SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • Goldberg Discusses If He Ever Thought He’d End Up In The WWE Hall Of Fame

    Goldberg Discusses If He Ever Thought He’d End Up In The WWE Hall Of Fame

    Former WWE Universal Champion and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg recently joined WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T’s podcast, Heated Conversations, to talk about the recent announcement that he would be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame class. During the interview Goldberg was asked if he ever thought that a former WCW product such as himself would ever be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame:

    “Hell no! Let’s be perfectly honest man. You asked me and I answered it. You lived right next to me for a long period of time. I think it’s a shock to a lot of people. I think that by Brock making them bring me back and by them giving me the opportunity I maybe showed a little bit of something worthy of an accolade of some sort.”

    Booker then asked Goldberg how he felt after receiving the news about the honor, and he responded by saying that the only negative thing about the entire situation is that it makes him feel ‘mortal’:

    “The only negative to it is that it kind of makes you feel mortal. That’s all. I don’t like there to ever be an end to anything. As long as I’ve got two feet and walk and kick and punch with my hands there is always a possibility that I’ll headbutt someone to sleep.”

    Goldberg returned to WWE in November of 2016 to take on Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, and defeated “The Beast” with ease. He then went on to compete in the 2017 Royal Rumble match and eliminated Lesnar from the match quickly as well, however, he was subsequently eliminated himself by The Undertaker.

    After defeating Kevin Owens for the Universal Title at Fastlane a month later, Goldberg then defended the strap against Lesnar in one of the featured bouts at WrestleMania 33. It was a great return run for Goldberg in WWE but he feels as if he could’ve given more, but couldn’t as he was limited by ‘everything’:

    “If you are given an opportunity you have to take it. I was limited with my repertoire because of… everything. Because of storyline or whatever it may be. I would have loved to have given more. The Goldberg and the “two move” crap, I am so sick of hearing that!”

    As for his match with Lesnar at WrestleMania 33, Goldberg said that his body went into a bit of a shock weeks later as several parts of his body turned black:

    “Being older, how did I feel afterwards? I think my groin turned black. The back of my right leg turned black I think like two weeks after Mania. I think my body was in shock. I was ready to go that night and I was waiting for Brock to hit me with like ten more suplexes. I was amped. If there was ever a time I realized a good formula it was that night. I was so relaxed.”

    You can listen to Goldberg’s full interview with Booker T on Heated Conversations by clicking this link here.

    H/T WrestleZone for the transcriptions

  • Update On Steroid Dealer Naming Reigns, RAW 25 Opening Video

    Update On Steroid Dealer Naming Reigns, RAW 25 Opening Video

    – As we’ve previously reported, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns was named by steroids dealer Richard Rodriguez as a customer to a distribution ring; alongside other notable names such as Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel. Reigns issued the following statement after being named by Rodriguez:

    “I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition,” Reigns’ statement read. “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.”

    TMZ reports that the DEA will not being investigating Reigns, Wahlberg or Duhamel as they instead focus their resources on going after the ring’s kingpins, manufacturers and traffickers, rather than alleged buyers.

    – WWE posted the opening video package for tomorrow night’s RAW 25 episode on the USA Network. Check it out here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBpj34G1e7g

  • Update On Chris Jericho’s Status For RAW 25

    Update On Chris Jericho’s Status For RAW 25

    RAW 25 is tomorrow night and WWE has been advertising huge names for the show such as The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Jim Ross, and Chris Jericho. “Y2J” comes off an epic program with IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where he lost to “The Cleaner” at Wrestle Kingdom 12 earlier this month. WWE has been advertising the former WWE Champion for RAW 25, however, it looks like there’s still not a deal in place for Jericho to return.

    Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Jericho’s status for RAW 25 is being described as “up in the air.” As of Friday a deal has not been made to have Jericho appear at the show, however, negotiations are ongoing as WWE really wants to have him there since they’ve been advertising him. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more….

  • Carmella Talks Managing Enzo Amore & Big Cass In NXT

    Carmella Talks Managing Enzo Amore & Big Cass In NXT

    “Ms. Money In The Bank” Carmella recently did an interview with Rolling Stone to promote WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge. “The Princess Of Statin Island” talked about several professional wrestling topics such as the message sent to young kids watching men and women team together in the MMC, joining Total Divas on E!, and managing Enzo Amore & Big Cass in NXT. Here are the highlights:

    A lot of the WWE’s audience are kids. What kind of message do you think can be taken away from seeing male and female superstars fighting in the same match?

    “It’s super important for little girls to see what the women have done with the ‘Women’s Revolution’ and now being able to be a part of this Mixed Match Challenge. It’s different, it’s fun and it’s exciting. Nowadays, women are looked at as equal to the men when it comes to competing and I think that’s a really cool message to send to little girls and show them that whatever they want to do, they can set their mind to it and make it happen. And right now, this is a super exciting time for women in the WWE with all the firsts. We have the first women’s Royal Rumble match coming up and we had the first women’s Money in the Bank ladder match [in July 2017], so the sky is really the limit for the women right now.”

    You also joined Total Divas this year, which adds a lot to your plate. What has that transition been like?

    “It’s super exciting to be a part of a reality show in the midst of this ‘Women’s Revolution.’ One of the things documented on the show was the Money in the Bank ladder match, so it’s been exciting and different. It’s not something I ever thought I would do, being a part of a reality show. It was a super fun experience and being able to see it all play out on TV and for fans to be able to get to know me a little bit more has been cool.”

    You’ve been wrestling on your own for a few months now. Are you excited to be paired up with someone again or do you feel more comfortable alone now?

    “I like doing my own thing and I like being partnered with somebody. Anytime you’re partnered with a guy in wrestling, it’s exciting and different. Having James Ellsworth by my side for a while, that got people talking. Being a manager for Enzo and Cass in NXT was great. I got a lot of experience with doing that. And now this is something different as well, so I’m excited to be a part of it.”

    You can ready Carmella’s full interview with Rolling Stone by clicking this link here.

  • Samoa On What To Prepare For When Working With Brock Lesnar

    Samoa On What To Prepare For When Working With Brock Lesnar

    Former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe was recently a guest on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” to talk about his run with the company. One key topic of discussion was Joe’s program with WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, which led to a match between the pair at the Great Balls Of Fire pay-per-view (PPV) this past July. “The Destroyer” said that when you’re working with Lesnar you have to show up ‘ready to deal with Brock Lesnar’:

    “I think when you are dealing with Brock Lesnar, you have to show up ready to deal with Brock Lesnar. Brock is the type of guy who is not going to give you an inch. If you are going to get anything from him, you have to take it and he’s going to dare you to take it. Brock is a guy who kind of feeds off of emotion, and if you come out and you’re flat and you’re not putting out what he is putting out, he’s going to eat you alive. That has never been an issue with me.”

    As far as what it’s like to work a match with Lesnar, Joe said you can’t hold anything back when working with “The Beast” because he’ll pounce on any weaknesses you may have and take advantage of them:

    “If we are going to be in the ring together, Brock knows we are coming for a fight. I mean that literally and figuratively. There is no pulling anything with Brock. If you show signs of weakness, he’s an apex predator and he’s going to pounce on it and he’s going to attack and overwhelm.

    “You have to know how to deal with it when you are in there with Brock. He is a person who is going to accept nothing but the very best and if you don’t bring the very best, he’ll have no problems doing everything he can to absolutely wipe you out.”

    You can read the highlights from Joe’s interview on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” by clicking here. Listen to Joe on “In This Corner” at this link.

  • Kenny Omega Joins NJPW Australia Tour, NJPW Sells Out Show, NJPW’s Biggest Events Of 2018 (Video)

    Kenny Omega Joins NJPW Australia Tour, NJPW Sells Out Show, NJPW’s Biggest Events Of 2018 (Video)

    – New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has announced that they are set to tour Australia for the first-time ever in February. The promotion will hold four separate shows in locations such as Adelaide), Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth. The shows will go down on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th. NJPW has announced that stars such as IWGP United States Champion, Kenny Omega, “Switchblade” Jay White, and Henare will be joining the tour.

    – NJPW’s New Beginning show on February 10th has reportedly already sold out. The card will see IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay defend against Hiromu Takahashi, NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL, and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada vs. SANADA.

    – NJPW posted a video breaking down their biggest upcoming events of 2018. Check it out here:

  • Ric Flair & Hulk Hogan Set For Appearance, Hogan Looking Ripped (Photo)

    Ric Flair & Hulk Hogan Set For Appearance, Hogan Looking Ripped (Photo)

    – WWE Hall Of Famers Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair are set for a one-night only Q&A session as well as a meet and greet at The Hard Rock Cafe in Tampa, Florida. It all goes down on Saturday, February 10th at 10PM local time. You can see ticketing information buy clicking here.

    – We’ve noted that Hogan recently appeared with fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Sting at the Ace Comic Con event in Arizona this week. Hogan posted a picture from the event in which he’s looking to be in great shape. He even teased that he’s willing to compare his physique with anyone in the WWE locker room today:

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

  • The Young Bucks & UFC Champ Daniel Cormier Call A Truce

    The Young Bucks & UFC Champ Daniel Cormier Call A Truce

    UFC light heavyweight champion and The Young Bucks have not been on good terms for the past several weeks, but it looks like the two sides have buried the hatchet. “DC” is a huge fan of professional wrestling and took issue with The Young Bucks dropkick spot at last month’s Ring Of Honor (ROH) pay-per-view (PPV). Here’s how it all started:

    Cormier’s comments went so viral that it drew a heated exchange with Cody Rhodes on Twitter:

    In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani Cormier dove a little more in depth on his issue with The Young Bucks (quotes via MMA Fighting):

    “I’ve always loved it. Right now I’m not watching as much anymore because these guys kinda pissed me off a little bit,” Cormier said. “They turned me off to the whole thing. I’m like, what is wrong with these dudes? Everybody’s not going to like everything you do. Just so happens that I’m a professional wrestling fan that has a bit of a following himself. The wrestlers themselves said some stuff, and I was like, ‘Well, first off, calm down, because you know [*Cormier smacks his hand*]. Calm down. Initially, just calm down, because [*Cormier smacks his hand again*] — you and you and you, all of you together.’

    “Anyways, ‘Calm down. But secondly, you can’t dictate to people.’ And what really got me — what really got me was when a guy told me, he called me a charisma vacuum, meaning that I guess when I get on TV, it’s [*Cormier makes vacuum sound*] everybody turns off. Some guy on the internet. And then he goes, ‘You better go to the Performance Institute, or whatever it’s called, because Cody Rhodes will whip you. He’s a two-time state wrestling champion.’”

    Cormier, The Young Bucks, and former UFC heavyweight champion/AXS TV commentator Josh Barnett hashed it all out in another Twitter exchange, which led to Cormier and the Bucks burying the hatchet (NOTE: Matt & Nick deleted some of their Tweets so they have been replaced with text and time stamps):

    “Haha trying to start your own angle. You must be a fan of Jim Cornette.”

    — The Young Bucks (@NickJacksonYB) January 15, 2018

    “The one that pays me 7 figures is a fake job?! Hahahaha.”

    — The Young Bucks (@NickJacksonYB) January 15, 2018

    “That seems kinda like a threat?”

    — The Young Bucks (@MattJackson13) January 16, 2018

    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/953122602603528192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    https://twitter.com/NickJacksonYB/status/953377670741372928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • AJ Styles Uses The Stone Cold Stunner (Video), Bayley Tries To Impress Elias (Video)

    AJ Styles Uses The Stone Cold Stunner (Video), Bayley Tries To Impress Elias (Video)

    – Following yesterday’s WWE TV tapings in Laredo, Texas the dark match main event was a KFC Colonel Rumble match between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Rusev. Styles picked up the win by hitting Rusev with a Stone Cold Stunner. Footage from the match is likely to be used in an upcoming KFC commercial. Here’s the finish:

    – WWE posted the following video of Bayley trying to impress her Mixed Match Challenge partner, Elias, with her guitar skills. Elias wasn’t impressed to say the least. Elias and Bayley will be taking on the team of Rusev and Lana in week five of the tournament:

  • Kevin Owens Reveals What Vince McMahon Was Saying Before The Headbutt

    Kevin Owens Reveals What Vince McMahon Was Saying Before The Headbutt

    This past September Kevin Owens and Vince McMahon put on one of the best segments of 2017 when “KO” attacked “The Chairman Of The Board” on SmackDown Live. Just after McMahon granted Owens a Hell In A Cell match with his son, Shane, Owens headbutted Vince as they shook hands. He also hit him with a superkick before finishing things off with a frog splash.

    McMahon was busted open on his forehead and it added to how personal the rivalry between Shane and Owens had been getting over the weeks. Recently, “KO” and Sami Zayn joined Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho, to talk about their run together on SmackDown Live. Owens was asked about his segment with McMahon and busting him open with the headbutt.

    Owens revealed that McMahon was actually talking a ton of trash during their handshake as they lowered their microphones, as he colorfully told Owens not to hold anything back on him:

    “And then he starts talking so much s**t. If you can read his lips, I was legitimately taken aback by it. So many swear words. People always ask me later, what was he saying when the mics were down? Was he telling you to make sure to get him good?….In a way, but not in those words…”

    Here’s the moment Owens headbutted McMahon:

    You can listen to Owens and Zayn on Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.

  • Update On Jericho’s WWE Status After Being Announced For RAW 25

    Update On Jericho’s WWE Status After Being Announced For RAW 25

    Last night during Monday Night RAW WWE announced that Chris Jericho would be appearing at next week’s 25th Anniversary special for RAW in New York. The event will be a special simulcast event from both the Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

    Wrestling Observer Radio reports that WWE made this announcement without a deal being in place to have Jericho appear, however, it was noted that he is likely to appear but WWE simply made the announcement prematurely. If a deal hasn’t already been made, Dave Meltzer noted that it could be signed today. Jericho has been doing great work over in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) as of late, including a tremendous rivalry with Kenny Omega that cultivated into a beautiful match at Wrestle Kingdom 12.

    Jericho has been expected to appear on RAW 25 for the past several months now, and it’s believed he could return to Japan to work a match with Tetsuya Naito at NJPW’s March 25th event from Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8PwgK2bOpE

  • Sting & Hulk Hogan Reunite (Photos), Rollins Comments On The Return Of His Stomp

    Sting & Hulk Hogan Reunite (Photos), Rollins Comments On The Return Of His Stomp

    – WWE Hall of Famers and former rivals Sting and Hulk Hogan reunited on Monday at the Ace Comic Con event in Glendale, Arizona. Both Sting and Hogan tweeted photos of them together.

    – Also last night saw the return of Seth Rollins’ old friend, the Curb Stomp, on Monday Night RAW. Rollins used the move to defeat Finn Balor in the night’s main event and took to Twitter to react to bringing back the maneuver:

  • United States Title Tournament Finals Bumped From Royal Rumble Card

    United States Title Tournament Finals Bumped From Royal Rumble Card

    On tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live the semi-finals for the United States Title Tournament will take place with two matches. First, Xavier Woods will go one-on-one with former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. Second, Mojo Rawley will meet former NXT Champion Bobby Roode. The winners of those respective matches were originally slated to meet for the vacant United States Title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) in two weeks.

    WWE.com has announced that is no longer the case, as instead the finals will be taking place on the go-home episode of SmackDown Live on January 23rd from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC before the Rumble instead. There is some speculation going around that the winner of the tournament will face Dolph Ziggler at the Royal Rumble to crown the true United States Champion, as Ziggler seemingly vacated the strap after walking out on WWE in a storyline several weeks ago.

    The Royal Rumble will go down live on PPV from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 28th.

  • Update On EC3 & Lashley To WWE, 3 Matches For SmackDown

    Update On EC3 & Lashley To WWE, 3 Matches For SmackDown

    – Bobby Lashley and EC3 are done with IMPACT Wrestling after this past weekend’s TV tapings in Orlando. EC3 previously worked in WWE under the name Derrick Bateman and has a good shot at returning to the company.

    PWInsider reports that there is “absolutely WWE interest” in EC3 returning. As for Lashley, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline reports that the door is still open for him to return to WWE after initially leaving WWE for undisclosed reasons.

    – There have been three matches confirmed for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live. A US Title Tournament match-up between Bobby Roode & Mojo Rawley, as well as Xavier Woods vs. Jinder Mahal will go down.

    The winners of those respective matches will face off for the vacant title at the Royal Rumble on January 28th. A Six-Woman Tag Team match between the teams of Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Charlotte Flair vs. The Riott Squad has also been confirmed.

  • Mick Foley Gives His Picks For The Men’s & Women’s Royal Rumble Matches

    Mick Foley Gives His Picks For The Men’s & Women’s Royal Rumble Matches

    WWE Hall Of Famer, former WWE Champion, and former Monday Night RAW General Manager Mick Foley recently did an interview with The Mirror to help promote next week’s special RAW 25th Anniversary episode on USA Network. Foley was first asked to give his predictions for both the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches:

    “This is a historic rumble, right? The first women’s Royal Rumble, that’s an amazing announcement. I’m picking Becky Lynch to win the women’s Royal Rumble. She is just riding a real wave of momentum. The men’s rumble, you don’t know if it’s going to be one of the really big guys, or one of those guys who has been around for a long time. I’m going with Sheamus. I’m a big fan of The Bar. They’re a team, they are going to help each other and one of them will sacrifice themselves for the other. I’ll say Sheamus.”

    Despite being away from the company Foley is an avid viewer of WWE programming as he frequently comments on the product via Twitter. Foley was asked who he likes to watch on Monday Night RAW nowadays:

    “Yeah, I’m not as vocal as I was, largely because my son [Dewey Foley] works in creative and as a dad I should leave him alone to do his thing! It’s funny, there are different people who strike me for different reasons. I really get a kick out of Gulak these days. I wanted to do a whole New Year’s article about different people who strike me in different ways. I really like The Bar and what they bring to the show every week.

    “A guy came up to me in an airport, I thought he wanted to start a row, he said ‘I’ll tell you what’s wrong with Raw…’ I said ‘what’s that?’ and he goes ‘you can’t have a three-hour show without The Miz’. Ha ha. The Miz has been away for a little bit and sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. He is like the glue that helps keeps the entire thing going because he is so entertaining. But in the meantime, guys like Elias have stepped up, the Miztourage are hugely entertaining and there is great wrestling every week on Raw.”

    Foley then was asked whether or not he’ll be at RAW 25 himself. He admitted that he has been invited but is trying to free up time for the appearance as he has already committed to a previous appearance beforehand:

    “I’ve been invited, I’m trying to clear out time from something I had already committed to. Whether I’m there in person or not, I believe I will be there in spirit. This show literally changed my life. It was such a big part of my life. Not just from the time I was on it. I’m almost always watching on Monday night with my children, so it has been a big part of my life, whether I’m on the show or not.”

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

  • Brandi Rhodes Compares Wrestle Kingdom & WrestleMania

    Brandi Rhodes Compares Wrestle Kingdom & WrestleMania

    Brandi Rhodes recently spoke to Ring Rust Radio to promote WAGS Atlanta, which she’ll be staring on this season. Rhodes discussed several professional wrestling topics during her appearance, including making the transition from professional wrestling to working on the set of WAGS. Brandi also compared the importance of Wrestle Kingdom and WrestleMania, two mega-shows that she has had the pleasure of being apart of.

    She also was asked if she and Cody have been contacted by WWE due to their newfound success outside of the company. You can check out the highlights from her appearance here below:

    On Wednesday, January 17 at 10 p.m., you make your debut on E! Network’s hit show WAGS Atlanta. How were you initially approached with this project and what can wrestling fans expect from you on the show?

    “I was actually just sought out randomly. They got in touch with my management about a Skype interview to be considered for the show which to me, I thought a Skype interview, they must be in the very early stages of casting for this. So, I thought this was cool, sure no problem. I did my Skype interview with the casting it went well and then a week later had a contract sent to me, so clearly they were not in the beginning stages of casting, they were at the end stages of casting and they just needed one more person. So that’s how I ended up being that ninth girl.”

    After spending so much time in wrestling, how has the transition to working on the set of WAGS Atlanta been and have you enjoyed the experience?

    “Working on WAGS is obviously very different than working on wrestling television. It’s very different in the way that there is not nearly as much to do for WAGS. More of it was just kind of being my natural self. We go to different places and have different situations and we talk about different things. However, it’s very much just me being me and offering my opinions and things like that. They are very, very different, but it’s nice to have something different to kind of break up the norm of what I’m used to doing on television.

    “It was a lot of fun to get to film some different scenes and try different things out. I would say the most fun that I had is the things I got to do with Cody. We were just are usual selves and people got a chance to see how we are and it was just a lot of fun for sure.”

    You were primarily utilized as a ring announcer and backstage interviewer in WWE, but now that you’re wrestling and also managing Cody, how do you believe those experiences in WWE helped prepare you for what you’re doing now?

    “That’s a really good question nobody’s asked me that yet so kudos to you. The one thing that makes this, I don’t want to say easier because the learning curve is huge and I’m still making my way here. I would say watching from ringside for so many years and seeing so many different things and watching all these different stories play out, I understand what you want to see. That doesn’t mean I can do it always or accurately, however I understand what people want to see and understand what needs to happen where and when. A lot of people, you would be shocked, this isn’t the most natural thing to understand but it’s one of those things that has helped me so much.

    “As far as putting matches together, when someone starts to say something I would say, you wouldn’t want to do that because it doesn’t make sense and then they go, ‘Oh yeah, you’re right, how did you know that?’ Then I tell I’ve been watching for so long. I just know if it doesn’t fit or it’s out of place, I remember sitting at ringside and looking at the person sitting next to me saying, ‘What?’ It’s just helped to kind of ingrain in my mind what things should look like for a fan and what just make sense.”

    Your performance with Cody at Wrestle Kingdom 12 was my favorite that I’ve seen from you two, and you both have nailed your characters. Are you mapping out most of what you do beforehand, or is most of it ad-libbed in front of the fans?

    “This sport is such a roller coaster. For me personally, I feed off of the energy around me. So if everybody wants something and they are yelling and they are cheering or they like something or they do not like it and they hate it, I totally go off with that. So with that being said, everything of course is not planned. I was the one that started laughing after the thing that happened with Ibushi. It just felt natural like I should laugh, I got him and I should laugh so of course he started laughing and it was great.

    “It was awesome and everybody got it at that point. Still I am very new to things so a lot of times if there is the opportunity to ask a question then I’m going to. It’s something that I’m seeing it as oh ok this make sense to me but maybe it doesn’t make sense to somebody else so I should run it by someone else. It’s really of those natural organic moments where you just know what you should do.”

    You were there first hand as the WWE’s women’s revolution kicked into high gear. Now that you are part of Ring of Honor’s Women of Honor championship tournament, how do you feel about the state of women’s wrestling and do you believe you can win the tournament?

    “One thing I know to be true is you should never put yourself in anything you don’t think you can win. You might as well be an idiot if you enter contests thinking I don’t think I can win but I’m going to try! Women’s wrestling is absolutely at its peak right now. It’s at the top of its game and is getting so much attention and so many eyes and it should be. Women are stepping up, they are performing, they are showing that we are athletes as well and we deserve the attention we are getting.

    “This is an incredible time to be part of a women’s division, any women’s division really because they’re so solid. The girls are really good and really different and that’s great. I don’t think we have anywhere in wrestling right now two of the same girls trying to be the same girl if that makes any sense. It is just so unique and everyone is soaring right now. It’s great and it’s a positive thing and I hope that it keeps growing and who knows what heights were going to get to?”

    Many in the wrestling business say nothing can compare to the enormity of WrestleMania, but Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome may be the closest thing. Having been part of both, how would you say Wrestle Kingdom compares to WrestleMania in terms of scale and importance?

    “For me it’s kind of an unfair question because I was in two very different roles for each of those. Naturally for me, Wrestle Kingdom had this vastness that the other didn’t because my role was so different. I’m very proud to have been part of Wrestle Kingdom and it never dawned on me the entire time I was out there that almost 40,000 people were out there too. It was just a live in the moment, enjoy what I’m doing type of thing. I don’t add a lot of pressure or take away pressure based on crowds.

    “I am the same amount nervous at Center Stage in Atlanta that I am at the Tokyo Dome in Wrestle Kingdom. It’s all the same to me. The level of performance is the same, the amount that I want to do well is the exact same, and after it’s really cool to get to see what the feedback was socially insane and see how many people watched and how many people enjoyed the show. That’s the biggest difference show is that I would say between the two shows is how much people interact because it’s so much bigger. Really, for me Wrestle Kingdom was the greatest thing I’ve achieved so far.”

    With how successful you and Cody have been around the world in wrestling, and now expanding further into mainstream entertainment with WAGS Atlanta, has WWE contacted you about returning and is that something you would consider?

    “Wow, what a question. All I can say is that we are doing really well with everything that we are doing and we are very happy on this path that we are on and we are happy for every success everyone is having in wrestling right now. I think that everything is continuing to grow were continuing to grow to sky’s the limit.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=860IS2uiZwU

    You can listen to Rhodes’ interview on Ring Rust Radio by clicking here.

  • WWE Signs Indian Kickboxer & Actor Saurav Gurjar

    WWE Signs Indian Kickboxer & Actor Saurav Gurjar

    The WWE continues to fill their performance center with Superstars of the future. Per a report from The Times Of India, WWE has signed  33-year-old Indian kickboxer-turned-actor Saurav Gurjar to a developmental deal.

    WWE bills Gurjar as 6-foot-8 and 298 pounds, and he took part in a four-day invitation-only tryout in Dubai last April that featured 33 male and female athletes from 18 different countries. Gurjar is a former Haryana State Boxing Champion before he became an actor, and is best known for his portrayal of  “Bheem” in the Hindi-language mythological TV drama Mahabharat in 2013.

    Gurjar has some professional wrestling experience as he competed for a television-based promotion backed by IMPACT Wrestling in India know as Ring Ka King back in January of 2012. He teamed up with Abyss, Magnus, Scott Steiner, and Sonjay Dutt to take on the team of Matt Morgan, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and other talents. He also worked a match with luchador Puma in one-on-one competition.

    Here’s what Gurjar had to tell The Times Of India about joining WWE:

    “It had been a dream of mine since childhood to be a WWE wrestler. I am from the Chambal valley, where kids usually have two options — to join politics or the sand mafia. But I always wanted to be a professional wrestler. Everything that happened in between — sports, acting — was by chance.

    “My father is a farmer and we didn’t have a TV growing up so I would watch wrestling fights at my neighbor’s place. I grew up watching people like The Undertaker, Kane, and The Rock,” Gurjar said. “Kane was someone I idolized and I can’t wait to meet him. Although I’m sure if he walks up to me in the ring, I would be too stunned to say or do anything.

    “My goal, my zidd is simple — I want to be the WWE Heavyweight Champion. It might take time but I will get there eventually,” Gurjar declares.

    You can read Gurjar’s full interview with The Times Of India by clicking here.

  • Bobby Roode Tries To “Woo!” (Video), Chris Jericho Trades Words With Naito

    Bobby Roode Tries To “Woo!” (Video), Chris Jericho Trades Words With Naito

    – SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair hit the gym with her Mixed Match Challenge partner Bobby Roode to work on some cardio. Roode tried to hit a couple of “Woo’s” during the session but Flair did not approve. She ended the video by showing him how it’s done. Check it out here:

    – With rumors circulating around that Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito could go down at NJPW’s USA: Strong Style Evolved event in Long Beach, California at the Walter Pyramid on March 25th, “Y2J” and Naito recently got into a short exchange on Twitter in Spanish:

  • The Rock & Hulk Hogan’s Status For RAW 25

    The Rock & Hulk Hogan’s Status For RAW 25

    The 25th Anniversary special of Monday Night RAW is a week away and WWE is trying to make it as big as possible. Names such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, and many more have already been named. Two big names that haven’t been named yet, however, are former WWE Champions The Rock and Hulk Hogan.

    PWInsider is reporting that if The Rock’s schedule is open then he will be at the show. Oftentimes, however, it’s hard for The Rock to leave the set of a movie or television to go and make an appearance for WWE. As for Hulk Hogan it’s still up in the air what kind of relationship he has with the company after his sex tape and leaked racial comments became public.

    It has been rumored for a long time that the company wants to bring Hogan back but WWE officials are concerned with how sponsors would react to the move. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…..

  • Jake Roberts Reveals His Current Status With WWE

    Jake Roberts Reveals His Current Status With WWE

    WWE Hall Of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts was recently interviewed by CBC News to discuss several professional wrestling topics. Roberts was first asked about breaking new ground in wrestling and continuing to learn within the business. He admitted it’s scary breaking new ground in the industry but the key is to continue to try and get better:

    “It’s kind of scary breaking new ground. It’s kinda scary trying things that haven’t been tried. You don’t know if you’re going to come out on the upside or the downside of it. They remember the bad nights, they don’t remember all the good ones. If you have a ‘stinkaroo’ of a match, man, people remember that, so you don’t want to have one of those, you know, and you go out there and give it your best nightly.

    “The nights you come up short should drive you to be better. That’s the key — always try to get better. The day that you go to the ring and say you didn’t learn anything, then it’s time for you to take your tights off, put them in a pile, squirt them with some lighter fluid and then burn them, because if you quit learning, then you’re not trying.”

    Roberts also revealed that some talents still contact him and ask him for advice. He’s asked to watch several talents’ matches and offer them pointers afterwards:

    “These guys are very open to listening to what I have to say. Several of them come to me nightly and say ‘Hey, will you watch my match and give me some pointers?’ And that makes me feel really good, and I love helping them because I want the product to be the best that it can be. I want these guys to enjoy what they’re doing, so I try to teach them a little bit, you know, give them some of the knowledge that was given to me many years ago. That’s my duty, that’s my pleasure, that’s my dream.”

    When asked about his current status with WWE Roberts said that he has no idea what the company is doing, but if they decide they’d like to get in contact with him they could always call:

    “I have no idea what those guys are doing. If they decide they want me, they’ll call me.”

    You can ready Roberts’ full interview with CBC News by clicking this link here.

  • New “Woken” Matt Hardy Video, The Crash To Hold Show In US

    New “Woken” Matt Hardy Video, The Crash To Hold Show In US

    – “Woken” Matt Hardy posted a new video on his YouTube channel entitled “DELETE your STUPOR.” You can check it out here:

    – Wrestling promotion The Crash has announced that they will be holding a show in the US sometime this year, as they usually run their shows in Mexico. There has been no date or location given for the show as of this writing. In the picture posted by The Crash former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio is featured:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd6BiZ7jxL5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_legacy

  • Reported Possible Reason Triple H & Ronda Rousey Were Having Dinner

    Reported Possible Reason Triple H & Ronda Rousey Were Having Dinner

    As we’ve reported last week, WWE COO Triple H and ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, along with her agent, were having dinner in Los Angeles Tuesday night. Both Rousey and Triple H were asked about what was discussed in the meeting but nothing was said.

    Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it’s believed this was a planted story by WWE. It’s possible the company wanted major news outlets such as TMZ to pick up the story to build-up hype around Rousey’s future WWE debut. Meltzer revealed this is something that occasionally happens between TMZ and WWE, and stated if WWE truly wanted to keep things a secret they wouldn’t have held the dinner in a public restaurant.

    They also wouldn’t have shot angles with Rousey at the Mae Young Classic last summer if the two sides hadn’t already come to an understanding. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…..

  • Jason Jordan Misses Friday’s WWE Live Event, The Reason Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair Were Paired Together For MMC

    Jason Jordan Misses Friday’s WWE Live Event, The Reason Bobby Roode & Charlotte Flair Were Paired Together For MMC

    – Jason Jordan was advertised to defend he and Seth Rollins’ RAW Tag Team Titles against Sheamus and Cesaro at a WWE live event from Amarillo, Texas this past Friday, but the son of WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle did not appear. The match never took place and Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins instead defeated The Miz, Curtis Axel, and Bo Dallas in a 2-on-3 Handicap match.

    – Early last week it was announced that former NXT Champion Bobby Roode and SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair would be teaming up for the Mixed Match Challenge this week. It will air after SmackDown Live on Facebook Watch over the next several weeks. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE paired the two up so they could be called “The Robe Warriors.”

  • Paige’s In-Ring Career Reportedly Over

    Paige’s In-Ring Career Reportedly Over

    Last month at a WWE live event former WWE Divas Champion Paige took a hard kick to the back from Sasha Banks in Six-Woman Tag Team match that caused what was originally believed to be a mild stinger. She was stretchered out from the ring but was able to leave the arena under her own power. Now PWInsider is reporting that, in a situation similar to what happened to WWE Hall Of Famer Edge, WWE will not be clearing Paige to return to the ring, thus ending her wrestling career with the company.

    It is said that Paige is well liked amongst WWE management so they will retain her in an non-physical role for the company going forward. It’s been a rough few years for Paige, as a pair of Wellness Policy violations, her leaked personal pictures and videos, and a neck surgery halted her in-ring abilities for several months. She returned to WWE TV this past November and introduced NXT call-ups Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville to form her Absolution faction.

    After competing in professional wrestling since the age of 13, however, her days as an active competitor for WWE have come to an end. Although her career in WWE is done at just 25-years-old, Paige has accomplished so much at such a young age within the company. After becoming the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion of all time, Paige would defeat AJ Lee the night after WrestleMania 30 in her main roster debut to become the Divas Champion. She retires a two-time Divas Champion, the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion, and one of the key pioneers in the Women’s Revolution.

  • Does John Cena Want To Join The Bullet Club?

    Does John Cena Want To Join The Bullet Club?

    During a recent Q&A session John Cena was asked by a fan if he’d like to join The Bullet Club over in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). Cena responded by saying he doesn’t think they’d have him since it’s “a pretty elite club,” while referencing the movie “Major League.” Check out the video here:

    https://twitter.com/KiingDeno/status/951511952127279104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fjohn-cena-comments-like-join-bullet-club-young-bucks-respond%2F

    Bullet Club member Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks took to Twitter to respond to Cena’s comments, and said The Bullet Club would love to have “The Leader Of The Cenation” in the group:

    https://twitter.com/NickJacksonYB/status/951578639958593536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fjohn-cena-comments-like-join-bullet-club-young-bucks-respond%2F

    Aside from teasing to join The Bullet Club, Cena has much bigger fish to fry as rumors suggest he will be facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania 34 this year. The Wrestling Observer reports that a Cena vs. Taker match could begin to build-up as soon as this month’s 25th Anniversary special episode of Monday Night RAW. While some fans think this match should’ve happened years ago, it will still be on of the highest-profile matches on the card this year.