– Below is a new preview for the WWE 24 special on Bill Goldberg that premieres on the WWE Network Monday, November 13th after RAW goes off the air that night:
– No word yet on when Braun Strowman will be back on RAW but he did not appear this week to sell the attack from Kane at WWE TLC. Michael Cole noted on commentary that The Monster Among Men could be out of action for several weeks or months but it’s likely that he returns next Monday night to set up the planned Braun vs. Kane match at WWE Survivor Series on November 19th.
– As noted, WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman appeared on this week’s RAW to accept the Survivor Series challenge from WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. Heyman’s promo took a shot at The Singh Brothers for stealing his shtick to stand behind Jinder and introduce him each week. The Singh Brothers took to Twitter and tweeted the following in response to Heyman’s promo:
– While RAW General Manager Kurt Angle confirmed WWE Champion Jinder Mahal vs. WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar for Survivor Series during his opening promo on this week’s RAW, Paul Heyman and Lesnar still appeared in the ring later on to officially accept the challenge. The Beast and The Modern Day Maharaja will face off at the November 19th Survivor Series pay-per-view in a non-title match. Below is video from the segment with Heyman and Lesnar:
– John Cena, Brie Bella, mom Kathy and Maryse were in the crowd for Monday’s Dancing With The Stars episode on ABC. Nikki Bella received a season-high 36 score for her Argentine Tango performance on Movie Night with partner Artem Chigvintsev. After surviving another elimination, Nikki and Artem will now dance next twice next Monday night for a Halloween-themed episode that features team dances. WWE announced the following on this week’s performance:
Nikki Bella brings a romantic tango to the “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom
Nikki Bella isn’t hanging up her dancing shoes just yet! The Superstar is still in the hunt for the Mirror Ball Trophy on “Dancing with the Stars” after an Argentine Tango on Movie Night of Season 25 of ABC’s reality hit.
Nikki received a 36 out of 40 for the foreign film-influenced tango with professional partner Artem Chigvintsev, bringing a dreamy, French twist to the ballroom, as John Cena, Brie Bella, Maryse and mom Kathy watched from the audience.
“That was so romantic, what you would expect from a foreign film, from a foreign language – the language of love,” guest judge Shania Twain said of the dance, which was done to a French song. “That was beautiful, very elegant.”
Judge Bruno Tonioli agreed: “You just presented a little side of yourself that you should explore. It was like a French perfume, intriguing, like it never leaves your mind.”
After the judges’ scores and comments, Nikki and Artem were informed early on Monday’s episode that they were safe from elimination!
Nikki still needs your votes to stay in the running for The Mirror Ball Trophy. Call to vote for Nikki toll-free at 1-800-868-3409. (Save this number, as it will be Nikki and Artem’s number to dial each week!) Note, only your first nine votes count, and phonelines stay open for only 60 minutes after the finish of “Dancing with the Stars” in your local time zone. You can also vote nine times online at dwtsvote.abc.go.com.
See Nikki dance twice next Monday when “Dancing with the Stars” returns to ABC at 8/7 C for a special Halloween-theme episode, including team dances.
– As noted, SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya vs. RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss is now official for the Survivor Series pay-per-view. Natalya made the following post-RAW tweet in response to the in-ring promo from Bliss:
– After making her main roster debut at Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view, Asuka remains undefeated after picking up another win over Emma in her Monday night debut on tonight’s RAW, which was a rematch from TLC. Below is video from that match:
– Kalisto will receive his rematch from new WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore on this week’s WWE 205 Live episode.
– The closing segment of tonight’s WWE RAW in Green Bay was supposed to have General Manager Kurt Angle announce the 5 male Superstars that would represent the red brand in the men’s 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match at the November pay-per-view. SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon appeared instead and brought about a dozen SmackDown Superstars with him, including SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya and WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin. The blue brand then ran wild through the backstage area, taking out several RAW Superstars to send a message ahead of the big Survivor Series pay-per-view. Below are photos and videos from the angle:
WWE RAW aired live from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. It was the first episode of RAW following WWE TLC 2017 last night. Here are 10 takeaways from this week’s episode of WWE RAW:
Survivor Series’ Card Is Lackluster So Far
WWE Survivor Series
RAW GM Kurt Angle came down to the ring to kick off this week’s episode of RAW. The crowd chanted “you still got it!”. Angle officially announced the following matches for Survivor Series:
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal vs Universal Champion Brock Lesnar
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya
RAW Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs United States Champion Baron Corbin
Survivor Series will be RAW vs SmackDown themed and I think that is something that has been missing from the WWE product recently. I enjoy when the brands are competing against each other and calling each other out on their respective shows. When Asuka announced that she was leaving NXT and heading to the main roster, NXT GM William Regal said that he had “begun negotiating with RAW GM Kurt Angle and SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan”. I would love to see storylines that feature RAW and SmackDown trying to lure Superstars to their brand.
As for Survivor Series’ card, there is not a lot that interests me so far. The Miz versus Baron Corbin is a bizarre matchup as they are both heels. The same can be said about Alexa Bliss versus Natalya. I would like to believe that Brock Lesnar will simply dismantle Jinder Mahal, but I’ve thought Mahal was going to lose every match and I’ve pretty much been incorrect about all of them. Out of the announced matches thus far, I’m most intrigued by Ambrose & Rollins versus The Usos. The Usos have been excellent on SmackDown as of late and I could see that match going either way.
Kurt Angle announced that SmackDown Superstar AJ Styles decided to stay another night on the RAW brand and will be teaming up with Ambrose and Rollings against The Miz and The Bar.
Match recap: The Bar isolated Ambrose in the ring to start off the match. Ambrose eventually escaped and tagged in Seth Rollins. The crowd chanted for AJ Styles and Rollins obliged and tagged AJ in. Styles booted Cesaro in the face and then hopped up on the ring apron. The Miz charged at Styles but AJ noticed him coming and Miz cowered away. Cesaro then used the distraction to his advantage and knocked AJ out of the ring. The action returned to the ring and Cesaro tagged in The Miz. The Miz took his time and started taunting AJ. Styles connected with a Jawbreaker onto Miz.
Sheamus and Cesaro sprinted across the ring and knocked Ambrose and Rollins off the ring apron. Ambrose, Rollins and Styles then cleaned house and leaped onto The Miz and The Bar as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, The Bar were in control and teamed up and booted Ambrose in the midsection. The crowd chanted “you look stupid” at Sheamus as he had Ambrose in a Chin Lock. Dean battled to his feet but Sheamus stopped his momentum with a couple of knees to his ribs. Cesaro was then tagged in he quickly applied another Chin Lock to Ambrose. The resiliant Ambrose broke free and planted Cesaro with a Suplex. Cesaro ambled his way to the corner and tagged in Sheamus. Ambrose greeted Sheamus with a Lunatic Lariat and slowly made his way to the corner.
Seth Rollins was tagged in and he connected with a Slingblade to The Miz. Rollins then knocked Cesaro off the ring apron and followed it up with a Blockbuster off the second rope to Miz. Rollins hit the Falcon Arrow and then a brawl broke out in the ring. The Miz and Rollins were the two Superstars left in the ring and Miz hit a DDT as RAW once again went to a break. When RAW returned, the action had spilled out of the ring and Ambrose threw Sheamus into the crowd. Ambrose leaped off the barricade and cracked Sheamus in the face. Back in the ring, Cesaro tagged himself in and Rollins leaped across the ring to tag in Styles. AJ connected with an Ushigoroshi onto Cesaro for a two count.
The Miz tried to get back into the ring but Ambrose pulled him off the ring apron. Cesaro hit AJ with a massive uppercut but Rollins broke up the cover. Sheamus charged at Seth but Rollins dodged him and Sheamus crashed into the ring post. Rollins and Ambrose hit dueling Suicide Dives onto Sheamus and The Miz outside the ring. Back in the ring, AJ Styles connected with the Phenomenal Forearm to Cesaro for the pinfall victory. After the match, Kane came down to the ring and attacked Rollins and Ambrose. Kane then launched Styles out of the ring and The Bar and The Miz attacked Rollins and Ambrose from behind. The Miz and The Bar then exited the ring as Kane’s entrance music played and Kane stood tall in the ring. Winners: AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins
I want to see AJ Styles versus Cesaro as soon as possible. We got a tiny glimpse of it tonight when the two Superstars went head-to-head during this bout. RAW’s roster is obviously down a few key Superstars due to illness, so it makes sense that AJ Styles stuck around for another night. This match was absolutely terrific and it cannot be overstated how valuable AJ Styles is to the WWE.
Finn Balor Can Defeat AJ Styles, But He Cannot Defeat A 50-Year-Old Kane
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Kane cut a promo on Braun Strowman after he beatdown Styles, Rollins and Ambrose. During the promo, Michael Cole announced that Braun Strowman will be out for some time after
Promo: Kane said that he has heard about all of Strowman’s accomplishments and said that he had to see it for himself. Kane stated that what he saw was a pile of trash. He added that he put Strowman where he belonged last night in the back of a garbage truck. Kane said that he saw fear in Strowman’s eyes and stated that he has and will always be RAW’s only monster. Kane mocked Strowman and said that he wanted competition or else. Finn Balor answered the challenge and came down to the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
Match recap: Balor connected with a flurry of kicks to start off the match but Kane shrugged them off and knocked Finn out of the ring. Finn got back into the ring and was sent into the turnbuckle by Kane. Balor escaped to the ring apron and connected with a kick to Kane’s face. Kane responded by delivering a boot to Finn’s chin and Balor crashed to the canvas.
Kane persisted with his attack and connected with a Body Slam a two count. Balor knocked Kane out of the ring and punted his head from the ring apron. Kane was unfazed and lifted up Balor and drove him into the ring apron. The action returned to the ring and Kane hit a massive Side Slam but Balor kicked out at two. Finn battled to his feet but Kane launched him into the turnbuckle. Kane hit a Backbreaker and then bent Balor’s body over his knee.
Finn escaped and rolled out of the ring but Kane followed him out there. Balor tripped up Kane and Kane fell face-first onto the steel steps. Back in the ring, Balor connected with a Slingblade and then Dropkicked Kane into the corner. Finn went for the Coup de Grace but Kane got up and grabbed Balor by the throat. Kane delivered a massive Chokeslam and then grabbed Finn by the throat once again. Kane delivered two more Chokeslams for the pinfall victory. Winner: Kane
I’m having a hard time seeing Kane as this dominant monster once again. The last thing I remember about Kane is him dominating “The Milkman” on SmackDown.
It also hasn’t been explained why Kane is all of the sudden on the RAW roster even though he was drafted to the blue brand. I find it extremely inconsistent that Balor defeated AJ Styles last night at TLC, only to lose to a 50-year-old Kane tonight on RAW. I also thought Braun Strowman was passed facing older Superstars on the main roster. He defeated the Big Show in their feud, why does he now have to go through Kane? That is if Braun Strowman even returns on RAW soon. The announcers made it seem like Strowman will be gone for a long time after being compacted in a garbage truck.
Asuka made her main-roster debut last night at WWE TLC 2017 and faced Emma. Many were shocked that Asuka didn’t dominate the match. Emma faced Asuka again tonight on RAW.
Match recap: Emma completely dominated Asuka for the first several minutes of the match again. Asuka finally fought back and connected with a Dropkick off the second rope. Asuka then connected with a series of strikes and followed it up with a release German Suplex. Asuka then connected with the Hip Attack for a two count. Emma booted Asuka into the turnbuckle and then went for a roll-up but Asuka reversed it into the Asuka Lock for the submission victory. Winner: Asuka
I don’t understand what WWE is doing with Asuka on the main roster. They are making her seem beatable. The majority of the people that watch WWE RAW do not tune into NXT on Wednesday nights. They keep mentioning Asuka’s undefeated streak, but they are not booking her as dominant on RAW. Yes, she has defeated Emma twice in a row, but they shouldn’t have been competitive matches. Emma has been wasting away on RAW for a long time now, it simply does not make sense for her to be a challenge for Asuka right now.
Alexa Bliss picked up a victory over Mickie James last night at TLC and came down to the ring for a promo. Alexa dissed Mickie James again and said that she felt disrespected by the fans. Bliss said that Balor and Styles can stare into each other’s eyes for “like 10 minutes” and the crowd eats up. Alexa asked why the fans don’t give her enough credit and wondered if it because she was not old like Mickie James. Alexa then called the crowd sheep and said that she is going to say a chant slowly so the crowd can repeat it back to her. Alexa chanted “you deserve it!” and the crowd booed. Alexa once again demanded respect from the crowd but the y continued booing. Mickie James came down to the ring with a smile on her face as Alexa looked pissed off in the ring. Mickie then booted Alexa in the face and connected with a DDT. Mickie then grabbed the microphone and said “Alexa, you do deserve it”.
I’ve really enjoyed this feud so far and I thought Mickie and Alexa had one of the better matches at WWE TLC 2017 last night. Bliss taunted the crowd and Mickie James and got a DDT for her troubles. Survivor Series is four weeks away, so I’m guessing this feud will continue for a bit and I’m absolutely fine with that.
The Feud Between Jason Jordan & Elias Is Uninteresting
Elias performed a song but was interrupted by persistent scratching noises. Elias thought it was technical difficulties, but it turned out to be Jason Jordan. Jason interrupted Elias’ concert several times last night at TLC and then defeated him via a roll-up in their match last night. Elias got his rematch with Jordan tonight on RAW.
Match recap: Elias controlled the first few minutes of the match before RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Elias was still in control but Jordan quickly captured the momentum. Jordan knocked Elias out of the ring and charged at him near the timekeeper’s area. Elias grabbed his guitar and smashed him over the arm with it and was disqualified. Winner via DQ: Jason Jordan
I didn’t find it funny when Jason Jordan interrupted Elias’ concert last night by throwing groceries at him twice. The crowd gave a decent reaction when Elias hit Jordan with the guitar tonight, but the fact remains that there are no stakes at all in this feud. They are just fighting because neither Superstar has anything else to do right now and it is nearly impossible to get invested in this feud. The guitar shot was stiff as hell and Jordan’s arm looked a bit messed up after he was hit by it.
Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman Laughed At Jinder Mahal
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman came down to the ring to address Jinder Mahal challenging Lesnar to a match at Survivor Series. Heyman said that Mahal has barely survived his matches against Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura. Heyman noted that Mahal is also up all night worrying about AJ Styles coming to take his title.
Heyman boasted about Lesnar’s domination on the RAW brand and how he has run through all of his opponents since capturing the Universal Championship. Heyman said that he doesn’t trash-talk Lesnar’s opponents because you have to be a real man to challenge Brock Lesnar. Heyman poked fun at Mahal and the Singh Brothers and said that Mahal isn’t a worthy champion.
Paul Heyman said that Lesnar isn’t defending the honor of RAW at Survivor Series. Heyman added that “any brand that brags Brock Lesnar is the flagship brand and the number one place to be in WWE”. Heyman claimed that Brock Lesnar was going to take Jinder Mahal to Suplex City at Survivor Series and accepted the challenge on Lesnar’s behalf. Heyman and Brock Lesnar then exited the ring and made their way backstage.
This was an excellent promo by Paul Heyman here. I was hoping that Heyman would tear down Jinder Mahal and that is exactly what happened tonight. The only issue I have is that there is no way Jinder Mahal can provide an adequate response tomorrow night on SmackDown because he is so terrible at promos.
Alicia Fox Is The Captain Of The RAW Women’s Team At Survivor Series
WWE Superstar Alicia Fox
RAW GM Kurt Angle announced that Alicia Fox, Sasha Banks and Bayley will compete in a match to determine the captain for the RAW Women’s team at Survivor Series.
Match recap: Fox controlled the match early and knocked Bayley out of the ring. Sasha conncted with a kick to Fox’s face and Bayley came back int he ring. Bayley got back into the ring and connected with a double Dropkick that knocked Alicia out of the ring. Fox got back into the ring and Bayley and Sasha once again teamed up and knocked her out of the ring. Alicia once again tried to get in the ring but Bayley and Sasha Dropkicked her back to the floor as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Sasha Banks was in control and launched Alicia Fox into the turnbuckle as Bayley was on the floor outside the ring. Banks climbed up to the top turnbuckle but Fox got back to her feet and slapped Sasha in the face. Bayley got back in the ring as Fox was setting Banks up for the Superplex. Bayley then Powerbombed Fox as she hit the Superplex onto Banks off the top rope.
Fox booted Bayley in the face for a two count. Alicia then shouted “I don’t want to play this game” and then grabbed the bell and started ringing it. The referee told her that Alicia cannot just end the match whenever she wants and Fox got back in the ring. Bayley hit her with the Bayley to Belly but Banks broke up the pinfall.
Bayley then knocked Alicia out of the ring and slammed Sasha to the mat. Fox then hit Bayley with Bayley to Belly and then booted Bayley out of the ring. Alicia then charged at Sasha but Sasha countered it into the Bank Statement. Alicia broke free and then threw Sasha into Bayley who was standing on the ring apron. Fox then pinned Sasha Banks for the victory and is now the captain of the RAW Women’s Team at WWE Survivor Series. Alicia Fox then celebrated with members of the Green Bay Packers that were sitting ringside. Winner: Alicia Fox
This match was solid and this will definitely be interesting as we head towards Survivor Series in four weeks. Crazy Alicia Fox is entertaining, and both Bayley and Sasha Banks aren’t exactly electric when it comes to cutting a promo. I think that this may lead to some funny segments with Alicia Fox as the team leader on the next few episodes of RAW. Having said that, it could just as easily wind up being a train wreck.
Enzo Amore came down to the ring with Drew Gulak, Ariya Daivari, Noam Dar and Tony Nese. All five Superstars danced with Enzo on the entrance ramp. Drew Gulak grabbed the microphone while holding a clipboard. Gulak said that he had a prepared statement on behalf of Enzo Amore because Enzo has lost his voice. Gulak said that Kalisto was a bigger letdown than the Green Bay Packers and the crowd booed and then broke out in a “Go Pack Go!” chant.
Enzo, Gulak, Nese, Daivari and Dar then faced Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali.
Match recap: Kalisto wanted Enzo to get in the ring to start off the match. Enzo didn’t accept the challenge and avoided get in the ring. “Team Lucha” cleaned house and knocked “Team Zo Train” out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Team Zo Train was in control and had Rich Swann isolated in the corner.
Swann and Daivari battled in the ring as a brawl broke out ringside between the rest of the Superstars in the match. Enzo avoided the brawl and started shouting at his teammates to get up. Daivari tagged in Enzo and then Kalisto was tagged in. Enzo tried to avoid him but Kalisto caught him with a kick. Kalisto went for the cover but Gulak and Nese broke it up. Enzo then connected with a DDT off the second rope but the cover was once again broken up. Alexander and Ali leaped onto Nese and Gulak outside the ring. Metalik and Ali then leaped onto Dar and Daivari. Back in the ring, Kalisto connected with the Salida del Sol on Enzo for the victory. Winners: Kalisto, Mustafa Ali, Gran Metalik, Rich Swann & Cedric Alexander
Kalisto will get his rematch for the Cruiserweight Championship tomorrow night on 205 Live. I think WWE is committed to making Enzo as annoying as possible so people tune into 205 Live. I doubt that it will work, but I don’t see Kalisto winning the Cruiserweight Championship back tomorrow night. This match was entertaining for what it was, but I am beyond tired of the constant 6+ man tag matches on RAW with the Cruiserweight division. It is not building up any of the Superstars and allowing the WWE Universe to see their personalities and become invested in them.
SmackDown Fired The First Shot At RAW Ahead Of Survivor Series
RAW GM Kurt Angle came down to the ring to announce the RAW Men’s Team for WWE Survivor Series. Before Angle could make his announcement, SmackDown GM Shane McMahon interrupted and came through the crowd with members of the SmackDown roster and surrounded Kurt Angle outside the ring.
Shane McMahon entered the ring and grabbed a microphone as the crowd chanted “Nakamura!”. Kurt Angle stared at Shane with a bewildered look on his face as Shane walked towards him. Shane said “under siege” and dropped the microphone. Angle then left the ring and walked backstage. Shane then instructed the blue team to “go get him” and the SmackDown roster headed backstage.
The SmackDown roster then attacked Apollo Crews and Titus O’Neil backstage and beat them down. Baron Corbin then attacked a helpless intern as the SmackDown roster cheered him on. Goldust, Rhyno and poor Curt Hawkins were next to suffer the wrath of the SmackDown roster. Jason Jordan and Matt Hardy then got their asses kicked by the SmackDown roster.
Gallows and Anderson and Elias were the next victims as they were attacked out of nowhere in their locker room. Bayley, Sasha, Mickie and Alicia were then attacked by the SmackDown women’s division. Charlotte was not present during the attack. The camera then cut back to Shane McMahon who was being booed by the crowd.
Rollins and Ambrose attacked members of the SmackDown roster with chairs but they were vastly outnumbered and promptly got their asses kicked. Corbin and Rusev then dragged Kurt Angle back to the ring. Shane McMahon had a menacing look on his face as he once again stared at Kurt Angle. Shane said that he wanted Angle to bring his gold medal and what is left of the RAW roster and they are going to finish what they started. Shane added “oh it’s true, it’s damn true” and then exited with his troops through the crowd.
I thought this was great. It will make the next few weeks of RAW and SmackDown very interesting heading into Survivor Series. I’m not sold on many of the matches on the card right now, but the 5v5 matches between the men and women of both brands should be great. I hope that RAW responds tomorrow night on SmackDown and we get a terrific build to Survivor Series last month. WWE has had a problem with building up their PPVs, but they are off to a great start with Survivor Series in my opinion.
Following Monday’s edition of RAW, the card for next month’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view has taken shape. The theme for the event is RAW vs. SmackDown, with each brand’s top champions squaring off with one another and two team elimination matches (men’s and women’s) announced.
Here is the updated card:
RAW vs. SmackDown
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion Jinder Mahal
RAW vs. SmackDown
WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin
RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya
RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Male Superstars TBA
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Alicia Fox (Team Captain), Sasha Banks, Bayley and TBA vs. Carmella, Becky Lynch, Tamina Snuka and TBA
Survivor Series takes place on November 19th from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz will be playing a game of WWE 2K18 against musician Zakk Wylde at the Loudwire Music Awards tomorrow night in Los Angeles at The Novo. As noted, Chris Jericho will be hosting the first-ever Loudwire Music Awards, which will air on AXS TV at 7pm PT. Below is a promo for The Miz vs. Zakk Wylde:
– WWE taped the following matches tonight in Green Bay for this week’s Main Event episode:
* Matt Hardy vs. Curt Hawkins
* Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews
– As noted, The Rock tweeted WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle before Angle’s ring return at last night’s WWE TLC pay-per-view. The RAW General Manager replied this afternoon, as you can see below:
Congrats to my good bud @RealKurtAngle and his return tonight to a @WWE ring. Special athlete and great human being. Have FUN brotha #WWETLC
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will square off against Johnny Gargano at NXT Takeover: WarGames in a contest to determine which one of them has better abs.
HBK proposed they both train to see who can get in the best shape by Takeover. At the show, they’ll compare abs to determine the winner.
Michaels noted that at 52, he’s not wrestling anymore and needs something to work for.
He posted a video on Monday night explaining the challenge to Gargano:
Michaels has been working as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center and will be a special guest referee for NXT Champion Drew McIntyre’s title defense against Adam Cole at an NXT live event from San Antonio that takes place the night before.
NXT Takeover: WarGames takes place on Saturday night, November 18th from Houston, Texas during Survivor Series weekend.
At the start of Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, General Manager Kurt Angle hit the ring and announced several big matches for next month’s RAW vs. SmackDown Survivor Series pay-per-view.
Survivor Series will feature four inter-brand Champion vs. Champion matches and two inter-brand team elimination matches.
We already knew the main event, which will see WWE Champion Jinder Mahal vs. WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. It’s rumored that John Cena will be added to the match as a special guest referee.
Angle announced three more non-title Champion vs. Champion matches:
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry over at his official website where he gives his thoughts on various topics. Here are the highlights:
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor:
“Enjoyed watching WWE TLC on the WWE Network from my home in Norman. The last two bouts were, as they were designed to be, the proper show closers. AJ vs The Demon was the best match of the night and one that I am somewhat sure that we will see again some day as it’s simply too good to not feature again when it can receive a more structured and timely creative build.”
Rumored Survivor Series card:
“From the rumor mill, IF Rollins/Ambrose face the Usos at Survivor Series in Houston NOV 19, I fully expect that match to blow most of the card away no matter what else is booked. You heard it here first. Those two teams have the ability to re-create the tag team scene in WWE and make tag team wrestling as in vouge as WWE has done with the women grapplers. Based on what I have heard the Survivor Series card is going to be loaded with RAW vs SDLIve bouts that should facilitate the talents to have some fresh bouts with new people which always seems to make things better.”
Jeff Jarrett being gone from Impact Wrestling:
“Troubling to hear that Impact Wrestling has severed ties with co-founder Jeff Jarrett within the past few hours. Jeff had taken a leave of absence, which generally isn’t a good news sort of thing, and then was permanently separated from Anthem the now parent company of Impact wrestling. I am pulling for Impact, their talents and personnel in a big way but as long as they have a weak USA TV clearance, any success that they may have in the future likely will be limited. If they can create some new stars and produce solid TV shows, who knows in this wacky world of TV with so many options for a company to utilize including digital. In the meanwhile, I hope that Jeff Jarrett resurfaces as he’s expected to do. Jeff is a wrestling lifer, like me, and this is what he loves and knows best. Regarding any other issues that may or may not be prevalent, I can only hope that all these issues are remedied in a timely manner for Jeff and all involved.”
The October 23rd, 2017 edition of WWE RAW aired live from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI, and was the first episode after TLC 2017.
– Tonight’s broadcast opens with highlights from last night’s TLC pay-per-view main event.
– RAW GM and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle comes out to the ring to kick off RAW. Angle thanks the fans as they chant “You still got it.” Angle talks about writing a new chapter in his career last night, and it was a dream come true. Angle says last night was great, but now we’re facing tonight. He announces several RAW vs. SmackDown matches for Survivor Series: US Champion Baron Corbin vs. Intercontinental Champion The Miz; SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya vs. RAW Women’s Champ Alexa Bliss; and SmackDown Tag Champs The Usos vs. RAW Tag Champs Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose. Angle also announces that there will be two traditional Survivor Series tag matches: and eight-man match and an eight-woman match. Before Angle can wrap up and leave, he gets interrupted by The Miz. Miz says he’s so sick of Angle, and demands that Angle resign after TLC last night. Angle brushes him off and says he’s going to his office, but Miz stops him and the Miztourage surrounds Angle. Rollins and Ambrose come out for the save to back up Angle before anything happens. Miz accuses The Shield of being sell-outs and sucking up to the bosses. Miz says the numbers are still in his favor, but Angle says he’s got a trick up his sleeve: SmackDown’s AJ Styles. Styles’ music hits and he comes out to the ring as Angle leaves.
– AJ Styles, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro, Sheamus and The Miz: Sheamus and Rollins start off this one and go back and forth until Ambrose and Cesaro tag in. The heels turn it around on Ambrose until Rollins tags back in. Rollins drops Cesaro and keeps him grounded as fans chant for AJ Styles. Styles tags in next and works over Cesaro in the corner with strikes. Cesaro comes back when he trips up Styles on the apron and dumps him outside. AJ rolls back in as Cesaro tags in The Miz and they double team the Phenomenal One. Rollins pulls Cesaro outside and throws him into the fan barricade as Ambrose and Sheamus start brawling in the ring. The babyfaces clear the ring and then hit suicide dives in tandem onto their opponents on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Cesaro mounts a comeback against Ambrose. Sheamus tags in and they double team Ambrose in the corner. Ambrose fires up but Sheamus is able to escape a Dirty Deeds attempt. Ambrose hits a lariat and both men are down. Miz and Rollins tag in and Rollins hits a springboard clothesline on Miz. Rollins clears Sheamus and Cesaro off the apron, then hits a Blockbuster on Miz. Rollins hits a Falcon Arrow on Miz but Sheamus breaks up the pin. Styles comes in and hits the Pele kick on Sheamus, then Cesaro boots AJ in the face. Ambrose clotheslines Cesaro, then Miz kicks Ambrose down. Rollins dumps Sheamus to the outside, then Miz kicks Rollins from behind and hits a DDT for a two count. Miz and Rollins continue to go at it in the ring until The Miz throws him out to ringside. Ambrose stops The Bar from attacking Rollins at ringside. Ambrose throws Sheamus into the timekeeper’s area, then jumps off the barrier onto Sheamus in the crowd. Back in the ring, Cesaro throws Miz in the ring after Rollins rolls back in. Cesaro tags himself in on Miz, and Rollins tags in AJ. AJ cleans house and hits the fireman’s carry backbreaker on Cesaro for a two count. Everyone runs in the ring and The Shield members throw Sheamus and Miz out to ringside. Ambrose and Rollins hit suicide dives onto Sheamus and Miz at ringside, while in the ring AJ hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Cesaro. AJ pins and scores the three count.
Winners: AJ Styles, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose
– As AJ and the Shield celebrate their win, the lights go out and Kane comes out. Kane walks down to the ring and starts brawling with both the babyfaces. The Miz and The Bar hit the ring to help Kane beat down the winners. Kane chokeslams Rollins before leaving, as some fans chant for Roman Reigns.
– We see a graphic promoting Asuka’s Monday Night RAW debut later tonight.
– Back from commercial, Kane is still waiting in the ring. Kane gets on the mic and says he kept hearing stories about Braun Strowman wanting competition. He says he heard Strowman bragging about surviving and ambulance crash and breaking Big Show and Roman Reigns. Kane says he wanted to see what all the hype was about, but all he saw on Sunday was a pile of trash. Kane says Braun was afraid of him, and that he is the only true monster of RAW. Kane says now that Braun is gone, he wants competition, or else. Finn Balor’s music hits and he comes out to the ring.
– Kane vs. Finn Balor: As the opening bell sounds, Cole mentions that Braun Strowman may be out of action for several weeks or months. Kane throws Balor out to the floor early on, but he comes right back in and takes the fight to Kane. Kane sends him into the corner but Balor fights back with kicks. Balor gets fired up but Kane shuts him down with a big boot to the face. Balor comes back with a dropkick that sends Kane to ringside. Balor goes to follow Kane outside but Kane catches him and slams him into the barride and then the apron. Back in the ring, Kane whips Balor hard into the corner and stomps on him. Balor rolls outside for a breather and KAne follows him out. Balor drops Kane into the steel steps then rolls back in the ring. As Kane crawls back in the ring, Balor unloads on him with kicks. Balor hits the Slingblade on Kane then goes up top, but then Kane sets up. Kane grabs Balor by the throat but Balor escapes. Kane grabs Balor again and this time he successfully hits the chokeslam. Kane hits a second chokeslam, and then a third chokeslam. Kane covers for the three count.
Winner: Kane
– Kurt Angle is backstage on his phone when Shane McMahon knocks on the door and walks in. Angle hugs Shane and calls him a crazy son of a b**ch. Shane says he’s still healing from Hell In A Cell, and mentions how good Angle looked at TLC. Angle thanks Shane for letting him borrow AJ Styles, then they discuss Survivor Series. Shane feels that Kurt is out of line for a comment made about SmackDown, and Shane says the blue brand will destroy the red brand at Survivor Series.
– Asuka vs. Emma: This one is a rematch from last night’s TLC PPV and marks Asuka’s first match on RAW. The opening bell rings and the women brawl up against the ropes. The ref breaks them up and Emma hits a cheap shot kick. Asuka answers with kicks of her own and an armbar. Emma reaches the ropes to break the hold, then Asuka knocks Emma down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Emma sends Asuka into the ring post and follows up with strikes. Asuka fires up and hits a German suplex, then a hip attack. Emma tries to fight back and rolls up Asuka with a handful of tights, but Asuka kicks out at two. Asuka grabs Emma and applis the Asuka Lock for the win via submission. Asuka celebrates her win as we go to replays.
Winner: Asuka
– RAW Women’s Champ Alexa Bliss is backstage walking towards the gorilla position.
– Alexa Bliss comes out to the ring and cuts a promo about beating “leader of the old folks home” Mickie James last night. She said Mickie is in the past, and she’s ready to talk about Survivor Series. Bliss says she will disable the cat lady Natalya at Survivor Series. Bliss cuts a promo on the fans for not appreciating her enough and wants them to show more respect for her. Bliss says the fans are jealous of her, and says the people of the Midwest are slow. She says she deserves their respect and continues trashing the fans until Mickie James runs out. Mickie hits the ring and decks Bliss then hits a DDT. Mickie takes the rope and says Bliss deserved that.
– Kurt Angle is backstage watching the show on a monitor when Sasha Banks and Bayley walk in and interrupt. Alicia Fox interrupts next and demands that she is in the Survivor Series tag match. Angle says he’s going to book a triple threat match, where the winner will be Team Captain for the RAW women’s team at the pay-per-view.
– Elias is shown walking through the arena with his guitar.
– Elias comes out to the ring for a song. Elias talks about how Jason Jordan kept interrupting him last night, but tonight he’ll perform uninterrupted. Elias starts singing but has some technical issues. Elias stops the songs and warns the audio technicians that he’s coming for them. Jason Jordan’s music hits, and we have a match.
– Jason Jordan vs. Elias: The opening bell rings for this TLC rematch and Elias unloads on Jordan with right hands. Elias backs Jordan into the corner and keeps the pressure on him. Jordan finally starts to mount a comeback but Elias takes him back to the corner with chops to the chest. Jordan fights his way out of the corner and hits a side suplex on Elias. Jordan hits a belly to belly suplex that sends Elias rolling outside. Jordan brawls with Elias at ringside and throws Elias into the fan barricade. Jordan repeatedly rams Elias into the barricade in front of some Green Bay Packers in the front row. Jordan charges towards Elias, but Elias grabs his guitar up off the floor and smashes it over Jordan’s head. The ref calls for the DQ as Elias walks away. Medics check on Jordan at ringside as we see a replay.
– WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar comes out to the stage with Paul Heyman, and they make their way down to the ring. We see a recap of WWE Champion Jinder Mahal challenging Lesnar for a match at Survivor Series. Lesnar and Heyman laugh at the footage, and Heyman does his introduction for Lesnar. Heyman says Jinder has barely survived his challenges from Orton and Nakamura, while Lesnar has destroyed the best heavyweight roster in WWE history. Heyman says everyone wants to talk trash these days, and he’s the best trash talker there is. Heyman says he doesn’t trash Lesnar’s opponents though because anyone who is willing to face Lesnar must be a real man. He says he didn’t trash any of Lesnar’s other opponents, but he will trash Jinder. He calls Jinder the “make-believe Maharaja” and says the Singh Brothers stole his introduction gimmick. Heyman says Jinder is not Lesnar’s equal and isn’t a worthy WWE Champion. He says when fans think of WWE Champions they think of Bruno, Hulk, Savage, Flair, HHH, Michaels, Cena, and Lesnar — not Jinder. Heyman says Lesnar makes RAW the #1 brand and the flagship show. He adds that at Survivor Series, Jinder will be going to Suplex City — but that’s not the only bad news. He says the last time a SmackDown star got in the ring with Lesnar they had to stop the match. He says Lesnar breaks the rules of the PG Era, and he has no problem accepting Jinder’s challenge for Survivor Series. Lesnar’s music hits again and they head to the back.
– Kalisto does an interview backstage about his match last night. He says physically he feels fine, but it is his dream to be Champion. Kalisto says it would be different if he lost to someone he respects, but he lost to Enzo. He says he’s getting a rematch on 205 Live tomorrow. Gran Metalik, Cedric Alexander, Rich Swan, and Mustafa Ali walk in and they take part in a “lucha” chant.
– Still to come: Kurt Angle has another Survivor Series announcement.
– Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Alicia Fox: The winner of this one will be the team captain for the women’s match at Survivor Series. The opening bell sounds and Fox starts off strong, taking down both Bayley and Banks. Fox focuses on Bayley and Sasha takes her out from behind. Fox fights off Banks, then hits a Northern Lights suplex on Bayley for a two count. Fox then gives a Nothern Lights suplex to Sasha for another two count. Sasha fights her way up but Fox decks her with a forearm shot. Fox then fights off Bayley and throws her to the outside. Sasha grabs Fox and takes her into the corner for some kicks. Bayley runs back in the ring and joins Sasha in a double dropkick on Fox, sending Fox out to the floor. Fox throws a temper tantrum at ringside before rolling back in the ring. She charges at Bayley and Sasha, but they throw her outside again. Fox tries to climb back in, but they dropkick her off the apron. Sasha takes control of the match and hands out knee strikes to both opponents. Fox mounts a comeback and takes Sasha up to the top turnbuckle for a superplex attempt. Bayley runs in and interrupts the superplex, powerbombing Fox down and also sending Sasha flying down to the mat. Bayley lays into Fox with knee strikes. Fox comes back and drops Bayley with a kick. Fox rolls outside and walks to the timekeeper area to repeatedly ring the bell. Fox rolls back in the ring and icks Sasha away. Bayley runs over and rolls up Fox from behind ofr a two count. Bayley hits the belly to belly suplex on Fox for a two count as Banks breaks up the pin. Banks and Bayley start going at it in the middle of the ring now. Fox interrupts and suplexes Bayley. Sasha hits the Banks Statement, but Fox reaches the ropes to break the hold. Fox bumps Sasha into Bayley hard, then Fox rolls up Bayley for the three count. Afer the match, Alicia celebrates and kisses the referee.
Winner: Alicia Fox
– Enzo Amore, Drew Gulak, Noam Dar, Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese vs. Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Mustafa Ali, Rich Swann and Cedric Alexander: Before the match, Gulak mentions his powerpoint presentation being cut, and he reads a statement for Enzo because he has a vocal cord injury. Kalisto and Daivari start off, but Kalisto wants to get his hands on Enzo. They tease tagging in Enzo, but decie against it and just taunt Kalisto. Kalisto unloads with kicks on Daivari until Daivari tags in Nese. Metalik tags in and goes at it with Nese and hits a missile dropkick. Dar and Daivari run in, but Swann and Alexander stop them short. Kalisto charges at Enzo but Enzo retreats to the outside. Kalisto appears to go for a suicide dive, but Gulak stops him. Team Kalisto knocks Gulak off the apron with superkicks, and all of he heels are now regrouping at ringside. Back in the ring, Dar takes control of Swann and then tags in Gulak. The heels beat down Swann in their corner and keep him grounded. Daivari tags in and collides with Swann with a crossbody and both men are down. A big brawl breaks out at ringside now, minus Enzo who is watching from the apron. Swann boots Daivari in the head, then Daivari tags in Enzo when Enzo isn’t looking. Swann tags Kalisto and Kalisto is locked in on Enzo. Enzo begs Kalisto to take it easy on him, then they charge each other. Kalisto ducks a shot from Enzo and fires back with kicks. Enzo hits up hitting a tornado DDT for a two count. The heels all get dumped out to ringside and Swann and Ali hit suicide dives in tandem on them. Metalik and Cedric then go flying out of the ring onto their opponents on the floor. Back in the ring, Kalisto hits the Salida Del Sol on Enzo for the three count.
Winners: Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali
– Kurt Angle is backstage walking towards the gorilla position.
– RAW GM Kurt Angle makes his way out to the ring to talk about Survivor Series. He is quickly interrupted by Shane McMahon and the bulk of the SmackDown roster behind him, walking down towards the ring through the crowd. The New Day, Becky Lynch, WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, Mojo Rawley, Shinsuke Nakamura, Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin, SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, Carmella, Bobby Roode, Tamina Snuka, Tye Dillinger, Rusev, and AJ Styles are among the wrestlers with Shane, now surrounding the ring. Shane gets in the ring and Kurt’s Survivor Series announcement will have to wait, because RAW is now “under siege.” We see the backstage area where the SmckDown roster is now walking through the hallways. Shane tells the SmackDown stars to “go get ’em,” and they charge up the ramp towards he backstage area. Kurt Angle follows with a concerned look on his face. The first people they see are Apollo Crews and Titus O’Neil, so they attack them. The SmackDown stars in blue shirts make their way through the locker rooms, beating down every RAW star in their path and destroying property and equipment. The SmackDown women start brawling with the RAW women in the locker room as well. We see Shane nodding in approval in the ring as the SmackDown roster swarms Ambrose and Rollins next. The blue mob grabs Angle and carries him back out towards the ring now. They bring Angle in front of Shane, and Shane tells Angle to bring his gold medal and what’s left of RAW to finish what they started. The SmackDown wrestlers surround the ring and hit their hands on the apron as Shane’s music hits, then they all make their exit through the crowd. Angle looks on as RAW goes off the air.
WWE Survivor Series is just four weeks away, taking place on Sunday night, November 19th from Houston, Texas. WWE ran a promo video during TLC confirming that Survivor Series will feature a RAW vs. SmackDown Live theme.
The main event will see WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. According to PWInsider, John Cena is expected to serve as the special guest referee for this match. But that won’t be the only inter-brand match scheduled for the show.
Survivor Series will feature several traditional ‘team elimination’ matches, including a men’s match and a women’s match. SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon is backstage at RAW and is expected to address the ‘RAW vs. SmackDown’ matches tonight.
There will also be a 5-on-5 match featuring Cruiserweights. It will reportedly feature Team Captain Enzo Amore, Tony Nese, Drew Gulak, Noam Dar and Ariya Daivari taking on Team Captain Kalisto, Sin Cara, Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali.
The card will also feature:
– RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya
– Intercontinental champion The Miz vs. United States champion Baron Corbin
– RAW Tag Team champions Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs. Smackdown Tag Team champions The Usos
Earlier today, Impact Wrestling announced that they’ve officially ended their business relationship with Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling.
Impact Wrestling announced today that it has terminated its business relationship with Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment Inc., effective immediately.
When asked for a statement regarding this news, Jarrett told WrestleZone, “Anthem is out of money.” Impact Wrestling has denied that claim with a statement of their own:
“That statement is inaccurate. Anthem and IMPACT Wrestling are looking forward to a successful 6-day tour in Ottawa, Nov. 5-10, and much more.”
No word yet on what’s next for Jeff Jarrett. The Impact Wrestling founder was scheduled to appear at two shows for Real Canadian Wrestling over the weekend. He made Friday night’s show from Calgary, but missed Saturday’s event from Edmonton.
PROGRESS has announced the main event for this Sunday’s Chapter 56 event ‘La Danse Macabre.’ PROGRESS World Champion Travis Banks will be defending his title against International standout Keith Lee. Travis Banks captured the PROGRESS Title at Chapter 55 from Pete Dunne and this will be his first defence.
This bout will be a rematch from earlier in the year, Lee was successful on that occasion but now with the stakes raised even higher will the #CCK and South Pacific Power Trip member Banks find a way to overcome the physically intimidating Keith Lee?
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss recently spoke with Vulture Hound to discuss the state of women’s wrestling, wanting to end Asuka’s winning streak and the possibility of a women’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber match. Here are some highlights of what she said about:
The possibility of a Women’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber match:
“I would love to see that happen. I think it (Royal Rumbe) would be a lot of fun and a nice little step to elevate our division, show that it’s still progressing and take it to the next level. I think it (the Elimination Chamber Match) would be amazing. It’s definitely pushing the bar up for the women’s revolution. Yeah, it’s a scary stipulation, but I think it would be well worth it to bring it to the next level.”
Wanting to end Asuka’s winning streak:
“I don’t feel like I would want a stipulation match against Asuka, just because I feel like she’s this unbeatable Superstar and I would just want to get in the ring with her and see if I could be the one to end her streak. I’m really excited for Asuka to come to RAW. We’re always looking to take it to the next level and I think Asuka has a lot to offer that can help us do that.
I really want to see what she can do because I trained with Asuka in NXT for a year or two, so I’ve seen her develop and grow, transitioning between styles of wrestling and I’m really excited to see her on the main roster and see what she can do. I’ve never faced her on a televised event. I would love to have a PPV match with Asuka. I would love for her to take my title and be the first person to ever beat Asuka. To show the world that she’s really not that unbeatable.”
The importance of diversity in the Women’s Division:
“That’s the one thing that WWE is great at. We have literally every type of woman on our roster. Everyone defines beauty and strength differently and I think we have a person that represents that for everybody. It’s very refreshing. I know when I was growing up an only child, in sports, I saw my coaches more than I saw my parents. I felt that I didn’t really have somebody to relate to.
I feel like for kids who get involved in sports and girls who have body image issues, I want to be the person I wish I had to look up to, to show that you can succeed no matter what. Staying active is very important and it can lead you to amazing things.”
Other topics discussed include her time as a body builder, the Mae Young Classic, training with Sara Amato and Terry Taylor in NXT and more.
Impact Wrestling issued a statement on Monday announcing the company has severed all ties to Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling.
Impact Wrestling announced today that it has terminated its business relationship with Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment Inc., effective immediately.
Impact Wrestling announced last month that Jarrett was taking an “indefinite leave of absence” from the company. Jarrett had served as Chief Creative Officer prior to the hiatus.
Anthem Sports and Entertainment announced the acquisition of Global Force Wrestling back in June, with the company officially rebranding as GFW shortly thereafter. That chapter of the company’s history was short-lived, with all mentions of GFW scrubbed from the promotion within a matter of months.
– Former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Asuka made her WWE main roster debut last night at the Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV) when she picked up a win against Emma. The match was a lot more competitive than fans expected, however, Asuka emerged victorious from the back-and-forth affair when it was all said and done. A fan criticized Asuka on Twitter after the event, and here’s how she responded:
– WWE posted the following promo to hype SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon’s return to Tuesday nights after his Hell In A Cell loss to Kevin Owens. Check it out:
WWE Hall Of Famer Kevin Nash recently joined former WWE Superstar Sean Waltman’s (a.k.a. X-Pac) podcast, X-Pac 12360, to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Nash discussed his 2011 return to WWE in which it seemed as though he would be feuding with CM Punk – put the pair never had a match. Nash returned at the 2011 SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) and attacked Punk, allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money In the Bank briefcase to win the WWE Title. The Following night on RAW, Punk cut a promo on Nash that seemed to rub the WWE Legend the wrong way:
“I don’t know if Punk wanted [the match] to happen. To me, when I came back, I never had been there when I was handed a script where here was my script and I had to follow it,” Nash said.
“I’m reading the script and in the script he is burying me and I have no rebuttal, and you know, Paul [Triple H] is one of my best friends on earth, and anything that you do, like the old Kevin Nash would say–because in my mind, when I read that, and if you remember the scenario, the scenario was that I came down and stuck Punk and Del Rio came down and took the Money in the Bank and took his belt, so he comes out the next Monday and cuts this promo, laugh out loud that he heard I was dead, click, click, click your knees.
“Then I thought to myself, let me get this straight, I cost you the title, and you are going to do stand-up comedy and bury me because I’m old?”
Punk used a ton of personal insults on Nash; discussing things such as his age, referencing Nash calling Eddie Guerrero a “Vanilla midget,” saying it’s not 1997 anymore, and many more. Nash was so enraged by this that he actually contemplated going backstage and physically confronting Punk:
“First thing in my mind was, because he told me that this isn’t 1997 anymore and I’m the guy that called Eddie Guerrero a Vanilla Midget; and I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, number one thank God it’s not 1997 because if it was 1997 right now you would be out with the marks in the crowd and not standing here because we didn’t allow the marks to wrestle back then,” Nash said.
“Number two, I am old, so you have two options; either you go in the back—I’ll give you three, you go in the back and call it a day, second, you wait for me to get up there and apologize to me, or third, off script let’s see what you got. I would have loved to have seen what he would have done if I just went up and bear clawed him right to the face; but Paul was the boss.”
In recent weeks, RAW has seen Enzo Amore and the Cruiserweights take the main event spot which was previously reserved for the likes of Roman Reigns, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and other big name superstars.
Amore has used this to his advantage, creating more heat for his character as he competes against Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship. Check out this prime example of Enzo before his main event against Kalisto:
“I am your biggest superstar in the locker-room”
After Amore’s win over Kalisto at TLC, the two time Cruiserweight Champion is likely to repeat a similar reaction tonight, demanding more attention and respect from the RAW locker-room and General Manager: Kurt Angle.
While other sources have speculated that WWE is pushing 205 Live and Enzo Amore, or that Vince McMahon enjoys watching The Certified G being beaten up on such a grand stage; Kevin Eck, a former writer for WWE, has appeared on The Wade Keller podcast and suggested that ratings have a lot to do with it:
“…[W]hen you look at the ratings, you always see consistently the third hour drifts off, and you see a higher rating during the second hour[…] There is some prestige to appear at the end of the show, but I don’t think it’s the same to when I worked there[…]Vince has seen the rating trend that people aren’t sticking around, no matter what they put in[…] so why are you going to put your most important segment in the hour to where people are tuning out?”
Eck’s business sense does demonstrate a logical strategy, featuring the most popular wrestlers during the highest ratings. But WWE will, at some point, want to reveal a huge surprise with lasting impact, which requires the final moments of the show to make the most effective cliff-hanger.
Opinion:
Don’t expect Enzo or the Cruiserweights to remain in this spot for too long. The recent outbreak of viral infections will have caused multiple plans to change, evidenced by last night’s TLC PPV, and with the return of Brock Lesnar, plus build up to Survivor Series, WWE will surely resume normal service as Amore becomes repetitive and old.
The talk of the wrestling world this past weekend was the medical outbreak in the WWE locker room that forced the company to make major changes to Sunday’s Tables Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio has confirmed that Roman Reigns has contracted the mumps, a highly contagious viral disease. Wrestlers received shots on Thursday to prevent further spread of the infection, although others could have been exposed before the vaccinations. Symptoms, which include fever, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, and swelling of the parotid gland, typically appear two weeks after exposure and resolve after seven to ten days.
Reigns, along with anyone else who was infected, will be evaluated next Monday (October 30th) to see if they are fit to return to action.
Reigns will miss tonight’s episode of RAW from Green Bay and there’s a strong possibility he could be missing next week as well. Meltzer also noted that there is a fear that more Superstars could still get affected by the condition.
As noted earlier, Bray Wyatt, JoJo and Bo Dallas are also believed to be battling the same condition. WWE has been getting a lot of praise for their handling of the situation and taking extreme caution to prevent it from spreading further.
Triple H returned to action at Sunday’s WWE Live Event from Santiago, Chile. In his first match since WrestleMania 33, Triple H defeated Rusev with a Pedigree. After the win, New Day came to the ring and convinced Triple H to show off his dance moves.
RAW General Manager returned to action at Sunday night’s Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view, his first WWE match in 11 years. Angle, filling in for Roman Reigns, became an honorary Shield member for the night when he teamed with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.
Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt were pulled from the event due to ‘medical reasons.’ When it became clear that they would not be able to compete at TLC, WWE immediately began brainstorming about how to salvage the show. According to PWInsider.com, it was WWE Chairman Vince McMahon who proposed the idea of Angle replacing Reigns.
Kurt Angle reportedly underwent his physical on Friday to determine if he was fit for action. WWE announced Angle’s return within minutes of Angle getting the green light from doctors.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose carried most of the physicality for their team. Angle took some bumps and hit his signature spots, but appeared winded at times and was generally protected during the match.
Thank you WWE Universe for a memorable night. #TLC#TheShield
Kurt Angle’s return at TLC was a one-off occasion, but the match going smoothly without incident leaves the door open for a match at WrestleMania 34 next year.
Discussion: If Kurt Angle does wrestle one more singles match, who should his opponent be?
On RAW Talk after TLC went off the air, Angle spoke with Peter Rosenberg and Renee Young and declared, “I survived.” At 48 years old, he’s got a lot of milage on him, but said he had the time of his life.
Finn Balor and AJ Styles stole the show at Sunday night’s WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view. In the battle of the former Bullet Club leaders, The Demon got the victory in a match that we will almost certainly see again at some point down the road.
Styles was filling in for Bray Wyatt, who was forced to withdraw from the contest due to medical issues. As such, there was essentially no storyline buildup prior to them stepping in the ring together. NXT General Manager William Regal addressed that dynamic, stating that no angles are necessary to have a great match.
“When wrestlers say ‘Ah, but we had a cold match, no story etc’ I always say that of coarse you’ve got a story. You have to beat that person across the ring from you or you can’t feed yourself. Anything else you got to work with is a bonus….
That match was a perfect example of two competitors trying to win. Please remember, at the end of the day we are portraying Professional Fighters and your job is to win.”
Backstage at TLC, Finn Balor made it clear he’d like to face AJ Styles again.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. says he prevented a young woman from jumping off a bridge in Alberto on Sunday.
He posted a lengthy message on social media detailing his heroic effort. While driving across the bridge, Smith said he saw the woman looking like she was about to jump off while somebody else was talking her down. He got out of his car and it became clear the woman was attempting to take her own life.
Crediting his grappling skills, Smith grabbed the woman and dragged her over the barricade onto the road. He restrained her long enough for police arrived and said she had a gun on her. She was then taken away by the authorities.
You can read his full message and see photos from the scene here:
??? I saved a girl today from jumping off a bridge. Thank you to my years of grappling for saving this girl. Life is precious ??? pic.twitter.com/fGKRqrsEPZ
— Harry Smith, “Davey Boy Smith JR” (@DBSmithjr) October 23, 2017
Davey Boy Smith Jr. is a former WWE tag team champion and currently wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He and Lance Archer, known as the Killer Elite Squad, are the reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions.
Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin with the fallout from Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view.
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will be in the house (with his Advocate Paul Heyman) to address Jinder Mahal’s challenge for a match at Survivor Series.
No matches have been announced for tonight, but we’ll get plenty of fallout from TLC, including Kurt Angle returning to the ring, Finn Balor’s big victory over AJ Styles and Asuka’s main roster debut.
Speaking of Asuka, her TLC opponent Emma is not happy with how things played out last night and is demanding a rematch.
Sunday night marked Kurt Angle’s return to the ring after an 11 year hiatus. In an interesting bit of trivia, Kurt Angle defeated The Rock to win his first WWE Championship back on October 22, 2000 – with Sunday’s TLC marking the 17 year anniversary of that occasion.
Ahead of Angle’s return to action, The Rock tweeted congratulations to Angle and told him to have fun in the ring.
Congrats to my good bud @RealKurtAngle and his return tonight to a @WWE ring. Special athlete and great human being. Have FUN brotha #WWETLC
