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Original Plans For Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka At WrestleMania 34

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As seen at WrestleMania 34 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on the WWE Network, Charlotte Flair successfully retained her SmackDown Women’s Title against Asuka.

This marks the first time that Asuka has lost a match since signing her WWE contract a few years ago.

Original plans called for Asuka to defeat Flair at the biggest event of the year for the title. The idea behind this was that WWE would eventually build up to Asuka vs. Ronda Rousey. Thus, the reason that fans saw Asuka use the armbar as her finisher for weeks on WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW.

Dave Meltzer shed some light on the plans for this match during the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer noted that originally, Asuka vs. Flair called for multiple armbar attempts and that WWE officials told Asuka months ago when Rousey first signed with the company to start doing the submission hold in her matches. However, she was later told to stop doing them.

This is a perfect example of how plans change in the WWE. Now, it appears that the company is going away from Asuka vs. Rousey and now has their focus on Flair vs. Rousey down in the line.

Dana White Reacts To Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut At WrestleMania

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There was one interesting name that attended the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company, and that was UFC President Dana White.

The reason that he attended the event was to see former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey make her in-ring WWE debut.

As seen at WrestleMania 34 on Sunday night (April 8th, 2018) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on the WWE Network, Rousey and Kurt Angle defeated Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team Match.

White has given a statement on Rousey making her in-ring debut to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

“She accomplished everything she could at UFC. She has a title defense record that still isn’t broken, the amazing fight last night with Rose and Joanna wouldn’t have been possible without Ronda kickstarting everything and I could go on and on.”

“She has always loved professional wrestling and now she gets to have a blast being a part of it. She will be great at ANYTHING she sets her mind to doing. I thought she was incredible tonight and I’m happy for her.”

Reason Why Kid Rock Didn’t Appear At WrestleMania 34

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WrestleMania weekend is always a special one due to all of the big events going on. From indy shows to the Hall of Fame ceremony, NXT Takeover special and of course WrestleMania.

On Friday night, the sports entertainment company held their Hall of Fame ceremony in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Smoothie King Center. Going into the show, there was some speculation as to who would induct Kid Rock. It turns out that Triple H did the honors for the rockstar.

Moving along to Sunday night, WWE traditionally brings out the class of that certain year during the broadcast of WrestleMania and introduces them to the crowd and gives them a Mania moment. WrestleMania 34 was no different except for the fact that one name was missing and that was Kid Rock.

As for the reason he missed the show, PWinsider.com is reporting that he did not appear at Wrestlemania because he is hosting Kid Rock ‘s 9th Annual Chillin’ the Most Cruise 2018.

The cruise is set to make sail on Tuesday. Thus, he had to depart from New Orleans early. It was also noted that Rock was never slated to appear at Mania.

Ronda Rousey Reacts To Her WrestleMania Debut

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Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle picked up the victory over Triple H and Stephanie McMahon last night at WrestleMania. Rousey made Stephanie McMahon tap in a match which went 20 minutes and 40 seconds.

WWE.com cameras recently caught up with both Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle after the match. Angle was quick to praise his partner, who he reminds everyone just wrestled her first official match.

Ronda Rousey Glad She Lost in UFC Because it Led Her to WrestleMania

Ronda Rousey also spoke with ESPN following her victory last night. In the interview, she mentioned she was finally glad she lost her last two MMA fights because it led her to where she is now.

“Everything really does happen for a reason. I’m just so grateful. I thought I never would be [grateful] for [the losses], but time is a great teacher. I’m just really, really glad I gave it time instead of giving up and feeling it was the end of the world. There are so many people who encounter tragedies who feel like the world and time won’t heal it. But all I can say to those people is: Just give it time, even if you think time can’t heal it. You never know what will happen and where it will lead you. Every missed opportunity is a blessing in disguise. I really believe it now.”

Rousey also revealed to ESPN she thought the WWE fans would boo her when she first debuted. That she has received such a positive response since appears to have touched her.

“I owe the WWE universe an apology because I thought they were going to boo me out of the building from day one,” she said. “They really accepted me from day one. Hopefully, I satisfied a lot of skeptics tonight.”

“I underestimated how kind the WWE universe would be. I thought any outsiders would be shunned. I was expecting to get shunned and to have to battle to be accepted. I worked my ass off to pay respect to what’s so important to them, and hopefully, they saw that tonight. I’m just so grateful, man. I’m trying my best to deserve it.”

Visit ESPN.com to read the full interview.

Matt Hardy Believes He is Communicating with Andre the Giant (Video)

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Matt Hardy believes he is able to communicate with Andre the Giant. In footage released following his victory last night, Hardy revealed that his strategy in the Battle Royal was dictated to him by Andre himself.

Hardy won the match following interference from Bray Wyatt.

Bray Wyatt Helps Matt Hardy Win Battle Royal

Bray Wyatt appeared in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal even though he was not officially entered in the match. Wyatt’s involvement contributed to Hardy winning and the two would embrace after Matt had been declared the winner.

Wyatt’s fall into the Lake of Reincarnation seems to have led to him being a follower of Matt Hardy’s. This storyline will likely be furthered in the coming weeks on Raw.

Who is Nicholas? Raw Tag Team Champion’s Identity Revealed

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Braun Strowman told WWE.com shortly after defeating the Bar last night that he didn’t really have a plan for choosing a partner. He ended up going into the live crowd to choose a fan at random and ended up picking Nicholas. Nicholas is actually the son of WWE referee, John Cone, who officiated the match

Why Did Braun Choose a Kid? 

Last night at WrestleMania 34, Strowman and Nicholas defeated Sheamus and Cesaro to win the Raw tag-team championships. Nicholas even tagged in at one point but never did mix it up with either of the Bar.

In the above video, Strowman explained to WWE.com reporters why he chose Nicholas.

“You know, honestly, I didn’t have a plan coming into WrestleMania. I did a lot of thinking and soul-searching in my time back out in the woods when I’m relaxing by myself and just something about the energy in the air here tonight in New Orleans… something in my heart told me this is what I needed to do. So I went out into the crowd and I found this young man and he helped me pull a victory for both of us tonight here at WrestleMania.”

11 Takeaways From WWE WrestleMania 34

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WrestleMania 34 aired on the WWE Network tonight from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

Kickoff Show Results:

The Kickoff Show started at 5 PM ET and John Cena was shown throughout it sitting in the crowd as a fan.

Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross joined Byron Saxton to call the 5th annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The final three Superstars in the Battle Royal were Mojo Rawley, Matt Hardy and Baron Corbin. Mojo and Baron teamed up to beatdown Matt Hardy and went to eliminate him but the lights went out and Bray Wyatt showed up in the ring. Bray threw Mojo towards Matt and Hardy eliminated him. Corbin planted Wyatt with the End of Days but Matt Hardy eliminated Corbin to win the match. The crowd chanted “thank you Wyatt” and then the two hugged in the ring. Hardy and Wyatt posed in the middle of the ring to end the match.

Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali battled for the vacant Cruiserweight Championship. 205 Live GM Drake Maverick was ringside for the match. Cederick Alexander won the match with a Lumbar Check and Maverick presented him with the title following the match.

John Cena was interviewed in the crowd and Cena said that he was very excited. Cena took a sip of beer and celebrated with the crowd. Cena stated that it was hard work being a fan and that it was very excited on this side. Cena said that the action was out there and to point the camera in the ring.

Beth Phoenix and Paige joined the announce table with Graves and Cole to call the women’s Battle Royal. Lilian Garcia was the guest ring announce for the match. Everyone teamed up to eliminate Carmella first. The same thing happened to Dana Brooke and she was eliminated. Bayley and Sasha Banks were the final two Superstars int he women’s Battle Royal and the crowd got on their feet. Sasha Banks tried to shake Bayley’s hand and Bayley grabbed her to eliminate her. However, Naomi got back in the ring and was never eliminated and got back into the ring. Naomi connected with the Rear View and eliminated Bayley win the women’s Battle Royal.

Here are 11 takeaways from WrestleMania 34:

Seth Rollins Captured The Intercontinental Championship

Seth Rollins Wins WrestleMania 34

The Miz defended his Intercontinental Championship against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor in a Triple Threat Match to kick off WrestleMania 34. Rollins had bright blue contacts in for the match and got a great reaction from the crowd during his entrance.

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The Miz came down to the entrance ramp with The Miztourage. The Miz told Axel and Bo Dallas to head backstage because he wanted to go in alone tonight. The Miz shouted “we are doing this the right way!” as he marched down the entrance ramp.

Finn Balor came down to the entrance ramp with several members from the LBGT community from the New Orleans.

Rollins decked Miz with a shoulder tackle and then Balor connected with an Arm Drag to Rollins. Seth Clotheslined Miz out of the ring and Balor went for a roll-up for two. Finn then Clotheslined Rollins out of the ring and followed it up by flipping onto Seth and The Miz. The Miz and Balor got back into the ring and Finn connected with a Dropkick.

Seth connected with a Crossbody off the top rope to Balor. Miz launched Rollins to the corner and booted Balor in the face for a two count as John Cena was shown in the crowd watching the match. Rollins connected with a double Blockbuster on Miz and Balor. Miz climbed to the top and clocked Seth in the head for a two count.

The Miz applied a Chin Lock to Rollins in the middle of the ring as Balor made his way back to his feet. The Miz booted Rollins in the face and then planted Balor with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Miz then applied a Chin Lock to Balor as Rollins was on the floor outside the ring.

Balor broke free and connected with a stomp to Miz’s chest. Finn booted The Miz in the side of the head and Miz tumbled out of the ring. Rollins got back into the ring and dropped Balor with with a Slingblade. Seth followed it up with a Suicide Dive to The Miz and Balor outside the ring.

Back in the ring, Finn planted Rollins with a Slingblade. Seth connected with a Superkick to Balor. Miz got back into the ring and hit a DDT to Rollins for a two count. Miz booted Rollins and went for the Figure Four but Rollins blocked it. Seth leaped onto the ropes but was booted out of the ring by The Miz.

The Miz locked in the Figure Four on Finn Balor in the center of the ring. Rollins came out of nowhere with a Frog Splash on The Miz and went for the cover but Miz was able to kick out at the last second.

The action spilled outside the ring and Balor went for a kick from the apron. Rollins caught him and went to Powerbomb Finn into the barricade, but Finn was able to escape. Finn then Dropkicked Miz and Rollins to the barricade and then brought Seth back into the ring. Seth blocked the 1916 and connected with an Enziguri. Balor responded with an overhead kick and planted Seth with the 1916 for a two count.

Finn made his way up the turnbuckle but The Miz attacked him from behind. Miz joined Finn on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Balor hung on. Rollins planted The Miz with a Buckle Bomb and then connected with a Superplex to Balor. Rollins went for the Falcon Arrow but Balor countered into a roll-up for two. The Miz then planted Rollins with a Skull Crushing Finale and went for the cover but Seth kicked out at two.

Balor went for a roll-up on Miz but Miz kicked out. Finn booted Miz in the head and scaled the turnbuckle. The Miz jumped into the ropes and crotched Balor on the top turnbuckle. The Miz joined Balor on the top rope and started trading shots. Rollins booted Balor in the face and leaped onto the top rope. Miz caught him with a Skull Crushing Finale and went for the cover, but Finn broke it up with a Coup de Grace.

Finn connected with a Slingblade to Miz and then Dropkicked him into the turnbuckle. Balor climbed to the top and conned with a Coup de Grace. Rollins sprinted into the ring and Curb Stomped Balor into Miz’s back. Seth geared up in the corner and hit a Curb Stomp to The Miz to capture the Intercontinental Championship. Seth Rollins is now a Grand Slam Champion, as the IC Title was the only belt he has never held before.

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Opinion: Rollins, Balor and The Miz put on a very solid match to kickoff WrestleMania 34. The crowd was into it and in the end and gave Seth a great reaction when he won the title. The Miz seems to be undergoing a transition into a face. He called off The Miztourage and wanted to win this match on his own. Of course, The Miz could revert right back into an annoying heel tomorrow night, but WWE has been using the birth of his daughter to claim he is a changed man. He certainly was a different character tonight and we will see that turns out going forward. It will also be interesting to see what WWE has planned for Finn Balor going forward.

Charlotte Submitted Asuka To End Her Streak

Charlotte Flair wins WrestleMania 34

Charlotte Flair defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Asuka tonight at WrestleMania 34. Charlotte was in a throne on the entrance ramp with smoke surrounding it. Gold lights reigned down upon her as Flair’s music played. The lights went out and Charlotte’s music hit and Charlotte the SmackDown Women’s Champion made her way down the entrance ramp followed by three men in armor. Fireworks went off behind The Queen as she handed off her robe and got into the ring.

The undefeated Asuka came down to the ring to another great reaction from the crowd as Charlotte looked on from inside the ring.

Asuka and Charlotte went back in forth to start off the match. Charlotte shoved Asuka and shouted “woo!” before doing a little strut. Charlotte went for the Figure Four early but Asuka countered into a roll-up for two. Asuka booted Charlotte in the face for another two count and then the two Superstars had a stare down as Cena was shown in the crowd once again.

Asuka connected with a Double Stomp and went for the Hip Attack but Charlotte caught her. Charlotte hit a couple chops and knocked Asuka to the corner. Asuka sent Charlotte to the ring apron and then hit the Hip Attack this time that sent Flair flying into the barricade outside the ring.

Charlotte was holding her shoulder as she got back into the ring. Asuka now had a target and slammed her arm into the mat. Asuka locked in an Arm Bar in the ring but Charlotte quickly battled to her feet. Flair connected with a forearm to the jaw and then slammed Asuka to the mat. Asuka hopped on Charlotte’s back, but Charlotte ran across the ring and dropped her to the mat.

Both Superstars got back up and battled in the corner. Charlotte hung up Asuka on the bottom rope and dropped her knee into the back of Asuka’s head. Charlotte climbed to the top rope and went for a Moonsault, but Asuka brilliantly countered into a Triangle submission. Charlotte countered into a Boston Crab in the middle of the ring. Asuka and Charlotte then traded roll-ups and they both kicked out at two.

Asuka booted Charlotte on her injured shoulder for another two count. Asuka remained on the attack and connected with a flurry of kicks in the corner. Charlotte shoved Asuka to the mat and brought herself a moment to regroup as Cena was shown in the crowd for the 25,000th time.

Asuka went for a Hip Attack again but Charlotte dodged it and booted Asuka in the face. Both were on the ring apron and Asuka planted Charlotte with a Suplex off the apron and to the floor outside the ring. Charlotte and Asuka got back into the ring. Charlotte shouted that she is The Queen and it fired Asuka up. Asuka dropped her with a punch to the face and climbed to the top. Asuka delivered a missile Dropkick for a two count.

Flair slapped Asuka in the face while she was perched on the top rope and connected with a series of chops. Charlotte connected with an awesome Spanish Fly from the top rope for a two count. Charlotte went for the Natural Selection, but Asuka countered into a submission hold. Asuka wrapped her legs around Charlotte’s shoulder and started stretching out her injured shoulder. Charlotte broke free and hit a couple of chops, but Asuka got her in a Chin Lock. Asuka went for the Asuka Lock but Charlotte countered into a roll-up for two.Charlotte planted Asuka with a Spear out of nowhere for a two count.

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Charlotte applied the Figure Four and then bridged into the Figure Eight in the middle of the ring. Charlotte applied the move while using only one arm and then Asuka had no choice but to submit. Charlotte Flair is still the SmackDown Women’s Champion and Asuka’s undefeated streak is over.

After the match, Asuka grabbed a microphone and shouted “Charlotte was ready for Asuka!”. Asuka then congratulated Charlotte and the two hugged in the ring.

Opinion: This was a very good match, but I completely disagree with the decision to have Asuka’s undefeated streak come to an end at her first WrestleMania. I would have preferred for that to be reserved for a Superstar that needs it, Charlotte is already established in WWE. I’m having a very hard time wrapping my head around the decision WWE just made here. The streak hadn’t been built up enough on the main roster and this  felt like a total waste.

Jinder Mahal Pinned Rusev To Win The United States Championship

jinder mahal us champion wrestlemania 34

Randy Orton defended his United States Championship against Jinder Mahal, Bobby Roode and Rusev in a Fatal 4-Way tonight. Mahal was quickly knocked out of the ring to start off the match. Rusev connected with a Cannonball off the apron onto Orton and Mahal as Aiden English cheered him on.

Rusev and Roode then battled in the ring. Bobby planted Rusev with a Blockbuster for a two count. Orton and Mahal got back into the ring. Roode and Orton teamed up to beat him down a bit and then tossed Mahal out of the ring again. Orton planted Roode with a Powerslam for a two count.

Orton connected with a Superplex to Roode but the cover was broken up by Rusev and Mahal. The action spilled outside the ring and Orton dropped Rusev on the barricade. Mahal connected with a boot to the face and then rolled into the ring. Roode planted Mahal with a Spinebuster for two. Roode did the “glorious” pose and went for the DDT but Mahal escaped. Orton launched Roode into the ring post and Bobby fell out of the ring.

Rusev connected with a couple of kicks and then missed wildly with one and crashed to the mat. Orton hung up Rusev between the ropes and planted him with a DDT. Randy geared up for the RKO, but English rolled into the ring. Orton planted English, Rusev and Mahal with an RKO. Orton went for the cover on Mahal but Roode broke it up. Roode threw Rusev out of the ring and then planted Orton with a Glorious DDT. Roode went for the cover but Mahal broke it up.

Rusev conncted with the Machka Kick to Roode and then dropped Mahal with a kick to the face. Rusev went for the Accolade on Jinder, but Sunil Singh hopped up on the ring apron. Rusev kicked him to the floor, but turned around into a Khallas from Mahal. Jinder then pinned Rusev to capture the United States Championship.

Opinion: I couldn’t have imagined a worse outcome for this match than what happened. Absolutely terrible. Jinder Mahal pinned Rusev to win the title. Rusev made his way into this match because the fans were behind him, only to take the pin for one of the most boring Superstars I’ve ever seen. If only Jinder Mahal were remotely entertaining, WWE would be on to something with here. He doesn’t have heel heat, he has “just go away” heat. The only hope I have is that this title run is incredibly short.

Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle Defeated Stephanie McMahon & Triple H In An Awesome Match

Ronda Rousey Kurt Angle WrestleMania 34

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon battled Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey tonight at WrestleMania 34. Triple H and Stephanie came down to the ring on motorcycles and both spit water from the apron. Angle and Rousey came down to the ring separately and to great reactions from the New Orleans crowd.

Stephanie dragged Rousey to the mat by her hair to start off the match and then ran to the ring apron. Triple H told the referee to remember who signs his paychecks. Kurt Angle and Triple H officially started off the match. Angle connected with a Back Body Drop and then applied a Wrist Lock.

Stephanie stepped into the ring and that caused Rousey to get in the ring as well. Stephanie then pulled down the ropes and Triple H threw Angle out of the ring. Triple H threw Angle into the steel steps outside the ring. Triple H started arguing with Rousey by the apron as Stephanie bounced Angle’s head off the steel steps.

Triple H continued the beatdown and then distracted the referee again as Stephanie hit Angle with another cheap shot. Triple H planted Angle with a Spinebuster for a two count. Rousey pleaded with Angle to get to the corner and tag her in. Angle was inches away but Triple H launched him back to the corner.

Kurt hit a boot to the face and Stephanie grabbed Angle by the neck. Triple H went to punch Angle, but Kurt ducked and Triple H almost punched Stephanie. Stephanie hopped off the apron to regroup as Angle knocked Triple H to the mat. Angle went to tag in Rousey, but Stephanie McMahon tripped her up and Ronda fell face-first onto the apron.

Angle sent Triple H out of the ring and finally tagged in Ronda. Rousey sprinted across the ring and dragged Stephanie into the ring by her hair. Rousey beat the hell out of Stephanie and slammed her to the mat as the crowd went crazy. Ronda delivered a flurry of strikes to Stephanie in the corner as then launched her across the ring by her hair.

Ronda sent Stephanie to the corner and McMahon pleaded for mercy. Ronda took Stephanie to the mat and grabbed her arm. Ronda went for the Arm Bar but Stephanie got on her knees to block it. Stephanie raked Rousey’s eyes and escaped. Stephanie went to the corner for a tag, but Triple H was still on the floor outside the ring. Stephanie McMahon leveled Rousey and then started punishing Rousey in the middle of the ring.

Stephanie slammed Rousey to the mat by her hair and then booted her in the ribs. Stephanie taunted Rousey and Ronda grabbed her by the throat. Ronda lifted Stephanie onto her shoulders and slammed her to the mat. Rousey went for the cover but Triple H pulled the referee out of the ring. Triple H then yanked Rousey out of the ring and Kurt Angle blasted him in the face. Angle then brought Triple H on top of an announce table, but Triple H countered and threw Angle to the floor.

Ronda Rousey got into the ring  with Triple H and wanted to fight. The referee got in between them and Triple H brought him to the corner. Triple H grinned and walked towards Rousey. Ronda connected with a flurry of strikes in the corner and took Triple H to the mat. Rousey lifted Triple H onto her shoulders, but Stephanie saved him from behind. Stephanie slapped Rousey in the face and then rolled out of the ring. Ronda chased Stephanie outside and slammed her into the barricade. Stephanie responded by shoving Ronda into the ring post.

Triple H and Angle then battled in the ring. Angle planted Triple H with three German Suplexes in a row and then went for the Olympic Slam. Triple H escaped and went for the Pedigree but Angle blocked it. Angle catapulted Triple H into the top turnbuckle and followed it up with an Angle Slam for a two count. Angle took down his straps and went for the Ankle Lock but Stephanie got into the ring and started shouting at him. Stephanie tried to kick Angle but Kurt caught her. Angle looked around and the crowd started to chant “yes!”. Angle knocked Stephanie to the mat and locked in the Ankle Lock. Triple H got into the ring and hit Angle with a Pedigree. Triple H went for the cover but Rousey broke it up.

Triple H then set up to Pedigree Ronda Rousey. Triple H then went for a Powerbomb, but Rousey countered into a Hurricanrana. Ronda then locked in the Arm Bar on Triple H in the middle of the ring. Stephanie got back into the ring and started to choke Rousey. Ronda battled to her feet and countered into an Arm Bar on Stephanie in the middle of the ring. Kurt Angle then put Triple H in the Ankle Lock. Triple H used his leg strength and Kurt Angle went flying into Ronda Rousey to break up the Arm Bar.

Triple H and Stephanie launched Angle and Rousey into the steel post. Triple H and Stephanie set up for a double Pedigree, but Angle launched Triple H out of the ring with a Back Body Drop. Ronda then countered into another Arm Bar to Stephanie McMahon. Ronda then leaned back to use more strength and Stephanie McMahon tapped out. Dana White was shown in the crowd as Angle and Rousey celebrated in the ring.

Opinion: Ronda Rousey absolutely killed it in her in-ring debut. She knocked it out of the park. Everyone in this match did well and it was very entertaining. This match was very well put together and the crowd went bananas for it. After the previous two matches, this match needed to be good and it damn sure delivered. If anyone has questioned if Rousey can be in a star in WWE, they got their answer tonight. Yes.

The Bludgeon Brothers Won The SmackDown Tag Titles

bludgeon brothers win wrestlemania 34

The Usos defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against New Day and The Bludgeon Brothers. Harper and Rowan Dropkicked Jimmy Uso into the steel steps to start off the match. They then took out Big E and turned their attention towards Xavier Woods. Xavier wasn’t even competing int he match, but Harper and Rowan didn’t care. They Powerbombed Woods into the ring post and then threw Kofi into the ring.

The Bludgeon Brothers sent Jey Uso out of the ring and then knocked Big E off the ring apron. Jimmy Uso tagged in and knocked Rowan out of the ring. Jey tagged in and The Usos booted him in the face in the corner. Jimmy tagged back in and connected with a Spash from the top rope for a two count.

Jey tagged in as Rowan pulled Jimmy to the floor outside the ring. Jey booted Harper in the face and then Superkicked Rowan out of the ring. The Usos teamed up to Suplex Rowan to the floor outside the ring. Kofi tagged in and Harper immediately slammed him to the canvas.

The Usos connected with a double Superkick to Harper as he was perched on the top turnbuckle. They set up for a Superplex, but Rowan knocked them both to the floor. Rowan Powerbombed Kofi and then brought Kingston to Harper. Harper then Powerbombed Kofi Kingston off the top rope for the pinfall victory. The Bludgeon Brothers are the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

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Opinion: This match was predictable, but I’m fine with it. Harper and Rowan deserved to look dominant and should now have a long run with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

The Undertaker Returned & Dominated John Cena

The Undertaker wins WrestleMania 34

John Cena sprinted backstage after the Asuka and Charlotte match earlier in the night when a referee told him in the crowd that The Undertaker was here.

Cena ran down to the ring and the lights in the Superdome went out. Elias showed up with his guitar and the crowd booed him out of the building. Elias told everyone to silence their cellphones and shut up.

Elias started strumming his guitar and asked the crowd if they were expecting somebody else with a smile on his face. Elias claimed that “that somebody else doesn’t have the charisma and unlimited talent that I carry in my soul”. The crowd started chanting “you suck!” at Elias. Elias got into the ring with Cena and told him that he will take it from here. John got out of the ring and got back in the crowd.

Elias started performing a song in the ring and the crowd started booing him again. John got back into the ring and beatdown Elias. Cena connected with the Five Knuckle Shuffle and followed it up with an Attitude Adjustment. Cena booted Elias’ guitar out of the ring as the crowd chanted “Undertaker!”. Cena’s music hit as John looked disappointed in the ring.

John made his way up the entrance ramp, but his music stopped as he was halfway up. The lights in the arena went out and The Undertaker’s hat and jacket appeared in the ring with a spotlight on it. A lightning bolt hit the ring and the lights went out again. When the spotlight came back on, the hat and jacket were gone. The lights went out again and The Undertaker’s music hit and the crowd erupted.

The Undertaker rose up through the smoke on the entrance ramp and looked at Cena on the entrance ramp. Undertaker slowly walked down the ramp as the crowd chanted his name. Cena got back into the ring and had a shocked look on his face as The Undertaker slowly approached him.

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The Undertaker took off his jacket as Cena was frozen in the corner. Undertaker took off his hat and rolled his eyes back in head as the lights came on. The bell rang and Undertaker beatdown Cena in the corner. The Undertaker looked great as he ran the ropes and planted Cena with a flying Clothesline. The Undertaker walked across the top rope and decked Cena with a shot to the back.

Taker connected with a big boot and followed it up with a Leg Drop. The Undertaker raised his hand for the Chokeslam, but Cena countered and slammed Undertaker to the mat. Cena raised his hand for the Five Knuckle Shuffle but The Undertaker sat up and Cena fell on his ass. The Undertaker then planted Cena with a Chokeslam and motioned for the Tombstone. The Undertaker then Tombstoned Cena in the middle of the ring for the pinfall victory. After the match, The Undertaker posed in the ring as fire shot up on the entrance ramp. The Undertaker raised his fist on the top of the ramp and then walked backstage.

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Opinion: I got goosebumps during when The Undertaker made his way to the ring. I knew it was coming, but I still couldn’t help it. The main thing to takeaway here is that The Undertaker looked much better than he did last year. I’m guessing that this match will happen again, maybe even at next year’s WrestleMania. There sure was a hell of a lot of buildup for what essentially was a squash match. I understand that some may be disappointed by this match. Personally, I am not simply because of how mobile The Undertaker looked. He can still go and I’m looking forward to seeing him in the ring once again.

Daniel Bryan Submitted Sami Zayn In His Return To The Ring

daniel bryan wins wrestlemania 34

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan faced Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn tonight at WrestleMania 34. It was Daniel Bryan’s first WWE match since being medically cleared to return to in-ring competition. A video package of the Yes Movement aired before Daniel Bryan came down to the ring. When Daniel’s music hit, the crowd got on their feet and chanted “yes!” as Bryan came down the entrance ramp.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn attacked Shane and Daniel from behind before the match started. Sami threw Shane into the crowd as Shane’s kid shouted at Zayn. Sami hit Bryan with the Helluva Kick and then Owens Powerbombed Bryan on the ring apron.

Shane got into the ring by himself and called for the bell. Shane knocked Zayn off the apron and then beatdown Owens in the corner. Shane dropped Owens with an elbow as Zayn got back into the ring. Shane beatdown Sami in the corner and then booted Owens in the face. Shane then planted Zayn with a DDT, but Owens got back up and stomped on Shane in the corner. Bryan was loaded onto a stretcher as Zayn and Owens beatdown Shane. Owens tagged in and booted Shane in the midsection. Owens shouted “good return Daniel!” and then continued to beat the hell out of Shane in the ring.

Sami tagged in and stomped on Shane in the corner. Shane battled back and jabbed Owens in the face on the apron. Sami grabbed Shane from behind and planted him with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Shane dodged the Helluva Kick and hung up Sami in the ropes. Shane threw Owens to the outside and then McMahon climbed to the top rope. Shane then connected with a Coast-to-Coast Dropkick and went for the cover but Owens broke it up with a Senton.

Owens tagged in and hit a Frog Splash. Owens went for the cover, but Daniel Bryan leaped into the ring to break it up and the crowd chanted “yes!”. Sami prevented Shane from tagging in Bryan and applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Shane battled to his feet while Sami still had the hold applied. Shane was inches away but Sami pulled him back. Shane planted Zayn with a Belly to Back Suplex and both men fell to the mat.

Daniel Bryan tagged in and got in the ring with Zayn. Bryan connected with some punches and then blasted Owens off the apron. Bryan leveled Sami with a Clothesline and got pumped up as the crowd erupted. Bryan connected with a flying knee off the apron on Owens. Bryan climbed to the top rope and connected with a Dropkick.

Owens got into the ring and was greeted with a German Suplex from Bryan. Daniel hit them both with Dropkicks in the corner. Bryan connected with a kick to the face and followed it up with an awesome Hurricanrana off the top rope. Owens grabbed Bryan’s leg from outside the ring and Zayn hit the Helluva Kick on Bryan. Sami went for the cover but Daniel kicked out at two.

Kevin Owens Superkicked Shane off the ring apron and turned around into a boot from Bryan. Kevin Owens then planted Bryan with a Pop-Up Powerbomb, but once again Daniel Bryan kicked out. Owens tagged in Zayn and then Shane took out Owens with a Clothesline off the apron.

Sami shouted “how could you do this?!” and started punching Bryan in the face. Daniel battled back and connected with a flurry of punches. Bryan followed it up with a few Yes Kicks to Zayn in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted at every impact. Daniel geared up in the corner and delivered the running knee to the face. Bryan then applied the Yes Lock in the middle of the ring for the submission victory.

After the match, Bryan and Shane hugged in the ring as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Bryan got out of the ring and kissed Brie Bella who was in the front row for the match. Bryan got back into the ring and Shane raised his hand. The 78,000 fans in attendance all did the yes chant with Bryan as he posed on the turnbuckle.

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Opinion: Was this a great wrestling match? No. Was this an unbelievable WrestleMania moment? Yes! Congratulations to Daniel Bryan for fighting his way back into the ring. I am so excited what lies ahead for Daniel Bryan now that he is a WWE Superstar once again.

Nia Jax Won The RAW Women’s Championship

Nia Jax wins RAW Womens Championship WrestleMania 34

Alexa Bliss defended her RAW Women’s Championship against Nia Jax tonight at WrestleMania 34. Bliss descended from a pedestal and was then accompanied by Mickie James down to the ring. Nia Jax walked down to the ring and stared at Alexa Bliss as JoJo made their introductions.

Nia attacked Mickie James before the match started and bashed her into the barricade with incredible force. Bliss got out of the ring and tried to attack Nia from behind. Jax shrugged it off and then planted Mickie with a Samoan Drop to the floor outside the ring. Nia then marched into the ring as Alexa Bliss had a frightened look on her face.

Bliss screamed and tried to run away, but Nia caught her and starting slinging her around the ring. Nia lifted Alexa above her head and threw her to the canvas. Bliss rolled out of the ring and grabbed her title. Jax got out of the ring and leveled her with a Clothesline.

Bliss thumbed Nia in the eye as the referee was distracted. Alexa connected with a few kicks in the corner. Jax missed with a boot and got stuck in the ropes. Bliss stomped on Nia’s knee and Jax collapsed to the canvas. Bliss stomped on Nia’s back and then bounced her head off the mat a few times. Nia battled back and dropped Bliss back-first to the mat. Nia charged at Bliss in the corner, missed and crashed into the ring post. Alexa climbed to the top rope and connected with a Twisted Bliss onto Jax outside the ring.

The action returned to the ring and Bliss hit a Dropkick that sent Nia face-first into the turnbuckle. Bliss followed it up with a DDT for a two count. Alexa threw a tantrum and shouted that the referee was counting fast enough. Bliss slapped Nia in the face and shouted that she was nothing like her. Nia got pissed off and told her to shut the hell up. Nia hit a Body Slam and then threw Alexa to the corner. Jax decked Bliss with a Clothesline.

Bliss battled back with a punch and leaped onto her off the second rope. Jax caught her and slammed her into the turnbuckle. Bliss once again poked Jax in the eye and charged at her. Nia lifted her up and slammed her down to the mat. Nia shouted “I loved you” and lifted Bliss onto her shoulders. Jax climbed the turnbuckle with Bliss on her shoulders and planted her with a Samoan Drop off the second rope for the pinfall victory. Nia Jax is the new RAW Women’s Champion.

Opinion: The match itself was decent at best, but Nia Jax finally got her moment on the main roster. It is about time for Nia, as she has been wasted on RAW for a long time now. I’m looking forward to Nia’s title reign and hopefully WWE books her as the dominant Superstar she should be from now on.

AJ Styles Retained & Nakamura Turned Heel

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AJ Styles defended his WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura tonight at WrestleMania 34. There was a live performance on Nakamura’s entrance music.

The dream match started with AJ and Shinsuke locking up. They broke the hold and circled each other in the ring. AJ drove Shinsuke to the corner and Nakamura shoved him away. Styles brought Shinsuke to the mat, but Nakamura connected with a kick and drove AJ to the topes. Nakamura taunted AJ and Styles responded with a slap to the face. Nakamura connected with a kick to the face for a one count.

Styles floored Nakamura with a knee to the face and then brought Shinsuke to the corner. Styles planted Nakamura with a snap Suplex for a one count. AJ connected with a Neckbreaker and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Styles got back up and delivered a few kicks to Shinsuke’s back.

AJ slowed things down and applied a Headlock in the center of the ring. Shinsuke battled to his feet, but was sent back to the mat with a Dropkick from Styles. Nakamura rolled out of the ring and Styles went for a kick from the apron. Shinsuke booted him in the leg and AJ fell face-first to the mat.

The action returned to the ring and Nakamura connected with a boot to the side of the head. Nakamura leaped off the second rope and connected with a kick to the face. Shinsuke hit a Splash in the corner and then draped AJ across the top turnbuckle. Nakamura hit a knee to the ribs and went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two.

Nakamura slammed Styles face-first to the mat and then Styles immediately responded by slamming Shinsuke face-first to the canvas. Both Superstars slowly made their way back to their feet in opposite corners of the ring. Styles connected with a forearm to the face for a two count.

Styles connected with a Pump Handle Slam into a Gutbuster for another two count. AJ went for the Styles Clash, but Nakamura blocked it. AJ went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Shinsuke caught him and connected with a Landslide for a two count.

Nakamura brought AJ to the top turnbuckle and went for a Superplex. Styles held on and slid under Nakamura and back to the mat. Nakamura escaped a Powerbomb, but Styles responded by booting him in the knee and Shinsuke collapsed to the canvas. Nakamura lifted AJ up but his leg gave out and AJ locked in the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring.

Nakamura countered into a Triangle in the middle of the ring. AJ started to fade but lifted Nakamura up and slammed Shinsuke to the mat to break the hold. Styles tried to lift Nakamura again, but his back gave out and he limped to the corner. Shinsuke got back up and booted AJ in the face.

Shinsuke put AJ across the top rope and went for the knee again but Styles got out of the way. Nakamura slammed his knee into the top turnbuckle and turned around into a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles. AJ went for the cover, but Shinsuke Nakamura kicked out at the last second and the match continued.

Styles went for the springboard 450 Splash but Nakamura got his knees up. Shinsuke went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two. Both Superstars got back to their feet and traded forearms to the face. Styles hit a Pele Kick, but Nakamura hit a knee to the back of AJ’s head for another two count.

Nakamura patted AJ on the head and connected with a reverse Exploder Suplex. Shinsuke geared up in the corner and went for the Kinshasa. Styles ducked and countered with the Styles Clash for the pinfall victory. AJ Styles is still the WWE Champion. After the match, Nakamura got down on a knee and presented AJ with the WWE Championship. Nakamura then hit AJ with a low-blow and Styles fell to the floor. Nakmura then booted AJ in the face several times on the apron and then kicked him to the floor. Shinsuke then hit Styles with the Kinshasa outside the ring and walked up the entrance ramp.

Opinion: This match was a bit of a letdown, but the ending saved it. The crowd absolutely sucked during this match for some reason and brought nothing at all to the table. This feud clearly isn’t over after Shinsuke’s actions tonight. That is a good thing because these two are capable of having a much better match than the one we saw tonight. It was certainly a fine match, but my expectations were through the roof and this didn’t come close to living up to them.

However, I’m looking forward to seeing Nakamura as heel. The crowd booed him out of the building as he walked up the entrance ramp and that was a great sign. The match tonight wasn’t what everyone thought it would be, but the ending gave me hope that we will see a better one in the future. I also hated where this match was placed on the card. It should have been the main event and had much more time.

Braun Strowman & Nicholas Are The RAW Tag Team Champions

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Sheamus and Cesaro defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against Braun Strowman and a mystery partner. Sheamus and Cesaro came down to the ramp on a Margi Gras card. Strowman promptly destroyed the cart and came down to the ring. Strowman said that his partner is someone from the crowd and asked who wanted to be his partner.

Braun walked through the crowd and selected a child. Strowman brought a kid down to the ring as Sheamus and Cesaro looked confused. Strowman stood on the middle of the rope and shouted for the kid to get in the ring. The kid said his name was Nicholas and Strowman shouted for the crowd to give it up for Nicholas. Strowman told the kid to stand on the apron and watch him battle The Bar.

Braun beatdown Cesaro and slammed him to the mat. Strowman went for the cover, but Sheamus broke it up. Strowman chased Sheamus around and Cesaro caught him with a Dropkick. The Bar Suplexed Strowman to the mat and Sheamus followed it up with a knee off the top rope. Cesaro jumped of Sheamus’ shoulders onto Strowman for a two count.

Strowman planted The Bar with a Crossbody and then got back up. Braun knocked Sheamus out of the ring and then tagged in Nicholas and the crowd erupted. Nicholas quickly tagged Braun back in and Braun planted him with a Powerslam for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: My apologies to Nicholas, but this was an embarrassment. I didn’t find it cute at all. I found it pathetic that this is what the RAW tag division has come to. Sheamus and Cesaro just lost to Strowman and a child at WrestleMania. How the hell are they supposed to recover from that? It made a mockery of the entire division and wasted everyone’s time for weeks wondering who Braun’s partner was. Both Cesaro and Sheamus deserved better and wrestling fans who spent thousands to attend this event deserved a better title match than this garbage.

Brock Lesnar Retained The Universal Championship

brock lesnar retained wrestlemania 34

Brock Lesnar defended his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34. Reigns got his typical negative reaction and Brock’s pyro returned for his WrestleMania entrance. Heyman took the microphone from JoJo to introduce Lesnar.

Lesnar started off the match in control and drove Reigns to the corner. Roman battled back with a couple of punches. Lesnar hit a three German Suplexes in a row. Reigns hit two Superman Punches in a row and Lesnar rolled out of the ring. Reigns followed him and connected with a Superman Punch off the steel steps.

Reigns rolled Lesnar back into the ring only to Clothesline him right back out of the ring. Roman went for another Superman Punch, but Lesnar caught him and planted him with a Belly to Belly Suplex. Brock connected with another Belly to Belly Suplex as the crowd chanted “CM Punk!”.

Brock slammed Reigns face-first off the table and brought him back to the ring. Lesnar with another German Suplex and then paced around the ring. Lesnar hit a fifth German Suplex and then another Belly to Belly Suplex. Brock bounced around in the ring as the crowd booed.

Lesnar hit another Belly to Belly Suplex and Roman fell out of the ring. Lesnar cleared off an announce table and made his way back to Reigns. Brock dragged Reigns by the hair and threw him into the barricade. Roman responded by slamming Lesnar into the ring post. Reigns lifted Lesnar up and threw him over the announce table.

The action returned to the ring as the crowd booed and chanted “delete!”. Roman hit another Superman Punch and followed it up with a Spear. Reigns hit a second Spear and Brock kicked out at two. The crowd made no noise at all when Lesnar kicked out.

Roman went for a third Spear, but Lesnar was ready and caught him with a knee to the face for a two count. Lesnar followed it up with an F5 and went for the cover but Reigns kicked out. The crowd didn’t react at all as Lesnar hit a second F5. Brock went for the cover again but Reigns kicked out at two. Brock hit a third F5 and Reigns kicked out once again.

Lesnar threw Reigns out of the ring as the crowd chanted “boring!”. Brock connected with a fourth F5 through the announce table. Brock brought Reigns back into the ring for another German Suplex. Lesnar hit a fifth F5 and Reigns kicked out once again.

Brock took off his gloves to expose his knuckles. The crowd chanted “this is awful!” as Lesnar punched Reigns in the face. Roman’s head was busted open and Reigns started to bleed everywhere. Reigns connected with two Spears out of nowhere but Lesnar kicked out at two. Reigns sprinted off the ropes for another Spear, but Lesnar caught him with another F5 for the pinfall victory. The crowd cheered after Lesnar retained the Universal Championship.

Reigns was shown walking up the entrance ramp as his entrance music played. Reigns looked back at the crowd and stumbled backstage as WrestleMania 34 went off the air.

Opinion: The ending of this match was certainly a surprise and stopped the crowd from crapping all over the main event. Time will tell what this means for Roman Reigns. Everyone thought that he was guaranteed to win this match. He kicked out five F5s, but ultimately the sixth one kept him down. I’m not excited at all that Brock Lesnar is still the Universal Champion either. This was a main event that the crowd totally rejected and never really had a chance.

Overall, I thought WrestleMania 34 was a massive disappointment. There were some great moments, but many of the matches didn’t live up to the hype. This was one of the most stacked WrestleMania cards ever and it just didn’t come through. When the best match of the night includes Stephanie McMahon, you know the show was a letdown. On the bright side, the RAW after WrestleMania is always entertaining.

What did you think of WrestleMania 34? Let us know in the comments below.

WWE WrestleMania 34 Results

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WWE’s WrestleMania 34 took place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 8th, 2018.

– Doors have opened at the Superdome and fans are being seated.

Kickoff Show:

– The Kickoff Show begins and Tenee Young welcomes us to the Superdome as fans are still taking their seats. Renee is joined on the pre-show panel by JBL, Booker T, and David Otunga. A fan dressed as Hillbilly Jim is behind the pre-show panel double-fisting beers.

– We see John Cena sitting in the crowd taking pictures with fans.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Byron Saxton are on commentary for this one. We see the Andre statue at ringside as Greg Hamilton goes over the rules. The opening bell sounds and English starts beating on Ryder, while Corbin drops Sin Cara then turns his attention to the other combatants. English gets eliminated first, then Hawkins and Konnor get eliminated. Goldust and R-Truth come face to face, and Goldust drops his old partner. Truth is eliminated, and Primo is sent out over the top rope next. Matt and Ryder start fighting while Slater works over Viktor. Hardy starts firing up, but Axel and Dallas double team him. Shelton eliminates Breeze, then Viktor eliminates Rhyno. Ryder eliminates Ziggler next, as Matt and Goldust brawl in the opposite corner.

Mojo eliminates Ryder next, then Gable eliminates Anderson. Titus eliminates Gallows, then The Revival eliminates Apollo and Shelton. Axel and Dallas team up to eliminate both Revival members, then Kane eliminates both Axel and Dallas. John Cena is shown sitting in the crowd with fans again. Kane eliminates Fandango, and Corbin eliminates Slater and Sin Cara. Ziggler fires up and eliminates Titus and Goldust next. Matt and Tye come face to face and duel “Delete” with “Ten” chants, then Matt eliminates Tye. Kane drops Matt, then Ziggler superkicks Kane. Kane gets up and eliminates Ziggler, then Corbin comes from behind and eliminates Kane.

It’s down to Corbin, Matt, and Mojo, as fans chant “Delete.” Mojo and Corbin double team Matt now, until the lights go out and Bray Wyatt hits the ring. Wyatt helps Matt eliminate Mojo, then Corbin drops Matt and Wyatt. Corbin grabs Matt, but Matt ends up fighting Corbin off and eliminating him. The bell rings and Matt is declared winner, then Matt and Wyatt come face to face.

Winner: Matt Hardy

– After the match, Wyatt and Matt approach each other, then hug. They pose for the crowd as Cena is shown in the crowd looking surprised.

WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali: Cedric and Mustafa trade take downs, then Cedric gets frustrated and starts trading stiff shots with Ali. They trade more shots until Ali hits a version of the X-Factor on Cedric. Ali grabs Cedric by the tights and hits a kick, but Cedric comes back with a Spanish Fly. They fight up to the top rope and exchange punches, then Ali hits a version of the Spanish Fly on Cedric off the top. They fight over to the other corner and Ali goes up top, but Cedric pushes him off and Ali crashes hard on the mat. Cedric drags Ali back in the ring and boots him, then stomps a mud hole on him against the bottom rope. Cedric goes to pick him up, but Ali comes back with a reverse Frankensteiner. Ali goes up top and hits the 054 and covers, but Cedric gets his foot on the bottom rope. Ali goes for it again off the top, but Cedric rolls out of the way. Cedric hits some elbows to the face and drops Ali. Cedric follows up with the Lumbar Check for the three count.

Winner & new Cruiserweight Champion: Cedric Alexander

– After the math, Cedric is presented with the Title Belt and he celebrates as Cena is shown clapping in the crowd.

Women’s Battle Royal: Beth Phoenix and Paige are on commentary for this one. Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley get their own entrances, and the rest of the entrants come out together as a group. The opening bell sounds and Carmella gets eliminated almost immediately. All of the women appear to surround Dana Brooke in a circle, and they all gang up on her and eliminate Dana next. There appears to be some enhancement talent in the ring from NXT who also get eliminated. Bianca Bellaire goes up to the top turnbuckle and stands there for a moment, but no one goes near her and she hits a 450 splash. Sonya Deville and Lana get eliminated. Bianca uses her hair as a whip and whips Becky, but Becky comes back and kicks her to the outside for the elimination. Dakota, Becky Lynch and Naomi are all eliminated. Mickie James starts dropping people, but she climbs up top and gets eliminated by Ruby. Peyton Royce is eliminated next, and the women all seem to be ganging up on Sasha and Bayley now. Sasha and Bayley team up to eliminate Natalya and Morgan. Ruby attacks them from behind, but they turn around and eliminate Ruby next. Bayley eliminates Logan, and it’s down to Bayley and Sasha. They go to shake hands, but Bayley grabs Sasha and throws her to the outside for the elimination. Bayley thinks she’s won, but it appears Naomi hasn’t been eliminated because she didn’t go over the top rope, so Naomi is back in the ring now. Naomi hits a butt bump to the face then eliminates Bayley.

Winner: Naomi

– We see a promo video for Reigns vs. Lesnar highlighting their history, and the pay-per-view is starting.

WrestleMania 34 Results:

– Jojo is in the ring and she introduces some singers to do America The Beautiful on the stage.

– They air the WrestleMania 34 intro video shot in downtown New Orleans. They shot some shots of WrestleMania moments, including multiple of Hulk Hogan.

– The pyro goes off and WrestleMania 34 has officially begun!

Intercontinental Title Match: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor: Rollins makes his entrance wearing blue contact lenses. The opening bell sounds and Finn Balor starts off strong. Balor knocks them both outside and hits a suicide dive on both Miz and Rollins. Back in the ring, Balor continues the offense until Miz drops him and hits a clothesline in the corner. Miz takes control of the match now and sends Rollins out to ringside while he tries to keep Balor grounded. Miz goes up to the middle rope but Balor kicks him down. Balor goes for the sling blade on Rollins, but Rollins catches him and throws him outside. Rollins hits a suicide dive on Balor, then runs throug the ring to hit a dive on Miz on the other side. Rollins gets back in the ring and walks into a sling blade from Balor. Balor looks for a kick, but Rollins dodges it and hits a kick of his own on Balor. Miz runs in now and hits a DDT on Rollins. Miz boots Rollins outside, then drops Balor across the top rope. Miz puts Balor in the Figure Four, but Balor breaks out and Rollins hits a frogsplash off the top on Miz. The fight spills out to ringside, and Rollins looks for a powerbomb on Balor, but Balor breaks free and hits a sling blade. Balor follows up with a running dropkick on both Miz and Rollins into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, the three men fight on the turnbuckle, which leads to Rollins hitting the buckle bob on Miz, and then a superplex on Balor. Rollins rolls through to look for a Falcon Arrow, but Balor escapes. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Rollins for a two count. Balor and Miz go at it now and fight on the turnbuckle. The Miz has a big welt on his ribs. Rollins kicks Balor and climbs up, but then Miz hits a top rope bulldog on Rollins. Balor then drops Miz from behind and hits the Coup De Grace on Miz. Balor looks for the pin, but Rollins curb stomps him, and then curb stomps Miz for the three count.

Winner & new IC Champion: Seth Rollins

– Rollins celebrates with his new IC Title belt and heads to the back holding it up.

– John Cena is shown at ringside again interacting with fans.

Women’s Title Match: Charlotte vs. Asuka: The opening bell sounds and the two women trade take downs early on. Charlotte starts laying into Asuka with chops, and then some knees in the corner. Charlotte gets tied up in the ropes and Asuka hits some kicks and knees. Charlotte comes back with a neckbreaker and drops Asuka. Asuka starts firing up and repeatedly stomps Charlotte in the head. They fight out to the apron and Asuka hits a suplex off the apron onto the ringside floor, and Charlotte is hurt. Back in the ring, Charlotte and Asuka get in each other’s faces, and Asuka drops her with a series of strikes. Asuka continues the beat down on Charlotte now as she drags her from corner to corner. Asuka goes up top, but Charlotte stuns her with some chops. Charlotte hits a Spanish Fly off the top. They’re both slow to get up, and Asuka catches Charlotte in a submission. Charlotte breaks out and goes for the Figure Four, but Asuka breaks free. Charlotte comes back with a spear and looks for the Figure four again, and this time she locks it in. She makes it a Figure Eight, and Asuka taps out.

Winner & still Women’s Champion: Charlotte

– After the match, Asuka and Charlotte come face to face. Asuka gets on the mic and says Charlotte was ready for Asuka and congratulates her. They hug and raise their hands in the air.

– Before Charlotte makes it backstage, a referee runs down, but the ref goes right over the fan barricade and to John Cena in the crowd. The ref tells Cena something, and Cena looks concerned. Cena gets up and hops over the fan barricade, and Cena runs up the ramp and to the backstage area.

– Aiden English comes out to sing and introduces Rusev. Sunil Singh introduces Jinder Mahal.

U.S. Title Match: Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Rusev vs. Jinder Mahal: Orton and Jinder get thrown outside early on, then Rusev dropkicks Roode down. Rusev looks for a suicide dive, but Jinder stops him with an elbow to the face. Rusev knocks Jinder away, and hits a somersault onto Orton and Jinder on the floor. Back in the ring, Roode and Orton take out Rusev, then start going at each other. Orton takes Roode up top and hits a superplex for a two count. Jinder and Rusev break up the pin and drop Roode and Orton. Jinder tries to strike up a partnership with Rusev, but Rusev drops Jinder and stomps on him. Rusev follows up with a back suplex for a two count. Roode drops Rusev, then hits a spinebuster on Jinder. Orton and Rusev start going at it now. Rusev misses a spinning heel kick, which leads to Orton hitting the DDT off the middle rope. Orton looks for an RKO on Rusev, but Aiden English runs in and Orton RKO’s him instead. Orton then gives an RKO to Rusev, but then Jinder hits a running knee to Orton. Orton comes back with an RKO on Jinder, but Roode breaks up the pin. Orton looks for an RKO on Roode, but Roode dodges it and hits the Glorious DDT. Jinder breaks up the pin, and Rusev hits a big boot on Roode. Rusev misses a kick on Jinder, but connects with a second one. Rusev looks for the Acolade on Mahal, but Sunil causes a distraction. This distraction leads to Jinder hitting the Khallas on Rusev for the three count.

Winner & new U.S. Champion: Jinder Mahal

– Jinder celebrates with his U.S. Title belt as everyone else recovers at ringside.

– We see a new Snickers commercial with The Fashion Police and Mick Foley. Foley and Breeze try to force Fandango to wear a pair of sweatpants.

– We go to the broadcast table where Michael Cole introduces a video package looking at Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon.

Stephanie McMahon & Triple H vs. Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey: All the competitors come face to face, and Kurt and Triple H start things off. Kurt hits a big back body drop on Triple H early on and takes control of the match. Stephanie causes a distraction and pulls the ropes, and Triple H throws Kurt outside. Ronda comes to get in their faces and the ref hauls her back. Triple H suplexes Angle back in the ring, then hits a spinebuster. Kurt looks for the tag, but Triple H keeps the Olympian grounded. Kurt boots Triple H away from him, but Stephanie grabs him from behind in a choke. Triple H charges, and Kurt ducks, and Triple H almost hits Stephanie, but Triple H stops in time. The distraction leads to Kurt hitting a big suplex on Triple H. Kurt almost gets the tag to Ronda, but Stephanie runs around and pulls Ronda off the apron. Kurt dumps Triple H outside and gets the tag to Ronda. Ronda pulls Stephanie in and drops her. Ronda hits a back suplex and then pummels on Stephanie in the corner. Ronda throws Stephanie across the ring by the hair, then throws her into the corner. Ronda tosses Stephanie across the ring and looks for an arm bar, and she almost gets it but Stephanie latches on to her hand to block it. Stephanie gouges the eyes and then looks to tag in Triple H, but The Game is still down on the outside. Stephanie kicks Ronda and hits a DDT for a two count. Stephanie hits a kick but then Ronda grabs her by the throat and stops her. Ronda hits a Samoan drop then pins, but Triple H pulls the ref out of the ring. Ronda then yells at Triple H from the ring, and Triple H pulls her outside on the floor. Kurt comes over and pummels on Triple H, then takes him up on top of an announce table. Kurt goes to suplex HHH on the table, but Triple H throws Kurt off onto the other announce table. Triple H retreats back in to the ring to check on Stephanie. Stephanie rolls outside and Ronda runs up on Triple H. The ref says that can’t happen, and pulls them apart, but Triple H gentle pushes the ref aside. Triple H wants to fight Rnda and they go to lock up, but Ronda ends up teeing off on Triple H with punches. Triple H tries to kick Ronda, but Ronda takes him down and then goes for a Samoan Drop, but Stephanie breaks it up. Stephanie slaps Ronda and Ronda no-sells it then chases Stephanie around the ring. Ronda catches Stephanie at ringside and beats her down. Stephanie pushes Rona in to the ring post and both women are down. Back in the ring, Kurt walks up behind Triple H and starts hitting suplexes. Triple H comes back with a facebuster, but Kurt latches on to him again and hits a series of German suplexes. Kurt is fired up now and looks fo rthe Angle Slam, but Triple H escapes. Triple H looks for a Pedigree, but Angle gets out and looks for the Ankle Lock. Triple H escapes and looks for the Pedigree again, but Angle once again escapes and hits the Olympic Slam for a two count. Stephanie runs up on Kurt and tries to kick him, but Kurt catches her leg. The ref tells Kurt not to do anything to her, but the Kurt keeps chanting “yes”, so Kurt goes for the ankle lock. Triple H breaks it up and drops Kurt from behind, then Triple H approaches Ronda who is crawling back in the ring. Triple H looks for the Pedigree on Ronda, but instead goes for a powerbomb, which Ronda reverses into a hurricanrana. Ronda locks in the arm bar, but Stephanie breaks it up and puts Ronda in a choke from behind. Ronda tosses Stephanie down and puts her in an arm bar. Triple H tries to break it up, but Kurt catches him and puts him in an ankle lock. Triple H reverses and sends Kurt crashing in to Ronda. Triple H shoves Kurt into the ring post, then Stephanie throws Ronda into the other ring post. Triple H and Stephanie look to do Pedigrees on Kurt and Ronda, but Kurt dumps Triple H outside, and then Ronda back drops Stephanie. Ronda grabs Stephanie and wants the arm bar. Stephanie puts up a struggle, but Ronda locks it in and Stephanie taps out.

Winners: Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey

– Kurt and Ronda hug in the ring and celebrate while Triple H and Stephanie recover on the floor.

Tag Team Titles Match: The Usos vs. The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers: Kofi hits a Trouble In Paradise early on Jey, but the Bludgeon Brothers break up the pin and start laying out everyone. The Usos start hitting kicks on everyone and they take control of the momentum. They hit a big splash on Harper, then they go another another but Rowan breaks it up and Harper gets up. Jey boots Harper in the head, then Big E runs in, but the Brothers drop him. Rowan catches a big Uso dive on the floor, and then they double suplex him on the floor. Back in the ring, Big E gets dropped and Harper levels Kofi with a side slam. The Usos have Harper up top for a double team, but Big E comes over and knocks them down to the floor. Big E gets sent outside too, and Kofi is alone in the ring with Harper now. Rowan joins and powerbombs Kofi, then Harper and Rowan double team powerbomb Kofi for the three count.

Winers & new Tag Team Champions: The Bludgeon Brothers

– Rowan and Harper celebrate with their new Tag Team Title belts ater the match.

– John Cena comes down to the ring, but a referee comes and tells Cena something, and Cena looks like he’s going to leave. The lights go out, but Elias comes out instead of The Undertaker. Elias strums his guitar and talks trash to Cena. Elias comes in the ring and tells Cena to leave, and Cena heads back to his seat in the crowd. Elias starts singing in the ring as Cena sits back down. Cena has heard enough, and he hits the ring and drops Elias. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle, and then hits the AA on Elias. The crowd chants for Undertaker as Cena’s music hits. Cena walks to the back as his music plays, but then his music stops. The lights go out, and then a spotlight goes on in the ring and Undertaker’s hat and coat are in the ring. Lightning strikes and now the hat and jacket are gone. We go back to Cena, and he looks shocked. The bell sounds, and fire starts shooting up out of the stage. The Undertaker emerges from the smoke and the crowd goes wild. The Undertaker is in his hat and coat with long hair. It looks like Cena has retreated back to the ring, and the Undertaker is approaching. The Undertaker slowly steps in the ring and stands in the middle as Cena backs into the corner. Undertaker removes his coat as lasers hit the ring. The Undertaker removes his hat and rolls his eyes back, and the lights come on. The ref comes in the ring, and we’ve got a match.

The Undertaker vs. John Cena: Undertaker mimmediately takes the fight to Cena off the opening bell and pummels on him in the corner. Undertaker runs the ropes and hits a flying clothesline on Cena. The Undertaker follows up with his patented top rope walk clothesline. Taker hits him in the corner then does the Snake Eyes on the top turnbuckle. Taker follows up with a big boot and a leg drop, then he looks for a chokeslam. Cena reverses into a back suplex, then goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Undertaker sits up and scares him. Taker hits the chokeslam, then does the throat cutting motion. Taker hits the Tombstone on Cena and pins for the three count.

Winner: John Cena

– The Undertaker paces the ring as we go to replays. The black lights go on and Undertaker poses in the ring as flames shoot from the stage.

– We see a video package looking back at the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2018. The Class of 2018 comes out to the stage, with Goldberg coming out last with his traditional pyro.

– We see a video package looking back at the history between Kevin OWens, Sami Zayn, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan.

Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn: If Owens and Zayn win, they get their jobs back. We get a video package about the “yes” chants before Bryan’s entrance. Owens and Zayn attack from behind before the match and they beat down Bryan and McMahon all over ringside. They powerbomb Bryan onto the ring apron, and the ref and Shane call for medics to check out Bryan. Owens and Zayn dare Shane to come in to the ring and face them, and Shane does and calls for the ring bell. Shane punches Sami off the apron and then pummels on Owens. Shane hits a flying elbow on Owens, then punches out Sami, and Shane is still selling his injuries. Shane beats on Sami in the corner, then hits a big boot on Owens. Shane hits a DDT on Sami, then Owens drops Shane and stomps on him in the corner. Owens and Zayn now take turns tagging and beating on Shane. Sami hits the Blue Thunder Bomb on Shane for a two count. Sami misses a shot in the corner and Shane hangs him up on the ropes and stomps on him. Owens misses a shot and Shane throws him outside. Sami is still hanging upside down in the corner, and Shane goes up top on the opposite corner. Shane hits the coast to coast dropkick on Sami in the opposite corner. Shane pins but OWens breaks it up. Owens follows up with a frogsplash off the top on Shane and pins, but Daniel Bryan comes out of nowhere and breaks up the pin. Owens misses a shot on Shane, then Sami comes in and Shane drops him with a back suplex. Bryan gets the hot tag and starts cleaning house. Owens tries to attack Bryan from behind, but Bryan hits a back suplex on him, and then a running dropkick on Sami. He hits a series of running dropkicks on both Owens and Zayn in opposing corners. Bryan takes Sami up top and hits a Frankensteiner. Owens distracts Bryan and Sami hits the big boot on Bryan for a two count. Owens comes in and hits the Pop Up Powerbomb on Bryan for a two count. Shane pulls Owens outside and hits a splash off the apron on him. Sami starts punching Bryan, but Bryan starts no-selling and lays into Sami with punches and slaps. He hits a knee to the face, then the “yes kicks.” Bryan follows up with a running knee to the face, and then the Yes Lock. Sami taps out, and Bryan and McMahon have won.

Winners: Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan

– Bryan kisses his wife at ringside and then celebrates the victory with Shane.

– We see a recap of the history between Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax.

Women’s Title Match: Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax: Mickie James comes out with Alexa. Nia attacks before the bell and beats down Alexa and Mickie at ringside. Back in the ring, the bell sounds and Alexa slaps Nia across the face. Nia drops her and starts beating down Alexa. Nia goes for a gorilla press slam but Alexa escapes. Alexa rakes the eyes and starts working over Nia’s knee. Bliss sends Nia outside, then goes up top and hits the Twisted Bliss on Nia on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Bliss hits a shot to the face for a two count. Bliss starts talking trash to Nia, and Nia grabs her, tells her to shut the hell up, then starts throwing her around the ring. It’s all Nia now as she throws Alexa into the corner. Bliss tries raking the eyes, but Nia slams her down again. Nia takes Bliss up to the middle rope and hits a flying Samoana Drop for the three count.

Winner & new Women’s Champion: Nia Jax

– Nia cries after the match and celebrates with her Women’s Title belt.

WWE Title Match: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: They ock up off the opening bell and then break apart. Both men are hesitant early on, until AJ is able to latch on to NAkamura and hit a suplex. Nakamura kicks AJ away, and then they get tangled up in the ropes and the ref pulls them apart. Nakamura comes back with a kick and a knee drop. Nakamura goes to stomp on Styles in the corner, but AJ breaks free. AJ connects with a knee to the face of Nakamura and drops him. AJ follows up with a snap suplex on Nakamura for a two count. Nakamura starts fighting back, but AJ stuns him and hits a side walk slam. AJ follows up with kicks and tries to keep Nakamura grounded. They fight out to the apron and Nakamura hits a kick to the face of AJ. Back in the ring, Nakamura connects with more kicks and a flying boot off the middle rope. Nakamura tells AJ to bring it, and Nakamura unloads with kicks again. Nakamura hits a splash in the corner and then a knee strike for a two count. Nakamura follows up with a reverse suplex, and AJ comes back with a facebuster. AJ hits a flying lariat in the corner, then a running forearm shot on the mat for a two count. After a brief back-and-forth, AJ connects with a pumphandle gut buster. Nakamura sends AJ to the apron and AJ looks for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Nakamura catches him and hits a Death Valley Driver for a two count. They trade strikes until AJ latches on to Nakamura and locks in the calf crusher. Nakamura fights out and looks for a triangle choke, but AJ hits him with a Fisherman’s brainbuster. AJ goes to pick him up, and Nakamura hits a spinning heel kick. Nakamura goes for a running knee in the corner, but AJ ducks and Nakamura hits the turnbuckle. AJ follows up with a Phenomnal Forearm for a two count. AJ goes for a springboard 450 but Nakamura gets the knees up to block it and pins for a two count. AJ and Nakamura start trading stiff forearm shots to the face in the middle of the ring. They’re throwing stiff punches and Nakamura looks hurt. Nakamura comes back with some shots, but AJ stuns him with a Pele kick. Nakamura answers with a knee to the back of the head for a two count. Nakamura looks for the Kinshasa, but AJ rolls through and hits Nakamura with the Styles Clash for the three count.

Winner & still WWE Champion: AJ Styles

– We go to replays and then see AJ celebrating with his win and then helping Nakamura to his feet. They hug in the ring before leaving. Nakamura takes the WWE Title belt from the ref, and he gets on one knee and hands it to AJ. AJ takes the belt and goes to hug Nakamura, but Nakamura hits AJ with a low-blow instead. Nakamura beats down AJ now and repeatedly stomps on his head as the crowd boos. Nakamura beats AJ out of the ring, then stomps on him at ringside and hits the Kinshasa on him on the floor before leaving.

The Bar vs. Braun Strowman & ???: The Bar comes out with a Mardi Gras foat themed entrance, and then Strowman makes hie entrance and chases off the Mardi Gras characters and pushes the float off the stage. Srowman gets on the mic and says his partner tonight isn’t anyone in the back – it’s someone in the crowd. Strowman walks in to the crowd looking for someone. Strowman picks a small kid and brings him to the ring with him. Strowman asks the kid his name, and he says Nicholas, and Braun tells him to stand on the apron and let him do the rest. The opening bell sounds and Strowman starts tossing Sheamus around the ring. Cesaro comes in and starts hitting Strowman, but Strowman grabs him and chokeslams him. Sheamus breaks up the pin, then starts double teaming Braun with Cesaro. Sheamus follows up with a flying knee drop off the top rope, then Cesaro hits a swanton bomb off of Sheamus’ shoulders. Strowman blocks a double team attempt and hits a cross body on both Sheamus and Cesaro. Sheamus charges at Braun, and Braun dumps him onto the ring post and to the outside. Strowman tags in the kid, but the kid is scared of Cesaro so Braun tags back in. Braun hits the running powerslam on Cesaro, and Strowman is now Tag Team Champions with Nicholas.

Winners: Braun Strowman & Nichaolas

– Strowman and Nicholas high-face the fans at ringside and then head backstage with their Tag Title belts.

– We see a video package looking at the history between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.

Universal Title Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns: Paul Heyman commandeers the mic from Jojo to do Lesnar’s ring introduction. The opening bell sounds and Lesnar starts off with suplexes on the challenger, but Reigns fires right back with some Superman punches. Reigns clotheslines Lesnar to the outside, and Lesnar takes a breather on the floor. Reigns follows him outside, but Lesnar catches him and hits a belly to belly overhead suplex. LEsnar stalks Reigns around the ring and hits another belly to belly overhead. It looks like Brock is going for another belly to belly, but instead Reigns goes face-first onto the announce table. Back in the ring, Lesnar hits some German suplexes and then another belly to belly overhead. Lesnar takes Reigns out to ringside and whips him into the fan barricade. Lesnar puts Reigns up on his shoulders, but Reigns comes off and shoves Lesnar in to the ring post. Reigns spears Lesnar on top of a table, and Lesnar falls onto one of the announcers chairs. Reigns takes the Champion back in the ring and hits a superman punch, then two spears for a two count. Reigns looks for another spear, but Lesnar blocks it with a knee to the face for a two count. Lesnar follows up with an F-5 for a two count. Lesnar hits another F-5 and The Big Dog kicks out again. Lesnar hits a third F-5 and Reigns kicks out again. Lesnar takes Reigns outside and hits a fourth F-5, this time on to the announce table. Lesnar drags Reigns back in the ring by the vest. Lesnar hits a German suplex and another F5. Lesnar mounts Reigns now and lays into him with punches and elbows. Reigns appears to be bleeding heavily from the top of his head now. LEsnar goes for another F5, but Reigns gets out and hits two spears for a two count. Reigns goes for another spear, but Lesnar catches him and hits a sixth F5 for the three count. Lesnar rolls out of the ring and Heyman hands him his Universal title belt.

Winner & still Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar

– We go to replays as Heyman and Lesnar walk up the ramp. Medics check on Reigns and clean the blood off his face and apply pressure to the cut.

– After the show, we go to highlight videos, and then we see Roman Reigns getting up and walking to the back after having his cut cleaned up.

Alexa Bliss On Her Strategy Against Nia Jax, Charlotte Says Facing Asuka Is The Biggest Match Of Her Career

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Alexa Bliss On Defending The RAW Women’s Championship Against Nia Jax Tonight

alexa bliss nia jax wrestlemania 34

“I have been so fortunate with WWE this year, last year walking in as SmackDown Women’s Champion and now walking in as RAW Women’s Champion, I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity”.

How has she prepared for Nia Jax tonight:

“We are former best friends, I know that I am not bigger or stronger than her but I know her weaknesses and insecurities. If I cannot break her down physically, I am going to have to break her down mentally”.

Charlotte Flair On Defending The SmackDown Women’s Championship Against Asuka

charlotte asuka wrestlemania 34
Photo Credit: WWE.com

“I have not slept all week, I’m not sure how you prepare to defeat someone that is undefeated. I just know that I am focused, I know that everything that I have done in this business up until this point doesn’t matter. Tonight we are going to see The Queen versus The Empress for the first time and may the best woman win”.

Is this the biggest challenge she has faced in her career so far:

“By far the biggest challenge, there is no question. I have watched Asuka defeat everyone in NXT and everyone on RAW. In the women’s Royal Rumble, she defeated Superstars from the past, present and the future. She defeated them all. I have had a lot of tough opponents, but Asuka is mentally sound, she is all together, she is confident in her skills and she is prepared. Not only that, but she has traveled and performed all over the world. So she is prepared for moments like this, but it is really just going to boil down to that last second. I really think it could go either way”.

Roman Reigns & The Miz Comment On Their WrestleMania Matches Tonight

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Roman Reigns On Facing Brock Lesnar Tonight For The Universal Championship

lesnar reigns elim chamber

“I feel good. God woke me up and today is my day. Probably not going to feel good after this. Last time I wrestled Brock, I was still in a lot of pain for months after so we will see how it goes”.

Reigns was asked if the nerves were setting in and here was his response:

“It is time to get to work man. I’m here to get that title and collect bags. ASAP”.

The Miz On Defending The Intercontinental Championship Against Finn Balor & Seth Rollins Tonight

The Miz Seth Rollins Finn Balor WrestleMania 34
Photo Credit: WWE.com

How he has prepared for two of the top Superstars in WWE:

“This is the match that everybody has been waiting for. This is WrestleMania. This is what it is all about. This is what you train and prepare for the entire year. This year has been the year of The Miz and I will keep the Intercontinental Championship, the most prestigious and honorable title in WWE. I have been saying it since day one, since the first time I had that title, this title is everything to me and no one is taking it from me, especially at WrestleMania”.

Going into WrestleMania as a new father:

“It is everything. This is the first WrestleMania that I have a child. I don’t have words for it. Normally I could sit here and talk all day long, but there is a whole new side of me that I didn’t even know I had. Everyone always tells you when you become a dad it is going to change you and I was like nah it is not going to change me, but it really does. When you look in your daughter’s eyes and see the life that you have given, you want to make them proud. I know my wife is going to be watching on the WWE Network at home and you want to make them proud. You want to make them see you as a champion and that is exactly what I am going to set out to do”.

Jarrius “JJ” Robertson picking him to win at WrestleMania:

“Yeah! I know right? I am his least favorite WWE Superstar and Jarrius chose me to defend the Intercontinental Championship. Why? Because he knows and he gets it and everybody else is starting to get it. I am the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time and today will be the stamp. I’m ready to go”.

Below is the video of Jarrius picking The Miz to win the Intercontinental Championship match tonight. The Miz interviewed Jarrius after he received The Warrior Award at the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.

Paul Heyman Posts Cryptic Tweet Concerning Universal Title Match?

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The advocate for the reigning, defending Universal Champion Brock Lesnar has just sent out a cryptic tweet concerning ‘The Beast Incarnate’s’ title match with Roman Reigns at tonight’s Wrestlemania show.

Paul Heyman posted an image with the ‘Tale of The Tape’ for tonight’s match and he made some interesting points, he stated that “Roman Reigns has been the main event on FOUR consecutive WrestleManias. Not even Brock Lesnar can say that. Roman has earned that position every single day, and deserves mad props for that. Please be advised, though. I’m leaving Wrestlemania 34 with the Universal Champion.

Whilst Heyman could be referring to his client Lesnar there is certainly a cryptic element to his words. Heyman is an extremely savvy promoter and business man and could easily be stoking the fires for a potential ‘turn’ on his client and be aligning with the ‘Big Dog’ at Wrestlemania…or he could of course be leading fans down the wrong path deliberately.

Let us know if you think Heyman could be leaving Wrestlemania with Reigns in the comments.

Daniel Bryan On If He Is Nervous About Making His Return To The Ring At WrestleMania 34

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WWE uploaded a video of Daniel Bryan arriving at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome before tonight’s WrestleMania. Bryan was asked if he was nervous about making his return to the ring tonight and Daniel answered with the following:

“I honestly have no nerves. Is it weird that I have no nerves? I am honestly just excited. I suppose it is strange that I don’t have nerves, right? Shouldn’t I be a little bit nervous that I haven’t performed in front of a live crowd in three years and here it is at the Superdome? But yeah, there is a little nerves, like I hope I don’t fall on my face or something like that.

But it is mostly just happy and it is also different too because I know that the crowd is going to be excited. I am excited to just be able to do what I love to do again. Even if it is the worst match of my entire career, it doesn’t necessarily matter because I get to do it again. So, that is where I am at.”

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon will team up tonight to face Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in a tag match. If Bryan and Shane win the match, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will be fired from SmackDown Live. Owens and Zayn brutally attacked Daniel Bryan on the night he was medically cleared to return to the ring.

Potential Spoiler: Former WWE Champion Spotted At WrestleMania Hotel This Morning

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WrestleMania is usually full of surprises and WWE certainly will have a few planned for later tonight. There is a men’s Battle Royal and a women’s Battle Royal tonight at WrestleMania 34. Braun Strowman’s tag partner has yet to be revealed for later tonight.

According to PWInsider, Rey Mysterio was spotted at WWE’s hotel this morning in New Orleans. Mysterio was in New Orleans for a signing at Wrestlecon, but those commitments were fulfilled yesterday.

Rey Mysterio has been out of action since suffering a partially torn bicep in February. Mysterio was scheduled to compete at NJPW’s Strong Style Evolved last month, but was replaced due to his injury. Rey still appeared at the event and vowed to compete in NJPW when he is healthy.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/978087076557197313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mysterio appeared in the 2018 Royal Rumble match at #27. He was rumored to be a part of WrestleMania 34 before suffering the injury. It will be an interesting to see if Rey Mysterio makes an appearance tonight.

Wrestlemania Start Times In The US and Across The Globe

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Once again we have made it to the Grandest Stage of Them All…Wrestlemania! Fans from across the globe tune in via PPV or the WWE Network to check out the biggest spectacle in Sports Entertainment and we felt it would be a good idea to list the start times for anyone that isn’t based in the United States and wants to catch the action right from the Kickoff show:

WrestleMania 34 Kickoff Show:

  • 5 pm Eastern
  • 4 pm Central
  • 3 pm Mountain
  • 2 pm Pacific
  • 10 pm UK
  • 7 am Australia (AEST)
  • 6 am Japan (JST)
  • 9 am New Zealand
  • 18h (6 pm) Brazil
  • 2:30 am India (IST)
  • 11:00 pm CET

 

WrestleMania 34 Main Show:

  • 7 pm Eastern
  • 6 pm Central
  • 5 pm Mountain
  • 4 pm Pacific
  • Midnight UK
  • 9 am Australia (AEST)
  • 8 am Japan (JST)
  • 11 am New Zealand
  • 20h (8pm) Brazil
  • 4:30 am India (IST)
  • 1:00 am CET

Spoiler: Shinsuke Nakamura WrestleMania Entrance Note

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Global rock legend Alice Cooper has revealed that his touring guitarist Nita Strauss will be performing as part of Shinsuke Nakamura’s Wrestlemania entrance tonight. Strauss was shown in the crowd during the NXT Takeover: New Orleans show last night.

The rock icon tweeted earlier today to confirm the news and he also posted a video of his WrestleMania 3 appearance where he joined Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts and the ‘Mouth of the South’ Jimmy Hart in an in-ring segment. Check out this iconic moment via the tweet below.

Both AJ and Shinsuke tweeted their final comments earlier today to hype up their huge bout for the WWE Championship at tonight’s Wrestlemania show, check it out here.

AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura Hype Their WrestleMania WWE Title Match

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AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura have made their final comments before their WWE Championship match tonight at WrestleMania.

This bout has been long anticipated ever since the two men stood toe to toe at last year’s Money In The Bank ladder match and the time has finally come for two of the world’s greatest performers to battle it out for WWE’s richest prize. This will be the first time that the two Superstars have faced in a one on one match since their epic encounter at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 10, a match that garnered rave reviews and was AJ’s final singles bout before making the move over to WWE.

Check out the comments from both men below and let us know in the comments who you think will leave New Orleans as WWE Champion:

Batista Talks Possible Returning To The WWE, His Time In Evolution

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Guardians cast members Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn sat in with Batista for a Q&A session at Awesome Con in Washington, D.C last weekend.

Batista is no longer a member of the WWE’s roster will always be part of the WWE family. “The Animal” is one of the most successful WWE Superstars of all time as he has won six WWE World Titles, a four-time WWE Tag Team Champion, and a two-time Royal Rumble winner (2005 and 2014).

He has not been with the company since late 2014. During this Q&A, he was asked about the rumors of a potential return to the WWE. If you recall, it’s been reported that Batista was interested in team up with Ronda Rousey to face Triple H and Stephanie McMahon but WWE decided against bringing him back.

Batista stated in a response to the question, “I hope so.” (transcript courtesy of Wrestling Inc)

He was also asked about a memorable moment as part of Evolution alongside Triple H, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton.  

“Well, off-screen, I wouldn’t be able to tell you publicly. On-screen, I think it was the time that we were all holding title belts. It was a great shot. It was I think the first time in history that a faction, a wrestling faction like that had like every world title. That was a moment that Randy (Orton) and I had arrived. You’ve probably seen the shot a million times where we were on stage, all holding the belts.”

Jonathan Coachman Reveals Why WWE Stars Shouldn’t Complain About Ronda Rousey

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Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is slated to team up with WWE Hall of Famer and current Raw General Manager Kurt Angle to take on Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34.

Jonathan Coachman spoke with TMZ Sports about Rousey appearance at WrestleMania 34. In this interview, he defended Rousey from criticism and those certain female stars who are complaining about her spot in the WWE. Here is what he had to say:

“There’s been so many different reactions to Ronda coming in to the WWE,” Coachman said. “Some really, really positive, some skeptical and some in between. Here’s the difference with Ronda Rousey compared to probably anybody else you can name in the history of the business. She’s coming in right at the top, her in-ring debut is gonna be at WrestleMania. You talk about pressure! I mean, that pressure is real, it’s legit.”

“Yeah, she’s been in main events before in the UFC, but this is on another level,” Coachman responded. “We’re talking millions upon millions of viewers. Here’s the thing that people don’t think about, just the pressure to perform in front of her new peers. Because she’s come in and taken a very lucrative spot at WrestleMania. Now, I don’t really give a damn whether she’s earned it or not. Her star power has earned it, but now she has to go out there and perform, that’s the beauty of WrestleMania and coming in where she has come in at. So, I think there’s a lot of people anxious to see exactly how a match with Ronda Rousey is going to look.”

WrestleMania 34 goes down tonight at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. Both Raw and SmackDown rosters will be featured.

Coachman continued, “Trust me when I say that there are a long line of females that would love nothing better – I don’t care what they tell you – than to run a program with Ronda Rousey,” Coachman said. “When she comes out to the arena – I’m there – she’s gets as big a pop, if not the biggest pop of anybody on the show, but that’s only going to last for so long until she starts working matches. If the girls are smart, they don’t complain about Ronda Rousey, they embrace her and say, ‘Let me help you, because that is what’s good for business, and what’s good for business is good for me.'”

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcript.

Chris Jericho Explains Why John Cena Should Lose To Undertaker At WrestleMania 34

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Chris Jericho discussed the potential John Cena vs. Undertaker WrestleMania match on a recent Talk is Jericho. The sports entertainment company has still yet to announce this match despite the reports of it happening at the biggest event of the year for the WWE.

Jericho has done it all under the sports entertainment banner. He has been under contract with the sports entertainment company off and on since 1999. He is also a record nine-time Intercontinental Champion.

Jericho is the first Undisputed WWE Champion, and thus the final holder of the World Championship (formerly the WCW World Heavyweight Championship), having won and unified the WWE and World titles by defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock on the same night in 2001.

It’s safe to say that his opinion should be taken and considered. Thus, he stated during this podcast that if the WWE does indeed book this match, then Cena should lose to The Deadman.

“There might be a match of Undertaker versus John Cena because John Cena [has] been calling for it. Let’s take a little detour. Chances are that the match is going to happen. Chances are that Vince [McMahon] didn’t want Undertaker to waste an entrance on Raw. I think that, knowing Vince, he’s probably thinking, ‘People are going to buy this show either way and the tease of Cena coming in week after week, ‘Where’s Underaker?’ No response. ‘Where’s Undertaker?’ Everybody knows, even though they don’t know, that Undertaker’s going to come out and you get your big entrance and that sort of thing.’”

Jericho continued, “Listen, guys, from what I know and what Jack Slade knows, which is lots, 99% on my part, there will be Cena versus Undertaker. I have a theory. Undertaker should not lose at WrestleMania ever again. ‘The streak’ is done. He lost to Brock [Lesnar]. He lost to Roman [Reigns]. He does not need to be losing to John Cena. Cena right now, he’s about to become, I’m not going to say ‘the next Rock’, but we know he [has] got Blockers, he’s a star, and Duke Nukem, and Transformers. Cena is going to lose, as he should, because, at this point, if Undertaker’s going to be effective as a performer, he should never lose again. Ever. Yeah, he lost his match and he lost his other one to the heir apparent, the prodigal son of Roman Reigns. After that, he should beat everybody! If he’s going to continue wrestling, my opinion Taker beats Cena in a match of 1,000 false finishes.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcript.

Roman Reigns Talks Wanting To Wrestle Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar Potentially Returning To UFC

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Roman Reigns is gearing up for the biggest match of his career as this is supposed to be his moment while under the WWE banner. He’s slated to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 34.

While promoting the event, he spoke with Planeta Wrestling to talk about various topics. It’s well known that Lesnar’s contract with WWE expires after tonight and he has already told UFC President Dana White that he’s interested in returning to the company.

Reigns gave his take on the current Universal Champion potentially returning to the MMA promotion.

“I like to say ‘never say never’ as soon as you think something is going to be one way, Vince McMahon and the WWE somehow turns it and surprises everybody,” Reigns said. “With his history, if he were to leave, I don’t think it will be the last time we see him. Before UFC he was with WWE. Regardless, he’s a great businessman and he can obviously juggle both and that deserves respect in its own right. At the end of the day, I know he has a high regard for WWE and he’ll do what’s best for him.”

Reigns was also asked about who he wants to wrestle next and it was quite the easy answer for the Big Dog. He wants to step into the squared circle against SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, who was recently cleared to in-ring action. 

“I think the ‘Yes Man,’ I don’t get to see the guys from SmackDown all that often,” Reigns said. “I know Daniel Bryan has been cleared. I’d love to get back in their with Bryan. I’d love to get in there, kind of do what we did back at Fastlane and have that rivalry. Hell, what kind of match would that be, me and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania next year? Hopefully, his health continues to get better and better, the sky’s the limit for him. So, I think Daniel Bryan would be a cool opponent.”

https://youtu.be/GR-QFTvTQtk

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcript.

Alberto El Patron Released By Impact Wrestling, New Main Event Set For Redemption PPV

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It’s been well documented that Alberto El Patron failed to appear at Friday’s Impact Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground event at WrestleCon. At the show, he was originally scheduled to team with Penta El 0M against Austin Aries and Rey Fénix.

His excuse was that he had got sick through the course of the day despite word among talent that he actually no-showed.

This led to the promotion releasing El Patron effective immediately. The release is due to him not appearing at Friday’s show. Aries was originally slated to defend the Impact Title against El Patron at their Redemption PPV later this month.

The promotion sent out the following statement:

“IMPACT Wrestling announced today that it has terminated its agreement with Alberto El Patron, effective immediately.”

Thus, the promotion has announced a new main event for their Redemption PPV. It will now be Aries vs. Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. for the Impact World Championship.

Impact Wrestling will hold their Redemption pay-per-view event on April 22nd, 2018 in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app. Here is the updated card:

Impact Wrestling champion Austin Aries vs. Rey Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr.

X-Division champion Matt Sydal vs. Petey Williams

Impact Wrestling Tag Team champions LAX vs. Eli Drake & Scott Steiner

The “first-ever” House of Hardcore Match: OVE vs. Moose & Eddie Edwards & Tommy Dreamer

Pete Dunne Teases Huge NXT Feud

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WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne has begun teasing a feud between the Undisputed Era and his own stable British Strong Style.

Dunne was attacked by his own tag team partner Roderick Strong during last night’s NXT Takeover: New Orleans event. Dunne had hit his signature move the ‘Bitter End’ on NXT Tag Team Champion Kyle O’Reilly and he looked set to win the titles and the coveted Dusty Rhodes Classic trophy…then Strong attacked the ‘Bruiserweight’ and officially aligning himself with the Undisputed Era stable.

Following the event Dunne sent out a tweet with a picture of himself, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven, potentially setting up a huge feud between the two teams.

Would you like to see a BSS vs Undisputed Era feud? Let us know in the comments.

5 Takeaways From NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

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NXT TakeOver: New Orleans aired live tonight on the WWE Network from the Smoothie King Arena. Johnny Gargano battled Tommaso Ciampa to save his NXT Career. Ember Moon put the NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Shayna Baszler. 6 Superstars competed in a Ladder Match to determine the first NXT North American Champion. Undisputed Era defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against The Authors of Pain and Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong. Aleister Black challenged Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT Championship.

Here are 5 takeaways from NXT TakeOver: New Orleans:

Adam Cole Became The First-Ever NXT North American Champion

adam cole wins nxt takeover new orleans

The Ladder Match to crown the first-ever NXT North American Champion started off the show. EC3, Velveteen Dream, Adam Cole, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan and Ricochet were the NXT Superstars in the match.

The crowd started chanting “this is awesome” before the match even started. EC3 immediately rolled out of the ring and then Adam Cole launched Ricochet out of the ring. Lars Sullivan and Killian Dain cleared the ring and had a stare down. EC3 started shouting at them to start fighting, Lars and Killian rolled out of the ring and started attacking everyone. Ricochet connected with an awesome springboard Shooting Star Press onto both Dain and Sullivan.

Ricochet brought a ladder into the ring but Velveteen Dream attacked him from behind. Ricochet planted him with a Hurricanrana, but Dream battled back and knocked him out of the ring. Dream climbed up the ladder but Cole got back into the ring and dragged him down. Cole stomped on Dream in the corner and then connected with an Enziguri to Dain to knock him off the ring apron. Cole started climbing up the ladder but EC3 stopped him and hit a Splash in the corner.

Lars Sullivan leveled EC3 with a Clothesline and then slammed Cole to the mat. Dain threw Lars out of the ring and connected with a massive Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Cole and Ricochet traded shots. Dream dropped Ricochet with an uppercut as Dain beatdown Cole. Lars Sullivan launched a ladder onto everyone and then bashed Dain in the midsection with the ladder. Lars put the ladder over his head and started charging at everyone with it.

Sullivian lifted Dream up in the Gorilla Press and dropped Velveteen on a ladder in the middle of the ring. Lars started climbing the ladder towards the belt but Ricochet joined him up there. Ricochet went for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but Lars held on. Dream, EC3 and Cole helped out Ricochet and Sullivan was Powerbombed to the canvas. Cole shouted “who do you think you are punk?!” at Dain and Killian took his head off with a Clothesline. Dain then slung Ricochet into a ladder set up in the corner. Dain made his way up the ladder but EC3 dragged him down and slammed him to the mat. Cole teamed up with EC3 and slammed the ladder into Sullivan in the corner.

EC3 and Cole set up a ladder from the ring apron to the announce table outside the ring. They threw Dain into the ladder and got back into the ring to continue their attack on Sullivan. Cole and EC3 high-fived each other and then EC3 mocked Cole’s chant and shouted “EC3 baybay!”. Cole slammed him on top of the ladder and then Superkicked everyone else in the match. Cole then shouted “Adam Cole baybay!” and the entire crowd chanted along.

Cole started climbing the ladder but Sullivan shoved it over. Dream bashed Lars with a ladder and then hopped up to top rope. Dream delivered a Purple Rainmaker Elbow to Dain and then followed it up with another one to Adam Cole. Dream climbed up to the top rope once again and and hit a Purple Rainmaker Elbow to the back of Ricochet. Velveteen struggled to set up the ladder and Sullivan shoved him to the corner with the ladder pressed up against his face. Sullivan then charged at Dream but Velveteen was ready and threw the ladder into Sullivan’s face.

Dream made his way up a bigger ladder set up in the corner as Sullivan was on the mat in the ring. Velveteen stood on top of the ladder and connected with a beautiful Purple Rainmaker Elbow to Sullivan as the crowd chanted “Velveteen!”. Dream started climbing up the ladder but EC3 snuck up from behind and Powerbombed him onto the ladder set up in the corner.

ECW hit Neckbreakers on Dain and Sullivan. EC3 made his way up the ladder but Cole brought him back down. Cole made his way up the ladder but EC3 lifted him up onto his shoulders and planted him with a TKO off the ladder. Dain got back into the ring and booted EC3 in the face.

Killian grabbed a ladder and dropped it on top of EC3. Dain then hit a Senton onto the ladder on top of EC3. Dain put the ladder back on top of EC3 and started climbing the turnbuckle. Cole joined up there but Dain fought through it and hit a Vader Bomb with Cole on his back on top of EC3 and the ladder.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/982777724933722112

Ricochet hopped back in the ring and started kicking Dain and Sullivan. Lars grabbed him by the throat and launched him across the ring. Dain then grabbed Ricochet and launched him across the ring again and Ricochet fell out of the ring. Lars and Killian started trading massive punches in the ring. Dain connected with a boot and followed it up with a Clothesline to knock Sullivan to the mat. Dain charged at Lars but Sullivan caught him and slammed him down to the mat.

Lars started climbing the ladder but Ricochet attacked him from behind. Ricochet connected with a kick to the side of the head and made his way up the ladder. Lars grabbed the bottom of the ladder and started tipping it back. Ricochet then hit an absurd Moonsault off the ladder onto Cole and Dain on the outside of the ring as the crowd erupted into a “holy sh*t!” chant.

Back in the ring, EC3 perched Ricochet up on the top rope and hit him with a couple of chops. Ricochet booted EC3 onto a ladder and connected with another awesome Shooting Star Press onto EC3. Ricochet started climbing the ladder, but Dream dragged him back down. Dream tried to hit Ricochet with the ladder but missed. Dream set up a ladder between the turnbuckle and in between the rungs of another ladder. Dream started climbing up as Ricochet stood on the ladder set up on across the ring. Velveteen Dream then planted Ricochet with a rolling Death Valley Driver onto the ladder and then both Superstars crashed to the canvas.

Dream rolled out of the ring and Sullivan leveled him with a Clothesline. Lars placed Dream on the ladder set up between the ring and the announce table. Sullivan hopped up on the ring apron and then brought EC3 out there. Lars lifted EC3 up and planted him with a Freak Accident on top of Dream on the ladder and the ladder snapped in half as the three Superstars fell to the floor.

Dain set up another ladder between the ring and the barricade. Killian slammed Ricochet onto the ladder and then grabbed Adam Cole on the ring apron. Dain lifted Cole up and jumped onto Ricochet and once again a ladder snapped in half and the three Superstars crashed to the floor. The NXT crowd chanted “fight forever” as Sullivan was the first Superstar to make his way onto the ring apron.

Lars set up the ladder in the ring and started to climb towards the title suspended above the ring. Killian Dain climbed up the other side and the two started trading punches. EC3 got back into the ring with a ladder and struck them both with it. He then set up the ladder beside them as Cole crawled back into the ring. Cole, EC3, Dain and Sullivan were then all on the two ladders in the ring trading shots. Velveteen Dream got back into the ring and set up a third ladder in the ring.

Velveteen started climbing up the third ladder and then Ricochet joined the party and everyone was battling on the ladders. Cole climbed up behind EC3 and slammed him to the mat and they both fell out of the ring. Dream and Ricochet traded punches but Ricochet planted him with an avalanche Neckbreaker off the ladder. Dain and Sulivan then were the two Superstars left on the ladders. Sullivan planted Dain with a Freak Accident and once again Lars was the only Superstar left in the ring.

Sullivan started climbing up the ladder, but Ricochet jumped on his back and both Superstars fell to the mat as the ladder fell over. Ricochet made his way up the ladder but Adam Cole got into the ring and tipped it over and Ricochet fell out of the ring. Adam Cole then scaled the ladder and grabbed the title to become the first-ever NXT North American Champion.

Opinion: NXT TakeOver: New Orleans got off to an incredible start with this match. There is nothing to complain about here at all, the match was awesome and exceeded expectations. Ricochet made one hell of an NXT debut tonight and showed off his stunning athleticism. It is going to be difficult to top this one tonight. Cole will once again have to compete later in the NXT Tag Team Championship match because Bobby Fish is out with an injury. Give that man a raise.

Shayna Baszler Is The New NXT Women’s Champion

shayna baszler wins nxt womens championship nxt takeover new orleans

Ember Moon defended her NXT Women’s Championship tonight against Shayna Baszler. There was a live performance of Ember’s entrance music as the NXT Women’s Champion made her way down to the ring. Ronda Rousey and Jessamyn Duke were shown in the crowd cheering for Baszler and she came down to the ring.

Moon missed with a Dropkick to start off the match and Shayna leveled her with a right hand that knocked Ember out of the ring. Moon battled back and this time connected with a Dropkick that sent Baszler flying into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Moon applied a Crossface but Baszler quickly grabbed the ropes to break the hold.

Shayna brought Moon back outside the ring and slammed her face-first into the ring apron. Shayna then bashed her into the barricade and threw her into the ring. Baszler connected with a running knee and followed it up with a Gutwrench Suplex for a two count.

Ember flipped across the ring and delivered an elbow. Shayna connected with a knee to the face and then Ember went for a roll-up, but Shayna kicked out at two. Baszler then connected with a jumping knee to the face for another two count. Baszler went for the Kirifuda Clutch but Moon was able to escape. Moon planted Baszler with another Dropkick and followed it up with a Suplex.

Moon slammed Shayna face-first into the canvas for a two count. Shayna tried to stomp on Moon’s arm but Ember escaped and tripped Baszler down to the mat. Moon then trapped Shayna’s hand up her foot and stomped on Baszler’s elbow. Moon grabbed Shayna’s arm and slammed her to the mat for a two count.

Ember made her way to the top rope but Baszler bounced into the ropes and crotched Ember on the top rope. Baszler connected with a corner Dropkick and Ember got hung up in the ropes. Baszler was favoring her arm and then slammed into the ring post a couple of times to pop her shoulder back into place. Moon knocked Shayna to the floor and then leaped off the second rope and connected with an Eclipse outside the ring.

Shayna and Ember got back into the ring at the last second to beat the 10-count. Baszler immediately locked in the Kirifuda Clutch in the ring, but Moon attacked Shayna’s injured arm to break the hold. Shayna locked in a Triangle submission but Moon showed off her strength and Powerbombed Baszler for a two count.

Moon went for another Eclipse but Shayna executed an incredible counter and locked in the Kirifuda Clutch in the middle of the ring. Shayna grabbed on to her own hair for leverage because she couldn’t fully apply the hold due to her injured arm. Moon started to fade as she reached for the ropes. Shayna rolled her back into the middle of the ring while still having the Kirifuda Clutch locked in. The camera zoomed in on Ember’s face as she started to fade. Moon tried once again to break free but Shayna wouldn’t let go. Moon then passed out and Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s Championship. After the match, Baszler celebrated with Rousey and Duke in the front row.

Opinion: Shayna Baszler deserved to win this match. She has been great on NXT and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Ember Moon on the main roster in the near future. Moon and Baszler had a tough task trying to follow the Ladder Match, but they wound up putting on a very good bout. I’m looking forward to seeing who can step up in the NXT women’s division to try and take the belt from Baszler.

Roderick Strong Joined Undisputed Era

Roderick Strong Joined Undisputed Era NXT Takeover New Orleans

Adam Cole was shown backstage being attended to by the medical staff. Kyle O’Reilly showed up and Cole said that he doesn’t know if he can defend the tag titles with him. Mauro Ranallo announced that NXT GM William Regal is not here tonight due to an illness, but it has been determined that Cole must compete in the tag match. Cole & O’Reilly then defended the NXT Tag Team Championships against The Authors of Pain and Roderick Struck & Pete Dunne. The match would also determine the winners of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. Kyle O’Reilly came down to the entrance ramp as Cole limped behind with his ribs wrapped up. Dustin Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett were shown in the crowd before the match.

Akam and Rezar attacked Undisputed Era to start off the match. Cole was booted out of the ring and then O’Reilly was booted in the face. AOP launched Dunne out of the ring and then teamed up on O’Reilly to plant him with a Neckbreaker. AOP went for the cover but Cole broke it up. Cole was once again thrown out of the ring and AOP cleared off an announce table.

AOP then Powerbombed Adam Cole through the announce table. Kyle O’Reilly connected with a knee to the face off the apron and then battled Strong in the ring. Dunne locked in a Wrist Lock on O’Reilly but Kyle quickly broke free and knocked Dunne on his ass. Strong planted O’Reilly with a Backbreaker and then Dropkicked Rezar in the face that knocked him out of the ring.

Strong hit O’Reilly with another Backbreaker for a two count. O’Reilly locked in a Triangle submission on Strong and then locked in an Ankle Lock on Rezar. Akam then Powerbombed Dunne onto O’Reilly to break everything up. AOP trapped Strong in the corner and beat him down.

Rezar applied a Chin Lock to Strong in the middle of the ring. O’Reilly got back into the ring and went after Rezar. Rezar planted him with an overhead Suplex and O’Reilly tumbled out of the ring. AOP once again teamed up on Strong and beat him down for a couple of minutes. Akam tagged in and kneed Strong in the midsection. O’Reilly got back into the ring and was greeted with a boot to the face. Strong tagged in Dunne and the crowd erupted.

Pete Dunne connected with an Enziguri to Akam and then booted O’Reilly in the side of the head. Dunne connected with a DDT on Rezar for a two count. O’Reilly got back up and traded shots with Dunne. Akam decked them both with a running Clothesline. AOP connected with dueling Powerbombs on Dunne and O’Reilly.

Strong got back into the ring for a second but was quickly tossed back outside. Roderick tagged in and kneed Rezar in the face. Strong followed it up with an Olympic Slam for a two count. Dunne tagged back in as Strong slammed O’Reilly back-first on the ring apron. Dunne followed it up with a Double Stomp to O’Reilly. Strong & Dunne teamed up on Rezar and went for the cover but Akam broke it up.

Strong knocked Akam out of the ring and then threw him into the steel steps. Dunne booted O’Reilly in the head and then hit O’Reilly with a Bitter End. Dunne went for the cover but Roderick Strong betrayed his tag team partner and booted him in the head. Strong then planted Dunne with the End of Heartache and dragged O’Reilly on top of him for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Cole crawled back in the ring with a smile on his face as Strong walked over Dunne. Roderick took off an Undisputed Era arm band on Cole and put his on his arm. Strong lifted Cole and O’Reilly up and the crowd chanted “yes!”. Strong gave them the NXT Tag Team Championships and raised their hands in the ring. Undisputed Era retained their titles and won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. Bobby Fish came out to the entrance ramp on crutches and celebrated with Strong, Cole and O’Reilly.

Opinion: The match itself was solid, but the finish was great. The entire crowd chanted “yes!” when Strong turned heel and joined Undisputed Era. Strong is a great replacement for Bobby Fish while he recovers and it just makes sense for him to be a part of Undisputed Era. NXT TakeOver: New Orleans turned out to be a great night for the Undisputed Era. As for AOP, they are a team that is absolutely ready to join the main roster and make an immediate impact.

Aleister Black Won The NXT Championship

Aleister Black NXT Champion NXT TakeOver New Orleans

Andrade “Cien” Almas defended his NXT Championship against Aleister Black tonight at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. Black came down to the ring as the crowd sang along to his entrance music. NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas came down to the ring with Zelina Vega by his side.

Black started out the match in control and connected with a flurry of strikes. Aleister booted Almas out of the ring and then connected with a Moonsault off the second rope outside the ring. Black threw Almas back into the ring as Vega shouted at him. Almas attacked Black as he got back into the ring, but Black locked him in the Octopus hold. Almas countered into a roll-up for two and then rolled out of the ring.

Aleister followed him and punched him in the face a couple of times. Black connected with a kick and threw Almas into the ring. Vega hopped up on the ring apron and connected with a Hurricanrana to Black that sent him flying into the ring steps. Almas immediately capitalized and beatdown Black before bringing him back to the ring.

Dueling “lets go Almas!” and “Aleister!” chants broke out as Andrade remained in control. Almas locked in an Arm Bar while on the ropes and broke the hold before the ref counted to five. Almas connected with a springboard Dropkick and then applied a Chin Lock. Black battled to his feet and slammed Almas into the turnbuckle to break the hold. Almas went for a Sleeper Hold but Black escaped. Almas locked in the Arm Bar once again on the ropes for a few seconds. Black connected with a knee to the face and both Superstars fell to the canvas.

Black leveled Almas with a shoulder tackle and then connected with a kick to the face. Aleister flipped onto Almas off the ropes for a two count. Black climbed up to the top rope, but Almas connected with a forearm to the face. Almas joined Black on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Black blocked it. Almas planted Black with a German Suplex and then climbed back up to the top. Almas went for a Moonsault but Black rolled out of the way. Andrade then immediately hit a standing Moonsault for a two count.

Black connected with a knee to the face, but Almas responded with an elbow to the head for a one count. Aleister connected with a massive kick to the face for a two count as Vega was freaking out by the ring apron.

Andrade and Aleister hit kicks to the face at the same time and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Almas connected with an Arm Drag that sent Black crashing to the turnbuckle. Almas then shoved Black out of the ring and followed it up with an awesome Corkscrew Splash. Almas brought Black back into the ring and attempted a cover but Black kicked out at two.

Zelina Vega ripped the title away from the timekeeper and gave it to Almas. Andrade brought it into the ring and the referee took it away. While the ref was distracted, Zega hit Black with another Hurricanrana and spiked Black’s head into the mat. Almas went for the cover but Aleister somehow kicked out at two.

Almas went for the Hammerlock DDT but Black countered into a roll-up for two. Aleister connected with Black Mass and went for the cover but Zelina Vega placed Almas’ foot on the rope to break up the pinfall attempt. Vega grabbed Black’s foot and Almas tripped up Aleister and hung him up in the ropes. Almas climbed to the top rope and hit him with a Double Stomp on the ring apron. Almas connected with the Double Knees to the face for another two count.

The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” as Almas went for the Hammerlock DDT again. Black blocked it, but Almas connected with a boot to the back of the head as Aleister was going for the Black Mass.

The action spilled to the ring apron as Almas placed Black against the ring post. Almas hit Double Knees again against the steel ring post as the referee asked if Black could continue. Black mumbled “yes” as Almas grabbed him by the hair and draped him across the top rope. Black tumbled into the ring and connected with a Back Body Drop that sent Andrade flying to the floor outside the ring.

Black flipped onto Almas and then rolled him back into the ring. Andrade grabbed Aleister while he was getting back into the ring and planted him with the Hammerlock DDT. Almas went for the cover but Black kicked out at two. Vega went for a Crossbody on Black but Aleister dodged it. Almas caught Vega and then Aleister connected with the Black Mass on Almas and he crashed to the canvas as Vega fell out of the ring. Black then pinned Almas to become the new NXT Champion.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/982804101368082432

Opinion: What an awesome match this was. The crowd was worn out when the match started, but their energy picked up towards the end and it added to the match. The Aleister Black era in NXT has begun and I cannot wait to see what he does as NXT Champion. Black not only overcame Almas tonight, he was able to withstand the constant interference of Zelina Vega. I’ve said this a few times, but I absolutely love the pairing of Almas and Vega. They work so well together and Vega added a lot to this match.

Johnny Gargano Won His Job Back

gargano wins nxt takeover new orleans

Johnny Gargano faced his former tag partner, Tommaso Ciampa, tonight in an Unsanctioned Match inthe main event of NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. If Ciampa won the match, Gargano’s NXT career is over. If Gargano won, he would rejoin NXT’s roster.  Tommaso came down to the ring without entrance music and to a chorus of boos from the crowd. The crowd then chanted “a**hole!” before transitioning into a very loud “you suck!” chant. They then shouted “fu** you Ciampa!” as Tommaso posed on the turnbuckle. Ciampa shouted “this is my moment!” as the chants continued.

Gargano’s Rebel Heart music hit and the NXT crowd erupted. Johnny marched to the ring as Tommaso eagerly waited for him. Gargano got into the ring as the crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling!”. The bell rang and the two Superstars had a stare down in the ring. Gargano started off the match in control and beatdown Ciampa in the corner. Johnny stomped a bunch of times as the crowd got on their feet. Gargano slung Ciampa into the turnbuckle and then Clotheslined him out of the ring. Johnny connected with a Suicide Dive outside the ring.

Ciampa battled back as the crowd booed. Johnny sent Ciampa tumbling over the barricade and into the crowd. Johnny then leaped over the barricade and knocked Tommaso to the floor. Gargano delivered a few punches to the face. Ciampa shoved Gargano into the barricade and then dropped him ribs-first across the barricade. Ciampa unloaded a series of strikes to Gargano’s back while he was on the barricade and then shoved him to the floor. Tommaso followed up the beatdown with a Backbreaker and shouted that Johnny was a piece of garbage. Tommaso ripped up the padding to expose the concrete floor beneath it.

Ciampa went for a Suplex but Gargano escaped and booted him in the face from the ring apron. Johnny launched Ciampa over the announce table and onto Mauro and Percy as the crowd comically chanted “mamma mia!”. Gargano pulled Ciampa onto the table by his beard, but Tommaso connected with a punch to the ribs. Ciampa followed it up with a crazy Suplex off the table and to the floor.

Ciampa set up the top of the announce table and dropped Gargano back-first onto it. Ciampa hopped up on the table and took a seat as the crowd chanted “fu** you Ciampa!” once again. Tommaso brought Johnny back into the ring and elbowed him in the chest before raking at Gargano’s face. Tommaso stomped on Johnny’s hand as the crowd chanted “a**hole”.

Tommaso threw Gargano into the turnbuckle and Johnny crumbled to the floor. Gargano battled back with a couple of punches, but Ciampa planted him with a Suplex for a one count. Ciampa then locked in the Cloverleaf submission in the middle of the ring. Gargano reached the ropes but the referee couldn’t break the hold due to it being an Unsanctioned Match. Ciampa broke the hold and started stomping on the back of Gargano’s head. Ciampa then applauded himself and patted himself on the back.

Tommaso connected with a running knee to the face. Ciampa then shoved a fan that was on crutches and grabbed the crutches from him. Tommaso waved bye-bye to Gargano and brought the crutches into the ring. Ciampa missed with the crutch a few times and Gargano battled back for a moment. Johnny connected with a boot that sent Ciampa to the ring apron.

Gargano connected with a couple jabs to the face, but Tommaso tripped him up and Johnny fell to the canvas. Gargano then Powerbombed Ciampa onto the concrete floor outside the ring and the thud echoed throughout the arena. The crowd chanted “you deserve it!” as Ciampa rolled around in pain. The action returned to the ring as Gargano and Ciampa went for the crutch. Johnny won the battle for the crutch and started unloading on Ciampa with it.

Gargano missed with a swing and Ciampa sent him flying out of the ring. Johnny then hit Ciampa in the face with the crutch and followed it up with a slingshot DDT for a two count. Johnny exposed the metal ring under the middle turnbuckle and lifted Tommaso onto his shoulders. Ciampa escaped and dropped Gargano to the ring apron. Ciampa followed it up with a massive elbow to the face. Ciampa blasted Gargano with a knee to the face and followed it up with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count.

Ciampa geared up in the corner as Gargano slowly made his way to his feet. Tommaso did a DIY taunt and then connected with a knee to the back of the head for a two count. Ciampa clubbed Gargano in the back a couple of times, but Gargano battled back with a few Clotheslines but Ciampa didn’t go down. Ciampa decked Gargano with a Clothesline, but Johnny battled back and locked in the Gargano Escape.

Johnny maintained the hold in the middle the ring as the crowd chanted for Ciampa to tap out. Tommaso raked Gargano’s eyes to break up the hold as the crowd once again chanted “fu** you Ciampa!”. Ciampa took off the tape from his wrist and started choking Gargano with it. Johnny and Tommaso traded punches in the the middle of the ring as both were holding onto the tape. Johnny got the advantage and connected with a flurry of punches as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Ciampa then delivered a low-blow to Gargano and followed it up by hitting him with the crutch. Tommaso connected with a Powerbomb into a Double Knees for a two count.

Ciampa shouted that this was his moment and Gargano slapped him in the face. Ciampa hit a slap of his own but then turned around into a Superkick from Gargano. Johnny lifted Ciampa up onto his shoulders and threw him like a dart face-first into the exposed turnbuckle. Gargano hit a Superkick, did a DIY pose and delivered another Superkick to the face for another two count. Gargano and Ciampa battled on the turnbuckle. Tommaso connected with a headbutt and then Powerbombed Gargano onto his knees again off the second rope for another two count.

Ciampa took off his knee brace to expose his knee and got back to his feet. Tommaso charged at Gargano but Johnny grabbed the brace and struck Ciampa on his exposed knee. Gargano snapped a crutch in half and went to bash Ciampa in the head but stopped before hitting him. Both Superstars looked at each other and then Gargano dropped the crutch. Johnny sat next to Ciampa and Tommaso grabbed the brace and swung for his head. Gargano then locked in the Gargano Escape, transitioned into an STF and used the knee brace on Ciampa’s face for the submission victory. After the match, Candice LeRae ran down to the ring and celebrated with Johnny in the ring. With the victory, Johnny Gargano is once again back on the NXT roster.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/982817468631613440

Opinion: NXT TakeOver: New Orleans was an awesome event tonight. The emotion involved in the match between Gargano and Ciampa was on another level. I don’t know how anyone that is a wrestling fan could not find that match captivating. The use of the knee brace of this match and the story told was also very well done. The show went off the air with a fitting image, it was Gargano holding up the broken crutch and the knee brace. Ciampa is legitimately hated by the crowd and the reaction he got tonight was amazing. Gargano has a connection with the NXT crowd that only few Superstars will ever attain. WrestleMania 34 has a tough act to follow tomorrow night.

Kurt Angle Q&A: CM Punk’s Next UFC Fight, Teaming With Ronda Rousey, More

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WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A on Facebook and commented on a number of interesting topics.

During the session, a fan asked about UFC President Dana White confirming in a recent interview with TMZ Sports that CM Punk will indeed fight Mike Jackson next.

White did not confirm when they would fight but it’s likely going to be at UFC 225 pay-per-view event that is slated to go down on Saturday, June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

“Punk is a talented kid. It’s up to him. If he shows up to fight he will do ok. He didn’t show up last time. He was there but he didn’t fight back.”

Angle is slated to team up with former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34 in a Mixed Tag Team Match. He was asked about his game plan for the match.

“To WIN! I have to keep Ronda from getting frustrated. I know how HHH and Steph try to play mind games. Not on Sunday.”

Finally, he was asked about which match made him most nervous. Angle responded by stating, “WM19. I was injured prior to it. Brock had just started on the main roster. It was stressful.”

NXT Takeover New Orleans Results & Live Discussion (4/7)

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WWE’s NXT Takeover New Orleans took place on Saturday, April 7th, 2018 at the Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.

– We get a live performance from the band doing the event’s theme song to kick things off, and then Mauro Ranallo welcomes us to the Smoothie King Arena for NXT Takeover New Orleans.

Ethan Carter III vs. Adam Cole vs. Ricochet vs. Lars Sullivan vs. The Velveteen Dream vs. Killian Dain: This one is a Ladder Match to crown the first-ever NXT North American Champion. The crowd chants “this is awesome” before this one even begins. The opening bell sounds and all Hell breaks loose as some competitors brawl in the ring and others fight out to ringside. As Lars and Dain face off on the floor, Ricochet comes out of nowhere with a big springboard shooting star press from the top rope onto the two en on the floor. Back in the ring, Ricochet and Dream go at it and Ricochet drops him with a dropkick. Ricochet goes to springboard in, but Dream knocks him out of mid-air. Cole gets back in the ring now and starts cleaning house. Cole climbs but EC3 comes in and drops him. EC3 unloads with offense on another who comes near him, but then Lars comes in and floors EC3 then goes to work on Cole. Dain hits Lars and sends him to the floor, then hits a big suicide dive on him.

Lars uses the ladder as a battering ram in the ring now and cleans house. Ricochet runs back in now and helps everyone gang up on Lars to get him off the ladder. They drop Lars, then EC3 starts dropping people. Dain and Cole go at it near the ladder, and Dain drops Cole and then throws Ricochet onto a ladder. Cole and EC3 team up now to work on Lars and drop him with a ladder shot. Back in the ring they continue working on Lars until EC3 seems to mock Cole, and Cole superkicks him. Cole starts handing out superkicks to anyone who comes near him, then he starts climbing the ladder. Lars shoves him off, then Dream drops Lars. Dreams climbs the ladder and hits a flying elbow drop on Dain, then goes back up top and hits the elbow on Cole too. Back to the top turnbuckle, Dream hits the flying elbow on Ricochet this time. He goes up top again, but Lars stops him. Dream fights him off and climbs a ladder and hits another flying elbow on Lars.

Dream climbs the ladder now, but EC3 comes from behind and powerbombs him off and onto another ladder. EC3 climbs now but Cole stops him. EC3 hits a ireman’s carry off the ladder on Cole, but then Dain drops EC3 with a bicycle kick. Dain drops Cole and then EC3 again, and he hits a senton on EC3 on top of a ladder. Dain puts a ladder on top of EC3 again and goes up top, but Cole attacks him him from behind. Cole climbs on Dain’s back, an with Cole on his back, Dain hits a Vader Bomb on EC3 on the ladder.

Ricochet starts dropping people with kicks, until Lars tosses him across the ring. Dain and Lars go at it now in the ring, and the fight spills out to the floor. Ricochet climbs the ladder and hits a moonsault off the ladder onto the two men on the ring side floor. Ricochet and EC3 go at it in the ring now, and Ricochet hits an SSP on the ladder. Ricochet and Dream go at it now, and Dream hits a Death Valley Driver onto a bridged up ladder. Lars throws Dream outside, then lays him on a ladder bridge across the announce table and the ring. Lars goes the apron, he picks up EC3, then slams him through the Dream on the ladder bridge. Dain then puts Ricochet on another ladder bridge, and slams Cole through Ricochet on that ladder.

Back in the ring, Lars starts climbing the ladder but Dain stops him. EC3 comes in now with a ladder of his own and starts climbing. Dream comes in with a ladder, and now almost everyone is fighting on the ladders. Ricochet grabs Dream and hits a flying neckbreaker off the ladder on him. Lars chokeslams Dain off a ladder on to the mat, then Ricochet springboards in and drops Lars off the ladder. The ring is cleared and Ricochet looks to climb for the Title, but Cole runs in and knocks him off. Cole runs up and grabs the Title hanging from the ceiling to become the first-ever NXT North American Champion.

Winner and wew NXT North American Champion: Adam Cole

– Cole celebrates with his new Title belt as we go to replays. The other 5 stars are shown recovering from their high-impact match.

NXT Women’s Title Match: Shayna Baszler vs. Ember Moon: Halestorm performs Ember Moon’s entrance song as she comes down to the ring. Ronda Rousey and Jessmyn Duke are shown sitting at ringside. The opening bell sounds and Moon looks for a dropkick and misses. Shayna hits Moon in the head and she rolls outside early on. Back in the ring, Moon and Baszler go back and forth, with Moon hitting a springboard splash in the corner, and Baszler coming right back with a running knee to the face in the other corner. Moon starts firing up again but Shayna gets her in a submission. Moon fights out and hits a dropkick, then hits a facebuster on Shayna for a two count. Shayna drops Moon and looks to stomp on her arm, but Moon breaks free and returns the favor by stomping on Shayna’s arm. Moon takes Shayna down with an arm drag and continues working the arm. Moon goes up top but Shayna knocks her down and starts connecting with kicks. Shayna tries to sell that her shoulder is dislocated and she tries to pop it back in place on the ring post. Ember knocks Shayna down and hits a suicide dive on her at ringside. They roll back in the ring at the ref’s 9 count, and then Shayna puts Ember in a choke hold. Ember fights out and goes back to working on Shayna’s arm. Ember goes up top and looks for the Eclipse, but Shayna blocks it and puts in a the choke hold. Shayna is still selling the bad arm, so Shayna uses her other arm to grab her own hair behind Ember’s head to complete the choke. Ember goes limp and the ref calls it.

Winner & new NXT Women’s Champion: Shayna Baszler

– After the match, Shayna grabs her NXT Women’s Title Belt and celebrates at ringside with Ronda Rousey and Jessmyn Duke.

– We see a preview for the new movie about Paige featuring The Rock.

– Adam Cole is backstage being checked out by medics, and he seems to indicate he doesn’t want to be in the Tag Title match later. Back to the broadcast table, Mauro says William Regal is out with a cold, but Adam Cole must compete tonight.

– We see Aleister Black in the back warming up.

– Goldust and Jeff Jarrett are shown sitting at ringside.

NXT Tag Team Titles Match: The Authors Of Pain vs. The Undisputed Era vs. Pete Dunn & Roderick Strong: AOP immediately goes after the Era off the opening bell, knowing that Cole is less than 100%. The Authors start dropping everyone, and the fight spills out to ringside where the Authors powerbomb Cole through the Spanish announce table. Back in the ring, Strong and O’Reilly go at it until Dunne runs in and drops O’Reilly. Strong hits a knee on Akam on the apron, then he goes back to work on Kyle. Akam comes in and starts dropping people, but Kyle catches Akam in a submission. Rezar comes in and powerbombs Dunne on to Kyle, then he double teams Strong with Akam.

It comes down to Rezar and Strong in the ring, and Rezar has control of this one. Cole is shown still recovering at ringside after being powerbombed through a table. Rezar drops Kyle off the ropes, then tags in Akam to double team Strong. They drop Kyle when he comes back in, but the distraction allows Strong to hit an enziguri on Akam. Dunne gets the hot tag and cleans house. Dunne and O’Reilly go at it until Akam runs in and drops them both. The Authors start cleaning house and they do the double powerbomb on Dunne and O’Reilly.

Strong breaks up the pin attempt, and the Authors throw Strong to the floor. Dunne gets a shot in on Rezar, then Strong comes back in and decks Rezar. Strong follows up with an Olympic Slam on Rezar for a two count. Stong slams Kyle on the apron, then Dunne hits a double foot stomp to the apron from the top. Dunne and Strong work over Rezar now, but Akam makes the save. Strong takes Akam out to ringside and throws him into the ring steps. Kyle and Dunne go at it in the ring, and Dunne drops Kyle with the Bitter End. Dunne pins, but Strong runs in and breaks up the pin, turning on his own partner. Strong stomps on Dunne’s head then hits the End of Heartache on him. Strong drags O’Reilly on top of Dunne for the pin, and the ref counts to three.

Winners & still NXT Tag Team Champions: The Undisputed Era

– After the match, Strong puts on an Undisputed Era arm band and celebrates with Cole and O’Reilly.

– We see a look outside the arena of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome right next door.

NXT Title Match: Aleister Black vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas: The opening bell sounds and Black sends Almas out to ringside early on. Black runs up on to the turnbuckle and hits a moonsault on Almas all the way down on the ringside floor. Black beats down Almas around ringside then sends him back in the ring. Zelina Vega gets on the ring apron and hits a hurricanrana on Black at ringside behind the ref’s back. Back in the ring, Almas takes control now and works on keeping Black grounded. Almas locks in a draping arm bar over the ropes for the referee’s 5 count. Almas follows up with a springboard dropkick for a two count. They fight up to the turnbuckle and Almas does another arm bar over the ropes. Almas goes up top and comes flying down, but Black stops him with a knee to the face. Black fires up now with a series of elbows to the face, then a dropkick.

They fight up to the top turnbuckle again, and Black looks for a sunset flip powerbomb, but Almas hangs on to the ropes. Almas ends up hitting a German suplex on Black then he climbs up top. Almas goes for a moonsault, but Black moves and Almas lands on his feet. Almas immediately hits a standing moonsault on Black for a two count. Almas and Black trade strikes in the middle of the ring now until Almas hits a spinning elbow to the back of the head. Black kicks out and answers with a kick to the face for a pin attempt of his own.

Black misses a shot and Almas throws him into the corner. Black fires back with a kick, then he runs to the ropes but Almas runs behind him and knocks Black to the outside. Almas follows up with a corkscrew plancha to the outside. Back in the ring, Almas pins for a two count. Black comes back and throws Almas outside, but then Vega runs in and hits a headscissor take down on Black. Back goes to climb up top, but Vega grabs his leg. Almas hits Black from behind then climbs up the corner. Almas hits a double stop on Black, then the running knees to the face in the corner for a two count. Almas looks for the hammerlock DDT, but Black fights out. Almas hits a running kick on Black, then they fight out on the apron where Almas shoves Black into the ring post. Almas follows up with the running knees against the ring post.

Almas looks for the DDT again, but Black throws him out to ringside. Black follows up with a big suicide swanton bomb onto Almas at ringside. Black throws Almas back in the ring, and Almas hits the hammerlock DDT, but Black kicks out. Vega runs in but misses Black and lands on Almas. Almas catches her, then Black hits the Black Mass on Almas for the three count.

Winner: Aleister Black

– Vega screams at ringside as Black grabs his NXT Title and celebrates the win.

– Tommaso Ciampa comes down to the ring with no entrance music. The referee is in the ring without a normal ref shirt on.

Unsanctioned Match: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano: The opening bell sounds and Gargano immediately starts pummeling on Ciampa with right hands. He knocks Ciampa into the corner and stomps a mud hole in him, and as this is an unsactioned match, the ref doesn’t pull him off. Ciampa rolls outside and they brawl at ringside. They briefly fight into the crowd, and Ciampa hits a series of rights hands and takes control. Ciampa hits a backbreaker at ringside, then pulls back the padding on the ringside floor. Gargano hits a superkick, then they fight into the announce table. Gargano picks up Ciampa on the table and gives him a wedgie then looks for the powerbomb. Ciampa fights out and hits a bow blow, then he suplexes Gargano off the table onto the floor.

Ciapa takes Gargano back in the ring and they exchange right hands. Ciampa puts Gargano in a Texas Cloverleaf until Gargano crawls out to the apron to break free. Ciampa repeatedly stomps on Gargano in the back of the head on the apron, then gives himself a pat on the back.

There’s a planted fan with a leg brace and crutches in the front row, and Ciampa chases him off and steals his crutches. Ciampa takes the crutch in the ring and swings at Gargano but misses repeatedly. Gargano drops Ciampa and then lays into him with right hands. Gargano looks for a slingshot DDT on the apron, but Ciampa catches him. This leads to Gargano hitting a sunset flip powerbomb onto the exposed concrete floor.

Back in the ring, they both reach for the crutch, but Gargano gets it and he tees off on Ciampa with the crutch. Gargano misses a shot and Ciampa throws him out to ringside. Ciampa reaches through the ropes for Gargano, but Gargano smashes him over the head with the crutch. Gargano gets on the apron and follows up with a slingshot DDT for a two count.

Gargano rips the padding off of a middle turnbuckle and goes to lawn dart Ciampa into it, but Ciampa escapes. Ciampa blocks a kick and elbows Gargano in the face. Gargano springboards through the ropes, but Ciampa knees him in the face. Ciampa follows up with a suplex for a two count.

Ciampa hits a running knee to the back of the head of Gargano but only gets a two count. Ciampa is slow to get to his feet and he looks for a powerbomb. Gargano escapes and hits a series of stiff lariats and stiff slaps to the face. Ciampa comes back with a lariat of his own, but then Gargano drops him and locks in the Gargano Escape. Ciampa gouges the eyes to escape and Mauro calls him a sadistic son of a bitch.

Ciampa unwraps his wrist tpe and tries to choke Gargano with it, but Gargano stops him and grabs the wrist tape. They trade punches to the face back and forth as the crowd chants along. They continue to trade punches until Ciampa hits a low blow. Ciampa follows up with a shot with the crutch to the back of Gargano’s head, then hits a powerbomb backbreaker onto his knees for a two count.

Ciapa and Gargano come face to face and start trading punches and slaps to the face again. Gargano hits a superkick and a lariat, then he lawn darts Ciampa into the exposed turnbuckle. Gargano follows up with a superkick, then another superkick for a two count. They fight up to the top turnbuckle now, and Ciampa hits the powerbomb backbreaker off the top rope for another two count.

Ciampa removes his knee brace and goes for a running knee to the face, but Gargano dodges and smashes the knee brace over Ciampa’s knee. Gargano picks up the broken crutch laying in the ring and goes to stab Ciampa in the head with it, but Ciampa cowers and Gargano hesitates and appears to have decided against hitting him. Gargano gets on one knee next to Ciampa. Ciapa grabs the knee brace and goes to cheap shot Gargano, but Gargano dodges it and locks in the Gargano Escape. Gargano grabs the knee brace and wraps it around Ciampa’s face and yanks back on it, and Ciampa taps out.

Winner via submission: Johnny Gargano

– Gargano celebrates with his wife after the bell, and we go to replays from this big match. Gargano holds the knee brace and the crutch in the air, then hugs his wife as Takeover goes off the air.