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WWE Raw Ratings Increase For Loaded Show (5/3)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.872 million viewers with a 0.53 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is up from last week’s 1.774 million viewers and the 0.49 rating.

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday Night Raw:

  • The first hour did 1.891 million viewers and a 0.54 rating (A18-49).
  • The second hour did 1.979 million viewers and a 0.57 rating.
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.746 million viewers and a 0.47 rating.

This episode featured WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman, Raw Tag Team Champions AJ Styles & Omos vs. The New Day, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Lana & Naomi, and Randy Orton & Riddle vs. Elias & Jaxson Ryker.

SmackDown Viewership

Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.018 million viewers. This is down from the 2.121 million viewers on FOX that the show did for the previous week.

SmackDown pulled in a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demo, down from the 0.54 rating the previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 1.923 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 2.042   million viewers. 

The first hour saw it pull in 1.875 million viewers while hour two did 1.971 million viewers. The show did 2.046 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 2.032 million viewers a week ago.

Rumor Killer on Tessa Blanchard & NXT’s Diamond Mine Vignette

Jake Skudder
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WWE recent aired a mysterious vignette on NXT programming touting the arrival of the Diamond Mine.

Amid speculation that the Diamond Mine has something to do with former IMPACT World Champion Tessa Blanchard, Fightful Select reports that the Diamond Mine is unrelated to the controversial performer.

Blanchard has used diamond imagery in the past, which is likely how people made this assumption. Per Fightful, “a WWE source, when asked, did not want fans expecting Blanchard to be the act or a part of it, but understood how the misconception could happen.”

WWE is looking to keep the identity of the person (or people) behind the Diamond Mine as close-to-the-vest as possible. If you haven’t already seen the vignette, check it out below:

Tessa Blanchard was at one point considered one of the top female wrestlers in the world. With rumors persisting that she is ‘difficult to work with’ and allegations of racism, her star power and marketability have greatly diminished over the past year.

As we reported exclusively last week, Tessa Blanchard and husband Daga have been negotiating AEW. The talks have been ongoing for over a month, despite other outlets refuting the story.

Alexa Bliss Hints at a Potential New Feud on RAW

Alex Laybourne
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Since her union with Bray Wyatt and subsequent solo antics, Alexa Bliss has built up a character that truly suits her. In a recent segment of Alexa’s Playground, Lily, Alexa’s best friend hinted that she had been playing all weekend.

A lot of creative effort goes into the Playground segments, as they were with the FireFly Fun House. There are a lot of cryptic messages behind these segments. Many fans believe they have deciphered Lily’s message. Believing it teases Alexa’s first feud since she broke away from The Fiend at Wrestlemania.

During the segment, Alexa Bliss tells the audience that Lily has been playing hide and seek all day long. This was followed by a secretive, behind the hand comment that “her favorite color is red.”

This could just be Alexa Bliss playing her character. Using red because it suits the twisted world in which Little Miss Bliss seems to live. However, many RAW viewers happened to notice that Lily was caught on camera during the show. Lurking in the background during a backstage segment with Sonya Deville, who just happened to be wearing a red suit.

Alexa Bliss has not done anything since Wrestlemania, while Sonya Deville has been out of action since losing to Mandy Rose back in August 2020.

A feud between the two would take some storytelling to get it aligned given the current character arcs. Yet, given the genuinely terrifying nature of Alexa Bliss’s character these days, you could see several ways for WWE creative to make Deville an object of her devilish affection.

Rhea Ripley Talks Her ‘Lack of Confidence’ on WWE Television

Jake Skudder
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WWE RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley recently appeared on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin. The Australian Superstar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including her struggle to ‘come out of her shell’ on WWE’s ‘main’ roster.

In NXT, Rhea Ripley had a character that was far more about doing the talking in-ring. As the RAW Women’s Champion, Ripley needs to address some of the shortcomings that she has on the microphone and as a ‘presence.’

“My confidence isn’t huge in my everyday life,” Ripley began. “I’m a really shy person and I’m not good at keeping a conversation and being a larger-than-life person.”

Rhea Ripley on Confidence

“When I’m in the ring, that’s where I get all my confidence and where I get to be Rhea Ripley,” she continued. “But still myself, which is weird to say out loud because it doesn’t make sense but then it does when you’re there doing it.”

“I want to be myself, as in Rhea Ripley” she concluded. “But I want to have that confidence that everyone else seems to have all the time. I’m working on it.”

Rhea Ripley seems to indicate here that she is taking classes to help her work on her promo ability. Working alongside the likes of Charlotte Flair, she’ll be ‘competing’ against one of WWE’s most seasoned performers.

On Monday’s Raw, Charlotte Flair was added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. That contest will now be a Triple Threat with Rhea Ripley defending her title against Asuka and The ‘Queen.’

Renee Paquette Talks New Cookbook, Moxley Dinner Party Fail & More

Michael Reichlin
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SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay recently spoke with Renee Paquette about the upcoming release of her new cookbook, Messy In The Kitchen: My Guide to Eating Deliciously, Hosting Fabulously and Sipping Copiously.

Ella an Renee spoke about a wide variety of topics during the nearly half-hour discussion, including:

  • Her grandmother’s hand-written recipe’s making it into the book
  • Recipes that are easiest for novice chefs
  • The messiest meal in ‘Messy in the Kitchen’
  • Her favorite alcoholic beverages
  • The biggest mistake people make when trying to “Host Fabulously”
  • A dinner party she hosted for Jon Moxley’s parents that went off the rails
  • Celebrity chefs she’d like to collaborate with
  • If she’s ever been star-struck when interviewing somebody
  • Keeping up with WWE and AEW
  • Career goals looking ahead

Check out the video below, make sure to Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and pre-order Messy In The Kitchen now from Amazon.com, coming out May 18th!

Chelsea Green Says She Wants To Wrestle In ROH

Chris Stephens
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Ring of Honor is looking to re-build its women’s division. The company now airs Women of Honor Wednesdays on YouTube. One wrestler who is interested in performing for the company is Chelsea Green. The former WWE Superstar took to Twitter recently to state her interest in wrestling for ROH.

The above Tweet garnered the attention of several people from ROH including Ian Riccaboni.

https://twitter.com/IanRiccaboni/status/1389413642874073090

Green’s trainer Lance Storm noted that ROH is one of the only companies she hasn’t worked for.

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1389414462378024963

Maria Kanellis might be alluding to the fact that she holds “the pencil” in ROH’s women’s division at the moment with the below Tweet.

Green was also asked recently if she is interested in returning to Impact Wrestling. She spoke to Cultaholic and gave the below answer:

“Here’s what I’ll say, never say never because I had such a good relationship with them. Obviously, I was their women’s champion in 2018 – feels like it was yesterday – and I have a great relationship with everyone in that company,” Green stated. “So, I am excited to maybe pop in and out. Who knows?”

Green also spoke about ideas she pitched while in WWE during an interview with Chris Van Vliet.

“I can’t tell you how many ideas I came up with. If I think about it, they all led back to The Hot Mess. But with that being said, it wasn’t The Hot Mess like you saw at IMPACT. I tried to pitch a darker, creepier Hot Mess that you could relate to. Not just like the girl at the bar, more so any psychotic person you’ve had in your life.” 

Karrion Kross Says He Wants To Face Jon Moxley in WWE

Chris Stephens
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NXT Champion Karrion Kross recently stated that he hopes Jon Moxley returns to WWE so that they can face each other again. Kross was taking part in an interview with Barstool Sports when he made the comments.

“I have to say it, I hope (Jon Moxley) comes back one day,” Kross said during the interview. “I think he will, not that I would know or nothing has been said.”

“I hope he comes back one day. If he does, he’s going to have to go through me and I think he knows that. We have unfinished business.”

Moxley and Kross have faced each other once previously. Kross was defeated by Moxley at a show for Future Stars of Wrestling in Las Vegas on July 5th, 2019.

Kross also spoke about which wrestlers have influenced him throughout his career.

“Disco Inferno believe it or not has probably been the best mentor that I’ve had and the reason being is because he prepared me to understand what this business actually is before I was involved with it at the highest level. He prepared me to understand the business model of what this is at the highest level.”

Eric Bischoff On Which 5 Wrestlers He’d Like To Start A Promotion With

Chris Stephens
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Eric Bischoff recently spent some time on his 83 Weeks podcast discussing which 5 modern-day wrestlers he would choose to start a new promotion with. He ended up choosing 3 wrestlers currently with AEW and another 2 currently with WWE.

Bischoff noted that he’s a big MJF fan and has been impressed with Matt Riddle as of late as well.

“In AEW, I’m a huge fan of MJF. Anyone who follows me on social media probably knows that. He’s just an amazing young talent, and the fact that he’s as young as he is and as good as he is, I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. I dig him as a performer. This one will shock people maybe, but Matt Riddle. I’m kind of digging it. He’s different, and he’s good. He’s gonna get better and better and better.”

Bischoff continued to talk about the RK-Bro team of Riddle and Orton on RAW.

“I love the Randy Orton and Matt Riddle combination,” Bischoff continued. “I don’t know if it’s long-term, but there’s a buddy cop moving that takes place in the ring. You’re talking about two different types of personalities that could really play well off of each other. The potential and entertainment for that combination is off the charts good. I dig Matt Riddle and think he’ll be one of the people I’ll be watching. So, right now, I’d say him and MJF. Cody Rhodes is doing a great job and has a lot of things going on. If he doesn’t get himself spread too thin and stays focused, I think Cody could emerge as one of the biggest names in the business.”

In addition to MJF, Riddle, and Orton, Bischoff then mentioned Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes as the other two in his top-5.

“[MJF], Matt Riddle. I’d snatch Randy Orton in a heartbeat. Kenny Omega, got enough momentum. If you’re starting fresh, there’s a lot of talent in WWE, but I only get five. You’re looking at anchors and people you’re gonna be depending on for the next five or 10 years. I’m going Cody,” Bischoff said during the interview (transcriptions via 411Mania).

6 Wrestlers Pulled From NJPW Show Due To COVID-19 Protocols

Chris Stephens
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Wrestling Dontaku night 2 this morning from Fukuoka has undergone several lineup changes due to COVID-19 protocols. 6 wrestlers have been removed from the event. The scheduled IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match between El Desperado and YOH has been scrapped entirely.

Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, and YOH were all removed from the event. NJPW explained the changes in an update on its website.

“One wrestler who was scheduled to appear on today’s Wrestling Dontaku Day 2 card presented with a fever on the morning of the event,” NJPW’s update reads. “This individual is currently undergoing thorough examination and PCR and antibody testing. In addition, another wrestler who has been a part of events since May 1 in Beppu and has since also presented with a fever is also undergoing evaluation.”

The scheduled IWGP World Championship match on the show was not impacted by the changes. Will Ospreay will still face challenger Shingo Takagi on the card. The winner of that match will face Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Grand Slam. That event will take place from the Tokyo Dome on May 29th.

Will Ospreay On Being IWGP World Champion

Ospreay was recently interviewed by NJPW1972.com about being the new champion.

“It sits with me. It sits well with me. It’s all about the journey. Years ago I saw what was then the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on a guy I admired in AJ Styles, and he said to me ‘if you want this, you’ve got to come to Japan’.”

“I feel like there’s two sides to me. Half of me is that 14 year old boy with stars in their eyes. The other half is the 27 year old man who’s all business. I don’t have friends or brothers except the United Empire. Everyone else is trying to take food off of my table and I’ll walk over anybody to stop that. It isn’t a dream, it’s reality, and I have to do all it takes to stay at the top of this mountain.”

Jinder Mahal Returns to Action on Main Event this Week

Alex Laybourne
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Main Event this week played host to the return of former WWE champion Jinder Mahal. Mahal stepped into the ring for the first time since January this year.

Jinder Mahal suffered a serious knee injury in May 202. Other than a taped match in January for the WWE Superstar Spectacle, he has been completely absent. Main Event is taped every week before the live RAW show begins. There were several good names on the card, but the return of Mahal was arguably a big affair for the lesser watched weekly show.

Nothing was mentioned by WWE on social media, but fans were quick to spread the word of the Maharaja’s return.

His return was a spirited affair against Jeff Hardy. Hardy himself was making a return to the ring after a short layoff. The match looked to have Mahal continue with the same character as prior to his injury. Only this time he has swapped his alliance with the Bollywood Boys for another Indian duo, the former NXT team Indus Sher.

Jinder Mahal Will Surely Be Seeking WWE Gold Once More

Not much is known right now about the angle of Jinder Mahal’s return or any feuds that he is likely to enter. With Raw already boasting a heel heavy roster, there is no natural place for the former champion to take.

The pairing would also indicate that Indus Sher will be making their Main Roster debut also. Whether they will get a push in the tag team division or merely serve as Jinder Mahal’s lackeys remains to be seen.

You have to imagine Mahal will want to get back into the title picture. However, easing him in after such a length layoff may make more sense. Expect to see him wrestling a little lower down the card than he was used to. Especially as all current champions are engaged in new feuds.

Mansoor Makes RAW Debut but Ends WWE’s Longest Active Streak

Alex Laybourne
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Mansoor made his WWE main roster debut on RAW last night. In doing so he ended the longest-running active streak in the company.

The Saudi Arabian wrestler has been used extensively on 205 Live. He also made regular appearances on Main Event. In doing so, he amassed a winning streak that stretched for 49 matches. This was officially recognized as the longest-running streak of all active wrestlers.

Sure, it might not have the glitz and the glamor of The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak, but to string together so many consecutive wins is no small feat.

With that sort of record, it is not surprising Mansoor decided to answer Sheamus’s open call for the United States title having signed his contract just moments before.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COb7UZgJmzz/

The end result of which must surely leave a sour taste in his mouth. While he did lose the match, it was not because he was pinned or submitted, but rather because of outside interference.

It’s always sad when a streak ends. For Mansoor, he will justifiably feel aggrieved at the manner in which it all went down. From a storytelling perspective, it also feels a little strange. Humberto Carillo is building his feud with Sheamus, any angle between him and Mansoor would not make any sense.

Whatever the reason for ending Mansoor’s streak, the WWE universe will certainly be seeing more of this Saudi Arabian superstar.

It is also worth remembering that Mansoor holds a singles victory over Cesaro, after beating him during the last Super Showdown event. He was also the winner of the largest ever Battle Royal, also held during a Super Showdown event.

WWE RAW Results (5/3): Lashley vs. Strowman, Two Tag Team Title Matches

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in the Yungling Center in Tampa Bay, Florida. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley faced Braun Strowman in this week’s main event. Both the RAW Tag Team Championships and Women’s Tag Team Championships were defended on tonight’s show as well. WWE aired a vignette for the returning Eva Marie and you can check that out below.

RAW Results (5/3)

  1. AJ Styles & Omos def. New Day to retain the RAW Tag Team Championships
  2. Charlotte Flair def. Dana Brooke
  3. Damian Priest def. John Morrison
  4. Lucha House Party def. Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander
  5. Randy Orton & Riddle def. Elias & Jaxson Ryker
  6. Sheamus def. Mansoor via DQ
  7. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler def. Lana & Naomi to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
  8. Bobby Lashley def. Braun Strowman

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Strowman Will Face Lashley Tonight

MVP, Adam Pearce, and Sonya Deville were shown backstage to begin the show. They were about to flip a coin to see if McIntyre or Strowman will face Lashley tonight when Drew interrupted. Braun Strowman showed up as well and an argument broke out. Pearce calmed everyone down and flipped the coin. Braun called tails and was awarded a match against Lashley tonight. Strowman said tonight will be a WrestleMania Backlash and MVP claimed that Braun won’t make it to the PPV if Lashley gets him in the Hurt Lock.

Styles & Omos Retained

RAW Tag Team Champions AJ Styles & Omos returned tonight. Styles bragged about becoming tag champs at WrestleMania 37 with Omos and boasted about how they destroyed New Day. Styles claimed that they were out celebrating and that is why they haven’t been on the show lately. AJ joked that they had much better things to do than throw tomatoes at New Day.

New Day interrupted and said they didn’t know Styles & Omos still worked here and then congratulated them on their victory. Kofi and Woods stated that Styles & Omos do not have any respect for the tag team division and that is why they took time off after winning the titles.

Kofi added that they are 11-time Tag Team Champions for a reason, because they get right up every time they are knocked down. Omos interrupted and said New Day will not be able to walk or laugh after they are done with them tonight. Woods claimed New Day was about to become 12-time Tag Team Champions.

Styles and Omos then defended the RAW Tag Team Championships against New Day in a rematch from Night 1 of WrestleMania 37. Omos tagged in immediately as the announcers hyped his in-ring debut on RAW. Omos dominated Woods and beat him down in the corner of the ring. Styles tagged in and New Day took back control as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Woods had Styles in an Armbar in the middle of the ring. AJ escaped and Kofi tagged in. Kingston applied a Wristlock but Styles broke free with a Pele Kick. Woods and Omos then tagged in and Omos hit the Iron Claw. Omos hit Woods and Kingston with a Backbreaker before planting Kingston with a Spinebuster. AJ tagged in and hit a Phenomenal Forearm off of Omos’ shoulders and on Woods for the pinfall victory. Omos & Styles are still the RAW Tag Team Champions.

Charlotte Was Added To The RAW Women’s Championship Match

Charlotte Flair was shown having a conversation with Sonya Deville backstage. Charlotte walked away as Adam Pearce approached them. Pearce told Sonya that he appreciates her input but she has been overstepping her boundaries lately. Flair then faced Dana Brooke later on the show. Dana got in some offense early and connected with a Senton for a near fall. Charlotte battled back and quickly locked in the Figure Eight for the submission victory. After the match, Mandy Rose attacked Flair as she wouldn’t let go of the hold but Sonya Deville interrupted as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Charlotte Flair complained about being left out of the title match at WrestleMania Backlash between Asuka and Rhea Ripley. Sonya agreed and added her to the title match. Rhea Ripley interrupted and told Charlotte that nobody likes her before Asuka joined the party. Asuka said she is ready for a Triple Threat and wants to become RAW Women’s Champion again. A brawl broke out and Asuka stood tall to end the segment.

Damian Priest def. John Morrison

Damian Priest faced John Morrison tonight on RAW. The Miz was ringside for the match. Priest controlled the action early and Clotheslined Morrison out of the ring as RAW went to a break. Morrison tripped up Damian and stomped him down in the corner. Priest connected with another Clothesline for a near fall. Morrison hit a Spanish Fly off the middle turnbuckle and went for the cover but Damian was able to kick out at two. The Miz distracted the referee but accidentally cost Morrison as he had Priest rolled up. Damian then connected with Hit the Lights for the pinfall victory.

Humberto Carrillo Attacked Sheamus

Mansoor was shown backstage signing a RAW contract with Adam Pearce. Sheamus interrupted and thought Mansoor was an intern. Sheamus challenged Mansoor to accept the open challenge tonight and reminded him that it will not be a title match.

Sheamus and Mansoor battled in the final hour of RAW. Mansoor sent Sheamus to the corner and connected with a Dropkick. Sheamus hit a knee to the face and the action spilled out of the ring. Sheamus slammed Mansoor on top of the barricade and got back in the ring.

Mansoor made it back into the ring at the count of nine. Mansoor hit a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but Sheamus kicked out at two. Sheamus sent Mansoor to the corner when Humberto Carrillo rushed the ring. Carrillo attacked Sheamus to end the match in a disqualification. Sheamus fought off Carrillo and leveled him with a Brogue Kick. The Celtic Warrior then delivered another Brogue Kick to Angel Garza.

Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin Are No Longer A Tag Team

Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin faced Lucha House Party tonight on RAW. The match was already happening when RAW returned from a commercial break. Alexander connected with a Michinoku Driver on Metalik and isolated him in the corner. Benjamin tagged in and Lince Dorado planted him with a Tornado DDT. Gran Metalik followed it up with an Elbow Drop for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Cedric and Shelton Benjamin argued in the ring. Cedric wondered how many years Shelton Benjamin has left and shouted that he wasn’t going to waste another second of his prime keeping Shelton relevant. Cedric said that their tag team was finished nd left the ring. Shelton was later interviewed backstage and said that he was the only reason Cedric Alexander was ever in the Hurt Business to begin with. Shelton added that if Cedric continues down this road he is just going to be another star that fizzles out.

Angel Garza def. Drew Gulak

Angel Garza and Drew Gulak had an argument backstage. Gulak asked if the rose Garza was carrying was for him. Gulak joked that Garza isn’t a ladies man because he never gets a lady and this led to a match. Gulak hit a couple Dropkicks to begin the action. Garza quickly battled back and connected with a Backbreaker. Angel hit a Dropkick that sent Gulak to the corner of the ring. Garza beat Gulak down and then hit the Wing Clipper for the pinfall victory. After the match, Garza placed the rose in the back of Gulak’s trunks and kicked him.

RKBro Picked Up Another Win

Ryker and Elias tried to hit New Day with tomatoes but wound up accidentally hitting Orton and Riddle. The two teams then battled later on RAW. Orton and Elias started off the action. Elias took control and tagged in Jaxson Ryker. Jaxson got in some offense but Orton halted his momentum with a poke to the eye. Riddle tagged in and went for a Sleeper Hold. Elias tagged in and dominated for a few minutes. Orton tagged in and took back control of the match. Orton tagged Riddle and planted Ryker with an RKO. Riddle then hit Elias with a Corkscrew Senton for the pinfall victory.

Nia & Shayna Retained

Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Naomi & Lana tonight on RAW. Reginald was ringside for the match. Jax and Baszler started off in control and isolated Naomi in the corner. Naomi connected with an Enziguri on Shayna Baszler. Lana tagged in and hit Shayna with a Crossbody for a near fall.

Lana followed it up with a Russian Leg Sweep for another two count. Naomi tagged back in and continued to beat Shayna down after knocking Nia Jax off the ring apron. Naomi and Lana hit a Facebuster but couldn’t go for the cover because Reginald was distracting the referee. Shayna then applied the Kirifuda Clutch and Lana passed out to end the match.

McIntyre Sent A Message To Lashley & Strowman

Braun Strowman faced WWE Champion Bobby Lashley in this week’s main event in a non-title match. Earlier on RAW, MVP suggested that Drew McIntyre might want to help Lashley get rid of Strowman tonight before WrestleMania Backlash.

Strowman sent Lashley out of the ring with a Clothesline and the WWE Champion regrouped with MVP outside the ring. Lashley hopped on the apron but Strowman greeted him with a punch.

Strowman hit Lashley with a Splash in the corner and went for another one but Bobby blocked it. Lashley connected with a massive Clothesline and went for the cover but Strowman powered out at two. Lashley went for a Headlock but Strowman quickly escaped. McIntyre’s music hit and he made his way down the entrance ramp. Lashley capitalized with a Splash on Strowman outside the ring. Lashley tried to shake hands with McIntyre but he ignored him as RAW went to a commercial break.

McIntyre was on commentary when RAW returned as Lashley beat Strowman down in the corner. Lashley slammed Braun’s shoulder into the ring post and applied a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Lashley hit Strowman with some punches to the face in the corner of the ring. Lashley posed on the turnbuckle and it cost him as Strowman slammed him to the mat for a two count.

Strowman went for the Running Powerslam but Lashley escaped. Braun blocked the Hurt Lock and hit a Side Slam. Lashley rolled out of the ring and Strowman chased after him. Lashley threw Strowman onto Drew McIntyre and rolled into the ring. Strowman argued with McIntyre and turned around into a Spear from Lashley for the pinfall victory.

After the match, McIntyre hit Lashley and then Strowman with a Claymore to end the show. McIntyre will face Lashley next week on the final RAW before WrestleMania Backlash.

WWE Confirms Eva Marie’s Return In Vignette On Raw

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has confirmed the rumors of the return of Eva Marie during Monday’s episode of Raw. 

The company aired a vignette on the show and used the tag line at the end of the teaser that was “Eva-Lution.” She also had a simple yet effective reaction to the video airing via Twitter: 

News of her return was reported several months ago as she had signed a deal with the promotion to return. She inked the deal in September and was backstage at shows in October. However, she hadn’t been used up to this point. She was listed on the company’s internal roster but had not been assigned to a brand.

She first signed with WWE back in 2013 where she was used on the E! Network’s Total Divas show and later got a big push in NXT then on the main roster. 

She left WWE years ago to pursue a career in Hollywood. She has stated in the past that she would like to come back to WWE to help others in the company. As it stands right now, there’s no word yet whether she will be wrestling or if she will be used in a managerial role.

Video: Fan Builds WWE SmackDown Fist Stage Set In His Basement

Andrew Ravens
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This Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown will be special as WWE is touting it as a throwback edition of the show.

The original “SmackDown!” logo appeared at the end of the announcement. Since the announcement, fans have been wondering whether this means WWE will bring back a special stage set for the show.

The logo they used is from 1999, but fans would love to see WWE bring back the fist stage that was used in the 2000s. 

YouTuber TheKalClash uploaded the latest update video where he is building the stage set with the giant fist breaking through glass in his basement. It’s fully authentically scaled and stands over 4 ft tall. He used a 3D printer for the set. He provided other details in the video. 

WWE has announced that Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins for this show, which is a rematch from WrestleMania 37, which saw Cesaro defeated Rollins.

Typically, WWE will do these types of shows to help increase viewership. Last Friday’s episode did 2.018 million viewers and pulled in a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demo.

WWE did have to go up against the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, but had a main event of Universal Champion Roman Reigns retain the title against Daniel Bryan in which had a stipulation of if Bryan lost then he would be banished from SmackDown. 

Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Signed For WWE WrestleMania Backlash

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has confirmed the latest title match that will take place at the WrestleMania Backlash PPV event and that’s Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair.

Ripley will put the Raw Women’s Title on the line against the former champion. Then on Raw, WWE confirmed that Flair had been added to the match and now it’s a triple threat.

Ripley beat Asuka for the strap at the WWE WrestleMania 37 pay-per-view event last month from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 

There had been speculation that WWE would have Charlotte Flair wrestle either Asuka or Ripley at this show since she had been cutting promos about the two stars since returning to television a few weeks ago. 

WWE presents the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 16, 2021, from Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. 

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman in a triple threat match and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley have already been confirmed for this show. 

Chelsea Green Undergoes Surgery

Andrew Ravens
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Chelsea Green took to her Instagram account today to note that she recently underwent surgery to remove a plate from her arm.

She has suffered several breaks in the arm/wrist area throughout her career. Now that she is on the sidelines, she decided to get the plate taken out. She wrote the following in the caption: 

“Post-surgery photo. The plate in my arm is out & I’m ready to get back to work!! It’s been a long 2 years of struggling with breaks, surgeries, hardware, and some complications but we’re finally at the finish line.”

SEScoops wishes Chelsea Green a full and speedy recovery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CObWc43JuxJ/

Chelsea Green’s Road to Free Agency

Green made her main roster debut back on the November 13, 2020 edition of SmackDown when she competed in a Fatal Four-Way match. In the match, she suffered a wrist injury and had to get the surgery done. As a result, she was put on the shelf.

Green had been making progress towards an in-ring return since before the Royal Rumble in January and it was reported that she had been cleared to make a return. 

Green was released by WWE last month and since that time has done various interviews to share the story about her time in the company. 

She is under a 90-day non-compete, which is up on July 14th. She has stated that she’s open to going to Impact, ROH or AEW.

Kip Sabian to Have Surgery on Injured Arm

Alex Laybourne
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Kip Sabian has reported that he will need to have surgery in order to repair damage to his arm. The angle being played is that the injury occurred during Miro’s attack on Dynamite last week. Injuries are common in wrestling, with stars often needing time to repair their bodies not from one single incident but from the accumulation of wear and tear.

In a Tweet sent out earlier today, Kip Sabian thanked his former Best Man for forcing him to go under the knife. The exchange was interesting because of the connotations it carries. The Venom GIF would hint at a heel turn for Sabian. Many fans would point out he has been playing that role for a while, however, what it would also point towards is that Miro will assume the face role for their feud.

It’s a position that makes the most sense from a storytelling perspective also. There is no update yet on how much TV time Kip Sabian will miss, but I am sure it will be comparable to however close Miro can get to a title push.

Kip Sabian Will Be Coming for Miro When He Returns

A feud between Kip Sabian and Miro has been coming since the Best Man debuted for the company, and the time was right to pull the trigger. The pair have strange chemistry when in the ring together, and their feud with the Best Friends has been entertaining, but both are far better when on their own.

Kip Sabian is a talented wrestler and a new angle for his character could be exactly what he needs to push him further up the roster.

Sammy Guevara Addresses Critics Labeling Him As A “Dangerous Performer”

Andrew Ravens
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Sammy Guevara has done a lot during his tenure with AEW thus far and has much more to accomplish in his pro wrestling career. With great success also comes with challenges. 

He has faced this in the way of criticism among fans, which has led to the label attached to his name as being a dangerous performer. Most notably, last August, he tossed a chair towards the head of Matt Hardy that resulted in the future Hall of Famer needing to get stitches as he used the wrong chair that wasn’t gimmicked. 

“The Matt stuff, a bunch of unfortunate stuff happened there,” Guevara said during an appearance on Wrestling Inc. Daily “It was almost like we were cursed for a minute.”

He recalled how they had a great match at Double or Nothing last year and that’s what people forget. One minute, nothing bad happened then all of a sudden other things started happening including the  Broken Rules Match at All Out where Hardy was knocked out after a botched table spot. 

“It is what it is man. People can have their opinions. That’s their right. I know who I am. It’s wrestling. This isn’t the easiest of things to do, and I know everybody wants to be safe and stuff, but this stuff is dangerous to do. As much as everyone wants to be like, ‘He’s dangerous.’ There’s a reason I’m in the ring. These people are not. What we do is very dangerous, and there’s a reason I’m doing this dangerous thing and they’re watching this dangerous thing.”

Guevara will be part of the Inner Circle vs. Pinnacle Blood and Guts match this Wednesday night on Dynamite.

Chris Jericho Talks About a Potential Mike Tyson Fight

Alex Laybourne
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Chris Jericho is a wrestler who continues to evolve in wrestling business. It is one of the reasons he is held in such high regard by those that love the sport. His recent transition from heel to babyface is a prime example of this.

Not only did his character go from the most hated to the most cheered for, but he did it with an entire faction. There is no denying that the Inner Circle are now firm faces in AEW. While this sets the stage so well for their blood and guts match with The Pinnacle this month, it did put a spanner in the works of another potential rivalry.

Iron Mike Tyson first appeared on AEW back in May last year and quickly built some solid heat with Chris Jericho. A heel at the time, their confrontation got fans talking about a potential fight.

Chris Jericho Still Interested in Working with Mike Tyson

Talking in an interview with the NY Post, Christ Jericho talked about his time working with Mike Tyson. Remarking how his recent move to a babyface character effectively put the brakes on the pair ever facing off in the squared circle.

“I’d love to have a match with Mike, but the dynamic has switched. You don’t want Mike coming in as a bad guy. That’s hard to do, he’s Mike Tyson and Jericho is a good guy, so we can’t really work each other.”

All hope is not lost, however, as Chris Jericho believes there is a way for the pair to get in the ring and have a good match.

“So maybe we can do a tag team against somebody else.” Jericho was quick to add.

A partnership between the two could work very well, as Jericho’s experience in the ring could help Tyson’s lack thereof. Whatever happens, it sounds that if Chris Jericho has his way, we will be seeing Mike Tyson in AEW again.

Santino Marella To Triple H & Stephanie: My Daughter Is Ready For WWE!

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstar Santino Marella believes his daughter is ready for the bright lights of WWE.

The master of the Cobra now runs the Battle Arts Academy in Ontario, Canada. One of his star pupils is his daughter, Bianca Carelli.

Santino sent a tweet to WWE executives Triple H and Stephanie McMahon urging them to take a look at Bianca. He wrote that she’s been coached from day one to be a total superstar. She’s finishing her biology degree this summer and is “ready for her time to shine.”

Bianca thanked her father for the kind words, noting that she “learned from the best” and “loves him to infinity.”

WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix also chimed in, stating that Bianca was cutting promos at 10 years old that blew everyone away. She wrote, “Ready to take on the world!!” and tagged the official @WWENXT account on the response.

Braun Strowman On Backstage Chaos In WWE, Raw Viewership

Michael Reichlin
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Braun Strowman recently spoke with Graham Matthews for Bleacher Report.

The oversized Superstar spoke in-depth about WWE effort to produce entertaining content during the pandemic era. Strowman admits that WWE has dealt with a lot of challenges over the past year, but was quick to praise his fellow wrestlers.

“The boys and girls in the back, we all work really, really hard,” he said. “It’s been a little chaotic because everything’s been all over and people get sick and things change last minute. And part of me enjoys that, I’m not going to lie.”

Strowman made history last week on Raw by competing in three separate matches on the same show. He says things were chaotic backstage due to people being hurt, sick and “stuff changing.” He admits being freaked out by everything dumped on his plate, but ended the night feeling satisfied.

“This past Monday was a prime example,” he continued. “Everything was crazy because people got hurt, people were sick and stuff changes. All of a sudden, you’re in three matches in an hour and 10 minutes’ worth of a three-hour show. You’re freaking out, but when you get out there and get it done and hit a home run, it’s such a satisfying feeling.”

Braun Strowman On Raw Viewership

WWE has done commendable job during the pandemic, but most would acknowledge the product has been hit-or-miss in recent months. It’s difficult putting on a 3-hour show every Monday night, but he reiterated that the talent is doing their best.

“It’s a tough time right now,” said Strowman. “With how technologically advanced, everybody is and the media and stuff like that. It’s a challenge for everything that’s on television to try to draw live viewership. I’ll be honest, I haven’t even had cable in my house in the last decade. I keep up with our shows via our apps and social media.”

Braun Strowman finished by saying he believes WWE consistently goes above and beyond to keep their viewers entertained.

The Monster Among Men will challenge for the WWE Championship at the company’s next pay-per-view event, WrestleMania Backlash. He faces WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre in a triple threat match.

Head over to Bleacher Report to check out the complete interview.

Daniel Bryan’s Profile Moved to Alumni Page of WWE Website

Alex Laybourne
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Following his defeat last Friday, Daniel Bryan’s removal from Smackdown brand is complete. His profile has been removed from the brand page on wwe.com and is now located on the Alumni page.

Whether this is kayfabe storytelling or Bryan really has finished his tenure with WWE is still unanswered. However, given that his contract runs for a few more months, it is highly likely we will be seeing the Yes movement maestro returning to the screen in due course, either for RAW or NXT.

While a move away from WWE could be a possibility, it’s unlikely we will see Daniel Bryan in an AEW ring just yet. A move back to the Japanese wrestling scene is also possible. However, with his recent comments about full-time competition and his dedicated family man mentality, a trip around the world is also unlikely.

Daniel Bryan was made to look very strong in his defeat at the hands of Roman Reigns last week. This alone makes it unlikely that we have seen the last of him. A move to RAW would make the most sense, both for him as a wrestler and from a storytelling perspective. Raw is currently a heel-heavy brand, and with the other two real babyfaces being locked in a single storyline right now, a move there would give a much-needed boost to things.

The other option is far more intriguing, especially given his recent comments about allowing wrestlers to perform across companies.

The professional wrestling landscape is very uniquely positioned right now. A storyline based around a man losing his spot on a roster has never been packed with more potential.

Chris Jericho Names NJPW Stars He Wants To Work With

Chris Stephens
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Chris Jericho recently spoke with Comicbook.com to promote Wednesday’s Blood and Guts match on AEW Dynamite. Jericho’s Inner Circle will go to war against MJF’s Pinnacle faction in the first Blood and Guts match in AEW history.

During his discussion with Connor Casey, Jericho spoke about the “forbidden door” and AEW’s ongoing partnerships with Impact and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

AEW currently has a working relationship with Impact, but Jericho does not think they should do a full-blown invasion storyline with the Toronto-based promotion.

“Our roster is jam packed as it is,” Jericho said. “And I think our involvement with Impact has been pretty much what it should be. I’m not saying this in an egotistical way, but AEW is at a completely different level than Impact is. So anything that we’re doing with them benefits them a lot more than it benefits us, in my opinion.”

Jericho feels that it’s a good thing for AEW stars like Kenny Omega and Private Party to appear at Impact events. However, don’t expect to see him doing the same.

“Chris Jericho will never go to Nashville and work in an empty studio in front of somebody,” he added. “There’s just no reason for me to do that. If those guys came over to invade, who are they going to [send]?”

AEW could always do an invasion angle down the road if it makes sense, but for now, they need to focus on their own up-and-coming talent. They have so many guys that are on the verge of breaking out that he wants AEW to focus on them, not outsiders.

Jericho on AEW vs. NJPW

Although Chris Jericho isn’t keen on wrestling in an empty studio for Impact Wrestling, he did express interest in matches outside of AEW. In particular, Jericho is interested in facing several wrestlers from NJPW.

“There’s a couple of matches there that I would love have. [Minoru] Suzuki and Jericho,” he continued. “I think Ospreay and Jericho. I think Kenny and myself as a tag team against Tana and Okada or against Ibushi and Okada. That’s a Tokyo Dome main event. So all of those matches are in the pipeline. I love Japan.”

Head over to Comicbook.com to check out their full interview with Chris Jericho.

The NJPW-AEW forbidden door flies open again on the May 12th edition of Dynamite. Jon Moxley will defend the IWGP United States Championship against NJPW’s Yuji Nagata. Moxley will also be in action on an upcoming episode of NJPW Strong.

Big Angle Teased For Wednesday’s MLW Fusion ‘Season Finale’

Chris Stephens
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The season finale of MLW Fusion airs this Wednesday on YouTube. It will be the final first-run show for the next two months.

MLW boss Court Bauer recently announced that the promotion will take a hiatus until July, when the return in front of a packed house at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena.

With the “Season Finale” show falling on Cinco de Mayo, MLW is teasing a big angle involving Azteca Underground.

Scheduled for this week’s show is Myron Reed challenging Lio Rush for the World middleweight title. Richard Holliday will also be in action although an opponent has yet to be named.

Azteca Underground

The Azteca Underground angle is expected to make a big impact in the promotion shortly. Last week on MLW Fusion, Salina de la Renta escaped from El Jefe’s handlers via helicopter after falling out of favor with the organization.

https://twitter.com/salinadelarenta/status/1387775808744431618

The Lucha Underground style faction has yet to reveal who “El Jefe” is but many are speculating it could be Dario Cueto. Konnan is expected to return to the promotion shortly as well.

MLW News and Notes

In addition to the Azteca Underground angle, MLW is said to be looking to freshen up its roster. PW Insider noted that the company is in the midst of negotiating with new talent. An MLW source stated the company is looking to have “a focus on bringing in high profile talent.”

Calvin Tankman is said to have impressed a lot of people in MLW as well. He had a high-profile match against Jacob Fatu for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship at Never Say Never.

The biggest match the company is building to continues to be Alexander Hammerstone challenging Jacob Fatu. It is rumored that this match could take place on a special event broadcast on DAZN.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1389040261955686407

Matt Hardy Fires Back At “Shock Jock” Jim Cornette’s Negativity Towards AEW

Chris Stephens
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Matt Hardy is arguably one of the most innovative wrestlers of the current era. Jim Cornette, on the other hand, has been frequently critical of the current state of the wrestling business. The two have been clashing on social media as of late.

Ironically, this all started when Matt Hardy put out a tweet encouraging people to not be so negative online. He wrote, “If you read/watch someone’s take & you dislike it, why would you waste any of your time to negatively comment on it? This is odd. Move on. People believe differently than you, whether you accept it or not. Unless someone’s being unethical & immoral, let people live their life.”

This led to someone commenting that Hardy sometimes is sometimes critical of Jim Cornette online.

Naturally, this led to Jim Cornette responding.

Matt Hardy & Jim Cornette’s Exchange

“Not a gig, Matt, just my real opinions since I’m done with this dog & pony show some of you guys call wrestling these days. A shame what’s happened to the business. Had great respect for you when you didn’t teleport to other dimensions and change clothes in a fucking ice machine,” Cornette Tweeted.

Reby Hardy wasn’t going to just sit on the sidelines while someone insulted her husband.

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1388991620868149249

Things then started back up in the thread this morning. Hardy sent out the following at 9:30 AM.

“Your principles will always be tested by people who care more about fame than integrity or money instead of what’s right. Cash in & be a whore or stand up for what you believe in and have a bunch of stupid idiots say you “can’t change.” Words of wisdom. Also don’t do stupid shit,” Cornette responded to Hardy’s Tweet.

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