Following Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown, here is the updated list of official participants in the WWE Intercontinental Championship Battle Royal at the upcoming WWE Battleground pay-per-view:
– Cesaro
– Kofi Kingston
– Damien Sandow
– The Great Khali
– Rob Van Dam
– Dolph Ziggler
– Big E
– Ryback
– Curtis Axel
– Alberto Del Rio
– Bo Dallas
Below is the latest edition of “SmackDown Fallout,” which features WWE United States Champion Sheamus:
Today is the all-important day where Americans celebrate their independence by consuming large amounts of alcohol and grilled fare. No WWE superstar claims to have America’s best interests in mind more than Jack Swagger.
The so-called Real American, accompanied by his founding father Zeb Colter, has advocated an isolationist domestic policy that is free of illegal immigrants. Along the way, Swagger has made national headlines by entering into a feud with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
It appeared that Swagger was in the midst of a massive push while bickering with Beck, having just defeated accomplished stars such as Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan to earn a chance to compete against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29.
Unfortunately for Swagger, he was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana, ending what could have been a classic feud between a border-protecting nationalist and an immigrant Mexican. Del Rio defeated Swagger at WrestleMania and the Real American was quickly shifted out of the main event scene.
Since aligning himself with Zeb Colter, Swagger has always acted as a heel, often using cheap heat as a way to get his character over. However, it seems as if a face turn could be just around the corner.
In recent months, Rusev has been dominating the WWE roster, taking out superstars such as Big E, Kofi Kingston, and R-Truth. Much like Swagger, Rusev has also used cheap heat as a way to build his character, praising Vladimir Putin and Russia along the way.
Rusev was up to his usual antics this past week when the crowd actually started chanting for Jack Swagger. Colter and Swagger defended America by taking out Rusev and acting as faces for the first time since joining one another. Unsurprisingly, Colter cut an amazing promo on Rusev and Lana, perfectly setting up what could be an entertaining feud.
Chris Jericho will not be working WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan. Instead, he will be on the July 13th show in Wildwood, New Jersey and July 12th event in Madison Square Garden, where he is scheduled to do a Highlight Reel segment.
Speaking of the upcoming WWE MSG show, the main event will feature John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt in a Lumberjack Match, with Ric Flair and Triple H as the leader of the two teams of lumberjacks. Also on the show will be a triple-threat match for the WWE United States Championship, with Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio.
The following matches were taped for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars prior to Monday’s RAW in Hartford, Connecticut:
– Big E. def. Titus O’Neil in the opening match of the show.
– Alberto Del Rio def. R-Truth in the main event.
The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.
Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.
Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)
I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.
Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall
Rusev vs. Big E
These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.
I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel
The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.
He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.
Winner: Stardust and Goldust by pinfall
The following are highlights of a new Digital Spy interview with Alberto Del Rio:
How much do you enjoy a ladder match compared to other matches? “No – I don’t really enjoy them because they’re painful! But it’s part of the game, and in this case, if you want to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion you have to accept the challenge and prepare yourself and your body for a lot of pain on Sunday.”
Roman Reigns is going to be there – what did you think about the break-up of The Shield? “I don’t really think about The Shield, but I can tell you something – Roman Reigns is a great competitor. He’s strong, fast. I would say he is the new rising star for the WWE.
“He’s going to a great competitor that night, but unfortunately he’s going to be in the ring with Alberto Del Rio, so I don’t think he’s going to win the title.”
There’s been a lot of mumbling about the return of Brock Lesnar – if you win on Sunday, how would you feel if Brock goes after you? “We all know who Brock Lesnar is and how dangerous he can be, but he’s no different to any other competitor in WWE.
“All the people, all the wrestlers in WWE are great fighters, great wrestlers, so it doesn’t really matter who you need to face when you’re the champion. That’s the reason someone is the champion… to face everybody in the world.”
It was another Heyman Guy, CM Punk, who took the title from you at Survivor Series in 2011 – do you think he’ll come back to the company any time soon? “Yeah, of course. He’ll be back soon. I don’t know when, but he’ll back.”
A lot of people were recently released from the company including some great guys. You’ve been around a long time now – is it harder than ever to stay successful? “It’s always hard. Wrestling is no different from any other job – you need to bring your best every single day because there’s people behind you trying to take your job. You can see that everywhere, not only in wrestling.
“That’s the reason you have to be in shape all the time, you have to try to bring something different every time you’re in the ring and you need to make yourself and your opponent good every single time, so you can keep up with the game.”
When you one day retire, what do you want the legacy of Alberto Del Rio to be? “Everybody knows I’m a hard worker and they know that regardless of if you like me or not, I’m going to bring the best matches every single night, because I have pride for this business, I love this business.
“It was passed to me by my grandfather and my father. That will be my legacy: somebody who gave everything in the ring every single night.”
Check out the complete interview at DigitalSpy.com.
With eight superstars in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match and seven in the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, the future is very intriguing.
With eight superstars in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match and seven in the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, the future is very intriguing.
Someone is walking out of Boston with the WWE World Heavyweight title. Whoever wins has to be careful though. Because lurking behind them will be someone else with the Money in the Bank briefcase. The two winners of these matches will have a microscope on them. Many of these stars have a long history with each other. From the three members of The Shield to Attitude Era stars like Kane and Rob Van Dam, WWE fans could see some fantastic feuds come from the outcomes of these matches.
At Money in the Bank 2010, Kane won the briefcase and become the first and only superstar to cash in that very same night. History could repeat itself this year, except this time the title can change more times. The WWE World Heavyweight title will change at least once since it is currently vacant. However, it could change twice in the same night if the Money in the Bank winner cashes in like Kane did four years ago. This would expedite a feud between superstars in each match.
With that said, here are seven fantastic and intriguing feuds that could begin thanks to the outcomes of the two ladder matches at Money in the Bank 2014.
One week from today, WWE’s annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view will be held in Boston, Massachusetts. The event has quickly become one of the most anticipated programs of the year, as it provides exciting action and sets up the storyline for months by allowing a WWE superstar to stalk his prey while holding a contract for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match.
There will be two Money in the Bank ladder matches this year. One will be held for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and the other will be a traditional contest for a shot at the title. The first contest will feature perennial title contenders such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio, as well as up-and-coming stars such as Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, and Cesaro.
The second ladder match will feature Seth Rollins, with the rest of the lineup to be determined in a series of qualifying matches. Thus far, only three matches have been announced for the entire pay-per-view, and with only one week left before the event, one has to wonder how the WWE will tie everything together in such a brief period.
Other than the two ladder matches, a matchup between the Usos and Luke Harper and Erick Rowan of the Wyatt family is the only confirmed contest on the card. It seems apparent that Dean Ambrose will be one of the participants in the traditional ladder match. Potential options also include those who did not qualify for the championship ladder match, including Bad News Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, and Rob Van Dam.
The two ladder matches will soak up a large portion of the roster, meaning the midcard will have to pick up some slack in order to fill up the three hours of airtime. Rumored contests include Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. RybAxel, Rusev vs. Big E, and a Divas Championship match involving Paige and all or part of the Funkadactyls.
– Roman Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio has been announced for Friday’s SmackDown.
– WWE is selling a new Paul Heyman t-shirt with the phrase “The 1 Behind The 21-1” – which you can check out here.
– WWE has published the following videos regarding the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games:
Stephanie McMahon, Big Show along with celebrities share in the celebration of the 2014 Special Olympic USA Games opening ceremony
WWE is ready to be a big part of the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games
– It was announced on Monday night’s edition of WWE RAW that on this week’s edition of SmackDown, which airs Friday night on SyFy and will be taped on Tuesday night, Roman Reigns will battle one-on-one with Alberto Del Rio.
– Also on Monday’s RAW, Cody Rhodes debuted as Goldust’s latest tag-team partner as his new “Stardust” character. Stardust is a Goldust-looking character with gold face paint and a black star painted on his face.
– A new WWE World Heavyweight champion will be crowned in less than two week at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. With 5 competitors already announced for the Money in the Bank ladder match, the general feeling in WWE is that a heel will be walking out as champion. So far, the villains who have qualified for the match include Cesaro, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt and Alberto Del Rio.
– One of the main reasons that Dolph Ziggler isn’t getting pushed is because his history of injuries and concussions. Shortly after capturing the World Heavyweight championship the night after WrestleMania 29, Ziggler suffered a concussion and has been in career limbo ever since.
Even if talent is over with fans and are solid in-ring workers, WWE is very hesitant to get behind them if they are injury prone and have taken extended time off.
– WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is questioning whether Bo Dallas’ character has the ability to get over with fans. He wrote on Facebook:
“As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m STARTING to become a #BoLiever – but I still have some questions about the Bo Dallas character. For example, how does it get REAL heat.”
(Source: PWInsider.com)
When it comes to Batista’s latest run, one could argue that management hit him with a bait and switch. He was promised that he would win the Royal Rumble and go on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Instead, he was practically booed out of the building after winning the Royal Rumble and ended up tapping out to the Yes Lock at WrestleMania to allow Daniel Bryan to win the championship.
As most probably know by now, Batista “quit” on this past week’s Raw, as he will be taking a few months off to promote his new movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Upon return after a several year hiatus, Batista represented what many feel is wrong with the current state of the WWE.
Instead of relying on the guys that work day in and day out to headline the biggest pay-per-views of the year, the WWE has instead relied upon part-time superstars such as the Rock and Brock Lesnar to headline their biggest events. The reliance on part-time superstars is one of the reasons a certain someone (*cough* CM Punk *cough*) decided to pack his bags and head home.
However, despite all of the criticism Batista has received since returning, one has to wonder if he earned the respect of fans. In my opinion, I think it is fair to say that he did just that.
In the end, Batista was promised the world but was basically handed a half-empty bag of peanuts. Following the Royal Rumble, which featured an extremely hostile Pittsburgh crowd, it became apparent that Batista’s wishes would not be granted. The company was quickly forced to turn him heel, which messed with the dynamics of the WrestleMania main event, which featured a heel champion in the form of Randy Orton.
WWE issued the following:
WWE® Superstars Alberto Del Rio, Titus O’Neil and Roman Reigns Take on the Importance of Being a Dad in National Public Service Campaign
WWE Joins Ad Council and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Launch New Fatherhood Involvement PSAs in Time for Father’s Day
Washington, DC, June 6, 2014 – A majority of dads in the U.S., seven out of ten, recently reported that they could use tips on how to be a better parent, according to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council. In advance of Father’s Day, WWE Superstars are inspiring dads throughout the country to get more involved in their children’s lives. WWE is joining the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Family Assistance, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, and the Ad Council to launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) that encourage dads to recognize their critical role and give them the tools to help get more involved.
This month, the Ad Council will distribute the television, radio, print, outdoor and Web public service ads to media outlets nationwide. In addition, the Ad Council will make all PSA materials available through PSACentral.org. WWE will utilize all of its assets, including television, live events, in-arena, digital and social media, to generate awareness of the national public service campaign.
WWE donated their time, talent and resources for the campaign which uses humor and features WWE Superstars Alberto Del Rio, Titus O’Neil and Roman Reigns experiencing poignant moments with their actual children in an effort to inspire a nationwide commitment to fatherhood. The stars provide the voiceovers at the end, directing audiences to “Take Time To Be a Dad Today.” The campaign communicates to fathers that their presence is essential to their children’s well-being and emphasizes that “the smallest moments can have the biggest impact on a child’s life.” The new PSAs can be seen here.
“WWE is honored to be a part of the Ad Council Fatherhood campaign and the mission to inspire and support men in their commitment to responsible fatherhood,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Even the busiest of dads can do the simplest of things to have a positive impact on their children.”
All of the creative assets direct fathers to visit www.fatherhood.gov or to call 1-877-4DAD411 to provide them with the information they need to become more involved with their children’s lives, including parenting tips, fatherhood programs and additional resources. In addition to the English and Spanish-language advertising, the campaign also includes social and digital extensions, leveraging fans of WWE and its Superstars. To coincide with Father’s Day and the campaign launch, @WWEMoms is hosting a Twitter Q&A on June 12 at 7:00 p.m. via #WWEDads. The campaign will also be leveraging Thunderclap (a public synchronized social media post), and developing blog posts and additional activities.
“The importance of being a present and engaged dad lies in the long term effects and benefits that this responsibility has on the children and families we serve. Fatherhood must be respected as essential to the wellbeing of our communities and as an investment in the creation of a caring, healthier and more productive society as a whole. Fatherhood is both a privilege and an honor, and the greatest reward is when your child calls you dad,” said Office of Family Assistance Director Earl Johnson.
Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.
“Of course, with our target being dads, WWE was a natural partner for this effort,” said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “This campaign has already made such an impact on fathers and families throughout the country and I know that with the help of Alberto, Titus and Roman, we will be able to show dads how important their role is in their child’s life.”
The new PSAs are an extension of the Ad Council’s award-winning Fatherhood Involvement campaign, which launched in 2008. The ads will air and run in time and space entirely donated by the media. To date, the Fatherhood Involvement campaign has received more than $193 million in donated media.
This week’s edition of WWE Raw took place in Indianapolis, IN and was the post-Payback episode of the longest running weekly episodic television show in history. The card featured a total of nine matches, including a contest between John Cena and Kane, as well as a Money in the Bank qualifying match between Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio.
The show also featured two incidents that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the storyline for weeks to come. A lot of questions were answered, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Is Cesaro Going to Challenge for the Intercontinental Championship?
On this week’s Raw, Cesaro abandoned his partner Bad News Barrett, leaving him helpless against the team of RVD and Sheamus. After the match, Cesaro stood on the stage staring at Bad News Barrett, perhaps alluding to an upcoming feud between the two for the IC strap.
This feud could help both parties, as it would provide Barrett with a worthy opponent to work with, while also allowing Cesaro to challenge for the company’s second most important title. With rumors of Cesaro being the top contender to win the Money in the Bank briefcase, there are a few directions they could take with the King of Swing, and fans would likely welcome any push.
4. Will WWE Listen to the Fans and Push Dolph Ziggler?
One of the biggest injustices of the past year has been Dolph Ziggler’s demotion to the midcard. After finally cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship from Alberto Del Rio on the Raw after WrestleMania last year.
His reign would ultimately be cut short following a concussion, and after a few harsh words directed at John Cena, Ziggler’s burial was a certainty. He hasn’t been able to claw his way out of the doghouse since, despite calls from fans to give him a push.
There were chants for Ziggler during the match between Big E and Rusev at Payback, and it seemed like he might finally get back on track during a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Alberto Del Rio on this week’s Raw. The hopes of Ziggler fans around the world were quickly dashed, however, as he was forced to tap out to the Cross Armbreaker and it looks like Dolph has become a permanent fixture at the bottom of the card.
3. Who Benefited More from Their Feud: John Cena or Bray Wyatt?
During their last man standing match at Payback, John Cena literally buried Bray Wyatt after slamming him through a crate that was conveniently placed at the foot of a table.
Now that it appears their feud is over, one has to wonder which superstar benefited more from the program. It is hard to argue that any victory could put Cena over more. Wyatt used the program to get himself over with the audience, but he ultimately looked weak in each of their contests.
Wyatt lost two of the three matches, and his one victory came with the help of Harper, Rowan, and a child. Ultimately, Cena did not gain anything from the feud, and Wyatt is just as over as he was before and looked weak throughout, so I would say that neither guy really benefited.
– Indianapolis Colts NFL player Trent Richardson, as well as Chris Copeland from the NBA’s Indiana Pacers were among the celebrities and athletes in attendance at Monday’s post-Payback edition of WWE RAW.
– Big Show is featured on the latest edition of RAW Fallout, which you can check out below.
– On part two of RAW Fallout, Money In The Bank qualifyer Alberto Del Rio is featured. You can check that one out below.
– Alberto Del Rio became the first person to officially qualify for the WWE Money In The Bank ladder match this year. Del Rio advanced to the match, which as noted may be for a the WWE World Heavyweight Championship depending on Daniel Bryan’s status, by defeating Dolph Ziggler at Monday’s RAW.
– WWE released the latest list of the top-ten most-watched shows on the WWE Network for the week of May 26th through June 1st. You can check that out below.
1. Payback 2014
2. Payback Kickoff Pre-show
3. NXT Takeover
4. Legends House
5. Takeover Fallout Post-show
6. Takeover Kickoff Pre-show
7. Main Event
8. RAW Backstage Pass Post-show
9. WrestleMania XXX
10. Extreme Rules 2014
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Bo Dallas (24), Roman Reigns (29) and Alberto Del Rio (37).
– Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown saw a huge drop in social media activity from the previous week. SmackDown had 416,000 Twitter users tweeting about the show (down 50%) and 1.273 million social impressions (down 45%). Despite the drop, it still ranked #2 for the night Twitter activity.
– Next Saturday night’s Beyond The Ring special on the WWE Network will feature Chris Jericho.
– Every RAW and SmackDown of 2014 through the beginning of April have been added to the WWE Network, so it appears WWE is able to add shows to the Network a month after they air under the new NBCUniversal deal.
– The following stars are scheduled to miss this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, as they will be leaving for the company’s tour of Europe immediately after Monday’s RAW: Daniel Bryan, Kane, Randy Orton, The Shield and Big E.
Names that are scheduled for SmackDown this week include John Cena, The Wyatt Family, Sheamus, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show and Alberto Del Rio.
– WWE recently added the following talents to the official NXT roster page on WWE.com: Veronica Lane, Wesley Blake, Tye Dillinger, Marcus Louis and Bull Dempsey.
– WWE returns to Albany, New York on Tuesday, November 4th for a Smackdown and Main Event taping. Tickets went on sale last night at RAW.
– The original script for last night’s RAW had Daniel Bryan wrestling Batista, according to PWInsider.com. On Monday afternoon, the decision was made for Bryan to face Alberto Del Rio instead.
– Former TNA star AJ Styles wants to be a future guest on Jim Ross’ Ross Report podcast. He tweeted on Tuesday:
@JRsBBQ give me a follow so I can DM you some info. I would love to be on your show.
@AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) May 6, 2014
The following is a non-spoiler match listing for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which was taped on Tuesday night and will air on Friday, May 2, 2014 on the SyFy Network.
– Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger
– Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth
– The Wyatt Family vs. Sheamus & The Usos
– Damien Sandow vs. Dolph Ziggler
– Big E. vs. Titus O’Neil
– Dean Ambrose vs. Ryback vs. Curtis Axel vs. Alberto Del Rio
For a complete spoiler report for this week’s WWE SmackDown, click ahead to page two …