During a recent interview with The IB Times, Chris Jericho spoke about WWE’s decision to acknowledge Roman Reigns suspension on television. While some may be surprised that WWE acknowledged situation on television as part of the build for Battleground main event, Jericho thinks the company didn’t have much of a choice.
“I think they have to because he’s the top guy in the company and his push over the last few years has been astronomical, and he gets a huge reaction.” Jericho said. “Whether you like him or not, he’s definitely a polarizing figure, and people make noise for him. So I think by acknowledging it, you own it.”
While the exact nature of what led to Reigns’ suspension is still unclear, Jericho somewhat downplayed the wellness policy violation and thinks fans will get over it soon.
“It’s not like the guy shot somebody or robbed a bank or something like that. There was a suspension and in less than two weeks he’s gonna be back and they’ll be one night of people heckling him probably for a bit and then it’s gonna be gone, move onto the next thing. So I think it was a smart move for them to take ownership of it because if you don’t then you’re almost manifesting it to a bigger thing. It’s like you’re trying to hide it, and they’re not trying to hide it. It shows that the wellness policy is 1,000 percent legit. Because if there was anybody they’d try to protect it would be him.”
Roman Reigns returns to WWE at Battleground on July 24th when he’ll face his former Shield brothers Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the triple threat main event.
During a recent edition of Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho said that the average career in WWE for a performer is four years. Jericho, who has been with the company for the better part of the last 17 years, feels his endeavors outside of the ring have contributed to his longevity.
“You look at my WWE activities since 2010 — and when I come back I’m not a part-time performer – but if you look at the overall schedule over the last six years, it’s part time. I’ll never be a full-time performer again and who knows how much longer I’ll do it for,” he said in an interview with For The Win.
“Ten years ago, I foresaw my own future and didn’t want to be at the mercy of the wrestling business. I wanted to come and go as I pleased and so I found ways to do that. Fozzy is bigger than it’s ever been before. I think the Jericho Network has the potential to be huge.”
“I’m 45 years old and pretty soon, I’m not going to want to take any more bumps. But if you look at the arc of entertainment, you can go until you’re 75 years old or beyond. There’s no limit to what you can accomplish in the world of entertainment. It’s all I’ve ever known since I was 19. I’m writing my fourth book, I’m doing more acting. I’m keeping all those balls in the air. It was a smart move on my part and I’m not going to stop. If I stopped wrestling tomorrow, I’d still be out there providing things for you guys to do to enjoy your lives.”
Jericho also offered his thoughts on Roman Reigns’ 30-day suspension for his first violation of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program.
“Reigns is a great guy and a great worker. That he was suspended shows there is no BS or (messing) around when it comes to the policy. There are things on (the banned list) that are not anywhere but on the WWE list. You see the things that happened 10, 15 years in the past that don’t happen anymore. You don’t see guys dying young,” Jericho said.
“Reigns is a cool cat. He’ll own it, come back and be a bigger star in the future. I’m a huge Reigns fan and continue to be.”
Jericho also discussed his latest venture with PodcastOne, the upcoming WWE Draft, Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 and more. You can check out the interview here.
Following his high-profile suspension from WWE for violating the company’s talent wellness policy, Roman Reigns was ordered to address the entire roster and apologize for his actions before flying home.
In the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer states that WWE employee Mark Carrano gave Reigns the order, believed to have been a decision by Triple H, not Vince McMahon. There were mixed reactions to the situation, with some appreciating it and others feeling that it was done to humiliate Reigns.
Roman Reigns is expected to lose around $100,000 as a result of missing a month’s worth of live events that he was scheduled to headline. WWE superstars are paid for merchandise sold while they suspended, but Reigns would have banked 6 figures working house shows during this time away. He would have missed out on a lot more had he missed Battleground.
During WWE’s recent promotional trip to China, John Cena spoke to Inquirer.net about the company’s bright future and which Superstar he wants to work with in this next phase of his career.
Cena has been the face of WWE for well over a decade, which means he’s seen a lot of talent come and go. Cena feels that WWE’s current roster is stacked with more talent than ever and sees a few performers in particular who have what it takes to make an impact with the audience.
“I look at Enzo Amore and Big Cass only because they are so immediately identifiable as characters,” Cena said. “It kind of reminds me when I was doing hip-hop piece of my persona. I like that because Enzo is not necessarily a typical mold of, ‘Hey, this is going to be awesome.’ But even back in his early days in NXT, he caught my attention.”
Cena has been in the ring with some of the biggest stars in the company’s history, including The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Batista, Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan. As for which WWE Superstars he wants to work with, Cena named his heir apparent, Roman Reigns.
“I know that I always kind of test myself, whether it’s new superstars or established superstars, and I know Roman Reigns has carved up quite a niche for himself and he has all the attributes to be a successful WWE superstar for some time to come,” he said. “I’ve heard he’s good. I’d like to find out how good he is.”
A John Cena vs. Roman Reigns feud seems inevitable, especially if WWE stays the course with Reigns being the new face of the company. However, we might have to wait years for that feud if Cena and Reigns are drafted to different brands next month.
The new main event for the 7/16 WWE house show from Madison Square Garden is Seth Rollins vs. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose, replacing the suspended Roman Reigns.
Neville vs. Chris Jericho in a NYC Street Fight and John Cena vs. AJ Styles is also set for that NYC show. Zack Ryder, Ric Flair and Charlotte have been pulled while The New Day, The Club, Apollo Crews, Sheamus, Mark Henry, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch and Natalya are still advertised.
On a related note, Reigns will obviously no longer be working the July WWE house shows in Tokyo, Japan. Ambrose has been added to those live events, likely replacing Reigns.
As seen below, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley took to Twitter and weighed in on Roman Reigns’ WWE suspension, sending positive thoughts to the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Reigns is currently serving a 30-day suspension for his first WWE Wellness Policy violation.
Obviously the big story of the day is Roman Reigns being suspended for 30 days for violating WWE’s talent wellness policy.
In a breaking news audio update, Dave Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE was aware of Reigns failing a drug test prior to Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. It explains why WWE took the title off him, but booking him in the main event of the next PPV is a curious decision to say the least.
Reigns’ suspension will be over in the days leading up to Battleground on 7/24, but he will not be appearing TV prior to the show. It remains to be seen how WWE will handle the situation on air. The company could have had Seth Rollins defeat Reigns on RAW last night, challenge Ambrose in a singles match at Battleground then hold off on the triple threat until SummerSlam. It’s somewhat odd that WWE didn’t go this route, but perhaps in time we’ll find out why things unfolded the way they did.
The other big issue is the upcoming WWE Draft, scheduled for July 19th. After being pushed as “the guy” for the past several months, Reigns would have almost certainly been the top pick by either the RAW or SmackDown. With the way he’s been pushed, it’s not far fetched to assume Reigns would have been the first overall pick of the draft, ahead of John Cena. Again, we’ll just have to see how this one plays out.
It’s also worth noting that WWE will have to also change the main event the upcoming live event from Madison Square Garden on 7/16, which was scheduled to be Reigns vs. Seth Rollins.
WWE announced Tuesday that Roman Reigns (real name Joe Anoa`i) has been suspended 30 days effective immediately for his first violation of the organization’s Talent Wellness Program.
Reigns issued a statement on Twitter this afternoon regarding his suspension.
I apologize to my family, friends and fans for my mistake in violating WWE’s wellness policy. No excuses. I own it.
Reigns lost the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to Seth Rollins on Sunday at Money in the Bank. The following night on Raw, a Triple Threat Match between Reigns, Rollins and new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose was announced for WWE Battleground on July 24. The match could still take place since Reigns’ suspension ends on July 20.
Dean Ambrose will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Title against former Shield partners Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match at WWE’s upcoming Battleground pay-per-view. The match was made by Shane McMahon after Reigns and Rollins fought to a no-contest in the main event of Monday’s RAW.
Battleground takes place on 7/24 from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The show will be the first WWE pay-per-view of the new split brand era.
Discussion: What do you think about WWE going with the Shield triple threat so soon? Should they have kept them apart and saved this for a WrestleMania main event, or was it the right time for this marquee match?
Drew Galloway predicts that Roman Reigns will be one of the biggest stars ever in wrestling, but he’ll need some time. In an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote tonight’s Slammiversary pay-per-view, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion praised WWE’s World Heavyweight Champ, saying that Roman is “such a talented guy.”
“People can see that he’s been protected a lot, which is understandable. If I was in a position of power, I’d put him in the exact same spot,” Galloway said of how Reigns is being written on WWE TV. “But it takes years to truly get over and get the fans fully behind you.”
Galloway says the fans have to go on a journey with a wrestler’s character of time in order for the character to truly “get over.”
“I won the [WWE] IC title, they saw 3MB, and it really does take a long time for people to get to know you. Truly getting over is a lot different than just getting a reaction, and time is what it takes,” Galloway said. “I understand that now. A couple years from now, or after he comes back from an injury, Reigns is going to be one of the biggest stars ever.”
Galloway also talked about another big star in wrestling, one who he calls his “hero,” Bret Hart. Galloway says Hulk Hogan may have been the “larger than life character,” but Bret was his favorite because he “wasn’t phony.” Galloway says Hart told compelling stories inside of the ring, and that’s “the most genuine thing in this business.” He also listed William Regal and Fit Finlay as other talent he really respects.
WWE published the latest Top 10 video on Saturday morning looking at the best catchphrases of the past decade. In a decision that some will see as another example of favoritism towards the WWE Champion, “I am THE GUY” took the top spot. Here’s the full list:
10) Zack Ryder – WOO WOO WOO…. You Know It!!!
9) Jack Swagger (Formerly with Cesaro and Zeb Colter) – WE THE PEOPLE.
8) Bo Dallas – All You Have To Do Is BOLIEVE!
7) Wade Barrett – I’m Afraid I’ve Got Some BAD NEWS For Ya!
6) The New Day – Booty O’s…. They Make Sure, That You Ain’t Booty!
5) Enzo and Big Cass – There is only one word to describe you and I’m going to spell it out for ya: S A W F T….. SAWFT!
4) Bray Wyatt – Follow The Buzzards
3) The Miz – Because I’m The Miz……. And I’m AWE-SOME!!!!
2) Stephanie McMahon and Triple H (The Authority) – BEST For Business!
1) Roman Reigns – I am not a good guy, I am not a bad guy….. I am THE GUY.
The dark match after last night’s RAW in Oklahoma City saw Roman Reigns and John Cena defeat Seth Rollins and Sheamus. The finish saw Rollins take a Superman punch and the AA, then Sheamus take a spear and the pin. Rollins and Reigns did not appear live on RAW this week but they were featured in vignettes.
En el dark match de #RAW, Roman Reigns & John Cena vencieron a Sheamus & Seth Rollins en un tag team match. pic.twitter.com/JTzpon6rZe
– Thursday’s Smackdown will feature Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho and Dana Brooke vs. Natalya. As usual, we’ll have Live Coverage of the tapings later tonight here at SEScoops.com.
– Dean Ambrose’s “Ambrose Asylum” is returning next week on RAW. His guests will be WWE Money in the Bank opponents Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
The big news of the week is obviously WWE’s announcement that the brand split is returning, with SmackDown moving to Tuesdays and going live every week starting July 19th. Here’s the latest on what is planned for this summer, courtesy of Wrestling Observer Radio:
– John Cena is expected to be the top star for Smackdown while Roman Reigns is expected to be on Raw.
– There will most likely be ‘world champion’ for each brand. The IC & US titles will be defended on separate shows and plans are still being finalized for the Women’s and tag team titles.
– Vince McMahon and Triple H will still run WWE creative but head writers Ed Koskey and Ryan Ward will pick up more power as the two teams will have more control.
– Some in WWE want a hard split of the rosters while others are campaigning for a soft split with top stars making appearances on the other shows, making for more unique booking on TV and PPV.
– WWE is officially saying many key questions will be answered over the next few weeks.
Kevin Owens was interrupted by Roman Reigns after Raw went off the air last night in Baltimore. The segment ended with Owens taking a Superman Punch and a Spear.
Mick Foley wrote a Facebook blog on Roman Reigns after the Extreme Rules match against AJ Styles:
THE GUY
Roman Reigns is THE guy. There, I said it. I’m sure I will get heat for saying it too. But Roman Reigns has found his groove. He’s having great matches, and it is not an exaggeration to label his series of matches with AJ Styles as epic. The chemistry between AJ and Roman was electric. You cannot predict or create that type of chemistry; it either exists or it does not. When great chemistry is lacking, two superstars can still have very good matches, but they tend to fade from memory fairly quickly. When it’s there, that rivalry becomes electric, and energizes everything it comes into contact with – from breathing new life into the Usos, to establishing Gallows and Anderson as players in WWE.
The same mannerisms that drove me crazy when he was being forced upon fans as the good guy – the crooked smile, the dismissive laugh – are incredibly effective heat-getters when facing someone like Styles – and as I’ve long maintained, he is as believable an ass-kicker as I’ve seen when angered. Now, with the return of Seth Rollins, I am looking for even bigger things from Roman Reigns, and for an electric atmosphere that will energize everything they come into contact with.
Let me know what you think. Feel free to disagree.
HEY, TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT! ME AND SHANE-O MAC ON #?WWENetwork, right after #RAW?
– Cedric Alexander, who recently finished up with ROH, is expected for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic after having a recent WWE tryout.
– UFC officials may be under the impression that the CM Punk debut fight against Mickey Gall is happening soon as a production crew has started filming Gall.
– Vince McMahon apparently has a new position on the Roman Reigns crowd reactions, which was relayed through JBL on commentary this week: “If you love him or hate him, you’re very passionate about him.”
Vince McMahon is reportedly planning to keep Roman Reigns on top as a focal point of their programming after Sunday’s Extreme Rules event. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE will continue to push Reigns after his feud with AJ Styles ends, and Styles will likely be entering a feud with his former partners Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
This means Reigns will likely be retaining the WWE Championship on Sunday, as many fans could have guessed. Vince McMahon’s position on Reigns is “Whether you love or hate him, you’re very passionate about him.” JBL repeated this line on commentary on RAW when the fans booed Reigns.
As of press time, Reigns is still listed as the headliner for WWE’s “A” tours, and Dean Ambrose is listed as the headliner for their “B” tours. John Cena is scheduled to return to TV on May 30th, but isn’t currently scheduled for any live events after that.
– John Cena’s first match back from injury takes place on the May 30th edition of Raw in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
According to the official website of the Resch Center, Cena will team up with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose to take on the team of AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. This will likely be a dark match.
– According to this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is talk within WWE of finding a woman to team with Kalisto to face Rusev and Lana in mixed tag team matches. Lana has been wrestling more frequently at live events in case the idea transpires.
Lana made her NXT in-ring debut at last Friday’s show in Lakeland, Florida. Teaming with Mandy Rose, the blonde bombshells lost to Carmella and Daria Berenato.
– The match was nixed from last Thursday’s WWE Smackdown but Luke Gallows vs. Roman Reigns in a non-title match-up will headline this week’s episode.
– Batista and his wife Sarah Jade talk to TMZ about her being crowned Miss Pole Dance America this weekend in Nashville. Batista mentions being in attendance and talks about how proud he was, how tough the competition is. He also admits to trying pole dancing in the past, adding that he made a fool out of himself.
– WWE.com broke the news on Monday afternoon that Emma suffered a back injury at a recent WWE live event. She is currently undergoing tests to determine the extent of her injuries.
– It appears that the stable comprised of WWE Champion Roman Reigns and The Usos will be known as, The Bloodline. The group had previously been going by the more generic name, The Family.