– 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
AJ Styles defeated Jinder Mahal to become the new WWE Champion on tonight’s SmackDown from Manchester, England. This was the first time that the WWE Title has changed hands outside of North America.
Styles is now a two-time WWE Champion. Jinder won the title back on May 21st at the WWE Backlash pay-per-view by defeating Randy Orton.
AJ will now face WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at the November 19th Survivor Series pay-per-view.
Below are photos and videos from tonight’s main event:
Warning: This post contains a MAJOR spoiler for tonight’s SmackDown:
WWE’s SmackDown Live tapings from Manchester, England just wrapped up and we have a new WWE Champion.
AJ Styles defeated Jinder Mahal in the main event of the show to become to kick off his second WWE Championship reign. This marks the first time in history that the WWE Championship changed hands outside of North America.
It hasn’t been confirmed by WWE yet, but this likely means that the main event of next weekend’s Survivor Series pay-per-view will see Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. new WWE Champion AJ Styles.
WWE will add an AJ Styles collection to the network on Monday, and have revealed the matches and feuds that appear. Looking over the challenges and performances that The Phenomenal One has put on, it is hard to argue with the idea that he is the top superstar in the company at the moment; especially when you consider the fact that AJ Styles has been with WWE for less than 2 years.
Here is the introduction and list revealed by WWE, along with some clips:
Beyond Phenomenal Intro
‘Considered one of the greatest sports entertainers alive, the quest to be the best led AJ Styles straight to the bright lights of WWE. Relive the meteoric rise of The Phenomenal One with this WWE Network Collection and see why he’s been dubbed ‘The Face That Runs the Place’. From his rivalry with Chris Jericho to his first WWE Championship victory and action-packed encounters with the likes of Kevin Owens and John Cena! Join the club and be a part of the action with this “too sweet” Collection!’
11/6/17
A Phenomenal Debut
Royal Rumble 2016 – The WWE Universe is left in awe when AJ Styles makes his surprising debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble Match.
1/24/16
Instant Chemistry
RAW 1183 – Just a day after his surprising debut, AJ Styles finds himself going one-on-one with a new rival in Chris Jericho.
1/25/16
In the Fastlane
Fastlane 2016 – The rivalry between AJ Styles and Chris Jericho accelerates when they meet each other in singles competition.
2/21/16
A New Day for Y2AJ
RAW 1189 – The alliance between Chris Jericho and AJ Styles loses momentum when Y2AJ challenges The New Day for the WWE Tag Team Titles.
3/7/16
Welcome to the Grand Stage
WrestleMania – In his first appearance on The Grandest Stage of Them All, AJ Styles faces off against Chris Jericho.
4/3/16
Four Men, One Opportunity
RAW 1193 – AJ Styles battles Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho and Cesaro in a Fatal 4-Way Match for a shot at the Universal Championship.
4/4/16
Challenging the Roman Empire
RAW 1195 – With a shot to challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship coming up, AJ Styles confronts the Roman Empire.
4/18/16
THE Guy and The Phenomenal One
Payback 2016 – AJ Styles looks to ascend to the top of WWE by challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
5/1/16
Join The Club
RAW 1197 – AJ Styles forms a new Club by partnering with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to take on Roman Reigns and The Usos.
5/2/16
Going to Extremes
Extreme Rules 2016 – AJ Styles takes things to a new level by challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Title in an Extreme Rules Match.
5/22/16
Your Time is Up!
Money in the Bank 2016 – Worlds collide when AJ Styles takes to the ring to go one-on-one with ‘The Face that Runs the Place,’ John Cena.
6/19/16
The Chosen Battleground
Battleground 2016 – AJ Styles and his Club face off against John Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass in a Six-Man Tag Team Match.
7/24/16
A Clash of Styles
SummerSlam 2016 – The heated rivalry between John Cena and AJ Styles rages on in this incredible confrontation.
8/21/16
AJ Talks Smack
Talking Smack 889 – AJ Styles shows how he measures up verbally when The Phenomenal One addresses his upcoming battle with WWE Champion Dean Ambrose.
8/30/16
On the Fringe of Success
Backlash 2016 – AJ Styles sets out to make history by challenging Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship.
9/11/16
Getting Crazy
SmackDown 893 – Dean Ambrose looks to reclaim the WWE Championship by challenging AJ Styles for the title.
9/27/16
Less Than Worthy
SmackDown 895 – Dean Ambrose serves as the Special Guest Referee when AJ Styles goes one-on-one with James Ellsworth.
10/11/16
A Dangerous Environment
TLC 2016 – AJ Styles puts the WWE Championship on the line against Dean Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match.
12/4/16
Second Chances
SmackDown 905 – AJ Styles gives James Ellsworth the opportunity of a lifetime by defending the WWE Championship against him.
12/20/16
Overcoming the Odds
SmackDown 906 – As 2016 comes to a close, AJ Styles defends the WWE Title against Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler in a Triple Threat Match.
12/27/16
A Matter of Respect
SmackDown 910 – With John Cena set to challenge him for the WWE Championship, AJ Styles takes to the ring to demand the respect he deserves.
1/24/17
The Champ Who Runs the Camp
Royal Rumble 2017 – AJ Styles looks to cement his place in WWE history by defending the WWE Championship against John Cena.
1/29/17
Ego and Vengeance
WrestleMania – AJ Styles returns to The Grandest Stage of Them All to settle a score with SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon.
4/2/17
The House that AJ Styles Built
SmackDown 920 – With the landscape of WWE set to change in the Superstar Shakeup, AJ Styles lets the world know what his intentions are.
4/4/17
A New Opportunity
SmackDown 921 – AJ Styles faces Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin in a bout to name the Number One Contender for the United States Championship.
4/11/17
The Howl of a Lone Wolf
SmackDown 923 – While Kevin Owens watches from ringside, AJ Styles faces off against Baron Corbin in singles action.
4/25/17
An American Prize
Backlash 2017 – AJ Styles takes to the ring to challenge Kevin Owens for the coveted United States Championship.
5/21/17
Trying to Break the Bank
Money in the Bank 2017 – AJ Styles looks to seize the ultimate opportunity by competing in his first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
6/18/17
Phenomenally Patriotic
SmackDown 933 – AJ Styles sets out to reclaim gold by facing Chad Gable to qualify for a special Independence Day Battle Royal.
7/4/17
Gold and Old Friends
SmackDown 936 – Things get very familiar when AJ Styles faces Kevin Owens and a returning Chris Jericho for the United States Championship.
7/25/17
The Face of America
SummerSlam 2017 – With Shane McMahon officiating, AJ Styles defends the United States Championship against Kevin Owens.
8/20/17
“Stone Cold” Podcast
WWE Hall of Famer and Icon “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has a no-holds-barred live interview with “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles.
Next week on SmackDown, Jinder Mahal will defend the WWE Championship against AJ Styles from Manchester, England.
For what it’s worth, the Manchester Arena is advertising the match will be a Street Fight. As of this writing, WWE has not announced a stipulation.
The dark match main event for the show will see a 6-man tag match featuring Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Dolph Ziggler.
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal has this to say about his match with Styles:
– On Thursday, SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon announced that AJ Styles will challenge Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship on next week’s SmackDown “Live” from Manchester, England.
Styles had been scheduled to face Rusev next week to earn a spot on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series, but Mahal’s attack on AJ Styles on Tuesday night led Shane to make the change.
In response to the news that he’s getting the title shot, AJ Styles wrote:
– Combat Zone Wrestling announced that Jimmy Jacobs vs. Sami Callihan has been signed for CZW’s upcoming Night of Infamy show on November 11th from Sewell, NJ.
Finn Balor and AJ Styles stole the show at Sunday night’s WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view. In the battle of the former Bullet Club leaders, The Demon got the victory in a match that we will almost certainly see again at some point down the road.
Styles was filling in for Bray Wyatt, who was forced to withdraw from the contest due to medical issues. As such, there was essentially no storyline buildup prior to them stepping in the ring together. NXT General Manager William Regal addressed that dynamic, stating that no angles are necessary to have a great match.
“When wrestlers say ‘Ah, but we had a cold match, no story etc’ I always say that of coarse you’ve got a story. You have to beat that person across the ring from you or you can’t feed yourself. Anything else you got to work with is a bonus….
That match was a perfect example of two competitors trying to win. Please remember, at the end of the day we are portraying Professional Fighters and your job is to win.”
Backstage at TLC, Finn Balor made it clear he’d like to face AJ Styles again.
With SmackDown Live’s AJ Styles stepping in tonight (Sun. October 22, 2017) against Finn Balor at the WWE’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV), there have been rumors going around that The Club could use this opportunity for a reunion. Karl Anderson took to Twitter to respond to a fan’s question about a possible reunion, saying he will be enjoying the PPV from Green Bay on the WWE Network like everyone else:
The Bulgarian Brute showed his lighter side as he laughed, mimicked and joked around with a quieter AJ Styles on the UpUpDownDown Madden Tournament. The two superstars played out a rematch of the 2017 Super Bowl between AJ’s home town team: the Atlanta Falcons; and Rusev’s choice: the New England Patriots.
Before watching the amusing match up, it is worth checking out the final from the previous tournament that featured AJ Styles and Seth Rollins which became heated in the final moments of the game.
AJ walked out before the game had finished, exclaiming that his loss came from the match being played on PS4 rather than Xbox. Style’s then threw his runner-up trophy on the floor, breaking it and causing a piece to fly off and injure a WWE official!
A rematch was declared using an Xbox instead:
Sadly this did not favour the Prince Of Phenomenal as The Champ (Seth Rollins) picked up the big W again.
In contrast, safe in the knowledge that Rusev has little NFL knowledge, AJ appeared much more relaxed and tolerant of the Bulgarian’s comedic value.
Throughout the encounter Rusev provided an unorthodox style that contrasted AJ’s methodical dominance, resulting in a secure win for the Prince Of Phenomenal. However, from the moment the camera’s started rolling, AJ couldn’t keep a straight face. Rusev even broke into song, serenading AJ with his own version of “I Believe I Can Fly”.
The beauty of UpUpDownDown’s Madden Tournament is seeing superstars in their natural environment backstage. Sometimes it’s possible to tell when an act is being put on, but it’s great to see Seth Rollins nervous, or Rusev laughing and joking as he clumsily tries to play a game that he’s learning properly for the first time.
If you watch all of the rounds, it’s easy to catch guest appearances from other superstars who just walk into the room by accident. Titus O’Neil, Jimmy & Jey Uso, and the rest of The New Day all make regular appearances as they take sides and cause chaos, while also giving us a unique insight behind the scenes of WWE superstars.
Here is a bonus video that hi-lights the beautiful hilarity which UpUpDownDown captures:
– Bray Wyatt has been forced out of tomorrow night’s (Sun. October 22, 2017) Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV) event, which means that SmackDown Live’s AJ Styles will step in to fill his spot against “The Demon King” Finn Balor. WWE posted the following video in which Balor responded to his new challenger on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BafakvAAw_Z/
– In addition to the shuffling the TLC PPV card has undergone, the evening’s main event has seen the removal of Roman Reigns, who will no be replaced by Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Angle will make his return to the WWE ring in over a decade to team up with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose; taking on the team of The Miz, The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro), Braun Strowman, and Kane. SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan – who has been hoping to make an in-ring return of his own soon – had this to say about the news:
– As we’ve previously reported, SmackDown Live’s AJ Styles will step in for the ill Bray Wyatt at Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) tomorrow night (Sun. October 22, 2017) to take on Finn Balor. WWE posted the following video capturing “The Phenomenal One’s” reaction to the news:
– In addition to the string of illnesses going around the WWE locker room, Shield member Roman Reigns has also been affected and is out of his scheduled 3-on-5 match-up in the main event of TLC. RAW General Manager Kurt Angle will be making his in-ring return to replace “The Big Dog.” Braun Strowman had a reaction video of his own to the news:
The WWE world is in for a massive shock. Due to medical issues the WWE has been forced to shuffle the Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV) card. Roman Reigns will now be replaced by Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle; teaming up with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to take on the team of The Miz, The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro), Braun Strowman, and Kane. SmackDown Live’s AJ Styles will replace Bray Wyatt to take on Finn Balor. Here’s the official announcement from WWE:
“Due to medical issues impacting two WWE Superstars scheduled to appear at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, streaming live on WWE Network this Sunday, the special event will now feature Kurt Angle competing in a WWE ring for the first time in more than 11 years, as he replaces Roman Reigns. In addition, former WWE Champion AJ Styles will replace Bray Wyatt and face “The Demon” Finn Bálor.
“A WWE Hall of Famer and the current General Manager of Raw, Angle will join forces with Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose to battle the daunting combination of Braun Strowman, Intercontinental Champion The Miz, Cesaro, Sheamus and The Big Red Machine Kane in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs 5-on-3 Handicap Match.
“The showdown between “The Demon” and Styles is one that the WWE Universe has been wanting for a long time and promises to be one of the most exciting matches of 2017.”
We previously reported that the WWE locker room has been dealing with Viral Meningitis, affecting Superstars such as Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt. We’ll keep you updated as more news becomes available.
– Per a report from Solo Wrestling, AJ Styles missed WWE’s live event in Argentina due to a stomach illness. He is, however, expected to wrestle at tonight’s (Fri. October 20, 2017) live event in Buenos Aires.
– WWE Superstar Baron Corbin was recently interviewed by News 1330 in Abbotsford, BC where they discussed Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Corbin noted that his wife is Puerto Rican and her entire family (except her parents) live on the islands. “The Lone Wolf” revealed that they have flown in her grandmothers and are hoping to fly in the rest of her family soon:
“It took us almost three weeks to get in touch with her grandfather,” Corbin said. “He lives up in the woods so there was no cell service, no power. Her aunt couldn’t drive up there because the roads were all blocked.
“That’s the hard part of this job… sometimes you’re away from home when there’s real things are going on. It’s just a very difficult situation. We flew her grandmothers in on Wednesday — so that was a relief to have them here with us and hopefully we’re getting the rest of her family out of there this week.”
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles recently did an interview with Planeta Wrestling to discuss a number of professional wrestling topics. “The Phenomenal One” talked about being a top guy in WWE, his favorite rivalry in WWE, and who he’d like to face at WrestleMania 34. You can check out the highlights from the interview here:
Being a top guy in WWE:
“I think that a championship definitely says something about you, it definitely says you’re the guy that puts butts in the seats,” he said. “The WWE Champion does that for SmackDown, he’s our guy that puts butts in the seats, that’s why people come to see it. Do you necessarily have to be a top guy to have the championship? You don’t have to be. Once you’ve got the respect of the fans for everything you’ve done, you can be that top guy. But I personally enjoy being a champion.”
His favorite rivalry he has had in WWE:
“I’ve had a lot of great matches already and I don’t know that I can pick just one, I don’t know if that’s a question for me,” he said. “Now I did enjoy the WrestleMania match, because it’s always bigger than anything else, with Shane McMahon and I’m very proud of that match. That’s one that’s at the top of my list, but there are many others like with Roman Reigns and John Cena as well, so it’s hard to pick just one.”
Wanting to face Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34:
“Will it happen? I’m not sure. I think there’s a lot of matches that people want to see and Shinsuke [vs.] AJ Styles is definitely one of them, also with Bobby Roode,” he said. “There’s very few people on the SmackDown roster I’ve yet to have a one-on-one match with, and I think that would be very special to have any one of those guys at WrestleMania.”
SmackDown Live star Kevin Owens was the latest guest on Edge and Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness podcast, which has recently featured great interviews with John Cena and Randy Orton.
Kevin Owens revealed to Edge and Christian that he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his role in the feud with AJ Styles. Owens stated that he ‘plateaued’ when facing AJ Styles and that he didn’t enjoy the matches as much as some of his other opponents. With AJ Styles considered one of the top performers in WWE and the the amazing programs he had with the likes of John Cena and Chris Jericho, you can understand why Owens is frustrated.
“You (Edge) say you enjoyed the series of matches with AJ and I’m glad you did and hopefully a lot of people did as well but I don’t know if I can say that I did, to be honest.”
Owens’ comment was supported as he explained that, retrospectively, he wasn’t performing as best as he could have at the time. The former Face of America explained that the transition to working with Shane McMahon gave him a greater sense of purpose as it was much more of a big deal.
Owen’s then had this to say about working with Vince McMahon:
“You know not that many people get to do that with Vince, especially nowadays. If you look at the last five, six years there hasn’t been a whole lot of people who got to physically assault Vince in the way I did. So obviously I knew that was a big deal and I did think that maybe this is what I’ve been waiting for and so far it feels like that was it.”
KO finally said that he believes he has moved on to a new level since being able to physically assault Vince McMahon, and that he’s going to run with it as he moves forward.
Author’s Opinion:
Being able to reflect and evaluate performances is a good skill in any professional, and it is important to note that at no point does Kevin Owens mention or pass blame to AJ Styles for his thoughts and feelings about the feud or his own performance. KO’s interview on the podcast does come across as a form of self-reflection rather than criticism.
Catch the Pod of Awesomeness episode with Kevin Owens here.
