WWE had some interesting plans for Jinder Mahal when he returned to WWE.
“The Modern Day Maharaja” returned to WWE in 2016. After a year of being back in the WWE fold he entered the WWE Title picture. Mahal defeated Randy Orton in May of last year to capture his first WWE World Title of his career.
The victory shocked most of the WWE Universe, who would’ve never expected the former Three Man Band (3MB) member to ever win a World Title in WWE. It looks like Mahal very nearly went in the opposite direction.
Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reports on Twitter that WWE at one point had different plans for Mahal. Apparently there was a pitch for a “Mahal Monitor” character who would serve as a self-appointed authority figure of the backstage hallways:
Mahal first signed with WWE back in 2010. He made his main roster debut in April of 2011 and had run-ins with The Great Khali. Mahal eventually landed himself in the comedic 3MB faction alongside Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater.
Both Mahal and McIntyre were subsequently released from WWE two years later in June of 2014. After two years of working the indies, Mahal returned to WWE in 2016. Only one year later did Mahal reach the top of the WWE mountain by capturing the promotion’s World Title.
Velvet Sky recently spoke to Press Slamto talk about her professional wrestling career. Sky announced her retirement from professional wrestling last summer. She noted she wanted to focus more on her academic career and return to college.
Sky earned her claim to fame in the professional wrestling world as one-half of The Beautiful People with Angelina Love in TNA. She is a former TNA Knockouts Champion and two-time Women’s Knockout Champion.
As for her run with The Beautiful People, Sky discussed why they never made it to WWE. She explained that WWE wanted to make their own version of the team and go away from Sky and Love’s version of it:
“This is like the million dollar question: How come The Beautiful People were never in the WWE. Well, it’s because [WWE] wanted to create their own version of what is already out there that they see that works.
“And, The Beautiful People, Angelina and I, we would never want The Beautiful People to be tainted or twisted or anything that I feel WWE would try to do to us if we were ever there. We would never be allowed to be The Beautiful People.
“The entrance? Forget it. We’d never be able to let the pigeons loose there. It wouldn’t work there. And like I said, they’ve created their own version of The Beautiful People, so they even knew that we worked.”
Furthermore, Sky explained what she means by WWE already created their own version of the duo. She said WWE’s creation of LayCool (Michelle McCool and Layla) and now The IIconics is essentially a ripoff of The Beautiful People:
“Back when we were still in TNA, it was LayCool, and now it’s the IIconics. It’s the same kind of mean, ‘I’m better than you’, the whispering, the pointing, the laughing, the humiliating.
“I mean, especially in the middle of our Beautiful People peak is when they created LayCool. They were kinda doing the similar antics, the humiliating the girls, the heel role. I mean, it’s very flattering, I must say it’s flattering that what we have is such high demand that they tried to take the ball and gave it to the girls that are there now.”
The opinion on Roman Reigns varies from people to people and there are a lot of theories on why the Big Dog is booed by the fans even after so many years.
Former WWE and current Impact Star Johnny Impact fka John Morrison was recently a guest on Jim Ross’ The Ross Report podcast where he talked about Reigns among things.
Morrison first discussed the difference between the match style in WWE and NJPW and recalled how Kazuchika Okada once said that he wouldn’t be interested in going to WWE because the matches he likes to have require more time.
On the subject of Roman Reigns’ negative crowd reaction, the former WWE Star said that the former World Champion is suffering from ‘John Cena Syndrome’
He explained the term later in the interview and said that Cena was pushed too hard and too fast by the company for too long, and people thought that he didn’t deserve it.
Similarly, Roman has been pushed too hard against people like AJ Styles and Kevin Owens who fans think have fought their way up and deserve the spot.
Apart from this, Johnny Impact also talked about how Roman Reigns has grown into a good worker in the last 5 years and the disrespect is underserved now. You can check out his full interview here.
It looks like Ring Of Honor (ROH) has scooped up a former WWE Superstar and producer.
PWInsider reports that ROH has signed former WWE Tag Team Champion Joey Mercury to a deal. Mercury will be used as a behind-the-scenes producer and trainer for the promotion. Mercury had already been training young stars at ROH’s Baltimore Dojo since May.
Mercury’s Run With WWE
Mercury signed with WWE as an in-ring talent back in 2004. He quickly formed a faction with Johnny Nitro and Melina which they called “MNM.” The trio wrestled for Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and were called up to the main roster in 2005.
Nitro and Mercury won the WWE Tag Team Titles three times during their run. He suffered a high-profile injury in December of 2006 when he was struck in the face with a ladder. He broke his nose and orbital bone. Mercury was released soon after in March of 2007.
Mercury worked the independent circuit for a year before deciding to retire. In 2010 Mercury returned to WWE and worked as an in-ring talent, trainer and backstage producer for several years before being released in January of last year.
It looks like some old Tweets from WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander and SmackDown Live star Tye Dillinger are coming back to haunt them.
Some fans dug up some old Tweets from the pair which are pretty insensitive to rape. Both Tweets are several years old, as Alexander’s was allegedly from 2012 while Dillinger’s is from 2011.
— HK of Mark Out Mania (@RealMarkoutHK) July 31, 2018
Both men have since deleted the Tweets. Dillinger actually issued out an apology for them, while Alexander deleted all Tweets that he has ever made from his account:
I have no excuse for my old tweets. I was a different person six years ago, and I’m beyond ashamed at what I considered “humor” . I’m so damn embarrassed and I’m truly sorry to anyone I’ve offended.
Alexander, a former Ring Of Honor (ROH) star, signed with WWE back in 2016 after competing in the Cruiserweight Classic Tournament. After a small run on NXT, Alexander debuted on 205 Live. At WrestleMania 34 Alexander won the Cruiserweight Title when he defeated Mustafa Ali. Alexander defeated four men, including Ali, to capture the then-vacant title.
Dillinger’s initial run with WWE started back in 2006. He was sent to the company’s then-developmental territory of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). When WWE decided to relaunch ECW, Dillinger was one of the Superstars called up from Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) for the project.
He was released after only a few months. Dillinger returned to the independent circuit for four years before once again getting the call from WWE. He joined NXT, where he remained for four years and was then finally called up to the main roster.
Dillinger made his SmackDown Live debut on April 4th of 2017. He has yet to win a title under the WWE’s banner.
IMPACT Wrestling star and creative team member Abyss spoke to WrestleZone Radio recently. The former TNA X Division Champion was asked about the current momentum within the company.
Abyss said he credits Scott D’Amore, Sonjay Dutt and Don Callis for the current upswing within IMPACT and also noted that the roster is one of the strongest ones in the world:
“I’ll credit Scott D’Amore, Sonjay Dutt and Don Callis. They have really hunkered down and you can see it in the production, you can see it in our commitment to moving the show around and you can see it in the talent.
“Those guys really, really, really hunkered down and I think that our roster right now is as strong as any roster in the world. Guys like Pentagon, Fenix, Sami Callihan, Austin Aries, Moose and Eddie Edwards.
“I think our roster has really started to take shape in 2018 and I think it’s really starting to come together as a top notch roster. The women as well with Tessa, Su Yung and Allie. We’ve got them in good places.”
Abyss has been in the professional wrestling business since the mid-’90s. He signed on with TNA back in 2002. Abyss has remained with the company for over 15 years. He has won several titles over the course of his career with the promotion; such as the NWA World Title, X Division Title, World Tag Team Titles, and more.
He has also feuded with names such as Matt Morgan, Dr. Stevie and also won the NWA World Tag Team Championships with AJ Styles. Now, Abyss finds himself as a member of IMPACT’s creative team as well.
He’s arguably the most talked about heel in the business right now. Not only that, Tommaso Ciampa is the new NXT Champion. His era begins tonight on NXT.
Last week, Ciampa defeated Aleister Black after Johnny Gargano accidentally(?) hit Black in the face with the title belt. This week, Ciampa will address the NXT Universe.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa Addresses The NXT Universe
The new champion will address the NXT Universe tonight. What will Ciampa have to say about the former champion and his longtime rival who inadvertently helped him win the belt?
EC3 vs Kona Reeves
EC3 will face Kona Reeves in single’s action tonight. This was built-up in a backstage segment where Reeves stated EC3’s clothes were nice but they were not the finest.
This will be EC3’s 4th televised match since returning to NXT. He is 3-1 thus far with his only loss coming to Johnny Gargano. He’s defeated Raul Mendoza, Fabian Aichner, and Kassius Ohno.
As for Reeves, he’s on a 3-match winning streak. Granted, those 3 wins came over Max Humberto, Raul Mendoza, and Patrick Scott. They are the only single’s victories he has on NXT programming.
Shayna Baszler vs Candice LeRae
Candice LeRae could likely earn a future title shot against Baszler with a win in this non-title match tonight. LeRae recently defeated Lacey Evans on NXT. She’s also defeated Zelina Vega but dropped a match to Bianca Belair.
As for Baszler, she’s been sitting at 118 days as champion with title defenses over Dakota Kai, Nikki Cross, and Toni Storm.
Heavy Machiner vs the Mighty
These two teams have met once previously on NXT programming. The Mighty used under-handed dirty tactics to defeat Heavy Machinery back in May.
The Mighty are also suspected to be behind the attack to Tucker Knight which put him out of action for several weeks.
Moustache Mountain Return To Action
The former tag-team champions return to NXT for the first time since losing the titles back to the Undisputed Era a couple of weeks ago. Tyler Bate threw in the towel to save his mentor, Trent Seven. How will that impact the team’s dynamic moving forward? We should find out more regarding that tonight.
We noted before how Nia Jax was tweeting during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw and she seemingly reacted to the announcement of Ronda Rousey’s singles Raw debut next week.
Jax has been away from the WWE programming since the Extreme Rules PPV and at the point; there was no news on why the company has kept her away from TV.
However, in a recent Instagram story, Nia noted that she is ‘reading and rehabbing’, seemingly indicating that she is suffering from an injury. There is no word yet on what kind of injury she is dealing with but we’ll keep you posted:
Top Ten Raw Moments
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw featured the return of the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and the former UFC Star Ronda Rousey among other things.
After the show, WWE released a top ten moments video from the Raw episode featuring the match between Braun Strowman and Jinder Mahal, Dolph Ziggler’s post-match attack on Seth Rollins and more.
The list which is topped by the main event segment featuring the Universal Champion where Lesnar F5ed Kurt Angle, can be seen below:
Charlotte Flair defeated Carmella last night on Smackdown. Flair, who had been out of action since Money in the Bank, also qualified for the Smackdown Women’s Championship match at SummerSlam.
She spoke with WWE.com in an exclusive interview after the show.
Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch vs Carmella
Smackdown Women’s Championship
SummerSlam
Flair has had a difficult 2018 from an injury perspective. She worked with a ruptured implant for most of the year as she delayed surgery to not miss WrestleMania. In May, she also lost a couple of teeth in a match with Carmella.
Becky Lynch cut a fiery promo to start Smackdown last night. She mentioned she has not held the Smackdown Women’s Championship since 2016 and hasn’t even received a title shot in a year and a half.
I missed #Summerslam last year. Excited to be in the title match with my best friend @BeckyLynchWWE Let the best woman win. #SDLive
Flair spoke to ESPN last month to promote her appearance in their 2018 Body Issue. She also spoke about how she deals with injuries.
“With injuries, every match varies,” Flair said. “The black eyes are accidents. The broken noses are accidents. But the bumps from when we land on the mat, they’re hard. I think it looks easier, or the fans don’t really understand what’s happening, but it does take a toll. Every week I have some kind of mark on me. And that goes for all the girls. I think that’s what separates us from other people, we’re always walking around with our battle scars, and we’re proud of them.”
The Rock Surprises Longtime Stunt Double With Gift
A new video the former World Champion The Rock posted on his Facebook page recently proved once again why he is not only the favorite movie star of millions of people but an idol for them as well.
The Rock called his longtime stunt double Tanoai Reed for what Reed thought was an interview about his career as a stunt double for the highest paid Hollywood actor.
However, the former WWE Star instead surprised him with a truck as a gift for the hard work he has done over the years and the injuries he has suffered while working as a stunt double:
JTG On Which Star He Could See Nikki Bella Dating
Former WWE Star JTG recently had an interview with TMZ Sports where he talked about the recent breakup of John Cena and Nikki Bella.
The former Cryme Tyme member also talked about the future of Nikki and claimed that other locker room stars are not likely to date her at this point out of respect for Cena.
Continuing on the topic, he also said that Nikki’s former boyfriend Dolph Ziggler is the only person he thinks could start a relationship with Bella at this point but it’s not very likely to happen. You can check out his full interview in the video below:
WWE has released the full match between John Cena and AJ Styles from SummerSlam 2016 on their YouTube account and the bout can be seen in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPOtDStsLUU
This was the second match of their rivalry and the first big match for Styles after splitting up with the Club and being drafted to SmackDown Live during the 2016 drafts.
Styles scored a clean victory over the Leader of Cenation. This win eventually earned him a WWE Championship match against Dean Ambrose and is believed to be the start of AJ’s run as the face of SmackDown Live.
Raw Stars Work SmackDown Dark Match
We noted before how the dark match after SmackDown Live this week saw WWE Champion AJ Styles battling The United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in a Champion vs. Champion match.
However, this wasn’t the only dark match of the night and for the surprise of fans, two Raw Stars Titus O’Neil and Mike Kanellis worked a bout before the show.
The match saw O’Neil defeating Kanellis who has been off TV for a while. No word yet on why the company used these Raw stars on SmackDown Live but a speculation is that they used hometown star Titus to boost ticket sales for the show.
While WWE kept AJ Styles away from this week’s episode of SmackDown Live for unknown reason, the champ did wrestle in a Champion vs. Champion match after the cameras stopped rolling.
After SmackDown and 205 Live went off air, the WWE Champion came out and faced his recent rival and the United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in a one on one match.
The match went on for about 10 minutes and the finish saw the former TNA World Champion picking up a victory after hitting Nakamura with a Styles Clash.
Charlotte On Going Against Becky Lynch
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live, Charlotte Flair made her return to the WWE programming and she earned herself a title match for SummerSlam not too long after her comeback.
Charlotte defeated the Women’s Champion Carmella in a one on one nontitle match during the main event of the show. As a result of her victory; she is now added to the SmackDown Women’s title match at SummerSlam, making it a triple threat.
After the show, Flair was interviewed backstage. In the video of her interview as seen below, the former Champion talks about her win during the night and going against her friend Becky Lynch as SummerSlam:
While it’s debatable if the credits should be given to the massive returns or the approaching SummerSlam PPV, WWE was able to prove why Raw is their flagship show once again this week as the program saw a significant increase in viewership.
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw drew an average of 2.901 million viewers which is up 4.4% from the 2.779 million viewers the show did last week.
The episode featuring the return of Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey did its best numbers since the Money In The Bank follow up episode on June 18th which was almost one and a half month ago.
Not only that but Raw was #1 for the night in viewership on cable and #1 in the 18-49 demographic as well. This apparently was the first time the Red Branded Show was #1 on cable since its August 29th episode last year.
Though it’s worth mentioning here that despite the fact that the company was building a main event segment featuring Brock Lesnar throughout the episode, the audience still dropped for the third hour of Raw.
The second hour of the show had drawn 3.012 million viewers, which was a significant increase from the 2.875 million viewers of the first hour.
However, the third hour of the show, featuring the Lesnar segment couldn’t continue the momentum and the audience for it dropped to 2.815 million viewers.
The July 31st episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. Here are takeaways 7 from the show:
Charlotte Returned To Save Becky Lynch
Renee Young welcomed Becky Lynch down to the ring to start off this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Lynch stated that she hasn’t had a title match since WrestleMania 33, which is almost a year and a half ago. She added that she couldn’t sleep after she defeated Carmella last week and is now in line for a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Becky said she will give it her all at SummerSlam and it would be an honor to walk into WWE Evolution the SmackDown Women’s Champion. Carmella interrupted and made her way down to the ring. Carmella stated that normally she would come out here with some kind of excuse as to why she was fired but that is not the case tonight.
Carmella congratulated Becky on beating her fair and square last week on SmackDown and earning her title shot. She brought up being a part of the first ever all women’s PPV and claimed that she has failed as a representative. Carmella added that Becky has always been a step ahead of her. Carmella admitted that she was told in NXT that she would only ever be a manager or a hype girl.
She stated that she was the last draft pick to SmackDown while Becky Lynch was the first female Superstar selected. Carmella noted that the WWE Universe has always loved Becky Lynch and the crowd responded by chanting “Becky!”. Carmella then got choked up and said that most of the WWE Universe do not think she deserves to be champion.
Carmella wiped away the tears and admitted that it was exhausting dealing with all the haters on social media. Carmella changed her tune and said she could not be more excited to face someone she has always admired at WWE SummerSlam. Carmella wished Becky luck and extended her hand. Ellsworth’s music hit and Becky Lynch was distracted by it.
Carmella used the distraction and Superkicked Lynch in the face. Carmella then grabbed a chair from under the ring when Charlotte’s music hit. Charlotte Flair rushed the ring and booted Carmella in the face. Charlotte then connected with an Exploder Suplex that sent Carmella out of the ring. Carmella retreated up the entrance ramp as Charlotte helped Becky Lynch back up to her feet.
Carmella then confronted SmackDown GM Paige backstage and Paige told her that she should be ashamed of herself. Paige announced that Carmella will face Charlotte tonight and if Flair wins she will be added to the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at SummerSlam.
The Bar Advanced In The Tag Team Tournament
The Usos faced The Bar in the SmackDown Tag Team Tournament. The winners of the tournament will go on to face The Bludgeon Brothers at WWE SummerSlam for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Before the match started, New Day’s music hit and the trio joined commentary for the match.
Sheamus and Cesaro controlled the match early. Sheamus locked in a Chin Lock as New Day ate cereal and pancakes ringside. Jey broke free and connected with a few punches to the Sheamus’ face. Sheamus charged at Jey in the corner but Jey got out of the way and Sheamus crashed into the ring post.
Cesaro and Jimmy Uso then tagged in. Jimmy planted Cesaro with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Jimmy followed it up with an Enziguri to Cesaro’s head that sent Cesaro out of the ring. Jimmy hit Sheamus with a Suicide Dive and then brought Cesaro back into the ring. Jimmy Uso then scaled to the top rope and connected with a Crossbody for a near fall.
Jimmy made his way back up to the top rope but Cesaro got up and shoved Jimmy from behind. SmackDown went to a commercial break as Jimmy Uso crashed into the barricade outside the ring.
When SmackDown returned, Jimmy Uso connected flipped onto Cesaro off the top rope in the middle of the ring. Jey Uso hit Cesaro with a Superkick as Sheamus tagged in. Jimmy then tagged in and connected with a Splash onto Sheamus. Jimmy went for the cover but Cesaro broke it up at the last second.
The Usos climbed up on opposite turnbuckles and went for dueling Splashes. Cesaro got into the ring and hit Jey Uso on the way down with an uppercut. Sheamus also got his knees up and rolled Uso up for the pinfall victory. The Bar will face New Day next week on SmackDown to determine which team will face The Bludgeon Brothers at WWE SummerSlam.
Samoa Joe Delivered A Personal Message To AJ Styles
Samoa Joe delivered a message to WWE Champion AJ Styles tonight on SmackDown. Styles will defend the WWE Championship against Samoa Joe at WWE SummerSlam.
Joe took a seat in the middle of the ring and said the following:
“Now AJ, what I did to you last week, well that was me sending a message and I think you are more than familiar with my favorite form of communication. The truth be told, I respect you AJ and the house that you have built. I respect that you have made the WWE Championship the most prestigious title in WWE.
You put being champion in front of everything in your life, including being a member of your own family. AJ you came out here and told a lovely tale about how you can now look at your daughter and tell her you can be anything you can put your mind to. AJ, I’ve known you long enough to know that you are barely home to hug your child, let alone look her in the eye.
The truth is AJ, you feel much more comfortable being on the road living out of a suitcase than being a husband to your wife. You have put being a champion above all else, even if it means you are a failure as a father. AJ do not worry, for all your sacrifices I am coming soon to take it all from you. When the whole world is cheering you on at SummerSlam, secretly your family will be cheering for me. After I’m done tearing down your house and putting you to sleep, your wife and kids will have their daddy back but I will be WWE Champion.”
Jeff Hardy came down to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Jeff said that the US Championship is more than a title to him it is his lifeforce and it deepens his connection with the WWE Universe.
Hardy said that there is nothing more important than beating Shinsuke Nakamura and taking back the title. Jeff noted that there was one thing that was almost as important and called out Randy Orton.
Orton came down to the ring but Nakamura attacked Jeff Hardy from behind. Nakamura then geared up in the corner but Randy Orton got in Shinsuke’s face. Orton backed Shinsuke to the corner of the ring while Jeff struggled his way to his feet.
Randy nodded at Nakamura and Shinsuke took out Hardy with the Kinshasa. Orton once again got in Nakamura’s face and exchanged some words with him. Shinsuke rolled out of the ring as Orton remained in the ring with Hardy.
Orton got the crowd riled up and then set up for the RKO. Orton didn’t do the RKO but simply knocked Hardy over instead. Orton started stomping on Jeff in the ring over and over again. Randy then planted Hardy with a DDT while he was hung up in the ropes and then dragged Jeff to the apron. Orton connected with another DDT off the apron and to the floor outside the ring. Randy then cleared off the announce table and placed Hardy on it. Orton unloaded several punches to Jeff’s face.
Orton ripped off Hardy’s wristbands and shirt and then took his chain. Randy put the chain in his pocket and then grabbed a bottle of water and a towel. He poured the water on Jeff’s face and started scrubbing off Hardy’s facepaint.
Zelina Vega battled Lana tonight on SmackDown. Andrade “Cien” Almas was ringside for the match. Vega controlled the match the match early and connected with Double Knees in the corner of the ring for a two count.
Vega went for the Hammerlock DDT but Lana countered into a Back Body Drop. Lana hit a flurry of Clotheslines and followed it up with a Clothesline. Lana connected with Double Knees and went for the cover but Vega was able to kick out at two.
Lana elbowed Vega in the face and made her way up the turnbuckle. Almas hopped up on the ring apron in an effort to distract Lana. Aiden English sprinted to down the entrance ramp and dragged Almas off the ring apron. Lana was somehow still distracted by this and Vega capitalized with a roll-up for the victory.
After the match, Aiden English told Lana that all he was trying to do was help her. Lana told him to leave as Rusev showed up. Lana then scolded Rusev for not being out there tonight to help her.
Daniel Bryan Challenged The Miz To A Match At SummerSlam
Daniel Bryan came down to the ring and rolled footage of The Miz throwing a fake baby at him last week on SmackDown. Bryan called out The Miz and said that he would like nothing more than to punch Miz in the face right now.
The Miz appeared on the jumbotron and said that Bryan has to earn his way to fight him. Miz told Bryan to call his agent because right now he is on the set of Miz & Mrs. Daniel accused The Miz of hiding and called him a coward.
Miz asked the crowd if they thought he was a coward and then brought up his confrontation with Bryan on Talking Smack. The Miz noted that it only took him 5 minutes to make Daniel famous. Daniel stated that The Miz is never going to be The Rock, John Cena and nobody will never remember him as a great Superstar because he is too soft.
Bryan then challenged The Miz to a match at WWE SummerSlam. The Miz told Bryan to accept a reality that the Yes Movement is over and the WWE Universe has moved on. Miz told Bryan to let his contract expire and go entertain dozens of people in high school gyms. Miz added that when people look at Bryan all they see is a crying baby.
The SmackDown Women’s Championship Match At SummerSlam Is Now A Triple Threat
Carmella battled Charlotte Flair in the main event of this week’s SmackDown. If Charlotte won the match, she would be added to the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at SummerSlam.
Becky Lynch was shown backstage watching the match as Carmella and Charlotte locked up in the middle of the ring. Charlotte went for the Figure Four right away but Carmella was able to escape. Flair decked Carmella with a shoulder tackle and strutted across the ring. Carmella battled back and launched Charlotte into the barricade surrounding the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Charlotte was back in control of the match when SmackDown returned. Flair hit Carmella with a series of chops that knocked her to the canvas. Charlotte followed it up with a Belly to Back Suplex and then made her way up to the top rope. Charlotte went for a Moonsault but Carmella got her knees up and then threw Flair out of the ring.
Carmella went after Charlotte and slammed her into the barricade once again. Carmella then threw Flair into the timekeeper’s area and the referee started counting. Flair got back into the ring at the last second to beat the count but Carmella greeted her with a punch to the face.
Flair battled out of a Headlock by slamming Carmella into the turnbuckle a few times. Carmella grabbed Flair by the hair and whipped her into the middle turnbuckle. Carmella delivered a boot to the face but Flair bounced off the ropes and connected with a big boot of her own for a near fall.
Charlotte went for the Figure Four once again but Carmella was able to escape out of the ring. Flair got pissed off and hopped up on the barricade outside the ring. Charlotte hit a Moonsault onto Carmella and then threw her back into the ring.
Flair immediately hit Natural Selection but Carmella was able to kick out at two. Flair couldn’t believe that Carmella kicked out and held her face in her hands. Flair went for a Spear but Carmella countered with a boot to the face. Carmella then countered the Figure Four into a roll-up for a two count.
Carmella connected with a Superkick and went for the cover but Flair was able to get her shoulder up at the last moment. Carmella tried to apply the Figure Four but Charlotte escaped and locked in a Figure Four of her own for the submission victory. Carmella will now defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Becky Lynch and Carmella in a Triple Threat Match at WWE SummerSlam. Lynch was shown backstage with a pissed off look on her face as SmackDown went off the air.
Opinion: This week’s episode of SmackDown was very entertaining and once again was vastly superior to WWE RAW. The opening segment was very well done and the main event between Charlotte and Carmella was also solid. I thought Samoa Joe’s promo on AJ Styles was excellent. There are very few Superstars on the main roster right now as talented as Samoa Joe and it great to see him in a WWE Championship feud heading into SummerSlam.
What did you think of this week’s episode of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments below.
There has been one change to a title match at the upcoming WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena on the USA Network, Charlotte Flair was able to beat WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella in a non-title match that ended up serving as the main event of the show. As a result of winning this match, Flair has now been added to the SmackDown Women’s Title match between Carmella and Lynch as now it will be a triple threat match.
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 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
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak
What are your thoughts on this match being changed? Was this right or wrong move? Sound off in the comment section.
One big match for next week’s episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network has been announced that has implications for the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
That match is The Bar taking on The New Day as part of the finals of the SmackDown Tag Team Title tournament. If you recall, last week, The New Day beat Sanity to advance while on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena on the USA Network, Sheamus and Cesaro beat The Usos to advance.
Now, the winners of next week’s contest between The New Day and The Bar will challenge Luke Harper and Erick Rowan for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event that is slated to go down on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center that will air on the WWE Network.
WWE holds next week’s show in Orlando, FL at the Amway Center. As of this writing, no other matches for SmackDown has been announced. This show will mark two weeks away from SummerSlam, which means that the company will be putting extra focus on getting the storylines and angles over with the fans leading into what is considered by many as the second biggest pay-per-view event of the year for the WWE.
What are your thoughts on who wins this match between The Bar and New Day? Sound off in the comment section.
Former WWE RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair has returned to TV.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena on the USA Network, the opening segment saw an in-ring promo with WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella and Becky Lynch to hype their upcoming title match at the 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.
This is when Carmella played James Ellworth’s music to distract Lynch in order to attack her. This led to Flair making her return to television by running down to the ring to make the save for Lynch. Flair would later wrestle Carmella in a non-title match in the show.
If you recall, Flair underwent surgery to repair a ruptured implant about a month ago. In a recent interview, she explained that she decided to delay it as she wanted to get through WrestleMania and do a photo shoot for ESPN that was published recently.
What are your thoughts on this segment and what the company should do with Flair on television now that she’s back? Sound off in the comment section.
The first match for the upcoming Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view event has been announced.
On Tuesday (July 31st, 2018), the Baltimore-based promotion revealed that the Bullet Club (Cody, Adam Page, The Young Bucks, and Marty Scurll) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Chuckie T, Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Rocky Romero) in a 10-man tag team match is slated to take place at this show.
What’s interesting about this pay-per-view event is the fact that the promotion is setting up the venue for 9,5000 seats and tickets are slated to go on sale to HonorClub members on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 1pm ET and will go on sale for the general public on August 3 at 3pm ET.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 31, 2018
Ring of Honor is slated to hold their Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, September 28, 2018. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app. The promotion will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks.
Last year’s event took place at Sam’s Live and was headlined by Cody vs. Minoru Suzuki for the ROH World Championship.
What are your thoughts on this upcoming match? Do you plan on buying this pay-per-view event? Sound off in the comment section.
Big E has given some insight into the longevity of The New Day alongside Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
Big E recently spoke with TampaBay.com to promote this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown Live in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena where he talked about why he thinks the group lasted as long as it has in today’s era of pro wrestling.
The WWE star noted that one of the biggest things is they’re pretty selfless amongst themselves as they wanted to make it clear from the beginning there is no leader and no one hogging the spotlight and believing in the group as a whole where there is no bickering or battling. “I’m not saying we don’t have different ideas sometimes. But were always able to discuss it. We’re always trying to think of what’s next. There’s no complacency. There’s no feeling we made it and it’s time to coast. We’re always trying to push for new ideas. Trying to get better in the ring.
Big E continued by stating, “We fought tooth and nail from the very beginning. We weren’t three guys the office put together. We were three guys on our own, whose career was stalling. We needed to do something and that was what fortified it.”
He was also asked about the importance of having a place like NXT for younger wrestlers where Big E stated that it’s fantastic and that it has become more than just a feeder system for WWE as it has turned into a brand with such a different feel compared to RAW or SmackDown Live. “When I was in NXT five years ago, we didn’t travel nationally. And not only are they traveling and doing shows around the country, but they’re doing tours of Japan and Europe. And people across the world have taken to NXT so passionately.”
What are your thoughts on Big E’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
The July 31st edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL, and was the latest stop on the road to SummerSlam ’18.
– Fans are now entering the arena in Tampa and being seated.
– SmackDown opens up from inside the Amalie Arena, and Becky Lynch comes down to kick off the show with an in-ring interview. Becky talks about her intentions for the SmackDown Women’s Championship and then Carmella quickly comes out to interrupt. Carmella steps into the ring and gives Becky credit for earning her shot, and adds that the feeling “hit her like a tidal wave” that she would be taking part in the first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view. Carmella says they should help each other instead of bashing each other, and she is really just jealous of Becky because she was better in NXT. Carmella starts pretending to cry and talking about how everyone hates on her. Carmella says she’s proud to be competing at SummerSlam with Becky, and she goes to shake her hands, but then James Ellsworth’s music hits. Becky looks up at the stage, and then Carmella attacks her from behind. Carmella kicks Becky down and then gets a steel chair. Charlotte comes out for the save and suplexes Carmella out of the ring. Charlotte helps Becky to her feet as Carmella retreats up the ramp.
– Samoa Joe is shown waiting backstage, he will issue a statement about AJ Styles tonight.
– Jeff Hardy is shown backstage listening to music in his locker room. He is scheduled to confront Randy Orton later tonight.
– We see a pre-taped promo from The Usos who talk about facing The Bar tonight, and channel some of The Rock’s catch phrases.
– Carmella meets with Paige backstage, and Paige isn’t happy about Carmella’s behavior out in the ring. Carmella complains about always having the odds against her and not receiving fair treatment. Paige decides to book Carmella against Charlotte in a non-Title match tonight, and if Charlotte wins, she is added to the Title match at SummerSlam.
– The Bar vs. The Usos: Before the bell, The New Day comes out to interrupt. The New Day has their own orange announce table set up at ringside with pancakes all over it. They will be on commentary for this one. Sheamus and Jey start this one off and they trade some big strikes. Jey boots Sheamus through the ropes down to the floor, where he regroups with Cesaro. Cesaro tags in and drops Jey then keeps him grounded with a chin lock. Sheamus tags in and boots Jey down, then they hit a double team clothesline on Uso for a two count. Sheamus follows up with some knee drops to keep Uso down. Jey fights back with right hands, then Sheamus misses a spear and slams into the ring post. Jimmy and Cesaro tag in, and Jimmy starts laying into Cesaro with clotheslines and kicks. Jimmy hits a Samoan Drop for a two count. Jimmy follows up with a kick to the head, then Cesaro rolls outside for a breather. Jimmy goes flying for a suicide dive but Sheamus takes the shot. Jimmy hits Cesaro next and takes him back in the ring. Jimmy hits a splash for a two count. Jimmy goes back up top, but Cesaro shoves him off and Jimmy crashes down onto the fan barricade at ringside. Back in the ring, The Bar looks for the double team on Jimmy, but Jey pulls Sheamus out to ringside. Jimmy goes flying off the top with a corkscrew plancha on Cesaro on the mat. Jimmy and Cesaro trade right hands now until Sheamus tags in. The Bar looks for the double team again, but Jey breaks it up with a superkick on Cesaro. Sheamus dumps Jey outside and Jimmy superkicks Sheamus. Jey tags in now and hits the Uso splash , then he pins but Cesaro breaks it up. Jey dumps Cesaro outside, then Jimmy tags in. Jey and Jimmy both go up top for splashes, but Cesaro takes down Jey with an uppercut, and then Sheamus blocks Jimmy’s splash. Sheamus rolls up Jimmy for the three count.
Winners: The Bar
– The Bar celebrates in the ring and they call out The New Day. The three New Day members get in the ring and exchange words with Sheamus and Cesaro. The Bar backs down and heads to the back.
– Still to come: Lana vs. Zelina Vega in a match sponsored by Sonic.
– We go back to Charlotte’s locker room for an interview with Renee Young. Charlotte says she was only here to support Becky, but had to get involved due to Carmella. Charlotte says she didn’t even think she would be at SummerSlam, let alone in a Title match. Charlotte says she hasn’t forgotten that Carmella has beaten her before, but she’s back and ready to reclaim her throne.
– The announcers introduce a replay of Samoa Joe beating down AJ Styles last week and signing their SummerSlam contract. Joe is scheduled to deliver a personal message to AJ next.
– Tonight’s “Classic superstar” presented by Sonic is The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase.
– Samoa Joe comes down to the ring and gets on the mic. Joe says what he did to AJ last week was sending a message. Joe says he respects AJ and the house he built, and he says AJ has made the WWE Title the most prestigious Championship in WWE. Joe says AJ put being Champion above being a member of his family, because he’s barely home long enough to hug his kids. He calls AJ a failure as a husband and father. Joe says AJ’s wife and kids will love Joe, because Joe is going to put AJ out of action so they can have him back at home, but Joe will be WWE Champion. Joe drops the mic and heads to the back.
– We go to replays of Randy Orton beating down Jeff Hardy two weeks ago. Hardy is shown backstage putting his face paint on and getting reay to come out to the ring.
– Jeff Hardy comes out to the ring and gets on the mic. Jeff says the U.S. Title is the most important thing to him, it’s part of his life force and is his fifth eye. He says the only thing almost as important as that, is beating the hell out of Randy Orton. Jeff calls out Orton, and Orton comes down the ramp to answer. As Orton steps in the ring, Shinsuke Nakamura comes from out of the crowd and attacks Jeff from behind. Nakamura beats down Jeff and looks for the Kinshasa, but Randy Orton steps in front of him and stares down Nakamura. Orton and Nakamura have a stare down while Jeff gets to his knees. Orton steps aside and Nakamura hits the Kinshasa. Orton stares down Nakamura again and Nakamura leaves. Orton tells the crowd to make some noise as Jeff gets to his feet, then he tackles Jeff back down. Orton repeatedly stomps on Jeff while he’s down. Jeff rolls out to the apron, and then Orton pulls him over the middle rope and DDTs him on the mat. Orton then DDTs Jeff off the apron onto the ringside floor. Orton lays Jeff on the announce table and pummels on him. Orton rips off Jeff’s shirt and necklace, then he pours a water bottle on Jeff. Orton starts wiping the facepaint off of Jeff with a rag while he’s still laying on the table. Orton leaves and takes Jeff’s necklace with him.
– Becky Lynch is backstage for an interview with Renee Young. Becky says she’s glad that Charlotte is back, but she’s not so happy at the thought of her Title shot becoming a triple threat match. Becky says she won’t be rooting against her best friend Charlotte tonight.
– We see a replay from last week of Lana and Zelina Vega getting into it at ringside during the Rusev vs. Almas match, and then Aien English’s involvement.
– Lana vs. Zelina Vega: Andrade “Cien” Almas is at ringside in Zelina’s corner. The opening bell sounds and they talk trash to each other in the opening moments. They exchange shoves and slaps, then Lana spears Zelina down. Zelina rolls outside to regroup with Almas. Back in the ring, Zelina drops Lana and applies a sleeper hold. Lana backs Zelina up against the turnbuckle, but Zelina turns around and lays into her with kicks. Zelina follows up with the running double knees in the corner for a two count. Zelina looks for the DDT, but Lana reverses into a back body drop. Lana starts to mount a comeback and hits a neckbreaker. Lana does a spinaroonie back to her feet, then hits a running knee strike for a two count. Lana goes up top but Almas causes a distraction on the apron. Aiden English runs down and drops Almas. Zelina rolls up Lana from behind with a handful of tights for the three count.
Winner: Zelina Vega
– Vega and Almas celebrate on the ramp while Lana freaks out in the ring.
– The Bludgeon Brothers are backstage with their Tag Title belts. They say they will shatter The Bar and The New Day, or anyone else in their path. They say no one will escape the bludgeoning at SummerSlam.
– Aiden English is backstage looking for Lana. English finds her and apologizes for getting involved, but Lana tells him to go. Aiden leaves as Rusev walks in. Rusev is not happy about the finish, and Lana tells Rusev she could have really used him out there tonight.
– Daniel Bryan comes out to the ring and gets on the mic. Bryan talks about his love for his wife, and how proud he is of the upcoming all-women’s pay-per-view. Bryan changes the subject to last week’s incident with The Miz, where Miz threw a baby doll at him pretending it was real. Bryan says The Miz never thought Bryan would be medically cleared again, but he is, and now The Miz has no protection from him. Bryan says Miz knows in a fair fight he would destroy him, and if he’s wrong, The Miz should come out and prove it. The Miz appears on the big screen and says he’s an elite talent so Bryan will have to earn a fight with The Miz. The Miz says right now he’s on the set of his USA Network reality show. Bryan says he doesn’t care about the Miz’s TV show, Bryan is here to fight, and Miz is hiding from him. Miz says he made Bryan famous, but Bryan says he isn’t in this for the fame. Bryan says better men than The Miz have done the wrestler-turned-actor thing, and Miz will never be The Rock or John Cena. Bryan says no-one will remember Miz as a great wrestler because he’s too soft. Miz says The Yes Movement and Bryan’s career are over, and people have moved on from Bryan. Miz says Bryan is a crybaby and plays crying baby sounds over the big screen to finish the segment.
– We see a graphic on the screen announcing that AJ Styles is returning to SmackDown next week.
– Carmella does an interview at the gorilla position where she says her mat skills are just as fabolous at her fashion sense, and she’ll beat Charlotte tonight so she can get Becky alone at SummerSlam. Carmella says she knows she can beat Becky one-on-one, and that she knows Becky is rooting against Charlotte tonight.
– Charlotte vs. Carmella: This one is a non-Title match. The opening bell sounds and they fight into the corner. Charlotte misses a shot and Carmella taunts her, as we see Becky Lynch backstage watching on a monitor. Charlotte takes Carmella down and looks for the Figure Four, but Carmella escapes. They run the ropes and Charlotte takes Carmella down a couple times before hitting a fallaway slam. Carmella rolls outside and Charlotte misses a suicide dive. Carmella throws Charlotte into the ring apron and then the fan barricade to take control at ringside. Back in the ring, Charlotte mounts a comeback and looks for a moonsault off the top, but Carmella blocks it with her knees. Carmella throws Charlotte back outside and the ref counts. Carmella follows her out to the floor now and takes Charlotte into the fan barricade, then she throws Charlotte into the timekeeper’s area. Back in the ring, Carmella continues the beat-down and applies a chin lock. Carmella hits a kick, but Charlotte answers with a kick of her own. They trade pin attempts and Charlotte looks for the Figure Four, but Carmella escapes and rolls outside. Charlotte rolls outside and hops up on the fan barricade, then hits a moonsault on Carmella on the floor. Back in the ring, Charlotte hits the Natural Selection for a two count. Charlotte looks for a spear, but Carmella blocks it with a kick. Charlotte looks for the Figure Four, but Charlotte reverses into a pin attempt. Charlotte escapes, but Carmella kicks her back down for another two count. Carmella is slow to get to her feet, and she picks up Charlotte by the leg . Carmella looks for the Figure Four, but Charlotte reverses into a Figure Four of her own and Carmella taps out.
Winner: Charlotte
– Charlotte has now earned a spot in the Women’s Title match at SummerSlam. Becky Lynch is shown watching backstage on a monitor and she does not look happy. Carmella will now be defending her Women’s Title in a triple threat match at SummerSlam against Charlotte and Becky. Charlotte celebrates in the ring as Carmella recovers at ringside. Becky Lynch is shown glaring at the monitor backstage as SmackDown goes off the air.
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss noted on RAW this week that Mickie James is currently out of action due to injury. James’ most recent television match was a singles match against Natalya on the July 23rd episode of Monday Night RAW. She noted in a recent post on her official Twitter account that she will be back soon:
Thanks for all the love everyone. I’ll be back soon. I tell ya what @AlexaBliss_WWE I couldn’t have picked a better friend & ally myself than in @AliciaFoxy . You both looked and did so amazing last night! #FoxyLady ? ?????? https://t.co/juBObMR0yc
WWE’s YouTube channel has released this video of The Big Show being interviewed by Mike Rome while backstage at this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Miami, FL at the AmericanAirlines Arena giving his prediction for this upcoming WWE Universal Title match between champion Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns at the 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.
In the clip, Show noted that you can never question Reigns’ heart and never giving up and in a situation where this could be his last chance at the title, he is leaning towards picking Reigns.
Who are you picking to win at SummerSlam between Lesnar and Reigns? Sound off in the comment section.
Vice President of Impact Wrestling, Don Calls, recently addressed some controversy concerning a recently debuted Impact Knockout. Scarlett Bordeaux made her Impact debut last week. Some fans see the character as a fitting heel for today’s modern women’s wrestling divisions. Others feel the character is a regression to an era of women’s wrestling they would rather not return to, however.
Callis addressed the matter during on a recent edition of his podcast.
“What (Scarlett Bordeaux) is doing she’s basically saying, ‘Hey, I am not going to be told how to dress and how to look and that I shouldn’t look how God made me and I’m not gonna cover up because some man or whatever thinks it’s politically correct for me to cover up,” Callis explained. “I thought that was an empowering message from her. But some people, they look for things to be offended about. I’m unclear as to why anything she said was offensive.”
Callis continued to say there is more character development to come with Scarlett.
“I think that people will be pleasantly surprised as we move forward,” he continued. “She’s actually a very good wrestler and I think it got people talking in a good way.”
Scarlett Bordeaux in Impact Wrestling
Scarlett Bordeaux: “I want to be remembered as the greatest women’s activist of all time.”
Alicia Atout: “Like Susan B Anthony?”
Scarlett Bordeaux: “Ew. Like Marylyn Monroe. Or Cardi B.”
We covered Bordeaux’s debut in last week’s “Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 7/26” article. It seemed to me the character was playing up many of the aspects that have been removed from women’s wrestling for the purpose of getting heat.
Bordeaux is a Chicago-based indy wrestler who has competed for Women of Honor previously. She also worked as Matt Taven’s valet briefly in Ring of Honor. In 2016, Bordeaux appeared as enhancement talent on Raw in a losing effort to Nia Jax.
Impact Wrestling returns on Thursday night with the second show from their 2-nights of tapings from Rebel Nightclub following Slammiversary.
Earlier this month WWE reinstated Hulk Hogan back into their Hall Of Fame.
Hopgan had his contract with WWE terminated after a leaked sex tape revealed some racist comments from the former WWE Champion. WWE essentially black-listed Hogan from the company up until earlier this month.
WWE made the decision to reinstate Hogan into the HOF before the Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV). He was also backstage at the PPV and delivered an apology to the entire roster.
Yesterday RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss joined AM 790 The Ticketto promote Monday Night RAW in Miami. She offered her thoughts on Hogan being reinstated into the Hall Of Fame:
“I think it’s great. You know he has built such an empire for himself in WWE and is such an icon in WWE. And, you know, I feel like it’s great that he’s back in WWE family – because that’s what we are, we’re a family.
“Everyone loves everyone, we’re just this big dysfunctional family, so when someone leaves it’s obviously upsetting. But you know, time heals all and people are very happy when people come back and I think with such an icon I think it’s a good thing.”
Jerry Lawler has said he was with his son Brian Christopher when he died. He told WHBQ news he was “glad to hold his son’s hand when his heart stopped beating around 3:30 p.m.”
Lawler told the news outlet he and family are overwhelmed with support from friends and the public.
There is an ongoing investigation into Brian Christopher’s death after the former WWE Superstar was found hanging in his cell on Sunday. Christopher was arrested for a 3rd DUI offense and for evading the police a week prior. He was still in jail as he had not posted the $40,000 needed for bail. The family has said they were waiting to determine if they would hire a private or public attorney for his case.
Jerry Lawler Comments On Investigation Into Brian Christopher’s Death
A recent statement by the Sheriff’s office has indicated Christopher was not on suicide watch as he was not thought to be a danger to himself. The police did state he was in a cell by himself due to his fame.
“Mr. Lawler, because of his notoriety, was placed in a cell by himself but as the Sheriff’s Department had no indication he was suicidal, he was not on suicide watch,” the statement reads.
Lawler would only briefly comment on the ongoing investigation into his son’s death. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has asked Lawler not to comment publicly on the matter.
“There may be more to this than meets the eye,” Lawler said in a phone call to WHBQ news.
Yesterday, we reported that Lawler had told Christopher he could get him a job at the WWE Performance Center. The offer came with the condition that Christopher had to stay clean for a year. Christopher’s “Too Cool” tag-team partner, Scotty 2 Hotty, is currently an instructor there.
Roman Reigns will challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Title – again.
The pair met back at WrestleMania 31 for the WWE World Title. That bout ended with Seth Rollins cashing in his Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase and winning the strap. Three years later they’d main event WrestleMania 34 for the Universal Title.
Lesnar picked up a clean victory over “The Big Dog” to retain his title. They rematched the same month at the Greatest Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia inside a Steel Cage. Reigns hit Lesnar with a Spear that sent both men flying outside the cage.
Although Reigns’ feet were the first to touch the ground, Lesnar’s back hit the floor first and he was declared the winner. Now Reigns has again earned the shot at the Universal Title and will fight Lesnar at SummerSlam next month.
WWE Hall Of Famer Bully Ray recently shared his thoughts on how WWE can make Lesnar and Reigns’ fourth match stand out at “The Biggest Party Of The Summer.” Here’s what he had to say:
“Even if you put the match on first, it’s still just a straight up match and if you still get a straight up finish, it’s really – I don’t know – I think that Money In The Bank briefcase might come into play. Early and late,” Ray said.
“This is completely in the opposite direction – what if Kevin Owens walks out of SummerSlam as your champion? If Owens walks out of SummerSlam as the champion, does Roman beat him the next night on RAW? I don’t think so. I think it makes Roman look weak. If Roman doesn’t beat Brock he looks weak.”
Ray then noted that Owens would get a pop if he won the title just for the sheer fact that neither Brock or Roman will be Universal Champion:
“He’s getting the pop because the belt is coming away from guys that they can’t stand. They can’t stand Brock because he’s a part-timer and they can’t stand Roman just for the sake that they can’t stand Roman. So the pop is not going to be for genuine emotion. They’re going to be popping for a title change and because the belt is away from these guys.”
