WWE Smackdown General Manager, Paige, was not pleased with her stay at the Memphis Sheraton Hotel last night. She expressed her discontentment with the hotel in a recent post to her social media followers.
“If you’re in the Memphis area don’t EVER stay at the @SheratonMemphis,” Paige Tweeted. “it’s literally the worst. Things stolen, bad customer service and room service takes two hours just for a salad and WE are the inconvenience. Ugh. The worst.”
Apparently, all the GMs stay together, as Paige’s Tweet concerned 205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick. He Tweeted out the following:
There has been no update on Drake Maverick’s Mac or mind as of this writing.
Rusev Complains About Sheraton in Memphis Too
Paige is not the only member of the Smackdown roster to complain about the hotel situation in Memphis. Rusev was also staying at a Memphis area Sheraton and also complained of items stolen and bad service.
Thank you @sheratonhotels Memphis for “cleaning” the room and stealing my wife camera and my money from my wallet
Rusev was in Memphis on Monday after the Smackdown crew had a house show in Mississipi on Sunday. It’s likely that some from the Smackdown roster would have gone straight to Memphis following the Mississipi house show.
Sheraton Hotels has not made any comment publicly regarding the complaints from either Paige or Rusev.
Rusev defeated Samoa Joe in single’s action on Smackdown last night. The Miz was the special referee and caused Joe to become distracted with him thus allowing Rusev to hit the Matchka kick for the win. Rusev, Joe, and the Miz will all take part in the men’s Money in the Bank match on Sunday from Chicago.
As for Paige, she hosted a women’s Money in the Bank summit to start last night’s show. The segment broke down, however, and resulted in the 10-person tag-team main event match to close the show. She’s been working as the Smackdown General Manager since the Smackdown after WrestleMania 34.
Stephanie McMahon has been a part of WWE for well over two decades now but the Raw Commissioner hadn’t had a WrestleMania match, up until this year.
Stephanie wrestled her first Mania match at the Show of Shows earlier this year where she teamed up with her husband Triple H to compete with the team of Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle in a losing effort.
Talking about her WrestleMania in-ring debut during a recent interview with ESPN, the Raw Star revealed how she felt going into the match and claimed that she had never been more nervous in her life:
“I have never been more nervous in my life. It was absolutely a dream come true to be able to wrestle at WrestleMania in general. Having the opportunity to be a part of Ronda Rousey’s debut, and being a part of Kurt [Angle]’s first match in years was an amazing opportunity. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Apart from this Stephanie also talked about how WWE belongs to an event like the FYC Campaign, Raw being the longest running weekly episodic television show in history with over 1300 episodes and more.
It’s worth mentioning here that the WrestleMania match was also the debut bout for Ronda Rousey and she is set to wrestle in her first televised singles match at the Money In The Bank PPV this Sunday.
205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick, opened up last night’s episode of 205 Live by announcing Hideo Itami was suspended. Itami attacked Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy last week during their main event match and would miss last night’s show as a result.
Maverick would later book Itami, Ali, and Murphy to face each other in a triple threat match next week. The winner could move into a spot to challenge for Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship soon.
Throughout last night’s episode of 205 Live, both Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali asked Maverick for a match with Itami. Maverick decided then to give them both what they want. Now, all three will meet in a triple threat match next week.
Also this week on 205 Live, the Lucha House Party picked up a win over Jack Gallagher, Brian Kendrick, and Drew Gulak. Mustafa Ali also picked up a win over Tony Nese and Akira Tozawa picked up a win over a local competitor. Tozawa and Itami’s tag-team appears broken up permanently. We still don’t know when the brand plans to introduce tag-team titles but they continue to book tag matches on the show. There are also no plans for a cruiserweight match on the Money in the Bank PPV this weekend.
WWE has taken a lot of steps into the Women’s Revolution in the past few years and the company has held a number of historic ‘first time ever’ Women’s matches such as the Women’s Royal Rumble or Women’s Money In The Bank in recent times.
During a recent interview with ESPN, Charlotte Flair talked about her victory over Asuka at WrestleMania 34, the best advice her father has given her and more.
While talking about the Women’s Revolution, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion revealed her favorite ‘first’ match saying that it has to be her Hell In A Cell match against Sasha Banks:
“I guess it has to be Hell in a Cell. I can’t say it was my favorite match, but it’s definitely my favorite moment. Sasha [Banks] is someone I came up through the ranks with, and if there’s someone I was going to main event a pay-per-view with, it would be her.”
Charlotte Flair was drafted to Raw during the 2016 drafts and she then started a feud with Sasha Banks over the title later renamed as the Raw Women’s Championship.
The two feuded over the title for a while and during their rivalry, they competed in the first ever Women’s Hell In A Cell match at the PPV of the same name in October 2016.
The match was won by Charlotte and the victory helped her regain the Women’s title then held by Banks, making her a three-time Women’s Champion.
This week’s episode of SmackDown Live also had two dark matches with one of them featuring Daniel Bryan and after this, it appears that holding a match before and after the show is slowly becoming a tradition for the Tuesday Night Show.
The first match saw the #1 contender for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, ‘The Good Brothers’ Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson facing the Bar.
The team of Cesaro and Sheamus lost this bout after the duo of Gallows and Anderson hit their finishing maneuver Magic Killer on the Swiss Superman and then Luke got the pin.
The second dark match which took place after the event went off air saw the former SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan defeating the Miz in a singles competition.
It’s worth mentioning here that this was the second match of the night for Bryan who wrestled Shelton Benjamin in a bout earlier in the show and made the former United States Champion tap out.
At the time Daniel Bryan was cleared to return, it was reported that the doctors agreed for his in-ring return on the condition that he will be evaluated by medical personals after every match.
Now after almost 2 months of his return, the fact that Bryan is being allowed to wrestle twice in the same night proves that the Officials are finally confident about his health and we can expect him to be part of some interesting rivalries in future.
Raw has not been doing very well in terms of viewership in recent weeks and the show has been drawing some of its lowest numbers in the event’s broadcasting history.
However, this week’s episode may have relaxed the Officials a bit as the audience for the Money In The Bank go home edition of the show was up 8% from previous week.
The show which was main evented by a Fatal Four Way match among Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, Kevin Owens and Bobby Roode drew a total of 2.730 million viewers.
The first hour of the episode drew 2.751 million viewers in comparison to last week’s 2.594 million viewers. The second and third hours drew 2.812 million and 2.629 million viewers which were up from last week’s 2.593 million and 2.390 million views respectively.
While the audience was on the lower side of the show’s history, it was still up from last week’s episode of the Red Branded Show which did 2.525 million viewers.
Though what’s worth mentioning here is that the company did not have any competition from NHL or the NBA this week as both sets of playoffs are over.
So it’d be interesting to see if they are able to continue this momentum on the MITB follow up episode next week.
The current WWE Champion AJ Styles is considered a workhorse and so it’s really surprising that the SmackDown Star has not been in any match for nearly three weeks.
He hasn’t been taking part in any Live Events in recent weeks and the last time AJ wrestled was in a dark match against Shinsuke Nakamura during the May 22nd episode of SmackDown Live.
What’s interesting to note here is that this match didn’t run for very long and the bout was interrupted by the Bar not too long after it began. The whole segment ended with the Club making the save.
Not only that but Styles is also scheduled to miss this weekend’s Live Events and apart from TV tapings, the next event he is currently advertised to be a part of is WWE Live Event from Tokyo on June 29th.
It’s worth mentioning here that AJ Styles was dealing with an undisclosed injury a few weeks prior to WrestleMania but he was able to recover from it and defended his title successfully at the Show of Shows.
However, now his unexpected hiatus from the ring has started many rumors and people are wondering if there is a connection between his injury back then and his current absence.
The fact that WWE has been quiet about the whole thing doesn’t help either and it’s only fuelling the fire. The only positive news is that, as of this writing, his match at the Money In The Bank is still on.
We’ll keep you posted if any more details regarding his status come to light.
The June 12th episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN. It was the go-home show for WWE Money in the Bank this Sunday. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
The Women’s Summit Turned Into A Brawl
Becky Lynch, Naomi, Lana, and Charlotte Flair joined SmackDown GM Paige in the ring to kick off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Paige stated that the four women in the ring have earned their way into the MITB Ladder Match and will have to overcome RAW’s best Superstars in the match.
Naomi boasted about winning the first-ever women’s Battle Royal at WrestleMania and vowed to win the MITB contract. Charlotte told Naomi that the only reason Naomi won the Battle Royal was that she wasn’t in it. Charlotte said that she was going to win the Ladder Match and Becky Lynch interrupted.
Lynch stated that she was willing to do whatever it takes to win the match, even if that means going through her best friend. Becky brought up beating Charlotte last week on SmackDown and sarcastically asked Charlotte how her arm was.
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay interrupted and poked fun at the SmackDown Superstars in the women’s Ladder Match. Royce did a brutal Irish accent, Kay made fun of Charlotte wearing her father’s robe, drinking tea and crying when she loses matches. The IIconics then danced around to make fun of Naomi and Lana.
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville joined the party and came down to the entrance ramp. They said that Paige is going to be disappointed this Sunday because the talent outside the ring is far superior to the talent in the ring. Lynch, Flair, Naomi, and Lana then attacked Kay, Royce, Rose, and Deville on the entrance ramp and that was the end of the segment. It was announced after the commercial break that an 8-woman tag match will go down later tonight. Carmella and Asuka were later added to the match to make it a 10-woman tag match.
Daniel Bryan faced Shelton Benjamin tonight on SmackDown. Benjamin started off the match in control and sent Bryan to the corner. Bryan leveled Benjamin with a shoulder tackle and quickly went for the Yes Lock. Benjamin blocked it but Bryan was able to apply a Wrist Lock.
Bryan connected with a couple of uppercuts and then a boot to the face. Shelton sent Bryan to the ring apron and booted him in the knee. Bryan crashed to the floor outside the ring and Benjamin joined him out there. Shelton lifted Bryan in the air and slammed him knee-first onto the announce table as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, the action had returned to the ring and Benjamin was still targetting Bryan’s knee. Shelton had Bryan trapped in the middle of the ring in a Half Crab. Daniel battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold.
Shelton missed with a kick and Bryan connected with a Dropkick of his own to Benjamin’s knee. The crowd chanted “yes!” as both Superstars got back up and traded kicks. Bryan took Benjamin to the canvas and delivered a few Yes Kicks in the corner. Bryan wrapped Benjamin’s knee around the rope and connected with a Dropkick.
Benjamin hit a knee to the face as Bryan was on the turnbuckle. Shelton climbed up next to him and connected with a Superplex for a two count. Daniel battled back and went for the Yes Lock once again. Benjamin countered into a roll-up and then transitioned into the Half Crab in the middle of the ring. Bryan rolled through and countered into the Heel Hook for the submission victory.
Rusev battled Samoa Joe tonight on SmackDown. Paige made The Miz the special referee for the match. Joe and Rusev locked up to start off the match. Joe drove Rusev to the corner and beat him down. Joe started arguing with Miz and Rusev capitalized. Rusev beatdown Joe in the corner and then booted Joe out of the ring.
Rusev followed Joe out of the ring and bounced his head off the ring apron as the crowd chanted “Rusev Day!”. Joe battled back and connected with a forearm to the face after diving through the ropes as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Rusev and Joe were trading shots in the middle of the ring. Rusev connected with a kick that knocked Joe to the corner. Rusev followed it up with a leaping kick that caught Joe in the face and knocked him to the canvas. Rusev went for the Machka Kick but Joe avoided it and locked in the Coquina Clutch.
Aiden English hopped up on the ring apron to distract The Miz. Joe knocked English off the ring apron and accidentally hit Miz in the process. Joe then slammed Rusev for the canvas and went for the cover but The Miz didn’t make the count. Joe and Miz started arguing in the ring and Joe grabbed him and dragged him to the corner. Rusev once again capitalized on the distraction and connected with the Machka Kick on Joe for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Aiden English grabbed a ladder from under the ring and gave it Rusev. Rusev struck Joe with the ladder and then set it up in the middle of the ring. The Miz snuck up behind Rusev and planted him with the Skull Crushing Finale. Miz then climbed up the ladder and grabbed the MITB briefcase.
Miz brought the briefcase over to the announce table and started shouting that he was going to win the match. Byron Saxton opened the briefcase to reveal that there were a bunch of pancakes inside of it. The Miz had a meltdown as New Day was shown backstage laughing.
Shinsuke Nakamura faced United States Champion Jeff Hardy tonight on SmackDown. Nakamura rolled out of the ring to start off the match and taunted Hardy by doing his pose. Shinsuke dared Hardy to come after him and it backfired. Jeff connected with a Crossbody off the ring apron as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Hardy was still in control and connected with a Jawbreaker in the ring. Hardy followed it up with an Atomic Drop and then a Dropkick to the face for a two count. Nakamura connected with a Dropkick of his own and followed it up with a boot to the face.
Jeff battled back and hit Whisper in the Wind for a two count. Nakamura draped Hardy across the top rope and hit a knee to the ribs. Hardy avoided the Kinshasa and planted Shinsuke with the Twist of Fate. Jeff hit the Swanton Bomb but couldn’t go for the cover right away because his back was in pain. Jeff finally went for the cover but Nakamura was able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break it up.
Hardy went for the Twist of Fate once again but Nakamura blocked it. Shinsuke then hit Hardy with a low blow which caused the match to end in a DQ. Nakamura hit Hardy with the Kinshasa and counted to ten. Low blows will be legal in the WWE Championship Last Man Standing Match at Money in the Bank between AJ Styles and Nakamura.
Charlotte, Naomi, Asuka, Becky Lynch & Lana faced The IIconics, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville & Carmella in the main event of this week’s SmackDown. Deville and Naomi started off the match. Naomi hit a Hurricanrana and tagged in Lana.
Lana connected with a knee to the midsection and followed it up with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Deville drove Lana to the corner and Carmella tagged herself in. Carmella stomped on Lana in the corner and then moonwalked to the other side of the ring.
Carmella missed with a Bronco Buster and that allowed Becky Lynch to tag in. Becky hit a Clothesline that sent Carmella to the mat. Lynch followed it up with an Exploder Suplex for a two count.
Becky booted Deville in the face but that allowed Carmella to regroup and tag in Peyton Royce. Peyton hit a boot to the face for a two count and then tagged in Billie Kay. Billie beatdown Becky some more in the corner and Deville tagged back in as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Becky was still trapped in the corner as everyone took turns beating her down. Deville planted Becky with a Spear for a two count and tagged in Billie Kay. Billie applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted for Becky.
Lynch battled to her feet to break the hold but Kay cut her down with a knee to the ribs. Becky escaped a Body Slam and connected with a kick to the face. Lynch crawled to the corner and tagged in Charlotte.
Royce tagged in at the same time and Charlotte greeted her with a series of chops. Charlotte hit a Fallaway Slam on Kay that sent her out of the ring. Charlotte then hit a Spear on Royce and climbed to the top.
Royce got her knees up on Charlotte’s Moonsault attempt and then tagged in Mandy Rose. Mandy connected with a knee to Charlotte’s face. Flair battled back and tagged in Asuka. Asuka hit Rose with a Dropkick off the top and then quickly applied the Asuka Lock.
Deville broke up the hold and then a brawl broke out. Carmella tagged herself in and Asuka knocked her off the ring apron. Charlotte then flipped onto Kay and Royce outside the ring as Deville and Rose threw Becky into the barricade. Naomi then took out Deville with a Crossbody off the ring apron. Carmella hit Asuka with a Superkick but Lana broke up the cover. Carmella went for a roll-up but Asuka countered into the Asuka Lock for the submission victory. SmackDown went off the air with Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Naomi, and Lana looking up at the MITB briefcase hanging above the ring.
Opinion: Tonight’s episode of SmackDown didn’t accomplish anything. It didn’t add any hype to the PPV this Sunday, it just felt like a standard episode of SmackDown. The feud between Daniel Bryan and Big Cass is as boring as it gets. I didn’t care that it was “the biggest women’s tag match in SmackDown Live history!” in the main event. In the end, it was just a boring match that was constantly interrupted by promos and commercials.
AJ Styles was briefly interviewed by Jerry “The King” Lawler tonight just because the show was in Memphis. AJ said he was going to walk out of Money in the Bank with the WWE Championship. He joked that he was sorry for not hitting Nakamura’s head off last week when he slapped him. The whole tone of the interview felt off to me. After all that Nakamura has done to Styles, you would think that he would be pissed off heading into the WWE Championship match that is happening in 5 days.
WWE’s storylines are just sequences of events right now with absolutely no emotion behind them. AJ Styles should be hunting Nakamura down every week to get back at him. Instead, they didn’t even interact tonight on the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Money in the Bank. There isn’t a storyline in WWE right now that has grabbed my attention. At least there are two Ladder Matches on Sunday because there is not anything else to get invested in.
What did you think of this week’s episode of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments below.
WWE has decided to move one match to the Money in the Bank Pre-show.
That match is the SmackDown Tag Team Title Match that will see Luke Harper and Erick Rowan defend the straps against Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.
The Money in the Bank pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate 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
– Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode vs. Samoa Joe
– Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya vs. Lana vs. Naomi vs. Sasha Banks
Colt Cabana has opened up on his friendship with CM Punk.
Cabana recently appeared on Busted Open Radio to talk with Bubba Ray Dudley and Dave LaGreca. During the interview, he was asked about the status of his friendship with Punk following their recent lawsuit that was brought against them from WWE doctor Chris Amann. We’re… we’re what we are, you know? Yes. Of course we are.” Cabana continued by stating, “Me and Punk [are] like you and Taz,” said Cabana (transcript courtesy of Wrestling Inc).”We’re friends.”
Following his second pro-MMA loss to Mike Jackson by unanimous decision at the UFC 225 pay-per-view event, there has been some speculation that Punk might make a return to professional wrestling.
Cabana made it clear that he doesn’t think Punk will go back to the WWE but never say never. “I think he has no desire to ever go to WWE, but, you never know,” said Cabana. “In 10 years, something can be different. His mindset could be different, his pocket book could be different, these are factors that I don’t know. Like, right now, I think he hates wrestling, and everything is kind of… it’s weird, because it’s done everything for him, and it’s also done everything against him. So, I think he has a bad taste for wrestling in his mouth but, you know, in four, five, 10 years, who knows?” Cabana added that Chris Jericho’s involvement with NJPW this year goes to show that there are other options other than being in the sports entertainment company. Cabana added that he feels sad for Punk because after becoming so successful in the WWE, it ultimately cost him to lose his passion for wrestling.
What are your thoughts on Cabana’s comments? Sound off in the comment section below.
The June 12th edition of WWE SmackDown was the go-home show for Sunday’s Money In The Bank PPV, and aired live from the Fedex Forum in Memphis, TN.
– SmackDown GM Paige is in the ring to kick off this week’s show, and she’s joined by the women who will be competing in Sunday’s Money In The Bank ladder match: Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Naomi and Lana. Paige talks about this upcoming match, and their opponents from RAW who will also be competing. Lana says she’ll be the one taking the contract home to SmackDown, but Naomi interrupts and says she’ll snatch her bald right now. Charlotte takes issue with Naomi, and tells Paige she’s the most accomplished one and will win. Becky interrupts next and says she’ll be the one to win, and she talks about her accomplishments. Becky and Naomi exchange words until the Iconics come out to interrupt. The Iconics say none of the women in the ring are capable of winning the Money In The Bank match, and they make fun of everyone in the ring for several moments. There are ladders set up all over the SmackDown stage. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose interrupt next and say their talent is superior to the talent in the ring. The women in the ring head outside and start brawling with the women on the ramp. As they’re fighting, we go to the commentary table where Tom Phillips introduces a Daniel Bryan video package.
– We see Daniel Bryan backstage warming up and getting ready to come out.
– Back from commercial, Tom Phillips talks about the feud between Big Cass and Daniel Bryan. He shows us a pre-taped promo from Daniel Bryan earlier in the day talking about stomping on Cass’ face until he quits at Money In The Bank.
– Daniel Bryan vs. Shelton Benjamin: The opening bell sounds and Shelton takes the fight to Daniel with knees and punches. Bryan dodges a shot in the corner and wrestles Shelton down to the mat. Daniel pins for a two count, then picks up Shelton and lays into him with uppercuts. He boots Benjamin in the face, but Shelton ducks the next shot and dumps him out to the ringside floor. Shelton fights with Bryan on the floor and slams Bryan knee-first on top of the announce table. Shelton is now focusing on Bryan’s left knee. Back in the ring, Bryan drops Shelton, but he misses a shot off the top rope. Shelton capitalizes with a half Boston crab on Bryan’s bad knee. Shelton goes for a German suplex on Daniel, but Bryan lands on his feet and kicks out Shelton’s knee. Both men are down now and slow to get to their feet. Bryan is up first and he lays into Shelton with some kicks, then takes him down with a Dragon Screw. Bryan hits the “yes kicks” on Shelton in the corner, then he starts working on Shelton’s left knee. Daniel takes things up to the top turnbuckle, but Shelton escapes and knees Bryan in the face. Shelton grabs Bryan on the turnbuckle and hits a superplex off the top for a two count. Shelton looks for a facebuster, but Bryan dodges it and takes Shelton down. Bryan puts on the Yes Lock, but Shelton is able to escape and he puts Bryan back in a half crab on the bad knee. Bryan escapes and applies a heel hook to Shelton, and Shelton taps out.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
– Bryan celebrates on the turnbuckle after the match, as Tom Phillips promotes his match with Big Cass on Sunday. We go to the broadcast table where Phillips, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton talk about the card for Money In The Bank.
– We see a replay of Shinsuke Nakamura beating down AJ Styles three weeks ago.
– AJ is in his locker room, where he grabs the WWE Title off the wall and gets ready for an interview, up next.
– Paige runs into Asuka backstage, and Asuka demands a match with Carmella tonight. Paige says she’ll make a ten-girl tag match tonight, and Asuka and Carmella will be on opposite teams. Paige runs into The Miz next, who is wearing a referee shirt. The Miz says she’s practicing for an audition, and he asks to be made special guest ref for the Samoa Joe vs. Rusev match tonight. Paige declines initially, but then appears to give The Miz what he wants, and the Miz thanks her and walks off.
– Tom Phillips introduces a video package looking at the history between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.
– WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler comes out to the stage and he talks about this Sunday’s Last Man Standing match for the WWE Title. He introduces AJ Styles, and AJ comes out for an interview with Lawler. Lawler asks AJ about slapping Nakamura across the face last week, and asks what went wrong during the contract signing. AJ says Nakamura got under his skin and he lost his cool, and says the only thing he’s sorry for is not knocking Nakamura’s head off with his fist. AJ says if Nakamura can’t follow the rules in the house that AJ Styles built, he will have to discipline him. AJ says he’ll be the last man standing at Money In The Bank, and will walk out with his WWE Title.
– We go backstage where The Miz consults with a WWE referee about what he’s allowed to do during a match. Rusev vs. Joe is coming up next.
– Rusev vs. Samoa Joe: Aiden English sings Rusev’s entrance, and The Miz is the special guest ref for this one. The opening bell sounds and Joe starts off strong, backing Rusev into the corner with strikes. Rusev fights back and dumps Joe outside, then drops him on the floor. Back in the ring, Joe takes control of the match until Rusev is able to hit a shot in the corner and then the big boot to the face. Joe comes back with the Coquina Clutch, but referee (The Miz) is distracted by Aiden English on the apron. The distraction leads to Rusev hitting the kick to the face for the three count.
Winner: Rusev
– After the match, Aiden English throws a ladder in the ring for Rusev to climb, but the Miz comes in and attacks. The Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Rusev from behind, then Miz climbs the ladder and grabs the Money In the Bank briefcase above the ring. Miz carries the briefcase out of the ring and slams it on the announce table. Byron opens the briefcase, revealing that it’s full of pancakes. The Miz freaks out, and we see The New Day backstage watching on a monitor and laughing hysterically.
– Shinsuka Nakamura is backstage getting ready for his match with Jeff Hardy tonight.
– Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: Jeff Hardy’s U.S. Title is not on the line in this one. The opening bell sounds and Hardy and Nakamura circle each other in the ring. They lock up and Nakamura backs Jeff into the corner. Jeff fights back and Nakamura slides out to ringside. Nakamura dares Hardy to come out and get him, and Hardy obliges. Hardy beats down Nakamura at ringside, then gets back in the ring and hits a suicide dive on Nakamura out on the floor. They fight back into the ring where Nakamura gets back in the game and he drops Hardy on the mat. Hardy fights his way to his feet and hits a jawbreaker on Nakamura. They trade blows until Hardy hits a running forearm shot and then an inverted atomic drop and a dropkick. Hardy is selling a knee injury after the commotion. Jeff hits a kick in the corner, and then he looks for a dropkick in the corner but Nakamura blocks it. Nakamura stuns Hardy and then drops him with a spinning heel kick. Nakamura sets up Jeff in the corner and he charges for a running knee strike, but Jeff dodges it and drops Nakamura. Jeff goes up top and connects with the Whisper In The Wind for a two count. Nakamura fights back and looks for the Kinshasa, but Jeff blocks it and hits the Twist of Fate. Jeff pins but Nakamura gets his foot on the bottom rope, then rolls outside. Jeff rolls out and takes Nakamura back in the ring, then he looks for another Twist of Fate, but Nakamura escapes and hits a low blow. The ref calls for the bell and this one ends in a DQ.
Winner via DQ: Jeff Hardy
– After the bell, Nakamura hits the Kinshasa on Jeff, and then Nakamura counts to 10 as Jeff lays on the mat.
– We go backstage for an interview with SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella. Carmella laughs off the possibility of being concerned about Asuka, and she says she isn’t concerned about tonight’s tag match either.
– Big Cass is backstage for an interview where he talks about going to a Memphis fair to make an appearance. Cass reveals a big “you must be this tall” sign he took from the fair, and he says Daniel Bryan doesn’t meet the height requirement. Cass trashes Bryan and says he won’t be able to reach Cass’ level this Sunday at Money In The Bank.
– The broadcast team again promotes the card for Sunday’s Money In The Bank pay-per-view before we go in to tonight’s main event. Tom Phillips also shows us a video package looking at WWE’s sponsorship of the Special Olympics and powerlifting athletes.
– Charlotte, Becky, Asuka, Naomi & Lana vs. Carmella, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, & The Iconics: Sonya and Naomi start this one off and they trade strikes early on. Naomi takes Sonya down with a hurricanrana, and then tags in Lana. Lana hits an elbow to the face in the corner, and then a neckbreaker for a two count. Sonya hauls Lana back to her team’s corner and she tags in Carmella. Carmella starts beating on Lana, but she misses the Bronco Buster in the corner. Becky gets the tag and she drops Carmella with a spinning heel kick. She hits another kick on Carmella, and then a flying clothesline. Becky follows up with a t-bone suplex on Carmella for a two count. Peyton Royce tags in and drops Becky with a kick to the face, and then Billie Kay tags in and continues the offense on Becky. The heels take turns tagging in and double-teaming Becky now. Becky tries to mount a comeback, but Sonya spears her down for a two count. Billie tags in and puts Becky in a head lock. Becky comes back with an enziguri, and Charlotte gets the hot tag. Charlotte cleans house and takes out everyone except for Carmella, who got out of the way. Charlotte spears Peyton Royce down next, then she goes up top. Carmela tries to interfere, but Charlotte kicks her away. Charlotte goes for a moonsault off the top, but Peyton blocks it with her knees. Mandy Rose gets the tag and starts beating on Charlotte, then Sonya tags in for the double team. Charlotte escapes them and tags in Asuka. Asuka hits a missile dropkick off the top on Mandy. Mandy fires back with some elbows to the face, but Asuka is able to take her down and she applies the Asuka Lock. The heels run in to break it up, then the babyfaces run in and this one breaks down to a brawl all over ringside. Charlotte moonsaults off the top onto The Iconics at ringside, as Mandy and Sonya take out Becky. Naomi then hits a splah off the apron on Sonya. Back in the ring, Asuka drops Mandy, and then Carmella drops Asuka. Carmella pin, but Lana breaks up the pin. Carmella turns around and looks for the superkick on Asuka, but Asuka dodges it. Carmella rolls up Asuka, but Asuka escapes and applies the Asuka Lock. Carmella taps out, and Asuka’s team wins this one.
Winner: Charlotte, Becky, Asuka, Naomi & Lana
– Carmella retreats up the ramp with her Women’s Title belt as the winners celebrate in the ring. The Iconics, Mandy and Sonya all recover at ringside. The other winners all seem to surround Asuka, and they look up at the briefcases hanging above the ring as SmackDown goes off the air.
Earlier this year WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels did an interview with Sky Sports and admitted he’d entertain offers for an in-ring return, but warned fans that they wouldn’t be seeing the same Heartbreak Kid they did in his prime:
“I’ve been retired for eight years now and when it got to the five-year mark I thought people would start asking me but they just kind of stopped,” Michaels said. “I think it’s one of those that you would never say never about and if it was just for a one-off then it’s something that I would take a look at.
“It would have to be done the right way and just for one match rather than something that ran for longer. It could be possible but people would have to accept they wouldn’t be getting the Showstopper, Mr WrestleMania, and that I’m 52 years old now.”
NXT Champion Aleister Black recently did an interview with Iain Chambers at the Download Festival in the UK this past weekend, and was asked if he saw Michaels’ comments about an in-ring return:
“I read that, I was very intrigued,” Black said. “I think as a wrestler, a performer, that ‘bug’ never dies. I truly hope that he will come back for one more. In the back of my head I have a few things that I would like to see, obviously, I’ve connected myself to those things as well. We’re gonna find out, if he does, it’s going to be fantastic.”
Michaels is currently working as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, meaning Black crosses paths with the Hall Of Famer quite often. When asked if the former WWE Champion ever gets in the ring at the PC, here’s what he had to say:
“I know he can still go,” Black quickly responded. “He can go. Don’t worry about that.”
Finally, Black was asked if he had to choose between two men for Michaels’ return opponent – AJ Styles or Daniel Bryan – who would he choose:
“You’re asking me to pick the two guys – arguably – who are the best in the game,” Black responded. “Each opponent has a specific thing that makes them ranked at the top of the world.
“I think I would like to see AJ more only because Shawn had a big hand in training Daniel and would have an advantage. However, then you could work with a ‘student versus teacher’ aspect of it, but I’d like it to be AJ. Sorry, Daniel.”
It should be noted that in Michaels’ most recent interview at the WWE’s “For Your Consideration” Emmy event with Red Carper Report he back-stepped a bit on his comments with Sky Sports:
“I’m always humbled and very flattered the fact that after all these years people still believe enough in my ability to still do it,” Michaels said. “Look, there’s a part of me that knows I could, but at the same time this is a young man’s game.
“I love the fact that the future of the WWE is in such good, capable hands. It’s a pleasure for me to watch it and go forward. As much as it would be enjoyable to [wrestle], I’m more excited in seeing these young men take WWE into the future.”
Former WCW President and RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff was recently interviewed by The New York Post to talk about several professional wrestling topics. One such topic was the mega broadcasting deal that the WWE just landed for SmackDown Live on FOX – worth $1 billion.
Bischoff explained how the WWE-FOX deal makes it difficult for other promotions to land big broadcasting deals of their own:
“Anybody who comes along and wants to sell a wrestling show, guess who you are not gonna sell it to? You are not going to sell it to FOX and any of its affiliates and, oh by the way, you are not going to sell it to NBC Universal or any of its affiliates,” said Bischoff.
“So the world in terms of one’s ability to sell a traditional [wrestling] television show to a traditional television or broadcast partner has just collapsed.”
In today’s age of social media and technology, Bischoff doesn’t believe that promotions need big broadcasting deals to make themselves famous. With free streaming outlets like Twitch and YouTube you can essentially make a name for yourself by other means:
“You no longer have to have a big record label behind you and have to kowtow to the politics that enabled you to get there,” said Bischoff. “You can be a phenomenal artist and put your stuff out there on YouTube and find yourself becoming a star.”
You can ready Bischoff’s full interview with The New York Post by clicking this link here.
WWE has announced a new segment for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network.
The sports entertainment company has officially announced that WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler would interview WWE Champion AJ Styles about his upcoming title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing Match at the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena.
WWE holds this show in Memphis, TN at the FedEx Forum. Obviously, Lawler is from and currently resides in the city.
The company has already announced several matches for the show.
Those matches include Sin Cara vs. Andrade Almas, United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Nakamura in a non-title match, Daniel Bryan taking on Shelton Benjamin and a Women’s Money in the Bank Summit that will feature Money in the Bank participants Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Lana, and Naomi. SmackDown General Manager Paige will host the segment.
What are your thoughts on WWE announcing this match? Sound off in the comment section below.
Daniel Bryan kept a close eye on the latest MMA fight involving CM Punk.
The former WWE Champion fought Mike Jackson in a welterweight bout at the UFC 225 pay-per-view event on Saturday, June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. As seen in the fight, Jackson dominated it and although Punk showed a ton of heart he was winded after the first round. Jackson was able to pick up the unanimous decision win after a dominant performance.
Bryan made it well known during Brie Bella’s live Instagram video that was recently posted on the social media platform that he’s willing to fight Jackson, who holds a pro-MMA record of 1-1. Bryan stated in the video, “I could beat him on the ground for sure. If WWE would let me fight in UFC, maybe.”
It should be noted that Bryan has had an interest in MMA and has been training in the sport for years. His history with MMA goes back to the days of training at Xtreme Couture as well as at the MMA Lab in Glendale Arizona with former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.
Bryan is slated to take on Big Cass in a singles match at the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena.
What are your thoughts on Bryan’s? Sound off in the comment section below.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the former WWE Champion is slated to star in a new action-thriller with movie legend Jackie Chan. The title of the film is “Project X” and it’s scheduled to be released next year.
It should be noted that Cena is replacing Sylvester Stallone, who was originally supposed to star in the film. The movie is being produced by Chan, along with Joe Tam, Esmond Ren, and Hans Canosa.
Although the official synopsis for the film has yet to be released, it was noted in the report that the movie focuses on a Chinese private security contractor (Chan) who is called in to extract oil workers from a China-run oil refinery in the Middle East after it is attacked. Chan’s character teams up with Cena’s character, a former Marine, to stop the attackers after discovering that their real plan is to steal a fortune in oil.
Cena’s career in acting continues to grow as he also has two significant starring roles in the Transformers spinoff “Bumblebee” as well as “The Janson Directive.”
The release date for Bumblee is slated to be on December 21st while The Janson Directive, which is directed by The Rock, will be available sometime in 2019 or 2020.
What are your thoughts on Cena being featured in this film? Sound off in the comment section below.
WWE has released this video of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens coming out for the main event at the WWE live event in Monroe, Louisiana over the weekend where they teamed up Jinder Mahal for a loss to Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Finn Balor.
Owens was interviewed at the event where he talked about wanting to get back the WWE Universal Title, which is currently held by Brock Lesnar.
Triple H took to his official Twitter account to hype this year’s WWE UK Title tournament, which kicked over the weekend with the first round matches at the Download Festival in the UK.
Now, the tournament continues with the quarterfinals on Monday, June 18th and the winner will face WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne on Tuesday, June 19th in London.
As noted, these events will air on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network, on Monday, June 25th, and Tuesday, June 26th.
WWE fans are always intrigued to see when Finn Balor will bring back his alternative character.
The former WWE Universal Champion made his Demon character popular while on the independent scene but only portrays it when a certain feud or match calls for it.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Balor was asked about not portraying the character for his Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania 34 in April against Seth Rollins and The Miz.
If you recall, Balor instead, wore his “for everyone” shirt,” which saw 20% of the sales from each of those shirts is donated to GLAAD during an entrance that showed support for the LGBTQ community. “A lot of people maybe thought going into WrestleMania, ‘Well, if Finn’s not gonna be the Demon, it’s gonna suck. I think what we did at WrestleMania is a lot more important than any Demon could have been.” Balor also noted that he worked on the shirt and idea for about six months. After seeing his Instagram post with a rainbow version of the Balor Club symbol with the text, “BálorClub is for EVERYONE,” Stephanie McMahon contacted him about it. “I feel like—not that they were excluded, but sometimes they felt like they weren’t included. That’s something I felt a responsibility for, to use the platform that I have for good and to help maybe a small amount of people for the right reasons.” “It’s crazy because it was kind of a couple months of me talking, then as soon as the right people heard it, it was almost instantaneously, ‘We gotta have this shirt out next week and we gotta talk to GLAAD ASAP and we’re gonna roll with it.'”
What are your thoughts on Balor’s comments? Sound off in the comment section below.
Major League Wrestling has announced the first 4 participants for the July 19th, 2018 Battle Riot match. Not surprisingly, the sadistic Kevin Sullivan is among the first group of confirmed entrants.
MLW promises the winner of the match will earn a shot at the MLW World Championship currently held by Shane Strickland. Eliminations occur via pinfalls, submissions, or from being thrown over the top rope.
“A mash-up of a battle royal, royal rumble and anything goes street fight, this super-sized main event will feature 40 wrestlers with new participants entering the ring every 60 seconds.”
The match will be filmed for MLW’s weekly television series, “MLW Fusion” on BeIn Sports. The event will be held in Queens, NY at the Melrose Ballroom on July 19th, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qFDyPfyHM8
First Battle Riot Participants Announced
4 wrestlers have been confirmed for Battle Riot so far:
John Hennigan – the man known as Johnny Impact/Mundo/Hennigan/Nitro has been with the company since late last year. It’s a big summer for Johnny, who will also be a participant in the upcoming season of Survivor.
As Johnny Impact, he is also booked for Slammiversary on July 22nd, just 3 days after Battle Riot takes place. Hennigan will also be featured in the 4th season of Lucha Underground which premieres tomorrow on the El Rey Network.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. – One-half of the Killer Elite Squad, Smith debuted in the original Major League Wrestling 14 years ago. The original MLW formed out of the ashes of ECW but was only short-lived. Promotion owner, Court Bauer, would later be hired to work as a writer for WWE.
“Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan – the man who once put together the alliance to end Hulkamania will be in an MLW ring on July 19th. With names like Sullivan, Col. Robert Parker, and Tony Schiavone, MLW likes to pay homage to the past. While Sullivan’s best days might be behind him, he was always ahead of his time, meaning he’s still got something to offer modern-day wrestling.
ACH – ACH has been a featured performer for MLW since its re-launch. The Dragonball Z fan will have his work cut out for him if he is to outlast 39 other participants, however.
MLW also stressed the following in regards to Battle Riot:
There will be surprises! There will be legends! There will be WTF entries! And there will be no disqualifications!
Former WWE Superstar Rosa Mendes recently did an interview on Women’s Pro Wrestling Weekly to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Mendes first discussed her passion for professional wrestling and her current mindset:
“I feel like, for me, even when I was in training, I was the first one in the ring and the last one to leave. I still have that work ethic. I am so passionate about pro wrestling. A lot of fans don’t know that because I was a Manager.
“I bring that passion in the ring and I feel like, because I have been in the business for 11 years, I know what it takes to be a top girl. I am not going to stop until I am a top girl and wrestle like a top girl. I know what to do and how to get there, so that is how my motivation is now. That is where my mindset is at right now.”
Now having a child, Mendes discussed how she’ll balance a career as a professional wrestler while still being a mother:
“I know that you can be a great mom and a great wrestler. I just didn’t know that at the time when I had her. I was at the Performance Center, I had a character and was ready to go, but I kept leaving her and I kept thinking that I couldn’t do this anymore. I know that you have to give 100% in WWE and I didn’t know if I could so I made that mature decision to retire. It was the hardest decision, and I still get teary-eyed thinking about it.
“It was the toughest decision of my life, but I knew it was what I had to do at the time. Me being a mom, I hate to put myself over but I will; I am the best mom. I feel like I am such a great mother it’s like, I never even knew I had this in me. I know that I can do both. I know that I can be a great mom and even be a better mom fulfilling my dream. I want to show her that you can be a great mom and inspire other women, it’s all about women empowerment.
“I want to set that example for her because to be honest, my character and who Rosa Mendes, but at the same time I was dancing. I was doing what I love, but I wasn’t fulfilling my ultimate passion, which was to be in the ring. I was shaking my butt and being hot but I never got to be that athletic-powerful woman that I know I can be. I know that I can do both.”
As far as a WWE return goes, Mendes wants to dominate the indy scene and get herself over before returning to the professional wrestling juggernaut:
“I feel like this is my business plan; I want to conquer the independents. I want to dominate in the independents and be super over and have incredible 30-40 minute matches in the independents and show people that I am a great worker and a great performer.
“As soon as I can say that about myself then I am going to talk to them. They may talk to me before then, but I really want to establish myself in the independents before I even step foot in a WWE door again.”
Mendes was then asked if she believes that she could be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame one day:
“Thus is the thing, right now, Rosa Mendes would never be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. I feel because of who I was and because of my character and being a manager. I know some managers have, but if you look back, my best time as a manager was with Primo & Epico, and I did a lot in those matches.
“They got the tag team titles but I just feel like I don’t think it would happen, and I don’t think I would deserve it. I feel like once I go back I want to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. I want to make history and I want people to respect my work in the ring.”
Finally, Mendes explained her current situation with the father of her child, Bobby Schubenski:
“This is not going to make sense, but it’s going to make sense for us. We are exclusive, but we don’t have a title. Me and Bobby Schubenski broke up in December, but basically he was so immersed in his business, and I was so immersed in my business and we were both immersed with Jordan that we forgot to take care of each other. We weren’t happy so we decided to separate and work on our businesses and take care of Jordan and figure stuff out, but I miss him, and he misses me, so we decided to work things out.
“The separation was really hard on the both of us. Him and I are very strong-minded people, and strong people, but it hurts, and we don’t ever want to get back to that hurt phase. It was hard for me to work on Totally Fit Mama, like, it was hard for me. We are going to take our time, take things super slow and just figure stuff out and want to see what we both have. We don’t want to go all in right away because we don’t want to break up again. He is so inspiring. I never met anyone that is more motivated than I am.
“I am a big dreamer and a visionary, and he is beyond that so that is one of the things that I fell in love with him for. I never imagined falling in love and meeting someone and feeling like that again. He is hard to beat. Now, I am back in wrestling, and he started his own pro wrestling promotion. To start your own pro wrestling promotion and only have 40 tickets left. The hard part is to draw people and he has gotten all the people. He busts his butt and works so hard. That work ethic that we have in WWE, he has it, which is also what I love more about him as well.”
As we’ve previously noted, WWE Hall Of Famers Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were interviewed by WSVN-TV Entertainment Reporter Chris Van Vliet at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
During the interview Flair seemed to indicate that Rousey’s deal with WWE was only for one year, as she planned on starting a family soon:
“In my humble opinion, if Rousey wants to elevate her status in the company she needs to go through The Queen and The Queen ain’t afraid of her, I got news for ya. I just saw her deadlift 315 lbs and she can bench 205 lbs for 6 reps. She is gifted beyond belief.
“I’m not involved obviously in any of the thinking but if they’re ever going to put the women where they belong, this is the year because I think Ronda has only signed a one-year deal and then she wants to get out of there. She wants to have kids and all that. She just needs to be be prepared to lose. Not if sure if Ronda likes that.”
A new report from Wrestling Inc. suggests that Rousey’s deal with WWE is actually a multi-year deal. It should be noted, however, that Rousey did tell Yahoo! Sports in March that she plans on having children with her husband, UFC heavyweight fighter Travis Browne, soon:
“We’re ready to start having kids soon and I was thinking about what I’ve left unfinished in my life because I want to entirely focus on having kids when that time comes,” Rousey said.
“I took a long look at my life and thought that if I don’t try and take a shot with the WWE, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I want to be an example to my kids about pursuing your dreams and being able to do anything. I guess this is my way of nesting and getting ready for children. I’m trying to prove to my unborn babies that they can accomplish any dream that they want to go after.”
Discussion: How long do you think Rousey’s WWE career will last? Do you expect her to take a significant amount of time off soon to begin a family?
WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre was recently a guest on Jim Ross’ podcast, The Ross Report, in which they discussed several professional wrestling topics. McIntyre revealed that current NXT General Manager William Regal still mentored him while he was on the indies, and was a big part in getting him a second shot in WWE:
“The whole time I was gone [from WWE], I was gone for three years, he was always there for advice.” McIntyre continued, “we’d kind of speak back and forth and he always kept an eye on everything I was up to. And then, when the time came, my TNA contract was up, my wife and I decided not to re-sign.
“We tried to decide the next step, thinking, ‘is it Japan?’ He was the one that said, ‘alright, you need to have this conversation with Triple H. Now is the time to come back home.’ I got on the phone with Hunter and we spoke for about 30 minutes. And at the end of that conversation, I knew it was time to come home. He is the reason that I’m back right now.”
McIntyre then discussed his pairing with Dolph Ziggler on RAW. The former Intercontinental Champion noted he was happy with the pairing but only found out about it on the day he made his main roster return:
“I love it.” McIntyre remembered, “I got told about it when I got to TV that day. I didn’t quite know what was going on. I was a single’s babyface when I was NXT Champion there. And when I came back, I was leaning more towards the heel side with Dolph and Dolph’s somebody I go way back with and I was really looking forward to work with him.”
A lot of fans have been impressed with McIntyre since making his main roster return, and already want to see him on the main event scene as a singles competitor. McIntyre has heard these remarks, but urges fans to be patient and enjoy the storyline that is being presented right now:
“The way things have gone so far, people are asking a lot of questions.” McIntyre professed, “I know a lot of people are jumping way ahead and I appreciate all the positive things people are saying, but just remember there are 52 weeks of TV a year. Let’s just take our time and introduce the casual audience to who Drew McIntyre is now. We’re going to get there and it’s going to be a fun journey.”
As far as who he’d like to work with when he does go solo; McIntyre lists names such as Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns:
“When Braun Strowman and I stepped into the ring together, I could literally feel the crowd rumble.” McIntyre explained, “and I’m just back and I still have some equity to build with those casual fans, but just from a visual perspective, I could feel them rumbling, and I was like, ‘wow, this could be something really good down the line.’
“And Roman, he works his butt off. That’s another guy I’m looking forward to getting in the ring with. Rollins is killing it every single week. When we get the opportunity, we’re going to tear the roof off. And that’s just a few obvious names of guys that are working their butt off and I’m looking forward to working with.”
You can listen to McIntyre’s interview on The Ross Report by clicking this link here.
As we’ve noted, current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar has broken CM Punk’s 434 day World Title reign and is now the longest reigning World Champion in the history of the modern era of WWE.
Punk set that record with the WWE Championship, while Lesnar broke it with the Universal Championship. Since winning the Universal Title from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 last year, Lesnar has only defended the Universal Championship 10 times (including live events).
According to reddit user cheikhyourselfm8, at this rate Lesnar is going to take 16 years and 9 months to match Punk’s amount of title defenses during his record-setting reign as WWE Champion. This really puts into perspective just how little Lesnar has been defending the Universal Title since winning it.
While Lesnar may now be the longest reigning World Champion of the modern era in WWE, there’s no way he can match the true all-time record. That record is held by late WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino – who held the WWE Title for eight years from 1963 until 1971. That’s a reign of 2,803 days and a record that will likely never be broken.
WWE Superstar Samoa Joe was interviewed by Memphis NBC affiliate, WMC Action News 5, to promote tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live in Memphis. Joe first discussed how huge the culture of professional wrestling is in the Memphis area:
“I think Memphis is kind of, one of – wrestling is ingrained in the local culture here and you were just telling me here that we’re kind of sitting on hallowed ground this being the original studio where a lot of Memphis wrestling went down.
“And I think we like to come to towns like this, especially leading into bigger shows cause the crowds have a lot more energy. They’re very, very opinionated and usually makes for some wild TV.”
The Destroyer was then asked what fans can expect from tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live, the final show before Money In The Bank (MITB) this Sunday:
“I’m definitely beating somebody up tonight, so that’s probably the highlight of the evening, but aside from that, tonight, like I said, it’s going to be a night of statements. You’re going to see a lot of people making some big moves tonight and I know I definitely will, so it’ll be pretty fun.”
Joe was then asked about being a professional wrestler in the WWE, as opposed to everywhere else he has worked in his career:
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work for every major company in our industry, in the world. WWE just kind of being my latest. Obviously when you come to WWE the level of spectacle and production in what we do is far and above anywhere else I worked so it’s kind of cool to be apart of the big show now. Obviously I’ve had a fantastic career leading up to this point so I’m kind of in the bonus.”
Finally, the former NXT Champion again put over Memphis’ rich history in professional wrestling:
“I think in general when you talk about great wrestling towns in the history of the world I think Memphis kind of shoots up there into the top three if not the top two. And obviously there’s been so much that has gone on here, so many kinds of epic encounters when it comes to our industry and tonight we look to extend that tradition and keep it going.”
Joe also ended the interview by putting one of the news production team members in the Coquina Clutch. Check that out here:
WWE's @SamoaJoe stopped by the #WMC5 studio to show off his signature Coquina Clutch on our poor digital producer. Check out his full interview (including where he says his favorite Memphis BBQ spot is) here>>https://t.co/oolwzw8wjipic.twitter.com/frXBLmhUJ4
The early betting odds for the WWE Money in the Bank matches have been released.
The Miz is the early favorite to win the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match as oddsmakers have placed him at +140 while in the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Natalya is favored at +160. It should be noted that WWE has yet to reveal which member of The New Day will compete in the upcoming men’s ladder match.
WWE Champion AJ Styles is favored to retain his title against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing Match.
The Money in the Bank pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. As a reminder – indicates the favorites while + means the underdog.
The Odds
WWE Championship – Last Man Standing Match: AJ Styles (c) -120 vs Shinsuke Nakamura -120 WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match: Nia Jax (c) +400 vs Ronda Rousey -600 WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Carmella (c) +160 vs Asuka -210 WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Seth Rollins (c) -675 vs Elias +425 Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bludgeon Brothers(c) -750 vs Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson +450 Roman Reigns -1350 vs Jinder Mahal +650 Bobby Lashley -590 vs Sami Zayn +390 Daniel Bryan -150 vs Big Cass +110 Men’s Money in the Bank: The Miz +140 Braun Strowman +300 Samoa Joe +470 Kevin Owens +725 Finn Balor +725 Rusev +725 Bobby Roode +2500 Women’s Money in the Bank: Natalya +160 Alexa Bliss +400 Charlotte Flair +405 Sasha Banks +500 Becky Lynch +900 Lana +1100 Ember Moon +1100 Naomi +3000
What are your thoughts on these early betting odds? Sound off in the comment section below.
