Home Blog Page 951

Paul Heyman Comments On Roman Reigns’ Victory Over Cesaro

Chris Stephens
-
0

Roman Reigns defeated Cesaro to retain the Universal Championship at WrestleMania Backlash last night. Following his victory, WWE correspondents attempted to speak with Reigns and Paul Heyman.

“Roman Reigns is the end all be all, he’s the head of the table, he’s the Tribal Chief, he’s the Reigns-ing, defending, undisputed, incontrovertible, Universal Heavyweight Champion,” Heyman said. “Cesaro was a qualified opponent but he’s not a champion. That distinction belongs to Roman Reigns.”

The interview with Paul Heyman can be viewed below:

The win over Cesaro was Reigns’ 11th successful title defense since winning the Universal title on August 30th, 2020 at Payback. No other holder of the title has defended it more than 6 times. Brock Lesnar held the title for a 504-day stretch from April 2017 until August 2018 but only defended the title 6x before losing it to Reigns at SummerSlam 2018.

Reigns holds the record for the most defenses of the Universal title in one reign (11) and across all reigns (13). Lesnar holds the record for most reigns with the belt (3x) and total days spent with the title (688) as well as the longest single-reign (504).

ROH To Welcome Back Fans For “Best in the World” On July 11th

Chris Stephens
-
0

Ring of Honor is the latest pro-wrestling company to announce they will welcome back fans this July. The promotion announced its “Best in the World” PPV this year on July 11th will include the return of fans for the first time since February 2020.

The event will be held in Baltimore’s Employers Insurance Arena. Seating will be done in “pods” with groups placed 6-feet away from each other.

Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff issued the following statement regarding their decision to resume live events with fans in attendance:

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of our talented athletes, fans and everyone who has done their part to keep each other safe. It’s been a challenging year, no doubt, but we’re excited to continue to ramp up what we do best. Nothing beats the thrill of witnessing The Best Wrestling on the Planet and seeing your favorite stars LIVE and in-person. We would like to do this still with the fans’ safety, health and well-being as ROH’s top priorities.

ROH Best In The World tickets will go on sale for Honor Club members on May 24th. Tickets will then be released to the general public on June 7th.

ROH is the fourth company to announce a return to live events with fans for July. AEW will return to live touring for Dynamite on July 7th, WWE is rumored to be hoping to return to live touring in mid-July, and MLW will welcome back fans for a live show from Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena on July 10th.

Sasha Banks To Alexa Bliss: “Let Me In”

Alex Laybourne
-
0

Sasha Banks made the transition from a singles competitor to a tag-team wrestler with ease. Her partnership with Bayley was well placed, and the two reigned over the entire women’s division. Since their split, Banks has continued her solo push, but now, it once again seems like she is on the hunt for a partner.

In a recent Tweet, Sasha Banks sent an open invitation to the dark goddess Alexa Bliss, “Let me in.”

Let Me In

It’s a phrase used by Bliss’s previous cohort, Bray Wyatt, and therefore is a request that is hard to take any other way than being genuine.

The pair have a little history together, with rumours of heat between them circulating back in 2020. However, around the same time, Sasha Banks claimed in an interview saying she would choose Alexa Bliss as a partner.

Sasha Banks has not been seen on WWE programming since her defeat to Biana Belair at Wrestlemania 37. With the normally standard rematch for the title skipped, it remains to be seen if Banks will return to her feud with Belair. Either way, it could be a great moment for Little Miss Bliss to make an appearance. Appearing after a loss, to guide Banks over to the power of darkness.

There is no denying that Banks makes a good heel. However, casting her alongside Bliss in that anti-hero role that Bliss plays so well could be exactly what she needs. It could give her character a fresh injection of creativity.

Hell in a Cell Brought Forward to June 20th

Alex Laybourne
-
0

The WWE calendar is known to fluctuate from year to year, however, there are several that have found a regular slot. This includes Hell in a Cell which has been in October – for obvious reasons – ever since 2009.

This yeah, however, the hellacious event has been moved on the calendar. It will be happening in just 5 weeks’ time. This has the knock-on effect that means Money in the Bank – usually held in June – currently has no confirmed date. It could be pushed to July, but that would mean Extreme Rules has to be moved.

The Reason for Moving Hell in a Cell is Not Clear at This Stage

As of now, there is no reason given for the rescheduling. It is well known that WWE is planning to bring back live fans, possibly as early as SummerSlam. Therefore, it seems that the company feel Money in the Bank is the best choice for a live audience. It is a shame, as Hell in a Cell matches certainly thrive off the crowd reactions.

It makes sense in so far as the Money in the Bank event has two key matches that can shape the landscape of both male and female divisions for the next twelve months.

From a story perspective, moving Hell in a Cell to June works. There are a couple of current rivalries that could be nicely positioned for a Hell in a Cell clash. It just doesn’t feel right having the event in mid-summer. Cesaro and Rollins look set for a match between the mesh. Charlotte and Reah Ripley would be another. Another possibility would be an Uso vs Uso fight, but that rivalry is yet to get off the ground and could turn into an opportunity missed.

Either way, the timing of the move is strange, and it will be interesting to see how this impacts not only the current feuds but also the scheduling for the rest of the year. Either way, Hell in a Cell is always a fun PPV for the calendar, and with the return of live fans looming, there are exciting times ahead for the WWE universe.

NJPW Announces Return To Live Events

Chris Stephens
-
0

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced it will return to running live events in front of fans beginning on May 22nd. The Road to Wrestle Grand Slam show scheduled for May 22nd from the Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall will take place as previously planned. Events scheduled for May 24, 25, and 26 from Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall will also take place as previously planned.

The Wrestle Grand Slam event on May 29th from the Tokyo Dome has still been postponed, however. NJPW has not revealed new dates for either the canceled Wrestle Grand Slam show on May 15th or the show planned for the 29th.

Earlier this month, multiple wrestlers were pulled from Wrestling Dontaku Night 2. In total, 9 wrestlers from NJPW have tested positive for the virus since. NJPW gave an update on their condition in today’s update.

“Infected wrestlers have all continued to display minor or no symptoms, and have isolated and received appropriate medical treatment,” NJPW’s statement reads.

On June 6th, NJPW has scheduled Dominion from Osaka Jo Hall. There has been no announcement made regarding if that show will be postponed or not. So far, it remains on NJPW’s schedule.

NJPW also announced updates to its health and safety protocol for its return to live events. The company noted that it conducts “daily temperature and blood oxygen saturation checks, as well as regular screening before events. At events, attendees are temperature screened on entry to venues, masks are required during training and backstage, and packaged food is provided in order to limit unnecessary movement outside.”

Tyson Fury Was Backstage at WrestleMania Backlash

Jake Skudder
-
0

It has been revealed that boxing icon Tyson Fury was backstage at the WrestleMania Backlash event this past weekend. The man who will be fighting Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia come August posted to social media to confirm that he and his son were in attendance for the event.

“Great times with my boy @princejohnjamesfury1” Tyson Fury wrote on Instagram. “His face when he meets Rey Mysterio, making dreams reality brother, thanks Rey.” 

He thanked WWE boss Vince McMahon and Nick Khan for the chance to visit.

Tyson Fury in WWE

It is not confirmed at this time if Tyson Fury will be returning to WWE anytime soon. The lineal World Heavyweight Champion will now be preparing for the mega clash in August against Joshua.

Fury did perform for WWE in Saudi Arabia previously, facing Braun Strowman. With the Joshua fights likely to be two consecutive bouts, it’s unlikely that Fury will be available until at least 2022 before WWE can consider bringing him back in.

Fury’s son also posted some images to Instagram with Vince McMahon, Paul Heyman, Ric Flair and more. Check these out below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CO84yB7jFtJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO82mFWjC2e/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO85Px7j7iG/?utm_source=ig_embed

Would you like to see Tyson Fury back in WWE? Let us know in the comments

Rob Van Dam Talks Importance of Bam Bam Bigelow ECW Match

Jake Skudder
-
0

ECW legend and WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam is the subject of the latest WWE Icons series. The new episode aired on Peacock and WWE Network just after the WrestleMania Backlash show and highlighted the career of the ‘Whole F’ing Show.’

During the special, RVD would discuss the ECW Television Title match that he believes made him a star in the company. “Bam Bam Bigelow was the Television Champion. I wrestled him in Buffalo, New York” Rob Van Dam began, discussing the match from 1998. “At the time, that was probably our best building with the biggest crowd.”

Rob Van Dam on Bam Bam Bigelow

“That match was very important to me,” Van Dam continued. “I loved wrestling with Bam Bam Bigelow. He was so strong. … The match was awesome, everything was just so good.”

“At the end of the match, I rolled him up. Winning the ECW Television Championship was a very big moment for me” RVD revealed. “I don’t think that I realized how pivotal that was going to be for my career.”

“What I probably didn’t realize was that all of a sudden I was a superstar” RVD concluded. “I held the TV Championship for two years, and it was very rewarding.”

This was the match that saw RVD fly from the top turnbuckle to the crowd and it became a moment that has been used in highlight packages ever since.

Check out a sneak peak of the new WWE Icons episode below:

Chris Jericho Reacts To WWE WrestleMania Backlash Zombie Lumberjack Match

Jake Skudder
-
0

Former WWE Superstar and AEW’s ‘Le Champion’ Chris Jericho took to social media to react to the Zombie Lumberjack match from WrestleMania Backlash.

It was recently reported that WWE were not happy with the AEW Blood & Guts match from just over a week ago. Several within WWE felt that the WarGames styled match “set the industry back 30 years.”

This was mainly due to the violence being taken up a notch from the standard fare on TNT.

Chris Jericho on Lumberjack Match

It’s fascinating that WWE opted to have a segment on the PPV just after this that featured ‘zombies’ as lumberjacks in The Miz vs Damian Priest match. The angle and bout was divisive online; most fans being bemused and angry that WWE would even consider this as something to put on television in 2021.

As mentioned, Chris Jericho was one of the names that decided to react to the match online. Jericho even hinted at the Blood & Guts report in his critique of the contest, saying “Zombies…ZOMBIES? Wow that just set wrestling back 30 years.”

Did you enjoy the Zombie segment from WWE WrestleMania Backlash? Let us know in the comments

Zombies Invade Wrestlemania Backlash

Alex Laybourne
-
0

Things took a rather unique turn at Wrestlemania Backlashlast night. The scheduled lumberjack match between Damian Priest and the Miz put a spin on things but using zombies to surround the ring.

This was a promotional event to support WWE alumni Dave Batista’s new movie, Army of the Dead. The move was a strange one and certainly caught a lot of fans off guard, however.  The reaction to the event put Twitter into a spin, with people appearing to either love or hate the gimmick.

Even the star of the movie himself seems less than impressed with things after replying to one of the many Tweets sent in his direction during the show.

Given the matches on the Wrestlemania Backlash card, using the lumberjack match made the most sense. However, these things are not put together on the spur of the moment, and you can’t help but think a better match could have been set. Especially given the effort that went into the zombies and the way everybody ringside sold the invasion.

When you look at WWE programming right now there are two names that instantly come to mind when planning something like this.

Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt are mainstay characters, both of whom have a supernatural presence. The way their relationship ended at Wrestlemania this year would have provided the perfect moment for them to come head-to-head. At the very least provided a good backdrop for The Fiend to make a Wrestlemania Backlash return.

You must applaud WWE for their efforts, and it certainly breaks up the monotony of recent programming. However, a little more thought into the placement of the zombies might have seen a more positive and less divisive response.

WWE WrestleMania Backlash Results: Roman Reigns vs. Cesaro, New Champions

Robert Lentini
-
0

WWE WrestleMania Backlash aired live from the ThunderDome. There were five title matches tonight on the PPV. Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against Cesaro in the main event of the PPV.

WrestleMania Backlash Results:

  1. Sheamus def. Ricochet (Kickoff Show)
  2. Rhea Ripley def. Charlotte & Asuka to retain the RAW Women’s Championship
  3. Rey Mysterio & Dominik def. Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championships
  4. Damian Priest def. The Miz in a Lumberjack match
  5. Bianca Belair def. Bayley to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
  6. Bobby Lashley def. Drew McIntyre & Braun Strowman to retain the WWE Championship
  7. Roman Reigns def. Cesaro to retain the Universal Championship

Here are the takeaways from the PPV:

Rhea Ripley Retained The RAW Women’s Title

Rhea Ripley defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair & Asuka in a Triple Threat match tonight at WrestleMania Backlash. Asuka caught Charlotte with an elbow tot he face and followed it up with two German Suplexes in a row.

Asuka hit Ripley with a Hip Attack in the corner of the ring and then delivered a kick to Flair’s midsection. Asuka knocked Ripley out of the ring with a knee to the face. Charlotte launched Asuka out of the ring and then made her way to the top rope. Charlotte climbed to the top rope and hit a massive Moonsault onto both superstars.

Charlotte climbed back up to the top rope but Ripley caught her with some punches. Ripley went for a Superplex but Charlotte blocked it. Asuka joined in and the two planted Flair with a Superplex. All three superstars traded punches from their knees in the middle of the ring.

Flair and Ripley hopped up and continued to trade punches. Ripley started unloading headbutts and then teamed up with Asuka again for a Suplex. Charlotte landed on her feet and planted them both with Natural Selection. Flair laid across both superstars for the cover but Asuka and Ripley both kicked out at two.

Charlotte went for a Moonsault but Asuka got out of the way. Flair landed on her feet but Asuka caught her with a Codebreaker. Asuka booted Flair in the face and then leveled Rhea with a kick. Rhea planted Asuka with the Riptide for the pinfall victory as Charlotte couldn’t break it up in time.

Rey & Dominik Captured The Tag Titles

Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Rey & Dominik Mysterio tonight at WrestleMania Backlash. Before the match, it was ruled that Dominik could not compete due to an injury from an attack earlier in the night. Rey opted to compete in the match alone instead of finding a new partner.

Mysterio sent Ziggler out of the ring and connected with a Splash. Roode leveled Mysterio from behind but Rey battled back and sent Robert into the ring post. Mysterio hit Roode with a Senton and got back into the ring. Roode connected with a massive Clothesline and Dolph tied up Rey in the corner.

Roode stomped away on Mysterio while he was hung up in the ropes. Mysterio rolled out of out the ring and slammed his leg on the floor. Back in the ring, Dolph went for the cover but Rey kicked out at two. Ziggler hit a Fameasser but Rey was somehow able to kick out at two.

Robert threw Rey under the bottom rope and Ziggler caught him with a Superkick. Ziggler rolled Rey back into the ring and tagged in Roode. Rey planted Roode and Ziggler with a Tornado DDT out of nowhere. Dominik Mysterio limped down the entrance ramp holding his injured ribs.

Dominik climbed to the ring apron as Rey wondered what he was doing. Ziggler hit the Zig Zag but Mysterio was able to kick out at two. Roode tagged in and planted Rey with a Gutbuster for a near fall. Rey battled back and hit a Bulldog off the top rope.

Rey hit a Dropkick and Dominik tagged himself in as Roode laughed. Dominik knocked Ziggler off the apron but turned around into a Spinebuster from Roode. Ziggler tagged in and hit a Neckbreaker for a two count. Dolph launched Dominik into the ring post and taunted Rey.

Dominik caught Ziggler with a Superkick and tagged in Rey. Mysterio hit Ziggler with a Senton but Roode caught him with a Backbreaker for a near fall. Roode went for a Powerbomb but Rey escaped. Rey hit Roode with a 619 and tagged in Dominik. Dominik tagged in and climbed to the top rope. Dominik hit a Splash for the pinfall victory. Dominik & Rey are the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Damian Priest Won A Terrible Lumberjack Match

The Miz faced Damian Priest in a Lumberjack Match tonight at WrestleMania Backlash. The lumberjacks were zombies to promote the new Army of the Dead movie. The Miz spend the first couple minutes avoiding the zombies and walked into a massive Clothesline from Damian.

Priest leveled The Miz with a kick to the face and then climbed to the top rope. Damian hit a spin kick and went for the cover but Miz kicked out at two. Miz battled back and applied the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. The action spilled out of the ring and both superstars beat up some zombies.

Back in the ring, Damian hit Broken Arrow for a near fall. John Morrison rushed to the ring but the zombies dragged him away. Priest connected with Hit the Lights on The Miz for the pinfall victory. The zombies all crawled towards The Miz after the match.

Bianca Belair Retained The SmackDown Women’s Championship

Bianca Belair defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bayley tonight at WrestleMania Backlash. Belair absolutely dominated the first few minutes of the match and sent Bayley out of the ring. Bayley turned the momentum by slamming Belair into the steel steps.

Bayley controlled the next few minutes and went for the Rose Plant but Belair sent her to the ropes. Bianca planted Bayley with a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Bayley kicked out at two. Bayley connected with a Clothesline and made her way to the top rope.

Bayley connected with a flying Elbow Drop and went for the cover but Bianca kicked out at two. Bayley bounced Bianca’s face off the ring post and the SmackDown Women’s Champion fell to the floor. Bayley went for a Suicide Dive but Belair got out of the way.

Bianca bounced Bayley off the ring apron and went for the cover but Bayley kicked out at two. Bayley rolled up Belair and used the ropes for leverage but Belair was able to kick out at two. Bayley tried to do it again but the referee caught her this time.

Belair unloaded some strikes but Bayley raked her eyes. Bayley connected with a Bayley to Belly but Belair kicked out at two. Belair then used her hair to roll-up Bayley for the pinfall victory in a clumsy finish. Bianca Belair is still the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Lashley Retained The WWE Championship

Bobby Lashley defended the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre & Braun Strowman tonight at WrestleMania Backlash. Lashley tried to form an alliance with McIntyre at the beginning of the match and they beat Strowman down. Lashley and McIntyre planted Strowman with a massive Suplex before trading punches in the middle of the ring.

McIntyre slammed Lashley to the canvas and delivered the Glasgow Kiss to Braun. Lashley brought McIntyre out of the ring and slammed him into the barricade surrounding the ring. Strowman came out of nowhere and leaped onto Lashley and McIntyre.

Back in the ring, Strowman hit Lashley with a Chokeslam and went for the cover but Bobby was able to power out at two. Bobby went for the Hurt Lock but McIntyre broke it up with a ridiculous Crossbody off the top rope. Drew sent Strowman into the ring post and delivered another Crossbody to the Lashley.

McIntyre hit Strowman with a slam and went for the cover but Lashley broke it up at two. Lashley connected with an overhead throw on McIntyre and then a Spinebuster on Strowman for a near fall. Lashley threw McIntyre into the barricade and then bounced his head off the ring post.

Braun Strowman leveled Lashley with the steel steps but turned around into a Claymore from McIntyre. Drew and Lashley battled up the entrance ramp and Lashley connected with an overhead throw. Lashley slammed McIntyre into a screen but Drew responded with a Glasgow Kiss.

Drew bounced Lashley’s face off the screens and then threw him through the stage. McIntyre looked around but the WWE Champion was nowhere to be found. Strowman brought McIntyre to the ring and hit him with a Senton for a near fall. McIntyre hit Braun with an unbelievable Michinoku Driver for a near fall.

McIntyre hit an overhead throw on the floor but Strowman hopped up and Powerbombed Drew through the announce table in an awesome sequence. McIntyre hit Strowman with a Claymore but Lashley showed up again. Lashley threw McIntyre out of the ring and hit Strowman with a Spear for the pinfall victory in a great match. Bobby Lashley is still the WWE Champion.

Reigns Retained & Rollins Attacked Cesaro

Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against Cesaro in the main event of WrestleMania Backlash. Before the match, Roman Reigns told Jey that he was sounding like Jimmy and didn’t like his attitude. Reigns told Jey that maybe he should go find his brother and went to the ring with just Paul Heyman.

Roman Reigns shoved Cesaro to the corner of the ring to start off the action. Reigns took Cesaro down and applied a Headlock. Cesaro broke free but Reigns decked him with a shoulder tackle for a one count. Cesaro battled back with a shoulder tackle of his own for a one count.

Reigns rolled out of the ring to regroup and had a conversation with Paul Heyman. Roman slowly made his way back to the ring and Cesaro allowed him to do so. Cesaro went for a Waist Lock but Reigns blocked it and threw Cesaro to the corner. Roman bounced Cesaro’s face off the top turnbuckle but Cesaro responded with a springboard uppercut.

Cesaro hit an Atomic Drop and went for the Swing but Reigns grabbed the bottom rope to break it up. Roman sent Cesaro out of the ring and Cesaro appeared to tweak his right arm/shoulder while landing on the floor. Back in the ring, Cesaro hit a couple uppercuts but Reigns shrugged them off with a Clothesline.

Roman targeted Cesaro’s injured arm and launched him into the ring post. Roman bounced Cesaro off the announce table a couple times before rolling him back inside the ring. Cesaro went for a Suplex but Roman countered into a Suplex of his own in the middle of the ring for a one count.

Reigns unloaded some right hands and then stomped Cesaro down to the canvas in the corner of the ring. Cesaro hit a couple uppercuts but the champ responded with a massive shot to the face. Reigns applied a Headlock and brought Cesaro down to the mat.

Cesaro broke free but Roman hit a Clothesline for another one count. Reigns smiled that it was only a one count and started unloading punches to Cesaro’s face. Roman went back to the Headlock and the action slowed down again. Cesaro battled to his feet and booted Reigns in the knee.

Cesaro hit an uppercut but Reigns immediately responded with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Heyman chuckled ringside as Roman made his way back to his feet. Reigns set up for the Superman Punch but Cesaro avoided it. Cesaro connected with a Pop-Up Uppercut and both superstars fell to the canvas.

Roman stumbled to the corner and Cesaro hit him with a flurry of uppercuts. Cesaro hit a boot to the face and went for the cover but the Universal Champion powered out at two. Cesaro booted Reigns in the knee a few more times and locked in the Sharpshooter in the center of the ring.

Reigns quickly reached the bottom rope to break the hold and then rolled to the apron. Cesaro leaped onto Reigns outside the ring and then rolled the Universal Champion back inside. Reigns quickly rolled out of the ring again and Cesaro went after him with an uppercut that sent Roman into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Cesaro climbed to the top rope and hit a Crossbody for a near fall. Reigns and Cesaro then battled on the turnbuckle. Cesaro slammed Reigns’ face off the ring post but Roman responded with a punch to the face. Reigns booted Cesaro in the face and stretched out Cesaro’s injured arm over the top rope.

Roman hit the Drive By and rolled Cesaro back in the ring. Reigns went for the cover but Cesaro kicked out at two. Reigns smiled at Cesaro as the challenger was grimacing in pain. Cesaro got up and punched Roman in the face. Reigns shrugged it off and went back to work on Cesaro’s arm.

Reigns started taunting Daniel Bryan and said “I hope you are enjoying this from your house DB” and hit Cesaro with a Clothesline for a near fall. Reigns continued to trash talk Cesaro while punching him in the face. Roman unloaded some knee strikes and dropped Cesaro with a big boot to the face.

Roman said he has a lot of responsibility and delivered a headbutt to Cesaro. Roman shrugged off an elbow to the face but Cesaro followed it up with an uppercut. Cesaro hit another uppercut and grabbed his arm in pain as both superstars fell to the mat. Reigns and Cesaro traded punches from their knees and battled to their feet.

Cesaro hit an uppercut and unloaded some stomps in the corner of the ring. Cesaro climbed to the middle turnbuckle and shook off the pain in his arm. Cesaro hit an awesome Superplex and went for the cover but Roman powered out at two. Cesaro went for the Neutralizer but his arm gave out.

Reigns brought Cesaro down to the mat and locked in an Armbar in the center of the ring. Cesaro countered into a roll-up for a two count. Reigns connected with a big Superman Punch and went for the cover but somehow Cesaro was able to kick out at the last moment.

Roman went a Spear but Cesaro countered with an uppercut. Cesaro went for another Pop-Up Uppercut but his arm gave out. Reigns capitalized with the Guillotine choke but Cesaro broke free with a Spinebuster for a two count. Cesaro unloaded some punches and locked in the Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring. Roman reached for the ropes and Cesaro transitioned into a Crossface.

Reigns broke free and mounted Cesaro in the middle of the ring. Roman unloaded several punches to Cesaro’s face and deadlifted Cesaro for a massive Powerbomb for another near fall. Reigns unloaded some more punches but Cesaro grabbed his arm. Cesaro sent Roman across the ring but Reigns went right back to the Guillotine choke. Cesaro slammed Reigns to the mat but Roman didn’t let go. Cesaro tried to break the hold but Reigns kept it locked in and Cesaro passed out. Roman Reigns is still the Universal Champion.

After the match, Jey Uso came to the ring and attacked Cesaro. Reigns laughed in the corner with Paul Heyman as Jey beat Cesaro down. Jey climbed to the top rope when Seth Rollins’ music hit. Rollins marched to the ring in an absurd suite and stood across from Roman Reigns. Rollins and Reigns stared at each other and then Seth laughed. Rollins attacked Cesaro and slammed him into the steel steps.

Seth slammed the injured arm into the announce table and then hit him with a steel chair. Rollins put Cesaro’s arm in the chair and shouted that nobody makes a mockery out of him. Rollins slammed the injured arm into the ring post and laughed about it. Seth then delivered the Stomp to Cesaro and posed in the ring to end the PPV.

Opinion: WWE WrestleMania Backlash was a very good show. The zombie Lumberjack match was the low point of the PPV but every other match delivered. The Triple Threat match was fun as hell and the Universal Championship match felt like a war. I hope Cesaro gets his moment in the future but it is impossible to take the title off Roman Reigns right now. He has been incredible as the Tribal Chief and it will be interesting to see who his next opponent is.

Roman Reigns Retains WWE Universal Title At WrestleMania Backlash

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his latest title defense against Cesaro. 

It happened at Sunday’s (May 16, 2021) WWE WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event. The match had a slow start but built over time like any other main event. 

Throughout the match, Cesaro would have a moment of offense only to be cut down by Reigns, who worked over the right arm of Cesaro and at one point, he noted that was “DB style” (Daniel Bryan reference). Reigns won it with the guillotine choke. 

Post-match, Seth Rollins came out to the ring and had a staredown with Reigns before he attacked Cesaro. Rollins has been feuding with Cesaro over the last few months.

Reigns previous title defenses came at WrestleMania 37 where he beat Daniel Bryan and Edge in a triple threat match. Then, earlier this month on an edition of SmackDown, Reigns beat Bryan in a match that had Bryan’s SmackDown career on the line. With him losing, Bryan was banished from SmackDown only for it to be revealed later that Bryan’s contract had expired with WWE. 

Cesaro had interrupted Reigns, The Usos, and Paul Heyman in the opening segment of the throwback edition of SmackDown which led to Seth Rollins attacking him from behind. Cesaro defeated Rollins when they faced off at WrestleMania 37 last month and did so yet again on this throwback SmackDown. 

Cesaro has been wanting a title match with Reigns for quite some time. Thus, Teddy Long announced if he defeated Rollins on this show then he would get a title shot.

Bobby Lashley Retains WWE Title At WrestleMania Backlash

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Bobby Lashley walked into Sunday’s WWE WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event as WWE Champion and walked out as champion. 

He worked a triple threat match against Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman at the show. The match was a brawl. At one point, McIntyre sent Lashley through part of the stage. McIntyre hit a Michinoku Driver to Strowman at one point. Lashley pinned Strowman with a spear. 

Lashley has been WWE Champion since winning the title from The Miz in March and retained the title against McIntyre at WrestleMania 37 night one. 

Originally, WWE had announced it as Lashley vs. McIntyre, but Strowman was added to the match after defeating McIntyre on an episode of Raw. Strowman and McIntyre had been interacting on TV as of late before this change was made. 

Strowman beat Mace and T-Bar in a handicap match only for it to be turned back into the originally advertised tag team match that saw Mace and T-Bar go over via count out. When that happened, Strowman requested the singles match with McIntyre. 

Lashley, MVP, T-Bar, and Mace all got involved in McIntyre and Strowman’s match because WWE kept reminding fans that Lashley’s chances go down to be success if he has two opponents instead of one. 

What are your thoughts on Lashley retaining the WWE Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Bianca Belair Keeps SmackDown Women’s Title At WWE WrestleMania Backlash

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Bianca Belair made her first defense of the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship at the WWE WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event in Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center on Peacock. 

She did so against Bayley. The match was back and forth with moments where Bayley looked like she could get the upset win, but Belair continued to push through. The end came when Belair kicked out of Bayley’s belly-to-belly finisher and Belair used her hair to get a quick roll-up victory. 

WWE announced this match back on April 23rd. Belair won the strap by defeating Sasha Banks in the main event of WrestleMania 37 night one.

During the post-WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, Bayley did a promo about how she wants to challenge Belair because she wants to restore dignity to the title. Bayley mocked Belair for crying before her Mania match and said she did so because she didn’t think she could actually win.

The SmackDown Women’s Title is the first title that Belair has held in her career while on the flip side, Bayley is a two-time former SmackDown Women’s Champion.

What are your thoughts on Bianca Belair retaining the SmackDown Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Rey & Dominik Mysterio Win WWE SmackDown Tag Team Titles

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Rey & Dominik Mysterio walked into the WWE WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event with the chance to make history. 

They challenged WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode for the straps. Dominik was attacked by the heels earlier in the night and was absent to start the match off. Rey put up a good fight, but was beaten down for the majority of the match. Dominik eventually made his way out and got on the apron. Rey hit a 619 to Roode then Dominik hit a splash off the top rope for the win. 

As a result of this win, not only are they the champions, but they become the first father and son duo to win the titles. This is something that they’ve talked about since Dominik broke into the business. 

Ziggler & Roode won the straps from The Street Profits this January. WWE had booked on the SmackDown go-home show for WrestleMania 37 last month Ziggler and Roode to retain the titles against The Street Profits, The Mysterios, and Chad Gable & Otis in a fatal four-way match.

A few weeks ago, Ziggler & Roode also retained against The Street Profits on SmackDown. The Mysterios had also been picking up some wins as of late to earn this title match. 

Rhea Ripley Survives Triple Threat Match To Retain Raw Women’s Title At WrestleMania Backlash

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Rhea Ripley had the deck stacked against her heading into the WWE WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event. 

She defended the WWE Raw Women’s Championship against Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match at this show. The bout kicked off the main card. Flair had the early advantage and stayed put in the middle of the ring while taking on the other stars. Everyone had their moments to shine. At one point, Flair hit a moonsault off the middle rope to the floor. Ripley went over with her finisher to Asuka. 

It had originally been announced as a singles match between Ripley and Asuka before Flair was added. WWE did a storyline where authority figure Sonya Deville added Flair into the match after she reinstated Charlotte from her “indefinite suspension” due to the attack on fellow authority figure Adam Pearce.

Ripley won the Raw Women’s Championship by defeating Asuka at WrestleMania 37 last month. This was originally planned to be Flair challenging Asuka for the strap, but was pulled due to a positive COVID-19 test. 

What are your thoughts on Rhea Ripley retaining the Raw Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Jon Moxley Brawls with Nick Gage at GCW Draft Day

Alex Laybourne
-
0

Current AEW star Jon Moxley is not afraid of a fight. Anybody who has seen him during his AEW tenure can account for that. Anybody who has followed him since his time in the indies will know beyond any doubt. So when Moxley showed up at GWC draft day to confront reigning champion Nick Gage, the outcome was already obvious.

The feud between the pair goes back to April, when Jon Moxley appeared at another GWC event and hit a paradigm shift on Gage, onto a pile of light tubes. It was Gage who had the upper hand this time however, hitting a DDT of his own.

https://twitter.com/RonFunches/status/1393813967189934084

This is obviously not the first time that an AEW wrestler has feuded with someone from another company. However, unlike Kenny Omega, this storyline is being set up in a grim and realistic way so fitting for Jon Moxley.

According to those in attendance at the event, the brawl between Moxley and Gage spilled out of the ring and onto the streets. Continuing on for a good fifteen minutes before finally coming to an end.

As of right now, there has been no word on where this angle is headed but given the scope of the professional wrestling landscape right now, the sky is the limit.

It looks certain that Jon Moxley and Nick Gage are headed to war. Whose ring it will be in remains to be seen.

These are very exciting times. When casting an eye to the wider independent scene, there are a great many entertaining fights that could be imagined. Not just for Jon Moxley, but for any one of the AEW roster.

Tommy Dreamer Teases More NJPW Stars Will Appear on IMPACT Wrestling

Alex Laybourne
-
0

The working relationship between IMPACT Wrestling and NJPW is not a new thing. It was revealed back in February that the two promotions were working together. Since then, we have seen FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson) show up – and claim the IMPACT Wrestling tag titles, and El Phantasmo debuted last week.

However, that does not appear to be the end of the exchange. According to Tommy Dreamer, there are more NJPW stars heading towards an IMPACT Wrestling ring. With Slammiversary not far down the road, the mouths of IMPACT fans are watering at the prospect.

There are already a host of names linked to a spell on IMPACT, and they are not mid-carders either. Former heavyweight champions Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada have been used in Slammiversary promos recently. Another name linked is former IMPACT X-Division Champion Sanada.

The open relationship shared between IMPACT Wrestling, NJPW and AEW are bound to give rise to a number of interesting feuds and fights. Could we even see a title from one promotion defended on the show of another against an opponent from a third?

Tommy Dreamer currently serves as a creative writer and producer for IMPACT Wrestling. Their borrowed NJPW talent has been booked strong thus far. It’s easy to foresee some of these former IMPACT stars return for a short stint.

The wrestling landscape is changing fast right now. The previously staunch boundary lines fading to dust, it is a very exciting time to watch professional wrestling. Whether it is now or later, we are bound to see some very big names stepping between the IMPACT wrestling ropes.

WWE WrestleMania Backlash Final Card, Live Coverage

Andrew Ravens
-
0

The card for tonight’s (Sunday, May 16, 2021) WWE WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event has been finalized.

The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center that will air on Peacock but it will most likely be WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman in a triple threat match. 

The latest betting odds are out and the only title change expected will come in the way of Rey & Dominik Mysterio winning the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Titles from Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode.

The rest of the champions are expected to retain their respective titles. As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special on Sunday evening starting at 6 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:

Final WWE WrestleMania Backlash Card

  • WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman
  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Cesaro
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode vs. Rey & Dominik Mysterio
  • Damian Priest vs. The Miz – Lumberjack Match

RVD On Why Sabu Does Not Get The Recognition He Deserves

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

RVD has had a long relationship with Sabu. It goes all the way back to their days in the original ECW where the two not only had an iconic feud but later formed a team together as well.

The former WWE champion recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote the upcoming WWE Icons special highlighting his illustrious career.

During the interview, RVD talked about his matches with Sabu and explained why he thinks the hardcore legend does not get the recognition that he deserves:

“I hope he eventually gets the recognition that he deserves. He’s done a lot. He’s an innovator, he’s different. It was hard for him to fit into a corporate element. I think he walked out or quit from every important position he’s ever had.

“He’s had to do it his way. That’s keeping him from being in the position he should be post-wrestling.” said RVD, “Not that he’s done wrestling, but I am very grateful for all this recognition. He deserves that, too.”

RVD also revealed that at one time he had offers from both WWE and WCW but he stayed with ECW because he wanted the company to grow.

Apart from this, the wrestling veteran talked about the other highlights of his ECW run including his 700-days long reign as the ECW TV champion, his matches with opponents such as Jerry Lynn and more.

WWE Icons: RVD will premiere on WWE Network this Sunday on 10 PM ET.

Scorpio Sky Opens Up About The Break Up Of SCU

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

This week’s episode of Dynamite saw the end of SCU with Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian’s break up and the third member of the group Scorpio Sky has now broken his silence on the development.

The former ROH star talked about the breakup of the tag team in the latest episode of his Wrestling with the Week podcast and shared his thoughts.

Sky admitted that it’s crazy to think that the team that had been together for so long is done for good and thanked his partners for helping him with his career:

“It’s a little bit crazy for me to think that they’re done, it’s over. This tag team that has been together for 10 or 15 years is done for good. The Addiction’s gone, SCU is gone. Bad Influence is gone.

I just wanna thank those two guys for all the help they’ve given me in my career,” said Scorpio Sky, “helping take me to the next level, and hey, ‘Worst Town’ no more. Sad days, man.”

The AEW star also revealed why he didn’t get involved in the match in any manner. He explained that all four of the participants were his friends and he wanted to let them figure it out.

For those who don’t know, Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian lost a tag team championship match to the Young Bucks on this week’s episode of Dynamite, forcing the duo to disband after more than a decade together.

Cesaro On Why He Thinks He Can Be The Face Of WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Cesaro is finally getting the pay off for the years of hard work in form of his first one on one world title opportunity at the upcoming Backlash PPV event.

Though while he is only getting the opportunity now, the Swiss superman has always been popular with people. Fans every now and then have called for him to get a run with the world title.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Cesaro talked about his connection with the fans and why he believes he can be the face of WWE:

“I feel like I have this special connection with the WWE universe where for the past nine years, they’ve seen what I’m about, rather than me saying what I’m about.

So, that’s something that is very hard to describe but I feel like I struck a chord with a lot of people who are watching” said Cesaro,”and that’s upset important, you can’t fake that and you can’t buy that.”

The former US champion also discussed how he represents the people from around the world who come to US looking for the American Dream and want to become a WWE superstar.

Cesaro will challenge the universal champion Roman Reigns in his first singles opportunity at the world title this Sunday at WrestleMania: Backlash event.

Eric Bischoff On Who Paid For TNA’s Rebranding As Impact Wrestling

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

The company now known as Impact Wrestling started off as Total Nonstop Action or TNA. The transition of the branding began in 2010 and Eric Bischoff recently revealed who was responsible for it.

The former Impact executive discussed the company during the latest episode of his 83 weeks podcast and explained how the name was a bad idea from the start.

Speaking about the rebranding of the company from TNA to Impact, Bischoff revealed that Spike TV and Viacom who were the TV partners of the company at the time were the ones who pushed for the change:

“Spike pumped the brakes and said sorry, if we’re going to continue with this show and try to sell it, we have to rebrand it. It was a tough battle, there was a lot of push back internally, mostly from the people who didn’t have anything to do with running the business on a day to day basis from Texas, that being Panda Energy.

Mommy and Daddy, mostly mommy, didn’t want to spend the money so Spike did! Spike paid for the rebranding, Spike paid for the research, these are things the company should have been doing for themselves” said Eric Bischoff, “But they didn’t and wouldn’t so Spike said alright if you won’t, we will.”

The former Impact official also revealed that Spike was paying the contract money for some of the high profile talent signed to the company at the time as a separate budget item, outside of the TV license agreement.

Though despite the money spent on it, the TNA name continued to be associated with the promotion until 2017, when Anthem bought the company and rebranded it as Impact Wrestling officially.

Ric Flair On Which Company He Thinks Daniel Bryan Will Sign With

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Daniel Bryan has everyone puzzled with his future after not having re-signed with WWE following the expiry of his contract last month but Ric Flair believes that he can’t go anywhere else.

The 16-time world champion recently had an interview with My World podcast where he talked about the current happenings of the company.

Speaking about Bryan, Flair claimed that the former SmackDown star does not have an option but to re-sign because his whole family is closely tied to WWE:

“He doesn’t have an option, he’s going to go home with Brie [Bella], he’s one of the nicest kids I’ve ever met in the business and he wouldn’t leave the WWE. I would have a very difficult time believing he would leave the WWE, if he does, I’d be very surprised. That whole family, everybody’s tied to the WWE.

I was under the impression he wanted to go home and spend more time with the kids.” said Ric Flair, “I don’t know what he’s going to do; whatever he does I wish him nothing but the best.”

The WWE hall of famer also admitted that at first he didn’t think Bryan would be able to make a difference because of his smaller size but he has.

Daniel Bryan lost a career vs. title match to Roman Reigns during the April 30 episode of SmackDown. It was reported afterward that his WWE contract has expired. People have been speculating what will be his next move since then.

Moose Becomes New #1 Contender For Impact World Title, To Face Kenny Omega At Against All Odds

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Moose has become the new #1 contender for Kenny Omega’s Impact world championship and he will now challenge the cleaner for his title at the upcoming Against All Odds event on June 12.

Impact Wrestling had announced a six-way match for tonight’s Under Siege event to determine the next challenger for their current champion and the AEW star.

Along with Moose, the opportunity was given to Chris Bey, Matt Cardona, Sami Callihan, Chris Sabin, and Trey Miguel. The bout was the main event of the show.

The former Impact grand champion came out victorious in this match and he defeated the other five contenders to become the next challenger for the title:

Moose has previously crossed paths with Omega when he teamed up with Rich Swann and Chris Sabin to take on the Impact world champion and the Good Brothers in a six men tag at Hard To Kill. Though they lost the bout.

The event also featured some other interesting matches. The other notable result coming out of the show was Fire ‘n Flava defeating Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering to become the new Knockouts tag team champions.

It would now be interesting to see how the company builds the feud between these two and if Moose ends up being the star to defeat Omega for the title.

The Young Bucks React To Reports About Tension Among AEW EVPs, More On The Situation

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Several reports suggesting tension among the Executive Vice Presidents of AEW intrigued the wrestling community earlier this week and became a topic of discussion among fans.

It was said that the honeymoon period among some key people in the company was over and there were executives who were not even on talking terms.

The Young Bucks seem to have taken note of these rumors and the AEW EVPs recently reacted to them by updating their Twitter bios to “Currently not on speaking terms.”:

Young Bucks Twitter

On a related note, Dave Meltzer provided some update on the situation while writing about it on the Wrestling Observer Message Board. He suggested that the report of the AEW VPs not talking to each other are exaggerated:

“Anyway, nobody isn’t talking to each other, it’s impossible in wrestling to get everyone to agree on everything, especially when they are passionate about it. The Young Bucks & Omega are legit close personal friends.

Cody is more of a business relationship with the other three but it’s not an adversarial one in the least and all have the same end goals which is to build a company that sustains and grows.”

Meltzer also mentioned how Tony Khan is the one running the show at the end of the day and the VPs just have different philosophies about how things should be.

1...950951952...3,099Page 951 of 3,099