Metro.co.uk recently spoke with NXT General Manager William Regal and published Part 1 of their interview. As part of his role as NXT GM, Regal is one of WWE’s top talent scouts. He’s responsible for the signing of many Superstars currently in NXT and on the main roster.

Regal was asked if there is anybody not currently signed to NXT that he’d like to bring on board. He said there are actually a lot of people he’s keeping an eye on, but did not want to name them and put pressure on those talents. He added that WWE can only sign a finite number of people per year and there are times when a particular wrestler has big potential but could benefit from more time on the independent scene.

When asked which current or past NXT performer he’s most proud of signing, Regal named Sasha Banks. “I don’t really like singling anyone out, but Sasha Banks,” he said. “I’ve known her since she was 18, and the previous people that were doing what I’m doing now wouldn’t even give her the time of day.

“When I was asked by Triple H to be part of that team, of which there is nobody still here who was in the team at the time, I kept asking to bring her in, to which people replied ‘oh no, there is nothing in her, she’s useless.’ Sasha was the first person I went to bat for, and her development is a great thing to see.”

Regal added that he’s also very proud of signing Bayley and Becky Lynch. Regal said he actually had the idea for Bayley’s character, since a few acts in WWE are geared towards younger males but none were going after the young female demographic. Bayley’s character is an extension of her actual personality, so she was a great fit for that role.

Part 2 of Metro’s interview with William Regal will be published later this week.

Rusev’s WWE return was directly affected by Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title win at Backlash over Randy Orton last week. Per a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, original plans had “The Bulgarian Brute” challenging for the WWE strap at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view (PPV).

The WWE never confirmed that match, however, they began to set it up after Rusev took to Twitter to demand SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon a shot at the WWE Title or else he’d leave the company. Rusev then vowed to return to Tuesday nights to confront McMahon, however, he never showed – stating he went to a hockey game instead. Rusev has not been mentioned on WWE programming since.

Per the report, the late decision to hold Rusev off TV indicates that Mahal’s title win was also a late decision by the company that was most likely made the Friday before Backlash. Now creative is tasked with the job of finding a new way to introduce Rusev back to WWE TV.

Impact Wrestling star Swoggle (formerly known as Hornswoggle in WWE) was recently a guest on Eric Bischoff’s podcast, Bischoff On Wrestling. During the interview, Swoggle discussed his run as the Monday Night RAW anonymous General Manager, the original plans for the storyline, and why they didn’t work. Check it out:

“I get a call from one of the writers and they say, “How is your New Jersey accent?” I said, “I can’t do accents, man.” He said, “Well start.” I said, “Ok.” He goes, “You’re going to be ‘Big Nick from Jersey’ and you’re going to be the RAW GM. You’re not going to be Hornswoggle. You pulled the wool over all the kids and their parents’ eyes and you’re going to be a heel GM.” I said, “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.” My character wasn’t talking at the time so I said, “So now I can talk and I’m a heel and I am somehow from New Jersey?” He goes, “Yeah!” I said, “And this makes sense?”

“And he goes, “YEAH!” So I said, “Ok… I will learn a Jersey accent.” I tried and tried and tried and couldn’t do it. Before the show we were doing rehearsals in the ring and while it’s going on two of my best friends, Curt Hawkins and Kofi Kingston, are sitting in the stands watching me fail miserably in these rehearsals with this terrible accent. Finally they just cut the microphone and just said it was awful. It was so bad. Something that was supposed to be a major heel GM run for several months turned out to be this one night and for nothing. It sucked. It really sucked because I could have talked and been a heel and that’s always something I wanted to do in my WWE run.

H/T WrestleZone for the transcriptions

During a recent episode of his podcast, Something to Wrestle, Bruce Prichard told a funny story of how Snoop Dog went off on WWE’s Executive Vice President of Television Production, Kevin Dunn. A few years ago WWE partnered with ‘Girls Gone Wild’, per the request of Eric Bischoff, and the WWE production team actually helped produce on of their pay-per-views (PPVs).

Dunn was in charge of several big-name stars for the event, which included Snoop Dogg:

“But the funniest story of it all for those — everybody knows Kevin Dunn was the/is the executive producer for WWE and Kevin was executive producer for this. And Snoop Dogg — they were all warned ahead of time — ‘listen cops are going to be out in force — no drugs! And when we say ‘no drugs’ that means marijuana too because apparently, that’s a drug… apparently, it’s illegal in Texas. So the cops and the state troopers and all this s— had come in and said ‘hey, you know we smell one damn joint, anything coming in we’re going to arrest people. We see any underage people drinking we’re arresting them and this show’s gonna be done with”

“So Snoop shows up a couple of hours late. Rolls up, billows of smoke coming out of the limo, so on and so forth. And as the legend goes, Kevin Dunn is beside himself because Snoop has missed all the rehearsals. [Snoop’s] showing up, they’re getting ready to go live and Kevin is trying to explain to Snoop what he’s got to do for that night. And Snoop is just standing there staring off into the distance puffing on a cigar. And Kevin is getting madder and madder because Snoop won’t acknowledge him and finally Snoop, without ever looking at him goes: ‘hey motherf*****, just because I ain’t looking at you don’t mean I ain’t hearing you! I got this s***!’ And he f***** just walked off.”

H/T IWNerd for the transcriptions 

On Monday’s RAW, WWE began a storyline that puts Kurt Angle’s future as the show’s General Manager in question. During the broadcast, Corey Graves received a message on his phone that contained sensitive information about Angle.

Graves went backstage and confronted Angle about the accusation levied against him. As he read the text, Angle was visibly troubled. He read portions of the message loud, revealing the person claims to have information that would make him “a disgrace and an embarrassment to WWE” and besmirch his status as an Olympic gold medalist.

Angle acknowledged that “if this is true” it could ruin him.

Discussion: What could this damaging information be? What do you think about this ‘soap opera’ storyline for Kurt Angle?

You can check out footage of the segment below.

The Undertaker is arguably the most iconic gimmick performer in the history of professional wrestling. It’s hard to imagine Mark Calloway portraying a different character, but it turns out Vince McMahon had another gimmick idea for Taker that could have changed the course of WWE history.

Back in the early 1990’s, WWE Hall of Famer J.J. Dillon of Four Horsemen fame served as one of Vince’s trusted advisors backstage. During a recent appearance on The List & Ya Boy podcast, Dillon revealed that Vince McMahon almost stuck The Undertaker with a ridiculous Viking gimmick.

“Vince’s first reaction was ‘maybe he could be a Viking with the helmet and the horns.’ He just saw this guy and Vince had a really creative mind. [Vince] had a department would take somebody and turn this person over to this department and say to look at them, their body, their features, play with him and feed me some ideas.”

Dillon continued, “In all the years that went by, I think the Undertaker is the greatest wrestling character/persona that has ever lived in the WWE/F. Hands down”

It was not too long after the debut of The Undertaker that WWE signed wrestler John Nord and saddled him with a viking gimmick, The Berserker.

Don’t diss Goldust on Twitter, cause Cody Rhodes will have none of it. One fan decided to take a shot at Goldust on Twitter after Monday Night RAW last night (Mon. May 29, 2017), calling the longtime veteran a jobber:

I don't know what @Goldust means when he says he's back to his #GoldenAge because hasn't Goldust always been a Jobber? #LOL?

— Ghost Of (@cg_curtis) May 30, 2017

Rhodes soon responded by pleading his brother’s case for the Hall Of Fame and told the fan to ‘kiss my a**’:

3 time intercontinental champ, 3 time world tag team champ…replace "jobber" w/"future hall of famer" and kiss my ass while you're at it https://t.co/NCBX1Pkt2y

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) May 30, 2017

Sasha Banks is fed up with people asking when she’s going to turn on Bayley and portray a heel character again. Banks was a recent guest on the The Masked Man Show and was asked if she prefers being a babyface or heel. The question set her off, prompting the former RAW Women’s Champion to instruct fans to “shut up” about the situation.

At only 25 years old, Sasha Banks has a long career ahead of her. She plans to be a WWE Superstar for man years to come, so fans should relax and just enjoy the ride.

“Either one,” she said. “Because a lot of people ask me, ‘When are you going to turn heel? When are you going to turn heel?’’ Like, I don’t care because guess what? I’m going to be in the WWE for a very long time so you’re going to see both versions of myself for a while.

So people need to shut up because that’s what I’m sick of hearing. ‘When are you gonna turn heel?’ Then once I turn heel, ‘When are you gonna turn babyface?’ You guys just need to shut up and let me do me okay”

Sasha Banks questioned why fans want her to turn on Bayley and says people should appreciate the work she’s currently doing. “Why do you want me to turn on Bayley? That’s my best friend. I don’t have a lot of friends so just accept it. Yeah, I play either one very well, so it doesn’t matter. They’re two different versions.”

You can listen to the full episode here:

Sean Waltman told reporters yesterday that despite recent drug charges being dropped, he may still be on his way for prison. According to Waltman, he did not go through all the proper legal proceedings from a 2004 DUI charge, and he may have to serve a small prison sentence as a result.

Here is what Waltman told TMZ reporters yesterday:

Drug Charges Dropped

Waltman caused a stir earlier this month when he went radio-silent for a couple of days, and missed some UK bookings. We would later find out he had been picked up by authorities for possession of marijuana capsules and edibles, as well as something the police believed to be methamphetamine.

When the substance was later determined not to be an illegal drug, all charges were dropped.

Randy Orton had the holiday weekend off from WWE live events, and used it to spend some time with his kids by the family pool. Evidently, the Orton family has a very strict “No…Diving” policy, which is punishable by an RKO-Outta-Nowhere.

Orton posted the following to social media earlier:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUsE1xXDFBY/?taken-by=randyorton

Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal

Orton will get his WWE championship rematch against Jinder Mahal at “Money in the Bank” on June 18th. The show will be held in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis.

Originally it had been planned for Orton to defend the WWE championship against a returning Rusev on the show, but plans changed when the decision was made to put the title on Jinder. What is next for Rusev now remains unknown, but should be cleared up shortly after his return.

Sasha Banks will be on 205 Live tonight after Smackdown. The former multi-time women’s champion has promised to back-up Rich Swann, her partner at Sunday’s Extreme Rules PPV.

As announced on Raw last night, Noam Dar & Alicia Fox will take on Banks & Swann in a mixed-tag match. The event will be held in Baltimore, MD, Swann’s hometown.

More Stars to 205 Live?

With viewership for the brand low, despite good reviews from those who enjoy it, WWE could be looking to include more big stars on 205 Live programming.

26-year old Rich Swann, became one of the more popular superstars early in the show’s run, and is a former cruiserweight champion. He fell out of the title picture shortly after Neville debuted on the brand.

Noam Dar has been entered into various feuds centred around his on-again off-again girlfriend, Alicia Fox. To her credit, Fox is really putting everything into her character right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcjSzs3h3pU

New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now heading towards its conclusion….

The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.

Here are the results from Days 10 and 11 of the tournament which are now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.

Day 10

Ricochet b. TAKA Michinoku – Ricochet wins the match after hitting the Benadryller, he is now 4-2 (8 Points). TAKA is 1-5 (2 Points)

Dragon Lee b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Dragon hit the Diving Foot Stomp to confirm his 4th win of the tournament, he is now 4-2 (8 Points). Liger is still unable to pick up a win in his last ever BOSJ, he is officially 0-6 (0 Points)

Taichi b. Will Ospreay – Taichi hit the Last Ride and scores the upset victory over the 2016 winner Ospreay, both men are now on 4-2 (8 Points)

Hiromu Takahashi b. Marty Scurll – Takahashi took the win with his TIME BOMB finisher, he is now 4-2 (8 Points), Marty is now on 3-3 (6 Points) and officially eliminated from the running

To confirm – Will Ospreay, Dragon Lee, Ricochet, Taichi, and Hiromu Takahashi are all still technically able to win A Block, Marty Scurll, Taka Michinoku and Jushin Thunder Liger are now mathematically eliminated from winning the block

5/27 'Best of the Super Juniors 24' in Ibaraki, Result updated with Wrestler's comments! Check it out!https://t.co/iBv9UM4CUu#NJBOSJ #njpw pic.twitter.com/mF4YIld1tM

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) May 30, 2017

Day 11

Tiger Mask IV b. El Desperado – Tiger takes the win after hitting his Tiger Suplex finisher, he is now 3-3 (6 Points) in the tournament, Desperado is also now on 3-3 (6 Points)

BUSHI b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru – BUSHI took the win following the MX, he is now 3-3 (6 Points), Kanemaru is also 3-3 (6 Points)

Volador Jr. b. ACH – Volador hit an Avalanche Style Frankensteiner to take his tally up to 3-3 (6 Points), ACH is now also on 3-3 (6 Points)

KUSHIDA b. Ryusuke Taguchi – KUSHIDA hit his new Back to the Future finishing move to secure the win. He is now 3-3 (6 Points) in the tournament, Taguchi is also 3-3 (6 Points)

To confirm – every performer in B Block is on 6 points heading in to the final night. This will go right to the wire on the final night of B Block action on June 1st

In recognition of #MemorialDay, @WWE and its Superstars thank and remember the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. pic.twitter.com/V871PKvRqO

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

Miz TV w/ Sheamus & Cesaro

This week’s episode of RAW opened up with a Miz TV segment. Miz rolled footage of Dean Ambrose’s match against Elias Samson. Miz attacked Samson in order to get Ambrose disqualified. Miz boasted about if Ambrose gets disqualified at Extreme Rules he will lose the Intercontinental Championship.

Sheamus and Cesaro came down to the ring. Sheamus scolded the fans and said they turned their back on Cesaro at Wrestlemania 33. Sheamus stated that fans cheered for the Hardy Boys even though they didn’t earn their opportunity at the RAW Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania. The Miz then complimented Sheamus and Cesaro. Miz then rambled about how great he was and that he was going to reclaim the Intercontinental Championship at Extreme Rules.

Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose interrupted and made his way down the entrance ramp. Ambrose called the three Superstars “buttheads” and claimed that he was there to shut them up. The Hardys then joined Ambrose and a brawl broke out in the ring. The Miz rolled out of the ring right away. Sheamus and Cesaro were launched out of the ring by The Hardys as RAW went to a commercial break.

Simple math… The odds are EVEN courtesy of @MATTHARDYBRAND and @JEFFHARDYBRAND! #RAW pic.twitter.com/NkubWN3j3N

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Sheamus, Cesaro & The Miz vs The Hardy Boyz & Dean Ambrose

The Hardys controlled the match early and took turns beating down Cesaro. Eventually, Cesaro connected with an uppercut on Matt Hardy and tagged in Sheamus. Sheamus Clotheslined Matt to the mat for a two count. Cesaro was then tagged in and he hit Hardy with an elbow and applied a Chin Lock. Matt made his way to his feet and tagged in Dean Ambrose.

Ambrose knocked down Cesaro with a Clothesline and then knocked Miz off the ring apron. Sheamus tagged himself in and went for a Brogue Kick but Ambrose got out of the way. Ambrose connected with a Neckbreaker and climbed to the top turnbuckle. The Miz distracted Ambrose and Sheamus booted him in the face. Ambrose fell to the floor outside the ring and RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Miz was in the ring and connected with several kicks to Ambrose’s chest. Miz went for another kick but Ambrose countered it into a roll-up for a two count. Cesaro was then tagged in and charged at Ambrose in the corner. Cesaro missed and went flying out of the ring. Ambrose went for a tag but The Miz dragged both Matt and Jeff Hardy off the ring apron.

Sheamus entered the match and battled with Ambrose on the top turnbuckle. Ambrose knocked Sheamus to the mat and connected wiht a flying elbow. Ambrose then finally tagged in Jeff Hardy. The Miz was tagged in as well and Jeff Hardy immediately beat him down. Matt Hardy tagged himself in and Jeff Hardy hit Poetry in Motion on Miz. Matt then hit the Side Effect on Miz. Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds on Cesaro and hit a Suicide Dive onto Sheamus. Matt Hardy planted Miz with a Twist of Fate and tagged in Jeff Hardy. Jeff then hit a Swanton Bomb on Miz for the victory.

Winners: The Hardy Boyz & Dean Ambrose

VICTORY for #ICChampion @TheDeanAmbrose and #Raw #TagTeamChampions @JEFFHARDYBRAND & @MATTHARDYBRAND in this #6ManTag! pic.twitter.com/X4XlCKsONX

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

Corey Graves was shown getting a message on his phone. Graves then apologized and left the announce table. Graves brought his phone to Kurt Angle and showed it to him. RAW GM Kurt Angle stated that if this was true, it would ruin him.

It appears #RAW announcer @WWEGraves has received some information about @RealKurtAngle that could…"ruin" him? pic.twitter.com/OrpZO2FeK3

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Elias Samson vs Zac Evans

The crowd chanted “lets go jobber!” as Samson beat down Evans. Samson bounced Evans’ head off the ring apron several times. Samson then planted Evans with a Swinging Neckbreaker for the victory.

Winner: Elias Samson

What #RAW needs, is what he is…
@IAmSamsonWWE picks up another victory! pic.twitter.com/KGrBOu4ema

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

Samoa Joe was interviewed backstage about his match against Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt later tonight. Bray Wyatt interrupted Joe’s promo with a video promo of his own. Wyatt said that he was the only one that could defeat Brock Lesnar. Wyatt stated that everyone else should give into their fear and run.

Samoa Joe vs Bray Wyatt vs Finn Balor

Bray rolled out of the ring to start the match. Balor attacked Joe from behind and connected with a kick to his face. Bray Wyatt cheered the two on from outside the ring. Balor threw Joe outside the ring. Samoa Joe then rolled Bray Wyatt into the ring. Balor and Wyatt traded punches. Balor connected with a kick and went for a pinfall but Samoa Joe got back in the ring and attacked Balor.

Joe threw Balor out of the ring and Bray laughed . Balor got back into the ring and connected with a series of kicks to Wyatt and Joe. Wyatt knocked Balor tot he mat and connected with a right hand. Joe set Balor up for a Suplerplex. Bray Wyatt then grabbed Joe and Powerbombed him while Joe delivered a Suplerplex to Balor. Wyatt went for a Sister Abigail but Joe broke it up and locked him in the Coquina Clutch. Balor then knocked Wyatt and Joe out of the ring and flipped onto them as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Joe and Wyatt had teamed up to beatdown Balor. Finn fought them both off and hip them both with chops to the chest. Bray once again knocked Balor to the mat and then launched him into the corner. Joe hit him with a Splash and Wyatt followed up with a Splash of his own. Joe hit Balor with a boot to the face and followed it up with a Senton. Bray then hit a Senton on his own onto Balor.

Bray Wyatt then hit Joe with a Clothesline out of nowhere and Joe rolled out of the ring. Balor connected with a kick to Wyatt’s head. Joe got back in the ring and leveled Balor with a Clothesline. Joe then kicked Wyatt in the head and Bray rolled out of the ring. Joe charged at Balor but Finn was ready and threw him out of the ring. Balor then hit a running knee onto Joe while on the ring apron. Balor then hit a Dropkick on Wyatt outside the ring and Bray crashed into the barricade. Finn then ran around the ring and hit Joe with a Dropkick that sent him into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Finn connected with a couple of chops to Samoa Joe. Balor charged at Joe again but Joe was ready and slammed Balor to the mat. Finn battled back and hit a Double Stomp onto Joe. Bray got back into the ring and went for the Sister Abigail but Balor avoided it and knocked Bray to the mat. Balor then hit Bray with the Double Stomp. Balor went for a Slingblade on Joe but Joe caught him and threw him across the ring.

Bray hit Samoa Joe with a Sister Abigail. Balor connected with a Dropkick that sent Wyatt into the corner. Balor then hit the Coupe De Grace onto Bray Wyatt and went for the pinfall. Samoa Joe then came up behind Balor and picked him up. Joe launched Balor into the ring post and Balor fell out of the ring. Joe then pinned Wyatt for the victory.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Reaction: This match was very entertaining and much better than I thought it would be. The rest of the first hour of RAW was very boring. The Miz TV segment to kick off the show wasn’t all that entertaining. It of course led into the standard 6-man tag match that seems to be a part of every WWE show now. I am intrigued about the Kurt Angle storyline that was introduced tonight. I’d also like to find out who attacked Enzo Amore last week.

The #CoupDeGrace CONNECTS on @WWEBrayWyatt and gives the victory to…@SamoaJoe?! #RAW #TripleThreat pic.twitter.com/7pEskA2YC2

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

Rich Swann vs Noam Darr

Sasha Banks came down to the ring with Rich Swann. Alicia Fox came down to the ring with Noam Dar. There will be a mixed tag-team match at Extreme Rules between these four Superstars.

THIS SUNDAY: @GottaGetSwann and @SashaBanksWWE will battle @NoamDar and @AliciaFoxy in a #MixedTag match at #ExtremeRules! #RAW pic.twitter.com/BiNqlCr8Ax

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

Noam Dar controlled the match early as the crowd became silent. Swann fought back and the crowd remained silent. Swann connected with a Clothesline and and a kick to Dar’s head. Swann climbed to the top rope and Alicia Fox jumped onto the ring apron to distract him. Sasha Banks tripped up Fox and slammed her into the ring apron. Swann then hit a Phoenix Splash for the victory.

After the match, Rich Swann and Sasha Banks danced around in the ring.

Winner: Rich Swann

Reaction: I’m hoping that this is just WWE’s way of giving Sasha Banks something to do until the Bayley and Alexa Bliss feud is over. I can’t imagine anyone is looking forward to the tag match at Extreme Rules.

Can you handle THIS?! @GottaGetSwann is VICTORIOUS, and he and @SashaBanksWWE are on the right track heading to #ExtremeRules! #RAW #205Live pic.twitter.com/0FMaQikq8H

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

The Revival were interviewed backstage. Dash still had his jaw wired shut. The Revival were shown at RAW last week and were Charly Caruso asked them if they attacked Enzo Amore. Dawson said that they wouldn’t waste their time on attacking someone like Enzo Amore.

"@real1 is the tilapia of @WWE. He's a bottom-feeder…we don't waste our time with Enzo Amore…" – @ScottDawsonWWE #RAW pic.twitter.com/doKWbsAuug

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Corey Graves insuniated that it might have been Big Cass that attacked Enzo Amore. Big Cass then confronted Graves at the announce table and Graves apologized. Cass then shook Graves’ hand and walked away.

An irate @BigCassWWE wants to know what @WWEGraves meant by the fact that he's seen footage of @real1's attack… #RAW pic.twitter.com/fKazTZL1L9

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Kalisto vs Titus O’Neil

Titus O’Neil won this match quickly by rolling up Kalisto and grabbing his tights. After the match, Apollo Crews argued with O’Neil about him cheating to win. Crews and O’Neil then took a selfie together.

Winner: Titus O’Neil

Questionable victory for @TitusONeilWWE and his #TitusBrand? We'll let you be the judge, but he's FIRED UP! #RAW pic.twitter.com/E49Zc4idba

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Alexa Bliss came down to the ring for a “Bayley This Is Your Life Segment”. Alexa held up Bayley’s first ever doll and launched it out of the ring. Bliss then held up a trophy that Bayley won for sportsmanship. Alexa then threw the trophy out of the ring. Alexa then said that Bayley was voted “most likely to apologize” in her high school yearbook.

Alexa then introduced Mrs. Flapper, who was Bayley’s fourth grade teacher. Mrs. Flapper revealed that Bayley’s father always brought her to class because Bayley couldn’t be away from her dad that long and that she would start to cry. Tracy Havalina was then introduced and she was once Bayley’s best friend. Tracy said that Bayley never wanted to hang out because all she wanted to do was watch wrestling.

Phil Johnson was then introduced as Bayley’s ex-boyfriend. Phil said that Bayley brought her father along on all their dates. The crowd chanted “delete” as Phil Johnson explained that he almost kissed Bayley’s father because he got in the way of Bayley. Phil then revealed that the only reason he dated Bayley was to get close to Tracy. Phil and Tracy then kissed and Bayley interrupted.

Bayley then charged the ring. Bayley planted Bliss with a Suplex and cleared off the table of stuffed animals and pictures. Bayley then pointed to the kendo stick on the pole above the ring. Bayley went to climb to get it but Alexa tripped her up. Alexa then grabbed a kendo stick from under the table and hit Bayley with it.

Reaction: What an awful segment. It was as if an alien descended to our planet and tried to write a wrestling promo. Mrs. Flapper? Phil Johnson? What the hell are we doing here? It was just embarrassing for everyone involved and did absolutely nothing to get people excited for the RAW Women’s Championship match at Extreme Rules.

She might only be #5FeetOfFury, but the #RAW #WomensChampion @AlexaBliss_WWE walks TALL and carries a KENDO STICK tonight… pic.twitter.com/eQ6ixfI8pY

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Enzo Amore was attacked once again backstage. Big Cass and RAW GM Kurt Angle showed up. Cass shouted at Angle and claimed that it was the Revival that attacked him. Angle stated that he saw Dash and Dawson and they weren’t the ones who attacked Enzo. Angle told Cass to go somewhere and cool off. Cass said that he wasn’t leaving Enzo’s side again.

#RAW GM @RealKurtAngle INSISTS that #TheRevival did NOT attack @real1 this time, but @BigCassWWE begs to differ! pic.twitter.com/VbVaMg0iAE

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Neville & TJP vs Jack Gallagher & Austin Aries

Gallagher controlled the match early and Neville got pissed off. Aries was tagged in and Neville rolled out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Neville was in control of the match. TJP entered the match and continued the beatdown on Gallagher. Finally, Gallagher battled back and tagged in Aries. Aries leveled Neville with a Clothesline.

TJP tripped up Aries but was then taken out by Gallagher outside the ring. Aries launched Neville onto Gallagher and TJP. Aries then followed it up by flipping onto Neville and Gallagher. Back in ring, Neville missed a flip and Aries applied the Last Chancery for the submission the victory. After the match, Neville was shocked that he tapped out and Aries mocked him for it.

Winners: Jack Gallagher & Austin Aries

Reaction: I think it might finally be time to give Austin Aries the Cruiserweight Championship. I’m not sure if it will help 205 Live at all, but it would make sense for Neville to drop the belt at Extreme Rules. Neville has been awesome as a heel champion but I think it is time to shake things up a bit in the Cruiserweight division.

A WIN for @AustinAries and @GentlemanJackG tonight…
Can Aries do it again this Sunday at #ExtremeRules? #RAW #205Live pic.twitter.com/8CjCfw0tq5

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Roman Reigns was interviewed backstage. Seth Rollins stated earlier in the evening that he “owns Roman Reigns”. Roman said that their is not a man in this world that owns him and that he will prove tonight why he is the big dog and that this is his yard.

"The only thing I care about tonight is showing him and the rest of the world why I am the BIG DOG…" – @WWERomanReigns on @WWERollins #RAW pic.twitter.com/W4nMLjOiBK

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

Neville was interviewed backstage. Aries was asked if losing via submission concerned him heading into his Submission Match against Austin Aries at Extreme Rules. Neville didn’t respond and angrily walked away.

Another Goldust vignette was shown. Goldust said that R-Truth was holding him back and that Goldust was too big of a star to play a supporting role.

"R-Truth KNEW the truth. He knew that a star like myself was way too big for a supporting role…" – @Goldust on @RonKillings #RAW pic.twitter.com/kJLaxjfAZJ

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

R-Truth responded with a vignette of his own and said that Goldust was going to “get got”.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/869382986617298945

Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins

Rollins connected with a standing Moonsault for a two count early in the match. Reigns connected with a massive right hand and knocked Rollins to the mat. The action spilled out of the ring and Reigns slammed Rollins into the barricade. Reigns then hit the Drive By onto Rollins and knocked him into the ring post. Back in the ring, Reigns went for a Spear but Rollins kneed Roman in the face and knocked him out of the ring. Rollins then hit a Crossbody onto Reigns outside the ring and RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Reigns was back in control and whipped Rollins into the barricade. The action returned to the ring and Reigns launched Rollins into the turnbuckle. Roman clubbed Rollins across the chest several times and followed it up with a boot to Seth’s face. Reigns went for the Superman Punch but Rollins caught him and slammed Roman’s head into the turn buckle. Rollins then planted Reigns with a Slingblade and both Superstars fell to the mat.

Rollins connected with a forearm in the corner and connected with a Dropkick that knocked Reigns out of the ring. Rollins then hit Reigns with a Suicide Dive outside the ring. Back in the ring, Rollins jumped off the top rope but Reigns hit him with a Superman Punch for a two count. Reigns went for the Spear but Rollins countered it into a roll-up for a two count. Rollins then kicked Reigns in the face for another two count.

Seth climbed back to the top rope but Reigns caught him with a right hand. Roman went for a Samoan Drop off the second rope but Rollins rolled through and Powerbombed Reigns into the turnbuckle on the opposite side of the ring. Reigns then immediately hit a Superman Punch and both Superstars fell to the mat. The action once again spilled outside the ring and Rollins slammed Reigns into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Rollins connected with a Blockbuster off the second rope for a two count. Seth climbed up the turnbuckle again and connected with a Frog Splash for a two count. Rollins went for a Phoenix Splash but Reigns got out of the way. Rollins landed on his feet and connected with a kick to Roman’s head. Reigns then hit the Spear for the victory.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Reaction: The main-event between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins was a great match. The Triple Threat match earlier in the night between Samoa Joe, Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt was also very good.  I am interested in the Kurt Angle storyline and who attacked Enzo Amore. The rest of the show wasn’t entertaining in my opinion. RAW and SmackDown have both hit a lull at the same time. I’m hoping that after Extreme Rules we get some new storylines and feuds. I’m having a hard time getting invested in all that much on either RAW and SmackDown right now.

Does anyone have more momentum heading into the #ExtremeRules #Fatal5Way than @WWERomanReigns after this win? #RAW pic.twitter.com/3qHja8cVFW

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

What did you think of this week’s episode of RAW? Let us know in the comments below.

Ring of Honor this week was the first new episode since the “War of the Worlds” PPV. On that night, Kenny Omega fired Adam Cole from Bullet Club and announced their newest member, Marty Scurll.

ROH TV
airdate: May 29th 2017(on Fite App)
Philadelphia, PA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEpox5tsdQk

Bullet Club Segment

The show opened up this week with Hangman Page and the Young Bucks introducing the newest member of Bullet Club, Marty Scurrl. Marty cut a promo saying he was going to throw a “tea party with Marty” but is interrupted by Adam Cole.

Cole said that Bullet Club firing him was the worst mistake they will ever make. Hangman Page then challenged Cole to a match, which is later made official for next week.

1. Josh Woods vs. David Starr

David Starr got a hometown reaction from the Philly crowd, but it didn’t help him any. This was Woods’ first match since winning the 2017 prospects tournament. He works an MMA gimmick and took most of the offence in this match.

Woods wins with a rolling knee-bar for a submission.

Winner: Josh Woods via submission

• Adam Cole vs Hangman Page is made official as next week’s main event.
• Before the 2nd match, Silas Young cut a promo on Jay Lethal. Silas doesn’t like it that Lethal gets all the commercials in ROH, and all the opportunities. He says he doesn’t get what is so great about Jay Lethal. Silas reminds everyone that he beat Jay Lethal in singles competition last time they met. Last week, Silas was shown jumping Lethal in the locker-room after learning he had been given another commercial.
• This brings out Jay Lethal, who wants a match with him. Silas told Lethal he would face the Bruiser instead.

2. Jay Lethal vs. the Beer City Bruiser

The match started off as a brawl, as Silas joined the commentary team. Lethal gained the advantage on the outside as the show went to commercial. After the break, the match was back inside where Lethal once again got the advantage. He looked to go for his flying elbow, but Bruiser rolled out of the ring.

Lethal hit a flying cross body on Bruiser on the outside, then turned his sights to Silas, who was seated at the commentary table. Lethal started throwing punches at Silas and the match was called off.

Silas and Bruiser started to double-team Lethal, but Bobby Fish made the save. Fish and Silas have a long-standing rivalry., so that is probably setting up a tag-team match somewhere down the line.

Result: No Contest. 

3. Cody (Bullet Club) vs. Frankie Kazarian 

Before the match Cody cut a promo saying he should be ROH Champion. His reasoning is that in the main event at War of the Worlds, he had Lethal in a figure-four when Daniels pinned Lethal. Cody claims that since he had the figure-four on the pinned opponent that he should be the winner, not Daniels. So this could mean we get Cody vs Daniels for the title next.

The match was very even, with each guy hitting a few of their signature moves. Cody hit a disaster kick and an Alabama slam. Kazarian hit a spring-board cutter, and a flying moonsault to the outside in the opening moments of the match.

In the final moments, Kazarian countered the Cross Rhodes twice, but Cody’s third attempt was successful, scoring him the win.

Winner: Cody 

The May 29th edition of WWE RAW was the go-home show for Extreme Rules and aired live from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC on the USA Network at 8 PM ET.

– This week’s broadcast opens up with a Memorial Day tribute video narrated by John Cena.

– The Miz and Maryse come out to the ring to kick things off. He welcomes us to Miz TV then starts cutting a promo on Dean Ambrose. The Miz then introduces the “future RAW Tag Team Champions” Cesaro and Sheamus. Miz tells Cesaro and Sheamus they’ve been victimized by the fans who don’t realize the greatness that’s in the ring right now. The Miz goes off on a tangent about how he made the Intercontinental Championship mean something and Ambrose ruined it. This brings out IC Champ Dean Ambrose to interrupt. Ambrose comes down to ringside and calls the trio in the ring buttheads, then says it’s time for someone to shut their mouths. Miz points out that there’s three of them and one of him, which brings out The Hardy Boyz. Ambrose and the Hardys clear the ring, and we’ve got a match.

– Dean Ambrose, Matt & Jeff Hardy def. The Miz, Sheamus & Cesaro: Sheamus and Cesaro work over Matt Hardy early on, with Sheamus hitting the 10 Beats of the Baron, and Cesaro hitting a flying elbow drop. Cesaro knocks Jeff off the apron, then Matt drops Cesaro and tags in Ambrose. Ambrose lays out Cesaro then hits a suicide plancha onto Miz at ringside. Back in the ring, Ambrose goes for the Dirty Deeds on Cesaro but Cesaro fights out. Sheamus tags in and misses a big boot, leading to Ambrose clotheslining him outside. Ambrose goes for a suicide dive but Cesaro grabs him. Jeff and Cesaro brawl at ringside while Sheamus and Ambrose fight in the ring. Miz distracts Ambrose which leads to Sheamus kneeing Ambrose in the face. Miz tags in and hits several kicks on Ambrose for a two count. Sheamus tags in and hits a double-team White Noise with Cesaro on Ambrose for a two count. Sheamus goes for the White Noise off the middle rope, but Ambrose fights him off then hits a flying elbow. Jeff and Miz tag in and Jeff hits an inverted atomic drop then a leg drop. Jeff goes for the Twist of Fate but Miz fights out. Matt tags in and Jeff hits the Poetry In Motion on Miz in the corner. A series of run-ins from the apron leads to Matt hitting a swinging neckbreaker on Miz, then tagging in Jeff for the Swanton Bomb for the win.

#TripleClink #RAW @TheDeanAmbrose @JEFFHARDYBRAND @MATTHARDYBRAND pic.twitter.com/Pe5fF06vy9

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2017

– After the match, we go to the announce table with Michael Cole, Booker T and Corey Graves. Graves looking down at his cell phone, then he gets up and abruptly excuses himself. After a commercial break, we see Graves hand Angle his cell phone. Angle says if what’s on Graves’ phone is true, it could ruin him (him being Angle.)

Where is @WWEGraves going? #RAW pic.twitter.com/vXJhaHD3Og

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

– Elias Samson def. Zac Evans: Samson no-sells chops from Evans then pummels on Evans. He throws the jobber — err, Evans — into the turnbuckle, then slams his head into the ring apron a few times. Samson bends Evans’ back around the ring post, then boots him in the head and lands a few more punches. Samson follows up with a swinging neckbreaker for the win after a short squash match. Corey Graves return to the announce desk after the match.

– Samoa Joe is shown backstage watching footage of Finn Balor. An interviewers approaches him and asks him how he prepares for his triple threat match tonight. Joe says he has studied how to injure Finn Balor, then when he begins talking about Bray Wyatt the screen cuts to black then to Wyatt. Wyatt is in a dark room saying Joe is just like all the rest, and he is the unknown to Joe.

– Samoa Joe def. Finn Balor & Bray Wyatt: Wyatt rolls outside early on, and Joe lays into Balor with punches and chops. Balor comes back with a kick to the head of Joe while Bray watches from outside. Joe rolls out and throws Bray in the ring with Finn. Bray and Finn trade blows in the ring until Balor kicks Wyatt in the head for a pin. Joe breaks up the pin and hits several knee strikes on Balor. Joe throws Balor outside then turns his attention to Wyatt. Balor lays out Joe from behind then goes at it with Wyatt. Joe comes back and throws Wyatt outside then chops Balor in the chest. Joe and Balor go up top, then Wyatt sneaks in and we see a powerbomb-superplex combination. Wyatt goes for the Sister Abigail on Finn, but Joe breaks it up and puts Wyatt in the Coquina Clutch. Balor puts the boots to Joe then throws him outside and hits a suicide dive into both Joe and Bray. Back in the ring, Joe and Bray briefly team up to double team Balor. Balor starts to fight back, but Joe shuts him down with a kick and a senton drop. Wyatt turns on Joe and throws him outside, then Balor takes out Wyatt with a Pele Kick. Balor continues laying into Wyatt with strikes before Joe comes back in and decks Finn. Joe takes Wyatt in the corner for a Pele Kick of his own. Balor drops Joe and hits a knee to the head, then a running dropkick on Wyatt. Balor circles the ring and hits another running dropkick on Joe. Balor hits some chops on Joe until Joe comes back with a side suplex. Joe goes for a Coquina Clutch on Balor but Balor gets out and hits a double foot stomp on Joe. Wyatt comes in and Balor drops him and stomps him too. Balor goes for a Sling Blade on Joe, but Joe catches him and throws him with a belly to belly suplex. Wyatt hits the Sister Abigail on Joe, then Balor hits the Sling Blade on Wyatt. Balor dropkicks Wyatt then hits the stomp off the top rope. Right after he hits it, Joe throws Balor into the ring post and pins Wyatt for the win.

It's EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF as @WWEBrayWyatt, @FinnBalor and @SamoaJoe look to pick up momentum before the #ExtremeRules #Fatal5Way! #RAW pic.twitter.com/CfDBow688p

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2017

– Seth Rollins does an interview backstage where he says the only person on RAW he’s more familiar with than Samoa Joe is Roman Reigns. Rollins says he owns Reigns and he’s going to send a message tonight.

– Rich Swann and Sasha Banks are shown backstage getting ready to come out to the ring.

– Rich Swann def. Noam Dar: Alicia Fox and Sasha Banks are both at ringside for this one. Dar attacks Swann from behind to kick this one off, then follows up with stomps and several submission holds. Swann starts fighting back and drops Dar with a kick. Swann follows up with a modified hangover legdrop for a two count. Alicia gets on the apron so Sasha drops her. Swann follows up with a Phoenix Splash for the win. Rich and Sasha dance in the ring after the match.

– The Revival does an interview backstage where they deny attacking Enzo Amore last week. We then see Big Cass confronting Corey Graves at the announce table about Graves insinuating Cass was involved in Enzo’s attack. Graves says he doesn’t know, just that Kurt Angle is investigating everything. Cass shakes Graves’ hand then walks off.

– Titus O’Neal def. Kalisto: Before the match, Titus cuts a promo backstage telling Apollo Crews he needs to follow his lead. Crews is at ringside for this one. Kalisto hits a kick to the head early on, but Titus hits Kalisto down. Kalisto fires up and hits a headscissor takedown and some strikes. Kalisto tries to roll up Titus, but Titus rolls him up instead and pins him while grabbing his tights. Crews points out that Titus cheated after the match, but Titus says that’s what it takes to win.

– Alexa Bliss is in the ring to talk about her Kendo Stick On A Pole match against Bayley on Sunday at Extreme Rules. Alexa has a table and some people in the ring with her, to present “Bayley: This Is Your Life.” Alexa talks to Bayley’s 4th grade teacher, who says Bayley’s dad sat next to her in class because she would cry without him. Alexa then talks to Bayley’s former best friend, who says they stopped being friends because Bayley always wanted to watch RAW or SmackDown instead of hanging out with her. The fans are chanting “boring” now and Booker says this is hard to watch. The third person with Bliss is Bayley’s ex-boyfriend. He says her dad was with them on their dates, and he only dated Bayley to get close to her former best friend. The former best friend says she always liked him too, and they start kissing. Alexa calls them disgusting. Bayley’s music hits and she comes out and decks Bliss. Bliss grabs a kendo stick from under the table and hits Bayley with it to end the segment.

– We go backstage when Enzo is laying on the ground again, supposedly attacked from behind. Cass and Kurt Angle show up. Cass says he knows it was The Revival who did this to Enzo, but Kurt says he saw The Revival leave earlier. Cass says he’s not leaving Enzo’s side again.

– Austin Aries & Jack Gallagher def. TJ Perkins & Neville: Gallagher starts off in control of Perkins until Neville tags in. Aries tags in next and Neville rolls outside. Aries limps around after the dive. Aries brings Neville back into the ring and goes to the top. Neville avoids a missile dropkick. Neville goes to the ropes but misses the corkscrew 450. Aries goes right into the Last Chancery for the win. Gallagher and Aries hug in the ring after the match.

– Roman Reigns does an interview with Mike Rome backstage where he says he wants to make one thing clear: He doesn’t care if it’s a friend, enemy, or Seth Rollins, no one owns him and he’s going to prove why he’s the big dog tonight.

– Neville is angry backstage and an interviewer approaches him to ask him about suffering his first submission loss since joining the cruiserweight division. Neville doesn’t like the question and he storms off.

– Time for another Shattered Dreams Production. Goldust tells us he’s reached his breaking point, now he’s back where he belongs in the director’s chair. He says R-Truth knows that Goldust was too big of a star for him and Truth is just in a supporting role. He says the Golden Truth film will end soon, and the finish won’t be happy or sad, it’ll be golden. He says The Golden Age is back, but just then Goldust’s feed is interrupted by an “R-Truth Presents” video. Truth mocks Goldust and says he’s going to get him and shut him up.

– Roman Reigns def. Seth Rollins: The opening moments of this one are evenly matched with lots of testing of strength. Rollins does manage to get a two-count on Reigns early on. Rollins escapes a Samoan Drop, but Reigns still drops him with a right hand. Reigns clotheslines Rollins to the outside then brawls with him around ringside. Back in the ring, Reigns goes for the spear early on, but Rollins blocks it with a knee. Rollins now clotheslines Reigns outside and follows up with a suicide dive. Reigns gets the upper hand in the ringside brawling and takes things back in the ring to continue the beat down. Reigns unleashes a series of strikes finishing with a big boot to the face as fans boo. Rollins blocks a Superman punch and hits a Slingblade on Reigns. Rollins hits some running forearms, then dropkicks Reigns out to the floor again. Rollins hits the suicide dive then takes Reigns back in the ring, but Reigns comes right back with a Superman punch for a two count. Rollins blocks a spear and rolls Reigns up for two. Rollins hits a boot to the face for another two count. Rollins goes up top but Reigns crotches him on the turnbuckle. Reigns goes for a super Samoan Drop, but Rollins slides out and hits a powerbomb unto the turnbuckle. Reigns bounces right back from the Buckle Bomb with a Superman punch. They roll outside where Rollins throws Reigns into the steel steps, then back in the ring hits a Blockbuster for a two count. Rollins hits a frogsplash off the top but Reigns kicks out at the two count again. Rollins slowly goes to the top rope for a Phoenix Splash but misses Reigns. They trade strikes in the ring until Reigns ducks a Curb Stomp and hits Rollins with a spear for the win.

– After the match, Reigns celebrates his win in the ring as the announcers promote the Fatal 5 Way Match at Extreme Rules this Sunday.

Former WWE Superstar JTG was recently interviewed on the Kings Of Kayfabe podcast to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:

Has Impact Wrestling contacted you to do work for them? And are you interested in doing work for them?

“I heard some rumors that they were interested in Shad and I. If they contact me and the money is right, I wouldn’t mind going over to TNA and – before I became a professional wrestler I told myself I just didn’t want to be a professional wrestler, I wanted to be a WWE Superstar. There’s a big difference. But if they’re talking that right money, of course I can’t turn down good money. Remember, my gimmick is ‘Money, Money, Yeah, Yeah.’”

What were your thoughts on seeing The Undertaker retire at WrestleMania 33?

“I don’t know if that’s his last match. I enjoyed the match between he and Roman Reigns. I didn’t know which direction it was gonna go, but being a talent and a performer and not knowing what direction the match is going to go, and you get emotionally invested in it, it’s a good match. I personally enjoyed it. I don’t think it’s his last match. I think he has just one more in him. But I personally don’t think Roman Reigns should be his final opponent.”

How do you feel about Jinder Mahal winning the WWE Title at Backlash?

“That was actually inspiring because me and him got released at the same time, and to see him come back and repackaged – that definitely gave me some type of hope. I don’t know if – I mean it’s wishful thinking, but I don’t know if I could go back and become WWE Champion but they gave him an opportunity and I’m just happy to see that the got the ball and I’m ready to see him run with it.”

Do you have any good stories or memories with him backstage?

“You got me on the spot, I got a few but I’m trying to think right now. Nah not right now but he was always the locker room leader – oh there is one. SummerSlam in Los Angeles. You might have watched this if you watch Dave Chappelle, like Prince. He has like an aura right? Same thing with Undertaker. I was at SummerSlam and me and Beth Phoenix were sitting next to each other, and we kind of just looked at each other – it was weird there was no communication. We just kind of looked at each other and we felt something, and then we looked around and we saw The Undertaker. Then we were like ‘Oh sh*t did you feel that?’ We were like ‘Yeah, he has some type of aura around him.’ I was like ‘Yeah sort of like Prince.’ She was like ‘Yeah exactly, like the Prince episode!’ I thought it was bullsh*t. I don’t know if he meditated before he does his match but you definitely felt his presence without knowing that he’s there. But that’s real.”

You can check out the full interview by clicking here.

Former WWE Superstar Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) recently did an interview with Sportskeeda to talk about his time with the WWE. You can check out some of the highlights here:

Do you feel that high flyers in the WWE are not given the same opportunity, or that they’re unfairly put in the midcard?

“No, it’s different because I don’t care about TV time. I see wrestling very different from other people. Maybe according to certain people, I’ve heard that as a commonality. I’ll be honest; I never felt like I got a lack of time. Now they have their own TV show, and 205 Live didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s something WWE had been planning for ten years. You can’t just make the show appear like that.

“They work hard to feature all their wrestlers, and they’re trying to maximize the amount of money they can make out of everybody, which is what WWE does really well, and they’ve managed to turn that not only into their own feature, but they could possibly turn that into a brand which travels separately and earns WWE a fourth income. So it’s in the best interest that they feature the cruiserweights. But sometimes there are the iconic people like Conor McGregor and George St. Pierre. You need the Bryan Danielsons, and Nevilles and even the bigger guys. What I’m saying is that there’s no height or weight requirement to be an entertainer, and that’s something that Austin Aries taught me when I was very young, and it shows right now with these incredible, eye-catching performers, and it’s regardless of the height or weight, so that’s my take on that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC2Y-XnFkfs

WWE Superstar John Cena recently did an interview on the Playback podcast to discuss his storied WWE career. Cena discussed what he’d like to do with the company after he’s done working in the ring, when he’ll retire, and much more. Check out the highlights here:

What position he’d like with the WWE after he’s done wrestling:

“Yeah, people don’t understand it’s a business of creativity and I’m wearing a suit right now because I’m comfortable in a suit. Everyone’s like, ‘ah, dress casual.’ This is my casual. I don’t mind being in a suit. I have a more Vince [McMahon] style than I have a Triple H style, but you get to be creative. What Triple H has done with NXT is literally creating another functioning brand for the company. That is awesome! Like, I tell him all the time. I’m fascinated by the growth and development. It’s amazing to see them run two functional brands now we legit have a third that we can set up in a town for one of our big four pay-per-views and sell out five days in a row. That’s unheard of in the ticket-tearing business. That’s unheard of.”

Wanting to help out at the Performance Center on a daily basis:

“I would love to do something like that and I don’t even mean in that major of a capacity. I live very close to the [WWE] Performance Center in Orlando [Florida]. I would love to just go there everyday and give advice.” Cena continued, “I love going to the Performance Center every once in a while and just giving a way left field look of, ‘I know you’re being told this by your coaches, I’ll drop, like, some weird fortune cookie moments on them and just about-face and leave and everyone’s scratching their heads going, ‘what happened?’. I like that too, man. You don’t have to be in charge of creativity to be around the creativity. I just love the creativity of the [pro wrestling] business.”

When he’ll retire:

“They would have to tell me that they don’t need me anymore. And trust me, after 15 years of service, if they tell me that, I walk away with a stern handshake, a genuine smile, and a heartfelt ‘thank you’ because I’ve overstayed my welcome in some aspects. This is a dream ride for me, but it’s not like I’m getting into the other gig to leave the other one behind. WWE is legit my home. I consider them my family. I have such a close connection with all the people that are responsible for the brand.” Cena said, “but until they say that, I’d like to think that I can contribute in some capacity.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2fvTVYMig4&t=22s

His best match in WWE:

“The answer to my greatest match question is always the same. It’s my next one because that means I can continue doing what I love. My favorite moment is obviously when Nicole said she would marry me in front of 75,000 [people] at the Citrus Bowl.”

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 being the best match he’s ever seen:

“The greatest match I’ve ever seen? Hmm… Undertaker/Shawn Michaels, the first time, WrestleMania. That’s the one I had to follow and I remember sitting in the gorilla position with Big Show and Edge. We had the triple threat [match] at the time. And they just went out and crafted a masterpiece, an absolute masterpiece. And I remember Big Show being so nervous and Edge was a little bit upside-down because those guys took their time and they were taking time from us.” Cena continued, “and we got cut a little bit and I knew in my heart that we’d be fine and there’s an iconic moment where I lift up Adam [Copeland] and Paul [Wight], Big Show and Edge, and that’s all anyone remembers, but they remember that. And I remember the feeling of just watching this, going, ‘this is the best match I’ve ever seen! This is the best match I’ve ever seen! This is the best match I’ve ever seen! This is the best match I’ve ever seen. s–t. I have to follow this.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcribed quotes

The Young Bucks recently did an interview with A Music Blog, Yea? (AMBY) to talk about their careers in the professional wrestling industry, as well as the possibility of signing with the WWE one day. You can check out some of the highlights from their interview here below:

How much longer they plan on wrestling:

Matt: “It’s a constant state of jet lag, and tiredness, and caffeine. This is our life.”

Nick: “It’s cool though, because we know we only have a certain window to do this and we’re trying to enjoy every minute of it. Because, I’m not going to be do this in fifteen years.”

Matt: “No! I’m not going to be doing this in eight years.”

How they formed the ‘Elite’ idea:

Matt: “Yeah, it was like a tongue-in-cheek thing, ‘Yeah, we’re the elite wrestlers in the world,’ right? Then one day, on the fly- it was scripted for Kenny [Omega] to turn on AJ [Styles], but it wasn’t scripted for us to return to the ring – just the three of us – and then jump him and beat him up more, and then take a picture. That was something we just did on our own, and then we get to the back and people are already sending me picture on Twitter. I put ‘The Elite of the Bullet Club’ as a caption, and immediately people were like ‘Woah, what’s that?’ and I’m like ‘We need a shirt! We need a shirt!'”

Staying independent wrestlers:

Matt: “It’s because of them [the fans] that we still able to be independent, we haven’t had to go ‘corporate’ – or whatever you want to call it – and go sign with WWE, because we don’t have to. We absolutely don’t have to. We actually, probably, make more money with what we’re doing now, independently, as artists, than we do if we join that place, which is crazy, it’s mind-blowing to me that’s a thing. It’s a road less travel, or a road that’s never really done [before]. We paved this thing. Not a lot of people have gotten to do this, we’re kind of like the first guys to do, there [are] guys like Colt Cabana, who I have to give credit to, because the guy is a genius. He’s like the forefather of this whole thing.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcribed quotes

Former WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes recently did an interview with CBS Sports’ Chuck Carroll to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. You can check out some highlights here below:

You mentioned your wife [Brandi Rhodes]. When last we spoke, she was still training and premiered with Impact. How is that coming along? What does the future hold for her?

“She’s crazy. She wants to do tables and tacks. She asked me about flash paper the other day.”

Shut up. Seriously?

“Yeah! She did tacks with Joey Ryan at WrestlePro in Orlando. I gave her the worst advice ever and said you won’t feel it because of the adrenaline. And then I could tell she felt every bit of it. But flash paper is when you’re literally throwing a fireball at somebody. So, I might draw the line at flash paper. She likes that gritty element of what we do. It’s funny, because I don’t know if she watched any ECW or death-match stuff or any old Terry Funk stuff. Maybe she has been.”

You did an interview with Sports Illustrated not long ago where you said that it was almost time to make a decision on a permanent new home. What goes into the decision?

“I guess I spoke too soon. It’s probably not time to make a decision. But if I did make a decision, it’s just a matter of trust. There’s so little trust in pro wrestling. So little. And there should be. We all love this thing and want to put on the best show and fill all of the seats in the house. But it’s trust and being around people in the office that I trust. I trust every guy in the locker room for the most part. But it’s finding that top brass in most companies that I know, if I put my name on the dotted line, that I’ll be taken care of. Honestly, any offer that came my way I haven’t really looked at. My date book is still pretty deep — all the way through September. It goes everywhere. We’ll probably revisit it then.”

So end of September, but you don’t have a firm date?

“No, and I keep adding independent dates. So who knows?”

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently did an interview with The A.V. Club, where he was asked about his autobiography, Slobberknocker: My Life In Wrestling. During the interview, Ross was asked if there’s anything in the book that Ross was surprised he included, to which “Good Ole’ JR” responded that he was surprised he opened up about his past drug addiction. Check out what he had to say here:

His drug addiction:

“You’re going to hear about my addiction to drugs. I was addicted to Ambien and Xanax, together, with Crown Royal. I was on Uranus, and Pluto, and Neptune, and everywhere else late at night. [Because] I had severe sleep apnea – and still do – I stopped breathing 99 times in an hour in a sleep test. So I wasn’t in real great shape with that deal.”

How he broke his addiction:

“Ambien is a temporary medication for insomnia. Temporary. Not ten years. …It’s not a [revolutionary] story, it’s eye-opening, and shows it can happen to anybody. It was like smoking, I just decided one day to quit smoking, and stopped. Done, I’m done.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions 

WWE has released video of the recent tryouts the company held in Dubai. The company held 3 days of tryouts at the end of April, but have yet to announce signing any of the participants.

WWE posted the following video earlier:

Wrestling’s Race for India

Impact Wrestling and WWE appear to be in a race to establish themselves in India, where JBL has noted several times, there is a population of 1.3 billion.

While Impact is in the country for a set of TV tapings, WWE has planned to tour the country in September. It will be interesting to see if WWE decides to air a Network special from the country on that tour or not. A Jinder Mahal WWE title defence from India could provide a unique, and entertaining atmosphere.

Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s newest movie, “Baywatch”, did not do well at the Box Office for its opening weekend. The film, which currently holds only a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, only brought in $22 million this weekend.

In comparison, Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean 5” brought in $77 million this weekend.

Groom Uses the Rock’s Entrance at Wedding

The weekend wasn’t all bad for the Rock however, as video of a man using his old entrance theme at his wedding went viral. The Rock himself commented on the video:

Check this out. AWESOME. (this is also how I saunter around the house after a few drinks;). Congrats brotha to you and the lovely bride ?? ? https://t.co/ovtrK9T10b

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 27, 2017

The Austin, Texas based independent promotion, Wrestle Circus, ran their 10th event this weekend. In a 6-person match, 3 up-and-coming prospects decided to mock the recent controversy surrounding Randy Orton’s social media comments about “… dives”.

Wrestle Circus

For a young independent promotion, there appears to be some money backing Wrestle Circus.

The promotion has brought in names such as the Lucha Brothers, John Morrison, Taya Valkyrie, and Joey Ryan in recent events. Sammy Guevara, Shane Strickland and Mr. 450 are the Wrestle Circus wrestlers who abandoned their …dive plans in favour of RKOs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdwBw990Z6U

New Japan Pro Wrestling has released the classic bout between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura from 2016’s Wrestle Kingdom 10 show for free on YouTube/NJPW World.

This was the first ever singles encounter between AJ and Shinsuke, and it would end up being their only match together for New Japan. Both men reportedly handed in their notice to New Japan prior to this event, AJ appeared for WWE at the Royal Rumble later that month and Shinsuke debuted in NXT against Sami Zayn over Wrestlemania weekend. Their recent tag team match on Smackdown is the first time that both men have been seen together on a broadcast since January 4th 2016.

The IWGP Intercontinental Championship was on the line in this match and it was generally regarded as the best match on the card. Many heralded this contest as the Match of the Year in 2016 so if you have not yet had the chance to view it or you have never seen Shinsuke Nakamura outside of his WWE run then now is your chance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGc84UXduqE