Archive for November, 2017

Ric Flair Discusses His ESPN 30 For 30 Special, Cody Rhodes’s Decision To Leave The WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Cody Rhodes:

“Cody is honest, sincere, and I can’t say enough good things about Cody Rhodes as a person and performer,” said Flair. “I think it was a huge loss for the WWE for him to go away for a while, but if it worked out good for him, then I’m happy for him.”

His ESPN 30 for 30 special:

“ESPN wanted me to be honest, and I gave them the best I could,” said Flair. “I didn’t pull any punches. There are always going to be things that are upsetting, but I thought they were very fair to me. The reactions I’ve got from people have been really good, including from professional athletes and pro coaches, and that’s always real nice to hear.”

Edge Provides Update On Second Season Of His WWE Network Show

WWE Hall of Famer Edge recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.

During the interview, he was asked about the possibility of the second season of his WWE Network series, The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness. This is what he had to say: 

“In terms of where we could have time to film it and fit it in, that was the big difficulty,” said Edge, whose drama series, Vikings, premieres its fifth season tonight on the History channel. “The show was a lot of work, but we had a great time with it.

“We wrote it, produced it, directed it, and were really hands-on. There were 14-hour days and it was pretty intensive from a time perspective. There are still talks, and they want to do it.”

“If I can somehow cram it in, we’ll make it happen,” said Edge. “We have a hiatus on Vikings over the summer, so maybe I could squeeze it in there, but I want to spend time with my family, too. It’s a matter of trying to juggle all these things, but the top priority is being dad and partner, and then comes acting and any other commitments, all the while doing the podcast, too. It’s a matter of wearing a lot of hats, but I just don’t know if my head is big enough for all of them.”

CM Punk Meeting With Dana White This Weekend Regarding UFC Future

During a media event to promote this weekend’s UFC 218 pay-per-view from Detroit, Michigan, UFC boss Dana White revealed that he’ll be meeting with CM Punk to discuss his future with the promotion.

“CM Punk is coming to Detroit and wants to talk to me,” White said. “I love the guy. We’ll see what he’s doing.”

Punk’s professional MMA record stands at 0-1 after getting steamrolled by Micky Gall last September at UFC 203. The 39-year-old was choked out just minutes into the first round of his debut fight.

Punk continues to train at the Roufusport MMA Academy in Milwaukee, but there are no guarantees he’ll get the green light to compete in the Octagon again. Of course, if the whole MMA thing doesn’t work out, Punk certainly has some options in the world of pro wrestling that don’t involve working with WWE.

Just a few weeks ago, Punk’s coach Duke Roufus posted the following photo on Instagram, noting that Punk was, “Working hard & getting better every day. Working on his next Fight”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaNDjb1jDFi/

Kenny Omega Reveals Which WWE Star He Would Bounce Ideas Off Of

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star and IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega recently did an interview on The Art Of Wrestling podcast. “The Cleaner” discussed the heat he has within the professional wrestling industry, most notably his heat with WWE, wrestlers who criticize The Elite, and revealed which WWE Superstar he used to bounce ideas off of. You can check out the highlights here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiV4Mwfp24w&t=4s

Getting heat in the professional wrestling industry:

“I never purposely try to get heat with anyone. I try to just be a good human being, but with the way that we carry ourselves, just the way we run our show, our matches or whatever, heat’s just going to come with it.”

Being fine with having heat with WWE:

“If someone says to me, ‘hey, you probably have heat with this guy, or this guy, or this guy, in The Fed or The E,’ or whatever you want to call it, I don’t really pay too much attention to it because I know I haven’t done anything directly.

“I’m never actually directly trying to offend anyone from any other [pro wrestling] promotion. If someone says I have the greatest match of all time, that’s great. I’m going to use that to make my next match mean something or make the rematch mean something more.”

Wrestlers who criticize The Elite can not perform to The Elite’s level:

“Maybe I’m going to catch a lot of heat for saying this right now, but I think what all these people need to understand is whether they like it or not, and whether they’d like to admit it or not, is all three of us, we could go where they are and do what they do and do it better, but they could never do what we do.”

Bouncing ideas off Sami Zayn (a.k.a. Rami Sebei):

“The live house opinion is going to mean a lot, of course, because you can feel it, you can hear it. But yeah, but, like, if I ask The Young Bucks’ opinion that is pretty much the opinion that counts the most to me. Back in the day, like, before I was with The Young Bucks all the time and I was in DDT, it was always Rami, ‘Rami, what did you think?’ and if Rami gave it a stamp of approval.”

You can listen to Omega’s interview on The Art Of Wrestling by clicking here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Chris Jericho Takes A Shot At The Bullet Club (Photo), Triple H Cuts A Promo On Jinder Mahal (Video)

– As we’ve noted, former WWE Champion Chris Jericho will be taking on Kenny Omega for New Japan Pro Wrestling at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Omega is a member of the infamous Bullet Club; which has seen high-profile members such as Finn Balor, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, The Young Bucks, and many more.

The tagline for Jericho and Omega’s match has bee deemed “Alpha vs. Omega,” and it seems Jericho has launched the “Alpha Club” in a slight jab towards Omega and The Bullet Club. “Y2J” posted the following picture of himself wearing an Alpha Club t-shirt which you can buy here. All proceeds go to The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation:

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

– Triple H and former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal will be going head-to-head in the main event of WWE’s live event in New Delhi, India on December 9th. WWE posted a video of Triple H cutting a promo on Mahal from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Check it out:

AJ Styles Denies He Is Retiring After WrestleMania

For whatever reason, there have been rumors circulating that WWE Champion AJ Styles could be retiring from professional wrestling after next year’s WrestleMania 34 event from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. “The Phenomenal One” saw one of these rumors floating around on Twitter and flat out denied the bogus reports:

https://twitter.com/WWETweetsByAli/status/935805384455008256

Styles has been wrestling since the late 90s and has competed all across the world throughout his illustrious career. After competing in promotions such as Ring Of Honor, IMPACT Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and so many more – Styles finally found his way to WWE in 2016 as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble.

In his short time with the company Styles is already a two-time United States and WWE Champion (which he currently holds). At 40-years-of-age it should be interesting to see just how much more Styles can accomplish under the WWE’s banner.

Rumor Killer On US Title Redesign, Jinder Mahal Rants On AJ Styles After SDL (Video)

A photo has been making the rounds online for a WWE live event in Florence, South Carolina featuring Baron Corbin holding a redesigned United States Championship. The photo was even published on the official Facebook page of the Florence Civic Center, the venue hosting the upcoming show. For fans who have emailed us asking about the “new” US title belt, it’s Photoshopped and not a design WWE will be changing to any time soon.

https://twitter.com/TheEvolutionWWE/status/935742587599769606

– WWE posted a backstage interview with Jinder Mahal after last night’s SmackDown Live. Mahal ranted about being forced to defend the WWE Title against AJ Styles when he was focused on preparing for a match with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. Mahal also stated that Styles robbed him of the opportunity of visiting his homeland of India with the WWE Title. Check it out:

Kurt Angle On Why WWE Cleared Him & Not Daniel Bryan

WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently took part in a Q&A session with fans, and answered a variety of professional wrestling questions. Angle was asked about getting cleared to wrestle for WWE again, and why SmackDown Live General Manager and former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan hasn’t. Angle also discusses wanting a dream match with Bryan if at all possible. Here are the highlights:

Why he was cleared to wrestle for WWE again and Daniel Bryan wasn’t:

“No, it’s not Daniel Bryan’s neck. No, it’s concussions. That’s a serious thing today. You obviously see in the NFL there are a lot of lawsuits being thrown back and forth. It’s a very dangerous thing. I talked to Daniel personally. I passed the physical. I haven’t had an issue with my neck in 12 years. I did break it four times in two years back between 2004 and 2006, but I’ve been fine since. You have a protocol you need to follow. The physical entails a certain amount of things and the most important is the concussion test.

“Daniel couldn’t pass it. He had 10 concussions that he knows of. That’s huge liability. Can Daniel eventually wrestle? I think he can, but it comes down to him passing the concussion test. I know in time your brain heals, so we don’t know how much damage has been done thus far. Is there a possibility of him wrestling? Maybe, I hope so. I feel bad that he took it personally that I was able to wrestle. He wasn’t mad or upset; he just couldn’t understand how they passed me but not him. But they were two different things”

Wanting a dream match with Bryan:

“If I had a dream match that I wanted, it would be against Daniel Bryan. He’s awesome.”

WWE Makes Change To Ruby Riot’s Name

WWE has taken some creative license with the ring name of recent NXT call-up Ruby Riot. As of this week, the tattooed grappler is now going by the name “Ruby Riott” – that’s Riott with an extra T.

WWE also changed the spelling for her new “Riott Squad” faction, which includes Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan.

Back on April 4th, WWE submitted a trademark application for the name Ruby Riot. The application status is listed as “RESPONDED STILL UNRESOLVED.”

Accoring to Trademarkia.com, that means, “The Trademark Office has amended your trademark application as per your request or that of your attorney, however more information is needed and response is required.”

WWE has until the end of December to respond to the open issue, but it appears they have moved on with their own variation of ‘Ruby Riott.’

For more details on the trademark filing, visit Trademarkia.com.

New Day Releasing “The Book of Booty”

The New Day is releasing a book titled “The Book of Booty”. It is available for pre-order now and will be released on March 13th, 2018

The Book of Booty Description

“A fun, full color book for fans of WWE’s The New Day trio with all the silliness, positivity, and tag team triumphs fans can get.

“A source of constant entertainment as duplicitous positive-energy evangelists.”

Rolling Stone

“New Day—via hard work . . . a splash of comedy, and the power of positivity—are now the most made-for-TV act in WWE since the days of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and The Rock.”

—TheUndefeated.com”

Unseen Footage Of Finn Balor From Raw, Reason Why Cruiserweight Star Has Been Kept Off TV

– Before facing Kane in a match during the main event of this week’s episode of Raw, Finn Balor cut a promo on the Big Red Monster which didn’t air due to a commercial break. Below is the unseen footage of Balor calling out Kane for a match from the show:

– Former Cruiserweight Champion TJP has been kept off TV for a while now which has left people wondering about his status. Many speculate that he may have suffered an injury since he had appeared on crutches during the August 15th episode of 205 Live.

However, Dave Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio that the former Champion is not injured and he has been away from WWE Programming because writers have nothing for him to do.

WWE Surveys Fans on Why They Don’t Watch 205 Live

WWE recently sent out a survey to fans asking for feedback on 205 Live. Evidently, the company would like to know why so many fans aren’t watching.

https://twitter.com/jeremybotter/status/935679292914262016

Future of 205 Live in Doubt?

In January, Triple H called 205 Live a “work in progress” but it is unclear how long WWE will let the work progress if fans aren’t watching.

Then in April, it was reported that 205 Live’s ratings were quite low. In October, it was reported that ratings had increased after Enzo Amore debuted for the brand, however.

CM Punk Meeting with Dana White to Discuss UFC Future

It has been over a year since Mickey Gall defeated CM Punk at UFC 203. Dana White said Punk should “probably not fight in the UFC again” after the bout but he has never officially released him from his contract.

During a media event for this weekend’s UFC 218, White revealed that Punk will be in town for the show and the two will be meeting.

CM Punk’s MMA Career

Punk’s team at Roufus Sport say they have been lobbying for Punk’s next fight since not long after the Mickey Gall bout.

While Punk is under a contract with UFC he is unable to fight for other promotions. If the UFC won’t offer him another fight, Punk could request a release from his contract.

Depending on the terms of his contract, the UFC might be required to offer him a fight within a certain time frame. Punk signed a multi-fight agreement with the promotion in late-2014.

Kurt Angle On If He Will Be Wrestling More In Future

As noted before Kurt Angle recently appeared on iPlay America in Freehold, New Jersey where he took part in a Q&A session. Below are a few more highlights from his appearance:

Leaving Impact Wrestling:

“I left WWE in 2006 and I went to another company for about 11 years, Impact Wrestling. I was there until 2016, and then I took a year off. I did take some matches on the independent circuit; one was Rey Mysterio, I wrestled Cody Rhodes three times. I wrestled [Alberto El Patron] and he’s phenomenal, a great ring general. He’s better than you think.”

Why he left Impact:

“I did that because I wanted to stay fresh for when WWE brought me back. The reason it took me so long to get back to WWE was because… I was trying to get back since 2013, but Vince McMahon wasn’t real happy with my drug problem. I had to prove to him that I could stay clean for a lengthy period of time, and I guess it took four years.”

His long road back to a WWE ring:

“When they brought me back, they wanted to make sure… I’m 49 years old, I’ve had five broken necks, so Vince McMahon wasn’t going to bring me back right away to wrestle. He wanted to see if I could pass the drug tests, he wanted to see if I could pass the physicals, he wanted to see if I could stay clean. He brought me in just for the Hall Of Fame, and then a month later he asked me to be an ambassador for the company, then I started doing appearances. A month later he wanted me to be the GM of RAW, and I have done that for the past six months. Now he’s asked me to wrestle. He wanted me to ease into the company. He didn’t want to push me too hard; he wanted to make sure that I stayed clean for that period of time. Why am I at this point? It’s because Vince was very cautious, and I don’t blame him for that.”

If he will be wrestling more:

“Will I be wrestling more? More on than off in the future? Probably. Right now I’m doing a little bit of both, the GM and wrestling here and there. I’m sure that I’ll be wrestling much more in the future; it just took a little bit of time. I don’t blame the company for what they did; I would have done the same thing. I’m glad Vince McMahon did that because I did want to prove to him that I could do what I did the last year, year and a half. So I’m happy to be able to start wrestling, and when I did take the physical, the doctor did tell me ‘You aren’t going to wrestling full-time. They don’t expect you to.’ I think they’re going to put me in different programs, with different athletes at different periods of time. At my age, I’m glad to do that. I don’t expect to be wrestling like Seth Rollins or AJ Styles where they’re wrestling four or five days a week. I did that. With the injuries and doing that, that’s the reason I left the company in the first place, so I’m glad to be able to do it more part-time than full-time.”

Quotes via Wrestlezone

Brock Lesnar’s Raw Return Date Announced

After defeating AJ Styles at Survivor Series many speculated that the Beast Brock Lesnar may not appear on WWE programming again this year, though that’s not the case.

Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the venue for the December 18th episode of Raw tweeted the following, revealing that the Universal Champion will be making an appearance on the show:

It’s worth mentioning here that this will be the first Raw after the upcoming SmackDown Exclusive PPV Clash Of Champions, which will also be the final WWE PPV of the year.

No word yet on what he will be doing at the show, but it’s likely that The Current Champion will start the buildup for his next match at the Royal Rumble PPV.

As we noted before, WWE reportedly nixed the planned match between Brock Lesnar and Finn Balor for the upcoming PPV because Mr. McMahon is not high on Balor anymore.

Who will replace Finn at the upcoming PPV is not known either, though things should become clear when Lesnar returns to WWE Programming next month.

What Happened After WWE Tapings, Hideo Itami Wants Respect, The New Day

– Below is video of The New Day gaming backstage after their win over Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable on tonight’s SmackDown. Xavier Woods says they are the franchise tag team of the industry and they will definitely be SmackDown Tag Team Champions again as it is written in the stars. Kofi Kingston goes on about how “piping hot” they are.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mTgjJLIj9Y?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

– The dark main event after tonight’s WWE 205 Live in Lexington, KY saw Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura defeat Dolph Ziggler and WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin in tag team action.

– Hideo Itami tweeted the following after his latest vignette aired on tonight’s WWE 205 Live. No word yet on when his main roster debut will happen.

Jinder Mahal – The Singh Brothers Video From Commercial, WWE Confirms Fatal 4 Way, The Hype Bros

– As noted, tonight’s WWE SmackDown saw WWE Champion AJ Styles defeat The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match, despite a pre-match attack from Jinder Mahal. WWE posted this video of the beatdown continuing during the commercial break:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLf1q-bsryk?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

– WWE has confirmed that the Fatal 4 Way on next week’s RAW will feature Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander. As noted, the winner of that Fatal 4 Way will face Rich Swann the next week with the winner going on to face WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore the following week.

– Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley took to Twitter tonight and tweeted the following after Mojo turned on Ryder following their loss to Rowan & Harper in a rematch from last week’s loss.

https://twitter.com/MojoRawleyWWE/status/935691236828172290

5 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (11/28)

The November 28th episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s episode of SmackDown:

Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan Settled Their Differences 

Photo Credit: WWE.com

This week’s SmackDown, like most SmackDowns nowadays, opened up with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon coming down to the ring. Shane got a couple of cheap pops from the crowd and then quickly transitioned into talking about Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.

Shane brought up the fact that he wanted to fire Zayn and Owens, but thought Daniel Bryan’s idea of a Lumberjack match was great. Shane added that he thought Daniel Bryan was going to fire Zayn and Owens, but that didn’t wind up happening. Shane then introduced SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan and Bryan came to the ring as the crowd chanted “yes!”.

Daniel Bryan stated that he believes in second chances. Shane reminded Daniel Bryan that Kevin Owens beat the hell out of Vince McMahon. Shane brought up Sami interfering in his Hell in a Cell match with Kevin Owens and then went on to betray team SmackDown at Survivor Series.

Bryan replied that if they fire Zayn and Owens, they will just end up on RAW. Shane said that would be great because they would then be Stephanie McMahon’s problem. Shane then commended Daniel Bryan on making a match between Kevin Owens and Randy Orton tonight. Shane announced that Sami Zayn is barred from ringside and that the match is now no disqualifications. Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon then shook hands in the ring.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were backstage and approached Daniel Bryan. Zayn complained about Shane McMahon’s decision to bar him from ringside. Owens then complained about having to face Orton in a No DQ match because Orton is crazy. Sami told Bryan to do something about it and Bryan responded with “hell no” and then walked away.

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon seem to be back on the same page for now. It feels like this storyline is far from over between the SmackDown Commissioner and GM.

SmackDown’s Tag Division Is A Mess


Gable and Benjamin faced New Day tonight on SmackDown. Big E was ringside for the match and The Usos were on commentary. The match started out back and forth for the first few minutes.
Woods connected with a Dropkick off the top rope onto Gable and then tagged in Kofi Kingston. Gable tagged in Benjamin and Kofi hit him with a Crossbody off the top rope. Kingston connected with a Clothesline and then went for Trouble in Paradise but Benjamin caught him.

Benjamin and Kingston fell out of the ring and Woods launched Gable over the ropes. Woods then flipped onto Gable and Benjamin outside the ring. Back in the ring, Kingston and Woods connected with the Midnight Hour for the pinfall victory.

After the match, The Usos and the SmackDown commentary team hinted at New Day getting another shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. I thought that Gable and Benjamin were going to get another shot at the titles, but it appears that we may be getting yet another feud between The Usos and New Day. I have no want to see that feud again so soon after it ended at Hell in a Cell. I would much rather see teams like Gable and Benjamin be built up now, rather than WWE just go back to focusing on two teams and completely neglecting the rest of the tag division on SmackDown.

Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder faced The Bludgeon Brothers this week on SmackDown. Just like last week, Harper and Rowan beat the hell out of the Hype Bros and defeated them with ease.

After the match, Zack Ryder was interviewed about the loss. Ryder stated that the Hype Bros need to change. Mojo then attacked Ryder from behind and started screaming that the Hype Bros are dead. Mojo beat down Ryder for a minute before storming up the entrance ramp to a chorus of boos.

Mojo was asked why he attacked Ryder backstage and Mojo responded that the landscape has changed and then walked away.

WWE has been hinting at the Hype Bros breaking up for some time now. The Hype Bros were going nowhere as a team and have barely been on SmackDown recently. We’ve seen what Ryder is capable of on his own, it will be interesting to see where Mojo’s character goes from here. There just aren’t enough viable teams on SmackDown right now. It would be nice to see Breezango compete in the ring once in awhile instead of just appear on the Fashion Files every week.

Jinder Mahal Attacked The Singh Brothers

WWE Champion AJ Styles was set to face the Singh Brothers in a Handicap match tonight on SmackDown. Jinder Mahal attacked Styles from behind and beat him down as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, the match started and Jinder Mahal was ringside. Samir and Sunil Singh beatdown Styles in the corner as Mahal cheered them on. The Singhs Suplexed Styles for a one count.

The Singh Brothers then focused their attack on AJ’s knee. The Singhs went for a Superplex off the top rope but AJ knocked them both off the turnbuckle. Mahal hopped up on the ring apron and Styles booted him in the face. AJ then hit a Styles Clash off the second rope for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Jinder Mahal attacked the Singh Brothers and planted them both with the Khallas.

AJ Styles will defend his WWE Championship against Jinder Mahal next month at Clash of Champions. It is looking like Mahal will have to defeat Styles on his own, unless he finds two new Superstars to replace the Singh Brothers in the next couple of weeks.  The Singh Brothers are awesome sellers and they both took a couple of great bumps in this match. The best moment of Mahal’s title reign was when Orton knocked Samir Singh off the Punjabi Prison and he fell through a table.

The “Riott Squad” Picked Up Their First Victory

Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan faced Charlotte, Naomi and Natalya tonight on SmackDown. Even though Riot, Morgan and Logan beat the hell out of Natalya last week, Natalya still decided to abandon her team.

Morgan, Logan and Riot took turns beating down Charlotte. Riot applied a Chin Lock to Charlotte in the middle of the ring. Charlotte broke the hold with a Jawbreaker but Riot was able to prevent Charlotte from tagging in Naomi.

Morgan and Logan took out Naomi outside the ring by slamming her into the steel steps. Charlotte battled back in the ring and bashed Riot’s head into the turnbuckle. Charlotte hit a Spear onto Liv Morgan. Logan then booted Charlotte and Riot connected with a kick for the pinfall victory.

I don’t think it is possible to come up with a lamer name than “Riott Squad”. After all of these years of watching WWE, I sometimes still find myself amazed at their lack of creativity. Riot, Morgan and Logan were still dominant again tonight and pinned the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Owens & Zayn Prevailed Again

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens battled in the main event in a No DQ match. Sami Zayn was barred from ringside during this match. Orton immediately attacked Kevin Owens and bashed him several times with a kendo stick. Owens finally was able to retrieve a kendo stick of his own and he hit Orton with it. Owens then connected with a Fallaway Slam that sent Orton flying into the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Kevin Owens was still in control and hit Orton with the kendo stick a few more times. Owens followed it up with a Senton for a two count. Orton took control of the match and hit Owens with a Superplex. Orton then slammed Owens onto the announce table and then threw Owens back into the ring.

Orton geared up for the RKO but Owens rolled out of the ring and tried to escape through the crowd. Orton followed him and caught him by the entrance ramp. Orton connected with a series of punches and Owens fell on the entrance. Sami Zayn then appeared on the entrance ramp and attacked Randy Orton with a chair.

Owens brought Orton back to the ring and Orton planted Owens with a DDT while he was hung up in the ropes. Orton went for the RKO but Owens blocked it and took a shot at Orton’s knee. Owens then hit a Superkick and followed it up with a Frog Splash off the top rope for the pinfall victory.

Sami Zayn was barred from ringside, thus he was allowed to attack Orton on the entrance ramp. The storyline between Bryan, McMahon, Owens and Zayn is mildly interesting, but nothing really happened on this week’s episode of SmackDown. It was more boring than usual and viewers didn’t miss anything at all if they couldn’t tune in this week.

SmackDown Stable Gets Name (Photos & Videos), New Challenger For Baron Corbin, AJ Styles

– It looks like the upcoming WWE Clash of Champions pay-per-view may see WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin defend against Bobby Roode. Tonight’s WWE SmackDown saw Roode issue a challenge to Corbin but Corbin turned him down. Below is video from that segment:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTU8jwj7XzA?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

– Tonight’s SmackDown also saw WWE Champion AJ Styles defeat The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match, despite a pre-match attack from Jinder Mahal. Styles tweeted the following after the match and commented on his upcoming match with Jinder at WWE Clash of Champions:

– Ruby Riot revealed on tonight’s SmackDown that her stable with Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan will be called The Riott Squad. The trio later defeated Naomi and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair after Natalya walked out on her partners. As seen below, Naomi was stretchered out after being double teamed by Liv and Logan.

Mojo Rawley Turns On Zack Ryder (Video), Tye Dillinger Wins Dark Match, Kalisto – WWE 205 Live

– After months of teasing a break-up, The Hype Bros are officially no more. Tonight’s WWE SmackDown saw Rowan and Harper quickly defeat Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder in a rematch from last week. As seen in the video below, Mojo attacked Ryder after the match and laid him out.

– The dark match before tonight’s SmackDown in Lexington, KY saw Tye Dillinger defeat Mike Kanellis in singles action.

– It looks like Kalisto will be making his return to WWE 205 Live on tonight’s show after being away last week. He tweeted the following today:

Brie Bella Opens Up On Daniel Bryan Wanting To Return To The Ring

Former WWE Divas Champion Brie Bella recently appeared on Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory, to talk about various topics including her relationship with Daniel Bryan, their fight to return to the ring and more.

The SmackDown Live General Manager has made it known that wants to wrestle again and he could leave the sports entertainment company after his contract expires in September of 2018.

Bryan teased on Twitter earlier this year that he would be interested in wrestling current ROH World Champion Cody Rhodes when his contract is up with the WWE. Here is what Bella had to say:

“From like, literally, the day they told him he couldn’t do it anymore, he has flown himself all over the United States to all different doctors to figure out…what he could do to help turn that ‘no’ into a ‘yes’… There’s been like eight doctors who are like, ‘You can wrestle’… A lot of doctors can’t see why he can’t get in that ring again…and I think [the WWE is] looking at it…He is on such a mission to get back into that WWE ring, it’s crazy, which caused a lot of arguments in our marriage in the beginning, especially when I was pregnant.”

Cody Rhodes Wants To Headline “All In” Event Against Daniel Bryan

Ring of Honor World Champion Cody Rhodes appeared on the Busted Open Radio show on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the news that he and the Young Bucks are planning to host a live pro wrestling event in 2018.

Cody and the Bucks are going “all in” – self-financing a show to be held in a venue that holds 10,000 fans.

During his appearance on Busted Open Radio, Cody revealed that his ideal main event for the event is for him to defend the ROH World Championship against WWE SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan.

Bryan is under WWE contract until next summer at which point he’d be free to wrestle anywhere. He’s been very outspoken about wanting to wrestle, despite WWE refusing to medically clear him to compete.

You can check out Cody’s remarks about wanting to wrestle Bryan Danielson at “All In” below:

WWE SmackDown Live Results & Discussion (11/28)

The November 28th, 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.

– This week’s broadcast opens up with a video recapping the history between Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Daniel Bryan.

– SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon comes out to the ring to kick off tonight’s show. Shane talks about wanting to fire Owens and Zayn, and then he brings out Daniel Bryan. SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan comes out to the ring, and talks to Shane about not letting his temper get in the way of business. Shane says Owens and Zayn not only beat his father and cost him a match, but also betrayed the entire SmackDown roster. Bryan says Owens and Zayn were just trying to grab the brass ring and compete, and if they fire them, they’ll just end up on RAW. Shane says that’s great, then Owens and Zayn will be his sister’s problem. Bryan says he’s not a yes-man or a puppet, he’s here to recognize in-ring talent and give opportunities, and Shane has to trust him. Shane says he trusts him, and he likes the match Bryan booked for tonight: Owens vs. Randy Orton. Shane says he’s going to add to the match a little bit: Sami Zayn is barred from ringside, and it’s a no DQ match. Shane and Daniel shake on it, then head to the back.

– The New Day are backstage walking with a big tray of pancakes. Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable are seen walking with a box of Booty-O’s, and they throw it away.

– Owens and Zayn are backstage complaining about how SmackDown management keeps stacking the deck against them. They find Daniel Bryan and complain to him about Shane making this a no DQ match. They want the stipulation to be removed, but Bryan tells them “hell no.”

The New Day vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin: The Usos are on commentary for this one, and Big E gives them some pancakes. Kofi and Xavier will be representing The New Day. Gable takes down Woods to start, but Woods fires back with an elbow to the face. They fight back and forth until Benjamin gets the tag and hits a flying kick to Woods’ face. Benjamin and Gable now trade tags and take turns beating on Woods. Benjamin does some damage to Woods with a series of knee strikes, then he picks up Woods for Gable to hit a flying knee off the middle rope on him. Gable takes a minute to cheap-shot Kofi on the apron too. Gable and Woods start fighting in the corner, which leads to Woods hitting a missile dropkick. Kofi and Shelton get the tags, and Kofi hits a flying kick off the ropes. Kofi follows up with a series of strikes. Benjamin tries to turn it around and whips Kofi into the corner, but Kofi fires back with a kick and then a flying cross body. Kofi hits a flying clothesline, and then a leg drop. Kofi goes for the Trouble In Paradise, but Shelton catches him in mid-air. Shelton tries to throw Kofi outside, but Kofi dumps him outside instead. Kofi dumps Gable outside too, and Woods follows up with a suicide dive onto both Gable and Benjamin. Back in the ring, they hit the Up Up Down Down on Benjamin for the three count. After the match, Big E hits the ring and The New Day dances and celebrates.

Winners: The New Day

– Charlotte is backstage talking to Naomi about the sneak attack last week by the new women on the SmackDown roster. Natalya walks in and tells Charlotte she should be thanking them for interrupting their match. Charlotte tells Natalya to sit this one out, but Natalya says she needs her tonight.

– We see a video promoting The Bludgeon Brothers – Luke Harper and Eric Rowan. They’re in action next.

Luke Harper & Eric Rowans vs. The Hype Bros: Harper and Rowan dominate this one out of the gate with clotheslines and splashes in the corner. They throw Mojo to the outside, then double team Ryder. Harper hits a side suplex, then tags in Rowan and they do a double chokeslam on Ryder.

Winners: Luke Harper & Eric Rowan

– After the match, Ryder does an in-ring interview where he talks about their losing streak and how they need to get back in the game. Mojo attacks Ryder from behind and starts beating him down. Mojo yells at Ryder that the Hype Bros are dead as he pummels on his now-former partner. Officials finally haul off Mojo and he walks to the back.

– We see Mojo walking backstage, and he gets approached by an interviewer. He’s asked why he attacked Ryder, and Mojo just says that “the landscape has change.”

– We see a recap of Baron Corbin and Bobby Roode getting into last week. Roode does an interview backstage where he trashes Corbin. Roode says he’s smarter, better, and is going to take away Corbin’s United States Championship. Corbin interrupts and says he’s not scared of Roode. Roode says if Corbin isn’t scared, why doesn’t he put the U.S. Title on the line against him tonight. Corbin says no and walks off.

– The Singh Brothers are out on the stage and they introduce Jinder Mahal. Jinder will be at ringside for the Singh Brothers’ handicap match, coming up next.

AJ Styles vs. The Singh Brothers: This is a two-on-one handicap match. Before the opening bell, Jinder cracks AJ in the face and starts stomping on him. The Singh Brothers join in on the beatdown as the ref tries to get Jinder out of the ring. They continue to beat down AJ, and Jinder throws him into the ring post and out of the ring. AJ recovers at ringside and tells the ref he’s good to compete. The ref kicks Jinder out of the ring, AJ comes back in and the opening bell sounds. The Singh Brothers immediately jump on AJ and double team him. They continue the assault until AJ finally starts firing back and fighting his way up. They take out AJ’s knee and The Phenomenal One is grounded once again. They start fighting in the corner and Styles knocks one of the brothers down, then he hits a Styles Clash on the other one off the middle rope onto his brother. AJ scores the three count, then flees the ring as Jinder runs in. Jinder backs up the ramp holding up his WWE Title belt as Jinder freaks out in the ring. Jinder gives the Khallas to each of the Singh Brothers.

– We go to a backstage interview with Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan. They say their group is called the Riot Squad. Ruby says they’re there to turn the SmackDown women’s division upside down.

– The New Day cuts a pre-taped promo for some deals on WWEShop.com.

Natalya, Charlotte & Naomi vs. Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan & Ruby Riott: Natalya and Ruby start this one off and Ruby takes control early on with strikes. She boots Natalya in the head, then Charlotte and Sarah tag in. Natalya leaves the ring and says she doesn’t want anything to do with any of them, she’s outta here. Charlotte and Liv now go at it and Charlotte tees off with a series of chops to the chest. The Riot Squad turns it around off a cheap shot, and Ruby now works on keeping Charlotte grounded. Naomi now starts going at it at ringside with Liv and Sarah, and they double team her and beat her down. They slingshot Naomi into the steel steps at ringside as Ruby keeps Charlotte grounded in the ring. The ref calls for help for Naomi at ringside. Back in the ring, all three women take turns continuing the beat down on Charlotte. Charlotte finally starts firing up and she sends Ruby face-first into the middle turnbuckle. She hits a shot on Liv, but Sarah hits a cheap shot on Charlotte over the ropes to kill her momentum. Ruby capitalizes on the cheap shot and rolls up Charlotte for the three count.

Winners: Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan & Ruby Riott

– As the Riot Squad celebrates their win, we see Naomi getting put on a stretcher at ringside.

– We go backstage for an interview with Randy Orton, but he no-sells the interviewer and walks right past then. He starts heading directly to the gorilla position for his upcoming no DQ match.

– It’s time for the latest edition of the Fashion Files. Breezango and The Ascension are chained up in bathroom, like in the Saw movie. A puppet comes on a tv screen and tells them they have to escape before a poisonous gas fills the room. They see the destroyed toy horse in a bag, and find the key inside of him. Fandango and Breeze get unlocked, while The Ascension says they’ll sacrifice themselves for their best friends. Breezango had enough time to save them, but they just head off anyways while The Ascension bids them farewell. To be continued.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens: This one is a no DQ match and Sami Zayn is banned from ringside. The opening bell sounds and Orton goes right to work on Owens. He takes Orton outside early on and beats him down around ringside before back suplexing him onto the announce table. Orton grabs a kendo stick and starts teeing off on Owens on the floor. Owens now grabs a kendo stick of his own and starts fighting back. Back in the ring, Owens now mounts a comeback and starts pummeling on Orton. Orton hits a thumb to the eye to stun Owens, but Owens is able to keep control of the match and hit a senton drop for a two count. Owens misses a cannonball splash in the corner, then starts trading punches with Orton. Orton hits some headbutts and takes Owens up top for a superplex for a two count. Orton goes for a DDT, but Owens escapes and the fight spills out to ringside. Orton hits the back suplex on the announce table, then the two brawl up the entrance ramp. Orton beats down Owens on the stage, then back down the ramp towards the stage. Sami Zayn now runs in from behind and starts beating on Orton with a steel chair. Zayn repeatedly bashes Orton with the steel chair, then leaves. Owens takes Orton back into the ring, but Orton catches him on the way back in through the ropes and DDTs him. Orton goes for an RKO, but Owens blocks it and takes out Orton’s knee. Owens hits a superkick, then follows up with a frogsplash off the top rope. Owens covers for the three count.

Winner: Kevin Owens

– Owens gets up after the match and talks trash to Orton while he’s still on the mat. The ref raises Owens’ hand, then he rolls out of the ring and SmackDown goes off the air as Orton recovers from the frogsplash.

Braun Strowman On Resentment Because Of His Push

WWE Superstar Braun Strowman recently did an interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated to talk about a number of professional wrestling topics. During the interview, “The Monster Among Men” talked about feeling some resentment for his massive push after only being with the company for such a short time, and also how hard he has worked to get to where he’s at today. You can check out the highlights here:

Feeling resentment in the locker room for his push:

“Yeah, there was a little bit of animosity, I could tell. But, you know, this is a great place. It’s a great company to work for. And I won everyone over because of how hard I worked, putting my body on the line and doing everything I can to get better — listening, watching other matches, watching the whole entire show.

“At first, yes there were some of those guys who had been working years and years and years just to get here. But it’s not like I didn’t put in my time and pay my dues to get here. I traveled around the world competing in strongman contests, paying my way to do all that on my own dime for years. And then I had an opportunity when WWE saw me at The World’s Strongest Man. We talked, exchanged information.”

Working hard to get to where he is:

“I went down and had a trial and earned a spot in the developmental program down at the Performance Center and worked my tail off down there, earned a spot on NXT, got called up, and continued to work hard and get to where we’re at now.”

Strowman’s interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated is available at this link.

Edge: You Can Only Be A Top Star In Wrestling By Being Close With Vince McMahon

WWE Hall Of Famer Edge recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote his appearance on The History Channel’s “Vikings” series. During the interview Edge discussed his relationship with “The Chairman Of The Board” Vince McMahon. “The Rated-R Superstar” discussed McMahon’s work ethic, if he still keeps in contact with him today, and claiming that you can only be a top performer in WWE by being close with Vince McMahon. Here are the highlights:

Vince McMahon’s work ethic:

“There are not many with Vince’s work ethic, and I think what that does is breeds it in a lot of his performers, especially the ones that make it to the top,” he explained. “If it isn’t already in you, it will be taught to you by Vince, whose go-to was usually to push, not praise, but that was OK with me.”

If he still keeps in contact with Vince:

“I’ll still call or text Vince, and it’s not about bad things or complaints or gripes. When I got dual-citizenship, I called him thanked him for the opportunities he afforded me in his company. I don’t know how often he hears that.”

You can only be a top star in WWE by being close to Vince:

“That’s not politicking, that’s getting to know each other and allowing him to know what type of person he is going to invest this massive machine in. How can he do that unless he has some sense of who you are as a person, and not just as a performer?

“It happened organically with us. When I had points I felt very strongly on, I went to him. In doing it, he began to see that I would stand up for what I believed strongly in, and that I would admit when I was wrong. I didn’t look for a pat on the back when I was right, either. He also knew how much I cared for that industry.”

You can check out Edge’s interview with Sports Illustrated by clicking here.