Roman Reigns has been teasing an appearance on this week’s episode of Raw and it looks like he won’t be the only SmackDown Star making an appearance at the show.

WWE has postponed a Blue Brand Live event from Corbin, Kentucky which was scheduled to take place this Monday to until October later this year.

And according to both Pwinsider and Wrestling Observer, this is part of the company’s strategy to try and keep Raw’s ratings above 2 million viewers as the show squares off against another night of NBA playoffs.

Post bonding the show will keep the SmackDown Stars free to appear on Raw and we should keep a special eye on the stars participating in the Money In The Bank matches.

With the beginning of their European Tour, the company will not get another chance to have a face-off between the two brand’s stars until the PPV due to scheduling conflicts.

So despite it not being the go home episode for the Money In The Bank PPV, it’s very likely that all the stars participating in the bout will have a confrontation on Raw.

Of course WWE is still denying that Reigns or any other SmackDown Star will be on the episode and it’d be interesting to see if this tease actually helps the show’s numbers.

WWE has said Roman Reigns won’t be on RAW this Monday. Roman, however, is saying he will be opening the show tomorrow night. He sent the following out on Twitter earlier today:

Will Roman Reigns Be On RAW This Monday?

Yesterday, Roman stated that even though he is a Smackdown Live competitor, he still has some unfinished business left on RAW.

WWE, however, sent out the following notice alerting fans that Roman will not be on RAW this Monday.

Seth Rollins noted that he has a cold one waiting for Roman anytime he decides to appear on RAW.

Reigns is listed as appearing on RAW this week on WWE.com.

• Roman Reigns Says He’s Appearing On RAW, WWE Denies It

WWE RAW This Monday

This Monday’s edition of RAW will take place inside the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH. No official matches have been announced thus far for the show. Lacey Evans and Becky Lynch are scheduled to have a segment, as are the Usos and the Revival, but no official matches for Monday are confirmed.

“SmackDown LIVE’s Roman Reigns announced that he will appear on Raw this coming Monday night to kick off the show. What’s on The Big Dog’s mind?” a WWE press release for Roman’s seemingly unauthorized appearance reads. “

There was an interesting situation on Twitter on Saturday morning between WWE and Roman Reigns.

The former WWE Universal Champion revealed in a post on his official Twitter account that he would be returning to WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW, this week in Cincinnati, OH at the US Bank Arena. Yes, this is despite the fact that he was moved from RAW to SmackDown Live in this year’s Superstar Shakeup.

However, just minutes after “The Big Dog” tweeted this out, WWE took their Twitter account where they denied that Reigns would be appearing on the show due to his obligations to SmackDown Live. As a result, it got fans wondering why they did this.

It appears WWE is just trying to draw interest in the show that has been struggling as of late with its viewership numbers. It can’t be ruled out that Reigns will be making a possible surprise appearance. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on what he’ll be doing on the show.

They might have the continuation of the fallout from him attacking WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. He’s currently in a program with Shane McMahon and Elias.

WWE Champion Kofi Kingston is already looking forward to his next feud on WWE television.

Kingston recently spoke with Express Sport where he spoke about a wide range of topics including if he would be open to giving a title shot to Roman Reigns. This is where he made it known that he’s more than willing to work with Reigns and give him a title shot due to him being a top star and being a past Universal Champion.

“Absolutely,” Kofi said when asked if Reigns deserves a shot. “I think Roman Reigns is an incredible talent, obviously he’s been through so much. He’s a fighter, a guy who has beaten leukaemia and now here he is. He’s back for what he loves to do. I love everything about Roman Reigns. I’d love to mix it up with him at some point. It would be great to have a little rivalry with Roman.”

This feud will have to wait as Kingston already has a feud going on at the moment. Kingston is slated to make his next title defense against Kevin Owens at the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view event, which takes place on Sunday, May 19, 2019 in Hartford, CT at the XL Center.

However, after the feud, Kofi would be interested in wrestling Reigns.

“For me to go up there and be able to mix it up with who the people look at as one of the top dogs in the industry today I think it would be great. I think it would be great but only time will tell if that happens. I think I need to get through Kevin Owens first before I start thinking about other guys like Roman Reigns.”

The storyline between former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Elias is heating up.

It all started on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live when Elias formed an alliance with Shane McMahon and started feuding with Reigns. Now, the two stars of the SmackDown Live brand are set to clash when they meet inside of the ring at the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view event.

On Thursday, Elias took to his official Twitter account where he sent a harsh message to Reigns. Elias wrote the following:

WWE presents the Money In The Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 19, 2019 in Hartford, CT at the XL Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:

Updated WWE Money In The Bank Card

WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA

Roman Reigns vs. Elias

WWE has officially announced former Universal Champion Roman Reigns’ match at their next pay-per-view event, Money in the Bank.

Reigns is slated to meet Elias in a singles match at this show. WWE set up the match during Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live in Lincoln, NE at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in the opening segment when Elias and Shane McMahon attacked Reigns. The company is making it seem like Elias and McMahon are now best friends.

WWE presents the Money In The Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 19, 2019 in Hartford, CT at the XL Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:

Updated WWE Money In The Bank Card

WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA

Roman Reigns vs. Elias

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Last summer, Roman Reigns stated to ESPN that he wants to turn heel, move to Smackdown, and feud with Daniel Bryan. As a result of the Superstar Shakeup last night, Reigns is now on Smackdown and could potentially feud with Daniel Bryan in the future.

When Reigns made the statements, Bryan was a babyface at the time.

“Y’all wanna see me turn heel? Put me in the ring with (Daniel Bryan),” Reigns said. “We can talk about so many different things, about wrestling and the different things that make up the art form and the performance, but when it comes down to it, it’s about making people make a lot of noise.”

“Obviously with the reactions and the way I stir up the crowd, I think it would make up for a pretty dynamic and electric atmosphere,” Reigns continued. “Bryan is one of the best ever to mix it up in the ring, I have a lot of respect for him. To see someone like him on top and have it all taken away so fast, it’s very scary.”

The full interview can be read here.

Roman Reigns Moves To Smackdown

Since returning to WWE following his 2nd battle with Leukemia, Reigns has said he hopes to show the WWE Universe more of Joe Anoa’i.

• Roman Reigns Wants To Incorporate More Joe Anoa’i Into His Character

“I just feel like with me integrating the characters and who I am in real life and who I am on stage, for me to kind of mix them, it allows me to laugh at Roman a little bit and have a little more fun and be a little more loose as opposed to the stoic brawler,” Reigns said to SI.com earlier this year.

The main event segment of this week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw the return of the Boss Vince McMahon, who as we noted before was there to announce the Biggest Acquisition in the show’s history.

This acquisition turned out to be Elias who Mr. McMahon called the future of the company. However, the former NXT Star’s moment didn’t last very long and he was interrupted by Roman Reigns.

Reigns came to the ring and attacked Elias with the Superman Punch. The Boss then told Roman to leave the ring but he ended up receiving a Superman Punch from the Big Dog as well.

The segment ended with Roman Reigns standing tall and he commented on his attack on Vince McMahon in a backstage interview after the show went off air.

In the interview as seen below, Reigns said that he has always been focused on Raw but he thinks that if you are going to move him to SmackDown, you have to do it in the biggest fashion possible.

He also commented on his SmackDown move and the former World Champion said that it’s nice to just dive right back in the deep end and swim with the sharks.

As this point, it’s unknown what WWE has planned for Reigns after his move to the Blue Brand. We should get an idea about his future on next week’s episode of the show.

Former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns continues to tell his story about battling leukemia.

Back in October, Reigns announced that he’s been living with leukemia and that it was back. Due to this, he was forced to relinquish the WWE Universal Title as he said that he needs to focus on his family and his health.

He made his return to television back in late February and returned to in-ring action at the Fastlane pay-per-view event. He’s since worked a singles match against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35 and most recently a match on Monday’s RAW.

Reigns opened up about the feeling of battling the illness during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.

“Leukemia feels like a death sentence,” Reigns says. “That’s how I felt when I was first diagnosed 11 years ago. This time, knowing what I’d been through, I immediately felt frightened and alone. I heard that word, leukemia, again. As a father, husband, and provider, I was terrified.”

The WWE star would continue by bringing up the support that he got from fans during this tough time.

“We’re all fighting some battle,” he stated. “Someone is out there connecting with you during your fight, even if you don’t realize it. If my story can somehow inspire someone to push another hour, or go through another treatment, then everything I went through was all worth it.”

Becky Lynch Calls Out Sasha Banks For A Fight

Former Women’s Champion Sasha Banks has been in the news in the past few days after she missed a couple of scheduled appearances and it was reported that she has tried to quit the company over creative frustration.

The Women’s Champion Becky Lynch seemingly reacted to these reports recently when she made the following tweet and called out the Boss for a fight:

The latest update on Sasha Banks’ situation reveals that WWE Officials have given her time to think her decision over and we’re waiting for Banks to comment on the matter.

Roman Reigns Confirmed For Next Raw

While he was victories in his first singles match since his return against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania, Roman Reigns was kept off TV for this week’s episode of Raw.

Though now the company has confirmed via a press release that the Big Dog will return to WWE programming next week, for the Raw episode which will also be the first part of the Superstar Shakeup.

While WWE is teasing a number of possible rivalries for the former Universal Champion, reports suggest that Reigns will be competing against Baron Corbin in his first singles feud since his comeback.

Roman Reigns would emerge victorious from his matchup against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35. Now it seems that “The Big Dog” is set for his next major feud, one that pits him against another wrestler who came away with a win at ‘Mania.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Roman Reigns’ next feud will be against the man who retired Kurt Angle: Baron Corbin.

Meltzer explained that “It looks like Baron Corbin is being groomed for Roman Reigns, which least explains his win over Kurt [Angle],” Dave Meltzer.

Corbin’s victory over Angle shocked many of the WWE Universe. It did, however, give him a huge victory over a living legend. The win arguably raised his stock within the company for big name feuds going forward. It also demonstrates the faith WWE has in him as a talent—hence the purported clash with Reigns on the horizon. The two will supposedly be facing one another during WWE’s upcoming live events schedule.

Of course, it’s worth noting that Vince McMahon is prone to changing his mind. With the Superstar Shake-Up taking place next week on Monday Night RAW, these plans could change if one of them were to be drafted to a different brand.

Roman Reigns spoke about his friendship with Dean Ambrose while doing an interview with The Gorilla Position to promote WrestleMania 35 and his match against Drew McIntyre.

Reigns and Ambrose built their friendship over the years after being called up to the main roster as members of The Shield alongside Seth Rollins. It’s no secret that Ambrose is slated to depart from the WWE this month once his contract expires.

“I want him to stay. Dean, if you’re listening, stay. Do not go. I’ll buy you a bottle of Jack and beer every single night. We just want him to be happy. The selfishness in us wants him in our locker room. But as a friend and brother, I just want him to be happy.”

Reigns talked about how he wants his friend to be happy and will support him in whatever he does next. “I’m not gonna lie, we’re selfish beings and I want my friends with me.”

The former WWE Universal Champion would bring up how Ambrose is a workhorse and brilliant superstar, who has a great passion to get better, and an amazing work ethic. Reigns would add, “He is going to land on his feet. Hopefully, it’ll be next to me in the locker room.”

With WrestleMania 35 taking place this Sunday, the company is naturally in full-on promotion mode. WWE Superstars have been doing media tours in an effort to hype their matches and raise further awareness outside of the WWE Universe.

One such Superstar is Drew McIntyre. The “Scottish Psychopath” appeared on WJLA’s Good Morning Washington show to discuss his upcoming matchup against the returning Roman Reigns.

“It’s A Great Opportunity And A Show Of Faith By The Company”

During the course of the interview, McIntyre would talk about his initial run with WWE and his eventual return. Drew admitted that “It’s wild” that he’s going to be facing Roman for his first major singles match since returning from leukemia.

“You know, I’ve been back on Monday Night RAW for 10 months now and I’m fighting Roman Reigns, the number one guy, returning from his illness in his first big singles match at WrestleMania. It’s pretty incredible, it’s a great opportunity and a show of faith by the company in my ability now, and I’m very, very excited to give the world a performance they won’t forget.”

“We’re Going To Lay Into Each Other Pretty Good”

Naturally, talk segued into Roman’s illness and the work WWE has been doing with numerous charities.

“We can make such a difference in so many different areas. Some areas that are very personal to myself, and with someone like Roman coming back, it’s his personal mission to get word out there and really make a difference, and I admire him more than probably anybody on the roster,” McIntyre admitted.

“I did strongly recommend that he didn’t accept my challenge for WrestleMania because I don’t want to have to embarrass him in front of the world, but fortunately now it’s a big marquee match, we’re two large men and we’re going to lay into each other pretty good.”

His matchup with Roman is a huge opportunity for Drew McIntyre to solidify his place not only on RAW but in WWE. Once considered “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon himself, this Sunday could see Drew McIntyre finally prove himself on the “Grandest Stage Of Them All.”

Once former UFC Lightweight and Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor announced his retirement from MMA competition, there’s been some speculation as to what his motives were behind the decision.

Some think that it all comes down to a negotiation tactic in order to get more money for his next fight under the UFC banner. What his future holds remains to be seen.

One landing spot for McGregor should he choose it would be the WWE. This is something that Roman Reigns was asked about when he recently made an appearance on ESPN Deportes.

The former WWE Universal Champion thinks McGregor would fit well on the WWE 205 Live brand as he has fought between 145 and 170 pounds during his MMA career.

“We got the best spot on 205 Live, Reigns said. “He is a cruiserweight, no doubt, and we’ll let him go in there and flip with all those guys.”

If a deal was worked out between WWE and McGregor, the chances of him appearing on 205 Live are not likely. Instead, he would appear on their flagship show, Monday Night RAW.

For all of your latest UFC news, make sure to check out our sister site, MMANews.com.

Roman Reigns decided to go public with his cancer battle last year and announced the news to the WWE Universe during a Raw episode in October. However, at the time, he hadn’t provided a lot of information on his condition.

During a recent interview with The Undefeated, the Big Dog opened up a bit more and revealed some scary information on his leukemia diagnosis.

The disease begins in a cell in bone marrow. With time, the infected cells can suppress the production of normal cells and the number of white blood cells increases rapidly.

While a healthy adult has a white blood cell count of somewhere between 4,000 to 11,000, Reigns’ numbers were way up the chart and a blood cell count of over 100,000 was the original reason for his concern.

This led to further examination and when the doctors discovered his enlarged spleen, it was clear that the former World Champion had to take a break from professional wrestling:

“That was the immediate physical scare of having to get me out of the ring, with a ruptured spleen, it’s obviously going to be a major operation, but people can die from it. It was a situation we didn’t want to put ourselves in, no matter how hardheaded I can be.”

Thankfully things didn’t go from bad to worse and after spending 5 months in rehab, Roman Reigns announced last month that he is in remission.

Reigns is now back to a full-time WWE schedule and he is currently scheduled to face Drew McIntyre in a one on one match at the upcoming WrestleMania PPV.

Former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made an appearance on ESPN’s First Take program on Tuesday to talk his return to WWE from battling leukemia and more.

When asked about what he learned the most about himself and life during his second battle with leukemia, Reigns brought up how it’s OK to lean on people and to accept their support while dealing with the illness.

Reigns brought up how he felt he was on an island and very insecure due to him being a public figure and not wanting people to think that this is trying to benefit his performance and career.

“I wanted people to respect me for the work that I put in and the performer that I am. Sometimes life throws a wrench at you. It’s not exactly how you plan. It put me at a crossroads to where I had to figure out if I wanted to continue to keep this secret of mine or if I was able to tell my story and be able to connect with those who might be able to lean on it and use it as an inspiration.”

Moving along, Reigns then talked about how he dealt with this battle in private and putting on a positive face while in the public eye. The WWE star brought up learning how to compartmentalize stuff and different emotions. He takes pride in still being able to live his life while battling leukemia. He wants people to respect the work and time that he put into his craft.

“I put everything into sports entertainment and learning how to lead this life. As I said before, sometimes things just happen unexpectedly and not the way you plan. You just kinda have to adjust. It was one of the better things I’ve done with my life. It gave me new purpose.”

Reigns continued by stating that he’s still able to do what he loves to do and compete in the ring. He has a deep passion for storytelling, and that gave him a different purpose on the people he connects with. He added that the outreach and platform that they have gives him the chance to help people by sharing his story.

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcription

Mustafa Ali Renamed To Ali

After shortening the name of the former NXT Champion Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas not too long ago, WWE has now taken the same route with SmackDown and 205 Live Star Mustafa Ali.

The company has dropped his first name and the Cruiserweight Star who previously had both a first and last name is now only listed as Ali in his WWE.com bio.

His twitter handle has been edited to reflect this change as well and commenting on the name change, the SmackDown Star said that he still fights for the people:

Roman Reigns Warns Drew McIntyre

This week’s episode of Raw saw Drew McIntyre issuing a WrestleMania challenge to Roman Reigns after McIntyre had attacked both Roman and Dean Ambrose recently.

Roman accepted this challenge by coming down to the ring and he then proceeded to attack the Scottish Psychopath. Though in the end, it was Drew who got the upper hand.

After the show, the former Universal Champion retweeted a video of the segment while also warning his WrestleMania opponent saying ‘If you thought you knew anything about running my yard or about me…you were wrong. ‘

You can check out an updated match card for WrestleMania at this link.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre has been announced for WWE WrestleMania 35.

The program dates back to a six-man tag team match at the Fastlane pay-per-view event and then moving along, McIntyre recently attacked Reigns before his first match on television in months. During Monday’s episode of RAW, Reigns accepted McIntyre’s WrestleMania challenge before a brawl broke out.

WWE presents the WrestleMania 35 pay-per-view event on Sunday, April 7, 2019 in East Rutherford, NJ at MetLife Stadium that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair will headline the show. Here is the updated card:

Updated WWE WrestleMania 35 Card

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair – Triple Threat Match

WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins

Batista vs. Triple H – No Holds Barred Match

Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin – Angle’s Farewell Match

Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles

Shane McMahon vs. The Miz

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

WWE United States Champion Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio

WWE Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Balor

WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese

6th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Braun Strowman

Roman Reigns is hoping to inject more of his real-life persona into his character. He recently spoke to SI.com about acting more like Joe Anoa’i on-screen.

“I just feel like with me integrating the characters and who I am in real life and who I am on stage, for me to kind of mix them, it allows me to laugh at Roman a little bit and have a little more fun and be a little more loose as opposed to the stoic brawler,” Reigns said. ”

Reigns would continue to say his true persona is much like that of his cousins, Jimmy & Jey Uso.

“If you know me in real life, I’m kinda like my cousins [The Usos], I’m a bit of a clown, I act up, we goof off a lot. We’re silly, we’re big kids, we’re always goofing around, trying to laugh.”

• Roman Reigns Talks About Protecting Daughter During Leukaemia Battle

Roman Reigns Interview Highlights

Reigns said something which concerned him recently was fans feeling sad in regards to his battle with Leukaemia.

“I don’t wanna be the guy who comes out there and everybody gets semi-sad or gets super heavy all the time,” Reigns continued. “I want people to have fun, I want to create escapism. It’s like a mini vacation [for the fans] on their couch.”

The full interview can be read here.

Roman Reigns’ big concern during his battle with leukemia was protecting his daughter from the opinions of internet users.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Reigns said that he didn’t want his daughter to read any false reports or opinions about his condition being faked for a storyline. He wanted his daughter to hear the news directly from him.

“I’ve been with my wife since college, so she has been through this whole process with me,” Reigns said. “My big concern was my daughter, who is 11. So she’s right at that age where she’s hearing all those misguided opinions and hearing different things from different people. I thought that as long as she hears it from me, ‘This is what is going on with Dad, and I don’t want you to worry,’ that she would be OK. And she’s been great.”

Reigns also said that he is used to putting his family’s safety first. But he also expanded on it saying that he’s learned that it is okay to sometimes put yourself first when it comes to health so that you are better able to take care of family again.

“It’s hard, because as fathers and providers we want to protect. I’m so used to putting them in front of me and putting everyone first and making sure everything is OK. I learned it’s OK to sometimes put ourselves first when it comes to our health because then we can get healthy and take care of everyone else again.”

Since then, Roman is officially back in WWE after his treatment. It will be interesting to see how Reigns goes on from here towards WrestleMania 35.

Former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns took part in a recent interview with Variety where he spoke about a wide range of topics including his return to in-ring action under the WWE banner.

He scored a big win alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in the reunion of The Shield in a six-man tag team match Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin at the WWE Fastlane pay-per-view on Sunday night.

Reigns, who hadn’t worked a match in five months since revealing that his battle with leukemia had returned heading into Fastlane, admitted in this interview that he was nervous about the contest.

“I think a lot of it was nerves. Nothing prepares you for the ring like the ring. I’ve had some really good training sessions, some great workouts, but nothing is like being in that ring in front of that crowd with the lights on you. I was pretty nervous that I would have that ring rust…but I felt once I got out there and started moving around. My instincts took over and it was just like riding a bike.”

As noted, Reigns has officially advertised for WWE’s next European tour in May for the RAW brand. The tour starts in Europe in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Wednesday, May 8 that concludes in Cardiff, Wales on Friday, May 17. WWE will tape an episode of RAW in London, England on Monday, May 13.

WWE has recently announced that Roman Reigns will be joining the WWE roster for their UK tour in May. The tour is a post-WrestleMania tradition and the company will be buoyed by the inclusion of the ‘Big Dog’ to the tour.

Reigns made his in-ring return at this past weekend’s FastLane event. Roman had of course been battling his second bout of leukemia and had not been performing as an active Superstar since October 2018.

WWE will be heading to the following cities in England and Wales in May:

• 11th May – Newcastle Utilita Arena
• 12th May – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
• 13th May – London O2 Arena (WWE RAW Taping)
• 13th May – Bournemouth International Centre
• 14th May – London O2 Arena (WWE Smackdown Live Taping)
• 15th May – Birmingham Resorts World Arena
• 16th May – Sheffield FlyDSA Arena
• 17th May – Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

At the time of writing Reigns’ WrestleMania opponent has not been confirmed. It does appear however that Roman will be facing Drew McIntyre following this week’s WWE RAW show. Roman Reigns was set to compete in his first singles match in five months against Baron Corbin on RAW. As Reigns was making his entrance, Drew McIntyre attacked Roman from behind and threw him into the ring post.

Reigns got in a couple of punches but McIntyre shrugged them off and levelled Roman with the Claymore Kick. McIntyre taunted Reigns and then hit another Claymore that sent Reigns’ face into the ring post. McIntyre said that this was just the beginning before WWE officials broke it up.

https://twitter.com/WWEUK/status/1105498885005471745

Roman Reigns On The Shield’s Big Win

Former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has reacted to his big win alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in the reunion of The Shield in a six-man tag team match Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin at WWE Fastlane. He wrote the following on his official Twitter account:

One last time. One last ride.
Brothers Forever. #WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/TbWYKUjrix

— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) March 11, 2019

Randy Orton Lands Co-Star Movie Role

Randy Orton has landed a significant role as a member of the cast of Changeland.

The film is written, directed and starring longtime pro wrestling fan Seth Green that will be released on June 7th. Orton will be playing one of those characters and is billed as a co-star in the film, which marks Green’s live-action feature film writing and directorial debut.

It should be noted that Green’s production company Stoopid Buddy Stoodios produced the WWE Network animated series Camp WWE on their streaming service, WWE Network. Also, Green has appeared on WWE Monday Night RAW years ago as a host.

According to Deadline.com, Changeland will tell the story of “Brandon (Green), an unexceptional guy who prepaid for an exotic second honeymoon to save his failing marriage. On the eve of his anniversary, he discovers his wife’s long affair and runs away with his best friend Dan (Meyer) to avoid conflict and figure out what comes next. As they share breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime experiences meant for a happy couple, their friendship is exposed as potentially strained as Brandon’s marriage. The characters they encounter will impact Brandon’s life forever.”

One last time. One last ride.
Brothers Forever. #WWEFastlane pic.twitter.com/TbWYKUjrix

— Roman Reigns (@WWERomanReigns) March 11, 2019

On the very same night that Roman Reigns revealed that he was once again battling leukemia, WWE would pull the trigger on turning Dean Ambrose heel. Ambrose and Seth Rollins, Reigns’ Shield partners, would successfully capture the WWE RAW tag team championships prior to Ambrose assaulting Rollins.

Rolling from a harsh, real-life announcement, and then folding aspects of it into a storyline would always prove to be a divisive creative choice. It’s something that Reigns is acutely aware of.

“The Show Must Go On”

Speaking with Yahoo! Sports, Reigns reflected on that night, relinquishing the Universal Championship, and then watching this new chapter to the Shield’s legacy unfold.

“[…] it’s hard,” Roman confessed. “The majority of the time, we’re just factoring in Roman, the character, but who I really am, Joe, was all over that first segment. We really broke the fourth wall down and it was so real it changed the dynamic of the crowd and emotion. It’s like hitting a wall almost in a car wreck, getting that kind of news.”

He continued, “ For me, as Joe, it was hard to tell, but as Roman, I just thought ‘next man up’ like in any professional sport or form of entertainment, the show must go on. I felt comfortable with that fact that we need to continue to entertain our fans, push these storylines and our product. As long as I was on board with it, it wasn’t going to be tasteless. I think it came off great, it had such a huge impact that night.”

Thankfully, Roman Reigns has since returned, announcing he is in remission. In another interview, he discussed this ‘show must go on’ mentality, so it’s no surprise that he was understanding of WWE’s intentions.

Roman Reigns recently returned to WWE Monday Night RAW in order to deliver the good news that he is in remission. Later that same night, Reigns would be inserted into a storyline with his former Shield brothers, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. He was back to work straight off the back, doing what he loves.

In an interview with Talksport.com, “The Big Dog” was asked whether WWE and pro wrestling as a whole, might benefit from an off-season being implemented. Reigns’ response was a poised, considered reply, acknowledging the benefits an off-season could provide to both fans and WWE Superstars from a health and creative standpoint.

He admitted that “This formula has worked and Sports Entertainment is a ‘what have you done for me lately’ industry.”

Reigns continued, expressing that “Unfortunately, we don’t have an off-season like most sports, or other kinds of forms of entertainment or competition, but, you know, I think if we could make it work, it would give a great benefit to our performers and our fans as well.”

He explained that “It would definitely give our performers another couple of months, if not a full quarter, to rest and recover, not only just from a physical standpoint, but creatively.”

“It’s Just A Part Of The Gig”

From a creative perspective, Reigns contemplates that a break would allow Superstars to grow as characters and further develop the stories they are trying to tell. He admits that “doing it over and over and over” can be tough.

“I think that’s what makes WWE and its superstars so tough and it’s an accomplishment to get to where we are. Only we can handle this and we’ve proved it, so it’s just a part of the gig. I don’t think it’s something that shouldn’t be looked into, but if the schedule stays the same I’m gonna be the guy that’ll run it.”

It’s a surprisingly candid take on the concept from one of WWE’s biggest modern era Superstars. Giving their talent an opportunity to rest and heal, whilst still pushing storylines and character development has no real creative pitfall. It would potentially stop Superstars from suffering frequent injuries.

The constant battle for a top spot, however, across all of WWE’s brands, and this “’what have you done for me lately” mindset is probably enough to ensure that WWE will never adopt an off-season into their structure.

What do you think? Is an off-season a good idea? Would it be achievable given the current WWE landscape?