SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • Jerry Lawler & JR On Flight To Saudi Arabia (Photos), Heyman Hypes Lesnar vs. Reigns

    Jerry Lawler & JR On Flight To Saudi Arabia (Photos), Heyman Hypes Lesnar vs. Reigns

    Jerry Lawler & Jim Ross On Flight To Saudi Arabia

    The WWE is heading to Saudi Arabia for their Greatest Royal Rumble event. WWE has stacked the card full of huge names, including some at the commentary booth. WWE Hall Of Famers Jerry The King Lawler and Jim Ross are making the trip across the globe, and Lawler posted the following photos from their flight:

    Paul Heyman Hypes Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns

    WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is set to defend his title against Roman Reigns inside a Steel Cage in Saudi Arabia tomorrow night for the Greatest Royal Rumble. There has been a ton of speculation regarding who will walk out of Saudi Arabia with the Universal Title, especially after Lesnar shockingly retaining the strap against The Big Dog at WrestleMania.

    Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, took to Twitter to hype the upcoming Steel Cage title bout. Here’s what he had to say:

  • The Reason GRR May Have An Hour-Long Intermission

    The Reason GRR May Have An Hour-Long Intermission

    We’re just hours away from the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia tomorrow. The card is stacked from top to bottom and will feature a massive 50-Man Royal Rumble match in the main event, where the winner will receive a huge trophy for their triumph.

    There are some rumors now floating around indicating that the event could have an hour-long intermission. On a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer commented on the possibility.

    Meltzer noted that it may be longer but typically in Saudi Arabian tradition a hour-long intermission is given for prayer. It seems that a prayer hour takes place in the middle of the show, which is why WWE could offer up the intermission.

    The show is currently scheduled to be six hours long, and that’s including the kickoff show. It’s not yet known if that intermission would add to the six hours already in place for the show, or if it has already been included.

    It should be stressed that this is still a rumor at this time, we’ll keep you updated….

  • Why Paige Missed SDL This Week, VIP Section For GRR Is Very Different From Usual (Photo)

    Why Paige Missed SDL This Week, VIP Section For GRR Is Very Different From Usual (Photo)

    Why Paige Missed SDL

    This past Tuesday SmackDown Live General Manager Paige was not present for the episode. It turns out that the former Divas Champion was in England getting some much needed family time. She posted the following on social media:

    “I miss them so much when I’m not here with them. But when I get to see them it means the world to me that they never forget their auntie Raya and give me as much cuddles as they can when I’m home. Next time I get to see you after this trip it’ll be me taking you to Disney land in FL! Love my nieces and nephews more than anything ?”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6XRFYnrxq/?utm_source=ig_embed

    VIP Sections For Greatest Royal Rumble Are Looking Very Luxurious

    If you have ever attended a WWE event in the VIP section, you typically get to sit on a fold-up chair that you’re allowed to bring home with you after the show. Tomorrow’s Greatest Royal Rumble will be a bit different.

    A photo from the VIP section has surfaced on social media with some comfy looking armchairs in place of the usual fold-up chairs. Take a look:

  • The New Day & Chris Jericho Head To Saudi Arabia (Photo), Lights Being Tested For GRR (Video)

    The New Day & Chris Jericho Head To Saudi Arabia (Photo), Lights Being Tested For GRR (Video)

    The New Day & Chris Jericho Heading To Saudi Arabia (Photo)

    The WWE is in Saudi Arabia today for tomorrow’s Greatest Royal Rumble event. Some huge names are on deck for the card, including former WWE Champion Chris Jericho. Xavier Woods, one third of The New Day, posted a photo of himself and his fellow New Day members alongside Y2J on their plane to Saudi Arabia:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BiAbvfMhlM-/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Lights Being Tested For Greatest Royal Rumble (Video)

    Speaking of The Greatest Royal Rumble, WWE’s production team is deep in preparations for tomorrow’s event. Several photos and videos have been leaking out to social media from the King Abdullah International Stadium in Saudi Arabia. One such video is WWE testing out the lights for tomorrow’s show. You can check out the Instagram video here below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh_-vF0AnDt/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Discussion: Do you think the Greatest Royal Rumble will be bigger than WrestleMania when it’s all said and done? 

  • The Reason Alexa Bliss Hasn’t Wrestled Since WM 34

    Alexa Bliss hasn’t wrestled a full match since her WrestleMania 34 RAW Women’s Title loss to Nia Jax in New Orleans earlier this month at WrestleMania 34. Little Miss Bliss reportedly underwent an ‘enhancement procedure’ – per Dave Meltzer.

    A ton of speculation begun to run rampant as to why Bliss hasn’t been wrestling, especially after she missed WWE’s recent tour of South Africa. Since WrestleMania Bliss has participated on commentary and backstage segments, however, she has not wrestled. She did appear in the 10-Woman Tag Team main event match this past Monday, but she didn’t take any bumps.

    She is currently scheduled to rematch Jax at Backlash on May 6th on pay-per-view (PPV) in attempt to get back the RAW Women’s Title. Here’s a recent post from Bliss on Twitter yesterday, in which she posts a video of herself poolside with her dog:

  • Braun Strowman On Big Show Being His “Wrestling Dad”

    Braun Strowman On Big Show Being His “Wrestling Dad”

    WWE Superstar Braun Strowman recently did an interview on Hall Of Famer Booker T’s radio show, Heated Conversations, to talk about several professional wrestling topics. The Monster Among Men discussed how hard he has worked to get to the position he is in now:

    “My whole life, from everything that I have ever gotten in my life I have worked hard for it, and have earned it,” Strowman said. “I have taken it, I believe that anything in life when you work hard for it and you achieve it there’s no greater feeling, but when someone gives you something you don’t appreciate it as much, and you take it for granted, but when you put your heart and soul into it and it pays back to you, there is nothing more gratifying in this world.”

    Strowman then commented on the fact that he is the top big man in the company right now, following in the footsteps of those such as The Big Show – who Strowman calls his “Wrestling Dad”:

    “It’s humbling, it really is. The big matches I had against The Big Show last year in an almost passing of the torch with that, and him taking me under my wing. We have a joke where I call The Big Show my ‘Wrestling Dad,’ because he treats me like a son. When I do something dumb he whacks me over the head and tells me not to do it again,” Strowman said.

    “Same thing with Undertaker and Kane; where, with Kane I have been almost working with him for an entire year on the house shows and just listening to these guys stories and things they have done. These guys have done everything there is to do within this industry, and they are a fountain of knowledge, so anything I can do to pick their brains and talk, and put a match together with, they are special because I know there will come a day when it’ll be my job to do the same with other talents coming in.”

    As for how his character has grown over the years, Strowman enjoys the fact that he’s breaking the mold for what a typical big man is considered to be in WWE:

    “It was a little bit to get used to. I have always kind of wanted to be the center of attention, and now WWE has kind of given me the platform to basically be a peacock and spread my feathers and have the world see what I am capable of doing that I am not just some big, clumsy guy stumbling over a wall [Shockmaster]. I am intelligent, and I want to show the world that I want to represent big guys all around the world that we are more than just ‘big guys.’”

    You can listen to Strowman’s interview on Heated Conversations with Booker T by clicking this link here.

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Cody Rhodes On Bruno Sammartino Special, Carmella Signs Backlash Contract (Video)

    Cody Rhodes On Bruno Sammartino Special, Carmella Signs Backlash Contract (Video)

    Cody Rhodes On Bruno Sammartino’s WWE Network Special

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody Rhodes took to Twitter to comment on the WWE Network special on WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino.

    Sammartino recently passed away last week at the age of 82-years-old. Rhodes seemed to enjoy the special and said he would’ve loved to see Cesaro work with Sammartino in Madison Square Garden back in the 70s:

    Carmella Signs Backlash Contract (Video)

    WWE posted the following video of SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Carmella signing her contract to defend her title against Charlotte Flair at Backlash early next month. The official contract signing was supposed to happen last night on SmackDown – but after Flair signed the contract she attacked Carmella before she could. Carmella signed the contract in the following video backstage with Renee Young:

  • What Happened After SmackDown, Sasha Says Bayley Hates Her Fans

    What Happened After SmackDown, Sasha Says Bayley Hates Her Fans

    What Happened After SmackDown Live

    After SmackDown Live and 205 Live tapings wrapped up last night, a dark match between United States Champion Jeff Hardy and The Miz took place with the title on the line. Hardy successfully retained his strap and you can check out some photos here below:

    Sasha Banks Says Bayley Hates Her Fans

    This past Monday on RAW Bayley had an awkward interaction with a fan as she made her entrance. Bayley gave a hug to a young girl in the audience, and a young man next to her also tried to get in on the hug – but Bayley left looking a bit uncomfortable.

    Bayley recently addressed this on Twitter, saying she didn’t realize he was there and was focused on the young girl:

    Banks responded by saying Bayley hates her fans, and The Hugger responded very coldly:

    It should be interesting to see how the feud between Banks and Bayley evolves in the coming weeks.

  • Renee Young On Possible Return To Commentary, News Footage From Bruno Sammartino’s Funeral (Video)

    Renee Young On Possible Return To Commentary, News Footage From Bruno Sammartino’s Funeral (Video)

    Renee Young On Possibly Returning To Commentary

    A recent report suggested that WWE could be looking to make a change to its commentary tables, adding women to color commentary on both RAW and SmackDown Live. There are a few candidates who have been mentioned by speculative fans such as Lita and Beth Phoenix.

    Another possible name is Renee Young, who actually has some experience at the commentary booth. Young recently took to Twitter to address the possibility, saying she’d be open to doing color commentary but doesn’t seem interested in play-by-play:

    News Footage From Bruno Sammartino’s Funeral

    As we’ve noted, WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino has recently passed away. KDKA in Pittsburgh posted the following video footage from the funeral:

  • Paul Heyman’s Status For Greatest Royal Rumble, What Happened After RAW Went Off-Air?

    Paul Heyman’s Status For Greatest Royal Rumble, What Happened After RAW Went Off-Air?

    Paul Heyman Not Headed To Greatest Royal Rumble?

    The Beast Brock Lesnar is set to defend his Universal Championship inside a Steel Cage against Roman Reigns at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia this Friday. It turns out, his advocate Paul Heyman will not be at his side, per a report from PWInsider.

    With reports suggesting that Lesnar could drop the title to Reigns in Saudi Arabia, this should make things very interesting indeed when Lesnar and Heyman return to WWE TV if he loses the title.

    What Happened After Monday Night RAW?

    Originally, the dark match advertised for last night’s Monday Night RAW in St. Louis, Missouri was a Six Man Tag Team match between Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins against Sheamus, Cesaro and Samoa Joe .

    That match, of course, didn’t happen because Sheamus, Cesaro, and Joe are now on SmackDown Live following the Superstar Shake-Up. RAW went off-air with Ronda Rousey helping Natalya to the backstage area and that’s where the show ended for the live crowd as well.

  • More On Lawsuit Against Titus O’Neil & WWE

    Back in 2015 an incident occurred on WWE Network’s “Swerved” in which, allegedly,  Titus O’Neil got very upset after being shocked by WWE Superstar Paige, and proceeded to kick the camera out of cameraman Donald Anderson’s hand, injuring him in the process.

    PWInsider reports that Anderson is filing a lawsuit against O’Neil and the WWE in the state of Florida, after finding success in transitioning the case out of California – where the lawsuit was originally attempted to be filed. He is seeking $15,000 in damages in addition to whatever punitive damages the Pasco County of Florida orders as well.

    Originally, the lawsuit in California sought $1.2 million in damages – that’s an expensive hand. The lawsuit also claims O’Neil “was known by WWE as possessing significant anger management issues.” It should also be noted that the original lawsuit filed in California suggested Anderson received medical bills up to $150,000, while the new one in Florida mentions no such thing.

  • Chyna’s Ex-Manager & Mother Get Into Lengthy Online Exchange

    Chyna’s Ex-Manager & Mother Get Into Lengthy Online Exchange

    It seems that Chyna’s ex-manager, Anthony Anzaldo, has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money in attempt to land a Hollywood Forever Cemetary plot for the late former WWE Intercontinental Champion. The goal amount on the GoFundMe is $25,000:

    “I have had the honor of sharing my home with Chyna’s urn for the past two years. Friday, April 20 is the 2 year anniversary of her passing. However, I think the time has come for all of her fans to be able to come and visit her. I would like to place her urn and lay her to rest in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA., I really think she would love it there. There are several celebrities buried there and placing her right next to Judy Garland would make Chyna happy I’m sure.

    “She Loved The Wizard Of Oz. To be clear, 1/2 of Chyna’s ashes were laid to rest 3 miles due west in the Pacific Ocean off of Esplanade and Avenue A in Redondo Beach. 1/4 was given to her Mother and in this urn is another 1/4 of Chyna’s ashes. I am raising only the money to buy the plot and get the chapel for a 1 hour memorial. I would like to have this take place as soon as possible within the next 45-60 days. All donations (any amount) graciously accepted. This burial spot will be for the fans by the fans.”

    Jan LaQue, Chyna’s mother, commented on the post and stated that Anzaldo has no legal right to be in possession of Chyna’s remains but admits she allowed him to keep 3/4 of them with the agreement they’d be spread in the Pacific Ocean:

    “As CHYNA’s mother and sole beneficiary, technically and legally, I own these ashes that Anthony is talking about. And he has no right to even have them let alone decide how to dispose of them. I allowed him to keep 3/4 of them initially with the understanding and agreement on his part that all 3/4 of them would be scattered in the Pacific ocean. He was NOT supposed to keep any of them back. Obviously that didn’t happen. I have had enough dealings with Anthony Anzaldo to know that he could care less about Chyna’s fans.

    “His sole interest is in himself, making money off of others, and making himself look good. Be ware of giving his campaign any money. Obviously I will be contacting go fund me and an attorney, if I need to, to shut this down. PLEASE don’t donate to this Go Fund me. IT IS A SCAM. Anthony was supposed to scatter all of the ashes that he had of my daughter’s in the Pacific Ocean. Obviously he lied about that. Technically and legally, any of the ashes he has now belong to me, as my daughter’s sole beneficiary.

    “This is nothing more than a scam to get your money from you. I can tell you story after story about Anthony and my dealings with him and how he treated me and my attorneys. STAY AWAY FROM THIS GUY. He is a snake. He never really cared about CHYNA. Only what he could make off her – and now even in her death. I know for a fact that she fired him before her death. Save your money. Donate to a reputable animal rescue which Chyna would love.”

    Anzaldo responded and doubled down by saying that he is not trying to scam anyone, and accused Jan of being hateful for reasons beyond him:

    “This is not a scam. This is very real. This is both for Chyna and her fans. Her Mother, who didn’t see her for 30 years, is hateful for reasons beyond me. I will not engage, but I can assure everyone that I have the legal right to do with what I wish with the 1/4 remains that I have a permit to own authorized by the State Of California. 1/2 of her remains were spread in the Pacific Ocean and 1/4 his with her Mother. Those are the facts. Chyna would love to be visited by her fans next to one of her idols, don’t let the haters be the gate keepers.”

    Jan fired back with an extremely lengthy response:

    “In spite of what Anthony says, I can assure you that this is a scam. I have saved every single email from Joanie before she died and also spoken with a WWE wrestling star who told me directly that he knew that Anthony was fired by Joanie before she died. In fact, he told me that Anthony even told him that!!. She hated Anthony and would NEVER have wanted Anthony to do what he is proposing to do. I am not hateful. Actually I’m far from it. I just hate the idea that Anthony continues to try to scam others out of money by playing the “friend” role. It’s just not true. I have hundreds of emails to prove what I’m saying.

    “Also, my attorneys, both here in NC and CA, have told me on several occasions what kind of person Anthony is and how horribly Anthony treated them. NOW – TO BE CLEAR, I have in several documents in my possession regarding Joanie’s remains. First is a cremation purchase receipt from Best Cremation Care of CA, in which there was a permit issued to cremate her remains. There was no permit issued for ownership to Anthony Anzaldo. In fact, also in my possession is a signed by me and notarized letter dated April 22, 2016, addressed to whom it may concern, which authorizes Anthony Anzaldo to make certain decisions with regard to Joanie’s remains including release of her body by the LA coroner, election of a cremation facility, and funeral/memorial services.

    “The restrictions to these decisions are/were as follows: Anthony was to review any plan for cremation and funeral services with me prior to execution for family approval. In addition, Anthony was to arrange for Joan’s ashes to be sent to me in North Carolina. Further the letter of authorization extended to my daughter’s personal effects. Anthony was to gain access to Joanie’s living quarters and excess monies and personal affects be forwarded to me. This letter also clearly states that ALL decisions of Anthony Anzaldo shall be binding up me after my written approval of the decisions. Well, that never happened. Anthony just went on his merry way acting like he was this big shot, and calling all the shots and decisions without getting my approval in writing for anything.

    “There was nothing ever in writing signed and notarized by me approving of any of Anthony’s decisions, including that celebration service he held for her in which he just made a decision to give away Joanie’s cello which, under CA law, was legally my property as I was/am her sole beneficiary. Nor is there anything in writing at this point with regards to his big GOFUNDME campaign now and his right to even have these ashes let alone make a decision on what to do with them. As usual, he is trying to pull something over on the fans. And for the record, anyone who wants to discuss anything with me regarding Anthony’s deceptiveness, has only to go on facebook and message me. I will certainly reply back. Also, for the record, I’m going to contact the police and file whatever I need to file with regard to Anthony’s latest actions and the ashes.”

  • WWE’s Backstage Feelings About Braun Strowman

    WWE’s Backstage Feelings About Braun Strowman

    Braun Strowman is perhaps the biggest fan-favorite on Monday Night RAW right now, but despite this, WWE continues to push Roman Reigns in the Universal Title picture. Strowman has challenged Brock Lesnar in the past and actually gave The Beast a run for his money – but ultimately the former UFC heavyweight champion retained.

    Now Reigns is expected to be the one to finally dethrone Lesnar, and that could happen as soon as this Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. Per a report from Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer, there seems to be a difference of opinion amongst those in creative regarding Strowman.

    Meltzer reports that some believe Strowman is better off not being champion right now. WWE officials know Strowman is their post popular guy and there are some people who think he should be champion and the one to defeat Lesnar.

    He also speculated that perhaps WWE changes course and allows Strowman to be the one to defeat Lesnar, and Reigns needs to be a heel because he isn’t at the level of John Cena in regards to merchandise sales. Meltzer also noted he’s not a fan of the “lame” Get These Hands phrase, but admits fans are eating it up.

    Discussion: Should WWE pull the plug on the Roman Reigns experiment and shift their focus on Braun Strowman?

  • Dean Ambrose Still Rehabbing Injury, HOF’er At WWE PC

    Dean Ambrose Still Rehabbing Injury, HOF’er At WWE PC

    Ambrose Still Rehabbing Injury

    Former WWE Champion Dean Ambrose has been out-of-action since last December with a tricep tear. He was initially given a recovery time of 9 months. Ambrose was replaced at WrestleMania Axxess by WWE Hall Of Famer Sting and Ric Flair.

    PWInsider is reporting that Ambrose was spotted in Birmingham, Alabama last week and is still undergoing physical therapy to return. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

    Discussion: What would you like to see Ambrose do upon his return from injury? Should he come back to RAW or SmackDown Live?

    WWE Hall Of Famer At WWE Performance Center

    PWInsider is also reporting that WWE Hall Of Famer Edge is in Orlando, Florida visiting the WWE Performance Center. There’s currently no word on what The Rated-R Superstar is doing at the PC, he could be helping talent or simply visiting, but we’ll let you know more as that news become available.

  • WWE Reportedly Undecided On Lesnar vs. Reigns Winner

    WWE Reportedly Undecided On Lesnar vs. Reigns Winner

    Earlier this month in New Orleans Brock Lesnar successfully retained his Universal Title at WrestleMania 34 against Roman Reigns. Many were expecting The Big Dog to take his place atop the WWE mountain and be the one to finally defeat The Beast. That wasn’t the case, as Lesnar hit a sixth F5 on a bloody Reigns to retain the strap.

    Soon after it was announced that Reigns would get a second crack at the title inside a Steel Cage in Saudi Arabia at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Last night on RAW Reigns confronted Lesnar and vowed to return to the United States with the Universal Title.

    There has been a ton of speculation on why Reigns didn’t win the title at WrestleMania. Some report that Vince McMahon called an audible in the middle of the match and decided to change the finish. Reigns was receiving a poor reaction in New Orleans and it’s believed the Saudi Arabian crowd will get behind him against Lesnar.

    Whether this is the plan or not is still undecided, as Cageside Seats reports WWE has yet to decide if Lesnar or Reigns will walk out of the Greatest Royal Rumble with the Universal Championship.

    Discussion: Who do you think will walk out of Saudi Arabia with the Universal Championship?

  • Liv Morgan Discusses Proving Herself In NXT

    Liv Morgan Discusses Proving Herself In NXT

    WWE Superstar Liv Morgan recently did an interview with NorthJersey.com prior to WrestleMania 34 earlier this month. Morgan first discussed her run in NXT and needing to prove herself before making the jump up to the main roster:

    “I spent three years in NXT doing whatever I could to be better and be noticed. It was a lot of hard work and proving yourself. So, I don’t want to say it was quick. Looking back, it feels like it was a blink of an eye, and it’s amazing. It’s been amazing to come from WWE Performance Center and now to be on SmackDown Live. Thinking about that itself is insane, because it doesn’t feel real.”

    Now Morgan has a home on SmackDown Live and is a part of the Riott Squad. Although currently with a faction, Morgan hopes to capture the SmackDown Live Women’s Title on her own one day:

    “I want to be the SmackDown women’s champion. I want to be the longest-reigning SmackDown women’s champion. I don’t set a limit for myself. I want the respect. Who doesn’t want it all?”

    Morgan had a rough upbringing after losing her father at a young age. She wants to be a role model to young girls the way WWE Hall Of Famer Lita was to her:

    “I grew up in an unstable environment. If you look at my life on paper, I shouldn’t be here. WWE was the only thing that made me and my brothers happy. Watching Lita, I’d see this red-haired chick with baggy pants and sneakers, and she’s wrestling with the boys and is a tomboy. I was such a tomboy growing up. I liked baggy pants and sneakers. Even today, I wear tights and wear sneakers. Just looking at Lita, I felt like she could be my friend.

    “She was someone I related to. That’s all I want to do for girls growing up. I want them to see me and think, ‘Liv can be my friend.’ So, if I’m anyone’s role model, it’d be very cool. I don’t try to be anything I’m not. I’m just myself. If I can relate to anyone, or they can relate to me, it’d make me very happy.”

    You can read Morgan’s full interview with NorthJersey.com by clicking this link here.

  • Pete Gas On If Age Is Catching Up To Shane McMahon

    Pete Gas On If Age Is Catching Up To Shane McMahon

    Pete Gas, former member of Shane McMahon’s Mean Street Posse, recently did an interview with CBS Local Sports to talk about his WWE run. Gas first discussed taking heat for riding around in a limousine rather than driving from show to show:

    “I got called in once. For one incident, I got called in probably like two or three weeks in a row. Got yelled at for doing something. It’s never fun, and I still claim innocence on it, but it doesn’t matter. We were in Memphis, Tennessee for training. So when we weren’t on television, we were there. We were told that we had to do all these shows in Memphis. So we had one loop where we had to go down to Louisiana through Mississippi.

    “We had a huge loop on our off time. Then get back up to Memphis to travel. It was a lot of driving and I had a car that I didn’t want to put all the miles on. I had met this guy in a bar who had a limo service. He goes, ‘Hey, I’ve got this stretched Navigator. How about you guys hop in and I’ll drive you guys around? I’ll do it for nothing.’ He was just a wrestling fan, you know? Now we’ve got eight guys piled in. Actually, it was a bunch of guys from MCW, Memphis Championship Wrestling. Some of the guys were also doing developmental for WWE stuff, where they were on television as well, but they weren’t doing much. We all piled into this big stretched limo with cans of beer and stuff.

    “We’d pull up to these shows and open up the limo door and literally have a couple cans of beer falling out of it. Kevin Kelley would pull up and he’d be doing commentary for us in Memphis. So, he’s pulling up in a Ford Taurus and we’re pulling up in a stretch and have all these cans. So word got back to the office that we weren’t paying our dues in driving on the road, we were driving in stretched limo. So, literally, I got called into the office. They literally yelled at me two to three weeks in a row, and talked to me. Said, ‘Do you understand why you’re doing that?

    “You’re supposed to be paying your dues.’ I understood, but I also thought, it’s a free and it’s someone driving us. We don’t have to put the miles on the car. My theory was like, ‘I understand but the guy was doing it for free.’ The guy never took a dime or nothing, gas money, nothing. He was just happy to be driving us.”

    As for Shane McMahon’s in-ring style, Gas still doesn’t believe that time is catching up to Shane O’Mac:

    “No, I think that’s exactly why you saw what you saw out of him. Not to mention, he had an infection as well, which added to the fact of why he was in the hospital. He also has a hernia. Anyone who has ever had a hernia can understand what kind of pain the man was going through. But for the people who knocked the guy, I don’t know how you can. He puts it all on the line for the company and really gives an effort like no other.

    “He does some crazy stuff for a guy who’s not a full-time wrestler. The guy’s in a lot of pain, but he’s not gonna allow that to stand in the way of performing at WrestleMania. He goes above and beyond. I know that he’s got some of those things fixed. I know that [for] a hernia alone, from what I understand, a normal person can’t do anything for six weeks, let alone wrestle.

    “So I wouldn’t expect to see him in the ring doing anything for at least that amount of time. I haven’t spoken to him since right after Mania, so I don’t know what his intentions are. I know that he has a very high pain threshold, and he got through that match. He did a lot. Kudos to him for being able to do what he did.”

    You can read Gas’ full interview with CBS Local Sports by clicking this link here.

  • Brie Bella Explains Why Latest Season Of Total Bellas Was Hard To Film

    Brie Bella Explains Why Latest Season Of Total Bellas Was Hard To Film

    Brie Bella recently did an interview with People to promote Total Bellas and discuss her sister, Nikki’s, recent break-up with John Cena after a six year relationship. Bella first offered an update on Nikki and how she’s doing:

    “She’s good, they call her fearless Nikki for a reason,” Brie said. “She always puts on that brave face. My sister has more strength than any other woman I know, especially Wonder Woman. She’s bigger than that.”

    She also noted how tough it was to step back from her twin sister on this season of Total Bellas, and allow things to play out

    “I really had to take a step back and allow it and that was really hard on me because it’s my twin. I want to protect her from everything,” Brie admitted. “This has been the hardest season to film for me because all I want to do is protect her and keep everyone away, but this is what we do.

    “I have to give a lot of credit to John and Nicole,” Brie responded. “They really opened up their lives and they really wanted to close the curtain and be like this is it, we’re done. My sister is really great with her fans in a way where she lets them connect with her. She lets them like go, ‘My life isn’t perfect and isn’t easy’ and lets them see the playbook of her life.”

    Brie also noted that John and Nikki allow some very personal conversations to air on the show – some conversations that Brie wouldn’t let get out if they were between herself and Daniel Bryan:

    “John and Nicole allow the fans to see some very personal conversations, that to be honest, I was mind blown about,” Brie responded. “[Daniel] Brian and I both said, ‘I don’t think we’d allow them to see those conversations’ but they do. I give them a lot of credit. You get to see where they’re at today and see that unravel.”

    You can check out Brie’s full interview with People by clicking this link here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EeaLUHO0WA

  • Samoa Joe On Negativity In Social Media, Ex-World Champion To Appear On Jimmy Kimmel

    Samoa Joe On Negativity In Social Media, Ex-World Champion To Appear On Jimmy Kimmel

    Samoa Joe On Negativity In Social Media

    WWE Superstar Samoa Joe, who recently moved from Monday Night RAW to SmackDown Live by way of the Superstar Shake-Up, took to Twitter to note the amount of negativity he always see on social media.

    Joe noted that he doesn’t really care too much for the comments, but stated one day the people leaving those comments will have to explain them to people in their lives who actually care:

    Batista To Appear On Jimmy Kimmel

    Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Batista is set to appear on Jimmy Kimmel tomorrow night (Tues. April 24, 2018); alongside Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannson, Danai Gurira and Tom Hiddleston, to promote the release of their new film Avengers: Infinity War. 

  • Edge Reveals His Greatest Superstar Of All Time

    Edge Reveals His Greatest Superstar Of All Time

    On the latest episode of WWE Hall Of Famer Edge and former WWE World Champion Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, the pair discussed the recent passing of the legendary Bruno Sammartino. The Rated-R Superstar called Sammartino’s passing the “end of an era” and labeled him the greatest Superstar of all time:

    “It feels like the end, the kind of end of an era in terms of, he’s the biggest star of the WWF/WWE ever. I mean, you can say ‘Stone Cold’ [Steve Austin] and you can say [Hulk] Hogan, but if you’re looking at MSG sellouts, if you’re looking at… I mean, Bruno, man, was champ I think you’re looking at, combined in two reigns, 11 years, like, 4,000 however many days. That doesn’t happen nowadays.”

    Christian discussed how Sammartino transcended the sport and put him over for selling out Madison Square Garden as many times as he did:

    “To be able to stay on top and in that position wouldn’t happen unless you’re drawing money, right? Christian added, “so it just goes to show you the type of star magnitude that he had, especially being able to sell out Madison Square Garden as many times, consecutively, as he did. Obviously, maybe the first true superstar maybe that even transcended the sport of wrestling maybe.”

    Aside from the legendary career he had in the professional wrestling ring, Edge said Sammartino was a class act and all around nice guy:

    “I think you had an entire culture, especially to Italians and immigrants coming over to this country, here’s a guy who came over without anything and really made himself.” Edge continued.

    “It’s just a classic underdog, everyman story, but more importantly than whatever the accolades are in [pro] wrestling, which are obviously numerous, stack up better to anybody’s, to be honest, in meeting Bruno over the years, he was just a thoroughly classy, professional. He was just a classy, classy man and there’s just no other way to explain it.”

    Edge also revealed that, following his second neck surgery, Sammartino actually called to check up on him:

    “Bruno Sammartino found out I was in town and having neck surgery, got the number to my hotel room, and called me post-surgery to make sure I was okay. And it completely blew my brain.” Edge reflected, “I think that to me kind of exemplifies what kind of man he was.”

    You can listen to E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Sasha Banks Issues Out Cryptic Tweet, Chris Jericho Runs Into “No Way” Jose (Photo)

    Sasha Banks Issues Out Cryptic Tweet, Chris Jericho Runs Into “No Way” Jose (Photo)

    Sasha Banks Posts Cryptic Tweet

    There have been some reports going around recently indicating that Sasha Banks could’ve lost her big push due to her poor attitude with fans in public. The Legit Boss has a history of not being too happy with fans approaching her in public for photos or autographs.

    Banks recently took to Twitter to issue out a cryptic Tweet, telling fans to “be patient” and it’ll be worth the wait. While it’s unknown if Banks is addressing these reports indirectly, the timing certainly is interesting:

    Chris Jericho Runs Into “No Way” Jose

    Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho recently posted a photo on Instagram of himself and current RAW Superstar “No Way” Jose. It turns out Y2J ran into Jose at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6fwEXFIPx/?utm_source=ig_embed

  • Interesting Name Backstage At RAW Tonight, JR Praises Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut (Video)

    Interesting Name Backstage At RAW Tonight, JR Praises Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut (Video)

    Interesting Name Backstage For Tonight’s RAW

    Monday Night RAW is live tonight from St. Louis, Missouri, and it’s the go-home show to the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. PWInsider is reporting that newly acquired SmackDown Live talent, Asuka, is backstage for tonight’s show. She could be making an appearance before moving to SmackDown Live full-time.

    Jim Ross Praises Ronda Rousey’s WWE In-Ring Debut

    TMZ recently caught up with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross to get his take on ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s WWE in-ring debut. Rousey teamed up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match.

    Ross had some high praise for The Rowdy One’s debut, calling it the most impressive thing he has ever seen in his 40-year professional wrestling career:

    “I thought Ronda Rousey’s debut was the most impressive thing I’ve seen in pro wrestling in my 40-year career – best debut I ever saw.”

  • Bill Simmons Talks Interviewing Vince McMahon Regarding Andre The Giant Relationship

    Bill Simmons Talks Interviewing Vince McMahon Regarding Andre The Giant Relationship

    Bill Simmons, the producer of HBO’s “Andre The Giant” documentary, recently did an interview with ESPN to discuss the project. Here are some of the highlights:

    You could tell in the documentary how much Andre meant to Vince, but you could also see that they didn’t part on the best terms and that still hurts Vince. It’s pretty heartbreaking. How aware were you of the relationship they had going into this project?

    “We don’t make that movie if he’s not interviewed. We made that clear. He was obviously so protective of the Andre legacy and he had a lot of conflicted emotions of how it played out, and we talked about it even before we agreed to do the movie that he has to be interviewed. We can’t do it if you’re not in it. It’s tough. It’s all genuine and what he thought at the end was Vince used him. As soon as he couldn’t wrestle anymore it was like thanks and wrestling goes on. It’s pretty complicated.

    “There’s also a lot of things that could have been in the doc, but I think the pace is important. It’s 86 minutes and there’s a bunch of other stuff we could have added but then it slows down, and you have to keep things moving. One of things that could have been in it after we did the interviews was Andre’s relationship with Stephanie [McMahon]. She’s a little girl at that point, but Andre was like a big brother to her. He was unusually tight with that family, which makes things a lot more complicated.”

    Could you picture the arc of this movie and building it towards that iconic match between Andre and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III before you even started working on it?

    “The whole time I thought this is one of the easiest docs for me to sell. Even when we were selling it to Vince, the arc of it was so clear — it had to build to WrestleMania III, and it had to have the part where wrestling takes off after Andre had already peaked but they need him for this match. Even though his body was breaking down and, oh by the way, they don’t know whether he has decided if he wants to lose or not. It was so obviously a great documentary arc and it’s really hard to find those.

    “We did so many at 30 for 30 and I learned so much about the arcs and where it works and doesn’t work. We were able to do some without one at all. I thought the Bo Jackson one was good, people liked it, but it didn’t really have an arc. It was like this guy was great and then he got hurt and you work around that and tell a story and make it cool but ultimately there’s not the twists and turns that a movie would have.

    “We had success at 30 for 30 with things like The Fab Five and The U, where you could jump in at any time. It really captured these iconic teams. Those worked and were super re-watchable and we loved doing those. When it’s something like this Andre doc there’s an extra layer you can get to because it plays like a movie and those are my favorites ones. This easily could be a movie even though it couldn’t be because you could never get someone to play Andre that was convincing, but the arc of it is a movie.”

    You can read Simmons’ full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.

  • Chris Jericho Reveals Idea He Pitched To Help Get Roman Reigns Over

    Chris Jericho Reveals Idea He Pitched To Help Get Roman Reigns Over

    WWE’s Chris Jericho recently did an interview with WSVN-TV Entertainment Reporter Chris Van Vliet in Orlando. The pair talked about several professional wrestling topics, including why Roman Reigns can’t seem to get over:

    “I think he’s like a modern day John Cena. For years fans just booed Cena because they think it’s the cool thing to do. They’re not paying any attention to what he’s really doing and that’s what Roman is now. They just see Roman and they just start booing because it’s the in thing rather than just shutting up and watching this guy for what he is which is a great performer.

    “And that’ll come. Obviously if he turned heel he’d get over, but if he turned heel all the people that booed him would start cheering him. I think it’s just a matter of time and staying the course and he needs some good heels to work with. Heels that want to be heels.”

    Jericho revealed that there were plans to have he and Reigns work a program, and he pitched the idea to try and spit a fireball in his face. Y2J believes he could’ve helped get The Big Dog over:

    “I had an idea that I wanted to do and I pitched it to Vince. I wanted to throw a fireball in Roman’s eyes and blind him, like an old school Memphis idea. Vince said he’d think about it. We were going to have a program and then it changed. If we had a long program, I probably could have got it done. So there’s a secret, exclusive for you.”

    Y2J was recently replaced by Rusev to take on The Undertaker at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia in a Casket match. Jericho explained that things constantly change in the WWE:

    “I was announced for the Greatest Royal Rumble and then I got a text asking if I wanted to do a Casket Match and I said sure. Then I got a text a couple of days later saying you’re not in the casket match anymore and I said yeah, sure, no problem.

    “That’s the thing with WWE, it changes constantly and you have to go with the flow. It’d be great to do a Casket Match, it’d be great not to do one. So who knows? I might get added back in 5 minutes before. That’s how it works.”

    Jericho then divulged that he currently isn’t under contract with WWE as of May of last year:

    “No, I’m not. Up until May of last year I was under contract and then the Fozzy tour cycle started. They call me from time to time but it’s just a one and done kind of thing.”

    As for his work with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Jericho says that there’s currently nothing planned for him with the promotion at this time:

    “Nothing planned. It’s a little bit old school. Leave with some heat brother. I lose to Kenny on a Sunday, beat up Naito on a Monday and if I never go back, I left with some heat. The thought process was to go back and we tried and it just didn’t work out. There’s a certain amount of finance and that kind of thing because that match made New Japan a lot of money. Like millions.

    “So when you get that feather in your cap now they’re not taking a chance by using Chris Jericho, they know exactly what they’re going to get. And for me not to be in WWE, I have to be compensated at a high level or else it’s not worth it because WWE could just wake up one day and go ‘You’re with New Japan? We never want to use you again. See you later buddy.’ So that’s the risk I take.”

  • WWE Announcer To Cover NFL Draft, WWE’s Authority Figures Gallery

    WWE Announcer Set To Cover NFL Draft

    WWE’s 205 announcer Vic Joseph is set to cover the upcoming NFL Draft this weekend for SiriusXM and a few other networks. Prior to coming to WWE Joseph worked as a host and reporter for the Cleveland Browns. WWE posted the following regarding Joseph’s Draft Coverage schedule:

    • Sunday, April 22: SiriusXM Fantasy Football Franchise Mode — airing on Sirius channel 210 or XM channel 87 (10 p.m. ET)
    • Thursday, April 26: SiriusXM Post Draft Show — airing on Sirius channel 210 or XM channel 87 (following that evening’s coverage of the 2018 NFL Draft)
    • Thursday, April 26 – Saturday, April 28: the Cleveland Browns Network
    • Monday, April 30: Joseph joins NFL players Matt Finkes and Zach Boren to break down all seven rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft — airing on the EBSN Network

    WWE’s Authority Figures Gallery

    WWE has posted a gallery looking back at the authority figures in the company’s history. The list features figures from WWE, NXT, WCW, and other promotions. You can check it out here: