Posts Tagged ‘Ryback’

Ryback Talks I-C Title And What’s Next, His Maximum Bench Press, SummerSlam & More

WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback recently spoke with The Argus Leader to promote this Saturday’s WWE live event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On benching up to 550 pounds and lifting heavy Superstars: “There aren’t many guys that I’m not capable of picking them up. It’s a pretty incredible thing and I’m very thankful for it. It’s not easy; it’s a totally different ballgame lifting a human body like Mark Henry and The Big Show compared to a barbell or dumbbell. But the weight training has prepared me for opportunities like that.”

On respecting old school wrestling history: “Being a part of this (WWE), I’m thankful for everybody that has come before me. They laid the groundwork for what we have here now in the WWE. If it wasn’t for the (Fabulous) Freebirds, the Von Erich’s and guys of that nature who put their heart and soul into this, then we wouldn’t have the opportunity to be WWE Superstars.”

On returning to defend his title at SummerSlam and what’s next: “Obviously, being the Intercontinental Champion is a huge responsibility. The next step, and it’s solely on my shoulders now, is to take this momentum and carry it into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, eventually. So I’m taking it as a challenge, and I’m loving every second of it.”

Check out the complete interview at ArgusLeader.com.

Injured WWE Superstar Rumored To Be Returning Tonight On RAW

Intercontinental Champion Ryback is currently in Washington and is rumored to be returning to WWE television tonight on RAW.

The Big Guy has been out of action since mid-July after coming down with a staph infection that left his leg very swollen.

Ryback is still scheduled to return to action later this month at SummerSlam where he’ll defend against The Miz and Big Show in a triple threat match.

*Spoilers* WWE Main Event Taping Results For This Week

WWE taped only two matches for this week’s edition of Main Event prior to the SmackDown taping in Sacramento, California on Tuesday night. Below are spoiler results for this week’s show.

– Big Show comes out to kick off the show. He cuts a promo on Ryback, but while he’s talking, Jack Swagger’s music hits. Swagger comes out, interrupting the giant, which leads to a match.

– Big Show def. Jack Swagger in one-on-one action in the first of only two matches taped for this week’s Main Event. This match was actually given a lot more time than you’d think. In the end, Big Show was able to hit his finisher on Swagger and score the 1-2-3.

– The Lucha Dragons def. The Ascension in tag-team action in what was the final match taped for this week’s show. This match was also given a decent amount of time. The crowd was into the action, as it was fast-paced and featured a lot of high-flying moves and big spots. In the end, The Lucha Dragons managed to pick up the “W.” After this match, WWE began taping this week’s SmackDown.

Brooklyn Cyclones And WWE Join Forces For SummerSlam Night

Eva-Marie-3

The Brooklyn Cyclones have just announced on their website that on August 19th at MCU Park in Brooklyn they will host a special softball event.

WWE Superstars Charlotte, Eva Marie, Fandango and Ryback will be attending and will also be taking some time out to meet with fans.

MCU Park is the same location that Ring of Honor will be hosting their Field of Honor event during SummerSlam weekend (August 22nd).

The following announcement was posted on their website:

The Brooklyn Cyclones and WWE have partnered for SummerSlam Night at MCU Park on Wednesday, August 19 to kick off a borough-wide celebration as WWE brings SummerSlam, the biggest event of the summer, to Barclays Center on Sunday, August 23.

As part of the night’s festivities, WWE Superstars and Divas including Ryback, Fandango, Eva Marie and Charlotte, will join members of the FDNY, NYPD and other celebrities in a pre-game Celebrity/Civil Servants All-Star Challenge and softball game prior to the 7:00 PM game against the Lowell Spinners. Also scheduled to participate in the game are NBA Hall of Famer and current St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mullin, Mets Hall of Famer John Franco, Greg Kelly & Rosanna Scotto – the hosts of Good Day New York – and many others. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will go home with a Greg & Rosanna bobble head courtesy of Municipal Credit Union.

WWE Superstars and Divas will also take part in a pre-game autograph session for fans, with giveaways and prizes courtesy of WWE and Tapout.

All tickets for this game are just $10 and available now by calling 718-507-TIXX, logging on to BrooklynCyclones.com or in person at the MCU Park Box Office.

**WWE Superstars/Divas and other celebrities subject to change.

If you’d like to attend this event, you can purchase tickets at this link.

MSG Honors Roddy Piper, Ryback To Be Stripped Of The IC Title?

Deadline.com reports that the production workers strike at Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Challenge” show on CMT has been resolved. The production company, 51 Minds Entertainment, has agreed to a health and pension benefits package with workers.

– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans if they agree with The Miz saying Ryback should be stripped of the Intercontinental Championship since he’s been out of action due to injury. With over 3,800 votes cast, 54% believe that Ryback should retain the title while he recovers from his staph infection.

– WWE is encouraging fans to submit questions for Paige and Steve Austin ahead of tonight’s Stone Cold Podcast using the hashtag #StoneColdPodcast.

– Madison Square Garden in New York City is honoring the late Rowdy Roddy Piper:

Photo: Ryback Still In Bad Shape Following Staph Infection

WWE Intercontinental champion Ryback us currently out of action due to a bad staph infection and posted a the following photo to show fans what he’s been dealing with:

https://instagram.com/p/55wpgRS32U/

Ryback To Be Stripped Of I-C Title?, Preview For Tonight’s Special On The Kliq

– The Miz noted on social media that his “legal team” is working on getting current WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback stripped of his title due to the fact that he is unable to defend it right now due to injury. Miz tweeted the following:

https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/status/626270773905367040

– Below is a preview for tonight’s “The Kliq: Most Influential Moments and Matches” special that is scheduled to air on the WWE Network.

WWE Battleground IC Title Match Officially Cancelled

WWE has officially confirmed the fact that the scheduled triple-threat match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship is off of this Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view event.

Originally, it was known that Ryback would be off the show due to a staph infection in his right knee, however it was unclear whether or not Big Show and The Miz, the other two Superstars booked in the match, would still compete on the card.

It’s worth noting that while Big Show and The Miz are both off of Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view right now, as is the case with all WWE shows, it is “subject to change.”

Ryback Comments On His Injury, Pulling Out Of WWE Battleground

As reported recently, Ryback suffered a knee injury and will not be able to defend his WWE Intercontinental Championship against The Miz and Big Show at this Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view as scheduled.

“The Big Guy” took to Twitter to comment on what happened that resulted in him pulling out of the show.

Ryback Talks About His Character, WWE Title Aspirations & More

Prior to the announcement that he has pulled out of Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view due to injury, WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback spoke with STL Today for an interview. Below are some of the highlights.

On his previous push and having momentum now: “I felt we had lightning in a bottle very early on, and we let that go. And I had to take a few steps back and regroup, and I’ve come back at this thing with a whole new game plan. This is the first time I’ve had some really, really good momentum on my side.”

On merging his real and fictional selves with the Ryback character: “The intensity and the anger, that is all who I am, but there’s so much more than that. It just takes time to let people in, because if you let them in too soon, they might not understand it, but then over time, it just has a much better feel and pace to it, and it has been much better received that way.”

On working to improve and make it to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: “It’s watching one more match when I’m home every day than I was doing before. Instead of doing 100 burpees for my conditioning, I do 125 or 150. So it’s just making small improvements upon everything that I was already doing, and I’m already seeing the difference of that.”

Check out the complete interview at STLToday.com.

Ryback Injured, Unable To Defend Intercontinental Championship At WWE Battleground

WWE has announced that Ryback suffered an injury on Raw that will prevent him from defending the Intercontinental Championship this Sunday at Battleground. He was scheduled to defend the title in a Triple Threat Match against Big Show and The Miz.

“Earlier this week on Raw, Intercontinental Champion Ryback sustained an injury that will prevent him from competing and defending his title this weekend at WWE Battleground.

“Stay with WWE.com for additional details on Ryback’s condition.”

Alongside Randy Orton, Ryback faced Big Show and Sheamus in a tag team match, which he was able to finish.

Security Guard Files Lawsuit Against WWE For Getting Hit With A Chair

Troy Rivers filed a lawsuit against WWE claiming that he was hit with a chair to the head while working as a security guard at a WWE live event.

Rivers was working a show in Savannah, Georgia when he claims he was struck. “Suddenly, and with no warning whatsoever… struck about the head, neck, and back by a folding chair.” Rivers believes Dean Ambrose (a/k/a Jonathan Good) swung the chair. However, his attorney said that’s unclear.

“We haven’t reviewed the video from the event yet, so we’re bringing in everyone on the card that night,” Rivers’ attorney, Kevin Elwell, told Courthouse News. “Only one guy did it, but we don’t know which one yet.”

The lawsuit lists John Cena, Seth Rollins, Ryback, Kane, Daniel Bryan, R-Truth, and other wrestlers who worked the show as defendants.

WWE Battleground Card, July 19, 2015

Below is the current card for this year’s WWE Battleground PPV which will take place on July 19th from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri and will be available on the WWE Network.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman)

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

WWE United States Championship
John Cena  vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Tag Team Championship
The Prime Time Players vs. The New Day

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Ryback  vs. Big Show vs. Miz

*Champions shown in bold.

WWE SmackDown Results – July 9, 2015

WWE Smackdown on SyFy Live Review
Taped on Tuesday at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Report by Jake Bennett & ProWrestling.net

[Q1] Footage was shown of Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar’s revenge on The Authority from Monday’s Raw, with the destruction of the Cadillac and J&J Security. Seth Rollins music hit to open Smackdown and he made his way to the ring alone. The announce team hyped the Battleground Main Event as Seth made his introduction.

Seth said that he marched down to the ring and did the unthinkable on Raw. He told the crowd to boo all they want, but he’s more of a man than any of them will be, because on Raw he went to the ring and called out Brock Lesnar. Seth said he gave Lesnar every opportunity to step between the ropes like a man to prove he’s the beast he says he is, but instead he proved he’s a coward. Instead of taking out his frustrations on Rollins, Brock took them out on the $56k Cadillac CTS. Seth made mention of the injuries sustained by Noble and Mercury, and called them his family. He said it wasn’t the car that bothered him as much as Lesnar messing with his family.

A beeping noise indicating a truck was backing up echoed through the arena. Someone backed up the destroyed CTS into the arena, and then Paul Heyman walked out and introduced himself as the advocate for the guy who destroyed that car. Heyman said Rollins will be all alone on the 19th at Battleground when he loses the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to Brock Lesnar. Heyman said the damage done to the car will pale in comparison to the damage done to Seth Rollins on the 19th when Lesnar drags him not to hell but to a place much worse called “Suplex City”.

Rollins reiterated that Heyman thinks the car is metaphor for what he’s going to look like after Battleground. Rollins reversed the statement and said the car would resemble Lesnar after Battleground, and then listed off his accomplishments of destroying The Shield, cashing in at WrestleMania, and reuniting the authority to leave Lesnar you. Heyman attempted to get in a few words and declare that Lesnar would walk out of Battleground after holding the belt over a fallen Rollins, but before he could finish Rollins told him to shut up. Rollins told Heyman that the only man to walk out of the Battleground would be the reigning, defending, undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.

[Q2] After the interview, the announce crew put over the main event of Rollins vs. Ryback, and Dean Ambrose made his ring entrance…[c]

Bo Dallas made his way to the ring. He told Ambrose that he looks to be in need of some inspiration, and a shower. Bo referenced his encounter with The Rock at a house show, and said he was so inspired that he went on to start in a hit HBO show. If he can do that for bland unattractive people like The Rock, there was still hope for Dean Ambrose. All he had to do was Bolieve!

1. Bo Dallas vs. Dean Ambrose: Ambrose controlled the early going with chops. He went to hit a bulldog out of the corner, but Dallas reversed and threw Ambrose into the post shoulder first. He then threw Ambrose into the post two more times, and Ambrose spilled to the outside. Bo followed him and threw him into the barricade, and used the ring apron to hold down Ambrose and hit strikes to the back. Bo applied a headlock in the ring…[c]

Bo still held onto a headlock, but Ambrose escaped and hit a rebound clothesline. Ambrose hit jabs and chops and then clotheslined Dallas to ringside. Ambrose followed up with a suicide dive that sent Bo into the announce table. Ambrose climbed up top, but Bo jumped up and hit a suplex that got a near fall. He went for the Bodog, but Ambrose avoided it and hit a bulldog of his own. Ambrose was able to hit dirty deeds a moment later and got the pin.

Dean Ambrose defeated Bo Dallas at 10:18.

[Q3] Randy Orton was teased for a return…[c]

Backstage, Big Show spoke to Seth Rollins. Show told him he sympathized with Lesnar taking out his buddies, and said he needed to take out his rage on Ryback later on tonight. Show said he would do him a favor and take out his buddy Roman Reigns later. The announce then cut to some footage of Rusev putting out Dolph Ziggler “indefinitely” on Monday. Tom Phillips said Ziggler had a bruised trachea and was having trouble swallowing and breathing.

Rusev made his ring entrance with Summer Rae. Rusev was wearing low cut boots now instead of wrestling barefoot….[c]

[Q4] 2. Rusev vs. Fandango: Fandango hit a nice head scissors and then thrusted in the general direction of Summer Rae. Rusev took over with kicks and punches, and then hit a knee to the ribs and rocked Fandango. There was a “We Want Lana” chant until Rusev applied a nerve hold and taunted the crowd. Fandango eventually escaped and hit a dropkick, and then hit a top rope clothesline for a two count. He then climbed up again, but Rusev got out of the way and hit a thrust kick to the chest. He then applied The Accolade and Fandango tapped immediately.

Rusev defeated Fandango at 4:09

After the match, Rusev reapplied The Accolade and had Summer Rae hold up his hand in victory. Rusev then celebrated in his usual silly manner. The announce team plugged Big Show vs Roman Reigns for next…[c]

Roman Reigns made his entrance as footage from his Bray Wyatt confrontation on Monday was shown. Big Show then made his ring entrance.

3. Roman Reigns vs. Big Show: Reigns tried to slug it out with Big Show early but ate a big shoulder block that stopped him in his tracks. Show hit a body slam and taunted the crowd and yelled “I’m a giant”. The announce team speculated as to whether Reigns head was in the match, as Show sent him out of the ring. Reigns sent Show into the post and hit one of his apron dropkicks to shake up Big Show.

[Q5] Show beat a countout by about a second and Reigns hit a series of clotheslines and punches, and eventually knocked down Big Show with a running clothesline. Reigns setup for a Superman Punch, but Bray Wyatt’s music hit to interrupt him. Someone walked out to the stage with the lantern, but Reigns turned around just in time to punch Wyatt in the mouth as he tried to sneak up from behind him. Reigns continued to battle Big Show for a moment until Wyatt interfered.

Roman Reigns defeated Big Show by DQ at 4:48.

After the match, Big Show hit a chokeslam on Reigns. Wyatt crabwalked up to him as he got up and hit Sister Abigail…[c]

The Prime Time Players were in the ring, and the New Day made their entrance. Big will be taking on Titus O’Neill. Footage was shown of New Day vs. The Lucha Dragons.

4. Big E vs. Titus: Big E hit a body block and some stomps at the start of the match. Titus reversed an irish whip and sent Big E to the outside, and then tossed him back into the ring from the apron. Titus hit a couple of shoulder blocks and then an awkward looking body slam. Big E fired back with a belly to belly. New Day tried to interfere, but after Darren Young protested they were tossed from ringside. Afterwards, Big E walked into a sit out spinebuster and Titus pinned him for the win.

Titus defeated Big E at 3:28.

After the match, the announce team plugged WWE 2K16 and showed more footage of the Cadillac being wheeled to a recycling facility and crushed before it was brought to the arena for Smackdown.

[Q6] Randy Orton made his entrance into the arena as Tom Phillips plugged footage of what he did on Raw for next..[c]

Footage was shown of Sheamus and Randy Orton’s confrontation from Raw. Orton then said that no one in has career has gotten under his skin quite like Sheamus, He then said Sheamus fancies himself a modern day gladiator, and says ridiculous things like “Are you entertained!”, and he has made it his goal to make him entertaining. He would rip that stupid mohawk off his head and shove up up his pale white arse.

As Orton tried to leave, the Ascension walked out. Viktor said this was their match time, and he has two choices. He could leave and let them have their time, or stay and be eaten alive by two hungry wolves. Konnor said he should leave, or they would personally introduce them to the wasteland. Orton RKO’d Konnor and hit a hanging DDT in Viktor, followed but another RKO.

The announce team switched gears and focused on the Beast in the East special. They spoke about Owens losing his NXT Championship, and the confrontation between him and Cesaro from Monday, and the fallout from the Cesaro and Cena match. The Bella’s made their entrance with Alicia Fox…[c]

[Q7] Tamina and Naomi made their entrance…

5. Naomi and Tamina vs. Brie Bella and Alicia Fox: Brie and Naomi started and Brie fired up Brie Mode early but it went nowhere. Tamina tagged in and hit an impressive uranage. Naomi tagged back in and Brie sent her into the corner and tagged out to Alicia Fox. Alicia took down Naomi and knocked Tamina off the apron. Alicia sent Naomi off the ropes, but Tamina made a blind tag and surprised Alicia with an elbow to the back. She picked up Alicia for her Samoan Drop finisher but Nikki jumped up on the apron, allowing Brie to break the hold. Alicia hit a big axe kick and pinned Tamina for the win.

Alicia Fox and Brie Bella defeated Naomi and Tamina at 3:41.

Backstage, Ryback was interviewed. He called out Seth Rollins for being a coward for running from Brock Lesnar on Monday. He said he told Rollins what it meant to be a champion two weeks ago, but tonight he would show him. Ryback then said it was feeding time…[c]

[Q8] 5. Ryback vs. Seth Rollins: Ryback used his strength to intimidate Rollins, and then sent him to ringside. Rollins looked frustrated and re-entered the ring without taking his eyes off of Ryback. Rollins got in a few knees, but Ryback picked him up for a delayed vertical suplex, and then clotheslined Rollins out to ringside once again…[c]

Rollins dropped Ryback throat first onto the top rope, and jumped out to the apron to hit a side kick that sent Ryback to the floor. Rollins tossed Ryback into the barricade and then taunted the crowd before re-entering the ring. He then mocked Brock Lesnar by jumping with both feet onto the ring apron.

Seth jumped on Ryback’s back to apply a sleeper, but Ryback reversed into a backpack stunner. He then hit Rollins with a back body drop and a sit out bodyslam for a two count. Ryback went for a powerbomb, but Rollins avoided it and climbed to the top rope. Ryback avoided him and hit a spinebuster. Rollins attempted to roll to the outside, but Ryback pulled him back into the ring and hit a powerbomb. He set up for and hit a meat hook clothesline. He then picked up Seth for Shellshock, but Seth squirmed out. He then hit an enziguri and rolled out to the floor.

Seth signaled that he was taking his title and leaving. He grabbed his championship and started up the ramp, but Ryback followed and pulled him back. Rollins then tried to leave through the crowd, but he was stopped again. Ryback set up for Shellshock on the outside, but Rollins escaped again and left with his belt through the crowd. Ryback got in the ring and Rollins was counted out.

Ryback defeated Seth Rollins via Countout at 12:11.

After the match, Big Show’s entrance hit and they decided to take apart Ryback. They surrounded the ring and Ryback tried and failed to take down Big Show. They both hit kicks and punches until Roman Reigns made his entrance to even the odds. He speared Big Show and sent Rollins into Ryback to be hit by Shellshock. Both babyfaces celebrated to close the show.

Ryback Talks About His IC Title Reign, Battleground & More

WWE Intercontinental champion Ryback sat down with Michael Cole for WWE.com’s weekly interview. Here are the highlights:

– Cole asked Ryback how his life has changed since winning his first singles championship in WWE at Elimination Chamber. Ryback said he’s had ups & downs in his career, but the title win was the culmination of all his hard work. Ryback called it a moment he will never forget and one he’s thankful for. Ryback said fans not booing him when Daniel Bryan handed the title over to him was a big moment.

– Ryback says The Miz has been a thorn in his side since they worked Tough Enough together years ago. He acknowledged Miz is a former WWE Champion and said that can’t be overlooked. Ryback called Big Show one of the greatest big men in WWE history, but he’s not better than the Big Guy. Ryback says his life revolves around WWE and takes it personally when Big Show says he doesn’t deserve to be here. Ryback said he knows Big Show doesn’t like to be man-handled, but Ryback is one of the few who can man-handle him.

– Ryback talked about facing Mark Henry on this week’s SmackDown and says losing to Henry has been eating at him since WrestleMania 29. He’s going to Shellshock Miz and Big Show at Battleground and Mark Henry will be a warm up for him.

WWE Night Of Champions Tickets, Linda McMahon At RAW, The Miz Talks Ryback And Big Show

WWE have confirmed that this year’s WWE Night of Champions PPV will take place on September 20th in Houston, Texas. Tickets go on sale on July 11th with an online presale also taking place.

During last night’s episode of RAW, Linda McMahon was spotted in among the fans taking notes, she later posted a photo on Twitter, backstage with some of the talent.

Speaking of RAW, in the video above, The Miz can be seen talking to Eden about how he has worked out the weaknesses of both Big Show and the Intercontinental Champion, Ryback.

He explains that he will exploit those weaknesses to his advantage at the upcoming Battleground PPV which will take place on July 19th.

Update: Ryback Injured At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown Tapings?

There were live reports from Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings that Ryback may have been injured during his match with Kane. Big Show interfered and attacked Ryback. Referees threw up the “X” sign and Ryback was helped to the back.

Update (via ProWrestling.net): After the taping, Big Show came out and joined Seth Rollins in beating up Dean Ambrose. Ryback was out next to help, followed by Roman Reigns. All three babyfaces hit their finishers to end the show. Hopefully Ryback’s ‘injury’ was a work or a false alarm.

WWE Battleground 2015 PPV Lineup: New Title Matches Added

Following Monday’s edition of WWE RAW from Indianapolis, Indiana, several new matches were made official for the upcoming WWE Battleground pay-per-view event.

Below is an updated look at the official lineup for WWE Battleground 2015:

WWE World Heavyweight Title
– Seth Rollins (c) vs. Brock Lesnar

WWE United States Title
– John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Intercontinental Title
– Ryback (c) vs. Big Show vs. The Miz

WWE Tag-Team Titles
– The Prime Time Players (c) vs. The New Day

– Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

WWE Battleground takes place on Sunday, July 19, 2015, live from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on 7/19 for the best WWE Battleground live results coverage on the web!

Update On CM Punk At WWE Event Confusion (Photo), Ryback’s Family At Live Event

– WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback’s family was sitting at ringside during the WWE live event in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday evening. The family of the I-C champion witnessed their son defeat Bray Wyatt in singles competition in the opening match, and saw him again as he made a run-in to make the save after the main event later in the show.

– As reported earlier, there was some confusion due to the ring attire, pre-match promo and the work style during the match against Jack Swagger used by WWE performer Brad Maddox on Saturday night that led fans to believe he was CM Punk making an unannounced, surprise appearance. We can confirm that Punk was not at the show, as you can clearly tell in the photo of Maddox below, although one could see how lesser educated fans could make that mistake.

https://twitter.com/Memo__HD/status/612476321097060352

*Spoilers* WWE Main Event Taping Results For This Week

WWE taped the following matches for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event prior to taping WWE SmackDown on Tuesday night in Buffalo, New York.

Dark Match

– Zack Ryder def. Brad Maddox in what was apparently a quick, basic opening contest.

WWE Main Event

– The Prime Time Players def. The Ascension in tag-team action to kick off the Main Event taping. Prior to the match, the PTP taught the crowd how to do their “Millions of Dollars” dance, while The Ascension cut a promo welcoming us to “Wasteland.” In the end, Young hit the gut buster on Viktor to score the 1-2-3.

– King Barrett def. Heath Slater in singles competition. Barrett won in what was said to be a good little match. Afterwards, R-Truth came out as “King What’s Up?” He pardoned “Lil’ Jimmy” and declared Barrett “King Jackass.”

– Naomi def. Summer Rae via submission in Divas action. Tamina was in Naomi’s corner during this one.

– Ryback def. Adam Rose in a pretty quick match with Rose surprisingly enough getting in a good bit of offense. Ryback ended up winning with the Shellshock. After the match, Ryback scared Miz to the back and then celebrated with the crowd.

– Luke Harper & Erick Rowan def. The Lucha Dragons with their new 3-D finisher. This was said to be a very face-paced and entertaining tag-team contest.

Big SummerSlam Match For Seth Rollins, WWE Battleground IC Title Match

– At Sunday’s WWE Money in the Bank PPV, we saw The Miz interfere in the IC title match between Ryback and the Big Show. This was done to set up a 3-way match between them at next month’s Battleground PPV.

– As of this writing, the scheduled main event for WWE SummerSlam in August will be WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. Triple H. The news was first reported by Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio.

WWE has already planted the seeds for the match, with a rift forming between Rollins and The Authority and Rollins using Triple H’s pedigree finisher. It remains to be seen if Rollins will be turning babyface for his feud with Triple H, but Brock Lesnar and Triple H both wrestling at SummerSlam will help solidify the show as one of WWE’s top special events of the year.

Curtis Axel On Changing His Look, Helping The Rock, Dusty Rhodes & More

WWE Superstar Curtis Axel took part in a social media Q&A on Sunday to promote the WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights.

On his favorite memory growing up as a kid:

On whether or not he would team with Ryback again:

On his thoughts on WWE Diva Naomi:

On helping The Rock prepare for his in-ring return a few years ago:

On whether or not Dusty Rhodes was an inspiration to him:

On why he shaved his beard to change his look:

Ryback Talks Finally Winning WWE Gold, What His Future Plans Are & More

WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback recently spoke with The State-Journal Register to promote this Friday’s WWE live event in Springfield, Illinois. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On how satisfying it is to finally capture WWE Championship gold: “I came into the WWE through “Tough Enough” (a WWE reality show competition) in 2004. … I learned right away how hard this is. I had trainers tell me that I didn’t belong in WWE, that I should quit. And when I got signed by WWE (in 2005) I was told they expected me to pick it up really quick. … They had very high expectations for me. I wouldn’t say I didn’t live up to those. … I just think sometimes people expected a little too much too soon. I had a couple of major injuries and big setbacks. But throughout all of that, the one thing I never stopped doing was believing in myself. I’ve always been very confident in my abilities in what I can do. Sometimes, that doesn’t always happen on the timescale I even have set for myself. But the main thing is I keep getting back up and I keep moving forward. And (the Intercontinental Championship win) was a culmination of all that hard work and dedication.”

On the character of Ryback and how its’ changed over the years: “The Ryback you’re seeing on TV right now is an extension of my personality. Obviously when I step inside the ring with the adrenaline going and that energy, I’m very, very intense. It’s the same intensity you saw when I came into the WWE in 2012. I think now, though, I’m much more comfortable not always having to be acting a certain way. I think sometimes people see you and if you have a certain look, they expect to always be angry or always be intense. What I’ve been able to do over the last couple of years is kind of just find my comfort zone in front of the cameras and in front of the WWE fans and communicate with them that I’m a real person and I’m just very, very intense when I’m in that fight mode inside the ring. … I’m very big on motivational-type stuff, the law of attraction and keeping a positive mindset. I say start full and end empty, always waking up each and every day and just being your best and giving it everything you’ve got. … At the end of the night you go to bed, say thank you and you wake up hungry the next day.”

On what’s next for Ryback: “The next step is now having a lengthy WWE Intercontinental Championship title reign and going out there and showing people that I’m worthy of carrying that title that greats like Bret Hart, the British Bulldog, Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels and Triple H have held, living up to that potential and defending that title each and every week.

Check out the complete interview at SJ-R.com.

WWE Changes Original Plans For Matches At MITB & 7/4 WWE Network Special In Japan

– Although WWE originally had The Miz scheduled as a third participant in the WWE Intercontinental Championship bout at this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view, for whatever reason they decided to make it a straight singles match between Big Show and Ryback.

– While Chris Jericho will be wrestling Neville on the July 4th live WWE Network special from Sumo Hall in Japan, it is not the original opponent he requested. Originally, Jericho specifically asked to work with Hideo Itami, however when he found out Itami was hurt, he asked for Finn Balor. For whatever reason, WWE decided to go with Neville vs. Jericho for the live special on 7/4, however it is believed that Jericho will be working Balor on the non-televised date in the same building on 7/3.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Updated WWE Money In The Bank Lineup: Two New Title Matches Confirmed

On Monday, WWE confirmed two new title matches for this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view event.

Below is the current official lineup for WWE Money In The Bank 2015:

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
(Ladder Match)
– Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
– Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton vs. Neville vs. Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Kane

WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Ryback (c) vs. Big Show

WWE Divas Championship
– Nikki Bella vs. Paige

WWE Tag-Team Championship
– The New Day (c) vs. The Prime Time Players

– John Cena vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Money In The Bank Kickoff Show
– R-Truth vs. King Barrett

WWE Money In The Bank is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, 2015 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com for live results of the event!