Big E Langston, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods debuted their new “A New Day” stable at Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The trio defeated Heath Slater, Curtis Axel and Titus O’Neil in a six-man match. The group celebrated around ringside and with the announcers after the match.
WWE taped this week’s episode of SmackDown on Tuesday night from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Here’s a spoiler-free preview, followed by spoiler results on Page 2 below:
– A former WWE Champion will be the General Manager of SmackDown for the night
– The Miz hosts Miz TV with his guest, The Big Show
– A 20-Man Battle Royal For The Unites States Championship
– Divas Champion Nikki Bella vs. Emma
– Ryback vs. Seth Rollins
– “A New Day” makes their debut
– IC Champion Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler
Former WWE Superstar and current New Japan Pro Wrestling star Yoshi Tatsu revealed via social media that he has been hospitalized after doctors discovered that he had suffered two broken bones in his neck. He’s expected to miss one year of action while he recovers.
The injury was believed to have ocurred when Tatsu landed wrong while taking a “Styles Clash” from AJ Styles at the New Japan Pro Wrestling “Power Struggle” internet pay-per-view event on November 8th.
Tatsu went on to work the opening night of the New Japan World Tag League Tournament before announcing that he was going to have to pull out due to injury.
The former WWE Superstar mentioned on Twitter recently that he is in a lot of pain and was trying not to take sleeping pills. He also mentioned that this was the first time in his life that he has been hospitalized.
The Monday, November 24th, post-Survivor Series edition of WWE RAW, the first show since wrestling legend Sting made his WWE debut, scored a final cable rating of 3.07, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The 3.07 final draw marks a healthy increase compared to last week’s Survivor Series “go-home” edition of the show, which finished at a 2.75.
Monday’s RAW averaged 4.246 million viewers, which also marked a significant increase compared to the numbers for last week’s edition of the show, which averaged 3.771 million viewers.
The hourly breakdown in terms of viewership for Monday’s RAW is as follows:
Hour One: 4.734 million viewers
Hour Two: 3.992 million viewers
Hour Three: 4.012 million viewers
The following are highlights of a new E! Online interview with WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella:
On the backstage reaction to her recent WWE Divas Championship victory: “I think everyone’s in shock. They were waiting outside when I came out and gave me hugs and kisses, and Nattie wrote me a nice, super long text. They’ve all been waiting for a change and they’ve seen how hard I’ve been working and I think they are very happy for me; they felt it was very deserving.”
On her new goals: “I definitely want to accomplish so much more. This Divas Championship I hold so close to my heart and I love the Divas division and WWE, and we’ve seen what the power of Total Divas does for our Divas, I want to make this title so much, I want to make every Diva mean something, I want to have a long title run; I know AJ had an insanely long title run and i want to beat it. My first goal is to hold onto this for as long as I can; I want to be challenged every week ; I want to know that my title is on the line and I have to fight to keep it. Those are definitely my new goals with this and just to be the best Nikki Bella that I can be.”
Check out the complete interview at EOnline.com.
EVENT: WWE Superstars
FROM: Indianapolis, Indiana
RESULTS BY: Matt Boone (@MBoone420)
The following matches were taped in Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday night, prior to the post-Survivor Series edition of RAW, for this week’s WWE Superstars episode.
-Jack Swagger def. Curtis Axel in the opening match of the taping. Swagger, who was accompanied by his manager, Zeb Colter, received an outstanding ovation from the fans in attendance. Axel, on the other hand, received basically no reception at all.
– The Usos def. The Slater Gators in a decent tag-team contest which served as the main event of the taping. The team of Heath Slater and Titus O’Neil garnered a decent comedic reaction throughout the bout, as this was basically designed as a goofy, fun style match.
– Randy Orton is not currently scheduled for any WWE events until the WWE Holiday Tour kicks off after Christmas.
– Steve Austin is taking questions for his upcoming podcast with Vince McMahon, which airs live on the WWE Network next week immediately after RAW. If you’ve got a quetion you want Austin to ask Vince, send it to questions@steveaustinshow.com.
– Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins will be a guest on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast later this week.
This week on @TalkIsJericho:
Wed- #SethRollins @WWERollins & @roryfox_ !!
Fri- @VH1 @MobWives star @ReneeGraziano & Brazilian Flag incident!— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 25, 2014
Monday’s episode of WWE RAW drew 4.25 million viewers, a sharp increase from the previous week’s 3.77 million. Fans were clearly interested in the fallout from Survivor Series, including the debut of Sting and the culmination of the Team Cena vs. Team Authority storyline.
Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown:
RAW ranked #3 on cable for the evening behind NF Monday Night Football on ESPN and CNN’s coverage of Ferguson, Missouri.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 25, 2014) – TNA Entertainment today announced tickets will be on sale beginning Dec. 5 for three consecutive televised events, Jan. 7 – 9, emanating from the legendary Manhattan Center in New York City for IMPACT WRESTLING’s debut on Destination America.
“With the explosive sold-out crowds in New York City this past summer, returning to the Manhattan Center for three huge events as IMPACT WRESTLING debuts on Destination America was an easy decision,” said Dixie Carter.
Tickets for the Jan. 7 – 9 televised events will go on sale beginning Friday, Dec. 5 at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800.745.3000. Starting at just $20, tickets make great holiday gifts.
For an exclusive pre-sale code follow TNA President Dixie Carter on twitter @TNADixie.
For more information about IMPACT WRESTLING, including Manhattan Center event details, visit www.impactwrestling.com and click on Tickets. And be sure to follow IMPACT WRESTLING on twitter @impactwrestling.
TNA sent out the following press release on Tuesday:
TNA REVEALS SCHEDULE FOR FINAL FOUR EPISODES OF IMPACT WRESTLING ON SPIKE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 25, 2014) – Before moving to Destination America in January 2015, IMPACT WRESTLING will air four Spike Specials highlighting the best of IMPACT 2014 and the greatest moments in TNA history, including matches and footage seen for the first time on Spike.
The final four episodes of IMPACT WRESTLING on Spike will air on Wednesdays at 9/8c with the following schedule:
“For the past 9 years, TNA and Spike have partnered to deliver the best professional wrestling in the world to our fans week in and week out. Before the move to our new home on Destination America in January, we wanted the final four episodes on Spike to celebrate the best moments for this incredible year of IMPACT and the greatest moments in TNA’s history,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “I will always have a special place in my heart for Kevin Kay, Scott Fishman and the incredible team at Spike. Together we did amazing things and I wish them nothing but the best in their endeavor.”
Tomorrow (Wed., Nov. 26) night “Thanksgiving Throwdown,” an online exclusive episode, will premiere at 9/8c on TNA IMPACT WRESTLING’s YouTube channel and will be available for on-demand viewing through Black Friday. The YouTube special features the best Turkey Bowl matches in TNA history and offers viewers ShopTNA Black Friday deals, including a free replica TNA World Heavyweight Championship belt for one lucky shopper.
Fans are encouraged to take to twitter to share with @impactwrestling their favorite TNA moment by using #TNABestMoment
Now that TNA has officially announced their multi-year TV deal with Destination America, negotiations are underway with various TNA wrestlers regarding new talent contracts. As noted earlier, the entire TNA product will be getting an overhaul, including a new logo, arena layout for Impact Wrestling and more.
The rumored premiere date for Impact on Destination America is Wednesday, January 7th, so it looks like they will be staying on Wednesday nights.
Dixie Carter revealed on Twitter that she will be announcing the date & location for the first Destination America TV tapings later this afternoon:
Want to be the 1st to know the location & date of our debut @DestAmerica TV taping? I will announce here in a few hours.
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) November 25, 2014
The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:
On Daniel Bryan’s RAW return: “Enjoyed seeing Daniel Bryan back on TV in a unique role for the evening. I’m not overwhelmed with the entire authority concept within the business as I feel that it’s largely run its course notwithstanding the fact that no one has truly ever followed McMahon & Austin. Many have done a fine job in the RAW GM, etc role but no one will ever compare to Mr. McMahon when it comes to being the “evil boss.””
On Sting vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 31: “If Sting wrestles HHH at WM31 I think that they would have an excellent match that would be well paced an tell a clearly understandable story that would be easy to follow. Nonetheless, this matter will likely be over analyzed and worn out by the time the big event gets here. Much like the business is at times over thought it seems as if some fans are following suit and second guessing whatever is put on their wrestling plate.”
On the Anonymous RAW GM: “I’ve never been a huge fan of the anonymous, RAW GM but if it’s going to return wouldn’t it be better for JBL to read the heel emails than Michael Cole?”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
The following is the latest Facebook blog from WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley:
3 REASONS WHY I SHOULD NOT BE THE NEW WWE GM
With the huge win by Team Cena over the #Authority at last night’s #SurvivorSeries, we can certainly expect a seismic shift in the balance of power in #WWE – perhaps as early as tonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. But while my appearance on Raw a few weeks ago emboldened me, and made me think there might be something I could contribute with a more regular on-air role, I believe WWE has some very good reasons to go with a different candidate.
Here are three perfectly acceptable reasons to look elsewhere when searching for a new GM.
1) Head injuries – While I will forever be grateful to WWE for removing me from an environment where I am likely to suffer from further concussions, my short-term memory is still a problem. A GM has to have a grasp on not only what they need to say – but on what everyone else in the segment might be saying too. Although things are going better for me, I’m not sure I’m there yet.
2) Limpin’ aint easy – I have considerable trouble walking…and it’s not always easy to watch. For a show that is supposed to take viewers minds off their own problems, watching me hobble slowly to the ring could be a downer…and a reminder of the price to be paid when doing what we do.
3) A fashion nightmare – Most people reading will probably feel a sense of nostalgia when recalling my struggles with fashion over the years. But for a publicly traded company, having a face of the company who makes good clothes look bad is a legitimate concern. Even while watching Survivor Series 1997 last night on #WWENetwork, my children marveled at just how bad I looked – even while wrestling in a tuxedo! My commissioner days of 2000, where I could wear anything I wanted are long over. I’m down almost 25 pounds since my back injury – due to a combination of #DDPYoga and wiser eating. Believe it or not, I’m actually 20 pounds lighter than I was during my time as WWE Commissioner in 2000. But I’m a long way from looking ready to assume any type of larger role with WWE.
No, I don’t think I will be the new man in charge. But I wish whoever does end up in charge the very best of luck. Besides, I really liked how it felt to come back as a surprise and make an impact…and look forward to doing it again!
The following are highlights of a new Huffington Post interview with NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte:
Fear of not living up to Ric Flair’s legacy: “The biggest thing holding me back is fear. Being afraid to fail and not live up to such a legacy my dad has made. I do feel the pressure, but I also feel the drive. My dad was really hard on me as a kid in sports, so this is no different.”
Her desire to change the WWE Divas division: “I want it so bad. Obviously NXT’s brand, we have a little more time to work. There’s a little more Divas focus — more story lines, more backstage segments. As NXT is the future, I hope as we all come up together, the Divas division will have more depth and be stronger. Not to say it’s not strong now. But I hope with what NXT has to offer, the division will just be incredible.”
Check out the complete interview at HuffingtonPost.com.
Sting recently signed a performers contract with WWE. While the length of the agreement and specific details are not yet known, the deal is likely structured similar to Brock Lesnar’s, where he is getting paid a lot and is only required to make limited appearances.
While he almost certainly won’t be working live events, the feeling is that he will be wrestling more than just “one more match.”
As noted earlier, WWE reached out to Sting last Thursday to set up his Survivor Series appearance.
H/T: PWinsider.com
As seen on last night’s post-Survivor Series edition of WWE RAW, former WWE Superstar Santino Marella, along with his “Jingle All The Way 2” movie co-star, Larry The Cable Guy, made appearances on the show during a couple of different segments.
Below is a video of the first segment the two took part in, where Larry The Cable Guy comes out dressed up like a masked pro wrestler.
And for those who missed it, as we posted earlier today, the two ere also part of this week’s “RAW Fallout” video which you can view once again below.
Following Sting’s WWE debut at Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, where he gave Triple H a Scorpion Death Drop and cost Team Authority their jobs, there’s already some buzz behind the scenes that the two legends will square off at WrestleMania 31.
Just a few weeks ago, The Rock and Triple H were teasing a WrestleMania match at the SmackDown 15th Anniversary special. With The Rock busy schedule shooting movies, it seems unlikely that he’ll be getting back in the ring next March. WWE kicking off a feud between Sting & Triple H seems to support the notion that Rock won’t be available during WrestleMania season.
While The Undertaker’s in-ring future is still unknown, Sting working with Triple H could be a sign that Taker has yet to commit to wrestling at WrestleMania 31.
(Source: f4wonline.com)
The following are this week’s RAW Fallout videos:
– Larry the Cable Guy & Santino discuss their night on RAW:
– Big Show gives Erick Rowan a warning:
– Lana & Rusev comment on the disrespect shown to them by Americans:
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown and Main Event tapings take place from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Main event will feature Dean Ambrose vs. Kane in singles action.
SmackDown will feature fallout from Survivor Series, including The Authority’s removal from power. Plus, The Miz will host Miz TV with his guest, the Big Show.
Other superstars advertised for the tapings include Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, US Champion Rusev, IC Champion Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Mark Henry, and Cesaro.
The advertised dark match main event will see Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt.
AXS TV announced the following last night:
AXS TV EXPANDS FRIDAY NIGHT LINEUP ACQUIRING ‘NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING’ SERIES FOR 2015
13-Episode Series Premieres on U.S. Television Jan. 16, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT Leading Into the Weekly Live AXS TV FIGHTS Broadcast
Josh Barnett and Mauro Ranallo Serve As English Language Commentators
LOS ANGELES – Nov. 24, 2014 – Building on the success of the AXS TV FIGHTS Friday night franchise, AXS TV has acquired a 13 episode series from Japan’s largest professional wrestling promotion, NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW). Premiering Jan. 16, 2015, NJPW will air on Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT leading into the network’s weekly live MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing broadcasts.
Airing for the first time ever in the U.S., the hour-long weekly series features the most exciting matches from NJPW’s Japanese broadcasts and pay-per-view events. Former UFC Heavyweight champion and NJPW veteran Josh Barnett and famed combat sports commentator Mauro Ranallo are providing English language commentary for the series.
Founded in 1972, NJPW has established itself as the premier wrestling organization in Japan and the second largest and fastest growing wrestling promotion in the world. In recent years, NJPW has gained international recognition, winning the Wrestling Observer Newsletter “Promotion of the Year” award two years running and boasting three-year reigning “Wrestler of the Year” Hiroshi Tanahashi.
The series premiere features Tanahashi defending the promotion’s prestigious IWGP Heavyweight Title against his long-time rival Kazuchika Okada in front of 29,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
“With this acquisition, AXS TV FIGHTS now offers one of the most diverse combat sports and sports entertainment programming line-ups on television,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “There is a strong relationship and influence between professional wrestling and MMA, and with the addition of Josh Barnett and Mauro Ranallo as our commentators, we’re confident this new venture will be a crossover hit with wrestling and MMA fans alike.”
AXS TV’s NJPW episodes were produced by and purchased from TV ASAHI CORPORATION.
ABOUT AXS TV FIGHTS
AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and kickboxing events than any other television network with 40+ LIVE world-class fight cards each year. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world champion Pat Miletich call all the action as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 10pE/7pP. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite and telco providers. The network is also carried in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
After Monday’s WWE RAW went off the air, Dolph Ziggler delivered a superkick to Michael Cole:
After the conclusion of the main event of the post-Survivor Series edition of WWE RAW on Monday night in Indianapolis, Indiana, the “Anonymous RAW General Manager” returned.
While Daniel Bryan made his return and ran the show for the evening, it was made clear that his being in charge was a one-night only deal. At the end of the show, the infamous “ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling” noise played, which prompted Michael Cole to leave the broadcast table and approach the podium containing a laptop computer.
Cole would go on to read a message from the Anonymous RAW GM, which said order will be restored on Cyber Monday next Monday night on RAW.
– As noted earlier today, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan has been backstage at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana today. As it turned out, Bryan made his television return in the opening segment of RAW. He appeared as The Authority was bidding farewell to the WWE Universe. Bryan was in charge of the RAW for the night – for the full breakdown of Bryan’s return, check out our RAW Results (11/24/14).
– Also announced on RAW was the next guest on Steve Austin’s “Steve Austin Show” podcast. On his next show, which is available tomorrow at PodcastOne.com, Bray Wyatt will be the featured guest. On next Monday’s show, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will be the guest on Austin’s podcast, which will air live on the WWE Network.
On the post-Survivor Series of WWE RAW this past Monday night in Indianapolis, Indiana, one of the main segments was announced for this week’s SmackDown.
The Big Show will serve as the special guest on an edition of “MizTV” hosted by the WWE Tag-Team Champions, The Miz and Damien Mizdow.
WWE SmackDown will be taped on Tuesday night in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and will air this Friday night on the SyFy Network.
Make sure to visit the website on Tuesday night for live WWE SmackDown spoiler results coverage.
– It was announced during the post-Survivor Series edition of WWE RAW on Monday night that one of the key matches on this week’s edition of WWE Main Event, which airs live Tuesday night on the WWE Network, is Kane vs. Dean Ambrose.
– Also on Monday’s RAW was the return of WWE Hall Of Famer Sgt. Slaughter. Slaughter took part in a segment where Rusev and Lana were forced to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance.” They never actually did so, as Rusev tried bullying Slaughter until Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter came to the rescue.