SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • The Young Bucks Want Match With The Usos, Carmella Issues Warning To Charlotte (Video)

    The Young Bucks Want Match With The Usos, Carmella Issues Warning To Charlotte (Video)

    – Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) stars The Young Bucks – Nick and Matt Jackson – noted on Twitter that they want to have a match with SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions The Usos. Nick Jackson actually revealed that they faced The Usos in an impromptu match 7-8 years ago, which The Usos won:

    – WWE recently noted that Ms. Money In The Bank Carmella has held her briefcase for 277 days. At a recent live event, Carmella cut a promo on SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair telling her to watch her back.

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

  • Kiera Hogan On Possibly Doing A Daughter Angle With Hulk Hogan

    Kiera Hogan On Possibly Doing A Daughter Angle With Hulk Hogan

    IMPACT Wrestling Knockout Kiera Hogan recently did an interview on Interactive Wrestling Radio to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Hogan was asked if she’d be opposed to doing a “daughter” angle with WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan, and also noted she has talked to Brooke Hogan about it:

    “(laughs) I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I’ve actually had a conversation with Brooke Hogan about it. She got a hold of me and was like, ‘We should be sisters or something!’ I was like, ‘That would be so cool!’

    “My real name is Kiera Hogan. That is my real real name. When I got into wrestling, I was like, ‘That works. I already am a Hogan!’

    “But, I didn’t want to steal off what he (Hulk) was doing. I wanted to be my own Hogan. I want to be my own person. I want to be the ‘Girl on Fire’ and set myself apart from Hulkamania and all that other jazz.

    “But, I definitely am not opposed to it. Of course, I was a fan. But, I definitely want to be able to do my own thing at the same time.”

    Hogan then described how current WWE Superstar Mickie James has been a big influence in her career:

    “Mickie James was my idol. She is my everything. But, definitely her story line with Trish Stratus was my absolute favorite. It drew me into wrestling. It was one of the best story lines, I think, ever. It was something so different for the women. I’m so in love with the theatrics of wrestling.

    “Mickie James influenced my everything from everyday life to when I was in high school. I’ve been able to tell her this which is a plus for me and being able to be on the same card as her. She’s just amazing. I love her so much! (laughs).

    “I met her when I was 16. I met her every year after that so she saw me grow in wrestling as I got further and further into my career. That weekend, I was able to be on that first SHIMMER with her and was able to really talk to her.

    “She was just so proud of me. She’s almost like my second mother because I’m able to tell her, ‘Look, Mom! I’ve accomplished more!’ (laughs) She’s literally the most down to earth person ever. She’s such a sweetheart!”

    Hogan is one of the shortest female wrestlers out there right now, standing at just 4’11. She feels her height is neither an advantage or disadvantage for her, but rather it’s neutral:

    “I feel like it is neutral. It is not a benefit and it is not a defense. I feel like me being smaller, people think I’m not going to do as well as I usually do. I think I’m actually able to prove myself. Some people think I’m taller from my pictures. But, I’m only 4’11 and a half! (laughs) I don’t feel like it is a total disadvantage.”

    Given today’s climate there’s never been a better time to be a female professional wrestler. Especially with the Women’s Revolution going on in the WWE. Hogan offered her thoughts on the evolution of women’s professional wrestling:

    “I have a different view on it. I feel like people are just now starting to see the women on the main stage but on the independents, they’ve been doing it forever. I feel like at this time, maybe because they’re signing so many independent performers, now they’re starting to get noticed.

    “But, it has been such a topic on the independents for such a long time and now it is starting to get so much attention because it is on the main stage. The independents don’t get enough credit.”

    You can listen to Hogan’s interview on Interactive Wrestling Radio by clicking this link here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-85RlBhltk

  • Ex-Lucha Underground Star On What WWE Looks For In Talent

    Ex-Lucha Underground Star On What WWE Looks For In Talent

    Ex-Lucha Underground and current CRASH talent Bestia 666 recently did an interview with The Roman Show to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Bestia first discussed former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio becoming a partial owner of Aro Lucha:

    “It really surprised me. He is a humbled person and this will help the lucha libre industry especially for us luchadors like Mexicans and Hispanics to have a person like Rey Mysterio to focus on lucha libre.

    “To have a person like him have control of a promotion like that is great knowing that he knows the business. It will help him economically, but others too. He always tries to help people. I think that is what he will do. He has said that he will help the talent. He’ll help us, the Latinos.”

    Back in 2013 Bestia actually worked as an extra for WWE and visited the Performance Center. While he admits working in WWE is the dream, he’s not going to sit around waiting for them:

    “I was there, but [the WWE Superstars] were in their zone. I just did what I had to do, but I did go to the Performance Center in 2013 and I continue to work hard. I am not waiting for the WWE, but of course that is the dream. I would lie to you if I said I didn’t want to be there.”

    Bestia also offered some insight into what he thinks WWE is looking for in talent they want to sign:

    “WWE looks for people from other countries that can communicate. I speak English too, even though I am talking to you in Spanish. I am used to the American style. In the meantime, I will prepare, train, and be ready.”

    You can read Bestia 666’s interview with The Roman Show by clicking this link here.

  • Edge & Christian Discuss Being Asked To Induct The Dudley Boyz Into WWE HOF

    Edge & Christian Discuss Being Asked To Induct The Dudley Boyz Into WWE HOF

    On a recent edition of the E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, former WWE Tag Team Champs Edge and Christian discussed being asked to induct The Dudley Boyz into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame class.

    Edge discussed the news breaking that he and Christian would be inducting Bubba Ray and D-Von, which was Bubba announcing it on Busted Open Radio. The pair also discussed getting the calls to be asked to induct The Dudley Boyz:

    “Actually, the news broke by Bubba Ray Dudley on Busted Open Radio with me as the guest. I didn’t know he was going to do it.

    “He got the pop himself and it has now been officially confirmed by WWE today as we’re recording this that we will be inducting The Dudley Boyz. Yeah!”

    “We were very honored that they asked us to do it, and, obviously, we’ve talked about it many times in the past,” Christian added.

    “All three teams will always be linked. If you think of the Dudleys, you think of Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz, and vice versa with all those other teams.

    “We helped to put each other on the map and the feud with us and the Hardys really took off when those guys showed up.

    “My phone rings immediately after [Edge’s phone rang] and it says, ‘Melbourne, Florida’,” Christian recalled. “And I’m like, ‘do we know anybody in Melbourne?’ I’m like, ‘your phone rang and then mine did.

    “Should I answer it?’ and [Edge] is like, ‘yeah, yeah, you should answer it!’ So I answered it. It was D-Von. We had a nice conversation and he said he tried to call [Edge], so I said, ‘oh, I’ll pass him to you. He didn’t want to talk to you earlier.’”

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

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Alexa Bliss vs. Seth Rollins 2K18 (Video), Natalya Poses With Ex-UFC Star (Photo), Rock vs. Cena WM 28 (Video)

    Alexa Bliss vs. Seth Rollins 2K18 (Video), Natalya Poses With Ex-UFC Star (Photo), Rock vs. Cena WM 28 (Video)

    – In the first round of the WWE 2K18 Superstar Invitational Tournament on Xavier Woods’ UpUpDownDown YouTube gaming channel, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss takes on WWE Intercontinental Title challenger Seth Rollins. You can check out the video here below:

    Bliss took to Twitter to comment on her game with Rollins:

    – Natalya recently posted a photo backstage at a WWE event with Shelton Benjamin and ex-UFC fighter Jessamyn Duke:

    – WWE uploaded John Cena and The Rock’s full WrestleMania 28 match on their YouTube channel. You can watch it here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byni1lQYVFc&feature=youtu.be

  • John Cena Hypes Tonight’s RAW, Teases Return Of “The American Badass”

    John Cena Hypes Tonight’s RAW, Teases Return Of “The American Badass”

    If The Undertaker is ever going to respond to John Cena’s WrestleMania 34 challenge, tonight’s the night to do it.

    For the past several weeks The Leader Of The Cenation has attempted to lure The Deadman out and accept his challenge, however, Undertaker has remained radio silent on the matter.

    Cena has verbally attacked Undertaker on the microphone week after week on RAW, and has even fired off a few shots at him on social media as well. He recently took to Twitter to promote tonight’s episode of RAW, continuing to use the hashtag #DoSomething:

    Cena also referenced the rumors going around that Taker could return under his American Badass gimmick. With the fact that Kid Rock, who sang Undertaker’s American Badass theme back in the early 2000s, is going into the celebrity wing of the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame this weekend – speculation has continued to run rampant.

    With that being said, Cena decided to post an Instagram photo of some American Badass gear:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BhEK9kQgfuZ/?utm_source=ig_embed

  • Charlotte Flair’s Message To Asuka Ahead Of WM 34, Bray Wyatt Issues Cryptic Tweet

    Charlotte Flair’s Message To Asuka Ahead Of WM 34, Bray Wyatt Issues Cryptic Tweet

    – SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is set to defend her throne against 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka at WrestleMania 34 this weekend. The Queen has the opportunity to become the first woman to ever defeat The Empress Of Tomorrow in WWE, as she hasn’t lost in two years of competition. Yesterday Flair took to Twitter to send the following message to her SDL Women’s Title Challenger:

    – Several weeks ago to close out Monday Night RAW, The Final Deletion resulted in Bray Wyatt being DELETED by “Woken” Matt Hardy. Wyatt was tossed into the Lake Of Reincarnation and hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since. Wyatt recently took to Twitter and issued out the following cryptic Tweet in the midst of rumors that a character change could be coming for The Eater Of Worlds:

    https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/980510891354488832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F938171-charlotte-flair-is-ready-for-asuka-bray-wyatt-issues-another-cryptic-message

  • Paul Heyman Explains Why He’s Inducting Goldberg Into The WWE HOF

    Paul Heyman Explains Why He’s Inducting Goldberg Into The WWE HOF

    Former Universal Champion Goldberg will be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame class this weekend, the night before WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans. Inducting Goldberg would be none other than Paul Heyman, the advocate of the man Goldberg defeated at Survivor Series in 2016 and lost to at WrestleMania 33 – Brock Lesnar.

    Some fans were scratching their heads wondering why Heyman was selected for the honors of inducting Goldberg into the Hall. The Advocate recently did an interview with Digital Spy to explain that Goldberg actually requested WWE for Heyman to induct him:

    “I am inducting Goldberg because that was Bill Goldberg’s specific request to WWE. Bill Goldberg personally requested that I induct him into the Hall of Fame. I have such respect for Goldberg as so far the one person who has truly taken the fight to Brock Lesnar in WWE.

    “I also got a chance to witness him behind the scenes as a man, a husband, a father and I have the utmost respect for him as a human being and am honored to be the one to encapsulate this moment for him and be the one to formally induct him into the Hall of Fame.”

    You can read Heyman’s interview with Digital Spy by clicking this link here.

  • Roman Reigns Reflects On His WrestleMania Match With The Undertaker

    Roman Reigns Reflects On His WrestleMania Match With The Undertaker

    Roman Reigns was recently interviewed by CBS Sports to promote WrestleMania 34 this weekend, where he’ll challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship in what’s expected to be the night’s main event. Reigns was asked about his main event WrestleMania match last year, in which he became the second-ever man to defeat The Undertaker at The Showcase Of The Immortals.

    Reigns said that he feels the match could’ve been better, and he mostly puts the blame on himself for it not living up to expectations:

    “For me, what made it so hard was how heavy it was. You know, if I wrestled The Undertaker 20 years ago at the beginning or the middle of his career, probably not. But the positioning I found myself in, it just felt really heavy and so much more emotional than I was ready for it to be, so I think that was the hardest thing … but, you know, the coolest thing because I think that just shows the gravity of the situation, the responsibility of the placement [on the card] and just who I was sharing the ring with.

    “And that’s just how special he is. I just feel like maybe I wasn’t good enough or maybe it could have been better on my behalf, but I always hold The Undertaker in so high in that regard that I just feel like maybe I could have done better. But I enjoyed it.

    “I really learned a huge amount in the ring with him; you know, to being in the ring with him for one singles match and to have it be at that level, to be able to pick something up in just 30-40 minutes from another performer — it just goes to show how good he is.”

    You can listen to Reigns’ interview with CBS Sports by clicking this link here.

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Jimmy Hart Names Which Current WWE Star He’d Like To Manage

    Jimmy Hart Names Which Current WWE Star He’d Like To Manage

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jimmy Hart is one of the most legendary managers in the history of professional wrestling. Hart has managed the likes of Hulk Hogan, The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Jerry The King Lawler, Bret Hart, and many more. In a recent interview with WWE, Hart discussed which current Superstar he’d be interesting in managing.

    Hart divulged that he’d love to work with Elias if given the opportunity. Here’s what he had to say:

    “You know what? All of them are great but I like Elias. He plays guitar and me being from Memphis or course and look what I did for the Honky Tonk Man so Elias this is for you. Dick Clark told me something … he said if you dress like the audience then you’re gonna wind up sitting in the audience.

    “We gotta get you out of those blue jeans and out of those patent leather brown or black boots that you wear and that t-shirt. We gotta get you down to Memphis. Let me take you to Graceland, baby.”

  • James Ellsworth’s Favorite Moment In WWE

    James Ellsworth’s Favorite Moment In WWE

    Former WWE superstar James Ellsworth recently did an interview with Andy Malnoske of Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Ellsworth revealed that competing against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship was his favorite moment with the company:

    “If you’re asking what my favorite moment was, it was that, wrestling for the WWE title,” Ellsworth said. “It’s AJ Styles, who’s the best wrestler in the world, in a main event match on SmackDown, favorite moment.”

    Back in 2016 Ellsworth worked a match against Braun Strowman as a jobber. The fans’ reaction to him got him over and WWE decided to bring him on as a regular talent. Ellsworth said everything just happened at the right time:

    “Luckily for me, it was just lightning in a bottle,” he said. “Right opponent, Braun Strowman, got 15 to 20 seconds of promo time, it just all came together so well. That performance that night with Braun Strowman, fans got behind it after that and I appreciate every fan that’s ever helped me out because of that.”

    Ellsworth then discussed what it was like to interact with each of the McMahons – Vince, Shane, and Stephanie:

    “Vince is the boss, I’ve had a couple conversations with him up there. It’s like any other job, he’s the boss, so very employee-to-boss conversations,” Ellsworth said. “Shane’s more ‘one of the boys,’ so I’d talk to Shane. Stephanie, I didn’t see her much because she was on RAW and I was on SmackDown, but when I did see her she was very sweet and always said hi. That’s about it.”

    Since departing from WWE, Ellsworth has been doing work for NWA (which is now owned by Smashing Pumpkins singer and former IMPACT Wrestling President Billy Corgan). He is also working on the independent circuit as well and hopes to one day make it back to WWE:

    “I’m doing stuff with the NWA, Billy Corgan owns the NWA now… So I’m working with them a lot, I’m doing as many indies as possible,” he said. “I get to travel the world still and do my thing, and then when the time is right, I think you’ll see me back in WWE.”

    You can read Ellsworth’s full interview with Wrestling Inc. by clicking this link here.

  • Roman Reigns Reacts To Fan’s “Creepy” Video Of Himself On Twitter, Hornswoggle’s WM Weekend Comedy Show

    Roman Reigns Reacts To Fan’s “Creepy” Video Of Himself On Twitter, Hornswoggle’s WM Weekend Comedy Show

    – A WWE fan posted a video of Roman Reigns shopping at their store on Twitter. Reigns responded to the video with a single word – creepy:

    Reigns is set to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, in what is expected to be the main event of WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans.

    – Former WWE talent Hornswoggle is set to perform a comedy show from the Allways Lounge & Cabaret in New Orleans on WrestleMania 34 weekend. It all goes down on Friday April 6th at 9:30 pm and combines a stand-up comedy routine with funny storytelling. Click here for more information.

  • Triple H On Direction Change Of 205 Live

    Triple H On Direction Change Of 205 Live

    WWE COO Triple H recently did an interview on CBS Sports’ In This Corner podcast and shared his thoughts about gaining creative control over 205 Live recently. “The Game” discussed his attempts to try and make the program more exciting:

    “I think it’s a work in progress,” said Triple H. “I think we did the ‘Cruiserweight Classic’ and it was an excitement and an opportunity. We jumped on making it into its own show, but I don’t know if that was totally just kind of thought out in the right way or done in the right way. I think we made an attempt at it that.

    “Vince will say a lot that the business is like flavors – chocolate and vanilla – and not everyone is going to agree on the flavors. So we went in the direction of a certain flavor. We gave them vanilla and people weren’t buying the flavor of vanilla, so we went back to chocolate and people are seeming to like that again.”

    He also noted that the division is still a work in progress and he’s excited to see the future opportunities in store for its talent:

    “The great thing about [WWE] is we can change them on a dime,” said Triple H. “We can put it in a different direction, and if people don’t like something, just keep watching [because] we are probably going to get you there. We are probably going to get you to a place that works for everyone. That is the intent.

    “I think 205 continues to be a work in progress. I’m excited about that opportunity for all of the athletes there because, for a lot of them, there was no road in front of them. There was no big path, and it was doing what they were doing but this opened up doors for them. Hopefully it will continue to grow, much like NXT has, much like the [United Kingdom efforts] will and all of that. I think there is tremendous opportunity and in some way we are just kind of nicking the surface of where we will be.”

    You can check out Triple H’s full interview on CBS Sports’ In This Corner podcast by clicking this link here.

  • Ex-World Champ Being Rumored To Partner With Braun Strowman At WrestleMania

    Ex-World Champ Being Rumored To Partner With Braun Strowman At WrestleMania

    Braun Strowman is the number one contender for Cesaro and Sheamus’ RAW Tag Team Championships – without a partner.

    Strowman won a Tag Team Battle Royal several weeks ago on Monday Night RAW to earn the opportunity. He now needs to find a partner to challenge for the titles at WrestleMania 34 against The Bar.

    There has been a ton of speculation as to who Strowman could partner with, but a recent report from Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated suggests that former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio could make his return to the company to be “The Monster Among Men’s” partner.

    Vince McMahon is reportedly strongly considering the possibility as he likes the big guy and little guy dynamic that he has used in the past.

    It was also noted that if Mysterio returned to WWE, it would be under a short-term deal. Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently noted that Mysterio and WWE are still in negotiations, but nothing has been brought up regarding a WrestleMania match.

  • Triple H & Stephanie McMahon Name Their Greatest Superstar Of All Time

    Triple H & Stephanie McMahon Name Their Greatest Superstar Of All Time

    WWE COO Triple H and Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon recently appeared on ESPN First Take to promote their Mixed Tag Team match at WrestleMania 34 against Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle. Host Stephen A. Smith asked the pair who they think is the biggest star in WWE.

    Stephanie named WWE Hall Of Famer Andre The Giant, while Triple H named off several stars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Undertaker. Here’s what they had to say:

    Stephanie:

    “For me personally it’s got to be Andre the Giant. I think a lot of people would say The Rock, a lot of people might say John Cena, especially recently, but I would say Andre,” Stephanie said. “He’s a pop culture icon that has transcended media around the world. Of course we have our HBO special that’s going to be premiering in a couple of weeks in April and it’s just going to be an incredible reflection on the life of an icon.”

    Triple H:

    “For me the answer is kind of mixed because there are different aspects to that,” Triple H answered. “You can talk about the impact of Hulk Hogan or The Rock and him now being the biggest box office attraction in Hollywood, you can talk about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. But there’s one guy for me within our industry that resonates beyond all else.

    “When I go to India or the Middle East or Europe or Japan or Australia, South America, it doesn’t matter – one of the names that’s always brought up first and foremost is The Undertaker. The character, iconic character of that… it just transcends everything and it is for so many people that kind of character that encapsulates what WWE is.”

    Co-host Max Kellerman named Hulk Hogan and Stephen A. Smith agreed, before naming others like The Road Warriors, Ric Flair, Randy Savage and Paul Orndorff. Triple H responded with the following:

    “That is the thing, when you talk about it, you can talk about the genius of Vince, you can talk about the brand, you can talk about all the things, WrestleMania and all that. Nobody, nobody in any form of entertainment or sports has put out the amount of characters that have transcended generations,” Triple H responded.

    “That storytelling, that level of character development that transcends generations, that touches your childhood and makes you feel something, takes you back in time to that moment … those moments transcend time, connect with you on a level and a character level that few things in this world can. That’s really the genius of Vince McMahon, that storytelling and that character creation.”

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Ronda Rousey Says Stephanie McMahon’s Slap Actually Hurt

    Ronda Rousey Says Stephanie McMahon’s Slap Actually Hurt

    WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey recently did an interview with Yahoo Sports to promote her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34. “The Rowdy One” will team up with WWE Hall Of Famer and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle in a Mixed Tag Team match to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

    Rousey discussed how important it was for her to live life outside of the spotlight, get married, and enjoy life before joining WWE:

    “It really was myself and Travis [Browne] planning on settling down that made me decide that I needed to go for it. We’re ready to start having kids soon and I was thinking about what I’ve left unfinished in my life because I want to entirely focus on having kids when that time comes. I took a long look at my life and thought that if I don’t try and take a shot with the WWE, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

    “I want to be an example to my kids about pursuing your dreams and being able to do anything. I guess this is my way of nesting and getting ready for children. I’m trying to prove to my unborn babies that they can accomplish any dream that they want to go after.”

    The ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion also discussed getting slapped by Stephanie McMahon on an episode of RAW:

    “I’ve never been slapped before. Anybody who has ever been slapped tells me that it hurts more than you think. Man, when she hauled off and whacked me, my first thought was ‘Wow, that really hurt way more than I thought it would.’ Everyone was right. Slaps suck and there was a loud noise followed by the crowd’s ‘Ooooh!’ I didn’t see that coming at all.”

    Rousey also said that she’s looking forward to paying McMahon back for the slap at WrestleMania:

    “Oh man, I can’t wait. As they say, revenge is a dish best served cold and I cannot wait to serve her the coldest dish at WrestleMania.”

    You can read Rousey’s full interview with Yahoo Sports by clicking this link here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpCDY3AA3tM&feature=youtu.be

  • Ryback On His Supposed Heat With Rusev

    Ryback On His Supposed Heat With Rusev

    Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback was recently interviewed by The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “The Big Guy” first offered his thoughts on SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan getting cleared by WWE doctors to return to in-ring action:

    “I am very happy for him. I saw him back at Rusev’s wedding last year and we were talking and it was when he had returned (I believe) he was on TV as an on air role at that time but I could see that it wasn’t fulfilling to him because he didn’t have that outlet to perform and he didn’t have that physical aspect of it.

    “You’ve got to understand that when you wrestle and he wrestled for a majority of his life and I could tell you first hand that especially for myself having to back off a bit this last year that it is extremely and mentally difficult when you are used to making money with your body and being told you can’t do something is extremely taxing on the human mind.

    “For him to have to still be in that environment, granted not as much as he was but to still show up to TV every week and to watch all these guys he came up with getting their opportunity to perform and not being able to do that is extremely frustrating.

    “I felt for him deeply because I knew how bad he wanted to wrestle. It is really cool to see him get another chance because he was so hot when it all got taken away and I was there for that and I witnessed that on different occasions where he went through the different injuries up there and overcame them.

    “So to see him return, I’d like to see him take it easy for a little bit and he seems to have thrown himself back into the mix full steam by taking an apron power bomb and doing those God damn dropkicks where he lands on his head but I would have liked to have seen him ease back in but I guess if you are going to go and he only knows one speed and that is why everybody loves him.”

    He then commented on the supposed “bad blood” between himself and Rusev. Most notably, Ryback commented on one of Rusev’s live Instagram videos and teased “The Bulgarian Brute” by saying he hopes he’s not involved in Jon Bravo’s steroid controversy documentary:

    “I guess there are a lot of people out there that are so smart and they know everything about wrestling and I can’t tell you how many times I talk about Rusev as one of my favorite all time opponents and one of my favorite people. What friends do is they go online sometimes and they bust each other’s balls. He’s done it to me and I’ve done it to him and it is unfortunate that we live in a day and age where people can just cherry-pick something.”

    “I see he is doing an Instagram live and I click on it. He sees me, cracks a smile and says ‘big guy’. I leave a comment and he makes a comment about me which we talk about through text. He made a comment about me not being natural and I made a comment back to him that he could lose more weight and I got pegged the bad guy in that one because two friends were having fun and it was one of those things where he says me and Ryback have no beef, well nobody takes that part.

    “Everybody just thinks that Ryback was blocked from Rusev’s Instagram and I can assure that I am not blocked and we were just talking earlier today. People have to understand that guys laugh at this sh*t. If I had a beef with someone the last thing I would do is go on an Instagram live and hash it out on that.”

    Ryback also responded to the constant comparisons he receives to WWE Hall Of Famers Ultimate Warrior and Goldberg:

    “People are always going to do that and the only thing you can do is go out and live your life and have your career. It is unfortunately that you are going to have people that they’re extremely loyal to the people that came before you and I’ve always said that and I never once tried to go out there and replicate being any of those guys. I have a bald head and I have big traps.

    “They did short matches and I do longer matches but that is the role that they played and I had played that role as well doing the shorter matches but that is just what people like to compare you to in the guys that came before you. In ten or fifth teen years if another guy comes along wearing an air-brushed singlet he might get compared to me.

    “It is just the way that the business is and you can’t really get too caught up in that because we are all our own individual person or wrestler at the end of the day and I think the fans that know our styles were completely different, the move sets are completely different and the characters are completely different.”

  • John Cena Takes Another Shot At The Undertaker, Big E’s Terrible Gimmick Idea, WWE Network Note

    John Cena Takes Another Shot At The Undertaker, Big E’s Terrible Gimmick Idea, WWE Network Note

    – John Cena continues to pursue a match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 34. “The Leader Of The Cenation” has been calling out “The Deadman” on RAW for the past several weeks.

    Cena took to Twitter to post a workout video of himself, taking a shot at Undertaker in the caption:

    – Former SmackDown Live Tag Team Champion Big E took to Twitter to reveal the terrible gimmick idea he pitched nine years ago. He called it Mel Mann, who’s character was supposed to be a postal worker:

    – WWE announced that the annual post-WrestleMania 34 conference call will take place on Monday, April 9, 2018. Here is the official statement:

    WWE® Network Post-WrestleMania® Conference Call

    STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE:WWE) will host a conference call on Monday, April 9, 2018 to provide an update on the growth of WWE Network, including the level of subscribers following WrestleMania. The Company’s Co-Presidents, George A. Barrios and Michelle D. Wilson, will host the conference call beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CST) to discuss the results.

    All interested parties are welcome to listen to a live web cast that will be hosted through the Company’s web site at corporate.wwe.com/investors. Participants can access the conference call by dialing 855-200-4993 (toll free) or 323-794-2092 from outside the U.S. (conference ID for both lines: 6005057). Please reserve a line approximately 10 minutes prior to the start time of the conference call.

    The presentation referenced during the call will be made available on April 9, 2018 at corporate.wwe.com/investors. A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the conference call concludes, and can be accessed on the Company’s web site.

  • More On Hulk Hogan’s Recent Talks With WWE

    More On Hulk Hogan’s Recent Talks With WWE

    Last week news broke that WWE and Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan were in talks for a potential return. WWE actually confirmed this with an official statement:

    “We have had discussions with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan) about how he can help others learn from his mistakes, however, he is not under any contract with WWE.”

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter now reports that Hogan and WWE have had regular communication for the past year. He also noted WWE has always been looking for the right time to bring “The Hulkster” back, but feared backlash from sponsors.

    Also, company sources say that the idea for bringing Hogan back would be to allow him to talk about how stupid he was for what he said. It would be angled as a redemption/forgiveness plot.

    The overall goal from WWE was to ensure enough time had passed so that the return wasn’t controversial. Meltzer also acknowledged the rumors that Hogan could become the next SmackDown Live General Manager, however, they’re only rumors as of this writing.

  • Ric Flair Set To Undergo ‘Serious’ Surgery Soon

    Ric Flair Set To Undergo ‘Serious’ Surgery Soon

    Last August two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair underwent emergency hospitalization in order to remove an obstructed part of his bowel.

    This led to several complications, and Flair was held in the hospital for over a month to recover. He suffered from kidney failure, which required dialysis treatment, and was at one point given a small chance to survive.

    After returning home the following September, Flair has begun to turn around his life and focus more on his health – and the first step has been giving up drinking.

    In a new update, Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer reports that Flair is set to undergo a “very serious” surgery on July 9th. The surgery will reportedly remove his colostomy bag.

    Flair wants this done so he can return to serious training. He has had the bag in ever since having his life-saving surgery. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

  • Justin Credible Opens Up About Doing Cocaine Before His Entrances

    Justin Credible Opens Up About Doing Cocaine Before His Entrances

    Former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Justin Credible recently did an interview on WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T’s Houston Sports Radio 610 radio show, Heated Conversations, to talk about several professional wrestling topics.

    Credible opened up about his past struggles with drug addiction, and revealed he got his first opioid from his mentor at the time, Scott Hall:

    “I started to do it simply to get along,” Credible recalled. “I remember the first pill I ever took. I wrestled The Brooklyn Brawler at a high school show and I was traveling with Scott Hall. And I hurt my shoulder real bad and we had a long tour ahead of us and he popped a pill in my beer and told me, ‘drink it.’ And I drank it and I felt good and I liked that feeling. It made me feel good.”

    He then discussed the rumors of rampant drug use in the locker rooms of ECW, noting he took cocaine before his entrance when his music would hit:

    “Oh, it’s true. It’s true, man.” Credible continued, “I can recall when I got a little up there in the game, I haven’t said this to too many people, but I’ll just keep myself named in this, I remember in the War Memorial [Auditorium] in Fort Lauderdale [Florida], I was hip enough and cool enough at the time to have my own locker room and I’d have a good amount of cocaine put out there because I’d know nobody would come into my locker room. And literally, my music would be playing and I’d take a couple of good rips and I’d go out there.”

    Credible also admitted that his issues with drug abuse also played a role in why he was unable to accomplish as much as he’d liked in WWE:

    “I was so disappointed with where I thought I was headed or could have been going because when I got there, I couldn’t do the superkick and that was one of my big things because of Shawn [Michaels], couldn’t do my tombstone because of Taker, and, of course, these are guys that I love and respect, I’m not pooh-poohing anybody. But I knew Vince McMahon wasn’t going to push me.

    “Paul Heyman had this genius about making chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what. He really knew how to get the best out of you. He was a great director whereas for Vince, I mean, he’ll let you do it too, but I think it was a combination of the drugs, of course, a huge impact, I’m not going to deny that, but also I was still when I went back, Book, I was still Aldo.

    “I was Justin Credible and all that stuff I accomplished, but in my heart and the way I behaved in the locker room.” Credible added, “I think that kindness was mistaken for weakness and I was taken advantage of a lot, but, hey, if I was mentally fit and not on the drugs I was taking to deal with my mental health issues, then I would have gone further. I still believe that because I did essentially get fired for not showing up and that’s a whole story in itself.”

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

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Lana Reacts To Popularity Surge Of “Rusev Day”

    Lana Reacts To Popularity Surge Of “Rusev Day”

    WWE Superstar Lana recently did an interview with Hollywood Life while in attendance for the premiere of the “Game Over, Man” film. “The Ravishing Russian” first discussed the surging popularity of her husband, Rusev’s, Rusev Day gimmick:

    “I think he is a super athlete and I have been saying that for years. I would introduce him as a super athlete and he truly is one of the best in ring competitors. I also think in Total Divas, he also showed that he is really funny and entertaining.

    “On the show, he shows that he has a great personality. I think it took – instead of a ‘U-S-A’ chant, they want to be part of something more. They want to chant ‘Rusev Day’ because every day is Rusev day!”

    She then discussed her on-screen feud with Rusev in which she had a storyline romance with Dolph Ziggler. That storyline went nowhere after Lana and Rusev announced their real-life engagement on social media:

    “Oh yeah! I really enjoy being his enemy. One of my favorite stories in WWE was when he was the jealous boyfriend and I used Dolph Ziggler as revenge, basically. That was so much fun.

    “We had so much fun with that story when we were fighting and our segments on TV would be so much fun. I would love to be in a story or movie where maybe we were enemies.”

    Lana also discussed this past week’s huge news that SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan had been medically cleared to return to in-ring competition for WWE:

    “We are so excited. We are so excited to have him back. I know for me, personally, I was in tears when he did his speech on coming back because it gives me hope that no matter what anyone says, I am going to continue for my dreams and continue to wrestle and compete.

    “The world told him ‘no,’ and that he would never wrestle again and he is wrestling again. So, I think that gives us all hope to be resilient and to do you no matter what!”

    You can read Lana’s full interview with Hollywood Life by clicking this link here.

  • Triple H On How Important WWE Is To He & Stephanie, TMZ Reviews Ric Flair’s New Suits (Video)

    Triple H On How Important WWE Is To He & Stephanie, TMZ Reviews Ric Flair’s New Suits (Video)

    – WWE COO Triple H and Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon are currently scheduled to compete in a Mixed Tag Team match against RAW General Manager Kurt Angle and ex-UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey.

    This will be Rousey’s first match in her professional wrestling career. “The Game” took to Twitter to post the following video on he and Stephanie’s preparations for New Orleans, as well as what WWE means to them:

    – Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair recently launched his own line of suits with Mr. Custom Made, and currently offers 12 items ranging from  $595 to $795. The Ric Flair Collection can be found via this link.

    TMZ Sports posted a video reviewing Flair’s suit line, and noted Flair has sent pairs to stars such as The Rock and Jamie Foxx, among many more. Check it out:

  • Video: Referee Hits Rusev With Superkick, Gets Pinfall Victory

    Video: Referee Hits Rusev With Superkick, Gets Pinfall Victory

    Last night’s SmackDown Live dark match main event was a Six-Man Tag Team match; between the teams of AJ Styles and The Usos taking on Rusev, Aiden English, and Baron Corbin.

    In the closing moments of the match, referee Danilo Anfibio took his shirt off and hit Rusev with a superkick. Anfibio then went for the pin while AJ Styles served as the referee and made the three count.

    Check it out here below:

    https://twitter.com/BillKauff/status/978835595844837376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F936863-referee-superkicks-rusev-and-pins-him-after-smackdown-live-video

    Styles is currently preparing to defend his WWE Championship against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura. This has been considered a “dream match” by many WWE fans given the pair’s history in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).

    Also, The Usos will be defending their SmackDown Live Tag Team Titles in a Triple Threat Tag Team match against The New Day and The Bludgeon Brothers. Speaking of that match, WWE may have accidentally leaked a special stipulation for it….

  • Vader’s First Comments Since Open-Heart Surgery, WWE Teases ‘Mystery Superstar’ Performance For WM 34

    Vader’s First Comments Since Open-Heart Surgery, WWE Teases ‘Mystery Superstar’ Performance For WM 34

    – Three-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vader underwent successful open-heart surgery this past Monday. Vader has been battling congestive heart failure and was given a short time left to live last year. Vader recently took to Twitter to comment on his situation after receiving surgery, and noted that he was in quite a bit of pain:

    – WWE took to Twitter to invite fans to join them at Razoo Club & Patio the Thursday before WrestleMania for a special performance by a mystery WWE Superstar. While there’s no more news on the matter, it could be speculated that Elias could be that mystery Superstar: