With the Mixed Match Challenge over and concluded, WWE’s Tuesday night schedule is back to just Smackdown and 205 Live. Tonight’s show will emanate from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Smackdown Live Preview
No matches have been announced thus far for Smackdown. The following segments are believed to be scheduled, however:
AJ Styles Reacts to Shinsuke Nakamura’s WM Actions
Last night at WrestleMania, AJ Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain his WWE Championship. Nakamura delivered a low-blow to Styles following the match.
How will AJ react to the dastardly attack from his WM opponent?
What’s Next for Daniel Bryan and Smackdown’s Leadership?
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are gone from Smackdown. Shane McMahon has also left for an indefinite leave of absence.
Now, Daniel Bryan is the only one left in charge of Smackdown and he just was cleared to return to the ring. Bryan will address the future of Smackdown’s leadership tonight.
Charlotte Flair Celebration
Charlotte Flair ended Asuka’s streak at WrestleMania but now what is next for her?
Naomi won the WM Women’s Battle Royal which could put her in line for a title shot. There is always Carmella and her MITB briefcase lurking in the wings, however.
Reign of the Bludgeon Brothers Begins
Harper and Rowen are the new Smackdown tag-team champions and we should find out what is next for them tonight.
New Surprise Call-Ups?
Ember Moon, No Way Jose, and Bobby Lashley all showed up on Raw last night. WWE.com is teasing there might be a few new faces to show on Smackdown tonight.
205 Live Preview
Drew Gulak vs Mark Andrews
in the only confirmed match for tonight, Drew Gulak will face Mark Andrews on 205 Live.
Cedric Alexander’s Championship Reign Begins
Cedric Alexander is the new Cruiserweight Champion but Drake Maverick already has challengers, such as Buddy Murphy, lined up for him. We’ll find out how the reign of Cedric Alexander begins tonight.
IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada, has also declared he will be at the event on September 1st, 2018.
Okada’s inclusion in the event is significant for a few reasons. He is NJPW’s top star and the event will be taking place not long after the annual G1 tournament. When it comes time for All-In, Okada might already be involved in his next big storyline rivalry.
Following the conclusion to WrestleMania 34 Sunday night, everything in WWE is now leading towards the Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on April 27th.
In addition to the 50-person Royal Rumble match, 7 championship bouts will take place on the show. All of the confirmed matches thus far are posted below.
Greatest Royal Rumble Match Listing:
50-Person Royal Rumble
– Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Big Show, and Kane have been announced.
WWE Universal Championship Steel Cage
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns
Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
Seth Rolins (c) vs Finn Balor vs Miz vs Samoa Joe
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
the Bar (c) vs Wyatt/Hardy or the Revival
Paige made her main roster debut 4 years ago during the Raw after WrestleMania, so seeing her announcing her retirement at the same show was especially saddening.
After the announcement, the whole wrestling world, including the cast of Total Divas expressed their feelings on the event on Twitter.
Below are some top tweets from WWE stars of past and present, commenting on the retirement of the former Champion:
Feelings are bittersweet right now .. @RealPaigeWWE has been such a mentor to me since the day I got here. She is insanely talented and I know whatever chapter is to follow will be just as amazing as this one. ? thank you Paige! #ABSOLUTION
Can’t even put into words how thankful I am for you @RealPaigeWWE … you have taught me so much in such a short period of time, from Tough Enough to now. Love you and thank you ???? #ThankYouPaige
Thank you @RealPaigeWWE for being one of my all time favorite opponents I’ve ever worked with in the ring. I’m so proud of you for being so strong but I’m also so excited for so many incredible opportunities coming your way. You’re a star and you were born to shine! I ? you! pic.twitter.com/L1erOWqdlO
Beach balls were in the list of banned items for fans heading into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for WrestleMania 34, but this wasn’t the case at Smoothie King Center for Raw after Mania.
While there were no notable incidents of beach balls taking the spotlight during the broadcast of the show, there was one after Raw went off air.
After Seth Rollins along with his partners Jeff Hardy and Finn Balor won the 6 men tag match at the main event of the show, the Intercontinental Champion himself tried to start a beach ball party.
Below are a few videos of the Kingslayer and others having fun with beach balls after the Red Branded Show went off air:
Fans were not expecting Brock Lesnar to retain the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34 and the events that followed were as surprising as the result of the Mania main event.
It was reported after the PPV that Lesnar got into an argument with none other than the Boss Vince McMahon backstage, which ended with the Beast throwing off his Universal title.
At that point, not much was known about the reason for this altercation, however now a new report from PWTorch might have shed some more light on the situation.
According to the site, Roman Reigns was not expected to get busted open during the show and the color on the Television was the catalyst of the dispute.
Not only this but the German Announcers were not aware that their table will be used in a spot during the bout which may explain previous reports of the Universal Champion going off script near the end of the Championship match.
As noted before, Brock Lesnar has signed a new, short-term deal with the company but there is no word yet on how or if this altercation will affect the plans Officials had for Lesnar’s future before the Show of Shows.
The first episode of RAW after WrestleMania 34 aired live from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on April 9th. Here are 13 takeaways from tonight’s wild episode of RAW:
Ronda Got Stephanie In The Arm Bar Again
RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon kicked off RAW and limped her way down the entrance ramp to a chorus of boos. Stephanie tapped out to Ronda Rousey last night in the tag match also featuring Triple H and Kurt Angle. The crowd chanted “you tapped out!” as Stephanie grabbed a microphone and stood in the ring.
Stephanie scolded the crowd for not having any sympathy for her and the crowd chanted “you tapped out!” once again. McMahon boasted about her own performance last night and claimed that she knew that she could bring out the best in Ronda Rousey if she challenged her. Stephanie McMahon then called Ronda Rousey down to the ring and the crowd gave her a great reaction.
Rousey joined Stephanie in the ring and Stephanie claimed that the better woman won. The crowd chanted “Ronda Rousey!” as Ronda smiled in the ring. Stephanie said that Ronda was a role model for young girls and for people everywhere. She added that she got defeated by the best in the world and she certainly isn’t upset up about that. Stephanie claimed that with her talent and Steph’s spotlight, there are no limits to what they can do together. Stephanie continued to try to convince Rousey to join her and the crowd chanted “bullsh*t!”.
Stephanie said that Ronda was smarter than all these fans because she is a business person and they just understand. The crowd then chanted “shut the fu** up!” as Stephanie asked the crowd to give it up her friend, Ronda Rousey. Steph went in for a handshake, Ronda shook her hand and gave her a hug. Rousey then locked in the Arm Bar once again as Stephanie McMahon screamed in pain. Rousey took off her arm brace and bent her arm back as the crowd erupted. The referees ran to the ring as the crowd cheered Rousey as she posed in the ring.
WWE’s medical staff attended to Stephanie as the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. The crowd transitioned into “na-na-na-hey-hey-goodbye” as Steph cried as she made her way up the ramp. The ring announcer asked for a little respect for Stephanie McMahon and the entire crowd. Corey Graves, Coach and Cole then gave the obligatory “the crowd after WrestleMania is a strange crowd. They boo who they would normally cheer” and all that crap.
Opinion: Ronda Rousey is over with the crowd and that is awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next for Rousey in the women’s division. My favorite moment of the RAW after WrestleMania happened right away. I absolutely love when the announcers give that silly warning that this crowd is bizarre and likes to boo Superstars that they would normally cheer. Tonight’s crowd was comprised of the most die-hard wrestling fans in the world. They always add a ton to the show make their voices heard.
Ember Moon Made Her WWE RAW Debut
Ember Moon (photo credit: WWE.com)
New RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax came down to the ring to loud chants of “you deserve it!”. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James came down to the entrance ramp and Alexa said that there was no bigger bully in WWE than Ronda Rousey, unless of course you are talking about Nia Jax. Bliss said Nia was the bully here and that Jax just loves to throw her weight around, which is clearly a lot of weight. The crowd chanted “a**hole!” at Alexa Bliss.
Alexa claimed that she was distraught after Nia Jax beatdown Mickie James last night and that is why she lost the RAW Women’s Championship. She claimed that she was competing under emotional distress and that everyone knows that Nia is cold as ice. Nia told Alexa to shut up and the crowd erupted.
Jax said Alexa was right and that she enjoyed beating up Alexa and Mickie last night. Nia raised the title and said that she has a partner for the match tonight and the crowd chant “who?”. Nia Jax stated that she did have a partner and Ember Moon came down to the ring to an awesome reaction.
Ember Moon and Nia Jax picked up the quick victory after Moon hit the Eclipse on Alexa Bliss.
Opinion: Ember Moon is an incredible athlete and I’m looking forward to seeing her on the main roster. This means that the NXT women’s division belongs to Shayna Baszler now and someone is going to have to step up to take the title from her.
Braun Strowman & Nicholas Reliquished The RAW Tag Team Championships
Last night at WrestleMania 34, Braun Strowman went through the crowd to find a tag partner. He stumbled upon a 10-year-old boy named Nicholas and made him his tag partner. Strowman then defeated Sheamus & Cesaro on his own to win the RAW Tag Team Championships.
Tonight on RAW, Strowman and Nicholas interrupted RAW GM Kurt Angle backstage. Strowman informed Angle that they were going to have to relinquish the titles due to a scheduling conflict. Braun said that Nicholas was still in the 4th grade, but once he was done with school, they were coming back for the titles. Nicholas added that somebody is going to “get these hands” before they handed the belts to Kurt Angle.
Angle then announced a four team Tag Team Eliminator. The winners will face Sheamus & Cesaro for the vacant RAW Tag Team Championships at the WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event.
No Way Jose Made His WWE RAW Debut
No Way Jose made his main roster debut tonight on RAW. Jose brought his conga line down to the ring and danced around to a great reaction from the crowd.
Jose faced a local talent and dismantled him quickly with a Knockout Punch for the victory. No Way then danced his way back up the entrance ramp as the crowd cheered him on.
The Revival Advanced In The Tag Team Eliminator Tournament
The Revival faced Gallows & Anderson tonight in the Tag Team Eliminator tournament. Gallows started out the match in control and beatdown Wilder & Dawson. Sheamus and Cesaro were shown backstage watching the match.
Dawson and Wilder isolated Gallows and the corner and took control of the match. Dash focused his attack on Gallows’ leg and then tagged in Dawson.
Dawson prevented Gallows from tagging out and continued to take him apart. Anderson finally tagged in and beatdown Dawson. Anderson connected with a Neckbreaker off the second rope and then jumped on Wilder outside the ring. Anderson hit a Crossbody to Dawson and followed it up with a Spinebuster for a two count.
Outside the ring, Wilder through Gallows over the barricade. Wilder tagged in and Anderson didn’t notice. The Revival then planted Anderson with the Shatter Machine. The Revival will face the winners of the other Tag Team Eliminator Tournament tonight next week on RAW.
Opinion: The Revival have been completely dismantled by injuries since joining the main roster. I hope that things turn out better for them now that WWE is essentially starting a new season. They are an excellent team and it would make RAW’s tag division so much better if they got to showcase their talent on a weekly basis.
Jeff Hardy Returned To RAW
Jeff Hardy (Photo credit: WWE.com)
New Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins came down to the ring to “you deserve it!” chants from the crowd. Seth noted that there have been a lot of ups and downs over the past couple of years and said that was the loudest “burn it down!” he has ever heard. The entire crowd started to chant “burn it down!” once again.
Rollins raised the IC Title and shouted “Seth Freakin’ Rollins is back baby!” and the crowd chanted “yes!”. Seth said “Grand Slam Rollins” kind of has a nice ring to it and the crowd chanted “Grand Slam Rollins!”. Seth added that it was pretty cool that every member of The Shield is now a Grand Slam Champion and that is pretty cool.
Finn Balor interrupted and said that he was sorry to break up the celebration, but there has something he has to get off his chest. Balor joined Rollins in the ring and told him congratulations and that he deserved it.
Balor noted that last night there was a winner and loser last night in the Triple Threat match. Finn said that he wasn’t pinned and it left him wanting more. Balor stated that he wanted to be the first man to step up and challenge Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship.
Finn extended his hand for a handshake and Rollins obliged. The Miz and The Miztourage joined the party and The Miz had a pissed off look on his face. The Miz marched down to the ring and claimed that Rollins doesn’t deserve it and then got into the ring. The crowd chanted “a**hole” at Miz.
The Miz claimed that he deserves it because he made that title and the crowd cheered. Miz stated that he walked down the ramp last night by himself because he knew that he would never hear the end of it if they helped him. The Miz said that wanted to excuses and once again claimed that he was a changed man. The crowd chanted “he’s got kids” and The Miz stated that he became a father to his beautiful daughter, Monroe Sky.
Miz added that his daughter watched his saw match and that Monroe cried when she saw the pain in her father’s eyes. Miz accused Seth of making his little princess cry, which then caused Maryse to cry. The Miz then admitted that he cried when he heard that happened and the crowd cheered.
Rollins patted The Miz on the shoulder and told him that was big of him to admit that he cried, because that is what everyone does when they watch him wrestle. The Miz stated that he is owed a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship. Seth asked if The Miz wanted to have the match right now and the crowd chanted “yes!”.
The Miz said that he is in a custom suit and will invoke his rematch clause at WWE Backlash. The Miz told the crowd to shut up and then proposed a Handicap Match tonight. The Miz claimed that he and The Miztourage can take on Rollins & Balor.
Jeff Hardy’s music hit and Jeff made his way down to the ring and stood beside Balor and Rollins. The Miz, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel retreated and left the ring as the crowd booed. The 6-man tag match was then announced for later tonight.
Sasha Banks faced Mandy Rose tonight on RAW. Bayley was ringside for the match and the crowd sang to her throughout the match. Paige and Sonya Deville were also ringside for the match. Rose took control of the match and slammed Banks into the turnbuckle as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Sasha Banks was in control and knocked out of the ring. Mandy shoved Sasha to the floor and then pushed Bayley. Bayley took a swing at Rose, but Mandy ducked and Bayley punched Banks in the face. Banks threw Rose back into the ring and then argued with Bayley on the ring apron. The distraction wound up costing her and Rose connected with a knee to Sasha’s face for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Paige grabbed the microphone and stated that it really hurt to watch WrestleMania from the sidelines. Paige then stated that she cannot compete due to neck injuries in the ring anymore. Paige thanked the female Superstars and said that they have all built something special here in WWE.
Paige then thanked her family and Daniel Bryan. She added that Daniel Bryan returned from a career ending injury and that gave her hope. Paige said that she also spoke to Edge backstage and that he inspired her because he has a family and an acting career. She said that it pained her to say this, but now she has to go and find something else to do.
Paige thanked the WWE for giving her the opportunity to do this and letting her entertain the audience for the past four years. Paige noted that she made her debut in New Orleans four years ago and won the Divas Championship and four years later is where she wants to retire.
The crowd chanted “thank you Paige!” as she broke down in the ring. The crowd then chanted “this is your house!” and Paige nodded her head and thanked them. Paige once again thanked the crowd and said that this will always be her house before exiting the ring.
Thank you @RealPaigeWWE for being one of my all time favorite opponents I’ve ever worked with in the ring. I’m so proud of you for being so strong but I’m also so excited for so many incredible opportunities coming your way. You’re a star and you were born to shine! I ? you! pic.twitter.com/L1erOWqdlO
Elias came down to the ring and asked the crowd “who want to Walk With Elias?”. The entire crowd sang an Elias chant. Elias stated that he was going to perform tonight, granted that the crowd was the same unappreciated scumbags from last night. The crowd chanted “we are scumbags!” and Elias said that he was glad that they can finally admit it. Elias asked them to silence their cellphones and shut their mouths.
Elias started performing when Bobby Lashley’s music hit. The crowd erupted as Lashley made his way down to the ring.
The crowd chanted “welcome back!” as Lashley planted Elias with a Neckbreaker. Lashley held up Elias for a Suplex with one arm for twenty seconds before finally planting Elias with a Suplex. Bobby Lashley then exited the ring and high-fived members of the crowd.
Heath Slater and Rhyno came down to the ring and called out anyone from the back to face them. Akam and Rezar came down to the ring and dominated in quick fashion. Akam and Rezar planted Heath Slater with the Last Chapter for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Akam and Rezar shoved their manager, Paul Ellering, away and left him behind on the entrance ramp. It looks like The Authors of Pain feel like they do not need their manager anymore now that they are on the main roster.
Samoa Joe Returned & Challenged Reigns To A Match At WWE Backlash
Samoa Joe (Photo credit: Instagram @WWE)
Roman Reigns came down to the ring to a chorus of boos from the New Orleans crowd. Reigns said that he got his ass kicked last night and the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. Roman claimed that the thing that ate him up the most was that Vince McMahon couldn’t look him in the eye and smarten him up.
Reigns stated that Brock Lesnar is one hell of a businessman because last week he was rumored to go UFC and today it was announced that he resigned with WWE. Roman then said that he had no idea that he was going to be facing Brock Lesnar again in a Steel Cage Match at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble until he read it on the internet.
Roman added that he doesn’t know what their scheme is, but he knows that if they keep putting him in matches with Brock Lesnar, the story will end with him becoming Universal Champion.
Samoa Joe’s music hit and the crowd chanted “Joe!”. Samoa mocked Reigns for thinking that there is a conspiracy and told Roman that he was going to bring him back to reality. Joe stated that Brock Lesnar didn’t just beat him last night, he exposed Reigns. Joe said that Reigns failed and then called Roman a failure. The crowd immediately started chanting “failure” at Roman in the ring.
Joe claimed that Reigns lied to the fans and family when he said that he could beat Brock Lesnar. Reigns started getting pissed off in the ring as Joe said that Reigns always has an excuse after he loses to Lesnar. Joe stated that after Reigns fails against in the Steel Cage Match against Lesnar, he will be waiting for him at WWE Backlash. Joe then vowed to put Roman Reigns to sleep at WWE Backlash.
Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt Advanced In The Tag Team Eliminator Tournament
Apollo and Titus O’Neil came down for the second match in the Tag Team Eliminator Tournament. Their opponents were revealed to be Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt.
Wyatt tagged in and floored Titus with a Clothesline. Apollo tagged in as the crowd sang “he’s got the whole world in his hands” for Wyatt. Apollo flipped in the ring and Matt Hardy shouted “wonderful!”. Matt and Bray then started clapping for Apollo and the crowd joined along.
Wyatt beatdown Apollo and tagged in Matt Hardy. Matt dodged a Dropkick and bounced Apollo’s head off the turnbuckle several times. Bray then tagged in and did the same before connecting with a right hand. Matt tagged in and launched Wyatt into Apollo in the corner. Matt connected with a Side Effect, but Titus broke up the cover. Wyatt tagged in and was greeted with a kick to the head from Apollo.
Bray connected with the Uranage and then geared up in the corner. Hardy tagged in and Wyatt set up for the Sister Abigail. Bray threw Apollo towards Matt and Hardy connected with the Twist of Fate for the victory. Hardy and Wyatt will face The Revival next week. The winners of that match will face Sheamus and Cesaro for the RAW Tag Team Championships at WWE Greatest Royal Rumble.
Later on RAW, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy had a conversation backstage. Bray Wyatt showed up and said “Brother Nero” and hugged Jeff Hardy. Jeff stated that he was so glad that his brother rendered Sister Abigail obsolete. Bray stated that he felt wonderful and walked away with Matt Hardy. Finn Balor were then shown standing next to Jeff Hardy and they asked what that was all about. Jeff shrugged his shoulders and made his way towards the ring.
RAW GM Kurt Angle was on the phone backstage and said that he was excited to see Lashley back on RAW. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens showed up backstage and said that they had a bit of a falling out with management on SmackDown. Angle noted that Zayn and Owens got fired for attacking the SmackDown GM and Commissioner. Angle said that his tag team division is full but he heard that TNA is hiring. Owens said that they didn’t have to hire both of them. Kurt Angle said that he had one spot on the RAW roster available and the two of them can wrestle for it later tonight.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens battled for a roster spot on WWE RAW. Zayn went for a Helluva Kick right away and Owens dodged it. Zayn launched himself over the top rope and landed on Owens on the outside of the ring as RAW GM Kurt Angle looked on from backstage. Owens shouted “job is on the line buddy!” and went for a Powerbomb onto the apron. Zayn blocked it and slammed Owens into the ring post as RAW went to a break.
When RAW returned, Owens was in control for a moment but Zayn connected with a Helluva Kick and Owens fell to the ring apron. Owens got back into the ring and connected with a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Owens hit the move but fell out of the ring and couldn’t go for the cover.
Kevin Owens made his way up the turnbuckle but Sami got up and booted him in the face. Sami went for a Superplex but Owens was able to counter it into a Superplex of his own as the crowd stood up.
The referee started counting, but neither Sami Zayn or Kevin Owens got back to their feet before the 10-count. JoJo announced that neither of them will get a spot on the RAW roster because of the result of the match.
The Miz & The Miztourage battled Seth Rollins, Finn Balor & Jeff Hardy tonight on RAW. The Miz and Rollins staarted off the match in the ring. The Miz changed his mind and tagged in Curtis Axel. The crowd chanted “AxelMania!” as Curtis got in the ring. Axel connected with a shoulder tackle and got a great cheer from the crowd.
Bo Dallas tagged in and got a boot to the face from Rollins. Seth followed it up with a Leg Drop and then tagged in Finn Balor. Finn quickly tagged in Hardy and Jeff hit Poetry in Motion on Bo Dallas in the corner as RAW went to a break.
When RAW returned, Finn Balor was trapped in the ring and Axel leveled him with a Dropkick. Bo tagged in and connected with a couple of knees to Finn’s face for a two count. Bo applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Balor battled to his feet and connected with a Jawbreaker to break the hold.
The Miz tagged in and knocked Rollins off the apron. Balor connected with a Dropkick and both Superstars fell to the mat. Balor leaped across the ring and finally tagged in Jeff Hardy. Jeff hit an Atomic Drop for a two count. Jeff followed it up with Whisper in the Wind onto Dallas and Axel.
The Miz and Rollins tagged back in and Seth connected with a Blockbuster off the second rope. Rollins hit a Suicide Dive to Axel outside the ring and then Clothesline The Miz out of the ring. Seth then hit another Suicide Dive onto Miz, Axel and Dallas. The crowd chanted “burn it down!” as Rollins connected with a Superplex. Seth rolled through and hit a Falcon Arrow but Bo broke up the cover.
Balor hit a Slingblade to Dallas and then Clothesline Axel out of the ring. Finn flipped onto Axel and Dallas outside the ring as The Miz went for a roll-up in the ring. Seth kicked out and connected with the Curb Stomp to The Miz for the pinfall victory. After the match, Hardy hit Bo with a Twist of Fate and Balor followed it up with a Coup de Grace. Jeff climbed to the top rope and connected with a Swanton Bomb.
Rollins connected with a Curb Stomp to Dallas and then Superkicked Axel to the mat. Balor hit Axel with a Coup de Grace and then Hardy followed it up with another Swanton Bomb. Rollins connected with one more Curb Stomp to Axel. Balor, Rollins and Balor then raised their hands in the ring as RAW went off the air.
The RAW after WrestleMania is always very entertaining. There were so many surprises tonight and there are definitely going to be some more on SmackDown.
What did you think of this week’s episode of RAW? Let us know in the comments below.
Earlier today (Mon. April 9, 2018) WWE announced that they had re-signed Universal Champion Brock Lesnar to a fresh new deal. It was also announced that he would defend his strap against Roman Reigns in a Steel Cage match in three weeks at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia.
MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer reports some new details on Lesnar’s contract with WWE. He noted that, although the length of Lesnar’s new deal with WWE wasn’t announced, sources say that it’s a short-term contract.
The deal also allows him to do at least one UFC fight, however, it remains unclear if he is allowed to fight in multiple UFC fights. This is a bit of a risk for the UFC, as President Dana White recently said the winner of the heavyweight title bout between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic this summer could possibly defend against Lesnar next.
While Lesnar would be the underdog in a fight against either man, there’s still a possibility that The Beast could win the UFC heavyweight title again. If Lesnar’s WWE deal doesn’t allow him to do more than one UFC fight, however, he wouldn’t be able to defend the UFC heavyweight title.
Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that Lesnar pulled himself from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug testing pool. Lesnar would need to re-enter the testing pool and give six months of clean tests before being allowed to fight again.
For more MMA news please visit our sister site over at MMANews.com for the absolute best coverage!
Back in January former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe suffered an injury to his foot during a match with Rhyno on RAW.
The injury kept him out-of-action for several months before The Destroyer was able to make his return to WWE TV tonight (Mon. April 9, 2018) on the RAW after WrestleMania 34. Joe confronted Roman Reigns, who was in the middle of a promo in which he discussed his loss to Universal Champion Brock Lesnar last night.
Joe said that Reigns is a failure and he’ll be waiting for The Big Dog at Backlash following Reigns’ rematch with Lesnar at The Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia:
Heath Slater and Rhyno came down to the ring and called out anyone from the back to face them. Akam and Rezar came down to the ring and dominated in quick fashion. Akam and Rezar planted Heath Slater with the Last Chapter for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Akam and Rezar shoved Paul Ellering away and left him behind on the entrance ramp. It appears that The Authors of Pain want nothing to do with their manager anymore now that they have joined the main roster.
The Authors of Pain were a dominant team in NXT. They competed in a Triple Threat match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans this past Saturday night against Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong and The Undisputed Era. Roderick Strong betrayed Pete Dunne during the match and ensured the victory for Undisputed Era.
Akam and Rezar are set to make an immediate impact on RAW’s tag team division.
This past December Paige suffered a hard kick from Sasha Banks in Six-Woman Tag Team match at a house show. The match was brought to an abrupt end and Paige was stretchered to the back before leaving the arena under her own power.
Just a month later news broke that Paige’s in-ring career with the company was now over as the former Divas Champion would never be cleared by WWE for in-ring competition again. Her situation was compared to that of WWE Hall Of Famer Edge.
For the past several weeks WWE did not acknowledge these reports and instead only went as far as saying that an injury was keeping Paige out-of-action. That all ended today (Mon. April 9, 2018) on the Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania 34.
Paige was given some mic time following a Mandy Rose win over Sasha Banks, and announced to the WWE Universe that she can no longer work as an in-ring performer.
She proceeded to thank the likes of the WWE’s Women Division, her family, Edge, and Daniel Bryan. Paige also noted that Daniel Bryan gave her hope after returning to WrestleMania 34 last night as a competitor following some injury woes of his own.
Paige also noted that New Orleans was where she made her main roster debut four years ago, still NXT Women’s Champion, defeating AJ Lee for the Divas Title the night after WrestleMania 30.
Chants of “Thank You Paige” and “This Is Your House” broke out before Paige left the ring.
The RAW after WrestleMania always presents some huge surprises, and tonight (Mon. April 9, 2018) has been no different thus far.
During newly-crowned Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins’ celebration, Finn Balor came out to interrupt the festivities. Balor intended to challenge Rollins for the title before The Miz came out to invoke his rematch clause at the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view (PPV).
The Miz and his Miztourage (Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas) then threatened a 3-on-2 brawl against Rollins and Balor. Just before anything happened, former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy’s music hit and he came to Rollins and Balor’s aid:
Hardy has been out-of-action since September when he suffered a torn rotator cuff and shoulder labrum. He was initially given a six month recovery time and announced at the Hall Of Fame Ceremony this past Saturday that he’d been cleared to wrestle.
WWE announced tonight the Superstar Shakeup will take place on next week’s episodes of RAW and SmackDown.
WWE RAW will air live next week from the XL Center in Hartford, CT. SmackDown will take place in Providence, RI. You can check out the video promo for the next week’s Superstar Shakeup below.
New RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax came down to the ring to loud chants of “you deserve it!”. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James came down to the entrance ramp and Alexa said that there was no bigger bully in WWE than Ronda Rousey, unless of course you are talking about Nia Jax. Bliss said Nia was the bully here and that Jax just loves to throw her weight around, which is clearly a lot of weight. The crowd chanted “a**hole!” at Alexa Bliss.
Alexa claimed that she was distraught after Nia Jax beatdown Mickie James last night and that is why she lost the RAW Women’s Championship. She claimed that she was competing under emotional distress and that everyone knows that Nia is cold as ice. Nia told Alexa to shut up and the crowd erupted.
Jax said Alexa was right and that she enjoyed beating up Alexa and Mickie last night. Nia raised the title and said that she has a partner for the match tonight and the crowd chant “who?”. Nia Jax stated that she did have a partner and Ember Moon came down to the ring to an awesome reaction. Ember Moon then teamed up with Nia Jax to face Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax for her first match on RAW.
The April 9th, 2018 edition of WWE RAW was the first episode after WrestleMania 34, and it aired live from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. <s
– Stephanie McMahon comes down to the ring to open up the show. Stephanie gets in the ring and on the microphone, and she admonishes the crowd for taunting her for tapping out last night. Stephanie says this was all her master plan, to challenge Ronda Rousey and bring out the best in Ronda like no one else can. Stephanie says she's proud of what she accomplished in bringing out the best in Ronda, then introduces "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey. Ronda comes down to the ring and high-fives fans on the way. Ronda gets in the ring, and Stephanie congratulates her on the win last night. Stephanie reminds Ronda she is under contract to her, and Stephanie says she can put the WWE machine behind Ronda to make Ronda a bigger star. Stephanie says Ronda needs Stephanie in her corner to succeed and get respect from the fans. The fans chant "bullsh*t" and "shut the f**k" up at Stephanie as she talks. Stephanie and Ronda shake hands, then hug, but then Ronda puts her in the arm bar again out of nowhere. Stephanie screams about her arm, then Ronda lets go and heads to the back as medics check on Stephanie. Ronda high-fives fans on the way to the back as Stephanie is assisted to the back. Stephanie cries about her arm as the fans chant "you deserve it." Jojo gets on the microphone off-screen and asks the fans to give some respect to Stephanie McMahon.
– We go to the broadcast table where Cole, Graves and Coach talk about the "non-traditional" crowd for the night after WrestleMania, and they promote segments coming up with Roman Reigns and Nia Jax.
– Nia Jax comes down to the ring with her new RAW Women's Title belt on her shoulder. Alexa Bliss and Mickey James come out next, and Alexa gets on the mic and calls both Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax bullies. Alexa says Nia throws her weight around, and it's a lot of weight, and she beat up Mickie for no reason last night. Alexa says she only lost because she was distraught by seeing Mickie attacked. Nia tells Alexa to shut up a couple times, and says she loved beating up Mickie and Alexa last night. Nia introduces her new partner, Ember Moon.
– Nia Jax & Ember Moon vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Mickie James: It’s all Nia in the opening moments as she grabs Mickie and tosses her across the ring. Nia drops Alexa next, then goes back to work on Mickie and tags in Ember. Ember gets the tag and cleans house. She hits a springboard moonsault on Bliss, then trips her up and goes back up top for the Eclipse. Ember pins for the three count after a very short matchc.
Winners: Nia Jax & Ember Moon
– Braun Strowman approaches Kurt Angle backstage, and he’s got his partner Nicholas with him. Kurt congratulates him on the win, but Braun informs him they have to relinquish the tag titles, because Nicholas has a scheduling conflict as he’s still in 4th grade. Braun says as soon as he graduates, they’re coming back to give these hands to the tag division.
– We see a video package promoting No Way Jose’s debut on RAW coming up.
– No Way Jose makes his way down to the ring with a group of dancing people in Mardi Gras masks.
– No Way Jose vs. John Skyler: Jose strikes first off the opening bell and hits the wind-up knockout punch for the quick win after a squash match.
Winner: No Way Jose
– Jose dances to the back with the conga line.
– Sheamus and Cesaro approach Kurt Angle in the back and say they heard Braun forfeited the tag titles. Kurt says they’ll have to recapture them to become 5-time Tag Champs, and Sheamus and Cesaro say they like the sound of 5-time champs.
– The Revival vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows: Gallows starts off in control, but The Revival uses frequent tags to double team Gallows and start working over his leg. Anderson finally gets the tag and he starts laying into Dawson with punches and chops. Anderson cleans house and hits a shot off the top on Dawson. Dawson rolls up Anderson from behind with a fist full of tights, but Anderson kicks out. Gallows misses a shot at ringside, which leads to Wilder getting a blind tag. Anderson briefly fights them off, but The Revival double teams him and hits the Shatter Machine for the three count.
Winners: The Revival
– New WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins comes out to the ring next. He gets on the mic and talks about his ups and downs over the last couple years. He thanks the fans for the loud ovation, and says he’s officially back now. Finn Balor comes out to interrupt, and he points out that he didn’t get pinned last night. Balon and Rollins seem to agree on having a singles match, and then The Miz and The Miztourage interrupt. They come down to the ring and Miz gets on the mic, and complains about his loss last night. The Miz seems to indicate that he can’t win without The Miztourage, which Rollins and Balor point out. The Miz teases that he’ll invoke his rematch clause, but he says not now, he’ll do it at Backlash. Miz adds that he and The Miztourage could easily take Balor and Rollins, and Balor and Rollins seem fine with that idea. Jeff Hardy’s music hits and Jeff comes out to interrupt. Jeff joins Balor and Rollins to even the odds, and Miz and The Miztourage retreat and leave the ring.
– Still to come: Mandy Rose vs. Sasha Banks, and Roman Reigns is in the house.
– Sasha Banks vs. Mandy Rose: Absolution is at ringside in Rose’s corner, and Bayley is at ringside apparently in Sasha’s corner. Sasha starts off strong and hits a superplex early on. Mandy and Sasha go back and forth with shots in the corner, and Mandy takes control when she slams Sasha’s neck on the top rope. Sasha fires up with some dropkicks and takes control of the match. The fight spills outside where some distraction from both Absolution and Bayley, and Bayley accidentally hits Sasha. This leads to Rose hitting a knee to the face of Sasha out of nowhere. Rose rolls up Banks immediately after for the three count. Bayley looks disappointing in her involvement, and Sasha looks angry.
Winner: Mandy Rose
– Paige gets on the mic after the match and says while some people might already know this, her days as an in-ring competitor are over. Paige gets emotional and says the ring is her home. She thanks the women’s division and Daniel Bryan, because Bryan showed it’s possible to come back from a career ending injury. She thanks Edge for showing her that there is life after wrestling. She thanks WWE for letting her perform and entertain the fans. She says she debut here in New Orleans four years ago, and this is where she wants to announce her retirement tonight. Paige thanks everyone again and heads backstage to an ovation from the crowd.
– We see some replays of John Cena, Elias, and The Undertaker at WrestleMania 34 last night.
– Elias comes down to the ring now for a song. Elias has some fun with the fans who repeatedly chant at him. Elias gets interrupted by the returning Bobby Lashley! Lashley hits the ring and drops Elias with a neckbreaker. Lashley picks up Elias for a vertical suplex and he holds him up one-handed for a while then slams him. Lashley heads to the back and high-fives the fans on the aisle.
– Kurt Angle is in the back on the phone talking about how excited he is to have Lashley and No Way Jose here. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn walk in, who explain that they had a falling out with management. Kurt interrupts and asks if they came here looking for a job, which they answer yes. Kurt says that’s rough, because they got fired for attacking their GM and commissioner. Kurt says his tag division is full, but he “heard TNA is hiring.” The crowd gets loud for that line, and Owens and Zayn plead for a job. Kurt says he’ll offer them an opportunity, but Owens and Zayn have to fight each other to earn it. Owens and Zayn walk off, and Kurt says this is going to get interesting.
– We see a promo for the upcoming Superstar Shake-up on the RAW and SmackDown rosters.
– Heath Slater and Rhyno come to the ring and they remind everyone that they were the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions, and then they issue an open challenge to any tag team who wants a piece of them. The Authors of Pain answer the challenge and the Authors come down to the ring with Paul Ellering.
– Authors of Pain vs. Slater & Rhyno: Slater hits a superkick early on, but Rezar no-sells it and takes down Slater. Rezar pummels on Slater, then Akam tags in and they clean house. They double team Slater with the Last Chapter for the three count after a short match.
Winners: Authors of Pain
– After the match, The Authors seem to tell Ellering to stay at ringside and leave them alone. It appears The Authors have fired their manager Ellering.
– Roman Reigns comes down to the ring next. Reigns gets on the mic and says he’s here tonight and Brock Lesnar isn’t. Reigns says to be honest he still doesn’t really know what happened yesterday, and people looked at him weird, and Vince McMahon couldn’t even look him in the eye and “smarten me up.” Reigns says Lesnar is a hell of a business man. Reigns says he only found out on the internet that Brock is signed to a new deal and has a new match with Reigns in a steel cage. Reigns says he doesn’t know what the plans are, but if they keep putting him in matches with Lesnar, he’ll be the new Universal Champion. Samoa Joe comes out to interrupt. Joe gets on the mic and says let’s break out the tin foil hats, because Roman thinks there’s a conspiracy. Joe says he’s going to bring Reigns back to reality – Lesnar exposed Reigns last night, and the crowd pops. Joe tells Reigns he’s a failure and a liar. Joe continues to taunt Reigns about being repeatedly beaten by Lesnar, and then making excuses for it. Joe says after Lesnar is done beating Reigns in their next match, Joe will be waiting for Reigns at Backlash to put him to sleep.
– Apollo Crews & Titus are in the ring awaiting their opponents. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt appear on the big screen with the Andre Battle Royal statue. They come out to the ring, and we have a match.
– Titus & Apollo Crews vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt: Matt and Titus start off dueling “worldwide” and “delete” chants, before locking up. Wyatt tags in early and they double team Titus. Crews tags in and does a back flip to avoid an attack. Hardy and Wyatt agree that Crews’ back flip was wonderful. Sheamus and Cesaro are shown in the back watching on a monitor. Wyatt drops Crews and starts pummeling on him with elbows. Matt asks for a tag and Bray tags him in. Matt now pummels on Crews, then slams him into the turnbuckles repeatedly. Wyatt now tags in and slams Crews in the turnbuckle repeatedly. Matt tags back in and Bray hits a splash in the corner, then Matt hits a Side Effect. Titus breaks up the pin, then Wyatt tags in. Crews connects with a kick to the head of Wyatt, then he goes off top. Wyatt catches crews and hits a side suplex. Matt tags in, and Wyatt throws Crews to Matt for a Twist of Fate. Matt pins for the three count while Wyatt blocks Titus.
Winners: Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
– Matt and Bray pose after the match, and Matt leads the crowd in a Delete chant.
– We go to some photos of Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34, and some of the headlines about her debut. Cole then introduces a replay of Ronda’s assault on Stephanie earlier in the night.
– Still to come: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
– We see some more still photos from WrestleMania 34 last night.
– Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn: The winner of this one will apparently get a spot on the RAW roster. They go back and forth in the opening moments and Kevin takes control with an elbow to the face and a kick. Sami ends up dumping Kevin out to ringside and then hits a suicide dive. Kurt Angle is shown backstage watching. Sami slingshots Kevin in to the ring post, then rolls him back in the ring. Back in the ring, Sami puts the boots to Owens, then Sami looks for a spingboard off the ropes, but Owens crotches him on the top rope. Owens takes control of the match now and tries to keep Sami grounded. They fight up to the turnbuckle and Sai turns it around and drops Owens. Sami hits the Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Owens starts firing up with some shots in the corner, but Sami answers with a big boot, and both men are down. They fight up to the corner again, and Owens hits a brainbuster off the middle rope. Both men are too slow to get to their feet, and the ref counts to 10.
Winner: Double count out
– Jojo announces that neither men won, so neither men will get the spot on RAW.
– Jeff Hardy, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins are backstage, and they run in to Matt Hardy. Matt and Jeff briefly exchange words. Jeff says he left Matt a voice mail but never heard back. They talk about Matt winning the Andre Battle Royal. Matt then introduces Wyatt, who welcomes Brother Nero and hugs him. Matt and Wyatt walk off, and the camera pans out to show a very confused Finn Balor and Seth Rollins watching.
– The Miz and The Miztourage are out to the ring next.
– We see another promotion for the Superstar Shake-up next week with Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan.
– Next Week: Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy take on The Revival in tag action; and Bayley vs. Sasha Banks in singles action.
– The Miz & The Miztourage vs. Finn Balor, Jeff Hardy, & Seth Rollins: The Miz starts off, but immediately tags in Axel before doing anything. Rollins and Axel go at it now, and Axel gets a shot on him and tags in Dallas. Rollins fights them off and hits a leg drop on Dallas. Jeff Hardy tags in now and hits the Poetry In Motion on both Axel and Dallas. Dallas beats on Rollins until Balor gets the tag, and Balor cleans house. Balor hits a double foot stomp on Axel, then lays into him with chops in the corner. Dallas gets a shot on Balor then Miz tags in. Miz takes control of the match now and hits a neckbreaker on Balor. Axel comes in now and continues the offense on Balor. Axel and Dallas now take turns working over Finn. Balor comes back with a back suplex on Axel, but Miz gets the tag and drops Balor. Balor wants the tag but Miz holds him back. Balor hits a dropkick and finally gets the hot tag to Jeff Hardy. Jeff comes in and cleans house. The crowd chants “Brother Nero” as Axel and Dallas start firing up and double teaming Hardy. Hardy hits the Whipser In The Wind off the top on both Dallas and Axel, and all three men are down. Miz and Rollins get the tags, and Rollins hits a springboard shot on Miz. Rollins follows up with a bockbuster on Miz, then a suicide dive on Axel at ringside. Rollins clotheslines Miz outside and then hits a suicide dive on the whole Miztourage on the floor. Back in the ring, Rollins hits a superplex and Falcon Arrow on Miz. Balor drops Dallas and Axel and sends them outside, then hits a suicide dive on them. Miz and Rollins go at it in the ring, and after a series of roll-up pin attempts, Rollins hits a curb stomp on Miz for the three count.
Winners: Seth Rollins, Jeff Hardy & Finn Balor
– After the match, Jeff hits the Twist of Fate on Dallas, then Balor hits the Coup De Grace on him. Jeff then goes up top and hits the Swanton Bomb on Dallas for good measure. Rollins then hits a curb stomp on Dallas, then they turn their attention to Axel. Miz kicks Axel down, then Balor hits the Coup De Grace, and Jeff hits the Swanton on Axel. Rollins then hits the curb stomp on Axel, and he holds up his IC Title in the ring with Jeff and Finn.
– Back to the broadcast table, Cole talks about the Superstar Shake-up next week, and they speculate about who might switch brands. Cole thanks everyone for watching and RAW goes off the air.
– Rey Mysterio was backstage at WrestleMania, according to PWInsider. Mysterio made a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble in January and is rumored to be in talks with the company about a return. Mysteiro had been scheduled to compete at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Strong Style Evolved event last month, but had to withdraw from the match due to injury. He did appear and assured the fans he’ll be wrestling for NJPW soon.
– Over the past week there was a rumor that Enzo Amore’s accuser had with drawn her charges against the former WWE Superstar. Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reached out to Phoenix police, who told him that the case is still open.
– Popular Twitter account @Totaldivaseps joked that the video sequence that aired as part of Daniel Bryan’s WrestleMania entrance appeared to be shot by Matt Hardy’s Vanguard1 drone. Woken Matt took notice and stated that Vanguard1 gifted Bryan one of its Aerial Assault Robots.
SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair had one of the best WrestleMania entrances of the night in New Orleans for her title defense against Asuka. Charlotte made her way to the ring accompanied by three men dressed as gladiators – a bit of a callback to when Flair served as one of the masked women involved in Triple H’s WrestleMania 30 entrance alongside Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks.
It turns out the three men dressed as gladiators for Charlotte’s entrance were NXT stars Tino Sabatelli, Riddick Moss and Dan Matha:
As for Flair’s match, she became the first woman to ever defeat Asuka in WWE history. Flair ended Asuka’s undefeated streak of 914 days with a Figure-Eight that nobody was expecting would force The Empress Of Tomorrow to submit. Despite Asuka being favored to walk out of New Orleans with the gold, Flair pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the night in an incredible match.
– As seen last night at WrestleMania, Bray Wyatt returned to WWE TV to assist “Woken” Matt Hardy in winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. This comes several weeks removed from Hardy DELETING Wyatt on The Ultimate Deletion on RAW.
Wyatt was tossed into the Lake Of Reincarnation and many speculated he could return as a new character. It seems that now Wyatt and Hardy will be allies on RAW moving forward. The pair took to Twitter to comment on their newfound friendship:
It’s time to DELETE & BURN all of the OPPOSITION as we ILLUMINATE The Plane identified as @WWE.
And it shall be DOCUMENTED.
The MAGIC within @WWE is about to be AUGMENTED EXPONENTIALLY.
– As seen in last night’s first-ever WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal, Bayley eliminated Sasha Banks to further add to their budding rivalry. It’s expected the pair will confront one another on tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
The Legit Boss took to Twitter to post a message to Bayley as we’re just hours away from showtime:
The speculation about WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar’s future can come to a close as the sports entertainment company announced on Monday afternoon that he had re-signed with WWE.
He retained the title over Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34. It was well known that his contract with the company expired on Sunday night and there was some speculation about him returning to the UFC.
The company also announced Lesnar’s next title defense. The sports entertainment company will be holding their Greatest Royal Rumble event at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, April 27. For the first time ever, the Royal Rumble match will feature 50 WWE Superstars.
Lesnar will face Reigns in a Steel Cage Match for the Universal Title at the upcoming show.
Triple H vs. John Cena in a singles match, The Hardys vs. Braun Strowman for the RAW Tag Team Titles, and a Ladder Match with WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz have already been confirmed for the event.
– WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar successfully defended his title against Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34 last night. Many considered the result an upset since WWE has been building up a storyline between Reigns and Lesnar for the past four years, with the expected payoff being The Big Dog taking his place atop the WWE mountain by dethroning Lesnar. Instead, The Beast won the bout after busting Reigns open terribly and hitting a sixth F5 that sealed the deal. In doing so, Lesnar became the first WWE Superstar since Hulk Hogan to hold a World Title from one WrestleMania to the next the following year.
Hogan did it back in 1989 when he defeated Randy Savage for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania V. He lost it the following year against the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI. Lesnar won the Universal Title last year at WrestleMania 33 from Goldberg and successfully retained it a year later at The Show Of Shows against Reigns.
– Also at WrestleMania, Seth Rollins defeated The Miz and Finn Balor in a Triple Threat match to win the Intercontinental Championship. With the win Rollins becomes a Grand Slam Champion. WWE posted the following YouTube video of Mike Rome interviewing Rollins after the win.
The Architect said he was fortunate enough to share the ring with two of the best in the world at WrestleMania, and is proud to be Grand Slam Rollins. Check it out:
– Aiden English competed in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal last night at WrestleMania with a full head of hair. It seems that while backstage after the match he decided to shave his head, before coming out with Rusev for the Fatal-Four Way match for the United States Title:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhUPdbUBy3s/
Aiden English eliminated himself early from the Andre Battle Royale so he could get his hair cut pic.twitter.com/MVsF0mpSFr
WWE announced on Monday that WrestleMania 34 propelled the WWE Network to a receord 2.12 million subscribers. This is up 9% from April 3rd, 2017, the day after last year’s WrestleMania event. Of the 2.12 million subscribers, 1.81 million are paid subscriptions (also up 9% from last year).
WrestleMania 34 was the highest grossing event in the history of New Orleans’ SuperDome, taking in $14.1 million in revenue with an announced crowd of 78,133 fans.
“We expect to deliver record subscriber levels, revenue and Adjusted OIBDA in 2018,” said George Barrios, WWE Co-President. “WWE Network’s continued growth along with our massive reach across traditional television as well as digital and social platforms, reaffirms the effectiveness of our global, multi-platform content strategy.”
Over the weekend, WWE released a video detailing a slew of new programming coming to the WWE Network in 2018, including a King of the Ring UK tournament, the 2nd annual Mae Young Classic women’s tournament and more.
Things appear to be getting heated between Brock Lesnar and Vince McMahon.
Last night (April 8), WrestleMania 34 took place inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the main event Lesnar defended his WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. The match was not what fans had anticipated.
Going into the WrestleMania headliner, many had expected Reigns to emerge victorious and for Lesnar to make his way back to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Whether fans agreed with Reigns’ fourth WrestleMania main event or not, the general consensus was that the match would be able to deliver. Those in attendance certainly didn’t feel that was the case.
Lesnar won the match after delivering a series of F-5’s. Reigns kicked out of several finishers before finally succumbing to the “Beast Incarnate.” Fans were not having it and made it clear they weren’t fans of the match. Chants of “boring” and “this is awful” echoed throughout the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Apparently, they weren’t the only ones who weren’t happy with the match.
The Heated Exchange
Ryan Satin of Pro Wresting Sheet reports that Lesnar got into a verbal confrontation with Vince McMahon. Sources told Satin that Lesnar initiated the heated verbal exchange and McMahon fired back. The argument ended with Lesnar throwing his Universal championship. Sources are split as to whether or not Lesnar threw his title at McMahon or a wall.
The report also notes that Lesnar is said to have gone off the script near the end of the match. Satin was unable to confirm whether or not that was the case. SEScoops.com will keep you up to speed as more details emerge from this reported confrontation.
The streak is over, but Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka doesn’t sound too upset about it. Charlotte successfully retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania with a shocking submission victory. In the process, she ended Asuka’s undefeated WWE streak that lasted 914 days. The tap out seemingly came out of nowhere, especially in light of Asuka being favored to capture the gold.
After the match Asuka got on the mic and said that Charlotte was ready for Asuka, before they embraced. WWE posted a video on their YouTube channel capturing the moments after Asuka came backstage following her loss.
The Japanese star seemed pleased with the match she and Charlotte put together, and hugged two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair and Charlotte as well. Asuka also noted that she’s happy Flair was the one to end her streak and defeat here.
John Cena has WWE fans guessing what his next step will be after losing on the grandest stage of them all.
As seen at WrestleMania 34 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on the WWE Network, The Undertaker did, in fact, accept Cena’s challenge to a match. After Cena did a quick segment with Elias in the ring that saw Cena hit his finisher to the RAW superstar, a spotlight hit the ring with Taker’s hat and jacket with a lightning bolt hitting it.
Lights got out then back on with the hat and jacket gone. The gong hit and Taker’s music played. Taker comes out as his deadman gimmick. Taker won the match in very quick fashion.
With Cena’s acting career taking off, his role in the WWE has started to go from full-time to part-time. The former WWE Champion is advertised for tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW. Cena posted the following cryptic video to his Twitter account after the event.
Last night at WrestleMania, WWE Champion AJ Styles defended his title against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura in a “dream match” for the WWE Universe. Despite all the hype and the potential, the match has received mixed reviews from fans and pundits alike. Many described the match as slow paced without the drama and excitement Styles and Nakamura’s matches are typically known for.
While the finish was pretty creative, there weren’t any huge false finishes, ridiculous high spots, or anything else that knocked fans’ socks off. There was actually a “boring” chant from the crowd during the match. The match’s placement on the near seven hour card didn’t help matters much either, as crowd fatigue set in mid-way through the marathon show.
Nakamura’s surprise attack on Styles after the match signifies a heel turn from the Japanese Superstar and likely the continuation of this program.
– Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss last night at WrestleMania 34 to become the new RAW Women’s Champion. This comes after weeks of Bliss bullying Jax for being and looking different.
WWE posted a video of Jax after her win, who said she’s happy with the message the match sends out to young boys and girls – not to take crap from people who make you feel insecure about yourself:
