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Seth Rollins Reveals Why He Stopped Using The Pedigree

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Superstar Seth Rollins recently did an interview with The Mirror to promote tomorrow night’s (Sun. August 20, 2017) SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV), where he will team up with former fellow Shield member Dean Ambrose against RAW Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro. During the interview Rollins discussed returning from injury and the reason he no longer uses The Pedigree as his finisher. Check out the highlights below:

For two years you were arguably WWE’s top villain, but when you returned from injury in May 2016, we started to see a slow change in direction for you. How have you found making that transition and has it been more difficult than you anticipated to win fans over?

“No it’s actually been very natural, it’s not like I expected to show up on Raw and within moments everyone love me. Obviously when I got hurt the first time, people were upset about it and felt for me personally. I came back and there was an instant excitement and buzz about my return, but I didn’t expect people to instantly embrace me or trust me. So for me it was just a very organic process, to go from where I was, to where I am now.

“A lot of time when you’re out injured is spent with internal reflection and kind of looking at yourself in the mirror and deciding who you want to be and where you fit in. A lot of that real life stuff kind of carried over into what we’ve been doing for the last year or so now. It’s been a wild ride but I definitely feel like we’re pointing in the right direction and things are looking up.”

Was no longer using The Pedigree and debuting a new finisher part of that process of ending that stage of your career? What made you decide to use a wrist lock transitioned into a short-arm high knee?

“The Pedigree was a part of my life when I was in the Authority and it made sense for the time being, after sealing the deal and beating Triple H with it at WrestleMania, that was a good place to retire it. At the end of the day I want to be my own person, I want to be my own performer, and I want to have a finisher that’s synonymous with me and not with my mentor. I’ve always prided on doing things a little differently and I wanted to bring something to the table that people and fans of WWE maybe hadn’t really seen.

“The Ripcord Knee as it’s been called recently is something that’s very dangerous, it can come out of nowhere and I think if you’ve seen it in other places, you know the damage it can do. Plus I thought it was nifty that my biggest weakness, my right knee which has put me out of action twice now, has now become my biggest strength and it’s what I use to put my opponents away with. There’s a nice bit of storytelling there as well.”

You can read Rollins full interview with The Mirror by visiting this link here.

Bob Holly Talks About His Recent Confrontation With Renee Dupree

Jon Fuentes
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4

Former WWE Superstar Bob Holly recently did an interview on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast to talk about his professional wrestling career. Holly discussed his recent confrontation with Renee Dupree, Brock Lesnar breaking his neck, and his incident with Matt Cappotelli lingering over his reputation inside the ring. Here are the highlights:

Recent confrontation with Renee Dupree at a wrestling convention:

“Rene was saying how the next time he saw me that he was going to beat me up. So, I was like Rene is here and there’s Sylvan (and I love Sylvan) so I wanted to say hi to Sylvan anyway. So when I went over there to say hi to Sylvan and Rene was standing over there with him and I can’t quite remember what Sylvan said so Rene stuck his hand out and shook my hand and thought well that is cool and I did ask Rene what is going here because I thought we were cool and that we had squashed it and talked about it and got it squared away and now all of a sudden you still have a problem with me. He just said very arrogantly: “Well I opened up this WWE magazine and I see where you are talking about and bragging about kicking me in the head.” I don’t know where he got it and why he is so stuck on this kicking him in the head thing but I said; “RENE, you know those magazines and I didn’t brag about, so you show me the magazine where I bragged about kicking you in the head because that didn’t happen.”

“I said (to him) you did say the next time you saw me that you were going to beat me up and now I said I am standing right here so what are you going to do? He didn’t even look at me and he just kind of had this smug look on his face and just filled his chest full of air and tried to bow up. Rene is a big boy and he is not small by any means and I am definitely not as big as I used to be because I am not on the gas anymore and I don’t need that stuff. I said there is nothing between you and I but air and opportunity and I said I am right here so you can beat me up or at least try and he just turned and walked out of the room. That was pretty much the end of that and that is the whole thing. I don’t know why he is so bitter and upset at everybody because I always thought he was a great talent and I always thought he was a really good heel and I enjoyed watching him and enjoyed working with him and like I said before I thought him and I had talked this whole thing out and got it in the past and he’s still harboring hard feelings.”

His incident with Matt Cappotelli still lingering over his reputation inside the ring:

“The thing is I was just going out there and I was just doing what I normally do all the time. In Matt’s defense he didn’t know me and how I wrestled and I did not mean to kick him and hit him like I did because it was my boot is what got him. If you watch the film he was just flailing in the corner and it was boot that caught him.

“Accidents happen in wrestling and I had no intentions of going in and doing that to him whatsoever despite what people at home that sit there and think that I did it on purpose that watch. Me and Matt are cool and I hate what he is going through right now and it is a terrible thing he has to deal with because he is such a nice guy and a good person and I just hate what he is going through.”

If he ever complained after having his neck broken by Brock Lesnar:

“Not at all and when Kurt Angle broke my arm and I didn’t cry about that. Accidents happen in wrestling that is just the nature of the business and when people are going to get upset about it, why are you watching it if you are going to get upset if somebody gets a black eye? It is going to be talked about forever and I am surprised that is still brought up all the time and it was a long time ago.

“It sucks because when that happened I could have at that time and this is before social media started exploding, one of the writers called me at home and ( I was out 13 months with my neck surgery) it actually it was Brian Gewirtz that called me and said that I wish we could capitalize on you being out because right now you are the biggest heel we have because of the whole deal with Matt and I’m thinking my timing is horrible but it is what it is and like I’ve said after the whole thing Matt understood and he realized it wasn’t intentional and it was a total accident. Me and Matt are good and have always been cordial with each other and hell we even worked with each other after that. I don’t know why people still get upset about it because it just makes me laugh.”

H/T Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling for the transcriptions

Bully Ray Talks Wanting A Program With Brock Lesnar, Epic Match With Randy Orton, More

Jon Fuentes
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2

Former WWE Superstar and current Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Bully Ray (a.k.a. Bubba Ray Dudley) recently took to Twitter to answer some fan questions. Ray discussed if a singles run was ever discussed for his recent stint with WWE, how he and D-Von got heat, who gives the hardest chair shots, a program with Brock Lesnar, and wanting an epic match with Randy Orton. Check it out here:

Was there ever a potential solo run discussed when you went back to WWE?

Did you and D-Von ever think of ways to get heat or was it improvised?

Where did the idea of Aces and Eights come from five years ago and who came up with the idea?

Who hit you with the hardest chairshots?

Who would you have liked to feud with in WWE as Bully?

Do you have anything left on your “Bucket List”?

What prompted the switch from the tie dye getup to the camo gear a bit into your WWE run?

Adam Cole Debuts At NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III

Robert Lentini
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Former ROH Tag Champions reunite at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III

The Authors of Pain defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against SAnitY at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III tonight. Eric Young replaced Killian Dain before the match started. The match went back and forth but in the end, SAnitY prevailed and became the new NXT Tag Team Champions. Their celebration was short-lived as Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly showed up and attacked them from behind. Fish and O’Reilly were known as “reDRagon” in ROH and were the ROH Tag Team Champions in that promotion. You can check out a video of the attack below.

Adam Cole attacks new NXT Champion Drew McIntyre 

Bobby Roode defended his NXT Championship against Drew McIntyre in the main-event of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III. Roode planted McIntyre with the Glorious DDT and held on and went for a second one. McIntyre was able to fight out of it and leveled Roode with the Claymore to capture the NXT Championship.

Another celebration was cut short when Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly appeared on the ring apron. McIntyre was distracted by them and Adam Cole appeared and attacked him from behind. Fish and O’Reilly held up McIntyre and Cole leveled him with a Superkick. Cole then posed with the NXT Championship as NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III went off the air. You can check out Cole’s NXT debut in the video below.

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III Recap & Reaction

Robert Lentini
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Johnny Gargano vs Andrade “Cien” Almas

The match started out back and forth. Almas locked in an Arm Bar but Gargano reversed it and wrestled Almas to the mat. Almas got back to his feet and leveled Gargano with a shoulder tackle. Gargano leap frogged Almas and then connected with a Hurricanrana. Gargano hit a chop in the corner and followed it up by bouncing Almas’ head off the top turnbuckle.

Almas connected with a chop of his own and connected with a kick to the back of Gargano’s head for a two count. Almas locked Gargano in a Triangle submission hold while on the ropes. The referee broke the hold but Gargano clutched his left arm in pain. Almas contined the attack and applied an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring.

The Brooklyn crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling” as Gargano broke the hold and slammed Almas into the second turnbuckle. Both Superstars connected with a Clothesline at the same time and fell to the mat. Almas was the first to his feet and connected with a forearm. Gargano and Almas then started trading punches. Gargano knocked Almas to the mat and then booted him them in the head.

Gargano connected with a slingshot Spear for a two count. Gargano connected with a kick that knocked Almas out of the ring and then followed it up with a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Gargano planted Almas with a slingshot DDT for a two count. Gargano went for another slingshot Spear but Almas caught him and connected with a Tornado DDT for a two count.

Almas perched Gargano up on the top rope and hit him with a gigantic chop that echoed throughout the Barclays Center. Gargano responded with a headbutt and went for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but Almas landed on his feet and connected with a running elbow. Gargano locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring but Almas lifted him up and Powerbombed Gargano onto the turnbuckle. Almas then hit Double Knees to Gargano in the corner for a two count.

Almas then focused his attack on Gargano’s left arm again. Gargano connected with a kick to Almas’ face and then launched him into the second turnbuckle. Zelina Vega threw a shirt at Gargano to distract him. Almas connected with a Dropkick and then planted him with the Hammerlock DDT for the victory.

Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas

Reaction: This match flowed very well. The crowd was very into it and I thought it was over several times. The finish was a bit goofy but that doesn’t take away from how great of an opening match this was.

RAW GM Kurt Angle and SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan were shown in the crowd with several NXT Superstars. Corey Graves joined the announce table for the NXT Tag Team Championship match.

NXT Tag Team Championship: The Authors of Pain (c) vs SAnitY

Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe were accompanied to the ring by Eric Young and Nikki Cross. A brawl broke out before the match even started. The match eventually started with Wolfe and Akam in the ring. Akam beatdown Wolfe for a bit and tagged in Rezar as Wolfe was isolated in the corner.

Rezar charged at Wolfe in the corner but Wolfe got out of the way. Eric Young then got up on the ring apron and Dain hopped down. Young was tagged in and he replaced Dain in the match. The action quickly spilled outside the ring and Young was launched over the barricade. Rezar and Young battled through the crowd as Wolfe and Akam fought in the ring. The fight eventually returned to the ring.

Rezar slammed Young to the mat in the ring for a two count. Rezar applied a Chin Lock in the ring but Young was able to break free. Rezar grabbed Young again and locked him in a Triangle in the middle of the ring. The crowd got behind Young as he powered his way to his feet.

Rezar grabbed Young by the neck and lifted him above his shoulders and then slammed him to the mat. Rezar went for an Elbow Drop but Young rolled out of the way. Rezar charged at Young in the corner but once again Young got out of the way and Rezar launched himself into the turnbuckle.

Wolfe was tagged in and he delivered a big boot to knock Akam off the ring apron. Wolfe connected with a boot to Rezar’s face. Akam ran into the ring and Wolfe planted him with an Exploder Suplex. Wolfe then connected with a German Suplex to Rezar. Wolfe connected with a Clothesline off the top rope and went for a pinfall but Rezar broke it up. Rezar then threw Young out of the ring.

AOP teamed up and Powerbombed Wolfe for a two count.Wolfe connected with a Frankensteiner off the second rope to Rezar. Akam then charged at Wolfe but Wolfe ducked and Akam flew out of the ring. Young was tagged in and he planted Rezar with a Neckbreaker. Young climbed up to the top turnbuckle but Rezar shook the ropes and Young fell crotch-first to the turnbuckle. Nikki Cross held onto Young’s legs and Akam accidentally Powerbombed Rezar. Young then hit an Elbow Drop off the top rope but Akam broke up the pinfall.

Young and Wolfe connected with back to back Suicide Dives and Nikki Cross got in the ring. Paul Ellering got in the ring and the two began shouting at each other. Nikki Cross went for a Crossbody onto Akam but he caught her. Killian Dain then sprinted and leaped onto both Cross and Akam and they fell through a table next to the ring. Back in the ring, Wolfe held up Rezar and Young leaped off the top rope and connected with a Neckbreaker for the victory.

After the match, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly attacked SAnitY and beat them down. They then raised the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Winners & New NXT Tag Team Champions: SAnitY

Reaction: The best way to describe this match is pure chaos. It was incredibly fun to watch. You’ve got to believe that The Authors of Pain are on their way to the main roster soon after dropping the titles.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Kalisto were shown in the crowd. Jim Ross joined commentary for the Black versus Itami match.

Aleister Black vs Hideo Itami

Black and Itami traded a couple big boots right when the bell rang. Black got the upper-hand and leveled Itami with a kick to the chest. Black connected with a knee to the back of Itami’s head. Itami hung Black up on the top rope and then climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with a flying knee.

Itami applied a headlock as Black was bleeding from his nose. Black broke the hold but Itami connected with a kick to Aleister’s back. Itami then mocked Black’s pose in the ring and Black got pissed off. Black connected with a forearm but Itami responded with a DDT for a two count.

Itami applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Black broke out of the hold and connected with a knee to the side of Itami’s head. Black hit a springboard Moonsault off the second rope for a two count. Itami climbed up to the top rope and connected with a Clothesline for a two count.

Black rolled up Itami for a two count and then connected with a massive kick to Itami’s head. Black then climbed to the top rope but Itami met him up their and connected with a couple jabs. Itami then hit a Dropkick and followed it up with a Falcon Arrow off the top rope for a two count.

Black and Itami then traded punches in the ring. Black caught Itami with a knee but Itami immediately connected with the Falcon Arrow for a two count. Itami hit a Dropkick in the corner and then Hideo pulled down his knee pad to prepare for GTS. Black blocked it and Itami kicked him in the head. Itami then shouted at the crowd to show him some respect and Aleister connected with Black Mass for the victory.

Winner: Aleister Black

Reaction: This match was very physical and I thought it was awesome. Despite the injuries, Itami is still excellent in the ring. Black has all the potential in the world. His in-ring work is terrific and he has a great look as well.

NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka (c) vs Ember moon

Ember Moon connected with a Dropkick right away and then followed it up with another one. Moon planted Asuka with a Suplex and Asuka rolled out of the ring. Moon went for a Baseball Slide on Asuka outside the ring but Asuka avoided it. Moon then booted Asuka in the face and hit a Cannonball onto Asuka outside the ring.

Asuka battled back and planted Moon with a Suplex on the steel ramp. Back in the ring, Asuka targeted her attack on Ember’s arm. Dueling “lets go Ember!” and “lets go Asuka!” chants broke out as Asuka locked in an Arm Bar. Ember powered to her feet and Suplexed Asuka to the mat.

Moon connected with a kick to Asuka’s head for a two count. Asuka battled back and planted Ember with a German Suplex into the bottom turnbuckle. Asuka applied the Asuka Lock but Moon was able to break the hold and connected with a Clothesline that knocked Asuka to the mat.

Moon hit a Tornado Suplex from the second turnbuckle for a two count. Ember hung up Asuka on the second rope and then stomped on her for a two count. Ember then leaped off the turnbuckle and hit the Eclipse but Asuka kicked out at two. Ember climbed up the turnbuckle again but Asuka hid behind the ref. Ember then went for a Crossbody but Asuka rolled through and tried to pin Ember while grabbing her tights. The referee caught Asuka and stopped counting at two. Moon then connected with a massive Superkick for a two count. Asuka applied the Asuka Lock in the middle of the ring and Ember tapped out.

After the match, Ember Moon got a great ovation as she stood in the ring after the match.

Winner & Still NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka

Reaction: Another great match on tonight’s show and Asuka remains undefeated. I figured that Asuka would win this match, but the match was executed so well I went crazy when she kicked out of the Eclipse. Like every other match on the card so far, it is worth worth watching if you missed it.

NXT Championship: Bobby Roode (c) vs Drew McIntyre

Roode connected with a chop but McIntyre leveled him with a shoulder tackle. Drew grabbed Roode by the neck and threw him into the turnbuckle. Roode connected with a kick to the midsection and went for the Glorious DDT but McIntyre blocked it. Roode then taunted McIntyre and shouted that this was his NXT.

Roode trapped McIntyre in the corner and connected with a series of chops. McIntyre booted Roode in the chest and Bobby bounced across the ring. McIntyre hit a big boot and Roode fell to the canvas. McIntyre picked up Roode with ease and simply tossed him across the ring. McIntyre then Clotheslined Roode out of the ring and then joined him out there.

McIntyre connected with a chop while Roode was against the barricade. Roode hopped up on the ring apron and went for a Crossbody but McIntyre caught him. Roode fought his way out and charged at McIntyre but got a Tilt-a-Whirl Slam onto the ring apron for his troubles.

The action returned to the ring as dueling chants broke out. Roode hit a Neckbreaker onto the second rope and McIntyre crashed down to the floor outside the ring. Roode then leaped off the ring apron and connected with another Neckbreaker onto McIntyre outside the ring. Roode bounced McIntyre’s head off the barricade outside the ring and then elbowed him in the throat as the action once again returned to the ring.

Roode connected with a Clothesline in the corner and then planted McIntyre with another Neckbreaker for a two count. Roode launched McIntyre into the turnbuckle and then hopped up onto the second turnbuckle as Drew got back to his feet. Roode hit a Dropkick for a two count and then applied a Chin Lock.

McIntyre broke free but Roode locked in a Sleeper Hold. McIntyre powered to his feet and drove Roode back-first into the turnbuckle to break the hold. Roode charged at McIntyre but Drew caught him with a Belly to Belly overhead Suplex and Roode splatted on the mat. McIntyre continued to be in control and launched Roode into the turnbuckle and followed it up with a Clothesline.

McIntyre leaped off the top rope and connected with a Clothesline. Roode hit an Atomic Drop and went for a Crossbody but McIntyre caught him and slammed him to the mat with the Celtic Cross for a two count. Roode battled back and climbed to the top rope but McIntyre clubbed him across the back. Roode connected with a right hand and then crotched McIntyre on the top turnbuckle.

Roode punched McIntyre in the face and Drew fell to the mat with his legs caught up in the top rope. McIntyre leaned up and grabbed Roode by the head and launched him off the top rope and across the ring. McIntyre geared up for the Claymore but Roode stayed on the mat. McIntyre approached him but Roode went for a roll-up for a two count. Roode then connected with a Backstabber but McIntyre was able to kick out at the count of two.

Roode attacked McIntyre in the corner and hit him with a Clothesline. Roode went for another Neckbreaker but McIntyre reversed it into a backslide pin for a two count. McIntyre then hit the Future Shock DDT but Roode was able to kick out at the last second. McIntyre lifted Roode up in a Fireman’s Carry and climbed to the second rope. Roode escaped and Powerbombed McIntyre off the second rope for a two count.

Both Superstars traded punches while they were on their knees. They got back to their feet and traded chops. McIntyre got booted in the head and fell to the corner. McIntyre connected with the Claymore out of the corner and went for the pinfall but Roode was able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break up the pin.

Roode then rolled out of the ring and McIntyre went to follow him but the referee shoved him back for some reason. McIntyre sprinted across the ring and hit flipped onto Roode outside the ring. Roode barely broke his fall and McIntyre fell hard to the floor. Drew brought Roode back into the ring and then geared up in the corner for the Claymore. McIntyre charged at Roode but Bobby was ready and planted him with a Spinebuster.

Roode then went for the Glorious DDT but McIntyre blocked it. Roode then went for another one and this time he hit the Glorious DDT but McIntyre kicked out at two. Roode hit another Glorious DDT but didn’t let go of McIntyre. Roode went for another Glorious DDT but McIntyre blocked it and hit the Claymore for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly showed up on the ring apron. Adam Cole then attacked McIntyre from behind and connected with a Superkick. Cole then grabbed the NXT Championship and leaned next to Drew McIntyre.

Winner & New NXT Champion: Drew McIntyre

Reaction: This match started out slow but it picked up and wound up being a great bout. I hope Roode joins the main roster soon because there is no doubt that he is ready. NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III was a terrific show and SummerSlam has a hell of an act to follow tomorrow night.

What did you think of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III? Let us know in the comments below.

Ric Flair Is ‘Awake, Communicating And Progressing’ According To His Manager

Robert Lentini
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1

Ric Flair’s manager Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment provided the following update on Ric Flair’s condition:

“Out of respect for family privacy there has not been an official Ric Flair update, but that has led to a lot of false information. Don’t believe everything you read. Happy to report Ric Flair is awake, communicating and progressing…but there have been complications so he needs rest for the first time in 40 years. He did cut a promo on a nurse yesterday so anyone that knows Ric knows that’s a very good sign. On behalf of Ric THANK YOU for all the outpouring of prayers and well wishes (although the offers for a kidney seemed a little excessive) :). The man outlived both a plane crash and being struck by lightening…he is a survivor. Beyond grateful for all the love and respect sent Ric’s way.”

https://www.facebook.com/LegacyTalentLLC/posts/1431826943566163#

Bray Wyatt On If WWE Understands His Character, Dusty Rhodes

Robert Lentini
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Bray Wyatt spoke to Brian Fritz of Between the Ropes at the WWE 2K18 launch party during SummerSlam weekend.

You and Dean Ambrose seem to like it when things are chaotic. What is like for you when you are in that moment when there is no control and things really do get chaotic?

I think that is kind of like where I made my home, you know. I’m heavy into the weapons and the extreme if you will. Those are the kind of matches where I have always found my most success. So, I always try to put myself in those moments or situations. Kind of like a new age Cactus Jack or something you know.

Do you think that WWE understands you or your character?

Well, I don’t think that anyone understands me. A lot of people have a lot of ideas of what I am or who I am supposed to be, but only I truly understand it. So, I hear a lot of people with their social media and things like that reaching out to me and telling me I should do this or I should do that. I didn’t get here by listening to anyone else. I got here by listening to me and I don’t really care what anybody else has to say.

What did Dusty Rhodes mean to you in your career?

Not just my career, a lot of careers. Dusty Rhodes was down there in the warehouse in the middle of nowhere in Tampa and molded a lot of us and helped a lot of us find ourselves. He was instrumental in the lives of a lot of people.

Braun Strowman On Spending $150 At Chipotle Per Week, Main-Eventing WWE SummerSlam

Robert Lentini
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WWE Superstar Braun Strowman was interviewed by Brian Fritz of Between The Ropes at the launch party for WWE 2K18.

You are a fellow Chipotle fan, right?

Shhh. It is my guilty pleasure. Even though I am trying to Chipotle to sponsor me because I spend about $150 a week in there. It is $25 for every bowl I get. 3 scoops of steak, 2 scoops of chicken, 2x cheese, sour cream, guacamole and corn.

What is it like to see yourself in WWE 2K18, especially with the detail that they have in the game?

It is crazy to just take a step back outside of the hustle and bustle of everything that we do day in and day out to see myself as a video game character. You know, I grew up playing some video games, watching WWE, idolizing these guys. Now, I get an opportunity to be a part of history in a video. It is just a surreal opportunity, I just don’t know how else to say it. I’m in a video game!

Do you even know how strong you are?

Yeah, I know how strong I am. I am as strong as I want to be.

What have your first two years on the main roster been like?

It has gone by quick. Like a blink of an eye. Two years feels like two weeks for me. You know, just being able to travel around the world and represent WWE and doing what we do. Now here, fixing to main-event SummerSlam at the Barclays Center. And the fact that you can watch it around the entire world live on the WWE Network at 7 PM on Sunday. It is just an unbelievable moment in my life. Almost two years ago I debuted on Monday Night RAW and two years later I am in the main-event of SummerSlam.

Jinder Mahal On The Great Khali Holding Up The WWE Title At Battleground, Shinsuke Nakamura

Robert Lentini
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Jinder Mahal was interviewed by Kenny McIntosh of Inside the Ropes. Kenny isn’t a big fan of Mahal and Jinder made sure to rub it in that he was the WWE Champion throughout the interview.

Mahal started off the interview by poking fun at Kenny and then declaring that he will walk out of SummerSlam weekend as still WWE Champion.

Did The Great Khali think he won the WWE Championship after the Punjabi Prison match when he raised the title?

This is our championship. This is India’s championship. So ultimately, it is also the Great Khali’s championship and the 1.3 billion people in India’s championship. Hopefully I am doing a good job. I know I am. There was a reason why I picked the Punjabi Prison match. It was no disqualifications and I had big Khali hiding in the back. Somehow I pulled it off and walked out WWE Champion just like I am doing to do at SummerSlam. He (Khali) got the job done and made sure I stayed WWE Champion. If raising my title up is the price to pay, then that is a price I’m willing to pay.

You have used the Singh Brothers to your advantage during your WWE title run. What are you willing to make those poor guys go through for you?

You are going to have to ask them but there is no price that is too high for The Maharaja. They are compensated very well for all the risks that they take and they are very happy to serve the modern day Maharaja.

What is The Maharaja and what does it mean?

Maharaja means king. “Maha” means grand and “raja” means king. Grand king.

Are you taking Shinsuke Nakamura seriously at SummerSlam?

I’m taking Shinsuke very seriously. Obviously he has main-evented Tokyo dome many times. He is very difficult to study because his style from New Japan Pro Wrestling to WWE has changed so much. I’m not underestimating him. I know he is very tough. There is a reason why he beat John Cena clean. I was about to beat John Cena clean this past week (SmackDown) before Baron Corbin tried to cash in. But you know I’m glad the briefcase… contract, Money in the Bank contract is out of the way and I can focus on Shinsuke Nakamura. I’m not taking it lightly and he shouldn’t take me lightly. I am the WWE Champion for a reason.

A lot of people want Shinsuke Nakamura to win the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Are you looking forward to the reaction from the Brooklyn crowd if you win the match and retain?

Yeah, I am looking forward to proving people wrong. Everybody expects Shinsuke to walk out as WWE Champion but I promise I will retain the WWE Championship and then you can celebrate a year of The Maharaja.

Kurt Angle On Wanting To Return To The Ring In Early 2018, His Storyline With Jason Jordan

Robert Lentini
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Brian Fritz of Between The Ropes recently caught up with WWE Hall of Famer and RAW GM Kurt Angle at the launch party for WWE 2K18 last night.

What is like to be part of WWE 2K18 and what is it like to be back in WWE?

It is an honor to be part of the video game. I’ve never had the opportunity to be a part of it. So, to be the pre-order bonus and to be back in WWE, a year ago I would have said that you are crazy. But here I am standing on the red carpet and talking about the WWE 2K18 video game and I am just happy to be a part of it and am looking forward to the future.

What is like to be the RAW GM and be on the show every week?

I love it. I’ve always loved being around the business, but to be the General Manager of RAW is a huge honor. I still get that feeling that I want to get back in that ring and go at it, so hopefully down the road I take the physical and we get moving in that direction but right now I am very happy being the GM.

There was a bunch of speculation about you returning to the ring, did you ever think that it was going to happen at WWE SummerSlam?

No. There were rumors that were going around that I was going to be in the ring but I know Vince McMahon, he is going to tell me ahead of time just so I’m prepped. And he never did that so I knew I wasn’t going to be a part of it. I’m looking probably early next year, you know, it is all up to Vince. He is making the decisions. He just started a storyline with Jason Jordan and myself. I think a lot of good things are going to come down the road.

What are your thoughts on being part of the Jason Jordan storyline?

I’ve said it before, Vince McMahon has a sense of humor and he is using it at the hands of Kurt Angle. I actually like being a part of anything that is different. When Vince approached me and told me about it, I loved it. I said let’s do this. Anything that separates me from the rest, I am going to do it and he knew that.

Doesn’t Chad Gable look more like your son than Jason Jordan?

I think a lot of people thought that and I think that is why Vince McMahon went the other direction.

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III Results & Live Discussion (8/19)

Eric Lynch
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WWE’s NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III took place on August 19th at the Barclay’s Center in New York City.

Kickoff Show

– Big E and Neville both separately join the Kickoff Show before Takeover begins. Neville tells us to expect more of the same from him at SummerSlam tomorrow: domination.

– Shinsuke Nakamura does an interview backstage where he predicts that Drew McIntyre will win the NXT Title tonight.

– Carmella, Sasha Banks and Lita all join the Kickoff Show panel. Sasha and Carmella talk about being back at an NXT event and their memories from previous TakeOver: Brooklyn events.

– Becky Lynch and Bayley (in an arm sling) do an interview together backstage where they talk about how amazing it is to be back at an NXT event. Becky predicts that Ember Moon will win tonight, and Bayley predicts Asuka.

– Baron Corbin joins the Kickoff Show panel and recalls his previous Takeover: Brooklyn match against Samoa Joe. Corbin predicts that Bobby Roode will win in the main event tonight.

TakeOver: Brooklyn III

– Andrade “Cien” Almas def. Johnny Gargano: Almas wrestles Gargano down to the mat and puts him in a head-scissors hold early on. Gargano fights up and comes back with a running hurricanrana and a rollup for a one count. They trade chops in the corner, and Almas drops Gargano with a running knee. Gargano comes back with a drop toe hold into the middle rope, then both men go down after a double clothesline. Both men exchange more strikes before Gargano drops Almas with a slingshot shoulder block. Gargano hits a superkick that sends Almas falling out to ringside and Gargano follows up with a suicide dive. Gargano slingshots into the ring over the top rope and DDTs Almas for a two count. Gargano goes for a slingshot spear through the ropes, but Almas catches him with a DDT of his own. Almas follows up with a tornado inverted DDT off the middle rope for a two count. The fight up to the top turnbuckle where Gargano attempts a sunset flip powerbomb, but Almas lands on his feet. Almas hits a spinning elbow to the head, then Gargano comes back with a flying head-scissors into the Rings of Saturn. Almas escapes and powerbombs Gargano into the corner. Almas follows up with a running knee to the face for a two count. Almas hits more knees, and Gargano fires back with two superkicks. Gargano drops Almas fast-first into the middle rope. Zelina Vega at ringside throws a shirt at Gargano and it distracts him, which leads to Almas hitting a dropkick. Almas follows up with his finisher for the win.

– NXT Tag-Team Championship: Sanity def. The Authors Of Pain: Killian Dain & Alexander Wolfe are representing Sanity in this one. Former NXT Tag Champ Corey Graves joins the commentary table. The AOP hit the ring and start brawling with Dain and Wolfe before the bell. The brawl spills out to ringside, and Eric Young starts setting up a table on the other side of the ring. They make it back into the ring and the opening bell sounds. The AOP start off working on Wolfe with double-team elbow and knee strikes. Eric Young hops on the apron and instructs Killian Dain that he is replacing him in this match. Young now gets involved and the fight spills out into the crowd. Back in the ring, The AOP hit a back body drop into a powerbomb on Young. The Champions take turns working on Eric Young until Wolfe gets the hot tag. Wolfe cleans house and hits a T-bone suplex on Akam, then a German suplex on Rezar. Wolfe goes up top and hits a flying clothesline on Rezar for a two count. The AOP throw Young outside and double-team Wolfe for a sit-out powerbomb. The Authors go for a top rope powerbomb on Wolfe, but Wolfe reverses into a hurricanrana then tags in Young. Young hits a neckbreaker on Rezar then goes up top. Rezar follows Young up top and attempts a superplex but Young blocks it. Akam tries to assist but ends up accidentally powerbombing his own partner. Young follows up with an elbow drop off the top rope on Rezar, but Akam breaks up the pin. Young hits a suicide dive onto both Authors, then Wolfe hits one on Rezar. Cross and Ellering get in the ring, which leads to Cross coming off the top rope onto Akam at ringside and Akam catching her. It looks like Akam is going to slam her, but instead Dain comes out of nowhere and spears Akam through the table at ringside. Back in the ring, Wolfe tags in and lifts up Rezar in a back suplex and Young comes flying off the top with a neckbreaker for the double team. Wolfe pins and scores the three count, and we have new NXT Tag Champs.

– After the match, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish run in and attack both Sanity and the Authors. They hit a bunch of kicks, and O’Reilly hits a running Blockbuster on Young. They look at the NXT Tag Titles then leave.

– Shinsuke Nakamura and Kalisto are shown sitting at ringside.

– Bobby Roode is backstage taping up his wrists for his match later tonight.

– Aleister Black def. Hideo Itami: WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross joins the announce team for this one. Itami and Black exchange kicks in the opening minutes. Black lands one that drops Itami, and Black follows up with an elbow strike and a knee to the back of the head for a two count. Black controls the next few moments until Itami comes back with a knee to the head. Itami yells at the fans to respect him then goes back to work on Black with elbows and stomps. More kicks from Itami to the grounded Black followed by some knee drops to the head. Itami mule kicks Black in the face then sits down next to him. Black is bleeding from the nose as he gets to his feet and the two men trade elbow shots. Itami hits a DDT for a two count. Black comes back with a leg sweep and a knee to the head. Black hits a springboard moonsault off the middle rope onto a standing Itami for a two count. Itami fires off some kicks to the face of Black, then drops Black’s neck over the top rope. Itami follows up with a flying clothesline off the top for a two count. Fisherman’s Suplex by Itami for another two count. They fight up top the top rope and Itami hits a Michinoku Drive off the top. Both men slowly get to their feet and trade elbows and kicks. They trade slaps to the face, Itami hits a spinning back-fist, Black hits a knee to the face, then Itami hits the Falcon Arrow for a two count. Itami gets distracted yelling to the crowd to respect him, then he misses a lariat and Black follows up with the Black Mass for the win.

– Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch are shown at ringside.

– Asuka and Ember Moon are backstage getting ready to come out for their Women’s Title match.

– NXT Women’s Championship: Asuka (C) def. Ember Moon: The champion and challenger brawl out to ringside early on and Moon hits a cannonball off the middle rope onto Asuka on the floor. Asuka throws Moon into the ring steps then follows up with some strikes before suplexing Moon onto the ramp. Back in the ring, Asuka continues the offense and drops Moon with an STO. Asuka grabs Moon by the arms and repeatedly stomps on her, then goes for an octopus submission hold. Moon comes back with a series of kicks for a two count. Asuka comes back with a German suplex that sends Moon into the turnbuckle. Asuka goes for the Asuka Lock but Moon reverses it into a version of the Asuka Lock of her own. Asuka escapes and hops up on Moon’s back and locks in the Asuka Lock again. Moon reverses into a pin for a two count then drops Asuka with a running lariat. Asuka comes back with the running hip attack for a two count. Asuka attempts a second one but Moon blocks it and hits a knee strike. Moon follows up with a suplex for a two count. Moon hits some knee strikes and Asuka fires back with slaps to the face. Asuka hits a knee to the face then stomps on Moon repeatedly. Moon comes back with a back suplex, then she goes up to the top rope. Asuka meets her on the top rope and attempts a superplex but Moon slides out and stomps Asuka down. Moon goes back up top and hits the Eclipse for a two count. Moon goes up top and hits a cross body, but Asuka rolls through and pins Moon. The ref sees that Asuka is holding the tights so he stops counting. They get up and Moon immediately hits a superkick for a two count. Asuka attempts an armbar and Moon gets out, so Asuka puts her in the Asuka Lock and Moon taps out.

– Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe are both shown (separately) at ringside to watch the main event.

– NXT World Championship: Drew McIntyre def. Bobby Roode: McIntyre backs Roode into the corner in the opening moments and Roode looks concerned. McIntyre and Roode trade chops to the chest in the corner, then McIntyre drops Roode and sends the champion rolling outside. Back in the ring, Roode fires up and attempts the Glorious DDT but McIntyre escapes. Roode hits a right hand and several chops to the chest before McIntyre fires back with a boot to the face. McIntyre throws Roode into the corner for some chops of his own. McIntyre hits a big boot and a vertical suplex, then he clotheslines Roode out to ringside. McIntyre drops Roode face-first across the fan barricade then elbows him in the face. Roode charges at McIntyre and McIntyre hits a tilt-a-whirl slam onto the corner of the apron. As they’re stepping back into the ring, Roode hits a neckbreaker over the middle rope and McIntyre falls outside. Roode hits a blockbuster off the apron on McIntyre on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Roode and McIntyre trade strikes until Roode whips the challenger into the turnbuckles with authority and drops him. Roode goes up top and hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Roode goes for a sleeper but the challenger picks him up and slaps him into the corner. Roode comes back with a big boot and goes for a second one, but McIntyre catches the Champion with a belly to belly overhead suplex. Drew hits some elbows then goes to the top rope and hits a flying clothesline. Roode comes back with elbows and a knee to the face. Roode runs off the ropes but McIntyre catches him and hits the Celtic Cross for a two count. The fight up to the top rope, but Roode crotches the challenger on the top rope then hangs him down in the tree of woe. Roode takes a moment to taunt the crowd, and McIntyre takes the opportunity to pull himself up and suplex Roode off the top rope. Roode comes back with a backstabber for a two count, and both men are down. McIntyre hits the Future Shock DDT for a two count on Roode. McIntyre carries Roode up to the top rope, but Roode reverses into a powerbomb for a two count. Roode and McIntyre trade punches and chops in the middle of the ring until Roode drops McIntyre with a kick to the head. McIntyre comes back with the Claymore and pins, but Roode gets his foot on the top at two and rolls outside. McIntyre attempts to climb outside but the ref stops him. McIntyre runs and hits a suicide swanton bomb over the top rope onto Roode at ringside. McIntyre is slow to get up, but he brings the champion back in the ring before the ref’s 10 count. McIntyre goes for another Claymore but Roode catches him and hits a spinebuster. Roode goes for the Glorious DDT but McIntyre escapes. Roode runs the ropes and McIntyre goes for a tilt-a-whirl slam, but Roode reverses into a Glorious DDT for a two count. Roode hits another Glorious DDT, and then goes for a third one but McIntyre gets out. McIntyre headbutts Roode away and follows up with the Claymore kick for the win. McIntyre has won the NXT Title and celebrates in the ring with the strap as TakeOver: Brooklyn III comes to a close.

– After the match, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish attack Drew Galloway. Cole superkicks Galloway then holds the NXT Title. Cole, O’Reilly and Fish pose in the ring as TakeOver: Brooklyn III goes off the air.

Becky Lynch Calls Out Cris Cyborg Again, Talks WWE Doing An All-Woman Show

Robert Lentini
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Becky Lynch calls out Cyborg again

Becky Lynch is currently not on the SummerSlam card this Sunday. However, Lynch continues to call out UFC’s Cris Cyborg.

The two have called each other out in the past. Cyborg said that Triple H was hiding Becky Lynch and it led to the following exchange on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/894328240742871040

Becky Lynch was recently interviewed by Inside the Ropes and Lynch once again called out Cyborg and challenged her to show up at WWE SummerSlam this Sunday. Becky also predicted that Conor McGregor would defeat Floyd Mayweather in their fight on August 26th.

WWE having an all-woman show

Becky Lynch was also interviewed recently by the Hindustan Times. During the interview, Becky stated the following about WWE having an all-woman show in the future:

“I don’t see why we cannot have an all-woman show with multiple storylines to keep the audience engaged. We have a lot of strong performers in the roster and if handled well, an all-woman show like the Mae Young Classic can be brilliant for the division.”

Becky also commented on trying to make storylines better moving forward:

“Right now it’s in a bit of a bit of a static period, which is perfectly fine. We’ve come off stuff like two women’s ladder matches, and Hell In A Cells, and we just need the storylines to constantly evolve. As great as all these matches are with the tables and the cages and the ladders, they’re all wonderful, but what we really need is a reason people are emotionally invested.”

Ric Flair Reveals Scrapped Plans For The First SummerSlam Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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SummerSlam is WWE’s second-biggest PPV of the year and over the years it has pretty much become a brand in itself, much like the biggest yearly event of company WrestleMania.

Though when WWE held its first SummerSlam back in 1988, nobody knew how big it would get and so the people who were part of it and especially Main Evented it had no idea that they were becoming a part of what would become a show with a long and coveted history.

However, in a recent interview of Ric Flair which he gave to Sports Illustrated before being hospitalized, the WWE Hall Of Famer revealed that the original SummerSlam Plans were very different.

According to Ric, he was originally supposed to challenge the then WWF Champion Randy Savage in the main event of the show.

Although Flair decided not to sign with the company and stay with NWA because he was attached to his friends there and as a result, the planned match was scrapped:

“It’s true, I was on my way to work for Vince [McMahon] and wrestle Savage at the Garden. My contract was up and Vince McMahon had been in touch with me. But I decided my best move was to remain in the NWA because I was so attached to my friends in the Four Horsemen. I thanked McMahon for the offer. I just couldn’t get myself to leave.”

After Ric Flair declined WWE’s offer, the main event of the first edition of the PPV saw Randy Savage teaming up with a returning Hulk Hogan to defeat the team of Andre the Giant and Ted Dibiase.

While Flair ended up joining WWF three years later in 1991, one can only imagine how different his WWE career would have been if he had signed earlier and Main Evented the first ever WWE SummerSlam.

Another Former WWE Star Gone From GFW

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We noted before how GFW Star Tyrus refused to attend the latest GFW TV Tapings due to being unhappy with the way he was being treated.

He released a video in which he accused officials of treating him like a ‘second-class citizen’ and said that he has been handcuffed creatively.

Now the former WWE Star has announced his departure from the company. He gave the news through a tweet in which he revealed that he has been granted his release as seen below:

It’s worth noting here that Tyrus is not the only star who has left GFW in recent days. Over the past number of weeks, almost half a dozen superstars have parted ways with the company.

The names to leave GFW in recent times include the likes of former World Champion Magnus, ‘The Blueprint’ Matt Morgan and just recently Da Pope.

Tyrus had joined TNA back in September 2014. He debuted as a heel initially and acted as a sidekick for EC III. He later turned on him and sided with the Hardy Boyz, turning face in the process.

Prior to his stint with GFW, Tyrus worked with WWE for almost 8 years under the ring name Brodus Clay. Though while he spent a long time working with WWE, the monster sized athlete didn’t achieve anything significant during his career in the company.

Daniel Bryan Reveals His Reports Were Misunderstood, Says “There’s No Reason Why” He Wouldn’t Return To Wrestling

Anutosh Bajpai
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In the past couple of months, the rumours of Daniel Bryan possibly returning to ring have really picked up. First Bryan himself said that he is ‘working on’ his in ring return, and then his wife Brie Bella claimed to be sure about him wrestling again.

However, none of these statements actually explained anything about Bryan’s medical conditions, which left fans confused and nobody actually knew where do we stand on the road of Daniel Bryan’s in-ring return.

Thankfully during his recent appearance on E&C Pod of Awesomeness, the SmackDown GM himself, opened up about his medical status and also possibly confirmed his in-ring return.

It has been previously said that Bryan was cleared by some medical personals for return, and he started by revealing that he was originally cleared by the doctors and team of concussion assigned by WWE.

Though WWE Officials didn’t let him wrestle even after that and then he began a non-FDA approved experimental testing at Evoke Neuroscience in New York City which revealed the bad news for him.

According to them, the Former ROH Star had a lesion in the back of his brain, which Daniel thought was a cut in his brain so he reached to the conclusion that his career was over. A week after this revelation Mr McMahon asked him to give his retirement speech and he did it.

Although a few days after giving the retirement speech the former World Champion spoke to one of the doctors who had originally cleared him, who revealed that the whole lesion thing was misunderstood:

“I told him what happened and I said, ‘They found a lesion in the temporal-parietal region of my brain.’ He goes, ‘Wait, hold up, a lesion?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ And I don’t know what lesion means to you guys, a lesion to me means you have a cut. I have a cut on my brain. He goes, ‘No. Lesion, in medical terminology, is a very vague thing. It just means something is there. We don’t know what it is, so we call it a lesion in the temporal-parietal region of your brain.’”

After this conversation, Bryan apparently learned more about his condition, and it turned out that his lesion actually meant that his reflexes on that part of the brain were slower than the athletes which were usually tested by the doctors.

Although when he learned about this, he neither blamed the doctors nor did he think of his return as he was trying to have a baby with his wife Brie Bella.

The SmackDown Official decided to work on his return when he had to stay at ringside for a Dean Ambrose- AJ Styles match, which according to Bryan “tore his heart apart”

Then he began his rehab at Joe Namath Neurological Research Centre in Florida to improve his brain condition. He had some tests done which showed that his head was banged up but was not at a high risk of brain damage.

Once he started receiving Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatments (HBOT) his brain started getting healthier and according to his current doctor, after 80 more sessions of his treatment, it will become perfectly healthy:

“Dr. (Barry) Miskin thinks within 120 total treatments, so 80 treatments more, that my brain could get back to where if you looked at it from any other spectrum, you would think that I’d have never done any contact sports in my entire life.”

Finally, Daniel Bryan commented on wrestling again saying that “there’s no reason why I can’t return to doing what I love”  and explained that he would like to work a light schedule, wrestling about 50-100 matches every year when he returns.

Overall while this whole incident was very unfortunate, it’s good that things are now sorted out and unless they learn anything new about Bryan’s condition, it’s pretty much confirmed that Daniel Bryan will make his in ring return somewhere down the line.

Thanks to Pro Wrestling Sheet for the quotes.

Triple H Slams Jimmy Fallon Through His Desk (Video)

Robert Lentini
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Triple H slams Jimmy Fallon through his desk

Triple H stopped by The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon while Fallon was in the middle of a “Thank You Notes” segment. Fallon made a joke about Triple H and The Game showed up and slammed Fallon through his desk. Triple H then promoted WWE SummerSlam and you can check it out in the video below.

The Undertaker Reportedly Spotted Heading To New York, SummerSlam Rumours Begin

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The Undertaker is arguably one of the biggest and most loved superstars in the history of pro-wrestling, and even though he has seemingly retired from the business, a small rumour of his return gives goose bumps to fans.

One such rumour started yesterday when the Phenom was reportedly spotted heading to New York, the city which will be holding the SummerSlam PPV this Sunday.

In the photo below as seen on WrestlingInc, the Dead Man is seen inside a plane which is allegedly headed to NYC from an airport of Texas:

This image is yet to be confirmed to be legit, and even if the former World Champion is heading to New York it doesn’t confirm that he will be appearing at SummerSlam in any capacity.

Though it hasn’t stopped people from speculating about Taker’s future and all sorts of rumours are being heard about what role the Last Outlaw can play at the PPV this Sunday.

Undertaker last appeared on WWE Programming during WrestleMania 33 where he competed and lost in a match against the Big Dog Roman Reigns.

After the bout, he left his ring gear between the ropes, indicating that he is leaving the ‘Dead Man’ character behind in his life. Since then it has been speculated that it was the final pro wrestling appearance of the Star, though WWE has yet to officially confirm his retirement.

Jinder Mahal Trains For SummerSlam (Video), Mahal On Defending WWE Championship In India

Robert Lentini
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Jinder Mahal trains for WWE SummerSlam

WWE has uploaded a new video of Jinder Mahal training for his match this Sunday at WWE SummerSlam. Mahal will defend his WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. In the video, Mahal trains at Frenchie’s Gym and says that Nakamura is in for a rude awakening at SummerSlam.

Mahal on defending the WWE Championship in India

Jinder Mahal recently did a Q&A with Vikram Bodas on Yahoo Sports.

Would it be more special to defend the WWE Championship in your hometown of Calgary or in India?

“I would say that it would be more special in India. Both would be very, very special, but Calgary already has had a champion with Bret Hart and they already have a rich, established wrestling tradition. Whereas India, yet, isn’t.

“You know, I would love to take the WWE championship back to India. Nobody has ever taken a WWE championship to India so just to think about the power that I would have to motivate the youth and to inspire a tremendous amount of people there is amazing. Obviously, the WWE universe right now over there is very passionate and I know the response would just be electric. That atmosphere of performing there would be on a whole other level. When WWE went there last time, I wasn’t back with WWE so I missed that. All the WWE superstars tell me that it was one of their favorite events they ever worked. The crowd was just electric from beginning to end.”

What is the state of WWE and wrestling in India right now?

“Things are good. Everyone is very proud that I am the WWE champion. We get lots of media coverage almost every week – lots of newspaper and TV coverage. When I made the comeback at the Punjabi Prison, that was huge and the clip went viral. When I won the WWE championship it was all over the news, it’s great. I know WWE just launched the merchandise store over there. The highlight show Sunday Dhamaal, which used to only highlight RAW got moved to a primetime spot and now is highlighting both RAW and SmackDown.”

WWE SummerSlam 2017 Preview & Predictions

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WWE SummerSlam 2017 airs this Sunday live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Kickoff Show:

Jason Jordan & The Hardy Boyz vs The Miz & The Miztourage

This match happened on this past week’s episode of RAW and was added to the SummerSlam card on Thursday. Predicted winner: Jason Jordan & The Hardy Boyz

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: New Day (c) vs The Usos

I thought this match would be on the main card. The Usos lost the titles to New Day at WWE Backlash. The Usos picked up a victory over Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods on this week’s episode of SmackDown. It has been announced that Big E & Xavier Woods will be the two members of New Day competing at SummerSlam. This match could go either way, but I think the New Day will walk out of the Barclays Center still the champs. Predicted winners and still SmackDown Tag Team Champions: New Day

Cruiserweight Championship: Akira Tozawa (c) vs Neville

Akira Tozawa won the Cruiserweight Championship on this past week’s episode of RAW. Neville quickly invoked his rematch clause and will face Tozawa for the title during SummerSlam’s Kickoff Show. I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened, but I think it would be silly to take the Cruiserweight Championship off of Tozawa 6 days after he won it. Tozawa gets another victory over Neville and Neville loses his mind after the match. Predicted winner and still Cruiserweight Champion: Akira Tozawa

Main Card:

Randy Orton vs Rusev

Orton defeated WWE Champion Jinder Mahal last week on SmackDown. After the match, Rusev attacked Orton on the entrance ramp. On this past week’s episode of SmackDown, Rusev beat the hell out of Chad Gable and applied the Accolade to him while on the announce table. Rusev then got into the ring to cut a promo on Orton but Randy slithered into the ring and hit Rusev with an RKO out of nowhere. Rusev made his return to WWE recently and promptly lost to John Cena at WWE Battleground. I expect the losing to continue for Rusev this Sunday. Predicted winner: Randy Orton

Big Cass vs Big Show

Enzo Amore will be suspended in shark cage above the ring

Big Cass got some help from Gallows & Anderson on this past week’s episode of RAW. Gallows & Anderson tied Big Show’s hand to the cage and Cass slammed the cage door shut on it. Big Show’s hand is now injured and he may not be able to perform the Knockout Punch this Sunday. Big Cass should definitely win this match at SummerSlam. It will be interesting to see if Enzo plays a role in this match besides shouting from the shark cage above the ring. Predicted winner: Big Cass

Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt

Wyatt defeated Finn Balor on Monday’s episode of RAW. After the match, Wyatt poured “blood” all over Balor. Later on RAW, Balor announced that The Demon will return during this match at SummerSlam. Wyatt picked up a victory on Monday night, I don’t envision him winning again this Sunday at the PPV. Predicted winner: Finn Balor

SmackDown Women’s Championship: Naomi (c) vs Natalya

Carmella has been hinting for weeks that Sunday will be the night that she cashes in her Money in the Bank contract. Normally when things are that obvious, I don’t think that they will happen. However, I actually think the cash in will happen on Sunday. Naomi’s title run has been very poorly booked and she defended her title against Lana three times in a row for some reason. Natalya deserves a run with the title, but I think she is going to lose this match. After the match, Natalya attacks Naomi and that opens the door for Carmella to cash in her MITB contract. Predicted winner & new SmackDown Women’s Champion: Carmella

John Cena vs Baron Corbin

This match took on a whole new meaning after Baron Corbin’s incredible failure on this past week’s episode of SmackDown. Corbin attacked Cena during his match against WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. Cena had just planted Mahal with an Attitude Adjustment off the second rope and had the match won. After he beatdown Cena, Corbin attempted to cash in his MITB contract. Cena hopped back up on the ring apron and distracted Corbin. Mahal then rolled up Corbin from behind and won the match.

Corbin lost his shot at the WWE Championship because he was distracted by John Cena. Unless WWE has completely lost all faith in Baron Corbin, I don’t see how he doesn’t win this match at SummerSlam. Corbin was embarrassed on SmackDown, it wouldn’t be a good sign for him if he also gets his ass kicked at SummerSlam. WWE is making it known that Cena is on a losing streak at SummerSlam. I’ll predict that Corbin wins this match on Sunday, but I won’t be surprised at all if Cena kicks out of End of Days and submits Corbin with the STF. Predicted winner: Baron Corbin

RAW Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss (c) vs Sasha Banks

Bayley was supposed to get a shot at the RAW Women’s Championship, but her shoulder injury prevented that happening. Sasha Banks submitted Nia Jax with the Bank Statement to earn a shot at the title at SummerSlam. I thought Banks should have been in this match to begin with, as Alexa Bliss got herself counted out in their at Great Balls of Fire to retain the title. I’d like to see Sasha Banks win the title at SummerSlam and actually hold onto it for a long time. Predicted winner and new RAW Women’s Champion: Sasha Banks

RAW Tag Team Championship: Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins

The mini-Shield reunion finally happened on Monday’s episode of RAW. Ambrose and Rollins had denied each other’s attempts at a fist-bump and started throwing punches. However, they came together to beatdown Sheamus & Cesaro when they attacked them at ringside. Ambrose and Rollins then fist-bumped in the ring as Boston crowd went nuts. Ambrose and Rollins have all the momentum in the world and I would be stunned if they didn’t win the titles on Sunday. Predicted winners & new RAW Tag Team Champions: Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins

United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs Kevin Owens

Shane McMahon is the referee for this match

In the past couple of weeks, AJ Styles has accidentally hit Shane McMahon with a Pele Kick and Owens has accidentally hit him with a Superkick. Shane McMahon is going to be involved in this finish to this match somehow and I’m guessing Kevin Owens isn’t going to like it. Shane McMahon will wind up costing Owens the victory and Owens will attack Shane after the match. Predicted winner and still United States Champion: AJ Styles

WWE Championship: Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated John Cena to earn his shot at the WWE Championship. On this past week’s episode of SmackDown, he interrupted Jinder Mahal’s celebration on India’s Independence Day and confronted the WWE Champion. Nakamura will have this match won several times, but the Singh Brothers will keep getting involved in the match. Eventually, Nakamura will be able to eliminate the Singh Brothers and capture the WWE Championship. Predicted winner & new WWE Champion: Shinsuke Nakamura

Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs Braun Strowman vs Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns

Paul Heyman has claimed that he and his client Brock Lesnar will be leaving WWE if Brock Lesnar loses the Universal Championship on Sunday. Monday’s episode of RAW ended with Lesnar and Strowman being separated in the ring by the WWE locker room as Reigns and Samoa Joe battled outside the ring. The locker room eventually separated Reigns and Joe as well. Paul Heyman seems to believe that RAW GM Kurt Angle and WWE have conspired to take the title off of Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. I cannot wait to see this match and I think Lesnar will somehow escape Sunday with the Universal Championship. Predicted winner & still Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar

What are your predictions for WWE SummerSlam? Let us know in the comments below.

Jinder Mahal Reveals The One Thing That Will Make Him Give Away The WWE Title

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Champion Jinder Mahal recently joined Dave Lagreca on Busted Open, alongside fellow WWE Superstar Mark Henry, to promote this weekend’s (Sun. August 20, 2017) SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV), and his WWE Title defense against former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Shinsuke Nakamura.

“The Maharaja” talked about looking forward to working with “The Artist,” what he needs to look out for the most against the Japanese star, and the one thing that would make him give away the WWE Title. Check it out here:

What he thinks about working with Nakamura:

“Yeah I’m really looking forward to my match with Nakamura, obviously a huge star in Japan, and the crowd loves him. But it’s Brooklyn man, the crowd is unpredictable. It’s just like Chicago, when I beat Randy Orton for the title I said in some interviews, ‘Man, I honestly don’t know what this crowd is going to be like. I don’t know if they’re going to cheer me or cheer Randy, boo me out the building, or whatnot, but as long as they’re making noise it’s good and I know they’re gonna be making a lot of noise.’ I’m interested to see where this match with Shinsuke goes. I’m definitely looking forward to working with Shinsuke. Man, his strikes are surgical.”

What does he needs to look out for the most against Nakamura:

“Yeah man, his striking, his unpredictability is a major factor. Just his charisma, his body movement, it’s unlike anybody else’s. He’s unlike anybody that I’ve ever faced before. Very unorthodox but effective. So I think we’re gonna have a strong, strong match and I look to working with him in the future cause I see him being a main event level talent for a long time. Along with myself, I see myself in that same light too. I’m not gonna back down, a lot of people ask me this question, ‘What was it like when you won the WWE Championship? Was it like ‘Oh my god I accomplished something -” Honestly it wasn’t weird man, it really wasn’t, because my goals are much bigger than this.

“I don’t want to just be a one time champion. My goal is not just to win the championship, and it was a lot of work to get here but when I won it, I want to keep it. I actually said this on Talking Smack, when Baron Corbin won the Money In The Bank contract, they had asked me something about it and I’m like, ‘When Baron Corbin out-works me, I will personally hand him this title. He doesn’t need to cash-in anything. If I get outworked, I will give the title away.'”

Listen to Mahal’s full interview with Busted Open by clicking here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Triple H Talks NJPW & If Their Success Forces WWE To Make Adjustments

Jon Fuentes
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WWE’s Triple H recently made an appearance on CBS Sports’ In This Corner Podcast to promote tomorrow’s (Sat. August 19, 2017) NXT TakeOver III: Brooklyn. During the interview, “The Game” talked about which competitor WWE needs to pay most attention to, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), and if NJPW’s success has forced WWE to make any adjustments to their product. Here’s what he had to say:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCkcVx1QL6g

Which WWE Superstar the company needs to pay the most attention to:

“When you say, ‘What’s the No. 2 promotion?’ and ‘WWE doesn’t have a promotion knocking on its door and pushing them,’ Raw and SmackDown do. Raw and SmackDown have a promotion right on their tail pushing them to do more. That promotion is going to run a show on Saturday night at the Barclays Center, and it’s called NXT.

“[NXT] is going to set a bar, and the main roster is going to have to step up to that bar. And trust me, those are all people that are coming from NXT, and now the kids here are pushing them to do the same thing that they pushed the people in front of them to do.”

If NJPW’s success forces them to make any adjustments:

“I don’t think anyone forces anyone to make adjustments, I think it’s just that the world changes. What people will accept changes? What people will like changes?

“People’s styles that I bring in, I’m not trying to change these performers, I’m trying to give them a platform and then take them on that platform and make the biggest, global star you can make. Whether that goes on to NXT and then on to SmackDown or Raw, whatever that is. A lot of these kids, I want them to be headlining WrestleMania.”

You can check out Triple H’s full interview on In This Corner at this link.

Braun Strowman On Especially Trusting Roman Reigns In The Ring, His Wrestling Mentality, More

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Superstar Braun Strowman recently did an interview with Cheap Heat to promote this weekend’s (Sun. August 20, 2017) SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) in which he will be involved in the main event. Strowman will be part of a Fatal Four-Way match for the Universal Championship involving champion Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Samoa Joe.

During his interview, “The Monster Among Men” discussed trusting Roman Reigns inside the ring, his mentality in wrestling, and his massive growth spurt in high school. Check out the highlights here:

Trusting Roman Reigns inside the ring:

“I solely trust my partner going out there, and especially the guy I’m working with, Roman [Reigns]. There’s not another talent on this planet like him. He is the best, if not the best in the ring, hands down. I know that he’s going to do the same thing that I do — he’s going to put his body on the line too. You’ve seen that. I’ll knock his hind end into the dirt, time after time, and he keeps getting back up.

“Whether it be stupidity, stubbornness or pure heart, you can’t argue that Roman is one tough SOB and entertaining, to say the least. At this point, I mean, what else is there to do? I feel like the next match we’re going to have is going to be on top of a volcano, and the only way to win is to throw your opponent into the volcano.”

His wrestling mentality when he performs:

“I’m not one of those guys that sits here and goes, ‘Well, if I can just do this or that.’ I’m gonna keep doing what I’ve been doing, and that’s going out with my peak performance, giving 100 percent, breaking new things out, and continuing to make you go, ‘Oh my God, what else can he possibly do?’ If you love me, you love me, and if you hate me, you hate me, but you’re going to get me. I’m going to give you everything I’ve got, I’m going to put my body on the line, and I’m going to entertain you. Plain and simple.”

Hitting a massive growth spurt during high school:

“You know, I wasn’t too much out of the spectrum of normal until I really started high school. Literally, my freshman year, I was a 5-[foot]-8 or 5-9, 180-pound little butterball. When I graduated high school, I was 6-5 and 305. I think I swallowed a magic bean pill.”

You can check out Strowman’s full interview with Cheap Heat here.

Jim Ross Talks SummerSlam Sleeper Match, If Brock Lesnar Will Drop His Title, More

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has posted another blog on his JR’s BBQ website ahead of SummerSlam this weekend (Sun. August 20, 2017). Ross talked about trying to compare Okada vs. Omega to Flair vs. Steamboat, this weekend’s Title Matches, and his sleeper pick for the pay-per-view (PPV). Here’s what he had to say:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY8g1q3PGoo

Comparing Okada vs. Omega to Flair vs. Steamboat:

“I had the privilege of commentating all three of the famous Flair-Steamboat trilogy of classics in 1989 and did it with three different partners, Magnum TA, Terry Funk, and Bob Caudle. Ric and Ricky were simply amazing in those bouts that still hold up very well today. I get a kick out of some people trying to intelligently compare the recent Okada-Omega bouts to Flair-Steamboat, as I feel that it is impossible to make valid judgments on matches that were held in totally different eras.

“I do agree that everyone has their own opinions of which we all should respect, but to honestly say that any match is the greatest of all time – including the amazing, Flair-Steamboat bouts – is iffy. Too many people rush to judgemental to declare ‘The Greatest Ever…’ connotations when there is no way to document, to quantify, and to discern what truly is the greatest match ever or the greatest wrestler ever for that matter as we all have our takes.”

SummerSlam World Title Matches and his pick for ‘sleeper’:

“Regarding SummerSlam – of which I have high expectations – I am anxious to see how Jinder Mahal and Shinsuke Nakamura mesh bell to bell as this one could be a sleeper. Both men have much to prove, in my opinion, on this stage and in this specific match. Also, I am not of the mindset that it is automatic that Brock Lesnar will lose the Universal Title on Sunday. I could see, however, this huge main event setting up Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman down the road on another big stage.”

You can read Ross’ full blog entry by visiting the following link here.

Final Card For NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III

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This Saturday night, SummerSlam weekend officially kicks of with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III from the Barclays Center. WWE COO said this week that ‘Takeover: Brooklyn’ has become somewhat of a ‘WrestleMania’ for the NXT brand and this weekend’s show should live up to those lofty expectations.

The following is the final card for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III

NXT World Championship
– Bobby Roode (C) vs. Drew McIntyre

NXT Women’s Championship
– Asuka (C) vs. Ember Moon

NXT Tag-Team Championship
– The Authors Of Pain (C) vs. SAnitY (Killian Dain & Alexander Wolfe)

– Aleister Black vs. Hideo Itami

– Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas

Join us here on Saturday night for our NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III play-by-play coverage and live discussion!

Jim Cornette Comments On His New Role With GFW (Audio)

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Jim Cornette made a surprise appearance on Thursday’s ‘live’ edition of Impact Wrestling and immediately made his presence felt.

In light of Alberto El Patron being stripped of the GFW World Championship due to his conduct outside the ring, authority figure Bruce Prichard announced that he would be presenting the championship to the man Alberto defeated to unify the TNA/GFW titles, Bobby Lashley. Lashley’s music hit, but out came Cornette, who proceeded to fire Bruce Prichard on behalf of Anthem executives. He also announced a championship gauntlet match for next week’s Impact, the results of which you can find here.

Cornette spoke with his podcast co-host Brian Last on Thursday night about what transpired on Impact. Cornette has been very outspoken about TNA (including Dixie Carter and of course Vince Russo), but said he likes a challenge and is looking restore order in GFW. He added that he’s not currently under contract with GFW. “I’m not a member of the Global Force Wrestling roster. I’m not interested with anything full-time with any promotion.”

Listen to the Jim Cornette Experience each Thursday and Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru each Monday on iTunes, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, iHeartRadio, and everywhere else podcasts are available!

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