SEScoops

Author: Eric Lynch

  • Impact Wrestling Viewership Increases For First Thursday Night Show

    Impact Wrestling Viewership Increases For First Thursday Night Show

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGNQTO0RCLQ

    Impact Wrestling debut in their new Thursday night timeslot on Pop TV this week. This week’s show averaged 362,000 viewers, which is up from last week’s 358,000 viewers on Tuesday.

    TNA moving the show to Thursdays was partly due to SmackDown debuting on Tuesdays this week. Impact Wrestling usually suffers a drop in viewership when they change broadcast nights, so this slight increase is good news for TNA management.

  • Kevin Nash Says He Wants To Return To WWE As Dolph Ziggler’s Bodyguard

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dud9ty6TUdE

    Former WWE and WCW Champion Kevin Nash was recently a guest on Vince Russo’s Podcast One show. When Nash, who is currently retired, was asked about if he would ever return to wrestling he had two specific scenarios in mind. One scenario was if WWE ever forms a new NWO stable, and the other scenario was if he returns as Diesel to play Dolph Ziggler’s bodyguard.

    Nash went into detail about what he’d like to do as “Dolph Ziggler’s Diesel.” Nash says that Ziggler should be treated as a heel instead of a face, and that he wouldn’t have to say a word because he feels Ziggler can cut a good promo. Nash says Ziggler’s character, as a heel, could use Diesel for when he wrestles physically larger competitors, like Baron Corbin.

    Nash made his WWE debut as Diesel back in 1993 when he was acting as Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard, and draws several similarities between Michaels and Ziggler.

    “He does the same thing Shawn Michaels did,” Nash said of Ziggler. “He takes every bump and beating, and usually they beat him. But to me, his in-ring work is as good as anyone’s in the business right now. He works so hard.”

    You can listen to to the entire podcast with Nash and Russo here.

  • WWE SmackDown Results & Discussion (7/19)

    WWE SmackDown Results & Discussion (7/19)

    This week’s live episode of SmackDown on the USA Network featured the 2016 WWE roster draft. SmackDown aired from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

    – SmackDown opens up with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan on the stage to represent SD, and Stephanie and Mick Foley on stage to represent RAW in this year’s Draft. RAW gets the first pick, and Stephanie announces their #1 pick: Seth Rollins! SmackDown’s first pick is Dean Ambrose. RAW’s second pick is Charlotte, and SmackDown’s second pick is AJ Styles. RAW picks Finn Balor for their third pick, and then the draft is interrupted by John Cena who is out next for a match.

    – John Cena def. Luke Gallows: The Club is in Gallows’ corner, and Enzo and Amore are in Cena’s corner. Gallows controls most of the first half of the match, then Cena comes back with a shoulder block, a back drop, and the five-knuckle shuffle for 2. Both men are down when Enzo and Amore and The Club decide to enter in the ring. Enzo and Cass throw AJ and Anderson to the outside, then Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment on Gallows for the win.

    – Foley announces that Roman Reigns is RAW’s next draft pick, and Shane announces that SmackDown’s next pick is John Cena. Stephanie announces RAW’s next pick Brock Lesnar, and Daniel Bryan announces SmackDown’s next pick Randy Orton. Stephanie’s next pick for RAW is The New Day.

    – Darren Young and Zack Ryder def. Rusev and The Miz: Bob Backlund is at ringside for Darren Young. Rusev and The Miz keep Ryder grounded in the opening moments while the crowd chants “We want Backlund.” Darren Young gets the tag and hits a belly to belly overhead suplex on The Miz followed by the Gut Check for 2. Rusev and Ryder run in, which leads to Ryder hitting a missile dropkick that sends Rusev to the outside. Backlund calls for the Crossface Chicken Wing and Young locks it in for the win.

    – Bray Wyatt def. Xavier Woods: Xavier acts scared of Bray in the opening minutes of the match. Bray gets in all of the offense early on. Woods tries to get back in the game with a series of right hands and a knee, but eventually falls victim to the Sister Abigail which gives Bray the pinfall victory.

    – Kevin Owens vs. Kane – No Contest: Before Owens can get to the ring, Sami Zayn jumps him from behind. They brawl all the way to the ring where Kane observes the fight. Owens throws Zayn at Kane, but Kane chokeslams both of them.

    – Stephanie picks Sami Zayn for RAW next, and Shane picks Bray Wyatt for SmackDown. RAW’s next pick is Sasha Banks, and SmackDown’s next pick is Becky Lynch. RAW’s final pick for this round is Chris Jericho.

    – Dana Brooke & Charlotte def. Sasha Banks: This one is a handicap match. Sasha starts off in control against Dana but things go to ringside where Dana and Charlotte take control. Sasha gets Dana in the Banks Statement but Charlotte gets the tag and hits the Natural Selection for the win.

    – Foley announces that Rusev is going to RAW, and Daniel Bryan announces that The Miz is going to SmackDown. RAW’s second pick in this round is Kevin Owens, and SmackDown’s next pick is Baron Corbin. RAW’s final pick this round is Enzo and Cass.

    – Chris Jericho def. Cesaro: Cesaro starts with a series of European uppercuts that sends Jericho to the floor outside, then follows up with a splash off the apron. We get a series of back and forth moves and near-falls before Jericho hits a Frankensteiner off the top rope. Cesaro blocks a Codebreaker attempt and a Lionsault attempt then swings Jericho. Cesaro goes for a springboard elbow off the middle rope, but Jericho catches him in mid-air with the Codebreaker for the win.

    – Stephanie drafts Gallows and Anderson to RAW, and Daniel Bryan drafts American Alpha to SmackDown. Foley drafts The Big Show to RAW, and Shane drafts Dolph Ziggler to SmackDown. Stephanie drafts Nia Jax to RAW, and then Neville. SmackDown’s next pick is Natalya, and RAW’s next one is Cesaro. SmackDown picks Alberto Del Rio, and RAW picks Sheamus. These will be the last televised picks, with more being announced after SmackDown.

    – Dean Ambrose def. Seth Rollins: The World Heavyweight Title is on the line in this one. Rollins starts brawling with Ambrose at ringside before the opening bell rings. Rollins continues the offense after the bell rings to officially start the match. Rollins takes things back out to ringside, but Ambrose back body-drops him into the timekeeper area. Ambrose misses a splash and Rollins throws him back in the ring for a flying knee and a superkick for a near-fall. Rollins goes to work on Ambrose in the corner until the Champion comes back with a clothesline. Ambrose hits a swinging neckbreaker for a 2-count, then goes up top for a splash but Ambrose catches him. Rollins powerbombs Ambrose into the turnbuckle then goes for a frogsplash, but Ambrose moves out of the way. Ambrose throws Rollins outside then follows up with a splash off the top rope onto Rollins on the floor. Back in the ring, Rollins hits a superplex off the top, but Ambrose immediately comes back with the Dirty Deeds for the win. Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan come out to celebrate with Ambrose to close out the show.

  • WWE Monday Night RAW Results – July 18, 2016

    The July 18th edition of WWE RAW from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI is the last episode before the 2016 roster draft and brand split.

    – Stephanie McMahon comes out to open the show and she is interrupted by Shane before she can finish her first sentence. After some arguing between the siblings, Stephanie announces the new GM for RAW: Mick Foley! Foley comes out and cuts a promo about how this reminds him of the Attitude Era and the Monday Night Wars. Foley says he’s going to take RAW to the future and beyond, and Shane says that Foley is a good pick. Shane introduces his new SmackDown GM: Daniel Bryan! He comes out and says he’s missed the fans, and talks about how him and Shane are going to make SmackDown beat RAW every single week. Stephanie says Daniel Bryan is only a B+ wrestler, and makes fun of Shane for sweating. Shane says she had to marry a WWE Superstar to stay relevant, and Bryan says “Yes” they will make SmackDown bigger than RAW.

    – Sami Zayn and Cesaro def. Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho: Jericho controls the match against Cesaro early on, but Cesaro comes back with uppercuts. Sami and Owens fight at ringside and Cesaro and Jericho trade offense in the ring. Cesaro goes for the Neutralizer but Jericho gets out, then Zayn and Owens get the hot tags. Zayn gets the upper hand on Owens then they tag in Jericho and Cesaro. Cesaro hits a splash off the top for a 2-count, then swings Jericho. Sami Zayn gets the tag and hits a superkick on Owens then rolls up Jericho for the win.

    – Backstage, Daniel Bryan and Stephanie McMahon exchange words. Daniel Bryan says he’s back like “the new Ghostbusters movie.” Stephanie says he’s more like Chucky from Child’s Play. Bryan tells her good job on ruining Monday Night RAW and goodbye.

    – Darren Young def. Alberto Del Rio: The Miz and Maryse are on commentary for this one. We get back and forth action until Darren Young hits a big right hand. The Miz gets on the apron to distract him while Del Rio goes to roll him up from behind. Young escapes the pin attempt and gets Del Rio in a pin of his own for the win.

    – John Cena comes out and grabs the mic to talk about tomorrow night’s draft on SmackDown, and Battleground on Sunday. Cena introduces his partners for Battleground, Enzo and Cass. Enzo cuts his usual weekly promo then get in the ring with Cena. Enzo then disses The Club and says AJ Styles has a haircut like a soccer mom. The Club comes out to interrupt and they trash talk the babyfaces. They say tonight they’re going to beat up John Cena, Enzo, Cass, and all three members of The New Day. The New Day comes out to interrupt and they cut a promo on The Club. After a few minutes of banter, The Wyatt Family makes their way out.

    – The Wyatt Family & The Club def. The New Day, John Cena, and Enzo & Cass: Lots of tags in the opening minutes. Enzo Amore tags himself in and faces off against the much larger Braun Strowman. Strowman drops him with a shoulder block and Big Cass tags himself in. Strowman knocks Cena off the apron and this causes everyone to hit the ring. The smoke clears and Cass hits Strowman with a big boot then tags in Kofi. Kofi comes off the top for a splash but Strowman catches him and hits a running powerslam. AJ Styles and Cena become the legal men and AJ gets the supper hand, but he gets distracted arguing with Bray Wyatt. AJ gets Cena in a fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker onto his knee for a 2 count. Gallows and Anderson work over Cena and keep him away from his team’s corner. Cass and AJ get the tags, but Braun Strowman quickly enters the ring and lays out the babyfaces. The New Day teams up to take out Strowman and Rowan. Xavier hits a suicide dive onto the Wyatt family on the floor. The Wyatts and The New Day brawl up the ramp. Enzo accidentally clotheslines Cena, then AJ hits Enzo with the Styles Clash for the win.

    – We see footage shot earlier today of Seth Rollins in the empty arena talking about why he deserves to be World Heavyweight Champion.

    – Backstage, Shane McMahon congratulations Mick Foley on becoming the RAW GM. Shane tells Foley that his sister is going to try to manipulate him, and Foley says he’s well aware of how Stephanie works. Foley tells Shane he’s got talent to scout and leaves.

    – Baron Corbin def. Sin Cara: Sin Cara gets in some high-flying offense early on, but Corbin gets the win very quickly with the End of Days. Corbin beats down Sin Cara after the match until Kalisto comes out for the save, then Corbin beats him down too.

    – Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch def. Charlotte & Dana Brooke via DQ: Becky starts the match off in control against Dana. Natalya comes out in the opening minutes and beats down Becky at ringside. The referee calls for the bell and Charlotte and Dana continue the beat down on Becky and Sasha.

    – Shane and Daniel Bryan are talking to Demon Kane in the back.

    – Dean Ambrose is backstage cutting a promo on Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.

    – Rusev & Sheamus def. Dolph Ziggler & Zack Ryder: The heels start the match off in control. Dolph Ziggler gets the hot tag and hits the Fameasser on Rusev but Sheamus breaks up the pin. Rusev comes back with a superkick and The Accolade for the win.

    – They air a video promoting Randy Orton’s return at Battleground.

    – Daniel Bryan and Mick Foley are talking in the back. Daniel Bryan says they should have a good working relationships, and they trade some verbal jabs. Foley tells Daniel Bryan “let the games begin.”

    – Seth Rollins def. Dean Ambrose for the World Heavyweight Title: The World Heavyweight Title is on the line in this one. Stephanie, Shane, Mick Foley and Daniel Bryan are all sitting at ringside to watch. After some back and forth action in the opening minutes, with Rollins rolling to the outside for a breather more than once. Ambrose hits a flying clothesline off the apron onto Rollins at ringside. Back in the ring, Rollins takes control and works on Ambrose in the corner. Ambrose mounts a comeback and hits a Fisherman’s suplex for a near-fall. Ambrose throws Rollins to the outside then hits a suicide dive. Rollins avoids a clothesline and hits Ambrose with a powerbomb into the fan barriace, then follows up with a frogsplash in the ring for another near-fall. Rollins attempts a Pedigree but Ambrose gets out. Rollins hits a flying knee and goes for another Frogsplash off the top, but Ambrose rolls out of the way. They trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Rollins powerbombs Ambrose into the turnbuckle, and Ambrose comes right back with a DDT. Rollins rolls outside and Ambrose follows. Ambrose starts messing up the commentary area then puts Rollins onto the Spanish announce table. Rollins rolls off and runs back into the ring where he hits a Pedigree on Ambrose for another 2-count. Rollins hits a Superplex off the top and hooks Ambrose’s leg, but Ambrose hooks Rollins’ leg too and the referee counts to three. There’s confusion over who the referee counted for. Stephanie says that Rollins won and that brings Shane, Foley and Bryan all in the ring with them. Stephanie grabs the Title belt and a mic and announces Rollins as the new champ.

  • Preview For The Last Episode Of RAW Before The Draft, Live Coverage & Discussion Later Tonight

    The last episode of RAW before the Draft takes place tonight at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI. Here’s what WWE is promoting for the last stop before the live roster draft on Tuesday’s SmackDown:

    – Dean Ambrose is scheduled to defend his World Heavyweight Title against Seth Rollins.

    – Stephanie McMahon will choose her GM for RAW and Shane McMahon will choose his GM for SmackDown.

    – New matches will be set up for Battleground.

    – John Cena, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt and Chris Jericho are also advertised to appear.

    The dark match being advertised locally is a tag match featuring the team of John Cena and Dean Ambrose taking on the team of AJ Styles and Seth Rollins.

    Play-by-play coverage of RAW with live discussion starts on SEScoops.com at 7:30 PM ET.

    https://twitter.com/PaulaOB17/status/755006233854222336

  • Austin Aries Speaks On Rumors Of Him No-Showing NXT Live Events

    Austin Aries Speaks On Rumors Of Him No-Showing NXT Live Events

    Austin Aries took to Twitter on Saturday night to address some rumors that had been spreading on the web about him.

    There were reports online that Aries supposedly “no showed” this weekend’s NXT live events. Aries that this isn’t true, and that him not being on certain shows wasn’t unexpected. While he wasn’t in front of the crowd at this week’s NXT TV tapings, he was backstage for pre-tapes.

    Aries may have been advertised locally for the events, but there have been many cases in the last year where WWE advertises names for events who aren’t booked for the shows.

    The former TNA World Heavyweight Champion is scheduled to be back on the NXT live event circuit later this month for events in San Antonio, Robstown, and Houston

  • Finn Balor Teases Being Part Of The Upcoming WWE Draft

    NXT was in Louisville, KY on Saturday night for their last live event before Tuesday’s WWE draft. After the show, Finn Balor teased fans that he may be a part of the draft to determine the RAW and SmackDown rosters.

    The show was headlined by an 8-person tag match where the team of Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, American Alpha & Bayley defeated Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, The Revival, Alexa Bliss. After the match, Balor grabbed the mic and asked the crowd if someone left a door open because he “feels a draft.” Balor also said that we’ll see everyone who performed in that match at WrestleMania events in the future.


    https://twitter.com/ztwomey_/status/754533804497395713

  • Triple H Says Brock Lesnar’s UFC Return Was A Good Thing For WWE

    Triple H recently did an interview with ESPN where Brock Lesnar was a big topic of discussion. Despite Stephanie McMahon saying that WWE didn’t necessarily “support” Brock’s return to UFC, Triple H seemed to indicate that he thought the crossover was a good thing for WWE.

    “It’s huge,” Triple H said of Lesnar’s UFC return. “I think any time that you can have a WWE performer that can cross over into something else and have that kind of a night or a performance, whether that’s making a movie or television show or competing in the UFC, that’s huge. To me, it speaks to the amazing athlete that Brock Lesnar is.”

    The Game continued to put over Lesnar’s athletic abilities. He says that Lesnar, who is featured on the cover of WWE 2K17, amazed him with his ability to get back into MMA at “such an elite level” and be that dominant.

    “We have said it a million times about Brock but I think it’s worth repeating. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime athlete that comes along and is just — you can see it when you look at him,” Triple H said. “Guys don’t come along that quick, that big, that fast, that aggressive and with that mentality. He is a once-in-a-lifetime combat athlete. Certainly he helps UFC, banking on Brock Lesnar’s name in the very beginning of him becoming a UFC star and showing his dominance in it. And now it’s the same thing, back and forth. They benefit from it, we benefit from it and it has been great. My hat’s off to Brock, he’s an amazing, amazing athlete.”

    You can read The Game’s entire interview with ESPN here.

  • Nash Says Reigns Will Recover From Suspension, Speaks On The Club Using His Hand Gesture

    Former World Heavyweight Champion Kevin Nash recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about current events in WWE. The Hall of Famer talked about Roman Reigns being suspended for failing a drug test, which has reportedly gotten Reigns major heat with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. Nash believes that despite this being a bad time for Reigns, he will go on to be a major star.

    “Every time I talk to him, he seems like a really well-adjusted, very nice gentleman,” Nash said. “I think he’s got a great look, I think he’s very athletic, I think things will work out for him. It’s just a bad time for him right now, but he’ll be a big star for that company.”

    With last Thursday marking the 20-year anniversary of the formation of the New World Order in WCW, Nash was asked about The Club using their “too sweet” hand gesture on TV. Nash also took the opportunity to address what he feels is mishandling of AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows by the WWE creative team.

    “If you’re over enough to use that, and the people don’t sh– on you, you’re over. I don’t mind it at all,” Nash said. “I just didn’t like them bringing in Doc and Anderson, then having that six-man elimination match [against Roman Reigns and The Uso’s]. There is no reason to beat those two guys coming in the door. You’re missing heel talent, and you’re going to beat these two guys? But they corrected it. It’s almost like, ‘No one can get over you except us,’ even though you were over someplace else. They make the reference to AJ like he was a Japan guy–he was a TNA guy. He was in Japan for like a year. And the thing is, he’s tearing the TV up.”

    You can read Nash’s entire interview on SI.com.

  • Report: Vince McMahon Still Upset With Roman Reigns Over Failed Drug Test

    Report: Vince McMahon Still Upset With Roman Reigns Over Failed Drug Test

    It sounds like Roman Reigns’ violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy may have lasting effects on his career.

    In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that Reigns is still in serious hot water with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. Meltzer reports that Vince is very upset with Reigns for failing his drug test after giving Reigns the ball to run with on WWE programming.

    Meltzer expects that while Reigns will still be a main character on TV, WWE will no longer push him as the top guy.

    Reigns was suspended by the company on June 21st for 30 days as a result of his first violation of WWE’s Wellness Program. It’s unknown what substance he tested positive for.

  • Kevin Owens Says He’s Become A Huge Cena Fan: “If Not The Wrestler, Then Certainly The Man”

    In a recent interview, Kevin Owens seemed to indicate that while he may not always be a fan of John Cena’s matches, he’s come to admire the man behind the character we see on WWE TV every week. Owens, a ring veteran of 16 years, recently told The Asbury Park Press about facing off against the former World Heavyweight Champion.

    “Wrestling John Cena was a pretty incredible experience,” Owens said. “I’ve grown to become a huge John Cena fan, if not the wrestler, then certainly the man.”

    Owens is doing a meet-and-greet in Freehold, NJ on Satuday, July 16th, and doesn’t hold back when it comes to the topic of his fans on Twitter. Owens also clarified that no one writes his Tweets for him.

    “For every intelligent comment, there’s five mind-numbing, head-shaking tweets,” he said. “I’m just honest. If I write something on Twitter, it’s not because somebody told me to tweet that. It’s how I feel.”

    You can read his entire interview here.

    https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/750470852651708416

  • HHH Speaks On If The Brand Split Will Change NXT, Differences Between NXT & RAW/SmackDown

    Triple H recently spoke at-length about NXT in an interview published by ESPN today. Triple H oversees the NXT brand, and says it’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago NXT was just a concept, and now it’s something “so much more” than that. The Game talked about the importance of NXT not just being a recreation of RAW or SmackDown.

    “To me, our industry is kind of like music. There are all different kinds of genres in music and with Raw and SmackDown you are trying to hit the most mainstream level of enjoyment of the product that you can, sort of like in pop music,” Triple H said. “NXT is a bit more of a style of music. It’s a bit more intimate, it’s a bit more designed to hit our hardest core fans and give them something that they will enjoy. To me, at the end of the day, that’s the core of what we do.

    “But it’s still understanding that Raw and SmackDown are completely different where you are trying to hit the biggest audience possible,” he continued. “I’m excited that people like NXT so much, obviously, but I’m excited that we have that variety. If it was all the same, I don’t know that the interest level would be the same and that’s part of the magic of what [NXT] is. It’s different. One is not better, they are different.”

    The former multi-time World Heavyweight Champion also talked about how the upcoming brand split and draft on the 19th will change NXT. Triple H says NXT isn’t doomed when talent leaves for the RAW or SmackDown rosters, because they make new characters.

    “It’s always fresh, it’s always different, it always feels like there is something new going on to me,” HHH said of NXT. “With NXT being different, it complements Raw and SmackDown. You have the opportunity to see these guys come in and make a name for themselves on a bigger platform. They can grow themselves while helping to create NXT’s brand. Then, if you’re following NXT, you’re ahead of the curve when they come to Raw and SmackDown. You know everything about them and their back stories. It’s like being a fan of the band before they hit it big. You have that claim to fame. And to our most passionate fan base that’s an exciting vibe that we have.”

    HHH also theorized that the reason why WWE’s social media numbers are strong is because their fans like to be head of the curve and be the first to know new things about their programming.

    You can read The Game’s entire interview with ESPN here.

  • WWE Superstars & Main Event To Become Brand-Exclusive After Draft

    WWE’s roster draft takes place on the July 19th live edition of SmackDown, but RAW and SmackDown aren’t the only shows that will be effected by the roster split.

    On Thursday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Superstars and Main Event will also have separate rosters. The RAW roster will perform on Superstars, while the SmackDown roster will perform on Main Event.

    SmackDown airs live on Tuesday night for the first time next week on the USA Network, with coverage of the draft also on the WWE Network. Live coverage and discussion starts at 8 PM ET on SEScoops.com.

  • TNA Signs Deal To Air Impact Wrestling Online In China

    TNA is expanding their international reach. It was announced on Thursday that the company reached a deal with internet TV platform YouKu. Impact Wrestling will be shown on Wednesday evenings on i.youku.com/tnawrestling.

    Following Dixie Carter’s announcement on Twitter, a video hosted by Josh Matthews was uploaded to YouKu discussing the new deal. TNA will be teaming up with a company called Fit Time based in Beijing for promotional purposes.

  • Jim Ross Speaks On The WWE Roster Split, Young/Backlund, & Orton’s Return

    Jim Ross Speaks On The WWE Roster Split, Young/Backlund, & Orton’s Return

    Jim Ross recently took the opportunity to comment on some current events on WWE programming in his latest blog post. On JRsBarBQ.com, Ross think it’s a given that Randy Orton will attack Chris Jericho in some way at Battleground.

    “I can only assume that Randy Orton will be involved in some level of physicality at Battleground in the Jericho Highlight Reel, but that’s merely speculation,” J.R. wrote. “Why bring The Viper back to only talk Lesnar and Summer Slam without giving the audience something memorable to take with them?”

    Ross also said he was surprised by Darren Young winning the battle royal on RAW, and thinks his IC Title shot against The Miz will bring more awareness to Young. J.R. says that Young’s ongoing presentation with Bob Backlund as “suddenly developed a stronger pulse.”

    The other big topic on WWE programming is the upcoming draft and brand split. Ross says while he’s optimistic about the talent redistribution between RAW and SmackDown, many hardcore fans seem to be second-guessing it.

    “WWE will likely be ‘damned if they do’ and ‘damned if they don’t’ regarding this major development that could potentially be one of the most dynamic developments in WWE in years,” Ross wrote. “I think the brand separation jury will be out until Orlando in April and I’m patient enough to give it that long before I pull my my soap box and “judge” it.”

    You can read Ross’ entire blog entry here.

  • Participants Announced For TNA’s Bound For Glory Playoffs

    TNA announced the participants for their Bound For Glory Playoffs this week. The Playoffs begin on the July 21st episode of Impact Wrestling on Pop TV. The winner will become the #1 contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and will receive a match at Bound For Glory 2016.

    Below are the official participants in the Bound For Glory Playoffs.

    • Matt Hardy
    • Jeff Hardy
    • Ethan Carter III
    • Bram
    • Mike Bennett
    • Drew Galloway
    • James Storm
    • Eli Drake

    Bound For Glory 2016 is scheduled for September 11th at a city and venue to be announced.

  • John Cena Says He Will Never Leave WWE, Nervous For ESPY Awards (Video)

    John Cena Says He Will Never Leave WWE, Nervous For ESPY Awards (Video)

    John Cena is out doing promotional work for the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night on ABC, which he will be hsting. In an interview with Extra TV, Cena talked about his relationship with WWE and gave some stats about the company’s reach.

    “I don’t plan on leaving the WWE ever,” Cena said of his future with the company. “They’re in 180 countries, they have 650 million homes they reach each week, they have over half a billion social followers… why in the name of whatever we believe in would I shut that off? They have such a powerful voice, such an excited fan base, and I actually love doing it.”

    Cena also revealed that he did make it to RAW at the last minute on Monday. He says he was in airports all day and night to get there and do his minute and a half segment.

    In the Extra interview Cena also talks about rumors of him joining the Live with Kelly show. You can read his entire interview here.

  • Neville Returns From Injury At SmackDown Taping (Photos & Video)

    Neville has officially returned to action after breaking his ankle in two places on March 14th.

    He performed in a WWE ring for the first time since his injury at Tuesday night’s SmackDown taping in Grand Rapids, MI. Neville defeated Bo Dallas. According to reports from fans, this was a dark match and wasn’t taped for either Main Event or SmackDown.

    Neville suffered the ankle fracture in a match on RAW against Chris Jericho when he was sliding between Jericho’s legs and his foot landed awkwardly on the ring.

  • WWE SmackDown Spoilers For 7/14/16

    WWE SmackDown Spoilers For 7/14/16

    The July 14th edition of WWE SmackDown was taped tonight at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This will be the last installment of the show to air on a Thursday night, as SmackDown moves to Tuesdays live starting next week on the 19th.

    – Neville def. Bo Dallas: This was Neville’s first match after breaking his ankle is two spots back in March. This was a dark match before Main Event.

    WWE Main Event:

    – Jack Swagger & Golden Truth & Apollo Crews def. The Ascension & The Vaudevillains

    – Becky Lynch def. Alicia Fox: Becky got the win with the Disarmher. Natalya was at ringside for commentary.

    – Sheamus def. Titus O’Neil: Sheamus won after hitting the Brogue Kick around the 10-minute mark.

    – The Usos & Cesaro def. Alberto Del Rio & The Dudley Boyz: D-Von tapped out to the Figure Four from Cesaro.

    WWE SmackDown:

    – Kevin Owens, Charlotte and Dana Brooke, and Dean Ambrose all appear on the big screen is separate videos talking about their matches later tonight.

    – Sasha Banks def. Dana Brooke: Sasha got the win with the Banks Statement. After the match, Charlotte beats down Sasha and stands above her with the Women’s Title held high.

    – Dolph Ziggler def. Rusev: After a distraction by Zack Ryder, Ziggler rolls up Rusev from behind for the win. Rusev freaks out after the match and starts breaking equipment at ringside.

    – AJ Styles & Karl Anderson def. Enzo Amore & Big Cass: AJ Styles submitted Enzo with the Calf Crusher for the win.

    – They show the same Brock Lesnar/UFC 200 highlight video from RAW.

    – Kalisto def. Tyler Breeze: This was described by a fan in attendance as a short match with not a lot to talk about. Fandango and Sin Cara were at ringside.

    – Miz TV with Darren Young and Bob Backlund: The Miz showed a video of Bob Backlund’s career highlights which got a standing ovation from many in the crowd. The Mi then said he was going to show a video of Darren Young’s highlights, which resulted in a “no signal” on the screen. The Miz cut a promo on Young until Young and Backlund came out to confront him. Young tells Miz he’s going to teach him a lesson in respect at Battleground by winning the IC Title, and The Miz and Maryse retreat up the ramp.

    – Shane McMahon is shown backstage having a chat with R-Truth.

    – Sasha is in the back having her neck examined when Carhlotte and Dana Brooke interrupt. They say their match at Battleground is now a tag match instead of a Women’s title match, and wish Sasha good luck on finding a partner.

    – Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens – No Contest: Seth Rollins was on commentary and interferes within a matter of minutes. This brings out Sami Zayn who helps Ambrose clear the ring. Jojo announces that this is now a tag match.

    – Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose & Sami Zayn: Seth Rollins scored the pinfall win for his team after hitting the Pedigree on Zayn.

    – After the match, Rollins challenged Ambrose to come back and fight him alone. Ambrose runs back down to the ring but Rollins rolls out to the floor. Owens and Rollins then hit the ring together, but Ambrose throws Owens to the outside then hits the Dirty Deeds on Rollins.

  • What You Didn’t See On RAW, Backlund’s Backstage Celebration Video, Ambrose-Rollins

    What You Didn’t See On RAW, Backlund’s Backstage Celebration Video, Ambrose-Rollins

    – There was a dark match after Monday night’s RAW, despite one not being advertised locally. After RAW went off the air, WWE Champion Dean Ambrose teamed up with Sami Zayn to face the team of Seth Rollins and AJ Styles. Ambrose scored the pinfall victory after hitting the Dirty Deeds on Styles.

    – WWE has already begun promoting Dean Ambrose’s World Heavyweight Title defense against Seth Rollins at next week’s RAW. Next week’s show is the go-home RAW before Battleground 2016, where they will be in a triple threat match with Roman Reigns. Here’s WWE’s teaser on Twitter:

    – In a RAW Fallout video WWE uploaded after Monday night’s show, Darren Young and Bob Backlund continued their celebration backstage after Young secured his spot as the #1 contender for The Miz’s Intercontinental Title. You can check it out below.

  • Preview For This Week’s Episode Of SmackDown, Hall of Famer Scheduled For Miz TV

    Preview For This Week’s Episode Of SmackDown, Hall of Famer Scheduled For Miz TV

    Bob Backlund made his first live televised appearance since starting the Make Darren Young Great Again angle on RAW, and he’ll be making his second one this week on SmackDown. It was announced on Monday’s show that Backlund and Young will be guests on Miz TV on Thursday’s episode of SmackDown. Young won a battle royal on RAW to become the #1 contender for The Miz’s Intercontinental Title, and the two have a match scheduled for Battleground.

    Sasha Banks defeated Dana Brooke on RAW, and the rematch is scheduled for this week’s SmackDown. If Banks wins again, she gets a shot at Charlotte’s Women’s Championship.

    Other stars advertised for Thursday night’s show include WWE Champion Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio.

    This week’s episode of SmackDown is taped on Tuesday night at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We’ll have live play-by-play coverage, photos, and discussion right here on SEScoops.com on Tuesday night. This will be the last installment of the show to air on a Thursday night, as SmackDown moves to Tuesdays live starting next week on the 19th.

  • Vince McMahon Announces New RAW & SmackDown Commissioners

    Vince McMahon Announces New RAW & SmackDown Commissioners

    Vince McMahon made his return to WWE television on Monday Night RAW when he revealed the new commissioners for both SmackDown and RAW. Vince came out to the ring for the final segment of RAW to announce that Shane will run SmackDown and Stephanie will run RAW, and that he wants them to compete “for real.”

    Vince joined Stephanie and Shane in the ring to say that he was a little disappointed in both of them, as if neither of them came from his loins. He named Shane as SmackDown commissioner and Stephanie as RAW commissioner, and said they need to compete with ruthless aggression in ratings, ticket sales, and merchandise sales. He said whoever does a better job on their show will inherit the keys to his kingdom.

    The WWE Chairman also revealed that on next Monday’s RAW, Shane and Stephanie must both pick a General Manager to help them run their shows. Vince said that if they don’t pick one next week, he’ll pick one for them.

    SmackDown goes live on Tuesday nights on the USA Network starting next week on July 19th.

  • Randy Orton Added To WWE Battleground 2016

    On Monday’s RAW it was announced that Randy Orton has officially been added to Battleground on July 24th. Orton will be a guest on The Highlight Reel with Chris Jericho to discuss his upcoming match against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam.

    WWE Battleground 2016 takes place at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC on Sunday, July 24th with live coverage on SEScoops.com starting at 8 PM ET.

  • WWE RAW Results – July 11, 2016

    This week’s live episode of WWE RAW aired from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

    – Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender for the IC Title: The winner of this will face The Miz at Battleground. Before the match, The Miz cuts a promo ontop of the announce table about being awesome. Only Apollo Crews entrance was televised. Other competitors include The Dudleys, The Vaudevillains, The Golden Truth, The Usos, Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, The Social Outcasts, Darren Young and Baron Corbin. Bob Backlund is at ringside for Darren Young. The final four are Crews, Corbin, Young and Ziggler. Corbin eliminates Ziggler when he throws him to the floor by his neck. Crews goes to clothesline Corbin to the outside and they eliminate each other, leaving Darren Young as the last man in the ring and the winner. Winner: Darren Young

    – We get a sneak peek at The New Day arriving on the Wyatt Family “compound.” We’ll see their battle later tonight.

    – Stephanie and Shane are in the back speculating why their father Vince is coming back tonight. Seth Rollins interrupts and says Vince is coming tonight to talk to him. Seth says he has exclusive footage relating to Roman Reigns that he thinks everyone needs to see tonight. They tell him he can air it later and he promises they will enjoy it.

    – Zack Ryder confronts Rusev in the back to challenge him for the U.S. Title when he gets jumped from behind by Sheamus. Sheamus says he has the next shot at Ryder, and that’s up next.

    – Sheamus def. Zack Ryder: The action goes to the outside early on and Ryder gets the upper hand after hitting a dropkick off the apron. Ryder misses a splash in the corner and Sheamus comes back with a running powerslam for the win. After the match, Rusev comes out and beats down Ryder and says he accepts the challenge.

    Tyler Breeze & Fandango def. The Lucha Dragons: After some back and forth action in the opening minutes, Fandago slows the action down and works on Sin Cara in his team’s corner. Kalisto and Breeze get the tags. Kalisto goes for a springboard moonsault but slips off the ropes. He goes for it again and is successful this time. Sin Cara hits a splash off the top rope onto Fandango on the floor at ringside. Back in the win, Tyler Breeze hits Kalisto with a superkick then rolls him up for the win.

    – Seth Rollins comes out to show his video about Roman Reigns. Rollins says he’s going to show a video of him interviewing Roman Reigns one-on-one. Rollins shows video of him asking questions with clips from old Reigns interviews edited in to make Reigns look bad. After the “interview,” Seth says Roman needs to be pulled from the triple threat match at Battleground. This brings out Dean Ambrose, who Rollins calls a coward. Ambrose says he’s the backbone of the WWE and now that he has the World Title everyone knows it.

    – Sami Zayn is out to do commentary for Kevin Owens’ upcoming match, but Owens says he won’t come out to the ring until Zayn is removed. Referees are walking Zayn to the back while Owens is coming out, and the two brawl on the ramp.

    – Vince McMahon pulls up backstage in a limo and says he’s going to decide on the commissioner for SmackDown live tonight.

    – Kevin Owens def. Cesaro: Cesaro hits a gut-wrench suplex early on for a 2 count. Cesaro hits a dropkick and goes for the swing, but Owens gets out. Owens hits a Senton bomb but Cesaro comes back with a vertical suplex and a series of uppercuts in the corners. Owens throws Cesaro to the outside floor and gets the upper hand. Back in the ring, Owens hits a neckbreaker for a near-fall. Owens hits a thumb to the eye, but Cesaro is still able to hit a corkscrew springboard uppercut for another 2, then a splash off the top rope for another near-fall. Cesaro goes for a superplex off the top, but Owens escapes, puts Cesaro up on his shoulders and hits a swinging neckbreaker for the win. Semi Zayn beats Owens down all over ringside after the match. Owens rolls back in the ring to escape and gets swung around by Cesaro.

    – The Club is in the back cutting a promo on John Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass. AJ makes fun of Cena for being in L.A. to practice for the Espy’s, and they reference Allen Iverson’s “we’re talkin’ about practice” speech. They say when Cena’s back they’ll beat up John Cena once again.

    – Titus O’Neil def. Heath Slater: The other Social Outcasts members are at ringside for this one. Titus starts off with some stiff chops to the chest. Slater comes back with a kick and a DDT for a 2 count. Titus hits a series of clotheslines and shoulder tackles before executing a series of backbreakers. Titus hits a splash in the corner then the Clash Of The Titus for the win.

    – Sasha Banks is in the back cutting a promo on Dana Brooke to promote their match tonight.

    – We get a recap of the feud between The New Day and the Wyatt Family, then we’re off to the Wyatt compound. We see the Wyatts and The New Day brawling in a field around a bunch of cars. Bray seems to abduct Xavier while Kofi and Big E are fighting the rest in a mud puddle. The Wyatts get the upper hand and beat down Big E and Kofi until Xavier comes back for the save. A bunch of masked people appear behind Bray and The New Day seems to retreat into the darkness.

    – Enzo & Amore def. Gallows & Anderson via DQ: AJ Styles is at ringside for this one. Enzo & Amore cut a promo on The Club before the match saying they’re spineless for needing to gang up on Cena. Anderson and Enzo start things off with back and forth action. Big Cass gets the tag and bodyslams Enzo into Anderson then follows up with some chops in the corner. Enzo tags in and they hit another double team move on Anderson. Gallows gets the tag and lays out Enzo with a big boot. Gallows continues with the offense until Enzo hits a tornado DDT and gets the hot tag to Cass. Anderson gets the tag and Cass lays him out with a powerslam and the Empire Elbow. Cass hits a fallaway slam and a splash in the corner, followed up by a Big Boot. He tags in Enzo and they hit the Bada Boom but Gallows breaks up the pin. AJ beats down Cass at ringside and the referee calls for the bell. The Club circles Enzo after the match, but John Cena’s music hits and he comes out for the save. Cena, Enzo and Cass all beat down The Club and clear the ring.

    – Sasha Banks def. Dana Brooke: Dana rolls to the outside multiple times in the opening moments to avoid offense from Sasha. Dana kicks Sasha to the floor at ringside where Charlotte gets in her face. Sasha comes back with a series of kicks and clotheslines, then hits a cross body splash off the top for a near-fall. Sasha gets out of a Death Valley Driver and gets Dana in the Banks Statement for the win. After the match, Charlotte tells Sasha she needs to have a rematch against Dana on SmackDown to get a shot at her Women’s Title.

    – Shane & Stephanie McMahon come out first for the final segment of the show. They are quickly met by Vince McMahon who struts out to a good pop from the crowd. Vince says his children have been doing a pretty fair job on RAW, but that he’s personally a little disappointed in both of them, as if neither of them came from his loins. Vince says Stephanie is putting on a fake act, and that Shane doesn’t have enough ruthless aggression. Vince’s children both plead their cases to the Chairman for who should run SmackDown, and Vince decides it’ll be Shane. Vince also relieves Shane of his responsibilities on RAW, and Stephanie will be the commissioner on Mondays. Vince tells them he wants them to compete for real, in ratings, ticket sales, and merchandise sales. Vince says next week they both need to pick General Managers for their shows, and if they don’t pick one, Vince will pick one for them. Vince tells them “let the games begin” and shakes their hands. Stephanie tells Shane she’s going to make him wish he was never born. Shane tells her “game on,” and Stephanie slaps Shane across the face to close out the show.

  • Jim Ross Says He Would Be “Shocked” If Brock Lesnar Didn’t Return To UFC Again

    Jim Ross Says He Would Be “Shocked” If Brock Lesnar Didn’t Return To UFC Again

    Former WWE Head of Talent Relations Jim Ross believes that Brock Lesnar will fight again for the UFC. In his latest blog entry, J.R. predicts that the WWE star will step into the octagon again — as long as it’s not near WrestleMania. Ross advised WWE to keep any subsequent fights for Brock away from WrestleMania season, but still feels that more deals with UFC can and “likely will” be made.

    “I’d be shocked to hear that Lesnar was not going to fight again in the UFC,” Ross wrote. “There are too many winners in this formula notwithstanding it creates a significant new, payday for Lesnar which keeps him happy, gets WWE a ton of global media stretch plus it creates a potential, organic storyline for WWE to utilize for Brock’s next WWE event after said UFC fight.”

    Ross also talked about the recent sale of the UFC, calling it an “amazing story of success” and noting that they had bought the UFC for $2M and sold it for $4B. Ross sad that Dana White would be “revered” within in the world of sports business.

    You can read his entire blog entry here.