WWE believes they have a top prospect in Keith Lee. Few who followed his career on the independents will disagree with that sentiment.
Lee is a former PWG World Champion and a former WWN Champion with Evolve. He was shown in the crowd at NXT Takeover: Chicago II.
WWE released the following promotional video for Lee recently:
Keith Lee NXT
Lee sent the following message out on Instagram after his final match with PWG.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjPbQU0gzeL/?hl=en
Lee is expected to make his in-ring NXT debut over the next couple of weeks. He taped his first match for the brand at the recent set of tapings held in mid-July.
Lee defeated Chuck Taylor to win the PWG title in March. He lost the title to WALTER just 29 days later in Reseda, CA. WALTER is still the promotion’s champion.
Tonight’s episodes of Smackdown and 205 Live will emanate from Orlando, Fl. WWE’s second-home away from Connecticut is also where many Superstars choose to live. Tonight, recent NXT graduates will clash in their adopted second hometown.
2 matches are confirmed for Smackdown tonight and one more is scheduled for 205 Live.
Smackdown 8/7
AJ Styles Addresses Samoa Joe
Tonight, the WWE Champion will address his SummerSlam challenger. Two weeks ago, Joe attacked Styles from behind before signing the SummerSlam contract. Last week, Joe accused Styles of neglecting his family in order to obtain success in WWE.
Styles will address Joe’s comments tonight.
Smackdown Tag-Team Tournament Finals
The New Day vs. the Bar
Smackdown General Manager Paige created a 4-team tournament to determine who challenges the Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam. After defeating the Usos last week, the Bar will take on New Day tonight. New Day defeated Sanity two weeks ago to make it to the finals of the #1 contender’s tournament.
The Bludgeon Brothers will likely be watching this match closely.
Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs The Iiconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce)
Are we getting women’s tag-team championships? There sure is a lot of pairing up going on in the women’s divisions for that not to be the case. Granted, the same thing happened on 205 Live and then sort of fizzled out.
Lynch and Flair will be on the same side tonight but will be 2/3 of a triple threat match at SummerSlam. it will be interesting to see how well they work together in this match tonight.
4 NXT graduates return to Orlando for this tag match tonight.
The Miz’s SummerSlam Announcement
Daniel Bryan challenged the Miz to a match at SummerSlam. Miz declined the challenge, however. He said he is simply too much of a star to wrestle Daniel Bryan at the biggest event of the summer.
Miz has said he’ll have a better announcement regarding his involvement at SummerSlam tonight.
205 Live 8/7 Preview
Mustafa Ali vs Hideo Itami
The heart of 205 Live, Mustafa Ali, returns tonight to take on Hideo Itami. Two perennial contenders for the title meet one-on-one tonight. The winner likely finds themselves in the mix of things for the first Cruiserweight title shot following SummerSlam.
Cedric Alexander Reacts To Drew Gulak’s Attack
Cedric Alexander knows he’s in for a challenge at SummerSlam when he defends against Drew Gulak. The man who has been campaigning for a better 205 Live attacked him last week ahead of their SummerSlam tilt.
According to a founding member of Bullet Club, WWE’s version of the faction is done. Karl Anderson recently responded to fans on Twitter asking about the stable and his responses indicate there is nothing to talk about.
Despite the faction seemingly being over, Anderson is staying at Balor’s house at the moment. Smackdown is in Orlando tonight and in lieu of staying at a hotel in the area, Anderson is just staying at Balor’s place.
Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and AJ Styles acted as “The Club” when Anderson and Gallows first arrived in the company in 2016. In NJPW, Anderson and Gallows had actually helped Kenny Omega and Bullet Club kick Styles out of the faction on Styles’ last show with the company, however. They seemingly patched things up before Anderson and Gallows arrived in WWE, however.
Then earlier this year, Gallows and Anderson joined Finn Balor, another original Bullet Club member on Raw. Their reunion did not last long, however. Gallows and Anderson were drafted to Smackdown following the Superstar Shakeup not long after WrestleMania.
Since moving to Smackdown, Anderson and Gallows have had two chances to win the tag-team championships. They lost both opportunities to the Bludgeon Brothers. The last time Anderson and Gallows held tag-team gold in WWE was WrestleMania 33. They entered the event as champions but lost the titles to the Hardy Boyz.
Meanwhile in NJPW, original BC members Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale are attempting to bring the faction back to its roots.
Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey showed off a photo with fellow Four Horsewomen members – Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir. All members of the group are currently under contract with the WWE.
Years ago, Rousey, Duke, and Shafir were dubbed MMA’s Four Horsewomen as an homage to the classic Ric Flair-led pro wrestling stable that started in 1985 and lasted through the late ’90s. You can see the photo here:
As seen on this week’s episode of RAW in Jacksonville, FL at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on the USA Network, the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion beat Alicia Fox in a singles match.
Ruby Riott Returns To Action
Ruby Riott is back on WWE television as she made her return and reunited with The Riott Squad on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Jacksonville, FL at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on the USA Network.
If you recall, she had been out of action since suffering a MCL sprain in her left knee when she worked a match against Dana Brooke in late June. Following her return, she spoke with WWE.com where she noted that for the past few weeks, she had been at home and watching the shows where she has seen women’s division attempt to teach her squad a lesson.
What are your thoughts on Riott’s return? Sound off in the comment section.
John Cena is looking ripped these days as he recently showed off a photo that he took while at the gym on Monday, August 6 that he shared on his official Twitter account.
In the post, he noted that he was on a new training program in large part of Jackie Chan’s team where he went from 254 to 236 lbs. Although it’s been a bit since we saw the former WWE Champion compete inside the squared circle, he’s still an ambassador for the company while he follows his Hollywood dreams as right now, he’s filming the action blockbuster Project X with Jackie Chan. You can see the photo here:
Never stay in your “comfort zone” too long. New program thanks to @EyeOfJackieChan team more ? more ???? little bit of ?and of course?????! Down to 236lb from 254 and really weirding out the poor SOB on the treadmill behind me! #NeverGiveUppic.twitter.com/CwkCBn4h9D
He was last seen on WWE programming when he beat Triple H in the opening match on the main card of the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in April. Before that, he worked a limited schedule for the company where he would lose to The Undertaker in a short match at the biggest event of the year for the WWE, WrestleMania, in early April.
Cena is set to make his return to in-ring competition for the WWE as he is slated to work the upcoming live event in Shanghai, China at the Mercedes Benz Arena on Saturday, Sept. 1 as well as the upcoming Superstar Show-Down pay-per-view event that goes down on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Australia and will air on the WWE Network.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on who his opponents will be at these events.
What are your thoughts on Cena’s new look? Sound off in the comment section.
As SummerSlam is approaching closer, Brock Lesnar has become a hot topic of discussion once again and people have been talking about his WWE contract.
During the latest episode of the Jim Ross Report podcast, Chris Jericho discussed Lesnar’s current WWE deal alongside his ongoing NJPW run and more.
Jericho first talked about his current NJPW run and indicated that his deal with the company is for 2018. He then claimed that he will return to the company for a ‘few more times for sure’.
Chris also discussed how people have animosity towards Brock Lesnar because of his limited contract but said that he admires Lesnar and wouldn’t mind having a similar deal.
Continuing on the topic, he recalled how Hulk Hogan had a profit-sharing deal with WCW where he used to receive a percentage from the revenue generated by PPVs.
Y2J went on to tell the fans to hate the owners and the company to offer such deals to talents and said that he is always happy for a performer who lands a high paying deal because percentage-wise, it’s the performers who make the least amount of money at various major sports leagues.
Brock Lesnar is currently scheduled to defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at the upcoming SummerSlam PPV on August 19th.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced they will be issuing new guidelines to wrestlers shortly. The new rules are due to the frequent interference via the Firing Squad during the G1 Climax tournament as well as Tama Tonga’s actions outside the ring during the last few weeks.
“NJPW takes actions taken by our wrestlers seriously,” an NJPW press release reads. “In light of recent inappropriate conduct by Tama Tonga including SNS usage, the company has decided to take disciplinary actions against said wrestlers, and will issue updated guidelines to all wrestlers.”
By SNS usage, the company is referring to Tonga’s actions on the Social Network Site (SNS) Twitter. Tonga has frequently come into contact with many users on Twitter who he has later compared to a flavor of Doritos.
4 nights remain in this year’s G1 Climax tournament. The B-Block has just two remaining nights of round-robin and the A-Block only one. Then the finals of the tournament will take place Sunday in Tokyo.
Tama Tonga currently has 4pts in the tournament while his stablemate Bad Luck Fale who has 6pts.
In addition to the A Block Winner facing the B Block Winner on Sunday, Rey Mysterio is also signed on for the event. The famous luchador’s opponent has yet to be named, however.
Jordynne Grace, Moose, Rocky Romero, Colt Cabana, and Ethan Page have been announced for the battle royal thus far.
The other match announced for the free pre-show event is the Briscoe Brothers taking on SoCal Uncensored.
All In Lineup
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Nick Aldis (c) vs Cody
Kazuchika Okada vs Marty Scurll
Joey Janela w/ Penelope Ford vs Hangman Page
Rey Mysterio, Fenix, Bandido vs the Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi
Christopher Daniels vs Stephen Amell
15-Person Over Budget Battle Royal
The Briscoes vs Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky
Two significant wrestlers who have yet to have matches announced for the event include Kenny Omega and Pentagon Jr.
Omega, Hangman Page, and Kazuchika Okada are currently competing in the G1 Climax 28 tour. Several Ring of Honor stars will also be on the Honor Re-United tour in mid-August before All In on September 1st.
John Cena announced on Twitter recently that he will be making his in-ring return at the upcoming WWE Live Event from Shanghai, China on September 1st.
After the announcement, the company posted an interview with Cena, who has been training at the JC Stunt Team International Training Centre on their official YouTube channel.
During the interview, the Cenation Leader revealed that he will be debuting a new finishing move soon. Below are some of the highlights from his interview:
Why his new finishing maneuver is extremely powerful:
“[Not] because of my proportion and flexibility, but because of the movement itself, it’s extremely powerful. And the WWE Universe knows as the superstars become smarter and smarter and I have more and more matches, I have reworked Attitude Adjustment just about every way I can. It used to be about 100% with its batting average and now it’s about 50%, maybe less. So not only is this a new maneuver that has a true foundation in the Chinese culture which I am very proud of because I would love to pay respect to my experience here but it’s also extremely powerful”
When will we see the debut of the new move:
“If I tell you when, I give an advantage to competition. Here is a small hint, there is talk of a September 1st event in Shanghai and I couldn’t think of a better way to show my appreciation for China, Chinese people, and Chinese culture than to debut what I think is a finishing move that will provide me victory in Shanghai on September 1st.”
If you use any of the quotes from this article please h/t sescoops for the transcription.
With the Officials reviving the Starrcade brand name for a show last year and the report of a number of WWE PPVs being rebranded with the names used by WCW, many have started wondering if WWE Officials could ever revive WCW as a separate brand.
During a recent interview with Lock Up podcast, WWE Hall Of Famer and TNA Founder Jeff Jarrett talked about this topic among other things.
After being inducted into the Hall Of Fame earlier this year, Jarrett made his in-ring return for AAA in Mexico and he even won the Mega Championship there.
Talking about his in-ring return at the age of 51, the former Impact Star said that he is in good physical health, crediting DDP Yoga as a big motivator.
While discussing a possible WCW revival, the former World Champion said that the WWE Officials will take bits and pieces from WCW’s legacy to monetize it, instead of bringing it back as a brand.
Continuing on the topic, he gave the example of how NXT has succeeded as a brand and claimed that it makes sense to invest in a new brand instead of an older one.
Do you think WWE should revive WCW as a brand? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section. You can check out the full interview of Jeff Jarrett at this link.
We noted before how SmackDown Live General Manager and the former Diva’s Champion Paige was spotted backstage at Raw and her presence had started many kinds of rumors.
However, the former Champion didn’t appear on the show as many were expecting and the SmackDown Official later revealed on Instagram that she was there for a photoshoot:
While Paige did not appear on the show, this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw featured a number of female talents in action, including the Raw singles debut of Ronda Rousey. You can check out the full result of the show here.
Braun Strowman On SummerSlam
As seen earlier today, Braun Strowman showed his monstrous abilities once again as he flipped the stage that was set up for the Kevin Owens Show on Raw before his match with Jinder Mahal.
After the segment and the bout, Mike Rome interviewed the Monster Among Men backstage and asked if this is what we can expect to see at the upcoming SummerSlam PPV.
Replying to it, the Money In The Bank contract holder said that over the years he has destroyed everything the company has put in front of him and the upcoming show will be nothing different:
The August 6th episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL. In addition to the takeaways below, Rezar defeated Titus O’Neil in a singles match. WWE announced that Finn Balor will battle Constable Corbin at WWE SummerSlam. It was also announced that The B-Team will defend their RAW Tag Team Championships against The Revival and Deleters of Worlds next week on RAW.
RAW GM Kurt Angle and Constable Baron Corbin kicked off this week’s show and made their way down to the ring. Angle hyped Ronda Rousey’s RAW in-ring debut tonight against Alicia Fox. Angle blasted Lesnar for not showing up on RAW on a weekly basis and stated that he has no class. Angle announced that Heyman’s job is intact because he was able to get Lesnar down to the ring on last week’s show.
Roman Reigns interrupted and joined Corbin and Angle in the ring. Reigns said he has a lot of respect for Kurt as the RAW GM but he should have known better than to kick him out of the arena last week. Roman noted that Baron Corbin ran from Lesnar last week and Angle stated that he hopes Roman kicks Brock’s ass at SummerSlam.
Corbin said that it was wrong for Angle to play favorites as the RAW GM. Corbin told Reigns that he was worn out from beating little Finn Balor earlier in the night and that is why he didn’t confront Lesnar. Corbin ran down Angle and said that he cannot be trusted. Corbin poked fun at Angle for only being allowed to make matches as RAW GM. Angle responded by making a match between Corbin and Reigns.
Baron Corbin connected with a cheap shot before the match started. Reigns shrugged it off and hit Corbin with a Superman Punch that sent Baron to the outside as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Corbin was in control and had Reigns in a Headlock. Roman broke free but Corbin leveled him with a Clothesline for a two count. Reigns battled back with a Clothesline of his own that knocked Corbin out of the ring.
Roman followed Corbin and connected with a Drive-By on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Corbin connected with a right hand to the face and then slammed Roman into the ring post as RAW went to a break.
Roman connected with a Samoan Drop for a two count to start off this week’s RAW. Roman went for another Superman Punch but Corbin countered into a Deep Six for a near fall. Reigns threw Corbin out of the ring and Baron accidentally took out a cameraman. Back in the ring, Reigns hit a Superman Punch for a two count. Reigns then set up for a Spear but Corbin rolled out of the ring and retreated up the entrance ramp.
Finn Balor’s music hit and Finn started walking towards Corbin on the ramp. Baron turned around into a Superman Punch from Reigns off the steel steps. Roman then brought Corbin back into the ring and hit the Spear for the pinfall victory.
Balor and Reigns fist-bumped on the entrance ramp and then Finn made his way to the ring. Balor hit Corbin with a Dropkick and followed it up with the Coup de Grace.
Mojo Rawley battled Bobby Roode tonight on RAW. The two Superstars had a backstage brawl on last week’s show. Roode started off the match in control and knocked Rawley out of the ring with a Dropkick as RAW went to a commercial break.
Rawley was in control of the match and had Roode in a Waist Lock when RAW returned. The crowd got behind Roode as Bobby battled to his feet and broke the hold after hitting Mojo with a series of elbows to the face. Roode then charged at Mojo but Rawley was ready and planted Bobby with a Side Slam.
Roode connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Neckbreaker. Bobby then climbed up to the second rope and hit a Blockbuster. Roode went for the Glorious DDT but Rawley broke it up by driving Roode to the corner of the ring. Bobby quickly battled back and was able to connect with the Glorious DDT for the pinfall victory.
Elias came down to the ring with a film crew and asked the crowd to silence their cell phones and hold their applause until after he is finished. Elias asked the film crew to circle around him while he was performing as if he was the center of the universe.
He asked the crew to crop out the crowd’s faces and replace them with more attractive ones. The crowd loudly booed and Elias once again stopped playing his guitar. Elias ranted about Bobby Lashley interrupting him last week and said that is not going to happen this week.
Lashley immediately interrupted and took his time getting down to the ring. Elias claimed that Lashley’s entire WWE comeback has been a joke. Lashley responded by saying that everything about Elias is a “friggen joke”.
Elias then threw a clipboard at Lashley’s face and beat him down in the middle of the ring. Lashley battled back with a Spinebuster and then asked the camera crew to get back in the ring. Lashley held Elias up in a Vertical Suplex for several seconds before finally dropping him.
The Kevin Owens Show returned tonight with Jinder Mahal as the guest. Owens introduced Mahal as his “personal guru” and gave him a standing ovation as Jinder joined the set.
Owens boasted that he and Mahal have already defeated Braun Strowman. Owens noted that he beat Braun in Steel Cage Match but Mahal picked up a win via count-out. Owens didn’t let Mahal talk at all and shouted that he will become Mr. Money in the Bank after he defeats Braun Strowman at WWE SummerSlam.
Kevin said that he hasn’t been himself since he lost the Universal Championship and said that he has a great idea for tonight. Owens suggested that Jinder Mahal face Braun Strowman again tonight.
The stage started to move from under Mahal, Singh and Owens. Braun Strowman then appeared and flipped over the entire Kevin Owens Show set. Braun then raised the MITB briefcase and made his way down to the ring for his match against Mahal.
Owens tried to distract Strowman by running away with the briefcase again. This week, Strowman didn’t fall it and returned to the ring before being counted out. Braun threw Mahal across the ring and Owens once again grabbed the briefcase. Owens ran up the entrance ramp but Strowman was able to catch up to him. Mahal then attacked Strowman from behind and Braun accidentally hit Jinder with the briefcase.
Thus, Strowman was disqualified and once again lost a match to Jinder Mahal. Braun flipped out after the match and chased after Mahal. Sunil Singh tried to save Jinder but Braun knocked him to the floor. The distraction allowed Jinder to escape through the crowd as Kevin Owens taunted Strowman from the entrance ramp.
Seth Rollins approached RAW GM Kurt Angle during the show and asked if there was a way that he could fight both Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler tonight. Angle told Seth that he needed to find a partner for a tag match against them tonight. Rollins chose Roman Reigns as his partner, but Constable Corbin prevented it as the two were heading towards the ring.
Corbin noted that Stephanie McMahon wanted to protect the main event of SummerSlam and that Reigns would forfeit the match if he was Rollins’ partner tonight. Seth said he would figure something out and Roman responded by punching Corbin in the ribs.
Rollins came down to the ring alone and the match started as a Handicap Match. Seth got in some offense early and delivered a Superkick to Drew’s face. Rollins Clotheslined Dolph out of the ring and Seth leaped onto McIntyre off the top rope. McIntyre tried to catch him but this was a botch and McIntyre stumbled and fell to his knees.
McIntyre and Ziggler then took control and took turns beating down Rollins in the corner of the ring. Dolph skipped around Seth while shouting “burn it down Seth!” and then bounced Rollins’ face off the turnbuckle. Ziggler charged towards Seth in the corner but Rollins got out of the way and Dolph slammed into the turnbuckle.
Seth delivered a few chops to Ziggler’s chest and then dragged McIntyre off the ring apron. Drew charged at Rollins but Seth got out of the way and McIntyre slammed into the ring post. Rollins got back into the ring and Clotheslined Ziggler to the outside of the ring. Rollins followed it up with a Suicide Dive that knocked Ziggler into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Rollins hit a springboard Clothesline and went for the Stomp but Ziggler got out of the way. Dolph went for a Fameasser but Rollins countered into a Buckle Bomb. Drew tagged himself in and leveled Rollins with a Clothesline. Ziggler tagged back in Rollins quickly rolled him up McIntyre broke it up. Ziggler then hit Seth with a Superkick for the pinfall victory.
The B-Team came down to the ring with new entrance music to face The Revival tonight on RAW. Wilder and Axel started off the match and Wilder quickly hit a Clothesline in the corner. Axel responded with a Clothesline of his own and tagged in Bo Dallas.
Wilder drove Bo to the corner of the ring and Dawson tagged in. Dawson slammed Bo’s head into the turnbuckle and followed it up with a Clothesline for a two count. Dawson applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring as Axel pleaded for a tag.
Bo battled his way to his feet and broke free with an elbow do Dawson’s chest. Bo and Dawson then ran into each other and both Superstars fell to the canvas. The lights went out in the arena and Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy appeared on the ring apron. Axel and Wilder both disappeared from the ring apron. Bray planted Bo with a Sister Abigail and the match ended in a DQ.
Heyman said that Lesnar has disconnected his phone number and admitted that he hasn’t spoken to Brock since last week. Heyman looked upset and said that Lesnar obviously doesn’t want to accept his phone call.
Paul added that Lesnar is going to be pissed off that he is talking about this because it is a private matter. Heyman then got pissed off and claimed that Renee Young was enjoying this. Renee asked if Heyman considered Brock Lesnar a friend and Heyman got choked up. Heyman stated that his family is very close to Brock’s and that this is not how they envisioned it ending.
Young asked Heyman if he thought that Brock still needed him and Paul put his head down. Renee asked if there was anybody else in WWE that Heyman had his eye on as a potential client. Heyman noted that this whole situation is inconceivable to him right now.
Young asked Heyman to predict the Universal Championship match at SummerSlam. Heyman claimed that he has never seen Lesnar more driven and violent than he is right now. Paul added that Roman Reigns doesn’t stand a chance at WWE SummerSlam.
Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan faced Bayley & Sasha Banks tonight on RAW in a tag match. Sasha Banks and Liv Morgan started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Morgan got the upper-hand and connected with a big punch to the face.
Banks battled back and tagged in quickly tagged Bayley into the match. Morgan connected with a kick and then tagged Sarah Logan into the match. Bayley knocked Logan to the mat and connected with an elbow for a two count.
Bayley focused her attack on Logan’s arm as Banks cheered her on from the ring apron. Logan battled back with a forearm to the face and then sent Bayley to the corner. Bayley hit a Crossbody off the second rope and went for the cover but Logan kicked out at two.
Logan battled back and launched Bayley into the turnbuckle. Morgan tagged in and connected with a Double Stomp that sent Bayley out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Bayley connected with a Jawbreaker but Logan shrugged it off and dragged Bayley back to the canvas. Bayley threw Logan out of the ring and went to tag in Sasha but Logan dragged her off the apron.
Logan got back into the ring and bounced Bayley’s face off the top turnbuckle before tagging Liv Morgan back in. Morgan continued to beatdown Bayley as Sasha got back onto the ring apron with a pissed off look on her face. Bayley finally was able to battle back and sent Morgan into the turnbuckle.
Sarah Logan and Sasha Banks tagged in and Banks greeted Logan with a Dropkick to the face. Sasha perched Logan up on the top turnbuckle and Bayley connected with a Hurricanrana. Banks followed it up with Double Knees off the top rope and went for the cover but Morgan broke it up.
Bayley threw Morgan to the outside and tried to leap onto her from the ring apron. Ruby Riott made her return and dragged Morgan out of the way. Back in the ring, Logan capitalized on the distraction and rolled Sasha Banks up for the pinfall victory.
Ronda Rousey made her RAW in-ring debut tonight against Alicia Fox in the main event. Alexa Bliss and Natalya were ringside for the match. Before the match, Bliss scolded Charly Caruso for asking Alicia Fox about Ronda Rousey. Fox then rolled footage of her attacking Ronda Rousey and then told Caruso to leave the ring. Bliss complimented Alicia Fox and said she paved the way for the evolution of women’s wrestling in WWE. Bliss then went on a rant about Ronda Rousey and called her an overrated rookie. Ronda’s music finally hit and she marched her way down to the ring.
Alicia Fox taunted Rousey to start off the match and then tried to take a swing at her. Ronda caught her and sent her tumbling out of the ring. Bliss kept hopping up on the ring apron to try and distract Rousey. Natalya dragged her down from the ring apron but Bliss threw Natalya into the ring post. Ronda was distracted by this and Bliss capitalized by tripping Ronda up.
Fox took advantage and beatdown Rousey in the corner. Ronda got pissed off and attacked Fox with a series of jabs. Ronda connected with three Arm Drags in a row and Fox once again retreated out of the ring as the crowd erupted. Rousey followed her out there and slammed Fox into the barricade.
Ronda then threw Fox back into the ring and Bliss once again hopped up on the ring apron. Fox charged at Rousey but Ronda caught her and connected with a Fallaway Slam. Ronda grabbed Alicia’s arm and taunted Bliss before locking in the Arm Bar. Alicia Fox quickly tapped out as Alexa Bliss had a look of disbelief on her face.
After the match, Alexa Bliss tried to attack Rousey from behind while she was being interviewed. Rousey quickly planted her with an Arm Drag and vowed to take the RAW Women’s Championship from her as RAW went off the air.
Opinion: SummerSlam is 13 days away and I have very little interest in the majority of RAW’s feuds right now. This week’s RAW was once again very boring and the crowd was essentially lifeless the entire night. They woke up when Rousey came down to the ring but her match only lasted a couple of minutes. SmackDown has been decent as of late, but RAW is just terrible right now in my opinion. There is a ton of talent on RAW’s roster but the majority of them are stuck in storylines that I find completely uninteresting.
WWE has announced a big match for next week’s episode of their flagship show, Monday Night RAW. That contest will see The B Team (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) defend the RAW Tag Team Titles against Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt and The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) in a triple threat match on the show.
As of late, Hardy has fans talking online after his recent cryptic messages that were posted on his official Twitter account as there is speculation that these tweets were talking about potential retirement as a pro wrestler.
It should be noted that this match goes down just one week before WWE’s next pay-per-view event, SummerSlam, as that show is scheduled to take place Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. With that being said, it should be interesting to see if a rematch between these teams is booked for SummerSlam.
WWE holds next week’s show in Greensboro, NC at the Greensboro Coliseum. As of this writing, no other matches for Raw have been announced.
What are your thoughts on this match being announced by the WWE? Sound off in the comment section.
Ronda Rousey can now say that she worked a match on the flagship show of the WWE, Monday Night RAW.
As seen on this week’s episode of RAW in Jacksonville, FL at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on the USA Network, the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion beat Alicia Fox in a singles match.
Rousey has competed on live events and pay-per-view thus far in her career with the WWE. She is slated to challenge Alexa Bliss for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network. WWE is advertising Rousey for the following dates including live events: – Monday Night RAW TV Event: August 13 in Greensboro, SC – WWE SummerSlam: August 19 in Brooklyn NY (RUMORED) – Monday Night RAW TV Event: August 20th in Brooklyn NY – Monday Night RAW TV Event: August 27th in Toronto, CA – WWE Super Show-Down: October 6th in Melbourne, AUS – WWE Evolution: October 28th – WWE Live Event: November 3rd in Madrid – WWE Live Event: November 4th in Barcelona – WWE Live Event: November 9th in Bologna – WWE Live Event: November 10th in Rome
What are your thoughts on this match and Rousey’s work thus far in her career with the WWE? Do you think she wins the RAW Women’s Title from Bliss at SummerSlam? Sound off in the comment section.
A new match has been announced for the upcoming at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. That match is Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin in a singles match.
If you recall, this is not the first pay-per-view meeting between Balor and Corbin as WWE booked them in a singles match at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena on the WWE Network that saw Balor pick up the win in just a little over eight minutes. Since then, WWE has had them in a feud and building up this rivalry.
The SummerSlam pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks.
The Card
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey
WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins
WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Becky Lynch Charlotte Flair – Triple Threat Match
Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman – if Owens wins then he gets the MITB contract
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
It was reported earlier today that Dave Bautista will fulfill his commitments for Marvel when filming for Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 takes place. More on that here.
It seems that is not the case anymore as Bautista just threaten to leave the production if Gunn is not rehired. Going as far as to say it’ll be a “disservice” if he didn’t step away.
“Nobody’s defending his tweets, but this was a smear campaign on a good man. I spoke to Chris Pratt the day after it happened and he’s a bit religious so he wanted time to pray and figure it out, but I was more like: f*ck this. This is bullsh*t. James is one of the kindest, most decent people I’ve met.”
Bautista went on to confirm that Gunn has turned in the script for GOTG V3 and expressed his sentiments on what would happen if Gunn’s script isn’t used.
“Where I’m at right now is that if [Marvel] don’t use that script, then I’m going to ask them to release me from my contract, cut me out or recast me.
“I’d be doing James a disservice if I didn’t.”
Bautista has made these comments during the promotion for his film Final Score. At the following moment, Disney nor Marvel have yet to release a statement on Bautista’s comments.
A Possible Recast
Rumors have been circulating that if the current cast of Guardians is refusing to work due to Gunn’s firing there may be a whole recast but it is too early to tell if those rumors are true.
The television schedule for the WWE NXT brand continues to come to light as WWE has already announced that they will hold TV tapings on Wednesday, October 17, which will see tickets go on sale Friday, August 24 in Winter Park Florida at Full Sail University, and on Thursday, August 23. The latest set of tapings will take place on September 20th with tickets going on sale this Friday at 10am EST.
Sasha Banks Teases New WWE Titles
Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks is in favor of the WWE introducing new Women’s Tag Team Titles and continues to tease the introduction of them if WWE decides to create the belts as she posted the following photo on her official Instagram account alongside Bayley as she stated that they are ready to dominate the division:
“The Boss n Hug Connection is ready to dominate the women’s tag team division @craigambrosio #didisaydat #sayitoutloud #evolution.”
What are your thoughts on WWE potentially introducing these titles? Is this something that you want to see? Is it a move that WWE should make? Sound off in the comment section.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz has teased that he will make a big announcement regarding SummerSlam on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Orlando, FL at the Amway Center on the USA Network.
He sent out the following to hype the announcement as well as make it clear once again that he has no desire to face Daniel Bryan at this upcoming pay-per-view event that goes down on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center:
“I know my worth, I’ve heard @WWEDanielBryan and “#SDLive Management’s” offer … but I will NOT compete for anything less than I am worth. That said, I will make MY #SummerSlam announcement tomorrow. On my terms.”
The main event for this week’s episode of WWE 205 Live on the WWE Network has been revealed as General Manager Drake Maverick announced on Twitter that Hideo Itami vs. Mustafa Ali will headline the show. Drake posted the following video to hype the show:
The August 6th edition of WWE RAW aired live from the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL.
– This week’s broadcast opens up with a video package looking at last week’s chaos involving Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Pual Heyman.
– Michael Cole welcomes us to the arena, and then RAW GM Kurt Angle comes down to the ring to kick off the show. Baron Corbin comes out behind Kurt and joins him. Angle gets on the mic and talks about Ronda Rousey making her in-ring RAW debut tonight, and how she is begging to compete, unlike Brock Lesnar. Angle says he wishes he could give Lesnar that kind of credit, and Corbin tells him to watch it. Kurt says he needs to get this off his chest – Brock Lesnar has no respect for the WWE Universe. Kurt says Paul Heyman still has his job because he produced Lesnar, and he’ll be on the shoaw for an interview later. Kurt starts to address Brock attacking him, but then Roman Reigns comes out to interrupt. Reigns steps in the ring and takes issue with Lesnar. Reigns tells Corbin to stop smirking, because he ran away when Brock came out last week. Angle says Lesnar is not suspended for his actions last week, and Lesnar will compete at SummerSlam to defend his Universal Title, and he hopes Reigns kicks his ass. Corbin says that’s really unprofessional for the GM to say. Reigns calls out Corbin for running away from Lesnar like a coward. Corbin says he was tired last week from beating former Universal Champion Finn Balor. Kurt says Corbin could have acted like a man last week, and Corbin freaks out saying Stephanie McMahon really runs RAW and Kurt just makes matches. Kurt says that’s right, he does make the matches, and he sees a match right here. Kurt books Baron Corbin vs. Roman Reigns, and that starts right now. Kurt calls for a ref to come down, and Corbin hits a cheap-shot on Reigns before the bell.
– Roman Reigns vs. Baron Corbin: A referee allows Reigns a moment to recover before letting them go at it. Reigns gets to his feet and immediately hits a Superman Punch for a two count on Corbin. Corbin rolls outside for a breather as the ref counts. Back in the ring, Corbin turns things around and drops Reigns with a clothesline for a two count. Corbin and Reigns trade strikes until Corbin drops him with an elbow to the face. Reigns comes back with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Reigns looks for the Superman punch, but Corbin catches him with a Deep Six. Corbin hits some strikes in the corner, but Reigns comes back and sends Corbin rolling outside for a breather. Corbin starts walking up the ramp and it looks like he’s going to try to get counted out. As Corbin walks up the ramp, Finn Balor’s music hits and Balor comes out to block the exit. Back in the ring, Reigns immediately hits the spear for the three count.
Winner: Roman Reigns
– Reigns and Balor exchange a fist-bump at ringside, as Balor steps in the ring. Balor stands over Corbin as Corbin recovers from his loss. Corbin gets to his feet and Balor dropkicks him back down. Balor goes up top and hits the Coup De Grace on Corbin as the crowd pops.
– Ronda Rousey and Natalya are shown backstage arriving to the arena.
– Bobby Roode is shown backstage getting ready in his locker room.
– We see footage from last week of Seth Rollins fighting with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre.
– Seth Rollins approaches Kurt Angle backstage and complains that every time he starts beating up either Ziggler or McIntyre, the other one comes in and cheap-shots him. Angle tells Rollins to pick a partner because he can have both Ziggler and McIntyre tonight.
– They show footage of Mojo Rawley and Bobby Roode brawling in the locker room last week.
– Bobby Roode vs. Mojo Rawley: The opening bell sounds and Mojo starts off strong. Mojo hits a gut-wrench suplex for a two count. Roode starts fighting back and hits the Blockbuster off the middle rope. Roode goes up top again and goes flying, but Mojo catches him. Roode fights out and hitts the Glorious DDT on Mojo for the three count after a short but competitive match.
Winner: Bobby Roode
– We see Elias backstage filming a documentary about his music career.
– Elias comes out to the ring and sits down with his guitar. The “documentary” crew is in the ring with Elias in the shadows. As Elias plays his guitar and the documentary crew films him, Bobby Lashley comes out to interrupt. Lashley steps in the ring with Elias and his camera crew. Lashley gets on the mic and discusses Elias’ documentary with him, and Lashley says everything about Elias is a joke. Elias tells his documentary crew to leave because Lashley interrupted. Elias throws some papers in Lashley’s face and cheap-shots him. Elias beats down Lashley and runs the ropes, but Lashley catches him with a spinebuster. Lashley tells the documentary crew to get back in the ring, and they film Lashley hitting his stalling vertical suplex on Elias. Lashley stands on the turnbuckle as Elias’ personal documentary crew continues to film.
– Still to come: Paul Heyman sits down for an exclusive interview
– Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are backstage getting ready for their tag match later against Seth Rollins and his mystery partner.
– Tyler Breeze approaches Seth Rollins in his locker room and tries to talk his way into being Rollins’ tag partner tonight. Reigns walks in and says nah, he’s got Rollins’ back tonight. Reigns and Rollins fist-bump then walk off.
– Rezar vs. Titus O’Neil: Akam and Titus Worldwide are at ringside. Rezar starts this one off strong and beats down Titus in the corner. Rezar drops him with a short-arm clothesline, then hits a spear in the corner. Rezar wastes some time and Titus fires back with punches and kicks. Titus backs Rezar in to the corner and lays into him with chops. Titus hits a splash in the corner, and then he goes for a second splash but Rezar kicks him out of mid-air. Rezar follows up with a spinebuster for the three count.
Winner: Rezar
– Kevin Owens is backstage with Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh going over strategy.
– Kevin Owens is out next to the stage sitting on an all-new set for the Kevin Owens show. He welcomes out his guests Jinder and Sunil. Kevin starts talking about the punishment he’s taken at the hands of Braun Strowman, almost ending his career. Owens talks about his intentions to beat Strowman at SummerSlam and take his Money In The Bank briefcase. Owens then goes to introduce Strowman, but he doesn’t come out, and Owens says Strowman is nowhere to be found because he doesn’t want any of them. The Kevin Owens Show stage starts rumbling, and it tips over. Braun Strowman tips over the stage and sends Owens, Mahal and Singh flying down to the floor. Strowman poses with his briefcase on the stage as Owens, Mahal and Singh recover on the floor.
– Braun Strowman vs. Jinder Mahal: Owens and Singh give Jinder a pep talk at ringside before the match. Jinder kills some time early on and is hesitant to engage with Strowman. Strowman gets distracte by Kevin Owens at ringside, and Strowman chases him away. Back in the ring, Strowman finally gets his hands on Jinder and tosses him across the ring. Owens sneaks back down to the ring to steal Braun’s briefcase. Owens runs up the ramp with it, but Strowman catches up to him and drops him with a right hand. Jinder comes running up behind Braun, and Braun bats him off with the briefcase. The ref calls for the bell because Braun used the case as a weapon.
Winner via DQ: Jinder Mahal
– After the match, Braun chases Jinder around the ring and goes to hit him with the briefcase, but Sunil Singh gets involved and snatches the case. Braun turns around and drops Sunil with a big boot and he retrieves his case then heads to the back.
– We go backstage, where Corbin hands Kurt a phone with Stephanie on the other end. Kurt tells Stephanie that he’ll take care of something for her, then he gives the phone back to Corbin.
– We go to a pre-taped interview with Roman Reigns talking about his feud with Brock Lesnar. Reigns says if he wins, he’s going to do what Lesnar doesn’t do – he’ll show up every night and defend the Universal Title.
– Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns are walking backstage when Angle and Corbin interrupt. Corbin says that Stephanie McMahon has forbidden Reigns from being in the tag match tonight, because it could injure him before his SummerSlam match. Corbin tells Reigns if he goes out there tonight, he forfeits his SummerSlam match. Rollins tells Reigns not to worry, he’s got this tonight. Rollins walks off, and Reigns punches Corbin in the midsection and walks off and Kurt smirks.
– Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & ???: The opening bell sounds before Rollins gets a partner. Rollins and McIntyre go at it in the opening moments, with Rollins in control. Ziggler tries to get involved, but Rollins clotheslines him outside. Rollins goes flying off the top towards Drew on the mat, but Drew catches him and hits a backbreaker. Drew beats down Rollins in the corner then works on keeping him grounded with a chin lock. Ziggler comes in but Rollins starts fighting back and lays into the IC Champion with chops. The fight spills outside, where Drew looks for a cheap-shot but Rollins throws him into the ring post. Back in the ring, Rollins works over Ziggler then clotheslines him to the outside. Rollins follows up with a suicide dive on Ziggler on the floor. Back in the ring, Rollins hits a springboard flying clothesline. Ziggler strts to fight back, but Rollins catches him and powerbombs him into the turnbuckle. Drew tags in and hits a big lariat on Rollins. Rollins starts to fight back, but the double-team by Drew and Dolph leads to Dolph hitting the superkick for the three count.
Winners: Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
– Michael Cole introduces a promo video for Ronda Rousey vs. Alicia Fox, showing some clips of Alica’s past matches.
– Ronda Rousey is shown warming up backstage with Natalya watching.
– The B Team vs. The Revival: Bo and Curtis take turns beating on Wilder in the opening moments. Dawson finally gets the tag and The Revival double teams Bo. Dawson beats on Bo in the corner and applies a sleeper. Bo fights free and they collide head-first. Both men are down, and then the lights go out, and Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy appear on the ring aprons. Hardy and Wyatt hit the ring and start beating down Bo Dallas and Scott Dawson.
Winners: No contest
– Wyatt and Hardy pose in the ring as the other wrestlers recover on the ground.
– We see Paul Heyman backstage preparing for his sit-down interview with Renee Young.
– We go to Paul Heyman’s interview, and first Renee asks where things stand with him and Brock Lesnar. Heyman says Lesnar has turned off his phone, and Heyman hasn’t been able to get a hold of Lesnar since last week. Heyman says Brock isn’t going to like this interview. Heyman says he wants to know what happened between he and Brock as well, and he still considers Lesnar a friend. Renee asks if Lesnar still needs Heyman in his career, and Heyman looks upset and crying. Heyman says this whole situation is inconceivable to him, and he’s been with Lesnar for all his ups and downs. Heyman says he’s never seen Lesnar as focused and violent as he is right now, and Roman Reigns doesn’t stand a chance at SummerSlam.
– The Riott Squad vs. Bayley & Sasha Banks: Bayley starts off strong and hits a flying cross body off the top on Logan. Logan fights back and Morgan tags in then hits a double foot stomp on Bayley. Logan tags back in and headbutts Bayley down to the mat. Logan follows up with a backbreaker and then keeps Bayley grounded with a chin lock. Bayley finally fights her off, but Logan knocks Sasha off the apron so she can’t get the tag. Morgan tags in and they double team Bayley. Morgan hits a flying facebuster for a two count. Bayley finally fights back, and Sasha and Logan get the tags. Banks tees off with strikes including a knee to the head. Bayley tags in and hits a Frankensteiner on Logan off the top. Banks tags back in and hits a flying knee strike off the top, but Morgan breaks it up. Bayley fights with Morgan at ringside, but Ruby Riott comes out of nowhere and pulls Morgan to safety. The distraction leads to Logan rolling up Sasha from behind for the three count.
Winners: The Riott Squad
– Morgan and Logan celebrate with the returning Ruby Riott after the match.
– We see a video package looking at Ronda Rousey’s arrival in WWE and her feud with Alexa Bliss.
– We see Ronda Rousey walks out of her locker room with Natalya behind her. Her first-ever RAW match is up next, against Alicia Fox.
– Alexa Bliss and Alicia Fox come out to the ring for an interview. Alexa complains about always being asked about Ronda, and she asks the interviewer Charly Caruso to ask a good question. She asks Alicia how she prepared to step in the ring with Ronda tonight, and Alicia introduces footage on the big screen of her attacking Ronda from behind last week. They kick Charly out of the ring, and Alexa talks about Alicia paving the way for the rest of the women. Alexa thanks Alicia for her contributions, and says evey woman in the locker room is appreciative of her – except for Ronda Rousey. Ronda and Natalya come out to interrupt, and we have a match.
– Ronda Rousey vs. Alicia Fox: Alicia and Natalya are both at ringside for this one. Ronda tells Alicia to bring it, but Alicia stays sitting in the corner. Alicia talks some trash and swings for a slap, but Ronda catches it and takes her down. Alicia rolls outside for a breather. Alexa causes a distraction from the apron, so Natalya pulls her down. Alexa throws Natalya into the ring post, and then Alexa hits a cheap shot on Ronda while the ref is distracted by Alicia. Alicia kicks Ronda while she’s down, but Ronda gets up and tees off on her with strikes. Ronda takes Alicia down a few times in a row, and Alicia rolls outside again. Ronda takes Alicia back in the ring, and fights off another distraction from Alexa. Ronda suplexes Alicia down, then applies an arm bar and Alicia immediately taps out.
Winner: Ronda Rousey
– Ronda and Natalya do a post-match interview in the ring. Alexa ties to attack from behind, but Ronda catches her and throws her down, and Alexa retreats up the ramp. Ronda says that Alexa’s Women’s Title is hers, as she stares her down and RAW goes off the air.
Stephen Amell’s match for “All In” has been confirmed. His opponent might shock a few professional wrestling fans.
Earlier this year the “Arrow” star was announced for the September 1st event. On the heels of “All In’s” broadcasting announcement earlier today we also have two new matches confirmed for the show as well.
First, The Briscoes will face Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky on the Zero Hour pre-show. Also, Amell will be working with former Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Champion Chris Daniels in a singles match:
“All In” goes down live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Cody Rhodes and IWGP Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks are self-funding the ground-breaking professional wrestling event. See “All In’s” updated match card below:
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
(C) Nick Aldis vs. Cody Rhodes
Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll
Adam Page vs. Joey Janela
Rey Mysterio, Bandido and Fenix vs. The Young Bucks & Kota Ibushi
Stephen Amell vs. Christopher Daniels
Zero Hour Pre-Show
The Over Budget Battle Royale
Jordynne Grace, Moose, Rocky Romero, Colt Cabana, Ethan Page and TBA
It looks like a big name from SmackDown Live is backstage for tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
Tonight’s show goes down from Jacksonville, Florida and will feature the first match on RAW of Ronda Rousey’s WWE career. PWInsider is reporting that there could be another potential surprise for today’s show. It appears as though SmackDown Live General Manager Paige is also backstage for the show.
Paige was reportedly spotted getting her make-up done backstage. The former WWE Divas Champion could be doing a number of things; including appearing on RAW, filming for Total Divas or filming something for the WWE Network.
It’s unclear as of this writing what Paige’s role will be, if any, on tonight’s show but we’ll keep you updated. The report also revealed that former RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax is not at the show.
This is the second week in a row Jax has missed RAW, feeding rumors that she could be dealing with an injury. She leaves the Raw Women’s Title picture in the hands of Alexa Bliss and Rousey.
The pair will square off for the title at SummerSlam later on this month.
Paige As SDL General Manager
Paige announced her retirement from in-ring competition earlier this year. The 25-year-old made the decision after suffering a serious injury to her neck. She made the announcement on the episode of Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania 34.
WWE announced the following night on SmackDown Live that Paige would serve as the brand’s new General Manager. She has been running the blue brand for the past several months. WWE officials have reportedly been happy with her performance thus far.
Interestingly enough, she relieved Daniel Bryan of his duties who was actually reinstated as an in-ring competitor for the company after overcoming what was believed to be a career-ending injury.
Shinsuke Nakamura can be classed amongst the most charismatic, dynamic and unique performers in the history of the professional wrestling industry. With his rise in the amateur wrestling ranks (first in high school before attending university at Aoyama Gakuin University) to the Toyko Dome and Wrestlemania, there isn’t much that the ‘King of Strong Style’ hasn’t experienced.
This leads us to the release of Nakamura’s English language autobiography ‘King of Strong Style: 1980-2014.’ Chronicling his aforementioned rise in the amateur ranks through to his days as the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
The book is presented as a Q+A throughout and whilst the material is translated from Shinsuke’s native Japanese this is no way hinders the storytelling. You can almost feel the passion that oozes from the page when Nakamura talks his love of Fire Pro Wrestling on the TurboGrafx-16 all the way through to winning his first IWGP Championship against Hiroshi Tenzan.
There are some incredible stories from the earlier days in Shinsuke’s career, his chance encounters with two of New Japan’s most revered stars Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata during his Amateur wrestling days, which included a match against Shibata at a national meet in Niigata make fascinating reading and Nakamura’s ability to recall such chance instances flesh out the story perfectly.
There’s more than enough material in the pages that will appease newer fans of the Japanese star as well as the more hardened puroresu veterans. The more ‘mainstream’ newsworthy pages chronicling his bout with Brock Lesnar in 2006 at the legendary Tokyo Dome first spring to mind where he describes the ‘temperature difference’ between himself and the now ‘Beast Incarnate.’ Nakamura claims that “That match was seriously rough. First, Lesnar was saying all this stuff about how he respected New Japan, but it felt to me like that was just for show, that he didn’t really respect the promotion. Like, somewhere, he was looking down on Japanese people. I lost the match, and that was the first time I cried at pro wrestling after a match. It was the main event at Tokyo Dome. This was a pretty hallowed stage, and I knew I hadn’t fought the way I imagined I would. And there was, like, this temperature difference between me and Lesnar. I didn’t get the sense he had any love for pro wrestling. It felt like he was just doing his job.” Here’s hoping that we someday see the rematch in a WWE ring…
Some of the more intriguing elements for the New Japan leaning audience come with Nakamura’s debut match at the Nippon Budokan, his thoughts on Kota Ibushi’s “awakening” and his time in Masahiro Chono’s Black New Japan and his time teaming with the Japanese legend in the G1 Tag League. Again Shinsuke delves deep into his thoughts at the time and gives specific details which bring the stories up a level.
Another of the book’s brightest highlights comes in the chapter entitled ‘First G1 Conquest.’ As you can imagine this looks at Shinsuke’s G1 Climax tournament win where he defeated Los Ingobernables leader Tetsuya Naito in the finals and Shinsuke described Naito at the time as being a “human guinea pig.” Shinsuke humorously describes how he tested “how much of my internal malevolence can I spit out in public?” This comes after Shinsuke loses in a tag match against Naito and screams “I’ll f*cking kill you” before launching a chair at him. Obviously this was a very different Naito to the one we see in New Japan currently…it’s fair to say he’s had it a little rough over the years.
The final chapters covering Shinsuke’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship win and feuds with Kazuchika Okada, Karl Anderson, Kazushi Sakuraba and his first Katsuyori Shibata match ‘in a decade’ are covered at length with special prominence given to the aforementioned Okada.S Nakamura also describes how he felt taking the IWGP IC Title, stating that “when I took the Intercontinental it was like,’I can use this and do something new.’ I wanted to really use it to my advantage, as a tool I had no experience with.”
“What is Strong Style?” is a question tackled in the book. The Japanese based style has become somewhat ‘commercialised’ according to New Japan stars such as Will Ospreay and here Nakamura determines it as “something emotional or instinctual you transformed and applied through the act of pro wrestling.” Shinsuke offers further discussing through the book alluding to ‘strong style’ not just being “merely an expression of strength” and it being an “application of emotion” within the art of professional wrestling.
Whether you are a longtime fan of the ‘King of Strong Style’ or you’re only aware of his WWE and NXT work then this book certainly has something for you to seek your teeth into. The Q+A format breathes new life into the story of an amateur wrestler turned pro BUT as Shinsuke himself says “there isn’t another wrestler who’s come up like this.” This unique tale of possibly the most charismatic performer in New Japan’s history is gripping and unlike any other. If you are a fan of pro wrestling then this is absolutely essential reading.
King of Strong Style 1980-2014 as a Hardback cover is available to pre-order now via Amazon and is set for US release on August 7th. You can find more information via the publisher Viz Media.
It appears as though WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil is writing a book. Before beginning his professional wrestling career, O’Neil was chasing a professional football career. He played high school football and earned a scholarship to do the same for The University Of Florida.
O’Neil played in the Arena Football League for four years. He played for teams such as the Utah Blaze, Tampa Bay Storm, Las Vegas Gladiators and Carolina Cobras. In 2009 WWE signed him to a developmental deal, thus sparking the beginning of his professional wrestling career.
A fan on Twitter asked O’Neil if he’d ever consider writing an autobiography about his journey. He revealed he’s actually in the process of doing that now and expects a Summer of 2019 release date:
Another MTV star could be considering a career in WWE. The professional wrestling juggernaut struck gold when they signed The Miz off his appearance in MTV’s Real World in 2004. He has gone on to main event WrestleMania, win the WWE Championship and capture both the Intercontinental and United States Titles several times.
Johnny Bananas, who is the most successful participant in the history of MTV’s The Challenge, could be looking to mimic The Miz’s transition from reality TV to professional wrestling. A fan Tweeted Bananas and mentioned he could have a great deal of success in WWE if given the opportunity.
Bananas responded by admitting the idea is a compelling one:
WWE posted a video on their official Twitter page from their live event in North Charleston, South Carolina. In the video, Bobby Roode & Kevin Owens brawl outside the ring. “The Glorious One” wound up defeating Owens when it was all said and done.
Owens is currently feuding with Braun Strowman on Monday Night RAW. He will face “The Monster Among Men” at SummerSlam on August 19th. Should “KO” emerge victorious, he will win Strowman’s Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase.
Roode is also involved in a feud of his own on RAW. He has been butting heads with Mojo Rawley lately. They will square off on tonight’s show from Jacksonville, Florida.
Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair Fire Back At The IIconics
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, The IIconics, recently mocked Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair on Twitter. The pair pretended to act like Flair and Lynch, even mimicking their “tea time” gesture.
They also said that Lynch only won her matches on SmackDown Live while Flair was away nursing her injuries. The IIconics also took issue with Flair getting thrown in the SummerSlam SmackDown Live Women’s Title match for doing “absolutely nothing”:
Lynch and Flair offered a video response of their own. They noted that The IIconics haven’t defeated anyone of merit during their run on SmackDown Live. Flair and Lynch ended off by saying “isn’t that iconic?” Here’s the video:
The Miz thinks Daniel Bryan’s WWE return has been a “100 percent bust.”
Bryan once thought his in-ring career with WWE was over. After suffering several concussions and seizures throughout his career, he was medically suspended from ever competing for WWE again.
WWE retained Bryan on television by making him General Manager of SmackDown Live. Despite this, Bryan never gave up on his hopes of one day returning to the ring. That all finally paid off earlier this year.
Bryan was reinstated as an active WWE competitor just in time for WrestleMania 34. He passed several tests from WWE-recommended specialists that allowed him to be cleared. He teamed up with Shane McMahon to defeat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34.
When it was announced Bryan had been cleared to return to WWE action, fans knew a match with The Miz was inevitable. WWE seems to be heading in that direction right about now. Bryan has continuously challenged Miz to a match at SummerSlam later this month.
Miz, however, continues to deny Bryan of his challenge. The former Intercontinental Champion claims he’s above a match with Bryan at this point in his career. He points to the success of his film career and brand new reality TV show “Miz & Mrs.” on USA Network. Miz thinks he deserves a bigger match-up than Bryan at “The Biggest Party Of The Summer.”
The Miz Calls Daniel Bryan’s WWE Return A Bust
Miz and Maryse recently did an interview with E! News. WWE released a portion of the interview on their YouTube Channel. During the interview, The Miz calls Daniel Bryan’s WWE return a bust:
“Do you think Daniel Bryan’s return from injury has been amazing or has been a bust? A complete 100% bust. Everything that I say is the truth and nobody else seems to understand that and I don’t get it.”
