WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is in the final year of his current WWE deal and even he might not know what will happen as free agency approaches.
After returning to WWE back in 2015, it’s been widely reported that Lesnar signed deal that would keep him under contract through WrestleMania 34, which takes place on April 8th, 2018. With a possible departure taking place right after WrestleMania, a likely scenario would see Brock Lesnar putting over Roman Reigns on his way out.
According to UFC President Dana White, Lesnar will still have several months with WWE after WrestleMania 34 comes around.
During an interview with Dan Le Batard of ESPN, UFC President Dana White revealed that Brock Lesnar’s WWE deal actually runs through August 2018. White would have insider knowledge of Brock Lesnar’s contractual status since Lesnar was rumored to be training for a return to the Octagon against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
White told Dan Le Batard, “Well Lesnar was still under contract to the WWE until next August. Who knows what would have happened. I don’t count my chickens any more, I’ll tell you that. They didn’t want to do that again. You saw what happened the last time he was under contract (and fought).”
Plans for a Brock Lesnar vs. Jon Jones dream fight have been scrapped since Jones tested positive for the steroid Turinabol after defeating Daniel Cormier for the Light Heavyweight title this summer at UFC 214. Jones’ win was later overturned, the fight was ruled a no contest and Jones was stripped of the belt.
With a UFC return effectively off the table, WWE fans’ favorite Beast will be handing out first class tickets to Suplex City through next summer.
Back in 2004 Brock Lesnar initially decided to leave WWE in order to pursue a career in the National Football League (NFL), which was short-lived after a stint with the Minnesota Vikings was ended when “The Beast” was cut from the team just before the start of the regular season that year. He then journeyed to Japan to work for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) where he would win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, in addition to beginning his mixed martial arts (MMA) career and fighting several times in the UFC.
Former WWE writer Court Bauer recently did an interview with Wrestling Inc. to promote the MLW: One-Shot event, and revealed the idea WWE had for Lesnar’s return to the company in 2005 – which obviously never ended up happening:
“I really liked the Brock and Batista because of the parallels going back to OVW. It was a classic, traditional Vince McMahon collision course of two massive forces. It was a big money match. Batista needed something different to shake things up for him and Brock Lesnar could have really fit that mold rather well.
“We were going to have him leave a trail of wreckage until Batista said, ‘That’s enough. You’re on my turf. I’m going to put down this great white shark’.
“Someone asked Vince point-blank is he in fact coming back and we got the answer to not factor Brock Lesnar into our plans for the immediate future. That was Vince’s very firm way of saying we’re not doing business with him at the moment.”
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar returned to action at Saturday night’s RAW-brand live event from Winnipeg, Canada. It was his first match since successfully defending the gold against Braun Strowman at No Mercy.
Lesnar’s advocate Paul Heyman introduced his client and got rouse out of the live crowd by announcing that Lesnar is fighting out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
In a rare non-televised match, The Beast Incarnate squared off against Sheamus. As seen in this clip below, Brock Lesnar came to fight and showed off his strength and agility by tossing the Celtic Warrior around like a rag doll.
The main event saw Roman Reigns squaring off against Braun Strowman. Neville challenged Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore and Alexa Bliss put the RAW Women’s Championship on the line in a Fatal 5 Way match.
Here are complete results from #WWEWinnipeg (9/30/17):
Finn Bálor defeated Bray Wyatt.
Nevile defeated WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore via disqualification.
Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews defeated Elias and Dash Wilder.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose defeated Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel to retain their RAW Tag Team Titles.
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar defeated Sheamus.
Alexa Bliss defeated Bayley, Emma, Sasha Banks, and Mickie James to retain her RAW Women’s Title.
The Miz defeated Jason Jordan to retain his Intercontinental Title.
The finish of the match between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman at No Mercy was surprising to many as people did not expect Strowman to be pinned after just one F5.
The way WWE had built The Monster Among Men, fans believed that he would pull some more offense and some even believed that he could end up winning the title. So when he lost, it made them wonder if the company changed the original plans for this match.
Though according to reports from F4Wonline.com, the finish wasn’t changed and the match between Strowman and Lesnar went as the Officials had originally planned.
Furthermore, it’s being said that despite the rising popularity of the former Wyatt Family Member, his match with Brock was always seen as just a stop in The Beast’s road to WrestleMania.
The current plans for Lesnar are still to keep the Universal title on him till WrestleMania 34 so he could drop it to Roman Reigns at the Show Of Shows next year.
It’s worth mentioning here that Braun Strowman was originally supposed to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at the Great Balls Of Fire PPV earlier this year.
These plans were nixed after Strowman suffered a legit elbow injury and Samoa Joe ended up facing the Universal Champion at the event instead.
While it hasn’t been very long since Brock Lesnar overcame the challenge of Braun Strowman and retained his Universal Championship at No Mercy, people have already started speculating about his next opponent.
During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer talked about the Beast and revealed the name who could possibly be next person to challenge for the Universal Championship.
Dave mentioned that the first ever Universal Champion Finn Balor may finally get his rematch for the title he never lost against Brock at Survivor Series or Royal Rumble PPV.
According to him, WWE originally had plans for both Seth Rollins and Finn Balor to challenge for the title before WrestleMania 34. Since Rollins is busy in a storyline with Dean Ambrose, the most likely person next in line for a shot at the Universal title is Balor.
Though it’s worth mentioning here that Lesnar is expected to hold the belt for a while and drop it to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34 next year.
So even if Finn does end up being the next opponent of Brock Lesnar, he is not expected to win the title and instead, he will most likely be just another stop on Lesnar’s road to WrestleMania, much like Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman.
Paul Heyman spoke with Mike Rome backstage at No Mercy after Brock Lesnar’s successful WWE Universal Championship defense against Braun Strowman.
Rome asked how close Strowman was to victory and Heyman admitted the Monster almost conquered the Beast. Brock Lesnar respects no one, not even him, but he respects Braun Strowman’s size, strength, ability and talent.
Heyman says Braun Strowman will be champion one day – but he hopes it’s on SmackDown, because he never wants to see Braun standing on the other side of the ring from him or Brock Lesnar again.
Heyman says Lesnar is not once in a generation or once in a lifetime, he’s once ever. There’s no one that has ever compared to Lesnar in the history of the world and Heyman says Lesnar backs up all the praise that he gets.
Heyman says he proved that he can back it up by taking the biggest and the most deserving Superstar to Suplex City, hitting him with a F5 and pinning him.
WWE No Mercy 2017 aired last night from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Brock Lesnar defended his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman in the main event. In a match many thought was reserved for WrestleMania, John Cena faced Roman Reigns for the very first time. Here are my five takeawys from last night’s PPV:
Cesaro Is Tough As Hell
Cesaro and Sheamus faced Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins last night at No Mercy for the RAW Tag Team Championships. During the match, Dean Ambrose catapulted Cesaro into the ring post. Cesaro smashed face-first into the post and completely messed up his front teeth. Cesaro got medical attention next to the ring but was back on the ring apron awaiting a tag only a minute later. Cesaro is one of the most talented performers on WWE’s roster and is a true professional. He went on to finish the remaining 10+ minutes of the match. Sheamus & Cesaro fell short at No Mercy, but their match with Ambrose and Rollins stole the show.
Nia Jax Is Ready To Become Champion
Alexa Bliss defended her RAW Women’s Championship in a Fatal 5-Way against Bayley, Emma, Sasha Banks and Nia Jax. Alexa Bliss won the match and retained her title, but Nia Jax was the best part of this match. She showed off her strength by hitting a Samoan Drop on Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss at the same time. Jax got Powerbombed off the ring apron and crashed to the floor. It was announced that Asuka is making her debut on the RAW roster at WWE TLC 2017 on October 22nd. Asuka and Nia Jax have battled down in NXT, but Nia has improved a ton since then. I can’t wait to see the two battle again on the main roster and hopefully for the RAW Women’s Championship.
The Cruiserweight Division Doesn’t Matter
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Enzo Amore defeated Neville last night at WWE No Mercy to become the new Cruiserweight Champion. He won the match after hitting a low-blow on Neville and then rolling him up for the pinfall. The match was astonishingly bad and when the crowd decided to make noise, they chanted “boring!”.
Neville destroyed the entire Cruiserweight Division but was made to look like an idiot last night at No Mercy. He had the match won numerous times, but ultimately decided to not go for the Red Arrow because the crowd cheered as he climbed the turnbuckle. It wound up costing him and he lost the much.
Enzo Amore is sometimes funny while cutting promos. He is never going to be good in the ring. WWE failed to build up anyone else on the 205 Live roster. Quite literally every single one of them is a better wrestler than Enzo Amore. However, thanks to WWE’s failures to build anyone up, Enzo Amore is now the Cruiserweight Champion. How is 205 Live doin? Not too good.
Braun Strowman’s Future Is Still Bright
Braun Strowman delivering a Running Powerslam to Brock Lesnar at WWE No Mercy 2017. (Photo Credit: WWE.com)
Brock Lesnar defeated Braun Strowman last night in the main event of WWE No Mercy. The match was hyped up well for the past few weeks on RAW, but it wound up being just a decent match. Strowman had shown that he could dominate Lesnar on RAW recently and when he slammed him through two announce tables at SummerSlam. Even though Strowman lost tonight, it remains clear to me that Strowman is going to be integral part of WWE’s future.
I think he is already at the point where he should regularly be in the main event of WWE PPVs. While WWE might have other plans for now, there is no denying that Strowman has become a household name. Strowman lost tonight but he’ll be right back in the hunt for the Universal Championship in no time.
Roman Reigns Is The Guy
Roman Reigns after his victory over John Cena at WWE No Mercy 2017. (Photo Credit: WWE.com)
Whether you like it or not, Roman Reigns is “the guy” in WWE. I’m not a big fan of it myself, but it obvious that WWE is not going to shy away from pushing Roman Reigns at all costs. He defeated John Cena last night at No Mercy in a match that I thought would have been saved for WrestleMania. Cena raised Roman Reigns’ hand after the match and then went on RAW Talk and praised him some more.
Cena said that a burden was taken off his shoulders after his loss to Reigns. Cena also stated that Roman Reigns proved to him that he was in fact “the guy” over the past month leading up to last night’s match. Cena even became emotional during his appearance on RAW Talk and last night’s match clearly showed that Roman Reigns is without a doubt the top guy in WWE. He is the Big Dog and WWE appears to be his yard going forward for a long time.
WWE No Mercy is finally upon us. Tonight, WWE presents one of the most highly anticipated ‘brand exclusive’ pay-per-views in recent memory. The card features two WrestleMania caliber matches, with John Cena squaring off against Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman.
Lesnar vs. Strowman is one of the most hotly anticipated Universal Title matches since the belt’s inception. Lesnar will be tested by the most physically intimidating challenger of his reign and the one man on the WWE roster who can manhandle him like he dominates the rest of the WWE roster.
Many have predicted that the belt will change hands tonight and I am here to give you 3 reasons why it shouldn’t.
Brock vs Reigns SHOULD happen at Wrestlemania Next Year
There are times where the obvious choice is the right one. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns are the only men to ever defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and both men took each other to the absolute limit at Wrestlemania 31 before Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and ‘stole’ the WWE Title.
It makes perfect storyline sense, but I can see why fans would be hesitant to see a Wrestlemania main event where the ‘company man’ Reigns comes out on top once again. Still, this is the match that should, and most likely will, happen.
Braun Isn’t At That Level Yet
Braun Strowman
Hear me out, there have been many times that WWE has put a title on someone FAR too early. Braun Strowman has been on an incredible hot streak over the past year, it is amazing to think how much he has improved physically and technically in ring since his debut in the Wyatt family but I believe that this would be the wrong time for his first ever Universal Title reign.
I can see the reasoning behind a Braun win tonight, a top champion that appears on RAW every week would be a refreshing change of pace but you need to ask yourself this question: “how important is the belt now?” If your answer isn’t “very,” then we have very differing mindsets.
Compare the stature of the Universal Title to that of the WWE Title and it’s champion Jinder Mahal, Brock Lesnar is a part time performer and he feels that much more special when he makes appearances, would you be willing to give that up just for Braun to have a run that more than likely gets derailed at Wrestlemania next year or even before?
The timing just feels completely off to me.
It’s Only The First Match of The Feud
Photo Credit : WWE.com
This is probably the point that is most convincing. Brock and Braun are two powerhouses and as mentioned before Braun is the only Superstar to match and even surpass Brock in terms of strength since Brock’s win against Goldberg.
I don’t think that Brock will win clean tonight, in fact I believe that a Brock Lesnar who has to eek out a win against the physically intimidating Strowman puts him in a unique position. Imagine a Survivor Series main event where Brock goes in as a true underdog for the first time in this run, where The ‘Beast Incarnate’ is reduced to taking shortcuts akin to his advocate Paul Heyman?
I for one would love to see that side of Brock and to make him feel ‘human.’
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What do you think? Is Brock retaining tonight? Let us know in the comments.
We are just 2 days away from the No Mercy PPV and it’s possible you may have chosen your favorite to win the match between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman. However, it appears that the company is yet to decide the winner of this bout.
During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez talked about one of the two main events for the show and revealed that there is something odd about it.
According to the Wrestling Journalist currently there are two times listed for the Universal title bout in the run sheet for the event, which indicates that Officials haven’t decided the outcome of the match yet:
“Basically, there are two times listed for the main event. That doesn’t mean they’re gonna mean they’re gonna do a finish and have another match. Basically, Vince hasn’t decided what to do yet or he has decided but he doesn’t want anyone to know.”
Continuing on the topic he said that it likely means that Mr. McMahon will decide the outcome of the title match on the day of the event itself:
“And so I think that he’s gonna make his decision late in the day on Sunday. So I guess maybe don’t put any money on that match if you think you know what the finish is because I think that’s gonna be one of those top-secret finishes style matches.”
While many believe that it’s too early for Braun Strowman to hold the Universal Championship, the way WWE has built him in the past few months; it shouldn’t be a surprise if he ends up defeating Lesnar at the PPV.
Though what actually happens and who walks out as the champion after No Mercy will only be revealed this Sunday. You can check out our prediction for the PPV here.
WWE promoted big attractions for this week’s RAW and SmackDown Live shows, but the events did not draw the attendance the company was hoping for.
Monday’s RAW from Anaheim, California featured the first-ever John Cena vs. Braun Strowman singles match, the latest verbal altercation between Cena and Roman Reigns and an appearance from Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. The show drew just 7,000 fans. (via f4wonline.com)
How long until this becomes a genuine concern for wwe. Absolutely embarrassing attendance for a #RAWpic.twitter.com/0gTK2tOCTQ
Tuesday’s Smackdown Live from Las Vegas drew an even smaller audience. Despite the advertised return of Mr. McMahon, three title matches and the finals of the Mae Young Classic, the Thomas and Mack Center had only only 4000 paid fans.
While No Mercy is still 2 weeks away, WWE has already started advertising for the next Raw Exclusive PPV after the upcoming show, TLC.
The company recently also updated the official page for the upcoming show on WWE.com including details of the stars appearing on the PPV, though interestingly several top stars are missing from the list.
The superstars who are notably missing from the advertisement includes the ‘Free Agent’ John Cena, the current Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and most surprisingly, Braun Strowman.
While it’s hard to make out anything of the fact that they are not being advertised for the show at this point, it hasn’t stopped people from speculating what it could mean for the future of these stars and many believe that they may end up not appearing on the PPV at all.
Out of these three, Lesnar is already on a part time schedule and John Cena is also taking more time off than ever so it’s would not be much of a surprise if these two take time off from the company in upcoming time.
However, it would be really shocking if Strowman ends up not being a part of the event as he is a full-time roster member and the company is pushing him as a big star.
Though there is still time before the TLC PPV and WWE can still add them to the show, so we should wait and watch if these Raw superstars actually end up missing the PPV.
WWE Superstar and ex-Universal Title challenger Samoa Joe recently did an interview with USA Today’s “For The Win.” “The Destroyer” discussed Brock Lesnar’s title reign on RAW as a part-time talent, which he made an interesting comparison to – WWE Hall Of Famer, and arguably the greatest Superstar in WWE history, Hulk Hogan:
“You go to the Hulk Hogan era reigns, and I definitely didn’t see him on TV every week,” Joe said. “There is a mystique to him not being on TV that much. When he does make appearances, it’s usually for purposeful reasons. That’s been the big theme for Brock. You hear he’s not here, but if you look back at the shows, he’s here when it counts and when I need to get my hands on him. As long as that still happens, I’m good with that.”
You can check out Joe’s full interview with USA Today’s “For The Win” by clicking here.
WWE Superstar Braun Strowman recently did an interview with Omaha World Herald to promote his upcoming Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at the upcoming No Mercy pay-per-view (PPV), and discussed a variety of professional wrestling topics. Strowman discussed what will be next for him in his WWE career, the reactions he gets from WWE fans, which Superstars he’d still like to share the ring with. Here’s the highlights from their conversation:
What’s next for him in his WWE career:
“Next is taking that title from Brock Lesnar. With no mercy. It’s no difference from any match to this. Give the crowd everything I have. The Monster will prevail.”
The reactions he gets from WWE fans:
“Oh man, that’s the whole thing. That’s everything. I talked with some of the older guys, the veterans and stuff. I can see why no one ever wants to leave this business. When you hit a big move or your music hits and you go out and 12,000 people lose their minds. I just gave myself goosebumps thinking about it. There’s no feeling that can match that. The power that you feel. I’m in control. Everyone’s looking at me. This is my time. It’s one of a kind.”
Which Superstar he still wants to share the ring with:
“Everyone. Send ’em all at the same time. I’m here to fight and here to put on a show.”
You can read “The Monster Amongst Men’s” interview with Omaha World Heraldhere.
Jon Jones has reportedly tested positive for an anabolic steroid, and is expected to be stripped of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. TMZ Sports reports that Jones is facing a ban from competition of up to four years – essentially ruling out a fight between Jones and Brock Lesnar.
Some fans had been hoping for a “dream fight” between Jones and Lesnar after the two recently made public comments about each other. Both before and after UFC 214, Jones indicated that he wants a piece of Lesnar. “Brock Lesnar, if you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy that weighs 40 pounds less than you, come meet me in the octagon,” Jones said after his UFC 214 victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg5r4jZyfdg
But that UFC 214 victory has now been stripped from Jones, along with the Light Heavyweight Title he won from Daniel Cormier after a third-round knockout. On weigh-in day for the fight Jones tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid, making this his second failed USADA drug test. UFC President Dana White confirmed to ESPN that Jones has all-but-formally been stripped of the Title, and the formalities will likely be done soon.
The UFC issued the following statement about the news on Tuesday night:
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Jon Jones of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an in-competition sample collected following his weigh-in on July 28, 2017.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Jones, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) also retains jurisdiction over this matter as the sample collection was performed the day before Jones’ bout at UFC 214 in Anaheim, CA, and USADA will work to ensure that the CSAC has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Jones’ potential anti-doping violation.
Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”
Brock Lesnar will defend the WWE Universal Championship against Braun Strowman in the main event of next month’s RAW-branded No Mercy pay-per-view.
Lesnar and Paul Heyman opened Monday’s RAW and gloated about Lesnar’s victory in the Fatal 4 Way match at SummerSlam. Lesnar was interrupted by Strowman, who proceeded to manhandle The Beast like only he can.
Strowman delivered more punishment to Lesnar than anybody at SummerSlam and poses the biggest threat to his Universal title reign. Lesnar ultimately pinned Roman Reigns to retain his title on Sunday night, but the Beast will have nowhere to hide in less than five weeks.
WWE No Mercy takes place on Sunday night, September 24th from Los Angeles, CA at the STAPLES Center.
You can check out Strowman and Lesnar’s segment from RAW here:
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry over at his official website where he gives his thoughts on various topics. Here are the highlights:
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III:
“There is a discernable, unique vibe at NXT events that I have personally experienced from working at two, NXT Takeover events, in Chicago and in Brooklyn. The audience seemingly has made a strong emotional investment in the NXT talents and it shows.”
SummerSlam:
“Watched SummerSlam sunday night from my Norman, Oklahoma home and enjoyed it. Happy I invested the time to watch the pre game show and the main card even though the length of the overall presentation was a bit challenging in which to remain engaged for approximately 5+ hours. Again, I will discuss the entire Summer Slam week with Mike Johnson on the new Ross Report podcast that we will record Monday night after RAW.”
Brock Lesnar retaining the WWE Universal Title over Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman:
“I enjoyed the submission finishers utilized at various times on the show and the overall effort of the talents. The physicality of the Fatal Fourway was off the charts and, as I predicted, Lesnar retaining was the right thing to do and it is obvious that many fans want a Lesnar vs Strowman bout somewhere in the foreseeable future….Wrestlemania? Much more on this matter on the Ross Report.”
Ross also talked about Jim Cornette, Joey Ryan and more. You can read the blog here.
Brock Lesnar defended his Universal Championship at WWE SummerSlam against Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns in a Fatal 4-Way match.
Lesnar and Joe battled in the corner to start off the match. Strowman launched Reigns out of the ring as Lesnar connected with a Belly to Belly Suplex on Samoa Joe. Reigns shoved Strowman into the ring post outside the ring and then stared at Brock Lesnar. Reigns hopped up onto the ring apron and entered the ring with Lesnar.
Lesnar connected with a German Suplex to Reigns and then delivered one to Samoa Joe. Reigns and Joe rolled out of the ring as Braun Strowman entered the ring and started shouting at Lesnar. The crowd chanted “yes!” as Strowman and Lesnar had a stare down.
Reigns and Joe got into the ring but Lesnar and Strowman quickly knocked them to the outside. Lesnar grinned as he approached Strowman but Braun launched him into the corner and then Clotheslined him out of the ring. Reigns tried to Clothesline Strowman out of the ring but Braun shoved him away. Strowman charged at Reigns but missed and hit the ring post and fell out of the ring.
Joe applied the Coquina Clutch to Lesnar outside the ring. Reigns tried to Spear him but Joe got out of the way and Reigns Speared Lesnar through the barricade. Joe then slammed Reigns onto the table and Strowman launched Joe over the announce table. Braun then picked up Brock and hit a massive Running Powerslam through the announce table as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”.
Strowman rolled Joe into the ring and Reigns connected with a Drive By to Strowman. Joe then launched himself through the ropes and hit Reigns with a forearm outside the ring. Strowman then launched a computer chair at Reigns and Samoa Joe. Strowman cleared off another announce table and grabbed Brock Lesnar. Braun lifted Lesnar up again and planted him with another Running Powerslam through a second announce table.
Strowman then lifted up another announce table and dumped it onto Lesnar on the floor.
WWE officials called for a stretcher for Brock Lesnar. The crowd chanted “na-na-na-hey-hey-hey-goodbye” as Lesnar was stretchered away. Strowman hit Joe and Reigns with the steel steps and then casually threw the steps into the ring. Strowman brought Reigns to the ring and Roman connected with a couple of punches in the corner.
Reigns bashed Strowman with the steps three times and Braun fell out of the ring. Samoa Joe rolled up Reigns from behind for a two count. Joe then hit an inverted Atomic Drop and a running Senton for a two count. Roman planted Joe with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Reigns went for the Superman Punch but Joe booted him in the chest and then applied the Coquina Clutch. Strowman then got back into the ring and hit a double Chokeslam on Joe and Reigns.
Brock Lesnar then made his return and marched towards the ring. Lesnar took down Strowman and connected with several right hands. Brock then knocked Braun out of the ring. Lesnar hit a German Suplex onto Reigns and then another one onto Samoa Joe. Braun Strowman got back into the ring and Lesnar went for the Kimura Lock but Reigns hit him with a Superman Punch. Reigns then hit Joe and Strowman with a Superman Punch and leveled Lesnar with a Spear for a two count.
Roman geared up for another Spear but Samoa Joe applied the Coquina Clutch to Reigns from behind. Strowman then hit a Dropkick to break the hold and planted Samoa Joe with the Running Powerslam. Strowman went for the pinfall but Lesnar dragged the ref out of the ring before the three count.
Reigns delivered a Superman Punch to Lesnar outside the ring. Back in the ring, Reigns hit Strowman with a Superman Punch for a two count. Reigns went for a Spear but Strowman booted him in the face and planted him with a Running Powerslam. Strowman went for the cover but Lesnar broke it up.
Lesnar went for the F5 but Strowman blocked it and lifted Lesnar in the air. Reigns connected with a Spear on Strowman and Braun rolled out of the ring. Lesnar then lifted up Reigns but Samoa Joe got in the ring and threw Reigns out of the ring. Joe then locked in the Coquina Clutch on Brock Lesnar in the middle of the ring. Lesnar broke free and planted Joe with an F5 but Roman Reigns sprinted to the ring and broke up the cover.
Reigns hit Lesnar with a Superman Punch and then hit a second one. Reigns hit a third Superman Punch and then geared up in the corner. Reigns went for the Spear but Brock caught him and hit the F5 for the pinfall victory.
Whatever transpires in the Fatal 4 Way main event of SummerSlam, WWE’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will be on hand the following evening for Monday Night RAW.
In addition to Brock Lesnar putting the Universal title on the line against Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman, his advocate Paul Heyman announced that he and Lesnar will leave WWE if Brock is not victorious.
We’re already seeing people on social media taking Lesnar’s advertised RAW appearance as a spoiler, but Lesnar and Heyman could hypothetically appear on RAW to bid farewell to the WWE Universe in the event that Reigns, Joe or Strowman become champion.
Join us here this weekend for our Live Coverage of WWE SummerSlam.
Braun Strowman recently spoke with TV Insider to talk about various topics including his relationship with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and wrestling Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Samoa Joe in the Fatal 4-Way match at this Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event. Here are the highlights:
Competing in the Fatal 4-Way match at SummerSlam:
“Just to share the ring with guys like Brock [Lesnar], [Samoa] Joe and [Roman] Reigns. They have all been doing this a lot longer than I have. They have been around the world and done it all. To be able to be in the main event of SummerSlam, about two years to the day when I debuted on Monday Night Raw. If that doesn’t speak for itself. I don’t know what does. …Everyone can look forward to me holding the Universal Championship over my head at the end of it.”
His relationship with Vince McMahon:
“Vince has been adamant that everything I do be spot-on, and when it’s not, I know. That’s part of the reason I take pride in what I do and give 100 percent of what I am capable of giving. That’s because I know that not only are there millions of fans watching to make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, but the boss himself is watching, too. He is so hands-on and wants me to be a peak performance at all times.”
Strowman also talked about working with The Big Show and more. You can read the entire interview here.
The way WWE has pushed Braun Strowman in past several months, a one on one match between him and The Beast Brock Lesnar has become a dream clash for many WWE fans.
While this match was allegedly planned for Great Balls Of Fire, it couldn’t take place due to the Monster Among Men suffering an elbow injury during his match against Roman Reigns at Payback PPV earlier this year.
Though, it appears that WWE has not given up on a one on one encounter between these two monstrous athletes just yet and we may get to see a match between these two sooner rather than later.
During the latest instalment of Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer talked about this bout and said that he expects Strowman to face Lesnar in a singles match by the end of this year or at the Royal Rumble PPV next year.
Regarding the upcoming Fatal Four Way match for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam, Meltzer speculated that Lesnar could end up retaining his title opposed to the earlier speculations of him dropping the title.
If it does happen, Lesnar is likely to pin Samoa Joe for the win as a mean to protect both Strowman and Reigns. It has been reported previously that Brock is under WWE contract till WrestleMania 34.
With the buzz surrounding a potential UFC mega-fight between Brock Lesnar and Jon “Bones” Jones, several MMA pundits and fightershave come out against the prospect of Lesnar fighting again.
WWE’s Universal Champion returned to the Octagon last July at UFC 200 and defeated Mark Hunt by unanimous decision. That decision was later overturned and deemed a no-contest after Lesnar but it was overturned to a no-contest after Lesnar tested positive for hydroxy-clomiphene.
UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve says Lesnar is a cheater, should not be allowed to fight again and UFC allowing him to do so would be “the worst message UFC could ever send.”
During an appearance on Submission Radio, Struve said, “I think cheaters should not be in the UFC and I think the UFC made a big mistake last time by bringing Lesnar in and giving him a four-month exemption before his fight so that USADA wouldn’t test him for four months, which is a normal thing to do if you bring back a fighter. I believe that if he were to come back now he would have to go through six months of testing. So I’d be very curious how those six months go.”
In the event that Lesnar does get the green light to step in the Octagon one more time, Struve has no doubt that Jon Jones would be the winner.
“I think Jones beats him anyway,” Struve said. “Simple as that. Jones is too good of an athlete. I don’t think Lesnar gets a hold of him to take him down. Jones moves too well.”
Former NXT Champion and current WWE Universal Championship contender Samoa Joe is approaching his second shot at the coveted strap. Last month, Joe went one-on-one in the main event of the Great Balls Of Fire pay-per-view (PPV) for the Universal strap, however, “The Destroyer” came up just short. He’ll get his second crack at the title at SummerSlam in a Fatal Four-Way match against Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman.
Recently, Joe did an interview with The Mirror to promote SummerSlam and talk about working with Lesnar at Great Balls Of Fire. You can check out some highlights from their conversation here:
At Great Balls of Fire you faced Brock Lesnar in a first-time encounter, which you referred to in advance as a dream match. Aside from the result, did it live up to your expectations?
“Aside from the result, it was every bit the physical encounter I expected it to be. Brock is one of those special athletes, so everything in the ring is elevated to another level with him. I’m a very intense individual and I have no qualms in saying he definitely lives up to his hype as a very intense individual too. It was furious. It definitely lived up to the experience I thought it would be.”
Part of what made it so exciting I think is that you were seen and presented as a genuine threat to Brock, in a way that very few of his opponents are. Fans aren’t used to seeing somebody manhandle him like you did.
“Yeah and it’s also because Brock sees it that way. He knows what I’m capable of and what I can do in the ring. I think there is this false assumption that he’s really tone-deaf to the rest of the world, when really he’s probably, from what I’ve seen of how he has conducted himself, he is probably one of the most savvy businessmen in our industry, if not all combat sports. So he knew what he was getting into, who he was doing it with, and he understood the magnitude of what was going to go down and what kind of threat I presented to him. I think him being convinced if anything was what kind of lent more fire and hyper meaning to the match.”
You can read Joe’s full interview with The Mirrorat this link.
Following UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ win over Daniel Cormier at the UFC 214 pay-per-view (PPV) this past weekend (Sat. July 29, 2017), rumors have begun to pick up that WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar could be returning to mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in order to partake in a superfight against “Bones.”
Per Billi Bhatti of The Dirty Sheets podcast, “The Beast” will not be fighting in the UFC against Jones, or anybody for that matter, until the Summer of 2018 at the earliest. Lesnar will have to fulfill his WWE commitments first, which include main eventing the Royal Rumble this upcoming January, as well as competing at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans in April.
WWE also reportedly has no interest in allowing Lesnar to compete in the UFC while under contract with them due to the headache they received after he failed his United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug test last year following his UFC 200 unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt. Lesnar was under contract with WWE during that time, but they allowed him to compete anyway for the small cost of a little cross promotion.
WWE posted the following about Curt Hawkins incredible milestone of losing 100 matches in a row:
Curt Hawkins puts a unique spin on his 100-match losing streak
There have been many streaks in the history of sports-entertainment. Goldberg’s 173-match undefeated run in WCW, Asuka’s ongoing and record-shattering reign as NXT Women’s Champion and, of course, The Undertaker’s legendary WrestleMania Streak immediately spring to mind. And yet, there’s an altogether different brand of consistency that’s being talked about these days.
Curt Hawkins has lost 100 matches. In a row. His last win occurred on the Nov. 8, 2016, edition of SmackDown LIVE.
Indeed, after being pinned by Jason Jordan last week in the “gold-blooded” Superstar’s Raw debut, the “Captain” of the “Curt Hawkins Star FACTory” stretched his, well, defeated streak to 100 — the longest such stretch in the modern era.
Most Superstars would see triple digits in the “L” column as a sign to probably, maybe, change things up. Hawkins, however, sees things differently.
“One hundred matches, 100 stars made in my ‘Star FACTory,'” Hawkins told WWE.com. “I win every night, whether the stats say it or not. I make stars, It’s what I do.”
Finn Bálor is among those stars “made” by Hawkins, and the first-ever Universal Champion was quick to “congratulate” the Queens, N.Y. native on Instagram.
With 100 straight losses under his belt, who’s the next star to be made in Hawkins’ “Star FACTory”?
“Probably Brock. He’s dodging me,” Hawkins revealed. “I’ve invited him many times on Twitter.”
Randy Orton continues to retweet comments mocking WWE
WWE Creative Humor has apparently become Randy Orton’s favorite Twitter account. As noted earlier, Orton recently retweeted one of their posts that mocked WWE’s gimmick matches:
"I'll fight you. Just no Punjabi Prison Matches or House of Horrors or Flag Matches or any other bullshit matches" – @RandyOrton#SDLive
— WWE Creative Humor (a sub of TKO Creative Humor) (@WWECreative_ish) August 2, 2017
Last night, Orton comments on the following tweet and stated that he found it funny. The tweet poked fun at WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar always seeming to have rumors circulating around him that he is going to leave WWE:
Rumors have begun to circulate as of late claiming that WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar could be departing WWE in favor of returning to mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in the UFC soon. Lesnar is rumored to be targeted for a superfight against current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Paul Heyman fueled these rumors this past Monday on RAW hen he threatened Lesnar would leave WWE if he loses the Universal Championship at SummerSlam.
Dave Meltzer recently reported that if Lesnar does, in fact, fight Jones down the road it will have to wait until Summer of next year. Lesnar still needs to re-enter the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug testing pool. If he does that today, he could be eligible to return by January of 2018. “The Beast” is currently serving a year long suspension after failing a USADA drug test following his UFC 200 unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt. The win was later overturned to a No Contest as a result.
Furthermore, Meltzer reports that Lesnar is under contract with WWE through WrestleMania 34, and is all but confirmed to be headlining the 2018 Royal Rumble come January. Another WWE source also claimed that Lesnar is 100 percent confirmed for WrestleMania 34. This meaning that Lesnar would be needed on WWE from January through March to build up his WrestleMania match. If he still desires to fight after WrestleMania, he could need a few months for a proper training camp, placing his Octagon return date around June of 2018.
