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205 Live Highlights: Sasha Banks Backs Up Rich Swann

Chris Stephens
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6

205 Live
May 30th 2017
Atlanta, GA

1. Noam Dar vs. Rich Swann

Before the match started, Fox and Banks got into a verbal altercation which entered around how each of them wear wigs.

This was a rematch from Monday’s Raw, when Swann defeated Noam. He started off strong this match too, taking the early advantage, until Dar changed the tide with a leg sweep to Swann while he was on the apron.

Swann began to make a comeback and looked to hit Dar with a running dive to the outside. With the ref’s back was turned however, Fox tripped up Swann as he bounced off the ropes. This led to Banks and Fox brawling on the outside, with hair extensions being pulled out and all.

While the melee was going on outside, Dar hit a running knee to the face on Swann and pinned him.

Winner: Noam Dar

2. Cedric Alexander vs. Corey Hollis

Before the match Alexander was interviewed in the back. He said he wasn’t about to waste time with Alicia Fox and Noam Dar, indicating he is no longer involved with that angle.

While the match looked to be a showcase bout for Alexander, Hollis got some offence in by targeting Alexander’s injured knee, the same one which had put him on the shelf for weeks.

Alexander battled back to hit a spinning back kick followed by the Lumbar Check to get the pin. It was clearly established that Alexander’s knee is a weak point for future opponents to take advantage of however.

Winner: Cedric Alexander

3. Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak

Gulak came out with his usual protest sign, declaring 205 Live to be a “No Fly Zone”. Ali hit a diving attack to the outside before Gulak could enter the ring, allowing him to take early control.

Later in the match, Gulak pushed Ali off the top turnbuckle, and Ali clutched his knee when he landed. Later, Ali would gain control again and hit a somersault into a neck breaker, but again clutched his knee afterwards. He then went for a cross body off the top rope, but Gulak rolled through with it to end up on top of his opponent, and pinned him for a 3-count.

Ali went for 2 top-rope moves late in the match and was countered each time. Gulak now has 2 straight victories over Ali.

Winner: Drew Gulak

Austin Aries and Neville Segment

  • Aries cut an in-ring promo and mentioned he has a book coming out soon, “Food Fight”, available here: AustinAriesbook.com 
  • He replayed the video of him making Neville tap out from Raw on Monday night several times. Aries also said it was the first time anyone made Neville tap.
  • Unsurprisingly, this brought out Neville.
  • Neville said he’d “eradicate” Aries once and for all at Extreme Rules.
  • TJP attacked Aries from behind, which allowed Neville to dropkick Aries’ knee.
  • Neville then locked in the cross-face on Aries while TJP stomped his injured knee some more.
  • Referees eventually were able to pry Neville off of him.
  • Neville stood over-top an injured Neville to close the show.

The Mack Talks About Lucha Underground’s Return, His Brief Stint With WWE

Staff
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2

Lucha Underground star The Mack (Willie Mack) was a guest on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling this week to hype tonight’s ‘second half of season 3’ premiere. During the interview, The Mack discussed what we can expect to see from the remainder of season 3, working with Johnny Mundo, his future in Lucha Underground and his brief stint with WWE. Here are some highlights:

Being given a huge push by Lucha Underground and facing Johnny Mundo:

“My thoughts on being elevated to the main event level is like it’s a trip and a dream come true. As a kid you say you want to be champion and when it is about to happen and it is literally in your sites for me, I always thought I’d just be a wrestler that never got to travel or noticed by anybody and I just thought I’d be like one of those dudes that people don’t care about. But people invested in me and it really gives you a confidence boost to go in and be this dude that people say I am now. Johnny Mundo has been in the ring all over the place and being able to be in the ring with him is an honor because I know he is going to bring it every time we get in the ring and to say I can keep up with a dude of his caliber makes me feel like I am on the same level as him and I feel good about that.”

Lucha Underground appreciating his talent:

“It seems like they appreciate you more and they are investing in you and they are saying lets see what I can do. When they reward you with something it makes you feel good and makes you feel like you aren’t just doing all this for nothing. But I’ll be happy just going out there and wrestling for the crowd because that is what I like to do.”

His release from WWE in 2014 before debuting for NXT:

“It is like a long-ass process with them. It is like a six month thing when you get signed. I was signed for six months before anybody found out anything and a week before I was to report to Orlando, they hit me up and said don’t plan on coming to Orlando because a doctor said he didn’t like how my blood pressure was and how my knee looked and that was it. I asked for them to send me my medical papers and when they called me Friday to say I’m not coming, on Saturday they Fex-Ex’d me my release form and do you think they ever sent that medical paper work? Nope.”

Speculation as to why we was let go:

“I come to find out that they hired some other folk from a tryout after the one that I had done. It came down to the fact (the other guy) and I were the same height but one can do all the moves and has charisma and the other one has the body they like. I am pretty sure you can tell who I am talking about. My contract for NXT was supposed to be for three years and I’ve now been with Lucha Underground for three years and don’t you think if I was hurt or there was anything medically wrong with me I would have been out by now? So that is three years of my life that I could have been paying for my pet food and being good because that left me homeless after that all happened. I thought I was going to pay all of these bills and once they dropped me it sucked for a minute but Lucha Underground hit me up and that saved my life.”

His future with Lucha Underground and would ever pursue a return to WWE:

“I want to stick here. This is something special and it has a potential to go a long way and be around for a long-ass time. I think if I can build my name up here and make this my home it will be a good decision for me. Now more people are coming over to this side and say Lucha Underground is awesome and as we get more viewers I think sticking around will be awesome and a good idea. If it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

You can subscribe to the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling on iTunes, Podomatic, Player FM, Tune In Radio and The IRW Network. 

WWE Announces First-Ever Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Staff
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13

SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon announced last night that the first-ever women’s Money In The Bank Ladder match will take place on Sunday, June 18 at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

The match will feature WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Natalya and Tamina competing for the opportunity to receive a contract to challenge for the  SmackDown Women’s Championship anytime within the next year.

Tickets for Money In The Bank are currently available through Ticketmaster.com.

The five participants in the Women’s Money in the Bank match appeared on Talking Smack, which you can see below:

WWE Extreme Rules 2017 Match Card & Predictions

Robert Lentini
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15

Mixed Tag Team Match: Sasha Banks & Rich Swann vs Alicia Fox & Noam Darr

Sasha Banks and Alicia Fox have been battling for the past few weeks on WWE RAW. Rich Swann picked up a victory over Alicia Fox’s boyfriend Noam Dar on Monday night. Banks then joined Swann on 205 Live last night. Swann ultimately lost to Dar as Banks and Fox brawled outside the ring.

This is one of those matches where I honestly could care less who wins. I’m going to predict Sasha Banks and Rich Swann will pick up the victory. They will then dance around the ring after the match as everyone in the crowd sits motionless.

Predicted Winners: Sasha Banks & Rich Swann

Cruiserweight Championship Submission Match: Neville (c) vs Austin Aries

Austin Aries and Neville have been in a feud dating back to before Wrestlemania 33. Everyone believed that Neville had the upper-hand in a Submission Match but Aries applied the Last Chancery to Neville on RAW this week and forced Neville to submit. Aries gloated about making Neville submit last night on 205 Live. TJP attacked Aries from behind and Neville then joined in on the beatdown. The referees eventually broke up the beatdown, but Neville is now heading into Extreme Rules with the momentum.

Neville is a great heel champion, but I think it is finally time to give Austin Aries a run with the belt. I think that this match will be very entertaining and Aries will once again make Neville tap out to the Last Chancery.

Predicted Winner & New Cruiserweight Champion: Austin Aries

RAW Women’s Championship Kendo Stick On A Pole Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs Bayley

Alexa Bliss has accused Bayley of being incapable of going “extreme”. On this past week’s episode of RAW, Bliss hosted a horrific segment and brought out fake people of Bayley’s past. There was an ex-boyfriend, a friend and a fourth grade teacher. The entire promo was to make it seem like Bayley relies on her father and doesn’t have what it takes to win a Kendo Stick on a Pole match. Bayley stormed the ring and attacked Alexa. However, Bliss once again outsmarted Bayley and struck her with a kendo stick to end the promo.

I thought this feud had the potential to be great when Alexa Bliss joined RAW after the Superstar Shake-Up. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I thought Alexa Bliss would help out Bayley, who seems to struggle with promos on the main roster for some reason. That hasn’t been the case, as Alexa Bliss was a part of the worst promo I’ve seen in some time on this week’s episode of RAW. I’d like to think that WWE would keep the RAW Women’s Championship on Alexa Bliss for a little while longer, but I don’t think that will be the case. Bayley gets her revenge on Alexa Bliss by beating her down with the kendo stick and recaptures the RAW Women’s Championship.

Predicted Winner & New RAW Women’s Champion: Bayley

RAW Tag Team Championship Steel Cage Match: The Hardy Boyz vs Sheamus & Cesaro

The Hardy Boyz have gotten the best of Sheamus and Cesaro for several weeks. They have defeated them in tag matches and singles matches. On this past week’s episode of RAW, Matt and Jeff Hardy teamed up with Dean Ambrose to defeat Sheamus, Cesaro and The Miz.

Sheamus and Cesaro emerge from the steel cage as the new RAW Tag Team Champions. I’m hoping this feud will continue and The Hardys try to recapture their titles in the near future. I think that this will be one of the best matches at Extreme Rules this Sunday.

Predicted Winners & New RAW Tag Team Champions: Sheamus & Cesaro

Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose (c) vs The Miz

The Miz got his wish and RAW GM Kurt Angle added the stipulation that if Dean Ambrose is disqualified, he will lose the Intercontinental Championship. This all stems from Ambrose hitting The Miz with a low-blow during an Intercontinental Championship match on RAW.

The Miz and Maryse will desperately try to get Ambrose disqualified the entire match. The referee will be distracted and Ambrose will hit The Miz with a low-blow and follow it up with a Dirty Deeds for the victory. The Miz will then spend the entire episode of RAW the following night complaining about how Ambrose should have been disqualified.

Predicted Winner & Still Intercontinental Champion: Dean Ambrose

Universal Championship No. 1 Contender’s Extreme Rules Fatal 5-Way Match: Finn Balor vs Seth Rollins vs Samoa Joe vs Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns seems to be the favorite in this one. On last week’s episode of RAW, he defeated Seth Rollins in a terrific main-event. Reigns knows what it is like going up against “The Beast” Brock Lesnar and will no doubt stop at nothing to win Sunday night at Extreme Rules.

Paul Heyman recently said that Brock Lesnar wants to face Finn Balor the most on a recent episode of RAW. Finn Balor is the smallest Superstar in this match but he proved that means nothing in his match against Bray Wyatt and Samoa Joe on RAW. Balor drilled Bray Wyatt with the Coupe de Grace but Samoa Joe threw him out of the ring and stole the victory. Samoa Joe could certainly put on one hell of match against Brock Lesnar.

Bray Wyatt is an interesting option in this match. He was recently WWE Champion on SmackDown and joined the RAW roster during WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up. However, Wyatt was a part of two horrible PPV matches with Randy Orton in a row. Wyatt is back to cutting ominous promos and losing matches on RAW. I’d say he is the biggest underdog to win this match.

Seth Rollins hasn’t been a part of the Universal Championship picture for a bit. He defeated Triple H at Wrestlemania 33 and has been battling with Samoa Joe for the past month or so. Rollins did come down to the ring a couple weeks back on RAW and said that he wanted to face Brock Lesnar. That wish will become a reality if he is able to win this Sunday at Extreme Rules. Rollins and Lesnar have already had some memorable moments in the past.

I don’t think Roman Reigns will win this match on Sunday. Brock Lesnar versus Roman Reigns has Wrestlemania main-event written all over it. The only match I wouldn’t really be interested in seeing is Bray Wyatt versus Brock Lesnar. I’m going to need some more time to get over the awfulness that was the Wyatt and Orton feud. I’m going with Finn Balor to win this match. He had to forfeit the Universal Championship due to injury right after winning it. I just think it makes sense and Balor can certainly put on a great match with Lesnar. Brock will spend most of the match whipping Balor around the ring, but Finn will constantly battle back. I think it will be an interesting feud and would help make Balor a bigger star than he already is.

Predicted Winner & #1 Contender For Universal Championship: Finn Balor

Who do you think will win this Sunday at Extreme Rules? Share your predictions in the comments below.

Naomi Reacts To Women’s MITB Match Announcement, CM Punk On MLB Now (Videos)

Robert Lentini
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14

CM Punk On MLB Now

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk was a guest on MLB Now Extra yesterday. Punk discussed the Chicago Cubs and brawls in baseball, including the most recent brawl between Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland.

https://www.facebook.com/MLBNetwork/videos/10154374929361695/#

Naomi Reacts To Women’s MITB Ladder Match Announcement

SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi was interviewed after last night’s episode of SmackDown and discussed the announcement of a first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Naomi said that she will be ready for whoever wins the match and tries to cash in the briefcase.

In case you missed it, SmackDown commissioner announced during last night’s episode of SmackDown that there will be a Women’s MITB Ladder Match. There was supposed to be a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match last night, but a brawl broke out and the match never took place. On June 18th, Charlotte Flair, Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Becky Lynch & Natalya will compete in the first-ever Women’s MITB Ladder Match.

John Cena Announces When He Is Returning To WWE TV

Chris Stephens
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16

Fear not, John Cena fans – the ‘Face That Runs The Place’ will be back on WWE television in a little over a month’s time.

Cena is currently taking time off to film his next movie, The Pact, about three parents who try to stop their daughters from following through with a prom night pact to lose their virginity.

Cena announced on Tuesday night that he’ll be back July 4th.

John Cena’s Return to Smackdown

The July 4th return date for Cena means he will have 3 weeks before the Smackdown brand’s “Battleground” PPV on July 23rd. The brand’s July PPV will be WWE’s last until SummerSlam on August 20th.

As plans recently changed on Smackdown due to Jinder Mahal’s title push, it is not clear who Cena will be entering a program with when he returns. Following SummerSlam, WWE has planned live events in India. Jinder Mahal will need a challenger for those shows if he is still champion, and Cena is a likely candidate for the role.

NJPW May No Longer Have An Intercontinental Championship

Chris Stephens
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8

Current IWGP Intercontinental champion, Tetsuya Naito, is slowly tearing apart his championship belt. Naito is saying that the Dominion PPV on June 11th will be his last as champion. If he defends the title successfully against Hiroshi Tanahashi, he will destroy the belt completely.

Check out video of Naito damaging the belt below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yjOrPaM3XM

Why Is Naito Doing This?

This is all part of Naito’s “Un-governable” gimmick he picked up when he joined CMLL’s Los Ingobernables, and then brought the faction to Japan. Some are speculating that NJPW could drop the title after Dominion, seeing as they plan to crown an inaugural “United States” champion on July 2nd in Los Angeles.

Last year, when Naito won the IWGP heavyweight title briefly from Okada, he was also disrespectful to the belt, and even legitimately damaged it.

Lucha Underground Returns Tonight, Championship Match Scheduled

Chris Stephens
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4

Lucha Underground returns to the El Rey Network tonight. This 3rd season of the show has been split into 2 parts, the 2nd of which begins airing tonight.

Johnny Mundo is set to defend the Lucha Underground championship against the Mack in an “All-Night Long” match.

Mundo defeated Sexy Star for the championship last season, after cashing in his “Gift of the Gods” title the week after Star had won Aztec Warfare III.

Lucha Underground Season 3, Part II

Lucha Underground will be returning to television for the first time since seasons 1 & 2 hit Netflix earlier this year. The 3rd season is available on iTunes, and new episodes are also available there the day after they air on El Rey.

The company released a trailer for the 2nd part of season 3 earlier this months:

Pro Wrestling World Cup: United States Qualifiers Announced, First Two Names Revealed

Jake Skudder
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0

The much anticipated Pro Wrestling World Cup has now officially begun.

If you have not yet heard of the tournament or are unaware of the format then check out the statement from WCPW below for full clarification:

“Run over ten separate dates beginning March 21st, the Pro Wrestling World Cup will see competitors from six continents compete in eight preliminary tournaments – to be held in several different countries.

The preliminaries will see eight men competing in a single fall elimination tournament. Each preliminary tournament will consist of competitors from a single country: Canada, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, USA. A tournament will also be held for competitors from the Rest Of The World, with eight further countries represented. Two winners will proceed from each tournament.”

WCPW has now announced the first two competitors for the United States Qualifying leg of the tournament. Bobby Fish and Ricochet will be hoping to join the likes of Rey Mysterio, Penta El Zero M, Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr. and Michael Elgin at the finals in August.

The United States qualifiers will be held in Manchester, England on July 21st and tickets for the event are available to purchase here.

https://twitter.com/WhatCulturePW/status/869523799405846528

PROGRESS Super Strong Style 16 Winner Revealed

Jake Skudder
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0

This past weekend saw the return of PROGRESS’ biggest annual tournament. The Super Strong Style 16 is a 3 day event that sees some of the top independent talent in the world face off to determine the number one contender to the PROGRESS World Championship.

The likes of Tyler Bate, Jeff Cobb, Matt Riddle, Zack Sabre Jr., Mark Andrews, Trent Seven and Jimmy Havoc were all part of this year’s iteration, however it was PROGRESS fan favourite Travis Banks who eventually won the 16 man extravaganza.

Banks defeated former WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate in the final to earn a shot at the PROGRESS World Champion Pete Dunne. The venue for their bout has not yet been announced however it is likely to be at the Alexandra Palace in September.

Travis Banks recently took part in a WWE tryout at the O2 arena in London. He is one of the top performers on the UK independent circuit and has been touted by many to have a breakout year. He is already the Fight Club: Pro champion and he looks set to dethrone Pete Dunne later on this year for the PROGRESS World Championship.

Full Lineup for NJPW G1 Specials in Long Beach Revealed

Jake Skudder
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1

New Japan will be heading to Long Beach, California on July 1st/2nd for the sold out G1 Climax Specials.

The two day event will be the first of its kind for New Japan and will be feature a tournament to crown the first ever IWGP United States Champion. Jay Lethal of ROH and Hangman Page of the Bullet Club have already been announced for the tournament and the remaining participants are set to be named in the coming weeks.

NJPW has however announced the full roster of talent that will be making their way to the United States for the tapings. ROH, CMLL, Bullet Club and New Japan roster members will all be on hand to perform on arguably the most important event in New Japan history as it kicks off their attempt at building a US territory.

Here is the full line-up for July 1st/2nd:

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Michael Elgin
  • KUSHIDA
  • Jushin Thunder Liger
  • Juice Robinson
  • David Finlay
  • Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu
  • Jay White
  • Billy Gunn
  • Yoshitatsu
  • Kazuchika Okada
  • Tomohiro Ishii
  • Will Ospreay
  • Rocky Romero & Trent Barreta
  • Tetsuya Naito
  • Hiromu Takahashi
  • SANADA
  • EVIL
  • BUSHI
  • Zack Sabre Jr.

Ring of Honor

  • Jay Lethal
  • The Briscoes
  • War Machine

CMLL

  • Dragon Lee
  • Volador Jr.
  • Titan

Bullet Club

  • Kenny Omega
  • The Young Bucks
  • Cody Rhodes
  • Marty Scurll
  • Bad Luck Fale
  • Hangman Page
  • Guerrillas of Destiny
  • Yujiro Takahashi

WWE SmackDown Recap & Reaction (5/30)

Robert Lentini
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7

This week’s episode of SmackDown opened up with the five quick pre-taped promos from all of the women competing in the Fatal 5-Way elimination match later tonight. They take turns explaining why they should win the match and go on to face Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Highlight Reel w/ Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens begins this episode of the Highlight Reel by taking shots at it’s former host, Chris Jericho. Owens stated that he is going to do something that Jericho never did and win the Money in the Bank ladder match. Shinsuke Nakamura is announced as the guest on the highlight reel and gets a great reaction from the crowd. Owens tells Nakamura that he is sick of his stupid dancing. Owens said that Chris Jericho was the last Superstar who liked to refer to himself as a “rockstar” and that he forced him into an early retirement by attacking him.

Baron Corbin then interrupted and stated that nobody wants to hear what Owens and Nakamura have to say. Corbin then rolled highlights of his post-match beatdown of Sami Zayn last week. Owens scolded Corbin for bragging about beating up Sami Zayn. Owens then bragged about beating up Sami Zayn for the last 15 years. Corbin called Owens Eric Cartman and vowed to be the Superstar that will win the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Nakamura then grabbed the mic and reminded Corbin that he has lost to Sami Zayn several times recently, including last week. Owens and Corbin then start beating the hell out of Shinsuke Nakamura as the crowd boos. Sami Zayn comes down to the ring and helps fight off Corbin and Owens. Sami Zayn then issued a challenge for a tag team match right now as the crowd chanted “ole'”.

Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin vs Sami Zayn & Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura and Corbin started off the the match in the ring. Nakamura connected with a series of kicks and knocked Corbin to his knees. Sami Zayn then entered the match and Corbin chickened out and tagged in Kevin Owens. Sami was in control of Owens early but he quickly became isolated in the corner. Owens and Corbin took turns beating the hell out of Zayn in the corner. SmackDown went to a commercial break after Corbin planted Zayn with a giant Powerslam.

When SmackDown returned, Sami Zayn was still trapped in the ring. Zayn was close to tagging in Shinsuke but Corbin saw it coming and knocked Nakamura off the apron. Nakamura was finally tagged in and he cleaned house. Owens and Corbin starting fighting as Owens accidentally bumped into Corbin. Zayn Clotheslined Corbin out of the ring. Shinsuke Nakamura then connected with the Kinshasa on Owens for the victory.

Winners: Sami Zayn & Shinsuke Nakamura

Reaction: SmackDown started off well this week. The Highlight Reel segment was funny and the tag match to kick off the show was very entertaining.

The Usos came down to the ring and cut a heel promo about being Tag Team Champions. The Usos also poked fun at the Falcons losing to the Patriots in the Super Bowl and the Atlanta crowd booed. They were then quickly interrupted by The New Day. The Usos and New Day then took turns interrupting each other and trading insults. Xavier Woods said that it was good to be back in his hometown of Atlanta and gave a shout out to his mother in the crowd. The Usos once again interrupted and claimed that they had SmackDown on lockdown. The New Day announced that Shane McMahon has given them a shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at Money in the Bank.

Reaction: I grew tired of the New Day on RAW but I am glad they are back. The SmackDown tag division desperately needs new teams. I have no idea why American Alpha isn’t on SmackDown regularly anymore. Maybe working with a team like New Day will help get American Alpha over with the general audience in the near future.

Charlotte Flair vs Natalya vs Tamina Snuka vs Carmella vs Becky Lynch

Everyone started brawling before the match even started. Natalya went after Charlotte and planted her with a Suplex. Tamina then hit Charlotte with a Samoan Drop. The battle spilled out of the ring and Charlotte slammed Tamina into the ring post. Charlotte then climbed to the top turnbuckle and connected with a Moonsault onto Natalya and Tamina. Carmella hopped up on the barricade and hit a Crossbody onto Charlotte.

The brawl continued for the next few minutes. Charlotte Powerbombed Natalya through the announce table and SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon made his way down the entrance ramp. Shane McMahon said that they were going to make history at Money in the Bank. Shane announced that the first ever Women’s Money in the Bank l;adder match will take place at the PPV on June 18th.

Reaction: This match was supposed to determine the #1 contender but I’m glad things played out the way that they did. I’m looking forward to the Women’s MITB ladder match. I thought the Hell in a Cell match between Charlotte and Sasha Banks was solid. However, I think this match can be great with all of the athleticism in the ring. I’m already looking forward to seeing a gigantic Moonsault from Charlotte off a ladder.

Breezango vs The Colons

Tyler Breeze made his way to the ring in another costume that required a dress and a wig. Primo immediately removed the costume once the match started. Fandango then brought out a squirt gun and started distracting Primo. Epico was tagged in and knocked Breeze out of the ring and planted Fandango with a Backbreaker for a two count. Tyler Breeze then emerged again with a bald cap and a fake mustache. Everything broke down and Fandango and Epico started battling over a mop on the ring apron. Breeze then connected with the Unprettier on Primo for the victory.

Winners: Breezango

Reaction: I don’t understand why dressing up as fake police officers wasn’t enough. I don’t find squirt guns and janitor disguises all that amusing. I’m just hoping that New Day doesn’t start dressing like Old Day again. If that happens, we could be in for a bunch of terrible skits from Breezango and New Day on SmackDown in the future.

Randy Orton came down to the ring to discuss losing the WWE Championship to Jinder Mahal. Orton stated that if his grandfather was still alive, he would Smack Orton in the face for losing the title to Mahal. Orton stated that at Money in the Bank, Orton is going to hand Jinder Mahal an “American, Orton-family” beating and become the 14 time World Champion.

Orton begins to exit but is interrupted by Jinder Mahal on the jumbotron. Mahal claimed that Orton was just another ignorant American. Jinder Mahal then cut the same promo you’ve heard for the past couple of weeks about being the future of the WWE and the modern day Maharaja. Jinder’s promo ended and Orton posed in the corner to end the segment.

Reaction: I get that some people may find this entertaining, but I don’t. I’m not just going to cheer for Orton because he is American and boo Jinder Mahal because he is not. It just feels lazy and uncreative to me. Money in the Bank cannot come soon enough if this is the kind of lazy storyline we are going to get for the WWE Championship.

AJ Styles vs Dolph Ziggler

The match started off with Ziggler taking a cheap shot and launching Styles into the turnbuckle as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Ziggler was still in control of the match and had Styles in a Chin Lock. Styles battled out of the hold and planted Ziggler with a Suplex. Styles followed it up with a Facebuster for a two count.

AJ then hit a kick to Ziggler’s head for another two count. Both Superstars then battled on the turnbuckle. Ziggler got the upper-hand and planted Styles with a DDT from the second turnbuckle. Styles was then able to apply the Calf Crusher but Ziggler was able to make it to the bottom rope to break the hold. Dolph then immediately hit a Zig Zag for a two count. Styles then went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Dolph launched himself into the ropes and Styles fell crotch-first onto the top rope. Ziggler then hit a Superkick for the victory.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Reaction: I figured if Ziggler was going to get the win it would be because someone attacked AJ Styles. That wasn’t the case and Ziggler simply won this match. I was surprised by that and the match itself was solid. Overall, SmackDown was another hit or miss show this week. I liked the opening of the show, the women’s segment and the main- event. The Breezango stuff doesn’t entertain me at all and I’m disappointed that this is the direction they are going in with the WWE Championship feud. I’d rather see Mahal turn into a real heel and start attacking Orton every week. As of now, I think the Mahal and Orton storyline is lazy and I hope that changes in the next few weeks. Although, I highly doubt that will be the case.

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

WWE SmackDown Results & Live Discussion (5/30)

Eric Lynch
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565

The May 30th edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA.

– The broadcast starts off with the women of SmackDown each cutting promos in front of green screens about their intentions to be SmackDown Women’s Champion.

– We go to the arena where Kevin Owens is in the ring to host The Highlight Reel. Owens begins talking about Jericho, but quickly gets interrupted by the crowd chanting for AJ Styles. Owens says he’s going to do what Jericho never did, by winning the Money In The Bank ladder match. Owens then introduces his guest, “the artist known as Shinsuke Nakamura.” Nakamura makes his entrance and Owens tells him he’s had enough of his stupid dancing. Owens says the last person who went around here claiming to be a rock star (Jericho) got sent to an early retirement by Owens. Nakamura can’t finish his first sentence before he gets interrupted by Baron Corbin. Corbin says no one cares what Nakamura has to say, and Corbin shows us the highlights of him beating Sami Zayn last week. Owens says he’s not impressed by Corbin beating up Sami Zayn because Owens has been doing that for fifteen years. Owens says he wants Corbin to leave, but Corbin declines and says he’s the one who will become Mr. Money In The Bank. Nakamura points out that he pinned Owens last week, and that Zayn beat Corbin twice. Nakamura starts fighting both Owens and Corbin, but they double team him and take him down. While they’re stomping on him, Sami Zayn runs in for the save. Zayn and Nakamura clear the ring and Zayn gets on the mic and says he isn’t done with Owens and Corbin. Zayn challenges them to a tag match right now, and we go to commercial awaiting Shane McMahon’s verdict.

– Sami Zayn & Shinsuke Nakamura def. Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin: We’re informed that Shane sanctioned this one during the commercial break, and the opening bell sounds. Nakamura gets lots of offense in on Corbin early on, then Owens and Zayn tag in and the two familiar opponents go at it. Owens gets the upper hand then tags in Corbin, who lays into Zayn with strikes in the corner. Zayn comes back and mounts Corbin in the corner for a series of punches. Zayn goes for a vertical suplex but Corbin fights out, and while the ref is distracted Owens kicks Zayn in the back of the head from the apron. Owens tags back in and pummels on Zayn. Corbin comes back in and Zayn attempts a tornado DDT on him, but Corbin stops him mid-air and powerslams him. Zayn rolls outside and Owens takes some cheap shots on him. Corbin follows outside and beats down Zayn against the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Corbin whips Zayn into the corner when tags in Owens. Owens chokes Zayn against the middle rope then hits a senton drop for a two count. Owens distracts the ref and Corbin nails Zayn in the head from the apron. Owens locks Zayn in a headlock and Zayn reverses into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Corbin tags in fresh and drops Zayn again. Nakamura finally gets the hot tag and Owens tags in too. Nakamura drops Owens with a big boot then continues the assault with strikes. Nakamura backs Owens into the corner with strikes, then hits a few more. Nakamura drops Owens with a spinning heel kick and pins, but Corbin breaks it up. Zayn and Corbin start brawling, which leads to Owens bumping into Corbin and they start fighting each other. Zayn capitalizes on Owens and Corbin’s in-fighting by clotheslining Corbin outside, then Nakamura hits the running knee to the face on Owens for the win.

– The Usos are backstage with their Tag Title Belts getting ready to come out to the ring.

– Back from commercial, The Usos are in the ring. They cut a promo on the SmackDown tag teams and insult the Atlanta Falcons. They get interrupted by the returning New Day. The New Day comes out to the ring and starts cutting a promo, but the Usos keep interrupting. After trading some insults, The New Day announces that they’ve met with Shane McMahon and were given a shot at The Usos’ Tag Title belts at the Money In The Bank PPV.

– AJ Styles is backstage wearing Georgia Bulldogs colors getting ready for his match tonight. His opponent Dolph Ziggler is also shown warming up.

– We see a video package highlighting Jinder Mahal’s Title Win over Randy Orton, and all of the media coverage he got in India.

– It’s time for the latest edition of Fashion Files. Fandango is walking through the hallways and when he gets to the Fashion Police office, he sees that it’s been ransacked. He picks a photo of Big Bossman off the floor, then sees the shadow of a woman on the wall. It turns out to be Tyler Breeze wearing women’s clothing. They find some cologne on the floor and decide that clue has given them their next case.

– Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Tamina vs. Natalya vs. Carmella – No Contest: The referee tries to keep everyone separate but they start going at it before he called for the bell. Everyone is brawling all over ringside, but the opening bell still hasn’t rung yet. Natalya hits a series of suplexes on Charlotte then punches her. Charlotte comes back but Tamina drops her from behind. Tamina hits s Samoan Drop on Charlotte in the ring, while Becky and Carmella brawl at ringside. Tamina clears off the announce table then grabs Charlotte. Charlotte fights her off and throws Tamina into the ring post. Charlotte grabs Natalya at ringside and hits a T-bone suplex onto the floor. Charlotte goes to the top rope and moonsaults onto Natalya and Tamina at ringside. Carmella then jumps off the fan barricade with a cross body on Charlotte at ringside. Becky grabs Carmella and T-bone suplexes her on the floor. Tamina is back up and drops Becky, then Charlotte kicks Tamina in the face. Natalya clotheslines Charlotte and she’s the last woman standing. Natalya grabs Charlotte and heads for the table. Charlotte fights Natalya off and throws her into the fab barricade, then powerbombs Natalya through the announce table. The women are shown sitting down at ringside, then Shane McMahon comes out and says they’re going to do something historical. Shane announces that on June 18th these women will compete again in the first ever Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match.

– The Fashion Police vs. The Colons: Breeze comes out wearing a dress and wig and will start this one off. Primo drops Breeze with a right hand and rips the dress and wig off him. Fandango tags in and uses a water gun to distract Primo, then he throws both Primo and Epico to the outside. The Colons briefly double team Fandango and back in the ring Primo continues to work on Fandango. Epico tags in and knocks Breeze off the apron then hits a backbreaker on Fandango for a two count. Epico hits a facebuster on Fandango then takes him up to the top turnbuckle. Fandango reveres with a sunset flip powerbomb on Epico, and both men are down. Breeze resurfaces from under the ring wearing a bald cap and fake mustache, then tags in and drops Primo and Epico with dropkicks. Primo and Fandango fight over a mop on the apron, which leads to Breeze hitting the Unprettier on Primo for the win.

– AJ Styles does an interview backstage about his match against Ziggler tonight. He says he’s going to start building his momentum for Money In The Bank with a win over Ziggler tonight. Ziggler interrupts and says he’s the only one in this match who has won a Money In The Bank Match to become World Champ. He tells AJ he’s going to do it again this year, then asks AJ if he wants to fight right there in the back. AJ accepts, but Ziggler backs off and says he’ll see him in the ring.

– Randy Orton will respond to his World Title loss to Jinder Mahal at Backlash next.

– Orton is out to the ring and he says if his grandfather was alive he would smack him for losing to Jinder Mahal. He says at Money In The Bank he’s going to hand Jinder Mahal an “American, Orton-family” beating and will win the World Title for the 14th time in his hometown. Orton’s music hits, but it’s interrupted by Jinder Mahal on the big screen. Jinder says Orton is just like every other ignorant American. Jinder says Orton is a symbol of the past, and Jinder is the present. Jinder is standing in front of a green screen with the India flag on it and the Singh Brothers beside him. He tolds up the World Title and the camera zooms in on Jinder’s face before cutting. Orton stands on the corner and poses to end the segment.

– Nakamura vs. Owens is announced for next week.

– Dolph Ziggler def. AJ Styles: Ziggler starts off with a single-leg takedown attempt, but AJ escapes and gets behind Ziggler. Ziggler elbows him off, and AJ comes back with a punch to the face and a dropkick. Ziggler tries to mount a comeback but Styles drops him with a series of strikes. Styles follows up with a flying clothesline in the corner and some kicks. AJ hits a facebuster for a two count. Styles follows up with a fireman’s carry neckbreaker for another two count. AJ goes for the Styles Clash, but Ziggler fights out. AJ comes right back with a vertical suplex into the turnbuckle. AJ takes Ziggler up to the top rope, but Ziggler fights back and DDTs Styles off the middle rope. Ziggler goes for the Fameasser but AJ escapes. Ziggler headbutts AJ and goes for the Zig Zag, but AJ reverses with a backbreaker. Ziggler knees AJ in the face then takes him to the corner. Ziggler goes for a superplex but AJ gets out and drops Ziggler face-first into the turnbuckle. AJ catches Ziggler with the Calf Crusher but Ziggler gauges AJ’s eyes to escape. Ziggler drops AJ’s neck onto the middle rope and follows up with the Zig Zag for the two count. AJ ducks a superkick then elbows Ziggler in the face. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but Ziggler knocks him off the top rope. Ziggler follows up with a superkick for the win. Ziggler points up to the Money In The Bank briefcase hanging from the ceiling as SmackDown goes off the air.

Tommaso Ciampa Undergoing Knee Surgery This Week, Estimated Recovery Time

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NXT star Tommaso Ciampa is currently in Birmingham, Alabama to undergo ACL surgery later this week. We won’t know the full extent of his injury until after the knee surgery, but the typical recovery time for this procedure is six to nine months.

Ciampa was injured at an NXT live event just days before Takeover: Chicago during a tag team match against Sanity, as seen below.

https://twitter.com/briantheguppie/status/865415082850697218

After Ciampa’s stunning attack on Johnny Gargano at the conclusion of NXT Takeover: Chicago last weekend, many fans were hoping for the former DIY tag team partners to settle their differences at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend in August. An in-ring return less than three months from now seems overly ambitious.

Big E on How Much Creative Freedom The New Day Has in WWE

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Big E and Kofi Kingston were recently in India for a promotional tour and got the opportunity to speak to NDTV Gadgets 360 on a variety of professional wrestling topics. You can check out some of what they had to say here:

If they have creative freedom in WWE:

“We have a long leash for sure. That’s taken time to get trust from the higher ups and people of importance. But yeah, we don’t write everything. A lot of times we’re given scripts and we disagree with the script’s directions and we have some leniency to retool. A lot of times it’s ‘hey we need an overhaul and none of it works’ and sometimes it’s just a few tweaks here and there.

“We’ve been very fortunate. A lot of talent really don’t have that ability to just say ‘hey I want to rewrite this promo’ but it’s really helped us. And one thing we’ve noticed too is that as much as we – as a company – try to attach ourselves to pop culture, we felt also that a lot times they were a little outdated or a little bit, outside of their window of freshness.”

How social media influences their work:

“We’re on Twitter, we’re on Instagram, we like viral videos. It’s something we felt was needed in WWE. Something that was contemporary, something that was just hot on Instagram or Twitter or when Vine was still a thing, we wanted to implement that stuff immediately. Cause that’s the stuff we were just in the car buzzing over that made us laugh so why not use that the next day? I still vividly remember the hubbub over the Steph Curry shoes happened and when we talked in the car I think, it was a day later and we were in New Orleans and Kofi was all like ‘alright I gotta get these shoes’ and we wore them on TV and then we had to clown them for it.

“But it’s things like that people enjoy. People want stuff that’s up to date, that feels current, that feels fresh, that’s in the zeitgeist, that’s still being talked about so that’s an element that we’ve tried to use to separate ourselves and we take a lot of pride in that.”

Jinder Mahal Reveals If He Has Been Drug Tested by WWE

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WWE Champion Jinder Mahal recently did an interview with ESPN to talk about his recent title win over Randy Orton at Backlash. He was also asked to comment regarding the criticism over his new physique. Here are the highlights:

How he transformed his physique:

“When I train hard, I look better. I see the way I look on TV or in the mirror, and it gives me confidence. It translates into the ring. I have more confidence in the ring and can be more aggressive. If you saw me from a few years ago, the confidence level is night and day, and that’s because of the way I look.”

His response to people like Ryback criticizing how he got his new physique:

“I’ve been tested plenty, and never failed one.”

The current push he has been receiving:

“I know Vince [McMahon] appreciates wrestlers taking initiative, putting in the hard work. He had confidence in me. He knew I would embrace the opportunity, and not let WWE down. I think I have been proving that in my matches ever since.”

Edge & Christian Talk Kane’s Failed Personas, Undertaker Making His Gimmick Work, More

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Former WWE Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian recently took to their podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, to talk about some of the best and worst gimmicks in WWE history. Some superstars brought up included The Undertaker, Kane, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and more. Here are the highlights:

Edge on Kane’s string of failed personas:

“There’s a guy, okay, Isaac Yankem, then, new Diesel, and just, he’s too good to deny. And then, thankfully, finally, they realized, ‘okay, let’s do something with him.'” Edge said, “how thankful do you think he [has] got to be after trying to make all of those gimmicks work and then [to hear], ‘okay, you’re going to be The Undertaker’s brother, Kane’?”

Christian on Kane being too good to be held back by failed gimmicks:

“He probably did everything he could to make those other [gimmicks] work, right? So it’s one of those ones where you get out what you put in. And he might not necessarily like those ones, but he always did the best with what he had. And plus, he just looked so unique. He had the size. He was good, still is good, that eventually something was going to work out for him.”

Edge on Undertaker becoming the new Andre The Gian with his gimmick:

“On paper, does The Undertaker [gimmick] sound like something that will go on to be undefeated at WrestleMania for like 22 years, and be the tentpole holding up the company at certain times, and kind of the measuring stick within the [pro] wrestling industry, more or less, the new Andre The Giant?” Edge added, “it sounds like the shelf life isn’t going to be that long.”

Christian on nobody else being able to pull off the Undertaker gimmick:

“The thing is too, I honestly believe if it was on anybody but The Undertaker, it wouldn’t’ve worked. It would’ve had that shelf life, but because he personified it and he embraced it and he became The Undertaker. You just had to look at him. He had everything down, the movements, he had the entrance, and when he did his entrance, people still when they hear that gong, they stand up. It has become this revered character. He’s also one of the most revered guys in the locker room. But I don’t think it would have had much lasting power if it had been anybody but him doing it. I don’t think anybody could do the character the way that he has done it.”

Edge on Taker switching over to “The American Badass” gimmick to refresh “The Deadman” persona:

“I mean, probably. I think one of the keys to longevity in [pro] wrestling, especially if you are going to remain the same character is the fact that you have to change it sometimes. Otherwise, it gets stagnant. It can still be a lighter shade or a darker shade, but The Undertaker went through many different phases like that. It was the Ministry [Of Darkness] Undertaker for a little while, which got even darker. And then, I think it just came a point where he had to switch it up.

“I also think that the reason it switched up is that he actually wanted to wrestle more because, as The Undertaker in the first kind of incarnation of it, the character kind of pigeonholed how much he could actually wrestle and he’s a guy who can really work. So while he was working the gimmick initially, you couldn’t go out and have the type of matches he could actually have, so I think ‘The American Bad Ass’ was a way to segue into being able to get in there with Kurt Angle and have amazing matches, technical matches too.” Edge professed, “you had to have that segue to have The Undertaker that we have now.”

Christian on “The Ringmaster” gimmick not fitting Steve Austin’s look:

“I not really sure if it was a gimmick or really just a name, but the name didn’t fit the look. Do you know what I mean? He had the bald head, huge legs, well-built. He was full-steam ahead when he was in the ring. Yeah, [Austin wore green trunks as ‘The Ringmaster’ because he was with ‘The Million Dollar Man’, right? But, like I said, I don’t think the name fit the character [or] what he looked like. Do you know what I mean? And I think, to his credit, that he was not only good enough, but had the guts, I guess, to take the reins and change it into ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and make it the way he wanted it to be and like [Edge] said, become the biggest draw in the history of the company.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

William Regal Reveals Which Talent He Is Most Proud Of Signing To NXT

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Metro.co.uk recently spoke with NXT General Manager William Regal and published Part 1 of their interview. As part of his role as NXT GM, Regal is one of WWE’s top talent scouts. He’s responsible for the signing of many Superstars currently in NXT and on the main roster.

Regal was asked if there is anybody not currently signed to NXT that he’d like to bring on board. He said there are actually a lot of people he’s keeping an eye on, but did not want to name them and put pressure on those talents. He added that WWE can only sign a finite number of people per year and there are times when a particular wrestler has big potential but could benefit from more time on the independent scene.

When asked which current or past NXT performer he’s most proud of signing, Regal named Sasha Banks. “I don’t really like singling anyone out, but Sasha Banks,” he said. “I’ve known her since she was 18, and the previous people that were doing what I’m doing now wouldn’t even give her the time of day.

“When I was asked by Triple H to be part of that team, of which there is nobody still here who was in the team at the time, I kept asking to bring her in, to which people replied ‘oh no, there is nothing in her, she’s useless.’ Sasha was the first person I went to bat for, and her development is a great thing to see.”

Regal added that he’s also very proud of signing Bayley and Becky Lynch. Regal said he actually had the idea for Bayley’s character, since a few acts in WWE are geared towards younger males but none were going after the young female demographic. Bayley’s character is an extension of her actual personality, so she was a great fit for that role.

Part 2 of Metro’s interview with William Regal will be published later this week.

Backstage News on How Rusev’s Return Was Changed After Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title Win

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Rusev’s WWE return was directly affected by Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title win at Backlash over Randy Orton last week. Per a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, original plans had “The Bulgarian Brute” challenging for the WWE strap at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view (PPV).

The WWE never confirmed that match, however, they began to set it up after Rusev took to Twitter to demand SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon a shot at the WWE Title or else he’d leave the company. Rusev then vowed to return to Tuesday nights to confront McMahon, however, he never showed – stating he went to a hockey game instead. Rusev has not been mentioned on WWE programming since.

Per the report, the late decision to hold Rusev off TV indicates that Mahal’s title win was also a late decision by the company that was most likely made the Friday before Backlash. Now creative is tasked with the job of finding a new way to introduce Rusev back to WWE TV.

Swoggle Reveals Original Plans For His Anonymous RAW GM Storyline & Why They Failed

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Impact Wrestling star Swoggle (formerly known as Hornswoggle in WWE) was recently a guest on Eric Bischoff’s podcast, Bischoff On Wrestling. During the interview, Swoggle discussed his run as the Monday Night RAW anonymous General Manager, the original plans for the storyline, and why they didn’t work. Check it out:

“I get a call from one of the writers and they say, “How is your New Jersey accent?” I said, “I can’t do accents, man.” He said, “Well start.” I said, “Ok.” He goes, “You’re going to be ‘Big Nick from Jersey’ and you’re going to be the RAW GM. You’re not going to be Hornswoggle. You pulled the wool over all the kids and their parents’ eyes and you’re going to be a heel GM.” I said, “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.” My character wasn’t talking at the time so I said, “So now I can talk and I’m a heel and I am somehow from New Jersey?” He goes, “Yeah!” I said, “And this makes sense?”

“And he goes, “YEAH!” So I said, “Ok… I will learn a Jersey accent.” I tried and tried and tried and couldn’t do it. Before the show we were doing rehearsals in the ring and while it’s going on two of my best friends, Curt Hawkins and Kofi Kingston, are sitting in the stands watching me fail miserably in these rehearsals with this terrible accent. Finally they just cut the microphone and just said it was awful. It was so bad. Something that was supposed to be a major heel GM run for several months turned out to be this one night and for nothing. It sucked. It really sucked because I could have talked and been a heel and that’s always something I wanted to do in my WWE run.

H/T WrestleZone for the transcriptions

Bruce Prichard Tells Hilarious Story of Snoop Dogg Cursing Out WWE Executive

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During a recent episode of his podcast, Something to Wrestle, Bruce Prichard told a funny story of how Snoop Dog went off on WWE’s Executive Vice President of Television Production, Kevin Dunn. A few years ago WWE partnered with ‘Girls Gone Wild’, per the request of Eric Bischoff, and the WWE production team actually helped produce on of their pay-per-views (PPVs).

Dunn was in charge of several big-name stars for the event, which included Snoop Dogg:

“But the funniest story of it all for those — everybody knows Kevin Dunn was the/is the executive producer for WWE and Kevin was executive producer for this. And Snoop Dogg — they were all warned ahead of time — ‘listen cops are going to be out in force — no drugs! And when we say ‘no drugs’ that means marijuana too because apparently, that’s a drug… apparently, it’s illegal in Texas. So the cops and the state troopers and all this s— had come in and said ‘hey, you know we smell one damn joint, anything coming in we’re going to arrest people. We see any underage people drinking we’re arresting them and this show’s gonna be done with”

“So Snoop shows up a couple of hours late. Rolls up, billows of smoke coming out of the limo, so on and so forth. And as the legend goes, Kevin Dunn is beside himself because Snoop has missed all the rehearsals. [Snoop’s] showing up, they’re getting ready to go live and Kevin is trying to explain to Snoop what he’s got to do for that night. And Snoop is just standing there staring off into the distance puffing on a cigar. And Kevin is getting madder and madder because Snoop won’t acknowledge him and finally Snoop, without ever looking at him goes: ‘hey motherf*****, just because I ain’t looking at you don’t mean I ain’t hearing you! I got this s***!’ And he f***** just walked off.”

H/T IWNerd for the transcriptions 

WWE Begins Kurt Angle Storyline Involving a ‘Disgraceful’ & ‘Embarrassing’ Secret

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On Monday’s RAW, WWE began a storyline that puts Kurt Angle’s future as the show’s General Manager in question. During the broadcast, Corey Graves received a message on his phone that contained sensitive information about Angle.

Graves went backstage and confronted Angle about the accusation levied against him. As he read the text, Angle was visibly troubled. He read portions of the message loud, revealing the person claims to have information that would make him “a disgrace and an embarrassment to WWE” and besmirch his status as an Olympic gold medalist.

Angle acknowledged that “if this is true” it could ruin him.

Discussion: What could this damaging information be? What do you think about this ‘soap opera’ storyline for Kurt Angle?

You can check out footage of the segment below.

Undertaker Almost Got Stuck With A Really Bad Gimmick

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The Undertaker is arguably the most iconic gimmick performer in the history of professional wrestling. It’s hard to imagine Mark Calloway portraying a different character, but it turns out Vince McMahon had another gimmick idea for Taker that could have changed the course of WWE history.

Back in the early 1990’s, WWE Hall of Famer J.J. Dillon of Four Horsemen fame served as one of Vince’s trusted advisors backstage. During a recent appearance on The List & Ya Boy podcast, Dillon revealed that Vince McMahon almost stuck The Undertaker with a ridiculous Viking gimmick.

“Vince’s first reaction was ‘maybe he could be a Viking with the helmet and the horns.’ He just saw this guy and Vince had a really creative mind. [Vince] had a department would take somebody and turn this person over to this department and say to look at them, their body, their features, play with him and feed me some ideas.”

Dillon continued, “In all the years that went by, I think the Undertaker is the greatest wrestling character/persona that has ever lived in the WWE/F. Hands down”

It was not too long after the debut of The Undertaker that WWE signed wrestler John Nord and saddled him with a viking gimmick, The Berserker.

Cody Rhodes Goes Off on Fan Who Called Goldust a Jobber

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Don’t diss Goldust on Twitter, cause Cody Rhodes will have none of it. One fan decided to take a shot at Goldust on Twitter after Monday Night RAW last night (Mon. May 29, 2017), calling the longtime veteran a jobber:

Rhodes soon responded by pleading his brother’s case for the Hall Of Fame and told the fan to ‘kiss my a**’:

Sasha Banks: “People Need to Shut Up” About Her Turning Heel

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Sasha Banks is fed up with people asking when she’s going to turn on Bayley and portray a heel character again. Banks was a recent guest on the The Masked Man Show and was asked if she prefers being a babyface or heel. The question set her off, prompting the former RAW Women’s Champion to instruct fans to “shut up” about the situation.

At only 25 years old, Sasha Banks has a long career ahead of her. She plans to be a WWE Superstar for man years to come, so fans should relax and just enjoy the ride.

“Either one,” she said. “Because a lot of people ask me, ‘When are you going to turn heel? When are you going to turn heel?’’ Like, I don’t care because guess what? I’m going to be in the WWE for a very long time so you’re going to see both versions of myself for a while.

So people need to shut up because that’s what I’m sick of hearing. ‘When are you gonna turn heel?’ Then once I turn heel, ‘When are you gonna turn babyface?’ You guys just need to shut up and let me do me okay”

Sasha Banks questioned why fans want her to turn on Bayley and says people should appreciate the work she’s currently doing. “Why do you want me to turn on Bayley? That’s my best friend. I don’t have a lot of friends so just accept it. Yeah, I play either one very well, so it doesn’t matter. They’re two different versions.”

You can listen to the full episode here:

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