SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • AJ Styles Reacts To Fastlane Main Event Change (Video), Bayley On Possible Sasha Banks Feud, Jinder Mahal

    AJ Styles Reacts To Fastlane Main Event Change (Video), Bayley On Possible Sasha Banks Feud, Jinder Mahal

    – In the main event of last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, WWE Champion AJ Styles lost a non-title match to John Cena. Per the stipulation, Cena has now earned himself into the WWE Championship match on the Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) next month. The match will now be a Six Pack Challenge between AJ Styles, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler. WWE posted the following video of Dasha Fuentes interviewing the WWE Champ after his loss. Check it out:

    – RAW Superstar Bayley was recently interviewed by The Mirror following WWE’s Elimination Chamber PPV this past weekend. “The Hugger” was asked about a possible feud with her former NXT rival and friend Sasha Banks. Here’s what she had to say:

    “I would love for that to happen and I really do think that we have such a great chemistry and it’s just a natural bond, that it doesn’t matter when it happens, we can pick it up anywhere,” Bayley said. “Not to sound cocky or anything, but I just think we have a really good connection. Whenever we have the time to tell that story, we would be able to. And last night after what she did, I think now is a good time! So I would love to start that up and get some payback.”

    Read Bayley’s full interview with The Mirror by clicking this link here.

    – As we’ve previously reported, Jinder Mahal lost a dark match to Randy Orton after last night’s SmackDown Live and 205 Live tapings in just five seconds. YouTube star Lilly Singh was sitting at ringside and gave “The Modern Day Maharaja” a special introduction:

  • Randy Orton Wins Five-Second Dark Match (Video), Several Wrestlers Offer To Be John Cena’s WrestleMania Opponent

    Randy Orton Wins Five-Second Dark Match (Video), Several Wrestlers Offer To Be John Cena’s WrestleMania Opponent

    – Randy Orton appeared in a backstage segment with Bobby Roode on last night’s episode of SmackDown Live to promote their match for the United States Title at Fastlane next month on pay-per-view (PPV). Orton then wrestled in the night’s dark match after the SmackDown Live and 205 Live tapings wrapped up. The match lasted only five seconds as Orton hit Jinder Mahal with an RKO for the quick pin. Check it out here:

    – One of the biggest storylines going on WWE TV right now is John Cena’s journey to WrestleMania 34. He was recently added to the Fastlane WWE Championship match, making it a Six Pack Challenge match now. If Cena is unsuccessful, however, he has no shortage of challengers (both WWE Superstars from past and present) who would be more than willing to share the ring with him at “The Showcase Of The Immortals”:

    https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/968356624380432389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fwrestlers-offer-john-cenas-opponent-wrestlemania-34-weekend%2F

  • Sasha Banks vs. Bayley Reportedly Being Built Up For WrestleMania

    Sasha Banks vs. Bayley Reportedly Being Built Up For WrestleMania

    This past Monday on RAW an interesting angle took place in which Bayley refused to aid Sasha Banks during their Six-Woman Tag Team match to open the show. Bayley hopped off the ring apron before Banks could tag her into the match. In a RAW Fallout video after the show Bayley said that she had her reasons for doing what she did.

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that WWE is finally building up to a feud between Banks and Bayley at WrestleMania 34. The feud has been in the making for quite some time and Meltzer says its been put on the back burner several times. Banks and Bayley have had a rivalry stretching back all the way to their days in NXT. In August of 2015 Banks dropped her then-NXT Women’s Championship to Bayley. The two remained good friends despite their in-ring rivalry and Banks also lost her NXT Women’s Championship rematch in a 30-Minute Iron Man match at NXT TakeOver: Respect with a score of 3 Falls to 2.

    Banks was called up to the main roster after that match and Bayley would follow the next year in July of 2016. Each woman has had their respective runs with the RAW Women’s Championship since coming to the main roster. If Banks and Bayley are able to repeat the magic they performed in NXT on “The Grandest Stage Of Them All” it would do wonders for their stock on the main roster.

  • More Information On Jeff Hardy’s Return From Injury, Match Official For Next Week’s SDL

    More Information On Jeff Hardy’s Return From Injury, Match Official For Next Week’s SDL

    – Back in August Jeff Hardy won a 15-Man Battle Royal on Monday Night RAW to become the No. 1-contender for the Intercontinental Championship. He failed to win the title the following week on Monday Night RAW. In September he was shelved due to a torn rotator cuff and shoulder labrum. He was given a recovery time of four to six months.

    Jeff visited Birmingham, Alabama last Tuesday to have his shoulder examined and is now back to training for his in-ring return. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Hardy could be back “anytime soon”:

    “Jeff is back training, he should be back anytime soon,” Meltzer revealed.

    It was speculated that when Jeff does return he could realign with his brother Matt in the “Woken” character and challenge for the RAW Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 34.

    – Following a backstage segment on SmackDown Live last night, “Ms. Money In The Bank” Carmella will go one-on-one with Becky Lynch on next Tuesday’s episode. Check out the segment here:

  • Rosemary On Why She Still Believes In IMPACT Wrestling

    Rosemary On Why She Still Believes In IMPACT Wrestling

    IMPACT Wrestling Knockout Rosemary recently did an interview with Sportskeeda to talk about several professional wrestling topics. You can check out the highlights here:

    How difficult will it be to compete without Laurel Van Ness in the division? How difficult will her departure make things?

    “Laurel’s an amazing character and an incredible friend of mine. I know that she simply wants to go and expand and grow. She’s still very very young in the business, she has so much more to offer and she’s already this good at doing a character which is amazing. And I love her so much. She’s so talented.

    “Wrestling is fluid. It never stops moving and it’s circular. There’s never an end. There’s no reason that down the road Laurel might not return to the Impact Zone. It’s that right now her part of the story is over and she might show up at a chapter down the road. It’s wrestling. Never say never.

    “It’s definitely a loss not to have her as such a strong character in the division. But there are strong characters waiting to debut and waiting to come up as well. And we will fill the void as we always have with every departure. Same as we did with Maria’s departure. And we’ll keep doing so.”

    Having known Scott D’Amore for so long, do you see the company going to the next level under the new Impact management?

    “To anyone who’s concerned about it, these past tapings that we just did in January, were possibly the most positive feeling in the sense that it felt very fresh and it felt like we had a direction, which I can honestly say was the first time in a year.

    “This new direction under Scott D’Amore and Don Callis…I know that Impact and TNA have constantly, through the years, asked fans to give them a chance. As a personal feeling, I honestly believe that if you were going to give Impact another chance, now’s the time.

    “I felt the difference backstage in one taping block. And I think there’s really something there, going forward. And I’m excited about it. So, I hope other people can feel excited about it as well.”

    So, what has made you stay with Impact for such a long time? What has made you believe in the company?

    “I have a lot more of Rosemary’s story to tell for one thing, and I look forward to telling those chapters. I look forward to see what’s in store for her. I have a lot of fun doing my character and seeing what Rosemary’s going to do next. Learning about her and learning about myself in playing her.

    “I really love the amount of trust creative has in me, to bring this character to life since they don’t really tell me what to say. They tell me what point needs to come across in the promo. They tell me to say it like I would. They don’t give me any lines.

    “And that kind of trust is huge in that they know that I know my character best and how it will come across organically. If you try to force the way Rosemary talks, it’s going to come across as very fake.”

    So, you script all your own lines?

    “I would say 95%. I definitely ask for advice and ask for help, if there’s something maybe I can’t figure out how to say. I never feel like I can’t approach somebody in Creative for a suggestion. That’s the openness of communication. You can ask for advice but they trust you to do it the way you would.”

    What do you hope to achieve in Impact Wrestling?

    “I’ve been there for only two years now. It’s been a crazy ride so far and it’s only been two years. I’m like what can we do next, what’s still to come? I’m excited to see because there’s still a lot more and I think that with the minds that we have right now…not just Scott and Don but also Jimmy Jacobs there. Jimmy is so good at like, small things.

    “Just little tweaks he made. At the last tapings, he was like try this, and I was like – ‘Oh my God! Why didn’t I think of that?’ (Laughs) And that kind of creative mind at this stage, it’s very exciting to have a fresh pair of eyes on the product. And I want to be a part of that.”

    You can ready Rosemary’s full interview with Sportskeeda by clicking this link here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHe636yFJc0

  • Concern Surrounding WrestleMania Main Event, Backup Plans In Place

    Concern Surrounding WrestleMania Main Event, Backup Plans In Place

    It looks like the recent steroid accusations made against Roman Reigns have stirred up some concern from WWE officials over the main event of WrestleMania.

    Reigns won the first-ever Seven Man Elimination Chamber match this past weekend to earn his spot opposite Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34. The two men will be competing for the Universal Championship. In recent weeks, however, accused steroid ring leader Richard Rodriquez tells filmmaker Jon Bravo that Reigns, as well as several other celebrities and WWE Superstars, were clients of his. Rodriguez claimed evidence of Reigns’ involvement would be revealed soon:

    “That information with us communicating with Roman via text messages will be provided to the appropriate party which will then be disclosed prior to our documentary that’s going to be filmed soon,” said Rodriguez.

    Dave Melter of Wrestling Observer Radio recently confirmed that there is indeed some concern backstage about the accusations and how it could affect their plans for WrestleMania. If the claims against Reigns are serious then WWE would need a backup plan for the main event against Lesnar.

    There could also be some serious concern with Lesnar. Nobody knows why he was a no-show for RAW last night after being advertised for the show for the past several months. He was recently spotted in Las Vegas taking photos with UFC president Dana White, perhaps using it as a negotiation tactic against WWE.

    It should also be noted that in a recent Instagram post from Jon Bravo, Lesnar was tagged as a hashtag in the caption of one of his photos. The photo’s caption suggested more WWE Superstars would be named in the steroid scandal, so perhaps Bravo hashtagging Lesner into the post is his way of hinting that “The Beast” could also be involved.

    Regardless, Meltzer reports that WWE is currently keeping Braun Strowman’s WrestleMania schedule open in case any changes need to be made to the main event:

    “I don’t know if they are going to go with Strowman and Reigns with Brock Lesnar but if something happens with Lesnar, obviously Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman is the only match that you could put in that spot.

    “If something happens with Roman Reigns and something still could, Strowman is also the only other guy you could put in that spot as well. There is concern about Roman Reigns for sure but right now the idea is that he’s the main event at WrestleMania. There is a Braun Strowman back up plan clearly in place.”

    If Strowman isn’t needed, however, he will likely be paired up with Elias for a feud at “The Showcase Of The Immortals”:

    “They could go with Strowman vs. Elias, if they have Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.”

    H/T RingsideNews for the transcriptions

  • Ronda Rousey Comments On Triple H’s Sucker Punch To Kurt Angle, What Happened After RAW?, John Cena On His Undertaker WrestleMania Challenge

    Ronda Rousey Comments On Triple H’s Sucker Punch To Kurt Angle, What Happened After RAW?, John Cena On His Undertaker WrestleMania Challenge

    – On last night’s closing segment of Monday Night RAW; Ronda Rousey, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Kurt Angle attempted to clear the air from their incident at Elimination Chamber. Angle was pressured into admitting that he lied about Triple H and Stephanie’s comments regarding Rousey. Angle apologized and Stephanie apologized to Rousey for slapping Rousey at Elimination Chamber after she put Triple H through a table.

    Before Triple H and Stephanie left the ring, however, “The Game” hit Angle with a punch (that actually missed) and knocked him down. Rousey tended to Angle as RAW went off air. “The Rowdy One” took to Twitter to comment on Triple H’s sucker punch on Angle:

    – The dark main event of Monday Night RAW after the show went off air on the USA Network featured John Cena and Roman Reigns teaming against RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar. Reigns and Cena won the match, however, The Bar retained the titles. There was said to be a lot of comedy and mic work during the bout.

    – As we’ve noted, John Cena teased a WrestleMania match with The Undertaker this April before stating that match is “impossible.” Check out the segment via WWE’s Twitter here:

  • Rumored Match For John Cena At Fastlane

    Rumored Match For John Cena At Fastlane

    On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW John Cena discussed his plans for a road to WrestleMania. After failing to win the Elimination Chamber match this past weekend, which would’ve guaranteed him a spot on “The Show Of Shows” to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, Cena’s WrestleMania plans are currently up in the air.

    Cena proceeded to challenge The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania, which sent the crowd into a ridiculous frenzy. Unfortunately Cena silenced that by saying that a match with The Undertaker was “impossible.” He proceeded to say he would be on tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live to further address his plans for New Orleans this April. Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc. reports on the latest episode of the Wrestling Inc. podcast that Cena is getting ready for a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura.

    Nakamura and Cena are expected to go one-on-one at Fastlane on pay-per-view (PPV) next month. Nakamura will challenge the WWE Champion for the strap at WrestleMania after winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match last month. AJ Styles is currently scheduled to defend the WWE Title against Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, and Baron Corbin in a Fatal-Five Way at Fastlane. The winner will go on to defend the title against “The Artist” in April.

  • WWE On Brock Lesnar Missing RAW, Rey Mysterio At WWE Live Event (Photo), Sheamus’ Nasty Post-RAW Battle Marks (Photo)

    WWE On Brock Lesnar Missing RAW, Rey Mysterio At WWE Live Event (Photo), Sheamus’ Nasty Post-RAW Battle Marks (Photo)

    – Brock Lesnar had been scheduled for several months to be appearing on last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, however, he ended up being a no-show. Roman Reigns cut a tremendous promo on “The Beast” for not showing up as advertised and claimed he has no respect for the industry. WWE.com posted the following about Lesnar not showing up for the event:

    Why wasn’t Brock Lesnar on Raw as scheduled?

    After Universal Champion Brock Lesnar failed to meet his WrestleMania challenger, Roman Reigns, face-to-face on this week’s Raw, WWE.com reached out to The Beast’s advocate for an explanation or, at the very least, a rebuttal to The Big Dog’s incendiary critique of the champion on the broadcast. Unfortunately, Heyman has not responded to requests for comment.

    Reporters have also contacted the office of Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, but following Triple H’s attack on the WWE Hall of Famer in the wake of Stephanie McMahon’s confrontation with Ronda Rousey, Angle remains unavailable.

    Stay with WWE.com as more details on Lesnar become available.

    – Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio was in attendance for last night’s WWE SmackDown live event in his hometown of San Diego, California. He took the following picture with Sin Cara after the show:

    – On last night’s RAW one-half of the RAW Tag Team Champions, Sheamus, took some pretty nasty chest chops from Titus O’Neil. “The Celtic Warrior” posted the following picture of his red chest after the match:

  • Charlotte Flair Posts Touching Tribute To Late Brother Reid, Matt Hardy Makes An Interesting Challenge To Bray Wyatt

    Charlotte Flair Posts Touching Tribute To Late Brother Reid, Matt Hardy Makes An Interesting Challenge To Bray Wyatt

    – WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair recently took to Instagramto post a tribute to her late brother, Reid, who passed away in 2013. He would’ve been 30-years-old this week:

    “Today, my brother Reid would have been 30 years old. Most of us in WWE have a favorite wrestlers; a superstars who inspired us to follow our dreams. We would dress like them, mimic them and even do their signature moves.

    My favorite wrestler is my brother Reid. The life I am living was his dream, and he would talk about it daily. He would watch Dusty promos over and over (and recite them to our family). He looked up to Uncle Arn, and considered himself a Horseman at age 13.

    He “debuted” on WCW tv, taking down Eric Bischoff with a single leg. He worked independents with guys like Rock and Roll Express, Lodi, Nasty Boys among others (those were just some of the stories I was told) and eventually made it to Japan before his passing.
    He loved Japan. The culture, the talent he worked with, and most of all when my Dad managed him and Mutoh against Sanada and Fujinami. When I started wrestling, my mom would harp on me to do my Germans like Reid. I didn’t even know how to hit the ropes properly.

    He was working towards a dream and had a true love and passion for professional wrestling. He KNEW it was what he wanted in life. I didn’t have that- not back then. I was figuring things out as I went along, often just going through the motions. For him, wrestling was everything. “Hey Reid, yeah I’ll go with you to Tampa and try out for NXT.” Those words changed my life in ways I couldn’t imagine.

    Life isn’t fair. If you’re my friend, you hear me speak of Reid often. I miss him dearly. People say it will get easier- it doesn’t. The more success I have, the more I miss him and mourn the opportunity to share all of this with him. My career has grown from a seed he planted. I’ve made a career, a life, from his passion.

    I miss you every day Reid. Thank you for the extra pair of wings. You being 30 makes me feel old, champ.

    Love you as big as the sky”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BfrGaP0FuAN/?utm_source=ig_embed

    – On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW Bray Wyatt indicated that he wasn’t finished with “Woken” Matt Hardy after suffering a loss to him at Elimination Chamber on pay-per-view (PPV) this past Sunday. Hardy wasn’t on RAW this week but made an interesting response to Wyatt’s comments via Twitter.

    Matt said that he’ll confront Wyatt, but “it shall only be on MY terms. On MY Battlefield” His “my battlefield” comments may suggest a confrontation between Hardy and Wyatt at the Hardy Family Compound. WWE could be getting set to do their own version of the Final Deletion:

  • WrestleMania 34: Update On Plans For The IC Title

    WrestleMania 34: Update On Plans For The IC Title

    It looks like the Intercontinental Title picture heading into WrestleMania 34 has changed from WWE’s original plans. Originally WWE planned on having The Miz feud with Braun Strowman heading into “The Show Of Shows” for the Intercontinental strap. It was expected that the feud would begin at Elimination Chamber this past weekend or on last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW.

    Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE seems to have nixed those plans and are going in a different direction. Now the company wants to have The Miz vs. Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Title, and possibly adding Finn Balor to make it a Triple Threat match. Here’s what Meltzer had to say about the plans:

    “It’s pretty clear that they will be doing The Miz and Seth Rollins and probably Finn Balor in a three way, which takes Strowman out and Strowman is obviously the backup plan in case something happens.”

    As for Strowman, it looks like he could be getting set for a feud with Elias heading into WrestleMania. Several weeks ago Strowman attacked Elias with a large bass and also had a segment with him on last night’s episode of RAW as well.

    It should also be noted that WWE is currently keeping Strowman’s WrestleMania schedule open due to the recent allegations against Roman Reigns in relation to an illegal steroid ring. So there’s still a slight chance he could be involved in the Universal Title match at WrestleMania 34.

    H/T Ringside News for the transcriptions

  • Injury Update On Jason Jordan, Paige Comments On Missing First-Ever Women’s Elimination Chamber

    Injury Update On Jason Jordan, Paige Comments On Missing First-Ever Women’s Elimination Chamber

    – As we’ve noted, WWE has announced that former RAW and SmackDown Live Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan will miss WrestleMania 34 after undergoing surgery to repair a nagging neck injury. On the Elimination Chamber Kickoff Pre-Show last night, Jordan’s storyline father and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle noted that Jordan will be ready to return after “The Show Of Shows.” Angle also stated that he believes his son will come back better than ever.

    – Last night’s PPV event also featured the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match. RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss successfully defended her title inside the structure against Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mickie James, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville. Due to her recent neck surgery former WWE Divas Champion Paige was not able to compete in the historic match.

    It’s rumored that Paige’s in-ring career with WWE has come to an end due to her history of neck injuries. She took to Twitter to talk about how hard it was not to be a part of the match:

    https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/967942253523054592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Ronda Rousey Reacts To Signing Her RAW Contract, Seth Rollins On Not Getting The Job Done At Elimination Chamber

    Ronda Rousey Reacts To Signing Her RAW Contract, Seth Rollins On Not Getting The Job Done At Elimination Chamber

    – Last night at WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) event, Ronda Rousey returned to WWE TV to sign her RAW contract. She was joined in the ring by WWE COO Triple H, RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle.

    Angle then revealed some brash comments Triple H and McMahon made about Rousey, leading to “The Rowdy One” putting “The Game” through a table. Rousey recently took to Twitter to react to her rocky contract signing:

    – Seth Rollins came up short in the Men’s Elimination Chamber match last night after being eliminated by Braun Strowman. The winner of the match would go on to WrestleMania 34 to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title. Rollins’ Shield brother, Roman Reigns, wound up winning the match after hitting Strowman with a few Spears to eliminate him last. Rollins took to Twitter to comment on not getting the job done inside of the structure:

  • Fan Gets Arrested At Elimination Chamber During Ronda Rousey Segment (Video), Braun Strowman Breaks Record Inside The Chamber

    Fan Gets Arrested At Elimination Chamber During Ronda Rousey Segment (Video), Braun Strowman Breaks Record Inside The Chamber

    – You may have noticed that the crowd in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena seemed a little distracted during Ronda Rousey’s RAW contract signing at the WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV). It turns out that a fan was actually arrested by security in the crowd after a fight broke out. You can check out the video of a fan being arrested by security, and a fan’s explanation of what happened on Twitter here below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BfpOvtenZ14/?utm_source=ig_embed

    https://twitter.com/alvarothehitman/status/967961586609545216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fwatch-fan-gets-arrested-ronda-rousey-segment-elimination-chamber-video%2F

    – Although he didn’t emerge victorious from the match, Braun Strowman put on quite the performance inside the Men’s Elimination Chamber match last night. “The Monster Among Men” eliminated every competitor from the match – except for the bout’s eventual winner, Roman Reigns. It looks like Strowman actually broke a record in his losing effort last night. He now holds the record for most eliminations in an Elimination Chamber match in WWE history:

  • Possible Indication On Who Asuka Will Be Challenging At WrestleMania

    Possible Indication On Who Asuka Will Be Challenging At WrestleMania

    At last night’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) event, former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka extended her undefeated streak by defeating Nia Jax in singles action. Had Jax won the bout she would be added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 34, which could also include “The Empress Of Tomorrow” as she has yet to choose which title she wants to go after following her victory in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match.

    Asuka was originally rumored to be facing SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, however, a recent report from PWInsider suggests that Asuka will be taking on Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania for the RAW Women’s Championship instead. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter had previously reported that Asuka was slated to face Charlotte Flair while Nia Jax challenged Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s strap. This was the reason WWE added the stipulation to the Royal Rumble match of the winner being allowed to choose which title they want to go after.

    It’s possible that WWE has changed their minds and will now have Asuka challenge Bliss at WrestleMania, leaving a ton of options open for what they can do with Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34 instead.

  • More Information On WWE’s Plans For Ronda Rousey Heading Into WrestleMania 34

    More Information On WWE’s Plans For Ronda Rousey Heading Into WrestleMania 34

    On last night’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made her return to WWE TV. Rousey made her WWE debut last month after the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. She came out to the ring to confront Rumble winner Asuka, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign and indicated her intentions to wrestle at the event.

    After finishing up a film project she was working on in Columbia, Rousey returned to WWE TV in Las Vegas last night to sign her RAW contract. She was joined by WWE COO Triple H, RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Things got ugly when Rousey found out Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s true feelings about “The Rowdy One,” thanks to some comments from Kurt Angle. Rousey ended up putting Triple H through a table and eating a slap from Stephanie. McMahon retreated from the ring before Rousey could retaliate.

    For the past several months its been rumored that Rousey will be teaming with a mystery partner against the team of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34. The Rock was originally WWE’s top pick to partner with Rousey, however, after yesterday’s segment it seems like WWE is going with Kurt Angle instead. PWInsider reports that the company is looking to book Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for “The Showcase Of The Immortals.”

    To add to that, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that WWE is attempting to book Rousey and McMahon’s feud similar to the way “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Vince McMahon’s storyline was put together – a baby face going up against a heel authoritative figure. It should be interesting to see how this plays out as we lead up to WrestleMania in April from New Orleans.

  • Two Top WWE Stars Could Be Switching Brands Soon

    Two Top WWE Stars Could Be Switching Brands Soon

    With WrestleMania 34 around the corner some big change-ups to the roster can be expected after “The Show Of Shows.” This could include another possible Superstar Shake-Up. That means top Superstars could be getting ready to switch brands, and per a report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that could include Seth Rollins and WWE Champion AJ Styles switching brands.

    This is in an effort to freshen up potential feuds and matches on RAW and SmackDown Live. It’s believed backstage that Roman Reigns has primarily run through all the top contenders on RAW at the moment, so bringing over some new faces for him to feud with would be integral for him to have a good run as Universal Champion. With Styles going to RAW it would leave a big hole in the SmackDown Live roster, thus the reason to move Rollins over to Tuesday nights.

    It would also be consistent with the new push he has been receiving from WWE brass as of late. Rollins would continue to be built up as the face of SmackDown. If WWE does do this it will take place by way of the rumored draft after WrestleMania. This weekend Rollins will be part of the first-ever Seven-Man Elimination Chamber match. The winner will go on to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34.

    Styles is scheduled to defend his WWE Title in a Fatal Five-Way against Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler. That will take place at WWE’s Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event next month on March 11th.

  • Jimmy Uso On The Usos Rap Battle Against The New Day

    Jimmy Uso On The Usos Rap Battle Against The New Day

    One-half of the SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions, The Usos, Jimmy Uso recently did an interview with The Mirror. Below are some of the highlights:

    Lots has been said about the reinvention of the Usos, a transformation that began in late 2016. It feels like you’ve perfected the entire package – your look, theme music, ring work and promos. It’s all come together. How much input do you have in that process, like adopting new ring gear or selecting a new entrance song?

    “That’s all us. I mean it, when you see this whole reinvention, that is every bit of me and my brother. It’s so funny because the ring work has never changed. That’s always been there. Our gear, literally, we wear that outside of the ring. That’s how I dress. Even with the baseball cap, I’m always having a cap on. And I just felt it was me to wear a cap out there. It’s little stuff like that to make us, us. That’s what that was. That’s how people found out we were real and they followed that and they could adapt to that. Everything is us, from the gear to the black and white, baseball caps to the shoes – I wore those same shoes I do when I’m wrestling – I wore them at high school. I wore those same shoes in high school. So when I’m telling you that’s the Usos, that’s the Usos.

    “As far as our ring music, we was dying to go and hop on that track. We heard John Cena on his entrance music, I remember The Rock being on his entrance music, I just thought that was really cool and added a whole lot more personality to them, personally. So what you see out there, that’s 100% The Usos.”

    Your feud with the New Day last year was fantastic. At Fastlane we get to see you go at it again, in what could perhaps become a triple threat, with Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. What do you think Gable and Benjamin bring to the table and how excited are you to get to renew this feud with The New Day and freshen it up ahead of WrestleMania?

    “I don’t know man, to me I feel like that’s something you got to ask Shelton and Gable. Ha ha. I know what we’re bringing to the table. These other tag teams have got to bring everything they’ve got to table to get on our level. The New Day, that feud right there – classic. Classic man. There was a rap battle in there and I ain’t never seen a rap battle done that way in the WWE. Yeah I’ve seen John Cena spit a couple of freestyles to Kurt Angle and stuff like that, you remember when he was the Doctor Of Thuganomics? But I ain’t never seen a rap battle like that though. I just thought that was fun man.

    “Shelton and Gable, they are a real technical tag team, but they are new together so they still got a whole lot to learn about each other. But Gable is lucky he has Shelton in his corner, because Shelton was a mentor of mine before I started – he trained me at Booker T’s school [in Houston, Texas]. Gable is in good hands, I can vouch for that. I’m actually anxious to see what happens to Shelton and Gable man because that tag team right there, is the tag team to look out for, definitely.”

    You can read Jimmy Uso’s full interview with The Mirror by clicking this link here.

  • Roman Reigns Calls The Miz An “Underrated Workhorse”

    Roman Reigns Calls The Miz An “Underrated Workhorse”

    WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently did an interview with ESPN to promote tomorrow night’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV). Reigns was asked for his thoughts on “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman and said that he believes he’s going to be a monster in WWE for many more years to come:

    “He’s a monster. It’s for real. He’s a big strong dude that can move. He’s a good athlete, too. It’s very rare you see men who stand 6-8, 6-9-plus, and they have to hitch to do what we do. On top of all that, he’s not a big blockhead. He’s a smart guy with a decent head on his shoulders where I think he’s going to continue to progress and continue to learn because there’s so many different facets and nuances that we do in the ring. He’s definitely going to be a monster for us for many years to come.”

    Reigns was then asked about his fellow Shield teammate Seth Rollins, who he called his brother in “many regards”:

    “That’s my brother, in so many regards. Not only in character and TV world perspective, but in real life. We’ve gone through so much and we’ve seen each other progress and advance in life and it’s really cool where we’re at.”

    As for his thoughts on inaugural WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor, Reigns believes he’s in the right spot in WWE and says he has a great story and background from his days in Japan:

    “The cool thing about Finn, and a lot of the guys we have, but especially his story and just his background and the time he spent in Japan and the whole Bullet Club scene and everything, I would just say he’s an extremely deserving competitor, and he’s in the right spot. He’s in the right light.

    “I’m extremely happy with his progression as a character, and as long as he can keep Finn Balor doing what he’s doing, the Demon is always going to be really cool. He’s definitely a journeyman, but I’m happy he’s continually escalating and evolving throughout this career.”

    “The Big Dog” then offered his thoughts on WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, who he called an “underrated workhorse”:

    “He’s an underrated workhorse. I’m extremely proud of the job that he does representing the company. The crossover reach that he has, and his ability to maintain the relationship he has with MTV [is great]. I think he’s very underrated for the amount of work that he does and I’m grateful to have him in our locker room.”

    You can check out Reigns’ full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.

  • Kurt Angle Explains Why He Thinks Finn Balor Will Win The Elimination Chamber

    Kurt Angle Explains Why He Thinks Finn Balor Will Win The Elimination Chamber

    WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle recently participated in a live Q&A session on his official Facebook page. “The Olympic Hero” was asked about who was his most natural opponent to work with between Brock Lesnar, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Triple H:

    “All three were different but they were all exceptional. Brock was the best chemistry. Austin was the most intense. HHH had impeccable psychology. I enjoyed all of our matches. But Brock was easier to work with because of our backgrounds.”

    Angle also revealed his pick for tomorrow’s Men’s Elimination Chamber match. The winner will go on to WrestleMania 34 to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Angle is picking Finn Balor to walk out of the Chamber victorious:

    “They’re all good enough for a title run. That’s tough. Cena needs it the least. I think Roman has proven to be the new face of WWE so I’m not sure he needs it. Braun is unbeatable so he seems to be in a good spot and doesn’t need title. Miz is the top heel and very established, so he doesn’t need title. Finn would be a good surprise.

    “Elias is off to a great start, but most likely not ready for main event at WM…probably will be by next year. Seth could very well be the best on the roster. I’m a big fan of Seth. Another long title run is coming soon for him. So I’d say Finn Balor could very well rise out if this with a much NEEDED shot at the Universal Championship. My opinion only!”

    He was then asked what his dream pay-per-view (PPV) would look like, and Angle said he’d like to see all Iron Man Matches:

    “All Iron Man matches. 5 of them. Women’s. 205. Tag Team Championship. Intercontinental Championship. Universal Championship. All wrestling. No gimmicks. It would be long/boring after 2 or 3 matches, but if you really love wrestling, it would be incredible!”

  • Jimmy Uso Reveals If He’d Ever Face His Brother, Batista Reunites With WWE Stars At Charity Event, Top Ten Shocking Elimination Chamber Pod Collisions (Video)

    Jimmy Uso Reveals If He’d Ever Face His Brother, Batista Reunites With WWE Stars At Charity Event, Top Ten Shocking Elimination Chamber Pod Collisions (Video)

    – One-half of the SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso recently did an interview with Sportskeeda. Jimmy was asked about a potential singles career down the road and was also asked if he’d be open to having a match with his brother, Jey, at WrestleMania. Here’s what he had to say:

    “I don’t know man, never really thought about it,” Uso said. “As far as going singles, it really hasn’t crossed my mind, because we have so much more left to do in the tag division. The Usos have so much more to give. People haven’t seen all of us. … Another dream match would be me vs. my brother at WrestleMania.

    “I grew up watching Bret vs Owen in a cage match, and they beat the living hell out of each other. I thought it was really cool, what they did. And they’ve been doing that all their lives. That’s the same way I see us whenever we get the chance for that to happen. But as far as a singles run right now, we’re just concentrating on the tag division.”

    – Last night former WWE Superstar Batista hung out with Chris Jericho, Christian, Natalya, Tyson Kidd, and Baron Corbin at an “80s Night” Walk To Cure Diabetes event. You can check out some photos here:

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

    – WWE uploaded a new YouTube video about the Top 10 Elimination Chamber Pod Collisions. Check it out here:

  • Alexa Bliss Says She Didn’t Get The Spotlight In NXT Because Of The Four Horsewomen

    Alexa Bliss Says She Didn’t Get The Spotlight In NXT Because Of The Four Horsewomen

    WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss was recently interviewed on Oh Jezuz! of Power 98.3 to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “Little Miss Bliss” discussed getting called up to the main roster after her time in NXT:

    “When I was drafted to SmackDown Live on the Superstar Draft, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the main roster. I never had a TakeOver match, I had never held a title in NXT, a majority of my time in NXT was valeting and managing for Blake and Murphy. I wasn’t given a lot of on-screen time when it came to matches. So, I didn’t know if I was really ready.

    “My first day on SmackDown, I believe I had a speaking segment and I went out and I decided if I was going to come in as an underwhelming draft pick, because let’s be honest, I was. No on was really excited to have me, because I didn’t do these amazing things in NXT! I decided to come in under the radar and kick down the door.”

    The RAW Women’s Champ was then asked who her favorite wrestlers were growing up. She named WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus and former World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio:

    “Rey Mysterio and Trish Stratus. I loved watching Rey, because I was a gymnast, so watching his lucha style was very captivating to me and I found it very fascinating watching him flip around. And Trish, because you know, it’s Trish. Who doesn’t love her?”

    Bliss also discussed getting less of the spotlight during her time in NXT because of all the focus being on The Four Horsewomen:

    “All the focus at the time was on the Four Horsewomen. I was in there at the same time as the Four Horsewomen, but I wasn’t given that spotlight. I wasn’t the girl they chose to go with. Which is fine because if the Four Horsewomen were going to be the face of this ‘Women’s Evolution’ that’s amazing. I know I came in under the radar, I can be that person that evolves that evolution and that revolution and take it to the next step. Be that different kind of person, that different face then being with the Four Horsewomen. I could kind of make my own path.”

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • UFC Hall Of Famer On WWE Not Using Him Anywhere Near His Potential

    UFC Hall Of Famer and former WWE Superstar Dan Severn was recently interviewed on the Duke Loves Rassin Podcast to discuss several professional wrestling topics. Severn talked about his time in WWE and his belief that he was being greatly underutilized:

    “It was great to know you made it to work for the number one company in the world, but by the same token, I was never utilized anywhere near my potential. Jim Cornette has done a number of interviews sticking up for me, explaining there were certain limitations that I have where I’m not that guy that is going to cut great promos. I am a guy that knows physical mechanics and can take care of business that way.

    “I was the first wrestler ever to be non exclusive. At the time I was working for the WWE, I was working for the NWA, I was working for the UFC and I was not exclusive to any of them. There were days when I’d be on the road and have three different bags packed and have to remind myself what I am today, a pro wrestler or a MMA guy?”

    Severn also discussed his thoughts on “The Chairman Of The Board” Vince McMahon:

    “He will get away with whatever he think she can get away with. I was used really well in the beginning and when they realized they had no control mechanisms over me, that’s when creative started throwing me some crazy angles. I was first billed as a no-nonsense babyface that just took care of business and Jim Cornette was my mouthpiece. All of a sudden, they pitch me ideas when they want to tattoo a 666 on me, the mark of the beast, and all of these other crazy ideas.”

  • Roman Reigns On Possibly Rematching Brock Lesnar At WrestleMania 34

    Roman Reigns On Possibly Rematching Brock Lesnar At WrestleMania 34

    WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently did an interview with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports to promote this weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV). Reigns was asked about his opportunity to punch his ticket to WrestleMania this weekend and challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.

    Reigns and Lesnar have unfinished business with one another as their WrestleMania 31 match was interrupted by Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money In The Bank to win the WWE World Heavyweight Title:

    “Yeah, we definitely have that. I think what puts validity behind this whole situation is we had a barnburner of a match. It’s one of my favorites that I’ve ever … Well, let me take that back. It’s not my favorite, because it didn’t feel good. But going back and seeing it and the outcome and the story and the reaction and just the rollercoaster ride that the crowd took with us, it was one of my finer days at work.

    “There’s always gonna be that animosity to wanna finish the job. Not only towards Brock but towards Seth for interrupting that. The key is to be able to get to that point and deliver and capitalize. Hopefully I’ll get the shot. We gotta go through the Chamber on Sunday. We gotta make it out of that unscathed and then take a ride to Suplex City. It sounds a lot better than it really feels. Trust me.”

    Reigns was also asked whether or not it’s harder for a minority to climb the ladder in WWE, or if it’s an even playing field nowadays:

    “I think I’m a great example of that. I’m a multi-racial man. I don’t think it has anything to do with your color or your background. It’s the man that you are and what you stand for, and obviously the performer that you are. That’s one thing that Vince [McMahon] deeply wants to be embedded in his guys, in his superstars, that they’re good people. That’s one thing he’s always told me from the beginning is, “I don’t care if you’re the greatest wrestler in the world.

    “I don’t care if you’re the most charismatic talker in the world, but I do care if you’re a good person and I think that’s all that matters.” When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter what you look like, how big you are, what color your skin is or hair or eyes, if you’re a good person, you’re a good person.”

    “The Big Dog” also commented on WWE dropping brand-exclusive PPV events going forward, starting with Backlash later this year:

    “I think, like anything else, it has its pros and cons. It’s gonna increase the work schedule as far as pay-per-views, but if you don’t wanna perform in a pay-per-view, then what are you doing here? I think it’ll also keep storylines fresh. It’ll allow us to continue to dot all our “i’s” and cross all our “t’s” because we’ll have more weeks to continue those storylines and these rivalries, and we’ll be able to have more time to carry those out.”

    Check out Reigns’ full interview with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports by clicking this link here.

  • Braun Strowman & Baron Corbin Discuss How Mark Henry Impacted Their Career

    Braun Strowman & Baron Corbin Discuss How Mark Henry Impacted Their Career

    Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, and Mark Henry all recently spoke with WWE.com to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Strowman described his first encounter with Henry and also revealed that Henry offered him a WWE tryout. “The Monster Among Men” had looked up to Henry in the strongman scene for quite some time:

    “The first time was probably in 2012 at World’s Strongest Man. I’d been a huge fan of his for a long time and had met him a couple of times through my strongman endeavors over the years. To have him approach me and offer me a tryout with WWE was a dream come true. A lot if it was because I was really passionate about the strongman sport. I did a lot of things in a short amount of time that not many men were able to do.

    “But I’ve always been a ham and a showman for crowds. I got to compete in front of a few thousand for strongman, so realizing that I could step over to WWE and have opportunities like I did at WrestleMania in Dallas to perform in front of 101,000 people — that was the big thing for me.”

    Baron Corbin also discussed how Henry helped him in WWE during his early days with the company. Henry apparently saw something in Corbin and liked different aspects of his physique and ability inside the ring:

    “He came in and thought I had something special. He told me I had a good look, the way I moved was good. He really helped mold me in those early days, which helped the evolution of who I am and what I do. When you have a guy of his caliber come to you and tell you they see something in you … if that doesn’t light a fire, nothing will.”

    Henry himself commented on this and said he enjoys paying it forward and seeing his WWE recruits find success in their careers:

    “I feel like I’m paying it forward. It feels good to be able to look at somebody and go, ‘Man, you’re me 22 years ago; you can do this!’ I find chunks of coal that have a glisten to them. They get to Orlando and [the WWE Performance Center coaches] start chipping away and chipping away. Next thing you know, ‘Mark, there’s a diamond under there. We’re going to polish it up.’ They do all that work.

    “I appreciate the whole developmental process – coaching them, educating them and putting them out there to see if they can thrive. Every time I see Apollo, Braun or Bianca, Baron Corbin and other people I’ve helped foster, I gush. It gives a validation to my eye. I love it. There’s nothing like it.”

    You can read Henry, Corbin, and Strowman’s full interviews on WWE.com by clicking here.