Following the New Japan Cup finals, we now know what the main event of Sakura Genesis will be.
Earlier today (March 21), the New Japan Cup finals took place. The two men fighting for the trophy and a title shot of their choosing were Hiroshi Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Jr. Going into the bout, they were 1-1 against each other. Sabre Jr. broke the tie by submitting NJPW’s “Ace” and becoming the second foreign New Japan Cup winner.
Sabre Jr. said he was going after Kazuchika Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight title. This is a fresh challenge for Okada as he hasn’t competed against Sabre Jr. yet. Sabre Jr. has beaten a bevy of top-level NJPW talent on his way to a title opportunity.
The first man Sabre Jr. got past in the New Japan Cup was Tetsuya Naito. Sabre Jr. submitted Naito, who appears to be on his way to an Intercontinental title clash with Suzuki-Gun leader Minoru Suzuki. The submission specialist then put away Kota Ibushi, followed by SANADA in the same fashion.
The fact that Sabre Jr. submitted Tanahashi means that he put away two former IWGP Heavyweight champions in just one tournament. We’ll find out if he can end Okada’s historic reign on April 1.
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Jr. fought through some stiff competition to make it to the finals, which took place inside Ao-re Nagaoka in Niigata, Japan. Going into the finals, many fans were on the fence. Would Tanahashi renew his rivalry with Kazuchika Okada or potentially get revenge on Minoru Suzuki? Would Sabre Jr. pose a new threat to the IWGP Heavyweight champion?
In the end, it was Sabre Jr. who emerged as the New Japan Cup 2018 winner. He was able to submit Tanahashi just over the 34-minute mark. After the match, Sabre Jr. said he’s going after Okada’s gold at Sakura Genesis on April 1.
Check out the rest of the results below:
Singles Match: Shota Umino def. Tetsuhiro Yagi
Singles Match: Taichi def. Tomoyuki Oka
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Bad Luck Fale, Tanga Loa, & Yujiro Takahashi def. Togi Makabe, Michael Elgin, & Toa Henare
Tag Team Match: Killer Elite Squad def. Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano
Tag Team Match: Juice Robinson & David Finlay def. Hiroki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi
Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi, & Bushi def. Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado, & Takashi Iizuka
Tag Team Match: Kazuchika Okada & Chuckie T. def. Kota Ibushi & Chase Owens
New Japan Cup Finals Match: Zack Sabre Jr. def. Hiroshi Tanahashi
– Last night in the semi-finals of the Mixed Match Challenge, Team Little Big (Braun Strowman and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss) were defeated by The Miz and Asuka. During the match there was a moment in which Strowman caught Bliss after she was bumped off the apron. For a second it looked like they were about to kiss before they realized they were still in a match and Bliss needed to get back in the ring before getting counted out.
In a post-match interview with Strowman and Bliss they were asked about the kiss that almost happened. Strowman said he hopes it can actually happen now, and just as they try one more time, a fan comes in and asks Bliss for her autograph. “The Monster Among Men” gets frustrated and bolts off:
– On last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, the first episode after General Manager Daniel Bryan was cleared for an in-ring return, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn attacked Bryan after firing them for attacking Shane McMahon on last week’s episode of SmackDown. McMahon broke his silence on the matter via Twitter:
On a night that should have been one of @WWEDanielBryan's finest…Sami & KO proved they are vile, spineless cowards. Neither of them belong in @WWE and #SDLive…I just hope this didn’t set back Daniel’s in-ring return even further.
– WWE.com has officially added Trent Seven to the NXT roster page after he has made several appearances on the program over the past year. Seven participated in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament.
After his first marriage dissolved back in 2012, longtime WWE Superstar John Cena didn’t know if he ever wanted to get married again. Cena then began dating fellow Superstar Nikki Bella for several years before changing his mind on the matter and proposing to her live in the middle of the ring at WrestleMania 33 last year. The pair are currently engaged and have yet to officially tie the knot due to both their hectic schedules.
Another big issue for Cena was his refusal to have kids, something Bella desperately wanted based on her comments on Total Divas on E! back in 2014. Cena recently made an appearance on Good Morning Britain to promote his upcoming film, Blockers, in which Cena plays a parent who teams up with another group of parents in attempt to stop their children form losing their virginity on prom night. It turns out the role has changed Cena’s mind a bit about having children:
“Especially in something like [Blockers], because the story is about these parents doing what they think is right to try to protect their children,” said Cena. “But the story is also about being confident as a parent, being confident in your children that you have done well, and they also are doing well.
“And the bond between parent and child can be a wonderful thing, even through some pretty tough situations. So, it absolutely has made me consider being a parent more.”
– The 50-man “Greatest Royal Rumble” event scheduled for April 27th from Saudi Arabia has been confirmed to be a WWE Network special. If you are a WWE Network subscriber and attempt to cancel your account, WWE lists the upcoming Network specials that you’ll be missing out on – and the Greatest Royal Rumble is listed.
The WWE Network will be showing the Greatest Royal Rumble. If you attempt to cancel your subscription, this message appears. pic.twitter.com/ZnJvM1I8bz
WWE announced earlier this week that the Greatest Royal Rumble event will feature 7 championship matches. Top stars advertised for the show include John Cena, Triple H, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles and Randy Orton. The Undertaker and Chris Jericho are also rumored for the show.
– On last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, WWE Champion AJ Styles was sitting ringside for Shinsuke Nakamura’s match against Rusev. After the match Aiden English and Rusev attacked Nakamura, and while Styles was taking his time getting ready to jump in and help out, the Japanese star rallied back and was able to fend the pair off himself.
Several fans pointed out that WWE botched the on-screen graphic that appeared when Styles was introduced. He was correctly listed as WWE Champion, however an image of the Untied States Championship was depicted.
Newsweek.com has published an interview with Bruce Prichard of the wildly popular Something To Wrestle podcast. Here are some highlights:
Prichard told Phillip Martinez from Newsweek that he’s really looking forward to WresetleMania, especially the top few matches. As a longtime member of Vince McMahon’s inner circle, Prichard has seen it all when it comes to booking WrestleMania main events. When asked about WWE’s portrayal of Brock Lesnar in the Universal Championship match at WM34, Prichard says WWE has done the right thing by limiting Lesnar’s exposure and keeping him as a special attraction.
“It depends on your perspective,” Prichard said. “In a situation where Brock is champion, he’s coming in for a certain number of days doing what he does, and when he comes in, he draws people. People are interested in what he does. So from my point of view, not having to overexpose the talent is a great thing. People become complacent and used to the talent. When you’re only getting them every once in a while, that adds to the talent’s mystique… Whether it’s Brock’s idea or WWE’s idea, I think it’s a good one for a big draw to only be seen in a limited way.”
Regarding the WWE Championship match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, Prichard compared Styles success to that of a rookie Kurt Angle. He also praised Nakamura, who has gotten over with the WWE Universe on work rate and charisma without speaking much English.
John Cena’s role at WrestleMania has not been made official as of this writing, but it seems like the 16-time world champion is headed for showdown with The Undertaker. Prichard said fans love The Undertaker so much that he could wrestle several more years and people would eat it up. The Undertaker’s physical ailments are well-documented, but Prichard revealed that he saw the Dead Man several months ago and he looked to be in great physical shape.
“I saw him recently, around Thanksgiving, and I haven’t seen him look that good in 10-15 years … He was skipping up steps and looked great.”
There’s a lot more to the interview, which you can check out at Newsweek.com.
WrestleMania takes place in just over two weeks, yet top star John Cena is still without an opponent for the biggest show of the year.
Cena has been on a mission to secure The Undertaker’s opponent. So far, he’s yet get a response. After failing to punch his ticket to WrestleMania in the Elimination Chamber and at Fastlane, Cena once again threw out the challenge to “The Deadman.” Cena called out The Undertaker once again this past week on RAW, but that brought out Kane, who delivered a chokeslam. They’ll square off next week on RAW.
As per a rumor at Cageside Seats, WWE might wait until the “go-home” addition of RAW prior to WrestleMania to make the Cena vs. Undertaker match official.
It seems like a questionable decision to wait until the last minute to confirm one of the most high-profile matches on the WrestleMania card, but the lineup is already stacked, so WWE must be confident that fans are already sold on the event. Seriously, look at this lineup:
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (Daniel Bryan & Shane likely to be added)
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Bálor
US Champion Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Bobby Roode
Mustafa Ali vs. Cedric Alexander to crown a new Cruiserweight Champion
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The first-ever WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal Match
Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Braun Strowman and a partner of his choosing
Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
John Cena vs. The Undertaker is a huge match that fans have wanted to see for years. Granted, it would have been a hotter match 3 years ago, but it’s historic nonetheless. At this point, Cena vs. Taker would be the icing on the cake of an already-stacked event.
Tonight’s episode of NXT is a taped show from Full Sail University. It is the first show back in Full Sail since the set of tapings held at Center Stage in Atlanta.
3 matches and 1 segment have been confirmed for tonight’s show.
NXT Confirmed Matches
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Roderick Strong & ?? vs Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch
Roderick Strong and a mystery opponent will take on Lorcan and Burch. Strong’s team is replacing Moustache Mountain who was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury to Tyler Bate.
Kassius Ohno vs Adam Cole
Both guys could use a win here.
Cole just challenged Pete Dunne unsuccessfully and Ohno just dropped a match to the Velveteen Dream at Takeover: Philadelphia.
Tommaso Ciampa Segment
For two weeks in a row, Ciampa has appeared in front of a live NXT crowd and said nothing as the fans cheered for Johnny Gargano.
Ciampa is expected to make an appearance tonight and we’ll just have to wait and see if he does the same thing again.
Ember Moon vs. Aliyah (non-title)
Ember Moon will have Shayna Baszler in the back of her mind during this match. Moon will defend her title against the Queen of Spades at Takeover: New Orleans.
As for Aliyah, the 23-year-old from Toronto finds herself in the biggest match of her career tonight. It will be her 11th singles match on NXT television dating back to April 2nd, 2016. She is 1-10 in those matches. Her only victory was over Billy Kay on September 15th, 2016.
WWE announced their doctors have cleared Daniel Bryan to return to in-ring competition for the first time in two years. Reaction to the news has reverberated around the pro-wrestling world.
“A wonderful day for all of us who are close to Brian.” – John Cena
John Cena is the latest to comment on Bryan’s return. He spoke to TMZ Reporters recently.
John Cena on Daniel Bryan Return
“From a fan’s perspective, I think it’s wonderful because they all want to see him and know what he’s capable of” – John Cena
Daniel Bryan and John Cena are essentially brothers-in-law, as Cena will soon marry Nikki Bella and Bryan is married to Brie Bella. Cena speaks of him as a family member.
“From a family perspective, I’ve had a chance to talk with Brian (Danielson) at great length about his passion for wrestling. It is what he was born to do and I know deep down how feels about it.”
Last night on 205 Live, the second semi-final match in the cruiserweight championship tournament took place. Drew Gulak and Mustafa Ali squared off in last 205 Live’s main event from the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX.
205 Live Results
Hideo Itami (w/ Akira Tozawa) vs Lince Dorado (w/ Lucha House Party) – no contest
Itami and Gran Metalik got at each other on the outside and a brawl started between the Lucha House Party (Dorado, Kalisto, Metalik) and Itami & Akira Tozawa.
TJP defeated Kenneth Johnson
This was a squash match for TJP.
A selfie video featuring TJP stating his case for a title shot was shown as well.
Mustafa Ali defeated Drew Gulak
With the win, Mustafa Ali will face Cedric Alexander at WrestleMania for the cruiserweight championship.
Michael Cole explained to the viewers that a loss in a tag team match would mean that Asuka’s streak would come to an end. Bliss and Asuka started off the match. Alexa Bliss wanted absolutely nothing to do with Asuka and quickly tagged in Strowman. The Miz didn’t want anything to do with Strowman either and tagged Asuka back into the match. Bliss once again tagged in Braun and Strowman demanded that The Miz get in the ring so that he could “get these hands!”. The Miz got himself pumped up and made it seem like he was going to battle Braun, but he made the wise decision and tagged Asuka back into the ring.
Alexa Bliss locked up with Asuka for a moment and then thought better of battling the Empress of Tomorrow and tagged out of the match again. The Miz started mocking Alexa Bliss and got a Dropkick to the face courtesy of Braun Strowman. Braun slammed The Miz to the mat and went for the cover as Asuka shouted that she didn’t want her streak to end. Thankfully, Asuka was able to break up the cover just in time to keep her streak intact. Asuka then knocked Alexa Bliss off the apron and she landed right into Braun Strowman’s arms. These two just might go all the way, in the tournament that is.
Braun got back into the ring and he was pissed off. Strowman took out his anger on The Miz by throwing him into the turnbuckle like he was nothing. Braun stomped on The Miz’s back and then picked him up for a Powerslam. The Miz was able to wiggle free and then started to chop the big man down with kicks to his knees. Braun quickly battled back and knocked The Miz on his ass. Bliss called Strowman over to the corner and grabbed him by his beard. It appeared that Alexa was leaning in for a smooch but The Miz interrupted. This just pissed off Strowman even more and he wound up running at The Miz and they both crashed through the barricade outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Asuka beat the hell out of Bliss with a series of kicks. Asuka followed it up with a knee to the face and went for the pin but Bliss was able to kick out at two. Asuka then locked in the Asuka Lock in the middle of the ring and the RAW Women’s Champion had no choice but to submit.
Asuka and The Miz advanced to the finals of the Mixed Match Challenge. Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss were eliminated. The fans voted Finn Balor & Sasha Banks back into the Mixed Match Challenge. They will battle Charlotte & Bobby Roode next week.
The March 20th, 2018 episode of WWE Smackdown aired live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s show:
Daniel Bryan Announced His Return In An Emotional Speech
This week’s episode kicked off with a montage of Daniel Bryan’s retirement speech from two years ago. It was announced earlier today that Daniel Bryan has been cleared by WWE to return to in-ring action.
SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan came down to the ring to a great reaction from the Dallas crowd. The entire crowd chanted “yes!” as Bryan entered the ring. Bryan stood in the ring as the crowd chanted “Daniel Bryan!”. Daniel thanked the crowd and brought up what happened to Shane McMahon. Bryan stated that he will address that situation, but Owens and Zayn were not here yet.
Bryan said that being forced to retire two years was one of the hardest days of his life, but he focused on being grateful. Bryan stated that he had a lot to be grateful for, including his family, friends and the best fans in the world. Daniel choked up a bit when he brought up his wife. Bryan said that Brie told him to fight for his dreams and that she was the one who encouraged him to start going to see specialists. A “thank you Brie!” chant broke out in the crowd as Bryan continued.
Daniel said that when he got angry about not being in the ring, he wasn’t just grateful, he started fighting. Bryan added that every hard thing seems impossible until it becomes real. Bryan said that over the past few months he asked WWE to look at his case again and that every doctor he saw cleared him. The crowd chanted “yes!” again as Bryan added started thanking the WWE and their doctors.
Bryan said that he was grateful that WWE was willing to give his case a second look. Daniel thanked everyone here and everyone watching at home for supporting him this entire time. Bryan noted that the crowd always chanted for him every week he has come down to the ring as the SmackDown GM. Bryan once again got choked up and thanked Brie for supporting him over the past two years.
Daniel changed his tune and said “now on to the fun stuff”. Bryan stated that he doesn’t know when or where he will get back in the ring and the crowd started to chant “WrestleMania!” and the cameras cut to the WrestleMania sign hanging above the ring. Bryan asked the crowd if WrestleMania sounded like a good idea and another “yes!” chant broke out. Bryan said that he doesn’t know for sure if that will happen, but added that he will compete in a WWE ring again and the crowd chanted “yes!” as Bryan’s music hit.
Bryan was shown walking backstage following his promo. He told referee Charles Robinson to send Zayn and Owens to his office when they arrive. Dolph Ziggler showed up and stated that he cannot wait to defeat Daniel Bryan in the ring. Bryan said that he can certainly try and Ziggler walked away.
Opinion: Daniel Bryan’s story in WWE has been nothing short of amazing. His rise to the top was organic and seeing him being forced to give it up was truly heartbreaking. Bryan became one of the most popular WWE Superstars of all-time because the fans wanted him to be. They catapulted him to the top and everything culminated when he won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans.
It is surreal that he is going to get back in the ring. I simply cannot wait to see it. There was a time that I fell out of love with watching wrestling and Daniel Bryan was one of the Superstars that drew me back in. I was captivated by his battle with The Authority and couldn’t wait until he finally won the title. Bryan defeated John Cena at SummerSlam 2013, but Randy Orton instantly cashed in following the match. Triple H was the special referee for that match and delivered a Pedigree to Bryan following his victory. I was so pissed off after that much, but I knew it was going to lead to something even better. We all witnessed that moment at WrestleMania 30, when Bryan defeated Triple H to kick off the show and went on to win the title again in a Triple Threat match against Randy Orton and Batista.
There are plenty folks, much like myself, that have been frustrated with the WWE product as of late. They were excited for the new SmackDown with Bryan as the GM and Shane McMahon as the Commissioner. SmackDown hasn’t lived up to expectations, but Bryan’s return to the ring will no doubt bring a new level of excitement to the WWE product. He left a void in WWE after he was forced to retire. Now that he is back, I cannot put into words how pumped I am to see Bryan get inside the ring again as a wrestler. I knew he would wrestle again, I was just convinced that it was going to be in ROH, NJPW or any other promotion besides WWE. I cannot wait to see how this plays out leading up until WrestleMania 34. Also, the list of Superstars that Daniel Bryan could bring the house down with in WWE is endless. Daniel Bryan returning to the ring is the jolt that the WWE product needed and I’m just so excited to see it.
Shinsuke Nakamura Didn’t Need Help From AJ Styles
Shinsuke Nakamura faced Rusev in a Fastlane rematch tonight on SmackDown. WWE Champion AJ Styles and Aiden English were ringside for the match. Nakamura and Rusev traded kicks to start off the match. Rusev tossed Nakamura to the corner and connected with a couple of kicks to Shinsuke’s legs. Rusev followed it up with a spinning kick to the face for a two count as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Shinsuke connected with a kick that knocked Rusev to the mat. Nakamura booted Rusev in the chest and followed it up with a leaping kick to the side of his head. Shinsuke draped Rusev across the top rope and blasted him with a knee to the ribs. Shinsuke went for the Kinshasa but Rusev dodged it and booted Nakamura in the face for a two count. Nakamura locked in an Arm Bar and transitioned into a roll-up for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Aiden English and Rusev beatdown Shinsuke Nakamura. AJ Styles watched for a moment from his chair next to the announce table. Styles got up to help but Nakamura had already fought English and Rusev off and knocked them out of the ring. Nakamura smirked at AJ and then posed in the ring.
Shinsuke Nakamura approached AJ Styles backstage. Nakamura told Styles that he didn’t need his help tonight and AJ said that he was aware. Nakamura once again added that he will defeat AJ Styles with a knee to the face at WrestleMania 34.
“You should have more confidence. But yes, I will beat you at #WrestleMania, KNEE to FACE!” – @ShinsukeN
Shinsuke Nakamura picked up another victory tonight and then fought off Rusev and Aiden English before AJ Styles could assist him. Nakamura helped out AJ Styles last week when he was attacked by Rusev and Aiden English. Styles approached Nakamura backstage and said that he didn’t need Nakamura’s help. Shinsuke stated that he will be there to help AJ up until WrestleMania, where he vowed to take AJ’s WWE Championship with a knee to the face. The storyline has been pretty straight forward so far. Nakamura has showed up the WWE Champion, but that wont mean a thing when the two Superstars battle at WrestleMania 34.
Carmella Almost Cashed In Her MITB Contract
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Charlotte faced Natalya tonight on SmackDown. Charlotte shouted “woo!” right after the bell rang and the crowd chanted along. Natalya told the crowd to shut up and quickly got knocked to the canvas. Natalya tried to roll-up Charlotte but Charlotte kicked out at two. The crowd chanted “woo!” and Natalya once again told them to shut up.
Charlotte slammed Natalya to the mat for two. Charlotte wrapped her legs around Natalya and slammed her to the canvas a few times. Charlotte went for the cover again but Natalya kicked out. Natalya connected with a couple of punches and told the crowd to shut up again. Charlotte connected with a Neckbreaker and then booted Natalya out of the ring. Charlotte strutted in the middle of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Natalya was back in control and had Charlotte in an Abdominal Stretch. Charlotte escaped and booted Natalya in the face. Charlotte charged at Natalya in the corner but Natalya was ready and slammed Charlotte into the turnbuckle. Natalya posed in the ring before stomping on Charlotte several times in the corner. The referee told Natalya to stop, she obliged and then told the referee to shut up.
Charlotte sprung to her feet and leveled Natalya with a Clothesline. Charlotte followed it up with a couple of chops as the crowd chanted “woo!” at impact. Charlotte slung Natalya into the turnbuckle and then dropped her with another Clothesline. Charlotte planted Natalya with a Fall Away Slam, but Natalya grabbed her arm and slammed her into the bottom turnbuckle. Charlotte got back up and connected with a big boot. Charlotte followed it up with a Backbreaker and then slammed Natalya’s face into the top turnbuckle.
Charlotte climbed up to the top rope but Natalya got back up, lifted her up onto her shoulders, spun her around a couple of times before planting her with a massive Powerbomb for a two count. Natalya locked in the Sharpshooter in the center of the ring and Charlotte screamed in pain. Charlotte crawled to the bottom rope and broke the hold. Natalya bounced Charlotte’s neck into the second rope and followed it up with a Discus Lariat for two.
Natalya booted Charlotte out of the ring and charged after her. Charlotte was ready and connected with a Spear outside the ring. Charlotte rolled Natalya back into the ring and locked into the Figure Four. Natalya and Charlotte rolled a couple of times and Charlotte maintained the hold as Natalya was dangling over the ring apron. Charlotte broke the hold and climbed to the top but Natalya joined her and punched her in the face. Natalya planted Charlotte with an awesome Superplex and both Superstars crashed to the canvas.
Carmella’s music hit and Carmella sprinted to the ring with a referee. Carmella handed over her briefcase but the bell didn’t ring before Charlotte booted her in the face. Natalya capitalized on the distraction and rolled Charlotte up for the pinfall victory. Since the bell never rang for the second match, Carmella still has not officially cashed in her MITB briefcase.
The Bludgeon Brothers Got The Better Of The Usos Again
Jimmy Uso faced Harper from the Bludgeon Brothers tonight on SmackDown. Before the match, The Usos came down to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. The Usos thanked the crowd for the love and then went over their match against New Day at WWE Fastlane. The Bludgeon Brothers interfered in that match and beat everyone down. Jimmy and Jey claimed that the Bludgeon Brothers weren’t after the titles, they just wanted to injure them.
The Usos raised the titles and shouted that they are still here with the titles. Jimmy and Jey said that all they know how to do is be the best damn tag team WWE has ever seen. Jimmy and Jey said that the Bludgeon Brothers were not going to take their WrestleMania moment from them and welcomed the Bludgeon Brothers to The Uso Penitentiary. The Bludgeon Brothers made their way down to the ring as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Harper was in control of Jimmy Uso and had him trapped in the corner of the ring. Harper chopped Jimmy across the chest and Jimmy responded with a chop of his own. Harper connected with an elbow to the face and then went for a big boot but Jimmy ducked it. Harper went tumbling out of the ring and Jimmy followed him. Jimmy tripped Harper and he crashed into the ring apron. Jimmy went for a Suicide Dive but Rowan hopped up on the apron. Jimmy booted Rowan off the apron and Rowan tried to get into the ring.
While the referee was distracted, Jey Uso connected with a Superkick to Harper. Jimmy Uso connected with a Superkick to Harper as well and went for the cover but Harper kicked out. Harper slammed Jimmy’s head into the ring post and followed it up with a massive Clothesline for the pinfall victory. Jey Uso dragged Jimmy out of the ring after the match to avoid another attack from the Bludgeon Brothers.
Jinder Mahal came down to the ring with Sunil Singh. It was announced earlier today that Jinder Mahal will join the United States Championship match at WrestleMania 34. Randy Orton will defend his title against Mahal and Bobby Roode in a Triple Threat match.
Mahal called the crown hypocrites for booing him and boasted about his physique. Mahal stated that he could be the biggest movie star in Bollywood, but he decided to become a great wrestler. Jinder said that the crowd should be worshipping the ground that he walks on.
Bobby Roode interrupted and came down to the ring with a microphone. Roode stated that Mahal was the only hypocrite in the arena. Bobby added that Mahal doesn’t deserve any respect and that the only thing he deserves at WrestleMania 34 is for Roode to pin him and get his U.S. Championship back. Roode went to say it is going to be absolutely glorious, but was interrupted by Randy Orton.
United States Champion Randy Orton came down to the ring. Orton immediately told Jinder Mahal to shut up. Orton said that Mahal isn’t considered one of the greatest champions of all-time because he relies on Sunil to win matches. Mahal went to charge at Orton but shoved Sunil towards Orton instead. Mahal rolled out of the ring as Orton dropped Sunil with a DDT. Orton geared up for an RKO, but Roode got in the way and planted Sunil with a Glorious DDT. Orton went for an RKO on Roode, but Bobby was ready and blocked it. Roode went for the Glorious DDT on Orton, but Orton was able to escape. Mahal pointed at the WrestleMania sign from the entrance ramp as Roode and Orton stood in the ring.
It was announced that Bobby Roode & Randy Orton will face Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh next week on SmackDown in a tag match.
Opinion: This doesn’t feel like a big match at all. There is absolutely nothign going for it. Bobby Roode is just another guy on the main roster right now and I hate saying that. He is capable of so much more, but is stuck in this generic character right now. I’d only want him to get the title back if he were to turn heel. Randy Orton is pretty bland as a face as well, so I wouldn’t care if he lost the title at WrestleMania 34. We’ve already seen Jinder Mahal defeat Randy Orton several times and Mahal also defeated Bobby Roode recently on SmackDown.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Brutally Attacked Daniel Bryan After He Fired Them
Daniel Bryan was alerted backstage that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn arrived towards the end of the show. Bryan said that he will meet them in the ring and walked away. Bryan came down to the ring and asked that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come down to the ring. Owens and Zayn came down to the ring with smiles on their faces and clapped for Bryan.
Owens got into the ring and hugged Bryan. Sami hugged Bryan as well. Kevin Owens said that they didn’t plan on being here tonight, but they got the notification that Daniel Bryan was cleared to return to the ring. Zayn added that they wouldn’t miss this for the world and noted that Bryan has been their biggest supporter since day one. Zayn brought up Shane McMahon’s personal vendetta and how Bryan was always fair during that. Sami said that Bryan being cleared to return is just an example of good things happening to good people. Sami added that Sami Zayn, Kevin OWens and Daniel Bryan sounds like a “dream team” and the crowd chanted “no!”.
Daniel Bryan stated that he appreciated that, but said that is not why he brought them out there. Bryan then rolled footage of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens beating down Shane McMahon last week on SmackDown. Owens laughed into the microphone as the clip ended and Sami told him to stop. Daniel asked them if they thought it was funny, Owens admitted they got carried away a bit. Sami added that Shane McMahon kind of deserved it. Bryan stated that this was a big deal.
Bryan said from the bottom of his heart that Owens and Zayn was two of the best performers of this generation. Daniel admitted that Shane was right when he said he was living vicariously through them. Bryan stated that what they did last week was more than getting a little carried away, they assaulted their boss. Daniel added that he didn’t understand why they did it because they already won because Shane stepped away and gave them a singles match at WrestleMania.
Daniel said that he didn’t get it and added that he really didn’t want to have to do this. Bryan stated that he had been fired from this company twice and that he came back a better man. Daniel then fired Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Bryan added that this doesn’t mean that they are gone forever, it just means that they are gone for now. Bryan extended his hand for a handshake and Sami shook his hand. Owens shook Bryan’s hand as well and then Bryan dropped the microphone.
Kevin Owens knocked Bryan to the mat and Sami climbed on top of him and started punching him. Bryan started to fight back and drove Owens to the corner and hit a few Yes Kicks. Bryan connected with a couple of Dropkicks to Owens and Zayn in the corner. The crowd got on their feet and chanted “yes!” as Bryan booted Owens in the chest. Zayn attacked Bryan from behind and knocked him tot he canvas.
Sami held Bryan up and Owens Superkicked him in the face. Owens propped Bryan up in the corner and Zayn delivered a Helluva Kick. The crowd chanted “you suck!” as Zayn and Owens stood over Bryan. Owens screamed in anger as Bryan tried to get back up. Owens punched Bryan in the face and then Sami threw him out of the ring. Owens then Powerbombed Bryan on the ring apron and Daniel fell to the floor outside the ring. A stretcher was wheeled down to the ring as the crowd chanted “Daniel Bryan!”. SmackDown went off the air with Kevin Owens still screaming on the entrance ramp as Bryan was loaded onto the stretcher.
Opinion: It looks like we are going to get Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon versus Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34 and I am all for it. The crowd reaction when Bryan hit the Yes Kicks was absolutely amazing. WrestleMania 34 just got a hell of a lot more interesting now that Daniel Bryan will most likely be on the card.
WWE announced on Tuesday evening that United States Champion Randy Orton will defend the gold at WrestleMania in a triple threat match against Bobby Roode and Jinder Mahal.
On 205 Live from Dallas, Texas, Mustafa Ali defeated Drew Gulak in the tournament semi-final match. As a result, it will be Ali vs. Cedric Alexander in the tournament finals to crown a new Cruiserweight champion at WrestleMania.
With those matches set, here’s the updated card for WrestleMania 34, which takes place on Sunday, April 8th from New Orleans, Louisiana at the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome.
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Bálor
US Champion Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Bobby Roode
Mustafa Ali vs. Cedric Alexander to crown a new Cruiserweight Champion
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The first-ever WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal Match
Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Braun Strowman and a partner of his choosing
Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
What do you think of the WrestleMania 34 card? Which match are you most looking forward to?
Last night on Raw, John Cena demanded a response from The Undertaker following his highly personal WrestleMania challenge last week. Cena didn’t get it, but he did get one from Undertaker’s brother, Kane, who dropped him with the Chokeslam.
Over on Instagram, Cena today posted a rare photo of The Undertaker before he became “The Deadman.” The image itself notes his wrestling debut in 1984 for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) under the ring name Texas Red.
Cena didn’t write a caption for the photo, as is always the case with his Instagram page. His account’s description states, “These images will be posted without explanation, for your interpretation.”
https://instagram.com/p/BgjQDwPgSnk/
The Undertaker is actually not Texas Red in the photo since he wore a mask for that persona. Here is footage of his first-ever wrestling match, which was against Bruiser Brody.
You can also see his debut match on the WWE Network in the Vault section on an episode of WCCW dated July 11, 1987. His manager on that night is Percival Pringle III, who would go on to be his manager in WWE, Paul Bearer.
The photo Cena posted is from The Undertaker’s time in WCW under the name “Mean” Mark Callous. He grew his hair out by the end of his run with the promotion in 1990 and wore black and dark red attire with a single glove (as also seen in the video below from August 1990).
While The Undertaker’s pre-WWE history has yet to be referenced in company storylines, it was acknowledged in a 2000 VHS/DVD release highlighting his WWE career up until he became the “American Bad Ass.” There is a chapter on his run in WCW, with The Undertaker, Paul Heyman, and Jim Ross talking about that time in his career.
The March 20th, 2018 edition of WWE Smackdown Live took place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
– SmackDown opens up with a video montage looking back at Daniel Bryan’s retirement.
– SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan comes down to the ring and gets on the mic. Daniel says since Shane was seriously hurt last night, he needs to address Shane’s attackers, but they’re not at the building yet. He says since he can’t talk to them, he’ll talk about something else. He talks about being forced into retirement due to medical issues, and how it caused him to be depressed and forced him to look at the positive things in life. He talks about his great fans and great wife, and his wife encouraging him to fight to get back in the ring. He talks about the doctors clearing him to compete in a WWE ring again, and he thanks the fans for always supporting him and being the best fans in world. He talks about his road to being medically cleared, and thanks his wife for pushing him to see specialists. Bryan says he doesn’t know when he’ll be getting back in the WWE ring, but he is medically cleared to do so. The crowd starts chanting “WrestleMania” and he looks up at the sign. He asks the fans if they think that would be a good idea, which prompts a “yes” chant.
– Daniel Bryan heads backstage and is greeted in the hallway by senior official Charles Robinson who congratulates him. Dolph Ziggler approaches Bryan next and congratulates him, then says he can’t wait to beat him. Bryan says he can try, and Ziggler walks off.
– Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: WWE Champion AJ Styles is at ringside for a closer look at this one, and Aiden English is at ringside in Rusev’s corner. The opening bell sounds and Rusev wrestles Nakamura down to the mat early on. Nakamura gets up and starts firing off with kicks. Rusev throws Nakamura into the corner and pummels on him, then hits a boot to the face for a two count. Nakamura comes back with strikes and then starts working over Rusev in the corner. He hits a variation of the Good Vibrations in the corner, but Rusev is able to fight back and level Nakamura with a shot to the face for a two count. Rusev looks for the big boot, but Nakamura ducks. Rusev ducks a kick from Nakamura, but then Nakamura latches on to him and looks for an arm bar. Rusev breaks free, but Nakamura rolls him up in a small package pin for the three count.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
– After the match, Aiden English attacks Nakamura from behind. English and Rusev go to double team Nakamura, and AJ very slowly starts to get up and looks like he’s going to help. Before AJ gets in the ring, Nakamura is able to fight off Rusev and English by himself. AJ and Nakamura have a brief stare-down before leaving.
– Natalya confronts Charlotte Flair backstage and says she knows Flair is scared of Asuka. She says Charlotte’s time is coming to an end, and Charlotte tells Natalya to lay off the cat nip. Charlotte says she’s excited about facing Asuka. Natalya is still mad about Asuka taking “her” WrestleMania spot. Natalya says she’s the one who would beat Charlotte at WrestleMania, and Charlotte tells her to prove it.
– Shinsuke Nakamura confronts AJ Styles in the back. They have a brief exchange, which ends with Nakamura telling AJ again that he’s going to beat him with a knee to the face at WrestleMania.
– Baron Corbin vs. Tye Dillinger: It’s all Corbin in the opening moments of this one. Corbin runs around the ring post and looks for a lariat, but Dillinger shuts him down with a boot to the face. They brawl to the outside, where Tye hits him with another kick. Back in the ring, Corbin comes back and looks for the End of Days but he botches it. He holds Tye in the front face lock, then throws him outside. He throws Tye back in the ring, then successfully hits the End of Days for the win.
Winner: Baron Corbin
– WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is out to the ring next. The broadcast team informs us that Daniel Bryan booked her in a non-title match against Natalya tonight.
– Charlotte vs. Natalya: Charlotte starts off strong here and hits a series of headscissor take downs on Natalya. Natalya fires up and looks for the back slide pin, but Charlotte escapes and hits a big boot. Both women are slow to get up, and Natalya gets on the offensive first. Natalya works over Charlotte in the corner, but Charlotte starts firing up and hitting some chops to the chest. They fight over to the corner where Charlotte hits a vertical suplex. Charlotte goes to pick up Natalya, but Natalya drops her face-first into the turnbuckle. They scramble across the ring and Charlotte slams Natalya into the turnbuckles. Charlotte goes up top, but Natalya hops up and grabs her, and hits a sit-down powerbomb on the Champion. Both women are slow to get up, and Natalya hits a spinning lariat for a two count. Charlotte comes back with an inside cradle for a two count. Charlotte looks for the Figure Four, but Natalya kicks her away and throws her outside. Natalya follows her out to ringside, but Charlotte drops her with a spear and throws her back in the ring. Charlotte goes for the Figure Four, but Natalya rolls over to the ropes to break the hold. Charlotte goes up top, but Natalya runs up and hits a superplex. Carmella’s music hits, and Carmella wants to cash in her Money In The Bank briefcase. Carmella runs in the ring, but Charlotte drops her with a big boot. Natalya capitalizes on the distraction with a roll-up for the three count.
Winner: Natalya
– The broadcast teams shows us some headlines about Daniel Bryan being cleared to wrestle again.
– The Usos come out to the ring and cut a promo about holding it down for the tag team division. They talk about still having their Tag Team Titles, and being in the best damn tag team in WWE. They say it doesn’t matter if they’re at 100% or 20% health, they’re ready to go to war with the Bludgeon Brothers.
– Jimmy Uso vs. Luke Harper: Jey Uso and Eric Rowan are at ringside for this one. Jimmy starts off fired up here but Harper takes control early on. They brawl at ringside, where Uso sends Harper into the apron. Uso runs back in the ring for a suicide dive, but Rowan appears on the apron and distracts him. Uso turns around into Harper and they start going at it again. Rowan tries to get back in the ring, and the referee stops him. Jey takes advantage of the distraction to superkick Harper behind the ref’s back. Jimmy isn’t able to capitalize on it with a pin. Jimmy and Harper fight in the corner which leads to Uso’s head getting slammed on the ring post. Harper follows up with a big clothesline for the three count.
Winner: Luke Harper
– Jey pulls Jimmy to safety after the match as Rowan gets in the ring. Corey Graves announces that Jinder has been added to the U.S. Title match at WrestleMania with Bobby Roode and Randy Orton.
– Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh are backstage heading towards the gorilla position.
– Jinder and Sunil are in the ring, and Jinder has a mic. He talks about how everyone there is jealous of him, and should be bowing down to him. He says the people claim to want change and diversity, but they also want to keep the status quo with people like Randy Orton. Jinder trashes the American fans until Bobby Roode’s music hits and he interrupts. Roode walks down to the ring, and then Randy Orton interrupts next. Orton says if not for Jinder’s lackeys, he wouldn’t have any success in WWE. Jinder throws Sunil to Orton as a human shield, and leaves the ring.
– Naomi and Becky Lynch are backstage getting ready to come out for their match against the Riott Squad.
– Naomi & Becky Lynch vs. Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan: Ruby Riott is at ringside. Things look good for Becky and Naomi in the opening moments as they trade tags and take control of the match. Becky misses a shot in the corner and goes face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Sarah Logan hits a shot to the face of Becky, then puts her in a head lock on the mat. Becky fights out, but Logan slams her back down. Becky gets up and throws Sarah to the outside. Becky looks for the tag, but Sarah runs back in and knocks Naomi off the apron. Sarah goes back to work on Becky, but Becky grabs her and locks her in the Dis-arm-her. Liv runs in for the save, but Naomi also runs in and stops her. Logan taps out for the finish.
Winners: Naomi & Becky Lynch
– We go backstage, where Daniel Bryan is told by a staff member that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have finally arrived. Bryan tells him to have Owens and Zayn meet him in the ring.
– Daniel Bryan comes out to the ring and leads the crowd in a “yes” chant. Bryan gets on the mic and tells Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to come down to the ring. They walk down and hug Bryan. Owens gets on the mic and says they weren’t even going to come tonight, since Shane isn’t here, but they raced over here when they heard the news about Bryan being cleared. They say they got pulled over by a Texas ranger for speeding, but they talked their way out of it because “everyone’s dumber in Texas.” They congratulate Bryan on his medical clearance, and they thank Bryan for treating them fairly when everyone else on SmackDown hated them. Sami says SmackDown is now without a doubt the “A-show” with the three of them on it, and if Bryan joined them it would be like a dream team. Bryan says that’s nice, but the real reason he brought them down here is because of their assault on Shane McMahon last week. Sami says it might have looked extreme, but Shane deserved it. Bryan says they don’t get it — this is a big deal. Bryan says that while Owens and Zayn are two of the best performers in this generation, they went way overboard last week by assaulting their boss. Bryan says Shane even admitted he was wrong and gave them WrestleMania matches, and they still attacked them. Bryan reminisces about them wrestling on the indy scene together in front of 300 people. Bryan says he doesn’t want to have to do this — but Sami and Kevin, you’re fired. Bryan says he’s been fired by WWE before, and he came back a better person. Sami and Kevin look heartbroken. Bryan says this doesn’t mean they’re gone forever, it just means they’re gone for now. Bryan shakes their hands, and then Kevin attacks Daniel and screams at him. Sami then starts pummeling on Bryan with right hands. Bryan starts fighting back and hits some kicks on Owens and a suplex on Sami. He hits running dropkicks on them, then hits the “yes kicks” on Owens. Sami runs over from behind and attacks the SmackDown GM from behind and pounds on his head. Owens then superkicks Bryan, and Sami hits the big boot. They take Bryan out to ringside and Owens powerbombs him onto the corner of the ring apron. Sami and Owens walk off as medics start putting Bryan on to a stretcher. Bryan is loaded on to a stretcher as SmackDown goes off the air.
TMZ Sports caught up with Lesnar’s WWE advocate, Paul Heyman, to get his thoughts on Ngannou – and others, like Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder – calling out his client.
Heyman says he’s not surprised that so many people are coming out of the woodwork and throwing Brock Lesnar’s name around. It’s WrestleMania season and Brock Lesnar is the biggest box office attraction in all of professional sports. It’s one thing to throw out empty challenges – it’s another thing to actually stand toe-to-toe with The Beast.
Fans saw on RAW what happened to Roman Reigns when he got too close to Lesnar – and Francis Ngannou wouldn’t fare any better than Reigns did.
You can check out Heyman’s awesome promo below. Visit MMANews.com for read what Francis Ngannou had to say about WWE’s Beast Incarnate.
I couldn’t be happier for Daniel. Being away for two years must have felt like an eternity…but today, he’s back and where he belongs. https://t.co/HNtSw1RwKI
This may be a first in all of professional sports. So stoked for Bryan and for what it could mean for head trauma research and rehabilitation in contact athletics. https://t.co/g3nnD11wVM
I am happy for Daniel Bryan, who has been cleared to return to in-ring #WWE action. I'm very conservative on returning after #concussions, but if Dr. Cantu and the other experts all agree he's ready, it's good enough for me. Good luck buddy! #YEShttps://t.co/AD9c2pqx4t
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) March 20, 2018
On Tuesday, WWE sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling world by announcing Daniel Bryan has been medically cleared to return to action.
Bryan has been on the sidelines since his last match nearly three years ago. He’s served as the General Man ager as SmackDown Live since July 2016, but has been campaigning for a return to the ring ever since.
In his first statement since the news of his return broke, Bryan acknowledged the people in his live who never gave up on him or his dream to wrestle once again
Bryan will open tonight’s SmackDown Live to address his return and perhaps his role at WrestleMania. Based on the past several months of SmackDown storylines, there’s a good chance we’ll see Daniel Bryan teaming with Shane McMahon against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in less than three weeks in New Orleans.
Saying goodbye to the ring was one of the hardest moments of my life. But thanks to the amazing people supporting me, I was able to keep fighting for my dream. This moment feels surreal and I'm glad to be able to talk to you all at the beginning of #SDLive tonight.
– WWE Superstar Braun Strowman took to Twitter to thank 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame inductee Mark Henry for helping him break into the business of professional wrestling:
– As noted on last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW by General Manager Kurt Angle, RAW Women’ Champion Alexa Bliss will defend her title against Nia Jax at WrestleMania 34. The ex-best friends took to Twitter to hype their upcoming bout in New Orleans:
I made you something and I’m gonna take it all away from you. You think you can take the #Raw Women’s Championship from me? Ha! Rude. #GoddessAboveAll
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) March 20, 2018
– WWE posted a video of Seth Rollins doing an interview with Mike Rome after saving Finn Balor from The Miztourage on RAW. Rollins will challenge Balor and Intercontinental Champion The Miz for the strap in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania. Rollins says Balor owes him one and also said he wants a rematch with Balor before WrestleMania:
– Injured WWE Superstar Big Cass was backstage at last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW and was reportedly telling people he had been cleared to return, per a report from PWInsider. Cass has been out-of-action since August of last year when he suffered a torn ACL during a match with Enzo Amore. He required surgery to fix the injury and has been rehabbing ever since.
Cass was expected to return around May, meaning he’d be out of the question for a possible WrestleMania 34 appearance. He has been back training in the WWE Performance Center since mid-February. The initial word backstage around RAW was that Cass was in the final stages of his recovery and could be returning to RAW storylines soon.
– Tension between Sasha Banks and Bayley continues to boil over on Monday Night RAW, as rumors of a possible match between the pair at WrestleMania 34 swirl around. It’s expected that both women will instead be involved in the first-ever Women’s WrestleMania Battle Royal.
Banks and Bayley got into an argument in the middle of their tag team match against Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, leading to them suffering a loss. Banks took to Twitter to comment on the situation:
Either you're with me or you're not, there's no in between. #RawDallas
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) March 20, 2018
– WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz used Finn Balor and Seth Rollins’ old indy names (Prince Devitt and Tyler Black) on Monday Night RAW last night during a promo. Miz mispronounced Balor’s indy name, however, calling him Prince “Nevitt” instead. Balor responded to Miz’s mispronunciation on Twitter:
Prince Nevitt?? ….. and Miz is talking about ‘no respect’ HA!
– RAW opened up yesterday with Roman Reigns being handcuffed by US Marshals before taking a savage beating from Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. When Reigns was put up on the stretcher and escorted out of the arena, WWE snapped a photo that caught “The Big Dog’s” wrists bruised and scarred after the segment. Check it out:
Last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW ended with WWE showing The Ultimate Deletion between “Woken” Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt at the Hardy Family Compound. The segment received positive reviews from the professional wrestling world on Twitter, and Hardy noted himself in a Tweet that the Ultimate Deletion was trending #1 worldwide:
Tonight was much more than just a professional victory on #RAW for me..
It was an ENORMOUS PERSONAL VICTORY.
I couldn't have done it without YOU, my LOYAL #WOKENWarriors..#UltimateDELETION has been the #1 WORLDWIDE TREND for OVAH an hour now..
Hardy also responded to Michael Cole’s negativity before the segment aired. Cole apologized for the “obnoxious and surreal” segment WWE fans were about to witness. Hardy responded to Cole’s comments in a later Tweet:
Yeeeaassss, that was absolutely MAGICAL Great Commander. Now it is time to DELETE that JEJUNE ORANGUTANG Michael Cole. He is undoubtedly deletion worthy
After more than two years out of action, WWE announced on Tuesday that SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan has been medically cleared to wrestle again.
Bryan underwent extensive testing by leading neurosurgeons, neurologists and concussion experts, including Dr. Robert Cantu, Dr. Javier Cárdenas and Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher. According to WWE.com, “Bryan underwent a full review of his medical history and received comprehensive neurological and physical evaluations independent of WWE. He was cleared by each doctor as well as WWE’s Medical Director, Dr. Joseph Maroon.”
Bryan retired from in-ring competition back in February of 2016 after several concussion-related injuries throughout his career.
In recent months, Bryan made it clear he intended to wrestle again – whether it was in WWE or elsewhere. Thankfully for the WWE Universe, he’ll be back in a WWE ring very soon – almost certainly at WrestleMania. WWE noted, “It’s possible he teams up with Shane McMahon against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a Tag Team match.”
As you can imagine, fans on social media lost their minds over the news that Daniel Bryan will be back in action. He was trending worldwide within minutes of the announcement.
WWE Champion AJ Styles took part in a conference call with international media on Tuesday to promote WrestleMania and addressed his status for the show in light of his undisclosed injury.
To recap, WWE ran an injury angle at Friday’s live event from Madison Square Garden that saw Styles pulled from action. Styles was left off SmackDown live events on Saturday, Sunday and Monday – and was scheduled to be evaluated by WWE doctors backstage at RAW.
When asked on the conference call about his status for WrestleMania, Styles made it clear that his WWE Championship defense against Shinsuke Nakamura will take place as scheduled. Styles stated bluntly,
“If my leg got cut off, I’d find a way to make it to WrestleMania.”
Styles added, “I will be wrestling Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania. Don’t worry about it, it will be fine.
The WWE Champion was reportedly set to met with WWE doctors backstage at Monday’s RAW. No word yet on how that evaluation went, but it seems like the Styles vs. Nakamura dream match is safe.
Some fans who follow Monday Night Raw by watching the 90-minute version shown on Hulu are upset today. The Ultimate Deletion match was not featured in the Hulu version of the show this week.
Fans took to Twitter to ask Hulu why the main event of Raw didn’t make the cut for their edition. According to Hulu, they have no say in which parts of the show are edited out.
Upset fans are getting similar responses from Hulu on Twitter:
We're sorry to hear about any disappointment! We receive the 90-minute special directly from the provider—no edits are made on our end. We'll share your feedback!
Sorry for the disappointment, Shannon! We have the rights to stream a pre-formatted 90-minute special of Raw, and no edits are done on our end. We'll share your feedback with our team.
For the most part, fans tend to be in favor of the shorter versions of Raw which air on Hulu but missing the Ultimate Deletion have left some feeling dissapointed today.
Hulu first entered into a partnership with WWE in 2012.
