Archive for August, 2017

Enzo Amore Makes 205 Live Debut (Video)

Enzo Amore made his 205 Live debut on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. During a speech by WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville, Enzo interrupted and did his usual entrance.

Enzo declared that 205 Live is now the “realest show in the room,” and lead the crowd in a “SAWFT” chant directed towards Neville.

Earlier in August, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE was exploring options to remove Enzo from Monday night RAW. SmackDown wasn’t being considered for Enzo as management reportedly wanted him “away” from Vince McMahon. More reports have since circulated online indicating that Enzo isn’t well-liked backstage, and there’s one story that Roman Reigns kicked Enzo off of the talent bus due to his behavior.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Paige Not Being Charged For The Airport Incident, Case Reportedly Closed Now

The infamous airport incident involving former WWE Star Alberto Del Rio and his girlfriend Paige has made a lot of headlines, though now it appears that this saga will finally be coming to an end.

We noted before that Alberto Del Rio was no longer a suspect in the incident and now a latest report from TMZ has revealed that Paige is not being hit with domestic violence charge either.

The Female WWE Star has previously admitted that she was the aggressor in the incident and she threw a drink on Alberto. After an investigation, the Orlando Police Department had recommended Paige to be charged for the incident.

However, since Del Rio who is a victim in the case didn’t want to move forward with the charges, the case is now reportedly closed according to State Attorney’s Office.

It’s worth mentioning here that Alberto was suspended by GFW due to his involvement in the incident, and his suspension has not been lifted yet.

While many believed that the former GFW World Champion would be cleared to return before the GFW TV Tapings last week, he was instead stripped of the title by the Officials and currently there is no news on when or if he will return to the company.

On the other hand, Paige who is still under a WWE contract has spoken about her WWE return multiple times in the past saying she is hopeful to come back very soon.

Although WWE’s stand on the whole situation is not known and it’s doubtful if the company even wants the former Diva’s Champion to return.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

Ziggler Returns To TV (Video), Kurt Angle & Shelton Benjamin Reunite (Photo), No DQ Match On 205 Live

– After being taken off of WWE TV for several weeks, Dolph Ziggler made his return to SmackDown on Tuesday night. Ziggler made his return in Brooklyn in the above backstage interview with Dasha Fuentes, where Ziggler said he wasn’t thrilled about returning in that capacity. During his return promo, Ziggler took shots at the various WWE gimmick he had been watching while he was away. The former World Heavyweight Champ said he now knows what it takes to become a star in WWE, and he’s going to show us what he learned next week on SmackDown from Arkansas.

– Shelton Benjamin made his long-awaited return to WWE on Tuesday’s SmackDown, and during the show Kurt Angle took the opportunity to share a picture he took with Shelton at their hotel. In Angle’s post, he jokes that he wanted Benjamin to join him on RAW. Angle and Benjamin worked together frequently during Angle’s first WWE run as a part of the Team Angle stable with Charlie Haas. Benjamin and Haas won the WWE Tag Team Titles in February 2003 as part of Team Angle, then were fired by Angle after losing the Titles that May. On Tuesday’s SmackDown, show GM Daniel Bryan announced that Benjamin will be teaming up with Chad Gable starting on next week’s show.

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

– Next week’s episode of WWE’s 205 Live will feature Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick in a No DQ match. Their “gentleman’s duel” on Tuesday’s show resulted in Kendrick putting Gallagher through a table.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in WWE. Tagged: , .

Jon Jones Fails Drug Test For Steroids; Lesnar Dream Fight Likely Off

Jon Jones has reportedly tested positive for an anabolic steroid, and is expected to be stripped of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. TMZ Sports reports that Jones is facing a ban from competition of up to four years – essentially ruling out a fight between Jones and Brock Lesnar.

Some fans had been hoping for a “dream fight” between Jones and Lesnar after the two recently made public comments about each other. Both before and after UFC 214, Jones indicated that he wants a piece of Lesnar. “Brock Lesnar, if you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy that weighs 40 pounds less than you, come meet me in the octagon,” Jones said after his UFC 214 victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg5r4jZyfdg

But that UFC 214 victory has now been stripped from Jones, along with the Light Heavyweight Title he won from Daniel Cormier after a third-round knockout. On weigh-in day for the fight Jones tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid, making this his second failed USADA drug test. UFC President Dana White confirmed to ESPN that Jones has all-but-formally been stripped of the Title, and the formalities will likely be done soon.

The UFC issued the following statement about the news on Tuesday night:

“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Jon Jones of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an in-competition sample collected following his weigh-in on July 28, 2017.

USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Jones, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) also retains jurisdiction over this matter as the sample collection was performed the day before Jones’ bout at UFC 214 in Anaheim, CA, and USADA will work to ensure that the CSAC has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Jones’ potential anti-doping violation.

Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News. Tagged: .

Triple H Comments On Bobby Roode’s SmackDown Debut, Dark Match, WWE Hero Award Video

– As previously noted, former NXT & TNA Champion Bobby Roode made his SmackDown debut on Tuesday night in a victory against Aiden English. Triple H took to Twitter during Tuesday’s show to welcome Roode to the WWE main roster, writing “One chapter ends and another #Glorious one begins.”

– The pre-show dark match at the Barclays Center before SmackDown tonight was Tyler Breeze & Fandango vs. The Ascension. Breeze and Fandango scored the win.

– WWE uploaded the below new video on Tuesday night to honor Hero Award recipient Denise Taylor from the JCC of Staten Island, NY.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Big Cass Undergoing Surgery, Could Miss 9 Months

Big Cass was injured on Monday’s episode of WWE RAW during his Brooklyn Street Fight with Enzo Amore on RAW last night. Cass charged at Enzo while he was leaning on the ropes. Enzo ducked and Cass went tumbling out of the ring and landed awkwardly on his leg. The match was then stopped because Big Cass was unable to continue.

Big Cass underwent an MRI today and WWE has released the following update:

AUG. 22 UPDATE: An initial MRI of Big Cass’ left knee shows that he will require surgery.

“It looks like he has an ACL tear, possibly a medial meniscus tear, but we’re going to wait for the radiologist to evaluate the MRI and give us their full report,” WWE ringside physician Dr. Chris Robinson said.

The seven-footer will be undergoing surgery this week to repair the damage, which will be the start of a long road back to the squared circle.

“A typical ACL tear takes about nine months [to recover from],” Robinson said.

Big Cass suffered the injury to his left knee during the Brooklyn Street Fight against Enzo Amore on Raw. The injury occurred after Amore dodged a big boot by pulling down the top rope, sending Cass to the floor in the process.

“It’s hard to tell what the extent of the injury is, but we’re going to send him to get an MRI tomorrow and figure that out,” said WWE ringside physician Dr. Chris Robinson.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE SmackDown Recap & Reaction (8/22)

United States Champion AJ Styles kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown. The crowd chanted “AJ Styles!” as AJ stood in the ring. Styles then welcomed everyone to SmackDown Live and stated that SmackDown was the house that AJ Styles built. AJ Styles then announced that he was reinstating tonight the United States Open Challenge.

Kevin Owens came down to the entrance ramp with a pissed off look on his face. Styles said that he defeated Owens at SummerSlam and that they are done. Owens said that Styles did not defeat him at SummerSlam and blamed Shane McMahon for his loss at WWE SummerSlam on Sunday.

Shane McMahon then came down to the ring and joined Owens and Styles. Shane stated that he called the match at SummerSlam right down the middle and that AJ won the match fair and square. Owens disagreed and questioned why Shane can survive helicopter crashes but cannot withstand being grazed by 450 Splash from Styles.

Owens then rolled footage of Shane counting to three as AJ’s foot was on the rope. Owens complained about being screwed over by the referee a couple weeks ago even though his shoulders were off the ground. Owens didn’t understand why that decision stood and why Owens wasn’t awarded a victory at SummerSlam. Shane said that his decision stands and Owens threw a tantrum. AJ then called Owens a “whiny ass little bitch”.

Styles then said that Owens can have his match tonight. Owens then questioned Shane and Owens’ manhood and said that he wanted to pick the referee for the match tonight. AJ said that he didn’t care who the referee was and agreed to the stipulation. Shane McMahon then stated that no matter what this will be the final match between the two for the United States Champion.

The Singh Brothers and Jinder Mahal had a conversation with WWE Champion Daniel Bryan backstage. Daniel Bryan accused Mahal of not being able to win a match without The Singh Brothers. Mahal then said that he thought Daniel Bryan was better than this and accused him of being xenophobic. Bryan announced that Shinsuke Nakamura will face The Singh Brothers later tonight.

Kevin Owens approached Sami Zayn backstage. Owens said that Zayn is the only person he trusts on the roster. Owens also noted that Zayn has been doing absolutely nothing since coming to SmackDown. Zayn didn’t give an answer right away and Owens asked Zayn to think about it.

Aiden English performed a song in the ring. The light’s went out and Bobby Roode’s music hit. Roode appeared on the entrance ramp as the Brooklyn crowd sang his theme music. Roode then made his way to the ring as the crowd continued to sing along.

Bobby Roode vs Aiden English

The crowd chanted “Bobby Roode!” as the bell rang. Roode posed in the ring and the crowd chanted “glorious”. Aiden English took a bow in the ring as the crowd booed. Roode connected with a Clothesline and knocked him out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

During the break, English took his sweet time getting back in the ring. English finally returned to the ring and Roode connected with a chop in the corner. Roode then stomped on English in the corner and once again posed for the crowd. English booted Roode in the chest and then bounced his head off the turnbuckle. English then planted Roode with a Suplex for a two count.

When SmackDown returned, English was still in control of the match and started slapping Roode in the back of the head. Roode got pissed off and launched English into the corner. Roode connected with a couple of chops and then hit an inverted Atomic Drop. Roode hit a Clothesline in the corner and then hopped up to the second rope and hit a Blockbuster. English hit the Director’s Cut for a two count.

Aiden made his way up to the top turnbuckle and tried to jump on Roode but Bobby ducked out of the way. Roode then planted English with the Spinebuster and followed it up with the Glorious DDT for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Bobby Roode

Renee Young then interviewed Bobby Roode after the match. Renee asked what brought Roode to SmackDown and Roode congratulated Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan for cashing in on the hottest free agent in sports entertainment today. Roode said that everything he does is big box office. Roode said that now that he is here, SmackDown has gone from being great to absolutely glorious. Roode then posed for the crowd once again as his music hit.

SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan had a conversation with Chad Gable backstage. Daniel Bryan said that he was sorry that Gable’s tag team partner joined the RAW roster. Gable got frustrated that all everyone wants to talk to him about is the fact that Jason Jordan is Kurt Angle’s son. Gable said that he is focused on his future in WWE and not his past. Daniel Bryan agreed and said that he had a surprise for him.

Daniel Bryan said that he didn’t just give Jason Jordan to WWE RAW, he asked Angle to help him sign one of his friends.

Bryan then announced that he signed Shelton Benjamin and Benjamin joined them backstage. Bryan suggested that Gable and Benjamin form a tag team. Gable thought that sounded great and it was announced that Gable and Benjamin will debut as a tag team next week on SmackDown.

Sami Zayn informed Kevin Owens that he doesn’t want to referee his match later tonight against AJ Styles.

The Usos vs Hype Bros

This was a quick back and forth match. The Hype Bros put up a fight for a couple of minutes but eventually Jey Uso connected with a Superkick on Zack Ryder for the victory.

Winners: The Usos

After the match, The Usos cut a promo about how they own the division now and bragged about defeating New Day at WWE SummerSlam.

Reaction: The first hour of SmackDown has been very eventful. First, there was the Bobby Roode debut. That was an okay match but I’m more excited about the future of Bobby Roode on SmackDown. This opportunity is long overdue for Bobby Roode and I hope he has a very successful run on the main roster.

Shelton Benjamin also made his return to WWE and will team up with Chad Gable next week. Gable and Benjamin are terrific in the ring and that is an immediate upgrade to SmackDown’s tag team division. I actually wanted Sami Zayn to take up Kevin Owens’ offer and be the referee for the match tonight. It would be nice to see Sami Zayn in a relevant storyline for once, instead of wasting away every week on SmackDown.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs The Singh Brothers

Jinder Mahal was ringside for this match and kept trying to distract Nakamura. It didn’t work as Nakamura quickly won via a Triangle submission hold. After the match, Mahal tried to attack Nakamura but Shinsuke leveled him with the Kinshasa.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Breezango offered to be the referees for tonight’s match to Kevin Owens but Owens declined. Corbin then said that he wanted to be the referee but only if he gets the first shot at the United States Championship if Owens wins. Owens agreed and gave him the referee shirt.

Natalya cut a promo and vowed to be the SmackDown Women’s Champion forever. Natalya also got rid of Naomi’s glow belt. Carmella interrupted and raised the MITB contract. Carmella reminded Natalya that she will cash in at any time.

Carmella & Natalya vs Becky Lynch & Naomi

Carmella avoided Naomi in the beginning of the match and quickly tagged in Natalya as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Becky Lynch was in control of the match and Natalya tried to call timeout. Natalya bounced Becky’s head off the turnbuckle and then posed in the ring.

Natalya applied a Chin Lock to Becky as Carmella taunted Becky from the ring apron. Becky fought out of the hold but Natalya leveled her with the Clothesline. Natalya then punched Naomi off the ring apron. Natalya tried to tag in Carmella but she jumped off the ring apron. Natalya shouted at Carmella and Becky rolled Natalya up for a two count.

Naomi was then tagged in. Carmella was standing on the ring apron with the briefcase. Carmella was shouting at Ellsworth and not paying attention. Natalya then tagged Carmella in and proceeded to chase her around the ring. Carmella finally got in the ring and Becky hit her with an Exploder Suplex. Naomi then connected with the split-legged Moonsault for the pinfall victory.

Winners: Becky Lynch & Naomi

Dolph Ziggler made his return to SmackDown and was interviewed backstage. Ziggler said that he was watching a lot of WWE while he was gone and he figured out what it takes to be a star in WWE. He then sarcastically said that he was going to start singing, dancing and get a big fancy robe. Ziggler said that he is going to get a beautiful woman that glows in the dark to escort him to the ring because that is what the WWE Universe wants. Ziggler said that he will return to the ring next week and walked away.

Lana and Tamina had a conversation backstage. Lana told Tamina to close her eyes and remember the feeling of being in a locker room full of people but they don’t see you because you are different and don’t fit in. Lana then told Tamina to let that feeling sit in and let the anger boil over. Lana told Tamina to open her eyes and now the “ravishing reign of terror begins” and they will not stop until Tamina becomes SmackDown Women’s Champion.

AJ Styles was walking backstage and was interrupted by Baron Corbin. Styles said that when he wins the match tonight, there will be a United States Open Challenge every week and told Corbin to answer the challenge.

United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs Kevin Owens ( w/ Special Referee Baron Corbin)

Owens started out the match in control and beatdown Styles in the corner with a series of chops. The crowd was behind the United States Champion and started chanting “AJ Styles!”. AJ connected with a Dropkick and Owens rolled out of the ring. Styles then hit a forearm to Owens outside the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returns, Styles was still in control and connected with a Pele Kick that knocked Owens out of the ring. Owens tripped up Styles on the ring apron and then hit a Fallaway Slam that sent AJ into the barricade. Back in the ring, Owens went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two.

Owens then applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Styles got out of the hold and connected with a Facebuster. Owens and AJ traded punches. AJ got the upper-hand and knocked Owens to the mat with a Clothesline. AJ planted Owens with a Fireman’s Carry Neckbreaker.

Styles locked in the Calf Crusher but Owens touched the ropes and Baron Corbin broke up the hold for some reason. Corbin and Styles started arguing in the ring. Owens shoved AJ into Corbin. Corbin then shoved Styles and Kevin Owens rolled AJ up for a two count. Shane McMahon then sprinted to the ring and accused Corbin of counting too fast. Corbin and Shane were arguing and Owens used the distraction to hit a low-blow.

Baron Corbin tried to count and Shane McMahon pulled him out of the ring. Corbin and Shane started arguing again and Corbin took off the shirt and gave it to Shane McMahon. Corbin then walked away as Shane put on the referee shirt. Owens got pissed off and started shouting at Shane McMahon in the ring. Styles immediately hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the victory.

Winner & Still United States Champion: AJ Styles

Reaction: The main-event was a decent match. This is obviously heading towards some kind of match between Shane McMahon in the near future. The crowd didn’t react at all to Dolph Ziggler’s backstage interview. His “new” character just seems to be a bitter Superstar that thinks the crowd should respect him more.

Shinsuke Nakamura got some revenge on Jinder Mahal tonight, but overall I’ve been very disappointed with how WWE has booked Shinsuke. Since coming to the main roster, he has lost a ton of momentum and his match with Mahal didn’t help that at all. Overall, tonight’s episode of SmackDown was decent. The best parts of the show were Bobby Roode making his main roster debut and Shelton Benjamin returning to WWE.

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

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE.

Shelton Benjamin Returns On SmackDown (Video)

SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan had a conversation with Chad Gable backstage. Daniel Bryan said that he was sorry that Gable’s tag team partner joined the RAW roster. Gable got frustrated that all everyone wants to talk to him about is the fact that Jason Jordan is Kurt Angle’s son. Gable said that he is focused on his future in WWE and not his past. Daniel Bryan agreed and said that he had a surprise for him.

Daniel Bryan said that he didn’t just give Jason Jordan to WWE RAW, he asked Angle to help him sign one of his friends.

Bryan then announced that he signed Shelton Benjamin and Benjamin joined them backstage. Bryan suggested that Gable and Benjamin form a tag team and suggest that they give it a test drive next week on SmackDown.

Gable was pumped up and said that sounded like a great idea. Bryan then shook Benjamin’s hand and welcomed him to SmackDown as the crowd cheered.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Bobby Roode Arrives On WWE SmackDown (Video)

Aiden English performed a song in the ring. The light’s went out and Bobby Roode’s music hit. Roode appeared on the entrance ramp as the Brooklyn crowd sang his theme music. Roode then made his way to the ring as the crowd continued to sing along.

Bobby Roode vs Aiden English

The crowd chanted “Bobby Roode!” as the bell rang. Roode posed in the ring and the crowd chanted “glorious”. Aiden English took a bow in the ring as the crowd booed. Roode connected with a Clothesline and knocked him out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

During the break, English took his sweet time getting back in the ring. English finally returned to the ring and Roode connected with a chop in the corner. Roode then stomped on English in the corner and once again posed for the crowd. English booted Roode in the chest and then bounced his head off the turnbuckle. English then planted Roode with a Suplex for a two count.

When SmackDown returned, English was still in control of the match and started slapping Roode in the back of the head. Roode got pissed off and launched English into the corner. Roode connected with a couple of chops and then hit an inverted Atomic Drop. Roode hit a Clothesline in the corner and then hopped up to the second rope and hit a Blockbuster. English hit the Director’s Cut for a two count.

Aiden made his way up to the top turnbuckle and tried to jump on Roode but Bobby ducked out of the way. Roode then planted English with the Spinebuster and followed it up with the Glorious DDT for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Bobby Roode

Renee Young then interviewed Bobby Roode after the match. Renee asked what brought Roode to SmackDown and Roode congratulated Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan for cashing in on the hottest free agent in sports entertainment today. Roode said that everything he does is big box office. Roode said that now that he is here, SmackDown has gone from being great to absolutely glorious. Roode then posed for the crowd once again as his music hit.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Sami Callihan Talks About Why He Departed From WWE, Working With Triple H, More

Sami Callihan, who worked in WWE NXT from 2012-2015 as Solomon Crowe, recently spoke with WSVN-TV Entertainment Reporter Chris Van Vliet about various topics including the reason he asked for his release from the company, Triple H and more. Here are the highlights:

If leaving WWE was the best decision of his professional career:

“Absolutely. Because I’ll be the first to say that I wasn’t Sami Callihan when I went there. I changed who I was, walked on eggshells and for lack of better terms, I became a b—h. I wasn’t myself and if I could go back and do it again I feel like it would be a whole different story. But I tried to change. I tried to become everything they wanted me to be instead of sticking to my guns and ride or die. But I think everything happens for a reason because now I’ve left and become one of the biggest stars in the world again despite not being backed by that WWE machine.”

“I was lucky that everything I did at WWE was on good terms. I was a model citizen. Like everything I do in my life, I don’t half ass things. I was a model citizen at the Performance Center and did everything they wanted me to do. I did extra training. I would help with promo class. Anything that was every asked of me. When I was injured, I would do commentary just to show my face. I made really good relationships and when I left they said the door is open, just go out and do what you gotta do.”

Working with Triple H:

“Triple H is one of the boys. People can say about him what they want, but being in the power position that he’s in he would stay after NXT tapings for hours. NXT wrestlers would be lined up out the door waiting to talk to him and maybe not every time, but the majority of the time he would stay there until he talked to every single person that wanted to talk to him. We knew that that was the boss and his input was what we actually needed.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (8/22)

The August 22nd edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and was the first episode of SmackDown after SummerSlam 2017.

– WWE United States Champion AJ Styles makes his way out to the ring to kick off the post-SummerSlam edition of SmackDown. AJ gets on the mic and welcomes us to SmackDown, “the house that AJ Styles built.” AJ says he’s the biggest workhorse in WWE, and now it’s time to begin the United States Championship Open Challenge again. Kevin Owen’s music hits and Owens comes down to the ring and complains that AJ Styles’ victory over him at SummerSlam was another McMahon family screwjob of a Canadian. Shane McMahon comes out next and takes issues with Owens’ comments. Shane steps in the ring and says that Owens was beaten fair and square on Sunday. Owens shows footage on the Titantron of a call Shane made at SummerSlam that he wasn’t pleased with. Owens gets in Shane’s face and complains until AJ tells Owens he’s being a “whining bitch.” Owens challenges AJ to a U.S. Title match tonight, but this time Owens wants to pick the referee. AJ accepts, and Shane adds the stipulation that this will be Owens’ last opportunity to face AJ for the U.S. Title as long as AJ has the belt.

– Daniel Bryan is backstage on the phone when The Singh Brothers walk in. They introduce WWE Champion Jinder Mahal to the room. Mahal walks in and says he knows why Bryan wants to talk to him right now, then talks about how great he is. Bryan says he doesn’t think Mahal can win without the help of the Singh Brothers. Mahal says Bryan is just another xenophobic American and he’s really a hero. Bryan says heroes don’t take shortcuts like Mahal does, then Bryan books the Singh Brothers in a match against Shinsuke Nakamura tonight so Nakamura can get some revenge for SummerSlam.

– Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have a conversation backstage where they seem to make amends. Owens says maybe they shouldn’t be fighting each other, but rather against others. Owens tells Zayn that since coming to SmackDown he hasn’t done anything that matters, but tonight he can do something that counts by being the referee in Owens’ match tonight against Styles. Owens asks Zayn just to consider it, and Zayn looks skeptical.

– Aiden English is in the ring for a song, but he’s quickly interrupted by Bobby Roode who is making his SmackDown & WWE main roster debut. Roode makes his glorious entrance and Aiden English is not happy. Roode’s debut match is up next.

– Bobby Roode vs. Aiden English: Roode starts off strong as he knocks English to the outside. Back in the ring Roode lays into English with chops to the chest then hits a back body drop. English comes back with a kick to the midsection, then he takes Roode into the corner for more strikes. The fight spills out to ringside where English whips Roode into the fan barricade then hits a splash on him. Back in the ring, Aiden stays in control until Roode comes back with a spear into the corner and a series of chops to the chest. Roode hits an atomic drop and a lariat then hits a Blockbuster as JBL makes a “Beer Money” joke on commentary. Roode hits a spinebuster, then waits for English to get up and hits the Glorious DDT for the win via pinfall.

– After the match, the former NXT and TNA Champion does an in-ring interview with Renee Young. Roode says SmackDown just acquired the hottest free agent in sports entertainment today, and that in a New York minute SmackDown has gone from great to glorious.

– Chad Gable walks into Daniel Bryan’s office. Gable says he’s done talking about Jason Jordan and Kurt Angle, and wants to focus on his career. Bryan tells Gable that he didn’t just give Jordan to RAW, Kurt Angle had to make a deal to help him sign one of Angle’s friends. With that, Bryan introduces another new member of SmackDown: Shelton Benjamin. Bryan says he’s teaming up Gable and Benjamin next week, and both Gable and Benjamin seem excited about the new pairing.

– Kevin Owens approaches Sami Zayn backstage and hands him a referee shirt. Zayn says he did give it some thought, and tells Owens he thinks he’ll have to find someone else to help him in his match against AJ tonight. Zayn tosses the ref shirt at Owens and walks off.

– The Usos def. The Hype Bros: Mojo starts off strong against Jey with a spear in the corner and a gut-wrench suplex. Mojo follows up with a Stinger Splash, but then he gets distracted by Jimmy in the corner and Jey dropkicks him from behind. Jimmy gets the tag and the Usos double team Mojo. Mojo dodges a splash and gets the tag to Ryder. Ryder brings the pain to Jimmy and hits a running bulldog. The fight spills outside and all four men brawl on the floor. Back in the ring, Jimmy goes for a splash on Ryder in the corner but Ryder blocks with his knees. Jey distracts Ryder from the apron which leads to Jimmy hitting the superkick on Ryder for the win after a short match.

– The Usos cut a promo after the match and say before they “make like chips and dip,” they have something to say. They tell the teams of SmackDown that when they feel like someone is creeping up on them it’s not paranoia, it’s the Usos.

– Nakamura is backstage warming up for his handicap match tonight against both Singh Brothers.

– Shinsuke Nakamura def. The Singh Brothers: Before the match, the Singh Brothers announce WWE Champion Jinder Mahal’s entrance as he’ll be in their corner at ringside. The Singh Brothers are both legal at the same time in this match, as opposed to tagging in and out. Nakamura starts off with kicks and the Singh Brothers take a moment to regroup. More kicks and knees from Nakamura, then he sets both brothers across the ropes in the corner for a running knee. Nakamura throws both of his opponents out to ringside, and Jinder is not happy. Jinder distracts Nakamura, and the Singh Brothers run in and attack Nakamura from behind. Nakamura ends up knocking one brother outside, then putting the other brother in an arm bar for the win via submission.

– Immediately after the match, Jinder knocks down Nakamura from behind. Jinder takes off his coat and Nakamura comes back with a kick and a running knee to the face.

– The Fashion Police approach Kevin Owens backstage and offer to be referees in his match tonight. Owens tells them no and to get away from him. Baron Corbin grabs Owens by the shoulder from behind and says he’ll do it, but if Owens wins the U.S. Title, then Corbin wants first dibs. Owens says it’s a deal and hands Corbin the ref shirt.

– New WWE SmackDown Womens Champion Natalya is out to the ring next and she’s got a mic. Natalya says she proved again on Sunday that she’s the best there is, was, and ever will be. Natalya says she is a real champion and will forever be the SmackDown Womens Champion. She says she’ll restore honor and dignity to the title, then gets interrupted by Carmella and James Ellsworth. Carmella and Ellsworth congratulate Natalya on “finally” winning something, “unlike these people in Brooklyn.” Carmella tells Natalya she’s on borrowed time, because Carmella will cash in her Money In The Bank contract when the time is right. Becky Lynch and Naomi come out, and we’ve got a tag match.

– Naomi & Becky Lynch def. Natalya & Carmella: Carmella and Naomi start off, but before they even lock up Carmella tags in Natalya. Naomi takes control and tags in Becky who tries to keep Natalya grounded. Natalya fires up and slams Becky into the corner, but Becky comes back with a series of kicks. Naomi tags back in and they briefly double team Natalya. Becky quickly tags bck in and hits a leg drop on Natalya. Natalya drops Becky into the corner and stomps a mud hole in her. Natalya puts Becky in a sleeper but Becky gets out. Natalya comes back with an elbow to the face, then she knocks Naomi off the apron. Natalya tries to tag in Carmella, but Carmella refuses and jumps off the apron. Natalya and Carmella argue which leads to Becky coming back with a kick to the head. Becky goes to the top rope but Natalya throws her down to the mat. Natalya gets distracted by Carmella again and Becky tags in Naomi. Naomi kicks Natalya then rolls her up for a near-fall. Naomi locks Natalya in the Rings of Saturn but Natalya breaks out. Natalya boots Naomi then tags in Carmella by slapping her on the back. Natalya and Carmella start fighting which leads to Becky coming in and hitting a T-bone suplex on Carmella. Naomi follows up with a split legged moonsault on Carmella for the win.

– Dolph Ziggler is backstage for an interview where he says he’s back and is reintroducing himself to the WWE Universe. He complains that he’s being reintroduced in a backstage interview. Ziggler says he’s been watching a lot of RAW and SmackDown, and says now he knows what it takes to be a star in WWE – he’s going to start singing, playing guitar, rap and dance around like an idiot. He goes on about needing a laser show and a fancy robe. He says he’s going to come out with all of these things and a woman who glows in the dark to escort him to the ring — next week.

– Backstage, Lana tells Tamina that her ravishing journey to the Womens Title starts next week. Tamina asks what about this week, and Lana tells her they’re going to look inside themselves so she needs to close her eyes. Lana gives Tamina a motivational speech and tells her to get angry. Lana says Tamina is ready, and one by one they will crush the competition as their ravishing reign of terror begins. Lana says they won’t stop until Tamina gets the Womens Title and is the most-feared woman on SmackDown live.

– AJ Styles runs into Baron Corbin backstage. Corbin is already wearing his referee shirt, and tells AJ about his deal with Owens. AJ tells Corbin that he’s going to retain tonight, and he offers an open challenge every week so Corbin just has to answer it next Tuesday.

– AJ Styles (c) def. Kevin Owens: Baron Corbin comes out to the ring first with new entrance music. AJ Styles’ U.S. Title is on the line in this one. Owens rolls outside at the sound of the opening bell. AJ yells at Corbin for not counting out Owens, then Owens attacks AJ from behind. Owens lays into Styles with strikes and beats him down in the corner. AJ comes back with a dropkick that sends Owens falling out to ringside, then the Phenomenal One follows up with a suicide plancha onto Owens. Back in the ring, Styles ducks a clothesline from Owens and fires back with a Pele kick. Owens rolls outside and trips up Styles on the apron. Owens grabs Styles and hits a fallaway slam that sends AJ crashing into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Owens knees Styles in the face then grinds AJ’s face into the mat. Styles fights back with elbows then hits a facebuster and both men are down. They get up and Styles tees off on Owens with a series of strikes. AJ follows up with a running forearm to the face, then hits a running clothesline on Owens in the corner. Styles hits the fireman’s carry neckbreaker for a two count on the challenger. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Owens ducks it. Styles gets Owens in the Calf Crusher, but Corbin feels that Owens reached the rope so he breaks the hold. Styles disputes this and gets in Corbin’s face. Owens pushes Styles into Corbin and Corbin freaks out. Corbin throws a punch at Styles and Owens rolls up Styles from behind for a two count. Styles and Owens clothesline each other and both men are down. Shane McMahon runs in and asks Corbin what he’s doing. Corbin is distracted by Shane at ringside while Owens hits a low blow on Styles. Owens pins and Corbin counts, but Shane saw the low blow and he pulls Corbin out of the ring. Corbin freaks out at Shane and rips off his referee shirt. Corbin hands the ref shirt to Shane, then Corbin heads backstage. Shane puts on the ref shirt and hops in the ring, and Owens is not happy. Owens gets in Shane’s face, then turns his attention back to AJ. AJ chokes Owens over the top rope then hits the Phenomenal Forearm for the three count. AJ wins and retains his U.S. Championship. Shane hands AJ the strap and raises his hand in the ring as Owens rolls outside to recover. AJ gets on the turnbuckle and holds up the U.S. Title as Owens looks on in shock and SmackDown goes off the air.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in WWE.

HoHo Lun On His Time In Cruiserweight Classic, Wanting To Be On WWE 205 Live, More

HoHo Lun was released by WWE earlier this month. He signed with WWE back in 2016 and competed in the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament where he lost in the second round. The last time that he appeared on NXT TV was when he lost to The Velveteen Dream back in June.

The former NXT Superstar recently spoke with the South China Morning Post about his time with WWE. Here are the highlights:

Competing in the first round of the Cruiserweight Classic:

“The morning of the match, I still felt normal. And then when I got to the backstage I thought, ‘Oh my god, is it me next?’ I was a little bit upset afterwards, I felt it’s not the best match I’ve done. American style is totally different, so that first match is very nervous for me. I see it on my Twitter – ‘Ho Ho sucks.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I know.’ It breaks your heart, but I know it’s true. If I’m reviewing that match, I’d type the same thing on my Twitter. But if they criticize me, that means they watched me. It’s better than people not watching me. It motivated me to get better.”

Wanting to be on WWE 205 Live:

“Other than the Cruiserweight Classic, every NXT match I do, the guy is one foot taller than me, I can’t do much. Most of my matches in NXT are like five minutes. If there’s a chance, I wanted to do more matches with smaller guys. I never got a chance to wrestle there [205 Live]. I don’t know what happened. Maybe they want me to stay in NXT for a while first.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE.

Jerry Lawler Comments On Why Undertaker Was In NYC For SummerSlam Weekend

On the latest episode of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler’s Dinner With The King podcast, The King commented on why The Undertaker was in New York City this past weekend for SummerSlam weekend.

A photo surfaced online of The Undertaker on a plane headed to New York, which set off speculation that the Dead Man might be appearing at the show.

Undertaker’s wife Michelle McCool was backstage and posted a photo with with new SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya and WWE producer Finlay.

When asked about The Undertaker at SummerSlam, Lawler initially responded, “Was he there?” He said he didn’t see Undertaker or hear him mentioned.

Lawler then realized that Undertaker might have been there to get his face and body scanned for a future WWE video game. Lawler said he and the rest of the WWE roster were getting scanned. He noted that it wasn’t for WWE 2K18 and was for a different game coming out next year.

You can listen to Jerry Lawler discussing The Undertaker in NYC this past weekend here:

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Road Dogg Comments On Baron Corbin Losing To John Cena At SummerSlam

There has been a lot of speculation as of late that Baron Corbin has some heat backstage with WWE officials.

Corbin cashed in his WWE Money In The Bank contract on SmackDown Live last week in a losing effort, before suffering a loss to John Cena at SummerSlam this past weekend (Sun. August 20, 2017). In the clip below from WWE’s official YouTube channel, Corbin’s entrance was notably left out of the video highlighting he and Cena’s match:

“The Lone Wolf’s” heat reportedly stems from some comments he made on Twitter, which include some he made to a military veteran (which he later apologized for). SmackDown Live producer and former WWE Superstar Road Dogg took to Twitter to comment on Corbin’s loss to Cena, attempting to downplay the defeat and what it means for him going forward:

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

WWE RAW Viewership Spikes Post-SummerSlam

Monday’s episode of WWE RAW from Brooklyn, NY averaged 3.404 million viewers, a healthy increase over last week’s 3.233 million viewers.

It was the most-watched episode of RAW since the April 10th “Superstar Shake-Up” the week after WrestleMania 33.

The show featured fallout from SummerSlam, including the Brock Lesnar-Braun Strowman confrontation and John Cena returning to RAW to team with Roman Reigns against Samoa Joe and The Miz.

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

  • Hour 1: 3.416 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 3.581 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 3.216 million viewers

RAW’s second hour was #1 on cable in the 18-49 demographic but the show was #3 overall in total viewership behind the Presidential address and an NFL preseason game.

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from last night’s RAW below and check out our WWE RAW Recap & Reaction.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE.

JR Blogs: Calling NXT Match With Mauro Ranallo, SummerSlam Main Event, Jim Cornette & GFW

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has released another blog on his JR’s BBQ website. He discussed what it was like calling an NXT TakeOver III:Brooklyn alongside Mauro Ranallo, the SummerSlam Fatal Four-Way main event between Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, and Samoa Joe, and Jim Cornette’s new relationship with Global Force Wrestling (GFW). Check out the highlights here:

Calling an NXT match with Mauro Ranallo:

“It was a blast to broadcast a live match with Mauro Ranallo as that seemed to be something that many fans wanted to experience, including me. Appreciate the hospitality and respect shown me by not only Mauro, but Nigel McGuiness and Percy Watson too. I thought the Aleister Back vs. Hideo Itami bout that we broadcasted was a helluva wrestling match and one that I really enjoyed being a part [of].

“Itami seems to be more at ease as a villain and Black could well be a huge star in the making much sooner than later for NXT and subsequently at the next level, too. I love both men’s kicking game as you probably gathered if you watched the match. There is a discernible, unique vibe at NXT events that I have personally experienced from working at two, NXT Takeover events, in Chicago and in Brooklyn. The audience seemingly has made a strong emotional investment in the NXT talents and it shows.”

Thoughts on the SummerSlam Fatal Four-Way main event:

“Watched SummerSlam Sunday night from my Norman, Oklahoma home and enjoyed it. Happy I invested the time to watch the pre-game show and the main card even though the length of the overall presentation was a bit challenging in which to remain engaged for approximately 5+ hours. I enjoyed the submission finishers utilized at various times on the show and the overall effort of the talents. The physicality of the Fatal 4-Way was off the charts and, as I predicted, Lesnar retaining was the right thing to do and it is obvious that many fans want a Lesnar vs. Strowman bout somewhere in the foreseeable future.”

Jim Cornette working with GFW:

“Congrats to Jim Cornette for celebrating 35 yeas in the wrestling biz. Without question, [Cornette] is one of the absolute best to ever do his craft and is arguably at the top of a crowded list of marvelous managers who have graced the squared circle. Corney was also one of my favorite broadcast partners ever and I hope that he can help Impact Wrestling recapture their much needed mojo.”

You can read Ross’ full blog entry by visiting this link here.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in WWE.

Stone Cold Explains Why He Isn’t Interested In An In-Ring Return

WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin recently spoke to The Wrap and discussed a variety of professional wrestling topics. “The Texas Rattlesnake” explained why he isn’t interested in an in-ring return with WWE, and how he feels about some of today’s WWE Superstars using the Stunner. Here’s what he had to say:

Why he isn’t interested in an in-ring return:

“It’s just really because I’ve been there and I did it on the very highest level,” Austin said. “When I had to ride off into the sunset — that was a tough pill for me to swallow. It took me a long time to come to grips with that.”

“After all these years, I’ve got the business out of my system from, you know, participating in it and being in the grind,” Austin continued. “I still absolutely love the business, but I’m away from it.”

How he feels about Superstars using the Stunner today:

“There’s different ways to go about it,” Austin said. “Sometimes people will check with other guys.”

“I’m down with anybody using the Stunner,” he said. “I would prefer that it be used as a finisher, and not as the current routine with the DDT, where it’s basically one of the lamest false-finishes in the business after being one of the most devastating finishers in the history of the business.”

You can read Austin’s full interview with The Wrap at this link.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Dana Brooke’s Boyfriend Tragically Passes Away

26-year-old bodybuilder and boyfriend of WWE Superstar Dana Brooke, Dallas “Big Country” McCarver was reportedly found dead at his home yesterday evening (Mon. August 21, 2017).

According to a report to TMZ Sports, Brooke revealed that McCarver was found unconscious last night around midnight by a friend shortly after a phone conversation between herself and McCarver. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Local law enforcement believes there are no signs of foul play, and Brooke claims McCarver showed no signs of intending to harm himself, as it appears the cause of death could be from McCarver choking on his food.

The last words he told Brooke on the phone were “I love you. Goodbye.” McCarver had a bit of a health scare last March during the 2017 Arnold Classic Australia where he collapsed onstage. As of late, however, he has seemed to be doing much better. Brooke posted the following picture of them together last night:

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

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE.

Spoiler: Big Name Arrives For Tonight’s SmackDown Taping

Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live from thein Brooklyn, NY is shaping up to be … glorious.

Bobby Roode was seen arriving at the Barclays Center on Tuesday afternoon, a sign that the former NXT Champion will be making his highly anticipated main roster debut in a matter of hours.

Roode was backstage at last night’s RAW and is rumored to be joining the SmackDown brand. After dropping theNXT Championship to Drew McIntyre on Saturday night at Takeover: Brooklyn III, the stage is set for his arrival.

As noted earlier, another big name is in New York and will be returning to WWE television as early as tonight.

Check out this photo of Roode arriving at the Barclays Center courtesy of Twitter user @ScottyStyles29:

https://twitter.com/ScottyStyles29/status/900056813541801984

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Exclusive: Jinder Mahal On His Relationship With Vince, His Transformation, McIntyre

Last week during SummerSlam weekend, we had a chance to attend the WWE 2K18 launch party in New York City. SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the popular Solomonster Sounds Off podcast got a chance to speak with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal about whether or not he envisioned being WWE Champion when he returned to the company last year, what led to his drastic transformation, his relationship with Vince McMahon and his longtime friend and NXT Champion Drew McIntyre.

Jinder Mahal has come a long way since his last WWE run. From his run as a member of 3MB to WWE Champion, we asked Mahal if he ever envisioned reaching this level of success.

“Yeah, absolutely, that’s why I’m in this position,” he said. “You don’t become WWE Champion by accident. Ever since returning to WWE that’s been my goal, that’s what I told Vince McMahon right when I came back, I’m going to improve week by week and one day this place is going to be mine, I’m going to have the keys to the kingdom. I’m very fortunate because WWE is a place where they reward hard work. I became number one contender and ultimately WWE Champion. You don’t just become one of the greats, hopefully I can become one of the greats, by accident.”

As WWE Champion, we were curious about his relationship with WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Mahal admits that Vince can be very intimidating, but at the end of the day, he wants everybody to succeed.

“It’s changed drastically. I used to kind of avoid Vince, I was intimidated by him, he is after all a very intimidating guy, but now I have a very good relationship with Vince. He’s actually very cool, he wants to see you succeed. If you succeed, ultimately WWE succeeds, I’m very fortunate that he’s very hands on with me. When I come back from my match, Vince is the first person I come and talk to.”

Jinder Mahal has undergone a drastic physical transformation, be he credits his success to changing his outlook and writing down his goals.

“The most important thing that has changed is my attitude. Mentally, I have changed. I’m just a lot more positive and I know you get back what you put in. I know that if I put in 100%, I get back 100%.”

He continued, “Actually another thing I started to do is write down my goals. As of the new year, I would write down my goals, I kind of messed up, I wrote “Become a WWE Champion” but I did not write “Become WWE Champion.” I aimed kind of low, I was thinking IC Champion or US Champion, but if you put it on paper, I promise you, good things start to happen and you start moving in that direction.”

Finally, we asked about Drew McIntyre’s success in NXT. The former 3MB bandmates are now champions and Mahal thinks the two of them could main event a WrestleMania together one day.

“We’ve both had our ups and downs, he just like myself debuted in WWE at a young age, maybe it was a little too much too soon and we were both released at the same time. We both came back and we both have a huge chip on our shoulder and have something to prove. He’s re-focused just like I am. The sky is the limit for Drew, I know definitely he’s going to his this [WWE] championship, hopefully it’s the Universal Championship. A funny story, Drew the other day was going for an alligator tour in Florida and I texted him saying, ‘Hey man, be careful, we have a WrestleMania to main event one day.’ True story.”

Check out the full video below, which also includes interviews with RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, former NXT Champion Bobby Roode, former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and Bayley.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Exclusive: Bayley Talks Ronda Rousey In WWE, Physical Therapy, Mae Young Classic

Last week during SummerSlam weekend, we had a chance to attend the WWE 2K18 launch party in New York City. SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the popular Solomonster Sounds Off podcast got a chance to speak with Bayley about her shoulder injury, when she expects to be back in the ring, her favorites in the Mae Young Classic tournament and the possibility of Ronda Rousey in WWE.

Regarding her shoulder injury, Bayley said she’s currently undergoing physical therapy. She admitted the process is painful, but she’s thankful she didn’t need surgery.

“I just had my second day of physical therapy today (8/18), which is amazing because you can see the the bruising [on her shoulder], [the doctor] did the scraping which breaks down all the tissues and the muscles, so it’s been nice to actually move my arm. I haven’t been able to put my own hair up or work out or anything, so it’s kind of nice to do that.”

“I know I have a long road ahead but I’m lucky there is no surgery or anything like that. But it’s pretty painful going through the physical therapy. I wasn’t expecting it to be. It’s mentally messing with me, but I’ll be ok, I’ll get through it.

As for when she’ll return, it sounds like “a couple months” is an optimistic time table.

“I’m not sure. They told me it could be a couple months, I’m getting reevaluated in a month or so and will see where I’m at. I’m hoping there I can get the green light but I don’t know.”

When asked about her favorites for the Mae Young Clasic tournament, Bayley has a few picks and she said the tapings she attended exceeded her expectations.

Yeah, I have tons of favorites. I have a lot of friends in there so it was cool to watch. There’s a few people that I didn’t know before, there’s a chick named Piper who just blew my mind. She was amazing, so definitely look out for her. I love Dakotah KAI, Kay Lee Ray, Serena Deeb was one of my mentors coming in from the independents. Everybody, it’s really exceeded all of my expectations.

Bayley also spoke about the possibility of WWE’s Four Horsewomen (herself, Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch) mixing it up with MMA/Ronda Rousey’s Four Horsewomen in a WWE ring one day.

“They were there [at the Mae Young Classic tapings] and we were there, well, Sasha Wasn’t, I know Shayna [Blazer] was in the tournament, she was impressive, so we’ll see what happens, if something were to happen, I would accept it, I’m not scared.”

Check out the full video below, which also includes interviews with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and former NXT Champion Bobby Roode.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Exclusive: Bobby Roode Talks About Joining The Main Roster, Wanting To Work With John Cena

Last week during SummerSlam weekend, we had a chance to attend the WWE 2K18 launch party in New York City. SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the popular Solomonster Sounds Off podcast got a chance to speak with now-former NXT Champion Bobby Roode about his experience in NXT, if he wants to join the main roster in the near future and which WWE Superstar he wants to work with on the main roster.

Roode said it’s been one hell of a year for him in NXT after a long career working .. elsewhere. He raved about the WWE Performance Center and has gotten the chance to work closely with head trainer Matt Bloom, Triple H and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

“It’s been a really gratifying year for me,” said Roode. “To be welcomed in to this company and the NXT locker room the way I have the last year and a half has been really cool. To be looked upon as a guy with a lot of experience, kind of a locker room leader is cool, but at the same time I’ve been able to learn from a lot of people as well. In this business, you always continue to learn everyday.

“That’s one of the best things about being in NXT. There’s so many great minds available down at the Performance Center in Orlando. Matt Bloom and his coaching staff are phenomenal and very hands on. Triple H has his finger on the pulse at all times. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Shawn Michaels over the last six months. It’s kind of like getting your PHD in professional wrestling when you’re in the room with him, so no complaints.”

Bobby Roode is rumored to be joining the main roster soon, but it sounds like he still has things he wants to accomplish in NXT. Roode says NXT is the hottest brand in WWE today and would like to see NXT hold live tapings for their weekly WWE Network show.

“It’s funny because I get that question a lot. One of my goals since coming to NXT is to get NXT to the same level as RAW and SmackDown. I really don’t feel like NXT is a lower brand. I feel like we’ve almost reached that level. It’s a very popular brand and I think it’s the hottest brand under the WWE umbrella. I would love for NXT to one day to be able to do live television and maybe that’s the next level we take that to, I don’t know.”

When he does arrive on either RAW or SmackDown, Roode says he’d love to work with the biggest star in WWE, John Cena.

“There’s a laundry list of guys when you think about RAW and SmackDown that I’ve never been in the ring with. To narrow it down to one, obviously a guy I would love to have a moment with is John Cena.”

Check out the full video below, which also includes interviews with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and Bayley.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Exclusive: Braun Strowman Reveals His Biggest Influence Backstage

Last week during SummerSlam weekend, we had a chance to attend the WWE 2K18 launch party in New York City. SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the popular Solomonster Sounds Off podcast got a chance to speak with RAW Superstar Braun Strowman about his rapid rise to the top of WWE and his biggest influence behind the scenes.

Next month, Braun Strowman will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship in the main event of WWE No Mercy. It’s been a rapid ascension for the big man chalks up his success to work ethic.

“WWE decided to finally take the chains off me and let me show the world what I’m capable of doing,” said Strowman. “I’ve only shown you guys a glimpse of what the monster is able to do. It’s a crazy thing for me to think that almost two years to the day, I debuted on Monday Night RAW. Two years later, I’m in the main event of SummerSlam. If my work ethic doesn’t speak for itself right there, I don’t know what to tell you.”

We asked Strowman who his biggest influence is backstage and he revealed its a fellow giant.

“Without a doubt the biggest influence backstage has got to be Big Show. He’s taken me under his wing. We have a joke in the locker room that he’s my wrestling dad and I’m his wrestling son. He’s always let me know if I do something that stinks and he lets me know when I do something that’s good and you can tell that’s worked out.”

“He and I had two unblievable bouts this year, one when we collapsed the ring and I’m going to go out on a limb like I’ve told a few people tonight, you’ll never see anything like what Big Show and I have done this year because there are no more men like us in this world.”

Check out the full video below, which also includes interviews with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, former NXT Champion Bobby Roode, former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and Bayley.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Exclusive: Kurt Angle Talks Potential WM34 Opponents, How WWE Has Changed

Last week during SummerSlam weekend, we had a chance to attend the WWE 2K18 launch party in New York City. SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the popular Solomonster Sounds Off podcast got a chance to speak with RAW General Manager Kurt Angle about how WWE has changed since his first run with the company and which WWE Superstar(s) he’d like to work with at WrestleMania 34 if he returns to the ring next year.

When asked how WWE has changed during his decade-plus hiatus from the company, Angle said the biggest difference is how well WWE takes care of their performers.

“They run a tighter ship,” said Angle. “They cater to their athletes a lot more, from a nutritional standpoint to a health standpoint to a drug testing standpoint to a fitness and wellness standpoint.. passing physicals, it’s a lot more difficult now. I commend WWE for that. When I was there at the beginning of my career, there was no drug testing policy, there was barely a physical that you had to pass. So they’ve come a long way and they really have been successful in protecting their athletes to make sure they have a nice long life after wrestling.”

We also asked Kurt about his ‘dream opponent’ for WrestleMania 34. Angle has stated numerous times that he’d love to wrestle again and that decision is ultimately up to Vince McMahon. Angle wound up listing 10 performers.

“There are a bunch of guys, I have to admit I was one of the best when I was wrestling here back in the mid-2000’s. There’s a huge roster right now, this is the most talented roster I’ve ever seen. I would throw guys like Brock Lesnar, Triple H, John Cena, who I’ve already wrestled, Randy Orton, but the new guys, Finn Balor, I love Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Sheamus. I’d also like to mix it up with AJ Styles in a WWE ring and Samoa Joe.”

Check out the full video below, which also includes interviews with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, former NXT Champion Bobby Roode, former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and Bayley.

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Samoa Joe Names Two ROH Stars He Wants To See In WWE

During a recent interview with the Hindustan Times, RAW Superstar Samoa Joe commented on which wrestlers from Ring of Honor he’d like to see in WWE. Joe, a former ROH World Champion who had one of the longest reigns in company history, had two particular names in mind.

“I would like to see Jay Lethal and Dalton Castle join the company,” Joe said. “Both have made their name in Ring of Honor and their addition can make WWE a very exciting place.”

He also commented on his memorable run in NXT, which he says prepared him for the main roster and WWE’s in-ring style.

“My experience at NXT was quite stellar. Being part of such a revolutionary atmosphere helps you grow as a wrestler and it helped me adjust to the WWE style of wrestling.”

Head over to HindustanTimes.com to read the full interview.

After coming up short in the Fatal 4 Way match SummerSlam, Joe put on another impressive performance in the main event of Monday’s WWE RAW. Check out Joe and The Miz facing the ‘dream team’ of John Cena and Roman Reigns:

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »