WWE announced yesterday that Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, will appear on the New Year’s Day edition of Monday Night Raw. The event will emanate from the American Airlines Center in Miami, Florida.
The only announced match for the show thus far is a Cruiserweight Championship bout between Cedric Alexander and Enzo Amore.
WWE.com statement on Brock Lesnar:
“Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will ring in the New Year by returning to Raw, four weeks before he defends his title against both Braun Strowman and Kane in a Triple Threat Match at the Royal Rumble event. How will The Beast Incarnate address his monstrous opponents? Also on Raw, Cedric Alexander challenges Enzo Amore for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship!”
WWE is advertising a Universal Title match between champion Brock Lesnar and Kane for the Raw live event on January 27th in Baltimore, which will take place the night before the Royal Rumble.
The reason for Lesnar being added to the card is likely due to him being a replacement after Dean Ambrose suffered an injury. Local advertising is billing it as the first-ever meeting between the two superstars in a Universal Championship match. The original main event for the event was The Shield vs., Sheamus, Cesaro & Samoa Joe. Now, it’s Roman Reigns defending the Intercontinental title against Joe, and Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan defending the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus & Cesaro.
As noted, Lesnar is set to appear on next week’s episode of Raw.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross was recently a guest on Submission Radio to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. Ross discussed if there’s a chance we see Brock Lesnar not resign with WWE, and if so, where he’d go instead. Ross also discussed why he doesn’t think Lesnar will go back to MMA. Here are the highlights:
The possibility Lesnar doesn’t re-sign with WWE and where he’d go if he doesn’t:
“I don’t know the answer to your question, but I’ll tell you this, if I were advising him – I’m not by the way – I would say, you’re going to leave to do what? Are you going to leave to retire and not do anything but hunt and raise your sons and be a good husband to your wife? I don’t know, are you going to launch another career? Some guys like to do that, sometimes they need new challenges. I read that he might be the son of the, in the Rocky movie, (Apollo) Creed’s opponent that got beat by the Russian guy and he may play that Russian guy’s son.
“I read that. I had no idea if that was even true, but I don’t know why you’d even want to leave. He’s got a beautiful schedule, he’s making well north of seven figures a year, and he works part-time and he has fun. I don’t know why you would… I would say this, it might answer your question with a question, leave to do what that’s better? Plus, he can still be contracted to WWE and make movies or things like that. I don’t see him getting back into MMA. Now, I might be wrong on that one, but I don’t see that being a fit for him going forward.
“But I can certainly see him in Hollywood, I can certainly see him doing other things like that, but that’s not really his style either. He likes to be home or working at the wrestling, so I don’t know why he would want to leave, other than the obvious with scheduling and so forth, my boys are getting older. But he’s got a great gig, man, and I think he really embraces it and appreciates it.”
Why he doesn’t think Lesnar will return to MMA:
“Well, he’s been there, done that. He got that one more match when he beat Mark Hunt at UFC 200 – I was there by the way, so I saw it in person – he’s 39, what is he 40? You know, MMA fans jones about Lesnar being gone because the MMA in general is lacking superstars, they’re lacking box office attractions. They’re no different than any pro wrestling promotion in the world, their job is to create superstars that people demand to see more of.
“And right now, of course with the fighting as it is, you’re lucky to have three fights a year if you stay healthy, and there are no major stars that are early 20’s, young guys who are like the next big thing. I don’t know who that is. And everybody’s got an opinion, but the MMA world in general, the reason people are jonesing for Lesnar is because they’ve got nobody better to cheer for right now. That’s why they wanted Georges St-Pierre back, that’s why they want Cain Velasquez back in the ring, they want Conor McGregor to fight again. We’re not missing any new names here. I’m mentioning all these dudes that have got some mileage and track records.”
While the #1 contender’s match between Braun Strowman and Kane on this week’s Raw was a treat to watch, it ended in a double count-out, leaving the fans wondering who will face Brock Lesnar next.
During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed this and revealed what the company has in store for The Universal Champion.
According to him, Brock will have not one but two opponents at the upcoming PPV and he’ll be facing both Kane and Strowman in a Triple Threat match.
Though as we noted before, The Beast Incarnate is still penciled to defend his title against Roman Reigns at the 34th edition of WrestleMania next year.
So not only The Universal Champion is likely to retain his title but he is expected to be protected throughout the match as well, allowing him to head to The Show of Shows as a strong opponent for Reigns.
Since WWE is high on Braun, many believe that he will be protected too and while not confirmed, it could mean that the Big Red Monster will end up taking the pin in this bout.
As reported before Brock Lesnar is confirmed to return to WWE during next week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
We noted before how Dunkin’ Donuts Center was advertising The WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar for the December 18th episode of Monday Night Raw.
Now WWE has confirmed that the Beast will be returning to their Programming during next week’s episode of the Red Branded Show via the following tweet:
As seen in the main event of this week’s Raw, the #1 contenders match between Kane and Braun Strowman ended in a double count out and currently; it’s not known who will challenge Lesnar for his title at Royal Rumble.
– Stone Cold Steve Austin commented on the match between Roman Reigns and Cesaro during last night’s episode of Raw via the following tweet and praised both the stars:
Cesaro and Roman just ripped it up. Real good match. #WWE@WWE
Could Brock Lesnar be joining the cast of Creed 2, the sequel to the 2015 film Creed, a spinoff of the popular Rocky franchise?
In recent days, actor Sylvester Stallone has been teasing big news is coming regarding Creed 2, which is scheduled for a November 21, 2018 release. While plot details about the sequel are still vague, Stallone has hinted the story would revolve around the Ivan Drago character, the boxer who killed Creed’s father Apollo in Rocky IV.
Last week, Stallone posted a photo from Rocky IV (1985) of his Rocky Balboa Character in the ring with Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) with the caption,
“Get ready the next generation is about to get into the ring!”
On Monday, Stallone posted a Photoshopped image on Instagram on Monday afternoon ofhimself fighting Brock Lesnar with the caption,
“Big challenges come in all shapes and forms!”
Stallone followed up with an announcement that he’s stepping aside as the director for Creed 2 and Steven Caple, Jr. (“The Land”) will be taking over. As for the Lesnar photo he posted and who will be playing Drago’s son, we’ll have to wait and see.
UPDATE: Stallone has since updated this post to confirm that “this is just for entertainment, Drago’s son will be played by a new unknown.”
Original plans to have WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar defend his title against Finn Balor are no more. Vince McMahon doesn’t seem to think “The Demon King” is over enough for a clash with “The Beast.” The bout was originally slated to take place at January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV), but now WWE must find a new opponent for Lesnar to take on at the event.
Per a report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plans for Lesnar’s Rumble appearance are currently up in the air but there has been talk that he could be working a non-title match at the event. There are reportedly various reasons why Vince doesn’t want Brock vs. Braun Strowman again, and as of this past week the plan is to still eventually have Lesnar take on Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34.
Reigns is currently the WWE Intercontinental Champion but it’s expected that he drops the title before “The Show Of Shows,” however, nothing is official. With usual frontrunners to take on Lesnar such as Balor, Reigns, Strowman and Samoa Joe likely out of the running, the possibilities for Lesnar are very thin. Lesnar is confirmed to be a part of the event but it’s not necessarily a given that he defends his title.
Various suggestions have been made in regards to Lesnar’s involvement at the Royal Rumble, but we should have a better idea of WWE’s plans come December 18th on Monday Night RAW – which is Lesnar’s next scheduled TV appearance for the company.
After defeating AJ Styles at Survivor Series many speculated that the Beast Brock Lesnar may not appear on WWE programming again this year, though that’s not the case.
Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the venue for the December 18th episode of Raw tweeted the following, revealing that the Universal Champion will be making an appearance on the show:
It’s worth mentioning here that this will be the first Raw after the upcoming SmackDown Exclusive PPV Clash Of Champions, which will also be the final WWE PPV of the year.
No word yet on what he will be doing at the show, but it’s likely that The Current Champion will start the buildup for his next match at the Royal Rumble PPV.
As we noted before, WWE reportedly nixed the planned match between Brock Lesnar and Finn Balor for the upcoming PPV because Mr. McMahon is not high on Balor anymore.
Who will replace Finn at the upcoming PPV is not known either, though things should become clear when Lesnar returns to WWE Programming next month.
– Some speculation has seemed to have emerged after Roman Reigns’ recent defeat of The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship, leading some to believe that he may no longer be taking on Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34. This is not the case, per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, who notes that plans have not yet changed.
As of last week Reigns is still scheduled to challenge Lesnar for the Universal Title, but it’s unknown if he will go into “The Show Of Shows” as Intercontinental Champion. It’s expected that “The Big Dog” will drop his title before then.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Diamond Dallas Page has released a commercial for his new DDP Yoga Rebuild DVDs. You can check it out here below:
– WWE has apparently dropped the first name of both Erick Rowan and Luke Harper. They have removed their first names from WWE.com’s official roster page and it won’t be a surprise if they are only referred by their surnames in future.
Both Harper and Rowan re-debuted on SmackDown live this week as the Bludgeon Brothers. They defeated the Hype Bros in their debut match.
– WWE has a new pole on their site asking fans who they want to be the next opponent of the Beast Brock Lesnar. As of this writing, the former Universal Champion Finn Balor is leading the pole with 29% vote share.
Braun Strowman is in the second position with 25% votes followed by Triple H and Roman Reigns having 13% and 10% votes respectively. It’s interesting to note here that according to a recent report, the company has scrapped the planned match between Balor and Lesnar because Mr. McMahon thinks that Finn is not ‘over enough’.
Paul Heyman had some strong praise for WWE Champion AJ Styles after AJ’s loss to WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. (Video below)
Heyman says he’s shocked at the loss because he’s been a fan of AJ before you were supposed to be a fan of AJ. Heyman says AJ is more phenomenal than he’s supposed to be, and if you”re not a fan of AJ then you shouldn’t be watching WWE. Heyman says AJ is what WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels were to their generations, but he’s updated it and evolved their styles to truly be the single most phenomenal in-ring performer Heyman has ever had the honor and pleasure of watching up-close. Heyman says he’s been doing this his entire life but no one has done anything in the ring that compared to what he saw at Survivor Series.
Heyman says he has nothing but respect and admiration for AJ, which is why he thanked God when the match was made against Lesnar because it’s one thing to eat through an entire division but it’s another thing to step into the ring with AJ and show the world that you can conquer those hopes, those dreams, that intensity, that underdog.
Heyman says yes, Rocky lost at the end of the movie but he won the respect of the woman he loved. And AJ Styles continues to earn our respect every time he performs. Heyman says AJ just didn’t just perform, he fought and took the fight to The Beast like very few have. Heyman goes on and praises Lesnar as the reigning, defending, undisputed, #1 champion – then, now and forever.
Survivor Series is tomorrow night and the WWE has put together quite the card for professional wrestling fans. One of the premiere match-ups on the card is a bout between WWE Champion AJ Styles and Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW commentator Booker T recently took to his Houston sports radio show, Heated Conversations, to give his thoughts on the match.
The former WCW World Champion expressed his displeasure for the pairing, and also praised the now-former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal’s run. Here are the highlights:
AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar:
“As far as AJ Styles [vs.] Brock Lesnar; I don’t like that matchup. I don’t like that matchup. You know, Brock Lesnar is a beast. We know AJ Styles, they don’t call him the Phenomenal One for nothing… the guy is actually that good. But to step up to Brock Lesnar’s level, it’s almost like a middleweight going up against a heavyweight. A heavyweight that can move like a middleweight. So, that’s why I don’t like the balance of that one right there.”
Jinder Mahal:
“I think Jinder Mahal has had a great run. I think Jinder Mahal has brought legitimacy to the championship. I think with Jinder Mahal as champion, people look at the WWE Championship now as, you know, we gotta get the title off this guy. It’s almost like that Iron Sheik when he had it back in the day, and Hogan had to get it off of him. Drop the big leg drop, bring America the title back home. I like this dynamic. It’s almost like when Sgt. Slaughter had his heel run. People hated him. I love it. This is professional wrestling, what he’s doing… Jinder Mahal has done a great job, and I think he’s been a great champion.”
You can listen to Booker T on Heated Conversations by clicking here.
Since defeating Goldberg at Wrestlemania 34, Brock Lesnar has been considered a dominant Universal Champion who shouldn’t fear many other superstars. And when looking at some of the facts and figures, it’s hard to disagree.
Lesnar stands second in the table of longest world title reigns at 231 days, with CM Punk’s WWE Championship topping the list at 434 days. It’s also worth noting that both AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar became 2 time WWE Champions within 2 years of joining WWE.
However there are 2 other sets of statistics that creates even more anticipation.
Brock Lesnar has never been defeated in a 1-1 match that features a new opponent since Goldberg in 2012.
Brock Lesnar has never won at Survivor Series.
So whether Lesnar wins or not, history will be made on Sunday’s Survivor Series. If AJ Styles wins, he would have become the first person since 2012 to defeat Brock Lesnar in their first 1-1 attempt. If Brock Lesnar wins though, he’ll have broken his Survivor Series Curse which currently stands at 3 defeats out of 3 appearances.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look back at those 3 defeats to remind ourselves that Lesnar may not be invincible as his recent dominance has shown.
2002 – Brock Lesnar VS The Big Show
“Brock Lesnar’s never been pinned; Brock Lesnar’s never submitted.” (Michael Cole’s commentary during this match)
This match lasted 4 minutes 18 seconds, it is surprisingly short. But it contains a shocking betrayal at it’s heart which prevents Brock from securing the win after performing an F5 on The Big Show. Paul Heyman pulls the referee out of the ring while he is counting Brock’s pin. The Big Show then uses a steel chair, that Heyman introduced to the ring, to defeat Brock Lesnar and gain the WWE title.
Thankfully this is ancient history for Brock Lesnar, and Paul Heyman won’t be interfering – at least not to help AJ Styles. I would count this as an unfortunate defeat for Lesnar as it wasn’t necessarily his fault, he was stabbed in the back by those around him.
The other bonus for Brock is that AJ Styles won’t weight the same as The Big Show, so performing an F5 on The Phenomenal One should be easier!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4aLwOR2WYI
2003 – Team Angle VS Team Lesnar
Survivor Series 2003 is an example of Brock Lesnar losing clean. Not only does he submit, his whole team loses.
Team Lesnar: Brock Lesnar, The Big Show, A-Train, Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan
Team Angle: Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, JBL, Hardcore Holly, John Cena
Hardcore Holly got disqualified early on in the match, beginning the comeback tale. Cue a mid-match surge from Kurt Angle and a Crippler Crossface from Chris Benoit on Brock Lesnar, with a John Cena finish and there is the underdog team winning in a crowd pleasing fashion.
The key factor here: John Cena. Lesnar made a play early on to get Cena on his team which didn’t work out as Cena solidified himself as a face within the company, joining Team Angle.
Sunday’s Survivor Series match was carded as Heel Champion vs Heel Champion with Jinder Mahal; however it has now become Heel Champion vs Face Champion, giving the crowd a clear direction for their support which should help create an entertaining atmosphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ2kFGda9i4
2016 – Brock Lesnar VS Goldberg
It seems like only yesterday. A highly anticipated showdown, with a build up to match it, and it was over in a flash. It’s almost the opposite to Brock’s match this year, which has had minimal build up in comparison due to the late change to the card.
While this match in 2016’s Survivor Series was another clean defeat, it started Brock on a path that would end up leading him to WrestleMania 33 and the Universal Championship. In the grand scheme, this was a necessary defeat to enable a greater overall victory and dominant reign.
Within the WWE Universe, it’s clear to say that lack of preparation and strategy lead to Lesnar’s demise. Since AJ Styles is very different to the likes of Goldberg, Jinder Mahal, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns, Brock will want to make sure he’s done his homework.
In theory is appears as though Lesnar would be able to send AJ to Suplex City with an express ticket, which suggests that Styles will adopt a long-play game plan. I do see Brock VS AJ Styles lasting over 15 minutes as AJ will look to tire out Brock rather than throwing the kitchen sink at him. If AJ wins, I wouldn’t be surprised if it came through a submission.
Brock Lesnar seems like one of the least approachable WWE Superstars of all time, and it’s a rarity to see him interact with fans when making his entrance or exit from the WWE ring. Last night’s appearance on Monday Night RAW was a bit different for “The Beast,” however, as he shook the hand of a young fan in the front row on his way up the ramp.
He shook the hand of another young fan behind him – before swerving the extended hand of an adult female fan after the second child. Check out the hilarious interaction here below:
– As noted, Triple H returned to WWE RAW on this week’s Survivor Series go-home edition and announced himself as the fifth member of the men’s Team RAW for the 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match at Sunday’s pay-per-view. Team RAW will now feature Team Captain Kurt Angle, Triple H, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe vs. Team SmackDown’s Captain Shane McMahon, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Triple H named himself to the team after Jason Jordan was removed following an injury angle at the hands of Bray Wyatt earlier in the show. Below is video from the segment with Triple H, featuring a Pedigree to Jordan:
– There was no dark main event following this week’s RAW in Atlanta due to the closing segment, which saw Braun Strowman powerslam Kane through the ring. For what it’s worth, WWE and the Philips Arena had Braun vs. Roman Reigns in a Street Fight plus Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar advertised locally.
– WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar appeared with Paul Heyman on this week’s RAW to address Sunday’s Survivor Series match and his new opponent, WWE Champion AJ Styles. Styles took to Twitter during RAW and tweeted the following on the match:
This isn’t a movie. It’s not a fairytale. It’s the Beast vs a man who’s never stepped down from a fight in his life. See ya Sunday, Brock. https://t.co/pZ6SZSp6k7
– Two WWE fans were engaged to be married during tonight’s WWE RAW from Atlanta, Georgia. WWE posted this video of the “she said yes!” chant during the segment with Paul Heyman and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, and Heyman’s reaction:
– It was announced at tonight’s RAW from Atlanta that WWE NXT will be running live events from Center Stage, the former home of WCW Saturday Night, on Thursday January 4th, 2018 as well as Thursday, February 1st and Friday, February 2nd. PWInsider reports that the yellow brand will be taping TV episodes on those dates. NXT has ran non-televised live events at Center Stage in the past.
– Below is a new promo for Wednesday’s Total Divas episode as Lana’s in-ring struggles continue:
WWE’s latest PPV offering Survivor Series is just over a week away and following the events of RAW and Smackdown the card has been changed dramatically, arguably for the better.
One of the marquee matches on the card is the 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination match between Team RAW and Team Smackdown. On the face of it this is a star studded bout and it throws up opportunities for some in ring confrontations that we haven’t seen in years.
One thing however that isn’t being discussed is best summed up in a tweet I read earlier this week:
Randy Orton is the youngest in Team SD. 37 years old.
Now, looking at the match from an overarching standpoint you can clearly see that (relatively) recently promoted NXT stars Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe and Jason Jordan are in this bout, which is a bonus and a clear indication that the WWE is looking to promote newer stars on both sides of their brand split…but while Shinsuke, Bobby and Joe are new to the WWE fan base they are in the later stages of their career.
The fact that Jason Jordan is the only performer in this bout still in his twenties should be of concern to WWE, it is pivotal for the company to be constantly evolving and to be looking for ‘the next big thing’….which leads me to the main event.
AJ Styles vs Brock Lesnar is a top drawer match, no doubt about it. When it was announced that Brock would be facing Jinder Mahal in the Survivor Series main event it saw a fairly tepid response from the WWE faithful and on paper AJ is certainly a better foe for Brock on the 19th. But what is important to remember is the fact that both AJ and Brock are now both 40 years old, Jinder Mahal is 31.
I completely understand that Jinder did not set the world alight when he held the WWE Championship, and I can appreciate that while AJ may be 40 he could feasibly still perform at a top level for at least another 4-5 years. What concerns me as a longtime WWE fan is the fact that they are just not building younger stars and are now starting to purely rely on independent performers who they can cherry pick from the worldwide scene to plug the gap.
When you look at the current crop of ‘homegrown’ top level WWE performers, I’m talking John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, you have to consider the age at which they debuted on television:
John Cena – Smackdown June 27th 2002: 25 Years Old
Kurt Angle – Heat March 7th 1999: 30 Years Old
Brock Lesnar – RAW March 18th 2002: 24 Years Old
Randy Orton – Smackdown April 25th 2002: 22 Years Old
Compare this to the recently promoted top stars of RAW and Smackdown and you have a real disparity there. I might be unfair in my assessment, I am comparing today’s crop of stars to one of the most unique and stacked group of performers from the old OVW territory back in the early 2000s…however the issue is truly evident when you take this final point into consideration:
In the 5-on-5 match, who is the one performer that seems out of place and hasn’t been given the same push as the others? If you said Jason Jordan then we’re on the same wave length. Jordan is a younger talent that needs to be built in this match, otherwise what is the point?
You may completely disagree with me, or you may agree that the ageing main event roster is a bubble that will eventually burst and cause a tremendous ripple effect on the WWE product…either way I want to hear from you in the comments.
– With AJ Styles defeating Jinder Mahal on SmackDown Live to become the new WWE Champion, he is set to take on Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series later this month for the PPV’s RAW vs. SmackDown angle. WWE is hyping up “The Beast’s” response to Styles replacing Mahal in the match at Monday’s go-home RAW in Atlanta. WWE made the following announcement:
The Beast Incarnate sounds off on The Phenomenal One
Jinder Mahal might have been the one to throw down the gauntlet for a Champion vs. Champion Match against Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, but it will be new WWE Champion AJ Styles who stands in the path of The Beast Incarnate next Sunday night in Houston.
Following The Phenomenal One’s defeat of The Modern Day Maharaja on SmackDown LIVE in Manchester, U.K., Lesnar and his associate Paul Heyman now look to invite an entirely different potential resident to Suplex City at WWE’s fall classic.
Most “don’t want none” from Styles, but The Phenomenal One has never faced anyone like The Conqueror. Styles had best be watching with the rest of us when Lesnar and Heyman make their red brand return.
– WWE Superstar John Cena took to Twitter to promote the release of his new movie “Daddy’s Home 2” which hits theaters today. Cena will reprise his role from the first film as he co-stars alongside Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow and more:
The cast of @DaddysHome is absolutely incredible. Funny, charming, & such a pleasure to work with. I think they’ve made something everyone will enjoy. It’s out TODAY in theaters! https://t.co/AeOLzOGCf6
AJ Styles is your new WWE Champion after defeating Jinder Mahal at Tuesday’s SmackDown Live from Manchester, England. Following the win, WWE officially announced that the main event of next weekend’s Survivor Series pay-per-view will see Styles vs. Brock Lesnar in a Champion vs. Champion battle.
With that match set, here’s the updated card for WWE Survivor Series:
Champion vs. Champion
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Champion AJ Styles
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Team Captain Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Jason Jordan vs. Team Captain Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, TBA
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
Team Captain Alicia Fox, Nia Jax, Asuka, Sasha Banks, TBA vs. Team Captain Becky Lynch, Carmella, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Charlotte Flair
Champion vs. Champion
Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. United States Champion Baron Corbin
RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya
RAW vs. SmackDown
RAW Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match
Kalisto vs. Enzo Amore
Last night on RAW, General Manager Kurt Angle confirmed several big RAW vs. SmackDown matches for next month’s Survivor Series, including the Champion vs. Champion main event between Brock Lesnar and Jinder Mahal. Later in the show, Brock Lesnar’s advocate Paul Heyman delivered a masterful promo formally accepted Mahal’s challenge on his client’s behalf.
Following up on a report from PWInsider, Wrestling Observer Radio confirms WWE in fact planning to add a special guest referee for the match. John Cena was a name that was mentioned as a possibility and Bryan Alvarez noted that would make sense in order to set up a feud between Cena and Mahal down the road.
Other names have floated around, however, the job will most likely go to Cena because the other names being considered most likely don’t want to work the match. Bryan Alvarez speculated that Goldberg or Undertaker could fill the role, but Dave Meltzer shot that idea down because both men have already feuded with Lesnar and he doesn’t see them back in WWE any time soon.
With Jinder Mahal being a questionable opponent for The Beast, the dynamic of a guest referee would add some much needed intrigue to the match. Mahal is on record saying that he wants to face John Cena at WrestleMania, so Cena refereeing his match against Lesnar could be used as a vehicle to set up that eventual showdown.
Discussion: Who would you like to see as the Special Guest Referee for Lesnar vs. Mahal?
As we’ve previously reported, it is expected that WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will meet at the WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view (PPV) from Houston, Texas next month.
Mahal called “The Beast” out on this past Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live, and Lesnar is expected to respond to “The Modern Day Maharaja’s” challenge on RAW next week. Per a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE officials have discussed doing a WWE Champion vs. Universal Champion match for some time. It is not, however, considered to be a major match by officials backstage. This will simply give Lesnar the opportunity to be on a major show and set something bigger up for him down the road.
It is expected that inaugural Universal Champion Finn Balor will be Lesnar’s next opponent, likely at The Royal Rumble this January. “The Beast” is still expected to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34 in April. As for the finish to Lesnar vs. Mahal the WON notes that nothing is concrete yet but it makes no sense for Lesnar to lose to Mahal given his victories over Goldberg, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman. If Mahal loses, however, it makes SDL look like the ‘B show.’ A DQ or No Contest finish is very possible but WWE fans usually don’t take too kindly to these at major events.
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal’s ‘big announcement’ that he was hyping for SmackDown turned out to be what’s been rumored since last week – he wants to face Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series.
AJ Styles interrupted Mahal after the challenge to Lesnar was issued, kicking off what could be the next top feud on SmackDown.
Later in the evening, WWE revealed that Brock Lesnar will respond to Jinder Mahal’s challenge next week on RAW.
Should Lesnar accept this Champion vs. Champion Match challenge, the WWE Universe will bear witness to a battle of brand supremacy at WWE Survivor Series on Sunday, Nov. 19. How will The Anomaly respond?
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar successfully defended his title against Braun Strowman last month at No Mercy. As of this writing, Lesnar does not have a title defense scheduled for next weekend’s Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view.
It’s been rumored that Lesnar’s next opponent would be Finn Balor, but Dave Meltzer reports that WWE has another opponent in the works for Survivor Series on November 18th.
According to Meltzer, the current plan is for Lesnar to face WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in the main event of next month’s inter-brand PPV. Even though both men currently hold the two top titles on RAW and SmackDown, this Champion vs. Champion showdown would be a non-title match.
Author’s Opinion:
If Lesnar vs. Mahal is the plan, it’s obvious that no other superstar will be getting the WWE Championship before Survivor Series on November 19th. This actually extends itself to the beginning of December as Jinder will be defending his title against Kevin Owens on the tour of India.
The same can also be said for Brock Lesnar and the Universal Championship, however Lesnar has appeared a lot more secure in his title reign which is no surprise.
The Survivor Series main event plan can also shed light on WWE’s hopes for Jinder and his injury. WWE must be pretty confident that Jinder Mahal can hold himself together with his injury to face Brock Lesnar, but it seems like a big risk with little reward.
The main question from this plan is, who would win? On paper it seems like an easy win for Brock Lesnar, but how happy would the company be with the WWE champion being swept aside like trash in Suplex City?
The Ultimate Author’s Opinion:
Being brutally honest, it comes across as a match no one asked for. It works with the theme of Survivor Series, but the names on the card are wrong.
We’ve got an update on Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract, courtesy of this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Lesnar’s deal expires after WrestleMania 34 and the belief is that WWE has certain rights to Lesnar that will go through the first week of August 2018 if a new deal is not signed. This explains UFC President Dana White’s recent comments that Lesnar won’t be available until next summer, several months after WM34.
Regarding the rumors of Lesnar possibly returning to UFC to fight Jon Jones, the general feeling is that fight won’t be happening due to Jones’ issues stemming from his latest failed drug test.
The Observer adds that while WWE has ties to WME IMG, parent company of UFC, WWE’s relationship with UFC is complicated. Dana White is on very good terms with Triple H, but the situation with Vince McMahon is complicated.
MMA Weekly noted that White appeared on The Dan LeBatard Show this week and said he doesn’t believe WWE would allow Lesnar to fight again while he’s under contract. Vince allowed Lesnar to work UFC 200 last July, but but WWE ended up looking bad after Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance.
Dana White commented, They didn’t want to do that again. You saw what happened last time he was under contract and it doesn’t look good for anybody.”
Visit f4wonline for details on how you can subscribe to the Wrestling Observer.
