It looks like the recent steroid accusations made against Roman Reigns have stirred up some concern from WWE officials over the main event of WrestleMania.
Reigns won the first-ever Seven Man Elimination Chamber match this past weekend to earn his spot opposite Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 34. The two men will be competing for the Universal Championship. In recent weeks, however, accused steroid ring leader Richard Rodriquez tells filmmaker Jon Bravo that Reigns, as well as several other celebrities and WWE Superstars, were clients of his. Rodriguez claimed evidence of Reigns’ involvement would be revealed soon:
“That information with us communicating with Roman via text messages will be provided to the appropriate party which will then be disclosed prior to our documentary that’s going to be filmed soon,” said Rodriguez.
Dave Melter of Wrestling Observer Radio recently confirmed that there is indeed some concern backstage about the accusations and how it could affect their plans for WrestleMania. If the claims against Reigns are serious then WWE would need a backup plan for the main event against Lesnar.
There could also be some serious concern with Lesnar. Nobody knows why he was a no-show for RAW last night after being advertised for the show for the past several months. He was recently spotted in Las Vegas taking photos with UFC president Dana White, perhaps using it as a negotiation tactic against WWE.
It should also be noted that in a recent Instagram post from Jon Bravo, Lesnar was tagged as a hashtag in the caption of one of his photos. The photo’s caption suggested more WWE Superstars would be named in the steroid scandal, so perhaps Bravo hashtagging Lesner into the post is his way of hinting that “The Beast” could also be involved.
Regardless, Meltzer reports that WWE is currently keeping Braun Strowman’s WrestleMania schedule open in case any changes need to be made to the main event:
“I don’t know if they are going to go with Strowman and Reigns with Brock Lesnar but if something happens with Lesnar, obviously Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman is the only match that you could put in that spot.
“If something happens with Roman Reigns and something still could, Strowman is also the only other guy you could put in that spot as well. There is concern about Roman Reigns for sure but right now the idea is that he’s the main event at WrestleMania. There is a Braun Strowman back up plan clearly in place.”
If Strowman isn’t needed, however, he will likely be paired up with Elias for a feud at “The Showcase Of The Immortals”:
“They could go with Strowman vs. Elias, if they have Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.”
– On last night’s closing segment of Monday Night RAW; Ronda Rousey, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Kurt Angle attempted to clear the air from their incident at Elimination Chamber. Angle was pressured into admitting that he lied about Triple H and Stephanie’s comments regarding Rousey. Angle apologized and Stephanie apologized to Rousey for slapping Rousey at Elimination Chamber after she put Triple H through a table.
Before Triple H and Stephanie left the ring, however, “The Game” hit Angle with a punch (that actually missed) and knocked him down. Rousey tended to Angle as RAW went off air. “The Rowdy One” took to Twitter to comment on Triple H’s sucker punch on Angle:
1st day on the job… @stephaniemcmahon slaps me… 2nd day on the job… my fellow Olympian @therealkurtangle, an American hero with pneumonia, gets sucker punched by @tripleh … This is far from over. pic.twitter.com/Q1klVTtVmq
– The dark main event of Monday Night RAW after the show went off air on the USA Network featured John Cena and Roman Reigns teaming against RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar. Reigns and Cena won the match, however, The Bar retained the titles. There was said to be a lot of comedy and mic work during the bout.
– As we’ve noted, John Cena teased a WrestleMania match with The Undertaker this April before stating that match is “impossible.” Check out the segment via WWE’s Twitter here:
"I'm here tonight to say my Road to #WrestleMania goes straight through SMACKDOWN!!!"
With Roman Reigns winning the men’s Elimination Chamber match at Sunday’s PPV, many fans of the WWE Universe have continued the negative chants that accompany every Roman Reigns win. Immediately after Sunday’s PPV, Roman Reigns talked with ESPN.
There were points during Sunday’s mainevent where jeers and taunts, directed at Reigns, could be heard above anything else. During the match “Just Not Roman” was audible while multiple competitors were still in the chamber, while “Same Old Sh*t” was chanted when Roman was declared the winner. Here are Reigns’ comments on the negativity from crowds:
“I just do me”
“There’s a lot of situations where you just have to learn by fire. You get thrown into the deep end and you have to learn how to swim. For me, I just try to take it in stride and go out there and do my thing and handle it how I have. That’s the only way I can really respond is going out there and being me, and that’s the truest way to do it. I’m not going to change me to please other people.”
Reigns also commented on how UFC lightweight champion, Daniel Cormier could be seen ringside at the PPV on Sunday cheering as he won the mainevent. Cormier also taunted anyone close-by who booed Roman’s victory. Reigns explained that he was flattered to see someone like Cormier at the event and that it was awesome.
Looking forward at his WrestleMania match with Brock Lesnar, Roman explained that the crossover between MMA/UFC with WWE creates a greater level of mystique. Fans of MMA will know just how brutal the likes of Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey are; seeing them in the Octagon before entering WWE adds an extra veil to the reality of sports entertainment and kayfabe.
Although his interview with ESPN was respectful and polite, last night’s RAW saw the other side Reigns as he drilled into his missing opponent starting the feud that will culminate in the match at WrestleMania in April:
Discussion:
Can Roman Reigns ever be accepted as “the guy”?
Unless part of The Shield, it’s hard to see the WWE Universe getting behind Roman Reigns, who now finds himself, statistically, on par with Hulk Hogan as they will have both mainevented WrestleMania 4 times in a row.
Monday’s RAW from Anaheim, CA was supposed to feature a face-to-face confrontation between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, but the Universal Champion was nowhere to be found. Reigns explained that “something happened” and Lesnar didn’t show.
Reigns then kicked it into high gear, calling Brock Lesnar an “entitled piece of crap” who hides behind his contract. Reigns and his WWE family are traveling the globe busting their asses for the fans, while Lesnar only shows up when he’s getting a big check or likes the city WWE is visiting.
It was one of the best promos of Reigns’ career and a great way to jumpstart their WrestleMania feud. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the promo we got from Reigns was not the original plan for that segment. For whatever reason, there were ‘last minute’ changes and Brock Lesnar did not appear as advertised.
Reigns’ controversial remarks about Lesnar’s part-time schedule were entirely scripted, but WWE made the decision to ‘go there’ given the short-notice Lesnar wouldn’t be on RAW.
Reigns made a point of mentioning Lesnar was running around Vegas over the weekend taking photos with UFC President Dana White. That photo of Lesnar and Dana White was a hot topic of conversation backstage at Elimination Chamber and RAW – with many seeing it as a sign that Lesnar will return to UFC after his WWE contract expires in a few months.
Brock Lesnar is not scheduled for next week’s RAW, but is advertised for RAW in 2 weeks from Detroit, MI.
Roman Reigns won the men’s Elimination Chamber to earn a shot at the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. Reigns will now face Brock Lesnar for the title in what will most likely be the main event of WrestleMania 34 in 6 weeks.
Braun Strowman dominated the Elimination Chamber match and eliminated 5 Superstars. Reigns was able to defeat Strowman by hitting two Spears in a row. After the match, Strowman hit Reigns with a couple of Running Powerslams before launching him through one of the plexiglass pods surrounding the ring.
Roman Reigns joined Renee Young and Peter Rosenberg on RAW Talk following the Elimination Chamber PPV. Roman admitted that he was in pain but was excited after his big victory tonight.
Reigns noted that this was his first Elimination Chamber match and how unforgiving the match was. Rosenberg asked Roman if he gets frustrated with having to deal with Braun Strowman all the time. Reigns stated that it was almost like The Joker and Batman, they are destined to fight forever.
Roman brought up main eventing three Wrestlemanias in a row and said that the experience will be very valuable heading into the Universal Championship match. Roman noted that he faced Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 but didn’t get closure because Seth Rollins cashed in his MITB contract.
Reigns challenged Brock Lesnar to show up to his yard tomorrow night on RAW. Renee asked if Roman if he was worried about Paul Heyman at all and Reigns laughed and said “what is he going to do, give me a Twinkie?”. Roman vowed to take the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34.
Brock Lesnar will be on RAW tomorrow night to confront Roman Reigns as the build towards WrestleMania 34 continues.
Roman Reigns vs. WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is now official for WrestleMania 34 after Reigns won the men’s Elimination Chamber match at tonight’s pay-per-view in Las Vegas.
Order of Entrances
1. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz (started the match)
2. Seth Rollins (started the match)
3. Finn Balor (started the match)
4. John Cena
5. Roman Reigns
6. Braun Strowman
7. Elias
Order of Eliminations
1. The Miz (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
2. Elias (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
3. John Cena (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
4. Finn Balor (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
5. Seth Rollins (eliminated by Braun Strowman)
6. Braun Strowman (defeated by winner Roman Reigns)
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently did an interview with ESPN to promote tomorrow night’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV). Reigns was asked for his thoughts on “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman and said that he believes he’s going to be a monster in WWE for many more years to come:
“He’s a monster. It’s for real. He’s a big strong dude that can move. He’s a good athlete, too. It’s very rare you see men who stand 6-8, 6-9-plus, and they have to hitch to do what we do. On top of all that, he’s not a big blockhead. He’s a smart guy with a decent head on his shoulders where I think he’s going to continue to progress and continue to learn because there’s so many different facets and nuances that we do in the ring. He’s definitely going to be a monster for us for many years to come.”
Reigns was then asked about his fellow Shield teammate Seth Rollins, who he called his brother in “many regards”:
“That’s my brother, in so many regards. Not only in character and TV world perspective, but in real life. We’ve gone through so much and we’ve seen each other progress and advance in life and it’s really cool where we’re at.”
As for his thoughts on inaugural WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor, Reigns believes he’s in the right spot in WWE and says he has a great story and background from his days in Japan:
“The cool thing about Finn, and a lot of the guys we have, but especially his story and just his background and the time he spent in Japan and the whole Bullet Club scene and everything, I would just say he’s an extremely deserving competitor, and he’s in the right spot. He’s in the right light.
“I’m extremely happy with his progression as a character, and as long as he can keep Finn Balor doing what he’s doing, the Demon is always going to be really cool. He’s definitely a journeyman, but I’m happy he’s continually escalating and evolving throughout this career.”
“The Big Dog” then offered his thoughts on WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, who he called an “underrated workhorse”:
“He’s an underrated workhorse. I’m extremely proud of the job that he does representing the company. The crossover reach that he has, and his ability to maintain the relationship he has with MTV [is great]. I think he’s very underrated for the amount of work that he does and I’m grateful to have him in our locker room.”
You can check out Reigns’ full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.
Filmmaker Jon Bravo says there is evidence to support claims that Roman Reigns’ failed 2016 drug test is due to the steroid ring that Richard Rodriguez was arrested for.
Reigns was involved in a top feud with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins leading up to WWE Battleground nearly two full years ago. Reigns was suspended for failing a drug test. He made it to the pay-per-view as his suspension time was up.
Rodriguez has made some bold claims, saying that Reigns was a customer of his drug ring. Bravo took to Instagram and said that those claims can be proven:
“It appears that the failed drug test by Reigns in July 2016 was directly a result of some orders placed with WFN prior to the suspensions. The WWE does not disclose the results of drug test as it’s a public traded company and there are other reasons related to that. Was Reigns truthful in denying knowing Rodriguez? Will that or any other info disclosed cause an additional suspension for Reigns? Find out in the full report coming shortly.”
It’s interesting to note that Bravo uses Brock Lesnar’s name in a hashtag. Whether or not he’s implying that Lesnar is also involved remains to be seen. In the past, Reigns has denied having any contact with Rodriguez.
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently did an interview with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports to promote this weekend’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV). Reigns was asked about his opportunity to punch his ticket to WrestleMania this weekend and challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship.
Reigns and Lesnar have unfinished business with one another as their WrestleMania 31 match was interrupted by Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money In The Bank to win the WWE World Heavyweight Title:
“Yeah, we definitely have that. I think what puts validity behind this whole situation is we had a barnburner of a match. It’s one of my favorites that I’ve ever … Well, let me take that back. It’s not my favorite, because it didn’t feel good. But going back and seeing it and the outcome and the story and the reaction and just the rollercoaster ride that the crowd took with us, it was one of my finer days at work.
“There’s always gonna be that animosity to wanna finish the job. Not only towards Brock but towards Seth for interrupting that. The key is to be able to get to that point and deliver and capitalize. Hopefully I’ll get the shot. We gotta go through the Chamber on Sunday. We gotta make it out of that unscathed and then take a ride to Suplex City. It sounds a lot better than it really feels. Trust me.”
Reigns was also asked whether or not it’s harder for a minority to climb the ladder in WWE, or if it’s an even playing field nowadays:
“I think I’m a great example of that. I’m a multi-racial man. I don’t think it has anything to do with your color or your background. It’s the man that you are and what you stand for, and obviously the performer that you are. That’s one thing that Vince [McMahon] deeply wants to be embedded in his guys, in his superstars, that they’re good people. That’s one thing he’s always told me from the beginning is, “I don’t care if you’re the greatest wrestler in the world.
“I don’t care if you’re the most charismatic talker in the world, but I do care if you’re a good person and I think that’s all that matters.” When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter what you look like, how big you are, what color your skin is or hair or eyes, if you’re a good person, you’re a good person.”
“The Big Dog” also commented on WWE dropping brand-exclusive PPV events going forward, starting with Backlash later this year:
“I think, like anything else, it has its pros and cons. It’s gonna increase the work schedule as far as pay-per-views, but if you don’t wanna perform in a pay-per-view, then what are you doing here? I think it’ll also keep storylines fresh. It’ll allow us to continue to dot all our “i’s” and cross all our “t’s” because we’ll have more weeks to continue those storylines and these rivalries, and we’ll be able to have more time to carry those out.”
Check out Reigns’ full interview with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports by clicking this link here.
This past Monday on RAW WWE opened up the show with a near-two hour Seven-Man Gauntlet match with names such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, and Braun Strowman. For a match that lasted nearly two hours it was actually pretty entertaining. Seth Rollins put on an amazing performance after lasting more than half of the match, and also earning two clean pinfall victories over WWE’s biggest stars – Roman Reigns and John Cena.
All seven men involved in the match will compete in the Elimination Chamber this weekend. The winner punches their ticket to WrestleMania 34 and will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. PWInsider reports that Vince McMahon was actually the person who suggested the Gauntlet match for Monday Night RAW. This reportedly shocked a lot of people backstage because Vince suggested it “out of nowhere.” It’s said that he traditionally isn’t very high on these kinds of matches. After the plan was laid out Vince approved the length and presentation of the show.
Some fans actually believed that this was a Triple H suggestion given how different it was from usual plans. It turns out that Vince was the mastermind behind Monday’s Gauntlet match idea.
It can be argued that Seth Rollins was the MVP of the 7-man Gauntlet match on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. Rollins put in a record breaking performance which lasted over an hour and saw him defeat both John Cena and Roman Reigns.
With Jason Jordan now seemingly out potentially beyond WrestleMania question marks have been raised over the match that Rollins will have come the ‘show of shows.’ Here are 3 names that we feel could realistically have a bout with Seth:
John Cena
John Cena (Photo credit: Instagram @WWE)
A potential bout with John Cena could be ideal for Rollins, although this would absolutely be determined by the potential return of The Undertaker…and whilst WWE have managed to keep any plans for the Deadman under wraps there is always the possibility that last year really was his last ride.
Following this week’s Gauntlet match there is an inbuilt story, Cena could not defeat Rollins even after a gruelling match with Reigns. It would be the man who arguably built modern day WWE versus the man who calls himself The Architect, both men are former World Champions and have carried the company at different times…does this mean that it should be a marquee match at WrestleMania? If Undertaker is definitely retired then Rollins then it absolutely could be.
Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns (photo: WWE.com)
Again, this is a bout that is ultimately determined on how WWE decides to book the Chamber match this Sunday. Whilst the general consensus has been steered towards a Lesnar/Reigns main event at WrestleMania the company could decide to throw a curve ball and put Braun Strowman in the main event slot.
It certainly isn’t out of the realms of possibility for Braun to take what would be considered a minor ‘shock’ win and for Reigns to then be left matchless for the Grandest Stage of Them All. Here is where Rollins slots in, again you have an inbuilt story, these two men have dominated WWE since their debut as The Shield and are both on fairly equal footing in terms of Championships won.
This isn’t a likely match for Rollins to have come WrestleMania but it would certainly gain a huge positive reaction for Seth going up against the most divisive character in WWE.
Finn Balor
Photo Credit: WWE.com
In an ideal world this final spot would be given to Dean Ambrose, however the ‘Lunatic Fringe’ is still out of action due to an injury sustained in December of last year, he is expected to be out for at least another 7 months with rehab.
The re-invention of Finn Balor as the leader of the Balor Club has reinvigorated the character and given somewhat of a purpose to Gallows and Anderson. The story here is also inbuilt in that Seth cost Balor an extended period of time back when he injured the former Universal Champion during the bout to crown the inaugural champion…something that you have to believe WWE has had sitting on the back burner (they should do).
Finn Balor really needs a big WrestleMania win if he is to begin moving forward with his career on the WWE main roster and a victory against Rollins would give him a healthy dose of momentum.
Who would you like to see Seth Rollins face at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments.
– Last night on RAW the show opened up with a Seven-Man Gauntlet match between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, The Miz, and Braun Strowman. The match started off with Shield members Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. After a great back-and-forth bout Rollins was able to hit the rollup for an upset win over “The Big Dog.” Reigns took to Twitter to say that he respects Rollins for his performance last night, but still intends to go on to WrestleMania and challenge Brock Lesnar:
– WWE posted the following video on their Twitter account of a “WWE: Photoshoot” segment in which Hall Of Famer and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle discusses his relationship with Vince McMahon:
Last night Seth Rollins had a historic evening on Monday Night RAW. “The Architect” took part in the longest match in WWE TV history, a Seven-Man Gauntlet match between the men involved in this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match. Rollins and fellow Shield member Roman Reigns opened up the match as the starting two participants. The two friends put on a great back-and-forth brawl that led to Rollins picking up the victory with the rollup.
Reigns took the loss like a good sport and out came John Cena, who also did the job for Rollins after an excellent bout as well. Although Rollins was defeated by Elias after Cena was eliminated, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champ’s stock rose significantly after the performance. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio noted that there could be more to Rollins’ pinfall win over Reigns.
It turns out WWE could be planning for Rollins and Reigns to have a program sometime down the road, thus the reason for him getting the clean win over “The Big Dog.” Meltzer finds it difficult to believe that Rollins would go over on Reigns without a big payoff at some point
“Roman’s loss is not just a loss. A lot of the time I get mad when they have a top guy lose for no reason whatsoever. It’s kind of like if you’re a top guy and you lose, it should only be for a reason and this had a reason, I think. I think the reason is that Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins will be working a program down the line. If they’re not, then it was for no reason.”
The early betting odds for both the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches have been released.
The men’s match will see the winner go onto challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Wrestlemania 34. Roman Reigns, who is soundly favored at -670, has been rumored all along to be facing Lesnar at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company.
On the flip side, Alexa Bliss will defend the RAW Women’s Championship in the women’s chamber match and is favored at -295 to successfully retain. The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, February 25th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets. This will be an exclusive Raw brand event and the final Raw PPV before Wrestlemania 34. Here are the odds: Men’s Elimination Chamber Roman Reigns -670, Braun Strowman +200, Seth Rollins +600, Finn Balor +1500, John Cena +1500, Elias +2500, The Miz +3300 Women’s Elimination Chamber Alexa Bliss -295, Sasha Banks +150, Bayley +550, Sonya Deville +550, Mickie James +1700, Mandy Rose +3300
Accused steroid dealer Richard Rodriguez claims he will produce ‘evidence’ that proves Roman Reigns was one of his clients.
Rodriguez was arrested by the DEA last February after a raid on his Iron Addicts Gym in Miami, Florida. From jail, Rodriguez has implicated Reigns and Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel as some of his high-profile customers.
As Rodriguez’s allegations made headlines last month, Roman Reigns put a statement forcefully denying everything. Not only did Roman Reigns deny taking banned substances, but he claims he’s ever heard of Richard Rodriguez or his companies.
Reigns stated, “I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”
Rodriguez claims Reigns and several other WWE Superstars have been passing WWE’s Wellness drug tests by using short-acting testosterone that moves through their systems quickly and is harder to detect.
In his latest video featuring a phone conversation with Richard Rodriguez, documentarian Jon Bravo and Rodriguez outline their “evidence” against Josh Duhamel and claim they will produce evidence against Roman Reigns later this week.
WWE has announced a new match for next week’s episode of RAW.
John Cena, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, Elias, and Intercontinental Champion The Miz will compete in a Gauntlet Match on the show just six days out from when they compete in the Elimination Chamber Match to determine who will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 34.
WWE invades Phoenix, AZ at the Talking Stick Resort Arena for Monday’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
– As we’ve previously reported, Jason Jordan will miss WrestleMania 34 after undergoing a recent neck surgery. WWE reportedly had plans for a WrestleMania match between Jordan and Seth Rollins. Jordan broke his silence on the matter via a recent Tweet:
– Roman Reigns is one of seven men set to compete in the Elimination Chamber match later this month. The winner will go on to WrestleMania 34 to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title. Reigns took to Twitter to hype the match:
– The ‘Hotel Roman Reigns’ Bed & Breakfast has opened up in Duff Dunbar, India. Booking.com has the following description of the hotel:
“Featuring free WiFi, Hotel Roman Reigns offers accommodations in Duff Dunbar.
“All rooms include a flat-screen TV. Certain rooms have a sitting area to relax in after a busy day. Certain rooms feature views of the mountains or garden. Every room comes with a private bathroom.
“There is a 24-hour front desk at the property.
“The nearest airport is Gaggal Airport, 54 miles from Hotel Roman Reigns.”
– Another WWE 24 special on the WWE Network will focus on The Women’s Evolution. The title of the special is WWE 24: Women’s Evolution 2, and no release date for the special has been announced as of this writing. The WWE’s initial special on the Women’s Evolution came back in August of 2016 entitled WWE 24: Women’s Evolution. It focused on the Women’s Division getting a big spot on WrestleMania 32’s card.
– After having both Dean Ambrose and Jason Jordan go down with injuries, Seth Rollins has received a new Tag Team partner for upcoming WWE live events. Finn Balor will tag with “The Architect” at upcoming live events against The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro), however, it’s only the events Roman Reigns is unable to tag with his former Shield stablemate. Rollins will tag with Reigns at Friday and Saturday’s live events.
When John Cena joins the RAW live tour on Sunday he will participate in a Triple Threat match against Reigns and The Miz for the Intercontinental Title. On that night Rollins will team with “The Demon King” against The Bar.
– With the hype around HBO Sports’ documentary on Andre The Giant, WWE really wants to push this year’s Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania even harder. The documentary is set to premiere the Tuesday after WrestleMania 34, which will feature the fifth annual Andre Battle Royal.
The first-ever Battle Royal took place at WrestleMania 30 back in 2014 with Cesaro winning. Past winners since then include The Big Show, Baron Corbin, and Mojo Rawley. PWInsider reports that WWE officials understand if the HBO documentary draws good numbers then it could lead to more projects with the network.
– With three slots left in the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match on Sunday, Feb. 25, WWE.com has announced that Roman Reigns will face Bray Wyatt in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match this Monday night on Raw.
Braun Strowman, Elias, and John Cena qualified for the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match this past Monday on Raw. The winner of the match will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania on Sunday, April 8.
– Chris Jericho and his band Fozzy will be on Last Call with Carson Daly this Monday night at 1:35/12:35 a.m. on NBC.
– WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus is Lilian Garcia’s guest on this week’s edition of her Chasing Glory podcast as she talks about being honored at Raw’s 25th anniversary show, her in-ring return in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match and more. You can listen to the episode on Podcast One and iTunes.
Here is the synopsis for the podcast, which was taped the night before the Royal Rumble.
“This episode of Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia features WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus! Trish chats with Lilian about her journey in the WWE, choosing between med-school and a career in professional wrestling, memorable moments, overcoming injuries, her transition to motherhood, being honored at RAW’s 25th Anniversary, her passion for yoga, a special return in the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble, and more!”
Last February steroid dealer Richard Rodriguez was arrested by the DEA following a year-long investigation after having his gym, Iron Addicts Gym, raided in Miami. Rodriguez is being accused of importing goods from China, manufacturing illegal steroids in Arizona, and distributing them in Miami. Forbes reports that Rodriguez’s Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC (WFN) company had “at least 50 customers in the Eastern District of New York” and made over $10 million off the distribution of illegal steroids.
Jon Bravo is doing a documentary on the Iron Addicts Gym and recently did an interview with Rodriguez. Last week Rodriguez implicated WWE Superstar Roman Reigns and actors Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel as clients of his. Reigns released this official statement denying any involvement in the scandal:
“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition,” Reigns stated. “I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”
Both Wahlberg and Duhamel also denied the allegations in statements of their own. In a new video released by Bravo, Rodriguez stated that he named Reigns, Duhamel, and Wahlberg as clients of his specifically in order to get a better plea deal. There are also bigger names involved that apparently won’t be revealed until the release of the documentary. Rodriguez also teased members of President Donald Trump’s administration are involved as well.
Rodriguez claims that he was introduced to Reigns a few years back by a wrestling enthusiast, and claims he will soon be releasing texts proving he was in contact with the three stars.
“That information with us communicating with Roman via text messages will be provided to the appropriate party, which will then be disclosed prior to our documentary that’s going to be filmed soon,” Rodriguez said.
More specifically Rodriguez claims he will be providing “snippets of proof” in the next week; including text messages, tracking numbers and addresses where he had the products shipped to his clients. The addresses are said to be on movie sets in London and various other locations where the pickups would be able to be made.
The video of Rodriguez’s recent claims can be found here:
Roman Reigns dropped the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz on last night’s RAW 25 episode, causing some fans to speculate as to whether or not this was due to reports leaking out that “The Big Dog” was involved in a steroid ring scandal. Richard Rodriguez, owner of Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC (WFN), names Reigns (along with a few other celebrities) as a client of his. Rodriguez’s WFN was raided by the DEA last year after a year-long investigation.
Reigns released a statement denying any involvement with Rodriguez, and claims not to have even known the man:
“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition. I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Reigns’ Intercontinental Title loss to Miz is not related to these events. In fact, WWE sees this as a non-story. Reigns is reportedly still scheduled to main event WrestleMania 34 opposite Brock Lesnar and challenge “The Beast” for the Universal Title. Meltzer also reports that The Miz is actually receiving a big push right now as they have major plans for him at WrestleMania 34.
This could be part of the reason Miz went over on Reigns and recaptured the Intercontinental Title. Another reason could be to have Reigns focus on challenging for the Universal Title as we kick off the Road To WrestleMania. There is currently no word on whether or not Reigns is winning the Royal Rumble, but it would make sense to set up Reigns vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania.
– WWE will air a new WWE 24 documentary on the WWE Network following The Royal Rumble this weekend. The special will last for one-hour and will go behind the scenes of WrestleMania 33 last year in Orlando.
– On last night’s RAW 25 Roman Reigns dropped the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz. “The Big Dog” took to Twitter to reflect on the loss, saying despite the fact that the result didn’t go his way last night it’s still his yard:
#Raw25 was a special night for @WWE and Brooklyn didn’t disappoint. Not the outcome I was expecting but every day is a new fight. This is still #MyYard and I’m going to continue to prove why. #WitnessMe
– As we’ve previously reported, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns was named by steroids dealer Richard Rodriguez as a customer to a distribution ring; alongside other notable names such as Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel. Reigns issued the following statement after being named by Rodriguez:
“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition,” Reigns’ statement read. “I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”
TMZ reports that the DEA will not being investigating Reigns, Wahlberg or Duhamel as they instead focus their resources on going after the ring’s kingpins, manufacturers and traffickers, rather than alleged buyers.
– WWE posted the opening video package for tomorrow night’s RAW 25 episode on the USA Network. Check it out here:
