– As we’ve noted, WWE Champion AJ Styles will be taking on The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap match. Samir Singh and Sunil Singh cut a promo on “The Phenomenal One” ahead of their match-up, which WWE posted on their official Twitter page:
– Below is a promo for this week’s WWE SmackDown episode, featuring WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. The Singh Brothers in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match plus Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton:
– WWE taped the following matches tonight in Knoxville, TN for this week’s Main Event episode:
* Apollo Crews vs. Curt Hawkins
* Kalisto and Gran Metalik vs. Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick
– Paige revealed on tonight’s RAW that “Absolution” is the name for her new group with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. RAW was supposed to feature Absolution vs. Sasha Banks, Mickie James and Bayley but the match never happened as Bayley and Mickie were taken out backstage. Absolution faced off with Sasha in the ring and triple teamed her after offering her the chance to pledge allegiance to the group. Below is video from tonight’s segment:
It looks like @SashaBanksWWE would rather try and fight than pledge allegiance to @RealPaigeWWE… #RAWpic.twitter.com/weFYElCssf
– As we’ve previously reported, WWE Champion AJ Styles will be defending his title against Jinder Mahal in the main event of WWE’s Clash Of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) next month in December. “The Phenomenal One” took to Twitter to react to the news:
Being a champion isn’t a one day job. You can’t take shortcuts to be the man. So you and your mini Maharajas better be ready for #WWEClash…
– The Gobbledy Gooker returned to WWE TV last night on WWE 205 Live during a segment with WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore and more. WWE posted a video of the Gooker, who is played by Drew Gulak, giving tips for a better Thanksgiving:
– The tension between The Hype Bros is back, as seen in this new SmackDown Fallout video from tonight. Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder argued backstage after their loss to Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, who returned as The Bludgeon Brothers.
– Next week’s WWE SmackDown in Lexington, Kentucky will feature Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens plus The Singh Brothers vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. Next Tuesday’s show will also see the return of The Fashion Files with Breezango.
– As noted, WWE NXT Superstars Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan made their main roster debuts on tonight’s SmackDown by destroying Naomi and Becky Lynch backstage. They later interfered in the SmackDown Women’s Title match between Natalya and champion Charlotte Flair, as seen below. The segment ended with the three taking out Natalya and Flair, then standing tall.
Jinder Mahal confirmed on tonight’s WWE SmackDown that he will get his rematch from WWE Champion AJ Styles at the upcoming Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
Clash of Champions takes place on December 17th from the TD Garden in Boston.
Below are photos and video from tonight’s segment, which ended with AJ taking out The Singh Brothers after they sneak attacked him:
It has been advertised for the past few days that WWE Champion AJ Styles would be rematching Jinder Mahal for the title in a Houston Street Fight. This comes just days after Styles’ epic clash with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series on pay-per-view (PPV). It seems as though WWE has cancelled the plans to have Mahal and Styles rematch tonight.
WWE.com issued a preview for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live and teased whether or not Styles and “The Maharaja” would “cross paths” – making no mention of a match between the two:
“Will AJ Styles cross paths with Jinder Mahal after tangling with The Beast?
“Although WWE Champion AJ Styles failed to conquer Universal Champion Brock Lesner at Survivor Series, he left WWE’s second-longest running pay-per-view looking phenomenal after a gutsy effort. Nevertheless, Styles may have no time to reflect on his hard-fought showdown against The Conqueror.
“Last week, former titleholder Jinder Mahal made no bones about his intentions to come after the WWE Champion once Lesnar was done with him. Will Styles and the former titleholder cross paths tonight? And if they do, considering the beatdown that the Phenomenal One has already endured this week, will he be in any condition to repel an assault from The Modern Day Maharaja?”
This week’s Smackdown will be headlined by AJ Styles defending his newly won WWE Championship against former champion, Jinder Mahal.
Last night at Survivor Series, Tom Phillips announced that Jinder will be cashing in his rematch clause on Tuesday night. This makes perfect sense for Jinder to do from a kayfabe perspective as Styles will only be 2 days removed from facing Brock Lesnar.
Before Styles vs. Lesnar at Survivor Series last night, Jinder cut a pre-taped promo saying he was cheering for Styles because he is from Smackdown but is hoping Lesnar hurts Styles because he wants his title back.
Jinder and AJ have met in single’s action twice before. In May, Jinder defeated Styles on an episode of Smackdown and 2 weeks ago AJ defeated Jinder for the WWE title on the Smackdown from Manchester.
Paul Heyman had some strong praise for WWE Champion AJ Styles after AJ’s loss to WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. (Video below)
Heyman says he’s shocked at the loss because he’s been a fan of AJ before you were supposed to be a fan of AJ. Heyman says AJ is more phenomenal than he’s supposed to be, and if you”re not a fan of AJ then you shouldn’t be watching WWE. Heyman says AJ is what WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels were to their generations, but he’s updated it and evolved their styles to truly be the single most phenomenal in-ring performer Heyman has ever had the honor and pleasure of watching up-close. Heyman says he’s been doing this his entire life but no one has done anything in the ring that compared to what he saw at Survivor Series.
Heyman says he has nothing but respect and admiration for AJ, which is why he thanked God when the match was made against Lesnar because it’s one thing to eat through an entire division but it’s another thing to step into the ring with AJ and show the world that you can conquer those hopes, those dreams, that intensity, that underdog.
Heyman says yes, Rocky lost at the end of the movie but he won the respect of the woman he loved. And AJ Styles continues to earn our respect every time he performs. Heyman says AJ just didn’t just perform, he fought and took the fight to The Beast like very few have. Heyman goes on and praises Lesnar as the reigning, defending, undisputed, #1 champion – then, now and forever.
– As noted, tonight’s WWE Survivor Series Kickoff pre-show saw WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore retain over Kalisto. Below is Fallout video of Enzo celebrating the win. Enzo says tomorrow night on RAW he thinks a celebration is in order because this isn’t the first time he has defied the odds. Enzo teases something big for RAW tomorrow as The Zo Train rolls through.
– Jinder Mahal appeared on tonight’s WWE Survivor Series Kickoff pre-show to taunt WWE Champion AJ Styles and later did a sidebar interview before AJ’s loss to WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. It was noted that Jinder is requesting his rematch for the WWE Title at Tuesday’s SmackDown from Houston.
– MLB player Josh Reddick of the Houston Astros and rapper Travis Scott were among those in attendance for tonight’s Survivor Series pay-per-view from the Toyota Center. Below is backstage video of Reddick and a ringside photo of Scott:
Survivor Series is tomorrow night and the WWE has put together quite the card for professional wrestling fans. One of the premiere match-ups on the card is a bout between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW commentator Booker T recently took to his Houston sports radio show, Heated Conversations, to give his thoughts on the match.
The former WCW World Champion expressed his displeasure for the pairing, and also praised the now-former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal’s run. Here are the highlights:
AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar:
“As far as AJ Styles [vs.] Brock Lesnar; I don’t like that matchup. I don’t like that matchup. You know, Brock Lesnar is a beast. We know AJ Styles, they don’t call him the Phenomenal One for nothing… the guy is actually that good. But to step up to Brock Lesnar’s level, it’s almost like a middleweight going up against a heavyweight. A heavyweight that can move like a middleweight. So, that’s why I don’t like the balance of that one right there.”
Jinder Mahal:
“I think Jinder Mahal has had a great run. I think Jinder Mahal has brought legitimacy to the championship. I think with Jinder Mahal as champion, people look at the WWE Championship now as, you know, we gotta get the title off this guy. It’s almost like that Iron Sheik when he had it back in the day, and Hogan had to get it off of him. Drop the big leg drop, bring America the title back home. I like this dynamic. It’s almost like when Sgt. Slaughter had his heel run. People hated him. I love it. This is professional wrestling, what he’s doing… Jinder Mahal has done a great job, and I think he’s been a great champion.”
You can listen to Booker T on Heated Conversations by clicking here.
On the latest episode of the E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, WWE Hall Of Famer Edge commented on WWE’s decision to have AJ Styles capture the WWE Championship from Jinder Mahal last week on SmackDown.
An 11-time World Champion in his own right, Edge gave some insight on why he thinks WWE booking the title change for SmackDown instead of a big PPV.
“It’s pretty cool,” Edge admitted. “It feels a little hot-shotted. I’m not going to lie, after the buildup of Jinder and everything. I just kind of assumed [the title change] would be at ‘Mania.”
Additionally, “The Rated-R Superstar” speculated about the real reason why WWE may have booked the title change when they did.
“I think there [are] probably a few factors that go in. I think USA [Network] was debuting a new TV series after. And while some of you may scoff and say, ‘WWE wouldn’t change their business for that,’ yes, they would. The Shooter was debuting and they stacked the 900th episode of SmackDown. That’s why I was there. That’s why Taker was there. They’ll do those things because they’re on the USA Network and USA Network asks for a favor, so they’ll do them a favor.”
On a recent edition of former WWE Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, the duo discussed AJ Styles’ recent WWE Title victory over Jinder Mahal on an episode of SmackDown Live. The pair discussed the big title change occurring on a taping in the UK, Styles now taking on Brock Lesnar on short notice, expectations for their Survivor Series match, and so much more. You can check out the highlights here below:
Christian on UK fans getting to see a big title change:
“I think it was a pretty big moment and I think it was the right guy to do it with,” Christian said. “And I think it was kind of shocking. I don’t think anybody was expecting it, especially with the build they’ve been doing with Jinder and Brock, I don’t think anybody expected it. But do you know what? It’s good to reward the fans over there with a big moment like that because they always show up over there in the U.K., in Europe. They’re always big crowds and they’re diehards. They support it and they love it and it’s good that they get rewarded with a big moment like that. It was a shocking moment, so it was pretty cool.”
Edge on Styles replacing Mahal on short-notice for Survivor Series:
“It’s pretty cool,” Edge admitted. “It feels a little hot-shotted. I’m not going to lie, after the buildup of Jinder and everything. I just kind of assumed [the title change] would be at ‘Mania.”
Edge on the title change likely happening because of the premiere of USA Network’s new show, Damnation:
“I think there [are] probably a few factors that go in. I think USA [Network] was debuting a new TV series after. And while some of you may scoff and say, ‘WWE wouldn’t change their business for that,’ yes, they would. The Shooter was debuting and they stacked the 900th episode of SmackDown. That’s why I was there. That’s why Taker was there. They’ll do those things because they’re on the USA Network and USA Network asks for a favor, so they’ll do them a favor.”
Christian on AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar:
“People were complaining about it, but he’s a legit heel. People don’t want to see him win. And I know [Edge] said it might have been hot-shotted. It might have been, but it was also one of those things where people weren’t expecting it and that’s hard to do. So in that case, I like it. I think AJ and Brock will be a pretty awesome match.
“It can be seen as maybe a little bit quick. It is one of the ‘big four’ pay-per-views, right? Survivor Series? It is one of the main shows. It gives it a little bit more oomph to that show.”
Edge on Styles vs. Lesnar needing to happen at one of The Big Four:
“I’m not a big fan of giving away the big matches on I don’t want to say throwaway pay-per-views because they’re not, don’t get me wrong. If there’s going to be this match, I’m happy that at least it’s on one of the big pay-per-views, one of the original four.”
You can listen to the E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.
Since defeating Goldberg at Wrestlemania 34, Brock Lesnar has been considered a dominant Universal Champion who shouldn’t fear many other superstars. And when looking at some of the facts and figures, it’s hard to disagree.
Lesnar stands second in the table of longest world title reigns at 231 days, with CM Punk’s WWE Championship topping the list at 434 days. It’s also worth noting that both AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar became 2 time WWE Champions within 2 years of joining WWE.
However there are 2 other sets of statistics that creates even more anticipation.
Brock Lesnar has never been defeated in a 1-1 match that features a new opponent since Goldberg in 2012.
Brock Lesnar has never won at Survivor Series.
So whether Lesnar wins or not, history will be made on Sunday’s Survivor Series. If AJ Styles wins, he would have become the first person since 2012 to defeat Brock Lesnar in their first 1-1 attempt. If Brock Lesnar wins though, he’ll have broken his Survivor Series Curse which currently stands at 3 defeats out of 3 appearances.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look back at those 3 defeats to remind ourselves that Lesnar may not be invincible as his recent dominance has shown.
2002 – Brock Lesnar VS The Big Show
“Brock Lesnar’s never been pinned; Brock Lesnar’s never submitted.” (Michael Cole’s commentary during this match)
This match lasted 4 minutes 18 seconds, it is surprisingly short. But it contains a shocking betrayal at it’s heart which prevents Brock from securing the win after performing an F5 on The Big Show. Paul Heyman pulls the referee out of the ring while he is counting Brock’s pin. The Big Show then uses a steel chair, that Heyman introduced to the ring, to defeat Brock Lesnar and gain the WWE title.
Thankfully this is ancient history for Brock Lesnar, and Paul Heyman won’t be interfering – at least not to help AJ Styles. I would count this as an unfortunate defeat for Lesnar as it wasn’t necessarily his fault, he was stabbed in the back by those around him.
The other bonus for Brock is that AJ Styles won’t weight the same as The Big Show, so performing an F5 on The Phenomenal One should be easier!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4aLwOR2WYI
2003 – Team Angle VS Team Lesnar
Survivor Series 2003 is an example of Brock Lesnar losing clean. Not only does he submit, his whole team loses.
Team Lesnar: Brock Lesnar, The Big Show, A-Train, Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan
Team Angle: Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, JBL, Hardcore Holly, John Cena
Hardcore Holly got disqualified early on in the match, beginning the comeback tale. Cue a mid-match surge from Kurt Angle and a Crippler Crossface from Chris Benoit on Brock Lesnar, with a John Cena finish and there is the underdog team winning in a crowd pleasing fashion.
The key factor here: John Cena. Lesnar made a play early on to get Cena on his team which didn’t work out as Cena solidified himself as a face within the company, joining Team Angle.
Sunday’s Survivor Series match was carded as Heel Champion vs Heel Champion with Jinder Mahal; however it has now become Heel Champion vs Face Champion, giving the crowd a clear direction for their support which should help create an entertaining atmosphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ2kFGda9i4
2016 – Brock Lesnar VS Goldberg
It seems like only yesterday. A highly anticipated showdown, with a build up to match it, and it was over in a flash. It’s almost the opposite to Brock’s match this year, which has had minimal build up in comparison due to the late change to the card.
While this match in 2016’s Survivor Series was another clean defeat, it started Brock on a path that would end up leading him to WrestleMania 33 and the Universal Championship. In the grand scheme, this was a necessary defeat to enable a greater overall victory and dominant reign.
Within the WWE Universe, it’s clear to say that lack of preparation and strategy lead to Lesnar’s demise. Since AJ Styles is very different to the likes of Goldberg, Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns, Brock will want to make sure he’s done his homework.
In theory is appears as though Lesnar would be able to send AJ to Suplex City with an express ticket, which suggests that Styles will adopt a long-play game plan. I do see Brock VS AJ Styles lasting over 15 minutes as AJ will look to tire out Brock rather than throwing the kitchen sink at him. If AJ wins, I wouldn’t be surprised if it came through a submission.
Chris Jericho recently had an interview with Viktre.com during which he revealed the sad story behind his first WWE title win. According to Jericho, not only there was no celebration after his victory but he had to spend the night alone in his hotel room eating a cold and fuzzy pizza:
“I was told in the afternoon that I was going to win when Vince McMahon said to The Undertaker at the catering table: ‘Hey ‘Taker, how do you know the business is going down the toilet? Because we’re putting the belt on Jericho’ and that’s how I found out I was going to be the champion, I came back through the curtain, everyone was gone because when you’re on last everybody leaves to get out of the traffic quicker. Sat there by myself and then drove to a hotel where room service stopped at midnight, it was 11:58. They wouldn’t serve it, so I got pizza. They wouldn’t bring it to my room, so I had to go down to the lobby to get it. When I went back up, I was locked out. Went back down to the lobby, the guy wouldn’t let me in even though I just checked in a few minutes earlier. Dropped the pizza on the floor when he finally did let me in. So, I spent the night being the first undisputed champion eating cold, fuzzy pizza in a Ramada Inn somewhere in Anaheim, California. So, no hookers and blow there, kids.”
– WWE posted the following slow-motion video of the match between AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal from last week’s episode of SmackDown Live which saw Styles winning the WWE title for the second time in his career:
– As noted, tonight’s WWE SmackDown saw Charlotte Flair defeat Natalya to become the new SmackDown Women’s Champion. She will now face RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss on Sunday at WWE Survivor Series. The post-match segment saw a surprise appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, who came out to greet his daughter. Below is video from that segment:
– The dark match before tonight’s WWE SmackDown in Charlotte, NC saw Tye Dillinger, Fandango and Tyler Breeze defeat The Colons and Mike Kanellis.
– Paul Heyman tweeted the following in response to tonight’s SmackDown segment with WWE Champion AJ Styles and SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, who acted as AJ’s “personal advocate” to mock Heyman. AJ cut a promo on WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and was confident about slaying The Beast in their match at Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Heyman wrote the following in response to the segment:
. @WWE Thank you @WWEDanielBryan for a most flattering imitation. I've never been compelled to imitate you, but why would I want to be YOU? Although, I must confess, I have nothing but respect for you. (and very little of that)! https://t.co/RKYqQlKuPN
– As noted, Triple H returned to WWE RAW on this week’s Survivor Series go-home edition and announced himself as the fifth member of the men’s Team RAW for the 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match at Sunday’s pay-per-view. Team RAW will now feature Team Captain Kurt Angle, Triple H, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe vs. Team SmackDown’s Captain Shane McMahon, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Triple H named himself to the team after Jason Jordan was removed following an injury angle at the hands of Bray Wyatt earlier in the show. Below is video from the segment with Triple H, featuring a Pedigree to Jordan:
– There was no dark main event following this week’s RAW in Atlanta due to the closing segment, which saw Braun Strowman powerslam Kane through the ring. For what it’s worth, WWE and the Philips Arena had Braun vs. Roman Reigns in a Street Fight plus Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar advertised locally.
– WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar appeared with Paul Heyman on this week’s RAW to address Sunday’s Survivor Series match and his new opponent, WWE Champion AJ Styles. Styles took to Twitter during RAW and tweeted the following on the match:
This isn’t a movie. It’s not a fairytale. It’s the Beast vs a man who’s never stepped down from a fight in his life. See ya Sunday, Brock. https://t.co/pZ6SZSp6k7
WWE’s latest PPV offering Survivor Series is just over a week away and following the events of RAW and Smackdown the card has been changed dramatically, arguably for the better.
One of the marquee matches on the card is the 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination match between Team RAW and Team Smackdown. On the face of it this is a star studded bout and it throws up opportunities for some in ring confrontations that we haven’t seen in years.
One thing however that isn’t being discussed is best summed up in a tweet I read earlier this week:
Randy Orton is the youngest in Team SD. 37 years old.
Now, looking at the match from an overarching standpoint you can clearly see that (relatively) recently promoted NXT stars Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe and Jason Jordan are in this bout, which is a bonus and a clear indication that the WWE is looking to promote newer stars on both sides of their brand split…but while Shinsuke, Bobby and Joe are new to the WWE fan base they are in the later stages of their career.
The fact that Jason Jordan is the only performer in this bout still in his twenties should be of concern to WWE, it is pivotal for the company to be constantly evolving and to be looking for ‘the next big thing’….which leads me to the main event.
AJ Styles vs Brock Lesnar is a top drawer match, no doubt about it. When it was announced that Brock would be facing Jinder Mahal in the Survivor Series main event it saw a fairly tepid response from the WWE faithful and on paper AJ is certainly a better foe for Brock on the 19th. But what is important to remember is the fact that both AJ and Brock are now both 40 years old, Jinder Mahal is 31.
I completely understand that Jinder did not set the world alight when he held the WWE Championship, and I can appreciate that while AJ may be 40 he could feasibly still perform at a top level for at least another 4-5 years. What concerns me as a longtime WWE fan is the fact that they are just not building younger stars and are now starting to purely rely on independent performers who they can cherry pick from the worldwide scene to plug the gap.
When you look at the current crop of ‘homegrown’ top level WWE performers, I’m talking John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, you have to consider the age at which they debuted on television:
John Cena – Smackdown June 27th 2002: 25 Years Old
Kurt Angle – Heat March 7th 1999: 30 Years Old
Brock Lesnar – RAW March 18th 2002: 24 Years Old
Randy Orton – Smackdown April 25th 2002: 22 Years Old
Compare this to the recently promoted top stars of RAW and Smackdown and you have a real disparity there. I might be unfair in my assessment, I am comparing today’s crop of stars to one of the most unique and stacked group of performers from the old OVW territory back in the early 2000s…however the issue is truly evident when you take this final point into consideration:
In the 5-on-5 match, who is the one performer that seems out of place and hasn’t been given the same push as the others? If you said Jason Jordan then we’re on the same wave length. Jordan is a younger talent that needs to be built in this match, otherwise what is the point?
You may completely disagree with me, or you may agree that the ageing main event roster is a bubble that will eventually burst and cause a tremendous ripple effect on the WWE product…either way I want to hear from you in the comments.
– While at last night’s WWE live event from Milan, Italy, WWE Champion AJ Styles issued a message to his Survivor Series opponent and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. “The Phenomenal One” expressed his confidence in being able to pull off the upset win over “The Beast”:
“Now I am the WWE Champion once again, and now I have the opportunity at Survivor Series to face Brock Lesnar,” Styles said. “I know what you’re thinking, ‘AJ, you can’t beat him! He’s a beast! He’s a giant!’ Well, you know there was this one guy, who had a slingshot and a stone. And I have a ring that I’m going to slingshot myself into victory, when I take it to Brock Lesnar! And that’s how the story will end.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbVR_y6g81C/
– In addition to airing Ring of Honor and Lucha Underground content, DSport (a premium sports TV channel) has announced that they will now be airing New Japan Pro Wrestling in India. No further details have been disclosed at this time:
– After competing at last night’s WWE Live Event from Milan, WWE Champion AJ Styles posted a video on his Instagram account, sending a message to Brock Lesnar. In the video, as seen below, AJ said that he is going to ‘slingshot himself’ into victory in his match against the Beast:
“Now I am the WWE Champion once again, and now I have the opportunity at Survivor Series to face Brock Lesnar, I know what you’re thinking, ‘AJ, you can’t beat him! He’s a beast! He’s a giant!’ Well, you know there was this one guy, who had a slingshot and a stone. And I have a ring that I’m going to slingshot myself into victory, when I take it to Brock Lesnar! And that’s how the story will end.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbVR_y6g81C/
– It appears that the Rock is dealing with a shoulder injury. A fan recently challenged him for an arm wrestling match on Twitter but the Great One responded by saying that he has torn labrum in his shoulder:
Nah I have torn labrum in my shoulder. You win. But me and Jack Black will pay you in food to whup Kev Hart’s ass. Enjoy the movie ? @jumanjimoviehttps://t.co/VOveewDXw7
Currently, it’s not known when or where the Rock suffered this injury but he recently finished filming for SkyScraper and it’s likely that he suffered the damage during the shooting of it.
WWE has revealed a new poster for WrestleMania 34 to support the ticket sales of the event at New Orleans on April 8th next year. The WWE Universe is expecting to have Roman Reigns come up against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, while AJ Styles could face Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship title.
The report focuses on Jinder Mahal being featured ahead of the new WWE Champion AJ Styles, who won the title at SmackDown Live last Tuesday. The main focus of the report highlights the negative response on Twitter, with fans being less than happy to see Jinder Mahal and not AJ Styles on the poster.
Jinder Mahal followed the defeat on Tuesday with a post on instagram to try and solidify his position as a dominant force in WWE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbPYTbVDVkl/
Mahal’s run as WWE Champion has not been popular with fans. He, and the company have been consistently criticized over the experiment to gain more viewers in India. This was emphatically proven as the ratings were released, highlighting a significant increase as AJ Styles won the title from Mahal.
Therefore fans of the WWE Universe may be concerned when they see the former WWE Champion feature on a poster for WrestleMania 34, ahead of AJ Styles. If this poster was an accurate representation of what to expect at WrestleMania 34, then fans should be frustrated to not see the current WWE Champion, but a crucial piece of information has been missed.
The poster was initially released via this article on wwe.com which was put up on October 30th, over a week before AJ Styles won the WWE Championship from Jinder Mahal. While the showdown between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar has had speculation since the end of WrestleMania 33, Styles’ role in New Orleans has not had as clear a path.
Fans appear to be jumping up and down, assuming that Mahal is guaranteed to win the title back off AJ Styles, however it’s not that clear cut when all of the information is put together.
Others have pointed out Naomi’s appearance on the poster ahead of Natalya or Charlotte, but with 6 months to go, there are numerous women who could be champion by WrestleMania 34, Naomi is just one of many.
Opinion:
WWE would not have wanted to accidentally give away any spoilers through this poster, and I am sure updated posters will be revealed closer to the event as the matches and feuds become more clear. Jinder has improved as a talent in the ring, he’s a heel, he’s meant to be disliked; but I think AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura will be the match-up at WrestleMania 34.
– With AJ Styles defeating Jinder Mahal on SmackDown Live to become the new WWE Champion, he is set to take on Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series later this month for the PPV’s RAW vs. SmackDown angle. WWE is hyping up “The Beast’s” response to Styles replacing Mahal in the match at Monday’s go-home RAW in Atlanta. WWE made the following announcement:
The Beast Incarnate sounds off on The Phenomenal One
Jinder Mahal might have been the one to throw down the gauntlet for a Champion vs. Champion Match against Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, but it will be new WWE Champion AJ Styles who stands in the path of The Beast Incarnate next Sunday night in Houston.
Following The Phenomenal One’s defeat of The Modern Day Maharaja on SmackDown LIVE in Manchester, U.K., Lesnar and his associate Paul Heyman now look to invite an entirely different potential resident to Suplex City at WWE’s fall classic.
Most “don’t want none” from Styles, but The Phenomenal One has never faced anyone like The Conqueror. Styles had best be watching with the rest of us when Lesnar and Heyman make their red brand return.
– WWE Superstar John Cena took to Twitter to promote the release of his new movie “Daddy’s Home 2” which hits theaters today. Cena will reprise his role from the first film as he co-stars alongside Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow and more:
The cast of @DaddysHome is absolutely incredible. Funny, charming, & such a pleasure to work with. I think they’ve made something everyone will enjoy. It’s out TODAY in theaters! https://t.co/AeOLzOGCf6
As seen on last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, AJ Styles became a two-time WWE Champion when he defeated Jinder Mahal in the main event to capture the title. The event was pre-taped several hours in advance in Manchester before airing in its usual time slot on USA Network.
Per a report from Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio, someone from India contacted him several months before and indicated that WWE was advertising Jinder Mahal as a two-time WWE Champion. Dave Meltzer responded by saying the ad played no factor in what happened last night due to the fact that the decision to change the title-holder was made only a week ago.
Meltzer also revealed that those who needed to know about the title change only found out about it this week, and noted he himself only found out about it the morning of SmackDown. He also reported that the original plan was for “The Modern Day Maharaja” to “absolutely” head into India as WWE Champion, and there’s still a chance that can happen as Styles still isn’t advertised to be a part of the tour.
All signs point to this title change being a last-second decision from WWE, as Styles was initially advertised to face off against Rusev for a spot on SmackDown’s Survivor Series team.
Discussion: Do you think WWE will put the title back on Mahal in time for the India tour? And how long will “The Phenomenal One’s” title reign last?
AJ Styles made history on Tuesday night by becoming the first Superstar in history to capture the WWE Championship outside North America. It marks the beginning of Styles’ second WWE title reign.
Styles tweeted the following message on Wednesday morning, thanking the fans of Manchester for the reaction he received.
Judging by the reaction in Manchester last night after winning the WWE championship you’d think I was from the UK. Truth is, I’ve spent a lot of time in this part of the world and they have always treated me as one of their own. Thank you
By becoming WWE Champion, Styles bumped Jinder Mahal out of the main event of Survivor Series and will now face WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
As of this writing, the video of AJ Styles defeating Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship posted 13 hours ago is approaching 1.4 million views on YouTube.
– As noted, the main event of this week’s WWE SmackDown saw AJ Styles become a two-time WWE Champion by defeating Jinder Mahal. Below is post-show video of Styles celebrating the big win:
AJ Styles is your new WWE Champion after defeating Jinder Mahal at Tuesday’s SmackDown Live from Manchester, England. Following the win, WWE officially announced that the main event of next weekend’s Survivor Series pay-per-view will see Styles vs. Brock Lesnar in a Champion vs. Champion battle.
With that match set, here’s the updated card for WWE Survivor Series:
Champion vs. Champion
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Champion AJ Styles
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Team Captain Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Jason Jordan vs. Team Captain Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, TBA
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Team Captain Alicia Fox, Nia Jax, Asuka, Sasha Banks, TBA vs. Team Captain Becky Lynch, Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Charlotte Flair
Champion vs. Champion
Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. United States Champion Baron Corbin
RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya
RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match
Kalisto vs. Enzo Amore
