Home Blog Page 2092

Lucha Underground Preview: “No Mas”

Staff
-
1

https://youtu.be/ISg7IaXmAuI

The following is the El Rey Network’s official preview for tonight’s episode of Lucha Underground:

THE TEMPLE’S FIRST EVER “NO MAS” MATCH HITS BOYLE HEIGHTS IN AN ALL NEW EPISODE OF ‘LUCHA UNDERGROUND’

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4th AT 8:00 PM ET/PT ON EL REY NETWORK  

For the first time ever in “Lucha Underground” history, Sexy Star battles Mariposa for an Aztec Medallion in a spectacular “No Mas” match. While Catrina confronts Dario Cueto, the remaining highflying luchadors battle it out for the other unclaimed medallions! Tune in Wednesday, May 4th at 8:00pm ET/PT on El Rey Network to witness the action for another explosive week. Don’t miss new one-hour episodes of the lucha libre wrestling series from Emmy Award®-winning producer Mark Burnett Wednesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT.

Sin Cara Unmasked During Match, Who Showed Support For Ryback?

Staff
-
32

– One of the top stories of the week is Ryback’s ongoing contract dispute with WWE and his Tumblr post from Tuesday about what he feels is an unfair pay structure for WWE performers. While you can be sure there are people in the WWE locker room who agree with Ryback’s positions, the only person to publicly show their support is Cameron. She tweeted:

https://twitter.com/WWECameron/status/727602341512237056

Meanwhile, Lucha Underground star Brian Cage also voiced his support:

Ryback’s WWE contract is expiring this summer and he’s rumored to be gearing up for a legal battle with WWE over the “Ryback” trademark.

– Sin Cara was unmasked at Tuesday night’s WWE Main Event tapings. The mask came off during his match against Baron Corbin. As soon as his face was revealed, Sin Cara scrambled to put the mask back on.

Sin Cara is currently portrayed by Jorge Arias, who used to wrestle for WWE without a mask as Hunico:

Hunico-Wrestler-Image

WWE Superstar Returning This Week With A New Gimmick & Manager (Spoiler)

Eric Lynch
-
38

WWE is repackaging a former Tag Team Champion with a Hall of Famer. Darren Young is being paired up with former WWE World Champion Bob Backlund in a storyline to “Make Darren Great Again.”

In a backstage segment taped on Tuesday night for this week’s SmackDown, Young asked the former World Champion to be his “life coach.” Backlund accepted, and gave him the “Make Darren Great Again” catch phrase based on Donald Trump’s slogan. This will be Backlund’s first appearance on WWE TV since April 2014.

Darren Young has been with WWE since the first season of NXT in 2010, where he was mentored by CM Punk. Young and Titus O’Neil won the WWE Tag Team Championships back in June of 2015 at Money In The Bank.

The segment with Backlund and Young will air on Thursday night on the USA Network.

Adam Rose Posts Doctor’s Note Addressing 60-Day Suspension

David Bixenspan
-
50

A couple weeks ago, WWE performer Ray Leppan, best known as Adam Rose, posted a vague note about his second suspension for a failed drug test under the WWE Talent Wellness Program. In that letter, he promised to post a full response later along with one from his doctor, all while expressing concern that:

  • WWE might punish him further.
  • His children, who just lost their aunt to heroin addiction, could see that he failed a drug test and get the wrong idea.

Tonight, Leppan tweeted the note that his doctor sent to WWE, along with a follow-up:

https://twitter.com/WWEAdamRose/status/727624876794753024

https://twitter.com/WWEAdamRose/status/727635634630856705

The gist is that Rose/Leppan was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder a year ago and has been taking Adderall (dextromethamphetamine) ever since as directed to treat the condition. He swears that WWE has known about this the whole time. While FDA approved for ADHD, Adderall is a banned substance because it’s an amphetamine with high abuse potential, but obviously Rose/Leppan and his doctor are saying that there was no abuse here. Also note that his doctor is, in fact, a psychiatrist, so he’s not just getting this from his general practitioner.

WWE SmackDown Spoilers For May 5, 2016

Eric Lynch
-
28

WWE invades The Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO to tape the May 5th, 2016 episode of SmackDown. This episode will mark the return of Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel segment, with guest Sami Zayn.

WWE Main Event:

– Titus O’Neil def. Damien Sandow

– Apollo Crews def. Viktor

– Baron Corbin def. Sin Cara. Sin Cara accidentally lost mask during the match, but got it back on.

– Dolph Ziggler def. Stardust with a superkick.

WWE SmackDown:

– Jojo is the ring announcer for tonight’s taping. The show opens up with Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel. Jericho cuts a promo on Dean Ambrose before he brings out his guest Sami Zayn. They’re quickly interrupted by The Miz and Maryse, which infuriates Jericho. Jericho calls everyone idiots and walks out on his show. Zayn and Miz get in each other’s faces, and we have a match.

– Sami Zayn def. The Miz via DQ. Kevin Owens was on commentary for the match, and he ended up running in to attack Zayn for the disqualification. Cesaro ran out for the save and cleared the ring.

– Backstage, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson tell AJ Styles he needs to get a little extreme if he wants to beat Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules. Styles says he needs to have a chat with Reigns first.

– The Vaudevillains def. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. Big Cass comes out clears the ring with powerbombs after the match.

– Natalya and Becky Lynch def. Emma and Charlotte w/ Ric Flair. The finish came when Emma tapped to the Sharpshooter from Natalya.

– Styles finds Reigns in the back and asks if he’s going to get involved in The Usos vs. Gallows & Anderson tonight. Reigns says he’s the champion and he’ll do what he wants.

– Rusev def. Zack Ryder in a short match. Lana and Rusev celebrate after the match until Kalisto runs down, hits a corkscrew forearm on Rusev, then runs back out.

– In the back, Fandango tries to show Goldust new dance moves. R-Truth and Tyler Breeze confront them and they end up dancing together.

– Darren Young approaches Bob Backlund and asks him to be his new life coach. The WWE Hall of Famer says yes, and their new catch phrase is “Make Darren Great Again.”

– Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson w/ AJ Styles vs. The Usos w/ Roman Reigns ends in a no contest after Anderson kicks Reigns in the face while he’s standing at ringside. Reigns hits the ring and the match ends in a DQ, leading to a six-man tag match.

– Reigns & The Usos def. Styles, Gallows & Anderson after Reigns speared Anderson for the win. The Usos held Styles’ legs so he couldn’t break the pin, and the show ends with a stare-down between Styles and Reigns.

Tamina Undergoes Surgery For Torn Ligaments

Daniel Pena
-
17

Tamina underwent surgery on Monday in Miami, Florida to repair torn ligaments from an injury she suffered last week. This is according to her manager, Dany Garcia.

Tamina responded to her tweet this afternoon with the following.

Tamina last wrestled on Apr. 23, in a multi-women tag team match. The event took place in Malaga, Spain and was the final show of WWE’s tour of Europe.

Shane McMahon Tell All Podcast Hosted By Mick Foley Scheduled For 5/23

Staff
-
10

WWE sent out a programming alert on Tuesday announcing the next “podcast” special. The “Shane McMahon Tell All Podcast” hosted by Mick Foley premieres on the WWE Network on Monday, May 23rd immediately following RAW.

Starting in August, Foley and his daughter Noelle will star in their own WWE Network series, Holy Foley. For more information on that show, click here.

RAW Viewership Increases The Night After Payback

Staff
-
13

Monday’s 5/2 edition of WWE RAW averaged 3,433,000 viewers, an increase from last week’s 3,128,000 viewers. The rating was a 2.35, up from last week’s 2.2.

The show featured fallout from Payback, including Shane and Stephanie McMahon in charge. The main event saw AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Roman Reigns & The Usos.

Here’s the hourly breakdown:

  • Hour 1: 3,458,000
  • Hour 2: 3,457,000
  • Hour 3: 3,383,000

‘Global Cruiserweight Series’ Participant Announced For PROGRESS Super Strong Style 16 Tournament

Jake Skudder
-
0

PROGRESS have announced the next participant in the Super Strong Style 16 tournament, and it is Zack Sabre Jr, he now joins the following competitors in the two day event:

  • Sami Callihan
  • Mikey Whiplash
  • Mark Haskins
  • Tommy End
  • Pete Dunne
  • Rampage Brown
  • Matt Cross (Son of Havoc)

Editorial: The British Are Coming

Jake Skudder
-
14

The British independent wrestling scene has never been better and produced more stars than right now. There are a litany of streaming outlets for domestic and international fans to enjoy and even the WWE have recognised the potential in the likes of PROGRESS and Revolution Pro, asking them to host qualifying matches for the Global Cruiserweight Series.

If you’ve never had the chance to check out the UK scene and the talent we have on offer then here are some names to get you started:

Zack Sabre Jr

As one of the biggest names to emerge from England, Zack Sabre Jr is the modern representation of the ‘World of Sport’ days of UK wrestling. His ability to lock in devastating submissions from multiple angles coupled with an MMA styled striking approach compare to the ROH days of Bryan Danielson and have seen him compete for companies across the globe.

Currently one of the highlights of the ever growing EVOLVE promotion, Sabre Jr looks set to break out onto the world stage as a featured attraction in the WWE Global Cruiserweight Series, check out the episode of Rev Pro TV below to see Zack take on recent NXT signee Shinsuke Nakamura:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q32CmYvWkD8

If you’d like to check some more Zack Sabre Jr matches then these are the ones to hunt down:

  • VS Chris Hero at PWG Mystery Vortex II
  • VS Roderick Strong at PWG Don’t Sweat the Technique and EVOLVE 45
  • VS Prince Devitt at PROGRESS Chapter 13 – (Available for free on Youtube)

‘The Villain ‘Marty Scurll 

Current PROGRESS World Champion Marty Scurll knows what it takes to be a great heel, his transition from ‘Party Marty’ to ‘The Villain’ has completely transformed and elevated his star power to where he is main eventing across the UK.

His feud with Will Ospreay has been one of the reasons the UK scene has such a buzz at the moment, their match at PROGRESS Chapter 25 where Marty took the PROGRESS title started a succession of great contests including a bout at Rev Pro’s High Stakes that arguably stole the show (the main event was AJ Styles against ZSJ) through to their Wrestlemania weekend bout at Wrestlecon.

For a small glimpse of Marty’s brilliance check out this match from Rev Pro TV against his arch nemesis Will Ospreay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWlDnEPL2aM

Other MS matches to check out are:

  • VS AJ Styles (C) vs Will Ospreay  – Revolution Pro Uprising 2015 (this is one of the best matches I have ever seen live)
  • Vs Will Ospreay  – Revolution Pro Wrestling High Stakes 2016 
  • 9 MAN THUNDERB*STARD MATCH – PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter  2016 (purely for Marty’s shenanigans)

Will Ospreay

Having recently signed for NJPW as the newest member of CHAOS, Will Ospreay looks set to rise rapidly to the top, he has an unbelievable amount of athletic ability and being in his early twenties he has a good amount of time to build his reputation on the world stage.

The highlight of his UK run is arguably his match with Jimmy Havoc at PROGRESS Chapter 20. After a year of dominating the main event scene; Havoc dropped the title in spectacular fashion after a gruelling match involving multiple chair strikes, thumbtacks and a 630 Senton from Ospreay.

Check out this match with Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) from Rev Pro TV #8 below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2jLaiMiF9w&feature=youtu.be

Other WO matches to check out are:

  • VS Kazuchika Okada – RPW Global Wars UK (the match that got him signed to New Japan)
  • VS Matt Sydal – RPW Summer Sizzler 2015 (the first Ospreay match I was lucky enough to see live)
  • VS Mark Andrews – PWG BOLA 2015

Thanks for reading, are there any names from the UK scene that you see making it big anytime soon? Leave a comment and let me know!

Ryback Details WWE Contract Dispute, Unhappiness With WWE Pay Structure

David Bixenspan
-
120

In light of the news breaking that Ryback (Ryan Reeves) is leaving WWE and pulled from TV pending the expiration of his contract in a few months, he poured his heart out in a blog post on Tumblr, which he shared via his verified Twitter account. Here’s the full statement:

Feed Me More

Today I sit and fly home and for the first time in years feel absolutely free. I will start by saying I did request to be taken off of WWE television until myself and Vince could get a yes or no on a new deal. This has been going on since my IC Title run and had been nothing but a major strain on my life as all I ever wanted to do was work for WWE. I was told to head home until we agree or not agree to specific terms and contrary to reports it isn’t over money or a bus that stuff was settled a while ago. It comes down to a major problem I have with not only WWE but wrestling in general.

Wrestling is pre determined, we as performers know before we go out to that ring or perform a backstage scene who is winning and losing etc or have a general idea of what we are going to say. It blows my mind how in a sport which is pre determined from a company standpoint winners are paid so much more than the losers. Every single person who works for WWE from top to bottom is absolutely just as valuable as the next. The winners cannot win unless the losers go out there and agree to lose to them.

It blows my mind that in this day and age though we still adhere to this formula. Obviously things have always been this way, but does that make them right? Times have changed and our goal as humans should be to evolve and learn from our past and the past of others so we could make this world a better place. Why is it a guy who is told he is going to go out and lose and does everything he is told be paid not only less, but much less than said winner over a period of time. Every single performer for WWE sacrifices the same amount of time from home and their families and every single man or women goes out and does what they are told. Looking at this formula though losers turn into what fans like to call jobbers and their value decreases in the companies eyes and before you know it they get released. For what? For doing exactly as they are told!

Why not pay the talent equally? The winners have more MERCH as it is or are supposed to anyways so they get that extra perk, but why make the guy who is told to and agrees to lose earn less and sacrifice spots in big pay per view match ups etc. This is one of the major problems with wrestling and WWE today. Most guys take great satisfaction in helping making other talent, the bitching and the moaning we always hear about stems from the fact they know they are ultimately over time going to make less and live in fear of being released.

I am proud to say I have never gone to change a finish and have gladly took pride in helping put over other talent. Hell look at my pay per view record of 12-26 and you will see that has been the pattern of my career. I have always been confident in my ability and work ethic to being my best every day and ultimately always felt that by doing good it was the right thing to do. Personally seeing my money go down over the years though even though I was working as much as ever and being denied magazine covers and other projects as well as watching my role diminish no matter what I did or how hard I tried takes its toll on a human. Being told no matter how hard I work or how good I get doesn’t always pay off is something I fucking refuse to ever believe in my life. I am a creative being and to be restricted time and time again is no way to live life. There is nothing I cannot do and I know no matter what comes of this situation I am going to be just fine. It isn’t soley about money, it is about commitment. Commitment to a guy who fucking cares and who loves this more than anything in the world and wants to know that his passion his efforts and his determination to constantly improve is going to be recognized and taken care of.

WWE may very well release me, which if it is the case so be it. If we can work things out a lot needs to change as I am not living in fear and creatively cannot continue to live a life that limits me creatively. I have many other interests and passions and have been very smart with my finances over the years. I thank every WWE superstar from top to bottom for their sacrifices and for working with me. The world is an amazing place and there is more than just a WWE universe there is The Universe and I will prove one way or another over time I am the greatest big guy in the universe!

Sami Zayn On Not Working With Shinsuke Nakamura Before NXT Takeover

Jonathan Fisher
-
9

Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura had arguably the “Match of the Year” inside the WWE at NXT Takeover Dallas.

Fans all around the world were anticipating a spectacle, and both men delivered in a major way. Millions watched as Nakamura’s WWE NXT debut was everything they expected it to be, and more. It was also Zayn’s final match in NXT, which was a somber, but exciting moment.

What’s interesting is how the match came to be behind the scenes. On a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, Sami Zayn revealed that he and Nakamura didn’t interact before their match at NXT Takeover.

“I think I met him literally once. And we’ve had very parallel careers. He started [at] the same time as me. I think I started two months before him or something. [Him] 14 years, me 14 years. He was in New Japan. I never worked New Japan, so we never worked. We’ve met maybe once. We never touched and I remember Matt Bloom, who’s head of the WWE Performance Center now was saying, ‘Hey, maybe you guys want to get in the PC and spar a little or something like that. I don’t want the first time you guys get in the ring ever, the first time you touch, to be at this big match.’ And unbeknownst to me, Nakamura said the same thing I said, ‘No, no, no. I prefer that,’ which is a dangerous thing, but it’s what I know. Yes, I prefer for the first time to be in the show, instead of a ‘Hey, lets feel it out in the ring’ [and] feel how this guy moves and stuff. So we ended up putting something together.’” – Sami Zayn

Knowing the back story to Zayn and Nakamura’s match at NXT Takeover Dallas immediately makes it more impressive.

It’s a known fact that there are wrestlers who don’t like to outline a match move by move. Clearly, neither of those men like to either and it was one of the greatest matches in NXT history.

WWE Posts Highlights of Noam Dar’s ‘Global Cruiserweight’ Qualifying Match (RevPro)

Jake Skudder
-
4

In another huge boost for the British wrestling scene the WWE have released footage from Rev Pro’s Live at the Cockpit 8 event showing Noam Dar secure his place in the Global Cruiserweight Series tournament.

Dar defeated longtime British standout Josh Bodom to earn himself a place in the highly anticipated WWE Network specials.

Dar dedicated his performance to longtime friend and British wrestling great Kris Travis who passed from cancer the day that Noam was announced as a competitor in the tournament.

https://twitter.com/NoamDar/status/726850162610593792

The Elite Celebrates Their Dontaku Win, Omega-Tanahashi Ladder Match

Staff
-
0

– Following last night NJPW Wrestling Dontaku show, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks posted a video bragging about recapturing the NEVER Openweight Tag Team Championships.

– Speaking of Omega, he’ll be defending his Intercontinental championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at an upcoming show.

https://twitter.com/newjapaneng/status/725487053643878401

NJPW Announce Blocks for Best Of The Super Juniors Tournament

Jake Skudder
-
0

New Japan have announced the participants in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, the annual tournament taking place between May 21 and June 7 showcases some of the best competitors in the world including BOSJ debutants Matt Sydal, Volador Jr. and Will Ospreay. Last year’s final saw Kushida defeat Kyle O’Reilly in a match that appeared on many MOTY award lists.

The tournament is split into 2 blocks (A and B) and this year they are:

BLOCK A

  • Bushi
  • Gedo
  • Kushida
  • Kyle O’Reilly
  • Matt Jackson
  • Matt Sydal
  • Rocky Romero
  • Ryusuke Taguchi

BLOCK B

  • Beretta
  • Bobby Fish
  • Jushin Thunder Liger
  • Nick Jackson
  • Ricochet
  • Tiger Mask IV
  • Volador Jr.
  • Will Ospreay

There are a number of exciting and intriguing matches taking place during the initial Block phase of the tournament, including an EVOLVE 59 rematch between Ricochet and Will Ospreay and Kushida and Kyle O’Reilly facing off again in a rematch of last year’s final.

Who do you think will win this year’s tournament? Leave a comment below and let us know!

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2016 Results From Fukuoka, Japan (5/3)

Staff
-
3

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Results from Fukuoka, Japan (5/3)

Results are courtesy of PuroresuSpirit.net The event is now available for on-demand viewing via New Japan’s streaming service at NJPWWorld.com.

– Bullet Club’s Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Juice Robinson & Captain New Japan.

– Will Ospreay, Sakuraba, YOSHI-HASHI & Gedo defeated Tiger Mask IV, Ryusuke Taguchi, Jay White & David Finlay in an eight-man tag match.

https://twitter.com/senorlariato/status/727413673464049664

– Ricochet & Matt Sydal re-captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag titles by defeating Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta.

https://twitter.com/teamtblanchard/status/727470120780464128

– The Elite (Kenny Omega & Young Bucks)  re-captured the NEVER Openweight tag titles by defeating Tanahashi, Michael Elgin & Yoshitatsu.

https://twitter.com/senorlariato/status/727424693431623680

– IWGP World tag champions Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defeated Togi Makabe & Honma.

– Yuji Nagata captured the NEVER Openweight championship from Shibata.

– IWGP Jr. Hvt. champion KUSHIDA defeated Jushin Liger.

https://twitter.com/senorlariato/status/727447658445545473

– EVIL beat Hirooki Goto.

– Kazuchika Okada defeated Sanada.

https://twitter.com/deathtoallmarks/status/727458876271001600

– IWGP World Heavyweight champion Naito defeated Tomohiro Ishii to retain the IWGP World Title. After the match, Okada issued a challenge to Naito for the IWGP title.

https://twitter.com/deathtoallmarks/status/727468912418410496

SmackDown Spoilers Tonight, Episode 2 Of Camp WWE, Backstage RAW Videos & More

Staff
-
12

– WWE will tape SmackDown and Main event tonight from Kansas City, MO at The Sprint Center. On SmackDown, Sami Zayn will be Chris Jericho’s guest on the Highlight Reel. Check back later tonight for our live coverage of the tapings.

– AJ Styles talk to Jonathan Coachman’ tonight on ESPN SportsCenter.

– Episode 2 of Camp WWE is titled “Not Without My Eyebrow” and focuses on The Rock. ‘Panic ensues after someone shaves off The Rock’s eyebrow and Ric Flair is tasked with helping The Great One regain his mojo.’ It premieres Sunday on the WWE Network (on demand).

– WWE has released the following backstage videos from RAW:

Impact Preview: Jeff Hardy, James Storm, Trevor Lee In Action

Staff
-
0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS84TATKSew

The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s episode of TNA Impact Wrestling on Pop TV:

  • Jeff Hardy vs. Mike Bennett.
  • James Storm vs. Abyss.
  • King of the Mountain champion Bram vs. Eli Drake vs. Jessie Godderz vs. Robbie E vs. Andrew Everet
  • Knockouts champion Jade vs. Sienna
  • X-Division champion Trevor Lee vs. Mandrews

Also appearing are TNA Champion Drew Galloway, Bobby Lashley, Maria Kanellis and Decay.

Crazzy Steve Re-Signs With TNA, Robbie E. & Girlfriend Expecting Twins

Staff
-
14

– TNA has announced on Monday that Crazzy Steve of Decay has re-signed with the company.

– Robbie E, who also recently re-signed with TNA, announced on Twitter that he and his girlfriend are expecting twins.

Jim Ross Blogs About Stephanie & Shane Running RAW, Payback, Enzo’s Injury

Staff
-
5

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. JR called Payback an enjoyable show overall that highlighted several performers who delivered. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles: “Roman Reigns and AJ Styles did their part and more in closing the show in a solid and at times spectacular fashion. I felt that match, in hindsight, had a few more ‘near falls’ for my taste, but it’s better to miss on that side of the equation than for wrestlers to rarely attempt to win a match. Both men demonstrated an intense work ethic and even though and the extra involvement by Gallows, Anderson, and the Usos might not have been everyone’s favorite BBQ Sauce it allowed our more talents to get a bit of a rub from the main event.”

Enzo Amore’s Injury: “After Enzo Amore sustained a concussion after being apparently knocked out thanks to a stiff ring rope/cable and the show slowed to a halt early, the talents rebounded and seemingly put the show back on track. Luckily for Enzo, a talented and tough kid, that he was not seriously injured, but I’m not saying  that a concussion isn’t serious because they obviously are. I’m a major fan of Enzo and Cass and expect great things from them in the future.”

Shane and Stephanie Running RAW: “While I am looking forward to Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon being the CO-GM’s of RAW and hopefully an eventual departure from the 20+ year run of antagonist authority figures in WWE on RAW, the segment felt a bit long for me. While fantasy booking this scenario, it’s hard to not to picture a Shane vs. HHH match at some point in time.   “

Becky Lynch Interview: Getting Nervous Before Her Matches, Dating, Life After Wrestling

Staff
-
10

Becky Lynch recently spoke with Ashley Benson of XObenzo.com. Here are the highlights:

– She still gets nervous before her matches. “Every single time. There were two matches I wasn’t nervous for, and they were the worst matches ever. Every time I get the butterflies I thank God.”

– Life on the road makes it difficult for her to date. “It is not easy because of the constant travel, being on the road five days a week is very tough. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to find someone who gets it.”

– She’s already got a plan for when her days inside the ring are over. “Eventually I would love to open a café or restaurant in New York City. I want to create a good life for myself and the people I love, stay true to myself while making the world a little better.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Monday Night Raw 5/2/2016 Reaction

Robert Lentini
-
38

This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw kicked off with Stephanie McMahon coming down to the ring holding a gift bag. Shane McMahon interrupted her immediately and Stephanie laughed it off. Stephanie McMahon gives Shane the gift which turns out to be the framed photo Vince McMahon smashed with his foot, only she had it fixed up. Kevin Owens comes down to the ring and demands a shot at the Intercontinental Championship. Eventually, Cesaro comes down and says Kevin Owens cost him the title last night at WWE Payback. Stephanie and Shane McMahon then make a match between Owens and Cesaro to determined the number one contender to the Miz.

Cesaro vs Kevin Owens

The Miz and Maryse joined the announcer’s table for this match. It was only a matter of time before he got involved in the match. Cesaro attacked the Miz outside the ring and when the Miz retaliated, he subsequently got Kevin Owens disqualified. Sami Zayn came down to the ring and cleaned house and celebrated in the middle of the ring with the Intercontinental Championship. The Miz and Maryse looked on in anger.

https://twitter.com/johncenaAm/status/727296413822898177

Goldust vs Tyler Breeze

R-Truth and Fandango were at ringside. R-Truth wanted to form a tag team with Tyler Breeze called the Gorgeous Truth. R-Truth had a stick with a phone taped to it to mimic Tyler Breeze’s selfie-stick.  Goldust was getting jealous that R-Truth was looking at his phone rather than at him dancing in the ring. Tyler Breeze got the win via a roll-up and that might have been Breeze’s first win in the WWE. Tyler Breeze fans may be celebrating throughout the world, everyone else is wondering what in the world they just watched.

New Day & Big Cass vs. The Vaudevillains & The Dudley Boyz

Before the match there was a promo between all of these performers. Not known for his mic skills, Big Cass actually stole the promo with some funny lines. When the match started, things were not looking good for Big Cass and the New Day. Kofi Kingston was stuck in the ring for a long time as the Dudley Boyz and the Vaudevillians beat him down. Kofi finally got the tag to Big Cass and he took over the entire match. The crowd was into the match and cheering loudly for Big Cass. The match ended with Big Cass hitting D-Von Dudley with the East River Crossing for the pin-fall.

Becky Lynch vs Emma

This was a back and forth match but everything changed when Emma cheated. Emma thumbed Becky Lynch in her injured eye which led to her getting the victory.

https://twitter.com/AsukaRulesNXT/status/727314151916232704

The Ambrose Asylum with Guest Stephanie McMahon

In this edition of the Ambrose Asylum, Dean Ambrose attempted to do some “investigative journaling”.

Ambrose was trying to get Stephanie McMahon to admit that she now has to share control of Monday Night Raw with her brother Shane. Stephanie McMahon played it off until Ambrose finally got under her skin. Stephanie McMahon cancelled the Ambrose Asylum and said it was being replaced by the Highlight Reel. Chris Jericho sent out a cryptic tweet hinting that he was leaving the WWE again, but apparently that is not the case. Jericho took out Ambrose with his potted plant named “Mitch” and stood over him with his hand raised.

Battle Royal to Determine the #1 Contender for the United States Championship

Dolph Ziggler eliminated Baron Corbin and Corbin lost hit. He grabbed Ziggler and dragged him out of the ring and completely knocked him out. He then rolled a lifeless Ziggler into the ring and Rusev eliminated him. It looks like the Corbin/Ziggler feud is far from over. It was looking like Zack Ryder would find a way back into the title picture by winning this battle royal. It was down to him and Rusev and Ryder was dominating. The crowd was chanting “Woo!” but it was all for not. Rusev tossed Ryder over the top rope and became the #1 contender to Kalisto’s U.S. Title. It wasn’t long ago that Rusev was billed as a major bad guy in the company and held the U.S. Title for almost a year. Hopefully, this leads to him getting another title run in the future and him getting back into the main-event picture. It was looking like that was going to be the case when he was having solid matches with John Cena, but for some reason that didn’t work out. Things should be different this time because the guy is clearly very talented.

https://twitter.com/WWEtalk24_7/status/727323796424785921

Charlotte and Ric Flair come down to the ring and ask that referee Charles Robinson joins them. He does and claimed that Natalya was screaming to have the match stopped. Ric Flair and Charles Robinson have been friends since WCW, and Ric Flair even calls him “Little Naitch”. Natalya comes out and knocks Charlotte out of the ring and puts Ric Flair in the Sharpshooter. After the promo, Ric and Charlotte are walking backstage complaining about what just happened. Stephanie McMahon confronts them and sets up a rematch between Natalya and Charlotte at Extreme Rules. The match will be a submission match and Ric Flair is barred from ringside.

AJ Styles, Gallows & Anderson vs Roman Reigns & the Usos

Styles was getting frustrated at Gallows and Anderson for getting involved in the match while he was in the ring. This match wound up turning into absolute chaos with everyone fighting outside the ring. AJ Styles, Gallows and Anderson wound up getting the victory but what happened after the match was much more interesting. Gallows and Anderson were trying to get Styles to hit Reigns with a chair, but he refused. Styles was then hit in the back with a chair by the Usos, who also took out Gallows and Anderson. AJ Styles retaliated by hitting both of the Usos with a chair, which set Roman Reigns off. Reigns dismantled AJ Styles and then power-bombed him through the table. So in summary, the only reason AJ Styles used a chair at all is because he was hit with one. This storyline is bonkers because AJ Styles is refusing to be the heel on purpose, and Roman Reigns is finding it impossible to be the babyface. The only real bad guys so far are Gallows and Anderson, Styles is consistently aggravated with their actions. At the very least, I’m interested to see how this all plays out at Extreme Rules and the weeks to come.

https://twitter.com/Norwegian_Punk/status/727337037523767296

Final Thoughts: There are some interesting storylines going on right now, but I would hardly define this as a “new era” of Monday Night Raw. The WWE is claiming that it is but for the most part this was a pretty standard episode of Monday Night Raw. What did you think of this week’s Monday Night Raw? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Rusev Earns A Shot At Kalisto’s US Title, Legend Backstage At RAW & More

Staff
-
14

– Rusev won a battle royal on RAW to become the #1 contender to Kalisto’s United States Championship. Rusev eliminated Zack Ryder to win after the League of Nations members turned on each other. After the match, Rusev celebrated with Lana and taunted Kalisto, who was on commentary. The title match will likely take place at Extreme Rules in less than 3 weeks.

– WWE Hall of Famer and local legend Harley Race was backstage at Monday’s RAW from St. Louis.

– Artist Rob Schamberger did a live painting outside the arena for Monday’s RAW depicting the stars of WWE’s women’s division.

https://twitter.com/robschamberger/status/727263880305586176

Two Title Matches Added To Extreme Rues (5/22)

Staff
-
7

On RAW two more title matches were made official for Extreme Rules. The Vaudevillains have been named #1 contenders to New Day’s tag titles. 

Stephanie McMahon also announced that Natalya will challenge Charlotte for the WWE Women’s Championship in a submission match. Natalya’s sharpshooter is being pitted against Charlotte’s figure 8 and Ric Flair is barred from ringside.

These matches are in addition to the Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles Extreme Rules main event for the WWE World Heavyweight championship.

Extreme Rules takes place on Sunday, May 22nd, from Newark, New Jersey.

Report: Ryback Sent Home Over Contract Dispute

Eric Lynch
-
57

Ryback is in the midst of a contract dispute with WWE that will keep him off television indefinitely, according to a report at PWInsider.com. After losing to Kalisto on Sunday night’s Payback kickoff show, he was advertised for the the battle royal on RAW to determine the new #1 contender to Kalisto’s US title, but did not appear.

Dave Meltzer spoke about the situation on Monday night’s Wrestling Observer Live, noting that Ryback met with Vince McMahon on Monday to negotiate. Ryback didn’t like WWE’s offer and the discussion ended with Vince suggested maybe Ryback needs time off. Ryback reportedly obliged. Meltzer said, “The feeling is that unless there’s a reconciliation, then that’s it.”

Ryback’s current deal with WWE expires this summer and it appears the two sides are having difficulty finding common ground as they assess his value to the company moving forward.

In recent months, Ryback has been outspoken about WWE not utilizing him properly. the way WWE has booked his character, noting that he’s not satisfied with his character’s booking. During a recent interview with Dubai radio personality Myles, Ryback said he was “absolutely not” satisfied with working the WrestleMania kickoff show, noting that “the last 3 WrestleManias have not been great.”

He’s very eager to get back to the top of the card and isn’t afraid to walk away from wrestling if he can’t achieve his goals. “I’ve heard in this business hard work doesn’t always pay off,” he said. “So maybe The Big Guy has to go find another world where that does pay off.”

1...2,0912,0922,093...3,396Page 2,092 of 3,396