Here’s the updated card for the TNA Slammiversary PPV on 6/12 in Orlando:
World Championship “Knockout or Tapout” Match: Drew Galloway vs. Lashley
Tag Team Championship Match: The Decay vs. The BroMans
Full Metal Mayhem: Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
Mike Bennett vs. Ethan Carter III
Maria Kanellis vs. Gail Kim
Eli Drake cashed in Feast or Fired on Bram to become the new TNA King of the Mountain during tonight’s Impact Wrestling episode. Drake waited until Bram lost to Bobby Lashley to cash in.
Below are videos:
Breaking News: @EliDrakeTNA cashes in Feast or Fired briefcase to capture King of the Mountain Champion #IMPACTonPOP pic.twitter.com/YH6udrDatR
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) June 1, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17P4PdMzXao
Bray Wyatt is set to be at next week’s WWE Raw and Smackdown tapings, according to PWInsider.
He may or may not return to TV next week, but his return is imminent. Bray Wyatt has been out of action since early April with a right calf injury.
WWE tapes this week’s episode of SmackDown at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford, IL tonight.
– WWE Tag Team Champs the New Day kick off this week’s SmackDown. They are quickly interrupted by The Club, and AJ Styles vs. Kofi Kingston gets set up for later.
– Becky Lynch def. Charlotte via DQ: This was a non-title match and the finish came when Dana Brooke interfered and got Charlotte disqualified. Natalya comes out for the save and the two babyfaces beat down Charlotte and Dana.
– The Dudley Boyz def. Goldust and R-Truth: Tyler Breeze and Fandango came out and caused a distraction that lead to the finish.
– Dean Ambrose and Sami Zayn def. Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio: After the match, Owens sets a ladder up in the ring and climbs it to grab the Money In the Bank briefcase.
– Rusev def. Jack Swagger: Rusev beat down Swagger after the match until Titus O’Neil came out to make the save.
– AJ Styles def. Kofi Kingston: Styles hit the Styles Clash to win this main event bout. During the finish, Gallows & Anderson brawled against Big E and Xavier at ringside.
What will The Club have to say on #Smackdown this Thursday? pic.twitter.com/s1QcvcCUGs
— I’m……. That Guy. (@BrockLesnarGuy) June 1, 2016
A pair to draw to. #Smackdown #WWERockford @DanaBrookeWWE @MsCharlotteWWE pic.twitter.com/pVTGcsEyHO
— I’m……. That Guy. (@BrockLesnarGuy) June 1, 2016
Keep refreshing this page for live updates & discuss your thoughts in the comments below.
Despite reports that Sasha Banks is expected to compete for the Women’s Championship at SummerSlam this year, it sounds like Vince McMahon isn’t her biggest fan. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Banks is getting a reputation with WWE management for being injury-prone. Meltzer says that Vince has told officials on numerous occasions that he believes she only knows one speed in the ring: all out.
Months ago, Vince was reportedly comparing Banks and Daniel Bryan to company management. Bryan’s career was cut short at the age of 34 due to numerous concussions.
Banks returned to in-ring action over the weekend at WWE live events after reportedly suffering a concussion at the May 15th house show in Charlottesville, VA. Meltzer sticks by his original report that her injury was a “significant” concussion, which happened after a freak accident where referee Darrick Moore accidentally hit Sasha with a knee to the head.
Last year, Banks reblogged a fan’s comment on her Tumblr that read:
All the marks and smarks will look up and shout “We want Sasha!”… and Vince will look down and whisper “No.”
On Monday there were conflicting reports regarding the status of the upcoming NXT Takeover: Brooklyn after Ticketmaster seemingly removed the event from their Barclays Center listings.
F4Wonline.com confirmed with WWE that the event is still scheduled for 8/20 in Brooklyn and it was noted that the page will be updated soon with new details and a new logo.
Their report also noted that many NXT workers grew concerned about the future of the brand when the page was pulled by Ticketmaster this week. The branding of NXT’s upcoming Takeover special, “The End” didn’t help matters.
– Prior to WWE’s brand split announcement, there were plans in place to bring NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha to the main roster this fall. A lot of creative plans were upended once the decision was made to have exclusive rosters on RAW and SmackDown, but Jordan and Gable are considered “ready” for the call up. Especially with a need to round out those rosters this summer, few acts have more upside than these two.
– The Brooklyn Brawler reportedly got backstage heat prior to his WWE release after calling into Taz’s live Internet radio show (it’s not a podcast). There were reports going around that “an incident” led to him departing the company after 30+ years. The Taz radio show appearance is not the official reason he was let go, but it was one of the final straws.
Source: Wrestling Observer
The Miami Herald ran an interview with The Big Show today where he speaks on the new era of talent in WWE, and seems to hint that he’s contemplating retiring from in-ring action.
“I came in as the youngest in the locker-room by 10 years in 1995, and now I’m one of the old ones still out there,” said the former World Heavyweight Champion. “We’ve got a lot of young, new, great talent deserving of TV time; they’re building their brand. New storylines for them. It’s a changing of the guard.”
When asked about his role and future with WWE, Show commented that “all great things come to an end.” He indicated that he’s looking for projects outside of the the company, but that his “heart is with WWE.”
“I love helping the younger talent. I love representing WWE like with Make-A-Wish, Be a STAR, Special Olympics. I think I’ll always have a home in WWE,” he said. “I’ve had a great career and had a lot of fun. So whatever happens in the future, I’m gonna take it. If I get a phone call tomorrow, and Vince [McMahon] says, ‘Thank you very much. I appreciate everything you’ve done.’ Well, that said, I can hold my head high and go on and do other things.”
Big Show concluded by saying he’s thankful for still having his health, and being able to step into the ring every now and then to do what he loves. You can read his entire interview here.
After discontinuing his previous “Wooooo! Nation” series on Play.it earlier this year, Ric Flair will be getting back into the podcast game.
Flair terminated his contract with Play.it in order to go on the road with WWE, and has been on hiatus from podcasting since his WrestleMania Weekend special. Flair’s co-host Conrad Thompson tweeted on Monday night that he and Flair will be podcasting once again, but now under a different name and with a different company.
Coming back with a new name and home https://t.co/LFvsuAgKRB
— Conrad the Mortgage Guy (@HeyHeyItsConrad) May 30, 2016
First episode will be out in June https://t.co/8pbxuYiwPf
— Conrad the Mortgage Guy (@HeyHeyItsConrad) May 31, 2016
Flair was written off WWE television on last week’s RAW, but is still under a performer’s contract.
WWE will be hosting an “all access” event at their Performance Center in Orlando, FL this summer. On July 25th, WWE will give attendees the chance to see how their talent trains and meet their favorite NXT stars.
The event will allow attendees to try out things like attending a production meeting, cutting your own promo, and making an entrance down the ramp with wrestlers cheering you on. Attendees will also receive breakfast and lunch, a gift bag, a signed chair, and more.
The price for the event is $1,499 per person, and attendees must be 18 or older unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Here’s WWE’s press release for the event:
See how Superstars are made with a WWE Performance Center: All Access pass this July
Do you want to know what it takes to become a WWE Superstar? Have you ever wondered what goes into putting together a WWE Live Event? Now you can have the incredible opportunity to experience all that and more, when you go behind the scenes at WWE Performance Center: All Access!WWE is opening the doors to its state-of-the-art Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Monday, July 25, giving a limited number of WWE Universe members the chance to experience NXT like never before. The unique event will present the opportunity to gain knowledge from the best in the business, become part of a private NXT Live Event and rub elbows with some of your favorite NXT Superstars.
With this exclusive experience, you will:
•Share a light breakfast and lunch with NXT Superstars (meals included)
•Participate in a Q&A and Orientation Session with NXT coaching staff
•Attend a Q&A and autograph session with NXT Superstars
•Sign a one-day WWE booking contract, granting admission to a private NXT Live Event at the WWE Performance Center that you will help produce, manage and watch alongside your favorite NXT Superstars
•Take an all-access tour of the WWE Performance Center
•Get an inside look at a private NXT Training Session
•Learn the ropes during a promo class, then create your very own promo video
•Create your very own entrance as NXT Superstars cheer you on
Plus, you’ll be able to take the experience home, with exclusive keepsakes, including:
•Commemorative WWE Performance Center: All Access Credential
•WWE Performance Center Gift Bag
•Limited Edition Event Chair pre-signed by NXT Superstars
•WWE Performance Center: All Access Highlight Reel (available for download after the experience)
•Your Personal Promo Video; available for download after the experience
•Professional photos will be taken throughout the day (available for download after the experience)
The WWE Performance Center: All Access experience is $1,499 per person.* Tickets are available now at NXTTickets.com. Space is extremely limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime!
*Must be 18 or older, unless accompanied by a legal guardian. Transportation and lodging not included. Please note, WWE Performance Center: All Access is ADA accessible.
Former TNA Knockout Velvet Sky recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog, her first interview since leaving the company. Topics discussed include her TNA departure, dating Bubba Ray Dudley and what’s next for her.
Sky says leaving TNA was ultimately a “business decision” and is very proud of her run there. After nearly 10 years, she felt it was time to move on and explore new opportunities. She’s been keeping a close eye on WWE and NXT and is convinced she’d be a good fit for either.
“The women there are killing it, and empowering and building up the women would be a great role for me. Bayley is so much fun to watch wrestle. She has so much energy and passion, and the people feel her energy and feed off that. She’s so great at expressing herself, and she’s so genuine. Nattie Neidhart is also someone I’d love to work with. I’ve known her for a long time, and she is someone that I look up to and respect. She’s someone I’d love to learn even more from.”
While in TNA, she traveled the world alongside guys like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Eric Young, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries. She’s proud they’ve all made it to the major leagues and promises she’d “give so much” if she ever got the same opportunity.
“I traveled all over the globe with them in TNA, so to see them excel on the level they’re at now, I’m so happy for them,” she said. “You’re never fully satisfied or fulfilled in wrestling until you get to the big leagues. Nobody gets in this business just to bump. I’ve never stopped learning, so I’m glad I have not worked there yet. All I ever wanted in the business was a chance, an opportunity. If I get that with WWE, I’ll give so much.”
Head over to SI.com to read the full interview.
Cody Rhodes’ first post-WWE booking has been announced and his opponent will be none other than Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.
Rhodes vs. Angle will headline Northeast Wrestling’s “Wrestling Under The Stars” event, which takes place Saturday, August 27th from Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, New York.
For more information about Wrestling Under The Stars, visit NortheastWrestling.com.
Just days ago, Cody Rhodes posted a wrestling bucket list of his remaining goals in the business, one of which was working with Kurt Angle. On August 27th, he’ll get his wish. Meanwhile, Kurt Angle has also been keeping busy since finishing up with TNA earlier this year. After wrestling Rey Mysterio at URFight’s first show back in March, he’s scheduled to face Zack Sabre Jr. on June 12th from London for Revolution Pro Wrestling.
– Last night on RAW, AJ Styles welcomed John Cena to the New Era by turning on him and realigning with The Club. The swerve angle was easily the best part of the show and sets up a dream feud between Cena and Styles. After putting on two stellar PPV main event matches against Roman Reigns, it looked like Styles was on the verge of being rotated out of the main event picture. A hot program with John Cena is not a bad place to land. Styles tweeted the following on Tuesday morning, embracing his new heel role:
Did the #TheClub make you mad last night on #RAW? Good!
— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) May 31, 2016
– Speaking of John Cena, his short-lived “Pabst Blue Ribbon” t-shirt is now arriving to fans who ordered it from WWEShop.com over the weekend before it was pulled. As seen on RAW, the replacement shirt features the same caricature of Cena, without the Pabst styling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGEoeIFSZ6R/
– Former WWE Superstar Damien Sandow (now known as Aaron Stevens) appeared on Vince Russo’s The Swerve podcast this week. Part 1 is available now at PodcastOne.com. Of course, Sandow spoke about his time in WWE and the frustrating situation that ultimately led to his release.
FREE Now On @PodcastOne @TheDamienSandow https://t.co/2Yk6LwxCsihttps://t.co/17iU7cAwCf pic.twitter.com/86KM7JTCe6
— Vince Russo (@THEVinceRusso) May 31, 2016
It was revealed on Monday that former WWE and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Bill Goldberg will be the special pre-order bonus character for the upcoming WWE 2K17 video game. IGN recently caught up with Goldberg on the set of his 2K17 commercial, who says it’s an honor to be among the other pre-order characters in the 2K video game series.
“It’s an honor that’s hard to put in words really,” Goldberg said. “All you gotta do is mention the names that came before me, and to know that I’m in the same sentence as those guys, let alone following in their footsteps with this game, it’s a huge honor and not one to be taken lightly.”
Goldberg said that while he would like to wrestle his old WCW opponent Sting again, he’s more excited about dream matches with wrestlers he’s never faced.
“People talked about it for years – Me and Steve Austin, and ‘Taker” Goldberg answered when asked about his dream match up in 2K17. “There are a lot of potential opponents people never got to see me wrestle, so to be able to do that in 2K17, that’s pretty cool.”
Goldberg says if you want to beat his character in the game, he would pick Brock Lesnar. “I think Brock’s probably got the best shot,” Goldberg said of the former UFC Champion.
The former NFL defensive tackle says his matches he would most like to re-create in the game are his battles against Sting and Diamond Dallas Page. “Halloween Havoc with Dallas Page was arguably my best match by far,” he said, “I’d like to see that one reenacted in the game.”
The game is now available for pre-order at WWE.2k.com to receive Goldberg as a playable character. The game hits shelves in October for PS4, XBox One, PS3 and XBox 360.
During Monday’s RAW, the first trailer aired for this year’s WWE 2K17 video game and it was revealed that Big Goldberg is this year’s special pre-order bonus character. This was the culmination of WWE’s #Hatch social media campaign.
Goldberg will appear in the game as two playable characters representing his WCW and WWE personas. The playable characters, along with two playable arenas (WCW Monday Nitro and Halloween Havoc) will be available as bonus content for those who pre-order the game.
As was the case when The Ultimate Warrior signed on to appear in WWE 2K14, Goldberg’s deal is with 2K, not WWE directly. Despite Goldberg being very outspoken about WWE since his final match for the company at WrestleMania XX, bringing Goldberg back in the fold in some capacity has been many years in the making.
“After 12 years away from the business, I’m incredibly honored to work with WWE and 2K while following in the footsteps of such greats as Ultimate Warrior, Sting and Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Goldberg said in a press release. “My son was a big part of this coming together, and I can’t wait for him to see his dad kicking ass in a WWE ring through the magic of video games. I encountered the likes of The Rock, Triple H, Brock Lesnar and Ric Flair during my WWE career, and now through WWE 2K17, I’ll be taking on the biggest and baddest Superstars of today – showing them once and for all that I am still ‘Da Man!’”
As recently as last year, Goldberg is on the record saying that he would consider getting back in a WWE ring if the terms were right. Back in January 2015, Goldberg told Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald that he’s in the best shape of his life and would wrestle for WWE if his son Gage wanted him to.
“We know it was a kind of a disgruntled marriage between myself and WWE. I don’t really sit down and watch the product with my son,” Goldberg said. “If it was something he came up to me and asked me to do I would do it. He has yet to do it.”
Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE’s Goldberg DVD sold very well, far better than anybody expected, which likely led to this deal being made. Sting’s involvement in last year’s WWE 2K game led to him wrestling several matches for the company (including a high-profile WrestleMania match) and a Hall of Fame induction.
Meanwhile, there was an “easter egg” at the end of the WWE 2K17 Goldberg trailer that a lot of fans might have missed on first viewing. As Goldberg was being hauled away in the back of a police car, a Suplex City highway sign is reflected on the car window. Of course, Goldberg’s final WWE match was against Brock Lesnar, so 2K is already tapping into that feud to build interest in WWE 2K17.
Visit WWE.2K.com now to pre-order WWE 2K17 and receive Goldberg as a playable character. WWE 2K17 will be released this October for PlayStation 4, XBox One, PS3 and XBox 360.
– WWE is posting a series of videos getting feedback from Superstars regarding the upcoming brand split. Kevin Owens says it doesn’t matter which show he winds up on, because it will still be the Kevin Owens show. Meanwhile, Sasha Banks knows exactly which show she wants to be a part of.
– As WWE announced on RAW, there’s a new “Rise of John Cena Collection” available on the WWE Network. The synopsis reads:
“From his “ruthless” 2002 debut on SmackDown to his historic 2005 WWE Heavyweight Championship victory on the Grandest Stage Of Them All, John Cena’s meteoric rise to Superstardom was unforgettable. Relive history with The Doctor Of Thuganomics as he faces off against Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker and more. From day one, John Cena has proven that Hustle and Loyalty earn Respect!”
– Zack Ryder tweeted this reaction after his loss to Rusev last night on RAW:
Opportunity…that's all I've ever wanted. The hard work will eventually pay off. You know it. I know it. They know it. #Raw.
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) May 31, 2016
– Sheamus was in Ireland on Monday doing promotional work for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, which is why he wasn’t at RAW. WWE posted this behind-the-scenes video of Sheamus on the set of TMNT 2:
– Bray Wyatt continues to tease his upcoming return to WWE, this time referencing “Abby.” Wyatt was seemingly in the process of turning babyface prior to his recent injury during WWE’s post-WrestleMania European tour. His calf injury had an expected recovery time of 4-6 weeks, so he should be ready to return any week now.
https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/736615824027455492
– Sami Zayn recently spoke with WWE about the upcoming brand split, noting that he sees a lot of room for growth on SmackDown.
– The latest WWE Fury video looks at ugly landings:
Sheamus recently spoke with Zap2It to promote his role in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles website. Of course, the Celtic Warrior was asked about WWE and specifically, the upcoming brand split.
He strongly believes the original brand split allowed guys like him and Daniel Bryan to break into the main events on SmackDown after getting lost in the shuffle on RAW.
“I think it’s great. I think the brand split is good. When I came into WWE in 2009, I had a huge opportunity and got a huge push. It was fantastic. Myself and Daniel Bryan made it because of Smackdown. We were doing two-minute segments on ‘Raw’ before we moved over to the blue brand. To me, Smackdown is much more the wrestling style show.”
“The great thing about Smackdown was, when things were separated last time, a lot of guys were able to breakout. We’ve got great characters and such a vast pool of talent that hasn’t really gotten the chance to shine yet.”
Aside from the opportunities the brand split will afford WWE’s emerging talent, Superstars will also be less over-exposed and hypothetically there will be the potential for countless ‘dream matches’ down the road. Check out the full interview at Zap2It.
https://youtu.be/_TgbxaQcheQ
It has become one of the most talked about matches in recent history and now the bout between Ricochet and Will Ospreay is available to view for free on NJPW World. The match headlined Night 6 of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament and has drawn a ton of attention (mostly positive) for its groundbreaking athleticism.
In his latest blog over at JRsBarBQ.com, Jim Ross congratulated both men for stealing the show and presenting a match that the entire industry is talking about.
“I watched the Will Ospreay vs Ricochet bout that has been the center of attention over the past few days and found the match to be a uniquely told story with an abundance of athleticism, high risk move sets and, most of all, great passion. I certainly give the match a stellar grade but I realize that it might not be everyone’s favorite sauce but that’s not a sin. Could the talents have slowed down a cadence and sold/registered a bit more? Of course they could and if they had it would have generated even more emotions to take away from the MOTY candidate. Pro wrestling needs diversity in multiple areas including the in ring presentations of today’s athletes.
Wrestling needs to be unpredictable, fundamentally sound, logical so as to not remove anyone watching from their zone of suspended disbelief and at a pace that the majority of the audience can process what they are seeing.”
Tommy End has won the Super Strong Style 16 tournament after defeating Mark Andrews in the final match. End defeated both Sami Callihan and Chris Hero to advance to the final.
PROGRESS’ on demand service demandprogress.pivotshare.com will have the tournament in its entirety in the coming days and by all accounts it is not one to miss.
https://twitter.com/tommyend/status/737367238232186880
Massive congratulations to @tommyend on his big win from #SSS16 @ThisIs_Progress
— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) May 30, 2016
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw started with WWE Superstars reading a speech from Ronald Reagan to honor soldiers that have given their lives to protect ours.
WWE honors those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country on this Memorial Day. #RAW pic.twitter.com/92SNqFwcrj
— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2016
Shane McMahon dances his way to the ring only to be immediately interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. The New Day then interrupted Shane and Stephanie. They wanted to know if they would be wrestling on Smackdown or Monday Night Raw after the brand split happens on July 19th. Both Shane and Stephanie didn’t know yet and it was also revealed that they were not aware of who would be running Smackdown when it goes live. The New Day suggested that the two should compete in a dance-off to decide who will be the Smackdown GM. Shane O’ Mac danced with the New Day, and as Stephanie McMahon was about to dance, the Vaudevillians came down and crashed the party.
The Vaudevillians vs The New Day
The Vaudevillians dominated the match all the way until Big E was finally tagged in. The New Day’s momentum would be put to a halt quickly, as Anderson and Gallows attacked Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston outside the ring. This led to the match ending in a disqualification and the Vaudevillians beating down Big E in the middle of the ring. The Vaudevillians then waved Anderson and Gallows into the ring and they hit the Magic Killer on Big E.
Now that AJ’s no longer part of The Club, can’t they be renamed Bestest Brawling Bald Buddies!?#raw #wwe
— Matt Fowler (@TheMattFowler) May 31, 2016
The Big Show made his triumphant return and confronted Apollo Crews backstage. The Big Show told Crews that the only reason that Sheamus attacked him was because he thinks that Crews will back down.
So is Big Show @ApolloCrews's life coach? #RAWTonight
— WWE Creative Humor (a sub of TKO Creative Humor) (@WWECreative_ish) May 31, 2016
The Usos vs Breezango w/ The Golden Truth on Commentary
This was a quick match with the Usos getting the victory. After the match, Breezango confronted the Golden Truth outside the ring. R-Truth and Goldust got the upper-hand and then celebrated in the ring.
Well… I sure hope the next two hours are better. #RAW pic.twitter.com/5nZ8sQTzYS
— Ringside News: WWE & AEW Wrestling News (@ringsidenews_) May 31, 2016
Roman Reigns called Seth Rollins down to the ring for a fight. Rollins pretended to come down to the ring for which felt like an eternity. Seth Rollins never did come down to the ring and face Roman Reigns. He just lingered around the entrance ramp and faked as if he was going to get in the ring. The WWE is trying really hard to get negative reactions for Seth Rollins and positive reactions for Reigns. With this segment, all they did was generate a lot of yawns from the audience.
Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns doing a great job leading up to their "Silent Film" Match at #MITB. #RAW
— Kyle Lewis (@KeepItFiveStar) May 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/StutteringCraig/status/737450019943415808
Rusev vs Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder got in a little offense but Rusev still won the match in short order via the Accolade. After the match, Rusev grabbed a microphone and called himself an American hero. Titus O’Neil came down to the ring and hit Rusev with a vicious punch. Titus O’Neil stood tall in the ring as Rusev retreated. It appears Titus O’Neil will be getting a shot at the United States Championship in the near future.
https://twitter.com/johncenaAm/status/737457695121395713
Charlotte is confronted backstage by Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie says that she is embarrassed that Charlotte is champion and is representing the Women’s division.
Damn! @StephMcMahon just laid down the law on @MsCharlotteWWE! #Raw
— I’m……. That Guy. (@BrockLesnarGuy) May 31, 2016
The Dudley Boyz vs Enzo & Cass
The crowd was silent during this match because of the previous two hours of the show. However, this was a decent match in which Enzo Amore got the pin in his first match back from injury via the Rocket Launcher.
John Cena made his return to Monday Night Raw and said that if it is indeed the New Era, the future must go through him. AJ Styles came down to the ring and the crowd came back to life. For a few minutes there were dueling “AJ Styles!”, “Let’s Go Cena!” chants. Gallows & Anderson interrupted Cena and Styles and challenged them to a match. Once Gallows and Anderson got into the ring, AJ Styles attacked John Cena. Gallows, Anderson and Styles all beat down Cena and left him laying in the ring. AJ Styles returned to the ring three times to attack Cena some more. This caught the crowd completely off guard and was very entertaining. The Club is back together and AJ Styles just turned heel in a big way.
AJ Styles with the mega heel turn on #Raw… pic.twitter.com/6jYTZI4ua9
— Randy Cruz (@randyjcruz) May 31, 2016
AJ Styles has reached hero status. #RAW pic.twitter.com/SR9nc4N2yT
— Marcus Stephenson (@stephensonmc) May 31, 2016
Natalya vs Dana Brooke w/ Charlotte at Ringside
Dana Brooke got the quick victory thanks to interference from Charlotte. After the match, Charlotte and Dana Brooke attacked Natalya. Becky Lynch came down to help Natalya, but Charlotte and Dana Brooke escaped through the crowd.
Dolph Ziggler vs Baron Corbin
This was supposed to be a technical wrestling match and Dolph Ziggler came out sporting head-gear and all. However, as soon as the bell rang, Ziggler hit Corbin with a low-blow. This was the perfect revenge for the low-blow Corbin hit on Ziggler at Extreme Rules a couple weeks back. It is safe to assume that this feud will continue.
BREAKING: Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler will face each other for the rest of their WWE careers.#Raw
— Robby The Brain© (@RobbyTheBrain) May 31, 2016
Cesaro, Sami Zayn & Dean Ambrose vs Alberto Del Rio, Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho
The crowd was chanting “Stupid Idiot!” at Chris Jericho throughout the match. Jericho and Kevins Owens started arguing with each other in the middle of the match and that led to the downfall for Owens, Del Rio and Jericho. Sami Zayn hit the Helluva Kick on Alberto Del Rio and Dean Ambrose hit the Dirty Deeds on Owens for the victory.
JERICHO GOING SWINGING! TRADING FINISHERS! DIRTY DEEDS TO OWENS! AMBROSE, ZAYN, AND CESARO WIN! #RAW
— Loy Tannenbaum (@Turns1701e) May 31, 2016
No Bray Wyatt. [Insert Sad Face] #WWE #Raw
— Scott Fishman (@smFISHMAN) May 31, 2016
There was a lot of hype for this Monday Night Raw, did you enjoy it? Let us know in the comments below.
– Jonathan Coachman will interview Enzo Amore and Big Cass on Tuesday’s Off The Top Rope segment during SportsCenter on ESPN.
– WWE announced the following for this week’s Smackdown:
THIS THURSDAY: @BeckyLynchWWE goes one-on-one with @WWE #WomensChampion @MsCharlotteWWE on #SmackDown! #RAW pic.twitter.com/pbYRFKaw0w
— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2016
PLUS: We'll hear from @AJStylesOrg @LukeGallowsWWE & @KarlAndersonWWE on the attack of @JohnCena! #SmackDown #RAW pic.twitter.com/H5viWbRZDc
— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2016
— Bill Goldberg (@Goldberg) May 31, 2016
During RAW it was revealed that WWE’s “#Hatch” social media campaign was teasing Bill Goldberg’s involvement in the upcoming WWE 2K17 video game. Due out 10/25, WWE 2K17 will be available on current & previous generation consoles.
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/737450706232217600
The May 30, 2016 episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. Tonight’s special Memorial Day edition of RAW will feature the return of John Cena, and tag-team action between The Dudley Boyz vs. Enzo & Big Cass. The final Money In The Bank ladder match participant will also be decided tonight.
– RAW kicks off with a brief Memorial Day tribute to the fallen soldiers. Shane and Stephanie McMahon come out to open up the show, and they’re quickly interrupted by the New Day, who are curious about the new brand split. The New Day is concerned that Shane & Stephanie will break up the team between the RAW and SmackDown rosters. The Tag Team Champions tell Shane and Stephanie to have a dance challenge to decide who runs RAW and who runs SmackDown. Shane accepts on both of their behalf, and he dances first. Stephanie goes second, but before she can start the Vaudevillains come out to interrupt, and we have a match.
– The New Day def. The Vaudevillains via DQ: Kofi and Big E are representing the New Day in this one. After some early offense by the Tag Champs, the Vaudevillains take control and slow things down. The finish comes early when Anderson and Gallows interfere and beat down the New Day. Gallows and Anderson cut a promo in the back afterwards saying they’re just getting started without AJ.
– The Big Show gives Apollo Crews a pep talk backstage. Crews says he doesn’t know why Sheamus picked on him, but he’s going to regret it.
– The Usos vs. Tyler Breeze & Fandango: R-Truth comes out with Goldust to be on commentary for this one. The Usos get the quick win with a crucifix rollup. After the match, all hell breaks loose at ringside between Breeze & Fandango vs. The Golden Truth. Goldust and R-Truth get the upper hand and lay out Breeze and Fandango.
– Roman Reigns comes out to address the WWE Universe about Seth Rollins. Rollins comes out to the stage with a mic, but he drops it and starts to walk to the ring. As he gets closer, he decides against it and heads to the back. He teases hitting the ring a few times, but decides against it. Rollins picks up the mic and goes to say something, but again decides against it and heads to the back. Roman Reigns’ music hits and he holds up his belt in the ring. Rollins runs out again, but still doesn’t get in the ring.
– Rusev def. Zack Ryder: Rusev hits a knee to start things off and dominates with suplexes. Rusev gets the quick win via submission with the Accolade. Titus O’Neil comes out after the match and lays out Rusev. Titus leads the crowd in a USA chant as Rusev walks to the back.
– In the back, we see Stephanie McMahon cutting a promo on Charlotte and telling her she’s a waste of talent.
– Enzo & Big Cass def. The Dudley Boyz: The Dudleys start things off with most of the offense. Enzo goes up to the top rope for a comeback but Bubba crotches him on the top turnbuckle. Big Cass gets the hot tag and hits the Empire Elbow on D-Von. Bubba gets the tag and they give Cass a reverse 3D for a 2 count. Cass throws Bubba off the top rope then tags in Enzo. They hit the Rocket Launcher for the win.
– The champ is here. John Cena hits the ring to make his long-awaited return to RAW. Cena cuts a promo about Memorial Day and leads the crowd in a USA chant. After he’s done speaking, AJ Styles’ music hits and The Phenomenal One comes out. AJ cuts a brief promo and shakes hands with Cena. Their hand shake is quickly interrupted by Gallows and Anderson. Gallows and Anderson say AJ is sucking up to Cena and step closer towards the ring. AJ and Cena get ready to square off against The Club, but then AJ lays out Cena from behind and all three of them take turns beating down Cena. AJ, Gallows and Anderson stand tall over Cena’s motionless body and do the Kliq hand salute. As they’re walking to the back, AJ runs back in the ring and continues the beat-down on Cena. Anderson says “that’s the AJ we know and love.” AJ runs back into the ring again and continues pummeling Cena. They head to the back as referees check on Cena, and AJ once again heats the ring for another beat down.
– Dana Brooke def. Natalya: Charlotte comes out with Dana. After a distraction by Charlotte, Dana hits a Michinouku Driver for the win in a very quick match. Dana and Charlotte beat down Natalya until Becky comes down for the save. Charlotte and Dana exit through the crowd.
– Dolph Ziggler cuts a promo in the back about how his wrestling skills are superior to Baron Corbin’s.
– Baron Corbin def. Dolph Ziggler via DQ: Ziggler comes out in amateur wrestling headgear. As soon as the match starts, Ziggler kicks Corbin in the groin for revenge from Extreme Rules and disqualifies himself.
– In the back, Chris Jericho tells Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio that they should make sure Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Dean Ambrose are hurt going into Money In The Bank
– Dean Ambrose & Cesaro & Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens & Alberto Del Rio: Del Rio and Cesaro start off with back and forth action. Del Rio, Owens and Jericho are arguing among each other on the outside when Sami Zayn comes flying over the top rope down onto all three of them on the floor. The heels make a comeback during the commercial break and Owens goes to work on Zayn. Jericho gets the tag and Zayn hits a Blue Thunder Bomb. Ambrose gets the tag and throws Jericho outside, then hits a suicide dive onto Y2J. There is some in-fighting among the heels which leads to Ambrose hitting the Dirty Deeds on Owens for the win. The babyfaces celebrate in the ring as RAW goes off the air.
– As noted earlier, the final Money in the Bank participant will be determined tonight on RAW. John Cena makes his big return on the show, but it won’t be him. No word yet on Cena’s next feud, but United States Champion Rusev would be a natural fit.
– A big factor in SmackDown going live on Tuesdays (and the subsequent brand split) was the USA Network’s dissatisfaction with Smackdown ratings. The show’s viewership was settling into a range that network executives weren’t thrilled with and additional live programming should help that. There is a feeling of optimism behind the scenes regarding this change, despite the last brand split eventually fizzling out. Last time, RAW (being the live, flagship show on USA) was the top priority. WWE caved and brought the big SmackDown names to RAW in an effort to stack those shows, but killed the longterm potential of dream matches between stars who had been kept apart. Now that SmackDown is also on USA and is going live every week, there’s more incentive to keep both shows strong and treat SmackDown on par with RAW. Time will tell, but that’s the optimistic spin heading in to this summer.