Jim Ross recently updated the blog on his official website to share his thoughts on the new that Brock Lesnar has re-signed with WWE. Below is an excerpt, which features JR commenting on that subject.
Brock Lesnar made his announcement on Tuesday that he was staying with WWE and retiring from MMA of which is great news for WWE and their fans and something that I though would happen for the past several weeks even though I too have vacillated on this matter numerous times. Knowing Brock since he was a Junior in college at Minnesota when we started recruiting him, I know the gladiator spirit in the man desperately wanted to close out his MMA career on a more positive note than it ended but after becoming the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion what else was there to prove? Lesnar is a wrestler and not a skilled striker in that world but the first thing to go with a wrestler’s skill set is their quickness and the older one gets the less speed and quickness they possess.
Who knows what the affects of fighting in a rugged sport featuring four ounce gloves will do to one’s brain as it relates to concussions so why take the risk especially when one is in their late 30’s and especially one who has great financial options being offered them?
I’m sure that Brock’s family and closest friends participated in the decision making process but at the end of the day the final, final decision had to be made by the man himself. A younger Brock, full of P&V, might have made a different decision but the responsible husband, loving father, son and friend looked at it from a different point of view.
Brock Lesnar made the best decision for him and everyone close to him by staying in WWE and earning what I’m sure is a magnificent salary for working what is essentially a part time schedule. Plus, by having a part time schedule it will manage how much exposure that he will get to insure that Brock remains an attraction and will not allow him to be over exposed as so many in his profession are in today’s marketplace.
WWE would e well served to allow the talents to be rotated within the system to provide more talents additional off time to rest and recover and Lesnar’s contract guarantees that he will be able to function in a more idealistic environment. No one is a bigger Lesnar fan than me as evidenced on how hard and long we recruited him but not even the most ardent Lesnar fan needs to see Brock every week. That goes for any established star on the roster for that matter.
Every amateur booker and even some of us who have done that job for a living as it relates to booking matches are having a field day looking at all the possible scenarios that might occur this Sunday at WrestleMania in the Lesnar-Reigns WWE Title match. There are potentially endless of scenarios that ‘could’ be utilized which makes this main event infinitely more intriguing that it was before the ESPN announcement with the talented Michelle Beadle and the “Beast Incarnate.”
While many complained about the ‘build;’ to this WrestleMania being tepid in the eyes of some, the game changed drastically when Lesnar declared his intentions on ESPN Tuesday.
Lesnar, who as recently as a few days ago, was doing serious MMA training in preparation for a possible return, noted that he had to make a decision as a father and a husband, and noted that his professional fighting days are over. It’s also worth noting that Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that Lesnar’s wife (Sable) did not want Brock going back to MMA.
With Lesnar staying in WWE, it’s widely expected that he will turn babyface at some point, likely as soon as this Sunday at WrestleMania 31.
If and when Lesnar makes the face turn, the door will be open for a number of high-profile feuds, including the rumored WrestleMania 32 match against The Rock, if things work out that the match can be made by this time next year. A Lesnar babyface turn has reportedly been decided on within WWE since the very beginning of this year.
Prior to Lesnar’s announcement, WWE had multiple scenarios for the finish to Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 main event, all of which were dependent upon knowing where Lesnar’s future would be. With Lesnar staying, he will likely fill the spot that Roman Reigns was scheduled to take as the top babyface of the company. This has also led to speculation that Reigns will be turning heel at this Sunday.
It’s also worth noting that Lesnar’s announcement resulted in a flood of activity at online sports betting sites, with Lesnar now favored to defeat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Roman Reigns appeared on ESPN 2’s Sports Nation with Michelle Beadle on Tuesday afternoon to hype WrestleMania 31 and was interrupted by Paul Heyman. Here are some highlights from the segment:
– Beadle asked about the “tug of war” segment with Brock Lesnar that ended Monday’s “go home” episode of WWE RAW. Reigns said he wanted to make a statement that he will walk right in and do what nobody else does – take the title right off Brock Lesnar’s. Reigns said that’s his goal this Sunday.
– Reigns said The Rock and his father have been the people who have influenced his career the most. When asked if he wants to crush Hollywood like his cousin, Reigns said he just wants to crush Brock Lesnar and bring the belt back where it belongs.
– When asked if he’s nervous to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, Reigns said he gets nervous before every performance. He said he’s been training for this moment and is ready to roll.
– Paul Heyman interrupted the segment and shook Reigns’ hand. Heyman introduced himself, gave Michelle Beadle a “Paul Heyman Girl” t-shirt and wished Reigns good look on Sunday. After they went to commercial, Paul Heyman joined the Sports Nation panel and talked sports.
Jim Ross is back with the latest edition of his online blog, sharing his thoughts on the WrestleMania 31 “go-home” edition of RAW and more. Below are highlights:
On Kevin Nash’s WWE Hall Of Fame Induction: “Congrats to my friend Kevin Nash on getting the nod to go into the WWE HOF This Saturday where he will be inducted by Mick Foley. Back in the early days of Kevin’s career in WCW many of the politically charged power brokers would not give the athletic 7 footer the time of day. I put him on my WSB Radio Show that aired on Sunday nights and he made an impact because he could talk, was glib and highly intelligent. It was at that point that the higher up’s discovered a side of Kev that they never took the time to to know and the rest is history. Kevin was one of the best “attraction wrestlers” of his generation and made an impact in front of and behind the camera in both WWE and WCW. I’m proud of him and even prouder to call him my friend.”
On the final segment on Monday’s RAW: “@HeymanHustle was once again stellar. Some folks liked the closing foreshadowing of the TV show with Lesnar and Reigns struggling over the WWE Title while others did not. Not my hill to die upon but I’m pleased that we did not see any physicality between the two main event talents in this Sunday’s WrestleMania. The build to WM31 has been a mixed bag with both good and not so good but it also seems to have become a predictable mantra for many fans to discuss. I’m of the mindset to watch the event from home and then judge the show on it’s actual merits and not on what I perceive the build to be. Could the build have been better? Absolutely. Does the build mean the actual presentation Sunday on the WWE Network is doomed for failure? Absolutely, not.”
On the Sting/Triple H angle on RAW: “Thought the Sting/HHH business was just enough and fully expect this match to exceed expectations. Can’t express how happy that I am for Sting to be getting his WrestleMania Moment which is well deserved to one of the best guys in the business. We go back to his Blade Runner days in Mid South with Cowboy Bill Watts.”
Vince Russo has added his name into the mix of WWE fans who were not satisfied with the “go home” segment of Monday’s RAW between WrestleMania challengers Roman Reigns and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
Russo didn’t only vent about the angle, but he took it a step further, declaring that Vince McMahon is completely out of touch and needs to step down as the man who has the final say over what airs on WWE television.
Russo wrote:
Three hour build-up all leading up to two men having a tug-o-war. No thanks . . . glad I watched Teen Mom premiere.
WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan appeared on ESPN’s Sports Nation on Monday and spoke about a number of topics.
During the appearance, Hogan said a John Cena heel turn could work on television, and also praised Cena for being a good person behind-the-scenes.
Hogan predicted Roman Reigns will win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31 this Sunday and said Reigns is destined to be a top guy.
Hogan also teased doing something with Curtis Axel at WrestleMania and said that this might not be The Undertaker’s last WrestleMania, noting that Undertaker can go as long as he wants.
– The Undertaker turns 50 years old today. He was born on March 24, 1965.
– This Saturday night, Kevin Nash will apparently be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Mick Foley, not Shawn Michaels as expected. Foley tweeted after RAW:
– WrestleMania main-eventer Roman Reigns will be appearing on “Conan” tonight on TBS.
– KISS rocker Paul Stanley and actor/former WWE Superstar Tiny “Zeus” Lister were both ringside at Monday’s RAW from Los Angeles and were seated behind the announce team. Michelle Beadle, Rick Rubin and Kid Ink were also at ringside.
– Here are the RAW Fallout videos from last night:
During the WrestleMania 31 “go-home” edition of WWE RAW on Monday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, a big eight-man tag-team match was announced for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown.
In what will be the final major television show before Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view, Roman Reigns, John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry will team up to take on Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane in one of the main events of this week’s SmackDown.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on Tuesday evening for live WWE SmackDown spoiler results coverage.
Paul Heyman just dropped a new episode of his Heyman Hustle video series, revealing a spoiler for tonight’s WWE RAW. Also making a cameo on the show is the #HustleBootyTempTats Super Model of the Year, Ellie Gonsalves.
Roman Reigns spoke to our friend Chris Illuminati from BroBible.com this week to hype his match against Brock Lesnar at Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view. Here are some highlights of what Reigns said about:
If He’s “Nervous Excited” or “Excited Excited” For WrestleMania:
“That’s a good way of asking that question. I’m excited excited right now. I think the nervous-excited won’t kick in until we get closer to Sunday.”
What His Average Day Looks Like:
“My average match is 20-25 minutes. That’s probably the easiest part of my day. There’s a full day of training involved before I even hit the ring. I usually do 30-40 minutes of cardio before I even hit the ring. Eating right is tough. I have to be concerned about my meal, and while I’m eating, I have to think about my next meal. Sometimes you see guys lugging around 3-4 meals just in case. My body just expects it.”
His Most Painful Moment In The Ring:
“The most recent was my match against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane. He kicked my scar from my recent hernia surgery. That was painful. I needed to take a step back from training that next day!”
Head on over to BroBible.com for the full interview.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts is the guest on this week’s edition of Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit” podcast. The show is available for download right now at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE Superstars Titus O’Neil and Darren Young worked out with former NFL star and one-time WWE prospect Shawne Merriman in Los Angeles, California this morning.
– WWE filmed some footage of Roman Reigns with his family this past weekend in Florida. The belief is that the segment was filmed to air as part of the build to Reigns’ match against WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 on tonight’s “go-home” edition of WWE RAW.
Dolph Ziggler recently appeared on “The Buzz with Jimmy Traina” to promote WrestleMania 31. Below are highlights from the interview.
On WrestleMania 31 and his WWE Intercontinental Title ladder match against six other superstars: “I’m a bitter, chip-on-my shoulder guy who doesn’t care about anybody else, but there’s a little bit of that tiny wrestling fan inside me that gets excited to see Sting for the first time ever at a WrestleMania. Or to see if Undertaker’s going to have his entrance or to see if I can go out there and, not just outdo myself and have fun, but it’s like wow, millions of people watching, 80-something-thousand people are in attendance at this event. This is a huge monumental deal. And no matter how jaded or bitter you are, it’s a very special thing, no matter who you are or what match you’re in to, take a look out there for five seconds and look around and go wow, I’m a part of history.”
On the backlash WrestleMania main eventer Roman Reigns has received from fans: “All of those Shield guys, who came in protected, have done nothing but deliver, in my opinion, and I am a harsh critic of everyone. I wish I could be in the main event. I feel that I am better than Roman Reigns, but you know what? He hasn’t wrestled as long as I have. And if he does anything that comes up short of delivering, I’ll be all over his case and I’ll be the first one to go on Twitter and go, ‘Yup, told you it should’ve been me.'”
On his performance at the Royal Rumble: “I was pissed. I was out there for a minute at the most and I was so disgusted with myself and so disappointed with the position I was in.”
On how he deals with frustrations with his role in the company: “You don’t just go to your bosses and say, ‘This sucks, I’m supposed to be winning everything.’ If you have an awesome idea or a story, or something great, you go, ‘Hey, how about we do this,’ but when the story is not you, you have to find a way to make it work.”
On attending the taping of the Justin Bieber roast: “Martha Stewart kicked ass. She was great.”
On balancing wrestling with his stand-up comedy career: “I make sure to write every day, even if it’s a little bit.”
On adult website Brazzers recently making him an offer to sponsor his wrestling trunks: “Twitter ranted about what I should do next. Brazzers offered me $10,000 and I could pick my partner if I would join them. So Brazzers has always been there for me.”
Jim Ross shared his in-depth thoughts on the ongoing negotiations between Brock Lesnar and WWE in the latest blog posted on his official website.
Below is an excerpt:
“Arguably the hottest issue that has been on my Twitter timeline @JRsBBQ is the contract status between WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and WWE. This matter is running into the 11th hour and one would have thought it would have been settled month ago just as I mentioned last summer on one of my Ross Report Podcasts. Now both sides are scrambling to finalize a deal in what could be a high stress and emotional negotiation which is exactly what neither party ever wants to experience. To WWE’s credit they have have been talking to Brock for months and he could have possibly simply been posturing to achieve what is happening now to occur. I have no idea of the circumstances surrounding this matter. I do know that Brock likely makes an enormous sum of money for essentially a part time job but I have no issue with that as Lesnar stays more ‘special’ because he is not over exposed which is seemingly the norm in the biz these days and another reason that the genre struggles at times with TV ratings and general perception.
If Lesnar re-signs with WWE there is no lock that he will lose the WWE Title at WM31 to Roman Reigns but I do applaud WWE for seemingly steering the course with their long term build of Reigns who has a viable upside and plenty of potential but is arguably not completely ready for the distinction of being the ‘man.’ However, when was any first time WWE Champion ever 100% ready to be the ‘man?’ If we analyze the past champions, all of who displayed the traits desired for the role, no one could guarantee their success until they got in the game and experienced the ‘live ammo’ that comes with that extremely challenging job and it’s many responsibilities.
It’s obvious that UFC would love to have Brock back in the fold and would likely pay him a proverbial pot of gold to return and step back into the Octagon. Is returning to the highest level of MMA the best thing for this beast of an athlete who’s nearing 40 years of age and coming off significant heath problems and who also has a beautiful and young family?
One thing is for sure and that’s both Reigns and Lesnar are former D1 athletes of distinction and both men will bring their legit, competitive athletic fire to the personation as to have a match that will make them both pleased with the effort and the results no matter who wins or loses. They are athletes first and entertainers second which tells me that they will have no major issues closing the show at WrestleMania in a positive way. I don’t see this match being fancy or a spot fest but I do feel that it will be physical and reality based.
Some fans seemingly are in over thinking mode more concerned about who gets booed and who doesn’t than focusing on what the match will be like and the story that will be told inside the ring.
I am somewhat optimistic that Brock will re-up with WWE but there are certainly no guarantees and I’d expect we won’t know that answer until after the event in Levis Stadium. Having said that, one cold argue that the main event is as unpredictable as it has been in quite some time of which I personally like. Many within WWE will breathe much easier if Brock puts pen to contract this Monday in LA at RAW.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
Miami’s FOX 7 Entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet recently interviewed The Rock to promote his role in the new “Furious 7” film. Below are highlights and video of the interview.
On giving Jason Statham the Rock Bottom in “Furious 7”: “The idea was I got together with Jason Statham and said let’s put together an epic fight that’s going to be memorable. And at the end to punctuate it I said ‘Alright brother, what if I hooked you’ and he’s like ‘Yeah? Suplex?’ and I said ‘No, not a suplex. First time ever on film, I hit you with the Rock Bottom.’ When you present that to a movie star like Jason, you’re at a crossroads because if ego is involved the movie star could say ‘I don’t know. That your thing, it’s a big finishing move and I don’t want you to hit me with it.’ If you check your ego at the door like Statham did, it was great. He’s a focused guy and we pulled it off and we went through the glass table, cut us up a little bit and he was game to play and he came to rumble. And by the way, it’s the best move of the movie.”
On whether he thinks Roman Reigns is ready to be the WWE Champion? “Ready to headline WrestleMania and ready to be the Champ are two different things. I think that he’s in a unique position. He’s being pushed quickly, I was in that position before so I know what it’s like, but at the same time you either sink or swim so you’ve got no choice but to be ready. Fans have expressed their displeasure in it and that is the best part about the WWE Universe is that they’re so vocal and passionate about how they feel. I think he’s going to go out with Brock, who I’ve known for a very long time, and they’re going to have a hell of a match and that’s what I expect.”
On the rumors about facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32: “In Dallas? Possibly. There’s a lot of things that are up in the air. We’ll see. I would love that rematch. Whatever it is I think that you want to create something that is going to be special, memorable and especially in Dallas at that stadium and you have a shot at breaking the attendance record.”
On how he thinks CM Punk will do in UFC: “I think he’s going to great because he’s putting in the time to train. And he’s had the background anyway so I think he’s going to great.”
Part-time WWE performer Chris Jericho recently spoke with IGN to promote his new WWE DVD, “The Road is Jericho.” Below are highlights from the interview.
On how much he was involved with the making of his new “The Road Is Jericho” WWE DVD: “Yeah, one hundred percent all me. I mean, they send me a bullet point list and so I get to choose the ones off there that I want to use. But then also I get to pick some new ones. I see a match with X-Pac on the list but then I know that we had a better one in a cage at some point. So I go and track that one down and use that instead. But that’s the way that it has to be. I’m hands on with all the stuff that I do. Especially when it comes to something like a collection of my matches. I want people to see – not necessarily the greatest ones – but I want them to see the ones that hold a certain significance historically. Or the fact that they’re something a little bit different than from what they’re used to seeing. Or just something fun. So I was very much involved in the final decision on pretty much everything.”
On WrestleMania 31 and if he feels Roman Reigns is ready to headline the show: “Look, like I’ve said before, if you’re going to give someone a shot, give them a shot. There’ve been tons of guys who when they’ve been put in the main event at WrestleMania might not have been quote unquote ready. Who’s to say who’s ready and who’s not? Let’s see how the crowd reacts when they get there. But all I know is that Roman Reigns was everybody’s favorite guy until the Royal Rumble. And then everyone turned on Roman Reigns. It’s so funny how two days before, and the year before, everybody loved Roman Reigns. Everybody. All the fans did. And don’t tell me that you didn’t because they were all saying “Roman Reigns, Roman Reigns, Roman Reigns…what? Daniel Bryan didn’t win the Royal Rumble? We hate Roman Reigns! Boo!” And meanwhile, ever since then – I mean, we did house shows in Calgary and Edmonton and it was like Beatlemania. They were going nuts for him. And that was a week after the Royal Rumble. So I think that he is ready, as much as anyone can be ready in this day and age. So let’s see how it goes. I mean the match he had with Daniel Bryan at Fastlane was incredible. And you can’t tell me that it was all because of Daniel Bryan. Really? Because I always heard in the business that it takes two. And I think I’ve proven myself to be a fairly decent worker, so if I’m telling you it takes two, I think every fan should shut the hell up and listen to what I’m saying. He did a great job of living up to his end of the bargain and he’ll do the same thing at WrestleMania. They will leave no stone unturned to make that a great match. They will get all the benefits. All the bells and whistles. And as long as they can hold it together, I think it’s going to be great.”
Mark Henry recently spoke with Doug Mortman and Dave Lagreca on Busted Open to promote WrestleMania 31. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
His Favorite WrestleMania Moment:
“My match with Undertaker at WrestleMania 22 changed me. It made me believe that I belonged and boosted my confidence. That match propelled me to where I am today. When Roman Reigns has that moment of belonging that is when he’ll be great. However, you need time to pass for that to happen. It took me 18 years. It takes faster for some people and I believe Roman is ahead of the curve in that regard.”
Roman Reigns’ Push & Fans Not Fully Accepting Him:
“If Roman attacks Brock the way he attacked Daniel Bryan at FastLane, then he can do big things. People always run off at the mouth on what people should do. I believe people should sit back and enjoy and if they don’t like what they’re seeing, tune them out. Fans have to realize that as big of an impact that they have on the industry, they’re not calling the shots. They should just sit back and enjoy the show. When fans go to football games, they’re not the ones calling the plays. There’s a different mentality with the fan base nowadays where the fans are reacting before storylines even have a chance to play out. People are commenting before stuff even happens. There used to be a time where the anticipation grew so much and that anticipation superseded everything else. However, that anticipation has lessened in today’s day and age because of all the information and media surrounding the company. Roman Reigns can definitely be the next top guy in WWE but he has to have a thicker skin and not worry so much about what the critics are saying.”
You can hear Busted Open on SiriusXM 92 and on the SiriusXM app or at BustedOpenNation.com.
– The following are some recent WWE live attendance figures:
March 12th in Largo, FL for NXT drew a sellout of 500 fans
March 13th in Abbotsford, BC drew 5,000 fans (Roman Reigns tour)
March 14th in Seattle drew 6,000 fans (Roman Reigns tour)
March 14th in Milwaukee drew 7,000 fans (John Cena tour)
March 14th in Citrus Springs, FL for NXT drew 225 fans
March 15th in Portland drew 3,200 fans (Roman Reigns tour)
March 15th in Minneapolis drew 5,500 fans (John Cena tour)
March 16th in Des Moines, IA for RAW drew 9,300 fans
WrestleMania 31 main event challenger Roman Reigns spoke to Rolling Stone today to discuss last night’s RAW, his character’s evolution, being underestimated and much more. It’s a lengthy interview and we highly recommend you check it out.
Since winning the Royal Rumble, Reigns has had to battle throw intense negative backlash and is still getting mixed reactions with less than two weeks until WWE’s biggest show of the year. During his promo last night on RAW, Reigns improvised when the crowd began chanting for the man he defeated at Fastlane to solidify his title shot, Daniel Bryan. Reigns doubled down on his position from after the Rumble, stating that if fans want to cheer for Daniel Bryan, he’s “all for that.” But Reigns sounds like he’s getting fed up with fans not buying in to his promos:
“That’s just an instinct thing. That’s not something you learn in a warehouse or people can tell you. If you’re a Daniel Bryan fan, I’m all for that. The more people Daniel Bryan will bring into arenas, the better. The more people I bring in, the better. But when I’mherzog talkin’, shut the hell up and let me talk.”
When asked if winning the WWE World Heavyweight championship is his ultimate goal at WrestleMania, Reigns told Rolling Stone’s Kenny Herzog:
I just want to go out there and do my thing, and a lot of that is winning the WWE Championship. I can’t stress enough how that title is everything for us. But for me, I would like to wake up and know, “Yeah, that was a five-star, you-can’t-touch-that match.” I’d like to be able to walk to the back thinking, “Can’t one of y’all do that.”
He added that he’s enjoying ‘learning on the fly’ and is “absolutely” saving his best for Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.
This week’s episode of Raw was held in Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena, and it was anything but money. With less than two weeks until WrestleMania, one would think the action would be heating up, but that wasn’t really the case. Here are the pros and cons from this week’s episode of Raw.
Pros
Once again, Paul Heyman was the highlight of Raw. He appeared solo to hype the main event of WrestleMania and kicked off the third hour of the show. Heyman declared that Brock Lesnar is not a “pacifist” but a “conqueror.” The best in the biz questioned what would happen after Lesnar violates the parameters of the match and said fans are “stuck with Brock Lesnar as your WWE Champion.” It was an entertaining promo, and it’s nice to see at least one person is putting in work to hype the biggest match of the year. Reigns appeared but was totally out of his league as the crowd booed him. It wasn’t even a terrible promo, honestly, but it would’ve been much more intense if he had delivered it while standing toe-to-toe with the Beast Incarnate. That confrontation is at least supposed to happen next week, or so they say.
If you were on the Internet at all during the day, you probably knew Sting was photographed in Des Moines. The final match between Orton and Rollins never took place, with The Authority surrounding the ring as Orton wielded a chair. The entire crowd was chanting, “We want Sting” from the start and it was totally obvious he was going to make the save. With that said, it was still awesome to see him appear and hit J&J with a Stinger Splash while teaming up with The Viper. I don’t know about Cole’s assertion that it was “one of the greatest moments in Raw history,” but it was a good way to end the show and actually hype a few of the matches leading into WrestleMania.
The six-man tag featured the best wrestling action of the night. Ambrose and Stardust started the match and worked well together, with Ambrose hitting a big bulldog at one point. Bryan then entered the ring and worked over Stardust by using a surfboard that he turned into a pinning combination. After the break, Ambrose was back in the ring, this time with Luke Harper. The Lunatic Fringe had the upper hand after a tornado DDT before tagging in Dolph Ziggler. The faces dominated the action early, but Barrett eventually entered the fray and turned the tables for a bit. After a second commercial break, Ambrose made a blind tag and picked up the win after the action broke down, hitting Dirty Deeds after an excellent counter of the Bull Hammer Elbow. It was a good match, and they continue to hype this ladder match, which is always a plus.
It was good to see Mark Henry back on Raw, as he declared his intention to enter the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal before clearing house. Axel was entertaining during this segment as well.
AJ Lee and Nikki Bella squared off in the opening contest while Brie and Paige looked on at ringside. They were given a good bit of time and put on an entertaining match, even if the action was a bit sloppy at times. AJ locked in an impressive guillotine choke before being driven into the turnbuckle by Nikki. She later rallied and took down Nikki with a nice lateral crossbody. Nikki finally picked up the win with the Rack Attack after knocking AJ out following a distraction. It was a decent opening match and if nothing else, it was something new.
I guess the Brock Lesnar interview could be considered a pro, if only because he appeared on television and actually spoke. Lesnar said WrestleMania is a “day that I get to show up, kick somebody’s ass, and get paid to do so.” With that said, he needed to be in attendance instead of wasting his limited appearances by having his show up and look bored out of his mind. There is zero heat between Lesnar and Reigns, as they have yet to come face-to-face and it will be one week until the biggest main event of the year on next week’s Raw. Lesnar isn’t the best speaker, but he’s not terrible by any means. Have these guys face off and speak their minds to build this match up.
WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart appeared on Live Audio Wrestling this past weekend to promote WrestleMania 31 and his appearance at the WrestleCon event at the San Jose Garden Airport Hotel. Below are highlights from the interview.
On the positioning of Daniel Bryan at this year’s WrestleMania: “All I can say is when I wrestled Lex Luger in the Royal Rumble back in 1994 and I ended up getting the title a few months later, it was very similar to what is going on with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan now but they went against what the fans wanted and I think that it may bite them on the ass because my logical thinking is you give the fans what they want or you should anyway. I don’t know why they went against the grain, I think Daniel Bryan was a great champion and had his run was cut short and I think fans wanted to see him get that moment that he deserves. Even though he won the title and WrestleMania last year was such a big thing for him, the fans want to see him get his proper chance and I think the WWE put a line through that and I think that’s probably a mistake.”
On comparisons of Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns to Bret Hart and Kevin Nash in 1994 and 1995: “I always tried to bring the best out of all of my opponents and especially in a pay-per-view scenario, I wanted them to have their best match they ever had with me. When Kevin Nash was champion I really tried to support him, he was a good friend of mine back in those days and still a good friend of mine now. I tried to boost his position and help him stay in place and I always had respect for him even as champion, I thought he was a great champion. I think they made a big mistake in giving him a push too early, they should have waited and let him build himself up for another year and I think if they had given Kevin just a little more time to get more experience and get prepared for that role, if that next year he had gotten that big push that they gave him, he may have stayed champion but they sometimes push things they want now and it wasn’t going to happen then, he was still learning a lot.”
On Roman Reigns in the top spot in WWE right now: “I think Roman Reigns is ready and he is really good, I think he is a really great talent and has a lot of potential. I can see why they want to push him but I really think the hearts and minds of the wrestling fans are with Daniel Bryan. His work rate in the ring and what he gives through the match just means so much more to the wrestling fans than anything else.”
On Randy Savage going into the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Well I know we were a lot closer than Hogan was. I’m not quite sure why Hulk Hogan of all people is inducting him because my last conversations I had with Randy, he didn’t have much good to say about Hogan. Regardless, it is a night to remember Randy for all the great contributions he made. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, he was a great champion in the dressing room, he was a Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, a real team guy and always had a lot of respect and love with all of the wrestlers. We will always miss the Macho Man.”
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has updated the blog section of his official website. Below are some highlights.
On Friday’s edition of Impact Wrestling: “Thought Impact Wrestling Friday night was one of their best TV shows in a good while and arguably the best wrestling show of the TV week. If TNA simply keeps their talk managed and succinct while focusing on what their talents do best and that’s wrestle they are going to be line over the long haul IMO. It’s not that their talents can’t promo but today’s audiences generally don’t want to have to listen to the ‘never ending promos’ that are over scripted and over thought. Kudos to Rockstar Spud & EC3 on a compelling performance.”
On Melina’s appearance on the Ross Report: “We are getting some amazing feedback on our Ross Report Podcast with @RealMelina this week especially from women. I hope that you will check it out as Melina is brutally honest and opens her heart for all to hear. Download for free at podcastone.com and iTunes or listen to it right here on the home page of our site.”
On Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31: “I think fans should give Roman Reigns an opportunity to prove himself on the big stage at WrestleMania vs. Brock Lesnar. Wouldn’t shock me to see Lesnar win the match even though Reigns is the favorite because of the unknown status of Lesnar’s WWE contractual arrangement.”
Roman Reigns called into Elvis Duran and the Morning Show’s The Josh Podcast and discussed his WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at Wrestlemania 31, his critics, scripted promos, keeping ‘The Shield’s’ entrance and more.
On the WWE Championship going on last at WrestleMania:
“I haven’t talked much about that. My assumption is the championship match should always be last, that’s what we’re fighting for, that’s the biggest prize, as awesome as rivalries are. The WWE Championship, if you have that around your waist you are the man, you are on top of the mountain, you’re receiving the biggest paychecks, you’re going to have the best life, you’re going to create the best future for you and your family. So for me, I think the ultimate prize being the WWE Championship, it should always be on last, not just cause I’m fighting for it.”
On butting heads with hardcore fans:
“I don’t think I’m head butting with them, I feel like they are head butting me. I don’t do anything but go out there and bust my ass every single week…Even when I was with the Shield, I’ve always had the critics and I think a lot of it goes with the background of me not having that independent experience, especially being paired up with guys like Seth and Dean because those guys are journeymen. The things they had to do are second to none.”
On “deserving” his spot:
“We have a very strong hardcore fan base and they go in a bit deeper than just what the storyline is. One thing that kind of confuses me is that it is a performance, it is a show, there is a storyline. When people start doing the “He deserves this, He deserves that”, really did Brad Pitt deserved to be Achilles in Troy? It’s a weird world that we live in; it’s very real but very scripted at the same time. It’s a fine line and in my opinion that’s what makes it so neat.”
On scripted promos handcuffing talent:
“I don’t think handcuffing is the right term. I look at it as a challenge. Obviously as a performer, I would love to go out there and go off of impulse, just go off into the arena and feel what’s going, but it is a show, it is a performance, and there is a lot that goes into this machine… For me, I know for a fact I haven’t told my full story. There is still so much more about me that I want to show the world.”
On keeping The Shield’s stairway entrance:
“The entrance itself it’s just such a unique thing, somebody had to keep that because it’s part of the show now and I get Tweets and all kinds of social media stuff, “what area are you coming down.” People want those seats now. It’s upped the value of that seating almost to where it’s like a front row situation. Those fans that are on that stairwell that I’m coming down are right on top of me, you get to see me, you can smell me, and people are touching me. You get a very good feel of what I’m like up close and personal. I think that was one thing WWE wanted to do was keep that moment for the crowd.”
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently spoke with The Sun in the U.K. to promote WrestleMania 31. Below are highlights from the interview.
On the pressure he feels to keep up with his legendary family: “Everybody has a story about my family, it seems. It is really neat to get all the perspective from everybody over the years. For me to live this life that so many of my family members have already lived and experienced, it is a really neat process. Every town I go to I feel like I’m walking in their footsteps. The ironic thing is this is my ship now, I’m the captain here.”
On working with Paul Heyman: “Paul’s a great source for any superstar. He’s been all over the world, he’s been in so many different promotions, he’s seen so many different things and he’s learned from the greatest to ever set foot in this industry. So any time I get to interact with him, on camera or off, it is a great experience.
“He’s a very personable guy, very easy to talk to. But sometimes you have to watch people like that, you just never know. He’s a very smart man and he knows everything that he’s doing. For me, I enjoy my interaction with him, he knows my family very well. He met me when I was just a little guy all the way to what I am now. To have that type of history with someone, for him to know my family in a different light than I may is very cool, very interesting for me and I always like catching up with him.”
