Monday’s RAW from Anaheim, CA was supposed to feature a face-to-face confrontation between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, but the Universal Champion was nowhere to be found. Reigns explained that “something happened” and Lesnar didn’t show.
Reigns then kicked it into high gear, calling Brock Lesnar an “entitled piece of crap” who hides behind his contract. Reigns and his WWE family are traveling the globe busting their asses for the fans, while Lesnar only shows up when he’s getting a big check or likes the city WWE is visiting.
It was one of the best promos of Reigns’ career and a great way to jumpstart their WrestleMania feud. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the promo we got from Reigns was not the original plan for that segment. For whatever reason, there were ‘last minute’ changes and Brock Lesnar did not appear as advertised.
Reigns’ controversial remarks about Lesnar’s part-time schedule were entirely scripted, but WWE made the decision to ‘go there’ given the short-notice Lesnar wouldn’t be on RAW.
Reigns made a point of mentioning Lesnar was running around Vegas over the weekend taking photos with UFC President Dana White. That photo of Lesnar and Dana White was a hot topic of conversation backstage at Elimination Chamber and RAW – with many seeing it as a sign that Lesnar will return to UFC after his WWE contract expires in a few months.
Brock Lesnar is not scheduled for next week’s RAW, but is advertised for RAW in 2 weeks from Detroit, MI.
Former UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez, attended last night’s Elimination Chamber. Many other UFC fighters who live in Las Vegas also attended the show as well, including Daniel Cormier and Michael Chiesa.
Velasquez, however, has an interesting history with two members of the Monday Night Raw roster. He defeated Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 121 and also defeated Ronda Rousey’s husband, Travis Browne, at UFC 200. Velasquez’s victory over Browne took place in the same building as Elimination Chamber.
The last time Cain Velasquez fought was the summer of 2016. He’s only fought twice since 2014. Injuries have plagued the former champion. Many feel that when he is healthy, he is the best heavyweight in the world. Unfortunately, he is healthy so infrequently these days this point becomes less relevant every day that goes by.
Cain was scheduled to face Fabricio Werdum at UFC 207 in December of 2016 but it fell through. Prior to the bout, Velasquez revealed in an interview he uses CBD to treat pain. He also revealed several injuries he was dealing with during the interview resulting in the Nevada State Athletic Commission denying him clearance to compete.
Roman Reigns vs. WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is now official for WrestleMania 34 after Reigns won the men’s Elimination Chamber match at tonight’s pay-per-view in Las Vegas.
Order of Entrances
1. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz (started the match)
2. Seth Rollins (started the match)
3. Finn Balor (started the match)
4. John Cena
5. Roman Reigns
6. Braun Strowman
7. Elias
Order of Eliminations
1. The Miz (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
2. Elias (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
3. John Cena (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
4. Finn Balor (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
5. Seth Rollins (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
6. Braun Strowman (defeated by winner Roman Reigns)
Tonight (Feb. 25) the Elimination Chamber event takes place live on the WWE Network and pay-per-view. The men’s EC match will determine Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania challenger for the WWE Universal Championship. Participating in the match will be Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, John Cena, The Miz, and Elias.
The advocate for “The Beast Incarnate” doesn’t appear too worried about his client’s next foe. Paul Heyman took to Twitter and offered an apology ahead of time. Lesnar will be appearing on Monday Night Raw tomorrow night and he will confront the men’s EC winner.
Every year on the road to WrestleMania, the WWE likes to remind fans of the humble beginnings of “The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment.” It’s no secret that Vince McMahon took a risk when he invested in the mega pay-per-view event in 1985.
McMahon did everything he could to ensure that the first WrestleMania felt like an extravaganza. That means he had to pour a significant amount of money into the event. Had WrestleMania I been a flop, McMahon likely would’ve been out of the wrestling business and the WWE would’ve gone under. Below is a preview of the WWE Network special, WrestleMania Rewind:
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently did an interview with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports to promote this weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV). Reigns was asked about his opportunity to punch his ticket to WrestleMania this weekend and challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
Reigns and Lesnar have unfinished business with one another as their WrestleMania 31 match was interrupted by Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money In The Bank to win the WWE World Heavyweight Title:
“Yeah, we definitely have that. I think what puts validity behind this whole situation is we had a barnburner of a match. It’s one of my favorites that I’ve ever … Well, let me take that back. It’s not my favorite, because it didn’t feel good. But going back and seeing it and the outcome and the story and the reaction and just the rollercoaster ride that the crowd took with us, it was one of my finer days at work.
“There’s always gonna be that animosity to wanna finish the job. Not only towards Brock but towards Seth for interrupting that. The key is to be able to get to that point and deliver and capitalize. Hopefully I’ll get the shot. We gotta go through the Chamber on Sunday. We gotta make it out of that unscathed and then take a ride to Suplex City. It sounds a lot better than it really feels. Trust me.”
Reigns was also asked whether or not it’s harder for a minority to climb the ladder in WWE, or if it’s an even playing field nowadays:
“I think I’m a great example of that. I’m a multi-racial man. I don’t think it has anything to do with your color or your background. It’s the man that you are and what you stand for, and obviously the performer that you are. That’s one thing that Vince [McMahon] deeply wants to be embedded in his guys, in his superstars, that they’re good people. That’s one thing he’s always told me from the beginning is, “I don’t care if you’re the greatest wrestler in the world.
“I don’t care if you’re the most charismatic talker in the world, but I do care if you’re a good person and I think that’s all that matters.” When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter what you look like, how big you are, what color your skin is or hair or eyes, if you’re a good person, you’re a good person.”
“The Big Dog” also commented on WWE dropping brand-exclusive PPV events going forward, starting with Backlash later this year:
“I think, like anything else, it has its pros and cons. It’s gonna increase the work schedule as far as pay-per-views, but if you don’t wanna perform in a pay-per-view, then what are you doing here? I think it’ll also keep storylines fresh. It’ll allow us to continue to dot all our “i’s” and cross all our “t’s” because we’ll have more weeks to continue those storylines and these rivalries, and we’ll be able to have more time to carry those out.”
Check out Reigns’ full interview with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports by clicking this link here.
TMZ Sports caught up with Paul Heyman this week, who commented on the possibility of Brock Lesnar returning to UFC, if he would advocate for Ronda Rousey in WWE and who he’s eyeing as the next Paul Heyman Guy (or gal).
This Sunday at Elimination Chamber, 7 of RAW’s top Superstars will battle to determine who will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. In the months following WM34, it’s rumored that Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract will expire and he’ll be free to fight for the UFC again, if that’s something he’s interested in.
When asked if we’ll see Brock step inside the Octagon again, Paul Heyman said Brock Lesnar will do whatever he wants to do. Lensar’s last UFC fight took place back in July 2016. TMZ’s reporter questioned if two years away from fighting would work against The Beast. Heyman argues the contrary.
“The time away makes him better because the time away gives his body a chance to heal,” Heyman proclaimed. “The problem with these UFC fighters – and they’re all fantastic athletes, top of the line in the entire world – is that they wear their bodies down in these training camps. All these guys that are cutting weight are destroying their own bodies.”
Many fans have speculated that Paul Heyman would make a great mouthpiece for Ronda Rousey. It’s an intriguing prospect, but Heyman doesn’t sound like he’s eyeing Rousey as his next client. “Why limit the people that I have my eye on to Ronda Rousey?” Heyman questioned. “I have my eye on anyone who is a top box office attraction. I have my eye on Enes Kanter of the New York Knicks.”
Heyman definitely sees potential in Enes Kanter, who he’s dubbed “The Baddest Dude In The NBA.” The 6-foot-11 Knicks center couldn’t be happier to be dubbed the latest Paul Heyman Guy.
Let it be noted for the record, I have my eye on @nyknicks @Enes_Kanter, the Baddest Dude in the @NBA. And Ladies and Gentlemen, my assessment in that regard is UNDISPUTED! https://t.co/yCHqTxRC2f
Brock Lesnar is currently awaiting the results of this weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) to see who he will defend his Universal Championship against at WrestleMania 34. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, and Braun Strowman will compete inside the Chamber to determine who gets those honors.
It’s expected that Reigns will win the Chamber match and go on to dethrone Lesnar for the Universal crown at “The Show Of Shows.” Lesnar has a ton of options after his WWE contract expires. He could either re-sign with the company and focus on a potential feud with Bobby Lashley, or go back to the UFC and once again chase the moniker of “Baddest Man On The Planet.”
As we reported recently, this year’s SummerSlam ticket featured pictures of Superstars such as Ronda Rousey, AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns, The Usos, Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, Naomi, Charlotte Flair, Randy Orton, and Samoa Joe – no Lesnar in sight. Per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the reason Lesnar wasn’t featured is because he won’t be under contract with WWE at that point and there’s no guarantee he’ll be with the company. WWE decided not to use him in any promotional material for the event.
A return to the UFC is definitely possible as President Dana White has said he believes “The Beast” will fight in the Octagon this year. Jon Jones called out Lesnar last year, and with Jones nearing a return from a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation soon, the door is still open for that fight.
– Paul Heyman took to Twitter to respond to RAW commentator Corey Graves’ comments on last night’s show, and doubled down on his claim that Universal Champion Brock Lesnar does not fear Braun Strowman. Strowman will be one of seven men to compete in this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match; which also includes Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Elias, The Miz, and John Cena. The winner of the match will go on to challenge “The Beast” for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 34:
– WWE posted a video of former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey as she prepares to sign her RAW contract at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) this weekend on the WWE Network. The video features comments from Stephanie McMahon and Charlotte Flair, as well as some footage from Rousey’s professional wrestling training. Check it out:
– After winning last night’s Seven-Man Gauntlet match on Monday Night RAW, which involved all seven men scheduled for this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match, Braun Strowman took to Twitter to warn Universal Champion Brock Lesnar:
– An exchange on Twitter last night between Mandy Rose and Bianca Belair suddenly became heated this morning, after Goldust and Montez Ford got involved. The full exchange (including one of Goldust’s deleted Tweets) can be found below:
Hunnyyyyy… trust me I don’t need to buy a FAKE piece of hair to use as a weapon… ? it’s called a hair FLIP, chill out there toots ! ? #Saltyhttps://t.co/L9f5RYikUp
Goldust: “Get back to me when Bianca can hit the ropes without her hair getting in the way. And don’t you disrespect me, punk. I’ve chewed up and spit out more than you could ever dream. YOU KNOW WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME, if you make it up here. #SinkWithTheNokiaSharkYouMark”
– R-Truth took to Twitter to announce that his new single, That’z Endurance, is now available online:
During an interview with FOX 4 Kansas City, WWE portrait artist Rob Schamberger revealed that Brock Lesnar once watched him paint as he was getting ready for a match against Seth Rollins.
“While I’m in the back painting (during WWE Battleground 2015), I feel this presence behind me. I don’t see or hear anything. It’s just like a sixth sense. I feel it. I turn around, and it’s Brock Lesnar watching me paint,” Schamberger said.
“It turns out Brock is actually a bit of an art fan and just wanted to watch me paint while he was preparing for his match. He went out and just destroyed Seth Rollins.”
Schamberger, who hosts the popular Canvas 2 Canvas YouTube series and whose work is seen on countless pieces of WWE merchandise, began working for the company in 2014 after creating a piece celebrating WrestleMania.
“I debuted with WWE at WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans,” Schamberger said. “I painted a 7-by-5 piece that was celebrating the 30 years of WrestleMania. No pressure at all, right? But it was really successful, and I feel like it was a good place to start.”
Schamberger’s passion for art and WWE has transformed him into somewhat of a celebrity. To the dream chasers, he says if you really want to make things happen, you have to stand out.
“There’s one of three things you have to do. You have to be the first, you have to be the best, or you have to be different than everyone else. If you can find one of those things, you’re going to do it. If you can get two, you’re going to be a raging success. That’s what worked for me, and it’ll work for anyone.”
You can check out the video interview with Schamberger here.
Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho recently took to his podcast, Talk Is Jericho, and discussed how Brock Lesnar and Goldberg’s feud with one another last year affected WWE’s plans for him at WrestleMania 33. Originally Jericho was supposed to feud with Kevin Owens for the Universal Title, and he would eventually win the strap from “KO” at WrestleMania:
“[I]t was in November [2016] maybe, Vince [McMahon] said, ‘Okay, at WrestleMania it’s you and Kevin Owens for the world title [Universal Title]. You’re gonna win the world title at WrestleMania,'” Jericho recalled. “‘Wow, winning the world title at WrestleMania?'”
Jericho would then immediately drop the title to Brock Lesnar at the next pay-per-view (PPV) which was Payback:
“[Vince] goes, ‘Yeah. You’ll lose it the next pay-per-view to Brock [Lesnar].’ I’m like, ‘That’s cool!’ And for me I’d never won the title as a babyface either, ever. It’s been six times but always as a heel,” said Jericho. “So this was kind of like, ya know, we’re not marks here, but it’s a pretty cool thing. Let’s be honest.”
After Goldberg defeated Lesnar at Survivor Series and WWE planned out a feud between the pair extending into WrestleMania 33, those plans of course changed:
“One week later Survivor Series happens, Brock versus Goldberg,” said Jericho. “Goldberg beats Brock in a minute. And that’s when Brock went, ‘I can work with this guy [Goldberg]. I want to work with him.
“I’ll lose in a minute, but only if I can beat him for the title at WrestleMania.’ And Vince had to make a decision: what’s the bigger box office? Ya know and obviously it was Brock and Goldberg, and Chris and Kevin take back seat.”
You can listen to Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.
WWE Superstar Braun Strowman recently did an interview with the Daily Star to talk about several professional wrestling topics. The sequence in which Strowman hit Lesnar with a stiff knee, and “The Beast” returned fire with a stiff punch to the jaw during their Royal Rumble match was brought up:
“Any time Brock and I are in the ring it’s very physical. You’re talking about two larger-than-life human beings who are fighting for dominance. Stuff happens. It’s a contact sport – it’s not tennis. We’re not going out there to slap a ball around, we’re going out there to beat each other up. That’s what we did.”
“The Monster Among Men” then offered his thoughts on being a part of a “dying breed” of big men in professional wrestling:
“I’m a dying breed, considering how fast-paced the sport has become with the cruiserweights and guys like AJ Styles who can go out there and do these crazy, unbelievable things.”
Strowman is currently teaming up with RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in the Mixed Match Challenge. He said that the MMC gives him the ability to show another side of the Braun Strowman character, and it may just be that he’s “sweet on Alexa Bliss”:
“To be able to wind down a little bit when my body was beat up, I was fighting a little bit of a cold, was a very entertaining and refreshing segment to go out and work with. I got to show another layer of Braun Strowman the character, to show that he has a little bit of a softer side. It might be that he’s sweet on Alexa Bliss.”
You can read Strowman’s full interview with the Daily Star by clicking this link here.
– Two weeks before WrestleMania 34, Raw will take place at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Both WWE.com and the official website of the Quicken Loans Arena are now advertising Universal Champion Brock Lesnar for the event on Mar. 26.
There will also be a big 8-Man Tag Team Match pitting Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, John Cena and Seth Rollins against The Miz, Kane, Cesaro, and Sheamus. This dark match is also slated for the following week’s Raw from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
– Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia is featured on the cover of the latest issue of FOCUS magazine, which features interviews and articles on entrepreneurs in West Los Angeles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be_z7Uygo8N/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be9eRGbnL6p/
Inside the magazine is an interview with Garcia where she talks about her podcast, Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia. You can read the interview here.
– WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon will be a guest speaker at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France. This will be her third consecutive year at the event, where she talks about WWE, content marketing and how to build a global brand.
Ahead of WrestleMania 34, where he’s expected to defend his Universal Title against Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar is scheduled to work four live events next month in March ahead of “The Show Of Shows.” Lesnar is currently scheduled to face off against Kane from the United Center in Chicago on March 3rd. The next week on March 9th from the Target Center in Minneapolis WWE is promoting a Champion vs. Champion match-up between “The Beast” and Intercontinental Champion The Miz.
The week after that Lesnar will again defend his Universal Title in a Triple Threat match against Kane and Braun Strowman from Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday, March 16th. And finally, in his last match before WrestleMania 34, Lesnar is being advertised to perform on Friday, March 30th at the TD Garden in Boston. No opponent has been announced for that match as of this writing.
– On last night’s episode of RAW WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz qualified for the Elimination Chamber match by defeating Apollo Crews. The winner of the Chamber match will go on to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. Miz took to Twitter to ask his doubters over the years if they ‘feel stupid yet’:
– Speaking of the Elimination Chamber match, next week’s episode of RAW from San Jose will feature a Fatal Four-Way match between Finn Balor, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, and Apollo Crews. All of these men lost their initial qualifying match for the Elimination Chamber.
This “Second Chance Fatal Four-Way” will determine the sixth and final competitor in the Elimination Chamber match. WWE recently posted an interview with Finn Balor; who vows to win the Fatal Four-Way, go on to win the Chamber match, and topple Lesnar at WrestleMania to regain the Universal Crown:
– Nia Jax was left out of the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber match, however, RAW General Manager did but her in a match that gives her quite the opportunity. Jax will instead take on Women’s Royal Rumble winner Asuka in a Singles match. If she’s successful she’ll be thrown into the RAW Women’s Title match at WrestleMania, making it a Triple Threat match. She took to Twitter to react:
A place in the first women’s #WWEChamber match was what I wanted…
…but I’ll settle for breaking @WWEAsuka’s streak and a championship match at #WrestleMania. That’ll be just fine. #Raw
Earlier this week, Impact Wrestling executive Ed Norholm confirmed to Newsweek that Bobby Lashley is no longer with the company. Nordholm admitted that he wanted to retain Lashley, but put him over as a great talent and wished him the best in his next step.
That next step is becoming more clear. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lashley is expected to appear on WWE programming “any time now.” Upon leaving Impact Wrestling, Lashley negotiated with both WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling before settling on WWE.
Going back to late 2016, Bobby Lashley has been talking about wanting to work with Brock Lesnar. According to Dave Meltzer, Lashley might finally get his wish after WrestleMania.
“The belief is that he will work with Lesnar after WrestleMania, although those close to the situation say the working with Lesnar is not 100 percent.”
– Wrestling Observer Newsletter
During an interview with the Fight Network that aired back in October, Lashley spoke passionately about his desire to work with Lesnar – whether in the ring or in a pro MMA fight. “Of the matchups that I think I need, I think that would be a good matchup,” said Lashley. “Because right now, Brock really doesn’t have anybody to wrestle. They’re just throwing people in there.”
Lashley took issue with people who complain about Lesnar’s part-time schedule. “Because if he stayed on there full time, What are they going to do, just squash everybody on the roster? You guys don’t have anybody to really challenge him. So, you need somebody legitimate and credible to go against Brock to make it make sense.”
Visit f4wonline.com for details on how you can subscribe to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
After making her highly-anticipated WWE debut at the Royal Rumble this past Sunday, professional wrestling fans are wondering when we’ll see “The Rowdy One” back on WWE TV. Rousey did not appear on Monday’s episode of RAW. It appears that Rousey, and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, are not expected back until sometime after February 25th’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) event.
This comes via a report from Ringside News, who reports that Rousey has returned to her filming obligations for the movie “Mile 22.” Filming for the movie is not expected to conclude until around or after Elimination Chamber. As for WWE’s plans for Lesnar, the company has no reason to bring him back until his next opponent is determined in the Elimination Chamber match. It’s expected that Roman Reigns will be challenging “The Beast” for the Universal throne at WrestleMania 34.
During last night’s Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble things got real between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman. At one point in the match Strowman actually caught Lesnar with a stiff knee to the head.
Lesnar is probably the last person you want to let that happen against. “The Beast” gave “The Monster Amongst Men” a receipt in the form of a stiff right hand to Strowman’s jaw:
It then sounded like Lesnar said something along the lines of “slow the fu*k down.” Lesnar would go on to pin Kane for the finish and retained his Universal Championship.
It’s expected he’ll defend his Universal crown against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans this April.
We’ve got an update on the status of former ECW/ TNA World Champion Bobby Lashley. On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Lashley is no longer negotiating with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
After talking with people within both NJPW and Impact Wrestling, the belief is that Lashley is heading back to WWE.
Also, it should be noted that there has been talk of Lashley possibly working with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar after WrestleMania 34. Although
Lesnar’s contract expires in April, it’s expected that the sports entertainment company will extend the deal going through August, which would allow WWE the opportunity to promote a Lesnar vs. Lashley match.
On a night which had Paul Heyman introduce NXT TakerOver: Philadelphia, Pete Dunne called out Brock Lesnar, as well as everyone else in WWE.
Since winning the WWE UK Championship, Pete Dunne has been a dominant force in professional wrestling. Samoa Joe described him as an ambassador for British wrestling, and someone that has made a significant impact which resonates throughout many.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WukMTB6SOeo
Dunne expanded saying that the UK Title is his world – whatever, or whoever is next, he plans to remain UK Champion.
When asked about what 2018 holds for him, Dunne explained that he’s going to “continue to put the UK on the map” and that the UK division will represent the best sports entertainment in the world.
On being asked about who he would like to face, Pete Dunne just said “anyone and everyone” before also dropping Brock Lesnar’s name as a worthy opponent.
Check out the full video below:
Opinion:
I can easily see Pete Dunne on NXT, RAW, SmackDown Live, it’s just a matter of time. One of the questions will be: What happens with the UK title when Pete Dunne moves onto bigger things? Is it incorporated onto NXT? Or does it remain a separate division that exists but doesn’t…? Big things are ahead for Dunne, but the structure and fine details haven’t been revealed as of yet.
Tonight is the UFC 220: Miocic vs. Ngannou pay-per-view from Boston, MA and we’ve got full coverage of the event over at our partner site, MMANews.com.
At Friday’s UFC Media Day from Boston, Massachusetts (which included the official weigh-ins on-sale press conferences for UFC 222: Holloway vs. Edgar and UFC 223: Ferguson vs. Nurmagomedov), UFC President Dana White commented on the possibilities of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk competing inside the Octagon this year.
During an interview with TSN, White was discussing the likelihood of UFC’s top box office draws competing this year, such as Jon Jones, Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. When asked about the possibility of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk fighting in 2018, White said “Yes” to both.
Regarding Lesnar, White is confident we haven’t seen the last of Brock in the Octagon. “I think he’ll give it one more run,” White said. “I just think Brock loves to fight.”
As for CM Punk, White commented, “I like that guy. He’s a good dude,” White said. “He wants one more. He wants to get another shot. I’m going to give it to him.”
It’s definitely interesting that UFC is interested in working with Lesnar and Punk again despite the controversies surrounding each of their most recent fights.
You can watch TSN’s interview with Dana White here:
Former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe was recently a guest on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” to talk about his run with the company. One key topic of discussion was Joe’s program with WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, which led to a match between the pair at the Great Balls Of Fire pay-per-view (PPV) this past July. “The Destroyer” said that when you’re working with Lesnar you have to show up ‘ready to deal with Brock Lesnar’:
“I think when you are dealing with Brock Lesnar, you have to show up ready to deal with Brock Lesnar. Brock is the type of guy who is not going to give you an inch. If you are going to get anything from him, you have to take it and he’s going to dare you to take it. Brock is a guy who kind of feeds off of emotion, and if you come out and you’re flat and you’re not putting out what he is putting out, he’s going to eat you alive. That has never been an issue with me.”
As far as what it’s like to work a match with Lesnar, Joe said you can’t hold anything back when working with “The Beast” because he’ll pounce on any weaknesses you may have and take advantage of them:
“If we are going to be in the ring together, Brock knows we are coming for a fight. I mean that literally and figuratively. There is no pulling anything with Brock. If you show signs of weakness, he’s an apex predator and he’s going to pounce on it and he’s going to attack and overwhelm.
“You have to know how to deal with it when you are in there with Brock. He is a person who is going to accept nothing but the very best and if you don’t bring the very best, he’ll have no problems doing everything he can to absolutely wipe you out.”
You can read the highlights from Joe’s interview on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” by clicking here. Listen to Joe on “In This Corner” at this link.
– On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore retained his title against Cedric Alexander despite losing the match via count-out. Amore suffered an injury during the match above his eye that made him bleed profusely throughout the bout. WWE posted the following video of Amore receiving stitches after the show:
– In one of the best spots on Monday Night RAW in recent memory, last night Braun Strowman brought down a huge metal structure on top of Kane and Braun Strowman backstage after laying waste to the pair in a brawl. The trio are set to meet in a Triple Threat match for the Universal Title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) later this month.
After the segment Brock Lesnar was taken to the hospital on a stretcher while Kane limped away from the carnage on his own power. WWE posted the following update on Lesnar and Kane:
Medical update on Brock Lesnar and Kane following Braun Strowman’s attack
After Braun Strowman used a grappling hook to tear down a lighting truss and send it crashing down on Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Kane, WWE.com can confirm that Lesnar is undergoing examination by WWE medical personnel.
Kane, meanwhile, refused medical attention.
It is unknown how this incident will affect the Universal Championship Triple Threat Match at Royal Rumble involving all three Superstars.
Stay with WWE.com as more information becomes available.
– On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor declared he would be entering the 2018 Royal Rumble match. He then went on to team up with former Bullet Club members Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows to defeat The Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) and Elias in Six Mat Tag Team action.
“The Demon King” took to Twitter afterwards to comment on his Royal Rumble declaration, sending a message to current Universal Title holder Brock Lesnar:
– WWE Shop has released a new T-Shirt for Curt Hawkins in which they highlight his ridiculous losing streak. Hawkins’ streak went to 0-150 during last Thursday’s WWE live event in Hartford, Connecticut. Hawkins Tweeted out the following:
While Brock Lesnar’s current WWE deal is believed to run until after WrestleMania 34 in April, talks are underway to extend their arrangement by several months. While WWE would surely love to lock down Lesnar for another multi-year deal, the company is hoping to at least get him signed on through SummerSlam in August.
Brock Lesnar Contract Update
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lesnar’s current deal contains clauses which allow for it to be extended until August. Should Lesnar decide to leave WWE for a UFC return after, he would have to un-retire from MMA and re-enter the USADA testing pool beforehand.
Lesnar would also have to sit out the remainder of his USADA suspension stemming from his 1-year suspension from his failed drug test at UFC 200.
It’s worth mentioning that the chances of Lesnar fighting again for UFC drastically decreased as a result of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones’ latest suspension. Jones and Lesnar had been rumored for a blockbuster ‘dream fight’ before Jones tested positive for banned substances once again.