– On Saturday night, WWE will hold one of their biggest live events in a while, as the crew heads to San Jose, California for a show that features both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Also scheduled for the show is John Cena, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho.
– In addition to Triple H, who we posted about earlier today, CM Punk also took part in the “Ice Bucket Challenge.” You can check out a video of Punk getting a cold bucket of ice water splashed on himself below.
– The latest edition of Steve Austin’s “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which features part one of an interview with Mick Foley, is now online. The official description for the show reads as follows:
SASu – EP142 – Mick Foley Pt1
“What happens when two WWE Hall of Famers sit down and start shooting the shit? Well lucky for you, recorders were rolling when Stone Cold Steve Austin sat down with Cactus Jack aka Mick Foley at 316 Gimmick Street! You can learn a thing or two about the rasslin’ buisness from this one… negotiating pay, taking care of your body, concussions and head trauma, and surviving steel chairs! Don’t worry, you’ll also be laughing your ass off – loaded boots, loaded Gucci bags, Clash of the Champions, “The Commissioner,” and plenty of Vince McMahon impersonations! And the best part?? This is only part 1!”
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features an interview with Bray Wyatt and an American Idol contestant, is also online now. The official description for that show reads:
TIJ – EP65 – WWE’s Bray Wyatt & American Idol’s James Durbin
“James Durbin finished 4th on Season 10 of “American Idol.” That was the same year Y2J competed on “Dancing With The Stars” at the sound stage next door. They had many LA adventures together while competing… and you’ll hear some of the crazier stories! Plus, get a very real look at the behind-the-scenes workings of Idol, the audition process, & what James believes led to his demise! James is also a HUGE pro wrestling fan & had a quite a moment with Hulk Hogan. It’s wrestling, singing, DIO, and the trappings of instant fame.”
The hottest event of the summer is practically hours away at this point. The card is set, the matches have been hyped, and it’s time to sit back and enjoy the show (after making a few predictions, of course). Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view.
AJ Lee (Divas Champion) vs. Paige
Paige has been a thorn in AJ Lee’s side since arriving on the main roster, especially since turning heel. She has had the upper hand on the champ over the past few weeks, even pushing her off of the stage on SmackDown at one point. Although Paige has been booked strong, the company realizes AJ Lee is the most marketable Diva on the roster right now. She retains after forcing Paige to tap out to the Black Widow.
Result: AJ Lee by submission
The Miz (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Since his return, the Miz has sort of fallen flat with the audience, especially since picking up the title at last month’s Battleground. Over the past year, it’s safe to assume Dolph Ziggler will lose any match of even moderate significance, but this could be different, as he has been booked strong and is still over with the fans.
The company is trying to promote the Miz’s dud of a movie that will soon be gracing dollar bins across the country, but I think they realize his title reign isn’t catching on. Dolph Ziggler will pick up the upset victory on Sunday after hitting a Zig Zag in what will likely be one of the shorter matches on the card.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler by pinfall
Jack Swagger vs. Rusev (Flag Match)
Call me crazy, but this is perhaps my most anticipated match on the card. The feud has been built very well and given adequate time to develop. Fans still aren’t entirely sure of what the rules will be for this one, but I’m assuming it’s going to involve the winning wrestler grabbing his country’s flag and waving it proudly in the center of the ring to end the contest.
This is the perfect opportunity for Swagger to go over Rusev and extend the feud a bit longer. He doesn’t have to pin the Bulgarian Brute to win so he won’t look as weak as he would if he lost via pinfall or submission. Expect the managers to also play a role in this one, and expect Swagger to walk out victorious to set up a rubber match at Night of Champions.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt
Much like the Rusev/Swagger feud, this program has also been given a proper build. The promo/interview the two cut last week on Raw was awesome and really hyped the match well.
Jericho won last month after hitting Wyatt with a Code Breaker. It will be even tougher for Wyatt this time around, as both Harper and Rowan are banned from ringside. This will likely be a back-and-forth contest with several near falls, with the in-ring work hopefully being a little more polished than last month’s affair. There’s no way Wyatt loses again, however, and will walk out victorious after forcing Y2J to succumb to Sister Abigail.
The following are highlights of a new interview with Chris Jericho:
On who came up with the idea for his program with Bray Wyatt: “The office. I do what the boss tells me to do. In this timeframe I wasn’t going to come back unless it was something that interested me to do, and the Bray Wyatt thing was something that i pitched months ago and they finally came through and said ‘we want you to do something with Wyatt’, and that’s how that went down.”
On his awkward relationship with the fans: “I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad Jericho return at this point, because I think when I leave as frequently as I do that people are always excited to see me back. And always mad at me for not being here, and then mad at me when I’m here, and then mad at me when I leave again, so… people are just mad at me all the time, you know?
It’s funny, because I think last year it was like ‘Jericho never wins’, and it was like, I think I won almost all the matches, but just lost a few big ones, and then this year I beat Bray Wyatt and it’s like ‘Jericho’s burying the young talent’ and I’m just, like shut up! Just go away.”
– The second edition of Jesse Ventura’s “We The People” podcast is now available, which features an interview with Chris Jericho. You can check that out at iTunes.Apple.com.
– WWE star Goldust will be part of the new WWE 2K15 video game roster. You can check out a photo of Goldust in the game below.
– It was announced on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW that on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, The Miz will host a “MizTV” segment with special guest Roman Reigns.
– Below is the one-on-one interview between Bray Wyatt and Chris Jericho from Monday’s SummerSlam “go-home” edition of WWE RAW.
WWE Superstar Chris Jericho recently spoke with FatduckTech.com about his current run, his band Fozzy and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Who Decides Who He’ll Be Working With:
“The office. I do what the boss tells me to do. In this timeframe I wasn’t going to come back unless it was something that interested me to do, and the Bray Wyatt thing was something that I pitched months ago and they finally came through and said ‘we want you to do something with Wyatt,’ and that’s how it went down.”
What Makes For a Good Chris Jericho Return:
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad Jericho return at this point, because I think when I leave as frequently as I do that people are always excited to see me back. And always mad at me for not being here, and then mad at me when I’m here, and then mad at me when I leave again, so… people are just mad at me all the time, you know?”
– The latest edition of Steve Austin’s “Steve Austin Show Unleashed” podcast, which features Austin taking calls from fans, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
SASu – EP140 – Opening a LINE of Whoop Ass
“Steve opened the phone lines… and you guys flooded ’em! Undertaker stories, Shawn Michaels stories, cement trucks & Vince McMahon’s corvette…Triple H, Bray Wyatt, and Paul Heyman and ECW. You wanted to know and Steve answered UNLEASHED! You’ll even get inside scoop on the Broken Skull Challenge, and Steve’s thoughts on TNA & the state of pro wrestling today!”
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features an interview with Tom Savini, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP63 – Godfather Of Gore Tom Savini
“Godfather of Gore Tom Savini is the mastermind behind Friday The 13th’s Jason Voorhees, the cockroaches in Creepshow, and the original zombie special efx and makeup in movies! He’s worked alongside Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez! He’s got stories from movie sets, secrets to great horror efx, the best way to use rotting pig entrails, and a killer story about a duck that saved his life!”
The album “Do You Wanna Start A War” from Chris Jericho’s band Fozzy opened at number 54 this past week on the Billboard overall charts, number 20 on the Billboard rock charts and number nine on the Billboard hard rock charts.
Jericho noted in a recent interview that his final date with WWE for his current run will be the Night Of Champions pay-per-view on September 21st, as Fozzy begins touring a few days after that show.
– Chris Jericho and his Fozzy guitarist Rich Ward appeared as guests on the latest edition of Adam Carolla’s podcast. You can check that out at AdamCarolla.com.
– David Otunga appeared on Wednesday’s edition of the “General Hospital” soap opera. Otunga played himself in the show and met with a dying female character who wanted to meet her “favorite wrestler.”
– WWE stock was up yet again today by 4.41 percent, closing at $13.03 per share. The high for today was $13.07, while the low was $12.30 per share.
– Below is the latest edition of The JBL & Cole Show:
– Prior to the airing of tonight’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which was taped this past Tuesday night, Chris Jericho tweeted the following regarding the physicality of his match on the show with Erick Rowan:
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features Jericho’s take on the TNA/Spike TV situation and an interview with a UFO expert, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP61 – UFO Expert Peter Robbins & Y2J talks TNA
“Y2J shares his take on TNA and what its potential demise could mean for pro-wrestling! Plus, it’s all about alien abductions, implants, and sightings with UFO expert Peter Robbins! He’s breaking down the evidence for you to decide… and sharing what he knows about Area 51 and government cover-ups. Skeptic or true believer – this one’s a must-listen!”
– Also new at Podcast One today is the latest edition of Goldberg’s “Who’s Next w/ Goldberg” podcast, which features an interview with NFL legend Herschel Walker and more. The official description for that show reads as follows:
Who’s Next w/ Goldberg – Ep11 – Herschel Walker & Wrestling Questions
“NCAA/NFL Legend Herschel Walker checks in with Goldberg. Then BG goes to the phones to answer your wrestling questions.”
The following are highlights of a new Journey Of A Frontman interview with Chris Jericho:
Alex Obert: Would you ever look into an opportunity for Michael Starr to appear at a Fozzy show and sing Tonite with you?
Chris Jericho: Not sure, I mean it’s always kind of fun. M. Shadows came and sang Sandpaper with us. Phil Campbell came and did Addiction with us one time. It’s all about where you are and what the different bands schedules are and all that sort of thing. It would definitely be awesome, he did a great job on it. Love those guys and we’ll do a lot more towards with them again, so you never know.
Alex Obert: Regarding another guest vocalist on the album, who is Christie Cook and how did you discover her?
Chris Jericho: Rich has been working with her for years. She’s a girl from Atlanta and that music scene there. She was on the Duke record, I believe. And she actually did some touring with Rich when he took the Duke project on the road. She’s been in the Fozzy extended family for a while. And when it came time to start tracking Unstoppable, Rich had this vision of having a female vocalist on it to do a duet for a Gimme Shelter/Great Gig in the Sky type of a vibe. It would be where the girl is not just on the chorus, but actually having her in on the verses as well. We thought about should we get the typical Lzzy Hale or Cristina Scabbia or somebody like that, well we thought to just ask Christie. She’s already in the family and she’s a great singer. So we’ll give her the spotlight, give her a little day in the sun. We couldn’t have found a better singer. She absolutely nailed it, really did a great job on that song.
Alex Obert: What are your thoughts on the track, Scarecrow?
Chris Jericho: I love it. I think it’s a great song. When I first heard it, it was one of my favorites because it’s so different and weird, there’s a little bit of a prog element to it. Some of these songs on this record are a little more straightforward, little more of a poppy type vibe, Tonite or Lights Go Out, that sort of thing. No Good Way too. But then Scarecrow came on and it’s not a long song, but it’s very much progressive with the tempo changes and a really amazing chorus. It fits the vibe with a really super heavy riff. It’s a great tune, man. We think it’s gonna go over great live as well.
Alex Obert: You were telling me about Rich Ward earlier, how do you feel he influences you?
Chris Jericho: Well we’ve been working together for so long. I’ve learned a lot about music from Rich as far as phrasing for lyrics. He writes all the melodies for Fozzy and he knows exactly where my voice sounds best and what notes I would hit best. So I think rather than an influence, it’s more of a partnership. We kind of really work in tandem for everything that Fozzy does. Recording, that’s more his thing. Promotion is more my thing. Choosing what tours we accept, we think of that together. That’s the secret of being in band, there’s the songs and the music and that sort of thing, but the secret is more being able to get along and do a little bit of the give-and-take. It’s a good team. If you’re gonna win the Stanley Cup, you’ve got a guy that’s the main goalscorer, you’ve got a guy who’s killing penalties, and both of them have to know and respect the other person’s role in their team to win the game. That’s what we’ve figured out over the years, how to do that.
Alex Obert: With a live show, what’s the secret to being a good frontman?
Chris Jericho: Just a connection with the crowd. People want to have a good time when they come to a show and you have to do everything you can to let them know that it’s okay to have a good time. Some crowds are easier, some crowds are harder, but you have to go the extra mile to get those people to open up and realize that they’re there to have fun. So it’s all about the connection, man. It’s the same whether it’s a Fozzy show or a WWE show, you have to have that connection with the crowd. And when you get that, they’re gonna be more into what you’re doing.
– The following is a new video from the official YouTube channel of WWE, which features Paul Heyman comparing himself to other great wrestling managers of the past.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features interviews with Christian and Matthias Jabs from The Scorpions, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP60 – WWE’s Christian & Snooks + Matthias Jabs from The Scorpions
“WWE’s Christian and Snooks – together in one room with Y2J moderating! Oh man… first-time together in 20 years! Will it be friends or fistacuffs? Plus, Chris talks to Scorpions guitarist Matthias Jabs about the talkbox solo in “The Zoo,” his favorite guitar solo, the Berlin Wall & “Winds Of Change,” learning to speak English, and the fighter jets that buzzed the US Festival crowd in 1983″
– It was announced during Monday’s RAW that on this week’s edition of WWE Main Event, the featured match will be Dean Ambrose vs. Alberto Del Rio. WWE Main Event airs live on the WWE Network on Tuesday night at 8pm EST.
– Also announced during RAW this week was the confirmation that Chris Jericho and Bray Wyatt will meet again at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view in August. The match was confirmed during a RAW segment that featured Chris Jericho making fun of Stephanie McMahon, all-the-while angering Triple H. As noted previously, Jericho and Wyatt are expected to work matches against each other in three consecutive pay-per-views — Battleground, SummerSlam and Night Of Champions.
While it’s possible these plans have changed, as of yesterday, Chris Jericho vs. Luke Harper and a Miz TV segment with Bo Dallas was in the script for tonight’s edition of WWE RAW.
Additionally, tonight’s RAW is expected to advance the story line behind Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton for SummerSlam, as well as John Cena’s first “reaction interview” for his match at SummerSlam with Brock Lesnar.
– WWE United States Champion Sheamus was announced to appear on last night’s episode of WWE Main Event, as well as in the dark match main event after the conclusion of the SmackDown television taping, but for whatever reason ended up not working the show at all.
– Zack Ryder will be the guest on Chris Jericho’s next edition of “Talk Is Jericho.” The show drops on Friday at PodcastOne.com.
– The official website for News 13 in Orlando added a video of the Cesaro segment from their television broadcast earlier today. The interview features the WWE Superstar promoting SmackDown in the area this week, discussion about why Cesaro is “The King of Swing” and more. You can check out the video interview at MyNews13.com.
– The latest edition of Jim Ross’ “Ross Report” podcast, which features an interview with AJ Styles, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TRR – Ep23 – AJ Styles
“He’s arguably the hottest free agent in pro-wrestling, and the one that JR let get away – AJ Styles joins The Ross Report, and here’s what he & good ole JR covered: Raven, Samoa Joe, storytelling, TNA Impact, the 6-sided ring, New Japan, ROH, John Cena, and the Undertaker’s streak ending!”
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features Jericho’s review of the WWE Battleground pay-per-view that he was actually part of, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP58 – Fozzy & WWE Battleground Review
“Fozzy’s new album is out… and Chris has the whole band together to celebrate. They’re naming favorite songs, telling songwriting secrets, sharing crazy road stories, reveling in tour antics, and bustin’ cajones! Plus, it’s a different kind of family sit-down when Chris, his son Ash The Fish Expert, and dad NHL Great Ted Irvine talk WWE Battleground! It’s the Irvine Family PPV Review!”
Chris Jericho defeating Bray Wyatt at Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view caught a lot of people by surprise and it turns out that Wyatt was originally booked to win the match.
Leading up to Battleground, betting lines showed Bray Wyatt as the clear favorite over Chris Jericho. During creative meetings that took place on Saturday afternoon, Wyatt was still penciled to win the match. Some time after those meetings, Vince McMahon made the call for Jericho to go over.
With Jericho committed to WWE through September, the plan is for him and Bray Wyatt to wrestle at SummerSlam as well as Night of Champions in September. Jericho’s last scheduled appearance with WWE is RAW the night after Night of Champions.
– The Rock will be on The Tonight Show tomorrow night to promote his new movie Hercules, which opens this Friday.
– Chris Jericho’s father Ted Irvine was sitting ringside at last night’s Battleground pay-per-view along with Jericho’s son.
– Newly signed WWE developmental star KENTA was interviewed by Renee Young over the weekend upon his arrival at NXT:
With the help of his translator, former WWE Superstar Funaki, Kenta tells Renee Young what it feels like to leave Japan behind and what the WWE Universe can expect from him in the ring.
The top superstars in the WWE will compete at this Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view. Headlining the event is a fatal four-way matchup for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
In all, there are eight matches scheduled for the event, and nearly all of the company’s titles will be up for grabs. Here are my predictions for Sunday’s Battleground.
Cameron vs. Naomi (Pre-Show Match)
These two have been at each other’s throats since the breakup of the Funkadactyls. Cameron has become increasingly problematic for Naomi, as she continues to rack up wins and have success in the Divas division. I think Naomi will finally put the Funkadactyls by hitting the Rear View for the win.
Winner: Naomi by pinfall
Intercontinental Championship Battle Royal
This should be one of the most exciting matches of the night, as a number of viable contenders will be battling to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Bad News Barrett will also be on hand to present the title to the new champ.
It would appear that only a few of the entrants have a legitimate chance at winning the title, including Sheamus, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler and Bo Dallas. I think it comes down to Dallas and Cesaro at the end, with Cesaro ultimately coming out on top. An attack or provocation by Barrett could also turn Cesaro face once again and start a feud, as it appears his days as a Heyman guy are nearly over.
Winner: Cesaro
The Usos (Tag Team Champions) vs. The Wyatt Family (2-Out-Of-3 Falls Match)
These two teams have been battling one another for what seems like forever at this point. I think this is the point where the Wyatt Family finally breaks through and strikes gold. The teams will split the first two falls before the Wyatt Family becomes the new Tag Team Champions after Luke Harper hits a clothesline to win the third fall.
Winner: Wyatt Family by pinfall
AJ Lee (Divas Champion) vs. Paige
I’m not really sure what the plan is with this one. It appeared that they were trying hard for a double turn on the night of AJ Lee’s return, but the crowd wasn’t really having it. The two have now developed into so-called “frenemies.”
This should be a close matchup that will hopefully receive at least five to ten minutes. AJ Lee will struggle throughout, but will ultimately come out on top after locking in the Black Widow and forcing Paige to tap out. Don’t be surprised if Paige attacks AJ after the match in an attempt to turn her heel.
