Scott Steiner is expected to make a full recovery after collapsing backstage at the recent Impact Wrestling TV tapings in Atlanta. According to a report from PW Insider, the 57-year-old was scheduled to undergo heart surgery yesterday.
Both Tommy Dreamer and Steiner’s wife have updated fans to let them know he is expected to make a full recovery.
Scott Steiner is expected to make a full recovery Thank you all for your concerns & prayers 99% Life + 1%death = Genetic Freak Steiner math contiues Holla if ya hear me#BigPoppaPumppic.twitter.com/nFvWpwisod
Scott’s wife Christa sent out the following on Twitter. She thanks Scott D’Amore, Dreamer, Johnny Swinger, Joey Ryan, everyone at Impact Wrestling and the Cobb County EMTs.
The final betting odds for all of the matches that will take place at the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event have been released.
The card for the show that takes place tonight (Sunday, March 8, 2020) from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been finalized as only 7 matches have been announced.
WWE Elimination Chamber Betting Odds
Make sure to join us tonight for match recaps and our takeaways from this latest pay-per-view event held by WWE.
The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Odds call for all three titles to change. Here are the final betting odds courtesy of BetOnline:
Women’s Elimination Chamber Match (winner challenges Becky Lynch at WrestleMania):
Shayna Baszler -1400
Asuka +600
Natalya +1600
Ruby Riott +200
Liv Morgan +2500
Sarah Logan +2500
SmackDown Tag Team Title Elimination Chamber Match
Champions The Miz & John Morrison -150
The Usos +225
The New Day +450
Heavy Machinery +1000
Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode +1600
Lucha House Party +3300
Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman -500 vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro & Sami Zayn +300 – Handicap Match
RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits -250 vs. Seth Rollins & Murphy +170
Aleister Black -150 vs. AJ Styles +110 – No DQ Match
United States Champion Andrade -130 vs. Humberto +110
Daniel Bryan -420 vs. Drew Gulak +300 – Singles Match
The card for tonight’s (Sunday, March 8, 2020) WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event has been finalized.
The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that will air on the WWE Network but it will most likely be the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match.
As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special on Sunday evening starting at 6 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:
Final WWE Elimination Chamber Card
Women’s Elimination Chamber Match (winner challenges Becky Lynch at WrestleMania): WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Ruby Riott vs. Sarah Logan vs. Liv Morgan, vs. Natalya.
Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn & Cesaro – Handicap Match
SmackDown Tag Team Champions John Morrison & The Miz vs. New Day vs. Usos vs. Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler, vs. Heavy Machinery vs. Lucha House Party – Elimination Chamber Match
Raw Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. Seth Rollins & Murphy
Some fans are speculating that WWE could make a change to one title match at WrestleMania 36 after recent teasers.
Dave Meltzer has reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE had planned for The Kabuki Warriors to defend the WWE Women’s Titles against Natalya and Beth Phoenix at WrestleMania.
However, the company may have made changes to this match. On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, Alexa Bliss took some shots, which were scripted, towards Kairi Sane and Asuka about how they can also defend their titles against SmackDown stars not just against talent on RAW.
Bliss followed up with two tweets on Saturday that was also about the champions and leading to speculation that this is the direction that WWE is going.
Of course, plans change all the time in WWE. Thus, it’s possible that they will make this a multi-team match with Natalya and Phoenix still included.
Me looking for the women’s tag team titles representation like… our women’s tag division has some some of the most talented women on the roster… where u at Kabuki warriors….? pic.twitter.com/wwFKrklCgv
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) March 7, 2020
But @WWEAsuka leave your green mist at home. It’s a coward move & my extensions are way too expensive to be stained by green food coloring. #DefendThoseTitles
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) March 7, 2020
WWE presents the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 5, 2020 in Tampa, Florida at the Raymond James Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. Here is the updated card:
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre
WWE Universal Champion Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns
WWE NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair
The journey of bringing the WWE NXT UK brand to the more fans has continued as the company held TV tapings on Saturday from Coventry, England at the Coventry Skydome.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on when these shows will air but WWE is likely to start to air these episodes on their streaming service, WWE Network, shortly. Here are the spoilers:
NXT UK TV Tapings Spoilers
Amir Jordan defeated Tyson T-Bone
Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel defeated Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith
Valkyrie defeated Nina Samuels
Noam Dar defeated A-Kid. Post-match, Dar cut a promo where he called himself “the next NXT UK Champion”.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin defeated Travis Banks to retain the title.
NXT UK Champion WALTER defeated Ridge Holland
Toni Storm defeated Isla Dawn
Finn Balor defeated Kenny Williams
NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray and Jinny defeated Dani Luna and Piper Niven
Xia Brookside defeated Amale
NXT UK Championship #1 Contender Battle Royal: Ilja Dragunov beat Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Joe Coffey, Noam Dar, Tyson T-Bone, Dave Mastiff, Kassius Ohno, Travis Banks, Jordan Devlin, Saxon Huxley, Flash Morgan Webster, A-Kid, Kenny Williams, Amir Jordan, Ashton Smith, Ligero, and Oliver Carter to win the match
One week out from AEW Revolution, All Elite Wrestling has announced that Kenny Omega is still not medically cleared to compete.
Omega, one half of the AEW tag team champions with “Hangman” Page, injured his hand last weekend at Revolution during their successful title defense against the Young Bucks.
AEW has announced that Omega will will be kept out of action for another 1-2 weeks. As a result, he will be unable to compete this coming week on Dynamite.
Hangman Page will now select a mystery partner for a non-title match against Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara Wednesday night from Salt Lake City, UT.
Ahead of next week, catch up on our 6 Takeaways from last week’s broadcast:
NXT women’s Champion Rhea Ripley is gearing up for the biggest match of her career. She will battle Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36, which takes place Sunday, April 5th from Tampa Bay, FL.
Ahead of their clash, Ripley got a big new tattoo on her right leg at the Built 4 Speed Tattoo shop in Orlando, FL.
As seen below, the tattoo is of a Wendigo creature. According to Wikipedia, the Wendigo is a “mythological man-eating creature or evil spirit” from the folklore of the First Nations Algonquian tribes.
The wendigo is described as, “a monster with some characteristics of a human or as a spirit who has possessed a human being and made them become monstrous. Its influence is said to invoke acts of murder, insatiable greed, cannibalism and the cultural taboos against such behaviors”
Check out Rhea Ripley’s new wendigo tattoo below (in progress):
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against WWE, Vince McMahon, Georgie Barrios, and Michelle Wilson by the City of Warren Police and Fire Retirement System in regard to the company’s deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The action was filed yesterday.
“This is a securities fraud class action on behalf of all purchasers of WWE Class A common stock between February 7, 2019 and February 5, 2020,” read documents relating to the case. “These claims are asserted against WWE and certain of its senior executives who made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company during the Class Period.”
The filings continue to state that WWE hid tensions between the company and the Saudi government from investors.
“Unbeknownst to investors, the events in late 2018 fomented simmering tensions between WWE and the Saudi government. In particular, conservative elements of the Saudi government disliked WWE’s portrayal of women and what they viewed as the questionable morality reflected in WWE programming and live shows. At the same time, WWE was under immense pressure to justify its decision to continue working with the Saudi government and outwardly claimed that it was trying to push for change from within the country.”
The filings then contend that WWE publicly displayed confidence in the ongoing Saudi deal despite the ongoing trouble related to it.
“In reality, however, the prospects for a deal continued to worsen throughout the Class Period, as the Saudi government failed to make millions of dollars in additional payments owed to WWE following a June 2019 live event held in the country and the negotiations with OSN floundered.”
WWE is also dealing with legal action from the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension Fund, seeking transparency on the relationship between WWE and the XFL.
Scott Steiner collapsed backstage during the recent Impact Wrestling tapings in Atlanta, GA. According to multiple reports, Steiner needed to be worked on by paramedics and was later taken to the emergency room. The 57-year-old is said to be recovering and doing well currently.
Impact Wrestling EVP Scott D’Amore updated fans on Twitter to let them know Steiner is doing well and his family appreciates the concern.
For all concerned parties @ScottSteiner is OK. His family is grateful for everybody’s concern and support.
Tommy Dreamer also posted that he and Joey Ryan traveled with Steiner to the hospital.
Im at the hospital right now w/ @ScottDAmore@JoeyRyanOnline Scott Steiner is doing well And under great care Say a prayer for Big Poppa Pump Holla if ya hear me
Rick Steiner Comments On Steiner Brothers WWE Hall of Fame Potential
Rick Steiner recently commented about the Steiners Brothers potentially going into the WWE HOF. According to him, Scott’s frequent ripping of WWE will prevent that from occurring.
“I think about it when people ask me about it but I know there’s not a chance in hell that we get to be inducted because of the way my brother [rips WWE].”
“The Headshrinkers went by and shot fireworks at us and so we pulled off and got eggs and milk and anything we could throw out the window and we started chasing them … I think most of the time sh*t just happened. You hang around Hennig, you hang around Bossman and Rude [and] sh*t happens.”
All Elite Wrestling has released another cryptic message teasing the forthcoming arrival of the Dark Order’s mystery leader, The Exalted One.
The message, seen below, depicts a disturbing image of what is to come once the Exalted One’s identity is revealed.
MADE FROM THE VOID OF HOPELESSNESS AND FROM TIME SPENT AWAY WITH THE SHADOWS THIS IS WHAT IT TOOK FOR ME TO ARRIVE THE CALLING….
HELLO? ARE YOU THERE? READY & WAITING DARK ORDER WELCOMES ME YOU ARE HERE
As you may have noticed, the first letter of each sentence spells out, “MATT HARDY.” Matt Hardy is in fact a free agent and is expected to join AEW in the near future.
Hardy seems like an obvious contender to be the Exalted One. His out-there ‘broken brilliance’ character could add an exciting creative dimension to the Dark Order storyline. Alternatively, the Matt Hardy teases could be a red herring. The Dark Order is a cult that preys upon people with psychological manipulation. For all we know, the Exalted One could be Luke Harper, Lance Archer, Jake Roberts, Raven or someone else entirely – and it’s Broken Matt Hardy coming in to declare war on the Dark Order.
Whoever the Exalted One is, hopefully we find out in the next couple weeks. The ‘iron it hot’ and it’s time for AEW to strike and deliver the payoff.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Elimination Chamber this Sunday night.
WWE SmackDown Results (3/6)
Sasha Banks & Bayley def. Lacey Evans & Naomi
Sheamus def. Apollo Crews
Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville def. Carmella & Dana Brooke
Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode won the Gauntlet match to enter last in the Elimination Chamber match this Sunday
Here are 4 takeaways from this week’s show:
NWO Joined A Moment Of Bliss
Photo Credit: WWE.com
NWO were guests on “A Moment of Bliss” tonight because they will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend. Bliss called out the Women’s Tag Team Champions and dared them to stop hiding and face them.
Nikki Cross went crazy when NWO showed up and took a selfie with them. Alexa brought up NWO’s classic feud with Goldberg and Nash mentioned how they ended his undefeated streak. Nash suggested that Reigns needs Scott Hall to show up at WrestleMania with a cattle prod to beat him.
Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Cesaro interrupted as the crowd booed. Zayn stated that he was sick of living in the past and brought up the Intercontinental Championship match between at Elimination Chamber.
Zayn claimed that X-Pac carried Hall and Nash’s bag for years and Kevin responded by pointing out that Sami looks like Seth Rogen with a stomach flu. Cesaro, Sami, and Shinsuke made it seem like they wanted a fight but wound up exiting. Braun Strowman joined the party and leveled Nakamura and Cesaro.
Sami cowardly pulled Alexa in front of him and used her as a shield to navigate his way out of the ring. Strowman vowed that all three of them will “get these hands” at Elimination Chamber this Sunday night.
Banks & Bayley Picked Up A Win
Bayley and Sasha Banks once again battled Lacey Evans and Naomi tonight on SmackDown.
Match Recap: Lacey and Sasha started off the match and Banks quickly took control. Bayley tagged in and continued to beat Lacey out as the glitch we have seen for several weeks appeared on the screen. Lacey was finally able to make her way to the corner and tag Naomi in.
Naomi hits a Corkscrew Dive onto both Banks and Bayley outside the ring. Back in the ring, Naomi planted Banks with a Bulldog into the turnbuckle and went for the cover but Bayley broke it up at the last moment. Naomi went for the Split-Legged Moonsault but Bayley tripped her up. Banks capitalized with Double Knees for the pinfall victory.
Bray Wyatt Sent A Message To John Cena
A new episode of Firefly Fun House aired during tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Bray Wyatt now has photos of John Cena hanging on his wall behind him. Ramblin Rabbit is revealed to be a Cena fan and brought up John defeating Bray at WrestleMania six years ago.
Bray claimed that time can either hurt or heal you and that Firefly Fun House wouldn’t exist without John Cena. Bray thanked Cena before saying that John helped create something built upon pain and vengeance. Wyatt added that The Fiend will be waiting for Cena at WrestleMania and no matter how bright things get in life, the dark side always comes again and that is the beauty of a circle. Bray stared at the camera and said “let me in” before laughing and waving goodbye.
Ziggler & Roode Will Enter Last At Elimination Chamber
Heavy Machinery, New Day, The Usos, Lucha House Party, Miz & Morrison, and Ziggler & Roode competed in a Gauntlet match to determine the final entrants in the Elimination Chamber match this Sunday. Before the match, Otis tried to apologize to Mandy Rose for being late on Valentine’s Day. Mandy told Otis that it was too late for that and walked away. Ziggler joined Rose and Deville to celebrate with them following their victory earlier during the show.
Match Recap: New Day and Heavy Machinery kicked off the Gauntlet match. Kofi and Tucker started things off and battled to a stalemate. Big E tagged in and wanted Otis. Big E and Otis then traded dance moves before Big E connected with a slam. Heavy Machinery then planted both Big E and Kofi with a Suplex before isolating Big E in the ring.
Big E broke free and tagged in Kingston. Kofi hit Tucker with a Dropkick and then followed it up with the Boom Drop. Kingston went for Trouble in Paradise but Tucker avoided it. Kofi then hit Tucker with another Dropkick. Big E tagged in and threw Kofi onto Tucker outside the ring but Tucker countered into a slam onto the floor. Heavy Machinery then hit the Trash Compactor on Big E for the pinfall.
Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado) were up next. Lucha House Party controlled the action early and isolated Tucker in the ring. The fans got behind Heavy Machinery as Tucker battled back and hit a Splash. Tucker launched Dorado across the ring and finally got the tag. Otis hit Lince with a Splash and followed it up with the Caterpillar for the pin.
The Usos were next in the Gauntlet match and once again controlled the action early. Jimmy and Jey isolated Tucker in the ring and took turns beating him down. Jey knocked Otis off the ring apron with a Superkick and then Jimmy hit Tucker with a Superkick for a near fall. Tucker then rolled him up out of nowhere for the elimination.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz and John Morrison were next in the Gauntlet match. They once again controlled the action early and isolated Tucker in the ring. Tucker finally was able to battle back and connected with a Clothesline to John Morrison. The Miz hit Otis with a cheap shot as Morrison made his way to the top rope for an Elbow Drop. The Miz and Morrison beat Otis down but Tucker once again capitalized with a roll-up on Morrison for the elimination.
After they were eliminated, The Miz and Morrison attacked Tucker and beat him down. The Miz and Morrison then launched Otis through the barricade as Mandy Rose is shown watching from backstage. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode were the final team in the Gauntlet match.
Roode beat Tucker down to start it off as Dolph cheered him on from the ring apron. Dolph tagged in and connected with a Dropkick for a two count as Otis was still down on the floor outside the ring. The fans erupted as Otis finally made his way to his feet and bounced Roode’s face off the announce table.
Otis hopped on the ring apron as Ziggler planted Tucker with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Otis finally gets the tag and beat the hell out of Roode as the crowd was behind him. Roode tried to fight back with some punches but Otis shrugged them off and kept dancing. Ziggler tagged in but Otis didn’t see it. Otis set up for the Caterpillar on Roode but Dolph leveled him with a Superkick out of nowhere for the victory. Ziggler and Roode will be the final team to enter in the Elimination Chamber this Sunday.
Opinion: I thought the Gauntlet match was fun and enjoyed seeing NWO tonight. However, there was hardly anything that happened on tonight’s episode that built up the Elimination Chamber PPV. The only thing that happened on the show that got me excited for the PPV was Daniel Bryan challenging Drew Gulak. That should at least be a very entertaining match at the PPV.
The last time I competed at home in Philly I successfully defended my Cruiserweight Championship. When I return this Sunday I will teach the man who used to be known as "American Dragon" a thing or two as we step in the ring for the first time ever at #WWEChamber! https://t.co/kUeKgQ3RgN
Earlier this week, the longtime pro wrestler announced via YouTube that he would indeed not re-sign with WWE. Instead, he would hit the free-agent market.
For months now, there has been speculation that he could be headed to AEW. However, Hardy is keeping his options open.
“My goal is to legitimately surprise people and draw emotion from them. I always want to entertain the audience and keep them guessing. I’ll make a decision within the next 30 days, and it could be by next week.
It all depends on how everything comes together. I am speaking with AEW, and I am very close with the Young Bucks.”
Hardy noted that they’ve been great friends for a long time. He stated The Young Bucks understand this business and know how to break the fourth wall and have fun with all of this as he seems them as special.
This was a reference from The Young Bucks appearing in a recent video on his YouTube channel.
“I’ve also spoken with Impact and I spoke with the NWA. I had great conversations just this week with Triple H about NXT. I’m not sure where I’m going to go.”
Hardy said that from a character perspective, he wants to go to an Arcadia as that’s where he can take the second coming of ‘Broken Matt’ and build upon it. He thinks he needs a canvas where he can paint and collaborate.
Backstage news has surfaced regarding Vince McMahon and Shayna Baszler.
We noted earlier on the site that the WWE Chairman & CEO made several changes to Monday’s RAW from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
WWE originally announced WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka vs. Baszler for this show. However, Asuka suffered a left wrist injury the night before at the WWE Supershow.
Thus, WWE doctors didn’t clear her to compete. As a result, Kairi Sane replaced her and lost to Baszler.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there was said to be a lot of “negativity and uncertainty” regarding McMahon’s reaction to this contest.
In fact, McMahon felt that the Baszler vs. Sane match did not get the desired reaction and that Baszler did not come off like a WrestleMania headliner.
This could play a factor regarding whether Baszler gets to WrestleMania 36 as originally planned.
WWE booked a Women’s Elimination Chamber Match for Sunday’s (March 8, 2020) WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center on the WWE Network.
This contest will see WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka vs. SBaszler vs. Ruby Riott vs. Sarah Logan vs. Liv Morgan, vs. Natalya.
The winner will become the new #1 contender for the RAW Women’s Title, which is currently behind held by Becky Lynch.
Some interesting news has surfaced online that involves The Revival and where things stand regarding their future in the company.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder were originally slated to be featured in SmackDown Tag Team Title Elimination Chamber Match this Sunday at the pay-per-view event.
However, Lucha House Party replaced them in the contest. This was done as part of taking The Revival off of television.
Plans change all the time in WWE but as of now, the plan is to keep them in the same spot as guys like Jon Moxley and Matt Hardy before they left the company.
According to the report, the tag team is leaving the company next month when their contracts expire.
This comes after reports surfaced about Wilder and Dawson retaining the services of the same lawyer who handles trademarks for wrestlers in AEW. The belief is that The Revival will be headed to AEW when they’re free agents.
The Miz and John Morrison, The New Day, The Usos, Heavy Machinery, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode and Lucha House Party are slated to work the Elimination Chamber Match.
The journey of bringing the WWE NXT UK brand to the more fans has continued as the company held TV tapings on Friday from Coventry, England at the Coventry Skydome.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on when these shows will air but WWE is likely to start to air these episodes on their streaming service, WWE Network, shortly. Here are the spoilers, courtesy of PWinsider:
NXT UK TV Tapings Spoilers
Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley defeated Drilla & Dereiss.
Dani Luna vs. Amale in a singles match ended in a no-contest when WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray attacked both.
Noam Dar defeated Ligero.
Ilja Dragonuv defeated A Kid.
Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith defeated Saxton Huxley & Tyson T-Bone.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray defeated Dani Luna. After the match, Ray beat down Luna. Piper Niven hit the ring to make the save.
Ridge Holland defeated Joseph Conners.
Kassius Ohno defeated Kenny Williams.
Wolfgang & Joe Coffey & Mark Coffey defeated Trent Seven & Dave Mastiff & Flash Morgan Webster.
Finn Balor pinned Alexander Wolfe. Post-match, he challenges someone to fight him and is challenged by Tyler Bate. They brawl with Bate running him off.
As expected, WWE has confirmed the return date for Edge to RAW.
Last month it was revealed through promotional that the WWE Hall of Famer would make his return on the March 9th episode at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
On Friday, WWE officially announced the news. Edge has been off TV for several weeks after receiving the beatdown by Randy Orton after making his return to the ring in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match.
On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center on the USA Network, Orton attacked Edge’s wife and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix in the final segment of the show.
The belief is that this feud will lead to a match between them at WrestleMania 36. Edge will be addressing Orton’s attack on him and his wife on RAW.
The following is the promotional material listed for the show:
2020 Royal Rumble Match Winner Drew McIntyre vs Randy Orton
RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs, Seth Rollins & Murphy w/The AOP
RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and 2020 Royal Rumble Winner Charlotte Flair vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors
Peter Rosenberg is back with WWE. The New York broadcasting icon returns to the WWE pay-per-view kickoff show panel this Sunday at Elimination Chamber. Rosenberg will also serve as a special correspondent for various WWE Network shows and upcoming specials.
Here is the official press release sent in by WWE, including a reaction from Rosenberg.
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 6, 2020 – WWE today announced that popular radio personality Peter Rosenberg will join the company as an analyst for its monthly pay-per-view kickoff shows beginning this Sunday, March 8 at WWE Elimination Chamber. In his new role, Rosenberg will also serve as a special correspondent for various WWE Network shows and upcoming specials.
“To quote Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XII, working with WWE is the boyhood dream come true,” said Rosenberg. “I am beyond thrilled to rejoin the WWE Universe.”
Peter Rosenberg brings his expertise and insight to sports fans daily as a co-host of ESPN New York’s The Michael Kay Show, which he has helped propel to the number one afternoon drive radio show in New York. In addition, he is frequently featured on ESPN’s national broadcasts, most recently providing color commentary at the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game. He also can be heard every weekday morning co-hosting Ebro In The Morning on Hot 97, anchoring one of New York’s most iconic and revered media brands.
A new episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown is here and it’s a loaded show.
With just hours until bell time, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of SmackDown. This will serve as the go-home episode of SmackDown for Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event
Several things have been announced thus far for this show including Bray Wyatt doing a Firefly Fun House segment to further his program with John Cena heading into WrestleMania 36.
WWE holds this show from Buffalo, NY at the KeyBank Center. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Lacey Evans & Naomi vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley – Tag Team Match
Bray Wyatt to present a new Firefly Fun House segment
The New Day, Lucha House Party, Heavy Machinery, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, The Usos, SmackDown Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz – Tag Team Gauntlet Match to earn the last entrance in the Elimination Chamber
Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & Sean Waltman will be guests on Alexa Bliss’ lively talk show, “A Moment of Bliss.”
WWE will also be announcing matches for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event.
Samoa Joe has revealed his ambitions to wrestle against The Undertaker before “The Dead Man” retires. Speaking with SportBible, Joe was asked if he would like the opportunity to face off against the Legend. His response? “Absolutely.”
He added how there are certain things that ‘Taker does in a match that he appreciates all the more now. Joe noted how these things are “more on display” now than ever before.
“You know, I think the things that especially now that I appreciate about ‘Taker’s work are much more on display now than they probably ever have been. And yeah, I would be down to get down with ‘Taker, whether it would be now or whenever in the future.”
Samoa Joe’s Long History With AJ Styles
One Superstar that Samoa Joe has a long history with his O.C. leader, AJ Styles. The two have feuded over the years across several promotions including WWE and TNA. Reflecting on their feuds, Joe confessed it was great that they were able to have a renewed rivalry on WWE television.
“I mean, any time you get in the ring with AJ — any time I have throughout my career — usually great things happen,” he said. “And it’s a testament to him and his ability. It was nothing new for us, we knew it was bound to happen, we’ve kind of been intertwined throughout the breadth of our careers, so us managing to see each other across the ring was no surprise [laughs].”
Samoa Joe is currently serving a 30-day suspension from WWE. This is his first violation of the WWE Wellness Policy.
RAW Superstar Aleister Black recently joined Busted Open Radiowhere he discussed a few of WWE’s recent signings: Killer Kross and Timothy Thatcher. Both Kross and Thatcher have honed their craft before being signed by WWE, with Black sharing he has some history with Thatcher from their indie days.
“I’m not very familiar with Kross, but I am familiar with Thatcher,” Black confessed. “I think Thatcher was my first ever competition when I went to the United States for EVOLVE. It was over WrestleMania weekend.”
He continued, “I have yet to be introduced to Killer Kross. I know that there is a lot of hype around him and people are very excited that he got signed so obviously there are a lot of good reasons for that. So, we will see what the future holds, but with guys like Thatcher and Kross being signed it opens up a big door of opportunities and possibilities for future bookings or matches. It is a very exciting time for the industry in my opinion.”
Aleister Black Reflects On Buddy Murphy Series
Black is coming off the back of a successful feud with Seth Rollins’ disciple, Murphy. Addressing his opponent, Black believes that the two still have unfinished business. He explained how he thinks things will eventually circle around for them, allowing them to clash yet again.
“I think that there are always these opponents that you circle back to that you have made some sort of legacy with and I feel Buddy Murphy is that for me. Despite coming out of that on the upside, I don’t think we are done. I don’t think this was it. I think that there is a very real possibility that we will circle back to each other sooner rather than later.”
Aleister Black is scheduled to face off against AJ Styles this Sunday at Elimination Chamber. The two will compete in a No Disqualification matchup.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared who was responsible for him becoming a part of FS1’s WWE Backstage show. Speaking with Lilian Garcia on her podcast, Chasing Glory, Booker T was quick to credit his co-host, Renee Young, as being instrumental in his hiring.
“Big props to Renee, actually, because I wasn’t even on the radar, I think, to come and do this thing,” he said. “Renee was like, ‘Man, you all need to interview Book. You all need to bring him in, look at him,’ because me and Renee, we’ve got chemistry together.”
He continued, “We were doing the WWE Kickoff parties, and we realized we had chemistry, and it was just organic… They brought me in, they auditioned me. Next thing you know, I get the gig.”
Booker T On CM Punk
Despite being a panelist on the show, Booker T shared that he had no clue that CM Punk was going to become a part of WWE Backstage. Punk occasionally joins the team as a contributor and WWE analyst. He admitted that it’s great to have Punk as a part of their team and provide his unfiltered take on WWE. “I didn’t know he was there,” Booker T admitted. “It was definitely authentic. Having him be part of the show is awesome.”
Booker T joins Renee Young every Tuesday night for WWE Backstage on FS1.
Although he has since become a popular Superstar amongst the NXT faithful, there was a time when Dominik Dijakovic struggled to join WWE. Appearing on WWE’s The Bump, Dijakovic reflected on being rejected by the company after his first tryout for FCW in 2013.
“It was an interesting experience,” Dijakovic said. “It was one of those experiences that it felt like it was a lifetime ago because everything was so different about the WWE and what’s now the Performance Center. The whole facility was as big as where I’m doing this interview now. It was a couple of rings and incredibly hot…”
He continued, “It was difficult for me to accept that I didn’t have what it took at the time to be in the WWE. It was kind of like a harsh reality. At the same time, you use that as motivation, an experience, a stepping stone to learn what it takes to get to the WWE level, especially the developmental level.”
Dominik Dijakovic’s WWE Mentors, Facing Keith Lee
Now a part of the NXT roster, Dijakovic named who has helped him to grow on his WWE journey. He shared how he mostly works with Shawn Michaels and Triple H. “Those are the guys who we see every Wednesday. The Undertaker has also been here, as well as Mark Henry. Those are the guys that I’ve worked closely with.”
Turning his attention to his recent series of matches against NXT North American Champion Keith Lee, Dijakovic acknowledged the in-ring chemistry between them.
“The pressure is to never have a good match or to top a match or anything. It just naturally happens. There’s a lot of chemistry there. It works out, because he’s a big guy, and I am as well, so that correlates between the two of us. For me, the pressure is always the championship platform. I mean, I’ve been talking about the NXT North American Championship for over a year now. So, anytime that comes into play, that’s my focus and where I put the pressure on myself.”
Dominik Dijakovic recently lost a match to Cameron Grimes on NXT, thanks to the interference of Damien Priest.
WWE Superstar The Big Show was a recent guest on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions show on the WWE Network. During their conversation, Show reflected on how Vince McMahon contacted him to come back to in-ring action before naming who his favorite opponent is.
Looking back to his comeback in January, Big Show explained how he was only asked by Vince a few days before RAW aired. “I did a little thing on RAW with Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe. I got that call on a Friday night at midnight,” he said.
“Literally, I was setting my alarm to go to the gym Saturday morning [and] Vince texted me 12:02 a.m. No, [McMahon] doesn’t [text a lot]. Like, I mean, I think he’d rather pull his eardrums out and dive on a pitchfork than talk to me. But anyway, I look at the text and it says [imitating McMahon], ‘can you go Monday?’ And I was like, ‘go where and for what?’ He said, ‘I need you in a match Monday.’ ‘Single or tag?’ ‘Tag.’ ‘Yep, I’m good.'”
Big Show’s Favorite Opponent
Big Show has an extensive history performing in the ring. He has faced off against some of the greatest Superstars during his long career. When asked who his favorite opponent of all time is, Show not only revealed who is favorite opponent is, but also who his toughest opponent is.
“In the ring, John Cena, as far as we did good business, we made a crap-ton of money, and it was zero headaches with John. Toughest [opponent], like I knew I had been in a fight, was Sheamus. Like, I was covered in bruises with Sheamus. He will lay it in!”
Big Show is currently scheduled to return to appear on Monday Night RAW over the first few weeks of March 2020.
Former RAW commentator Renee Young has reflected on WWE’s decision to remove her from the red brand’s announce team. Catching up with Lilian Garcia on Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory, Young confessed the whole transition was “odd” at first.
“It was really odd. You realize how much of your identity is wrapped up in WWE. For me, it wasn’t like ‘Oh, I’m not on TV anymore with the WWE.’ For me, it was like ‘I’m not going to be around my friends.’ Without these people, who are my other adult friends? I don’t really have any. You get plucked out of your life, and then think like oh s–t, what do I do now? You feel a little bit lost at first. You’re like Oh my God, what is everyone up to?”
She added how she doesn’t miss WWE’s demanding touring schedule after having done it for 7 years. Young confessed she feels a lot more comfortable working from a single location, hosting FS1’s WWE Backstage show.
Renee Young Felt She “Didn’t Belong” On Commentary
Renee Young then addressed dealing with fan criticism as she adjusted to her commentary role, highlighting how she felt she “didn’t belong there.”
“I wanted to be like I belong here, I earned this spot. This should be my spot. But, I kept hearing the background chatter, like ‘Why is this woman calling the matches? She’s never been in the ring. What’s she going to bring to the table?'”
Although she received an “immense amount of support,” it was difficult for her to tune out the negativity from her critics. She confessed that she naturally felt insecure about the role because of their reaction. Young spoke about how she was glad when WWE removed her from the commentary role.
“I was up for the challenge and I really wanted to make it awesome. Like, I really wanted to make it succeed. You get down on yourself and you’re waiting to get the call from the office saying we’re not doing this anymore. They let me stay out there a lot longer than I thought they were going to. It was nice to feel like I got a good opportunity. But honestly, I was relieved to stop doing it.”
Renee Young hosts WWE Backstage every Tuesday night at 11 PM EST on FS1.
RAW Superstar Liv Morgan is scheduled to participate in a Chamber match at this Sunday’s pay-per-view, Elimination Chamber. If victorious, she will have earned a RAW Women’s Championship opportunity at WrestleMania 36. Speaking with New York Post, Morgan opened up about the matchup. She also discussed her inclusion in the recent Lana/Bobby Lashley storyline and her new character.
“The Elimination Chamber match, I feel like, is the biggest opportunity I’ve gotten so far in my career. I’m taking it very, very, very, very, very seriously,” she admitted. “I just came back from a nine-month hiatus where I got a makeover and did a lot of self-discovery. I feel like I need this win more than anyone. I need this win more than anyone else in this match. Not only that, we have Ruby and Sarah. Our friendship pretty much blew up. So there are a lot of factors in this match.”
Liv Morgan Returns
Having returned to screens as Lana’s former lover, Morgan shared that she was happy to be a part of the storyline. She believes that the shocking nature of her return and role in the narrative helped make it more memorable.
“I think it was very shocking. I think it came out of left field and no one expected it, and I think maybe that was the goal. I don’t think anything is dead in WWE. I can’t really answer that, but I do think the door is open for it to be touched on again.”
New Attitude
With her return came a new attitude for the Superstar. When asked what fans should know about her new approach, Morgan stressed how she is confident and comfortable with herself.
“Just that I’m confident, I’m comfortable within myself, by myself. I don’t need to do these extra things to get people’s attention. I can get attention on my own with my work. I don’t need these extra factors to get noticed anymore. I’m not shuffled in with other people. I’m still growing. You don’t just grow and stop growing in nine months. I’m still figuring out my footing and my placing, and it’s just a work in progress.”
Liv Morgan competes against Natalya, Shayna Baszler, Asuka, Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan in an Elimination Chamber match this Sunday.
