It’s a big night on NXT tonight. In addition to the scheduled Kassius Ohno vs. Bobby Roode NXT Championship match there are several other big time matches on the show.
Current cruiserweight champion Neville cut a promo about breaking his ankle 3 weeks out of WrestleMania last year in the same building they are in tonight. He said it was irrelevant who wins the 5-way elimination match to face him at WrestleMania, as he will make them regret it.
1. Mustapha Ali vs. Drew Gulak
Ali picked up the win with a 450 splash. After the match Gulak cut a promo about how he’s great and doesn’t need to change, it is 205 Live the needs to change. Winner: Mustapha Ali
2. Rich Swann & Jack Gallagher vs. Noam Dar & Ariya Daivari
Noam Dar picks up the pin for his team, hitting a front kick on Swann and covering him for 3. That’s a big win for Dar. After the match Dar let Alicia Fox know that the victory was a gift for her. Then someone delivered a teddy bear for her and Dar claimed responsibility for that gift as well. He then said Alicia’s last name in a real funny manner. Winners: Dar and Daivari
3. 5-Way Elimination Match for Cruiserweight Title Shot at WrestleMania
Austin Aries vs. Tozawa vs. TJ Perkins vs. the Brian Kendrick vs. Tony Nese
This is the second time now that the #1 contender for the cruiserweight title has been determined via a multi-person elimination match. Last time Jack Gallagher won the match.
Order of eliminations: Tony Nese- eliminated by TJ Perkins Tozawa – eliminated by Brian Kendrick TJ Perkins- eliminated by Brian Kendrick Brian Kendrick – eliminated by Austin Aries
Not surprisingly it will be Austin Aries who goes on to WrestleMania to take on Neville for the cruiserweight championship. It will be Neville’s 3rd televised title defence. Winner: Austin Aries
NXT is returning to the United Kingdom in June for a series of shows that will run from June 5-11th. Here’s the tour schedule, with tickets going on sale Friday at 10 AM GMT.
6/5: Aberdeen’s GE Oil & Gas Arena
6/6: Manchester Arena
6/7: Leeds First Direct Arena
6/8: Brighton Centre
6/9-11: Download Fest 2017
It’s worth noting that Shinsuke Nakamura is conspicuously absent from the artwork hyping the upcoming UK tour.
WCPW General Manager Adam Blampied has announced a new match for the ‘Bulletproof’ event taking place on March 20th in Manchester. The ‘Magnificent Seven’ match will see seven competitors battle it out in an elimination style bout where the eventual winner will receive a Championship bout at a time of his choosing.
The lineup for the first ever M7 match is as follows:
Lucha and chill? Today’s the day: Seasons 1 and 2 of the El Rey Network’s hit series Lucha Underground have arrived on Netflix. To view Lucha Underground on Netflix, simply search for “Lucha Underground” or navigate to the TV Shows section.
As of late 2016, Netflix boasted over 93 million subscribers, so this presents an opportunity for Lucha Underground to reach a large new audience. If you haven’t seen Lucha Underground or want to catch up on all the action from the very beginning, here’s your first class ticket to the Temple:
Hulk Hogan will be in Orlando during WrestleMania weekend. The wrestling legend will be expanding his Hogan’s Beach Shop by opening a location in Orlando, FL. The grand opening is on March 30th, and Hogan will be in town doing autograph signings through April 4th.
Hogan has reportedly been in talks with WWE about how they can reconcile after his 2015 firing for the racial slurs on his leaked sex tape. Hogan successfully sued Gawker Media for publishing the sex tape, and reportedly received a settlement in December.
WrestleMania 33 takes place on April 2nd at the Camping World Stadium.
Discussion: Do you want to see Hulk Hogan make a surprise appearance at WrestleMania 33? Sound off with your opinions in the comments!
– 2017 WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was backstage at Tuesday’s SmackDown Live, which took place from his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Angle was on hand to film content for the upcoming “WWE 24” WWE Network special as well as material for social media.
– The Bella Twins’ official Youtube channel has published the following behind-the-scenes video from Brie Bella’s recent maternity photo shoot. Brie and her husband, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, are expecting their first child in the spring. They’re expecting a girl named Birdie Joe Danielson.
– Speaking of The Bella Twins, Nikki Bella took part in a photo shoot in Pittsburgh while she was in town for Tuesday’s SmackDown. She shares some images on Twitter from the shoot:
– David Otunga and Mauro Ranallo were both absent from this week’s SmackDown broadcast, leaving announcing duties to the duo of JBL and Tom Phillips. Otunga had the night off to film a movie, and Ranallo had travel complications due to the storm in the Northeastern United States. Otunga is believed to have been filming for either Days Like This or Sandy Wexley, both upcoming comedy films.
– After 205 Live went off the air on the WWE Network, the live audience in Pittsburgh, PA got to see a dark match main event. WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose came out to surprise the crowd and successfully defend his title against Baron Corbin. Ambrose didn’t appear on SmackDown this week in order to sell Corbin’s forklift attack last week.
– Former WWE star John Morrison, real name John Hennigan, stars alongside Quinton “Rampage” Jacksonin a new action comedy film coming soon to VOD and Walmart. Boone: The Bounty Hunter features Hennigan as the main character Boone, a fame-seeking reality show bounty hunter who gets in over his head. Below is the trailer for the movie, which was directed by Robert Kirbyson and produced by Hoplite Entertainment and Killon Street.
– WWE released the above video after SmackDown went off the air showing Shane McMahon leaving the arena on his own two feet. He was attacked by AJ Styles earlier in the night, and then announced at the very end of SmackDown that he would be facing Styles at WrestleMania in April. McMahon was accompanied out of the arena by Fit Finlay and Jamie Noble.
– 2017 WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was backstage at the PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Angle wasn’t booked to appear on SmackDown, and was reportedly just backstage at the arena to film material for a “fantasy warfare” feature WWE will be sharing on their social media pages.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote his “One Night with the Kliq” Q&A session during WrestleMania weekend, former WWE World Champion Shawn Michaels fielded several Kliq-related questions. One question asked of the WWE Hall of Famer was why The Undertaker never joined Michaels’ Kliq. The Undertaker instead was in a group of wrestlers called the The Bone Street Krew, with the likes of Yokozuna and The Godfather.
“Taker has always been a calm, cool, and collected guy. But the Kliq? We were loud and obnoxious,” Michaels told Sports Illustrated. “Taker was great friends with Kevin and Scott Hall. We’ve always got along, too, and clearly now we’re closer than ever, but ‘Taker had his own crew. He ran with Yoko and the Godwins and some other guys, and we hung out with them a bunch.”
Michaels says wrestlers riding together from town to town is an important part of building those friendships. He said the difference between his friendship with the Kliq members, and people like The Undertaker or John Cena, is they never rode together.
“We’ve always gotten along well, but we never rode up and down the road together. Scott and I have known each other since the ’80s in our days wrestling in Kansas City,” Michaels recalled. “I specifically asked to work with Kevin and wanted to have him on my side, so he comes in the door and started riding with me. Everyone knows the story with Hunter—he came in and knew that we weren’t well-liked, but he wanted to hang us with us anyway. Scott worked with Sean on his first night on Raw, and he sort of has that Curt Hennig gene in him. Curt always grabbed a young guy and said, ‘You’re jumping in the car with me,’ and that’s what Scott did with Sean.”
Michaels’ “One Night with the Kliq” Q&A session takes place on Saturday, April 1st. You can read Michaels’ full interview at SI.com.
– On Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown it was announced that The Miz and Maryse would face John Cena and Nikki Bella in a mixed tag match at WrestleMania. Following the announcement, WWE uploaded a video where The Miz called their issues with Cena & Bella a “real-life story.” The Miz said everything he and Maryse said on SmackDown was true, and feels SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan is biased in favor of Cena.
– Former WWE Champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently had a Twitter exchange with 2017 Warrior Award recipient Eric LeGrand. When asked, The Rock noted that he’s “trying” to get down to Orlando for WrestleMania 33 next month. Here’s what they had to say:
Going to be awesome. Hope to see you in Orlando in a few weeks
On Tuesday night, WWE confirmed three more matches for WrestleMania 33. As expected, AJ Styles will square off against SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and John Cena teams up with girlfriend Nikki Bella to face The Miz & Maryse.
On 205 Live, Austin Aries won a Fatal 5 Way elimination match to become the new #1 contender for Neville’s Cruiserweight championship.
With those matches set, here’s the updated card for WrestleMania 33:
– Goldberg defends the WWE Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar
– Bray Wyatt defends the WWE Championship against Randy Orton
– The Undertaker goes to war with Roman Reigns
– SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon battles AJ Styles
– John Cena teams with girlfriend Nikki Bella to face The Miz and wife Maryse
– Bayley defends the RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte and Sasha Banks
– Alexa Bliss defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship against every available woman on the SmackDown roster
– Chris Jericho defends the WWE United States Championship against Kevin Owens
– Gallows and Anderson defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against Enzo and Cass, Sheamus and Cesaro in a Triple Threat
– The 4th Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal with Mojo Rawley, Apollo Crews, Big Show and other Superstars to be announced
This week’s episode of WWE Smackdown kicked off with Daniel Bryan on the phone. AJ Styles immediately interrupted him and demanded to speak to with Shane McMahon. Daniel Bryan told him to calm down and Styles said that the next person to tell him to calm down he is going to slap in the face. Daniel Bryan revealed that Shane McMahon will be arriving later on in the evening. AJ Styles said that he heading down to the ring to tell the WWE Universe why he is so upset.
Styles stormed to the ring and grabbed a microphone. The crowd chanted “AJ Styles” as AJ stated that he is sick and tired of being messed with by Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon. Styles referred to himself as the greatest Superstar in the WWE and should have been given the main event at Wrestlemania 33. Styles once again complained about John Cena being given a match against him for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. Styles stated that he expected a rematch for the WWE Championship but was instead put in a Triple Threat match in which he wasn’t pinned. Styles then complained about having to wrestle in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. AJ stated that he won the Battle Royal and then defeated Luke Harper to get a title shot. Styles complained about Orton being rewarded for burning down Bray Wyatt’s house. Styles said that he was the best Superstar in 2016 and was the one that put Smackdown on the map. Styles became angry and shouted that he doesn’t even have a match at Wrestlemania. Styles called Daniel Bryan a puppet and said that he is going to have a conversation with Shane McMahon tonight about his career.
Becky started out the match in control and Natalya rolled to the ring apron to try to avoid her. Becky threw Natalya into the turnbuckle and Natalya once again rolled to the ring apron. Natalya then called for a timeout and the crowd booed her. Becky then connected with a slap to Natalya’s face and once again Natalya escaped to the ring apron. Becky applied a Crossface but Natalya reached the bottom rope and the hold was broken. Smackdown went to a commercial break with Natalya telling the crowd to “shut up” from outside the ring.
When Smackdown returned, Becky Lynch was still in control of the match. Natalya ran away to the outside of the ring and Becky chased after her. Natalya caught her and Body Slammed her on the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Natyala connected with a Dropkick to Lynch’s back. Natalya applied a Chinlock and told the referee to “shut up”. Natalya charged at Becky in the corner but Lynch moved out of the way and connected with a series of forearms to Natalya’s head. Becky then hit a couple of Clotheslines and connected with a kick that sent Natalya to the mat. Becky locked in the Dis-Arm-Her for the submission victory.
After the match, Carmella kicked both Natalya and Becky Lynch in the face and posed in the ring.
AJ Styles was shown waiting for Shane McMahon to show up in the parking lot.
Carmella was interviewed backstage. Carmella said that she is going to be the next Smackdown Women’s Champion and win the title at Wrestlemania.
The Miz and Maryse came down to the ring for a Miz TV segment. The Miz and Maryse then rolled footage of them ranting about Cena and Nikki Bella on Talking Smack. Maryse claimed that Nikki is jealous of Maryse because she has a wedding ring and Cena will never marry her. Maryse stated that Nikki Bella used to be her best friend until Nikki stabbed her in the back. Maryse said that Nikki talked Maryse out of appearing on the first season of Total Divas. Maryse said that Nikki told her to hold out for a better contract, but then Brie and Nikki took her spot on the show. Maryse accused Nikki of taking a contract and three and a half years of her life away. Maryse stated that she is going to make Nikki suffer and expose Nikki for the “lying backstabbing bitch” that she really is.
John Cena and Nikki Bella then ran to the ring and Maryse and The Miz left the ring. Nikki grabbed the microphone away from Cena and called Maryse crazy. Nikki claimed that she was never friends with Maryse. Nikki claimed that Maryse steals WWE fans’ money every single night because all she does is stand there by The Miz’s side. Nikki challenged Maryse to a fight. Smackdown GM Daniel Bryan then came down to the entrance ramp. Daniel Bryan stated that he really wants to punch The Miz in the face for stealing his moveset and cutting him off on Talking Smack. Daniel Bryan then announced that The Miz & Maryse will face John Cena & Nikki Bella at Wrestlemania 33.
The match started off back and forth. Alexa Bliss slammed Mickie’s head off the ring post and threw her to the floor outside the ring. Smackdown returned from a commercial break with Mickie in control of the match. Mickie connected with a Clothesline and a kick to Alexa’s jaw. Mickie landed a Fisherman’s Suplex for a two count. Alexa then knocked Mickie to the mat and connected with a few punches. Bliss then tossed Mickie by the hair across the ring. Bliss connected with a big right hand and Mickie fell to the mat. Mickie fought back and hit the Mick Kick for the pinfall victory.
AJ Styles ambushed Shane McMahon when he arrived in the parking lot. Styles slammed Shane into a car and hit him with several right hands. Styles then slammed Shane’s head through a car window and Shane started bleeding. Fit Finlay then showed up to break up the fight. Styles returned and kicked Shane in the head one more time.
Daniel Bryan confronted AJ Styles backstage and called him coward. Daniel Bryan then stated that Styles was fired and AJ was escorted out of the arena by security.
Dolph flicked Mojo in the face and taunted him right when the match started. Mojo then rubbed his chest and flicked his sweat or body oil onto Ziggler. It was very strange. Mojo then threw Ziggler out of the ring twice. Ziggler landed by JBL the second time and Dolph shouted at JBL. Mojo then threw Ziggler over the top rope for a third time and taunted Ziggler from the ring. Dolph then left and got counted out.
Randy Orton came down to the ring and cut a promo. Orton stated that he earned Wyatt’s trust and respect just so he could turn on him. Orton said he destroyed Sister Abigail because it is the one thing he loves in the world. Orton claimed that he heard Sister Abigail screaming as the house was on fire. Orton vowed to take everything from Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania 33. Bray Wyatt showed up on the titantron and claimed that Orton didn’t burn the soul of Sister Abigail. Wyatt claimed that Sister Abigail now lives through him. Wyatt then baptized himself in Sister Abigail’s ashes. Bray Wyatt then said to “follow the buzzards” and then screamed at the top of his lungs.
Bray Wyatt is breathing heavy and rubbing dirt on himself
Baron Corbin challenged Dean Ambrose to a match at Wrestlemania 33 for the Intercontinental Championship.
American Alpha vs The Usos
The match started out back and forth. Then 75% of the screen was taken up by a video of Shane McMahon walking in a hallway and Smackdown went to a commercial break. McMahon was apparently taken to the hospital. When Smackdown returned, The Usos were in control of the match. JBL then announced that Shane McMahon refused to go to the hospital. The Usos isolated Jason Jordan in the ring for the next few minutes. Gable got in the match and took out both Jimmy and Jey Uso. Jason Jordan was then tagged in and Jimmy Uso hit him with a Superkick. Chad Gable got his foot caught in the middle turnbuckle. Jey Uso then pinned Jordan.
Reaction: Tonight’s episode of Smackdown was a complete mess. AJ Styles cut a solid promo to kick off the show and then attacked Shane McMahon later in the evening. Smackdown then replayed the attack over and over again throughout the night. The Miz TV segment was entertaining. Maryse appeared to completely forget her lines and The Miz had to remind her of what she was supposed to say. Becky Lynch and Natalya had the best match of the night and it was completely forgettable.
Mickie James and Alexa Bliss had a very poor match. It was incredibly slow and the two seemed uncoordinated the entire time. Mojo Rawley is apparently ready for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal because he threw Ziggler out of the ring a few times. JBL made sure to say that 15 times. I’m guessing Dolph Ziggler will be a part of the Battle Royal as well, along with Apollo Crews (if that feud even exists anymore). There was finally an appearance by the Smackdown Tag Team Champions tonight. They were in the main event! Well, the main event was actually Shane McMahon walking around backstage while American Alpha and The Usos wrestled in the background. The WWE also had both the Smackdown Women’s Champion and the Smackdown Tag Team Champions lose tonight for no reason.
Then there was the promo between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. I don’t even know what to say about that promo. I’m all for interesting storylines and craziness in professional wrestling. Tonight’s promo was too ridiculous for me. I couldn’t help but laugh when Bray Wyatt was rubbing the ashes all over himself. Raw and Smackdown have two more episodes before Wrestlemania 33. Hopefully things drastically improve in the next two weeks. The Wrestlemania 33 card already looks underwhelming, the last thing Wrestlemania 33 needs is a bunch of subpar shows leading up to it.
What did you think of this week’s episode of Smackdown? Let us know in the comments below.
Jeff Hardy plays a former MMA fighter turned promoter in movie The Favorite, an inspirational true story currently in production. We had a chance to speak with Jeff on Tuesday and discussed him and Matt working for Ring of Honor, the latest on Anthem blocking the Hardy family from using the Broken Universe elsewhere, the possibility of returning to WWE, wanting to be World Champion again and more. Here are the highlights:
His involvement in the movie The Favorite:
Jeff: I was asked a few months ago if I’d be interested in doing this, the role of a retired MMA fighter and now a promoter. I just looked over the script and it’s very interesting. It’s based on a true event, this guy that had a close call with death. I was very moved by it, so I’m here for one day only to film. It should be fun.
Does he have any other acting roles scheduled?
Jeff: No, just a lot of wrestling. March has been crazy, we’re going to finish it out strong in Orlando for WrestleMania weekend, we’re on 3 shows. We’re doing a Ring of Honor show in Lakeland, Florida where we’re wrestling the Young Bucks in a ladder match, so that should be a show stealer. No more movie roles for a while, this is a one time deal for right now.
If he would consider focusing more on acting down the road:
Jeff: Yeah, possibly, if this goes well and naturally I can’t wrestle forever. If my music doesn’t succeed, maybe more acting gigs might work out.
Reports that he and Matt have signed short-term deals with Ring of Honor:
Jeff: We do, it’s a short term deal and it’s cool because we can still work the indies like we’ve been doing. We’ve really had a good time on the independent circut. We sell a lot of merchandise and take a lot of pictures with fans. It’s great to be your own boss and being able to do TV with Ring of Honor as well.
The latest on Impact Wrestling parent company Anthem blocking the Hardy family from using the Broken Universe elsewhere:
Jeff: It’s kind of in limbo right now. It’s just very heartbreaking. I gave 7 years of my life to Impact Wrestling and TNA and for them to hold this against us .. When they threatened to sue Ring of Honor .. What they said was a complete lie, that “they developed the Broken Universe” for us, which is so untrue. We did that all on our own. It started when I broke my leg in April of 2015. The positive outcome of [my accident] is that Broken Matt Hardy was born. Brother Nero was born as well. The stuff we did at our home, Final Deletion, was the highest rated show all year for Impact Wrestling and it was just 4 guys and a couple sound people. We did it all on our own and we totally developed the characters all on our own. For them to hold this against us like this is very sad and heartbreaking. But I think in the end, we’ll come out on top.
In late 2016 when TNA Wrestling’s future was uncertain and Dixie Carter, Billy Corgan and Anthem were fighting for control of the company, did he and Matt align themselves with any particular camp?
Jeff: Oh fore sure. If Billy was still the President and he owned the company, I’m pretty sure I’d still be there because I get along with Billy great. He is so open minded and he was out there when we filmed Delete or Decay and he was great. He had great ideas and he was out there all night until the sun came up. That said a lot to me so fore sure, if Billy owned the company I’m sure I’d still be under contract. I was excited, to continue to move forward, but oh well, it’s done now so I’m looking forward to future possibilities.
Returning to WWE, his desire to be World Champion again and wanting to bring the Broken Universe to WWE:
Jeff: I would love to introduce the Broken Universe to WWE eventually. I think it would be huge. As far as character driven or just a fresh vibe in in the pro wrestling world, yeah I think eventually I’m sure I’m going to jump back into the solo dimension and I’d love to be the world champion again. In my career in WWE, if it works out, the whole Hall of Fame and all that stuff. It started there and I’d like to end there. For now, I’m just having a blast doing the indies and I love the Broken Universe stuff with Matt, I think it’s the best thing he’s ever done. It’s just hard to keep a straight face around him at times, but he can be serious and make sense in a weird way, it’s just so fun. I hope it lasts as long as it can.
If he still follows the WWE product:
Jeff: I do, I just watched a little bit of RAW last night and saw Aries debut. I was very proud of him because we’ve had a lot of good matches back in the day and had a great feud. So I was glad to see that and i’m just now catching up with the whole Goldberg movement. He’s destroying everybody until Mania and that’s going to be something big between him and Brock. I tune in every now and then, but I’ve gotta be honest, I kind of miss those crowds. Hopefully I revisit them.
The March 14th, 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA at 8 PM ET on the USA Network.
– SmackDown kicks off with Daniel Bryan backstage on the phone, talking about a special MizTV segment, an appearance by Randy Orton, and a match between Mickie James and Alexa Bliss tonight. AJ Styles walks in and interrupts, saying he wants Shane right now. Bryan says Shane will arrive later, and AJ storms off saying all he’s thinking about is his career.
– AJ Styles comes out to the ring and cuts a promo about his intentions to have a conversation with Shane McMahon about his career in WWE. Styles ends the promo saying “if I even have [a career],” and throws down the microphone.
– Randy Orton is scheduled to address Bray Wyatt later tonight.
– Becky Lynch def. Natalya: Becky gets the advantage early on and takes control of the match. Becky hits Natalya with a stiff slap to the face then attempts an STF, but Natalya reaches the ropes. The action goes outside where Natalya hits a Michinoku Driver on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Natalya continues working on Becky until Becky fires up and comes back with a series of suplexes. The finish comes when Becky gets Natalya in the Dis-arm-her and Natalya taps out. After the match, Carmella beats down Becky.
– AJ Styles is shown in the loading area backstage waiting for Shane McMahon to arrive at the arena.
– We go to the ring for MizTV with The Miz and Maryse. The Miz highlights all of his issues with John Cena, showing footage from last week’s Talking Smack where Miz verbally ripped Cena apart. The Miz and Maryse say Cena will never get married to Nikki, and they say Cena and Nikki are both self-centered. Maryse talks about Nikki screwing her out of a WWE comeback years ago and being a “lieing, back-stabbing, bitch.” This brings out Cena and Nikki. They hit the ring, and Miz and Maryse back off up the ramp. Nikki says Maryse is the one who stabbed her in the back, and she’s a “brainless, spineless, blow-up doll.” Nikki tells Maryse to come to the ring so she can kick her ass, but The Miz declines on her behalf and they start walking off. Daniel Bryan interrupts and calls out The Miz for running his mouth then backing out. Daniel Bryan books The Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag match against John Cena and Nikki Bella.
– AJ Styles is still backstage anxiously waiting for Shane McMahon.
– Mickie James def. Alexa Bliss: This one is a non-title match. Alexa and Mickie are offensively evenly matched early on, until Alexa blocks a baseball slide kick and throws Mickie down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Mickie comes back with some kicks and a fisherman’s suplex for a two count. Alexa fires back with elbows to the face and keeps Mickie grounded until Mickie blocks a splash in the corner and hits a hurricanrana. Mickie hits some kicks and blocks a DDT attempt, but Alexa comes back with a forearm to the face. Alexa follows up with a double knee drop, but misses a moonsault. Mickie capitalizes with a spinning heel kick to the face for the win.
– AJ Styles is pacing around waiting for Shane, then Renee Young approaches to ask him what his intentions for Shane are. AJ says since he’s not invited to the “ultimate thrill ride” at WrestleMania, he’ll have to get his thrills where he can. We see Shane pull into the building in his rental car, and AJ immediately attacks him. AJ throws Shane all over the place and pummels on him. AJ then throws Shane head-first through the passenger window of a car. Fit Finlay comes running over and yells at AJ to get out of here. Finlay and others check on Shane, who his bleeding from his head. AJ leaves as Shane lays on the ground with blood coming from his head.
– After the commercial break, medics are checking on Shane McMahon with blood on his head. The medics help walk him over to the trainer to look at him. We see AJ Styles in a locker room getting his gear, where The Usos tell AJ he’s crazy and is going to get fired. Daniel Bryan approaches AJ and says he’s a coward and he lost respect for him for what he did to Shane. AJ asks Bryan if he’s going to fire him, and Bryan says “you’re damn right I am,” and has security escort AJ from the arena.
– Mojo Rawley def. Dolph Ziggler: Mojo throws Ziggler out of the ring over the top rope twice early on, and Ziggler gets frustrated and starts yelling at JBL. After some more back-and-forth action in the ring, Mojo throws Ziggler out over the top rope again, and JBL points out that if it were the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Ziggler would have been eliminated three times now. Ziggler walks backstage and allows the referee to count him out.
– We get a replay of AJ Styles beating down Shane McMahon where we’re shown a camera angle from inside the car.
– Randy Orton comes out to the ring to address Bray Wyatt, and he explains devising his plan to get close to Bray and then destroy him. Orton says Wyatt is powerless when he’s alone, and he’s going to take the World Title at WrestleMania. Bray Wyatt shows up on the big screen and informs Orton that he hasn’t burned the soul of Sister Abigail, because she’s the spawn of Satan and was forged in Hell. Wyatt says she has bestowed her power on him, and now he’s the all-known lord of lords whose duty is to “purge the infidels.” Wyatt starts rubbing ashes on his face and laughing as the segment ends.
– Baron Corbin gives a brief interview where he says he’s still not done with Dean Ambrose yet after crushing him under a forklift last week.
– Backstage we see Fit Finlay and someone else walking with Shane McMahon and telling Shane he should go to the hospital. Shane still looks beat up from AJ’s assault.
– The Usos def. American Alpha: American Alpha controls things in the opening minutes with dropkicks and front face locks on The Usos. The Usos finally come back when Jimmy hits a backbreaker on Jordan, and Jey comes off the top with a leg drop for the double team. The Usos continue working on Jordan to try and keep him grounded and away from Gable. Gable finally gets the hot tag and cleans house. Gable hits a series of German suplexes on Jey, then a belly to belly overhead on Jimmy. Jordan follows up with another German suplex on Jey for a two count. Jordan tags in and they go for the Doomsday Device on Jey, but Jimmy pushes Gable off the top rope. Jimmy superkicks Jordan, who had Jey on his shoulders. Jey pins Jordan for the win immediately after.
– We go backstage again where we see Shane being walked to the exit by Finlay, but then Shane turns around and heads back into the arena. We see Shane walk into a production area where he grabs a microphone from a table, where Arn Anderson is sitting. Shane heads out through the curtain onto the stage in front of the crowd, and tells AJ he’s got an opponent for WrestleMania now: Shane-o Mac.
We’re just weeks away from WrestleMania 33, but Jim Ross is already thinking ahead to what match could headline next year’s event. In his latest blog, JR suggests that Brock Lesnar capture the Universal Championship from Goldberg and hold the title for an entire year before defending against Roman Reigns. The two squared off in the main event of WrestleMania 31 and Ross thinks that’s the direction WWE is headed.
“What would you think about Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Title against Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania in NOLA in 2018? That seems to be the direction,” he said.” I like it as it would give Lesnar a one year run as champ which also would necessitate Lesnar working a few more dates on his last year of his current contract. Seems logical to me. Lesnar could defend the title monthly, if required, quite easily on an enhanced albeit manageable schedule.”
JR also commented on the WWE release of his fellow Oklahoman, Jack Swagger.
“The former Oklahoma Sooner All American Wrestler won’t have any issues getting booked. Seems like it would be strategic for Impact Wrestling would jump on the former WWE Champion when he’s legally able to appear on their TV. Swagger would also be a great addition to the NJPW roster or perhaps even ROH. I wish the former Sooner nothing but the best.”
Head over to JRsBarBQ.com for details on Jim Ross’ WrestleMania 33 weekend events.
WWE WrestleMania 34 takes place on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
PROGRESS have announced the final matches for their Chapter 45 event: ‘Galvanize.’ The show takes place this Sunday at the O2 Ritz in Manchester and will be available on demand within the week.
Zack Gibson vs El Ligero
The ‘Origin’ stable continues to implode as ‘Liverpool’s Number 1’ Zack Gibson challenges El Ligero. After his impressive win against Nathan Cruz the ‘Lucha Otter’ El Ligero looks to re-establish himself in the PROGRESS singles scene and a win against one of the company’s most impressive talents (in Gibson) would certainly go a long way towards gaining an eventual PROGRESS title shot.
Two of the world’s premier high-flyers collide when NJPW star Will Ospreay takes on WWE UK Division competitor Mark Andrews. Ospreay has not stepped foot in a PROGRESS ring since his beatdown of Jimmy Havoc and reformation of the Swords of Essex with Paul Robinson so expect his reception in Manchester to be extremely hostile. Andrews has a PROGRESS championship match in his future after winning the Thunderb*stard match so this one could go either way.
Reby Hardy is thanking fans for the “tremendous” outpouring of support for the Hardy family following their departure from Impact Wrestling. You’ve probably seen Reby Hardy’s Twitter rants over the past week, a reaction to Anthem attempting to block Matt Hardy from using his “Broken Universe” outside of Impact Wrestling.
Anthem is accused of sending cease and desist letters to Ring of Honor and various cable providers who carried last week’s ROH 15th Anniversary PPV featuring Matt and Jeff. In response to the fan support, Reby Hardy unveiled a new t-shirt on sale at Matt Hardy’s official online store.
WrestleMania weekend is fast approaching and one of the highlights of Mania weekend over the past several years has been WaleMania, hosted by MLW Radio. MLW announced full details for this year’s WaleMania III, which takes place Thursday, March 30th from the Tier Nightclub in Orlando. For the 7th consecutive year, SEScoops will be on hand for WrestleMania weekend and we’ll be attending WaleMania this year. If you’re going to WrestleMania, come party with us at WaleMania.
This year, MLW Radio is teaming up with New Japan Pro Wrestling, with a guest list that includes Jim Ross, Ricochet, Will Ospreay, MVP, Dave Meltzer, Conrad Thompson and more. Tickets are still available.
Here’s the official press release:
MLW RADIO AND NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING TEAM UP FOR WALEMANIA III ON THURSDAY MARCH 30
New Japan Pro-Wrestling is bringing two of their top Junior Heavyweights, Ricochet and Will Ospreay, as well as the Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa to WaleMania III. Golden and Platinum tickets include exclusive access to a meet and greet with the four New Japan stars.
But that’s not all! The New Japan crew will also sit in with Court Bauer and Mister Saint Laurent as part of a live MLW Radio podcast for all ticket holders! They will discuss all things New Japan including the upcoming American expansion PLUS there will also be a fan Q&A as part of the podcast!
Scheduled to appear on the live MLW Radio podcast:
NJPW’s Ricochet
NJPW’s Will Ospreay
NJPW’s Tama Tonga
NJPW’s Tanga Loa
NJPW AXS Announcer Jim Ross
Wale
MVP
Dave Meltzer
Conrad Thompson
Alex Greenfield
Ed Ferrara
Marty DeRosa
Sarah Shockey
More to be announced soon!
After the live MLW Radio podcast ends, there will be a Vegas style after party featuring DJ Jamie Iovine spinning! Then, the main event of the after party: WALE will perform! It’s the wildest night of the weekend and you won’t want to miss it!
Bottle service is available for the after party.
WALEMANIA III SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MARCH 30:
6:30pm – 8:30pm Golden & Platinum Cocktail Party Meet & Greet with NJPW’s Ricochet, Will Ospreay and the Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa Golden & Platinum ticket holders ONLY
9pm – 11pm MLW Radio LIVE Featuring: Court Bauer, MSL, Jim Ross, Dave Meltzer, Wale, MVP, Ricochet, Will Ospreay, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Alex Greenfield, Conrad Thompson, Ed Ferrara and more! This includes a Fan Q & A. ALL ticket holders (Golden, Platinum, GA)
11pm – Closing: After Party & Wale Performance Wale performs! Vegas Style After Party with wrestling luminaries and DJ Jamie Iovine! ALL ticket holders (Golden, Platinum, GA & After Dark)
Tickets start at just $15 and are on sale now at https://mlw.com/ and https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walemania-iii-tickets-21257499754
Golden Ticket – LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Tickets are very limited! A seat in the skybox area on the 2nd floor overlooking the stage. You will have EARLY access at 6:30pm for the pre-show meet and greet event with NJPW’s Ricochet, Will Ospreay and the Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa. Your ticket also gives you access to the live MLW Radio podcast and to the after party with a special live performance by Wale. Additionally, Golden ticket holders will enjoy Hors-d’oeuvres during the Cocktail Party meet and greet event. We encourage Golden ticket holders to arrive a little earlier due to long lines. Doors open for Golden Ticket holders at 6:30pm.
General Admission Ticket
General Admission ticket holders will see the live MLW Radio podcast and can participate in the Q & A. This is STANDING ROOM ONLY ticket. This ticket also gives you access to the After Party with MLW Radio personalities and special guests featuring a live performance by Wale. NOTE: We recommend General Admission ticket holders arrive at 8:40pm.
Platinum Tickets – SOLD OUT!
Platinum tickets includes early entry to the venue with a Pre-Show Cocktail Hour with a special meet and greet with NJPW’s Ricochet, Will Ospreay and the Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa. Platinum ticket holders are guaranteed seats for the live MLW Radio podcast featuring a fan Q & A and access to the After Party with MLW Radio personalities and special guests – plus a live performance by Wale. NOTE: We recommend Platinum ticket holders arrive 6:45pm or earlier due to long lines for special access to Platinum only pre-show meet & greet and cocktail hour.
For more information on the event, visit https://mlw.com/.
Dress code: TIER Nightclub is upscale but casual, classy and fashion forward. They do not permit hats, sports jerseys, tank tops or shorts on men, work boots, sandals or athletic wear of any kind. The dress code is at management’s discretion.
Parking: Street parking is available on most surrounding streets. Nearby garages and lots vary between $5-$10 on most nights. TIER Nightclub does not have Valet.
MORE ABOUT THE EVENT:
WaleMania, created by Wale and Court Bauer, is a concept that blends the pro wrestling experience with an electric weekend of fan interaction, music, partying and memories that will last a lifetime. Its first year, WaleMania was the biggest, craziest party in San Jose featuring an MLW Radio live podcast with Rey Mysterio, several surprises and a Vegas style after party. The evening was capped off by Wale taking the party to the next level with a live performance. WaleMania 2 sold out weeks in advance with VIP tickets selling out in less than two hours.
A who’s who from wrestling and hip hop will come out to kick off the weekend in grand fashion so expect WaleMania III to super-size this event at the trendiest night club in Orlando: Tier Nightclub! More information is available at: https://mlw.com/.
Wale is a Grammy nominated artist, with his hit 2015 album, The Album About Nothing going to #1 on the Billboard 200. Shine, his new and much anticipated album is expected to drop in 2017.
MLW Radio Network features podcasts from the likes of Bruce Prichard, MVP, Court Bauer, Kevin Sullivan, Mister Saint Laurent, Jim Cornette, ex-head WWE writer Alex Greenfield, the Voice of WCW Tony Schiavone, Eric Bischoff, wrestling historian Matt Farmer and many others. Visit www.MLWRadio.com to learn more and listen to shows.
Don’t miss a legendary weekend of rap and ‘rasslin. Join Wale, MLW Radio and friends and celebrate wrestling with the hottest events of the weekend!
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated and spoke about his experience working with Kurt Angle. The two squared off at WrestleMania 21 in a ‘dream match’ that is still talked about to this day. Ahead of Angle’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction in less than two weeks, Michaels reveals Angle was the only opponent he ever faced that he felt he had to specifically train for.
“There was never even a possibility that someone could have more gas in the tank than me, but Kurt was different,” Michaels admitted. “I confessed to myself that Kurt was that guy, and I knew that match had to live up to extremely high standards, so I made sure I prepared extra. Kurt was the one guy I wondered if he could actually blow me up, so I had to work to make sure that didn’t happen.”
Michaels says he and Kurt Angle were on different brands at the time and their matches were usually ‘special attraction’ affairs, since they didn’t work long programs together. He says no matter what Kurt Angle did ‘in other places’ over the past decade, he’s a WWE guy and his best matches were on the WWE stage.
“I’m so amazed that he could go from this gold-winning Olympian and transition so flawlessly into our line of work. Nothing was out of the ballpark for him. He could wrestle, he could be silly, he could out-wrestle guys. Kurt adapted to the world of the WWE unlike anybody with his unbelievably legitimate credentials behind him.”
AJ Styles appears to be on a WrestleMania collision course with SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon, but one person who is not a fan of this matchup is Corey Graves. During Monday night’s Bring it to the Table episode, no topic was off limits – including WWE booking.
In particular, Graves said, “The prospect of AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon does absolutely nothing for me.”
The comments by Graves echo the sentiment from many WWE fans who worry that a match with Shane McMahon will not provide the excitement that an AJ Styles WM match with another opponent would. Graves continued that what fans remember about Shane McMahon matches are one big spot, such as diving off the Hell in a Cell, whereas AJ Styles is more about complete match.
“AJ Styles is an artist, he can give you a full bell-to-bell experience,” Graves added.
Graves’ comments continue a noticeable trend of superstars coming out of character and making honest comments about the company on shows like Talking Smack and Bring it to the Table.
Daniel Bryan hinted on a recent episode of Talking Smack that when his contract is up in 18 months he may be leaving the company in order to go somewhere which will allow him to wrestle. Whether such comments are being encouraged or if Daniel Bryan and/or Corey Graves are taking a risk by pushing the envelope on their own is currently not known.
Last night on the debut edition of “New Day Talks” it was announced that Big Show is officially entered into the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania. On commentary they played up how Big Show will have the opportunity to become the first man to win the match twice.
The inclusion of Big Show into the Andre the Giant Battle Royal should fully confirm that his match with Shaq at WrestleMania has been called off.
The seed of a potential Shaq vs. Big Show match was planted at last year’s WrestleMania when Shaq was a surprise entrant in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. This last month Big Show has been posting several videos and photos of himself getting into tremendous physical shape and taunting Shaq about a potential match.
Earlier this month ominous statements from both Shaq and Big Show seemed to indicate the match was not going to take place however, and neither side appeared too happy about it. Big Show has commented that Shaq is out of shape, which may indicate WWE doctors would not clear him to take part in the match, though that is just speculation.
The New Japan Cup continues this week with four shows. Each show will have one tournament match leading into the semi-finals and finals on the 19th and 20th.
During Monday night’s “Bring It To The Table” event, WWE broadcaster Corey Graves presented a preview clip of his recent sit-down interview with Kurt Angle. Angle spoke about returning home to the WWE family and addressed his legacy. Angle says he still wants to be considered the greatest of all time and does not want people saying, “He could have been the greatest if he would have just stayed out of trouble.”
It was also revealed that Angle will be the subject of a new WWE 24 documentary special. It’s unknown at this point if the Kurt Angle WWE 24 will air before WrestleMania, or if they’ll wait until afterwards to include footage of his Hall of Fame induction.
Here is a clip from Kurt Angle’s first appearance on WWE television in 11 years including his reunion with Vince McMahon.
