Posts Tagged ‘American Alpha’

Chad Gable Reflects On American Alpha’s Formation And Split

The former Shorty G, Chad Gable, has discussed the formation and split from his American Alpha partner Jason Jordan during a recent episode of WWE podcast After the Bell.

Reflecting on how the two first came to become tag team partners in NXT, Gable shared how their chemistry was first noticed during a promo class together.

“[…] we did one promo where I kind of played almost like his little brother and I was kind of bothering him, picking on him and being a little goof, but he kind of like, gave into it,” Gable recalled. “And it felt so right, and you could just feel people were with it and they were laughing.”

He added how he then dropped the “Ready, Willing, and Gable” catchphrase. According to Gable, “[…] all of a sudden, everybody just lit up.” He remembered his delivery and Jordan’s reaction being perfect, and how it was at that moment that they knew their teaming together would work out.

Matching Mindsets

Chad Gable explained how their amateur wrestling backgrounds helped bring out a friendly competitive nature between them. He shared how this attitude helped to bring out the best in both men. As the need to compete and prove themselves faded however, a firm friendship remained:

“Our friendship was built out of that competitiveness, and before you know it, we were best friends after six months because we recognized that. We recognize that our mindsets are the same. We came from the same background,” Gable said.

“[…] and so, the competitiveness kind of went away when we realized we can do this. It’s going to work. We can force it to work; we can make it work. Before you know it, we were just clicking, and everything we did, we were on the same page. We would finish each other’s thoughts. It was definitely meant to be, 100%.”

Chad Gable On American Alpha Split

Chad Gable reflected on American Alpha’s eventual split following Jordan’s Raw debut as Kurt Angle’s “son,” which officially disbanding the team. Gable shared how he wasn’t aware of the storyline and found out WWE’s plans for Jordan at the same time as the WWE Universe.

He admitted how American Alpha’s intention was to be remembered as the greatest tag team in wrestling. However, he acknowledged that “[…] it wasn’t going well to be completely honest. We just weren’t having the success we wanted.”

Because of this, Gable was looking forward to a fresh start as a singles competitor away from Jordan and the American Alpha team.

After a stint as Shorty G, Gable turned heel after attacking SmackDown Superstar Matt Riddle. He later announced he would stop being known as Shorty G, once again adopting the Chad Gable ring name.

Posted November 2nd, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: , .

Speculation On WWE Potentially Reuniting American Alpha

There is a lot of speculation about the WWE possibly reuniting American Alpha.

As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Richmond, VA at the Richmond Coliseum on the USA Network, Drew McIntyre beat Chad Gable in a singles match. After the match, the former NXT Champion and Dolph Ziggler beat him down.

Thus, with Gable back on the RAW brand, there is speculation that once Jason Jordan returns to television then the sports entertainment company could pair them back up.

He’s been out of action since early 2018 due to a neck issue and was last seen on TV when Kurt Angle sent him home until he was healthy enough to compete.

As of this writing, there’s no official word yet on what the sports entertainment company has planned for Jordan on television whether that be with his storyline involving Seth Rollins or the “father and son” storyline with Angle.

Bryan Alvarez mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio how it looks like WWE is building toward an American Alpha reunion against McIntyre and Ziggler. Here is what longtime pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer had to say (transcript courtesy of RingSideNews):

“Jordan’s cleared so they’re just trying to figure out what to do so I suppose you could do that.”

“I will say this as bad as the tag team division is they could use Gable and Jordan as a team and also without it Gable’s career is going nowhere and he’s pretty damn talented.”

What are your thoughts on a possible American Alpha reunion? Sound off in the comment section below.

Posted May 29th, 2018 in WWE, News. Tagged: .

Backstage News On Plans For Jason Jordan & Kurt Angle Storyline, Future Of American Alpha

Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting that the storyline with Jason Jordan and Kurt Angle is going to be a lengthy one that will play out over the next few months.  Last night on RAW, Kurt Angle finally revealed the secret he has been receiving text messages about for some time now on RAW. Angle came down to the ring and announced that a women he dated in college gave birth to a baby boy. That boy was put up for adoption and grew up to be WWE Superstar Jason Jordan.

Jordan is now set for a solid midcard level push and his relationship with RAW GM Kurt Angle will grow as Angle tries to be a father figure for Jordan. The storyline is set to be a central part of RAW going forward. Chad Gable posted this tweet following last night’s revelation:

It was mentioned last night during a WWE Network interview with Jordan and Angle that Jordan will officially be moving over to the RAW roster. The other half of American Alpha, Chad Gable, is staying on SmackDown and there are no plans for him to join Jordan on RAW. Gable posted the following on Instagram and stated that American Alpha has “done everything doable”:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWrHkL_ANUn/

Posted July 18th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , .

Chad Gable On The Future Of American Alpha, Wale Signs With Titus Worldwide

AJ Styles had strong praise for Chad Gable after their match on this week’s SmackDown Live. Styles picked up the victory, but declared Gable as last night’s real winner.

Gable later replied,

Gable appeared on SmackDown Live Fallout and commented on his future in WWE, whether it’s part of American Alpha or going off on his own as a singles competitor. Gable said he’s looking to challenge himself by wrestling the best talent WWE has to offer. He’s not discouraged about losing to Styles, since he lost a lot of matches during his amateur wrestling career and it was those losses that helped drive him to the success he ultimately attained.

When asked about the future of American Alpha, Chad Gable said he and Jason Jordan are hungry for competition. They had a run with the SmackDown tag titles, but have since been bumped down the ladder. He says Jason Jordan will soon prove what he can do as a singles competitor, but made it sound like the two of them will continue teaming together while also showing what they can do individually.

– After hosting the rap battle between The Usos and The New Day on SmackDown, Grammy nominated hip-hop artist Wale signed with Titus Worldwide on 205 Live.

Posted July 5th, 2017 in WWE, News. Tagged: , .

Former 2012 Olympian Returns To London Tonight With WWE

Chad Gable competed for the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games. Those games were held in the same city which hosts Smackdown tonight: London, England.

Gable qualified for the games by winning the US Olympic Trials in 2012 at 84kg. He would win his first bout at the Olympics, before getting eliminated in his second.

American Alpha in WWE

Chad Gable & Jason Jordan were paired together in NXT, and quickly became the division’s hottest tag team. American Alpha helped usher out the old era in the division by beating the Vaudevillains and Ascension. They would feud with Blake & Murphy and the Revival before getting called-up to the main roster in 2016.

American Alpha defeated the Wyatts, Slater & Rhyno, and the Usos in a 4-corners elimination match to win Smackdown’s tag titles on December 27th, 2016. They recently dropped two straight title matches to the Usos however, to both drop the titles, and fall out of title contention.

Recently, Breezango won the “Beat the Clock Challenge” to become the new #1 contenders to the Usos. American Alpha will need to put together a winning streak if they are to be back in title contention after Backlash.

Posted May 9th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

SmackDown Tag Team Championships Change Hands

The Usos began their first reign with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships on tonight’s show in Uncasville, CT as they defeated American Alpha. The Usos will now go to WrestleMania 33 to defend the championships.

Below is a photo and some clips from tonight:

The Usos and Roman Reigns commented on the win:

Posted March 21st, 2017 in WWE, News. Tagged: , .

American Alpha Talk About Wanting To Work With Kurt Angle

American Alpha recently spoke with the The Sun and gave their thoughts on Kurt Angle. SmackDown’s tag team champions acknowledged that they’ve been compared to Angle and sound excited about the prospect of working with him in some capacity.

Jason Jordan: “It would be great to work with Kurt. He paved the way for us amateur wrestlers. Also, his mind – the way he works in ring – it’s a thing of beauty. It’s amazing.

“There are all these stories we’ve heard about Kurt Angle ­– and obviously we’ve gotten some comparisons – but it would be really nice to work hand-in-hand with him, help get our game to the next level.

“Obviously he has so much experience that he can put upon us. It would be great to just sit under the tree of knowledge and let him talk with us and give us some pointers.”

Chad Gable: “We’re really looking forward to Orlando. Maybe we’ll get a minute to sit down with him and ask a few things.

“He did the exact path that we’re trying to do right now and succeeded in the biggest possible way. If there’s anyone that’s going to help Jason and I, he’s the man for the job.”

Kurt Angle takes his place in the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday night, March 31st from Orlando.

Posted March 16th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

American Alpha Is Currently The Only Viable Team On Smackdown

Last night at the Elimination Chamber, American Alpha retained their Smackdown Tag Team Championships. That is not surprising at all. In fact, there was really no reason to take the titles off of American Alpha. They are clearly the best team on Smackdown and deserve a long run with the belts. American Alpha defended their titles in a Tag Team Turmoil Match against every other team on the Smackdown roster.

In order for American Alpha to have an impressive run with the Smackdown Tag Team Championships, they need to have a legitimate opponent. There was no legitimate rival highlighted last night at the Elimination Chamber. Instead, American Alpha wound up looking like the only team worth a damn on Smackdown. Breezango was the first team eliminated. They were eliminated by Heath Slater and Rhyno, a team that has been at odds with each other for the past several weeks. The Vaudevillains were also eliminated by Slater & Rhyno. They were eliminated so quickly that most people forgot that they were even a part of the match.

Then there was The Ascension. The Usos were eliminated by American Alpha, but stuck around to beat the hell out of Gable and Jordan. The Ascension were the last team to enter the Tag Team Turmoil Match and everything was laid out perfectly for them. American Alpha were left decimated by The Usos. All they had to do was pick up the pieces and win the match. They couldn’t do it. Viktor wound up falling victim to the Grand Amplitude and Jason & Jordan wound up retaining their Smackdown Tag Team Championships.

In one match, Breezango, The Vaudevillians and The Ascension were made to look absolutely worthless. The only viable team on Smackdown right now besides AA is The Usos. American Alpha pinned The Usos last night as well. Unless Smackdown spends the next few weeks building up the teams that lost in this match, everyone will just be waiting for The Revival to finally show up.

Posted February 13th, 2017 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , .

WWE Smackdown & 205 Live Reaction (11/29)

WWE Smackdown (11/29)

This week’s episode of Smackdown kicked off with Renee Young in the ring. Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch joined her in the ring for a contract signing for their Smackdown Women’s Championship match this Sunday at WWE TLC. Alexa Bliss told Renee Young to get out of the ring. Bliss also scolded Renee for her fashion choices. Becky Lynch then compared Alexa to her four year old cousin. Bliss continued to insult Becky Lynch and they both signed the contract. After they both signed it, they brawled in the ring. Lynch hit the Becksplex on Alexa Bliss. Alexa then fought back and shoved Becky through a table off of the turnbuckle.

Reaction: I thought this promo was really good. Becky Lynch can be a bit of adventure on the microphone but tonight she did a good job. Alexa Bliss is excellent on the microphone and her facial expressions are hilarious. I find this feud to be much more interesting than the one between Charlotte and Sasha Banks on Raw.

Dolph Ziggler & Kalisto vs Baron Corbin & The Miz

Corbin dominated the match early and threw Ziggler out of the ring. The Miz was then tagged in and he immediately grabbed a ladder from under the ring. Ziggler got up and connected with a DDT on The Miz outside the ring. Ziggler then hit Corbin with a Superkick. Back in the ring, Ziggler tagged in Kalisto. The Miz hit Kalisto with a boot to the face and dove outside the ring onto Ziggler. Miz then launched Ziggler into the barricade surroinding the ring.

Kalisto then dove onto Corbin outside the ring. Ziggler hit a Superkick on The Miz as he was lying on the ring apron. Maryse shoved the ladder into Ziggler’s face. Kalisto landed the Salida del Sol on The Miz in the ring. Before the referee could count to three, Baron Corbin nailed Kalisto in the back with a chair. The referee then disqualified The Miz and Baron Corbin.

Winners via DQ: Dolph Ziggler & Kalisto

Reaction: This was a quick match but it served a purpose. Ziggler will be facing The Miz in a ladder match for the IC Title on Sunday. Corbin will be squaring off with Kalisto in a chairs match at TLC. Both the ladder and a chair came into play during this match. I like it when things make sense, don’t you?

American Alpha were interviewed backstage about their match tonight versus Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. Gable and Jordan stated that they will prove again tonight why they are the best team in the WWE.

Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Luke Harper were then shown backstage. Orton interrupted Wyatt and questioned Luke Harper. Orton asked Harper if he was going to do what needs to be done tonight against Kane. Harper looked aggravated and Wyatt instructed Harper to go send Kane back to hell. There is obviously some friction between Harper and Orton. I do not believe that Harper is completely sold on Orton joining the Wyatt Family.

Carmella came down to the ring for a match but that never happened. Carmella gave a special message to John Cena. Carmella apologized for what she will do to his girlfriend, Nikki Bella at TLC. Carmella claimed that she was going to rearranged Nikki’s “Bella twins” and her face as well. Nikki Bella came sprinting from backstage and attacked Carmella. The referee seperated them and that allowed Carmella to haul off and slap Nikki in the face. Nikki then got up and continued the assault on Carmella.

Ambrose Asylum w/ Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose introduced James Ellsworth as his first guest on the Ambrose Asylum. An “Ellsworth!” chant broke out amongst the crowd. Ambrose poked fun at Ellsworth’s old wrestling boots. Ellsworth thanked Ambrose for helping him become an official WWE Superstar. Ellsworth stated that if Ambrose ever needed anything he would do it. Ambrose asked Ellsworth to wash his car, do his laundry and pick him up a six-pack and some candy for later.

Ambrose asked Ellsworth who he will be rooting for this Sunday at TLC. Ellsworth stated that it would be an honor to wrestle Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship. AJ Styles interrupted the party and stood on the announce table. Styles poked fun at Ellsworth and called him a dummy. Ambrose stated that Styles had then lost to a dummy three times.

Styles got in the ring and claimed that he was tired of Ambrose making him out to be a joke. Styles demanded respect and claimed that he was going to beat the hell out of Ambrose at TLC. Styles dared Ellsworth to show up during his match againt Ambrose at TLC. Ambrose claimed that Styles was weak mentally. Ambrose stated that this Sunday the fun and games were over. Ambrose went on to state that he will recapture the WWE World Championship at TLC.

Styles pushed Ellsworth into Ambrose who fell into a ladder. AJ then whipped Ellsworth into a table and smashed Dean Ambrose with the steel steps. Styles returned to the ring and beatdown Ellsworth. Styles hit Ellsworth with a ladder and then tossed him out of the ring. Ellsworth’s feet got caught up in the bottom rope and Styles hit him with a steel chair. AJ then hit the Styles Clash on Ellsworth off of the steps onto the floor outside the ring.

Reaction: Finally, Styles got the upper hand on Ellsworth and Ambrose. I find Ellsworth to be very entertaining but I’m not really interested in seeing him in the WWE World Championship picture. Having said that, this was a very good promo. There has only been one match in the first hour and fifteen minutes of tonight’s Smackdown. Usually that would annoy me but tonight’s promos have all ended in brawls.

Luke Harper vs Kane

Kane and Harper tied up to begin the match. Kane shoved Harper down and Harper got back up and they locked up again. Harper bounced off of the ropes and hit a couple of shoulder blocks but Kane was not phased. Kane then leveled Harper. Luke Harper got back up and hit Kane with a series of uppercuts. Kane once again shrugged them off and came right back at Harper. Smackdown went to a commercial break with Luke Harper outside the ring with a shocked look on his face.

When Smackdown returned, Harper was in control of the match and had a Chinlock applied to Kane in the center of the ring. Kane battled out of the Chinlock and hit a Jawbreaker. Kane went for a Chokeslam but Harper blocked it and kicked Kane in the head. Harper went for a pinfall but Kane kicked out at two. Kane fought back and connected with a DDT on Harper. Kane followed it up with a Sidewalk Slam and went for a pin but Harper kicked out. Harper battled back and hit Kane with a Dropkick to the ribs. Kane was affected and hunched over in the corner. Harper leaped on him twice and connected with a couple of shots to the ribs. Harper then then climbed to the second turnbuckle and hit Kane with a couple of punches.

Kane fought out of the corner by hitting a Powerbomb on Harper. Kane once again went for the Chokeslam but Harper grabbed the rope. Harper connected with a Sidewalk Slam of his own but Kane kicked out once again. Kane slammed Harper to the mat and climbed to the top rope. Kane went for a Clothesline off of the top rope but Harper ducked it and drilled Kane with a Superkick. Kane once again powered out of the pinfall at two. Harper then climbed to the top rope but Kane got up and punched him in the face. Kane then joined Harper on the turnbuckle and connected with a massive Superplex to Harper.

Both men slowly got back to their feet and began to trade punches. Kane blocked a punch by Harper and grabbed his throat. Kane then connected with a Chokeslam and picked up the victory.

Winner: Kane

Reaction: When you think of Kane versus Luke Harper it doesn’t sound like it would be a good match. This match was actually quite good. The announcers made a comment after the match that Bray Wyatt will not be happy with Luke Harper following this loss to Kane. I’m intrigued with the Wyatt Family storyline right now. It appears that Harper may be on his way out and Orton will be replacing him. I’m curious if this will wind up with Orton turning his back on Bray after he has already destroyed the Wyatt Family from the inside. I do not really know where they are going with this and that is a good thing. Luke Harper has always been one of the more underrated Superstars on the roster. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in the Intercontinental Championship picture and having a single’s run of his own. Harper can work well with almost any male Superstar on the Smackdown roster. I think if you put him up against someone like Baron Corbin they would put on some very physical and entertaining matches.

Smackdown Tag Team #1 Contenders Match: Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt vs American Alpha

Randy Orton and Jason Jordan started out the match. Jordan went on the offensive to start things off. The WWE cut to Slater and Rhyno watching the match from backstage. This was humorous because the television screen they were watching was black for a second and essentially Slater and Rhyno were staring at nothing.

Bray Wyatt entered the match and Jordan went to jump onto him but Wyatt ducked and Jordan went flying into the ropes. Bray tagged in Orton and he continued the assault on Jordan. Gable tagged himself in and immediately connected with a Crossbody off the top rope on Orton. Gable climbed to the top rope again but Wyatt knocked him to the outside of the ring and Smackdown went to a commercial break.

When Smackdown returned, Wyatt and Gable were in the ring. Wyatt hit Gable with a DDT on the ring apron. Wyatt then went for a pin but Gable kicked out at two. Orton then entered the match and applied a Chinlock to Gable. Orton hit a Powerslam on Gable and once again went for a pinfall but it was unsuccessful. Orton tagged in Wyatt and Gable connected with a Dropkick then sent Bray to the mat. Gable tried to tag in Jordan but Bray got up and punched Jordan off of the ring apron.

Bray mounted Gable on the mat and punched him in the face several times. Orton was tagged back in and propped Gable up on the top rope. Orton connected with a Superplex on Gable. Jason Jordan and Bray Wyatt were then tagged in. Jordan leveled Wyatt with an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex. Chad Gable hit Orton with a Cannonball off of the ring apron. Back in the ring, Jordan hit a German Suplex on Bray Wyatt.

The lights then went out and Luke Harper was ringside. Bray went for the Sister Abigail but Gable prevented it. American Alpha then went for the Grand Amplitude but Orton hit Gable with an RKO out of nowhere. Jordan went to hit Bray with a Spear but Harper pulled Bray out of the way. Wyatt then hit the Sister Abigail on Jordan for the victory. Wyatt and Orton will now face Slater and Rhyno at TLC this Sunday. Slater and Rhyno were interviewed backstage but AJ Styles interrupted. Styles stated that nobody cared about the Tag Team titles. Ambrose then appeared out of nowhere and attacked Styles and Smackdown went off the air.

Reaction: This was a very solid match to close out a good episode of Smackdown. It appears that Harper and Orton are back to getting along for now. Tonight’s episode was promo-heavy but they all were effective. TLC is shaping up to be an exciting show and I cannot wait to watch it on Sunday.

Winners & #1 Contenders For The Smackdown Tag Team Championships: Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt

205 Live (11/29)

Austin Aries and Corey Graves joined Mauro Ranallo on commentary. All of the Superstars on 205 Live were on the entrance ramp and they were introduced to the WWE Universe. A vignette for the Bollywood Boyz was then shown.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803797913251917824

Bollywood Boyz vs Drew Gulak & Tony Nese

Harv and Gurv Sihra started out the match on the offensive. Tony Nese was laid out by both of them but was able battle back and tag in Gulak. For the next few minutes, Gulak dominated the match. Nese was tagged back in and he continued the assault on the Bollywood Boyz. Gulak got back into the match and maintained control of the match.

Nese got back in the match and he applied a Chinlock to one of the Bollywood Boyz. Harv battled out of the Chinlock and connected with a Neckbreaker. Harv tagged in Gurv and he hut Gulak with several chops and a kick to the face. The Bollywood Boyz hit a double Superkick on Drew Gulak for the pinfall victory.

Winners: The Bollywood Boyz

Reaction: Not the best way to start off the debut episode of 205 Live. There were some cool spots in this match but overall it was very clunky.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803800282756878338

TJ Perkins and Brian Kendrick had a confrontation. Perkins stated that he is still owed a rematch and that he wants Kendrick to retain the Cruiserweight Championship tonight. Perkins wants Kendrick to keep the belt so he can get his rematch and take the title away from him.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803801771600580608

Ariya Daivari vs Jack Gallagher

Gallagher started out this match extremely cocky and applied a few submission holds to Daivari while posing for the crowd. Daivari battled back and but Gallagher escaped his Headlock. Gallagher did a handstand on the top turnbuckle and then took Daivari down. Gallagher then tied Daivari up in a knot in the center of the ring and taunted him from the corner. Gallagher then hit him with a running kick and Daivari escaped the knot.

Daivari connected with a Neckbreaker on Gallagher and slapped him in the face a couple of times. Daivari applied a Chinlock but Gallagher fought out of it and connected with a couple of Dropkicks. Gallagher then headbutted Daivari and hit him with a Dropkick in the corner for the victory.

Winner: Jack Gallagher

Reaction: This match was bizarre and entertaining. Jack Gallagher may look ridiculous but he is fun to watch. The main positive to take from this match is that Gallagher was able to get the crowd into it. That is something that has escaped the Cruiserweight division when it is featured on Monday Night Raw.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803803266274369537

Cruiserweight Championship Match: Brian Kendrick (c) vs Rich Swann

Kendrick started off the match in control. Swann battled back and hit a Dropkick. Kendrick kicked out of a pinfall and Swann applied a Chinlock. Kendrick reversed the Chinlock into a German Suplex. Kendrick attacked Swann in the corner but Swann fought back and connected with several chops to the chest of Kendrick.

Swann landed a Tiger Bomb on Kendrick and Kendrick rolled out of the ring. Swann followed him out of the ring and hit a Summersault Clothesline off of the barricade. The action returned to the ring and Kendrick connected with another German Suplex. Kendrick then hit a Neckbreaker and Swann’s head hit the top turnbuckle. Swann then fell out of the ring and to the floor.

Swann was able to get back in the ring before the referee counted him out. Kendrick immediately hit him with a Suplex. Kendrick went for the Captain’s Hook but Swann blocked it. Swann then connected with a Michinoku Driver on Kendrick. Swann followed it up with a kick to the face of Kendrick. Swann went for the Standing 450 but Kendrick got his knees up and then locked in the Captain’s Hook.

Swann was able to reach the bottom rope and the crowd cheered him on. Both men were on the top turnbuckle and Kendrick bit Swann’s wrist and hit Sliced Bread. Swann kicked out and the crowd started to chant “this is awesome!”. Swannt connected with three spinning heel kicks in a row and pinned Kendrick for the victory.

After the match, Swann thanked his mother that has passed away and dedicated the match to her. Kendrick was also interviewed on the entrance ramp. Kendrick blamed the loss on TJ Perkins for playing mind games with him earlier in the night. Kendrick also stated that the WWE Universe should not get used to Swann as the Cruiserweight Champion. Kendrick vowed to get his title back and walked away.

Winner & New Cruiserweight Champion: Rich Swann

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803809979639558144

Reaction: 205 Live started off slow but picked up momentum and wound up being a pretty decent show. I thought the match between Kendrick and Swann was very good. I hope that the Cruiserweight division gets some more time on Monday Night Raw as a result of this show but I doubt that will be the case. Overall, both Smackdown and 205 Live were good shows tonight.

What did you think of this week’s episodes of Smackdown and 205 Live? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Posted November 29th, 2016 in News. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Triple H & Stephanie’s Anniversary, Curt Hawkins & American Alpha On Main Event

– Jack Swagger defeated local wrestler Danny Duggan in the dark match prior to Tuesday night’s SmackDown Live from Green Bay. For Main Event, WWE taped Curt Hawkins vs. Apollo Crews and American Alpha vs. The Vaudevillains.

– WWE power couple Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are celebrating their 13th anniversary today. The RAW Commissioner wished The Game a Happy Anniversary with this tweet:

Posted October 26th, 2016 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , , , .

American Alpha Out Of Tag Tournament Finals At Backlash

American Alpha defeated The Usos on SmackDown to advance to the tag tournament finals at Backlash, but Chad Gable suffered an MCL sprain that will prevent his team from competing this Sunday.

On SmackDown, Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated the Hype Bros and American Alpha beat The Usos on SmackDown to advance to the tag tournament finals. After American Alpha got a quick win over the Usos, the Samoan twins turned heel and viciously attacked American Alpha.

It was announced on Talking Smack that Gable sustained an injury at the hands of The Usos and as a result, American Alpha won’t be able to compete in the finals.

At WWE Backlash, The Usos will face The Hype Bros. The winner of that match will face Heath Slater and Rhyno later in the evening to crown the first SmackDown tag team champions.

Posted September 6th, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , .

SmackDown Live Preview, Total Bellas Promo, American Alpha On Sports Center

– Tonight’s SmackDown Live is the “go home” show ahead of this Sunday’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view. SmackDown will feature AJ Styles confronting WWE Champion Dean Ambrose and the semi-finals of the ongoing tag team tournament. American Alpha faces The Usos and The Hype Bros face Heath Slater and Rhyno. The winners will square off at Backlash to crown the first SmackDown tag team champions.

Check back later tonight for our SmackDown Live Results & Discussion.

– Speaking of American Alpha, they’ll be Jonathan Coachman’s guests on ESPN SportsCenter on Wednesday night for this week’s Off The Top Rope segment.

– Check out the latest promo for Total Bellas, which premieres in October:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJDXJR96mDA

– Jinder Mahal thanked WWE for allowing him to return to Japan this past weekend to finish up some bookings that he agreed to before returning to the company after the WWE Draft. Mahal also met WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki while in Japan, seen below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ6lGe7hEWF/

Posted September 6th, 2016 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , .

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament Update, Backstage Videos

– Following this week’s SmackDown Live, teams still in the tournament to crown the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions include American Alpha, The Usos, The Vaudevillains, The Hype Bros and the team of Rhyno & Heath Slater. Another team will be added next Tuesday night as they will face Slater & Rhyno. The Ascension and Breezango were both eliminated from the tournament last night.

The finals of the tournament will take place on 9/11 at the Backlash PPV and new champions will be crowned.

Here are backstage reactions to the tournament announcement from American Alpha and the Hype Bros:

Baclash will also feature Natalya vs. Becky Lynch vs. Naomi vs. Nikki Bella vs. Carmella vs. Alexa Bliss to crown the first SmackDown Women’s Champion. Becky talks to Charly Caruso about standing out and about winning the championship in this backstage video:

Posted August 24th, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , .

Daniel Bryan Talks New Titles, American Alpha Talks Competition, Corbin, Ziggler, WWE Upsets

– Dolph Ziggler will be Michael Cole’s guest on Friday for the weekly sitdown interview while Baron Corbin will be Corey Graves’ guest on Superstar Ink this Thursday.

– As heard on last night’s SmackDown commentary, JBL made several references to new Women’s and Tag Team Championships coming to the blue brand. This video from the SmackDown Live post-show features GM Daniel Bryan talking about how they’re slowly building to the new tag team championships:

– This backstage video from last night’s SmackDown features American Alpha after they fought off the other SmackDown tag teams. They cut promos on how they’re going to beat the others at their best, to prove they’re the best, and how they’re making SmackDown the place to be:

– To promote the new Ben-Hur movie, WWE looks at great upsets in these new videos:

Posted August 10th, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , , , .

Next Week’s SmackDown, Praise For American Alpha, IC Title – SummerSlam, WWE History Video

– Next week’s live WWE SmackDown will feature Heath Slater vs. Rhyno. If Slater wins, he will receive a SmackDown contract from GM Daniel Bryan. Rhyno is one of the talents brought back for the blue brand.

– Cathy Kelley and Corey Graves look at Ron Simmons winning the WCW Title from Vader and making history in the latest This Week in WWE History video, seen here:

– Former NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha have received a lot of praise after making their debuts and defeating The Vaudevillains on this week’s SmackDown. Below are comments from Triple H and Kevin Owens:

https://twitter.com/FightOwensFight/status/760657458142515200

– Another new WWE Network Collection that went live this week features IC Title matches from previous SummerSlam events, titled Summer’s Intercontinental Glory. The trailer is below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDZ6HeBUrd0

Posted August 4th, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , , , .

American Alpha Debuts On SmackDown (Video)

“American Alpha” Chad Gable and Jason Jordan made main roster debuts on this week’s SmackDown Live from Nashville. They defeated “The Vaudevillains” Simon Gotch and Aiden English in an impressive showing.

After the match, the former NXT tag team champions said they’ve come to SmackDown to set the tag team scene on fire and look to be strong contenders for the [not yet announced] SmackDown tag team titles.

Posted August 2nd, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , , .

Brock Lesnar Announced For Another RAW, American Alpha Debut On SmackDown Next Week

– In addition to appearing on RAW this coming Monday from Atlanta, Brock Lesnar is now also confirmed for the August 15th episode from Corpus Christi, TX, the “go-home” show before SummerSlam.

– Former NXT Champions American Alpha will debut on SmackDown next week:

– The new WWE SmackDown theme song is called “Take a Chance” by CFO$. It can be heard in the new SmackDown intro video, seen below:

Posted July 27th, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , .

American Alpha Debuting Soon, Video Of ECW Original Returning To SmackDown, Slater

– Former NXT Tag Team Champions Chad Gable and Jason Jordan will make their main roster debuts on next Tuesday’s SmackDown.

– Rhyno returned on tonight’s SmackDown and it was revealed that he has signed to the blue brand. He attacked Heath Slater, who is still a free agent, with a Gore.

Below is video from their segment:

Posted July 26th, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , , .

American Alpha’s Future In NXT, News On Brooklyn Brawler’s WWE Release

– Prior to WWE’s brand split announcement, there were plans in place to bring NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha to the main roster this fall. A lot of creative plans were upended once the decision was made to have exclusive rosters on RAW and SmackDown, but Jordan and Gable are considered “ready” for the call up. Especially with a need to round out those rosters this summer, few acts have more upside than these two.

– The Brooklyn Brawler reportedly got backstage heat prior to his WWE release after calling into Taz’s live Internet radio show (it’s not a podcast). There were reports going around that “an incident” led to him departing the company after 30+ years. The Taz radio show appearance is not the official reason he was let go, but it was one of the final straws.

Source: Wrestling Observer

Posted May 31st, 2016 in WWE, News. Tagged: , , , .