WWE has spent the better part of two decades building SummerSlam, their mid-year pa-per-view event, into a show that they deem as big (or almost as big) as WrestleMania. The same kind of glitz, glamour and excitement and big-time matches worthy of The Showcase of The Immortals.
As we move towards this year’s iteration of SummerSlam I can’t help but feel like a lot of that is being undone by the fact that we (almost) know exactly what’s scheduled for the main event: Brock Lesnar losing the Universal Title.
With Brock’s short-term WWE contract and already-announced move back to the UFC, it’s an almost inevitable but then again that is what the fans predicted at both WrestleMania AND the Greatest Royal Rumble when he faced Roman Reigns, so could we once again be ‘swerved’ at the last minute?
Whoever faces Brock at SummerSlam (if we discount any shenanigans with a Money In The Bank cash-in) is likely walking out with the Universal Title. This pretty much means the only thing of interest in this match is the who, and how of it all.
This past week on RAW, Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley won separate triple-threat matches to win the right to face off this Monday to see who will face Brock for the Universal Title at SummerSlam. This presents three possible scenarios:
Lesnar Vs Lashley – WWE is sometimes like a little kid. They fixate on a certain toy or show and that’s all they want. Right now for3-year old WWE, it’s MMA. With Brock’s appearance in a UFC Octagon, and Lashley’s MMA background, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were to try to put them in the ring and say “As long as Brock loses, just go for it!” Of course, that’s unlikely because there’s more to putting on an MMA-style shoot fight than just doing it. Plus, in the PG era I doubt it’d fly. Another possibility: Heyman turns on Brock and becomes Lashley’s advocate. Lashley really needs to do that “not talking” thing, and we could all use more Paul Heyman in our lives.
Lesnar Vs Reigns – Roman Reigns is a good wrestler. There, I said it. You know it, I know it, and maybe this is the time for him to shake off the bad booking he’s suffered through and make a full (badass) heel turn. Remember his promo the night after facing the Undertaker at Wrestlemania? It was spectacular. If finally beating Lesnar gets us that Roman full-time, it’ll all be worth it. It could really change his career trajectory, and also elevate the title, because who wouldn’t want to beat the crap out of that guy?
Lesnar Vs Lashley Vs Reigns – This is practically Wrestling 101. It would be easy for WWE to have the match between Lashley & Reigns go to a no contest through some kind of shenanigans, causing them to repeat the match the next week, which would more than likely end in similar circumstances, and they’d just declare it a Triple Threat at SummerSlam. This match would be great for Brock because he could lose the title without being pinned. It’d be terrible for the audience in that it’d be nothing but a glorified Reigns/Lashley match, which we’ve just sat through, like, a lot. This is the most likely of the scenarios, to be honest. It could give us the outcome of a 1-on-1 Reigns/Lesnar match, while protecting Brock and making Lashley…still be there? I guess?
My choice? It’s actually a fourth scenario: With the excitement around the Intercontinental Title right now, Ronda Rousey Vs Alexa Bliss and the rumoured Samoa Joe Vs AJ Styles WWE Title match potentially on the card, honestly, we don’t really need a Universal Title match. The best thing WWE could do is start the show with the Universal Title in a display case in the ring, announce that Brock has been stripped and the Title will be retired to a closet in HHH’s office. In it’s place will be a re-instated Heavyweight Championship (Hey, it’s my fantasy booking, let me have this), which Lashley and Roman will battle for in the Main Event.
The Universal Title debuted at SummerSlam, so ending it there would be fitting.
Sound off in the comments! What scenario would you like to see play out at SummerSlam with the Universal Title?
The weekend is drawing close, and with it comes WWE’s latest joint-brand pay-per-view offering. This Sunday, Extreme Rules emanates from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena – the 10th installment of the Extreme event.
Top attractions from RAW include Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley, a 30-minute Iron Man match for the Intercontinental championship and Alexa Bliss defending the RAW Women’s Championship against Nia Jax with Ronda Rousey sitting ringside.
On the SmackDown side, we’ve got WWE Champion AJ Styles defending against Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Jeff Hardy for the United States Championship.
Several esteemed members of the SEScoops writing team have assembled for this ’roundtable predictions’ feature. Below, Ian Carey, Jeff Moss Andrew Ravens provide expert analysis and predictions WWE Extreme Rules 2018.
Hit up the comments section to let us know what you think of our staff predictions and share your own.
WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Card
A.J. Styles vs. Rusev (WWE Title)
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax (RAW Women’s Title)
Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The B-Team (RAW Tag Titles)
Carmella vs. Asuka (SD! Live Women’s Title)
The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Team Hell No (SD! Live Tag Titles)
Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins (WWE I-C Title)
Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE U.S. Title)
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens (Steel Cage)
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
WWE EXTREME RULES 2018 STAFF PREDICTIONS
WWE Championship A.J. Styles (C) vs. Rusev
Jeff Moss: Please, oh, please let this be RUSEV DAY! I have nothing against AJ Styles, he’s one of the best in the world. But I have to say, his time as champ has been dry turkey with no gravy. He’s a perfectly cromulent champion, but it’s time for some new blood. Rusev has made something from nothing with Rusev Day and if we can put the belt on Bray Wyatt for no reason, then Rusev surely deserves some time at the top. Rusev wins and goes on to feud with Big E so that I can hear him say “PHOOEY” to pancakes every week. (Prediction: Rusev)
Andrew Ravens: This might be the easiest and clear-cut pick on this entire card. There’s no reason to have Styles drop the strap at this event especially to Rusev, despite him being a fan favorite. Styles’ run as WWE Champion has been incredible and eventually he’ll lose it but if he didn’t lose it to a top guy like Shinsuke Nakamura over the last few months, it doesn’t make sense to put the strap on Rusev, who has only been pushed as a top star as of late and for such a short amount of time. Also, with SummerSlam right around the corner, it would make more sense for Styles to drop it next month instead of a B-show. Styles retains. (Prediction: A.J. Styles)
Ian Carey: As much as I’d love to say Sunday could be the day Rusev wins his first world championship, I don’t see it happening. They will have a great match, perhaps one capable of showing Vince McMahon Rusev should be a world champion someday but Styles will win. The real question is who Styles will defend against at SummerSlam. Samoa Joe strikes me as someone who could fill that role. (Prediction: A.J. Styles)
CONSENSUS: A.J. Styles (2-1)
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
Jeff Moss: I’m going to go out on a limb and say the wet, muscley guy with little-to-no personality is going to win this match. (Flips Coin) So, Booby Lashley. Seriously though, since this match has absolutely no stakes to it, I say Lashey takes it. It’ll build him up a bit and make him look strong to the audience who doesn’t remember 10 years ago. What’s the worst that could happen to Roman by losing? People boo him? (Prediction: Bobby Lashley)
Andrew Ravens: Reigns is the likely favorite to win this match. Obviously, he still the top guy for them right now. It doesn’t make much sense to have Lashley go over in this match considering that SummerSlam is right around the corner. If Brock Lesnar is going to wrestle next month, then common sense would tell you that Reigns would be his opponent for the Universal Title. Unless plans have changed, Reigns goes over and faces Lesnar at SummerSlam. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Ian Carey: Reigns is evidently still being built for Lesnar. This is the case despite the fact that Reigns has now dropped 2 straight matches to him. Unless WWE randomly decides they want to build Bobby Lashley to be a monster, I don’t see them having him beat Roman. I also don’t think WWE sees much in Lashley, at least that is what their booking of him says. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
CONSENSUS: Roman Reigns (2-1)
RAW Women’s Championship (Ronda Rousey At Ringside) Alexa Bliss (C) vs. Nia Jax
Jeff Moss: Alexa Bliss is time and time again one of the best Heels on RAW. She lies, she cheats, she makes you love to hate her and she does whatever she can to hold onto that title. I’d expect her to retain here, possibly by DQ when Ronda Rousey remembers she works for WWE and jumps the barrier to lay waste to Bliss, Mickie James, Jax, Nattie and just for the heck of it, Liv Morgan. (Prediction: Alexa Bliss)
Andrew Ravens: This is a bridge gap between now and SummerSlam as the WWE continues to build towards a match with Bliss and Ronda Rousey that will likely go down at SummerSlam. Jax had a nice run with the title, but now the focus has shifted towards Bliss once again. Bliss retains. (Prediction: Alexa Bliss)
Ian Carey: I have to imagine Alexa Bliss is winning this match leading to a match with Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam. With Rousey sitting ringside, the winner of this match is her likely next opponent. WWE has already done Rousey vs Jax (which was great!) and Bliss has more natural heat than Jax does, so she’s the logical pick to face Rousey at SummerSlam. (Prediction: Alexa Bliss)
CONSENSUS: Alexa Bliss (3-0)
RAW Tag-Team Championships Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt (C) vs. The B-Team
Jeff Moss: The Deleters of Worlds started off hot as hell via the madness of The Ultimate Deletion. They’ve cooled considerably since, especially given Bray Wyatt’s recent driving troubles. The B-Team takes the belts here to complete their improbable rise to the middle, and then they are called to the Hardy compound for a rematch. WONDERFUL!! (Prediction: The B-Team)
Andrew Ravens: There’s no question who goes over in this match considering that Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel have been presented as comedy players in this feud. It appears that WWE is setting up a program that will see Hardy and Wyatt feud with The Revival at SummerSlam. Thus, this match at Extreme Rules is a one-off. Wyatt and Hardy retain. (Prediction: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt)
Ian Carey: I imagine this match will likely lead into the next Final Deletion style event. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that the B-Team win the titles here so that Hardy and Wyatt can take them back either at SummerSlam or at the Hardy Family Compound. Still, I think Hardy and Wyatt are a safer pick. (Prediction: Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt)
CONSENSUS: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt (2-1)
SmackDown Live Women’s Championship Carmella (C) vs. Asuka
Jeff Moss: In a perfect world, Auska would climb into the ring, kick James Ellsworth in the face so hard his balls become a new chin and then make some kind of decorative hat out of what’s left of Carmella. That said, this feels like a strange time to put the title on Auska when we know how dominant she can be. So I’d expect some more tomfoolery with Ellsworth will allow Carmella to slink away with the title and we’ll have one more match at Summerslam (Prediction: Carmella)
Andrew Ravens: An interesting match that could see either star win and it would make sense. Asuka has gotten the better of Carmella on television, which historically would have Carmella go over on the PPV. However, if WWE wants this feud to continue, then they would need Carmella to chase Asuka. I don’t see a title change here but rather at SummerSlam. Carmella retains. (Prediction: Carmella)
Ian Carey: James Ellsworth will be hanging above the ring in a shark cage for this match. While this should seemingly prevent him from interfering in the match, the opposite is usually the case. Asuka should win and take the title here but she won’t. She’s not Vince’s top-female in the division, that honor goes to Charlotte Flair. I’m predicting Carmella wins again due to help from Ellsworth and then moves on to face Charlotte at SummerSlam. (Prediction: Carmella)
CONSENSUS: Carmella (3-0)
SmackDown Live Tag-Team Championships The Bludgeon Brothers (C) vs. Team Hell No
Jeff Moss: Are Team Hell No going to win these titles? YES! YES! YES! Is every blogger in the wrestlesphere going to make that joke in some way, shape, or form? YES! YES! YES! Truly though, you want to make it seem like Daniel Bryan’s return was more than just a couple of video packages and a feel-good story? Then let’s have him be involved in a story that matters (IE Championships!) The Bludgies have just about run their course and I can’t see them becoming super-interesting in the coming months. So why not let us enjoy two men arguing over which one of them (singular) is the tag team champions (plural)? (Prediction: Team Hell No)
Andrew Ravens: All signs point to Kane turning on Bryan, and that’s unfortunate. It makes no sense for Harper and Rowan to drop the straps here considering the build-up that WWE has invested in them up to this point. Bryan could face Kane at SummerSlam instead of the rumored match with Miz. It also doesn’t make much sense for Bryan and Kane to have a title run for a short amount of time due to the fact that Kane is running for Mayor. Harper and Rowan retain. (Prediction: The Bludgeon Brothers)
Ian Carey: Team Hell No should take the titles here. While Harper and Rowen have gotten a big push with their gimmick makeover, they aren’t the stars Daniel Bryan and Kane are. Putting the tag belts on Team Hell No puts them in a position to have a bigger match with another pair of guys at SummerSlam. It also helps keep Daniel Bryan out of the WWE title picture for awhile and they likely want him chasing the belt when it is held by a heel. (Prediction: Team Hell No)
CONSENSUS: Team Hell No (2-1)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (30-Minute Iron Man Match) Dolph Ziggler (C) vs. Seth Rollins
Jeff Moss: I think Ziggler will win, then win again, then Seth will win, then Ziggler again, then Seth, then Seth with a quick rollup as time expires, leading to extra time where Seth will ultimately get beat up by Drew McIntyre, leading to Ziggler retaining the title. If done right though, this could be the match of the night. It’s all a matter of which versions of these two guys show up. They both have a habit of being red hot or stone cold (no pun intended). (Prediction: Dolph Ziggler)
Andrew Ravens: This will be a classic match and could steal the show. They have already wrestled twice within the last month, and one would think that Rollins gets the title back due to Ziggler going over as of late. However, I could see them extending this program one more month as its been one of the top feuds on RAW. Ziggler goes over with some help from Drew McIntyre. (Prediction: Dolph Ziggler)
Ian Carey: That there has been no stipulation added to prevent Drew McIntyre from interfering seems significant. The likely conclusion to this match then has McIntyre helping Ziggler score the winning fall or somehow holding onto his title. My prediction is it will be a tie or a draw/no contest of some kind, with Ziggler retaining. (Prediction: Dolph Ziggler)
CONSENSUS: Dolph Ziggler (3-0)
WWE United States Championship Jeff Hardy (C) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Jeff Moss: There’s two things I want from Jeff Hardy: 1.) To be as weird as Matt. 2.) Not to die. It’s been long rumoured that Hardy is working hurt and at 562 years of age, that’s not shocking. Nakamura needs something right now besides rap-metal and being a loveable foreign prankster, so the US title could be a good way to take him to the next level so he can become that jerk we all loved in Japan and we can get a REAL AJ/Nak feud. Also it gives Hardy enough time to heal, rise up and usurp Bray Wyatt as BROTHER NERO! (Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura)
Andrew Ravens: WWE has a few options here with Hardy retaining or Nakamura getting his first title reign on the main roster. I have Nakamura winning due to him needing a big win after several losses to AJ Styles over the past few months. They could always set up a rematch at SummerSlam. (Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura)
Ian Carey: Nakamura failed several times in a row to take the WWE title from Jinder Mahal in 2017. Then he failed multiple times to win the WWE title from AJ Styles this year. If Nakamura doesn’t beat Jeff Hardy to win the US title then they might as well give him back to NJPW so others can enjoy his work. (Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura)
CONSENSUS: Shinsuke Nakamura (3-0)
Steel Cage Match Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens
Jeff Moss: This is the one I’m looking forward to the most. Who wouldn’t want to watch Braun Strowman ragdoll someone around a steel cage? I’m kind of sad that it has to be Kevin Owens getting ragdolled, but then again, no one gets beat up by Braun Strowman like Kevin Owens. As long as the match doesn’t end in another toilet, I’ll be happy. (Prediction: Braun Strowman)
Andrew Ravens: The build-up to this match has focused on Strowman getting the better of Owens. By looking at how the WWE has booked programs in the past, Owens should get the win in this match. However, Vince McMahon is obviously a big fan of Strowman. Just look at how he has been booked. Strowman goes over in a crushing and dominating victory. (Prediction: Braun Strowman)
Ian Carey: Whatever WWE has planned for Braun Strowman, it’s big. He’s the “Monster in the Bank” and that briefcase will guarantee him a match against either Brock or Roman. He will be built up as unstoppable until then. Kevin Owens has re-signed with the company under a long-term deal. His role is to get people like Strowman over. (Prediction: Braun Strowman)
CONSENSUS: Braun Strowman (3-0)
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
Jeff Moss: Oh geez… Finn… buddy. What happened? I think this made-for-the-kickoff-show encounter will leave us all asking one vital question: Who are these people and what are they doing here? Finn has gone from killer demon cosplayer to smiley-dude-who-has-a-cool shirt, and Baron Corbin has gone from Baron Corbin… to Baron Corbin, but in a vest and (somehow) less hair. Truly there are no winners in this match, but for the sake of this article, the winner will be Finn. (Prediction: Finn Balor)
Andrew Ravens: Either one of these stars could go over, and I don’t think fans are as invested in this feud as WWE officials are at this point. Corbin goes over with a cheap win to keep the feud alive. (Prediction: Baron Corbin)
Ian Carey: It is entirely possible that Corbin wins this match. Vince McMahon has always like Corbin on account of he’s tall. That he is now in a position of authority on Raw might indicate Vince has rekindled his love for him. Vince likes Finn too but has failed to give him a big push since coming back from the injury that cost him the Universal Championship. Still, it seems as though Finn is a much bigger star and heading into SummerSlam that means something. (Prediction: Finn Balor)
CONSENSUS: Finn Balor (2-1)
What do you think of our WWE Backlash 2018 predictions? Let us know by sounding off in the Comments section.
The Octagon travels to Chicago, Illinois this weekend, as UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II goes down live on Saturday night, June 9th, from the United Center, airing live on pay-per-view. As is always the case before a big MMA event, our MMA affiliate website, MMANews.com has you covered from multiple angles with pre-fight analysis and insight from multiple veteran MMA writers.
MMANews.com staff writers Matt Boone, Andrew Ravens and Ian Carey will break down the fights scheduled for the main pay-per-view card, which includes a star-studded lineup and two championship fights. In the main card opener, former WWE Superstar Phil “CM Punk” Brooks returns to the Octagon to fight fellow 0-1 rookie Mike “The Truth” Jackson.
With that said, let’s take a look at what Boone, Ravens and Carey think about tonight’s Punk vs. Jackson fight.
CM PUNK VS. MIKE JACKSON PREDICTIONS
Featured below is the pre-fight analysis and predictions for tonight’s CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson main card opening bout at the UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II pay-per-view.
Matt Boone: So, you want a tough assignment? Break down CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson from an “expert” standpoint. And … GO! Good luck! This is as big a question mark as any fight you’ll get, as it is essentially two guys that have fought once, against the same guy, and lost in one-sided fashion. We’ve seen neither man do anything inside the Octagon yet, other than take punishment and get finished in the first round. Having said that, “The Truth” is supposed to be some kind of standup artist and Punk likes jiu-jitsu a lot. Who knows. I’ll go with Jackson. (Prediction: Mike Jackson)
Andrew Ravens: There is not a ton of footage to go off of the previous fights that both fighters have had. It’s a real pick em here. It could go either way. Although you could make the argument that Jackson should win this fight, this is Punk’s best chance of winning a pro-MMA fight. I see Punk dominating with his jiu-jitsu because that is what he has been training for over the last several years now and ultimately getting a TKO win in the first round. (Prediction: CM Punk)
Ian Carey: With all do respect to CM Punk, he’s going to get embarrassed again. Is Mike Jackson a great MMA fighter? Absolutely not. Is he an actual MMA fighter tho? Yes, yes he is. CM Punk is not. Jackson had his first amateur fight over 9 years ago. Punk started training a few years ago. At some point in Jackson’s training coaches would have told him he’s skilled enough to compete. Punk signed a UFC contract before he started training. The UFC is supposed to be for the top fighters in the world, not just the ones who draw the most money. You could put a Kardashian in the octagon and it would draw money, it doesn’t mean you should do it. Let’s call it for what it is, Punk’s fame bought him a paid trip to MMA fantasy camp. The fantasy ends on Saturday. (Prediction: Mike Jackson)
CONSENSUS: Mike Jackson (2-1)
For analysis and predictions for all fights on tonight’s UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II pay-per-view card, check out the full article at MMANews.com by clicking the appropriate link. The same can be said for live round-by-round results coverage of tonight’s show.
This past Friday was May 4th, prompting everyone and their mother to tell me “May the 4th be with you,” a clever little pun in reference to Star Wars. Well, on the May 4th edition of MLW Fusion, there were certainly of lot of STARS having a lot of WARS in the ring.
Yes, that was the best way I could think to start this column. My apologies.
My corny joke aside, there were certainly a lot of feuds being revved up this week. Let’s break it down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49p0b4hSrgY
The show starts in the arena. Jimmy Havoc comes down to the ring. We see footage of a brawl between Havoc and Joey Janela from Walemania. Havoc gets on the mic and calls Janela out. Janela comes out. The two men brawl into the crowd and to the back of the arena. That’s the last we see of them.
Low Ki comes out next in an outfit that says “I may be a contract killer, but I like to look professional.” A video package shows a previous incident that he had backstage with MVP. During the melee, Low Ki attacked an MLW matchmaker. Announcers Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini tell us Low Ki was suspended by MLW for the attack on the official. Back in the ring, Low Ki gets a mic and complains about the suspension. He says that his stable, Black Friday Management, always collects its debts and will collect its debt from MVP. MVP doesn’t like the sound of that and makes his way down to the ring, but his opponent for the night, Sami Callahan, comes from behind him. Oh God, he’s a got a bat! Oh, thank God, he’s only choking MVP with it, not trying to bash his eye out. The chaos is broken up and we go to the opening video package.
Schiavone and Bocchini welcome us and talk about the main event between MVP and Callihan.
Simon Gotch vs. ACH
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor comes out with Team Filthy, which includes the former Vaudevillain, Simon Gotch, and another man whose name is not acknowledged. Lawlor says that due to his injured left forearm, he cannot compete tonight against ACH, therefore Gotch will fight in his place.
ACH comes out next. The ref helps him spar before the bell rings. That’s something I’ve never seen before.
The two competitors start off with a collar and elbow tie up and some chain wrestling. Gotch gets ACH into a cross armbreaker but ACH escapes. Gotch breaks ACH down with a European uppercut, stomps, and kicks. He eventually traps ACH in a chinlock using his legs. ACH gets a rope break. Gotch locks in another rest hold but ACH elbows his way out of it. He comes back with chops but Gotch kicks him in the face. We go to commercial.
When we come back, Schiavone is talking about rope breaks. A rope break must have occurred during the commercial, but we don’t get that context. I’m not a fan of commercials during wrestling matches, but at least WWE will have its announcers tell you what happened while you were watching the 900th commercial promoting the show about 2Pac and Biggie.
Gotch throws ACH with a gutwrench suplex followed by some corner stomps. With the ref distracted, Lawlor chokes ACH with his left hand. The announcers speculate whether Lawlor’s left forearm injury is real. If history is any indicator, I would say “no” (see Orton, “Cowboy” Bob).
ACH gets control back by kicking Gotch’s leg out from under him and booting him with a basement single leg dropkick. Gotch stops an ACH attack, hits a sunset flip with a roll through, and kicks ACH. Gotch attempts a German suplex, but ACH rolls through, grabs Gotch’s legs, and gets the three count.
The rest of Team Filthy fly into the ring and beat up ACH. Lawlor uses his flip flops as weapons and Schiavone sells it like he’s using a steel chair. Team Filthy make their way to the top of the aisle where they’re interviewed by Andrea Ocampo. Gotch says that ACH is going to the ICU and Lawlor says he’s five million times better than the man his team just left lying in the ring.
Schiavone runs down the MLW Top 10 rankings. The list includes:
Pentagon Jr.
Jimmy Havoc
MVP
Low Ki
Tom Lawlor
Sami Calligan
Rey Fenix
Jeff Cobb (Lucha Underground’s Matanza Cueto)
Joey Janela
Barrington Hughes
The champion that these 10 men are all after is, of course, Shane “Swerve” Strickland.
Speaking of Swerve, we get a video package in which the champ says he’s fighting for his kids. Hey, that’s what MVP said last week! They both can’t fight for their kids! One of them is going to have to be selfish and fight for themselves.
A commercial for the June 7 MLW TV taping airs. On that night, the first ever MLW Tag Team Champions will be crowned.
The show comes back with a promo package from Maxwell Jacob Friedman, who does the same 1% gimmick as EC3. In fact, he has a striking resemblance to Dixie’s nephew. MJF tells the home viewers that if the roles were reversed, they’d be like him, but unfortunately, they’re not. Schiavone calls him an “egotistical little jerk.” There’s something charming about Tony Schiavone getting angry. I can’t wait until the day that someone in MLW does something so egregious that Schiavone condemns them “straight to hell.”
Vandal Ortagun vs. “One Man Demolition Machine” Mike Parrow
Ortagun is a Turkish kickboxer while Parrow is just a big s—kicker. Ortagun gets a tiny bit of offense in here and there. However, Parrow just ends it with a barrage of power moves, including a fallaway slam into the corner, a gorilla press, a chokeslam, and finally a sit out powerbomb, which garners him the three count. During the match, Colonel Rob Parker came out to observe the 300-pound Parrow. With the match over, Parrow meets the Colonel in the aisle and they shake hands. It looks like Parker has another big hoss in his Stud Stable.
Andrea Ocampo is in the back with Salina de la Renta. De la Renta is distracted by something off camera, which turns out to be Shane Strickland. She tells Strickland not to get too comfortable with the World Heavyweight Title around his waist and then flashes the “Cero Miedo” hand sing.
Next up is a promo from Havoc. He tells Janela that whenever they fight, they bring out the best and worse in each other and Havoc learns something new about himself every time. Havoc proclaims himself the King and says that Janela will experience havoc the next time they step into the ring together. He threatens that Janela will bleed, so he better “bring a towel” because he’s going to lick all of the blood off of him. He licks his lips and I am officially uncomfortable.
Ocampo knocks on Team Filthy’s dressing room door and notifies Lawlor that MLW officials have proclaimed him healthy enough to compete next week against ACH. Lawlor gets indignant. Gotch tricks Ocampo into thinking he’ll talk to her outside but then slams the door on her.
We are shown a recap of Sami Callihan’s attack on MVP from the start of the show. Callihan cuts a promo in the back where he makes fun of MLW’s production (see, it’s not just me). He says he gets off on pissing people off and running their day. If that’s the case, then he must have been rock hard when he busted Eddie Edwards’ eye with the baseball bat. He makes fun of MVP’s redemption story and tells MVP that he’ll have to tell his son that he’s a failure. Man, this guy is a d—. He ends by saying he’ll be the MLW Champion.
Sami Callihan vs. MVP
While Callihan makes his way down to the ring, Schiavone and Bocchini wonder what kind of bat Callihan is using. With his baseball background, I trust Schiavone’s analysis when it comes to bats. If he ever goes into a soliloquy about lattes, my ears will be perked.
MVP doesn’t wait for his entrance as he storms the ring and goes right for Callihan. They brawl to the outside. MVP tries to chop Callihan but misses and chops the ring post instead. Callihan rams his head into the post and MVP collapses into a fan’s chair. Callihan orders the fans out of his way. He runs to the seated MVP and connects with a discus elbow. I really thought something more devastating was going to happen there. He runs at MVP again, but the former WWE US Champ, trips Callihan and sends him face first into the chair.
MVP throws Callihan back into the ring, but man from Anonymous, Ohio rolls to the outside. MVP follows and is met with Steven Seagal-like eye gouging from his opponent. Bocchini says they’re tied in the Top 10 rankings. Wait a sec…
3. MVP
6. Callihan
Nope, not tied, Rich.
Callihan gets back in the ring and the ref starts a 20 count on MVP, who’s in pain on the outside.
After a commercial break, Callihan rips off MVP’s Breathe Right strip. That’s just too far. You can tell a man he’ll be a failure to his children, but you DON’T pull off his Breathe Right strip!
MVP gets the advantage with a delayed vertical suplex. Callihan sends MVP to the outside. He jumps off the apron for an attack but MVP catches him and slams him with an apron uranage. Both men are on the floor now and get back in right before the ref’s 20 count is over. They get to their feet and trade punches. MVP goes for a kick but Callihan punches him in the leg. He comes off the rope but is thrown with a release belly to belly suplex. MVP chops him in the throat, drives his knee into his face, and drops the Ballin’ Elbow. He covers with a fisherman suplex for two. He sits Callihan on the top rope and climbs to the second rope. Callihan slips down to the mat and tries to pull MVP down with a powerbomb but MVP holds on. Callihan goes between MVP’s legs and kicks his left ankle out from under him. He gets MVP on his shoulders and brings him down with a Samoan driver.
Callihan finds his bat in the corner and picks it up. The ref tries to take it away without success. MVP grabs the bat and the two men fight over it, which ends when MVP pushes Callihan into the ref. The mishap allows MVP to execute the Playmaker. However, with the ref incapacitated, a huge mystery man runs down to the ring and strikes MVP with a falling side slam. The ref comes to and Callihan covers, but only gets two. MVP makes one last stand with a fireman’s carry cutter and right hand to the mystery man. When he turns around, Callihan gives him a low blow, allowing him to execute the Cranial Contusion and grab the victory. He celebrates the win with the mystery man, who carries him out of the arena.
The announcers hype next week’s fights between Havoc and Janela and Lawlor and ACH.
In the back, Ocampo interviews Shane Strickland, who says he feels confident. He steps into his dressing room but finds something that stops him in his tracks. The camera enters the room and we see a shrine on the wall containing candles, skulls, and pictures of Strickland. The image of a skull is on the mirror, and the last image we see is of Strickland looking into the mirror. From the angle of the shot, Strickland’s face lines right up with the skull, as if Pentagon is sending the message that Strickland’s fate will be sure death. I’m sure he won’t kill him. I’m sure he just wants the title, right? Right???
Final Thoughts
Like I said at the start of this column, this week’s show built up a lot of feuds, including Havoc vs. Janela, Team Filthy vs. ACH, and MVP vs. Callihan. The chaotic atmosphere was established at the beginning of the show, and except for the squash match in the middle, it kept up until the end of the main event.
Mike Parrow was impressive in his big man role. If he becomes the new addition to Stud Stable, who knows how much power Colonel Parker can amass. Perhaps he can bring the big guy to the World Title; or maybe the big guy will have a hand in the Dirty Blondes becoming the first Tag Team Champions.
The build to the upcoming title match between Strickland and Pentagon is coming along nicely, with Pentagon now playing mind games with the champ. I’m excited to see what happens in the next few weeks.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that two of the best exports from the British Isles will be clashing once again as part of the Sakura Genesis event on Sunday 1st from the fabled Ry?goku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. This is certainly not the first time that the two have faced, and hopefully this will not be the last in a storied rivalry spanning not just companies, but continents.
If you have never had the opportunity to see these two former PROGRESS World Champions collide then here are the best 3 matches to get you started on the Aerial Assassin/Villain journey:
Will Ospreay (c) vs Marty Scurll – PROGRESS Chat Sh*t Get Banged
Will Ospreay (Photo credit: Forbes)
The first match on our list comes from PROGRESS Wrestling’s 25th Chapter event ‘Chat Sh*t Get Banged,’ this was to be the end of Ospreay’s great run as Champion after defeating Jimmy Havoc at Chapter 20 and the beginning and quite frankly the making of Marty Scurll. This match had a No Disqualification stipulation and took place 2 weeks after an incredible bout between the two at Rev Pro’s High Stakes event in 2016. An excellent main event match between two of the most dynamic performers on arguably wrestling’s hottest independent ticket saw these two rise above the stellar Rev Pro effort and the No DQ stip certainly leant a gravity to proceedings, one to check out on Demand PROGRESS for sure.
Will Ospreay (c) vs Marty Scurll – NJPW Power Struggle
There are two matches that could easily fill this slot, the first bout between the two at NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament was extremely eye opening…the now established member of the Bullet Club stable Scurll arrived in New Japan and the crowd treated him like a veteran, his mannerisms and character resonated perfectly with the audience and the duo put on a Juniors styled match that captivated NJPW fans.
However the match that followed between the two for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title sees an even more entrenched Scurll facing a now tenured Ospreay and far more of their individual styles can be seen on display here. A great match that leads on to their eventual Wrestle Kingdom four way bout for the IWGP title and a good refresher before the two face at Sakura Genesis.
AJ Styles vs Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll – Rev Pro Uprising 2015
AJ Styles celebrating after winning the United States Championship at WWE Live Event
What better way to make this feud even more epic than to throw in one of the best wrestlers in the world currently (if not in history)? Ospreay himself has stated that AJ is one of the reasons that he entered the squared circle and this bout for the British Heavyweight Title is one of the best matches in Revolution Pro history.
This match certainly helped cement Ospreay and Scurll as legitimate contenders on the World stage and proved many fans of the UK scene right; we have some of the best performers in the world rising the ranks in our homeland. You can watch this match as part of Rev Pro’s On Demand service right now.
Make sure that you catch this and all of the other incredible bouts happening this Sunday at New Japan’s Sakura Genesis on NJPWWorld.com
I gotta break the curse. PROGRESS title. ROH TV title. IWGP Jr title. Marty has always been my kryptonite. One on one. Ive got to beat him. pic.twitter.com/SGP9IoH5Pb
— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) March 27, 2018
Ronda Rousey is in the unfortunate situation where she doesn’t have much room for error.
The former UFC women’s champion inked a deal to join WWE back in January and made her debut at the Royal Rumble before disappearing off television for several weeks to finish filming a movie in Colombia.
When she returned, Rousey was immediately paired with Kurt Angle over the course of three weeks where she “signed” her contract at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and then in the two subsequent weeks on Raw, she appeared to set up her WrestleMania 34 match.
Now Rousey will make her in ring debut at the biggest event of the year when she teams with Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a mixed tag team match. With Rousey’s return to television, WWE also promoted that she would be appearing at every Monday Night Raw between Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 34.
There’s only one problem — Rousey has been completely absent from live television the past two weeks outside of a vignette that was shown this past Monday night that talked about her journey from the UFC to joining WWE.
As it turns out, Rousey actually was in Dallas for Raw but she didn’t make any appearance during the live broadcast, but instead came out for a non-televised “dark” segment where she addressed the crowd and then had an incredibly awkward spot with Dana Brooke.
Now no one is going to accuse Dana Brooke of being the best worker in the company but the sequence of moves with Rousey — from the poorly blocked punch to Brooke literally jumping into Rousey’s arms to help her with a suplex — was just terrible execution. She’s only been training for her in-ring debut for a handful of months, so it’s going to take a long time before she’s pulling off moves with fluidity like watching Charlotte Flair take on Sasha Banks.
It seems rather obvious that WWE is giving Rousey a chance to learn on the job with a segment like she had with Dana Brooke this past week, but then that also begs the question — will she truly be ready for WrestleMania in three weeks time?
It’s easy to point at past celebrity appearances for WrestleMania matches — from Mike Tyson to Floyd Mayweather and even President Donald Trump — to know that WWE isn’t exactly banking on them suddenly transforming into A.J. Styles overnight. By that same account, no one expected Kurt Angle or Brock Lesnar to suddenly pick up the business in a matter of days when they first joined the WWE universe.
The difference with both Angle and Lesnar as high level athletes who transitioned into WWE is that they had time to develop in promotions away from the bright lights. Angle worked matches in several developmental promotions before finally being eased into a role on television. Lesnar famously teamed up with Shelton Benjamin as a tag team in Ohio Valley Wrestling and spent two years working in a developmental league before finally being called up to the main WWE roster.
Even fellow UFC veteran Shayna Baszler, who counts Rousey as one of her best friends, spent several years working her way up through the independent circuit before she was given a shot in WWE as part of the “Mae Young Classic” and now she’s still developing as part of the NXT roster.
Meanwhile, Rousey will have none of those luxuries as she prepares for her first match on the biggest stage possible at WrestleMania 34. Chances are Rousey won’t be expected to carry much of the match — what’s more likely is Stephanie McMahon will shy away from Rousey the entire match leaving the bulk of the work to Triple H and Angle. By the end, Rousey will likely find her way into get the tap out and the victory as she officially kicks off her WWE career.
That being said, Rousey’s spots thus far in WWE have been tough to watch.
Her mic work has a lot of room for improvement, but that will come over time. She has an undeniable presence about her, despite the limited emotive range we’ve seen thus far (either a huge grin or her ominous ‘murder face’). Add to that, she’s been awkward with the pair of slams that she’s landed on Stephanie and Dana Brooke in her two more physical altercations in the ring.
The toughest part about those sequences is that no first time wrestler would be expected to pull off those moves flawlessly — but 99.9-percent of first time wrestlers aren’t doing that in front of thousands of people with millions more watching at home on television.
Ronda Rousey making her WWE debut in front of a jam-packed stadium will do big business and draw mainstream headlines. At the end of the day, that’s what this is all about.
However, her room for error as a worker under this bright spotlight is virtually non-existent and the reality is that’s not fair, because it takes years to develop into a good worker. Unfortunately because Rousey undoubtedly signed a lucrative contract to work for WWE, she won’t have the luxury of spending two years working the independent circuit before finally joining the main roster.
It’s a catch 22 situation, but is Rousey being set up for success or failure?
Only time will tell but with three weeks remaining until WrestleMania 34, Rousey will be jumping from the frying pan in the fire in quick fashion and at that point it’s sink or swim.
When it comes to the reaction from savvy professional wrestling fans, there is no third direction.
Are you excited to see Ronda Rousey make her professional wrestling debut at WrestleMania 34 and what do you expect? Sound off in the comments and let us know
When Braun Strowman faced both Brock Lesnar and Kane at this year’s Royal Rumble there was a palpable sense that Strowman was finally set to take his place atop the WWE as one of its biggest players. Fast forward to this week’s RAW and it looks as though Braun will e part of a mid-card Tag Team title match that no one really asked for…it’s easy to class this move as a major oversight on WWE’s part for a Superstar that has garnered himself a huge following over the past year.
But what’s done is done and now the talk will turn to who will be standing alongside Braun at WrestleMania when he competes for the RAW Tag Team Championship. Here are the three Superstars that we feel have a shot at challenging for the belts with Braun…assuming he even needs a partner:
Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt (via Instagram @WWE)
Out of the three Superstars we will be listing, this one will be the most unlikely. It is ironic given that Braun was brought up to WWE’s main roster as a member of the Wyatt Family stable, where he was positioned as the muscle of a (somewhat) dominant group in an attempt to keep Bray Wyatt and his cult leader character fresh and relevant…yet the inexperienced and fairly uncharismatic early portrayal from Strowman was just one of the reasons that the ‘family’ faded into obscurity and eventually broke up.
With all of this in mind there is still an opportunity to be explored here, whilst Bray is in the midst of a lukewarm feud with ‘Woken’ Matt Hardy they are set to have their biggest and most extravagant bout yet at Ultimate Deletion next week on RAW. This could easily be the blow off to a feud that has not set the WWE universe alight and used to transition Bray into an intriguing pairing with his former ‘family’ member who has ascended far higher on the totem pole than the ‘Eater of Worlds.’
Lars Sullivan
Lars Sullivan (formerly Dylan Miley)
Monster Among Men? Meet Lars Sullivan. This 6 ft 3 in beast made his debut appearance for WWE’s NXT brand back at WrestleMania 31’s Axxess event in March 2015, yet he only made his television debut in April 2017 in a losing effort to the former #DIY tag team of Johnny Gargano and Tommasso Ciampa. This unstoppable monster is not only a physical presence in the ring but he is also extremely eloquent, his promo work belying his build and destroying any sort of preconceived notion that he is purely a powerhouse and nothing more.
In terms of sheer spectacle a team consisting of Sullivan and Strowman would tower over all others and could be a very different way to introduce Sullivan to the main roster, it is fair to say that the landscape of NXT is not naturally suited to a performer such as Lars and a move to the main roster could be extremely beneficial.
Elias
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Speaking of acts that work far better on the main roster…we get to our final name on the list: Elias. The ‘Drifter’ has been completely rejuvenated following his call up to the RAW brand and he has begun to build a following amongst the WWE fan base. There have been rumblings online that Elias is the early favourite to join Braun at WrestleMania and he would certainly be a good fit for the Monster, creating an odd couple dynamic and giving Elias to opportunity to hold a championship for the first time in his WWE tenure.
There are a plethora of ways in which to book an Elias/Strowman partnership, with the opportunity to help further establish Elias on the main roster before potentially building Strowman back into a program amongst the Universal Title picture.
Who would you like to see Braun team with at Mania?
The short answer, in my opinion, is yes, but it’s a lot more complicated than just a simple one word answer. Having said that, let’s explore the details around having a women’s tag team championship within WWE.
Why Have A Women’s Tag Team Championship?
WWE have been pushing the women’s division over the last year with more historic moments than ever before.
The latest to feature was Sunday’s women’s elimination chamber match, which is took place after the WWE Universe saw the first ever women’s royal rumble in January.
An alternate way of thinking about the recent developments is to compare them to those of the men’s division. It appears as though the women’s division is catching up to the men’s, without actually installing anything new or truly ‘groundbreaking’.
The other thing that the elimination chamber match showed was the emphasis on partnerships in the women’s division. All of the competitors had an alliance of some sort, and although one of the main angles of the match was on betrayal, it also highlighted just how well tag teams could work.
Therefore, if WWE are looking to continue the trend that they’ve shown over the past year or so in the women’s division, the creation of a tag team championship seems like the obvious next step when developing the female roster. This would also open up new avenues and opportunities (creatively) within women’s professional wrestling which, if done correctly, would have a long-lasting positive impact.
The main reason why WWE may be considering creating a women’s tag team championship is purely due to the recent recruitment drive that has seen the locker room expand and move from strength to strength. There has been a significant increase in the number of female superstars over the last 2 years, enough to warrant the need for an extra challenge.
Who Would Be Tag Team Champions?
This is the biggest question that will impact WWE. The likes of Absolution and Riot Squad are pre-made heel teams, perfect to fit in tag team matches straight away. Thinking historically, another example would have been the Bella Twins who were prime candidates for past champions.
But there will need to be enough legitimate tag teams to make up a consistent field of superstars who will sustain the title race and continuous competition, without detracting from the main Women’s Championship. Therefore each brand will require at least 8 – 10 dedicated superstars to work as tag teams, in addition to those who are competing for the existing championship title. With their current numbers (approximately 12 female superstars each) RAW and SmackDown Live aren’t in a position to create their own brand specific tag team titles.
So it seems more likely that a tag team championship would be created in time for, or just after WrestleMania 35.
To make the decision easier, WWE could look at who they want to push for the singles championships. It seems as though there are a solid 4 superstars who WWE will look keep in the championship picture.
It will be the likes of Becky Lynch, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Naomi, who WWE could look to when it comes to forming solid tag team partnerships. Carmella could also work well, but the Money In The Bank contract adds an extra complication.
When And How Would This Happen?
As I’ve already pointed out, the slight short fall in numbers will hold this developmental idea back until this time next year, after further recruitment drives/promotions from NXT. But a installing a new championship is something that WWE have done extremely recently with the cruiserweight division and the UK championship.
An alternative way to create a tag team championship within the women’s division is to wait until the brand split is over. There is more than enough strength in depth for a singles and tag team championship if the brand divide wasn’t in place.
And with the new PPVs listed for after WrestleMania, many believe that the brand split is coming to an end.
Conclusion:
Is it possible? Not without further recruitment/promotion or the end of the split brands.
Is it likely? The way WWE have been pushing for the women’s division to match up with that of the men’s, it seems more than likely that we’ll see female team tag champions before the summer of 2019.
Is it a good idea? Without a doubt. Tag team matches aren’t new to the women’s division, there’s no risk involved if done correctly. There should be an increase in drive and competition between the superstars as more is on offer for them to compete for. It would give motivation and purpose to those who may be considered in the mid card of the division.
After almost squandering an attempt to cash-in her Money In The Bank contract against Charlotte this past Tuesday on SmackDown Live, Carmella may want to review her situation and work out her next steps.
In response to the attempted cash-in on Charlotte, Carmella released the video below, explaining how it was all part of her plan:
Miss Money In The Bank will no doubt be hoping that she doesn’t join the likes of Baron Corbin in failing to win the championship title when she does actually cash in. The Lone Wolf has lost all momentum in recent months, with a bleak mid-card future in his sights instead of what could have been a WWE Championship reign.
Since Carmella won her Money In The Bank contract, Naomi, Natalya, and Charlotte have been the SmackDown Live Women’s Champion. While Naomi and Natalya are by no means weak champions, Charlotte represents the strongest and biggest challenge on the SmackDown Live roster for any other member of the locker room.
Charlotte has had 7 different championship reigns:
NXT Women’s Championship (1)
WWE Diva’s Chamionship (1)
WWE RAW Women’s Championship (4 times)
WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Championship (1)
In total, so far, Charlotte’s reigns amount to 776 days as a champion. Which, when compared to Carmella, is quite a daunting prospect. Therefore it makes perfect sense for WWE to use the Money In The Bank strategy to elevate Carmella into a Champion’s position.
In the last year, Carmella is one of the superstars who has been able to carve their own unique path in WWE. With the help of James Ellsworth, The Princess of Staten Island has developed her persona and position on SmackDown Live into one of great potential.
Unfortunately the current SmackDown Live Women’s Champion has been presented as a dominant competitor, so any cash-ins against Charlotte could result in Carmella losing the title at the next given opportunity.
If you also take into consideration the fact that Carmella was later defeated by Becky Lynch via submission, it seems as though her win:loss ratio isn’t where it should be for that of a potential champion.
To view Carmella’s position from a different perspective and context, we can look at the WWE 2k18 ratings:
Asuka 87
Charlotte 85
Alexa Bliss 85
Nikki Bella 85
Naomi 85
Sasha Banks 85
Nia Jax 83
Natalya 83
Becky Lynch 83
Bayley 83
Mickie James 80
Carmella 79
Dana Brooke 75
Alicia Fox 74
Maryse 73
It’s only a video game, but it’s supposed to be based on reality. Even if they are dated, the figures do not look good for Carmella who is positioned 12 out how the whole of the Women’s division (not taking into account those who have joined more recently from NXT).
The addition of Ronda Rousey, makes Carmella’s chances of making a significant impact on the SmackDown Live Women’s Championship even more slim. Therefore it is now even more imperative that Carmella evaluates her position and time carefully to ensure that her title reign is not short-lived.
Before Charlotte became SmackDown Live Women’s Champion, Natalya had the title, but her heel persona never gave Carmella the window needed to take advantage. While Carmella would make her presence known, Natalya often won matches with other opponents via submission, or was defeated by disqualification. This meant that there were very few times that Natalya was situated in the traditional “ready-to-pin” position in the ring.
One key aspect that potentially held Carmella back was having to share the spot light with James Ellsworth. Before joining up with Carmella, Ellsworth had successful feuds with AJ Styles and became a household name in a very short space of time. The Princess of Staten Island was then able to work with Ellsworth and increase her popularity and interest among fans before parting ways, turning on him in front of the rest of the locker room. It could be argued that without Ellsworth, Carmella wouldn’t be where she is; however Carmella might have been SmackDown Live Women’s Champion by now if she had left James Ellsworth sooner.
The other main aspect that hasn’t gone Carmella’s way is the sheer lack of genuine opportunities.
In terms of matches at PPVs that Carmella could have targeted, there haven’t been that many. In fact the only real opportunity would have been at Survivor Series, where many speculated that she would betray her team. There were even theories about Carmella cashing-in on Alexa Bliss and switching brands. However nothing came from it. Perhaps the heavy speculation from the WWE Universe put the creatives off a cash-in at Survivor Series.
Carmella’s best opportunity to cash-in her contract on SmackDown Live came on August 22nd where Naomi & Becky Lynch took on Natalya (c) & Carmella. Although the prospect was teased by James Ellsworth, the tease became more of a reveal when he couldn’t control his mouth, resulting in a detailed explanation of the whole plan in a promo before the match (notice the focus on James Ellsworth, not Carmella).
When it comes to future events, Carmella has 3 PPV events before her Money In The Bank contract expires, as well as 1 key SmackDown Live episode:
Fastlane (March 11th)
WrestleMania (April 8th)
SmackDown Live After WrestleMania (April 10th)
Payback (May 27th)
It seems unlikely that Charlotte will drop the title before WrestleMania, as WWE would want to build and develop her to make a match in April against Ronda Rousey as big as possible; much like Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar.
So where does this leave The Princess of Staten Island?
In a very difficult situation to be honest. Carmella needs to focus on what she will become after her time of being Miss Money In The Bank is over. Whether she’s champion or not, losing the title, that she uses as her Twitter name, will be a blow to her in-ring persona because she’s owned the role and built herself up around it. Carmella needs to make sure that when she no longer has the briefcase, there’s something else to hold on to and keep her relevant; it would be too easy, and a great shame, for her to get lost in a growing and developing division.
The reveal of former UFC Champion Ronda Rousey at this past Sunday’s Royal Rumble has given WWE some massive massive exposure. Outlets from outside of the wrestling ‘bubble’ are now starting to mention names such as Asuka, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks as potential Wrestlemania opponents for ‘Rowdy’ Ronda and giving the WWE valuable reach into an entirely new audience…something that would certainly not be happening if the cultural phenomenon hadn’t made her way over to the squared circle.
The question marks around Rousey’s full time contract and her upcoming matches are still shrouded in mystery, however it is fairly safe to assume that a match against Charlotte Flair has been considered and a bout against Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka will come to fruition at some point. But outside of the already established names being thrown around who else is there for Ronda to face in WWE?
Here’s three names that we feel should be considered for the ‘Rowdy’ one:
Nikki Cross
Photo Credit: WWE.com
The first name we’re throwing in for consideration is Nikki Cross. The former Pro Wrestling: EVE champion and ICW alum has been an integral part of the Sanity stable since their formation and an eventual call up to one of the main roster shows possibly alongside her stablemates must surely be near.
As a fan of the independent scene there is a good chance that Rousey is already aware of Nikki’s abilities, her fire, aggression and unpredictability all combine to create one of the most intriguing superstars in NXT’s Women’s division.
The likelihood of this happening isn’t exactly high, Rousey will most probably be used sparingly with select dates and specials on WWE Network against the alread- mentioned established main roster names. That said, the Scottish NXT Superstar is ready to make that jump and what a way to establish her on WWE’s main roster.
Mickie James
Photo Credit: WWE.com
What better way to introduce Ronda to the WWE style? Mickie James has been slotted perfectly back into WWE’s ranks and could act as a mentor to guide Ronda through her first few months in a completely new industry. Whilst Rousey is a self proclaimed mega fan of pro wrestling it is a very different prospect when you actually get inside the ring and Mickie’s experience, skill level and name value could see her guide the new recruit.
Out of the three that we will mention this has a fairly high chance of coming to fruition, James can act as the ‘Chris Jericho’ type gatekeeper for Ronda and gaining experience/knowing how to perform for a television audience as well as a live crowd will be essential if Ronda is going to thrive in WWE.
Bayley
Bayley
There are two ways that a feud against Bayley could work for Ronda. There’s no doubt that the insanely popular former NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has been under-utilised on WWE’s main roster, a chance to go toe to toe with Rousey could present an opportunity to either turn Ronda heel, or in a complete u-turn actually finally get Bayley to turn to the dark side.
Bayley could easily use the exposure from a bout against the former UFC Champion, she is a solid in ring performer and has the ability to draw emotion from a crowd of all ages, something that WWE is sorely lacking right now (Cena and Roman I’m looking at you here).
Granted Bayley is so low down on the pecking order that a match against Rousey is probably furthest from WWE’s mind, however if you want to get a crowd to be invested in Ronda then you could do a lot worse then giving Bayley a shot.
Who would you like to see Ronda in the ring with? Let us know in the comments.
205 Live has not been the major success that WWE had envisioned, there are a multitude of reasons that the Cruiserweight show has drawn poorly; the time slot behind Smackdown Live, the lack of genuinely intriguing storytelling and the poor promotional efforts from the company being just a small cluster. Many have suggested that WWE cut it’s losses and look to redistribute the Cruiserweight stars amongst the RAW & Smackdown brands, but with the recent announcement of 205 Live touring shows it is clear that WWE do not want to put this project to bed just yet. So, who could WWE bring into the ‘purple brand’ to attempt to revitalise and boost the programme? We’ll take a look at three names now.
Hideo Itami
Hideo Itami
This is basically cheating…Hideo Itami has been confirmed for 205 Live but I wanted to highlight how the switch massively helps both Hideo and the Cruiserweight show. Itami has been flagging on NXT for an extremely long time and his presence on the de-facto ‘developmental brand’ no longer carries the weight of a major independent star who can shift ticket sales. When Hideo is transitioned to 205 Live (and essentially RAW) then he can be repositioned as an absolute killer amongst the more high flying elements of the show because fans from his KENTA days will tell you he can be absolutely brutal, vicious and devastating inside the ring when the time calls. Whilst Hideo may not necessarily attract the numbers that WWE would be looking for he will be a welcome asset, the prospect of Itami against Gulak, Cedric Alexander and Akira Tozawa is more than exciting and perhaps he can lend a certain in ring credibility that the show (and title) are perhaps looking for.
Finn Balor
Finn Balor
It’s quite incredible to consider where both Hideo and Balor are at this point in their careers, with Finn debuting in NXT to team with the already somewhat established Hideo. That being said a move to 205 Live for the Irish star would be seen by a large majority as a step down, but what needs to be considered is how and where Finn could be used on RAW in the foreseeable future. A rumored nixing of the Universal Title match against Brock Lesnar due to Vince McMahon believing Finn wasn’t ‘over’ has seen Finn referencing and mocking this idea on social media…but realistically what can Finn do between now and next year’s Wrestlemania? There’s certainly opportunities for Finn on RAW but how much of a benefit would Balor be as a temporary star on 205 Live? I really believe that you would see a rise in interest and he would generate a buzz around a completely stagnant show. It wouldn’t be for long and I wouldn’t advocate him winning the Cruiserweight title but a nice run against some of the better in ring stars on 205 Live could do wonders for that show.
Chad Gable
Chad Gable
Last and certainly not least would be Chad Gable. Gable’s isn’t a name that I have heard suggested for 205 Live but at 92kg (202 pounds) he certainly could be on the roster. Whilst his run with Shelton Benjamin has been entertaining within the Smackdown Live Tag Division there does need to be time to transition the former Olympic athlete into singles competition. Instead of possibly getting lost in the shuffle of the Smackdown mid card why not give Chad a run amongst the Cruiserweights? Gable’s unique style would set him apart from other performers on the roster and he could mesh well with the likes of Jack Gallagher (who himself has not had the chance to truly shine), Noam Dar and funnily enough Enzo Amore. Chad has a charisma and ability on the microphone that the other two performers suggested actually lack, his original stint in NXT alongside Jason Jordan garnered praise and comparisons to a young Kurt Angle. Gable has a great sense of timing, humour and could trade off well against Enzo in his own wheelhouse.
Who would you like to see brought over to 205 Live? Let us know in the comments
Remember back to the heady days of the brand split when Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon claimed that Smackdown Live would be the land of opportunity? While the focus of the SD main event scene places the GM and Commissioner on our screens consistently it’s fair to say that several superstars have been languishing this year…and I’m going to take a look at three of those stars now:
Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler
I feel like Dolph Ziggler encapsulates these types of lists. This naturally gifted superstar has all of the physical attributes, has a charisma on the microphone and he has main event level experience…yet he still seems to be languishing.
Dolph himself recently spoke on the Edge & Christian podcast on how he is more than aware of his ‘NXT gatekeeper’ role on Smackdown. This isn’t the worst position in the world to have, it is a clear indication that the company know you’re a ‘good hand’ and can help transition talent from NXT into the main roster smoothly, much like Chris Jericho before him. The real issue for Dolph is that he will forever be tarred with the moniker of ‘bridesmaid never the bride.’ Ziggler’s career heights such as cashing in MITB after Wrestlemania 29, beating John Cena in a ladder match and essentially ‘eliminating’ the Authority are not era defining and are sparsely remembered by most aside from the most ardent fans of the ‘show stealer.’ It’s a shame because if you look at where Cody Rhodes is right now couldn’t that just as easily be Dolph? Maybe it is time to take the independent route.
Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch
‘The Four Horsewoman Who Never Won The NXT Title’ could almost be trademarked at this point. When Becky made her way to Smackdown Live it was the perfect opportunity to make her the number one babyface and build around someone who is more than capable in the ring.
The biggest indication of her being brushed aside? Her tenure as the captain of Team Smackdown seemed like it could be a minor resurgence right up until she was eliminated first in the Survivor Series elimination match…not good. The Women’s division on Smackdown Live has not been stellar this year as a whole, even with the trade of Charlotte Flair to the Blue brand the featured Women’s bouts have not been as prominent as those over on RAW..saying that even the flagship show has it’s problems with the booking of their division.
Maybe Becky will get her run next year? She just seems to be stuck in this position of fiery babyface who gets cheered but no one truly gets behind.
Tye Dillinger
I honestly had to check if Tye Dillinger was on Smackdown Live before I added his name to the list. I feel that it is unfair to lump Dillinger in the ‘catchphrase over, performer isn’t’ category because he is a talented performer and truly more than just the ’10’ gesture dictates.
The groundswell of support that Tye garnered as part of the NXT roster was truly staggering, it more than helped that he appeared in the Royal Rumble and was subsequently beloved by the Wrestlemania weekend crowd but all mentions of the ‘Perfect 10’ seem to have faded away near the end of 2017, incidentally he has not appeared on television since October 8th.
I think that this is not just an issue for Tye, but moreover an issue with WWE’s policy with bringing up NXT talent in general. There are times that it works, Asuka appears to be garnering a really strong following on the RAW brand but there doesn’t appear to be any sort of logic or reasoning to the call ups and it is brushed off on television as behind the scenes contract signings, wouldn’t it be interesting to see a change of tactic and see the heads of both brands ‘courting’ certain talents and have a twice yearly draft for the more high profile NXT stars? Just a thought.
Who do you think that WWE has dropped the ball on this year? Let us know in the comments.
It’s about time isn’t it? Matt Hardy took a loss to Bray Wyatt this past Monday on RAW and he rather unequivocally used his ‘delete’ gesture, heavily hinting that ‘Broken’ Matt would FINALLY be making his way to WWE…
Sadly the WWE does not have an unblemished record when it comes to using ‘gimmicks’ and intellectual property brought in from elsewhere in the pro wrestling world. With such a lengthy absence of the ludicrous and creative character the WWE has the opportunity to truly redesign ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy and bring his broken brilliance to a bigger audience but…there are certain elements of the character that MUST be retained if it is going to work, here are 3 of them:
The Hardy Family
One of the most intriguing parts of Matt’s TNA portrayal of the ‘Broken’ character was the inclusion of his wife Reby, his son Maxel and his father in law Señor Benjamin. These personalities truly took on a life of their own and only added to the lunacy of Matt’s character arc, each adding to the cult like status that Matt and his brother Jeff were cultivating. Maxel recently appeared at the Starrcade event and many believe that WWE will be allowing Matt to work alongside his son as the upcoming storyline progresses…whether Reby and Señor Benjamin will be making appearances remains to be seen, and that’s not even mentioning Vanguard 1…
The Backstage Vignettes
Final Deletion was undoubtably one of the most absurd, creatively dynamic and groundbreaking moments in the history of not just TNA but pro wrestling as a whole. The production style, the overblown scripting and hyperbolic performances of Matt gave viewers a completely different perspective on what professional wrestling actually was and could be. It can’t be disputed that TNA’s Jeremy Borash had a major hand in the presentation of Final Deletion and the subsequent ‘special attractions’ centred around the Hardys but ultimately it was the direction of Matt that gave life to the characters, with a WWE production crew and a budget that likely engulfs anything previously he could easily reinterpret this style in a new, vibrant and exciting way.
The Right Opponent
Bray Wyatt (via Instagram @WWE)
When Matt first made the turn into his ‘Broken’ persona he had a fitting opponent in his brother Jeff Hardy. Interestingly feuds between the two siblings had never quite hit the right note and this was the first time that a Hardy Boys feud had garnered real traction and built intrigue in a genuine way. That being said Matt Hardy will need the ideal opponent to unleash his new persona on the WWE Universe. I believe that Bray Wyatt should be that opponent.
Before Matt reappeared in WWE I truly felt that Wyatt vs Hardy would be a dream bout, the two characters have a unique spin on the traditional pro wrestling fare and with their creative juices flowing surely they could break boundaries and present something completely different for the WWE fans? Wyatt has already taken part in some unique match types this year, his House of Horrors match against Randy Orton did not appeal in the way WWE would have hoped but with Matt’s direction and a new lease of life for the Wyatt character could they breathe life into both superstars and lift both up out of the quagmire of the mid card?
Are you excited for the return of ‘Broken’ Matt? Let us know in the comments
RAW and SmackDown Live superstars have been building to one event over the last few weeks – Survivor Series. While no titles are on the line (on the main card), almost every match holds some form of value or purpose. However, Survivor Series has seen it’s fair share of surprises and upsets in the past, and there is even more potential for betrayals and interferences on Sunday’s PPV.
With this in mind, here is a guide to Sunday’s card and the potential curve-balls that could drastically change Survivor Series and the WWE Universe.
The first three matches don’t appear to hold much potential for shocks or surprises. The Kick-Off Show starts with Enzo Amore looking to solidify his Cruiserweight Championship against Kalisto, while The Miz and Baron Corbin face off in the first of the Champion VS Champion inter-brand matches. The newly crowned RAW Tag Team Champions then take on The Usos, in a match that doesn’t have any evidence or theories to support interference (other than from The Miztourage) or betrayals either.
The following 2 matches host WWE’s RAW and SmackDown Live Women’s Division. The main surprise for the Women’s 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match revolves around SmackDown Live’s 5th and final member of their team. Some rumours suggest a return for Paige, while others have said that Nikki Bella could feature.
However, there is another exciting opportunity for SmackDown Live’s women’s division in the next match, as Alexa Bliss takes on newly crowned champion: Charlotte. Most predictions see Little Miss Bliss taking the win, which could leave SmackDown Live’s champion open to attack from Carmella – if she were to cash in her Money In The Bank contract. There will be hints, that audiences could look out for, which will highlight whether Carmella is planning to cash in her opportunity. The most obvious is if Carmella gets eliminated early in the 5-on-5 Survivor Series match, pointing towards the need to protect her before a cash-in later on.
Much like the first 3 matches, The Shield VS The New Day doesn’t appear to have any obvious, or subtle, surprises or shocks to look out for. These all came prior to the PPV as the 2 brands battled and built momentum, as well as re-introducing Roman Reigns and The Shield.
The penultimate match, the Men’s 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match, hosts the potential for three main avenues that WWE creatives could have explored before the PPV.
The first option is to involve Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, betraying their brand by interfering and costing SmackDown Live a win. The brilliant aspect of this option is that it utilises heat they have picked up inside and outside the ring to develop their characters.
KO and Zayn’s development has been clear as they continue to hold an anti-establishment attitude, ever since Hell In A Cell where Sami turned heel to help Owens defeat Shane McMahon. This gives the two superstars the perfect motive to cause chaos and create an upset at Survivor Series.
The main issue though is plotting a course for the next steps. Kevin Owens VS Shane McMahon has already been done, so it’s hard to pinpoint where to go after Sunday, or who they would face at Clash of Champions, The Royal Rumble, or even WrestleMania.
The second and third options for storyline curve-balls in the Men’s Survivor Series match come in the form of Jason Jordan. Last week’s episode of RAW saw Jordan become injured by the hands of Bray Wyatt, and later replaced with Triple H; despite the pleas and tears from Jordan, RAW team captain Kurt Angle said that he couldn’t risk including his son in the showdown.
It is therefore possible that Jordan appears during the match to seek revenge for his dismissal from the team, going after either Triple H or Kurt Angle. However an alternate version of events could unfold which sees RAW winning the Survivor Series match, with Kurt Angle as the last remaining superstar. During the celebration, Jordan could enter the arena to congratulate his dad, only to betray him, with an ironic ankle lock or suplex, to set up a feud for The Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 34.
The final twist that could occur during Sunday’s PPV involves Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, and Jinder Mahal. The Modern Day Maharaja has made it more than clear that he shouldn’t be considered an experiment, and that he worked hard to develop as an athlete. WWE have a good motive to cause an upset and prevent AJ Styles from winning: it would enable the match to end without a clean win which would benefit both brands and superstars.
The main problem with Jinder appearing is the question of what would he gain from it? Mahal already has a contracted rematch, likely to be at the next SmackDown Live PPV, Clash Of Champions. The interference would certainly create heat and build a feud to lead up to the title re-match, however it’s not necessary, and it may appear as a wasted opportunity for other superstars.
WWE won’t pass up this opportunity to capture our attention, there is too much potential to have the whole event proceed as planned. Anything is possible in the WWE Universe…
…but please let Jason Jordan come back and attempt to break Kurt Angle’s ankle!
New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 show on January 4th 2018 just got launched into the stratosphere. As well as announcing some high profile title bouts we now have the unbelievable treat of seeing Chris Jericho perform outside of a WWE ring for the first time in decades.
When Jericho appeared in a pre-taped promo video during Sunday’s Power Struggle it ignited the world of pro wrestling, and many fans were left wondering how this will play out. Here are the three questions that we have following the blockbuster announcement:
Is Chris Jericho Done with WWE?
As mentioned previously, Y2J has not performed outside of the WWE umbrella for an extremely long period of time, he has himself mentioned that he didn’t ever intend to wrestle for anyone other than Vince McMahon before he retired. The announcement of the ‘Alpha’ vs Omega has blown this right out of the water…
There have been multiple reports over the past few months of unrest within the WWE locker room, now while much can be attributed to hyperbole it cannot be understated how there’s no smoke without fire. There is a very good chance that we will see Jericho inside a WWE ring once again, remember that it isn’t unprecedented to see someone perform at a Wrestle Kingdom and then appear in WWE as early as the Royal Rumble, AJ Styles performed this feat last year.
This could easily be Jericho just wanting to test himself against one of the best in the world, but there could be deeper issues at play here.
Will This Be The First and Only Match Between These Two?
You may or may not be aware of the upcoming ‘Jericruise.’ Chris Jericho sent out the following Survey Monkey gauging interest for a Rock n’ Wrestling themed cruise and he recently announced that The Young Bucks would be part of the festivities.
The Bucks are very good friends with their fellow ‘Elite’ stablemate…Kenny Omega. There’s a very good chance that after the January 4th bout Jericho and Omega will face off once again in 2018 as part of this off shore event.
Did Jericho want Kenny as part of the cruise and New Japan would only agree if he took part at Wrestle Kingdom? There’s a very good chance of it.
How Will This Impact NJPW’s Global Expansion?
Whether you’re already a fan of New Japan or not, you have to admit that this is the most high profile bout in recent company history. Yes, Omega had one of the most incredible trilogies in wrestling against Kazuchika Okada, but this is a multiple time WWE champion making the jump back to one of his former stomping grounds.
If promoted correctly, the NJPWWorld site could see a huge influx of fans across the United States, Europe and beyond subscribing to see some of the most dynamic in ring work on the planet, even beyond this dream bout.
Are you looking forward to this mega matchup? Let us know in the comments.
When Enzo Amore won the WWE Cruiserweight title against Neville many fans of the product let out a collective groan.
Ever since the Cruiserweight Classic the 205 competitors have not been showcased in the way that many had hoped and while the decision to put the belt on Enzo could be seen as ‘desperate’ this could be a positive for 205 Live and the Cruiserweight Division in general…why? Here’s why:
Everybody Hates Enzo
The Champion always has a target on their back. This has never been more apparent than when Enzo took a beating from the ENTIRE Cruiserweight Division on RAW. There have been rumors circulating for months regarding the temperament of Enzo Amore and how he seems to rub people the wrong way. Corey Graves made it clear on Bring It To The Table, stating that he flat out did not like the Certified G.
WWE has had a tendency to ‘over-bake’ story lines that include elements of reality, however with a personality such as Enzo and how frankly irritable he is why not play on that?
You can disregard Faces and Heels here, if EVERYBODY hates Enzo then you can feasibly put anyone from the division up against him.
He Can Talk People Into The Building
The Cruiserweight Classic was easily one of the best tournaments ever devised by WWE. The highlight packages and the self contained story lines flowing throughout the tournament were clear, concise and added a huge deal to what some see as a ‘spot fest’ style of pro wrestling.
The issue with 205 Live is that you now have a weekly show with no clear end goal, you need to produce content on a weekly basis and give fans a reason to tune in and give them a reason to care about the performers.
Love him or loathe him you cannot disagree that Enzo Amore has a magnetism, his natural charisma and ability on the microphone is something very different for the 205 Live program and it will add a very different dynamic to the show.
While Enzo is obviously not the most technically gifted in ring, he will be able to add a vocal element that no one else on the roster can offer.
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore (Photo credit: Instagram @WWE)
In The End, Something Needed To Change
Neville was a fantastic Cruiserweight Champion. His portrayal as the King of the Cruiserweight’s completely reinvigorated his career and put him a step above everyone else on the 205 roster.
The issue is this, fans were not watching 205 Live on the WWE Network. It’s a fact that you cannot get past, are you are the sort of fan that believes Jinder Mahal shouldn’t be champion because he isn’t drawing ratings? Then you cannot disagree that Neville wasn’t pulling in the numbers.
I completely see why 205 isn’t securing viewership, it airs at completely the wrong time and it isn’t in front of a hot crowd, but if they won’t change the time slot or the location then what can they change? The Champion.
What they (WWE) believe is this, it doesn’t matter what time slot you’re on, if people want to watch you then they WILL tune in…we’ll see if Enzo is the man to move the needle.
WWE No Mercy is finally upon us. Tonight, WWE presents one of the most highly anticipated ‘brand exclusive’ pay-per-views in recent memory. The card features two WrestleMania caliber matches, with John Cena squaring off against Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman.
Lesnar vs. Strowman is one of the most hotly anticipated Universal Title matches since the belt’s inception. Lesnar will be tested by the most physically intimidating challenger of his reign and the one man on the WWE roster who can manhandle him like he dominates the rest of the WWE roster.
Many have predicted that the belt will change hands tonight and I am here to give you 3 reasons why it shouldn’t.
Brock vs Reigns SHOULD happen at Wrestlemania Next Year
There are times where the obvious choice is the right one. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns are the only men to ever defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and both men took each other to the absolute limit at Wrestlemania 31 before Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and ‘stole’ the WWE Title.
It makes perfect storyline sense, but I can see why fans would be hesitant to see a Wrestlemania main event where the ‘company man’ Reigns comes out on top once again. Still, this is the match that should, and most likely will, happen.
Braun Isn’t At That Level Yet
Braun Strowman
Hear me out, there have been many times that WWE has put a title on someone FAR too early. Braun Strowman has been on an incredible hot streak over the past year, it is amazing to think how much he has improved physically and technically in ring since his debut in the Wyatt family but I believe that this would be the wrong time for his first ever Universal Title reign.
I can see the reasoning behind a Braun win tonight, a top champion that appears on RAW every week would be a refreshing change of pace but you need to ask yourself this question: “how important is the belt now?” If your answer isn’t “very,” then we have very differing mindsets.
Compare the stature of the Universal Title to that of the WWE Title and it’s champion Jinder Mahal, Brock Lesnar is a part time performer and he feels that much more special when he makes appearances, would you be willing to give that up just for Braun to have a run that more than likely gets derailed at Wrestlemania next year or even before?
The timing just feels completely off to me.
It’s Only The First Match of The Feud
Photo Credit : WWE.com
This is probably the point that is most convincing. Brock and Braun are two powerhouses and as mentioned before Braun is the only Superstar to match and even surpass Brock in terms of strength since Brock’s win against Goldberg.
I don’t think that Brock will win clean tonight, in fact I believe that a Brock Lesnar who has to eek out a win against the physically intimidating Strowman puts him in a unique position. Imagine a Survivor Series main event where Brock goes in as a true underdog for the first time in this run, where The ‘Beast Incarnate’ is reduced to taking shortcuts akin to his advocate Paul Heyman?
I for one would love to see that side of Brock and to make him feel ‘human.’
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What do you think? Is Brock retaining tonight? Let us know in the comments.
The cancellation of Talking Smack represents everything that is wrong with WWE’s product right now. Talking Smack was a weekly show hosted by Renee Young and SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan. It was essentially WWE’s version of a post-game show but with a twist. The show sometimes would feature an attack or altercation between WWE Superstars. I thought the show was much more effective when it aired immediately following SmackDown. Unfortunately, it was bumped back an hour and 205 Live is now aired directly after SmackDown. It has now been reported that Vince McMahon is unhappy with the product and doesn’t believe it is in the company’s best interest to continue to produce it on a weekly basis. Apparently, McMahon also wants to phase out Talking Smack completely in the near future.
I really enjoyed Talking Smack. I thought it was the only place, other than podcasts not affiliated with WWE, where Superstars could be themselves. They could say things off the top of their heads, instead of relying on a script that 40,000 writers created for them. They could speak naturally and avoid the awkward pause we see so much on WWE television when a Superstar tries to remember their lines. They could actually speak words they use in real life, instead of desperately trying to make their way through a corny written promo carefully sculpted by folks that have bored the WWE Universe to tears for years now.
Take a look at a Superstar like Baron Corbin. He clearly possesses talent and looks like a badass. There is absolutely no reason that he shouldn’t be a star in WWE and should have the ability to bring in money just based on his look alone. Corbin is also a good performer in the ring and his End of Days finisher is just awesome. His only issue right now on the main roster is promos. He speaks like a robot and half the time he is rocking back and forth while cutting a promo. He doesn’t look comfortable with the scripted words he is given. However, when you watched Corbin on Talking Smack he came off way better than he does on SmackDown every week. WWE is obviously banking on Corbin being a star as he is currently holding the Money in the Bank briefcase. I could be wrong, but I don’t think having Corbin utter phrases like “sayonara Nakamura” like he did on this past week’s SmackDown, is going to help him all that much in the future.
If you convince a friend that hasn’t watched wrestling for some time to check out the current product, one of the first things they will notice is the poor promos. Obviously the PG rating limits what Superstars can say, but it shouldn’t prevent them from being entertaining. It is hard to be entertaining when you are performing a promo that is not in your own words and is something you do not believe in. Every week I see Superstars just trying to get through a promo. I don’t see intensity or passion for the material, I just see employees trying not to screw up what their bosses have given to them. The Miz is now hosting fake award shows and beating up random people in bear costumes. I’ll take The Miz flipping out on Talking Smack over that any day of the week.
WWE brought in LaVar Ball and the Ball family to RAW because it would get people talking. LaVar Ball is a controversial figure in sports today. Many feel that he is overshadowing his son’s talent and profiting off of his name. Lonzo Ball was drafted by the Lakers with the #2 pick in the NBA Draft this year, but most people are talking about his father’s appearances on shows like ESPN’s ‘First Take’, FS1’s ‘Undisputed’ and his controversial appearance on ‘The Herd’ w/ Colin Cowherd. When Ball appeared on ‘The Herd’, he got into a heated argument with co-host Kristine Leahy. Ball told Leahy to “stay in your lane” and that did not go over well. The media scolded Ball for the next few days and Ball responded by releasing “stay in your lane” T-shirt for $50 on the Big Baller Brand website. Ball also used the joke again during his appearance on Miz TV on Monday night.
LaVar Ball appeared on Miz TV on RAW this past Monday and the promo has been met with a lot of mixed reactions. Those who find LaVar Ball funny thought that the promo was wildly entertaining. Those that are sick of seeing LaVar on their TV every 15 minutes weren’t all that thrilled that he was now invading WWE. You can check out the promo if you missed it in the video below.
Negative reaction from WWE Superstars
Corey Graves posted a photo yesterday on Instagram comparing LaVar Ball to Mama June from ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’. Graves added the caption “Am I the only one who drew this comparison?”.
WWE Superstar Braun Strowman chimed in and stated that he wanted to stomp LaVar out in the middle of the ring. Strowman username on Instagram is “adamscherr99”.
WWE Superstar Curtis Axel also wasn’t a fan of the appearance:
Baron Corbin posted a response on a photo WWE released to promote the appearance of the Ball family on Instagram:
Reaction from mainstream media
On ESPN’s ‘Around The Horn’, journalists Bill Plaschke and Woody Paige were not fans of LaVar’s actions on RAW. Plaschke believes that LaVar Ball is inadvertently turning Lonzo Ball into “one of these villains in wrestling” and it will cause Lonzo to get booed everywhere he goes. Paige criticized the Ball family for going on RAW during the night of the NBA Awards. On the other hand, Mina Kimes and J.A. Adande thought that the segment was entertaining. Adande stated that LaVar Ball became the star of a WWE program so that is good for the NBA.
On FS1’s ‘Speak For Yourself’, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Jason McIntyre and Chris Broussard debated if the Lakers’ GM Magic Johnson should put a stop to LaVar’s antics after his appearance on WWE. The general conclusion of their discussion is that any publicity is great publicity and it will help out the Big Baller Brand.
Conclusion
As I said in my RAW reaction article, I thought the segment was absolute garbage. Personally, I’ve never found LaVar Ball entertaining but it is clear that tons of people do. He is the opposite of politically correct and his boisterousness is something that most people on this planet couldn’t pull off. I mean, who else do you know that could walk down to the ring like this and it would completely fit in with their persona?
The Ball family didn’t bring in the ratings on Monday. In fact, RAW’s ratings on Monday dipped from the previous week. Yet, Miz TV took place at the beginning of the second hour, which happened to be the highest rated hour of the show. WWE isn’t usually discussed in detail on platforms like ESPN and Fox Sports. WWE has partnered up with ESPN and Superstars appear on SportsCenter for brief interviews. The Ball family’s appearance on RAW was discussed on all major sports media platforms yesterday, so it is hard to argue that WWE didn’t get what they wanted out of the segment. From a traditional wrestling fan’s perspective, the segment was a failure. It barely made any sense and was completely random. From a business perspective, it was a success because it became viral and is still being discussed. It is one of WWE’s most popular videos on YouTube right now and is still trending on the site.
WWE is having a hard time building new stars right now. At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked if they brought back RAW guest hosts to try to bring in more viewers. How about an entire episode of RAW hosted by LaVar Ball? I’m sure that will get even more people talking.
Ambrose hit a wall on SmackDown and I thought switching over to RAW would be a positive for his character. That hasn’t been the case and Ambrose is still the same old character that people got bored of on SmackDown. If Ambrose gets a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship, I hope that it happens tonight so it is out of the way. Ambrose didn’t do anything with the IC Title and has needed to hit the reset button for a long time.
Ambrose needs to get away from the IC Title picture and enter in a feud with someone else. The most likely candidate for his next feud seems to be Elias Samson. I honestly don’t care which WWE Superstar it is at this point. I just want to see Dean Ambrose do something else besides fight for the Intercontinental Championship.
Bayley Needs To Get Pissed Off
Alexa Bliss has beaten the hell out of Bayley for several weeks now. While the promo was a disaster, Bliss attacked Bayley’s personal life during the “This Is Your Life” segment on last week’s RAW. Last night at Extreme Rules, Bliss defeated Bayley in a five minute Kendo Stick On A Pole match. Bayley hit the Bayley to Belly and that was pretty much her entire offense in the match. Bliss just dominated the entire match and Bayley has never looked weaker as a character.
Bayley has gotten destroyed by Bliss and has barely fought back. I thought Bayley was going to be a massive star when she arrived on the main roster. She is a character that is pretty much impossible to dislike. Amazingly, WWE has found a way to turn fans against her. The only way to rectify that problem is to have Bayley finally flip out and attack someone tonight on RAW. I’m not saying turn Bayley heel, I’m saying show the WWE Universe that Bayley isn’t weak.
Samoa Joe Needs To Be Built Up As A Monster Again
Samoa Joe won the Fatal 5-Way last night at Extreme Rules and became the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. If you haven’t watched NXT or Impact Wrestling, you wouldn’t know that Samoa Joe is a badass. The way WWE has booked Samoa Joe since joining the main roster has been boring. He lost a match to Seth Rollins via a roll-up. That should have never happened. Samoa Joe needs to appear unstoppable for everyone to become invested in his match against Brock Lesnar.
Personally, I think Samoa Joe versus Brock Lesnar is a match that shouldn’t feel like a one-off. It is a big time match and should feel special. It cannot be half-assed. Joe needs to start destroying people on the road to the ridiculously named Great Balls of Fire PPV. I doubt Samoa Joe will defeat Brock Lesnar, but I’d at least like to see a competitive match. Samoa Joe made NXT commissioner William Regal’s life a living hell during his time in NXT. I’d like to see Samoa Joe cause some chaos and I’d like to see that start tonight on RAW.
There will be a Fatal 5-Way match this Sunday at Extreme Rules to determine the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. This match was made after Braun Strowman suffered an elbow injury that required surgery. Strowman was most likely going to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire. Thus, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns will compete this Sunday to determine the Superstar that is next in line for a shot at Brock Lesnar.
Here is the list of the potential opponents for Brock Lesnar that are the most intriguing:
5. Bray Wyatt
If this was a month ago, Bray Wyatt may be at the top of this list. Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber and was on top of the world. For a brief period of time, Wyatt actually did have the whole world in his hands. His promos actually carried weight because he was winning matches and held the most important title in WWE. Wyatt then went on to have two terrible matches with Randy Orton. He lost the WWE Championship to Orton at Wrestlemania 33, in a match where bugs were projected onto the ring. All of this was done to make Wyatt seem scary and present him as a monster. The problem with that is that Wyatt still lost via an RKO, even though he apparently possesses powers that can turn off lights in the arena and project scary images onto the ring.
Wyatt and Orton followed up their disastrous Wrestlemania match with a “House of Horrors” match at WWE Payback. This was originally supposed to be Wyatt’s rematch for the WWE Championship, but instead turned into a non-title match. Wyatt defeated Orton in a train-wreck of a match, but won with the assistance of Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers. Wyatt then switched from SmackDown to RAW and is still cutting promos as if he is some monster who should be feared. His character is a model of inconsistency. How can anyone view Bray Wyatt as a monster when all of his theatrics usually result in him losing a match? It is already highly unlikely that Brock Lesnar will lose his first Universal Championship defense. If Wyatt wins at Extreme Rules, it becomes impossible to convince yourself that Lesnar may drop the title. It is also difficult to believe that WWE would place the Universal Championship on Bray Wyatt after his underwhelming run with the WWE Championship.
4. Seth Rollins
Rollins picked up a huge victory over Triple H at Wrestlemania 33. After that, he has been battling Samoa Joe for weeks on RAW and had a match against him at Payback. Samoa Joe dominated most of the match, but Rollins was able to counter the Coquina Clutch into a pin and defeated Joe. Rollins and Lesnar could certainly put on a great match, we have seen it before. Rollins defended his WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar at Battleground 2015. Lesnar essentially had the match won, but was attacked by The Undertaker and Rollins was subsequently disqualified. Rollins lost the match but kept his WWE Championship at the time.
Rollins is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE right now. It wouldn’t be a negative if Rolling emerged victorious at Extreme Rules. Lesnar and Rollins have a history, as Rollins cashed in his MITB briefcase during the Lesnar and Reigns match at Wrestlemania 31. It would be entertaining to revisit that feud now simply because Rollins is no longer aligned with The Authority. If Stephanie McMahon and Triple H return to RAW, the possibility of Lesnar aligning with them would be intriguing. It would cast Rollins as the major underdog and the WWE Universe would certainly get behind him heading into his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar.
3. Samoa Joe
The idea of a match between Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar is exciting enough without a storyline in place. Samoa Joe is a freak athlete for a man of his size and can put on one hell of show with Lesnar in the ring. It would be an extremely physical match and would be a bout most wrestling fans would want to see. Samoa Joe was an excellent heel in NXT and arrived to the main roster as Triple H’s assassin. Joe targeted Seth Rollins and seemed primed to become the biggest badass in WWE. However, Rollins sustained an injury during Joe’s attack and Samoa Joe hasn’t become that monster everyone thought he would be when he arrived on the main roster.
If Samoa Joe wins at Extreme Rules, it would set up an awesome match with Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. If The Authority returns and has Joe’s back, Brock Lesnar would then be in the unique position of having to overcome the odds. Timing is everything and it simply doesn’t seem like now is the time to have a feud between Lesnar and Samoa Joe. Unfortunately, Joe hasn’t been built up as an unstoppable force on the main roster. All of that could be changed if he wins at Extreme Rules and The Authority returns to RAW. I don’t think that it will happen, but if it does I certainly won’t be complaining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsTeLFUaZRI
2. Finn Balor
All signs are pointing towards Finn Balor winning the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules. Paul Heyman made a random appearance on RAW a couple of weeks back and interrupted Finn Balor’s promo. Heyman praised Balor and even said that his client Brock Lesnar wanted to wish Balor good luck heading into Extreme Rules. Balor told Heyman to inform Lesnar that he will win at Extreme Rules and will then reclaim the Univeral Championship that he never lost. Balor became the first-ever Universal Champion by defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016. Unfortunately for Balor, he had to relinquish the title the following night on RAW due to an injury he sustained after being Powerbombed by Rollins into the barricade outside the ring.
Some argue that a match between Lesnar and Balor is ridiculous, simply because Balor is much smaller than Lesnar. I beg to differ, as WWE has already shown that they believe in Balor in the past. Balor defeated Roman Reigns in his main roster debut to earn a shot at the Universal Championship. Balor and Reigns put on a great match and I don’t see why a match against Lesnar would be any different. The days of Superstars being required to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian are gone. Lesnar and Finn Balor can put on an interesting match and it seems like WWE is heading in that direction.
1. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar is the match that would attract the most viewers, which is why it probably will not happen at Great Balls of Fire. It has been rumored that WWE has already made the decision that Lesnar and Reigns will main-event Wrestlemania 34. However, plans may have changed after Braun Strowman went down with an injury. The ratings for RAW have dipped and WWE could decide to bump that match up to Great Balls of Fire on July 9th.
Reigns and Lesnar would be the most intriguing match for several reasons. Many WWE fans still cannot stand Roman Reigns and Reigns retiring The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33 didn’t help that at all. There are also a lot of people that dislike Brock Lesnar as Universal Champion because he doesn’t appear on WWE television every week. Whenever this match does take place, the energy in the arena will be amazing. There will be hatred for both Superstars and their fans will be battling to drown out those chants. Wrestlemania seems like the perfect place to have this match and it wouldn’t feel as special if it were to take place this July. Having said that, it is still the most intriguing out of them all and will be awesome to watch whenever it goes down.
Discussion: Which potential feud for Brock Lesnar intrigues you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
WWE’s Superstar Shake-up was a few weeks ago and a bunch of talent switched brands. The change has certainly benefited some Superstars as they have been able to hit the reset button and were given new opportunities. For other Superstars, the brand switch has either done nothing for them or made matters even worse. Below is the list of every Superstar that switched brands after WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up and what they have done on their new show so far.
From SmackDown to RAW:
Bray Wyatt: Bray Wyatt was having a hell of a run on SmackDown until everything fell off the rails. He captured the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, only to lose it rather quickly to Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 33. It took years for WWE to put a title on Bray Wyatt. They pulled the plug on his title run really quick and he is now feuding with Finn Balor on RAW. The change of brands may help Wyatt in the long run, but right now it is hard to take Wyatt seriously after the match at Wrestlemania 33 and the terrible House of Horrors match at WWE Payback.
The Miz & Maryse: The Miz had an excellent run on SmackDown. He was the Intercontinental Champion and had a terrific feud with Dolph Ziggler. There is no reason that he shouldn’t be able to continue that success on RAW as he is currently the #1 contender for the IC Title. The only down side of Miz joining RAW is that he will no longer be a guest on Talking Smack. His insane rants towards Renee Young and Daniel Bryan will be missed.
Dean Ambrose: Ambrose is currently the Intercontinental Champion, but absolutely needed a fresh start. Even though he is continuing his feud with The Miz from SmackDown, Ambrose was already more entertaining on this past week’s RAW than he was for the last month on SmackDown. Time will tell if Ambrose will grow stale again, but for now he has benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up.
Alexa Bliss: Alexa Bliss was terrific on SmackDown and has carried that over to RAW. She is the best female talent on RAW when it comes to promos. She also has great in-ring ability and always gets a reaction from the crowd. Alexa Bliss has already become RAW Women’s Champion and is the first female Superstar to hold both the Smackdown and RAW Women’s Championships.
Apollo Crews: Shockingly, Apollo Crews has actually benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up. It is hard to believe that becoming a part of the “Titus Brand” is an upgrade, but it actually is. Crews was doing absolutely nothing on SmackDown. At the very least, Crews is becoming a weekly part of RAW. Crews struggles with promos, so the idea of having Titus O’Neil manage him actually helps him.
Kalisto: Kalisto went from getting beatdown by Dolph Ziggler on SmackDown to getting destroyed by Braun Strowman on RAW. To be fair, Kalisto actually did defeat Strowman in a Dumpster Match, he also happened to get stuffed in the dumpster and shoved of the entrance ramp after the match.
Heath Slater, Rhyno & Curt Hawkins: Heath Slater and Rhyno were the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions. After losing the titles, they faded away into obscurity. Since joining RAW, they have essentially done nothing besides backstage segments. Tune in on Monday nights to see if Rhyno is eating cheese and crackers. Curt Hawkins was getting his ass kicked on SmackDown and the exact same thing is happening on RAW. I guess that is an improvement for Hawkins given that more people watch RAW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGDC-DtppTY
From RAW to SmackDown:
Kevin Owens: Kevin Owens was the Universal Champion for a long time on RAW. However, it wasn’t the best version of Kevin Owens. He relied on Chris Jericho to win matches and consistently looked weak. Once Owens dropped the Universal Championship to Goldberg, he actually became more entertaining. Things really picked up when he turned on Jericho at the Festival of Friendship. Since joining SmackDown, Owens has been declaring himself the “Face of America”. He is back to being ruthless in the ring, while also showing off his impressive promo skills. I think the Superstar Shake-Up has benefited Kevin Owens. The United States Championship may be less important than the Universal Championship, but Owens is much more entertaining in his current role.
The Colons: Formerly The Shining Stars, The Colons have absolutely benefited from the Superstar Shake-Up. Even though SmackDown barely features their tag team division, The Shining Stars was just an awful gimmick and anything would be an upgrade from that.
Sami Zayn: Everyone was hoping for Sami Zayn to join SmackDown while he was on RAW. He was seemingly always coming up short on RAW and SmackDown felt like the perfect show for him. Zayn is gifted in the ring and people believed that he would shine on SmackDown. Unfortunately, that has not been the case at all so far. Zayn’s move to SmackDown has made no difference at all in how he is booked. He is back to losing matches and wrestling people much bigger than him. The Superstar Shake-Up has done nothing for Zayn so far as he seems to be stuck in the same role.
Charlotte Flair: Charlotte Flair is probably the best female wrestler on WWE’s roster. Her athleticism is insane and she can put on a terrific match with anyone. However, Charlotte’s character got old on RAW. Her promos eventually sounded robotic and the WWE Universe was starting to get tired of it. Since joining SmackDown, Charlotte has gone from a heel to a fan favorite. The crowd erupted when she made her way to the ring after being attacked backstage on this past week’s episode of SmackDown.
Jinder Mahal: Without a doubt, Jinder Mahal has been the Superstar that has benefited the most from the Superstar Shake-Up. It didn’t look like that would be the case after his SmackDown debut where he lost to Mojo Rawley. Mahal also took a beer to the face courtesy of Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski. Mahal went on to win a Six-Pack Challenge to become the #1 contender for Randy Orton’s WWE Championship. He even stole Orton’s title and beat him down at WWE Payback. Mahal had an unsuccessful run with WWE and was released from the company. He made his WWE return last year and it looked like it was going to be more of the same. That clearly is not the case and he now has the chance to make a major name for himself heading into his WWE Championship match at WWE Backlash.
New Day, Rusev & Lana: New Day have yet to make their SmackDown debut due to Kofi Kingston being injured. New Day has been boring to me for a long time, hopefully the change of brands brings something fresh to their act. Rusev also hasn’t been on SmackDown yet as he is out with an injury. However, he has demanded a title shot at Money in the Bank. Time will tell if he gets his wish. Finally, Lana hasn’t made her SmackDown debut yet but she will be introducing a new gimmick as seen in the video below.
Discussion: Now that we are a few weeks into it, what are your thoughts on the Superstar Shake-Up so far? Which Superstar do you think has benefited from it the most?
On September 29th, 2016, I wrote an article for SEScoops entitled Why Would Anyone In The WWE Fear Bray Wyatt?For years, Bray Wyatt had been cutting amazing promos. He could control an entire arena with a microphone and always held everyone’s attention. The only problem was that after his promos, he pretty much lost every match he competed in. His promos were then rendered meaningless because he never backed up his words. He was all talk. Wyatt often referred to himself as a god and the “Eater of Worlds”. He was neither in the WWE. He was a glorified jobber for years. It made absolutely zero sense that he was in that position, but he was. Night after night he would lose and it seemed like he was destined to be another wasted talent in the WWE.
Everything changed when the brand split happened. Bray Wyatt got a fresh start on what many people consider the “B” show. Monday Night Raw is considered the “A” show, although many would argue that Smackdown has been the better show since the brand split. In my opinion, Smackdown is the “A” show. It is the place where talents like The Miz, AJ Styles, Baron Corbin and Bray Wyatt can flourish. Monday Night Raw is the place where Goldberg can squash the Universal Champion on the PPV heading into Wrestlemania.
Bray Wyatt was given a chance to be relevant by the brand split. He won his first WWE gold by capturing the Smackdown Tag Team Championships alongside Randy Orton and Luke Harper. He captured his first WWE Championship last night at the Elimination Chamber. He probably will not be given the main event at Wrestlemania, that is reserved for the big-named part-timers, but he is still WWE Champion nonetheless. He defeated both John Cena and AJ Styles with the Sister Abigail. He pinned them clean. Finally, there is a reason to fear Bray Wyatt. Finally, there is a reason to take him seriously. Finally, the WWE is giving him the oppurtunity he has deserved for years.
This Sunday, Brock Lesnar looks to avenge his WrestleMania XX loss to Bill Goldberg at Survivor Series. Goldberg revealed this week that he tweaked his shoulder on RAW and his body feels “horrible,” but you can expect this one to be a very physical encounter.
According to a report from CageSideSeats, Brock Lesnar is favored to get the victory over Goldberg, with a big sendoff for Goldberg planned for after the match. Lesnar going over makes the most sense, with Goldberg declaring Lesnar is “last” – a sign that his WWE return is a one-and-done. There’s huge equity in defeating Brock Lesnar and it makes little sense to cash in on a legend like Goldberg who is at the end of his road.
While Goldberg won’t pick up the win, you can guarantee he is being paid handsomely for this comeback and his wife and child will finally get to see him do what made him famous. A Hall of Fame induction is also likely at some point, a losing effort against Lesnar this Sunday will still be a big win for Goldberg.
As soon as it was announced that Hulk Hogan had come to terms on a $31 million settlement of his lawsuit against Gawker, wrestling fans immediately began speculating about his return to WWE. Fueling the fire, Brooke Hogan told TMZ that her dad is already in negotiations to return at WrestleMania 33, while on last week’s Bauer and Pollock podcast, Court Bauer reported that Hogan has recently been taping talking head segments for WWE Network programming. The idea of the latter is that whenever they air, it’s under the radar enough that WWE can ease into bringing Hogan back, plus viewers don’t really know when those clips are filmed, anyway.
Having said all that, it’s not as if settling the sex tape lawsuit is/was the only hurdle for Hogan’s return. After all, it was, in and of itself, never the issue. The Gawker post didn’t hurt his career; last year’s National Enquirer article revealing his racist comments on a different sex tape (I subsequently located the audio for some of it in April) did. While they’re connected and the lawsuit being settled does chip away at the legs of the racist comments story, the settlement (if approved by the bankruptcy and trial judges) may not be the end for a few reasons.
The biggest is that Hogan still has a lawsuit outstanding that’s centered on the original leak of the racist comments. Filed in May in the same court as the Gawker lawsuit, it named not just the now-bankrupt blog empire (which Hogan alleged was the Enquirer’s source despite no compelling evidence), but also everyone who he believes was involved with the original sex tape leak to Gawker as well as a subsequent extortion attempt using all of the videos as bait. If that lawsuit keeps going, it’s going to keep the topic of his racist comments in the public eye for as long as the case lasts.
So is it gonna keep going?
That’s hard to say right now. Obviously the claim against Gawker, which was tenuous in the first place, is being dropped soon. When reached for comment, Gawker attorney Rachel Fugate said she had “no clue” if Hogan would be dropping the case against the other defendants. Charles Harder, Hogan’s lead attorney on the Gawker cases, did not return a request for comment. So it likely comes down to this: Did Hogan file the second lawsuit as part of the deal with Peter Thiel to drive Gawker out of business (with the others as collateral damage, albeit people who Hogan had no problem suing), or would he have pursued this case regardless?
While it ramped up after he started needing money in the aftermath of his son’s car wreck and his first wife filing for divorce, Hogan has been a very litigious man for going on two decades now. Ever since he filed an extortion lawsuit against the woman he sued him alleging that he sexually assaulted her the weekend before the first episode of Monday Nitro, he’s been relented. Last year, Amanda Hess wrote this in an article about the sex tape case at Slate:
Hogan is easily aggrieved. When a woman accused him of sexual battery, he sued her; when his ex-wife Linda alleged domestic abuse in her memoir, he sued her; when a series of back surgeries stopped Hogan from inking a last-hurrah wrestling contract, he sued the surgeon; when his auto insurance failed to cover the cost of his tipsy teenage son recklessly driving his sports car into a tree, causing permanent brain damage to a passenger, Hogan sued his insurance company; when that didn’t work, he sued Linda, too, for not forcing him to be better insured; when Hogan’s lawyers sent the bill for their services, he sued them as well.
That’s definitely missing plenty of cases, too. So it’s easy to make an argument for why he would continue to pursue the second lawsuit, but it’s just as easy to argue that it was primarily part of the plan to sink Gawker. The only mark against the latter is that if Hogan’s lawyers foresaw Gawker filing bankruptcy a month after they filed the suit (and it’s starting to look more and more like they did), then the second lawsuit was unlikely to push them further in that direction.
Until they know for sure whether or not this case is going away, though, it’s likely too risky for WWE to bring Hogan back as a an actual character, and not just a talking head on canned streaming shows. If the case is still going, then Hogan’s racist comments will literally be an ongoing issue in the public record until the case is resolved.
