– Big Show is expected back on WWE TV in the next few weeks. He’s been out of action since since losing the Last Man Standing Match to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules.
– King Barrett tweeted the following after Daniel Bryan surrendered the WWE Intercontinental championship on RAW:
What a load of horse crap from @WWEDanielBryan tonight. I think we all know I deserve my IC Title back. Pathetic scenes. Jog on.
WWE Divas and Total Divas stars The Bella Twins recently spoke with Bang! Showbiz about a number of different topics. Below are some highlights from the interview:
On a Total Divas spin-off:
“Brie and I definitely want to do a spin-off; a show which will focus on our family and also includes our men. I think it would be amazing. We have this group of girlfriends which we’ve kind of introduced to the world, but not really. Not only are they beautiful but they have personalities that you wouldn’t believe, they kind of remind me of Cameron Diaz’s character in the film ‘There’s Something About Mary’.”
On working with their significant others on television:
Brie: “Something Daniel and I have always said is that if something organically happens that would be great (to be on ‘RAW’ together). As of right now there’s nothing in the works, but you can never say never, because in the future, you never know. I know the fans love it when we’re together I think it could be good television.”
Nikki: “I think, as of now, they’re trying to keep John and I as far apart as possible, and have us both focus on our championships. That then makes ‘Total Divas’ something special to tune into because it’s the only show where you can see John and I together.”
– WWE has announced the Divas for the number one contender battle royal on Monday’s RAW in London, England. Competing in the battle royal will be Natalya, Naomi, Emma, Rosa Mendes, Summer Rae, Alicia Fox, Cameron, Brie Bella and Paige, with the winner receiving a Divas title shot against Nikki Bella at this month’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
– WWE executive Michael Hayes is teasing surprises for RAW and/or SmackDown this week. The WWE personality tweeted the following:
OK London, taking off in about 20 minutes!!!! The Tour is kicking ass, and surprises for TV this week, see ya soon!!!
– Brie Bella has been hinting on social media that she will be winning the Divas Battle Royal on RAW next Monday and will be challenging her sister, Nikki Bella, for the WWE Divas Championship.
– Seth Rollins, who headed out for WWE’s tour of Europe on Tuesday, tweeted the following:
WWE has released additional promotional material for Daniel Bryan’s new autobiography, which will be released on July 31st.
Below is the release WWE sent out, which includes comments from Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Bryan’s wife, Brie Bella.
The incredible journey of everyone’s favorite underdog to the top of the WWE mountain!
Praise for Daniel Bryan:
“I knew at first glance what a talented young man he was…His work ethic, his integrity, his dedication, all of that stuff was phenomenal.” -Shawn Michaels
“Daniel is the crossover of so many of those factors that make a Superstar…He’s got charisma. He’s got personality. He’s different…There’s a truth to what he says.” -Triple H
“Bryan’s humble spirit and gracious heart are why I fell in love with him. His brilliance in the ring confirms why we love watching this incredible WWE Superstar.” -Brianna Danielson (Brie Bella)
Do people cheer for the underdog? YES! Does professional wrestling still hold a special place in the hearts of sports fans? YES! Is the man who began the WWE fan-driven YES! Movement the most popular Superstar in the WWE Universe? Emphatically – YES! Daniel Bryan is everyone’s favorite underdog. What started early in his career as a simple rallying cry – YES! – has become synonymous not only with wrestling fans worldwide but with everybody who ever pulls for the little guy to climb the mountaintop. In his electrifying memoir YES!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania (St. Martin’s Press, on sale July 21, 2015, $25.99), Daniel Bryan takes the reader from all the backwoods wrestling outposts at the onset of his career to the pinnacle of his profession – heavyweight champion of WWE!
From the time he was a little boy in rural Washington state all Daniel Bryan wanted to do was become a wrestler. Although small in stature he was blessed with great athleticism but even more importantly – a huge heart. Bryan immersed himself in the sport and in his training like a whirling dervish. After more than a decade of beating the bushes of every wrestling event stop in the US, Mexico, Japan and Europe, Bryan found himself on the cusp on making the WWE lineup, his improbable rise nearly complete.
Along the way Bryan’s mettle inside and outside the ring would be tested and strong friendships formed, while the fans take notice of the underdog without any quit in him. When his “YES!” chant becomes a full-fledged movement his career skyrockets. And standing at his side, his rock of support, is the love of his life, Brianna (herself a Superstar in the WWE’s Total Divas). It all leads up to the most incredible event in WWE history – WrestleMania 30 – and the crowning of a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
YES! chronicles the hard work, values, influences, and unique life choices – such as devotion to sustainability and protecting the environment – that have become the hallmark of the life and career of everyone’s most beloved underdog.
WWE taped a segment with The Bella Twins, AJ Lee and Paige for this week’s SmackDown after RAW last night, and the segment has some people talking.
The segment was described as one of the better Diva promo segments in quite a while. One line in particular that had a lot of people talking was when Nikki Bella told AJ Lee that Brock Lesnar defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on more shows than AJ did when she was the WWE Divas Champion.
It’s said that if the line makes it to the show this week, then it was a scripted line, however it’s also considered possible that Bella went off-script with the comment, something she and AJ have both done recently. If that’s the case, it likely won’t be on television this week.
Speaking of the verbal jab Bella took at AJ, there is said to be some backstage heat on AJ for how much time she took off from the company.
For complete WWE SmackDown spoilers for this week, click here.
– Daniel Bryan reveals in an interview with Fighting Spirit Magazine that WWE’s creative department would prefer that fans forgot about his marriage to Brie Bella.
When asked whether WWE has plans for them to team up inside the ring, he said, “I would love that, but WWE has gotten away from doing the mixed tag team matches. Doing something with Brie would be a lot of fun, and I think the fans would really enjoy it, but our characters right now are at different places. I’ve heard that creative wants people to forget that we’re actually married.”
With Bryan’s marriage to Brie often showcased on Total Divas, he believes his recurring appearances on the E! reality program have helped his career.
“I know for a fact that Total Divas has helped me in a way that I get recognized more by people who would never recognize me before. Now, like, people will recognize me when I’m out to dinner or something. They’ll be like, “Hey, you’re Bryan!” And that’s how I know they recognize from Total Divas. People who watch Total Divas don’t necessarily watch WWE, but now they’re starting to. People get to see me for who I am. Some fans don’t like that, and will actually boo for how I appear on Total Divas!”
– Lilian Garcia appeared at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California last week for a Susan G. Komen event where she talked about the importance of breast cancer awareness in this video interview.
Meanwhile, Lilian Garcia has been promoting the release of her new single, “Stung,” which is available for free. Visit liliangarcia.fanbridge.com to sign up for Lilian’s e-mail list and as a thank you, she will send a link to download “Stung” for free. The e-mail list keeps you up to date on Lilian’s latest events, exclusive offers, giveaways and meet-and-greet opportunities.
– WWE.com issued this poll asking fans who they’d prefer as their “BFF”: AJ Lee or Paige. AJ is currently leading the poll by a small margin.
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan recently spoke with USA Today’s “For The Win” blog to promote this year’s WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view. Below are highlights from the interview.
On if he was taken aback by the intense negative reaction to him not winning the Royal Rumble and headlining WrestleMania: “I wasn’t really that surprised, I thought that a lot of fans wanted me to win the Royal Rumble… but it’s a great story, right? The guy who has never lost a title had to lose the title because of the neck surgery, comes back and he fights the guy who’s just this monster destroyer, a David versus Goliath story, and I think a lot of fans were excited by the prospect of that. And also by the prospect of a match of me versus Brock Lesnar, I feel like I do pretty good against big guys.”
On what the Intercontinental Championship means to him: “To me it’s the one title that I haven’t won in the WWE. I’ve been the United States champion, I’ve been the World Heavyweight champion, I’ve been the WWE champion, I’ve been the tag team champion. The Intercontinental championship is the only one I haven’t won, and to me I have been disappointed that — when I was a kid, the Intercontinental championship matches were usually the matches I looked forward to the most. WrestleMania III everybody talks about Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant, but when everybody remembers the great match, they’re remembering Ricky Steamboat versus Macho Man Randy Savage. Same thing with WrestleMania X, with Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon in a ladder match.
So it’s one of those things where the Intercontinental title for a long time was so prestigious, but now for some reason it feels to me like it’s been devalued. One of the things I would really like to do is win the Intercontinental championship at WrestleMania and make it be not just what it was before, but make it better than that. Make it so the Intercontinental championship is something that can headline pay-per-views, can headline all the live events we do throughout the country. I’ve been disappointed with how the Intercontinental championship has been treated, but I’m hoping after WrestleMania it’s going to change.”
On his wife, Brie Bella’s match at WrestleMania 31 and splitting focus on his and her matches: “Brie and I do this thing at the end of every night where we tell each other three things that made us happy each day. One of the things that makes me happiest each day is being able to watch Brie go out there and perform because she loves to do it, and she’s good at it. There was a big deal, #GiveDivasAChance, and hopefully they’re going to get a chance at WrestleMania this year. That’s every performer’s dream — not just the guys, but the girls too.”
On inducting Connor “The Crusher” Michalek into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “What we do as entertainers, people see us as stars or you know sometimes people look up to us, but what we really do is just entertainment, right? For us, there are people who inspire us — and one of the people who inspires me is Connor. Despite all the pain and everything that he was going through, you never saw him really down, he was excited to be there…. He was just so happy and so fun to be around. When you were around Connor, he just lit people’s faces up. It’s a true honor for me to induct him into the Hall of Fame.”
WWE Diva and Total Divas star Brie Bella recently spoke with AZ Central to promote the upcoming WWE live event in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend. Below are highlights from the interview.
On starring on “Meet My Folks” and what attracted her to reality television: “Ever since we were little — and this goes from when we were babies through high school — everyone always said, ‘The twins are so entertaining. Just sit down with them for five minutes, and you will see so much happen. They will fight, they will laugh, they will love each other, and then they will tell each other off.’
Reality TV started becoming big when I was in college, around 2002. I remember everyone kept saying, “Man, you guys should do reality.” And I was always like, “I don’t know.” But “Meet My Folks” wanted my sister and I to go on, and hey, when you’re 19 and they want to give you a paycheck to have some fun? My sister and I were all about it. And sure enough, we felt so comfortable in front of the cameras.
I’ll never forget that night. Trista (Rehn) was the first “Bachelorette” (on ABC), and our “Meet My Folks,” the twin special, beat her in viewers that night, which was a really big deal. And ever since then, my sister and I did reality.”
On living life as an identical twin: “All the weird crazy things people say, like twins can read each other minds, they can feel each other’s feelings, it’s all true. We can have complete conversations with our eyes. When I look at my sister, I’m like, this has been a 31-year marriage. We’re like this old couple who bickers. We love each other, but we’ll get annoyed if the other one chews their gum weird. But we do have a special bond, and I think that’s one reason as a tag team for WWE we’ve done so well, because we know each other so well. It’s crazy, our chemistry not just outside the ring but in the ring. Blood is thicker than water, so the fact that I have my sister always with me, it’s like you always have someone who’s your best friend and always have someone who has your back. You can always trust your family, and I’m lucky to have that.”
On her fitness regimen: “Every day, I make sure I do something active, whether I only have time to do a 20-minute walk or pull up a 15-minute barre video to going in the gym for two hours. But I am one of those people, I truly believe to always change up your workouts, because I can get bored very easy, which will then turn me off from working out. So I’m obsessed with Pilates, yoga, I do barre class, and then I’ll do a little bit of weight lifting. And then also stretching every day. It is so important. I think people forget, because sometimes when you’re done with a workout, you’re like, “OK, I’m done.” But if you can stretch every day, you will be so grateful later on in life.”
WWE Diva and Total Divas star Natalya recently spoke with USA Today’s “High School Sports” blog. Below are highlights from the interview.
On who would win a UFC Tournament involving only WWE Divas: “(Laughs) Well, first of all I’d have to say myself. I’ve got a lot of pent-up anger from my childhood. Just kidding! Other than me, I’d have to say Brie Bella. She’s one of the feistiest divas I know. Everyone thinks Nicole is the more aggressive one, but Brie brings it! When things go down backstage don’t be afraid of Nikki, be afraid of Brie!”
On who she would not want to be alone with in a dark alley: “(Laughs) Brock Lesnar. There are moments when he’s really nice, but he’s so scary looking because he’s huge. You don’t even have to watch WWE to see that.”
On what fans can expect from the next season of Total Divas and WrestleMania 31: “Well, I never thought of myself as the type of person that would do a reality show, but it’s been really fun. And I realized that I’m a train wreck and I cry every episode of the show. I can’t even explain how it feels to let it all out. It shows all of these different sides of all of us. It’s made us a lot more well-known now too. Even the Kardashians really like the show! I’ve had so many people tell me how much the show inspires them and how relatable we are.
Also, we’ve got WrestleMania coming up on March 29 on the WWE Network. My dad is going with me; he’ll be my eye candy along with my husband! It’ll be an amazing show!”
The following matches were taped prior to the WWE SmackDown taping in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday, February 10th for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event.
Dark Match:
– Nikki Bella def. Emma in a Divas match. Brie Bella was at ringside for this one. The finish saw Nikki hit Emma with her Rack Attack finishing move for the 1-2-3.
WWE Main Event Spoilers
– The Ascension cut a promo to open the taping. They spoke about the “old relics” in the WWE Hall Of Fame, trashing the legends of the sport.
– The Ascension def. two local wrestlers in a quick tag-team squash match. The finish saw The Ascension hit their Fall Of Man finishing move for the pin.
– Naomi def. Natalya in Divas action. This was kept relatively short and for a Divas match, was said to be pretty solid. In the end, Naomi rolled Nattie up with a small package to get the 1-2-3.
– Cesaro def. Sin Cara in the main event of the taping. This was said to be a pretty long match that was competitive throughout. In the end, Cesaro picked up the “W” after hitting Sin Cara for The Neutralizer.
The Road to WrestleMania took a brief detour last night, stopping at THE Ohio State University for Raw. Sting finally answered Triple H’s challenge, and the show was bookended by a pair of nearly identical matches. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons from last night’s episode of Raw.
Pros
The highlight of the night was easily Dolph Ziggler vs. Bray Wyatt. These guys have competed over the past two weeks, and have exhibited amazing chemistry on both occasions. There were a number of impressive spots in this one, including Wyatt delivering a brutal blow to Ziggler’s midsection and a devastating clothesline outside the ring that eventually set up Sister Abilgail for the win. Wyatt later cut another promo, presumably directed toward the Dead Man.
Triple H calling out Sting was a close second. The video package, which featured Sting’s makeup being transposed onto Triple H’s face, was both eerie and entertaining. The only downside to this was the absolutely dreadful Sting doppelganger they sent into the ring. With that said, I absolutely can’t wait to see what these guys have planned for Fastlane.
The Usos squared off with Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. Kidd and Cesaro put in some decent heel work by crashing the dinner party on SmackDown, and it’s certainly nice to see them getting some television time.
Rusev continues to improve on a weekly basis, in my opinion. I loved his promo, where he made claims such as, “You don’t want me. I am a hero.” His brawl with Cena was also entertaining and helped further their feud heading into Fastlane.
The opening promo was also entertaining, but nothing to really write home about. Reigns seems to be more confident on the mic each week, despite a minor flub. It was also nice to see Bryan on the mic, taking a humorous shot at Triple H for his involvement in the Katie Vick storyline.
It’s nice to see Axel getting more time on the mic. His promo was humorous, even if he was quickly dispelled after being hit with Dirty Deeds. Barrett’s new BNZ segment could also be entertaining, but I’m not totally sure how much shelf life it has.
Finally, the main event helped further the tension between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. The match was nothing incredible, by any means, but there were a few memorable moments, including Dolph Ziggler getting involved at the end. Roman’s spear to Bryan was also the perfect way to end the show. It seems like the next step in Roman’s evolution will be to turn him heel and possibly pair him with Heyman following WrestleMania.
Divas Champion Nikki Bella may have suffered an injury to her leg.
According to a few fans on Twitter who attended today’s WWE live event in San Antonio, Texas, Nikki claimed on the mic that she would be unable to wrestle due to a strained hamstring. Brie then took her place in a match against Natalya, and won.
As you can see in this photo, Nikki’s left leg was heavily bandaged.
Nikki is no stranger to leg injuries. She has repeatedly said in interviews that growing up, she planned to play professional soccer until an injury to her right leg during a game in high school ended her chance of a career. In 2013, she fractured the same leg during a match and was sidelined for months.
– During this week’s episode of the Monday Night War looking back at the fall of WCW, Chris Benoit was mentioned by name. While footage featuring the late wrestler is featured in its original form on the WWE Network, this may be the first time where he was mentioned by name on an original program.
The subject of Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn defecting to WWE in 2000 was addressed and a clip of the group debuting on the January 31, 2000 episode of Raw was shown with audio of Jim Ross mentioning all four by name. The accompanying clips, however, were focused on Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn.
Vince McMahon has said in the past that he is okay with acknowledging Benoit within a historical context, but not in a promotional manner.
“It’s not right to pretend he didn’t exist,” McMahon said in a 2009 interview with WWE Magazine when asked whether Benoit’s history can be acknowledged by the company. “It’s one thing to include him as part of a historical perspective, which I believe is okay, and it’s another thing to promote him, which is not okay.
“The situation is very similar to that of O.J. Simpson—despite his controversy, O.J. was still a part of the NFL scene. You can’t deny that he existed.”
– Here is a preview clip of this Sunday’s episode of Total Divas as Nikki and Brie Bella bring their personal issues to work when they get into an argument backstage.
It was announced on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, the first episode of the show in 2015, that a Divas match will be taking place on this week’s edition of WWE Main Event on the WWE Network.
After an angle on Monday’s RAW that saw Paige attack Brie Bella during a match between Natalya and Nikki Bella, it was revealed that Paige will be taking on WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella on Main Event. They did not say that the match would be for Bella’s Divas Championship.
WWE Divas The Bella Twins recently spoke with CelebDirtyLaundry.com to promote the return of Total Divas. During the discussion, The Bella Twins revealed what they would be doing if they weren’t WWE Divas.
Nikki Bella: “I’d likely be in the movie business…action movies, or TV. I’m a real estate agent, so if I did that, I’d want to sell ocean front properties.”
Brie Bella: “I would have joined the Peace Corps, traveled the world. I actually planned to join when I was 18. I am just a hippie at heart. I’d be doing something to help save the planet.”
The Bella Twins spoke to the folks at E! Online to promote this Sunday’s return of WWE Total Divas on the E! network. Below are some excerpts from the interview.
Brie Bella on having baby fever and a big tease for this season: “You actually have to tune-in this season. Because there is a huge decision I have to make and it’s kind of crazy what the cameras caught so I’m really excited because it’s a really big moment in my life.”
Nikki Bella on her family interfering in her relationship with John Cena last season: “The family drama was tough because you know, also being in entertainment, she (Brie) is the only one who truly has my back and is someone that I trust. And my family too. My mom’s my best friend, my brother, and so when I watched all that and saw what they did, one, I felt terrible for John. Like, how do you put him in that position? And two, I was beyond shocked that they would do that to me. And it was very difficult; it’s like one of those things that you could forgive but you can’t forget. And it’s still kind of difficult when I think about it, I kinda get a little pissed.”
WWE Diva Emma had an injury scare at the WWE live event in Hershey, Pennsylvania on Sunday night.
During a tag-team match, which featured Emma and Alicia Fox against The Bella Twins, Brie Bella attempted to toss Emma out of the ring, however Emma landed awkwardly on the hard part of the apron and appeared to have injured her back. WWE trainers came out to check on her for about five minutes before the match was over.
As a bit of a reminder, there will be no WWE television tapings tonight, as both Main Event and SmackDown were taped on Sunday in Sioux Falls, Iowa. Below are the matches scheduled for tonight’s edition of WWE Main Event, which airs on the WWE Network.
– Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. Los Matadores
– Brie Bella vs. Summer Rae
– Big E. vs. Stardust
– Luke Harper vs. Jack Swagger
For complete spoiler results of this week’s Main Event, click here.
The following are WWE Main Event taping results for this coming Tuesday’s show on the WWE Network. Results are courtesy of ProWrestling.net.
– Cesaro and Tyson Kidd defeated Los Matadores. Cesaro and Kidd dominated most of the match and got the win with a powerbomb from Cesaro while Kidd performed a flip into a neckbreaker off the top rope.
– Brie Bella beat Summer Rae. Brie hit her running knee and a missile dropkick for the win.
– Big E defeated Stardust (w/Goldust). Starust went to the ropes for the Beautiful Disaster kick, but Goldust accidentally knocked him off the ropes. Big E used the Big Ending to get the win.
– Luke Harper defeated Jack Swagger in a really good match. They both kicked out of the others big moves but Harper won with a huge clothesline.
There was talk at one point of adding Brie Bella to the WWE Divas Championship match between Nikki Bella and AJ Lee at the WWE TLC pay-per-view. Obviously that never happened, however it is one of many signs that WWE officials have been going back and forth on what to do with the Bella Twins.
Additionally, it’s said that WWE considered having AJ defeat Nikki for the title at TLC, although that obviously didn’t happen either.
As previously reported, USA Network will feature “WWE Week” this week, with a lot of WWE-related programming.
Below is the advertised programming for this week.
Monday: WWE Raw, The Condemned (starring Steve Austin)
Tuesday: Live Smackdown
Wednesday: Tribute to the Troops
Sunday: Jingle All The Way 2 (starring Larry The Cable Guy and Santino Marella)
Additionally, USA Network announced that WWE Superstars will be interviewed on their daytime programming from Monday through Friday.
The advertising lists Cat Greenleaf will interviewing The Miz, Big Show, Titus O’Neil, Brie Bella, and Stephanie McMahon. Those interviews will air between 11:00 a.m. ET and 3:00 p.m ET.
The following are highlights of a new E! Online interview with WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella:
On the backstage reaction to her recent WWE Divas Championship victory: “I think everyone’s in shock. They were waiting outside when I came out and gave me hugs and kisses, and Nattie wrote me a nice, super long text. They’ve all been waiting for a change and they’ve seen how hard I’ve been working and I think they are very happy for me; they felt it was very deserving.”
On her new goals: “I definitely want to accomplish so much more. This Divas Championship I hold so close to my heart and I love the Divas division and WWE, and we’ve seen what the power of Total Divas does for our Divas, I want to make this title so much, I want to make every Diva mean something, I want to have a long title run; I know AJ had an insanely long title run and i want to beat it. My first goal is to hold onto this for as long as I can; I want to be challenged every week ; I want to know that my title is on the line and I have to fight to keep it. Those are definitely my new goals with this and just to be the best Nikki Bella that I can be.”
– In a new interview with Bill Apter, former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio teases big news regarding his future, noting that he is about to sign with two companies that have television deals, but it won’t be until January. You can check out the interview below.
– Nikki Bella noted on Twitter that this is the final week of Brie Bella serving as her “personal assistant,” and told fans to tune into RAW tonight to see what she is going to make her do.