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7 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (5/22)

Robert Lentini
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The May 22nd episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. Here are 7 takeaways from this week’s show:

The Bar Cost Big E His Match Against The Miz

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Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter

SmackDown kicked off with The Miz in the ring. The Miz took a shot at the Boston Celtics losing the last two NBA Playoff games to the Cavaliers before promoting his new docu-series on the USA Network.

The Miz then introduced his guests, New Day, for an episode of Miz TV. Woods, Kingston and Big E came down to the ring. Miz asked which of them is going to compete in the men’s MITB Ladder Match. All three of them sang Nsync’s “it’s gonna be me”. Miz claimed that the New Day hold each other back.

Woods said that Miz quite possibly is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time and has main evented WrestleMania. Xavier then referred to Miz as a living legend, but the thing that nobody likes about him is that throughout his life, career and relationships he has ever had, he always makes sure that Miz comes first.

The Miz boasted about winning the MITB contract in the past and cashing it in. Miz brought up Kofi being in six MITB matches and never winning. Miz turned his attention to Big E and complimented his size and charisma. Miz stated that Big E has everything it takes to be a champion, but he will never be taken seriously because he doesn’t take himself seriously.

Miz brought up Woods’ YouTube channel and how popularity. Miz called “Fortnite” Fortline and Woods corrected him. Miz added that each of them have a chance to go down as one of the greatest WWE Champions in history with this MITB contract and asked again which member of New Day will compete in the match.

Woods stated that it is going to have to be Big E. Big E then suggested Kofi and then Kingston suggested Xavier. Miz flipped out and said that he brought them down here to give him the scoop and for them to announce who will be in the match. Miz said that he was going to win the men’s MITB Ladder Match and that he could beat anyone of them any day of the week.

New Day huddled up and then Kofi grabbed the microphone. Kingston said that it will Big E. Woods said that they were not talking about Money in the Bank anymore, they were talking about tonight. The Miz asked the crowd if they wanted to see Big E versus The Miz right now and they chanted “yes!”. The Miz stated that if he doesn’t get what he wants, then the fans don’t get what they want.

New Day threw pancakes at Miz while shouting “shame!”. The crowd continued to chant “shame!” as pancakes rained down on The Miz. The Miz rolled out of the ring and retreated backstage. The Miz then bumped into SmackDown GM Paige backstage. Paige said that she gets it and that not everyone likes pancakes. Paige added that The Miz said he could beat any member of New Day any day of the week and told him to back to the ring and prove it.  The Miz paced around on the entrance ramp as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

Big E then faced The Miz as Xavier Woods joined commentary for the match. Woods said that they wouldn’t reveal their strategy on who will be competing in the men’s MITB Ladder Match.

Big E started off the match in control and threw Miz down to the mat. Big E gyrated his hips a bit and then slammed The Miz to the canvas once again. The Miz connected with a few jabs, but got caught in an Abdominal Stretch from Big E. Big E then spanked The Miz a few times as the crowd chanted “New Day rocks!”. Big E continued the beatdown and stomped on Miz on the ring apron. Big E followed it up with a Splash and The Miz fell to the canvas.

Woods and Kingston then poured syrup in Big E’s mouth and wiped the sweat off his back with pancakes. Xavier joined commentary once again as The Miz battled back and slammed Big E face-first off the ring apron. Miz then launched Big E into the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999082836530380801

When SmackDown returned, Big E was back in control and drove Miz into the corner of the ring. Kofi Kingston was on commentary now and Graves tried to get him to reveal which member of New Day will be in the men’s MITB Ladder Match. Big E connected with three Belly to Belly Suplexes in a row as Woods played the trombone.

Big E connected with a Splash and then Miz retreated the ring apron. Big E lifted him back into the ring and slammed him to the mat for a two count. Miz battled back with a knee to the face and followed it up with a DDT for a two count. Big E and Miz then dropped each other with a double Clothesline.

Sheamus and Cesaro rushed down to the ring and attacked Woods from behind. Kofi left commentary and springboarded off of Cesaro and hit Sheamus with a Crossbody. Sheamus then leveled Kingston with a Brogue Kick. Cesaro hopped on the ring apron and distracted Big E. Big E knocked him down but turned around into a Skull Crushing Finale from The Miz for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999085200570310657

It was announced that New Day will face The Bar & The Miz next week on SmackDown.

Money In The Bank Will Be Ravishing

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Billie Kay faced Lana tonight on SmackDown. The winner of the match will qualify for the Women’s MITB Ladder Match.

Aiden English perfomed before the match to introduce Lana. English sang “Lana is the best, Lana number one!” and the crowd joined in before Lana danced her way down to the ring. Peyton Royce accompanied Billie Kay to the entrance ramp. They poked fun at Aiden English and performed a duet. They cleared their throats in obnoxious fashion as the crowd chanted “Rusev Day!”. They then sang “Lana is a loser!” in extremely high-pitched voices. The IIConics then added that SmackDown will become IIConic after they win MITB.

Aiden English then cleared his throat at ringside and held up a giant “Lana Day!” sign. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay got pissed off and started shouting at him. Lana grabbed Royce and threw her into the barricade. Billie Kay brought Lana into the ring and Lana connected with a kick to the face. Lana shouted “Machka!” and slammed Kay face-first into the canvas for the pinfall victory. The crowd chanted “Lana Day!” as she celebrated on the turnbuckle. Lana has now qualified for the women’s MITB Ladder Match.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999088652931256322

Andrade “Cien” Almas Dominated Again

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Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter

Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega came down to the ring. Almas faced another jobber this week. Backstage before the match, Vega complained about Almas not being given competition on SmackDown.

Almas beat the hell out of the jobber and stomped on in him in the corner to start off the match. Vega shouted instructions ringside as the jobber connected with an elbow to the face. The jobber then ran into a ridiculous back-elbow from Almas and collapsed to the canvas.

Andrade set up the jobber in the corner and connected with Double Knees. Zelina smiled ringside as Almas hit another Double Knees to the back of the jobber’s head. Almas finished him off with the Hammerlock DDT for the easy pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999089989634920459

Styles vs. Nakamura Will Be A Last Man Standing Match At WWE Money In The Bank

MITB Nakamura Styles Last Man Standing
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter

Renee Young came down to the ring and introduced WWE Champion AJ Styles for a face-to-face meeting with Nakamura tonight on SmackDown. Nakamura will reveal the stipulation for the WWE Championship at WWE Money in the Bank next month.

Nakamura joined AJ Styles in the ring and circled him a couple of times. Renee was about to ask Nakamura what the stipulation was going to be. AJ interrupted and demanded that Shinsuke tell him what the stipulation was. Shinsuke told Styles to relax and rolled footage of Nakamura defeating him last week on SmackDown to earn the right to choose the stipulation.

Styles said that will never happen again. Shinsuke told him to be quiet and to listen to him very carefully. Nakamura said that he will not just beat him, he will dishonor him and AJ will never recover. Shinsuke added that the title will be his and that AJ’s house is now his. AJ once again asked what the stipulation was. Nakamura then said that it will be a pillow fight and started laughing in the ring.

AJ said that he always knew that Nakamura was the king of soft style. Shinsuke stated that he jokes because he has the upper-hand and Styles jokes because he is afraid. Nakamura then said all he wants to do is hit Styles with a knee to the face. Styles claimed that Nakamura cannot beat him when it matters and that is why he takes those cheap shots. AJ added that he can speak for the WWE Universe and that he is not he Nakamura they wanted on SmackDown Live.

Nakamura went to punch Nakamura, but AJ blocked it. AJ knocked Shinsuke out of the ring and threw him into the timekeeper’s area. Nakamura got up and went after Styles with a steel chair. Styles fought him off and knocked Shinsuke into the crowd. AJ threw Shinsuke over the barricade and back to the ringside area. Styles then leaped off the barricade, but Shinsuke was ready and struck him with the chair.

Shinsuke posed a few times as Styles struggled to his feet. Nakamura kneed him in the ribs and then dropped him on the announce table. Shinsuke geared up against the barricade and leveled him with the Kinshasa. Shinsuke started counting all the way to ten and AJ didn’t get up. Shinsuke got up on the announce table and said that the stipulation will be a Last Man Standing Match at WWE Money in the Bank.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999095190844526593

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999095791133380608

Gallows & Anderson Will Get A Shot At The SmackDown Tag Titles At WWE Money In The Bank

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Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter

The Usos faced Gallows & Anderson tonight in a #1 Contender’s Match on SmackDown. Gallows and Anderson cut a promo before the match and said that they blew their chance against The Bludgeon Brothers. The Usos said that this wasn’t Japan or RAW, this is SmackDown Live where The Usos reside. They then welcomed Gallows & Anderson to the Uso Penitentiary. Anderson & Gallows called The Usos a couple of nerds.

Jimmy and Jey punched Gallows & Anderson in the face and a brawl broke out. The match then started with Gallows and Jey. Jey Clotheslined Gallows out of the ring and then hit a Crossbody onto both Anderson and Gallows as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Anderson had Jey Uso perched on the top rope. Jey headbutted Karl to the mat and leaped to the canvas. Jey Uso connected with a boot to the side of the head and then Gallows tagged in. Gallows missed with a splash and got two boots to the face from The Usos. Jimmy connected with a Superkick and Jey followed it up with a Splash for a two count.

Jimmy tagged in and then climbed up the turnbuckle. Jey climbed up on the opposite side and Anderson shoved him to the floor. Gallows decked Jimmy with a boot to the face and tagged in Anderson. Gallows & Anderson then planted Jimmy Uso with the Magic Killer for the pinfall victory. As a result of winning this match, Gallows & Anderson will face the Bludgeon Brothers for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999099087348731904

Naomi Qualified For The Women’s MITB Ladder Match

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Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter

Naomi faced Sonya Deville tonight on SmackDown in qualifying match for the women’s MITB Ladder Match. Mandy Rose was ringside for the match.

Sonya threw Naomi to the mat, but Naomi did a spit and taunted her. Deville knocked Naomi down once again as Charlotte was shown backstage watching the match. Deville connected with a couple of jabs to the midsection in the corner. Sonya applied a Headlock, but Naomi got to her feet and broke up the hold by slamming Deville into the turnbuckle.

Deville planted Naomi with a Spinebuster for a two count. Sonya stayed on the attack and stomped on Naomi in the corner. Naomi battled back with a boot to the face and then a kick to the knee. Naomi and Deville then traded kicks and then both connected with a kick to the head at the same time. Deville got up first and kneed Naomi in the ribs. Naomi then rolled up Deville for the pinfall victory. Naomi is now in the women’s MITB Ladder Match.

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/999101625682857985

Daniel Bryan Submitted Jeff Hardy, Will Face Samoa Joe Next Week

Bryan Hardy SmackDown
Photo Credit: @WWE on Twitter

Daniel Bryan was interviewed backstage about getting a second change to qualify for the men’s MITB Ladder Match. Bryan said that tonight means everything and added that it was insane that he will be facing Jeff Hardy tonight. Bryan stated that Hardy is a difficult mountain to climb, but he loves the challenge. Bryan vowed to tap a legend out tonight on SmackDown.

The winner of the match tonight between Jeff Hardy and Daniel Bryan will face Samoa Joe next week in a qualifying match for the MITB Ladder Match. Big Cass was deemed unable to compete due to an injury suffered last week. Cass was shown backstage on crutches during the show.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/998612645476528129

Jeff Hardy was interviewed later on during the show and said that he can do things with ladders that captivate the WWE Universe. Jeff said that he and Bryan are about to scorch the fans cerebrums. Hardy then excused himself and said he was about to take flight.

Samoa Joe came down and joined commentary for the match. The winner of Hardy versus Bryan will face Samoa Joe next week in a qualifying match for the men’s MITB Ladder Match.

Hardy and Bryan locked up to start the match. Bryan knocked Hardy to the canvas with a shoulder tackle for a two count. Jeff connected with an Atomic Drop and then a Dropkick that sent Daniel out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Bryan and Hardy connected with a double Clothesline and both Superstars fell to the mat.

Bryan connected with a boot to the face that knocked Hardy out of the ring. Daniel followed it up with a Dropkick through the ropes and Hardy crashed into the barricade. Bryan missed with a knee off the apron and then Jeff leveled him with a Clothesline off the ring apron.

The action returned to the ring and Bryan perched Hardy on the top rope. Bryan got Hardy in the Tree of Woe and delivered a sliding Dropkick to his face. Jeff battled back and connected with Whisper in the Wind off the top rope for a two count. Bryan hit a Dropkick to Jeff’s knee and then hit a series of Yes Kicks.

Hardy ducked under a kick and planted Bryan with the Twist of Fate. Jeff made his way to the top rope and went for the Swanton Bomb, but Bryan got his knees up. Daniel then connected hit a kick to the face for a two count. Bryan geared up in the corner and went for the knee to the face, but Hardy was ready and went for a roll-up. Bryan kicked out at two and hit a few uppercuts to the face.

Bryan avoided another Twist of Fate and applied the Heel Hook in the middle of the ring. Hardy reached for the ropes but he couldn’t make it. Jeff then tapped out and Bryan won the match. Samoa Joe grabbed the microphone and shouted “Daniel!” before getting into the ring. Joe said that he fails to see what everyone is celebrating out here, because next week you face me. Joe then had a brief stare down with Bryan and then left the ring as his theme played. Daniel Bryan will face Samoa Joe next week in a qualifying match for the Men’s MITB Ladder Match.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999107275624153088

Samoa Joe then was interviewed backstage. Joe vowed to put Daniel Bryan to sleep next week on SmackDown. WWE SmackDown then went off the air with Daniel Bryan celebrating in the ring.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/999108040312983554

Opinion: This week’s episode of SmackDown was very entertaining and helped me forget about last night’s brutal episode of RAW. I am already looking forward to next week’s main event between Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan. I’m sure there will be outside interference during the match, but it still going to be awesome to see them face each other in a WWE ring.

Gallows & Anderson picked up a big win tonight against The Usos. I am much more excited for Gallows & Anderson vs. The Bludgeon Brothers at MITB than I would have been if they just faced The Usos again. I haven’t enjoyed the rivalry between AJ Styles and Nakamura as much as I thought I would have. Tonight’s segment was solid and I hope that we finally get the Nakamura vs. Styles match we deserve at WWE Money in the Bank.

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

Tag Team Title Match Announced For WWE Money In The Bank, Updated Card

Andrew Ravens
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9

A new title match has been officially announced for the WWE Money in the Bank PPV

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center on the USA Network, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson beat The Usos on the show to become the new #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, which are held by The Bludgeon Brothers.

Rowan and Harper will defend the straps against Anderson and Gallows at MITB.

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

– WWE Title Last Man Standing Match: AJ Styles © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

– WWE Raw Women’s Title Match: Nia Jax © vs. Ronda Rousey

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

– Singles Match: Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal

– WWE SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: Luke Harper & Erick Rowan © vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

Matches Announced For Next Week’s WWE SmackDown Live

Andrew Ravens
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1

A big match is officially set for next week’s episode of SmackDown Live.

For those who may have missed this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center on the USA Network, Daniel Bryan defeated Jeff Hardy in a singles match.

Now, Bryan will face Samoa Joe next week in Raleigh, NC at the PNC Arena on SmackDown Live in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.

Also, The Miz and The Bar will take on The New Day in a six-man tag team match has been set for next week. As of this writing, no other matches for SmackDown has been announced.

What are your thoughts on these upcoming matches? Sound off in the comment section below.

Stipulation Added To WWE Title Match At Money In The Bank, Updated Card

Andrew Ravens
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9

We now know the stipulation for the WWE Title Match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at Money in the Bank.

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center on the USA Network, Nakamura and Styles did an in-ring segment that led to Nakamura attacking the WWE Champion.

The challenger would later reveal that their match at the upcoming PPV event will be 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. 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

– WWE Title Last Man Standing Match: AJ Styles © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

– WWE Raw Women’s Title Match: Nia Jax © vs. Ronda Rousey

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

– Singles Match: Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal

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

 

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (5/22)

Eric Lynch
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The May 22nd edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

– Doors have opened and fans are now being seated in the DCU Center.

– Tom Phillips welcomes us to the DCU Center and says we’re going to find out the stipulation of AJ vs. Nakamura at Money In the Bank tonight.

– The Miz is in the ring to kick things off with the latest installment of Miz TV. The Miz announces his new reality show coming to the USA Network in July, and then introduces his guests The New Day. Big E, Kofi and Xavier come down to the ring and sit down across from Miz. The Miz tries to figure out which member is going to be in the Money In The Bank match. The New Day mocks Miz and doesn’t reveal who they’ve picked. The Miz says none of them will ever succeed on their own, outside of the New Day Group. Woods runs down some of Miz’s accomplishments, but says that no one likes The Miz because he puts himself first at other peoples’ expense. The Miz credits Xavier with building his 1.5 million subscriber YouTube channel, and implies he should go off on his own. They argue back and forth, and the Miz freaks out and says he’s sick of all their games and pancakes. The New Day won’t reveal who will be representing them in the Money In The Bank match, but they will reveal who is going to fight Miz tonight: Big E. The crowd chants “yes,” but The Miz says if he doesn’t get to learn who is going to Money In The Bank, then he’s not wrestling any of them tonight. The New Day throws pancakes at Miz and chants “shame,” until Miz runs out of the ring. The Miz runs up the ramp as The New Day throws pancakes from the ring.

– The Miz walks back to the gorilla position, and he walks right into Paige. Paige orders Miz to go to the ring right now and have the match. The Miz reluctantly goes back out through the curtain and heads back down to the ring.

– The Miz vs. Big E: Big E takes Miz into the corner early on and drops him. The Miz tries to wrestle Big E down to the mat, but the New Day Member tosses him down. They run the ropes and Big E leapfrogs Miz, then applies an abdominal stretch and spanks him. They fight out to the apron, and Big E hits a running splash on Miz right on the apron. Miz falls down to ringside, and then Woods and Kofi go to wipe Big E down and they squirt some maple syrup in his mouth. The Miz turns it around and scores a near-fall on Big E in the ring. Miz goes for a splash in the corner, but Big E catches him and suplexes him across the ring. Big E follows up with another big suplex. Big E hits the big splash and then starts clapping with the fans. The Miz ducks a shot from Big E, and he connects with a couple of kicks to Big E. Big E comes back with a side suplex. The Miz reverses a slam, they collide in mid-air with a double clothesline. The Bar runs down to jump Woods at ringside, and then Kofi leapfrogs off the ring steps onto Cesaro. Xavier then boots down Woods. Meanwhile in the ring, Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Big E for the win.

Winner: The Miz

– The Miz heads up the ramp as everyone else recovers around the ring.

– We see a look at the history between Big Cass and Daniel Bryan, and then we see Cass complaining to an employee backstage about his injury.

– Daniel Bryan is backstage warming up and he does a brief interview. In relation to Cass, he says ‘if you kick the hornets nest, you get stung.’

– Aiden English comes out to the stage to introduce Lana. He leads the crowd in a pro-Lana chant, and then she makes her entrance for her match up next.

– Lana vs. Billie Kay: This one is a qualifying match for the Money In The Bank ladder match. Billie and Peyton cut a promo on Aiden and Lana before they make their entrance. They mock Aiden’s entrance and the crowd chants “Rusev Day,” and Peyton will be at ringside for this one. Aiden is at ringside with a “Lana Day” sign. Billie and Peyton confront Aiden at ringside and Peyton slaps him across the face. Lana comes out from behind to grab Billie. She takes her back in the ring and hits a big boot to the face, and then the X-Factor on Billie for the three count after a very short match.

Winner: Lana

– Lana celebrates in the ring with Aiden after the match as The Iiconics recover at ringside.

– Still to come: The Usos vs. Gallows & Anderson in a #1 contender match for the Tag Titles

– We go to a pre-taped promo from Zelina Vega, who talks up Andrade “Cien” Almas. She says he isn’t getting his rightful opportunities, and he is the future of SmackDown Live. She says if he does’t get what he deserves, he’ll have to take it.

– There’s a new CarMax commercial with The Fashion Police – Tyler Breeze and Fandango.

– Andrade Almas vs. Local enhancement talent: Zelina Vega is at ringside for this one. Almas starts off with kicks and chops, then he whips him into the corner for more punishment. Almas stomps a mud hole in the jobber, but the jobber fights back with some elbows to the face. Almas fakes going for a kick and hits a spinning back elbow to the face of the jobber. Almas sits him down in the corner and hits the running knees to the face. The jobber rolls over, and Almas hits the running double knee strike to the back of the head now. Almas follows up with the hammer lock DDT.

Winner: Andrade Almas

– Zelina comes in the ring and raises Almas’ head after the match.

– Carmella is backstage wearing an Asuka match for an interview. She calls the interviewer Dasha Fuentes a hater just like everyone else. She talks about beating Charlotte twice, and says that means she’s twice as good as Asuka. She says she sees through Asuka’s tricks and will moonwalk over her.

– Renee Young is in the ring and she introduces WWE Champion AJ Styles, and then she introduces Shinsuke Nakamura, who will face him at Money In The Bank. Renee tells Nakamura he’s earned the right to pick the stipulation for their match, and AJ interrupts and demands that Nakamura names the stipulation now. Nakamura tells AJ to relex and remember why he gets the choose the stipulation, and he shows a replay on the big screen of him beating AJ last week. AJ tells him to enjoy it, because it’ll never happen again. Nakamura tells AJ to be quiet, and says he won’t just beat AJ, he will dishonor him, and AJ will never recover. Nakamura says the stipulation at Money In The Bank will be a “pillow fight.” Nakamura laughs, and AJ tells Nakamura he must be the “king of soft style.” Nakamura repeats that he’s going to deliver the knee to AJ’s face, and AJ says he doesn’t care what the stipulation is, because Nakamura can’t beat him without cheap shots. Nakamura goes to throw a right hand, but AJ blocks it and drops Nakamura with a right hand of his own. They brawl out to ringside and AJ throws Nakamura into the timekeeper’s area. Nakamura swings a steel chair and misses, and AJ throws him into the crowd. AJ throws him back to ringside, and then leaps off the fan barricade, but Nakamura smacks him out of mid-air with the steel chair. Nakamura hits a knee to the body of AJ, and then he slams him onto the announce table. Nakamura hits hthe Kinshasa on AJ on the floor, and AJ is down. Nakamura counts to ten as AJ lays at ringside. Nakamura grabs a mic and says “last man standing.”

– Gallows and Anderson cut a brief promo on the Usos before their match. They say they respect The Usos, but they already blew their Title shot against the Bludgeon Brothers. The Usos slap their mics away and say they’re in the Uso penetentiary. Gallows and Anderson call The Usos nerds, and this prompts The Usos to start brawling with them. They fight out to ringside, and then back in the ring and the ref calls for the opening bell.

– The Usos vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows: The Usos hit suicide dives on Gallows at ringside, before taking the fight back in the ring. Anderson gets the tag and fires up with some kicks on Jey Uso. They fight up to the corner, but Uso headbutts Anderson down, and then drops him with a kick. Gallows tags in and misses a shot in the corner. Jimmy Uso makes the tag and they double team Gallows, then Jimmy hits a superkick. Jey tags back in and hits the big splash for a two count. Jey misses a shot and Gallows hits a big boot to the face. Anderson tags in and they hit the Magic Killer for the win.

Winners: Gallows & Anderson

– Gallows and Anderson now have a shot at The Bludgeon Brothers’ tag titles at Money In The Bank.

– Noami comes out to the ring next.

– Sonya Deville vs. Naomi: Sonya starts off strong and keeps control of the opening moments of this one. Charlotte is shown backstage watching on a monitor. Sonya hits a series of kicks to the body of Naomi in the corner. Naomi fires back with some kicks of her own, and they end up both hitting a kick at the same time, and both women are down. Sonya looks for a Superman punch, but Naomi dodges it and rolls up Sonya in a strange looking pin. Naomi scores the three count and qualifies for the women’s Money In The Bank ladder match.

Winner: Naomi

– Noami heads up the ramp and hugs some fans in the front row.

– Jeff Hardy is backstage for an interview with Renee Young. Hardy talks about all of the things he knows how to do with a ladder, but he’s going to take things one step at a time, and he needs to focus on Daniel Bryan tonight.

– Next week: The Bar & The Miz vs. The New Day in a six-man tag

– Samoa Joe comes out and joins the commentary team at ringside for tonight’s main event.

– Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan: The opening bell sounds and they start with a dollar and elbow tie-up. Bryan grabs Jeff’s arm and wrestles him down to the mat. Jeff fights back with a shoulder block, and they circle each other again. Bryan wrestles Jeff down to the mat and puts him in a shoulder hold. Bryan follows up with a big boot for a two count. Bryan dodges a shot from Hardy and backflips off the turnbuckle. Hardy comes back with an inverted atomic drop and he sends Bryan out to ringside for a breather. Back in the ring, Bryan continues working on JEff’s shoulder. They run the ropes and collide mid-ring, and both men are down. Bryan follows up with uppercuts, and Jeff fires back with right hands. Bryan hits some kicks to the chest, and then an enziguri that sends Jeff falling out to ringside. Bryan follows up with a running dropkick through the ropes on Hardy at ringside. Bryan misses a shot off the apron and Jeff drops him on the floor. Back in the ring, Bryan knocks Hardy down on the top rope and then hangs him upside down in the corner. Bryan hits some kicks, then takes Hardy up top again. Hardy knocks Bryan down and follows up with the Whisper In The Wind. Bryan comes back and drops Hardy, then hits the Yes kicks. Hardy fires up, but this leads to Bryan hitting a dragon screw takedown on Hardy. Bryan works over Jeff’s leg and then puts him in a knee bar. Jeff struggles, but he taps out, and Bryan wins via submission.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

– After the match, Samoa Joe gets on the mic and calls out Bryan. Joe steps in the ring and gets in Bryan’s face and reminds him that next week, Bryan has to get through Joe. Joe and Bryan will face off next week in a Money In The Bank qualifying match, which will be their first time meeting in a WWE ring. Joe leaves and Bryan leads the crowd in a “Yes” chant.

– Samoa Joe does a brief interview in the back where he says next week, Daniel Bryan goes to sleep, yes, yes, yes.

Daniel Bryan Wants Brock Lesnar Match, Hated Being SmackDown GM

Andrew Ravens
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9

2018 has been a rollercoaster of a ride for Daniel Bryan.

Bryan was forced to retire two years again due to his history with concussions. Despite that his run on top in WWE was short-lived, he no doubt made a mark on the history of the sports entertainment company.

Then it was revealed in March that Bryan had been medically cleared to return to in-ring competition and worked his first match back by teaming up with Shane McMahon to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a Tag Team match at WrestleMania 34.

Bryan recently spoke with SportBible to talk about various topics. During this interview, he reflected on his time as SmackDown Live General Manager.

Daniel Bryan strongly disliked his role as SmackDown GM

“It was just the best. It was weird because as the GM they would play my music, sometimes I would get a really good reaction and it would make me smile sometimes but it didn’t make me happy. There’s a difference, right?

“A lot of the time I get this thing where I feel very lucky to be in the position I’m in doing this thing that l love, to where I would go in front of 50 people, my music would hit and nobody cared. You’re trying to work to make them care and no matter how hard you work, they don’t care. The hard work is the in-ring stuff but sometimes the hardest thing is getting the fans to accept you. That’s already done [for me] so it’s really cool.”

“It was very difficult. I disliked it, strongly. I would try and leave as soon as I could and if I found out they might not have a segment for me on TV, I would be texting the writers being like, ‘Hey can I just stay home’ – a portion of that is not liking it and portion of that is because now I’m being away from Brie and my baby to do something I’m not passionate about. That was a weird mental thing for me.”

There was some speculation that he would be working a part-time schedule following his return but he will be working a full-time schedule as he just completed the recent UK tour.

Ever since it was announced that he would be competing once again, there has been a lot of dream matches pitched involving him.

When asked about it, Bryan has several names in mind including one feud with Roman Reigns and a match that he has wanted for years, which is against WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.

Daniel Bryan wants Brock Lesnar

“I want to work with everybody. When I look at the roster of Smackdown Live specifically: Shinsuke Nakamura – yep! Samoa Joe – of course. Andrade Cien Almas – sure! I did the match with Rusev – it was the first match we had ever wrestled each other before. I’ve been wanting to wrestle Rusev for a long time. I also think there’s something there with me and Roman Reigns, somewhere down the line. I just feel there’s something there.

“And the big match that I always say – I really want to wrestle Brock. I’ve been wanting to wrestle Brock for years, when I came back from my neck surgery in 2015, it was the match that I wanted. I’m sure Brock doesn’t want it, he doesn’t care!

“But there’s a lot of stuff that I get really excited about when I think about it and also that a lot of my friends from the independents are now here in the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. I think that’s the coolest.”

Who do you want to see Bryan feud with next? Sound off in the comment section below.

Best of The Super Juniors Night 4 Results

Jake Skudder
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s premier tournament for the Junior Heavyweight Division has now begun. The 2018 iteration features some of the finest high flying and technically gifted athletes on the planet and should present some top tier bouts over the next few weeks.

Here are the results from Night 4 of the tournament which featured the combatants in Block B:

SHO b. Chris Sabin – SHO took the win after hitting then package piledriver and getting the pinfall

Dragon Lee b. Ryusuke Taguchi – Taguchi had an ankle lock applied but Lee escaped and hit the Desuncadora for the win

KUSHIDA b. Marty Scurll – Great match, KUSHIDA hit a a knee trembler and Back to the Future to secure the win

El Desperado b. Hiromu Takahashi – Another one for the ‘shock’ column, Desperado attempted to hit low blows on Takahashi multiple times, after distracting the referee for the third time in the match he followed up by low blowing Takahashi and hitting the Guitara De Angel…but Takahashi kicked out. Desperado followed up with an Angel’s Wings for the three count and the win

Scott Hall Teasing an In-Ring Return?

Jake Skudder
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14

WWE Hall of Famer and former Intercontinental Champion Scott Hall appears to be teasing a return to in ring action.

The WWF and WCW Superstar has been the General Manager for the Knight family owned World Association of Wrestling (WAW) promotion for a long time and helped to further establish the brand on the East coast of the United Kingdom, particularly in their home base of Norwich. The current rumored bout would feature WAW owner Ricky Knight taking on Hall. When a fan asked about the possibility of a Hall/Knight match the ‘Bad Guy’ responded with “Ricky Knight doesn’t wanna get in the ring with me. I’ll retire him.”

Whilst the prospect of a Scott Hall match in 2018 is highly unlikely it isn’t out of the question, he is good friends with the Knight family through their most famous daughter (WWE’s Paige) and this could be a huge opportunity for WAW to branch out to a wider audience.

https://twitter.com/SCOTTHALLNWO/status/998327415242969089

Mauro Ranallo Sets Record Straight On His WWE SmackDown Departure

Andrew Ravens
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10

Mauro Ranallo has set the record straight on what led to his departure as the lead announcer of WWE SmackDown Live.

Ranallo, who is one of the best announcers in all of pro wrestling and combat sports, signed with the WWE in December 2015 where he made his promotional debut as the lead announcer of SmackDown Live on the USA Network in January of that next year.

Ranallo was absent from commentary beginning with the March 14, 2017 episode of SmackDown Live including missing WrestleMania 33, which was a goal of his to call. At the time, WWE claimed it was due to illness.

Moving along to April of that year, it was reported that the sports entertainment company and Ranallo had mutually parted ways. It was rumored to be due to his issues with fellow commentator JBL. However, Ranallo denied that speculation at the time.

Fast forward to June, it was revealed that Ranallo decided to return to the WWE to be the lead announcer for the NXT brand. 

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour to promote his upcoming documentary on Showtime, Ranallo addressed his departure from the blue brand and how it did not have anything to do with JBL but rather it was because of the tough WWE schedule. 

“I was on the road every week. You add MMA and boxing and kickboxing to it. The road travel destroyed me. So, rumors and all this other stuff, what happened, honestly — and Ariel, you know how honest I’ve been in this thing — I had a breakdown in the Chicago O’Hare airport on my way to Pittsburgh to do SmackDown Live. And again, Frank Shamrock … God bless him … Bas Rutten, man. Guys who fought each other are my biggest supporters. But, I had to phone them and I said ‘I’m done. I cannot do this anymore. It’s going to kill me.’ And I thought I was done with the entire company.”

“As much as there’s two sides to every story, the actual truth from me was my mental health wasn’t going to allow me to maintain that schedule much longer.

H/T to Pro Wrestling Sheet for the transcribed quotes.

The Amazing Record Eddie Guerrero Holds On Brock Lesnar, Carmella Reacts To Salary Rumor

Jon Fuentes
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13

Eddie Guerrero Holds A Great Record Over Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is undoubtably the most dominant man in WWE today. Since winning the Universal Championship from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 last year in Orlando, Lesnar has successfully defended his title against the most elite RAW has to offer.

According to PWStream on Twitter, Lesnar hasn’t been pinned in a championship match in 14 years. The last man to do it? Eddie Guerrero back in 2004 at the No Way Out pay-per-view (PPV):

Even at that, Goldberg assisted Latino Heat in taking the WWE Title off The Beast, but nonetheless, he’s the only man in 14 years to have pinned Lesnar in a WWE Title match. Lesnar went on to lose to Goldberg at WrestleMania 20, while Guerrero successfully defended his title against Kurt Angle.

Carmella On Salary Rumors

SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Carmella recently responded to a fan on Twitter who mentioned a rumor that she makes only 120k a year. Here’s how the Princess Of Statan Island responded:

https://twitter.com/JoeSlaterIWA/status/998685901512462336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Chris Jericho’s Expletive-Filled Promo For Naito

Jon Fuentes
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6

Earlier today at Night Four of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) BOTSJ), Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI defeated Tiger Mask and Toa Henare in Tag Team action.

After the match the lights went out and Chris Jericho appeared on the screen and cut an expletive-filled promo on Naito ahead of their clash at Dominion for the Intercontinental Title.

“Naito, I read all of the things you’re saying about me,” Jericho said. “I know how you really feel and listen, you are one of the greatest performers in the world today. One of the biggest stars in NJPW, but to me you mean as much as this turtle.

“Naito, I’m gonna f— you up! I’m going to take your Intercontinental Championship from you, not because you wanted it, you don’t want it, you’re too tranquilo. I’m not tranquilo,” Jericho scoffed. “I’m f—— crazy! I’m gonna show you just how crazy I can be at Dominion on June 9. I’ve been waiting for six months to get my hands on your stupid filthy head. Yeah, Los Ingobernables de Japon. Kiss my f—– ass!

“You’re the best New Japan has to offer, but I’ve seen pieces of s— like you come and go, year after year, and guess what? Chris Jericho is still here,” Jericho continued. “The Alpha is still here. … I’m gonna make your famous Naito, when I beat your f—– ass at Dominion, take the Intercontinental Championship away from you, away from those filthy animals in Japan and take it back to the United States where it belongs. Be careful what you wish for junior because it’s going to come true. I’ll see you on June 9th at Dominion, f— face!”

Afterwards the camera went back to Naito, who was seemingly taking a nap on the mat before cutting a promo in Japanese. A fan on Twitter translated Naito’s promo:

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Corey Graves Praises Eric Bischoff’s Podcast, Bobby Lashley Reacts To RAW Segment

Jon Fuentes
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2

Corey Graves Praises Bischoff’s New Podcast

Recently, former WCW President Eric Bischoff has released a new podcast, 83 Weeks, with Conrad Thompson to talk about his run with WCW. The podcast has received great reviews from wrestling fans and personalities alike.

Add Graves to the list of people who enjoy this show, as he recently took to Twitter to praise the show:

Bobby Lashley Reacts To RAW Segment

On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Bobby Lashley had a segment with Sami Zayn after Zayn interviewed Lashley’s three “sisters” (who were actually three male indy wrestlers dressed as women).

The segment was very poorly received and got a lot of boos from the crowd throughout. Lashley took to Twitter shortly after the segment aired and had this to say:

Discussion: What were your thoughts on the segment with Lashley, Zayn, and the three sisters? Is it the worst in RAW history?

Ronda Rousey Has Strong Words For Nia Jax, Curtis Axel & Matt Hardy Exchange Words On Twitter

Jon Fuentes
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4

Ronda Rousey’s Message For Nia Jax

Ronda Rousey is set to challenge for her first title in WWE, when she takes on Nia Jax for the RAW Women’s Title at the Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV) later next month. Last night on RAW, Commissioner Stephanie McMahon hosted the contract signing between the two.

McMahon was able to manipulate Jax and Rousey into turning on each other and getting a bit hostile. Both women exchanged some heated words before shaking hands and starring down.

On Instagram earlier today, The Rowdy One had some strong words for the RAW Women’s Champ ahead of their match:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjFLUcbBLOq/?hl=en&taken-by=rondarousey

Curtis Axel & Matt Hardy Exchange Words

The B-Team has been causing quite the stir on Monday Night RAW. They seem to have caught the attention of one-half of the Monday Night RAW Tag Team Champions, Matt Hardy. They got into the following exchange on Twitter last night:

https://twitter.com/RealCurtisAxel/status/998768634330836992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F957117-curtis-axel-matt-hardy-wage-a-war-of-words-online

More On If “All In” Will Be Broadcasted, Braun Strowman Praises Finn Balor

Jon Fuentes
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2

More Information On If “All In” Is Going To Be Broadcasted

Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks’ self-funded “All In” event sold out in under 30 minutes. There’s obviously a huge demand from fans to witness the Chicago-based event, and many have been wondering whether or not it will be broadcasted for fans to watch from home.

A fan recently asked Cody Rhodes on Twitter about this, and he provided a brief update on the situation. Rhodes said that there are currently on plans to broadcast “All In,” but teased some upcoming meetings in which they’re exploring their options:

https://twitter.com/ihateyanks27/status/998714284850008069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fthe-latest-on-if-the-all-in-event-will-be-streamed%2F&tfw_creator=innern3rd&tfw_site=innern3rd

Strowman Has High Praise For Balor

In the main event of last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Braun Strowman defeated Finn Balor in a solid main event. Despite the size difference, the pair actually showed great chemistry and put on a tremendous bout.

Strowman took to Twitter this morning to offer some praise for the former Universal Champion:

https://twitter.com/BraunStrowman/status/998939159841705984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Rusev Day Reportedly Won’t Last Much Longer

Jon Fuentes
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28

Several months ago when WWE paired up Rusev and Aiden English, they had no idea that they’d be creating one of the biggest fan-favorite gimmicks on the roster today.

Rusev and English have developed “Rusev Day” together and the WWE Universe has been eating it up ever since. Despite the love Rusev Day has been receiving, WWE has been reluctant to push it to its full potential.

WrestlingNews.co is reporting that WWE likely won’t ever give Rusev Day a push, as it’s expected that Rusev is set to turn on Aiden English very soon and end the Rusev Day references. Instead, the Bulgarian Brute will return to playing a more “ruthless” character.

It will be a sad day when Rusev decides to end Rusev Day, but WWE just doesn’t seem to want anything to do with pushing it any further.

Discussion: How do you feel about WWE refusing to push Rusev Day?

Sammy Guevara Returns To MLW To Face Fred Yehi (6/7)

Staff
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0

As if the upcoming June 7th MLW FUSION taping wasn’t stacked already..

MLW has announced the return of high-flyer Sammy Geuvara. “Mr. Money’s Worth” will square off against Fred Yehi as part of the “5 Main Events In One” card from Orlando.

This will be a MLW FUSION taping for beIN SPORTS. Tickets are available at MLWTickets.com.

Guevara’s MLW return was brokered by Promociones Dorado impresaria Salina de la Renta. Yehi, known as “The Man of 1,000 Counters,” uses a cutting edge counter grappling style that converts his defense into a dominant offense which often leaves adversaries disoriented.

Matches signed thus far for MLW’s June 7th card include:

BOUNTY MATCH:
Shane Strickland vs. Brody King

TRIPLE THREAT TO CROWN THE WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS:
Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix (presented by Salina de la Renta) vs. Jason Cade & Jimmy Yuta vs. Dirty Blondes (managed by Col. Parker)

BOILER ROOM BRAWL MATCH:
Sami Callihan vs. MVP

Jake Hager (managed Colonel Parker) vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

Rich Swann vs. ACH

Fred Yehi vs. Sammy Guevara (presented by Salina de la Renta)

Talent signed for June 7th thus far include:

  • Barrington Hughes
  • Kotto Brazil
  • Simon Gotch
  • “Bad Boy” Joey Janela (with Aria Blake)
  • Maxwell J. Friedman
  • Mike Parrow (managed by Colonel Robert Parker)
  • Rhett Giddins

Watch Major League Wrestling: FUSION Friday nights at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on beIN SPORTS. Learn more about MLW’s new TV series: MLW.com/fusion.

Potential Spoiler For Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live & Money In The Bank

Andrew Ravens
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6

Some interesting news has surfaced online that has implications for tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live and the Money in the Bank PPV.

It’s well known by now that as a result of the ongoing storyline injury angle with Big Cass, WWE has booked Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center on the USA Network. The winner of this match will face Samoa Joe next week on SmackDown Live in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.

The WrestleVotes Twitter account is reporting that as of last week, the plan was to have a United States Title match take place at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.

With Hardy holding the U.S Title, it’s likely that either he will not win tonight against Bryan or lose to Joe next week, which would allow him to defend the title at MITB.

“Regarding Smackdown tonight, as of last week a US Title match was planned for Money In The Bank. With that said, I’m not expecting a Jeff Hardy win tonight unless those prior MITB plans have changed. I guess he could theoretically win & lose to Joe next week but we’ll see.”

https://twitter.com/WrestleVotes/status/998958385012858881

How do you see WWE booking this match? Sound off in the comment section below.

Sasha Banks Reportedly Signs New WWE Contract

Andrew Ravens
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16

Fans can expect to see Sasha Banks on WWE television for years to come.

She signed with WWE and placed in their developmental brand, NXT, in 2012. While under contract with the sports entertainment company, she has been featured in several historical moments.

Her match against Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7, 2015 was the first women’s match to ever headline a major WWE event as well as the first women’s Iron Man match.  the longest women’s match in WWE history at the time with a length of 30 minutes.

In 2016, she and Charlotte Flair became the first women to headline a WWE pay-per-view event and the first to compete in a Hell in a Cell match (both at Hell in a Cell in October 2016), the first women to main event Raw in a women’s match since 2004.

Between WWE and NXT, Banks has had five championship reigns due her being a former NXT Women’s Champion and a record-tying four-time Raw Women’s Champion.

Wrestle Votes, which has broken previous WWE stories in the past, reports that Banks has re-signed with WWE a couple weeks ago. It was noted in the tweet that there are plans to make her a “key part of the women’s division for years to come.”

What are your thoughts on Banks signing a new contract with the WWE? Sound off in the comment section below.

Disappointing Viewership For Total Bellas Season 3 Premiere

Andrew Ravens
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3

Total Bellas returned on Sunday night with the premiere of the series’ third season.  With all of the buzz surrounding the volatile relationship of John Cena and Nikki Bella, there were high expectations for the show’s viewership.

According to Showbuzz Daily, the Season 3 premiere averaged only 517,000 viewers.

This was way down from last year’s Season 2 premiere, which did 681,000 viewers. The Season 2 finale last October had 674,000 viewers. That’s a decline of approximately 23% in between seasons, so interest in the show is clearly waning.

This season is focused around John Cena and Nikki Bella’s relationship unwinding and Daniel Bryan’s return to WWE active competition.

Here are some video clips from the Total Bellas Season 3 premiere:

Big Show Addresses Signing New Contract With WWE

Andrew Ravens
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4

Even though some fans want him to retire, former WWE Champion Big Show is sticking around.

For those who may not recall, Big Show revealed during WrestleMania 34 week in April that he signed a new multi-year deal with the WWE in January and won’t be retiring anytime soon.

The former WWE Champion recently did an interview on Steve Austin’s podcast, and during this appearance, he talked about signing a new three-year contract with the sports entertainment company. Here is what he had to say.

“I spent some time with the big man himself. We talked. Hunter and I talked because we were concerned about my hip. We were concerned about a lot of things. And they put together a nice three-year deal for me, so I’m there another three years. I can do a lot more work with things that I’m passionate about, Special Olympics and being a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics. I get a chance to have a bit more free time now. I’m not in the trenches for five days a week like I was for 20 years at every house show and TV. I was probably on TV too much as a giant when I should have been an attraction.

The future WWE Hall of Famer continued by stating, “Instead, I was in there working all the time.” Show said, “now, I’m in a bit more of a limited role and we’re finding the right creative for me. And there’s not a lot of pressure on me to be there every week, and get people over, or carry two or three segments, or whatever we’re doing. I can kind of show up, help the younger guys here and there, and pursue outside projects that are important to me. All in all, after going through that hell with my hip surgery and Vince and [Triple H] gave me a hell of a deal, Steve. [Austin] know[s] how this business is and after 20 years in this business, I didn’t expect to get the respect they gave me by giving me this deal. It’s one of those kinds of things that’s humbling because both of them really appreciated the work that gave the company and put me in a position to where, I mean, in all sincerity, they gave me this deal in January and I haven’t done a damn thing yet.”

Transcript courtesy of Wrestling Inc

What are your thoughts on Big Show sticking around in the WWE? Sound off in the comment section below.

The Miz Takes Credit For WWE Getting Huge TV Deal, Reason Kairi Sane Was Backstage At RAW

Andrew Ravens
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11

– Former WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz decided to have some fun through the power of social media.

The big news thus far this week was the reports of WWE signing with Fox to bring SmackDown Live to Friday nights for the next five years for the total of a $1 billion price tag.

Miz, who was moved from WWE’s flagship show Monday Night RAW to SmackDown Live last month as part of the Superstar Shakeup, took to Twitter to take credit for the sports entertainment company getting the new huge TV deal.

https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/998716640337547264

– It was rumored that WWE Mae Young Classic Winner Kairi Sane was backstage at this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Albany, NY at the Times Union Center NY on the USA Network. Those rumors turned out to be true.

It’s being reported that the real reason she was there was due to WWE needing her to film footage for upcoming episodes of the Edge & Christian show for WWE Network. She is still in NXT with no future plans of bringing her up to the main roster.

What are your thoughts on WWE SmackDown Live airing on Fox? Sound off in the comment section below.

Identities Of Bobby Lashley’s Sisters From WWE RAW Revealed

Andrew Ravens
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9

WWE officials decided to book an interesting segment involving Bobby Lashley and Sami Zayn.

As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Albany, NY at the Times Union Center NY on the USA Network, Zayn was part of a segment that had him bring out Lashley’s three sisters as a way to try and expose him.

It turned out to not be Lashley’s actual sisters but rather it turned into a parody segment. Thus, it did not get over very well with the fans in attendance or those watching from home.

We do know the identities of two of the wrestlers playing Lashley’s sisters. Jessica was played by independent wrestler “Mr Everything” Victor Andrews while Frances was played by wrestler Max Caster, who currently works for the Create A Pro Wrestling Academy.

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

Enzo Amore To Make First Public Appearance Since WWE Release

Staff
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20

Former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore (Eric Arndt) will be making his first public appearance since his departure from the company back in January.

The former Cruiserweight Champion posted a photo and message announcing that he will be in Times Square in New York City next Monday night at 9pm to thank his supporters.

“I want to engage, interact, and personally thank all of you who ever supported me! It was you who wished me luck on my future endeavors,” he wrote. “But I won’t need luck … just you.”

Enzo Amore’s WWE Departure

Amore was suspended and later released from WWE following an allegation of sexual assault. The alleged victim accused him of assaulting her at a Phoenix hotel in October 2017 while she was under the influence of drugs.

He vehemently denied the allegations, but reportedly did not speak with WWE about the situation until it went public. He was released on January 23rd.

Last week, Amore and issued a statement (via his attorney) announcing the case had been dropped due to insufficient evidence.

https://instagram.com/p/BjDxLCmgw5w/?utm_source=ig_embed

Smackdown & 205 Live Previews For Tonight (5/22/18)

Chris Stephens
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3

Smackdown and 205 Live will emanate from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA tonight. A few changes have been made to the card since matches were announced last week.

Big Cass was originally scheduled to face Samoa Joe in a Money in the Bank qualifying match but after selling an injury on the recent European tour, WWE has pulled Cass from the match. Instead of Cass vs Joe, Daniel Bryan will face Jeff Hardy with the winner facing Samoa Joe in a MITB qualification match next week.

Smackdown 5/22/18 Preview

Daniel Bryan vs Jeff Hardy

  • Smackdown General Manager, Paige, announced this match on Twitter recently. She stated that due to big Cass’s injury, the winner of Daniel Bryan versus Jeff Hardy will meet Samoa Joe next week. The winner of that match will qualify for Money In The Bank.

MizTV w/the New Day

  • New Day defeated the Bar in a match to determine which team would be able to select one member to compete in the Money In The Bank match.
  • This week on Smackdown, the Miz has promised to find out which member they will pick.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Billie Kay vs Lana

  • Billy Kay will wrestle Lana in singles action with the winner qualifying for the Money In The Bank match.
  • It’s a big match for both as Lana doesn’t have much success in the ring and Billie Kay is still relatively new to the main roster.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Naomi vs Sonya Deville

  • The former member of Absolution, Sonya Deville, will get a chance to qualify for the money in the bank match tonight. Naomi will be a tough opponent, however.

205 Live 5/22/18 Preview

Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander Segment

  • Buddy Murphy will challenge for Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship next week on 205 Live. We can expect some type of segment to preview this match tonight.

Akira Tozawa vs Hideo Itami

  • These two had been a tag team in recent weeks, only two successive losses led to infighting amongst the pair.
  • Tonight they will meet in one-on-one action to determine who was the stronger of their team.

WWE PPVS Going To 4-Hours, Big Shows Even Longer

Chris Stephens
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40

WWE has informed their broadcast partners that all PPV events will now be extended to 4 hours in length. The promotion only recently reverted back to all co-branded PPVs following WrestleMania 34.

Big events, such as SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble, could even run longer than the new 4-hour standard. This is according to a recent report from PW Insider which is stating WWE has communicated this information to those who still air these shows in a traditional pay-per-view format.

Listings for the Money in the Bank PPV are stating the start time as 7PM. The Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia was 5 hours in length.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNH_50ibzLM

WWE PPV Length

The length of WWE pay-per-views has been steadily increasing over time. Originally, even the big 4 PPVs rarely lasted longer than three hours. When the company first switched to a monthly pay-per-view format, non-cornerstone shows were dubbed as “In Your House” events and had a run time of only two hours.

In recent years, however, PPV lengths for WWE and other promotions have increased. While New Japan Pro Wrestling has seemingly decreased their show length, it was not uncommon for some shows to run as long as five hours or more not too long ago.

The switch to longer PPVs is likely a way to book more talent on the shows. Following WrestleMania 34, WWE moved away from brand-specific PPVs and announced that all of these events will now be co-branded. As this creates more competition for spots on the events, WWE may have decided it was in their best interest to create more space on these shows.

What do you think of the new 4-hour standard length for all WWE PPVs? Tell us in the comments section below:

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