We are a little over halfway through the year. With Money in the Bank behind us, the WWE will now focus on building up its second biggest pay-per-view of the year, SummerSlam. With that said, I felt it would be interesting to look at the top five matches from the second quarter of 2014. I included full match videos and highlights where possible, but WWE licensing restrictions made it difficult at times. (I also apologize for the terrible music in a few of the videos.)
5. Dolph Ziggler vs. Bad News Barrett (April 14th Raw)
Dolph Ziggler is rarely given more than ten minutes to perform anymore, so it is definitely worth enjoying when he is given enough time to show off his talent. In this match, Ziggler squared off with Bad News Barrett in the first round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament. Both superstars put on a great show, with Barrett ultimately winning after hitting a Bad News Bullhammer Elbow. The action was fast paced in this contest, with both guys showing why they have main event talent. This would start Barrett’s push to win the title, although he would of course later be stripped as a result of injury. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdwcxG9A8UU
4. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane (Extreme Rules)
This would end up begin Daniel Bryan’s only title defense, as he was stripped of the title just a few weeks later due to injury. He made the most of his time with the strap, however, by engaging in a great contest with Kane. Of all the matches on the list, this is definitely the one that had the most old-school feel to it, with the action spilling to the back of the arena at one point. Bryan also used a forklift to help secure the victory by delivering a diving headbutt from the top of the vehicle. Ultimately, the match was a throwback to the Attitude Era, providing fans with a simultaneous glimpse into both the past and future of the company. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ReEU8WzzQo
As noted previously, the top four matches planned for this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view include Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella.
Another match that was originally under consideration for the show is a “Buried Alive” match between Daniel Bryan and Kane. That match is considered unlikely at this point, as it depends on Bryan’s condition, which doesn’t seem to be approving at a rate that would allow him to perform in time for SummerSlam.
It’s been noted in the past as well that WWE will be stacking the deck for Night Of Champions, the pay-per-view following SummerSlam, as that is when they will be needing something big to lure subscribers to the WWE Network, as their six-month subscriptions will be expiring at around that time.
Advertising for next Monday’s WWE RAW at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada confirms the recent reports that claimed WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart will be at the show.
Also listed in the advertisement for the show are Chris Jericho, Kane and a six-man tag-team main event of John Cena, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins.
The following is the advertisement, sent out in French:
WWE – MONDAY NIGHT RAW
LUNDI 7 JUILLET À 19H30 / CENTRE BELL (Événement télévisé)
QUELQUES BILLETS ENCORE DISPONIBLES
Billets en vente aux guichets du Centre Bell
Commande téléphonique: 1 855 310-2525
Commandez en ligne: www.evenko.ca
Billet: 31,50$ / 46$ / 64,50$ / 87,50$/ 127,75$ (incluant taxes et frais de service)
WWE – MONDAY NIGHT RAW DÉBARQUE À MONTRÉAL !
JOHN CENA, CHAMPION DU MONDE POIDS LOURD DE LA WWE
ROMAN REIGNS et DEAN AMBROSE
VS
RANDY ORTON, BRAY WYATT et SETH ROLLINS
EN PLUS DE :
BRET HART, TRIPLE H, CHRIS JERICHO et DEMON KANE
– Infamous Reddit user “Dolphins1925” had one of his worst prediction outings in recent memory, as he missed several of his picks for Sunday’s event. Dolphins, who for the longest time went flawless with his pay-per-view predictions, missed on the main event, picking Kane, as well as Summer Rae over Layla and Luke Harper & Erick Rowan over The Usos.
– Below is the official trailer for the “EXCUSE ME! – A Cougar Countdown” special on Vickie Guerrero, which airs on the WWE Network this Tuesday night at 9pm EST.
WWE storylines can be a short term or long term plan by management to push certain superstars or to do the complete opposite. Professional wrestling has had many hot storylines over the years – Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant, the New World Order taking over WCW, Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon buys WCW and the list goes on.
The NWO, Austin versus McMahon and even Shane buying WCW, which led to the Invasion storyline, all lasted a long time. Multiple years were given to these hot storylines. Eras in the professional wrestling have been the length of some of these plots in WWE or WCW.
However, there have been times when WWE had a hot storyline going and then….BAM! It’s over. WWE fans wanted more and the company for whatever reason changed direction. This is one of the the most criticized aspects of WWE that fans complain about. The company was building a young star to the top or had a very compelling and interesting storyline happening, when the whole angle is just dropped. Sometimes it has to do with wrestlers being fired or suspended, but other times there aren’t any explanation for the change.
Here are ten hot storylines that quickly died and were killed by WWE management.
9. Nexus
WWE.com
Nexus was a group of rookie superstars from the very first season of NXT. At this point in time, which was 2010, NXT was supposed to be a reality television show where wrestlers competed against one another for a contract in WWE. In reality though, all the superstars were signed to WWE in some capacity. In any event, Wade Barrett (now Bad News Barrett) won the first season and at first was the only member to be on WWE programming.
However, Barrett would recruit the other members of NXT season one and form the Nexus faction. The group immediately caused havoc attacking everyone from John Cena to Justin Roberts. It seemed as if no one was capable of beating Nexus. Their fights always seemed to be a handicap match involving all members of the Nexus helping each other out.
Nexus’ big run in WWE began in June and then two months later, it was SummerSlam time. Nexus faced a team of WWE Superstars including John Cena, Chris Jericho, Edge, Bret Hart, R-Truth, John Morrison and former Nexus member Daniel Bryan. This was the perfect opportunity for WWE to put Nexus over their top stars. However, Cena wanted things to happen differently.
Edge joined Chris Jericho on his podcast in December of 2013 and they discussed the situation.
Chris Jericho: “It was Team WWE vs. Team Nexus, and the finish boiled down to [Edge] and [Jericho] in there, but it was Cena against a couple of them. John wanted to do things a certain way and we told him ‘you’re wrong’. He did it anyways, and it sucked. And then after he came over to us and said ‘I should have listened to you, but I wasn’t seeing it that way.'”
Edge: “I remember. I was like, fine I’m out of the match by that point.”
Chris Jericho: “He wanted to get DDT’d on the floor by Barrett, then kick out and beat them both. And you and I were like, that’s the dumbest thing. That’s just throwing it away for no reason.”
Edge: “They should have gone over because they were so hot.”
Chris Jericho: “We were fighting for Barrett to go over. And where’s Wade Barrett now?”
Jericho and Edge were probably right. After SummerSlam, Nexus was never the same. They would gradually lose members and gain new ones until CM Punk was the leader and began his Summer of Punk storyline in 2011.
– John Cena captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Sunday’s night’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. This is Cena’s 15th world title reign. He’s expected to defend the gold against Brock Lesnar at WWE SummerSlam on Sunday, August 17th.
– Former Shield member Seth Rollins is the Money in the Bank briefcase holder after receiving help from Kane and The Authority to win the Money in the Bank ladder match.
– There were several celebrities in attendance at last night’s pay-per-view, including Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show”), former WWE Superstar Chris Nowinski, Mick Foley’s daughter Noelle, DeAngelo Williams of the Carolina Panthers, Josh Daniels of the New England Patriots and ESPN’s Robert Flores.
– We received reports from several people who experienced issues with the WWE Network feed of Money in the Bank. WWE’s technical support attributed the problem to “high demand.”
WWE Money In The Bank REACTION: Highlights, Lowlights & Random Thoughts
The following is the final card for tonight’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view:
Money In The Bank Ladder Match (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
– John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton vs. Cesaro vs. Kane vs. Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio
Money In The Bank Ladder Match (Briefcase For Title Shot Up To One Year)
– Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Bad News Barrett*
WWE Tag-Team Championship
– The Usos (c) vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan
WWE Divas Championship
Paige (c) vs. Naomi
Divas Match (Special Guest Referee: Fandango)
– Summer Rae vs. Layla
Tag-Team Match
– Goldust & Stardust vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel
Singles Match
– Rusev vs. Big E.
* – Barrett suffered a separated shoulder during the SmackDown taping this past Tuesday, however WWE has yet to announce whether or not he has been pulled from his match.
Make sure to join us here later tonight for the absolute best live play-by-play results coverage of the fifth annual WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view!
The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.
Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.
Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)
I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.
Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall
Rusev vs. Big E
These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.
I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel
The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.
He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.
Early advertising for the WWE Battleground pay-per-view, which is the next show following Sunday’s Money In The Bank, has been released in the local Tampa market and may have already spoiled two of the matches planned for the show.
According to the ads in Tampa, Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton and Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose will be taking place at Battleground.
Also advertised to appear at Battleground are John Cena, Bray Wyatt, Kane, RVD, Sheamus, Cesaro, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Bad News Barrett and Kofi Kingston.
With eight superstars in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match and seven in the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, the future is very intriguing.
With eight superstars in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match and seven in the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, the future is very intriguing.
Someone is walking out of Boston with the WWE World Heavyweight title. Whoever wins has to be careful though. Because lurking behind them will be someone else with the Money in the Bank briefcase. The two winners of these matches will have a microscope on them. Many of these stars have a long history with each other. From the three members of The Shield to Attitude Era stars like Kane and Rob Van Dam, WWE fans could see some fantastic feuds come from the outcomes of these matches.
At Money in the Bank 2010, Kane won the briefcase and become the first and only superstar to cash in that very same night. History could repeat itself this year, except this time the title can change more times. The WWE World Heavyweight title will change at least once since it is currently vacant. However, it could change twice in the same night if the Money in the Bank winner cashes in like Kane did four years ago. This would expedite a feud between superstars in each match.
With that said, here are seven fantastic and intriguing feuds that could begin thanks to the outcomes of the two ladder matches at Money in the Bank 2014.
The latest edition of the sit-down interview series between Michael Cole and Triple H has been added to the official WWE YouTube channel.
In their latest discussion, “The Game” talks to WWE’s lead television announcer about the decision to add Kane to the ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
The WWE COO also addresses the firing of Vickie Guerrero on Monday’s RAW and whether or not he’s concerned about becoming Dean Ambrose’s “enemy for life.”
– WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart is scheduled to appear on the upcoming July 7th episode of RAW from Montreal.
– Roman Reigns was interviewed by Renee Young on the RAW Backstage Pass show on the WWE Network. Reigns commented on Kane being added to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match this Sunday at Money in the Bank. He Kane’s involvement means nothing to him. It doesn’t matter who else is in the match, because he’s leaving Money in the Bank as the new champion.
– Here are this week’s RAW Fallout videos:
Stephanie McMahon leaves after being embarrassed by Vickie Guerrero.
Bad News Barrett talks about his successful Intercontinental Championship defense against Dolph Ziggler.
Dean Ambrose discusses being put in the Money in the Bank Contract Ladder Match.
– During the final segment of the WWE Money In The Bank “go-home” edition of RAW on Monday night, it was announced that Kane has been added to the Money In The Bank ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
– Below is a video of the Goldust and Stardust segment from Monday’s RAW:
– The official WWE website has recently added a new article looking at the 15 greatest Superstar entrances of all-time. The top ten of the list reads as follows:
#10. Rey Mysterio
#9. Gangrel
#8. The Rock
#7. Hulk Hogan
#6. Chris Jericho
#5. Bill Goldberg
#4. Triple H
#3. Kane
#2. Ultimate Warrior
#1. Undertaker
You can check out the complete article at WWE.com.
– The latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” YouTube show, which features Triple H, is available below.
The official cover art and content listing for WWE’s upcoming “Brothers Of Destruction” DVD have been released. The cover art features WWE’s new company logo, which is set to go into effect the day after SummerSlam (8/18).
Courtesy of WrestlingDVDNews.com, here’s the box cover, synopsis and content listing for “Brothers of Destruction” Greatest Matches single-disc DVD:
Synopsis:
“Brothers of Destruction chronicles the long history of the partnership of Undertaker and his half-brother, Kane. Following Kane s introduction to WWE in the late 90?s, he and Undertaker engaged in bitter battles, before finally uniting as a team known as the Brothers of Destruction. Their on-again, off-again partnership captured the imagination of the WWE universe throughout the next decade, with memorable battles both individually and as a team, against some of the greatest Superstars in WWE history.
This single-disc DVD contains 7 matches featuring the best action from Kane and Undertaker as a tag team spanning from their formation as a team in 2001 through some of their most recent matches in 2008.”
Match Listing:
The Brothers of Destruction
No Disqualification WWE Tag Team Championship Match
The Undertaker & Kane vs. Edge & Christian SmackDown • April 19, 2001
Tables Match
The Undertaker & Kane vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley) RAW • July 30, 2001
WCW Tag Team Championship Match
The Undertaker & Kane vs. Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire SmackDown • August 9, 2001
Steel Cage Match to Unify the WWE and WCW Tag Team Championship
The Undertaker & Kane vs. Diamond Dallas Page & Kanyon SummerSlam • August 19, 2001
Five Years Later…
The Undertaker & Kane vs. MVP & Mr. Kennedy SmackDown • December 15, 2006
The Undertaker & Kane vs. Mark Henry and Big Daddy V SmackDown • February 1, 2008
The Undertaker & Kane vs. The Miz & John Morrison ECW • April 15, 2008
As things stand right now, WWE is running with the mindset that Daniel Bryan will not be ready in time for their Battleground pay-per-view, which takes place on July 20th in Tampa, Florida.
The current working plan is for Bryan to return at SummerSlam in one of the main events, although it’s unlikely that he’ll be working against Brock Lesnar in the title match on the show, which was originally the plan.
In fact, WWE isn’t even sure Bryan will be available in time for SummerSlam. They do, however, expect him back in time for the Night Of Champions pay-per-view, which takes place on September 21st in Nashville, Tennessee.
It is believed that Bryan will work a stipulation match with Kane — possibly the originally planned “Buried Alive” match since the “Stretcher Match” was used on RAW this week — upon his return, as from a story line standpoint, he’s the guy who put Bryan on the shelf.
WWE is currently advertising Bryan for shows in mid-August. He’s not officially included in the advertising for SummerSlam, but is included in advertisements for the live event in San Jose, California on August 16th, which is the event that takes place the night before SummerSlam. He’s also booked to appear on one of the house show tours the weekend following SummerSlam on the West Coast, and television tapings after SummerSlam.
On the June 17th edition of WWE Main Event, Seth Rollins announced that there will be a traditional Money in the Bank ladder match at the pay-per-view in less than two weeks. Rollins also announced that he will be one of the participants in the match.
Who will join Rollins in the traditional Money in the Bank ladder match?
That remains to be seen. Rollins didn’t have to qualify for this match, just like Randy Orton didn’t have to qualify for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match. The next two weeks, the top midcard stars will likely compete for the opportunity to qualify for the traditional Money in the Bank ladder match. These midcard stars are hoping to be the next one to make the transition to main event star.
Here are five WWE superstars who should join Rollins in the Money in the Bank ladder match on June 29th.
Roman Reigns and John Cena are the final two participants in the upcoming Money in the Bank ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Reigns won a Battle Royal on RAW, while Cena defeated Kane in a Stretcher Match to qualify.
The full group of participants includes:
Cesaro
Randy Orton
Bray Wyatt
Sheamus
Albero Del Rio
Roman Reigns
John Cena
Join us here on Sunday, June 29th for our Live Coverage Results of WWE Money in the Bank.
Comment Below and tell us who YOU think will walk out of Money in the Bank as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
There has been some talk as to why WWE decided to go with a Daniel Bryan vs. Kane “Stretcher Match” as opposed to the originally planned “Buried Alive” match if Bryan is able to compete at the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
The feeling among many is that this could be a sign that WWE doesn’t plan on ending the feud between Bryan and Kane at Money In The Bank, or whichever pay-per-view Bryan eventually returns at.
On Monday’s RAW, it was announced that Daniel Bryan is scheduled to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Kane at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. If Bryan is unable to return to action on June 29th, he will be forced to surrender the gold and the title will be up for grabs in a MITB ladder match later in the night.
Stephanie McMahon announced the status of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship during an in-ring segment on the post-Payback edition of WWE RAW.
McMahon stated that if Daniel Bryan is able to compete at the upcoming WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view in four weeks, he will be defending the title in a stretcher match against Kane. If he cannot, the title will be vacated and then be put on the line for the first time ever in the actual Money In The Bank ladder match itself.
The Blu-ray edition of WWE’s upcoming “Brothers Of Destruction” set on Undertaker and Kane will only be released in the United Kingdom and Europe. Extras for that version have yet to be finalized, however the following is the content listing for the main disc. The DVD is expected to be released in September.
The Brothers of Destruction
No Disqualification Match for WWE Tag Team Championship
vs. Edge and Christian
SmackDown • April 19, 2001
Tables Match
vs. Dudley Boyz
Raw • July 30, 2001
WCW Tag Team Championship Match
vs. Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire
SmackDown • August 9, 2001
Steel Cage Match for WCW Tag Team Championship
vs. DDP and Kanyon
Summerslam • August 19, 2001
Five Years Later
vs. MVP and Mr. Kennedy
SmackDown • December 15, 2006
vs. Mark Henry and Big Daddy V
SmackDown • February 1, 2008
vs. The Miz and John Morrison
ECW • April 15, 2008
– Monday night’s WWE Payback “go-home” edition of RAW was reportedly the final RAW appearance by Batista for the time being. As noted in the past, “The Animal” will be taking off a couple of months to do some movie promotional work and other things.
– It is believed that when the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan makes his return to the ring he will be working with Kane, likely in a “Buried Alive” match, as was planned prior to Bryan taking time off to undergo neck surgery. Bryan was currently added to advertisements for future WWE live events, where he is scheduled to work with Kane.
Below is the updated official synopsis for WWE’s upcoming “Brothers of Destruction” DVD set on Undertaker and Kane.
“Brothers of Destruction chronicles the long history of the partnership of Undertaker and his half-brother, Kane. Following Kane’s introduction to WWE in the late 90?s, he and Undertaker engaged in bitter battles, before finally uniting as a team known as the Brothers of Destruction. Their on-again, off-again partnership captured the imagination of the WWE universe throughout the next decade, with memorable battles both individually and as a team, against some of the greatest Superstars in WWE history.
This single-disc DVD contains 7 matches featuring the best action from Kane and Undertaker as a tag team spanning from their formation as a team in 2001 through some of their most recent matches in 2008.”
The following three matches are rumored to be involved on the DVD and Blu-ray:
No Disqualification Match for WWE Tag Team Championship: vs. Edge and Christian – Smackdown • April 19, 2001
Steel Cage Match for WCW Tag Team Championship: vs. DDP and Kanyon – Summerslam • August 19, 2001
vs. The Miz and John Morrison – ECW • April 15, 2008
On Monday’s WWE RAW from London, Stephanie McMahon made her big announcement about the fate of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
In light of Daniel Bryan’s neck surgery and the fact that he will be out of action for an indeterminate amount of time, she is contemplating stripping him of the gold and awarding it to another Superstar, such as Kane, Bad News Barrett, Batista or her even husband, WWE COO Triple H.
She then clarified that in all seriousness, she is demanding that Daniel Bryan show up at RAW next week and “do the right thing” by personally surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
