– Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will be revealing their new tag team name soon. The two will face NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival at Takeover on Saturday night.
– Enzo Amore went sneaker shopping earlier this week in New York City and the WWE cameras were with him. Footage will be released this weekend to promote SummerSlam. On a related note, Enzo and Cass also did a Tapout in Brooklyn today, seen below:
– WWE posted this video with Randy Orton daring Brock Lesnar to test him in their SummerSlam battle on Sunday night. Orton says there’s one problem with Lesnar trying to take him to Suplex City – the RKO.
Above is video from a WWE Breaking Ground episode where Triple H informs Enzo Amore and Big Cass that they were coming to RAW. The footage was filmed during WrestleMania weekend in Dallas earlier this year. Triple H also mentions that Cass’ girlfriend Carmella won’t be coming up as she has a lot of potential but needed to stay in NXT for the time being.
Cass spoke to Brian Fritz of SportingNews.com at this link and commented on if he knew what was about to happen in the video:
“No. So, we were at NXT TakeOver: Dallas and it was a very emotional night. We train with these guys. We weren’t even on the show, but we felt like we were part of the show because it’s a brotherhood down at the Performance Center. It’s all just a big family down there. It was emotional for us to see the show and to watch everybody go out there and light it up. We were leaving the venue and Triple said he wanted to talk to us. He brings me and Enzo into the room and, I don’t know if it’s on the video, but he congratulated us and I said, “Thank you very much” and then I realized, wait a second, we didn’t even perform tonight. So it was pretty weird to start off the conversation like that. It was a very emotional night and you felt like you were a part of it. I didn’t know what he was congratulating us for. Then he says you’re coming up to the main roster on Monday and then I realized that’s what he said congratulations for.
It was just a very surreal experience. I’ve been signed here for about five years when that conversation took place, so I’ve been working for that moment for five years. Me and Enzo, three years together, have been working at it to get to the main roster. So when we had that conversation with Triple H, it was very surreal and a lot of mixed emotions in that moment. But I’d say the most overwhelming emotion was joy. We were just so ecstatic about finally getting to debut on the main roster.”
Cass also spoke on the SummerSlam match against Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho later this month:
“I’ve been to four SummerSlams all in that area. I was at SummerSlam ’97, ’98, 2002 and 2007. I was there as a fan wishing I could be a WWE superstar. Now I’m walking into Brooklyn, N.Y., as a WWE superstar in front of those fans. Right now, the excitement is indescribable, and I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like on that evening going into SummerSlam in front of the hometown crowd, people I grew up with, friends and family against Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho with Enzo by my side. It’s a blessing to be able to do that on Aug. 21. It’s going to be amazing.”
The full interview is a great read and can be found at this link.
– This RAW Fallout video from last night features Big Cass talking about how he stopped The Vaudevillains from re-injuring Enzo last night. He also says they’re leaving Vegas with the WWE Tag Team Championships at MITB.
– There was a tribute to Muhammad Ali on last night’s RAW pre-show and the actual USA Network broadcast. Below is a graphic from the pre-show and WWE’s tribute video:
– Rusev and Lana are still scheduled to have two weddings this year, according to TMZ. The first will be held on a beach in Malibu this July and will be filmed for Total Divas. Lana’s bridesmaids will include actresses Brittany Snow and Kelley Jakle. The second wedding will be held in September at a 1,000 year old monastery in Bulgaria as Rusev felt it was important to get married in front of family.
– It looks like Enzo Amore is working on new music as he posted the following this past week:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BF17yTKLXsM/
– Xavier Woods’ “UpUpDownDown” YouTube page posted this clip of Tyler Breeze and Byron Saxton playing ping-pong:
Big Cass recently impressed WWE officials independent of Enzo, according to a report at PWInsider.com. While Enzo Amore was out of action due to the concussion he suffered last month, Cass was perceived as not just a player in the tag team division, but a future singles star as well.
WWE is booking Cass strong just in case they want to go ahead with a singles push in the near future.
On a related note, it appears Enzo returned earlier than expected.
– Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The Dudley Boyz will take place on Monday’s Raw from Green Bay. As noted, John Cena’s return will also be on that show.
– Alberto Del Rio qualified for the MITB Ladder Match with a win over Zack Ryder on tonight’s Smackdown. Del Rio joins Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho in the match. The final participant should be determined on Monday.
Enzo Amore is scheduled to return to the ring working WWE house shows this weekend.
Enzo returned from his concussion on Raw but will be back in the ring this weekend, working house shows in Wisconsin and Illinois.
As noted earlier, Sasha Banks has also been cleared to return after recently suffering a concussion. She’s scheduled for house shows in Winnipeg and Wisconsin this weekend. No word on if she’ll will be on Raw or Smackdown next week but original plans for the MITB PPV had her on TV to build to a match on that show.
– Enzo Amore was in fact backstage at Sunday night’s Extreme Rules PPV. No word yet if he’s been medically cleared, but he’s backstage for RAW and is scheduled to be at Smackdown.
– Charlotte talked to NJ.com this weekend and commented on fans getting behind the women’s revolution:
“We have the opportunity to connect with the fans, and they’re getting behind us. They’re not looking at us and saying, ‘Oh that’s a model, that’s a model, that’s a model.’ No, they’re seeing us and they’re getting behind the characters,” she said.
– Eva Marie presented the Extraordinary Child Award to Jake Schuster at Mattel’s Kaleidoscope Ball this weekend. She posted these photos:
Beyond honored to present The Extraordinary Child award to the unbelievably resilient and inspiring Jake Schuster. ? pic.twitter.com/gHnby5I2ax
– Expect the July 4 Raw episode to be a throw away. This is also expected to bet he lowest rated Raw of modern times, if not all-time.
– There are different beliefs on how Enzo Amore’s concussion happened at Payback. One is that Enzo was first knocked silly by a knee before his head whiplashed on the middle rope and that he was knocked out twice. The other is that Enzo’s head whiplashing off the middle rope is what knocked him out and led to his head hitting the apron. The Observer indicates that Enzo believes it’s the latter.
– The Miz participated in the 44th Annual Los Angeles Police – Celebrity Golf Tournament on Saturday, to benefit the LA Police Memorial Foundation:
– Following last week’s “Black Friday” that saw the release of 8 WWE performers, PWInsider reports that more releases are expected before the end of this month.
Ryback appears to be on his way out of the company, but its possible WWE will simply allow his contract to expire in a couple months. In light of his recent Wellness policy violation (and subsequent doctor’s note post, deletion and re-post), Adam Rose is another Superstar that could be on thin ice. Additionally, Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Live that another Diva was supposed to be released last week, but Cameron was released in her place as a result of her publicly supporting Ryback.
– Kofi Kingston is scheduled to appear at tonight’s RAW after missing this past weekend’s live events. Enzo Amore is not scheduled for this week’s TV tapings.
– Chris Jericho was asked on Twitter what the most physically enduring thing he’s had to endure as a WWE Superstar. In typical Jericho fashion, he replied:
Stone Cold Steve Austin was among those who called Enzo Amore after he suffered a concussion at Sunday’s Payback PPV. Austin recently said he had a good talk with Amore, and discussed the spot with Simon Gotch that went wrong on his podcastThe Steve Austin Show.
Austin used his podcast to offer some advice to Gotch of the Vaudevillains, who threw Amore into the ropes which caused the concussion. “When you’re throwing a man through the ropes at that short of a distance,” Austin advised, “you back off the horsepower.” Austin says Gotch threw Amore into the ropes with “way too much force,” and instead he should just be guiding him towards the ropes with “a little bit of momentum.”
Austin also criticized Gotch for trying to pick up Amore by his head when he was in a bad position. His second piece of advice to the Vaudevillians member was not to pick his opponent up by their head if he has an “inkling that something went wrong.”
The WWE Hall of Famer said he thinks Gotch got excited in the moment and didn’t want to come down too hard on him, but that it was a “really scary bump.”
“Gotch, check on a man before you grab someone by the head if you suspect anything,” Austin stated. “And that’s just words of wisdom. I’m not eating your ass out. I’m just saying, ‘hey, ease up on the horsepower’.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. JR called Payback an enjoyable show overall that highlighted several performers who delivered. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles: “Roman Reigns and AJ Styles did their part and more in closing the show in a solid and at times spectacular fashion. I felt that match, in hindsight, had a few more ‘near falls’ for my taste, but it’s better to miss on that side of the equation than for wrestlers to rarely attempt to win a match. Both men demonstrated an intense work ethic and even though and the extra involvement by Gallows, Anderson, and the Usos might not have been everyone’s favorite BBQ Sauce it allowed our more talents to get a bit of a rub from the main event.”
Enzo Amore’s Injury: “After Enzo Amore sustained a concussion after being apparently knocked out thanks to a stiff ring rope/cable and the show slowed to a halt early, the talents rebounded and seemingly put the show back on track. Luckily for Enzo, a talented and tough kid, that he was not seriously injured, but I’m not saying that a concussion isn’t serious because they obviously are. I’m a major fan of Enzo and Cass and expect great things from them in the future.”
Shane and Stephanie Running RAW: “While I am looking forward to Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon being the CO-GM’s of RAW and hopefully an eventual departure from the 20+ year run of antagonist authority figures in WWE on RAW, the segment felt a bit long for me. While fantasy booking this scenario, it’s hard to not to picture a Shane vs. HHH match at some point in time. “
Enzo Amore was released from the hospital after suffering what’s being described as a ‘severe’ concussion at Sunday night’s WWE Payback PPV. He was released from the hospital prior to 11pm, when Payback was still on the air, according to F4wonline.
As per WWE protocol, Enzo will out of action for at least several weeks while he recovers and will have to undergo medical testing before returning.
Previously: Enzo Amore was stretchered out with oxygen after suffering an injury during the tag team #1 contender’s match at Payback. The bout came to an unscheduled finish when Enzo’s head clipped the bottom rope and hit the ring hard as he tumbled outside.
For those that watched WWE Payback live Sunday evening, Enzo Amore suffered a potentially-serious injury during the opening match of the pay-per-view.
The Vaudevillians were supposed to throw Amore underneath the bottom rope, but his neck and head hit the bottom rope and it appeared to snap his neck backwards. As soon as he hit the ground, Amore laid down without moving a muscle.
It only took WWE officials a few minutes to call the match immediately. Medical personnel hit the ring and immediately began treating Amore, while his tag-team partner, Big Cass, stood there hoping he was okay.
The latest update came straight from the WWE about 10-to-15 minutes after Amore was taken to the back.
INJURY UPDATE: @WWEAaLLday21 being taken to local medical facility, is talking and moving extremities. #WWEPayback
Medical officials are now performing tests and Amore is able to move his arms and legs.
At this time, the injury isn’t serious, because there is truly no diagnosis. The fact that Amore can move his extremities and is able to talk is a great sign. Since that is the case, it’s unlikely any spinal damage was done. However, a concussion is a viable diagnosis.
NXT Diva Carmella recently appeared as a guest on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast and spoke about her previous jobs as a New England Patriots and Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader, working in NXT with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, being friends with NXT Women’s Champion Bayley and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On her father being a pro wrestler and a WWE enhancement talent when she was a kid:
“I grew up watching wrestling and in wrestling because my dad wrestled when I was younger. He wrestled independently and in the WWE in the ’90s, so it’s just bringing everything full circle being here in the WWE.” Carmella added, “when [Van Dale] does get a chance to see me, he’s so proud. And he watches NXT every single week and he’s always calling me [and] telling me what I’m doing right and what I’m doing wrong, so it’s really cool.”
On managing Enzo and Cass and being a wrestler, and not having a preference between the two:
“I feel so lucky because I get the best of both worlds. I get to go out and wrestle on my own, but I still get to be a part of Enzo and Cass, [which] as you said, is one of the biggest and most popular acts here in NXT, so I can’t just chose one. I really enjoy both, especially with my background cheering. I’m out there cheering on my boys! But I just love performing in front of the cameras, so when I’m out there and wrestling on my own too, it’s such a cool feeling, just all eyes are on me.” Carmella continued, “I’m so grateful and I have so much fun either way, so when I’m with the boys, I feel like I’m a certain character, but when I’m by myself, I have to kind of amp it up because I’m just out there by myself.”
On being best friends with current NXT Women’s Champion Bayley:
“I don’t know if you know that, but we’re Baymella. And we’re just super silly and crazy and we mess with people, like, on our little road trips to our shows all the time and we’re just messing with people any opportunity we can get, pranking people. That’s just what we do!”
On the Divas Revolution in WWE:
“When I first started [at WWE], it was just beginning of the Divas Revolution. I am just so excited to be able to have an opportunity to show that we’re athletes and we’re here to work hard and we’re not just here to have these little five-minute matches that are about how we look. It’s more than that.”
On growing up idolizing Miss Elizabeth and how she was influenced by her:
“Watching [professional wrestling] when I was younger, I idolized Miss Elizabeth. For me, I was like, ‘okay, that is a diva. That’s what I want to be.’ She’s classy and she always looked the part. She looked fabulous. And that to me, that is what I want to portray, so to be here now in this time with the Divas Revolution, it’s perfect for me.”
Currently out of action, WWE NXT Superstar Colin Cassady has what appears to be a broken leg. Cassady worked Friday’s meet and greet in Tampa, FL which also featured Enzo Amore and WWE Tough Enough winner Sara Lee. It’s worth mentioning that Cassady was walking on crutches and did not wrestle.
At last week’s NXT TV taping, the storyline appeared to be an injury angle with Cass and The Mechanics for the 10/28 episode. Cassady’s knee brace was removed and they were working his leg over, leading correspondents in attendance to believe it was just an angle for the show.
@BigCassWWE showing he ain't SAWFT! Bad leg and still here for the WWE Universe here at #NXTTampa
– The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s NXT television tapings, which are scheduled to take place immediately before the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event.
* Eva Marie vs. Carmella
* Enzo Amore, Big Cass, Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley vs. Jason Jordan, Chad Gable, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson
* Charlotte vs. Emma vs. Becky Lynch vs. Dana Brooke
* Bull Dempsey vs. Elias Samson
– The final episode of the WWE Tough Enough post-show “Tough Talk” on the WWE Network airs next Tuesday night with host Byron Saxton. The official description for the show reads as follows:
“Join Byron Saxton as he recaps the TOUGH ENOUGH highlights and sits down with the eliminated competitor whose WWE journey came to an end.”
– The latest edition of “Culture Shock with Corey Graves” airs on the WWE Network on Wednesday at 4pm EST. The official description for that one reads:
“Corey Graves heads to Baltimore, Maryland to experience BronyCon, the fan convention dedicated to all things ‘My Little Pony.'”
Enzo Amore, Big Cass and Carmella appeared at Saturday night’s WWE live event from Odessa, Texas. This was the main roster debut for Amore and Big Cass. They defeated former NXT tag team The Ascension.
It’s worth noting that a correspondent who attended Saturday night’s NXT live event from West Palm Beach wrote in that Enzo and Cass had been advertised for that show.
There’s no word yet if they are booked for future WWE live events. Enzo and Cass have been considered ‘ready’ for the main roster for quite some time and are one of the most over acts on the NXT brand. WWE typically brings NXT talent to work live events to test them out for main roster call ups, so don’t be surprised to see the flamboyant trio on WWE television in the coming months.
– Actor Stephen Amell of “Arrow” fame reportedly told fans at the recent Comic Con event in San Diego, California that he still expects to do something with WWE even if he doesn’t end up wrestling a match against Stardust as rumored.
– Enzo Amore and Big Cass debuted a new talk-show segment called “Sawft Talk” at the NXT live event on Friday night in Orlando, Florida.
– Ring Of Honor star Michael Elgin will be the guest on the next Jim Ross “Ross Report” podcast, which will be available on Tuesday at PodcastOne.com. The official preview for the show reads as follows: “ROH Wrestling star Mike Elgin talks about his journey in the business and ROH’s growth and his career goals and challenges. Great show for young wrestlers to hear.”
– Former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson is Jim Ross’ guest on this week’s edition of the “Ross Report” podcast, which is available now. You can download the show at PodcastOne.com.
– The following matches are confirmed for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network:
– Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady vs. Jason Jordan and Sylvester Lefort
– Dana Brooke vs. Cassie
– The Hype Bros (Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley) vs. Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins
– Finn Balor vs. Rhyno
– Plus, Hideo Itami will address his injury
– WWE posted the following “unseen footage” of Triple H’s special “Terminator: Genisys” ring entrance at WrestleMania 31 earlier this year.
– Stephanie McMahon is scheduled to be at NXT Takeover: “Unstoppable” tonight.
– Ahead of tonight’s NXT special, WWE has released new t-shirts for Hideo Itami, Enzo Amore and Big Cass and Becky Lynch, which says “Lass Licker.”
– Real-life WWE couple Stardust (Cody Rhodes) and ring announcer Eden recently bought a house together in Texas and noted that they plan to move into the home this week.
– On social media, WWE Diva Paige praised third generation wrestler Tessa Blanchard, daughter of WWE Hall Of Famer Tully Blanchard. Paige tweeted the following: