After last night’s red-hot edition of WWE RAW, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan have their work cut out for them. WWE is promoting the following items for tonight’s episode of SmackDown, which takes place from the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY:
– Daniel Bryan looks to make an impact as SmackDown’s new General Manager.
– Who will be the next challenger to WWE Champion Dean Ambrose?
– NXT alums American Alpha, Alexa Bliss, Mojo Rawley and Carmella will be introduced to the SmackDown audience.
– What’s next for John Cena?
Join us here later tonight for our weekly SmackDown Live Coverage.
Meanwhile, John Cena says Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan have something big planned for tonight’s broadcast.
– Prior to last night’s RAW from Pittsburgh, WWE taped the following matches for this week’s Superstars:
Sin Cara vs. Bo Dallas
Titus O’Neill & Jack Swagger vs. The Dudley Boyz
– Three of SmackDown’s top Superstars were in attendance for RAW and actually wrestled after the show went off the air. The dark match main event saw WWE Champion Dean Ambrose and John Cena defeat Seth Rollins and AJ Styles in an inter-brand tag team match. Fans in attendance noted on social media that the match was ‘average’ and nothing special. We’ll see if this was a one-off event, or if WWE advertises “special appearances” from SmackDown Superstars to sell tickets for RAW tapings and vice versa. If SmackDown is behind held in a city not far from where RAW is taped, you could see a “non-televised appearance from John Cena” boosting attendance.
– WWE promised the start of a new era last night on RAW and the overwhelming consensus is that they delivered. The commentary, graphics & production tweaks, the post-match interviews, the enhancement matches, Finn Balor’s stellar debut and Sasha Banks’ title win all gave the show a fresh feel. WWE runs a weekly poll on Twitter asking for feedback about RAW, if you enjoyed the show and want more of what we saw last night, let them know:
– John Cena was back on NBC this morning as a guest co-host of Today. Cena has appeared on the program several times in the last year as he continues to build his brand for a post-wrestling career.
– On a related note, Cena’s girlfriend Nikki Bella seems very confident about returning to the ring. We noted this past week that she received good news from the doctors and teased a visit to the WWE Performance Center. She tweeted another return teaser last night during WWE Battleground, seen below:
Another match has been added to this Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view. In a tag match announced by the company on Friday evening, The Usos will take on Tyler Breeze and Fandango. Battleground takes place on Sunday, July 24th at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC with play-by-play coverage and discussion on SEScoops.com at 8 PM ET.
John Cena was the guest on Jonathan Coachman’s weekly ESPN segment last night and was asked directly about Brock Lesnar failing two USADA drug tests prior to UFC 200. Cena said:
“Well, there was certainly a lot of hype. I was actually on SportsCenter hyping that fight myself. My thoughts were in Brock Lesnar’s corner, as he was put as the underdog in that fight, and he ended up doing well.
Anytime something like that comes out, it certainly affects your perception of the event. There’s no way that people aren’t going to perceive Brock Lesnar differently, and when something like this happens, you set yourself a long, hard road ahead of you, and Brock’s got a long, hard road ahead of him.”
– John Cena will be the ESPN Off The Top Rope guest for Jonathan Coachman this week. Due to the WWE Draft, the segment will air in the 10:15pm segment tonight. After tonight, the weekly segment will move to Wednesday nights, according to Coach on Twitter.
– Dolph Ziggler isn’t the only wrestling star at the Republican National Convention this year as former WWE star Zeb Colter is headed there Friday. He tweeted:
John Cena is the new spokesperson for Hefty brand’s new “Ultra Strong” trash bags. It was recently reported that Cena had signed a multi-million dollar endorsement deal with the company and the first campaign launched this week.
Hefty’s new Ultra Strong Drawstring Trash Bag commercials star wrestler, actor and strong man John Cena, who embodies Hefty’s strength and humor. His character infuses plenty of muscle and a few subtle jabs at his wimpy counterpart, played by actor and comedian Rob Schneider.
Here are the commercials which are already airing on television:
– WWEShop.com is now selling some of the Superstar flags that have been used as part of the promotional material for Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view.
– Following this weekend’s live events, John Cena is no longer advertised for any domestic non-televised shows. The 15-time world champion teamed up with the Usos on Sunday night in Glens Falls, New York and defeated AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in a 6-man tag match. Cena is scheduled to appear at a few overseas shows later this year in Australia and China, but nothing in the United States. With Cena rumored to be joining the SmackDown brand at Tuesday’s Draft, his absence from SmackDown live events would certainly not help the brand’s perception as being inferior to RAW.
– WWE Hall of Famer Booker T revealed on Instagram on Sunday that Marcellus Black, one of the performers from his Texas-based Reality of Wrestling promotion, is headed to WWE.
– NXT star Johnny Gargano may have suffered a leg injury during a match at last night’s WWE Cruiserweight Classic tapings. Full spoilers are at this link. Gargano flipped out of the ring onto his opponent but his legs also hit the timekeeper table and chair. Gargano finished the match but was selling an injury. A trainer checked on him and then helped him to the back after the match. No word yet if it was a worked injury or not.
– WWE looks at professional athletes popping up in this new video:
– Cruiserweight Classic competitors Kota Ibushi and Sean Maluta worked last night’s NXT TV tapings for the 8/3 and 8/10 episodes. Ibushi faced Murphy for the 8/3 episode while Maluta faced Hideo Itami for the 8/10 episode. That will also be Itami’s return to NXT TV.
John Cena may have seemed like an odd choice to host this year’s ESPY Awards, but the 15-time world champion proved once again that he’s got mainstream appeal. Cena delivered a strong opening monologue, which shouldn’t be that surprising since he’s no stranger to public speaking. Touching upon the worlds of sports, entertainment and sports entertainment, here’s a look at Cena in action last night:
WWE had a very strong presence at the ESPY Awards, with Ric Flair, Charlotte, The Bella Twins, The Miz, New Day, Big Show, Cathy Kelley and more in attendance. As we covered last night, Big Show even challenged Shaq to a match at next year’s WrestleMania, which appears to be happening. Here are some photos of WWE Superstars at the ESPYs:
John Cena has signed a new developmental deal with Leftfield Entertainment to produce unscripted shows for television and digital platforms. Leftfield is the company behind Cena’s American Grit reality competition series on FOX and they already have several other projects in the works.
In a statement released by Leftfield, Cena said this about this new chapter of their working relationship:
“Whether I’m in the ring for WWE or on a TV or film set, I approach all of my work the same way – with focus, authenticity and total commitment. I’m eager to bring that same work ethic to the team at Leftfield, and to create new kinds of programming that can inspire and push people to be their best. I’m living proof of what you can accomplish when that happens.”
John Cena is out doing promotional work for the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night on ABC, which he will be hsting. In an interview with Extra TV, Cena talked about his relationship with WWE and gave some stats about the company’s reach.
“I don’t plan on leaving the WWE ever,” Cena said of his future with the company. “They’re in 180 countries, they have 650 million homes they reach each week, they have over half a billion social followers… why in the name of whatever we believe in would I shut that off? They have such a powerful voice, such an excited fan base, and I actually love doing it.”
Cena also revealed that he did make it to RAW at the last minute on Monday. He says he was in airports all day and night to get there and do his minute and a half segment.
In the Extra interview Cena also talks about rumors of him joining the Live with Kelly show. You can read his entire interview here.
– Sasha Banks vs. Dana Brooke in a RAW rematch will also take place on this week’s SmackDown. Charlotte indicated on RAW that if Sasha defeats Dana again, she’s in line for a WWE Women’s Title shot.
– Former rival John Cena tweeted the following on Brock Lesnar’s big UFC 200 win over Mark Hunt:
– While she’s expected to be called to the main roster soon, Bayley says she still has her eye on Asuka’s NXT Women’s Title. She tweeted the following over the weekend, teasing big plans for 2016:
This road to the championship seems all too familiar. If you thought 2015 was a big year….Just wait. pic.twitter.com/HVITYEtykc
– Renee Young revealed on Twitter that her “Unfiltered” WWE Network show is just now at the half-way point of the second season. Fans wanted longer episodes and a longer season, and it looks like they got it.
– While Blake and Murphy teamed back up on NXT this week, they told WWE.com that they are not officially back together. Murphy commented in a new interview:
“Our status is unknown at this time! I’m here in NXT for greatness! And last year, Blake & Murphy were greatness. But as of late, things haven’t been there. Blake’s accidents keep costing us wins. If I can’t win with him, I’ll win by myself, and that NXT Title would be nice around my waist!”
– Below are new WWE Cruiserweight Classic promos for Noam Dar and Clement Petiot. Petiot talks about the pressure of being the only wrestler to represent France in the tournament while Dar, who is just 22 years old, talks about being experienced despite his age.
– “Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed By Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules” by former WWE Diva AJ Lee has been announced for 4/4/2017. She wrapped the book in late June, seen below:
Looking over art and putting the finishing touches on my brain baby. Are brain kegels a thing? pic.twitter.com/spPitAzLDa
– It looks like John Cena may be missing tonight’s WWE RAW from Detroit. Cena tweeted the following, indicating that he’s in Hollywood rehearsing for this week’s ESPY awards:
A journey does not exist without the 1st step. Good to see you old friend, we've both aged but still going strong! pic.twitter.com/ahBjlxZ5xk
WWE is partnering with Boom! Studios for a new series of comic books, according to an exclusive report by the Los Angeles Times.
WWE has produced several comic book series in the past, including WWF Battlemania the early 90’s and more recently, WWE Heroes. Matt Gagnon, Editor-in-Chief of the Los Angeles based Boom! Studios, explains why WWE is such a great fit for graphic novels.
“Here at Boom! we’re thrilled to be a part of WWE’s return to the comic book medium. The WWE Universe is a passionate fanbase, and we aim to provide them with the comic series they’ve always wanted — a series featuring their favorite Superstars and storylines, a series that highlights the incredible history of the brand. An authentic series that matters.”
Boom! has already produced several licensed comic book series, including the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. No word yet on a release date for Issue #1. For more on the new WWE comic book series from Boom!, visit LATimes.com.
– WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler will return to SmackDown this week as he worked last night’s tapings. Lawler was suspended until domestic charges against he and girlfriend Lauryn McBride were dropped.
– WWE taped The Ascension vs. Golden Truth, Cesaro vs. Curtis Axel, Sin Cara vs. Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews vs. WWE US Champion Rusev in Toledo last night for this week’s Main Event episode.
– The “#BeatUpJohnCena” hashtag has been trending on Twitter ever since the promo by The Club on Monday’s RAW. Many wrestlers and fans have been tweeting their own memes for the hashtag. Below are comments from AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Kevin Owens:
John Cena is getting a lot of mainstream media coverage this week for this “We Are America” public service message, part of the Ad Council’s Love Has No Labels campaign. What is patriotism? What is your vision of the “average” American? Cena shares some interesting statistics about the American populace and promotes unity and tolerance amongst citizens of all ages, races, sexes and sexual orientations.
To love America is to love all Americans. John Cena takes a break between dropping body slams to drop some truth – that patriotism is more than pride of country, it’s love beyond labels.
– WWE originally had plans to do the John Cena vs. AJ Styles singles rematch at the 8/21 SummerSlam PPV in Brooklyn, according to Wrestling Observer Radio. No word yet on if that is still the plan but it’s expected. Cena will team with Enzo and Cass to face Styles and The Club at the 7/24 WWE Battleground PPV.
– For those who missed it last night, Shane and Stephanie McMahon did not appear, despite being advertised. Shane has not appeared as advertised several times since May.
– This RAW backstage video features Zack Ryder celebrating after his main event win last night. Ryder says 2016 is the best year of his career and he’s just getting started.
– WWE will tape Main Event and SmackDown from Toledo, OH at the Huntington Center tonight. The only thing announced is Brock Lesnar’s SummerSlam opponent will be revealed. Superstars scheduled include Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Alberto Del Rio, AJ Styles, Chris Jericho, Sheamus, The Miz and Dean Ambrose. Join us tonight for live spoilers.
– WWE workers on the recent Tokyo tour reportedly watched a tape of the Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy match that will air on TNA Impact tonight, which was taped from Matt’s “compound” in North Carolina. Wrestling Observer Radio speculated that WWE may have used the TNA angle as inspiration for their RAW angle with The Wyatt Family inviting The New Day to their compound for a brawl.
– John Cena is featured in this new video for SmackDown going live:
After last night’s WWE RAW in Columbus, John Cena teamed with Enzo Amore and Big Cass to defeat The Club in six-man action. Cena hit an AA on Karl Anderson to get the pin.
After the win, Cena brought cancer survivor Isaac into the ring and made him an honorary WWE Superstar. Video from that segment is below:
– Playing off the “Surprise John Cena” Internet meme, the Cricket Wireless mobile carrier teamed up with Cena himself to surprise fans at an in-store promotional event. It’s a really cool video that once again demonstrates how Cena is larger than life and an inspiration to fans of all ages. As WWE looks to coronate Roman Reigns the next “face of the company,” it becomes even more apparent what an uphill battle they’re facing.
– Heath Slater has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for victims of the severe flooding in West Virginia, where he’s from. The campaign has a goal of $25,000 and can be found in the tweet below from Slater:
During WWE’s recent promotional trip to China, John Cena spoke to Inquirer.net about the company’s bright future and which Superstar he wants to work with in this next phase of his career.
Cena has been the face of WWE for well over a decade, which means he’s seen a lot of talent come and go. Cena feels that WWE’s current roster is stacked with more talent than ever and sees a few performers in particular who have what it takes to make an impact with the audience.
“I look at Enzo Amore and Big Cass only because they are so immediately identifiable as characters,” Cena said. “It kind of reminds me when I was doing hip-hop piece of my persona. I like that because Enzo is not necessarily a typical mold of, ‘Hey, this is going to be awesome.’ But even back in his early days in NXT, he caught my attention.”
Cena has been in the ring with some of the biggest stars in the company’s history, including The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Batista, Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan. As for which WWE Superstars he wants to work with, Cena named his heir apparent, Roman Reigns.
“I know that I always kind of test myself, whether it’s new superstars or established superstars, and I know Roman Reigns has carved up quite a niche for himself and he has all the attributes to be a successful WWE superstar for some time to come,” he said. “I’ve heard he’s good. I’d like to find out how good he is.”
A John Cena vs. Roman Reigns feud seems inevitable, especially if WWE stays the course with Reigns being the new face of the company. However, we might have to wait years for that feud if Cena and Reigns are drafted to different brands next month.
– In an update on WWE calling Dean Ambrose the WWE Champion on this week’s RAW, the name change has now been updated on the WWE website as well. The title is now referred to as the WWE Championship instead of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
– Based on the following tweet, it sounds like Hideo Itami could be returning at this weekend’s NXT house show in Winter Haven, FL. Itami has been out of action since May 2015 and told fans in late May he would see them soon.