– Prior to last Monday’s Raw in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bayley wrestled at a WWE Main Event taping for the first time in her career. Taking on Sonya Deville, who was accompanied by Paige and Mandy Rose, Bayley scored the win.
Some fans see this as a demotion for the former Raw Women’s Champion since WWE Main Event is a secondary show and generally features mid-to-low card Raw wrestlers not involved in storylines. Bayley, however, considers it ‘a good thing’ that she’s on WWE Main Event.
In response to the criticism, she tweeted the following on Thursday night.
Guys…let’s get this straight…it’s a GOOD thing I was on #MainEvent. I’ll take any chance I can get to step inside the ring. Especially in a singles match and especially when it ends with a victory ?
– According to a report by F4WOnline.com, “a lot” of episodes of WCW Saturday Night will be added to the WWE Network in April.
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night television show that aired on TBS. Launched in 1971 by Georgia Championship Wrestling, the program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992. The program would air through August 2000.
The National Wrestling Alliance has announced a unique venture for reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis. Starting on Sunday, February 11th, Aldis will travel the globe and defend his championship against 20 opponents in a 2-month timeframe.
“The Aldis Crusade” will be documented by the NWA through it’s critically acclaimed series, 10 Pounds of Gold.
THE NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE and IDOLMANIA SPORTS MANAGEMENT PRESENTS THE ALDIS CRUSADE WITH TEN POUNDS OF GOLD
In an announcement made today via video, the current, reigning and defending NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis is embarking on a unique challenge with the famed Ten Pounds of Gold. Starting on Sunday, February 11th at Championship Wrestling From Hollywood, Nick Aldis is setting out to reestablish the idea of the traveling Worlds Heavyweight Champion. The gauntlet Aldis plans to run entitled the Aldis Crusade with Ten Pound of Gold will see the champion defend the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship over sixty days against twenty plus different opponents across different continents from North America, Europe and Asia.
Represented by the legendary Universal Heartthrob Austin Idol, Nick Aldis won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship on December 9th, 2017 joining the list of legends and Hall of Famers like Lou Thesz, Jack Brisco, Dory Funk Jr, Terry Funk, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Sting, Ricky Steamboat, AJ Styles, Ken Shamrock, Blue Demon Jr, Adam Pearce, Colt Cabana, Tim Storm and more to hold the Ten Pounds of Gold.
This entire crusade will be documented by the NWA through it’s critically acclaimed series TEN POUNDS OF GOLD at YouTube.com/NWA bringing you the matches, stories, and personalities of this Aldis Crusade. Details of the promotions, opponents and public appearances will be shared via Aldis and the NWA’s social media. The goal is to make this crusade an interactive journey using all platforms to connect fans with the most historic Worlds Championship in existence.
With WWE NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia in the history books, WWE officials are planning for the next special event.
NXT TakeOver: New Orleans is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 7, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Smoothie King Center and will air on the WWE Network.
Dave Meltzer speculated on the potential matches for the event, which is slated to go down the night before WrestleMania 34. Here is the rumored card:
Earlier this week, Impact Wrestling executive Ed Norholm confirmed to Newsweek that Bobby Lashley is no longer with the company. Nordholm admitted that he wanted to retain Lashley, but put him over as a great talent and wished him the best in his next step.
That next step is becoming more clear. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lashley is expected to appear on WWE programming “any time now.” Upon leaving Impact Wrestling, Lashley negotiated with both WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling before settling on WWE.
Going back to late 2016, Bobby Lashley has been talking about wanting to work with Brock Lesnar. According to Dave Meltzer, Lashley might finally get his wish after WrestleMania.
“The belief is that he will work with Lesnar after WrestleMania, although those close to the situation say the working with Lesnar is not 100 percent.”
– Wrestling Observer Newsletter
During an interview with the Fight Network that aired back in October, Lashley spoke passionately about his desire to work with Lesnar – whether in the ring or in a pro MMA fight. “Of the matchups that I think I need, I think that would be a good matchup,” said Lashley. “Because right now, Brock really doesn’t have anybody to wrestle. They’re just throwing people in there.”
Lashley took issue with people who complain about Lesnar’s part-time schedule. “Because if he stayed on there full time, What are they going to do, just squash everybody on the roster? You guys don’t have anybody to really challenge him. So, you need somebody legitimate and credible to go against Brock to make it make sense.”
Visit f4wonline.com for details on how you can subscribe to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
– Per WWE Stats & Info on Twitter, Shinsuke Nakamura made history at last weekend’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) by becoming the first-ever Japanese star to win the Royal Rumble match. He was also the first-ever to win the match entering at the 14th spot:
– WWE Superstar and 2018 Cricket Wireless Ambassador Sasha Banks recently did a Q&A at a Cricket Wireless store in Philadelphia earlier this week and discussed various topics. You can watch the full Q&A in the video player below:
Former WWE European Champion Sean “X-Pac” Waltman recently released another episode of his X-Pac12360 podcast. Waltman had former WWE Superstar Ken Anderson on as his guest. During the show Waltman gave his thoughts on the NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia main event between NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano:
“It was heartbreaking when he (Johnny Gargano) didn’t win. It was. It sucked, but it was so good. And Hunter (Triple H) told me, I hit him up afterward and he was like, ‘Yeah Gargano is the last of the white meat babyfaces.’ And that’s pretty much true right now. Not that there can’t be any more you know? But as far as what we have to choose from right now he’s the guy that kind of fits that. I don’t really see anyone else.”
Waltman also offered his thoughts on the return of the XFL and said it’s not a good idea to bet against it working this time:
“Well, I knew it was going to happen when Vince (McMahon) sold a bunch of stock, couple hundred million dollars in stock and started an LLC. They’ve given themselves two years to get this off the ground and last time they had two months. And I don’t think it’s a good idea to bet against this working. We just have to wait and see what happens. I’m just saying there is an appetite for that right now.”
You can listen to X-Pac’s full episode of X-Pac12360 hereby clicking this link .
Drama continues to brew surrounding the split of WWE’s David Otunga and Jennifer Hudson. Otunga’s attorney recently released the following statement to People regarding their split:
“Today, Jennifer requested and received a protective order against her ex-fiancé. Jennifer’s actions are solely taken in the best interest of their son [8-year-old David Daniel Otunga Jr.]. David Otunga has been trying to negotiate the terms of an amicable parenting agreement with Ms. Hudson for several weeks now.
“However, when it became apparent to Ms. Hudson that Mr. Otunga would be the parent granted residential care of the child, as a result of Mr. Otunga being the child’s primary caregiver while Ms. Hudson pursues her career all over the world, Ms. Hudson decided to file a meritless Petition for Order of Protection in an effort to gain an unfair advantage in the custody dispute.
“As a result of Mr. Otunga’s career in the WWE, Ms. Hudson felt that she could give an award winning performance in court to portray herself as the victim. Mr. Otunga has never abused or harassed Ms. Hudson or their son, and it is unfortunate, especially in today’s climate, that she would feel the need to make these false allegations against him. Mr. Otunga looks forward to his day in court and in being awarded the residential care of the parties’ only child.”
A custody battle for Otunga and Hudson’s child together, David Daniel Otunga Jr., is currently underway. Hudson claims that Otunga is unemployed and asked for a judge to make him find employment, as well as also keep a job diary. Hudson also said Otunga “essentially sits on the sofa and needs gainful employment so she doesn’t have to pay support.” (via TMZ)
Otunga fired back and said Hudson’s claim is ironic considering five years ago she gave him an ultimatum – choose between wrestling full-time or family. He also claims that he is employed by WWE, as he serves on various panels for the company and is also a commentator from time to time.
He is also working on other various entertainment projects. Otunga said it’s ‘nervy’ for Hudson to mention money when she makes between $8 million and $13 million per season on “The Voice.” Otunga then took a shot at Hudson by saying that while she’s focused on making money, he’s raising their child.
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry recently did an interview with 6 ABC Action News to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Henry was asked about potentially returning to the ring, to which he responded he make a Brett Favre-esk return sometime down the road:
“I might do a ‘Brett Favre.’ I might down the road, if my body feels right. Some young punks feel like they have too many words that they can’t back up, I might step back [in].”
As for his current role with WWE, “The World’s Strongest Man” says he’s trying to bring more awareness to WWE via their charities and programs:
“For the most part, my whole deal right now is trying to bring more awareness to the WWE, its charities, [and] its programs. Travel the world and introduce our business to people that don’t have the WWE. Our developmental franchise, NXT, I scout. There’s guys in the company now: Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, [and] Apollo Crews that I’ve helped cultivate, ya know and say, ‘Hey, that guy can do something. Bring him in.'”
Henry, a Texan, is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and was asked to give his Super Bowl prediction between Cowbys’ division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles and defending champion the New England Patriots. Henry said he’s picking the Eagles to take home the Lombardi Trophy this year:
“The Eagles are going to win. It’s just a known fact. As hard as it is to say, I have to go with Philly. Because they are in the NFC East and it proves the dominance of their division. [In] the NFC East, those guys chew each other up all season long. If you can come out of the East, you’ve got a pretty good chance of winning.”
You can read Henry’s full interview with 6 ABC Action News hereby clicking this link .
– It seems that Seth Rollins has been dealing with a back injury for some time now. Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that it’s currently unknown if “The Architect” will miss any ring time but it seems like for now he’s working through it. Rollins’ partner, Jason Jordan, is also dealing with an injury of his own. Jordan’s injury, however, is a neck injury and he has reportedly been having trouble with his grip.
– Alicia Fox suffered a broken tailbone prior to the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) and missed out on the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. PWInsider reports Fox is expected to miss several months from in-ring competition, and she’s very upset about missing the Women’s Rumble.
WWE Superstar Sasha Banks recently did an interview with on the latest episode of Hot Ones. “The Legit Boss” said that the harsh realities of WWE lay within the politics behind the company:
“I feel at ease when I’m in that square circle. The hardest reality is knowing that it’s a lot of politics, a lot of grueling grueling traveling, which I didn’t realize how hard that would be.”
Banks is also first cousins with Rap icon Snoop Dogg. She explained how she developed her nickname from always hearing Snoop’s body guards calling him “boss,” and she later evolved it into “The Legit Boss”:
“When I was around him, his bodyguards would always call him ‘boss’, and I was like, ‘That’s kind of catchy. That’s a good little nickname.’ So I was like, ‘Sasha Banks the Boss,’ and then it turned to ‘The Legit Boss.’ Any time he was with the WWE, I would call him and be like, ‘Please take me with you. I love this. Please, please, please.’ And I remember going with him at 2008, and he was doing rehearsals with the Divas at the time, and he was walking down the ramp. And I was following him behind like this, and I was walking down the WrestleMania ramp. I was 16 at the time and 25 doing it this year. Dreams really do come true.”
She also said that she uses ‘lots of wine’ to recover after a long and grueling match:
“Lots of wine. I love drinking wine after a match. It makes me really calm and relaxed.”
Banks resides in Boston, Massachusetts and explained her love for the historic city:
“I was in Boston when they won the Bruins championship. The whole town just came out of these restaurants and just went to the streets and started rallying…It was so crazy. That’s why I love Boston so much. Any time I go out in Boston and they say, ‘From Boston, Massachusetts…’ the crowd just erupts. I remember in my Hell in a Cell match with Charlotte, I lost it, and they were just dead silent. They couldn’t believe it. I thought they were going to start a riot. I’m like, ‘That’s Boston fans for you.'”
With Ronda Rousey now in WWE early reports suggest the company would like her first match to be a Mixed Tag Team match with a mystery partner, taking on the team of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. WWE would like The Rock to be Rousey’s partner given that he and Rousey worked an angle at WrestleMania 31 against McMahon and “The Game.” The Rock, however, is scheduled to begin filming his next movie, “Jungle Cruise” (based off the Disney theme park ride), in May.
Rock will co-star alongside Emily Blunt and the film will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Shooting for the movie wouldn’t begin until after WrestleMania but if The Rock wanted to compete in the match their could be some insurance issues. Producers of films offer insurance to actors in case of illness, injury, or even death during filming. NPR reports that delaying filming of a big-budget film for whatever reason could cost up to $250,000 a day.
“The Great One” suffered an injury during his WrestleMania 29 match with John Cena back in 2013. As a result he missed promotional work for his movie, “Pain & Gain”, and also delayed production of “Hercules” by several weeks. WrestleMania 29 was The Rock’s last legitimate match that he worked. He wanted to compete at WrestleMania 32 but the insurance company for the movie he was working on at the time had issues covering him. Instead he beat Erick Rowan in a six-second match after hitting him with a quick Rock Bottom for the three count.
If The Rock wants to compete at WrestleMania 34 it would depend on if he can get insured by the “Jungle Cruise” film. NPR noted that insurance for 10-12 actors could cost around $350,000 for a movie that has a budget of $100 million. That cost could shoot up to between $700,000 and $1 million if any of the actors are considered to be a “problem actor.” We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…
– During his interview with “Mean” Gene Okerlund on RAW 25 last month, WWE Champion AJ Styes mimicked Hulk Hogan in his promo. Per a report from Sports Illustrated, Styles did not take any heat for the segment as it was completely scripted.
Styles reportedly asked if he could mimic Hogan out of respect as they grew close to one another in TNA. It should also be pointed out that WWE put the clip on their YouTube channel, something they wouldn’t do if there was an issue with Styles’ promo:
– On last night’s episode of NXT Roderick Strong defeated Tyler Bate to become the new No. 1-contender for the WWE UK Championship. That title is currently held by Pete Dunne. Strong and Dunne had a brief encounter after the match backstage which you can check out below:
Just prior to the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) last month WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross did an interview with Philly Voice to talk about his appearance on RAW 25. “Good Ole’ JR” said he had a great time and addressed the controversy surrounding the event:
“I had a great time. When people read this, they’re going to think, ‘Well, how can J.R. say that he had a great time because of the controversy surrounding the presentation?’ I looked at is as going to a family reunion or class reunion, and you know at your class reunion, you’ve got all kinds of crazy classmates and you love to see them every now and then. That’s kind of how we all – we had a small crew at the Manhattan Center – so everybody got the chance to have plenty of time to visit and see how everyone’s doing and all that good stuff.
“It was very entertaining and very good for all of us. You just can’t take for granted that you’re going to be there next time. I said on my podcast tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and it certainly fit true on Monday in New York City. You know, as a broadcaster, I would have loved to call more matches. Of all the things I’ve done in wrestling, broadcasting and doing play-by-play is my favorite. So why wouldn’t I want to do more of what I believe I have the most fun doing? That’s how I looked at it. But it was a great day, you know, we were treated good at the hotel, the stuff us old guys like catering was good, no travel issues.
“It was a good trip and I was happy to be invited. And it was good to catch up with as many of the guys as I did. I was happy to call – I’m a big fan of Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt, both of those kids, kids to me – and I got to call that match. That was kind of neat. That tag match was kind of short, it was kind of backloaded. The Undertaker’s promo. So, you know, it’s just what it was. It’s no big deal. Some people are hell-bent on finding something to bitch about. I can’t find that, I don’t have that in me. It’s not how I feel.
“I went there for a different reason than people watching it on television or watching it in the arena. I went to work. And as a worker, so to speak, I’d like to have done more work. That’s all. Chalk it up to ego or whatever, but I would’ve liked to have done more work because it’s the most fun thing I do. And if people can’t get that, then they’re just not paying attention and I can’t help you.”
Ross and the WWE has had their fair share of ups and downs over the years, but through all their issues the longtime commentator is still able to remain loyal to the company:
“I was only reacting to how I was raised. My parents were both in my household under one roof until long after I got out of high school. That helped me. I had grandparents alive for most of my teenage years. So, it was how I was raised. I believe in commitment. I still believe in commitment. People have a different perception of this than I do. Life is way too short to worry about some of those experiences in my way of thinking. And there are things in my life that have happened that are a whole lot more significant and important than my reaction as to when I got let go or terminated.
“I had strong opinions, I wanted to change the world, revolutionize the business, all these glorious images in my head, so I wasn’t the easiest guy in the world to manage, either. So, if I had some of those situations with somebody else under my watch, I would’ve fired me, too. Second thing is, Vince [McMahon] kept his word with everything he’s ever told me. All my financial dreams were achieved thanks to my working in WWE. So, I’m very grateful for my situation there whether I’m part-time, full-time, or no time. I don’t see any other way to react and I don’t know why I would react any other way. That’s just me, man. I’ve had great experiences there and at 66 years of age, I’m still enjoying my relationship with WWE. I have no bitterness whatsoever.”
Ross also revealed his pick for this weekend’s Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Ross said he’s rolling with the “Bird Gang”:
“Here’s always been my philosophy – all the time I was married to my wife, she was a Steelers fan. Grew up in Pittsburgh, got a lot of Steelers stuff here in my house. There’s just no damn way if you’re a Steelers fan anytime in your life that you can ever cheer for the Patriots. So, I would not feel like I was honoring my wife’s memory very well if I cheered for the Patriots. But the other aspect of that is, is that the Eagles – I’m more of an NFC guy than an AFC guy quite frankly – and big Lane [Johnson] playing tackle and doing a hell of a job, by the way, that’s my dog in the hunt.
“He’s my “Big Dog” in the hunt, so I’m going to be cheering for the Eagles and it’ll be great to see a Sooner win a Super Bowl ring. That’s about as transparent as I can get. It’s all about the lines of scrimmage, offense and defense. That’s the whole ball game. The Foles thing is overthought. He’s a good quarterback and he’s not playing by himself. He won some games down the stretch that they needed to win, so I’m not worried about the quarterback play. I think the game is won and decided at the line of scrimmage, and I just think the Eagles have the advantage in that area.”
You can read Ross’ full interview with Philly Voice by clicking this link here.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett recently did an interview with ESPN to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Barnett was asked about making the switch from mixed martial arts (MMA) to professional wrestling, and having his first match with Yuji Nagata:
“When it came to moves, I mean, moves are moves. I think if you know how to suplex somebody, even in an amateur environment, how to throw people safely from judo, and the concepts of wrestling, it’s not really hard to then pick up [everything else]. It was all very easy to work with Nagata. He’s such a professional and so skilled, and so good at what he does.
“It was just a matter of learning the ring itself, the environment. There are a lot of subtle things that are very, very important in wrestling, and to pick those up just takes time and experience. The only way that I really feel is best to do that is to go on the road. I learned every day by showing up early and leaving late.”
Recently former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has made the jump to professional wrestling after signing with WWE. Barnett offered his thoughts on how he believes “The Rowdy One” will fare in her transition into the wrestling industry:
“If she’s passionate about it, and serious, her judo background gives her a great starting point. She already knows how to fall, how to throw other people, and move and throw. She’s already an incredible athlete. If she loves wrestling, really wants to be a student of it and make a go of it, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least that she could be a great wrestler.”
Barnett also explained how professional wrestling and MMA are actually very similar to one another:
“Honestly, I feel like the more entrenched into professional wrestling I got, it became apparent to me that it was really a part and parcel with MMA. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference at all. If anything, I refer to it as the other side of the same coin. So by treating wrestling more like MMA, in terms of training and in terms of thought process, it made things so much easier.
“Being able to be out there and live fully in that moment — [being] aware of the crowd, aware of your opponent — wrestling in Japan, going on tour and doing all of those matches, it made me a much better fighter. It allowed me to be more present in the ring, able to pick up on more subtle aspects from my opponent, from the environment itself, and to be that much more comfortable out there.”
You can read Barnett’s full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.
After being released from WWE last year following over a year-long run with the company, James Ellsworth appeared on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho, to talk about his time with the company. Ellsworth was signed after his July 25th, 2016 squash match appearance with Braun Strowman. He instantly became a fan favorite and was signed to a WWE deal shortly thereafter.
During the episode Ellsworth revealed some scrapped plans for him at the 2016 SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV). It was originally pitched to have him defeat Heath Slater for a WWE contract when the pair were both free agents:
“I get an email that says, ‘Hey, there’s an idea for you for SummerSlam. It’s Barclays Center; you could drive there from Baltimore.’ I’m thinking I’m gonna be a part of SummerSlam for two weeks. The Friday before SummerSlam, they’re like, ‘Hey, creative changed, we don’t have anything for you, hopefully, we’ll have something soon. I found out months after that what the SummerSlam thing was supposed to be. When Heath Slater didn’t get drafted by Raw or Smackdown, and he was a free agent.
“He was trying to get a contract out of them both, he was supposed to come out at SummerSlam, demanding, ‘Daniel Bryan, I want a contract!’ Daniel Bryan’s trying to make it easy for him. ‘All right, I’ll give you a Smackdown contract, all you have to do is beat this guy,’ and it was me! The idea was I was supposed to go over and I was supposed to win the contract.
“But what happened was Slater winded up getting babyface reactions before then, he was getting over as a babyface doing that angle. If they ever did anything with me, at first, they wanted me to be a babyface. But I was like, ‘Man, I almost had a SummerSlam match with Heath Slater!’ That would’ve been fun.”
You can listen to Ellsworth on Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.
As many of you may know, Jason Jordan has been dealing with a injury for the past several weeks that has limited his ability to perform inside the ring. At this past Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) Jordan left his tag team partner Seth Rollins to deal with The Bar on his own, and they dropped their RAW Tag Team Titles to the duo as a result.
Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the injury is more serious than it was originally believed to be. The report suggests Jordan is actually dealing with a neck injury, contrary to rumors suggesting he’s dealing with a bad back. Meltzer also noted that Jordan is having trouble with his grip, which is never a good sign. WWE has been protecting him to the best of their ability by limiting the amount of physicality he has inside the ring.
Jordan was originally planned for this month’s Elimination Chamber match but there’s currently no word if he’ll be left out of the bout due to his injury. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more……
– WWE Superstar Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs) made the following announcement on his Facebook page:
Tickets are on sales now to meet The Undertaker and Kane in Knoxville on March 1st. The event will be at Rothchild Catering & Conference Center, 8807 Kingston Pike, from 6:30pm until 8:30pm! Get your tickets here: https://kanetaker.eventbrite.com
I am pleased to announce another special guest coming to Knoxville on February 16. Multiple time world champion pro wrestler, lead singer of Fozzy and New York Times best-selling author Chris Jericho will be interviewing me for a special episode of the popular Talk Is Jericho podcast. We will conduct the interview with a live audience where you can submit your questions and meet Chris. All of this happens at the Clarion Inn, 5335 Central Avenue Pike, on February 16 from 7pm-9pm.
If you would like to attend both events, we are offering special Combo and VIP packages!
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!
– YouTube wrestling personality, Grim, of Grim’s Toy Show fat shamed WWE Superstar Nia Jax in a recently deleted video. Jax saw the video and called out Grim out on Twitter, leading to a ton of hate being tossed the YouTube personality’s way as a result:
I’m so sorry @NiaJaxWWE I feel like a total piece of crap now. I hope you will accept my apology and I will remove that video. I’m a huge fan of all involved in the women’s and Men’s rumble, sometimes I get carried away “trying” to be “shocking” ?? https://t.co/RZz4WGYQAg
— GRIM: Leader of BELT FEDERATION (@GrimsToyShow) February 1, 2018
Mad at me for fucking up, justifiable. But Telling me to kill myself is somehow not worse than fat jokes? Because I said a stupid joke it’s ok to tell me to committ suicide? https://t.co/AIpRN3KSwA
— GRIM: Leader of BELT FEDERATION (@GrimsToyShow) February 1, 2018
I messed up this time guys and I’m sorry. I’ll work very hard to be better. I sent an apology to @NiaJaxWWE and removed the video.
— GRIM: Leader of BELT FEDERATION (@GrimsToyShow) February 1, 2018
– On a recent edition of her podcast, Cigars, Scars And Superstars, former WWE Diva Terri Runnels talked about her appearance on RAW 25 and explained why she was ‘disappointed’ with it. Here’s what she had to say:
“To be honest, I was very disappointed, I really was. We were misused. I wanted for a brief moment some sincerity, and I didn’t like that it went straight to this cartoon crap. I felt like you’ve got a lot of talent and we are just standing there waving. We were misused, is the best way to say it, there is a better way for us to be used. It was disappointing because I loved my WWE/WWF family. It was a letdown.”
Runnels also said that she wasn’t the only one who felt let-down by the segment given to WWE’s women of the past:
We all kind of dropped our jaws and were like ‘you’ve got to be kidding me. I didnt hear anyone express anything different than what I just said to you.”
You can listen to Cigars, Scars And Superstars by clicking this link here.
– Zack Ryder recently took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on being left out of the 30-man Royal Rumble match this pats Sunday. Here’s what he had to say:
I’ve sat & watched a #RoyalRumble from backstage before. The last time it happened I went on to win the IC Title 3 months later at WrestleMania. I don’t complain about it. I don’t quit. I just keep working harder. I overcome. That’s the story of my career…the story of my life.
Local advertisements may have revealed the participants for the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center on the USA Network, Stephanie McMahon announced that the sports entertainment company would hold the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match next month. WWE Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss will defend her title in the match against five opponents. The winner of this match will then face Asuka at WrestleMania 34.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there is local market advertising in Las Vegas that has Bliss, Nia Jax, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose competing in the Women’s Elimination Chamber. Keep in mind that the WWE has yet to officially announce these names for the match.
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, February 25th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With reality setting in that Ronda Rousey is a WWE Superstar and will be the showpiece of WWE’s Women’s division for years to come, many are hypothesizing potential feuds for the former Women’s Bantamweight champion.
Another scenario that’s come up is the prospect of Brock Lesnar’s Advocate, Paul Heyman, providing similar services to the “Rowdy” WWE newcomer.
Last year (March 30, 2017), Heyman appeared on the Fight Society Podcast to discuss the possibility of Ronda Rousey in WWE. At the time, when asked if he’d be interested in working with Rousey, he sounded interested.
“I’d love to see it and would be happy to discuss with her all of the benefits that she could inure by being a Paul Heyman girl.” – Paul Heyman
WWE’s evil genius was also asked about prospective match-ups for Rousey in WWE.
“I would personally pay to see Charlotte [Flair] versus Ronda Rousey, “Heyman said. “I would personally pay to see Stephanie McMahon versus Ronda Rousey for a completely different reason but why digress. I think Ronda Rousey doing anything in WWE is a natural fit.”
The fact that we could very likely see Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte or even Rousey vs. Stephanie is still surreal, but we’re not complaining.
You can listen the full interview of Paul Heyman’s thoughts on Ronda Rousey in WWE (from last year) here:
Do you think Ronda Rousey should align herself with Paul Heyman? Comment below and tell us what you think!
Epico Colon recently underwent shoulder surgery in Alabama and will be out of action for an undetermined amount of time.
The 35-year-old’s last WWE match was on the January 21st, 2018 house show in Greenville, North Carolina. The Colons lost in a triple threat match to the Bludgeon Brothers in a match which also involved the Ascension.
Surgery done!!!! Thank you to my lovely wife, mom and son for being there for me!!! And Dr Dugas for an awesome job!! Now time to rehab and get better! pic.twitter.com/80xO8QrKdv
The Colons have not appeared on WWE television since the Money in the Bank PPV this summer. They have worked house shows and dark matches, however.
Primo and Epico are technically part of the Smackdown brand despite having not actually appeared on the show since June. The last time the Colons won a match (on TV or house shows) was on April 18th, 2017 when they defeated American Alpha on Smackdown.
Since Ronda Rousey’s appearance in the final moments of Royal Rumble 2018 Sunday night, several members of the women’s roster have made negative public statements regarding how it was handled.
Nia Jax, Nikki Bella, and Sasha Banks have all had disparaging comments regarding how Rousey debuted. How much of this is part of story line and how much is their genuine reaction, however, is not currently known.
Natalya has long been considered a locker room leader and she recently spoke to TV Insider magazine about the reaction backstage to Ronda’s debut.
Natalya on Ronda Rousey’s Debut
Natalya and Ronda go back years and so Natalya commented about her first reaction to seeing her backstage Sunday.
“To me, just seeing her backstage as a friend, I picked her up off the ground when I saw her. It’s not my place to say if it was right or wrong. The other girls and I, we all have our own opinions. We can speak our minds. It’s a free country. For me, more than anything, I was just happy to see my friend…”
In regards to how the locker room feels about Rousey overall, Natalya says there is nothing but respect for her backstage.
“I’ll tell you one thing, because I am in the women’s locker room. There is nothing but respect towards Ronda, no matter how anyone felt [about] how they debuted her. I think we are all excited about having her there, because there are so many possibilities of what we can do with her. We are all wondering if she is going to be on Raw or SmackDown. I really want to work with her, because I know we would tear it up.”
Tonight the 1st episode of Impact Wrestling taped after Don Callis, Scott D’Amore, and Ed Nordholm we’re announced as the new management team will air. The tapings were held in Orlando earlier this month.
Much has been made of the many departures from the company in recent weeks. In addition to EC3 and Bobby Lashley’s exit, long-time on-air personality, Jeremy Borash, has also left. The company’s management team recently spoke to Newsweek magazine about the recent departures.
Callis, D’Amore, and Nordholm on Changes to Roster
“[Borash] is leaving and joining the WWE,” Nordholm told Newsweek. “We wish him all the best. He’s a talented guy and has been with the company forever. But we have a lot of talented guys—change is good and it gives other guys a chance to step up.”
“This company has historically given new people opportunities,” said D’Amore. “We always wish Jeremy well. I got one of my first breaks [from him]—Jeremy hired me to be a producer at World Wrestling All-Stars. But we have editors on our team who don’t get the notoriety that Jeremy does. We have great players ready to step up.”
The management team was also asked about the departure of EC3. Don Callis stressed that while EC3 is talented, the company has also signed several other talented performers lately.
“He’s a talented guy, but change is good,” said Callis. “Yes, EC3 left, but Brian Cage came in, Johnny Impact came in, Austin Aries returned.”
D’Amore mentioned that EC3’s contract had not expired but the two sides agreed to part ways regardless.
“His contract was not up. He came to us, we had a frank discussion about where he saw himself going,” said D’Amore. “We decided to sit down and work something out that worked for us on how we’d wrap up this portion of his career.
“I didn’t watch NXTTakeOver but when he showed up on screen and my phone started blowing up, I texted him: ‘Congratulations. All the best to you. You’ve got nothing but love and support from us here. And if you need anything, you know where we are.’ And he wrote back the same thing.”
In regards to Bobby Lashley’s departure, Ed Nordholm was quick to praise the MMA fighter/wrestler.
“Bobby is free to figure out what he wants to do next, whether it be wrestling or mixed martial arts. We wish him all the best,” said Nordholm. “He’s a great talent, it’s foolish to say, ‘No, we wouldn’t want to retain him,’ but he has his own ambitions about what he thinks is good for him next in his career.”
WWE held three qualifying matches for the Men’s Elimination Chamber match on this week’s episode of Raw which were won by Braun Strowman, Elias, and John Cena respectively.
Since then people have been guessing which superstars will fill in the rest three spots and earn an opportunity to compete for a shot at Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship.
If reports from Wrestling Observer are to be believed, the remaining three spots in the Chamber match will be filled by Jason Jordan, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns.
All three of these men are expected to earn their place in the bout via qualifying matches on Raw next week.
As reported before Roman Reigns is expected to challenge Brock Lesnar for his title at WrestleMania this year so he is most likely to win the upcoming cage match.
A Women’s Elimination Chamber match for the Raw Women’s Championship has also been announced for the show but so far Alexa Bliss is the only participant confirmed for the bout.
WWE Elimination Chamber will take place on February 25, 2018, at T-Mobile Arena in the Las Vegas Valley, in Paradise, Nevada
Three more wrestlers are gone from Impact Wrestling: Ava Storie, Idris Abraham, and Mario Bokara.
On Wednesday, the company updated its active roster page on ImpactWrestling.com with new promotional graphics and Storie, Abraham and Bokara were moved to the Alumni section. All three wrestlers had not appeared for Impact Wrestling since last summer.
Storie, who is 21 years old, joined Impact Wrestling last March after starting her career the year before on the independents under the name Brandi Lauren. The company introduced her as Kayci Quinn and in her debut match, she took on Brandi Rhodes in a bout that ended in a no contest. On Impact Wrestling on April 6, 2017, she wrestled in a gauntlet battle royal to decide the No. 1 contender to the Knockouts Championship (ODB won the match). She also wrestled at One Night Only: Victory Road – Knockouts Knockdown, where she lost to Angelina Love in a singles match.
The company changed her name to Ava Storie on the April 20, 2017, edition of Impact Wrestling, as she unsuccessfully challenged Christina Von Eerie for the GFW Women’s Championship. She then lost four consecutive matches to Laurel Van Ness. Storie was last used at the August television tapings, where she picked up her only win in the company against Amber Nova before putting over Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie in separate matches.
Abraham, who is from Ontario, Canada, joined Impact Wrestling last March after wrestling for various independent promotions in both Canada and the United States for six years. He competed in the Super X Cup but did little else of note as he was primarily used as an enhancement wrestler in the X Division. He last appeared for Impact in July 2017.
Bokara is a 37-year-old Croatian-American wrestler from New Jersey with over 17 years of wrestling experience. He made his debut on the March 23, 2017, episode of Impact Wrestling, teaming with Fallah Bahh and Abraham in a losing effort to Mahabali Shera, Garza Jr., and Laredo Kid. He mostly teamed with Bahh, but the two never won a match together. He wrestled some singles matches as well but lost them all. Bokara made his last appearance for Impact in August 2017, where he and Bahh put over Dave and Jake Crist.
