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Io Shirai Reportedly Agrees To Join WWE, Kairi Hojo Starting Soon, New Female Referee

Staff
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16

WWE’s initiative to scour the globe for the top talent continues to yield strong results. Io Shirai, arguably one of the top women’s wrestlers in the world, has accepted an offer to join with WWE [via Wrestling Observer]. The 27-year-old took part in a WWE tryout camp at the Performance Center back in March and recently finished up with Japan’s Stardom promotion.

Io Shirai appeared for Lucha Underground last year under the name Hitokiri as part of the Black Lotus Triad group. In this match from November 2016, Shirai wrestled Pentagon Dark  in a must-see match that includes Shirai jumping off the balcony.

Joining Io Shirai in WWE will be fellow stardom performer Kairi Hojo. Back in March, the Observer reported that Hojo signed a 3-year deal with WWE. She is expected to start training at the WWE Performance Center soon.

With WWE’s Women’s Tournament taking place this summer, you can bet Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo will be two of the 32 competitors involved.

Finally, WWE has reportedly signed independent wrestler Kennadi Brink [via SquareCircleSirens]. She has worked for various promotions including SHIMMER and MCW. Brink recently worked as a referee for a few NXT live events in Florida and will be joining WWE/NXT as a referee.

Al Snow Comments On Being Arrested This Week

Staff
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19

Impact Wrestling agent/performer Al Snow was arrested on Monday night in Winchester, KY but claims the whole thing was a misunderstanding stemming from a traffic stop two years ago and a typo.

The 53-year-old was arrested, charged with “failure to appear” and later released on $234 bond. He posted a series of tweets on Wednesday stating that he was pulled over two years ago and received tickets for a broken tail light and an expired insurance card.

Snow claims to have cleared it up, but a typo resulted in a bench warrant for him that he was unaware of and his subsequent arrest.

Here’s the message he posted on Twitter earlier today:

“To clear up my arrest, I had a ticket from 2 years ago,broken light & expired insurance ID card, took care of it but thanks to a typo.

There was a bench warrant for me I was completely unaware of, my car was having trouble 3 police approached and asked for ID and I was taken in and paid a 234 dollar fine and was released.

A typo resulted in my arrest, and now I’ve spent time in the big house lol Be careful I might just shank you lol.”

WWE Backlash: 8 Matches Confirmed For Sunday’s PPV

Scott Lazara
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8

Following this week’s SmackDown Live, the card has been finalized for the SmackDown brand’s Backlash pay-per-view from Rosemont, Illinois.

It’s a strong line-up that has Jinder Mahal working his first WWE PPV main event, Shinsuke Nakamura wrestling his first television match on the main roster and an AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens US title match that’s sure to deliver.

Here’s the card for Sunday night:

 

– Randy Orton defends the WWE Championship against Jinder Mahal

– Kevin Owens defends the WWE United States Championship against AJ Styles

– The Usos defend the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Breezango

– Shinsuke Nakamura makes his SmackDown TV debut against Dolph Ziggler

– SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi teams with Charlotte and Becky Lynch to battle Natalya, Tamina and Carmella

– Sami Zayn challenges Baron Corbin

– Erick Rowan challenges Luke Harper

– Tye Dillinger and Aiden English go to war on the Kickoff Pre-show

Join us here this Sunday for our Live Coverage of WWE Backlash, which begins at 7pm Eastern with the Kickoff pre-show. Leave your Backlash Predictions below.

AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens – Lifetime Records Against Each Other

Chris Stephens
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14

AJ Styles challenges Kevin Owens for the US title this Sunday at Backlash. As both have over a decade of experience, and competed all over the world, I thought it might be interesting to review their history against one another.

Kevin Steen vs. AJ Styles Outside WWE

Kevin Owens (then Kevin Steen) and AJ Styles competed against each other on the independent scene in 2005-06. Their main battles were in PWG, but they also met for a local Quebec City promotion, Elite Wrestling Revolution.

  • AJ Styles & Kevin Steen defeated Christopher Daniels & Excess – January 8th 2005, Quebec City, Quebec – EWR
  • Kevin Steen defeated AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels & El Generico – March 12th 205- PWG
  • AJ Styles defeated Kevin Steen – 2-of-3 falls, May 8th 2005, EWR
  • Kevin Steen defeated AJ Styles – Steen wins PWG title from AJ- August 5th 2005- PWG
  • AJ Styles defeated Kevin Steen – 2nd round BOLA 2005 – September 4th 2005
  • Kevin Steen defends PWG title successfully against AJ Styles, and Chris Bosh (not the basketball player) – PWG – October 14th 2005
  • Joey Ryan defeated Kevin Steen, AJ Styles, and Chris Bosh- PWG – February 4th 2006

The two would meet twice in 2014 as well, for 2CW and Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore:

  • AJ Styles defeated Kevin Steen – March 14th 2014- 2CW
  • AJ Styles defeating Kevin Steen – June 7th 2014- House of Hardcore V

Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles in WWE

Kevin Owens and AJ Styles got reacquainted with each other on AJ Styles’ first night in WWE. Owens was responsible for eliminating AJ from the 2016 Royal Rumble, the night AJ debuted in WWE.

WWE match history (house shows not included):

  • Kevin Owens defeated AJ Styles – Smackdown March 14th 2016
  • Kevin Owens defeated AJ Styles – Raw March 21st 2016
  • AJ Styles defeated Cesaro, Jericho, and Owens – Fatal 4-way – Raw April 4th 2016
  • AJ Styles & Cesaro defeated Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens – Raw May 23rd 2016
  • Kevin Owens defeated AJ Styles – MITB Qualifier – Raw November 20th 2016
  • Kevin Owens, Jinder Mahal, & Corbin defeated Styles, Orton & Zayn – Smackdown May 9th 2017

Will Ospreay: “I would like to show people that what I do is professional wrestling”

Jake Skudder
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10

NJPW and Ring of Honor star Will Ospreay recently sat down with ESPN to discuss a variety of topics including his ROH War of the Worlds match, his in ring style and the controversy with Randy Orton. Here are some excerpts:

On Jay White:

“Jay White is probably one of the most polite and down-to-earth guys I’ve ever met, He was brought up through the young lion New Japan Dojo, so he knows his stuff. He’s probably going to be the biggest star once he goes back to Japan. I consider him a friend, and I think he would even say, as well, that we were overwhelmed by the people and the kind of response we had with people saying that was probably the best match on the card, and some people were even saying it was probably match of the year. I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s incredible.'”

On the injuries he sustained during his War of the Worlds match:

“I’m fine, my foot is killing me though,” My foot is so wrecked from the suicide dive, and he [Jay White] powerslammed me into the barricade. My foot wrapped across the barricade. It was the most painful thing ever. My back is all scratched up. My obliques are all cut up. That’s what this company is built on. It’s built on sacrifice. I’m happy to sacrifice my body if it means this place is going to get more recognition.”

On his in-ring style:

“I would like to show people that what I do is professional wrestling,” A lot of people give me a lot of stick — I’m cool, I can take it. Because my style is apparently not believable in a fight situation. Well, I’ve seen worse things, trust me on that. Ricochet says it best: Wrestling is an art form. I don’t bash people for doing death matches, but I love death matches. I’ve done one a while ago at Progress [Wrestling]. I loved it. I don’t mock the tech wrestling ’cause I can do it, but I don’t like it. But at the end of it, I still think it’s wrestling.”

On the ….dive controversy:

“I thought it was really funny. I do agree a bit, quite a lot of it. I do feel like wrestling has become very similar [in style], but just listen to that crowd from New York. It is that format, and everyone was going insane. I don’t know what to say but … dive.”

You can check out there full interview here.

Randy Orton Continues To Troll (Photo), Another Match Added To WWE Backlash

Robert Lentini
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23

Randy Orton Takes Photo With Drew Gulak

In case you missed it, Randy Orton caused a bit of a scene over the weekend on Twitter. Rip Rogers, head trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling, posted a picture on Twitter of a message he received. The message was critical of independent wrestling and it’s reliance on high spots. Orton retweeted the message and simply added “…dive”.

WWE Cruiserweight Superstar Drew Gulak posted a photo shortly after SmackDown went off the air. The photo was with Randy Orton and poked fun at the controversy over the tweet.

https://twitter.com/DrewGulak/status/864666234922700800

Erick Rowan Will Face Luke Harper At Backlash This Sunday

Erick Rowan joined SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and Renee Young on this week’s episode of Talking Smack. Rowan wanted a match against Luke Harper. Rowan referred to Harper as “Lucas” and psychotically laughed at the mask he brought with him to Talking Smack. Shane McMahon then made the match official and Erick Rowan will face off against Luke Harper at Backlash.

Here is the updated card for WWE Backlash this Sunday:

WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton (c) vs Jinder Mahal

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

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (c) vs Breezango

Naomi, Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs Natalya, Tamina Snuka & Carmella

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Dolph Ziggler

Erick Rowan vs Luke Harper

Kickoff Show: Tye Dillinger vs Aiden English

Rusev Comments On Missing SmackDown, John Cena Removed From SmackDown Opening Video

Robert Lentini
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11

Rusev Doesn’t Show Up To SmackDown

Last week, Rusev posted the following video and said that he will be showing up at tonight’s episode of SmackDown to confront Shane McMahon and demand a title shot at the Money in the Bank PPV.

As it turned out, Rusev did not appear on tonight’s SmackDown. Instead, Rusev attended the Nashville Predators NHL playoff game against the Anaheim Ducks.

John Cena Left Out Of SmackDown Opening Video

WWE has posted their new opening video for SmackDown Live. John Cena and Nikki Bella have both been removed from the video. Chris Jericho was included in the video even though he is currently touring with his band Fozzy.

WWE SmackDown Recap & Reaction (5/16)

Robert Lentini
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12

Kevin Owens kicked off this week’s SmackDown with a Highlight Reel segment. Owens stated that he was the new host of the highlight reel since he destroyed Chris Jericho a two weeks ago. Owens said that Jericho will never be seen again in WWE. Footage was shown on the Jeritron 6000 of Owens smashing his head into the ring post while a chair was wrapped around his neck. Owens vowed to defeat AJ Styles this Sunday at Backlash in their United States Championship match.

Owens started introducing someone in French but AJ’s music cut him off. Styles came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone in his hand and made his way towards the ring. Styles bashed Owens for stealing Jericho’s show. AJ said that he was going to take the US Title from Owens at Backlash and bring the title back to the good ol’ USA. The crowd broke out in a “USA!” chant as Styles made his way up the steel steps.

Jinder Mahal interrupted and said that he was supposed the guest of Kevin Owens’ Highlight Reel. Owens scolded Styles for interrupting and called him a rude American. Mahal stated that he was going to capture the WWE Championship this Sunday at Backlash and highlights of Jinder beating down Orton last week. Mahal then began speaking in Punjabi and the crowd chanted “what?!”. Mahal then stated that he was going to defeat AJ Styles tonight on SmackDown. Owens once again guaranteed a victory over Styles at Backlash. AJ got in the ring and Kevin Owens retreated. Styles then told Mahal to get in the ring so they can begin the “AJ Styles Highlight Reel”.

Reaction: This promo was okay. I’m not sure if Jinder Mahal is under the weather or something, but this is two weeks in a row now that he was speaking very lightly into the microphone. I am hoping that Mahal and Orton have some kind of encounter tonight. The shock of Jinder becoming #1 contender has worn off for me and I’m now just looking for a reason to get excited for this match. As of now, I’m not really interested because I am just expecting Randy Orton’s incredibly boring WWE Championship reign to continue.

AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal

Kevin Owens joined commentary for this match. AJ started out the match in control and connected with a couple of kicks. Mahal then caught Styles and threw him across the ring. Styles responded by connecting with a Dropkick to Mahal’s face and Jinder fell to the mat. Jinder connected with a chop to the throat of Styles and AJ fell down. Mahal then shoved his boot in AJ’s face and then stomped on him a few times.

AJ fought back and connected with a forearm to Mahal’s head. The “USA!” chants started again and Owens bashed the crowd on commentary. The Singh Brothers distracted Styles as AJ ran towards the ropes. Mahal capitalized and connected with a knee to AJ’s face for a two count as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Jinder was still in control of the match and had Styles in a Chin Lock. Jinder broke the hold and elbowed AJ in the face. Mahal hit a Dropkick for a two count. Jinder once again applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Styles got out of the hold but Mahal immediately knocked him back down to the mat. Jinder launched Styles into the turnbuckle and then went for a pinfall but AJ powered out at two.

Jinder perched AJ up on the top turnbuckle and then joined him up there. Mahal went for a Superplex but Styles escaped and slammed Mahal’s head into the turnbuckle. Jinder then leaped off the second turnbuckle but was met with a Dropkick from Styles in midair. Styles Dropkicked Jinder in the knee and then hit a forearm to the face for a two count.

Mahal connected with a kick to AJ’s head for a two count. Jinder missed a right hand and Styles connected with a Pele Kick. Jinder rolled out of the ring and Styles hit a Dropkick through the ropes. Back in the ring, Styles set up for the Phenomenal Forearm but the Singh Brothers distracted the referee. Kevin Owens then struck AJ Styles in the knee with the United States Championship. Mahal then hit the Khallas for the victory.

Winner: Jinder Mahal

Reaction: There is no denying that Jinder Mahal’s work in the ring has definitely improved and this match was just another example of it. I would just like to see him attack Orton before tonight’s episode of SmackDown is over.

Another episode of “Fashion Files” was shown starring Breezango. In this week’s episode, Breeze entered in disguise as a janitor. Fandango didn’t realize it was Breeze right away. Breeze then poked fun at Baron Corbin’s fashion. Breeze then stated that The Usos are scary and have incredible hair. Breeze then held up The Usos’ “Day One Ish” shirt and became confused as to what it meant. Breeze then went into a panic and said that Breeezango had no chance against them. Fandango slapped Breeze in the face and called him “Prince Pretty”. Breezango then stated that they will capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championships this Sunday and posed in a freeze frame just before they high-fived.

Orton was shown walking backstage and was stopped for an interview with Renee Young. Orton stated that people don’t like Jinder because he speaks differently, it is because he is an ass.

Breezango vs The Colons

The Colons controlled the match early and took turns beating down Tyler Breeze. Fandango pleaded for a tag but Breeze was too busy getting his ass kicked. Fandango finally got in the match and knocked Epico to the mat. Breeze and Primo were Clotheslined out of the ring. Fandango planted Epico with the Falcon Arrow for the victory.

After the match, The Usos came down to the entrance ramp and taunted Breezango for trying to be funny 5 days before Backlash. The Usos then read Breezango their rights and stated that they were going to take them to trial at Backlash.

Winners: Breezango

Reaction: The Usos are terrific as heels and have cut entertaining promos on Breezango two weeks in a row. I’ve always been a fan of Tyler Breeze and wouldn’t mind seeing Breezango emerge from Backlash as the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions. I wouldn’t have a problem with The Usos retaining either. I’m just hoping that this match is given enough time this Sunday. Breezango might be a goofy team, but they actually work well together in the ring. Hopefully we get to see a solid match between these two teams this Sunday at Backlash.

SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon came down to the ring for the contract signing for the 6-woman tag match at Backlash. Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Natalya, James Ellsworth, Becky Lynch, Naomi and Charlotte join him in the ring. Natalya grabs the microphone and calls Becky, Charlotte and Naomi pathetic and signed the contract. Becky stated that she cannot wait to slap the Welcoming Committee’s faces this Sunday at Backlash and signed the contract. Naomi claimed that she was going to snatch her opponents bald at Backlash and that they should be focusing on setting up a hair appointment. Naomi then signed the contract.

Charlotte then signed the contract and pointed at Naomi’s Smackdown Women’s Championship and said that after Sunday The Queen is coming for her crown. Charlotte then signed the contract. Ellsworth then grabbed the microphone and quoted Vince McMahon by saying that Becky Lynch had no chance with him. Ellsworth stated that Charlotte may be The Queen, but Carmella is the Princess of Staten Island. Ellsworth then informed Charlotte that she also has no chance with him. Ellsworth then told Naomi that Carmella was going to take her title and her glow. Naomi went after Ellsworth but Carmella got in the way and slammed her head off the table. Shane McMahon put a stop to it. Shane then announced that Carmella will face Naomi next and SmackDown went to a commercial break.

Carmella vs Naomi

Carmella spent the beginning of the match trying to avoid Naomi by hanging onto the ropes. Naomi almost hit the Rear View but Ellsworth dragged Carmella out of the ring. The referee then tossed Ellsworth out and he left ringside. SmackDown went to a commercial break as Ellsworth was being kicked out.

When SmackDown returned, Naomi was in control of the match and took a break to dance around. Eventually, all hell broke loose. Natalya and Tamina started brawling with Charlotte and Becky Lynch. Naomi then knocked Tamina Snuka out of the ring but this gave Carmella an opening. Carmella rolled Naomi up while grabbing her tights for leverage and won the match.

Winner: Carmella

Reaction: The contract signing was entertaining. If Ellsworth must be a part of every episode of SmackDown, I like him in this role much better than facing AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. I think the WWE writers find Ellsworth hilarious. I thought it was funny for a couple of weeks. However, I’ve had enough of lame chin jokes and Ellsworth segments. I would enjoy it more if I thought Ellsworth was advancing Carmella’s career or making her more hatable. Instead, it is just corny humor and nonsense every week. Overall, I have enjoyed this feud though. Charlotte has been giving off the impression that she is not all in with her team. It will be interesting to see how the match plays out this Sunday at Backlash.

Dolph Ziggler was backstage and stated that he was going to show a video of Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE highlights. A message appeared on the screen that read “footage not found”. Ziggler said that Nakamura has done nothing in WWE and showed highlights of his own career. Ziggler claimed that he will end Nakamura’s WWE run before it begins this Sunday at Backlash.

Reaction: The build up to the match between Ziggler and Nakamura has been decent at best. Having said that, if you are a fan of professional wrestling you should be excited for this match. Both Ziggler and Nakamura are incredible in the ring and I cannot wait for their match at Backlash.

Sami Zayn was interviewed backstage and announced that he has been granted a match with Baron Corbin at Backlash. Sami somehow believes that Corbin is afraid of him. Corbin then attacked Zayn from behind and beat him down.

Randy Orton vs Baron Corbin

Orton controlled the match early and applied a Chin Lock to Corbin. Orton went for the RKO early but Corbin blocked it. Orton then laughed at Corbin and Corbin got pissed off. Corbin leveled Orton with a Clothesline and taunted Orton as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Baron Corbin was still in control of the match. Corbin charged at Orton in the corner but Orton got out of the way and Corbin slammed into the ring post. Orton then dropped Corbin to the mat twice with a couple of Clotheslines and followed it up with a Powerslam. Corbin rolled to the ring apron but Orton followed him and planted him with the DDT as Corbin was hung up on the second rope. Orton posed for the crowd and they gave him a great reaction.

Orton slammed on the mat and set up for the RKO but Corbin blocked it. Corbin then connected with the Deep Six for a two count. Corbin charged at Orton and Orton once again got out of the way. Corbin slid out of the ring, got back in the ring and was greeted with an RKO from Orton. Orton then pinned Corbin for the victory.

After the match, Jinder Mahal came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone. Mahal stated that he will destroy Orton’s pride, body and future this Sunday at Backlash. The Singh Brothers then attacked Orton from behind. Orton launched both of the Singh Brothers out of the ring and punched Mahal before he could get in the ring. Orton was then setting up the Singh Brothers for a double DDT on the second rope but Mahal attacked Orton from behind. Mahal then hit the Khallas on Orton and posed with the WWE Championship as SmackDown went off the air.

Winner: Randy Orton

Reaction: Corbin and Orton had a decent match. I liked how the show ended with Mahal getting the best of Orton. I still don’t think Mahal has a chance of winning the WWE Championship this Sunday at Backlash. Overall, this week’s SmackDown was much better than last week’s episode. The build to Backlash wasn’t all that great, but there are some matches I’m very interested in watching.

What did you think of this week’s episode of SmackDown? Are you looking forward to Backlash this Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.

WWE SmackDown Results & Live Discussion (5/16)

Eric Lynch
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440

The May 16th, 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown aired live on the USA Network from the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. This was the go-home episode for Sunday’s Backlash pay-per-view.

– Kevin Owens comes out to the ring to open up SmackDown with an edition of the “new and improved Highlight Reel” hosted by himself. Owens says Jericho will never ever be seen again after he beat him down last week. Owens the only list Jericho is on now is the injured list. Owens says he’s going to introduce his guest in French, as he is a French Canadian, but AJ Styles interrupts. AJ says Owens has been stealing Jericho’s gimmick for the last year, but Owens says he can do everything better than Jericho. AJ tells Owens that on Sunday he’s taking the U.S. Title belt back to the good ol’ USA, but they could get it on tonight instead. Jinder Mahal interrupts and says he was supposed to be guest on Owens’ Highlight Reel. Owens says Styles stole Jinder’s spot like a rude American. Jinder says on Sunday he’s going to beat Orton again, and shows a clip of himself beating Orton previously with the help of the Bollywood Boys. Jinder lays a Ghandi quote on AJ, then tells AJ that he’s going to lose twice this week — tonight to Jinder and on Sunday to Owens. AJ chases Owens out of the ring, then tells Jinder to get in the ring and start the “AJ Styles Highlight Reel.”

– Jinder Mahal def. AJ Styles: U.S. Champion Kevin Owens is on commentary for this one. Jinder starts off strong but AJ stops him in his tracks with a phenomenal dropkick to the head. Jinder stops AJ’s momentum with a shot to the throat, then slams him into the corner. Jinder lays into AJ with knee drops and throws him out to the apron. Jinder tries to suplex AJ in over the ropes, but AJ knocks Jinder back and leapfrogs over the top rope with a flying forearm to the head of Jinder. The Bollywood Boys distract AJ momentarily which allows Jinder to recover and hit a running knee to the face. Jinder takes AJ up top, but AJ knocks Jinder down. Jinder kicks AJ in the face, but AJ comes back with a dropkick and both men are down. They get up and AJ kicks Jinder’s leg out from under him. AJ follows up with a forearm shot to the face then picks up Jinder. Jinder takes AJ into the corner with some shoulder strikes then boots AJ in the face. AJ ducks an elbow and hits the Pele Kick on Jinder. AJ follows up with a flying forearm in the corner, then a fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker over his knee. Jinder rolls outside to recover and AJ hits a baseball slide kick through the ropes. Back in the ring, AJ sets up for a Phenomenal Forearm, but the Bollywood Boys distract the ref and Owens hits AJ in the knee from behind. AJ rolls in the ring selling a knee injury, and Jinder hits a Cobra Clutch slam for the win.

– We see another Law & Order-inspired Fashion Files segment with Tyler Breeze and Fandango. This one features Breeze doing undercover work with a fake mustache and skullet.

– Randy Orton does an interview backstage where he the reason why people in America don’t like Jinder is because he’s an ass, not because he looks different.

– Breezango def. The Colons: The Colons trade frequent tags and control things against Breeze in the opening moments. Primo hits a running clothesline on Breeze in the corner, but then Breeze dodges a splash and kicks Primo in the head. Fandango and Epico tag in and Fandango drops him with a spinning heel kick. Fandango gets distracted by Primo at ringside and Epico rolls up Fandango with a fist full of tights for a near-fall. Fandango jumps up and hits a Falcon Arrow on Epico for the win. The Usos come out after the match and cut a promo on Breezango. The Usos say they make the rules, not the Fashion Police, and on Sunday they’re taking them to trial at Backlash. The Usos make some more law enforcement-related puns before leaving.

– Becky and Naomi run into Charlotte backstage and they get ready to come out for a contract signing together next.

– SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon makes his entrance to the ring to oversee a contract signing for Sunday’s Women’s match at Backlash. Natalya, Tamina and Carmella with James Ellsworth come out together first. Charlotte, Becky and Naomi make individual entrances next. The women cut brief promos on each other and sign the contract, but then James Ellsworth steps forward. Ellsworth says Becky should stop longingly gazing at him, because in the words of Vince, she has no chance in Hell with Ellsworth. Ellsworth tells Charlotte she doesn’t have a shot with him either, and that Naomi needs to stop flapping her gums because Carmella is going to take her glow away. Naomi grabs Ellsworth by the collar and Carmella hits her. Naomi and Carmella get held back by their teammates, and Shane books a match between the two right now.

– Naomi vs. Carmella: Ellsworth gets a little too close to the action early on and the referee ejects him from ringside before the match continues. Carmella and Naomi trade leg kicks back and forth until Naomi appears to get the upper hand. Naomi hits several unanswered kicks before the action spills out to ringside. Carmella hits a superkick on Naomi at ringside which leaves Naomi laying on the floor. Naomi rolls in the ring at the referee’s 8 count, and Carmella continues the offense. Naomi comes back with a kick, a flying clothesline, and then her trademark series of kicks. Naomi follows up with a jawbreaker then a kick to the head. Naomi goes up top but gets distracted by Tamina and Natalya. The ref ejects Tamina and Natalya both from ringside now. This leads to Tamina and Natalya brawling with Charlotte and Becky at ringside. Naomi and the ref are distracted by the brawling at ringside, which allows Carmella to roll up Naomi from behind for the win.

– Dolph Ziggler is in the locker room talking into the camera about Shinsuke Nakamura. Ziggler says he’s going to show some footage of the incredible things Nakamura has done, but then there’s no footage. Ziggler says Nakamura hasn’t done anything in WWE, but Ziggler has done everything in WWE. Ziggler rolls a highlight reel video of his career next. Back from the video, Ziggler says that he’s going to prove all of his doubters wrong by ending Nakamura’s WWE career before it even begins.

– Sami Zayn does an interview backstage where he says he’s requested a rematch with Baron Corbin on Sunday. Sami says Corbin sees him as a threat because Corbin knows he can’t keep him down. Corbin then attacks Zayn from behind and tells him he better stay down on Sunday, or else he’ll put him down permanently.

– Randy Orton def. Baron Corbin: This one is a non-title match. Orton attempts and RKO early on but Corbin gets out. Corbin controls the opening moments until Orton grabs his hair to slam him down. Corbin fires up and comes back with strikes, then puts Orton in the corner and stomps a mud hole in him. Corbin dominates the news few moments and keeps Orton grounded. Corbin goes for a suplex but Orton fights back with elbows. Corbin charges at Orton, but Orton dodges him and Corbin crashes shoulder-first into the ring post. Corbin is hurt, and he turns around into a series of clotheslines from Orton. Orton hits a spinning powerslam, then Corbin rolls out to the apron. Orton DDT’s Corbin back into the ring over the middle rope. Orton goes for an RKO but Corbin shoves him off and hits the Deep Six for a two count. Orton throws Corbin outside and Corbin comes running back in. As soon as Corbin gets back in the ring Orton lays him out with an RKO for the three count.

– Jinder Mahal comes out after the bell and tells Orton to savor his time with the WWE Championship, because on Sunday Jinder is going to destroy Orton and take the Title belt. As Jinder is talking, The Bollywood Boys (Singh Brothers) attack Orton from behind. Orton fights them off, then as Jinder tries to get on the apron Orton kicks him off. The Singh Brothers try to come back in the ring, but Orton hooks them for a double DDT over the middle rope. Before Orton can hit the DDT, Mahal hits Orton from behind then the three heels beat down the Champion. Mahal hits the Cobra Clutch slam on Orton, then he grabs the WWE Title belt and holds it above his head in the ring as SmackDown goes off the air.

Join us on Sunday night for live WWE Backlash 2017 results and discussion!

Match Added To Backlash Kickoff Show

Chris Stephens
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5

WWE has announced a new match for the Backlash Kickoff show this Sunday. Renee Young broke the news earlier that Tye Dillinger will face Aiden English.

Backlash will be held in Rosemont, Ill, a suburb of Chicago, which is Aiden English’s hometown.

Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English

Tye Dilinger is a new edition to the Smackdown Live roster. The 35-year old was originally signed to WWE in 2006, and briefly managed to crack the ECW brand’s roster in 2008-09 as Gavin Spears before he was released from the company.

In 2. He has been wrestling in NXT since 2013, until finally cracking the main roster again earlier this year.

29 year old Aiden English signed with WWE not long after graduation college in 2011. He started in WWE developmental in 2012.

Nikki Bella: Brie Was in Labour For 22 Hours

Chris Stephens
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Brie Bella is home resting after what was apparently a difficult birth. Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella welcomed Birdie Joe into their family earlier this month. Nikki Bella spoke with E! News regarding Brie’s experience giving birth recently:

 “She tried to go natural, and it was like eight or 10 hours into it had to get an epidural and then in the end had to get a C-section. Her abs were too tight! Go figure. Leave it to the WWE Superstar, abs too tight!”

Nikki continued to say the experience was not one she is interested in having for herself:

“Being with Brie in labour for 22 hours, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m fine not doing this, I think I’m okay.’ I saw a lot, and I can’t unsee that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gv1e5Y0tzI

Birdie Joe Danielson

According to Nikki Bella, the newborn already bears a striking resemblance to her father:

“Birdie is just so cute. She’s like her daddy. She is like 100 percent her dad, which is so cute.”

Bryan has been absent from social media since May 8th, as the couple prepared for the birth:

 

 

 

WWE RAW Viewership Under 3 Million For Third Straight Week

Scott Lazara
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WWE RAW drew under 3 million viewers for the third week in a row with last night’s episode from Newark, NJ. The episode drew 2.751 million viewers, up from last week’s 2017-low of 2.696 million viewers for a taped episode from the UK.

RAW featured The Miz vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose, Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt as the main matches. Wyatt vs. Rollins headlined the show.

Here is the hourly breakdown courtesy of Showbuzz Daily:

  • Hour 1: 2.884 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 2.724 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 2.645 million viewers

The NBA Playoffs and related programming continue to top the charts as this week’s RAW was #5 in viewership and #5 in the 18-49 demographic.

Braun Strowman Update: How Long He’ll Be Out, Storyline Plan For When He Returns

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Braun Strowman underwent elbow surgery last Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama. WWE.com noted that Strowman’s elbow was “shattered” by Roman Reigns last week on RAW and he’s expected to miss up to six months of action.

According to multiple sources, WWE’s timeframe for Strowman’s recovery is in fact exaggerated so he appears to be superhuman when he returns much sooner than expected. Strowman is still expected back in action within 2 months, as per initial reports.

The main event of WWE’s upcoming Extreme Rules will be a Fatal 5-Way match to determine the new #1 contender to RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt will battle at Extreme Rules to see who faces Brock Lesnar at July’s Great Balls of Fire PPV.

The original plan was for Strowman to face Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire, but we’re told that Strowman is now slated to work with Lesnar at SummerSlam in August.

Paul Heyman Introduced Rapper Desiigner At His NYC Concert (Videos)

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Paul Heyman, the Advocate of RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, made a surprise appearance at rapper Desiigner’s concert from the Playstation Theater last night in New York City.

The ‘Panda’ and ‘Timmy Turner’ performer is a self proclaimed Paul Heyman Guy and you can read more about that situation over at HeymanHustle.com.

Here’s the footage of Heyman introducing Desiigner to the rabid crowd on Monday night. If Paul Heyman is introducing you (see: Brock Lesnar, CM Punk), you’re doing something right!

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

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

Interview With WWE Performance Center’s Former Head Coach of Strength & Conditioning

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Matt Wichlinski, the former Head Coach of Strength and Conditioning at WWE’s Performance Center, was the latest guest on The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling. Here are some highlights from the interview:

WWE’s developmental program evolving from FCW to NXT to the Performance Center:

“It was really tough when I first started. I actually started while they were still in Tampa. So I was in Tampa for the first three or four months before they came to Orlando at the “PC”. The building was still getting built out and we did not have a gym to go to so I tried my best to find a facility and I would go around town trying to find something and would go to places like the local Powerhouse Gym or to try taking the groups into a place would have cost an arm and a leg so I found a space that was perfect for us in the area where we were located.”

“In the time that it took to do all that in that month I would take the groups to a local park and they hated me for it. They thought I was the biggest assh*ole that didn’t know anything because I had them doing pull-ups and pushups and basic calisthenics in a park. I had a little Kia at the time and I would load it up (riding dirty) from the apartment to the park and I’d have some of the guys help me unload and they thought that it was stupid sh*t but with me I think lifting the sandbags and doing the kettle bell work and the pull ups and the dips and that stuff is some of the most important stuff for them but they wanted to be “getting a pump” and they felt goofy and they didn’t buy into any of it. There was a few guys that loved it and who would say; “Are we really getting paid to work out in the park and get some sun?” But for me it was not having any other options at the time as I was waiting to get a gym and maybe build some repoure and a relationship with people that I didn’t know.”

Earning the trust of WWE’s developmental talent:

“It was a really hard sell to get people to buy in and of course with the majority of them, they are there for a reason. They don’t hire people that look like absolute sh*t for the most part and 99 out of 100 people that they hire already have amazing looking bodies. The ‘divas” are coming in and most of them are like models if you look at them. The girls are already hot, the guys are all good looking studs and they are not bringing in clowns that we just have to mold from nothing. They are already 8s, 9s and 10s across the board thinking what is this guy going to teach me.”

Breaking through and getting talent to respond:

“The ones that I was able to help the most were the ones that were open minded and wanted to learn and they didn’t want to just do their own thing, they knew that there was something else that they could learn. Every day was like a sponge and these are some of the best athletes. Look at Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, they want to learn and they want your input when they are training. If they are doing some Olympic lifting and they want another eye and they are asking you. That is how you know you really helped somebody. There were other people that if they had their preference would just put their earphones on and just go in their own little world. Where that might be fine in some cases, you don’t do that at the “PC”. You can’t learn while you are drowning everything out and you have headphones on doing your own thing.”

Talent being opposed to some of his exercises:

“An obvious one would be Enzo Amore. He trained with Joe DeFranco for several years before he came into the “PC”. Joe DeFranco is Triple H’s personal trainer. Joe is an amazing guy and a brilliant strength coach and Enzo trained with him for a couple of years but he is a guy that just doesn’t listen very well. He has some decent athletic ability (he played college football) but he is very hard to coach. Not just in the gym but in the ring as well. In talking with his other coaches and he worked with all of the coaches (since he was there) for three or four years and Norman Smiley, Bill Demott and all of them thought he could be a real pain in the ass. Sometimes he can be awesome and other times he could be a pain in the ass. He’s one of those guys that thought he trained at DeFranco’s so he knows everything. I do a lot of things very similar and somewhat the same as what DeFranco does but certain things may be different and just because you did it one way, I’m asking you to do it different right now and if am asking you for a certain reason it’s because I want to see you do it this way because I am building to something else. Everyone that knows Enzo knows he is a hell of a character and a good guy but he can be a pain in the ass to work with sometimes, not all the time.”

“I know this for a fact. If you try and coach somebody and you tell them what to do 10 or 12 times and they don’t listen and they don’t fix it or they only fix it while you are right in front of their face. Even it is absolutely terrible technique they just feel comfortable in what they are doing. Charlotte was another one. Charlotte wasn’t necessarily a pain in the ass but because she is such a good athlete, Charlotte was not just the best female athlete but one of the best athletes there. She can do her flips and all that stuff but sometimes you’d want something specific from her and she would just not be in the mood and just do her own thing. What was I going to do with Charlotte? She was already an athlete as good as she needs to be. She’s very lean, very talented and sometimes you just have to know what battles to pick. The biggest issue was if you let one person slide (no matter how good) than other people start to slide.”

The structure of how to internally handle an issue and Triple H’s involvement:

“I didn’t just go texting Triple H saying “so and so” isn’t doing his push-ups. I would have to deal with it with all the coaches who have a weekly meeting and if it was something that could wait until the weekly meeting than you might want to bring it up. All the coaches know and you are all on the same page as to what is going on in the ring and what is going on in the gym or in the physical therapy room and what is going on behind the scenes with Ryan Katz as they do their promos or when Dusty was there.”

“Anything that was to come up it goes into your weekly reports so if it’s an issue that I can’t handle myself than yes you do bring it up. I brought it up to my boss, either Bill Demott or to Matt Bloom and share it with their coaches so that they knew to address it and that was everyone is on the same page. But it was never a main thing (with Enzo) where I wanted to dropkick his face and you’ve got to realize anytime you are in a position like that just look at what these guys are doing. They are being told what to do constantly so I can’t really blame them. I started calling him Sinatra towards the end and once he went up, I was just calling him Sinatra because he did it his way. A lot of s*hit he did was f*cking wrong. Blatantly wrong. Whether it was his selling or this or that but look at him now. He did it his way and he’s up there and making his money and he has got a hell of a life. He’s just laughing it up and having a great time so kudos to him. He was one of these guys that would kind of get away with doing things his way and it paid off for him. Somebody else may have gotten fired, who knows and I’m not trying to pick on him.”

Subscribe to The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling on iTunes, Podomatic, Player FM, Earpeeler and Tune In Radio. You can also follow them on Twitter @TwoManPowerTrip.

205 Live Main Event Announced For Tonight

Chris Stephens
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WWE has announced the main event for tonight’s episode of 205 Live. The show comes from Manchester, NH tonight after Smackdown Live.

Austin Aries vs. TJP

At the moment, the storyline is that TJP (formerly TJ Perkins) is helping Neville retain his championship against the top good guys on the brand, Neville & Jack Gallagher. We’ve heard Neville tell TJP that he will earn a cruiserweight championship match if he continues to help him. Time will tell if TJP gets fed-up with waiting for Neville to grant him a championship opportunity however.

32-year old TJP is on a bit of a role, having won 3 of 4 on TV in May, including a singles win over Gallagher. His only loss this month was on Raw to Aries on May 1st in Sacramento.

As for the 39-year old Aries, he’s 1-1 on TV since defeating Neville via DQ at Payback. He defeated TJP on the May 1st Raw, but lost in the tag match last night.

SmackDown Preview For Tonight, Current Backlash Card

Chris Stephens
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Tonight’s episode of Smackdown Live take place from Manchester, NH and is the ‘go-home’ show ahead of WWE Backlash this Sunday. WWE is advertising two matches for the show:

  • AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal

This match pits the two male singles title challengers at Backlash against one another. Jinder takes on Randy Orton for the WWE championship on Sunday, while AJ Styles challenges Kevin Owens for the US title.

  • Randy Orton vs. Baron Corbin

As of this writing, Baron Corbin is not booked for a match at Backlash.

Updated Backlash Card

Ahead of tonight’s SmackDown, WWE has confirmed five matches for Sunday’s Backlash PPV:

  • WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal
  • SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Breezango
  • US Champion Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles
  • Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch & Naomi vs. Carmella, Natalya and Tamina Snuka
  • Dolph Ziggler vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Lilian Garcia Talks About Her Battle With Bulimia, Working With The Rock & More

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On the latest episode of her “Making Their Way To The Ring” show on AfterBuzz TV, former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia opened up about her struggle with bulimia,? the first time she announced for the WWE, her earliest wrestling memory, working with The Rock and much more. Here are some highlights they sent in:

Her first time announcing for WWE:

“?Twenty? ?minutes ?before I’m going live they told me I cannot use cue cards.?..?I had it written out because Tony Chimel helped me that afternoon and I had it written out. Thank ?G?od for photographic memory, because what I did then right before I went up-I literally, I’ve never been at a point where I thought I was gonna get so sick that I was about, I literally when he told me no cue cards ?twenty minutes? before I’m going to go live and I’m already irate. And I was like, ‘?b?ad time for a joke’. And they’re like ‘?n?o, no, no Kevin Dunn does not like, this is not boxing, you can’t.’ But I’m like, ‘But I don’t know anybody here and now I gotta know their weights, and their towns, what type of match it is, and if they hold the title?’…?I literally wanted to run ?ten? minutes before we were going live, I wanted to run. I saw myself literally getting up and bolting outta there.”

Working with The Rock:

“I did backstage interviews on Smackdown which is why The Rock and I had a lot of great backstage interviews because we were doing them on RAW and there was a whole chemistry there or whatever, which was cool that the writers saw that and went with that. Could you imagine if he becomes president, people are gonna start looking, The Strudel was born during my interview, oh my God! If you Google the Lilian Garcia interview, that’s like the first one you see.”

Her battle with bulimia and why she felt uncomfortable during a WWE swimsuit competition:

“So what happened was they wanted me to be in a swimsuit competition the next, I don’t know if it was a few weeks later or whatever. I had never done a swimsuit competition.?..In the pageants I had; however, it was a long time I’ve been in the pageants. I also had since the pageants I had suffered from bulimia.? ??I became very self conscious with my body and the thought of parading my body in the middle of a ring for you know, people to look at was mortifying to me. I also though when I told WWE that I didn’t feel comfortable about this and I mean I was really freaking out, I was in tears. I couldn’t even explain to them why because I hadn’t really come free and out in the open saying I had suffered from bulimia, I have body issues and so this is a really horrible thing for me to put myself in.

I just-I’m gonna, I’ll break down right in the middle of the ring, I will I just know it. I had total respect for anyone who wants to do it, like I don’t care, you know if that’s what you wanna do, but for me, my personal thing.?..?I struggled, the worst part about it I think was probably three years and then I finally got help. I threw up 15 times in one day.?..?I drove around to different-McDonalds and then I’d go over to 7-Eleven and I’d throw up there. And I was just really going through a lot and in my life,? ?I just remember feeling like I had no control. I was in college actually, I remember I was in college during this time.?..?You know how I became-I just remembered now. I never had a weight issue at all growing up, but here’s the thing. I never had a weight issue, I hit college and all of the sudden my metabolism changed and now all of a sudden I’m gaining weight and I don’t know how to deal with it. And so that was the time where it just became popular to do that so I started? ?doing that. And then it became-I lost control, I thought I was in control, I lost control. Plus that was before you knew it was bad for this, bad for that, all of a sudden my teeth are turning grey. It was just crazy…

So anyway, that was the day I threw up blood actually and that’s when I said ‘I gotta get help’. So I went and got help and thank? ?G??od for the guy, he was pretty fast at helping me out, patient, but it still lingers with me throughout the years and when I say linger, you will have an episode. It triggers, you throw up and then you go ‘ugh’ and then you’re like stay clean for a while and then you’ll have an episode and that went on for a few years.”

WWE Extreme Rules: Main Event & 4 Title Matches Confirmed

Scott Lazara
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Following Monday’s RAW, the card for WWE’s upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view is taking shape. As of this writing, there are now five confirmed matches for the show:

– Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt battle in a Fatal 5 Way to determine the new #1 contender to WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar

– RAW Tag Team Champions The Hardys defend against Cesaro and Sheamus

– RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss defends against Bayley in a “Kendo Stick On A Pole” match

– Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose defends against The Miz and can lose the title on a count-out

– Cruiserweight Champion Neville gives one more shot to Austin Aries.

WWE Extreme Rules takes place on Sunday, June 4th from Baltimore, MD. As always, join us here for our live PPV results and discussion.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Day 1 to be shown FREE on NJPWWorld.com

Jake Skudder
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New Japan has announced that Day 1 of this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament will be airing live and for FREE on their NJPWworld.com streaming service.

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.

Here are the announced matches for Day 1 of the tournament:

May 17 (Live on NJPW World @ 2:30am PDT / 5:30am EDT / 10:30am BST / 6:30pm JST)

  • A-Block: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. TAKA Michinoku
  • B-Block: Tiger Mask IV vs. Volador Jr.
  • A-Block: Ricochet vs. Taichi
  • B-Block: ACH vs. BUSHI
  • B-Block: KUSHIDA vs. El Desperado
  • A-Block: Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll
  • B-Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • A-Block: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee

For more information on how to watch the tournament please check out the tweet below from the English language NJPW Twitter account.

WWE RAW Recap & Reaction (5/15)

Robert Lentini
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RAW GM Kurt Angle kicked off this week’s episode of RAW and was greeted by cheers and “you suck!” chants from the crowd. Angle stated that Strowman underwent surgery and may be out of action for up to six months. Angle announced an Extreme Rules Fatal 5-Way match at Extreme Rules to determine the #1 contender for the Universal Championship. It will be Seth Rollins vs Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt vs Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules.

Angle was about to leave the ring but was interrupted by Roman Reigns. Reigns got his usual reaction as he made his way down the entrance ramp. Reigns was still selling his shoulder injury from last months attack by Braun Strowman. Reigns confronted Angle in the ring and said that he should be the #1 contender. Reigns called RAW “his yard” and bragged about defeating The Undertaker at Wrestlemania and taking Strowman out.

Finn Balor joined the party. Balor boasted about defeating Roman Reigns on his way to becoming the first Universal Champion. Reigns told Balor that he doesn’t have the killer instinct to beat Brock Lesnar. Samoa Joe came down to the ring and bragged about applying the Coquina Clutch on Seth Rollins and knocking him out. Joe claimed that he was going to win the Fatal 5-Way and go to face Brock Lesnar. Bray Wyatt then appeared in the middle of the ring before the lights went out. Seth Rollins came down to the ring and attacked Joe.

A brawl then broke out and Rollins took out Joe’s knee. Bray Wyatt then knocked Rollins out of the ring. Reigns hit Wyatt with a Superman Punch and knocked him out of the ring. Balor then hit a Dropkick on Rollins and Wyatt outside the ring. Balor then hit Reigns with a Slingblade and knocked Roman out of the ring. The segment ended with Balor flipping onto Rollins and Reigns and then standing tall in the ring.

Reaction: Extreme Rules already has one hell of a main-event. Braun Strowman’s injury came at the worst possible time for him, as he was about to go into the biggest feud of his life with Brock Lesnar. If I had to pick now, I’d say either Balor or Roman Reigns will win the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules.

Kurt Angle made two matches backstage. Seth Rollins will face Bray Wyatt for the first time ever tonight and Roman Reigns will face Finn Balor. It was also announced that The Hardys will defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against Sheamus & Cesaro at Extreme Rules.

Jeff Hardy vs Sheamus

Sheamus controlled the match early and sent Jeff Hardy into the barricade outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. The action returned to the ring and Sheamus planted Hardy with a Powerslam for a two count. Jeff Hardy took control of the match and Cesaro hopped up on the ring apron but Matt Hardy knocked him off. Sheamus went for a Brogue Kick but Jeff got out of the way and Sheamus almost hit Matt. Jeff then hit the Twist of Fate and followed it up with a Swanton Bomb for the victory.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Reaction: The Hardys and Sheamus & Cesaro work well together. I’m looking forward to seeing them have another match for the tag titles at Extreme Rules.

Sasha Banks vs Alicia Fox

Sasha Banks controlled the match early and connected with Double Knees. Fox connected with a scissors kick for the victory. After the match, Fox celebrated with Noam Dar.

Winner: Alicia Fox

Reaction: I didn’t see this one coming. I feel like Sasha Banks would have benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up. I’ve been waiting for WWE to turn her heel and I don’t understand why that hasn’t happened yet.

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

Miz went for the Skull Crushing Finale early but Ambrose was able to block it. Ambrose then connected with a Swinging Neckbreaker. Ambrose connected with a Suicide Dive on The Miz who was outside the ring. RAW went to a commercial break with Ambrose in control and the crowd behind him.

When RAW returned from the break, The Miz was in control. Miz slammed Ambrose into the steel steps during the commercial break. Ambrose fought back and went for the Dirty Deeds but Miz blocked it. The match went back and forth for a minute and Miz once again went for a Skull Crushing Finale but couldn’t connect. Ambrose climbed to the top rope but Maryse stood in front of Miz. Ambrose jumped anyway and Maryse got out of the way. Ambrose struck Miz and he fell over the barricade. Back in the ring, Miz went for a low blow but Ambrose blocked it. Dean then hit a low blow of his own and was disqualified.

Winner via DQ: The Miz

Reaction: This match was decent. I was hoping that tonight would be the end of this feud so that Ambrose and Miz could move onto something new. That will not be the case as it was announced later in the show that Ambrose will once again defend his IC Title against Miz at Extreme Rules.

Alexa Bliss came down to the ring and started insulting the crowd. Alexa bragged about being the only Superstar to become the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion. Alexa again referred to herself as a goddess and was interrupted by Bayley. Bayley announced that she has a rematch for the RAW Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules. Bliss told Bayley to leave the titles to the adults and to go sit at the kid’s table. Bayley attacked Bliss and knocked her outside the ring. Bliss grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring and struck Bayley in the back. Alexa then stood over Bayley and taunted her as the segment ended.

Reaction: I’m looking forward to see what stipulation is added to this match at Extreme Rules. On paper, the Extreme Rules card looks good. My only issue with it so far is that it is a lot of the matches we have already seen before. Alexa Bliss will face Bayley again. Neville will face Austin Aries again. The Hardys will face Sheamus & Cesaro again. Dean Ambrose will once again face The Miz. I guess a bunch of stipulations can help make this card more interesting.

RAW GM Kurt Angle was confronted by The Miz and Maryse backstage. The Miz demanded a rematch for the title since Ambrose hit him with a low blow earlier in the night. Angle gave him the rematch at Extreme Rules. The Miz then said that the title should be able to change hands if the match ends with Ambrose getting disqualified. Angle reluctantly agreed and then told Miz to watch his tone next time he tries to speak to him. Maryse then yelled at Angle in French but was interrupted by The Drifter strumming his acoustic guitar nearby.

Jack Gallagher & Austin Aries vs Neville & TJP

Neville immediately tagged in Perkins to avoid Austin Aries in the ring. The match went back and forth for several minutes. Neville distracted the referee as Perkins beatdown Aries outside the ring. TJP and Gallagher battled in the ring while Aries attacked Neville outside the ring. The match ended with TJP hitting the Detonation Kick on Gallagher for the victory.

Winners: Neville & TJP

It was announced that the match between Bayley and Alexa Bliss at Extreme Rules will be a Kendo Stick On A Pole match.

Golden Truth were shown backstage. R-Truth apologized for Goldust and said that he cost them the win in the Tag Team Turmoil Match last week on RAW. Goldust said that was nonsense and that they will begin their journey back to the top tonight in their match against Gallows & Anderson.

Finn Balor vs Roman Reigns

The match started out with Reigns and Balor trading punches in the corner. Reigns got the upper-hand and connected with a Samoan Drop. Balor connected with a series of kicks and then a chop to Reigns in the corner. Roman shook his head as if it had no effect on him and leveled Balor with a right hand. Roman charged at Balor in the corner but Finn dodged it and Reigns rammed his injured shoulder into the ring post. Reigns spilled to the floor outside the ring and Balor exited through the ropes onto the ring apron. Balor connected with a kicked to Reigns’ head and then knocked Reigns to the floor as RAW went to a commercial.

When RAW returned, Reigns slammed Balor into the ring post outside the ring. Reigns followed it up with a Drive By on the ring apron and brought Balor back to the ring. Reigns went for the pinfall but Balor kicked out at two. Reigns went for a Powerbomb but could not go through with it due to his injured shoulder. Balor hit a Slingblade and Reigns connected with a Superman Punch for a two count. Balor hit another Slingblade and made his way to the top rope. Balor took to long and Reigns knocked him to the mat. Reigns then planted Balor with a Spear for the victory.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Reaction: I enjoyed this match. It was very physical and both Superstars performed well. I also enjoyed Reigns’ work to kick off RAW during the promo. He wasn’t cracking jokes, he just got right to the point and stated that he deserved to be #1 contender.

Bray Wyatt warned Seth Rollins before their match tonight and said that he will become Universal Champion in a video promo.

Golden Truth vs Gallows & Anderson

R-Truth and Goldust came down to the ring. R-Truth was doing his typical promo and was asking the crowd “what’s up?!”. Goldust then attacked R-Truth from behind and grabbed the microphone. Goldust said “that is what’s up” and left R-Truth laying in the ring.  The crowd chanted “yes!” after Goldust attacked R-Truth.

Reaction: This was a great moment simply because it meant the end of Golden Truth.

Titus O’Neil vs Big Cass

Enzo, Cass, Apollo Crews and Titus O’Neil were in the ring. Titus mocked both Enzo and Cass. Titus then mocked Enzo’s dance routine and the crowd booed and chanted “a**hole!”. Titus O’Neil wound up wrestling in his suite and quickly lost to Big Cass. After the match, Apollo Crews kicked Enzo in the head after he tried to take a selfie while O’Neil was on the ground.

Winner: Big Cass

Bray Wyatt vs Seth Rollins

Wyatt started out the match in control and posed in the ring. Rollins battled back and sent Wyatt out of the ring. Rollins followed him and slammed him into the barricade. Rollins hopped up onto the barricade and leaped onto Wyatt but Bray caught him. Wyatt then slammed Rollins into the barricade and RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Bray Wyatt planted Rollins with a massive Superplex. The action spilled outside the ring and Rollins went for a Suicide Dive but Wyatt blocked it. Back in the ring, Rollins hit a Blockbuster for a two count. The match continued back and forth for a couple of minutes and then both Superstars battled outside the ring. Samoa Joe appeared and attacked Rollins and the match ended in a DQ.

After the match, Joe brought Rollins into the ring and continued the beatdown. Bray Wyatt then joined Samoa Joe and stomped on Rollins. Wyatt then hit the Sister Abigail on both Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins. RAW went off the air with Bray Wyatt posing in the ring.

Winner via DQ: Seth Rollins

Reaction: The main-event was decent but the ending was predictable. Samoa Joe has attacked Rollins before and will certainly attack him again. I can’t help but feeling that I’m watching the same show every week while watching RAW and SmackDown. There aren’t any real great storylines here, it is just Superstars fighting. I thought WWE would capitalize more on the Rollins and Joe feud by focusing more on Joe injuring Rollins. The feud doesn’t feel personal enough. I enjoyed the match between Rollins and Joe last week on RAW, but the feud doesn’t seem to be escalating. Like almost all the feuds in WWE, it is just lacking buzz. There are matches on the Extreme Rules card that I’m looking forward to, but there is nothing I’m overly excited about.

As for Bray Wyatt, I’ve lost interest in the character. Wyatt’s feud with Randy Orton left a lot to be desired and his title reign was a disappointment. Since joining RAW, Wyatt hasn’t done anything for me to get back invested in the character. It is the same exact thing. Wyatt cuts an ominous promo and fails to win matches. I don’t understand why nothing new is being tried with a character as different and charismatic as Bray Wyatt. It is frustrating to watch someone with that match talent fritter away on a weekly basis. I thought the best parts of the show were the opening promo, the match between Roman Reigns and Balor, and Goldust attacking R-Truth.

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

Bully Ray Shoots on Issues With Randy Orton, Orton’s Shots at Him, Twitter Beef

Jon Fuentes
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14

As we previously reported, WWE Champion Randy Orton and former WWE Superstar Bully Ray got into a Twitter exchange over Orton’s recent criticism of the professional wrestling indie scene. Ray took to a recent episode of Busted Open Radio to comment on the incident, and you can check out the highlights below:

Orton’s response to his #Dive photo on Twitter:

“The part about Randy Tweeting me is where things get wonky and I don’t understand. Because here’s the deal, that diatribe that you just read, somebody texted that to me about two days ago and I hadn’t read it. I did not read it on Rip Rodgers Twitter or Randy Orton’s Twitter or wherever it came from because I don’t follow either one of them. When I read that I thought it was funny, and I saw the last word and it said ‘dive.’ I was like ‘Oh I have that picture of me diving.’ I was kind of laughing saying to myself ‘I look like the Hindenburg falling.’

“I was making fun of myself, so the post that I put up there of ‘dive’ was kind of a tongue in cheek joke at myself because here I am the veteran and I’m doing a dive. I had no idea about anybody else’s stuff, but I guess it was coincidental. This had nothing to do with Rip Rodgers. As a matter of fact, if you go back a month ago you can see that me and Rip Rodgers, we actually have some really good back-and-forth on Twitter, where we basically agree almost one hundred percent of the time when it comes to wrestling and wrestling psychology, and that old school mantra. Rip Rodgers even went as far to Tweet me ‘Are you sure you’re not my son?’ That’ show much me and him are on the same page.

“So I would not even be talking about Rip Rodgers or taking a shot at him. If I was talking about him I would hit the little ‘@’ symbol so Rick knew I was talking about him. Now, Randy gets in on it. If I was referring to Randy, which I would not be doing at all, I would’ve added Randy. Because I’m a man and I will tell you if I am talking about you or taking a shot at you. So my Tweet had nothing to do with those people. But I did feel the need to fire back and I did. I’m sure you have that Tweet ready to go.”

Ray on his response back to Orton on Twitter:

“And the reason why I said Randy Orton is wrong again, is because me and Randy actually have a very long history. People may or may not know the story, and I’ll try to give you the cliff notes version of what happened – About 15 years ago there was a live event between me and D-Von and Randy Orton and Batista. It was just one of those matches that just did not go the right way. It was a snake bitten match. I wound up hurting my back, Randy wound up hurting his leg and his shoulder, Dave wound up hurting his tricep – it was just one of those bad nights. Those guys held a little bit of a grudge from that night, and it went on for a long long long time. Well fast forward 10 years later, I was back in the WWE.

“Me and Randy saw each other and within an instant, we shook hands, we hugged, sat down, talked about it, and within five minutes we had exchanged apologies. Randy said ‘Bubba I’m sorry, I was young, I was immature, I should’ve never been saying those things I said about you.’ I said ‘Randy, I’m sorry too. I was a bit of a hot head back then, I’m sorry if I yelled at you for anything.’ We totally buried the hatchet. My last year in WWE with Randy couldn’t have been any better. We exchanged funny stories, we talked, we talked about doing the super 3-D together, it was a great time. He was one of the last people I said goodbye to at WWE. We both expressed to each other how happy we were that we were able to bury the hatchet. I still consider him one of the best workers in the world, okay? So I have zero clue why he needed to take that shot at me. But you know what? It’s all fine and good because me and Randy’s paths will cross again.”

The apology Orton sent out soon after:

“Now, he mentioned ‘old timer’ in there right? So he’s probably addressing me as the old timer right? Well, he talks about the money and the 13 titles and everything like that – yeah man, I got to agree with you. Because as far as the money’s concerned, I’ve made a boatload of it Randy, just like you. So counting that money and looking at your bank statement is freaking awesome. As far as your 13 titles are concerned, man, I’m on the same page as you, because I have 24 of them. So I’m on board with you Randy, I totally get it, brother!”

If this is jealousy related due to fans being more interested in what’s happening outside WWE:

“I don’t know if jealousy is the right word. I really don’t know what the right word is. Here’s what I know, I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum and everything in between. I’ve wrestled in front of seven people in the Polish-American club in Piscataway, and 100 thousand people at WrestleMania, I’ve done the Tokyo Dome, Madison Square Garden, I’ve main evented all over the world, I’ve been in ECW, I’ve been in Ring of Honor, TNA, Hustle, Old Japan, New Japan, you name it. I’ve seen all the different promotions, I’ve seen all the different styles, and I appreciate all them for what they’re worth. I understand when it comes to wrestling psychology, I understand what the perfect wrestling psychology is.

“But I also know that there are different genres and that most people like this new style of wrestling. People enjoy it. Just like people enjoy movies like Fast And Furious. You buy a ticket to go see Fast And Furious, just because you want to see everybody crash and burn. You’re not paying because you want to invest in the story. Some people want to invest in Sports Entertainment, and some people want to invest in an entertaining sport. And everything in between. And I think that’s what you’re getting in the world of pro wrestling right now, and I can’t understand why people are upset by 10 dives and 20 super-kicks because half of the roster right now in the WWE got their start doing that style.”

H/T to WrestlingINC for the transcribed quotes.

ROH TV Report: Bully Ray & the Briscoes Defend Titles

Chris Stephens
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0

ROH TV
airdate May 15th 2017 (Fite App)
Baltimore, MD (taped before War of the Worlds PPV)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PoAoqbUQ3k

1. Will Ferrara & Cheeseburger vs. Chris Sabin & Jonathan Gresham (Search & Destroy)

Alex Shelley cut a promo before the match, talking about how Jonathan “the Octopus” Gresham is one of the best up-and-coming wrestlers in ROH. Gresham would get the win for his team here as well, forcing Cheeseburger to tap to an octopus stretch.

After the match, there was a little teased dissension between Cheeseburger and Ferrara, as Ferrara stormed to the back without his partner.

Winners: Chris Sabin & Jonathan Gresham

  • We are shown a segment of Jay Lethal in the back being given a script for an upcoming commercial. Silas Young took offence to this and beat Lethal up, injuring his leg against a locker.

2. Bobby Fish vs. Silas Young w/Beer City Bruiser

Silas Young pulled off a big upset here, but under dubious circumstances. The Beer City Bruiser distracted the referee, and Young hit Fish with his knee brace (which he took of earlier in the match) and pinned him. We should get a rematch from this in the not-too-distant future.

Winner: Silas Young

  • Dalton Castle cut a promo backstage about how much it hurt to lose his ROH championship match to Christopher Daniels. Evidently, it reminded him of a blind date that went terribly wrong while in Dubai. He promised to come back stronger and work towards winning the title.

3. 6-Man Tag Team Championships
Bully Ray & the Briscoes (c) vs. the Rebellion (Shane Taylor, Caprice Coleman, Rhett Titus)

Commentary played up how the Briscoes used to ask their Dad to take them to the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, so they could see Bully Ray wrestle. Bully will turn on them eventually, but for right now they are a fun team.

Bully Ray got a hot tag to start the closing moments of the match. He took out everyone and got a big pop. He then tagged in Mark Briscoe who did his Redneck Kung Fu on everyone. Mark took out each member of the Rebellion with a moonsault on the floor, then Jay followed with a suicide dive….dive.

Titus blocked the Froggy-bow from Mark, then missed his own frog splash. Mark then tagged in Jay, they did the 3-D with Bully and pinned Rhett. Commentary mentioned that we never got to see Shane Taylor and Bully Ray go at it, which probably means we will eventually see just that.

Winners: Bully Ray & the Briscoes (retain championships)

After the match, the Briscoes brought out a table, and Bully powerbombed Coleman through it from the 2nd rope. Bully led the crowd in “ROH!” chants, and the 3 held up their titles to close the show.

John Cena on Having a Second Career in Film, Secret Behind His Drive, Playing a Superhero

Jon Fuentes
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7

WWE Superstar John Cena did an interview with The Toronto Sun to promote his new movie “The Wall”, which hit select theaters last week. You can check out some of the highlights from their conversation here:

So do you now have a whole second career in the movies?

“Man, that would be great if it could happen. [Laughs] I’m certainly more comfortable now with the roles I have than I was 10 years ago. Anyway, I’m glad if you think so — hopefully it means I can make some more movies!”

What’s the secret behind your drive, your motivation, your success?

“I show up on time, I try to work really, really hard, and I approach everything like it’s the first day on the job. Also, I have a saying: ‘Don’t be an A-hole’ and I’m guided by that. [Laughs]. I just try to be a nice person, treat everyone with respect, and work hard.”

You’ve described your wrestling persona as, ‘Goodie-Two-Shoes Superman’ and you’re a major role model to kids. Is that job one?

“I don’t consider that a job. I consider that a privilege, that I have a message powerful enough to get young people to listen — ‘Never give up.’ And to get them to pay attention to stuff like the impression they leave on people. And sometimes it doesn’t make me the coolest kid in school, but I’m very happy with the message I have to send. Very happy to be a role model.”

As your movie career continues, should we expect to see you in a superhero’s cape and tights one day?

“I do my cape wearing for the WWE.”

First WWE Extreme Rules PPV Match Announced

Jon Fuentes
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5

WWE has released a video in which WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Matt and Jeff Hardy announce that they will be defending their titles against No. 1-contenders Sheamus and Cesaro at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV) next month.

A stipulation for the match was not mentioned directly, however, Jeff mentioned that he’d like to take on Sheamus and Cesaro in a No DQ Match. As of this writing, no other matches have been announced for the PPV. Extreme Rules goes down from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on June 4, 2017.

You can check the video out here below:

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