Tonight’s edition of NXT is a taped show from Center Stage in Atlanta, GA. In addition to the Dusty Rhodes Classic beginning, only one other match has been announced for tonight’s show.
Matches and Segments Announced For Tonight
Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament (1st Round) Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) vs. TM61 (Shane Thorne & Nick Miller)
The 8-team single-elimination tournament begins tonight with a rematch of the finals from 2016. AOP defeated TM61 last time at Takeover: Toronto while Paul Elleriing hung in a shark cage above the ring.
The winners of this match will take on the winners of Heavy Machinery vs the Street Profits in the semi-finals.
Aleister Black vs Killian Dain
These two will clash in what is essentially a title-eliminator match.
3 weeks ago, Black was seemingly going to announce he wanted to challenge for the NXT title but Dain interrupted his promo.
John Cena will be hosting the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards on March 24th, 2018. Nickelodeon has also revealed the art for Cena’s character in the upcoming animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Movie. Cena will be voicing the character of Baron Draxum.
John Cena in “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”
The Ninja Turtles brand has crossed-over with WWE in the past as well. Kevin Nash once played the role of “Super Shredder” in “TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze”. Similarly, Sheamus once played the role of Rocksteady in 2016’s version of a Ninja Turtles movie.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is expected to be released in September.
The three-time Divas Champion made the announcement with her husband on Tuesday night at the end of this Instagram video titled ‘Creepy Hug Defenses For Every Woman’.
Torres and her husband, Rener Gracie, are expecting their second child. She gave birth to their first child, a boy, named Raeven Gracie, on September 28, 2015.
– Roelly Winklaar, an IFBB professional bodybuilder and Mr. Olympia competitor, was backstage at Raw in Green Bay, Wisconsin at the Resch Center. On Instagram, he posted these photos of himself with Braun Strowman, Kane, Sasha Banks, Dana Brooke, Asuka and Ronda Rousey.
https://instagram.com/p/Bf-JrtcFpZo/
– WWE returns to Baltimore, Maryland on Tuesday, May 8 for SmackDown LIVE at Royal Farms Arena. According to an email sent out by WWE, there will be a presale on Ticketmaster.com (Start: Wed 03/07/18 10:00 am EST, End: Thu 03/08/18 10:00 pm EST) with the passcode ‘SMACKDOWN’. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday at 10:00 am EST.
The email advertises a Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Championship with AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn.
The two teams had a stare down and the crowd chanted “get these hands!”. Jimmy Uso decided start off the match with Braun Strowman and that was a big mistake. Strowman beat the hell out of him and connected with a Splash in the corner. Strowman picked Jimmy for a slam but Jimmy escaped and tagged Naomi in.
Alexa Bliss slapped Naomi in the face and Naomi responded with a slap of her own. Jimmy Uso then ran around the ring and knocked Strowman off the apron with a Dropkick. Bliss was knocked out of the ring and then knocked off the apron onto Braun Strowman.
Jimmy Uso started trash talking Strowman, which was another big mistake. Strowman chased after him and bashed him into the barricade. Naomi still had control of the match and connected with a Jawbreaker and followed it up with a Leg Drop for a two count.
Strowman then decided to clear off the announce table and slam Jimmy Uso through it with a Running Powerslam. Naomi was distracted by it and Bliss rolled her up from behind for the victory.
The March 6th episode of WWE SmackDown took place at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Fastlane this Sunday. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Ruby Riott & Charlotte Kicked Off The Show With A Promo
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and Ruby Riott kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Dasha Fuentes went to ask Ruby Riott a question but Riott interrupted and grabbed the microphone. Ruby Riott said that this all began when Charlotte became SmackDown Women’s Champion. Riott stated that all her life, Charlotte has been set up to succeed. Riott added that Charlotte became the first Superstar to ever win the NXT, Divas, RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships.
Riott said that it was a myth that Charlotte was the personification of the women’s revolution. Riott stated that she formed the Riott Squad to destroy the myth. Charlotte responded that she has had to work harder than anyone else because she is the daughter of Ric Flair. Charlotte continued that if she fails, it reflects her entire family. She cannot just be successful, she must be transcendent. Charlotte added that her accomplishments transcended any myth about her.
Riott claimed that Charlotte was on a pedestal and all of that is on the line this Sunday at WWE Fastlane. Ruby said that she was going to take Charlotte’s crowd so that she will no longer be the queen. She will become just another bleach blonde failure with a famous last name.
Charlotte got in Ruby’s face and Ruby instructed Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan to get into the ring. United States Champion Bobby Roode’s music hit and Roode made his way down to the ring. Roode is Charlotte’s partner in the Mixed Match Challenge. The Riott Squad and Charlotte left the ring as Roode joined commentary for the match between Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton next.
Ruby Riott is great on the microphone, but this promo was boring. It is the same old storyline in which Charlotte is only successful because she is Ric Flair’s daughter.
Jinder Mahal Defeated Randy Orton
Jinder Mahal faced Randy Orton on SmackDown as US Champion Bobby Roode was on commentary. Orton went for the RKO early and SmackDown went to a quick break. When RAW returned, Jinder Mahal was in control. Jinder connected with a knee to Orton’s head for a two count. Mahal followed it up with another knee to his face.
Byron Saxton claimed that he spoke to some sources and that Randy Orton was indeed perturbed about not being higher than Bobby Roode on the SmackDown Top 10 List. Roode said that he respected everything Randy Orton has accomplished in his career and that he does not respect Jinder Mahal.
Orton connected with a Powerslam and followed it up with a Fallaway Slam. Randy delivered a couple uppercuts as the crowd chanted “RKO!”. Orton hit a Backbreaker on Mahal and Jinder rolled to the ring apron. Jinder jumped out of the ring and threw Sunil Singh towards Orton. Randy dropped Sunil onto the announce table and then threw Jinder Mahal into Roode.
Back in the ring, Orton planted Mahal with a DDT while he was hung up in between the ropes. Orton geared up for the RKO but Bobby Roode hopped up on the ring apron and started arguing with him. Mahal shoved Orton into Roode and Bobby fell to the floor. Jinder then connected with the Khallas to Orton for the pinfall victory.
This match brought back nightmares of the Mahal and Orton feud that went on for far too long. Does anyone care about the SmackDown Top 10 List? They have been trying to sell this storyline that Orton is pissed off about his ranking on a list voted by SmackDown Superstars and I honestly could care less. I’m so incredibly bored with Randy Orton right now. I hope he turns heel soon and I have the same thoughts on Bobby Roode. I can’t bring myself to care about the United States Championship match at Fastlane. I’ve tried to get into it but I don’t care about the stupid SmackDown list. There is only one list I care about and I miss it dearly.
Sunday Will Be Nakamura Day
Shinsuke Nakamura was interviewed backstage and was asked if he was concerned that his match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania might not happen. Nakamura stated that he hoped AJ wins on Sunday so he can defeat him at WrestleMania with a knee to the face.
Aiden English and Rusev interrupted. Rusev scolded Nakamura for defeating English last week and possibly permantly damaging his vocal chords. Rusev then challenged Nakamura to a match at Fastlane. Nakamura accepted and sang that Sunday will be Nakamura Day.
Nakamura surprisingly has a decent singing voice. I feel bad for Rusev. He had the entire crowd behind him and they were chanting “Rusev Day!”. Aiden English was becoming popular as well and WWE just completely dropped the ball with them. They should be in the hunt for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, but instead they are being fed to Nakamura as we head to WrestleMania.
Naomi & Becky Lynch Will Battle Natalya & Carmella At Fastlane
Carmella faced Becky Lynch tonight on SmackDown. Carmella controlled the beginning of the match and beatdown Becky Lynch outside the ring. Carmella threw Becky Lynch into the barricade a couple of times and then stomped on Becky. Naomi was shown backstage watching on a monitor.
Back in the ring, Becky Lynch connected with a Dropkick but Carmella quickly took back in control. Carmella went for a pin but Becky kicked out. Carmella threw a tantrum and it cost her. Becky then locked in the Dis-Arm-Her for the submission victory. Naomi was once again shown backstage watching Becky win.
Natalya interrupted by fake clapping and said that Carmella was battling the flu all weekend and that is why Becky won. Natalya told Naomi to stay away from Becky Lynch because all her friends get burned. There were a couple of cat jokes thrown in and this all led to a tag match being made between Naomi & Becky Lynch versus Natalya and Carmella. Natalya also said that she was going to challenge the winner of the SmackDown Women’s Championship match this Sunday.
A random tag match in the SmackDown women’s division with no stakes at all has been added to Sunday’s PPV. Enjoy.
Sami Zayn Betrayed Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn had a conversation backstage. Owens brought up Zayn saying that he would lay down for him at Fastlane and give Owens the WWE Champion. Owens said that it was almost too good to be true but Sami is such a great guy. Zayn reiterated that he would lay down for Owens at the PPV because he wants to see Owens become the WWE Champion and headline WrestleMania. Sami noted that his time will come but Owens was one win away from becoming a Grand Slam Champion and living his dream. Owens grabbed Sami and gave him a giant hug to conclude the segment.
AJ Styles came down to the ring and talked about the grind of being a WWE Champion. Styles stated that he doesn’t have to get pinned on Sunday to lose the title in the Six-Pack Challenge. AJ said that he is not going to complain about it being unfair and that he is going to fight. Styles added that sometimes life gets the best of us and sometimes we do not win.
Styles brought up John Cena defeating him clean last week on SmackDown. AJ stated that Cena is world class and then rolled footage of last night’s Cena promo where Cena vowed to win the title. WWE felt the need to add the block letters over the promo, like they do for all of their new cell phone recorded promos that SmackDown has become obsessed with. AJ stated that he wants his WrestleMania moment and to defend it against the best, Shinsuke Nakamura. AJ said that he is not just fighting for the title at WWE Fastlane, he is fighting for us because the match will be nothing short of phenomenal.
Dolph Ziggler interrupted and came down to the ring. Ziggler said that AJ Styles used to be cool but he has changed. He isn’t phenomenal anymore and is now just desperate. Styles stated that Ziggler has been in the WWE for 13 years and still hasn’t reached his full potential. Dolph joked about how long it took for AJ to get to WWE and said that AJ Styles is going to lose on Sunday because his head is not in the right place.
Dolph claimed that all the fans will wind up stabbing AJ Styles in the back the second he lets them down. Dolph brought up becoming the World Heavyweight Champion after cashing in his MITB briefcase. Ziggler stated that the crowd didn’t deserve that moment because he was the best thing that to ever happen to this company. Dolph said that it was criminal that he has never had a singles match at WrestleMania. Ziggler told AJ Styles to take his dream match and shove it. AJ Styles asked Ziggler if he wanted to just have their match right now that was advertised as the main event.
Dolph went for a Superkick to start off the match but AJ blocked it and Dolph rolled out of the ring. Ziggler got back int he ring and applied a Chin Lock to Styles. AJ broke free and planted Ziggler with a Dropkick and Dolph rolled out of the ring again as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
SmackDown returned with AJ Styles now on the floor outside the ring and Ziggler posing in the ring. Dolph asked the referee to start counting and he obliged. AJ got back in the ring and connected with a Clothesline in the corner. Ziggler responded with a Fameasser for a two count. Ziggler leveled AJ with a forearm to the face and Styles rolled to the ring apron. Dolph catapulted AJ into the ring post as SmackDown went to another commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn ran down to the ring and attacked Ziggler and Styles. Dolph and AJ battled back and knocked Sami and Kevin out of the ring. SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon came down to the entrance ramp and claimed he knew what the crowd was thinking that he was going to announce a tag team match. Shane had different plans and announced a Fatal 5-Way match for the main event.
Corbin, Zayn, Owens, Ziggler and Styles then competed in a Fatal 5-Way. Owens and Zayn controlled the match early and shared a hug in the ring. Chaos broke out and Styles hit a Pele Kick and everyone was on the canvas as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, everyone was battling in the corner. Corbin and Owens Powerbombed Ziggler and Styles as they Superplexed Sami Zayn.
Zayn planted Ziggler with a Blue Thunder Bomb and went for the cover but AJ Styles broke it up. Sami threw AJ out of the ring and then he was thrown out by Ziggler. Owens connected with a German Suplex to Ziggler. Corbin charged at Owens but Owens got out of the way and Corbin smashed into the ring post. Owens hit Ziggler with a Cannonball but Ziggler responded with a DDT. Dolph planted Corbin with a Zig Zag and then hit a Superkick to Sami Zayn. Dolph went for the cover but AJ broke it up.
Corbin punched AJ in the face as he was going for the Phenomenal Forearm. Corbin connected with a Chokeslam Backbreaker to Ziggler and then hit Deep Six on Owens but once again AJ broke up the pinfall. Styles planted Zayn with a reverse DDT after flipping off the middle turnbuckle. Sami and Owens knocked AJ Styles out of the ring and then hit the Helluva Kick onto Kevin Owens for the victory.
After the match, Zayn was asked why he just kicked Kevin Owens. Sami said that he is the best WWE has and has been the most overlooked Superstar on the roster. SmackDown went off the air with Sami Zayn stating that he proved that he is the best tonight.
I figured that Sami Zayn would betray Kevin Owens at WWE Fastlane. Instead it happened tonight and I’m assuming that Owens and Zayn will have a match at WrestleMania 34. SmackDown has been a rough watch for weeks now and tonight was no different. I hope that the shows get better after Fastlane as SmackDown’s build to WrestleMania starts.
Bullet Club has seen better days. The stable was once ruling New Japan Pro Wrestling under the leadership of Prince Devitt and soon after that, AJ Styles. Kenny Omega took the leadership role in January 2016.
Things were looking good under Omega’s guidance before “The Elite” took the spotlight. Soon, the original members of Bullet Club became an afterthought and all the attention was on Omega, Cody, The Young Bucks, Marty Scurll, and Hangman Page. To make matters worse, Cody has been fighting with Omega over who should be the leader of Bullet Club.
Speaking to the Augusta Free Press, Page responded to talks of the faction’s demise:
“We’re not coming apart at the seams. We’re fine. Bullet Club is fine. Look, we’re a group of the most entertaining, athletic, all-around best wrestlers on the planet. And, you know, you’re just going to have a little bit of a rift sometimes. But, it’s fine, things are fine. We’ll work it out. This one is really just a little disagreement between Cody and Kenny, and they have a match coming up, and once that’s over, we’re fine. OK? Just got to get it out of our system.”
Matt Taven Calls NXT “ROH Lite”
Ring of Honor star Matt Taven is set to do battle with Cody on the ROH 16th Anniversary show. Taven recently appeared on Interactive Wrestling Radio to hype up the event. When the topic of NXT popped up, Taven had the following to say:
“I couldn’t agree more. Our touring schedule and their touring schedule is starting to cross paths to where maybe they hit a market a week before we hit that market. That is on purpose. Taking talent from Ring of Honor? That is all on purpose. I basically look at NXT as ROH Lite. I wish for every wrestling company to be as successful as possible. There is something that ROH is obviously doing right if the top dog is trying to hurt them. That is something that they’ve (WWE) has tried to do a few times. It just lets us know that we (ROH) are doing something right. And, ROH has been resilient. I first started working here in 2009 doing stuff. I started working more consistently in 2012. But, in my 9 years, wow I feel old saying that, in my 9 years, I’ve seen them come and go. And still, ROH continues to get bigger and continues to grow and grow and reach broader audiences. As much as I love my buds, it shows ROH is doing something right if WWE is trying to bite their style so much.”
Viewership numbers for last night’s (March 5) edition of Monday Night Raw sees another decrease.
The post-Elimination Chamber Raw last week dipped from the numbers that a seven-man gauntlet helped produce. It’s even lower this week, but the show was able to maintain an average of 3,093,000 viewers. Last week’s show pulled in 3,195,000 viewers.
Hour-By-Hour
Hour one garnered an average of 3,302,000 viewers. The second hour took in 3,267,000. It was the third and final hour that took a significant hit. Hour three only managed to keep an average of 2,729,000 viewers. This week’s hour two of Raw actually topped last week’s 9 p.m. through 10 p.m. slot but that’s where the increase came to a halt.
Kurt Angle was able to get a measure of revenge on this week’s edition of Raw. Last week, he was sucker punched by Triple H. Angle locked in the Ankle Lock on “The Game” in retaliation. Ronda Rousey then planted Stephanie McMahon with a standing reverse kata guruma.
Also featured on this week’s edition of the show was Asuka maintaining her undefeated streak. She submitted Nia Jax with an arm bar. Braun Strowman did what Braun Strowman does and crushed Elias with a piano. Finally, Roman Reigns challenged Brock Lesnar to a fight next week.
The March 6th edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI, and was the go-home show for Fastlane on Sunday.
– This week’s broadcast opens up with Tom Phillips welcoming us to the Resch Center in Green Bay. He’s joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton at the commentary table.
– WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair comes down to the ring for an in-ring interview with her Fastlane opponent. Ruby Riott comes out next with the rest of the Riott Squad, but her partners stay back on the stage while Ruby hits the ring. Ruby gets on the mic and discusses her history with Charlotte, and her jealousy of the Women’s Champion. Ruby said she formed the Riott Squad to destroy the myth that Charlotte is the queen of the women’s division. Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan head to the ring now, and it looks bad for Charlotte. Bobby Roode comes out to interrupt, as he’s here to do commentary for tonight’s first match. The Riott Squad backs off and heads backstage. Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal is up next.
– Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal: Sunil Singh comes out and introduces Jinder Mahal. The opening bell sounds and Orton and Sign trade holds. Orton takes over with an elbow to the face, then he puts the boots to Mahal. Orton looks for the RKO early on, but Jinder escapes and regroups at ringside. Back in the ring, Jinder gets some shots in on Orton and then drops him with a flying knee to the face for a two count. Jinder keeps Orton grounded, until Orton finally fights up and hits a powerslam. Orton hits some clotheslines and another powerslam. Orton hits a fallaway slam for a two count. Orton lays into Jinder with chops and uppercuts, then a backbreaker. Jinder rolls outside and uses Singh as a shield. Orton throws Sunil aside, then Jinder nails Orton. Orton counters and throws Jinder into Roode at the announce table. Roode goes down, and Orton brings Jinder back into the ring and hits a DDT. Orton looks for the RKO, but Roode gets on the apron and cuases a distraction. Jinder hits Orton from behind, sending him into Roode on the apron. Jinder follows up with the Khallas on Orton for the three count.
Winner: Jinder Mahal
– After the match, Jinder celebrates as Roode gets back to this feet on the floor. Jinder heads up the ramp with Sunil as Orton recovers on the mat.
– Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are backstage talking about the Six-Pack Challenge. Owens reminds Sami that this is every man for himself, and reminds Sami previously saying he would sacrifice himself for Owens. Sami agrees, and Owens says Sami is a great guy for that. Sami says his time will come, but WrestleMania 34 is Kevin’s time. Sami reiterates that he’ll lay down for Owens at Fastlane, and then they laugh and hug.
– We see Baron Corbin backstage cutting a promo about John Cena coming back to SmackDown. He says he owes Cena a beating, and says he’s going to turn Cena’s WrestleMania dream into a nightmare.
– We see a video package looking at the New Day vs. Usos feud.
– Shinsuke Nkamura is backstage for an interview where he says he hopes AJ wins on Sunday so he can beat him at WrestleMania. Rusev and Aiden English interrupt, and they say Nakamura may have damaged Aiden’s singing voice last week in their match. Rusev challenges Nakamura to a match at Fastlane, and Nakamura accepts, and says Sunday will be Nakamura Day.
– Carmella vs. Becky Lynch: The opening bell sounds and Becky takes control early on. she goes up top, but Carmella drops her and takes hear down with a head scissors. Carmella pummels on Becky now and yells at Becky as she rubs her face into the mat. Becky looks for an armbar, but Carmella locks and continues the offense. Naomi is shown backstage watching on a monitor. Carmella and Becky briefly brawl at ringside, then back in the ring Carmella slams Becky down. Becky drops Carmella with a spinning heel kick, and now both women are down. They get up and trade shots in the middle of the ring until Carmella gets the upper hand with a boot to the face. Becky ducks a shot and hits the Bexploder suplex. They trade strikes until Becky grabs Carmella with the Disarm Her for the win.
Winner: Becky Lynch
– The announcers discuss some of WWE’s international events that were announce this week.
– WWE Champion AJ Styles comes down to the ring to talk about Cena. AJ talks about his journey to the WWE Title, and complains about the possibility of losing the Title without being pinned on Sunday. AJ brings up Cena beating him last week and fans boo. AJ gives props to Cena, but takes issue with some of Cena’s words. He says he’s not interested in making his WrestleMania match a three-way with Cena and Nakamura. AJ says no one ever thought he and Nakamura would have a WWE Title match at WrestleMania, and he doesn’t want Cena there and neither do the fans. Dolph Ziggler comes out to interrupt, and says AJ used to be cool but he changed. Ziggler says AJ isn’t phenomenal, he’s desperate. AJ makes fun of Ziggler for being in WWE for 13 years and not reaching his potential. They trade insults and Ziggler discusses his previous World Title victory. AJ tells Ziggler that’s enough talking, let’s fight. Ziggler seems to accept, and AJ calls for a referee.
– Dolph Ziggler vs. AJ Styles: This one is a non-Title match. The opening bell sounds and Ziggler goes for a superkick early, but AJ dodges it and unloads on Ziggler with strikes. Ziggler rolls outside for a breather, then comes back in the ring and wrestles AJ down to the mat. AJ slams Ziggler down, then Ziggler gets up and hits a dropkick. They fight into the corner now, then Ziggler drops AJ and hits an elbow drop. AJ fights up and hits some elbows, then the Champion hits a running dropkick. Ziggler rolls outside again, and AJ goes flying onto him with a suicide dive. Ziggler knocks AJ off the apron and AJ is hurt. Back in the ring, Ziggler pounds on AJ in the corner then hits a backdrop. Ziggler hits some more strikes before AJ fires back with some of his own. AJ hits a running forearm on Ziggler, then a splash in the corner. Ziggler hits a cheap shot to the eyes, then a Fame-asser for a two count. They trade strikes again until Ziggler kicks out AJ’s leg, then kicks him int he head. They fight out to the apron where Ziggler throws AJ into the ring post. Back in the ring, Ziggler tries to do a Styles Clash, but AJ escapes. AJ looks for the Calf Crusher, but Ziggler fights up and hits the Zig Zag for a two count. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens run in, which puts an abrupt end to this one. The referee calls for the bell and it’s a no contest.
Winner: No contest
– Zayn and Owens attack both AJ and Ziggler. AJ and Ziggler finally fight up, and they beat down Owens and Zayn and throw them out of the ring. Shane McMahon comes out to try to restore order. Shane calls out Owens and Zayn for the sneak attack, and books a five-way match that will start right now: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin.
– Fatal 5 Way: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin: AJ and Sami start going at it, then Corbin comes over and throws Sami into the fan barrier. Corbin throws Owens next, then beats on Sami back in the ring. AJ and Corbin go at it now, but Corbin gets the better of him and stomps out the Champion. Owens comes back in, but Corbin drops him too. Corbin and Ziggler start going at it, and Ziggler throws Corbin outside. Owens and Sami gang up on Corbin at ringside and throw him into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Sami beats on Ziggler while Owens attacks AJ. Owens then hits a senton on Ziggler, and Sami stomps on Corbin on the apron. Sami and Kevin double team AJ now, and Owens hits a senton on AJ for a two count. They kick Corbin back outside the ring, but Corbin comes right back in and drops Sami. Corbin walks into a superkick from Owens, but then Ziggler drops Owens. AJ hits a Pele kick on Sami elsewhere in the ring.
Everyone starts fighting in the corner, which leads to a five-man powerbomb pyramid spot. Everyone is down, and AJ and Owens roll out to ringside. Sami, Corbin and Ziggler go at it in teh ring now. Corbin falls out to ringside, and Sami hits a Blue Thunderbomb on Ziggler, but AJ breaks up the pin attempt. Sami throws AJ outside, then Ziggler throws Sami outside. Owens hits the ring and hits a German suplex on Ziggler, then drops Corbin. Owens hits the cannonball on Ziggler in the corner, then a KO Bomb, but AJ breaks up the pin. AJ gets thrown outside, and Ziggler hits a Zig Zag on Corbin. Ziggler hits a superkick on Sami next. Corbin beats on AJ and throws him outside, then he clotheslines Sami down. Corbin hits a chokeslam backbreaker on Ziggler, then a Deep Six on Owens. Corbin covers, and AJ breaks up the pin.
AJ boots Corbin down, then kicks Ziggler in the head too. Sami nails AJ in the corner, but AJ comes back with a big reverse DDT. AJ drops Corbin on the apron, then throws Ziggler outside. Owens and Sami throw AJ outside next. Sami turns around and hits a big boot on Owens, and the crowd goes nuts. Sami covers for the three count.
Winner: Sami Zayn
– After the match, Sami is on his knees next to Owens, as the others recover at ringside. We see replays as the announcers promote Sunday’s Fastlane show. Sami makes his exit, and Owens looks mad. Dasha Fuentes comes out to interview Sami, and asks why he attacked Owens. Sami says her question is stupid and he did that because he’s the most underlooked performer in WWE. Sami says tonight wasn’t about the WWE Title, it was just to prove who is the best, and he proved he is. Sami heads to the back as SmackDown goes off the air.
Tommy Dreamer Not A Fan Of Ronda Rousey’s Samoan Drop
Ronda Rousey’s WWE signing has garnered a significant amount of mainstream media attention. The once dominant UFC women’s bantamweight champion is making the transition to pro wrestling. She hasn’t wrestled a match yet, but she has been cutting promos on Monday Night Raw and even at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
Last night (March 5) Rousey announced who her WrestleMania opponent will be. She chose Stephanie McMahon. Rousey will team with Kurt Angle to take on Stephanie and Triple H at the “Greatest Spectacle In Sports Entertainment.” The segment ended with Rousey planting Stephanie with a Samoan Drop.
ECW legend Tommy Dreamer took to Twitter to offer Rousey some advice on how to execute the move properly:
Speaking of Raw, WWE has released their top ten moments from the latest episode. There was a ton of stuff to stew over this week’s edition of Raw. From Bayley refusing to embrace Sasha Banks, to Finn Balor and Seth Rollins pummeling The Miz. Don’t forget about Asuka continuing her dominance by forcing Nia Jax to tap out. Those and more are highlighted in the top ten Raw moments:
DEFY Wrestling has announced that they will be heading out on Spring Tour ’18 starting April 28th in Tacoma, Washington.
The company will be making 5 stops on the tour and debuting in some smaller towns alongside headline shows in Portland and Seattle in May and June respectively.
The full lineup of shows is as follows:
April 28th – PCC in Tacoma, WA
May 4th – Masc Studios in Missoula, MT
May 5th – Hub Sports Center in Spokane. WA
May 26th – Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, OR
June 9th – Washington Hall in Seattle, WA
Already announced for the tour are EVOLVE/PROGRESS star Matt Riddle, Lucha Underground’s Brian Cage, Ring of Honor’s Flip Gordon, Shane Strickland, Joey Ryan and Matt Sydal.
Tickets for these massive shows will be on sale this Friday from 10am through DEFY’s Official Website.
Hey wrestling fans & Montana people: Pleased to announce I'm partnering with a group of local promoters to help bring @defyNW Wrestling to Missoula on Friday, May 4. The card is bonkers. Tickets go on sale this Friday! pic.twitter.com/oiYHbGakIc
Cesaro is famous for his uppercuts, as well as spinning his opponents around. However he is also famous for having a ‘white hot’ hatred of beach balls. The Swiss Cyborg is due to defend his RAW tag team title with Sheamus against Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns this Friday at a live WWE show, and spoke to Jerard Fageberg of CityPages.com ahead of the showdown.
The main part of the interview revolved around his work in the ring and as part of the current RAW tag team champions, but when it came to beach balls Cesaro took the opportunity to explain his hatred.
“Excuse my language, but fudge beach balls. Seriously. That’s absolutely disrespectful. We were wrestling for the Tag Team Championships, and you want to play with a beach ball? Get the hell out of here. Go. Leave the arena, and don’t come back. I think every person that brings a beach ball into a WWE arena should get ejected for life.”
He has a point, it’s extremely disrespectful. Unfortunately the act of throwing beach balls around WWE events has become a lot more common. A life time ban seems a little much, but members of the audience with these now illegal items will be thrown out at least.
The Swiss Cyborg was also asked about his former indie work with Kassius Ohno and whether they may reunite in the future as The Kings Of Wrestling as they were formerly known. Cesaro explained that while he wouldn’t say no, he’s focused on the now and doesn’t get into fantasy bookings/matches like some others do.
Cesaro was later asked about advice for those who feel as though they may not be getting the credit that they feel they deserve.
“First of all, nothing happens overnight. Everyone thinks you become successful overnight or you get good overnight, but that does not happen. It’s always a long road. I’m came to the WWE after a long time on the independents, traveling and wrestling all over the world for 12 years. I’ve been in WWE for six years now. For some people, that success happens fast, but for some people, it doesn’t. It takes a while. You just have to be consistent and work hard. And you have to believe in yourself.”
Discussion:
Plain and simple question here: Is Cesaro being over-dramatic or silly? I’ll tell you my answer in the comments as we chat about it!
Impact Wrestling star Alberto El Patron will be appearing at this year’s TripleMania XXVI show from Mexico City.
Lucha Libre AAA held a TripleMania press conference on Tuesday and had been teasing an “international luchador” for the show.
The announcement of Alberto El Patron’s involvement follows a report by PWInsider that Alberto was actually spotted At WWE Headquarters in Stamford, CT last week.
TripleMania XXVI takes place on Saturday, August 25th from the Mexico City Arena.
PROGRESS has announced a World Title match for their next Chapter event ‘Have Some Faith In The Sound’ which takes place from Camden’s Electric Ballroom on Sunday March 25th.
PROGRESS Wrestling World Champion Travis Banks will be defending his belt against ‘Flash’ Morgan Webster. ‘Flash’ recently won the company’s ‘Thunderb*stard’ match to guarantee himself a shot at the belt at a time of his choosing…he opted to take his shot at the earliest possible time against the ‘Kiwi Buzzsaw.’
Flash’s win at Chapter 64’s ‘Thunderb*stard’ was not without controversy, his alliance with manager Vicky Haskins now seems all but confirmed and whether or not his former friends Mark Haskins and Jimmy Havoc will aid him in capturing the PROGRESS World belt will be on the minds of the PROGRESS faithful come Chapter 65. You can watch all of PROGRESS’ current and past events as part of their Demand PROGRESS VOD service.
Big Show posted a cryptic message on Instagram amidst reports that he will not be returning to WWE as an active competitor.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf_h_pJFTC2/
During a recent interview with SportingNews, the 7-foot giant spoke about his career winding down and certainly sounded like it was the end of the road for him.
“No last matches, no fanfare, just ride off into the sunset and disappear,” he said. “That’s more my style. I’ll find something else to do that is inspiring—and let these new kids take the business and the reigns and let them build the future.”
Big Show has done it all in WWE since joining the promotion back in 1999. The 4-time WWE Champion recently got himself into the best shape of his career, but has been off television since undergoing back surgery in September 2017.
He told SportingNews, “I’ve had a great career and I’m really thankful for everyone I’ve worked with, but everything comes to an end.”
Do you think we’ll see Big Show back in a WWE ring again?
The Stardom Wrestling promotion in Japan has announced a mega bout between two of the hottest free agents in women’s wrestling. PROGRESS and SWA Women’s Champion Toni Storm will be taking on ICW Women’s Champion Piper Niven/Viper on March 28th in Korakuen Hall as part of Dream Slam in Tokyo.
There have been rumors surrounding both women and their WWE statuses for quite some time, Australian star Toni Storm is expected to be heading to WWE in the very near future whilst news surrounding Piper Niven has been more sparse of late.
You may remember that these two fought during the Mae Young Classic on episode 7 of the series, Storm took the victory on that occasion but went on to lose to eventual winner Kairi Sane in the Semi-Finals.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that Katsuyori Shibata will be the Head Coach of their new Dojo in Los Angeles. New Japan recently revealed that they will be running a camp on March 19th to scout for future talent in the United States and now ‘The Wrestler’ has been confirmed as the head of the training school.
Speaking to NJPW1972.com, Shibata had this to say about his new position:
“With rehab and training, I’ve been sensing it’s time to move past the struggle of finding what I am capable of doing. These days, I’ve had a burning desire to take on a new challenge… What can I do in my current state? I thought a change of pace was needed, and the next thing I knew, I found myself in Los Angeles.
By some twist of fate, my thoughts happened around the time the new NJPW dojo was being set up in LA. While getting the dojo ready, I had the chance to assemble the ring with some of the young wrestlers and train with them, and I found myself doing wrestling moves I haven’t been able to do before.
The good, classic Japanese pro-wrestling is starting to disappear from the current wrestling world. But we must never lose that fighting attitude and spirit of traditional Japanese pro-wrestling. I have accepted the mission to open the gates and transcend the cultural differences to pass down our knowledge to the younger generation. As the NJPW dojo opens in Los Angeles mid-March, I wanted to share my thoughts as I announce that I, Katsuyori Shibata, will lead the LA dojo as the head coach.”
PROGRESS has announced that WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne will be making a very special one-off Independent appearance on WrestleMania weekend as part of their April 6th show at the Pontchartrain Convention Center in New Orleans.
Whilst the announcement is in no way confirmation of a WrestleMania spot for the ‘Bruiserweight’ it is likely that he will be at the very least appearing on the weekend’s NXT show…this also indicates that the “special relationship” between PROGRESS and WWE is very much in fruition, there were rumblings of a Video on Demand agreement between the two parties that would see PROGRESS appear on the WWE Network, however these have not yet been substantiated.
Kayfabe Events has announced a two date speaking tour for the longest reigning PROGRESS World Champion in history and the winner of the 2017 Tournament of Death…Jimmy Havoc.
You may have seen our recent post highlighting the 3 PROGRESS Stars That You Need to See in New Orleans this April, if you didn’t here is what we had to say about Havoc:
The longest reigning PROGRESS Champion in history and the winner of CZW’s Tournament of Death 2017…Jimmy Havoc is one of the premier death match performers on the planet, but to simply just refer to the Camden based star as a “deathmatch guy” is almost a disservice, he is a complete all-rounder. Since returning from a career threatening knee injury Havoc has been reinventing his style and can be slotted anywhere on a card with ease, be it in an epic back and forth main event or alongside his Tag Team partner Mark Haskins earlier in the show. Havoc also has a penchant for the humorous (albeit a fairly dark humour) and when he decides to bring that to the forefront in his bouts it kicks up a level and sets him apart from others in the deathmatch field. Again a true veteran on the UK scene and someone not to be missed.
Havoc will be appearing at the Brunswick Cellar Bar in Brighton on May 25th and in Manchester’s Chethams Library on May 26th, tickets for the shows will be available to purchase this Wednesday from 9am GMT.
It looks like former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio could possibly make a return to the company before closing out his professional wrestling career. PWInsider is reporting that Del Rio was at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut last week to film interview material for an upcoming WWE project related to Rey Mysterio. It was the same day that he flew to Europe for a Five Star Wrestling appearance.
During Del Rio’s visit to WWE headquarters, however, he also reportedly had a meeting with Vince McMahon. This is interesting as PWInsider recently reported that McMahon has been in favor of Del Rio returning to the company and has always been high on him as an in-ring performer. After leaving WWE back in September of 2016 Del Rio signed with IMPACT Wrestling in March of 2017. His current contract with IMPACT is expected to be up next month.
IMPACT officials this weekend in Canada met with several talents who’s contracts are set to expire, including Del Rio, to negotiate new deals. Del Rio is arguably the biggest name draw on their roster and likely their highest paid talent. The report suggests that IMPACT sources confirmed those talks went well with its talents, including Del Rio, and they were confident new deals for those talents would be coming soon.
Del Rio is currently scheduled for an IMPACT appearance on April 22nd, where he headlines their Redemption pay-per-view (PPV) against Austin Aries for the IMPACT World Championship.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz recently spoke to WTMJ-TV Milwaukeeto promote last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. During the interview Miz was asked about two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair calling him the best heel in the business today. Here’s how Miz responded (quotes via Wrestling Inc.):
“Ha! Is that what he said? Coming from him that’s an honor,” Miz said. “Ric Flair – in my opinion – is the greatest of all-time. I mean he is absolutely incredible, I mean, he gave me his figure-four, how can I say a bad thing about him?
“You know what I mean? He’s just an incredible human being and incredible in-ring performer. And still, his legend lives on, no matter if he’s in the ring or outside the ring people still do ‘The Strut,’ give the ‘Woo!’ It’s amazing.”
– Speaking of The Miz, it was announced by RAW General Manager Kurt Angle that he would be defending his Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania 34 in a Triple Threat match against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. “The Demon King” took to Twitter to react to the news that he’d be getting a crack at the title on “The Grandest Stage Of Them All”:
– Last night after Monday Night RAW went off-air on the USA Network, the dark main event of the evening saw Roman Reigns defeat Kane in singles competition.
– WWE made the following announcement to congratulate RAW Superstar Ronda Rousey on getting inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame this past weekend:
Ronda Rousey inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame at the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival USA
Ronda Rousey sure knows how to cap off a week! After officially signing her contract with the Raw brand and shockingly slamming Triple H through a table, Rousey found herself in Columbus, Ohio for her induction into the International Sports Hall of Fame during the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival. “Rowdy” Ronda was inducted alongside MMA legend Bas Rutten, host of “The Amazing Race” Phil Keoghan and acclaimed world powerlifting champions Dr. Terry Todd and Dr. Jan Todd.
Rousey also received her sixth degree black belt, while her mother, legendary judoka AnnMaria De Mars, received her seventh during the festival. Rousey took to Instagram to show gratitude for the amazing honors.
The festival, presented by WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzennegger, was founded in Columbus in 1989. The Arnold Sports Festival now features more than 18,000 athletes from 80 nations competing in 70 sports and events.
Also in attendance was Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, who posed for photos with Rousey and his daughter, Sophia, who he calls “Little Ronda.”
WWE.com congratulates Rousey on this incredible accomplishment.
– After his loss to John Cena on RAW last night, Goldust did an interview with Mike Rome in which he praised “The Leader Of The Cenation.” Goldust said possibly defeating Cena would allow him to point to the WrestleMania sign and punch his ticket for “The Show Of Shows.” Unfortunately for “Goldy,” that didn’t happen:
WWE Superstar Braun Strowman was recently interviewd by WTMJ-TV Milwaukee to promote last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. During the interview “The Moster Among Men” was asked about the origin of his in-ring name “Braun Strowman.”
The former Wyatt Family member’s real name is Adam Joseph Scherr and he is a former strongmen competitor. Strowman revealed that his ring name comes from Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun:
“Funny story, I wanted to meet Ryan Braun because that’s a big influence of where ‘Braun’ came from. I had pitched a bunch of ideas for names with the company and they turned them all down. It kind of got down to a time crunch, we need to figure out something out now.
“We were sitting around the [WWE] Performance Center and Sportscenter was on and they were talking about Ryan Braun and I was like ‘Braun, that sounds pretty good.’ I mean look at me, I’m 6’8 and 385 lbs., I mean Braun is pretty fitting.”
– USA Network made a major error during last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW in some parts of the country. After RAW General Manager Kurt Angle announced that a Triple Threat match for the Intercontinental Championship will be happening between The Miz, Seth Rollins, and Finn Balor at WrestleMania 34; RAW abruptly went off the air.
USA Network then began to air the next episode of “UNSOLVED: Who killed Biggie and Tupac?” Many fans missed Paul Heyman’s promo with Roman Reigns that closed the show. USA Network eventually realized the mistake and cut back to the live feed in Milwaukee while Heyman was in the middle of his promo.
– Also on last night’s RAW saw “Woken” Matt Hardy challenge Bray Wyatt to meet him at his Hardy Family Compound. The footage shown of the compound looked stunningly similar to that which was used in IMPACT Wrestling. Fans speculated on social media as to whether or not it was borrowed footage from the old IMPACT segments. Reby Hardy took to Twitter to shut those rumors down, claiming she filmed those clips herself last Tuesday:
– Backstage interviewer Renee Young was noticeably absent from last night’s RAW. A fan took to Twitter to ask Renee why she wasn’t there and she admitted that she was sick and had to miss the show. Young confirmed she’ll be at Fastlane and everything else after that:
WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman has issued a statement responding to sexual harassment allegations made by former ESPN anchor and legal analyst Adrienne Lawrence.
Click here to read our initial report on Adrienne Lawrence’s claims against ESPN and Coachman.
Coachman issued the following statement on Tuesday morning:
“I will address this only once because I am seething today. In 21 years of being a PROFESSIONAL I have never been more offended in my life. I my 9 years I can count on one hand the amount of times I interacted with anyone other than a co-anchor. To allow someone to spread vicious lies and flat out fabrications is not ok and it’s time someone stood up for themselves. @jemelehill addressed her lie last night. I am not a part of this lawsuit because I have never done anything wrong. My reputation speaks for itself and anyone that has ever worked with me will back that up. I am also offended that someone can dangerously throw peoples names into something for the clear attempt at getting headlines. This the only time I will address this because I am not a part of this lawsuit. My heart goes out to anyone falsely accused of anything. Trust me it doesn’t feel good. But most of you have been incredible and supportive. Onward and upward.”
