The Monday, April 20th, WWE Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of RAW, with Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler in the main event, drew 4.04 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 4.04 final draw marks a solid increase compared to last week’s show, which averaged 3.665 million viewers for a taped edition of the show from London, England.
The hourly viewership breakdown for Monday’s RAW, which emanated from the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, is as follows:
Hour One: 4.105 million viewers Hour Two: 4.136 million viewers Hour Three: 3.873 million viewers
WWE RAW finished second on cable for Monday night behind the NBA Playoffs.
– As of this past Monday morning, WWE officials were planning on having a Bray Wyatt vs. Ryback feud. Ryback is apparently the person Wyatt has been alluding to in his recent cryptic promos on RAW and SmackDown.
– JBL’s line on commentary during RAW on Monday about not liking catering was apparently a shot at the backstage offerings in WWE as of late. The company has reportedly cut back on their catering budget, but they have been using more pyro as of late.
WWE released a promotional video for this year’s “Payback” pay-per-view which has led to rumors on what the possible main event could be.
Based on the video, which you can watch above, speculation has spread that the main event of this year’s WWE Payback pay-per-view will be a triple-threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship between Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns.
WWE Payback takes place on Sunday, May 17, 2015, from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown tapings take place from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
The top item advertised for this week’s show is a battle of the big men featuring Rusev and Ryback.
Other top stars appearing include WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and more.
The dark match main event is scheduled to be Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins and Big Show, but it’s unlikely Bryan will be competing tonight.
Join us here later for Live Coverage of the WWE SmackDown tapings.
Jim Ross recently updated the official blog section of his website to share his thoughts on Monday’s RAW and some other topics. Below are some highlights:
On Kane’s RAW performance: “Thought the irate and angry Kane persona was a plus. Not sure, other than Undertaker, that any WWE talent has ever had a more distinguished career than Glen Jacobs aka Kane. His character and integrity are beyond reproach and he should be what every talent in NXT strives to emulate. He is exactly the kind of person WWE needs to always utilize in a variety of ways as he is rock solid in every area and is an invaluable mentor to the young wrestlers.”
On Seth Rollins and the banned “Curb Stomp” rumors: “I don’t know if WWE has or has not banned the use of Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp finisher but many fans are seemingly up in arms about its absence. I say the safety of the athlete is always the first priority of any responsible company and if the move is more likely to concuss people than others then it needs to be eliminated. It’s that simple. Not sure why so many fans have taken to my Twitter @JRsBBQ to bitch about it but, at the same time, everyone has the right to an opinion. It’s too bad that so many people within the business have bastardized the DDT, among other moves, or it would still be a great finisher instead of another overused, uncreative high spot that everyone kicks out of on a regular basis. Those type of issues where finishing maneuvers have become impotent ‘spots’ is the fault of undisciplined bookers within the world of wrestling and lazy talents who have not mastered the art orf wrestling.”
On Daniel Bryan’s health: “Hopeful that Daniel Bryan is going to be OK soon but he has to change some of the things that he does whether he wants to or not and not be a prisoner to his on reputation as being one of the best wrestlers in the world. He could eliminate many things from his repertoire and still be one of the best talents in the business. His health is much more important than diving head butts, drop kicks where he strikes the back of his head on the canvas, etc. His most important job in life isn’t being a wrestler but a son, husband and perhaps some day a father. Without great health, those lots in life are more challenging and they’re not easy for a healthy person.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
Original plans for the WWE Tag-Team Championship match at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view called for Tyson Kidd and Cesaro to defend the titles against The Lucha Dragons (Sin Cara and Kalisto), however that no longer appears to be the case.
Kidd and Cesaro got over so well at many of the live events during the recent WWE European tour, which has some speculating that it may have influenced some of the booking.
While it’s not clear yet whether or not Kidd and Cesaro will remain a babyface tag-team going forward, they will be working as the babyfaces against The New Day at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view this Sunday.
TNA star Drew Galloway recently spoke with Tom Feaheny about a number of TNA-related topics. Below are some highlights of the interview, which you can listen to via the YouTube player embedded above.
On how he is finding his time in Impact Wrestling so far: “I’m finding it awesome, it’s a great working environment, everybody is so passionate about wrestling and making the company succeed, especially with the move to Destination America, the network being so behind the product.”
On his Impact Wrestling debut: “It was the last possible second, I flew to Scotland to do a show for ICW on the Sunday, on the Monday I had a bunch of missed calls from a Tennessee number, I thought I knew nobody from Tennessee and threw my phone away, checked my phone again and Tommy Dreamer had messaged me saying can you pick up the phone, TNA would like to talk to you, I had no goals being back on worldwide TV so soon after finishing with WWE, all I’ve wanted to be is Drew Galloway, and as soon as I got into TNA I thought it was really cool.”
On The Rising: “I knew Mica before Impact Wrestling, we wrestled in developmental together, he is an awesome guy from an incredible heritage and Eli I had never met before, he’s a passionate confident guy, there a couple of guys I’m proud to have by my side.”
On wanting to become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion: “I’ve got some short term goals, but 100% if you’re not looking at the world title then you shouldn’t be in wrestling, I’m not there to make up the numbers I’m there to eat them up.”
– WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart recently spoke with the folks at Title Match Wrestling about his niece, WWE Diva Natalya. Hart said he believes Natalya has been the best women’s wrestler for years and also praised current WWE Tag-Team Champions Tyson Kidd and Cesaro.
Check out the Bret Hart interview with Title Match Wrestling below:
– Former WWE Diva Kaitlyn and her husband, PJ Braun, are featured on the cover of the latest issue of Iron Man magazine. Kaitlyn tweeted the following photo of the cover:
– The Friday, April 17th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Destination America drew 401,000 viewers for the much-hyped “Tag-Team Gold” special edition of the show. The 401,000 viewer figure is down from the previous week’s show, which drew 408,000 viewers. The replay edition of Impact Wrestling on Friday drew an additional 171,000 viewers, making for a total of 572,000 viewers for the most recent Impact Wrestling episode. Last week’s replay edition of Impact Wrestling drew 175,000 viewers.
– Former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout Mickie James recently took to social media to praise Dolph Ziggler. James posted the following tweet, sharing her belief that while Shawn Michaels is the best of all-time, Ziggler is as good as it gets these days.
WWE announced on Tuesday that the WWE 2K15 video game will be released on Windows PC this spring. 2K Sports claims they have taken great measures to ensure the PC version of the game includes everything that makes the console version great, including the “2K Showcase” and “My Career” modes.
Those who buy the PC version of the game on the first day it’s released will receive instant access to two versions of Sting and two versions of Hulk Hogan. DLC content for the game will be released for free later in the spring. DLC includes the NXT and WCW packs, in addition to the 2K Showcase modes, such as One More Match, Hall of Pain and Path of the Warrior.
WWE U.S. Champion and star of the cover of the game — John Cena — commented on the DLC content being available for free.
“One of the great bonuses of getting the game on PC is that you get nearly all of the downloadable content that was released after WWE 2K15 launched in October free, as part of the package,” said Cena. “That’s an incredible amount of content: 36 extra characters, 4 new managers, 26 matches, 46 entire single player stories and cut scenes in 2K Showcase, and a whole lot more. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that that’s a pretty awesome deal.”
The leader of the “Ce-Nation” also commented on the game finally coming to the PC.
“I grew up playing games on my PC. Texas Instruments, Commodore 64,” said Cena. “I was a huge PC gamer growing up, so this is big. Not only for our fans, but for me personally as well. Fans may not know this, but I was such a huge PC gamer that I bought a living room entertainment system just to play PC games back in the day. So don’t be surprised if you flash forward 50 years and yours truly is sitting in his living room playing computer games!”
Ring Of Honor has announced that The Briscoes will take on the team of Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of the “War of the Worlds Night One” event, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 12th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 21, 2015
Additionally, ROH also announced for the event on 5/12 a match featuring AJ Styles against a mystery opponent. ROH is promoting the fact that Styles’ opponent for the show will be announced during the show itself.
WWE announced that the scheduled match between Daniel Bryan and Bad News Barrett for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view will only take place if Bryan’s health permits.
The company did not offer any additional details regarding Bryan’s health on Monday’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of RAW.
It’s worth noting that Bryan is still advertised for tonight’s WWE SmackDown television taping in Providence, Rhode Island, however he was advertised for Monday’s RAW as well, but ended up not working the show.
– It was announced during Monday’s WWE Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of RAW that Kane will serve as the “gatekeeper” for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship steel cage match between Seth Rollins and Randy Orton, a match where Orton’s “RKO” finishing move is also banned per the stipulations for the bout. This basically means Kane will be in charge of the cage door, and will be somewhat of the outside-the-ring official for the match.
– The WWE Tag-Team Championships will be on the line during the WWE Extreme Rules “Kickoff Show” on the WWE Network this Sunday as well, as Tyson Kidd and Cesaro will defend the titles against The New Day.
– Finally, a WWE Divas Championship match between Nikki Bella and Naomi was made official for the Extreme Rules pay-per-view this Sunday.
The following matches were taped prior to Monday’s RAW in Albany, New York for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars.
– Bad News Barrett def. Jack Swagger in a short but solid match to kick off the evening. The crowd was having fun with chants during this one, which saw Barrett pick up the pinfall victory after hitting Swagger with his Bull Hammer Elbow.
– A cage is shown hanging above the ring, but is never used, as it is there for the RAW show that follows this Superstars taping.
– Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (with Natalya) def. Los Matadores (with El Torito) in tag-team action in the second of two matches taped for Superstars. This was a non-title affair. The crowd seemed to be behind Kidd and Cesaro more as babyfaces than the actual babyface team. In the end, Cesaro and Kidd picked up the “W” to close out the Superstars taping.
Tonight’s Raw was held in Albany, New York and was the final episode before this Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. The Viper was on the prowl all night, Rusev struck one more time, and The Miz and Mizdow battled over the rights to “The Miz brand.” Here are the pros and cons from tonight’s go-home edition of Raw.
Pros
Randy Orton kicked off the show with a solid promo. He talked about how he was going to drag Seth Rollins around by his “stupid blonde streak” and how he doesn’t “need the RKO” on Sunday. Rollins countered by saying, “I play this game of human chess better than anybody.” In the end, Orton said he would get the RKO out of his system by hitting Rollins, along with anyone else who got in his way, with the move. Overall, it was a good way to start the show and set up a final confrontation between the two at the end of the night.
Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose was the first match of the night, and it wasn’t a terrible way to kick off the in-ring action. It was nice to see the WWE remove the muzzle from Harper and let him say a few words, as this guy actually does have some skill on the mic. The action was strictly brawling in nature, with the action spilling into the crowd (something that doesn’t happen enough, in my opinion). It ended in a double count-out, and set up a street fight between the two on Sunday that shouldn’t disappoint.
Bray Wyatt cut a nice promo tonight. Much like previous weeks, he referred to himself as the “New Face of Fear” while vaguely threatening some unknown superstar. We all know there are going to be some shenanigans during the main event on Sunday, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Wyatt ruin another main event (much like he did at Hell in a Cell between Ambrose/Rollins) and cost Orton the match on Sunday, thus setting up a program between the two.
The Lucha Dragons and New Day worked really well together tonight. The match was basically a spot fest, but that was largely due to the Dragons putting on a great show. Some memorable spots included an amazing counter of a tornado DDT into a northern lights suplex by Kalisto, and also a double moonsault to take out the New Day at ringside. In the end, Xavier Woods cost the Lucha Dragons the match and earned the New Day their rightful spot on the kickoff show this Sunday. It is worth noting that the New Day were one of Orton’s numerous victims tonight.
Sheamus was supposed to square off with Zach Ryder tonight, but that never really happened after the Celtic Warrior brutalized and berated the Long Island Iced-Z. Sheamus plays the douchey heel so well, and even has the look after his recent makeover. Ziggler eventually interrupted the beating by coming to the ring to hit a Zig-Zag on his Extreme Rules opponent.
The backstage vignettes usually blow, but they were surprisingly good tonight. From Orton RKOing Heath Slater through a table to Rusev attacking Cena to Miz holding up his flop of a DVD, there was some good stuff tonight.
Even though Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler was obviously a vehicle to set up a confrontation between Rollins and Orton to end the show, they still put on a good show and it was nice to see a non-tag team main event for once. They held back a bit, but there were some good spots, including a big DDT from Ziggler, as well as a counter of the powerbomb into a sunset flip. Sheamus distracted Ziggler and cost him the match, but Rollins wouldn’t get to celebrate for long, as the show ended with The Viper striking and hitting a huge RKO. Also, it sadly looks like the reports were true and the Curb Stomp is gone for good. R.I.P. :(
Finally, John Cena cut an intense promo before issuing yet another open challenge. Kane was irked from earlier in the night and decided he would answer the call. These guys have worked together on numerous occasions before, so it’s not surprising that they had decent chemistry. There weren’t many wrestling moves utilized, but the brawling action was entertaining, with Cena eventually picking up the win after countering the tombstone piledriver into an AA.
WWE has announced that Stephanie McMahon will be the next guest on Chris Jericho’s WWE network ‘podcast.’
The episode will air on the WWE Network next Thursday (5/30) immediately following SmackDown.
Jericho and Stephanie have a storied history on WWE television, with Jericho frequently taunting WWE’s Chief Brand Officer. Jericho got some criticism for towing the company line during his recent WWE Network podcast interview with Triple H, so it will be interesting to see the dynamic between these two.
In a recent featured article with Rolling Stone, lgendary music producer and one of the founders of “Def Jam” — Rick Rubin — recently discussed his passion for pro wrestling and how it influenced one of his first acts, The Beastie Boys.
“There’s no question that, early on, the Beastie Boys were very influenced by pro wrestling,” Rubin said. “One-hundred percent. The idea of being bad-guy rappers, saying really outlandish things in interviews, that all came from a love of pro wrestling. We didn’t say it because it was true – we said it because it was entertaining.”
Rubin continued, “To me, it was performance art; we were as inspired by pro wrestling and Monty Python as we were music. I remember showing them videotapes of old matches, because I was the fan, and we’d laugh about the stuff on there.”
Rubin also spoke about how one wrestler in particular, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, influenced him with “the crazy things he’d say.”
“And at that time, there was a wrestling hotline, and we’d call and listen to prerecorded messages from Roddy Piper and get inspired by the crazy things he’d say,” Rubin added. “Kerry King [from Slayer] was really into wrestling, too. Later, I worked with Andrew Dice Clay, and he was a perfect heel.”
– “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” regular “Cousin Sal” is the guest on this week’s edition of Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit,” which you can download for free right now at PodcastOne.com.
– TNA star Bobby Roode will be the guest on the latest edition of “The Ross Report” podcast with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross. The show drops Tuesday night at approximately 9pm EST.
– WWE has added the “True Giants” documentary from 2014 to the “Beyond The Ring” section of the WWE Network. The documentary is now available for on demand viewing. The official description for the shows reads: “The bigger they are, the harder they brawl! True Giants is an in-depth look at sports entertainment’s most successful gargantuan Superstars.”
– WWE has added a new video to their official YouTube channel which features The Miz responding to Triple H’s Tough Enough announcement from earlier today. In the video, which you can check out below, Miz talks about being the most successful Tough Enough contestant of all-time.
TNA is planning on running live events in China on May 22nd, May 23rd and May 30th as part of an 11-day tour with two other international events outside of China.
On the advertisements issued to promote the event, Jeff Hardy, MVP and Gail Kim are the featured talents.
TNA talents are scheduled to leave the country on Wednesday, May 20th to head to China for the tour, however as things stand now, not everything is completely finalized, as some issues still need to be worked out.
It’s worth noting that TNA had discussions about running a tour in China several months ago, but those plans never came to fruition.
TNA wrestlers, as recent as this week, have been informed that they are still booked for that tour, and many will be disappointed because most count on those types of paydays due to the fact that TNA hasn’t had much work for their talents lately.
WrestleZone.com is claiming to have exclusive information regarding the WWE banning Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp finisher, as the report claims the company feels it is too dangerous to be performed on a weekly basis. There is no official confirmation on whether the news is actually legitimate, but the full text is below.
According to WWE sources, the company will be banning Seth Rollins from using the curb stomp finishing move.
WWE’s feeling about the move, which the WWE World Heavyweight Champion uses as his finisher, is that it’s too much of a direct liability and risk for a head injury. All of sports is trying to be more proactive when it comes to preventing head injuries and concussions, and this is the reason for WWE banning the curb stomp.
WWE reportedly doesn’t want its top star to be doing that move every night and they also don’t want to be showing it in past clips or videos anymore. This is why last week on RAW when Rollins came out, the video which played during his entrance was primarily just graphics of his name. The normal entrance video for Rollins features a compilation of clips, several of which are him performing the curb stomp.
Do you feel the Curb Stomp poses a higher risk than other moves? Should it be banned? Discuss the situation in the comments section.
STAMFORD, Conn., April 20, 2015 – Beginning today, WWE® invites anyone from around the world who believes they have what it takes to be the next WWE Superstar or Diva, to submit a video at WWEToughEnough.com to be considered for the upcoming reality competition series, WWE Tough Enough. The series premieres on Tuesday, June 23 at 8/7c on USA Network in a reimagined format with live elements.
“WWE Tough Enough is an opportunity for anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a WWE Superstar or Diva,” said Paul “Triple H®” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “WWE Superstars and Divas are dynamic entertainers who possess a unique combination of athleticism and charisma. We can’t wait to see who will emerge from this competition to earn a place alongside our elite performers.”
This season of WWE Tough Enough will combine the can’t-miss excitement of live television with reality-show drama as 10 men and five women vie for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a WWE Superstar or Diva. By the end of the season, one man and one woman will be crowned “Tough Enough” and will each earn a WWE contract.
Triple H announced on Monday afternoon that the casting is officially open for the new season of WWE Tough Enough.
Talents looking to apply to be a part of the cast can visit WWEToughEnough.com.
“The Game” confirmed that there will be ten men and five women selected to be part of the cast of the new season, which begins airing on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. The “WWE Universe” will choose the winner at the end of the season.
The official WWE Tough Enough states the following:
Are you tough enough? Show us why you have what it takes
WWE’s groundbreaking reality show returns to USA Network on June 23 in search of the next Superstar or Diva. Will it be you?
If you’ve got the grit, the guts, the skills, the look – if you’re “tough enough” – submit your video application now. Then share it across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or your social platform of choice using #ToughEnough. Make yourself stand out.
WWE Diva and Total Divas star Eva Marie recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald about working on improving her in-ring skills as well as her goal to become WWE Divas Champion by SummerSlam. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On going for the WWE Divas Title heading into SummerSlam: “I got my developmental deal first, and I got ‘Total Divas.’ Everything from there it just went, boom! I was living my life on reality TV. I had to perform for WWE, as well as show that to the whole world. For season four of ‘Total Divas,’ you are going to see my in-ring work. I’m going for that title heading into SummerSlam. Go big or go home.”
On working to improve her in-ring training: “If you follow me on social media you are going to see the clips of me training and progressing. Then you will see me back in the ring, hopefully in a few weeks. Triple H has definitely been helping me out, and I appreciate that. I bounce ideas off of him. Brian Kendrick is amazing. I’m asking him a bunch of different questions. Then when I get in the ring with him, I’ll improve my skills right there.”
Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.
