On Monday’s WWE RAW from London, Stephanie McMahon made her big announcement about the fate of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
In light of Daniel Bryan’s neck surgery and the fact that he will be out of action for an indeterminate amount of time, she is contemplating stripping him of the gold and awarding it to another Superstar, such as Kane, Bad News Barrett, Batista or her even husband, WWE COO Triple H.
She then clarified that in all seriousness, she is demanding that Daniel Bryan show up at RAW next week and “do the right thing” by personally surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
– Following Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown, John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt in a “Last Man Standing” match has been confirmed for the upcoming WWE Payback pay-per-view, which takes place on Sunday, June 1st.
– Speaking of SmackDown, here is this week’s edition of “SmackDown Fallout,” which features Batista.
– Finally, in one last SmackDown-related note, here is the video package that aired on Friday’s show to update fans on the condition of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan.
– Former WCW wrestler turned NXT trainer Norman Smiley was one of the people in Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” group on WWE television this past week. Also in the group were NXT talents Braun Stowman and Simon Gotch, as well as Becky Lynch and NXT producer Ryan Katz.
– The following is a trailer for Batista’s new DVD:
– Batista has recently been added to the official advertising for Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in London, England.
– The story line coming out of Alicia Fox’s “meltdown” on this week’s WWE Main Event is that ring announcer Tony Chimel “suffered a concussion” after she slapped him.
– Below is a preview clip for this Sunday’s edition of WWE Total Divas:
WWE Superstar Batista and UFC legend Georges St. Pierre have signed on to appear in ‘Kickboxer’ – a remake of the 1989 cult classic starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Brian O’Shea’s The Exchange will begin shopping the film to foreign buyers later this week at the Cannes Film Market.
Producer Ted Field of Radar Pictures has been planning the remake for a year, already signing Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Fung to direct.
Stuntman and martial artist Alain Moussi has signed on to play the lead. Here’s the synopsis:
“Kickboxer tells the story of David and Kurt Sloan, the descendants of a well-known Venice, Calif., fighting dynasty. When David wins the Karate World Championship, a promoter lures him to Hong Kong, despite his brother’s protestations that the man is a crook. When Kurt travels to Thailand to meet his brother, he discovers he has died, and seeks his revenge.”
Brian O’Shea touted to the Hollywood Reporter:
“We have a visionary director, a strong Hollywood producer, great cast and an action-packed script based on a well known property. What more can you ask for?”
Kickboxer will executive produced by O’Shea, Mike Weber and Peter Meyer. Dimitri Logothetis and Nick Celozzi will also produce.
As previously reported, there has been discussion about adding another member to the Evolution faction in WWE. The key Superstar being considered for a future spot in the group is WWE United States Champion Sheamus. As noted, Sheamus is likely turning heel in the future, so he would fit into the group seamlessly based on story lines.
It’s being said that if WWE were to add Sheamus to Evolution, that it would be done when Batista does eventually take his hiatus to do movie promotional work.
According to one source, the reports that claim Batista refused to work a program with Daniel Bryan are untrue. A source recently told ProWrestling.net:
“WWE wants that story out, but it’s all twisted. (Batista) would do five jobs for Bryan. They’ve f—ed him in money, booking, broken promises (relating to his) schedule, and promoting his (outside projects).”
The source continued:
“Had that not happened, he would be around until late June, but because Vince (McMahon) f—ed him, he’s not, so they dragged Daniel Bryan into this to vilify Batista. Daniel is beloved and a martyr so he benefits, but it has nothing to do with jobbing. They’ve twisted. It’s classic Vince. Look at Ultimate Warrior and SummerSlam, Bret Hart in Montreal. (Vince) puts out his narrative. There are always two sides.”
The most recent internal list in WWE for down the line had Randy Orton, Batista and Roman Reigns near the top for future baby faces, right behind John Cena and Daniel Bryan. As previously reported, however, Orton is apparently going to remain a heel going forward.
Also as noted earlier, it looks like the company is going to keep The Shield as a unit for a longer period of time than originally intended. Based on some several-month-out projections, including suggestions made to the marketing division for items that won’t hit the marketplace for several months, The Shield is apparently going to remain a baby face group.
As of right now, WWE is pushing the following four retired wrestlers, in order, the most: Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Steve Austin and Ultimate Warrior. Warrior was higher on the priority list a few weeks ago, but that was due to the fact that he tragically passed away.
For the month of April, more people purchased Warrior merchandise on the internet than anyone else in the company, including John Cena.
The latest internet merchandise numbers, in order, were Cena, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, The Wyatt Family, The Shield, Evolution and Hulk Hogan.
The latest arena merchandise numbers, in order, were Cena, Bryan, Randy Orton, Warrior, Rob Van Dam, Brock Lesnar, The Wyatt Family, Batista and Sin Cara.
It’s worth noting that Cena was head-and-shoulders above the rest of the top sellers at the arenas, with the second highest person on the list (Daniel Bryan) not even coming close to his sales figures.
As previously reported, there were a number of late changes made to the script for this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. Originally, one of the main events was going to be Daniel Bryan vs. Batista, and as late as Sunday night, that was still the plan.
There was said to be a number of different ideas for angles that the company wanted to do with The Wyatt Family and The Shield on RAW, but ultimately they went with the version we saw on Monday night.
Additionally, one of the original ideas was to go with a Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns singles match for the main event of the show, however they decided instead to go with a six-man tag-team match between both factions.
There was also a plan to have Evolution as guest timekeepers, but as noted, they felt that the finish, with Evolution interfering and attacking The Shield, would be too obvious if Evolution was sitting at ringside during the match.
– John Cena’s feud with. Bray Wyatt feud is expected to continue for some time, past the June 1st WWE Payback pay-per-view.
– Another independent wrestler that was part of Adam Rose’s entourage on RAW was “Portugal’s Perfect Athlete” Shanna, who was previously a TNA Gutcheck contestant.
– As noted earlier, a version of the RAW script that was changed on Monday afternoon featured Daniel Bryan wrestling Batista instead of Kane. Another version had Batista wrestling Roman Reigns, with Reigns getting the victory. WWE announced on Monday afternoon that Evolution would be guest timekeepers during the Wyatt Family vs. The Shield main event, however that idea was nixed as well.
– 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.
As previously reported, WWE has been considering a “Buried Alive” match between Daniel Bryan and Kane as the main event of the upcoming WWE Payback pay-per-view on June 1st. As noted, they even set the stage for such a match by having Kane sit-up after the match last night at Extreme Rules.
According to one source, it looks like the Bryan-Kane match is on, as it looks like Batista will be sticking around for Payback, but will not be working with Bryan in the main event as WWE originally hoped.
The other expected main event at Payback is a rematch between The Shield and Evolution.
As previously reported, the original plan was for Batista to take some time off from WWE after tonight’s Extreme Rules show, as he was not scheduled on any upcoming WWE events past the pay-per-view. Apparently, those plans have changed.
The latest word going around backstage at Extreme Rules tonight is that Batista has agreed to stick around through the next pay-per-view, which is WWE Payback. Originally the plan was for Batista to work a program with Daniel Bryan, one that would culminate with the two competing for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback, however there’s talk now that the program between Evolution and The Shield — which Batista is a key part of — may continue past tonight’s show.
As previously reported, WWE is still looking to convince Batista to work a program with Daniel Bryan for the main event of the upcoming WWE Payback pay-per-view. If those plans fail, WWE already set the stage for their alternative option.
WWE’s “plan B” for the Payback show is to have Daniel Bryan vs. Kane in a Buried Alive match. WWE set things in motion to go that direction at Extreme Rules, as that was said to be the reason that Kane sat-up at the finish of last night’s main event. The feeling was that they needed that last scene in case they are forced to go in that direction.
Batista is scheduled for tonight’s post-Extreme Rules edition of WWE RAW, which emanates from Albany, New York. According to reports, hours before The Shield vs. Evolution match last night, nothing had been settled as far as plans for Batista going forward.
As previously reported, the original plan was for a Batista vs. Daniel Bryan main event at the upcoming WWE Payback pay-per-view, however Batista turned that idea down. Apparently Vince McMahon and other WWE officials were less than pleased with Batista changing their plans for the show, however McMahon is still looking to talk Batista into doing the program with Bryan before taking his hiatus.
On paper, last night’s card seemed like nothing to write home about. After all, Daniel Bryan was defending his title against a superstar who peaked a decade ago, Bray Wyatt and John Cena were meeting in a rematch from WrestleMania, and other than Evolution vs. the Shield, the rest of the matches seemed like they could turn out to be throwaway contests. The event was basically the furthest thing from a throwaway, however, as it was a well-executed pay-per-view that was filled with worthwhile matches.
The Hounds of Justice stole the show during the match of the night.
Evolution vs. the Shield was the clear highlight of the night, as expected. Each superstar involved in the match put on an excellent show, but the star of the match was without a doubt Seth Rollins. While Triple H, Randy Orton, and Dean Ambrose were battling in the crowd, Rollins dove from the top of the entranceway to take out his Evolution foes, allowing for Roman Reigns to handle Batista in the ring and secure a Shield victory. The match was perfectly executed and is an immediate match of the year contender.
The main event between Daniel Bryan and Kane greatly exceeded expectations. This one seemed like it could be forgettable, as the outcome was never really in doubt and Kane is not exactly a main event superstar anymore. However, both superstars performed well together and the backstage spots were something that resembled contests from the Attitude Era.
In the end, the match even involved a flaming table, although the crew botched this spot a bit by running in with the extinguishers before Kane was even on fire, but hey, what can you do? Overall, it was a great culmination to the night and certainly much better than I was anticipating.
According to one source, the original plan was for Evolution to defeat The Shield at tonight’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Those plans reportedly changed when news came down that Batista was going to be taking time off after tonight’s show.
However, with the latest reports indicating that “The Animal” may be sticking around through WWE’s upcoming Payback pay-per-view, it’s possible that the original plan of an Evolution victory could be back in effect.
As of last word, the plan was to keep the Evolution vs. Shield program going after tonight’s show, which would mean it’s likely that the heels are going over.
– As previously reported, Batista is not scheduled for any events after this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. As things stand right now, which could always change, “The Animal” is scheduled to finish up after television this week.
– On the official WWE YouTube channel, a video has been added that shows the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view promotional poster being created. You can check that out below.
The following is the full content listing for WWE’s new “Batista — The Animal Unleashed” DVD and Blu-ray, which is scheduled for a June 10th release.
DISC 1
Documentary
Batista’s Journey
Welcome to Pittsburgh
Batista is Back
Arrives at Arena
Batista Quits
Reflecting
Mixed Martial Arts
Old Friends
Imperials
New Gear
Acting Career
Wardrobe Malfunction
Ready to Rumble
Happy to be Back
Matches
Leviathan vs. Brock Lesnar
OVW • July 28, 2001
Reverend D-Von & Batista vs. Faarooq & Randy Orton
SmackDown! • June 27, 2002
World Tag Team Championship Match
Evolution (Batista & Ric Flair) vs. Rob Van Dam & Booker T
RAW • March 22, 2004
Bull Rope Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. John “Bradshaw” Layfield
SmackDown! • September 9, 2005
Batista, Rey Mysterio & Bobby Lashley vs. King Booker, Finlay & Mark Henry
Saturday Night’s Main Event • July 15, 2006
Titus O’Neil Package
DISC 2
Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. King Booker vs. Finlay
SmackDown! • December 1, 2006
Fatal 4-Way #1 Contender’s Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. Kane vs. Finlay vs. Mark Henry
SmackDown! • May 25, 2007
Batista vs. Edge
SmackDown! • June 29, 2007
Last Man Standing Match
Batista vs. Kane
SmackDown! • December 14, 2007
Stretcher Match
Batista vs. Shawn Michaels
One Night Stand • June 1, 2008
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. CM Punk
Great American Bash • July 20, 2008
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. Chris Jericho
Cyber Sunday • October 26, 2008
DISC 3
Batista & Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho & John “Bradshaw” Layfield
RAW • October 27, 2008
Batista & Shane McMahon vs. Legacy (Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase)
SmackDown! • April 24, 2009
Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Batista vs. Randy Orton
Extreme Rules • June 7, 2009
Batista vs. CM Punk
SmackDown! • October 9, 2009
Batista vs. Rey Mysterio
Survivor Series • November 22, 2009
Street Fight
Batista vs. Rey Mysterio
SmackDown! • December 11, 2009
Triple Threat #1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Championship
Batista vs. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton
RAW • April 26, 2010
“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
Batista vs. John Cena
Over The Limit • May 23, 2010
30-Man Royal Rumble Match
Batista Enters at #28
Royal Rumble • January 26, 2014
Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio
Elimination Chamber • February 23, 2014
– The documentary portion of Batista’s new WWE-produced DVD and Blu-ray will be centered around “The Animal’s” 2014 return to WWE, as opposed to re-telling his life story, which was the focus of a past WWE documentary release. The new DVD will feature footage of WWE cameras following Batista around this year as well as interviews from Batista and other WWE Superstars.
– The following is a photo of WWE Diva and Total Divas star Natalya training with UFC Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and her “Four Horsewomen” stable.
– Jim Ross’ latest Ross Report podcast is now online at PodcastOne.com with his guests, TNA Knockout Gail Kim and her husband, celebrity chef Robert Irvine.
– WWE’s new “Batista: The Animal Unleashed” DVD and Blu-ray will be released on June 10th. According to WrestlingDVDNews.com, the main documentary feature will run less than an hour, with the rest of the content being matches and promos. It will span Batista’s career from Ohio Valley Wrestling through his current run in WWE.
The following matches are confirmed:
* Batista and Ric Flair vs. Rob Van Dam and Booker T, WWE Tag Team Title Match – 3/22/2004 RAW
* Batista vs. JBL, Bullrope Match for the World Heavyweight Title – 9/9/2005 SmackDown
* Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio, 2014 Elimination Chamber
Following Monday’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of WWE RAW, here is your latest official WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view lineup for this Sunday night.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
– Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kane
Faction vs. Faction
– Evolution vs. The Shield
WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Big E. (c) vs. Bad News Barrett
WWE Divas Championship
– Paige (c) vs. Tamina Snuka
Steel Cage Match
– John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
Handicap Match
– Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth & Xavier Woods
Pre-Show “WeeLC Match”
– Hornswoggle vs. El Torito
Rumored
– Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger
Make sure to join us here this Sunday night for the absolute best live WWE Extreme Rules results coverage.
Adapt or perish. That is the message Triple H has been sending to the Shield in recent weeks since reforming Evolution. The concept seems simple enough when applied to professional wrestling: either evolve your character over time or quickly become irrelevant.
However, Triple H should be heeding his own advice, because it appears Evolution is the stable that will need to adapt in the near future in order to survive. With Batista taking some time off after Extreme Rules and Triple H only working a part-time in-ring schedule, Randy Orton will be the only full-time competitor left in Evolution in a few weeks.
The ultimate goal of the entire Evolution/Shield feud is to set up a contest between Triple H and Roman Reigns sometime this fall, most likely at SummerSlam. If Batista takes a significant amount of time off and Triple H only appears to cut promos, it seems like it will be difficult to drag out the program until August.
Batista is taking some time off after Extreme Rules, leaving only one full-time competitor in Evolution.
Ric Flair is scheduled to appear on Raw this week, meaning he could also be inserted into the program for a brief period of time. I highly doubt that Flair will be around for long though, as he was not originally slated to rejoin Evolution, and considering the fact that he hasn’t shown up to a WWE event sober in months, it seems unlikely that too much importance will be placed on the Nature Boy.
Flair’s sobriety, or lack thereof, aside, he is also not someone who is going to compete in the ring, so his involvement seems rather pointless, especially when considering that Triple H is basically playing the same managerial role that Flair occupied during the stable’s original incarnation.
– Luis Urive, who is better known to Mexican wrestling fans as Mistico, and to WWE fans as the original Sin Cara, is reportedly close to signing a deal with AAA in Mexico. There’s currently no word on what name he will use since CMLL owns the Mistico name, and WWE presumably owns the Sin Cara name.
– The advertised dark match main event for this coming Monday’s WWE RAW, which takes place in St. Louis, Missouri, is Daniel Bryan, John Cena and The Shield vs. Randy Orton, Batista and The Wyatt Family in a ten-man tag-team match.
– As previously reported, WWE is working on a new Sting compilation DVD that will be released in September. It has recently been confirmed that the project will also be available on Blu-ray.
