Archive for February, 2017

John Cena & Nikki Bella Teaming Up, Latest On WrestleMania 33 Feud (Video)

John Cena and girlfriend Nikki Bella are set to team up for the first time ever on next week’s WWE SmackDown in a match against James Ellsworth and Carmella. The match was made on tonight’s show after a backstage segment.

Cena and Nikki are expected to face The Miz and Maryse at WrestleMania 33. WWE has been planting the seeds for that match since Elimination Chamber but furthered the feud on SmackDown tonight as Maryse slapped Cena during a MizTV segment, bringing out Nikki. Miz and Maryse escaped during that segment but Nikki sent a warning to Maryse.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , .

Randy Orton Turns On Bray Wyatt, New #1 Contender To The WWE Championship

AJ Styles defeated Luke Harper to become the new #1 contender on tonight’s SmackDown. Styles is set to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33 but that match has not been confirmed by WWE yet.

It appears we may get a Triple Threat with Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton being the third particiapnt. Orton turned on Wyatt and set fire to the Wyatt Family compound during the closing segment this week. Orton issued a warning to Wyatt and said he was coming for the WWE Championship and Wyatt at WrestleMania.

We will keep you updated on any official announcements regarding Wyatt’s WrestleMania match.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

WWE Smackdown Recap & Reaction (2/28)

This week’s episode of Smackdown kicked off with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan watching the end of last week’s Smackdown where Harper and Styles eliminated each other at the same time. From the video, it was clear that Styles was eliminated first but Shane agreed that the referee’s decision was final. AJ Styles showed up and started cracking jokes at Harper’s expense. Styles was unaware that Harper was right behind him. Styles eventually released Harper was there and walked away. Harper then got right in Shane McMahon’s face and thanked him for no reason and walked away.

Miz TV w/ John Cena

John Cena joined The Miz and Maryse in the middle of the ring. The Miz demanded that Cena’s microphone be cut off. The Miz then went on a rant about Cena being manipulative towards the upper management in the WWE. The Miz claimed to work 10x as hard as Cena but Cena gets all the publicity and opportunities. The crowd broke out in a “Cena” chant and The Miz scolded the crowd for rudely interrupting him. The Miz boasted about defeating John Cena at Wrestlemania years ago and said that Cena was jealous of him. The Miz then called Cena hypocrite for going to Hollywood after all the things he said to The Rock.

The crowd started chanting “you sold out!” at Cena. The Miz said that Cena was not “Super Cena” anymore and is now “Barely Decent Cena”. Dueling “lets go Cena” and “Cena sucks” chants broke out in the crowd. The Miz said that it was infuriating that Cena was gifted a WWE Championship shot at the Royal Rumble. Miz then said that even though he tied Flair’s record, Flair is still the greatest of all time. The Miz said that Cena has held him back his entire career and that is why he threw him out of the ring last week in the Battle Royal after he was eliminated.

Cena said that it was ridiculous for The Miz to think that Cena has influence over WWE management. Cena said the proof that he doesn’t is that right before Wrestlemania he is standing in the ring with The Miz instead of The Undertaker. Cena then said that The Miz stole Chris Jericho’s personality, Ric Flair’s Figure Four, Daniel Bryan’s offense and personality. Cena then said that The Miz is now stealing everything AJ Styles said about him in the last six months.

Cena tried to leave but Maryse stopped him. Maryse said that Cena wishes he was half the man that The Miz is. Maryse called Cena a “control ego maniac freak” and insinuated that Cena has a tiny package. Maryse then slapped Cena in the face as The Miz laughed. Cena grabbed the microphone and said that Maryse just made the biggest mistake of her life. Nikki Bella then sprinted to the ring and The Miz and Maryse retreated. Nikki Bella grabbed a microphone and called Maryse a bitch. Cena and Nikki then kissed in the ring as The Miz and Maryse angrily looked on from the crowd.

2-out-of- 3 Falls Match: Mickie James vs Becky Lynch

Becky controlled the first couple minutes of the match. Smackdown went to a commercial break after Becky knocked Mickie out of the ring. When Smackdown returned, Mickie was in control of the match and slammed Becky’s head into the second turnbuckle. Mickie planted Becky with a DDT for the first pinfall.

Mickie continued the beatdown of Lynch and climbed to the top rope. Mickie jumped off but Becky moved out of the way and rolled Mickie up for the second pinfall. Becky then planted Mickie with a Suplex and both Superstars were on the mat. Alexa Bliss then came down to the ring and distracted the referee as Becky was going for another pinfall. Becky got frustrated and started to yell at the referee. Mickie tried to attack Becky from behind but Lynch got out of the way and Mickie accidentally knocked Alexa Bliss of the ring apron. Lynch then applied the Dis-Arm-Her to win the match.

Winner: Becky Lynch

Luke Harper had a backstage promo and said that he has made peace with his demons. Harper claimed that he can now see what true evil is and said that he is not afraid of Bray Wyatt. Harper said that when he wins tonight, Bray Wyatt will be the one who is afraid.

Bray Wyatt then had a promo of his own. Bray Wyatt stated that he will not be alone because he has his brother, Randy Orton. Wyatt claimed that Orton is going to make Wrestlemania a kingdom of his own.

Alexa Bliss was interviewed backstage and bragged about becoming the first ever two time Smackdown Women’s Champion. Bliss’s promo was done in the form of an award’s speech and Alexa Bliss thanked herself and Naomi for having terrible knees. Natalya interrupted and said that she was coming after Bliss’s title.

#1 Contender Match: AJ Styles vs Luke Harper

Harper leveled Styles with a Dropkick to start off the match and AJ looked shocked. Styles then rolled out of the ring to gather himself. Harper followed him and Styles rolled back in the ring. Styles tried to hit Harper with an Elbow Drop as he was getting in the ring but Harper avoided it. Harper then dragged AJ out of the ring and threw him into the barricade, the steel steps and the announce table before finally rolling him back in the ring. Styles once again rolled out of the ring and Harper followed him. Styles kicked Harper in the leg on the ring apron and then connected with a Pele Kick that sent Harper down on the ring apron.

Back in the ring, Styles continued to beatdown Harper and focused his attack on Harper’s knee. Harper battled back and knocked Styles to the mat with a couple of right hands. Harper then hit a Senton and followed it up with a boot to the face for a two count. Harper knocked AJ out of the ring and hit him with a Suicide Dive. The action returned to the ring and Harper planted Styles with a Suplex as Smackdown went to a commercial break.

When Smackdown returned, Harper was still in control of the match. Styles connected with a Phenomenal Forearm and went for the pin. Harper got his foot on the rope but the referee didn’t notice it and counted to three. Shane McMahon then came down to the ring and restarted the match because Harper’s foot was on the rope.

Styles got knocked out of the ring by Harper and Styles got right in Shane McMahon’s face. Harper then tried to kick Styles but AJ got out of the way and Harper kicked Shane McMahon. Back in the ring, AJ Styles hit a 450 Splash for the victory.

Winner & #1 Contender To The WWE Championship: AJ Styles

Carmella and James Ellsworth started poking fun at Cena and Nikki Bella backstage. This led to Cena and Nikki challenging Carmella and Ellsworth to a match next week on Smackdown.

Daniel Bryan tried to congratulate AJ Styles backstage and shake his hand but Styles just walked away.

Dean Ambrose vs Curt Hawkins

Ambrose hit a Dirty Deeds right away and grabbed a microphone. Dean called out Baron Corbin and said that he wanted a fight. Corbin appeared on the titantron and said that he’s not fighting tonight. Corbin called Ambrose a deer standing in the middle of the road and Corbin said that he was going to run Ambrose over. Ambrose told Corbin to not start something that he can’t finished and said that he and Corbin were far from finished.

Chairs Match: Apollo Crews vs Dolph Ziggler

Crews attacked Ziggler from behind before the match started. Smackdown went to a commercial break with Ziggler on the floor ringside. When Smackdown returned, Crews kicked Ziggler while he was holding a chair and followed it up by hitting Ziggler win a Moonsault. Ziggler battled back and went for a Superkick but Crews reversed it into a Belly to Back Suplex on top of a chair. Ziggler then tripped up Crews and he fell neck-first into a chair. Ziggler then slammed Crews groin-first into a chair and pinned him for the victory.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Bray Wyatt came down to the ring to address AJ Styles becoming the #1 contender. Bray Wyatt stated that it didn’t matter if Harper or Styles won because they are both mortal. Randy Orton was then shown on the titantron from the “kingdom”. Orton was next to a constantly rocking chair and admitted that he was no longer in the Wyatt Family. Orton then revealed that Sister Abigail was buried beneath the chair. Orton then said that after he burns Wyatt’s temple down, he will be the master and Bray will be the servant. Orton stated that he was coming after Wyatt’s title at Wrestlemania. Orton then burned the temple down that held Sister Abigail’s soul as Bray Wyatt lost it in the ring.

Reaction: This week’s episode was very good. I thought the Miz TV segment was excellent. The Miz did a great job of berating John Cena in the beginning of the promo. I thought Cena was the best part of this segment. Yes, Cena is not the best wrestler ever but he has an amazing ability to sell a match and make everything he is involved in feel important. I could have cared less about The Miz, Maryse, John Cena and Nikki Bella storyline before this promo. Now, I cannot wait to see how this storyline develops heading into Wrestlemania.

The timing of the Styles and Harper match made me think that something odd was going to happen at the end of the show. The #1 contender match happened at the beginning of the second hour of Smackdown. That match was solid and I will continue to say that Harper is so underrated in the WWE. I don’t ever see him headlining a Wrestlemania but I do think he can offer more than being the silent guy in a tag team. His backstage promos have been solid and his work in the ring is really impressive. I hope the WWE has something planned for him. Baron Corbin and The Miz are currently in a feud and I’m guessing that will lead to an Intercontinental Championship match at Wrestlemania. If Corbin wins, I wouldn’t mind seeing him enter a feud with Luke Harper. Corbin is going to be a major star in the WWE and I think working with Harper will help him get there.

The chairs match between Dolph Ziggler and Apollo Crews was interesting on multiple levels for me. First of all, David Otunga said before the match that Apollo Crews was so intense backstage that he could barely put a sentence together. Whether that was a jab at Crews being horrific at promos, I have no idea but that is what popped into my mind. Crews also lost the match in very embarrassing fashion.

I enjoyed the Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton segment to end the show. It was completely crazy, but I’m fine with that. Now that Orton has announced that he intends to fight Wyatt at Wrestlemania, I’m sure Styles will be informed that he will not get his Wrestlemania main event. There have been rumors that AJ Styles will face Shane McMahon at Wrestlemania. They were barking at each other tonight. If Shane winds up taking the Wrestlemania main event away from Styles, that will likely lead to them having a match at Wrestlemania. Who knows, maybe Styles might even want to jump from Smackdown to Raw.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Smackdown? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News.

Two More Wrestlers Done With TNA

“The Miracle” Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis are the latest performers to depart TNA Wrestling, according to PWInsider. They join Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Drew Galloway as notable talents who left this week.

TNA officials have been trying to sign the couple over the past several weeks. They reportedly reached an agreement, but Bennett and Kanellis decided it was time to move on. They’re not expected to work this week’s Impact Wrestling tapings from Orlando.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRB36FIF6co/

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, TNA. Tagged: , .

Erick Rowan Returning To Action Soon

Erick Rowan is returning to action soon after recovering from shoulder surgery back in October. During that time, Rowan has been training at the WWE Performance Center and posting cryptic videos on social media. 

Earlier today, Rowan posted another video that displays the word “alone” towards the end. Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Rowan has been medically cleared.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News. Tagged: .

Rusev Sporting a New Look (Photo)

RAW Superstar Rusev is sporting a new look. The Bulgarian Brute posted this photo on Instagram on Tuesday night showing off a much shorter haircut than we’re used to seeing from him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRErxyrguTy/?taken-by=rusevig

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Reby Hardy Reveals New Details About The Hardy Family Leaving TNA (Audio)

“It’s too late to salvage this, it’s the 11th hour. The deals expire at midnight tonight”

Reby Hardy appeared on the SiriusXM Busted Open radio show on Tuesday to discuss her family’s departure from TNA Wrestling. You can listen to the entire interview below, but here are the main points:

– The decision for the Hardy family to leave was made over the past several days. They didn’t receive their new contracts until five days prior to the current deal expiring.  As things were really coming down to the wire, “it was almost like we were being bullied into signing the contracts.”

– Up until recently, TNA was the perfect situation that allowed them all to travel together and work a limited schedule.

– “I don’t feel there is ever a situation for guys like Matt and Jeff where they should be chasing after their employer for their new contract, led us to believe that they didn’t think we were important”

– They loved the TNA locker room. Everybody busted their asses and weathered the storm of TNA’s ownership uncertainty in 2016.

– “Say what you will about Dixie Carter, but at least she knew how to talk to people”

– Matt is in love with his BROKEN universe. “He’s not giving that up any time soon, I can confirm that. It’s his baby.”

– They wanted to do the right thing for the fans and the business by dropping the TNA tag titles on television, but Anthem denied that request.

Busted Open can be heard weekdays from 2p-4p Eastern Time only on SiriusXM Rush Channel 93 and any time on the SiriusXM App.

https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmrush/exclusive-reby-hardy-confirms-hardys-impact-departure-not-giving-up-broken-character

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, TNA. Tagged: , .

WWE SmackDown Results & Discussion (2/28)

The February 28th edition of WWE SmackDown aired live on the USA Network from the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN.

– The Miz comes out to the ring and calls out John Cena to kick off SmackDown. The Miz cuts a scathing promo on Cena and says he has stolen opportunities from him. The Miz finally lets Cena speak, and Cena tells The Miz he stole Chris Jericho’s personality and other wrestlers’ moves. Cena says The Miz is just repeating what AJ Styles said about him. Cena does a mic drop and walks off, but Maryse grabs Cena and tells him he wishes he was half the man The Miz is and slaps him across the face. Nikki Bella runs out and Maryse runs off with The Miz following her. Nikki gets on the mic and tells Maryse “I’ll break you bitch,” and Maryse and Miz run out through the crowd.

– Becky Lynch def. Mickie James: This one is a two-out-of-three-falls match. Becky controls the opening moments of the match and sends Mickie to the outside with a dropkick. Back in the ring, Mickie gets in some offense but Becky comes back with more kicks. Mickie shuts Becky down with a tornado DDT for the three count for her first fall of the match. Mickie continues the offense and goes up top for a cross body, but Becky dodges it and rolls up Mickie for the three count for her first fall of the match, and the score is now 1-1. Both women are down, and Alexa Bliss walks out to ringside for a closer look. Alexa gets on the apron and distracts the referee, then Becky gets in her face which leads to Mickie accidentally knocking Alexa off the apron. Becky gets Mickie in the Dis-arm-her from behind for the win.

– Luke Harper is in a dark room and he cuts a promo on Bray Wyatt, saying Wyatt should be very afraid of him. Immediately after, we see a video of Bray Wyatt talking about Randy Orton being his brother now.

– Alexa Bliss does an interview backstage where she chews out the interviewer. Natalya interrupts and lets Alexa know that she plans to take the Women’s Title from her.

– AJ Styles does an interview in the back where he says he’s feeling good heading into his match with Harper tonight, and says the WrestleMania main event is where he belongs.

– AJ Styles def. Luke Harper: The winner of this match gets a shot at Bray Wyatt’s WWE World Championship. Harper levels AJ with a dropkick early on and AJ rolls to the outside to recover. Harper dodges an elbow from AJ then beats him down around ringside. Harper is on the apron and AJ kicks his leg out, then hits a Pele kick from the floor to Harper’s head on the apron. Back in the ring, AJ delivers some kicks to Harper and continues working on his knee. Harper fires up and drops AJ with an elbow, then goes out to the apron and slingshots over the top rope with a senton bomb on AJ. Harper throws AJ outside and follows up with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Harper goes for a powerbomb but AJ reverses it into a hurricanrana. AJ throws some kicks at Harper, but Harper catches AJ and throws him with a t-bone suplex for a two count. Harper follows up with a powerbomb for another two count. AJ comes back and hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Harper and pins. Harper gets his foot on the rope at the two count, but the referee doesn’t see it and counts to three and declares AJ the winner. Shane McMahon comes out and restarts the match. AJ goes for the Styles Clash, but Harper reverses into a pin for a two count. Harper throws AJ outside and AJ gets in Shane’s face. Harper goes to superkick AJ, but AJ moves and Harper kicks Shane in the face instead. AJ throws Harper into the ring steps then back into the ring. Styles follows up with a springboard 450 splash for the win.

– We go backstage where Carmella and James Ellsworth confront Nikki Bella and John Cena. Nikki tells Carmella to get lost, and Ellsworth tells her “you can’t talk to my friend that’s a girl like that.” Ellsworth calls Nikki phony, which leads to Cena challenging them to a mixed tag match next week.

– Backstage we see Daniel Bryan congratulating AJ Styles on winning a shot at Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship. Styles doesn’t shake Bryan’s hand, and says he’s curious what Wyatt has to say tonight.

– Dean Ambrose vs. Curt Hawkins – No Contest: Ambrose hits the Dirty Deeds on Hawkins before the match starts and Hawkins is out. Ambrose grabs the mic and cuts a promo on Baron Corbin, telling him that messing with Ambrose is a very bad idea. Ambrose says he wants Corbin right now and challenges him to come to the ring. Corbin shows up on the big screen instead and declines to come out to the ring. Corbin says he’s going to run over Ambrose like a deer on the road.

– Dolph Ziggler def. Apollo Crews: Chairs are legal in this one. Crews jumps Ziggler before the bell to give him a taste of his own medicine, then takes him in the ring for a belly to belly overhead suplex. Crews throws Ziggler outside and follows up with a moonsault off the apron. Back in the ring, Crews continues working on Ziggler then lays a chair on him and hits a standing moonsault for a two count. Ziggler attempts a superkick, but Crews catches his foot and grabs him. Crews hits a back suplex on Ziggler onto a chair for two. Crews unfolds a chair, but Ziggler drop toe holds Crews into it. Ziggler picks up Crews then appears to drop him crotch-first on the unfolded chair in the ring for the win.

– Bray Wyatt comes out to the ring to address AJ Styles. Wyatt says it didn’t matter to him whether Styles or Harper won the shot at his title, because they’re just mortals. Bray gets interrupted by Randy Orton on the big screen. He appears to be in a barn, and we get close-up views of maggots and some creepy sound effects. Orton says he’s in Wyatt’s world, but it’s not Orton’s world and it never was. Orton claims to be in Wyatt’s sacred ground of worship, and says “Abigail” is buried beneath him. Orton picks up a shovel and says in a moment, he will be the master and Wyatt will be the servant. Orton tosses aside the shovel and picks up a gas can and starts dumping it all over the barn. Orton says he’s coming for Wyatt at WrestleMania. More shots of maggots in the ground, and Orton pours out more gas. Orton walks outside and appears to have left a cameraman locked inside the barn. Orton continues pouring gas outside the barn, then sets it on fire. Wyatt is shown in the ring freaking out and then he starts tearing apart the announce table. Wyatt freaks out at ringside as SmackDown goes off the air.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in WWE.

Possible Spoiler On Kurt Angle’s Return To WWE Television

Wrestling legend Kurt Angle returns to WWE on March 31st when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame and it’s sounding more and more like Angle will be sticking around after he’s inducted.

PWInsider Elite is now reporting that Angle is scheduled for WWE RAW the night after WrestleMania. Angle hasn’t appeared on one of WWE’s weekly TV shows since 2006. Shortly thereafter, he joined TNA Wrestling where Angle says he entered the prime of his career.

Over the past several years WWE has been reluctant to bring Kurt Angle back due to his health and previous struggles working a full time road schedule. While it’s unclear if Angle has taken any WWE medical exams yet, Angle told ESPN in January that he’s been clean and sober for four years.

Angle has been working the independent scene since leaving TNA last year but does not have any bookings lined up after March.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE UK Tournament Competitors Announced for ICW Fight Club in March

ICW recently announced the appearances of two top UK performers for their On Demand Fight Club show in March.

WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate and WWE UK Tournament Runner Up Pete Dunne will be making appearances for the company on March 19th and March 11th respectively.

Dunne’s appearance for the company at the Motion in Bristol will be his debut for ICW. It is especially telling that the majority of the WWE UK Tournament competitors are now beginning to make regular appearances for ICW as rumours of an ICW/WWE Network deal are still apparently in the works.

https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/836631851490021376

https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/836246843835166721

https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/836246843835166721

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , , .

PROGRESS Chapter 45 Main Event and Tag Title Matches Announced

One of the biggest matches in PROGRESS history took place this past Sunday at Chapter 44 ‘Old Man Yells at Cloud’ as Jimmy Havoc became the Number 1 Contender to Pete Dunne’s PROGRESS Championship.

As part of a 6-man tag team bout fan favourite Havoc pinned Dunne (a member of the stable British Strong Style) to earn himself a title match with a stipulation of his choosing. Havoc opted to cash in his title opportunity against the ‘Bruiserweight’ at Chapter 45: ‘Galvanise.’

It has also been confirmed that the match will be contested under ‘No DQ’ rules, which will suit Deathmatch specialist Jimmy Havoc. This match looks set to be an extremely bloody affair.

The second bout announced for Chapter 45 is for the PROGRESS Tag Team Championships. WWE UK Champion Tyler Bate and his British Strong Style teammate Trent Seven will be taking on the South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper and Travis Banks).

Travis Banks made his singles debut for PROGRESS at Chapter 44 in an excellent showing against fellow debutant Jordan Devlin, chances are that this may well be the breakup of the SPPT team as Banks looks set to be one of the breakout stars for PROGRESS in 2017.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News. Tagged: , , , , .

IPW:UK Announces ‘Extreme Measures 2017’ Headlined by Jimmy Havoc vs Tommy Dreamer

IPW:UK have announced the details of their April 30th show set to take place at the Clapham Grand in South West London. Headlining this event will be UK fan favourite and renowned Deathmatch competitor Jimmy Havoc taking on the ECW original and Hardcore icon Tommy Dreamer.

IPW have also announced that Pete Dunne, Joey Ryan, The London Riots and Matt Riddle will be competing on what looks set to be a memorable show for the UK scene this year.

Tickets for the event are available to purchase through the IPW:UK site: www.ipwuk.com/events/2017/04/30/extreme-measures-2017

https://twitter.com/IPWUK/status/836291095743119360

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

WWE RAW Viewership Down Leading Into Fastlane

Monday’s episode of WWE RAW from Green Bay, Wisconsin averaged 3.093 million viewers, down from last week’s 3.216 million.

The show featured the final push for Fastlane with appearances by Goldberg and Seth Rollins.

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • Hour 1: 3.127 million
  • Hour 2: 3.233 million
  • Hour 3: 2.918 million

RAW was #2 in viewership and #2 in the 18-49 demographic on cable for the night.

  • Video: Brock Lesnar Appears After RAW & Destroys Big Show

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE.

Kurt Angle On What HHH Said To Him About Returning To WWE TV, Who Will Induct Him Into HOF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr-vsc7J2aQ

Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle recently appeared on CBS Sports Radio to discuss being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. Now that Angle is on working terms with WWE again, one question on his fans’ minds is if he’ll compete in a WWE ring again or take on some other recurring on-air role. Angle says he hasn’t discussed those specifics with the company yet, but that he expects to return to WWE programming in some capacity.

“I honestly, I talked to Triple H and I did throw that at him and he said ‘Listen, we’re not gonna talk about all of that until after the Hall Of Fame,'” Angle recalled. “He did say we will talk afterwards. My guess is I will return.”

Angle clarified that he can’t speak for WWE on the issue of his return, but that he is still actively wrestling and doesn’t plan on stopping just yet.

“I was surprised I got it this early,” Angle said of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. “At 48 years of age, I’m not even done wrestling yet so it was a huge honor. I didn’t spend a lot of time in WWE, I think I was there six and a half years, so to make the kind of impact I did to be a Hall Of Famer in six and a half years made me feel pretty good.”

Angle revealed that WWE will announce the person who’ll induct him in the next week or two. The former WWE & TNA World Champion says he requested for either The Undertaker, Steve Austin, or John Cena to induct him, but he doesn’t know how much say he has in the matter. Angle also suggested Brock Lesnar, but didn’t seem to think that would be very likely as he’s “a man of very few words.”

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

More On TNA’s Creative Shakeup, Another Departure By Longtime Employee

TNA’s behind-the-scenes shakeup continues, as Dutch Mantell has been named head of creative for Impact Wrestling. He’ll be leading the team of Jeff Jarrett, Scott D’Amore and producer Kevin Sullivan.

– Former head writer John Gaburick is no longer writing storylines. He’ll be staying on board as a consultant, providing feedback to the new writing team and helping out backstage.

– Longtime TNA employee Bill Banks has departed the company. It’s believed that he’ll be moving back to the Northeast. He previously worked on the creative teams in WWE and WCW.

Looking back over the past year, Banks joins Dixie Carter, Billy Corgan, John Gaburick, Dave Lagana, Matt Conway and even Matt Hardy as people who have ‘moved on’ from contributing to TNA’s creative direction.

– Jeff Jarrett is not expected to appear on television in the coming weeks, but there’s a good chance his wife Karen will resurface.

TNA’s next round of television tapings take place this weekend from Universal Orlando. Here’s a look at TNA’s upcoming tapings schedule through the summer:

  • Thursday, March 2 – Sunday, March 5.
  • Thursday, April 20 – Sunday, April 23.
  • Sunday, July 2 – Thursday, July 6.
  • Thursday, Aug. 17 – Sunday, Aug. 20.

The April 20th and August 17th episodes will air “live.”

H/T: PWInsider.com

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, TNA. Tagged: .

Preview For Tonight’s Episode Of WWE SmackDown (2/28)

The February 28th edition of WWE SmackDown airs live on the USA Network from the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. Tonight’s episode will be headlined by Luke Harper vs. AJ Styles in a match to determine who gets a shot at Bray Wyatt’s WWE World Championship.

Also announced for tonight’s show is Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James in a two-out-of-three falls match, and Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews in a chairs match.

Join us here at SEScoops at 8 PM ET tonight for live SmackDown results and discussion!


https://www.instagram.com/p/BRD6b1KhzXh/

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE.

Jeff Jarrett On The TNA Departures Of Hardy Boys & Galloway, Matt Hardy-Sasha Banks

TNA co-founder Jeff Jarrett issued the following statement regarding the departures of Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy and Drew Galloway.

“For the record, it’s @IMPACTWRESTLING ‘s corporate policy not to make any comments on talent contractual matters. I personally wish nothing but continued success for @JEFFHARDYBRAND @MATTHARDYBRAND @GallowaySpeaks . All three of them are fantastic talent and wherever they land they will obviously do very well.

Wrestling business can be tough at times, but one thing is for sure, the business is ALWAYS changing! Ready for @UniversalORL and can’t wait for Thursday! #MIGA”

It will be interesting to see what is different about TNA’s presentation after Thursday’s tapings. Anthem took over TNA right before the last round of tapings, with the idea being they wanted to ‘get through’ those shows without making any immediate changes to the product. Now that Anthem has had a couple months to get situation, these are expected to be the first episodes that reflect Anthem’s vision for TNA moving forward.

On Monday night, WWE tweeted the following hyping Sasha Banks’ match against Nia Jax this Sunday at Fastlane. Sasha Banks took notice of WWE’s wording that Nia Jax claims to have “Broken” her.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Video From After RAW: Lesnar vs. Big Show, Referee Pins Big Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-IQE1K-EGI

After Monday’s WWE RAW from Green Bay went off the air, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman came out to issue an open challenge to the locker room. This is the third consecutive week WWE has run this angle.

Show and Lesnar fought for a few minutes until Lesnar hit the F5 and left the ring with Big Show down on the mat.

After Lesnar had laid waste to the giant, a WWE referee actually got on top of Big Show while another ref counted the pin.

https://twitter.com/ukhoops1_BBN/status/836432169237110784

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Chairs Match & Best Of 3 Falls Match Tonight On SmackDown

Tonight’s SmackDown Live will feature a continuation of Becky Lynch and Mickie James’ feud. The two will square off in a Best of 3 Falls match. Dolph Ziggler will also face Apollo Crews in a Chairs Match.

Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James Feud

Mickie James managed to secure a WWE contract after an impressive showing against Asuka at NXT: Toronto. Upon signing, the 37-year old James debuted on the Smackdown brand, helping Alexa Bliss in her feud with Becky Lynch. This led to Lynch feuding with James, while Bliss moved on to work a program with Naomi.

Their program is currently tied at one win a piece. Lynch defeated James at the Elimination Chamber, but James avenged the loss on the February 14th edition of Smackdown. The best 2-of-3 falls match could be the blowoff to their feud.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE.

New Matches For Sunday’s WWE Fastlane PPV, Updated Card

Following Monday’s episode of WWE RAW, Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn and Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks have been added to the main card for Sunday’s WWE Fastlane PPV.

In cruiserweight action, Noam Dar & Brian Kendrick vs. Akira Tozawa & Rich Swann has been announced for the pre-show.

WWE Fastlane 2017 will feature:

– Kevin Owens defends the WWE Universal Championship against Goldberg

– Bayley defends the RAW Women’s Championship against Charlotte

– Gallows & Anderson defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against Enzo & Cass

– Neville defends the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Jack Gallagher

– Braun Strowman goes to war with Roman Reigns

– Samoa Joe battles Sami Zayn

– Sasha Banks looks for revenge on Nia Jax

– Akira Tozawa and Rich Swann face Brian Kendrick & Noam Dar on the pre-show

Fastlane takes place this Sunday from Milwaukee. Join us for live PBP beginning at 7pm.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , , .

New Japan Cup 2017 Brackets Announced

NJPW’s annual single elimination heavyweight tournament is set to kick off again in March. The company recently released brackets and scheduling information for this year’s tournament. The format has been changed slightly this year, with the semi-finals and finals no longer occurring on the same night. This year the semi-finals will be held on March 19th, and the finals on March 20th.

An english version of the bracket can be found here.

History of the New Japan Cup

Last year’s winner, Tetsuya Naito, was able to turn his tournament victory into a successful IWGP Heavyweight Championship win over Kazuchika Okada. Every year the winner is awarded a title shot at the champion of his choosing.

This will be the 13th version of the New Japan Cup. Hiroshi Tanahashi has won the tournament twice, as has Yuji Nagata, while Hirooki Goto has won the cup on three occasions. Other past winners include Kota Ibushi (2015), Shinsuke Nakamura (2014), Kazuchika Okada (2013), and Giant Bernard aka Matt Bloom (2006).

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News, NJPW. Tagged: .

WWE Monday Night Raw Recap & Reaction (2/27)

Monday Night Raw kicked off with a Goldberg promo. The crowd cheered “Goldberg” and he thanked them. Goldberg said that Kevin Owens did what he does best last week and that was talk. Goldberg stated that he is six days away from winning the Universal Championship. Goldberg promised that he will become the Universal Champion at WWE Fastlane. Kevin Owens interrupted and was wearing an all black suit and tie. Owens bragged about his accomplishments since joining the WWE main roster. Goldberg mockingly clapped as Owens listed off all the people he has defeated in the WWE.

Owens said that Jericho does not matter and called the WWE Universe sheep for chanting Goldberg’s name. Owens said that Goldberg is next in the evolution of Kevin Owens as Universal Champion. Goldberg said that Owens pissed him off and challenged him to come down to the ring and fight. Owens said that Green Bay doesn’t deserve to see him fight tonight. The crowd booed and Owens said that he cannot wait to pin Goldberg this Sunday at WWE Fastlane. Owens claimed that the “Goldberg” chant will die on Sunday.

Reaction: The only interesting takeaway from this promo is that Kevin Owens said “evolution”. I’m just hoping that Owens, Samoa Joe and Triple H are part of a new iteration of Evolution. That really is the only outcome I’d be interested in this Sunday. If you want Goldberg to become Universal Champion, that is your opinion and you are absolutely entitled to it. I just do not find that interesting at all and I don’t like the idea of Goldberg or Brock Lesnar being Universal Champion after Wrestlemania. I still don’t understand why the Goldberg and Lesnar match even needs the Universal Championship attached to it.

New Day vs Jinder Mahal & Rusev

New Day controlled the match early and Raw went to a commercial break. When Raw returned, Rusev had Xavier Woods in a Chinlock. Rusev beatdown Woods some more and tagged in Mahal. Jinder beatdown Woods and tagged Rusev back in the match. Rusev continued to beat the hell out of Xavier Woods for the next few minutes. Finally, Woods fought back and caught Rusev with a kick to the head. Big E and Mahal were then tagged in. Big E hit Mahal with three Belly to Belly Suplexes. Jinder kicked Big E out of the ring but Woods managed to tag himself in. Woods hit a Crossbody off the top rope on Mahal but Rusev broke up the pinball. Rusev then kicked Big E off the ring apron. Rusev then got distracted by Kofi Kingston outside the ring and accused him of talking to Lana. Back in the ring, Woods rolled up Mahal for the victory. Jinder and Rusev argued in the ring after the match.

Reaction: The Academy Award joke got no reaction from the crowd. It is hard to imagine a worse start to an episode of Monday Night Raw with a PPV only six days away.

Winners: New Day

Enzo and Cass had a backstage promo. Enzo said that after they win the Raw Tag Team Championships at Fastlane, he will use it as an ice breaker to hit on girls. Big Cass said that Enzo needs to remain focused on winning the match on Sunday because they have never won titles in the WWE or NXT.

Samoa Joe confronted Cesaro and Sheamus backstage. Samoa Joe poked fun at Cesaro and said that he was still desperately grasping for that brass ring. Cesaro said that all Samoa Joe does is carry Triple H’s jock strap. Samoa Joe said that Cesaro is very clever but again poked fun at him for not being that successful in the WWE.

Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley had a conversation backstage. Stephanie said that Triple H ended Mick Foley’s career 17 years ago. Stephanie claimed that Triple H gets stronger every year while Mick Foley gets weaker. Stephanie stated that Foley doesn’t measure up to her expectations and said that Mick Foley even realizes how pathetic he has become. Stephanie said that Foley used to stand up for everything he believed in and now he can hardly even stand at all.

Akira Tozawa vs Noam Dar

Brian Kendrick had a backstage promo before the match. Kendrick showed clips of him attacking Tozawa for not accepting his offer to become his protege. Tozawa connected with a kick and standing Senton for a two count. Tozawa then hit Dar with several chops to the chest. Tozawa climbed to the second rope and Alicia Fox distracted him. Dar took advantage and knocked Tozawa to the mat. Tozawa battled back and knocked Dar out of the ring. Tozawa then hit a Suicide Dive and rolled Dar back in the ring. Tozawa then hit the snap German Suplex for the victory. After the match, Brian Kendrick attacked Tozawa from behind. Kendrick grabbed the microphone and scolded Tozawa. Kendrick stated that he hoped Tozawa was learning his lessons.

Winner: Akira Tozawa

Samoa Joe confronted Mick Foley backstage. Foley said that Samoa Joe is now nothing more than Triple H’s puppet. Samoa Joe stated that nobody tells him what to do. Foley told Joe that he has a match tonight against Cesaro.

Charlotte & Nia Jax vs Bayley & Sasha Banks

Before the match, Charlotte called Bayley selfish for not giving her back the Raw Women’s Championship last week. Charlotte accused Bayley of cheating to win the title. Charlotte claimed that Bayley was destined to be a one hit wonder like Vanilla Ice, the Baha Men, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Bayley interrupted and came down to the ring. Bayley said that she is not a one hit wonder because she has already defeated Charlotte three times. Bayley said that her next dream was to walk into Wrestlemania as the Raw Women’s Champion. Charlotte said that she will win her title back and Fastlane and that she will buy Bayley’s dad a front row ticket to watch her daughter lose her title. Sasha Banks interrupted and said that Bayley was everything Charlotte wished she was and everything that the WWE Universe wants. Charlotte accused Sasha of continuously stealing Bayley’s spotlight. Sasha Banks then said that she was tired of looking at Charlotte’s stupid face. The Green Bay crowd then started to chant “stupid face”. Charlotte announced that Nia Jax will be taking Dana Brooke’s place in the tag team match. Dana Brooke was visibly pissed off.

The match started off with Nia Jax dominating both Sasha and Bayley for a few minutes. Bayley fought back and tagged in Sasha. Nia once again laid out both Bayley and Sasha. Nia isolated Bayley in the corner and tagged in Charlotte. The crowd chanted “stupid face” as Charlotte beatdown Bayley. Bayley launched Charlotte into the turnbuckle and tagged in Sasha. Banks hit a Hurricanrana and followed it up with a Dropkick to Charlotte’s face. Bayley then got back into the match and Bayley hit a few chops on Charlotte as she was in the corner. Dana Brooke tried to grab Bayley’s leg but was late and completely missed. Bayley then launched Charlotte out of the ring. Raw went to a commercial break after Bayley hit Dana Brook with a Bayley to Belly outside the ring.

When Raw returned, Charlotte and Nia were back in control of the match. Sasha Dropkicked Nia Jax in the leg three times but Nia shrugged it off and nailed Banks with a headbutt. Sasha fought back with a series of slaps but Nia slammed Sasha to the mat and hit two Elbow Drops. Charlotte was then tagged in and she beatdown Sasha. Michael Cole announced that Dana Brooke was no longer ringside and had suffered a rib injury due to the Bayley to Belly. Sasha fought back and knocked Charlotte to the mat. Sasha then tagged in Bayley and she leveled Charlotte with a Clothesline. Bayley connected with a German Suplex for a one count. Charlotte tagged in Nia. Charlotte was on the ring apron and Bayley leveled her with a right hand. Nia then ran into Bayley and knocked her to the mat. Nia then Body Slammed Sasha onto Bayley and followed it up with a Leg Drop on Bayley for the victory.

Winners: Charlotte & Nia Jax

Braun Strowman demanded a contract signing for his match against Roman Reigns at Fastlane.

Big Cass vs Luke Gallows

Cass controlled pretty much the entire match. Karl Anderson attacked Enzo outside the ring but Enzo fought back and launched Anderson into the steel steps. Cass then connected with a boot to the face of Gallows for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Big Cass

Sheamus vs Titus O’Neil

Earlier in the evening, Titus O’Neil wanted to become Sheamus’ new tag team partner. Sheamus tried to walk away but Titus grabbed him. Sheamus then tossed Titus onto a table with cake on it. Titus attacked Sheamus before the match even started. The referee called for the bell and Sheamus immediately hit the Brogue Kick for the victory.

Winner: Sheamus

Reaction: Why? What did the WWE Universe do to deserve this?

Seth Rollins was interviewed by Corey Graves. Rollins stated that his MCL tear was worse than he initially thought. Rollins claimed that maybe he deserved this injury because he made so many excuses in the past. A group of morons started chanting CM Punk for no reason. Graves then asked Rollins if he was going to miss Wrestlemania and the crowd chanted “yes!” for no reason. Rollins claimed that the doctors will most likely not clear him in time for Wrestlemania. Triple H interrupted and told Rollins that he will not be at Wrestlemania. Samoa Joe then showed up ringside. Triple H said that Rollins absolutely deserved this injury because he turned his back on him. Triple H said that Rollins is washed up and called him worthless. Triple H said that if Rollins shows up at Wrestlemania it will be the last thing Rollins ever does in a WWE ring. Rollins then announced that he will be at Wrestlemania and threatened Triple H.

Reaction: Thumbs up for the promo. Thumbs down for the crowd. Finally, there was a good segment on this episode of Raw and people in the audience were chanting for CM Punk. It has been years since CM Punk left the WWE. If he comes back in the future, that would be awesome. It would be nice if everyone would move on with their lives for now or simply rewatch old episodes of Raw where CM Punk is on the show. I would kind of get it if the chant occurred during the Sheamus and Titus match. I have no idea why people would chant that during a Seth Rollins promo with major Wrestlemania implications. Entertaining segments on Monday Night Raw are very rare. I would prefer if they would not be ruined by morons in the crowd.

As for the promo, it was very good. Rollins did say that he will be at Wrestlemania but the match hasn’t been made official. Triple H warned Rollins not to call him out at Wrestlemania. I’m not sure if this will lead to a match or something else at Wrestlemania. It all depends on whether Rollins is healthy enough to compete at the biggest show of the year.

Big Show vs Shining Stars

Big Show hit a couple of Chokeslams and won the match.

Winner: Big Show

Reaction: Why? What did the WWE Universe do to deserve this?

Neville & Tony Nese vs TJ Perkins & Jack Gallagher

Neville dominated early and tagged in Nese. Tony then got his ass kicked for a couple of minutes and Neville abandoned him in the ring. Gallagher then submitted Nese for the victory. Gallagher and Neville stared at each other after the match.

Winners: Jack Gallagher & TJ Perkins

Sasha and Bayley were backstage when Stephanie McMahon approached them. Stephanie announced that Sasha will face Nia Jax this Sunday at WWE Fastlane.

Cesaro vs Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe stormed to the ring. Cesaro lifted Joe and hit a Suplex. Joe shoved Cesaro out of the ring and Cesaro tweaked his left knee. Joe then targeted the knee of Cesaro for the next couple of minutes. Raw went to a commercial break with Samoa Joe in control of the match. When Raw returned, Cesaro planted Joe with a Suplex but was still favoring his knee. Joe got back to his feet and once again targeted Cesaro’s knee. Joe applied a Knee Bar but Cesaro rolled through and went for a Sharpshooter. Joe blocked it and punched Cesaro in the face a couple of times. Cesaro responded by connecting with a series of uppercuts. Joe battled back and picked up the victory.

After the match, Samoa Joe was interviewed. Joe warned everyone in the back that he will destroy them if they get in his way. Sami Zayn then attacked Joe. Security guards separated them but Zayn broke free and flipped off off the stage onto Samoa Joe. It was then announced that Sami Zayn will face Samoa Joe at WWE Fastlane this Sunday.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Mick Foley was in the ring for the contract signing between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. Foley stated that this contract signing is being held because Strowman demanded it because he believes that Roman Reigns will back out of their match. Foley said that he could not envision a scenario where Roman Reigns would back out of the match and Braun Strowman interrupted and stormed to the ring. Strowman said that Foley brought the paperwork and his purpose here was done. Strowman demanded that Foley leave and Foley told Strowman that he wasn’t leaving. Strowman called Foley pathetic and said that Stephanie was right about Foley, he is not the man he used to be. Foley then lost it and told Strowman that he needs to respect Foley as a legend. Foley said that Strowman will learn to respect him or else. Strowman then knocked the microphone out of Foley’s hands and Roman Reigns came down to the ring.

Strowman met him outside the ring and launched him over the steel steps. Roman then hit the Superman Punch on Strowman and went for a second one but Braun caught him and drove him into the ring post. Braun then threw Roman over the barricade and the two Superstars battled in the crowd. Reigns connected with another Superman Punch and then Speared Strowman through the barricade. A security guard was also hit with the Spear and fell down beside Strowman. A “Roman!” chant broke out in the crowd as Reigns held the contract in the middle of the ring. Strowman then got back up and shouted “is that all you got?!”. Strowman got back in the ring and Reigns hit another Superman Punch. Reigns went for another Spear but Strowman launched Reigns into the turnbuckle and it broke and the top rope fell to the mat. Reigns then got back up and signed the contract as Strowman laughed on the entrance ramp.

Reaction: This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw ended strong with the Reigns and Strowman segment. Having said that, this episode of Raw left a lot to be desired. In my opinion, the opening promo between Goldberg and Kevin Owens was nothing special. The Triple H and Rollins segment was the highlight of the show but that match isn’t set in stone yet. There are a lot of matches on the Fastlane card that I simply do not care about and obviously I watch every episode of Raw. This seems to be a constant problem with the WWE and I believe it is inexcusable. Most people agree that Monday Night Raw is too long at three hours. There is far too much filler on every single episode. Yet, the WWE has all this time every single week and they fail to develop enough interesting storylines to get a lot of their audience invested in the feuds.

The Raw Tag Team Division is the biggest example of that. Gallows and Anderson fought Roman Reigns for no reason a couple of weeks in a row and now they are defending their titles against Enzo & Cass at Fastlane. Why does a Tag Team Championship feel rushed when Raw has had time to build up to Fastlane? Enzo & Cass have been stuck in the same place for so long that it feels completely random that they are in the title picture right now. It also feels like a miracle has taken place whenever Gallows and Anderson win a match. Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn have had a real build up to their match. Charlotte and Bayley also have a solid build but it appears obvious that Charlotte will be leaving Fastlane with the Raw Women’s Championship. Sometimes the PPVs with the worst builds wind up being excellent. While that may turn out to be the case this Sunday, I have low expectations for WWE Fastlane. I just find that to be disappointing, especially on the road to Wrestlemania.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Posted February 28th, 2017 in News.

Matt Hardy Announces TNA Departure

Former TNA Champion Matt Hardy has ‘wished TNA well in its future endeavors.’

Matt and Jeff’s TNA contracts were set to expire this month when news broke over the past several days that the brothers from Cameron, North Carolina were probably departing the company.

On Monday, Matt Hardy’s wife Reby said TNA was once a great environment for them, but the relationship dissolved due to “negative changes & straight f*ckery.”

Matt and brother Jeff are most likely on their way to WWE and have been clearing their schedule after they finish up their independent dates through April. It remains to be seen if the Broken Universe will meet the WWE Universe, since there is now a dispute over who owns the likeness to the Broken Matt character.

Matt Hardy made his TNA back in 2011, took a hiatus from the company and has been with them since 2014. He’s a 2-time TNA World Champion and is currently in the midst of his second TNA tag title reign with Jeff.

Posted February 27th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Wade Barrett Adopts “Fake News” Moniker For WrestleCon

Former WWE Superstar Wade “Bad News” Barrett will be using a new gimmick when he appears at WrestleCon in Orlando during WrestleMania 33 weekend.

Since leaving the WWE, Barrett been using his real name, Stu Bennett, when making wrestling-related appearances. For WrestleCon, he’s being billed “Fake News” Bennett. H. The new moniker is an ode to his former WWE gimmick with a mix of the “fake news” business that’s been in used by certain political figures in recent months when discussing the mainstream media.

WrestleCon takes place on March 31st and April 1st. Here’s the advertisement:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRB_ZhdF7ez/

Stu Bennett Returning to Wrestling?

Bennett and the WWE agreed to end his contract a year early in the summer of 2015, as he had aspirations of pursuing an acting career. Since then he’s had bit roles in a couple of movies that were released in 2016.

When Cody Rhodes initially left the WWE he tweeted out a list of things he would like to achieve in wrestling. Bennett answered back in a way that made it clear he and Cody have different goals in the wrestling business.

Posted February 27th, 2017 in News. Tagged: .

WWE RAW Results & Live Discussion (2/27)

The February 27th edition of WWE RAW aired live on the USA Network from the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI.

– Goldberg is out to the ring first to open up RAW. Goldberg promises the fans, his wife, his kid, and Kevin Owens that he’s going to win the Universal Championship from Owens on Sunday. Kevin Owens interrupts and tells Goldberg that he is the one that’s next. Goldberg tells Owens he doesn’t want to wait, and Owens appears to accept his challenge to fight tonight, but then changes his mind. Owens says the fans in Green Bay don’t deserve to see him fight, and on Sunday the “Goldberg” chants will die when he beats him.

– The New Day comes out to the ring to cut a promo, and they’re quickly interrupted by The Shining Stars. The New Day informs them that they aren’t facing them tonight, and The Shining Stars will actually be facing Big Show later in a handicap match. The New Day’s real opponents are Jinder Mahal and Rusev, and they’re out next.

– The New Day def. Jinder Mahal & Rusev: The New Day gets some offense in early on, but after a couple minutes Rusev and Jinder use frequent tags to wear down Xavier Woods. Big E gets the hot tag and hits a series of belly to belly suplexes on Mahal. Big E hits a running splash on Mahal, then knocks Rusev off the apron. Big E turns around into a superkick from Mahal. Big E falls into the corner and Xavier tags himself in. Xavier hits a cross body off the top on Jinder, but Rusev breaks up the pin. Lana and Rusev get into an argument at ringside with Kofi, which distracts Jinder and leads to Xavier rolling up Jinder from behind for the win. Rusev and Jinder argue after the match.

– We go to the locker room where Enzo is getting pumped up talking to Big Cass about their plans to win the Tag Team Titles at Fastlane. Cass gets frustrated with Enzo and tells him he needs to focus on how they’re going to beat Gallows and Anderson on Sunday.

– Sheamus and Cesaro are talking backstage when Samoa Joe walks up behind them. Joe and Cesaro get into a war of words, and Cesaro has to hold back Sheamus. Joe tells Cesaro he’s mad because Joe rose to the top of RAW as soon as he arrived, and Cesaro tells Joe all he’s doing is carrying Triple H’s jock strap.

– Backstage, Stephanie McMahon starts telling Mick Foley about how he’s a former WWE Champion and she wanted the first Hardcore legend as her RAW G.M., but instead she got a “pathetic” version of Foley. Stephanie cuts a scathing promo on Mick, and says ever since Triple H ended Foley’s career he’s become a shell of his former self.

– Akira Tozawa def. Noam Dar: Tozawa gets fired up and starts yelling and drops Dar with a series of strikes. Tozawa goes to the middle rope, when Alicia Fox runs to the apron and starts screaming. The distraction allows Dar to knock Tozawa off the ropes, then he starts working on Tozawa on the mat. Tozawa throws Dar outside and hits a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Tozawa hits a snap German suplex for the win. After the match, Brian Kendrick beats down Tozawa and cuts a promo on him.

– Samoa Joe approaches Mick Foley backstage and asks if he’s having a nice day. Foley says he’s not having a nice day, and hasn’t been having a good time as GM. Foley says he was a fan of Joe 13 years ago, but now he looks at Joe and just sees another one of Triple H’s puppets. Foley says he might not be GM much longer, so he’s making a match for Joe right now against Cesaro tonight.

– Charlotte comes out to the ring with Dana Brooke and cuts a promo on Bayley for not forfeiting the Women’s Championship. Charlotte starts talking about Brett Farve, Buster Douglas, and a “quarterback.” Bayley comes out to interrupt and says her next dream is to defend the Women’s Title at WrestleMania. Sasha Banks interrupts next and talks about how great Bayley is. Charlotte accepts a tag match with them, but her partner isn’t going to be Dana Brooke, it’s going to be Nia Jax.

– Charlotte & Nia Jax def. Sasha Banks & Bayley: Nia gets in lots of offense on both Sasha and Bayley in the opening moments. Charlotte tags in and starts going back an forth with Sasha. Bayley tags in and throws Charlotte outside, then hits a belly to belly suplex on Dana on the floor at ringside. Sasha and Nia tag back in, and Nia takes control with a shoulder block and some elbow drops. Bayley tags in but gets dropped by Nia shortly after. Nia knocks Sasha off the apron, which leads to Sasha attempting a cross body off the top. Nia catches Sasha in mid-air and slams her into Bayley on the mat. Nia then follows up with a running leg drop on Bayley for the win.

– Braun Strowman approaches Mick Foley backstage and asks for a contract for a match against Roman Reigns at Fastlane, so Reigns will be legally forced to attend and won’t run away like a coward. Foley says he’ll oblige, but warns Strowman that Reigns might be a handful for him. Strowman walks away, and it sounds like we’ve got a contract signing later tonight.

– Big Cass def. Luke Gallows: Karl Anderson and Enzo Amore are at ringside for this one. Anderson distracts Cass early on which leads to Gallows putting the boots to Cass. Gallows works on Cass in the corner and hit a running lariat for a two count. Cass attempts a chokeslam, but Gallows gets out and comes back with a series of kicks. Cass levels Gallows with a shoulder block then hits a splash in the corner. Cass follows up with a fallaway slam and another splash in the corner. Cass hits a side walk slam then the Empire Elbow. Anderson tries to distract Cass, but Enzo lays out Anderson at ringside. Cass turns around and hits the big boot on Gallows for the win.

– Sheamus def. Titus O’Neal: Titus beats down Sheamus before the bell. He continues working on Sheamus in the ring after the opening bell, but Sheamus hits a Brogue Kick out of nowhere for the win after a very short match.

– Corey Graves is in the ring with Seth Rollins for a sit-down interview about his torn MCL in his knee. Rollins says maybe he deserved his injury for selling out, and it doesn’t look like doctors will clear him to return for WrestleMania. Triple H’s music hits, and The Game is out to interrupt things. Triple H steps up to the ring apron, and Samoa Joe is on the floor on the other side of the ring. Triple H says no matter what anyone says, Rollins won’t be at WrestleMania. Triple H also tells Rollins he should’ve known what he was getting in to when he sold out or “bought in.” Triple H says he made Rollins the biggest star WWE had seen in a long time, and Rollins shoved it in everyone’s face while he was the champion. Samoa Joe steps up from the floor to the ring apron opposite of Triple H. Triple H says he used up Rollins and spit him out, and tells Rollins to get over it. Triple H warns Rollins not to call him out for WrestleMania, and not to even show up at WrestleMania. Rollins tells Triple H that he is going to show up at WrestleMania if it’s the last thing he does. Triple H and Samoa Joe head backstage while Rollins stares at them from the ring.

– The Big Show def. The Shining Stars: This one is a handicap match. Primo starts off and tries to sell a timeshare to Big Show, but Big Show drops him, then drops Epico. Big Show goes to chokeslam both of them, but they fight out and start putting the boots to him. Primo comes off the top rope, but Big Show strikes him down with an open handed slap. Big Show hits the knockout punch an then the chokeslam for the win.

– Jack Gallagher & TJ Perkins def. Neville & Tony Nese: After some back an forth action early on, TJ Perkins hits the Detonation Kick on Tony Nese, then Jack Gallagher follows up with a running dropkick in the corner. Gallagher locks Nese in a submission hold, but Tony Nese decides against breaking it up, and Nese taps out.

– Sasha Banks is backstage giving Bayley a pep talk when Stephanie McMahon interrupts and books Sasha in a match against Nia Jax at Fastlane on Sunday.

– Samoa Joe def. Cesaro: They exchange strikes in the opening seconds until Cesaro hits a gut-wrench suplex and a running European uppercut in the corner. Cesaro follows up with a cross boy off the top and a dropkick. Cesaro appears to be favoring his left knee, so Joe starts targeting and attacking it. Joe hits a splash in the corner and a Pele kick. Cesaro fights back with a couple European uppercuts, but Joe stays focused on the injured leg with leg kicks and a knee bar. Cesaro fights out and hits a flying European uppercut, then a double foot stomp. Cesaro goes for the Neutralizer, but Joe gets out and hits some kicks and a variation of the Rock Bottom for the win. After the match, Joe does an interview on the ramp where he says he’s on RAW to hurt people. He credits Cesaro with being a freak athlete, but he’s not Joe. Sami Zayn interrupts and starts pummeling on Joe. Joe and Zayn brawl around the stage area until security separates them.

– Mick Foley is in the ring with a table and a contract. Braun Strowman comes out first, and tells Foley to leave. Foley tells Strowman to respect him as long as he’s the RAW GM. Strowman says he used to respect Foley, but now he’s a broken down suburban dad and Stephanie is right. Foley tells Strowman that he’s had enough of being disrespected, and that Strowman should respect him as a WWE legend. Strowman smacks the microphone away from Foley and gets in his face until Roman Reigns interrupts. Strowman meets Reigns at ringside and they brawl all over the floor. They start brawling through the crowd, with Strowman getting the upper hand. Reigns spears Strowman through the fan barricade, and a security guard got put through the barricade as well. Reigns climbs in the ring to sign the contract, but Strowman recovers and follows him in. Strowman throws Reigns into the turnbuckle and the top rope breaks. Strowman heads backstage while referees check on Reigns in the ring. Reigns gets to his knees and signs the contract while Strowman looks on from the stage.

Posted February 27th, 2017 in WWE.

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