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Drew McIntyre Wants A Match With AJ Styles

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The winner of the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble match is set to face off against WWE Champion Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 36. However, in a recent interview with Adi Kft & EGO Total from Israel, Drew McIntyre revealed which other Superstar he would love to have a one-on-one match with: “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles.

When asked whom he’d like to compete against, Drew McIntyre admitted there were several Superstars he’d love to clash with. For him, however, it’s AJ Styles. He noted how, for some reason, they’ve been like ships passing in the night.

“[…] but the number one guy who I keep missing over the years – we are like ships crossing each other over the night – we missed the chance on IMPACT and the independent scene. Promoters are trying to book this match for a long time, but for some reason or another I couldn’t make it, he couldn’t make it.”

McIntyre continued, “When I came back to Raw he was on SmackDown. Now we are both on Raw, and that would be AJ Styles. I don’t think, I know we could have great matches and do a lot of cool things together. It’s been years coming so I am looking forward for it.”

Drew McIntyre challenges Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5th from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription.

ABC’s Black-ish References NJPW, Name-drops Top Stars (Video)

Steve Russell
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Pro wrestling continues to once again become more integrated into the general tapestry of pop culture. WWE was at one time pretty much the only promotion to be referenced by most mainstream shows. That’s no longer the case. Turns out that New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has fans amongst the writers of ABC’s comedy sitcom Black-ish.

The show uploaded a clip yesterday to promote last night’s episode. In it, the scene features a nod to The Shawshank Redemption. It also directly references New Japan’s premiere event, Wrestle Kingdom. It even name-drops two of the promotion’s top stars: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada.

Black-ish x NJPW

After throwing his video game controller at the wall in frustration, Andre Johnson Sr. approaches the wall. He then tears away at a poster that had been hiding a hole. Understandably, he demands an explanation. He’s then informed how Junior and his brother were trying to recreate “the classic Wrestle Kingdom Okada-Tanahashi match.”

After attempting a Rain Maker, Junior accidentally threw his brother into the wall. The result was the unfortunate damage.

It didn’t take long for Okada to see the clip. He retweeted it, thanking the show for the “shout out.”

The promotion’s Twitter account, NJPW Global, also shared the clip, writing “Can’t be helped” alongside a shrugging emoji. 

Tommaso Ciampa Reveals He Is Taking A “Hiatus” From Social Media

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NXT Superstar Tommaso Ciampa has revealed he is taking a hiatus from social media. The former NXT Champion shared his intentions via his Instagram account alongside a black-and-white image from last Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event. The photo showcases Ciampa staring at his former DIY tag team partner, Johnny Gargano. They both grasp at the NXT Championship during a pivotal moment during Ciampa’s matchup against Adam Cole.

Opening up about his decision, Ciampa explained his decision. Although grateful for the support from the WWE Universe during his surgery and rehab, he admitted that it was time to “block out the noise.”

“Time to block out the noise. I will be taking a hiatus from social media for the time being. Thank you all for your support during surgery and rehab, and for the incredible reception during my return and throughout the journey to Portland. #WeAreNXT“

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8tyE3cJnYY/?utm_source=ig_embed

Following their grappling for the title, Gargano would end up turning on his friend, striking Ciampa with the belt. Gargano’s actions ended up costing Tommaso Ciampa his chance at finally reclaiming his beloved “Goldie.”

This came after Cole’s stalemates from the Undisputed Era had also impacted the match, attempting to help their leader hold onto his championship gold.

Keith Lee Reveals What Roman Reigns Told Him After Their Survivor Series Encounter

Anutosh Bajpai
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Survivor Series was the first official introduction of Keith Lee for the casual WWE fans and it’s safe to say that the NXT star left a lasting impression on the fans with his performance during the night.

Lee was the special guest for this week’s episode of WWE Backstage. During the episode, the current Champion talked about a number of things and also reflected on his big moment at the PPV last year.

The NXT North American Champion also talked about coming face to face with Roman Reigns during the last segment of the elimination match they were competing in and Keith revealed what The Big Dog told him after the bout:

“He speared me out of my boots on to my neck but after that, that moment right there set a tone for me” recalled Keith Lee. “And after that was over with he then told me straight up ‘I want a one on one match with you.'”

Keith Lee also revealed his dream match during the episode and said that since Kurt Angle is retired now, his #1 dream opponent at the moment is the former US Champion Cesaro.

Apart from this, Keith Lee talked about his encounter with Brock Lesnar during the Royal Rumble PPV and responded to CM Punk’s praise for him.

Latest Update On The Big Show’s Status

Anutosh Bajpai
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It appears that WWE is planning to use former World Champion The Big Show a bit more extensively in the coming weeks as he is booked for a number of upcoming WWE events.

Per reports from PWinsider, the Monster Sized Athlete was backstage for this week’s episode of Raw but he wasn’t used on the show. He is now booked for the following episodes of Red Branded Show:

  • February 24 from Winnipeg
  • March 2 from Brooklyn
  • March 9 from Washington, DC
  • March 16 from Pittsburgh

The Big Show is also expected to be backstage for the upcoming Super Showdown event from Saudi Arabia on February 27 but it’s not known what he will be doing at the event.

The former World Champion returned to WWE programming after a two-year hiatus last month and he got involved in the feud between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins.

Show competed in the first-ever Fist Fight during the January 13 episode of Monday Night Raw. He was once again taken off of the WWE programming after this but Kevin Owens had announced that the Attitude Era star will return eventually.

Big Show is currently being advertised to face Seth Rollins at the mentioned shows so while there is no update on the plans for his future, it’s likely that he will continue his rivalry with the Architect and his crew when he returns to WWE TV.

Brock Lesnar Advertised For Upcoming Raw Episodes

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE Champion ‘The Beast’ Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman have been confirmed for appearances at the upcoming two episodes of Monday Night Raw.

Both the MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York which are the venues for February 24 and March 2 episode of Raw have recently announced Lesnar for the respective events.

The February 24 episode will be the go-home show for the Super Showdown event where the WWE Champion is set to defend his title against Ricochet in a one on one match.

So it’s likely that he will have a confrontation with the One and Only before their championship match in the Middle Eastern country on Thursday, February 27.

On the other hand, the March 2 episode will be the ideal place to start hyping his WrestleMania match and it would make sense for Brock Lesnar to have a showdown with his WrestleMania opponent Drew McIntyre during the episode.

The arena in Winnipeg is also advertising Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton and Big Show vs. Raw Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins for the upcoming episode of the Red Branded Show.

Though it’s most likely that one of these matches will end up being the dark main event for the show with the other one being changed to fit the script of the episode.

JBL Reportedly Set To Be Inducted In Hall Of Fame

Anutosh Bajpai
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After it was confirmed that the Hart Foundation member Davey Boy Smith will be going into Hall Of Fame, a new report has revealed another interesting name for this year’s class.

Former World Champion John “Bradshaw” Layfield or JBL is set to be inducted into Hall Of Fame during the WrestleMania weekend this year, according to WrestlingInc.

The former WWE Champion started his career way back in September 1992. He wrestled for NWA and toured the world to compete in countries like Mexico and Japan before joining WWE in January 1996.

The company ended up being his home for the rest of his career. Layfield stayed active in the promotion for almost 14 years and won over half a dozen championships during his tenure as an active wrestler.

While JBL went through many character tweaks during his career, his run with Faarooq as a tag team known as Acolytes Protection Agency or APA is one of the periods most fondly remembered by the fans.

John announced his retirement from active competition after losing an Intercontinental Championship match to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania XXV and he has been making sporadic appearances for the company ever since.

If these reports are true then JBL will be joining Batista, nWo, The Bella Twins, Jushin “Thunder” Liger and The British Bulldog in the Hall Of Fame class of 2020.

Potential Title Match For WrestleMania 36

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A new match has been revealed for the upcoming WWE WrestleMania 36 PPV.

It was noted by Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live that the current plan is for SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley to defend the title against Naomi at the biggest event of the year for WWE. 

WWE has already announced Carmella vs. Naomi for Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX. The winner of this contest will then challenge Bayley for the strap at the Super ShowDown show in Saudi Arabia on February 27.

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on whether this currently planned match at WrestleMania will have an impact on Bayley’s title defense at Super ShowDown. 

There’s no word yet on if they plan to do Carmella vs. Bayley in Saudi Arabia, and then Naomi vs. Bayley at WrestleMania.

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. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. 

Updated WWE WrestleMania 36 Card

WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre

WWE NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Final WWE Friday Night SmackDown Viewership (2/14)

Andrew Ravens
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The viewership numbers are in for Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX from Vancouver, CA at the Rogers Arena.

SmackDown averaged 2.464 million viewers, according to ShowbuzzDaily. This is down from the 2.538 viewers that the show did for last week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX. 

The show averaged 2.482 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 2.547 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets. 

WWE SmackDown Viewership

The first hour drew 2.521 million viewers while the second hour did 2.442 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 2.555 million viewers while the second hour did 2.539 million viewers. 

SmackDown pulled in a 0.70 rating in the 18-49 demos, down from the 0.80 rating as last week’s show.

This episode was expected to see its viewership stay steady and it did so due to it featuring an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan to do a segment with Universal Champion Bray Wyatt. 

Matches

Matches that took place on this show included SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Carmella, Sheamus defeats Apollo Crews & Shorty G in a Two On One Handicap Match and Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns vs. John Morrison & The Miz in a tag team match that served as the main event. 

In case you missed the show, you can check out the 5 takeaways from it here.

WWE is expecting to see an increase in viewership for the following episode this coming Friday night as the show will be setting up feuds for the Super ShowDown event in a few weeks. 

Watch: Top 10 Moments from Friday Night SmackDown (2.14.20)

Eves Torres Says Donald Trump Forcefully Grabbed Her In 2009

Chris Stephens
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Eve Torres was discovered by WWE in the 2007 Diva Search. After winning the competition, she became a member of the smackdown brand in 2008. In 2009, Torres was at a WWE event taking pictures when she says she was forcefully grabbed by Donald Trump.

Torres took to Instagram to post a lengthy statement on the matter along with photos from the event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8sfLTPlsB9/?utm_source=ig_embed

“Happy Presidents Day.
I look forward to having a president who doesn’t grope or objectify women. I have taken pictures with thousands of men at military bases, at WWE events, and signings, and very few have grabbed me and pulled me in as forcefully as he did without knowing me. Of course, at the time I believed it was my job to be eye candy in a photo for this supposed billionaire, and play along. It is actually hard for me to see that photo because it reminds me of my beliefs about my worth at the time. Swipe to see what I mean. Swipe again for a brush up on Creepy Hug Defenses including the Inappropriate Photo Squeeze.
PS The pregnancy announcement is old so no I’m not pregnant again. Also, this was scary for me to post but it’s been on my mind. We haven’t forgotten about your p+$$y grabbing, Mr. President.”

“This is so helpful, thankful,” wrote Sasha Banks.

“So sorry you had to endure that,” wrote Terry Crews.

“Thank you for saying this,” wrote Gail Kim.

“Wow! Crazy! Sorry you had to go through that crap. Funny, that trumpers will still defend & support him,” wrote Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Eves Torres & The Divas Championship

Torres is a former three-time WWE Divas champion. Only AJ Lee had won the Divas Championship as many times as Torres did throughout her career. Torres ranks fourth on the list of total days spent with the Divas championship with 260.

WWE Divas Championship Stats:

  1. AJ Lee (3x) 406 combined days spent as champion.
  2. Nikki Bella (2x) 307 combined days spent as champion.
  3. Maryse (2x) 265 combined days spent as champion.
  4. Eves Torres (3x) 260 combined days spent as champion.
  5. Michelle McCool (2x) 218 combined days spent as champion.
  6. Beth Phoenix (1x) 204 combined days spent as champion.
  7. Charlotte Flair (1x) 196 combined days spent as champion.
  8. Kaitlyn (1x) 153 combined days spent as champion.
  9. Layla (1x) 140 combined days spent as champion.
  10. Paige (2x) 119 combined days spent as champion.
  11. Melina (2x) 119 combined days spent as champion.
  12. Kelly Kelly (1x) 104 combined days spent as champion.

Cody Rhodes On Using WCW PPV Names, Jeff Cobb, & More

Chris Stephens
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Cody Rhodes recently took part in a media call to promote tomorrow night’s episode of Dynamite from Atlanta. Rhodes noted during the call that this week’s Dynamite is from his hometown and the show will carry a special significance for him. Cody is scheduled to face Wardlow in the first-ever AEW steel cage match on the card.

During the interview, Cody was asked about the trademarking of WCW Pay-Per-View names and if we will see any more of those in the future. Cody noted that we likely won’t see many more WCW Pay-Per-View names used though he made a point of noting there is one former WCW PPV that we might see return, though he would not say which one.

“I’d actually say it’s unlikely you see many more of those, maybe one *wink wink wink,*” Cody said during the call.

“That’s more about protecting (Dusty’s) legacy for my mother,” Cody continued to say about the WCW PPV trademarks.

Cody also addressed Jeff Cobb’s status while on the call. Cobb made a surprise appearance on last week’s episode of Dynamite and is scheduled to face Jon Moxley on this week’s. Cody would not go into too much detail regarding Jeff Cobb, noting that he is signed for more shows but that he hopes Cobb will sign a longer deal in the future.

Cody named Jack Evans as an underrated guy in AEW. He noted that several other names came to his mind as being underrated as well. Cody also said that he and Taz will be scouting some NCAA wrestling events for talent.

The interview with Cody can be heard in the player below:

Billy Corgan Talks Helping To Create The “Broken” Universe In TNA

Chris Stephens
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Billy Corgan’s National Wrestling Alliance is preparing for the 2020 version of the Crockett Cup this April. The promotion has taken big strides in the last few months with the debut of NWA Powerrr last fall. Billy Corgan spoke to Chris Van Vliet recently about what he learned during his time with Impact Wrestling.

“I was intimately involved and happily so with the whole Deletion angle, Broken Universe, got to shoot a lot of great stuff with Matt & Jeff,” Corgan said during the interview. “Shot on the Hardys property for the one crazy segment, drones, I mean we did it all. I can’t believe the fire marshalls didn’t show up.”

“Wrestling is 100+ years old and like music, a cynicism can creep in that tells you there’s really nothing new,” Corgan continued. “And kids and great ideas can prove over and over again that’s not true, you can always rewrite the rules of gravity.”

Corgan continued to talk about the Deletion angle. He explained how the angle taught him you can do new things in an old business.

“So being intimately involved with the Deletion angle told me that if you got a cool idea and you have great talented people like Matt and Jeff and the other people that were involved with that – Rosemary comes to mind, and Abyss, and Crazzy Steve – you can change the world. You can turn it upside down on its head. If you remember during that period of time, that was the most talked about thing in professional wrestling. Good and bad, as it should be.”

Corgan’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Randy Orton Sends Message To Matt Riddle, Riddle Responds

Chris Stephens
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Randy Orton seemed conflicted on RAW this Monday when he apologized to and then attacked Matt Hardy. He sent out a Twitter message to Matt Riddle recently which seemed to be just as conflicted.

Orton sent out the following to his followers on Twitter recently:

Matt Riddle then responded with the following:

Matt Riddle also put out what he is referring to as an official statement regarding Johnny Gargano’s actions from TakeOver: Portland. Gargano turned on Tommaso Ciampa in the main event, costing Ciampa the title in his match against Adam Cole.

Riddle and Pete Dunne are currently celebrating winning the NXT Tag Team Championships from Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish. Riddle and Dunne are the 17th team to win the NXT tag team championships. They enter the title’s 20th reign in its lineage.

https://twitter.com/SuperKingofBros/status/1229614976547119104

Kyle O’Reilly wrote the following about Undisputed Era dropping championships lately:

Triple H recently addressed Matt Riddle’s possible heat with Vince McMahon at a press event for TakeOver: Portland.

“To be honest with you, I haven’t asked anybody about it. Vince didn’t express his disapproval of anything that was said, and I’m sure if there were an issue, he would’ve called me directly. He’s not shy about that.”

Tammy Lynn Sytch (Sunny) Parole Hearing Scheduled

Chris Stephens
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Tammy Lynn Sytch (aka Sunny) has been in prison for almost a year stemming from legal problems catching up with her in early 2019. Sytch’s legal troubles are a result of multiple DUI offenses and various dangerous driving charges. Sytch has also had bail revoked in recent years for failing to report her whereabouts, or what the courts refer to as “failing to maintain a stable residence.” She also has failed to pay court-ordered payments of $120 to remain out on bail.

There could be some good news coming for Sunny soon, however. According to PW Insider, she has a hearing on February 20th, 2020 as part of a parole petition filed by her new attorneys last month.

Tammy Lynn Sytch In Wrestling

Sunny was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011 and has been referred to as the original Diva. Her role with the company in the 1990s in many ways helped kickstart the Attitude Era. In addition to her Hall of Fame induction, Sunny has been honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club and is a 2x Slammy Award winner.

Report: Davey Boy Smith To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame This Year

Anutosh Bajpai
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So far WWE has only announced a couple of entries into the Hall Of Fame 2020 but reports have revealed other names for this year’s class.

Two such entries that were revealed last week were the induction of the Bella Twins, Nikki Bella & Brie Bella and Japanese wrestling legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger. Now another name has been added to this list.

The rumors for it were first heard last week and Dave Meltzer confirmed on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live that “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be going into Hall Of Fame this year:

“So obviously they announced Batista and the nWo, these are confirmed. The Bella Twins people know about them, that was out last week along with Jushin Liger and the other one is Dave Boy Smith. Dave Boy Smith will be going into the Hall Of Fame.”

Davey Boy Smith had numerous stints with WWE including his initial run with the promotion from 1984 to 1988. Though probably his most notable tenure was when he signed with the company in 1994.

It was during this time when he formed a tag team with Owen Hart and they were later joined by Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Brian Pillman to form a new version of the Hart Foundation. This run ended shortly after the Montreal Screwjob.

If this report is true then Davey Boy Smith will be joining ‘The Animal’ Batista and the members of nWo in Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman into the Hall Of Fame class of 2020.

Jeff Jarrett Praises Elias: “He’s Got An Aura About Him, A Charisma”

Steve Russell
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WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett has shared high praise for modern-day musical Superstar, Elias. Speaking with Metro.co.uk, Jarrett stated how Elias is set for big things in WWE thanks to his charisma and aura. 

“He’s got a huge upside,” Jarrett said. “His injury last year was unfortunate, because he was really starting to get on a roll.”

He continued, “He’s got something that you can’t teach, that you can’t coach, that you can’t manufacture. He’s got a unique set of skills. He’s got an aura about him, a charisma about him that’s very unique. The fact that he can play, and sing, and wrestle, and write music, and tie it all together – it makes him a very entertaining character.”

Elias’ WrestleMania Matchup

Elias is reportedly set for a big match at this year’s WrestleMania against none other than John Cena. It’s speculated that WWE will begin to build towards a match between them when Cena returns to WWE television. He is currently scheduled to appear on the February 28th episode of SmackDown. The belief is that Elias would be able to get the rub from Cena, even in a losing effort. 

WWE presents the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 5th, 2020 in Tampa, Florida at the Raymond James Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming months. 

Big E Shares Details Of Canceled WrestleMania 35 Angle

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Big E has revealed an angle that was planned ahead of Kofi Kingston’s WrestleMania 35 match. The angle would be pulled, much to their chagrin. Speaking on their podcast, The New Day: Feel the Power, Big E recounted how there were plans in place for Kingston and himself to burst into Vince McMahon’s office. They would have then proceeded to rip it apart in frustration. 

According to Big E, there was an original plan that would have seen the two Superstars knock on Vince McMahon’s door for a meeting. They would have been told, however, that he had no time for them. This would have triggered their frustrations boiling over, angered at always being overlooked and undervalued. 

Big E & Kofi Kingston Cause Carnage

Big E shared how he was legitimately excited to kick down the door before tearing up his office. For him, the entire angle represented their visceral anger about how Kingston had been treated. He paralleled Kingston’s storyline to that of Daniel Bryan’s back at WrestleMania 30. Big E noted that, despite the similarities, it didn’t feel derivative or recycled to him. He argued how, if anything, there was a greater sense of pathos because of how Kingston went on to face Bryan at WrestleMania 35.

He reflected on how the language used heading into their feud was interesting. In particular, how “He Who Shall Not Be Named” referred to Kingston as B Plus player. This angle would have been cathartic for them both, with Big E reasoning that given Kingston’s years of experience, it begged the question as to why people didn’t consider him good enough.

Bianca Belair Reveals Who Helped To Influence Her Braid

Steve Russell
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NXT Superstar Bianca Belair has shared how her husband, Montez Ford, helped convince her to keep her trademark braid. The Superstar often uses her braided hair as an offensive weapon to whip her opponents with. Belair was ready to drop the braid, but Ford convinced her to keep it.

Bianca Belair’s Braid

“Yeah he definitely helped me come up with it,” Belair confessed in an interview on Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory. “So I’m a huge Beyonce fan and she had a concert, she was on tour, she had this long braid and she was like dancing with it and it just caught my eye. And I’m like, ‘I want to do that,’ and if that catches my eye and wrestling’s about like standing out and like being able to catch people’s eye so I wanna do that braid.”

She continued, “So I did that braid but I kinda did it as just a hairstyle just to fill it out and I was kind of going back and forth with, ‘Well I’d really like to wear my hair down and you know I see all the other girls wearing their hair down and they’re so pretty,’ and I kinda wanted to do that and he was the one who told me, ‘No, you have to keep that braid. Like it stands out and trust me. Just trust me. That’s gonna be a thing. Nobody else wears their hair like that. You’re gonna stand out it’s unique, I’ve never seen anything like that before, you have to keep it.’”

Belair explained how Ford would go on to suggest how she could use her braid as a weapon in the ring, something she has done to great effect. She called him the “mastermind” behind influencing the braid.

Bianca Belair recently competed in a losing effort against NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. The two wrestled this past Sunday at NXT TakeOver: Portland.

Get to know Bianca Belair in this NXT hype video from 2018:

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription

Triple H Addresses Cathy Kelley Leaving WWE

Steve Russell
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Triple H has spoken about Cathy Kelley and what she meant to WWE. Kelley recently left the company, with last Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: Portland event being her last show. Speaking on a post-TakeOver media call, Triple H addressed Kelley’s departure before noting how there is already talent eager to take the newly vacant role.

He noted how WWE has a system in place to train people and ready them for roles. That way, if an opportunity arises, the company has a talent pool available to fill it. Triple H stressed how WWE trains people across all aspects of the business before promoting them within their system.

“It’s one of the things that we’re constantly doing and is what the system is built to do. When I say the system, I mean the PC, NXT, all of it,” he said. “We’re training everything that has to do with our business – camera guys, sound guys, directors, backstage interviewers, ring announcers. If you look at it from the beginning, the people who cut their teeth as directors and producers in the beginning of NXT are now the directors and producers of Raw, SmackDown and WrestleMania.”

Triple H Believes It’s Not Goodbye, More “See You Down The Road”

When it comes to Cathy Kelley, Triple H noted how he can’t say enough good things about her. He shared how she has a “mental level IQ and is super smart” as well as being a consummate professional. Reflecting on panels that he and Stephanie McMahon have attended alongside Cathy, he added how she “brings so much to the table.”

“This is very bittersweet for her. It’s funny because I knew she was leaving a while ago and it took her forever to come and talk to me about it. She didn’t want to break down and become emotional about it.”

Triple H continued, “I just told her that it’s not ‘goodbye’ as it’s ‘see you down the road.’ Life’s crazy and you could end up back in the same path and doing the same thing. There’s so many ways we could work together. She’s phenomenal and we have other people in the pipeline – that’s what we do here. There’s another 2-3 chomping at the bit to get the opportunity and they will knock it out the park as that’s what we do. I’m thankful for the time she spent with us and I’m sure we’ll see her down the road as well.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Tama Tonga On ROH Being In A “Transitional Phase,” Marty Scurll’s New Role

Steve Russell
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Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga has shared his thoughts on Ring of Honor’s (ROH) current “transitional phase.” Tonga, who is one half of the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions alongside Tonga Loa, spoke about ROH and their new booker, Marty Scurll, during an interview with Wrestling Inc. Daily.

“ROH went through some changes in the past year and that happens with every company. They’re just in a transitional stage. I can’t knock them for that as it happens with every company,” Tonga said. “They have great talent and they were fun to work with. They’re hard-working guys and they have a good crew. If they stick with the guns they have, I think they’re gonna have a nice period out of the transitional period they just came out of.”

Tama Tonga Praises Marty Scurll

Turning his attention to his former Bullet Club stablemate, Marty Scurll, Tonga praised Scurll’s business skills. He noted how Scurll has a “good mind for wrestling.”

“You can expect new ideas and a new style. Change is always good for anything and I think people will see this,” he said. “I think they just did an event called Free Enterprise and I’ve heard good things. From the looks of things, they look promising so it’s a good start.”

Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are scheduled to defend their IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi at New Japan Road. The event takes place on February 21st from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

Andrade Shares Message Ahead Of In-Ring Return

Steve Russell
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Current WWE United States Champion Andrade is set to return to in-ring action following his 30-day Wellness Policy suspension. Ahead of his return at WWE Super ShowDown, Andrade took to his Twitter account with a purposeful message:

“Support me, motivate me or get out of my way. I start the week and you ? Apóyame, motiva o quítate de mi camino!!! Empezamos la semana y tu ? #Andrade #FaceOfLatinos #MyTime #Diez“

Andrade is set to compete in a Gauntlet Match at WWE Super ShowDown. He joins AJ Styles, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, R-Truth and Erick Rowan in a matchup to win the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy. 

Andrade’s First Post

Following his initial suspension, the Champion posted a photo of himself as a boy to Instagram. He accompanied the image with the following caption: 

“Never give up because things got tough, remember where you come from and where you are going.”

Andrade was last on WWE television on the Monday Night RAW following January’s Royal Rumble. He competed in a matchup against Humberto Carillo. Andrade would be disqualified after his business manager Zelina Vega interfered. Carillo would become frustrated by these events and subsequently attacked Andrade after the match, delivering a Hammerlock DDT onto the concrete outside the ring. 

WWE Super ShowDown takes place on February 27th from Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard in Saudi Arabia.

New Championship Match Added To Super Showdown

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has added another championship match to the upcoming Super Showdown event after this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

Kevin Owens has been involved in a feud with Seth Rollins and his crew in recent times and he has teamed up with different partners over the weeks to compete against the Architect, including the likes of Samoa Joe and Big Show.

This week’s episode of Raw saw Owens teaming up with the Viking Raiders to take on Murphy and AOP but the match ended in a disqualification.

After the bout, Rollins and his partners took out the Raiders and they started working on Kevin. However, the Street Profits made the save for the former Universal Champion, sending the heels in retreat.

WWE has announced following these incidents that Seth and Murphy, who hold the Raw tag team titles, will be defending their championships against Street Profits at the upcoming event from Saudi Arabia.

Updated Super Showdown Match Card

This is the seventh match that has been announced for the show after the inclusion of the big Gauntlet match involving AJ Styles just recently. You can check out the updated Super Showdown match card below:

  • WWE Championship Match: Ricochet vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
  • WWE Universal Championship Match: Bill Goldberg vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (c)
  • RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. Seth Rollins and Murphy (c)
  • SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: John Morrison and The Miz vs. The New Day (c)
  • SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Carmella or Naomi vs. Bayley (c)
  • Gauntlet Match for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy: AJ Styles, R-Truth, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, WWE United States Champion Andrade
  • Steel Cage Match: King Baron Corbin vs. Roman Reigns

Super Showdown 2020 will take place on Thursday, February 27 from the Mohammed Abdou Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Unaired Footage Of Matt Hardy After Randy Orton’s Attack On Raw

Anutosh Bajpai
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Matt Hardy was expected to face Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred match on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw but the match never took place.

Last week’s episode of Raw saw Matt confronting Orton over his attack on Edge and the segment ended with the former Evolution member unleashing a vicious attack on The Attitude Era star with a chair.

Due to the attack, Matt Hardy was not cleared to compete on Raw this week but he still confronted the former World Champion, asking what was wrong with him.

While Randy did apologize for his actions at the beginning, he later started assaulting Hardy once again and the segment ended with the Viper delivering an even brutal assault on the Broken One than last week.

Randy Orton went backstage after this and the broadcast moved to the next segment after a commercial break, but WWE later posted the following unaired footage of Matt Hardy being taken backstage after the attack:

Matt Hardy’s current WWE contract is set to expire on March 1 and there is a lot of uncertainty regarding his status and future with the company. Reports suggest that he is not signing a new contract with WWE because he wants creative control.

So if the two parties can’t agree to terms and he decides to leave the company when his contract expires, then this segment could very well turn out to be Hardy’s last WWE appearance.

Shelton Benjamin Reveals He Has Signed New WWE Contract

Anutosh Bajpai
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Shelton Benjamin hasn’t been used very much on WWE programming recently but it appears that this hasn’t discouraged the former US Champion and he is hopeful about his future because he has signed a new contract with the company.

The Raw star recently appeared on the Chasing Glory podcast of former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia to talk about his wrestling career in detail.

Before the interview started, Benjamin claimed that he was reluctant to do it because he hasn’t been doing much and admitted that it’s frustrating for him:

“I was reluctant because I always like to put my best foot forward,” Benjamin said. “I like to be in the mix. I like to be producing. I like to inspire people. Lately, I haven’t been doing much as far as on-air with the WWE. For me, it’s just frustrating.”

Though continuing on the topic, Shelton revealed that he has just signed a new deal with the company: Yes, I just re-signed another multi-year deal with the WWE, so, I’ll be here for a little while.”

Shelton Benjamin officially re-signed with WWE in August 2017 but he hasn’t done much since then and the former Champion has been making sporadic appearances on WWE programming in recent times.

There is no word on the length of his new contract but it’s likely in the same line as the other WWE superstars who have recently signed 5 year deals with WWE like Lana, Randy Orton and more.

You can check out the episode of Chasing Glory featuring the WWE star below:

Quotes via WrestlingInc

MVP Confirms New Backstage Role With WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Reports suggested that MVP is moving to a backstage role in WWE after his latest appearances and now the former US Champion himself has confirmed the news.

The wrestling star recently appeared on Hall of Fame podcast of Booker T where he talked about a number of things including his wrestling career and more.

During the episode, MVP also talked about his recent appearances on WWE TV and revealed that he will be joining the WWE team as a backstage producer:

“I’m gonna go ahead and give you the scoop,” MVP said “Whether or not I’ll be seen on WWE television more has yet to be seen, because I don’t make those decisions.

I would definitely make myself available for an on-screen role in some capacity, but I’ll be joining the team as a backstage producer. So, there’s your scoop.”

MVP made his surprise return to WWE programming during the Royal Rumble event last month and he then lost a match to Rey Mysterio the next night on Raw.

He hosted the VIP Lounge with Drew McIntyre on the February 10th episode of the show. MVP was attacked by McIntyre during the segment, resulting in a match between the two on this week’s episode of the Red Branded Show.

It’s unknown if the company has planned more appearances for him in the future but his new backstage role means MVP will be available and they can bring him back on WWE TV whenever it’s needed.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

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