– WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk recently did an interview with SI.com‘s Extra Mustard blog where he discussed several topics including former WWE Champion AJ Styles. During his interview Funk praised Styles for being a “wonderful part of wrestling,” and gave him credit for paying his dues before making it big.
“I don’t know if everybody would agree with me, but I like the way that he’s risen to stardom,” Funk told SI.com. “AJ Styles is of a different genre, and he’s a wonderful part of wrestling, doing things that a lot of guys can’t do. No one can do what he does unless they’re in the ring with him. AJ Styles is an excellent in-ring performer, and he’s as good of a guy that they’ve got up there right now. He’s busted his a–. He busted his a– and made it.”
– WWE Champion Kevin Owens and Goldberg have continued to take shots at each other on Twitter over the past few weeks to promote their upcoming match at Fastlane on March 5th. In their most recent exchange, Owens called out Goldberg for being a part-timer while Owens is on the road with WWE.
– One of the big stories of the day NXT star Shinsuke Nakamura stating that he’s interested in facing AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33. The former WWE Champion caught wind of Nakamura’s comments and had this to say in response:
@ShinsukeN how's this? Sorry, but I do have a match at Wrestlemania. N fact, I'll be headlining Wrestlemania after tonight.
AJ Styles will participate in tonight’s #1 Contender’s Battle Royal on SmackDown Live.
– By now you’ve probably seen the video of The Rock calling CM Punk from the middle of the ring last night after RAW. The Rock calling Punk in front of the live crowd was completely unscripted, according to PWInsider. Fans were chanting CM Punk’s name throughout the evening and The Rock made the impromptu call.
According to sources who were backstage at the Staples Center, WWE management was none too pleased about The Rock acknowledging CM Punk in such a brash way. At one point somebody at ringside was instructed to get The Rock to end the segment. The Rock saw he was getting some pushback for the phone call and even told the crowd, “They better not turn off my mic!”
Shinsuke Nakamura gave a recent interview to the Japanese media and expressed an interest in working with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33. Chris Charlton, author of “Lion’s Pride, translated part of the interview recently on social media.
The full interview (in Japanese) can be read here.
Nakamura and AJ Styles last wrestled each other on January 4th 2016, at WrestleKingdom 10. Neither would be with NJPW very much longer afterwards. Their careers went on very different paths once arriving in WWE however. AJ went straight to the main roster, debuting at the 2016 Royal Rumble. From there Styles became a major player immediately, while Nakamura was sent to NXT.
After having well-received matches with Sami Zayn, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe, Nakamura is still in NXT a year after signing with the company. He will need to finish up his feud with Bobby Roode before being called-up at the very least as well. At this point it seems likely that we will not see Nakamura on Raw or Smackdown until at least after WrestleMania.
WWE Superstar AJ Styles took part in a Q&A panel at Wizard World Portland on Saturday night. Styles spoke about his time in TNA, ROH, New Japan and his current WWE run. When asked about his time following TNA and before joining WWE, Styles said,
“Ring of Honor treated me real well, and New Japan treated me like a superstar. So I’ve got to give credit to them, who helped boost my ego a little bit because it was definitely flattened due to TNA’s service. But then — doing all that and then having the opportunity to come to WWE and…you know, whether people like it or not, WWE is easy, the biggest — you know, when it comes to wrestling, it doesn’t get any bigger than the WWE. And being there means you’ve finally made it.”
Regarding his time in WWE so far, he said, “I can tell you this. I am certainly happy with [making it] to WWE. It is thus far head and shoulders over any other place I’ve ever worked.”
– In recent weeks there have been reports that WWE is reaching out to former Superstars regarding one of the women’s matches at WrestleMania 33. Earlier this week, Kelly Kelly visited RAW, teased that she’ll be at WrestleMania and might have another run in her. Former WWE Superstar Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) is another name that’s been discussed regarding a WrestleMania return and a “Snap” from her this week indicates the rumors are correct.
– Sting posted a tweet to promote the mobile game WWE Champions. In the tweet, Sting stated that he can now finally face The Undertaker after not being able to during his career.
Sean Waltman stated on a recent episode of his show X-pac 12360, that he had a conversation recently with AJ Styles. Waltman was backstage during Smackdown this week and according to Waltman, AJ Styles had some very complimentary things to say about Cena.
Styles discussing Cena to Waltman backstage at Smackdown Live
“I was watching your show and I just wanted to tell you what you said about John Cena being the man and the best going, you are one hundred percent correct. Anyone that doesn’t agree with you, it is because they don’t know John Cena and have never been in the ring with him.”
You can check out the full episode in the video below or subscribe to the podcast by clicking here.
– AJ Styles and Shane McMahon have been added to WWE’s upcoming live event from Madison SQuare Garden on March 13th. The two are rumored to be facing each other at WrestleMania 33.
– Lei’D Tapa was among the new recruits trying to make it in WWE at the recent Performance Center tryouts. What sets the former Gut Check winner apart? WWE released the following video looking at the former TNA Knockout:
– As reported before, Triple H and NXT Superstars surprised Make-A-Wish Kids wish WrestleMania 33 tickets at the WWE Performance Center recently. Below is video from the surprise event:
John Cena puts his WWE Championship on the line against 5 other men this Sunday at Elimination Chamber, but the one man he’s looking out for most is AJ Styles. Cena and Styles are coming off another Match of the Year contender at the Royal Rumble, which saw Cena finally get a singles win over the Gainesville, Georgia native.
During an appearance on this week’s edition of Talking Smack, Renee Young asked the champion which Elimination Chamber challenger he’s most concerned about. Cena named the Phenomenal One and said he and Styles are at a different plane than the rest of SmackDown’s roster.
“The one person I’m looking out for is AJ Styles, because I firmly believe he is firing on all cylinders. I think everyone else just isn’t where we’re at. And, internet rejoice in that and go nuts.”
Discussion: Who do you think walks out of the “all new” Elimination Chamber as WWE Champion?
WWE has added a 12-man tag team match to tonight’s SmackDown from Seattle with The Usos, The Vaudevillains and The Ascension taking on Heath Slater & Rhyno, Breezango and SmackDown Tag Team Champions American Alpha.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews has also been announced for tonight’s SmackDown. As reported before, tonight’s main event will see Randy Orton renew his rivalry with WWE Champion John Cena in a non-title match.
Tonight’s WWE 205 Live on the WWE Network will see the winner of the main event go on to face WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville at Fastlane on 3/5. The Fatal 5 Way Elimination Match will feature Jack Gallagher, Tony Nese, TJ Perkins, Cedric Alexander and Noam Dar.
SmackDown and 205 Live will take place from the Key Arena in Seattle tonight, near the hometown of SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan. This the final SmackDown before Sunday’s Elimination Chamber PPV.
In a recent interview with Brian Fritz of The Sporting News, WWE Champion AJ Styles commented on reports that Samoa Joe is heading from NXT to the main WWE roster soon. Styles is good friends with Joe, and says there’s no doubt that he is an “amazing wrestler.”
“It’s just a matter of time before he’s on the roster,” Styles said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he showed up on Sunday. There’s always surprises in the Royal Rumble and you try not to get surprised, you try to see it coming but that’s what makes the Royal Rumble so fun. If Joe doesn’t show up on Sunday, he’ll definitely show up soon. I know it.”
Outrage on social media over Styles being featured behind rows of several other wrestlers on the Royal Rumble promotional poster has been turned into a TV storyline, and Styles has mixed feelings about it.
“It’s actually people reacting on Instagram and Twitter showing me. I think they were a little more upset than I was. I get what’s going on here on the poster. Those are your stars that have been here for a long time. So I get it. They’re in marquee matches as well. They’re faces that people recognize. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy with it. I think that the WWE Champion should be definitely up front but, at the same time, I understand the reasoning for the poster.”
WWE Champion AJ Styles recently told FOX Sports that John Cena has made him a better performer. In an interview to promote Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, the former TNA Champion discussed Cena and his status as a part-time performer. Styles said that Cena works harder than anybody he’s ever seen.
“I mean, the guy’s on The Today Show in the morning and and comes and does live events, or comes and does SmackDown Live. The guy works hard, I get that,” Styles said. “And to tell you the truth, I’ve become a better performer because of John Cena, and I like that.”
The topic of the Royal Rumble poster came up when he talked about his motivations. Despite being WWE Champion, Styles is featured behind rows of several other wrestlers on the poster. AJ says he’s motivated by respect and will earn it from Cena, “the girls on The Today Show,” and the people on the Royal Rumble poster on Sunday.
AJ has a lot of history with soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, and told FOX Sports that he would jump at the opportunity to wrestle him in a WWE ring.
“I would love that. Kurt and I have had a lot of matches together, and I would love to jump in the ring with him one more time,” he said. Is that possible? I don’t know… but it sure would be fun and I would love the opportunity to do that.”
A new video was posted to The Bella Twins YouTube channel of Nikki Bella impersonating AJ Styles. AJ was shown at the end of the video and seemed to get a kick out of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GGhXrRDzXc
Nia Jax posted a new video on Twitter. In the video she squatted 300 pounds with ease.
Getting it in ??this morning with my crew! Hitting my max squat 137kg (300 pounds) & increasing my max snatch ????? by 12kg earlier pic.twitter.com/QZrNVNWCN4
The WWE released a new video to hype up the Royal Rumble this Sunday. The video highlighted Kane as the most dominant Superstar ever in the Royal Rumble because he has 43 eliminations on his resume.
– AJ Styles took to Twitter this week to congratulate Kurt Angle on the news of his WWE Hall of Fame induction. Styles and Angle had a series of main event matches during their time in TNA. Angle was the first inductee announced for the class of 2017, and he’ll be inducted on March 31st in Orlando, FL.
– Prior to the airing of his ESPN interview with Kurt Angle, Jonathan Coachman wrote on Twitter that he thinks the Olympic gold medalist is the best in-ring performer he’s ever seen.
I have said this many times. @RealKurtAngle is the most talented in ring performer I have ever seen. EVER and there have been great ones. https://t.co/u92Ym95uSQ
– On the latest installment of the Talk is Jericho podcast, United States champion Chris Jericho revealed that he recently signed a new WWE contract.
“I’m very excited about the next few months,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of projects coming up, a lot of great WWE stuff. I’ll still be here doing as many shows as I can. I signed a new contract this week which is cool.”
Jericho has been working under short-term deals that have continuously ‘rolled over’ as he’s stuck around. This latest signing will keep Jericho through at least WrestleMania 33 in April. Drink it in, man.
– KAIT8.com reports that WWE Champion AJ Styles was robbed earlier this week in Jonesboro, Arkansas. While Styles was competing at Monday night’s SmackDown live event at Arkansas State University, a thief made off with:
A bag containing $1,000 US dollars and $7,000 in Japanese yen
His iPhone
A set of Beats headphones
A small television
An Xbox 360 and six Xbox games
Arkansas State University police are investigating the crime.
WWE Champion AJ Styles has had one hell of a year. Since making his shocking WWE debut at last year’s Royal Rumble, the Phenomenal one went on to have one of the best “rookie” years in WWE history and wasted no time establishing himself as one of the most valuable players on the entire roster. Of all the memorable matches Styles fought in 2016, he’s got a favorite. During an interview with Al.com, Styles said:
“I have a lot of great matches in 2016. There are some I was real proud of. With Roman Reigns — and don’t get me wrong, WrestleMania was also a big one, too — but I just felt like my matches with Roman Reigns set the tone of how AJ Styles was going to be presented in 2016, like this guy who gets after it and has great matches with just about anyone on the roster.”
Styles also spoke about one of his WWE “dream opponents” – Seth Rollins. The two Superstars currently compete on different brands, but Styles is sure that they will cross paths at some point.
“That’s going to happen. There’s no doubt. At some point this year, hopefully there will be another draft. And whatever happens, at some point, before him and I both retire, we’re going to see each other in the ring. There’s no doubt about it.”
You can check out the full AI.com interview with Styles by clicking here.
On WWE’s website, they currently have a poll up that asks which Superstar has been the better champion for their respective brand between Kevin Owens and AJ Styles. As of now, AJ Styles has 91% of the votes from the WWE Universe. Styles and Owens are both heel champions, yet Styles has won most of his matches on his own. Kevin Owens has relied on the assistance of Chris Jericho to retain his Universal Championship. Owens may wind up adding another championship around his waist tonight on Monday Night Raw. Roman Reigns will be defending the United States Championship against Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho later tonight.
Dave Meltzer stated on Wrestling Observer Radio that Kenny Omega’s contract with NJPW ends on January 31st this year. The Royal Rumble is taking place on January 29th and Meltzer also claims that there are rumors that Omega has already re-signed with NJPW. Meltzer noted that Omega re-signing with NJPW is unconfirmed at this point.
AJ Styles currently sits at the top of the list on ESPN’s WWE power rankings. Charlotte Flair comes in at number two and Kevin Owens is number three. You can check out the rest of ESPN’s power rankings by clicking here.
On Smackdown Tuesday, it was revealed that AJ Styles will be defending his WWE Championship against John Cena at the Royal Rumble. Styles has had Cena’s number so far. However, it is Wrestlemania season and it is John Cena, it would be hard to imagine him losing once again to Styles. In the video promo for the live event, it was advertised that AJ Styles will be defending his WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose on February 4th, 2017. This doesn’t mean that Styles will defeat John Cena at the Royal Rumble on January 29th. I’ve seen local advertisements for live events in Boston that I thought spoiled a future event and it turned out to not be the case.
There have been a bunch of rumors surrounding AJ Styles and John Cena. I haven’t heard too many people say that John Cena would be facing AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. The rumor I heard the most was that Styles would be defending his WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the Rumble and that Cena might wind up facing The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. After the Royal Rumble, it is the Elimination Chamber. In my opinion, I would have thought it would be more likely for The Undertaker to show at the Royal Rumble rather than at Elimination Chamber. I’m just basing that off of the fact that he is coming off of hip surgery. It would seem odd that his first match back would be in the Chamber but stranger things have happened. For all I know, The Undertaker may wind up appearing at both the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber.
Discussion: Do you think Styles will retain his WWE Championship against John Cena at the Royal Rumble? Would you rather see John Cena vs The Undertaker or Styles vs The Undertaker at Wrestlemania? Share your thoughts below.
John Cena joined Renee Young and JBL as the first guest on Talking Smack. Cena complimented the current roster of the WWE and stated that they haven’t had this much talent in 15 years. JBL stated that he agreed with Michael Cole that John Cena was the greatest WWE Superstar of all time. JBL stated that Cena used to bash The Rock for being a part time wrestler. JBL asked Cena if he was now a part time performer and Cena didn’t really answer the question. Cena instead stated that he was wrong to say those things about The Rock because he is now the highest paid actor in Hollywood and has transcended the wrestling business.
Cena once again stated that he is not leaving the wrestling business and he is sick of the rumors floating around that he is. AJ Styles then showed up and interrupted. Styles stated that Cena tried to big league him tonight by shaking his hand. Styles claimed that he already defeated Cena when he was at his best at Summerslam. Cena stated that he was still recovering from a shoulder injury and that wasn’t his best shot. Styles laughed off the comment and said that Cena was just making excuses.
Styles stated that he is going to do what he does best and that is “beat up John Cena”. Cena went on to claim that Styles’ WWE Championship reign will be coming to an end at the Royal Rumble next month. Styles made fun of Cena’s hat and walked off the set. Cena stated that he feels like the other Superstars have a lack of respect for him now because he is filming movies and exploring other projects. Cena also claimed that he is stronger than he has ever been and that he is fed up with the new era and people claiming that he is done. Cena said that 2016 was not a good year for him and that he has something to prove in 2017. The segment ended with Cena laughing at the fact that Styles believed that he had already taken Cena’s best shot.
American Alpha joined the show to discuss becoming the Smackdown Tag Team Champions tonight on Smackdown. JBL commented on how many people American Alpha came out during a commercial break and hugged. American Alpha apparently gave out a bunch of tickets to family and friends for tonight’s show. Jason Jordan stated that their victory tonight over the Wyatts helps solidify them as a team and when it is all said and done, American Alpha wants to be considered one of the best teams of all time. Chad Gable claimed they won the match tonight because he and Jordan are tag team specialists and the Wyatts are not. JBL compared American Alpha to the Steiner Brothers. JBL also stated that Gable’s catchphrase “ready, willing and Gable” was stupid and told him to stop saying it. JBL apparently hates all catchphrases and wants American Alpha to act like badasses. Gable wound up saying that he would stop using the phrase at the end of the segment.
Dean Ambrose joined the set and stated the he discovered that he looked really good in collared shirts. JBL made fun of Ambrose’s previous attire. Ambrose said that he would “slap the piss out of JBL” if JBL continued to insult him. JBL asked Ambrose if he thought it was inappropriate that Renee Young slapped The Miz last week. Ambrose said that it wasn’t inappropriate and The Miz deserved it. Renee Young asked Dean Ambrose to sit down and he did for a minute or two and then stood back up. Ambrose claimed that he would rather wrestle Bray Wyatt than be locked in a room with an angry women. Ambrose also claimed that his grandmother sent the dog after him once because he stole a popsicle out of the freezer. Talking Smack ended with Ambrose stating that he will knock The Miz’s teeth out of his mouth in their Intercontinental Championship match. Ambrose also stated that The Miz is quietly putting together a Hall of Fame career but that Ambrose is going to “maim” him next week on Smackdown.
WWE ends 2016 with championship matches and John Cena’s return tonight on SmackDown and 205 Live.
For SmackDown, WWE has announced Cena’s return to TV as well as a main event of WWE Champion AJ Styles defending against Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler. Other matches announced include Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and The Wyatt Family defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against The Usos, American Alpha and Slater & Rhyno in a Four Corners Elimination Match.
WWE did not elaborate on Cena’s return but they wrote the following in their Five Point Preview:
“What will Cena have to say to the WWE Universe? Will he have his eyes squarely on the WWE Championship? Or has someone else drawn the ire of the Cenation?”
For 205 Live, Jack Gallagher will face Ariya Daivari in the first ever “Gentlemen’s Duel” while the main event will see Rich Swann defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Neville.
Join us later tonight for live coverage, news and notes from the Allstate Arena in Chicago.
Rhyno was dressed as Santa Claus last night for the entire episode of Talking Smack. He creepily hit on Renee Young the entire show and it was glorious.
Natalya was also a guest on Talking Smack and she continued to take shots at Nikki Bella. Natalya stated that she is wrestling royalty and Nikki Bella was handed everything because she was pretty. Daniel Bryan took exception to this given the fact that he is married to Brie Bella. Natalya claimed that the Bella twins were not in her class because she is a member of the Hart family.
Becky Lynch appeared on Talking Smack and she was still dressed as La Luchadore. Becky stated that she was ashamed that the Women’s division was represented by Alexa Bliss on Smackdown. Rhyno Claus started acting naughty again and rubbed a chocolate chip cookie on his chest in an effort to impress Becky Lynch.
Baron Corbin went on Talking Smack and claimed that he was the biggest threat in the Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship next week on Smackdown. Corbin went on to say that Styles would pay for the four chair shots he gave to Corbin last night on Smackdown. Corbin didn’t seem to worried about Dolph Ziggler or AJ Styles. Corbin was also frustrated that Daniel Bryan made a match to determine the #1 contender to the WWE Championship while Corbin was away accepting his award for Most Metal Athlete of 2016.
It would be shocking if Baron Corbin won the WWE Championship next week but there is no denying that he will be in the main event picture in 2017. Corbin has been on Talking Smack several times and he has done well every time he has appeared on the show. On Smackdown, Corbin’s promos sometimes feel forced. I’m not sure if it is because the promos are scripted or if Corbin simply tries too hard during Smackdown. Either way, Corbin has the potential to be great once he puts everything together. He is well on his way to becoming WWE Champion and one of the biggest stars on Smackdown.
The final SmackDown of 2016 will now feature AJ Styles defending the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat against Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin. The match was previously announced as Ziggler vs. Styles but Ziggler put his shot up against Corbin on tonight’s SmackDown and that match ended in a double countout.
WWE has also announced a Four Corners Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships to take place on next Tuesday’s show in Chicago.
Here’s the updated line-up for next week:
-John Cena returns to SmackDown
-WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler
-SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch
-Four Corners Match: SmackDown Tag Team Champions Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton vs. The Usos vs. American Alpha vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater
WWE Champion AJ Styles has been cleared for action as WWE just announced Styles vs. James Ellsworth for tonight’s SmackDown opener. WWE has also announced that The Miz will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Apollo Crews tonight.
All of these matches sound awesome. However, I’d prefer to see some more than others. Out of the five matches in the video, here are in order the matches I’d like to see the most.
#5: Finn Balor
Balor is an awesome performer and half of the excitement for this match would surround their entrances. My only issue with this match is that Balor is so much smaller than The Undertaker. I would really have to try and convince myself that Balor would have a shot in the match. It would still be great to see, but out of the 5 matches listed it comes in at number five.
#4: Kevin Owens
I would be ecstatic to see this match one year ago. Right now, Kevin Owens is being booked as someone that needs all the help in the world to win a match. Of course, this would still be an excellent match if it were to happen.
#3: Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman has been one of the bright spots on Monday Night Raw. Sure, it is tedious to sit through Strowman squash matches every week, but he is being build up correctly. Another feather in Strowman’s cap is that he is actually decent cutting a promo. He is a rare Superstar in that he is a massive human being and is also very athletic in the ring. He is the total package when it comes to a WWE Superstar. If Strowman continues to defeat everyone in his path, I wouldn’t mind seeing him go against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. I wouldn’t mind that one bit.
#2: Shinsuke Nakamura
I’m a huge Nakamura fan. His matches are so physical and every move he does looks like it legitimately hurts his opponent. This match is probably the least likely to happen out of those in the video but I would still love to see it. Nakamura has such an interesting style in the ring and I think it would be fascinating to see how he would work with The Undertaker.
#1: AJ Styles
In my opinion, AJ Styles is the best opponent for The Undertaker. He is currently the WWE World Champion and has been exceptional since arriving in the WWE at the Royal Rumble in January. Granted, Styles has always been phenomenal but I was skeptical if he would be given the chance to be in the WWE. Well, he was given the chance to show what he can do and he’s been the MVP for the WWE this year. Smackdown is a very entertaining show because Styles is on it. Styles is also a perfect opponent for The Undertaker because he can carry the match. AJ Styles can make The Undertaker look twenty years longer if they were to have a match together.
Discussion: Out of these five matches, which would you like to see the most and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
WWE Champion AJ Styles has been pulled from all WWE events until December 26th at Madison Square Garden, where he’s set to defend against John Cena and Dean Ambrose.
Styles did not defend the WWE Championship against James Ellsworth on last night’s SmackDown due to the ankle injury he suffered on 12/4 at TLC while taking a backdrop from Ambrose. The champion has not wrestled since that match.
WWE announced last night that Styles would defend against new #1 contender Dolph Ziggler on the 12/27 SmackDown from Chicago. There’s been no word yet on when Ellsworth will get his shot but it doesn’t look like it will happen in 2016.