Archive for April, 2017

WWE Superstar Shake-Up Results

The 2017 Superstar Shake-Up is in the books. There were some significant moves, but many of the rumored trades like AJ Styles going to RAW did not pan out. Here’s a complete list of the talent that switched brands:

Joining WWE RAW:

  • Bray Wyatt
  • The Miz & Maryse
  • Dean Ambrose
  • Alexa Bliss
  • Mickie James
  • Heath Slater & Rhyno
  • Kalisto
  • Apollo Crews
  • Curt Hawkins
  • David Otunga

Joining WWE SmackDown:

  • Kevin Owens
  • Charlotte Flair
  • New Day
  • Rusev & Lana
  • Sami Zayn
  • Jinder Mahal
  • The Shining Stars
  • Tamina Snuka
  • Byron Saxton

Discussion: Which brand made out better in the Superstar Shake-Up? Secondly, do you think RAW and SmackDown are better off after the talent swaps?

Lita Talks In-Depth About Her Love Triangle With Edge & Matt Hardy

WWE Hall of Famer Lita (Amy Dumas) was the latest guest on Lilian Garcia’s Making Their Way To The Ring show on AfterBuzz TV. In an intimate discussion about her legendary career, Amy discusses how her injury in 2005 impacted the relationship she had with Matt Hardy, her thoughts towards the public split being turned into a storyline and what she did to move forward afterward. 

Here are some highlights of what Lita said about:

Realizing her relationship with Matt Hardy was coming to an end in 2005: “We were slightly disconnected while I was at home recuperating because he was still 100% into his career and I was 100% out of it at the moment, because I had to be. And I remember thinking ‘Yeah we’re not gonna be together after our careers are over because that, that is our bond. The way we view life, our interests, they don’t really align you know?” 

When she and Edge began bonding: “I know both of us were kind of like, ‘Oh sh*t’ you know once we started to-to realize we were more than just two bros just hanging out. And so the hard thing that has always been with this time period is, you know, we realized we were going down a path that we shouldn’t and what I mean by that is mentally, mentally.” 

“We’d kissed finally and freaked out.” 

She adds, “Adam was on the road and I said ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s take this as an opportunity. We need to be in our own worlds and evaluate and don’t do anything because you know, like don’t do anything for me, I’m not gonna do anything for you. I need to figure out what is right for my world. You need to figure out what’s right for your world. If we meet up on the other side, cool. If not, I support and respect whatever your decisions are. He’s like ‘Okay that seems like the mature adult thing to do’.” 

The love triangle being turned into a storyline: “It became such a hot story and they said ‘They want to turn this into a story, but you guys have been professional, he hasn’t, there is money involved in this storyline, but it’s your call’. 

“You know we felt terrible he lost his job over it so we’re like ’Yeah, we made our bed we’ll lie in it.’

What she learned from the whole ordeal: “I think just acceptance of me with all my flaws and acceptance of everyone else and all their flaws as well.” 

For more from AfterBuzz, visit AfterBuzzTV.com or follow @AfterBuzzTV

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce to Smackdown?

with Alexa Bliss and Mickie James leaving Smackdown for Raw, the women’s division on Tuesdays is down two heels. NXT women’s division standouts Billie Kay and Peyton Royce could potentially be called up to fill the void. Peyton Royce seems to like the idea at least, she sent out the following last night following Raw:

https://twitter.com/WWEPeytonRoyce/status/851633235813650432

Peyton Royce and Billie Kay

Royce and Kay have moved up to the top of NXT women’s division’s heel side, although it now appears Asuka might be turning heel as well.

24 year old Peyton Royce is a graduate of Lance Storm’s Wrestling Academy and native Australian. Royce was signed by WWE in 2015.

27 year old Billie Kay went to the same high school as Royce, though they are 3 years apart in age. Kay began wrestling for Shimmer and Pro Wrestling Alliance Australia in 2008. She was signed by WWE in 2015, as part of the same NXT class as Royce.

Aleister Black Joining Raw European Tour

NXT newcomer Aleister Black has been added to WWE’s upcoming European tour, which kicks off next month. He’ll be wrestling for the RAW brand.

https://twitter.com/wwealeister/status/851639807092633604

Aleister Black in WWE

31 year old Aleister Black was previously known as Tommy End on the independent scene in Europe. The heavily tattooed Dutch prospect has a background in kickboxing, which is evident in his wrestling style.

Black made his NXT in-ring debut at Takeover: Orlando with an impressive victory over Andrade “Cien” Almas.

With Black now joining the European main roster tour, and having defeated Almas in his NXT debut, he’s off to a strong start. See what’s next for Aleister Black over the next several weeks in NXT:

WWE SmackDown Preview (4/11): Superstar Shake-Up Continues

WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up continues tonight as SmackDown Live rolls into Boston, MA at the TD Garden. The show will feature American Alpha vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos. You can also expect an appearance from Shinsuke Nakamura, who made his SmackDown TV debut last week.

WWE.com’s preview for the show focuses on the following items:

– Which Raw Superstars are headed to SmackDown LIVE tonight?

– Will The Usos end up battling American Alpha in a Tag Team Title rematch?

– Is SmackDown LIVE prepared for “horror-ible” possibilities at WWE Payback?

– Should SmackDown LIVE’s new arrivals unpack their bags?

It’s worth noting that hometown star John Cena is not being advertised for SmackDown.

Join us here later tonight for our weekly WWE SmackDown Results & Live Coverage and our continued coverage of the Superstar Shake-Up. 

After SmackDown, 205 Live on the WWE Network will see TJ Perkins vs. Jack Gallagher and  the next chapter in Austin Aries’ feud with Cruiserweight Champion Neville.

Updated Card For WWE Payback 2017 (4/30)

The following matches are confirmed for the upcoming WWE Payback pay-per-view, which takes place on Sunday, April 30th from San Jose, California:

House of Horrors Match for the WWE Championship
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton

United States Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens

Cruiserweight Championship Match
Austin Aries vs. Neville

RAW Tag Team Championship Match
Cesaro and Sheamus vs. The Hardys

Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns is also scheduled for the show and will be announced soon.

WWE Superstar Shake-Up: Byron Saxton To Smackdown, David Otunga To Raw

After Monday Night Raw went off the air, it was revealed that Byron Saxton will be heading to Smackdown tomorrow night. In the WWE Raw Fallout video below, Saxton stated that he was shocked to learn that he joining the Smackdown announce team. Saxton said that he was going to take this as a positive and that he is going to start wearing blue now. Byron also admitted that he probably won’t miss Corey Graves too much. It was also revealed in the video that David Otunga will now join the Raw announce team.

Here is the full list of every Superstar that changed brands during the Superstar Shake-Up on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw:

  • Curt Hawkins joins Monday Night Raw
  • Apollo Crews joins Monday Night Raw
  • The Miz & Maryse join Monday Night Raw
  • Dean Ambrose joins Monday Night Raw
  • Heath Slater & Rhyno join Monday Night Raw
  • Kalisto joins Monday Night Raw
  • Bray Wyatt joins Monday Night Raw
  • Alexa Bliss joins Monday Night Raw
  • Mickie James joins Monday Night Raw
  • David Otunga joins Monday Night Raw
  • Byron Saxton joins Smackdown

WWE RAW Recap & Reaction (4/10): Superstar Shake-Up

This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw kicked off The Miz and Maryse dressed up as John Cena and Nikki Bella. The Miz and Maryse were quickly interrupted by Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose who will also be joining Monday Night Raw. Ambrose laid out The Miz with the Dirty Deeds and celebrated in the ring. Monday Night Raw is now the new home for the Intercontinental Championship.

Reaction: Dean Ambrose has needed to hit the reset button for awhile now, hopefully switching brands allows him to do that. It will be interesting to see if the United States Championship moves over to Smackdown now that the IC Title is on Raw.

The Revival vs New Day

Kofi Kingston was not ringside for this match due to his injury. The Revival controlled the first few minutes of the match and Raw went to a commercial break. When Raw returned, New Day was in control of the match. Xavier Woods hit a massive Elbow Drop on Dawson for a two count. Dash and Dawson then planted Xavier Woods with a Shatter Machine for the victory.

Winners: The Revival

Reaction: That makes two victories in a row for Dash and Dawson over the New Day. The Revival are a terrific tag team. I hope WWE capitalizes on their talent and books them as a dominant team.

TJ Perkins confronted Neville backstage. Neville said that he is the only one in the locker room and stated that Perkins’ career has become a joke. Neville convinced TJ that Aries has been given all the opportunities that Perkins should have. Austin Aries then joined the party and stated that Neville was lying. Perkins didn’t respond and walked away.

Curt Hawkins announced that he was joining the Raw roster. Big Show came down to the ring and hit the KO Punch and knocked Hawkins out.

Austin Aries vs TJ Perkins

Neville joined commentary for this match and stated that he is looking forward to torturing Austin Aries in their Cruiserweight Championship match at WWE Payback. Perkins controlled the match earlier and starting dabbing in the ring. The crowd didn’t like that and started to boo as Aries laughed in the ring. Aries connected with a Dropkick and posed on top of the ring ropes. Aries then mocked Perkins and dabbed and the crowd cheered. Aries connected with an Elbow Drop for a two count.

Aries hit a Neckbreaker across the second rope and Perkins fell out of the ring. Neville then came down to the entrance ramp as Aries posed on top of the barricade. The referee was counting in the ring and Aries made it back in the ring in time. Perkins then rolled Aries up for the victory. TJ then attacked Aries after the match and beat him down. Perkins connected with the Detonation Kick on Aries and left him in the ring. Neville laughed on the entrance ramp as the crowd chanted “you still suck” at Perkins.

Winner: TJ Perkins

Reaction: Perkins received an overwhelmingly negative reaction tonight and that is actually a good thing. He has been completely irrelevant on Raw and 205 Live. Any reaction is a good reaction and hopefully WWE runs with it. I hope he dabs 100 times in the ring during his next match.

Seth Rollins came down to the ring and the crowd chanted his name. Rollins stated that he woke up the morning after Wrestlemania 33 and was in the most pain of his life. Rollins thanked the crowd for giving him a second chance and for having his back during his match with Triple H. Rollins rolled video of Stephanie McMahon falling through a table at Wrestlemania 33. The crowd started chanting “thank you Seth!”. Rollins said that Stephanie McMahon will come back to work soon and the easy way out would be to go to Smackdown. Rollins stated that he was not leaving Monday Night Raw without a fight.

Raw GM Kurt Angle came down to the ring. Angle said that Stephanie McMahon has made it clear that she wants Rollins off of Monday Night Raw. Angle complimented Rollins for being the one-legged man who won an ass kicking contest in his match against Triple H. Angle said that as long as he is Raw GM, Rollins has a home on Monday Night Raw. Samoa Joe attacked Rollins from behind. Angle separated the two for a moment but the brawl continued. Rollins kicked Joe in the face twice and knocked him out of the ring. Rollins challenged Joe to get back in the ring but Joe retreated.

Reaction: This a solid promo. The crowd is heavily behind Rollins. I’m glad he is staying on Raw because I think Rollins and Samoa Joe can tear the house down when they eventually have a match.

Kevin Owens was interviewed backstage. Owens bragged about defeating Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 33 and simply dismissed the Superstar Shake-Up. Owens stated that he is the United States Champion and that makes him the face of America. Owens was asked about Dean Ambrose joining Raw and Owens laughed it off. Owens stated that Monday Night Raw is the “Kevin Owens show”.

Charlotte vs Nia Jax

Nia controlled the match earlier. Charlotte tried to fight back several times but Jax stopped her momentum. Charlotte finally got in some momentum and hit the Natural Selection out of nowhere for a two count. Charlotte was in disbelief that Nia kicked out. Charlotte knocked Nia out of the ring and hit her with a Moonsault off the top rope. Back in the ring, Nia hit a Samoan Drop for a three count.

Winner: Nia Jax

Reaction: Nia Jax is being booked as a dominant force and that is great for the Women’s Division. The problem I have is that Nia seems to mess up a ton in the ring. She dropped Charlotte on her head in the beginning of the match. During Charlotte’s Moonsault, Nia didn’t catch her at all. Charlotte’s legs barely hit Nia and then Charlotte fell face first to the floor.

https://twitter.com/FlippyShit/status/851606495028535301

Finn Balor vs Jinder Mahal

Mahal got in some offense but Balor wound up dominating the match. Balor hit the Coupe De Grace for the victory in a quick match.

After the match, Bray Wyatt appeared on the Jumbotron and announced that he was joining the Raw roster. Wyatt also revealed that his match with Randy Orton for the WWE Championship will now take place April 30th at WWE Payback.

Winner: Finn Balor

Reaction: It is great to see Balor wrestling on Monday Night Raw again. This match wasn’t anything special. Bray Wyatt switching from Smackdown to Raw is interesting. WWE really dropped the ball with his WWE Championship reign. Maybe a change of scenery will help him out. I’m worried that it might be too little too late.

Sami Zayn vs The Miz

This was a short back and forth match. Sami Zayn stole a victory by countering a Skull Crushing Finale into a roll up for the victory.

Winner: Sami Zayn

Roman Reigns was interviewed backstage by Michael Cole. Reigns started to discuss his victory over The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33 but was attacked by Braun Strowman. Strowman beat him down and then slammed a cart into Reigns’ head. Strowman walked away as Reigns was about to be stretchered out of the arena. The crowd chanted “thank you Strowman” throughout the attack. The crowd also chanted “you deserve it!” as Reigns was placed on the stretcher. Strowman then took control of the stretcher and rolled him off a ramp. The crowd erupted as Reigns hit the floor.  Reigns was then loaded into the ambulance and Strowman once again showed up. Strowman punched Reigns in the face several times and then flipped the ambulance over.

Reaction: This was great. It was absolutely absurd when he flipped the ambulance but I loved every second of it. It is about time WWE made Strowman look like a badass again.

Shining Stars, Anderson & Gallows vs Hardy Boyz, Sheamus & Cesaro

“The Drifter” Elias Samson from NXT was shown walking by the announce table with his guitar before the match. Jeff Hardy hit Poetry in Motion on everyone outside the ring. Back in the ring, Matt Hardy hit the Twist of Fate and Jeff Hardy hit a Swanton Bomb on Primo for the victory.

Winners: Hardy Boyz, Sheamus & Cesaro

Dana Brooke was shown reading a book entitled “How to be your own protege”. Emma showed up and demanded Dana accompany her to the ring. Dana said no and that she wasn’t going to rely on anyone else anymore.

Sasha Banks came down to the ring and introduced Bayley. Bayley joined Sasha in the ring and thanked the WWE Universe for believing in her. Sasha congratulated Bayley on achieving her Wrestlemania moment but claimed that moment was over. Sasha was about to challenge Bayley for her Raw Women’s Championship but Alexa Bliss interrupted. Alexa Bliss came down to the ring and received a great reaction from the crowd.

Bliss called Sasha Banks and Bayley pathetic and the crowd cheered. Alexa Bliss announced that she was now on Raw and that she is going to take over the Raw Women’s division. Mickie James then joined the party and announced that she was also joining the Raw roster. Mickie James warned Alexa Bliss that her nightmare has just begun on Monday Night Raw. Nia Jax then attacked Mickie James from behind. Nia then beatdown everyone else and raised the Raw Women’s Championship above her heard.

Reaction: The Raw roster is looking great. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James are two tremendous additions to the Raw Women’s division. It has been rumored that Charlotte will be joining the Smackdown roster. That rumor certainly has to become a reality. If not, the Smackdown Women’s division looks very weak compared to Monday Night Raw’s roster.

Kevin Owens vs Dean Ambrose

Owens controlled the beginning of the match and Raw went to a commercial break. When Raw returned, Owens was still in control and had a Chinlock applied in the middle of the ring. Owens had the Chinlock locked in for a couple of minutes and taunted Ambrose the entire time. Ambrose eventually broke the hold but Owens immediately launched him out of the ring.

Owens followed Ambrose out of the ring and slammed him into the ring post. Back in the ring, Owens went for a Senton but Ambrose got his knees up. Ambrose then sent Owens out of the ring and connected with a Suicide Dive. Ambrose fell over the barricade and into the WWE Universe. The crowd started to chant “Dean!” as the action returned to the ring. Ambrose went for Dirty Deeds but Owens blocked it. Ambrose connected with a Neckbreaker. Owens battled back and went for a Cannonball but Ambrose blocked it and hung Owens up on the top rope. Ambrose then hit a massive Clothesline and Owens fell to the mat. Ambrose went for a pinfall but Owens powered out at two.

Ambrose launched himself onto Owens outside the ring and connected with an elbow to the face. Back in the ring, Ambrose leaped off the top turnbuckle but Owens kicked him in the ribs. Owens then slammed Ambrose to the mat for a two count. Owens went for the Pop-Up Powerbomb but Ambrose blocked it. Owens connected with a Superkick but Ambrose got back to his feet and hit Dirty Deeds for the victory.

After the match, Chris Jericho attacked Owens in the ring. Jericho hit a Codebreaker on Owens and posed in the ring. Raw went off the air as the crowd chanted “Y2J!”.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Reaction: This match was solid and Raw was an entertaining show overall. There was a bunch of talent that made their way from Smackdown to Monday Night Raw. It will be interesting to see which Superstars from Raw join the Smackdown roster tomorrow night. AJ Styles has been rumored to join Monday Night Raw but he did not appear on the show tonight.

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

WWE Superstar Shake-Up: Alexa Bliss & Mickie James Join Monday Night Raw

Sasha Banks came down to the ring and introduced Bayley. Bayley joined Sasha in the ring and thanked the WWE Universe for believing in her. Sasha congratulated Bayley on achieving her Wrestlemania moment but claimed that moment was over. Sasha was about to challenge Bayley for her Raw Women’s Championship but Alexa Bliss interrupted. Alexa Bliss came down to the ring and received a great reaction from the crowd.

Bliss called Sasha Banks and Bayley pathetic and the crowd cheered. Alexa Bliss announced that she was now on Raw and that she is going to take over the Raw Women’s division. Mickie James then joined the party and announced that she was also joining the Raw roster. Mickie James warned Alexa Bliss that her nightmare has just begun on Monday Night Raw. Nia Jax then attacked Mickie James from behind. Nia then beatdown everyone else and raised the Raw Women’s Championship above her head.

Check back here on SEScoops and join our Raw live discussion to find out the other WWE Superstars that are changing brands during the Superstar Shake-Up.

WWE Superstar Shake-Up: Heath Slater & Rhyno, Kalisto & Curt Hawkins Join Monday Night Raw

Former Smackdown Tag Team Champions Heath Slater and Rhyno are now on the Raw roster. Slater and Rhyno haven’t been featured prominently on Smackdown since losing the titles.

It was also announced that Kalisto will be making the switch from Smackdown to Monday Night Raw. Kalisto and Apollo Crews recently had a feud with Dolph Ziggler. Now, both Crews and Kalisto are a part of the Monday Night Raw roster.

It was also announced earlier in the show that Curt Hawkins was now a part of the Raw roster. He appeared on the show and immediately made an impact.

Check back here on SEScoops and join our live discussion to find out which other WWE Superstars will be changing brands during the Superstar Shake-Up.

WWE Superstar Shake-Up: Bray Wyatt Joins Monday Night Raw

Finn Balor defeated Jinder Mahal in his first televised match since returning from injury. Shortly after the match, the lights went out and Bray Wyatt appeared on the screen. Bray Wyatt revealed that he was now on the Monday Night Raw roster. Bray Wyatt threatened Finn Balor and the entire Raw roster. Wyatt also revealed that the House of Horrors match against Randy Orton for the WWE Championship will now take place at WWE Payback on April 30th, 2017.

It was not revealed if Randy Orton was also joining the Raw roster. If Orton stays on Smackdown, the match between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton would also determine which show gets the WWE Championship. Check back here on SESCoops and join our live discussion to find out if any other Superstars are changing brands during the Superstar Shake-Up.

WWE Superstar Shake-Up: The Miz, Maryse & Dean Ambrose Join Monday Night Raw

WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up started off with a bang tonight as The Miz and Maryse kicked off Monday Night Raw. The Miz and Maryse have made the switch from Smackdown to Monday Night Raw. The Miz and Maryse came down to the ring dressed as John Cena and Nikki Bella. WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose quickly interrupted and joined The Miz and Maryse in the ring. Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds on The Miz and celebrated in the ring.

Monday Night Raw is now the new home for the Intercontinental Championship. Check back here on SEScoops and join our live discussion to find out what other WWE Superstars will be changing brands tonight during the Superstar Shake-Up.

WWE RAW Results & Discussion (4/10)

The April 10th, 2017 edition of WWE RAW aired live on the USA Network from the Nassau Coliseum in New York and featured the start of a “Superstar shake-up” between the RAW and SmackDown rosters.

– The fireworks go off and Michael Cole welcomes us to RAW from the sold-out Nassau Coliseum with an attendance of 12,116.

– John Cena’s music hits, but The Miz and Maryse come out instead of Cena. They’re dressed as Cena and Nikki Bella again. The Miz informs us that the first rule of Cena’s house rules is that the crowd isn’t allowed to chant “Cena sucks.” The Miz pokes fun at Cena’s proposal to Bella at WrestleMania, and says Hollywood doesn’t want them. Dean Ambrose’s music hits and he interrupts next. Ambrose talks to Miz as if he’s really Cena, until The Miz takes his hat off and Maryse takes her wig off. When Ambrose clues in, he decides to immediately hit The Miz with the Dirty Deeds and then celebrates with the crowd before heading backstage.

– Sami Zayn approaches Kurt Angle backstage and starts talking about how he doesn’t want to go to SmackDown anymore. Angle starts to look bored and tells Zayn that SmackDown has a lot of interest in him. The Miz and Maryse interrupt next, and this leads to Angle setting up a match between Miz and Sami tonight.

– The New Day is out next. They bring out a doll with dreadlocks since Kofi Kingston is out with an injury tonight. Big E and Xavier call out The Revival for a match right now, and the recent RAW signees come out to accept.

The Revival def. The New Day: It’s all Big E and Xavier in the opening moments after the bell. A distraction from the apron allows Dash to drop Xavier by his hair and tag in Dawson. Xavier tries to tag in Big E but Dawson stops him. Xavier hits a big forearm on Dawson and both men are down. Big E and Dash tag in and Big E launches him with a series of belly to belly suplexes. Big E follows up with a running splash, then Dawson runs in. Big E pushes Dawson out to the apron and Dawson pulls Big E’s neck down across the top rope. Dash gets a two count then tags in Dawson. Big E hits a belly to belly suplex on Dawson then tags in Xavier, who hits a long flying elbow off the top rope almost all the way across the ring. Big E and Xavier set up for the Midnight Hour on Dawson, but Dash makes the save and they reverse it into the Shatter Machine on Xavier for the win.

– Neville does an interview backstage where he says Austin Aries isn’t on his level, and he’s quickly interrupted by TJ Perkins. Perkins says he’s the one who will take Neville’s Cruiserweight Title, but Neville objects and says Perkins’ career is a joke now. Neville says the opportunities that should’ve been given to Perkins were instead given to Aries, and Neville says he’s the only one with any respect for Perkins. Austin Aries interrupts next and says even though he has his sunglasses on inside at night, he can see that Neville is lying through his teeth. Aries asks Perkins if he believes Neville, but Perkins walks off without answering.

– Curt Hawkins is in the ring to cut a promo about returning to Monday Night RAW. Hawkins asks where the welcoming committee is, and that brings out The Big Show. Hawkins goes to hug him, but The Big show hits him with one right hand and drops him, then leaves.

TJ Perkins def. Austin Aries: Neville is on commentary on this one. Aries hits a rolling senton in the opening minutes and follows up with a running elbow in the corner. Aries hits a flying elbow to the back of the neck of Perkins for a two count. Perkins lays on the ropes then ducks when Aries goes to spear him, sending Aries outside. Perkins comes off the top towards Aries on the apron, but Aries dodges it then knocks Perkins down to the floor. Aries goes up top and hits a splash on Perkins down on the floor. Aries climbs up on the fan barricade and taunts Neville at the announce table, which prompts Neville to walk down the ramp and get in Aries’ face. The referee starts counting him out so Aries rolls back in the ring, and Perkins immediately rolls him up in a small package for the win. After the bell, Perkins attacks Aries from behind and then hits the Detonation Kick. Perkins stares down Neville on the ramp before the Cruiserweight Champion heads backstage.

– We see Seth Rollins talking to Enzo and Cass backstage before we go to commercial.

– Rollins comes out to the ring and says he left it all in the ring when he faced Triple H at WrestleMania. Rollins tells the crowd that “we” beat Triple H, and he tells the fans they are just getting started together. Rollins indicates that he’s still planning revenge on Samoa Joe, and then plays the clip of Stephanie McMahon bumping through the table at WrestleMania. Rollins says when Stephanie heals and returns, she’ll be out to ruin him. Rollins says because of that, it’d be easier to try to jump ship to SmackDown. Rollins says that’d be the easy way out, but that he’s not going down without a fight. This brings out RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Angle tells Rollins it’s true (it’s damn true) that Stephanie wants Rollins gone from RAW. Kurt says he saw something in Rollins at WrestleMania that he hadn’t seen before. Kurt said Rollins was a one-legged man who won an ass-kicking contest at WrestleMania, and that he wants Rollins on his show. Angle says that as long as he’s GM, Rollins will have a home on RAW. As Angle is making his way backstage, Samoa Joe attacks Rollins from behind. Rollins and Joe go back and forth until Rollins hits two superkicks on Joe that send him out to ringside. Joe starts to head back towards the ring, but decides against it and walks backstage instead.

– WWE United States Champion Kevin Owens is backstage to do an interview about the Superstar Shake-up. Owens tells the interviewer to ask Jericho instead, because Jericho should want to go to SmackDown to get away from Owens. Owens says being the US Champion makes him the face of America, and that Ambrose’s Intercontinental Title isn’t as important. Owens says Ambrose needs to remember his place and that Owens is the man on RAW, or else he’ll beat the hell out of him.

Nia Jax def. Charlotte: Nia dominates the opening moments of this one and tries to keep Charlotte grounded. Charlotte starts coming back with chops to the chest and kicks. Charlotte takes out Nia’s knee and hits the Natural Selection for a two count. Charlotte throws Nia outside and follows up with a moonsault off the top turnbuckle all the way down onto Nia at ringside. Back in the ring, Charlotte attempts a Figure Four but Nia gets out and throws Charlotte into the turnbuckle. Nia comes back with a big splash in the corner and a Samoan Drop.

– We go to the announce table where Michael Cole introduces a video package about Finn Balor’s return. Balor is up next.

Finn Balor def. Jinder Mahal: Finn opens up strong, but Jinder takes control of things early on after a big boot to the face of Balor. Mahal hits a stiff forearm shot to the face shortly after, which sends Balor down to the mat again. Finn comes back with an overhead kick, then a sling blade and a running dropkick. Balor follows up shortly after with the Coup De Grace for the win after a short but competitive match.

– Immediately after the mach, Bray Wyatt appears on the big screen as Balor watches on from the ring. Wyatt announces that he has arrived on RAW, and this is his home now.

– The announce team introduces video clips for Apollo Crews, Kalisto, Heath Slater and Rhyno all moving to RAW in the Superstar Shake-up.

Sami Zayn def. The Miz: Maryse is at ringside. Sami hits a series of arm drags on The Miz early on, then clotheslines him out to ringside. Zayn runs towards Miz for a suicide dive, but Maryse stands in front of The Miz at ringside so Zayn stops. Back in the ring, The Miz comes back with a backbreaker and a neckbreaker for a two count. The Miz takes Zayn to the top turnbuckle, but Zayn punches him off. The Miz dodges a splash and hits a DDT on Zayn for a two count. The Miz hits a series of kicks on Zayn until Zayn blocks one and comes back with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Zayn goes for a big boot in the corner, but Maryse pulls Miz outside by the foot. Maryse then grabs Sami’s foot under the ropes behind the ref’s back, but it doesn’t pay off as Sami reverses a Skull Crushing Finale attempt into a rollup for the win.

– Michael Cole is backstage with Roman Reigns for an interview about Reigns’ victory over The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Reigns says he retired a legend, and now he’s the big dog here. The interview is very quickly interrupted by Braun Strowman who grabs Reigns and throws him into the wall. Strowman then throws Reigns high in the air and he crashes through a table. Strowman continues to beat Reigns down and throws him into the loading bay door multiple times. Strowman hits a running powerslam on Reigns onto some boxes, then he wheels another big box into Reigns’ head. Strowman finally leaves as referee and security guards check on Reigns. Reigns gets loaded onto a stretcher and we can hear the crowd in the Nassau Coliseum chanting “You deserve it.” Strowman comes roaring out of nowhere and grabs the stretcher Reigns is on. Strowman wheels Reigns over to another part of the loading bay and sends Reigns’ stretcher flying off of an approximately eight-foot tall drop. More referees and EMTs rush to Reigns and load him into an ambulance. They finally get him loaded in, but then Strowman comes back once again. Strowman closes the ambulance doors, and then literally lifts the ambulance from the side and pushes it over strongman-style.

– Back from commercial, more EMTs take Reigns out of the overturned ambulance and put him into another one. This ambulance successfully leaves the building with Reigns.

The Hardy Boys, Sheamus & Cesaro def. The Shining Stars, Gallows & Anderson: Before the match, The Drifter from NXT appears on the stage. Matt, Jeff, Sheamus and Cesaro all get in some offense in the opening moments of this one. Cesaro hits a cross body splash off the top on Anderson for a two count. He goes for The Swing, but Gallows makes the save. Gallows and Anderson hit a back suplex/neckbreaker combo on Cesaro. Sheamus comes in to even the odds, but Primo hits a backstabber on him. Some of the brawling goes out to ringside and Jeff springboards off of Matt for a suicide dive onto the heels at ringside. Back in the ring, Matt hits the Twist of Fate on Primo then Jeff follows up with the Swanton Bomb for he win.

– We see Dana Brooke backstage reading a book called “How To Be Your Own Protege.” Emma interrupts and tells Dana she was originally her protege before Charlotte. Emma tells Dana to go with her, but Dana declines and says the entire women’s division including her has gotten better while Emma was away.

– Sasha Banks comes out to the ring and introduces Bayley because she has something to say. Bayley comes out and first she thanks the crowd for supporting her so she could have her WrestleMania moment. Sasha gets serious and says Bayley’s WrestleMania moment is over now, but then Alexa Bliss comes out to interrupt. Alexa says she’s sick of the saga between Bayley and Sasha, and she’s here for the RAW Women’s Title. Mickie James interrupts next to announce that she has also moved from SmackDown to RAW. Mickie tells Alexa that her nightmare is just beginning, but then Nia Jax comes from behind and attacks Mickie. Nia hits the ring and throws Sasha outside, then hits a Samoan Drop on Bayley. Nia poses with the RAW Women’s Title in the ring, then stares down Alexa on the ramp.

Dean Ambrose def. Kevin Owens: Ambrose takes things out to ringside early on and hits a suicide dive on Owens. Back in the ring, Owens slows things down and grounds Ambrose with a chin lock. Ambrose hits a headbutt and goes for a lariat, but Owens dodges it and throws Ambrose outside. Owens slams Ambrose into the ring post then continues the offense back in the ring. Ambrose comes back with a lariat then crotches Owens on the top rope and clotheslines him off. Ambrose throws Owens outside and follows up with a flying elbow off the top turnbuckle onto Owens on the floor. Back in the ring, Owens blocks a splash with a kick and hits a powerbomb for a two count. Owens goes for a Pop Up Powerbomb but Ambrose escapes. Owens hits a superkick but Ambrose continues to struggle and fight back. Ambrose then hits the Dirty Deeds out of nowhere for the win. As Ambrose is celebrating his victory, Chris Jericho’s music hits. Y2J makes his way down to the ring to confront Owens. Jericho ducks a clothesline from Owens and hits the Codebreaker. Owens is down on the mat as Jericho tells the crowd to “drink it in, man” and RAW goes off the air.

Video Of Ric Flair Insulting Bartender Before Being Kicked Out Of Bar

As reported earlier, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair was removed from a bar in Fort Wayne, Indiana over the weekend for disorderly conduct. Flair was at The Deck bar and restaurant on Sunday and got into a verbal altercation with the bartender. According to The Deck manager, Laurie Schrader, Flair was only at the bar for five minutes before he began insulting the bartender.

Pro Wrestling Sheet has now posted a fan video of the altercation. Flair apparently became upset when the he ordered a second drink and the bartender attempted to pour it into the same glass Flair had just finished drinking from. Flair allegedly threatened to have the bartender fired and in the video he can be heard telling the bartender to lose some weight.

Apollo Crews Traded To RAW In WWE’s First “Superstar Shake-up” (Video)

On Monday just hours before the opening bell of RAW in Uniondale, NY, WWE announced the first trade of their “Superstar Shake-up” between the RAW and SmackDown rosters.

Former SmackDown star is the first wrestler to be “shaken up,” and tonight will be his first night as a member of the RAW roster.

Join us tonight for live WWE RAW and Superstar Shake-up coverage and discussion on SEScoops.

AJ Lee: WWE Punished Me For Refusing ‘Space Dinosaurs’ Storyline

Former WWE Superstar AJ Lee (AJ Mendez-Brooks) was recently interviewed by The New York Post to promote her new book, Crazy Is My Superpower and revealed WWE sidelined her for months back in 2012 for refusing to participate in a storyline she found offensive.

Buy Now from Amazon.com: Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules

AJ suffers from bipolar II disorder and writes about her experience living with the condition in her book. Back in 2012, she had already spoken publicly about her mother’s battle with bipolar disorder, but not her own. Playing off her “crazy chick” character, WWE pitched her a storyline that involved her “taking part in a series of goofy skits in which her character hallucinated, kissed a leprechaun and danced with dinosaurs from outer space”.

AJ was offended by the angle, refused to participate and as a result, WWE pulled her from television and took her off the road for several months.

“It felt like it disrespected both me and my mother. It was a joke, but, to me, it wasn’t something to laugh at.”

AJ hopes her book teaches others battling mental illness that they’re not alone and it can be overcome. “I want to show that they’re not something that’s going to stop you,” she said.

Potential Spoilers For Tonight’s Superstar Shake-Up (Photo), Shake-Up Poll

Slam App Possibly Spoils Superstar Shake-Up

The WWE Slam Trading Card game app may have spoiled two big names during this week’s Superstar Shake-Up. As you can see in the photo, the outline of AJ Styles appears on a red card and Charlotte on a blue card. Both AJ Styles and Charlotte have been rumored to switching brands during the Superstar Shake-Up.

Which Superstar Does The WWE Universe Want To See On Smackdown?

WWE will begin the Superstar Shake-Up tonight on Raw. WWE has released a new poll asking fans, “Which Raw Superstar would you most like to see drafted to Smackdown Live?”

Sami Zayn currently leads everyone with 28% of the vote. Roman Reigns is in second place with 26% of the vote. Here are the full results of the poll so far:

  • Sami Zayn: 28%
  • Roman Reigns: 26%
  • Sasha Banks: 8%
  • Charlotte Flair: 7%
  • The New Day: 7%
  • Sheamus & Cesaro: 7%
  • Enzo & Cass: 7%
  • Gallows & Anderson: 6%
  • Other: 4%

You can cast your vote by clicking here.

The Revival Trolls Kofi Kingston, Lita Congratulates The Hardys, Ryder Update

WWEShop is selling a new Kurt Angle “It’s Damn True” t-shirt.

– As noted earlier, Kofi Kingston is undergoing ankle surgery and will be out of action for the next several weeks. According to WWE storylines, the injury took place last week on RAW when The Revival attacked Kofi in the ring. In response to the news that Kofi’s injury required surgery, Dash & Dawson sent out these tweets on Monday:

https://twitter.com/ScottDawsonWWE/status/851454754748289027

https://twitter.com/dashwilderwwe/status/851460539159105536

– WWE Hall of Famer Lita tweeted the following about Matt and Jeff Hardy’s triumphant return to WWE last weekend at WrestleMania:

https://twitter.com/amydumas/status/851397218921717760

– The latest episode of Zack Ryder’s Z! True Comeback Story looks at the ‘sights and sounds’ of WrestleMania 33 weekend.

Ryder also posted this video on Sunday night of himself training in the gym 4 months after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon.

Roman Reigns: Brock Lesnar ‘Just Wanted To Kill Me’ At WM31, Not Open To His Ideas

Roman Reigns was a recent guest on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast and provided some interesting details regarding his WrestleMania 31 main event match against Brock Lesnar. The match saw Seth Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to capture the WWE Championship, launching Rollins into the main event scene as the golden boy of The Authority.

In speaking to Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns says that Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman were not receptive to his ideas when planning out the match. Reigns claims Lesnar essentially wanted to squash him.

“No, it wasn’t easy, by any means,” Reigns said. “But the thing I had a lot of confidence in is I knew it was just going to be a fight. I knew it was going to be brutal and I like that shit. Like, hey, if you want to bang, I’m all for it. I’m never scared. But it was just weird. It really was. It was last-minute. It was one of those deals where it wasn’t a lot of talking, [they] didn’t seem open to ideas because, essentially, in their minds, and when I say ‘their minds’ I say Brock and Paul, which, that is a powerful pairing right there.”

Roman Reigns meets a strong negative reaction from WWE crowds on a weekly basis, a phenomenon that was growing prior to WrestleMania 31. Reigns says Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar were convinced the WrestleMania crowd wanted to see him get crushed, but he wasn’t going to be steamrolled without putting up a fight.

“But those two, they’re something else. They wanted to kill me. They were convinced however many people were there eighty [thousand], whatever, they wanted to see me get crushed. They were there and they just want to see Roman get his ass beat. And I can’t disagree with them, but brother [has] got to fight. Hey, you can kick my ass all you want, but I’m going to fight.”

Reigns pointed out that he respects Brock Lesnar and everything he’s accomplished. He thinks their match at Mania 31 was the best of his career, but it’s not a personal favorite. Based on current WWE storylines and the rumored WrestleMania 34 main event, Reigns will get another chance to dance with the Beast Incarnate on WWE’s grandest stage.

Dean Ambrose had a similar complaint about working with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32, but went farther than Reigns and outright accused Lesnar of phoning it in for their match. During his appearance on the Stone Cold WWE Network ‘Podcast’ last summer, Ambrose expressed frustration that Lesnar was being ‘lazy’ and didn’t seem interested in putting on a good match with him. We’d later find out that Lesnar was already training for his UFC return at the time he fought Ambrose.

H/T to WrestlingInc.com for the Talk is Jericho transcript

Hardy Boys Bring WWE Titles To Indie Show, WWE Looks At Hardys Top 10 Ladder Attacks (Videos)

Matt Hardy Refers To Jeff Hardy As “Brother Nero”

In the video below, Matt Hardy referred to Jeff Hardy as “Brother Nero”. The Hardys were at an IWC event yesterday in Pittsburgh, PA. The Hardys brought along their Raw Tag Team Championships and thanked WWE for allowing them to attend the IWC event. Matt Hardy cut a promo at the event but once again used a very subdued version of the “broken” gimmick. However, he did refer to Jeff Hardy as “Brother Nero” during the promo.

WWE Releases Top 10 Ladder Attacks From The Hardy Boyz

WWE has uploaded a new video highlighting the top 10 ladder attacks during The Hardys WWE career. The list includes Jeff Hardy flying off a ladder onto The Undertaker, Matt Hardy hitting a Side Effect to Fit Finlay off the top of the ladder and Jeff hitting a Leg Drop onto Edge through a ladder.

Kofi Kingston Undergoing Ankle Surgery

WWE announced on Monday that Kofi Kingston will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his ankle. Last week on RAW saw the main roster debut of former NXT tag team champions The Revival. Dash and Dawson scored a victory over New Day’s Big E and Xavier Woods in an impressive showing. After the match, the Revival viciously attacked Kingston, focusing on his ankle and leaving him screaming in pain. The attack, which you can see below, is cited as the cause of Kofi’s injury.

Dr. Chris Amann told WWE.com that Kofi “heard a crack” during the attack and was unable to put weight on his leg afterwards.

“Further evaluation and an MRI revealed that the attack had caused fragments of bone to break off the ankle bone (talus), requiring arthroscopic surgery to remove the bone chips from the damaged joint.”

The report at WWE.com states that Kofi Kingston will only be out of action for a few weeks.

Dash & Dawson Add Insult To Kofi Kingston’s Injury

The Revival appeared on RAW Fallout after their debut to brag about the beatdown.

Justin Roberts Statement Regarding JBL Bullying Controversy

In light of Mauro Ranallo’s WWE hiatus and some shocking claims made by former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts in his new book Best Seat in the House, WWE broadcaster John Bradshaw Layfield is getting a lot of attention for his alleged backstage bullying.

Roberts posted the following statement on Instagram explaining his motivation for recounting JBL’s behavior. Roberts says he didn’t write about JBL to get him fired, but to make the wrestling world a better place.

“I wrote ‘Best Seat In The House’ to tell my story about being a kid who loved and lived for pro-wrestling. I simply wanted to tell it honestly to inspire and hopefully bring positive changes. It’s hard for anyone to imagine the lowlights and only see the highlights. I had to show both, as that’s what made up the journey. I loved wrestling. I worked hard to get to where I got. Then I went through some rough times, because that was the culture. If that hadn’t gone on in the first place, this wouldn’t be an issue now. While a lot has changed over the years, a lot has remained the same. I still watch wrestling and I still love the sport. It’s not about getting anyone fired. Sometimes firing someone is just to bandaid a problem and does not address the root cause. I just hope that my story will help make the wrestling world a better place for everyone who is still involved as there are a LOT of great people who fall into that category and should be treated well.”

Related: 

WWE Announces Multi-Year Deal With Japan’s DAZN Streaming Service

WWE has announced a new multi-year partnership with Japan’s DAZN streaming network to broadcast RAW and SmackDown live in Japan each week with Japanese commentary.

TOKYO & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE:WWE) and DAZN today announced that WWE’s flagship programs Raw® and SmackDown® will be available live in Japan with Japanese commentary for the first time ever, beginning tomorrow at 9AM on DAZN.

Fans will be able to live stream all three hours of Raw and two hours of SmackDown exclusively on DAZN. Raw will be available live every week on Tuesdays at 9AM, while SmackDown will be available live every week on Wednesdays at 9AM. Fans will now be able to follow all the action in real time featuring their favorite WWE Superstars, including Japan’s own Shinsuke Nakamura™. Raw and SmackDown will also be available via video on demand for DAZN customers.

In addition, fans will soon be able to watch other WWE featured content and highlight shows on DAZN, including WWE Experience®, WWE Bottomline®, and WWE This Week™(release dates of these shows to be announced). Fans can download the DAZN App and watch WWE content on Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles, as well as via Chromecast on iOS and Android.

“We’re really excited to add WWE to our portfolio in Japan,” said John Gleasure, Chief Commercial Officer of DAZN. “Raw and SmackDown complement and strengthen our overall international sport offering, plus the live and non-live content available for fans to watch works perfectly for our business model.”

“Our new partnership with DAZN will enable WWE to engage with fans in Japan like never before,” said Ed Wells, WWE Executive Vice President, International. “DAZN will provide WWE fans with a destination to watch Raw and SmackDown live and in Japanese on the device of their choice and follow WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura as he continues his WWE journey.”

WWE joins DAZN’s strong portfolio of international sports which includes La Liga, Bundesliga, Major League Baseball, Formula One and UFC.

For more details, visit Corporate.WWE.com.

Ric Flair Kicked Out Of Indiana Bar For Disorderly Conduct

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair was kicked out of an in Fort Wayne, Indiana over the weekend for disorderly conduct, according to WISHTV.com.

The Nature Boy was at The Deck bar and restaurant on Sunday and got into an altercation with the bartender. According to Deck manager Laurie Schrader, Flair was there for all of five minutes before he called the bartender a fat-ass and a dumb-ass.

Schrader tells WISHTV she promptly told Flair to leave.

Flair allegedly asked Schrader if she knew who he was, but she wasn’t impressed and still made him leave. Flair has been banned from The Deck.

The 16-time World Champion was in town for the Heroes and Legends event at Memorial Coliseum.

Thanks to SEScoops reader Matthew Banks for sending in the WISHTV report.

Jim Ross Blogs About the Superstar Shake-Up, His Next WWE Assignment

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. The big news of the week is the Superstar Shake-Up, which kicks off tonight on RAW. JR has some ideas for how WWE can best utilize certain performers.

JR wants to see Luke Harper moved to RAW so he can contribute in a more significant way. Ross believes there’s “something there” with Harper, who he described as skilled, motivated and hungry. WWE has done a great job beefing up the tag team divisions of RAW and SmackDown and JR is particularly interested to see how those look after this week.  Finally, JR ponders The Miz and Maryse moving to RAW, noting that they’re on the cusp of reaching the top tier of performers in WWE.

Every WWE talent should consider looking at this ‘Shakeup’ as the opportunity to hit the reset button in virtually all phases of their professional life. The smarter talents will do something to improve their game daily. Something. Daily. – Jim Ross

JR also commented on his future with WWE. News broke prior to WrestleMania that Ross signed a new 2-year contract with WWE and ‘those assignments are still being determined.’

I have no preference on what I do for WWE as I was pleased to simply be presented a ‘game jersey’ and to get back on the ‘team.’ – JR

In his younger days, he might not have been so easygoing and laid back with the uncertainty that lies ahead. However, WWE has treated him very well over the years and he’s eager to contribute to whatever WWE throws his way.

To read the full blog, including JR’s thoughts on this past weekend’s UFC PPV, visit JRsBarBQ.com.