Seth Rollins has given his take on The Undertaker.
The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion recently took part in a quick Q&A with Give Me Sport where he talked about a wide range of topics. One of those topics was about The Deadman.
Over the past few years, he has gone from being a full-time talent to a part-timer. After years of speculation of when Taker would retire from pro wrestling, it once appeared that he had his farewell at WrestleMania 33 in the main event against Roman Reigns last year in Orlando, Florida. After the match, Taker put his gloves and hat in the middle of the ring before leaving. It turns out that Taker decided to wrestle again as he took on John Cena at WrestleMania 34 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on the WWE Network. Then the future WWE Hall of Famer beat Rusev in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event back in April in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah International Stadium.
In this Q&A, Rollins was asked if Taker should retire from pro wrestling, which he responded by saying “Yes.”
Rollins was also asked about his favorite WrestleMania match of all-time which he responded by stating the Submission Match between Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 in 1997.
The May 29th, 2018 edition of WWE SmackDown Live aired from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC.
– We’re live at the PNC Arena in Raleigh as Tom Phillips welcomes us to the show. He’s joined by Byron Saxton and Corey Graves. They run down tonight’s card, including Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan, The Bar vs. The New Day, and Lana vs. Naomi in a “dance-off.”
– Samoa Joe comes out to the ring to kick off tonight’s show. Joe grabs a ladder from under the ring and bring sit in. Joe sets it up and climbs up to grab one of the Money In The Bank briefcases above the ring. Joe comes down and gets on the mic and talks about his upcoming ladder match at the pay-per-view. Joe makes a religious analogy about climbing up the ladder, and says at Money In the Bank he will be the only one smiling. He raises the briefcase in the air and says he will unleash a campaign of fear and anxiety on the SmackDown roster and the WWE Champion, and he will shake the foundation of the company. Joe says he will prove to Daniel Bryan tonight that there are worse things than a forced retirement. Joe trashes Daniel some more and talks about his wife and daughter, and then Bryan comes out to interrupt.
Bryan says Joe is crossing the line, and he heads to the ring saying he will break Joe’s leg if he ever talks about his family again. Bryan says they don’t have to wait for the main event, they can fight right now. Bryan hits the ring and Joe throws the ladder to the corner. Fans chant “Yes,” but then Big Cass interrupts. Cass limps out and gets on the mic.
Cass calls Joe and Bryan children, and says the Money In The Bank shot should be his. He says he spoke to Paige and apparently Joe vs. Bryan will not happen tonight. He says Joe’s Money In The Bank qualifying match will now be against Cass, after Cass is medically cleared to return. Cass steps in the ring, and then reveals that he’s already medically cleared, and he swings his crutch at Bryan. Bryan backs Cass into the corner and unloads with strikes. Cass throws Bryan int othe corner and Bryan is down. Cass hits Joe with the briefcase and drops him, then hits Bryan with it too. Cass stands tall with the briefcase and then heads to the back while Bryan and Joe recover.
– Shinsuke Nakamura is backstage getting ready for a match against Tye Dillinger. He rips up a sign with the number 10 on it, and we go to commercial.
– Back from the break, we see a replay of Big Cass beating down Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe.
– Paige is backstage and runs into Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose. They complain about Asuka, and Paige ends up booking Asuka vs. Rose tonight and walks off. Renee Young stops Paige for a comment about Big Cass’ statements earlier, and Paige sets the record straight. Tonight’s true main event is Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe vs. Big Cass.
– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger: The opening bell sounds and they meet in the middle of the ring. They exchange words and shove each other before getting into it. Tye ducks a kick and comes back with strikes. Tye backs Nakamura into the corner and works him over. Nakamura goes outside for a breather and Tye follows. They brawl around the ring until Tye misses a dive and Nakamura knees him in the face. Back in the ring, Tye tries to mount a comeback, but Nakamura drops him again. Nakamura tells the ref to count while Dillinger is down. Tye gets up but Nakamura keeps control and lays into him with kicks. Nakamura sets up Tye in the corner and follows up with more strikes. Tye fires up and tries to come back again, but Nakamura shuts him down with more strikes. Nakamura goes to the middle rope and hits a flying knee to the face, and then follows up with the Kinshasa for the three count.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
– After the match, Nakamura grabs a mic and counts to ten, like in a Last Man Standing match, while Tye is still down recovering.
– AJ Styles does an interview in the back where he talks about Nakamura and the Last Man Standing stipulation added to their match at Money In The Bank. He says Nakamura has snapped and he’s now more dangerous than every before. AJ says Nakamura underestimates him, and that AJ will fight harder and smarter than Nakamura who is bigger and stronger. AJ finishes up by saying he will be the last man standing at Money In The Bank will be The Phenomenal One.
– Rusev Day is backstage with Lana practicing some dance moves.
– Ring announcer Greg Hamilton introduces Rusev Day. They come out and English sings and introduction for Lana, and they chant “Lana is the best, Lana is #1.” Lana makes her entrance for the Dance-Off first. Naomi is out next, and she’s got back-up in the form of The Usos. They all get in the ring as the two sides face off and Hamilton reads the rules. They both dance one at a time, and it sounds like Naomi got more of a pop from the crowd. They hug but then Lana turns on Naomi and drops her. The Usos and Rusev Day start brawling now until The Usos superkick Rusev Day out of the ring. Naomi drops Lana with the Rear View, and they clear the ring.
– Still to come: Bryan vs. Joe vs. Cass for the final Money In the Bank ladder match spot.
– The New Day is backstage with a platter of pancakes. The Miz and The Bar are shown in their dressing room warming up.
– The Bar & The Miz vs. The New Day: The Miz and Big E start this one off, but Miz immediately tags in Cesaro. Big E grabs Cesro and tosses him overhead for a two count. Woods and Kingston are in next to double team him. Cesaro fires back at Kofi and then Sheamus tags in. Kofi tries to fight them off but they distract the ref, and Miz hits a cheap shot on Kofi. Sheamus now works over Kofi in the ring, then Cesaro tags in and hits a running uppercut for a 2 count. Sheamus tags back in and drops Woods off the apron, and then The Bar double teams Kofi. Cesaro continues to beat on Kofi until he misses a shot. Miz distracts Big E from the floor, and Big E drops Sheamus as he approaches. The Miz and Sheamus double team Big E on the floor and throw him in into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Kofi starts beating on Cesaro. Sheamus hits a cheap shot on Kofi and Cesaro pins for a two count. The Miz tags back in and goes for a Skull Crushing Finale on Kofi, but Kingston escapes and hits the SOS on Miz. Woods finally gets hte hot tag and cleans house. Cesaro ends up dropping Kofi, and The Bar double teams him again for another two count. Kofi blocks a Neutralizer attempt and then tags in Big E. Big E drops Cesaro and then double teams him with Woods for another two count. Big E looks for the Big Ending but Cesaro blocks it. Miz tags in as Big E spears Cesaro out of the ring. Back in the ring, after a kick from Cesaro, Miz hits a DDT on Big E for another two count. The aprons clear now and when the dust settles Kofi hits a big suicide dive on The Bar down on the floor. This leaves Big E and Miz in the ring, and Big E hits the Big Ending for the three count.
Winners: The New Day
– The New Day celebrates after the match and point up at the Money In the Bank briefcase.
– Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson have an interview backstage about The Bludgeon Brothers. They say they’re in the best shape of their careers and they’re ready to win the Tag Team Titles. Before they can say their catch phrase, Rowan and Harper appear on a nearby TV screen and they warn the Good Brothers to prepare for what’s about to happen to them at Money In The Bank.
– Asuka is backstage getting ready to head to the gorilla position.
– Mandy Rose vs. Asuka: Back from commercial, Carmella comes out to the ring and joins the commentary table. Sonya Deville attacks Asuka before the match as Rose watches from the ring. Asuka recovers and climbs in the ring, telling the ref she’s still ready to go. The bell sounds and Rose attacks first, working over Asuka in the corner. Mandy grabs the hair for a cheap shot and drops Asuka for a two count. Rose keeps Asuka grounded until Asuka hits a shot to the face and mounts a comeback. Asuka hits a missile dropkick off the top, and then goes for another Hip Attack but Rose dodges it. Asuka looks for the Asuka Lock, but Rose escapes. They trade holds on the mat until Asuka rolls into the Asuka Lock for the submission victory.
Winner: Asuka
– After the match, Carmella gets in the ring and gets in Asuka’s face. Carmella raises the Women’s Title belt in Asuka’s face and then walks off.
– Charlotte and Becky Lynch are backstage watching what just happened on a monitor. They talk about Asuka possibly winning the Money In The Bank match, but Becky says she sees herself winning. Charlotte says she needs the Title back. Paige walks by and they have an awkward exchange, and Paige walks off.
– Back from the break, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte is announced for next week. Also announced is a mixed tag match: Lana & Rusev Day vs. Naomi & The Usos.
– Sin Cara approaches Andrade “Cien” Almas backstage and embraces him. Zelina walks over and cuts a promo on Sin Cara, saying a nobody like him shouldn’t be talking to her client. She says Almas is the future, and Cara asks Almas if Zelina is serious. Almas says something in Spanish, and Almas and Zelina walk off.
– Big Ccass vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan: This one is a qualifying match for the Money In The Bank ladder match. The opening bell sounds and Joe and Bryan team up early on to double-team Cass. Joe then turns on Bryan and beats him down in the opposite corner. They go back and forth, and then as Cass is getting up Bryan dropkicks him to the outside. Joe goes back to work on Bryan, and then runs the ropes and hits a big dive on Cass to the outside. Bryan then goes up top and hits a big splash off on Cass and Joe down on the floor.
Back in the ring, Joe and Cass drop Bryan, and then they start going at it. Joe looks for the Coquina Clutch, but Bryan breaks it up. Joe unloads on Bryan now and hits a senton for a two count. Cass breaks it up, and then Joe unloads on him with strikes. Cass drops Joe, then Bryan hits Cass with the “yes” kicks. Cass drops Bryan, and then throws him outside. Cass throws Bryan over the announce table, and then Cass gets back in the ring and goes after Joe. Joe boots him in the face and then climbs the turnbuckle. Bryan runs over and bumps Joe down, then Bryan drops Cass too. Bryan throws Cass outside then baseball slide dropkicks him. Bryan goes up top with Joe and Bryan hurricanranas him down. Bryan gets fired up now and hits some running knee strikes on Joe in the corner. Cass runs in and clotheslines Bryan out of nowhere for a two count. Bryan gets up and starts dropping Cass and Joe. Bryan hits kicks to the head of both and covers Cass for a two count. Bryan continues to control the match, and he goes for a Yes Lock on Cass, but Joe breaks it up. Bryan drops Joe with a knee to the face, and then hits a missile dropkick off the top on Cass. Bryan starts the “yes” chant and hits a knee strike on Cass. Bryan pins, but Joe breaks it up and applies the Coquina Clutch to Bryan. Bryan tries to escape, but he fades and the ref calls for the bell. Joe has won via submission and is going to Money In The Bank.
Winner: Samoa Joe
– After the match, Joe heads up the ramp as we go to replays. Joe’s music stops as it looks like Cass is going to attack Bryan in the ring. Cass charges and drops Bryan with a big boot. Cass talks some trash to Bryan and stands over him with his fist in the air. Cass’ music hits as he looks down at Bryan and SmackDown goes off the air.
Former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Chelsea Green was the latest guest on the Women’s Pro Wrestling Weekly show on AfterBuzz TV.
Green spoke about a variety of topics, including training under Lance Storm, her experience during and after competing on WWE Tough Enough, her Laurel Van Ness character in Impact Wrestling, dating Zack Ryder, if she’ll be participating in WWE’s second Mae Young Classic women’s tournament and more.
Audio of the appearance can be heard at the bottom of this article. Here are some highlights sent in by the show’s producers:
Whether She Goes Back To Train With Lance Storm:
“At first, since I have been wrestling for about 4 years now. For the first couple of years, I would go back often, even if it was just for a day to help out another girl to help out in his class, or to brush up on a move that I wanted to learn. Now, because I am based in Orlando, Florida compared to being based out in Canada, I don’t have that opportunity as much. However, whenever I do have a chance to go back to Calgary, I go back and visit him because honestly, as many lessons as I have learned, traveling and meeting new people [to train with], Lance Storm knows everything. I swear to you, any question you can have about moves, psychology, gimmicks, the history of Pro Wrestling, he knows. Lance Storm is an encyclopedia of wrestling knowledge. He really drills the necessities into you so that when you go out there you won’t do stupid things. You just start from the basics, which is amazing.”
Her Influences After Leaving Storm’s Wrestling Academy:
“I would say, because people don’t know this about me, but I knew nothing about Pro Wrestling. Not a thing. I had never seen a Pro Wrestling ring until I was maybe around grade 11. Lance Storm taught me everything that I know. Then, when leaving ‘Storm’s Wrestling Academy,’ I would say that the person who taught me the most after leaving the school would be [Former WWE Intercontinental Champion] Billy Gunn because he influenced me on Tough Enough, and now I am really close with his family. He always gives me great advice. The other person would be [Former WWE Women’s Champion] Gail Kim because she helped me get the job from Impact Wrestling. She trusted and supported me, as well as elevated me along the way as I went.”
Lessons Learned Being In The Pro Wrestling Business At This Stage Of Her Career:
“What happened was, I did Tough Enough, and when I got kicked off and didn’t get a contract, I thought—and this was naive of me, but I assumed that they would see how much that I loved this and how quickly I learned, and that no matter what even when I left I would be receiving a contract, so when I left Tough Enough and sat on my couch for about a month or two as I waited and waited and never received a call, I kind of had to think outside the box and had to think, okay, now what? I am now stuck in Canada. I am not legally allowed to work in the United States. I really don’t know what I am doing, and for the amount of time that I spent being on Tough Enough, I really wasn’t wrestling.
I had to come up with something different. I asked myself: where are people going to generate a buzz to make a name for themselves? The two places I thought of were Mexico or Japan. I worked on trying to get to Mexico, which was the first thing that I really wanted to do, but a couple of my girlfriends thought that I should learn how to wrestle before I go to Mexico, so I should try out in Japan. That is how I kind of got over there in Japan. I still didn’t really know what I was doing, but with the language barrier over in Japan, they don’t know that you don’t know what you are doing, so every crazy move that I wanted to try, they were like, okay, let’s try it. That is how my confidence and move-sets grew by trying things that I wouldn’t have tried had I been here in the United States.
Coming Up With The Laurel Van Ness Character:
“I started on Impact Wrestling as just a typical mean girl, Regina George [character in Mean Girls movie] knockoff. I was bored with it. I feel like that is what every girl falls into when they are trying to be a heel girl character. I just find it overdone, and unless you can do it really well it becomes overdone. They kind of threw me a bone when they gave me a storyline with [Former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion] Allie and husband Braxton Sutter where I was able to get married. As we were planning this marriage segment and I am going to be left at the altar, I thought to myself, okay, how can I make this as dramatic as possible and make this as different and ridiculous. At this stage, nobody is talking about my character. Nobody is talking about a girl that is a typical blonde, mean girl that is on television. That is just not something people care about.
When we got into doing the segment on television, I was the most dramatic human on the planet. I would stay crying. I would drink champagne. I would throw flowers around, and when I got into the back when the segment was done, Dutch [Mantell] was there saying, “oh my gosh, that was absolutely brilliant!”. “We need to film something, anything, where you are continuing on this mental breakdown.” That is what it looks like you are doing in the ring, you are having a mental breakdown. So, we sat down in the makeup room and I sat on the floor and he told me to smear my lipstick, and I said that it isn’t going to work because my lips are my skin color so it’s not going to work. He told me to put on red lipstick, but I told him that during the scene I didn’t have red lipstick on, he said to me to put it on and smear it. He then told me to wet my face a little so my makeup can be smeared. He said to act crazy and sing a song and do something crazy.
I am sitting there with makeup smeared, sitting on the ground with no shoes on. Being an absolute nutcase. I am not joking, I didn’t think that it was ever going to be used, but all of it aired and it was one of the most-watched segments of that year. From there, we just carried on the craziness.”
Chelsea Talks On Her Boyfriend, Zack Ryder And How He Helped Develop Her Laurel Van Ness Character:
“I think the great thing is about my character is that talking with someone, someone always has some sort of suggestion because they can relate my character with a crazy ex-girlfriend, or a psycho mom or psycho sister, or a drunk-hot mess that they saw at the bar last week. You can relate it to whoever you want. With that comes these amazing suggestions from people. I get caught up in this character thinking that I have to go one way or another to the point that I believe that I need to be this drunk girl that never wrestles, but my boyfriend [Zack Ryder] takes a step back and says to me that I can take this character into whatever direction I want it to go.
I should also stop making the character drunk, but instead, I should make her a psycho. You need a snapping point, and with that snapping point how would the crowd know that I snapped? He suggested having my lipstick slipped to me and that becomes my ‘thing.’ That is my weapon so the crowd knows that this is it, she is turning it up, and the match doesn’t become what it was before. Those little kind of pointers is where he helps me with. Where in the match I should make it happen and where it should happen, but I mean, really, there are fans that help me with this. There are fans that help me with certain suggestions where even I hadn’t thought of it and I end up using it.”
Chelsea Talking About Dating Zack Ryder:
“I mean, at first we based on our relationship on everything but work, and I think that is what helped us and how we fell in love because on our first date we didn’t talk about wrestling. Like I said, I don’t know wrestling. I don’t know the things he has done in the past. He tells me stories, but I am not sitting there thinking that I already knew that and that I was watching it on YouTube. I genuinely have no idea, but I love it and am interested in it.
Of course, it is hard when we are on the road. Last week he was in Europe so we didn’t see each other for several weeks, but on the other hand, we are both doing the same thing and we are doing this together on the same team. I know what he is going through when he can’t call me and vice versa. I believe it is the best thing in the world to trust each other. I know when he is not texting me, I know he is busy at work and I am busy too, so it’s great. It’s hard. It’s a job, but that is kind of what every relationship is and you just try to make it work.
This past week it was harder than usual because he wasn’t home all week while I am sitting at home Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Thursday, but the minute the weekend hits I am off to the Indie shows, I am off doing business so it is totally fine. It definitely is tough when one person is really busy and the other is sitting at home, but we rarely have that, so we have been lucky.”
Has WWE reached out to her regarding the second inaugural Mae Young Classic:
“I have not been contacted yet. I don’t know if you know who Britt Baker and Santana Garrett are. We stay in contact and there are no secrets with us girls. We tell each other exactly what is happening. What conversations we have had with WWE, but none of us have heard anything. I know that a lot of girls, a lot of buzz about it, where they have heard from people in the Performance Center, but I have not heard anything about it. I am keeping myself really busy at the moment, and it is really full. That way, if they don’t call, I am not worried about it, and if they do call I would be totally excited, but either way, I’m happy because I am busy.”
Get it all on this week’s brand new episode of AfterBuzz TV’s WPW Weekly. Two words for you…DOWNLOAD IT!
AXS TV sent in the following press release announcing a special block of programming dedicated to the historic IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign of Kazuchika Okada.
For 12 weeknights starting May 31st, AXS TV will air each of Okada’s first 12 title matches against the likes of Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito, Katsuyori Shibata and more.
The Okada championship spotlight culminates on Friday, June 15th with the airing of The Rainmarker’s recent title defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi from Wrestling Dontaku 2018 earlier this month.
AXS TV CELEBRATES KAZUCHIKA OKADA’S HISTORIC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE REIGN WITH A LATE-NIGHT BLOCK SHOWCASING HIS 12 CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES FROM MAY 30-JUNE 14 AT 5aE/2aP
AXS TV Will Present Okada’s Record-Breaking Title Match Against Hiroshi Tanahashi on Friday, June 15 at 8pE/5pP
Los Angeles (May 29, 2018) – AXS TV—the exclusive U.S. broadcast home for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)—celebrates IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada’s record-breaking fourth reign with a late-night programming block dedicated to “The Rainmaker.” For 12 weeknights starting May 31, the network will air each of Okada’s first 12 title matches, including his epic battles with Kenny Omega, Tetsuya Naito, Katsuyori Shibata and more. Fans are encouraged to set their DVRs to capture these legendary battles airing at 5aE/2aP.
Then, AXS TV presents Okada’s historic match against longtime rival Hiroshi Tanahashi on Friday, June 15 at 8pE/5pP from Wrestling Dontaku 2018, where he broke Tanahashi’s record for consecutive title defenses and continued his run as the longest-reigning champion in NJPW history.
AXS TV’s late-night Okada championship schedule is as follows:
5/30 – Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito – Dominion 6.19 – June 19, 2016
5/31 – Okada vs. Naomichi Marufuji – King of Pro-Wrestling 2016 – Oct. 10, 2016
One former WWE NXT star has reflected on Finn Balor dealing with Enzo Amore.
That star is former NXT Tag Team Champion Simon Gotch, who is now known as Simon Grimm. He talked about a wide range of topics during a recent appearance on Robbie E’s Why It Ended podcast.
During this interview, he brought up how although Amore was fine with his promos and never got any heat as a result of them, it was a bit of a different story when it came to the rest of the superstars.
Gotch stated that Amore tried to give the former Universal Champion some advice about women. “I noticed he would try to buddy up with people when he thought he could get something from them, and that didn’t sit well with people,” said Grimm. “When Fergal, Finn Balor, got there, [Enzo] immediately was just d–k riding him to high heaven. Right away. ‘Oh, bro. you wanna get chicks, you know what you gotta do? You gotta get an apartment downtown, bro. Cuz then you can walk to all the bars and walk right home.'”
Gotch would go onto say that Balor laughed at Amore because he was funny at first but then “lost his patience with him eventually.”
Gotch noted that Amore wanting to get close to Balor was due to the fact that he knew he would be a star in the sports entertainment company.
The former WWE star added that at the end of the day, Balor did not need Amore’s help due to the fact that he has “nine million abs” and could get any girl he wanted.
Balor most notably worked with Amore in NXT during the quarterfinals of the Dusty Rhodes Classic that saw Balor and Samoa Joe take on Amore and Big Cass.
There is a lot of speculation about the WWE possibly reuniting American Alpha.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Richmond, VA at the Richmond Coliseum on the USA Network, Drew McIntyre beat Chad Gable in a singles match. After the match, the former NXT Champion and Dolph Ziggler beat him down.
Thus, with Gable back on the RAW brand, there is speculation that once Jason Jordan returns to television then the sports entertainment company could pair them back up.
He’s been out of action since early 2018 due to a neck issue and was last seen on TV when Kurt Angle sent him home until he was healthy enough to compete.
As of this writing, there’s no official word yet on what the sports entertainment company has planned for Jordan on television whether that be with his storyline involving Seth Rollins or the “father and son” storyline with Angle.
Bryan Alvarez mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio how it looks like WWE is building toward an American Alpha reunion against McIntyre and Ziggler. Here is what longtime pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer had to say (transcript courtesy of RingSideNews): “Jordan’s cleared so they’re just trying to figure out what to do so I suppose you could do that.” “I will say this as bad as the tag team division is they could use Gable and Jordan as a team and also without it Gable’s career is going nowhere and he’s pretty damn talented.”
What are your thoughts on a possible American Alpha reunion? Sound off in the comment section below.
Rusev recently opened up about his life both in and outside of the WWE.
When speaking about Rusev, you have to bring up his wife due to her being such a big part of his life and career. Lana signed with WWE in June of 2013 and was sent to their developmental branch NXT. Rusev, on the other hand, signed with WWE in September of 2010 and was assigned to WWE’s Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) developmental territory in Tampa, Florida, where he adopted the ring name Alexander Rusev. She debuted on the October 23, 2013 episode of NXT by scouting Alexander Rusev. The following month, WWE put her as Rusev’s manager on television.
They had a short run while in the developmental brand before being called up to the main roster and have been paired with each other on/off again several times since then.
Rusev was interviewed by TV+ while in Bulgaria last week and during the interview, he was asked about how he met Lana. “I got to meet her since day one when I started in WWE. After that, Dusty Rhodes, god rest his soul, who was at working as a creative director at that time, put us together because of her speaking perfect russian. She used to live in Latvia for 12 years and she is very beautiful. That’s how we got to start working, training and spending a lot of time together. Things just happened naturally.”
Rusev’s next big match is at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event where he is slated to compete in the Money in the Bank Ladder match. If he ends up winning this match then he that would allow him to cash it in for a WWE Title match.
Also in this interview, he was asked if there is another promotion he would join if he decided to every depart the WWE. “I love the place I’m in right now and I don’t consider anything else .. except a Bulgarian movie career [laughs].”
Last night Time Square got a visit from a Bonafide G. Former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore broke his silence about what he’s been up to since leaving the company.
According to Enzo, he’s been in L.A. writing scripts, recording music in Kanye’s studio and been staying busy. He thanks the ‘Enzo army’ for all they’ve done.
Enzo claims that the fans have been doing research and keeping tabs on the accuser, reporting every relevant information to the Phoenix, Arizona Police. He even goes on to say that he didn’t even need a lawyer due to the support from his fans.
When the topic of returning back to wrestling and WWE came up, Enzo replied: “I’m just one man. You can ask me that question.”
Enzo went on to embrace the fans and enjoy the remaining evening of Memorial Day.
It seems time will tell what’s next for Enzo. He released a rap music video on Monday, which you can watch here.
Check out Enzo Amore’s Memorial Day appearance in New York City’s Times Square:
As we’ve previously noted, WWE Superstar John Cena recently made an appearance at the MegaCon in Orlando where he answered questions from fans. One such question was about the 16-time WWE World Champion becoming a Paul Heyman Guy.
Cena noted that while he goes to Heyman for various opinions and insight behind-the-scenes, he believes The Advocate is best utilized for those who have trouble on the microphone. He also said he thinks Heyman would be ‘wasted’ on him:
“Paul is an extremely valuable asset because of his accomplishments. I have relied on Paul a lot for opinions and insight behind the curtain. I think Paul is best for those who have trouble articulating opinions when they have [a microphone] in their hand.
“I enjoy being able to relate to all of you and I enjoy the negative response and the positive response that comes from being so honest after 15 years of us being together as friends, partners, family whatever you want to call it.
“Paul would be wasted with me and me likewise with Paul. Paul is a great vehicle for someone who can’t describe themselves but he is a wealth of knowledge and insight behind the curtain that I regularly lean on.”
Ex-WWE Superstar Kristal Marshall recently did an interview on former WWE security head Jimmy Noonan’s podcast, the Noonan Speaks podcast. During the show, Marshall discussed her past relationship with current WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley.
Marshall revealed the relationship started back in 2007 and confirmed that they never married:
“That [relationship] came about… let’s see… at the beginning of 2007.” Marshall considered, “I’d say about, no, no, that happened WrestleMania 2007. That’s when we started dating and that happened quick! Lots of things happened quickly at that time.
“I have never been married in all of my adult life.” Marshall elaborated, “my name is Kristal Marshall. It has always been Kristal Marshall. I’ve never been married. We were engaged. We had a very long engagement. We’ve had two kids together, but there was no wedding. That didn’t happen and I don’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. It just didn’t happen.”
She also revealed that she dated Matt Striker for a period of time during her run, and said it’s almost impossible to not date someone you’re working with in WWE:
“I did date Matt Striker for a brief period of time when I was wrestling.” Marshall continued, “it’s kind of impossible to not date someone you work with unless you’re married outside of the business and all of that. That’s impossible.
“That’s kind of how you figure out things and then you leave the wrestling business and you look back at the wrestling business and say, ‘what the f–k was that? That was f–king weird s–t. What was I doing?’ Yeah, that did happen.”
Marshall then discussed being bitter about her departure from WWE:
“There was a time when, like I said, I was super bitter, very upset.” Marshall professed, “I felt like when I left, there [were] a lot of things that I set out to accomplish that I didn’t. There was a point where I felt like certain girls got more opportunities and boo hoo hoo this and that. But do you know what?
“Like I said, I’ve done a lot of work on myself and there are a lot of f–king things that Can be really happy for. And there [are] a lot of s–tty things that happen in the business, but nothing’s f–king perfect. The wrestling business is one giant dysfunctional family and there’s like one cousin you can’t take anywhere, like a drunk uncle, there’s your slutty cousin.
“There’s somebody that fits every dynamic of a family, but the one thing that’s very interesting about wrestling as much as everybody hates it, everybody did hate it or had mixed feelings about it, if you ask anybody if they had any good moments in wrestling, they will always say, ‘yes’ and they will always smile if you ask them, ‘what was the best part of your [pro wrestling] career?’ There will always be something positive.”
As for her separation from Lashley, Marshall admitted she went through a tough time but was able to work on herself through meditation and gratitude:
“Yeah, I went through some difficult times, for sure. The hard thing about [pro] wrestling is that you think it’s going to last forever and you feel like the high that you get when you’re interacting with the fans, being the celebrity, all of that, there’s a certain level of arrogance that I feel like I carried outside of the business into real life and it doesn’t translate well!”
Marshall continued, “life happens. Bobby and I were together. We had kids, and, after we split, I found myself trying to figure out, ‘what am I going to do? What’s next for me?’ So I started working some corporate jobs and things never really stuck.
“Eventually, I went to cosmetology school and got my license to do hair and makeup. Thank God for that! It allowed me to be creative and do a version of what I love doing, which is art and painting, which has kind of been able to carry me over to this place where I’m at now.
“I know there are probably a lot of wrestling fans out there that assume once you stop wrestling you’re loaded and that you’re going to live comfortable. There are a lot of wrestlers that probably feel that way as well, but that’s just not life. And it was such a beautifully humbling experience as well.
“It was really f–ked up. I got super depressed. I’ve been battling depression and anxiety truly ever since I left the wrestling business and I can tell you that there is no medication that can fix depression, anxiety, that’s an internal job. Meditation, which is still very new for me, it’s an ongoing practice. It [has] helped tremendously. And gratitude! That’s what I’ve been talking about tonight. Like, nothing’s perfect, yes, but look at the positive. Gratitude [has] helped me immensely.”
WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan recently took to Twitter to pay tribute to a ‘late’ celebrity, but it turns out that celebrity is still alive. Hogan posted a photo of Jackass star, professional skateboarder, and Viva La Bam star Bam Margera.
He captioned the photo saying “Damn Bam I wish you were still with us, I sure would love to hang out again my brother love u miss u HH”
Hogan mistakingly confused Margera with Ryan Dunn, Margera’s best-friend and Jackass co-star who in fact did pass away tragically back in 2011 in a car accident:
Hogan has since deleted the Tweet and his follow-up Tweet apologizing for the mistake.
Identity Of Nia Jax’s RAW Opponent:
The jobber working against RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax on last night’s episode of RAW was Madi Maxx. She also bills herself as “The Paris Hilton of Pro Wrestling.” She went under the name Michelle Webb on RAW and claimed to be a Judo champion.
WWE Superstar John Cena recently made an appearance at the Orlando convention MegaCon this past weekend and took questions from fans. One such question was who The Leader Of The Cenation would rather face – Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole or Ricochet.
Cena picked Dream before using a Star Wars reference, suggesting Velveteen Dream could be “the one.” Check out the video here:
Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet recently posted a photo on Twitter comparing Dolph Ziggler to Owen Wilson in Zoolander. Former WWE Champion Batista took some time to respond to the Tweet.
In his response, he noted that he always believed that Ziggler was a ‘totally misused talent’ in his opinion and always enjoyed working with him:
That Hansel’s so hot right now! … sorry I could resist! PS.. Dolph was always one of my favorite guys to work with and IMO a totally misused talent. Just my 2 cents https://t.co/BtgiIA3tf9
Vince McMahon Wishes Seth Rollins A Happy Birthday
The Chairman Of The Board took to Twitter to wish WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins a Happy Birthday yesterday. The Architect turned 32-years-old:
This past April, The IIconics – Billie Kay and Peyton Royce – made their main roster debuts on SmackDown Live. They had quite an impact right off the bat, assisting Carmella in successfully cashing in her Money In The Bank (MITB) contract to win the SmackDown Live Women’s Championship from Charlotte Flair.
The pair have been featured as a prominent part of SmackDown Live’s women’s division since. WrestlingNews.co is reporting that WWE have been pleasantly surprised with The IIconics’ merchandise sales.
Their new shirt on WWE Shop is selling much better than expected. As a result, WWE has some big plans for the team moving forward. The idea is to utilize them as an updated version of Laycool.
This is in reference to the team formed by Michelle McCool and Layla back in 2009. They remained partners for around two years before disbanding their partnership following a self-implosion of the team when McCool attacked Layla during a segment on SmackDown.
Discussion: What do you think about WWE’s upcoming plans for the IIconics?
Titus O’Neil has been in news lately especially after he accidentally fell down and slide under the ring during the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia last month.
Titus recently had an interview with Richmond.com, where he talked about his time as a college football player, choosing wrestling as a career and more.
Talking about Dave Bautista, O’Neil revealed that the former World Champion is one of his closest friends and said that he had several conversations with him about wrestling before pursuing a career in the industry.
When asked who he would like to be his partner if he had one final match, the Raw Star took the name of Batista again, revealing that they were neighbors for years:
“Dave Bautista. We were neighbors for years. He’s one of my closest friends. Long before I got into WWE, we became friends. That’s the beauty of life, you never know why you get to meet certain people.”
Continuing on the topic, Titus O’Neil also revealed the team he would like to go against in his final match, saying that he would like to face John Cena and the Rock.
Apart from this, The former NXT Star talked about how his sons inspired him to do wrestling and more. You can check out his complete interview here.
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw opened with Braun Strowman hyping the upcoming Money In The Bank match and then he went on to have a match with Finn Balor. Though this wasn’t the only time fans in attendance got to see Braun during the night.
The dark main event of this week’s Raw saw Bobby Lashley facing his Money In The Bank opponent Sami Zayn in a one on one match. The bout, however, ended in disqualification after interference from Kevin Owens and Lashley was declared the winner.
Jinder Mahal then ran down to the ring and the heel trio tried to attack the former TNA Star, only for the Monster Among Men to make the save. He helped Bobby in clearing the ring off the heels and the two then celebrated in the ring to end the night.
Elias Explains Why He Attacked Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins defended his Intercontinental Championship against Jinder Mahal during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw and their bout ended in disqualification.
Interestingly, Elias came out of nowhere after the bout was over and attacked the IC Champion, smashing his guitar into the back of Rollins. After the show, WWE posted the following fallout video in which the Drifter explains why he attacked Seth:
A lot of people believe CM Punk should not be part of UFC 225’s main card after his loss to Mickey Gall, especially when stars like Alistair Overeem and Rashad Evans are competing on the prelims.
During a recent Press Conference, President Dana White was asked about this and responding to the critics, he said that we can argue on this topic when Alistair sells as many PPVs as Punk.
You can check out his comments in the video below:
Roman Reigns To Miss More Events
Fans were surprised when the Big Dog Roman Reigns who celebrated his 33rd birthday this past Friday was not present at this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Richmond, Virginia.
While the reason for his absence is still unknown, it has been revealed that the former World Champion will be missing some more events this weekend.
According to report, Roman is not scheduled to be a part of this weekend’s Live Events though he is expected to be back for next week’s episode of Raw from Houston, Texas.
Roman Reigns is currently scheduled to face Jinder Mahal at the upcoming Money In The Bank PPV on June 17th.
After getting heat for going off script and being pulled from the announced Money In The Bank qualifier match, it appears that Big Cass has finally received some good news.
According to a report from PWinsider, after having a tough week, Cass is finally ready to return to the usual travel schedule and he will start touring with the SmackDown Brand again this week.
Cass injured his leg during a Live Event two weeks ago. The injury was especially bad because he had only returned a few weeks ago after spending almost 8 months in rehab following an ACL surgery.
This had resulted in him being removed from a Money In The Bank qualifier match against Samoa Joe which was originally announced for SmackDown Live last week.
At one point it was reported that Cass was back on crutches and he was being evaluated to determine if he needs another ACL surgery, though thankfully it didn’t turn out to be the case.
Now it’d be interesting to see what the company has in store for him. It’s worth mentioning here that Daniel Bryan is set to face Joe for the final spot in the Money In The Bank match on SmackDown this week.
If Cass has been cleared to return to ring then it’s very much possible that he will interfere in this bout and cost Bryan the match to continue his rivalry with the former SmackDown General Manager.
Chris Jericho surprised everyone last year when he announced that he will be wrestling for NJPW. However, he didn’t stop there and Chris worked in collaboration with ROH for his upcoming Cruise as well.
These events made many wonder if the former World Champion could go even further and work for some other promotions in future like Impact Wrestling.
The topic was also discussed during a latest interview with Impact Officials and talking about Jericho, Co-Executive Vice Presidents Don Callis had said that they would open the door for someone like Y2J if he wants to work with the company.
All this was enough to start rumors about Jericho possibly working for Impact in future and a fan ended up asking the former Champion if he could be heading to the company formerly known as TNA.
Although Jericho did not answer the question directly. He instead re-tweeted the post as seen below which has only added fuel to the speculations that he could be headed to the Impact Zone:
This could very well be a case of Chris trolling internet fans but we also have to consider the fact that his rivalry with Kenny Omega also started with a tweet.
Given that WWE has developed a working relationship with Impact in the past several months and they even promoted the GWN on WWE Network, fans hope that the Officials could happily allow Jericho to work for the promotion.
Whether or not he actually ends up wrestling for the company will be revealed in future but for now, everything looks to be heading into a positive direction and Jericho making his Impact debut somewhere down the line is starting to look like a possible scenario.
Discussion: Do you think Chris Jericho working for Impact Wrestling would be a good idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
The May 28th, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from Richmond, VA. Here are 8 takeaways from this week’s show:
Kevin Owens Interfered In The Rematch Between Balor & Strowman
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Braun Strowman came down to the ring to kick off this week’s episode of RAW. Strowman got a great reaction from the crowd as he looked up at the briefcase hanging above the ring. Braun stated that the briefcase motivates him because inside of it is a contract that guarantees him a shot at the Universal Champion at any time.
The crowd started chanting “get these hands!” as Strowman vowed to destroy 7 other men at Money in the Bank and capture the MITB contract. He added that he will become known as “Mr. Monster in the Bank” after he wins the match. Strowman said that nobody in the match can stop him from getting the MITB contract and going after Brock Lesnar.
Finn Balor interrupted and told Strowman that he is getting ahead of himself. Balor said that he was the Universal Champion and that he never lost that title. Finn admitted that it eats at him every day and that he is going to take back what is his. Braun said that Balor put up a really good fight last week for a little guy.
Balor didn’t like that and slapped Strowman in the face. Braun got pissed off and thew Finn across the ring as RAW GM Kurt Angle’s music hit. Angle came down to the entrance ramp and said that he sees intensity out here. Kurt went over the rules of the MITB Ladder Match and then asked the crowd if they wanted to see Balor versus Strowman right now. The crowd cheered and a referee ran down to the ring.
Kevin Owens joined commentary for the match. Owens, Balor and Strowman have already qualified for the men’s MITB Ladder Match. The bell rang and Strowman immediately threw Balor around the ring a couple of times. Balor battled back with a forearm to the face. Strowman shrugged it off and launched Balor into the turnbuckle. Owens grabbed a microphone from the announce table and shouted at Strowman to do better than that as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Strowman was still in control of the match. Braun threw Balor out of the ring and hit him with a massive shoulder tackle that sent Finn flying into the crowd. Finn shoved Braun into the ring post and then attacked him as Strowman tried to get back into the ring. Balor connected with a Dropkick that sent Braun flying out of the ring.
Owens got back on the microphone and told Balor to give Strowman his best shot. Finn connected with an Enziguri and then flipped onto Braun outside the ring. Back in the ring, Finn hit a Slingblade, a Dropkick and then made his way to the top rope. Balor hit the Coup de Grace and then climbed up to the top rope once again. Owens hopped up onto the ring apron and punched Balor in the face.
The match ended in a DQ because Owens got involved. Owens grabbed a ladder from under the ring and struck Balor with it. Owens tried to attack Strowman, but Braun grabbed the ladder from him. Strowman threw the ladder at Owens as he ran away up the entrance ramp. Owens was able to avoid the ladder and continued to run backstage as Braun posed in the ring.
Owens was then shown trying to exit the arena, but he was stopped by RAW GM Kurt Angle. Kurt told Owens that he couldn’t leave because he had a match against Bobby Roode tonight.
Elias Hit Seth Rollins With His Guitar
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Elias performed a song in the ring and insulted the Virginia crowd. Elias asked for the lighting to be changed so he could see less of the disgusting crowd. Seth Rollins eventually interrupted and forced Elias out of the ring.
Rollins then defended his Intercontinental Championship against Jinder Mahal. Jinder controlled the match early and applied the Abdominal Stretch to Rollins. Mahal then stomped on Seth in the corner and taunted him by shouted “this is your champion?!”. Seth battled back and slammed Jinder’s face into the second rope.
Seth connected with a Slingblade and then Clotheslined Mahal out of the ring. Rollins followed it up with a Suicide Dive and then brought Jinder back into the ring. Seth hit a Blockbuster off the second rope for a two count. Jinder planted Seth with a giant Gutbuster for two.
Mahal went for the Khallas, but Rollins escaped and rolled up Jinder for a two count. Seth hit a boot to the face and followed it up with a Falcon Arrow for another two count. Sunil Singh distracted Rollins and Jinder rolled out of the ring. The referee got out of the ring and kicked Sunil out from ringside. Mahal capitalized on the distraction by striking Rollins in the midsection with a steel chair. Jinder went for the cover but Seth was able to kick out at two.
The crowd chanted “lets go Rollins!” as Mahal went for the Khallas once again. Rollins escaped and Sunil Singh got back on the ring apron. Seth brought Sunil into the ring and Powerbombed him on top of Mahal in the corner. Seth grabbed the steel chair and struck Jinder with it. The referee disqualified Rollins, but Seth continued to strike Jinder with a chair. Seth hit Sunil in the back with the chair as Jinder retreated backstage.
Rollins then posed with the steel chair on the announce table. Elias snuck up behind him and struck Seth in the back with his guitar. Rollins crumbled to the floor as Elias stood over him. Seth was then placed in a neck brace and loaded onto a stretcher. Rollins got off the stretcher and hobbled backstage.
RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax made her way down the entrance ramp. Ronda Rousey’s theme hit in the middle of Nia’s entrance. Nia looked pissed off as Rousey made her way to the commentary table. Nia stated that she was glad that Rousey was here so she could get a preview of what she is going to do to her at Money in the Bank.
Nia instructed Michelle Webb (her opponent) to put the Arm Bar on her. Nia countered the Arm Bar into a Powerbomb and then grabbed the microphone again. Jax questioned if Rousey could apply the Arm Bar to her. Nia then planted Webb with a Samoan Drop and told Rousey that she wasn’t done yet. Jax connected with a Leg Drop to Webb and told Ronda that she is not getting up.
Jax added that Rousey has never faced anything like that in UFC and that he leg could crush a women’s chest. Nia followed up the Leg Drop with a rolling Senton and once again grabbed the microphone. Nia asked Ronda to come down to the ring and help Webb out. Ronda took off the headset and made her way down to the entrance ramp. Nia told the crowd to shut up as they were chanting Ronda’s name.
Rousey got in the ring with Nia and Jax said that she wasn’t intimidated by Ronda. Jax laughed in Ronda’s face and called her cute. Jax then turned her back on Rousey and left the ring as Rousey stood in the ring. It was later announced that Nia will face Natalya next week on RAW.
Opinion: Nia Jax is a heel/bully now without any explanation. We just saw her in a feud with Alexa Bliss, in which the entire storyline was based around Alexa being a bully. Nia broke down in tears during the storyline due to her bullying and then overcame them at WrestleMania 34 by capturing the RAW Women’s Championship. Now, she is just a heel because it is convenient in a feud against Rousey. The laziness of WWE still astounds me from time to time.
Strowman Got His Revenge On Kevin Owens, Will Face Bobby Roode Next Week
Bobby Roode faced Kevin Owens tonight on RAW. Roode connected with a shoulder tackle and a couple of chops in the corner to start off the match. Roode followed it up with a Clothesline on the ring apron. Owens then tripped Roode up and threw him into the barricade. Owens hit a Cannonball on Roode against the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Roode connected with a Blockbuster off the second rope for a two count. Owens rolled out of the ring and Roode chased him up there. Bobby leveled Owens with a Clothesline and then brought Owens back into the ring. Owens hit a Superkick out of nowhere for a two count. Owens was then able to roll-up Roode for the victory.
After the match, Braun Strowman’s music hit and Owens started running around the ring. Roode stopped Owens from getting away and Strowman hit Owens with a shoulder tackle. Braun then planted Owens with a Running Powerslam and Roode climbed up to the second rope. Strowman planted Owens with another Running Powerslam as Roode cheered him on. Braun then grabbed Roode by the throat and dropped him with a Running Powerslam. Later on the show, it was announced that Roode and Strowman will have a match next week on RAW.
Zayn & Lashley Will Battle At WWE Money In The Bank
Photo Credit: @WWEUniverse on Twitter
Sami Zayn came down to the ring for a public apology for last week’s segment with Lashley’s sisters. Zayn stated that WWE management has been very gracious to allow him this opportunity for a formal public apology. Sami pulled out a piece of paper and his glasses.
Zayn read a statement that said he heard all the criticism of the cringeworthy segment last week. Sami said that he hired the men to portray Lashley’s sisters as a joke, but not to provoke. Zayn then said he was sorry, but quickly noted that everything he said last week was true.
Sami called himself a brilliant artist and didn’t expect the audience to get it. Zayn added that history will look back on last week’s very favorably and that he is doing the right thing for exposing Lashley for being a bully and a liar. Zayn stated that the crowd should be apologizing to him because he deserves to more. He should be in the MITB Ladder Match or defeating Seth Rollins for the IC Title instead of issuing a public apology.
Bobby Lashley interrupted to no reaction from the crowd. Lashley posed, high-fived and took his sweet time making his way to the ring. Bobby grabbed a microphone and thanked the veterans for their service. Lashley saluted as the crowd chanted “USA!”. Bobby told Sami that his sisters find him entertaining. Lashley stated that they have an issue and that they should settle it in the ring at WWE Money in the Bank.
Sami and Lashley shook hands in the ring. Zayn said that he is going to Helluva Kick Lashley’s smile off his face at Money in the Bank. Lashley didn’t let go of Zayn’s hand and squeezed tighter. Bobby then apologized to Sami for everything that he is going to do to Zayn at Money in the Bank.
Opinion: This feud has been terrible. Lashley is painfully boring and Sami Zayn is stuck in the place he has always been in WWE. I just don’t think the fans will ever really care about Lashley enough to get behind him. I’m certainly not counting on WWE to come up with a storyline that gets fans invested in Lashley.
Drew McIntyre Defeated Chad Gable
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Drew McIntyre faced Chad Gable tonight on RAW while Dolph Ziggler was ringside. Drew controlled the first couple of minutes of the match and shouted at Gable that he wasn’t on his level. Gable battled back and connected with a Moonsault for a two count. McIntyre Clotheslined Gable out of the ring and then chased him out there.
Gable connected with an overhead kick and then went for a Crossbody off the second rope. McIntyre caught him and threw Gable into the ring post. McIntyre brought Gable back into the ring and connected with the Claymore for the pinfall victory.
The B Team (Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas) held a BBQ for the RAW Tag Team division. They misunderstood RAW GM Kurt Angle and thought they had to win over the the division to get a shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships.
Titus O’Neil got pissed off that food wasn’t seasoned and said that they weren’t going to just cut in front of everyone else for a title shot. Everyone agreed and the B Team started to take their food back. Titus dumped baked beans on Bo Dallas and then Axel got potato salad dumped on him.
A food fight broke out until it was just Rhyno in the ring with sandwiches. Rhyno threw a couple of sandwiches in the crowd but was attacked from behind by the B Team. Axel and Dallas then slammed Rhyno threw a table to end the segment.
Kurt Angle announced that there will be a Tag Team Battle Royal next week on RAW. The winner of the Battle Royal will face Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt for the tag titles at WWE Money in the Bank.
Sasha Banks Qualified For The Women’s MITB Ladder Match
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter
Bayley was the first entrant in the Last Chance Gauntlet Match. The winner of the match will be the last Superstar to qualify for the women’s MITB Ladder Match. Her first opponent was Liv Morgan and that match lasted about 5 seconds. Bayley connected with the Bayley to Belly right away. Sarah Logan was up next and Bayley connected with a Hurricanrana outside the ring. Bayley brought her back into the ring for the cover, but Logan kicked out at two.
Sarah Logan then took control of the match as Ember Moon was shown watching backstage. Bayley rolled up Sarah Logan to eliminate her. Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan attacked Bayley after they were eliminated. Ruby Riott was the next Superstar in the Gauntlet Match.
Alexa Bliss was shown backstage watching the match as Ruby eliminated Bayley with the Riott Kick. Dana Brooke was the next Superstar in the match and was eliminated quickly by Ruby Riott. Mickie James got a great reaction from her hometown crowd as she was the next Superstar in the Gauntlet Match.
Mickie connected with a Dropkick for a two count. Ruby rolled out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Mickie slammed Riott face-first into the canvas. Mickie climbed to the top rope and jumped onto Riott for a two count. Riott rolled up Mickie James and grabbed her tights for leverage to eliminate her.
Sasha Banks was the final Superstar in the Gauntlet Match. Banks connected with a Crossbody on Riott off the second rope for a two count. Sasha went for the Bank Statement, but Riott escaped and slammed Sasha to the mat. Riott stomped on Sasha in the corner several times and then started smacking her in the face. Ruby then slammed Sasha’s head into the canvas for a two count as Natalya was shown watching the match backstage.
Banks battled back hit Double Knees off the top rope for a two count. Riott responded with a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but Banks kicked out. Ruby followed it up with a boot to the face for another two count. Banks and Riott battled in the corner. Sasha Powerbombed Riott off the second rope for a two count. Sasha went for the Bank Statement but Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan rushed the ring. Sasha fought them off and applied the Bank Statement to Ruby Riott for the submission victory.
Sasha Banks, Natalya, Charlotte, Ember Moon, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch Naomi and Lana will be the Superstars competing in the women’s MITB Ladder Match.
Opinion: Tonight’s RAW was just as boring as last week’s episode. The build towards WWE Money in the Bank 2018 has felt phoned in, especially on RAW. There are not any interesting storylines on the show right now. Elias versus Rollins has the potential to be an interesting feud, but that is about it.
What did you think of this week’s RAW? Let us know in the comments below.
The final competitor has been revealed for this upcoming match.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Richmond, VA at the Richmond Coliseum on the USA Network, Sasha Banks beat Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Mickie James, Bayley, and Dana Brooke in a Last Chance Qualifying Gauntlet Match.
As a result of this win, she has been added to the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match at the upcoming MITB PPV event. She joins Ember Moon, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Lana, and Naomi as those who have already earned the right to compete in the ladder 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. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated 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
– 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
Several matches have been announced for next Monday’s WWE RAW.
WWE has announced four big matches for next week’s episode of RAW on the USA Network. The matches that were confirmed by the sports entertainment company include Braun Strowman versus Bobby Roode, Finn Balor versus Kevin Owens, and Nia Jax versus Natalya
The fourth and final match is the B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) competing in a Battle Royal with the winning team facing Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt for the RAW Tag Team Titles.
WWE holds next week’s show in Houston, TX at the Toyota Center. As of this writing, no other matches for RAW have been announced.
What are your thoughts on these matches? Sound off in the comment section below.
Ring of Honor will hold their New York City Excellence event on Saturday night New York, NY at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
This will be an important TV taping as fans of the Baltimore-based promotion will get an idea of storyline direction and matches that will take place at their next pay-per-view event, which is Best in the World that 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 has announced several matches for this TV taping. You can see the updated card here:
WWE has announced a new match for the Money in the Bank PPV.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Richmond, VA at the Richmond Coliseum on the USA Network, Bobby Lashley challenged Sami Zayn to a singles match at the upcoming event, which Zayn accepted.
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. Here is the updated 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
– 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
Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion is returning to this weekend with a new event.
The promotion will hold their 44th event this Friday night (June 1, 2018) at the Lennox Agricultural Memorial Community Centre in Napanee, Ontario. You can check out the updated card for this event here: – HOH TV Champion Willie Mack vs. Alex Reynolds vs. MJF. – Tommy Dreamer vs. Braxton Sutter: Hardcore Brawl. – Billy Gunn issues an open challenge. – Bull James & RJ City vs. The Squad World Order. – Chinlock Champion Jessie Mack vs. Angelina Love. – Total Devastation (CJ Felony and Catalyst Nic Williams) vs. Freak Nation (Sideshow Jack and Madman Taylor).
For those interested in attending the show, you can get tickets here.
What are your thoughts on this card? Do you plan on attending the show? Sound off in the comment section below.
A new match has been revealed for WWE SmackDown Live.
On Monday (May 28, 2018), WWE announced that Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger in a singles match will take place this Tuesday night on SmackDown Live in Raleigh, NC at the PNC Arena.
Just last week, the sports entertainment company announced two other matches for this show as well. Those matches include The New Day vs. Sheamus, The Miz, and Cesaro in a six-man tag team match.
Also, Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan Money in the Bank qualifying match. The winner of this match will go on to compete in the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
What are your thoughts on this upcoming match? Sound off in the comment section below.
