SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • Daniel Bryan Or Kurt Angle To Referee Tonight (Video), Asuka On Beating Bayley, New WWE Partnership

    Daniel Bryan Or Kurt Angle To Referee Tonight (Video), Asuka On Beating Bayley, New WWE Partnership

    – WWE is allowing fans to vote on who they want to serve as tonight’s Special Guest referee for tonight’s Mixed Match Challenge match – SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan or Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Tonight’s match will be between the teams of Jimmy Uso and Naomi vs. Goldust and Mandy Rose:

    – Asuka took to Twitter to react to her win over Bayley on last night’s episode of RAW. Here’s what she had to say:

    – WWE has announced a new Embroidery partnership with LIDS Sports Group. Here’s the official press release:

    LIDS Sports Group Partners with WWE for Custom Embroidery

    Leading retailer offers fans custom embroidery of WWE Superstars and Legends names, logos and autographs on headwear

    INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 6, 2018) – Leading omni-channel sports licensed retailer LIDS Sports Group announced today a new partnership with WWE, gaining the licensing rights to create on-demand WWE headwear. The new licensing agreement allows for LIDS to embroider the names, logos, and autographs (EmbroidiGraph) of WWE Superstars and Legends on WWE-licensed headwear within its stores and upon orders online.

    “The passion that runs through the veins of WWE fans is indisputable, so we are thrilled to be able to further connect with this fanbase by offering them a new way to demonstrate support for their favorite Superstars and Legends,” said David Baxter, president and CEO of LIDS Sports Group. “Customization is an important aspect to our brand, and we hope to continue the expansion of our WWE customization offerings in ways that take customers’ fandom to the next level.”

    The new agreement also allows for the on-demand creation of custom WWE headwear. Customers can select from a wide selection of blank headwear options offered by LIDS – which covers all styles from fitted to flex to snapbacks in a wide variety of colors – and then choose from the new library of WWE custom embroidery options to create personalized, one-of-a-kind looks. Thanks to LIDS’ unique customization capabilities, creating a custom WWE hat in-store will take only minutes.

    LIDS’s WWE on-demand customization program launched a select assortment of logos and autographs ahead of WWE’s Royal Rumble event, and LIDS will continuously add new WWE Superstars and Legends on a monthly-basis.

    “LIDS shares our vision of fan engagement by providing customized offerings that connects our passionate fans with their favorite Superstars,” said Casey Collins, WWE Executive Vice President of Consumer Products. “We’re excited to launch this new on-demand initiative with a brand who can offer WWE products in real-time alongside our biggest events.”

    Nearly 1,000 LIDS stores nationwide are outfitted with comprehensive embroidery capabilities, providing shoppers the ability to customize their headwear and apparel with names, phrases and images. Shoppers are also able to customize headwear online at www.lids.com. LIDS’s unique EmbroidiGraph service also allows consumers to embroider any current professional athlete’s signature (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) on any team-licensed hat.

    LIDS Sports Group operates more than 1,200 retail locations across North America and has sold approximately 300 million hats since its founding. To learn more, visit www.lids.com.

  • The Miz Asks Critics If They Feel ‘Stupid’ Yet, Finn Balor On Facing Brock Lesnar At WM, Nia Jax

    The Miz Asks Critics If They Feel ‘Stupid’ Yet, Finn Balor On Facing Brock Lesnar At WM, Nia Jax

    – On last night’s episode of RAW WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz qualified for the Elimination Chamber match by defeating Apollo Crews. The winner of the Chamber match will go on to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. Miz took to Twitter to ask his doubters over the years if they ‘feel stupid yet’:

    https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/960722182426038274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    – Speaking of the Elimination Chamber match, next week’s episode of RAW from San Jose will feature a Fatal Four-Way match between Finn Balor, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, and Apollo Crews. All of these men lost their initial qualifying match for the Elimination Chamber.

    This “Second Chance Fatal Four-Way” will determine the sixth and final competitor in the Elimination Chamber match. WWE recently posted an interview with Finn Balor; who vows to win the Fatal Four-Way, go on to win the Chamber match, and topple Lesnar at WrestleMania to regain the Universal Crown:

    – Nia Jax was left out of the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match, however, RAW General Manager did but her in a match that gives her quite the opportunity. Jax will instead take on Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka in a Singles match. If she’s successful she’ll be thrown into the RAW Women’s Title match at WrestleMania, making it a Triple Threat match. She took to Twitter to react:

  • More Information On Kane’s WWE Status

    More Information On Kane’s WWE Status

    On last week’s episode of Monday Night RAW Braun Strowman destroyed Kane in their Last Man Standing match by dumping the entire announcer’s desk on him. Shortly afterwards in a storyline update WWE announced Kane was taken to a medical facility, where he sat up on the examiner’s table and crawled out of the hospital. There’s no word on why Kane has seemingly been written off WWE TV for now, whether it’s for injury or to campaign, but he has been removed from all upcoming WWE live events through this month.

    He is, however, still being advertised for TV and live events in the month of March. Kane is set to hold a big campaign event for his bid for Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He and The Undertaker will be appearing at the Rothchild Catering & Conference Center on Thursday, March 1st at 6:30 P.M. in Knoxville. Also, at the end of next week Chris Jericho will host a special Talk Is Jericho Live with Kane in Knoxville.

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

  • ROH Breaks Ticket Sale Record, Ric Flair Hypes Hulk Hogan Q&A, Rusev Day Calendar Sales

    ROH Breaks Ticket Sale Record, Ric Flair Hypes Hulk Hogan Q&A, Rusev Day Calendar Sales

    – Per Lavie Margolin on Twitter, Ring Of Honor (ROH) has sold nearly 4,000 tickets for its upcoming Supercard of Honor event – which goes down on WrestleMania 34 weekend – headlined by Cody Rhodes vs. Kenny Omega. The exact number of tickets sold at the time of the Tweet was 3,828, a new record for the promotion:

    – WWE Hall Of Famers Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan will be participating in a Q&A session from the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa this upcoming Saturday. “The Nature Boy” took to Twitter to hype the event:

    – Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reports that WWE’s Rusev Day calendar has been selling very well. So well, in fact, that the company ordered 5,000 more after their initial order of 2,500 dried up quicker than expected:

  • Video: Corey Graves’ Shot At Booker T During RAW

    Video: Corey Graves’ Shot At Booker T During RAW

    For those of you who missed it, WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently went off on Corey Graves during an episode of his Heated Conversations radio show on Sports Radio 610 in Houston, Texas. The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion blames Graves for not being on the RAW commentary team anymore, stating WWE officials were afraid he’d ‘jump on’ him sooner or later.

    Now Booker will likely only be used for pre and post-show panels. He also threatened to attack Graves if he sees him outside the realm of a WWE production before challenging him to a legit fist fight. More on that here. Graves later indirectly responded to Booker’s comments on Twitter with the following:

    Graves took things a step further during last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. During Bayley’s entrance to face Asuka in singles action, Graves told Booker T’s replacement on the commentary team, Jonathan Coachman, the following:

    “You better be careful Coach, watch your tongue or you might be doing afternoon radio locally.”

    https://twitter.com/RingsideNewscom/status/960900157339521025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ringsidenews.com%2F2018%2F02%2F06%2Fcorey-graves-takes-shot-booker-t-mondays-raw%2F

    This of course was a reference to Booker’s Heated Conversations show on Houston Sports Radio 610. If fans are hoping that this is a work and a match between the two is coming, that’s very unlikely. Graves is unable to get cleared by WWE doctors to compete due to his history of concussion-related injuries. It looks like the heat between the two is very real.

  • Two Big Matches Official For Tonight’s RAW

    Two Big Matches Official For Tonight’s RAW

    WWE posted a video in which they confirm two big matches set to go down on tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. One of the matches includes a Triple Threat match between Braun Strowman, John Cena, and Elias. The winner of that match will have the advantage of entering into the Elimination Chamber match last.

    The other match is a RAW Tag Team Title rematch between The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) against Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan. Also confirmed for the show is an Elimination Chamber qualifying match between Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt. Make sure to keep it locked here at SEScoops for live coverage of tonight’s show.

  • Why Tyler Bate Has Backstage Heat In WWE, DDP Corrects TMZ Story Regarding Jay Z Trademark

    Why Tyler Bate Has Backstage Heat In WWE, DDP Corrects TMZ Story Regarding Jay Z Trademark

    – It seems like Tyler Bate could have some backstage heat within WWE. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio had this to say about Bate’s current status with the company:

    “Tyler Bate lost 4 matches this week. He went 0 and 4. He went from being the big guy that they were grooming for the UK for the future and he has fallen out of favor.” He continued, “He lost the title to Pete Dunne [and] there was a situation where they had a tour.

    “They, at the last minute, wanted to book him on a main roster tour I think. This was a long time ago but this was right before they put Pete Dunne over him. They called [Bate] late and he had made other plans and that’s what happened.”

    – TMZ recently published a story about Jay Z applying to trademark the diamond hand signal for “a variety of entertainment services in either music, video, TV or film.” It also referenced a lawsuit that Diamond Dallas Page filed against Jay Z back in 2005 that was settled out of court. The article also noted “it doesn’t look like DDP ever trademarked it for himself.” DDP took to Twitter to correct TMZ on that matter:

  • Becky Lynch Takes A Shot At Ronda Rousey (Photo), Emma Wrestles Her First Match Outside WWE (Video)

    Becky Lynch Takes A Shot At Ronda Rousey (Photo), Emma Wrestles Her First Match Outside WWE (Video)

    – Much has been made over the pointing Ronda Rousey did towards the WrestleMania 34 sign during her WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. Rousey came out to the ring after the conclusion of the Women’s Royal Rumble match to confront SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and Rumble winner Asuka. Becky Lynch recently took to Twitter to post a picture of herself pointing up at the WrestleMania sign, captioning the photo “This is how you point.”:

    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/960278622048280576

    – This past weekend former WWE Superstar Emma wrestled her first match outside the company since being released in October. She worked with former IMPACT Knockout Angelina Love and used her real name, Tenille Dashwood, for the WrestlePro match. She would go on to win the match. Check it out here:

  • Kurt Angle Teases Return Of Old Gimmick, Wendy’s Responds To Bubba Ray Dudley On Twitter

    Kurt Angle Teases Return Of Old Gimmick, Wendy’s Responds To Bubba Ray Dudley On Twitter

    – WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle took to Instagram and teased the return of his old “Wrestling Machine Mode” gimmick. Angle said the following:

    “Kurt Angle “Wrestling Machine Mode” was my favorite character in WWE. He wasn’t very funny but he could take out anybody in an instant. Will the “wrestling machine” make a return? Stay tuned…. #itstrue”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bev4TSIBJR7/?utm_source=ig_embed

    – The Wendy’s fast-food chain has been rather active in the professional wrestling Twitter world as of late. They recently took a shot at Ronda Rousey’s WWE debut during the Royal Rumble. Now they have responded to future WWE Hall Of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley’s Tweet during the Super Bowl last night, in which he suggested Wendy’s is better than McDonalds:

  • Triple H Reveals Philadelphia Eagles’ Championship Belt (Photo), 5 Things You Need To Know Before Tonight’s RAW (Video)

    Triple H Reveals Philadelphia Eagles’ Championship Belt (Photo), 5 Things You Need To Know Before Tonight’s RAW (Video)

    – As per tradition, Triple H has posted the photo of The Philadelphia Eagles’ Championship Title belt after winning last night’s Super Bowl 52 match-up against the New England Patriots. Check out the title here:

    – WWE has released the following video highlighting the “5 Things You Need To Know Before Tonight’s RAW.” The list names, Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Who will compete in the women’s Elimination Chamber?, Who will be The Miz’s next IC title challenger?, The Bar’s title reign, and The Revival’s hot streak as the five things. Here’s the video:

     

  • The Rock To Produce & Host New Reality Show (Video), XFL Takes Shots At NFL On Twitter During Super Bowl

    The Rock To Produce & Host New Reality Show (Video), XFL Takes Shots At NFL On Twitter During Super Bowl

    – Following last night’s Super Bowl The Rock appeared on Jimmy Fallon to announce the launch of his new reality competition series “Titan Games.” The series will air on NBC with 10 episodes in its first season; and is being produced by both A. Smith & Company (who produces American Ninja Warrior) and Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions. “The Great One” will serve as the host of the show in addition to executive producer. Here’s The Rock’s announcement of the show on Fallon:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4QNYfcD8Yw&feature=youtu.be

    – In reference to last night’s Super Bowl, Vince McMahon’s XFL Twitter account took a few shots at the NFL during the game. The XFL commented on the NFL’s catch rules, how dragged out their game is, and the complexity of the NFL rule system. Check it out:

     

  • Shayna Baszler On Ronda Rousey In WWE, Rusev Doesn’t Want To Work On “Rusev Day”

    Shayna Baszler On Ronda Rousey In WWE, Rusev Doesn’t Want To Work On “Rusev Day”

    – WWE recently released a video of Shayna Baszler, one of Ronda Rousey’s best friends, commenting on “The Rowdy One’s” WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. Baszler said she was just as surprised as everyone else, as Rousey kept it a secret from her friends because she wanted them to feel the same genuine excitement everyone else did. Baszler also noted that she believes Rousey will be just as dominant in WWE as she has been in everything else:

    – SmackDown Live star Rusev was asked by a fan to bless his newborn baby, who just so happened to be born on “Rusev Day.” “The Bulgarian Brute” did in fact bless the child before responding to another fan, who asked Rusev to talk to his boss because he’s making him work on “Rusev Day.” Rusev said that his boss does the same thing:

    https://twitter.com/voodoochild427/status/959856618434367491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Laila Ali Comments On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut

    Laila Ali Comments On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Debut

    Back in 2015 when Ronda Rousey was still at the top of the mixed martial arts (MMA) world, “The Rowdy One” was embroiled in a brief feud with female boxing legend Laila Ali. When asked whether or not Rousey could take her in a fight Ali responded “No woman can beat me, period” in an interview with TMZ. Rousey responded to Ali by saying that all she would need is some time to train in the sweet science of boxing, and she was very confident she could beat Ali.

    Now nearly three years later Ali was again asked by TMZ about her thoughts on Rousey – but this time in regards to her signing with WWE. Ali had nothing but nice things to say about the ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion, wishing her all the best in her time with WWE:

    “I think it’s cool,” Ali said. “I mean, she retired right? She might as well move on and make it happen. I wish her all the best.”

    When asked if she thinks Rousey is a good fit for WWE she asked if Rousey could wrestle, before wishing her the best once again:

    “She can wrestle?,” Ali asked. “I wish her all the best.”

  • Ted DiBiase Explains How Stone Cold Exceeded WWE’s Expectations

    Ted DiBiase Explains How Stone Cold Exceeded WWE’s Expectations

    WWE Hall Of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase recently did an interview with The Mirror and offered his thoughts on fellow Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. DiBiase talked about working with Austin during his early days, making him the Million Dollar Champion on an episode of Monday Night RAW:

    “I did make ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin the Million Dollar Champion on Raw. You know I saw the talent in Steve and I remember telling him – because a lot of people were telling him ‘You need to do more’ – I remember telling him, ‘Don’t do anything different, because what you do is believable, it’s real.’ And I said ‘That’s what I’ve always tried to sell is real.’ I said ‘It will take you a little longer, but once you’re over, you’re over.’ Well nobody knew just how over he would get! It was unbelievable.”

    DiBiase then discussed his role in helping cultivate Austin into the mega-star he’s known as today in the professional wrestling industry. He compared it to the film industry when an up-and-comer is paired with an A-list guy to help elevate his stock:

    “Yeah, well, I was just that rub. It’s kind of like in the movies, they see a potential great young actor and they put him in a movie as a co-star to an A-list guy and that helps elevate them. That’s what they did with Steve and I happened to be an A-list guy at the time. So I was just the right guy at the right place, at the right time.”

    Austin’s career of course began to take off after the innovation of his “Stone Cold” gimmick. DiBiase explained how “The Texas Rattlesnake” really exceeded everyone in WWE’s expectations with the character:

    “I think he exceeded everybody’s expectations, I really do. What’s funny is you know everybody is talking about how we’re now a PG program. I think that’s great, because I’m a minister now and I have been for a long time, so I was not a big fan of the Attitude Era. There were some things they did that were very funny and that was great, but I was never a fan of the sleazy stuff. What’s funny is, I was part of a panel, Steve and I, and they said ‘Ted, you have been quoted as saying that you would never allow your son’s hero to be a beer guzzling, swearing, finger-flipping wrestler’. I said ‘exactly, I still believe that today’. Steve was sitting by me and he looked at me and said ‘That’s the same thing my mother said!’”

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

  • Sasha Banks Teasing Heel Turn?, Cody Rhodes Defends Vince McMahon On Twitter

    Sasha Banks Teasing Heel Turn?, Cody Rhodes Defends Vince McMahon On Twitter

    – Sasha Banks has had quite a nice run in the past week. In the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Banks lasted nearly a full hour in the match, before taking on Rumble winner Asuka in an awesome one-on-one match the following night on Monday Night RAW. Many are expecting Banks to turn heel soon for a potential feud with Bayley at WrestleMania 34. Perhaps that heel turn could come tonight after “The Legit Boss’” most recent Tweet:

    – During a quick “5 questions” segment on Twitter, Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody Rhodes answered a question from a fan asking if he believes Vince McMahon unfairly holds NXT call-ups back. The former WWE Superstar then went on to defend his former boss:

    https://twitter.com/rtibbs08/status/960394684370743296

  • Booker T Goes Off On Corey Graves, Challenges Him To A Fight

    Booker T Goes Off On Corey Graves, Challenges Him To A Fight

    WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T was recently replaced on the Monday Night RAW commentary team by the returning Jonathan Coachman. Over the past few months there has been a ton of friction between Booker and now-former fellow commentator Corey Graves at the announce desk.

    On a recent episode of his podcast, Heated Conversations, Booker stated that he believes Graves is the reason he’s no longer on Monday Night RAW. He claimed some people believed he would eventually jump Graves for always poking at him on TV, which is why he was removed from commentary:

    “People ask me about Corey Graves. Corey Graves is good at what he does, you know? Corey Graves, he’s thrown jabs at me, I’ve thrown jabs back, you know? And you know, the thing is Corey Graves, of course, yeah, he’s a college educated young man. His vernacular is a little different than mine. You see that word I just used? Threw that out there – just want you people to know, I ain’t studied this, it’s just something that we just threw out. But I tell you, if I got Corey Graves into a fisticuffs, I would beat him down like he stole something. I would be whooping his ass all day long.

    “Because that’s the thing – my thing is this. I’m a nice guy, until you get on my bad side. Corey Graves, right now, I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s on my bad side, but he’s the reason that I’m not on Monday Night Raw right now. Because, you know what, a lot of people in the company thought I was gonna jump on him, I was gonna do something bad to him, I was gonna drag him, I was gonna take him out to the woodshed, I was gonna beat that man so bad, I was gonna beat him until this man say, ‘Please, please, please, just don’t beat me any more”

    Booker then went on to challenge Graves to a match at WrestleMania 34, before changing his mind and challenging him to a legitimate fist fight off TV. He said that if he runs into Graves on the streets, away from any sort of company production, he’s going to jump on him:

    “That’s how hot I was getting. That’s how close I was getting. So, they said, ‘Hey, Book. We’re gonna take – step back a second, alright? We’re gonna regroup, alright, we’re gonna press the rewind button. We’re gonna send you back to the Kickoff show of SmackDown, Monday Night Raw pay-per-views and cool you down for a second. Cause we don’t want you to do anything to Corey Graves, because we know what you could do to him. We know Corey Graves could do… he’s sitting there for a reason, man. He’s sitting there for a reason, and Corey Graves knows it. You know what? I’ll tell you this here. I want all you people out there to know, you heard it right here Heated Conversations, Sports Radio 610, it’s probably gonna make all the dirt sheets like Meltzer and all those guys.

    “But if I catch Corey Graves on the street, I’m gonna do something to him. Alright? I ain’t gonna do it at the office or anything like that. But if I catch him… not gonna do it in the airport, nah, I’m not gonna do that. But if I catch Corey Graves on the street? You see that little bouffant hairdo he got? I’m gonna rearrange it for him. Alright? I’m just saying. I’m just saying… Let me catch him at Starbucks. I’m a tattoo him… He’s one of those guys gonna have to walk it like he talk it… Me personally, everybody knows my reputation… I get mean, when you mess with my green.

    “And right now, my green is being messed with, you know what I mean? So, me and Corey Graves… WrestleMania coming up, right? There’s room for one more match. Right now, on my show, Heated Conversations, Sports Radio 610, I’m calling Corey Graves out to a fight. Not a match. Not a pre-show posedown or anything like that. I’m calling Corey Graves out to a fight.”

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

  • More Details On How Serious Jason Jordan’s Injury Actually Is

    More Details On How Serious Jason Jordan’s Injury Actually Is

    Its been noted that former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan has been dealing with a neck injury for the past few weeks. The storyline son of WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle has been limited in the amount of work he has been allowed to do inside the squared circle. In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer offered an update on Jordan’s current status.

    Meltzer compared Jordan’s injury to that of Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, and Edge in the past; and indicated a surgery to fix the issue would keep Jordan out for up to a year. Given that Jordan would likely want to avoid any surgery that would keep him out that long, he’ll do anything in his power to avoid going under the knife:

    “He’s having trouble gripping with his hands. His neck is in real bad shape.” He added, “it sounds like Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, all those guys before they had surgery. That surgery [requires at least] a year off and I’m sure he’s doing everything in his power to avoid that surgery. I’m not saying he needs it but when your grip goes…Edge had the same thing. Edge couldn’t lift a dumbbell.”

    “For better or for worse, he’s in the mix as a single [star]. I’m sure he just wants to be there and try to figure a way through it but this is a tough situation for him. I don’t know who the sixth guy will be but Jordan was planned to be the sixth guy and most likely Jordan and Rollins, the way everything was being built, was probably going to be a WrestleMania match. I don’t know how this works out.”

  • Shinsuke Nakamura Made WWE History At The Royal Rumble, Sasha Banks Q&A Session (Video)

    Shinsuke Nakamura Made WWE History At The Royal Rumble, Sasha Banks Q&A Session (Video)

    – Per WWE Stats & Info on Twitter, Shinsuke Nakamura made history at last weekend’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) by becoming the first-ever Japanese star to win the Royal Rumble match. He was also the first-ever to win the match entering at the 14th spot:

    – WWE Superstar and 2018 Cricket Wireless Ambassador Sasha Banks recently did a Q&A at a Cricket Wireless store in Philadelphia earlier this week and discussed various topics. You can watch the full Q&A in the video player below:

  • X-Pac On What Triple H Said To Him About Johnny Gargano

    X-Pac On What Triple H Said To Him About Johnny Gargano

    Former WWE European Champion Sean “X-Pac” Waltman recently released another episode of his X-Pac12360 podcast. Waltman had former WWE Superstar Ken Anderson on as his guest. During the show Waltman gave his thoughts on the NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia main event between NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano:

    “It was heartbreaking when he (Johnny Gargano) didn’t win. It was. It sucked, but it was so good. And Hunter (Triple H) told me, I hit him up afterward and he was like, ‘Yeah Gargano is the last of the white meat babyfaces.’ And that’s pretty much true right now. Not that there can’t be any more you know? But as far as what we have to choose from right now he’s the guy that kind of fits that. I don’t really see anyone else.”

    Waltman also offered his thoughts on the return of the XFL and said it’s not a good idea to bet against it working this time:

    “Well, I knew it was going to happen when Vince (McMahon) sold a bunch of stock, couple hundred million dollars in stock and started an LLC. They’ve given themselves two years to get this off the ground and last time they had two months. And I don’t think it’s a good idea to bet against this working. We just have to wait and see what happens. I’m just saying there is an appetite for that right now.”

    You can listen to X-Pac’s full episode of X-Pac12360 hereby clicking this link .

  • The Reason David Otunga Stopped Wrestling For WWE

    The Reason David Otunga Stopped Wrestling For WWE

    Drama continues to brew surrounding the split of WWE’s David Otunga and Jennifer Hudson. Otunga’s attorney recently released the following statement to People regarding their split:

    “Today, Jennifer requested and received a protective order against her ex-fiancé. Jennifer’s actions are solely taken in the best interest of their son [8-year-old David Daniel Otunga Jr.]. David Otunga has been trying to negotiate the terms of an amicable parenting agreement with Ms. Hudson for several weeks now.

    “However, when it became apparent to Ms. Hudson that Mr. Otunga would be the parent granted residential care of the child, as a result of Mr. Otunga being the child’s primary caregiver while Ms. Hudson pursues her career all over the world, Ms. Hudson decided to file a meritless Petition for Order of Protection in an effort to gain an unfair advantage in the custody dispute.

    “As a result of Mr. Otunga’s career in the WWE, Ms. Hudson felt that she could give an award winning performance in court to portray herself as the victim. Mr. Otunga has never abused or harassed Ms. Hudson or their son, and it is unfortunate, especially in today’s climate, that she would feel the need to make these false allegations against him. Mr. Otunga looks forward to his day in court and in being awarded the residential care of the parties’ only child.”

    A custody battle for Otunga and Hudson’s child together, David Daniel Otunga Jr., is currently underway. Hudson claims that Otunga is unemployed and asked for a judge to make him find employment, as well as also keep a job diary. Hudson also said Otunga “essentially sits on the sofa and needs gainful employment so she doesn’t have to pay support.” (via TMZ)

    Otunga fired back and said Hudson’s claim is ironic considering five years ago she gave him an ultimatum – choose between wrestling full-time or family. He also claims that he is employed by WWE, as he serves on various panels for the company and is also a commentator from time to time.

    He is also working on other various entertainment projects. Otunga said it’s ‘nervy’ for Hudson to mention money when she makes between $8 million and $13 million per season on “The Voice.” Otunga then took a shot at Hudson by saying that while she’s focused on making money, he’s raising their child.

  • Mark Henry On If He’ll Wrestle Again

    Mark Henry On If He’ll Wrestle Again

    Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry recently did an interview with 6 ABC Action News to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Henry was asked about potentially returning to the ring, to which he responded he make a Brett Favre-esk return sometime down the road:

    “I might do a ‘Brett Favre.’ I might down the road, if my body feels right. Some young punks feel like they have too many words that they can’t back up, I might step back [in].”

    As for his current role with WWE, “The World’s Strongest Man” says he’s trying to bring more awareness to WWE via their charities and programs:

    “For the most part, my whole deal right now is trying to bring more awareness to the WWE, its charities, [and] its programs. Travel the world and introduce our business to people that don’t have the WWE. Our developmental franchise, NXT, I scout. There’s guys in the company now: Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, [and] Apollo Crews that I’ve helped cultivate, ya know and say, ‘Hey, that guy can do something. Bring him in.’”

    Henry, a Texan, is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and was asked to give his Super Bowl prediction between Cowbys’ division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles and defending champion the New England Patriots. Henry said he’s picking the Eagles to take home the Lombardi Trophy this year:

    “The Eagles are going to win. It’s just a known fact. As hard as it is to say, I have to go with Philly. Because they are in the NFC East and it proves the dominance of their division. [In] the NFC East, those guys chew each other up all season long. If you can come out of the East, you’ve got a pretty good chance of winning.”

    You can read Henry’s full interview with 6 ABC Action News hereby clicking this link .

  • Seth Rollins Reportedly Working Hurt, Injury Update On Alicia Fox

    Seth Rollins Reportedly Working Hurt, Injury Update On Alicia Fox

    – It seems that Seth Rollins has been dealing with a back injury for some time now. Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that it’s currently unknown if “The Architect” will miss any ring time but it seems like for now he’s working through it. Rollins’ partner, Jason Jordan, is also dealing with an injury of his own. Jordan’s injury, however, is a neck injury and he has reportedly been having trouble with his grip.

    – Alicia Fox suffered a broken tailbone prior to the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) and missed out on the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. PWInsider reports Fox is expected to miss several months from in-ring competition, and she’s very upset about missing the Women’s Rumble.

  • Sasha Banks Reveals The Harsh Realities Of WWE

    Sasha Banks Reveals The Harsh Realities Of WWE

    WWE Superstar Sasha Banks recently did an interview with on the latest episode of Hot Ones. “The Legit Boss” said that the harsh realities of WWE lay within the politics behind the company:

    “I feel at ease when I’m in that square circle. The hardest reality is knowing that it’s a lot of politics, a lot of grueling grueling traveling, which I didn’t realize how hard that would be.”

    Banks is also first cousins with Rap icon Snoop Dogg. She explained how she developed her nickname from always hearing Snoop’s body guards calling him “boss,” and she later evolved it into “The Legit Boss”:

    “When I was around him, his bodyguards would always call him ‘boss’, and I was like, ‘That’s kind of catchy. That’s a good little nickname.’ So I was like, ‘Sasha Banks the Boss,’ and then it turned to ‘The Legit Boss.’ Any time he was with the WWE, I would call him and be like, ‘Please take me with you. I love this. Please, please, please.’ And I remember going with him at 2008, and he was doing rehearsals with the Divas at the time, and he was walking down the ramp. And I was following him behind like this, and I was walking down the WrestleMania ramp. I was 16 at the time and 25 doing it this year. Dreams really do come true.”

    She also said that she uses ‘lots of wine’ to recover after a long and grueling match:

    “Lots of wine. I love drinking wine after a match. It makes me really calm and relaxed.”

    Banks resides in Boston, Massachusetts and explained her love for the historic city:

    “I was in Boston when they won the Bruins championship. The whole town just came out of these restaurants and just went to the streets and started rallying…It was so crazy. That’s why I love Boston so much. Any time I go out in Boston and they say, ‘From Boston, Massachusetts…’ the crowd just erupts. I remember in my Hell in a Cell match with Charlotte, I lost it, and they were just dead silent. They couldn’t believe it. I thought they were going to start a riot. I’m like, ‘That’s Boston fans for you.’”

  • Why The Rock May Not Be Able To Make WrestleMania 34

    Why The Rock May Not Be Able To Make WrestleMania 34

    With Ronda Rousey now in WWE early reports suggest the company would like her first match to be a Mixed Tag Team match with a mystery partner, taking on the team of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. WWE would like The Rock to be Rousey’s partner given that he and Rousey worked an angle at WrestleMania 31 against McMahon and “The Game.” The Rock, however, is scheduled to begin filming his next movie, “Jungle Cruise” (based off the Disney theme park ride), in May.

    Rock will co-star alongside Emily Blunt and the film will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Shooting for the movie wouldn’t begin until after WrestleMania but if The Rock wanted to compete in the match their could be some insurance issues. Producers of films offer insurance to actors in case of illness, injury, or even death during filming. NPR reports that delaying filming of a big-budget film for whatever reason could cost up to $250,000 a day.

    “The Great One” suffered an injury during his WrestleMania 29 match with John Cena back in 2013. As a result he missed promotional work for his movie, “Pain & Gain”, and also delayed production of “Hercules” by several weeks. WrestleMania 29 was The Rock’s last legitimate match that he worked. He wanted to compete at WrestleMania 32 but the insurance company for the movie he was working on at the time had issues covering him. Instead he beat Erick Rowan in a six-second match after hitting him with a quick Rock Bottom for the three count.

    If The Rock wants to compete at WrestleMania 34 it would depend on if he can get insured by the “Jungle Cruise” film. NPR noted that insurance for 10-12 actors could cost around $350,000 for a movie that has a budget of $100 million. That cost could shoot up to between $700,000 and $1 million if any of the actors are considered to be a “problem actor.” We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

  • Did AJ Styles Get Heat For Hulk Hogan Reference On RAW 25?, Roderick Strong Earns Title Opportunity (Video)

    Did AJ Styles Get Heat For Hulk Hogan Reference On RAW 25?, Roderick Strong Earns Title Opportunity (Video)

    – During his interview with “Mean” Gene Okerlund on RAW 25 last month, WWE Champion AJ Styes mimicked Hulk Hogan in his promo. Per a report from Sports Illustrated, Styles did not take any heat for the segment as it was completely scripted.

    Styles reportedly asked if he could mimic Hogan out of respect as they grew close to one another in TNA. It should also be pointed out that WWE put the clip on their YouTube channel, something they wouldn’t do if there was an issue with Styles’ promo:

    – On last night’s episode of NXT Roderick Strong defeated Tyler Bate to become the new No. 1-contender for the WWE UK Championship. That title is currently held by Pete Dunne. Strong and Dunne had a brief encounter after the match backstage which you can check out below: