As previously reported in a spoiler article based off of Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown television taping in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar’s match at the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26th is now confirmed to be a one-on-one match against Big Show.
The Lesnar-Big Show match was made official during SmackDown this week, as Lesnar’s on-air manager Paul Heyman accepted the match against Big Show on his behalf during a MizTV segment.
With the Lesnar-Show match now official, here is the updated official lineup for the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view:
WWE Royal Rumble Match
– Confirmed participants thus far: Batista and Alberto Del Rio
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
– Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
Ryback spoke with The570.com this week to promote tonight’s WWE live event from Wilkes-Barre, PA. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
If he could wrestle any WWE Legend from the past, who would it be?
“That’s a tough one. I grew up watching Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Razor Ramon and The British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith) — if I could step into the ring with anyone of those four, it would be an absolute honor. They were heroes of mine when I was a kid.”
Who is his dream tag team partner?
“Another tough one. A guy like Brock Lesnar. I believe we are very similar breeds as far as style and intensity. I think if you tagged us together, that’s an unstoppable force that would never be beaten.”
What’s a hobby of his that might be surprising to fans?
“I am a big reader. I’m very big on the Law of Attraction, positivity and books such as The Secret. We have a very busy WWE schedule with a lot of traveling and long drives at night, but I set a goal for myself to read at least 20 books. Considering our schedule, it’s not the easiest thing to do, but I enjoy reading.”
Where he sees himself in 5 years:
“I see myself here in the WWE, hopefully leading the pack of a whole new generation of young, hungry talent traveling around the world entertaining the world like the WWE can. Id like to have some movies under my belt, work with sponsorships, charities and get my name out there. I’m excited for the future. There are big things in store for Ryback in the next five years.”
– On Monday’s Old School RAW, we saw Brock Lesnar dispose of Mark Henry once again before getting into a confrontation with the Big Show.
While at first it looked like WWE was setting up a program between Henry and Lesnar, Monday’s segment was done to put Lesnar over by “sacrifice” Henry en route to Lesnar’s feud with Big Show. There are no plans for a Lesnar vs. Henry match.
– Steve Austin noted on Twitter that while in Las Vegas for WWE’s major announcement tonight, he will try to interview Triple H for his Steve Austin show podcast.
At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings, it was announced that Brock Lesnar will face Big Show at the Royal Rumble. With that match set, here’s the updated card:
* 30 Man Royal Rumble (Batista, Del Rio & 28 more entrants)
* WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena (Pinfall or Submission only)
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about Monday’s Old School RAW:
Piper’s Pit: “Thought it was one of the better Piper’s Pit segments that we’ve seen over the past few years. Succinct, cut to the chase content, etc. Nice rub for the Shield. Roddy endorsing Punk did nothing but good as well.”
Brock Lesnar’s Segment With Mark Henry & Big Show: “No issues with Lesnar/Henry/Show but for anyone to think that Lesnar is as hot right how as he needs to be isn’t looking at Brock through honest eyes. His absence was long and Brock wasn’t red hot when he left. The former WWE and UFC champion is an amazing talent but he’s got little traction from where I sit and needs to promoted aggressively and soon if he’s expected to sell PPV’s at WM30. The good news is that it can be done.”
Daniel Bryan & The Wyatt Family: “I’m still confused as to where the Daniel Bryan/Wyatt Family storyline is headed. I’m trying to like it as I’m a big fan of all the men involved in the equation but I don’t know much more about their relationship or issues than I knew last week. As a fan, I needed a little more concrete info or a viable tease from these four men than I was provided.”
Jerry Lawler’s Health Scare: “Good to hear that Jerry Lawler is fine after Monday’s health scare. Sounds as if King had a stomach virus or food poisoning but NO heart issues Monday in Baltimore. I hope to have a conversation with King this week if he can work me into his busy schedule. It’s not easy being a combination of a superhero and Larry Flynt. :)”
Jake Roberts’ Surprise Return: “The final surprise of Jake the Snake Roberts was a good surprise. Jake looked good and he was well received. Via @DDPYoga and making smart, personal decisions, Jake has gotten himself healthier and the alternative if he had continued to travel his former road was bleak.”
– There is a lot of heat on Ryback backstage in WWE. Ryback has ‘earned’ a reputation for being reckless in the ring – and he displayed that once again last night when he gave Dolph Ziggler a concussion. The two wrestled in a match that was taped for this week’s episode of Superstars. Ziggler went down hard after a stiff clothesline by Ryback and his concussion is being as “not a mild one.”
– The WWE contract of the original Sin Cara (formerly Mistico) is expiring soon and he’s not expected to be offered a new deal.
– Ranjin Singh made a return to WWE television on Monday’s Old School RAW, managing his former client, the Great Khali. Singh’s return was a one time deal and he’s not back with the company full time.
– Cody Rhodes appeared to injure his ankle on RAW, but he’s scheduled to wrestle at tonight’s SmackDown tapings.
– Brock Lesnar is also fine after his altercation with the Big Show on RAW. Lesnar was limping as he and Paul Heyman retreated from ringside, but he was just selling.
– Following the second consecutive week of being attacked on RAW by Brock Lesnar, WWE is reporting that Mark Henry suffered a dislocated and fractured elbow due to the kimura that Lesnar applied to him at Old School RAW.
– WWE added the following video promo hyping the announcement that Batista will be an official participant in the 2014 Royal Rumble match:
– Apparently Brock Lesnar is going to do something “devastating” to one of the old school wrestlers that are returning for tonight’s Old School RAW special in Baltimore. Expect Lesnar to do something similar to that in which he did last week to Mark Henry, only this time to an old school guy.
– There is a new Kickstarter campaign going around to fund a documentary on tag-team wrestling legends the Rock & Roll Express. You can contribute online at Kickstarter.com.
– With WrestleMania XXX just 3 months away, WWE has still not finalized who will be challenging the Undertaker’s streak this year. Brock Lesnar has long been the front runner to face the Dead Man, however, there is one big obstacle that might prevent the match from happening.
Not many people know this, but over the past few years, The Undertaker has rehearsed his WrestleMania matches with his opponents. Shawn Michaels, Triple H and CM Punk have all spend considerable time with the Undertaker planning out their matches in the weeks leading up to their matches at WrestleMania. Due to the nature of Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract, he is only required to travel a certain number of times per year for WWE. Training with The Undertaker to prepare for a WrestleMania match would exceed the terms of his agreement with WWE.
It’s possible WWE could negotiate with Lesnar and convince him to do what’s necessary to make The Undertaker comfortable with a match – but this is the reason John Cena and Daniel Bryan are still being considered as his possible opponents this year.
– WWE legend the Ultimate Warrior in currently talks with Vince McMahon about a WWE Hall of Fame induction and an appearance at WrestleMania XXX. Warrior is speaking strictly with Vince, having no contact with Triple H or anybody else in the company.
As previously reported, WWE will be releasing a new Ultimate Warrior DVD the week of WrestleMania, so a few TV appearances in April would help with the promotion of that project.
WGD Weekly with Ken Shamrock
Hosts: Steve & The Scum
Interview available at Facebook.com/WGDWeekly
Ken on his feelings of MMA and how his legacy is viewed today: “I helped create this sport; it’s almost like a child of mine. Just like many of the other guys who were in it in the beginning they cherish it and nurture it also. So I understand the comments that were made by some people who feel they don’t get the respect they deserve because they have been there in the beginning.”
Ken on his childhood and how he got started in MMA/Wrestling: “Well I started in juvenile hall I ended up getting stabbed at the age of 10, went back and forth in placements then got adopted by my father at the age of 12 who was Bob Shamrock who passed away 10 years ago. He was the one who drove me to become the man I am today. He instilled in me my passion …I was able to become a world champion because of the desire and the non-quit that he instilled in me.”
Ken feelings on Brock Lesnar and how he would go about facing him in the octagon: “I felt that when Brock Lesnar was brought into the UFC he was brought in wrong. I thought if they would have given him time to nurture and dealing with the media and onslaught of main event fights. I thought that some of the matches that he did lose he would’ve lost if he was able to go against guys at his level. The way I would attack is taking him into the later rounds. I think that he has two left feet when it comes to his stand up. He really does have real good technique, he’s slow…make him use a lot of energy with his punches and keep moving.”
Ken Shamrock also discuss his thoughts on refereeing the WrestleMania 13 match (Bret vs. Austin), the prank that Owen Hart pulled on him, feelings on Dana White, who’s ankle he shattered in the UFC during a fight and much more in this exclusive 2hr interview.
As previously reported, WWE was originally planning on a Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The idea came about when Show was feuding with The Authority.
Apparently the plan was for Big Show to go through Randy Orton and The Authority, although he would never win the title, yet he would come out of the program as a solid main eventer. This would set up Show looking strong, making Lesnar look strong for a match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX when he beat Show at the Rumble.
Speaking of Taker vs. Lesnar, there appears to be some concern over a few different issues. One is the physical style that Lesnar has in recent years. Lesnar’s rough style, mixed with the bad physical shape Taker is in, is causing some concern.
Another issue is that many, if not all of Taker’s opponents the last several years have secretly worked out their match with extensive practice before it actually took place. There is some concern within WWE as to whether or not Lesnar would be willing to put in that amount of time preparing for the match.
– WWEShop.com is selling a new “F5 Beast” t-shirt for Brock Lesnar (link) and a Goldust & Cody Rhodes “Brotherhood” t-shirt (link).
– The latest “Steve Austin Show: Unleashed!” is now online, with Stone Cold motivating his listeners to accomplish their new year’s resolution goals. Listen now at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino is Colt Cabana’s guest on this week’s Art of Wrestling podcast.
In this week’s sitdown interview with Michael Cole, Triple H talks about 2014 being an epic year from WWE and the changing landscape of the main event scene, with the returns of Brock Lesnar & Batista.
– Chris Jericho’s new “Talk Is Jericho” online show is officially the number one ranked podcast on the latest iTunes U.S. charts. Additionally, Jericho’s podcast is number two on the iTunes U.K. chart. Coming in at number six on the iTunes U.S. chart is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s “The Steve Austin Show.” You can check out the complete list at Apple.com.
– Following Brock Lesnar’s WWE return at the New Year’s edition of RAW this past Monday night, WWE is already selling new Lesnar t-shirts on their official WWE Shop website. You can check out all of the current Lesnar merchandise WWE is selling at Shop.WWE.com.
The Rock is holding a #RockTalk Q&A session on Twitter today and revealed some interesting details about the original plans for him to wrestle Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. He said there’s “no plans now” for him to compete at WrestleMania 30 – but “possibly” WrestleMania 31.
Between Vince, Brock & myself our Wrestlemania 30 plan was ROCK vs BROCK. No plans now for 30 but possibly WM 31. #RockTalk @_JordanMayoral
He also commented on the abdominal injury he suffered at WrestleMania 29 against John Cena, which is the reason for him scaling back his work in the ring while filming big budget Hollywood movies:
My biggest 2013 "ah ha" moment was tearing my quad & adductor from my pelvis. God's way of saying "slow down son" #RockTalk@CynPhillyYours
On last night’s episode of WWE RAW, Brock Lesnar made his return and challenged the winner of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at The Royal Rumble. Lesnar then made a challenge to anyone in the WWE locker room, which brought out Mark Henry. The two brawled and Lesnar got the best of it, hitting Henry with an F5 outside the ring.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about last night’s RAW and next week’s “Old School” show:
Daniel Bryan Joining The Wyatt Family: “Daniel Bryan is a genuine work horse but I still don’t know exactly what I saw as he left the arena Monday night with the Wyatt Family. Will Bryan now become a pro wrestling ‘villain’ within the Wyatt faction or will Bryan continue to elicit cheers because the fans love chanting “Yes!”?”
“Are the Wyatt’s an antagonist entity or are they simply, bizarrely cool? What heinous acts have the Wyatt’s perpetrated lately to make them disliked? Or does it matter? Just asking…”
Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, Batista & The WrestleMania 30 Main Event: “Good to see Heyman and Lesnar back on RAW although I doubt that we see them together that much between now and WM30. I hope that I’m wrong on that one. Lesnar has and will sell PPV’s if he is exposed strategically on Monday Night Raw. What is or isn’t strategic is up for debate.”
“Lesnar just jumped to the top of my short list of favorites to win the Royal Rumble…..or Batista. Will the WrestleMania 30 Main Event be Orton vs. Lesnar? Or Orton vs. Batista? Or none of the above? Hmm.”
Next Week’s Old School RAW: “The promos for next week’s Old School Raw looked good and I’m sure that the “alums’ will have a great time catching up next week …How cool would it be to see Hulk Hogan next Monday night in Baltimore? That’s the epitome of ‘Old School” booking for this themed RAW. (Someone has already said out loud, (“NO! Save Hulk for PPV!”) One would expect WWE will have a few surprises up their sleeve for Monday night as it relates to the old school talents.”
“However, having Ric Flair on the show makes it feel very special. I haven’t seen Naitch since Summer Slam but that’s another story…. ”
Paul Heyman spoke to Michael Cole immediately after Monday’s episode of RAW. Here are some highlights of what he said:
– Brock Lesnar will be at next week’s Old School RAW from Baltimore, Maryland and is looking “to do something old school” at the show.
– Triple H brought Brock Lesnar back to WWE because he does what’s best for business. Brock is back because WWE unified the top titles and it’s Brock’s destiny to be the supreme champion.
– When Michael Cole mentioned Batista’s return, Heyman responded, “Who?” Heyman admitted that he’d love to sign Batista as a Paul Heyman Guy, but The Animal needs to remember that Lesnar is the true ‘force to be reckoned with’ in WWE.
The final WWE RAW show of 2013 ended with Daniel Bryan joining The Wyatt Family. The RAW main event featured Daniel Bryan facing Luke Harper first. If Bryan defeated Harper, then he had to beat Erick Rowan. If he defeated them both, then he could get his hands on Bray Wyatt. Bryan ended up beating them both. When Bray’s turn to face Bryan came up, he stopped himself from attacking Bryan. Bryan ended up telling Bray he was right. He said fans chanted “Yes!” in every building he went to, and “they” still didn’t care. Bray then hit Bryan with his Sister Abigail finisher, but the two still ended up leaving together. Bryan stopped at the top of the stage to think over his decision, but ultimately decided to do it anyway.
Also on RAW on Monday night, both Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman returned. The two returned as part of Triple H’s “blockbuster announcement.” They announced their intentions on becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion by defeating whoever wins the Royal Rumble main event between John Cena and Randy Orton. This led to Mark Henry coming out, only to get beat up by Lesnar. Lesnar speared Henry through the barricade on the floor and then hit him with an F-5 on the floor.
– Despite being advertised to appear at the Toronto, Ontario, Canada non-televised live event that takes place tonight opposite RAW in Richmond, Virginia, WWE Superstar John Cena will reportedly appear on RAW.
– Despite rumors, it appears Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract is an exclusive deal, one that does not expire until after WrestleMania 31 in 2015. Word is that people in WWE can’t believe Vince McMahon would allow Lesnar to sign a deal with WWE that would allow him to fight in UFC at the same time.
As reported on Sunday night, WWE Superstar and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar is scheduled to return on RAW tonight in Richmond, Virginia.
In addition to Lesnar, it appears as though Lesnar’s on-air manager Paul Heyman will be making his WWE return on RAW tonight as well.
Lesnar’s return was revealed during the SmackDown taping in Washington, D.C. on Sunday night, where Big E. Langston referenced Lesnar attacking Mark Henry on RAW on the SmackDown show that airs after RAW this coming Friday.
According to MMAFighting.com, the rumors of Brock Lesnar returning to fight in the UFC were likely just a publicity stunt done in order to build interest in Lesnar, who is scheduled to return to WWE on tonight’s RAW show in Richmond, Virginia.
The article notes that WWE has had plans for Lesnar to return on the December 30th RAW for a while now.
A WWE spokesperson told the website, “WWE has exclusive rights to services (to Lesnar) and such exclusivity extends to ultimate fighting competitions.”