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WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Recap & Reaction

Robert Lentini
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76

Kickoff Show

Naomi, Nikki Bella & Becky Lynch defeated Mickie James, Alexa Bliss & Natalya

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated Sheamus & Cesaro to become Raw Tag Team Champions

Nia Jax defeated Sasha Banks

Stephanie McMahon banned Seth Rollins from appearing tonight at the Royal Rumble and said that she will address Rollins face to face tomorrow night on Monday Night Raw.

Shawn Michaels came down to the ring and pumped up the San Antonio crowd before the Royal Rumble.

Main Card:

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte (c) vs Bayley

Charlotte started out the match in control. Charlotte launched Bayley out of the ring and posed for the crowd. Bayley then tossed Charlotte out of the ring and continued the attack outside the ring. Bayley connected with a Crossbody off the second rope and then brought Charlotte back in the ring. Bayley went for the pin but Charlotte kicked out and rolled out of the ring. Bayley followed her but Charlotte drove Bayley into the ring apron and then the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Charlotte bashed Bayley’s head off the ring mat and followed it up with a Suplex. Charlotte continued to beatdown Bayley with a chop in the corner. Charlotte then locked in a Chinlock in the middle of the ring. Charlotte controlled the next few minutes of the match and connected with a Neckbreaker and a boot to Bayley’s face.

Charlotte continued to control the match and taunted Bayley several times. Bayley fought back but both Superstars connected with a Clothesline at the same time and they both fell to the mat. Bayley and Charlotte then traded chops but Bayley got the upper hand and and connected with a springboard Crossbody. Bayley climbed to the top turnbuckle but jumped down and stomped on Charlotte instead. Bayley went back up to the top turnbuckle and connected with an Elbow Drop for a two count.

Charlotte locked in the Figure Eight in the center of the ring. Bayley reversed the hold but Charlotte reversed it once again and used the ropes for leverage. The referee caught it but Charlotte held onto the hold for a couple of seconds to inflict more pain to the knees of Bayley. Charlotte was bleeding from her mouth and went for a Moonsault off the top rope but Bayley got her knees up.

Bayley charged at Charlotte while she was perched on the top turnbuckle but Charlotte was ready for it and shoved Bayley out of the ring. Charlotte connected with the Natural Selection on the ring apron and won the match. Charlotte is now 16-0 at PPVs.

Winner & Still Raw Women’s Champion: Charlotte

Reaction: Solid match to start off the show. I think these two can put on a better match and I’m guessing that we will see that in the near future. I think Charlotte should hold onto the Raw Women’s Championship at least until Wrestlemania.

No DQ Universal Championship Match: Kevin Owens (c) vs Roman Reigns

Chris Jericho was locked in the shark cage above the ring for this match. Jericho and Owens attacked Reigns before the match started. Reigns fought back and laumched Jericho into the side of the cage and then threw him into the cage. Jericho freaked out in the cage and begged for it to not be raised above the ring. The match finally started as the cage was being raised and Kevin Owens attacked Reigns.

Reigns fought back and knocked Owens outside the ring. Reigns followed him and threw Owens over the barricade. Owens and Reigns fought through the crowd for the next couple of minutes. The action returned to the ringside area and Reigns was in control. Owens launched Reigns shoulder first into the steel steps. Owens dragged out a bunch of chairs from under the ring and attacked Reigns with one. Owens set up four chairs outside the ring. Reigns got back up but Owens hit him with a monitor and then connected with a Cannonball as Roman was up against the barricade.

Owens placed two more chairs on top of the four chairs he had already set up. Owens targeted the ribs of Reigns with a steel chair. Owens once again placed another chair on top of the six he had set up. Reigns fought back as the two were battling on the ring apron. Reigns went for a Suplex through the chairs but Owens blocked it. Back in the ring, Reigns planted Owens with two Clotheslines. The crowd booed as Reigns got pumped up. Reigns launched Owens shoulder first into the ring post.

Roman brought out a table from under the ring and brought it to the ring. Reigns began to set up the table but Owens planted him with a Backstabber for a two count. Owens then shoved the table out of the ring and the crowd booed. Owens mocked Reigns and charged at him but Reigns connected with a boot and followed it up with a Powerbomb for a two count. Jericho rattled the cage above the ring and cheered Owens on.

Reigns set up for the Superman Punch but Kevin Owens rolled out of the ring. Reigns followed him and hit him with the Drive By. Owens set up Reigns on the table outside the ring and Owens hit him with a ridiculous Frog Splash off the top turnbuckle through the table. The crowd broke out in a “holy sh**!” chant. Owens rolled Reigns back into the ring and went for a pinfall but Reigns kicked out at two.

Owens brought a chair into the ring and hit Reigns with it a couple of times. Owens set up the chair in the corner but Reigns got up and beat the hell out of Owens in the corner. Owens battled back and kicked Reigns in the face and launched him into the chair in the corner. Jericho tossed brass knuckles to Owens in the ring and Byron Saxton flipped out. Owens went for a Superman Punch with the brass knuckles but Reigns blocked it. Owens went for the Superman Punch again and connected but Reigns kicked out at two.

Kevin Owens went for a Powerbomb onto a chair but Reigns reversed it into a Samoan Drop through the chair. Reigns went for a pinfall but Owens kicked out at two. Reigns went outside the ring and brought another table into the ring. Reigns hit a Superman Punch but Owens kicked out at two. Reigns set up the table in the corner and went for the Spear but Owens blocked it and hit a Stunner on Reigns for a two count. Owens then stomped Reigns in the corner and landed another Cannonball.

Kevin Owens went for a Superplex on Reigns through the chairs set up earlier in the match. Reigns blocked it and hit a Superman Punch and Owens fell through the chairs. Reigns Powerbombed Owens through the announce table and brought him back into the ring. Reigns was setting up for the Spear but Braun Strowman attacked Reigns from behind. Strowman Chokeslammed Reigns onto the German announce table and then hit the Running Powerslam on Reigns through the table in the ring. Kevin Owens then crawled onto Reigns and pinned him.

Winner & Still Universal Champion: Kevin Owens

Reaction: I wasn’t excited for this match at all and it turned out to be awesome. There were rumors of a Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman storyline occurring after the Royal Rumble but those rumors included the Universal Championship. Reigns can still win it before Wrestlemania but it seems he may be preoccupied with Strowman for a while.

Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rich Swann (c) vs Neville

Neville dominated the first several minutes of the match. The match was really slow and the crowd wasn’t too into it. Neville went out of the ring and Swann followed him. Neville launched Swann into the barricade a couple of times. Back in the ring, Neville went for a move off the top rope but Swann planted him with a Superkick. Swann followed it up with a Hurricanrana. Neville went outside the ring and Swann hit a big time Splash onto him. Swann and Neville got back into the ring before the referee could count to ten.

Swann controlled the next few minutes of the match. Swann went to the top turnbuckle but Neville shoved him and Swann fell to the top turnbuckle. Neville knocked him to the mat and then hit a Superkick. Swann connected with a kick of his own and went for a pinfall but Neville got his foot on the bottom rope. Neville connected with a Superplex for a two count but Neville immediately applied a Crossface for the submission victory.

Winner & New Cruiserweight Champion: Neville

Reaction: This match was alright but I was expecting much more. It makes sense for Neville to be the Cruiserweight Champion, he is pretty much the only member of the division that generates a response from the WWE Universe.

WWE Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) vs John Cena

Cena connected with a Clothesline on Styles to start off the match. Cena charged at Styles in the corner but AJ caught him with an elbow. Styles connected with a couple of knees to Cena’s head while he was on the mat. Styles took a break to pose for the crowd. Styles taunted Cena and went for another knee but Cena got out of the way and hit Styles with a Back Body Drop. Cena went for the AA but Styles landed on his feet and connected with a kick that sent Cena to the mat.

Cena battled back and hit a couple of shoulder tackles. Styles fought back and hit a Hurricanrana and a Clothesline to Cena in the corner. Styles hit a German Suplex and followed it up with a Facebuster for a two count. Cena got back to his feet and connected with a Clothesline that sent Styles flipping to the mat. Cena then hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle and went for another AA but Styles once again avoided it. Styles was perched on the top turnbuckle and Cena hit a couple of right hands to the face of Styles. Cena went for a Superplex but Styles slipped through and put Cena into a Torture Rack and then planted him with a Powerbomb for a two count.

Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Cena avoided it and hit the AA for a two count. Cena geared up in the corner and landed a big time Clothesline for a two count. Cena once again geared up in the corner and went for another Clothesline but Styles avoided it and hit the Pele Kick. Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm for a two count. Cena planted Styles with a Facebuster and both men were on the mat.

AJ and Cena traded punches when they got back to their feet. Styles got the upper hand and locked in the Calf Crusher. Cena reversed it into the STF but Styles got out of the hold. Cena went to the top turnbuckle and went for a Leg Drop but Styles countered it into a Powerbomb. Styles then planted Cena with a Styles Clash for a two count.

Styles went to the ring apron and went for a springboard 450 Splash but Cena got his knees up. Styles once again went for the Styles Clash but Cena reversed it and catapulted Styles into the turnbuckle. Cena hit an AA off the top turnbuckle and Styles kicked out. Cena couldn’t believe it and had a look of disbelief on his face. Cena went for another AA but Styles countered it into the Styles Clash. AJ went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Cena caught him and hit an AA. Cena then rolled through and hit a second AA for the pinfall victory. John Cena has now tied Ric Flair with 16 World Championships.

Winner & New WWE Champion: John Cena

Reaction: What a match. There really is nothing more to say. People will obviously be pissed off that Cena won but hopefully that doesn’t take away from how good this match was. Hopefully these two meet again in the near future.

Royal Rumble Match

#1. Big Cass. Enzo Amore joined him and they cut a several minute long promo. Big Cass said he is going to win the Royal Rumble.

#2. Chris Jericho was the second entrant into the Royal Rumble. Cass beatdown Jericho as the crowd chanted “stupid idiot!”.

#3. Kalisto entered the match. He immediately connected with a Dropkick to Big Cass and then hit Jericho with a kick to the side of the head. Big Cass almost knocked Kalisto’s head off with a boot. Jericho hit Cass with a couple of chops to slow down his momentum.

#4. Mojo Rawley was the fourth entrant in the Royal Rumble. Mojo hit Kalisto with a massive shoulder tackle and then knocked Jericho to the mat. Mojo and Jericho tried to eliminate Cass but he fought them off.

#5. Jack Gallagher entered the match at number five and brought his umbrella with him. The crowd cheered Gallagher as he attacked Kalisto. Jericho then attacked Gallagher from behind and then posed for the crowd. Gallagher hit Jericho in the groin with the umbrella and twirled it around.

#6. Mark entered the match at number six. Henry charged at Cass and hit a Splash on him in the corner. Henry launched Gallagher through the ropes. Gallagher jumped at Henry from the top rope with his umbrella but was tossed out of the ring and eliminated.

#7. Braun Strowman entered the match at number seven. Strowman eliminated Rawley and Big Cass. Braun then launched Kalisto onto Cass and Mojo outside the ring. Strowman then eliminated Mark Henry and Jericho was hiding outside the ring.

#8. Sami Zayn entered the match and Strowman immediately knocked him to the mat. Strowman continued to beat him down for the next couple of minutes.

#9. Big Show was the ninth entrant in the Royal Rumble. Last year, Strowman eliminated the Big Show and the two had a stare down in the ring. Strowman planted Big Show with a Clothesline. Strowman went for another Clothesline but Big Show caught him and hit a Chokeslam. Jericho finally got back into the ring and was greeted with a KO punch from Big Show. Strowman then lifted up the Big Show and Big Show was eliminated by Strowman.

#10. Tye Dillinger entrant at number ten because he is the perfect ten. The crowd went bananas but Strowman was in the ring waiting for him. Dillinger connected with a couple of forearms and a series of punches in the corner. Zayn joined in and attacked Strowman from behind. Strowman hit them with a double Suplex.

#11. James Ellsworth entered the Royal Rumble at number eleven. Carmella told him to get in the ring but Ellsworth didn’t want to confront Strowman. Zayn and Dillinger tried to eliminate Braun from behind but he held on to the ropes and then planted them with a Clothesline.

#12. Dean Ambrose was the twelfth entrant and asked Ellsworth to team up with him and take on Strowman. Ambrose didn’t join Ellsworth in the ring and Strowman immediately eliminated him. Strowman has now eliminated six Superstars in tonight’s Royal Rumble match. Ambrose attacked Strowman and Dillinger hit a Dropkick on Braun. Ambrose, Dillinger and Zayn all tried to beatdown Strowman but Braun knocked them all down.

#13. Baron Corbin entered the match at unlucky number thirteen. Everyone once again teamed up to beatdown Strowman. It didn’t work out too well as Strowman eliminated Dillinger. Zayn hit the Helluva Kick and Corbin Clotheslined Strowman over the top rope to eliminate him. Ambrose planted Corbin with the Dirty Deeds.

#14. Kofi Kingston entered the match at number fourteen.

#15. The Miz entered at number fifteen as Corbin was completely in control of the match. Miz immediately hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Zayn. Miz tried to throw out Ambrose but he held onto the ropes. Miz once again mocked Daniel Bryan but ran into a Deep Six from Corbin. Kofi climbed up on top of the ring post and Corbin shoved him and Kofi managed to hang onto the post to escape elimination. Kingston then hit the Trouble in Paradise on Corbin.

#16. Sheamus was the sixteenth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Sheamus was pissed off about losing the Raw Tag Team Championships during the Kickoff Show earlier tonight. Sheamus took out his anger on everyone in the rumble. The Miz tried to run away but Sheamus caught him and clubbed him in the chest ten times. Sheamus then hit a Brogue Kick on Chris Jericho.

#17. Big E joined the match at number seventeen. He spanked Jericho a few times as the crowd in San Antonio chanted “New Day Rocks!”. Kofi and Big E tried to eliminate Jericho but he held onto the ropes.

#18. Rusev was the eighteenth entrant in the Royal Rumble match. He came to the ring with a face guard due to the broken nose he suffered on Monday Night Raw. Rusev hit everyone with a Splash and then hit Sheamus with a kick to the face.

#19. Cesaro was the nineteenth entrant and immediately hit the Cesaro Swing on The Miz and Big E. He then hit the Cesaro Swing on Corbin and went for it on Sheamus but Rusev kicked him in the face.

#20. Xavier Woods was the twentieth entrant to the Royal Rumble match. The ring was very crowded now. Woods and Kofi teamed up and attacked Sheamus. Big E hit a Big Splash on Sheamus and the New Day celebrated in the ring.

#21. Bray Wyatt was the twenty-first entrant in the match. The crowd lit up with cell phone flashlights and it was an awesome visual. Wyatt planted The Miz and knocked down Ambrose. Wyatt Clotheslined Xavier Woods’ head off.

#22. Apollo Crews was the twenty-second entrant and connected with a couple of kicks to Bray Wyatt when he entered the match. Crews hit a standing Moonsault onto The Miz in the middle of the ring. The crowd started to chant “Goldberg”. Sheamus and Cesaro eliminated all three members of the New Day. Sheamus tried to eliminate Cesaro but Jericho wound up eliminating them both. Sheamus and Cesaro argued outside the ring.

#23. Randy Orton was the twenty-third entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Orton planted The Miz with a Powerslam. The Miz has pretty much had the crap kicked out of him the entire match. Orton hit an RKO onto Rusev and Corbin. Zayn then launched off the top rope and Orton hit him with a massive RKO.

#24. Dolph Ziggler was the twenty-fourth entrant into the match. He caught Wyatt and Orton with a Superkick and planted Rusev with a Superkick as well. Ziggler hit Crews and The Miz with a Double DDT and then hit them both with a Superkick for good measure. The crowd once again started to chant “Goldberg!”.

#25. Luke Harper was the twenty-fifth entrant to the rumble. Harper eliminated Apollo Crews and had a stare down with Randy Orton in the ring. Harper hit Bray with a Clothesline and then booted Orton in the face. The crowd cheered as Harper posed in the ring. Harper went for a Sister Abigail on Bray Wyatt but Orton popped up and hit an RKO on Harper.

#26. Brock Lesnar was the twenty-sixth entrant in the Royal Rumble match and he got his pyro back. Lawler changed his pick from Randy Orton to Lesnar to win the match. Lesnar eliminated Ambrose and Ziggler. Lesnar hit a German Suplex onto Rusev, Jericho and Corbin. Lesnar then hit an F-5 on The Miz and Randy Orton and the crowd erupted.

#27. Enzo Amore was the twenty-seventh entrant in the match. Lesnar was the only man standing as everyone else was on the mat. Enzo hopped up onto the ring apron and took his shirt off and taunted Lesnar. Enzo danced around the ring and was greeted with a Clothesline by Lesnar. Brock then tossed Enzo over the top rope. Lesnar hit a big time Suplex on Zayn in the middle of the ring. The crowd once again started to chant “Goldberg!”.

#28. Goldberg was the twenty-eighth entrant in the Royal Rumble match.  Goldberg hit Lesnar with a Spear and eliminated Lesnar by Clotheslining him over the top rope. Lesnar’s face turned bright red and he sat on the entrance ramp in disbelief. Goldberg hit Zayn with the Jackhammer. Wyatt and Orton teamed up to attack Goldberg. Goldberg fought them off and hit a Double Spear onto Wyatt and Orton.

#29. The Undertaker was the twenty-ninth entrant and the crowd went bananas. The Undertaker appeared in the ring behind Goldberg and the two had a stare down. Undertaker grabbed Goldberg by the throat but Rusev and Corbin attacked the two from behind. Goldberg eliminated Rusev and The Undertaker eliminated Corbin. Goldberg hit a Spear onto The Undertaker. Goldberg then eliminated Luke Harper. From behind, The Undertaker eliminated Goldberg. The Undertaker Chokeslammed The Miz and Sami Zayn.

#30. The thirtieth and final entrant to the Royal Rumble was Roman Reigns. The crowd booed him out of the building. I guess there was no Samoa Joe in this match. Reigns and The Undertaker traded punches in the ring. Reigns went for a Superman Punch but was planted with a Chokeslam. The Undertaker eliminated The Miz and Sami Zayn. The Undertaker hit Chris Jericho with a Chokeslam. Roman Reigns eliminated The Undertaker from behind and the crowd booed. The crowd started to chant “bullsh**!”.

Reigns eliminated Jericho with a Superman Punch while he was on the top turnbuckle. It was down to Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns. Orton planted Reigns with a DDT while he was hung up on the second rope. Reigns hit Orton and Wyatt with a Superman Punch. Reigns eliminated Bray Wyatt and went for a Spear to Roman Reigns but Orton caught him with an RKO. Orton then Clotheslined Reigns out of the ring and won the Royal Rumble.

Winner: Randy Orton

Reaction: This was a great Royal Rumble. The crowd almost flipped out when they thought that Roman Reigns was going to win the match. There was no Samoa Joe, Kenny Omega or Kurt Angle despite all the rumors. Randy Orton wouldn’t have been my first choice to win the Royal Rumble match but I cannot imagine what the reaction would have been if Roman Reigns had won it. Overall, this was a great event and I found it very entertaining.

What did you think of the 2017 Royal Rumble? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

John Cena Is The New WWE Champion, Ric Flair Comments On Cena Tying His Record (Video)

Scott Lazara
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40

John Cena became a 16-time world champion and a 13-time WWE Champion by defeating AJ Styles at tonight’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view in San Antonio. The match stole the show and was probably the best of their series.

With this victory, John Cena ties Ric Flair’s record for 16 World Championships. Flair commented on John Cena joining his side in the history books:

Neville Captures The WWE Cruiserweight Championship (Video)

Scott Lazara
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9

Neville is your new WWE Cruiserweight Champion after making Rich Swann submit at tonight’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view in San Antonio. This is Neville’s first run with that title.

New RAW Tag Team Championships Crowned At Royal Rumble

Scott Lazara
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8

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson captured the RAW Tag Team Championships from Sheamus and Cesaro on tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble pre-show.

This is the first championship run for Gallows and Anderson.

Below are photos and videos from the match:

After the match, Gallows and Anderson reacted to their win backstage.

WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Results & Discussion (1/29)

Eric Lynch
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3,636

The 2017 WWE Royal Rumble took place on January 29th at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.

Kickoff Show

– Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch & Naomi def. Alexa Bliss, Mickie James & Natalya: Natalya slaps Nikki across the face to start off the match then tags in Bliss. After some brief back-and-forth action, Becky Lynch gets the tag and hits a series of clotheslines on the heels. Becky hits a suicide dive to the outside on Natalya, then Mickie James lays out Lynch by the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Naomi gets the hot tag and hits a series of clotheslines and kicks for a two count on Bliss. After a series of run-ins, Naomi hits a kick to the head of Bliss and follows up with a split legged moonsault for the win.

– Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows def. Sheamus and Cesaro: The RAW Tag Team Titles are on the line in this one. Cesaro scores a couple of near-falls on Anderson early on. Sheamus tags in and continues the offense on Anderson. Anderson finally comes back with a big boot and tags in Gallows. This leads to Cesaro and Sheamus double-teaming Gallows with uppcuts, but Gallows comes back with some big boots. Sheamus gets some offense in on Gallows, but Anderson takes him out. Anderson tags in but he walks into an uppercut from Cesaro, then Cesaro follows up with a 619. Cesaro hits the swing on Anderson, then puts him in the Sharpshooter. Gallows hits a big boot to break it up. Sheamus comes in and Gallows and Anderson hit the Magic Killer on him. After some confusion with a ref bump, Anderson rolls up Cesaro from behind and grabs the tights for the win. Gallows and Anderson are the new RAW Tag Champs!

– Nia Jax def. Sasha Banks: Banks gets some offense in early on, but Jax quickly gains control of the match. Banks hits the double knees off the turnbuckle to try and mount a comeback, but she appears to re-injure her knee. Nia hits a pop-up Samoan Drop for the win after a short match.

Royal Rumble 2017:

– Shawn Michaels comes out immediately before the show to welcome his hometown crowd to Royal Rumble. Michael Cole welcomes us to Royal Rumble 2017 and announces the attendance at the Alamodome as more than 52,000.

– Charlotte (c) def. Bayley: Charlotte’s RAW Women’s Championship is on the line in this one. After some back and forth action early on, Bayley takes over with a stunner off the middle rope. Charlotte falls to the outside, and Bayley follows up with a hurricana to the floor. Bayley goes up top and hits a splash down onto Charlotte on the floor. Back in the ring, Bayley hits a flying elbow drop off the top rope for a near-fall. Charlotte comes back and locks Bayley in the Figure Eight briefly before Bayley reaches the ropes. Charlotte goes up top and goes for a moonsault, but Bayley gets her knees up to block it for a two count. Charlotte knocks Bayley out to the apron and follows up with the Natural Selection on the corner of the ring apron. Charlotte rolls Bayley back in the ring and scores the three count to retain the RAW Women’s Title.

– Kevin Owens def. Roman Reigns: Owens’ Universal Title is on the line for this one. Owens and Jericho beat down Reigns to kick things off, and eventually Reigns comes back and forcefully puts Jericho into the cage. Reigns locks the cage door, and the cage with Jericho inside is raised high above the ring. Reigns and Owens start brawling at ringside and they brawl all through the crowd. Owens takes control and sits Reigns up against the fan barricade. Owens hits a running cannonball on Reigns against the barricade, then starts making a pyramid of unfolded chairs at ringside. Back in the ring, Owens hits Reigns with a chair, but Reigns comes back with a series of clotheslines. Jericho throws some brass knuckles down to Owens and Owens drops Reigns. Owens goes to powerbomb Reigns into an unfolded steel chair, but Reigns gets out and hits a Samoan Drop on Owens onto the chair. They start brawling on the turnbuckle, and Reigns knocks Owens down through the pyramid of unfolded chairs at ringside. Reigns powerbombs Owens through the announce table, then throws him in the ring. Reigns sets up for a Superman punch, but Braun Strowman comes out of nowhere and pulls Reigns outside. Strowman chokeslams Reigns onto the announce table but the table doesn’t break, and it looked like it hurt Reigns pretty bad. Strowman throws Reigns into the ring and Owens pins him for the win.

– Neville def. Rich Swann: Austin Aries is on commentary for this one. After some back and forth action early on, Swann hits a suicide plancha on Neville at ringside. Back in the ring, Neville takes control and drops Swann with a snap suplex. Neville follows up with a running suplex in the corner for a two count. After some brawling around ringside, things go back in the ring where Neville climbs to the top rope. Neville goes for a splash, but Swann catches him in mid-air with a kick to the face. Swann throws Neville outside and somersaults onto him on the floor from the turnbuckle. Back in the ring, Swann pummels Neville then hits a kick to the head for a two count. Swann follows up with another boot to the head and a tadpole splash for a two count. Swann and Neville exchange spinning heel kicks, then Neville attempts a German suplex. Swann rolls out of the suplex attempt then kicks Neville in the face for a two count. Swann goes up top, but Neville grabs him and superplexes him off. Neville locks Swann in the Rings of Saturn for the win via submission. Neville is now the new Cruiserweight champion.

– John Cena def. AJ Styles: AJ Styles’ World Title is on the line in this one. AJ controls the opening moments of the match. Cena attempts an Attitude Adjustment, but AJ gets out and drops him with the Pele Kick. AJ follows up with a Frankenteiner and a forearm to the face. Cena comes back with a facebuster and a back suplex, and he sets up for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. AJ rolls out of the way and kicks Cena, then hits a German suplex into a Falcon Arrow. Cena comes back with a running lariat and the Five Knuckle Shuffle, then he takes AJ up to the top rope. AJ slides between Cena’s legs and gets him in the torture rack, then spins him around into a powerbomb for a two count. AJ misses a Phenomenal Forearm attempt, and Cena hits him with the Attitude Adjustment for a two count. Cena hits another running lariat for another two count. Cena goes for another running lariat, but AJ ducks and drops him with the Pele kick. AJ follows up with the Phenomenal Forearm for a two count. Cena hits an electric chair drop and goes for the Attitude Adjustment, but AJ gets out and puts him in the calf crusher. They duel with submission holds, and AJ ends up getting Cena in the STF. Cena gets out and puts Styles in the Figure Four. AJ gets out and puts Cena in an armbar. Cena pulls up AJ while in the armbar and powerbombs him down. Cena comes flying off the top rope but AJ ducks him and hits the Styles Clash for a two count. Styles springboards off the top rope with a 450 splash, but Cena blocks it with his knees. Cena hits the Code Red on AJ for a two count. AJ grabs Cena and hits a fireman’s carry onto his knee, but Cena comes back with The Big Ending on AJ for another two count. Cena sets up AJ on the top rope and hits an Attitude Adjustment off the middle rope for a two count. Cena goes for another AA, but Styles gets out and hits the Styles Clash. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but AJ catches him and hits the AA. Cena picks him up and hits the AA once again for the win. John Cena is now a 16-time World Champion.

– 30-Man Royal Rumble Match: Big Cass comes out as entrant #1 and Jericho is #2. Kalisto is #3. Kalisto works on both Jericho and Cass with a series of kicks. Cass stops him with a running knee then after a brief exchange he drops him with a big boot. Mojo Rawley comes in at #4 and drops Kalisto with a running shoulder block. Jack Gallagher is in at #5 and starts hitting people with his umbrella until Jericho drops him. Jericho takes a minute to taunt the crowd and Gallagher takes the opportunity to hit him below the belt with the umbrella. Mark Henry is in at #6 and he eliminates Gallagher. Strowman eliminates Mojo and Cass, then he eliminates Kalisto by throwing him out ontop of them. Strowman eliminates Mark Henry next, and Jericho is out hiding at ringside. Sami Zayn is out next at #8 and he starts going at it with Strowman. Strowman slows things down with a big clothesline to Zayn. The Big Show is out next at #9 and he starts going at it with Strowman. Big Show hits a chokeslam on Strowman, but Strowman quickly comes back and throws Big Show outside for the elimination. Tye Dillinger is out at #10. Dillinger and Zayn take turns hitting Strowman. They attempt to suplex Strowman, but he reverses it and suplexes them both. James Ellsworth is out next at #11, with Carmella. Ellsworth waits at ringside because he doesn’t want to get in with Strowman. Zayn and Dillinger try to eliminate Strowman, but he hangs on. Strowman shoulder blocks Zayn and Dillinger down while Ellsworth and Jericho are both waiting at ringside. Dean Ambrose is out at #12, and he throws Ellsworth into the ring alone with Strowman. Strowman clotheslines him down, then chokeslams him to the outside and Ellsworth lands right on his hip on the floor at ringside. Ambrose hits the ring and goes at it with Strowman. Baron Corbin is out at #13, while Strowman eliminates Dillinger. Ambrose hits a missile dropkick off the turnbuckle on Strowman, then Sami Zayn hits the Heluva Kick on him, then Baron Corbin clotheslines Strowman outside for the elimination. Kofi Kingston is out at #14, and The Miz is out at #15. Corbin drops The Miz with a Deep Six, but then Kofi drops Corbin with a Trouble In Paradise. Sheamus is out at #16 and he starts dropping people, then hits a series of punches of The Miz’s chest. Sheamus drops Jericho with the Brogue Kick. Big E is out at #17, and Cesaro is out next. Cesaro starts swinging everyone one by one, but he grabs Sheamus and hesitates and Sami Zayn superkicks him. Xavier woods is out at #20. Xavier and Kofi take turns kicking Sheamus then Big E hits the big splash on Sheamus. Bray Wyatt is out next at #21 and Apollo Crews is out at #22. Sheamus and Cesaro clothesline all three New Day members outside. Sheamus tries to eliminate Cesaro next, but Chris Jericho sneaks in and eliminates both of them. Randy Orton is out #23, and he hits Sami Zayn with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton and Wyatt start teaming up to work on the other competitors. Dolph Ziggler is out at #24 and he starts dropping people with superkicks. Luke Harper is out at #25 and he starts working on Crews and eliminates him. Harper and Orton lock eyes, and Wyatt gets between them. Harper drops Wyatt with a clothesline out of nowhere, then he drops Orton with a big boot. Harper grabs Wyattand goes for the Sister Abigail on Bray, but Orton breaks it up with an RKO on Harper. Brock Lesnar is out next at #26. Lesnar eliminates Ziggler and Ambrose, and gives everyone else F-5’s. Enzo Amore is entrant #27, and Lesnar drops him with a clothesline immediately then eliminates him. Lesnar hits a series of release vertical suplexes on some of the other competitors in the ring. Goldberg is in at #28 and he immediately ducks a clothesline from Lesnar and spears him. Lesnar gets up and Goldberg clotheslines him to the outside for the elimination. Goldberg starts dropping people with clotheslines, then hits Sami Zayn with a Jackhammer. Wyatt and Orton start double teaming Goldberg, then Goldberg spears them both. The Undertaker is out at #29. The lights go out and when they come back on Undertaker is in the ring. Taker grabs Goldberg by the throat, but the other wrestlers break it up. Goldberg eliminates Rusev, then spears Undertaker. Goldberg eliminates Harper, then Undertaker comes up behind Goldberg and throws him out. The Undertaker starts handing out chokeslams to the other competitors. Roman Reigns enters at #30 and starts exchanging right hands with The Undertaker. Taker drops Reigns with a clothesline, then attempts a chokeslam but Reigns gets out and hits a Superman punch. Reigns goes for another Superman punch, but Taker catches him and chokeslams him. Taker eliminates Miz and Zayn next. Taker chokeslams Jericho next, then Reigns eliminates The Undertaker from behind. Jericho goes up to the top rope, but Reigns superman punches him down to ringside for the elimination. Wyatt and Orton gang up and start beating down Reigns. Orton drapes Reigns over the middle rope and DDTs him. Reigns gets out of a Sister Abigail and superman punches Orton and Wyatt. Reigns throws Wyatt outside for the elimination, and it’s down to Orton and Reigns. Reigns goes for the spear on Orton, but Orton catches him with an RKO then eliminates him. Winner: Randy Orton

Several WWE Twitter Accounts Hacked On Saturday Night

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The Twitter accounts of John Cena, Triple H, WWE Universe, WrestleMania, WWE NXT and WWE Network accounts were all hacked Saturday night.

The Hacker group Ourmine issued an statement to Mashable claiming that they are responsible for the hack and noted that all the accounts are linked to one WWE employee.

“We just hacked it using the head of WWE social media account,” the representative said. “It is linked to all of WWE Superstars accounts — Twitter and Facebook.”

https://twitter.com/henrytcasey/status/825557648431013888

WWE NXT Takeover: San Antonio Recap & Reaction

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Tye Dillinger vs Eric Young

Eric Young wanted Dillinger to join SAnitY before the match but Tye punched Young in the face instead. The crowd was heavily behind Dillinger during this match and chanted “10” several times. Killian Dain hit Dillinger with a Crossbody outside the ring while Young distracted the referee. Young controlled the match for the next few minutes. Young connected with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Young jumped off the top turnbuckle but Dillinger met him in mid-air with a Dropkick.

Both Superstars got back to their feet and traded punches. Dillinger grabbed Young’s beard and headbutted him. Dillinger hit a Belly to Belly Suplex on Young off the top rope for a two count. Dillinger hit the Tye Breaker but Wolfe put Young’s foot on the ropes to break up the pinfall. Dillinger then hit a Crossbody onto both Dain and Wolfe outside the ring. Young then hit a massive Neckbreaker on Dillinger for the victory.

Winner: Eric Young

Samoa Joe was shown watching the show ringside.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs Roderick Strong

Almas controlled the first several minutes of the match. Almas had an Arm Bar applied to Strong but Roderick fought out of it only to be planted with a Body Slam. Strong hit a couple of kicks to the head of Almas and followed it up with a Dropkick that sent Almas to the mat. Stong hit Almas with a Backbreaker for a two count. Almas fought back and connected with a kick to face of Stong. Almas went for the Double Knees but Strong powered out of the corner and kneed Almas in the face.

The crowd chanted “this is awesome” as Almas climbed to the top turnbuckle. Strong swept out the legs of Almost and he fell onto the turnbuckle. Roderick hit a Backbreaker with Almas landing across the top turnbuckle. Almas launched Strong into the turnbuckle and then planted him with a Clothesline. Strong connected with the Sick Kick for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Roderick Strong

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Authors of Pain vs DIY(c)

Rezar and Ciampa started out the match. Rezar dominated early but Ciampa was able to tag in Gargano. Both Rezar and Akam were knocked out of the ring. Gargano hit a Suicide Dive onto both of them. Back in the ring, The Authors of Pain took back control of the match. Gargano was trapped in the corner as Paul Ellering shouted at him from outside the ring. Rezar and Akam took turns stomping on Gargano. A “Johnny Wrestling” chant broke out as Gargano was hit with a Sidewalk Slam by Rezar.

Gargano finally tagged in Ciampa and he immediately hit a Clothesline on Akam off of the top rope. Ciampa planted both members of Authors of Pain with a German Suplex. Ciampa slapped Akam in the face several times but Akam hit him with a massive Clothesline. Gargano and Ciampa hit a double Spear on Akam for a two count. Gargano and Ciampa had both Rezar and Akam in submission holds. Rezar powered out of the hold and Body Slammed Gargano on top of Ciampa. The Authors of Pain hit The Last Chapter for the victory.

Winners & New NXT Tag Team Champions: The Authors of Pain

Seth Rollins called out Triple H and said that he is not leaving the ring until he comes out. Triple H came to the entrance ramp but called on security to restrain Rollins. Seth took out a few members of security but eventually he was dragged to the back.

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Billie Kay vs Peyton Royce vs Nikki Cross vs Asuka (c)

Royce and Kay rolled out of the ring right when the match started. Cross and Asuka went to battle but Kay and Royce attacked them from behind. Asuka took them all out and stood alone in the ring. Asuka then hit a Double German Suplex on Royce and Kay. Cross and Asuka started trading punches in the middle of the ring. Asuka planted Cross with a German Suplex for a two count. Cross fought back and hit a Neckbreaker on Asuka as Royce and Kay remained outside the ring.

Nikki Cross flipped out and started screaming and kicking the bottom rope. Cross hit a Swinging Neckbreaker on Asuka outside the ring. Nikki hit a Crossboday onto both Billie Kay and Peyton Royce outside the ring. Kay and Royce battled back and attacked Cross. The action reached the announce table area and Nikki climbed on top of the table. Billie Kay swept her legs out from under her and Cross fell face first into the table. Kay and Royce Suplexed Cross through a table and celebrated their achievement on top of the table.

Royce and Kay then ran back to the ring to attack Asuka. Asuka kicked Billie Kay outside of the ring but Royce connected with a kick of her own to Asuka. Royce then hit the Widow’s Peak but Asuka kicked out at two. Asuka then kicked Kay and Royce in the head and pinned Royce to retain her title.

Winner & Still NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka

WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate was shown ringside.

NXT Championship Match: Bobby Roode vs Shinsuke Nakamura (c)

The match started out with dueling “Nakamura!” and “Bobby Roode!” chants echoing throughout the crowd. The entire crowd than started to sing Nakamura’s entrance theme. A “this is glorious!” chant started as Roode and Nakamura finally locked up. Roode applied a Chinlock but Nakamura reached the ropes to break the hold. Nakamura and Roode then taunted each other in the ring. Roode kept running to the ropes so that the referee would have to back up Nakamura.

Roode avoided a kick from Shinsuke and posed in the ring. Nakamura didn’t take too kindly to that and booted him in the chest. Nakamura then connected with a kick to face of Roode that sent him out of the ring. Shinsuke followed Roode out of the ring and continued the attack. Back in the ring, Nakamura launched Roode into the turnbuckle and charged at him but Roode caught him. Nakamura was perched up on the top turnbuckle and Roode shoved him off and Shinsuke slammed off of the ring apron and fell to the floor.

Roode joined Shinsuke outside the ring and launched him into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Roode connected with a couple of chops to Shinsuke in the corner. Roode followed it up with a Clothesline and landed a Double Axe Handle off the second rope. Roode controlled the next few minutes of the match and gloated about it the entire time. Nakamura battled back and laid out Roode along the ring apron. Shinsuke connected with a series of knees to Roode’s head and sent him back in the ring.

Bobby Roode once again went for the Double Axe Handle but Nakamura avoided it. Shinsuke hung Roode up on the top turnbuckle and hit him with a knee to the chest. Shinsuke hit the Inverted Exploder Suplex and went for the Kinshasa but Roode wouldn’t get up from the mat. Finally, Shinsuke approached Roode and Roode went for a roll up. Shinsuke kicked out but Roode planted him with a Spinebuster.

Both Shinsuke and Roode were on the top turnbuckle. Roode went for the Superplex but Nakamura blocked it and sent Roode face first into the mat. Nakamura hit a kick off the second rope and once again went for the Kinshasa but Roode kicked Nakamura in the face. Roode went for a pinfall while using the ropes as leverage but the referee saw it. Nakamura connected with a series of kicks and then stomped on Roode’s head as it hung on the bottom rope.

Nakamura was on the second turnbuckle but Bobby Roode rolled onto the ring apron. Nakamura connected with a knee while Roode was on the apron but the Shinsuke injured his knee during the move. Back in the ring, Shinsuke hit the Kinshasa but was unable to go for the pin because of his injured knee. A member of the WWE medical staff came down to the ring to check on Nakamura. Shinsuke agreed to continue to the match and Roode immediately hit the Glorious DDT but Shinsuke kicked out at two.

Roode then applied a Half Crab while punching Shinsuke’s injured knee. Nakamura got out of the hold but Roode planted him with a second Glorious DDT for the victory.

Winner & New NXT Champion: Bobby Roode

Reaction: This certainly was not the best NXT Takeover event but it was still very entertaining. The main event was terrific. Shinsuke’s injury wound up costing him the title and if he were healthy he would of walked out of San Antonio still NXT Champion. There really wasn’t a bad match on the show. The finish that seemed to bother the most fans was The Authors of Pain becoming the new NXT Tag Team Champions. Rollins showing up was completely unexpected and it was a very good segment. I’m guessing Rollins will show up once again tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble.

What did you think of NXT Takeover: San Antonio? Share your thoughts below in the comments.

Seth Rollins Crashes NXT TakeOver, Calls Out Triple H

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RAW Superstar Seth Rollins crashed Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: San Antonio event and called out Triple H once again.

The Game did appear, but there was no face-to-face confrontation. Triple H sent security to the ring to get Rollins under control so the show could continue.

Rollins and Triple H are expected to face off at WrestleMania 33 in singles action. Expect to see more of Seth Rollins attempting to confront his former ally.

WWE cameras caught up with Triple H after NXT Takeover to get his thoughts on Seth Rollins’ surprise appearance.

Video: New NXT Tag Team Champions Crowned At TakeOver

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The Authors of Pain defeated DIY to win the NXT Tag Team Championships at tonight’s TakeOver: San Antonio event. This is the first reign for The Authors, Rezar and Akem.

Jim Ross Predicts That Kurt Angle May Wrestle Once For WWE, Talks Royal Rumble

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Jim Ross was recently a guest on The Straight Shooters Podcast where he discussed Kurt Angle and Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. On the topic of Angle being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, J.R. believes WWE did a thorough evaluation of his health before pursuing the idea.

“Some people say, ‘Well, it’s a long time coming.’ Damn right, it’s a long time coming,” Ross said. “But it was a long time for [Angle] to get his priorities back together and for him to stop making bad decisions. So thank God he’s doing really well.”

Ross said that Angle looked great when he saw him wrestle back in October in England. Ross says that while Kurt could still wrestle a match, he doesn’t see him doing more than one bout for WWE at-most. “He doesn’t owe anybody four more matches or six more matches or anything,” Ross said. “I think that he could have a big match if it was made that way, a significant match for WWE. A one-off deal.” Ross added that Angle transitioned from amateur wrestling to pro wresting better than anyone else.

The 2017 Royal Rumble takes place this weekend, and Ross recalls the 30-man elimination match being a challenging one to call. “It’s going to be over an hour and your stories change at the same intervals that the talents are entered –then the stories change again when talents are eliminated,” he noted. J.R. says it’s hard to predict the winner of the Rumble matches unless you know the WrestleMania card in advance.

You can listen to the entire podcast with Ross at WildFireRadio.com.

NXT Spoilers For February 1st

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NXT taped the following matches tonight in San Antonio to air on the February 1st episode:

* Ember Moon defeated Aliyah with The Eclipse. They hugged and shook hands after the match

* WWE United Kingdom Champion Tyler Bate defeated Oney Lorcan with a Tyler Driver 97

* No Way Jose defeated Elias Samson with a pop-up punch

First Look At Alamodome Being Set Up For The Rumble, Big E Argues With Wendy’s

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– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans which Superstar they most want to see step in the ring with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. John Cena has 36% of the vote, followed by AJ Styles (28%) and Goldberg (14%). Despite the fact that Roman Reigns is The Undertaker’s rumored WrestleMania opponent, only 4% of fans voted for The Guy.

– Our friends over at WrestlingINC.com have obtained these photos of the Alamodome being set up for tomorrow night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

 

– Big E and Wendy’s had an argument on Twitter. Wendy’s picked Titus O’Neil to win the Royal Rumble and Big E wasn’t a fan of that choice.

Report: Conor McGregor Turns Down Big Money Offer To Appear At WrestleMania

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It’s no secret that WWE is interested in doing business with UFC Lightweight champion Conor McGregor. The brash Irish fighter is one of the top blockbuster attractions in the world and WWE COO Triple H is on record stating that he’d like to find a way to get “The Notorious” to appear at a WWE event. Unfortunately, it seems like a role at WrestleMania 33 can be ruled out.

McGregor is in Manchester, England today for a sit-down interview being conducted in front of 5,000 fans and airing on pay-per-view. Ahead of this interview, the The Sun ran an exclusive that WWE recently made a hefty offer to McGregor, which he turned down.

“WWE has made no secret of its desire to do something with Conor McGregor and there were talks between the two parties about this year. Because he’s taking time off from the UFC, there was a talk about doing something at this year’s Wrestlemania in April, but it wasn’t to be despite a hefty offer.”

McGregor also posted this on Instagram, letting everybody know they’re going to have to cough up serious dollars if they want to do business with him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BP0mts0htrd/

AJ Styles Talks Royal Rumble Poster, Says He Wouldn’t Be Surprised To See Samoa Joe On Sunday

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In a recent interview with Brian Fritz of The Sporting News, WWE Champion AJ Styles commented on reports that Samoa Joe is heading from NXT to the main WWE roster soon. Styles is good friends with Joe, and says there’s no doubt that he is an “amazing wrestler.”

“It’s just a matter of time before he’s on the roster,” Styles said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he showed up on Sunday. There’s always surprises in the Royal Rumble and you try not to get surprised, you try to see it coming but that’s what makes the Royal Rumble so fun. If Joe doesn’t show up on Sunday, he’ll definitely show up soon. I know it.”

Outrage on social media over Styles being featured behind rows of several other wrestlers on the Royal Rumble promotional poster has been turned into a TV storyline, and Styles has mixed feelings about it.

“It’s actually people reacting on Instagram and Twitter showing me. I think they were a little more upset than I was. I get what’s going on here on the poster. Those are your stars that have been here for a long time. So I get it. They’re in marquee matches as well. They’re faces that people recognize. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy with it. I think that the WWE Champion should be definitely up front but, at the same time, I understand the reasoning for the poster.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Stone Cold Says He Wouldn’t Mind Seeing Kurt Angle In The Royal Rumble, Talks Undertaker

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YYZ4iUgVGo

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently did an interview with TV Insider to promote his Broken Skull Challenge show, and he noted that he’s looking forward to watching Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. During the interview Austin gave high praise to The Undertaker, who will be a participant in the Rumble.

“I mean, how much left does The Undertaker got?” Austin asked. “He is a friend of mine. I don’t have his phone number or his email address. When we see each other we do catch up, though. The career that guy has at being almost 7 feet tall. The bigger you are in the business the more toll I think it takes on the body. You observe bumps differently. That guy has been through some wars. We used to always kid each other with who is going to last the longest. I got out in 2003, and that was 14 years ago, and this S.O.B. is still going.”

Austin says Taker’s career has been an “unbelievable ride,” and calls him a true badass. “There is only one guy who could have pulled that gimmick off the way he is doing it, and his name is Mark Calaway,” Austin said.

Stone Cold also commented on Kurt Angle’s Hall of Fame induction, and has fond memories of his backstage skits with the Olympic gold medalist. Austin noted that he had three broken bones in his back at the time and couldn’t wrestle, so he had to rely on comedy with Angle. He says he wouldn’t mind seeing Angle as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble on Sunday.

You can read Austin’s entire interview at TVInsider.com.

Ryback Says Vince McMahon Sabotaged His Merchandise Sales, Talks CM Punk Feud

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Former WWE star Ryback recently took part in a Q & A with fans for North East Online Wrestling, where he says he feels he was ready to be given a WWE Championship run back in 2012. The question and answer session was broadcast on The Buzzards Wrestling Podcast, and we hear Ryback discuss what was going on behind-the-scenes during his on-sceen feud with CM Punk. He also claims that sometimes his merchandise outsold John Cena’s.

“I absolutely was ready [for a WWE Title run] and we would’ve created a new star right then and there but with the ankle injury, WWE were never going to let that happen,” Ryback said of the company limiting his push. “If people knew the merchandise numbers and how well we were doing on everything and I was sometimes beating John Cena. I had to fight to get all the merchandise that I had and I still had a core of what John had at the time, or half of what he had, and they wouldn’t let it go anymore, whereas now, they can’t make enough stuff for people. They were not allowing me that opportunity when the numbers were there and the crowd support was there.”

Ryback says he lost out on a lot of those merchandise sales because Vince McMahon doesn’t want heels to sell as much merchandise as the babyfaces. He says when WWE turned him heel after WrestleMania 29, McMahon gave the order for the company to stop prominently displaying his merchandise.

“Vince personally came up to me and told me ‘I want your merchandise to tank’ and they quit promoting it,” Ryback claims. “So, from a business standpoint, he told me ‘I don’t want you selling merchandise as a heel.’ Kevin Owens is a heel, Seth Rollins was a heel and all their other heels all have merchandise, so explain that. It all goes back to my ankle situation.”

You can listen to the whole thing via The Buzzards Wrestling Podcast at AudioBoom.com.

Kurt Angle Booked For WWE Axxess, Speaks On Stephanie McMahon & Steve Austin

Eric Lynch
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNUw9MsIJ7c

– The Hall of Fame ceremony on March 31st isn’t the only WWE event Kurt Angle is booked for on WrestleMania weekend. It was announced this week that Angle will also be appearing at WWE’s Axxess fan convention. He’ll be meeting fans and signing autographs at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando on April 2nd at 8 AM.

Tickets for WWE Axxess go on sale on February 4th. You can find more ticket info at WWE.com.

– Speaking of Angle, he recently did a Q & A session with fans on Facebook, where he talked about who he wants to induct him into the Hall of Fame on 3/31. Angle said his three top picks to induct him would be Steve Austin, John Cena, and The Undertaker. Angle was asked about his favorite feuds from his WWE days, and mentioned his storylines with Austin, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock. You can read the whole thing on his Facebook page.

AJ Styles Wants To Face Kurt Angle In WWE, Speaks On Working With Cena

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLMSnfBQC00

WWE Champion AJ Styles recently told FOX Sports that John Cena has made him a better performer. In an interview to promote Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, the former TNA Champion discussed Cena and his status as a part-time performer. Styles said that Cena works harder than anybody he’s ever seen.

“I mean, the guy’s on The Today Show in the morning and and comes and does live events, or comes and does SmackDown Live. The guy works hard, I get that,” Styles said. “And to tell you the truth, I’ve become a better performer because of John Cena, and I like that.”

The topic of the Royal Rumble poster came up when he talked about his motivations. Despite being WWE Champion, Styles is featured behind rows of several other wrestlers on the poster. AJ says he’s motivated by respect and will earn it from Cena, “the girls on The Today Show,” and the people on the Royal Rumble poster on Sunday.

AJ has a lot of history with soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, and told FOX Sports that he would jump at the opportunity to wrestle him in a WWE ring.

“I would love that. Kurt and I have had a lot of matches together, and I would love to jump in the ring with him one more time,” he said. Is that possible? I don’t know… but it sure would be fun and I would love the opportunity to do that.”

You can read the full interview at FOXSports.com.

Nikki Bella Announced As Total Divas Executive Producer

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WWE announced today that Nikki Bella will serve as executive producer of Total Divas when the sixth season resumes on Wednesday, 4/5. They announced the following today:

Total Divas returns April 5, Nikki Bella confirmed as Executive Producer

Nikki Bella is going behind the scenes when Total Divas returns this spring. In addition to starring in E!’s reality TV sensation, the record-setting former Divas Champion will serve as an Executive Producer when the show returns for the back half of Season 6 on Wednesday, April 5.

“I am honored and excited to have been made an executive producer on Total Divas,” said Nikki in a statement. “As a pioneer of the show, I want to use my expertise and creativity not only in front of the cameras but behind as well and my goal is to continue to make Total Divas one of the best reality programs on television.”

When last we left Total Divas on this week’s mid-season finale, The Fearless One had been cleared to return to the ring by her doctors, but not by WWE officials. As a result, Nikki was set to continue her rehabilitation at the WWE Performance Center while the rest of the cast — Natalya, Eva Marie, Naomi, Paige, Renee Young, Lana and Maryse — waited to hear of their fates in the WWE Brand Extension Draft. Brie Bella, meanwhile, continued her efforts to start a family with husband Daniel Bryan.

“I’m very focused on my journey to inspire and empower women and I look at this as another step forward in doing so,” Nikki said of her involvement in the coming episodes. “I am grateful to WWE, E! and Bunim Murray for giving me this amazing opportunity.”

Total Divas returns Wednesday, April 5, on E!.

Viewership For The Genesis Episode Of TNA Impact On POP

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0GWylMIf6E

Last night’s TNA Genesis-themed episode of TNA Impact on POP drew 307,000 viewers, down from last week’s 310,000 viewers.

This was the 2017 Genesis edition of Impact, featuring Lashley defeating Eddie Edwards for the World Heavyweight Championship in an Iron Man Match.

Impact was #138 for the night on cable, down from last week’s #130 spot.

WrestleMania 33 Plans For Roman Reigns, Title Matches, More

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With just days until the 2017 Royal Rumble, WWE’s plans for WrestleMania 33 are still being finalized, with several top stars still without certain opponents. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, here’s what’s currently being considered Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker is on the books as one of the headline matches.

The Observer also reports that current plans do not have AJ Styles and Kevin Owens going into WrestleMania with the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship. Styles is scheduled to defend against John Cena this Sunday at Royal Rumble while Owens will defend against Reigns.

Another WrestleMania match in the works is Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt. Rumors have Orton winning the Rumble and and Wyatt winning February’s Elimination Chamber match, setting up their WrestleMania match for the WWE Championship.

As noted earlier this week, John Cena vs. Samoa Joe has been discussed in recent weeks, but is not confirmed. Whether nor not that match happens, Joe is due to join the main roster soon.

These matches are in addition to Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Shaq vs. Big Show, both of which have been ‘set in stone’ for months.

New TNA World Champion Crowned (Video)

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Lashley became a four-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion after winning an Iron Man Match over Eddie Edwards on this week’s Genesis Impact on POP.

Edwards held the title since the 10/6/16 Impact episode where he defeated Lashley for the championship. Here are some shots from the match:

Trailer: New WWE Mobile Game Released

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Scopely and WWE have released a new “WWE Champions” mobile game for iOS and Android today. The game can be downloaded to your device for free. Below is the full announcement from WWE:

WWE Champions mobile game arrives on iOS, Android

On Thursday, WWE and Scopely unveiled WWE Champions, a new, fast-paced puzzle/role-playing game for iOS and Android. The new WWE mobile game is available now for download free of charge on the App Store for iOS devices, as well as the Google Play Store for Android devices.

In WWE Champions, grappling gamers will build a fantasy Superstar roster and battle for virtual supremacy of the squared circle. Players will draft their team from a playable roster of over 100 different Superstars and WWE Legends, all of whom can be boosted with special ability upgrades and customizable signature finishing moves. They can also recruit up-and-coming Superstars to their team along the way.

WWE Champions will also pit fans from across the WWE Universe in various formats. Players can do battle in one-on-one or tag team format, or participate in weekly battles which recreate heated confrontations from Raw, SmackDown Live and WWE pay-per-views.

Scopely, the leading touchscreen entertainment network, serves as WWE’s partner for WWE Champions after producing multiple chart-topping mobile games. Scopely’s mobile gaming catalogue includes The Walking Dead: Road to Survival, YAHTZEE With Buddies and Wheel of Fortune Free Play. Their resume now includes WWE, which should offer plenty of excitement for mobile gamers everywhere.

“Together with WWE, we have built a mobile experience that captures the intensity and personality of the world of WWE spanning generations of Superstars and Legends,” said Tim O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer, Scopely. “WWE Champions is packed with unlimited hours of gameplay to entertain both WWE fans and mobile gamers.”

Total Divas Viewership For Mid-Season Finale, Return Date

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The mid-season finale of Total Divas drew 696,000 viewers on the E! channel.

This is up from last week’s 580,000 viewers.

Total Divas ranked #32 on the cable top 150 chart this week.

The current season of Total Divas will pick back up on Wednesday, April 5.

John Cena Rumored To Face NXT Star At WrestleMania 33

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WWE is still laying out plans for WrestleMania 33, and it sounds like the company is reportedly considering a big between a top NXT star and a top SmackDown star. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Samoa Joe’s name has been pitched as an opponent for John Cena at WrestleMania.

Meltzer noted that he hadn’t been told what Vince McMahon’s reaction to the pitch was, but that Joe is believed to be heading to the main roster for ‘Mania. The former NXT Champion will reportedly featured be featured prominently at WrestleMania, which takes place on April 3rd in Orlando, FL.

Cena and Joe were in WWE’s developmental system together in the early 2000’s, and the company does have footage of the two together. WWE uploaded the above video to their YouTube channel in December about their history.

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