Smackdown and 205 Live will emanate from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida tonight. 2 matches have been confirmed for Smackdown, including the 2nd semi-final match in the Smackdown tag-team tournament. Just one match has been announced for 205 Live tonight.
Smackdown Live 7/31 Preview
Jeff Hardy Confronts Randy Orton
Jeff Hardy wasn’t on Smackdown last week. He was out selling his injuries from Orton’s attack the previous week. 2 weeks ago on Smackdown, Orton attacked Hardy and tried to rip open his stretched earlobe. Last week, Orton cut a scathing promo on the WWE Universe and promised to end Hardy’s WWE return.
Jeff Hardy returns to Smackdown tonight and will confront Orton on the show.
Andrade Almas defeated Rusev on Smackdown last week. This week, Lana has challenged Zelina Vega to a single’s match. It will be Vega’s first match on WWE’s main roster.
Lana won her last single’s match. She defeated Billie Kay in a MITB qualifying match. It was her first single’s victory on the main roster.
Paige announced a 4-team tournament to determine who will challenge the Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam. Last week, New Day defeated Sanity to move to the finals of the tournament which will be held next week.
Tonight, two decorated tag-teams will fight for the right to take on the New Day in the finals.
Fallout From Samoa Joe’s Attack On AJ Styles
Samoa Joe will challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Joe made a point of attacking and choking out the champion last week.
We should get Style’s response to his new challenger tonight.
Becky Lynch and Carmella Segment
Last week, Becky Lynch defeated Carmella in a non-title match to earn a title shot at SummerSlam. Without James Ellsworth by her side, Carmella is going to be in tough with the surging Lynch.
Daniel Bryan’s Response to the Miz
Last week on Miz TV, the Miz threw a fake baby at Daniel Bryan before attacking him. As we build to a showdown between these longtime rivals, Bryan will be looking for payback tonight.
Expect the Miz to promote his reality show as much as possible.
205 Live Preview
Akira Tozawa and Lio Rush Segment
Tozawa and Lio Rush have been feuding as of late. Rush believes Tozawa is too complacent whereas he takes whatever he wants. Tozawa has been calling for a rematch with Rush but that decision lays in the hands of Drake Maverick.
Cedric Alexander vs the Brian Kendrick
Alexander will defend his title against Drew Gulak at SummerSlam but tonight he’ll have a tune-up match with Brian Kendrick. Gulak will likely be on hand to scout his upcoming opponent. He might even get involved in the match.
In the latest edition of NWA’s YouTube series, Cody and Nick Aldis reached an agreement on a new stipulation for their match at All-In.
Aldis expressed disappointment that Cody failed to win the ROH title last month and said that Cody now has nothing to put up in their match at All-In. Cody ended up putting his Ring of Honor ring on the line instead, even handing it to Aldis to keep as collateral.
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Nick Aldis (c) vs Cody
The show started with highlights from an in-ring promo featuring Cody and Nick Aldis. After Cody spent some time speaking about Brandi, he was interrupted by the current champ.
“You and I, we’re very alike in many ways and Cody. We’ve taken different roads to get where we are today,” Aldis said. “You very smartly hitched your wagon to this big old money-train called the Bullet Club. And some may even say at this point, you’re the conductor of the train and I applaud you for that.”
Aldis then explained the difference between his and Cody’s last few years in wrestling.
“I took a different approach and I took the challenge to reinvigorate and revitalize a brand that was on life support. Not just any brand but a brand you hold deal, and I know why, the most historic brand in wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance.”
Aldis would continue to see he doesn’t understand what is in this match for him.
“It’s time to put up or shut up,” Aldis said. “You don’t have the Ring of Honor Championship to put up, so my question to you is, what are you willing to put up instead?”
Cody then handed Aldis his Ring of Honor ring. He said it was collateral for their match at All-In. Should Cody lose, the ring would likely then belong to Aldis.
The #1 contender to the Cruiserweight Championship, Drew Gulak, has released a comic strip. Promoted through Gulak’s Twitter, the comic warns wrestlers to avoid the pitfalls of modern-day pro-wrestling.
“Children, as Jeff The Mauler showed us, temptation is EVERYWHERE,” Gulak later Tweeted. “With a little hard work and discipline you too can lead a wholesome and more fun lifestyle in all aspects! Thank you!”
Drew Gulak For A Better 205 Live
Gulak spoke to ESPN earlier this year regarding his WWE run thus far.
“It’s been really surreal,” Gulak said. “I’m basically getting the chance to revisit old creative stuff that I was able to experiment with at a different point in my career, and I’m able to see what that’s like under the banner of WWE. Now I have a whole new set of resources to kind of grow things and try things out.”
Gulak continued to say he was surprised when WWE came calling regarding the Cruiserweight Classic.
“I had been way outside WWE’s radar for the longest time. I didn’t know how to get in touch with the company, and I didn’t even know if that was a goal of mine,” he continued. “Then, a few years ago, I was able to start learning about the system, and did some extra work.
“Just by chance, based on my work on the independent scene and what I was doing with promotions like EVOLVE and Pro Wrestling Guerilla, William Regal reached out to me while I was overseas in England and mentioned that there would be a tryout happening,” Gulak continued. “It was about a year prior to the Cruiserweight Classic, and I was invited down with a few of my colleagues — Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Oney Lorcan, TM61 and Chuck Taylor were all at that same tryout event.”
Drew Gulak will challenge Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship at SummerSlam.
We now know what The Young Bucks and Rey Mysterio will be doing at All In on September 1st.
The @ALL_IN_2018 Twitter account has announced a trios match involving Rey Mysterio, Rey Fenix and Bandito vs. Kota Ibushi and the Young Bucks. This is the fourth confirmed bout for the card.
Nick Jackson also mentioned that this was the 2nd Young Bucks match confirmed yesterday. The Bucks will also face LAX at the Chris Jericho Rock N Rager at Sea this October.
Here is the updated card for All In, which takes place on Saturday, September 1st from the Sears Center Arena outside Chicago, IL.
“Bad Boy” Joey Janela vs Hangman Page
This match will likely play into the missing Joey Ryan angle in some way. Page has been having nightmares regarding what exactly happened to Ryan.
Kazuchika Okada vs Marty Scurll
This week on Being the Elite, Marty Scurll met up with his friend Nick Aldis. They discussed Scurll’s match with Okada at All-In.
Aldis suggested to Scurll that he gain weight and handed him a box of doughnuts.
Okada was interviewed later in the episode and said he would beat Scurll in what would be his last match before he goes to 205 Live.
Fenix, Bandido, and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs The Young Bucks & Kota Ibushi
Jim Cornette will not like this match.
Mysterio has said he wants a chance to team with some of the young luchadors coming up before he heads back to WWE. They don’t come much more young and up and coming than Bandido and Fenix.
Bandido is 23 and has made a name for himself in Mexico. He just started getting booked with PWG this year.
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Nick Aldis (c) vs Cody
Technically, all that is confirmed is that Cody will challenge for the title. Aldis still has to defend the title for another month first. It’s likely he’ll do that, however.
Cody has already challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight and ROH World titles unsuccessfully this summer.
We are slowly moving towards SummerSlam and WWE’s biggest concern remains to be getting Roman Reigns cheered against Brock Lesnar at the upcoming PPV.
However, if words from the Master Manipulator Chris Jericho are to be believed, then getting The Big Dog cheered is not as hard as people think.
Jericho was recently a guest on Jim Ross’ Ross Report Podcast, where the IWGP Intercontinental Champion talked about how it’s harder to be a heel in the current scenario.
Although continuing on the topic, Y2J recalled the times he worked with Reigns in 2017 and claimed that they were able to get him a babyface reaction most of the times.
Chris then went on to explain that the heels need to live in the moment. He said that they need to be a ‘piece of s–t’ in order to get the expected reaction for the opponent.
The Former World Champion also compared Roman’s reaction to the crowd reaction of John Cena and said that whether they are cheering them or booing them, it’s ok as long as people are having a good time.
Apart from this, Chris Jericho discussed how performers have no control over their booking and it’s Vince McMahon who makes the final decision. You can check out his full interview here.
Kenny Omega is 5-0 in the round-robin of the G1 Climax 28 tournament. As the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion, any loss he endures in the tournament could lead to a future title defense.
The other member of Bullet Club Elite entered into the tournament has not been as lucky. With a record of only 1-5, Hangman Page is already mathematically eliminated from the tournament.
On this week’s edition of “Being the Elite”, Page and Omega discussed their performances in the tournament thus far. Omega revealed the reason he has done so well in the tournament is a book he’s been reading.
As seen on #BTE ep. 113, “The Will to Keep Winning” by, @daigothebeast was featured. Legends in any field usually have ideas that are applicable to real-world success and Daigo’s are no exception. A small excerpt that I particularly enjoy: pic.twitter.com/StCPIdj4sE
“As seen on #BTE ep. 113, “The Will to Keep Winning” by, @daigothebeast was featured. Legends in any field usually have ideas that are applicable to real-world success and Daigo’s are no exception.”
Kenny Omega, The Will To Keep Winning
Daigo Umehara authored the book Omega refers to on the show. Umehara is a professional video game player who specializes in fighting games.
At the end of the BTE episode, Hangman Page offers Omega a slice of ham in exchange for the book. Omega states he is unable to part with the book until after the G1 tournament. Page insists, however, and it started to become clear Page might becoming a little unhinged with all the rumors of his involvement of Joey Ryan’s disappearance spreading.
Omega eventually gives Hangman Page the book (and his slice of ham). Page only has 3 matches left in the G1 and the most points he could finish with at this point is 8.
Omega’s remaining opponents in the tournament are Zack Sabre Jr, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, and is Golden Lovers tag-team partner, Kota Ibushi. As for Page, he has Togi Makabe, Minoru Suzuki, and YOSHI-HASHI left to face in the tournament. Omega is looking to become the first person to ever make it to the finals of the tournament 3 years in a row.
After staying away from programming for months, Universal Champion Brock Lesnar finally made his return to the WWE Television this week on Monday Night Raw.
The Beast was shown backstage a number of times before he came out in the final segment of the show and delivered an F5 to Raw General Manager Kurt Angle while also shoving Paul Heyman.
After the show went off air and Lesnar went backstage, Mike Rome tried to interview the Universal Champion and Brock said that he will kick Roman Reigns’ a*# at SummerSlam:
Nia Jax Reacts To Ronda Rousey Announcement?
Nia Jax has had a strange year with WWE where the former NXT Star has been featured on the programming on an irregular basis and it’s not clear if the company has any long-term plans for her.
Jax was last seen during the Extreme Rules PPV on July 15. She lost the Raw Women’s Championship to Alexa Bliss on the night and there is no word yet on why she has been kept off TV since then.
Though while Nia was not on Raw, she was tweeting during the show. She posted the following eye rolling gif after WWE made the Ronda Rousey vs. Alicia Fox match official and it’s believed to be her reaction to the announcement:
The July 30th, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL. In addition to the takeaways below, Apollo Crews defeated Akam in a singles match. Mojo Rawley also brawled with Bobby Roode backstage tonight on RAW. Here are 10 takeaways from this week’s show:
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar was shown backstage with Paul Heyman to start off this week’s episode of WWE RAW. Brock’s challenger at SummerSlam, Roman Reigns, made his way down to the entrance ramp to a solid reaction from the Miami crowd.
Roman stated that he respects Lashley after going to war with a couple of times but has zero respect for Brock Lesnar. Reigns blasted Brock for not showing up to WWE for work but he has plenty of time to show up in UFC.
Paul Heyman interrupted and came down to the entrance ramp without Lesnar. Heyman claimed that Lesnar wanted to congratulate Reigns for earning another title shot at WWE SummerSlam.
Heyman said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again with expecting a different result. He joked that Roman belongs in a padded cell instead of the main event of WWE SummerSlam against Brock Lesnar.
Paul Heyman gave a spoiler for SummerSlam by claiming that Lesnar is going to defeat Reigns then go to UFC and become a two-sport champion. Roman told Paul to shut up and added that nobody cares what he has to say.
Reigns asked for Brock to come down to the ring and Heyman stated that Lesnar is sitting in his luxurious locker room and he will come out here when he feels like it. Roman said that if Brock does show up at SummerSlam, he is going to send him back to the UFC. Reigns added that Lesnar would not be returning to UFC as “The Beast”, he is going back as “Roman Reigns’ bitch”.
Heyman went backstage to try and show Lesnar what Reigns said about him. Brock responded by throwing Heyman’s phone off the wall and laughing in Heyman’s face. Lesnar then calmly sat down on a couch and continued reading a magazine.
Later during RAW, Angle and Heyman had a discussion backstage. Angle threatened to fire Heyman if Lesnar doesn’t appear in the ring tonight. Heyman later tried to convince Lesnar to go to the ring to promote himself. Brock told Heyman that he didn’t give a crap about the WWE Universe and would much rather be at his house than here right now. Brock then told Heyman to get him a steak and broccoli.
Finn Balor faced Constable Corbin tonight on WWE RAW. Corbin shoved Balor to the corner to start off the match and then delivered a chop to the chest. Finn battled back for a moment but Corbin quickly threw him out of the ring.
Balor got back in the ring and applied a Headlock to Constable Corbin. Baron broke the hold and connected with an elbow to Finn’s face that sent him to the canvas. Corbin picked Balor up and perched him on the top turnbuckle. Balor knocked Corbin away and then knocked him out of the ring with a Dropkick.
Finn followed Corbin out of the ring and decked him with a Clothesline. Back in the ring, Corbin took back control and slammed Balor into the turnbuckle. Corbin then connected with a Clothesline that sent Finn tumbling to the floor outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Corbin had Balor trapped in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Balor finally was able to break free and connected with a Dropkick that sent Corbin out of the ring. Corbin battled back with a right hand and then planted Balor on the ring apron.
Finn escaped a Powerbomb and knocked Corbin to the canvas. Balor then connected with a Double Stomp and then a couple of chops to Corbin’s chest in the corner of the ring. Finn followed it up with an Enziguri that knocked Corbin out of the ring. Finn sprinted across the ring and flipped onto Corbin on the outside as RAW went to a break.
Corbin was back in control when RAW returned. Corbin had Balor in another Headlock in the middle of the ring and had a smile on his face as the crowd booed. Corbin went for a Chokeslam but Finn countered into a roll-up for a two count.
Balor charged at Corbin but Baron caught him and planted him with a Chokeslam Backbreaker for a near fall. Corbin got pissed off and unloaded several right hands to Balor’s face as the crowd chanted “Corbin sucks!”.
Finn battled back with a DDT and then an Enziguri to the face. Balor made his way to the top rope but Corbin got back to his feet. Balor hopped down but ran into Deep Six from Corbin for a near fall.
Both Corbin and Balor slowly made their way back to their feet. Corbin hit a Splash in the corner and followed it up with another one. Corbin went for a third one but Balor dodged it and connected with a Dropkick that knocked Corbin out of the ring. Finn joined Corbin out there and hit another Dropkick that sent Corbin into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Finn hit another Dropkick and then made his way to the top rope. Balor went for the Coup de Grace but Corbin rolled out of the way and immediately connected with the End of Days for the pinfall victory.
Corbin attacked Balor after the match and threw Finn out of the ring. Baron pressed Finn’s face against the barricade and punched him in the face several times. Corbin then raised his hands in the air and marched up the entrance ramp as the crowd booed.
Fox started off the match in control and trapped Natalya in the apron skirt and beat the hell out of her. Back in the ring, Alicia applied a Headlock as Bliss cheered her on from ringside. Natalya battled to her feet but Fox quickly sent her back to the canvas.
Alicia then locked in the Abdominal Stretch as Rousey and Bliss traded angry looks at each other from opposite sides of the ring. Natalya broke free but Fox once again knocked her back down with a running Clothesline. Natalya battled back with a boot to the face and Clothesline of her own for a near fall.
Ronda Rousey hopped up on the ring apron and Bliss took advantage by punching Natalya in the face. Alicia Fox then connected with a big boot for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ronda Rousey chased Alexa Bliss and caught her in the ring. Ronda went for the Arm Bar but Alicia Fox broke it up.
Ronda slammed Fox to the mat and went after Alexa Bliss once again. Fox attacked Rousey from behind and slammed her into the barricade. Fox and Bliss retreated up the entrance ramp as Rousey stared at them from in the ring with a pissed off look on her face.
It was announced later that Rousey will battle Alicia Fox next week in her first match on WWE RAW.
Lashley Interrupted Elias Again
Elias came down to the ring to perform a song. He claimed that he has dropped the greatest album of all-time and have changed their lives.
Elias boasted about beating out popular artists and asked the crowd what WWE stands for. The crowd shouted “Walk With Elias!” as Elias brought up being interrupted by Bobby Lashley last week.
Elias insulted Miami and called The Rock a lowlife. The crowd responded by chanting “Rocky!” and Elias said that The Rock wants no part of him. Elias was about to perform a song but was once again interrupted by Bobby Lashley.
Lashley challenged Elias to a fight and Elias suggested they sing a song together instead. Elias said that he will keep it slow and simple, just like Lashley, so he could keep up.
Lashley actually did start singing “Rockin’ Robin” and Elias got pissed off and attacked him. Lashley then planted Elias with a Belly to Belly Suplex and the segment ended.
Braun Strowman faced Jinder Mahal tonight on RAW. The match started off with Strowman throwing Mahal to the corner of the ring. Kevin Owens appeared and grabbed Strowman’s MITB briefcase.
Strowman chased Owens around the ring and Owens threw the briefcase to Sunil Singh. Strowman leveled Sunil with a shoulder tackle and then chased Owens up the entrance ramp.
Braun was then counted out and Jinder Mahal won the match. Strowman marched back down to the ring as Mahal retreated into the crowd.
Seth Rollins squared off against Drew McIntyre tonight on RAW. Dolph Ziggler was ringside for the match. McIntyre started off the match in control and connected with a Suplex that sent Rollins rolling to the ring apron.
Rollins went for a Suicide Dive but Drew caught him and slammed Seth into the barricade. McIntyre then slammed Rollins into the exposed steel under the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Rollins connected with two Suicide Dives in a row. Back in the ring, Rollins connected with the Falcon Arrow for a near fall. McIntyre battled back and planted Seth with a Spinebuster for a two count.
Seth connected with two Superkicks in a row that knocked McIntyre to the canvas. Rollins made his way up to the top rope but McIntyre got up and delivered a chop to Seth’s chest. McIntyre followed it up with White Noise off the second rope for another two count.
Rollins rolled up McIntyre for a two count and then followed it up with the Stomp. Dolph Ziggler got into the ring to attack Rollins and the match ended in a DQ. Rollins sent Ziggler out of the ring and hit him with a Suicide Dive.
Corbin and RAW GM Kurt Angle were shown backstage. Corbin handed Angle the phone and Stephanie McMahon told Angle something that he didn’t agree with.
The segment ended with Angle saying that he knows Stephanie is just trying to protect the main event of SummerSlam and that the fans of RAW will be disappointed.
Later on RAW, Angle and Constable Corbin approached Roman Reigns backstage. Angle informed Roman Reigns that he had to leave the arena so he wouldn’t battle with Brock Lesnar tonight.
Reigns eventually made his way towards the door but stopped when he saw Corbin had a grin on his face. Roman hit Corbin with a big right hand before leaving.
RAW Tag Team Champions The B-Team were interviewed tonight on RAW. Bo Dallas shouted that the “B” in B-Team stood for “dream”.
Axel and Dallas called Wyatt and Hardy sore losers and were quickly interrupted by Matt and Bray. Hardy and Wyatt appeared in the ring with The B-Team and accused them of “displacing the balance of the universe”.
Wyatt said that nightmares are real and that they are made up of your insecurities and fears. Bray claimed that the Deleters of Worlds were The B-Team’s nightmare.
The Revival joined the party and boasted about defeating the team of Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns. The Revival told Wyatt and Hardy to get out of the way so they can handle their business and get the job done.
The B-Team retreated out of the ring as The Revival and Deleters of Worlds brawled. Hardy and Wyatt threw Dash and Dawson out of the ring as RAW went to a break.
Hardy & Wyatt then faced The Revival in a tag match as Axel and Dallas joined commentary. Dash and Dawson controlled the match early and isolated Hardy in the ring. Matt eventually was able to battle back and tag in Bray Wyatt.
Bray sent Wilder to the corner and connected with a Splash. Wyatt then decked Dash with a shoulder tackle. Dawson tagged in and The Revival connected with the Shatter Machine onto Bray Wyatt for the pinfall victory.
Sasha Banks and Bayley teamed up to face the Riott Squad for felt like the 10,000th time tonight on RAW. Bayley and Sarah Logan started off the match in the ring. Logan got the upper-hand and slammed Bayley to the canvas.
Bayley quickly battled back and launched Logan into the turnbuckle. Sasha tagged in and connected with Double Knees to Logan’s face for a two count. Bayley tagged in and rolled up Logan for a two count.
Logan charged at Bayley but Bayley countered and slammed Logan’s head into the turnbuckle. Banks tagged in and hit Double Knees on the apron and then posed with Bayley in the corner as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, the Riott Squad was in control and Banks was trapped in the ring. Sasha was able to escape and tag Bayley back into the match. Bayley connected with a knee to Morgan’s head and then knocked Logan off the ring apron.
Bayley charged at Morgan but Liv got her knees up. Bayley hit Morgan with a Hurricanrana and then Banks tagged in. Sasha hit Double Knees off the top rope and went for the cover but Logan broke it up.
Bayley tagged in and launched Sarah Logan out of the ring. Sasha then hit Morgan with a Backstabber and Bayley followed it up with a Bayley to Belly for the pinfall victory. Banks and Bayley shared a hug after the match and celebrated in the ring.
Brock Lesnar Delivered An F5 To Kurt Angle & Turned His Back On Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman asked Lesnar to go out to the ring just for a couple of minutes in order to save Heyman’s job. Lesnar got in Heyman’s face and accused Heyman of leaching off of him for years. Brock stated that Heyman worked for him and demanded that Heyman go out to the ring and do his job.
RAW GM Kurt Angle and Constable Corbin came down to the ring at the end of RAW. Kurt Angle said that if Lesnar doesn’t come down to the ring this would be Paul Heyman’s final night on RAW. Heyman came down to the ring and said that Lesnar will not be coming down to the ring.
Angle got pissed off and said that Brock Lesnar is the worst Universal Champion of all-time and the crowd chanted “yes!”. Heyman agreed that Lesnar is the worst Universal Champion ever and that Lesnar just will not listen to him.
Heyman stated that he tried the entire night to get Lesnar to come down to the ring but he just doesn’t respect anyone. Heyman claimed that he respects Angle but Kurt didn’t buy it. Angle terminated Heyman’s contract as Paul pleaded with him to reconsider.
Lesnar’s music hit and the Universal Champion finally made his way down towards the ring. Brock placed the title on Heyman’s shoulder and Paul raised it above his head. Lesnar got in Angle’s face and asked if he had a problem with him. Angle then hit Angle with an F5 and started walking towards Corbin.
Constable Corbin got out of the ring as Heyman handed Brock his title. Lesnar then grabbed Heyman and shoved him to the canvas. Dueling “we want Roman!” and “no we don’t!” chants broke out as Lesnar let go of Heyman and exited the ring.
Opinion: RAW seems to be getting worse every week as we get closer to SummerSlam. I thought this show was absolutely terrible. The best part of it was Lesnar reading magazines instead of watching the show. There was a distinct chant of “we want Roman!” at the end of the show, so this storyline must be working for some people. Personally, I just cannot wait for this feud to finally be over.
The rest of the show felt phoned in as well. Rousey’s return was underwhelming and the tag division segment was depressing. The crowd was more interested in chanting “CM Punk!” than reacting to The Revival’s victory. I think The Revival are a great team but even I have a hard time caring about them possibly feuding with The B-Team.
Former UFC interim Welterweight Champion Colby Covington was backstage visiting superstars at this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Miami, FL at the AmericanAirlines Arena on the USA Network.
He shared a photo with former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey on his official Twitter account while former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal posted a photo with the UFC star on Instagram, which you can see here:
WWE has announced a new segment for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena which is Jeff Hardy confronting Randy Orton after Orton attacked him at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event and then recently cost him the United States Title in a recent championship match against Shinsuke Nakamura. WWE sent out this promo:
WWE is also teasing a confrontation between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Samoa Joe while they continue to hype their upcoming match at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
Already announced for SmackDown Live this week is a SmackDown Tag Team tournament contest between The Usos and The Bar with the winners facing The New Day next week as well as Zelina Vega making her main roster in-ring debut when she takes on Lana in a singles match.
It was only just a matter of time and now that time has come as former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is slated to make her in-ring debut on the flagship show of the company, WWE Monday Night RAW.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Miami, FL at the AmericanAirlines Arena on the USA Network, Kurt Angle announced in a backstage segment that Rousey would take on Alicia Fox in a singles match on next week’s episode of RAW in Jacksonville, FL at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
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:
– WWE Live Event: August 3rd in Augusta, GA
– Monday Night RAW TV Event: August 6th in Jacksonville, FL
– 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
We noted earlier on the site that the WWE announced that former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Ashley Rayne (Madison Rayne) is slated to take part in this year’s Mae Young Classic tournament that is set to be taped on August 8th and August 9th from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida and will air later this summer on the WWE Network with the finals taking place as part of the WWE Evolution pay-per-view on October 28, 2018, at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
She wrote the following about participating in the tournament, “You guys! We’re going to the @MaeYoungClassic! Honored and thrilled are both huge understatements!!”
Unfortunately, WWE had some injury news to share to its fans as the company announced in a post that was written on their official website that 205 Live star Lince Dorado recently suffered a ruptured thumb ligament as he will now have to wear a small cast.
As of this writing, there’s word yet on when he suffered the injury or if he will miss any ring time. Also, WWE did not disclose when he suffered this injury but his latest match came on 205 Live back on July 24th when he teamed up with Kalisto to beat Chris Robinson and Ryan DePolo in a tag team match.
WWE announced that Cedric Alexander’s next Cruiserweight Championship defense will go down against Drew Gulak at the upcoming at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
If you recall, Gulak earned this title opportunity once he beat Mustafa Ali, TJP, and Hideo Itami in a number one contender’s fatal four-way match on last week’s episode of 205 Live.
Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali in the title tournament finals on the WrestleMania 34 pre-show to become the new champion then made his next title defense at the Greatest Royal Rumble, which marks the only PPV that the title has been defended on since then as he has been defending it on 205 Live as of late.
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
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 added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
The July 30th, 2018 edition of WWE RAW took place at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL.
– This week’s broadcast opens up with a replay of Lashley and Reigns fighting last week.
– Brock Lesnar is shown backstage with the Universal Title on his shoulder, and Paul Heyman by his side.
– We go inside the arena where Roman Reigns comes out to the ring to kick off tonight’s show. Reigns steps in the ring and gets on the mic. Reigns says he has respect for Bobby Lashley now after fighting him a couple times, but he has no respect for Brock Lesnar. Reigns says Lesnar doesn’t even show up to work in WWE, but he can show up in UFC. Reigns challenges Lesnar to come out and face him, and Paul Heyman introduces himself from behind the curtain. Heyman comes out to the stage and reminds us who his client is. Heyman says Reigns is insane for wanting to face Lesnar over and over again. He says Reigns should be in a padded cell, not in the main event at SummerSlam again Lesnar. Heyman predicts that Lesnar is going to put down the Big Dog at SummerSlam, and he will go on to UFC to become a two-sport Champion. Reigns says no one cares about what Paul has to say, and calls out Lesnar to come out to the ring. Heyman says Lesnar is here in his locker room, and he will come out here when he feels like it, and if he feels like it. Heyman says at SummerSlam, Lesnar will — but then Reigns interrupts. Reigns wonders if Lesnar will actually show up, and if he does show up Reigns is going to send him back to the UFC. Reigns says Lesnar won’t be going back to UFC as the beast though, he’ll be going back as Roman Reigns’ bitch. Heyman looks shocked and heads backstage and Reigns walks around in the ring.
– Seth Rollins is shown backstage sitting down in his locker room and getting his gear on. Rollins faces Drew McIntyre later tonight.
– Ronda Rousey is shown backstage talking to Natalya. Ronda’s suspension is over and she’s allowed to be here tonight. Ronda will be in Natalya’s corner later for a match against Alicia Fox.
– Brock Lesnar is backstage reading when Heyman runs in his locker room. Heyman asks if Lesnar heard what Reigns said, and Lesnar says no because he doesn’t watch the show. Heyman says Lesnar needs to hear what Reigns said, and hands him his phone to watch it on, but Lesnar just throws the phone away.
– Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin: Corbin starts off strong off the opening bell, and he drops Balor with an elbow to the face. Balor fights back with a dropkick and the fight spills outside. Balor hits the Sling Blade on Corbin at ringside. Back in the ring, they fight in the corner until Corbin knocks Balor down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Corbin puts Balor in a chin lock and tries to keep him grounded. Corbin misses a shot in the corner but comes back with a running clothesline for a two count. Balor comes back and knocks Corbin to the outside, but Corbin fires back with a right hand and a back suplex on the corner of the apron. Back on the mat, Corbin looks for a powerbomb, but Balor escapes and hits a double foot stomp. Balor fires off with chops to the chest and kicks Corbin through the ropes down to the floor. Balor follows up with a suicide dive over the top rope down onto Corbin on the floor. Corbin turns things around back in the ring and looks for a chokeslam, but Balor escapes. Balor comes back with a successful chokeslam backbreaker for a two count. Corbin pummels on Balor and then looks for the Deep Six, but Corbin escapes and hits a DDT. Balor kicks Corbin down and goes up top, but he misses the stomp. Corbin comes back with the Deep Six for a two count. The fight spills out to ringside again where Balor hits a dropkick on Corbin into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Balor hits a running dropkick and then goes up top. Balor misses the Coup De Grace, and Corbin comes back with the End of Days for the three count.
Winner: Baron Corbin
– After the match, Corbin goes back to Balor and picks him up. Balor starts fighting back, but Corbin throws him down to the ringside floor and follows him out. Corbin pummels on Balor against the fan barricade before leaving. Corbin heads to the back as a ref checks on Balor.
– Kurt Angle runs into Paul Heyman backstage, and Kurt reminds Heyman that Lesnar is under contractual obligation to appear. Heyman says Lesnar fulfilled the contract by walking into the arena. Heyman tells Kurt to go talk to him himself. Kurt threatens Heyman that if he doesn’t get Lesnar in the ring tonight, Kurt will fire Paul Heyman, since he controls Heyman’s contract. Heyman walks off towards Brock’s dressing room.
– We see a replay of Stephanie McMahon announcing the women’s Evolution pay-per-view.
– Alexa Bliss approaches Alicia Fox backstage, saying she’s going to watch her back tonight because Ronda Rousey is back. Alicia says she’s with her, and she says she’s going to make Natalya’s cats say me-ow.
– Natalya vs. Alicia Fox: Ronda Rousey and Alexa Bliss are both at ringside for this one. Natalya starts off strong and Alicia retreats into the corner. They fight on the apron and Natalya gets caught in the apron. Fox makes a comeback and keeps Natalya grounded with a chin lock. Natalya fights back but Fox drops her with a clothesline. Natalya comes back with some kicks and drops Alicia. Natalya gets distracted by Bliss and Fox capitlizes with a big boot. Fox immediately covers for the three count.
Winner: Alicia Fox
– After the match, Ronda Rousey is not happy with the result, so she chases down Alexa Bliss. Rousey drops Alicia Fox next as Bliss retreats to ringside. Ronda chases Alexa around the ring now until Alicia hits a cheap shot from behind. Alicia repeatedly throws Ronda into the fan barricade, then Alicia and Alexa head backstage. Ronda checks on Natalya in the ring and stares up at the heels on the stage.
– We go backstage where Paul Heyman is giving a pep talk to Brock Lesnar. Heyman tries to convince Lesnar to go out in front of the crowd, saying he’ll make more money off t-shirt sales and better promote himself. Lesnar says Heyman is getting under his skin right now, and he doesn’t give a crap about the WWE universe. Lesnar says he’d rather be at home on his couch. Lesnar orders to go get him a medium-well steak with potatoes and broccoli, and Heyman walks off.
– Ronda Rousey and Natalya approach Kurt Angle backstage about getting revenge on Fox and Bliss next week.
– Elias is in the ring for a song now. Elias talks about his new album, and credits his success to everyone knowing that WWE really stands for Walk With Elias. Elias says his album would have been even more successful if not for Lashley interrupting his promotional material. Elias says Miami is a city that worships a low-life like The Rock, which prompts a Rocky chant from the crow. Elias says The Rock wants no part of him, and then he breaks into song. Before Elias can start singing, Bobby Lashley comes out to interrupt. Lashley gets in the ring and Elias yells to cut his entrance music. Lashley gets on the mic and says he’s a big fan of Elias, and since he heard Elias say his name in the back, he’s going to come out and get a front row seat for anything Elias has to say. Elias says Lashley is out here because he wants to sing with Elias. Lashley declines but the crowd chants Yes. Elias says he doesn’t usually do this, but for one night only, Lashley can sing with Elias. They start singing “Rocking Robin,” but Elias has enough and attacks Lashley from behind. Lashley fights back and hits a belly to belly overhead suplex on Elias, and Elias falls out to ringside. Elias retreats up the ramp as Lashley poses in the ring.
– Baron Corbin is backstage with Kevin Owens. Owens tells Corbin he did a great job tonight, and he sucks up to Corbin saying he is his kid’s new favorite wrestler. Owens says Corbin is an authority figure on RAW we can trust, and he ties to convince Corbin to talk to Stephanie for him. Kevin says he’s not being treated fairly in regards to Braun Strowman, but Corbin doesn’t seem to sympathize.
– We see a replay of Jinder Mahal and Braun Strowman getting into it last week. They’re in singles action next.
– Braun Strowman vs. Jinder Mahal: Sunil Singh is at ringside for this one. Jinder and Braun lock up off the opening bell, and Braun shoves Jinder back into the corner. Jinder backs down into the corner as we see Kevin Owens entering the ringside area on the floor. Braun punches Jinder down, as we see Owens grabbing Braun’s Money In The Bank contract briefcase. OWens starts to walk off, but Braun leaves the ring and cuts him off. Braun chases Kevin around the ring now, plowing over Sunil in the process. The ref counts out Braun for the finish.
Winner via count out: Jinder Mahal
– Braun storms back to the ring, and Jinder and Sunil retreat. Braun screams in the ring with his briefcase in hand.
– Baron Corbin approaches Kurt Angle backstage and gives him his cell phone, with Stephanie on the other line. Kurt pleads with Stephanie that the fans will be disappointed with what she wants, and trying to protect the main event of SummerSlam. Kurt sounds disappointed and hangs up, handing the phone back to Corbin.
– Still to come: Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre; Sasha & Bayley vs. The Riott Squad
– Mojo Rawley is shown backstage talking trash to the RAW locker room about how he thinks he’s better than them. He gets in Zack Ryder’s face, then Bobby Roode interupts. Mojo tells Roode to go spout some catch phrases, and they start brawling. They brawl all over the locker room until they get pulled apart.
– Akam vs. Apollo Crews: Titus Worldwide and Rezar are all at ringside for this one. Akam starts off strong with a series of suplexes on Crews. Apollo escapes a back body drop and kicks Akam down, thenhits a standing moonsault for a two count. Akam comes back with a suplex, but then misses a shot in the corner. Crews immediately rolls up Akam from behind and scores the three count out of nowhere.
Winner: Apollo Crews
– Titus Worldwide retreats up the ramp as Rezar and Akam do not look happy in the ring.
– Drew McIntyre is backstage warming up with Dolph Ziggler giving him a pep talk.
– Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre: Dolph Ziggler is at ringside for this one. The opening bell sounds and Rollins starts off fired up. Rollins looks for a dive through the ropes but Drew stops him with a shot to the face. Drew takes over now until Rollins dumps him back outside and successfully connects with a suicide dive, then a second one. Back in the ring, Drew starts to fight back, but Rollins shuts him down with a Falcon Arrow. Both men are slow to get up, and Drew hits a spinebuster for a two count. Rollins comes back with a hurricanrana and a superkick, and Drew is down. They fight up to the top turnbuckle, where drew hits a big slam off the top. Drew looks for the reverse Alabama slam, but Rollins escapes and hits a superkick. Rollins covers but Ziggler runs in and breaks it up.
Winner via DQ: Seth Rollins
– Seth and Ziggler briefly go at it after the bell. Rollins heads up the ramp as Ziggler and Drew recover in the ring.
– We go to replays of Reigns talking to Heyman in the opening of the show, Kurt telling Heyman that Lesnar must be in the ring, and then Heyman trying to convince Lesnar to come out to the ring.
– Roman Reigns is shown in his locker room watching an iPad. Kurt Angle walks in with Baron Corbin to relay a message from Stephanie McMahon. Kurt says Stephanie has ordered Reigns out of the building tonight. Reigns tries to appeal to Kurt and asks how far this is going to go, but Corbin then calls for security to come in. Reigns starts to leave, and he drops Corbin with a punch to the face before leaving with security.
– RAW Tag Champs The B Team comes down to the ring next for an interview with Charly Caruso. They call out Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt, and then the lights go out. When the lights come back on, Matt and Bray are in the ring. Matt and Bray get on the mic and talk about being The B Team’s nightmare. Matt says they will haunt the B Team until they’re finally deleted. The Revival comes out to interrupt. Dash and Wilder step into the ring and say they are the rightful #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles. The B Team tries to talk their way out of the ring, but the teams start brawling and Matt and Bray clear the ring.
– Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The Revival: The B Team is on commentary for this one. Matt starts off strong and beats on Dash to start off, then Bray tags in to continue the offense. Matt comes back in and The Revival trades frequent tags to take control of the match. Matt comes back with a Side Effect on Dawson. Bray and Dash get the tags and Bray tees off with a series of strikes. Wyatt drops Dawson off the apron, then takes down Dash with a running elbow to the face. The Revival looks for a double team, and Dawson hits a big boot on Wyatt. Dash goes at it with Wyatt now and Wyatt looks for the Sister Abigail, but Dash escapes. Dawson comes in and drops Hardy, then The Revival hits the Shatter Machine on Bray for the three count.
Winners: The Revival
– The B Team talks trash to The Revival from the stage
– Seth Rollins does an interview in the back, but he’s quickly interrupted by Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre who attack from behind. They pummel on Seth before walking off.
– Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan vs. Bayley & Sasha Banks: Sarah Logan and Bayley start off, and Bayley backs Sarah into the corner and tags in Sasha. Sasha works over Logan’s arm now and then hits a flying arm drag and an arm drag. Bayley comes back in and and goes at it with Logan. Bayley hits a running knee in the corner, then Sasha tags in and hits another running knee. Liv Morgan gets the tag and hits a flying shot on Sasha, then grounds her with a chin lock. Bayley gets the tag and hits a running knee strike on Liv. Bayley tags Liv up top and hits a Frankensteiner. Sarah runs in but Sasha takes her out, and Bayley hits the belly to belly suplex on Liv for the three count.
Winners: Bayley & Sasha Banks
– Bayley and Sasha hug after the match.
– We go back to Brock Lesnar’s locker room, where Heyman continues to plead with Lesnar to go out to the ring. Heyman lays out the case to Lesnar for coming out to the ring, and he pleads with Lesnar that Kurt Angle is going to terminate his WWE contract if he doesn’t go to the ring. Heyman says if Kurt Angle fires him, he can’t do his job for Brock anymore. Heyman asks Brock to do it as a friend, and Lesnar gets to his feet. Lesnar grabs Heyman by the coat and yells at him that he’s not his friend, Heyman works for him, and he tells Heyman to go out to the ring and do his job.
– Bobby Roode vs. Mojo Rawley; and Ronda Rousey vs. Alicia Fox are both booked for next week.
– Kurt Angle comes out to the ring next with Baron Corbin by his side. Kurt gets on the mic and he calls out Paul Heyman. Heyman slowly walks down to the ring and steps in. Heymn says his client Brock Lesnar is not coming out here tonight, and Kurt Angle says he’s heard enuogh. Kurt says a real champion shows up and defends his Title, and Brock Lesnar is the worst Universal Champion of all time. Heyman pleads his case to Kurt, saying he tried to rehabilitate Lesnar and teach him to respect others. Heyman sucks up to Kurt and says he wanted to mold Lesnar in Kurt’s image. Kurt says Heyman is full of crap. Heyman begs Angle to punish Lesnar instead of him. Heyman says Lesnar doesn’t respect Kurt or the fans, but Heyman respects Kurt, and he wants to have a better relationship with Kurt. Kurt says Heyman’s WWE contract is now terminated. Paul gets on his knees and begs, but then Brock Lesnar’s music hits and he comes out. Lesnar steps in the ring and gets on the mic. He puts his Universal Title belt over Paul’s shoulder, then gets in Kurt’s face and asks if he has a problem with him. Kurt hits the F-5 on Kurt, and then he stares down Corbin until Corbin leaves. Lesnar grabs Heyman by the throat next and takes him down to the mat. Lesnar yells at Heyman as Heyman pleads with him to let him go. Lesnar picks up his Universal Title belt and heads to the back as RAW goes off the air.
“Well. @Zelina_VegaWWE and @LanaWWE have certainly been … ahem… vocal about their feelings this weekend. SO let’s take this off the internet and bring it into the ring. I am making it official. Zelina vs. Lana TOMORROW NIGHT on #SDLive”
Lana & Vega’s In-Ring Careers
Both women are primarily featured in managerial roles on WWE TV, so this is certainly an interesting pairing.
Vega, of course, is a lot more decorated in the squared circle. She is a former TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion and has competed in NXT. Lana has also had some in-ring experience, but not to the degree of Vega.
“The Ravishing Russian” was a part of the first ever Women’s Money In The Bank (MITB) Ladder match. She also competed in the Mixed Match Challenge with her husband, Rusev, and is a former SDL Women’s Title challenger.
Last week it was announced that the promotion would hold its first ever all-female pay-per-view (PPV) entitled Evolution. All of the women of RAW and SmackDown Live will compete, as well as some NXT competitors and Superstars of the past.
WWE Hall Of Famers Lita and Trish Stratus will compete at the event as well. Match-ups WWE fans didn’t think would ever happen will possibly become a reality.
Earlier today RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss was interviewed by WSVN-TV entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet. The interview took place before tonight’s RAW from the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida.
Bliss was asked who her dream opponent for the Evolution PPV would be. She named Lita and Trish Stratus:
“Trish and Lita because I was never able to work with them at the Royal Rumble because the curse of a champion, champions aren’t allowed in the Royal Rumble match. So I got to sit ringside which was really cool because it was the nostalgia of the entrances and everyone coming back.
“It was awesome getting to see it from a fan’s perspective but I would really like to get into the ring with the girls who were in the Royal Rumble match so hopefully that will be my opportunity at the Pay Per View.”
“Little Miss Bliss” talked about a lot more; including when she found out about Evolution, if she’ll ever turn babyface, crying during her first promo and more. Watch the full interview here:
Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey took to her official Twitter account to hype tonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW in Miami, FL at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
The show will feature Rousey make her return after being suspended to further hype her feud with RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and the return of WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar as he hypes his title defense against Roman Reigns at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. She wrote the following:
On Monday, July 30, 2018), Triple H took to his official Twitter account to announce several upcoming NXT live events.
The black-and-yellow brand will do a four-day tour starting in Buffalo, N.Y., at Buffalo River Works on Thursday, Sept. 6. The other events take place at Stage AE in Pittsburgh on Friday, Sept. 7, and the Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 8 and finishing up at the Royal Oak Music Center in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 9
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Undisputed ERA, Ricochet, Kairi Sane, Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, EC3, Velveteen Dream, Bianca Belair are all advertised for the show.
Tickets for the events go on sale at NXTtickets.com starting this Friday.
WWE Hall of Famer Sting has commented on potentially wrestling again inside of a WWE ring.
The pro wrestling legend recently spoke with longtime WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia on her podcast, Chasing Glory, where he spoke about various topics. If you recall, Seth Rollins wrestled Sting for the WWE Title at the 2015 Night of Champions PPV, which marked Sting’s last match after he suffered a neck injury after taking a powerbomb in the corner and has not wrestled since then.
“Yeah, I’m really done. I mean my neck doesn’t bother me at all. For the first couple of months after the match, I had an ache that would go down to the left side of my neck and down into my left trap. It was like a dull ache that was just there all the time and it was hard to sleep. I don’t have any side effects, any trouble so all I know is the neurosurgeon said, “You are so lucky there wasn’t a catastrophe that happened.”
He continued by stating that he has to be careful and that he feels it’s sad too because even at his age, he feels that he can still go and have a good match with The Undertaker as he thinks they could tell an incredible story with both the chemics and the mystique of both of them.
He brought up how he’s had these ideas for 20 years and that it would be something that people would talk about for a long time, but he’s satisfied and happy with how things turned out as he had his WWE run, wrestled at WrestleMania, worked with Seth Rollins for the WWE Title so he can’t complain.
Sting also gave some insight into what made him not go to the WWE shortly after WCW was sold and bought by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon as he noted that WCW would always give him what he wanted and that he knew the commitment he would have to make with McMahon which was being gone a lot more due to the schedule.
“With WCW at the time, I was able to kind of tailor make my schedule to something that I could tolerate and something that was easier for my family at the time. Financially they always gave me what I wanted, but I was really close to leaving on a few different occasions and I was ready. If WCW didn’t give me what I wanted, then I was willing to take that risk and go to WWE. One of the other reasons why I never did, I always talked about this as well, I at the time-and I still don’t know if it’s accurate or not, but I thought that Vince wanted me as a talent to undermine WCW more than he wanted me as a talent working for him.”
What are your thoughts on Sting’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.
Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Christopher Daniels has a tremendous amount of respect for what Cody Rhodes is doing.
Rhodes and The Young Bucks are self-funding an “All In” event from the Sears Centre in Illinois on September 1st. The arena, which holds over 10,000 fans, sold out very quickly for the show.
Not to mention the enormous amount of singles success Rhodes has seen since departing from WWE. Daniels spoke to GiveMeSport recently and credited Rhodes for “pioneering” through the professional wrestling industry lately:
“I’ve had nothing but good experiences working with Cody [Rhodes]. He’s pioneering, he’s making his own way in professional wrestling and he’s one of the best examples of going outside of the WWE and finding success.
“It’s great to see that happening for him. I was a big fan of his work when he was in the WWE and to see the change from the ‘Dashing’ Cody Rhodes, Stardust to what he is now, it’s pretty cool to know that he bet on himself and now is succeeding in a way a lot of people want in their own career – it’s cool to know that he is making it happen.”
IMPACT Wrestling star Moose has seen a fair amount of success since joining the professional wrestling world.
The former football player comes off an unsuccessful title bid against Austin Aries at last week’s IMPACT Slammiversary pay-per-view (PPV). Recently, Moose spoke with Wrestling Inc. to talk about the transition from football to wrestling.
Moose (real name Quinn Ojinnaka) is a former NFL offensive lineman that has played for teams such as the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts.
The lifelong professional wrestling fan admitted that the transition actually wasn’t that hard:
“Honestly it wasn’t hard at all,” Moose said. “When you have a passion to do something, everything that comes along that journey is easy. So I had a strong passion to become a professional wrestler so everything came easy.”
Moose also talks about hating his in-ring name at first and his favorite era of professional wrestling. Read the full interview here.
Prior to his passing, WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler wanted to get his son, Brian Christopher, a job with the WWE.
Christopher passed away yesterday after an apparent suicide attempt. He reportedly tried to hang himself in prison and later passed away at a nearby hospital. Doctors reportedly kept him alive long enough for Lawler to come and kiss him goodbye.
Dave Meltzer discussed the entire situation on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer noted that Lawler told Christopher that if he was able to stay clean for a year he’d try and get him a job with WWE, likely something in the Performance Center.
Unfortunately he wasn’t able to stay sober for longer than a few months. Meltzer revealed Christopher attempted to take his own life several years ago as well.
Christopher was arrested this past week in Memphis and charged with a DUI and attempting to evade police. The 46-year-old was reportedly speeding and swerving around at 1 A.M. on July 7th.
Cops attempted to pull Christopher over, but he refused. Police say Lawler told them he initially refused to pull over because he was trying to get home.
One police pulled him over, they smelled alcohol in the vehicle and found an open container in the center console. Christopher was arrested immediately. He was booked for a DUI and evading police. Bail was set at $40,000. Last month, Christopher was arrested for [allegedly] attempting to run out on a hotel bill in Memphis.
Three new names have been confirmed as competitors for the second installment of the upcoming Mae Young Classic.
On Monday morning (July 30, 2018), the WWE announced that former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Ashley Rayne (better known as Madison Rayne), Priscilla Kelly, and Xia Brookside would be competing in the tournament.
Although Rayne is not under contract with Impact Wrestling on a full-time basis, she has been working selective events including the Slammiversary XVI PPV where she unsuccessfully challenged Su Yung for the Impact Knockouts Championship.
WWE is slated to tape the tournament on August 8th and August 9th from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida and will air later this summer on the WWE Network.
It should be noted that WWE has yet to reveal when the first-round matches will air but we do know that the finals will take place as part of the WWE Evolution pay-per-view on October 28, 2018, at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The promotion is slated to announce more participants in the coming weeks. Here is the updated list of names confirmed for the tournament:
Deonna Purrazzo
Io Shirai
Isla Dawn
Jessie Elaban
Jinny
Kacy Catanzaro
Kaitlyn
Karen Q
Kavita Devi
Killer Kelly
Lacey Lane
Meiko Satomura
Mercedes Martinez
Mia Yim
Nicole Matthews
Reina González
Rhea Ripley
Taynara Conti
Tegan Nox
Toni Storm
Zeuxis
Ashley Rayne
Priscilla Kelly
Xia Brookside
What are your thoughts on the latest names being announced for the second year of this tournament? Sound off in the comment section.
Cody Rhodes Does Something Amazing For “All In” Ticket-Buyer
Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Cody Rhodes is an absolute class act. Rhodes and The Young Bucks’ self-funded “All In” event will go down from the Sears Centre in Illinois on September 1st.
The event sold out extremely quick and will hold over 10,000 fans. One fan, however, recently found themselves in quite a predicament. While they purchased a ticket, they didn’t have the financial means to travel to Illinois for the show.
He expressed his devastation on Twitter but noted that he’s still glad he bought the ticket because it helps out Rhodes and The Young Bucks. In response, Rhodes PayPaled the fan some money and covered their travel and hotel fees so they can attend the show:
@CodyRhodes I bought a ticket to All In. From the way things are looking, I'm not gonna have enough funds for travel or hotel. It's literally devastating. But I'm still glad I got the ticket, cause it helps you guys. Take it easy man and have 1 hell of a show.
Sent you a lil’ something. Enjoy yourself. Me & @MattJackson13@NickJacksonYB w/the whole crew involved intend to make this count. No wrestling fan should miss it.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Jado, who has been out-of-action since July 20th, will miss the remainder of the G1 Climax tour. An injury to his left foot has forced him out of the tournament.
Jado was scheduled for a Six-Man Tag Team match in which he’d partner with YOSHI-HASHI and Kazuchika Okada against the team of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma. He will be replaced by Gedo in the match.
One of the fastest rising prospects on the Ring of Honor roster has re-signed with the company.
According to a report from PW Insider, Flip Gordon has just reached a deal with Ring of Honor which will keep him in the promotion through to 2020. He still has yet to reach a deal with Cody and the Young Bucks to participate at All-In on September 1st, 2018, however.
It has been a big year for Gordon. Not only has he re-signed with Ring of Honor but Gordon also made his debut in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in Japan this spring. His new deal with ROH means he’ll likely find himself in the tournament again next year. His new contract also ensures he will be with the promotion when they run Madison Square Garden over WrestleMania weekend next year.
Flip Gordon Ring of Honor
Gordon began his pro-wrestling career in 2015 and found himself on the Ring of Honor roster in 2017.
Earlier this year, Gordon spoke with reporter Chris Van Vliet about his attempts to join Bullet Club. “I tried. Kenny and Cody didn’t want me in there,” Flip said. “So if The Bucks can convince them then sure.”
Earlier this summer, Gordon spoke with the New York Post about being positioned as a little-brother type character on Being the Elite.
“It’s kind of funny because I’ve never been the little brother,” Gordon said. “I’ve always been the oldest brother out of my family. I’ve never had an older brother. I always looked to my cousins or other people that I looked up to as big brothers. So it’s kind of funny. I guess that is kind of my character because the Young Bucks, Marty, all them are like big brothers to me.”
Ring of Honor will be back on the road in mid-August. They’ll run shows from Edinburgh, Doncaster, and London before returning to Philadelphia on August 25th.
Rey Mysterio’s match at the upcoming “All In” show that is being put on by Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) has been revealed.
With the event just over a month away, the card is coming together and during this week’s episode of Being the Elite, it was revealed that the former WWE Champion would team up with Fenix and Bandido to take on The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi in a big six-man tag team match.
The match is announced near the end of Being the Elite, which is available to watch below, with the storyline being that it was booked as that is what Nick wanted for his 29th birthday this past weekend. This event is slated to go down at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on September 1. Here is the updated card for the show: Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll
Cody Rhodes challenging for Nick Aldis’ NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Hangman Page vs. Joey Janela
Mysterio has yet to agree to terms for a new WWE contract but is expected to sign a new deal that would see him return to the WWE later this year. The former WWE star is booked for another match for New Japan Pro Wrestling at Budokan Hall on August 12th and Chris Jericho’s upcoming Rock n Wrestling Rager At Sea.
What are your thoughts on this match? Sound off in the comment section.
There is some speculation regarding a big name potentially appearing on tonight’s episode of WWE RAW.
That big name is Hulk Hogan, whose saga with the company continues, as the latest development in his road to returning to WWE is the fact that on Monday morning (July 30, 2018), Pwinsider.com reported that Hogan and his wife have been spotted in Miami, FL, which is the site of tonight’s WWE RAW at the AmericanAirlines Arena. It should be noted that Hogan does live in Florida.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on if Hogan is in town for WWE obligations or personal reasons as it has been reported that Hogan is not under contract with the company.
If you recall, earlier this month, the company announced that Hogan had been reinstated as a Hall of Famer after being suspended for three years and then decided it was a good idea to fly him to the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event where he held a backstage meeting with Superstars to talk to them about privacy as a celebrity and the incident that got him shunned from WWE for years.
Hogan was fired from WWE in the summer of 2015 after racially charged comments from a sex tape came to light. Gawker alleged that Hogan only filed a lawsuit against them to prevent the racial statements from being released. Hogan’s WWE return has depended on the company being reasonably sure that bringing him back won’t cause a big backlash due to his racist comments.
What are your thoughts on Hogan potentially appearing on the show? Sound off in the comment section.
