Its been an interesting time over on SmackDown Live’s women’s division lately. Lana made her SmackDown debut this past Tuesday (June 6, 2017) and found herself in a SmackDown Live Women’s Title match against Naomi at the Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV) later this month.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that although Lana is currently supposed to be a heel on Tuesday nights, she will almost certainly be a babyface due to the gimmick she is currently working. It was also noted that Lana is basically working the role that was supposed to be for Eva Marie, who is now focusing on acting and isn’t returning to the company.

As for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, he is currently set to defend his title against Samoa Joe at the Great Balls Of Fire PPV on July 9th. The match is being widely regarded as a dream match for most professional wrestling fans, and it’ll all go down from the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisianna. The Observer noted that “The Beast” is set to face Braun Strowman at SummerSlam in August, and WWE officials are planning to do Lesnar vs. Finn Balor as well as Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins before the former UFC champ takes on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34.

We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available….

Last night on RAW, the newly crowned #1 contender Samoa Joe brutally attacked Brock Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman. Samoa Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch until Heyman passed out in the middle of the ring.

This was for you, @BrockLesnar…@SamoaJoe sends a huge message to his #WWEGBOF opponent by locking @HeymanHustle in a #CoquinaClutch. #RAW pic.twitter.com/6L34lfG3l6

— WWE (@WWE) June 6, 2017

During the final hour of last night’s RAW, Paul Heyman received a call backstage from Brock Lesnar. Heyman said that Lesnar should show up on RAW next week and confront Samoa Joe.

"I think it's time that we unleash THE BEAST!" – @HeymanHustle appears to urge #UniversalChampion @BrockLesnar to show up on #RAW next week! pic.twitter.com/6Des3KMx3y

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) June 6, 2017

WWE is currently hyping Lesnar’s return to RAW next week and posted the following on their website:

Samoa Joe showed no fear when he trapped Paul Heyman in the Coquina Clutch on Raw, but next Monday night, he’ll have to answer to Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar hasn’t been seen on Raw since the night after he captured Team Red’s most prestigious prize from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33, but now that he has a No. 1 contender in The Samoan Submission Machine — who painfully attacked Lesnar’s advocate this week — The Beast Incarnate has decided to resurface. We might be weeks away from Joe and Lesnar’s Universal Title clash at the WWE Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view, but things are already heating up.

What will happen when Lesnar and Joe meet under the same roof next Monday night? Find out by tuning in to Raw at 8/7 C on USA Network.

Brock Lesnar is set to defend his Universal Championship against Samoa Joe at WWE Great Balls of Fire on July 9th. WWE released the following promo for the PPV yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkuptd-gInQ

Samoa Joe is the new #1 contender to Brock Lesnar’s RAW Universal Championship after winning the Fatal 5 Way main event of Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

Joe defeated Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt to earn the shot at Lesnar, which is scheduled for next month’s Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view.

On the RAW Talk post-show that took place after Extreme Rules, Joe says he’s fully prepared for his ‘dream match’ with the Beast Incarnate.

It’s been a quick rise to the top for Joe, who made his main roster debut back in January as the hired gun of Triple H. Brock Lesnar will have his hands full in his first title defense, as Joe is one of the most physical athletes on the RAW roster.

Great Balls of Fire takes place on Sunday, July 9th from Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. WWE released this promo video hyping the show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkuptd-gInQ

There will be a Fatal 5-Way match this Sunday at Extreme Rules to determine the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. This match was made after Braun Strowman suffered an elbow injury that required surgery. Strowman was most likely going to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Great Balls of Fire. Thus, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns will compete this Sunday to determine the Superstar that is next in line for a shot at Brock Lesnar.

Here is the list of the potential opponents for Brock Lesnar that are the most intriguing:

5. Bray Wyatt

If this was a month ago, Bray Wyatt may be at the top of this list. Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber and was on top of the world. For a brief period of time, Wyatt actually did have the whole world in his hands. His promos actually carried weight because he was winning matches and held the most important title in WWE. Wyatt then went on to have two terrible matches with Randy Orton. He lost the WWE Championship to Orton at Wrestlemania 33, in a match where bugs were projected onto the ring. All of this was done to make Wyatt seem scary and present him as a monster. The problem with that is that Wyatt still lost via an RKO, even though he apparently possesses powers that can turn off lights in the arena and project scary images onto the ring.

Wyatt and Orton followed up their disastrous Wrestlemania match with a “House of Horrors” match at WWE Payback. This was originally supposed to be Wyatt’s rematch for the WWE Championship, but instead turned into a non-title match. Wyatt defeated Orton in a train-wreck of a match, but won with the assistance of Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers. Wyatt then switched from SmackDown to RAW and is still cutting promos as if he is some monster who should be feared. His character is a model of inconsistency. How can anyone view Bray Wyatt as a monster when all of his theatrics usually result in him losing a match? It is already highly unlikely that Brock Lesnar will lose his first Universal Championship defense. If Wyatt wins at Extreme Rules, it becomes impossible to convince yourself that Lesnar may drop the title. It is also difficult to believe that WWE would place the Universal Championship on Bray Wyatt after his underwhelming run with the WWE Championship.

4. Seth Rollins

Rollins picked up a huge victory over Triple H at Wrestlemania 33. After that, he has been battling Samoa Joe for weeks on RAW and had a match against him at Payback. Samoa Joe dominated most of the match, but Rollins was able to counter the Coquina Clutch into a pin and defeated Joe. Rollins and Lesnar could certainly put on a great match, we have seen it before. Rollins defended his WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar at Battleground 2015. Lesnar essentially had the match won, but was attacked by The Undertaker and Rollins was subsequently disqualified. Rollins lost the match but kept his WWE Championship at the time.

Rollins is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE right now. It wouldn’t be a negative if Rolling emerged victorious at Extreme Rules. Lesnar and Rollins have a history, as Rollins cashed in his MITB briefcase during the Lesnar and Reigns match at Wrestlemania 31. It would be entertaining to revisit that feud now simply because Rollins is no longer aligned with The Authority. If Stephanie McMahon and Triple H return to RAW, the possibility of Lesnar aligning with them would be intriguing. It would cast Rollins as the major underdog and the WWE Universe would certainly get behind him heading into his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar.

3. Samoa Joe

The idea of a match between Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar is exciting enough without a storyline in place. Samoa Joe is a freak athlete for a man of his size and can put on one hell of show with Lesnar in the ring. It would be an extremely physical match and would be a bout most wrestling fans would want to see. Samoa Joe was an excellent heel in NXT and arrived to the main roster as Triple H’s assassin. Joe targeted Seth Rollins and seemed primed to become the biggest badass in WWE. However, Rollins sustained an injury during Joe’s attack and Samoa Joe hasn’t become that monster everyone thought he would be when he arrived on the main roster.

If Samoa Joe wins at Extreme Rules, it would set up an awesome match with Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. If The Authority returns and has Joe’s back, Brock Lesnar would then be in the unique position of having to overcome the odds. Timing is everything and it simply doesn’t seem like now is the time to have a feud between Lesnar and Samoa Joe. Unfortunately, Joe hasn’t been built up as an unstoppable force on the main roster. All of that could be changed if he wins at Extreme Rules and The Authority returns to RAW. I don’t think that it will happen, but if it does I certainly won’t be complaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsTeLFUaZRI

2. Finn Balor

All signs are pointing towards Finn Balor winning the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules. Paul Heyman made a random appearance on RAW a couple of weeks back and interrupted Finn Balor’s promo. Heyman praised Balor and even said that his client Brock Lesnar wanted to wish Balor good luck heading into Extreme Rules. Balor told Heyman to inform Lesnar that he will win at Extreme Rules and will then reclaim the Univeral Championship that he never lost. Balor became the first-ever Universal Champion by defeating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016. Unfortunately for Balor, he had to relinquish the title the following night on RAW due to an injury he sustained after being Powerbombed by Rollins into the barricade outside the ring.

Some argue that a match between Lesnar and Balor is ridiculous, simply because Balor is much smaller than Lesnar. I beg to differ, as WWE has already shown that they believe in Balor in the past. Balor defeated Roman Reigns in his main roster debut to earn a shot at the Universal Championship. Balor and Reigns put on a great match and I don’t see why a match against Lesnar would be any different. The days of Superstars being required to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian are gone. Lesnar and Finn Balor can put on an interesting match and it seems like WWE is heading in that direction.

1. Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar is the match that would attract the most viewers, which is why it probably will not happen at Great Balls of Fire. It has been rumored that WWE has already made the decision that Lesnar and Reigns will main-event Wrestlemania 34. However, plans may have changed after Braun Strowman went down with an injury. The ratings for RAW have dipped and WWE could decide to bump that match up to Great Balls of Fire on July 9th.

Reigns and Lesnar would be the most intriguing match for several reasons. Many WWE fans still cannot stand Roman Reigns and Reigns retiring The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33 didn’t help that at all. There are also a lot of people that dislike Brock Lesnar as Universal Champion because he doesn’t appear on WWE television every week. Whenever this match does take place, the energy in the arena will be amazing. There will be hatred for both Superstars and their fans will be battling to drown out those chants. Wrestlemania seems like the perfect place to have this match and it wouldn’t feel as special if it were to take place this July. Having said that, it is still the most intriguing out of them all and will be awesome to watch whenever it goes down.

Discussion: Which potential feud for Brock Lesnar intrigues you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Brock Lesnar is all set to make his first WWE Universal Title defense at the WWE’s Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view (PPV) on July 9th, after winning the strap from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 this past April.

A Fatal Five Way match will be held at this weekend’s Extreme Rules PPV between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, and Bray Wyatt to determine who will challenge “The Beast” for the title next. Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, the program between the winner of the match and Lesnar is set to be a “one and done” deal, as Lesnar is still slated to face Braun Strowman at the SummerSlam PPV in August.

Lesnar is currently expected to appear on the June 12th taping of Monday Night RAW from Lafayette, LA, as well as the June 26th episode in Los Angeles from the Staples Center. Local advertisement has Lesnar taking on Bray Wyat in L.A., which is likely to be a dark match seeing as he hasn’t competed in a match on Monday Night RAW since 2012.

As for Lesnar’s other upcoming appearances, he is currently being advertised for RAW on July 3rd in Phoenix (go-home show for Great Balls Of Fire), as well as the next week’s show from Houston, TX on July 10th.

New Japan Pro Wrestling star and current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito recently spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard on a number of topics including John Cena, Brock Lesnar and the Bullet Club.

When asked if he ever compares himself to the stars of WWE, specifically John Cena and Brock Lesnar:

“Of course, I know of them, but, unfortunately, I have no interest,” To me, New Japan is the foremost pro wrestling in the world. Entering the ring here means you are the world’s best, so to be a New Japan wrestler speaks for itself.”

When asked about Los Ingobernables’ First US Appearance with New Japan:

“New Japan Pro Wrestling, but more specifically, Los Ingobernables de Japon, will show American wrestling fans a truly electric experience in the ring,” The matches are going to captivate and excite like no other, good luck trying to blink.”

“Even though the matches coming up will be in America, what we’ll show everyone is the exact same thing we show here,” So I want everyone in America to make sure their eyes are open and on us when we are in the ring. I want you all to enjoy what Los Ingobernables de Japon are all about.”

When asked about his match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at the upcoming Dominion show:

“I really don’t have much motivation going into this match with him,” Tanahashi is the one who has to make sure he’s in shape and puts in the effort. I didn’t even want to accept his challenge this time. I don’t know what gives him the right to challenge again. But you know New Japan, this crazy ass company, they’ll bend over backwards for Tanahashi.”

You can watch the Los Ingobernables leader defend his IC title against Tanahashi live and in full on NJPWWorld.com.

WWE’s new United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne spoke with ESPN this week about his show-stealing match with Tyler Bate at NXT Takeover: Chicago and which WWE Superstar he considers a dream opponent. 

The 23 year-old-grappler from Birmingham, England told ESPN that he’s very proud of his match with Tyler Bate not only because of what they did in the ring, but because of their history together.

“I’m really glad I got to share that one with him. I had a big hand in training Tyler. I got him his first ever booking, which was against me in a tag match. As proud as I am of myself for being able to hold this WWE title, I was incredibly proud of him, as well. The two Brits on such a huge show of this magnitude.”

There’s a good chance we’ll see more matches between Dune and Bate, but that hasn’t stopped Dunne from thinking about potential ‘dream matches’ for himself down the road. Two names that came up were Brock Lesnar and NXT General Manager William Regal.

“I’d love to wrestle Brock Lesnar,” he said. “It’s the realism, the way he carries himself. It’s 100 percent believable because he’s real. That’s someone who I’d love to get in the ring with someday. I don’t think there’s a possibility of it ever happening, but I’d also love to wrestle William Regal one day.”

Dunne added that competing at WrestleMania is also a dream of his. Now that he’s a champion in WWE, that dream is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

Head over to ESPN.com to check out the full interview.

In July, the RAW brand will play host to the first-ever Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view. The event takes place on Sunday, July 9th from Dallas, Texas. On Monday, the American Airlines Center unveiled a new logo for the oddly-titled event.

This was the original logo:

Great Balls of Fire will see the first title defense of RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, who defeated Goldberg at WrestleMania to capture the gold. Braun Strowman had been rumored for Lesnar’s opponent at ‘Great Balls’ but WWE just reported that Strowman will be out for up to 6 months after undergoing elbow surgery last week.

Finn Balor or Seth Rollins are now the most likely Superstars to receive the championship opportunity against Lesnar.

• WWE Superstars React To The New Great Balls of Fire PPV Name

RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is being advertised for two upcoming episodes of WWE RAW.

WWE recently announced that Lesnar’s first Universal Championship title defense will take place at the new Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view on Sunday, July 9th. It’s been rumored that Braun Strowman would be Lesnar’s opponent, but Strowman is currently out of action with an elbow injury that will require surgery. Lesnar is expected to work with Finn Balor or Seth Rollins at Great Balls of Fire if Braun Strowman is not back by then.

In the lead-up to Great Balls of Fire, Brock Lesnar will be appearing on the June 26th edition of RAW from Los Angeles and the July 3rd episode from Phoenix, Arizona. We’ll see if Lesnar resurfaces on WWE television before June 26th, but as of this writing, that’s his next scheduled TV appearance.

– WWE announced last week that RAW Universal Champion Brock Lesnar’s first title defense will take place at the new Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 9th from Dallas, TX.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Lesnar will be working more dates than he did the last time he was WWE Champion. In addition to July, Lesnar will be at SummerSlam in August, Survivor Series in November and more. Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor are all expected to work with Lesnar in the coming months.

Based on what we saw last night on RAW, Seth Rollins will continue his feud with Samoa Joe and Finn Balor will have his hands full with Bray Wyatt.

– After Monday’s RAW from Sacramento went of the air, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose attempted to get The Miz to do his “Because I’m The Miz” line. Miz agreed to do so, but the babyfaces all hit their finishers to him to send the crowd home happy.

And this was Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Miz after Raw went off air??? pic.twitter.com/izP9cupriy

— StellaFinnBálor (@FinnsStella) May 2, 2017

Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship on July 9th 2017, in Dallas at the all-new “Great Balls of Fire” PPV event.

The American Airlines Centre in Dallas announced Lesnar’s participation in the event earlier today:

https://twitter.com/AACenter/status/857973196364029952

Great Balls of Fire PPV

Unless the verified social media accounts from Dallas’ American Airlines Centre are trolling everyone for some reason, this does appear to be the name of the new July PPV.

**Update: WWE has now confirmed the new PPV name on their event listings page. 

It looks as though “GB of F” will be a Raw-exlusive PPV. As it stands currently, the plan is to limit co-branded shows to the big 4 PPVs.

Now that WrestleMania 33 is in the rear view mirror and the RAW/SmackDown rosters have been shaken up, we look ahead to what’s next for the top titles on WWE’s red and blue brands. Courtesy of Wrestling Observer, here’s what WWE currently has planned for the the WWE Championship and Universal Championship over the next several months:

– WWE Payback is just weeks away (4/30). The event is being billed as a RAW-branded show, yet SmackDown’s Randy Orton will be defending the WWE Championship against Bray Wyatt in the main event. That aside, the title will be on the line in a House of Horrors match.

WWE has yet to explain what that stipulation entails. Based on a WWE Fan Council survey sent out this week, even they’re unsure about it, but it might involve pitchforks, fog, darkness and “sheeple.” The House of Horros match is being set up as a blowoff to the Orton-Wyatt feud, with Orton retaining and keeping the WWE Championship on SmackDown. Orton’s next feud will most likely be with Baron Corbin, since it’s “to early for Nakamura” and SmackDown does not have a lot of depth with top-level heels.

After being traded to SmackDown this week during the Superstar Shake-Up, United States Champion Kevin Owens will be feuding with AJ Styles next, with a title match planned for next month’s Backlash PPV.

– Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is on hiatus from WWE and will feud with Braun Strowman when he returns. A title match between the two monsters is scheduled for either June (Extreme Rules) or July (Bad Blood).

The longterm plan is still for Brock Lesnar to defend the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns next year at WrestleMania. Reigns and Strowman will be facing off at Payback and there’s been some discussion about it being a gimmick match. With Strowman being primed for a title shot against Brock Lesnar in June/July, a gimmick match would allow Strowman to get the win and continue his momentum without Roman having to lose clean.

Roman Reigns was a recent guest on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast and provided some interesting details regarding his WrestleMania 31 main event match against Brock Lesnar. The match saw Seth Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to capture the WWE Championship, launching Rollins into the main event scene as the golden boy of The Authority.

In speaking to Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns says that Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman were not receptive to his ideas when planning out the match. Reigns claims Lesnar essentially wanted to squash him.

“No, it wasn’t easy, by any means,” Reigns said. “But the thing I had a lot of confidence in is I knew it was just going to be a fight. I knew it was going to be brutal and I like that shit. Like, hey, if you want to bang, I’m all for it. I’m never scared. But it was just weird. It really was. It was last-minute. It was one of those deals where it wasn’t a lot of talking, [they] didn’t seem open to ideas because, essentially, in their minds, and when I say ‘their minds’ I say Brock and Paul, which, that is a powerful pairing right there.”

Roman Reigns meets a strong negative reaction from WWE crowds on a weekly basis, a phenomenon that was growing prior to WrestleMania 31. Reigns says Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar were convinced the WrestleMania crowd wanted to see him get crushed, but he wasn’t going to be steamrolled without putting up a fight.

“But those two, they’re something else. They wanted to kill me. They were convinced however many people were there eighty [thousand], whatever, they wanted to see me get crushed. They were there and they just want to see Roman get his ass beat. And I can’t disagree with them, but brother [has] got to fight. Hey, you can kick my ass all you want, but I’m going to fight.”

Reigns pointed out that he respects Brock Lesnar and everything he’s accomplished. He thinks their match at Mania 31 was the best of his career, but it’s not a personal favorite. Based on current WWE storylines and the rumored WrestleMania 34 main event, Reigns will get another chance to dance with the Beast Incarnate on WWE’s grandest stage.

Dean Ambrose had a similar complaint about working with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32, but went farther than Reigns and outright accused Lesnar of phoning it in for their match. During his appearance on the Stone Cold WWE Network ‘Podcast’ last summer, Ambrose expressed frustration that Lesnar was being ‘lazy’ and didn’t seem interested in putting on a good match with him. We’d later find out that Lesnar was already training for his UFC return at the time he fought Ambrose.

H/T to WrestlingInc.com for the Talk is Jericho transcript

Paul Heyman issued the following statement on Facebook and Twitter that addressed next week’s Superstar Shake-Up and his client Brock Lesnar:

“While my client Brock Lesnar and I are looking forward to WWE’s #SuperstarShakeup this coming Monday, let’s be perfectly transparent. There is everyone else on the WWE #RAW and #Smackdown rosters, and then there is Brock Lesnar (along with his humble #Advocate) ..It is imperative for Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, Stephanie McMahon, Kurt Angle and even Vince McMahon to know the intrinsic value my client Brock Lesnar brings not only to the #SuperstarShakeup but simply to WWE as a whole. In layman’s terms (or, actually, in HEYMAN’s terms), even the mere DISCUSSION about BrockLesnar in regards to the #SuperstarShakeup requires a negotiation IN ADVANCE of any discussion, no matter how high up or serious that discussion goes! #SuperstarShakeup. With this in mind, my client Brock Lesnar and I are “open4business” and we look forward to hearing new, innovative ways for WWE to ….promote / market Brock Lesnar as the once-ever athlete and performer that has blessed WWE with his presence.”

https://www.facebook.com/TheHeymanHustle/posts/10154708572199888

• Several Trades Rumored For Next Week’s Superstar Shake-Up

Even though Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman had a stare down last night on Monday Night Raw, Lesnar is currently not scheduled to appear on Raw for awhile. Strowman even stated in the promo last night that he will deal with Roman Reigns first and then turn his sights on Brock Lesnar. WWE Payback airs on April 30th and it was assumed that Lesnar would be on the show to defend the Universal Championship.

Lesnar is in the Payback promotional video WWE uploaded as you can see in the video below. As of now, the main event of WWE Payback is expected to be Braun Strowman versus Roman Reigns. Strowman and Reigns are scheduled for a series of matches at WWE live events leading up to Payback in four weeks. Lesnar is also not advertised for Raw after Payback. The next time Brock Lesnar is on Raw may not be until the May 8th episode which will be taped in London.

The April 3rd edition of WWE RAW airs live from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on the USA Network at 8 PM ET, with live coverage and discussion on SEScoops. This is the first episode after WrestleMania, and WWE is promoting the below items for tonight’s show:

• What awaits Roman Reigns after the monumental feat of beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania?
• With Rollins’ destiny now firmly in his own hands, how will the two-time WWE Champion begin his own personal new era?
• The official RAW preview calls the return of Matt & Jeff Hardy “Delightful! Exquisite! Wonderful!” Which team on the RAW roster will be the first to challenge for their Tag Team Titles?
• Will Chris Jericho try to take back the United States Championship from Kevin Owens?
• Will a new challenger for Brock Lesnar’s WWE Universal Title appear?

Join us tonight at 8 PM ET for our live RAW coverage and discussion, with the latest backstage news before and after the show.

Brock Lesnar is your new WWE Universal Champion after defeating Goldberg in one of the WrestleMania 33 main events tonight.

The match saw Lesnar hit 10 German suplexes on Goldberg.

Check out photos and videos from the match below:

Here. Comes. THE BEAST! #WrestleMania @BrockLesnar @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/qE9LYgc0za

— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2017

#TheBeast @BrockLesnar has never looked more ready… #WrestleMania @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/mjH0TgNNah

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 3, 2017

And so the iconic walk begins for #UniversalChampion @Goldberg… #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/Xb8A7QKcMB

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 3, 2017

Your #UniversalChampion @Goldberg heads into battle against @BrockLesnar NOW at #WrestleMania, streaming LIVE on @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/6ZUDz8BTEJ

— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2017

It seems @Goldberg has all the confidence in the world heading into this #UniversalChampionship defense! #WrestleMania @BrockLesnar pic.twitter.com/IiGxrBFEn4

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 3, 2017

After a fitting introduction from @HeymanHustle, can @BrockLesnar FINALLY conquer @Goldberg at the #UltimateThrillRide #WrestleMania?! pic.twitter.com/IMYaESYOSq

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 3, 2017

#TheBeast has introduced @Goldberg to #SuplexCity… but the #UniversalChampion has RE-introduced @BrockLesnar to the SPEAR! #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/8Bo0bMk1bd

— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2017

ANOTHER #F5 CONNECTS as @BrockLesnar FINALLY defeats @Goldberg to become #UniversalChampion! #WrestleMania #LesnarvsGoldberg pic.twitter.com/FROR2j6Nuz

— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2017

WHAT does @BrockLesnar have to do to put away #UniversalChampion @Goldberg?! #WrestleMania #LesnarvsGoldberg pic.twitter.com/7yhEa7DAFV

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 3, 2017

After 10 GERMAN SUPLEXES, @BrockLesnar is on top of #RAW as YOUR #UniversalChampion! #WrestleMania #LesnarvsGoldberg pic.twitter.com/CEHlgODOe3

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 3, 2017

#TheBeast @BrockLesnar has every right to be straight-up JOLLY after conquering @Goldberg at #WrestleMania, streaming LIVE on @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/BTs46v5OK5

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) April 3, 2017

Paul Heyman is partnering with Yahoo! Sports once again in the lead up to WrestleMania 33.

Starting next Monday and running through WrestleMania Sunday, the popular Heyman Hustle website will drop an original blog post and a new video for Yahoo Sports’ The Turnstile sub-site.

The videos will feature exclusive footage of Lesnar preparing for his upcoming Universal Championship match against Goldberg, Heyman participating in “media row” in Orlando, outtakes and tons more exclusive footage.

“Last year, our partnership with Yahoo! Sports was the most successful collaboration we’ve ever done with the Heyman Hustle website,” Heyman told TheWrap. “It also provided a look into our Looking4Larry Agency that launched the bidding war for the rights to the reality show we’re currently shooting.”

“This year, we are debuting seven never-before-seen videos with behind the scenes footage of Brock Lesnar that even I find intimidating, and also doing a Facebook Live session for which I’m already lawyering up!”

Head over to The Wrap to see the first exclusive video featuring Brock Lesnar participating in a [very brief yet still terrifying] sit-down interview.

– Today marks the 15th anniversary of Brock Lesnar’s WWE television debut. The Beast Incarnate burst onto the scene back on March 18, 2002 with a surprise appearance on Monday Night RAW. By August of that year, he became the youngest WWE Champion in history (25) when he defeated The Rock at SummerSlam ’02.

To commemorate the anniversary, WWE.com has a new feature up looking at how they signed  Lesnar.

– In response to a tweet by John Cena about Southpaw Regional Wrestling, Broken Matt Hardy responded to a tweet from John Cena about Southpaw Regional Wrestling, writing:

Is there Tag Team Gold for #HouseHardy to PROCURE in #SouthpawRegionalWrestling? https://t.co/Uq4hrqnKm7

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) March 17, 2017

– RAW Women’s champion Bayley is gearing up for her first WrestleMania and told Ontario’s Kingston Whig-Standard that she’s very nervous about the show. “I’m nervous to impress people. I’m nervous to make sure that I can hold onto my title, I’m nervous to impress everyone in the back to make sure that this isn’t my last WrestleMania.”

She went on to explain how she deals with this nervous energy. “I’ve always taught myself whenever I have big matches, I’ll just use Takeovers for example, whenever I had a Takeover match, right before I went out, I was just a mess … so nervous. I’d tell myself, if you can’t do this, how are you going to do WrestleMania? That’s kind of how I got through every match. And every match was OK and I was fine. I’ve been waiting my whole career for this match and now is the time to prove to myself I was meant to be here.”

WWE has released video highlights of Brock Lesnar’s recent match with Kevin Owens from Madison Square Garden.

WWE regularly puts on stacked house show cards at Madison Square Garden, though these events hardly ever see the light of day, even on the WWE Network. Such was the case on Sunday when WWE brought their road to WrestleMania to Madison Square Garden.

Here are quick results from the show. Above, you can see Brock Lesnar making short work of former Universal Champion Kevin Owens.

March 12th WWE MSG Results:

• Randy Orton defeated AJ Styles
• Rhyno, Heath Slater and Kalisto defeated Curt Hawkins and Breezeango
• Dolph Ziggler defeated Apollo Crews
• Dean Ambrose defeated the Miz, Baron Corbin and Luke Harper in a 4-way for the IC title
• Brock Lesnar defeated Kevin Owens
• Nikki Bella, Tamina, Becky Lynch and Asuka defeated Natalya, Mickie James, Carmella and Alexa Bliss
• American Alpha defeated the Usos (retained Smackdown Tag Team Championships)
• Bray Wyatt defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Championship

WWE returns to Madison Square Garden on Friday night, July 9th as part of the SummerSlam Heatwave tour.

This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw kicked off with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman in the ring. The crowd chanted “Suplex City” as Lesnar laughed in the ring. Heyman stated that Wrestlemania is the night that Brock Lesnar causes the announcers to scream “down goes Goldberg!”. A “Goldberg” chant started to echo throughout the arena. Half of the crowd tried to drown them out by booing. Heyman announced that Goldberg was not there this evening and the crowd cheered. Heyman told the fans chanting “Goldberg” to shut the hell up. Heyman bragged about Lesnar hitting an F-5 on Goldberg last week on Raw. Heyman claimed that when Lesnar wins the Universal Champion at Wrestlemania 33, it will go down as the greatest championship comeback in sports entertainment history.

"On April 2nd 2017, announcers will be screaming DOWN GOES @GOLDBERG!!!" – @HeymanHustle @BrockLesnar #BrockvsGoldberg #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/g9T2NYd07R

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley were shown backstage. Stephanie McMahon instructed Foley to scour the Raw roster and find someone to fire. Stephanie stated that Foley makes things too personal and needs to think more like a business person. Foley agreed to do it but looked nervous.

Per @StephMcMahon, @RealMickFoley must FIRE a #RAW Superstar before the end of the night! Who will it be?!? pic.twitter.com/cK61n3ZoCN

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Sasha Banks vs Dana Brooke

Bayley and Charlotte were ringside for the match. Dana Brooke started off in control of the match and beatdown Sasha in the corner. Charlotte was yelling out orders to Dana Brooke from beside the ring. Sasha fought back and hit the Double Knees for a two count. Banks then rolled up Dana Brooke for an easy victory. Corey Graves tried to claim that Sasha cheated by grabbing the tights.

After the match, Charlotte grabbed a microphone and scolded Dana Brooke. Charlotte called Dana a disgrace and stated that she doesn’t deserve to be by her side. Charlotte said that she is finally get rid of Dana Brooke. Dana then attacked Charlotte and beat her down in the ring. Charlotte rolled out of the ring but Dana followed her and beat her down some more.  The crowd then started to chant “Dana” as Charlotte retreated backstage.

Winner: Sasha Banks

Looks like @DanaBrookeWWE has NO INTEREST in riding @MsCharlotteWWE's "coat tails" to @WrestleMania! #RAW pic.twitter.com/W9pwhKDNJw

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Akira Tozawa & TJ Perkins vs Brian Kendrick & Tony Nese

Tozawa knocked Kendrick out of the ring. Tony Nese went to check on his tag team partner but was interrupted by Perkins who hit him with a Hurricanrana outside the ring. Raw went to a commercial break with Tozawa and Perkins in control of the match. When Raw returned, Kendrick had Tozawa in a Chinlock and Neville was shown watching the match backstage. Tozawa went to tag in Perkins but Kendrick dragged TJ off the ring apron. Nese then went for a cover in the ring but Tozawa kicked out at two. Tozawa finally tagged in Perkins and he planted Nese with a springboard DDT but Kendrick broke up the pinfall. Tozawa hit Perkins off the ring apron. Tony Nese then shoved Tozawa into Perkins and Tozawa fell out of the ring. Nese then rolled up Perkins and grabbed his tights. The referee didn’t notice and Kendrick and Perkins picked up the victory.

Winners: Brian Kendrick & Tony Nese

Meanwhile, #CruiserweightChampion @WWENeville seems to be watching this match VERY closely backstage… #RAW #205Live pic.twitter.com/aNhGciEFiS

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) March 14, 2017

Reaction: The first hour of Raw was good. Paul Heyman cut a great promo to kick off the show. The most surprising moment of the night was that the crowd actually chanted “Dana!” after she attacked Charlotte. Dana Brooke has struggled mightily on the main roster. Many of her matches have contained several botches. Having said that, I’m glad that she got that reaction simply because the Women’s division on Raw is incredibly thin. Bayley, Sasha Banks and Charlotte are the only ones that get any reaction from the crowd. Nia Jax should be in that conversation but the fact is that she has just not connected with the WWE Universe in any capacity. It could just be a one night thing, but Dana Brooke did get a reaction from the crowd. Hopefully she continues to improve in the ring and is able to provide the Women’s division on Raw another viable talent. There has been zero evidence on the main roster that she can provide that, but hey at least the crowd responded to her tonight.

Kevin Owens & Samoa Joe vs Sami Zayn & Chris Jericho

Owens cut a promo in the ring before the match. He had a spotlight on him and the crowd started to chant “Y2J”. Owens showed footage from last month where attacked Jericho at the Festival of Friendship. Owens claimed that Jericho never considered him his best friend either. Owens said that Jericho was just trying to get close to his Universal Championship. Owens claimed that he simply stabbed Jericho in the back before Jericho turned on him. Owens bragged about outsmarting Chris Jericho and said that Goldberg wouldn’t have won at Fastlane if it weren’t for Jericho interfering. Owens said that who needs best friends when you’ve got a destroyer and Samoa Joe came down to the ring.

"All @IAmJericho was doing was get close to me, so he can get close to MY… MY #UniversalTitle! – @FightOwensFight #RAW pic.twitter.com/NqjwCVuAoB

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Jericho and Samoa Joe started off the match. Jericho connected with a Dropkick off the second rope for a one count. Sami Zayn was then tagged in and connected with a couple of punches. Joe fought back and landed a kick to the side of Zayn’s head. Owens was then tagged in and he stomped on Zayn several times and taunted the crowd. Owens then kicked Jericho in the head and he fell off the ring apron. Zayn knocked both Joe and Owens out of the ring and then Moonsaulted onto both of them. Zayn grabbed his knee after the move, but powered through and rolled Joe back in the ring. Owens followed them and targeted Zayn’s knee.

Owens and Joe then beat the hell out of Zayn in the ring. The referee then disqualified Owens and Joe because they wouldn’t stop. Joe applied the Coquina Clutch and Owens stomped on Sami’s chest. Jericho got back in the ring and knocked Joe out of the ring. Jericho then went for the Walls of Jericho but Joe got back in the ring and broke it up. Joe then held up Jericho and Owens punched him in the face several times. Owens then hit a Pop-Up Powerbomb on Jericho.

Winners via DQ: Sami Zayn & Chris Jericho

CLEARLY @FightOwensFight and @IAmJericho do NOT want to wait until @WrestleMania! #RAW @SamoaJoe pic.twitter.com/EkgYNMrOxL

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley were once again shown backstage. Stephanie McMahon suggested that Foley fire Sami Zayn. Nia Jax interrupted and said that she should be in the Women’s Championship match at Wrestlemania. Stephanie McMahon then made a match between Bayley and Nia Jax later tonight.

The New Day were backstage and were promoting the new Jetson movie with WWE Superstars. The Big Show showed up to talk about the film but was quickly interrupted by Titus O’Neil. Titus shoved the Big Show because he was not a part of the movie.

Reaction: The New Day hold the record for longest tag team title reign. There was a point where I thought that they were one of the most entertaining aspects of Raw. Now, they are consistently thrown in crappy segments to sell ice cream or DVDs. They went from being the best tag team on Raw to a group of salesmen. Woods, Big E and Kingston are incredibly talented. I have no idea why they are in this role, but hopefully after Wrestlemania 33 they will return to performing in the ring.

Welcome to the FIRST edition of #NewDayTalks with their first special guest @WWETheBigShow! #RAW @XavierWoodsPhD @TrueKofi @WWEBigE pic.twitter.com/btRSUkj9T1

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

#1 Contenders Match: Cesaro & Sheamus vs Enzo & Cass

Cesaro hit Big E with a Dropkick right when the match started. Big E shrugged it off and planted Cesaro with a slam. Cesaro fought back and tagged in Sheamus. Cass and Sheamus traded punches in the corner. Cass slammed Sheamus to the mat and tagged in Enzo. When Raw returned, Enzo was predictably stuck in the ring and was getting his ass kicked. Sheamus applied a Chinlock as Enzo desperately reached for a tag. Enzo got out of the Chinlock and Sheamus tagged in Cesaro. Enzo tagged in Big Cass and he leveled Cesaro with a couple of shoulder blocks. Cass then hit a Fall Away Slam and followed it up with a Splash onto Cesaro in the corner. Cesaro tagged in Sheamus but he was hit with a big boot that knocked him out of the ring. Gallows and Anderson then appeared and attacked Sheamus and Big Cass outside the ring. Gallows and Anderson then proceeded to beatdown Cesaro and Enzo. Gallows and Anderson hit the Magic Killer on Cesaro and posed in the ring.

Wait a minute?!?!? What is @LukeGallowsWWE and @KarlAndersonWWE doing out here?!?! #1Contender #RAW @WWESheamus @BigCassWWE pic.twitter.com/Gu9kykkPHr

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Foley then confronted Gallows and Anderson backstage. Foley announced that Gallows and Anderson will defend the Raw Tag Team Championships against Enzo & Cass and Sheamus & Cesaro at Wrestlemania 33.

Roman Reigns vs Jinder Mahal

Reigns was beating Jinder down in the corner and the gong from The Undertaker’s theme music went off. Jinder used the distraction and kneed Reigns in the face. Jinder went for a pinfall but Reigns kicked out at two. Reigns connected with a Superman Punch and then pulled Jinder up and hit another one for the victory.

After the match, Roman Reigns grabbed a microphone and called out The Undertaker. Shawn Michaels came down to the ring for his annual “do you know what you are getting yourself into?” speech about The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Michaels stated that Reigns was already distracted and that The Undertaker is going to eat him alive at Wrestlemania 33. Reigns said that it should be The Undertaker that should be worried about him. Michaels claimed that he was on Roman’s side. Reigns said that The Undertaker retired Michaels and that Reigns is the guy that is going to retire The Undertaker. Reigns left the ring but was attacked by Braun Strowman on the entrance ramp. The crowd chanted “thank you Strowman” as the segment ended.

Reaction: I enjoyed this segment and the attitude of Roman Reigns during the promo. It will be interesting to see where Braun Strowman fits in here because as of now he isn’t in a match at Wrestlemania. I guess it is possible that he gets added to the Reigns and The Undertaker match if the WWE wants to take some of the stress off of The Undertaker for health reasons. It is also possible that Reigns beats the hell out of Strowman for a couple of weeks and then Braun is in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 33.

Winner: Roman Reigns

"Come #WrestleMania, The #Undertaker is going to EAT YOU ALIVE!" – @ShawnMichaels @WWERomanReigns #RAW pic.twitter.com/L3KluHHX5A

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Foley and Stephanie McMahon were once again shown backstage. Foley still hadn’t made up his mind about who he will fire tonight. Stephanie McMahon informed Foley that he had one hour to make a decision. If he didn’t fire someone within the hour, Stephanie would make the decision and Foley won’t like who she chooses to fire.

The clock is ticking for @RealMickFoley… He has ONE HOUR to FIRE a member of the #RAW roster! @StephMcMahon pic.twitter.com/lMU2cGLmYA

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Austin Aries vs Ariya Daivari

Daivari controlled the beginning of the match and launched Aries out of the ring. Aries hit the ring apron on his way down. The match returned to the ring and Daivari leveled Aries with a Clothesline. Aries battled back and connected with a discus elbow for the victory.

Winner: Austin Aries

Just #GREAT! @AustinAries is ready to bring A-Double Level athleticism to #RAW! #205Live pic.twitter.com/Nlgi5DexiR

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) March 14, 2017

Big Show vs Titus O’Neil

Big Show hit Titus with three Chokeslams to win the match. It was announced that Big Show will be a part of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Wrestlemania. I guess his rumored match with Shaq will not be happening.

Winner: Big Show

Not one… not two… but THREE Chokeslams for @TitusONeilWWE!

@WWETheBigShow #RAW pic.twitter.com/4bAmynGAmz

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Bayley and Sasha Banks had a conversation backstage. Sasha told Bayley to ignore all the haters. Bayley didn’t know what Sasha was talking about. Sasha Banks described the haters as people that don’t view Bayley as championship material. Sasha then said that Bayley can defeat Nia Jax and then focus on Wrestlemania. Banks and Sasha then shook hands and Sasha walked away. Bayley had a confused look on her face as Raw went to a commercial break.

Chris Jericho was shown backstage icing his neck. Jericho announced that there will be a special edition of the Highlight Reel next week and his guest will be “the real” Kevin Owens. Jericho then called the interviewer Tom Phillips even though it wasn’t him. Jericho then added Mike Rome to the list for not being Tom Phillips.

"On a very special edition of the #HighlightReel, my guest is going to be…the REAL Kevin Owens…" – @IAmJericho on next week's #RAW! pic.twitter.com/eCXMSULfX5

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

Bayley vs Nia Jax

Nia controlled the match early and threw Bayley out of the ring. Bayley fought back and Raw went to a commercial break with Nia frustrated outside the ring. When Raw returned, Nia Jax was back in control of the match. Bayley battled back and tied Nia up in the ropes. Bayley connected with a Dropkick to the backside of Nia and she fell out of the ring. Back in the ring, Nia launched Bayley into the turnbuckle. Bayley went for a Crossbody off the second rope but Nia caught her. Bayley escaped and went for a DDT but Nia threw her across the ring. Nia then beatdown Bayley in the corner and the referee disqualified her because Nia wouldn’t stop. Nia then hung Bayley up on the turnbuckle and went for a Splash but the referee got in the way. Nia then dragged Bayley out of the ring and slammed her into the barricade.

Winner via DQ: Bayley

.@NiaJaxWWE is CLEARLY not happy that she won't be in the #RAW #WomensChampionship Match at #WrestleMania! @itsBayleyWWE pic.twitter.com/IbEYkaFpq0

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

It was announced that Braun Strowman will face Roman Reigns next week on Monday Night Raw.

Stephanie McMahon came down to the ring and the “CM Punk!” chants started immediately. Raw GM Mick Foley then came down to the ring to announce which WWE Superstar he has chosen to be fired. Stephanie asked who it was and Foley stated that at first he couldn’t think of one Superstar that deserved to be fired. Foley then claimed that he had came up with a name and thanked Stephanie McMahon for giving him this oppurtunity to make Raw better. Foley then said the name he came up with was Stephanie McMahon and the crowd erupted into a “yes!” chant. Foley said that Stephanie was the only one on the roster that deserved to go because she doesn’t treat WWE Superstars like jokes rather than human beings.

Foley said he was looking into Stephanie’s eyes and all he sees is a really good liar and a really bad person. Foley accused Stephanie of colluding with her husband Triple H to get what they want in the WWE. Triple H then came down to the ring with a smirk on his face. Triple H called Foley a “fun little nostalgia act”. Triple H said that he worked so hard on creating the future so that he doesn’t have to look at “pathetic has-beens” like Foley. The crowd started to chant “CM Punk” once again. Foley said that the Raw Superstars envy him because he doesn’t have to pretend to like Triple H. Triple H then threatened to fire Dewey Foley and crush Noelle Foley’s dream of being a WWE Superstar. Triple H then told Foley to get the hell out of the ring and do whatever Stephanie says from now on.

Foley pulled out Mr. Socko and applied the Mandible Claw to Triple H. Stephanie then hit Foley with a low-blow and Mick fell to the mat. Triple H then approached Foley and Seth Rollins’ music hit. Rollins limped down the entrance ramp with his crutch and Foley rolled out of the ring. Rollins dropped the crutch and ran into the ring. Rollins and Triple H traded punches in the ring. Rollins then connected with a kick and knocked Triple H out of the ring. Triple H then got back into the ring with Rollins’ crutch. Triple H hit Rollins in the knee with the crutch and the crutch bent. Triple H then applied a Knee Bar hold to Rollins and Seth screamed in agony. Raw went off the air after Triple H hit him in the knee one more time with the crutch.

Not so fast, @TripleH!!!!

Bad knee and all, @WWERollins is HERE on #RAW!!!!! pic.twitter.com/5P1Wj5PRTo

— WWE (@WWE) March 14, 2017

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/841487806530707457

Reaction: It looks like the Triple H and Rollins match is back on at Wrestlemana 33. That is a good thing because that is one of the only matches on the card that I’m really looking forward to. I’m assuming that Mick Foley is also done as Raw GM after he attacked Triple H. This could mean the return of The Authority with Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe being the ones that do Triple H’s dirty work. I find it odd that the WWE is making Nia Jax look like a monster, yet she is not a part of the Raw Women’s Championship match at Wrestlemania 33. Overall, Monday Night Raw was decent this week. There is at least things that happened on the show that are worth discussing in the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw? Let us know in the comments below.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated and gave his thoughts on the upcoming WrestleMania showdown between RAW Universal Champion Goldberg and the man he’s humiliated twice over the past several months, Brock Lesnar.

Goldberg asserted his dominance over Lesnar at Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble, but JR thinks it will be Brock Lesnar standing tall when all is said and done at WrestleMania.

“Lesnar will go over with his finish, the F5. If they use their head, make sure Paul Heyman is involved in the game-planning, and get an agent like Michael Hayes or Pat Patterson or someone like that, then there is no excuse that they can’t give you ten quality minutes, bell-to-bell. There is no reason that two guys of that stature, earning that kind of money, can’t give ten kicka– minutes of pro wrestling content. I firmly believe it’s possible.”

It all goes down Sunday, April 2nd when WrestleMania 33 takes place from Orlando, FL at the Camping World Stadium.

JR also commented on the possibility of Kenny Omega leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling and showing the WWE Universe what he’s got. Omega is doing big things in New Japan, but JR is convinced he’ll wind up in WWE one day.

“It’s a good time to follow a guy like Kenny, who, some day, will be a WWE guy. There’s no doubt. I’m glad that he came back to New Japan for another year, and I would think that after he stars at Wrestle Kingdom in 2018, then he very well could be the most coveted free agent that WWE has tried to sign in years.”

Head over to SI.com to check out the full interview.

– Brock Lesnar laid waste to the Big Show at Friday night’s WWE live event from Buffalo, New York.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRevLkygMBF/

https://twitter.com/LesnarSupport/status/840382419995889664

It was an eventful evening, with Finn Balor (and Triple H) returning to action in the main event. Triple H tweeted this photo of his (and Finn Balor’s) return in the main event. The star-studded match featured Triple H, Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe teaming up against Finn Balor, Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn.

There's nothing quite like it…
Thank you #WWEBuffalo. #GameTime pic.twitter.com/ht93BawZYB

— Triple H (@TripleH) March 11, 2017

The match ended with Chris Jericho getting the pin on his stupid idiot former best friend, Kevin Owens.

Jericho, Balor Zayn over HHH Owens Joe #wwebuffalo pic.twitter.com/1R6PCOpUwP

— Chris Muth (@Chris4613) March 11, 2017

– WWE legends Edge and Christian are joining the podcast game. Following up on the success of their successful but short-lived WWE Network series, the former tag team champions and longtime friends will host “E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness” starting March 24th.

Starting Mar.24 it's @EandCpod exploding in your ear holes! Subscribe now wherever you get these podcasts thingshttps://t.co/Jaovwo2REw

— Adam Copeland (@RatedRCope) March 10, 2017

– Longtime friends Big E and former WWE Superstar Katelyn (Celeste Bolin) reunited this week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRcgKB3A0-o/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-IQE1K-EGI

After Monday’s WWE RAW from Green Bay went off the air, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman came out to issue an open challenge to the locker room. This is the third consecutive week WWE has run this angle.

Show and Lesnar fought for a few minutes until Lesnar hit the F5 and left the ring with Big Show down on the mat.

After Lesnar had laid waste to the giant, a WWE referee actually got on top of Big Show while another ref counted the pin.

https://twitter.com/ukhoops1_BBN/status/836432169237110784

Post-Raw, referee Chad Patton tried to pin Big Show after Brock Lesnar laid him out with an F5 pic.twitter.com/IfYT64Olq0

— Jack (@GranitJacka) February 28, 2017

When it was announced that Chris Hero had re-signed with WWE and would be returning to NXT it created a chasm across the Independent wrestling scene, both in the United States and Europe.

After his original departure from WWE back in 2013, Hero toured the world performing for numerous promotions big and small and establishing himself as quite possibly the best independent wrestler on the planet. What is truly astonishing is the quality and variety of matches that Chris Hero had in 2016; from his bouts in UK based Revolution Pro against Tomohiro Ishii and Katsuyori Shibata, his show stealing PROGRESS bouts against Mark Andrews and Marty Scurll, his PWG tag bout alongside Tommy End against Fenix & Pentagon Jr through to his EVOLVE matches with Dick Togo, Timothy Thatcher, Zack Sabre Jr……and Matt Riddle.

One of Hero’s biggest draws was that he seemed just as happy performing in front of thousands of fans as he did in front of a smaller crowd, eager to help as many promotions as possible gain traction and build their fan base.

Before I started writing this I saw a tweet from a very small UK based promotion stating that Matt Riddle would be performing for them in April against Josh Bodom, himself an up and coming star on the UK scene. Counter this with Riddle’s other matches so far in 2017 in the UK for the likes of Rev Pro and PROGRESS and you can see why I drew the comparison to Hero, he appears to be working for independents big and small.

Now, Riddle has only been wrestling for around 3 years and while he is not quite at the caliber of a Chris Hero just yet, he certainly has all of the tools to get there. Ever since his departure from UFC Riddle has taken to Pro Wrestling at an astonishing rate, earning him comparisons to the likes of Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. His natural charisma and ability to read is what established him as a star in EVOLVE.

Riddle’s temperament seems to be the same as Hero’s, he wants to work for as many companies as possible, get as much experience as he can and build his brand globally. As I mentioned before the hole that Chris Hero left in the Independent scene was substantial. Indie companies desperately need a performer that can come in and elevate both your company and the stars on your roster  Matt Riddle looks set to be the man to fill those boots with his willingness to work in diverse matches against a litany of different opponents.

Who’s your Hero? It’s Matt Riddle….bro

Look at this Tyler Bate just photo bombed me! This means war bro! #ireland #dublin #kingofbros #bro #photobombed #ottwrestling @Tyler_Bate pic.twitter.com/1lxDdHE3xq

— Matthew Riddle (@SuperKingofBros) February 4, 2017