– The original plan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 on Sunday night was for the match to go about 35 minutes long, including entrance. Because the pay-per-view ran long, WWE ended up cutting some time off of the match. They also cut out a Bray Wyatt vs. Undertaker video out of the broadcast.
– It was rumored that Kevin Nash suffered an injury during the nWo and D-X run-in spot in the Triple H vs. Sting match at WrestleMania 31 on Sunday night. Nash addressed the rumor on social media, joking that the only injury he suffered was to his feelings because Billy Gunn can still “go.” Below is a tweet Nash posted after the show that deals with the subject.
Injury update it appears my feelings were hurt that Billy can still move like a freight train. Great main event -show pic.twitter.com/Y4h6dqmh3C
Jim Ross updated the blog section of his official website on Monday to share his thoughts on Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view. Below are some highlights.
On the Sting vs. Triple H match and the D-X and nWo involvement: “Sting vs. HHH was a grand production with a ‘cast of thousands’ specifically the nWo and DX. So happy that Sting got his WrestleMania Moment which was well deserved. Those that think that the Moment was ruined because Sting lost might not understand the business as well as they think. I don’t know if Sting is done with WWE or not but I do hope that he gets a nice retirement sendoff and that he’s in the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame class. If the plan is to have a Summer Slam or sooner rematch between the two then HHH winning makes even more sense.”
On Ronda Rousey possibly wrestling in WWE: “I’ve been pushing a Ronda Rousey-Stephanie McMahon storyline for weeks on the Ross Report Podcast and I was elated with what went down Sunday between Rousey, Steph, the Rock and HHH. I thought the ladies stole the segment from the men and sill feel that a Rousey vs. Steph match with a stacked deck in Steph’s favor will be a giant hit in Texas at WM32 if the trigger can be pulled.”
On Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt: “Thought Taker returned to WM in great shape and looking physically better than he has in the past several years. Bray Wyatt being competitive, kicking out of a Tombstone Piledriver was great for the young, 3rd generation talent. Anyone who thinks that Wyatt took a step back because he did not win needs to re-evaluate their opinion. Just saying…Nonetheless Taker appears to still have some gas in the tank and I hope that the is a major part of the Texas WrestleMania which would be a great place for him to hand it up if that’s what the Phenom wants to do.”
On the main event: “The booking of the ending of the impromptu Triple Threat Match for the WWE world title was brilliant. Lesnar was protected, Reigns showed his toughness and passion to survive the early, Lesnar onslaught, and Rollins cashing in the MITB contract, which was no real surprise but how it was executed was, is a WWE Champion that on any given night can lose the title ala Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels back in their days. Loved the Japanese strong style aspects of the match and enjoyed the finish even more. ”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
Another reason people think Lesnar is retaining is the belief that Roman Reigns becoming the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion would be a bigger issue among fans than Reigns losing his first WrestleMania main event. There’s a feeling within WWE that if they put the title on Reigns this early, it could be a situation that he can’t recover from in the long-term.
Speaking of tonight’s main event, there has been talk this week that WWE has made some creative changes to the match, although what those are remain to be seen.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com for live WrestleMania 31 play-by-play results coverage tonight.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar’s “advocate” spoke with IGN this week to promote Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 event. Below are highlights from the interview.
On Brock Lesnar going into WrestleMania as WWE World Heavyweight Champion: “Well, this is really Bock Lesnar’s rightful place. He is a once in a lifetime athlete and a once in a lifetime performer and a once in a lifetime attraction in this industry. This is clearly his time. There is no one like Brock Lesnar, not in WWE or UFC or Mixed Martial Arts, so you like to walk into a situation saying “I’m so blessed. I’m so fortunate. What an honor it is to be…” To be blunt with you, I don’t think there’s any other place for Brock Lesnar to be but on top.”
On talk about Roman Reigns not being ready: “I think anyone who questions whether or not Roman Reigns is ready for where he is in his career is blind to how talented this young man is. I don’t see the criticism. I don’t agree with any of the critiques. Clearly he is a total bad ass that can bring it in the ring, and walked away from a promising football career to get into the business that has fed his family for many, many years. He has adapted to this business as fast as anyone I’ve ever seen. The biggest criticism that can be valid on Roman Reigns is he didn’t spend a lot of time in NXT. He didn’t have to. He was ready for the main roster faster than anyone else was ready for the main roster that came out of the NXT system. It’s like one of these prodigy kids that graduated high school at 14 and graduated college at 16, because they can. And he did and he graduated the developmental system faster than anybody else in history because he could. Anybody that’s sitting there saying “Roman Reigns isn’t ready,” by what criteria are they making that judgment?”
On Brock Lesnar re-signing with WWE: “I was ready for Brock to make any decision that Brock deemed appropriate. So if Brock’s desire was to go back and fight in the UFC then I would be riding his coattails that way. If Brock decided he wanted to slam dunk a basketball and get into the NBA and mow down the competition, then I was going to pick up that game real fast. He decided to stay here and set records both on subscriptions to the network or pay per view buys or ticket sales for major events in WWE, I’m happy to ride his coat tails here as well.”
On Reigns vs. Lesnar on Sunday: “My personal desire in this match is for Brock Lesnar to make this match the defining moment of his championship run. His first WrestleMania title defense ever and the declarative statement that he is the Beast, he is the conqueror and he has conquered the WWE universe like no one else has ever even dared to dream of doing in the past.”
WrestleMania is right around the corner. Although the build has been a little subpar, it’s still WrestleMania so it should be entertaining. Here’s how yours truly expects it all to play out.
Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (Tag Team Champions) vs. The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos
Kidd and Cesaro really deserve better than the pre-show treatment, but hey, what can you do? This is clearly between the Usos and the champs, as the other two teams are simply jobbers eating up space. Expect a few entertaining spots between the two, with Naomi and Natalya ultimately playing a role in the outcome. In the end, the champs will retain after Cesaro pins one of the Usos.
Winners: Kidd & Cesaro by pinfall
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Remember a few weeks back when Stephanie McMahon was on Raw promoting this battle royal as the most important thing since Hogan/Andre at WrestleMania III? So much for that, as it’s now on the pre-show. Hideo Itami has been added to the match after winning a tournament at Axxess over the weekend. I think they will use this as an attempt to put over NXT and increase viewership by having Itami pick up the win after hitting the GTS. Expect Mizdow to eliminate Miz during this one as well to set up a match between the two next month at Extreme Rules.
Winner: Hideo Itami
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
This could easily be one of the most entertaining matches of the night, as Orton and Rollins are two of the best workers in the business. It will be filled with multiple near-falls, and J&J will undoubtedly try to help Rollins pick up the win. It’s hard to say what the hell they’re doing with this one, especially considering they blew the payoff for Orton weeks ago. I still think Orton wins and it will be a rough night for Mr. Money in the Bank (more on that later).
WWE Superstar John Cena recently spoke with Digital Spy to promote this Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 event at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Below are highlights from the interview.
On retirement: “The long and short of it is I really like my job. Everyone always asks the question, ‘How do you do it?’. I love working. You’ll hear everybody say that, but I prove it. I’m not saying that to condescend anybody else’s opinion, I’m saying it because I love it, truly. I want to be in this industry as long as I can, and I’m going to. When I’m a step slower than I should be and I shouldn’t be out there, I’m not gonna be out there. That’ll be very, very relevant to the entire audience – as you know they’re very vocal. When it’s time to go it’ll be time to go.”
On what else he can achieve in the business: “If the chairman was sitting here you could say, ‘Hey man, you took it from territory to nationwide and then you took it global. You started pay-per-views, you developed the WWE Network, you pretty much put everybody else out of business, what’s next for you?’ He doesn’t have a stopping goal. We can always go some place else. I really, really want the WWE to be able to perform on a regular basis in China. I think we should be able go to India on a regular basis. I’m not the person who’s booking Live Events, but whatever I can do to push that message forwards and help those things happen. WrestleMania is at Levi’s Stadium. We should do every show in a stadium! And then we should build a bigger stadium. That’s what’s great about WWE. We’re always extending families, there’s always another story to tell, it’s never essentially over. You can tell I still have passion for this. I really love it and we’ll see what’s next when we see what’s next.”
On advice for Roman Reigns as he prepares for Brock Lesnar: “I told him to just be himself out there and as long as they make a noise I think he’s doing just fine.”
On a potential rematch with Daniel Bryan: “I think right now especially if you look at Sunday he probably has the same goal that I have. [He wants] to win the Intercontinental Championship and make it as important as he can. I’m trying to win the US Championship and make it as important as I can. We do have a lot of events in recent memory, so I’m not saying it’s never gonna happen, but it probably won’t happen on Sunday. We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m glad there’s a want and anticipation for that. Daniel’s a hell of a competitor for that and it’s a pleasure to be in the ring with him.”
Jeff Jarrett recently spoke with Steven Godfrey of SB Nation to share his thoughts on WrestleMania 31. Jarrett predicted that Big Show is going to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and The Usos are going to win the WWE Tag-Team titles in the Kickoff Show four-way tag-team match.
Below are some comments from Jarrett regarding other matches on the card:
On Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: “This is one I’m really looking forward to. I think this event has the best chance to become the show-stealer. I like Dolph Ziggler here, he’ll have the opportunity to shine through with those seven guys. There’s plenty of ammunition and plenty of targets. I think Dolph is ready to rise to the occasion; he’s got a chance here to take that next step. Bryan has to be the obvious favorite, if not the fan favorite. But I like this event because each of these seven guys are distinct enough in ability and persona. That diversity in ingredients is what could make this match really special.”
On John Cena vs. Rusev: “John not having to carry the company on his back through WrestleMania season means he can focus only on this. He gets to leave nothing on the table and exceed expectations. Rusev should bring a couple oxygen tanks to ringside because he’ll be absolutely gassed at the end of this. He’s not on Cena’s level in big money matches, at least not yet.”
On Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker: “For years you could never bet against ‘Taker at ‘Mania, and that went for not only wins and losses, but also match quality. I think this year’s no different. I would’ve bet you and lost last year [vs. Brock Lesnar] but I’d put the farm on Undertaker this year. He’s always exceeded what’s expected of him and Sunday will be no different.”
On Sting vs. Triple H: “From an emotional standpoint I’m invested in this match more than any other, having such a long history with Sting. I’ve watched his career from the Clash of Champions to the Starrcades to big matches in TNA, but at this stage of his career … For Sting to arrive at the biggest match of his career north of 50 years old is a testament to the man they call ‘Sting.’ I’m excited he’s got this opportunity and I wish him nothing but the best. But: If you’ve ever watched one of Triple H’s WrestleMania matches, Sting has to realize he’s not walking into a traditional wrestling match. He’ll feel the effects of this weeks, if not months to come.”
On Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar: “With the ESPN announcement and Dana White’s comments I believe the proverbial gas has been poured on the fire. There’s a lot of moving parts here: Roman Reigns is very fresh to this dance as a singles wrestler. I would say that he’s got the deck stacked against him in numerous ways. We’ll talk more about that on Sunday, but I’ve also got a funny feeling that Roman comes out of this match as the winner in more ways than a ‘1, 2, 3.'”
– As reported earlier this week, WWE is looking at bringing some legends back for a match at next year’s WrestleMania 32 pay-per-view to help fill Cowboys Stadium and set the all-time attendance record. Today, WWE’s official website is running a poll asking fans which legend they would like to see have one more match at WrestleMania. The options are Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Bill Goldberg, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Batista, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Vince McMahon, Lita, Trish Stratus or The Dudley Boyz.
With over 2,000 votes cast as of this writing, Stone Cold is leading the pack with 30 percent of the vote. Trailing Austin are Goldberg (21%), Shawn Michaels (13%) and Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy, both of whom have eight percent of the votes. You can vote on the poll at WWE.com.
– The latest WWE Superstar workout video released by WWE features WrestleMania 31 headliner Roman Reigns preparing for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Brock Lesnar this Sunday. You can check out Reigns’ WrestleMania workout video below.
Roman Reigns spoke with Brian Fritz of SportingNews.com to promote his WrestleMania 31 main event against the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar on Sunday. Below are highlights from the interview.
On if he feels pressure being in the biggest match on the biggest event of the year: “I think it was a little bit of both. When you’re doing what I do every single day, even if you’re not at the highest level of our business of sports entertainment, there’s a lot of nerves. There’s a lot of pressure and there’s always that pressure to perform. And it’s only magnified more at the level I find myself at now. For me, I just to focus on the excited energy, the enthusiasm and hopefully with that enthusiasm I can create momentum.”
On what he thinks emotions will be like when he makes his entrance on Sunday: “I think it’s going to be awesome. I think it’s exciting. Everything for me is exciting about WrestleMania. You know, it’s not only the match but there’s so many opportunities that we get this week. For me, I’ve been able to do some awesome things. As you know, one of the great things I’m doing today is partnering up with Snickers. The huge question is who are you when you’re hungry? That’s the contest that we’re putting out there. We’ love to see everybody’s ultra egos. As soon as you feel like you’re a bit out of character, take a bite of that Snickers bar and everything’s going to feel better. All the fans can do me a favor and check out the Snickers homepage (www.Snickers.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/snickers) and you’ll get to see so many cool details about the contest. You can check out my commercial and my wacky alter ego when I’m hungry and hopefully you’re a little bit different than I am. You don’t want to catch yourself being insecure or a little anxious when you’re on TV.”
On whether or not he’s been surprised at the recent fan reactions: “No, not at all. Where we’re at now, with the internet and the whole Facebook thing, with Twitter, you’re able to connect and reach out to your fans more and see what they’re feeling. Fortunately for me, I do get that mixed reaction and that’s the thing. It’s a mixed reaction. Some days are stronger boos, some days are stronger cheers but for me, I like to focus on the support, focus on all the positivity. I have a lot of great fans out there who believe in me and that’s more momentum for myself. It’s always nice to get some positive reinforcement. I just want to thank all my fans and all my supporters out there. That’s my goal is to make my family proud, to represent my family, myself and my fans.”
Check out the complete interview at SportingNews.com.
Roman Reigns recently spoke with MStarz.com to promote this Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view. Below are highlights from the interview.
On preparing for WrestleMania Week: “It’s been pretty cool actually. There’s no way to prepare for something like this. You have to be thrown in the fire and fortunately for me I’ve always responded well when I was thrown in the deep end.”
On facing WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and him re-signing: “Regarding Brock, as a competitor, it doesn’t change my mindset at all. As long as he’s there Sunday, it doesn’t matter to me. But as a part of WWE and a part of the family, it’s good to have Brock locked down. It’s good for the WWE, it’s good for Brock and it’s good for his family. It’s just where he’s supposed to be. Hopefully when I beat him this Sunday, he’ll have a few chances to get [the WWE World Heavyweight Championship] back.”
On other WrestleMania matches is he looking forward to watching: “That’s the tough part. I’m probably not gonna be able to [watch on Sunday]. Being in the main event, there’s gonna be a lot of time I’ll need to be focusing and preparing both mentally and physically. But we have the WWE Network, so I’ll easily be able to go on my iPhone and check out everything that happens. We have Sting vs. Triple H, Bray Wyatt vs. the Undertaker, the Intercontinental title ladder match with some of the hungriest, youngest guys in the game. And that’s something I’m proud of and something I brag about, the makeup of this locker room. And then on top of that, you have my old partner Seth Rollins taking on the Viper, Randy Orton, so I think that’s gonna be a good one as well.”
Even more details are coming out about Brock Lesnar’s new contract with WWE. After making his big announcement earlier this week on Sports Center that he has decided to remain with WWE, Lesnar told the Associated Press that he re-signed for 3 years. According to WWE insider MetsFan4Ever, Lesnar’s deal is for $3 million a year and he’ll continue to work a limited schedule.
WWE writers have been working nonstop with Vince McMahon, Triple H and their inner circle to come up with multiple scenarios for the main event of WrestleMania. According to MetsFan, Vince McMahon is said to be on board with the idea of Lesnar retaining the title, although Lesnar winning is not a sure thing by any means. What’s interesting is that there is finally an understanding amongst WWE’s top brass that Reigns did not get over as they hoped he would.
Internally, there have been some comparisons to Lex Luger, who was pushed to the moon back in 1993 with the Lex Express before WWE ultimately went with Bret Hart. While WWE could still have Reigns win the title on Sunday, WWE is not oblivious to the fact that he’s not getting over like somebody in his position should be. While Luger was relegated to mid-card status after WrestleMania X before jumping ship to WCW, WWE has a lot invested in Reigns and we could see a big shakeup in his character in the coming months. He’s still got a very bright future ahead of him, but management is now more open to Lesnar going over.
MetsFan also says that Dean Ambrose is slated to get a strong push leading into SummerSlam.
NXT Champion Kevin Owens was on CBS Radio’s The Chad Dukes Wrestling Show this week to discuss NXT, Sami Zayn, his knee injury, Brock Lesnar, and more. At the end of the interview, he even throws out a challenge to Samoa Joe. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
His Experience In NXT So Far:
“I was so excited to sign with WWE because it’s been my dream since I was a kid and I was 11 years old when I first saw WrestleMania and knew that’s what I had to do in life. It took a while to get here but now that I am here I’m not going to wait in line or do anything by the book. I took the bull by the horns as they say and two months after my debut I’m the NXT champion. So it’s going pretty well so far, it’s a really special feeling to be part of something that’s growing and that people are so excited about. To be at the forefront of it because I’m the champion makes it even better.”
Brock Lesnar:
“As a fan him, re-signing is incredibly exciting. As a competitor, it’s even better because of the chance of getting to be in that ring with him one day is something that motivates me. I’ve been a Brock Lesnar fan since the first time I saw him. I was there when he made his debut in Montreal, the night after WrestleMania 18 and from the get go I was like, “this guy’s awesome.” I even named my dog Brock as a tribute, whatever you wanna call it, so I’m a big fan of his. The fact that he’s gonna be sticking around here for a while and gonna do great things with WWE is exciting all around but yeah I’d love to be in the ring with him.”
Who He’s Like To See Join NXT:
“I feel like Adam Cole would be a great addition to NXT, a guy like Cedric Alexander also would be really good but they’d all have to come through me first and that won’t work out that good.”
“I’m open to a challenge from anyone, including Samoa Joe, I’ll just put that one out there.”
Former WWE announcer and ESPN personality Jonathan Coachman recently appeared as a guest on the Busted Open Radio show. Below are highlights from the interview.
On if he was surprised by Brock Lesnar retire from MMA and re-sign with WWE? “I wasn’t because I know how difficult it was for him the way it ended in UFC and the toll the illness put on his body. I spoke to him about a year and a half ago and it was very evident that he was really happy to be back in the WWE. I’ve spoken to both UFC and WWE guys and they each say that they wouldn’t be able to do the other. To only do UFC twice a year, and possibly have the disappointment if his body failed again, it would be too much for Brock to handle psychologically and probably physically as well.”
On Brock Lesnar’s decision to use ESPN for his announcement: “I thought it was cool that he chose SportsCenter to make his decision and I also thought it was cool that ESPN decided to do that. We’re definitely heading in the right direction. ESPN is my home but my love for WWE hasn’t gone away. To be able to do both for at least one day and hopefully more in the future, it was fantastic. ESPN contacted me to be an analyst and ask Brock a couple of questions based off his decision. I didn’t know what he was going to do until he actually announced it. We were coming up with those questions on the spot so it was a surprise to everybody.”
On Brock’s attitude change and having fun in the WWE ring: “When you first start out in the business, you’re worried about how to make the most money. You’re working 28-30 days a month and you realize while you’re making all this money, you’re killing your body, you can’t get to the gym, can’t eat right. All these factors stop it from becoming fun. During my last few years it stopped being fun for me. So when you step away for a while and then come back, you gain a different perspective and it becomes fun again. Brock’s in his mid to late 30’s now so his perspective is different from when he first came out as an NCAA champion and needed to show the rest of the world how tough he was. He doesn’t need to do that anymore so he’s going to have more fun than he ever had before.”
On if he feels the rest of the WWE roster will resent Brock Lesnar for having a special long-term deal “There has always been that factor in the locker room when it comes to that type of situation. One of my roles in WWE when I was there was making the young guys understand how the world of WWE works. What I would say to those guys is until you’re a main event guy and people are spending money just to see you, you won’t be treated like a star. Star Power is a real thing and while it doesn’t seem fair, the star does deserve more money and benefits. This is show business. The faster they learn that they need to be able to talk and climb that ladder, the faster they will reach the top and get that treatment as well.”
On how tough the WrestleMania crowd will be on Roman Reigns: “It’s going to be really tough on him. Stars have to learn how to connect with the fans and stay connected. It starts with what comes out of your mouth and if you can’t make people believe in you with what you are saying, it doesn’t matter how good you can wrestle. He needs to focus on how to get the fans to get emotional about him and buy into what he is selling them and not worry so much about his match with Lesnar. Lesnar succeeded in that with his interview yesterday and did what Reigns hasn’t been able to do yet. The Rock proved that if you can be a great heel, you can become the biggest babyface in the business.”
WWE has decided on some of their plans for post-WrestleMania 31 programs for their secondary championships.
As things stand right now, which could always change before Sunday, WWE is looking at John Cena and Rusev to continue their feud over the WWE United States Championship for a third pay-per-view match after Sunday’s show.
For the WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE is looking at a three-way program between Bad News Barrett, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler coming out of WrestleMania.
For the big picture, things aren’t as clear just yet, although the working plan right now is for Roman Reigns to work a program with Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship if he beats Brock Lesnar for the title on Sunday.
WWE has talked about the idea of doing a prominent triple-threat match between all three former members of The Shield on a big pay-per-view event, an idea that Roman Reigns feels would make for the perfect main event of next year’s WrestleMania.
When speaking with The Sun out of the U.K. recently, Reigns was asked what he feels should be the main event at next year’s WrestleMania in Dallas, Texas.
“It should be a Triple Threat match,” said Reigns. “The Shield reunites to fight each other for one more night.”
Reigns was also asked about possibly facing The Rock in the headline match at WrestleMania, however he didn’t seem to think that is the way to go.
“Where I’m at right now, with our family ties, I don’t really see that happening,” said Reigns. “But if it did happen, it would be in WWE. Going out on a limb right now, I’d say most likely not, but this is WWE, anything can change.”
With Brock Lesnar re-signing with WWE for a three-year deal this past Monday, the door is now open for a WrestleMania 32 main event against The Rock next year in Dallas, Texas, as long as WWE can get The Rock to commit to the match.
The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar was originally the planned main event for WrestleMania XXX, however an injury prevented The Rock from being able to do the match.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar have been bringing up The Undertaker, The Rock and John Cena in recent weeks as a way of planting the seed for next year’s potential WrestleMania main event. In the case, of The Undertaker, that would require him winning this Sunday against Bray Wyatt, although that is expected to happen either way. As things stand now, in a perfect world, it’s said that Lesnar vs. The Rock would be WWE’s first choice.
Jim Ross recently updated the blog on his official website to share his thoughts on the new that Brock Lesnar has re-signed with WWE. Below is an excerpt, which features JR commenting on that subject.
Brock Lesnar made his announcement on Tuesday that he was staying with WWE and retiring from MMA of which is great news for WWE and their fans and something that I though would happen for the past several weeks even though I too have vacillated on this matter numerous times. Knowing Brock since he was a Junior in college at Minnesota when we started recruiting him, I know the gladiator spirit in the man desperately wanted to close out his MMA career on a more positive note than it ended but after becoming the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion what else was there to prove? Lesnar is a wrestler and not a skilled striker in that world but the first thing to go with a wrestler’s skill set is their quickness and the older one gets the less speed and quickness they possess.
Who knows what the affects of fighting in a rugged sport featuring four ounce gloves will do to one’s brain as it relates to concussions so why take the risk especially when one is in their late 30’s and especially one who has great financial options being offered them?
I’m sure that Brock’s family and closest friends participated in the decision making process but at the end of the day the final, final decision had to be made by the man himself. A younger Brock, full of P&V, might have made a different decision but the responsible husband, loving father, son and friend looked at it from a different point of view.
Brock Lesnar made the best decision for him and everyone close to him by staying in WWE and earning what I’m sure is a magnificent salary for working what is essentially a part time schedule. Plus, by having a part time schedule it will manage how much exposure that he will get to insure that Brock remains an attraction and will not allow him to be over exposed as so many in his profession are in today’s marketplace.
WWE would e well served to allow the talents to be rotated within the system to provide more talents additional off time to rest and recover and Lesnar’s contract guarantees that he will be able to function in a more idealistic environment. No one is a bigger Lesnar fan than me as evidenced on how hard and long we recruited him but not even the most ardent Lesnar fan needs to see Brock every week. That goes for any established star on the roster for that matter.
Every amateur booker and even some of us who have done that job for a living as it relates to booking matches are having a field day looking at all the possible scenarios that might occur this Sunday at WrestleMania in the Lesnar-Reigns WWE Title match. There are potentially endless of scenarios that ‘could’ be utilized which makes this main event infinitely more intriguing that it was before the ESPN announcement with the talented Michelle Beadle and the “Beast Incarnate.”
While many complained about the ‘build;’ to this WrestleMania being tepid in the eyes of some, the game changed drastically when Lesnar declared his intentions on ESPN Tuesday.
Lesnar, who as recently as a few days ago, was doing serious MMA training in preparation for a possible return, noted that he had to make a decision as a father and a husband, and noted that his professional fighting days are over. It’s also worth noting that Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that Lesnar’s wife (Sable) did not want Brock going back to MMA.
With Lesnar staying in WWE, it’s widely expected that he will turn babyface at some point, likely as soon as this Sunday at WrestleMania 31.
If and when Lesnar makes the face turn, the door will be open for a number of high-profile feuds, including the rumored WrestleMania 32 match against The Rock, if things work out that the match can be made by this time next year. A Lesnar babyface turn has reportedly been decided on within WWE since the very beginning of this year.
Prior to Lesnar’s announcement, WWE had multiple scenarios for the finish to Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 main event, all of which were dependent upon knowing where Lesnar’s future would be. With Lesnar staying, he will likely fill the spot that Roman Reigns was scheduled to take as the top babyface of the company. This has also led to speculation that Reigns will be turning heel at this Sunday.
It’s also worth noting that Lesnar’s announcement resulted in a flood of activity at online sports betting sites, with Lesnar now favored to defeat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Roman Reigns appeared on ESPN 2’s Sports Nation with Michelle Beadle on Tuesday afternoon to hype WrestleMania 31 and was interrupted by Paul Heyman. Here are some highlights from the segment:
– Beadle asked about the “tug of war” segment with Brock Lesnar that ended Monday’s “go home” episode of WWE RAW. Reigns said he wanted to make a statement that he will walk right in and do what nobody else does – take the title right off Brock Lesnar’s. Reigns said that’s his goal this Sunday.
– Reigns said The Rock and his father have been the people who have influenced his career the most. When asked if he wants to crush Hollywood like his cousin, Reigns said he just wants to crush Brock Lesnar and bring the belt back where it belongs.
– When asked if he’s nervous to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, Reigns said he gets nervous before every performance. He said he’s been training for this moment and is ready to roll.
– Paul Heyman interrupted the segment and shook Reigns’ hand. Heyman introduced himself, gave Michelle Beadle a “Paul Heyman Girl” t-shirt and wished Reigns good look on Sunday. After they went to commercial, Paul Heyman joined the Sports Nation panel and talked sports.
The big news of the day is obviously Brock Lesnar announcing on ESPN’s SportsCenter that he has signed a new contract with WWE and is officially retired from MMA. (Video Of The Announcement).
Lesnar declared, “My legacy in the Octagon is over. However, my legacy at WrestleMania this Sunday will not be my last” and told fans, “I’m going home with that damn belt!”
It’s expected that he will continue to work a part-time schedule. Lesnar told ESPN’s Michelle Beadle that Vince McMahon made him an offer he couldn’t refuse last night at RAW from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Vince tweeted:
Jim Ross is back with the latest edition of his online blog, sharing his thoughts on the WrestleMania 31 “go-home” edition of RAW and more. Below are highlights:
On Kevin Nash’s WWE Hall Of Fame Induction: “Congrats to my friend Kevin Nash on getting the nod to go into the WWE HOF This Saturday where he will be inducted by Mick Foley. Back in the early days of Kevin’s career in WCW many of the politically charged power brokers would not give the athletic 7 footer the time of day. I put him on my WSB Radio Show that aired on Sunday nights and he made an impact because he could talk, was glib and highly intelligent. It was at that point that the higher up’s discovered a side of Kev that they never took the time to to know and the rest is history. Kevin was one of the best “attraction wrestlers” of his generation and made an impact in front of and behind the camera in both WWE and WCW. I’m proud of him and even prouder to call him my friend.”
On the final segment on Monday’s RAW: “@HeymanHustle was once again stellar. Some folks liked the closing foreshadowing of the TV show with Lesnar and Reigns struggling over the WWE Title while others did not. Not my hill to die upon but I’m pleased that we did not see any physicality between the two main event talents in this Sunday’s WrestleMania. The build to WM31 has been a mixed bag with both good and not so good but it also seems to have become a predictable mantra for many fans to discuss. I’m of the mindset to watch the event from home and then judge the show on it’s actual merits and not on what I perceive the build to be. Could the build have been better? Absolutely. Does the build mean the actual presentation Sunday on the WWE Network is doomed for failure? Absolutely, not.”
On the Sting/Triple H angle on RAW: “Thought the Sting/HHH business was just enough and fully expect this match to exceed expectations. Can’t express how happy that I am for Sting to be getting his WrestleMania Moment which is well deserved to one of the best guys in the business. We go back to his Blade Runner days in Mid South with Cowboy Bill Watts.”
Vince Russo has added his name into the mix of WWE fans who were not satisfied with the “go home” segment of Monday’s RAW between WrestleMania challengers Roman Reigns and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
Russo didn’t only vent about the angle, but he took it a step further, declaring that Vince McMahon is completely out of touch and needs to step down as the man who has the final say over what airs on WWE television.
Russo wrote:
Three hour build-up all leading up to two men having a tug-o-war. No thanks . . . glad I watched Teen Mom premiere.
WWE taped a segment with The Bella Twins, AJ Lee and Paige for this week’s SmackDown after RAW last night, and the segment has some people talking.
The segment was described as one of the better Diva promo segments in quite a while. One line in particular that had a lot of people talking was when Nikki Bella told AJ Lee that Brock Lesnar defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on more shows than AJ did when she was the WWE Divas Champion.
It’s said that if the line makes it to the show this week, then it was a scripted line, however it’s also considered possible that Bella went off-script with the comment, something she and AJ have both done recently. If that’s the case, it likely won’t be on television this week.
Speaking of the verbal jab Bella took at AJ, there is said to be some backstage heat on AJ for how much time she took off from the company.
For complete WWE SmackDown spoilers for this week, click here.
This week’s Raw was held in Los Angeles and was the last stop on the Road to WrestleMania. Sting once again made an appearance, Lesnar and Reigns finally came face-to-face, and the company did everything in its power to hype the biggest wrestling event of the year. With WrestleMania less than a week away, here are the pros and cons from this week’s episode of Raw.
Pros
Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler with Dean Ambrose as the special referee? Count me in any time, any day. When you get two ring generals together, expect a technical affair and that’s exactly what fans were treated to. The two tested each other’s strength at the beginning, with Bryan coming out on top after focusing on Ziggler’s elbow. The Show Off quickly turned the tables, however, dropping a big elbow onto Bryan’s chest for a one-count as the Intercontinental Championship hanged over the ring. This resembled a puroresu match with slaps to the face, stiff moves, and fast-paced action. The show went to commercial after both men toppled into the timekeeper’s area. After the break, Ziggler had Bryan locked into a sleeper before Bryan drove him into the corner to break the hold. Bryan nearly picked up the victory with an awesome German suplex pin before heading to the top rope – a decision that quickly backfired after Dolph hit the ropes but failed to connect with a superplex. He’d quickly recover and drive Bryan’s face into the mat from the top rope for another two-count. In the end, Bryan hit his signature dropkick into the corner and went for a second before Ziggler countered with one of the stiffest superkicks you’ll ever see and followed it up with the Zig-Zag for the win in a superb match. The Lunatic Fringe didn’t let him celebrate his victory for long though, hitting Ziggler with Dirty Deeds before pulling out a ladder and attempting to retrieve the title from above the ring before all of the competitors entered the ring to brawl. This match was the highlight of the night, and the ladder match on Sunday will probably be the highlight of WrestleMania.
They really needed to ditch the boring opening segments featuring The Authority, and thankfully they did so tonight by having Sting open the show. The Franchise discussed all of the ways Triple H snaked his way to the top of the company, but conveniently left out sleeping with the boss’s daughter. He made it clear that he wasn’t “fighting for WCW,” but simply to “take Triple H down.” Stephanie McMahon confronted Sting and the two went back and forth, hurling insults at one another in an entertaining segment. After Sting blocked Steph’s attempted slap, The Game came to the ring to confront his opponent on Sunday, with Sting warding off the sledgehammer-wielding Triple H with his signature black bat. Overall, it was a great way to open the show, hype the match for Sunday, and it was nice to see them finally cut Sting loose on the mic.
Snoop D-O-Double-Gizzle doing his best Godfather impersonation before being interrupted by #Axelmania. The man himself finally made a completely unexpected appearance to confront his imitator. It was an awesome, hilarious segment. #Hulkamania
The Intercontinental Championship match was once again prominently featured, as four of the participants in Sunday’s ladder match competed in the first match of the night. Ambrose and R-Truth teamed together to face Luke Harper and Stardust with Bad News Barrett on commentary. Harper and Ambrose worked very well together to start the match, with Ambrose hitting a nice bulldog before clearing the ring with the help of his partner. After the break, Stardust worked over Ambrose and hit an Alabama Slam before once again ceding control to his partner. The commentary team was surprisingly entertaining during this one with Barrett and Booker T trading barbs. After taking a beating and kicking out of multiple near-falls, Ambrose came back with a tornado DDT and hit up R-Truth with the hot tag. The faces dominated from there and R-Truth picked up the victory via pinfall after hitting his leaping reverse STO finisher. Ambrose and Truth danced together after the contest to conclude an entertaining opening half hour of the show.
Finally, Nikki Bella offered a Divas Championship match to either Paige or AJ Lee in an attempt to create a divide between her opponents on Sunday. After much debate, Paige decided she would take the title shot. The Divas have been putting on some decent matches over the past few weeks, and they continued their streak of quality matches this week. This one featured a few believable near-falls, they were given a lot of time (by Divas standards), and the ending at least did something to create intrigue for the tag match on Sunday by having AJ cost Paige the title.