Home Blog Page 1865

Rich Bocchini To Call MLW: One-Shot On MLW.TV (10/5)

Staff
-
0

Press Release:

FORMER VOICE OF NXT RICH BOCCHINI TO CALL MLW: ONE-SHOT ON MLW.TV

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Rich Bocchini, formerly known as WWE’s Rich Brennan, will be calling the action ringside for MLW: One-Shot at Gilt Nightclub in Orlando, FL on Thursday night October 5th.

Fans will be able to hear Bocchini call MLW: One-Shot on MLW.tv, MLW’s new streaming service.

Headlined by Ricochet vs. Shane “Swerve” Strickland, MLW: One-Shot will be available to watch within 72 hours of the event occurring on October 5th at Gilt Nightclub in Orlando, FL.  Learn more about MLW.tv at: http://www.MLW.tv.

A lifelong wrestling fan and accomplished sports broadcaster, Bocchini has over 15 years of experience calling professional hockey, football and now Major League Wrestling.

“I’m thrilled to join the commentary team for what will be a showcase event at MLW: One-Shot. There are so many innovative and exciting young stars who deserve to be highlighted doing what they do best with production values that equal their talent. I’m looking forward to the challenge and doing my part to shine the spotlight on some of the rising stars of professional wrestling,” said Bocchini.

Earlier this summer Bocchini made his podcasting debut, co-hosting the JJ Dillon Show and MLW Radio, the flagship podcast of the MLW Radio Network.

Buy tickets to MLW: One-Shot today at http://www.mlw.eventbrite.com.

More grapplers and matches will be announced in the coming weeks at https://mlw.com/.

WWE Network Launching In China

Staff
-
15

WWE has announced the WWE Network is launching in China next Friday, August 18th. With over 1.3 billion people, this presents a valuable opportunity for WWE to expand the footprint of the company’s OTT streaming service.

It would appear Wall Street is liking this news, as WWE stock is up over 2% as of this writing when the market is flat.

WWE returns to China on Sunday, September 17 with a live event from Shenzhen.

Press Release:

PPTV and WWE® to Launch WWE® Network in China

08/10/2017 – SHANGHAI & STAMFORD, Conn.– WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and PPTV (a Suning Sports Media company) today announced that WWE Network will be available in China for the first time beginning on Friday, August 18, launching exclusively on PPTV as a subscription video-on-demand service featuring all WWE live pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania® and the upcoming SummerSlam®.

PPTV customers can download the PPTV App and watch WWE Network content via smart TVs, set-top boxes, mobile devices and tablets, as well as on www.wwe.cn,www.PPTV.com and www.Sports.PPTV.com. Fans can sign up in time to watch one of WWE’s marquee events of the year, SummerSlam®, live in Mandarin, on Monday, August 21 at 7:00 AM Beijing time.

“When we began our exclusive partnership with WWE, we brought WWE’s signature programming Raw® and SmackDown® to PPTV and received a great response from WWE fans in China,” said Godfrey Zeng, Executive Vice President of Suning Sports Media, parent company of PPTV. “In April, we offered WrestleMania as a pay-per-view event, and again, our fans responded enthusiastically. We are now launching WWE Network on PPTV and presenting the entire lineup of WWE pay-per-views and other premium content to continue to better serve WWE fans in China.”

“PPTV is a tremendous partner and has been key in helping us engage with WWE fans in China and further establishing our brand in this important market,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. “With this launch, WWE Network is now available in every market, reaching more than 180 countries around the world, delivering all our premium live events and an archive of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment that has thrilled WWE audiences for years.”

WWE Network on PPTV will showcase WWE’s major live events and ground-breaking original series, including NXT®and 205 Live™; reality shows, such as Total Divas;documentaries; and classic matches from WWE’s storied history. PPTV will continue to expand WWE Network’s video-on-demand library, adding more than 1,000 hours of content over the next 12 months.

In addition to offering WWE Network as a subscription service, PPTV will also offer its customers premium live events such as WrestleMania®, SummerSlam®,Royal Rumble® and Survivor Series® as well as other WWE Network Specials on a pay-per-view basis.

Last year, WWE announced an exclusive multi-year agreement with PPTV to deliver its flagship shows, Raw and SmackDown, live in Mandarin. In addition, WWE short-form content is available on PPTV’s digital platforms, and PPTV leverages popular digital and social platforms, including WeChat and Weibo, to share WWE content with fans throughout China. This year, WrestleMania was made available in China for the first time, via PPTV.

WWE NXT Recap & Results (8/9)

Robert Lentini
-
12

Nikki Cross started off NXT screaming in the ring. Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe of SAnitY joined her in the ring and they called out the Authors of Pain. Akam and Rezar made their way down the entrance ramp. Eric Young made his return and attacked the Authors of Pain from behind. Rezar was zip-tied to the barricade on the entrance ramp and SAnitY beatdown Akam in the ring.

Rezar broke the steel guardrail off the entrance ramp and tried to make his way to the ring to help his partner. Sanity then beatdown Rezar while he was on the ring apron. Eric Young then connected with a Neckbreaker off the top rope as Dain and Wolfe held up Akam. Nikki Cross then grabbed the NXT tag titles and SAnitY celebrated with them in the ring.

Metro Brothers vs Street Profits

Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford made their NXT debut as the Street Profits. Montez Ford came down to the ring with a red solo cup. Dawkins and Chris Metro started off the match. Dawkins knocked Chris to the mat with a shoulder tackle and then followed it up with an Arm Drag. Ford was then tagged in and he connected with a Dropkick and Dawkins hit Chris Metro with a Splash before exiting to the ring apron.

Ford planted Metro with a Belly to Back Suplex. Chris jabbed Ford in the chest and JC Metro was tagged in as Ford was isolated in the corner. Ford escaped and leaped across the ring to tag in Dawkins. Dawkins leveled Chris Metro with a Spear and tagged in Ford who connected with a Frog Splash onto JC Metro for the pinfall victory.

Winners: Street Profits

NXT General Manager William Regal entered the ring and introduced Drew McIntyre and NXT Champion Bobby Roode. McIntyre will challenge Roode for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III on August 19th. McIntyre was first to the ring and got a solid reaction from the crowd at Full Sail University.

NXT Champion Bobby Roode made his way to the ring as the crowd sang along to his theme. A security team escorted Roode to the ring. The security team set up on the ring apron as Roode grabbed the microphone. Roode said that security team was to protect everyone from Roderick Strong because he is running around like a madman backstage trying to get his hands on Roode.

Roode welcomed McIntyre back to WWE. Roode said that he doesn’t need a second chance in WWE like McIntyre. Roode boasted about his current run in NXT and how he has accomplished everything that he said he was going to do. Roode said NXT belongs to him and then poked fun at McIntyre for saying he was the “chosen one”. Roode stated that he doesn’t need to be chosen because everybody already knows that he is simply the one.

McIntyre responded by saying that Roode has had a fantastic year and perhaps the best year of any NXT Champion. McIntyre stated that he is starting to pity Roode because he is a complete ass. McIntyre said that he is going to Claymore Roode back down to earth at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III and become the new NXT Champion.

Roderick Strong’s theme hit and Strong came down to the entrance ramp. Strong stated that he is not done with Bobby Roode. Strong said that it isn’t about the NXT Championship, this is about Bobby Roode disrespecting his family and Strong as a man. Strong asked Roode if he was man enough to face him in a fight. Bobby Roode took off his suit jacket and said that he will fight Strong any time he wants.

Roode said that Strong will have to go through McIntyre first. Roode proposed that Strong face McIntyre next week and if he wins, Strong will get a shot at Roode’s NXT championship. Regal then stated that he was the one that makes the matches around here. McIntyre interrupted and told Regal to make the match and claimed that he will defeat Strong and then take Roode’s NXT Championship four days later at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn III.

NXT General Manager William Regal then made the match official for next week on NXT. Strong will face McIntyre next week and if Strong wins he gets a shot at the title after TakeOver: Brooklyn III. Roode then grabbed the microphone and said that he loved it and that the match next week will be “glorious”.

Johnny Gargano was interviewed backstage. Gargano said that he wanted a match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III.

Oney Lorcan vs Danny Burch

The crowd chanted “Oney” as the two Superstars circled each other to start off the match. Lorcan drove Burch into the corner and the referee broke it up. Oney connected with a jab to the ribs and the two Superstars tied up. Burch applied a Cravate but Lorcan was able to drive Burch to the ropes and the hold was broken.

Burch once again locked in the Cravate but Lorcan broke the hold and threw Burch into the ropes. Burch leveled Lorcan with a shoulder tackle. Both Superstars got back to their feet and traded uppercuts. Lorcan lifted Burch up onto his shoulders and launched him into the turnbuckle for a two count.

Lorcan continued the attack with a Belly to Back Suplex for a two count. Lorcan connected with a series of chops and the impact on Burch’s chest echoed throughout the arena. Lorcan ran at Burch in the corner but Danny got his feet up and then connected with a Dropkick off the second rope. Burch perched Lorcan up on the top rope but Oney escaped.

Burch connected with a German Suplex and followed it up with a Lariat for a two count. Burch went for a Suplex but Lorcan blocked it initially. Burch then connected with the Tower of London for a two count. Lorcan connected with a big uppercut and went for another but Burch ducked out of the way. Lorcan planted Burch with a Neckbreaker for a two count.

Lorcan and Burch traded punches in the ring. Burch connected with a knee to the face and then went for a chop but Lorcan caught him and tried to apple a single-leg Crab. Burch blocked it but Lorcan stomped on the back of his head and then applied the Boston Crab. Burch then reversed it into a roll-up for a victory.

After the match, Burch extended his hand and Lorcan slapped it away. Lorcan then changed his mind and extended his hand and the two Superstars shook hands.

Winner: Danny Burch

No Way Jose vs Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/ Zelina Vega)

Jose danced in the crowd before the match and a conga line broke out. Almas applied a headlock to start off the match but Jose threw him to the ring apron. Almas rolled out of the ring and Vega gave him a pep talk. Back in the ring, Almas sent Jose to the mat with a shoulder tackle. No Way Jose planted Almas with a Flapjack.

Jose threw Almas to the ropes and Almas caught himself between the top two ropes. Jose booted Almas in the face and Almas once again fell out of the ring. Zelina got in Almas’ face outside the ring and started shouting at him. Almas returned to the ring and took control of the match. Almas connected with a boot to the face and then beatdown No Way Jose in the corner. Almas connected to a running Double Knees and then Zelina Vega shouted at Almas to finish him. Almas then connected with the Hammerlock DDT for the victory.

After the match, Zelina Vega grabbed a microphone next to the announce table. Vega said that Almas deserves the spotlight and said that Almas wants to face Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III.

Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas

Shawn Michaels Reveals Why He’s On The Road With NXT

Jon Fuentes
-
1

WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels recently did an interview with The Rack to promote his new movie, Pure Country: Pure Heart. “The Heartbreak Kid” discussed going on the road with NXT, which up and comers have caught his eye, what takeaways he has gotten from working with younger talent, and what sets NXT apart. Check out the highlights here below:

Traveling on the road with NXT:

“I actually am, for the first time in a long time. You know, I’ve been working some at the WWE Performance Center with NXT and I hadn’t been out on the road with them and we come back and watch a lot of film and things of that nature but, in my opinion, you can only get so much from film and sometimes you have to bet there live to see it and take it all in, I believe, to help these guys out and if that is indeed my job, which I believe it is, so I wanted to go on the road and be a part of it and experience it and sort of get a feel for the vibe that is NXT. I believe it to be different for WWE or quite honestly anything else out there. The audience is different and exciting and a phenomenal brand and I just wanted to get out here and see what it was like to take it on the road. It’s a quick one which is all I can really do anymore or have the patience to do, but it’s going to be exciting and I’m looking forward to three fun nights with the NXT crew.

“That is all on the NXT starts and Triple H, Matt Bloom, and Sara Amato and all the people who have put in so much time and energy into those individuals, but to me it’s the NXT Superstars; they are a young, hungry group and I agree with you that it is a different vibe. I believe it is everything pure about the wrestling business; you know, every one of them has a dream to go to the WWE and one day headline WrestleMania but this is an unbelievable fun process with them and you can feel it. To your point, when you’re out there, you can feel it and it is a palatable vibe out there and the excitement and energy that is unlike anything else out there. And I have to give all the credit to all those NXT stars out there who are the ones pulling that off, because it is their energy and their hard work that puts all those shows together and makes them as great as they are.”

Which up and coming stars have caught his eye:

“Yeah, there are a number of them. I do my best to try and keep from, I don’t know, naming too many names and stuff like that. One, because you’re afraid you’re going to leave somebody out or put undue pressure of someone but I think there is a great deal of talent there from a number of guys and young ladies, to be perfectly honest.

“And that is what I think is so exciting, is there is a whole other generation that I think is going to take the wrestling business into the coming years and that is exciting to see, it really is. I guess I’m different from a lot of older guys; I think they want it to stay the same or what it was like in there day and I’m very excited about what the future has for these young men and women of NXT and the future of the WWE.”

What takeaway he has received from working with younger talent and what sets NXT apart:

“I guess the commitment and the closeness; the greatest thing I enjoy about the Performance Center and NXT is the culture, it is absolutely nothing like the wrestling business that I was in and I don’t think it’s like anything like what you call wrestling business when you get into the business aspect of it. I think that’s what I enjoy most. They are all close, they are a team and it is a very close-knit group and it is very nice to see and wonderful to be a part of.

“For me, someone who is coming in from the outside and from a different generation, it’s something I’m very conscious of not wanting to disrupt and only trying to be a part of if I can add to it because it is so unbelievably special and I think it needs to be protected for as long as they can. So I have to say the culture, the mood and the overall positive energy and relationship everyone ha; it’s phenomenal and very hard to find.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Mikey Whipwreck Talks Working With Stone Cold Steve Austin During ECW Run

Jon Fuentes
-
3

Former ECW World Heavyweight Champion and ECW Original Mikey Whipwreck recently did an interview with The Two Man Power Trip Of Wresting podcast to talk about his professional wrestling career. During the interview, Whipwreck discussed winning the ECW Title, working with WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin during his stint with ECW, and what he thought of Paul Heyman after ECW closed up shop. Here are the highlights:

Winning the ECW World Title back in 1995:

“That is one of those this is not going to happen things. The TV title (okay very good), with Cactus Jack (a mark out moment for me) but now the World Champion part I thought there is no way. I said to myself this is where it would end because right now after I win this thing than the people are going to turn on me and hate my f*cking guts.

“I wouldn’t say they hated my guts but the win I had over Steve Austin was the beginning of the change and the frustration for me. It got to a now what? Because where do I go from there? I had this character that I could only evolve to a certain point so it was there that I started to get frustrated at that point. I almost thought where do I go now?”

Working with Stone Cold Steve Austin during his brief run with ECW:

“I wrestled Mysterio the night before and I beat him and I thought that since I beat Rey now I’ll lose to Steve the next night and when I saw Steve that afternoon he told me that he was putting me over. I thought it was a f*cking rib. I asked Paul about it and he said that it was Steve’s idea to put me over because for him to beat me doesn’t do anything and we can’t put the belt on him so he wants to put me over. For me it was a huge holy sh*t moment. He was so great to deal with. He didn’t call anything but the finish.

“The next month we did the three-way with Sandman and Austin and that was cluster f*ck central. I hated that match. I hated calling it, I hated doing it, I don’t even think I’ve watched it since but I still hate it now. I don’t even know if it was any good or not it was just a frustrating match to call and it didn’t seem to work.”

What he thought of Paul Heyman after ECW closed its doors:

“I am sure that Paul did not want the thing to go out of business. I am sure that Paul did not want to be a cog in the wheel working for Vince. It is (one of those) if he could have kept it going he would but I just think the time came that he couldn’t do it anymore and that was just it. It is not like he was getting rich but nobody else was. He owed everybody money and the way he did it was kind of sh*tty because he could have given everybody the heads up that look guys this is it and it’s done but everybody kind of found out for sure when he showed up on RAW. That was kind of the beginning of the end there.”

Listen to Whipwreck’s full interview on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling here.

Several UK Talents Being Brought In For Upcoming Shows

Jon Fuentes
-
1

The WWE continues to push the WWE Network around the world as they held its United Kingdom Championship Tournament earlier this year where they crowned their first champion in Tyler Bate. Bate went on to lose the title to Pete Dunne at NXT TakeOver: Chicago this past May.

Per a report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Bate along with various other names that were involved in the tournament such as Trent Seven, Wolfgang, Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews will be brought to the United States in the next few weeks by WWE. While it remains unclear what their role will be once brought overseas, it is rumored that they will be a part of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III event or thee post-SummerSlam weekend tapings.

Plans were for the WWE Network’s U.K. show to begin taping in June, however, nothing has been heard since then and the show is now on hold.

Simon Gotch Explains Why Enzo Amore Is A Detriment To Wrestlers

Jon Fuentes
-
14

Former WWE Superstar Simon Gotch (who now goes by Simon Grimm on the independent scene) recently did a shoot interview with RF Video to talk about his time in the WWE. Among other things, Gotch talked in depth about Enzo Amore and the reported heat he has backstage within the WWE locker room. You can check out the highlights from Gotch’s shoot interview below:

Amore being a detriment to himself and those around him:

“I will say, to his credit, he believes his own bulls–t. He is 100% confident in himself to his detriment and the detriment of others around him. He’s an example of someone who has no excuse to not know wrestling, but he doesn’t know wrestling.”

“The Realest Guy In The Room’s” lackluster in-ring skills that caused him to break his own leg:

“He broke his own leg trying to counter a wristlock. Yeah, when he was in the wheelchair on NXT TV, that’s how it happened. He broke his own leg trying to counter a wristlock. He blamed it on the canvas being loose.”

Amore suffering a shoot concussion at Payback and Gotch never receiving any heat for it backstage:

“He’s almost touching the ropes, maybe a quarter of the way off because, obviously, I don’t want him to be too close or Cass will tag him. I go, I start running with him, I’m ghosting him the whole way, my hands are here and here, just holding him. He’s running, running, running, he hits the slide, boom, hits. I follow through, [and taunt] ‘yeah, motherf–ker! Yeah.’ I go out of the ring. I look at him. I’m like, ‘man, he’s selling the s–t out of this, cool.’ I go to grab him.

“I’m a light touch with stuff like grabbing because I know how bad that sucks when someone just grabs you and just f–king… so literally, fingers on temples, side of the head. He comes with me. I’m like, ‘okay, he’s good.’ Charles [Robinson], the referee, says we’re in replays, so I let go of [Enzo], turn around, start jaw-jacking with the crowd, I turn back around I see this, I see the ‘X’. I go, ‘oh f–k. He’s out.'” Gotch added, “I never knew if there was any [heat]. I think most people know that Enzo was kind of a clod in the ring.”

WWE failing to capitalize on Amore’s concussion:

“I’m like, ‘well, they wanted us to be heels and we weren’t getting enough heat. We’re going to get heat for this.’ And the immediate thing we do, the next night, we job out to Big Cass on RAW. I think we did it three times in a row. We did like RAW, Main Event, and SmackDown. I may be mistaken, but it was three times within a couple of weeks.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcribed quotes

Report: Vince McMahon Furious With Shinsuke Nakamura For Botched Spot On SmackDown Live

Andrew Ravens
-
30

A new report has surfaced online that suggest that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was upset with Shinsuke Nakamura for his botched spot in the #1 contender match with John Cena on last week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Cleveland, OH.

As seen in the match, Nakamura hit a Back Suplex on Cena in which the former WWE Champion seemed to land pretty harshly on his neck. Fortunately for Cena, he was able to continue the match, which saw Nakamura pick up the victory.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated is reporting that McMahon was furious with the former NXT Champion for the botched spot. With WWE being dependent on the drawing power of the former WWE Champion, it was noted that McMahon’s anger was more in defense of Cena than it was an indictment of Nakamura. According to the report, McMahon has not lost faith in Nakamura, but if Nakamura makes another mistake on a grand stage, then McMahon will have an entirely different opinion of him.

Nakamura is scheduled to challenge Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event on August 20th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Rich Brennan On How Dusty Rhodes Helped Him In NXT, Fans Preferring Indie Wrestling Over WWE

Andrew Ravens
-
1

Rich Bocchini, better known as Rich Brennan in WWE NXT, recently spoke with Jay Reddick of the Orlando Sentinel. During the interview, the former NXT ring announcer talked about various topics including how the late great WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes helped him as an announcer and why some fans prefer independent wrestling over WWE. Here are the highlights:

Independent wrestling:

“I think it has to do with how nerd culture has melded with popular culture. A lot of indie wrestling is the hipster crowd that’s maybe into ‘Star Wars,’ comics and craft beer. I’m a little older, but I consider myself one of them. Every decent-sized city now has one craft brewery, if not four and people want to support the local brand, it feels like they can make it their own. That’s what indie wrestling is, it’s craft wrestling. It caters to the fan that doesn’t want the bigness of WWE and the indies are small enough that they can really listen to what people want on a more personal level.”

Dusty Rhodes helping him in NXT:

“I loved to pick Dusty’s brain on big-picture stuff. He gave me confidence. There were a lot of kids learning promos who were scared to death, but if he saw you worked hard and had passion, he would get behind you. He trusted both me and Corey Graves to do more and more and that was huge.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Lineup Released For WWE’s Return To Osaka, Japan (9/16)

Staff
-
3

WWE returns to Osaka, Japan on Saturday, September 16th for an afternoon SmackDown brand live event at the Edion Arena. The following matches have been announced for the show:

– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal (with the Singh Brothers) vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match

– WWE United States Champion AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens Rusev

– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin

– SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi, WWE NXT Women’s Champion Asuka, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs. Lana, Natalya, Tamina Snuka, Carmella with James Ellsworth

– Aiden English vs. Tian Bing

– Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler

Plus, there will be appearances by SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and more.

Jerry Lawler Thinks Hulk Hogan Will Be Back In WWE

Staff
-
20

On the latest episode of his “Dinner With The King” podcast, Jerry Lawler and co-host Glenn Moore were joined by WWE Hall Of Famer Jimmy Hart. During the show, they discussed the career of Hulk Hogan and possibility of the Hulkster resurfacing in WWE following his sex tape / racism scandal.

Despite all the negative headlines, Lawler and Hart are convinced we haven’t seen the last of Hulk Hogan in WWE. “In the wrestling world, you never say never,” said Lawler. “I thought it was way big overreaction what happened with Hulk in this most recent situation — the reason why he’s not in WWE at the moment.”

Lawler continued, “But I think that has definitely blown over. It was never a big deal to begin with. And I don’t think anybody even thinks about that anymore. I do think a lot of people would like to see Hulk come back. I think, right now, the ball is in Hulk’s court. If he wants to come back, I think he would definitely be able to come back.”

Jimmy Hart added, “You have seen clips of the Hulk being sprinkled into video packages lately on WWE programming. So I think one day that Hulk will be back where he deserves to be, with the WWE. I really do.”

You can listen to the full episode here:

Mike Tyson On Jericho’s Podcast, Cena-Nikki Milestone, Becky Lynch

Staff
-
8

– WWE Hall of Famer “Iron” Mike Tyson is Chris Jericho’s guest on this week’s Talk is Jericho podcast.

– Former WCW announcer and “What Happened When?” podcast host Tony Schiavone is Jim Ross’ guest on this week’s Ross Report podcast.

– John Cena noted on Twitter that today marks 5 years since he and fiancée Nikki Bella had their first date. Congrats to them.

– Finally, WWE is known for world class production values, but there are some aspects of its television presentation that many fans find irritating. One example is the “shaky cam” technique used during brawls. Another is the unrealistic viewing angle wrestlers use when watching the monitors backstage. When asked by a fan on Twitter, “Wassup wit dat?”, Becky Lynch said WWE Superstars just can’t help themselves.

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/895097284542726148

Jim Ross On Calling Undertaker’s Final Match, Triple H’s Abilities

Eric Lynch
-
3

Fans welcomed back long-time WWE announcer Jim Ross with a standing ovation for his return to the company at WrestleMania 33, where Ross called The Undertaker’s retirement match. Ross recently took part in an interview on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast where he revealed that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon made the call to bring J.R. back for the big match.

“Vince McMahon’s idea was to bring me back,” Ross said. “It was Vince’s idea to call the Undertaker match.”

“I was under the impression that Undertaker had suggested I call the match when he heard that I might come back,” he continued. “Kevin Dunn was crucial in the negotiations. For years McMahon would say to me and Kevin Dunn that we were his Number 1 and Number 2 guy. It’s all about talent and television, or television and talent. Vince will always say that the two elements of his company to become successful are television and talent.”

Ross also discussed Triple H, who is now more influential inside WWE than ever. Ross talked about The Game’s transition from talent to management.

“I gave him the nickname of the ‘Cerebral Assassin’ because it fit his character as a wrestling heel, and a smart, cagey, kind of a deadly planner, or strategist that has the physical skills to be very dangerous,” Ross said. “Hence, the Cerebral Assassin came about once while he was coming down the entrance on TV. Vince loved it, and Triple H has obviously embraced it, and it became his calling card.”

Ross adds that sometimes the members of D-X could be a handful to deal with behind-the-scenes, but Triple H was always the go-to guy because of his communication skills.

“We knew he was going to be a good leader; he had a good vision, a good feel, and could always add things to any scenario to make it better,” he said. “Here is the key thing; he had the ability to look at other people’s storyline and angles and make viable suggestions to make what they were doing better. Most top guys had the ability to do it themselves, but they’re not as forthcoming to do it for others to get them over because of the paranoia, anxiety and insecurities that people have in those regards. People feel as though they cannot acknowledge their competition.”

Big Names In Dark Match Street Fight After 205 Live, Celebrity Backstage w/ Jinder, Naomi Speaks

Eric Lynch
-
5

– This week’s SmackDown Fallout video features Women’s Champion Naomi discussing her non-title loss to Carmella, thanks to James Ellsworth. Naomi congratulates Carmella and Ellsworth on getting one over on her, but says what matters is SummerSlam and no one will take the title from her there.

– The dark match main event for the crowd in Toronto after 205 Live saw Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles defeat Baron Corbin and Kevin Owens in a “Toronto street fight tag match.”

– Actor Kal Penn of Harold and Kumar fame was WWE Champ Jinder Mahal’s personal guest at SmackDown in Toronto this week. WWE posted this photo of Mahal with Penn and the Singh Brothers backstage at the Air Canada Centre. The Singh Brothers were kept off TV this week to sell their injuries from the Punjabi Prison match.

Reigns vs Strowman In Boston Street Fight & IC Title Match Advertised For Next Week’s RAW, “Ballers” Renewed

Robert Lentini
-
12

Two matches advertised in Boston for next week’s RAW

WWE RAW will be taking place in Boston, MA next week on August 14th. During tonight’s episode of SmackDown, WWE ran the following advertisement in Boston for next week’s RAW. Braun Strowman versus Roman Reigns in a Boston Street Fight and Dean Ambrose versus The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship were the two matches highlighted in the advertisement.

https://twitter.com/MankyMedia/status/895104884583919617

“Ballers” renewed for a fourth season

The Hollywood Reporter announced that The Rock’s HBO show “Ballers” has been renewed for a fourth season. The third season began airing on July 23rd. The following statement was given to The Hollywood Reporter about the show’s renewal:

“We’re thrilled that the summer lineup of Ballers and Insecure connected with our viewers out of the gate,” said HBO Programming Executive Vice President Amy Gravitt, also commenting on Insecure being renewed for their third season. “We’re so proud to work with Dwayne, Issa and all of the amazing talent in both shows.”

The Rock tweeted out the following after the news broke:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhBe6Y0XT8

WWE SmackDown Recap & Reaction (8/8)

Robert Lentini
-
45

John Cena kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown and danced along to “John Cena sucks!” chants on the entrance ramp. Cena came down to the ring and stood with a smile on his face as the crowd booed and cheered. Cena discussed Shinsuke Nakamura defeating him last week and earning a shot at the WWE Championship at WWE SummerSlam.

Cena said that Shinsuke is afraid of nothing and a “Nakamura” chant broke out in the crowd. John noted that for a while he didn’t know why people were chanting Nakamura’s name, but last week he found out why. Cena said that Nakamura hits extremely hard and that he was shocked when he found out that he lost. Cena said that he shook Shinsuke’s hand after the match because Nakamura earned the right to call himself a champion.

Baron Corbin interrupted and said that he was so sick and tired of people talking about the stupid handshake after the match. Corbin said that he was Mr. Money in the Bank and that means that he is the future and that he has no problem making Cena a part of the past. Cena responded by calling Corbin “a skinny-fat overrated dumpster fire”. Cena then pointed to a sign in the crowd that read “Baron Corbin is a dumpster fire” and the entire crowd started chanting “dumpster fire!” at Corbin.

Cena challenged Corbin to come down to the ring for a fight. Corbin declined and said that John Cena isn’t worth his time because he has nothing he wants. SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan then came down to the entrance ramp and had a stare down with Corbin as the crowd chanted “yes!”.

Daniel Bryan tried to talk but the entire Toronto crowd started chanting his name. Bryan acknowledged the crowd and then directed his attention back to Corbin. Bryan said that he doesn’t know if Corbin is a dumpster or the future. Bryan then announced that Baron Corbin will face John Cena at WWE SummerSlam on August 20th.

Reaction: It comes as no surprise that Cena will face Baron Corbin at WWE SummerSlam. Corbin came down to the ring with his new entrance music and I thought he had a great back and forth with Cena here. I’ve criticized Corbin’s promos in the past, but I honestly think he has incredible potential in WWE. His promos have always felt forced, but tonight he was solid. Cena carried the majority of this segment and the entire crowd chanting “dumpster fire” was quite entertaining. This feud feels random, but I think working with Cena will only help Corbin as WWE is clearly setting him up for a major push in the near future.

Tye Dillinger & Sami Zayn vs The Usos 

Zayn and Dillinger were in control of the match early as SmackDown went to a commercial break. During the break, The Usos took control of the match and isolated Sami Zayn in the ring. Jimmy and Jey took turns beating down Zayn in the corner. When SmackDown returned, Jimmy went for a Splash in the corner but Zayn got out of the way and Jimmy hit the ring post.

Zayn tagged in Dillinger and Jey was tagged in at the same time. Tye connected with a Clothesline and then stomped on Jey in the corner. Dillinger went for a Suicide Dive but Jey punched him in the face as he was in between the ropes. Zayn then flipped onto Jimmy and Jey outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Dillinger planted Jey for a two count. Jimmy connected with a Superkick to Zayn outside the ring. Dillinger went for the Tye Breaker on Jey but Jimmy broke it up. Jimmy then booted Dillinger in the back of the leg and Jey applied the Tequila Sunrise for the submission victory.

After the match, The Usos cut a promo on New Day in the ring. For the second week in a row, Jimmy and Jey mocked New Day’s mannerisms and catchphrases. Big E then interrupted and started dancing on the entrance ramp. Woods and Kofi then attacked The Usos from behind. Woods brought some steel chairs into the ring. Big E lifted Jimmy Uso up onto his shoulders and Kofi was about to crack him over the head with a chair but Jey dragged Jimmy out of the ring. The crowd chanted “New Day rocks!” as The Usos retreated up the entrance ramp.

Winners: The Usos

Reaction: I am all for a tag team of Sami Zayn and Tye Dillinger. WWE clearly has no idea what to do with those two talented Superstars.They’ve spent the past couple months destroying RAW and SmackDown’s tag divisions, so why not put them together? I thought this match was entertaining. The Usos and New Day are going to have a great match at SummerSlam and this has been one of the best feuds going in WWE right now.

Randy Orton was interviewed backstage about his match tonight against Jinder Mahal. Orton said that Jinder Mahal won’t get away tonight because the Singh Brothers will not be by his side tonight.

Another episode of Fashion Files was shown. Tyler Breeze was shown with The Ascension. Breeze said that the dream he had last week was a code and that he needs to crack it. The Ascension then took the pie on the desk and left. Breeze asked where Fandango was and Fandango appeared behind him with a tie wrapped around his head.

Fandango claimed that he was abdubcted by aliens and that he could leave any time he wanted to. Breeze asked he didn’t leave and Fandango replied “anal probes”. Fandango said his misspoke and meant to say “wardrobes”. Fandango revealed that he could now see into the future and that the next person that walks through the door destroyed Tully, their fake horse. Arn Anderson walked into the room and admitted he destroyed Tully because Breezango didn’t name him Arn because he was the Hoss of that group. Arn then took a couple donuts and left.

Charlotte vs Lana

Charlotte threw Lana across the ring to start off the match and then taunted Lana. Charlotte connected with a couple of chops. Lana accidentally pulled down Charlotte’s pants and the crowd chanted “thank you Lana!”. Charlotte applied the Figure Eight for the submission victory.

Winner: Charlotte

SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon came down to the ring and was joined by US Champion AJ Styles and Kevin Owens. Dueling AJ Styles and Kevin Owens chants broke out in the Toronto crowd. Kevin Owens apologized to Shane McMahon for shouting at him last week because it was right after he got screwed over by the referee. Owens said he is not worried about Shane screwing him over at SummerSlam because we’ve already had a McMahon screw over a legendary Canadian. The crowd then chanted “you screwed Bret!” and Owens said that Bret deserved it.

Owens rolled footage of AJ Styles attacking Shane McMahon in the parking lot last March and slamming his head through the car window. Styles said that Owens was trying to stir the pot and told Owens that it wasn’t working. Styles then threatened Shane McMahon that if he screws him over, he will face the repercussions just like he did at WrestleMania.

Shane McMahon said that he believes Styles is confusing him for another McMahon and that he doesn’t operate like that. Owens interrupted and showed footage from Survivor Series 1998 where Shane McMahon was the special referee and gave Austin the middle finger during the tournament and cost him the match against Mankind. Owens said that there is hours of footage of Shane McMahon screwing wrestlers over as a special referee on the WWE Network and the crowd laughed.

Shane McMahon vowed to call this match right down the middle and stated that he will not get involved unless he has to. Shane told Styles and Owens to not give him a reason to get involved at SummerSlam. AJ Styles then proposed that they have the United States Championship match right now. Owens claimed that he would rather win the US Championship at SummerSlam in NYC in a city that actually matters. Styles then got in Owens’ face and said that this is the closest he will get to the title. Owens shoved Styles and AJ went for a Pele Kick and hit Shane McMahon in the head. Owens then exited the ring and laughed on the entrance ramp.

Reaction: Kevin Owens was hilarious during this promo. For the most part, I haven’t enjoyed this feud but Shane McMahon as the referee does add some unpredictability to the match. Owens and Styles can certainly put on a great match at SummerSlam and I’m looking forward to it.

Lana was shown backstage and Tamina interrupted. Lana asked Tamina to leave and Tamina said that Lana will never be as good of a wrestler. Tamina said that it was Lana’s ambition that got her three shots at the SmackDown Women’s Championship, not her in-ring skill. Tamina then stated that Lana is now going to help Tamina get at shot at the title.

Carmella vs Naomi

Naomi connected with a kick to Carmella’s head and followed it up with a slap that knocked Carmella out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. During the break, the action returned to the ring and Carmella knocked Naomi to the mat. Carmella then stood over Naomi and started taunting her. Carmella bounced Naomi’s head off the top and middle turnbuckle and then posed in the middle of the ring.

Carmella continued to taunt Naomi and moonwalked across the ring. Carmella hit the Bronco Buster for a one count. Carmella continued the attack and elbowed Naomi in the shoulder a couple of times before applying a Chin Lock. Naomi powered to her feet but Carmella dragged her back down while still applying the Chin Lock.

When SmackDown returned, Carmella dragged Naomi to the mat by her hair for a two count and then once again applied the Chin Lock. Natalya was shown watching the match backstage as Naomi connected with a Backbreaker. An “Ellsworth” chant broke out in the crowd as Naomi connected with a series of kicks. Naomi planted Carmella with a Jawbreaker and then charged at her in the corner. Carmella sent Naomi to the ring apron but Naomi booted Carmella in the side of the head.

Naomi went to the top rope but Carmella met her up there. Naomi shoved her to the mat but Carmella got up and grabbed Naomi’s hair. The referee separated the two and Ellsworth showed up and shoved Naomi off the top rope. Carmella then connected with a Superkick for the victory.

After the match, Carmella and Ellsworth celebrated in the ring.

Winner: Carmella

Natalya approached Carmella and James Ellsworth backstage. Natalya insulted Ellsworth and said that he was sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Natalya said that SummerSlam is her night to shine and that she will become SmackDown Women’s Champion. Natalya warned Carmella and Ellsworth to not get involved in her match at SummerSlam. Ellsworth and Carmella laughed and wished her luck against Naomi at SummerSlam.

Renee Young interviewed Shinsuke Nakamura. Shinsuke said that he wanted to be in WWE for his whole career to compete against the best in the world. Nakamura said that John Cena has been a measuring stick in WWE for the past decade and said that he beat him last week. Nakamura said that he couldn’t describe what it was like to stand in the ring with John Cena and to walk away victorious. Nakamura said that winning the WWE Championship is his destiny and that he will be watching Jinder Mahal tonight on SmackDown. Nakamura stated that he will win the WWE Championship at SummerSlam and that the “Nakamura dynasty” will begin.

Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal

Orton started out the match in control and beat the hell out of Mahal. Jinder escaped outside the ring and Orton followed him out there and leveled him with a Clothesline. Orton then cleared off the announce table and Mahal rolled back into the ring. Orton got back into the ring and Mahal stomped away on him. Orton responded with a Clothesline that knocked Mahal out of the ring.

Orton brought Mahal onto the announce table and the crowd started to cheer. Orton went for an RKO and Mahal shoved him off the table into the timekeeper’s area as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Mahal was in control of the match as the action returned to the ring.

Mahal applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring and Orton powered to his feet to break the hold. Orton connected with a headbutt and avoided Mahal as he charged at him and Jinder flew into the ring post. Nakamura was shown watching the match backstage as both Orton and Mahal made their way to their feet.

Orton planted Mahal with a Superplex for a two count. Orton connected with a couple of Clotheslines and followed it up with a Fallaway Slam. Orton then climbed to the second rope and started punching Mahal in the head as the crowd chanted “10!” after every punch. Mahal escaped but Orton planted him with a Powerslam for a two count.

Mahal connected with a knee to the face for a two count. The crowd chanted “Jinder” as Mahal went for the Khallas but Orton blocked it. Orton connected with a DDT while Mahal was hung up between the ropes. Orton went for an RKO but Mahal reversed it into a roll-up for a two count. Mahal went for the Khallas but Orton reversed it into the RKO for the victory.

After the match, Rusev attacked Orton on the entrance ramp.

Winner: Randy Orton

Reaction: I’ve seen enough Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton matches to last a lifetime. I’m not a fan of seeing the WWE Champion lose clean on a random match on SmackDown. I’m no fan of Jinder Mahal, I’ve just never liked seeing champions get beat in throwaway matches and WWE seems to do that a ton. Overall, SmackDown was decent tonight. There weren’t any outstanding matches, but the promos were entertaining.

What did you think of this week’s episode of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments below.

John Cena’s SummerSlam Opponent Announced, Updated PPV Card

Robert Lentini
-
14

John Cena kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown and danced along to “John Cena sucks!” chants on the entrance ramp. Cena came down to the ring and stood with a smile on his face as the crowd booed and cheered. Cena discussed Shinsuke Nakamura defeating him last week and earning a shot at the WWE Championship at WWE SummerSlam.

Cena said that Shinsuke is afraid of nothing and a “Nakamura” chant broke out in the crowd. John noted that for a while he didn’t know why people were chanting Nakamura’s name, but last week he found out why. Cena said that Nakamura hits extremely hard and that he was shocked when he found out that he lost. Cena said that he shook Shinsuke’s hand after the match because Nakamura earned the right to call himself a champion.

Baron Corbin interrupted and said that he was so sick and tired of people talking about the stupid handshake after the match. Corbin said that he was Mr. Money in the Bank and that means that he is the future and that he has no problem making Cena a part of the past. Cena responded by calling Corbin “a skinny-fat overrated dumpster fire”. Cena then pointed to a sign in the crowd that read “Baron Corbin is a dumpster fire” and the entire crowd started chanting “dumpster fire!” at Corbin.

Cena challenged Corbin to come down to the ring for a fight. Corbin declined and said that John Cena isn’t worth his time because he has nothing he wants. SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan then came down to the entrance ramp and had a stare down with Corbin as the crowd chanted “yes!”.

Daniel Bryan tried to talk but the entire Toronto crowd started chanting his name. Bryan acknowledged the crowd and then directed his attention back to Corbin. Bryan said that he doesn’t know if Corbin is a dumpster or the future. Bryan then announced that Baron Corbin will face John Cena at WWE SummerSlam on August 20th.

Updated WWE SummerSlam card

Fatal 4-Way for the WWE Universal Championship

  •  Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe vs Braun Strowman

(if Brock Lesnar loses, he leaves WWE)

WWE Championship

  • Jinder Mahal (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

SmackDown Women’s Championship

  • Naomi (c) vs Natalya

RAW Women’s Championship

  • Alexa Bliss (c) vs Sasha Banks or Nia Jax

United States Championship (Special Referee: Shane McMahon)

  • AJ Styles (c) vs Kevin Owens

Cruiserweight Championship 

  • Neville (c) vs Akira Tozawa

SmackDown Tag Team Championship

  • New Day (c) vs The Usos

-Rusev vs Randy Orton

-Big Cass vs Big Show (Enzo Amore will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage)

-Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt

-John Cena vs Baron Corbin

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (8/8)

Eric Lynch
-
321

The August 8th, 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

– John Cena comes out to the ring first to kick off this week’s episode of SmackDown. He hops in the ring and gets on the mic and says he’s just as fired up as the crowd in Toronto tonight. Cena says he lost clean to Nakamura last week, there was no Montreal Screwjob. Cena says him simply losing doesn’t happen a lot, and talks about his respect for Nakamura when he gets interrupted by Baron Corbin. Corbin has new entrance music. Corbin points out that he has the Money In The Bank briefcase and he calls his own shots. Cena calls him out to come down to the ring, and Corbin acts like he’s going to head to the ring but then he changes his mind. Corbin asks why he would fight Cena now when he has the Money In The Bank briefcase. Corbin goes to leave, but he gets stopped by SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan. Bryan says since Corbin doesn’t have his ring gear tonight, he’s booking Corbin vs. Cena for SummerSlam. Bryan heads to the back as Corbin stares at Cena from the stage.

– The Usos def. Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger: Zayn and Dillinger get in lots of offense in the opening minutes. Dillinger hits ten stomps on Jimmy Uso in the corner which prompts Uso to roll outside to recover. Jey cheap-shots Tye through the ropes, so Zayn hits a suicide dive over the top rope onto both Usos. Back in the ring, the two legal men Dillinger and Jey go at it. Jimmy hits the blind tag and cheap shots Tye. The Usos double-team Tye’s knee, then Jey locks Tye in the Tequila Sunrise for the win via submission.

– After the match, the Usos cut a promo on The New Day. They get distracted by Big E coming out on the stage, then the Usos get jumped by Xavier and Kofi from behind. Jimmy eventually pulls Jey out of harms way and The Usos escape up the ramp.

– Randy Orton does an interview in the back where he says that Jinder Mahal won’t be able to get away from him tonight now that he won’t have the Singh Brothers by his side.

– In the latest edition of The Fashion Files/Fashion Peaks, Fandango makes his long-awaited return. He says aliens kidnapped him, but he could have left any time he wanted. When Breeze asks him why he didn’t leave, Fandango says “anal probes — I mean wardrobes.” Fandango says the next person who enters is the one who destroyed their toy horse Tully. Arn Anderson walks in and confesses that he is the one who destroyed their horse, because it should have been named Arn. Arn leaves the office and takes their food with him.

– Charlotte def. Lana: It’s all Charlotte in the opening moments as she toys with Lana and hits several chops across the chest. Lana slaps Charlotte across the face, so Charlotte comes back with a big boot. Charlotte locks Lana in the Figure 8 for the win via submission.

– SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon is backstage heading to the gorilla position.

– We go to the ring with Shane McMahon, who introduces Kevin Owens and AJ Styles to discuss their match at SummerSlam. Shane brings up that Owens was apprehensive about Shane being the referee, and was even screaming in his face about it. Owens says what happened last week was in the heat of the moment, and he apologizes to Shane. Owens says we did already have a McMahon screw over a legendary Canadian for a title before, which gets a big response from the crowd. Owens then swerves the crowd by finishing his thoughts about Bret, “but he deserved it.” Owens shows footage of Styles attacking Shane in the parking garage in March, and asks Shane how he can trust AJ. AJ says if Shane steps over the line he’ll get punished just like he did at WrestleMania, and that he doesn’t trust a McMahon. Owens says here’s what could happen to AJ, then shows footage of Shane refereeing a match in 1998 and screwing over Steve Austin in a match against Mankind. Owens says you could make a WWE Network Collection just of clips of Shane screwing over wrestlers. Shane says it’s no secret Owens and Styles don’t like him, but it doesn’t matter because he’ll be an impartial referee and won’t get involved unless he has to. Shane tells them not to give him a reason to get involved. AJ says he has an idea: Let’s get rid of Shane and not wait until SummerSlam, and instead get it on right here and now for the U.S. Title. Owens says he would rather win the U.S. title in the U.S. in a city that actually matters. Styles gets in Owens’ face and a shoving match starts which Shane tries to get in the middle of. Shane tries to separate Owens and Styles, but ends up accidentally taking a Pele kick from Styles. Owens heads to the back and laughs.

– Naomi takes on Carmella next.

– Lana is backstage upset about her loss earlier. Tamina walks in and calls out Lana for being overconfident. Tamina says Lana will never be the wrestler she is, and Lana says Tamina will never be as ravishing as her. Tamina says it wasn’t Lana’s wrestling skills that got her the matches, it was her ambition, and now Lana has to help Tamina get hers.

– Carmella def. Naomi: Natalya is backstage watching this non-title match on a monitor. Carmella gets in lots of offense in the opening moments. Naomi comes back with a series of kicks then takes things into the corner. Naomi goes up top, but James Ellsworth comes out of nowhere and hops up on the apron while Carmella is distracting the ref. The distraction causes Naomi to fall and wipe out on the mat. Carmella follows up with a superkick and pins for the win after a short match. Ellsworth and Carmella run to the back with the Money In the Bank briefcase.

– Natalya runs into Carmella and Ellsworth backstage. She tells Carmella that when she’s done with her, she’ll have a chin (or lack thereof) like Ellsworth. Carmella and Ellsworth taunt Natalya right back and walk off.

– Shinsuke Nakamura takes part in a backstage interview with Renee Young where he explains that he came to WWE to face the best talent they have. He relives his victory over John Cena which secured him his WWE Title shot at SummerSlam, and says that his era is just beginning.

– Jinder Mahal comes out to the ring during the commercial break, and when we come back the Canadian crowd is chanting for “Jinder.” Our main event is up next. For those who don’t know, Mahal is really from Alberta, Canada.

– Randy Orton def. Jinder Mahal: This one is a non-title match, and we’re told the Singh Brothers are not in the building tonight due to their injuries from the Punjabi Prison match. After a brief collar and elbow tie-up, this one turns into an all out brawl with both men throwing punches and knees. Orton takes down Mahal with a Thesz Press, then Jinder rolls outside to recover. Orton follows Jinder outside and beats him down, then back-suplexes Jinder onto the fan barricade. Orton takes the Champion around to the announce tables and suplexes him onto one of those too. Back in the ring, Jinder hits some kicks on Orton and the crowd starts getting behind Jinder. Orton clotheslines Jinder back outside and takes Jinder over to the announce tables again. Orton goes for an RKO on the announce table, but Jinder pushes Orton off and Orton crashes down near the timekeeper’s area. Jinder takes Orton back in the ring and tries to keep Orton grounded. Mahal misses a spear in the corner and hits the ring post. Nakamura is shown backstage watching. Orton takes Jinder up top and hits a superplex. Orton hits a series of clotheslines on Jinder, then a fallaway slam. Orton mounts Jinder in the corner for ten punches, but Jinder pushes him off. Orton comes back with a powerslam for a two count. Orton hits an elbow to the face, but Jinder answers with a knee to Orton’s face for a two count. Orton comes back with a DDT and gears up for an RKO. Jinder reverses the RKO into a rollup for a two count, then Jinder superkicks Orton. Jinder locks in the Cobra Clutch but Orton reverses it into an RKO for the win. Orton taunts the fans then heads to the back as Jinder recovers at ringside. Immediately before the end of the show, before Orton can get behind the curtain, Rusev comes out of nowhere and hits a big boot to Orton’s face. SmackDown goes off the air immediately after as Orton lays on the stage with Rusev standing above him.

Possible Plans For WWE SummerSlam Kickoff Pre-Show

Jon Fuentes
-
23

The WWE’s SummerSlam pre-show will kick off at 5pm EST on August 20th with a panel of Renee Young, Peter Rosenberg, David Otunga, and WWE Hall of Famers Lita and Jerry “The King” Lawler; with the pay-per-view (PPV) kicking off at 7pm EST.

Per a report from PWInsider, original plans had The Hardy Boyz taking on The Revival on the Kickoff Pre-Show, however, due to the recent bicep injury suffered by Scott Dawson that is likely to change. It is now believed that The Hardys will take on Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson instead, but that has yet to be announced.

The idea has also been tossed around of adding another Tag Team match-up to the Kickoff Pre-Show, that bout being The New Day vs. The Usos for the SmackDown Live Tag Team Championships.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

Rumor: Ronda Rousey Training For Potential WWE Career

Jon Fuentes
-
32

Ronda Rousey’s career in mixed martial arts (MMA) with the UFC may be over, but her professional wrestling career could just be getting started.

“The Rowdy One” was once undefeated in her professional MMA career before suffering a second round knockout loss to Holly Holm in November of 2015. She made her return to the Octagon one year later in attempt to recapture the 135-pound title, however, she was knocked out by Amanda Nunes in just under a minute. With her MMA career being very much in doubt, many fans are wondering what’s next for the former Olympic Judoka – and WWE may just be that answer.

Per a report from Fightful, Rousey is seriously considering a career inside the squared circle and has gone as far as picking up some of the basics from a WWE Superstar. She reportedly requested Triple H to get her involved in her recent appearance with The Four Horsewomen at the Mae Young Classic. The report also suggests that WWE referred Rousey and company to former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick for training in Southern California. There was buzz backstage amongst WWE employees that Rousey is expected to start training soon, and has already taken some basic bumps amongst other things thus far.

Rousey’s fellow horsewomen have pretty depthy WWE connections; as her friend Marina Shafir is engaged to NXT star Roderick Strong, Shayna Baszler was recently involved in the Mae Young Classic, and Jessamyn Duke has already begun her training. Rousey also appeared at WrestleMania 31 alongside The Rock, as well as at SummerSlam in 2014. She has also been teasing a ‘big announcement’ on her official website as of late, but it’s not yet known if the two are related.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…..

WWE RAW Viewership Up With Last Man Standing Main Event

Staff
-
3

Monday’s WWE RAW averaged 3.24 million viewers, up from last week’s 3.163 million. This was the most-watched episode of RAW since April 17th, a week after the Superstar Shake-up.

The show featured Braun Strowman defeating Roman Reigns in the main event (with help from Samoa Joe), WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar unleashing his fury on the set of Miz TV, Sasha Banks and Nia Jax winning triple threat matches to set up their #1 contender’s match next week, Bayley addressing her shoulder injury and additional hype for SummerSlam.

Here’s the hourly breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily.com:

  • Hour 1: 3.263 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 3.314 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 3.144 million viewers

RAW was #1 in viewership for the night on cable and #2 in the 18-49 demographic, behind Love & Hip-Hop.

Check out the Top 10 Moments from this week’s RAW:

AJ Styles Wants To Main Event WrestleMania Against Shinsuke Nakamura

Staff
-
21

WWE United States Champion AJ Styles participated in a Q&A panel this past weekend at the Wizard World Columbus comic convention and spoke about which Superstars he’d like to work with in the future. Styes said there’s a number of guys looking forward to wrestling, whether it’s Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor or Seth Rollins. He’d also be down for another program with Roman Reigns.

When pressed about which of those names he most wants to wrestle, Styles said it has to be Nakamura – and he knows when and where that match should take place. The two men have torn the house down before (see below) and Styles said his first match against Nakamura in WWE is worthy of the main event of WrestleMania.

https://youtu.be/UOkXGgJwmVk

Courtesy of ScreenGeek.net, Styles said, “I’m picking Shinsuke. Sorry, that’s nothing on Finn Balor. The reason why I say this is because at Wrestlemania, it’s not going to happen with Finn Balor and I. Why? Because he’s on Raw. Shinsuke’s my best chance getting into that Main Event picture at Wrestlemania. That’s why he wins the championship. I hope he wins it so I can get in there and wrestle him at Wrestlemania.”

Styles is excited that Nakamura is getting a shot at WWE Champion Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam. Whether that match closes the show or not, Styles can’t wait to see the match.

“This guy has paid his dues. He’s been in Japan for a long time and he’s so charismatic in everything he does. I’m looking forward to the match just like everyone else.”

John Cena vs. Samoa Joe Advertised For Several Upcoming Shows

Staff
-
14

After a hard fought match against Shinsuke Nakamura last week on SmackDown Live, John Cena has another “dream match” lined up against one of the RAW brand’s most dangerous competitors.

Local ads for the Labor Day edition of WWE RAW (9/4) from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska are advertising two big matches for that night. John Cena will square off against Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns will challenge Braun Strowman in an Omaha Street Fight.

It remains to be seen whether or not these matches will be televised, but Cena facing Samoa Joe next month is a good indication that the two men will feud when Cena begins working on the RAW brand after SummerSlam by way of his “free agent” status.

As noted earlier, Cena is advertised for most episodes of WWE RAW after SummerSlam leading up to September’s No Mercy pay-per-view (9/24) from Los Angeles.

Update: It looks like John Cena vs. Samoa Joe is being advertised for several more upcoming shows, based on social media activity.

https://twitter.com/csuktown/status/894618613650292737

Jim Ross On Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura At SummerSlam, Weekly WWE UK TV Show

Andrew Ravens
-
3

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.

WWE Championship match between Jinder Mahal and Shinsuke Nakamura at SummerSlam:

“Curious to see how the Jinder Mahal vs Shinsuke Nakamura title bout at SummerSlam evolves. The Two main events for the WWE and the Universal Titles at SummerSlam are compelling regrding the strategy component IMO. It’s certainly an opportunity to enhance the TV personas of multiple talents i.e. “Maximize One’s Minutes.”

Bayley and Scott Dawson’s injuries:

“Never a good time for injures in any endeavor but it looks as if both Bayley and Scott Dawson of Revival will miss SummerSlam with injuries. There’s no good time to be injured but the key ingredient is how does one strategize and execute coming back better than when they were before they were injured? Mental preparation for one’s craft doesn’t have to stop because of a ruptured bicep or separated shoulder. Bayley is as good as there is in the women’s division in WWE while The Revival boys are one of my favorite tag teams to come along in years and remind me so much of Jim Cornette’s famed, Midnight Express teams.”

Weekly WWE UK TV show:

“I get asked often about the WWE U.K. TV Show that has been discussed sporadically over the past several months and I don’t have an update except to say that the idea is still alive and well. I hope to be included with Nigel McGuiness on the broadcast team if and when it happens.”

Ross also talked about NJPW’s G1 Climax and more. You can read the entire blog here.

Cody Rhodes Explains Why His Run In GFW Was Short

Andrew Ravens
-
9

Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Champion Cody Rhodes recently spoke with FanBuzz.com to talk about various topics including his departure from WWE, success in NJPW and more. You can check out the highlights right here:

The reason he didn’t tell Goldust about leaving WWE:

“He didn’t hear about it. I didn’t really share it with him, I don’t know why. He found out like everyone else did that day,” Rhodes said. “That was a decision where I can’t stay with WWE because you guys are honoring my dad so much. I’m an individual myself. I love my dad, but if I stay here because you guys are honoring his legacy, yet you don’t honor me and honor my hard work, then I can tell you the number one person who would be pissed off would be my dad.”

His short time in GFW:

“Brandi was watching Maria and Mike (Bennett) on Pop and she wanted to go. I didn’t have any plans to go, but I thought I could absolutely try to help make that happen. I didn’t have a bad outing at all or a single complaint. I do think it was a bit misleading to fans whereas I had only signed on to do 3-4 dates and I didn’t re-sign — I would have made everyone aware if I had re-signed. So it was a little misleading because I think they made it seem like I was part of the roster and I really wasn’t, I was just dropping in and saying hello on occasion,” Rhodes said.

“They let me do that, so I respect Impact for letting me do that. I really liked Dixie (Carter), really liked Billy (Corgan), really liked Jeff and Karen (Jarrett). No complaints.”

Rhodes also talked about his goals for next year and more. You can read the entire interview here.

1...1,8641,8651,866...3,403Page 1,865 of 3,403