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Alexa Bliss Makes History With RAW Women’s Championship Win At Payback

Scott Lazara
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Alexa Bliss made history at last night’s WWE Payback pay-per-view when she defeated hometown star Bayley for the RAW Women’s Championship. Bliss is now the first to hold both the SmackDown Women’s Championship (twice) and the RAW Women’s Championship.

It’s an impressive feat for Bliss, who was one of seven NXT Superstars drafted to the main roster last July. Of that group, a strong case could be made that Bliss has had the most success in WWE.

After her heartbreaking loss at Payback, Bayley was interviewed backstage and said it doesn’t matter that she dropped the title in front of her hometown crowd. The symbol of her long journey and her hard work now sits around the waist of Alexa Bliss, whom Bayley says has no respect for anybody. With a dejected tone, Bayley admitted, “I’m not happy and it sucks.”

Here’s a look at Alexa Bliss’ first photo shoot with the RAW Women’s Championship.

On the heels of her historic title win, Alexa Bliss will be Chris Jericho’s guest next week on the Talk is Jericho podcast.

Jack Swagger Talks WWE Departure, Working Impact, Japan, ROH & Independents

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Former WWE Superstar Jack Swagger was a recent guest on Main Event Radio to discuss his departure from WWE and his future in the wrestling business.

His WWE Departure

After a 10 years run with the company, Swagger was released from WWE back in March. As much as Swagger enjoyed his time in WWE, his decision to leave came down to WWE not recognizing his perceived value.

“I’m very fortunate for the career that I had,” he said. “What it really was is a business decision. I valued myself at a certain price, they valued it at another. I’ve gotta move forward. It was just time for a change; time for Jack Hager/Jack Swagger to go out and see other opportunities. I’m kind of green all over again on this side. It’s so exciting. It’s the best time to be a wrestler. Transcending countries, languages. It’s really cool to be a part of that movement.”

Working Independents & Japan:

Swagger has two young children and loves the family life. Packing lunches, taking his kids to school, he’s thrilled to have the opportunity to finally put his family first. Now that he’s working on the independent scene, he has more control over his schedule and his booking.

“200 days a year out there in a car every night it’s really gotta be in your heart. Now that I’m on the outside of it I could see where I was making mistakes and how I could’ve handled things differently. I’m excited to put my nose to the concrete and grind. Independent wrestling is so big and with social media now and the internet we could brand ourselves. I really don’t like the term indies, because it’s not indies anymore.”

“I’ll go anywhere,” he continued. “Japan would work perfectly the way I wrestle. It’s a new movement of territories coming up again. People are working together to put on good shows and put on good wrestling.”

If He Wants to Reunite With Dutch Mantell in Impact Wrestling

I have no idea at this moment. It’s very exciting what they’re doing over there. Also very exciting what ROH and Lucha Underground are doing. After the non-compete is up, I’d definitely like to figure that out. It’s scary but you could literally go work everywhere. I don’t want to limit myself. Find a way to use pro wrestling to make what you want to do work. I’m a superhuman freak athlete I just turned 35 and I’ve got a lot of years ahead of me. Wrestling is so powerful and it’s so cool.

For more, check out the full interview at Main Event Radio.

Exclusive Interview With Cody

Jake Skudder
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SEScoops recently sat down with Cody to discuss a number of topics including his Independent run since leaving WWE, his time in the Bullet Club and Wrestle Kingdom match with Juice Robinson and the fact that he HAS NOT signed with Ring of Honor.

SEScoops: Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us.

Cody: Thank you

SEScoops: Let’s talk about ‘The List.’ You sent out a tweet May 28th last year saying ‘this is my list, when I leave WWE this is who I want to face on the independent circuit.’  You’ve actually been in the ring with everyone on that list except for one person.

Cody: Roderick Strong? Well you know he had a baby (laughs), he had a baby. I wish I could get the Roderick Strong match, maybe I’ll just put him on the next list you know? Somebody told me that I should do another list and I was like ‘well sequels aren’t always so great’ but the reality is I think I’m gonna do another list now, maybe put it out on the same day.

SEScoops: Well Terminator 2 was good?

Cody: Termintor 2 yes. Ryback has never actually seen the original Terminator movie.

SEScoops: Really?

Cody: He didn’t know there was one, he legitimately thought that it was called Terminator 2 because there were two Terminators.

SEScoops: That is incredible.

Cody: Yea, yea me and Daniel Bryan had a very good time with that one. Very good time. He gets very upset when we talk about it. Cause that was 80’s the original Terminator? See he’s a child of the 90’s. If it wasn’t in the 90’s then it isn’t worth it to him.

SEScoops: Also wanted to talk about the Independent scene as a whole. It is very different to the way it was say 5-6 years ago. You spoke to Rolling Stone about the ‘initial buzz’ that stars get when they leave the WWE. It seems, not easier now but different because we are in the iPPV era. Obviously promoters will be coming to you for bookings but you just seem to always be in all the right/relevant places?

Cody: Yea, I’m smart (laughs) no, no. I was really measured with my choices. I wanted to go to places that had buzz and positivity if that makes any sense?

SEScoops: It absolutely does.

Cody: I went to some places that don’t have buzz and positivity (laughs) but I tried as much as I could to be where I could play ‘my music’ where people could hear/see it. It’s definitely easier. If you think about guys like Kevin Owens who cut his teeth in ROH and on independents, he came right before that streaming and social media era of embedded videos. There’s going to be stuff tonight (WCPW) that you’re going to see on Twitter instantly. If you have a brand, say you’re Penta (El Zero M), if you have good social media presence and you put yourself in those places that you talked about it’s just as good as being on cable television.

SEScoops: Exactly, even more so in some ways.

Cody: More people potentially will see it but at their own leisure in their own time.

SEScoops: Also wanted to ask you about the Bullet Club. Did they approach you, or did you approach New Japan?

Cody: It was a little bit symbiotic, I approached New Japan Pro Wrestling as I was told there was interest. I’m not shy about ‘ok if there is I’ll talk to them directly.’ I approached them and we were talking about the best fit. In the process of speaking to them I had developed a direct message friendship with the Young Bucks (through Kevin Owens) and Kenny Omega. It just seemed kind of like a no brainer. I said ‘I want to be a different thing in the Bullet Club,’ ‘I want to be my own entity and I want the American Nightmare to be as strong as it can be.’ It’s like the Young Bucks want to be well presented, The Elite exists within the Bullet Club, like I said it was symbiotic and a real good fit.

SEScoops: On the ‘American Nightmare,’ when it was first announced I thought ‘this makes perfect sense,’ why hadn’t it come about sooner?

Cody: I know it had been suggested before and I think I fought it because I never liked to do a lot of Dusty stuff. Initially when I got in (to WWE) I remember Dean Malenko gave me that great advice of ‘don’t do any of your dad’s stuff otherwise they will cheer him and not you. When you do something cool they’re cheering him and they’re not really cheering you.’ It’s just a unique way of looking at it with him [Dusty] being second generation, so I went about it with that approach. If you take a look, today’s fanbase likes, well you’ve got to give them a little bit of nostalgia. Charlotte Flair is a good example.

SEScoops: Absolutely.

Cody: Charlotte is doing Ric, but it’s not Ric because it’s a female. She’s managed to be one of the first I’ve seen who’s doing it and I’m like ‘ok you aren’t JUST doing your dad’s moves, you’re reinventing it, you’re turning it on it’s ear.’ So I’ve loosened up to the idea and when it was suggested this time I was all about it.

SEScoops: I also wanted to ask about your match with Juice Robinson at Wrestle Kingdom this year. It was interesting because you both left the WWE but when you faced him at WK it felt like he was the New Japan guy and you were the invading entity which was strange because Juice hadn’t been there that long.

Cody: But Juice has been ingrained in the system because he went and did the dojo, he legitimately came in, he didn’t have to but he came in as a ‘young boy.’ That’s a feather in his cap that he was able to do that, that is not for me (laughs), I’ve watched the warm ups! I’ve nothing but respect for Juice and David Finlay for going there and saying ‘we’re going to start from scratch here.’ I mean Juice was just in the main event (against Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Title) you know, Juice didn’t lose anything when he lost to me at Wrestle Kingdom which is a nice feeling, and I think you’ll see more of me and Juice down the road. Juice is going to make his way anywhere and everywhere, I like Juice a lot.

SEScoops: It’s really good to see people like that who didn’t get the shot they necessarily deserved (in the WWE) going ‘well I’m going to leave and I’m going to show you just how good I am.’

Cody: I think it’s ok to just say ‘you know what this really isn’t a good fit right now, I’m out.’ I know that he had a really good, classy exit (from WWE) and maintained all of his relationships, he has friends in every company….wrestling is for him for sure.

SEScoops: I know you’ve mentioned recently that you’d possibly like to ‘settle down’ in one company, and there were reports that you’ve signed with ROH. You’ve since categorically said that you haven’t.

Cody: If I sign with ROH EVERYBODY will know, I’ll damn sure make sure of that. It’s ongoing, I said that, I shouldn’t of said it because we still don’t have a clue (laughs) as far as my and my wife (Brandi Rhodes) and what we want to do. The idea of settling down is more an idea of ‘here is where I’ve been and here is what i’ve seen, so here is where I’d like to stay.’ You come in somewhere as a one time guy and you see something really special you think ‘I want to be part of that,’ those are the places you know? Now not all those places work together. I really stand against exclusivity in wrestling at a level beneath WWE, or not beneath WWE but at a level that is not WWE, because exclusivity…you’re hurting yourself. Most of the people that come into that locker room, 90% are adults, professionals, business men and women and they know how to cross these streams without disrespecting either brand, any brand. So when it comes to me and talking exclusivity, I don’t know, it takes a lot. Brandi just wants the money (laughs), I’m kidding.

SEScoops: (laughs) that’s cool, I understand.

SEScoops: Obviously you mentioned Dusty before, a big part of his career was the Four Horseman.

Cody: Oh gosh, that’s like seven years.

SEScoops: If you were to pick who the Four Horsemen have been in your career,  who would they be?

Cody: It’s different because I’ve never had a group I’ve rallied against but I do have a series of guys who essentially made my WWE career, I’m not like the Young Bucks they didn’t need WWE, I did. So these men put me here….

  • Rey Mysterio is in my Horseman group, he was the one to first say ‘yea I wanna wrestle you at Wrestlemania and YOU tell me how we’re gonna do it.’
  • Ok, so Randy Orton for sure, because the amount of matches we had untelevised and televised that I learnt from.
  • Shocking answer because for a long time I hated his guts but I definitely don’t hate his guts anymore…Big Show. Another guy who lead me to a singles match at a Wrestlemania and helped me very much. I’m trying to think of guys who I was genuinely tied to and not just guys who I had a small moment with.
  • I’d say it’s a toss up between Damien Sandow and Wade Barrett. Wade and I were both a little bit frustrated at the same time and we decided to have fun. I just love Damien because my favourite match in WWE was that Money in The Bank match were I didn’t win, but I was close. To have a moment where you don’t expect a crowd to go a direction and they do is….we all dream of that in wrestling.

SEScoops: Last question, I know you’ve mentioned before about the use of the Rhodes name. Do you feel a little bit liberated where you can just be Cody?

Cody: So, I have a lot of radio interviews that start so bad where they’re like ‘can we call you [Rhodes]?’ Everybody who leads with that I’m like ‘Grrrr,’ and I did just mention that in the Sports Illustrated interview. I love the sympathy that it gets ‘AH THEY WON’T EVEN LET HIM USE THE NAME!’ but the truth is I love when I just see ‘Cody’ on the screen, love it. In my career I’ve had 9 of the 11 [years] to be his son and when he passed away…you know I got the opportunity to be his kid. He has his NXT kids, he has his real kids, half the hall of fame class this year he hired, you know he’s put his stamp on so many people…I’ve used Dusty enough so I don’t mind being Cody. You know who would think it’s really cool? Him. He would love it, I don’t think he would love how it came about (laughs) but he would love it.

SEScoops: It’s respectable because you want to be you.

Cody: If I went to WWE again tomorrow I would ask them not to call me Cody Rhodes. I would just say Cody…and they would have a fit. Vince is just ‘they’ve gotta know who you are!’ Well I worked here for eleven years I think they get it.

Jeff Hardy’s Tooth Knocked Out, Jericho Moves To SmackDown, Heyman Interviews NASCAR Legend

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– NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced last week that he plans to retire at the end of the 2017 Monster Energy Cup season. What’s the connection to pro wrestling? In his first exclusive interview since announcing his forthcoming retirement, Earnhardt spoke with Paul Heyman about his decision.

Heyman’s Looking 4 Larry creative agency recently teamed up with the Richmond International Speedway, which hosts the final regular-season race of the NASCAR season.

– Chris Jericho is the new WWE United States Champion after defeating former best friend Kevin Owens last night at Payback. As a result, Jericho joins the SmackDown brand. Backstage after Payback, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle bid farewell to Jericho, but is interrupted by two stupid idiots who ultimately make .. The List.

– Jeff Hardy had his tooth knocked out at Payback during the Hardy Boys RAW tag title defense against Sheamus and Cesaro. WWE posted this video of Jeff receiving medical attention backstage:

WWE RAW Preview (5/1), New Table For 3 Tonight, SmackDown Live Event

Staff
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With WWE Payback in the rear view mirror, the WWE machine rolls on for a live 3-hour edition of Monday Night RAW from Sacramento, California.

WWE.com is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:

  • Braun Strowman rules Team Red
  • Cesaro & Sheamus reach their boiling point
  • There’s no room for “The A-Lister” in The Bálor Club
  • Bliss celebrates a history-making win
  • Hobbled Kingslayer stuns Samoa Joe

Join us here later tonight for our weekly WWE RAW Results & Live Coverage.

After RAW goes off the air, the WWE Network presents a new episode of Table for Three featuring RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, Edge and Christian.

The SmackDown brand is also in California tonight with a live event from Stockton at the StocktonArena. The advertised main event will see WWE Champion Randy Orton defending against AJ Styles. Also on the card are, Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens and Smackdown Tag Team champions The Usos vs. American Alpha.

WWE Payback 2017 Recap & Reaction

Robert Lentini
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Kickoff Show:

Enzo & Cass defeated Gallows & Anderson.

Miz TV w/ Finn Balor: Miz made fun of Balor’s long entrance. Miz continued to poke fun at Balor but Finn wound up hitting him with a Slingblade. Balor then celebrated in the ring as Miz retreated.

Main Card:

United States Championship: Kevin Owens (c) vs Chris Jericho

Kevin Owens rolled out of the ring right when it started. Jericho sprinted after him and bounced his head off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Jericho dropped Owens in the face and Owens rolled to the ring apron. Jericho bounced off the ropes and knocked Owens outside the ring. Owens got back in the ring and Jericho greeted him with a flying elbow off the top rope. Jericho then hit a Running Bulldog and went for the Lionsault but Owens got out of the way.

The action spilled out of the ring and Owens whipped Jericho into the barricade. Owens connected with a Cannonball as Jericho was up against the barricade. Owens got back into the ring and Jericho made it back into the ring just before the referee counted to ten. Owens hit a Senton for a two count and then applied a Chinlock in the middle of the ring.

Jericho fought out of the Chinlock but was Clotheslined to the mat. Owens went for a pinfall but Jericho kicked out at two. Owens then punched Jericho in the face and brought him to the middle of the ring. Jericho hit a flurry of chops but Owens planted him with a DDT for a two count. Owens then applied another Chinlock and shouted at the referee. Owens kept the hold applied for a couple of minutes and taunted the crowd. Jericho was able to get back to his feet and connected with a kick to Owens’ face. Jericho launched at Owens in the corner but Owens got out of the way and Jericho went flying out of the ring.

Back in the ring, Jericho went for the Walls of Jericho but Owens avoided. Jericho hit Owens with a kick to the side of the head for a two count. Jericho trapped Owens in the corner and hit him with a series of chops. Owens connected with a massive kick to Jericho’s face for a two count. Jericho went for a Lionsault but Owens got his knees up. Owens then hit another Cannonball while Jericho was in the corner. Owens went for a Pop-Up Powerbomb but Jericho countered it into the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. Owens placed his index finger on the bottom rope and the hold was broken.

Jericho became frustrated and started stomping on Owens’ hand. Jericho then slammed Owens’ hand into the steel steps outside the ring. Jericho then trapped Owens’ hand behind the steps and then kicked the steps. Owens rolled back into the ring and started screaming in pain. The official got in Jericho’s way when he tried to attack Owens and Owens poked Jericho in the eye. Owens went for another Pop-Up Powerbomb but Owens couldn’t hit because his hand was in too much pain. Jericho then applied the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring and Owens had no choice but to tap out. Jericho is the new United States Champion and is also the newest member of the SmackDown roster.

After the match, Jericho wrote Kevin Owens’ name on a fan’s list at ringside.

Winner & New United States Champion: Chris Jericho

Reaction: Well, I thought Owens was going to win this one and retain. It has been rumored for a while now that Jericho’s current WWE run is coming to an end soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if Owens invokes his rematch clause on SmackDown Tuesday night. The match itself was very entertaining and was a great way to start off WWE Payback.

Cruiserweight Championship: Neville (c) vs Austin Aries

Aries controlled the match early and connected with a Dropkick. Neville rolled to the ring apron to try and regroup. Aries laid across the top rope and mocked Neville. Aries knocked Neville out of the ring and connected with a Crossbody that knocked Neville to the floor. Back in the ring, Aries climbed to the top rope but Neville Dropkicked the ropes and Aries fell to the mat. Neville stomped on Aries in the corner and then launched him into the turnbuckle.

Neville climbed to the top rope and hit Aries with a Dropkick for a two count. Neville taunted the crowd and Aries hit him from behind and Neville fell out of the ring. Neville got back up to the ring apron but Aries slammed his head into the turnbuckle. Aries hit Neville a coupe of chops and then hit with with an elbow on the mat. Aries climbed to the second rope and hit Neville with an elbow to the back. Aries then planted with a Neckbreaker across the second rope and Neville once again fell out of the ring. Aries connected with a Suicide Dive and brought Neville back in the ring. Aries went for a pinfall but Neville kicked out at two.

Aries tried to apply the Last Chancery but Neville caught him and connected with a Jawbreaker. Aries went for the Discus Fivearm but Neville avoided it. Aries knocked Neville to the mat and climbed back up to the top turnbuckle. Neville joined him there but Aries hit him with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb. Aries applied the Last Chancery in the the middle of the ring. Neville grabbed the official and threw him into Aries. The referee then disqualified Neville. Aries won the match but Neville retained his title.

Winner via DQ: Austin Aries

Reaction: This match was solid. Aries will certainly get another shot at Neville in the future.

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Hardy Boyz (c) vs Cesaro & Sheamus

Matt Hardy and Cesaro started off the match. Matt Hardy took control and tagged in Jeff Hardy. Matt and Jeff took turns beating down Cesaro for the next couple of minutes. Jeff Hardy hit Cesaro with Poetry in Motion in the corner. Matt Hardy then got back in the match and Cesaro hit him with an uppercut. Sheamus was tagged in and he planted Matt Hardy with a Rolling Senton for a two count. Cesaro was then tagged in and he launched Matt into the corner and hit him with an uppercut for a two count. Matt was then isolated in the corner and Sheamus leveled him with a Clothesline.

Matt was finally able to tag in Jeff Hardy. Jeff connected with an inverted Atomic Drop and then applied an Arm Bar to Sheamus. Sheamus launched Jeff out of the ring and tagged in Cesaro. Cesaro brought Jeff back in the ring and slammed him to the mat. Sheamus was then tagged and continued to beatdown Jeff Hardy. Sheamus climbed to the second rope and connected with a knee to Jeff’s chest. Cesaro got back in the match and connected with a Leg Drop. Jeff Hardy flipped off the top rope onto Sheamus and Cesaro. Jeff was finally able to tag in Matt Hardy and he slammed Cesaro’s head into the top turnbuckle several times.

Matt planted Cesaro with a Running Bulldog for a two count. Matt then climbed to the second rope and connected with an elbow to Cesaro’s back. Matt hit the Side Effect but Sheamus broke up the pinfall. Jeff Hardy knocked Sheamus out of the ring and then hit a Crossbody onto him and both Superstars fell to the floor. Back in the ring, Matt Hardy went for a Moonsault off the top rope but Cesaro rolled out of the way. Cesaro hit a springboard uppercut and then locked Matt in the Cesaro Swing. Cesaro then applied the Sharpshooter but Matt was able to reach the bottom rope.

Sheamus threw Jeff into the barricade outside the ring. Sheamus was then tagged in and he planted Matt Hardy with the White Noise off the second rope. Sheamus went for the pinfall but Jeff Hardy broke it up. Jeff then threw Cesaro over the barricade outside the ring. Back in the ring, Sheamus hit Matt with a DDT for a two count. Jeff was then tagged in but Sheamus didn’t notice it. Sheamus slammed Matt Hardy to the mat and went for a pinfall. Jeff Hardy climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit the Swanton Bomb onto Sheamus’ back for the pinfall victory.

After the match, the two teams shook hands once again. Matt and Jeff then started posing with the titles and Sheamus & Cesaro attacked them from behind. Sheamus hit Jeff Hardy with a Brogue Kick and Jeff Hardy went flying into the ring post. Cesaro then held up Matt Hardy and Sheamus hit him with a Brogue Kick. Cesaro and Sheamus then raised the RAW Tag Team Championships in the ring.

Winners & Still RAW Tag Team Champions: The Hardy Boyz

Reaction: The first three matches of WWE Payback were all very entertaining. Jeff Hardy appeared to lose a tooth or two during the RAW Tag Team Championship match. The attack after the match by Sheamus and Cesaro was also great. I hope this rivalry continues tomorrow night on RAW.

Braun Strowman cut a promo about Roman Reigns backstage. Strowman stated that Reigns was a wounded animal and that he will put him out of his misery later tonight.

RAW Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs Alexa Bliss

Bayley’s hometown crowd gave her a big ovation. Bayley controlled the match early and Alexa kept trying to avoid her. Bayley slammed Alexa to the mat and then connected with a knee to the face. Alexa rolled out of the ring and shouted at the San Jose crowd. Bayley connected with a Dropkick to Alexa’s knee and the action returned to the ring. Bayley bounced Alexa’s head off the top turnbuckle six times and Bliss fell to the mat. Bayley charged at Alexa but Bliss punched her in the face.

Bliss then took control of the match and applied a Chinlock to Bayley in the middle of the ring. The crowd cheered Bayley on as she broke the hold. Alexa slammed Bayley’s head into the second rope and then kicked her in the back. Bayley then stood on Bayley’s back and pulled Bayley’s hair. The referee started his count to five and Alexa counted along and released Bayley at four. Bliss knocked Bayley to the mat once again with a Clothesline. Alexa then once again stood on Bayley’s back and head. Alexa kicked Bayley out of the ring and taunted her.

Bliss followed Bayley out of the ring and slammed Bayley’s head into the ring apron. The action returned to the ring and Bayley Clotheslined Bliss to the mat. Bayley connected with a Suplex and then elbowed Alexa in the back. Bayley hit a Suplex for a two count and then climbed to the second rope. Bayley hit a flying elbow and went for the Bayley to Belly but Alexa countered it and launched Bayley into the turnbuckle. Both Superstars traded punches on the top turnbuckle. Alexa hit a Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a two count.

Bayley planted Alexa with a running knee and once again climbed to the top rope. Bayley hit the Elbow Drop off the top rope but Alexa Bliss kicked out at two. Bayley stomped Alexa in the corner. Alexa then shoved Bayley into the LED ring post. Bliss followed it up with a DDT for the victory.

Winner & New RAW Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss

Reaction: I didn’t see this one coming as well. I thought Alexa Bliss would become the RAW Women’s Champion somewhere down the line. It just seems pretty quick to take the title off of Bayley. I thought that there would be a title match between Bayley and Sasha Banks before that happened. Alexa Bliss is now the first woman to have held both the RAW Women’s Championship and SmackDown Women’s Championship. The match itself was also very good and Payback has been entertaining so far.

House of Horrors Match: Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton (Part 1)

Randy Orton arrived at a creepy looking house in a limo. The lights were flickering in an upstairs window as Orton stood outside the house. Orton slowly approached the house and arrived at the front door. Orton looked through the window and Bray Wyatt was staring at him from inside the house. Orton kicked down the door and went looking for Wyatt in the house. Wyatt attacked Orton from behind and slammed him into the wall.

Wyatt launched Orton into a lamp and it shattered. Wyatt welcomed Orton to hell and punched him in the face. The match then turned into an 80’s horror movie for a few minutes. Orton stumbled into a room with dolls of children hanging from the ceiling. Orton ripped one of the dolls down and Wyatt attacked him from behind.

Wyatt disappeared once again and Randy started throwing plates around. Orton then stumbled into a room that resembled Carcosa from True Detective. The “action” then entered the kitchen and Orton slammed into the cabinet. Orton then punched Bray in the head a few times and both Superstars fell to the kitchen floor. The words “we’re here” were written on the dirty refrigerator in the kitchen. Orton then grabbed a pan but Bray booted him right in the groin. Bray then slammed the fridge onto Orton. Bray then exited the house and screamed “follow the buzzards” while kneeling on the lawn. The house turned red and Bray crawled towards the limo. The limo driver then drove away as Bray Wyatt sang.

Reaction: For a match that took place in a crack house, this was still incredibly stupid. I was hoping that this would at least be creative. It wasn’t creative at all. Orton and Wyatt just fought in a creepy house. There was no appearance by the ghost of Sister Abigial. There was nothing shocking or wacky. It was just two men fighting in a house with dolls in it.

Samoa Joe vs Seth Rollins

Rollins controlled the match earlier and hit Joe with a Suicide Dive. Joe battled back and connected with a Suicide Dive of his own that knocked Rollins over the announce table. Back in the ring, Joe targeted his attack on Rollins’ injured knee. Joe then hit Rollins with a kick to the head for a two count. The crowd was completely dead for this match. It is hard to blame them as they just spent ten minutes watching two people fight in a house.

Rollins leaped off the top rope but Joe caught him and slammed him to the mat. Joe then applied a Knee Bar to Rollins in the middle of the ring. Rollins got out of the hold but Joe beat Rollins down for the next couple of minutes. Joe Powerbombed Rollins for a two count. Joe then applied the Texas Cloverleaf in the middle of the ring. Rollins was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Seth battled back and hit the Falcon Arrow. Rollins followed it up with a Frog Splash off the top rope for a two count. Joe applied the Coquina Clutch but Rollins was able to roll through into a pinfall to win the match.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Reaction: The crowd was pretty much silent for this match. Rollins and Joe had the unfortunate task of trying to get the crowd excited following the House of Horrors match. They were not able to do so and the entire match fell flat. I don’t like what WWE is doing with Samoa Joe. He debuted in WWE and I thought he was going to be booked as a monster. Instead, he is hardly featured and is losing matches. I was looking forward to this match and I thought it was a pretty big letdown.

House of Horrors Match: Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton (Part 2)

Bray Wyatt was shown getting out of the limo and was wheezing. Wyatt stumbled down the entrance ramp with his lantern. Highlights of the riveting house brawl was shown as Wyatt took his time walking down to the ring. Orton raised his hand in the ring and Orton was behind him. Orton hit Bray with a chair and Bray rolled out of the ring. Orton hit Wyatt with a DDT off the announce table. Orton then struck Wyatt with the chair again.

The Singh Brothers attacked Orton from behind. Bray Wyatt went for a Sister Abigail but Orton countered it into an RKO. Jinder Mahal then struck Orton in the head with the WWE Championship he stole on SmackDown. Bray Wyatt then hit the Sister Abigail for the victory.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Reaction: Everything about the House of Horrors match was predictably awful. Bray Wyatt got the victory but it took a ton of outside interference from Mahal and the Singh Brothers. Ultimately, this match did nothing for Bray Wyatt and I think his character is beyond repair at this point. I thought he was going to be something great in WWE and that doesn’t seem possible anymore. One could only hope that this was the end of the Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt feud. It started out great and then turned into a complete disaster.

Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns came down to the ring and predictably he was bandaged up. Reigns hit a Clothesline off the steel steps outside the ring and knocked Strowman to the floor. Strowman fought back and threw Reigns into the barricade. Strowman then Chokeslammed Reigns onto the announce table and the action then returned to the ring. Braun then slammed Reigns into the turnbuckle and Reigns rolled out of the ring. Strowman followed Reigns out of the ring and slammed into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Strowman Clotheslined Reigns to the mat. Strowman charged at Reigns in the corner but Roman got out of the way and Braun launched himself into the turnbuckle. Reigns went for the Superman Punch but Strowman caught him. Reigns planted Strowman with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Reigns Clotheslined Strowman out of the ring but both Superstars fell to the floor.

Reigns got to his feet and hit Strowman with a Drive By on the ring apron. Reigns then shoved Strowman into the ring post. Braun then charged at Reigns again and once again ran into the ring post as Roman rolled out of the way. Reigns and Strowman got back into the ring and Roman hit a Spear for a two count. Reigns hit two Superman Punches and went for another Spear but Strowman caught him. Strowman then planted Reigns with a Running Powerslam for a two count. Strowman then hit a second Running Powerslam for the victory.

After the match, Strowman brought the steel steps into the ring. The crowd chanted “thank you Strowman” as Braun lifted Reigns onto his shoulders. Strowman then dropped Reigns onto the steel steps. Strowman then lifted the steps again and slammed them into the ribs of Reigns. Braun then exited the ring as Reigns was bleeding from his mouth. Reigns stumbled his way to the announce table and refused to get on a stretcher. Reigns walked off under his own power as Payback went off the air.

Winner: Braun Strowman

Reaction: Reigns and Strowman put on a decent match to close out the show. It would have made no sense if Reigns won this match. Strowman looked like a monster and Reigns looked good because he put up a fight while dealing with injuries. It is looking like Strowman is in line to get a shot at Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship in the future.

In my opinion, WWE Payback 2017 sums up WWE perfectly. The show started off really well. The first four matches were very entertaining and then the show fell off a cliff. The House of Horrors match really derailed this show and sucked the life out of the crowd. Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins put on a subpar match in front of a crowd that simply didn’t care. WWE then doubled down on the House of Horrors match as Wyatt and Orton fought again in the ring. Bray Wyatt picked up a rather meaningless victory and once again the crowd didn’t care. Strowman and Reigns put on a solid match to close out the show.

WWE consistently takes a step forward and then almost always takes two steps back. At the very least, RAW should be interesting tomorrow night because of what is going to happen with Braun Strowman, and the Tag Team division. Roman Reigns missed several weeks because of Strowman’s attack on April 10th when he flipped over the ambulance. Reigns should spend the next few weeks selling the injuries he sustained tonight at Payback. Time will tell if that will be the case. Overall, Payback was a PPV that should have been great but the House of Horrors match really hurt the show.

What did you think of WWE Payback? Let us know in the comments below.

WWE Payback Results & Live Discussion (4/30)

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WWE Payback 2017 airs live on April 30th from the SAP Center in San Jose, CA.

Payback Kickoff Show Results

– The Kickoff Show starts off with Renee Young, Jerry Lawler and Sam Roberts welcoming us to Payback 2017. Sasha Banks joins them and defends her friendship with Bayley briefly before leaving.

– Enzo & Cass def. Gallows & Anderson: Enzo dominates Anderson in the opening moments until Anderson stops his momentum with a knee to the face. Anderson and Gallows use frequent tags to keep control of the match over Enzo. Enzo finally gets the hot tag to Cass and he lays out Anderson and Gallows with elbows and clotheslines. Cass clotheslines Anderson outside then slams Gallows down. Cass follows up with the Empire Elbow, then some splashes in the corner. Cass misses the last splash, then Gallows kicks him in the head. Enzo tags in but Anderson kicks him in the head and he falls to the floor at ringside. Back in the ring, they go for the Magic Killer on Enzo, but Cass makes the save and big boots Anderson. Enzo rolls up Gallows in a small package for the win.

– Matt and Jeff Hardy are backstage going over their game plan for tonight. R-Truth and Goldust approach them to personally welcome them back to WWE. R-Truth and Goldust say they’re going to talk to Kurt Angle about getting a tag shot, and Matt says he’d absolutely love a match, “tremendous.”

– Sheamus and Cesaro take part in a “social media lounge” interview backstage with Charlie Caruso.

– The Miz and Maryse are out to the ring for tonight’s edition of Miz TV. He welcomes out Finn Balor, and makes fun of Balor’s “five minute entrance.” Miz runs down Balor’s accomplishments, but says Balor is too small and fights with his heart instead of his brain. Miz asks Balor what’s next for him, and Balor says he wants his Universal Title back. Miz reminds Balor that Lesnar holds it now, but that’s fine with Balor. Balor gets in Miz’s face and Miz says he would re-injure Balor. Balor hits a Sling Blade on Miz then a running dropkick. Balor’s music hits and he celebrates in the ring before leaving.

WWE Payback 2017

– Chris Jericho (c) def. Kevin Owens: This one is for the WWE United States Championship. Owens rolls outside early on but Jericho follows him out and beats him down. Back in the ring, Jericho hits a flying elbow on Owens off the top. Owens fights back and hits a swinging neckbreaker onto his knee for a near-fall. Owens drops Jericho with a clothesline for two. Jericho fights back with kicks and chops, but Owens stops him with a superkick for another near-fall. Jericho drops Owens with an elbow and attempts a Lionsault, but Owens blocks it with his knees. Owens follows up with a cannonball splash in the corner for a two count. Owens goes for a Pop Up Powerbomb but Jericho reverses with a Frankensteiner then puts Owens in the Walls of Jericho until Owens reaches the ropes. Things go out to ringside where Jericho beats down Owens and repeatedly works on Owen’s left arm and hand. The referee holds the referee back to apparently allow Owens to recover, then Owens pokes Jericho in the eye behind the ref’s back. Owens goes for a Pop Up Powerbomb but his injured hand prevents him from pulling it off. Jericho drops Owens and puts him in the Walls of Jericho for the win via submission. Jericho grabs the United States Title Belt and celebrates with fans at ringside. He grabs a kid’s homemade “list” and signs it and tells the kid he made the list.

– Austin Aries def. Neville (c) via DQ: Neville and Aries open up with some very evenly-matched back-and-forth action. Neville takes control of things and heads up top for a perfectly executed missile dropkick on the challenger. Neville gets carried away taunting the fans and Aries dropkicks him to the outside. Back in the ring Aries hits an STO and a pendulum elbow on Neville. Aries follows up with an elbow to the face and a flying elbow drop off the middle rope. Aries hits a back suplex and a big running elbow to the face of the champion. Aries and Neville go up top and Aries hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Neville. Aries locks in the Last Chancery. Neville looks like he’s going to tap, but he grabs the referee by the shirt and pulls him down ontop of them to break the hold. The referee DQ’s Neville and Aries is furious because that means he doesn’t get the strap.

– Matt & Jeff Hardy (c) def. Cesaro & Sheamus: Matt and Jeff trade frequent tags early to control the mach against Cesaro and hit the Poetry In Motion on Cesaro. Sheamus tags in and hits a rolling senton on Matt then starts working on Jeff. Cesaro tags in and hits a big jumping leg drop on Jeff, then Sheamus comes back in and hits an Irish Curse backbreaker on Jeff. Cesaro tags back in but Jeff hits the Whisper In The Wind on both Cesaro and Sheamus. Jeff kicks Cesaro away from him then tags in Matt Hardy. Matt unloads on Cesaro with offense and repeatedly slams his head into the turnbuckle as the crowd chants “Delete” with each slam. Matt hits a bulldog then an elbow drop to the back of the head. Matt hits the Side Effect and pins, but Sheamus breaks up the pin. Jeff kicks Sheamus outside then hits a splash on him on the floor. Back in the ring, Matt slams Cesaro then goes for a moonsault but Cesaro rolls out of the way. Cesaro comes back with a spinning elbow to the face and both men are down. Cesaro swings Matt then puts him in the Sharpshooter until Matt reaches the rope. Matt boots Cesaro in the face then goes up top, but Cesaro uppercuts him then tags in Sheamus. Sheamus goes up top and hits the White Noise on Matt off the middle rope. Jeff breaks up the pin then brawls with Cesaro at ringside. Sheamus goes for a Brogue Kick but Matt ducks and attempts the Twist of Fate. Sheamus fights out and hits a DDT on Matt. Jeff gets the blind tag and Sheamus mistakenly tries to pin Matt. By the time Sheamus learns Matt is not the legal man, Jeff nails Sheamus with a Swanton Bomb off the top for the win. Jeff and Matt shake the hands of Sheamus and Cesaro then celebrate in the ring with their Tag Team Titles. Sheamus and Cesaro come back out of nowhere and attack the Hardys from behind while they’re celebrating. Sheamus Brogue Kicks Jeff into a ring post, then Cesaro holds Matt back while Sheamus hits a Brogue Kick on him too.

– Braun Strowman cuts a promo backstage saying that Roman Reigns is a wounded animal and he’s going to put him out of his misery tonight.

– Alexa Bliss (c) def. Bayley: Bayley takes it to Alexa early on and repeatedly slams her head into the corner. Alexa comes back and uses a series of holds to try and keep Bayley grounded. Bayley fires up and hits the Snake Eyes on Alexa in the corner, then a vertical suplex. Bayley follows up with running elbows and clotheslines. Bayley follows up with a side suplex for a near-fall. Bayley goes for the belly to belly suplex but Alexa fights out. Things go up to the top turnbuckle where Bayley attempts another belly to belly suplex, but Alexa reverses with a sunset flip powerbomb. Alexa goes for a standing moonsault but Bayley blocks it then comes back with a flying elbow off the top for a near-fall. Alexa slaps Bayley which gets Bayley fired up and she hits a series of punches and kicks on the challenger. Bliss trips Alexa into the ring post and the referee tries to stop Alexa to check on Bayley. Bayley goes for a last-ditch small package pin, but Alexa gets out and hits a DDT on Bayley for the win. Alexa grabs her new Women’s Title and heads to the back with.

– Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt – Part 1: This one will apparently start in the “House of Horrors,” then will return to the arena and finish in the ring. Randy Orton pulls up in a limo to a house lit up in blue lighting with black lights. We see a tractor rolling by with no one driving it, and Orton looks concerned. This is directed very similarly to a TV horror movie. Orton cautiously walks into the house and the camera quickly cuts to several weapons in the house. Wyatt comes form behind and starts beating down Orton and talking trash to him. Wyatt leaves the room and allows Orton to recover. Orton starts walking down a hall and an arm comes out from a wall and grabs him by the throat, but Orton fights the arm off. Orton walks into a room with dolls hanging from the ceiling by strings, with more quick camera cuts and crying baby sound effects. Wyatt comes back in the picture and jumps Orton from behind, but Orton fights him off and Wyatt disappears again. Orton goes into the kitchen where he and Bray start brawling again, but this time Orton gets the better of him and pummels him on the floor. Orton grabs a frying pan as a weapon but Wyatt low-blows Orton before he can use the pan. Wyatt pushes the fridge ontop of Orton then starts walking outside. Wyatt falls to his knees and the lights on the house turn from blue to red. Wyatt gets in Orton’s limo and leaves, then we cut back to Cole, Graves and Booker T who are speechless. The announcers inform us that we’re now going to Joe vs. Rollins, and they’ll update us on the status of Wyatt and Orton.

– Seth Rollins def. Samoa Joe: Competitive action in the ring early on that quickly goes out to ringside. Rollins hits a knee to the face on Joe at ringside, then gets back in the ring and hits a suicide dive onto Joe on the floor. Rollins gets back in the ring and hits a second suicide dive on Joe. Back in the ring, Rollins and Joe start trading strikes until Joe kicks out Rollins’ knee. Rollins rolls outside and Joe hits a suicide dive on him. Back in the ring, Joe focuses in on Rollins’ bad knee and hits a senton splash onto his knee. Joe and Rollins trade chops to the chest before Joe levels him with a splash and Pele kick. Rollins tries to fire up but Joe goes right back to the knee and puts Rollins in a knee bar. Rollins starts coming back again and goes up to the top rope with Joe. Rollins slides out from under Joe and appears to be going for a powerbomb, but Joe gets out. Rollins is able to pull off a Falcon Arrow on Joe, then Rollins goes back up to the top turnbuckle. Rollins hits a frogsplash off the top but he isn’t able to immediately pin and Joe kicks out at two. Joe puts Rollins back down with a stiff lariat and puts him in a sleeper. Joe looks to be going to transition into the Coquina Clutch, but Rollins flips Joe over and lays on him to pin for the win. On the replay Joe’s shoulder appears to be noticeably off the mat, but there’s no call.

– Bray Wyatt def. Randy Orton – Part 2: Wyatt pulls up to the arena in the limo and starts walking towards the entrance ramp. Cole informs us that the match must finish in the ring. Wyatt finishes his entrance and the lights go out. When the lights come back on, Orton is in the ring and he’s got a steel chair. Orton lays out Wyatt with the chair and Wyatt falls out to ringside. Orton slams Wyatt onto the announce table then DDTs him off of it onto the floor. Orton hits Bray with the chair again then puts him back in the ring. Orton appears to be setting up for an RKO, but the Bollywood Boys run in and start attacking Orton. Orton fights them off, then fights off Bray and hits an RKO. Before Orton can pin, Jinder Mahal runs in and smashes Orton in the back of the head with the Title belt. Orton gets to his feet and Jinder nails him with it again. Bray Wyatt hits the Sister Abigail and pins Orton for the win, as Jinder escapes with the WWE Title belt once again. Bray briefly celebrates his win the ring and then we cut to a commercial for The Resurrection Of Gavin Stone.

– Braun Strowman def. Roman Reigns: Roman starts off strong against Braun, but Braun comes back when he blocks a Drive By and tosses Roman into the fan barricade. Braun continues beating Roman down at ringside, then takes Reigns back in the ring for more punishment. Reigns starts to fight back with clotheslines and uppercuts and takes things outside. Reigns hits the Drive By on Strowman, then pushes Strowman into the ring post. Reigns rolls back in the ring, and Strowman rolls back in at the referee’s 9 count. Reigns hits a spear but Strowman kicks out at two. Strowman comes back with a running powerslam on Reigns but Reigns gets his shoulder up at 2, and Strowman is in disbelief. Strowman hits a second running powerslam, and this time it scores him the three count for the win. After the match, Cole puts over that Reigns is working injured, and then Strowman grabs the steel ring steps from ringside. Braun sets up the steps in the ring as the crowd chants “Thank you Strowman.” Braun drops Reigns face-first onto the steps, then he picks up the steps above his head and slams the steps down onto Reigns’ motionless body. Fit Finlay comes out to chase off Strowman and Roman appears to be bleeding from the mouth. Finlay and some referees help to walk Reigns backstage. We see Reigns walk backstage still selling his injury. Reigns sits in an ambulance, but then Braun Stroman comes out of nowhere charging at Reigns. Reigns dodges the attack and Braun crashes through the ambulance door. Strowman falls into some boxes and Reigns hits him a few times for good measure.

Sean Waltman Update After Missing Scheduled IPW-UK Appearance

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Kevin Undergaro, co-host of The Tomorrow Show on AfterbuzzTV, has provided an update on Sean Waltman’s whereabouts.

There’s been some concern regarding Waltman after the former DX & nWo member missed a scheduled appearance for IPW-UK Saturday night and the promoter tweeted that “nobody has heard from him” despite repeated attempts.

Undergaro noted that he spoke to Waltman, who is “dealing with issues” but ok.

Spoilers For Tonight’s House of Horrors Match At WWE Payback

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One of the featured attractions at tonight’s WWE Payback pay-per-view will be the first-ever House of Horrors match between Bray Wyatt and WWE Champion Randy Orton.

WWE has not clearly defined exactly what the House of Horrors stipulation entails. A WWE Fan Council survey sent out earlier this month indicated that WWE wasn’t even sure what would be involved, but we know the survey asked fans if the match should include pitchforks, fog, darkness and “sheeple.”

It seems likely that the match would include some pre-taped footage involving a lot of gimmickry and that it would ultimately wind up in the arena to determine a winner. According to a report by Dave Scherer of PWInsider, that’s exactly what we’ll be seeing.

The “House” aspect of the House of Horror match has already been recorded. Randy Orton will arrive in a limousine and enter the house. Orton and Wyatt will brawl in various rooms of the home, including one that has dolls of children hanging from the ceiling. The fight then leads to the kitchen, where Bray Wyatt traps Orton and then goes out outside and steals the limo. Then it’s off to the arena for the actual match.

To find out, out who is scheduled to win the match, check out the final WWE Payback Betting Odds.

WWE Payback Betting Odds: Late Shifts Reveal Potential Spoilers

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The final betting odds for tonight’s WWE Payback PPV have been released by BetWrestling.com and some late betting activity reveal some potential changes in what WWE has planned for the show.

The most significant change in betting is a lot of “smart money” going on Alexa Bliss. RAW Women’s Champion had been favored, but is now listed as a strong underdog. While it’s possible that Alexa might get a DQ or count-out victory, Payback takes place from Bayley’s home town and you know WWE’s history of booking stars in their hometowns.

Here are the final betting odds, courtesy of BetWrestling/5Dimes:

  • Braun Strowman is a strong favorite (-5960) to defeat Roman Reigns (-1990)
  • Chris Jericho is a strong favorite (-9250) to defeat United States Champion Kevin Owens (+2750)
  • Alexa Bliss is favored (-4500) to defeat RAW Women’s Champion Bayley
  • RAW Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz are strong favorites (-13500) to retain against Cesaro and Sheamus (+3500 )
  • Neville is a strong favorite (-9250) to retain the Cruiserweight Championship against Austin Aries (+2750)
  • Bray Wyatt is a strong favorite (-13500) to defeat WWE Champion Randy Orton ($3500) in the House of Horrors match.
  • Seth Rollins is a strong favorite (-7500) to defeat Samoa Joe (+2500)

Join us here later tonight for our WWE Payback Results & Live Discussion.

Nikki Bella Hints Her Marriage To John Cena Will Be Televised

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WrestleMania 33 saw John Cena get down on one knee and propose to longtime girlfriend Nikki Bella. Now that they’re engaged, the wedding planning is underway. During a recent Facebook Live interview with Redbook Magazine, Nikki revealed, “I don’t know a wedding date yet. I don’t want it to be quick.”

The Total Divas star noted she wants the wedding to be around a time when neither of them are busy, which sounds like a difficult scenario based on their schedules. Whenever the wedding does go down, it sounds like they plan to share the imitate ceremony with the world:

“There’s a few that I’m looking at, but I’m not going to say which days, yet” Nikki said. “More than likely, you’re gonna see it on TV. I’ll give you that hint.”

Since wrestling weddings that occur on WWE television rarely go off without a hitch, it’s more likely that footage will air on a future season of Total Divas or Total Bellas.

Here’s the full Nikki Bella Facebook Live interview with Redbook Magazine. Aside from the wedding talk, Nikki also discusses some fitness tips and her favorite career memories.

WWE Payback: Final Card, Live Coverage For Tonight

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WWE Payback 2017 takes place tonight from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Join us here later tonight for our WWE Payback Results & Live Coverage.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out our WWE Payback Predictions.

Kickoff Show:

  • Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows
    Winner of this match is most likely the next in line to challenge for the tag titles, depending on what happens with the Hardyz vs. Cesaro & Sheamus later.
  • MizTV Segment: w/ Finn Balor
    Balor doesn’t get a match on the PPV, possibly a cautionary move due to his concussion 3 weeks ago.

Main Show:

  • WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match
    the Hardy Boyz (c) vs. Cesaro & Sheamus
    This will be the Hardyz 2nd title defence, their first coming the night after WrestleMania. Matt beat Sheamus, and Jeff beat Cesaro in the last 2 weeks on Raw.
  • US Championship Match
    Kevin Owens (c) vs. Chris Jericho
    Probably the final match in a storyline which started before SummerSlam last year.
  • House of Horrors Match
    Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
    It is not altogether clear if the WWE championship is on the line in this match. WWE.com does not specifically mention the Orton’s championship being up for grabs, though that doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t. None of the storytelling leading up to the match has indicated the title is on the line either.
  • Cruiserweight Championship
    Neville (c) vs. Austin Aries
    Rematch from WrestleMania. Neville won the first bout after raking Aries’ surgically corrected eye to gain an advantage.
  • Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
    This will be the 2nd PPV match between the two, with Roman having won the first at Fastlane.
  • Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe
    Joe made Jericho tap out 2 weeks ago on Raw, and has looked strong ever since debuting on the main roster. If Joe is beating top-level guys clean as a heel on Raw, it means they are high on him.
  • WWE Raw Women’s Championship
    Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
    As Payback is in Bayley’s hometown, and no Universal title on the line, there is a high probability that this match goes on last. There’s no guarantee Bayley wins however, as Charlotte beat Sasha Banks in the main event of a PPV which was in Banks’ hometown, so all bets are off.
    Alexa Bliss has been a success story since arriving on the main roster. Bliss rarely wrestled in NXT and served more as a manager.

X-Pac No Shows IPW:UK Event: Promoters claim that “nobody has heard from him.”

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UK Independent promotion IPW:UK are running one of the biggest events in company history today. Former WWE star X-Pac/Sean Waltman was scheduled to be part of the show however IPW has announced that Waltman will no longer be making the booking and that they are currently unable to contact him.

IPW posted the following to their Facebook page:

“With regret, unless a miracle occurs, X-Pac will no longer be appearing at the Extreme Measures 2017 event later today. 

He was scheduled to land in the UK on Saturday at 2pm, but 12 hours later and nobody has heard from him. We wish Sean well and hope he is safe. Sometimes you do everything you can but it’s completely out of our hands. 

We spent Saturday attempting to check if flights were possible for an international name to replace him, but at such short notice the options were next to none. As a result, we have been searching up and down the UK for available replacements and as you will see on the day tomorrow, we think we’ve found the best option at short notice.”

https://twitter.com/IPWUK/status/858501399436558336

Alberto El Patron Pulled from WCPW No Regrets, Claims Illness after posting Controversial Tweet

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Alberto El Patron was expected to be part of WCPW’s latest iPPV ‘No Regrets’ that took place in Newcastle, England last night.

WCPW posted a tweet claiming that El Patron could not compete due to an undisclosed illness. It may well be the case that El Patron was in fact unable to compete however he posted the following tweet the morning before he was scheduled to face Joe Coffey for WCPW:

Alberto is expected to still compete in today’s Pro Wrestling World Cup Mexican Qualifier, if this changes we will let you know.

Charlotte Flair On Her Move To SmackDown,Women’s Tournament, Who She Wants To Face In NXT

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Charlotte Flair was recently interviewed by Metro. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Her move from RAW to SmackDown:

“The first Raw that I missed felt weird because I had been featured on Raw every single Monday since the day I debuted. So it was a weird feeling but good because I’m really excited by the new opportunity I have on SmackDown.”

The upcoming 32-woman elimination tournament and who she would like to see take part in it:

“NXT just recruited a bunch of women who I’ve been familiar with prior to them getting signed. so right now I’m looking forward to the company highlighting them in such a big way in the tournament.

I’m excited for the girls who have worked the independents to have their moment in the tournament, and it’s going to be awesome.”

Who she wants to face in NXT:

“There’s three girls that I really hope come up soon. Obviously the champion Asuka, but personally I know Billie Kay and Peyton Royce really well and I think they’re ready and would make a great addition.”

You can check out the entire interview by clicking here. 

Bayley Talks About The State Of WWE’s Women’s Revolution, Dusty’s Influence On Her Career, More

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This Sunday, Bayley defends the RAW Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss at WWE Payback. Ahead of her title defense, Bayley appeared on The Other Guys Podcast to discuss her WrestleMania experience, her and Sasha Banks making history in NXT, the state of WWE’s Women’s Revolution and more. Here are some highlights of what she said about:

WWE Payback Taking Place in her Hometown:

“I’m really excited because I have watched WWE live events and Raw and Smackdown inside the arena where we are wrestling on Sunday. I kind of just grew up there, and it’s going to be so cool to be able to walk down the ramp and now have my family and friends watch me as the champion.”

Making History With Sasha Banks in NXT:  

“We were both really emotional during all of it. That Brooklyn match won match of the year actually for NXT, and it was voted on by the fans so that was a huge accomplishment, and we still get questions about that match…The other day we even said it’s so crazy that we had that match, and that it had such an impact that years from now we can look back and just be proud of that one match if not anything else.”

The State of WWE’s Women’s Revolution:

“We are kind of still building each other on both Raw and Smackdown, but it’s definitely taken huge leaps and bounds where Sasha and Charlotte were able to main event PPVs like Hell In A Cell and first ever matches and do all this stuff…It’s taken huge steps, but obviously we all want the number one goal to be main eventing Wrestlemania. We are still working towards that, there’s always more work to be done, but I am so happy and proud to see how far it’s come.

Dusty Rhodes’ Influence on Her Career:

“When I first got to FCW…I was going nowhere. I had no personality, no character. He put me in extra promo classes with like 5 other people, and this was aside from the promo class that we already had to do because he knew I needed work…I would cry in front of the camera, but he would calm me down, and just say talk from your heart, talk from your heart, be who you are, and I didn’t think that was good enough, but he told me it was. So I kept going with who I was, and it kind of formed into what it is now…He just really found that something special inside you that you didn’t even knew that you had.”

You can listen to the full interview below. H/T to PWPodcasts.com for the transcribed quotes.

Baby Huey and Bimbo Jimbo Show

WWE Announces First Arabic Show WWE Wal3ooha

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WWE’s international expansion continues with the announcement of WWE Wal3ooha, the company’s first exclusive Arabic show. Wal3ooha, which means “light it up” in Arabic, will be a weekly localized ‘highlights’ show premiering May 8th on OSN Sports.

WWE sent out the following press release on Saturday, including comments from Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon.

OSN and WWE announce exclusive new weekly Arabic show “WWE Wal3ooha”

DUBAI, UAE and STAMFORD, Conn. — OSN is bringing an all-new localized Arabic show to OSN Sports featuring the best action and family-friendly entertainment from WWE. “WWE Wal3ooha” premieres on OSN this Thursday, May 4, at 8 p.m. (KSA) on OSN Sports Action 1 HD, with repeat broadcast across the weekend, and anywhere, anytime access via OSN Play and OSN On Demand.

Titled “WWE Wal3ooha,” meaning “light it up,” the weekly show features hosts Moein Al Bastaki and Nathalie Mamo delivering exclusive interviews and highlights from the week’s key matches to WWE fans in the region.

The partnership between OSN and WWE provides unprecedented access to WWE Superstars, while featuring the latest big stories from Raw, SmackDown LIVE and pay-per-view events, specifically curated with localized Arabic WWE content, created for the region, from the region.

“We are excited to partner with OSN to bring our passionate fans original and localized content featuring their favorite WWE Superstars,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “’WWE Wal3ooha’ provides a new destination for our fans in the Middle East to enjoy WWE’s unique blend of action-packed, family-fun entertainment.”

Al Bastaki, a professional magician, and Mamo, a basketball star, bring more than 15 combined years of television to “WWE Wal3ooha.” The show is produced from the OSN Studios in Dubai

As noted earlier this week, WWE has been holding tryouts in Dubai. 40 men and women from the Middle East and India participated in a 4-day combine at the newly constructed Dubai Opera House. The talent included elite athletes including power lifters, body builders, martial artists and fitness experts.

Here’s some social media coverage of the Dubai tryouts and the big WWEwal3ooha announcement.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTevreiAnjr/?taken-by=wwe

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTe4EVFgRmF/?taken-by=wwe

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTeRzlzjOfT/?taken-by=officialwwearabic

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTbp090jN9H/?taken-by=officialwwearabic

World of Sport (WOS) Tapings Delayed

Jake Skudder
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1

It has been revealed that the planned tapings for World of Sport’s (WOS) new show have been delayed. PWInsider stated that sources within the company confirmed that the booked dates of May 25th & 26th were no longer pencilled in and that the tapings would now be in July.

IMPACT had already announced that Bobby Lashley and Kongo Kong would be working the tapings however with the change of date they may no longer be available.

It is not yet known why the tapings have been delayed, ticket sales were reportedly strong heading in to the planned May 25th & 26th dates.

WOS have not yet made any announcements on the date change, as recently as April 10th they were still promoting the original taping date:

http://twitter.com/WOSWrestlingITV/status/851366282201112577

New Japan Reveal Competitors for Best of the Super Juniors and take a dig at WWE’s new Pay Per View name

Jake Skudder
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1

New Japan posted a tweet today teasing some of the potential competitors in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

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.

Several of NJPW’s biggest Juniors stars will be participating in the annual event:

  • 2016 Winner – Will Ospreay
  • Jushin Thunder Liger
  • Ricochet
  • Taguchi
  • KUSHIDA
  • Hiromu Takahashi
  • BUSHI
  • Dragon Lee
  • Tiger Mask

https://twitter.com/newjapaneng/status/858136286208679936

WWE recently announced their newest Pay Per View/Network event taking place in July named ‘Great Balls of Fire.’ New Japan sent out a tweet today appearing to take a dig at WWE for their choice of name:

https://twitter.com/newjapaneng/status/858035817851367424

Impact Wrestling Viewership Way Down Against NFL Draft & NBA Playoffs

Robert Lentini
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23

Impact Wrestling’s viewership went way down last night against the NFL Draft and NBA Playoffs. Impact brought in 255,000 viewers, which is 65,000 less than last week’s 320,000 viewers.

Impact’s lowest viewership this year was 252,000 viewers. Per Showbuzz Daily, Impact Wrestling ranked #133 amongst cable originals last night.

Ember Moon Injury Update, 6 Things You Didn’t Know About The Hardy Boyz (Video)

Robert Lentini
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5

Ember Moon appeared to injure herself diving out of the ring a few weeks ago during an episode of NXT. The episode was taped and has not aired on the WWE Network yet. Earlier today, WWE Superstar Natalya tweeted out a photo from the WWE Performance Center with several members of the NXT roster visiting with a fan. Ember Moon is seen on the bottom left of the picture and her arm is in a sling. Details of her injury have yet to be revealed publicly.

WWE has uploaded a new video entitled “6 things you didn’t know about The Hardy Boyz”.

WWE Superstars React To New “Great Balls of Fire” PPV Name

Chris Stephens
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40

The “Great Balls of Fire” PPV name has drawn strong reactions from the pro-wrestling community. Several WWE superstars, and other wrestling personalities have commented on the rather oddly titled PPV.

Great Balls of Fire PPV Name Reactions:

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/858032743569137664

Noam Dar wrote this, I’m not sure if it’s related to Great Balls of Fire or not:

https://twitter.com/NoamDar/status/858061395945979905

NJPW Toyo Province 2017 Lineup: Juice Robinson Challenges Naito

Chris Stephens
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1

New Japan Pro Wrestling has a show from the Beppu B-Con Plaza in Yamanotecho, Japan starting at 4am est. tomorrow.

The main event will see Juice Robinson challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

April 29th 2017 NJPW Lineup:

  1. Tomoyuki Oka, Hirai Kawato, Jushin Liger vs. Syota Umino, Katsuya Kitamura, & Tiger Mask
  2. Roppongi Vice (CHAOS) vs. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (Suzuki-Gun) (non-title)
  3. Yoshi Tatsu and Taguchi vs. Bushi and Sanada (Los Ingobernables)
  4. David Finlay, Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tanga Roa & Tama Tonga (Bullet Club)
  5. Will Ospreay, Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto (CHAOS) Vs. Taka Michinoku, Taichi, and Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun)
  6. Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, & Kazuchika Okada vs. Chase Owens, Kenny Omega and Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club)
  7. IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH
    Hiromu Takahashi (Los Ingobernables)(c) vs. Ricochet
  8. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL (Los Ingobernables)
  9. IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH
    Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables)(c) vs. Juice Robinson

WWE Great Balls of Fire PPV Announced: Brock Lesnar’s First Title Defense

Chris Stephens
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85

Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship on July 9th 2017, in Dallas at the all-new “Great Balls of Fire” PPV event.

The American Airlines Centre in Dallas announced Lesnar’s participation in the event earlier today:

https://twitter.com/AACenter/status/857973196364029952

Great Balls of Fire PPV

Unless the verified social media accounts from Dallas’ American Airlines Centre are trolling everyone for some reason, this does appear to be the name of the new July PPV.

**Update: WWE has now confirmed the new PPV name on their event listings page. 

It looks as though “GB of F” will be a Raw-exlusive PPV. As it stands currently, the plan is to limit co-branded shows to the big 4 PPVs.

Vince McMahon Biopic: Full Details On Who’s In It, What’s Covered & More

Eric Lynch
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27

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has an incredible life story. McMahon rose to fame by changing the wrestling industry and becoming a billionaire in the process, now a film about his life is officially in the works. Sony’s TriStar is reportedly in talks to pick up the screenplay, and the film will be called Pandemonium.

Ex-WWE writers Alex Greenfield and Court Bauer recently got a hold of the screenplay for Vince’s upcoming biopic, and shared some exclusive details on what’s in store on their MLWRadio podcast. They note that the film starts in 1969 and focuses on McMahon’s career until the end of the federal trial in New York in the 90’s.

We highly recommend you head over to MLWRadio.com and sign up for their VIP service to hear this VIP podcast. If you’re familiar with MLW Radio, Bruce Prichard’s Something to Wrestle or the Jim Cornette Experience, you know MLW delivers some of the best podcasts around. Going VIP gets you access to a ton more additional podcasts / hotlines.

Here’s a recap of some of the material covered in the MLW podcast:

The First Scene

The movie reportedly opens up with Vince in his 20’s, with his car breaking down while he’s on the way to work for his father. For those who read Vince’s now-rare 1999 Playboy interview, you may remember his stories of growing up without indoor plumbing in North Carolina, almost being beaten to death by his step-father, being exposed to sex very early in life, and later working crushing rocks for 90 hours a week. This film reportedly won’t cover those younger years. The script does reportedly touch on Vince working selling plastic/paper cups, which was a job he despised, prior to entering the wrestling business.

Who’s In It

A key part of the script is Vince getting his first job in wrestling from his father, Vince Sr., who is featured several times. Wrestlers who appear in the script include The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, The Iron Sheik, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Gorilla Monsoon, Verne Gange, King Kong Bundy, and more. There are reportedly scenes featuring NWA meetings, Ted Turner, the Crocketts, and several other names from the old wrestling territory days.

Style & Accuracy

There appears to be some “movie magic” at work in the script as far as accuracy goes. Some historical facts have been changed for the script, such as his wife Linda’s history. For example, the movie has Linda working in a bar, but in real-life she worked as a paralegal at the time. The film reportedly portrays Linda as having a similar creative role and approach as Vince, when in actuality she mostly worked in the offices in an executive role. Linda’s personality is also portrayed in a way that Greenfield & Bauer feel the McMahons likely won’t sign off on.

The script reportedly admits that it strays from the truth, at one point breaking the fourth wall to admit that it’s as real as pro wrestling. Greenfield and Baurer said the script leans more towards Ready To Rumble than The Wrestler in terms of tone, but not “as silly” as Ready To Rumble. They also compare the script to “a poor man’s version of The People vs. Larry Flynt.”

The film follows McMahon trying to recruit his cast of characters for his promotion, especially Hulk Hogan. Hogan is portrayed as a guy who wasn’t properly trained prior to the WWF, with some of the WWF stars breaking him in correctly. There is a Hogan sex-scene where he isseen holding a video camera. The script also has Vince instructing Hogan to start taking performance enhancing drugs.

Vince’s character is portrayed as being resentful of his father, when in actuality he held Vince Sr. in high regard. Vince Sr. also lives later in the movie timeline than he did in real life.

Greenfield and Bauer also noted there’s a scene of Gorilla Monson watching VHS tapes of his old matches from before there was tape of them. Gorilla is portrayed as an antagonist of Vince in act 2, which was not the case in real life. Jim Crockett is also portrayed as an antagonist late into the film, when in actuality he had been bought out by that time and was a consultant.

Greenfield and Bauer both felt that Vince’s life story would be better told in a Boardwalk Empire or Sopranos-like series.

The Second Act & The Monday Night Wars

The second act of the movie is about the WWF’s rise to success. This part of the script shows montages of steroid use and big name stars. There are also scenes of Vince doing recreational drugs, and working on the No Holds Barred movie for Hogan. This is also around the time when a relationship between Vince and Ted Turner is loosely established, and Ted is also seen working with the Crocketts. The Monday Night Wars are covered “very quickly” in the film, with Vince’s triumph over his top competitor being treated as an afterthought. Greenfield and Bauer feel that some of Vince’s dialogue and behavior in the second act started becoming too unrealistic. This is also where WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt is introduced as a character.

The Final Act & The Steroid Trial

The third act of the script focuses on McMahon’s federal trial for steroid charges, the No Holds Barred movie, and WCW raiding WWF talent. Vince’s neck brace at the trial wasn’t mentioned in the script. Greenfield and Bauer noted that there was a lot of information to be crammed into the trial scenes, and that the trial and the Attitude Era seemed rushed. Vince’s business suffered a downturn in the early and mid 90s, which also wasn’t covered. The third act reportedly features a lengthy montage, and Vince McMahon interacting with Stacy Keibler to close out the film.

Script & Production

This is very likely not the last draft of the script, and there are several things the McMahons may not sign off on. There’s a possible Hollywood writers strike on the horizon next week, and studios are reportedly putting together material already ready-to-shoot in the event of a strike. If the script is finalized quickly, shooting could begin this summer, and the film could be released before Fall 2018.

Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who direct and produce NBC’s This Is Us, are in talks to direct the project. Craig A. Williams wrote the script, and Andrew Lazar, who produced American Sniper, is producing. Also producing are Michael Luisi of WWE Studios, and Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm. Charlie Gogolak of Zaftig Films will executive produce.

  • Which actors would you like to see cast in this film? Who should play Vince? Who should play Linda? Discuss in the comments!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdTnZOuH4Nw

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