SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • Jim Ross Talks Triple H Eventually Replacing Vince McMahon Instead Of Shane McMahon

    Jim Ross Talks Triple H Eventually Replacing Vince McMahon Instead Of Shane McMahon

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently did an interview with Business Insider to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “Good Ole’ JR” was asked for his opinion on 72-year-old WWE frontman Vince McMahon and his ability to continue to run the company. Ross said that Vince isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, as he’s still very healthy for his age, but has his own idea of where the company will go without him:

    “I have an opinion on where the company will go. I will say this — you know, Vince is very healthy. He still works out like a crazy man. He really takes care of himself,” Ross said. “So, he ain’t going anywhere soon. We don’t want him to go anywhere soon. He’s the rock that built that thing. He’s the rudder in the water. It’s an amazing company.”

    As for who Vince’s successor would be once he decides to step away from WWE, Ross said that he’d put his money down on son-in-law Triple H rather than McMahon’s own son Shane McMahon:

    “I think that, if I’m guessing, and it’s gonna strictly be a guess — that the money would be on, probably, Paul Levesque to be Vince’s successor,” Ross said.

    The future WWE Hall Of Famer currently serves as the WWE’s Executive Vice President Of Talent, Live Events, and Creative. Because of these roles and opportunities given to “The Game” Ross feels that McMahon is grooming his son-in-law to take the helm once he steps down:

    “I think Vince is kind of preparing him for that in a lot of ways. You always knew that he was different from the other guys because he was very studious, and very – under control,” he said. “He didn’t drink. No drugs. He looked to be a lifer early on, and he got a lot of that from being a fan all his life growing up in the northeast — New Hampshire. Then, getting trained by Killer Kowalski who was a great, old-school guy. So, I think he’s probably the heir apparent.”

    Ross believes that both Stephanie and Shane McMahon would continue to be involved with the company after Vince steps away, but in smaller roles, while Hunter is left as the right man for the job:

    “Stephanie is very involved and, you know, is really more of a face of WWE. She does a lot of charity work. And she’s great at that. And you’ve got to have that in that world,” he said. “I think Shane seems to be, apparently, content with being a TV character. I don’t know where his role’s gonna be going forward or what he wants it to be. But, I think that Paul Levesque is the one that seems to be earmarked to be the next guy, if and when Vince is not in that role.”

    You can read Ross’ full interview with Business Insider by clicking this link here.

  • Seth Rollins Gets A New Theme (Video), Matt Hardy & Paige Comment On Tonight’s Rumbles

    Seth Rollins Gets A New Theme (Video), Matt Hardy & Paige Comment On Tonight’s Rumbles

    – During last night’s WWE live event in Baltimore, Maryland Seth Rollins made his entrance to a brand new theme song. Check it out here:

    – Ahead of tonight’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV), both Matt Hardy and Paige took to Twitter to comment on tonight’s main events:

    https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/957608693343965184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F918921-matt-hardy-is-ready-to-delete-the-competition-tonight-paige-comments-on-womens-royal-rumble

  • Jonathan Coachman Explains How ESPN ‘Dropped The Ball’

    Jonathan Coachman Explains How ESPN ‘Dropped The Ball’

    Former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman was recently interviewed on Busted Open Radio to talk about a variety of topics. One topic of discussion was how ESPN, Coachman’s now-former employer, helped bring WWE back into mainstream sports media:

    “I feel a lot of pride. When we decided to push the envelope a little bit, I got a call from the office and they said ‘can you help us’. That’s one of the biggest criticisms of Vince over the years is he always felt like the superstars are all we need. These days with social media, you need crossover all of the time. They realized that. There is no more crossover at the time than ESPN.

    “I’m very proud of the fact that we not only got a segment every week on Sportscenter, but it became the highest rated segment on social media. We created a dropdown on ESPN that when you go there today, it’s right there next to the NBA, NFL, WWE is right there at the top.”

    Coachman got in trouble during his days with ESPN for issuing out a Tweet that stated ‘journalism is dead.’ He explained what happened between himself and his bosses after the Tweet:

    “I got in trouble when I tweeted this. I said ‘journalism is dead as we know it. Anybody that wants to go to college to be a writer and write for the Washington Post, stop right now, because your career will never take off’. If you don’t entertain me, I’m turning the channel. Entertainment needs to be the #1 priority. That’s what I told my bosses at ESPN. This is entertaining. Who cares where the eyeballs come from?”

    When answering the question of why he left ESPN, Coach explained how the sports media juggernaut ‘dropped the ball’:

    “They dropped the ball. They could have done so much more. Every single project I’m about to start doing, I pitched to ESPN, and they said no to. It was very frustrating near the end. I said to my boss ‘you are so shortsighted on what we need to be doing, that it’s incredible to me’. The night before Summerslam 2016, Conor McGregor fought Nate Diaz for the 2nd time. I said to them, ‘I will go to Vegas, cover the fight, then fly to New York, cover Summerslam, and put both stories into a package to celebrate the biggest weekend in combat sports’.

    “My boss said, ‘can’t do it. Nobody’s gonna want to watch that. I’ve already sent 3 cameras to preseason football.’ I said you gotta be kidding me. When I was getting ready to leave, I went to his boss and asked if this idea ever came across your desk. He said ‘No. We would have absolutely ran with that.’”

    Coach then described what it’s really like working with “The Chairman Of The Board” Vince McMahon. Apparently McMahon really likes his former storyline executive assistant:

    “He liked me a lot. For that, I was very close to him. He’s very difficult to be around sometimes, but there’s no-one else I’d rather work with. Part of the reason I was able to be at ESPN for almost 10 years is because what I learned from Vince, and that’s business comes first, you never burn any bridges, and you do what’s always right for the business. You also show up. The one thing that Vince taught us was you show up. I’ve actually seen him fire talent because they went out on an autograph session on Tuesday, and saw a blizzard coming to their hometown, they went home, and then couldn’t make the TV taping.

    “The one thing you do in this business and for Vince is you show up. He was also the orchestrator of an incredible rib on me in North Carolina that I was arrested and jailed. When he really likes you, that’s what he does to show you. He’s very difficult to work for. He demands excellence. He is very demanding. He always doesn’t make the right call, but when you do TV 51 weeks a year, it’s hard to make things right every single time and make it hot. As far as leadership goes, I don’t know if there is a better leader, because you always know which direction you’re going. It may not always be the right direction, but you know which direction you’re going. There was no waste of time proposing ideas to him. He loves hungry talent. If you don’t want to sit on the sidelines, come prepared and pitch him ideas.

    “Take The New Day for example. These are three guys whose careers were basically over, and here they come with this act, and Vince signed off on it. He is a guy who you better be prepared to talk to, don’t stumble over yourself and have your thoughts together. He will die on the road. There will not be a Vince McMahon who sits at home and watches the show. That’s just who he is. If you have a baby, you want to watch that baby grow. That’s just who he is.”

  • Hulk Hogan Almost Joined The Bullet Club

    Hulk Hogan Almost Joined The Bullet Club

    We reported earlier this month that WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan told The Associated Press that he is a fan of what The Bullet Club has been doing over in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). “The Hulkster” spoke to The AP to discuss RAW 25 and whether or not he’d be appearing. During the interview he said he’d love to jump on a plane and go over to Japan and ‘get involved with that Bullet Club.’:

    “I’m about ready to jump on a plane and fly to Japan and get involved with that Bullet Club, man. I’m so excited about those kids.”

    Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks, and Bullet Club member, told Sports Illustrated this past September that he’d love to have the opportunity to work with Hogan:

    “I’d love to welcome Hulk in. He’s honestly my favorite wrestler of all time, so working with him in any capacity would be fun.” His brother Nick added, “I’d love to have him walk us down the aisle at the Tokyo Dome while the three of us play air guitar. That would be a dream come true.”

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that negotiations actually took place to possibly have Hogan associated with The Bullet Club, however, Hogan was asking for too much money and members of the faction were hesitant to welcome him out of fear he’d jump right back to WWE the moment they showed any interest.

  • NXT Star Returns To Action In Albany (Photos), Alexa Bliss On The Women’s Revolution

    NXT Star Returns To Action In Albany (Photos), Alexa Bliss On The Women’s Revolution

    – Inaugural Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane returned to action inside the squared circle at last night’s NXT live event in Albany, New York. Sane defeated “The Lady Of NXT” Lacey Evans in one-on-one competition after hitting an Insane Elbow. Sane hadn’t competed since November at NXT TakeOver: WarGames when she took part in a Fatal 4-Way Match against Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce, and Ember Moon for the vacant NXT Women’s Title.

    Moon eventually won the match. No specifics have been reported on Sane’s hiatus from competition, but Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter did note on Twitter recently that she was “banged up.”

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

    https://twitter.com/thesteveorlando/status/956690099860901889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    https://twitter.com/jkulchinsky/status/956692810568208391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    – Monday Night RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss recently did an interview with Sky Sports to promote this weekend’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) and the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. Bliss said that the Women’s Revolution is isn’t done yet, and has here eyes on a future female WrestleMania main event:

    You’re never done,” Bliss said. “The WWE has been at the forefront of promoting women in sports entertainment and athletics. But it would be awesome if one day we main event WrestleMania. That would be amazing. At the moment, the fact that we’re making history is very exciting. I’m very excited by this Royal Rumble Match because the revolution didn’t start with just one or two women. So the fact you have every woman included is awesome.”

    Read Bliss’ full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.

  • Accused Steroid Dealer Claims To Have Evidence Roman Reigns Was His Client

    Accused Steroid Dealer Claims To Have Evidence Roman Reigns Was His Client

    Last February steroid dealer Richard Rodriguez was arrested by the DEA following a year-long investigation after having his gym, Iron Addicts Gym, raided in Miami. Rodriguez is being accused of importing goods from China, manufacturing illegal steroids in Arizona, and distributing them in Miami. Forbes reports that Rodriguez’s Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC (WFN) company had “at least 50 customers in the Eastern District of New York” and made over $10 million off the distribution of illegal steroids.

    Jon Bravo is doing a documentary on the Iron Addicts Gym and recently did an interview with Rodriguez. Last week Rodriguez implicated WWE Superstar Roman Reigns and actors Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel as clients of his. Reigns released this official statement denying any involvement in the scandal:

    “I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition,” Reigns stated. “I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”

    Both Wahlberg and Duhamel also denied the allegations in statements of their own. In a new video released by Bravo, Rodriguez stated that he named Reigns, Duhamel, and Wahlberg as clients of his specifically in order to get a better plea deal. There are also bigger names involved that apparently won’t be revealed until the release of the documentary. Rodriguez also teased members of President Donald Trump’s administration are involved as well.

    Rodriguez claims that he was introduced to Reigns a few years back by a wrestling enthusiast, and claims he will soon be releasing texts proving he was in contact with the three stars.

    “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,” Rodriguez said.

    More specifically Rodriguez claims he will be providing “snippets of proof” in the next week; including text messages, tracking numbers and addresses where he had the products shipped to his clients. The addresses are said to be on movie sets in London and various other locations where the pickups would be able to be made.

    The video of Rodriguez’s recent claims can be found here:

    We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…..

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • The Reason Jason Jordan Has Been Out-Of-Action, WWE Releases Rusev Day Calander

    The Reason Jason Jordan Has Been Out-Of-Action, WWE Releases Rusev Day Calander

    – One-half of the Monday Night RAW Tag Team Champions, Jason Jordan, has been out-of-action for the past few weeks with an undisclosed injury. Per a report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Jordan is actually dealing with a back injury, but he’s still scheduled to team with his partner, Seth Rollins, to defend their RAW Tag Titles against The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) at this weekend’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV).

    – Rusev followed through on his promise recently, as WWE Shop has released a new “Rusev Day Calendar” for just $9.99. Both Aiden English and Rusev Tweeted out photos of the calendar, which features Lana as well:

  • Edge Wants Shinsuke Nakamura To Win The Royal Rumble

    Edge Wants Shinsuke Nakamura To Win The Royal Rumble

    This weekend the 2018 Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) will go down from Philadelphia, which means that the 30-man Battle Royal to determine who will headline WrestleMania 34 will also be going down. There are a lot of favorites to win this year’s Rumble; such as Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Shinsuke Nakamura, and more. Recently WWE Hall Of Famer Edge did an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard and was asked about the Rumble.

    “The Rated-R Superstar” gave his pick for this weekend’s main event, and said that he’d like to see former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Shinsuke Nakamura punch his ticket for WrestleMania – likely setting up an AJ Styles vs. Nakamura match for the WWE Title:

    “I think it would be awesome,” said Edge. “Nakamura has that kind of Jeff Hardy intangible, and then you add in the history with him and AJ. The North American audience and, to an extent, the worldwide audience, has not seen what Nakamura brings to the table. We’ve seen flashes of it in his matches against Sami Zayn and Randy Orton. As evidenced by his New Japan work, he can be a very special performer. It would be nice to see him at least given that shot. From there, it’s up to him whether he sinks or swims. Sometimes, not everyone adapts to the style.

    “It’s a different company, it’s a different audience, it’s an entirely different hurricane. Sometimes styles don’t translate. Rey Mysterio was a master of doing that. No matter where he went, Rey could make his style adapt. But not everyone is Rey Mysterio. I love Nakamura, but it’s a transition for anybody who comes to WWE. You start him off with Sami at NXT, and talk about having the ultimate meal set for you: you get this amazing selling babyface and get to have this spectacular match. As I’ve talked about on the podcast, NXT is a different beast from WWE.

    “But I think he and AJ can be one of the main events, and I also know the people want it. With the proper build, AJ-Nakamura could be the match on last. That’s why I’d like to see Nakamura win the Rumble. He and AJ would have an amazing match, and that would give a different flavor to WrestleMania. You’d also have Brock-Roman and maybe Cena-Taker, as well as the women’s division, so then you’re pretty much set with a solid card.”

    You can ready Edge’s full interview with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard by clicking this link here.

  • Finn Balor Says He’s Coming For ‘Everything,’ Adam Cole Can’t Be Stopped From Becoming NXT Champion

    Finn Balor Says He’s Coming For ‘Everything,’ Adam Cole Can’t Be Stopped From Becoming NXT Champion

    – Former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor took to Twitter to post some pictures from he and The Club’s encounter with DX at RAW 25, and also said he’s coming for ‘everything they said I couldn’t have’:

    – The Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole also took to Twitter and noted that he’s focused on capturing the NXT Title this year. Zelina Vega responded to this Tweet and said that current NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas, who she manages, may have something to say about that:

    https://twitter.com/Zelina_VegaWWE/status/952011581315076097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • The Miz Says He Wants To Main Event WrestleMania As Intercontinental Champion

    The Miz Says He Wants To Main Event WrestleMania As Intercontinental Champion

    Prior to his big victory over Roman Reigns on RAW 25 earlier this week where he recaptured the Intercontinental Championship, The Miz spoke to ESPN to talk about several professional wrestling topics. One topic of discussion is the fact that he and his wife, Maryse, are expecting their first child this Spring. The Miz does not want to miss the birth of his first daughter so he said he has a private jet on standby at all times:

    “I’m so excited to be a father. I’m excited, nervous, happy, scared. It’s every emotion you could possibly think of, I’m going through it. It’s a WrestleMania baby. The only thing my wife asked me was that [she wanted me to be there]. I literally have a private jet on call at all times.

    “I will spend whatever amount of money to get there, to be there and support her and witness my first child being born because I am ecstatic. I don’t want to be the dad that’s not there. I don’t want the kid to ever think that I wasn’t there. I want her to be the one that says you were there, you guided me, you supported me in the best way you knew how.”

    Several huge names have held the WWE Intercontinental Title over the years, and the title means a great deal to “The Hollywood A-Lister.” He said he wasn’t happy seeing it become a ‘second-place title’:

    “Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude — you name it. Every superstar that was my hero growing up as a kid has held that title. It’s a title I always loved as a kid. When I got it for the first time, you’re ecstatic, you’re happy, but you watch the title become a second-place kind of title.

    “The last time I got it, I literally said I [was] sick of people looking at this as just a placeholder, as like a whatever title. I want people to understand that when you hold that title, it is prestigious, it is relevant, it has a rich history and that’s what I set out to do. I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of it, but I’m not done until I’m main-eventing WrestleMania with the Intercontinental championship.”

    Miz lost the Intercontinental Title to Roman Reigns this past November in order to go film a new movie for a few weeks. Upon his return two weeks ago he received “Welcome Back” chants from the WWE Universe, something that took Miz aback:

    “When I came back two weeks ago to Monday Night Raw, I was gone for six episodes, six weeks. And literally I came back and there were ‘welcome back’ chants. I thought wait a second. Brock Lesnar was gone longer than I am and he doesn’t get welcome back chants, but I am? Usually you guys hate me and boo me and tell me I suck, but now you’re welcoming me back? It made me feel that I was a piece of this puzzle and the main piece was missing.”

    You can read Miz’s full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.

  • Steve Austin Comments On His RAW 25 Appearance, Hulk Hogan On Missing RAW 25

    Steve Austin Comments On His RAW 25 Appearance, Hulk Hogan On Missing RAW 25

    – Following his epic return to WWE on RAW 25 earlier this week, WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin took to Twitter to comment on his return. Here’s what he had to say:

    – One name that missed RAW 25 is Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan, who has since been distanced from WWE since his racist comments in a leaked sex tape came to light several years ago. Hogan took to Twitter and said it was hard to sit at home and not be a part of it, but enjoyed watching what he called a ‘great show’:

  • Matt Hardy Teases Transition To “Broken” Character, Cedrick Alexander & Mustafa Ali Receive “This Is Awesome” Chants

    Matt Hardy Teases Transition To “Broken” Character, Cedrick Alexander & Mustafa Ali Receive “This Is Awesome” Chants

    – Following his loss to Bray Wyatt on RAW 25, “Woken” Matt Hardy teased the likes of Reby Hardy, his son Maxel, and Senor Benjamin coming to WWE with him. He also said he needs to return to the Hardy Compound to draw power from his ‘platoon.’ Hardy then stated that he needs to return to his “BROKEN” beginnings, teasing that he may soon be using the “Broken” gimmick instead of the “Woken” one he has been using on WWE TV as of late:

    – In the main event of last night’s episode of 205 Live, Cedrick Alexander and Mustafa Ali put on an incredible main event that garnered “This Is Awesome” chants from the crowd. Highlights from the match, including both Alexander and Ali’s reactions, can be found below:

  • The Reason Roman Reigns Dropped The Intercontinental Title To The Miz, Steroid Accusation-Related?

    The Reason Roman Reigns Dropped The Intercontinental Title To The Miz, Steroid Accusation-Related?

    Roman Reigns dropped the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz on last night’s RAW 25 episode, causing some fans to speculate as to whether or not this was due to reports leaking out that “The Big Dog” was involved in a steroid ring scandal. Richard Rodriguez, owner of Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC (WFN), names Reigns (along with a few other celebrities) as a client of his. Rodriguez’s WFN was raided by the DEA last year after a year-long investigation.

    Reigns released a statement denying any involvement with Rodriguez, and claims not to have even known the man:

    “I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition. I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Reigns’ Intercontinental Title loss to Miz is not related to these events. In fact, WWE sees this as a non-story. Reigns is reportedly still scheduled to main event WrestleMania 34 opposite Brock Lesnar and challenge “The Beast” for the Universal Title. Meltzer also reports that The Miz is actually receiving a big push right now as they have major plans for him at WrestleMania 34.

    This could be part of the reason Miz went over on Reigns and recaptured the Intercontinental Title. Another reason could be to have Reigns focus on challenging for the Universal Title as we kick off the Road To WrestleMania. There is currently no word on whether or not Reigns is winning the Royal Rumble, but it would make sense to set up Reigns vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania.

  • Reigns Reacts To IC Title Loss, WWE 24 Documentary Set To Air Following Royal Rumble

    Reigns Reacts To IC Title Loss, WWE 24 Documentary Set To Air Following Royal Rumble

    – WWE will air a new WWE 24 documentary on the WWE Network following The Royal Rumble this weekend. The special will last for one-hour and will go behind the scenes of WrestleMania 33 last year in Orlando.

    – On last night’s RAW 25 Roman Reigns dropped the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz. “The Big Dog” took to Twitter to reflect on the loss, saying despite the fact that the result didn’t go his way last night it’s still his yard:

  • Charlotte Flair Drops Hint About WrestleMania 34 Entrance Plans

    Charlotte Flair Drops Hint About WrestleMania 34 Entrance Plans

    SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair was recently interviewed by Mike Jones of DC 101 to discuss several professional wrestling topics, including last night’s RAW 25 special. Flair was asked about her plans for her WrestleMania 34 entrance following last year’s peacock-themed entrance at WrestleMania 33:

    “I already had that planned after WM last year. So, the peacock theme for last year was because we knew my dad was gonna be immortalized. If you look at the old wrestling magazines from the 80s, they had all of his robes and he was the peacock of wrestling. And we were like, ‘oh let’s make you a peacock’.

    “So the robe on the cover of my book is the robe I want to do one day, but probably somewhere near the end of my career. This year, I had a specific idea and so we’ve been working on it since last Mania. (Any hints?) Warrior. You can go either way and I’m giving YOU the most. We just got an exclusive from the Queen herself about Warrior and WrestleMania in New Orleans.”

    Recently Sasha Banks voiced her opinion that there should be a Women’s Tag Team division with Women’s Tag Team Titles. Flair doesn’t see that happening right now, and believes if you keep adding titles then it devalues them as well:

    “I don’t see it right now because I just don’t think there are enough girls. And I don’t mean that ‘oh we need more women’. And if you think about it, the more titles you have, it devalues one title. Could you imagine tag titles for women on both shows? If there is a women’s show on WWE Network one day, for sure I could see that happening.”

    Earlier this week in New York Flair had the chance to open up the New York Stock Exchange alongside Alexa Bliss, Roman Reigns, and AJ Styles. Flair explained why she was nervous during the event and said her heart was racing:

    “It was crazy. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Like, did I really have to ring a bell? It was just this little button that you had to press at 8:29:50 and hold it for 10 seconds. If you let go even before the 10 seconds was up you would ruin the entire day and the bell would never go off. Then everyone would boo you and I said I was used to that. But no pressure, so Alexa (Bliss) and I did it together. I was nervous and my heart started racing. Like, this is live and I’m used to live. I’m sure people have screwed it up before, but I’m gonna have to Google that.”

    In regards to RAW 25 last night, several Hall Of Famers and legends of the past were in attendance. One of them was none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin, who received the biggest pop of the night. “The Queen” said it was surreal to see “The Texas Rattlesnake” do his thing at RAW 25 after growing up watching him:

    “Well having Mean Gene there was pretty cool just because he was such an important part in my Dad’s career and going back to WCW before my dad wrestled Vader, when Mean Gene came to our house in Charlotte in 93. But also standing near the Gorilla Position and just being out there for Stone Cold. (How great was that?) Feeling the energy of the crowd and he is a SUPERSTAR and it was crazy to think ‘ok Stone Cold is on this show, I grew up watching him, and my dad has so much respect for him, and I’m on this show too. We’re like co-workers.’ Even though I’m in it and I grew up in the business, and I’m part of this show too. WOW. It’s surreal.”

    Flair has had the privilege of playing both heel and babyface during her time in WWE, but revealed that although it’s fun being bad the connection she has established with the younger WWE fans while playing a babyface is a special one:

    “I really enjoy being bad. But, I will say since I’ve made the switch to SmackDown through Social and different live events, the kids are really connecting with me right now. That means a lot to me especially being a positive role model especially at signings. I’ve had kids come up to me and say ‘you were not nice to your dad’ and it crushed me. But that’s my role, and If I go back to being a bad guy, it’s because I want to be the worst bad guy to make those good guys mean that much to them that they idolize them.”

    You can check out Flair’s full interview with DC 101 by clicking this link here.

  • Kurt Angle Says TNA Will Be Discussed On Next Table For 3, Shane McMahon On Being Stunned By Steve Austin

    Kurt Angle Says TNA Will Be Discussed On Next Table For 3, Shane McMahon On Being Stunned By Steve Austin

    – WWE Monday Night RAW General Manager and WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle took to Instagram to post a photo of himself, WWE Champion AJ Styles, and SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon. The trio were on set of WWE Network’s “Table For 3” and Angle said that it will be an ‘intriguing’ episode as they discuss their matches together, their families, untold stories, and even TNA Wrestling:

    “Very intriguing “Table for 3” coming soon on the WWE Network. AJ Styles, Shane McMahon and Yours’ truly….. We talk about our matches together, our families, unheard stories and even TNA Wrestling. Must see. #itsttrue #AJ#Shane #Angle”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BeREZ2qBSCM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_legacy

    – Speaking of Shane, he took a couple of Stone Cold Stunners from WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin on the opening segment of RAW 25 last night. He took to Twitter to comment on the incident:

  • Jim Ross Denies Falling Asleep During RAW 25, Austin Aries Comments On RAW 25

    Jim Ross Denies Falling Asleep During RAW 25, Austin Aries Comments On RAW 25

    – Last night a photo began making the rounds on social media showing WWE Hall Of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler apparently sleeping during RAW 25. Ross took to his Facebook page this morning to clear things up and denied that he and Lawler were asleep, calling the claims ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’:

    Here is the photo in question:

    – IMPACT Wrestling star Austin Aries, who was released from WWE this past July, took to Twitter to praise WWE for RAW 25 last night:

  • Chris Jericho Says He ‘Definitely’ Has One Of The Best WWE Debuts Ever, Kofi Kingston On 10 Years In WWE

    Chris Jericho Says He ‘Definitely’ Has One Of The Best WWE Debuts Ever, Kofi Kingston On 10 Years In WWE

    – Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho recently did an interview with The Cult of Whatever and discussed his debut with the company. Back in 1999 the WWE had been airing a “Countdown To The Millenium” before the year 2000. On the August 9th episode of RAW in 1999, during a promo by The Rock, Chris Jericho came out to make his debut after departing from WCW. Jericho told The Cult Of Whatever that he believes he ‘definitely’ has one of the best WWE debuts ever:

    “It was definitely one of the best debuts ever,” said Jericho. “I came up with the idea of the countdown clock and Vince McMahon came up with the idea of having the clock end right in the middle of Rocks promo. I think that is the biggest reaction I had ever got, a lot of people knew it was going to me but there were also a lot of people that didn’t have a clue. It was a different world back then, the internet wasn’t like it is today, these days you would just go online and you can find things out right away but it wasn’t like that then.”

    You can read Jericho’s full interview with The Cult Of Whatever by clicking this link here.

    – Today marks the 10 year anniversary that The New Day’s Kofi Kingston made his WWE debut on an episode of ECW with a win over David Owen. Kingston took to Instagram to reflect on the milestone:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BePce7FDRQI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_legacy

    “Reflection: 10 years…
    •
    I was just a skinny kid from a small town with aspirations of becoming a pro wrestler. On January 22 of 2008 in Charlottesville, Virginia, I officially became a WWE superstar. I didn’t know where it would lead, but I knew that it was the most important step toward accomplishing my childhood dream.
    •
    I’ve seen many people come and go. I’ve even seen a few come back! I’ve made many close friends along the way. Some who’ve been alongside me from the beginning as our careers progressed together. Some who were very close, but through circumstance I have regrettably fallen out of their favor. I’ve made close friends with many who weren’t as fortunate to make it to the grand stage, but I’ve also had the joy of watching other grind relentlessly on their journeys for years and finally get their opportunity to shine.
    •
    I’ve had so many great teachers, including the rare opportunity to benefit from the tutelage of many of the very people I watched on tv who motivated me as a child to believe that I could actually achieve this fantasy.
    •
    This career has led me to interact with a lot of great people; from the famous, to fans, to social media hecklers, to people I met as they were child fans that I’ve watched grow into adult fans, to crew and employees who don’t get enough credit for their role in making WWE operate behind the scenes.
    •
    I am thankful for my family, who has backed me throughout my quest despite it’s unorthodox nature. I have an amazing and gorgeous Superwife who has been as supportive of me now as she was the day I told her that I wanted to chase this dream. She has given me two beautiful, healthy sons and without her Super-Momnipotence, I surely wouldn’t have been able to reach this point.
    •
    A full decade later, here I am, alongside my two brothers, biting on Booty O’s, ingesting ice cream, feasting on flapjacks, preaching positivity, making magic, while we commute upon unicorns. For that I am eternally grateful and there isn’t a single day that I take any of this for granted.
    •
    No matter how large or small the interaction, everyone with whom I have crossed paths has been a part of this journey. Thank you all for these last 10 years.”

  • Shawn Michaels Talks Joining nWo In 2002, Not Knowing Where The Storyline Was Going

    Shawn Michaels Talks Joining nWo In 2002, Not Knowing Where The Storyline Was Going

    WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels recently did an interview with NBC Sports to promote tonight’s RAW 25 in New York. Michaels was asked for his thoughts on potentially returning to the Manhattan Center, as RAW 25 will be simulcasted from both the Manhattan Center and the Barclays Center, for the event after wrestling Max Moon at the venue for the first ever episode of Monday Night RAW:

    “Well I gotta tell you, I hope that’s where I get to go. No one has made any decisions yet as far as I know. As much as I love the Barclays Center, I would rather get to go back to the Manhattan Center. I don’t know that at the time I was mature enough to appreciate how unbelievably cool and awesome that building was. It’s sort of like a rock band. They start out in those places and then you want to get to play in stadiums.

    “As phenomenal as it is to be in front of 80 or 90,000 people in a stadium, it’s really hard to beat going back to those intimate places, filling them up, and feeling that electricity, that passion, that excitement in that environment. For me if I were to get to pick, that’s where I would want to go back to, especially on that night.”

    Back in April of 2007 Michaels and John Cena wrestled a near one hour match with John Cena on Monday Night RAW. The pair came off of a WrestleMania 23 match against one another for the WWE Title. Michaels didn’t find out how long they would be working until he got to the building:

    “So that turned out at the very end of our European tour that year. We had already been on the road there for over a week. I found out what we were doing when I got to the building and was like, ‘Oh my goodness!’ When you hear that the match is going an hour, it seems like a long time, but when you’re working with someone like John so much … I’ve had the opportunity to go back and watch that match and it just flows right by. That’s obviously a testament to John and heck I’ll even pat myself on the back a little for that one (laughs).

    “It’s amazing how trying to do that hour-long match didn’t seem like such a big mountain to climb. It really helps when you have a history with someone. John and I were coming off of the WrestleMania [23] match and because of that, we had a decent amount of story points to work around, so it was easy. It obviously doesn’t hurt when you’re in a phenomenal environment as well. Let’s face it, the folks in the U.K. are pretty easy to wrestle in front of. They are a very passionate group. I gotta say that’s one of my favorite matches.”

    In 2002 Michaels returned to WWE TV by joining the nWo, and he claims he had no idea where the storyline was headed when he did:

    “I honestly don’t know where it was supposed to go because I had just gotten back to WWE. The extent of it, that I knew, was that Kevin [Nash] was supposed to work with Hunter at the next Pay-Per-View. I know that we had turned on Booker and then we turned on [Big] Show, but I honestly don’t know where it was going because I was just finding my footing and didn’t know enough to be asking someone, ‘Where is this going?’ I had no intention of wrestling at that point and then of course, so many things changed after Kevin went down. I need to hunt someone down and find the answer.”

    You can read Michaels’ full interview with NBC Sports by clicking this link here.

  • Update On Kevin Owens’ Injury, The Rock Reacts To Triple H & Stephanie McMahon On Jimmy Fallon

    Update On Kevin Owens’ Injury, The Rock Reacts To Triple H & Stephanie McMahon On Jimmy Fallon

    – Former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens hasn’t wrestled since January 9th’s episode of SmackDown Live when he and Sami Zayn suffered a loss to the team of Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE Champion AJ Styles, and Randy Orton in a handicap match. PWInsider is reporting that Owens is dealing with a back injury and he also missed this past weekend’s SmackDown live events. He is still expected to team with Sami Zayn against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.

    – Late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon is set to appear at tonight’s RAW 25 after losing a Lip Sync Battle to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H last week. Fallon teamed up with The New Day and sung Boyz II Men’s “Motownphilly.” McMahon and HHH performed Disney’s Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go.” The Rock was one of the stars in “Moana” and reacted to McMahon and HHH’s performance of the song on Twitter:

  • Dr. Phil Offers To Help Nia Jax & Enzo Amore, Vince McMahon Comments On RAW 25

    Dr. Phil Offers To Help Nia Jax & Enzo Amore, Vince McMahon Comments On RAW 25

    – Dr. Phil, who has made several appearances on Monday Night RAW over the years, made a special congratulatory video for tonight’s RAW 25 episode. Phil also said he loves offering help to all WWE’s current Superstars, and his couch is always open to them – particularly Enzo Amore and Nia Jax:

    – Vince McMahon took to Twitter to comment on tonight’s episode of RAW 25. Here’s what he had to say:

    https://twitter.com/VinceMcMahon/status/955490881611685889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Barclays Center’s Decorations For RAW 25 (Photos), Kota Ibushi Announced For ROH Supercard Of Honor

    Barclays Center’s Decorations For RAW 25 (Photos), Kota Ibushi Announced For ROH Supercard Of Honor

    – RAW 25 is live tonight on the USA Network from both the Barclays Center and the Manhattan Center in a special simulcast event. With some huge names announced for tonight’s show, the Barclays Center has decorated their arena with several photos of some of WWE’s top stars expected for the event. Check it out here:

    – Ring Of Honor (ROH) announced this morning that Kota Ibushi will compete at their Supercard Of Honor event on April 7 in New Orleans. Ibushi joins names such as Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi who are also advertised for the show.

  • The Great Khali Explains How WWE “Failed” In India

    The Great Khali Explains How WWE “Failed” In India

    Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali was recently interviewed by The New Indian Express to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During the interview Khali discussed his time with WWE and expressed his frustration with the company’s success in his native India. Khali said the WWE failed in India and it’s a key reason he decided to leave before starting his own promotion, Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE):

    “The WWE has failed in India. They thought they would use the Great Khali fully and then leave him. I [had] been trying hard for [a long time] to leave WWE, but they kept on offering me [a] contract. Finally in 2014, I decided I [would] leave once my contract [ended] and [would] not work with them ever again. Then I came back and opened CWE [Continental Wrestling Entertainment] in Punjab, which is doing well.”

    As it pertains to the state of professional wrestling in India as a whole, Khali explained how he wanted to change the mentality of how professional wrestling training is done:

    “The future of wrestling is very bright and it can be better, if handled in a better way, if a coach is provided or [a better foundation] is given. The mentality of the Indian sportsmen is very weak. Many of them depend upon drugs. They feel that the consumption of drugs will help in enhancing their performance and will help them in clinching a medal. They receive too much of love after winning a medal that they forget to concentrate on sports.”

    You can read Khali’s full interview with The New Indian Times by clicking this link here.

  • Chris Adonis Explains Why IMPACT Wrestling Doesn’t Have Consistency

    Chris Adonis Explains Why IMPACT Wrestling Doesn’t Have Consistency

    Former WWE and IMPACT Wrestling star Chris Adonis (a.k.a. Chris Masters) was interviewed by Channel Guide Magazine just a day before announcing his departure from IMPACT. Adonis discussed how IMPACT lacks consistency after the company’s crazy year that included several changes:

    “It has been a crazy year with all the changes in the company and guys and guys out. … There just needs to be some consistency. Consistency went out the window in the last year, but you couldn’t help that with all the changes. You just have to get some consistency going, which I think they are in route to doing. The sky is the limit. … I’ve only just met Don [Callis] and conversing over the past couple of days, but I have heard good things about him.

    “It seems like he has a bigger pulse on professional wrestling, which is good. He knows the trends of what’s going in and out and how to maybe adapt to the new environment we live in with technology and how the world is evolving in general. Scott D’Amore brings a lot of experience and a good figure to help head it up at the helm. Sonjay [Dutt] is here too. Time will tell, but it seems they have the right players here in place to capitalize on the talent involved.”

    Adonis also discussed what it was like to work with Eli Drake, who he didn’t have too good of a first impression about, but later came to realize he’s actually a ‘good dude’:

    “I just never knew before I came to Impact Wrestling about Eli Drake that well. I didn’t really have an impression of him. Then after I got to work with him, I began to realize who he was. First, I thought he was an ass—-. I didn’t know him that well, but saw the way he carried himself. But I came to find out he is a good dude. He worked really hard. I didn’t really know how hard until I’ve been around him.

    “It gives me faith that when you work hard and come into your own that the opportunities can be there for you. Fast forward to now, up until recently, he was the World Champion. You could have never convinced me of all that until I was around him and saw the work ethic and how much he pays attention to details.”

    He also said that he didn’t want to be Drake’s ‘sidepiece’ and wanted to eventually evolve into something that benefited both he and Drake:

    “I don’t always want to be Eli Drake’s sidepiece. I went into this with an understanding of that, and hopefully, it can evolve into something that will benefit both of us.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPHN57cGumU

    You can read Adonis’ full interview with Channel Guide Magazine by clicking this link here.

  • Flip Gordon Reveals If He’ll Be Joining The Bullet Club

    Flip Gordon Reveals If He’ll Be Joining The Bullet Club

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Flip Gordon was recently interviewed by WSVN-TV Entertainment Reporter Chris Van Vliet to talk about several professional wrestling topics. One of those topics included Gordon’s cryptic Tweet that indicated we could possibly be seeing him debut in WWE NXT soon. Gordon Tweeted “NeXT year will be even better” but revealed he was only trolling when he sent out the Tweet:

    “I was just trolling. I saw a tweet going around telling people to congratulate me on stuff so I saw that they were trying to troll me so I saw the perfect opportunity to troll everybody else so I took it.”

    Gordon was also asked about the possibility of joining The Bullet Club; which includes notable members such as Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Cody Rhodes, but said he already tried to join but was denied entry by Omega and Rhodes:

    “I tried. Kenny and Cody didn’t want me in there. So if The Bucks can convince them then sure.”

    Before becoming a full time professional wrestler Gordon used to work a desk job, but has since been a year without it after he was able to start paying his bills with wrestling:

    “I’ve almost been a year without a job, like wrestling is now my job. I started seeing that wrestling was paying the bills so I was like why am I going to this other job when I make more wrestling. I actually put in my 2 week notice before I even got contacted by Ring of Honor.”

    As for Gordon’s goals for 2018, the ROH star said he’d love to go to NJPW and be in Best of Super Juniors:

    “I’d love to go to New Japan. I’d love to be in Best of Super Juniors, that’s definitely a goal of mine. It’s something I set, that I wanted to go to Japan before my 3-year mark in the business. So it’s still possible.”