Here are a few news items related to the upcoming WWE Draft, scheduled for the first live Tuesday night SmackDown on July 19th:
– It’s worth noting that John Cena is only being advertised for RAW shows taking place after the Draft. Top stars advertised for SmackDown shows after 7/19 include WWE Champion Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles. These lineups are always subject to change and it’s unlikely WWE would spoil any big Draft storylines in this manner, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross wrote the following about the upcoming brand split in his latest blog:
“As a fan I would love to see the two brands, RAW and Smackdown, be creatively positioned as two separate companies who are competing for the market share on the USA Network with their back to back days of live TV. There is more than one way to produce good, weekly TV wrestling.
Still of the mindset that with a little luck and timely execution that the WWE Brand Extension can be one of the most prolific things that WWE has strategically done from a business perspective in a good while. I can see the brand extension significantly helping the WWE Network as well and that’s the heartbeat for the big dog in the yard these days.”
– There’s talk of Bayley, Nia Jax and Carmella being drafted to the main roster next month, according to PWInsider. It’s expected that upwards of 10 NXT performers will be getting called up.
Today marks 14 years since John Cena made his WWE television debut. Cena’s first match took place back on June 27, 2002 when Cena answered an open challenge from Kurt Angle. Cena came up short against Angle in his first match on the scene, but showed “Ruthless Aggression” during the match and earned the respect of WWE’s top stars in the process, including The Undertaker.
Of course, Cena would go on to become the top star in the industry for a longer period of time than anybody else in history. He’s the ultimate company man and the lead babyface Vince McMahon always dreamed of. Many other top stars have come and gone, a few have been pushed as “the guy” but John Cena remains The Face That Runs The Place and it doesn’t look like that’s changing any time soon.
I would like to thank the @WWE and its @WWEUniverse for allowing me to live everyday as a dream come true for the past 14 years #NeverGiveUp
– Former WWE/WCW star Marc Mero noted on Facebook that he underwent heart surgery last Thursday. Doctors actually had to stop Mero’s heart for 40 minutes during the surgery.
– In addition to hosting ESPN’s ESPY Awards on July 13th, John Cena announced this week that he and actress Victoria Justice will host FOX’s Teen Choice Awards on 7/31.
John Cena’s “Pabst Blue Ribbon” shirt is now back on sale at WWE Shop, so it appears WWE and the beer company came to some sort of an agreement.
The shirt initially went on sale last month prior to Cena’s return on Memorial Day. When Pabst caught wind of Cena’s new merchandise bearing a logo that strongly resembled their own, they sent out a not-so-subtle legal threat that resulted in the shirt being pulled.
– WWE uploaded a new Top 10 video today that looks at moves that defeated John Cena. The list was topped by Brock Lesnar’s F5, followed by The Rock Bottom, Daniel Bryan’s running knee, and Kurt Angle’s ankle lock. Other moves that made the list include The Undertaker’s Tombstone, Kevin Owens’ Pop Up Powerbomb, RVD’s Five Star Frogsplash, Triple H’s pedigree, Shawn Michaels’ superkick and Randy Orton’s RKO.
– Titus O’Neil penned a Father’s Day themed column for Newsday.com this week. He gives advice about being a father, and tells other dads to “take a moment to take a moment” with their kids, and says it’s okay for strong fathers to cry. You can read his full column here.
– WWE’s final stop before Sunday’s Money In The Bank pay-per-view is a live event in Los Angeles, CA at the Staples Center. The show will be headlined by Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins in a Triple Threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Also booked for the show is a street fight between Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho in the semi-main event. Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, The Club, Cesaro and Kevin Owens are all advertised for the event.
– John Cena did a pretty great Hulk Hogan impression on the new NBC primetime variety show Maya & Marty. In this segment, John Cena and David Schwimmer (Martin Short) audition for FX’s new show Hulk Hogan v. Gawker.
– The dark segment after last night’s WWE SmackDown tapings saw The Club attack Dean Ambrose until Roman Reigns made the save. This brought out Seth Rollins, who attacked Reigns but Reigns sent him retreating.
– Triple H noted on Twitter that this year’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn show has officially sold out. The show will once again take place from the Barclays Center during SummerSlam weekend.
-Blake Oestriecher has published a new article for Forbes looking at AJ Styles’ feud with John Cena. Oestriecher makes a compelling case that AJ Styles is bringing out the best in Cena, more than Triple H, Bray Wyatt, Del Rio and countless other superstars ever could. Check out the article over at Forbes.com.
Discussion: How do you see this feud going? Will AJ win the first match and then go on to lose the series, or can the Phenomenal One break the trend we’ve seen with Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens?
– WWE.com has published photos from WWE’s first-ever tryout camp in China.
– Zack Ryder is giving away free autographs to fans who buy his new WWE Shop t-shirt, the first in a few years. Details are in this tweet:
– John Cena will appear on NBC variety show “Maya and Marty” show tonight at 10 EST.
– In the video below, former WWE star Zach Gowen runs the American Ninja Warrior course from last night’s Indianapolis Qualifier episode:
– This RAW Fallout video from New Orleans features Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson talking about adding more gold to their collection at Sunday’s WWE Money in the Bank PPV.
– WWE announced a new match on Monday night for Money In The Bank 2016. Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews has officially been added to Sunday’s pay-per-view which takes place in Las Vegas, NV.
– After tonight’s episde of WWE Monday Night RAW went off the air in New Orleans, John Cena teamed up with Roman Reigns to face the team of Seth Rollins and AJ Styles in the dark main event. At the beginning of the match, Gallows and Anderson were banned from ringside, but they eventually returned and interfered. Cena and Reigns won via disqualification. After the bell, Cena and Reigns hit their finishers and cleared the ring.
– In a tweet to promote Monday’s RAW, former World Heavyweight Champion John Cena teased that he’s going to call out AJ Styles. Cena says tomorrow we will find out whether his Money In The Bank opponent is “phenomenal” or “desperate.”
– WWE Hall of Famer Sting will be stepping into the former ECW Arena for the first time on September 17th. Sting will be featured at the Icons of Wrestling & Comic Books Collectorfest event along with Bret Hart and Terry Funk.
– As previously noted, AJ Styles will be a guest on the June 20th edition of the WWE Network’s Stone Cold Podcast. To follow up on the announcement, WWE sent out the following promotional blurb previewing the show, which will air right after RAW:
“The Stone Cold Podcast returns with a brand-new episode the night after WWE Money in the Bank, and the special guest will be AJ Styles! Just 24 hours after he battles John Cena in a dream matchup, The Phenomenal One will face “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for a live, no-holds barred interview. Watch this must-see interview Monday, June 20, immediately following Raw, only on the award-winning WWE Network.
“From WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon to Ric Flair, The Texas Rattlesnake has interviewed sports-entertainment’s biggest names on his popular WWE Network podcast. Austin’s interview series has captured the attention of the WWE Universe with the outspoken host’s ability to elicit revealing answers from his guests. So what will the no-nonsense WWE Hall of Famer ask Styles? Find out on a live Stone Cold Podcast, Monday, June 20, only on WWE Network.”
– This past Monday on Raw, Teddy Long made a surprise return and threw his name in the running for taking control of SmackDown when it goes live on July 19. Long, however, was turned away by Stephanie McMahon and eventually escorted out of the building by security.
This was only a guest appearance by Long. According to PWInsider.com, WWE has no creative plans for him going forward.
– Sheamus joked about John Cena’s fashion sense during an interview promoting his role as Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
The dark match after last night’s RAW in Oklahoma City saw Roman Reigns and John Cena defeat Seth Rollins and Sheamus. The finish saw Rollins take a Superman punch and the AA, then Sheamus take a spear and the pin. Rollins and Reigns did not appear live on RAW this week but they were featured in vignettes.
En el dark match de #RAW, Roman Reigns & John Cena vencieron a Sheamus & Seth Rollins en un tag team match. pic.twitter.com/JTzpon6rZe
It’s official – John Cena will go one-on-one against AJ Styles at WWE’s upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. WWE is promoting the contest as a “dream match” and after the reaction both men received on RAW when they went face to face, it’s clear the WWE Universe is on board with that billing.
It will be Cena’s first match since returning from a 6-month layoff. Following the betrayal by Styles on RAW and the vicious assault suffered at the hands of The Club, John Cena has a score to settle later this month.
WWE Money In The Bank takes place on Sunday, June 19, 2016 from Las Vegas, Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena.
– Last night on RAW, AJ Styles welcomed John Cena to the New Era by turning on him and realigning with The Club. The swerve angle was easily the best part of the show and sets up a dream feud between Cena and Styles. After putting on two stellar PPV main event matches against Roman Reigns, it looked like Styles was on the verge of being rotated out of the main event picture. A hot program with John Cena is not a bad place to land. Styles tweeted the following on Tuesday morning, embracing his new heel role:
Did the #TheClub make you mad last night on #RAW? Good!
– Speaking of John Cena, his short-lived “Pabst Blue Ribbon” t-shirt is now arriving to fans who ordered it from WWEShop.com over the weekend before it was pulled. As seen on RAW, the replacement shirt features the same caricature of Cena, without the Pabst styling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGEoeIFSZ6R/
– Former WWE Superstar Damien Sandow (now known as Aaron Stevens) appeared on Vince Russo’s The Swerve podcast this week. Part 1 is available now at PodcastOne.com. Of course, Sandow spoke about his time in WWE and the frustrating situation that ultimately led to his release.
– WWE is posting a series of videos getting feedback from Superstars regarding the upcoming brand split. Kevin Owens says it doesn’t matter which show he winds up on, because it will still be the Kevin Owens show. Meanwhile, Sasha Banks knows exactly which show she wants to be a part of.
– As WWE announced on RAW, there’s a new “Rise of John Cena Collection” available on the WWE Network. The synopsis reads:
“From his “ruthless” 2002 debut on SmackDown to his historic 2005 WWE Heavyweight Championship victory on the Grandest Stage Of Them All, John Cena’s meteoric rise to Superstardom was unforgettable. Relive history with The Doctor Of Thuganomics as he faces off against Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker and more. From day one, John Cena has proven that Hustle and Loyalty earn Respect!”
– Zack Ryder tweeted this reaction after his loss to Rusev last night on RAW:
Opportunity…that's all I've ever wanted. The hard work will eventually pay off. You know it. I know it. They know it. #Raw.
– Sheamus was in Ireland on Monday doing promotional work for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, which is why he wasn’t at RAW. WWE posted this behind-the-scenes video of Sheamus on the set of TMNT 2:
– As noted earlier, the final Money in the Bank participant will be determined tonight on RAW. John Cena makes his big return on the show, but it won’t be him. No word yet on Cena’s next feud, but United States Champion Rusev would be a natural fit.
– A big factor in SmackDown going live on Tuesdays (and the subsequent brand split) was the USA Network’s dissatisfaction with Smackdown ratings. The show’s viewership was settling into a range that network executives weren’t thrilled with and additional live programming should help that. There is a feeling of optimism behind the scenes regarding this change, despite the last brand split eventually fizzling out. Last time, RAW (being the live, flagship show on USA) was the top priority. WWE caved and brought the big SmackDown names to RAW in an effort to stack those shows, but killed the longterm potential of dream matches between stars who had been kept apart. Now that SmackDown is also on USA and is going live every week, there’s more incentive to keep both shows strong and treat SmackDown on par with RAW. Time will tell, but that’s the optimistic spin heading in to this summer.
Ahead of his return to WWE RAW later tonight, John Cena guest-hosted NBC’s Today show. Cena appeared in their Celebrity Fishbowl segment, chimes in on the hot dog – sandwich debate and learns to “booty pop” from musical group Fifth Harmony:
– Ahead of his return to WWE television tonight on RAW, John Cena is teasing that he’ll be wearing these shorts given to him by Ellen Degeneres during his appearance on the Ellen show last month. Cena has been out of action since undergoing shoulder surgery in late 2015.
Here are highlights from John Cena’s new IGN interview:
Shane McMahon Back With WWE:
“I was in the company of the “never,” but I guess this goes to Vince McMahon’s old adage, “never say never.” It’s good to have Shane back. I think it’s a renewed energy in not only the program but the audience, as well. Shane’s been really proactive about showing a lot of new faces and I said for a long time that there’s a bunch of talent that was in NXT and it’s good to see them get their chance on WWE Monday night RAW.”
His Thoughts On The Women’s Championship:
“You know, the WWE is constantly evolving and if they want to make the move, it seems like an obvious jump. WWE is really focused on empowering the women. They did a wonderful job branding the women as Divas, as Superstars, but I think it’s a company initiative to make them equal to what the men do and [having] the men’s championship and the women’s championship, I think it’s a logical progression.”
– Thursday’s episode of John Cena’s “American Grit” on FOX set a new record low for the show – 1.730 million viewers, down from last week’s 1.878 million viewers. The episode was the 2nd least-viewed show in the 9pm timeslot on all major networks, next to The Flash on CW, which averaged 1.098 million viewers.
– As seen below, WWE Hall of Famer Larry Zbyszko was backstage for Friday’s NXT house show in Cocoa:
Update: The John Cena t-shirt in question has been pulled from WWEShop.com.
Previously: The Pabst Blue Ribbon beer is not pleased with WWE using their signature logo as inspiration for John Cena’s new line of Merchandise.
Ahead of the 15-time world champion’s return to WWE television this coming Monday on RAW, WWEShop.com released Cena’s new t-shirts, hats, wrist bands featuring a patriotic red, white & blue theme. The USA colors tie into Cean’s run with the United States Championship, but fans on social media were quick to point out that Cena’s new shirt has a logo that closely resembles that of Pabst.
The beer company caught wind of it and let WWE know they definitely “see” John Cena and his new swag. A middle finger and a thinly veiled legal threat accompanied the tweet. Cheers!