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Roman Reigns: Royal Rumble Fan Rejection Was A ‘Huge Kick In The Ass’

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Roman Reigns appeared on The LAW: Live Audio Wrestling podcast this week to discuss SummerSlam, the past year of his career, the reaction he received at the Royal Rumble, matches with Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar and Big Show in 2015 and more.

Reigns said despite the fact that fans completely rejected his Royal Rumble win earlier this year, “it all happened for a reason.”

“In sports entertainment, professional wrestling, entertainment, storytelling, you can do anything, you can tell any story you want to. It’s difficult to say, especially within what we do, with hindsight. I think there is a lot of things we could have done or maybe thought about, but it is what it is, it really is. It all happened for a reason.”

“Bryan and myself were both hurt we were both coming back around similar times. 100% it didn’t help me coming back around the same time as Bryan, especially with everything he has gone though over the past year, year-and-a-half. People talk about getting through adversity and going through some tough stuff, the stuff that happened to Bryan, the ups and downs, I think everyone was rooting for him (Bryan), I was rooting for him. I still to this day root for him. I want to see Bryan back in a wrestling ring, tearing the house down with myself and all the rest of the boys.”

Reigns remains optimistic, having used the uncomfortable situation as a means of motivation. In hindsight, he’s thankful things turned out the way they did at the Royal Rumble and he relishes the opportunity to prove he’s deserving of being a WWE main eventer.

“It was just a tough situation, regardless of what happened or how we could have changed that night as far as responses, as far as having the crowd react properly to me, or how we wanted them to, it didn’t. But it helped me, it helped me grow, it left a huge impression on me, you know I thank Philly every day for that. You have to learn fast in this business and I’d like to think I’m doing that, but without that night, that was a huge kick in the ass, that lit a fire under me. If you’ve seen what I’ve done in the past six-months, I think you can tell Royal Rumble definitely helped me.”

Tough Enough Competitors To Face Cesaro Next Week, Tough Enough Betting Odds

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Bwin.com.com has released the following betting odds for next week’s WWE Tough Enough finale:

– For the men, Josh is currently the favorite to win at 33/100 while ZZ is at 9/4.

– For the women, Sara Lee is the favorite to win at 1/2 while Amanda it at 7/4.

In related Tough Enough news, WWE announced on Wednesday night that Cesaro will be wrestling Joshua and ZZ in two separate matches on next week’s episode.

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Paul Heyman & Jim Ross Talk About Brock Lesnar’s Work Ethic, His Future & More

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Paul Heyman and Jim Ross spoke to Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report this week to discuss Brock Lesnar as he prepares to face The Undertaker this Sunday at WWE SummerSlam. Here are some highlights:

Brock Lesnar’s Work Ethic:

Jim Ross: “He’s got a very devoted worth ethic because that’s how he was raised. When you’re raised on a dairy farm, people have to understand, those cows are milked every morning and every evening every day of the year. So when you’re raised on a dairy farm, you understand the word ‘commitment’ and nose to the grindstone, for lack of a better term. And that’s the environment that he knew. That’s all he knew. So I think that has helped him establish his character, his integrity, as far as how he approaches his vocation.”

Lesnar Shattering The Undertaker’s Mystique: 

Paul Heyman: “Because the streak was something very special and everyone wanted to believe it would be the exception that defines the rule. That something in the world of sport or entertainment or sports entertainment could truly live on forever. People are still legitimately pissed off because so many people look to live vicariously through the personas and the characters in WWE because it’s a fantasy world. And all of a sudden, the fantasy world of WWE got b—h-slapped into waking up from their dream, because, much like everything else in life, the streak came to an end. And no one likes it when their fantasy is burst. No one.”

Vince McMahon’s Decision To Work With Brock Lesnar Again:

Jim Ross: “It proved to me that despite all those people who love to stand on their soapbox and talk about McMahon’s ego, that he still is gonna do what’s best for his company that he’s built from the territorial smoky arenas to the global brand that it is. It has been built on his back. And he’s had to eat a lot of s–t over the years. That was one of the things he taught me when he promoted me to be in charge of the talent roster and to retool it and to try to change the personality of the locker room. He said, ‘You have to learn to eat a lot of s–t.’ He said, ‘You’ll never like the taste of it, but you’ll get used to it.'”

Lesnar Re-Signing With WWE This Year & His Future:

Paul Heyman: “His timing is impeccable. He knows what he’s doing. He is a world-class global athlete in his prime yet understands how to maximize the money he will make based on the exploitation of his persona. Brock Lesnar is not done yet. Brock Lesnar has not accomplished all that he wants to accomplish yet. And there are still things that Brock Lesnar wants to do that the public is going to be in awe of. We’re just getting started here.”

WWE Takes Over NYC For SummerSlam Week (Press Release)

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WWE sent out the following on Wednesday:

WWE® TAKES OVER NEW YORK CITY WITH SUMMERSLAM®

STAMFORD, Conn., August 19, 2015 – For the first time since 2007, WWE’s SummerSlam returns to the NYC-Metro area with a week-long lineup of events including interactive fan experiences and community outreach programs covering all five NYC boroughs. SummerSlam takes place this Sunday, August 23, live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET from a sold-out Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The events begin today and include:

· Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, August 19
WWE Superstars and Tag Team Champions Titus O’Neil® and Darren Young® will be at The Brooklyn Hospital Center and WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose® will be joined by WWE Diva Alicia Fox® at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Queens. On both occasions, they will visit with patients and hand out WWE Mattel toys.

· Brooklyn Cyclones Celebrity Softball Game – Wednesday, August 19
The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night. As part of the night’s festivities, WWE Superstars and Divas including Ryback®, Fandango®, Eva Marie® and Charlotte, will join members of the FDNY, NYPD and other celebrities in a pre-game Celebrity/Civil Servants All-Star Challenge and softball game prior to the 7 p.m. Cyclones game against the Lowell Spinners. Also scheduled to participate in the celebrity game are NBA Hall of Famer and current St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mullin, Mets Hall of Famer John Franco, Greg Kelly & Rosanna Scotto – the hosts of Good Day New York – and many others.

· SummerSlam Reading Celebration – Thursday, August 20
WWE and First Book will host a reading celebration at JCC Cornerstone Program at Todt Hill Community Center in Staten Island. WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler® and WWE Divas Nikki Bella® and Brie Bella® will read to local Staten Island students from grades 1-3 to promote the importance of literacy. A book donation will be made to all students in attendance.

· Firehouse and Police Precinct Visits to Support “Answer the Call” – Thursday, August 20
WWE is joining forces with Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes through a global online auction on Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences in support of “Answer The Call,” the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. To help raise awareness for the program, WWE Superstars Roman Reigns®, Jimmy Uso®, Jey Uso®, Kofi Kingston®, Big E® and Xavier Woods®, and WWE Diva Summer Rae® will be visiting firehouses and police precincts around New York City.

· “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance and Respect) Anti-Bullying Rally – Thursday, August 20
WWE will host an anti-bullying rally at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the Bronx, featuring Be A STAR alliance members, Facebook, GLAAD and DoSomething.org. WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Facebook Trust and Safety Manager, Emily Vacher, GLAAD Vice President of Programs Zeke Stokes and DoSomething.org’s Chief Marketing Officer Naomi Hirabayashi will join WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston® and Sheamus®, and WWE Diva Eva Marie™ to deliver bullying prevention messages to more than 250 children between the ages of 6-15.

· Hire Heroes Veteran Employment Panel & Event – Friday, August 21
WWE, in partnership with Barclays Center and Orion International will host a Veterans Career Panel and Networking Event in support of Hire Heroes USA (HHUSA) for nearly 80 veterans. Corporate HR and Brand Executives from WWE, ESPN, Marvel, Priceline, MTA, LinkedIn, FDNY and Colgate will be in attendance to discuss veteran hiring practices. WWE Superstars The Usos, WWE Diva Naomi® and WWE NXT Superstars Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, will also be on-hand to speak with the veterans. The event will consist of a panel, networking opportunities and career coaching stations.

· John Cena 500th Wish Celebration – Friday, August 21
Make-A-Wish and WWE will celebrate WWE Superstar John Cena® becoming the first celebrity in history to grant 500 wishes. The event, which is being hosted at Dave & Buster’s Times Square, will feature appearances by WWE Superstar John Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams, WWE Superstar Sheamus, WWE Divas The Bellas and Wish children and their families.

· New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell – Friday, August 21
In celebration of SummerSlam and WWE Superstar John Cena’s 500th Wish, Cena, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and Make-A-Wish America President and CEO David Williams will accompany seven Wish kids, and ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. For more than a decade, Cena has been granting the wishes of children through WWE’s partnership with Make-A-Wish which began more than 30 years ago. To date, WWE Superstars and Divas have granted more than 6,000 wishes, more than any other sports and entertainment organization.

· Superstar Meet and Greets – Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22
These exclusive fan sessions will give the WWE Universe an opportunity to get autographs and photos with their favorite Superstars and Divas including WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins®; Randy Orton®; Roman Reigns; Dean Ambrose®; Bray Wyatt®; WWE Divas Charlotte, Paige and Becky Lynch; WWE Legend Sting; and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

· Susan G. Komen Community Health Fair – Saturday, August 22
WWE and Susan G. Komen will be supporting a community health fair featuring The Project Renewal Scan Van, offering mobile mammograms and information on Race for the Cure. WWE Divas Tamina™, Alicia Fox™, Naomi™, and Natalya™ and WWE Superstars Titus O’Neil and Darren Young will take part in a meet and greet at the Church of the Revelation in the Bronx to promote breast health education and the importance of early detection.

· NXT Takeover Brooklyn – Saturday, August 22
On the night before the biggest event of the summer, WWE’s next generation of Superstars and Divas will perform at a sold-out Barclays Center with the biggest NXT Takeover yet. Finn Balor’s reign as NXT Champion hangs in the balance when he takes on Kevin Owens in a Ladder Match. NXT Takeover Brooklyn can be seen live on WWE Network at 9 p.m. ET.

· SummerSlam – Sunday, August 23
A sold-out crowd will converge on Barclays Center for SummerSlam. WWE’s biggest event of the summer, which can be seen live on WWE Network at 7 p.m. ET, will feature WWE Superstars Undertaker® and Brock Lesnar® in a rematch of their historic WrestleMania 30 bout where Lesnar ended Undertaker’s 21-year undefeated streak.

· Monday Night Raw – Monday, August 24
The night after SummerSlam, Monday Night Raw takes place at a sold-out Barclays Center for the third night in a row, where fans can see their favorite WWE Superstars and Divas. Monday Night Raw is the longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history and is one of the most-watched, regularly scheduled programs on cable, airing live every Monday night on USA Network.

WrestleMania Headed To Minnesota’s New U.S. Bank Stadium

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WrestleMania is heading to the new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a video posted at Vikings.com profiling the $1 billion stadium currently under construction, Vikings’ Executive Vice President of Public Affairs & Stadium Development Lester Bagley said they are gearing up to host a number of world class sporting events, including WrestleMania.

While Bagley did not specify when the U.S. Bank Stadium will be hosting WrestleMania, officials for Meet Minneapolis (the city’s convention authority) and the stadium authority were preparing a bid back in February to host Wrestlemania 33 in 2017.

The U.S. Bank Stadium will have a capacity of 65,000 for Vikings games, expandable to 73,000.

TNA Announces 7 More Upcoming Live Events, Halloween Tour

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TNA Wrestling has announced seven additional live events spanning the east coast and southeast this fall. For ticket information, visit ImpactWrestling.com.

Here’s an updated look at TNA’s upcoming live events schedule:

The Road to Bound For Glory Tour:

  • 9/17 York, PA
  • 9/18 Morgantown, WV
  • 9/19 Pittsburgh, PA
  • 10/2 Beckley, WV
  • 10/3 Salem, VA

Hardcore Halloween Tour:

  • 10/29 Thibodaux, LA
  • 10/30 New Orleans, LA
  • 10/31 Baton Rouge, LA
  • 11/1 Biloxi, MS

Details On WWE’s First “Performance Center All Access” Event

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During Wednesday’s media conference call, Triple H announced that the first ever WWE Performance Center All Access event will take place on September 28th. Tickets start at just 1,499 per person and will be on sale this coming Monday.

Here’s the official announcement from WWE:

See how Superstars are made with a WWE Performance Center: All Access pass

Do you want to know what it takes to become a WWE Superstar? Have you ever wondered what goes into putting a WWE Live Event together? Well, now you can have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to go behind the scenes with WWE Performance Center: All Access!

For the first time ever, WWE is opening the doors to the state-of-the-art Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. to a limited number of fans from the WWE Universe on Monday, Sept. 28. This unprecedented experience will give fans the opportunity to gain knowledge from the best in the business and learn how to produce a private NXT Live Event.

The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience will allow fans to:

• Share breakfast and lunch with NXT Superstars and Divas (meals provided)
• Participate in a Q&A and orientation session with NXT coaching staff
• Attend a Q&A and autograph session with NXT Superstars and Divas
• Sign a one-day WWE booking contract, granting admission to a private NXT Live Event at the WWE Performance Center that you will help produce, manage and watch alongside your favorite NXT Superstars & Divas
• Take an all-access Tour of the WWE Performance Center, which has never before been opened to the public
• Get an inside look at a private NXT training session
• Learn the ropes during a promo class and then create your very own unique promo video

Plus, you’ll be able to take the experience home, with exclusive keepsakes like:

• Commemorative WWE Performance Center: All Access credential
• Photo opportunities to capture and share your once-in-a-lifetime experience with friends
• WWE Performance Center gift bag
• Limited edition event chair
• Personalized promo video; available post-experience
• Downloadable highlight reel; available post-experience

The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience is $1,499 per person.* Tickets will be available beginning Monday, Aug. 24 at 12 p.m. ET at NXTTickets.com. Space is extremely limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime!

*Must be 18 or older, unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Transportation and lodging not included.

Triple H NXT Conference Call, Waltman On Austin’s Podcast, SummerSlam

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– Triple H will be holding his usual pre-Takeover conference call with the pro wrestling media on Wednesday morning to promote this Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center. Check back here later today for a recap of the call.

– Former WWE Superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman is the guest on the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– The latest edition of WWE’s “5 Things” web-series, which you can check out below, takes a look at five WWE Superstars who have never won at the annual WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

ROH Champion Jay Lethal Issues A Challenge To WWE Champion Seth Rollins

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Ring of Honor’s reigning World and Television champion Jay Lethal spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog to promote this weekend’s ROH shows from the old ECW Arena in Philaelphia on Friday night and from MCU Field in Brooklyn on Saturday night for Field of Honor.

Since ROH will be in Brooklyn for Field of Honor and WWE will also be in town for SummerSlam weekend, Lethal proposes an inter-promotional champion vs. champion match against WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.

“I would love to do that,” said Lethal. “How cool would it be if there was a champion versus champion match? There is no way I would turn that down. Whether or not both companies could get this on the same platform is a shot in the dark, but we’d have a tremendous match. I’ve never got to wrestle Rollins before, either, even though he’s a former Ring of Honor world champion, so he’s never experienced the ‘Lethal Injection.’”

ROH will be going head-to-head with NXT on Saturday night, which hosts Takeover: Brooklyn from the Barclays Center. Lethal stated that ROH booked their show in Brooklyn before NXT, but it’s still an honor to have them as competition. He also pointed out that a good portion of the talent appearing at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn first cut their teeth inside an ROH ring.

“The proof is the fact that a couple NXT wrestlers are former Ring of Honor guys,” said Lethal. “Wouldn’t you just want to go straight to the source and watch the company that they’re pulling from? A lot of wrestling companies are trying to imitate what Ring of Honor does, so wouldn’t you rather see the best wrestling in the world for yourself instead of an imitation?”

There’s much more to the interview, including his time in TNA, dating AJ Lee and Hulk Hogan’s racist comments.

*Spoilers* WWE Main Event Taping Results For This Week

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WWE taped the following matches for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event prior to the WWE SmackDown television tapings on Tuesday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Dark Match:

– Hornswoggle def. Heath Slater in the dark match for the live crowd. The Wisconsin native Hornswoggle actually picked up the “W” after hitting a top-rope tadpole splash.

WWE Main Event:

– Charlotte def. Alicia Fox in Divas action to kick off the taping. Charlotte won via the Figure Eight. A solid match with good pop from the crowd.

– Stardust def. Jack Swagger in the second match taped for Main Event. Stardust won with Dark Matter. A below average match, writes Shane. “I didn’t really see the point of having them wrestle. Barrett had no impact on the match. It really just seemed to be a time filler. The crowd wasn’t really into it either.”

– The Prime Time Players def. The Ascension in tag-team action. Titus O’Neil got the win via Clash of the Titus. Decent match. The first half was slow, but it picked up and ended well., according to Shane. The finish was pretty quick and didn’t have much build up.

– Fandango def. Adam Rose in the final match taped for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event. Rose performed his heel act before the match. Very short match. Apparently, Fandango is a babyface again? This concluded the Main Event taping.

DJ Zema Ion Talks About His Cancer Scare, Future Of Impact Wrestling & More

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui892WO4q_A

TNA Wrestling performer DJ Zema Ion recently appeared as a guest on Ring Rust Radio to talk about his cancer scare, the future of Impact Wrestling and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On his health scare a few years ago: “It was just crazy. I was not sure for about five or six months whether or not I had cancer. When your alone with your thoughts, when you’re unsure, it’s scary. It changes your perspective and your outlook on life. I wasn’t sure how much longer I had to live. I thought if I had cancer, I might have a year or two then I will probably die. It definitely impacted me in many ways inside if wrestling and outside of it too. I thought to myself what did I want to accomplish still in my life? Music was a really big thing that I wanted to learn and get trained at. I took a lot of time when I was on the injured list and dove into that passion to try and learn it since I didn’t know how much more time I had to live. I remember having a nearly maxed out credit card, and I told myself, “you know what, let’s just buy some music productions software”. I didn’t have the money to do it so I maxed out my card completely. I got the software because that’s how bad I wanted to learn it. Just like with wrestling, I was sitting there and not sure if I ever would wrestle again. It was depressing and made me appreciate and love wrestling even more. Then when I got healthy again, I was able to come back to wrestling with a reinvigorated passion for it. I was just grateful to be able to do it again when I wasn’t sure I ever would. I’m thankful that I am healthy today and cancer free.”

On how confident he is in the future of Impact Wrestling: “I think what sucks is that fans seem to be very concerned with these inner workings of TNA when there is a great show we are putting out every Wednesday. The show itself is taking a backseat to the controversy and negative reports out there. Don’t worry about that, just watch the show and enjoy it. Wresting is interesting because it’s not like you have passionate fans of TV shows like the Walking Dead being super concerned about the behind the scenes of the series. Only in pro-wrestling, do you get fans that are so interested in the behind the scenes aspect as much as the stuff you see on TV. It’s interesting in that way but I think it sucks since the show is really strong right now. We have a lot of hungry wrestlers giving it their all every week and there should be more emphasis on that instead of the behind the scenes stuff.”

On TNA allowing talents to work independent shows: “I think it’s cool that we have the freedom to take these bookings when we are not doing TNA stuff. This was a different situation where last year we were super busy with live events and I had no time to do any independent shows. This year, there aren’t live events, so I have the freedom to take these independent bookings. It’s cool because there is a different kind of pressure and creative outlet for me when I work an independent show versus a TNA TV show. I get to wrestle talent I’m not familiar with and see different trends in different places. I think it’s cool to help keep your mind sharp and I enjoy to wrestle the independents and see different parts of the world. Being able to do more independent booking allowed me to do different shows in England, Japan, Mexico, and Russia. It’s cool to travel, see other parts of the world, meet new people, and have those experiences. At the same time, I do wish there were more live TNA events and hopefully we will get back to that point somewhere down the line.”

Check out the complete interview at BlogTalkRadio.com.

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s Cause Of Death Revealed

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The cause of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s sudden death at 61 has been confirmed.

His death certificate, obtained by TMZ.com, states that the WWE Hall of Famer died of a heart attack triggered by a pulmonary embolism in his lungs on July 31, 2015.

Piper, who is survived by his wife Kitty and four children, was found dead that day in his home in Hollywood, California. He died in his sleep.

Piper was a professional wrestler for 45 years, the record confirms, and had a history of high blood pressure and hypertension, which is a known cause of clotting. He was previously diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2006, though last November he declared was cancer free.

Piper’s death certificate, which TMZ has posted, can be seen here.

*Spoilers* WWE SmackDown Taping Results For This Week

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WWE taped the SummerSlam “go-home” edition of SmackDown on Tuesday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Below are complete spoiler results of the show.

– This week’s edition of WWE SmackDown kicks off with pyro exploding. From there, we head straight to the ring for our first match of the evening.

– Ryback & Big Show fight to a Double Count Out in the opening match of the show. The action spilled out to the floor where Ryback clotheslined Big Show through the barrier at the timekeeper’s area. The match would go on to end via Double Count Out.

– The New Day def. Los Matadores & El Torito in six-man tag-team action in the second match taped for this week’s SmackDown. The finish of this one saw Big E. hit the running splash on Torito. Woods then tagged in for the pinfall victory.

– Dolph Ziggler and Lana make their way down to the ring for a promo segment. Ziggler talks about how he has missed Lana. The first thing she told him when he came back was to “crush those bastards.” The two start making out. A big Bulgarian flag with Rusev’s face drops down in front of them. Rusev comes out and says he’s going to break Ziggler in half at SummerSlam. Ziggler says he’s going to knock Rusev’s teath out.

– Neville def. Bo Dallas with his Red Arrow finisher in the next match taped for this week’s show. This match was kept quick. Stardust and King Barrett appeared on the big screen and cut promos on Neville and Stephen Amell about this Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.

– Alicia Fox cuts a promo with The Bella Twins about Nikki Bella’s WWE Divas Championship reign. Brie Bella rips the “Diva Revolution.” Team B.A.D. comes out. They talk about how they are going to win this Sunday. Becky Lynch and Charlotte come out as well. This leads to a triple-threat match.

– Brie Bella def. Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch in triple-threat Divas action. The finish saw Brie roll Becky up for the pinfall victory.

– Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Cesaro cut promos backstage about each of their SummerSlam matches scheduled for this Sunday.

– Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns & Cesaro def. Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper & Kevin Owens in eight-man tag-team action, which served as the main event of this week’s edition of SmackDown. The finish saw Ambrose get the hot tag, clean house, and then blast Harper with his Dirty Deeds finisher for the 1-2-3. The babyface foursome celebrate to close out the final major show before this Sunday’s pay-per-view.

Darren Young Says His Character Isn’t Gay, But He Wouldn’t Mind If It Was

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One-half of the current WWE Tag Team Champion Prime Time Players, Darren Young, posted the following message on his official Instagram page about his character not being gay, but how he wouldn’t mind if it was.

“I’m happy with Darren Young and where he stands in the company at present. Even though my character isn’t gay, I’m still able to express myself in other ways like when I put my arms up into an equal sign,” said Young. “That’s my signature pose and it symbolizes what Darren Young is all about. I’m here, and I do what I do to show everyone that we are all equal. Gay, straight, male, female, whatever your race, if you work hard and stay focused, you can make it to the big leagues!”

Young continued, “As a proud gay man in the WWE, I’ve always thought my success was entirely due to my skills as an entertainer and wrestler. It had nothing to do with my personal life. This said, I wouldn’t mind if my character turned gay if it’s for the sake of having an intriguing yet tasteful storyline, but I wouldn’t do that switch if the reason is “just to have a gay character”. #blockthehate #spreadtheword #passalong”

https://www.instagram.com/p/6iM-bFhac9/

RAW Viewership & Rating For ‘Go-Home’ Show Before SummerSlam

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Monday’s 8/17 edition of WWE RAW featuring The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar’s final showdown before SummerSlam and the return of John Cena drew a
2.73 rating with 3.777 million viewers. The rating was slightly up from last week’s 2.71 rating, while viewership was down from last week’s 3.838 million.

Here’s the hourly breakdown:

  • Hour 1: 3,649,000
  • Hour 2: 3,953,000
  • Hour 3: 3,728,000

As noted earlier, RAW saw a spike in social media activity over last week and was ranked #1 among non-sporting events for the night in Nielsen’s Twitter TV ratings.

New Matches & Start Time Announced for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn

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WWE has announced several more matches for Saturday night’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn live special from the Barclays Center. The show will air live on the WWE Network with a new start time of 7:30pm EST. Here’s the updated card:

Ladder Match for the NXT Championship
– Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor (c)

NXT Tag Team Championship Match
– The Vaudevillians vs. Blake and Murphy (c)

NXT Women’s Championship Match
– Bayley vs. Sasha Banks (c)

– Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

– Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

– Bull Dempsey vs. Elias Samson

– Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger

– Eva Marie vs. Carmella

– Enzo Amore, Big Cass, Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley vs. Jason Jordan, Chad Gable, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson

– Charlotte vs. Emma vs. Becky Lynch vs. Dana Brooke

Ziggler Doing Improv Comedy Thursday Night In NYC, SummerSlam Divas Match Rules

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– Dolph Ziggler will be doing improv comedy at The Pit improv comedy theater in New York City this Thursday night at 11pm. Ziggler noted that he’s working on confirming more comedy dates. Tickets are selling fast, get yours at EventBrite.com.

– WWE.com has clarified the rules of the Divas Revolution Elimination Match this Sunday at SummerSlam – a pinfall results in that Diva’s entire team being eliminated:

“The action will be non-stop and unpredictable when only one team member needs to be pinned or made to submit to eliminate their entire team from the match. “

– Monday’s RAW ranked #1 among non-sporting events for the night in Nielsen’s Twitter TV ratings. RAW had a unique audience of 2.514 million, way up from the last week’s 1.591 million. RAW had total impressions of 10.995 million, also up from last week’s 9.220 million impressions.

SyFy Cancels “Haven,” Edge Finishes Filming Of New Movie (Photos)

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After five seasons, SyFy has decided not to renew “Haven,” the series that has featured WWE Hall Of Famer Adam “Edge” Copeland on a regular basis. The last episode of the show will air in October.

Despite the loss, Edge is staying busy, as he has been filming an independent movie called “Dumb Luck,” which he just finished. The description for the film reads: “A shy small town teenager is thrust into spotlight when he wins the lottery on his 18th birthday. What at first seems like a dream come true… FILMING 2015!”

Below are some photos of Edge on the set and behind-the-scenes of the movie.

Mick Foley: “We Need A Women’s Pipebomb”

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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently posted a new blog on his official Facebook page about the ongoing “Diva Revolution” in WWE.

Check out Foley’s latest blog below.

WE NEED A WOMEN’S PIPEBOMB

“Stephanie McMahon did a great job of kicking off the #DivaRevolution on July 13. Really, she did. She gave a great, heartfelt introduction to three of the brightest stars on the WWE horizon – Charlotte BeckyLynch and SashaBanks. It was a night that literally brought tears of joy to my eyes. So why, just five weeks later, have those tears of joy been replaced by the anger and embarrassment of hearing “we want Lesnar” chants during the Banks/Nikki Bella match?

Quite simply, we need a women’s pipebomb. Stephanie may have kicked off the #DivaRevolution on WWE Raw – but we need a Diva/woman/female competitor to take that ball and run with it. We can’t just gradually be SHOWN the revolution. WE can’t have the revolution EXPLAINED to us. We need one of the participants to make us FEEL it. We NEED that promo that perfectly captures the time and place, the pride and passion of this revolution. We NEED a CM Punk pipebomb. We NEED that “Austin 3;16 says I just whipped your ass” moment, that Dusty Rhodes “Hard Times” promo – something that hammers home the point to even the densest, drunkest members of the ?#?WWEUniverse? that times have changed – and chanting for anyone – even if it is a returning hometown hero like Brock Lesnar – while women are working their asses off to entertain them is not just disrespectful, but unacceptable.”

Foley continued, “As a wrestling fan, I was embarrassed. As a friend of both participants in the match, I was hurt. In my wrestling days, I would have tapped into those feelings of embarrassment and hurt and let it out in a promo. Often, those promos were effective; in a few cases, they even became iconic. Not once did I feel that one of those promos would have been better served by committee. I know that times have changed, and that the days of sending a superstar out to the ring with just a microphone and a deep-seeded belief in the importance of their message are largely over. But why not take a chance and let one of the women walk out to the ring with that same opportunity I was given? The same opportunity Punk was given…and Austin…and Dusty…and Flair…and Funk – and so many of the masters of the microphone who won us over with their passion, while not giving a damn about grammar, sentence structure, witty retorts and back and forth banter. John Cena was given the ball last night, and took it in for that figurative touchdown. Heyman is almost other-worldly in his conversion ratio. I honestly don’t know if any of the women can deliver on the microphone with the effectiveness of a Cena or a Heyman. But they deserve the chance to try. All I am saying, is #GiveDivasaChance.

To this day, I count the lyrics to a 1983 David Allen Coe song “The Ride” as one of the driving forces of my career. Dean Ambrose even quoted it a couple of years ago. I get goosebumps each time I hear it or even read it.

He said, “Drifter can ya make folks cry when you play and sing?
Have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues?
Can you bend them, guitar strings?”
He said, “Boy can you make folks feel what you feel inside?
‘Cause if you’re big star bound let me warn ya, it’s a long, hard ride.”

Maybe early-80’s outlaw country isn’t going to inspire every wrestler the way it inspired me…or Ambrose…and possibly a few others along the way. If not, I urge the women to find whatever it is out there that inspires them; that will allow them to be ready when asked to explain the significance of this moment in time. Do whatever it is that allows you to keep your “pipebomb” at your disposal. In the end, making folks feel what you feel inside is what this business is all about.

Just remember, it’s a long, hard ride.

Booker T Teases “Huge Announcement” For His Reality Of Wrestling Promotion

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It appears as though Booker T’s “Reality Of Wrestling” promotion in Texas is gearing up to make some big announcements.

Below are some new tweets from Booker T, his wife Sharmell, as well as former WWE and TNA employee Bruce Prichard.

Photos: Brock Lesnar Visits ESPN Headquarters

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Brock Lesnar visited ESPN headquarters on Tuesday for his appearances on Sports Center and ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike show. Here are some photos from the visit, including Lesnar serving as ESPN’s “new head of security.”

What Happened After RAW, WWE Tough Enough & Total Divas Previews

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– There was no dark main event after last night’s RAW in Minneapolis. After the show went off the air, Brock Lesnar recovered, thanked his hometown crowd and promised to defeat The Undertaker at SummerSlam.

WWE returns to Minneapolis on December 21st for RAW. The pre-sale is going on now with the passcode RAWPRE.

– Tonight’s WWE Tough Enough on the USA Network will feature one of the final three male competitors being eliminated, footage filmed at Universal Studios and more in-ring action from the WWE Performance Center.

– Synopsis for tonight’s Total Divas episode on E!:

“Tensions ride high in the Bella family when JJ tries to take over the twins’ new business; Trinity goes above and beyond in her role as stepmother; and Eva devises a risky plan to prove herself to the Divas.”

WWE Launches ‘Direct-To-Fans’ Mobile Service In India, Africa, Middle East & South East Asia

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WWE announced the following on Tuesday:

WWE Launches ‘Direct-To-Fans’ Mobile Service on Vuclip

Vuclip to Stream WWE Video Clips to Fans in India, Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia

MILPITAS, CA–(Marketwired – August 18, 2015) – Vuclip, the leading premium mobile video on demand [VOD] service for emerging markets, has today announced a partnership with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Ltd. to engage WWE fans in emerging markets of the world with video clips on their mobile phones. Through this partnership, Vuclip will make available WWE’s video clips on the Vuclip service in the markets of India, Africa, Middle East and South East Asia. WWE is NYSE listed and the global leader in sports entertainment.

Via this arrangement, WWE fans can stream the following mix of video clips on their mobile devices: match highlights such as Slam of the Week from both RAW and Smackdown; The Vault, a flashback to a monumental match; WWE Classics from legends of the past; and WWE Countdown which shows favorite superstars and match moments.

Speaking about this new service, Nikhil Naik, Director, Head of Distribution, Vuclip said, “For more than three decades, WWE has been entertaining its fans across the world. With emerging markets such as India and Africa seen as ‘Mobile first’ markets, Vuclip will help pave the way for engaging WWE’s fan base in these countries along with deepening the engagement in the Middle Eastern and South East Asian markets. We are happy to offer WWE fans premium mobile entertainment in these markets.”

WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 35 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. It hosts more than 300 live events annually and possesses 130,000 hours of content which is growing by 500 hours each year.

Video: Brock Lesnar Talks SummerSlam, Dana White’s “Fake” Comments & More On SportsCenter

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https://youtu.be/OgeB3YQ811o

Brock Lesnar appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday morning to discuss his match against The Undertaker this Sunday at SummerSlam, breaking The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak, Dana White’s recent tweet about pro wrestling being “fake” and much more. Here’s a recap:

– Lesnar says he feels good and is excited to take The Undertaker to Suplex City at SummerSlam. He talks about ending The Streak and says it was a weird experience. Lesnar says he will take the win and at the end of the day, it was a business decision made by Vince McMahon.

– When asked about Dana White’s recent controversial tweet about pro wrestling being “fake,” Lesnar said of course it’s fake, everybody knows that, but Dana is still promoting the same thing WWE is promoting. Lesnar says it just happens WWE gets more longevity out of their fighters. He says if you can’t turn WWE on Monday nights and can’t get entertainment out of the show, something’s wrong with you. Lesnar called it the same racket. He believes Vince McMahon may be better than Dana and that may rub Dana the wrong way. Lesnar says Vince is a pioneer and is damn good at what he does.

– Lesnar says he loves being in the ring and it’s all about performing. Lesnar says that’s why he’s here.

John Cena Delivers A Message To His Haters, All-Access Look At The WWE Performance Center

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– WWE United States Champion John Cena tweeted the following after RAW in response to hit haters and the people who don’t want him to win his 16th World Heavyweight championship this Sunday at SummerSlam:

– WWE COO Triple H is teasing an all-access behind-the-scenes look at the WWE Performance Center on Monday, September 28th. While it’s not confirmed, this appears to be another post-RAW WWE Network special.

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