Archive for January, 2016

Recap Of Chris Jericho On ESPN’s SportsCenter (Videos)

This week’s “Off The Top Rope” segment on ESPN SportsCenter with Jonathan Coachman focused on the Royal Rumble and the post-Rumble RAW from Miami.

This week’s Top Finish was Dean Ambrose defeating Kevin Owens in the Last Man Standing Match, the Top Debut was AJ Styles in the Rumble, Top Moment was Triple H eliminating Ambrose to win the Rumble, the Top Rap Battle was Flo Rida vs. Bo “Bo Rida” Dallas on RAW and Top Return went to The Rock.

Chris Jericho then joined Jonathan Coachman. Jericho told Coach he’s a little uglier and he’s a little older, but it’s always good to see him. Coach brought up Jericho’s WWE debut and asked how much pressure he’s felt over the years going at it on the mic with guys like Rock and Steve Austin. Jericho says it’s very important to be athletic in the ring but it’s almost more important to have a good character and a good personality. Jericho says you have to connect with fans and make them want to buy a ticket or a unicorn horn, whatever it may be. Jericho said you have to be good on the mic and that’s something that’s hard to learn or train but if you do have it, you’ll make it into the upper echelon.

Jericho also commented on Fozzy, his Talk Is Jericho podcast, competing on Dancing With the Stars, hockey and more. Jericho said DWTS was very hard but one of the best parts of his career.

Rey Mysterio Hypes Lucha Underground On SportsCenter (Video)

Rey Mysterio, Johnny Mundo, King Cuerno and Melissa Santos appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter late Tuesday night to promote tonight’s Season 2 premiere on the El Rey Network. Mysterio and Mundo explained what separates Lucha Underground from WWE while Cerno talked about the significance of lucha masks in Mexican culture.

Spoilers – WWE SmackDown Tapings Results Airing 1/28

WWE SmackDown Results from Tampa, Florida:

– The New Day are out to start the show. The Miz joined them and they all talked trash about The Rock until the Usos interrupted, setting up a match.

– The Usos, Dolph Ziggler and Titus O’Neil defeated New Day and The Miz.

– Kalisto retained the WWE United States Title over Neville.

– Up next is Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel with his guests, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. The Wyatt Family interrupted, setting up the 6-man main event.

– The Social Outcasts called out AJ Styles, since Styles eliminated Curtis Axel in the Rumble. AJ Styles defeated Curtis Axel with the Styles Clash.

– Divas Champion Charlotte defeated Natalya in a non-title match. Charlotte beat down Natalya after until Becky Lynch made the save.

– Sasha Banks tells Tamina Snuka and Naomi that she is going solo.

– A segment aired with Goldust continuing to recruit R-Truth as his new tag team partner.

– Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho defeated Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan by DQ when Braun Strowman interfered. The Wyatts beat on the babyfaces until Big Show came down and made the save. They wore Big Show down and SmackDown ended with the Wyatt Family standing tall.

WWE Teams Up With Boys & Girls Clubs Of America For New National Partnership

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA AND WWE® LAUNCH NEW NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP

ATLANTA and STAMFORD, Conn., January 25, 2016 – Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced a multi-year, national partnership designed to further enhance youth development at local Clubs across the country. The new partnership focuses on bullying prevention efforts around Be a STAR, WWE’s anti-bullying initiative, and its mission to encourage young people to treat each other with respect through education and grassroots initiatives.

WWE Superstars and Divas, many of whom are Boys & Girls Club alumni, will participate in anti-bullying rallies at local Clubs across the U.S. where they will interact with local youth, share their personal experiences, and distribute Be a STAR resources and materials. Since 2011, WWE has held more than 100 anti-bullying rallies and Be a STAR’s resources and programs have reached more than 300,000 children globally.

To support Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s mission, WWE will utilize its global platforms including WWE Network and TV broadcasts, live events, digital, social media and TV production, to generate awareness and raise funds for the organization.Additionally, WWE will make a financial contribution to support BGCA and the 4,500 Clubs across the U.S.


“We are pleased to partner with Vince McMahon, a Boys & Girls Club alum, and the WWE organization to educate Club youth around bullying prevention,” said Jim Clark, BGCA president & CEO. “Each day, Club professionals work to create a safe environment that empowers the nearly 4 million kids and teens that attend our Clubs. Thanks to partners like WWE, we can elevate important issues like bullying and equip our youth with the skills they need to navigate successfully to a great future.”

 “WWE is proud to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and support their efforts to build future leaders,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “As a proud Boys & Girls Club Alumnus, I know the difference this organization makes in the lives of our youth.”

WWE is committed to leveraging the power of its brand and platforms to help address important social issues worldwide including diversity and inclusion, education, military support and providing hope to those in need. Through partnerships with Special Olympics, Ad Council, Connor’s Cure, GLAAD, First Book, Susan G. Komen, Make-A-Wish, Hire Heroes USA and USO Metro, WWE supports programs and initiatives that positively impact children and families around the world.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more athttps://www.bgca.org/facebook and https://bgca.org/twitter.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 25 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 175 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.

Preview: Lucha Underground Season 2 Premiere

After over 5 months since Ultima Lucha, Lucha Underground is back with another season straight out of the Temple in Boyle Heights, California. The acclaimed cinematic wrestling show from Mark Burnett, Robert Rodriguez and Eric van Wagenen returns to the El Rey Network Wednesday night at 8pm EST.

The first season won fans over with innovative lucha action, straight-forward presentation and a gritty style presented as true competitive alternative to WWE. Season two has some big things in store, including the arrival of wrestling legend Rey Mysterio Jr. It all kicks off in a mattter of hours.

Lucha Underground Season 2 Premiere Preview

  • What has happened to the Lucha Temple with Mil Muertes now in control?
  • Fenix vs. King Cuerno for the Gift of the Gods Championship
  • Ivelisse vs. Angelico vs. Son of Havok to earn a shot at the Lucha Underground championship
  • Drago, Bengala & Famous B vs. Cage, Cortez Castro & Cisco

In case you need to catch up on what went down during Season 1, here’s a recap:

Rey Mysterio Featured In Lucha Underground Online Comic Book

The El Rey Network has released the premiere issue of a comic book series that follows Rey Mysterio Jr.’s journey to the Lucha Underground temple. There will be four issues total. The Lucha Underground comic series is scripted by Fabian Rangel, Jr. and is based on a story by Justin Ortiz and Christopher DeJoseph. Artwork by AC Osorio.

Season 2 of of Lucha Underground premieres Wednesday night at 8pm EST on the El Rey Network.

WWE RAW Tops 4 Million Viewers The Night After The Royal Rumble

The January 25th edition of WWE RAW averaged 4,098,000 million viewers, up a sharp 17% from the previous week.

The show featured fallout from the 2016 Royal Rumble, AJ Styles’ RAW debut and a surprise appearance from The Rock.

Here’s the hourly breakdown:

  • Hour 1: 4,140,000 viewers
  • Hour 2: 4,183,000 viewers
  • Hour 3: 3,972,000 viewers

Obviously not a great sign that viewership declined in the final hour, but RAW was over 4 million viewers for the first time since 6/15/15.

Opening Betting Odds For WWE Fastlane & WrestleMania Main Events

As announced on RAW, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar will square off in the main event of WWE Fastlane to determine who will challenge Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32. Bwin.com has released the opening betting odds for the Fastlane main event and it probably won’t be a surprise that Roman Reigns is currently favored:

  • Roman Reigns (1/5)
  • Brock Lesnar (3/1)
  • Dean Ambrose (14/1)

Bwin is also taking bets on how likely each man is to walk out of WrestleMania 32 as WWE World Heavyweight Champion:

  • Roman Reigns (57/100)
  • Triple H (7/5)
  • Brock Lesnar (7/1)
  • Dean Ambrose (50/1)

Comment on this article and let us know who you think will win at Fastlane and who will be standing tall as WWE World Heavyweight champion at the end of WrestleMania.

H/T: WWELeaks.org

Editorial: What We Learned From The Royal Rumble

Let’s start this column with a haiku:

Roman Reigns Lost Belt

Triple H Showed Who Is Boss

Fans Still Aren’t Happy

When the clock struck 11 p.m. eastern on Sunday night, that was the feeling among WWE fans on social media. It seems that only fans at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida enjoyed the moment and atmosphere of Triple H’s WWE championship victory.

Prior to WWE Raw, the WWE did what was right and really had no other choice. If Reigns would’ve retained his title, the ending wouldn’t have brought any surprise and WWE fans had the potential of truly getting frustrated over the creative decisions.

Sure, it worked the last two years with Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins, but it’s best not to keep pressing their luck time and time again. There will come a time when WWE officials don’t listen to a “fan revolt.” Then, and only then, will wrestling fans understand.

The Royal Rumble was a fantastic pay-per-view. It kicked off with Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose in their Last Man Standing match for the Intercontinental championship. As many predicted, they nearly stole the show with multiple high-risk spots. Following them was the WWE Tag-Team championship match between the New Day and Usos.

All five men didn’t disappoint either. There was a lot of speculation and discomfort before the show started. Luckily, the United States title and Divas title were also very good matches. Kalisto and Charlotte came out victorious. Kalisto’s feud with Alberto Del Rio seems over, but the women’s division is just getting started.

That led to the Royal Rumble main event. Let’s be honest: there hasn’t been a good Rumble match since Edge won it in 2010. Each year brought way too much predictability to the table and Del Rio’s victory in the 40-man Royal Rumble didn’t feel special. Sheamus’ win is also in that argument.

There were only two real surprises in the Royal Rumble match, but they lived up to expectations. AJ Styles debuted in the WWE at no.3 in the Rumble, which blew the roof off the Amway Center. Sami Zayn also came out later in the match to have a nice encounter with his bitter rival, Kevin Owens.

Bray Wyatt and the Wyatts had a great showing. Chris Jericho lasted over 50 minutes and Brock Lesnar did exactly what he was brought in to do. He dominated for several minutes, but was ultimately out-muscled by the Wyatts. It’s clear that Ambrose is in future plans, and that was solidified on WWE Raw. 

Triple H pushed Reigns over the top rope and once again, the WWE Universe wasn’t stunned, but they were pleasantly surprised. In the final few minutes, Ambrose and HHH went back-and-forth, but the Game got the best of Ambrose by throwing him over the victory.

The Royal Rumble, as well as the subsequent episode of WWE Raw, are over, the discussions for Fast Lane can commence.

What exactly did we learn from the Royal Rumble?

  1. WWE officials care about AJ Styles and so does the WWE Universe. There were mixed reports about the WWE worrying if fans wouldn’t know who he is. The casual fan is their main concern. He debuted early and carried on throughout the match. Owens eliminated him, but he was the man to do it. That proved WWE officials wanted to handle Styles’ debut with care.
  2. Brock Lesnar is going to put over the Wyatt Family. It’s the match that is rumored right now for WrestleMania 32. Wyatt, or another member of the clan. Even though he’s in the main event of Fast Lane for the WWE championship, don’t expect him to come out with the belt. Actually, interference from Wyatt during that match is a likely scenario.
  3. WWE is beginning to care more about the women. The Divas Revolution was a flop. From booking to time on the show, it just didn’t work. Trying to get over all those women at the same time was an impossible feat. Thankfully, they strayed away from that and gave the fans a great rivalry between Charlotte and Lynch. Fans saw Sasha Banks appear after the bout and call out Charlotte. This could lead to a triple threat at Fast Lane, or even WrestleMania.
  4. The Royal Rumble match was nearly booked to perfection. No legends showed up, which didn’t leave a lot to be desired anyway. Zayn and Styles were the two surprises in the match, because HHH wasn’t all that shocking. Nobody overstayed their welcome in the match that didn’t need to. The League of Nations got involved at the right time and did what had to be done for the storyline.
  5. Triple H is the best placeholder for Roman Reigns’ revenge. Due to the situation WWE booked themselves into, was there really a better option? Now, that doesn’t mean the previous booking can change.

It’s the principle of the matter. Who is the biggest heel on the main roster? Triple H is, and even though Reigns will most-likely get the belt back at WrestleMania 32, perhaps they can write it in a way that makes sense.

There’s too much riding on the next several weeks for the WWE to mess it up. Frankly, they knocked the Royal Rumble out of the park. Everything fit and it made the fans want to watch WWE Raw last night.

Let’s end this column with another haiku:

WrestleMania

Where Stars Come To Shine Brighter

Patience Is Golden

Big E Speaks On The Evolution Of The New Day’s Gimmick

In an interview with The Tampa Tribune, WWE star Big E discussed the “weird turns” The New Day’s gimmick has taken, and says they plan to continue giving people something different. Here are the highlights:

On the changes in The New Day’s gimmick:

“The foundation was three individuals who believed in the power of positivity. Now it has expanded to some sort of traveling musical group that gyrates a lot,” he said. “It has taken many weird turns. We just enjoy having fun together. I think I can accomplish all of my goals with The New Day. We just want to continue giving people something different. What that is yet, I can’t say, but hopefully, we continue to change for the better.”

On getting out of his shell for the character:

“Getting comfortable with your surroundings helps a lot,” E said. “There are no more nerves. I am not second guessing myself. This is the least inhibited I have been on camera.”

You can read the full interview here.

Jeff Hardy Signs New TNA Contract

TNA President Dixie Carter announced on Tuesday that Jeff Hardy has signed a new deal with the promotion. Hardy’s contract was scheduled to expire in the coming months. Hardy is dealing with what he’s been calling a career-threatening knee injury that will require extensive surgery soon.

During recent interviews, he’s said there’s “a huge possibility” that he could finish his career in WWE, so this is a big signing for TNA.

Mick Foley Comments On AJ Styles WWE Debut

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley posted the following on Facebook about AJ Styles joining WWE. Foley is impressed at what he’s seen so far and ponders what could be in store for the former TNA & IWGP champion at WrestleMania 32.

HIS FUTURE LOOKS PHENOMENALI really hoped AJ Styles would debut on the main roster. I hoped he would be able to…

Posted by Mick Foley on Tuesday, January 26, 2016

James Storm Compares NXT To His Early TNA Days

James Storm, who returned to TNA earlier this month after briefly appearing on NXT, recently discussed how the two companies compare. In an interview with Radio Yorkshire to promote TNA’s upcoming UK tour, Storm said NXT reminded him of the younger talent in TNA.

“It was cool being in NXT, I made a lot of new friends, I saw a lot of old friends as well,” Storm said. “I think NXT reminded me of a young TNA group, guys who were out to prove they deserved to be there and in TNA guys are trying to prove they can hang with The Wolves, Matt Hardy… the two groups don’t hate each other, they have to go out and do their job to the best of their abilities.”

You can listen to his entire interview here.

Related: James Storm Talks About Triple H, Returning To TNA, His Time In NXT

More Backstage Heat On Lana (Report)

There is said to be ‘another round’ of heat on Lana, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.

Lana recently said something that’s getting her a lot of negative attention backstage. Meltzer noted that “it’s probably nothing except everyone is talking about it.” The Rock’s backstage interaction with her last night where he spoke about her coming to his hotel room and telling Rusev how ‘flexible’ she is that reflects her current standing with the company.

Previously, Lana was in the doghouse after she went public with her engagement to Rusev while they were broken up on WWE television. She also didn’t win anybody over by calling out Paige on Twitter a few months ago.

Despite what’s going on with Lana, Rusev is still well liked backstage.

Nikki Bella Undergoing Neck Surgery

January 27th: Nikki Bella is undergoing a C6-C7 cervical fusion this morning. The procedure is expected to last two hours. Show your support on Twitter by using the hashtag #FearlessNikki.

January 25th: Former WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella will undergo neck surgery on Wednesday and the procedure could spell the end of her in-ring career. In an exclusive interview with E! Online, the Total Divas star spoke candidly about the extent of her injury.

“I have basically a broken neck, a pretty bad herniated disk,” Nikki explained. “What makes mine a little bit difficult than most people is that I have some disk behind my vertebrae so with a lot of prayers we’re gonna pray that the doctors can get the piece behind my vertebrae with just a bone fusion.”

The bone fusion procedure will take two hours. She’ll spend a day or two in the hospital and then will have to wear a neck brace for three months. After 6 months, she will undergo yet another x-ray and only then will doctors know if she’ll be able to wrestle again .

“There is a potential that this is career-ending,” Nikki explained. “We will only know that when I get out of surgery on Wednesday and then basically how the bone heals Wednesday. So that’s been tough but I truly have such hope that I will get to compete in that ring another day, I really do.”

Nikki confirmed that her Rack Attack finisher has contributed to the deterioration of her neck and she won’t be performing the move even if she does eventually get medically cleared.

Latest On Nakamura Starting With WWE, NXT At The Arnold Classic, Samoa Joe In 2K16 & More

– WWE tapes this week’s SmackDown tonight from Tampa, FL. The show will feature Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose on the Highlight Reel. Check back later tonight for live results from the tapings.

– Chris Jericho noted on Twitter that he had a blast wrestling AJ Styles last night on RAW (Video).

– Shinsuke Nakamura begins training at the the WWE Performance Center the first week in February, days after his final appearance for NJPW on 1/30. During a press conference Monday, Nakamura officially announced his departure from NJPW and surrendered the IWGP Intercontinental championship title. Nakamura stated once again that he accomplished everything he wanted to in Japan and is looking for a new challenge.

– Triple H announced on Monday that NXT will be returning to the Arnold Classic once again this year with two live events scheduled for March 3rd and 4th from Columbus, Ohio.

– It looks like The Rock lost a fan for his HBO show ballers after his interaction with The New Day on RAW. Big E tweeted:

– 2K has released the Future Stars DLC pack for WWE 2K16 featuring Samoa Joe, Los Matadores, Blake & Murphy.

Impact Wrestling Preview: Feast Or Fired, Fallout From Matt’s Title Win

The following is a preview for tonight’s episode of TNA Impact Wrestling on Pop TV:

– Feast or Fired Match with briefcases containing title shots and a pink slip in each corner

– Fallout from Matt Hardy capturing the TNA World title from EC3 last week. What does Jeff Hardy think about Matt’s actions?

– X Division Champion Tigre Uno vs. DJ Zema Ion vs. Mandrews in a Triple Threat match

– Tag Team Champions The Wolves vs. Abyss & Crazzy Steve

– Awesome Kong vs. Velvet Sky

The Rock & New Day’s Segment Praised, Jericho On SportsCenter & More

– Former NXT creative assistant Rob Naylor was tweeting during RAW and liked what he saw with the Rock and New Day segment, especially Rock going off script and Woods-Big E showing their natural charisma.

– Chris Jericho will be Jonathan Coachman’s guest this week Tuesday night on ESPN Sports Center. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose will be on Jericho’s Highlight Wheel on Thursday’s SmackDown.

– As seen on RAW from Miami, Rappers Rick Ross and Wale were among the celebrities in attendance. Here they are hanging with Mark Henry:

RAW Videos (1/25): Rock & New Day, Styles vs. Jericho, Bo Rida vs. Flo Rida

The McMahon family celebrates Triple H’s Royal Rumble Match victory

Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens

Flo Rida battle raps “Bo Rida”

AJ Styles introduces himself to the WWE Universe

The Dudley Boyz vs. Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel

Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks

Goldust and R-Truth have a misunderstanding

Demon Kane vs. Bray Wyatt

AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

The Rock arrives at the AmericanAirlines Arena

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPPSeJodH4M

The Rock and The Usos lay the smackdown on The New Day

Kalisto vs. The Miz

Natalya & Paige vs. Brie Bella & Alicia Fox

WWE Fastlane Main Event Winner Challenges Triple H At WrestleMania

Triple H’s opponent at WrestleMania 32 will be determined next month at WWE Fastlane in a triple threat match.

The competitors will be Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar. The winner gets a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania. The match was announced by Stephanie McMahon at the conclusion of RAW. Triple H declared that he will be WWE World Heavyweight champion for as long as he wants because nobody else is worthy. Reigns and Ambrose earned their spots in the match by impressing The Authority enough during the main event of RAW. (RAW Results)

WWE Fastlane takes place on Sunday, February 21st from Cleveland, Ohio at the Quicken Loans Area.

WWE RAW Results – January 25, 2016

Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Miami, FL and will feature the return of a “major star.”

– The RAW broadcast starts off with a video recapping Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble match. We go to the arena and Vince and Stephanie McMahon come out to the ring. Vince cuts a promo on Roman Reigns and the fans. Stephanie introduces the new World Champion, Triple H. The Game comes out a cuts a promo on Roman Reigns’ “lack of respect.” Triple H says he’ll be the WWE Champion until everyone learns some respect, because he says so. Stephanie says before the end of tonight, they’ll announce the main event for Fast Lane, and the winner of that will face HHH for the title at WrestleMania.

– Later tonight: AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

– Michael Cole introduced Flo Rida at ringside as “Flo Rider.”

Kevin Owens def. Dolph Zigger: The match finishes after Owens reverses a superplex attempt from Ziggler and hits the popup powerbomb for the 1-2-3.

– Backstage, Roman Reigns arrives and says to tell Vince and HHH he’s there.

– In the ring, The Social Outcasts have a few things they want to say. They call out Flo Rida and he jumps the rail and enters the ring. The Outcasts challenge him to a rap battle. They rap, then Flo Rida introduces the Dudley Boyz and we have a match.

The Dudley Boyz def. The Social Outcasts: Flo Rida interferes during the match and chases Heath into Bubba, who lays him out for a flying headbutt from DVon. They hit the 3D and Flo Rida comes in to celebrate with the Dudleys.

– AJ Styles is being interviewed backstage and Chris Jericho interrupts. Jericho says “welcome to the big leagues, kid” and slaps Styles on the chest before walking away. They’re up next.

AJ Styles def. Chris Jericho: Styles hits a flying forearm, but Jericho answers back shortly after with his trademark springboard dropkick sending Styles to the outside. Back in the ring, Jericho takes control with another dropkick off the second rope. Styles hits a flying forearm in the corner, then a brainbuster for a 2 count. Jericho hits a Northern Lights suplex for the 2, then an enzuigiri for another 2 count. Styles hits a springboard flying elbow from the top for 2. Jericho gets Styes in the Lion Tamer, Styles almost taps but manages to grab the bottom rope to break it. Styles ducks a clothesline and hits the Pele kick, then misses a frogsplash off the top. Styles blocks a Lionsault with his knees then goes for the Styles Clash. Jericho reverses into a pin, but Styles reverses into a pin of his own for the 1-2-3.

– Jericho shakes Styles’ hand after the match, but doesn’t let go. They stare each other down, then Jericho walks to the back.

Becky vs. Sasha – No Contest: Charlotte interferes and lays out both competitors. The bell rings but no winner is announced.

– Backstage, Goldust (whose Tourette Syndrome is acting up tonight) tries to recruit R-Truth as his new partner. Truth says he’s a married man, and walks off.

Bray Wyatt def. Kane: Bray takes control of the match in the opening moments. Kane comes back with some clotheslines and a side walk slam. Bray avoids a chokeslam but walks into a big boot. The Wyatt Family interferes and Bray hits the Sister Abigail for the 1-2-3. The Wyatt Family beats down Kane after the match.

– The Miz gets out of a limo in the back, then The Rock comes speeding in behind him in a truck. The Miz cuts a promo on The Rock for interrupting his entrance, The Rock tells him to park his truck for him. The camera follows The Rock on his way to the curtain as he runs into some characters from his past on the way. His music hits and he comes out to the ring.

– The Rock grabs the mic in the ring and asks the fans if they’re ready for WrestleMania. The Rock says he plans on going to ‘Mania and breaking records. The Rock goes down to ringside and talks to some fans dressed up as himself, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. He says the weed must be good in Miami tonight and welcomes them to RAW. The Rock gets back in the ring and begins to speak, but The New Day comes out and interrupts. They cut a promo about beating up The Rock’s cousins The Usos last night at the Rumble. The Rock calls the unicorn horns on their foreheads llama penises, which prompts a “llama penis” chant from the crowd. The Rock says Big E looks like The Hulk and Steve Urkel had a child. The Rock tells the New Day to get in the ring, but they decline. As they walk to the back, The Usos intercept them and bring them into the ring. The Rock hits the Rock Bottom on Big E, then the People’s Elbow on Woods.

Natalya and Paige def. Brie Bella and Alicia Fox: Paige locks the PTO on Natalya but Alicia kicks Paige to break it up. Natalya with a discus clothesline and they go to the floor. Paige hits the RamPaige for the three count.

– The Miz is in the ring saying he’s sick of being interrupted. He’s interrupted by Kalisto, and we have a match.

Kalisto def. The Miz: Kalisto gets in a lot of offense in the opening minutes. The Miz mounts a comeback and hits a double axe handle off the top rope for a 2 count. The Miz taunts the crowd then catches a kick to the face from Kalisto. Springing corkscrew elbow from Kalisto off the 2nd rope for a 2 count. The Miz hits a DDT for 2. Kalisto hits his finisher for the win.

Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose def. Rusev and Sheamus: Reigns and Sheamus start things off and Reigns lands lots of kicks and punches. Things go to the outside and the League of Nations takes control before they take the action back into the ring. Reigns with Neverending Story followed by a punch to take Rusev down. Reigns sets for the Superman punch and Del Rio and Barrett distract Reigns to allow Rusev to hit a few kicks. Sheamus tags in and hits a Brogue Kick but Ambrose makes the save. Rusev is sent over the top rope to the floor and Ambrose with a running elbow drop off the apron. Reigns with a spear for the three count.

After the match, Ambrose pulls off the cover on the announce tables. Reigns sends Rusev into the ring steps. Ambrose picks up Rusev and puts him on the announce table. Ambrose picks up Rusev and gives him to Rusev for a power bomb through the announce table.

Stephanie says that was impressive and since the Authority does what is best for business she has an announcement. Stephanie reminds us that her husband will face the winner of the main event of Fastlane. It will be a Triple Threat with Roman Reigns versus Dean Ambrose versus Brock Lesnar.

Finn Balor Congratulates Triple H, Unseen AJ Styles Debut Footage, Sandow Thanks Rumble Crowd & More

– NXT Champion Finn Balor took a photo with Triple H backstage after the Royal Rumble and congratulated him on his big title win:

– Damien Sandow thanked fans for the huge crowd reaction he got during his match on the Royal Rumble Kickoff show:

https://twitter.com/TheDamienSandow/status/691425839771193344

– WWE has released the following ‘unseen footage’ of AJ Styles’ debut in the Royal Rumble:

– Here’s a look Triple H’s new side-plates on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship:

WWE Teasing The Return Of A Major Star Tonight On RAW

The Road to WrestleMania 32 kicks off tonight from Miami, Florida and WWE issued a breaking news alert on Monday afternoon teasing that a major star will be returning on the show.

Multiple live correspondents who are at the arena in Miami wrote in to let us know that The Rock has arrived at the American Airlines Arena.

It’s also worth noting that Flo Rida, who has made several WWE TV appearances over the years, is also in attendance.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BA-qtD3vtRZ/

Details On AJ Styles’ First WWE Feud

AJ Styles had an impressive showing during Sunday night’s WWE Royal Rumble match before getting tossed out by Kevin Owens. This was the kickoff to a Styles-Owens feud, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.

WWE.com has a feature looking at Styles’ arrival, calling him a game-changer. While touting his track record, there was conveniently no mention of TNA. “After conquering the independent circuit and Japan, A.J. Styles wants to show WWE why he’s so phenomenal. Hold on tight.”

WWEShop.com is selling new AJ Styles t-shirts, with many sizes currently unavailable due to strong sales.

Styles tweeted the following during the Rumble PPV:

WWE RAW Preview (1/25): Royal Rumble Fallout

Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Miami, Florida. The following is what we can expect on the show:

– The Authority celebrates Triple H capturing the WWE World Heavyweight championship last night after winning the Royal Rumble.

– What’s next for AJ Styles after making his highly anticipated WWE debut last night?

– How will Roman Reigns react to losing the title last night after the odds were unfairly stacked against him?

– More Royal Rumble fallout, including Kalisto recapturing the Untied States Championship from Alberto Del Rio and Sasha Banks kicking off a feud with Divas Champion Charlotte.

Other top stars advertised to appear include Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, The Wyatt Family, Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho and the League of Nations.

As always, join us here tonight for our WWE RAW Live Results & Discussion.