limitations:

“When I made the transformation to being ‘Woken’ Matt or whatever you want to call him, it was different,” Hardy said. “I became that being, and, to me, I’m a lot more comfortable doing that because I can go to the ring and know nothing is off limits and like [Bálor] said, there’s no worry of looking bad, or looking strange, or worried about judgment. You go out and do your thing and I was like a primal cannibal in some ways.

“And when I go out and I’m Matt Hardy, I kind of feel like there [are] eyes on me and I have to act like a normal person or I have to look cool or I have to stay within certain parameters or whatever it may be. When I would go through the curtain and I was ‘Broken’, I was full-fledged on and I believe and I was every second of it. It’s not just playing make believe. I mean, I was.”

The reception he and Jeff received when they returned at WrestleMania:

“I was extremely happy with the reaction we got at WrestleMania and I think the reaction was magnified so much because it was such a surprise. I think fans who were in-the-know, knew it was a possibility that we would be there, but I don’t think they really thought we would be there. Any time, in this day and age, because, like, it’s so easy for stuff to get out, if you know you’re going to do something, if you truly contain it and keep it confidential, and then, it’s a legitimate surprise when it happens, to the audience, then, it’s huge in this day and age.

“Living in the age of information and technology, everything gets out so easy and so, so quickly. And that moment, when we walked through the curtain at WrestleMania, literally, we just got to Gorilla [position] because we just snuck into the building. And seeing that sea of humanity and everybody just [cheering], it was amazing. Definitely, a top moment in my [pro wrestling] career.”

His goals at this point in his career:

“Like [Finn and Jeff], I’m in the same Skarsgård: The Dilapidated Boat, I feel the same way. I really want to be creative. I want to innovate. I want to be innovative and I want to do things that are different. I’m at a point in my career where I’m not like, ‘I need to win this title and this title.’ Like, I want to provide quality entertainment. I want to try and be innovative. I want to take chances. I want to kind of step out of my comfort zone, whatever that may be. I love that more than ever now.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

The Rock & Kevin Hart Trash-Talk (Video), Hideo Itami Reveals Why He Came To 205 Live

Jon Fuentes
-
3

– BBC Radio 1 has a video up in which “Jumanji” co-stars The Rock and Kevin Hart trash-talk and exchange insults with one another on Scott Mills’ radio program. You can check out here:

– Hideo Itami made his debut on 205 Live last night with a victory over Colin Delaney.  WWE posted the following post-match interview with Itami in which he reveals that he came to 205 Live to become the WWE Cruiserweight Champion:

Jim Ross Offers His Thoughts On Shinsuke Nakamura’s SDL Run, “Woken” Matt Hardy, More

Jon Fuentes
-
9

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross was recently a guest on Sam Roberts Wrestling podcast to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Ross offered his thoughts on former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Shinsuke Nakamura’s run on the WWE main roster, Matt Hardy’s “Woken” reboot, talent establishing relationships with Vince McMahon, and who he would bring to WWE today. Here are the highlights:

Shinsuke Nakamura’s SmackDown Live run:

“It’s bell to bell, we are lacking what we know is there, we are not getting. I would love to see him return to that. Remember the match where he finally squared off with AJ, that’s your match and maybe AJ Is the best in the world.  I got to call a match or two of theirs and they were unbelievable. I understand Kenny Omega who WWE I am sure would love to sig.

“He has proven he is sound and connects with an audience, he will want to get there some day because the older you get, you can’t work that crazy style with multiple big bumps per match and they do a lot of bumps on the apron which is very dangerous. Omega and Okada had three great matches this year but I thought that the Nakamura/AJ matches that I called were up there with them so it’s subjective right.”

Matt Hardy’s new “Woken” character:

“Matt has been around long enough to know where opportunities come and how fleeting they can be. He has one chance to make ‘Woken’ Matt Hardy work because it won’t get a second reboot, I like the persona, it feels organic and it’s interesting.”

Talent establishing relationships with Vince McMahon:

“I think Vince would be very adamant by saying yes, are those opportunities every day and easy to attain, probably not because of the work load, but I don’t believe and he shouldn’t, let go of his relationship with the talent. Sometimes it’s intimidating for them.”

Roberts:

“There’s also that feeling of I can’t believe I am here, if I keep to myself nobody will notice me and they won’t throw me out the door, but that’s not a great strategy.”

Ross:

“That isn’t a great strategy and it’s also not good for the locker room. The one thing that happened when we signed all those guys in the Attitude Era, we had a very competitive group, they all wanted to be the top dog. I booked Austin in a tag match once at Vince’s suggestion right before intermission to give him a break before TV. I got a call from the agent who had Austin and I figured out, A) he doesn’t like tag matches and B) he couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t going on last.

“I said, that tag match would give him a break and going on before the intermission would get you on the road earlier to get to Raw. He gave me a speech about how he had worked his whole life for this to be a top guy and that top guys go on last and that is what top guys do, that was him. That was the way some talents were in that word, so I un-booked the tag and I put him on last.”

Who he’d bring to WWE today:

“I am going to certainly work out a way to bring Chris Jericho back, I am looking at Kenny Omega and finding the interest out from Okada, he is a good looking young man, he’s really good. I would certainly welcome Cody Rhodes with open arms and Young Bucks because I like those kids, as many shirts as they are selling now, get under that WWE umbrella and see how many you sell. I would try to figure out a way if there is one more run in CM Punk, and one more run means one WrestleMania, the only other way I would do him is have him return at WrestleMania  and that way there is no pressure on anybody.” 

You can listen to Ross’ interview on The Sam Roberts Wrestling podcast by clicking here.

H/T WrestleZone for the transcriptions

Rolling Stone Reveals Its 2017 Wrestler Of The Year

Jon Fuentes
-
42

Rolling Stone magazine has named its 2017 Wrestler Of The Year, and it may take some professional wrestling fans by surprise. Rolling Stone has decided to name former WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz as its 2017 Wrestler Of The Year, and that decision is explained in the following excerpt from their article:

“That’s right: The Miz. I don’t care if he’s off shooting The Marine Part XL or on the precipice of paternity leave. It doesn’t matter that he’s not in contention for a world title any time soon, or that he’s left his poor Miztourage of Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel to fend for themselves during his absence. He is still a leader.

“In fact, he’s been the de facto leader of Raw for most of the past several months, stepping up when others were hurt or stuck in storyline limbo, taking his licks against the biggest names in the biz and coming out scathed but frequently hoisting Intercontinental gold above his shoulders. Mike Mizanin and that prestigious belt have become synonymous over his frankly illustrious decade-plus career, itself an improbable manifestation of a publicly documented quest to flower from Midwest na?f to eponymous sports entertainer. ”

You can read the full article from Rolling Stone by clicking this link here.

Latest News & Rumors On Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Jon Fuentes
-
11

The WWE’s Women’s Revolution continues to thrive in the world of professional wrestling. After having seen a ton of firsts for the female competitors in WWE, Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon announced earlier this week that the next step in the revolution is to hold the first-ever all-female Royal Rumble match.

The Rumble participants will be comprised of women from both RAW and SmackDown. It’s expected that competitors from NXT will also be called upon to fill some spots in the match.

There’s also the possibility of surprise appearances from various WWE legends. We noted yesterday that WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus took notice of the Women’s Rumble announcement and mentioned that she might need to find her wrestling boots to be part of the historic event. Other possible names to keep an eye on regarding possible surprise appearances would be Kelly Kelly and Michelle McCool, both of whom have teased that we probably haven’t seen the last of them in a WWE ring.

Of course, the elephant in the room is former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who is training for her WWE debut and is rumored to be competing at WrestleMania 34.

The 2018 Royal Rumble pay-per-view takes place next month on January 28th from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Penta el Zero M vs. Rey Fenix Announced For MLW: Zero Hour

Staff
-
2

Major League Wrestling just announced a huge match signed for the January 11th MLW: Zero Hour event taking place in Orlando, Florida at GILT Nightclub.

Lucha Libre are in for a treat, as two of the world’s top luchadores will collide when Penta el Zero M battles Rey Fenix.

“We often ask fans on Twitter who they want to see and Penta and Fenix are two of the most requested names we get,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “We’ve been working on this one and finally got it done early this morning.  We definitely burned the midnight oil to lock this one up (laughs).”

Penta el Zero M will be doing a special pre-show meet & greet ticket. Tickets are on sale now at MLWZeroHour.eventbrite.com.

Other matches signed for MLW Zero Hour include:

https://twitter.com/mlw/status/943230804284416000

https://twitter.com/mlw/status/942774063268814849

https://twitter.com/mlw/status/941673421678800896

Ric Flair Wants Charlotte to Turn Heel

Chris Stephens
-
12

Ric Flair recently spoke with the Daily Star and indicated he wants his daughter to turn heel. He also commented on how he believes Charlotte is already the greatest women’s wrestler of all-time.

Ric Flair Interview Highlights

On Charlotte being the greatest:

“She (Charlotte) already is the greatest, by far. I don’t know who to compare her to.”

“That’s just my opinion and I’m biased but I’m also a guy that’s qualified to make that remark so let’s say she’s not my daughter and I was the father of another girl I would say to the other girl you better push if you want to be like her.”

“And I have tremendous respect. I think Sasha Banks is off the hook in terms of ability.”

How Sasha Banks, Natalya, and others compare:

“What separates Ashley is her size and her athletic ability. Sasha Banks is every bit of a performer that Ashley is, make no mistake. As are a couple of the other girls – Natalya is fantastic. They’re all good.”

“There’s a fine line between good and great and I just look at her and I’ve known them all.”

On a potential Charlotte Heel Turn:

“I wish they would use her on the other side.”

“I like her when she’s bad. She’s really good at enhancing other people’s work. As a heel she’s really good at that, that’s art in itself.”

The full interview can be read here.

Dean Ambrose Update Following Surgery On His Arm

Chris Stephens
-
30

WWE filmed an angle on Monday where Dean Ambrose’s arm was injured by the Bar and Samoa Joe. The decision to shoot the angle was apparently last minute and meant to explain Ambrose’s absence due to a legit injury he suffered earlier. Ambrose possibly has a torn tricep which may require surgery.

It is likely Ambrose will miss WrestleMania this year as the typical recovery time for a torn tricep is around 6 months.

Dean Ambrose Injury

Ambrose’s injury also puts a damper on the Raw house show circuit as well. Currently, these shows are featuring the Shield vs. Joe and the Bar, and Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt as the feature matches. Ambrose’s injury will require the lineup for the shows be shaken up somewhat.

Kalisto Update After Fan Attack On 205 Live: Stitches, MRI, Possible Fracture

Chris Stephens
-
31

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Kalisto was injured at the conclusion of this week’s 205 Live broadcast when a fan threw a water bottle that struck him in the face. The incident was shown on 205 Live and several fans posted video:

https://twitter.com/mrdangerously/status/943320993669566464

Update: Kalisto’s wife issued the following statement on the incident, noting that Kalisto required several stitches as as result of the assault, underwent and MRI and has a possible fracture.

https://twitter.com/1stladylucha/status/944032138252439553

Reaction to Kalisto Being Hit with Water Bottle

Several people have commented on the incident and the potential danger posed to performers by such actions.

Kalisto

31-year-old Emanuel Alejandro Rodriguez is better known to wrestling fans as Kalisto. He is a 2x United States champion and a former cruiserweight champion as well.

While Kalisto is billed as being from Mexico, he was actually born in Chicago and now lives in Orlando. He did live in Mexico City as a child for a few years, however, and became a big Lucha Libre fan during those years.

Tama Tonga Teases Original Bullet Club Reunion

Chris Stephens
-
3

“Bad Boy” Tama Tonga, appears to be teasing an original Bullet Club reunion for September 2019. He posted the following to his social media accounts this morning:

He has the following post pinned to his Twitter profile as well:

September 2019

For the OGs of Bullet Club to reunite in September 2019 either Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga would have to leave NJPW or Balor & Anderson would have to leave WWE.

NJPW contracts typically run for a year from January to January, so Tonga is most likely not insinuating he is leaving NJPW.

Prince Devitt, Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga were the original 4 members of the all-gaijin stable in 2013.

5 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (12/19)

Robert Lentini
-
8

This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WWE Clash of Champions 2017 this past Sunday.

Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s episode of SmackDown:

Shane McMahon Elected Not To Fire Daniel Bryan

shane mcmahon daniel bryan

SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan kicked off this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Bryan brought up the announcement made last night on RAW about the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match and the crowd chanted “yes!”. Bryan announced Owens, Zayn and Mahal will face Orton, Nakamura and AJ Styles.

SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon interrupted and made his way towards the ring and danced around Daniel Bryan. Shane had a grin on his face and grabbed a microphone. Shane said hello to Daniel and then acknowledged the crowd. Shane once again pumped up the women’s Royal Rumble on January 28th.

Shane finally brought up what happened at WWE Clash of Champions 2017. Shane stated that Randy Orton hit Sami Zayn with the most beautiful RKO he had ever seen and then Daniel Bryan tripped and fell on top of him that broke up the cover. Shane added that he became frustrated and he didn’t count to three when Zayn had the match won because of what Owens and Zayn had done recently. Shane admitted that his emotions got the better of him because of Owens attacking his father earlier this year and then Zayn and Owens turning their back on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. Shane brought up Daniel Bryan’s fast count and asked what was going through his head when he did it.

Bryan stated that he was protecting Shane McMahon from himself and the crowd chanted “thank you Daniel!”. Shane claimed that he didn’t need protection from Daniel Bryan and Daniel disagreed. Daniel said that he took this job at SmackDown because he believes in a shared vision for the land of opportunity for everyone and not just people that Shane McMahon liked.

Shane said that he could understand why Daniel was empathetic towards Zayn and Owens. Shane added that from a business standpoint, Daniel shouldn’t play favorites because it will come back and bite him in the rear. Daniel Bryan said that he has heard the term “best for business” before and that isn’t what he signed up for. Bryan said that if Shane wants to fire anyone, he should fire him. Bryan added that he doesn’t want to see Shane McMahon turn into Vince McMahon. Shane stated that he respects Daniel and trusts him and wished him luck on the show tonight. Shane then exited the ring as Daniel Bryan’s music hit.

I am really enjoying this storyline. Shane McMahon did let his emotions get the best of him Sunday night at WWE Clash of Champions and Daniel Bryan called him on it tonight. Shane was also taken aback by Bryan comparing him to his father. Shane elected not to fire Daniel Bryan tonight and instead shook his hand. This storyline is far from over and Shane and Daniel’s professional relationship is on thin ice.

Gable & Benjamin Pinned The Champs

gable benjamin smack 11 21

SmackDown Tag Team Champions faced Gable and Benjamin tonight on SmackDown. The two teams were involved in a great Fatal 4-Way tag match at Clash of Champions. The Usos controlled the match early and trapped Chad Gable in the corner. Gable then rolled out of the ring and regrouped with Shelton Benjamin as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

During the break, Shelton Benjamin was tagged in and he took control of the match. Jey and Gable were tagged in. Jey had Gable set up for the Splash off the top rope but Shelton Benjamin broke it up. Gable took out Jimmy Uso with a German Suplex and then tagged in Benjamin. Gable then hit Jey with a German Suplex and then teamed up with Benjamin to slam Jey to the canvas for the pinfall victory.

Gable and Benjamin work well with each other and they picked up a big victory tonight over the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Gable and Benjamin should now be in line for another shot at the titles in the near future.

Naomi Announced She Will Be In The Women’s Royal Rumble

naomi charlotte

SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte came down to the ring to discuss the first ever women’s Royal Rumble match on January 28th. Charlotte stated that nothing makes her happier than having the honor of carrying the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Charlotte brought up the first women’s Royal Rumble and said that all of the fans helped them achieve this.

Charlotte stated that the fans passion made a difference because management listened. Charlotte added that she will be waiting to defend her title against whoever wins the women’s Royal Rumble at WrestleMania. Naomi then made her way down to the entrance ramp and grabbed a microphone. Naomi congratulated Charlotte on her title defense and then announced that she is the first woman on the SmackDown roster to declare that she will be in the women’s Royal Rumble match. Naomi then vowed to see Charlotte at WrestleMania after she wins the rumble.

The Riott Squad then made their way down to the entrance ramp. Naomi said that the Royal Rumble is about every woman for themselves and that Charlotte and Naomi have survived everything the Riott Squad have thrown at them. Naomi referred to the Riott Squad as “chicken heads” and a “chicken head” chant broke out in the crowd. Naomi then challenged two members of the Riott Squad to a tag match against her and Charlotte as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Charlotte and Sarah Logan were battling int he ring. Logan got the upper-hand and then tagged in Ruby Riott. Ruby applied a submission hold in the middle of the ring that targeted Charlotte’s leg. Charlotte escaped but Riott dragged her back to the corner and tagged Sarah Logan back in.

Logan continued to attack Charlotte’s leg and then tagged Riott back into the match. Riott connected with a couple of shots and then Logan got back into the match. Logan slammed Charlotte’s knee into the mat but Charlotte was able to break free and tag in Naomi. Naomi connected with a flurry of right hands to Logan and then booted her in the face. Naomi knocked Riott off the ring apron and then connected with an Enziguri and went for the cover but Riott broke it up.

Charlotte delivered a big boot to Riott and then Liv Morgan hopped up on the ring apron. Logan tried to Spear Naomi but Naomi leaped over her and Logan crashed into Morgan on the ring apron. Naomi then hit the Rear View for the pinfall victory.

It will be interesting to see who else from the SmackDown brand announces they will be a part of the women’s Royal Rumble in the coming weeks. The Riott Squad have lost all their momentum since making their main roster debut.

Dolph Ziggler Left The United States Championship In The Ring

Dolph Ziggler leaves title SmackDown 12 19

United States Champion Dolph Ziggler made his way down to the ring for a championship celebration. Ziggler said that he told everyone so and added that he has accepted every challenge in front of him for the past 12 years. Ziggler claimed that he was the best and stated that no other Superstar can do what he does in the ring.

Dolph stated that this is the start of his second United States Championship reign and footage was rolled of Ziggler defeating Kofi Kingston at Capital Punishment 2011 to capture his first United States Championship. Ziggler boasted about being a 5 time Intercontinental Champion and footage was rolled of all of his IC Title victories.

Ziggler added that he cashed in his MITB contract to become the World Heavyweight Champion and footage was shown of Dolph winning the title against Alberto Del Rio in April of 2013. Ziggler said that he is one of the most decorated Superstars in WWE history and that he has proven it year after year, yet still goes unappreciated. Dolph Ziggler claimed that the crowd wasn’t worthy of his presence and that they don’t deserve him.

Dolph asked if the crowd wanted something to remember him by and then dropped the United States Championship in the ring and walked away.

I’m guessing this is another storyline for Ziggler to generate hatred from the crowd.  It hasn’t officially been announced that Ziggler has relinquished the title, but it sure looked that way tonight. I’m sure there will news about this in the next couple of days so make sure to check back on SEScoops for updates on Ziggler.

Orton, Styles & Nakamura Were Victorious owens nakamura styles smackdown 12 19

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn presented Daniel Bryan with a bottle of champaign backstage for doing the right thing on this Sunday. Bryan said that he didn’t do it for them and stated that he doesn’t drink. Zayn and Owens then claimed that Bryan did what he did because he had a vendetta against Randy Orton for the things he did to him in the past.

Owens and Zayn boasted about getting the last laugh on Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan told them to wipe the smile off their faces or he might just have to fire them himself. Bryan then told Zayn and Owens to go get ready for the match later. Owens and Zayn then angrily walked away.

Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles faced Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Jinder Mahal in the main event of SmackDown. Orton dominated the beginning of the match and beat the hell out of Jinder Mahal. Nakamura was tagged in and Mahal drove him to the corner. Zayn tagged in and continued the beatdown of Nakamura.

Shinsuke fought back and then pulled some of Zayn’s chest hair out and posed in the ring. WWE Champion AJ Styles entered the match and beatdown Zayn for a bit before tagging in Randy Orton. Orton slammed Zayn off the top rope and Zayn bounced back to the canvas. Mahal tagged himself in and booted Orton in the chest. Mahal followed it up with an elbow that knocked Orton to the mat and then posed in the ring.

Kevin Owens was tagged in and he stomped on Orton in the middle of the ring. Owens then shouted “and that is why this is my show!” as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Owens charged at Orton in the corner but Randy got out of the way and Owens crashed into the ring post.

AJ Styles was then tagged and he was knocked out of the ring by Mahal. Owens then launched Styles into the barricade and brought AJ back into the ring. Owens connected with a Senton and tagged in Sami Zayn. Sami leveled Styles with a Clothesline for a two count. Jinder got back into the match and hit a series of knees to AJ’s ribs. AJ battled back and hit a Tornado DDT off the second rope.

Zayn and Nakamura were then tagged in and Shinsuke connected with a kick. Owens got into the ring and Nakamura took him out with a kick. Shinsuke blasted Mahal off the ring apron and then booted Zayn in the face once again. Nakamura draped Zayn across the top turnbuckle and then kneed him in the midsection for a two count.

Nakamura hit Zayn with another big time kick to the face and went for the cover but Zayn kicked out at two. Zayn missed with a Clothesline and Nakamura countered it into an Arm Bar but Owens broke it up. Orton launched Owens out of the ring and Mahal planted Orton with a DDT. Styles delivered a Pele Kick to Mahal and then leaped onto Owens outside the ring.

The Singh Brothers jumped up on the ring apron and struck Nakamura. The referee then kicked the Singh Brothers out from ringside. Orton planted Mahal with an RKO and the Singh Brothers jumped back up on the ring apron. Orton hit the DDT between the ropes on both of the Singh Brothers. Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm onto to Owens and then Nakamura hit Zayn with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory.

Orton, Styles and Nakamura capped off a mediocre episode of SmackDown with a victory. The highlights of the show were the opening promo between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan and then Dolph Ziggler’s promo later on in the night. Hopefully things pick up next week and we at least find out who will be AJ Styles’ next opponent for the WWE Championship.

Stephanie McMahon Believes Woman’s Royal Rumble Is Long Overdue

Andrew Ravens
-
9

As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Providence, RI at the Dunkin Donuts Center on the USA Network, Stephanie McMahon officially announced that the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match would take place at the Royal Rumble PPV event.

McMahon spoke with ESPN for a new interview discussing the women’s Royal Rumble match. Here is what she had to say:

“I think that it’s long overdue. There’s been an incredible movement that’s been happening in our business that started nearly three years ago. They’ve been regularly headlining television and pay-per-view events, including their first-ever Hell in a Cell match and first-ever women’s Money in the Bank match. Now, for the first time ever, we’re going to have a women’s Royal Rumble match. Every time our women have had the chance to perform and headline, they have over-delivered, and I have absolutely every confidence that they will do the same thing at the Royal Rumble on Jan. 28. I think that it will be incredibly memorable, I think that they will over-deliver, and I think that fans will get more than their money’s worth.”

“We have a long way to go, but we are certainly getting there, step by step. I think that once we have a women’s match as the main event of WrestleMania, we will know that we’ve made it. And we’re going to keep fighting, piece by piece, bit by bit, until we get there.”

 

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (12/19)

Eric Lynch
-
836

This week’s edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, and was the first episode after Sunday’s Clash of Champions PPV.

– We see a recap from Clash of Champions, then SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan comes out to the ring. Bryan has a mic, and he starts off talking about the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. He announces Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles in a six-man tag for tonight’s main event. Shane McMahon’s music hits and the SmackDown Commissioner comes down to the ring to meet Bryan. Shane talks about what happened at the PPV on Sunday, and says he knows Bryan falling into him was an accident now. Shane makes a comment that he doesn’t need any protection from Daniel Bryan, and Bryan tells him he does. Bryan says Shane is a hot heat and sometimes loses track of what’s best for the entire SmackDown roster – including Owens and Zayn. Shane says Bryan’s empathy will be his weakness with Owens and Zayn, because they’ll stab him in the back. Bryan asks if he shouldn’t have done what was best for business on Sunday, and if Shane wants to fire someone, don’t fire Owens or Zayn, fire him. The crowd makes lots of noise, and Shane says “well Daniel.” He says he respects and trusts Daniel, and wishes him good luck with the show tonight. Shane steps out of the ring and leaves.

– The Usos will take on Chad Gable & Shelton Benjmain in a non-title match tonight.

– The Usos vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin: The Usos start off strong and send Gable and Benjamin out to the ringisde floor. Shelton comes in an goes back and for with Jimmy. Jey and Gable get the tags and Jey fires up. Jey hits a series of kicks on Gable and goes for a Samoan drop, but Gable evades it. Jey finally hits the Samoan drop, then goes up top but Jordan stops him. Jimmy comes in but Gable hits him with a German suplex. Gable hits a German on Jey next, then Shelton tags in and they connect with a double team powerbomb/flying clothesline. Shelton pins for the three count.

Winners: Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable

– WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte comes out to the ring and reminds everyone that she beat Natalya on Sunday. She recaps Stephanie McMahon’s announcement from Monday that there’s a women’s Royal Rumble coming up. Charlotte says this is thanks to all the fans, for going on social media and making their voices heard. Charlotte panders to the crowd some more, then Naomi comes out to interrupt. Naomi says she’s announcing she’ll be in the Royal Rumble, and that she’ll see Charlotte at WrestleMania to take her title. The Riott Squad comes out, and Naomi cuts a promo on them and calls them chicken-heads who won’t last in the Royal Rumble. Naomi challenges two of them to a tag match right now against her and Charlotte.

– Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan vs. Charlotte Flair & Naomi: Logan and Flair start off nad Logan gets some good offense in early on. She covers Flair for a 2 count before tagging in Riott. Ruby focuses on Charlotte’s leg and keeps things near her corner. They heel now trade tags to keep control and continuously work Charlotte’s knee. Naomi gets the hot tag and cleans house. She hits a scorpion kick on Logan, then another kick for a two count as Riott breaks up the pin. Charlotte comes in and takes out Riott with a big boot. Logan and Naomi go at it and Logan hits a headbutt. Liv gets on the apron, but Naomi dodges the cheap shot and Logan accidentally spears Liv off the apron. Naomi then rolls up Logan for the win.

Winners: Naomi and Charlotte

The New Day is backstage dressed in Christmas costumes, and then Rusev and Aiden English (also in Christmas/Rusev Day costumes) join them. Rusev says no one wants Christmas stuff, because they want Rusev Day stuff. English sings, and there’s some tension as Rusev doesn’t like The New Day’s pancakes. It looks like there might be a match between these two sides later.

– Dolph Ziggler comes out to the ring for his U.S. Title victory celebration. Ziggler says no one can do what he does in the ring, and he starts showing highlight videos from his past. Ziggler shows all of his previous championship victories, and says the fans don’t appreciate it. He says he’ll give them something to remember him by, and takes a long look at his U.S. Title belt. He drops the belt down to the mat, drops the mic and walk off. The announcers wonder what this means.

– Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens approach Daniel Bryan backstage to thank him for what he did on Sunday. Bryan says he didn’t do it for them, he did it because he thought it was the right thing to do for SmackDown. Bryan tells them to wipe the smiles off their faces and get ready for their match tonight.

– The New Day is backstage heading towards the gorilla position and they’re throwing pancakes at people working.

– Rusev Day vs. The New Day: Everyone in this match is wearing a Christ-mas themed costume. Rusev chases Kofi around to start as Kofi taunts him. English tags in and Kofi dropkicks him. Rusev runs in but Kofi throws him outside. The New Day grabs a red bag from ringside and they start throwing out tshirts to people in the crowd. Rusev and English drop Woods and Kofi from behind. English and Kofi are the legal men and English is beating down the New Day member. Rusev tags in and continues the assault on Kofi. Xavier finally gets the hot tag and lays into English with kicks. Kofi and Rusev come in, and Rusev dumps both Kofi and Woods to the outside. English and Rusev now go to the announce table and start pulling stuff off of it. English and Rusev set up a plate of The New Day’s pancakes with whip cream on it, and English tries to slam Xavier’s face into it but Xavier escapes. Kofi hits a suicide dive on Rusev at ringside, and Xavier and Kofi slam English’s face into the pancakes. Back in the ring, Woods hits a flying elbow drop on English for the three count.

Winners: The New Day

– We see an ad for Total Divas with a clip of The Miz and Maryse.

– WWE Champ AJ Styles is backstage discussing strategy for tonight with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura.

– AJ Styles, Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, & Jinder Mahal: The Singh Brothers do Jinder’s introduction and are at ringside in his corner. Randy Orton starts this one off and Jinder and he knocks the other heels off the apron too. This one quickly becomes a ringside brawl as all four men spill outside and fight on the floor. Orton slams Jinder onto the announce table then throws him back in the ring. Orton goes for the early RKO, but Jinder escapes. Orton drops him, then Nakamura and Zayn come in. Nakamura backs Zayn up to the ropes and rips some of his chest hair out. Zayn charges but Nakamura drops him, then tags in AJ. AJ beats on Zayn, then quickly tags in Orton who picks up Zayn and drops him across the top rope. Jinder tags in and starts putting the boots to Orton. Jinder drops Orton with an elbow to the face. Owens tags in now and continues to stomp on Orton. AJ comes in and he has some trouble against the combination of Zayn, Owens, and Jinder, as they trade frequent tags and wear down the WWE Champion. Jinder hits a series of knee drops on Styles chokes him. Nakamura and Zayn come in now and Nakamura tees off with kicks. He follows up with some knee drops on Zayn, then hits the good vibrations in the corner. He sets up Zayn in the corner and hits a running knee strike for a two count. Nakamura misses one kick, but connects with the second one and gets another two count on Zayn. Zayn escapes a suplex attempt and hits a cheap shot, but Nakamura comes back with an armbar attempt. Owens runs in and hits a senton on Nakamura to break it up. Orton throws Owens outside, then Jinder runs in and hits a DDt on Orton. AJ runs in and hits a Pele kick on Jinder, then AJ hits a suicide dive on Owens outside. The Singh Brothers get on the apron which appears to lead to a cheap shot on NAkamura. The ref kicks the Singh Brothers out ,but they don’t leave. Orton hits an RKO on Jinder, then he hits a draping double DDT on both Singh Brothers. AJ comes flying off the top rope with a Phenomenal Forearm on Owens, then Nakamura hits the Kinshasa on Zayn for the three count.

Winners: AJ Styles, Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura

– Styles, Orton and Nakamura celebrate their win in the ring and stare down the heels laying at ringside.

AJ Lee’s Book Being Made Into a TV Show

Chris Stephens
-
14

AJ Mendez-Brooks and EUE/Sokolow studios announced today plans to turn “Crazy is my Superpower” into a television program. The book was released in April this year under the full title “Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules”.

The book covers her life, career, and battles with mental illness.

Crazy Is My SuperPower Press Release

“LOS ANGELES, December 19, 2017—EUE/Sokolow, an Emmy-nominated production company behind Nat Geo’s “Genius” franchise, and producer Jeff Fisher are bringing AJ Mendez’s New York Times Best Seller “Crazy is my Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules” to television. The bestselling book chronicles former WWE wrestler AJ Mendez’s unlikely rise to stardom after growing up in poverty and enduring years of abuse. Mendez will serve as an Executive Producer and writer on the project.

“Crazy is my Superpower” intricately details Mendez’s harrowing struggle to understand her demons and the mental illness diagnosis that helped her gain control over her life, and how she harnessed that strength to become an internationally-beloved professional wrestling superstar (known as AJ Lee). The three-time WWE champion fought against stereotypes, forced the men in her industry to view her with respect and inspired millions of fans with her fierce independent streak.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with this team to turn “Crazy is My Super Power” into a scripted show,” said AJ Mendez. “This is a story about the power of female strength and our incomparable ability to survive, persist and overcome. I knew that I would need partners that connected to that message, and Jeff and Sam’s bold vision was a perfect fit. I can’t wait to get started.”

“Jeff Fisher initially talked to me about this book and told me what an amazing story this woman had,” said Sam Sokolow, co-founder of EUE/Sokolow and executive producer of National Geographic’s first-ever scripted series “Genius.” “We’re so excited to get to work with AJ and tell her incredibly inspiring story.”

The book was originally released in hardcover, ebook and audiobook (narrated by Mendez) by Crown Publishing, April, 4, 2017 and will debut in paperback April, 3, 2018. Mendez is represented by literary agent Lisa Leshne at The Leshne Agency and attorney Alan Sacks at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.

Recently, EUE/Sokolow produced “Genius,” with the series first season following the life of Albert Einstein with Academy Award winners Geoffrey Rush starring as Einstein and Ron Howard directing the pilot episode. Season One of “Genius” was recognized with ten 2017 Emmy nominations including Best Limited Series. “Genius” has been renewed for a second season and will follow the life of artist Pablo Picasso.

Beverly Hills-based EUE/Sokolow focuses on premium television programs including dramas, limited series, comedies and documentaries.”

Backstage Update On John Cena Returning To WWE Television

Andrew Ravens
-
14

WWE made it official on Monday night when the sports entertainment company announced that former WWE Champion John Cena would be returning to Monday Night Raw next week in Chicago, Illinois.

Cena, who has not been seen inside of a WWE ring since Survivor Series in November, is still a free agent. Thus, he can appear on both Raw and SmackDown TV.

Dave Meltzer gave an update on Cena’s status with the WWE during Monday’s Wrestling Observer Radio. Here is what he had to say:

“[Cena] is in, until he’s gone again,” said Meltzer. “He’s working the Garden, he’s working that whole week, so I presume he’s in the Royal Rumble. I haven’t heard his name attached to any new movies that are filming in the next couple months, so I think he’s back for a run.”

Spoiler: Former Impact Wrestling Star Backstage At SmackDown

Staff
-
24

Former Impact Wrestling star Rockstar Spud is backstage for tonight’s WWE SmackDown show from Newark, New Jersey. Spud was also backstage at last night’s RAW from Providence, Rhode Island.

Spud is rumored to be joining 205 Live and WWE’s cruiserweight division soon. With the announcement that 205 Live is holding several special live events in January, WWE is looking to enhance the division to give those events a good chance at being successful.

Monday’s RAW saw the main roster debut of former NXT star Hideo Itami, who will also be joining the division.

WWE also this week that “Woken” Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt will be taking place on the 205 Live house shows.

Here’s a photo of Spud arriving at the Prudential Center in Newark this afternoon:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc5KUrYDwam/?tagged=rockstarspud

Bayley Comments On Thinking She Was More Over Than She Actually Was

Jon Fuentes
-
18

WWE Superstar Bayley was recently a guest on former Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “The Hugger” discussed falsely assuming she was over when she debuted at Battleground, wanting to be a female version of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who she wants to work with, and a possible Four Horsewomen vs. Four Horsewomen match. You can check out the highlights here:

Getting the false sense she was over when she debuted at Battleground:

“When I made my debut, I had that weird one-off at Battleground where I was like Sasha’s partner,” Bayley said. “And that was an amazing night. It felt like everybody in the arena wanted her partner to be me, so I was like, ‘oh yeah, everybody knows who I am and I’m going to be fine when I finally get here, like, for good!’ Then, I had my official debut. That was the night after NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.

“And Brooklyn is just… it was SummerSlam weekend, so it’s kind of like a WrestleMania weekend where there [are] fans from all over [the world] and it’s just a load of NXT fans from around Europe and all that and I got a great reception there and I was like, ‘yep, I’m good. Everybody knows Bayley’ blah, blah, blah. But then, it wasn’t until I was there a little bit longer and I had to get on the regular schedule doing house shows and going to TVs in different cities where I realized my reception wasn’t as good as my first two things that I did because not everybody knew me.

“And the NXT crowd, although it is amazing, and we do have great fans all over the world, it’s not as huge as the audience we have for WWE, so I’m still kind of like at the point where people know who I am and I might not be as cool as I was in little, smaller venues or, like, a smaller audience, but now I’m at that point where I feel like, ‘yeah, I’m WWE,’ but it did take a while. I think my head got a little too big when I was like, ‘yeah, everyone knows me!’ to when I’m like, ‘wait! No, they don’t.'”

Wanting to be a female version of Stone Cold Steve Austin:

“I do definitely want to evolve my character, eventually, just because, I mean, since I started in NXT, I’ve kind of been doing the same thing. Like, I have grown a little bit, but I don’t know. I think it is going to be time for a change eventually. I think that would be like the fun of it all and everyone changes. I plan on being here for a long time, and I want to go through all those stages and be a bad guy, and then be a good guy again, then be a bad guy, and, like [Edge and Christian] have been a bunch of different characters and all that stuff.

“And I just think that’s part of the fun being with WWE, so I want to go on that roller coaster and have the fans be like they know they can count on me and, like, care about me, but still hate me at the same time, but know when I’m on the camera for them to cheer or to boo, like, they’re going to enjoy it. So I’ve recently thought about it and just as far as trying to be more aggressive, I think I want to be a girl version of ‘Stone Cold’, but it’s kind of hard to think of my character turning into a badass like Austin.”

Wanting to work with Asuka or Natalya:

“I mean, I want to have more matches with Asuka eventually because we only had the few in NXT. But I guess I haven’t really had anything with Natalya at all. When she first did kind of a live event loop or we did a Europe, that was my first thing with WWE, and I just teamed with her, so I didn’t get to wrestler her. Then we did one random live event when I was still with NXT.

“And I did like a one-minute opening thing with her and that was it. But I would love to have a full-on story with her and have full matches with her just because I think she’s so good, and, obviously, she’s so knowledgeable and has so much to teach. But also she’s hilarious. Every time I’m around her, I have so much fun. She’s so good.”

Possible Four Horsewomen vs. Four Horsewomen match:

“I was hoping it was going to be a thing pretty soon, but they were all there at the [Mae Young] Classic and we were there, minus Sasha. And we had our little face off, that thing outside, that [WWE].com thing we had, so I was kind of hoping that would lead to something. Maybe it still will. Ronda just kind of put it out there that they said, ‘any time, any place’ and I feel like it still can happen. So they know where to find us. That’s all I’ve got to say. They know where to find us. We’re here. We’re just waiting on them and we’ve got one of them, I guess. Shayna’s already in NXT, so we just need Ronda to hurry it up!”

You can listen to Bayley on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Several Top Independent Stars Rumored To Be Joining WWE Next Month

Chris Stephens
-
32

Several top independent talents are believed to be on their way to NXT next month. According to a report from PWInsider, the word around the Performance Center is that a top cruiserweight and a top tag-team are expected in NXT for January and possibly another top female talent as well.

Hanson & Ray Rowe of War Machine and Ricochet are the wrestlers expected to debut in WWE soon. The top female talent name was not mentioned in the report, but Tessa Blanchard is a possibility. Blanchard was in the Mae Young Classic and is dating Ricochet. She does have independent dates booked for 2018, however, indicating she’s not headed to WWE soon.

Candice LeRae is another name which has been rumored, though she does have independent dates booked for 2018 as well.

War Machine and Ricochet

War Machine and Ricochet have been on WWE’s radar for some time. In the case of Ricochet, his Lucha Underground contract was preventing him from signing with the company. Now that season three has fully aired and his no-compete clause is up, the popular high-flyer is free to sign with WWE.

War Machine recently finished up with Ring of Honor at the last set of TV tapings.

What Happened After RAW Went Off Air (Video), Roman Reigns Note

Jon Fuentes
-
7

– WWE posted the following Fallout video showing what happened after last night’s Monday Night RAW. The women of RAW celebrated the announcement that the first-ever all-female Royal Rumble would be taking place next month:

– WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns was not mentioned on last night’s Monday Night RAW. He is being advertised for next week’s Christmas episode of RAW.

Randy Orton Set To Take Time Off Next Year

Jon Fuentes
-
21

It looks like Randy Orton is set to take some time off next year. According to a report from PWInsider, the former WWE Champion will be working a light schedule in January before taking the months of February and March off. Apart from SmackDown Live tapings and the Royal Rumble, “The Viper” is only advertised for the second and fourth week for WWE live events in January.

Orton has been announced for the February 6th episode of SmackDown Live but not anything else after that. Orton is heading into his 17th year with WWE and is a 13-time World Champion. The son of WWE Hall Of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton will certainly be joining his father in the hall once he decides to hang up his boots.

Trish Stratus Teasing Interest In Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Staff
-
22

On Monday’s RAW, Stephanie McMahon announced that next month’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view will feature the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match.

One of the most exciting aspects of Royal Rumble matches is seeing which legends will make surprise appearances. WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus heard about Stephanie’s big announcement and said it might be time for her to lace up the boots once again.

Trish wrestled her last match back in September 2006. On the 10 year anniversary of her final match, Trish posted a message on Instagram reflecting on her career. She concluded with, “I’ve still got some Stratusfaction to deliver if ya want it!”

In an interview with Sports Illustrated last year, Trish made it clear that the door is open for her to get back in the ring once again and show today’s WWE women that she can still hang.

“I’d only go back if it was worth it and if it was a challenge for me,” Trish told Sports Illustrated. “Something that’s different and unique, like playing a heel again, which would be super cool. I’ve gone back as a babyface, so it would have to be something challenging and something that would elevate either the division or a talent. Not just me for my own sh–s and giggles to raise my brand.”

Competing in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match would certainly qualify as “something that’s different and unique.” Stay tuned!

Elias Reveals His Opinion of “Drifter” Gimmick

Chris Stephens
-
26

Elias recently appeared on the Stone Cold Podcast with Steve Austin. While Elias and Austin talked a lot about music, other sports, and even blackjack, they also covered the genesis of the Elias character.

Elias revealed on the show he loves the character and has been working similar gimmicks since his time on the indies.

On Elias Character:

“I like to think Elias is (kind of) the culmination of everything I ever wanted to be and who I ever wanted to be so I’m very happy with that.”

On previous incarnations of the character:

“I can recall at one point I was “the Frontman” Logan Shulo, I came out with a mic stand, in my mind, I was this eclectic frontman rockstar. Then as it went on I became “Heavy Metal Jesus”.

On who came up with “Heavy Metal Jesus”

“It was a guy named Michael Facade out in Pittsburgh. One time we’re training, I just looked like it, I looked like Jesus you know, and he said “Heavy Metal Jesus”, he called me that. I said that’s the coolest nickname I’ve ever heard.

Sure enough, I would do bible verses in my promos and turn water into wine.”

You can listen to the full podcast here.

1...1,7961,7971,798...3,095Page 1,797 of 3,095