WWE has announced a new segment for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network.
The sports entertainment company has officially announced that WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler would interview WWE Champion AJ Styles about his upcoming title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing Match at the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena.
WWE holds this show in Memphis, TN at the FedEx Forum. Obviously, Lawler is from and currently resides in the city.
The company has already announced several matches for the show.
Those matches include Sin Cara vs. Andrade Almas, United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Nakamura in a non-title match, Daniel Bryan taking on Shelton Benjamin and a Women’s Money in the Bank Summit that will feature Money in the Bank participants Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Lana, and Naomi. SmackDown General Manager Paige will host the segment.
What are your thoughts on WWE announcing this match? Sound off in the comment section below.
According to a report from 411Mania, WWE Champion AJ Styles missed WWE Live events over the weekend. Styles hasn’t wrestled in almost three weeks. His last match was a dark match against Shinsuke Nakamura after the May 22nd SmackDown Live tapings.
The Phenomenal One’s last match on WWE TV occurred on a May 15th episode of SmackDown Live. He lost a non-title bout to Shinsuke Nakamura for the right to select the stipulation for their match at Money In The Bank (MITB). Styles is scheduled to return to the ring this Sunday against Nakamura at MITB for the WWE Title in a Last Mat Standing match.
Lana & Rusev Burglarized In Hotel Room
Rusev took to Twitter to Tweet at the Sheraton Hotels, claiming that the people who “cleaned” he and Lana’s hotel room stole his wife’s camera and money out of his wallet:
Thank you @sheratonhotels Memphis for “cleaning” the room and stealing my wife camera and my money from my wallet
Bruce Prichard and co-host Conrad Thompson will be covering AJ Styles’ time in TNA on an upcoming episode of their podcast on the WWE Network.
Thompson recently did an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. During the conversation, he revealed that next week’s episode of Something Else to Wrestle With will look at the final run of Styles’ career in TNA before he went to New Japan Pro Wrestling and later joined the WWE.
Thompson mentioned the timeline of Styles’ career in the promotion that they will be talking about as well as being hopeful to use footage of Styles in TNA on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network.
“We’re going to cover from October 2010, which is right when Bruce came into the company, and we’ll carry it right to July of 2013,” said Thompson. “AJ was a TNA original, so when he parted ways with TNA in 2013, history changed forever. That exodus, with AJ leaving, started an immediate sharp decline in TNA.”
“That’s the plan,” said Thompson. “I know that WWE is trying to make a deal to license some of that footage, so we’ve got our fingers crossed. I think that deal would be good for everyone if such a deal were put together, but we’ll see.”
What are your thoughts on this topic being covered? Sound off in the comment section below.
The Background
Styles made his name known while in TNA Wrestling, now known as Impact Wrestling, from 2002–2013 well before he signed with the sports entertainment company. While in the promotion, Styles held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship twice. Also, he was the first holder of the X Division Championship, a title he held six times. Styles was the first professional wrestler ever to complete the TNA Triple Crown (five times) and the TNA Grand Slam (two times).
‘The King of Strong Style’ has been indeed very strong with his style of wrestling as of late, with AJ Styles receiving devastating low blows from him over the last two months. Even Styles had to retaliate back with the illegal attack to give Nakamura a taste of his own medicine.
Their most recent title bout at WWE Backlash in a no-disqualification match saw Nakamura delivering a low blow on Styles, only for Styles to return the favor. The match ended with both of them simultaneously hitting each other with a groin attack, only to be unable to answer the referee’s count of ten.
The WWE Universe is wondering what is in store in the Last Man Standing Match that’s going to take place at Money in the Bank. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the rumored ending of the match is going to take almost the same path with both Styles and Nakamura hitting each other with a low blow, but with a twist of Styles wearing a protective cup and getting a win.
AJ Styles is set to defend his WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing Match at Money in the Bank on June 17th.
We now know the stipulation for the WWE Title Match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at Money in the Bank.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Worcester, MA at the DCU Center on the USA Network, Nakamura and Styles did an in-ring segment that led to Nakamura attacking the WWE Champion.
The challenger would later reveal that their match at the upcoming PPV event will be a Last Man Standing Match.
The Money in the Bank pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:
– Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode
– Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya vs. Lana
WWE fans has voiced their opinion about how WWE has been booking the feud between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Styles and Nakamura have wrestled each other four times over the last month. Styles successfully retained the title against Nakamura at WrestleMania 34, they went to a double count-out at both the Greatest Royal Rumble and Backlash events.
Then, Nakamura beat Styles in a non-title match on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in London, England at the O2 Arena on the USA Network. As a result of this big win, Nakamura will now choose the stipulation for their upcoming WWE Title match at the upcoming Money in the Bank PPV.
Although the matches have been good, there have been a lot of fans who have taken to Twitter to show their frustration with the sports entertainment company and the way they have booked this feud thus far.
WWE producer and Smackdown Live creative team member Road Dogg responded to this criticism on Twitter where he wrote the following:
“You’re a fan since 2011? Thanks for being a fan but I need my job dude, I’d appreciate you not trying to get me fired. But, if you need to try…. ok ? #OUDK.
It ain’t easy but I try to rise above it. It gets to me some times tho for sure, I’m only human.”
You’re a fan since 2011? Thanks for being a fan but I need my job dude, I’d appreciate you not trying to get me fired. But, if you need to try…. ok ? #OUDK
As we’ve previously reported, RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax will defend her title against Ronda Rousey at the Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV) next month in Chicago.
Charlotte Flair Tweeted out the following in reaction to the announcement, warning both women to be prepared for when she wins the Women’s MITB Ladder match:
Witnessing history. Glad to say I got to see this up close! But both of you ladies need to be prepared for when I win that #MITB contract. ? #RondavsNiahttps://t.co/945j9t7VEf
AJ Styles & Shinsuke Nakamura Hype Stipulation Match (Video)
Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live will feature a non-WWE Title match between champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. The winner will select the stipulation for their WWE Title match at the MITB PPV.
Both Styles and Nakamura posted videos on WWE’s Twitter account hyping the match-up tonight. Check them out here:
Styles and Nakamura first fought it out at WrestleMania 34 this past April. Styles won that match-up but was assaulted by Nakamura afterwards. At the Greatest Royal Rumble they rematched, but that ended in a double count-out and resulted in Styles assaulting Nakamura after the match in return.
At Backlash last week, Styles and Nakamura put on what was probably their best match against each other in WWE. That ended in another double count-out, as neither men could get to their feet and answer the referee’s 10 count after exchanging low blows. It should be interesting to see how things shake out at MITB next month.
On a recent edition of the Table For 3 show on the WWE Network, Road Dogg, WWE Hall Of Famer Jeff Jarrett, and RAW Superstar Elias sat down for a chat.
During the episode, Road Dogg made a very interesting revelation. It turns out that the current theme song for WWE Champion AJ Styles wasn’t originally written for him. Instead, it was written for IMPACT Wrestling’s James Storm.
Storm had a brief run in WWE with the NXT brand back in 2015. Instead of signing a deal with WWE, however, he instead decided to return to IMPACT Wrestling. AJ Styles made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble shortly after, and decided to use the song.
Here’s what Road Dogg had to say:
“That was originally written and developed for James Storm,” said Road Dogg. “And James passed [on the theme song] and he went a different direction, and AJ stepped in and it just worked out perfectly.”
A new match has been officially announced for the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank PPV.
On Monday morning, WWE SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon revealed in a post on his official Twitter account that AJ Styles would defend the WWE Title against Shinsuke Nakamura at the Money in the Bank PPV.
Every fan of these athletes is looking for a definitive winner, a CLEAR victor…so I am making it official: @AJStylesOrg vs @ShinsukeN for the @WWE Championship at #MITB. #SDLive
It should be noted that although McMahon did not mention a stipulation for the match, WWE will likely add one during this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in London, England at the O2 Arena.
Styles and Nakamura have wrestled each other three times over the last month. Styles successfully retained the title against Nakamura at WrestleMania 34, they went to a double count-out at both the Greatest Royal Rumble and Backlash events.
The Money In The Bank pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois at the Allstate Arena and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. Both Raw and SmackDown brands will be featured. Here is the updated card:
WWE Championship Match:
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match:
Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. 4 TBD
Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match:
Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair vs. 6 TBD
What are your thoughts on this match? Sound off in the comment section below.
Both AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura were kept away from action during SmackDown Live this week and they appeared on the show via separate backstage segments.
The reason given for this was that both the stars were not cleared to wrestle after their brutal no disqualification match at Backlash, though they found their way back to the ring soon enough.
Styles faced Nakamura once again in a dark match after SmackDown Live and 205 Live went off air and the WWE Champion retained his title against the Japanese star.
Big SmackDown Debut And Segment Announced For Next Week
WWE announced a big debut and a segment for next week’s episode of SmackDown Live, during this week’s episode of the show.
First, the SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella announced that she will be hosting a “Royal Mella-bration” to celebrate her Backlash victory against Charlotte Flair next week.
Then the company revealed that the former NXT Champion Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas will finally be making his SmackDown Live debut during next week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show:
It’s worth mentioning here that the debut of Sanity is also impending on SmackDown Live but so far there is no confirmation on the exact date of their arrival.
Since returning to the scene in WWE, Samoa Joe has picked up right where he left off. Having just recently returned, Joe is already setting his sights at the very top — the WWE Champion AJ Styles.
During a recent sit-down interview with ESPN, Joe spoke about his longstanding rivalry with Styles, which spans over two decades. According to Joe, a showdown with Styles in WWE is inevitable.
“I think at this point it’s beyond potential, and it’s something that’s gonna happen,” Joe told ESPN this past Tuesday morning, just hours before confronting ‘The Phenomenal One’ on SmackDown Live.
“People talk about the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn relationship and how they’ll be fighting forever, but in reality when it comes to me and AJ Styles, I defy anybody to find two guys who have been battling against each other longer than us,” said Joe.
Samoa Joe Talks AJ Styles Rivalry
Joe, a former two-time NXT World Champion himself, went on to praise Styles and put over the fact that he is among the best the business has ever seen. At the same time, he made sure to prepare the WWE Universe for the fact that a Joe-Styles clash is something like they’ve never seen.
“AJ, his moniker speaks for itself,” said Joe. “He’s a phenomenal athlete, he’s been a fantastic champion and a superstar for WWE. A lot of the wider WWE universe hasn’t been able to experience what Samoa Joe-AJ Styles is, and if there’s one thing that we’ve always known about each other it’s that whenever we get in the ring, things get a little bit more intense. There’s just a little bit extra ‘oomph’ with everything that happens. That rivalry was started over a decade ago, and rest assured it will continue in WWE.”
Check out the complete Samoa Joe interview at ESPN.com.
What do you think about an AJ Styles-Samoa Joe rivalry in WWE? Sound off in the Comments section below.
WWE teased a big rivalry between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe during the latest episode of SmackDown Live and it appears that we will get to see these two clashing inside a WWE ring, not in too distant future.
According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, WWE is planning a WWE title feud between these two in the upcoming time after Styles culminates his rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura.
This report also reveals a possible spoiler for Backlash as a championship feud between Joe and AJ would mean that the current Champion will retain his title at the upcoming PPV.
Though it’s not specified when this rivalry will actually start so it’s possible that the encounter between Nakamura and Styles at the upcoming show may not be the final bout of their current rivalry.
It this report is true, then it would be interesting to see what the company has in store for the Japanese Star after his feud with the current WWE Champion ends.
An exciting possibility is that Shinsuke could start a feud with none other than the former SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, who he faced in a dark match after this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show.
Though whether or not these reports are true and whether the company is actually planning a feud between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe should be revealed in the upcoming week or so.
Styles is set to defend the WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura at Backlash this Sunday.
WWE Champion AJ Styles has taken the WWE by storm since signing a few years ago.
Styles made his name known while in TNA Wrestling, now known as Impact Wrestling, from 2002–2013 well before he signed with the sports entertainment company.
Styles first appeared on WWE television in 2002 but turned down a developmental contract he was offered by the company. He signed a multi-year contract with WWE fourteen years later in January 2016 and made his re-debut at that month’s Royal Rumble. After appearing at his first WrestleMania 32 that April against Chris Jericho, Styles headlined multiple pay-per-view events and won the WWE Championship twice.
Styles was recently a guest on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast where he spoke about various topics including Daniel Bryan.
Ever since the former SmackDown General manager was recently cleared by WWE doctors, Styles, as well as other WWE Superstars, have gone on record by stating that they would like to wrestle the former WWE Champion.
“Selfishly, I was hoping he [Bryan] would have gotten cleared before. Did I expect him to be cleared? No, but the fact that he did is awesome. Reminded me of when Shawn Michaels came back. I remember just praying for him to not get hurt because you just never know, and then he goes out and becomes Shawn Michaels. I feel like I am in the best run of my career as well.” What are your thoughts on Styles’ comments about Bryan? Sound off in the comment section below.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America will induct nine new Club alumni into their Alumni Hall of Fame during a ceremony this week including Hulk Hogan.
The ceremony, which will honor alumni who have gone on from their Boys & Girls Club to make contributions in their professions, is slated to be hosted by Courtney B. Vance.
During the interview, he gave some high praise to WWE Champion AJ Styles, who is slated to defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura in a No DQ Match at this Sunday’s Backlash pay-per-view event that takes place in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center.
“AJ has turned out to be one heck of a performer, one of the best in the world,” said Hogan. “Beyond that, he’s just such a good person.”
“What AJ does in the ring is phenomenal, and that’s why we call him the ‘Phenomenal One’, but when he’s outside the ring, he’s even more phenomenal,” said Hogan. “It’s so cool to see how he takes care of his family and loves his kids. If people saw him outside of when he wrestles, they’d have even more admiration for him.”
Hogan has been a household name in the world of professional wrestling for decades now. He has wrestled some of the biggest names in the history of pro wrestling, and although he has a long-lasting relationship with the company, there have been some hiccups between the two sides throughout the years. “So many people are so loyal,” said Hogan. “That support has given me my pulse. I’ve wrestled for four generations of people, but after all these years, I never thought the popularity would still be this big. I’ll be 65 in a couple months, and I had no idea there would still be this groundswell of interest. “People have stood by me through the good stuff, but also through the controversy. People were loyal and stood behind me even when big corporations made decisions based on their corporate policies. The fans stuck with me. It’s been amazing how loyal they have been to me.”
What are your thoughts on Hogan’s praise of Styles? Sound off in the comment section below.
– WWE has already confirmed that WWE Champion AJ Styles will wrestle Shinsuke Nakamura under the sports entertainment banner for the third time thus far this year. Their first match went down at WrestleMania 34 with Styles winning and their second match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event that saw no winner being declared as both superstars were counted out.
Now, Styles is slated to put his title on the line against Nakamura at the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view event in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center on Sunday. The WWE Champion sent out the following tweet to hype the upcoming match:
– WWE’s annual tour of the UK is right around the corner, and more lineups for these events have been revealed, which you can see here: Belfast, Northern Ireland (May 10th) — Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe — Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman — Elias vs. Bobby Lashley — Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler vs. Titus Worldwide with Dana Brooke — No Way Jose, The Ascension, Breezango vs. The Revival, The Authors of Pain, Curt Hawkins — Handicap Match: The Riott Squad vs. Ember Moon and Natalya — Raw Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn — Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley — WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Roode vs. Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal with Sunil Singh Dublin, Ireland (May 11th) — Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin, Samoa Joe, Jinder Mahal with Sunil Singh — Bobby Roode vs. Elias — Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens — The Revival, The Authors of Pain, Curt Hawkins vs. The Ascension, No Way Jose, Titus Worldwide with Dana Brooke — Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon, Dana Brooke vs. Natalya, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan — Raw Tag Team Champions Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy vs. Breezango vs. Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler — Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss — WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn
Shinsuke Nakamura’s heel turn at WrestleMania 34 was seen as the start of a long-lasting feud between him and AJ Styles so their match at the Greatest Royal Rumble was expected to be just a stop on their rivalry instead of being a culminating bout.
Now WWE has confirmed that their match at the show was not the last encounter we’ll see between the two by announcing a rematch for the upcoming Backlash PPV next month.
The match between Nakamura and Styles at last night’s show ended in a double count-out after AJ speared the Japanese star onto the announcer’s table and they both kept brawling outside as the referee counted to ten.
Though the duo didn’t stop fighting even after the bell rang and the segment ended with the WWE Champion delivering a phenomenal forearm to the former NXT Star onto to the ringside floor.
After the show went off air, WWE announced on their website that the Phenomenal One will once again defend his title against the former NXT Champion at the upcoming dual branded PPV.
Following the announcement, here is the updated Backlash match card:
WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz
Raw Women’s Championship: Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
WWE Backlash will take place on May 6, 2018, at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
WWE had previously announced that Brock Lesnar will be defending his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns in a rematch from WrestleMania 34 at the Greatest Royal Rumble.
And after tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live, the company has announced another huge Championship rematch for the upcoming Live Event from Saudi Arabia later this month.
The main event of this week’s episode of Blue Branded Show saw AJ Styles teaming up with Daniel Bryan to face Rusev Day. However, the match ended with Shinsuke Nakamura attacking Styles from behind while Big Cass attacked Bryan.
This was the third time Nakamura attacked Styles since turning heel at WrestleMania and after the show went off air, it was announced that he’ll get another shot at the coveted title during the upcoming event.
After the announcement, here is the updated match card for the Greatest Royal Rumble:
50 Men Greatest Royal Rumble
Universal Championship match: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
WWE Championship match: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
United States Championship: Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Bray Wyatt & Woken Matt Hardy
The WWE is set to head to Saudi Arabia later this month for the Greatest Royal Rumble event. One of the featured matches on the card is a 50-Man Royal Rumble match, the largest in WWE history.
Huge names like The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns are scheduled to appear. WWE has also now announced that they will be holding tryouts while in Saudi Arabia as well:
WWE to hold tryout in Saudi Arabia this week
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA and STAMFORD, Conn. — WWE is in Saudi Arabia this week in search of the next generation of WWE Superstars with a four-day talent tryout in Jeddah beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18, through Saturday, April 21.
The tryout, which will be hosted at the King Abdullah Sports City Sports Hall, will give more than 25 athletes from Saudi Arabia the opportunity to showcase their abilities with the goal of being selected to begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The talent pool will be comprised of elite performers with a diverse background in sports, including soccer, powerlifting, volleyball, boxing, jiujitsu, gymnastics, CrossFit and taekwondo.
The world-class tryout is part of WWE’s commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted by the Greatest Royal Rumble event on Friday, April 27. General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia Chairman, His Excellency Turki Al Sheikh, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invite the world to celebrate this signature event. It is the first event as part of a long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Greatest Royal Rumble card includes the first-ever 50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Match; John Cena vs. Triple H; The Undertaker vs. Rusev in a Casket Match; Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns in a Universal Championship Steel Cage Match; an Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match featuring champion Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Bálor; United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal with Sunil Singh; a Raw Tag Team Championship Match between “Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt and Sheamus & Cesaro; and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos, as well as a WWE Championship Match and a Cruiserweight Championship Match.
“WWE is dedicated to recruiting the most talented athletes and entertainers from around the world and developing them into global Superstars,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “In partnership with the General Sports Authority, we look forward to bringing the Greatest Royal Rumble to Saudi Arabia while showcasing this historic event to the world.”
The Jeddah tryout is the latest example of WWE’s global talent recruiting efforts. In recent years, WWE has scouted rugby and soccer players from Europe, kabaddi and kushti athletes from India, and martial artists and boxers from China. In 2017, WWE held a tryout in Dubai, which resulted in the first Arab woman, the first Indian woman and the first Kuwaiti man to sign with WWE.
Rare AJ Styles vs. RVD Match (Video)
Title Match Wrestling has recently released a video of a match between current WWE Champion AJ Styles and former WWE star Rob Van Dam (RVD) from Pro Wrestling Syndicate’s “Frightmare Before Christmas” event in 2014.
The special guest referee for the match was Jerry Lynn, and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson also make appearances. You can watch below:
This past weekend at WrestleMania 34, the WWE Championship match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura didn’t appear to live up to the hype for most fans. Throughout the build-up to the match, the bout was being promoted as a ‘dream match’ between the former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) stars.
Fans in attendance didn’t seem to be too thrilled with what went on in the ring, with pockets of those in the crowd even chanting “boring” at some times.
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Christian recently weighed in on the matter in a recent episode of he and WWE Hall Of Famer Edge’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness.
Christian explained how the crowd can affect the perception of a match, and even compared it to he and Randy Orton’s feud during his time in the ring:
“Sometimes the crowd can affect the perception of a match, [and] I think it happened during this one a little bit,” said Christian. “I think that’s where it started to happen when the crowd was getting fatigued. Especially, when it’s two guys that are babyfaces. And, there’s the title on the line, but emotionally, what else is going on? And I think what they did after the match meant more than anything that did in the match.
“I was thinking about the babyface match I had for the world title with Randy Orton when we wrestled at Over the Limit, and I was thinking, what’s the difference between that and this other than one was at Over the Limit and one was at WrestleMania? So, what I was thinking about is the emotion was not good guy – bad guy, heel – babyface. The emotion was, this guy who we’ve wanted to see at this level for like 17 years has been scratching and clawing and finally won it.
“And then, had it snatched from a guy who’s been patented as ‘the golden boy’ for years and years, and has been molded to be a top superstar gets it back after a couple of days. People didn’t want to see me lose it yet. That was the emotion. ‘Can he get it back? Can he get back to that level already, so quickly after he worked so hard to get there?’ People liked me, but they didn’t like what happened. That was the emotion.
“On this one, they liked both guys, so [fans] are just kinda choosing a side. There’s nothing else. So, to me, now I can really sink my teeth into this, because I think Nakamura now is gonna do better work. I think he’s gonna work more with a chip on his shoulder, I think he’s gonna work more aggressively. He works aggressive anyway, I think he’s gonna have a mean streak that he hasn’t had before, and I think it’s gonna amp up, and I think he’s done himself a huge favor by the aggression he had after the match, in my opinion.”
You can listen to E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.
– Bray Wyatt seems to be “Woken,” and that means he’s going to be a lot more vocal with fans on Twitter. One fan teased Wyatt’s relationship with RAW ring announcer JoJo Offerman, saying that she was an attractive and wealthy woman who is with a “fat neckbeard” like Wyatt – not for the money, but because she likes his personality.
Wyatt responded by listing out his accomplishments, before posting a photo of the fan attacking him and captioning it “You are this…..”:
– Relevant Magazine recently published an interview with WWE Champion AJ Styles. In the article, Styles talks about his love for Christian rap – as his faith is something that’s very important to him.
The Phenomenal One named Tedashii, Trip Lee and NF as some artists that he enjoys – but named Lecrae at the top of his list.
– Next week’s episode of Monday Night RAW will kick off the two-day Superstar Shakeup event. WWE posted a backstage interview between Mike Rome and Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins, who is currently on the red brand.
In regards to the Superstar Shakeup, Rollins said he doesn’t know what to expect and doesn’t know if champions are exempt. The Architect said he believes we’re in for a few surprises, and noted if he does take off to SmackDown Live he’d love to face AJ Styles for the WWE Title:
– As we’ve noted, Paige officially announced her retirement from in-ring competition on last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. WWE released the following statement on the matter:
Paige retires from in-ring competition
Citing medical reasons, Paige made the difficult decision to retire from in-ring competition during the April 9 edition of Monday Night Raw after four years in WWE.
In an emotional address, the brave Superstar thanked Daniel Bryan for his inspiration, WWE Hall of Famer Edge for showing her there is life after sports-entertainment, the WWE Universe for their support and WWE for allowing her to do what she loves to do.
A trailblazing Superstar who won the Divas Championship in her Monday Night Raw debut, Paige truly made the most of her four-year career and will surely find tremendous success in whatever she chooses to do next.
– Last night on RAW former NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon made her main roster debut, as she teamed up with RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax to defeat Alexa Bliss and Mickie James in a Tag Team match.
WWE posted the following video of Mike Rome interviewing both Jax and Moon to get their reaction on their win:
Last night at WrestleMania, WWE Champion AJ Styles defended his title against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura in a “dream match” for the WWE Universe. Despite all the hype and the potential, the match has received mixed reviews from fans and pundits alike. Many described the match as slow paced without the drama and excitement Styles and Nakamura’s matches are typically known for.
While the finish was pretty creative, there weren’t any huge false finishes, ridiculous high spots, or anything else that knocked fans’ socks off. There was actually a “boring” chant from the crowd during the match. The match’s placement on the near seven hour card didn’t help matters much either, as crowd fatigue set in mid-way through the marathon show.
Nakamura’s surprise attack on Styles after the match signifies a heel turn from the Japanese Superstar and likely the continuation of this program.
– Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss last night at WrestleMania 34 to become the new RAW Women’s Champion. This comes after weeks of Bliss bullying Jax for being and looking different.
WWE posted a video of Jax after her win, who said she’s happy with the message the match sends out to young boys and girls – not to take crap from people who make you feel insecure about yourself:
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura have made their final comments before their WWE Championship match tonight at WrestleMania.
This bout has been long anticipated ever since the two men stood toe to toe at last year’s Money In The Bank ladder match and the time has finally come for two of the world’s greatest performers to battle it out for WWE’s richest prize. This will be the first time that the two Superstars have faced in a one on one match since their epic encounter at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 10, a match that garnered rave reviews and was AJ’s final singles bout before making the move over to WWE.
Check out the comments from both men below and let us know in the comments who you think will leave New Orleans as WWE Champion:
At one point in my career, walking into #WrestleMania as @WWE Champion was a dream. At one point in my career this match occurring outside of Japan was a dream.
WWE Champion AJ Styles is going into WrestleMania 34 with a ton of momentum, and many fans of the WWE believe that his title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura will steal the show this Sunday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana live on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network.
Styles was recently interviewed by IGN to talk about various topics and promote this upcoming event. During the interview, he was asked about why he matches up well with Nakamura.
“I think we’re both unique and just from having been in the ring I know that he and I work well together. I can only say that from one experience, where we wrestled a one-on-one match, but I don’t know how to explain it. There’s just a flow to a match, to our match, that I really can’t compare to a lot of people. He’s so unique and unorthodox in his character and we just work so well when get step in that ring…I think there’s always something special about a build.
The fact that Shinsuke and I haven’t really touched each other these past few months. And that we’ve also never had a one-on-one match in the WWE. So it’s like, these guys are going to be in the ring together and they’re going to have to to go at it. No one’s going to stop it or break it up. The referee is going to either count to three or someone’s going to tap out. It’s going to happen.”
Since SmackDown General manager Daniel Bryan was recently cleared by WWE doctors, Styles as well as other WWE Superstars have gone on record by stating that they would like to wrestle the former WWE Champion.
“There are a few things that I’m selfish about and selfishly I’ve been wanting to wrestle Daniel Bryan in WWE for a long time. When he got hurt, I just figured it wouldn’t be a possibility. But now that he’s back, my mind is racing and I can’t wait to meet him in the ring. I’m so happy he’s back and able to live out his dreams and follow his passion.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling has released the classic bout between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura from 2016’s Wrestle Kingdom 10 show for free on YouTube/NJPW World.
This was the first ever singles encounter between AJ and Shinsuke, and it would end up being their only match together for New Japan. Both men reportedly handed in their notice to New Japan prior to this event, AJ appeared for WWE at the Royal Rumble later that month and Shinsuke debuted in NXT against Sami Zayn over Wrestlemania weekend.
The IWGP Intercontinental Championship was on the line in this match and it was generally regarded as the best match on the card. Many heralded this contest as the Match of the Year in 2016 so if you have not yet had the chance to view it or you have never seen Shinsuke Nakamura outside of his WWE run then now is your chance. This is an extremely interesting watch ahead of their upcoming bout for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34 next weekend.
