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Tag: Rusev

  • Jeff Jarrett Gives His WrestleMania 31 Predictions, Talks Undertaker/Wyatt, Sting & More

    Jeff Jarrett recently spoke with Steven Godfrey of SB Nation to share his thoughts on WrestleMania 31. Jarrett predicted that Big Show is going to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and The Usos are going to win the WWE Tag-Team titles in the Kickoff Show four-way tag-team match.

    Below are some comments from Jarrett regarding other matches on the card:

    On Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: “This is one I’m really looking forward to. I think this event has the best chance to become the show-stealer. I like Dolph Ziggler here, he’ll have the opportunity to shine through with those seven guys. There’s plenty of ammunition and plenty of targets. I think Dolph is ready to rise to the occasion; he’s got a chance here to take that next step. Bryan has to be the obvious favorite, if not the fan favorite. But I like this event because each of these seven guys are distinct enough in ability and persona. That diversity in ingredients is what could make this match really special.”

    On John Cena vs. Rusev: “John not having to carry the company on his back through WrestleMania season means he can focus only on this. He gets to leave nothing on the table and exceed expectations. Rusev should bring a couple oxygen tanks to ringside because he’ll be absolutely gassed at the end of this. He’s not on Cena’s level in big money matches, at least not yet.”

    On Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker: “For years you could never bet against ‘Taker at ‘Mania, and that went for not only wins and losses, but also match quality. I think this year’s no different. I would’ve bet you and lost last year [vs. Brock Lesnar] but I’d put the farm on Undertaker this year. He’s always exceeded what’s expected of him and Sunday will be no different.”

    On Sting vs. Triple H: “From an emotional standpoint I’m invested in this match more than any other, having such a long history with Sting. I’ve watched his career from the Clash of Champions to the Starrcades to big matches in TNA, but at this stage of his career … For Sting to arrive at the biggest match of his career north of 50 years old is a testament to the man they call ‘Sting.’ I’m excited he’s got this opportunity and I wish him nothing but the best. But: If you’ve ever watched one of Triple H’s WrestleMania matches, Sting has to realize he’s not walking into a traditional wrestling match. He’ll feel the effects of this weeks, if not months to come.”

    On Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar: “With the ESPN announcement and Dana White’s comments I believe the proverbial gas has been poured on the fire. There’s a lot of moving parts here: Roman Reigns is very fresh to this dance as a singles wrestler. I would say that he’s got the deck stacked against him in numerous ways. We’ll talk more about that on Sunday, but I’ve also got a funny feeling that Roman comes out of this match as the winner in more ways than a ‘1, 2, 3.’”

    Check out the complete interview at SBNation.com.

  • Jim Ross On Undertaker’s Last Match, Sting’s WWE In-Ring Debut, Rusev/Cena & More

    Jim Ross recently spoke with the Cult Of Whatever website to talk about WrestleMania 31 and promote his “An Evening With Jim Ross” one-man shows this weekend. Below are highlights from the interview.

    On the Sting/Triple H match: “I’ve known Sting since his rookie year, I’ve known him his entire career, he is one of the most honourable, respectful and respected men in the business. This is his WrestleMania moment, at his stage of the game I don’t expect him to have another one, I think he will have one WrestleMania appearance and I’m hopeful that he wins his match on Sunday.”

    On whether this will be Undertaker’s last match: “I have no idea and I’m guessing as is everybody else that says they know, the fact is they don’t know, the only person that knows is Undertaker. I think for him to have the opportunity to go out in his last match in his home state in a stadium that, for wrestling, seats over 100,000 people [WrestleMania 32 will be held at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas ] is an amazing opportunity for his last match.”

    On the Rusev/Cena match: “I think John Cena wins the United States title, and goes about his business of trying to regenerate his popularity, so I see Cena winning. If WWE is really serious about Rusev’s undefeated streak then Rusev would win perhaps by sportsman like means. I think from what I’ve seen and the build, John Cena is going to win and he will go about his business of helping add an additional shine to the luster of the United States title.”

    On WrestleMania: “Everybody can complain and bitch and moan about the build up as if everybody is a booker and have done it before. Now we are talking about all of these things and we’re not sure what is going to happen, we had another card play just this week that Lesnar is staying with WWE, it makes everything so perplexing, it’s a very unique situation. The build may not have suited everybody but where we are today and leading into Sunday now is extremely intriguing and something I will certainly not miss for anything, I will be watching just like any other fan very intently and very closely.”

    Check out the complete interview at CultOfWhatever.com.

  • Update On Lana Appearing At WrestleMania 31, Trish Stratus To Miss WrestleMania Weekend Events

    – You can expect to see Lana by Rusev’s side when he defends the United States Championship against John Cena this Sunday at WrestleMania 31. Sandra Gray, a seamstress for WWE, mentioned on Twitter that she was making an outfit for “The Ravishing Russian” for the event.

    She was asked on Twitter who she was making gear for the event and responded “stardust goldust Lana dolph.”

    Lana has not appeared on television since the March 9 episode of Raw as she’s been off filming WWE Studios’ new film, Interrogation with WWE Hall of Famer Edge.

    – Due to the recent death of her father, Trish Stratus will not be traveling to California for this weekend’s WrestleMania festivities. She was scheduled to appear at WrestleCon on Friday and Saturday and at WrestleMania Axxess on Sunday.

    The WWE Hall of Famer stated last week on social media that her father had passed away.

  • Video: John Cena On Jimmy Kimmel Live

    John Cena appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC last night to hype his match against Rusev this Sunday at WWE WrestleMania 31.

    Cena took on took on a much edgier persona than we’re used to seeing on WWE programming, marketing himself to the audience watching his late night appearance. Cena talked about his days working at a club bouncer in California before signing with WWE, as well as his movie career. Cena has been praised for his work in the upcoming Judd Apatow movie “Trainwreck” where he has a sex scene with comedian Amy Schumer, who used to date Dolph Ziggler.

    Cena hard sold the patriotic aspect of his challenge against Rusev this Sunday, saying that he’s been eating apple pie, visiting WalMart and watched all of the Rocky movies to prepare for the match.

  • Spoilers: Plans For Top Three Feuds In WWE Coming Out Of WrestleMania 31

    WWE has decided on some of their plans for post-WrestleMania 31 programs for their secondary championships.

    As things stand right now, which could always change before Sunday, WWE is looking at John Cena and Rusev to continue their feud over the WWE United States Championship for a third pay-per-view match after Sunday’s show.

    For the WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE is looking at a three-way program between Bad News Barrett, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler coming out of WrestleMania.

    For the big picture, things aren’t as clear just yet, although the working plan right now is for Roman Reigns to work a program with Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship if he beats Brock Lesnar for the title on Sunday.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Video: Rusev’s WrestleMania Workout

    WWE has published a video looking at Rusev’s training for WrestleMania titled, “Preparing for War.”

    Step inside the gym with United States Champion Rusev and witness the brutal physical preparation he’s going through for his WrestleMania showdown against John Cena.

  • WWE RAW Pros & Cons (3/23/15): The Last Stop On The Road To WrestleMania

    This week’s Raw was held in Los Angeles and was the last stop on the Road to WrestleMania. Sting once again made an appearance, Lesnar and Reigns finally came face-to-face, and the company did everything in its power to hype the biggest wrestling event of the year. With WrestleMania less than a week away, here are the pros and cons from this week’s episode of Raw.

    Pros

    Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler with Dean Ambrose as the special referee? Count me in any time, any day. When you get two ring generals together, expect a technical affair and that’s exactly what fans were treated to. The two tested each other’s strength at the beginning, with Bryan coming out on top after focusing on Ziggler’s elbow. The Show Off quickly turned the tables, however, dropping a big elbow onto Bryan’s chest for a one-count as the Intercontinental Championship hanged over the ring. This resembled a puroresu match with slaps to the face, stiff moves, and fast-paced action. The show went to commercial after both men toppled into the timekeeper’s area. After the break, Ziggler had Bryan locked into a sleeper before Bryan drove him into the corner to break the hold. Bryan nearly picked up the victory with an awesome German suplex pin before heading to the top rope – a decision that quickly backfired after Dolph hit the ropes but failed to connect with a superplex. He’d quickly recover and drive Bryan’s face into the mat from the top rope for another two-count. In the end, Bryan hit his signature dropkick into the corner and went for a second before Ziggler countered with one of the stiffest superkicks you’ll ever see and followed it up with the Zig-Zag for the win in a superb match. The Lunatic Fringe didn’t let him celebrate his victory for long though, hitting Ziggler with Dirty Deeds before pulling out a ladder and attempting to retrieve the title from above the ring before all of the competitors entered the ring to brawl. This match was the highlight of the night, and the ladder match on Sunday will probably be the highlight of WrestleMania.

    They really needed to ditch the boring opening segments featuring The Authority, and thankfully they did so tonight by having Sting open the show. The Franchise discussed all of the ways Triple H snaked his way to the top of the company, but conveniently left out sleeping with the boss’s daughter. He made it clear that he wasn’t “fighting for WCW,” but simply to “take Triple H down.” Stephanie McMahon confronted Sting and the two went back and forth, hurling insults at one another in an entertaining segment. After Sting blocked Steph’s attempted slap, The Game came to the ring to confront his opponent on Sunday, with Sting warding off the sledgehammer-wielding Triple H with his signature black bat. Overall, it was a great way to open the show, hype the match for Sunday, and it was nice to see them finally cut Sting loose on the mic.

    Snoop D-O-Double-Gizzle doing his best Godfather impersonation before being interrupted by #Axelmania. The man himself finally made a completely unexpected appearance to confront his imitator. It was an awesome, hilarious segment. #Hulkamania

    The Intercontinental Championship match was once again prominently featured, as four of the participants in Sunday’s ladder match competed in the first match of the night. Ambrose and R-Truth teamed together to face Luke Harper and Stardust with Bad News Barrett on commentary. Harper and Ambrose worked very well together to start the match, with Ambrose hitting a nice bulldog before clearing the ring with the help of his partner. After the break, Stardust worked over Ambrose and hit an Alabama Slam before once again ceding control to his partner. The commentary team was surprisingly entertaining during this one with Barrett and Booker T trading barbs. After taking a beating and kicking out of multiple near-falls, Ambrose came back with a tornado DDT and hit up R-Truth with the hot tag. The faces dominated from there and R-Truth picked up the victory via pinfall after hitting his leaping reverse STO finisher. Ambrose and Truth danced together after the contest to conclude an entertaining opening half hour of the show.

    Finally, Nikki Bella offered a Divas Championship match to either Paige or AJ Lee in an attempt to create a divide between her opponents on Sunday. After much debate, Paige decided she would take the title shot. The Divas have been putting on some decent matches over the past few weeks, and they continued their streak of quality matches this week. This one featured a few believable near-falls, they were given a lot of time (by Divas standards), and the ending at least did something to create intrigue for the tag match on Sunday by having AJ cost Paige the title.

  • Update On WWE Hiring Extras For Two Special Ring Entrances At WrestleMania 31

    As previously reported, WWE hired a local casting agency in San Francisco to cast “Russian soldiers” and “scarecrows” for entrances at WrestleMania 31. The soliders are for Rusev’s ring entrance, while the scarecrows could be for Sting or Bray Wyatt’s entrance, but most likely Sting’s.

    As it turns out, WWE hired the same casting agency to book both roles and they will be using the same extras for both roles as a way to save money. They are looking for males between the ages of 24 and 33, with no facial hair. The casting agency will be paying extras $1,100 each for three days.

    The extras that are hired must be available to train on March 27th and March 28th, then perform the day of WrestleMania 31 on March 29th. The first day of work will consist of costume fitting and a four-hour walk-through. They will then do a late night rehearsal after the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony on Saturday night from 11pm until 3am. From there, they are simply required to be at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California all day and evening on Sunday.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • WWE RAW Pros & Cons (3/16/15): The Authority Feels The Wrath Of Sting

    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.

  • Possible Spoiler: WWE Planning Special Ring Entrance For Sting At WrestleMania 31?

    As noted on Thursday, WWE has hired a local casting agency in the Bay Area of San Francisco in an attempt to find males to work as “marching Russian soliders” for a special Rusev ring entrance at WrestleMania 31.

    Additionally, we can confirm that the company is also looking to hire some extras to play the part of scarecrows at WrestleMania.

    While it’s not confirmed at this point, early speculation is that the “scarecrows” would likely be used for a special ring entrance for Sting or Bray Wyatt, with Sting being the more likely of the two.

  • Spoiler: WWE Planning Special Entrance For Rusev At WrestleMania 31

    WWE has hired a casting agency in the local Bay Area of San Francisco, California, with the goal of hiring males to work as “marching Russian soldiers” at WrestleMania 31.

    While not confirmed at this point, one would assume that this is in regards to Rusev and Lana’s entrance at WrestleMania 31 later this month.

    Rusev is scheduled to defend his WWE United States Championship against John Cena on the show, which takes place on Sunday, March 29th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

    (Credit: PWInsider.com)

  • What Happened After RAW, Lilian Reacts To Botch On RAW

    – After WWE RAW went off the air, trainers checked on Seth Rollins after Randy Orton put him through the announcers table. They put a neck brace on Rollins and loaded him on to a stretcher as Orton walked to the back. Rollins was then stretchered out of the arena.

    Backstage, John Cena spoke to Byron Saxton. Cena said Stephanie McMahon made a valid point that performing at WrestleMania is a privilege. He said it will be satisfying to hand Rusev his first defeat at WrestleMania and bring the United States championship back to the United States.

    – Last night on RAW, Lilian Garcia botched the announcement of Big Show’s entrance, stating that he’s 4 feet tall. A fan asked about it on Twitter and she joked:

  • WWE RAW Pros & Cons (3/9/15): The Viper Finally Strikes!

    This week’s episode of Raw was held in the greatest city in the world: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Brock Lesnar made his return, the Viper finally decided to strike, and Bray Wyatt received an answer regarding his challenge to the Undertaker. Here are the pros and cons from this week’s episode of Raw.

    Pros

    Paul Heyman’s promo was the highlight of the night, and boy was it a highlight. In what was quite possibly one of the greatest promos of all-time, Heyman put just about everyone within a thousand-mile radius on blast. He criticized the Reigns video package that aired before he entered the ring, calling it, “nothing short of sheer propaganda” while calling Reigns’ father “one generation removed from cannibal.” He also addressed the Lesnar UFC controversy, saying that no one will take the title from Lesnar and that the Beast would gladly unify the WWE and UFC Championships over the summer if he chooses to do so. He later mentioned the Montreal Screwjob and said that anyone who tries to screw over Lesnar would not leave the arena alive. In all, the promo was a borderline shoot that perfectly blurred the line between fantasy and reality. He really did everything he could to put the main event at WrestleMania over, and he definitely succeeded.

    Daniel Bryan vs. Bad News Barrett was a good match with both guys displaying strong fundamentals. Bryan hit the running high knee from out of nowhere for the win after failing to put away Barrett with a backslide. Bad News got the upper hand on Bryan after the match, however, hitting him with a Bull Hammer before being laid out by Dean Ambrose. It was a solid opening contest and a good way to further hype the ladder match at WrestleMania.

    Connor “The Crusher” Michalek will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as the first recipient of the newly created “Warrior Award.” This company gives fans plenty of reasons to complain, but even the most cynical fan can’t help but praise them for this move.

    Dean Ambrose squared off against Stardust in the second match of the night. The action was largely uneventful, with Ambrose picking up the win after a big clothesline and Dirty Deeds. This goes into the “Pros” column largely due to the post-match brawl, with all of the competitors in the Intercontinental Championship ladder match getting in on the fun. It’s nice to see the company making this into a big deal, and Barrett getting duped by a phony IC strap was also somewhat amusing.

    Rusev quickly squashed Curtis Axel and then proceeded to talk some smack on the good ‘ole US of A. Cena had warned him beforehand not to do so in a nationalist rant prior to the match, but the Russian decided to press his luck. Cena absolutely destroyed Rusev, causing him to pass out twice in the STF. Lana granted Cena his rematch in an attempt to call off the dogs. Cena then stood up with an absolutely evil glare on his face, which was actually a nice change of pace. I’d like to see a darker, more ruthless side of Cena as they head into their rematch at WrestleMania.

    The opening segment was pretty entertaining, all things considered. Noble sounded like a fool, leading Rollins to declare that they are “J&J Security, not J&J Public Speaking.” Orton was the star of this segment, however, as he went down the line and ripped everyone a new one. He said what we’ve all been thinking for months by calling Kane the “Devil’s Favorite Dumbass,” and continued by insulting Big Show, Rollins, and J&J. It was a solid opening to the show and the crowd seemed to be into it.

    The Divas make an appearance in the “Pros” column this week after a solid match between AJ Lee and Summer Rae. They were given about five minutes and the match featured some decent action, with AJ eventually picking up the win with the Black Widow. It didn’t set the world on fire, but it’s definitely an improvement over what we’re used to in the main roster Divas division. I also thought the Bella Twins’ Flintstones outfits were kind of cute.

    And, in a shocking turn of events, the Divas are back for an encore. Naomi and Natalya weren’t given much time at all, but the action was solid, with the highlight being Naomi’s excellent counter of the Sharpshooter. I wish this one would have been a little longer, but it served its purpose by advancing the tag team feud and getting the Divas more exposure.

    Bray Wyatt finally got his answer after weeks of provoking the Undertaker. After cutting a nice promo, the lights went out and ‘Taker’s music hit. From there, a message appeared on the big screen that said, “At WrestleMania, the man comes around.” Lightning then struck Wyatt’s chair, causing Wyatt to laugh maniacally as it burned. It was the perfect way to have the Dead Man accept Wyatt’s challenge without giving fans too much.

  • John Cena vs. Rusev Added To WrestleMania

    John Cena will challenge Rusev for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 31 on Sunday, March 29th. The match was made after John Cena applied to the STF to Rusev twice, with Lana pleading with Cena to release the hold and offering the match in exchange for mercy on Rusev.

    With that match set, here’s the updated card for WWE WrestleMania 31:

    – WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns

    – Triple H vs Sting

    – The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt

    – John Cena vs. Rusev

    – IC Title Ladder Match: Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper vs. R-Truth, more TBA

    – The Bella Twins vs. AJ Lee and Paige

    – Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

  • Jack Swagger On The “#GiveDivasAChance” Movement, WrestleMania 31 & More

    WWE Superstar Jack Swagger recently spoke with The Huffington Post U.K.’s “Royal Ramblings” blog. Below are highlights from the interview.

    On what it would mean to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31: “It would mean a lot. Just to be on a Wrestlemania card, I think, means more to the superstars than a pay check or going to work that day. It’s such a special thing, such an honour to be on there. So to win the Battle Royal would be very impressive and I’d put it up there with one of the best feats of my career. Anything named after Andre the Giant in our line of work is something very special and should be put on a pedestal.”

    On Rusev vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 31: “Rusev is one of those competitors that comes around once in a generation. Everything that you see about him is legit. If anyone were to stand a chance against him it would probably be Jack Swagger! I think I’ve probably got one more Wrestlemania to get him! Me aside, if anyone wants to take him down in this day and age in the WWE it will be John Cena – and what a moment that will be.”

    On advice he’d give Roman Reigns going into his match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31: “I think I would tell Roman that he just needs to do everything he has done his entire life. He knows how to win and how to prepare himself. The hay’s in the barn at that point, it’s just time to believe in himself and go win the biggest match of his life. That, and to stop putting so much conditioner in his hair before he goes out! It’s not naturally that shiny! It makes me mad. It’s all product! You’re all product Roman!”

    On the “#GiveDivasAChance” movement and who he feels the next big Diva will be: “I think our divas division is very strong and more competitive than it has been since I’ve been on the roster. They definitely are underutilised and don’t get enough air time – some matches just leave you blown away by what they do. I think Trinity (Naomi) is one of the girls that is going to transcend and change the division. She’s so athletic – if she was a guy she’d be a Pro Bowler in the NFL or an All-Star in the NBA, she’s that good.”

    Check out the complete interview at HuffingtonPost.co.uk.

  • Lana To Take Time Off From WWE Soon, Uhaa Nation Set To Report To NXT

    – Following months of speculation, independent pro wrestling star Uhaa Nation is finally scheduled to head to NXT. The indy wrestling sensation announced his departure from Dragon Gate USA on their March 1st event after losing to BxB Hulk for the “Open the Dream Gate” title.

    – Due to the fact that she secured a role in the new WWE Studios movie “Interrogation,” WWE Diva Lana is expected to take some time off from WWE television in the near future to film the project. Whether or not this affects Rusev’s character remains to be seen.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Possible Match For Next Week’s RAW, Goldust/WM31 Note, More

    – Following this week’s SmackDown television taping, WWE will be returning to Washington, D.C. on Monday, June 29th for a live RAW television show. The pre-sale code for tickets to the event is “WWEDC.”

    – It looks as though Rusev vs. Curtis Axel will be taking place on next Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, likely for the WWE United States Championship.

    – Goldust referenced the WWE Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania 31 in a new tweet, leading some to speculate that he may take part in the match. Whether or not he’s throwing fans off the scent of what his real match will be remains to be seen. Goldust, a former three-time I-C champ himself, tweeted the following:

    https://twitter.com/Goldust/status/572942611692040192

  • WWE RAW Pros & Cons (3/2/15): Mr. Daily Show Gets The Best Of Mr. Money In The Bank

    Raw emanated from the Garden State this week, but it was certainly no walk in the park for Seth Rollins. Fans were treated to two title matches during the show, as well as a special appearance from Jon Stewart. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons from this week’s episode of Raw.

    Pros 

    The highlight of the night was Seth Rollins’ phony “Daily Show.” He immediately insulted the crowd by calling Newark the “armpit of America” before recapping his appearance on the real deal last Thursday. Mr. Money in the Bank had J&J rolling with a few corny jokes, while pondering the whereabouts of Mr. Stewart. His question was quickly answered, as Stewart showed up to a nice pop from the crowd. Stewart ripped on Rollins hard while displaying his knowledge of legends past in an absolutely hilarious segment that ended with Stewart delivering a swift kick to Rollins’ nuts. Entertaining top-of-the-hour segment, and it should provide a bit of crossover buzz heading into WrestleMania.

    Triple H was so intense during his promo this week, and as always, his delivery was solid. Hunter took a few shots at the “kids” who think they know the backstage politics of the business, while threating: “I will make sure it is as if Sting’s career never existed.” Booker T’s involvement in the segment was refreshing and something new, even if it meant seeing The Game almost hand the five-time champ his walking papers.

    Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper went into the “Pros” column before it even started. When you get two guys with this kind of talent in the same ring, it’s almost impossible to disappoint. Even though they weren’t given much time at all, the two worked a stiff match that saw both superstars take their fair share of abuse. Bryan was unceremoniously dumped over the top rope to the floor at one point, but was eventually able to counter a modified crossface into the Yes! Lock for the win. Following the match, Ambrose, Harper, Barrett, Ziggler, and R-Truth, all attempted to walk away with the Intercontinental Championship while Bryan looked on. It looks like our lineup for the WrestleMania ladder match is basically set.

    It was a pleasant surprise to see Seth Rollins open the show, as he hyped his confrontation with Jon Stewart later in the night. He of course talked a little smack, saying: “Unlike the Daily Show where they give away their tickets for free, every single person in a seat tonight paid to see Seth Rollins.” The only downside to this segment was the involvement of Roman Reigns. He arrived, said a few words that weren’t exactly memorable, performed his two signature moves, and basically stood in the ring hoping to be cheered (he failed miserably, in case you’re wondering). It’s sad that even when the the company is using New Jersey’s own Jon Stewart to get Rollins heat, the crowd still universally boos the thought of Reigns becoming champion. Overall, it seemed like another lame attempt to get Reigns over, but Rollins was money.

    The Miz “Niagara” commercial was on point. I loved Mizdow’s involvement in the backstage segment and commercial.

    There weren’t many spots during the Ambrose/Barrett match, but it was pleasant. Most of the exciting action took place outside of the ring, with Ambrose diving through the middle ropes to take out Barrett and later delivering a big elbow from the ring apron. He eventually picked up the win after hitting Dirty Deeds following a distraction. It’s nice to see the company getting multiple midcarders involved in this Intercontinental Championship ladder match (including Dean Ambrose, Luke Harper, probably Daniel Bryan as well). With that said, it is absolutely cringeworthy hearing JBL and Cole interact with R-Truth on commentary.

    Alundra Blayze was announced as the latest inductee into the Hall of Fame. That’s cool, I guess.

    Finally, John Cena cut his usual “inspirational” promo this week. It’s obvious Cena doesn’t possess the necessary credentials to warrant inclusion into the prestigious Andre the Giant Battle Royal, and Stephanie of course quickly shot down his hopes. The two engaged in their typical banter to start the nine o’clock hour. Stephanie declaring, “For once, I actually like this chant” when referring to the Yes! chant was humorous.

    Axel was easily the MVP of this segment though, and the crowd was eating it up big time. The two followed up the segment with a quick match, with Cena quickly forcing Axel to tap out to the STF. Rusev once again denied Cena his rematch following the match, keeping us all on edge as to whether this will match occur at WrestleMania.

  • Update On WrestleMania Poster Featuring Undertaker And Sting, Lilian Garcia To Sing At NBA Game

    – This WrestleMania 31 poster that surfaced last week featuring The Undertaker and Sting, among others, is legitimate. WWE launched this banner ad campaign on Monday promoting the event on the WWE Network featuring a variation of the artwork.

    – Lilian Garcia is scheduled to sing the National Anthem on Friday, March 13 the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona before the Phoenix Suns vs. Atlanta Hawks game.

  • Rusev & Lana Purchase A Home Together, CM Punk/AJ Lee Note, Rey Mysterio

    – WWE performers Rusev (Miroslav Barnyashev) and Lana (CJ Perry), who as noted in the past are actually a real-life couple, purchased a home together in Nashville, Tennessee recently. The two bought a four bedroom, four bathroom home for $644,000. You can check out photos of the property at TMZ.com.

    – Speaking of pro wrestling couples, CM Punk and AJ Lee attended a comedy show that featured Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick and Mike Lawrence at the Atheneum Theatre in Chicago, Illinois on Friday night.

    – Former WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio continues to pile up the bookings, as he is now officially being advertised to appear at the London Film & Comic Con event on July 17th, 18th and 19th. For ticket information, visit LondonFilmAndComicCon.com.

  • Post-WrestleMania WWE Europe Tour Lineup

    WWE is gearing up for their annual post-WrestleMania European tour, with the following matches being advertised:

    The “A-Crew” will be headlined by John Cena vs. Rusev for the United States Championship, Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship and Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins.

    For other touring roster will feature Roman Reigns vs. Big Show in the main event, Daniel Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper and Tag Team Champions Tyson Kidd and Cesaro vs. The Usos.

    While this doesn’t reveal anything big about what could transpire at WrestleMania, it does give an idea of which feuds will be continuing.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • What Happened After Monday’s RAW Ended, Jon Stewart/WWE Update

    – While he did mention the name Rusev on Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart did not reference his current angle with Seth Rollins.

    – The dark match main event after Monday’s RAW saw Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and John Cena beat Big Show, Kane, Bray Wyatt and Seth Rollins. The finish saw Reigns hit a spear on Big Show, with Cena following up with an Attitude Adjustment for the 1-2-3.

  • WWE RAW Pros & Cons (2/23/15): The Road To WrestleMania Rolls Through Nashville

    Raw was held in Nashville this week as the build to WrestleMania continues. The event featured a Tag Team Championship match, a few promos, and a bunch of other stuff that wasn’t really music to most fans’ ears. Here are the pros and cons from this week’s episode of Raw.

    Pros

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    As soon as they announced the Usos were planning to invoke their rematch clause, it was obvious fans were going to be in for another treat. As one would expect, the action was fast paced and frequently spilled over to ringside. Kidd’s heel work has been top notch over the past few weeks, frequently using his wife as a human shield in order to gain an upper hand.

    The Tag Champs work so well together too, using combination moves such as a catapult into a big uppercut, and a Cesaro swing into a dropkick. Although the match didn’t end clean, it featured some solid action and was probably the highlight of the night. Kidd and Cesaro are the best team in the WWE by far right now. They should get these guys some merch and push them to the moon.

    I loved the backstage segment between the Miz and Damien Mizdow. It was awesome (no pun intended) to hear the Miz talk up the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and act like a win would elevate his career to new heights. (That worked out real well for Cesaro last year.)

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    Bad News Barrett vs. Dolph Ziggler was a decent opening match. There were honestly only a handful of wrestling moves utilized throughout the match, with most of the action consisting of punches, rest holds, and brawling action outside of the ring. With that said, there were a few impressive sequences. Ziggler countered Wasteland twice, once into a DDT and another into a sunset flip. The sequence where Barrett ended up hitting Winds of Change was also nice.

    The Show Off picked up the win after hitting the Zig Zag, allowing for Ambrose to show up and taunt Barrett with his Intercontinental Championship before staring Ziggler down. What are the chances that Barrett never touches his beloved title again? I’d usually say it’s about as likely as the Cubs winning the World Series this season, but they actually decided to crack open the checkbook over the winter so that might not be the best analogy.

    #Axelmania. Enough said.

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    The Daniel Bryan/Roman Reigns promo was one of the more interesting moments all night. It was nice to see Daniel Bryan once again acting as the voice of the fans, saying, “The biggest Roman Reigns doubter is right here in Daniel Bryan,” while also echoing fan sentiments regarding Reigns only being in the main event because of his size and look. At the same time, he also put Reigns over for winning the match, ending the segment with a handshake.

    Heyman’s interaction with Reigns was also intriguing, as he said he would put his money on Reigns over anyone, including guys like Hogan, Austin, and the Rock – anyone except Brock Lesnar, of course. Reigns was confident and composed during the back and forth with Heyman as he continues to improve on the mic. It’s easy to picture these two guys hooking up in the near future.

    The Bray Wyatt promo was more of the same, but still entertaining nonetheless. I can’t wait for the Undertaker to show up respond to Wyatt’s challenge.

  • WWE Fastlane Pros And Cons: Roman Reigns Supreme, Punches Ticket To WrestleMania

    WWE Fastlane was held in Memphis last night at the FedEx Forum. It was a fitting venue, seeing as they pretty much mailed it in for most of the night. After a night of action, we now have a pretty clear idea of what WrestleMania will look like in five weeks. Here are the pros and cons from last night’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view.

    Pros

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    After a night of non-finishes and botched endings, the main event between Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns was an absolute treat. These two guys started off a bit slow, but once they got going, they really gelled well. Bryan’s wrestling style went so well with the brawling style of Reigns, and it was nice to see both guys getting support from the crowd.

    A few of the highlights included Reigns countering Bryan’s dive to the floor into an overhead belly to belly suplex, Bryan countering the spear into a beautiful small package, and also Reigns turning a potential hurricanrana into a brutal powerbomb from the top rope. These two also employed some solid in-ring psychology due to Reigns selling Bryan’s kick to the liver as he tried to hit a Superman punch. Overall, it was an exciting match, both guys looked great, it ended clean, and it’s always nice to see a main event end in a handshake.

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    The tag team match was a close second for match of the night. These two teams have so much chemistry and it’s really a pleasure to watch them do their thing. Cesaro’s half crab Cesaro swing was cool, as was the combination of Cesaro’s suplex from the apron into a springboard from Kidd.

    The Usos looked good as well, teaming up for a double team Samoan drop that I don’t recall seeing them bust out before. In the end, new champions were crowned after Kidd picked up the victory with a swinging fisherman suplex. After their victory, it was nice to find out that they are “still the new WWE Tag Team Champions” (perhaps suggesting the outcome was changed last minute, as the odds shifted after the “smart money” was in).

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    The Bray Wyatt segment was enjoyable. He had the crowd going nuts in anticipation of the Phenom, only to shatter their dreams by popping out of the coffin. Wyatt called himself “the new face of fear,” and said: “At WrestleMania, I will claim the soul of the Undertaker.” This feud should be entertaining, but it would have been nice to see Wyatt play up the fact that fans weren’t getting ‘Taker, as the company needs more dislikable heels right now.

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    I’m not totally sure how I feel about the Sting and Triple H segment, so I’ll go ahead and put it in the pros section. Triple H of course continued to bury a long dead company, stating: “My legacy is putting your legacy out of business.” He also threatened Sting with the Benoit treatment, saying he would wipe him from the history books if he didn’t cooperate. It was cool to see Sting use his signature black bat though, and Hunter was very intense throughout the segment. Overall, it could have been better, but it was a decent setup for their match at WrestleMania.

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    Finally, the Rusev and John Cena match was far from perfect, but it worked out well. There was some hard-hitting action throughout, including a big spinning side slam from Rusev. The action was slow-paced and methodical, but it was entertaining for the most part. It of course ended in another non-clean finish, but it worked well in this case. I have to say, seeing Cena stagger out of the arena was pretty satisfying, even though it means he will definitely get redemption at WrestleMania.

  • Ambrose Steals I-C Title, Rusev Retains U.S. Title At WWE Fastlane PPV

    – Dean Ambrose left the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee on Sunday night with the WWE Intercontinental Title, however he failed to become champion. Ambrose was disqualified in his match with the current Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett, however after the match, Ambrose attacked Barrett and stole his title. This likely sets the stage for an Ambrose vs. Barrett match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 31.

    – Rusev defeated John Cena to retain the WWE United States Championship at Sunday night’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view. The finish came when a series of circumstances led to Cena passing out in The Accolade.