The new WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has reflected on this past weekend’s WrestleMania 36 event. Following his championship victory over Brock Lesnar, McIntyre spoke with the BBC. He shared his thoughts on the final show, in particular the unique Boneyard and Firefly Fun House matchups.

McIntyre shared how he was glad that WWE ultimately decided to deliver WrestleMania 36 despite coronavirus concerns. He admitted that his experience winning the title in front of zero fans made him realize that the fans are what “makes wrestling.” McIntyre joked how the matches had a similar appearance to a video game tutorial mode for a wrestling video game. He then added how the cinematic matches were “brilliant”:

“They were the most cheesy, corny, B-Movie stuff you could ask for,” McIntyre said. “It was funny and completely unrealistic – and that’s what wrestling is all about!

Drew McIntyre confessed that, although it had been a weird weekend, he believes it was an event worth staying up for.

WrestleMania 36’s Cinematic Matchups

The Undertaker faced off against AJ Styles in a Boneyard match. Their cinematic clash headlined Night One of WrestleMania 36. The Undertaker would walk away victorious, having buried Styles in a burial plot.

Night Two of WrestleMania 36 saw John Cena return to face “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. They met in a Firefly Fun House match. Their bout was a much more psychological affair, with Wyatt forcing Cena to relive key moments of his career as the two not only fought physically but mentally for the win. Wyatt would eventually pin Cena.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has commented on Drew McIntyre’s historic championship victory. McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar this past Sunday night to claim the WWE Championship. He is the first British Superstar to have claimed the company’s top prize. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Angle praised McIntyre’s win, referring to him as a “breath of fresh air for WWE.”

“We finally have somebody new in the main event, and that’s Drew McIntyre,” Kurt Angle shared. “He is the breath of fresh air for WWE. Now you don’t need to continuously keep going back to Roman, Cena, and Brock. Drew is the new guy, and he needs to excel this year.”

Kurt Angle On WrestleMania 36

In a separate tweet, Kurt Angle also congratulated those involved with producing WrestleMania’s two-day event. Originally scheduled to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium, the coronavirus pandemic forced WWE to relocate and pre-record the show. They also extended it to two nights.

Kurt Angle pointed to all the WWE Superstars, referees, writers, producers, and directors who contributed towards delivering WrestleMania 36 to the WWE Universe. He stated that the event was very entertaining and hoped that everyone enjoyed the efforts put in to help distract the WWE Universe during such a tumultuous, unsure time.

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash has shared his thoughts on WWE’s historic two-night WrestleMania event. The “Show of Shows” was forced to relocate from Raymond James Stadium to the WWE Performance Center due to the coronavirus outbreak. This decision forced Superstars to perform in front of zero fans, with WrestleMania itself being pre-recorded. Despite these setbacks, “Big Sexy” had high praise for WWE and the Superstars that took part.

Taking to Twitter, Nash shared how much he had enjoyed Night One of WrestleMania 36. He noted how it’s challenging to work in front of an empty arena. He highlighted the Triple Threat Ladder Match, stating how it’s tough to take those kinds of bumps with no one in attendance. Nash also praised The Undertaker and AJ Styles for their unique, cinematic Boneyard Match before congratulating Braun Strowman for his WWE Universal Championship victory—a win Nash called “well deserved.”

Kevin Nash On Night Two Of WrestleMania 36

Tuning in for Night Two of WrestleMania, Nash was thrilled to see the nWo referenced during the Firefly Fun House matchup. This match took place between John Cena and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. Nash thanked both men for the nWo love, admitting it made him smile. “If we had those two gentlemen wearing the colors I might be heading back to the ring in some capacity. Sorry but this is 4 real and 4 life.”

Nash also congratulated the new WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. He stated how it’s a “well earned” victory. He also praised Brock Lesnar, selling the moment and pointing out Lesnar’s professionalism, “A pros pro.”

Reflecting on the weekend, Nash stressed how WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment. He added how he was successfully entertained. Nash shared how he was immersed with ‘Mania and distracted from the news of the coronavirus pandemic. He ended his notes, thanking WWE for “going beyond what every other product has. Delivered!!!”

Becky Lynch successfully defended her WWE RAW Women’s Championship this past Saturday during Night One of WrestleMania 36. “The Man” was able to outwrestle her opponent, Shayna Baszler, securing a pinfall victory.

Their WrestleMania clash was the culmination of an intense rivalry between the two Superstars. Despite Becky Lynch managing to defeat Baszler, it appears as though the feud between the two is far from over. According to Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE intends to keep their rivalry going.

The manner in which Lynch won was allegedly done in order to keep Baszler protected. Lynch was able to reverse Baszler’s Kirifuda submission hold into a successful pin.

Shayna Baszler Reflects On Her Loss To Becky Lynch

WWE shared a post-WrestleMania interview with Baszler during last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW.

Addressing her loss, a frustrated Baszler indicated that she isn’t finished with Lynch. “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” she said. “The thrill of victory and, for you, Becky, I promise you, the agony of my defeat.”

With Becky Lynch clearly aware of Baszler’s anger over the finish of their matchup, WWE may not delay in having the two Superstars collide in the near future. 

Nia Jax made her return to WWE during last night’s post-WrestleMania episode of Monday Night RAW. She defeated NXT Superstar Deonna Purrazzo, utilizing a specific move on her warpath to victory. That move was former WWE Superstar Paige’s finishing move, the RamPaige. According to Paige, however, she was more than happy for her friend to adopt her former signature move.

After Jax’s match, Paige took to Twitter to share her joy at her friend’s triumphant return. She stressed how wrestlers should never use another person’s finisher unless they have permission. Paige then revealed she gave Jax full permission to start using the RamPaige, noting how she “killed it” during her return.

“You never use another persons finishing move unless it is given to you. I gave it to @NiaJaxWWE and she just killed it. I have chills. Proud moment [red heart emoji] @WWE”.

Nia Jax soon responded to Paige. She noted that it’s an honor for her to have been gifted the RamPaige as a new move in her offensive arsenal.

Jax had been away from in-ring action since April 2019 after having to undergo double knee surgery. Her return has seen her go right back to her dominant ways, perhaps leading Jax towards eventual championship contention.

This past Sunday night, Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar to claim the WWE Championship. Their match headlined Night Two of WrestleMania 36, which took place from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

His historic victory makes McIntyre the first-ever British WWE Champion, and it’s something he wants to celebrate and share with fans in the United Kingdom.

Drew McIntyre On A Homecoming Tour

Speaking with the BBC, Drew McIntyre detailed his intentions to headline shows in the UK. He would love to tour the country in an open-top bus, celebrating his win and, no doubt, reveling in a hero’s return. Most notably, he stressed he wanted to help convince WWE to host a pay-per-view in the UK.

“When everything starts resuming back to normal and I get the chance to come back to the UK, I want to bring this title back,” McIntyre explained. “I want to get an open top bus and drive from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England and just promote WWE like crazy. I’m going to make it happen. I made this happen – becoming the first-ever British champion – so I’ll make the pay-per-view happen too.”

WWE hasn’t hosted a major pay-per-view event in the United Kingdom since 1992’s SummerSlam. That show was headlined by The British Bulldog and Bret Hart. The British Bulldog would emerge victorious, claiming Hart’s WWE Intercontinental Championship in front of a hometown crowd.

A new WWE Network special looking at Edge’s return to the ring will premiere this weekend.

WWE 24: Edge: The Second Mountain will air Sunday night, April 5th immediately following the conclusion of WrestleMania 36 (Night 2).

The documentary will apparently give the WWE Universe an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Edge’s triumphant return to in-ring action. “The Rated R Superstar” made a comeback to WWE at January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. He was the 21st entrant in the 30-man Royal Rumble matchup. The matchup was eventually won by Drew McIntyre.

Here is the official trailer for WWE 24: Edge: The Second Mountain:

Edge’s Retirement, WrestleMania Feud

Edge was unfortunately forced to retire back in 2011. He had been diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis. This led him to retire from pro wrestling and pursue a new career in acting.

Following his return at Royal Rumble, Edge has been involved in a personal grudge match with his former Rated RKO teammate, Randy Orton. The two will clash at this weekend’s WrestleMania 36 weekender in a Last Man Standing matchup.

The show, originally intended to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, will now take place on April 4 and 5. It has been pre-recorded from multiple locations out of concern of the current coronavirus pandemic.

All Elite Wrestling’s Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes recently joined Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards on AEW’s official podcast, Unrestricted. During their conversation, Brandi addressed her detractors and what it’s like to personally anticipate a negative backlash.

Acknowledging that there are those who are critical of her because her husband is AEW’s Executive Vice President Cody, Brandi said:

“I mean the the only hesitation that I ever had was the hesitation that a lot of women are made to have positions like this” Brandi began. “Which is that people would say, ‘well, the only reason you’re doing this job is because of who you’re married to.'”

She continued, “Sure, it is tough being married to your business partner? You know, more so in the creative element than in the business sense. We’re very like minded, we both are very organised. We annoy people because we show up dressed up!”

Brandi Rhodes On Backlash

Brandi Rhodes confessed that she has seen negative comments regarding her position within AEW and her relationship with Cody. She admitted that it’s difficult to want something for yourself knowing there may be a backlash for pursuing or accepting an opportunity.

She also spoke about she is enjoying her current on-screen role. Having left the Nightmare Collective behind, Brandi Rhodes has since been managing the Natural Nightmares, Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall. 

During Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Triple H was asked what he might be doing had he never met or married Stephanie McMahon. He explained how he’s always had a fascination with how things work behind-the-scenes, regardless of his relationship with Stephanie. He noted that this interest is how he first started working with Vince McMahon. According to him, they started working together during the beginning of the Attitude Era.

“I had never even met Steph at that point,” Triple H explained. “He and I were working creatively when a bunch of writers left us and Vince was kind of doing everything solo. He kind of tagged me in to help him in a manner and riff ideas off and bounce ideas off of and then I started sitting in production meetings and it became more and more my involvement.”

“The Game” continued, “Even for stuff that had zero to do with me, which I tended to prefer. I didn’t like to weigh on the stuff that had to do with me nearly as much because I felt like it was wrong to do and your vision can get warped in that but to weigh in on other people’s things and to weigh in on other shows, I was always as fascinated with that side of the business.”

Triple H believes that even if he had never met or married Stephanie McMahon, he would still be involved in behind-the-scenes activity. He noted how his relationship with her is the best thing that ever happened to him.

However, from a business perspective, “I like to think I’d be doing the same thing because of the relationship that I had with Vince and the creative relationship that we had long before any of that.”

New WWE signing Rob Gronkowski has opened up about signing with the company in a recent interview with Newshub. Looking back to his time in the NFL, Gronkowski shared how those experiences helped prepare him for WWE.

“Playing football in the NFL and being around the best of the best has definitely prepared me for WrestleMania. You can’t just walk out on the field and expect to be ready to compete – you have to practice, work out and know your plays.”

Gronkowski continued, “It’s the same thing for WrestleMania. I can’t expect to go out there, and jump off the top rope or cut a promo. Everything is about practice and that’s what I’ve taken from my time in the NFL. If you want to be great in any industry, you have to do the work and prepare. In the time I have been with WWE, I can see the superstars are the same way and they want it just as bad.”

The former NFL player shared how it’s an honor to be a part of WWE and experience the atmosphere he grew up watching. He added how working with his friend Mojo Rawley is a dream come true for him. Rob Gronkowski made his WWE television debut as a talent on the March 20 episode of SmackDown.

Rob Gronkowski will serve as Host for this weekend’s WrestleMania 36. The pre-recorded event will air on the WWE Network on April 4 and April 5.

Edge has acknowledged Drew McIntyre’s recent comments where he stated Edge’s Last Man Standing matchup should headline a night of WrestleMania 36. Talking with USA Today, Edge opened up about his intentions for the match, sharing that he wants to make sure it’s difficult to follow.

“My mindset is our match is going to be tough to follow. It really is, and that’s what my job is, is to make it tough to follow,” Edge explained. “So if you want to put it on in the middle, if you want to put it on in the beginning, good luck following it.”

Edge explained that their match placement doesn’t bother him. Instead, it’s all about delivering the best story possible, especially as it’s his first singles match in 9 years. “The Rated R Superstar” was sadly forced to retire back in 2011 before his return at this January’s Royal Rumble event.

“If it’s on last, great, but that doesn’t change my mindset going into it. My mindset is to continue to tell this story, and for my first singles match back in nine years, I want to start this second chapter since coming back at the Royal Rumble, I want to keep that momentum going. I want to show people I’ve taken this craft to a different level than I did it before.”

Edge will compete against Randy Orton this weekend at WrestleMania 36. The “Show of Shows” will air on the WWE Network on April 4 and April 5.

WWE Superstar The Big Show has shared his thoughts on fans who have been critical of Roman Reigns’ decision to pull out of WrestleMania 36. Reigns was set to face Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship. Unfortunately, “The Big Dog” has a lowered immune system after two battles with leukemia. This concern amidst the coronavirus pandemic led him to pull out of their match. Speaking on The Gorilla Position Podcast, Big Show labeled Reigns’ detractors as both ignorant and selfish.

“I think anyone that was to give anyone grief or something like that? It’s really very selfish,” Big Show explained. “[It’s an] almost ignorant point of view. Roman Reigns has had his battles with leukaemia. This is an illness that, you know, own his own he has fought, repressed and got into remission. This guy’s literally got his life in his hands and he’s also got two new kids who are extremely vulnerable.”

The Big Show On Roman Reigns’ Position

Big Show believes Reigns’ decision was a difficult one to make. He added how the only right decision to make in this situation is the one that protects himself and his family. “So you can’t begrudge someone for making that choice. I don’t think there’s not one person out there that wouldn’t have made the same choices as Roman. When you look at the facts, every talent has to weigh, you know, risk reward factor.”

He doesn’t believe this will be much of a set back for Reigns. When he is able to, Big Show thinks Reigns will be ready to get back into the ring and pick up where he left off. He acknowledged how the coronavirus concerns are “bigger than Roman Reigns” and that he understands his decision.

“He has to take the precautions that he thinks are right. I’m proud of him for doing that. That’s the thing about WWE, they’re not going to ask you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with,” Big Show said. “As much as people like to talk trash or portray things of what goes on backstage. I’ve been with Vince McMahon 20 plus years, he’s never asked me to do one thing I’m not comfortable with. Even wearing 40 yards of silk up my butt to wrestle sumo wrestlers, Believe it or not, I was comfortable with that.”

WrestleMania 36 airs this weekend on April 4 and April 5. 

Triple H has teased that Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania story will pan out in a “unique manner.” Reigns recently pulled out of his WrestleMania 36 matchup. He was due to face Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Triple H addressed Reigns’ decision, noting how there are different ways for fans to engage with the pro wrestling industry.

“Well, it’s a funny thing. You know, I think you can watch our business in multiple different ways,” Triple H said. “One of them is the storyline aspect of and [following] the storyline. Another way is the online component of it. And the reality of it behind it, Roman has is his situation and his reasons for doing the things that he’s doing.”

Triple H suggested that there are still plans in place for where Reigns can go from a narrative perspective. He added that he doesn’t want to go into too much detail, as he didn’t want to “give away the ending of the movie.”

He continued, “But I will say from our standpoint and the storyline standpoint, it’s going to play out in a unique manner. And we wanted it to play out that way. And, you know, it’s not necessarily putting me in an awkward position. It’s just me saying I don’t want to give away the ending of the movie before the movie takes place.”

“So I think everybody just has to watch and kind of see how this unfolds. But it will unfold in a unique way. And I think it will be meaningful, you know, for everybody. And again, there’ll always be critics and we’re doing the best we can.”

WrestleMania 36 airs on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.

WWE Hall of Famer Edge will be facing off against Randy Orton during this weekend’s WrestleMania event. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, WrestleMania 36 was set to take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Because of the outbreak, however, WWE was forced to relocate the show. The pre-recorded event now takes place from multiple places, including the WWE Performance Center. In an interview with USA Today, Edge opened up about the venue change and whether it has affected his approach to the match.

“I think we’re at a time where… everything’s so in flux and everything’s so strange right now. I guess if I’m looking at it purely from a performance aspect, you go ‘ahh.’ Because you love being able to be in front of an audience, feed of that, the adrenaline of that and all those things.”

Edge On Rolling With The Current “Normal”

Edge explained how he has been adjusting to this new “normal.” In doing so, he has embraced the challenges it brings and adapted as best he could to deliver in the run-up to his match.

“Then I started looking at ‘OK, well this is where we are. This is normal for now. So what are the challenges here, and how can you adapt and still make a compelling story?'” Edge explained. “I get off on the challenging aspect of it, and that’s how I started looking at it. So if I’m cutting a promo, well now I’m doing theater. I’m doing a monologue to a camera. And that was fun! That lets me explore my acting chops. So that’s how I tried to recalibrate my brain with it.”

Edge clashes with his formed Rated RKO tag team partner Randy Orton this weekend. The two will compete in a Last Man Standing match.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Stephanie McMahon discussed if there was ever doubt WrestleMania 36 would go ahead. The “Show of Shows” has been forced to pivot and change due to the coronavirus pandemic. She stressed how this is an unprecedented time and that WWE was monitoring the situation closely on a day-to-day basis. 

“Ultimately, as brands and leagues and companies are reinventing themselves, it’s important to stay true to your mission,” she explained. “And our mission is to put smiles on people’s faces. We’re a fan-first company, we always want to provide an experience that is worthy of our fans’ passion.”

She continued, “We’re constantly looking at what other leagues are doing, what other providers are doing, assessing the landscape–can we make it as safe as possible? Where can we shoot the content? All of these different factors have come into play. We’re working with local, regional, and global agencies, we’re putting in the best possible testing measures that we can [and] all of the safety precautions that we’re taking to take this very seriously.” 

Stephanie McMahon then noted how their decision to deliver WrestleMania 36 isn’t “bullheaded” stubbornness. According to her, every aspect has been a “thought-through effort” in order to entertain the WWE Universe.

“It won’t feel and look like our biggest show of the year, but certainly from a content standpoint and a match standpoint, we’re trying to deliver.”

Stephanie McMahon Details WWE’s Coronavirus Safety Measures

Stephanie McMahon then her attention to the safety measures WWE has put in place to protect its staff and talent. She stressed how “every performance is voluntary for our performers and crew,” adding that this was a crucially important note to highlight. 

“[…] the Performance Center itself is a closed set. We’re shooting in waves. No one person, regardless of who they are, is allowed to enter if they have a temperature of over 100.4, or if they have been out of the country or been in touch with someone who has been out of the country.” 

She explained how they do “pandemic-level cleaning,” which includes fogging and ultraviolet light. Admitting that could be viewed as overkill, she isn’t concerned as safety is paramount. 

WrestleMania 36 airs on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.

John Morrison has shared how this weekend’s WrestleMania 36 still has a backstage “buzz.” WrestleMania 36 will air this weekend, with the entire card taking place in front of zero fans due to coronavirus concerns.

Speaking with Muscle & Fitness, Morrison explained how, although the atmosphere of the pre-recorded show will be different, people are still excited to deliver the “Show of Shows.”

“I mean, yeah, the atmosphere is a little bit different than an arena full of 100,000 people, but it’s still WrestleMania. It still has this vibe, it still feels like the most important show of the year. It still had that buzz backstage.”

John Morrison On Staying Fit

With gyms closed, John Morrison then shared how people can continue to stay in shape while self-isolating. He noted how now is the time for people to get into cardio if they have the equipment at home. Even if you don’t, he recommended you use a jump rope or do DDP Yoga.

“There’s a million different kinds of home workout type things you can do. My daily routine is some sort of resistance training… I mean obviously no one’s got like a full array of Hammer Strength equipment in their house. But there’s a lot of stuff you can do with pushups and using your body and leverage to change the resistance on your muscle groups.”

Morrison continued, “Different kinds of pushups and sit ups. If you have anything to hang off, body weight, mid rows, pull-ups. Squat variations, lunges… Broken up in the small chunks throughout the day is what I’ve been recommending to people.”

John Morrison was set to team with The Miz to defend their WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 36. However, with The Miz being pulled from the matchup, this will reportedly no longer take place. 

WrestleMania 36 airs on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5. 

Triple H has addressed the current status of WWE’s black-and-gold brand amidst the current coronavirus outbreak. During an interview with PWInsider, “The Game” noted how the brand is doing well despite the global situation forcing them to perform in front of zero fans.

“Again, we’re like everybody else trying to deal with very stressful circumstances and trying to do the best with circumstances that are changing on a minute by minute basis,” Triple H explained. “If you go back a month ago and tell people that you’re in the situation that you’re in today, it’s almost unthinkable. But here we are.”

He continued, “Over the last few weeks we’ve gone to doing all our shows without fans out of the Performance Center to the point of even, for the most part, doing WrestleMania that same way. The decision to shift NXT slightly to not doing a Takeover separate and bringing Takeover and putting them onto the weekly episodic series really just came down to, I think, a decision of amount of content that needed to take place in a very short period of time leading into WrestleMania and everything else, and it just made sense for us to do it in a different factor.”

Taking TakeOver To NXT

NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay was due to take place this Saturday, April 4. Coronavirus concerns, however, forced WWE to cancel all their WrestleMania week plans. TakeOver included. Rather than delay the event, WWE instead set all matches scheduled for TakeOver for future NXT episodes.

Triple H argued how, given TakeOver was a separate event from WrestleMania 36, it made sense to approach their matches from a different angle.

“When you take into consideration the fact that it’s a separate event, but really no one’s going to be there to see it live anyways, it really made sense for us to do it this way.”

He continued, “We’ll start tonight with Keith Lee defending the North American Championship against Dominik Dijakovic and Damian Priest and continue into next week. Not all the matches, at this point, will be able to take place, but we’ll get there down the line and continue to create the content that we can.”

Delivering Entertainment During COVID-19

Triple H then stressed how WWE is committed to providing entertainment to people worldwide. He noted how their programming can help people forget the real-world situation, if only for a few hours.

“And it won’t be perfect, it won’t be exactly what everybody wants it to be, maybe in some manner,” Triple H said. “But if they can forget about that and just tune out and turn it on and just let themselves been entertained, hopefully we can do that for you and let you forget about it for a brief period of time.”

WrestleMania 36 will air on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.

NXT Superstar Keith Lee has opened up about whether he ever considered taking a break from wrestling during the current coronavirus pandemic. Speaking with CBS Sports, Lee stated how, although it may have been a consideration for many, he felt confident in the protocols WWE has put in place to ensure the safety of their Superstars.

“[…] with the protocols that we’ve had, it’s kind of made it possible for us to get it done. I think that for me, it never was really a thought [in my head] because I knew of what the protocol would be and the things necessary in order to even be okay and cleared to enter the building and things of that sort. So I was fairly confident in the circumstances that were set forth before us.”

Keith Lee On Empty Arenas, Missing The Crowd

His commitment to performing has led Keith Lee to wrestle in front of an empty WWE Performance Center. He compared this experience to wrestling in front of a live crowd. Lee acknowledged how “there is definitely a certain level of adrenaline that the crowd offers.”

He talked about how the crowd being there sometimes helps things hurt less. Lee then reflected on how he would get in the “zone” after coming out of the back and embracing the atmosphere.

“[…] based on last week’s episode and there being nobody there, the first punch to my ear really rocked me, and that’s not a normal thing for me. So that’s something that I’ve taken note of, and I’ve tried to prepare myself going forward. Things are going to hurt more and that’s okay. All I can do is absorb those and use those instead to hopefully reset adrenaline levels where I can push forward.”

Current Fitness Regime

Keith Lee then detailed how he’s staying fit now that he cannot work out at the WWE PC. He shared his regime, pointing to “basic things like pushup variations, burpees, squat jumps and lunges, mountain climbers, things of that sort.”

He then shared which YouTube channels he follows that help keeps him motivated and exercising, including Jeff Cavalier, Mike Rashid, and Simeon Panda.

Seth Rollins has opened up about what it’s like to try and perform in front of zero fans. “The Monday Night Messiah” explained to Sports Illustrated how it is a “weird” experience for him. He noted how these empty arena shows reminded him of when he was first getting started in pro wrestling.

“It’s weird. It’s taking me back to my days wrestling in front of eight people. I’ve been there before,” Rollins confessed. “I’ve grown accustomed to Monday Night Raw, 10,000 people. It’s a whole different vibe.”

He continued, “Everything’s somber. We all want to get through this, but we’re all trying to figure this thing out together. When the whole thing started to develop here in the States, I purposely didn’t tweet or Instagram anything about wrestling because I didn’t feel right about it. Then I got out there and I cut this promo on Monday Night Raw and I got back and I had this sense of relief almost.”

Seth Rollins Misses The Crowd Connection

When it comes to cutting a promo, Seth Rollins no longer has an audience to feed off of. Acknowledging this, he stressed how with a crowd in attendance, it feels like you’re having a conversation—one they are a part of.

“If you don’t have that, there’s a lot of pressure. And also not having the ability to do multiple takes. Monday Night Raw is live, so that’s a one-take promo,” he said. “That’s a one-take monologue. I don’t get the opportunity to cut-and-paste that thing together. It’s not like a movie.”

“Wrestling, on the other hand, is fluid. It’s in the ring and it’s moving around. There’s a lot of you can do. There are a lot of changes you can make. A promo is nerve-wracking. You can hear everything. There’s no audience to drown anything out. You can hear cameramen shuffling. You hear everybody whispering in the back. It’s really eerie in a way.”

Heel Or Babyface

Having turned heel and adopted his new Messiah gimmick, Seth Rollins admitted that there’s something special about having the crowd’s support. He reflected on having the crowd cheer for him when he would win, calling it an “incredible thing.” Despite currently playing a heel, however, Rollins stressed how he’s good in both roles.

“There is something fun and easier about being a jerk. I think it’s easier in 2020 to be disliked for saying your piece than trying to be liked because somebody is always gonna complain about something.”

He continued, “I can’t think of an athlete, actor entertainer alive that is universally loved in this day and age. There is always someone trying to tear you down. If your job is to get torn down, then that makes life a lot easier for you. There are positive and negatives to both sides. It’s hard to pick one. Luckily for me, I’m good at both.”

Seth Rollins is set to clash with Kevin Owens this weekend at WrestleMania 36.

Current WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch recently joined Sporting News for an interview. She is set to defend her title at this weekend’s WrestleMania 36 in front of zero fans. Despite this situation, Lynch doesn’t seem phased by the empty arena atmosphere.

“I remember wrestling in front of seven people, if even. And with Irish people, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they’re not really shy, right? They’re usually quick-witted with comebacks from things where you can hear all of them when they’re in the crowd.”

She continued, “Sometimes just a few people is worse than nobody. I’ve already been through, to wrestling in front of next to nobody. WrestleMania will be the first time that I wrestle in front of nobody in terms of a WWE audience. I’ll just be bringing that energy, bringing that intensity. And I don’t want to lose my championship. I want to go on over here. I want to be over here being a champion. I want to retire with this thing.”

Becky Lynch’s Championship Reign

Becky Lynch then reflected on her run as RAW Women’s Champion. She won the title at last year’s WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019. Admitting that she has reflected on her lengthy reign, Lynch confessed that being a long-term champion brings its own difficulties and obstacles.

“It’s pretty crazy and it brings its own challenges. And because of that, because I’ve had it for a year, I’ve been nonstop going for a year, over a year,” she explained. “So, it really was a case of constantly going and constantly being on the go and now and I’ve finally gotten the chance to reflect on the past year and reflect on what I want for the future, the next year, which is pretty cool.”

How The Champ Stays Positive

With the coronavirus currently gripping the entire globe, Becky Lynch shared how she tries to stay positive during these unprecedented times. She noted how she’s lucky enough to still be able to perform and entertain, whether there are people in the crowd or not.

“I am privileged enough that I still get to go, whether there are crowds or not, go out there and perform for people at home watching and hopefully give them a little bit of a break. And also, really just things that you don’t really get the time to do a lot of the time, like catching up on movies and documentaries and changing your workouts a little bit. It makes you a little bit more creative. And then cooking. I love cooking and I’m never at home to cook.”

Becky Lynch attempts to defend her RAW Women’s Championship against Shayna Baszler this weekend at WrestleMania 36.

Rhea Ripley is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship at this weekend’s WrestleMania 36 event. Despite the surreal circumstances surrounding their clash, Ripley has stated she remains excited for the opportunity to wrestle Charlotte Flair.

“To be knowing that I’m going to WrestleMania 36 to face Charlotte Flair and put my NXT championship on the line is just absolutely insane, I’m so, so excited,” she explained to the New York Post. “Man, I’m going to be in tears afterward. I know it.”

Rhea Ripley Draws Strength From Scars

Giving the interview a poignant, introspective angle, Ripley opened up about how she draws strength from her personal scars. Looking at them helps to remind her of what she has previously overcome. This reminder subsequently helps to resolve her and keep her pushing forward.

“I still feel myself slipping there from time to time, but I find that if I do look at the scars that I have from that time it helps me to remind myself that I’ve been through all of this and I was able to overcome it.”

She continued, “[…] I think that that’s really special in the way that I know that I can keep going and keep doing what I love and I have people in my life that are going to help me overcome whatever I need to overcome at that point in time. … I have fans there for me and I’m legitimately working the job I dreamt about since being a child and I have to remember that sometimes.”

Ripley’s Unique Look

Rhea Ripley also spoke about her unique look. Ripley stressed how she loves her punk aesthetic and that if someone isn’t a fan, she “couldn’t care less.” For her, it’s about being able to be true to herself.

“I’m being me and that’s what I’m trying to put forward. I’m trying to put forward that everyone should be comfortable in their own skin and they should be happy being themselves.”

Rhea Ripley attempts to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair this weekend at WrestleMania 36. The two-day event will air on the WWE Network on April 4 and April 5.

All Elite Wrestling’s Jim Ross has been missing from the promotion’s announce team in recent weeks. The decision to minimize his travel was made to protect him from potential unnecessary exposure to the coronavirus. During an interview with WrestlingInc.com, Ross explained how he and AEW President Tony Khan had a long conversation before coming to the decision.

“Tony Khan and I had a very long and thoughtful talk that he initiated. I’m an asset for that company in his view, and mine too, and he said I’ve got to protect you because he knows I won’t protect myself,” Ross explained.

“So, the decision was to stay home for a couple of days and I’m not gonna be on Dynamite this week or next until we see where this thing is headed. If it gets worse, I’m 68 and in a high-risk group. I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna get the flu because my ego says I’ve gotta be on TV. ‘Oh I can’t lose my spot, because then I won’t get my push!’ Stop. Please.”

Jim Ross On Maintaining Growth

Jim Ross stressed how pro wrestling isn’t the same as the NFL, NBA, or MLB. He noted how what they do is a “theatrical presentation and a TV show.” He added how it’s not about selling tickets right now.

Instead, delivering Dynamite is a means to give their fanbase a break from the “insanity” the world is dealing with. “It’s an entertainment show and I applaud all of those guys that are braving the elements and challenges of the coronavirus to put on an entertaining show on Wednesday nights.”

He talked about the importance of maintaining continuity before commenting on how it’s an “interesting time in our lives.” Ross then stressed how he believes pro wrestling isn’t in danger, but the industry needs to maintain its continual growth under the circumstances. “We’ve got to be smart and take into consideration what this virus is. We can never lose sight of what we’re facing right now.”

Although not present for Dynamite shows, Jim Ross has been providing a post-show breakdown. These are uploaded to AEW’s official YouTube channel. Ross has been doing these alongside fellow commentary members Taz and Excalibur.

Kevin Sullivan will be appearing on Jim Cornette’s podcast, Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, to give his perspective of Nancy Benoit’s story. He will also be interviewed about how the tragedy and its fallout have affected him.

Cornette announced the news during a recent episode of his show. He stressed how he wanted to give Sullivan a platform to address the situation. He believes that the recent episode of Dark Side of the Ring unintentionally painted Sullivan in a negative light. The show premiered with a two-hour special on the Benoit family tragedy.

“The glaring exception was Kevin Sullivan and because he was not there to tell his story, he came off badly, undeservedly so I thought because a lot of us in wrestling know a lot of the backgrounds and more of the personalities and more of the stories than just these knuckleheads that think they know everything on the internet.”

Kevin Sullivan’s Untold Story

Jim Cornette shared how he brought up this issue with the show’s producer Evan Husney and director Jason Eisener. According to Cornette, Kevin Sullivan’s absence from the show can be attributed to either miscommunication or a lack of communication between the parties. Cornette promised that this would be a topic of conversation between himself and Sullivan.

“He didn’t know what the thing was gonna be like and he didn’t know how big this thing was going to become and he didn’t want to upset Nancy’s parents, but anyway now that Evan and Jason was kind of feeling bad that his story was not in there and as both you and I talked, we thought that he undeservedly came off badly because he wasn’t there to talk and just one line saying ‘Kevin Sullivan declined to be interviewed for this show’ made it sound like he had something to hide or he was trying to protect himself, when in actuality it was lot of case it was the other way around.”

Cornette explained that he’s not doing the episode for a “big ratings deal.”

Instead, he hopes that everyone will listen with an open mind in order to hear Kevin Sullivan’s unheard side of the story.

“[…] that’s the one [story] that has not been told, of all of this, that’s the one that hasn’t been told because of Kevin’s desire basically not to hurt the family anymore than they’ve already hurt by all of this…”

Aleister Black has revealed his personal motivation heading into his WrestleMania 36 matchup against Bobby Lashley. Following his quick victory this week over Jason Cade on Monday Night RAW, Black was interviewed backstage in a WWE.com Exclusive.

“See, I expected you to give me a question along the lines of ‘Why?’ There seems to be no rhyme or reason for Aleister Black and Bobby Lashley to collide because the world teaches us that sometimes there is no reason or rhyme for conflict,” Black said.

“But if we push beyond the surface of Mr. Lashley, we see a powerful individual. Someone who I’ve witnessed and seen decimate people in mere seconds. As have I. So, in the natural order things, would it not make sense for us to find out who decimates who the quickest?”

Aleister Black Vs Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley has not been present on RAW as he has been quarantined following a trip to South Africa. He was in the country to do promotional work for a tour WWE had planned. The tour was set to take place between April 29 to May 2. It has since been rescheduled to September due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Lashley was due to be a part of the March 16 episode of RAW to begin building a storyline with Aleister Black. The quarantine, however, ensured that it wasn’t possible. Despite this setback, the two will seemingly still have their matchup. WrestleMania 36 has already been pre-recorded and will air this weekend on April 4 and April 5.

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WWE SmackDown Superstar Sonya Deville has confessed how acting is where her passion lies. Deville pointed to WWE Superstars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena as inspirations. She noted how they were both “super successful” in transitioning over to acting, and how she would love to be their female equivalent.

“Acting is definitely where my heart’s at. Recently I’ve been going out to LA and trying to just dive into Hollywood,” Deville explained to Digital Spy. “It’s something that coincides well with WWE with the likes of John Cena and The Rock being super successful in both and I would love to be a female that can do the same. That’s definitely my goal and that’s going to be what I’m focusing on, on top of wrestling, over the next few years.”

Sonya Deville’s Current Storyline

Sonya Deville is currently involved in a storyline involving Mandy Rose and Otis. She recently referred to the soap opera-esque narrative as the most fun storyline she’s ever been a part of.

“People just love Otis and I think it’s just because he’s just so unapologetically himself and he’s always so happy. I think he’s very relatable in a sense and Mandy and I have just had such a good time being part of the storyline for sure. It’s been probably the most fun storyline I’ve ever been a part of in WWE.”

Despite her involvement, Sonya Deville will seemingly not be a part of Otis’ matchup against Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania 36. Mandy Rose will apparently be ringside. “The Show of Shows” will air on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.