Archive for October, 2017

WWE NXT Recap & Results (10/25)

NXT GM William Regal announced that Nikki Cross will get another oppurtunity to qualify for the NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way at NXT Houston during tonight’s Battle Royal. Cross was cost the chance to qualify due to outside interference from Taynara Conti, who was manipulated by the Undisputed Era to come down to the ring during the match. Regal added that SAnitY will face the Authors of Pain next week and that the member of SAnitY that does not compete in the match will be banned from ringside.

Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli

Lorcan chopped Moss across the chest and then connected with a Dropkick to start off the match. Burch was then tagged in and Moss beat him down and drove him to the corner of the ring. Sabbatelli entered the match and launched Burch into the corner. Tino charged at him but Burch was ready and connected with a quick Dropkick off the second rope.

Sabbatelli leveled Burch with a Clothesline and then tagged in Moss. Riddick brought Burch back to the corner and connected with a flurry of punches. Tino entered the match again and hit Burch with a Dropkick for a two count. Tino applied a Chin Lock but Burch quickly broke free. Tino connected with a knee to Burch’s midsection and then tagged in Moss.

Burch was finally able to escape and leaped across the ring to tag in Lorcan. Oney went crazy and connected with several uppercuts and then a Blockbuster to Moss. Riddick knocked Lorcan to the mat and then in Sabbatelli. Moss lifted Lorcan up on his shoulders and Tino drove him to the canvas with a Running Bulldog for the pinfall victory.

Winners: Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli

Battle Royal To Determine Final Participant In NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way At NXT TakeOver: Houston

NXT Superstars That Have Already Qualified For The Fatal 4-Way NXT Women’s Championship: Kairi Sane, Peyton Royce and Ember Moon

NXT Superstars In Battle Royal: Nikki Cross, Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Taynara Conti, Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan, Dakota Kai, Bianca Belair, Sage Beckett, Zeda, Mercedes Martinez, Abbey Laith, Vanessa Borne, Santana Garrett, Aliyah, Reina González, Billie Kay

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Nikki Cross sprinted towards Taynara Conti to start off the Battle Royal. Cross knocked Conti to the ring apron and then shoved her out of the ring to eliminate her. Conti dragged Cross under the bottom rope and then threw her into the barricade. Conti was then escorted backstage by a referee. Peyton Royce ran down to the ringside area and threw Cross into the steel steps.

Rhea Ripley and Zeda were then eliminated by Bianca Belair as NXT went to a commercial break. When NXT returned, Dakota Kai was eliminated by Sage Beckett. Aliyah was next to be eliminated as Nikki Cross scaled the turnbuckle and leaped onto several Superstars in the ring.

Cross started headbutting everyone in sight and then eliminated Vanessa Borne and Sage Beckett. Cross then eliminated Abbey Laith and Santana Garrett. Sarah Logan was then eliminated by Mercedes Martinez. Lacey Evans was eliminated by Candice LaRae. Bianca Belair and LaRae traded punches as Candice was perched up on the top turnbuckle.

Belair then lifted LaRae above her shoulders and walked to the center of the ring. Belair then threw LaRae and we are now down to four Superstars left in the Battle Royal. Belair battled with Billie Kay near the ring apron as Peyton Royce was shouting ringside. Kay grabbed Belair’s hair to keep from being eliminated and then bounced Bianca’s head off the turnbuckle.

Bianca then hair-whipped Kay several times and then Martinez attacked Belair from behind. Nikki Cross leaped onto Billie Kay and the two Superstars tumbled out of the ring through the ropes. Belair tied her hair in a not and tried to eliminated Martinez. Mercedes broke free and connected with a couple of strikes.

Belair was then perched up on the top rope and Martinez hit a big boot that knocked Belair to the ring apron. Martinez went for a Spear but Beliar caught her and brought her over the top rope onto the ring apron. The two Superstars trades punches on the ring apron and Nikki Cross sprinted into the ring and knocked Martinez and Belair off the apron and they were both eliminated. Billie Kay tried to eliminate Cross from behind but she prevented it and then eliminated Kay. Nikki Cross now joins, Kairi Sane, Peyton Royce and Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: Houston in the Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Women’s Championship.

After the match, Ember Moon came down to the ring and joined Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross who were arguing in the ring. Kairi Sane joined the party and made her way to the ring as NXT GM William Regal held the NXT Women’s Championship in the ring.

Winner: Nikki Cross

Drew McIntyre was interrupted by Zelina Vega while being interviewed. Vega asked why Almas hasn’t gotten his contract for an NXT Championship match. McIntyre told Vega the same thing he said last time, Almas needs to ask McIntyre for the match himself and he would gladly give it to him. Drew then walked away as Vega angrily looked on.

Aleister Black came down to the ring for a match but was attacked from behind by Velveteen Dream. Dream rose up from behind Black while he was making his entrance. Velveteen Dream brought Black to the ring and tied him up in the rings. Dream demanded that Black say his name and then slapped him in the face. Black didn’t say a word and Dream slapped him in the face again. Dream charged at Black and Aleister broke free and booted Dream in the face. Aleister went for the Black Mass but Dream avoided it and retreated up the entrance ramp.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs Roderick Strong

Vega cut a promo before the match about still waiting for a contract for an NXT Women’s Championship match. Zelina said that Drew McIntyre is ducking Almas because he knows that he is not man enough to breath the rarified air of a champion.

Almas and Strong traded shots to start off the match. Almas applied a side Headlock but Strong broke free. Almas leveled Strong with a shoulder tackle but Strong bounced right back up and drove Almas to the corner. Strong then planted Almas with a Backbreaker for a one count.

Almas got back to his feet and Roderick greeted him with a chop across the chest. Andrade and Roderick battled on the ring apron. Almas connected with an elbow and then slammed him to the ring apron. NXT went to a commercial break with Almas raining down punches to Strong’s face while he was on the mat.

When NXT returned, Almas was still in control and connected with a chop to Strong in the corner that was so hard that it knocked Strong to the canvas. Almas applied a Triangle Arm Bar while Strong was caught up in the rope and then broke the hold before the referee counted to five.

Strong hit a Dropkick and then followed it up with an Enziguri but Almas didn’t fall down. Strong then connected with a leaping Clothesline that knocked Andrade to the mat. Roderick hit a pop-up Gutbuster but didn’t capitalize and Almas booted him in the face. Almas and Strong once again battled on the ring apron. Strong connected with an Enziguri and then slammed Almas back-first on the ring apron. Strong brought Almas back into the ring and went for the cover but Andrade kicked out at two.

Roderick perched Almas up on the turnbuckle and delivered a chop. Almas leaped off the turnbuckle and connected with a Tornado DDT for a two count. Almas followed it up with a spinning elbow and then Double Knees for a two count. Vega shouted “finish him” from ringside as Almas got back to his feet. Andrade went for the Hammerlock DDT but Strong escaped.

Almas then hit another big time spinning elbow that knocked Strong to the canvas. Almas went for the Double Knees but Strong powered out of the corner and kneed Almas in the face. Strong then hit an Olympic Slam, Clotheslined Almas out of the ring and hit a Dropkick through the ropes. Vega then leaped off the apron and connected with a Hurricanrana on Strong that launched him into the steel steps. Almas capitalized on Vega’s interference and planted Strong with the Hammerlock DDT for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas

After the match, Vega went to the announce table and called out Drew McIntyre. Vega stated that Almas will meet Drew face to face next week. Almas grabbed the microphone and said that Drew is scared of him. Vega and Almas celebrated on the entrance ramp and then exited backstage.

Roderick Strong was then shown in the ring recovering from the match and yet another loss. The Undisputed Era (Cole, Fish and O’Reilly) then came down to the ring. Adam Cole approached Strong and said that Roderick was not a loser. Cole said that Strong needs to join them because he is a winner. The crowd chanted “yes!” as Cole took off an Undisputed Era armband and presented Strong with it. Strong took it and Cole told Strong to think about it. NXT went off the air as Strong watched Cole, Fish and O’Reilly exit the ring.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, NXT. Tagged: .

Kenny Omega Hits Back at Fan Comparing WWE and the Indies

IWGP United States Champion and 2016 G1 Climax winner Kenny Omega recently took to Twitter to respond to fans following his online exchange with Chris Jericho.

One fan claimed that comparing Jericho and Omega is “like saying hes the best minor league hockey player of all time, but did he make it to the nhl? No he was just boss in minors…”

Omega took umbrage with this comment and tweeted the following:

Do you agree with Omega? Do you think that he could one day be described as one of the greatest ever, or do you need to have been in WWE to gain this accolade?

Note: Ric Flair’s best years were not in WWE…

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, NJPW. Tagged: .

WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne To Make Major Announcement at PROGRESS this Sunday

WWE UK Champion and Former PROGRESS World Champion Pete Dunne will be appearing at PROGRESS Chapter 56 this Sunday and he will be taking to the ring to address fans and management of the company.

Although the nature of Dunne’s appearance has not been revealed it is likely that his tenure with the company will be coming to an end at some point soon due to his involvement with WWE.

Rumors are surfacing regarding WWE’s upcoming plans for the UK Division and they will want to have their UK Champion available in a likely exclusive capacity.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News. Tagged: .

Latest Report On Nia Jax’s WWE Hiatus

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated has provided an update on Nia Jax taking a leave of absence from WWE. Initially, there was speculation that Jax was unhappy with her booking and looking for more money from WWE.

On Wednesday, Barrasso wrote that Nia Jax asked for time off upon learning that she’d be losing clean to Sasha Banks at this past weekend’s TLC pay-per-view – and her cousin The Rock was on board with the decision:

“The reason behind Nia Jax’s much-discussed ‘leave of absence’ has been uncovered, as Sports Illustrated learned that Jax balked at the idea of losing clean to Sasha Banks at TLC. She called her cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, to ask for his advice, and Johnson encouraged her to walk away if she was unhappy.”

Several WWE personalities have commented on Nia Jax’s leave of absence, including Kurt Angle and Alexa Bliss. Both said they expect Nia back in action soon, with Alexa Bliss talking about the rigors of WWE’s travel schedule and stating that everybody needs a break once in a while.

Dave Meltzer of f4wonline.com noted that speculation regarding the Nia Jax situation has gotten out of hand and she’s expected back for WWE’s upcoming European tour, which kicks off on November 1st from Glasgow, Scotland.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Marty Scurll Wants Steve Austin To Appear With Him At Wrestle Kingdom 12

Former Ring of Honor World Television Champion Marty Scurll recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Wanting Steve Austin to appear with him at Wrestle Kingdom 12 next year:

“I actually have a different wrestling legend in mind for my Wrestle Kingdom entrance,” said Scurll. “One that I have met on a podcast. One who likes to drink a little beer, raise a little hell. Put up the middle finger. But I don’t want to ruin any surprises. My lips are sealed.”

His next major goal:

“More important than headlining the show is shocking the world,” said Scurll. “Giving the people something they would never forget. There’s always talk about Conor McGregor getting involved in wrestling, so why not ROH? Put him in the ring against ‘The Villain’ at Final Battle. Maybe have my pal ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin in my corner. These are the kind of things I want to do for this business. The possibilities for the future captivate me. There’s so much good stuff to come.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, ROH. Tagged: , .

Goldust Says One WWE Hall Of Famer Fought Against His Character Backstage

WWE Superstar Goldust recently did an interview on former WWE Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Goldust discussed his belief that his character kicked off the Attitude Era, Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard pitching the character to him, Savio Vega assisting him in developing Goldust, and WWE Hall Of Famer Scott Hall’s issues with the gimmick. Here are the highlights:

His belief that he helped pioneer the kickoff of The Attitude Era:

“Well, I would like to think that [the debut of Goldust in WWE sparked The Attitude Era] too. Everybody else thinks that it was DX and all those other groups and things,” Goldust said. “If anything, I was the definite edge of the spear into The Attitude Era, I believe, so it was way before its time, the stuff I was doing, and it kind of set the tone for what was to come.

Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard pitching him the Goldust character:

“Me and my dad, we were kind of not on the best of terms at that point,” Goldust noted. “And I had just gotten released from WCW, so it’s like I’m sitting at home and Vince [McMahon] calls and he presents this idea, and then, Bruce Prichard on the phone, he presents this idea. He kept saying, ‘this is an androgynous character’ and I’m just agreeing with him, but I have no idea what the hell that means, so I’m like, ‘yeah, sure.

“I’ll give this a try’ because I really wanted to try to do something on my own other than the Dustin Rhodes name, try to accomplish something that is fresh and new and then go from there and see if I could do that.” Goldust added, “opened up the dictionary and looked to see what ‘androgynous’ was and I just shook my head. I’m like, ‘well, I can’t back out now – let’s go and just give it my all.'”

Savio Vega pushing him to evolve:

“Savio Vega kept pushing me, pushing me as he was teaching me too, how to be a heel and things. And how to… ‘let’s just try this tonight: just, we’ll lock up, you’ll go behind me, rub up and down my chest.’ And I’m just like, ‘no, man, no,’ so finally one night, in The Garden, the first time I did it, and Vince was there. This is when he used to go hang out and watch the shows, the live events, with the boys. He’s one of the boys.

“It was fun for him. And I decided to do it in The Garden and I went behind Savio and I rubbed up his chest and down with both of my hands. And he brushed it away from me and he looked at me and I just ran. I scooted out of the ring and the place just erupted, man. And I was like, ‘holy s–t! That was easy!'”

Scott Hall’s issues with the gimmick:

“Yeah, yeah, Razor wasn’t keen on it, man, and he fought it. I’m just trying to get a character over and do what’s best for the company, best for business, best for me, and I’m young, so I’m not in other people’s point of view sometimes. And even though this business is a work, people take it too seriously.

“For me, it’s probably when I had the most passion for the business and where I did not let the little things get to me, and not care so much about what they’re thinking of me, man, just go out there and do what I can do to perform and put on a great performance, whatever. And to have him kind of, to have Razor be kind of a speed bump, it was frustrating, but we got through it and it ended with a Roddy Piper special because Razor left.”

You can listen to Goldust’s full interview on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness at this link.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Nikki Bella Reveals Changes Made To Her And John Cena’s Wedding, Mumps In The WWE Locker Room

Former WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella recently did an interview with FOX News to talk about a variety of topics. Bella discussed the changes she and 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena have had to make to their wedding, and the recent mumps outbreak in the WWE locker room that forced major changes to this past weekend’s TLC PPV. Here are the highlights:

Changes that needed to be made to she and John Cena’s wedding:

“We changed the date and location,” she said, saying it was because of “just schedules and stuff.” She didn’t offer any more details about the wedding.

Mumps in the WWE locker room:

“So I heard about this and I guess I’m happy that I’m not there right now,” she said. “I actually haven’t talked to my [wrestling] friends but I guess something crazy’s going around. Thank God he’s been on the movie set and not in the ring so we both are clear of it.”

You can read Nikki Bella’s full interview with FOX News by clicking this link here.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

William Regal Set For EVOLVE Appearance, WWE Files For New Jeff Hardy Trademark

– WWE NXT General Manager William Regal is set to appear at  the EVOLVE 96 event on December 9th from Queens, New York. The former WWE European Champion will take pictures with fans and sign autographs in addition to appearing at the live event. WWN Live reported yesterday that there are rumors going around that Regal’s appearance is related to EVOLVE bringing in new talents. Regal is also scheduled to be in attendance at the WWN Seminar/Tryout on December 8th in Long Island.

– The WWE filed for the trademark “Immune To Fear” back on September 12th. “Immune To Fear” is a catchphrase Jeff Hardy used to use during his run with WWE back in 2009.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Justin Gabriel On Having To Break Up With JoJo On Total Divas

Former WWE Superstar PJ Black (a.k.a. Justin Gabriel) was recently a guest on the Pancakes & Powerslams podcast where he talked about his brief appearances on Total Divas. During the interview Gabriel revealed that producers asked him to do his planned breakup with JoJo Offerman on camera so they could use it in the episode. Gabriel named the age gap between he and JoJo as the reason that he decided to call things off:

“I didn’t want to be a part of [Total Divas] at all. They filmed some stuff, and I started talking to JoJo because I thought she was a pretty cool person,” Gabriel said. “I never realized she was so young, I think she was like 18 or 19 at the time. And we kind of went that route [to dating], and they were like, ‘Hey. Do you want to be on the show?’ I was like, ‘Yeah. Sure, what do I have to do?’ They said, ‘nothing, just go on dates,’ and we went on multiple dates.

“They’d take film, which never aired, by the way; we filmed so many cool things,, and I said to the producers, ‘I don’t think I can do this. Like, she’s 19, and I don’t think this is going to work. I’m a 30-year-old man.’ And he was like, ‘Ok. fair enough. Then you have to break up with her on TV.’ And that’s the scene they played.”

Gabriel then went on to say that he didn’t like the way he was perceived on the show during the breakup, as it was made out to be more of a spectacle where he was made out to be the villain:

“And what they did was make me look like this super womanizing heel, they edited everything to make me look like a bad guy. That’s not what happened at all. A lot of it is real, but it’s about 90 percent scripted. That I just couldn’t deal with,” he said. “If it’s a reality show, let me do and say whatever I want. Don’t tell me what to say and what to wear. It wasn’t very organic or spontaneous. So, after I broke up with her, I was like, ‘Yeah. I’m outta here.'”

You can listen to PJ Black’s full interview on the Pancakes & Powerslams podcast by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

WrestleMania Brand Value, Hulk Hogan Teases Shaving His Head, Miz Video

– Forbes has released their annual “Fab 40” list, ranking the most valuable sports brands. WWE WrestleMania ranked #6 on the list, valued at $195 million, an 8.3% increase over last year. The Top 5 includes Super Bowl, Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup and the NCAA Final Four.

– Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan indicated on Twitter that he’s considering shaving his head.

– Last week, The Miz and Maryse revealed the baby they’re expecting next year is a girl. TMZ caught up with WWE’s Intercontinental Champion, who said he’s fine if his daughter wants to become a pro wrestler. Miz said she can do whatever she wants in life, whether it’s a pro wrestler, reality TV star, doctor or lawyer. Whatever she wants to do, she’ll have his full support.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

Jeff Jarrett: “I’m Not Getting Out Of The Wrestling Business”

Impact Wrestling announced on Monday that they’ve cut all business ties with company founder Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling. The news came after a series of incidents over the weekend involving Jarrett, who showed up to an independent show in Canada in ‘no condition to perform’ and missing a date for the same promotion the following night.

In a statement issued to Tennessean.com, the 50 year old former World champion made it clear that he has no plans to ride off into the sunset.

“I’ve spent 31 years in the wrestling business,” Jarrett said. “I’m not getting out of the wrestling business.”

The article noted that Jarrett declined to comment on his latest split with Impact Wrestling.

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, TNA. Tagged: .

Kaitlyn Reveals Battle With Drug Addiction

Former WWE female Superstar Kaitlyn (Celeste Bonin) posted a candid message on Instagram revealing her struggle with drug addiction. Citing her ‘terrible marriage,’ Kaitlyn details her experience detoxing and how bad things got for her on the road to recovery.

“It’s been one year since I checked myself into the hospital for a medical drug detox. (I took this picture in the airport bathroom after flying into LAX.I felt so awful and disgusted with myself but I remember posting it on Instagram with some stupid caption about being happy. I was actually on the last days of the medicine to help me detox and was in a super f***ed up place mentally and physically).

Over the past few years I was in a terrible marriage, an addict and not true to myself. It took me so long to admit I had a problem… and then to admit how serious the problem was. I used to pretend to be and to live a certain way for social media. It’s everyone’s hi-light reel. I remember getting out of the hospital feeling like death, with a medical taper plan of meds and thinking “what have I done to myself?”.

I celebrated my 30th birthday 5 days later and I remember wanting to die. If you’ve ever gone through serious drug detox, you know that you basically go through two detoxes. One from the initial drug(s) and then another one from the medicine used to help you detox. A lot of people get hooked on the medicine and remain addicts. For me, I started abusing alcohol to deal with the chemical imbalances, panic attacks and sadness/depression I was experiencing.

If you know me, you know I had never done a drug in my life leading up to this (besides smoking weed once or twice and freaking the f*** out.) It’s so crazy. You can have the world at your fingertips but end up destroying yourself if you’re not careful. I’m fortunate enough to have pulled myself out of it all and was able rebuild my life …but I can seriously empathize with anyone who is, has been, or has a tendency to be an addict (we’re all addicted to something). But it’s about self awareness and humility.

Never be too proud to ask for help. Be able to wake up and look at yourself in the mirror. Tag someone who needs to read this. #addiction.”

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

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Neville Removed From 205 Live Intro, NXT Preview, Cena Gym Video

Footage of former Cruiserweight champion Neville has been removed from the opening video package for 205 Live.

– The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network:

* Women’s Battle Royal to fill the final spot in the Fatal 4 Way match at Takeover: WarGames to crown a new NXT Women’s champion.

* Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream

* Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Roderick Strong

* Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss vs. Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan

– John Cena posted the following workout video on Tuesday night:

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

New Rowan & Harper Vignette, Cruiserweights Issue A Warning (Video), Sin Cara

– Below is the latest vignette for Erick Rowan and Luke Harper’s return at The Bludgeon Brothers:

– As noted, Sin Cara scored another non-title upset over WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin on this week’s SmackDown, likely leading to a title match between the two on an upcoming blue brand episode. Cara tweeted the following after the match, which Google translates to: “Because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, strength of character; the strength of character, hope”

– This week’s WWE 205 Live saw Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick confront Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann after their win over Tony Nese and Noam Dar. Gallagher noted that they were not here to fight, but to offer an olive branch of peace. Kendrick gave props to Cedric, saying they recognize the cruelty inside of him and because of that, they feel like he has a world of potential. Kendrick added that Cedric will never live up to that potential as long as he’s carrying around the dead weight that is the dancing clown Rich Swann. Gallagher chimed in and said he was in a similar position as Cedric not too long ago, singing and dancing for the people, but it’s true that the people don’t matter.

The segment ended with Kendrick and Gallagher saying they were coming for Swann next week and Cedric can join them if he wants. They told him to think about it over the weekend and if he doesn’t make a decision, they will make one for him. Below is video from the segment:

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE.

What Happened After WWE TV Tapings, Enzo Amore Retains, Becky Lynch On Being Captain

– As noted, Becky Lynch is the Team Captain for SmackDown at WWE Survivor Series for the women’s 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match. She will team with Charlotte Flair, Tamina Snuka, Carmella and Naomi to face Team Captain Alicia Fox, Sasha Banks, Bayley and two other RAW Superstars to be announced. In the video below, Becky says her plan is very simple – to lead SmackDown into victory, to continue what they started on Monday night at RAW. Becky goes on and says everyone thought RAW would retaliate on SmackDown but they didn’t as it seems they don’t have much left in them, especially being led by Fox.

– The dark main event after this week’s WWE 205 Live in Milwaukee saw Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura defeat Dolph Ziggler and WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in tag team action.

– Last night’s WWE 205 Live main event saw Kalisto get his TLC rematch from WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore. Kalisto won by disqualification after Enzo kicked the referee into the ropes to crotch Kalisto from the top. The post-match segment saw Kalisto attack Enzo on the ramp until officials tried to separate them. Below are videos from the match and the post-match segment:

Posted October 25th, 2017 in News, WWE.

SmackDown Match Changed, Baron Corbin vs. Sin Cara Update, Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan

– There was tension between SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan and SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon on tonight’s show as Bryan was not happy with Shane leading the invasion of Monday’s RAW, especially without informing him and talking it over. Above and below are segments with the blue brand bosses from tonight’s episode.

– WWE previously announced an eight-man match for tonight’s SmackDown with The New Day and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos facing Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin, Rusev and Aiden English. That match never happened but Gable and Benjamin did defeat The New Day while The Usos were on commentary. Rusev and English did not appear on tonight’s show. There’s still no word yet on when Gable and Benjamin will get their title shot from The Usos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKJ_9VHFvusx

– Sin Cara picked up another non-title win over WWE United States Baron Corbin on this week’s SmackDown, as seen in the video below. Last week’s show had Cara winning by count out and tonight he won by disqualification. No word yet on if Cara will be granted a title shot on an upcoming episode of SmackDown but Corbin is confirmed to face WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz in a non-title match at the November 19th Survivor Series pay-per-view.

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE.

5 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (10/24)

WWE SmackDown aired live from the BMO Harris Bank Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s SmackDown:

Team SmackDown Is Divided

SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown. Shane explained that he instructed the SmackDown roster to invade RAW last night because it is always good to strike first when you are in a fight. Shane added that they caught RAW by surprise last night and that the SmackDown roster is ready for Sami Zayn quickly interrupted and danced his way to the ring.

Zayn said “no hard feelings” to Shane and Shane said that there are a lot of hard feelings. Sami got in Shane’s face and said that if Shane was standing in the ring as a competitor, he would take him out in one second. Sami said that he and Owens would still like to represent Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. Shane said that he doesn’t want or need Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens on Team SmackDown for Survivor Series.

Later during SmackDown, Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon had a conversation backstage. Daniel Bryan was apparently unaware of Shane McMahon’s plans to invade RAW last night. Shane pretty much shrugged it off and said that he just wanted to strike first. Daniel Bryan said that he didn’t appreciate Shane not consulting with him before the RAW attack took place.

Just before SmackDown went off the air, SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan and SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon had another conversation. Shane said that Daniel Bryan was worried about nothing because RAW didn’t invade SmackDown tonight. Daniel Bryan said that they will show up eventually and that Shane McMahon needs to be ready for the consequences because that is in his job description.

Shane McMahon and the majority of the SmackDown roster looked unified last night when they invaded RAW to close the show. However, it is apparent now that not everyone is on the same page. Shane McMahon doesn’t want Kevin Owens or Sami Zayn to be on Team SmackDown. Daniel Bryan isn’t happy with Shane McMahon’s actions last night on RAW and the fact that Shane completely overlooked him while plotting the attack. These are the types of issues that could pop up during Survivor Series and ultimately cost Team SmackDown at the PPV.

Baron Corbin Has Lost All Momentum

Baron Corbin

Last week on SmackDown, Sin Cara picked up a victory over United States Champion Baron Corbin. It was a fluke victory as Baron Corbin was counted out after being knocked over the announce table ringside. It was bizarre seeing Corbin lose to a talent like Sin Cara after winning the United States Championship at Hell in a Cell.

Corbin once again faced Sin Cara tonight and beat the hell out of him. Corbin wouldn’t stop hitting Sin Cara with strikes while he was down on the mat. The referee warned Corbin but he didn’t listen and continued to throw haymakers at Sin Cara. The referee had no choice but to disqualify Corbin, so Sin Cara has technically defeated Corbin twice in a row. Corbin then planted Sin Cara with the End of Days outside the ring.

This feud is doing nothing for Baron Corbin. I haven’t understood Corbin’s booking since he lost his MITB cash in match against Jinder Mahal. He isn’t impressive anymore. WWE has torn him down so much that he comes off as just another guy on the roster now. I don’t get why this feud is even happening. It would have made more sense to me to have Dillinger feud with Corbin for a bit.

Jinder Mahal’s Response To Lesnar & Heyman Wasn’t Impressive

Photo Credit: WWE.com

 

WWE Champion Jinder Mahal came down to the ring and called Paul Heyman a liar. Footage of Heyman’s promo last night was shown where Heyman made fun of Mahal. Jinder called Heyman a used car salesman and claimed that he has earned everything that he has in the WWE. Mahal stated that he dominated Randy Orton and outwrestled Shinsuke Nakamura. Mahal then said that he was “Brock Lesnar’s worst nightmare”.

AJ Styles then came down to the ring to face Sunil Singh. The referee threw Mahal out before the match started. AJ then won the match with ease after applying the Calf Crusher to Sunil Singh. It was later announced that Samir Singh will face AJ Styles next week on SmackDown.

Mahal’s response to Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar was as terrible as expected. Jinder Mahal can’t cut a promo to save his life and every single one of his matches have been exactly the same since winning the WWE Championship. It seems far too obvious that Brock Lesnar is going to dominate at Survivor Series. I’m starting to get a bad feeling that we are going to get some kind of screwy finish at Survivor Series and Mahal is going to pick up the victory.

Becky Lynch Is The Captain Of The SmackDown Women’s Team At Survivor Series

Becky Lynch

Charlotte, Tamina, Becky Lynch, Naomi and Carmella were announced as SmackDown’s Women’s Team for Survivor Series. SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan said that the five Superstars will compete in a Fatal 5-Way to determine who will captain the team.

Match recap: SmackDown quickly went to a commercial break right when the match started with Tamina in control. When SmackDown returned, Tamina threw Carmella into the ring apron and Charlotte threw Tamina into the barricade. Charlotte then hit Carmella with a big boot and then hit a Fallaway Slam to Tamina outside the ring.

Beckly leaped off the ring apron and Clotheslined Charlotte. Naomi then flew out of the ring and connected with a Crossbody to Becky. Charlotte launched Naomi into the barricade and Tamina got back to her feet and delivered a Superkick to Charlotte. Tamina then threw Charlotte over the barricade and bounced Becky’s head off the ring apron.

Back in the ring, Carmella slammed Naomi into the ring post and then booted Becky in the face for a two count. Becky then locked in the Dis-Arm-Her onto Carmella for the submission victory. Winner: Becky Lynch

This match was clunky as hell but I think the right woman won the match. Becky has kind of been forgotten on SmackDown as of late and I think she is talented enough to always be in the hunt for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch seems like a more capable team captain than Alicia Fox on RAW.

Randy Orton Is The First Member Of The SmackDown Men’s Team At Survivor Series

Randy Orton

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Sami Zayn faced Randy Orton in the main event. The winner of the match would qualify to be on the men’s team at Survivor Series.

Match recap: Zayn started out the match in control and applied an Arm Bar. Sami then shoved Orton into the corner and then tapped Orton’s chest a few times. Sami then started dancing around the ring and mocking Orton. Zayn delivered a big time chop across Randy’s chest and Orton got pissed off.

Orton connected with a couple of massive uppercuts and Zayn rolled out of the ring. Orton threw Zayn in the ring and hopped up on the ring apron. Sami hit a Dropkick and followed it up with a Moonsault off the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Sami Zayn was in control of the match and had Orton in a Chin Lock.

Orton broke free and then delivered a headbutt. Zayn responded by kicking Orton in the face for a two count. Orton leveled Sami with a Clothesline and then followed it up with a Powerslam. The action then spilled out of the ring and Orton slammed Zayn onto the announce table. Orton brought Sami back into the ring and went for the cover but Sami kicked out at two.

Zayn booted Orton in the face and hit a Crossbody off the top rope for a two count. Orton went for the RKO but Sami countered it into a backslide pin for a two count. Sami delivered a kick to Orton’s face and then climbed up to the top rope. Orton met Sami up there and connected with a right hand. Orton then planted Sami with a Superplex for a two count.

Orton and Zayn battled outside the ring. Sami bounced Orton off the ring post and then leaped through the ropes and connected with a DDT. Back in the ring, Sami went for the Helluva Kick but Orton blocked it and Sami got hung up in between the ropes. Orton hit the DDT and then geared up for the RKO.

Kevin Owens sprinted to the ring apron and Orton booted him in the face. Sami tried to capitalize on the distraction and rolled up Orton for a two count. The referee became distracted with Owens and Orton delivered a low-blow to Zayn. Orton then hit the RKO for the pinfall victory and is the first member of the SmackDown men’s team at Survivor Series. Winner: Randy Orton

Sami Zayn is now not a part of the SmackDown men’s team at Survivor Series. Kevin Owens will face Shinsuke Nakamura next week and the winner of that match will qualify for the team. I wouldn’t be surprised if both Sami and Owens wind up not making the team for Survivor Series, but still wind up playing a role in the main event and costing team SmackDown. Owens and Sami clearly still have an issue with Shane McMahon.

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE.

SmackDown Men’s Team Captain Set For WWE Survivor Series

Randy Orton defeated Sami Zayn in the main event of tonight’s WWE SmackDown to become the Team Captain for the men’s 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match at WWE Survivor Series.

No word yet on Orton’s 4 partners but as noted, next Tuesday’s SmackDown show will feature Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode in a 2 of 3 Falls Match plus Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens with the winners of those two matches earning a spot on Team SmackDown.

Below is the updated card for the November 19th Survivor Series pay-per-view from the Toyota Center in Houston coming out of tonight’s blue brand show:

RAW vs. SmackDown
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion Jinder Mahal

RAW vs. SmackDown
WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin

RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya

RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos

5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
TBA vs. Randy Orton (Team Captain) and TBA

5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Alicia Fox (Team Captain), Sasha Banks, Bayley, TBA, TBA vs. Becky Lynch (Team Captain), Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Charlotte Flair

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Matches And Segments Announced For WWE SmackDown Next Week

The following has been announced for next week’s WWE SmackDown episode from Norfolk, Virginia:

* 2 of 3 Falls: Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler, winner earns a spot on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series

* Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens, winner earns a spot on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series

* AJ Styles vs. Samir Singh

* Stranger Things-inspired edition of The Fashion Files with Breezango

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE.

Team SmackDown Updates For The WWE Survivor Series Card

Becky Lynch won a Fatal 5 Way over Charlotte Flair, Carmella, Naomi and Tamina Snuka on tonight’s WWE SmackDown to become the Team Captain for the RAW vs. SmackDown women’s 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination match at Survivor Series. The other 4 Superstars will join Becky to make up the rest of Team SmackDown.

Survivor Series takes place on November 19th from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Below is the updated card:

RAW vs. SmackDown
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion Jinder Mahal

RAW vs. SmackDown
WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin

RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya

RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos

5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Male Superstars TBA

5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Alicia Fox (Team Captain), Sasha Banks, Bayley, TBA, TBA vs. Becky Lynch (Team Captain), Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Charlotte Flair

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE.

SmackDown Six-Man Dark Match, Seth Rollins On Wanting To Slam Shane McMahon, Nikki Bella DWTS Video

– Below is video of Nikki Bella and partner Artem Chigvintsev dancing the Argentine Tango to “Derniere Danse” by Indila on Monday’s episode of Dancing With The Stars on ABC. As noted, this week’s “Movie Night” performance saw Nikki land her season-high score of 36. Nikki and Artem will now dance twice next Monday night for a Halloween-themed episode that features team dances.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD4ECwZxL6o?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

– The dark match before tonight’s WWE SmackDown in Milwaukee saw Tye Dillinger and The Hype Bros defeat Mike Kanellis and The Colons. The finish saw Dillinger hit the Tye Breaker on Kanellis for the pin.

– RAW Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins responded to a tweet from the Kill Cliff sports drink company and revealed the one person he wants to bodyslam right now – SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon, due to the “Under Siege” attack on RAW last night. You can see the tweet below:

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE.

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (10/24)

The October 24th, 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown Live aired from the BMO Harris Bank Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI and was the first episode after Shane McMahon & SmackDown’s attack on the RAW roster.

– Tonight’s broadcast begins with a video package looking back at last night’s assault by the SmackDown brand on RAW. Michael Cole is replacing Tom Phillips again this week as Phillips is “on assignment.”

– SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon comes out to the ring to kick off the show. Shane talks about undergoing physiotherapy following his Hell In A Cell match against Kevin Owens, and says he’s glad to be back on SmackDown and in charge. Shane says he learned at a young age that it’s always best to strike first in a big fight, and that’s why he struck first last night on RAW. Shane says they caught RAW by surprise with their attack on the locker room last night, and he guarantees that SmackDown won’t be caught the same way because they’re ready. Sami Zayn’s music hits and he comes out to interrupt. Zayn dances down to the ring and offers his hand out to shake Shane’s. Zayn says there are no hard feelings from Hell In A Cell, but Shane says there are hard feelings. Zayn says he won’t beat up Shane the Commissioner, but he would drop Shane the competitor in one second. Zayn says he’d hurt Shane worse than he got at Hell In A Cell. Zayn says that’s another conversation for another day, and he’s here to tell Shane that he and Owens have decided to join Team SmackDown for Survivor Series. Shane says he doesn’t need them on Team Smackdown, but he’ll give them a chance. All Sami has to do is defeat his opponent tonight, and the winner will be on the team. Sami accepts, and then Shane announces Randy Orton as his opponent. Shane’s music hits and he heads backstage as Sami shakes his head.

– The New Day is shown walking through the arena. They see a table labeled “raw fruit,” and they destroy all of the fruit because it’s “raw.” They take on Shelton and Gable next.

– The New Day vs. Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable: Tag Champions The Usos are on commentary for this one. The #1 contenders Shelton and Gable are out next. Kofi and Xavier will represent The New Day in this one. Gable and Woods start off and it’s evenly matched in the opening moments. Kofi and Benjamin tag in and they trade counters. Shelton drops Kofi but Kofi comes right back with a dropkick to Shelton’s knee. Woods tags in and they briefly double team Benjamin. Kofi comes back in but he gets thrown outside. Big E pours some Booty-O’s onto Kofi to revive him. Back in the ring, Shelton suplexes Kofi for a two count. Gable and Woods come in and start going at it. Woods gets the upper hand and dropkicks Gable in the back of the head for a two count. Benjamin tags in and Woods starts firing up for a comeback. Gable tags back in and goes up top for the double team, but Kofi breaks it up. This leads to Benjamin booting Woods in the head behind the ref’s back, and then Gable rolling him up for the three count.

Winners: Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable

– Charlotte Flair, Lana, Tamina Snuka, Becky Lynch and Naomi are backstage talking. Carmella joins and says she’s looking for James Ellsworth. Becky disses Ellsworth. SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan walks in and jokes about sending a search party for Ellsworth, and then he announces a Fatal 5 Way tonight with the winner becoming Team Captain of the women’s team at Survivor Series. They all leave and Lana particularly doesn’t look happy.

– Still to come: A Reservoir Dogs-inspired edition of The Fashion Files with Tyler Breeze, Fandango, and The Ascension.

– We go to the broadcast table where Cole informs us that there’s extra security on hand tonight due to concern over RAW stars possibly invading the arena.

– And now for the latest installment of The Fashion Files. Konnor and Viktor have James Ellsworrth tied up in a room, saying they say him with Breezango’s missing briefcase. Breezango walks in, and then Carmella. The Ascension says they want to cut open Ellsowrth’s chin to see what he’s hiding. Carmella has her Money In The Bank briefcase, which is what Ellsworth was actually seen with. Carmella cuts a promo on Ellsworth for not doing his job. A pair of Ellsworth’s dirty underwear is revealed to be inside the briefcase. The Ascension changes their angle and tries to convince Breezango that “The Bludgeon Brothers” Rowan and Harper are to blame for their problems. Next week’s Fashion Files will be inspired by Stranger Things.

– Still to come: Randy Orton takes on Sami Zayn for a position on Team Smackdown at Survivor Series.

– Shane McMahon walks into Daniel Bryan’s office backstage, and Bryan asks why Shane didn’t tell him about the RAW invasion last night. Shane says he wanted to strike first and show RAW who’s boss, but now Daniel questions if he and Shane are on the same team. Shane says it’s in his job description to take action and make things happen, and Bryan walks off disgruntled.

– Sin Cara vs. Baron Corbin: This one is a non-title match for U.S. Champion Baron Corbin. Sin Cara charges forward off the opening bell but Corbin stops him and takes him into the corner for some punishment. Corbin hits a series of knee strikes on Cara then throws him across the ring. Corbin continues to dominate the next few moments of the match until Cara finally fires back with an elbow to the face and some kicks. Cara makes a comeback and hits a springboard back elbow, then sends Corbin out to the ringside floor. Cara follows up with a suicide dive, and Corbin is stunned but still standing. Cara runs back in the ring and hits another suicide dive to take Corbin down. Back in the ring, Cara hits a missile dropkick off the top turnbuckle for a two count. Corbin rolls out for a breather, and when he comes back in he drops Cara with some knees. Corbin mounts Cara on the mat and pummels on him. Corbin ignores the ref’s warnings to get off Cara, and the ref calls for the bell.

Winner by DQ: Sin Cara

– After the match, Corbin takes Cara out to ringside and hits the End of Days on the floor. Corbin holds up his U.S. Title and leaves as refs check on Sin Cara.

– We see a shot of the back door of the arena as Cole reminds us about the increased security tonight.

– We see another video highlighting SmackDown’s attack on RAW last night, along with social media videos from SmackDown wrestlers.

– The Singh Brothers come out to the stage and do their own introduction, then introduce WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. The Singhs call themselves the advocates for Jinder, then they head to the ring. Jinder gets on the mic and says Paul Heyman is a liar. Jinder says he started from the bottom but now he’s the most powerful man in WWE, and he’s not Lesnar’s equal, he’s Lesnar’s worst nightmare. Jinder says he will prove at Survivor Series that the Modern Day Maharaja Era is just beginning. Jinder says that tonight his loyal brother Sunil Singh will face AJ Styles, and that brings out The Phenomenal One. AJ comes out to the ring, and we have a match.

– Sunil Singh vs. AJ Styles: Jinder and Samir slowly leave the ring, and the ref orders Jinder to leave the ringside area. Jinder argues but eventually leaves and heads backstage. The opening bell rings and AJ starts off with a headbutt. Samir immediately hops on the apron for the distraction, but AJ grabs him and throws him outside, then boots Sunil. AJ locks the Calf Crusher in on Sunil and gets the quick win via submission.

Winner: AJ Styles

– Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are backstage and Owens reveals that he also has a Survivor Series qualifying match. Owens says he has to face Shinsuke Nakamura next week to hear his spot on Team SmackDown. Sami says he’ll beat Orton tonight, then Owens will beat Nakamura next week, and they’ll run Team SmackDown. Sami says it’ll be “Team Kevin and Sami,” but Owens corrects him and says “no, it will be Team Sami and Kevin.” Owens walks off and Sami can’t believe how good of a guy Owens is.

– Jinder Mahal storms into Daniel Bryan’s office in the back and demands that Samir Singh gets a shot at AJ Styles next week. Bryan obliges and the match is made.

– Fatal 5 Way: Becky Lynch vs. Naomi vs. Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Tamina Snuka This match will determine the leader of the women’s SmackDown team at Survivor Series. Lana is at ringside in Tamina’s corner. Women’s Champion Natalya interrupts before this one starts and she has Greg Hamilton do a big introduction for her. Natalya then leaves without saying anything. The opening bell rings and all five women start going at it. Carmella takes Charlotte into one corner, while Tamina hits a double suplex on Naomi and Becky. The fight spills out to the floor and Charlotte gets decked by Tamina next. Back in the ring, Carmella tries to strike up a partnership with Tamina, but Tamina grabs her and hits a Samoan Drop. Charlotte fires up and takes out both Tamina and Carmella. Becky goes after Charlotte and drops her, then Naomi takes out Becky, Charlotte comes back and throws Naomi outside into the barrier. Charlotte grabs Tamina, but Lana comes from behind for the distraction. Tamina capitalizes on the distraction with a superkick to Charlotte, then throwing her outside. Becky brawls with Tamina in the ring, then Naomi gets back in and joins. Naomi dropkicks Tamina through the ropes, then Becky rolls up Naomi from behind for a two count. Carmella runs in next and sends Naomi into the ring post and then out to the ringside floor. Carmella gets a couple of near-falls on Becky, then she argues with the ref. Carmella turns her attention back to Becky, but Becky grabs her and locks in the Did-arm-her for the win via submission. Becky will now serve as the Team Captain for the women’s team at Survivor Series.

Winner: Becky Lynch

– We see another video vignette about Erick Rowan and Luke Harper teaming up as the “Bludgeon Brothers.”

– Dolph Ziggler does an interview backstage where he continues to rant about other wrestlers’ catchphrases and gimmicks. Ziggler says Bobby Roode is a fraud and nothing but an elaborate entrance. Roode walks in and interrupts, leading to Roode challenging Ziggler to one more match to determine who the better man is. Roode proposes a 2 of 3 falls match for next week, and Ziggler accepts. Ziggler says he hopes Roode’s ego can handle losing to him twice in their match next week. Roode says he has a feeling next week will be glorious.

– Sami Zayn vs. Randy Orton: The winner of this one will be the team captain for SmackDown at Survivor Series. Sami agitates Orton early on until Orton decks him with a big uppercut. Orton takes Sami into the corner for more punishment until Sami slides out to the floor for a breather. Orton follows him outside but Sami stuns the Viper with a kick. Sami beats down Orton on the ringside floor, then hits a moonsault off the apron. Back in the ring, Orton tries to mount a comeback but Sami shuts him down with a spinning heel kick. Orton hits a back body drop on Sami then follows up with a clothesline and a powerslam. Sami rolls outside and tries to use the announce table, but Orton knocks him down onto it from mid-air. Back in the ring, Orton hits a suplex for another two count. Sami comes back with a flying crossbody for a two count of his own. Orton goes for an RKO, but Sami slips out and kicks Orton down. They go up to the top turnbuckle where Orton hits a superplex for another near-fall. They fight out to ringside again, where Sami hits his patented tornado DDT leaping through the ropes. Back in the ring, Sami misses the Helluva Kick and Orton answers with a DDT. Orton hits the mat, and Kevin Owens runs in. Orton goes for a DDT but Sami rolls him up for a two count instead. The ref argues with Owens, who is at ringside now. Orton hits a low blow on Sami behind the ref’s back and Owens freaks out. Orton picks up Sami and hits the RKO for the three count. Orton will now lead team SmackDown at Survivor Series.

Winner: Randy Orton

– After the match, Orton and Owens have a stare-down as replays are shown. Orton poses on the corner as his music plays, and Owens helps Sami backstage.

– We go backstage where Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan are talking about tonight’s show, and how RAW didn’t strike tonight. Bryan believes RAW will attack them eventually. Bryan tells Shane that he better be ready when RAW does strike, because it’s his job description. Bryan walks off as SmackDown goes off the air.

Posted October 24th, 2017 in WWE.

RAW Viewership Increases Following TLC

Interest in the fallout from Sunday’s Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view drove RAW to a big spike in viewership this week. RAW averaged 2.953 million viewers, way up from 2.688 million the previous week.

The show featured fallout from TLC, including Kurt Angle’s return to the ring, Brock Lesnar accepting Jinder Mahal’s Survivor Series challenge and the SmackDown brand invading the show.

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown courtesy of Showbuzz Daily:

  • Hour 1: 3.332 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 2.969 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 2.557 million viewers

RAW was #3 in viewership on cable for the evening behind NFL Monday Night Football on ESPN and SportsCenter. The NFL game topped 11 million viewers.

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE.

Jimmy Jacobs Addresses His Firing From WWE (Video)

Former WWE producer Jimmy Jacobs is wasting no time getting back to business after being released by the company earlier this month as a result of a selfie he posted with the Bullet Club during their invasion of Monday Night RAW.

Jacobs was ringside for Ring of Honor’s Global Wars pay-per-view, where he mocked the incident and took another selfie with the Club.

https://twitter.com/JimmyJacobsX/status/919789238694096896

He appeared at the WrestleCircus CircusMania event over the weekend and addressed the situation further. Jacobs interrupted a promo by former NXT star Sami Callihan and said it’s not bullsh*t that he got released for a photograph – he thinks it’s actually pretty cool and dubbed it the “you’re fired selfie.”

He also took a dig at the WWE Superstars he used to write promos for. “For the past two and a half years, I’ve been wearing a suit and tie and writing promos for guys that couldn’t hold my microphone.” You can check out the footage below.

Jacobs’ upcoming independent dates include Lucha De Los Muertos (10/29), Combat Zone Wrestling (11/11),  Beyond Wrestling (11/12) and SCW Pro (1/20).

Jimmy Jacobs makes his first appearance in a wrestling ring in over two and a half years by making a surprise debut at WrestleCircus CircusMania, and calling out Sami Callihan.

https://youtu.be/Ns27pdH8CPE

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Sami Zayn Explains Why He Wasn’t Part Of SmackDown’s Invasion Of RAW

The hype for Survivor Series got kicked into high gear last night as the SmackDown roster invaded RAW in an attempt to display the supremacy of their brand.

One SmackDown star who was conspicuously absent from the melee was Sami Zayn.

Zayn, who aligned himself with Kevin Owens at Hell in a Cell, said that he doesn’t fight for tyrants, playing off his storyline beef with SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon.

Posted October 24th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

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