– In addition to Rusev and Lana, who as we reported earlier today were on vacation in Maui this past weekend, Cody Rhodes and new-wife Brandi Rhodes (aka NXT’s “Eden”) also spent the weekend in Hawaii. The two were reportedly on their belated honeymoon.
– Apparently Ryback was exaggerating his condition with the video he uploaded to YouTube that showed him in a hospital bed acting like he was about to undergo major surgery. It’s worth noting, however, that he actually has been dealing with some injuries, although he apparently overplayed it simply because he likes to mess with fans on the internet.
As previously reported, many WWE Superstars were on vacation last weekend due to the company not running any live events. Rusev and Lana, who are a real-life couple, were on vacation in Maui and took tons of photos while on their trip. One of them, which we posted here on the website (pictured above), showed them with Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson and Kris Kristofferson. It is believed that they were at Kristofferson’s place in Maui.
Rusev and Lana are apparently friends with NXT wrestler Jody Kristofferson, Kris’s son, dating back to their days in the Orlando-based developmental system.
Due to the fact that both Nelson and Harrelson have a reputation as being big pot-heads, many were joking backstage in WWE that the company should have drug-tested Rusev and Lana as soon as they arrived back home.
As noted, with no WWE live events this weekend, several WWE Superstars and Divas are on vacation. We also noted that Rusev and Lana, as well as Cody Rhodes and Eden are all in Hawaii.
Above is a photo from Lana’s official Instagram account of herself and Rusev with Woody Harrelson (actor), Willie Nelson (musician) and Kris Kristofferson (actor) in Hawaii.
– With no WWE live events this weekend, several WWE Superstars and WWE Divas are on a rare vacation. For example, noted WWE couples Cody Rhodes and Eden, as well as Rusev and Lana have been in Hawaii this week.
– Below is the “SmackDown Fallout” for this week’s show, which features WWE United States Champion Sheamus, who talks about his upcoming title defense against Cesaro at WWE Night Of Champions.
When it comes to the fifty stars and thirteen bars, no one is more proud of Old Glory than Zeb Colter. Jack Swagger’s “founding father” has transformed in recent weeks from a protectionist bigot into a proud veteran hell bent on defending his country and its freedoms.
Along the way, Swagger and Colter have battled the Russian duo of Rusev and Lana. Both groups have delivered passionate promos in recent weeks, with Lana belittling Americans for their supposed weakness, while Colter and Swagger have done everything in their power to rid the WWE of the foreign menaces.
Zeb Colter has refreshed his character during the program by turning face.
Swagger had his first chance to eliminate the Putin-praising Bulgarian last month at Battleground, but was ultimately unsuccessful after losing via countout. He will have another chance this Sunday at SummerSlam, as the two will again square off, this time in a flag match.
The program between Rusev and Swagger is the classic WWE feud between a monster foreign heel and an American savior. Programs such as this one are usually about as trite and cliché as a teenage romantic comedy, but this program has benefited both parties.
Swagger’s face turn helped add more depth to he and Colter’s characters, who were honestly becoming a bit stale prior to the program. More importantly, however, it has finally gotten Rusev and Lana over after weeks of lukewarm reactions.
During their last meeting, Swagger and Rusev worked surprisingly well together, putting on an entertaining contest that was full of impressive spots. However, those who have benefited most may in fact be the managers.
There has been some talk within WWE regarding the possibility of having Sheamus drop the United States Championship to Rusev as a way to enhance Rusev and Lana’s anti-American gimmick. The feeling is that the anti-American duo holding the “United States” championship would be good for getting Rusev and Lana some added heat with the fans.
At one point, the plan was for the Sheamus-Rusev title change to take place at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view. While that is no longer the direction they are headed, there is still talk of doing that angle at some point down the line.
The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog:
On TNA’s TV deal with Spike TV: “It’s curious that Spike hasn’t renewed Impact Wrestling as of yet for the new, fall season. That’s not a great sign and I hope that they do renew their relationship. Spike doesn’t have an over abundance of shows that draw a million viewers in prime time each week. That number could be escalated easily over time.”
On Daniel Bryan: “Daniel Bryan has had a helluva, memorable year….main eventing WrestleMania, getting married, losing his Dad, undergoing neck surgery, subduing a home invader this week and now apparently needling an additional surgery to get him back in the ring. It’s not beyond the realm of comprehension that it could be 2015 until he’s back in a WWE ring. Nonetheless it gives his body a chance to heal and for Bryan and his bride to enjoy life off the road to some degree. The glass can’t always be looked upon as half empty even though DB will be missed by his fans.”
On Rusev and Lana: “The Lana & Rusev controversy is overblown in my view. They are fictional characters who are neither Russian. Could the writers have been smarter and more conservative in light of the recent tragedy? Absolutely. But is this a major travesty? Not even close. That’s my take.”
Whether or not the weekend controversary played a part in the decision, it appears that plans for a follow-up Rusev vs. Jack Swagger match are off.
Originally, the plan was for the two to have a multi-pay-per-view run against each other, but for whatever reason, which most likely is the Lana controversary, the Rusev-Swagger program isn’t expected to continue.
WWE held its annual Battleground pay-per-view last night. It was the second incarnation of the event and featured a total of six matches on the actual card and two additional matches on the pre-show.
On paper, the event looked more than solid and seemed like it would be one of the best shows of the year. Things quickly took a turn for the worse, however, and the WWE dropped a massive turd on its fans last night. The event was clearly slopped together and featured some of the laziest storytelling fans will ever encounter.
Lana and Rusev received some serious heat last night after referencing the recent Malaysia Airlines crash. It will be interesting to see if the WWE takes a step back after receiving criticism from multiple news outlets.
The company also pulled a total bait and switch on fans that paid to see the event. The most anticipated match of the night for many was Seth Rollins squaring off with former Shield partner Dean Ambrose. Prior to the event, the match had been heavily advertised and was clearly one of the main reasons fans were tuning in.
Instead of holding the match, however, Triple H cancelled the contest and threw Dean Ambrose out of the building, eventually awarding the victory to Seth Rollins due to forfeit. Fans were expecting an absolute classic of a matchup, but instead were treated to a few backstage brawl segments that were nothing special, and amounted to the same thing fans can see for free each week on Raw.
Last night, the WWE basically told the fans that this matchup was too good to take place at a crummy pay-per-view such as Battleground and will be saved for SummerSlam. Honestly, fans should feel cheated after what they saw with the Ambrose/Rollins program last night.
WWE has responded to the media backlash following Lana’s promo at last night’s Battleground pay-per-view. Lana bashed the United States for blaming Russia for “recent current events” – which many people associated with last week’s tragic Malaysia Airlines plane crash:
“You blame Russia for the recent current events, when in fact you americans should be scolded for your war mongering in Afghanistan and Iraq. You Americans should be insulted and afraid.”
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, WWE wrote:
“Last night’s segment during WWE’s Battleground event was in no way referring to the Malaysia Airlines tragedy. The storyline with characters Rusev and Lana has been a part of WWE programming for more than 3 months. WWE apologizes to anyone who misunderstood last night’s segment and was offended.”
– The latest edition of Steve Austin’s “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which features part two of an interview with Tommy Dreamer, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
SASu – EP134 – Tommy Dreamer Pt 2
“The Tommy Dreamer is back! This time – why he left WWE, how he became “The Innovator of Violence,” tag teaming with Terry Funk, drinking human blood, his feud with Dixie Carter, Sandman’s OD, the House of Hardcore, and his one big regret.”
Today is the all-important day where Americans celebrate their independence by consuming large amounts of alcohol and grilled fare. No WWE superstar claims to have America’s best interests in mind more than Jack Swagger.
The so-called Real American, accompanied by his founding father Zeb Colter, has advocated an isolationist domestic policy that is free of illegal immigrants. Along the way, Swagger has made national headlines by entering into a feud with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
It appeared that Swagger was in the midst of a massive push while bickering with Beck, having just defeated accomplished stars such as Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan to earn a chance to compete against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29.
Swagger and Colter made national news in 2013 after attracting the attention of Glenn Beck.
Unfortunately for Swagger, he was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana, ending what could have been a classic feud between a border-protecting nationalist and an immigrant Mexican. Del Rio defeated Swagger at WrestleMania and the Real American was quickly shifted out of the main event scene.
Since aligning himself with Zeb Colter, Swagger has always acted as a heel, often using cheap heat as a way to get his character over. However, it seems as if a face turn could be just around the corner.
In recent months, Rusev has been dominating the WWE roster, taking out superstars such as Big E, Kofi Kingston, and R-Truth. Much like Swagger, Rusev has also used cheap heat as a way to build his character, praising Vladimir Putin and Russia along the way.
Rusev was up to his usual antics this past week when the crowd actually started chanting for Jack Swagger. Colter and Swagger defended America by taking out Rusev and acting as faces for the first time since joining one another. Unsurprisingly, Colter cut an amazing promo on Rusev and Lana, perfectly setting up what could be an entertaining feud.
– It was announced during the WWE Money In The Bank “go-home” edition of RAW on Monday night in Washington, D.C. that Paige will be defending her WWE Divas Championship against Naomi this Sunday night.
– The following is the Rusev and Lana segment from last night’s RAW:
In response to an article at DailyBeast.com about WWE using Rusev and Lana to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin into WWE storylines, WWE issued the following statement to the website:
“WWE programming, like Hollywood movies and television shows, is an exciting blend of action, characters and fictional storylines of good versus evil that are often inspired by pop culture and current events.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given us good material to work with to create strong characters in Rusev and Lana, who are perceived as either protagonists or antagonists depending on where in the world you are watching WWE programming.”
WWE kicks off their European tour today with their first stop in Glasgow, Scotland. With Daniel Bryan off of the tour due to injury, here is the updated list of talent that is scheduled for this part of the tour: Kane, The Shield, Big E, Rob Van Dam, Bad News Barrett, Big Show, Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Ryback, Curtis Axel, Paige, Layla, Fandango, Cameron, Naomi, Jack Swagger, Zeb Colter, Sin Cara, Rusev, Lana and more.
Originally, Bryan vs. Kane in a “Last Man Standing” match was being advertised, but with Bryan’s injury, that is obviously off the table. As of right now, no new opponent or match for Kane has been announced.
Also advertised for this leg of the tour is a six-man tag-team match featuring The Shield vs. Randy Orton, Ryback and Curtis Axel.
– For those unaware, Alexander Rusev, who as previously reported will be going by just “Rusev” from now on, is actually dating his manager Lana in real life.
– WWE has been discussing the idea of giving wrestlers time off to recharge and heal up as a strategy for down the line. There is some trepidation on the part of some, with the feeling that it would make running split-crew live events harder with a depleted roster.
The following are highlights from a recent Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On Daniel Bryan running from Kane on RAW: “I can only assume that DB running away was to protect his wife as I don’t know any other reasonable explanation.”
On his relationship with Eric Bischoff: “My relationship with Eric is good and I will be interviewing him on a Ross Report podcast soon. I think that he’s moved on to other things from pro wrestling.”
On if WWE should have put the U.S. title on Rusev instead of Sheamus: “No…Rusev is too green to carry a championship match and needs to remain on a deliberate pace with constant coaching to allow him to grow into a star. He has potential and I like the package with Lana.”
On Extreme Rules not being very “extreme”: “In a PG world it is increasingly difficult to be “Extreme.” It might be time to re-evaluate that theme within WWE.”
On a CM Punk return to WWE: “I don’t see CM Punk returning to WWE any time soon, if ever. He’s enjoying life and there is life outside and beyond wrestling.”
Check out more JR Q&A updates at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
– There’s a rumor going around that WWE Superstar Sheamus dozed off last night at Extreme Rules when he was part of the pre-show panel for the R-Truth and Xavier Woods vs. Alexander Rusev match. Fans in attendance reportedly were yelling at Sheamus to wake up.
– The Washington Post has published a blog looking at Lana talking about Russian President Vladimir Putin at Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. The blog notes that many fans on social media were upset that WWE would include Putin in a storyline, in light of the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
– Television host Maria Menounos will be taking over WWE Diva Natalya’s Twitter account (@NatByNature) tonight at 7pm EST. She’ll be tweeting during RAW to promote her show Chasing Maria on the Oxygen channel.
WWE.com caught up with several of the wrestlers who competed at Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view, including Paige, Bade News Barrett, Cesaro, Paul Heyman and Lana.
– Divas Champion Paige spoke to Tom Phillips, who said wrestling Tamina Snuka was like fighting King Kong and her win was a major career milestone. She said that she warned Tamina not to underestimate her and Tamina found out she’s the real deal.
– New WWE Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett spoke to Renee Young and bragged about dominating Big E and warning the WWE Universe that his Bullhammer elbow is “bad news.”
– Cesaro and Paul Heyman also spoke to Renee Young, with Paul Heyman asking Renee if he could get a congratulatory kiss for Cesaro’s win. When asked if this this match was a stepping stone for Cesaro, he told her off and walked away. Heyman blew her a kiss and said she should have given him the kiss instead of badgering his client with questions.
– Lana spoke to Tom Phillips about Alexander Rusev’s win. When asked why they dedicated the match to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lana said Rusev now resides in Russia and fights for Russia.
Videos of the post-show interviews can be seen at WWE.com.
The following is a non-spoiler match listing for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which was taped on Tuesday night and will air on Friday, May 2, 2014 on the SyFy Network.
– Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger
– Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth
– The Wyatt Family vs. Sheamus & The Usos
– Damien Sandow vs. Dolph Ziggler
– Big E. vs. Titus O’Neil
– Dean Ambrose vs. Ryback vs. Curtis Axel vs. Alberto Del Rio
For a complete spoiler report for this week’s WWE SmackDown, click ahead to page two …
This past week’s RAW could end up being a turning point in WWE history. Gone could be the days where the company relies upon the same tried-and-true superstars to draw money, instead turning to a new generation of up-and-comers. Indeed, this week’s episode felt more like a changing of the guard ceremony than a typical edition of the longest-running weekly episodic television program, as Michael Cole likes to affectionately refer to it as.
It was evident from the moment the program started, which was basically a coronation ceremony for Daniel Bryan. The place was simply electric, with nearly every fan in attendance participating in his signature “Yes!” chant.
What was interesting as the night progressed was that the WWE Universe turned on nearly every “old guard” superstar in favor of younger talent, whether heel or face. This was first seen during the Wyatt Family vs. John Cena, Sheamus, and Big E contest.
The WWE Universe has decided to follow the buzzards in recent weeks.
Cena was ripped a new one during his entrance and performance, as it seemed like not a single person in the crowd was cheering him. There is usually at least a vocal minority of supporters in even the most anti-Cena crowd, but the New Orleans crowd was completely against him, even singing, “John Cena sucks” to the tune of Cena’s theme song.
The Wyatt Family, on the other hand, were overwhelming crowd favorites even though they have been booked as nothing but heels since debuting. The crowd was singing Wyatt’s now-signature, “He’s got the whole world in his hands” while swaying back and forth. These guys are truly over and it was completely obvious which side the crowd was supporting during the Wyatt’s decimation of Team Cena.
A similar incident occurred later in the night during the Rey Mysterio/Bad News Barrett contest. Barrett has been booked as a heel in recent months, and unlike the Wyatt Family, he has not received any support from the fans. During his contest with Mysterio, however, Barrett had complete fan support and was even celebrating with the fans while Mysterio seemed a bit perplexed at times while he was mercilessly booed. It seemed obvious that the fans are in favor of change instead of the superstars of old.
The King of Swing is the newest Paul Heyman guy, much to the delight of the crowd.
You know things are a bit off when even Paul Heyman is cheered at one point in the broadcast. Cesaro announced his departure from the Real Americans and shocked everyone by claiming he is now a Paul Heyman guy, a move that set the place on fire. It set up an ironic situation where Heyman was practically booed out of building during his earlier promo with Lesnar but was later cheered after it was announced that he would now manage Cesaro.
The move highlights the popularity of Cesaro, as the crowd does not care who he is paired with as long as he is receiving a push, and the WWE does not usually pair Heyman with guys they are not planning to push. If you can get the crowd to cheer Paul Heyman, you must but doing something right, but after all, Cesaro is the guy who made a stable of immigrant-hating Tea Partiers popular with the crowd. In recent weeks, the crowd has even been chanting, “We the people.”
– According to one report, The Rock will be involved in a segment that is “something special” at WrestleMania XXX tonight. We confirmed the reports on Saturday that The Rock was rehearsing something for tonight’s show while the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony was going on.
– Speaking of The Rock, here he is with Alexander Rusev and Lana from Saturday night.
The following is a non-spoiler match listing for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown. For complete spoiler results, click ahead to page two.
– Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs. Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal
– Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel
– Damien Sandow vs. Sin Cara
– Goldust vs. Fandango
– Batista vs. Sheamus
– The Bella Twins vs. AJ Lee & Tamina Snuka
– Jack Swagger vs. Jimmy Uso
– The Miz vs. Mark Henry
– Bray Wyatt vs. Big Show
For complete spoiler results for this week’s WWE SmackDown, click ahead to page two …
The talent in WWE NXT were told at the most recent set of television tapings that the NXT brand would be pushed more significantly now that the WWE Network is up and running. The wrestlers were told that the company wants to get behind NXT and promote it as the pure wrestling product within WWE.
Additionally, NXT stars were told that while some would be called up to the main roster, with Emma and Alexander Rusev (along with Lana) being the most recent examples, it’s going to be a slow process for some, and that everyone should e patient.
The mindset WWE is trying to establish is that with the Network, the stars of NXT will be getting plenty of added exposure without having to be called up and featured on the main roster.
It’s also not just about “who is ready” to be called up, but more so, what roles on the main roster WWE is looking to fill.
– Approximately 400 fans were in attendance at the Gramercy Theater in New York City on Saturday night for the Jim Ross “Ringside” early show. WWE personalities Joey Styles and Tommy Dreamer were in attendance, and ESPN’s Robin Lundberg introduced JR on stage.
– Apparently WWE NXT Women’s Champion Paige has one of the best selling t-shirts on the official WWE website. WWE Diva Lana recently tweeted the following: