Latest reports suggest that Shayna Baszler will be joining the Raw brand as a permanent roster member and it appears that her debut can come much sooner than we thought.
PWinsider is reporting that the former NXT Champion is expected to be at the next episode of Monday Night Raw from Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA and this is expected to be her starting date with the Red Branded Show.
It was reported recently that Baszler is being moved to the Red Brand after she competed in the Women’s Royal Rumble match earlier last month.
According to reports from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, this move has been in the works for a while and talks of putting Shayna on Raw have been going on for a year.
While there is no news on what WWE is planning for Shayna Baszler once she switches rosters, rumors are that she will be facing the Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch at WrestleMania this year.
Lynch is also scheduled to defend her title against one half of WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors, Asuka on the upcoming episode of Raw.
So while it’s not confirmed what the company has planned for Shayna Baszler, it’s possible that she comes out during or after this match. Though we will have to tune in to Raw to figure out whether or not she actually makes her debut at the show.
WWE confirmed Goldberg vs. Bray Wyatt for Super Showdown in Saudi Arabia on SmackDown this week. Though it wasn’t the only match announced for the show during the night and the company also confirmed a stipulation match for Roman Reigns.
Tonight’s episode of the Blue Branded Show saw Baron Corbin
issuing a challenge to the Big Dog for a match at the upcoming show after
Reigns defeated him in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Royal Rumble.
Roman Reigns then accepted the challenge made by King Corbin but he stated that the bout would be a steel cage match. WWE has since confirmed this stipulation for their fight.
Updated Match Card For Super Showdown 2020
This is the fourth match that has been announced for the
Super Showdown event. You can check out an updated match card for the show
below:
WWE Championship Match: Ricochet vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
WWE Universal Championship Match: Bill Goldberg vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt (c)
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: John Morrison and The Miz vs. The New Day (c)
Steel Cage Match: King Baron Corbin vs. Roman Reigns
Super Showdown 2020 will take place on Thursday, February 27
from King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
WWE SmackDown aired live from from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Goldberg announced his opponent for WWE Super ShowDown during this week’s SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown Results (2/7)
The Usos def. Roode & Ziggler
Elias def. Cesaro
Daniel Bryan def. Heath Slater
Sheamus def. Apollo Crews
Carmella def. Naomi, Alexa Bliss, and Dana Brooke to become #1 contender
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
The Usos Picked Up A Win
The Miz and John Morrison kicked off this week’s episode with an episode of The Dirt sheet. Miz and Morrison will face New Day at Super ShowDown for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. They rolled a trailer called “Once Upon A Time In Dirt Sheet” that featured Lance Storm, John Lauranitis, and Mr. Miz.
New Day interrupted and came to the ramp with buckets of popcorn. Kofi and Big E cracked a couple of jokes before entering the ring. The Miz claimed that they have already beaten every tag team SmackDown has to offer. The Usos joined the party and stated that Miz and Morrison haven’t beaten them. Dolph Ziggler’s music hit and Miz & Morrison capitalized on the distraction and attacked. Ziggler & Roode then faced The Usos in a tag team match.
Match Recap: Roode and Ziggler dominated early but Jimmy Uso battled back with a massive uppercut to Roode. Jey tagged in and got distracted by Ziggler. Roode capitalized with a Clothesline for a near fall. Ziggler tagged in and connected with a Dropkick for another two count. Roode and Ziggler spent the new few minutes beating Jey down until Jimmy finally was able to tag in. Jimmy hit a couple of Samoan Drops before walking into a Powerslam from Roode for a new fall. Jimmy battled back with a Superkick and tagged Jey in. Jey went for a Splash but Dolph got his knees up. Jimmy tagged in and hit Roode with a Splash for the pinfall victory.
WWE rolled footage of Roman Reigns and The Usos dumping dog food on King Corbin’s head last week. Corbin ran to the production truck and attacked a WWE employee. Corbin threw the employee down a flight of stairs before WWE security arrived.
Goldberg was about to be interviewed before King Corbin interrupted and joked about the 49ers losing the Super Bowl. Corbin demanded another match with Roman Reigns tonight. King Corbin poured a drink over fan’s head before Reigns’ music hit. Roman hit a Superman Punch and Corbin ran away. Roman called Corbin a coward and accepted another match. Reigns suggested a Steel Cage match so nobody can interfere.
Opinion: I don’t understand why we have to see this match again. Their match at Royal Rumble was fine and should have put an end to the feud.
Goldberg was interviewed via satelite tonight on SmackDown. Goldberg was sitting on a weight bench in between two cars and said that he was inspired by last week’s Royal Rumble.
Goldberg stated that his time as Universal Champion was way too short but was interrupted by an episode of Firefly Fun House. Wyatt said that The Fiend accepts Goldberg’s challenge and Goldberg shouted that The Fiend was next.
Opinion: I’m not expecting much from this match at Super Showdown but I thought tonight’s promo was great.
Shinsuke Nakamura Will Get A Rematch For The IC Title
Renee Young interviewed new Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman tonight on SmackDown. The crowd chanted “you deserve it!” as Renee asked Braun how it felt to be champion.
Strowman stated that being the IC Champion is the greatest accomplishment of his career and raised the belt above his head. Shinsuke Nakamura and Zayn interrupted and Sami claimed that Strowman’s victory was fraudulent. Zayn asked for a rematch for Nakamura but didn’t want the match tonight.
The Revival then attacked Braun from behind and beat him down. Shinsuke and Sami got in the ring and continued to beat Strowman down in the corner of the ring as the crowd booed.
Carmella Earned A Shot At The SmackDown Women’s Championship
Naomi, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, and Dana Brooke battled in the main event of this week’s show. The winner of the match will earn a shot at Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Match Recap: Naomi dominated early and took out everyone with a Splash outside the ring. Bayley got in Naomi’s face and the two started trading punches. Bayley sent Naomi flying into the steel steps as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Back from the break, Naomi connected with a Dropkick on Dana and went for the cover but Alexa broke it up.
Carmella rolled up Alexa for a two count and Bliss responded with a slap to the face. Dana showed off her strength and planted Bliss with a Powerbomb. Carmella sent Dana to the corner and hit her with a Bronco Buster. Naomi hit Carmella with a Bulldog into a turnbuckle and followed it up with a Moonsault but Dana broke up the cover at two.
Dana lifted Naomi up onto her shoulders but Naomi escaped and connected with a Stunner. Alexa hit Naomi with a Dropkick and then bounced her face off the top turnbuckle. Naomi battled back and hit a Leg Drop for a two count. Naomi perched Bliss up on the top turnbuckle and unloaded a couple right hands to her face.
Alexa shoved Naomi to the canvas and went for a cover but Naomi kicked out at two. Dana hopped on the apron and Naomi brought her in the ring with a Suplex. Naomi followed it up with a Leg Drop for a two count. Bliss sent Naomi into the turnbuckle and then climbed to the top rope. Alexa went for Twisted Bliss but Naomi got her knees up and followed it up with Rear View. Carmella snuck up behind Naomi and hit her with a Superkick. Carmella then pinned Naomi for the victory. Bayley then attacked Carmella from behind to close the show.
Opinion: WWE teased a feud between Bayley and Naomi, only to give Carmella the title match. I really only enjoyed the brief promo between Bray Wyatt and Goldberg tonight. Sheamus defeated Apollo Crews in a squash match and then leveled Shorty G with a Brogue Kick after the match. I don’t care about the feud between Sheamus & Shorty G and had forgotten Apollo Crews was even in WWE anymore. Bryan’s match with Heath Slater lasted thirty seconds and Cesaro continues on his never-ending journey nowhere with a loss to Elias. The entire show seemed phoned in and lifeless.
The WWE Hall of Famer did so on Friday Night SmackDown this week in San Jose, CA at the SAP Center on FOX. WWE hyped his appearance earlier this week with an announcement about him being back on Monday Night RAW.
As seen on the show, Goldberg did a promo via satellite where he stated that since he can’t fight WWE Champion Brock Lesnar at Super ShowDown, he’ll go after another title. He talked about never getting a rematch for when he lost the Universal Title.
He then issued a challenge to Bray Wyatt. This is when Wyatt appeared in a Firefly Funhouse segment where he noted that The Fiend accepts Goldberg’s challenge.
WWE makes its return with the Super ShowDown event in Saudi Arabia later this month.
Of course, Goldberg is looking to right the wrongs that were made at last year’s Super ShowDown show where he battled The Undertaker.
The match had received a ton of criticism from fans. The start of the match was good but it quickly went downhill due to unforeseen circumstances.
WWE presents the Super ShowDown pay-per-view event on Thursday, February 27, 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium that will air on the WWE Network.
Matt Riddle got fans talking when he shared an interesting comment on social media.
It all went down when the WWE On FOX Twitter account hyped an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg on Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX. This is where they asked fans who his next opponent should be.
The belief as of this writing is that Goldberg’s opponent at the Super ShowDown pay-per-view show on Thursday, February 27, 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium will be revealed.
This is when Riddle responded to the post by writing, “I’m not gonna do what sources are saying I’m not suppose to do. Or am I? What are sources saying?”
This comes after a report by Dave Meltzer that Riddle has heat with Vince McMahon for calling out top stars such as Goldberg and WWE Champion Brock Lesnar on social media and other reasons.
An update regarding WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon’s decision to fire Co-Presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson has surfaced.
The news was made last week and WWE stock dropped as a result. Fast forward to Thursday’s WWE Q4 and Full-Year 2019 investors call, McMahon noted that the management transition came after careful consideration. He also stated that the decision was made on a “different view of execution of our areas of focus.”
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that McMahon and his former Co-Presidents wanted to do different things with the significant money that the company earned through their TV deals with FOX and the USA Network.
According to the report, Barrios and Wilson wanted to maximize WWE’s current profits in order to increase the stock price. Although McMahon wanted to do that as well, he also had plans that Wilson and Barrios did not agree with.
Those plans were to heavily invest the money such as spending big money to sign, keep and stockpile new talents. Also, he wants to create new regional brands in different markets just like they did in the UK with the WWE NXT UK brand.
It’s been rumored that WWE has considered NXT Japan, NXT Germany, NXT Australia, NXT Mexico, and NXT Canada for the future.
The idea behind these brands is for him to try to regain the “monopoly” of the pro wrestling business after the rise of mainly New Japan Pro Wrestling and AEW.
WWE announced the signing of El Hijo del Fantasma, the former King Cuerno from Lucha Underground, last year. Despite signing the luchador in September, he has yet to wrestle a match for the promotion. In fact, his last match was on August 4th, 2019 in Mexico.
According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Fantasmo has been on the shelf with a knee injury. He is expected back shortly.
“The reason there has been no sighting or mentions of Jorge Alcantar (King Cuerno/El Hijo del Fantasma) since his signing was announced is that he blew out his knee. He’s expected to be cleared imminently,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The 35-year-old luchador began his career with CMLL in 2008. He would leave the promotion for AAA in 2013.
On an episode of his podcast last spring, Sean Waltman commented on Fantasma.
“He was a guy that I talked to WWE about when they asked me. Canyon Ceman had asked me to take a trip down to Mexico after Alberto Del Rio left the first time.”
He continued, “Fantasma was one of the guys I told them about. He can speak English, he’s got a great look, and he fit most of the criteria they were looking for.”
Matt Riddle is known to be outspoken and that is something that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon apparently doesn’t like.
The issues between the two are due to Riddle’s social media posts and challenges, according to Dave Meltzer, who reported the news in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Meltzer noted how WWE Champion Brock Lesnar doesn’t like Riddle for making challenges to main roster stars as well as himself and that Lesnar has tremendous pull with McMahon.
It was added that “Vince also sees him [Riddle] as an outside guy and feels Riddle has no respect for the hierarchy of the business by challenging Goldberg and Lesnar.”
Riddle has made it clear for years that he wants to not only take on Lesnar in the squared circle but wants to retire him at WrestleMania, which is the biggest event of the year for WWE.
In fact, Riddle and Lesnar got into a backstage verbal altercation prior to Royal Rumble in Houston, Texas at the Minute Maid Park. According to recent reports, Lesnar told Riddle to stop calling him out because the match will never happen.
Riddle had an awkward interaction with Goldberg last year at SummerSlam after criticizing the WWE Hall of Famer on social media and interviews.
Rusev hasn’t wrestled on WWE programming since a mixed-tag match on the January 20th, 2020 episode. He teamed with Liv Morgan and they were defeated by Lana and Bobby Lashley on the show. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rusev is currently off TV due to a contract dispute with WWE.
“Rusev has been off television due to a contract dispute,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The report continued to say it’s possible there is no resolution to the Lashley-Rusev rivalry until after the contract dispute between Rusev and WWE has been resolved.
“There should be a Rusev-Lashley blow-off after all that build, but Rusev has been taken off TV so it looks like he never gets his revenge at the end unless his contract situation works out,” Meltzer wrote.
Rusev’s wife Lana signed a new multi-year contract with WWE last November.
Bryan Clark (aka Adam Bomb) has been charged for narcotics-related offenses in Arizona but the former member of Kronik says the facts of the case are being misconstrued.
The 55-year-old Clark and Dennis Miccolis, 73, have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, illegal control of enterprise, transporting or selling narcotics, drug possession and possessing a weapon during a drug offense. The alleged offenses are believed to have occurred last year.
“The police report contains alleged facts that have been grossly misconstrued and are incorrect,” Clark’s attorney Robbert Jarvis said to the Arizona Republic. “This includes incorrect allegations relating to medication and its use.”
The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for February 19th, 2020.
The report from the Arizona Republic can be found here.
Bryan Clark aka Adam Bomb In Wrestling
Clark started his wrestling career with the AWA under the name the Nightstalker in 1989. He would wrestle for WCW and then Smoky Mountain Wrestling before signing with WWE in 1993. Clark would then begin to portray the Adam Bomb character.
He would join WCW in 1997 and begin competing under the name Wrath. In 2000, he formed Kronik alongside Bryan Adams.
Tony Khan is said to be taking a larger role in the creative side of things backstage in AEW. According to a report from Fightful, Khan’s role has evolved from being the final say to coming up with ideas and developing storylines of his own. He is also said to have been more outspoken concerning the ideas of others as of late.
In addition to Khan’s evolving role on the creative team, Kenny Omega is said to have been pushing for certain storylines behind the scenes as well. The recent Britt Baker heel-turn is said to have been Omega’s idea. The lines blasting Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone are said to have come from Khan, however.
Baker attacked Yuka Sakazaki after their match this week, breaking off one of Sakazaki’s teeth in the process.
Regarding the Hangman Page storyline, it is being reported that AEW management is having fun working on the angle and coming up with ideas for Page. On the most recent episode of Dynamite, Matt Jackson confronted Page in the back about his drinking. Page appeared to be taking Matt’s comments to heart before he then began drinking beer directly from a full pitcher.
The main event of next week’s Dynamite from Atlanta will be the first-ever AEW steel cage match. Cody Rhodes will face Wardlow in the match.
Taynara Conti is reportedly gone from NXT. According to a report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful (on their Patreon), Conti had a dispute with the company, likely financial, and she has left the company.
In recent days, Conti has re-tweeted posts critical of NXT for not using her such as the one below:
No @TaynaraContiWWE, this is what happens. They should have learned by now. ???? https://t.co/1BzJ45JXvC
Conti is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has a background in jiu-jitsu and judo. She also has a background in gymnastics. Prior to signing with WWE, Conti competed in the trials for the Summer Games in 2016 as part of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu team. Conti signed with WWE in October 2016. Pro Wrestling Illustrated rated her the 90th top female single’s wrestler of 2018.
Conti had no pro-wrestling experience prior to signing with WWE in 2016. She has since had 103 matches and holds a record of 23-80. In her last appearance on NXT programming, she dropped a match to Candice LeRae on the December 18th, 2019 episode.
The pop-punk band Bowling for Soup recently released a music video for a song about Alexa Bliss. The former multi-time WWE Women’s Champion stars as herself in the video as well.
Lyrics for the song are as follows:
“She saw me for the first time in Columbus But she was with her friends and?I?was in a?tour bus A few months later she?was wearing my shirt in a photo shoot I didn’t even know that she was famous How could someone so pretty be so dangerous? She’s only 5′ tall but maybe 5’2″ in her wrestling boots”
The video can be viewed in the player below:
Bliss stated the following about the song in a press release:
“This song is amazing :-) filming the video was such a great time I had a blast. It’s definitely a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity when your favorite band in the world makes a song about you. And Jaret is always so fun to work with and be around :-)”
“[Chorus] (Hey!) Why can’t every girl be more like Alexa Bliss? (Hey!) How can a chick on TV make me feel like this? She’s got a finishing move called Twisted Bliss And it’s like my heart is caught in a sleeper hold Woah-oh-oh Why can’t every girl be more like Alexa Bliss?
[Verse 2] She says some really mean stuff to the other wrestlers Some say they hate her but they just don’t get her And if you try to bring her down, she’ll say “Bless your heart” Her favorite song’s “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” Sometimes she cheats but she never gets caught, yeah She’s got a pig named Larry-Steve and he’s so smart”
Bliss had been invited on stage with the band during a show last summer as well.
Amazon could be in a position to purchase WWE says analysts from Needham & Company LLC. Analyst Laura Martin says Amazon would likely be in the best spot to purchase WWE provided they first purchase the streaming rights to WWE content.
“We believe that such a licensing deal would put AMZN in the best spot to purchase all of WWE, whenever the family is ready to exit,” Martin said. “Vince McMahon is currently 74 years old, going on 50.”
During WWE’s recent financial earnings call, Vince McMahon noted that WWE could sell the streaming rights to their PPVs. Martin’s analysis states that the WWE Network would be an attractive property for Amazon to own.
“WWE’s live programming is highly differentiated and its Raw, Smackdown and NXT brands are worth more than being any one of 500 series that have no built-in audience or brand,” Martin continued.
WWE stock has fallen more than 40% so far in 2020. WWE stock fell recently as the company fired its co-Presidents, George Barrios and Michelle Wilson. Martin currently has WWE stock rated as a “buy.”
The full analysis from Laura Martin can be read here.
A new episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown is here and it’s shaping up to be an interesting show.
With just hours until bell time, it’s time to look ahead. The biggest thing that has been announced thus far for the episode is WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg making his return to WWE television.
WWE has been hyping up his return since Monday when the company made the announcement. As of this writing, there’s no official word on what WWE has planned for him to do on the show but the belief is that it will set up his in-ring return.
It’s been reported that he’ll get his opponent for the Super ShowDown pay-per-view event on Thursday, February 27, 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd International Stadium on SmackDown.
Several segments have also been announced thus far for this show including the return of Daniel Bryan.
WWE SmackDown Preview
WWE holds this show from San Jose, CA at the SAP Center. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Goldberg to appear
“Firefly Fun House” returns after Bray Wyatt’s Royal Rumble victory
The Miz & John Morrison to bring back “The Dirt Sheet”
Daniel Bryan returns
Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Dana Brooke vs. Carmella – Fatal 4-Way #1 Contender’s Match
WWE will also be announcing matches for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Super ShowDown pay-per-view event.
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for SmackDown.
Join us here later tonight for WWE SmackDown Results and our post-show SmackDown Takeaways feature.
Minoru Suzuki will face Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship this Sunday from Osaka, Japan. Suzuki spoke with NJPW1972.com about his new rival.
“He’s a guy who stepped in my house and didn’t take his shoes off at the front door,” Suzuki said about Moxley. “The ‘former WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose’. Changed his look up a bit and here he is. Look, I’ve been watching him for a while, yeah. Can he grapple? No. Is he strong? No. Tough? No. He can’t do s**t.”
Suzuki would continue to say, however, that Moxley stands out despite the things he can’t do.
“It’s a bit of a paradox, but it’s because of that he got chances in WWE. There’s nobody else like him, right? Nobody in the majors in America is like him. So he stands out. Nobody gets that,” Suzuki continued. “Look. An absolute all-round perfectionist, the perfect complete player, tens in every category? Not even Tanahashi is that. Naito isn’t that. They don’t exist.”
Suzuki then spoke about what goes into rating how good a pro-wrestler is.
“Everyone in this business is a mark, you included. You fans have this idea of ratings, of skill points. You put all those points in a hexagon graph and calculate an average; ‘oh he’s a good wrestler, over 80 overall’. BS. Who the hell will pay money to buy a ticket, and see a guy who’s a perfect hexagon, 8 out of 10 or above in all areas? The guy with zero overall, the guy who can’t do anything at all, he’s a better draw.”
Suzuki would conclude that even though Moxley might not be the most skilled wrestler, he has an intangible feel to him that makes people take notice.
“He has something very special about him,” Suzuki concluded.
Suzuki also gave his thoughts on WWE’s international expansion.
“They’re going into all these countries, buying up promotions, snatching away talent, and sapping the business there. But the one place they haven’t been able to do that yet? Japan. Japan and Mexico are the only places that have carried a strong sense of wrestling culture that was uniquely theirs. Business is down in Mexico. WWE are getting their claws in there, too. But they haven’t come here yet, because Japanese wrestling has too much presence. Uniquely Japanese wrestling does.”
The full interview with Minoru Suzuki can be read here.
Shayna Baszler was the final elimination in the 2020 women’s Royal Rumble match. The 39-year-old entered the Rumble at the #30 position but was tossed out by Charlotte Flair.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Baszler is set to become a regular member of the RAW brand shortly. Baszler’s last match on NXT was a victory over Shotzi Blackheart on the January 22nd, 2020 episode. Blackheart had eliminated Baszler from a battle royal that saw Bianca Belair earn the next title shot against Rhea Ripley on a previous show.
“She is leaving NXT and this has been planned for a long time, probably close to a year,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “So the thing about not wanting to transfer stars in NXT to the main roster and give the idea NXT is developmental or a stepping stone rather than a third brand doesn’t apply to her.”
The report continued to note that NXT stars will no longer be called up to the “main roster” unless an angle has been planned for a long time.
Shayna Baszler To RAW
Baszler is the only 2x NXT Women’s Champion in the history of the title. She’s also held the title for more combined days than any other champion in the title’s lineage. Her 549 days spent with the title tops Asuka’s 510 days spent all during her one reign with the belt.
This past week’s episode of NXT saw the return of popular Superstar Velveteen Dream. It was revealed during the ending of the show that Dream was behind the cryptic “2 5 20” messages that have been sporadically appearing during the black-and-gold brand’s recent episodes. Once the message had been made clear, Dream appeared behind the Undisputed Era before doling out his revenge on the stable. The Undisputed Era subsequently addressed Dream’s return and attack in am interview with WWE.com.
“I have never felt more disrespected in my whole entire life,” Roderick Strong said. “Now listen, it was strictly business what happened between me and Dream before he was put on the shelf. But this? This is extremely personal. Dream’s going to pay, he’s going to pay big time.”
Undisputed Era leader, Adam Cole added, “You know who else is going to pay? Literally everybody else. We have done this exact same song and dance for far too long now. It’s the Undisputed Era versus the World, am I right? Always.”
He continued, “So whether it’s Velveteen Dream, whether it’s Tommaso Ciampa, I don’t care who it is. The Undisputed Era will be there to knock them down because that’s what we do. We’re the very best that not only NXT has to offer, but WWE has to offer. We run this place.”
WWE Superstar Sasha Banks has addressed her injury during an appearance on WWE’s podcast, After The Bell. During her conversation with host Corey Graves, Banks also spoke about her absence from the 30-Woman Royal Rumble matchup.
“The Boss” explained how she suffered an ankle injury a few weeks ago at the hands of “the evil un-role model” Lacey Evans. She noted how she can barely walk properly at this time and is frustrated as she considers herself to be a person that “always wants to be 125 percent.”
“I’m just at 100 percent. You guys just have to wait,” Banks said. “It’s unacceptable. I’m at 100 percent. I need to be at 120 percent. I’m taking my time so that I can be bigger and better than ever.”
Why Sasha Banks Wasn’t In The Royal Rumble
Turning her attention to the Women’s Royal Rumble match, Sasha Banks confessed that she was never scheduled to be a participant. She explained the reason behind this decision is because she is a leader who wanted to “give girls other opportunities.”
“I didn’t want to win that match because I didn’t want to choose my best friend nor did I want to choose Becky Lynch because I don’t want to go to RAW,” Banks said. “So I wasn’t going to be in the Royal Rumble regardless, and Bayley asked me to not come out for the match because she wanted to show people that she didn’t need my help. So I respect her.”
Charlotte Flair would end up winning the Women’s Royal Rumble, granting her a championship match at WrestleMania—an opportunity Banks has previously claimed she doesn’t care about.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin appeared on this week’s episode of NXT, defeating Tyler Breeze in a competitive matchup. After the matchup, Devlin spoke with WWE.com to share his intentions going forward.
“What is next for “The Irish Ace”? I’m gonna hop on a plane. Go to San Jose, California. 205 Live. I’m going to Las Vegas, Nevada, I’m going back to California again, back to Orlando, all around the States on the Jordan Devlin Cruiserweight Tour.”
He continued, “We’re in championship rounds now. Nobody in this entire company has the gas tank that Jordan Devlin does. Nobody else in this company defends their title across three brands. And I know NXT UK are gonna be clamoring for Jordan Devlin back, but let them just wait. I pick my own hours now. I’m gonna show all of the United States, NXT, 205 Live, NXT UK, you never bet against an ace.”
Jordan Devlin Vs. The World
Jordan Devlin became the NXT Cruiserweight Champion after emerging victorious from a Fatal 4 Way at Worlds Collide. He defeated then-champion Angel Garza, Isiah “Swerve” Scott and Travis Banks to claim the championship as his own.
The NXT UK Superstar has some significant supporters within WWE, and his words appear to confirm the reports that he will defend his championship across all of WWE’s brands.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
NXT UK Superstar Trent Seven has spoken about WWE’s entertainment diversity in a recent interview with The Mirror. During the interview, Seven shared his belief that WWE offers “the complete package.”
Seven explained how everyone approaches wrestling from a different angle, depending on what you grew up with. He noted how if you grew up watching wrestlers like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks, “you might see it [WWE’s current product] as the most amazing thing the you have ever watched.”
He juxtaposed this with fans who may be more traditional, preferring the more competitive shoot-style matches. For Seven, however, WWE can offer something for everyone:
“I believe that now, the product that we offer, from WWE to NXT UK, there’s such a complete range of entertainment that I don’t think it can be pigeonholed,” Seven explained. “WWE is the complete package as far as entertainment goes.”
Trent Seven Compares WWE To John Wick
During the interview, Seven was asked about those who point that wrestling is scripted. The NXT UK Superstar compared the wrestling industry to Hollywood, noting how he watches movies as a “form of entertainment.”
“I don’t go into a movie like John Wick pretending that it’s real, and that’s the whole point. I go into it as a form of entertainment. I believe as far as professional wrestling goes, there isn’t a more complete form of entertainment.”
Trent Seven recently appeared on an episode of WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT. He competed in a losing effort to Finn Balor.
All Elite Wrestling commentator Jim Ross has opened up about the chemistry between himself and his announce partners. Speaking with Wrestlezone, Ross admitted that he loves working with Excalibur and Tony Schiavone. He did, however, note that the AEW announce team is “still coming together.”
“Our broadcast team is kind of still coming together. I love what Tony and Excalibur brings to the table. I love working with them, they’re good guys,” Ross said. “Most of all I enjoy being around them and you can’t always say that so I’m very blessed in that regard, but we have a lot of work to do to get as good as we need to be and I don’t know if that process really ever stops.”
He continued, “It doesn’t for me. I don’t know if it’s my ego or my insecurities as a performer, but I never ever felt like I called the best show and I still believe that my best work is yet to come.”
Jim Ross On Fan Criticism
Their three-man commentary team has been on the receiving end of fan criticism in the past. Although he sees these comments, Jim Ross explained how he approaches their opinions, confessing that he just has to “deal with it.”
He highlighted how for “every one or two idiots” who want to use social media to complain, there are thousands of fans that have supported him throughout his career. Ross claimed that their support has undoubtedly helped him get through some tough times over the past few years.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has discussed Drew McIntyre’s rise to the top in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Looking at McIntyre’s WWE journey that now leads him to WrestleMania 36, Booker T commented on how it’s “fitting” that he headlines Mania with WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
“McIntyre-Lesnar is a built-in story,” Booker said. “Drew paid his dues. He’s a guy that got fired, had to go out there and find himself, then work his way back up. Drew is a guy that was once labeled ‘The Chosen One,’ and then all of that fell through. To see him back, it’s only fitting to close WrestleMania with that match.”
Booker T confessed that he relates to McIntyre thanks to their shared work ethic. He felt that he was often a hardworking, but underappreciated, wrestler during his tenure in WCW before his first World Title reign in 2000.
“I was that guy once upon a time, so I know exactly how Drew feels right now,” Booker T said. “It will be one of those stories where the guy who worked his ass off gets rewarded, and it will be awesome.”
Drew McIntyre faces Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5, 2020, from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War.
This week, AEW won in total viewers. It was close in every demographic group except Adults 50+, where NXT had a significant edge as they usually do.
Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
WWE NXT Viewership
NXT on the USA Network averaged 770,000 viewers, which is up from 712,000 last week. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.22 rating, the same from the previous week.
The episode featured Angel Garza vs. Isaiah Scott, Dominik Dijakovic vs. Killian Dain, Mercedes Martinez vs. Kacy Catanzaro, Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Breeze, and The BroserWeights (Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne) & Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Undisputed ERA (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly)
AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 928,000 viewers, up from the 828,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.36 rating, up from the 0.34 rating that the show did last week.
AEW Dynamite featured matches such as Dr. Britt Baker vs. Yuka Sakazaki, Jon Moxley vs. Ortiz, and The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page vs. Lucha Bros, The Butcher and The Blade (w/The Bunny). In the main event segment, Cody Rhodes got 10 lashes from MJF.
Next week’s battle will be very interesting to see which show wins the ratings battle as NXT will be getting closer to their next special, TakeOver: Portland while AEW edges closer to Revolution.
NXT Superstar Bianca Belair recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast and discussed her recent breakout appearance at this year’s Royal Rumble.
“…I was pulled aside at Worlds Collide” – Bianca Belair
Graves initially asked Belair when she found out that she would be taking part in the Women’s Rumble match. “I found out the, well, pretty much, I was pulled aside at Worlds Collide and I found out that I was going to be a part of the Royal Rumble probably…the night before it was confirmed” Belair began. “The night before is a lot more advance notice then you know we sometimes get! So [I’m] kind of used to it by now.”
“I was excited. Then directly after that, What followed was nervousness”
Belair elaborated further, describing how she felt entering her first ever Rumble match. “I was, of course, I was excited. Then directly after that, what followed was nervousness. It was my first Royal Rumble. I wasn’t a part of the Rumble the last year. So I was excited that they chose me to be a part of it this year and I was excited to get that experience and also know that I would possibly be get to share the ring with some of the girls that I always wanted to share the ring with. And possibly some legends, so I was excited to be on the big stage and get in front of some people that may not exactly know a lot about Bianca Belair. Just get to showcase who I was in front of a bigger audience.”
Belair had an impressive run in the 2020 Women’s Royal Rumble. The NXT Superstar eliminated 8 women from the match and lasted just over 33 minutes in the bout. Belair took out Alexa Bliss, Mighty Molly, Nikki Cross, Mandy Rose, Candice LaRae, Sonya Deville, Dana Brooke, and Tamina.
