– WWE announced last week that RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar’s first title defense will take place at the new Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 9th from Dallas, TX.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Lesnar will be working more dates than he did the last time he was WWE Champion. In addition to July, Lesnar will be at SummerSlam in August, Survivor Series in November and more. Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor are all expected to work with Lesnar in the coming months.
Based on what we saw last night on RAW, Seth Rollins will continue his feud with Samoa Joe and Finn Balor will have his hands full with Bray Wyatt.
– After Monday’s RAW from Sacramento went of the air, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose attempted to get The Miz to do his “Because I’m The Miz” line. Miz agreed to do so, but the babyfaces all hit their finishers to him to send the crowd home happy.
And this was Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Miz after Raw went off air??? pic.twitter.com/izP9cupriy
Century Media Records has released the official music video for “Judas” by Chris Jericho’s band FOZZY. Judas is available everywhere for download and streaming on May 5th.
Chris Jericho and Fozzy are about to embark on the Judas Uprising Tour, which kicks off this Friday from Virginia Beach, VA. For ticket information, visit Chris-Jericho.com.
Chris Jericho is scheduled to defend the United States Championship against Kevin Owens tonight on SmackDown. Jericho will be taking another hiatus from WWE for the Fozzy tour, so don’t be shocked if Kevin Owens regains the title he lost to Jericho this past weekend at Payback.
Here’s the complete schedule for the Judas Uprising tour:
May 5 – Lunatic Luau – Virginia Beach, VA
May 6 – The Revival – Canton, GA – Tickets
May 7 – Carolina Rebellion – Charlotte, NC
May 9 – The Concourse at The International – Knoxville, TN
May 10 – Trixie’s Entertainment Complex – Louisville, KY
WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson was the latest guest on the The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast. On this episode, Double A relives some of the Four Horseman’s most classic feuds and matches in a staple area for the Crockett territory as well as shares what the modern day wrestling convention means to the “old timers.” He also dives deep into the formation of the Horseman, the promos they cut and what made them become such a dominant group in the business. Here are some highlights the show sent in:
Working for both the NWA and WWE in the 1980’s:
“In those days if you lived up North and you didn’t have TBS you were WWF fans at the time (obviously now WWE) and they didn’t get a lot of stuff unless it was syndicated Crockett stuff. There were definitely two distinct audiences. People still come up to me now and know me in The Brain Busters. It is not so much the Horseman (of course they know about it) but they were Brain Buster fans or they hated The Brain Buster’s guts. The cross pollination of all of that with the brands being consolidated and it is always somebody that has a different story but I think everybody understands that Crockett was something pretty special and a lot of major talent came from that company and that era and I will be forever grateful because that is where I cut my chops and figured out what to do in this business and how to grow, excel and add to the business itself and contribute.”
His favorite incarnation of the Four Horsemen:
“The first will always be special just because it was the first. It was unique. I would say that I agree with the fans that say the Barry Windham incarnation was probably the most functional and most fun to watch and most exciting and best group bell to bell. You can probably name any other grouping and it is open to conjecture but certainly the first one and the Barry Windham version would be the top 2.”
Getting a chance to wrestle fellow Horseman and best friend Ric Flair during a brief program in 1995:
“A lot of people go to talk about the Ric Flair and myself match in Asheville, North Carolina on a pay per view. I don’t think that match was one of my favorites and I didn’t particularly enjoy it. It is kind of hard to pound a knot in your best friend even if he is acting up and showing his ass and doing a lot of things that are disrespectful to you. I guess we had to have that match and get it out of our system.”
The lasting legacy of War Games:
“It was a full days work that is for sure. A lot of nights I thought that this was a hard way to make a living. When you are trapped in that cage with Dusty, Nikita, The Road Warriors, Luger and whoever else it was like a Barry Windham or Ricky Steamboat it is a hard 35-40 minutes. But it also played perfectly into what we were and we always said and we made no bones about it, if you jump on one of us you will jump on five of us. We were in our element and I can’t remember a War Games where we got dominated. I don’t if we won (if we won any) but the fact is if you ask anybody today who won War Games in a particular town that they were in that night now I am not sure if they can tell you but they would say; “My God what a blood bath and what a war”. That is what sold tickets and to be able to pull off 22 out of 36 days one summer where we went on tour in the stadiums and all of us almost bled to death that summer. It was something special and has also stood the test of time and that is one of those instances where adversity introduces you to yourself and in one of those War Games matches is probably where that quote came from.”
Arn Anderson will be appearing at the Mid Atlantic Wrestle Expo on May 20th in Richmond, Virginia. For more information, visit Wrestleexporva.com.
For this and every other episode of @TwoManPowerTrip, subscribe on iTunes, Podomatic, Player FM, Earpeeler and Tune In Radio.
Carmella was a recent guest on Lilian Garcia’s Making Their Way to the Ring podcast and commented on why she wasn’t called up to the main roster with Enzo and Big Cass.
“When Hunter told me he said the reason why you’re not going with them is because you have the ability to make it on your own, you’re not just a hype girl for Cass and Enzo you’re not, I see more in you, you have more potential and you’re gonna be fine on your own.”
Carmella is making a name for herself on SmackDown Live while her real-life boyfriend Big Cass is making noise on RAW. Carmella says it’s tough for them being on different brands and spending extended periods of time apart.
Now that she’s on the main roster, Carmella is able to look back at her time in NXT and reflect on what she felt was her biggest obstacle there. “So I think the biggest struggle for me is I wasn’t Charlotte, Sasha, Bailey or Becky,” she said. “They had obviously wrestled before, well Charlotte hadn’t but she obviously comes from such greatness being a Flair and because of that I didn’t have any like history of wrestling or any experience. So I think that was the biggest struggle to try to like how do I fit in here knowing I’m not one of them but knowing that I do think I have something to offer that’s different.”
Carmella says she just knew she knew she wasn’t going to be ‘the best technical wrestler’ like the Four Horsewomen, “but I know I have something else to offer as far as the personality and I know I can be over the top.”
Other topics discussed include working with Dusty Rhodes in NXT, when she found out she’d be joining the main roster, a stalker who hacked into her phone and more. You can listen to the full show here:
Sean Waltman has resurfaced after missing a scheduled appearance in the UK over the weekend and growing concern that he had gone missing. Waltman had been scheduled to wrestle for IPW: UK on Saturday, which was billed as his final UK match. When he didn’t show, the promotion released a statement that they were unable to get a hold of him.
After minor updates from Kevin Nash and Waltman’s podcast host stating that he was deal with “issues” – Sean Waltman broke his silence late Monday night and tweeted:
As it turns out, Waltman was arrested on Saturday (4/29) at LAX Airport in Los Angeles after he was stopped at Customs and officials discovered he was concealing meth and marijuana. Police were called to the scene and Waltman was arrested and taken to jail, where he was booked for possession of a controlled substance. To make matters worse, he had an outstanding warrant stemming from a prior DUI arrest.
NWA President Bruce Tharpe has released a statement on his Facebook page regarding Billy Corgan’s purchase of the promotion. You can read the full statement here.
“As everyone knows by now – Billy Corgan and I have agreed on principle regarding his acquisition of the NWA brand. This decision comes after many weeks of negotiation and deep consideration.”
Current State of the National Wrestling Alliance
The NWA has earned revenue in recent years through their on-demand streaming service NWA Ringside. The service offers on-demand viewing of many classic NWA matches.
There are still several small promoters who belong to the Alliance, although none that were part of the group during their glory days. Tharpe had previously developed a relationship with New Japan Pro Wrestling, which saw the NWA title defended in Japan in 2013.
If Billy Corgan is buying in, he’ll have some type of plan. Corgan hasn’t posted to social media in over a month.
“With the capital and business acumen that Billy Corgan brings to the table – I am confident that he has the ability to take the NWA to the next level. And I have promised to do all I can to help him succeed. I ask you to join me in supporting the new NWA regime in the future,” Tharpe said.
At the Festival of Friendship, Jericho presented Owens with a painting. It was a replica of the “Creation of Man” painting, only with Jericho and Owens playing the roles of God and man. In the painting Owens and Jericho are reaching out their index fingers towards one another.
At WrestleMania, Owens used his index finger to reach the bottom rope while trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Owens then went on to win the match. At Payback, Owens again just used his index finger to grab the bottom rope to get out of a submission. Jericho then smashed Owens’ finger in the steps and locked Owens back in a submission. This time with his index finger injured, Owens had to tap as he could not reach out and grab the rope.
Owens’ index finger is an analogy for their “friendship”. He had used the finger/Jericho’s friendship to win matches. So if Jericho wanted to win he had to break the finger/friendship, which is what he did. Pretty creative storytelling.
WWE RAW kicked off with all the female Superstars in the ring awaiting the new RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. Bayley had her arms crossed and had a frustrated look on her face. Alexa Bliss came down to the ring and received boos from the Sacramento crowd. Alexa grabbed a microphone and thanked all the ladies for coming down to the ring tonight, even though she demanded that RAW GM Kurt Angle make them all come out there. Alexa referred to herself as the “goddess of the WWE” and proceeded to brag about becoming the first ever female Superstar to hold both the RAW and Smackdown Women’s Championships.
Bliss went up to Mickie James and called her an inspiration, even though her contemporaries Mae Young and the Fabulous Moolah were now in a better place. Alexa then thanked Sasha Banks for being there and bragged about defeating her. Sasha then stepped towards Alexa and Bliss bumped into Nia Jax behind her. Alexa complimented Nia Jax and stated that all the other female Superstars were jealous of her. Alexa Bliss then stood on top of stand and said that it felt good to be on top of the world.
Alexa then acknowledged Bayley as “former RAW Women’s Champion” and the crowd broke out in a “Bayley!” chant. Bliss boasted about defeating Bayley last night at Payback in front of her entire family. Bliss claimed that when the referee raised her hand she noticed that all of Bayley’s nephews were crying. Bliss stated that now her whole family finally has a real role model to look up to. Bayley lost it and knocked over the stand and Bliss fell to the mat. RAW went to a commercial break with the entire RAW women’s division brawling in the ring.
Reaction: I enjoyed Alexa Bliss’s work on SmackDown, but she has upped her game since coming to RAW during WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up. She is excellent at getting the crowd to despise her. I hope that the rest of the RAW women’s division benefits from Bliss being on the roster when it comes to promos.
Alexa Bliss, Alicia Fox, Nia Jax & Emma vs Bayley, Sasha Banks, Mickie James & Dana Booke
Alexa Bliss and Bayley started off the match but Alexa immediately tagged in Emma. Bayley controlled the match early and beatdown Emma. Mickie James then entered the match and continued the assault on Emma. Mickie connected with a series of kicks then knocked Emma to the mat with a Clothesline. Dana Brooke was tagged in and Emma tagged in Alicia Fox. Dana Brooke beatdown Alicia for a minute and then tagged in Sasha Banks.
Sasha Banks got a massive cheer from the crowd and slammed Alicia to the mat. Bayley then got back in the match and went right after Fox. Alicia was then isolated in the corner and Mickie got back into the match. Mickie connected with a kick to Alicia’s face and tagged Sasha back in. Banks applied a Chinlock to Fox in the middle of the ring. Bliss shouted at Fox as Sasha Banks controlled the match.
Banks connected with an Arm Drag and followed it up with Double Knees for a two count. Alexa screamed for a tag and Fox comically replied “I’m trying!” while in a lot of pain. Fox launched Sasha out of the ring and all of the Superstars gathered outside the ring. RAW went to another commercial break with everyone shouting at each other ringside.
When RAW returned, Alicia Fox and Sasha Banks were once again battling in the ring. During the commercial break, Nia Jax dominated and it allowed Fox to recapture control of the match for her team. Fox hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a one count. Nia Jax entered the match and dropped an elbow on Sasha’s back. Nia then hurled Sasha across the ring and Bliss mocked Sasha from the ring apron. Nia hit another elbow for a one count.
Last night Corey Graves referred to Strowman as a bear, tonight he referred to Nia as a bear as she had Sasha in a Chinlock. Nia slammed Banks into the turnbuckle and tagged in Alexa Bliss. Alexa stuck her boot right in Sasha’s face as she laid across the bottom rope. Bliss then stomped on Sasha’s head a few times for a two count. Bliss punched Fox and Nia in the face in the corner was sent back to the mat via a Clothesline from Bliss. Sasha finally escaped and tagged in Bayley. Bayley tackled Alexa to the mat and punched her in the face several times. Bayley then slammed Alexa’s head into the top turnbuckle 10 times as the crowd went wild.
Alexa was then hung up on the second rope and Bayley planted her with a Neckbreaker. Bayley hit a Suplex and went for a pin but Nia broke up the pin. Dana Brooke then knocked Nia out of the ring and Mickie hit Nia with a Crossbody outside the ring. Bayley and Sasha then beatdown Alicia in the ring. The battle spilled outside the ring and Fox and Sasha traded punches. Back in the ring, Alexa raked Bayley’s eyes and spiked her head into the mat with a DDT for the victory.
Winners: Alexa Bliss, Alicia Fox, Nia Jax & Emma
Reaction: This was a solid 15+ minute to start off the show. I could live without the commercial breaks right in the middle of the damn match but complaining about that is a lost cause. I really enjoyed this match and Alexa picked up a victory over Bayley with a DDT for the second night in a row. I’m still waiting on that Sasha Banks heel turn and for to attack Bayley. Maybe that simply won’t wind up happening but I really do think Sasha Banks would be much better off as a heel. Having said that, Sasha Banks got a hell of a reaction from the crowd tonight so maybe that isn’t necessary.
Enzo and Cass came down to the entrance ramp to a big reaction from the crowd. Enzo bragged about giving Gallows and Anderson the beating of their lives last night. Gallows and Anderson attacked Enzo and Cass from behind. Cass and Enzo got the upper-hand anyway. RAW went to a commercial break with Enzo and Cass standing tall in the ring.
Luke Gallows vs Enzo Amore
When RAW returned, Gallows blasted Enzo with a giant boot to the face. Gallows then beatdown Enzo in the corner as Cass cheered his partner on from ringside. Enzo tried to fight back but was knocked back down by a Clothesline from Gallows. Gallows then slammed Enzo to the mat and posed in the ring. Gallows proceeded to beatdown Enzo for the next couple of minutes. Enzo finally fought back and connected with a series of punches. It didn’t matter as Gallows slammed Enzo to the mat again.
Gallows applied an Arm Bar on Enzo in the middle of the ring. Enzo got to his feet and punched Gallows a couple of times but once again was sent back to the mat. Gallows once again applied an Arm Bar and shouted at Enzo to give up. Cass slammed on the mat to try and pump up his teammate. Gallows charged at Enzo in the corner but Enzo avoided it. Enzo jumped off the second turnbuckle and connected with a DDT. Enzo hit a Dropkick to Gallows’ midsection and then kicked Gallows’ head like it was a football. Enzo then threw his hands up indicating that the field goal was good.
Enzo rolled up Gallows for a two count. Enzo climbed to the top turnbuckle but Anderson leaped up onto the apron. Gallows then slammed Enzo to the mat for the victory. Cass charged at Anderson outside the ring but Anderson retreated.
Winner: Luke Gallows
Reaction: Gallows, Anderson, Enzo and Cass are seemingly stuck in a never-ending feud that nobody really cares about.
Neville and TJ Perkins were backstage. Perkins said that Neville barely escaped his match with Austin Aries last night at Payback. Neville blamed the unprofessionalism of a young WWE official that caused him to get disqualified last night. Neville also stated that he respects Perkins but will not allow anyone to slander the King of the Cruiserweights. Neville informed Perkins that he has a match tonight against Austin Aries and suggested that Perkins make the most of that opportunity.
Seth Rollins came down to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Rollins stated that for the first time in a long time he is feeling really good. Rollins then gave a mini-motivational speech about overcoming the odds and the “sucky” parts of life. Rollins bragged about defeating Triple H at Wrestlemania 33 and getting payback on Samoa Joe last night at WWE Payback. Rollins stated that there was only one thing left to do and challenged Brock Lesnar. The crowd broke out in a “yes!” chant as Rollins said that he has been to Suplex City and that he is not afraid to go back.
Finn Balor interrupted and said that he respects Rollins. Balor congratulated Rollins on being the one-legged man who defeated Triple H. Balor said that he was the one-armed man that defeated Rollins to become the Universal Championship. Balor said that the line starts with him when it comes to people that should face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
Dean Ambrose then joined the party and poked fun at Balor and Rollins. Ambrose said that RAW should be about fighting champions and Brock Lesnar barely wrestles. Ambrose claimed that the Intercontinental Championship is the number one title on RAW. This prompted The Miz and Maryse to come down to the entrance ramp.
The Miz claimed that Rollins and Balor haven’t earned anything and called Ambrose an embarrassment of a champion. The Miz stated that he deserves the Intercontinental Championship and boasted about making the IC Title relevant. Balor interrupted and said that Miz was the latest member of the “Finn Balor just kicked my ass club”. Miz called Balor a coward for attacking him last night during the Payback Kickoff Show. Miz made fun of Amborse and said that Ambrose has made the IC Title so unimportant that it wasn’t even defended last night at Payback.
Miz said that the reason everyone hates him is because he is the biggest threat on Monday Night RAW. Ambrose, Balor and Rollins told Miz to shut up at the same time. Ambrose asked the crowd if they would like to see everyone beat up The Miz. Ambrose then pulled out his iPhone and made a call to RAW GM Kurt Angle. Ambrose revealed that there will be a #1 contenders match for the Intercontinental Championship between The Miz, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor.
Reaction: Balor, Rollins or The Miz would all make solid Intercontinental Champions. I’m not sure if it is just the change of scenery, but Ambrose has been much more entertaining since the Superstar Shake-Up. He absolutely hit a wall on SmackDown and it felt like he was phoning it in leading up to Wrestlemania 33. With Lesnar’s constant absence from RAW, the Intercontinental Championship needs to be build up again. My hope is that it remains an important title on RAW from this point forward. There are far too many weeks where both the US Title and the IC Title are left off RAW and SmackDown.
Tony Nese, Noam Dar & Brian Kendrick vs Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa & Jack Gallagher
Swann, Tozawa and Gallagher all had umbrellas and danced on the ring apron. Tozawa and Kendrick started off the match trading punches. Tozawa took control but Tony Nese entered the match and beatdown Tozawa. Nese mocked Tozawa as he launched him across the ring. Swann and Dar then entered the match and battled back and forth. Gallagher was tagged in and sent Dar out of the ring. Tozawa and Gallagher then launched Nese onto Dar and Kendrick outside the ring. RAW went to a commercial break with Tozawa, Gallagher and Swann in control.
When RAW returned, Kendrick planted Tozawa with a Suplex for a two count. Nese was then tagged in and he flexed in the ring. Nese held up Tozawa for a Suplex for 15 seconds and then simply threw him onto the top rope and Tozawa bounced to the mat. Dar got back into the match and continued the beatdown on Tozawa. Nese was tagged back in and he kicked Tozawa in the chest. Nese applied the Torture Rack to Tozawa. Akira eventually battled his way out of hit was knocked back to the mat by Nese.
Tozawa planted Nese with a German Suplex and tagged in Swann. Swann leveled Kendrick with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Rolling Thunder Splash for a two count. Kendrick went for Sliced Bread No. 2 but Swann avoided it. Gallagher was tagged in and he headbutted Kendrick for a two count. Gallagher then headbutted Nese out of the ring. Kendrick then locked in the Captain’s Hook but Tozawa broke up the hold. Tozawa hit a Suicide Dive onto Dar outside the ring. Swann then flipped onto Tony Nese outside the ring. Back in the ring, Gallagher connected with a running kick on Kendrick while he was leaning against the turnbuckle. Gallagher then pinned Kendrick and picked up the victory for his team.
Winners: Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa & Jack Gallagher
Reaction: Everyone that wrestled in this match is very talented. The Cruiserweight divsion and 205 Live still have the same issue since it’s inception. There aren’t enough personalities that are featured in the division. Gallagher, Swann and Kendrick are all entertaining with a microphone in their hands. I’d still just like to see more Cruiserweights have their personalities featured on RAW. These matches are entertaining but if people want to watch them, they can just check out the highlights on YouTube. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe these random 6-man tag matches provide any incentive for people to watch 205 Live tomorrow night on the WWE Network.
Sheamus and Cesaro came down to the ring in black jackets and black kilts. Sheamus removed his sunglasses and thanked the crowd for their response as they booed. Sheamus stated that it felt good to finally be set free. Sheamus said that if he is being honest, he never really liked anyone in the WWE Universe. The crowd chanted “you look stupid!” and Sheamus claimed that he didn’t look as stupid as Matt and Jeff Hardy did last night after getting their ass kicked.
Sheamus said that Cesaro had his own “Cesaro section” and he believed that the crowd would get behind them. Sheamus blamed The Hardy Boyz for stealing their moment at Wrestlemania 33. Cesaro grabbed the microphone and stated that these people felt a rush of nostalgia when The Hardys returned. Cesaro claimed that the WWE Universe would rather live in the past or look in the future than look at the present that is standing right in front of them .
Sheamus poked fun at Jeff Hardy losing a tooth last night at Payback and referred to The Hardys as novelty acts. Sheamus stated that WWE now belongs to Sheamus and Cesaro. Cesaro vowed that they will recapture the RAW Tag Team Championships. The Hardy Boyz then interrupted. Matt Hardy thanked Cesaro and Sheamus for their explanation for the post-match beatdown last night at Payback. Matt and Jeff then did the “delete!” motion and charged the ring. Sheamus and Cesaro got out of the ring and retreated.
Reaction: Sheamus cut a really solid promo here and some of his points were actually valid about fans living in the past. I think this feud has the potential to be awesome and I’m looking forward to seeing how things unfold over the next few weeks on RAW.
The Miz was interviewed backstage alongside Maryse. Miz began to boast and Dean Ambrose took the microphone away from Charly Caruso. The Miz got pissed off when Ambrose asked him about his hair gel and walked away. Ambrose then said “this is Mean Dean Ambrose signing off, Gene and Bobby back to you at ringside”.
Crews was conversing with Slater and Rhyno earlier in the evening about becoming a father. Titus O’Neil was pissed off by this and said that Crews should be coming to him for advice.
The match started off back and forth. Crews leveled Slater with a Clothesline and went for a kick but missed. Slater then missed with a kick of his own and Crews connected with a kick to the side of Slater’s head. Crews then planted Slater with a Powerbomb for the victory. O’Neil then shoved the referee out of the way and raised Apollo’s hand. Titus went to take a selfie with Crews but Rhyno photobombed it.
RAW GM Kurt Angle came down to the ring as the crowd chanted “you suck!” along with his theme song. Angle called the match last night between Reigns and Strowman the most physical match he has ever seen. Angle revealed that Reigns re-injured his ribs and Strowman tore his rotator cuff. Angle also said that Reigns and Strowman were not done with each other. The lights in the arena went out and Bray Wyatt appeared on the entrance ramp. Wyatt made his way to the ring and confronted Kurt Angle.
Wyatt apologized for the interruption and introduced himself as Bray Wyatt and extended his hand. Angle shook Wyatt’s hand and Bray stated that he means Angle no harm. Bray Wyatt said that he closed the chapter of Randy Orton last night at Payback. Wyatt claimed that he was reborn on Monday Night RAW and is going to write a new story. Wyatt said that there was an evil all around us and that he holds the cure. Bray said that Angle needs him and Bray then asked Angle if he was going to allow him to do his work or stand in his way. Angle stated that he doesn’t know what Bray has planned, but he told Bray to remember that this was his show. Bray then laughed and said that RAW may be Angle’s show, but this is his world.
Reaction: I refuse to fall for the Bray Wyatt hype again. I hope that Bray Wyatt is entertaining every Monday night on RAW. I still haven’t gotten over the stink of his Wrestlemania 33 match and the terrible House of Horrors match last night. I spent years waiting for Wyatt to finally get his shot with the WWE Championship and WWE completely butchered it. It is pretty much impossible to get invested in a Bray Wyatt storyline at the moment. Also, a torn rotator cuff usually takes months to recover from. I’m guessing that is just storyline when it comes to Strowman, because it would make zero sense in the real world to plan any future matches for Strowman right now.
Dean Ambrose continued his reporter shtick and interviewed Rollins backstage. Rollins said that Ambrose should know that he has was it takes to take the IC Title from him. Ambrose stated that he is looking forward to tossing Rollins around the ring if Rollins becomes the #1 contender later tonight.
The match started out back and forth. Perkins hung up Aries on the turnbuckle and stomped on him as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Perkins dabbed over Aries and applied a Chinlock to Aries. Austin fought out of it but Perkins knocked him right back to the mat. Aries was once again stuck in the corner and Perkins stomped on his knee. Booker T said that he was not a fan of Rich Swann during this match, despite stating that he was a fan of him while Swann was performing earlier.
Aries charged at Perkins in the corner but TJ moved and Aries slammed into the ring post. Perkins then applied a Half Crab while Aries was hung up between the ropes. Perkins went outside the ring and grabbed Aries’ legs. Perkins was about to slam Aries’ knee into the ring post but Aries countered it and Perkins’ head bounced off the ring post. Aries then leveled Perkins with a Suicide Dive as Neville was shown shaking his head backstage.
Back in the ring, Aries connected with a couple of chops and then hit a Gutbuster, STO and followed it all up with a Pendulum Elbow. Aries then hit another elbow off the second rope for a two count. Aries slapped his own knee to get some feeling back into it and went for a Suplex on Perkins. TJ avoided it but Aries Suplexed him. Aries was then able to lock in the Last Chancery after countering TJ’s Detonation Kick for the submission victory.
After the match, Perkins attacked Aries and targeted his knee. Perkins applied the Knee Bar and Aries screamed in pain. Perkins then removed his wrist tape and tossed it at Aries in disgust as he exited the ring.
Winner: Austin Aries
Reaction: I’ve said it for weeks, TJ Perkins is much better as a heel. He just needs new entrance music because it doesn’t fit his character right now.
Dean Ambrose interviewed Finn Balor backstage and asked if he was nervous. Balor stated that he eats nerves and produces results. Ambrose then handed Balor a donut and said he was too skinny. Balor took a bite of it and walked away. The Drifter then walked by Ambrose playing a guitar. RAW went to a commercial break while Ambrose finished off the rest of the donut.
Reaction: “I eat nerves and produce results” is one of the strangest lines I’ve ever heard. The Ambrose as a reporter joke was funny once. Thus, WWE decided to beat it into the ground throughout the episode of RAW.
R-Truth and Goldust were backstage and asked RAW GM Kurt Angle for a RAW Tag Team Championship match against The Hardy Boyz. Angle said that he couldn’t make the match because the Golden Truth’s win/loss ratio was terrible. Goldust and R-Truth stated that they really needed this. Angle made a Tag Team Turmoil match next week and the winner of that match will become the #1 contenders for the RAW Tag Team Championships.
Triple Threat Match To Determine The #1 Contender For The Intercontinental Championship: Finn Balor vs The Miz vs Seth Rollins
The Miz rolled out of the ring right when the match started and the crowd booed. Miz instructed Balor and Rollins to fight and they obliged. Balor went for a quick roll up and Rollins kicked out. Miz rolled into the ring for a second and then immediately exited. Rollins went for another quick pin and once again Miz got into the ring for a second. Balor kicked out and Miz immediately rolled back out of the ring.
Balor and Rollins then got out of the ring and chased Miz around. Balor and Rollins then cornered Miz in the ring and Miz tried to form an alliance with both of them. Both Rollins and Balor refused and beat the hell out of Miz. Balor threw Miz out of the ring and Rollins tried to steal the match with a roll up. Balor kicked out and Rollins kicked Miz off the ring apron. Balor then connected with a Dropkick to Rollins’ face.
The Miz tripped up Balor on the ring apron and Finn fell to the floor outside the ring. Rollins Dropkicked Miz off the ring apron and went for a Suicide Dive but Miz hid behind Maryse. Rollins then connected with a Crossbody onto The Miz. Back in the ring, Balor connected with a kick to Rollins. Miz booted Balor in the face and Rollins climbed to the top turnbuckle. Miz shoved Rollins off the top turnbuckle and Rollins smashed into the barricade outside the ring. RAW went to a commercial break with The Miz standing tall in the ring.
When RAW returned, Miz was still in control of the match but that didn’t last long. Balor knocked Miz to the mat and hit him with a Dropkick to the head. Rollins then flew into view and hit a Crossbody onto Balor. Rollins landed awkwardly on the side of his head. Miz then launched Rollins into the ring post. Miz hit a couple of Dropkicks on Rollins in the corner and followed it up with a Clothesline. Miz then climbed to the top turnbuckle and clubbed Rollins across the face. Miz and Rollins were on the mat in the ring and Balor was on the floor outside the ring.
Miz connected with a couple of right hands to Rollins. Balor got up to the ring apron and Miz sent Rollins flying into him and Balor once again fell to the floor outside the ring. Balor returned to the ring and was greeted with a kick to the ribs by Miz. The Miz then delivered a few Yes! Kicks to Rollins and Balor. Balor sent Miz into Rollins and Seth set him up for a DDT. Balor then connected with a Dropkick to Rollins and Seth drilled Miz with a DDT at the same time. The crowd started to chant “this is awesome” as the three Superstars got back up to their feet.
Balor hit Rollins with a chop in the corner and kicked Miz out of the ring. Balor kept up his momentum by knocking Rollins out of the ring with a Clothesline. Balor then got on the ring apron and punted The Miz’s head while he was standing outside the ring. Balor then sprinted around the ring and delivered a devastating Dropkick to Rollins in the corner. Back in the ring, Balor hit Rollins with a 1916 and went for a pinfall but Miz hurried to the ring and broke it up.
Miz was then tossed out of the ring again by Balor. Finn planted Rollins with a Slingblade, but was dragged out of the ring and crotched up against the ring post by The Miz. Rollins rolled up The Miz for a two count. Miz then Dropkicked Rollins’ knee and connected with a DDT for a two count. The Miz went for the Figure Four as Balor writhed in pain outside the ring. Miz was able to lock in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring and the crowd chanted “woo!”. Balor sprinted back in the ring and once again punted Miz’s head to break up the Figure Four.
The crowd once again chanted “this is awesome!” as the three Superstars battled in the ring. Balor connected with a chop to Miz and Rollins laid him out with kick. Balor connected with a kick to Rollins but Seth bounced off the ropes and hit a Superkick on Balor for a two count. Rollins hit a Splash on Balor in the corner and then smashed Miz’s head into the second turnbuckle. Rollins then hit a double Blockbuster off the second rope onto Balor and Miz. Rollins then climbed up the turnbuckle and hit a massive Frog Splash for a two count.
Maryse paced around outside the ring in frustration as Miz climbed up the turnbuckle. Rollins greeted Miz on the top turnbuckle and delivered a massive Superplex. Rollins then rolled through and hit a Falcon Arrow on Miz for a two count. The crowd chanted “holy sh**!” as Rollins sprinted across the ring and hit a Suicide Dive onto Balor outside the ring. Rollins then hit a Suicide Dive onto Miz on the opposite side of the ring. Samoa Joe then attacked Rollins outside the ring and slammed him to the floor.
Back in the ring, Balor Dropkicked Miz into the turnbuckle and climbed up to the top rope. Balor was going for the Coupe De Grace but the lights went out in the arena. Bray then planted Balor with the Sister Abigail and the lights went out in the arena again. When the lights came back on, Miz crawled towards Balor and pinned him for the victory.
Winner & New #1 Contender For The Intercontinental Championship: The Miz
Reaction: What a match this was. The ending was a bit disappointing because I’m not really interested in yet another Miz and Ambrose match. Having said that, this match was absolutely terrific and worth checking out if you missed it. Overall, this was one of the better episodes of RAW I’ve seen in awhile. It certainly had it’s eye-rolling moments but for the most part I was entertained throughout the show.
Ring of Honor TV
airdate: May 1st 2017 (Fite App)
Baltimore, MD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJipYcRjQ8Q
1. Coast to Coast (Shaheem Ali & LSG) vs. the Kingdom (Matt Taven & Vinny Marseglia)
They announced on commentary before the match that the winners would face the tag team champions in New York at the War of the Worlds show.
Taven hit a reverse DDT on Ali, followed by a senton by Vinny, but the Kingdom opted not to pin him when they could have. Instead Taven called out ROH world champ, Christopher Daniels, and then hit Daniels’ Angel’s Wings on Ali, and got the 3 count.
Daniels and Taven meet for the title on May 10th in Dearborn Michigan. Winners: the Kingdom (Taven pinned Ali)
Young Bucks Segment
The Young Bucks came out and tried to quell any rumours that there was dissension amongst them and Adam Cole in Bullet Club. They reaffirmed that Bullet Club was 4-life.
Then they said they were out of challengers in ROH, so they issued an open challenge to any tag team anywhere.
This brough out Mikey and Kenny from the Spirit Squad. They said they were accepting the challenge, but not for next week, they wanted to face the Bucks right now. They ran into the ring and were immediately super-kicked and knocked out by the Bucks. Commentary then announced we’d get the actual match next week.
2. Flip Gordan vs. Matt Sydal
Sydal will challenge Marty Scurll for the ROH TV title at War of the Worlds. While this was a showcase match for Sydal, Gordan got in a fair amount of offence as well.
Sydal wins with the shooting star press.
After the match Scurll ran into the ring and up behind Sydal. He tried to give him the chickenwing but Sydal hit him with a kick that took him out of the ring. Winner: Matt Sydal
Story Time with Adam Cole Segment
Adam Cole came out and again said there were no problems in Bullet Club, and that he and the Young Bucks have worked everything out. Cole also mentions he will team up with Cody (Rhodes) next week against Dalton Castle and Christopher Daniels.
3. ROH World Title #1 Contenders Match 4-Corner Survivors Match Jay Lethal vs. Silas Young vs. Jay White vs. Hangman Page (Bullet Club)
Christopher Daniels was on commentary, he also brought an apple-tini.
I don’t know quite how to describe this, or why I’m describing this but at one point during this match Silas Young spat on Hangman Page. In response, Page wiped the spit off his torso, licked it, and spat it back at Silas Young. It was nothing that should ever be repeated.
Lethal ended up getting the pin on Young after the Lethal Injection. Lethal will now face Christopher Daniels and Cody at War of the Worlds on May 12th for the ROH title.
Cody and Daniels each came down for a stare down session. Winner: Jay Lethal (added to world title match at War of the Worlds)
For no reason, here is a video of the Young Bucks super-kicking some kids:
The May 1st edition of WWE RAW was the first episode after Payback 2017 and aired live on the USA Network from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA.
– All of the RAW divas are in the ring with red carpeting and a podium — except for Alexa Bliss. Alexa comes out last with her RAW Women’s Title to gloat about her victory last night. Alexa proceeds to talk trash to the ladies in the ring except for Nia Jax. Alexa focuses on Bayley and talks about beating her in front of her family in Payback last night. Bayley eventually flips the podium with Alexa on it and all of the women in the ring start brawling, which leads to an eight-woman tag match.
– Nia Jax, Emma, Alicia Fox & Alexa Bliss def. Bayley, Mickie James, Sasha Banks, Dana Brooke: Bayley starts working on Emma’s arm to start things off, then tags in James who continues. James hits a flying cross body then a dropkick for a two count. Banks and Fox come in and Banks hits a hip toss then a double knee drop for a two count. Alexa tags in and works over Sasha until Bayley gets the hot tag. Bayley drops Alexa and repeatedly slams her head into the turnbuckle. Bayley drops Alexa’s neck over the ring ropes then spears her in the corner. Bayley follows up with a splash in the corner and the aprons clear and all hell breaks loose. The brawling culminates with Bliss hitting a DDT on Bayley in the ring for the win.
– Enzo and Cass are seen backstage getting ready to come out for Enzo’s match against Luke Gallows. They come out to the ring to cut their usual promo, but before Cass can spell it out for them, Gallows and Anderson attack them from behind. Cass finally fights them off so Enzo can recover.
– Luke Gallows def. Enzo Amore: Gallows hits a big boot early on that levels Enzo, and he follows up with a series of strikes on Enzo in the corner. Gallows slams down Enzo and absolutely dominates the next few moments of the match. Gallows appears to be working on Enzo’s left arm, then drops him with another big boot up against the turnbuckles. Enzo fires up and starts fighting back with elbows, but Gallows grabs him and plants him with a single-arm DDT. Enzo starts fighting back again and this time takes out Gallows’ knee. Enzo boots Gallows in the head while he’s down, but Gallows gets up shortly after and drops Enzo with an uppercut. Gallows goes for a vertical suplex but Enzo reverses into a small package pin for a two count. Enzo goes up top, but Anderson distracts him and Gallows snatches Enzo off the turnbuckle and hits a variation of a Death Valley Driver for the win. Cass checks on Enzo in the ring as Gallows and Anderson celebrate on the ramp.
– TJ Perkins approaches Neville backstage and pokes fun at Neville for cheating to win last night. Neville says he doesn’t allow anyone to slander the king, and says it was the referee’s fault for being out of position.
– Seth Rollins is out next to announce that he wants a shot at the Universal Title. Finn Balor interrupts and says he’s the rightful #1 contender, and the line starts behind him. Dean Ambrose interrupts next, and then The Miz interrupts shortly after. The Miz says he should get the Title shot, but Dean Ambrose says he knows how to settle it: He’ll call RAW GM Kurt Angle. He calls Angle and reveals that Angle told him he’s booking a match tonight to settle this. There will be a triple threat match tonight featuring Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor, where the winner will become the #1 contender to Dean Ambrose’s Intercontinental Title.
– Jack Gallagher, Rich Swann & Tozawa def. Brian Kendrick, Tony Nese & Noam Dar: Tozawa starts off with offense against Kendrick until Nese gets the blind tag and takes over. Nese continues working on Tozawa and puts him in a Torture Rack. Tozawa gets out and tag in Swann, and Nese tags in Dar. Gallagher tags in shortly after who throws Dar outside. Kendrick runs in, so Tozawa boots him in the face and causes Kenrick to fall outside. The babyfaces then throw Nese outside and onto Kendrick and Dar. Back in the ring, Kendrick takes control of things against Tozawa. Nese and Dar trade tags next to continue working on Tozawa. Nese puts Tozawa back in the Torture Rack. Nese takes a minute to taunt Swann and Gallagher, which gives Tozawa a chance to grab Nese and hit a back suplex. Swan and Kendrick get the tags and Swan tees off on Kendrick. Swann hits a Fame-asser and a Rolling Thunder on Kendrick for a two count. Dar runs in so Swann kicks him in the head. Kendrick goes for the Sliced Bread on Swann, but Gallagher headbutts him from the apron. Gallagher tags in next, but Kendrick quickly gets him in the Captain’s Hook. Tozawa breaks it up with a Shining Wizard, then he and Swann hit suicide dives on Nese and Dar at ringside. Back in the ring, Gallagher hits a running dropkick on Kendrick in the corner for the win.
– Sheamus and Cesaro are out to the ring and Sheamus says he never liked any of the fans. Sheamus says he’s glad to be himself again, and that Cesaro kept telling him the fans would like him until WrestleMania when the Hardy Boyz came back and stole their moment. Cesaro says the fans the would look in the past than to the future. Cesaro says they proved last night that the Hardy Brothers don’t belong in the ring with them, and that they’re novelty acts. The Hardys are out next and they do the “delete” motion and hit the ring. Cesaro and Sheamus run off and retreat to the back as Matt and Jeff Hardy stand tall in the ring.
– The Miz is doing an interview backstage when Dean Ambrose takes over things and asks Miz if his hair gel gets in his eyes when he wrestles. The Miz storms off in disgust, and Ambrose signs off as “Mean” Dean Ambrose.
– Apollo Crews def. Heath Slater: Rhyno is in Slater’s corner and Titus O’Neal is in Crews’ corner. Crews starts things off with a suplex and a front face lock on Slater. Slater fights back but Crews levels him with a dropkick. Crews misses a splash in the corner and Slater rolls him up for a two count. Slater throws Crews outside, where Rhyno and Titus are hovering around keeping an eye on things. Crews misses a dropkick, then Slater misses a superkick, and Crews drops Slater. Crews follows up with the spin-out powerbomb for the win. Titus celebrates with Crews after the match and takes a selfie with him, which Rhyno gets in the background.
– WWE RAW GM and Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is out to the ring next to a huge ovation. Angle addresses the injuries sustained by Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman last night at Payback. The lights cut out and Bray Wyatt interrupts. Wyatt introduces himself to Angle and says he’s come to RAW tonight as a savior. Wyatt says he can fix RAW, and that he has big plans for the show, but Angle reminds him that RAW is his show. Wyatt laughs and says RAW may be his show, but it’s Wyatt’s world.
– Seth Rollins is in the locker room when Dean Ambrose approaches him to interview him. Rollins asks what’s going on, and Ambrose reminds him that there were cameras in his locker room and it’d be weird if there wasn’t an interview. Ambrose asks Rollins about his match tonight, and Rollins reminds Ambrose that he’s beaten him before and says he can beat him again.
– Austin Aries def. TJ Perkins: Aries dominates the opening moments of this one and hits a missile dropkick off the top on Perkins for a two count. Perkins starts to fire up but Aries drops him with an elbow to the head. Perkins hangs Aries up in the tree of woe in the corner and starts stomping on Aries’ left knee. Aries is selling the knee and Perkins focuses in on it. Perkins hits a springboard forearm strike off the middle rope, then stomps a mud hole in Aries in the corner. Perkins gets Aries in a half Boston crab on the top turnbuckle with Aries hanging between the ropes. Aries knocks Perkins outside and follows up with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Aries hits an STO and an elbow drop, followed up by a flying elbow drop. Perkins starts fighting back with a series of kicks, but Aries hits a shinbreaker then a back suplex. Perkins comes back and attempts a Detonation Kick, but Aries fights out and locks Perkins in the Last Chancery for the win via submission. After the bell, Perkins attacks Aries from behind and stomps on his bad knee before locking in the knee bar.
– Ambrose walks up to Finn Balor and asks him if he’s nervous tonight. Balor says he eats nerves. Ambrose and Balor then share a donut, and the drifter walks by with his guitar.
– Goldust and R-Truth approach Kurt Angle backstage and say they want to challenge the Hardys for the Tag Titles. Angle tells them their win-loss record just isn’t good enough for a Title shot. Goldust says Angle and the Hardys coming back have inspired them and lit a fire under them, and they want a chance to prove they’re not a joke. Kurt books them in a Tag Team Tornado match for next week where the winner will become the #1 contender for the RAW Tag Titles.
– Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor: This one is under triple threat rules with no DQs. Miz rolls outside after the bell and encourages Rollins and Balor to go at it. Balor and Rollins trade holds in the ring but they frequently get distracted by The Miz. They finally decide to go deal with Miz at ringside and chase him down. Miz runs into the ring and they surround him. The Miz tries to reason with them, but Rollins and Balor both hit him with kicks and throw him out of the ring. Rollins turns his attention towards Balor and they trade offense until Miz pulls Balor outside and slams his head on the apron corner. Rollins bumps Miz outside and goes for a suicide dive but Miz pulls Maryse in front of him. Rollins waits until Maryse moves away then hits a suicide plancha on Miz. Back in the ring, Balor works on Rollins until Miz comes in and hits a big boot to the face of Balor. Rollins climbs up top but Miz pushes him off and Rollins falls down into the fan barricade at ringside. Miz works on Rollins’ bad knee, then back in the ring he puts Rollins in the Figure Four until Balor breaks it up with a knee to the face. Miz and Balor trade strikes until Rollins assists with a spinning heel kick on Miz. Balor hits a kick on Rollins, but Rollins comes back with one of his own for a two count. Rollins comes off the turnbuckle with a double Blockbuster on both Miz and Balor. Rollins follows up with a frogsplash off the top on Balor for a two count. Rollins throws Balor outside, then superplexes Miz off the top. Rollins immediately follows up with the Falcon Arrow for a near-fall. Samoa Joe then comes out of nowhere, snatches Rollins and Rock Bottoms him on the ringside floor. This leaves The Miz staring as Joe leaves, having saved him from Rollins. The Miz turns around into Balor who hits the Sling Blade then goes up top. The lights go out, and when they come back on Wyatt is on the apron and he pushes Balor into the ring. Wyatt hits the Sister Abigail on Balor, then disappears again. Miz crawls ontop of Balor and pins him to steal the win, and The Miz is now the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title. Miz and Maryse celebrate and make their escape up the ramp as RAW goes off the air.
One night after losing the Raw women’s championship in her hometown, Bayley will team up with Sasha Banks to take on Nia Jax, the newly crowned champion, Alexa Bliss.
The match was announced earlier today by a guy Chris Jericho thinks is Tom Phillips:
Raw’s women’s division grew deeper after the Superstar Shakeup. It now consists of: Alexa Bliss (c), Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, Mickie James, Emma, Dana Brooke and Alicia Fox. On the roster but currently inactive: Summer Rae, Paige (might not return).
Despite the increased roster size, the division still only had 1 match on the PPV last night.
Tonight’s episode of Raw takes place inside the Golden 1 Centre in Sacramento, California.
– Adam Cole is officially a free agent after his Ring of Honor contract expired Sunday night, according to PWInsider. Cole is a former 2-time ROH World Champion and wrestled for the company since 2009. He’s now free to negotiate with other companies, including WWE/NXT and Impact Wrestling.
– WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash provided the following update on longtime friend Sean Waltman, who missed a scheduled appearance over the weekend had people concerned about his whereabouts. Nash says Waltman is “great” and there’s nothing to worry about.
@TheRealXPac is great. Nothing to worry about. Love you Sean my brother.
– Kevin Owens noted on Twitter that he just got added to tonight’s SmackDown live event from Stockton, California and plans to take out his aggression on whoever stands in his way. Owens dropped the United States Championship to Chris Jericho at Payback and says things are not going to end well for whoever his opponents are tonight and tomorrow in Fresno.
– Fans in attendance at Sunday’s WWE Payback pay-per-view voiced their displeasure with the pre-recorded portion of the House of Horrors match. Twitter user @CrimsonDevies posted this video of the crowd chanting “boring” while the House of Horrors match played on the big screen.
Cruiserweight Ring Changeover Last Night At WWE Payback
Last night at WWE Payback, Neville defended his Cruiserweight Championship against Austin Aries. WWE’s production crew had to change the ring for a Cruiserweight division match and finished just as Neville was at the bottom of the entrance ramp. A reddit user posted a video of the ring changeover and synced it up with the footage from Payback.
Zack Ryder Comments On 10 Years With WWE
WWE Superstar Zack Ryder is currently out of action with a knee injury that he suffered back in December. Ryder is remaining active and working his way towards his return to the ring. Ryder took to Twitter today and stated that he made his debut in WWE 10 years ago today.
Sunday night’s WWE Payback pay-per-view saw Bray Wyatt and WWE Champion Randy Orton battle it out in a House of Horrors filled with special effects and a cinematic horror movie style presentation. The two ultimately wound up inside the ring at San Jose, California’s SAP Center, but it’s been revealed that the House of Horrors was actually located 1,860 away in Richmond, Missouri.
Richmond is located approximately 40 miles outside of Kansas City, which hosted last week’s episode of WWE RAW, so the House of Horrors segment was taped nearly a week before the Payback match took place.
Twitter user @SYNJE_Vox for dug up a real estate listing for the House of Horrors. The 2-bedroom fixer-upper is currently on the market for $36,000.
The listing reads, “Looking for small acreage, just outside the city limits of Richmond? Here it is! This home has potential! Fixer Upper’s dream! Bring your ideas and skills and make this your special home. Home has newer septic. The water in the basement is due to the sump pump not being on for several years. OWNER IS SELLING PROPERTY “AS IS”! THIS PROPERTY IS SUBJECT TO THIRD PARTY APPROVAL. PROOF OF FUNDS WHEN SENDING OFFER.”
You can check out the House of Horrors listing at Movoto below:
New Japan Pro-Wrestling has been taking strides over the last year to increase their english-speaking fanbase. They have increased the amount of shows they bring on an english-announce team for, and have been increasing the amount of foreign stars they feature.
The biggest move the company is making to expand into english-speaking markets however, is bringing their famous G1 tournament to Los Angeles this summer.
The company released the following commercial for the show recently:
Witness the first commercial for the debut of New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the United States#njusa pic.twitter.com/Dq8RU1zfFA
Should You Start Watching New Japan Pro-Wrestling?
For those who don’t follow Japanese pro-wrestling, there are some significant differences. NJPW, and most other Japanese companies (not DDT) place far greater emphasis on pretending the sport is real. That is to say they don’t break down the fourth wall as much as WWE does. There is also far less talking, with backstage segments being limited to press-conference question and answer periods.
NJPW also divides much of the year up by holding several tournaments, such as the G1.
The G1 tournament is the main singles tournament of the year (with all do respect to the New Japan Cup). It is a round-robin tournament where wrestlers are split into 2 divisions. The wrestler who finishes with the most points in their division (2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss) moves on to the finals to face the winner of the other division. Whoever wins in the finals, earns a contract for a title match at WrestleKingdom.
The two G1 shows in Los Angeles will most likely be during the round-robin portion of the tournament.
Last night at Payback, Jinder Mahal and the tag team formerly known as the Bollywood Boyz interfered in the Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton match. Their actions ended up costing Orton the bout, though not the championship, as it was not on the line.
The Bollywood Boyz now going by “the Singh Brothers” is a subtle homage to Jinder Mahal’s family history in pro-wrestling. Singh was also the last name given to the members of a controversial faction from the 1980s.
https://youtu.be/WQQ1ywQ5kn8
Karachi Vice
Karachi Vice was the name Bruce Hart gave to the Great Gama Singh’s stable in Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling. Singh’s father had immigrated from India to Calgary in the 1960s. He would play the role of the evil foreign menace in the territory for years. Jinder Mahal is the Great Gama Singh’s nephew.
There were two other Singh’s in Karachi Vice: Makhan Singh (played by Mike Shaw/Bastion Booger) and Vokhan Singh (played by Gary Albright, who married into the Anoai’i family). The stable would feud with the likes of Owen Hart, Bruce Hart, Brian Pillman, and Chris Benoit.
While Jinder’s push has seemingly come out of the blue, the company is full-blown behind it, especially considering what it could mean to their exposure in India.
Smashing Pumpkins frontman and former TNA President Billy Corgan has agreed in principle to purchase the National Wrestling Alliance, according to PWInsider.com.
The terms of the deal would see Corgan purchase the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) name, associated trademarks as well as the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, which has a lineage dating back to 1948.
Corgan was an investor in Impact Wrestling (formerly TNA), contributing approximately $1.8 million to fund various TV tapings at the last minute to keep the company afloat. He made a strong play to buy that company outright, but things went south and Corgan sued TNA for money owed. A settlement was reach and Panda Energy sold majority control to Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Billy Corgan has yet to comment on the report and is unlikely to do so until the sale is finalized.
Check out the full report at PWInsider.com, which includes a detailed history of the National Wrestling Alliance as well as Corgan’s experience in pro wrestling.
Sheamus & Cesaro Claim They Are The Future On RAW Talk
Sheamus and Cesaro attacked The Hardy Boyz last night after the RAW Tag Team Championship match at Payback. The Hardys won the match and Sheamus and Cesaro had finally had enough. After WWE Payback went off the air, Sheamus and Cesaro joined Renee Young and Jerry Lawler on RAW Talk. Sheamus claimed that the honeymoon is now over for The Hardys and claimed that they were a part of the past.
Seth Rollins was interviewed after his victory over Samoa Joe at WWE Payback. Rollins stated that his banged up knee will not hold him back going forward. Samoa Joe targeted Rollins’ injured knee the entire match but Rollins was still able to get the victory.
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.
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.
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.
– 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
