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MLW Battle Riot Will Be A 2-Hour Network Special

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Major League Wrestling’s upcoming Battle Riot show (7/19) from New York City has been announced as the promotion’s first-ever 2-hour network special.

MLW: Battle Riot will air on BeIN Sports on Friday night, July 27th at 8pm ET.

The news was first reported by Sports Illustrated.

MLW CEO Court Bauer told SI that he strongly considered offering MLW Battle Riot as a traditional pay-per-view event, but ultimately it was decided that a 2-hour broadcast on beIN SPORTS was the best way to reach (and reward) MLW’s growing audience.

“I heavily considered pay per view, but I want to give the fans something special and do it for free,” said Bauer. “Some promoters put a price tag on everything and I could see the temptation here, but I want to reward fans that have been supporting us. Disruption is key for MLW, and a free two-hour special is the ultimate disruption. BeIN is a great partner and I’m glad they agree.”

The card for MLW Battle Riot is stacked (more on that below) and will be headlined by the first-ever Battle Riot match. 40 wrestlers will compete in this unconventional battle royal, with eliminations taking place when someone is pinned, submits or is thrown over the top rope. The match will start with two participants, with a new entrant every 60 seconds.

The winner of MLW Battle Riot gets a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship (currently held by Shane Strickland) “anytime, anywhere.”

If you’re in the NYC area, it’s going to be a wild show – and we’ll be in attendance. Visit Eventbrite.com for ticket information.

Updated Card for MLW: Battle Riot

Here’s the current card for MLW Battle Riot, which takes place on Thursday night, July 19th from Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City:

Battle Riot Battle Royal 

Participants include John Morrison, Pentagon, Teddy, Davey Boy Smith Jr., “PCO” Pierre Carl Ouellet, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, Hornswoggle and many more.

– The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr. with Brian Pillman II) vs. ACH & Rich Swann

– John Hennigan vs. Low Ki

Also signed to appear on July 19th:

  • World Heavyweight Champion Shane Strickland
  • MLW Tag Team Champions Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix
  • Salina de la Renta
  • Barrington Hughes
  • Maxwell J. Friedman
  • Sami Callihan

For more, check out the MLW Battle Riot Control Center, hosted by Tony Schiavone:

https://youtu.be/ScXkWejH2jo

Lio Rush Reunites With Danielle Fishel Backstage At 205 Live (Video)

Chris Stephens
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It’s easy to see why Lio Rush is so full of himself these days. He’s got Topanga (Danielle Fishel) from “Boy Meets World” as his biggest fan.

From 1993 to 2000, Danielle Fishel played the role of Topanga on the show “Boy Meets World.” She then reprised the role from 2014 to 2017 in the spin-off series, “Girl Meets World.”

Fishel is a huge wrestling fan. Her current favorite wrestler appears to be 205 Live’s, Lio Rush. She followed him in PWG as well.

That Topanga is a big wrestling fan is more or less impressive depending on what age group you fall into. WWE cameras caught last night’s backstage meeting between Rush and Fishel.

Fishel, who has attended PWG shows in Los Angeles in the past, was backstage at last night’s Smackdown and 205 Live shows from Ontario, California. Fishel has posed for pictures with Rush at PWG shows as well.

She was active on social media during Rush’s 205 Live debut.

Rush struggled to get one of his expensive bracelets off his wrist before his match last night could begin. Fishel commented that she should give Rush a costume bracelet as a gift.

Lio Rush on 205 Live

Rush’s WWE career got off to an auspicious start late last year. The 23-year-old earned some heat for making an insensitive remark after Emma (Tenille Dashwood) was released. Perhaps as a result of this, Rush has been working a gimmick of a cocky, arrogant, young up-and-comer since being announced as heading to the cruiserweight division.

Rush has continued to engage in Twitter battles with his fellow WWE Superstars in 2018 as well. He’s been involved in back and forth social media arguments with Cedric Alexander and Ricochet.

The Rock Recalls Losing To Hurricane Helms

Chris Stephens
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The Rock and Gregory Helms have only met in single’s action once. It was a NO DQ match from March 10th, 2003. Despite the Rock being arguably the greatest sports entertainer of all time, it was Hurricane Helms who came out the victor that night.

The Rock and Helms were often involved in backstage skits together during this time. Recently, Helms posted video of one of the segments to his Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkhtjbNHJFs/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=10o52vnkczmr8

The Rock took to Twitter to offer praise to Hurricane. He also explained why he lost to Helms in their only match back in 2003.

“Dude always a pleasure working with you. Never an ego and always down to do whatever it took to entertain the fans. And to be honest, I only did “the job and put you over” because you paid me in hamburgers.”

Hurricane Helms in 2018

Hurricane Helms began the year by being a surprise entrant in the men’s 2018 Royal Rumble. He has since continued competing for promotions such as Ring of Honor and Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore.

Helms also played a key role in the most recent WWE documentary on Matt and Jeff Hardy. As a long time friend of the brothers, Helms is shown on camera often speaking on what the brothers have gone through over the years.

The 43-year-old is a former 3x cruiserweight champion (2x WWE, 1x WCW), European champion, Hardcore champion, and twice won the WWE tag team championships. Most recently Helms wrestled two matches on ROH’s State of the Art tour in Texas.

Team Hell No Comments On Reunion

Chris Stephens
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Last night on Smackdown, Kane returned to WWE and saved Daniel Bryan from a 2-on-1 beatdown at the hands of the Bludgeon Brothers. Kane and Daniel Bryan previously formed “Team Hell No” in 2012-13 and even won the WWE tag team championships.

Renee Young attempted to interview the team after Smackdown last night. It appears Bryan and Kane are a little out of sync so far, however.

Smackdown General Manager, Paige, revealed Team Hell No will challenge the Bludgeon Brothers at Extreme Rules for the Smackdown tag-team championships.

Team Hell No: Daniel Bryan and Kane

Daniel Bryan and Kane became a team in 2012. That spring, Daniel Bryan was left at the altar by AJ Lee. Instead of choosing to marry Bryan, AJ accepted the role as Raw General Manager offered to her by Vince McMahon. She then proceeded to deny Bryan championship matches and instead booked him in a match against Kane at SummerSlam.

Bryan’s anger began to get the better of him. After Bryan defeated Kane at SummerSlam, the same began to be the case for Kane. Lee, still serving as the General Manager at the time, then ordered both Kane and Bryan to attend counseling with Dr. Shelby.

Coincidentally (or perhaps not), a similar storyline is currently underway on Raw with Bayley and Sasha Banks. The two former friends will attend mandatory counseling next week as ordered by Kurt Angle.

Team Hell No as WWE Tag Team Champions

Bryan and Kane won the tag team championships at Night of Champions 2012. They defeated the team of Kofi Kingston and R-Truth for the belts. They would hold the titles for 245 days before dropping them to Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules 2013 nearly 5 years ago.

During their title reign, Team Hell No defended the titles 8 times on WWE programming. They defeated teams such as the Rhodes Scholars, Ziggler and Big E, and 3MB.

Will Team Hell No defeat the Bludgeon Brothers at Extreme Rules? Let us know what you think in the comments section below:

Kevin Owens Joins Shania Twain On Stage at Concert (Video)

Chris Stephens
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Kevin Owens lived out one of his biggest dreams last night. He attended the Shania Twain concert in Montreal, QC, Canada and was brought up on stage by the singer. Owens only returned to Twitter earlier this year in the hopes he would be able to convince Twain to sing the song “When” at the concert last night.

Owens even brought a wrestling-styled sign to the concert for Twain which he was able to bring on stage with him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkg3gqqgrnR/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=3j1niuegm6rt

Kevin Owens Loves Shania Twain

While Owens might be a huge Shania Twain fan, he confused the date of her Montreal performance last week. Owens spent hours posting on social media last Tuesday that he was going to see Shania Twain that night. When he discovered he had confused the date, Owens turned on himself.

https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/1009064499884806144

https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/1009063057694347265

Kevin Owens Twitter Bio

“I got verified again so that I can beg Shania Twain to play my favorite song “When” at her concert this summer in Montreal because I’ll be there. I’m serious.”

Last Tuesday Owens sent out a Tweet reading the following:

“Hello @Shania Twain! I’m Kevin. I’m a @WWE wrestler and fellow Canadian,” Owens wrote in a since-deleted Tweet. “I had quite a rough couple of days. I was thrown off a very tall ladder by an awful man. I’m really hurting … What would make me feel better is hearing you sing ‘When’ at your concert in Montreal tonight.”

6 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (6/26)

Robert Lentini
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The June 26th episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s show:

Harper Accepted Daniel Bryan’s Challenge

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This week’s episode of SmackDown kicked off with an episode of Miz TV. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers were the guests. The Miz asked Harper & Rowan why they attacked Daniel Bryan last week and hesitantly held the microphone towards them.

The crowd chanted “Daniel Bryan!” and Miz told them to shut up and to stop disrespecting the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. The Miz rolled footage of Daniel Bryan saying that he was ready to take on the biggest and baddest Superstars in WWE last week during a backstage interview with Renee Young.

Footage of Bryan’s entrance last week on Smackdown was then shown. Bryan entered first in the Gauntlet Match and came down to the ring as Harper & Rowan were still on the entrance ramp. There was a brief staredown, which led to The Bludgeon Brothers attacking Bryan during the Gauntlet Match.

The Miz went on a rant and claimed that Bryan cannot stand when someone has more attention than him and tried to steal The Bludgeon Brother’s glory last week. The Miz boasted about defeating Bryan in the Gauntlet Match in only a few seconds and asked The Bludgeon Brothers if they want to be grips on his new hit film. Harper and Rowan slapped the microphone out of Miz’s hand and walked towards him.

Bryan’s music hit and he immediately told The Miz to shut up. Daniel said that The Bludgeons cost him a title shot last week and noted that he is not afraid of them. Daniel added that size is not nearly as important as heart and said that he wanted a fight. Bryan asked which one of them was going to fight him first. Harper grabbed the microphone and said “you just never learn, do you, Daniel? Well, you are going to tonight”.

Rusev Warned AJ Styles

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Rusev faced Xavier Woods tonight on SmackDown. Rusev knocked Woods to the mat with a shoulder tackle to start off the match. Woods battled back with a boot to the face and a chop to Rusev’s chest. Woods leaped towards Rusev but Rusev was ready and planted him with a Spinebuster as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Rusev had Woods trapped in a Bear Hug in the middle of the ring. Xavier connected with a Jawbreaker to the break the hold and hit Rusev with a few jabs to the face. Woods went back to the chops and then dropped Rusev with a spinning forearm to the face.

Xavier booted Rusev in the face and followed it up with a DDT for a two count. Woods connected with a Superkick and then charged at Rusev. Rusev countered into a Samoan Drop for a near fall. Xavier went for the spinning forearm again but Rusev ducked under it and delivered a Machka Kick to Woods’ face. Rusev then locked in the Accolade in the middle of the ring for the submission victory.

After the match, Rusev said tonight was not about Xavier Woods, trombones or pancakes. Tonight was about AJ Styles. Rusev said that he knows AJ is watching and he knows that he is scared because he punched Aiden English in the face last week. Rusev claimed that he was going to break the door down to AJ’s house and take his title and that it is going to be a great Rusev Day.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011769361261121536

Jeff Hardy & The Usos Defeated SAnitY

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Jeff Hardy was scheduled to defend the United States Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura tonight on SmackDown. Nakamura sustained an injury last night and wasn’t medically cleared to compete. Hardy issued an open challenge for the United States Championship and Eric Young accepted the challenge. Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe from SAnitY were ringside for the match.

Young went after Hardy right when the match started and stomped him down in the corner of the ring. Jeff battled back and connected with a Neckbreaker. Hardy climbed up the turnbuckle but Young rolled out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Eric Young was in control of the match and was targeting Hardy’s neck. Young applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring and Jeff clapped his hands to try to get the crowd behind him. Hardy battled to his feet but Young whipped him into the turnbuckle for a two count. Young followed it up with a Clothesline for another near fall.

Jeff connected with a Jawbreaker and followed it up with a Clothesline. Hardy planted Young with an inverted Atomic Drop and then a Dropkick for a two count. Young escaped the Twist of Fate and both Superstars hit a Clothesline at the same time. The Usos came down through the crowd and attacked Dain and Wolfe ringside.

Young threw Jey Uso into the ring and Jey Speared Young to the mat. The match ended in a DQ and then a brawl then broke out. Hardy & The Usos got the upper hand as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

The match then turned into a 6-man tag team bout. Dain connected with the Divide on Jey Uso and tagged in Wolfe. Wolfe slammed Jey into the barricade and then tagged in Eric Young. Eric Young knocked Jey to the mat with a shoulder tackle and then choked Jey on the bottom rope. Dain tagged back in and booted Jey in the ribs and followed it up with a Suplex for a two count.

Dain knocked Jimmy off the ring apron and connected with a Splash on Jey in the corner. Young got back in and blasted Jey in the face as Dain held Jey in the corner. Jey shoved Young out of the ring and tried to tag in Jeff but Young dragged Hardy off the apron.

Killian tagged back in and charged at Jey in the corner. Jey got out of the way and Dain crashed into the ring post. Jimmy and Wolfe tagged in at the same time and Jimmy greeted Wolfe with a Clothesline. Jimmy followed it up with a Samoan Drop and then made his way to the top rope. Jimmy connected with a Crossbody and went for the cover but Wolfe kicked out at two.

Hardy knocked Young out of the ring and then Dain knocked Jeff to the outside. The Usos teamed up for a series of Superkicks that finally knocked Dain to the outside. Jey hit Dain and Young with a Suicide Dive on the outside of the ring. Jeff Hardy tagged in as Jimmy hit Wolfe with a Superkick. Hardy immediately climbed to the top and hit a Swanton Bomb on Wolfe for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011777862771277824

Becky Lynch Won Again

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Becky Lynch faced Sonya Deville on this week’s episode of SmackDown.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011778183165829126

Becky wrestled Sonya to the canvas to start off the match. Deville hopped back to her feet and decked Lynch with a shoulder tackle. Deville took a break to taunt the crowd and turned around into a boot to the midsection from Becky. Sonya wrapped her arms around Becky’s midsection and whipped her down to the mat. Lynch battled back and sent Deville to the outside of the ring. Becky followed her out there and threw Sonya over the announce table as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

Deville was back in control of the match when SmackDown returned. Deville applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as Mandy Rose cheered her on from ringside. Becky broke free but Sonya planted her with a Spinebuster for a two count. Sonya then connected with a kick to the face and went for the cover but Lynch was able to kick out at two.

Sonya went back to the Headlock as the crowd got behind Becky Lynch. Becky battled to her feet to break the hold but Sonya immediately slammed her into the turnbuckle. Lynch exploded out of the corner and connected with two Clotheslines and a kick to the face. Lynch followed it up with an Exploder Suplex for a two count.

Deville drove her knee into Becky’s midsection for another two count. Sonya missed with a knee and Becky connected with a flying forearm to the face for a near fall. Lynch got pissed off and grabbed Deville’s arm for the Dis-Arm-Her. Sonya countered into a roll-up for a two count and then connected with an Enziguri for another near fall.

Becky climbed up the turnbuckle but Mandy hopped on the ring apron and distracted her. Deville threw Lynch to the mat off the second rope for two count. Deville stayed on the attack but Becky knocked her into Mandy Rose. Lynch then quickly locked in the Dis-Arm-Her for the submission victory.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011782267662950400

Asuka Will Have Title Rematch At Extreme Rules, Will Face Ellsworth Next Week

Ellsworth SmackDown 6 26

James Ellsworth had a conversation with Tye Dillinger backstage. Ellsworth insisted that he was a 10 without the Asuka mask on. Dillinger disagreed and told him he was a 1.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011782648803549184

Ellsworth then came down to the ring and got booed out of the building. James said that there are two types of men in the world. Men who have graduated high school and wear sandals, and then men like him.

Ellsworth complained about Asuka attacking him last week and said that he knows Asuka is here tonight. James added, “listen up babe, this is a man’s world”. Ellsworth then claimed to love and respect women and stated that he has a love life so hot that you can fry an egg on it.

James then took off his shirt and said that he wasn’t ready for Asuka last week but he is ready this week. Ellsworth called Asuka out but SmackDown GM Paige came down to the ring. Paige stated that Ellsworth knows that Asuka isn’t here and that she is in Japan with her family.

Paige announced that Carmella will once again be defending her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Asuka at Extreme Rules. Ellsworth claimed that Asuka didn’t deserve another shot at the title. James then claimed that he has noticed how Paige has been looking at him and said that Paige was out here to ask him on a date.

Paige then rubbed Ellsworth’s arm and asked him if he was available next Tuesday night. Paige added that they are not going to on a date next Tuesday, Ellsworth will instead be facing Asuka in a match.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011785078324826119

Team Hell No Returned & Will Battle The Bludgeon Brothers For The Titles At Extreme Rules

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Daniel Bryan battled Harper in the main event of this week’s SmackDown. Rowan was ringside for the match.

Harper started off the match by bringing Bryan to the outside of the ring. Harper slammed Bryan into the barricade and tried to throw him into the ring post but Bryan escaped back into the ring. Harper followed him and leveled Bryan with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Chin Lock.

Bryan broke free and sent Harper back to the outside. Bryan went for a Suicide Dive but Harper caught him and slammed him face-first into the announce table. Harper then connected with a big boot to the face that sent Daniel flying over the barricade and into the timekeeper’s area as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Harper had Bryan trapped in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Bryan quickly battled to his feet to break the hold but Harper sent him to the corner of the ring. Harper connected with a chop to the chest and Bryan stumbled away. Bryan ducked under a Clothesline but was planted with a Side Slam for a two count.

Harper drove his elbow into Bryan’s back and followed it up with a Senton for another two count. Harper went back to the Headlock in the middle of the ring but Bryan once again battled out of the hold. Harper connected with a punch to the face that knocked Bryan back down to the mat.

Daniel got up and booted Harper in the face. Bryan followed it up with two running Dropkicks in the corner. Bryan went for a third but Harper caught him and connected with a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Harper once again applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted for Daniel Bryan.

Bryan battled to his feet and broke the hold with a kick to Harper’s knee. Harper connected with a Dropkick that squandered Bryan’s momentum once again. Harper hit Bryan with a chop to the chest and Bryan responded with a chop of his own. Harper shrugged it off and headbutted Bryan to the corner of the ring.

Harper perched Bryan on the top rope and joined him up there. Bryan hit a flurry of punches to Harper’s face and then planted him with a DDT off the top rope. Daniel connected with a few Yes Kicks in the middle of the ring and then rolled up Harper for a two count.

Harper missed with a Clothesline and Bryan locked in the Yes Lock in the middle of the ring. Rowan got into the ring and attacked Bryan to break up the hold. The match ended in a DQ as the Bludgeon Brothers beatdown Bryan in the corner of the ring. Harper climbed to the second rope as Rowan was about lift Bryan in the air.

Kane’s music hit and Bryan rolled out of the ring. Kane got into the ring and had a staredown with Harper and Rowan. Kane grabbed then both by the throat but the Bludgeon Brothers broke free. Bryan connected with a double Dropkick to the Bludgeon Brothers and then hit Rowan with a running knee to the face. Kane then delivered a Chokeslam to Harper that sent him out of the ring.

The crowd chanted “Team Hell No!” as Kane and Bryan looked at each other in the ring. Kane walked towards Bryan but Bryan shook his head and walked away. Bryan stopped and hugged Kane as the crowd cheered. SmackDown GM Paige then came down to the entrance ramp and announced that Team Hell No will face the Bludgeon Brothers for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at Extreme Rules.

Opinion: Well, Team Hell No returning should be fun for however long it lasts. The rest of this week’s episode of SmackDown was pretty forgettable.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011791387896045570

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1011791387896045570

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kfX_ykxmbg

What did you think of this week’s SmackDown? Let us know in the comments below.

Kane Returns On WWE SmackDown Live, New Match Booked For Extreme Rules

Andrew Ravens
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Kane has made his return to WWE television.

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Ontario, CA at the Citizens Business Bank Arena on the USA Network, Daniel Bryan faced off with Luke Harper in the main event and almost had the match won until Erick Rowan got into the ring to attack Bryan, which caused the DQ.

This led to the SmackDown Tag Team Champions attacking Bryan after the match until Kane walked down to the ring to make the save.

It was then announced by SmackDown General Manager Paige that Bryan and Kane would challenge Harper and Rowan for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at Extreme Rules.

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured.

The Card

– Singles Match: Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

– WWE Title Match: AJ Styles © vs. Rusev

– WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: Luke Harper & Erick Rowan © vs. Daniel Bryan & Kane

– WWE Raw Women’s Title Match: Alexa Bliss © vs. Nia Jax

– WWE SmackDown Women’s Title Match: Carmella © vs. Asuka

– WWE Raw Tag Team Title Match: Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy © vs. Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas

Intergender Set For Next Week’s SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has announced the first match for next week’s episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network.

Asuka will face James Ellsworth in an inter-gender singles match. The match was made by SmackDown General Manager Paige after Ellsworth called out the former NXT Women’s Champion.

In addition to Asuka facing Ellsworth next week, she’ll also challenge Carmella for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules.

This marks Ellsworth’s first match in a WWE ring since returning at TLC. 

Next week’s SmackDown will take place from Omaha, NE at the CenturyLink Center Omaha.

the sports entertainment company.

Title Match Added To WWE Extreme Rules PPV, Updated Card

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has announced a new title match for the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event.

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Ontario, CA at the Citizens Business Bank Arena on the USA Network, SmackDown General Manager Paige announced that Carmella would defend her SmackDown Women’s Title against Asuka at this event.

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured.

The Card

– Singles Match: Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

– WWE Title Match: AJ Styles © vs. Rusev

– WWE Raw Women’s Title Match: Alexa Bliss © vs. Nia Jax

– WWE SmackDown Women’s Title Match: Carmella © vs. Asuka

– WWE Raw Tag Team Title Match: Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy © vs. Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas

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

Details On Shinsuke Nakamura’s Injury

Andrew Ravens
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More details have surfaced regarding the injury that Shinsuke Nakamura sustained.

As we noted earlier on the site, Nakamura was set to challenge Jeff Hardy for the United States Title in Ontario, CA at the Citizens Business Bank Arena for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live. However, Nakamura was pulled after WWE had announced that he suffered an injury on Monday.

In an update, both Pwinsider.com and Dave Meltzer have been able to confirm that Nakamura was pulled from the show after an incident where he was bitten by a dog. Thus, WWE would not clear him to perform in the ring.

So here’s the situation. Before Monday’s live event Bakersfield, CA, local police brought in a dog to sniff around the building as part of a security check. As the dog passed by Nakamura, the dog sniffed Nakamura and then proceeded to bite Nakamura on the leg.

The sports entertainment company has yet to clear him for in-ring action but Nakamura was backstage at Tuesday’s SmackDown TV event. It was noted that his leg is still very sore from the incident.

What are your thoughts on this odd story? Sound off in the comment section.

List Of Superstars For WWE NXT UK Roster

Andrew Ravens
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It appears that a list of superstars that will be part of the WWE NXT UK roster has been revealed.  The WWE held two NXT UK Championship Tournament specials last week that aired on Monday and Tuesday on the WWE Network.

Here is a list of the talents that will be part of the roster going forward for WWE’s newest brand:

  • Mark Andrews
  • Travis Banks
  • Tyler Bate
  • Joe Coffey
  • Mark Coffey
  • Joseph Conners
  • Noam Dar
  • Eddie Dennis
  • Jordan Devlin
  • Pete Dunne
  • Jack Gallagher
  • Sam Gradwell
  • Saxon Huxley
  • Amir Jordan
  • El Ligero
  • Dave Mastiff
  • Trent Seven
  • Ashton Smith
  • Tyson T-Bone
  • Flash Morgan Webster
  • Wild Boar
  • Kenny Williams
  • Wolfgang
  • Isla Dawn
  • Jinny
  • Killer Kelly
  • Charlie Morgan
  • Nina Samuels
  • Toni Storm

WWE has already announced several TV taping dates for the rest of this year for the brand.

The first tapings will take place on July 28th and July 29th in Cambridge, England followed by the next set of tapings going down on August 25th and 26th in Birmingham, England, and October 13th and 14th in Plymouth, England. The final set of dates that were announced will go down in Liverpool, England on November 24th and November 25th.

What are your thoughts on this roster? Sound off in the comment section.

Dalton Castle Comments On Cody Rhodes’ Plan For ROH World Title At All In

Andrew Ravens
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0

Dalton Castle is set to make the biggest title defense thus far in his reign as ROH World Champion.

Castle will defend his title against Cody Rhodes and Marty Scurll in a Triple Threat Match at the Best in the World pay-per-view event, which takes place on Friday, June 29, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland at the UMBC Event Center. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app.

Cody has gone on record in the past by stating in previous interviews that he plans to win the ROH World Title at this show that way he can put it on the line against Nick Aldis at ‘All In’ that way it would be a title for title match as Aldis’ NWA World Heavyweight Title would be up for grabs at All In.

“Absolutely not,” Dalton replied when asked if he feels pressure to retain his title during a recent media conference call to promote Best in the World (transcript courtesy of Wrestling Inc).

“That’s pressure Cody’s putting on himself thinking too far ahead. What’s the saying? Putting the carriage in front of the horse. He has made these plans for this world championship he has yet to win. He forgets that if he wants to bring that title to ‘All In’ and challenge Nick Aldis for his title he has to first get through Dalton Castle.”

It didn’t take long for the son of the late great WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes to respond to the comments made by the ROH World Champion as he wrote the following on his official Twitter account:

What are your thoughts on Castle’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (6/26)

Eric Lynch
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The June 26th edition of WWE SmackDown took place at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA.

– The Miz is in the ring to kick off this week’s SmackDown Live broadcast with a Miz TV segment. The Miz welcomes his guests – The Bludgeon Brothers, Luke Harper and Eric Rowan. They slowly make their way down to the ring and stand in front of Miz. The Miz says they have something in common, they both dismantled Daniel Bryan. The crowd chants for Daniel Bryan, and The Miz tells them to shut it and stop disrespecting SmackDown’s tag team champions. The Miz says since The Bludgeon Brothers are the strong silent type, he’s going to roll some video footage showing last week. The Miz continues trashing Bryan, saying Bryan always tries to steal their thunder and he’s the true villain here. The Miz jokes that The Bludgeon Brothers were auditioning to be new members of The Miztourage, and Harper slaps the mic out of Miz’s hand. They start walking towards The Miz, but then Daniel Bryan’s music hits and he comes out to interrupt. Bryan says he takes issue with The Bludgeon Brothers attacking him, and he’s not afraid of them or The Miz. Bryan wants to fight all of them, and asks which of them will fight him first. Harper takes the mic from Miz and says Daniel never learns his lesson, but he’s gonna tonight. It sounds like Harper has accepted the challenger. Bryan heads to the back.

– The New Day is shown backstage with their assistant making milkshakes. Xavier Woods takes on Rusev in singles action next in a match sponsored by Sonic.

– Xavier Woods vs. Rusev: The New Day and Aiden English are all at ringside for this one. The opening bell sounds and Woods starts off with a headlock. Rusev comes back with a shoulder block and works on keeping Xavier grounded. Woods comes back with some strikes and a headscissor takedown, then dropkicks Rusev from behind. Rusev comes back with a spinerbuster for a two count. Woods fights back and hits a tornado DDT for a two count of his own. Rusev dodges a shot and shuts Woods down again with a Samoan drop. They fight in the corner and Woods dodges a few shots, but Rusev catches him with a kick to the head. Rusev follows up with the big boot and the Accolade for the three count.

Winner: Rusev

– After the match, Aiden English joins Rusev in the ring to celebrate. Rusev gets on the mic and cuts a brief promo warning AJ Styles that he’s going to take his WWE Title at Extreme Rules on July 15th.

– We see a pre-taped promo from Jeff Hardy in facepaint and white contact lenses talking about his threshold for pain being higher. We go to the broadcast table where Tom Phillips tells us about Shinsuke Nakamura’s injury, and that Jeff Hardy will be fighting in an open challenge tonight instead of facing Nakamura as originally scheduled.

– WWE U.S. Champion Jeff Hardy makes his way down to the ring to find out who will be facing him in tonight’s open challenge for the belt.

– Naomi and Lana are backstage arguing about their dance-off. The cast of GLOW walks in an they briefly talk to Naomi and Lana and say that they should be working together instead of arguing. Naomi and Lana seem to come to an agreement.

– Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Eric Young: Sanity is at ringside, and Jeff’s U.S. Title is on the line. The opening bell sounds and Young immediately rushes hardy and beats him down in the corner. Hardy fights back and looks for the Twist of Fate, but he doesn’t quite execute it and Young rolls outside for a breather. Back in the ring, Young fires up and drops Hardy with a shot to the face. Young takes Hardy into the corner and puts him a dragon sleeper on the turnbuckle until the ref reaches his 5 count. Young wrenches Hardy’s neck and works on keeping the Champion grounded. Young stomps on Hardy, but Hardy gets to his feet and fights back in the corner. Hardy rolls up Young for a two count, then Young fires back with a lariat for a two count of his own. Young picks up Hardy and Hardy stuns him with a jawbreaker. Hardy blocks a shot and fires back with right hands, then drops Young with a forearm shot and an atomic drop. Jeff dropkicks Young down as the crowd chants “Delete.” Hardy looks for the Twist of Fate, but Young escapes and they both clothesline each other down. While both men are down, The Usos walk in from the crowd and they confront the other two Sanity members at ringside. Young rolls out o the ring to join the brawl at ringside, and he starts fighting with Jey Uso. The ref calls for the bell as this one falls apart. Young wins by DQ, so Hardy keeps the belt. The Usos/Sanity brawl spills into the ring as Hardy and Young brawl again. Hardy and The Usos clear out the ring as we go to commercial.

Winner via DQ: Eric Young

– The Usos & Jeff Hardy vs. Sanity: This one got made into a six-man tag during the commercial break. Kilian starts off with Jey Uso and drops him with a shot off the ropes. Wolfe tags in and continues the offense on Jey, then Young tags in for the double team for a two count on Uso. Uso tries to fight back, but Young drops him with an elbow to the face then stomps on him. Killian tags back in and puts the boots to Uso. Jimmy finally gets the hot tag and Wolfe tags in as well. Jimmy comes in and cleans house and hits a Samoan drop on Wolfe. Jimmy follows up with a cross body off the top for a two count. Jimmy connects with some kicks and pins, but Young breaks it up. The aprons clear now as everyone brawls through the ring. Jimmy hits superkicks on Killian and Young, but Killian doesn’t go down. The Usos hit two double superkicks on Killian until he falls out to ringside. Jey hits a suicide dive on Killian and Young, while Wolfe and Jimmy go at it in the ring. Jimmy hits a superkick, then Jeff tags in and hits the Swanton Bomb on Wolfe for the three count.

Winners: The Usos & Jeff Hardy

– The broadcast team informs us that Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper has been made official for tonight.

– Becky Lynch is backstage warming up. She’s up next against Sonya Deville.

– Becky Lynch vs. Sonya Deville: Sonya misses some kicks early on and Becky tackles her. Sonya starts to mount a comeback, but Becky stuns her with a kick. They trade arm holds until Becky sends Sonya through the ropes down to the ringside floor. Sonya pulls Becky outside and they fight at ringside over the announce table. Back in the ring, Sonya comes back and takes Becky down for a two count. Sonya works on keeping Becky grounded with a head lock. Becky fights up to her feet and comes back with a t-bone suplex for a two count. Sonya comes back with a knee strike out of the corner for a two count of her own. Mandy Rose causes a distraction from ringside and Sonya continues the offense. Becky grabs Sonya and knocks her into Mandy on the apron, then locks Sonya in the Disarm-her for the win via submission.

Winner: Becky Lynch

– Becky celebrates in the ring as Mandy recovers on the floor from having her partner slammed into her.

– James Ellsworth is backstage wearing an Asuka mask and he exchanges small talk with Tye Dillinger in the hallway.

– We see a pre-taped promo from Zelina Vega, who is next to “Cien” Almas. She says SmackDown has no challenges for Almas, and everyone should stay out of his way.

– James Ellsworth skips down to the ring as we see a replay of his interaction with Asuka last week. Ellsworth gets on the mic and says there are two types of men in this world: Men who graduated high school and talk about their feelings, and then real men like him who stand up for what they believe in. He says Asuka attacked him for no reason last week, and he knows she’s here tonight. Ellsworth tells Asuka it’s a man’s world, and when you mess with the bull you get the horns. Ellsworth says he loves and respects women, and he has a love life so hot you can fry an egg on it, and women love him too. He says when it comes to Asuka, there’s no love or respect, and he takes his hoodie off and slams it down. Ellsworth says he wasn’t ready last week, but he’s ready this week, and he dares Asuka to come down and face him tonight. Instead, SmackDown GM Paige comes out. Paige comes down to the ring and says Ellsworth knows that Asuka isn’t here this week. Paige books Carmella to defend her Women’s Title against Asuka at Extreme Rules. Ellsworth says Asuka doesn’t deserve a rematch, and he thinks Paige really came out to ask him out on a date. Paige says Ellsworth is right, and says they have a date next Tuesday. Ellsworth says yes, but Paige corrects herself and says it’s not a date with her, it’s a date with Asuka, and it will be a one on one match. Ellsworth doesn’t look so happy anymore, and Paige heads to the back.

– The Bludgeon Brothers are shown backstage, with Harper staring into the camera. Daniel Bryan is elsewhere backstage with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson helping him warm up for his match tonight.

– Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper: The opening bell sounds and Harper immediately backs Bryan into the corner and connects with an uppercut. Bryan dodges a shot and fires back with some kicks to Harper. Harper stuns him with a right hand and then takes Bryan out to ringside where he throws him into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Bryan starts to fight back, but Harper shuts him down with a big clothesline. Harper rakes the eyes of Bryan and then works on keeping him grounded. Bryan sends Harper through the ropes out to ringside and he looks for a suicide dive, but Harper catches him and slams him down onto the announce table. Harper hits a running big boot on Bryan on the floor and Bryan falls into the timekeeper’s area. Back in the ring, Harper continues the offense with strikes in the corner. Bryan dodges a shot and runs the ropes, but Harper catches him with a spinning side slam for a two count. Bryan starts coming back with some kicks and he hits a series of dropkicks in the corner. Harper stops one and hits a Michinoku Driver on Bryan for a two count. Bryan tries to come back with some right hands, but Harper connects with a dropkick and both men are down. Harper lays into Bryan with chops and punches in the corner now, and he sits Bryan on the top turnbuckle. Bryan punches Harper down and hits a tornado DDT. Bryan hits the Yes Kicks until Harper stops one and hits a kick of his own. Harper misses a clothesline and Bryan looks for the Yes Lock. Harper struggles but Bryan locks it in, and then Eric Rowan runs in and breaks it up for the DQ.

Winner via DQ: Daniel Bryan

– Harper and Rowan beat down Bryan in the ring after the bell. Harper and Rowan slap each other across the face and then double team Bryan. Harper and Rowan look for the powerbomb Doomsday Device, but then Kane’s music hits and the Big Red Machine slowly walks down to the ring. Kane steps in the ring and goes at it with the Bludgeon Brothers. Harper and Rowan look to double team him, but Bryan makes the save. Kane and Bryan lay out the Bludgeon Brothers and clear the ring. Bryan has a look of disbelief on his face that Kane just returned out of nowhere to save him. Kane and Bryan have a stare-down and then hug in the ring. Bryan and Kane lead the crowd in a “yes” chant, and then Paige comes out. Paige books a match between The Bludgeon Brothers and Bryan/Kane for the Tag Team Titles at Extreme Rules. Paige heads backstage as Team Hell No celebrates in the ring and SmackDown goes off the air.

WWE Announces TV Deals With USA Network And Fox Sports

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has officially announced their television deals with the USA Network and Fox Sports.

This news was first reported a few months ago but on Tuesday afternoon the sports entertainment company made it official.

WWE’s television contract was slated to expire in 2019 with the USA Network, which led to them holding meetings with the USA Network, FOX, Disney, CBS, Amazon, and YouTube.

At the time, there was a lot of speculation that WWE could sign with Fox. The reason for the potential move would be due to UFC leaving Fox as the UFC and WWE’s TV deals expire around the same time. UFC ended up signing their next TV deal with ESPN.

It’s been reported that NBC Universal declined to agree to the deal that WWE proposed to keep SmackDown Live on the USA Network. However, the TV network wanted to keep WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW, and would be willing to pay them big money in order for that to happen.

WWE noted in a press release that was issued on Tuesday that Monday Night RAW would remain on the USA Network while SmackDown Live would move to Fox and air each Friday on Fox broadcast network. Both deals are for five years. 

It’s been reported that Fox is paying WWE $1 billion over the five years for the rights to SmackDown Live. The deal averages out to around $205 million annually for the broadcast rights. NBCUniversal had reportedly paid around $30 million annually for SmackDown rights back in 2010.

WWE will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on June 27 to discuss the contents of this release. The Company’s Co-Presidents, George A. Barrios and Michelle D. Wilson, will host the conference call.

Shinsuke Nakamura Injured, Pulled From Title Match On SmackDown Live

Andrew Ravens
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An injury has caused a change to a title match involving Shinsuke Nakamura on tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live.

Originally, the sports entertainment company announced that Nakamura would challenge Jeff Hardy for the United States Title. However, that has changed as WWE announced through social media on Tuesday afternoon that Nakamura suffered an injury at Monday’s WWE live event and is not medically cleared to compete on tonight’s show.

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on exactly the injury Nakamura sustained or how long he’ll be out of action for. Thus, Hardy will now issue an open challenge for his title on SmackDown Live.

WWE is in Ontario, CA at the Citizens Business Bank Arena for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live. WWE has already announced two matches for the show – Rusev vs. Xavier Woods and Peyton Royce vs. Becky Lynch. Also, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan will appear on Miz TV.

Paul Heyman Rather Watch Commercials Than RAW, Seth Rollins Calls Out Drew McIntyre (Video)

Jon Fuentes
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Heyman Rather Watch Commercials Than RAW

Glenn Rubenstein of Wrestling Inc. Tweeted out a mention to Paul Heyman during last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, asking if The Advocate was watching the show.

Heyman responded by saying that RAW is built around challengers instead of a once in a lifetime athlete like Brock Lesnar. Heyman then said that the commercials were actually the best part of the show:

Rollins Calls Out Drew McIntyre

Last night Seth Rollins was on the verge of recapturing the Intercontinental Championship from Dolph Ziggler. Rollins and Ziggler main evented the show and were putting on an absolute classic.

Initially McIntyre accompanied Ziggler to the ring but was thrown out backstage by the referee during the match. Just when it looked like Rollins was about to win the match, McIntyre came out to break things up and attacked Rollins. The Architect won the match via disqualification, however, the title could not change hands.

Backstage WWE pulled Rollins aside for an interview. Rollins said he’ll stomp on McIntyre’s face and knock his teeth out for standing in his way of the Intercontinental Title:

WWE Follows The Young Bucks On Twitter, What Happened After RAW?

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Follows A Young Buck On Twitter

There have been plenty of rumors going around as to whether or not the WWE could sign The Young Bucks to a deal soon. The Bucks are currently enjoying success with Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), as well as selling out their self-funded All In event with Cody Rhodes.

WWE’s Twitter page shows that they recently followed Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks, sparking some speculation from fans on social media. Here’s a screenshot of who WWE is following:

WWE

What Happened After RAW?

The dark match main event for Monday Night RAW last night was Elias vs. Jinder Mahal. Unfortunately the match never got to finish as both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns hit the ring and attacked both Elias and Mahal.

They celebrated with the crowd after clearing the ring to send them home happy and end the show.

Tatanka Comments On His WWE Career

Jon Fuentes
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Former WWE Superstar from the ’90s Tatanka recently did an interview with Ringside News to talk about his run with the company. He first talked about not having ever won WWE gold during his run and how the meanings of titles have changed over the years:

“People were asking me at today’s signing, “Well, we’ve never seen you with a championship belt.” The belts were different. In today’s business, they’ve lost there meaning because they exchange hands too much.

“The belts back then, they were a tool to get someone over the top. The company also used other ways to get people over, like having a two-year undefeated streak. When it comes to the belts if you’re already a fan favorite, you don’t need a belt.” 

Tatanka then revealed his favorite televised loss of his WWE career:

“While they referred to me as The Undefeated Native American Tatanka. I finally had that first defeat against Ludvig Borga on tv, with the help of Yokounza with Mr. Fugi, it really meant something. You know, fans were like, “Oh my gosh!” 

Finally, Tatanka offered his thoughts on Ludvig Borga:

“They(WWF) really liked him and wanted to push him. Not like a Hulk Hogan but they wanted to give him a strong push, but he just didn’t get the flow of things in the ring. He was too robotic. They used him to defeat me so they could elevate his career. So it shows you just how important that two-year streak was.”

H/T NoDQ.com for the transcriptions

More Information On Rey Mysterio’s WWE Status

Jon Fuentes
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As we’ve noted, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio has been announced as the special pre-order bonus character for the WWE 2K19 video game.

Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Mysterio has yet to sign a contract with WWE. He did note, however, that he does expect a deal between The Master Of The 619 and WWE to eventually get done.

The only thing putting a stop in the negotiations is the issues regarding money and dates on both sides, not to mention that Triple H is very busy and it’s hard to find time to negotiate.

The 43-year-old hasn’t worked for WWE as a full-time talent since 2015. His contract with WWE expired in February of 2015 and he decided to work the indies for a few years. Before his contract expired his run with the company lasted nearly 13 years.

He made returns for WWE at the 2018 Royal Rumble and at the Greatest Royal Rumble in April. Both were one-off appearances and both sides have been trying to negotiate a deal to bring the Mexican star back full-time for the past several months.

Steel Cage Match Advertised For Extreme Rules

Jon Fuentes
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WWE is set to hold its Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV) from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 15th. It will be the final PPV before SummerSlam in August.

Currently AJ Styles is set to defend his WWE Title against Rusev at the event, and last night on RAW a bout between Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley was teased as well. It seems that another match is also set to take place at the event – but this one will be inside a Steel Cage.

According to the PPG Paints Arena website, Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman are being advertised to go one-on-one inside a Steel Cage at the event. Owens and Strowman have had their share of issues on RAW for the past few weeks.

Last night on RAW Strowman partnered up with Owens to defeat the team of Finn Balor and Baron Corbin. After the match Strowman chased Owens out of the arena and destroyed his car in the parking lot.

The card is still “subject to change” but it’s interesting to see that the PPG Paints Arena is advertising this match to happen.

The Revival Brags About Their Big Victory, Natalya Has A Message For Alexa Bliss

Andrew Ravens
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The Revival Bragging

The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) picked up the biggest win thus far as members of the WWE main roster on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in San Diego, CA at the Valley View Casino Center on the USA Network.

The former NXT Tag Team champions beat Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley in a tag team match. Following the show, Wilder took to his official Instagram account to brag about the big win by writing the following:

https://instagram.com/p/BkfzLgwhEUY/?utm_source=ig_embed

Natalya Sends Message

Speaking of this week’s edition of the flagship show of the sports entertainment company, Natalya defeated WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in a non-title match.

This was a way to continue the ongoing storyline between Bliss and Ronda Rousey while the former UFC Women’s Champion is off of television while she serves her “suspension.” Following the match, Natalya posted the following on Twitter:

What are your thoughts on The Revival beating Lashley and Reigns? Sound off in the comment section.

Alexa Bliss Reacts To Little Kid Slapping Her Butt At Live Event

Jon Fuentes
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Last year in August current RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss teamed up with Nia Jax at a Live Event. Little did they know that one of the most viral videos of the year in professional wrestling would be recorded after their match.

When the match was over Jax slung Bliss over her shoulder and carried her backstage. As she was being carried backstage a young WWE fan managed to slap Bliss on the butt. Jax’s reaction was priceless but we couldn’t really see how Bliss reacted to the slap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0UT-9NvLTw&feature=youtu.be

In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, Bliss detailed her reaction after what had happened. Bliss asked Jax if it was her who had done it, and Jax told Bliss it was a kid from the crowd. They pair laughed things off backstage and didn’t seem to make a big deal of it:

“Well when had happened- I asked Nia because she was carrying me over her shoulders. I was like ‘Was that you?’ and she was like ‘No!’ And like we just walked back and laughed it off.

“But it was still one of those… I was very shocked it happened. I was like “Oh my gosh, was that you?” and she was like “No!” It was just a little kid, kids do what they want.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYmtVNQ27lE&feature=youtu.be

H/T Ringside News for the transcribed quotes

Damien Sandow Reveals New Look

Chris Stephens
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Aaron Steven Haddad, better known to WWE fans as Damien Sandow, has revealed a new look. The former “Intellectual Savior Of The Masses” is now sporting a clean-shaven appearance these days.

Where is Damien Sandow?

In April of 2017, Sandow announced he was leaving Impact Wrestling and taking a sabbatical from sports entertainment. He has specifically stated he is not retired, however, only wishing to take a break from the wrestling industry.

“Ending on this note is not a bad thing,” he said. “I’m not saying that I’m never going to get in the ring again, but this is pretty cool and I’d much rather have people remember me for all the good stuff.”

He took to Twitter shortly after the comments and reaffirmed he was not retiring, however.

“I never said retirement,” Sandow Tweeted. “I’m just doing some other stuff for a while. One thing I will never do is lie to you guys.”

One promotion which has shown interest in bringing Sandow back to pro wrestling is Billy Corgan’s National Wrestling Alliance. Corgan and Sandow worked together briefly in Impact from 2016-17.

“I am not retired,” Sandow reiterated again on Twitter after leaving Impact. “@lmpactWrestIing was some of the most fun I have had in my career, great company. Just exploring other opportunities.”

One of those opportunities appears to be writing. Sandow is due to publish a book on his life after wrestling soon.

https://twitter.com/AronsThoughts/status/1002611164017143808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F961171-taiji-ishimori-returning-to-impact-wrestling-damien-sandow-announces-new-project

“Hello all, I am happy to announce I have co-authored a book with my good friend Dennis Vanasse titled “Off The Road” Available Soon.”

Enzo Amore Opens Up About WWE Release, Final Days With Company

Chris Stephens
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Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion and current rapper, Enzo Amore, has opened up further about his final days with WWE. Now going by the name @Real1, Enzo was a guest on the most recent episode of Steve Austin’s podcast.

One of the most controversial parts of Enzo’s WWE exit regards whether or not he informed WWE he was being investigated for a crime. Enzo is still claiming he did not know he was being investigated but did relay a story of his friend receiving an odd email from someone claiming to be an investigator.

“I got a buddy of mine who hit me up and said ‘hey man, my girlfriend got an email from a guy saying he was an investigator,” Enzo said. “Saying he was investigating a claim against a wrestler, never mentioned my name.”

Enzo then continued to say he called his lawyer who got in contact with the police department. The police told Enzo’s lawyer he was not being investigated or charged for anything. He then said the next he heard about it was when his accuser began posting on social media. Neither Enzo nor his friend’s girlfriend replied to the investigator’s email.

Enzo on What He Said To Vince McMahon and WWE The Day He Was Suspended

January 22nd, 2018 was the day the story began to leak. It was also the day of the Raw 25th Anniversary Special. Enzo was sent home that day and fired the next. He admitted he was wearing a t-shirt that said “Today is the Best Day of My Life, I Can’t Wait for Tomorrow” at the time. He also admitted that is kind of funny.

Enzo continued to say that when he left the Barclays Center that day he drove for 5 hours and recorded himself talking the whole time. He plans to release the footage someday.

Enzo said that when Vince McMahon told him to go home and wait to be called, he told Vince “I don’t deserve this, I’m a good person.”

When he was called the next day by WWE lawyers and told he was being fired, Enzo says he told them “It’s your loss, not mine.”

Enzo Amore and Liv Morgan

Enzo also spoke about his relationship with Liv Morgan. He said the pair remain friends despite having broken up a year and a half ago. Liv is even still roommates with Enzo’s friend. Previously, the three of them lived together in Orlando.

Evidently, Liv is not a great driver. Enzo relayed a story of how she damaged a car he gave her.

“I was leasing a Dodge Dart so I was broke bro, I didn’t have no damn money,” Enzo said. “So the Dodge Dart I called the Gionna Mobile because I gave it to my ex Liv Morgan, Gionna. She put dents, she didn’t know how to drive so she learned how to drive in that Dodge Dart. So we called it the Gionna Mobile, just chalked it up as an L bro.”

The full interview can be listened to here.

Shinsuke Nakamura Reveals What WWE Superstars Think Of Roman Reigns

Andrew Ravens
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Shinsuke Nakamura has given some insight into how Roman Reigns is received by other superstars in the WWE.

The SmackDown Live star was interviewed by Lillian Garcia at the Ace Comic Con. In this interview, he was asked about who he would like to wrestle to which Nakamura stated that he wanted to have a one-on-one match with Reigns.

“I really want to face Roman Reigns again,” said Nakamura. “So, we wrestled at the Royal Rumble, just like a short moment.”

Although Reigns and Nakamura have yet to have a feud on WWE television, they did compete against each other at this year’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view event as the 50-Man Royal Rumble match came down to Nakamura and Reigns, which saw Nakamura win the match.

Nakamura went on record by stating that although the fans may boo Reigns, all of the superstars is well liked and respect his in-ring work as a wrestler.

“Everybody want to boo him, but every wrestler says that Roman is a good wrestler,” said Nakamura. “I want to feel it,” and would like to start a program with The Big Dog.

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcribed quotes.

What are your thoughts on Nakamura’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.

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