WWE taped two matches for this week’s edition of Superstars prior to Monday’s RAW in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Below are results from the taping.
– Luke Harper def. Jack Swagger in the opening match of the taping. The fans inside the Bell Centre in Montreal are hot from the word go tonight. In the end, Harper was too much for Swagger, as he takes him out and wins by pinfall.
– The Lucha Dragons def. Los Matadores in tag-team action. The Montreal fans were super-into the Lucha Dragons, particularly Kalisto, as he was flying all over the place throughout much of the match. In the end, The Lucha Dragons picked up the “W.”
The following matches were taped prior to Monday’s RAW in Albany, New York for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars.
– Bad News Barrett def. Jack Swagger in a short but solid match to kick off the evening. The crowd was having fun with chants during this one, which saw Barrett pick up the pinfall victory after hitting Swagger with his Bull Hammer Elbow.
– A cage is shown hanging above the ring, but is never used, as it is there for the RAW show that follows this Superstars taping.
– Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (with Natalya) def. Los Matadores (with El Torito) in tag-team action in the second of two matches taped for Superstars. This was a non-title affair. The crowd seemed to be behind Kidd and Cesaro more as babyfaces than the actual babyface team. In the end, Cesaro and Kidd picked up the “W” to close out the Superstars taping.
WWE taped this week’s edition of Main Event prior to the WWE SmackDown television taping on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Below are results of the WWE Main Event television taping, courtesy of ProWrestling.net
1. Fandango beat R-Truth. Truth was cheered loudly by the crowd.
2. Summer Rae defeated Emma. Side note. Ringside still has empty seats that they are trying to fill.
3. Mark Henry defeated Heath Slater. Henry won quickly.
4. Jack Swagger defeated The Miz. Swagger won with the Patriot Lock due to some funny mic work from Mizdow. This concluded the Main Event taping.
The following matches were taped prior to Monday’s RAW in Austin, Texas for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars.
– Jack Swagger def. Adam Rose in the opening match of the taping. The crowd was really into Swagger in Austin, doing loud “We The People” chants. In the end, Swagger picked up the win via submission after getting Rose in the Patriot Lock.
– R-Truth def. Curtis Axel in the second of two matches taped for this week’s Superstars. Axel was doing a lot of “Axelmania” poses and such throughout the match. In the end, Truth picked up the pinfall victory.
Note: According to our live correspondent, security was confiscating anti-Roman Reigns signs again this week prior to RAW going live on the USA Network.
The following are spoiler results for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event, which was taped on Tuesday night, March 31st, in Fresno, California. Results are courtesy of ProWrestling.net.
Dark Match
– Zack Ryder beat Adam Rose. The crowd was firmly behind Ryder, who won with his finisher.
WWE Main Event Taping
– Stardust beat Jack Swagger.
– Paige and Emma beat Summer Rae and Cameron. Emma was destroyed most of the match, but Paige made Cameron tap to the PTO.
– The Lucha Dragons beat The Ascension.
– The New Day came out to boos. Big E referred to Fresno as San Jose. The Prime Time Players came out, and Titus O’Neil corrected Big E.
The following matches were taped prior to Monday’s WWE RAW in San Jose, California for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown.
– Prime Time Players def. Adam Rose and Heath Slater in the first match of the evening. This may have been a dark match.
– Fandango def. Jack Swagger in singles action. Rosa Mendes was out there with Fandango, who picked up the win via pin.
– R-Truth def. Luke Harper in the final match of the taping. This was said to be a pretty good match which the rowdy post-WrestleMania crowd had fun with.
WWE Superstar Jack Swagger recently spoke with The Huffington Post U.K.’s “Royal Ramblings” blog. Below are highlights from the interview.
On what it would mean to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31: “It would mean a lot. Just to be on a Wrestlemania card, I think, means more to the superstars than a pay check or going to work that day. It’s such a special thing, such an honour to be on there. So to win the Battle Royal would be very impressive and I’d put it up there with one of the best feats of my career. Anything named after Andre the Giant in our line of work is something very special and should be put on a pedestal.”
On Rusev vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 31: “Rusev is one of those competitors that comes around once in a generation. Everything that you see about him is legit. If anyone were to stand a chance against him it would probably be Jack Swagger! I think I’ve probably got one more Wrestlemania to get him! Me aside, if anyone wants to take him down in this day and age in the WWE it will be John Cena – and what a moment that will be.”
On advice he’d give Roman Reigns going into his match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31: “I think I would tell Roman that he just needs to do everything he has done his entire life. He knows how to win and how to prepare himself. The hay’s in the barn at that point, it’s just time to believe in himself and go win the biggest match of his life. That, and to stop putting so much conditioner in his hair before he goes out! It’s not naturally that shiny! It makes me mad. It’s all product! You’re all product Roman!”
On the “#GiveDivasAChance” movement and who he feels the next big Diva will be: “I think our divas division is very strong and more competitive than it has been since I’ve been on the roster. They definitely are underutilised and don’t get enough air time – some matches just leave you blown away by what they do. I think Trinity (Naomi) is one of the girls that is going to transcend and change the division. She’s so athletic – if she was a guy she’d be a Pro Bowler in the NFL or an All-Star in the NBA, she’s that good.”
– In light of recent allegations from Austin Matelson and other former WWE developmental wrestlers, Bill DeMott announced Friday that he is stepping down from his role as head trainer for NXT effective immediately. According to Max Landis, a Los Angeles-based director and screenwriter, talent in NXT are elated over the news.
– Eva Marie, who has not wrestled inside a WWE ring since September, is scheduled for next month’s tour of Europe. A house show is scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2015 in Leeds, England at the First Direct Arena and according to the venue’s official website, she is among those listed to appear.
– Jack Swagger toured London this week to promote WWE’s upcoming April 2015 tour of the United Kingdom. The official WWE website published this photo gallery of Swagger’s visit to London.
– Dolph Ziggler is now officially added to the WWE Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 31. Other participants confirmed for the match include Bad News Barrett, Luke Harper, R-Truth and Dean Ambrose.
– WWE has officially announced Big Show and Kane as the newest entrants in this year’s Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. With those two added, the following is the updated list of participants, which as noted, is expected to feature 20 competitors in total.
* The Miz
* Curtis Axel
* Ryback
* Fandango
* Adam Rose
* Zack Ryder
* Jack Swagger
* Titus O’Neil
* Darren Young
* Big Show
* Kane
– The Prime Time Players, Titus O’Neil and Darren Young, have both officially been added to the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal match at WrestleMania 31. WWE is reportedly planning on having 20 Superstars involved in this year’s battle royal, down from the 31 participants who competed in the match last year. With the Prime Time Players now included, the following updated list for the match is as follows:
* Titus O’Neil
* Darren Young
* The Miz
* Curtis Axel
* Ryback
* Fandango
* Adam Rose
* Zack Ryder
* Jack Swagger
– WWE Superstar Xavier Woods recently got a new tattoo, which was inspired by the “Zelda” video game. Below, courtesy of Woods’ official Instagram page, is a photo of him getting the new ink.
Jack Swagger recently spoke with the folks at TheNational.ae to promote the upcoming WWE tour of Abu Dhabi. Below are highlights from the interview.
On balancing showbiz aspect of his life to demands of being an athlete: “They go hand-in-hand and complement each other very well. I think it’s about understanding what each person excels at. It is something that you have to adjust to and prepare for, but it is amazing how it creates larger-than-life characters with great athletic ability.”
On the biggest changes in wrestling over the past decade: “There is more speed, definitely, and shorter matches. I think that is the evolution of sports in general. This generation is getting bigger and faster, and because of that, the style has also changed.”
On whether or not touring so much cuts into his personal time: “A wise person once told me that you always have to make plans to do what you want to do. We get our calendars for three months at a time so it’s very hard to plan for anything more than that, but I definitely try to plan my life.”
The following matches were taped prior to Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Columbus, Ohio for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars on the WWE Network.
– Titus O’Neil def. Jack Swagger in the opening match of the taping. This was said to be a pretty decent match with its’ fair amount of crowd heat. In the end, the finish saw O’Neil hit Swagger with his finisher for the 1-2-3.
– Luke Harper def. R-Truth in the main event of the show. Harper dominated throughout the majority of the match, with Truth getting in a few hope spots here and there. The finish saw Harper blast Truth with his 360-clothesline for the pinfall victory.
WWE Superstar Jack Swagger recently spoke with the folks at Ring Rust Radio about his relationship with Jim Ross and Zeb Colter, working both sides of the “We The People” gimmick as a heel and babyface, this year’s WrestleMania season and more.
Below are highlights from the interview:
On WrestleMania season and where he sees his character going: “It’s a fun time of year but it’s also a stressful time of year. WWE really likes to keep its fans on the edge of their seats and on their toes. They are always trying to keep that big swerve in their pocket for as long as possible. Right now I am unattached, so going forward I’m going to do whatever I can behind the scenes and in the ring to secure a match in WrestleMania and make it a good spot.”
On if he feels being a good worker ever feel typecasts him as a performer or limits his potential to allow fans to see more of hi personality: “Yeah, it’s a double edged sword. It does only give me so many options. I think it’s on the Superstars in this day and age to get your personality out there. We have so many tools now that we didn’t have even when I first started six years ago. Social media is such a powerful media that is a Superstar is type casted or only getting so many opportunities you can go on social media to promote yourself and your brand and give fans a chance to see that other side of your personality. That will only help your in ring performance entertainment wise though. As far as me, after you have been doing it as long as I have you constantly have to stay hungry and growing and reinvent yourself as an artist. Otherwise as an artist you will be dying and that’s what I try to keep doing as much as possible.”
On his program with Alberto Del Rio entering WrestleMania 29 and whether WWE struck gold by toeing the line: “Absolutely. It was a very hot topic across the United States. I think the WWE should do more on it along those lines and still stay PG. It made it fun and more relative to our older fans. With the story lines today, it’s very hard to generate natural interest in the WWE universe. You can’t force it down their throats; they are only going to like what they like. Having something that’s already on the tips of their tongues or on their minds, it just makes it that much easier, fun and intense. Any time you can get Glenn Beck crying it’s a good thing.”
On playing both sides of the “We the People” character and whether it was difficult for him to play a villain or was it a more entertaining role: “Growing up in Oklahoma, my High School team was renowned and very good. We would walk into places and they would just boo the hell out of us. So from a young age I got a taste of that and I liked it. The more you boo me the better I’m going to wrestle. You don’t like me? So what. It’s a lot of fun to work like that and wrestle with that mindset. I haven’t been on the other side of the ball or the we the people character. It doesn’t have the same type of fulfillment but it’s different as you can imagine Hear the people actual pop for something good or cheer a victory is nice too. I’m not sure which one I like more right now so maybe I’m going to need a six year face run to make sure.”
On working with Zeb Colter and lessons he’s learned: “Zeb Colter is unbelievable, he is priceless.I can’t tell you how many things he has helped me, other Superstars, the creative team, and even Vince with. An all-around good person and his experience is almost incomparable in this day and age in sport entertainment. Riding with him he has made me a better driver because he complains all the time. You almost get into one car accident and he never lets you forget it. That aside, with wrestling, it’s a different generation and mentality that still works. You have to take the match like that, work like that, and have that mentality. I think the main thing with him is he wants physicality. He has worked with me on a lot of things like my size and being more physical and when to do something in a certain spot. The best thing about him being out there is you never know what he is going to say ringside. There has been so many times he has said something and made me pop and I laughed right in the middle of the ring. That may be bad for some matches that’s always a good thing with me.”
On his Oklahoma days and how his relationship with Jim Ross: “I started playing football in 2001, the year after the won the National championship. I actually met Jerry Briscoe 2004 when I was half way through and he introduced me to Jim. Whenever they were in town we would get together and talk college wrestling or wrestling in general. We would talk football with Jim and have dinner. Of course they told me about it, I’m a big guy and good looking. They always said finish your degree finish college and if you want to give this a shot we will be here waiting. The last semester of college I interviewed for so many finance firms and security exchanges. There were so many jobs there but the opportunity just wasn’t as good as what the WWE was presenting. You should have seen the look on my parents faces when I told them that I was going to do it but it ended out working out pretty well. I graduated in May 2006 and by July of 2006 I was signed and moved to Deep South Wrestling.”
On the difficulty of creating submission holds or even working in different holds into matches: “It is one of the processes of being a Superstar, to always be evolving. It’s hard because everything has been done and seen before. To find something that works you can only find through trying something out there in the ring. You have to try it out there, see how it works, and see what it looks like. It is very difficult but it is very possible. Another thing too with so many guys on the roster and in NXT there are only so many moves you can do without someone else doing them. That is rule number one to me; don’t do anything else that someone else is doing. You want to be yourself and stand out. To find a move that works, stands out, and separates you from everyone else, it is hard but you can do it.”
The following was taped on Tuesday night for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event in Austin, Texas.
– JBL and Tom Phillips came out to a good reaction from the crowd.
– Kofi Kingston def. Tyson Kidd with a roll-up after countering a Sharpshooter attempt. Adam Rose and Cesaro, who were at ringside, joined in to beat down The New Day afterwards.
– The Miz and Damien Mizdow def. Los Matadores when Miz hit his Skull Crushing Finale for the 1-2-3.
– Natalya def. Summer Rae in Divas action.
– Bray Wyatt def. Jack Swagger with his Sister Abigail finisher for the pin.
– The Usos def. Goldust and Stardust in a non-title match, which served as the main event of the taping.
The following matches were taped on Monday in Corpus Christi, Texas prior to RAW for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars.
– Jack Swagger def. Titus O’Neil in singles action to start the taping. This was said to be a decent match that held the crowd’s interest. In the end, Swagger got O’Neil in the Patriot Lock to force the tap.
– Goldust & Stardust def. Los Matadores in tag-team action to close out the show. This was mostly a comedy match with a lot of entertaining and fun spots. The match finished with Stardust hitting his kick-finisher, which led to Goldust getting a roll-up for the 1-2-3.
As a bit of a reminder, there will be no WWE television tapings tonight, as both Main Event and SmackDown were taped on Sunday in Sioux Falls, Iowa. Below are the matches scheduled for tonight’s edition of WWE Main Event, which airs on the WWE Network.
– Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. Los Matadores
– Brie Bella vs. Summer Rae
– Big E. vs. Stardust
– Luke Harper vs. Jack Swagger
For complete spoiler results of this week’s Main Event, click here.
The following are WWE Main Event taping results for this coming Tuesday’s show on the WWE Network. Results are courtesy of ProWrestling.net.
– Cesaro and Tyson Kidd defeated Los Matadores. Cesaro and Kidd dominated most of the match and got the win with a powerbomb from Cesaro while Kidd performed a flip into a neckbreaker off the top rope.
– Brie Bella beat Summer Rae. Brie hit her running knee and a missile dropkick for the win.
– Big E defeated Stardust (w/Goldust). Starust went to the ropes for the Beautiful Disaster kick, but Goldust accidentally knocked him off the ropes. Big E used the Big Ending to get the win.
– Luke Harper defeated Jack Swagger in a really good match. They both kicked out of the others big moves but Harper won with a huge clothesline.
– WWE broadcast team member Renee Young recently held a Q&A on her official Twitter account. Young noted that her favorite WWE Superstars to interview are Paul Heyman, Fandango, Jack Swagger and The Usos. You can check out more from Young’s Twitter Q&A @ReneeYoungWWE.
– There’s talk that Erick Rowan vs. Titus O’Neil may be in the works for next Monday’s Christmas-themed edition of WWE RAW in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As noted, in addition to the Christmas theme, WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan will be appearing on the show.
TLC came and went last night, leaving behind a trail of broken tables, dented chairs, and fried television monitors. There were plenty of highlights last night, but the company certainly took a few missteps as well. Overall, here are the pros and cons from last night’s TLC pay-per-view.
Pros
The show got off to a hot start last night with the ladder match. Ziggler and Harper really gave everything they had, as both were men were bruised and bloodied by the end of the contest. There were a number of memorable spots (especially when Harper catapulted Ziggler into the ropes with the ladder), and overall, it ranked up there with some of the best ladder matches in company history. Amazing way to start the show, and unfortunately for WWE, the rest of the show paled in comparison.
Ambrose and Wyatt also put on an amazing show. This was about as brutal as it gets during the PG era, with Ambrose leaping from the top of a ladder to drive Wyatt through a table on multiple occasions. It was also nice to see the company have the confidence to let these guys close the show, although the ending was less than desirable (more on that later).
As expected, Damien Mizdow was over big time with the crowd, with the fans even booing Miz in his hometown of Cleveland in favor of Sandow. I couldn’t help but crack up when Mizdow started emulating the half crab on the apron. The guy has major star potential, and he and the Miz play perfectly off of one another.
Although the booking was atrocious, Rollins proved why he is a future star during his match with John Cena. Join me in the “Cons” section to read more about this one.
Finally, I thought it was a decent decision to have Nikki Bella retain the title, and honestly, it was far from being the worst match of the night. It seems like the company has being playing hot potato with the Divas Championship since AJ Lee’s long title reign ended so it’s nice to see the title stay around someone’s waist for more than a month.
The final pay-per-view of 2014 is only a few hours away, and there should be enough tables, ladders, and chairs to fill a large dining hall. (I’m not entirely sure that I’ve seen a ladder in a college dining hall, but whatever.) The card will feature a total of nine matches, including a main event featuring Seth Rollins and John Cena. With that said, here are my predictions for this Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view.
The New Day vs. Gold and Stardust
The New Day hasn’t done much since returning from a brief hiatus, as they’ve been largely relegated to SmackDown and other programs that aren’t worth watching. However, they’ve looked impressive the few times they’ve been on Raw and all three are above average workers. The New Day has more to gain from a win here, so I’m expecting Big E finish off Stardust after hitting the Big Ending.
Winners: The New Day by pinfall
Ryback vs. Kane (Chairs Match)
Each December, fans can usually look forward to a Chairs Match at TLC. It’s like receiving a Christmas gift you didn’t request or care to receive. You put a smile on your face, do your best to enjoy it, but nine times out of ten, it ends in disappointment. This year’s edition should be no different. Nobody would want to see these guys square off in a singles contest, and throwing a few chairs into the mix will do little to save it. Ryback will win after a “brutal” match where the two exchange chair shots to the back for ten minutes.
Winner: Ryback by pinfall
The Miz and Damien Mizdow (Tag Team Champions) vs. The Usos
This contest should be an entertaining way to fill ten to fifteen minutes of the midcard. Mizdow is perhaps the hottest thing in WWE right now, so I expect he and the Miz to go over. However, it likely won’t be without some dissension. Overall, this should be an entertaining contest with a lot of back and forth action. If booked correctly, it should advance the tension between Miz and Mizdow, hopefully leading to a payoff at WrestleMania.
Last night on Raw, the WWE handed out some shiny plastic hardware, and more importantly, finalized the card for this Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view. With CM Punk badmouthing WWE before signing with UFC, and Brock Lesnar sitting at home while the title collects dust, it seems like the most exciting WWE-related action these days is taking place outside of the squared circle.
With that said, TLC actually looks like a solid pay-per-view on paper, especially considering it’s another event without a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match.
Ziggler has performed well in ladder matches during his career. Will the Show Off steal the show on Sunday?
In general, gimmick pay-per-views can be pretty lame. With events such as Elimination Chamber, Hell in a Cell, TLC, and Extreme Rules, the stipulations often seem forced and predictable (Money in the Bank is the only exception). However, it seems like the gimmick could be highly beneficial this time around.
This is due to the fact that most of the matchups would be forgettable without a special stipulation. Take Ryback vs. Kane for example. Nobody wants to see a washed-up Libertarian and supposed steroid user battle in a regular singles contest; that’s the same garbage fans are served up every week on Raw. However, if the two are going to beat the hell out of each other with chairs, it increases the possibility (albeit slightly) that fans will remain interested.
The same holds true for Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper. They are two of the better workers in the company, and they’d undoubtedly put on a great show without any gimmick at all, but the ladder match stipulation gives them the opportunity to completely steal the show.
Not only will the midcard benefit from the TLC gimmick, hardcore stipulations were necessary at the top of the card to get this event over with the fans. In particular, the tables match between John Cena and Seth Rollins should be one of the highlights of the night, as Cena will attempt to remain number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
