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.”
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 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:
He doesn't hold anybody back. A lot of times it's hard for fans to accept that some of their favorites have a ways to go or that they become lazy after they get that first LE check. Stardust for example didn't go beyond tag gold cuz' I wasn't improving & I also got outta' shape. https://t.co/PJstDITaMp
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.
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.”
– 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:
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 .
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.
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 .
– 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.
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.'”
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…
– 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:
Just prior to the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) last month WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross did an interview with Philly Voice to talk about his appearance on RAW 25. “Good Ole’ JR” said he had a great time and addressed the controversy surrounding the event:
“I had a great time. When people read this, they’re going to think, ‘Well, how can J.R. say that he had a great time because of the controversy surrounding the presentation?’ I looked at is as going to a family reunion or class reunion, and you know at your class reunion, you’ve got all kinds of crazy classmates and you love to see them every now and then. That’s kind of how we all – we had a small crew at the Manhattan Center – so everybody got the chance to have plenty of time to visit and see how everyone’s doing and all that good stuff.
“It was very entertaining and very good for all of us. You just can’t take for granted that you’re going to be there next time. I said on my podcast tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and it certainly fit true on Monday in New York City. You know, as a broadcaster, I would have loved to call more matches. Of all the things I’ve done in wrestling, broadcasting and doing play-by-play is my favorite. So why wouldn’t I want to do more of what I believe I have the most fun doing? That’s how I looked at it. But it was a great day, you know, we were treated good at the hotel, the stuff us old guys like catering was good, no travel issues.
“It was a good trip and I was happy to be invited. And it was good to catch up with as many of the guys as I did. I was happy to call – I’m a big fan of Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt, both of those kids, kids to me – and I got to call that match. That was kind of neat. That tag match was kind of short, it was kind of backloaded. The Undertaker’s promo. So, you know, it’s just what it was. It’s no big deal. Some people are hell-bent on finding something to bitch about. I can’t find that, I don’t have that in me. It’s not how I feel.
“I went there for a different reason than people watching it on television or watching it in the arena. I went to work. And as a worker, so to speak, I’d like to have done more work. That’s all. Chalk it up to ego or whatever, but I would’ve liked to have done more work because it’s the most fun thing I do. And if people can’t get that, then they’re just not paying attention and I can’t help you.”
Ross and the WWE has had their fair share of ups and downs over the years, but through all their issues the longtime commentator is still able to remain loyal to the company:
“I was only reacting to how I was raised. My parents were both in my household under one roof until long after I got out of high school. That helped me. I had grandparents alive for most of my teenage years. So, it was how I was raised. I believe in commitment. I still believe in commitment. People have a different perception of this than I do. Life is way too short to worry about some of those experiences in my way of thinking. And there are things in my life that have happened that are a whole lot more significant and important than my reaction as to when I got let go or terminated.
“I had strong opinions, I wanted to change the world, revolutionize the business, all these glorious images in my head, so I wasn’t the easiest guy in the world to manage, either. So, if I had some of those situations with somebody else under my watch, I would’ve fired me, too. Second thing is, Vince [McMahon] kept his word with everything he’s ever told me. All my financial dreams were achieved thanks to my working in WWE. So, I’m very grateful for my situation there whether I’m part-time, full-time, or no time. I don’t see any other way to react and I don’t know why I would react any other way. That’s just me, man. I’ve had great experiences there and at 66 years of age, I’m still enjoying my relationship with WWE. I have no bitterness whatsoever.”
Ross also revealed his pick for this weekend’s Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Ross said he’s rolling with the “Bird Gang”:
“Here’s always been my philosophy – all the time I was married to my wife, she was a Steelers fan. Grew up in Pittsburgh, got a lot of Steelers stuff here in my house. There’s just no damn way if you’re a Steelers fan anytime in your life that you can ever cheer for the Patriots. So, I would not feel like I was honoring my wife’s memory very well if I cheered for the Patriots. But the other aspect of that is, is that the Eagles – I’m more of an NFC guy than an AFC guy quite frankly – and big Lane [Johnson] playing tackle and doing a hell of a job, by the way, that’s my dog in the hunt.
“He’s my “Big Dog” in the hunt, so I’m going to be cheering for the Eagles and it’ll be great to see a Sooner win a Super Bowl ring. That’s about as transparent as I can get. It’s all about the lines of scrimmage, offense and defense. That’s the whole ball game. The Foles thing is overthought. He’s a good quarterback and he’s not playing by himself. He won some games down the stretch that they needed to win, so I’m not worried about the quarterback play. I think the game is won and decided at the line of scrimmage, and I just think the Eagles have the advantage in that area.”
You can read Ross’ full interview with Philly Voice by clicking this link here.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett recently did an interview with ESPN to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Barnett was asked about making the switch from mixed martial arts (MMA) to professional wrestling, and having his first match with Yuji Nagata:
“When it came to moves, I mean, moves are moves. I think if you know how to suplex somebody, even in an amateur environment, how to throw people safely from judo, and the concepts of wrestling, it’s not really hard to then pick up [everything else]. It was all very easy to work with Nagata. He’s such a professional and so skilled, and so good at what he does.
“It was just a matter of learning the ring itself, the environment. There are a lot of subtle things that are very, very important in wrestling, and to pick those up just takes time and experience. The only way that I really feel is best to do that is to go on the road. I learned every day by showing up early and leaving late.”
Recently former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has made the jump to professional wrestling after signing with WWE. Barnett offered his thoughts on how he believes “The Rowdy One” will fare in her transition into the wrestling industry:
“If she’s passionate about it, and serious, her judo background gives her a great starting point. She already knows how to fall, how to throw other people, and move and throw. She’s already an incredible athlete. If she loves wrestling, really wants to be a student of it and make a go of it, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least that she could be a great wrestler.”
Barnett also explained how professional wrestling and MMA are actually very similar to one another:
“Honestly, I feel like the more entrenched into professional wrestling I got, it became apparent to me that it was really a part and parcel with MMA. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference at all. If anything, I refer to it as the other side of the same coin. So by treating wrestling more like MMA, in terms of training and in terms of thought process, it made things so much easier.
“Being able to be out there and live fully in that moment — [being] aware of the crowd, aware of your opponent — wrestling in Japan, going on tour and doing all of those matches, it made me a much better fighter. It allowed me to be more present in the ring, able to pick up on more subtle aspects from my opponent, from the environment itself, and to be that much more comfortable out there.”
You can read Barnett’s full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.
After being released from WWE last year following over a year-long run with the company, James Ellsworth appeared on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho, to talk about his time with the company. Ellsworth was signed after his July 25th, 2016 squash match appearance with Braun Strowman. He instantly became a fan favorite and was signed to a WWE deal shortly thereafter.
During the episode Ellsworth revealed some scrapped plans for him at the 2016 SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV). It was originally pitched to have him defeat Heath Slater for a WWE contract when the pair were both free agents:
“I get an email that says, ‘Hey, there’s an idea for you for SummerSlam. It’s Barclays Center; you could drive there from Baltimore.’ I’m thinking I’m gonna be a part of SummerSlam for two weeks. The Friday before SummerSlam, they’re like, ‘Hey, creative changed, we don’t have anything for you, hopefully, we’ll have something soon. I found out months after that what the SummerSlam thing was supposed to be. When Heath Slater didn’t get drafted by Raw or Smackdown, and he was a free agent.
“He was trying to get a contract out of them both, he was supposed to come out at SummerSlam, demanding, ‘Daniel Bryan, I want a contract!’ Daniel Bryan’s trying to make it easy for him. ‘All right, I’ll give you a Smackdown contract, all you have to do is beat this guy,’ and it was me! The idea was I was supposed to go over and I was supposed to win the contract.
“But what happened was Slater winded up getting babyface reactions before then, he was getting over as a babyface doing that angle. If they ever did anything with me, at first, they wanted me to be a babyface. But I was like, ‘Man, I almost had a SummerSlam match with Heath Slater!’ That would’ve been fun.”
You can listen to Ellsworth on Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.
As many of you may know, Jason Jordan has been dealing with a injury for the past several weeks that has limited his ability to perform inside the ring. At this past Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) Jordan left his tag team partner Seth Rollins to deal with The Bar on his own, and they dropped their RAW Tag Team Titles to the duo as a result.
Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the injury is more serious than it was originally believed to be. The report suggests Jordan is actually dealing with a neck injury, contrary to rumors suggesting he’s dealing with a bad back. Meltzer also noted that Jordan is having trouble with his grip, which is never a good sign. WWE has been protecting him to the best of their ability by limiting the amount of physicality he has inside the ring.
Jordan was originally planned for this month’s Elimination Chamber match but there’s currently no word if he’ll be left out of the bout due to his injury. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more……
– WWE Superstar Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs) made the following announcement on his Facebook page:
Tickets are on sales now to meet The Undertaker and Kane in Knoxville on March 1st. The event will be at Rothchild Catering & Conference Center, 8807 Kingston Pike, from 6:30pm until 8:30pm! Get your tickets here: https://kanetaker.eventbrite.com
I am pleased to announce another special guest coming to Knoxville on February 16. Multiple time world champion pro wrestler, lead singer of Fozzy and New York Times best-selling author Chris Jericho will be interviewing me for a special episode of the popular Talk Is Jericho podcast. We will conduct the interview with a live audience where you can submit your questions and meet Chris. All of this happens at the Clarion Inn, 5335 Central Avenue Pike, on February 16 from 7pm-9pm.
If you would like to attend both events, we are offering special Combo and VIP packages!
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!
– YouTube wrestling personality, Grim, of Grim’s Toy Show fat shamed WWE Superstar Nia Jax in a recently deleted video. Jax saw the video and called out Grim out on Twitter, leading to a ton of hate being tossed the YouTube personality’s way as a result:
I’m guessing he wants attention @GrimsToyShow for his horrible behavior, making fun of my weight (which is completely unoriginal ?), but what gets me is that he’s shouting degrading things toward women in front of a young girl. Good job buddy https://t.co/7kfmJXaac0
I’m so sorry @NiaJaxWWE I feel like a total piece of crap now. I hope you will accept my apology and I will remove that video. I’m a huge fan of all involved in the women’s and Men’s rumble, sometimes I get carried away “trying” to be “shocking” ?? https://t.co/RZz4WGYQAg
— GRIM: Leader of BELT FEDERATION (@GrimsToyShow) February 1, 2018
Mad at me for fucking up, justifiable. But Telling me to kill myself is somehow not worse than fat jokes? Because I said a stupid joke it’s ok to tell me to committ suicide? https://t.co/AIpRN3KSwA
— GRIM: Leader of BELT FEDERATION (@GrimsToyShow) February 1, 2018
I messed up this time guys and I’m sorry. I’ll work very hard to be better. I sent an apology to @NiaJaxWWE and removed the video.
— GRIM: Leader of BELT FEDERATION (@GrimsToyShow) February 1, 2018
– On a recent edition of her podcast, Cigars, Scars And Superstars, former WWE Diva Terri Runnels talked about her appearance on RAW 25 and explained why she was ‘disappointed’ with it. Here’s what she had to say:
“To be honest, I was very disappointed, I really was. We were misused. I wanted for a brief moment some sincerity, and I didn’t like that it went straight to this cartoon crap. I felt like you’ve got a lot of talent and we are just standing there waving. We were misused, is the best way to say it, there is a better way for us to be used. It was disappointing because I loved my WWE/WWF family. It was a letdown.”
Runnels also said that she wasn’t the only one who felt let-down by the segment given to WWE’s women of the past:
We all kind of dropped our jaws and were like ‘you’ve got to be kidding me. I didnt hear anyone express anything different than what I just said to you.”
You can listen to Cigars, Scars And Superstars by clicking this link here.
– Zack Ryder recently took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on being left out of the 30-man Royal Rumble match this pats Sunday. Here’s what he had to say:
I’ve sat & watched a #RoyalRumble from backstage before. The last time it happened I went on to win the IC Title 3 months later at WrestleMania. I don’t complain about it. I don’t quit. I just keep working harder. I overcome. That’s the story of my career…the story of my life.
– Following his great match against Minoru Suzuki at night one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) New Beginning, Hiroshi Tanahashi has been removed from the remainder of the tour due to acute osteoarthritis in his right knee. Suzuki defeated Tanahashi for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship via referee stoppage:
– Speaking of NJPW, PWInsider is reporting that the company has filed for three new trademarks; U.S.: Strong Style, King of Sports, and Strong Style Evolved. All three of the trademarks were filed for the use of clothing, however, Strong Style Evolved was also filed for categories such as the following:
“Educational and instruction services relating to arts, crafts, sports or general knowledge; arranging, conducting and organization of seminars; arranging, conducting and organization of conferences, lecture meeting, workshops, symposiums; production of radio or television programs; Production of videotape film in the field of education, culture, entertainment or sports (not for movies or television programs and not for advertising or publicity); organization, arranging and conducting of sports competitions; organization, arranging and conducting of martial arts; booking of seats for show; presentation of live show performances; presentation of magic performances; direction or presentation of plays; presentation of musical performances”
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut after the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match this past Sunday. Rousey hit the ring to confront Rumble winner Asuka, SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. Rousey had her extended hand slapped away from Asuka before pointing to the WrestleMania 34 sign. Initial reports suggest the plan is to have a Mixed Tag Team match between Rousey and a mystery partner against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
That mystery partner would preferably be The Rock, as he and Rousey had a segment against Triple H and McMahon at WrestleMania 31 a few years back. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne is reporting that Rousey has been training for months at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando prior to her debut at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV). Rousey reportedly trained at night when nobody else was at the center with names like Natalya, Becky Lynch, and Flair.
She did this while simultaneously filming her next movie, “Mile 22,” in Atlanta. She did not appear on Monday’s episode of RAW as she flew back to Columbia to continue work on “Mile 22.” Shelburne also said that Rousey is close to “fighting shape” and should be ready come WrestleMania 34. WWE will also not own the rights to her name as Rousey recently applied for three trademarks to the “Rowdy Ronda Rousey” name.
A few extra fun tidbits for the late night WWE crowd. Ronda DID indeed go to Colombia to shoot Mile 22, but she came back to the States via a charter jet, then basically stayed out of sight for 24 hours. There was one chance to spot her: At customs in Miami.
Ronda did not travel back from Colombia with any of her usual entourage so there was no chance of them being recognized anywhere. Her husband Travis Browne stayed home. Too big a risk of being recognized.
Ronda told me she's been training at the WWE performance center for several months. She'd travel down there on weekends while she was filming in Atlanta. In other words, she's close to fighting shape.
As for her entrance music, I'm told WWE had to get special clearance from Joan Jett's camp for Ronda Rousey to use "Bad Reputation" at the Royal Rumble Sunday night in Philly as she did for years in the UFC.
– Samir Singh recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL he suffered during a ringside altercation with Bobby Roode. The incident occurred during Jinder Mahal and Roode’s United States Title Tournament Finals clash. There has been no official word on Singh’s return but the usual timetable for an ACL tear return is around 6-9 months. Singh recently took to Instagram to thank Dr. Jeffrey Dugas after undergoing surgery in Alabama:
WWE finally acknowledged the injury yesterday during SmackDown Live, and also released the following statement:
Samir Singh suffers injury
Samir Singh revealed on Instagram that he recently suffered a torn ACL and will be out of action.
Singh underwent surgery last week and is already rehabilitating for his return to the ring.
Stay tuned to WWE.com and Singh’s social media for more news on his recovery as it becomes available.
– Hideo Itami will be taking on former NXT Superstar Roderick Strong in the first round of the new WWE 205 Live tournament. The tournament will last up to WrestleMania 34 where a new Cruiserweight Champion will be crowned. Itami took to Twitter to comment on his match-up with Strong:
It is MY turn. I’m going to get this opportunity.#205Live#Cruiserweight championship tournament.
– Adam Cole put on an extraordinary Extreme Rules match with Aleister Black at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia over the weekend. He followed that up with making an appearance in the Men’s Royal Rumble match the following night. It turns out WWE originally had other plans for Cole at the Royal Rumble instead of being in the over-the-top-rope bout. Wrestling Observer Radio reports that the original pitch for Cole had him answering Bobby Roode’s United States Title Open Challenge.
That plan was cancelled, however, as WWE officials realized it wasn’t a good idea to have Cole lose an eight-minute match on the kickoff show. The United States Title Open Challenge saw a ton of last-second changes, as Dolph Ziggler was also planned to answer the call.
Instead Ziggler appeared in the Royal Rumble match at number 30 and Mojo Rawley wound up taking on Roode on the pre-show for the strap. Cole entered the Rumble at number 23 and was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.
– WWE posted the following video of Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch after their Mixed Match Challenge loss to the team of Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman. Sami blamed the WWE Universe for the loss and also contemplated if their loss was a result of having too much of Lynch’s birthday cake prior to the bout:
– On Monday’s episode of RAW John Cena defeated Finn Balor to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match. You can check out Cena’s current WWE schedule through WrestleMania 34 below. He is working mostly RAW events with the exception of SmackDown Live’s exclusive Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event. With Cena being on SmackDown Live’s Fastlane it’s likely he’ll be added to more SmackDown show in the near future:
– February 5th in Des Moines, IA (RAW)
– February 11th in Fresno, CA (RAW live event)
– February 12th in San Jose, CA (RAW)
– February 18th in Prescott, AZ (RAW live event)
– February 19th in Phoenix, AZ (RAW)
– February 25th in Las Vegas, NV (Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View)
– February 26th in Anaheim, CA (RAW)
– March 3rd in Chicago, IL (RAW live event)
– March 5th in Milwaukee, WI (RAW)
– March 11th in Columbus, OH (Fastlane Pay-Per-View)
– March 12th in Detroit, MI (RAW)
– March 17th in Tulsa, OK (RAW live event)
– March 18th in Oklahoma City, OK (RAW live event)
– March 26th in Cleveland, OH (RAW)
– April 8th in New Orleans (WrestleMania 34)
– Famous fast-food restaurant chain Wendy’s took to Twitter to comment on Ronda Rousey’s WWE debut. They threw some shade at “The Rowdy One’s” appearance when answering a question from a fan. Wendy’s then cleared things up and said they were a fan of the show after an exchange with Scott Armstrong:
We heard we could just show up later and point at the mania sign
After making her highly-anticipated WWE debut at the Royal Rumble this past Sunday, professional wrestling fans are wondering when we’ll see “The Rowdy One” back on WWE TV. Rousey did not appear on Monday’s episode of RAW. It appears that Rousey, and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, are not expected back until sometime after February 25th’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) event.
This comes via a report from Ringside News, who reports that Rousey has returned to her filming obligations for the movie “Mile 22.” Filming for the movie is not expected to conclude until around or after Elimination Chamber. As for WWE’s plans for Lesnar, the company has no reason to bring him back until his next opponent is determined in the Elimination Chamber match. It’s expected that Roman Reigns will be challenging “The Beast” for the Universal throne at WrestleMania 34.