Seth Rollins has officially joined the cast of TEMPLE, a thriller movie presented by Erebus Pictures, a partnership between WWE Studios and KISS co-founder Gene Simmons. Wesley Snipes and Anne Heche have been announced as the leads with John Stockwell directing. Principal production begins tomorrow in New Orleans.

TEMPLE follows a team of trained operatives who find themselves trapped inside an isolated military compound after its artificial intelligence is suddenly shut down—and then begin to experience strange and horrific phenomena. Rollins plays one of the operatives, along with Snipes, Heche and Dave Annable.

Here’s the official press release:

EREBUS PICTURES, WWE® STUDIOS AND THE GENE SIMMONS COMPANY ANNOUNCE WESLEY SNIPES, ANNE HECHE, DAVE ANNABLE AND WWE SUPERSTAR SETH ROLLINS® TO STAR IN JOHN STOCKWELL’S THRILLER “TEMPLE”

Principal Photography to start April 6th

Los Angeles, CA (April 5, 2016) – Erebus Pictures, the genre specialty label formed by Multi Media Magnate and KISS co-founder Gene Simmons and WWE Studios, announced today that Wesley Snipes (The Expendables 3), Anne Heche (Wild Card), Dave Annable (Brothers and Sisters) and WWE Superstar Seth Rollins are on board to star in the John Stockwell directed thriller TEMPLE. Filming will commence on Wednesday, April 6th. Snipes will also serve as a producer on TEMPLE along with Simmons and WWE Studios President Michael Luisi.

TEMPLE, written by Matt Savelloni (Exile to Babylon), and directed by John Stockwell (In The Blood), follows a team of trained operatives consisting of Snipes, Heche, Annable and Rollins, who find themselves trapped inside an isolated military compound after its artificial intelligence is suddenly shut down—and then begin to experience strange and horrific phenomena.

“Gene and I are thrilled to have such a stellar cast on board for our first Erebus picture.” said Michael Luisi, President WWE Studios. “We also look forward to extending our relationship with John Stockwell.”

“I could not be more pleased that we are launching our first film for Erebus pictures and have John on board to direct.” said Gene Simmons. “I am really looking forward to working with this fantastic cast as well as Michael and the whole team at WWE.”

“It’s exciting to find myself in a genre I have always wanted to explore.” said Wesley Snipes “We are looking forward to a great brand collaboration with Erebus, WWE and Gene.”

As previously announced, Gene Simmons partnered with WWE Studios to launch Erebus Pictures to produce elevated genre films. Erebus Pictures plans to use WWE’s extensive platforms from weekly TV shows, including WWE’s flagship programs, Monday Night Raw® and SmackDown®, digital, social media and WWE Network, to market the film.

Bradley Buchanan handled negotiations on behalf of WWE Studios.

– Titus O’Neil’s WWE suspension for unprofessional conduct ends on April 10th, next Sunday, so he could be back on television by next week’s RAW from Los Angeles.

– Former WWE, WCW & ECW star Lance Storm raises an interesting point regarding the booking of Shane McMahon and The Authority at WrestleMania & RAW:

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/717379589203308544?s=09

– Big E doesn’t sound pleased with the @WWEUniverse naming his moves:

It's not called that. There's zero ass to belly contact. Going to harass the hell out of whoever runs this account. https://t.co/vx2QgyG4K1

— Ettore “Big E” Ewen (@WWEBigE) April 5, 2016

– WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall gave this strong endorsement to Seth Rollins during WrestleMania weekend:

https://twitter.com/SCOTTHALLNWO/status/716984393315692544

– Damien Sandow is encouraging fans to use the hashtag #FreeSandow, presumably in response to WWE not using him much in recent months:

https://twitter.com/TheDamienSandow/status/717151066572201984

John Cena vowed to defy science with his recovery from shoulder surgery just 3 months ago.

• The Latest On John Cena’s Status After WrestleMania 32

After making a surprise return at WrestleMania, Cena is already bench pressing 3 months ahead of when doctors told him he’d be able to do so.

Was told bench press before 6 months was impossible. 3 months post surgery @TapouT @WWE #NeverGiveUp #ShowYourGrit pic.twitter.com/tAjI2afsjJ

— John Cena (@JohnCena) April 5, 2016

Former WWE announcer & head of talent relations Jim Ross gives Sunday’s WrestleMania 32 a report card score of B-. In an interview with Sports Illustrated the WWE Hall of Famer gave his thoughts on the biggest pay-per-view of the year, and credited Shane McMahon & The Undertaker with overachieving.

“I give the show a B-minus. The buildup was somewhat tepid since they were scrambling around with so many injuries, and there wasn’t much buzz going into WrestleMania, so I thought the show overachieved,” Ross said. “Shane and the Undertaker both overachieved. They both have a very good skill set, and they’re both smart enough not to venture too far from it.”

Ross also weighed in on the main event match between Triple H and Roman Reigns, where Reigns won the World Heavyweight Championship. Ross says Reigns is now posed for what he feels could be a great heel turn.

“The WWE kept believing their machine could make Roman Reigns a fan favorite by WrestleMania, and it didn’t happen,” said Ross. “That’s a matter of how he was booked. WWE has cast Reigns as a hero, but viewers do not accept him in that role.

“People gravitate to attitude. Austin’s attitude still holds up. Reigns became that defiant, anti-establishment guy, so people naturally compare him to the last anti-establishment guy, and that is Stone Cold. Those are awfully big shoes to fill.”

“Reigns was a victim of timing and booking, but WWE really has the table set for a special heel turn. Unless WWE is hell bent on casting him as a hero, Reigns is posed for a big turn, possibly as soon as tonight. He would make a great heel champion. Unless he’s deaf, Reigns is aware that the fans do not respect him. So there is a very real and organic story to tell with WWE pulling the trigger on a heel turn.

Scott Hall tweeted this photo late last night:

https://twitter.com/SCOTTHALLNWO/status/717258622586060801

Hall is one of the former NWO members who endorsed the “NWO tribute band” aspects of the Bullet Club’s act in New Japan Pro Wrestling, with his son Cody even joining the group before long. As for Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, it was somewhat surprising that they didn’t make their debut on Raw last night, especially with WWE seemingly going all in with bolstering the main roster’s tag team division. On the other hand…maybe it shouldn’t have been. The belief is that they’ll be joined by Finn Balor to reform the Bullet Club as the Balor Club, but Balor is still:

1. A babyface.
2. NXT Champion.

So it remains to be seen when and how they’ll debut, but they’re clearly signed at this point. Gallows and Anderson held the IWGP [Heavyweight] Tag Team Championship on several occasions in NJPW and finished up with the promotion several weeks ago.

We noted over WrestleMania 32 weekend that John Cena is reportedly cleared to return to the WWE active roster. Cena made his return to WWE TV at WrestleMania on Sunday, helping The Rock fight off The Wyatt Family.

To update on his status, Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Cena may not actually be cleared to wrestle an actual match. The 15x World Heavyweight Champion may not be cleared to wrestle a match until mid-May or June, which is closer to his original expected return in July.

Cena didn’t appear on Monday’s RAW in Dallas.

After WrestleMania 32, Triple H lost his WWE World Heavyweight championship to Roman Reigns in the main event. Thus, depleting the Authority of their resources.

To make matters worse for HHH and Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon gave the power to Shane McMahon last night on WWE Raw. Could this spell trouble for the WWE’s hierarchical power? Despite being advertised for WWE Raw appearances after WrestleMania, the Authority’s time on TV is ending.

Reddit user FalconArrow indicates that the Authority’s WWE television presence will end soon.

From what I know they are going bye bye for a while very soon.

Triple H or Stephanie didn’t appear on Raw last night, as they were presumably selling the “injuries” that Reigns gave them in the WrestleMania main event.

With Shane now in charge, at least for the foreseeable future, WWE programming should change slightly. Expect a confrontation between Shane and the Authority in the coming weeks, especially if FalconArrow is correct.

Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker were both advertised to appear on Monday’s episode of RAW, but neither of them appeared on the show.

According to Dave Meltzer, Lesnar actually went home after WrestleMania because the company had nothing for him, and they didn’t want to waste a date. Recently Lesnar admitted in an interview that the limited amount of dates he had signed for have been used:

“Vince (McMahon) got his checkbook out and he’s writing more checks,” Lesnar said. “But I have a limit and we’re at that limit right now.” 

Regarding the Undertaker, F4WOnline.com reported yesterday that The Undertaker was telling people backstage at WrestleMania that his match with Shane McMahon was his last, although Undertaker has said this in the past and would continue wrestling. As noted, Taker is advertised to wrestle on the upcoming WWE European tour.

Monday’s episode of WWE RAW drew 4,093,000 viewers on the USA Network. This is up 8.5% from last week’s 3,771,000 million viewer average. This week’s episode featured the fallout from Sunday’s WrestleMania 32 and the return of Cesaro.

The first hour of the show averaged 4,287,000 viewers, the second hour averaged 4,178,000, and hour number three averaged 3,816,000 viewers.

This week’s RAW aired live from Dallas, TX at the American Airlines Center.

The April 4th edition of WWE RAW is the first show after WrestleMania 32, and airs live on the USA Network from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX.

– RAW opens up with Michael Cole, JBL and Byron Saxton at their announce table talking about the crowd there being die-hard fans and they cheer and boo who they please.

– Vince McMahon comes out to the stage to cut a promo gloating about his son’s loss at WrestleMania last night. Vince says he took care of some business, and has secured the secret that Shane was holding over his head. Vince says the post-WrestleMania crowd is always crazy and they say and do nutty things. Vince promises tonight will be a RAW no one will ever forget. He’s about to walk to the back when he’s interrupted by Shane McMahon! Shane says he came to shake Vince’s hand like a man since Vince won, and also to thanks all the fans. The crowd chants “You’ve still got it” to Shane, and Vince yells at the crowd not to encourage him. Shane’s about to leave, but Vince stops him and says “no one upstages me.” Vince says to prove his point that it would be nonsensical for Shane to run RAW, he’s going to let Shane run the show tonight.

"Just to prove my point … Alright, let's see what the hell you've got!" – @VinceMcMahon.

SHANE's RUNNING #RAW!! pic.twitter.com/Kn8mkzF9S9

— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2016

– The New Day def. King Barrett & Sheamus: Before the match, they cut a promo recapping their night at WrestleMania 32. Kofi sends Sheamus to the outside and uses Big E and a human springboard to jump down onto Sheamus on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Sheamus and Barrett work on Kofi and prevent him from tagging in Big E. Big E finally gets the hot tag and clears the ring. He hits a series of belly to belly suplexes on Barrett before hitting a big splash. Big E tags back in Kofi and they hit a double team Big Ending on Barrett for the pinfall victory.

– After the match, Sheamus gets on the mic and says there’s something wrong with the League of Nations. They all jump Wade Barrett and kick him out of the group. After they throw Barrett out of the ring, The Wyatt Family hits the ring and they jump the remaining members of the League. They clear the ring and Bray hits the Sister Abigail on Sheamus to end the segment.

– Vince McMahon is in the back getting in his limo to leave. He says he’s leaving because he doesn’t want to have to watch RAW be a disaster with Shane in charge.

– Sasha Banks def. Summer Rae: Summer hits a spinning heel kick for an early 2 count. Sasha comes back with a flying knee for a 2 count of her own. Sasha misses a Codebreaker and Summer rolls her up, but Sasha reverses the pin into a Banks Statement for the win.

– Apollo Crews def. Tyler Breeze: Shane McMahon is shown in the back talking to Apollo before the match. Crews hits some big offense on Breeze early on, but Breeze stops his momentum with a superkick. Crews comes back with a gorilla press slam followed up by a standing moonsault and a spin out powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

.@ApolloCrews makes an IMPRESSIVE @WWE #RAW DEBUT against @MmmGorgeous. https://t.co/w9xpNULUjL

— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2016

– Roman Reigns is out to the ring next to cut a promo. The crowd is booing Reigns, and JBL says its a post-WrestleMania crowd who “boos people they usually cheer” and vice versa. Reigns acknowledges the cheers by saying “I’m not a bad guy, I’m not a good guy, I’m the guy.” Reigns gives an open challenge to anyone in the back to try to take his WWE World Heavyweight Title. Jericho’s music hits and Y2J makes his way out, but he’s not in his wrestling gear. Jericho tells Reigns he’s not “the guy,” he’s just “a guy, who is an idiot like everyone else here tonight.” Jericho cuts a promo about how great he is, as the crowd chants “we are idiots.” Jericho tells Reigns he wants a title shot, but before Reigns can answer, AJ Styles comes out to interrupt and is quickly followed by Kevin Owens. Sami Zayn is out to the ring next. Owens and Zayn start brawling as soon as Zayn hits the ring, which prompts Styles and Jericho to start brawling. Zayn hits a suicide dive on Oens to the outside. Jericho throws Styles to the outside then turns around and walks into a spear from Roman Reigns.

One man left in the ring, and @WWERomanReigns SPEARS @IAmJericho!! #RAW pic.twitter.com/kYxtTchhvJ

— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2016

– In the back, Shane books a Fatal 4 match tonight for #1 contendership for Reigns’ title. The match will be Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho.

– Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler – Double count out: They go back and forth in the opening moments with Corbin eventually getting control. Ziggler builds some momentum with a couple splashes on Corbin in the corner and a facebuster for a 2 count. Ziggler misses a superkick but hits a Fameasser for another 2 count. Corbin comes back with a spinning side slam for a 2 count, then beats Ziggler down at ringside. They brawl into the crowd and both get counted out. Corbin hits the End of Days on Ziggler on the floor.

– Zack Ryder comes out and cuts a promo about winning the Intercontinental Title last night at WrestleMania. He’s interrupted by The Miz and we’ve got a match.

– The Miz def. Zack Ryder: Ryder hits a big dropkick for a 2 count early on in his first Intercontinental Title defense. He hits a hurricanrana on The Miz off the top rope, sending Miz to the outside. Back in the ring, Ryder misses a missile dropkick and Miz hits a DDT for a 2 count. Ryder reverses a vertical suplex into a neckbreaker for a 2 count of his own. Ryder hits an elbow off the top and pins, but The Miz gets his foot on the rope to break the count. At ringside, The Miz gets in Ryder’s dads face and Ryder’s dad pushes The Miz down. Maryse comes out of nowhere and gets in Ryder’s dad’s face, distracting Ryder in the ring long enough for The Miz to roll up Ryder for the 3 count. Miz is the new Intercontinental Champion.

– In the back, Kevin Owens says he’s going to destroy the Roman Empire and take the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and Sami Zayn won’t cost him his match tonight like he did last night.

– Lita and all of the female members of the WWE roster are in the ring for the official unveiling of the new Women’s Championship. Lita introduces the current champion Charlotte who comes down and cuts a promo about the new belt. She thanks her father Ric Flair and the fans for inspiring her to win. Eventually all the other women leave the ring and leave Charlotte and Ric Flair in the ring with Natalya at ringside. Natalya grabs a mic and says she’s going to teach Charlotte a lesson and puts her in the Sharpshooter. Flair pulls Charlotte out of the ring and they head to the back.

– The Dudleys def. The Usos: There are tables set up surrounding the ring. The action goes to the outside early on with The Dudley Boyz beating down The Usos around ringside. Back in the ring they hit the Wassup diving headbutt on Jimmy. Bubba and D-Von go to the outside to get the tables, but The Usos come flying over the top rope down ontop of them. Back in the ring, The Usos superkick both Dudleys then lay them on a couple tables. They go to the top ropes to splash through them in stereo, but The Dudleys roll out of the way and The Usos put themselves through the tables. D-Von then throws Jey through a table set up in the corner for the win.

– Sami Zayn is cutting a promo in the back when he gets jumped by Kevin Owens. Owens powerbombs Zayn through a table.

– Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady are out to the ring to cut a promo and The Dudleys look on from the ramp in disapproval. They call out the Dudleyz and D-Von gets fired up but Bubba holds him back. They talk some more trash but The Dudleys eventually decide to head to the back.

– The Miz & Zack Ryder will have a rematch on SmackDown this week.

– Dr Phil will be a special guest star on RAW next week.

.@WWECesaro is BACK!! And he's the 4th man in this #Fatal4Way Main Event to face @WWERomanReigns! #RAW pic.twitter.com/8bFD71DJYR

— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2016

– AJ Styles def. Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Cesaro: Sami Zayn is unable to compete after being jumped by Owens in the back, so the returning Cesaro is filling in for him. Jericho hits a springboard dropkick that sends Owens o the outside early on. Styles throws Jericho to the outside, leaving just him and Cesaro in the ring to exchange offensive maneuvers. Jericho gets back in and sends Cesaro to the outside where Cesaro brawls with Owens. Jericho drops AJ with a dropkick then takes him up to the top rope. Owens climbs up to help Jericho for a double superplex, then Cesaro comes in and throws them all off the turnbuckle by himself. Cesaro hits a big uppercut on Styles for a 2 count. Owens powerbombs Jericho for another 2 count, he goes to follow up with a cannonball in the corner but Jericho moves. Y2J goes for the Lionsault but Owens gets his knees up. AJ hits a 450 spingboard splash off the top rope onto Jericho for a 2 count. Cesaro hits a series of running uppercuts on all three of his opponents in different corners of the ring. Cesaro swings Jericho for 10 rotations before Owens breaks it up with a superkick. Cesaro gets Jericho in the Sharpshooter but AJ breaks it up with a Phenomenal Forearm. He hits a Pele kick on Owens, but then walks into a Codebreaker from Jericho for a 2 count. AJ hits the Styles Clash on Jericho for the 1-2-3 to become the new #1 contender for Roman Reigns’ World Heavyweight Title. AJ celebrates in the ring as RAW goes off the air.

#STYLESClash!!! @AJStylesOrg is the NO. 1 CONTENDER to @WWERomanReigns' World Hvt. Title! #RAW pic.twitter.com/Sc0DQz3Zoo

— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2016

At the Wrestling Classics Message Board, Matt Farmer, who’s a well-known pro wrestling historian and former indie wrestler known to be very well connected in the industry, has posted the exact attendance for WrestleMania 32. Reports from Dave Meltzer and Brian Alvarez of WrestlingObserver.com pegged the number as somewhere between 93,000 and 94,000, which made sense because WWE usually exaggerates by about 8,000 people and they announced 101,763.

According to Farmer, the actual number is 93,730. [UPDATE: Farmer updated his number to 97,769,  which Meltzer and Alvarez are also now reporting.] That includes several thousand standing room tickets to the “Dallas Cowboys Party Plaza,” which is in the AT&T Stadium facility but not the main stadium bowl. It’s not unlike counting the old closed circuit crowds at the Felt Forum (now The Theater) as part of the attendance for Madison Square Garden cards where the forum was opened up due to overflow. They’re in the same building, but they’re not necessarily the same venue, though the Party Plaza is always counted in AT&T Stadium numbers.

Farmer also noted that “As of last week there was just over 86,000 tickets sold.”

This is the new undisputed WWE record, and is the verified professional wrestling record outside of the two shows at Mayday Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea in 1995. Those shows are extreme outliers, being that they took place in a dictatorship, nobody there had ever seen pro wrestling before, and, for lack of a better term, those in attendance felt it was their civic duty to attend. The previous announced record was, of course, WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, which WWE has always insisted publicly was 93,173. According to both Meltzer and PWTorch’s Wade Keller, Zane Brushoff, the local promoter (who’s since passed away), provided documentation to them showing the number was about 78,500. Meltzer was later given access to internal WWE records that showed the same number.

The actual record for WWE was 78,927 for SummerSlam 92 at Wembley Stadium, which was announced as “just” (as in relative to WrestleMania III) 80,355. Presumably the reason for that was wanting WrestleMania III to be the “official” record until they could beat it by a wide margin. Since then, stadium WrestleManias usually topped off a few thousand short of the record. There have been a number of stadium shows in places like India, Pakistan, and Greece that are believed to have drawn anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 fans, but it’s not at all clear how verifiable those figures are. Particularly, King Kong Czaja is believed to have drawn a number of six figure crowds in the 1940s.

But until we get more verification of those numbers, WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium is the biggest crowd that doesn’t involve loyalty to a dictator.

Today, WWE held a conference call and sent out a press release revealing the WWE Network subscription numbers as of today to reflect the interest in WrestleMania 32. Here’s the breakdown of today’s numbers and how they relate to the post-WrestleMania numbers last year:

• 1,824,000 total subscribers worldwide (up 39% from 1,315,000 last year, though there were no free subscriptions in that period)
• 1,454,000 paid subscribers worldwide (up 11% from 1,315,000 last year, with the same caveats applying to this and every other comparison)
• 370,000 free subscribers worldwide
• 1,390,000 total domestic subscribers (up 24% from 1,123,000 last year)
• 1,109,000 domestic paid subscribers (down 1% from 1,123,000 last year)
• 281,000 domestic free subscribers
• 434,000 total international subscribers (up 126% from 192,000 last year)
• 345,000 international paid subscribers (up 80% from 192,000 last year)
• 89,000 international free subscribers

While the decline in domestic paid subscribers is not great on the surface, you have to remember that they decided to allow free trials during WrestleMania with a specific goal in mind. The hope is that it would bring in a ton of trials, the new subscribers wouldn’t cancel  (doesn’t matter if they loved the service or just forgot), and then keep their subscription going. If “churn” (subscriber loss) is minimal, then this is a huge success. If the numbers just go back to where they were, then that’s a big problem.

Meanwhile, the press release has quotes from Vince McMahon…

History was made last night with both a record-setting crowd at AT&T Stadium and more households than ever before watching WrestleMania on WWE Network. WWE Network continues to drive transformative growth for our company.

…and WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer George Barrios:

Results today further demonstrate the power of our brand, illustrate our potential to drive long-term growth and provide evidence that we are effectively executing our multi-platform content strategy.

There were also notes about how:

• “Video views reached 65 million across social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, and YouTube), representing an 87% increase over last year.”
• “WrestleMania garnered a record 10.9 million social media fan engagements4, up 19% from the prior year.” They define those engagements as “the cumulative fan response to WWE content measured by the number of ‘likes’, ‘follows’, ‘shares’, ‘mentions’, and ‘retweets’ across social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr.”

On the conference call, which used this presentation (PDF) as a reference point, there wasn’t much addition information…or at least substantive information. Barrios did say that WWE Network is now available everywhere on the planet other than China, with their China strategy  coming in “[the] next several months, hopefully.”

While WWE stock was rising leading up to the announcement ((Previous close was $17.71/share, open was $17.71, and high was $18.86), it dropped sharply thereafter. The stock bottomed out at $15.90 before rebounding slightly to $16.56, which is the price per share as of this writing.

Shortly before the event, the WWE creative team reportedly had it narrowed down to two possible winners of the new Women’s Championship Title at WrestleMania 32. PWInsider.com reports that there was a lot of back and forth over whether they would book Sasha Banks or Charlotte to win. As we saw on Sunday, Charlotte won with the help of her father Ric Flair. The decision for Charlotte to win was reportedly made just days prior to the event.

PWInsider also noted that WWE was originally going to unveil the new Women’s Championship Belt on RAW, but decided to make it a WrestleMania moment instead.

– Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dave Bautista revealed that he has joined the cast for the long-awaited sequel to Blade Runner. Blade Runner 2 is currently in development and doesn’t have a release date yet.

https://twitter.com/DaveBautista/status/717029500169498624

– John Cena is scheduled to be a guest on Wednesday night’s Conan O’Brien Show on TBS.

– WWE Network’s new animated series Camp WWE will premier on May 1st right after their Payback event.

One day after WrestleMania and the WWE has reached new heights in more than one category.

In the latest press release on Yahoo.com, the WWE released the latest numbers on the WWE Network. Following WrestleMania, the Network has reached the 1.82 million-subscriber mark.

It is a 39-percent increase from March 30, 2015.

“History was made last night with both a record-setting crowd at AT&T Stadium and more households than ever before watching WrestleMania on WWE Network,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “WWE Network continues to drive transformative growth for our company.”

WWE issued the following statement this morning with regards to the issues getting fans into AT&T Stadium for WrestleMania yesterday:

To ensure the safety of WWE fans, increased security measures were put in place tonight. We apologize that it may have taken some fans longer than usual to get into AT&T Stadium.

Fans in line at the stadium were told that the delays were caused by issues with the stadium’s Wi-Fi bringing down their wireless ticket scanning system. Given the two conflicting stories, it came off as at least curious.  Then this exchange happened on Twitter this morning:

@RealPaigeWWE sorry Paige i have no idea how your stalker got to mania and #Axxess.He had a restraining order from WWEEvnts here in Germany

— Raymond Reddington (@morpheus40721) April 4, 2016

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/717013496865533954

That’s not a good look either way, but more so if they had increased security.

It’s not the first time WWE talent, female or otherwise, have had issues with stalkers. Most recently, as far as it going public, there was the man who was shot by police outside the WWE Performance Center. Previously, TMZ had reported on Maryse having her own problems with a stalker, and Tough Enough Season 3 contestant Lisa had infiltrated the backstage area repeatedly after being removed from the show when she had some kind of breakdown. Ric Flair also had numerous run-ins with a stalker over many years, as did Bret Hart, who wrote about the topic in his book.

In typical Shane-O-Mac fashion,  Shane McMahon took a 20 foot plunge of the top of the cell to land on a table (and still lost the match). Despite looking like he was “broken in half” as Jim Ross  would say, PW Insider is reporting that Shane avoided injury and was walking around backstage.  Of course WWE.COM updated his medical condition:

“Following his Hell in a Cell showdown against The Undertaker at WrestleMania, Shane McMahon was taken to a medical facility in the Dallas area, WWE.com has confirmed”

If you missed the leap of faith, check it out here:

Still hurts to watch… (via @wwe) https://t.co/k31PqyPfI8 https://t.co/Wb5jtrfah5

— SB Nation (@SBNation) April 4, 2016

It is unclear if Shane McMahon appears on tonight’s Raw live from Dallas.

Wrestlemania 32 Kickoff Show

United States Championship Match: Kalisto (c) vs Ryback

Heading into Wrestlemania I thought for sure Ryback would become the new United States Champion. Ryback pretty much dominated the entire match, but it all turned when Kalisto sent him flying into the exposed turnbuckle. Kalisto then hit the Salida del Sol and it was all over. I guess the WWE really is trying to make Kalisto the new Rey Mysterio.

Team Total Divas (Natalya, Paige, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella and Eva Marie) vs. B.A.D. and Blond (Lana, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Emma and Summer Rae)

This match was far more entertaining than I expected it to be. Lana made her in ring debut and hit a couple of kicks. One of the biggest takeaways from this match was the incredibly negative reaction Eva Marie got from the WWE universe. In the end, Brie Bella got Naomi in the “Yes! Lock” for the submission. After the match, Nikki Bella came out sporting a neck brace and celebrated with Team Total Divas. This was a cool moment, especially since this is most likely Brie Bella’s last match.

https://twitter.com/Sloomzo/status/716752376221286400

The WWE Women’s Championship Belt is Revealed

Lita came out to the ring and unveiled the new belt which is replacing the Diva’s belt. The belt looks absolutely awesome and it is about time the WWE got rid of the word “diva” when it comes to professional wrestling.

Yep, it's a beauty! #WrestleMania #WomensChampionship @AmyDumas pic.twitter.com/WlecOKpLo0

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 3, 2016

The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz

I’ve hated the build to this match. The Dudley Boyz denouncing tables hasn’t made me hate them, it has just made this feud even more boring than it already was. This match was thankfully short but it was decent enough. As expected, the Usos got the victory. After the match, the Dudley Boyz attacked the Usos and brought tables into the ring. However, the Usos fought back and wound up frog-splashing the Dudleyz through the tables. The crowd booed the hell out of this for some reason. I thought it was pretty awesome and it makes sense since the WWE is trying to build up the Usos.

Wrestlemania 32 Main Card

Kevin Owens (c) vs. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Stardust vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara in a Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

This was an incredible match. There were so many amazing spots in this match. The one that stood out the most to me was when Kevin Owens pushed Sin Cara off the ladder and he landed on Stardust. Of course, Stardust was already laying on top of a ladder and they both went smashing through it. I never in a million years thought that Zack Ryder would wind up winning this match. He felt like a throw in, simply in the match due to the injury to Neville. This was a tremendous way to start off the show and the finish was certainly unexpected.

Congratulations to Zack Ryder for becoming the NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion. #WWE pic.twitter.com/EF1E5ETKw2

— WWE Today In History ? (@WWE__History) April 3, 2016

Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles

I thought that this match had the potential to steal the show and it did not disappoint. The match started out slow, but when it got going it was incredible. This was another shocking finish to me. I thought AJ Styles would surely get the win at his first Wrestlemania, but Jericho came out on top. I don’t really get why Jericho won but it doesn’t really matter. This feud will most likely continue and that sounds good to me.

What a victory for @IAmJericho! #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/lsEhMIV9iG

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 3, 2016

The League Of Nations vs. The New Day in a Handicap Match for “Tag Team Supremacy”

Originally, this was going to be a match for the tag team titles but it was changed before Wrestlemania. Once that happened, I figured the League of Nations would get the victory and they did. The match itself was alright but what happened after was legendary. Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and Stone Cold all came out and whooped the League of Nation’s ass. Xavier Woods tried to get Stone Cold to dance and fell victim to a vicious Stone Cold stunner. This was the quintessential Wrestlemania moment for anyone that grew up in the 80’s or 90’s.

https://twitter.com/BBCSporf/status/716781978260017153

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a No Holds Barred Street Fight

The match started off with a trip to Suplex City for Dean Ambrose. Dean Ambrose fought back a bit but ultimately lost due to 13 german suplexes and an F-5 onto a pile of chairs. Everybody knew that Lesnar would win this match, the question was if the match will help Ambrose in the future. Dean Ambrose looked good and put up a fight against Brock Lesnar, but overall this match felt pretty insignificant. Watching Lesnar suplex the living hell out of people is always entertaining, I just thought there would be more epic moments in this match. It was entertaining but pretty forgettable.

Charlotte (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s Championship

This was another match that was excellent and another result I didn’t see coming. I thought Sasha Banks would walk out as the new Women’s Champion and once again I was wrong. It is amazing what female wrestlers can do if they are just given some time to perform in the ring. It seems like the WWE is finally figuring that out, better late than never I guess. Charlotte got Becky Lynch in the Figure 8 Leg Lock and Sasha Banks was unable to stop the hold because Ric Flair was holding her back outside the ring. I wish Ric Flair wasn’t involved in this match but it is what it is. This was a fantastic match and Charlotte is the first WWE Women’s Champion.

What an amazing match!!! So proud of @MsCharlotteWWE @SashaBanksWWE & @BeckyLynchWWE! Such inspiring women!!! You guys rule!!! #WrestleMania

— Noelle Foley (@NoelleFoley) April 4, 2016

The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon Hell In A Cell Match (If Shane wins, he controls RAW/WWE. If Undertaker loses, he can never compete at WrestleMania again)

When Shane McMahon jumped off the top of the cell to try and elbow drop the Undertaker through a table I almost lost my mind. This match lived up to the hype and then some. I desperately wanted Shane McMahon to win the match just so the weekly promos from the Authority would stop. Unfortunately, that was not the case and the Undertaker got the win. Thus, Vince McMahon and the Authority remain in control of Monday Night Raw and the painfully boring promos will continue.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsMyHouse02/status/716811129079595008

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

DDP, Tanaka and Shaq were in the battle royal, so that was cool. Other than that this match’s sole objective was to take up some time before the main-event. NXT’s Baron Corbin wound up getting the win, which was refreshing. I was worried Kane or Mark Henry were going to win it.

After the match the Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleaders came out and danced. Then, for some reason, the Rock came out with a flamethrower. That went on for several meaningless minutes before he finally walked to the ring. He then went on to announce that Dallas, Texas has broken the attendance record but was interrupted by the Wyatt Family. Ultimately, this led a literal six second match between the Rock and Erick Rowan in which the Rock hit a Rock Bottom right away. The Wyatt’s went to attack the Rock but John Cena came out and made the save. It was good to see Cena back, even if he only did a couple of moves. I find it weird that the Wyatt family was once again buried in a big spot. Why take another Bray Wyatt promo seriously if he is just going to get destroyed at every big event? Sure, this was a cool Wrestlemania moment, but it buried the Wyatt family yet again.

Arrive. Make #WrestleMania moments. Leave. @JohnCena @TheRock pic.twitter.com/W9fNyQuUt1

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 4, 2016

Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a No Disqualification Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

As expected, the boos were deafening for Roman Reigns. The guy is clearly talented but has been the victim of bad booking ever since the Shield disbanded. Stephanie McMahon even cut a promo before the match that pretty much insulted everyone in the audience in a desperate attempt for the crowd to cheer Roman Reigns. It didn’t work. It will never work. Apparently that doesn’t matter to the WWE as they just went ahead and ignored the reaction from crowd after crowd. Roman Reigns gets the win over Triple H and is the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The WWE didn’t turn him heel or anything, he just won the match.

The @WWE World Heavyweight Champion @WWERomanReigns overcomes the odds to close out #WrestleMania!!! pic.twitter.com/gAPqHToP9r

— WWE (@WWE) April 4, 2016

Final Thoughts

This Wrestlemania started out great and unpredictable. Unfortunately, it veered off that path and turned out to be rather safe and predictable. I have no problem with Roman Reigns being champion, I just don’t understand why he wasn’t turned heel. The WWE universe has let it be known that they don’t really want Roman Reigns to be the good-guy champion. It would have made perfect sense for Reigns to turn into a bad guy and walk out champion, the way he won it made no sense at all. Tomorrow night will have to be one hell of a Monday Night Raw for the WWE because people were already sick of Roman Reigns before he was champion. For those who think that Roman Reigns is another John Cena they are wrong. John Cena actually has the capability of entertaining the audience on the microphone and in the ring. Roman Reigns is decent in the ring and can’t cut a promo to save his life. What started out as a great Wrestlemania, ended with the WWE universe scratching their heads at the blind stubbornness of the WWE.

While the announced figure of 101,763 for Wrestlemania 32 was always believed to be an inflated number,  Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com commented on Wrestlemania’s actual attendance number based on information he got from Dave Meltzer:

Dave got the actual number from the building, legit did just under 94,000 and $17 million gate. Legit broke fake record! #WrestleMania

— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) April 4, 2016

John Cena made his return at WrestleMania 32 on Sunday after being out of action for several months with a shoulder injury. WWE.com is now teasing that Cena could be appearing at tonight’s RAW. RAW takes place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX tonight and airs live on the USA Network.

Here’s what WWE.com had to say:

If the emergence of The Rock on The Showcase of The Immortals wasn’t enough, the surprise return of John Cena to help The People’s Champion obliterate The Wyatt Family was simply amazing.

Does his reemergence mean, however, that the 15-time World Champion will actually return to Raw tonight? There’s no denying that the absence of the Cenation leader has been felt and speculation is already running wild. If he is back, he will no doubt look to make up for lost time. But, where will he choose to focus his pent-up aggression?

We’ll have live play-by-play coverage of RAW & discussion tonight starting at 7:30 PM ET!

Zack Ryder captures the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Sunday’s WrestleMania 32, but apparently that wasn’t always the plan.

F4WOnline.com reports that the original plans for WrestleMania say Kevin Owens leaving the event with the IC title. There’s no word on why WWE decided to go with Ryder instead, but the plans were reportedly changed after Neville was injured.

Ryder won the Intercontinental Championship after winning a 7-man ladder match for the title, beating out Owens, Sami Zayn, Stardust, The Miz, Sin Cara and Dolph Ziggler.

WWE invades the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX for tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW, airing live on the USA Network. Here’s what’s scheduled for tonight’s show:

– How will Triple H react to losing the WWE Title at WrestleMania 32?

– Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows could possibly make their debuts on this show. They’ve been expected to make their WWE debuts for some time.

– Brock Lesnar and Vince McMahon are both advertised to appear on the show.

– The Undertaker and Shane McMahon are not advertised to appear on the show.

– Other stars advertised to appear include Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Kane, Big Show, Bray Wyatt and more.

We’ll have live play-by-play coverage of RAW & discussion tonight starting at 7:30 PM ET!

– While WWE is advertising that WrestleMania 32 drew 101,763 fans to the AT&T Stadium in Texas, it turns out the actual number may be slightly lower. On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reports that the actual attendance was just under 94,000 fans, for a $17 million gate.

– Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson are scheduled to make their WWE debuts soon, and both reportedly flew into Dallas on Sunday. Tonight’s episode of RAW airs live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and there’s speculation that the tag team could make their WWE debuts tonight.

Stephanie McMahon says the new WWE Women’s Championship belt is a symbol of tradition. In an article she wrote for The Players’ Tribune about WrestleMania 32, Stephanie talked about the unveiling of the new Women’s title belt. Here’s what she had to say:

Lita made reference to all of the pioneers who have led the way for this transition, including “The Great” Mae Young, Fabulous Moolah, Wendi Richter, Sensational Sherri, Trish Stratus and recent Hall of Fame inductee Jacqueline. She spoke of her pride in the Divas Division, the evolution of the Women’s Division, and then she revealed the physical symbol of this transition: a brand new WWE Women’s Championship belt with the same aesthetics as the male WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt. This title belt represents the pinnacle of achievement, and that in WWE, it isn’t about gender, race or ethnicity — it is simply about being the best at what you do.

Charlotte successfully defended the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 32 on Sunday in Dallas, TX against Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks.

WrestleMania 32 Kickoff Show (Mauro Ranallo as host/play by play announcer)

Team Total Divas (Natalya, Paige, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella and Eva Marie) vs. B.A.D. and Blond (Lana, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Emma and Summer Rae)

The two big things going into this match are that it’s Lana’s in-ring debut and probably Brie Bella’s last (or next to last) WWE match for the time being. The finish depends on what they’re trying to do here. Well, and if Lana has political weirdness going on. Brie winning would be a nice moment, but the heels need a big win a lot more, especially with Lana debuting and both Emma and Summer Rae returning to the mix. Still, this was so hastily thrown together (with an angle shot on Main Event, no less) that it doesn’t really matter. E! and/or Bunim/Murray Productions wanting Team Total Divas to go over could also be a factor, especially depending on what type of storylines they’ve been shooting and if they’re looking to give Eva Marie a big moment.

The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz

This has potential to be a really good match, as The Usos tend to deliver on big shows and especially WrestleMania, plus they may have chips on their shoulders about being on the pre-show. The Usos should get a win here to blow off the feud in what is, on paper, the best match of the kickoff show.

Kalisto (c) vs. Ryback for the WWE United States Championship

Kalisto’s first WrestleMania match, so he should be looking to make a statement with his performance as well. The only ending that makes sense is Kalisto conquering Ryback and proving The Big Guy wrong about if a good little guy can beat a good big guy. Anything else would be a flat ending and kill of Kalisto. In the ring, this might be the sleeper match of the card. Ryback has quietly improved a lot in the last year or so and he’s done some fun promos to hype this match, so if it delivers with an uplifting finish, it’ll be a nice way to gear the fans up for the main card.

WrestleMania 32 Main Card

Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles

This is the rubber match, and Styles has to win. On top of only being in for a limited run, Jericho has not been setting the world on fire since his return, most noticeable having blown a lot of spots in their previous pay-per-view match. Styles, on the other hand, is coming off a run where he was arguably the best wrestler in the world and excelling at putting on great big show matches. There’s really no reason for Jericho to win this match; It’s for Styles to get a big win over a tenured star in (hopefully) a great match at WrestleMania.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

With the reports that Braun Strowman has lost favor with Vince McMahon, this is wide open, especially with the surprise entrants. Baron Corbin is rumored to be one of the surprises (Tommy Dreamer is another) and would make some sense. Otherwise? If the Strowman story is false, he should still win. If it’s true? This is a pick ’em with no obvious winner except for maybe one of the surprises.

The League Of Nations vs. The New Day in a Handicap Match for “Tag Team Supremacy”

New Day has been winning most of the matches in this feud, which would make you think they lose here, but with all of rumors about their big entrance and a surprise star being involved in the finish,  it sure seems like they’re winning unless plans changed. In the ring, the feud hasn’t been lighting the world on fire but I could see them pulling out the stops here, especially with the kind of risks Kofi Kingston and Big E like to take.

Charlotte (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Divas Championship

All signs point to Banks winning here, though it feels like Lynch caught on better with the fanbase at large. In-ring expectations will be high coming off of their NXT matches, so expect the usual flashy, rehearsed match with a lot of dramatic false finishes. This should also lead to the rebranded WWE Women’s Championship being introduced tonight or tomorrow and the winner will be doing a lot of media, so expect this to be treated as a really big deal.

Kevin Owens (c) vs. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Stardust vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara in a Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Zayn should win to get momentum and set up an Owens program after how coldly he was introduced to the main roster fans. Will they do that? It’s not like the other options are especially realistic other than Owens retaining and maybe Ziggler winning for a renewed push. I’m especially curious to see what Stardust, Ryder, and Sin Cara pull out, as they’re all more talented than their pushes and are getting a rare major showcase match here. Given Owens, Zayn, and to a lesser extent Ziggler have a history of doing some pretty insane ladder matches, this has potential to be a lot of fans’ pick for best match.

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a No Holds Barred Street Fight

The booking patterns would suggest an Ambrose win, as revenge for Lesnar leaving him laying over and over again. This is another strong candidate for match of the night, as Ambrose is probably as willing as anyone on the roster to do a hard Lesnar style match, and at WrestleMania with weapons he’s totally in his element.

Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a No Disqualification Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Does Vince change his plans again? Who knows?!?! I don’t see a way Reigns doesn’t win, but the question has become if he’ll somehow turn heel in the process. With The Rock there, maybe Reigns can turn on him? That said, if Reigns doesn’t turn, at least it’s not going on last as of the most recent reports. In the ring, both guys are inconsistent, and it seems like the added No DQ stipulation will let them have all of the smoke and mirrors that Triple H loves.

The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon Hell In A Cell Match (If Shane wins, he controls RAW/WWE. If Undertaker loses, he can never compete at WrestleMania again)

This is the “real main event.” Shane McMahon will probably jump from somewhere high as the big spot in a crazy match with every kind of smoke and mirrors you can think of. Nobody knows who will win, but it certainly seems like Shane winning makes more sense unless Shane was somehow enticed back just to have a big main event opponent for Undertaker. Drama wise, expect a ton of crazy stunts and camerawork zooming in on facial expressions.