SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • Bray Wyatt Accepts Matt Hardy’s Compound Challenge, Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns Promo (Video), Paige

    Bray Wyatt Accepts Matt Hardy’s Compound Challenge, Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns Promo (Video), Paige

    – As seen on Monday Night RAW this past week, Matt Hardy challenged Bray Wyatt to come and confront him at the Hardy Family Compound. Some footage from the compound was also featured during the segment, which we later found out was filmed by Reby Hardy. Wyatt took to Twitter to accept Hardy’s challenge:

    https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/970867101241151489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    – WWE posted a promo on Twitter for next week’s episode of Monday Night RAW from Detroit, which is said to feature a face to face confrontation between WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Elimination Chamber winner Roman Reigns. Check it out:

    – Paige took to social media to note that she’s currently on tour with her current boyfriend, Kalan Blehm’s, band, Attila. She won’t be appearing with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville at WWE live events this week:

    https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/971102051416539136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BgAfTWbFA0I/

  • John Cena’s Upcoming Schedule All But Confirms Fastlane Main Event Finish

    John Cena’s Upcoming Schedule All But Confirms Fastlane Main Event Finish

    John Cena’s Road To WrestleMania 34 is probably one of the biggest storylines going in WWE right now. Cena failed to win the Royal Rumble match, lost the Elimination Chamber match after being pinned by Braun Strowman, and will now get his third – and likely final – shot to make it into the headline bout at “The Show Of Shows.” Cena will take part in a Six Pack Challenge match for the WWE Title against Champion AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler at Fastlane on pay-per-view (PPV) this weekend.

    The winner will go on to WrestleMania to defend the WWE Title against Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura. John Cena’s upcoming WWE schedule, however, suggests he probably won’t be winning that match. “The Leader Of The Cenation” is not scheduled for any SmackDown Live events after Fastlane, leading up to WrestleMania.

    That means that whatever feud WWE has planned for Cena, he’ll likely be building it up on RAW. Take a look at his upcoming schedule here:

    • March 11th: Fastlane (Columbus, OH)
    • March 12th: Raw (Detroit, MI)
    • March 16th: MSG Live event (NYC)
    • March 18th: Live event (Oklahoma City, OK)
    • March 19th: Raw (Dallas, TX)
    • March 26th: Raw (Cleveland, OH)
    • April 9th: Raw (New Orleans, LA)

    Its been rumored that Cena could be feuding with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 34. With very little options other than Taker out there if Cena doesn’t win the WWE Title this weekend, he very well could be sharing the squared circle with “The Deadman” in New Orleans this April.

  • Jeff Hardy Ready To Return, What Happened After SmackDown (Photos)

    Jeff Hardy Ready To Return, What Happened After SmackDown (Photos)

    – After suffering a shoulder injury back in September on an episode of RAW, Jeff Hardy underwent surgery to repair the issue. The surgery took place in October and he was given a recovery time of 6-9 months. Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Hardy has been cleared by his surgeon as of last month for an in-ring return.

    Now Hardy is simply waiting to get the green light from WWE doctors. Satin also reports that Hardy’s recent evaluation in Birmingham, Alabama went well and he’s hoping to get some good news back soon. With that being said, there’s a slight chance Hardy could return before WrestleMania 34.

    – Last night’s SmackDown Live featured several previews for this weekend’s Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event. After SmackDown Live and 205 Live went off air the dark match main event of the evening, also a preview for this weekend’s Fastlane, say Shinsuke Nakamura defeat Rusev.

    “The Artist” won the match via disqualification after Aiden English got involved. Nakamura hit the Kinsasha on English to send fans home happy. Here are some photos:

  • Young Bucks Offer To Face The Bar At WrestleMania, How Much Vince McMahon Is Worth

    Young Bucks Offer To Face The Bar At WrestleMania, How Much Vince McMahon Is Worth

    – On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW The Bar retained their RAW Tag Team Titles against The Revival. Sheamus and Cesaro currently have no challengers for their titles at WrestleMania 34. “The Celtic Warrior” sent out an open challenge to all tag teams via Twitter to challenge them at “The Show Of Shows”:

    PWInsider reports that The Bar’s challengers at WrestleMania 34 are “not currently a team.”  The Young Bucks took to Twitter to declare their interest in possibly answering the call in New Orleans:

    https://twitter.com/NickJacksonYB/status/971164075660009472

    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/971251309486727169

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter was asked about this possibility. He didn’t seem very optimistic:

    “Anything is possible, but realistically that’s close to impossible.”

    – Forbes’ 2018 Billionaire List reports that WWE’s Vince McMahon is ranked number 1,394 with a net worth of $1.7 billion.

  • Alberto Del Rio Reportedly Spotted At WWE Headquarters Last Week

    Alberto Del Rio Reportedly Spotted At WWE Headquarters Last Week

    It looks like former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio could possibly make a return to the company before closing out his professional wrestling career. PWInsider is reporting that Del Rio was at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut last week to film interview material for an upcoming WWE project related to Rey Mysterio. It was the same day that he flew to Europe for a Five Star Wrestling appearance.

    During Del Rio’s visit to WWE headquarters, however, he also reportedly had a meeting with Vince McMahon. This is interesting as PWInsider recently reported that McMahon has been in favor of Del Rio returning to the company and has always been high on him as an in-ring performer. After leaving WWE back in September of 2016 Del Rio signed with IMPACT Wrestling in March of 2017. His current contract with IMPACT is expected to be up next month.

    IMPACT officials this weekend in Canada met with several talents who’s contracts are set to expire, including Del Rio, to negotiate new deals. Del Rio is arguably the biggest name draw on their roster and likely their highest paid talent. The report suggests that IMPACT sources confirmed those talks went well with its talents, including Del Rio, and they were confident new deals for those talents would be coming soon.

    Del Rio is currently scheduled for an IMPACT appearance on April 22nd, where he headlines their Redemption pay-per-view (PPV) against Austin Aries for the IMPACT World Championship.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgN3Z-Q4GBs

  • The Miz Reacts To Ric Flair Calling Him The Best Heel In The Business, Finn Balor On His WrestleMania 34 Title Match

    The Miz Reacts To Ric Flair Calling Him The Best Heel In The Business, Finn Balor On His WrestleMania 34 Title Match

    – WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz recently spoke to WTMJ-TV Milwaukee to promote last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. During the interview Miz was asked about two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair calling him the best heel in the business today. Here’s how Miz responded (quotes via Wrestling Inc.):

    “Ha! Is that what he said? Coming from him that’s an honor,” Miz said. “Ric Flair – in my opinion – is the greatest of all-time. I mean he is absolutely incredible, I mean, he gave me his figure-four, how can I say a bad thing about him?

    “You know what I mean? He’s just an incredible human being and incredible in-ring performer. And still, his legend lives on, no matter if he’s in the ring or outside the ring people still do ‘The Strut,’ give the ‘Woo!’ It’s amazing.”

    – Speaking of The Miz, it was announced by RAW General Manager Kurt Angle that he would be defending his Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania 34 in a Triple Threat match against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. “The Demon King” took to Twitter to react to the news that he’d be getting a crack at the title on “The Grandest Stage Of Them All”:

  • What Happened After RAW Went Off Air?, WWE Congratulates Ronda Rousey On HOF Induction, Goldust Praises John Cena (Video)

    What Happened After RAW Went Off Air?, WWE Congratulates Ronda Rousey On HOF Induction, Goldust Praises John Cena (Video)

    – Last night after Monday Night RAW went off-air on the USA Network, the dark main event of the evening saw Roman Reigns defeat Kane in singles competition.

    – WWE made the following announcement to congratulate RAW Superstar Ronda Rousey on getting inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame this past weekend:

    Ronda Rousey inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame at the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival USA

    Ronda Rousey sure knows how to cap off a week! After officially signing her contract with the Raw brand and shockingly slamming Triple H through a table, Rousey found herself in Columbus, Ohio for her induction into the International Sports Hall of Fame during the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival. “Rowdy” Ronda was inducted alongside MMA legend Bas Rutten, host of “The Amazing Race” Phil Keoghan and acclaimed world powerlifting champions Dr. Terry Todd and Dr. Jan Todd.

    Rousey also received her sixth degree black belt, while her mother, legendary judoka AnnMaria De Mars, received her seventh during the festival. Rousey took to Instagram to show gratitude for the amazing honors.

    The festival, presented by WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzennegger, was founded in Columbus in 1989. The Arnold Sports Festival now features more than 18,000 athletes from 80 nations competing in 70 sports and events.

    Also in attendance was Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, who posed for photos with Rousey and his daughter, Sophia, who he calls “Little Ronda.”

    WWE.com congratulates Rousey on this incredible accomplishment.

    – After his loss to John Cena on RAW last night, Goldust did an interview with Mike Rome in which he praised “The Leader Of The Cenation.” Goldust said possibly defeating Cena would allow him to point to the WrestleMania sign and punch his ticket for “The Show Of Shows.” Unfortunately for “Goldy,” that didn’t happen:

  • Braun Strowman Reveals The Origin Of His WWE Ring Name

    Braun Strowman Reveals The Origin Of His WWE Ring Name

    WWE Superstar Braun Strowman was recently interviewd by WTMJ-TV Milwaukee to promote last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. During the interview “The Moster Among Men” was asked about the origin of his in-ring name “Braun Strowman.”

    The former Wyatt Family member’s real name is Adam Joseph Scherr and he is a former strongmen competitor. Strowman revealed that his ring name comes from Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun:

    “Funny story, I wanted to meet Ryan Braun because that’s a big influence of where ‘Braun’ came from. I had pitched a bunch of ideas for names with the company and they turned them all down. It kind of got down to a time crunch, we need to figure out something out now.

    “We were sitting around the [WWE] Performance Center and Sportscenter was on and they were talking about Ryan Braun and I was like ‘Braun, that sounds pretty good.’ I mean look at me, I’m 6’8 and 385 lbs., I mean Braun is pretty fitting.”

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • USA Network Botches RAW Ending, Reby Hardy On RAW Hardy Compound Segment, Renee Young

    USA Network Botches RAW Ending, Reby Hardy On RAW Hardy Compound Segment, Renee Young

    – USA Network made a major error during last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW in some parts of the country. After RAW General Manager Kurt Angle announced that a Triple Threat match for the Intercontinental Championship will be happening between The Miz, Seth Rollins, and Finn Balor at WrestleMania 34; RAW abruptly went off the air.

    USA Network then began to air the next episode of “UNSOLVED: Who killed Biggie and Tupac?” Many fans missed Paul Heyman’s promo with Roman Reigns that closed the show. USA Network eventually realized the mistake and cut back to the live feed in Milwaukee while Heyman was in the middle of his promo.

    – Also on last night’s RAW saw “Woken” Matt Hardy challenge Bray Wyatt to meet him at his Hardy Family Compound. The footage shown of the compound looked stunningly similar to that which was used in IMPACT Wrestling. Fans speculated on social media as to whether or not it was borrowed footage from the old IMPACT segments. Reby Hardy took to Twitter to shut those rumors down, claiming she filmed those clips herself last Tuesday:

    https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/970894572204118017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ringsidenews.com%2F2018%2F03%2F06%2Fwwe-recycle-footage-hardy-compound-segment-raw%2F

    – Backstage interviewer Renee Young was noticeably absent from last night’s RAW. A fan took to Twitter to ask Renee why she wasn’t there and she admitted that she was sick and had to miss the show. Young confirmed she’ll be at Fastlane and everything else after that:

  • Jinder Mahal Wants “British Bulldog” In WWE HOF

    Jinder Mahal Wants “British Bulldog” In WWE HOF

    Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal recently did an interview with The Independent to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During the interview, “The Modern Day Maharaja” made the case for “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame:

    “[British Bulldog] had a great, storied career. From tagging with The Dynamite Kid to breaking out on his own, his career had a great evolution,” said Mahal. “He started in Stampede Wrestling in Calgary for Stu Hart and before that had been training in England before being brought in with Dynamite, and of course that classic, classic match against Bret Hart at Summerslam – that’s one of my all-time favorite matches.

    “He’s just a great, great superstar in the history of WWE, so I don’t think it is a matter of if he’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but when he’ll become a member.”

    Mahal also discussed his historic WWE Title loss to AJ Styles last year. Mahal dropped the strap to “The Phenomenal One” during a pre-taped episode of SmackDown Live overseas in Manchester, England. It was the first WWE Title change in WWE history to occur overseas:

    “It was the very first time in the history of WWE that the title had changed hands overseas. History was made that night and the match was probably one of the best I’ve ever had. I’ve said this before, but I feel that although I lost, I really won that night. The energy in the arena that night was amazing and AJ Styles really is phenomenal – the fans just love him.

    “I think he might be the number one, top star in WWE in terms of fan reaction because everybody loves him. Everyone that night was genuinely so happy for him, so it was a little bit bittersweet for me. I was laying on my back on the mat with my eyes closed, listening to the reaction of the crowd and a couple of tears fell in the ring, of happiness as everyone was so pleased for him. It was a very cool moment and it was a moment I’ll never forget.”

    You can read Mahal’s full interview with The Independent by clicking this link here.

  • New Name Confirmed For 2018 WWE HOF, SDL Star Continues To Rehab Injury, WWE & Snickers Extend Partnership

    – Earlier today WrestleVotes reported that their sources noted Hillbilly Jim is one name, that’s not being talked about, that is expected to be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame:

    Just hours later Bleacher Report confirmed the news and even got a reaction from Jim on the news:

    “I didn’t have that on my mind whatsoever,” Jim told Bleacher Report. “For a moment or two, I was knocked back on my heels. Basically, I was speechless. It was a whole lot for me to digest quickly.”

    – As we’ve noted, Samir Singh has been rehabbing his knee after tearing his ACL. Following surgical repair, Singh is expected to miss 6-9 months of action. He posted the following on Twitter to update the WWE Universe on his recovery:

    – WWE has announced the following:

    WWE and Snickers expand WrestleMania partnership

    For the third consecutive year, Snickers will serve as the exclusive presenting partner of WrestleMania 34, one of the biggest sports and entertainment events in the world. WrestleMania, WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza, will take place Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and stream live around the world on WWE Network.

    Snickers’ presenting partnership of WrestleMania is highlighted by custom content produced by WWE for Snickers, which will feature Superstars and the brand’s popular “‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”‘ campaign. The creative will appear across WWE’s global digital and social platforms, which includes the No. 1 sports channel and No. 2 channel overall in the world on YouTube, on the award-winning WWE Network, and on WWE’s flagship TV programs — Monday Night Raw and SmackDown LIVE — on USA Network, a long-standing Snickers partner.

    As part of the agreement, Snickers will have promotional activity at WrestleMania Axxess – WWE’s four-day, interactive fan festival, presence at WWE Live Events leading up to WrestleMania, retail promotions, as well as custom digital and social content, including a branded WWE.com and YouTube series hosted by WWE digital correspondent Cathy Kelley. Snickers will also leverage WWE’s Instagram page, which has more than 14 million followers – the most of any major sport – with a sponsored Instagram story on the day of WrestleMania.

    “We’re thrilled to partner with WWE for a third consecutive year as the presenting sponsor of WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans,” said Michael Italia, Senior Brand Manager, Snickers Brand. “The animated personalities of WWE cannot afford to be hungry in the ring, which makes our partnership that much more of an authentic extension of our ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ campaign. We’re eager to connect with WWE’s passionate fan base in person and across social media this year, as this event continues to grow in attendance and engagement.”

    “As one of the biggest sports and entertainment events in the world, WrestleMania will again provide Snickers a global platform to deliver their award-winning ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ campaign,” said John Brody, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Head of International. “Our continued WrestleMania partnership with Snickers is a result of innovative and entertaining collaborations that engaged our passionate fans worldwide.”

    Additionally, Snickers will be the presenting sponsor of the WrestleMania block party at Champions Square outside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which is free and open to the public, and will include fun-filled entertainment areas with music, games and food.

    Snickers is also currently conducting a retail sweepstakes on U.S. military bases that will give 25 winners free access to stream WrestleMania on WWE Network.

    Last year, Snickers’ WrestleMania 33 presenting partnership resulted in nearly three3 billion impressions for Snickers across WWE’s global platforms, including video content integrations within Monday Night Raw and SmackDown LIVE on USA Network, digital and social media, WWE Network, live events and retail appearances by WWE Superstars. WrestleMania 33 was the most-social event in WWE history, and set a new Orlando Citrus Bowl attendance record of 75,245 fans, which led to the highest-grossing event in the stadium’s history at $14.5 million.

  • Ronda Rousey’s Status For Tonight’s RAW Confirmed

    Ronda Rousey’s Status For Tonight’s RAW Confirmed

    Tonight Monday Night RAW will be live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and fans are wondering whether or not Ronda Rousey will be on WWE TV this week to further her storyline with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. PWInsider is reporting that Rousey is in Milwaukee and will be on tonight’s episode of RAW. Rousey made her WWE debut back at the Royal Rumble this past January after the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match.

    After Asuka won the match, Rousey came out to confront “The Empress Of Tomorrow,” RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. She pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign and indicated her intentions to wrestle at the event. Rousey’s next WWE appearance came at Elimination Chamber where she signed her RAW contract with General Manager Kurt Angle, WWE COO Triple H, and RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon.

    Angle suggested that “The Game” and Stephanie were manipulating Rousey because of their incident with her at WrestleMania 31, which led to “The Rowdy One” putting Triple H through a table. Stephanie slapped Rousey in retaliation before fleeing the ring. The next night on RAW the four seemed to clear the air after several apologies, but Triple H sucker-punched Angle before leaving the ring to end the show. It’s rumored Rousey and Angle will team up at WrestleMania 34 against Stephanie and Triple H in a Mixed Tag match.

    Tonight will likely further the foursome’s storyline heading into “The Showcase Of The Immortals.”

  • Details On The Planning For Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Match

    Details On The Planning For Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Match

    Ronda Rousey is expected to team up with Monday Night RAW General Manager and WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 34 to take on the team of WWE COO Triple H and RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon. That match has been set up in the past few weeks at Elimination Chamber and on RAW. During Rousey’s RAW contract signing at Elimination Chamber, Rousey put Triple H through a table after Angle noted that he and Stephanie had been manipulating her.

    The next night on RAW the four seemed to clear the air after several apologies, however, Triple H hit Angle with a cheap shot before leaving the ring to end the show. It’s expected that the feud between the four will continue to develop on tonight’s episode of RAW from Milwaukee. Kurt Angle and Triple H are expected to work most of the Mixed Tag match at WrestleMania.

    It’s also expected that the entire match is going to be mapped out move-for-move with Angle and Hunter carrying most of the load, building up to spots between Stephanie and Ronda. There has also been some speculation as of late as to whether or not Rousey’s husband, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, would be her partner instead to make the match more of a husband and wife storyline.

    Browne has also been training alongside Rousey inside the ring. WWE decided not to go that route as it would leave Triple H to carry the match with three inexperienced in-ring performers on the biggest show of the year.

  • The Reason WWE Changed Apollo’s Name Confirmed

    The Reason WWE Changed Apollo’s Name Confirmed

    Last month Sportskeeda’s Daniel Wood reported that WWE decided to change Apollo Crews’ name to simply, Apollo, to avoid any sort of collusion with Valentine’s Day Parkland high school shooter Nikolus Cruz. Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and killed 17 people, injuring several others as well. Despite the two names having different spellings, Vince McMahon made the call to avoid any association whatsoever.

    The report was questioned by many after WWE denied sending out any sort of email saying that the shooting was the reason WWE changed Apollo’s name to the media, which Sportskeeda claimed to have. Wrestling Observer Newsletter now reports, however, that the people who did see the internal company emails can confirm the name change was due to the Parkland shooting.

    WWE didn’t want the story to get out which is why they originally said they didn’t leak the news to any media source, however, they never flat out denied the story.

  • Rusev Jokes About Getting Released From WWE, Goldust Teases WrestleMania 34 Ring Gear, WWE Lands French TV Deal

    Rusev Jokes About Getting Released From WWE, Goldust Teases WrestleMania 34 Ring Gear, WWE Lands French TV Deal

    – Rusev continues to throw shade at his current role with WWE on Twitter. WWE Universe’s Twitter account recently posted a poll about the “Greatest Move Of Rusev’s Career.” Rusev responded to the poll by saying “LOL Am i getting released or something !?!” Check it out:

    – Currently Goldust doesn’t have any plans to be involved in WrestleMania 34, however, a fan recently asked him if he has a lucky or favorite ring suit. Goldust responded by saying that he’s excited for fans to see the suit he has planned for “The Show Of Shows” in New Orleans this year:

    https://twitter.com/Goldust/status/968686668931887104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    – WWE announced the following:

    L’ÉQUIPE AND WWE ANNOUNCE FREE-TO-AIR BROADCAST AGREEMENT IN FRANCE

    PARIS, France and STAMFORD, Conn., March 2, 2018 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and L’Équipe, the leading French free TV channel dedicated to sport, today announced a new agreement to broadcast WWE’s flagship program Raw® on free-to-air television in France.

    Beginning March 10, L’Équipe channel la chaine L’Équipe will air a one-hour version of Raw at 10 a.m. on Saturdays with an additional re-air on Saturday nights, all with French commentary.

    “We are delighted to partner with WWE, renowned all over the world for its high-quality TV programs,” said Arnaud de Courcelles, L’Équipe TV Director. “La chaine L’Équipe is happy to offer Raw to its viewers, which is a mix of spectacular sport and entertainment!”

    “We are thrilled to partner with L’Équipe and expand our reach on their popular channel in France,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Co-President. “This partnership to deliver localized WWE programming allows us to provide our unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment to WWE fans throughout the country.”

    Raw will also be available on L’Équipe’s TV Everywhere platform for authenticated subscribers, and on its 7-day VOD catchup window.

  • Adam Cole Explains How His First Year In WWE Has Been

    Adam Cole Explains How His First Year In WWE Has Been

    WWE NXT Superstar Adam Cole recently did an interview with Benjamin Raven of MLive.com to promote Saturday’s NXT live event near Detroit. Cole was asked about his thoughts on his first full year with WWE:

    “I always think back to that first night in Brooklyn, where I debuted, and it was this total surprise. I just remember thinking, ‘I hope they care, I hope they remember me.’ The way they embraced me that night, I knew it was the start of something special.”

    Cole also divulged that former WWE Universal Champion and current SmackDown Live star Kevin Owens has been extremely supportive of him:

    “Kevin has always gone above and beyond in being supportive of me in my journey. To have him there to support me was awesome. Talk about another friendship that will never go away.”

    He also discussed starting off in WWE with developmental and not jumping right into the depthy waters of Monday Night RAW or SmackDown Live on the main roster:

    “NXT is something I really believe in and still do. This is made up of young passionate people that want to make a name for themselves. I wanted to be a part of WWE, and part of NXT first as if I went to Raw or SmackDown right away I would always wonder what NXT would have been like. The coaches, the team and hands-on approach is really cool and I will be able to look back see how happy I was to be a part of this.”

    Check out Cole’s full interview with MLive.com by clicking this link here.

  • SmackDown Live Superstar Stars In Recently Released Film (Video), Demi Lovato Hangs With Ex-WWE Star, Mauro Ranallo

    SmackDown Live Superstar Stars In Recently Released Film (Video), Demi Lovato Hangs With Ex-WWE Star, Mauro Ranallo

    – Yesterday the horror flick “Mohawk” was released in select theaters across the country, and it features WWE SmackDown Live Superstar Luke Harper. The film had a successful run in film festivals last year, thus resulting in its theatrical release. Check out the synopsis of the film and the preview below:

    “After one of her tribe sets an American camp ablaze, a young Mohawk warrior finds herself pursued by a contingent of military renegades set on revenge. Fleeing deep into the woods they call home, Oak and Calvin, along with their British companion Joshua, must now fight back against the bloodthirsty Colonel Holt and his soldiers – using every resource both real and supernatural that the winding forest can offer.”

    – Former WWE Superstar Eva Marie was one of several close friends of pop mega-star Demi Lovato who appeared at an event to raise awareness to mental health disorders. A picture of the two can bee seen below, as Tweeted out by Marie:

    – Current NXT broadcaster Mauro Ranallo was asked by a fan on Twitter why he doesn’t have any interest in commentating for RAW or SmackDown Live. Ranallo explained that the schedule is the main reason for his decision:

    https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/969246608847187968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Vince McMahon’s Hilarious First Words To Kevin Owens Before His WWE Debut

    Vince McMahon’s Hilarious First Words To Kevin Owens Before His WWE Debut

    Back in May of 2015 then-NXT Champion Kevin Owens made his WWE main roster debut by answering John Cena’s United States Championship open challenge. Owens made quite the impression on the WWE Universe by laying out Cena and stomping on the United States Championship. Owens recently did an interview on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho, to talk about the debut.

    Owens shared his first conversation with Vince McMahon backstage before the debut, and it was hilarious. McMahon didn’t want the other wrestlers to know what “KO” was doing at the show, and Owens wasn’t exactly sure how to accomplish this. When Owens asked McMahon for advice, his response was priceless. Here’s their exchange as described by Owens:

    Kevin: “You want me in my gear right?”

    Vince: “Yup.”

    Owens: “When I put my gear on, and I walk in the locker room and stuff, and in the hallway, the other wrestlers will see me and ask me why I have my gear on. So, what should I tell them?”

    Vince: “Well, why don’t you just tell them to go f**k themselves.”

    You can listen to Owens’ interview on Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.

  • The Undertaker Downplays A Possible WWE Return During Recent Appearance

    The Undertaker Downplays A Possible WWE Return During Recent Appearance

    For the past several weeks there has been a ton of talk and speculation as to whether or not The Undertaker will be competing at this year’s WrestleMania 34 event from New Orleans. Rumors suggest that “The Deadman” will be working against John Cena at “The Showcase Of The Immortals” this year. Cena teased that match-up on RAW this past week but said the match was ‘impossible.’

    New reports suggest Cena could actually be working with Rey Mysterio at the event instead. Taker recently appeared at a campaign event for his storyline brother Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs) in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he’s running for mayor. The campaign event was the first time ever that Kane and Taker appeared together in public outside WWE.

    Mike Johnson of PWInsider reports that The Undertaker was asked by several fans about a possible return to WWE at WrestleMania, however, he continuously downplayed the idea to those who asked him about it:

    “Yesterday he did a signing in Knox County Tennessee with Kane to help promote Glenn Jacobs for Mayor. Apparently Taker & Glenn Jacobs are close. There were some fans that asked him about returning, and why he could have very well been working them, he kinda gave the impression of “ahh, don’t hold your breather, don’t wait for that one,” but we’ll see.

    “If I was Undertaker and I was returning, certainly I would want to keep the mystique and the aura going and hide things, you know? Sort of do a little slide of hands. We’ll see what happens.”

  • More On Ronda Rousey & Her Husband Training At WWE PC

    More On Ronda Rousey & Her Husband Training At WWE PC

    Ronda Rousey continues to train for her professional wrestling debut inside the WWE ring. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Rousey was training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando last week. Prior to making her official WWE debut at the Royal Rumble this past January, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne had reported that Rousey was training at the WWE Performance Center late at night and very few people were in the know.

    We also previously reported that Rousey was at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut this past week for business meetings. Meltzer reports that Rousey has been training with WWE coaches Norman Smiley and Sara Amato, WWE NXT Superstar and one of Rousey’s best friends Shayna Baszler, MMA Four Horsewomen member Jessamyn Duke (who had previously ceased her professional wrestling training for a brief period of time), and NXT’s Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler. It was also reported that Rousey’s husband, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, has also been training inside the ring for the past several months.

    There are mixed reports going around as to whether or not Browne will be wrestling as well. Rousey’s first match in a WWE ring is expected to take place at WrestleMania 34. She’s rumored to be teaming with RAW General Manager Kurt Angle against the team of WWE COO Triple H and RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon.

  • Eric Bischoff On His Relationship With Ric Flair (Video), Rosa Mendes Returns To The Ring (Photos)

    Eric Bischoff On His Relationship With Ric Flair (Video), Rosa Mendes Returns To The Ring (Photos)

    – WWE Tweeted out a clip from former WCW President Eric Bischoff’s “WWE Photo Shoot” episode on the WWE Network. During the clip Bischoff talked bout his relationship with two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair. Bischoff talked about having an up and down relationship with “The Nature Boy” for the best 25 years, however, they were able to still put on great storylines during their time together in WCW Nitro:

    – Former WWE Superstar Rosa Mendes said in a recent interview with Sportskeeda that she planned on making a return to the ring soon. She returned to the ring this week at MCW Pro Wrestling’s Training Center in Joppa, Maryland for a few training sessions. MCW Tweeted out the following picture of Mendes at their training center:

    Mendes had this to say about training with MCW:

  • The New Day To Release “The Book Of Booty,” John Cena’s Road To WrestleMania (Video), Stephanie McMahon

    The New Day To Release “The Book Of Booty,” John Cena’s Road To WrestleMania (Video), Stephanie McMahon

    – WWE and The New Day are set to release their new book “The Book of Booty: Shake It. Love It. Never Be It.” The book will be released on Tuesday, March 13th. The New Day will be holding a small book tour in which they will hit several sports for book signings. You can check out the dates for the signings and the book’s synopsis below:

    – Friday, March 9th: World of Wheels in Chicago

    – Sunday, March 11th: Barnes & Noble in Columbus, OH (Townsfair Way)

    – Monday, March 12th: Barnes & Noble in Dayton, OH (Miamisburg-Centerville Road)

    “Multi-time W . . . W . . . E! (WWE) TAG! TEAM! CHAMPIONS! The New Day want you to feel the power!! And now you can with The Book of Booty: Shake It. Love It. Never Be It. From the purveyors of positivity themselves, each chapter of this handy guide will help you embrace the New Day way of life. Even if you’re feeling booty—and who (who?! who?! who?! who?! who?!) has never felt booty? —you’ll be clapping, gyrating, and radiating positivity like the New Day themselves.

    Fans will learn:
    * The New Day’s official definition of “booty,” and the telltale signs that you or a loved one might be booty
    * The proper attire and headwear for the new you
    * How to twerk like a man
    * What your spirit animal says about you
    * How to project positivity

    “By the time you finish this book, you’ll be a rainbow-gazing, trombone-playing, unicorn-loving soldier of positivity, ready to take on nefarious WWE tag teams with a smile on your face. Pro tip: Eat your Booty O’s every morning for added strength!”

    – WWE uploaded the following video to their YouTube channel in which they take a look at John Cena’s Road To WrestleMania 34. Check it out here:

    – Stephanie McMahon uploaded a clip on Instagram from her latest “Midnight Workout.”You can watch it below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BfzyPreBB-3/

  • Sasha Banks On How Her Relationship With Vince McMahon Has Changed

    Sasha Banks On How Her Relationship With Vince McMahon Has Changed

    A few years ago WWE Superstar Sasha Banks revealed in an interview that she didn’t speak to Vince McMahon much because she was intimidated by him. Now a few years later, “The Legit Boss” said in a recent interview with Al Arabiya English’s William Mullally that the situation has changed:

    “It is [different]. It comes with growing up, becoming more mature and becoming a woman. You have this more comfortable feeling of, ‘ok, you work for the boss, you work for the man, a legend, Vince McMahon, but hey, you’re the Legit Boss, so you better go through that door, tell him what you’d like to do and what you’d like to have. Honestly, that’s the biggest thing—not being afraid to stand up for yourself. If you’re very passionate about something, he’s the man to talk to.

    “I’ve learned that it’s actually very easy to talk to him, and it’s so much better for me to talk to him than to talk to writers, because you get the right answer, and you get the answer right away. You kind of understand what he wants from you as a performer. It’s been so much easier talking to him, and I feel less intimidated,”

    Banks also said that going directly to Vince on certain things has actually made life a lot easier:

    “A lot of times, when it comes to whether we’re handed a promo that I’m not really feeling, or trying to figure out what the story—if we don’t know what we’re doing, it’s hard to perform. Recently we asked him, ‘hey, where are we going with this storyline? Can you tell me what direction you’d like to see me go?’ Getting the answer right from him straight up makes it so much easier.”

    You can read Banks’ full interview with Al Arabiya English by clicking this link here.

  • How RAW Could Possibly Go Back To Two Hours, Edge Fires Back At Fan Who Criticizes Wrestlers For Taking Pride In Winning Titles

    How RAW Could Possibly Go Back To Two Hours, Edge Fires Back At Fan Who Criticizes Wrestlers For Taking Pride In Winning Titles

    – It looks like Monday Night RAW could be moving back to two hours if they sign a broadcast deal with FOX. Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer was asked about RAW possibly moving back to two hours if a FOX deal comes through after WWE’s contract with NBC Universal is up. Meltzer confirmed RAW would revert back to two hours if they sign with FOX:

    – WWE Hall Of Famer Edge recently had a great back-and-forth with a fan on Twitter. The fan criticized wrestlers for taking pride in winning titles in a scripted entertainment event. Edge fired back noting that actors do the same thing when they accept awards, such as an Oscar, for their acting performances:

  • Rumored Sasha Banks vs. Bayley WrestleMania Match Could Make History

    Rumored Sasha Banks vs. Bayley WrestleMania Match Could Make History

    As we’ve previously noted, a WrestleMania 34 match-up between Sasha Banks and Bayley is being rumored for April. Banks and Bayley have been teasing a rivalry with one another for the past several months. Things boiled over during the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match this past weekend. Banks turned on Bayley after they had been working together, however, it was “The Hugger” who ended up eliminating Banks from the match.

    The following night on RAW Banks and Bayley were on the same team in a Six Woman Tag Team match. Banks was about to make a tag to Bayley before she jumped off of the ring apron, leaving Banks hanging. It seems like we’re going to see this rivalry between the pair evolve in the coming weeks. The WrestleVotes Twitter account is reporting that, if the match happens at WrestleMania, it will make history.

    It will be the first time in WrestleMania history where two women meet in a singles non-title match with no stipulation. The other was billed as a “cat fight” at WrestleMania 2000: