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DDP Interview: Who He Wants To Induct Him, Jake Roberts & Scott Hall, His Legacy

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2017 WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page was a guest on the Ring Rust Radio show this week. Here are some highlights of the interview, sent in by host Donald Wood:

Who he wants to induct him and how much say he has in his inductee:

“It’s so funny because I have experience with this because I inducted Jake. It’s like who else was going to induct him besides me? Of course, they are going to ask me. So, I just think it’s done. Then about a month later, I get the call from Mark Carano and he tells me he has great news and they want me to induct Jake. It hit me like a slap in the face. I thought, oh that’s right, it’s their TV. No one gets up and gets 10-plus minutes to talk on their TV unless they really want you on their TV. I realized Jake really didn’t have a choice here. Jake did the same thing I did, I gave them a short list.

There are four guys that are on that list and they are going to pick who they want. Again, it’s their TV and anyone of those four guys as far as I’m concerned could be in that spot. Two of them were the names you just mentioned. It was just such a honor to induct Jake. It was on my 58th birthday and I got to induct Jake. People used to say to us before we got that spot, “Dude when is Jake’s movie coming out?” I would say I don’t know, when is Jake going to be in the Hall of Fame?  There was no other way for the movie to end. It was awesome being in the CAC, Cauliflower Alley Club, and I’m in there too so it was awesome. There’s the WWE, there are 147 guys in there, and think about how many wrestlers there have been? There have been thousands and thousands of wrestlers and 147 of them are in there. There are still guys that I know that should be in there and hopefully they’ll get that opportunity too.”

Joining DDP Yoga students Jake Roberts & Scott Hall in the Hall of Fame:

“It’s a huge honor. Once I got done with my career, I knew in my soul that I don’t have any negative thoughts about myself. I just don’t because I know you say you can and you say can’t, you are right. I try to keep my mind full of really positive stuff. In my mind, I always felt like I was worthy. I really felt like with my career and just the way I did it, it was Hall of Fame worthy. It doesn’t make me feel any less humble. I’m super honored to be a part of this crew, and the first one to call me was Booker T when he heard. Booker T and I have been up and down the road together, and it was really awesome to hear it from him and he said welcome to the club brother.”

As he thinks about writing his Hall of Fame speech, are there any specific people or moments from the business that immediately jump to mind that he’s excited to share with fans?

“I have to finish that because I always say without Dusty Rhodes there is no Diamond Dallas Page. Certainly, without Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, there is no three-time world champion. There is no WWE Hall of Famer. It just never happens. There are little things that have happened. Man, if you knew how hard I worked on this. I finally got it, I don’t want to be too long, but I just can’t be too short. I have a story to tell and I want to thank a lot of people. It goes right down to my first break. I’m so happy that when I got the call in October, I’ve had four months and I literally just finished it. It’s not done, but the outline is done. You can tell I am a long storyteller. You can’t be a long storyteller and get all your stuff in.

I’m not sitting in Kurt Angle’s spot where I have an hour to get all my stuff in because I am the main event. Kurt deserves that spot as far as I’m concerned. He was unbelievable and I’m super honored to be in the same class as him. Guys like Teddy Long. I know Teddy’s whole career. Teddy was a trailblazer in a big way. So, to have him and the Rock ‘n Roll express. Beth Phoenix too who I love. I texted her and said the first family of Hall of Fame. I put that out there and that was the biggest retweets I ever got. I just thought like wow, they are the first two who are husband and wife and are Hall of Famer’s. Those two people Adam and Beth, are the two nicest people you have ever met. I was super happy that she’s in there. The outer rumblings, I haven’t heard for sure, but I’m surely hoping that Rick Rude is on that list. I spent some time with Rude and he was an awesome man.

When would people say, DDP how do you feel that you not in the Hall of Fame? I used to say well let me see, Jake Roberts isn’t in there, Randy Macho Man Savage isn’t in there, Michael PS Hayes isn’t in there, to be perfectly honest bro, until those boys are in whom I to say anything? When those guys are in then hopefully it’ll be my turn and then boom. There some the people never heard and they’re going to be out there. That’s why it’s so important the way I structure this. The people that gave me just a little bit more like Dusty. Dusty was so pivotal to me. He had a way of making me believe in me and nobody believes in me more than me. It wasn’t when I was wrestling, it’s when I was the character Diamond Dallas Page. When he passed, and I know this cause he said it to my face, but he also said it to Cody. “I’ve got five friends in this world that I really can call my friends and I can count them on my hand, Dallas is one of them.” I knew it because he said it to me, but for Cody to say it at his memorial was strong. That’s going to be really tough for me to talk about that. I hopefully in some way get semi-numb to it, but I don’t think that’s possible.

I remember inducting Jake to the CAC, but I remember you get hit with that like boom, in the middle of your heart. I wasn’t expecting this and I’ll tell you who I really saw get hit by it was maybe one of her biggest talkers in the business was Larry Zbyszko. Larry went up there halfheartedly like thanks for this, thanks for that, because Larry is maybe the best talker ever, top 10 in the business. For guys who can just turn it on and kill it, Larry was as good as it gets as far as I’m concerned. He got overwhelmed up there and I’m expecting to. I have spoken in front of 20,000 people and I know before I walk up on that stage I will be saying over and over again that this is can be the best thing I’ve ever done, this is going to be amazing. I’m going to move people to action and I’m going to inspire somebody out there to believe in themselves. That’s the kind of shit that can be going through my head.”

DDP is known for so many things: the Diamond Cutter, his rise to the top of WCW during its hottest period, DDP Yoga and more.  What’s the one lasting legacy he hopes to leave in the wrestling business?

“Anything’s possible. I am the proof. I’ll give you what I wrote on the inside of my ring. I didn’t know you put an inscription in there. When Sue asked me what I wanted to be in there, I said let me think about it. Then it just hit me. I put “Work ethic = dreams! DDP.” That to me is that no one gets a free ride. You have to work for it and it doesn’t get handed to you. It may seem like it did because people see you getting this big push at that time, but they don’t really know how hard it took you to get there.

Even someone like Goldberg who came in and got this huge push. Goldberg worked for eons on the football gridiron. This son of a gun, he worked his ass off and then he worked his ass off to be as good as he could be in the ring and he had that something special. Now everyone’s given the chance to see it again at 49 and they are not exposing him in any way. He’s going to have to deliver at WrestleMania and I believe he will. I believe he will go out there at 49 years old and be out there with The Beast. I wouldn’t want to be out there with him. Brock thinks this is real, you know? I wouldn’t want to be out there with The Beast, but if anybody can go with him and just the way Brock does business, I’m so proud of him. He gets it because it’s a business, it is entertainment.  He is going out there to deliver those promos and it’s nice for the WCW fan this is a little bit of payback. Like, push one of our guys right now, really push him. Goldberg came in and as far as I’m concerned, he got what he deserved, hell of a push.”

Impact Wrestling Preview: Alberto El Patron & Bruce Prichard, Opening Video Package

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The new era of Impact Wrestling kicks off tonight on Pop TV. The name “TNA” is officially dead. Dixie Carter is out, Jeff Jarrett is back and there’s a new booking committee in place. For all the reboots we’ve seen from Impact Wrestling over the years, this one is the most significant and yields the greatest opportunity for real change. If you gave up on Impact Wrestling, you should watch tonight to see the early stages of this new direction.

Impact is advertising the following items for tonight:

  • The debut of Alberto El Patron
  • TNA Champion Bobby Lashley will be in action
  • The debut of Rachel Ellering. She’ll face Sienna
  • A shakeup of the Impact Wrestling announce team
  • DCC vs. Reno Scum
  • Braxton Sutter vs. DJ Z vs. Caleb Konely vs. Marshe Rockett

We’ll also see the return of Bruce Prichard. You can see full spoiler results from the tapings here.

Ahead of tonight’s show, Impact Wrestling has released the opening segment looking at the promotion’s former “TNA” years.

In related news, Impact Wrestling is running a social media promotion where fans can vote to name the Anthem Owl. Tweet #AnthemOwl with your suggestions. We vote for “Dixie.”

Bobby Roode Interview: Being A Veteran In NXT, Who He Wants To Work With

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Reigning NXT World Champion Bobby Roode recently spoke with Planeta Wrestling about his time with the NXT brand. Here are some highlights of what the ‘glorious’ one said about:

Passing on veteran knowledge to NXT’s roster:

“It’s nice to have experience on my side, and there are guys and girls that ask for my opinion, to watch their matches and help them with certain things, which is kind of mind blowing and really cool at the same time because I never thought I’d be in that position. I love to help others and I really love the business itself and whenever I can lend a hand or help anyone out with something in their matches or characters, I love doing that kind of stuff. Whenever I started I would go to any guy, and like I said earlier, you never stop learning in this business.

I’m still learning, I’m not saying I’m an expert. There’s always things to improve on, there’s always things to learn. It’s king of like a domino affect, there are so many guys I can come up to that have had the experience before me that I can learn from. Of course I can bring like almost 20 years experience to NXT and help some of these younger guys who are like six months, a year, two years into the business and try to get them rolling. It’s a very unique company and fun place to be.”

Comparing the different wrestling crowds he’s worked with across the world:

“They’re very similar but the only thing I can say is that the fans here in North America see us a lot. For instance, we have shows in Cleveland, Columbus, we always have Ohio. We’re in the United States and there are a lot of people that can – in a 300 to 400 mile radius that could drive and see us if they wanted to. When we go to places like the UK, it’s a once a year thing. So the fans are that much louder and excited when we go to these places. And I know the guys and the girls always look forward to going on these tours because they’re a lot of fun. You get to see a lot of the world and get to perform. One of the best things for me was the recent trip to Australia, I live in Canada so in December it was the dead of Winter, flying to Australia I’m wearing shorts in 85 degree weather. So that was the funnest part for me.”

Who he expects to work with after his feud with Shinsuke Nakamura:

“We’ll see what happens, there are guys and everyone gets an opportunity. There’s a lot of talent that are scratching, clawing, and trying to get into the main event. Kassius is a guy that has come back to the company and has one goal in mind and that’s to be the champion, he never got a chance to do that with NXT before so I’m sure he’ll be gunning for me. Guys like Roderick Strong, Hideo Itami, who knows? Tye Dillinger is still there. I think he has some unfinished business with me as well. There’s a lot of guys that can step up and go with me and challenge me at any time so I can’t really narrow it down to one particular guy.”

Anthem’s “Fight Network” Undergoing Layoffs

Chris Stephens
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The new owners of Impact Wrestling are “heavily downsizing” employees and scaling back on original content at the Fight Network. Anthem Sports and Entertainment swooped in (like an owl) to save Impact from the brink of bankruptcy. The Fight Network, another Anthem subsidiary, airs Impact Wrestling in Canada and to its app subscribers worldwide.

Fight analyst Robin Black, recently posted on his Facebook page about being laid off from the company. The concerning parts of Black’s post is the mention of heavy downsizing and scaling back on original content. This is just speculation, but Anthem’s large investment in Impact could be the cause for downsizing in other areas of their business.

More information will be available when it is known what other areas of Anthem’s programming is being scaled back as well.

Kairi Hojo Reportedly Signs With WWE

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Japanese wrestler Kairi Hojo (Kaori Housako) has reportedly signed a 3-year deal with WWE, according to the Wrestling Observer.

Kairi wrestles for the Japan’s World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion. She’s a one-time World of Stardom Champion, three-time Goddess of Stardom Champion and a three-time Artist of Stardom Champion.

Earlier this year it was rumored that Kairi and fellow STARDOM star Io Shirai were offered WWE contracts. Io Shirai is still expected to be WWE bound and will be in the United States during WrestleMania weekend.

Matt Hardy Threatens To DELETE Vince McMahon (Video)

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TMZ has published a new video of Matt Hardy, who rarely (if ever) appears out of character these days. Broken Matt addressed his signing with the “Honourable Ring” (ROH) and how he feels about his former employer, Vince McMahon.

Broken Matt Hardy and Brother Nero to WWE

Hardy claims that he asked ROH for double what the Young Bucks were making (probably not true) and has been in contact with every promoter from every major promotion in the world. The length of Matt and Jeff’s ROH contracts is unknown at this time and it’sstill possible to see them in WWE in the not too distant future.

Hardy says that he has Vanguard-1 monitoring WWE at all times, but also mentions he’s willing to DELETE Vince McMahon should he ever need to.

William Regal Announces 2 NXT Title Matches for Takeover: Orlando

Chris Stephens
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Last night on NXT, William Regal confirmed the participants for the women’s championship match at Takeover: Orlando, and who will be the challenger for the NXT championship.

Ember Moon vs. Asuka

Asuka has been NXT women’s championship for over 14 months, and has successfully defended the title on NXT television or PPV on 6 occasions. She’s never been defeated in NXT, though she did once enter a battle royal that she didn’t win.

Ember Moon has never been defeated in a singles match in NXT. She lost a triple threat match (wasn’t pinned) and was on the losing end of a tag match before, but Moon has never been pinned or submitted on NXT television. It will be the two most protected women wrestlers on the roster that will meet for the title at Takeover.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ohno/Roode

Last night on NXT, William Regal also announced that the winner of next week’s title match between Kassius Ohno and Bobby Roode at Takeover: Orlando will defend the title against Nakamura at Takeover: Orlando. Ohno and Roode have been building up a short feud which has spanned the last couple of weeks.

The interesting part of NXT title matches is that it is generally the loser who gets called up to the main roster. If Nakamura is to lose at Takeover, it perhaps opens the door for him to debut on Raw or Smackdown after WrestleMania.

NXT Highlights and Results

Chris Stephens
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NXT
University of Central Florida
Air date: March 9th 2017
Taped: February 22nd 2017

1. Tye Dellinger vs. Eric Young
This match ended up a no-contest as the other members of Sanity appeared on the entrance ramp before the match could start and presented a beaten up Roderick Strong. Dillinger went to help Strong, then No Way Jose came out and the two of them tried to take on Sanity. Jose and Tye were outnumbered though and Sanity left everyone laying.
Result: No Contest

2. Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. HoHo Lun
Standard squash match for the much more serious Almas.
Winner: Almas

3. Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay
Kay’s tag partner, Peyton Royce, lost a recent title match to Asuka, but this was a chance for her to get into the title picture. Moon won with a diving stunner from the top rope. Billie Kay needed to be helped to the back. Later in the show Regal would announce that Ember Moon would face Asuka for the NXT women’s championship at Takeover: Orlando
Winner: Ember Moon

4. the Revival vs. the Ealy Brothers
It looked like we were going to get a new tag team in the division, but before the match could start the Authors of Pain came out and beat up the Ealys during their entrance. Revival just kind of left.
Result: No contest

5. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. TJ Perkins
Perkins got a surprising amount of offence in this match. He worked the leg quite a bit as Nakamura is just coming back from a storyline leg injury. Perkins had him locked in many submissions but Nakamura always managed to get to the ropes or counter. Eventually Nakamura hit him with the Kinshasa for the pin. After the match Regal announced that at Takeover Nakamura would face the winner of the Kasius Ohno vs. Bobby Roode title match scheduled for next week.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

 

WCPW Bulletproof Event Moving to Bigger Venue, More Tickets Now On Sale

Jake Skudder
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WCPW have announced that their Bullet Club themed March 20th event ‘Bulletproof’ will now be moving to a larger room in the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester. The venue change has prompted the company to release more tickets for sale in what promises to be a star-studded event. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite now: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wcpw-manchester-march-20th-live-wrestling-tickets-31029100876.

The announced performers and matches for the event are as follows:

  • WCPW World Title Match – DREW GALLOWAY vs TBC
  • Ring of Honor World Title Match – ADAM COLE vs ZACK SABRE JR
  • WCPW Women’s Title Match – BEA PRIESTLEY vs TBC
  • WCPW Internet Title Match – CODY RHODES vs TBC
  • WCPW Tag Team Title Match – SWORDS OF ESSEX (Will Ospreay/Scott Wainwright) vs TBC

Plus…

  • The Young Bucks
  • Ricochet
  • Matt Riddle
  • Marty Scurll
  • Martin Kirby
  • Joe Hendry
  • Joe Coffey
  • BT Gunn
  • Travis Banks
  • Rampage
  • Grado
  • Doug Williams
  • Gabriel Kidd

 

Update: Jack Swagger Pulled from UK Indie Booking

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It was previously announced by UK Independent promotion World Association of Wrestling (WAW) that Jack Swagger would be making his first post-WWE appearance this Saturday as part of their WAW TV tapings in Norwich, UK against Alberto Del Rio/El Patron.

WWE recently released a statement confirming that Swagger was in fact still contracted to the company and had not been granted his release.

In a final twist Swagger has now been pulled from this weekend’s tapings and has been replaced by former WWE star Chris Masters.

WWE SmackDown Viewership Up With Orton vs. Styles, Top 10 Moments

Scott Lazara
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This week’s WWE SmackDown drew 2.738 million viewers, up from last week’s 2.566 million viewers.

The show featured Randy Orton defeating AJ Styles to become the #1 contender to WWE Champion Bray Wyatt in the main event.

SmackDown was #5 in viewership and #1 in the 18-49 demographic on cable this week.

By comparison, this week’s RAW drew 3.216 million viewers.

You can watch this week’s SmackDown Top 10 moments above.

205 Live Highlights and Results

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205 Live
Indianapolis, Indiana
March 7th 2017

Austin Aries started the show off by interviewing himself.

1. Rich Swann and Jack Gallagher vs. Noam Dar and Davairi
Both Swann and Gallagher lost to Neville this week, so they each get their win back here. Swann pinned Noam Dar.
Winners: Swann and Gallagher (Swann pinned Dar)
***After the match someone delivered chocolates to Alicia Fox again. Dar tried to play it off like he sent them again as well.

2. Akira Tozawa vs. A Bryan Kendrick
The Brian Kendrick announced before the match that Tozawa’s next lesson was to always read the fine print. It seems Tozawa signed a contract to face “A Brian Kendrick” and not “The” Brian Kendrick. So a bearded Kendrick came out and lost to Tozawa via german suplex.
Winner: Tozawa

3. Austin Aries vs. Tony Nese
Austin Aries with a triumphant return to competition. So it looks like we will be getting Aries vs Neville at WrestleMania.
Winner: Austin Aries

Giant WWE Championship In Orlando (Photo), Official WrestleMania 33 Poster

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Here is the official promotional artwork for WrestleMania 33, which takes place on Sunday, April 2nd from the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

C6bJ0QWUsAAwRzR

On Wednesday, a giant WWE Championship statue was unveiled at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. NXT stars Shinsuke Nakamura, No Way Jose, Peyton Royce and Mandy Rose were on hand for the big unveiling. For the 65,000+ fans expected to be in town for WrestleMania, this statue makes for one hell of a tourist attraction & photo opportunity.

https://twitter.com/WWEPeytonRoyce/status/839526502479904768

Discussion: Do You Expect The Undertaker To Lose To Roman Reigns At Wrestlemania 33?

Robert Lentini
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The Undertaker has been in the biggest match at Wrestlemania for years now. His matches may not always be the main event, but they almost always feel incredibly important. I was one of those that believed that the streak should have never been broken. I thought that if the streak were to ever come to an end, it would be in The Undertaker’s final match and The Undertaker would lose it to someone that the WWE wanted to make into a star. Instead, Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 30 and the streak was over. Brock Lesnar wasn’t a bad choice to end the streak, I just did not see it coming at all.

The Undertaker will be facing Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania this year. The Undertaker has had health issues all year and it is impossible to predict if that match will turn out well or not. I’m not going to doubt The Undertaker and I’m sure the match will turn out just fine. Having said that, this is the first year in a long time where I haven’t felt like The Undertaker match is that important. This is also the first year I’ve ever went into a Wrestlemania expecting The Undertaker to lose.

The streak has been over for a few years now and the WWE is heavily invested in the success of Roman Reigns. It will piss everyone off but I would be surprised if Roman Reigns didn’t get the win at Wrestlemania 33. Fans often complain about Superstars of the past showing up during Wrestlemania season and stealing the spotlight. There are tons of people in the WWE Universe that are annoyed that two part-time performers, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, are headlining Wrestlemania this year. I happen to be one of those people. However, I am also not interested in seeing Roman Reigns defeat The Undertaker.

There lies the inconsistency with wrestling fans, including myself. Everyone wants to see the next guy get the win over the star of the past, unless you aren’t really a fan of the next guy. There really is no reason for The Undertaker to defeat Roman Reigns at this year’s Wrestlemania. It is wildly inconsistent to complain about Goldberg defeating Kevin Owens and then hope The Undertaker defeats Roman Reigns. I just am not looking forward to seeing it because I grew up a fan of The Undertaker. The fact is that a lot of the WWE Universe view Roman Reigns as the future of the WWE and The Undertaker only has a few matches left in him. A victory over The Undertaker at Wrestlemania will only make Roman Reigns an even bigger star than he already is.

Discussion: Do you expect The Undertaker to lose at this year’s Wrestlemania? Are you looking forward to the match between The Undertaker and Roman Reigns? Share your thoughts below.

Daniel Bryan Hints At Returning To The Ring In 2018

Robert Lentini
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Last night on Talking Smack, The Miz was once again a guest. The Miz spent most of his time ranting about John Cena, but also took a couple of shots at Smackdown GM Daniel Bryan. The Miz and Daniel Bryan have had a bizarre feud since the brand split. The Miz has incorporated a lot of Daniel Bryan’s offense into his own move set. The Miz often does the “yes!” chant to mock Daniel Bryan. The Miz infamously went off on Daniel Bryan during an episode of Talking Smack and it caused Daniel Bryan to storm off the set.

Last night, The Miz mocked Daniel Bryan for not being able to wrestle anymore. Daniel Bryan said that he could still wrestle but the WWE will not allow him to. Bryan also said that he may wrestle again in a year and a half. Bryan’s WWE contract is rumored to be up sometime in 2018. If Daniel Bryan doesn’t get cleared by the WWE medical staff by then, he may find somewhere else to go where he would be allowed to perform in the ring. Daniel Bryan has stated in numerous interviews that he wants to wrestle again. Bryan has also said that things may change now that he is starting a family with Brie Bella. Time will tell if we ever see Daniel Bryan wrestle again and if it will be inside a WWE ring.

AJ Styles Flips Out At Shane McMahon After Smackdown, The Miz Rants About John Cena On Talking Smack

Robert Lentini
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AJ Styles lost his chance to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship last night on Smackdown. Styles had already defeated Luke Harper last week to ensure his spot in the main event at Wrestlemania. However, Randy Orton announced that he does want to fight Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania. This all lead to a match last night on Smackdown between Orton and Styles. Orton wound up winning the match and Styles wound up losing his mind. Styles went after Shane McMahon backstage and the two had to be separated. There have been rumors for weeks that Styles will be facing Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania.

Last night on Talking Smack, The Miz went on another rant about John Cena. The Miz stated John Cena stole his personality from every white kid with an identity crisis in the 1990s. The Miz also accused Cena of stealing the Attitude Adjustment from Tommy Dreamer. The Miz then said that Cena even stole his girlfriend from Dolph Ziggler. The Miz went on to claim that Cena is jealous of the talent that The Miz possesses. You can check out a clip of the promo in the video below.

Ryback Wrestling In A “CM Punk Action Figure On A Pole” Match, Big Show Comments On Shaq & How Long He Plans To Wrestle

Robert Lentini
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Ryback is promoting an upcoming match against Colt Cabana on Twitter. The Big Guy will be battling Cabana in a “CM Punk action figure on a pole” match.

Big Show did a Q&A with Yahoo Sports! and was asked about his potential match with Shaq at Wrestlemania and how much longer he plans to wrestle.

His Match With Shaq At Wrestlemania:

Well, as far as I know on my end, I’m ready to go. It’s a situation that Shaq and the WWE have to work out. I don’t know if he chickened out, has other commitments … I don’t know. That’s above my pay grade. I like to think personally that Shaq got scared. He saw the six-pack and realized if he faced me at WrestleMania, he was going to be Fat Shaq.

Shaq is a busy dude and he’s got a lot of business going on so we’ll see. Hopefully he will be able to work it out and get the courage to show up. Personally, I don’t think it’s a business complication thing. Flat-out, I just think he’s scared. I get it. I’ve made a lot of changes in the past year and if I were sitting in Shaq’s shoes, I would probably be pretty nervous too to face me at WrestleMania.

How Long He Plans To Wrestle:

I know I’m done February 2018. That’s when my contract ends as a full-time, live event guy. We’ll see what happens after that, whether I roll into an ambassador role or what WWE has for me. I know I’ve been with them for a long time and I have a great relationship with them. I also understand there’s a time for me to step aside and for other guys to step up. We got a lot of great new athletic talent that will probably be coming up at WrestleMania to be introduced. I don’t have any regrets or any shoulda, coulda, wouldas in my career. I’ve had a very blessed career with the greatest superstars this business has ever seen. And for me, it’s about giving that space up to those guys that are there to do it and me finding new challenges to help inspire and motivate me. That’s what I’ll be doing. Anything to keep from having to get a real job.

You can check out the rest of the Q&A by clicking here. 

Austin Aries Officially Joins The 205 Live Roster & Wins His Debut Match

Robert Lentini
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Last night on 205 Live, Austin Aries explained his actions on Monday Night Raw. Aries interviewed Neville on Raw and wound up hitting him in the head with a microphone. Aries said that he has known since a child that if you want respect, you walk up to the toughest person in the room and punch them in the face. Aries said that Neville is an “A” level wrestler, but that Aries is an “AA” wrestler.

Neville interrupted and said he is on a level of his own and that Aries doesn’t compare to him. Neville then claimed that he was not going to fight Aries but there  were a bunch of Cruiserweights in the back that would love that oppurtunity. Aries wound up defeating Tony Nese last night in the main event of 205 Live.

NJPW 45th Anniversary Show Night 2 Results

Chris Stephens
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NJPW 45th Anniversary Night 2
March 7th 2017
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan

Kevin Kelly and Don Callis on commentary

NJPW didn’t announce any matches ahead of time for this show, instead choosing to release the lineup only after the results from last last night were known. Kelly mentioned that they now have a translator helping them out during their commentary.

1. David Finlay, Ryusuke Taguchi, Manabu Nakanishi, Hirai Kawato vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Jushin Liger and Tomoyuki Oka
Kojima and Tenzan come out for the first time with the tag team belts, having won them for the sixth time last night. Finish of the match came when Oka submitted to Nakanishi’s torture rack. Standard opening tag match.
Winners: Finlay, Taguchi, Nakanishi and Kawato (Oka submitted to Nakanishi)

2. Yujiro Takahashi, Tonga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club) vs. Yuji Nagata, Michael Elgin, Juice Robinson
Elgin and Bad Luck Fale face each other in the first round of the New Japan Cup, as will Takahashi and Juice Robinson. Tonga Loa’s first round match will now be against Nagata, due to the injury to Tomoaki Honma.
Nagata pinned Tonga Loa with a bridging suplex for the finish.
Winners: Nagata, Elgin and Robinson (Nagata pinned Tonga Loa)

3. Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado (Suzuki-Gun) vs. Hirooki Goto, Berretta, Vedo and Jado (CHAOS)
Zack Sabre Jr’s first match as a member of Suzuki Gun. He picked up the pin over Goto with one of his unique pinning combinations. That may put him in line for a future shot at Goto’s Never Openweight title. Gedo and Jado are probably next in line for Suzuki Gun’s jr heavyweight tag team championships, which they won last night by beating Roppongi Vice.
Winners: Suzuki Gun (Sabre Jr. pinned Goto)

4. Minoru Suzuki, Taka Michinoku, Davey Boy Smith Jr. (Suzuki-Gun) vs. Katsuyori Shibata, Togi Makabe and Tiger Mask This match was previewing the first round New Japan Cup match this weekend between Shibata and Suzuki. Makabe pinned Taka after the King Kong knee drop. Shibata and Suzuki brawled on the outside after the bell, building towards their tournament match. Suzuki then took a chair to some of the young lions at ringside. They continued to brawl and had to be separated.
Winners: Shibata, Makabe and Tiger Mask (Makabe pinned Taka)

5. Tama Tonga and Kenny Omega (Bullet Club) vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano (CHAOS)
More previewing new japan cup matches, as Omega takes on Ishii and Tonga takes on Yano in the first round. A lot of Yano comedy and some of Omega’s comedy as well in this match. Tama Tonga hit low blow and gun stun on Yano for the pin.
Winners: Bullet Club (Tonga pinned Yano)

6. Evil and Hiromu Takahashi (Los Ingobernables) vs. Kushida and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Evil will take on Tanahashi in the first round of the new japan cup. Kushida looks to be the next in line for a shot at Takahashi’s jr heavyweight championship. Kushida pinned Takahashi with a unique pinning combination after a backslide.  Evil took out Tanahashi on the outside after the match.
Winners: Kushida and Tanahashi

7. Tetsuya Naito, Sanada and Bushi (Los Ingobernables) vs. Rocky Romero, Yoshi-Hashi and Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS)
Sanada and Yoshi-Hashi will face each other in the first round of the new japan cup. Sanada picks up the win for his team, choking out Rocky Romero with a dragon sleeper.
Winners: Los Ingobernables (Romero submitted to Sanada)

Naito cut a promo, and Kelly relayed the translations. He said Los Ingobernables are going to be the leaders of New Japan Pro Wrestling. Naito said everyone should scream and have fun, and then did his little catch phrase thing. A lot of Naito chants in Korakuen Hall.

 

 

WWE Championship Match & More Official For WrestleMania

Scott Lazara
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43

Randy Orton became the new #1 contender to the WWE Championship by defeating AJ Styles in tonight’s SmackDown main event. Orton will now face Bray Wyatt in one of the main events of WrestleMania 33.

It was also confirmed on SmackDown that the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal will take place in Orlando as Mojo Rawley announced that he will be in the match. It was also announced on SmackDown that Alexa Bliss will defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against every available woman on the SmackDown roster.

The updated ‘Mania card looks like this:

– Goldberg defends the WWE Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar

– Bray Wyatt defends the WWE Championship against Randy Orton

– 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

– The 4th Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal with Mojo Rawley and other Superstars to be announced

WWE Smackdown Recap & Reaction (3/7)

Robert Lentini
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17

Shane McMahon kicked off this week’s episode of Smackdown and he was joined by Daniel Bryan in the ring. Shane McMahon stated that they are still unsure of who will face Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania. Daniel Bryan said that Randy Orton should face Bray because he earned that oppurtunity by winning the Royal Rumble. Shane McMahon said that AJ Styles should get that oppurtunity because Randy Orton refused to face Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania three weeks ago during a promo on Smackdown. Shane also said that AJ Styles earned the title shot by defeating Luke Harper last week on Smackdown. Daniel Bryan then asked the WWE Universe what they should do and the crowd gave a mixed reaction to both AJ Styles and Randy Orton. Daniel Bryan announced that there will be a match tonight between Styles and Orton tonight to determine who will face Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania.

AJ Styles confronted Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon backstage. Styles claimed that both Shane and Daniel were against him and claimed that he is going to take out Randy Orton later tonight.

John Cena & Nikki Bella vs James Ellsworth & Carmella

Ellsworth cut a promo before the match and bragged about defeating Styles the first three times he faced him. Ellsworth referred to himself as the “Mack Daddy” of Smackdown. Ellsworth well then introduced his friend that is a girl, Carmella. The Miz and Maryse came down to the ring before the match started and it distracted Nikki Bella. Carmella hit Nikki with a Superkick and Smackdown went to a commercial break.

When Smackdown returned, Carmella had Nikki in a Chinlock and The Miz and Maryse had joined the commentary table. The Miz went on a rant about John Cena as Nikki tagged him in. Ellsworth refused to enter the ring as Cena shouted at him. Carmella got back into the ring and shoved Ellsworth into Cena. Ellsworth went for a Superkick but Cena caught him and slammed him to the mat. Carmella started to shout at Cena and Nikki knocked her to the mat. Cena and Nikki both performed the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena hit the AA, Nikki hit the Rack Attack and then Cena applied the STF to Ellsworth and he tapped out.

After the match, The Miz and Maryse attacked Cena and Nikki Bella. The Miz launched Cena into the steel stairs and Maryse shoved Nikki into the ring post. The Miz and Maryse then got into the ring and The Miz had a microphone. The crowd chanted “you suck!” as The Miz stated that he couldn’t take watching the match anymore. The Miz said that Nikki and Cena’s relationship is a massive lie. The Miz said that Cena is simply jealous of the true love that he has with Maryse. The Miz accused Cena of acknowledging his relationship on WWE programming to help build his brand and bring in the female demographic. The Miz stated that Nikki and John’s fabricated lives spits on every real relationship. Maryse then called Nikki a bitch and dropped the mic. Maryse and The Miz kissed and posed in the ring.

Winners: John Cena & Nikki Bella

Renee Young interviewed Randy Orton backstage. Orton claimed that nobody is going to stop him from facing Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania. Orton said that he is one RKO away from main-eventing Wrestlemania and stated that Styles should be very afraid of what is going to happen to him tonight during their match.

Curt Hawkins called out Dean Ambrose. Ambrose came to the ring and immediately hit the Dirty Deeds. Ambrose called out Corbin. Instead of coming down to the ring, Corbin appeared on the titantron. Corbin claimed that he doesn’t come down to the ring unless he wants to. Ambrose said that he was going to find him backstage then. Ambrose hit another Dirty Deeds on Hawkins for good measure before heading backstage.

Mojo Rawley was interviewed backstage. Mojo announced that he was entering the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Dolph Ziggler interrupted and told Rawley that he actually had to earn a Wrestlemania moment. Mojo then remarked that Ziggler has never had a Wrestlemania moment. Dolph told Mojo to not hurt himself reaching for that brass ring.

Ambrose was shown looking for Corbin backstage. Corbin popped out and hit Ambrose with a pipe a couple of times. Ambrose said “good talk” and this pissed Corbin off and he kicked him in the ribs a few times. Corbin then trapped Ambrose under a forklift. Security then showed up and broke things up.

Alexa Bliss and Mickie James came down to the ring. Alexa was in the ring to announce who her Wrestlemania opponent was going to be. Bliss stated that her opponent will not be Naomi, Nikki Bella, Carmella or Becky Lynch. Becky interrupted and told Alexa to shut up. Becky got in the ring and stated that she is going to take back her Smackdown Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania. Natalya then joined the party and came down to the ring. Alexa said that there was no way that Natalya was getting a title shot at Wrestlemania. Alexa said that Natalya was “the worst there is, the worst there was and the worst there ever will be”. Mickie James then grabbed a microphone and told everyone to shut up.

Mickie thought that she was going to get the title shot and Alexa denied that. Natalya then called Mickie James stupid and ugly. Smackdown GM Daniel Bryan then came down to the entrance ramp. Daniel Bryan then announced that Alexa Bliss will defend her Smackdown Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania against every woman on the Smackdown roster. Daniel Bryan said that he picked up some tips from Teddy Long and made a tag team match.

Mickie James & Alexa Bliss vs Natalya & Becky Lynch

Natalya and Alexa started the match off. Natalya got the upper hand and then aggressively tagged in Becky. Mickie James then entered the match and locked up with Becky. Lynch hit a couple of Arm Drags and then connected with a Dropkick to Mickie’s face. Alexa was then tagged in and she knocked Becky to the mat. Bliss then stood on Becky’s back and stomped on her. Becky fought back and connected with a couple of punches to Alexa’s ribs. Alexa shrugged it off and leveled Becky with a Clothesline. Becky got back up and knocked Alexa to the mat. Becky then hit a Leg Drop for a two count. Alexa rolled out of the ring and shouted “I’m the champ and I don’t need this”. Becky got onto the ring apron and hit a flying forearm on Alexa outside the ring. Back in the ring, Becky hit Mickie with a forearm and knocked her off the ring apron. Mickie then tripped up Becky and she fell to the mat. Smackdown went to a commercial break with Bliss and Mickie James in control of the match.

When Smackdown returned, Mickie and Alexa were still in control of the match. They isolated Becky in the corner and took turns beating her down. Mickie applied a Chinlock in the middle of the ring but Becky fought out of it. Mickie once again brought Becky to the corner and tagged in Alexa. Becky connected with a kick to the side of Alexa’s head and both Superstars fell to the mat. Alexa tagged in Mickie and Becky leveled her with two Clotheslines and a kick. Natalya became pissed off that Becky wasn’t tagging her in. Natalya planted Becky with a German Suplex and exited the ring. Alexa then pinned Becky for the victory. Mickie James was about to pin Becky but Alexa tagged herself in. Mickie then hit Alexa with a Mick Kick and raised the Smackdown Women’s Championship in the ring as the crowd cheered.

Winners: Mickie James & Alexa Bliss

Randy Orton vs AJ Styles

AJ Styles cut a promo before the match. Styles said that the ratings were higher when he was WWE Champion. Styles stated that he took a “B” show and made it into an “A” show. AJ said that he is constantly being disrespected by Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon. Styles thought it was ridiculous that Randy Orton burned down a man’s house and was rewarded. Styles said that he going to win the match and main-event Wrestlemania.

The match started with Orton going for an RKO right away. Styles blocked it and rolled out of the ring. Orton pointed at the Wrestlemania sign hanging above the ring. Styles got back in the ring and locked up with Orton. Styles applied a Chinlock and wrestled Orton down to the mat. Orton powered to his feet and hit a Belly to Back Suplex. Styles did not let go of the Chinlock but Orton once again got to his feet and launched Styles into the ropes. AJ bounced off the ropes and was greeted with a shoulder tackle by Orton.

Orton Styles once again locked up but AJ kicked Orton in the ribs. Styles then beatdown Orton in the corner and went to launch Orton into the opposite turnbuckle but Randy reversed it and Styles crashed into the turnbuckle. Orton then hung AJ up on the ropes and went for a pin but Styles kicked out at one. Orton continued the assault by hitting an uppercut and then shoving his foot in Styles’ face while he was resting against the bottom turnbuckle. Styles got back to his feet and hit Orton with a couple of right hands.

Orton launched Styles across the ring and Styles rolled to the floor. Orton followed Styles out of the ring and slammed AJ’s back into the barricade. Orton rolled Styles back in the ring, but AJ hit a chop block to Orton’s knee while Orton tried to get back in the ring. Smackdown went to a commercial break with Orton clutching his knee outside the ring.

Smackdown returned from a commercial break and Styles was in control of the match. Styles focused his attack on the injured left knee of Orton. Styles knocked Orton to the mat and once again applied a Chinlock. Orton fought out of it and connected with a couple of Clotheslines. Orton then planted Styles with a Powerslam and followed it up with a Full Nelson Slam for a two count. Orton then perched Styles on the top turnbuckle and punched him in the face a couple of times. Orton joined Styles on the top turnbuckle but Styles slipped away and tripped up Orton. Orton slammed face-first into the top turnbuckle and set up for the Styles Clash. Orton blocked it and threw Styles to the ring apron. Styles blocked the DDT and applied the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring.

Orton screamed in agony as he reached for the bottom rope. Orton powered through and reached the rope to break the hold. Styles charged at Orton in the corner but Orton got out of the way. Orton then planted Styles with a DDT as Styles was caught up between the ropes. Orton then geared up for the RKO but Styles blocked it and hit the Pele Kick. Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm but saw that Orton was going to go for the RKO. Styles stopped himself and knocked Orton to the mat. Styles then went for a springboard 450 Splash but Orton got out of the way. Orton then hit the RKO for the victory. Orton will now face Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemana for the WWE Championship.

Winner: Randy Orton

Reaction: Tonight’s episode of Smackdown was very good. The Miz continues to be an amazing heel and his promo after the Cena and Nikki Bella match was great. There were only three matches on this show but all of them were given a substantial amount of time. The Ellsworth & Carmella versus Cena & Nikki Bella match was clearly the weakest out of the three. That was hardly a match and it’s sole purpose was to set up the mixed-tag match at Wrestlemania. I also like the feud between Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin. This will clearly lead to a match between the two for the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania. I’m hoping that a stipulation is added to that match, as long as it is not another Ambrose Asylum match. This feud feels more intense so hopefully it doesn’t get goofy and we see the resurrection of Mitch the potted plant.

The women’s segment was also very good. Raw may have Sasha Banks, Bayley and Charlotte but I find the storylines on Smackdown to be more compelling. I enjoyed the women’s tag match a lot and Mickie James turning on Alexa was great. Daniel Bryan said that “every available woman on the Smackdown roster” will be competing for Bliss’s title at Wrestlemania. It will be interesting to see what this match turns into in the few episodes of Smackdown remaining before Wrestlemania. The match between Randy Orton and Styles was also very good. Everyone knew that Randy Orton was going to win but it was still a solid twenty minute match. Bray Wyatt did not appear on tonight’s Smackdown, so we will have to wait another week to see how Wyatt responds to Orton burning down the house that contained the spirit of Sister Abigail. My only real complain about tonight’s episode is that the Smackdown Tag Team Division wasn’t featured on the show at all. For the most part, Monday Night Raw features every storyline they have every week. The Usos threatened American Alpha last week and neither team was a part of tonight’s show.

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

Former WWF Star Ron Bass Passes Away

Scott Lazara
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12

Former WWE and NWA wrestler “Outlaw” Ron Bass passed away today in Tampa, FL at the age of 68.

It’s being reported that Bass died after complications from surgery. PWInsider reports that Bass recently suffered a burst appendix but wasn’t aware of what happened, so it took him a week to get medical attention.

Check out videos from Bass’ career below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2DMUAOC-So
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tSF0utb9-8

WWE SmackDown Results & Live Discussion (3/7)

Eric Lynch
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1,096

The March 7th edition of WWE SmackDown airs live on the USA Network from the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN at 8 PM ET.

– SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and general manager Daniel Bryan are out to the ring first to open up the show. McMahon and Bryan discuss who should get the shot at Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship at WrestleMania. They say they can’t decide on who should get the Title shot, so there’s one way to settle this: AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton in a singles match tonight to decide who will face Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania.

– Back from commercial, AJ Styles confronts Bryan and McMahon and says they’ve been ducking him and they’re making a huge mistake. AJ says there’s a conspiracy against him, but he’s going to make the best of a bad situation and take out Orton.

– John Cena & Nikki Bella def. James Ellsworth & Carmella: Before the match, Ellsworth cuts a promo about how he had better luck beating AJ Styles than Cena did. Ellsworth says he’s the mack daddy of SmackDown, and he’s the man who puts the “mack” in “SmackDown.” Ellsworth introduces his “friend who’s a girl” Carmella, and things get started. As soon as the opening bell rings, The Miz’s entrance music hits and he makes his way to ringside with Maryse. Carmella takes advantage of the distraction and boots Nikki in the face. Carmella continues working on Nikki until Nikki gets the tag to Cena, and thus Ellsworth must enter the match. Ellsworth tries to run away from Cena but Carmella shoves him back towards Cena. Cena hits a back suplex on Ellsworth. Carmella gets in Cena’s face and Nikki lays her out. Cena and Nikki both do the Five Knuckle Shuffle on each opponent, then hit the Attitude Adjustment, and they put Carmella and Ellsworth in STF’s for the win. After the match, The Miz and Maryse beat down Cena and Nikki. The Miz cuts a promo saying Cena’s relationship with Nikki is a lie and it disgusts him. Miz says when it’s true love, you don’t make the girl sign a contract to be his girlfriend.

– Dean Ambrose is out to the ring to call out Baron Corbin to fight him right now. Corbin shows up on the big screen and declines, so Ambrose says he’s going to go find him.

– Mojo Rawley does an interview about his plans for WrestleMania, and Dolph Ziggler interrupts and gets in his face. Ziggler tells him not to reach too hard for the brass ring, and walks off.

– Dean Ambrose is looking for Baron Corbin in the loading area of the arena, but Corbin finds him first with a steel pipe. Corbin beats down Ambrose with the pipe then positions him under the front of a forklift. Corbin sits in the forklift and lowers the fork down onto Ambrose on the ground. Some referees run in and try to physically lift the fork up off of Ambrose, which of course they fail at. Someone finally gets in the forklift and raises the fork off Ambrose.

– Alexa Bliss and Mickie James come out to the ring and cut a promo on Becky Lynch until eventually Becky comes out. Becky says she’s going to take the Women’s Title back at WrestleMania, but then Natalya interrupts and says she is the rightful #1 contender to the Women’s Championship. Mickie James grabs the mic and seems to be under the impression that she is in line for the Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania. Becky says she beat Mickie twice so she should have the Title shot, and Natalya says Mickie has a stupid ugly face. Daniel Bryan comes out and says he thinks Alexa should have to defend her Championship against every woman on the SmackDown roster. Bryan says he took some tips about being GM from Teddy Long, and he makes a tag team match.

– Alexa Bliss & Mickie James def. Becky Lynch & Natalya: Natalya starts off against Alexa and she botches a running dropkick spot early on. Natalya forcefully tags in Becky and Alexa Bliss drops Becky with a clothesline. Becky comes back and hits some elbow drops and leg drops for a two count. Alexa rolls outside and Becky follows up with a flying forearm off the apron. Becky knocks Mickie off the apron, so Mickie trips her from ringside and Alexa starts beating down Becky in the ring. Alexa and Mickie take turns working on Becky in the ring. Becky finally starts fighting back with some kicks and a running forearm to Mickie, but Natalya runs in and hits a German suplex on Becky out of nowhere. Natalya walks off, and Alexa pins Becky for the win. After the match, Mickie hits a spinning kick to Alexa’s face and leaves her laying in the ring.

– We see a video of Austin Aries saying he’s going to explain his attack on Neville on RAW and his plans for the future on 205 Live.

– AJ Styles comes out to the ring and says he only gets disrespect from Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. Styles points out that he gets disrespected, meanwhile Randy Orton “burns down a man’s house and gets rewarded for it.” The main event is up next.

– Randy Orton def. AJ Styles: JBL and Mauro call this one the biggest main event in SmackDown history. Orton goes for an RKO right off the bat, but AJ escapes and rolls outside. AJ gets Orton in a headlock which Orton struggles to get out of, despite dropping AJ with a back suplex. Orton finally breaks free and unleashes some offense on Styles including a t-bone suplex that sends AJ rolling out to ringside. Back in the ring, AJ drops Orton with a shot to the left leg. Styles continues working on the leg of Orton with kicks and holds. Orton comes back and hits AJ with a spinning powerslam and then a full nelson slam. Orton takes Styles to the top turnbuckle for a superplex, but AJ escapes and drops Orton face-first on the top turnbuckle. AJ grabs Orton and hits a fireman’s carry into a backbreaker for a two count. AJ goes for the Styles Clash, but Orton gets out and drops AJ out to the ring apron. Orton attempts his patented draping DDT over the middle rope, but AJ escapes and locks Orton in the Calf Crusher on his left leg. Orton grabs the ropes to break the hold. AJ goes for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Orton knocks him off the rope and hits his draping DDT. Orton goes for the RKO, but AJ gets out and hits the Pele kick. AJ goes for a Phenomenal Forearm, but fakes out Orton and Orton misses an RKO attempt. AJ goes back to the top rope and goes for a 450 splash, but Orton moves. Orton follows up with the RKO for the win, and Orton will be going to WrestleMania to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship.

AJ Styles on the Internet’s Effect on Wrestling & the Need for Surprises, Kurt Angle, John Cena

Staff
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SmackDown Live star AJ Styles recently participated in a media conference call. Here are some highlights, courtesy of Sportskeeda.com:

The Internet’s effect on wrestling & the need for more surprises:

“WWE right now is like, there are so many things on the internet that shouldn’t be. That really bothers me. That hurts surprises, that hurts a lot of things. Hopefully, that will be taken care of so that we can give you the surprises that everybody wants. We got to tell a story out here, and you know that the best movies are the ones you didn’t see coming. We’re doing that same thing, and when things are leaked it bothers me. But we definitely try to give you guys surprises, but sometimes it’s hard.”

Kurt Angle wanting to wrestle him again:

“I would love to get in the ring with Kurt Angle again. Whether or not that will ever happen, who knows. I’m very excited that he’s in the WWE Hall of Fame. I know how much this means to him, and it’s a big deal. Even when we were with a different company, he still talked about WWE so I know this is a big deal to Kurt Angle, and I’m very happy for him. And as far as other performers, I would love to have gotten into the ring with a bunch of them. But you know, that’s not gonna happen. I would certainly have been able to learn from some of them. And there are tonnes of them; too many to name. For me it’s not just the fact of getting in the ring with them, it’s about learning from them.”

His thoughts on John Cena after working with him several times:

“Regardless of what anyone else thinks about John Cena, I respect him. They can boo him or say he sucks; the guy is one of the hardest workers in the WWE. He’s been here on top for a long time, and there’s no way he can do that without being one of the toughest, one of the best, and one of the most experienced guys in the business. John Cena has earned my respect, and that’s why we’ve had incredible matches.”

WWE RAW Viewership For The Post-Fastlane Episode

Scott Lazara
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11

This week’s WWE RAW drew 3.216 million viewers, up from last week’s 3.093 million viewers.

The show featured the fallout from WWE Fastlane PPV with new Universal Champion Goldberg.

Here’s the hourly breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily.com:

  • Hour 1: 3.318 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 3.380 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 2.950 million viewers

RAW was #2 in viewership and the 18-49 demographic on cable this week.

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