Its been an interesting time over on SmackDown Live’s women’s division lately. Lana made her SmackDown debut this past Tuesday (June 6, 2017) and found herself in a SmackDown Live Women’s Title match against Naomi at the Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV) later this month.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that although Lana is currently supposed to be a heel on Tuesday nights, she will almost certainly be a babyface due to the gimmick she is currently working. It was also noted that Lana is basically working the role that was supposed to be for Eva Marie, who is now focusing on acting and isn’t returning to the company.
As for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, he is currently set to defend his title against Samoa Joe at the Great Balls Of Fire PPV on July 9th. The match is being widely regarded as a dream match for most professional wrestling fans, and it’ll all go down from the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisianna. The Observer noted that “The Beast” is set to face Braun Strowman at SummerSlam in August, and WWE officials are planning to do Lesnar vs. Finn Balor as well as Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins before the former UFC champ takes on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34.
We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available….
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion and current NXT Superstar Drew McIntyre recently did an interview with Mirror to talk about his return to the company, what led to it, and how developmental has changed since he was first there. You can check out what he had to say here below:
What led to his return to WWE:
“It’s been a crazy couple of months. I was basically the busiest independent wrestler in the world, traveling the world back and forth. I was under contract at the time [with IMPACT Wrestling] and I elected not to sign my new contract. I had to make the best decision for my future and my family’s future. I was very, very lucky after so many people believing in me and working my arse off that I was able to take a pick of where I was going to go. But my mind was made up, if I got the opportunity… William Regal is one of my mentors and I had been talking with him the whole time I have been away from WWE. He has been giving me advice, watching my matches, so that’s pretty much where it came up. I had a good conversation with Triple H on the phone and as I say, my mind was made up where I wanted to go. NXT is the top roster in the world as far as I’m concerned, the work ethic and fans. Once I had that conversation my mind was beyond made up.
“That day when I showed up at the show was one of the wildest days of my life. I had a very busy day! I started at 8am, I had a signing, then a show in the afternoon, then a radio appearance, I had an additional signing, then showed up at the Evolve show at 8pm it started, I was out in the first segment, I believe I left the building at 8.20pm, drove straight to the Amway Center in Orlando, my wife was waiting with a suit at the back door. We ran in the back, I put the suit on, this was about 9pm, Orlando traffic so it took a while to get there, and I was sitting in my seat in front of 15,000 fans, and at not one point did I think to myself ‘I wonder how they’re going to react?’ until I sat in that seat, got my head down and thought ‘oh my God, I hope they remember me and have been following what I’ve been doing!’ When I showed up on camera and I saw and heard that reaction it was one of the best feelings in my life and I knew I had made the right decision.”
Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship win:
“I made the loudest noise in the world backstage when he won that title! I think I almost punched the roof I jumped and punched the air so much. Just to watch his turnaround is the biggest thing for me. I remember about a year and a half ago having a conversation with him. The second I was gone from the WWE, as you know, I started to write my mission statement, I just kept going, there was nothing else I was going to do. I had a clear vision and thankfully it just came out. With Jinder he went out, he wasn’t too sure what he wanted to do, and he talked about this on Chris Jericho’s podcast so I’m not speaking out of turn. He got himself out of shape, not wrestling so much.
“He wasn’t really sure what to do and we had a conversation when he wasn’t too sure about his future and was talking about opening I think it was a Subway franchise he was leaning towards and he’s got a couple of houses and real estate. Wrestling was pretty much off the table. Then one day he made a decision, ‘no, I’m going to get back in shape’. He started taking it seriously again, got back in shape, got the call from WWE, continued his path, worked hard, gave up alcohol, made these positive changes in his life and just started working his arse off. To watch him go from that conversation when he was out of shape to where he is today, the most in-shape guy on the roster and one of the hardest working guys, I’m very proud of my brother for earning that. That was a big moment for him and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
How developmental in the WWE has changed since he was there years ago:
“I guess the transitional process is a lot smoother now. In OVW it was like a different world pretty much. They had the talent ready to stay around for a while, with guys who weren’t over yet and guys who weren’t retiring yet. With FCW, WWE were a bit more hands on with the writers. I was in FCW for about six months, it was roundabout 2009, a lot of guys started to retire and they didn’t have guys coming in from other companies to replace them. They had to figure out a way to get that future talent, which began with the youth movement, myself and Sheamus, giving new guys opportunities, and inevitably Hunter developed his vision for the Performance Center.
“I’ve watched NXT go from developmental, when I left I was part of the original NXT Championship title tournament, back then it was developmental just like anywhere else, just a really big developmental division, and I’ve gone away and watched it become a TV show and come back now and it’s a fully functioning brand. It’s 100% the third brand [behind Raw and SmackDown] and my dream is that one day people will stop saying ‘which guy is going to move up?’. I expect because NXT is so good that when the Superstar Shake-up comes, there will be transfers between three brands and not just two brands and we will stop this perception of ‘moving up’ because I don’t see it that way, I wanted to be part of NXT because it is that damn good.”
Former WWE United States Champion Chris Jericho recently joined Rock 100.5 ATL’s Bailey and Southside to talk about his recent run with the WWE, the rise of “The List” and the “Stupid Idiot” catchphrase, and much more. Here are the highlights:
Who came up with “The List”:
“Working with this guys who’s a writer in the WWE named Jimmy Jacobs. He used to be a [pro] wrestler. He came up to me one day and said, ‘what if we do something where you put somebody on this list?’ I’m like, ‘I knew this guy once who had a list of people he didn’t like.’ I’m like, ‘oh, that sounds funny.’ So I said it and it kind of got a reaction.” Jericho said, “the whole concept of The List went through the roof. The List is more popular than 85% of the guys on the show. The List is more popular than I am! And you just never know what’s going to make an impression with fans.”
Vince McMahon’s reaction to the “Stupid Idiot” catchphrase:
“They’re chanting it now, ‘stupid idiot’ and I remember when I started saying that, Vince was like, ‘nobody could say this, nobody can get away with this, but you can. You’re the only guy in the world who could do this’ because when I started using ‘stupid idiot,’ it got heat. I would call the fans, ‘you’re a stupid idiots’ and they’d be like, ‘boo!’ and then, like everything else, suddenly people loved it.”
WWE recently posted video highlights of Titus O’Neil’s TED Talk. The video was shot at UCLA University on May 20th. Amongst other topics, Titus was said to speak of “the domino effect of advocacy”.
40 year old, Thaddeus Michael Bullard Sr, has been with the WWE since 2009. Before then he was a standout college football player for the University of Florida, and then spent a few seasons in the Arena Football League.
He cracked the main roster in 2012 as part of the Prime Time Players. As of late he is currently the proprietor of the Titus Brand, and seems to be managing Apollo Crews.
Longtime WWE commentator and WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has released another blog on his JR’s BBQ website. Ross commented on the WWE’s booking of WWE Champ Jinder Mahal, Lana’s SmackDown Live Women’s Title opportunity, and the upcoming female Money In The Bank (MITB) Ladder match. Here are the highlights:
WWE’s booking of Jinder Mahal:
“I’m a fan of the decision to make Jinder Mahal the WWE Champ, but I feel that his random utilization of his Singh sidekicks might be overdone. Nonetheless, the former Bollywood Boys take a helluva, ass whipping. Enjoying the villains getting success, which generally adds to the build of most storylines within the genre. If I were to err in booking, and I have plenty of times, I’d suggest erring on the side of antagonist angst more often than not. ‘Heat’ is good.”
Lana’s SmackDown Women’s Title shot:
“Lana ‘earning’ a Women’s Tile match? Hmm….the pressure is on for her to deliver in front of a somewhat unforgiving and discerning fan base.”
Upcoming female MITB Ladder Match:
“Arguably, today I’m more excited to see the women’s [MITB] bout than the men’s in a few weeks, essentially because of the unique nature of this match being the first ever Women’s MITB match ever. I see these athletic women perceiving this booking as very personal and one can only hope that they are discerning about whey they want to do in this match and remember that their safety should never be compromised, which is largely up to the talents in the match. The Gents in the their TLC bout better lace them up tight or they could be outperformed by the women here.”
You can read JR’s full blog post by clicking this link here.
You probably noticed that WWE Cruiserweight Austin Aries was sporting some Kinesio tape during his match at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV) with Cruiserweight Champion Neville last week. Aries has not been inside the ring ever since and joined Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Larry Dallas yesterday (Wed. June 7, 2017) to promote his new book, Food Fight: My Plant Based Journey From The Bingo Hall to The Big Time.
During the interview, Aries revealed he has some nagging injuries bothering him at the moment and could possibly be taking a few days off to help them heal:
“I’ve got some stuff going on, but just to be fair you could probably say that for a lot of the locker room. It’s kind of part of what we do, I don’t think anyone is ever 100%,” Aries said. “So I got a couple things going on and obviously at this point it might be a good time to take a little break which really could consist of two days to just adjust some of those things, try and get my mind and my body right and then come back and figure out what’s gonna be next and what the direction’s gonna be.”
There has been a bit of drama between former WWE writer Vince Russo and Jim Cornette lately. On a recent edition of WWE Network’s Table For 3, which featured Cornette, Michael Hayes, and Erich Bischoff, Cornette claimed that Russo had been writing Vince McMahon every week about wanting a job back with WWE. Russo recently joined the Wrestling Inc. podcast to respond to Cornette’s claims, and stated that they’re clearly not true:
“That’s absolutely untrue, Raj,” Vince said. “You know what the funny thing is and bro anybody with half a brain would understand this. Cornette obviously doesn’t have half a brain. Raj, I go on my podcast, OK, and I publicly read my personal emails with Vince McMahon.”
“Ok bro, I did that on my show. I read his response to me when I did reach out one time and I also, on Konnan’s show on Podcast One this week, I read Vince’s response to me when I called him out for the Table for 3 Show. I wrote him an email; I called him out. And he wrote me back and I read that response.”
“Raj, I’ve got to ask you question,” Russo stated. “If I’m dying and begging the WWE for a freaking job, am I really going to go on my freaking show and read Vince McMahon’s personal email,” Vince asked. “I mean, let’s just be logical bro. Like, is that the way I would get a job if I was dying and begging for a job? It’s so freaking ridiculous.”
Russo then went on to say that he found himself bashing RAW on a regular basis, and instead of having nothing but negative things to say, Vince wanted to be a part of the solution. Therefore, Russo emailed McMahon saying that he’d love to help out on RAW in any way McMahon saw fit, to which “The Chairman Of The Board” responded with “Vince, there is nothing available at this time.”
He then claimed that the exchange of emails with McMahon only occurred that one time, before providing some more backstory:
“Raj, can I tell you this,” Vince said. “I didn’t just write to Vince. I wrote to Vince because I spoke to somebody at a very high level at the WWE and basically the person relied to me, like, ‘Vince, you know they need you here’ and the person also suggested that I need to kiss Vince’s ass in order to work there. And I’m like you don’t understand; I don’t want to work there. If I can help and contribute, I will.”
Earlier this month, rumours began to circulate that NXT star, Hideo Itami, was going back to Japan. Itami addressed the rumours in a segment that aired on NXT.
Hideo Itami
36 year old, Kenta Kobashi, changed his ring name to Hideo Itami when he debuted in NXT in 2014. He has battled injury problems in the 2.5 years he’s been with the company.
Itami made a name for himself in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah from 2000 to 2013. He wrestled a tryout at the Performance Centre in January of 2014, and was signed shortly afterwards. He would debut at NXT Takeover: Fatal 4-Way in September of that year.
Lucha Underground was back this week for their 2nd episode to season 3 pt II. Last week, Johnny Mundo and the Mack fought to a 3-3 draw in an “All-Night Long” match (basically Iron Man rules). Dario Cueto however, ruled that the match must continue under sudden death rules this week.
Lucha Underground S03E21 Boyle Heights, Los Angeles
In the back we see a video of Prince Puma staring into a mirror. Images of Vampiro, and having been locked in a coffin flash. Rey Mysterio walks in and says he’s worried about him, and not to trust Vampiro. Puma says no one is his master, and that includes Rey Mysterio.
Puma leaves, and a ghostly image of Vampiro appears in the mirror. He tells Mysterio to stay away from Puma. Rey punches and shatters the mirror to end the scene.
1. Lucha Underground Championship Match Johnny Mundo (c) vs. the Mack
Before the match Dario Cueto came out and announced it would be a Falls Count Anywhere match.
Mack dominated early. He hit a Samoan drop, standing moonsault, and clothesline in the corner.
The match then moved to the outside where Mack still got most of the offence. He body slammed Mundo into a pile of chairs, and hit a cannonball while Mundo was sitting in the 3rd or 4th row of seats.
Mundo then fled throughout the crowd.
Ricky Mandel came out and interfered, which allowed Mundo to go on offence. Hit hit a dividing corkscrew like move from the guardrail. Mandel asked Mundo what he needed, to which Mundo replied “a chainsaw”.
Mandel couldn’t find a chainsaw but did start to bring over a trash can when Sexy Star came out and took him out.
Mack got back on offence, but then PJ Black came out from under the ring and hit him in the head with a kendo stick. Mack ended up giving Black a stunner on the apron, causing him to fall through a table.
Mundo was able to go back on offence afterwards. He hit a running knee strike before going for the End of the World. Mack got his knees up and then hit a sit down power-bomb for a near-fall.
Mack looked as though he was going to try and power-bomb Mundo through the pile of chairs on the outside, but Taya pulled Mundo into the ring. Shortly after, Mundo hit a sunset flip power-bomb to Mack, who was on the apron at the time, sending him into the pile of chairs. Mundo got the 3-count afterwards to retain his title.
Winner: Johnny Mundo
Dario Cueto announced the “Cueto Cup”, which will be awarded to the winner of a single elimination tournament. The winner will receive a Lucha Underground Championship match at Ultima Lucha 3.
He also announced that Johnny Mundo would defend his Lucha Underground championship against Rey Mysterio Jr. on the same night of the Cueto Cup finals.
2. Lucha Underground Trios Championships Aerostar, Fenix, & Drago (c) vs. the Reptile Tribe
Most of this match seemed to involve Aerostar taking out the smaller reptile character. Neither Kobra Moon or Drago tagged in for their teams until the end.
The Giant Viper like reptile took out Fenix with a tombstone on the outside.
Aerostar went to tag Drago, but Drago hit him with the poison green mist.
Drago then walked over to the other corner, and tagged in for the Reptile team.
Drago hit Aerostar with a splash and pinned him.
Evidently, Drago had been on the Reptile team all along, and was doing the bidding of Kobra Moon.
They celebrated with the titles, as Moon attached a collar around Drago’s neck.
Winners: the Reptile Tribe (new champions)
In the back Taya tells Johnny Mundo that he will have to defend the title against Rey Mysterio.
Mundo says he’ll have to train harder than he’s ever trained before.
3. Boyle Heights Street Fight Mill Muertes vs. Prince Puma
Puma and Muertes spent the early portion of the match fighting throughout the crowd.
Muertes ended up putting Puma on his shoulders and carrying him back towards the ring. Then he gave him a TKO.
Muertes then walked over to Vampiro at the announcers booth and the two stared each other down for a few moments.
Puma seemed to gain the advantage on the inside and set Muertes up for a Van Terminator. His version of the move included doing a flip as well, which he landed into a drop kick. Muertes kicked out at 2 after the move.
After that, Puma hit his 630 splash, but Katrina hit Puma with the rock before he could pin him. As Katrina is helping Muertes, Vampiro hands Puma a brick.
Puma hit Muertes with the brick and pinned him for a 3 count to end the show.
WWE Superstar Austin Aries was the latest guest on Ring Rust Radio. Donald Wood sent in the following transcript highlights:
The Process of Signing with WWE:
Ring Rust Radio: We spoke to you a few times during your run with TNA, but haven’t spoken since you joined WWE. What was the signing process like for you and how have you enjoyed your time thus far in WWE?
Austin Aries: The signing process can be a little drawn out obviously. From initial contact and finding if there’s interest and having some meetings, where you fit in, what the opportunity is, and then being such a large entity there’s a lot of paperwork and stuff involved with background checks. It’s a drawn-out process, but it’s well worth it obviously because once you get there, it is the pinnacle of what we do. I have been fortunate to perform for lots of different companies in different promotions all over the place, but at the end of the day, this is the top of the iceberg. To finally achieve that after my journey was rewarding and created a whole new opportunity for me in front of a larger fan base and people who maybe don’t know anything about Austin Aries and here’s the opportunity for them to find out.
If He Plans To Remain in WWE’s Cruiserweight Division:
Ring Rust Radio: You had a great feud against Neville with amazing match after amazing match, but now that it seems like Neville may be transitioning into other programs, do you at all have an eye toward moving out of the cruiserweight championship and pursuing other titles or are you focused on continuing to help build the cruiserweight division?
Austin Aries: Right now, I feel like I’m at a point where I am reflecting and just trying to figure out what my next move is. I have put a lot of energy and focus into capturing the Cruiserweight Championship but obviously, I didn’t get the job done. So, I am not really sure what my next move is. I think right now I am going to take a step back, see what the landscape in front of me and see where I fit in best moving forward.
His Feud With Neville:
Ring Rust Radio: Your matches with Neville have been some of my most anticipated and favorite of the year. How did you feel about those matches and did you receive any praise backstage from management or your peers?
Austin Aries: We’ve gotten a lot of really positive feedback from a number of people back there whose opinions I hold very high. I think Neville; he’s at a different level right now. He’s really rejuvenated and I’ve enjoyed competing with him in there. I think we got the same chip on our shoulder and were out there to prove the same thing to the same people likely. We just have a maybe difference of opinion of how you get there right now. Our beef so to speak, to use a totally bad pun for a vegan, was really just based on respect. Respect we don’t feel we get. It’s cliché but it really was nothing personal. As much as it was, it was just two real stubborn competitive dudes to go out and prove who the best is. I will tip my hat to him, right now he’s at a different level physically. He’s in his prime and he’s found something in this reincarnated himself that’s taken him to a new level. I just have to tip my hat to him. I like to consider myself a measuring stick at points in my career and I’ve matched up with him three times and he measured up each and every time to each and every inch.
Becoming A Full-Time Commentator After Retirement:
Ring Rust Radio: While you were out injured you did commentary for the cruiserweight division on Raw and 205 Live. I thought you were absolutely great and it led me to wonder if you’d have an interest in potentially becoming a full-time commentator down the line after your wrestling career.
Austin Aries: I had a lot of fun doing that and it was a new opportunity for me. I learned a lot and I got to work with some cool people that I would never have had the chance to work with as an in-ring competitor. A lot of respect for what those guys do. There’s a lot going on that people don’t know about in those headsets while those guys are trying to manage while they are also trying to narrate a story. I think at a certain point when the time is right, if that opportunity is there for me, it’s something I would like to pursue.
WWE Monday Night RAW Superstar Seth Rollins recently did an interview with Bandwagon.asia to promote the WWE’s upcoming shows in Singapore. Rollins discussed his WWE career, including his days with The Shield, sharing the ring with The Undertaker, and the evolution of his entrance music.
You can check out some highlights from the interview here below:
What was the experience like being in the ring with The Undertaker?
“Yeah, I got into step into the ring with the Undertaker one time before he retired – it was a six-man tag match on Monday Night RAW in London. It was one of those nights I didn’t really get to fully grasp what we were doing. We had a show earlier in the day in Cardiff, Wales – and we took a helicopter to London! I had to basically get right into the ring and have a second match within a few hours.
“It was against Undertaker, Daniel Bryan and Kane though – so it was a tremendous experience. I remember looking across the ring at one point, locking eyes with a dead man – someone who’s an absolute legend, first ballot Hall-Of-Famer, one of the most incredible performers in the history of our industry. To share a ring with him is very surreal, especially considering our age difference.
“At some point, you’d consider that he’d be retired before you’d get the chance to be in the ring with him, but that’s just a testament to how he took care of himself and how physically forward-thinking he was in keeping himself healthy that late in his career.”
I think that brings me to your current song, which is called ‘The Second Coming’. You’ve been using it for about two to three years now. How is it fitting with you?
“Yeah I love it. It’s one of those where soon as the riff kicks in, everyone knows who’s coming through the curtains. That’s all that really matters when you’re picking an entrance theme. It fits my character. Though it was really weird adjusting to it at first because the pace of it is different from The Shield music, so y’know, trying to get the timing down on the entrance and making it feel like my own song took a little while.
“But now I’ve had so many moments with that music playing behind me or in front me – it’s become mine. People ask me “oh you’re gonna change your song, you’re gonna do this, you’re gonna do that” – I think that one’s sticking for a long time. I like guys who had the same entrance theme forever and ever – like Stone Cold, Chris Jericho, the Big Show – I think that’s always a really cool thing when guys have the same song for a really long time.”
You can read Rollins’ full interview with Bandwagon.asia at this link.
WWE Superstar and former WWE Champion John Cena recently did an interview with The Wrap to promote the new season of his reality show “American Grit.” During the interview, Cena commented on the criticisms he’s received over the years about being “coddled” by the WWE and having a reputation for “burying young talent.” You can check out what he had to say here below:
If he’s “coddled” by WWE:
“If you look at my existence in WWE, I have never asked anyone and will never ask anyone to pull any punches,” Cena explained. “I believe that it’s a ‘Strong Survive’ environment, and accept nothing less. I think people forget my [history] in WWE sometimes and the fact that I truly had to earn every inch. There is this overwhelming perception that I am protected and coddled — that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
“I just believe you bring your best to every story and you bring your best to every fight. And if my skills aren’t as good, then it’s time to step back. It’s just a matter of believing in myself and going out there and speaking from the heart. I believe that sometimes that’s something missing in some of the WWE storylines … being honest and brave enough to put everything out there on the table.”
His reputation for “burying young talent”:
“This is why I have the reputation of quote-unquote ‘burying younger talent,’ because I will let them do whatever they want with me — and then after they get done, they’re not as motivated,” Cena remarked. “So, it’s not that I sink their ship, it’s that they fail to operate at an elite level. And I’m on to the next person, [to] whom I say, “Hey man, bring your best punch and I’m gonna punch back” — and they don’t take that attitude beyond me.”
You can read Cena’s full interview with The Wrap here.
WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard to discuss his time with the company. You can check out some of the highlights here:
Vince McMahon not being a fan of his at first:
“Mr. McMahon, you see, was not a Cactus Jack fan,” Foley recalled. “But, following a notable first year in a leather mask as Mankind, Mr. McMahon had a change of heart, and not only gave Cactus Jack the occasional opportunity in WWE, but built up the Cactus character to be my toughest and wildest incarnation of all. It was if he was admitting to me, and whoever out there was watching, that he just might have missed the boat on that Cactus Jack guy after all!”
Cactus Jack making his WWE debut on a September 1997 episode of RAW in a Street Fight with Triple H:
“In so doing–in allowing a guy who (in his opinion) didn’t look like a star, Mr. McMahon just may have opened up the possibility that other unlikely prospects might find a home, and stardom inside the WWE,” Foley told Sports Illustrated. “Maybe, just maybe, the lesson learned from the Cactus Jack experiment helped open the door for future WWE Superstars such as Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, and Kevin Owens–all of whom flourished in what would have been seen as a very unlikely environment a generation earlier.”
How WWE portrayed his character and his connection with the fans:
“So, yes, WWE deserves much of the credit for how they chose to portray a colorful journeyman like Cactus Jack. But there was something real there too–something fans could truly believe in.”
“Even as the world learned new truths about me–I was from New York not New Mexico, the only thing truly deranged about me was my fashion sense–the legitimacy of Cactus Jack was only heightened, never questioned,” Foley elaborated. “I think it’s because there was an understanding that even given the entertainment aspect of pro wrestling, the struggle to the top had been hard-earned and well deserved, and that the legendary tales of suffering had all turned out to be very true.”
This week’s WWE SmackDown drew 2.349 million viewers, in line with last week’s 2.350 million viewers.
SmackDown features Shinsuke Nakamura defeating WWE US Champion Kevin Owens in the non-title main event plus the latest build for Money in the Bank, including Lana’s SmackDown debut.
SmackDown was #6 in viewership and #1 in the 18-49 demographic on cable this week.
By comparison, this week’s RAW drew 2.994 million viewers this week.
You can watch WWE’s top 10 moments for this week’s SmackDown in the video above.
– WWE has announced that Shinsuke Nakamura will headline a WWE live event in Osaka, Japan on September 16th at the Edion Arena. This show is in addition to two live events scheduled for Tokyo, Japan later this month.
– Lana tweeted the following about her upcoming SmackDown Women’s Championship opportunity at Money in the Bank:
– On Monday’s RAW, Samoa Joe sent a message to Brock Lesnar by choking out Lesnar’s Advocate, Paul Heyman. The two are getting rave reviews for the segment, which went a long way in solidifying Joe as a top-tier player and a serious threat to WWE’s Universal champion. The following day, Joe and Heyman had the following exchange on Twitter.
Brock Lesnar returns to WWE RAW next week and you can bet he won’t be pleased with what transpired this week. Lesnar and Joe square off in the main of event of Great Balls of Fire, which takes place Sunday, July 9th.
Former WWE Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian took to their podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, to talk about WWE Champion Jinder Mahal’s current title run and push into the main event picture. Edge and Christian talk about why they enjoy seeing a fresh face with the title, and “The Rated R Superstar” talks about his past relationship with The Singh Brothers.
You can check out the highlights here:
Christian on Mahal winning the WWE Title being a nice surprise:
“I think it’s good. I think it’s a good surprise. I mean, I like it when there’s… it’s hard to shock people, especially when people want to know, like, spoilers and stuff like that. People seem to want to know stuff that’s going to happen before it happens sometimes instead of just enjoying it and following the ride and just seeing where it takes you. So it just was legitimately one of those ones where you didn’t know which way they were going to go on it and I like it. I think it’s different and I think it’s one of those ones too, even speaking from personal experience, that you sometimes you’ve just got to throw that person in that spot and see if they can sink or swim, if they have it in them to step up and be believable in that spot.”
Edge on fans always complaining about what’s different and new:
“Put the person in the situation and see how they do. Jinder’s a good dude. He’s a nice guy and the only way to prove and get to that next level is to be given a shot. Now, people always complain they want something different, they want something new, and when it happens, they complain about what is different and new. Now, these are broad paint strokes, but it generally seems to be the case where Kevin Owens becomes champion and they complain about how he’s used as champion. But you were complaining he wasn’t champion. Now he’s champion, you want to complain about how he’s used as champion? I get it. You’re passionate about the product. I’m passionate about it too, but I like to let things play out, having been in the industry. From being inside the industry, I understand you need patience to see things play out. And that’s what I would advise all of the folks who might be worked up about this. Let’s see how it plays out. I think he’s going to do good. I think he’s going to step up. And guess what. If he doesn’t, it’s not going to happen for long.”
Edge on why fans should give Mahal’s title reign a chance:
“I know the knee-jerk reaction from a lot of wrestling fans is, ‘huh? Why?’ Settle down. Relax. I’m going to be Uncle Edge here and try and talk you off the ledge. Here’s how I’m looking at this. You can say it’s a business decision because WWE is breaking ground in India. Well, okay. Then, it’s a good business decision. If you want a billion people to latch onto the product, then maybe put the 6’5″, 240 lbs. Indian dude as your world heavyweight champion. Just saying.”
Christian on liking Mahal’s pairing with The Bollywood Boyz (The Singh Brothers):
“The thing is too, they’ve surrounded him. They put an entourage with him, which is great. It gives him a little bit more of a presence, a little bit more of an aura. So yeah, I mean, give the guy a chance. And he’s either going to make it or he’s not and it’s on him.”
Edge on his past encounters with The Singh Brothers:
“And a shout out to the entourage, The Singh Brothers. We’ll have them on the show at some point, but really, really good guys. I go back with them a little bit, back when they were out in [British Columbia, Canada] and I was out there filming some stuff. They got in touch with me through Paul Lazenby, who is a complete moron.” Edge continued, “they got ahold of Paul and they found out I was in town, so they just wanted to pick my brain, so we went and hiked this mountain called The [Stawamus] Chief and they just picked my brain the entire time. I was like, ‘okay, I like these guys.’ They went out of their way to try to find out if they could just get into contact with me and get some ideas. So from that point, I’ve stayed in contact with them and just tried to give them advice along the way.”
“They’re great guys, good head on their shoulders, and it’s great to see them being put in that mix. And again, sink or swim. Yeah, so it [has] been nice to see and it’s different and it’s fun and I always liked that.”
– In the video below, SmackDown Live star AJ Styles joined Talking Smack following last night’s (Tues. June 6, 2017) episode of SmackDown Live to discuss the upcoming Money In The Bank (MITB) Ladder match and when he’d cash-in if he were to win.
Styles said it would all depend on how he feels after the match and if he’s in good physical condition. “The Phenomenal One” stated “Winners find a way to win,” and if he gets the briefcase, he’s focused on cashing in at the right time:
– As we’ve previously reported, Lana made her SmackDown Live debut last night and also joined Talking Smack. Lana discussed receiving a shot at the SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Naomi at the MITB pay-per-view (PPV), seeing as the rest of the women’s division will be involved in the first ever female MITB Ladder Match.
Lana claimed that SmackDown Live is “The Land Of Opportunity” and also said she has had doubters her entire life telling her she’d never amount to anything. After crossing the ocean and making it out of her ‘pathetic’ little village in Russia, look at where she is now. “The Ravishing Russian” says she will prove all her doubters wrong against Naomi and vows to make history. Check it out:
– Following his attack on Shinsuke Nakamura, who defeated WWE United States Champion Kevin Owens in the main event of last night’s SmackDown Live, Baron Corbin took to Twitter to rub it in the WWE Universe’s face:
To all the people complaining and crying about tonight. I just want to say HAHAHAHAHAHA#EOD
– It was confirmed on last night’s (Tues. June 6, 2017) episode of SmackDown Live that former WWE Champion John Cena will be making his WWE return on the July 4th episode from Phoenix, Arizona. Cena has been busy promoting his new film “The Wall” and hasn’t been seen since his WrestleMania 33 win over The Miz and Maryse alongside fiancee Nikki Bella.
– Prior to yesterday’s episode of SmackDown Live, United States Champion Kevin Owens took to Twitter to reveal that “The Thumb Of America” was broken, but stated that it won’t be causing him to miss any ring time. Owens went on to face Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of SmackDown Live, which he lost after taking a running knee to the face:
This week on 205 Live, Noam Dar faced Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali was back in action, and in the main event a cruiserweight title match between TJP and Neville.
205 Live June 6th 2017
1. Noam Dar vs. Cedric Alexander
Before the match, Noam Dar cut a promo explaining that Alicia Fox was at home nursing a neck injury.
Alexander took the early advantage, and the bulk of the offence in the mach. Dar would occasionally cut him off and lock him in submission holds. Alexander hit a springboard clothes for a near-fall, followed shortly after by the Lumbar Check for the win.
After the match Cedric told Noam he was done with him and Alicia Fox and was moving on.
Winner: Cedric Alexander
2. Mustafa Ali vs. Louie Valle
Ali looked to have the match under control and was going to the top rope when Drew Gulak’s siren blared and he made his way to the ring. He had his normal “No Fly Zone” protest sign and was shouting more rhyming phrases about how cruiserweights shouldn’t dive.
The distraction allowed Ali’s opponent to roll-him up, but Ali countered into a roll-up of his own and got the 3 count.
Gulak was pleased with this as Ali won with an actual wrestling move. He would later say that he felt he was really getting through to Ali.
After the match, Ali landed a springboard cannonball onto Gulak.
Winner: Mustafa Ali
A video package of Rich Swann’s latest highlights was shown. He mentioned that he plans on climbing all the way back to the top of the brand, and once again becoming cruiserweight champion.
3. Cruiserweight Championship Neville (c) vs. TJP
TJP finally gets his title shot, his reward for weeks of doing Neville’s bidding, and helping him get through his title defences against Austin Aries.
Despite having turned heel not long ago, TJP wrestled as the babyface here. The story was that Neville getting the majority of the offence, but TJP kept coming.
Neville missed a diving corkscrew from the 2nd rope, which allowed TJP to lock in his knee-bar.
Neville looked as though he was going to tap, but then countered the hold into the Rings of Saturn, and TJP tapped.
– The dark match that took place after Tuesday’s SmackDown & 205 Live shows saw Randy Orton defeat WWE Champion Jinder Mahal by disqualification. It was said to be a good match until the Singh Brothers got involved, leading to the DQ. After the bell, Orton got revenge by hitting the brothers with RKO’s to end the show.
– On Tuesday’s SmackDown, commissioner Shane McMahon unveiled the Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase. Here’s a look at the briefcase Becky Lynch, Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Charlotte Flair and Natalya will be vying for on June 18th:
Monday’s episode of WWE RAW drew 2.994 million viewers, up from last week’s year-low of 2.613 million. Despite the increase, this marks the 6th straight week that the show has averaged less than 3 million viewers.
RAW featured the fallout from the WWE Extreme Rules PPV with Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe in the main event.
Here is this week’s hourly breakdown courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
Hour 1: 3.113 million viewers
Hour 2: 3.110 million viewers
Hour 3: 2.758 million viewers
RAW was #1 in viewership and #2 in the 18-49 demographic on cable this week.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is fired up about the Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar match-up at Great Balls of Fire. On the latest episode of his Ross Report podcast and in his latest blog at JRsBarBQ.com, JR says it would be an announcer’s dream to call the match.
At JRsBarBQ.com, Ross said he enjoyed Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view and thought the main event delivered in a big way. “All five men worked diligently and without personal agendas or so it seemed and delivered in a manner that main eventers are supposed to deliver,” he said. “Very proud of the men in this match.”
He also commented on Samoa Joe’s upcoming match against Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. “Samoa Joe getting his long awaited bout with Brock Lesnar is a stellar booking IMO and one that I endorsed at our RINGSIDE Show the night before WM31 in San Jose when Joe was my guest at our RINGSIDE Show .. I say that the Lesnar-Joe match will receive plenty of talk/hype over the next several weeks and that the two, physically demanding athletes will provide us a tremendous one on one main event in Dallas.”
Ross Hinting That He Is Calling GBOF Main Event
“I am personally looking forward to this match as much as any match I can recall this year and will tell you that it is an announcer’s dream to be privileged to call a bout like this … Yep, I’m fishing here.”
Lucha Underground will air the 21st episode of their 3rd season tonight on the El Rey Network. Last week, Dario Cueto ruled that the “All Night Long” match between Mundo and the Mack, which ended in a tie, will continue under sudden death rules.
In the first part of season 3 we learned Kobra Moon is the leader of the “Reptile Tribe”, presumably one of the seven Aztec Tribes. We also learned that Kobra Moon believes that Drago should worship her as his Queen.
The El Rey Network posted this video of Kobra Moon giving a warning to the current LU Trios Champions:
NXT is a taped show from Full Sail University tonight. Two big matches, including the main event, have already been confirmed. Two other matches are believed to air tonight as well.
Matches For NXT Tonight
No Way Jose vs. Killian Dain (Sanity)
No Way Jose made his return to NXT last week, helping Roderick Strong fend off Sanity.
Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan
Itami was shown getting into a heated confrontation with Kassius Ohno backstage at Takeover. The two were later shown shaking hands in the Performance Centre parking lot. Will Itami’s frustration with his NXT run continue?
