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Nia Jax Reveals Which Guest At The WWE PC Made Braun Strowman Look Small

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Superstar Nia Jax recently did an interview with Metro to talk about a variety of topics including what it’s like to be backstage with WWE, being on the main roster alongside her friend and Monday Night RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and Game Of Thrones character “The Mountain” visiting the WWE Performance Center and making Braun Strowman look small. You can check out the highlights here below:

What it’s like being backstage in WWE:

“When it comes to match time everyone settles down and gets into game mode, but a little bit before then there’s nothing wrong with a little fun and play. Our schedule is not easy, I don’t think any other sports team or company does what we do, we’re 24/7 and always on the road, no matter what. Every now and then it’s good to have a nerf ball fight or whatever to get rid of some of the stress we have.”

Being on the main roster with Alexa Bliss:

“Right now I’m honored to be where I am so short into my WWE career. I know that being so different does award me some things that I’m getting, but I’m grateful. Alexa and I have been best friends since I tried out in NXT, she was one of the first people to help me and ever since we’ve been close. We call ourselves ‘Team Rude’ because we’re super goofy, and that’s literally one of the words that you’ll hear out of our mouths when we’re talking. Hopefully I can continue bringing new things to the table and staying on top.”

Game Of Thrones character “The Mountain” visiting the WWE Performance Center and making Braun Strowman look small:

“Obviously The Mountain! He came over to the Performance Center when I was there, and he was sitting next to Braun Strowman and made him look little. I would love for that to come to life in WWE, that would be cool to see Braun vs The Mountain! I know this is bad and not popular, but I’m a big fan of Cersei.

“In my gear I’ve mirrored her recent outfits, she wears a black robe that comes up high on her neck with the shoulder pads, so I’ve tried to incorporate that look. I’ll literally send in pictures of Cersei to my gear lady and ask her to make things that look like her outfits. That’s why I’m in full body black, I love Cersei, her dynamic and how far she’s come.”

Check out Jax’s full interview with Metro at this link here.

Jinder Mahal On Having A Lot Of Regrets Following His 2014 WWE Release

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Champion Jinder Mahal recently did an interview with Ottawa Citizen to talk about his professional wrestling career and much more. “The Modern Day Maharaja” was asked about his release from WWE back in 2014, having pride for Calgary and bringing the WWE title back, as well as being proud of his Indian heritage. Check out some of the highlights here:

Being released from WWE back in 2014:

“I had a lot of regrets. I felt like I didn’t give it my all. I said, if I ever get a second chance I’ll do everything in my power. I’ll give it 110 percent. I’ve taken full advantage of that opportunity. I was working hard to become WWE champion, but now that I am WWE champion, I’m putting in even more work.”

Having pride for Calgary and bringing the WWE Championship back:

“Calgary prides itself on being a wrestling town. I was very proud to bring the championship back to Calgary. It’s a huge deal for not only my family, but Calgary as a city.”

Being proud of his Indian heritage:

“Every day is a blessing in WWE, and I keep reminding myself of that. That’s my character. I’m very proud of my Indian heritage; I’m very proud of my Canadian heritage, as well, and I think, when the time is right, we’ll show that side, too. But, right now, I’m having fun representing the 1.3 billion people of India.”

You can read Mahal’s full interview with Ottawa Citizen at this link.

Sami Zayn Thinks It’s ‘A Matter Of Time’ Before He Rematches Shinsuke Nakamura

Jon Fuentes
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1

WWE Superstar Sami Zayn recently did an interview with Main Event Radio to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Zayn talked about being an underdog, who he wants to seen called up from NXT, a potential rematch with Shinsuke Nakamura, main eventing the Bell Center in Montreal with Kevin Owens earlier this year, and his #SamiForSyria campaign. Here are the highlights:

Being an underdog:

“It’s a double-edged sword. You don’t want to sell yourself short. At a certain time I viewed it as if the deck was stacked against me. When I first signed with WWE almost five years ago now, the landscape was very different. I think certainly back then I would’ve viewed myself as more of an underdog, but nowadays the WWE is full of people I’ve come up with and traveled the roads with. I no longer view myself in that way to be honest. It’s still a good story though.”

Who he wants to see called up from NXT:

“I think Bobby Roode has been doing really well so I wouldn’t be surprised to see another Canadian coming up with us pretty soon.”

A potential rematch with Shinsuke Nakamura:

“I think it’s a matter of time. When you work in WWE, eventually you cross paths with everyone. Eventually me and Shinsuke [Nakamura] will cross paths again. I don’t know if it will really capture the magic of that one night. It’s really hard to capture the magic like that. The match that we had at NXT Takeover: Dallas was really special. Time will tell.”

Main eventing the Bell Center in Montreal with Kevin Owens earlier this year:

“I split my time between Orlando, Florida and Montreal. Montreal is always home and I’ve spent most of the summer there. It was very symbolic to wrestle Kevin in the main event of the Bell Center. Both of us starting in front of really small crowds in the suburban Montreal scene to then go all the way and main event the Bell Center in a street fight. When the chains are off, we could really go and have some exciting matches.

“It was a fond memory for me, one of the most special matches for me not only in WWE but in my entire career. Kevin [Owens] was about to leave the ring, and I grabbed the microphone and said, ‘We’ve been beating each other up for years and to have the main event of this show be two Montreal boys who just tore the house down, for that there is certain amount of respect there.’ Kevin being Kevin said ‘I hate you,’ and left.”

His #SamiForSyria campaign:

“Recently I’ve realized the reach that we have. I’ve launched this fundraising campaign, partnering with a humanitarian group named Syrian American Medical Society to launch a mobile clinic to help people who don’t have access to health care in Syria. I’m very grateful for the platform that WWE gives me to be able to do something positive and to make a difference in the world. Being Syrian-Canadian, to help the people over there I am very grateful for that.”

You can listen to Zayn’s interview with Main Event Radio by clicking this link.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Jeff Hardy Opens Up On His Music Career, If He Has Tried To Get Matt Involved

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy recently did an interview with WWE.com to talk about his career in the music industry while he’s away from professional wrestling. Hardy talked about his band, Peroxwhy?gen, if he has ever gotten Matt Hardy involved, and what goals he has for his band. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:

Splitting time between music and wrestling:

“It’s hard, man, [on] days like that Monday Night Raw in Nashville. We did that show after our latest CD – ‘Precession of the Equinoxes,’ which is available now at JeffHardyBrand.com – came out. It was a tough day: We wrestled The Revival, got beat, and then I had to get ready and sing 14 songs. It’s tough, but I think moving forward, we’re gonna try to do a show at least once a month in towns near and around Nashville.”

If Matt Hardy ever gets involved in his music:

“I’ve tried my best! Matt has written so many cool raps back in the day. I’ve said, ‘Man, let’s just get in the studio and record a brotherly song! I’ll try to do my little alternative abstract rock and you come in with a bridge rap at the end.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, man,’ but he’s also said he’s gonna get ‘Hardy Boyz’ tattooed on his neck and it hasn’t happened yet, so I don’t know if we’ll ever write a song together.

“Still, for him to come out and support me that night meant the world. We’ve been through so much, and for us to be back in WWE doing what we’re doing now, and have my music going the way it is, it’s the best to have his support.”

What goals he has for his band:

“I actually had the opportunity to play the [Vans] Warped Tour this month, two Carolina dates. I was so scared to commit; I knew I was coming back to WWE, but it was before we made our return. I was like, ‘I can’t really commit to that; should I ask somebody?’ I kept putting it off and putting it off until finally, I said, ‘All right, there’s no more time.’

“But, starting now, my goal is to play the Warped Tour next summer – a couple of days in the Carolinas or Tennessee. As far as wrestling, it’s to keep on rockin’ and maybe perform at one of the pay-per-views these days. Maybe write a song for one.”

You can check out Hardy’s full interview with WWE at this link here.

Update On Bayley’s Shoulder Injury and SummerSlam Status

Daniel Pena
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It now appears unlikely that Bayley will challenge Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam after suffering an injury to her right shoulder during a match against Nia Jax on Raw on Monday.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaiDu4Tt8Qw&w=620&h=349]

On Friday, Cathy Kelley reported in this video that the extent of her injury has not been determined due to swelling in and around the injured area. A conclusive diagnosis will be made on Monday at Raw in Toronto.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WevFxvIYdzI&w=620&h=349]

In WWE.com’s preview for Raw, an indication is given that Bayley won’t be wrestling at SummerSlam, or anytime soon for that matter.

Regarding the situation, WWE.com wrote, “Based on what we have seen, it doesn’t seem likely that The Huggable One will be getting back into the ring anytime soon.”

WWE.com also notes, “If Bayley is unable to compete at SummerSlam, who will challenge the so-called “Goddess of WWE” for her coveted championship? Hopefully, details will emerge on Raw.”

Backstage News On If Shinsuke Namakura Took Heat For Botch With John Cena

Jon Fuentes
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27

This past Tuesday on SmackDown Live, former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Shinsuke Nakamura defeated 16-time WWE World Champ John Cena in the night’s main event. Just prior to the finish, however, Nakamura hit a suplex on Cena in which “The Leader Of The Cenation” landed right on his head and neck. It looked to be a very nasty bump and fans were immediately wondering if the Japanese star would take heat for what happened once he returned backstage.

Per a report of Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the incident was considered to be a ‘fluke’ backstage and Nakamura took no heat at all for what happened. Immediately after the match fans could make out a brief conversation between Nakamura and Cena, as Nakamura apologized for what happened and Cena responded by telling him there was no need to apologize. Both men handled the incident with class and it seems as though we can all now move on from it.

With the win, Nakamura has now earned the opportunity to challenge for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam against current title holder Jinder Mahal.

Another Title Match Added To WWE SummerSlam, Updated PPV Card

Robert Lentini
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8

WWE announced this morning that The New Day will face The Usos at WWE SummerSlam for the SmackDown Tag Titles. Back in June, The Usos purposely got themselves counted out at the Money in the Bank PPV to retain their titles against the New Day. The New Day then defeated The Usos at WWE Battleground to capture the titles late last month.

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 Bayley

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

Seth Rollins Apologizes For Missing Show, Mae Young Classic Competitor Injured

Daniel Pena
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5

– Seth Rollins was advertised for tonight’s WWE live event in Halifax, Nova Scotia but did not appear.

At midnight, he sent out a tweet apologizing to Halifax fans for missing the show. Rollins explains that he didn’t arrive in Nova Scotia until 10:00 p.m.

Had Rollins appeared, he likely would have teamed with Dean Ambrose against Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Instead, Ambrose faced Anderson in a singles match with Gallows at ringside. Despite constant interference from Gallows, Ambrose beat Anderson via Dirty Deeds.

– Xia Li, who is among the competitors in WWE’s Mae Young Classic, is dealing with an injury to her arm.

On Friday, Li posted this photo of her arm in a sling.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXZHyMzjL3m/

With a background in martial arts and fitness competitions, Li, real name Zhao Xia, is one of WWE’s Chinese recruits training at the Performance Center. She arrived at the Performance Center in January and made her in-ring debut last month at the Mae Young Classic.

Cody Rhodes Reacts To Kenny Omega Being Considered The Best In The World

Jon Fuentes
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15

Former WWE Superstar and current Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Champion Cody Rhodes recently did an interview with the International Business Times to talk about a number of professional wrestling topics, such as his amazing amount of success since leaving WWE, losing at the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) G1 Special, and people considering NJPW star Kenny Omega to be the best wrestler in the world. Here are the highlights:

His amazing amount of success since leaving WWE:

“There’s that saying, ‘Act like you’ve been in the end zone before,’ but I hadn’t been in the end zone before. So it’s very surprising. It’s been one hell of a ride, and I’m aware that it’s kind of an abnormal amount of success outside of WWE. Winning the Ring of Honor World Title in less than a year and to headline those G1 Specials.

“I know my business, so I know that could fall out at any minute. There could be no one wanting to interview me. But right now, I’m trying to make it so that every day we get something special, and as ROH World Champion, I have the responsibility of captaining an entire ship. I’m looking forward to the possibilities there.”

Losing at the NJPW G1 Special:

“Today you gotta be a much better player than just a bad guy or a good guy. You gotta be a star. Those are the things my dad really harped on. Heel, babyface. He didn’t believe in it anymore. He just believed you’re a star or you’re on your way to being a star. And I had his voice in my head because I remember that fan rattled me a bit, and I tripped on my damn cape and I was like ‘Shake it off. Shake it off. You’re world champion. He’s the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Just go for it.’ And it was a real fun night.”

Kenny Omega being considered the best wrestling in the world:

“Kenny currently has the distinction of being the best wrestler in the world, and his run is proving tons of evidence to support that. For a singles wrestler like myself, who’s the world champion, it pisses you off a little bit. But you can be pissed off and go about it the wrong way, or you can go about it the right way. And I try to go about this the right way. Kenny and I are Bullet Club, and I want to outperform him, which is a tall, tall order.

“But if I never go out there to give it a shot, then I’m not Bullet Club material in the first place. I think it’s the same with the Bucks. I think they love Kenny to death, but the concept of The Elite is not just a concept, it’s very real. Those three guys have each other’s backs, but if the Bucks go on last, they want to blow Kenny out of the water. They want to blow me out of the water. It’s not a negative at all. It’s a positive. It’s just a really fun, competitive environment in Bullet Club.”

You can check out Rhodes full interview with the International Business Times at this link.

Ric Flair Names The Four Top Performers In WWE Today

Jon Fuentes
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29

Two time WWE Hall Of Famer and 16-time World Champion Ric Flair recently did an interview with Gamespot to promote his upcoming ESPN ’30 for 30? special which focuses on his life and career in professional wrestling. While Flair spoke on a variety of topics, he also named who he believed to be the four best performers today. While naming his daughter as one of them, “The Nature Boy” also named Randy Orton, A.J. Styles, and Seth Rollins before going on to explain his picks:

“It’s one of four people: Randy Orton, A.J. Styles, my daughter, and Seth Rollins. I didn’t even have to think twice about that”

“Orton is just one of the most gifted guys I’ve ever seen. Orton brings the whole package. He’s 6’4?, phenomenal body, he’s a good talker and a phenomenal in-ring performer. Seth Rollins is the same, just a little bit smaller. A.J. is close to being Shawn Michaels in terms of work ethic. He’s really good and his interviews have gotten better. And then, my daughter…I’m not pushing her. She doesn’t need me to push her. You’ve seen her, she’s real good. The other girls just have a hard time keeping up with her.”

You can read Flair’s full interview with Gamespot by clicking here.

H/T IWNerd for the transcriptions

Samoa Joe Reveals If He Thinks CM Punk Will Return To WWE

Jon Fuentes
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27

Former WWE NXT Champion and current Universal Title challenger Samoa Joe recently did an interview with The UK Sun to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Joe is approaching a massive SummerSlam main event in which he’ll take on Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship. During the interview, Joe was asked about his former Ring Of Honor (ROH) opponent CM Punk and if he ever think he’ll return to WWE. Here’s what he had to say:

If he thinks Punk would ever return to WWE:

“You never know with Punk,” said Joe. “He is definitely somebody who does things his own way and I think the biggest thing is that you can never count out what his next move will be.

“I think no one would have predicted his move to UFC, nobody would have predicted a lot of things he does, so whatever he chooses to do, he will do what feels best in the moment.”

Would he like to form a tag team with Punk:

“It depends on how I feel about him that week,” Joe said. “It changes a lot as good friendships do!”

Check out Joe’s full interview with The UK Sun by clicking here.

Update On If WWE Would Allow Brock Lesnar To Fight In UFC While Under Contract

Jon Fuentes
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10

Following UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ win over Daniel Cormier at the UFC 214 pay-per-view (PPV) this past weekend (Sat. July 29, 2017), rumors have begun to pick up that WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar could be returning to mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in order to partake in a superfight against “Bones.”

Per Billi Bhatti of The Dirty Sheets podcast, “The Beast” will not be fighting in the UFC against Jones, or anybody for that matter, until the Summer of 2018 at the earliest. Lesnar will have to fulfill his WWE commitments first, which include main eventing the Royal Rumble this upcoming January, as well as competing at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans in April.

WWE also reportedly has no interest in allowing Lesnar to compete in the UFC while under contract with them due to the headache they received after he failed his United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug test last year following his UFC 200 unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt. Lesnar was under contract with WWE during that time, but they allowed him to compete anyway for the small cost of a little cross promotion.

Details On John Cena’s Upcoming Move To RAW

Jon Fuentes
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16-time WWE World Champion John Cena is currently a ‘Free Agent’ in his run with the company, as he made his TV return last month during SmackDown Live’s 4th of July episode to begin his brief program with Rusev.

Cena is currently set to make a move to Monday Night RAW very soon, and according to PWInsider, that move will happen post-SummerSlam. “The Leader Of The Cenation” is being advertised for all episodes of Monday Night RAW (except for one) after “The Biggest Part Of The Summer,” leading up to the No Mercy pay-per-view (PPV) where he is also advertised to be competing. Cena will be missing the September 18th episode or RAW as he is currently advertised to appear at a SmackDown event in China instead.

Currently, it is expected Cena will be working with “Mr. Money In The Bank” Baron Corbin at SummerSlam before he heads off to Monday nights to begin a new feud with an unknown foe.

Discussion: Who do you think Cena will be feuding with on Monday Night RAW?

WWE Issues Statement On Eva Marie’s Departure

Jon Fuentes
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16

Earlier today (Fri. August 4, 2017) Eva Marie took to her Twitter to announce that she and the WWE have officially parted ways:

Eva Marie hasn’t been with WWE since last August as she violated the WWE’s Talent & Wellness Policy which earned her a 30-day suspension. She was drafted to SmackDown Live but always seemed to get out of her matches by way of wardrobe malfunction or a fake injury.

WWE made the following statement following Marie announcing her departure from the company:

“Eva Marie and WWE have mutually agreed to contractually part ways as of today, Aug. 4, 2017

“Today I’m saying a bittersweet goodbye to @WWE,” Eva tweeted. “Thanks to the entire team, and YOU, my fans, for these 4 years! #AllRedEverythingForever”

“WWE wishes Eva the best in all of her future endeavors”

Rey Mysterio Reportedly Not Returning To WWE

Jon Fuentes
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11

A few weeks ago it was reported that former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio could possibly be returning to the company, as the free agent was negotiating with both WWE and Global Force Wrestling (a.k.a TNA and Impact Wrestling). Per a new report from Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso, however, that is no longer the case.

The report suggests that Mysterio will, in fact, not be returning to WWE due to the fact that “The Chairman Of The Board” Vince McMahon has no interest in doing any business with “The Master Of The 619’s” representation – Konnan. Konnan and McMahon reportedly have some issues stemming back a couple of decades ago, as McMahon invested a lot of time and money into Konnan’s ‘Max Moon’ character which ultimately didn’t pan out.

Konnan was at a recent SmackDown Live taping to visit Chris Jericho and it apparently didn’t do much to help his relationship with McMahon.

James Storm On Why He Signed With Global Force Wrestling Over WWE, What Triple H Told Him

Robert Lentini
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8

Global Force Wrestling’s James Storm recently spoke with Brian Fritz of Sporting News and below are some highlights from the interview:

Why he chose to not sign with WWE NXT:

“With the schedule of NXT and [Triple H] was telling me we’re going to try and run 100-120 shows from here on out throughout the year and stuff. It’s all great and everything but where I was, personally, in my life, I couldn’t be on the road that much because I had some family problems, my wife wanted to have another kid. So, it was one of those things where it wasn’t the right timing for me.”

What Triple H told him when he left NXT:

“Hunter straight up told me, ‘Go get your life together. This is my number. Maybe in two years, we can do business again.’”

The benefit of Global Force Wrestling going on the road again:

“It’s really hard to judge who’s over and who’s not. I think with us getting back on the road, it will show management we need to push this guy because he’s really over or we should do something with this guy. It also helps younger talent learn how to work. Not just go out and do all these moves but to learn to work.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA5M8Rturcs

On being ready to do whatever GFW management asks of him:

“Now in my career, it doesn’t matter to me who is running what because I’m the guy now, I show up and do what’s asked of me,” Storm said. “I don’t try to argue why and stuff. I know my role. To me, it’s a physical play — professional wrestling. I didn’t sign up to be the writer. I signed up to be the wrestler. Whatever the writer wants me to do now, I don’t show up and try to b— and say ‘I want to do this’ or ‘My character wouldn’t do that’. That’s not what I signed up for. I signed up to go out and do what they asked me to do and that’s what I do now.”

You can check out the entire interview by clicking here.

Alberto El Patron GFW Suspension Update, Eva Marie On Her Future

Robert Lentini
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3

Eva Marie on her future

Eva Marie posted the following on Instagram after announcing that her time in WWE has come to an end:

“Today is a bittersweet day, as @WWE and I have agreed to part ways. It has been an incredible 4 years, and I am truly grateful to Vince, Paul, Stephanie and the entire WWE team. I would not be where I am today without their continued support.

There are such priceless moments from the past few years…everything from visiting our troops in Afghanistan to working alongside the Special Olympics. I couldn’t even begin to share them all here, but there’s no doubt – I will carry them with me into this exciting journey ahead.

Last but not least, thank YOU, my fans, for allowing me to live out a dream that I could have never imagined for myself. You are the reason I love to go to work, and that’s not changing anytime soon!

And finally…the hustle won’t stop! After shooting back to back films, more are coming and I can’t wait to share with you soon. #Love #AllRedEverythingForever”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXYLpFAAhhe/

GFW comments on Alberto El Patron’s suspension

Alberto El Patron and Paige were on Busted Open radio yesterday. Patron stated that he didn’t know the exact date when his suspension from Global Force Wrestling will be lifted, but claimed he will be returning soon.

Global Force Wrestling issued the following statement to PWInsider today regarding Alberto El Patron’s suspension:

“Alberto El Patron remains under suspension while GFW continues its internal look at the situation.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97FZGI1_HlU

Eva Marie Announces Her Departure From WWE

Robert Lentini
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39

Eva Marie took Twitter today to announce her departure from WWE. In the post, Eva Marie wrote the following “Today I’m saying a bittersweet goodbye to WWE. Thanks to the entire team, and YOU, my fans, for these 4 years! #AllRedEverythingForever”.

Eva Marie has not been seen in WWE since last August. Eva violated WWE’s Talent & Wellness Policy and was suspended for 30 days back on August 17th, 2016. Eva made the following statement to Pro Wrestling Sheet about her suspension:

“I am disappointed that this suspension has occurred, yet understand and respect that WWE upholds their Wellness Policy to the letter and won’t compromise on its integrity … I violated policy by not turning in portions of required paperwork in the time frame WWE Medical deemed timely. I look forward to my return! Thank you for your support.”

Eva was drafted to SmackDown and was in the middle of a storyline in which she would always have a wardrobe malfunction or fake an injury before a match. This would result in the match never taking place.

DDP On Ric Flair’s Generosity, Terry Funk Wrestling Again, Scott Hall & Jake Roberts

Robert Lentini
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2

Diamond Dallas Page recently spoke to CBS Sports about DDP Yoga and a few wrestling topics. Below are some of the highlights:

Terry Funk wrestling again at 73 years old:

[Laughs] “I’m going to call Terry. You know, one of my biggest supporters is Gerry Briscoe. He’s 70-ish now. He’s a former world champion and wrestled since he was six years old and had a really beat-up body. The last time I saw him at WrestleMania, he looked like Tommy Lee Jones. He looked like a million bucks. He’s the biggest advocate, along with Mick Foley. And Chris Jericho, he’s 46 and bumping around like he’s 23. Now, as much I love Terry, no one bumped around anymore than he did, but he ain’t going to be bumping around like he’s 23. It’s just because he misses it so much. He could get away with it his whole life because he’s so believable. He’s one of the nicest guys on the planet and another Hall of Famer. If there’s a way to see it on the internet, and he’s going to get in there, I’m going to watch. I’m going to call him and tell him I’m going to send him my DVDs, because I know they can really help him.”

Scott Hall & Jake Roberts: 

“Scott still has bumps along the road. Even though he did really well with his transformation, but he never really wanted to stop drinking. He did, and he still will, but he doesn’t want to. Jake does. Probably since the movie (The Resurrection of Jake the Snake), he’s fallen once or twice. Technically he’s been sober for five years and without a bump for two or three years. Jake realizes that he doesn’t want to be that guy and Scott occasionally forgets that.

I feel that it’s part of finding yourself. I’ve seen Scott at that point, and a lot of people have seen friends and family there. They’ve seen the person so close, and they’ve been sober for so long, and then they fall. Well, sometimes there are some little twitches or something that sets them off. Or, like I said, they don’t want to quit drinking. I could never have helped either one of them at the time if they didn’t want to. All I know is that it enabled them to both wind up where they belong which is in the Hall of Fame.”

Ric Flair’s generosity and an epic story:

“I made sure Ric knew how thankful I was to him [at the WWE Hall of Fame]. Even though Ric and I have had adversity with each other over the years and said some things we probably both wish we could take back. We’re in a really good spot today, and I think the world of him. I wanted him to know that him putting me over for that world title, I know it put me one step closer to that Hall of Fame podium, and I will never forget it.

Ric and I, we had such a good time when we were up there. I ran into him a couple times at the Hall of Fame. On the last night before we were going, he asks what time my wife and I are leaving. He asks what time our flight was and I said 7:30.

Now, we’re both at the bar, and it’s 12:30 and I’m getting ready to go crash. He said, “Woo! Who made that reservation?” I said it wasn’t me. He goes, “Forget that. I’ve got a Learjet. You’re coming with me. You and [your wife] Brenda.” I said, “Ric, I’ve got so many bags” and he said, “FedEx them home. You’re not taking that flight!”

So, Mr. Limousine Riding, Jet Flying us home in his Learjet. Then when he found out it was the day before my birthday, he took us both out to his favorite restaurant. We both live in the Atlanta area. He fed us and then sent us home in a limousine. It was the perfect punctuation to an unbelievable career and Hall of Fame weekend. It was amazing.”

You can check out the entire interview by clicking here.

Seth Rollins On If He Got Any Backlash For WWE 2K18 Trailer, His New Film ‘Armed Response’

Robert Lentini
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Seth Rollins was recently interviewed by IGN to promote his new WWE Studios film ‘Armed Response’. The film is out in theaters and available On Demand today. Below are some highlights from the interview:

How does it work with the WWE Studios films? Were they like “You’re up. Time to be in a movie?”

It’s definitely an option. They called me and said that they had this script and this movie and obviously I had this time off due to injury so it made things easier to schedule, but yeah they said they had this role they thought I’d be perfect for and asked if I wanted to read the script. It was an open invitation and I’d never done anything like this before so it was very intriguing. I wanted to check it out. The script was cool and the cast was awesome so I figured “Why not?”

Obviously, you’re able to perform in thousands of people, but how nervous were you headed into this?

It was a little nerve-racking, sure, since it was my first time. And I was dealing with some pretty great and seasoned actors — like Wesley Snipes, Anne Heche, and Dave Annable who were the other players in the movie — and they all had a ton of experience. Working scenes with Anne, who’s amazing and has a great emotional range, I’d have to try and match her level of talent. Or to work with Wesley who’s just always calm and cool and always very subtle in his scenes, I’d try to pick up on what he’s doing in specific moments so that I could play off them and how he delivers his lines. So I was always focused, just so they could see me as a peer and maybe not some idiot who’s coming in from the pro-wrestling world. I’m sure they had their preconceived notions about me so I just hope that once we were finished with a scene, or finished with the movie overall, that I managed to change their perspective based on what they were expecting.

Switching gears slightly, how does it feel to be on the cover of WWE 2K18? And were you expecting any fan backlash after smashing all those ironic wrestling items in the reveal video? 

No, I didn’t really expect too much backlash. I thought it was cool and exciting. I got to smash things with a bat. Take off Andre’s head. Burn a bunch of stuff and break glass with my fist. It was a cool experience. We shot it in LA in this abandoned mall, which felt super weird. I know they filmed some scenes from Westworld in there too, which is a great show so I was just excited to be on the same set of that show. It was a really spooky experience to be in an abandoned mall, but I think the spot turned out great. It was a big win for 2K, WWE, and myself. There’s certainly an element of responsibility that goes with being on the cover, but I’m just stoked for it. I think it’s awesome for our generation to have a guy on the cover who comes from the group of guys and girls on the road right now who are grinding it out every single day and night. I feel honored to have gotten the opportunity and that I was chosen to be that guy when it could have been anyone from Charlotte Flair to Sasha Banks to Roman Reigns.

You can check out the entire interview by clicking here.

James Ellsworth Returning To SmackDown?, Drew McIntyre On NXT TakeOver, Gargano’s New Theme

Robert Lentini
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James Ellworth returning to SmackDown soon

It looks like James Ellsworth will be making his return to WWE SmackDown soon. Ellsworth was suspended by SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan on July 4th. Daniel Bryan suspended Ellsworth because he would not stop interfering in Carmella’s matches. Ellsworth also took a couple of verbal shots at Daniel Bryan’s newborn daughter and Daniel Bryan didn’t take too kindly to that. Ellsworth’s suspension has now concluded and he will surely be making his return to SmackDown soon.

https://twitter.com/realellsworth/status/893320729512562688

Drew McIntyre on NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III

Triple H tweeted out the following about NXT TakeOVer: Brooklyn III that is going down at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn on August 19th:

Drew McIntyre will be challenging Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship at the main- event of the show. McIntyre responded to Triple H and stated that “10 years in America. 17 years working on a dream w/ many ups & downs. All roads have led to this destination”.

https://twitter.com/DMcIntyreWWE/status/892820674837979137

Johnny Gargano’s new theme

WWE has uploaded Johnny Gargano’s new theme entitled “Rebel Heart” on their YouTube channel and you can check it out in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TeeCpwkFU

Randy Orton Pokes Fun At Brock Lesnar On Twitter, WWE On Curt Hawkins’ 100 Match Losing Streak

Robert Lentini
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WWE on Curt Hawkins 100 match losing streak

WWE posted the following about Curt Hawkins incredible milestone of losing 100 matches in a row:

Curt Hawkins puts a unique spin on his 100-match losing streak

There have been many streaks in the history of sports-entertainment. Goldberg’s 173-match undefeated run in WCW, Asuka’s ongoing and record-shattering reign as NXT Women’s Champion and, of course, The Undertaker’s legendary WrestleMania Streak immediately spring to mind. And yet, there’s an altogether different brand of consistency that’s being talked about these days.

Curt Hawkins has lost 100 matches. In a row. His last win occurred on the Nov. 8, 2016, edition of SmackDown LIVE.

Indeed, after being pinned by Jason Jordan last week in the “gold-blooded” Superstar’s Raw debut, the “Captain” of the “Curt Hawkins Star FACTory” stretched his, well, defeated streak to 100 — the longest such stretch in the modern era.

Most Superstars would see triple digits in the “L” column as a sign to probably, maybe, change things up. Hawkins, however, sees things differently.

“One hundred matches, 100 stars made in my ‘Star FACTory,'” Hawkins told WWE.com. “I win every night, whether the stats say it or not. I make stars, It’s what I do.”

Finn Bálor is among those stars “made” by Hawkins, and the first-ever Universal Champion was quick to “congratulate” the Queens, N.Y. native on Instagram.

With 100 straight losses under his belt, who’s the next star to be made in Hawkins’ “Star FACTory”?

“Probably Brock. He’s dodging me,” Hawkins revealed. “I’ve invited him many times on Twitter.”

Randy Orton continues to retweet comments mocking WWE

WWE Creative Humor has apparently become Randy Orton’s favorite Twitter account. As noted earlier, Orton recently retweeted one of their posts that mocked WWE’s gimmick matches:

Last night, Orton comments on the following tweet and stated that he found it funny. The tweet poked fun at WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar always seeming to have rumors circulating around him that he is going to leave WWE:

Samoa Joe Reveals His Dream Opponent For WrestleMania 34

Jon Fuentes
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Former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe has had a heck of a year since making his WWE main roster debut. “The Destroyer” put on an epic back-and-forth clash with WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in the main event of the Great Balls Of Fire pay-per-view (PPV), however, in the end it was an F5 from “The Beast” that was able to pick up the victory for a successful title defense. He’ll get his crack at the Universal strap come SummerSlam later this month, as he’ll be involved in a Fatal Four-Way match along with Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman.

Joe recently did an interview with WWE Fan France to talk about his Universal Title pursuit, and during the interview was asked about his desired dream opponents for WrestleMania 34 next year. He named a number of elite WWE stars as potential candidates, but claimed regardless of the opponent he’ll be ready to go:

“When it comes to WrestleMania, obviously you’ll take whatever opportunity is put in front of you,” said Joe. “I’d love to see something like Brock [Lesnar] or Roman [Reigns], Seth [Rollins] or Dean [Ambrose]. Maybe Finn Balor or AJ Styles or John Cena. I mean, the list is really endless. You put any of those guys in front of me and I’ll be more than ready to go.”

WrestleMania 34 will go down live from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 8, 2018.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

AJ Styles Talks Vince McMahon Initially Doubting His Popularity With Fans

Jon Fuentes
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WWE United States Champion AJ Styles was recent a guest on former WWE Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, to talk about his journey in WWE. During their conversation “The Phenomenal One” talked about Vince McMahon doubting his popularity with fans prior to his WWE debut at last year’s Royal Rumble, and how having a relationship with “The Chairman Of The Board” has made all the difference in his WWE career. Here’s what he had to say:

Vince McMahon initially doubting his popularity with fans prior to last year’s Royal Rumble:

“I didn’t know if anybody was going to know who I was. I was gone for almost two years and now I was debuting in Orlando [Florida], which benefited me in WWE.”

“The way that they did it, with coming out number three, it couldn’t have been any better. It really couldn’t’ve. The reaction was unbelievable. I did not expect that. It’s one of those things in WWE history that will be forever there because it was that kind of reaction that I didn’t expect. I don’t think anybody expected that. I definitely don’t think Vince expected that because I’ve heard stories that he’s like, ‘nobody’s going to know who this guy is and you want him out number three!’ So it definitely worked out to my benefit.”

Having a relationship with McMahon and it making all the difference in his WWE career:

“It made the biggest difference and I learned that he wants to talk to you. He wants to have a relationship with you and it’s up to you to do that. I mean, the guy’s super busy, so I try not to bother him unless I have something that I think is important, but it’s nice to know that there’s one guy I can talk to and he’ll tell me ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and that’s it.”

Check out Styles’ interview with Edge and Christian by clicking here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

‘ROH’ Faction In NXT?, Shayna Baszler Talks Transition To WWE (Video)

Daniel Pena
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– According to PWInsider.com, WWE officials have had discussions of putting all of the former ROH wrestlers new to NXT together in a faction.

This week’s episode of NXT featured the surprise debut of former ROH wrestler Kyle O’Reilly. Dubbed “a world-famous combatant,” O’Reilly lost to Aleister Black in the main event.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7EJ32zvydU&w=620&h=349]

Similarly, Bobby Fish, who was O’Reilly’s tag team partner in ROH, lost to Black in his NXT debut on the July 12 show.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2DvnuTpWhw&w=620&h=349]

– Former UFC fighter Shayna Baszler, who is competing in the inaugural Mae Young Classic, talks about her transition to WWE in this video.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYJM6f3k3uA&w=620&h=349]

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