PROGRESS has announced the latest bout for their upcoming Chapter 72 event ‘Got Got Need’ which takes place on June 24th from the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London.
Newly crowned NXT Tag Team Champions Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) will be joining their British Strong Style stablemate and WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne to take on Josh Alexander and the Besties In The World.
Tyler Bate & Trent Seven won the NXT Tag Team Titles in a bout against the Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong at yesterday’s Royal Albert Hall taping, it was unexpected title change considering the announcement that the NXT UK brand would have their own Tag Team Championships and the crowd reaction was massive.
Other bouts already confirmed for the show include:
ATLAS Championship Match – Doug Williams (c) vs Michael Dante
NPS Final – Chris Ridgeway vs Mark Davis
PROGRESS World Title Match – Travis Banks (c) vs Chuck Mambo
Following Tuesday’s edition of SmackDown Live, it appears that Daniel Bryan’s next program is underway.
Bryan had been feuding with Big Cass, who was released from WWE earlier this week. After a series of victories over the 7-footer, Bryan participated in the #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match on SmackDown to determine the next challenger to WWE Champion AJ Styles.
During Bryan’s entrance, he had an encounter with reigning Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions, the Bludgeon Brothers. Harper and Rowan would later get involved in the match, assaulting Daniel Bryan and allowing Bryan’s longtime nemesis The Miz to eliminate him from the match.
With the assumption that Bryan will focus his attention on getting revenge against the Bludgeon Brothers in the coming weeks, it seems WWE is in no hurry to return Daniel Bryan to the main event picture. A tag team feud against the Bludgeon Brothers could be interesting, as would Bryan’s selection of a tag team partner to join him in battle.
Discussion: Who would you like to see Daniel Bryan team with against the Bludgeon Brothers?
An AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan feud will have to wait for now, as Rusev ultimately prevailed in the Gauntlet Match and earned the championship opportunity against the WWE 2K19 Cover Star.
Members of the group SAnitY have reacted to making their debut on the blue brand.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Toledo, OH at the Huntington Center on the USA Network, the group was supposed faced off against The Usos in a tag team match. However, they beat down the former SmackDown Tag Team Champions and there was no match.
Following the show, Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe took to their official Twitter accounts to react to their main roster television debut. They wrote the following:
WWE NXT General Manager William Regal is slated to make his return to television, according to Mike Johnson of PWinsider.
Regal, who has missed the last few tapings due to a health issue, is set to work this Thursday’s NXT TV tapings in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
What do you think WWE should do with the former NXT stable?
Austin Aries is slated to make his return to ROH at their upcoming Best in the World PPV.
Ring of Honor announced the news on Wednesday (June 20, 2018) through social media. It should be noted that Aries is still under contract with Impact Wrestling as he is slated to defend the Impact Wrestling World Title against Moose at Slammiversary next month.
ROH did not reveal whether he would be wrestling at this event or just making an appearance.
If you recall, Aries returned to Ring of Honor back in March at the 16th Anniversary pay-per-view where he originally challenged Kenny King to a match for the TV title at a later date.
His next appearance came when he attacked Todd Sinclar and King in May on the ROH/NJPW War of the Worlds Tour after issuing another challenge for the strap.
Best in the World 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. You can check out the updated card here.
What do you think of Aries appearing at this event?
EVOLVE returns this weekend with two new shows. EVOLVE 106 is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Brooklyn, NY at the Youth Center and EVOLVE 107 on Sunday in Melrose, MA at the Melrose Memorial Hall. The promotion has stacked the lineups for these upcoming events. The main event for Saturday’s show will see Matt Riddle defend the EVOLVE Title against Shane Strickland while Sunday’s event will have Matt Riddle defending the EVOLVE Title against AR Fox.
EVOLVE 106
EVOLVE Championship Match: Matt Riddle defends vs. Shane Strickland WWN Championship Match: Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly defends vs. Joey Janela with Penelope Ford WALTER vs. Darby Allin Chris Dickinson, Jaka & Dom Garrini with Stokely Hathaway vs. Tracy Williams, Timothy Thatcher & Anthony Henry
AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk vs. DJZ
Bad Bones vs. Josh Briggs
The Skulk vs. The Skulk
EVOLVE 107
NXT North American Championship Match: Adam Cole defends vs. WALTER EVOLVE Championship Match (If Riddle Retains At EVOLVE 106): Matt Riddle defends vs. AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk FIP World Heavyweight Championship Match: Austin Theory with Priscilla Kelly defends vs. DJZ Tracy Williams vs. Chris Dickinson with Stokely Hathaway Darby Allin vs. Jarek 1:20 with Candy Cartwright Dominic Garrini with Stokely Hathaway vs. Josh Briggs
What are your thoughts on this lineup? Do you plan on watching? Sound off in the comment section
The Undertaker joined social media a few weeks ago, launching an Instagram account. Many begun to wonder whether or not it was real. Since its launched, Undertaker’s wife, Michelle McCool has tagged the account in a few photos, and several WWE stars follow the account as well.
McCool finally took to her own Instagram account to confirm that the account is in fact Undertaker’s and it’s his only account:
“YES, y’all….THIS is official! My man @undertaker is officially on IG & this is his ONLY account! Sit back & enjoy the ride…..#myheart #hubs”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkOtiz6BbPk/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkIrNu-gquH/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkOQi2pAEDQ/
Big E On The New Day Breaking Up
One fan recently responded to a WWE Tweet, asking them to break-up The New Day. Big E saw this and responded to the fan in a hilarious manner:
WWE’s Triple H and Shawn Michaels recently did an interview with GiveMeSport to talk about several professional wrestling topics. The podcast has yet to be uploaded but Alex McCarthy has been posting snippets on his Twitter account.
One such note was that Triple H teased a “huge announcement on women’s professional wrestling coming very soon.” The Heartbreak Kid then chimed in and said that “he doesn’t think an all-women’s PPV or even an all-women’s brand is “too far away at all””:
Triple H says there is a “huge announcement on women’s wrestling coming very soon”.
HBK said he doesn’t think an all-women’s PPV or even an all-women’s brand is “too far away at all”. #WWE
There’s currently no news on what the “huge announcement” could be, but it can’t hurt to speculate. An all-women’s brand or PPV is certainly a possibility. Or maybe WWE is finally considering giving the women of WWE Tag Team Titles. Regardless of what it is, hopefully it can live up to The Game’s “huge” claim.
Discussion: What do you think the announcement regarding WWE’s women’s division is going to be?
The United Kingdom crowds in WWE are some of the most entertaining the professional wrestling world has to offer.
They certainly proved that right during the WWE’s UK Championship Tournament taping this week. The chant started off during the WWE UK Championship match between Zack Gibson and Pete Dunne. Those in attendance took off their shoes and chanted,
“If you hate Gibson, shoes off!”.
Interestingly enough, the chant was started by PROGRESS commentator and wrestler Dahlia Black. She was likely in attendance showing support for her South Pacific Power Trip stablemate Travis Banks – who was in the UK Tournament.
Ronda Rousey impressed a lot of people during her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 this past April.
The Rowdy One teamed up with WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle in a Mixed Tag Team match against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Rousey surpassed a lot of fans’ expectations and actually put on one of the more entertaining matches of the night.
In the end, Rousey and Angle emerged victorious. It turns out that Rousey was very ill in the days leading up to her in-ring debut in New Orleans. Triple H recently did an interview with GiveMeSport and revealed Rousey had food poisoning while preparing for the match.
The Game credited Rousey for her determination after she refused to stop training despite how terrible she was feeling. Triple H himself had to stop the training session in order to let Rousey get some rest before the match.
Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody Rhodes recently participated in an AXS TV conference call to promote the G1 Special in San Francisco. The former ROH World Champion commented on wanting to see NJPW run a tour in the United States:
“The next time you come over, if you’re NJPW, you should make a tour of it,” Cody said. “When I say a tour, I mean, let’s hit Los Angeles, let’s hit New York, let’s grow a pair — which they have — and make a run of all the ‘A’ markets and see how you do. That might be the first step into seeing what you can do consistently in the United States. “I think, next time, make a tour of it.
“They won’t, but it’d be really cool if they did. It may take some time, but I think if you hit all the ‘A’ markets you’re going to sell out or come close to it everywhere you go. And I think it’s also real important that you give them New Japan Pro Wrestling, don’t dress it up with something that they might be comfortable with … you don’t have to decorate it with American stars. What’s got them to where they are is the Japanese talent and Japanese stars. “Don’t do enough market research that you change your product.”
Rhodes went on to call 2018 an “era of choice”:
“I don’t consider this an era of competition as much as I consider it an era of choice,” Cody said. “Look at the competition and where it got us. We ran WCW out of business, we destroyed an entire region in the US in terms of their love of wrestling and WWE has had to rebuild it. I’m from Georgia, I felt the fallout of a company losing in a competition before. I don’t think it’s about competition anymore, I think it’s about choice. I hope to see more efforts made to cross those bridges.”
We are saddened to report that wrestling legend Leon White, better known to fans across the world as Vader, passed away on Monday night. He was 63 years old.
A message posted on Vader’s official Twitter account states that he was diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia last month. He fought hard and was making progress in his recovery, but ultimately his heart gave out.
Vader is widely considered one of the greatest ‘super heavyweight’ atheltes to ever lace up a pair of boots. The former NFL center had a long wrestling career, having made his debut in 1985 and competing as recently as last year.
He had memorable runs in All Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, WCW, WWE and worked for various independent promotions across the world. He was a 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, 2-time All Japan Triple Crown Champion and 3-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
In November 2016, Vader announced that he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He underwent heart surgery back in March.
Sadly, has yet to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, despite campaigning for it on social media throughout the years. As Vader would say, it’s time.
SEScoops wishes sincere condolences to the family and friends of Leon White. RIP
It is with a heavy heart to inform everyone that my father, Leon White, passed away on Monday night (6/18/18) at approximately 7:25pm. pic.twitter.com/DYttSj7mk2
Loved working with Leon, loved the friendship I had with him for many years, and especially these last 8 months of his life. He will truly be missed. pic.twitter.com/32cWMdH2yX
It's with sad condolences to hear that my long time friend @itsvadertime has passed away. He was a great person to manage and a great human being. pic.twitter.com/R7itvDEdpe
Maaaaan…Vader was my guy as a child and was a sweetheart when he came down to FCW to help train us. I’m forever grateful for the conversations I was able to share with him. Condolences to Leon’s son, Jesse, and the rest of his family.
R.I.P Big Leon. Did my 1st tour in Japan with you in the big seat . Thanks for showing me the ropes and yes soft shell turtle is delicious. I thought you were ribbing me pic.twitter.com/N6RTSsnCmN
Indie band The Mountain Goats have released a tribute song for WWE Superstar Sasha Banks.
“Song For Sasha Banks” was posted to the bands Bandcamp page by frontman John Darnielle on Monday.
“Last night Sasha Banks wrestled for the Money in the Bank title,” notes Darnielle, “and while she didn’t take it home this time, I’ve learned enough about where she came from and how she got to where she is now to say with confidence: The sky is the limit for you. Your walk is just beginning and the day will come when all your setbacks look like steps on a ladder.”
You can hear “Song For Sasha Banks” by The Mountain Goats Here:
Founded 1991, the Mountain Goats 2015 wrestling-themed concept album, Beat the Champ, brough in positive reviews and prompted Banks to tweet:
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) May 3, 2015
The band accepted the challenge and have been working on the tune ever since. Darnielle noted on Bandcamp, “As a territories guy I had to learn her story. I said I’d finish the song by the end of the tour; it took a little longer than that.”
Current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar’s status with the company has been hotly debated for months now. With the reculsive champion rumored to leave the company after Summerslam, speculation has run rampant as to who he will drop the title to, as well as how WWE will handle his departure.
WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H (Paul Levesque), was asked about Lesnar’s status during Monday’s press tour for the upcoming WWE UK Championship Tournament. Triple H quickly brushed off the question,”So I think this was about the UK Tournament?” The 14-time Champion smirked.
“To be honest, I don’t have a comment on Brock, or the UFC, or any of that.”
Wether there is a plan in place or not for Lesnar and the WWE Universal Title remains to be seen, but it would seem WWE isn’t ready to say one way or the other yet.
Smackdown General Manager, Paige, and WWE host, Renee Young, recently decided to play a prank on Becky Lynch. The orange-haired Lass-Kicker arrived backstage at Smackdown but was surprised to learn that wrestlers in the back had tampered with her luggage.
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Becky Lynch’s Bag Smells Great
Somehow, the moral of this story turned out to be that Becky Lynch’s bag seems to smell great.
The topic of luggage was clearly still on Lynch’s mind when she Tweeted out the following:
Lynch made Billie Kay of the IIconics tap out last night to her armbar submission finish.
Praise for Becky Lynch
Lynch earned some praise recently from WWE Hall-of-Famer, Bubba Ray Dudley.
“Every time she climbed that ladder, those people were on their feet. They’re invested in her, they wanted to see her win. Hopefully, the people in the back are listening.” – Bubba Ray Dudley
Lynch was the inaugural Smackdown Live Women’s Champion, having won the title shortly after the brand extension in 2016. She won a 6-Pack Elimination Challenge at Backlash that year to win the title. She would lose the title that December at the TLC pay-per-view to Alexa Bliss, however. Lynch dropped a tables match and then a steel cage rematch to Bliss due to interference by Mickie James. She then fell out of the title picture altogether.
Matches for tonight’s episode of NXT were taped before Takeover: Chicago II inside All-State Arena. WWE is teasing they will show what happened after Takeover: Chicago II went off-air on Saturday night as well, however.
NXT Preview 6/20/18
At Takeover: Chicago II, it looked as though Johnny Gargano had defeated his rival. As medical personnel was taking Ciampa away on a stretcher, however, Gargano let his anger get the best of him. He continued the attack on Ciampa while security and others attempted to get him to stop. Somehow, the match continued on while this was all ongoing. Ciampa took advantage of Gargano being distracted by security and landed a draping DDT onto an exposed ring canvass. He then covered Gargano for a 3-count and the victory.
Now, Ciampa is saying his feud with Gargano is over and he is moving on to new goals.
This is an important match tonight for both Superstars. Belair has been coming on as of late and looks as though she could be the next to graduate into the NXT Women’s Championship picture.
As for Dakota Kai, she was beaten soundly by Shayna Baszler in her last match but finally stopped being intimidated by the champion, which is a moral victory of sorts for her.
Belair defeated Aliyah fairly soundly last week and then was involved in a dispute backstage with Kai, leading to this match tonight. Kai was being interviewed about her match with Baszler when Belair interrupted, upset she wasn’t being interviewed after her decisive win over Aliyah.
2) The War Raiders vs TM-61
TM-61 have been taking shortcuts to win matches as of late. They will need to find plenty of shortcuts to beat the surging War Raiders, however. With the Authors of Pain having been called up to the main roster (that did happen, right?), NXT’s tag division is wide open.
Currently, the Undisputed Era and teams for the UK division have been feuding over the titles.
TM-61 named the War Raiders as a team they believe they can beat in a recent interview. This upset Hanson and Ray Rowe, who will look to prove them wrong tonight.
As Rusev let go of the Accolade (camel clutch) last night following his victory in the Gauntlet match, the emotion on his face was visible. The 33-year-old has been with the company since September 2010. He will wrestle in his first ever WWE Championship match at Extreme Rules next month.
WWE.com caught up with Rusev and Aiden English following last night’s Smackdown.
“I’ve never had an opportunity before for a World Heavyweight Championship,” Rusev explained. “I couldn’t miss the chance. Aiden was there the whole way and Lana, of course, helping me morally in everything.”
Rusev vs AJ Styles at Extreme Rules 2018
Rusev and Aiden appear upset that Styles took a shot at Aiden last night. Following Rusev’s victory in the Gauntlet match, Styles came to the ring. While Styles and Rusev would shake hands, Aiden pulled his hand away from Styles just before they could shake. Styles then decked Aiden and knocked him to the ground for his trouble.
“We’re trying to have this feel-good moment, all fun and games, and all of a sudden (Styles) just punches him,” Rusev said. “I thought it was the wrong move.”
Rusev and AJ Styles have met twice in single’s competition. Both matches took place this year and both matches ended in DQs. Styles defeated Rusev via DQ on the March 13th, 2018 edition of Smackdown via DQ and again on the April 17th, 2018 version of Smackdown.
Rusev has won his last 2 single’s matches. He defeated Samoa Joe on the June 12th, 2018 edition of Smackdown. His match before then he defeated Daniel Bryan to successfully qualify for the Money in the Bank match. His only other single’s match since WrestleMania, however, was a loss to the Undertaker. Rusev was defeated by the Deadman in a Casket Match from the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Chris Jericho’s cruise this fall will feature talent from both Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling. As part of their involvement, Ring of Honor will be holding a “Sea of Honor” tournament with the winner receiving a shot at the ROH World Championship at a later date.
Jericho recently revealed the 1st round matches for the tournament.
The cruise runs from October 27th, 2018 to October 31st, 2018. The boat will sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas.
Sea of Honor Tournament
Jay Lethal vs BJ Whitmer
Christopher Daniels vs Delirious
Marty Scurll vs Rhett Titus
Silas Young vs Flip Gordon
Mark Briscoe vs Will Ferrara
Hangman Page vs Frankie Kazarian
Cheeseburger vs Beer City Bruiser
Jay Briscoe vs Kenny King
Also of note regarding the tournament, is that the Young Bucks are not entered. Jericho and the Bucks have teased forming a 3-person team named “The Bucks of Jericho” on the cruise.
The current IWGP Intercontinental Champion posted the following to his Instagram:
Yesterday, WWE announced they had parted ways with Smackdown talent, Big Cass. The announcement was made just hours before Smackdown went to air from Toledo, OH last night.
Also of note regarding Cass’ release is that it did not come with the normal wishing well in his future endeavors statement. WWE also chose not to wish Enzo Amore well on his future endeavors when he was released either. All other recently released WWE Superstars, including Austin Aries, Rich Swann, Darren Young, Emma, and Summer Rae were wished well by the company.
What Was Big Cass Fired For?
Sports Illustrated is reporting that multiple sources have told them that Cass’ drinking on the most recent European tour was an issue. Evidently, Cass was intoxicated often and in public during the tour. His attitude while drinking was also said to be an issue. According to SI’s Justin Barrasso, company officials were happy with Cass’ match at Money in the Bank and were surprised at his release, his attitude problems notwithstanding.
Cass was no stranger to heat while he was with WWE. There had been reports not long after he was brought up to the main roster with Enzo that Cass could be obnoxious in his political views, namely those regarding Donald Trump. Last month, Cass also upset officials when he reportedly went off-script during a segment. Cass’ character was involved in a scene with a little person dressed up as Daniel Bryan. Even though he was told not to go overboard with his beating of the little person, Cass did exactly that.
William Morrissey was signed to WWE in 2011 after being trained by Hall of Famer, Johnny Rodz. Prior to his signing, Cass played basketball for New York University. Despite being with the company for 7 years, Cass never won a title in either NXT or the main roster.
Rey Mysterio is currently negotiating a three year deal with the company which will allow the former WWE Champion to work a part-time schedule, according to LuchaCentral.
Mysterio has made a couple of appearances for WWE this year and he returned to the company after nearly 3 years of absence at Royal Rumble in January
He also wrestled in the 50 Men Battle Royal at the Mega Live Event in Saudi Arabia in April where he entered at #28 and was eliminated by Baron Corbin.
Rey has been negotiating a deal with the company ever since his return in January and Triple H is said to be the person in charge of the discussion between the two parties.
However, things have been moving slowly and after almost 6 months of his comeback at Royal Rumble, we’re still not sure when Mysterio may return to the company for a longer run.
Though these latest updates coincide with a previous report which claimed that the Masked Star wants to work a part-time schedule in WWE, opposed to the full-time contract Officials were offering him.
And after this report, it seems like Officials have agreed to his demand of a part-time schedule and it appears to be only a matter of time before Rey Mysterio is back into the WWE fold.
There were rumblings about the Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax match for the Raw Women’s Championship possibly closing the Money In The Bank PPV and it was a little surprising to see that it didn’t happen.
Now in an update, Pwinsider reveals that this Championship bout including the finish where Alexa Bliss cashed in her MITB Contract was indeed slated to main event the PPV at one point.
However, the Officials changed their mind sometime during the weekend and the Men’s ladder match, which of course was won by Braun Strowman ended up being the closing bout of the night.
Top Ten Raw Moments
After yesterday’s episode of Raw, WWE released a video of top 10 moments from this week’s episode of the Red Branded Show on their Official YouTube account.
The list includes moments like Dolph Ziggler’s surprising Championship victory over Seth Rollins, the backstage brawl between Sasha Banks and Bayley after their match, B-team’s promo and more.
It is topped by the opening segment of the show which saw Ronda Rousey going the Steve Austin route and assaulting everyone on her way including the Raw General Manager Kurt Angle. You can check out the full video below:
The June 19th episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Huntington Center in Toledo, OH. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WWE Money in the Bank 2018. Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s show:
Carmella Superkicked Asuka
SmackDown GM Paige kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown by going over the events that took place at Money in the Bank. Paige hyped Extreme Rules next month and stated that there will be 5 Superstars competing in a Gauntlet Match tonight and the last Superstar remaining will face AJ Styles at Extreme Rules for the WWE Championship. Big E, Rusev, The Miz, Samoa Joe, and Daniel Bryan will be the Superstars competing in that match.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella then skipped down to the ring. Carmella retained her title at Money in the Bank over Asuka due to outside interference from a returning James Ellsworth.
Carmella got in the ring and said that she just wanted to be real with everyone for a moment. She said that she dealt with a lot of confidence issues growing up and that it was really hard for her. She added that she worked harder than everyone and that she something beautiful in herself before anyone else did.
Carmella added that she wants every young boy and girl who feels that they aren’t good enough to look in the mirror and say “Mella is money!”. Carmella then cackled and said that she has been moonwalking and trash talking since she was in diapers. She added that the real message is to just give up because you can work twice as hard as her and you will still only be half as good.
She then boasted about winning the MITB contract, defeating Charlotte Flair and then defeating Asuka this past Sunday at Money in the Bank. She then claimed that she won the match all by herself even though Ellsworth interfered in the match. She boasted about making the Empress of Tomorrow bow down to the Princess of Staten Island.
Asuka’s music hit and Ellsworth came down to the ring dressed up as Asuka. James then took off the Asuka mask and shared a hug with Carmella. Ellsworth grabbed the microphone and shouted, “no one was ready for Ellsworth, especially Asuka”. James told everyone to shut up because he had something special to say to his princess.
Ellsworth shouted that he was back to serve the greatest woman in history and pointed to Carmella. James said that Carmella is better than Charlotte, Lita, Trish Stratus, Mother Teresa, Beyonce, Ronda Rousey, and Asuka. Carmella stuck her tongue out and raised the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the air.
Asuka (the actual one) then stormed down to the ring and Carmella backed to the corner. Ellsworth took off what remained of the Asuka costume and got in Asuka’s face. Asuka booted him in the midsection but turned around into a Superkick from Carmella. The SmackDown Women’s Champion and Ellsworth then retreated up the entrance ramp as Asuka stared at them from the ring.
Becky Lynch battled Billie Kay tonight on SmackDown. Peyton Royce accompanied Kay to the ring. Before the match, The IIConics poked fun at Toledo and called the crowd smelly animals. Peyton Royce imitated Becky Lynch and said that Becky is never going to amount to anything and am so much better off as Charlotte Flair’s sidekick. Kay advised Lynch to keep living in the past because her present is abysmal.
The announcers played up the fact that there is no way Becky Lynch is 100% following the MITB Ladder Match before the match started. They also spoke about Lynch coming so close to winning the Ladder Match on Sunday and tonight was a chance for her to pick up some momentum.
Lynch took down Kay to start off the match and punched her in the face as the crowd chanted “Becky!”. Becky connected with an Exploder Suplex that sent Kay out of the ring. Lynch followed it up with a Dropkick through the ropes and rolled Kay back into the ring. Billie tried to escape once again and Becky caught her with a couple uppercuts and rolled her back into the ring. As Lynch was trying to get into the ring, Kay grabbed her and slammed her into the ring post as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Billie was still in control and had Lynch in a Headlock in the center of the ring. Becky battled to her feet but was quickly knocked down by a forearm to the chest. Kay distracted the referee and Peyton Royce connected with a knee to Lynch’s face. Billie went for the cover but Lynch kicked out at two.
Kay applied the Headlock again but Becky broke the hold by slamming Billie into the turnbuckle. Lynch followed it up with a boot to the ribs and then a flying forearm off the top rope. Lynch followed it up with a Clothesline and then a boot to the side of Kay’s face. Becky hit another Exploder Suplex for a two count.
Becky got frustrated and charged at Kay in the corner. Peyton Royce hopped up on the ring apron for a distraction but Becky threw her to the floor. Lynch threw Kay out of the ring and then hit Royce with a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Becky countered a roll-up attempt and applied the Dis-Arm-Her to Billie Kay for the submission victory.
Jeff Hardy Brought Back The Face Paint & Warned Nakamura
Jeff Hardy had a bizarre pretaped promo on Shinsuke Nakamura. Hardy wasn’t facing the camera as he described what Nakamura did to him last week. Hardy started that Shinsuke’s actions didn’t unsettle him at all and that they actually did the opposite.
Hardy then turned around and had face paint on. Hardy added “my eyes were closed before but now they are open. Shinsuke, I see you”. Jeff opened his eyes and he had clear contracts in.
Later on SmackDown, Renee Young caught up with Shinsuke Nakamura backstage. Nakamura claimed that he didn’t lose at Money in the Bank because he is still standing. He then accused the referee of counting too fast and that it was unfair that he didn’t count in Japanese. Nakamura then warned Hardy that he will close his eyes if he needs to.
The Usos came down to the ring and cut a promo about SAnitY coming to SmackDown tonight. Jey and Jimmy welcomed SAnitY to the Uso Penitentiary and then SAnitY’s music hit. Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe made their way down to the ring for the match.
A brawl before the match started and SAnitY beatdown The Usos. Dain connected with a Splash in the corner and then delivered a Splash to Jimmy Uso. Wolfe then lifted Jey in the air and Young planted Jey with a Neckbreaker off the second rope. SAnitY then posed over The Usos.
Gallows & Anderson got another chance at the SmackDown Tag Team Championships tonight when they faced the Bludgeon Brothers. Gallows & Anderson lost to Harper & Rowan this past Sunday on the Kickoff Show before WWE Money in the Bank.
Harper and Rowan started off the match in control. Rowan perched Gallows up on the top rope and started punching him in the face. Rowan joined Gallows on the top rope and planted him with a massive Superplex. Rowan went for the cover but Anderson broke it up. The Bludgeon Brothers brought Anderson out of the ring and slammed him into the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Rowan connected with a Splash on Gallows for a near fall. Harper tagged in and continued to beatdown Gallows. Rowan got back in and dropped a knee into Gallow’s midsection. Gallows tried to fight back but Rowan quickly knocked him back down with an elbow to the face.
Harper tagged in and clubbed Gallows in the back. Harper sent Gallows to the corner and Gallows connected with a boot to Rowan on the apron. Gallows then kicked Harper in the face as Anderson made his way back to the ring apron. Anderson tagged in and made his way to the top rope. Anderson connected with a Crossbody and followed it up with a Spinebuster for a two count.
Rowan got back into the ring and Anderson was able to send him back to the outside. Harper then planted Anderson with a Side Slam for a two count. Gallows pulled Rowan off the apron and Rowan booted him into the timekeeper’s area. Harper then Powerbombed Anderson as Rowan was the legal man. Rowan then covered Anderson to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Rusev Will Face AJ Styles For The WWE Championship At Extreme Rules
Daniel Bryan was the first Superstar in the Gauntlet Match. The winner of the Gauntlet Match will face AJ Styles at WWE Extreme Rules for the WWE Championship. Bryan made his entrance quickly after the Bludgeon Brothers won their match and there was a brief staredown on the entrance ramp.
Big E was the second Superstar in the Gauntlet Match. Bryan and Big E locked up in the middle of the ring. Big E lifted Bryan in the air and launched him across the ring but Daniel landed on his feet. They locked up again and Big E overpowered Daniel brought him to the mat.
Bryan hopped back up but was once again thrown across the ring by Big E. Big E followed it up with a shoulder tackle. Bryan brought Big E to the canvas and locked in a Dragon Sleeper Hold in the middle of the ring. Big E broke the hold with a punch to the face. Bryan drove his knee into Big E’s back and kept him on the mat.
Big E battled to his feet and elbowed Bryan in the face. Big E then connected with an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex that sent Bryan to the apron. Big E then hit a Splash on the apron and Bryan fell to the floor outside the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Bryan missed with a diving headbutt and Big E went for the cover. Bryan kicked out but Big E locked him in the Torture Rack in the middle of the ring. Bryan escaped and leveled Big E with a Clothesline. Bryan slammed Big E into the middle turnbuckle and delivered a few Yes Kicks in the corner.
Bryan perched Big E on the top rope and connected with a Hurricanrana that sent Big E to the opposite corner. Bryan geared up as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Bryan hit two running Dropkicks in a row but Big E hit a Clothesline when he went for a third. Big E connected with a Backbreaker and went for the cover but Bryan was able to kick out at two. Daniel wrestled Big E to the canvas and went for the Yes Lock.
Big E blocked it and then Bryan went for a Triangle submission. Big E lifted Bryan in the air but Daniel escaped and slammed Big E’s knee into the mat. Bryan went for the Heel Hook but Big E was already at the ropes. Daniel hit a couple uppercuts but Big E shrugged them off and sent Bryan to the corner. Big E sent Bryan to the apron and hit him with a Spear that sent both Superstars to the floor outside the ring.
The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” as the action returned to the ring. Bryan escaped the Big Ending and launched Big E into the ring post. Bryan then hit the running knee for the pinfall victory. Big E was eliminated from the Gauntlet Match. Samoa Joe was the next Superstar in the match to face Daniel Bryan.
Joe beatdown Bryan in the corner to start off the match. Joe hit a series of chops that turned Bryan’s chest red and knocked him to the canvas. AJ Styles was shown watching the match backstage as Joe continued to beat the hell out of Bryan in the ring. Bryan battled back with some chops and kicks. Bryan charged at Joe but Joe was ready and planted him with an awesome Powerslam for a two count.
Samoa Joe went back to the chops and then delivered a kick to Bryan’s midsection. Bryan once again battled back with chops and kicks and the crowd chanted “yes!” at every impact. Joe caught Bryan and planted him with a Powerbomb. Joe then locked in the Boston Crab in the middle of the ring.
Joe transitioned into the Crossface as Bryan screamed in agony and reached for the ropes. Joe grabbed Bryan’s arm but Bryan extended his leg to reach the bottom rope and break the hold. Joe went for a kick to the chest but Bryan caught his leg and took him down with a Dragon Screw. Bryan slammed Joe’s leg into the ring post a couple times and followed it up with an uppercut. Samoa Joe battled back with an Atomic Drop, a boot to the face, and a Senton for a two count as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Joe was still in control of the match. Bryan battled back and the two Superstars started trading massive chops to the chest. Joe went for the Coquina Clutch but Bryan escaped and threw Joe out of the ring. Bryan connected with a knee to the face off the ring apron and then brought Joe back into the ring. Bryan climbed to the top rope and connected with a Dropkick.
Bryan fired himself up as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Daniel hit Joe with a series of Yes Kicks in the middle of the ring. Joe grabbed Bryan’s leg but Bryan connected with an Enziguri with the free leg. Bryan then went for the running knee but Joe rolled out of the ring. Bryan bounced off the ropes and tried to dive at Joe but Joe caught him in the Coquina Clutch. Bryan pushed off the barricade to escape the hold and leaped in the ring at the count of 9. Joe didn’t make it back to the ring and was counted out.
The Bludgeon Brothers then got into the ring and Powerbombed Daniel Bryan. The Miz then sprinted to the ring as he was the next Superstar in the match. The Miz planted Bryan with the Skull Crushing Finale and pinned him. Bryan was eliminated and The Miz disrespectfully threw Bryan out of the ring and taunted him.
The final two Superstars in the Gauntlet Match were Rusev and The Miz. Rusev started off in control and planted Miz with a Dropkick for a two count. Aiden English was ringside for the match and cheered Rusev on as he beatdown Miz in the corner. Rusev connected with a Fallaway Slam for a near fall. WWE Champion AJ Styles was once again shown backstage watching the match as The Miz sent Rusev out of the ring. The Miz followed it up with a Dropkick through the ropes as English shouted at Rusev to get up because “this is our day”.
The Miz slammed Rusev into the barricade and then threw him back into the ring. Miz delivered a boot to the face and went for the cover but Rusev kicked out at two. The Miz then applied a Chin Lock in the center of the ring. Rusev battled to his feet and broke the hold with a couple of jabs to The Miz’s ribs. Miz connected with a Neckbreaker for another two count.
Miz hit a Clothesline in the corner and then made his way to the top rope and bashed Rusev in the head for a two count. The Miz applied a Chin Lock and raked at Rusev’s eyes while the referee wasn’t in position. The crowd got behind Rusev as he inched his way to the bottom rope to break the hold.
Rusev connected with a boot to the face and then traded shots with The Miz in the middle of the ring. Rusev connected with a flurry of kicks and then followed it up with a massive spin kick that sent Miz to the floor. The crowd chanted “Rusev Day!” as Rusev geared up in the corner. The Miz dodged the Machka Kick and went for the Skull Crushing Finale but Rusev blocked it.
Rusev hit another kick to the side of The Miz’s head for a near fall. The Miz rolled out of the ring to try to regroup but Rusev followed him and quickly brought him back inside. The Miz hung up Rusev on the top rope and then threw Rusev into the steel steps. The Miz went for a cover back in the ring but Rusev was able to kick out at the last moment.
The Miz connected with a few It Kicks in the ring and went for another one but Rusev dodged it. Rusev went for the Accolade but Miz countered into a DDT for a two count. The Miz mocked Daniel Bryan by doing the “yes chant” in the corner and then ran towards Rusev. Rusev was ready and connected with the Machka Kick that knocked The Miz to the mat. Rusev then locked in the Accolade for the submission victory. Rusev will now face AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules.
After the match, WWE Champion AJ Styles walked down to the ring with the title on his shoulder. Styles slid into the ring and placed the title in between them on the canvas. AJ and Rusev stared at each other and AJ extended his hand. Rusev shook AJ’s hand and then Aiden English extended his hand. English pulled his hand away and then mocked AJ Styles. AJ then punched English in the face and exited the ring. Rusev started yelling at English as SmackDown went off the air.
Opinion: Tonight’s episode of SmackDown was awesome. The Gauntlet Match lasted nearly an hour and there wasn’t a dull moment. Big E & Bryan had a fantastic match to kick it off and then Bryan & Joe followed it up with another great bout. It will be interesting to see where the Daniel Bryan/ Bludgeon Brothers storyline leads to leading up until Extreme Rules in four weeks. Rusev is a great choice to face AJ Styles for the title because the crowd is behind both of them. There have been rumors that Rusev and Aiden English will be going there seperate ways soon and we may have seen the beginning of that at the conclusion of tonight’s SmackDown.
What did you think of this week’s episode of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments below.
A new #1 contender for the WWE Title was crowned on SmackDown Live.
Rusev beat Big E, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, and Samoa Joe in a Gauntlet Match on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Toledo, OH at the Huntington Center on the USA Network.
This match ended up serving as the main event of this episode, which was the post-Money in the Bank show for the blue brand.
As a result of this win, Rusev will now challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Title at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event that 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.
The Card
– Multi-Man Match to Determine New #1 Contender for WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley vs. More Superstars TBA
SAnitY has finally made their WWE television debut as members of the main roster.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Toledo, OH at the Huntington Center on the USA Network, the group was supposed faced off against The Usos in a tag team match. However, they beat down the former SmackDown Tag Team Champions and there was no match.
If you recall, the sports entertainment company decided to call up the group that consists of Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe from NXT to the main roster and placed them on the SmackDown brand shortly after WrestleMania 34 in April.
WWE has aired vignettes to hype their debut since then. They recently made their live event debut earlier this month at a live event in Waco, Texas.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on the creative plans in place for them by the sports entertainment company.
What do you think WWE should do with the former NXT stable?
Ring of Honor has made a change to a key match at the upcoming Best in the World PPV.
Originally, the promotion announced that Punishment Martinez would take on Adam Page in a singles match at this show. However, the promotion had to make a change to this contest once Martinez was able to capture the ROH World Television Title by defeating Silas Young over the weekend at an event in Dallas, TX at Gilley’s Dallas.
Now, Martinez will defend the TV Title against Page in a Street Fight at Best in the World.
JUST ANNOUNCED: New #ROH World TV Champion @ROHPunishment will defend against @theAdamPage in a BALTIMORE STREET FIGHT at #ROHBITW!
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) June 19, 2018
This event 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. The promotion will be announcing more matches soon.
Shawn Michaels continues to talk about potentially working another match.
The WWE Hall of Famer recently went on record by stating that he would consider working another match if the opportunity came about.
He did bring up the idea of working a tag team match with Triple H if he did decide to compete one more time in a WWE ring.
While in the UK this week, Michaels spoke with the Daily Star about various topics. In this interview, he continued to talk about his hesitation on working another match at this stage in his life. “I am guilty of not really wanting to work for a living. To put me in a singles match at [WrestleMania] it’s a very strenuous and anxious process, once you get in there it’s phenomenal,” Michaels said. “But to get ready for it is 100% work, and I don’t want to put myself or my family through that to go out and try and steal the show at 52 for God’s sakes.” “If you take the younger version of me and put me in with [the younger guys] course it would be a blast,” Michaels said. “But at the same time I would like to be the younger version of me and be the ring with Harley Race and Buddy Rodgers. That’s something that can’t happen in real life. … Fans want me to nip up and have everything look like it’s 1996 or 1997, that’s never gonna happen as Father Time waits on no man.”
The WWE Hall of Famer has had a storied career in the professional industry and will go down as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
He has held every big championship that WWE has to offer and had some classic matches as well as a feud with the biggest names in pro wrestling. Those names would include The Undertaker, Steve Austin, Triple H, and Ric Flair.
What are your thoughts on Michaels potentially wrestling one more match?
