Jax has been quickly moved up the ladder in WWE. She was positioned as a big star while she was competing in WWE’s developmental brand, NXT, and even when she was called up to the main roster.

Slowly but surely she has gone from beating jobbers to being a big name in the women’s division on the RAW brand.

Jax recently spoke with Planeta Wrestling to talk about various topics. During the interview, she was asked about possibly being drafted to SmackDown during the Superstar Shakeup, which is rumored to take place at the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view event in May.

”I wouldn’t be surprised at all. I think SmackDown is filled with talented people. I personally enjoy watching the show on that side. There are a lot of female Superstars that I would like to work with. It would be great to go over there and switch it up. I wouldn’t mind it at all.”

Jax is slated to challenge Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 34. Although the sports entertainment company has yet to finalize the match order of this event, she was asked about her take on potentially working the pre-show instead of being positioned on the main card.

“That is obviously not the ideal position that you would want to be in, but to be fair, our show is watched all around the world by millions of people, and I am pretty sure a lot of people would still catch us on the pre-show. It’s an honor to be on the card, period, but I definitely feel that the women have earned a shot on the main card. I don’t think that’ll be happening this year.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcript.

https://youtu.be/B1h0jUKdj5o

Future advertising for upcoming WWE live events may have revealed who Asuka is slated to feud with after WrestleMania 34.

Asuka signed with WWE in 2015 and was sent to developmental in NXT. In April of 2016 at NXT TakeOver: Dallas Asuka defeated Bayley to win the NXT Women’s Championship.

She continued to dominate her opponents in NXT and extended her vicious undefeated streak to over 500 days. The sports entertainment company made the decision to call her up to the main event roster and place her on the flagship show of the company, Monday Night Raw, last September.

Moving to January, she would win the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. Now, she is slated to challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Title at WrestleMania 34.

WWE is advertising Asuka vs. Nia Jax for live events after WrestleMania including the live event on Sunday, May 27th at the Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA. 

As always, the card is subject to change for WWE events.

WWE may have scrapped the plans to turn former Raw Women’s Champion Bayley heel in her current program with Sasha Banks.

As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Cleveland, Ohio at the Quicken Loans Arena on the USA Network, the sports entertainment company did a backstage segment involving the two former champions that saw Banks attack Bayley in the locker room after exchanging some words. You can see the segment here:

Dave Meltzer wrote the following about the plans for the feud on the F4WOnline.com message board:

“Bayley was scheduled to turn. The MSG card had her teaming with Elias vs. Cena & Nikki right until the decision was made to hold up the turn. It wasn’t a red herring, it was a plan written for a turn by that date that they changed. It appeared Banks did the turn however. Plans like that change weekly.

The Banks heel turn was scheduled well before the 2017 Mania at first. People who act like this stuff doesn’t change 100 times are mental because you have to ignore everything every wrestler tells you in every inside interview to believe that.”

We reported earlier this week (via TMZ) that WWE is taking aggressive measures to prevent bootleggers from selling fraudulent WWE merchandise during WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans.

WWE filed legal documents in Louisiana this week trying to get a temporary restraining order to ban bootleggers from selling unauthorized merchandise outside the Mercedes Benz Superdome and the Smoothie King Center.

WWE submitted several merchandise designs and trademarks – and one of the documents includes a photo of the yet-to-be-announced WWE Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships. WWE is expected to introduce the new Cruiserweight tag team titles after WrestleMania 34.

https://twitter.com/cleansheetsPW/status/978997006399148034

Earlier this month, championship belt aficionado Belt Fan Dan confirmed that this design circulating online was legitimate.

A few legit sources are confirming the image that has been floating around Facebook. pic.twitter.com/uCtWkJ3Lay

— Dan Beltzer (@BeltFanDan) March 7, 2018

WWE is also introducing a new NXT North American Championship belt at NXT Takeover: New Orleans during WrestleMania weekend.

Discussion: What do you think about WWE introducing Tag Titles for the Cruiserweight division and 205 Live?

WWE 205 Live Superstar Cedric Alexander plans on making his opportunity to wrestle at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company a special night that not only will he never forget but the fans of the WWE either.

Musta Ali will face Alexander for the vacant Cruiserweight Title in the finals of the tournament at WrestleMania 34.

Alexander recently took to his official Instagram account to hype the upcoming match. In that post, he noted that he doesn’t mind if his ends up on the main card or pre-show of WrestleMania 34. He wrote the following:

“Sunday April 8th, @mustafaaliwwe and I will do what we do best. ‘Pre Show’ or ‘Main Card’ it doesn’t matter! The facts are this – We will walk into The Mercedes-Benz Superdome and in front of 70,000+ fans we will STEAL THE SHOW! I guarantee you will not forget this. #HeartAndSoul #205live”

https://instagram.com/p/Bg29QjABlA6/?utm_source=ig_embed

WrestleMania 34 is set to be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. Both Raw and SmackDown rosters will be featured.

Late Tuesday night (March 27, 2018), news of WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair suffering an injury had WWE fans worrying.

The sports entertainment company had announced that Flair suffered an undisclosed injury and was pulled from her non-title match against Natalya on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.

Also, she was scheduled to team with Bobby Roode against Finn Balor and Sasha Banks on Mixed Match Challenge but wasn’t be able to compete on the show.

It was later revealed that Flair underwent minor dental surgery due to a mouth infection.

Bobby Roode and Becky Lynch defeated Finn Balor and Sasha Banks to advance to the finals on the eleventh episode of WWE Mixed Match Challenge aired on Facebook. 

Flair will return to action on next week’s show for the finals as she and Roode face Asuka and WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz.

She is still on course to defend her Smackdown Women’s Championship against Asuka at WrestleMania 34.

– As seen on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown Live in Pittsburgh, PA at the PPG Paints Arena on the USA Network, Daniel Bryan announced that he would team up with Shane McMahon to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34.

The WWE added an interesting twist to the match as there is a stipulation to go along with it.

If Bryan and McMahon win, then Zayn and Owens remain fired, but if Zayn and Owens win, they will be reinstated to SmackDown Live.

Keep in mind that this match may change as McMahon was just released from the hospital. For more on that, click here. You can see Zayn’s reaction to the announcement below:

Daniel Bryan wants payback??

WE GLADLY ACCEPT.

He just made the biggest mistake of his life.

If he thought what we did to him last week was bad, just wait & see what we will do to him after publicly firing us.#Wrestlemania will be the worst night of Shane & Daniel’s lives.

— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) March 28, 2018

– As we noted on the site, Road Dogg will induct Jeff Jarrett into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. WWE’s YouTube channel has released this video of Renee Young speaking with the Road Dogg about the honors:

WWE has officially announced who will be inducting Jeff Jarrett into the WWE Hall of Fame this year and it’s quite fitting, to say the least.

On Tuesday morning, the sports entertainment company announced that former WWE star and current agent, Road Dogg will do the honors for the former WWE Intercontinental Champion.

If you recall, Dogg and Jarrett were paired together on television starting in 1994. Dogg was known as The Roadie, acting as Jarrett’s gofer as he tried to use WWE to springboard to country music superstardom.

Some fans may not remember this but, Dogg provided the vocals for Jarrett’s debut single, “With My Baby Tonight.”

WWE holds their 2018 Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, April 6th in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Smoothie King Center and will air on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network. Bill Goldberg will headline the class.

Jarrett reacted to the news by writing the following on his official Twitter account:

Perfect! April 6th, 2018! #WWEHOF #WithMyBabyTonight @WrestleMania @WWE https://t.co/CZ0lTkN6OF

— Jeff Jarrett (@RealJeffJarrett) March 27, 2018

WWE Champion AJ Styles is going into his third WrestleMania with the WWE, and just like the previous two events, he is being booked in a prominent role at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company.

Styles faced former WWE Champion Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 32 in 2016 and then wrestled SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon in the opener of WrestleMania 33 last year. Now, he’s slated to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 next month.

The WWE Champion recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of SI.com to promote the upcoming event. During the interview, he talked about his dream match against Nakamura at WrestleMania 34.

“This match is special because we’ve yet to see it in WWE,” said Styles. “The only other time we were in the ring together was more than two years ago [in New Japan Pro Wrestling].

“We gave people a taste in the “Money in the Bank” match, and that moment let everyone in the back know how special this match could be. The fans responded by asking for this match, and I want to give it to them. Shinsuke won the Royal Rumble, so now we have that opportunity.”

“If you know the history between myself and Shinsuke, you’re pretty excited about this match,” said Styles. “But even if you don’t, just think what Shinsuke Nakamura is capable of and what AJ Styles is capable of. To mix those two together is going to be something special.”

“Shinsuke has the same mindset,” said Styles. “He wants this to be one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history. I don’t know if we’re going to reach that level, but we’re certainly going to try.”

Since SmackDown General manager Daniel Bryan was cleared last week by WWE doctors, there have been many fans expressing their desire to see Bryan wrestle Styles in a WWE ring. Styles made it clear in this interview that he’s up for the challenge.

“Shoot, now that he’s cleared, who knows when Daniel Bryan and I will have the opportunity to get in the ring together?” asked Styles. “But who knows when I’ll get in the ring with Seth Rollins, or again with Finn Balor, or even Randy Orton? There are guys I have yet to get in the ring with, but now that Daniel Bryan is cleared and ready, he’s in line. Who knows what’s going to come first? There are a lot of great things that will happen in the next couple years.”

For years now, fans have wanted to see AJ Styles compete in a WWE ring and now that has happened, he is a main event player for the sports entertainment company.

Styles first appeared on WWE television in 2002 but turned down a developmental contract he was offered by the company.

He signed a multi-year contract with WWE fourteen years later in January 2016 and made his re-debut at that month’s Royal Rumble. After appearing at his first WrestleMania that April against Chris Jericho, Styles headlined multiple pay-per-view events and won winning WWE Championship at Backlash in September.

He held the title up until 2017’s edition of the Royal Rumble in January. Styles has also won the United States Championship twice. He then won the WWE Title in late 2017.

The WWE Champion was recently interviewed by Raute Musik to promote WrestleMania 34 where he is slated to defend the WWE Title against Shinsuke Nakamura.

During the interview, he was asked if he will renew with the WWE after his contract expires and if he has plans for what he will do after retiring from in-ring competition. Here is what he had to say:

“I don’t see why not if I can still do what I do. Like, if I can still be AJ Styles, then I would like to keep working in the WWE in a talent form, so as long as I can keep going, then I would like to keep working here.”

“I think there is definitely going to be a time to just sit and chill with the family, but a guy like me just doesn’t sit at at home, so I would like to get back on the road, either as an Agent, or more importantly, become a Trainer of some sort. Who knows what will be around in WWE by the time I retire. There may be a better job than that.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcript.

For weeks now, WWE fans have been wondering when the WWE will announce that John Cena would face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 34.

However, despite the speculation, the sports entertainment company continues to delay the match announcement. The former WWE Champion has been calling out The Deadman for weeks now for a match at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company. However, there has been nothing from Taker.

Many people thought due to the fact that we are two weeks away from Mania, Taker would appear on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Cleveland, Ohio at the Quicken Loans Arena on the USA Network as Kane battled Cena in a No DQ match in the main event. That was not the case.

Dave Meltzer gave an update on the situation during the most recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. The longtime pro wrestling journalist speculated that the reason the WWE has held off on his match announcement is due to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon feeling that they have already announced a loaded card and it can wait.

“They will wait until the last week as the thing is realistically, they have a loaded card and it’s not like they will have trouble selling tickets. The idea is with Daniel Bryan’s return and Ronda Rousey’s match, you know Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. I think maybe Vince figures ‘hey, it’s a loaded up card, we can wait until the last week to push Cena vs. Undertaker.’

WrestleMania 34 is set to be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history.

H/T to Ringside News for the transcript

The plans for SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan were thought to be set in stone but now are up in the air.

The reason for this is due to the current condition of the SmackDown Commissioner. WWE has announced that Shane McMahon is currently recovering from acute diverticulitis and an umbilical hernia.

As of this writing, it’s not clear what this means for McMahon’s status at WrestleMania 34, but it’s been reported that he will team up with Bryan to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at the event.

Dave Meltzer gave an update on the situation during the most recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.

“Shane McMahon was diagnosed with diverticulitis. So that match at WrestleMania is going to have to be changed. Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens match which is liking going to be announced tomorrow.

So, he’s in really rough shape. That hernia surgery is a pretty bad one. It’s not unusual but it’s a very painful surgery. The diverticulitis is a pretty bad deal as well, so he’s probably not going to be around for a while. I asked around about what’s going to happen and it all kind of broke in the last couple of days.

Tomorrow we will have a lot better idea but they are probably going to have to switch courses. Go in another direction. Probably Daniel Bryan in a tag team — getting another tag team partner would be the most likely situation.”

Co-host Bryan Alvarez brought up the fact that they could reach out to Chris Jericho to see if he would be willing to be Bryan’s partner at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company due to his history with Owens in the past on television.

However, Meltzer checked on Fozzy tour dates and noted that Jericho would have to cancel his Fozzy concert in New Hampshire which is the same day as WrestleMania to make the event. It’s not likely he’s willing to cancel tour dates.

Thanks to RingsideNews.com for the quotes.

Former WWE Champion Dean Ambrose has unexpectedly been pulled from his scheduled appearances during WrestleMania week.

For those who may not recall, Ambrose underwent successful surgery to repair a high-grade triceps tendon in December. Ambrose’s arm injury reportedly took place at the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs pay-per-view event back on October 22nd. During that pay-per-view, Ambrose took a bump on a table that didn’t break.

Following the match, his right arm immediately swelled up. While Ambrose didn’t take any time off and continued to work through the pain, things got worse over time. WWE stated Ambrose would be out nine months at the time of his surgery been announced.

WWE announced on Monday afternoon that Ambrose would not be able to appear at the WrestleMania Axxess Premium VIP Autograph Session on Sunday, April 8, at 10 a.m.

Instead, the sports entertainment company has already announced his replacement. WWE Hall of Famers Sting and Ric Flair will appear at this Premium VIP Autograph Session.

WWE NXT will hold their first international tour of the new year this summer.

Ever since Triple H came up with the idea for NXT, he has had a certain vision in mind. For years, WWE would sign top stars in other promotions during the territories era.

It’s pretty clear what Triple H’s vision for the developmental brand is. Sign athletes, who have no pro wrestling experience and train them to become WWE Superstars.

Also, he wants to sign the best of the best talents in the world and have them learn the WWE playbook then shine not only in NXT but on the main roster.

The NXT brand has gone from a developmental system to a third brand, and this latest news proves just that.

The former WWE Champion announced on his official Twitter account that they would head overseas this June when NXT comes to the United Kingdom, France and Belgium for a series of live events.

The tour represents the first time that NXT Live heads to mainland Europe. “The Game” sent out the following tweet:

This summer, @WWENXT returns to the @DownloadFest from June 8-10…tickets available now. 

…and for the FIRST TIME EVER, see #NXTLive in mainland Europe:#NXTParis 6/11#NXTAntwerp 6/12

Tickets are on sale TOMORROW at 9am CET. #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/w6mciTo5q7

— Triple H (@TripleH) March 27, 2018

Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream, Nikki Cross, Undisputed ERA, Shayna Baszler, Ricochet and Kairi Sane are all advertised to appear. For more details including how to get tickets, please click here.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens continue to work their current program on social media.

As seen on last week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center on the USA Network, SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan announced that Owens and Zayn have been “fired” from WWE due to their attack on Shane McMahon last week on SmackDown.

This led to Owens and Zayn beating down Bryan in the ring to close the show. Obviously, this is a storyline, and they are still under contract with the WWE.

Zayn signed with WWE back in 2013 after finding success on the independent scene under the name El Generico.

Since the firing angle on SmackDown Live, Owens has changed his Twitter account handle to Kevin Steen, and Zayn tweeted for the first time in five years on his El Generico Twitter account. You can see his tweet here:

https://twitter.com/ElGenerico/status/978412578140385281

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss has made a big splash ever since she was called up to the main roster two years ago from NXT.

While she never held the NXT Women’s Title during her time in the developmental brand, she was mainly used as a manager for Blake and Murphy, who went onto have a run as the NXT Tag Team Champions.

With her not having a big push in NXT, some fans had their doubts about “Five Feet of Fury” when she was called up to SmackDown Live. However, she made her doubters wrong when she blasted on the scene while in the women’s division on the blue brand and would go onto hold the SmackDown Women’s Title.

Fast forward to the Superstar Shakeup just last year after WrestleMania 33, WWE decided to make some changes and have the two brands trade for Superstars.

Bliss was one of them as she was sent to Raw and didn’t skip a beat as she won the Raw Women’s Title shortly after that.

Bliss stated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada she would like to have a match against WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus. Here is what she had to say (transcript courtesy of Wrestling-News.net):

“I would love to be able to go at it with Trish. I never been able to. I just recently met her at RAW 25 and The Royal Rumble, which was awesome to meet her because I watched her so many times.

Her and Rey Mysterio were like my idols in WWE and I loved it. So, it was really cool to actually meet her. I would love to get into the ring with her one day.”

https://twitter.com/ETCanada/status/977251309677170688

Bliss is slated to defend the RAW Women’s Title against Nia Jax at WrestleMania 34.

WrestleMania season is a fun time for not only the people who work for the WWE but fans of the sports entertainment company. This season includes big rivalries, classic matches, and talent returning to television.

PWinsider.com is reporting that former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy in Cleveland, Ohio at the Quicken Loans Arena for tonight’s Monday Night RAW, which means that he’ll be backstage at the TV event.

If you recall, the RAW Superstar suffered a torn right rotator cuff during a six-pack match in October 2017. It should be noted that Dave Meltzer has reported in the past that Hardy was hopeful to be back in time for WrestleMania 34.

Hardy noted on social media two weeks ago that he had completed his physical therapy and had been working out in the ring at the WWE Performance Center while he prepares for his in-ring return.

As seen on last week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center on the USA Network, WWE aired the Ultimate Deletion Match that saw Matt Hardy defeat Bray Wyatt. Senior Benjamin, Reby Sky, and Jeff made an appearance in the match.

It should be noted that there’s no word yet on if Jeff will appear on tonight’s show, but he was confirmed to team up with his brother to take on The Bar at the upcoming Greatest Royal Rumble event in May.

Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett is having a pretty good start to 2018, and with the news of his Hall of Fame induction, the possibilities could be endless for him with the WWE.

Jarrett recently spoke with Nola.com to talk about various topics including his induction into the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame class, which is slated to go down on Friday, April 6th in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Smoothie King Center. Bill Goldberg will headline the class. Other names that have been confirmed to be inducted this year include Ivory, The Dudley Boyz, and Hillbilly Jim.

“It was a Sunday morning in early January. It was all in about 60 seconds. I was shocked. It was a very surreal moment. And then pretty quickly, I had a real sense of gratitude and am very grateful and humbled. My family has been in the business for three generations. For me to get this honor, I’m just incredibly humbled about this situation.”

When pressed about who would be inducting him, Jarrett responded by stating, “Stay tuned for the announcement. I’m very excited about the guy that has been chosen.”

Jarrett added when he was asked about his relationship with the sports entertainment company, “It’s been nothing but spectacular reconnecting. Really looking forward to getting to New Orleans and not just seeing faces we see on camera every week but people behind the scenes.”

After departing from TNA Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling), in 2014, Jarrett founded another new promotion, Global Force Wrestling (GFW). During this interview, he was asked about what’s going on with GFW after he cut ties with Impact Wrestling last year.

“I’m working on some international projects as we speak. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best I’ve been in years. Feel great. And not just physically. Mentally and emotionally and spiritually as well. I’m really excited about the next chapter of my career. The international wrestling scene has so much growth opportunity – Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, all around the world.”

Jarrett also talked about wrestlers that were created in TNA and more. You can check that out by reading the full interview here.

WWE RAW Superstar Mandy Rose has had an interesting road to the spot that she is currently in on the main roster of the sports entertainment company.

She appeared on Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast to talk about various topics including the path that she had to take to get to the position that she is in now. Prior to signing with the WWE, she was a bodybuilder and model.

Moving along, Rose was a contestant in the sixth season of the WWE competition WWE Tough Enough, which began airing in June 2015. She placed second overall behind winners Sara Lee and Josh Bredl. After the series had concluded, it was revealed that Rose had signed a five-year contract with the sports entertainment company.

During her appearance on the podcast, she reflected on butting heads with Paige on Tough Enough

“It was more of the fact that she would judge me that I didn’t know how to wrestle, which I didn’t know how to wrestle at that time because I came from a fitness background; I didn’t have any pro-wrestling experience.”

Rose added, “That was the biggest thing, and I think that I am very different than Paige. Paige brought a lot to the women’s division, as the ‘anti-Diva’ which is great, but I kind of come off as the Diva, which I want to change that, I’m not just a Diva of course, we’re called superstars, and maybe that was what it had to do with. We are very different, but Paige didn’t get to know me personally; she just knew me from the show, and I wasn’t the nicest on the show, which I get. I was playing a character, especially towards the end when I played the b***h.”

Rose previously had no in-ring experience when she was a competitor on Tough Enough. Thus, there were some fans that believed she was someone who is simply seeking fame instead of someone who loves wrestling. However, that is not the case as Rose went on record by stating that she is working hard to prove those misconceptions about her are wrong.

On the November 20, 2017, episode of Raw, Rose joined Sonya Deville and Paige as they attacked Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mickie James and Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. This officially marked her main roster debut.

“It’s been great. So far, I can’t complain. Being brought in with Absolution and our mentor, Paige, I think it’s really cool, and really full circle since she was our judge on Tough Enough, and she hated me. She was rough with me, but I get it.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcript. 

Longtime WWE commentator Michael Cole has been the main announcer for the sports entertainment company for over a decade now.

He recently spoke with the Sky Sports Lock Up podcast to talk about various topics. As seen over the last few years, NXT TakeOver events have consistently stolen the show from WWE main roster pay-per-views.

It should be noted that these matches are practiced at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in the weeks prior to the events in order to get the best match possible out of the performers.

Cole said that TakeOver is what he looks forward to the most during WrestleMania weekend outside of WrestleMania itself.

“I’d say, over the last two, three years, I think NXT TakeOver. I really love NXT. I have been part of that product since day one. I am on Triple H’s team to help build that brand. I work closely with the Announcers; we have some really good Announcers that came from that system; Corey Graves and Tom Phillips are two really good examples, so I’ve been part of that since it started. To me, that is where my heart lies, in NXT, especially for TakeOver because that sets the stage for WrestleMania, and to see these performers go out there in front of thousands and thousands of people in an incredible, pressure-filled weekend, and to see them each year steal the show, to me, it’s such a great moment.

Cole added, “To see the passion of the NXT Universe is incredible as well. To see where the brand has came in the last 5 years is absolutely incredible. That to me is always the highlight of my WrestleMania week.”

There are many talents that fans of the sports entertainment company want to see be called up to the main roster. Whether that means on SmackDown Live or the flagship show of the WWE, Monday Night Raw.

Cole was asked about who he would want to see be the latest among the superstar call-ups.

“I’m really big on the Iconic Duo of Billie [Kay] and Peyton [Royce]. They are on the cusp of something really great. They have developed quite the team; quite the ‘gimmick’ to use an old-school wrestlers term. I really think they are talented and I think there is going to be a place for them. Ember Moon is another one who I really think is going to be a player as part of the Women’s Evolution on the big roster, and I really have been impressed with the NXT Champion, Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas; he really has taken his game to a different level. His viciousness, his aggressiveness, he’s really going to be a player, too.

Cole also stated, “Finally, Aleister Black; I’ve followed his career for a decade now. I was so glad when we announced last year that he was going to be part of our programming. He is a guy who I really believe is going to take this brand to another level.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcript.

WWE is pulling out all of the stops for their upcoming the Greatest Royal Rumble event.

The sports entertainment company will be holding the show at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, April 27. For the first time ever, the Royal Rumble match will feature 50 WWE Superstars.

On Monday morning, (March 26, 2018), WWE issued a press release to announce three new matches for the upcoming event.

Triple H vs. John Cena in a singles match, The Hardys vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar and a Ladder Match with Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz.

Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, The New Day, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and Shinsuke Nakamura have already been announced for the show. Although the sports entertainment company has yet to come out and officially announce it, the belief is that this event will indeed be broadcasted on the WWE Network.

It’s also been reported that WWE is making “every move possible” to ensure that the first event as part of that agreement is to put on a big show.

It’s been well documented that Jeff Hardy has been cleared to return to in-ring action and has been working out at the WWE Performance Center to prepare for his return. 

Advertisement for an upcoming WWE live event may have spoiled the outcome of a key match at WrestleMania 34.

The sports entertainment company has already announced that The Miz will be defending his Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania 34 in a triple threat match. He will be facing Seth Rollins and Finn Balor.

The WWE is slated to run an upcoming event at the SSE Arena in Belfast in May, and the arena recently sent out a tweet to promote the live event that indicates that it will be Rollins facing Balor for the Intercontinental Title.

The wording of the tweet has some fans thinking this means Rollins will be Intercontinental Champion. The tweet has since been deleted, but you can see a screenshot of it below. It should be noted that it’s possible that this was an error on the part of the arena’s social media department.

WrestleMania 34 is set to be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. Both Raw and SmackDown rosters will be featured.

As seen at Sunday’s New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Strong Style Evolved show that took place at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California and aired live on AXS TV in the United States and worldwide on NJPW World, Cody Rhodes put on another star-studded performance.

Fans have picked up on the fact that not only was Cody wearing a weightlifting belt while he competed in the ring, but Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks was also wearing a belt.

Dave Meltzer gave some insight into this situation and noted on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that Cody may have worked the match with an injury or the members of The Bullet Club are just trying to market the belts.

It’s possible that they are just trying to sell the belts as the group does sell various products. As of this writing, this should be considered a rumor.

In case you missed our coverage of  New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Strong Style Evolved show, fear not as we have you covered with some of the best coverage on the web. You can check out the results from the big event here.

Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Bayley recently spoke with Hype Magazine.

Bayley is a loveable babyface that found her spotlight while in WWE’s developmental brand in Orlando, Florida, NXT. The sports entertainment company pushed her as a top babyface in the NXT women’s division after several talents were called up to the main roster such as Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Paige, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax and others.

They needed to have someone to carry the division while rebuilding stars. That person was Bayley. She connected with the fans right away due to in large part to her ability to get them behind her. She is an underdog and resembles an average person.

The company pushed her to the moon, and she quickly won the NXT Women’s Title. She held the title for a long time before she was called up to the main roster.

However, when she was called up to the main roster and placed on the Raw, Vince McMahon did not put her in the same position as she was placed in NXT. That has changed as she is a more prominent talent on the main roster.

During her career, she has competed in a number of first-time ever matches (Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and Ironman). In this interview, she reflected on those accomplishments.

“It is insane because I was thinking about the Iron Women’s Match just the other day, but Royal Rumble is one of those matches that you remember watching as a kid, and everyone has their favorite memory of it. I remember counting down while watching at home and everyone is counting down together whether you are in the live audience or at home to see who will come out next.

To be a part of something like that and to be in the back, while all the girls go out front, to feel the energy was a dream come true. The Elimination Chamber was a crazy experience because those were the matches that I always wanted to be a part of as a fan. Even though matches like TLC, Cage, a ladder were scary situations, they were just things I wanted to participate in as a performer. Being in the chamber match, I felt very comfortable, and I hope I can participate again next year.”

Also in this interview, she was asked about former WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James’ return to the sports entertainment company and her leadership in the women’s locker room.

“Having her here is a fantastic opportunity. When she came back to SmackDown, I was jealous of the women division there because they had competed against one of businesses OGs. Not that she is old or anything, but I grew up with her and Trish Stratus. They both had a great storyline, and I learned a lot from their contributions to the company from a character standpoint and techniques inside of the ring. Since she came over to Raw, it challenges us to approach things differently. I wanted to pick her brain since she has seen the evolution of the business with her OVW background.”

WWE’s 205 Live show has undergone a dramatic overhaul in recent weeks largely due to Triple H taking over the show. At last week’s WrestleMania 35 press conference from MetLife Stadium from East Rutherford, NJ, Triple H spoke with Mike Johnson of PWinsider about the state of the cruiserweight division and 205 Live’s new direction. 

Triple H revealed that the Cruiserweight Classic tournament that aired on the WWE Network in 2016 was his pet project. The success of that tournament led to WWE reviving the Cruiserweight Championship, bringing the Cruiserweight division to Monday Night Raw and ultimately the creation of 205 Live, which premiered on the WWE Network on November 29, 2016.

205 Live lost its way shortly after premiering. The show featured a “WWE sports entertainment” vibe and not the sports-based feel that made the tournament such a hit. The departures of Neville, Austin Aries and most recently Enzo Amore led to the decision that it was time to shake things up.

“It’s a work in progress for sure,” Triple H said. “Every single show we do is a work in progress, at all times.  If you think, hey this is what it is, you’re done. That’s across the board for WWE.  People’s tastes change. Time changes. You do the same thing for two long, that gets boring.  You constantly have to evolve. It’s one of the great things about our industry, I think. It’s constantly evolving.”

Triple H continued, “You constantly have to be in front of it. The day you stop thinking I have something to learn about this, you’re done.  So, to me, all of it, is a work in progress. 205 Live is a work in progress. Look, it went in a direction after the Cruiserweight Classic, it went in a direction that was believed to be the right direction, and then fans told us it wasn’t the right direction.  So, we’ve changed course. They told us they didn’t like vanilla, so we went to chocolate. They told us, ‘we’re digging the chocolate right now’, so we’re going to stick with it and I think that’s the exciting part of, you know…the great thing is we can turn on a dime and we can deliver to people the things they want to see.”

Triple H acknowledged that it might take some time to complete the Cruiserweight division’s transformation, but he’s confident they’re on the right track. 

Mustafa Ali and Cedrick Alexander will square off at WrestleMania in the finals of a tournament held to crown a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.