The Road to WrestleMania 34 heats up on next week’s WWE RAW from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX two matches and a segment already confirmed.
Asuka will do battle with RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in a non-title match that should see the confirmation of Nia Jax vs. Bliss for WrestleMania 34.
WWE will also air The Ultimate Deletion match next week, which was recently taped at The Hardy Compound in Cameron, NC. Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy will go at it in what may be the end of The Great War between the two.
Next week’s RAW will also feature an appearance by WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, according to Vince McMahon. Lesnar was once again off this week’s RAW, missing the scheduled face off with Roman Reigns, but Vince gave his word that The Beast will be back next week. As noted, Vince “temporarily suspended” Reigns with an angle on tonight’s RAW and there’s no word yet on when he will be brought back, or if he will be in Dallas next week to face off with Lesnar.
It will be interesting to see if The Undertaker returns to WWE TV on next week’s RAW in Dallas. WWE currently has John Cena advertised to appear and tonight’s RAW saw Cena issue a WrestleMania 34 challenge to The Dead Man. Taker lives in Texas.
– As we’ve noted, Asuka chose to challenge Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34 for the SmackDown Live Women’s Title. The 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner had her choice between Flair or RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. Despite currently being a Superstar on RAW, “The Empress Of Tomorrow” decided to challenge SmackDown Live’s top woman instead. Bliss took to Twitter to react to Asuka’s decision:
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) March 12, 2018
– On the Fastlane pre-show last night Breezango teamed up with Tye Dillinger to defeat Mojo Rawley, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin in a Six-Man Tag Team match. During the match Rawley was receiving “You can’t wrestle” chants from the crowd. He took to Twitter to react after the show:
– WWE Champion AJ Styles successfully retained his title in a Six Pack Challenge at last night’s Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event. “The Phenomenal One” will now go on to defend his strap in a dream match against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34. Both men took to Twitter to hype the upcoming title bout:
It’s been called a dream match… A fantasy born in Japan…
Open your eyes, pinch your arms. AJ Styles vs. @ShinsukeN for the @WWE Championship in THE main event of @WrestleMania.
– Speaking of Royal Rumble winners, 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka appeared at Fastlane after Charlotte Flair successfully defended her SmackDown Live Women’s Title against Ruby Riot. She confronted Flair and pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign, indicating her choice to challenge Flair at the event.
Although she didn’t verbally confirm her decision during the segment, a post-event interview with Cathy Kelly confirmed “The Empress Of Tomorrow” did in fact choose Flair for WrestleMania:
– WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz took to Twitter to congratulate and welcome new United States Champion Randy Orton to the Grand Slam Champions club. Orton defeated Bobby Roode at the Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event to capture the United States Title for the first time ever.
Orton is now the 10th Grand Slam Champion under the current format. He joins Big Show, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Edge, Kurt Angle, and Eddie Guerrero:
– Also at Fastlane last night, 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka chose to challenge SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34. She joined Talking Smack after the PPV event to offer her thoughts on whether or not “The Empress Of Tomorrow,” who has remained undefeated in WWE for two years, is overrated. Flair said she’s not underestimating Asuka ahead of their WrestleMania clash, and she doesn’t think the Japanese star is underestimating her either:
Last night’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) event finalized a pair of key championship matches for WrestleMania 34. In the main event of the evening, AJ Styles successfully defended his WWE Title in a Six Pack Challenge match. He will now defend his WWE strap in singles action against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura at “The Showcase Of The Immortals.” Also on the card saw SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair successfully defend her title against Ruby Riot.
After the match 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka, who had yet to announce who she decided to challenge at WrestleMania, came out after Flair’s victory to confront the champion. She pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign while staring Charlotte down, indicating she had made her decision.
WWE Hall Of Famer and former RAW General Manager Mick Foley took to his Facebook page and suggested he thinks Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka will steal the show at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans next month:
Charlotte defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ruby Riott tonight at WWE Fastlane. Charlotte emerged victorious but her celebration was interrupted following the match. Asuka made her way down to the ring and pointed at the WrestleMania sign hanging in the arena. It is now official, Charlotte will defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Asuka at WrestleMania 34.
Charlotte joined Renee Young and Sam Roberts on Talking Smack following WWE Fastlane 2018. Charlotte stated that she knows what it is like to come from NXT and want to make a name for herself. Charlotte said Riott made a name for herself tonight and added that she thought she was going to lose a couple of times tonight in their match.
Renee Young asked what was going through Charlotte’s head when Asuka’s music hit. Charlotte said that she has been watching Asuka for a long time and has witnessed her takeout everybody. Charlotte stated that she has never faced anyone like Asuka, but Asuka has never faced anyone like Charlotte. She added that this moment was made for WrestleMania and then vowed to defeat Asuka and leave WrestleMania 34 as the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Sam Roberts stated that it has been a consensus that Charlotte was at the top of the women’s division in WWE, until Asuka arrived and then it became a conversation. Charlotte said that it motivates her and that having the opportunity to face her will cement her legacy. She stated that she felt like she has proven a lot on the main roster but she has never faced Asuka. Charlotte noted that Bayley defeated her last year at Fastlane and still lost to Asuka. Charlotte claimed that she wakes up every morning and wonders how to get better. Charlotte noted that she has to get better to defeat Asuka.
Asuka vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is now on for WrestleMania 34, making it the first and possibly the only RAW vs. SmackDown match to take place at this year’s big event in New Orleans.
Asuka, who earned a title shot by winning the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match back in January, confronted Flair in the ring after her title defense over Ruby Riott at Fastlane.
With that match set, here is the updated card for WrestleMania 34, which takes place from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on April 8th:
WWE Universal Title Match
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Title Match
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles
Triple Threat for the WWE Intercontinental Title
Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz
RAW Women’s Title Match
TBA vs. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Women’s Title Match
Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair
Finals of the WWE Cruiserweight Title Tournament
Cedric Alexander or Roderick Strong vs. Mustafa Ali or Drew Gulak
Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H
WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair recently did an interview with Hollywood Life to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Flair was asked about RAW Superstar and the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka possibly picking her to face-off against at WrestleMania 34:
“Streaks are meant to be broken and we’ve never faced each other. I think if she does choose me, then ‘The Empress’ versus ‘The Queen’ is a WrestleMania moment. I want to break her streak. I want to be that woman who can say, ‘I beat Asuka!'”
Flair was asked if she wants a regular match or a gimmick match against Asuka in a possible WrestleMania collision:
“You know, I thought about that. Maybe like a ‘Falls Count Anywhere’ match or an ‘Iron Man’ [match] but I think what will be so special is a regular match. No one has seen us in the ring before and we have such different backgrounds and styles. I don’t think it needs any enhancement or name on the match. I think just seeing us go at it on the biggest stage of all is just as exciting.”
Being the daughter of two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair, Charlotte has learned a thing or two from one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. She discussed what she is still able to learn from “The Nature Boy”:
“The one thing I love about my Dad is he knows who he is and he never second-guesses himself. He is just Ric Flair. I don’t know how really to explain it, but if you watch the 30 For 30, he doesn’t apologize for knowing that he is the best. He wakes up every morning and lives life to the fullest. I appreciate that.
“And him being so honest and not being afraid, and telling me how he did something well or this or that. It’s just a hope that I can get to a point in my life where I don’t second guess myself. That is what I learn from him everyday.”
You can read Flair’s full interview with Hollywood Life by clicking this link here.
Charlotte has recently been preoccupied with The Riot Squad On SmackDown Live, teaming up with Becky Lynch and Naomi to battle for control of the women’s division on Tuesday nights.
The SmackDown Live champion has also teamed up with Bobby Roode for the Mixed Match Challenge:
But when it comes to WrestleMania, Charlotte has one opponent on her mind as she appeared on Conversations With Maria Menounos.
Charlotte said that she wants to be the one to break Asuka’s streak. They’ve never faced each other and believes the clash of background, cultures, and styles makes it the perfect WrestleMania moment.
On being questioned “why not Ronda Rousey?” Charlotte said “She has to pay for her dues first to face me!”
However she then explained whether the rest of the women on the roster are happy to be working with Rousey:
“Oh, they should be. Ronda’s a star and an attraction and with her coming to be a part of the women’s division, obviously it brings more eyes on the women’s division, not just our audience. I mean, people that don’t even watch wrestling, they know who Ronda Rousey is. They’re like, ‘oh she’s on WWE, oh let’s tune in for a second.’ So I think that’s huge. But, you know, we’re on the road 265 days a year and you just can’t call yourself a WWE Superstar. So the easiest thing she’ll do is sign a contract. Whether she’s willing to put in that work, that’s where the respect and understanding our culture and what it means to be a star in our industry… we’ll see how the future plays out. “
Charlotte stated that she, and the rest of the locker room, is more than happy to take Ronda under her wing if the opportunity presented itself.
And from one professional to another, Charlotte offered the following words of advice:
“It doesn’t matter how athletic you are… It’s about being a performer and eliciting a reaction from the crowd. The best superstars are the ones who can have an emotional connection, whether positive or negative, with their audience. And that’s what makes the greats, great.”
During the interview, Charlotte also touched on her relationship with her father’s career and that she wasn’t aware of just how much of a success he was/is in the industry.
“I didn’t really know about his legacy. That’s what’s crazy. People are like, ‘well, your Dad was Ric Flair, you must have grown up around the business.’ Yes, I went to my Dad’s matches, but I was always playing sports and I just wasn’t really into, I don’t know, the celebrity scene. It’s when I started, that’s when I started to learn, wow, my Dad means a lot to a lot of people in this industry and I started to understand his choices. Now being a part of a company, now I get it. The feel you get when you walk on stage, in front of 101,000 people, there’s nothing like it. Being able to control an arena full of emotions, now I understand. And then the road life becomes your family.”
You can catch the whole interview in the video underneath.
Discussion:
It feels as though Charlotte’s road to WrestleMania hasn’t been put in place yet. In fact, it almost seems as though Charlotte may feature on the kick-off show against Ruby Riot. Even if Carmella cashes in her Money In The Bank contract, WrestleMania 34 doesn’t look that exciting for The Queen of SmackDown Live, with her dream WrestleMania moment likely to take place in 2019.
At last night’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) event, former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka extended her undefeated streak by defeating Nia Jax in singles action. Had Jax won the bout she would be added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 34, which could also include “The Empress Of Tomorrow” as she has yet to choose which title she wants to go after following her victory in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Asuka was originally rumored to be facing SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, however, a recent report from PWInsider suggests that Asuka will be taking on Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania for the RAW Women’s Championship instead. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter had previously reported that Asuka was slated to face Charlotte Flair while Nia Jax challenged Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s strap. This was the reason WWE added the stipulation to the Royal Rumble match of the winner being allowed to choose which title they want to go after.
It’s possible that WWE has changed their minds and will now have Asuka challenge Bliss at WrestleMania, leaving a ton of options open for what they can do with Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34 instead.
The updated betting odds for the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event have been released.
Oddsmakers have placed the lines for two of the newer matches announced for this show that includes Asuka -750 being favored over Nia Jax +450 as well as Matt Hardy -215 favored over Bray Wyatt +165.
There hasn’t been a huge change in odds for both the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches.
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, February 25th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. This will be an exclusive RAW brand event and the final RAW PPV before Wrestlemania 34. Here are the odds:
Men’s Elimination Chamber Roman Reigns -600 Braun Strowman +400 Seth Rollins +600 Finn Balor +1700 John Cena +2000 The Miz +3500 Elias +4300 Women’s Elimination Chamber Alexa Bliss -280 Sasha Banks +190 Bayley +575 Sonya Deville +600 Mickie James +2500 Mandy Rose +4500 Singles Matches Asuka -750 vs Nia Jax +450 Matt Hardy -215 vs Bray Wyatt +165
– Per a report from Nick Hausman of WrestleZone, there seems to be talk about WWE holding another WWE Draft or Superstar Shakeup. It’s possible the Draft or Superstar Shakeup could take place at Backlash on pay-per-view (PPV) instead of on TV. The idea is to give the new dual-brand PPV format a jumpstart.
– After last night’s Monday Night RAW went off-air RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss defender her title against Asuka. The match ended in a No Contest when Nia Jax hit the ring and attacked both women. Bayley and Sasha Banks hit the ring for the save and Asuka was declared the winner via disqualification. Of course, that resulted in Bliss still retaining.
– Below is the video of Ivory’s 2018 Hall Of Fame class induction that aired on RAW last night:
– WWE is allowing fans to vote on who they want to serve as tonight’s Special Guest referee for tonight’s Mixed Match Challenge match – SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan or Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Tonight’s match will be between the teams of Jimmy Uso and Naomi vs. Goldust and Mandy Rose:
– WWE has announced a new Embroidery partnership with LIDS Sports Group. Here’s the official press release:
LIDS Sports Group Partners with WWE for Custom Embroidery
Leading retailer offers fans custom embroidery of WWE Superstars and Legends names, logos and autographs on headwear
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 6, 2018) – Leading omni-channel sports licensed retailer LIDS Sports Group announced today a new partnership with WWE, gaining the licensing rights to create on-demand WWE headwear. The new licensing agreement allows for LIDS to embroider the names, logos, and autographs (EmbroidiGraph) of WWE Superstars and Legends on WWE-licensed headwear within its stores and upon orders online.
“The passion that runs through the veins of WWE fans is indisputable, so we are thrilled to be able to further connect with this fanbase by offering them a new way to demonstrate support for their favorite Superstars and Legends,” said David Baxter, president and CEO of LIDS Sports Group. “Customization is an important aspect to our brand, and we hope to continue the expansion of our WWE customization offerings in ways that take customers’ fandom to the next level.”
The new agreement also allows for the on-demand creation of custom WWE headwear. Customers can select from a wide selection of blank headwear options offered by LIDS – which covers all styles from fitted to flex to snapbacks in a wide variety of colors – and then choose from the new library of WWE custom embroidery options to create personalized, one-of-a-kind looks. Thanks to LIDS’ unique customization capabilities, creating a custom WWE hat in-store will take only minutes.
LIDS’s WWE on-demand customization program launched a select assortment of logos and autographs ahead of WWE’s Royal Rumble event, and LIDS will continuously add new WWE Superstars and Legends on a monthly-basis.
“LIDS shares our vision of fan engagement by providing customized offerings that connects our passionate fans with their favorite Superstars,” said Casey Collins, WWE Executive Vice President of Consumer Products. “We’re excited to launch this new on-demand initiative with a brand who can offer WWE products in real-time alongside our biggest events.”
Nearly 1,000 LIDS stores nationwide are outfitted with comprehensive embroidery capabilities, providing shoppers the ability to customize their headwear and apparel with names, phrases and images. Shoppers are also able to customize headwear online at www.lids.com. LIDS’s unique EmbroidiGraph service also allows consumers to embroider any current professional athlete’s signature (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) on any team-licensed hat.
LIDS Sports Group operates more than 1,200 retail locations across North America and has sold approximately 300 million hats since its founding. To learn more, visit www.lids.com.
Local advertisements may have revealed the participants for the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center on the USA Network, Stephanie McMahon announced that the sports entertainment company would hold the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match next month. WWE Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss will defend her title in the match against five opponents. The winner of this match will then face Asuka at WrestleMania 34.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there is local market advertising in Las Vegas that has Bliss, Nia Jax, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose competing in the Women’s Elimination Chamber. Keep in mind that the WWE has yet to officially announce these names for the match.
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, February 25th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
– After making history and winning the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match last night, former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka took to Twitter to comment on the accolade:
– Shortly after the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut. Rousey signed a full-time deal with WWE and is expected to wrestle at WrestleMania in New Orleans later this year. WWE.com released their “4 reasons why Ronda Rousey is a complete game changer for the WWE Women’s division” list. Check it out here:
4. She has already proven she can hold her own in a WWE ring
3. She has an unparalleled competitive nature
2. She has a diverse set of skills and accomplishments in combat sports
1. She is on the shortlist of most iconic female athletes of all time
Ms. Money in the Bank, Carmella, is disputing Asuka’s claim to an undefeated streak. Carmella won a battle royal on July 1st, 2016 which Asuka was also in.
I’m just gonna leave this here… I have a history of winning battle royals AND a history of defeating Asuka…. ? this week I will make history again, TWICE!! ?? pic.twitter.com/NbfqjQmoxK
Asuka and Carmella will both be in the 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble match on Sunday. Their teams face each other in the MMC Challenge tonight.
Asuka and Goldberg’s Undefeated Streak
To be completely accurate, Asuka also wrestled in multiple fatal 4-way matches on NXT house shows in 2016 that she didn’t win either. She was never pinned or submitted, however, and has never lost a singles match.
A little-known fact regarding Goldberg’s undefeated streak is that he actually lost a non-televised match to a wrestler named Chad Fortune on July 24th, 1997. The story goes WCW wanted to see how he would react to being asked to lose.
WWE will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the launch of Monday Night RAW on January 22nd, 2018 in Brooklyn, NY.
WWE has announced the first match for next week’s episode of RAW in San Antonio, TX at the AT&T Center on the USA Network. Nia Jax will take on Asuka in a singles match.
There is speculation online that Asuka will beat Jax then challenge Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Title on the 25th Anniversary show. It should be noted that Asuka is already confirmed to participate in the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match. As noted, The Miz, who returned on this week’s show after being off television for several weeks to film the Marine 6, will challenge Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental Title on the special edition of RAW.
WWE has announced another team for the Mixed Match Challenge tournament.
On Monday morning, the sports entertainment company officially announced that The Miz, who is slated to make his return to television this week on Raw, will team up with former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka.
Blow is WWE’s official statement on the team being made:
The team of The Miz and Asuka will represent Team Red in the WWE Mixed Match Challenge tournament, airing exclusively on Facebook Watch beginning Tuesday, Jan. 16. Upon learning that they would team together, the newely-formed tandem had a simple message for the WWE Universe, “we will win!” Regardless of whether or not people like The Miz, they absolutely must respect the outspoken Superstar. In addition to being a former WWE Champion, a seven-time Intercontinental Champion, a two-time United States Champion and a Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner, The A-Lister stands as a six-time Tag Team Champion. This shows that he can indeed play well with others and do so at the top of his game. The Empress of Tomorrow has been unbeatable since beginning her run in NXT. This includes an unprecedented 523 days reign as NXT Women’s Champion, a title she vacated before taking on the new challenge of the main roster. Since joining Raw, the dynamic competitor has taken WWE by storm, most recently making Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss tap out to the Armbar in a non-title match as she sets her sights on the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match. There is no indication that Asuka knows how to lose. Put simply, Miz’s tremendous experience, mixed with the skill of the undefeated Asuka, may prove to be an extremely effective combination. Together, Miz and Asuka will do battle in the ground-breaking tournament on Facebook Watch, where male-female WWE Superstar pairings will attempt to win $100,000 for a charity of their choice. Each showdown in the competition will follow traditional Mixed Tag Team Match rules: When tagged, male Superstars face off with the opposing team’s male competitor, and female Superstars battle fellow female competitors. Check back with WWE.com to learn other #WWEMMC combinations as they become available. Follow WWE Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook for updates, and find out how you can impact the show’s matchups, stipulations and more along the way. WWE Mixed Match Challenge begins Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 ET/7 PT, exclusively on Facebook Watch.
On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defeated RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in one-on-one competition. After the match Michael Cole mentioned on commentary that Asuka could have potentially earned herself a shot at the RAW Women’s Title before WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer stated on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE is building up to putting the RAW Women’s Title on Asuka.
Meltzer noted that it’s possible this title change occurs before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) later this month. If Asuka wins the RAW Women’s Title before the Royal Rumble, then she would not be involved in the first-ever all-female Royal Rumble match. It’s also possible that “Little Miss Bliss” would invoke her rematch clause at the Royal Rumble event as well.
Discussion: How would you feel about Asuka potentially winning the RAW Women’s Title before the Royal Rumble? Who would match-up with Asuka for the title at WrestleMania as a result? Is the woman destined to beat Asuka’s streak on the WWE’s roster right now?
Tonight’s WWE RAW saw several Superstars confirmed for the women’s and the men’s Royal Rumble matches that will take place later this month.
Bayley, Sasha Banks, Paige, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville were confirmed for the first-ever women’s match while Finn Balor was confirmed for the men’s Rumble match.
Below is the updated card for the Royal Rumble, which takes place on January 28th from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, coming out of tonight’s RAW:
30-Man Royal Rumble Match
John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, TBA
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
Asuka, Naomi, Ruby Riott, Natalya, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Paige, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, TBA
Triple Threat for the WWE Universal Title
Kane vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE United States Title Tournament Finals
Bobby Roode or Zack Ryder or Mojo Rawley vs. Jinder Mahal or Xavier Woods or Aiden English
– On the latest edition of “Fan Questions With The Nature Boy,” Ric Flair addressed his relationship with girlfriend Wendy Barlow (aka Fifi the Maid in WCW) and whether wedding bells are in their future
“Oh, most certainly, yeah,” said Flair, who’s been married four times. “It’s just a question of, you know. her children are in school … it’s a long story.”
Flair married his first wife, Leslie Goodman, on August 28, 1971. They had two children, daughter Megan and son David, before divorcing in 1983 after twelve years of marriage. On August 27, 1983, he married his second wife, Elizabeth Harrell. They had two children, daughter Ashley and son Reid. Flair and Beth divorced in 2006 after nearly 23 years of marriage. On May 27, 2006, Flair married his third wife Tiffany VanDemark, a fitness competitor. In 2008, Tiffany filed for divorce from Flair, which was finalized in 2009. On November 11, 2009, Flair married his fourth wife, Jacqueline Beems, in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2012, Flair filed for divorce from Beems, which was finalized in 2014. Flair began dating Barlow in 2012 and they got engaged last year.
Flair also reveals that he cried when the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors in this year’s NBA Finals and that it contributed to his health issues in August.
– Goldust is clamoring to team with Asuka in WWE Mixed Match Challenge, airing exclusively on Facebook Watch beginning Tuesday, January 16, at 10 ET/7 PT. In this video from backstage at today’s WWE live event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Goldust says they should team since he competed in a Mixed Tag Team Match before, with Luna Vachon at WrestleMania 14 (against Marc Mero and Sable). However, “The Empress of Tomorrow” says he’s not ready for Asuka.
– On RAW this past Monday Hideo Itami hit a GTS on Brian Kendrick that caused the former Cruiserweight Champion to suffer a broken nose and orbital bone. WWE sent out a Tweet to update fans on Kendrick’s status, and Itami responded by issuing out a ‘get well soon’ Tweet to Kendrick:
– WWE posted a clip of Asuka commenting on her undefeated streak and the upcoming all-female Royal Rumble match next month. Asuka said she’s still undefeated and that’s not going to change at the Rumble:
– Seth Rollins reacted to a fan who shared a video on Twitter of a botch he did during his indie days as Tyler Black. Rollins missed a high-risk dive off of a basketball net, missing his opponent who was laid out on a table:
– Tonight’s WWE RAW saw Asuka keep her undefeated streak going with a win over Dana Brooke. Below is post-show video of Asuka talking to Mike Rome. The Empress of Tomorrow thanks Dana for keeping her undefeated.
– There was no dark main event after tonight’s RAW in Houston but The Miz did get put through a table by new WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.
– As noted, tonight’s RAW also saw Paige make her return. She brought WWE NXT Superstars Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose with her and they beat down Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mickie James and later RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. Mandy and Sonya tweeted the following on their main roster debuts:
– Below is video of the Team SmackDown women’s team arguing backstage after their loss to Team RAW at WWE Survivor Series. As noted, Asuka was the Sole Survivor for Team RAW in the 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match.
– Regarding the battle for brand supremacy at Survivor Series, Team RAW ended up winning 4-3 – the men’s team won, the women’s team won, The Shield defeated The New Day and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar defeated WWE Champion AJ Styles. Blue brand wins saw WWE United States Champion Baron Corbin defeat WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defeat RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defeat RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss.
– WWE posted this video to thank fans for watching the WWE Network this year: