Even though Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman had a stare down last night on Monday Night Raw, Lesnar is currently not scheduled to appear on Raw for awhile. Strowman even stated in the promo last night that he will deal with Roman Reigns first and then turn his sights on Brock Lesnar. WWE Payback airs on April 30th and it was assumed that Lesnar would be on the show to defend the Universal Championship.
Lesnar is in the Payback promotional video WWE uploaded as you can see in the video below. As of now, the main event of WWE Payback is expected to be Braun Strowman versus Roman Reigns. Strowman and Reigns are scheduled for a series of matches at WWE live events leading up to Payback in four weeks. Lesnar is also not advertised for Raw after Payback. The next time Brock Lesnar is on Raw may not be until the May 8th episode which will be taped in London.
Braun Strowman talked to The Observer News Enterprise recently. He spoke about being in his first ever WrestleMania match, being envious of Roman Reigns’ feud with The Undertaker and how he feels about Bray Wyatt’s run with the WWE Championship.
Here are some highlights of what Strowman said about:
Being in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal:
“I had no idea exactly 100 percent what was going to happen this past Monday. I’m excited to be a part of [the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal]. Any opportunity this company gives me, I take the ball and run with it. Any opportunity you get, you need to make the most of it, and that’s what I plan on doing.”
Wanting a program with The Undertaker:
“Being in the ring with The Undertaker — I don’t know how to put it in words. When his music hits, it makes every hair on your body stand up, and everyone in the arena stands up. I definitely want to see more of Taker. I want a program with Taker. I’m going to be selfish. I’m envious of Roman Reigns. That’s The Undertaker. That’s his yard. Who doesn’t want to have an opportunity to have to work with The Undertaker? There’s nothing like it. He’s the Phenom. I’m really hoping he wants to come back and do one more [match at WrestleMania]. The people want it, and I want it.”
Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship run:
“He deserves it so much. That guy has worked so hard. He’s such an unbelievable talent, character and wrestler. He has everything. It’s about time they did that for him and let him run with the strap and let him be Bray Wyatt. He’s a main event talent and has been one ever since he walked in the door. When I was with the Wyatt family, I’ll hold that near and dear to my heart. They helped me get to where I am now with my wrestling ability, my talking ability and how I carry myself.”
Braun Strowman was recently scolded by Vince McMahon backstage, according to RAW General Manager Mick Foley. During an appearance on Lilian Garcia’s “Making Their Way To The Ring” podcast earlier this week, Foley recalled a recent incident that stemmed from Strowman not abiding by WWE’s patented verbiage.
“I was about to go out there a couple weeks ago, and I heard Braun Strowman say, I want a title shot,” Foley said. “Mr. McMahon’s behind the curtain, at the board watching the monitor, and he goes, oh god, it’s not a title shot. I was thinking to myself, then what is it?”
Foley said that’s exactly what he’d call it: a title shot. “You want a title shot? He’s like, it’s a title MATCH. It’s a match! So if you ever wonder what it’s like to see a six-foot-eight, three hundred pound behemoth get chewed out, you should’ve been there.”
Based on his current push, it looks like Strowman is probably in line for more Universal titlebeltstrap Championship shots opportunities.
– WWE confirmed on last night’s RAW that Seth Rollins suffered a torn MCL on last week’s show in the fight with Samoa Joe. WWE has not announced whether or not Rollins needs surgery but it was confirmed that his WrestleMania status is up in the air. Rollins was back in Alabama to see doctors over the past few days, which is not considered to be a good sign.
– Canadian Indie star Michael R. Blais, who trained under Tyson Kidd, was one of the quartet defeated by Braun Strowman in Monday night RAW’s 4-on-1 handicap match.
– Below is footage of former NFL player Isaiah Stanback at the recent WWE Performance Center tryouts:
It was confirmed on Monday’s RAW that Universal Champion Kevin Owens will defend against Bill Goldberg at Fastline, the final stop on the road to WrestleMania.
Also confirmed for the show is Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns.
Fastlane will take place on 3/5 from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
WrestleMania rumor season is picking up and according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, John Cena vs. The Undertaker and a multi-woman match for the RAW Women’s Championship are new probable matches.
In regards to Cena vs. Undertaker, Vince McMahon has not decided on the match but it’s being considered. Another opponent being discussed for Taker is Roman Reigns but there’s a feeling that Reigns is the future of the company while Cena vs. Taker doesn’t do anything for the future. This could be Taker’s last match and the last chance to do Taker vs. Reigns on the big stage.
With Reigns and Cena both receiving championship shots at the Royal Rumble, it’s possible Taker gets a Universal Championship or WWE Championship shot at WrestleMania. That would indicate Taker having a spot in the Royal Rumble main event
The Observer noted that Braun Strowman, who is another favorite to win the Rumble, could end up facing Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens looks to be another WrestleMania match but The Observer reports that as of this week, only three matches are considered to be a lock for the big event:
-Triple H vs. Seth Rollins
-Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
-Big Show vs. Shaq
The first WWE RAW of 2017 will feature Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman in a Last Man Standing match. The match was made by Stephanie McMahon on tonight’s RAW and comes following Sami’s win over Braun at Roadblock.
Next week’s RAW from Tampa will also feature Goldberg’s return to discuss the Royal Rumble.
Breakdown: The build to this match has mainly focused on Enzo Amore and Rusev. Enzo got suckered into meeting Lana at a hotel and Rusev beat the hell out of him. Big Cass now has his chance avenge his friend Enzo in a match against Rusev.
Prediction: This is a tough match to predict. Enzo and Cass haven’t really been in the Tag Team Championship seen at all recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if the WWE wants to start a singles push for Big Cass. I think Enzo and Cass are a solid tag team but once you get past the entrance, they have the same match every time. Enzo gets destroyed and then Big Cass gets tagged in and takes care of business. In a perfect world, Rusev wins this match but Big Cass has a good showing.
Winner: Rusev
Sami Zayn vs Braun Strowman (10 Minute Time Limit)
Breakdown: Sami Zayn has been obsessed with Strowman the past few weeks and Braun simply couldn’t care less. The two Superstars had a match a couple of weeks ago and Raw GM Mick Foley put a stop to it because Zayn couldn’t defend himself. Zayn demanded a rematch and finally Foley caved in and gave it to him this Sunday at Roadblock. Foley also put a 10 minute time limit on the match.
Prediction: I cannot come up with a scenario in which it would make sense for Sami Zayn to win this match. Obviously, Sami Zayn has been underutilized on Raw since the brand split. However, Raw has spent far too much time building up Braun Strowman for him to lose a relatively meaningless match against Sami Zayn. I think Sami Zayn will last the 10 minutes and that will piss Strowman off. The match will conclude with Strowman beating down Zayn after the 10 minute mark was reached. Foley may come out to try to put a stop to it and maybe Strowman will attack him as well. I think this would be a good way to show that Sami Zayn never quits and that Braun Strowman is an uncontrollable monster that the Raw locker room should fear.
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: New Day (c) vs Sheamus & Cesaro
Breakdown: This match was announced at Tribute to the Troops on Wednesday. Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Golden Truth, Gallows & Anderson and The Shining Stars in a Fatal 4-Way match to become the #1 contenders. The New Day are now the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history.
Prediction: A lot of people seem to believe that the New Day’s title reign is coming to an end. Sheamus and Cesaro got off to a rocky start when it came to crowd reactions but they have overcome that. They now work well as a tag team and are pretty much the only team on Raw that is ready to take the titles from the New Day. I think that will happen in due time. However, I do not think that will happen at Roadblock.
Winners & Still Tag Team Champions: New Day
Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rich Swann (c) vs The Brian Kendrick vs TJ Perkins
Breakdown: TJ Perkins lost the Cruiserweight title to Kendrick and then Kendrick lost it to Swann. On 205 Live, TJ Perkins submitted Rich Swann in the middle of the ring. On Monday Night Raw, Kendrick defeated Perkins easily. Perkins and Swann are friends but they seem ready to turn on each other. Kendrick’s strategy has been to play mind games with both Swann and Perkins.
Prediction: This is one of those matches that could go a million different ways. I don’t like the idea of Kendrick getting the title back so quickly. He really doesn’t need it. I think that the WWE has been dropping some subtle hints that Perkins is gearing up for a heel turn. His interactions with Swann backstage have been bizarre. I think Rich Swann is going to retain his title but Perkins is going to attack him after the match. Brian Kendrick may even join in on the attack or simply smile and cheer Perkins on.
Winner & Still Cruiserweight Champion: Rich Swann
Seth Rollins vs Chris Jericho
Breakdown: Rollins and Jericho have been battling for awhile now. Rollins was mainly focused on Kevin Owens but Jericho kept getting involved in their matches. Rollins hit a Pedigree on Jericho on top of a car a couple of weeks ago on Raw. Seth wants to defeat Jericho, take the Universal Championship from Kevin Owens and then fight Triple H. Jericho has a lot on his mind but mainly his beloved list and his broken friendship with Kevin Owens.
Prediction: The only way Jericho can win this match is by some sort of outside interference. I do not believe that Triple H will be showing up at WWE Roadblock but you never know. I think it is more likely that this match is earlier in the show and Kevin Owens tries to help Jericho out. Owens is desperate to fix his friendship with Jericho. If he can accomplish that, maybe Jericho will show up later in the night in Owens’ title defense against Roman Reigns. Even if Owens interferes, I think Rollins overcomes it and still wins the match.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Iron Man Match For The Raw Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs Charlotte
Breakdown: Sasha Banks and Charlotte have essentially been trading the Raw Women’s Championship back and forth since the brand split. Sasha Bansk won the title back on Raw recently and celebrated with Ric Flair in the ring. The following week, Charlotte pretended to apologize to her father for embarrassing him back in May on Raw. Charlotte once again talked down to Ric Flair and then beat up Sasha Banks in front of him. Ric Flair stood there helplessly as his daughter beatdown Banks.
Prediction: Charlotte is undefeated at PPVs and I wouldn’t be surprised if that continues. I think this match will be excellent and will showcase how talented both Sasha Banks and Charlotte are. However, I think the ending will involve Ric Flair helping out his daughter Charlotte. I don’t think the WWE is bringing back Ric Flair as an on-screen character for him to be in the corner of Sasha Banks. Thus, the Raw Women’s Championship will once again change hands and Charlotte will leave Pittsburgh with the title.
Winner & New Raw Women’s Champion: Charlotte
Universal Championship Match: Kevin Owens (c) vs Roman Reigns
Breakdown: Roman Reigns has gotten the upper hand on Owens recently. Roman Reigns both want the Universal Championship. Reigns gets his shot on Sunday and Rollins battles Owens’ former best friend Chris Jericho. Reigns has already defeated Kevin Owens clean recently and that victory gave him the oppurtunity at the Universal Championship.
Prediction: Much like the Jericho and Rollins match, the only way Owens can win this match is by someone interfering. Owens has been booked as a paper champion his whole title reign. He has relied on Chris Jericho to help him retain his Universal Championship. If Jericho or Triple H does not interfere, there is no way Kevin Owens is going to defeat Roman Reigns at Roadblock. Roman Reigns is currently the United States Champion and that is the only thing preventing me from picking him this Sunday. I think the person that is going to take the Universal Championship from Owens will be Seth Rollins. I think Owens retains by getting himself disqualified, running out of the arena or outside interference.
Winner & Still Universal Champion: Kevin Owens
What do you think will happen this Sunday at WWE Roadblock: End of the Line? Let us know in the comments below.
All of these matches sound awesome. However, I’d prefer to see some more than others. Out of the five matches in the video, here are in order the matches I’d like to see the most.
#5: Finn Balor
Balor is an awesome performer and half of the excitement for this match would surround their entrances. My only issue with this match is that Balor is so much smaller than The Undertaker. I would really have to try and convince myself that Balor would have a shot in the match. It would still be great to see, but out of the 5 matches listed it comes in at number five.
#4: Kevin Owens
I would be ecstatic to see this match one year ago. Right now, Kevin Owens is being booked as someone that needs all the help in the world to win a match. Of course, this would still be an excellent match if it were to happen.
#3: Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman has been one of the bright spots on Monday Night Raw. Sure, it is tedious to sit through Strowman squash matches every week, but he is being build up correctly. Another feather in Strowman’s cap is that he is actually decent cutting a promo. He is a rare Superstar in that he is a massive human being and is also very athletic in the ring. He is the total package when it comes to a WWE Superstar. If Strowman continues to defeat everyone in his path, I wouldn’t mind seeing him go against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. I wouldn’t mind that one bit.
#2: Shinsuke Nakamura
I’m a huge Nakamura fan. His matches are so physical and every move he does looks like it legitimately hurts his opponent. This match is probably the least likely to happen out of those in the video but I would still love to see it. Nakamura has such an interesting style in the ring and I think it would be fascinating to see how he would work with The Undertaker.
#1: AJ Styles
In my opinion, AJ Styles is the best opponent for The Undertaker. He is currently the WWE World Champion and has been exceptional since arriving in the WWE at the Royal Rumble in January. Granted, Styles has always been phenomenal but I was skeptical if he would be given the chance to be in the WWE. Well, he was given the chance to show what he can do and he’s been the MVP for the WWE this year. Smackdown is a very entertaining show because Styles is on it. Styles is also a perfect opponent for The Undertaker because he can carry the match. AJ Styles can make The Undertaker look twenty years longer if they were to have a match together.
Discussion: Out of these five matches, which would you like to see the most and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
WWE has put Braun Strowman in an interesting position heading into Survivor Series. In only a few weeks, he went from squashing unknown opponents to the big Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown match at Survivor Series, where he’ll tangle with the likes of AJ Styles, Randy Orton and his former leader, Bray Wyatt. The team elimination match is a chance to showcase Stroman’s size and agility against main-event caliber talent and it will be interesting to see how and if the big man is ultimately eliminated.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer, WWE officials are planning for Braun Strowman to enter into a feud with The Big Show on Raw after Survivor Series. The two have been working “Bodyslam Challenges” during WWE live events, so transitioning them into a feud will be easy to do. Of course, Big Show will put Strowman over, since he’s got several more years in front of him.
Other matches advertised for the post-Survivor Series RAW brand live events include:
Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns
Seth Rollins vs. Chris Jericho
New Day vs. Enzo & Cass vs. Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Anderson & Gallows
Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks
Sami Zayn vs. Rusev
R-Truth, Goldust, Sin Cara & Darren Young vs. Titus O’Neil, Curtis Axel & Shining Stars
Monday Night Raw took place last night in Glasgow, Scotland. Raw is advertised as a wrestling show. My apologies, a “sports entertainment” show. The only problem with that is last night’s Raw contained less than 40 minutes of actual wrestling. One of the matches in the less than 40 minutes of in-ring action was between the Shining Stars and Golden Truth. Now, you can consider that a wrestling match. I’d like to call it a train wreck and a waste of everyone’s time. The crowd was silent for most of the match but mustered the energy to chant “boring!” in the middle of it.
Raw is supposed to be a three hour show but it typically goes about 15 minutes long. Lets just say that a typical episode of Monday Night Raw is between 180-190 minutes. It is completely ridiculous for a wrestling program of that length to have less than an hour of in-ring action. It could be excusable if the promos were actually entertaining. The issue is that they usually are mind-numbingly stupid and bore everyone to tears.
Last night, there was a 15 minute promo featuring the New Day dressed in kilts and bringing bagpipes down to the ring. I guess because the show was taped in Scotland that was supposed to be hilarious. Big E then recited a speech from the film Braveheart to pump up the Raw team for Survivor Series. The rest of the promo was everyone cracking jokes at the expense of Sheamus. The promo wound up leading to a quick match between the New Day and Gallows & Anderson. Amazingly, Gallows and Anderson picked up a clean victory over New Day. The WWE has conditioned their audience to view Gallows & Anderson as a joke for the past few months. All of the sudden, they are mowing through the Tag Team Champions. I don’t understand it but that is a whole other discussion.
The main point is that the match was short and hardly competitive. Big E was dominated throughout and the match. The only momentum the New Day had was when Kofi was tagged in and he got in some offense. Gallows & Anderson picked up a quick victory via the Magic Killer. There was no drama and nobody really had any reaction to Gallows & Anderson winning. It just seems like week after week, people are randomly winning matches and it is building towards absolutely nothing. The painfully unfunny promo that proceeded this match was four times as long as the match itself.
Every single promo feels like the Superstars are reading from a teleprompter. There is no life in anything they are saying. It is like the creative writing process in the WWE is to google corny jokes and assign a few of them to every Superstar to regurgitate during the show. R-Truth mistook Jimmy Buffett’s name to mean an actual buffet last night. Braun Strowman had to say the line “I’m on Team Braun!” and try to sound like a monster while doing so. It sounded ridiculous. Wouldn’t it have just been better if Strowman got up in Kevin Owens’ face and told him to get the hell out of his locker room?
Every single segment is overwritten. The idea may be humorous at first but it goes through a bunch of people with their own thoughts and what comes out is a watered down version of the original idea. There are no intense feuds anymore. The entire build to the Hell in a Cell PPV was based around jokes and lists. How was Seth Rollins going to defeat the chubby champion? Was sparkle crotch going to interfere? Rusev and Reigns had several lame promos in which people were getting tossed into a wedding cake or Rusev was showing a slideshow of his family. Meanwhile, the WWE was billing the Hell in a Cell as this demonic structure with a life of it’s own. How were people going to convince themselves they were going to see this brutal battles when the build to the show was the equivalent to a bunch of fart jokes?
I do not understand who the target audience is for Monday Night Raw. It can’t be wrestling fans because there is not enough wrestling. If it is children, why is the show three hours and what child is cracking up at a Jimmy Buffett joke? For that matter, what adult is cracking up at a Jimmy Buffett joke in 2016? It appears that the WWE is trying to cater their product to everyone. They are trying to produce a show that appeals to every gender and every age. I just picture a gigantic chart and empty suits placing segments on the chart. They put the Golden Truth in the kids section of the chart and then the main event in the adult section. They probably figure that by the time the main event airs most of the children will be asleep and the adults will be wide awake to see the match. The problem with that logic is that the ratings go down every hour because adults are changing the channel due to how awful the show is. In their quest to create a show that caters to everyone, what the WWE is left with is a show that very few people enjoy.
– The following RAW Fallout clip features Braun Strowman coming off his big battle royal win earlier in the night. As noted, Braun will join Chris Jericho, United States Champion Roman Reigns, and Universal Champion Kevin Owens as part of Tea RAW at the Survivor Series. Braun says in the clip below that he would have taken pleasure in destroying the entire locker room, but now his sights are set on Team Smackdown.
– Recently-crowned WWE Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick retained his title against TJ Perkins last night on WWE RAW, in their rematch from the previous night. The following RAW Fallout clip features Kendrick discussing his recent string of success:
Following Monday’s RAW, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho were confirmed for Team RAW in the men’s traditional elimination match at Survivor Series. One other Superstar will be added to Team RAW, wtih Team SmackDown participants to be named tonight.
It was also announced on RAW that the women’s team for Survivor Series will feature Women’s Champion Charlotte, Bayley, Nia Jax and two others. RAW Tag Team Champions The New Day later confirmed that they will be the team captains for the RAW vs. SmackDown match with tag teams.
With those latest developments, here’s the updated card for WWE Survivor Series:
– Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
– RAW vs. SmackDown Elimination Match: Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, TBA vs. 5 Superstars TBA
– RAW vs. SmackDown Women’s Elimination Match: Charlotte, Bayley, Nia Jax and two Superstars TBA vs. Nikki Bella, 4 Superstars TBA
– RAW vs. SmackDown Tag Team Elimination Match: The New Day and 4 other teams TBA vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater, The Hype Bros and 3 teams TBA
– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was backstage at last night’s RAW from Corpus Christi, Texas. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted last week that Vince had missed two weeks of WWE TV tapings and wasn’t scheduled back until after SummerSlam.
– NXT and Cruiserweight Classic competitor Kota Ibushi plans to continue working with WWE, but recently revealed that he refused to sign a full-time deal that was offered to him. Courtesy of Japanese wrestling site Enuhito.com, Ibushi said [translated], “I refused to sign the full time deal with WWE. But I think I may keep wrestling in WWE.” He added that he plans to continue wrestling in Japan and already has some matches booked.
– Indian hip-hop duo Kru172 announced on Twitter that they created Jinder Mahal’s new theme song heard last night on RAW.
So excited to announce that we've performed the entrance music for @JinderMahal! Thanks @WWE for the opportunity #MondayNightRaw
– Last night on RAW, Tom Phillips conducted a backstage interview with Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. New Day member Big E, who is currently out of action nursing a contused groin, made this spot-on observation about Young Boy Tom:
Tom is the kind of man you'd let date your daughter but regret it when you found him gargling your toilet water. #WorryAboutYourOwnNuts
Meanwhile, WWE posted this photo of Phillips interviewing the Canadian duo, confirming the #Tomspiracy that Phillips does in fact crouch to appear shorter than the wrestlers.
– Flo Rida’s “Who’s With Me?” single is the latest WWE SummerSlam theme song. Fort Minor’s “Welcome” was announced before.
– As seen below, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman have been confirmed for next week’s RAW from Corpus Christi, the final show before SummerSlam. No word yet on if SummerSlam opponent Randy Orton will be appearing.
– Braun Strowman’s opponent on tonight’s RAW from Anaheim is local wrestler Jorel Nelson, who wrestles for Championship Wrestling From Hollywood. Their match is below:
– As seen on this week’s RAW, WWE continued the trend of using enhancement talent for Braun Strowman and Nia Jax. Braun’s victim was Evan Anderholm, played by NXT enhancement talent Corey Hollis. Nia’s victim was Ariel Monroe, wife to WWE CWC talent Cedric Alexander.
– PWInsider reports that WWE CWC competitor Tony Nese has signed a deal with EVOLVE and WWN Live. Nese defeated Anthony Bennett to advance to the second round of the CWC last week.
– While Brian “Curt Hawkins” Myers did not re-debut on this week’s WWE SmackDown as expected, he was backstage. As noted, Hawkins is back with the company and will be on the SmackDown brand.
– Cody Rhodes recently confirmed that he will be filming a fight scene with Stephen Amell during his “Arrow” appearance this fall and tweeted this stare down graphic:
– The local competitor who was brutalized by Braun Strowman last night on RAW was Iowa-based indy wrestler Rob Matter. We’ve been reporting that WWE was looking to utilize more enhancement talent to build up Superstars and this was a great example of how effective it can be. The pre-match interview with Matter was also a nice touch, as it gave us a reason to root for him and understand what would compel him to step in the ring with the Wyatt Family monster.
– Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle website has released the latest episode of the Heyman Hustle video series, which features exclusive footage from the sold out Night Two of his recent “Inside The Ropes” one-man tour from Manchester, England:
– This was expected but F4Wonline.com confirms that WWE has plans on breaking up a few tag teams at Tuesday night’s Draft.
– The 2016 ESPYs on ABC hosted by John Cena fell 29 percent in overnight viewership compared to last year. The 3-hour show averaged 5.48 million viewers, down from 7.7 million in 2015. For more details, visit TVByTheNumbers.com.
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been named the highest paid actor in the world on Forbes‘ annual Celebrity 100 list. The Rock ranked #19 on the list, having brought in approximately $64.5 million over the past 12 months.
– Goldust might be launching a podcast soon. He tweeted:
A fan was escorted out of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia after reportedly striking Strowman in the face during the dark match main event at Monday’s RAW. Strowman kept his cool and pointed security towards the fan, who was quickly pulled from his seat and taken away.
After several fan incidents in 2015, WWE stated their policy is to try and press charges for all incidents like these.
The rumored Undertaker vs. Braun Strowman match at WrestleMania 32 almost certainly won’t be happening, but Wyatt Family monster is still in line for a main event push in 2016.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer states that WWE already has Strowman booked for significant roles at WrestleMania and SummerSlam:
“Right now the plan is for Strowman to win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal and get a major push from that point on as a monster, to build him for an eventual title program with Reigns as well as a potential PPV match with Lesnar, which right now is on the books for SummerSlam.”
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is a strong support of Strowman, who has been improving a lot behind the scenes and is capable of a lot more than we’ve been seeing on WWE television thus far.
– Tommy Dreamer and The Dudley Boyz are featured in the above RAW Fallout video talking about their interaction with The Wyatt Family on Monday’s show.
– The dark match main event following Monday’s RAW at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania saw Tommy Dreamer, Demon Kane and The Dudley Boyz defeat Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan in eight man tag-team action. The match/segment ended when Harper took the finishing moves of all of the babyfaces.
Former WWE Superstar and ECW Original Tommy Dreamer made his WWE return on Monday’s edition of RAW at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dreamer returned during a promo segment that turned into a match between The Dudley Boyz and The Wyatt Family.
Bubba Ray and Devon were cutting a promo in the ring when the four Wyatt Family members — Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan — hit the ring. The Dudleyz claimed that they too had family on their side, which led to Dreamer making his way out.
The ECW Original made his way to the ring with a trash can full of weapons, which led to he and The Dudleyz teaming on to take on The Wyatt Family in a match on RAW. The match ended up finishing in a no contest, with Bubba Ray putting Bray through a table after the match to end the segment.
WWE has officially added John Cena to the January 5th SmackDown television taping at the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. That will be the first taping for SmackDown on the USA Network.
With tickets scheduled to go on sale for the taping on November 23rd, there had been some concern that there were not enough big stars advertised for the show. The plan since WWE announced that SmackDown was moving to the USA Network has been to load up the show with star power.
The updated lineup for the 1/5 SmackDown taping in Laredo now features Cena, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Alberto Del Rio, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, Braun Strowman and more.
After Monday night’s WWE Survivor Series “go-home” edition of RAW went off the air, Bray Wyatt came back out. Wyatt spoke about Survivor Series briefly before calling out Roman Reigns.
This led to an eight-man post-show dark match for the live crowd at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. The match ended up mostly consisting of guys doing their finishers and other big spots.
The match featured Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman taking on Reigns, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose. Ultimately, everyone fought to the back and in the end, Reigns and Ambrose were left alone in the ring.
Ambrose took the mic and said the two would win their matches and meet in the finals to determine the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Reigns agreed and said they’d always be brothers.
WWE is focusing the advertising for the November 22nd Survivor Series pay-per-view on the fact that it will be The Undertaker’s 25th anniversary at the annual event. You can check out the video promo for Survivor Series 2015 below.
Based on the finish of last night’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, it looks like Undertaker will be facing the four members of The Wyatt Family in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match.
Last night’s show ended with Taker losing to Brock Lesnar in their “Final Battle” inside Hell In A Cell, and then Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan dragged “The Dead Man” to the back after attacking him.