– WWE Superstar Sasha Banks did an interview with City Pages to promote this weekend’s Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV), which will feature the debut of former NXT Women’s Champion Asuka. “The Legit Boss” explained why she wants a match with Asuka and what it would mean to her:
“I wanna see the Boss versus the Empress of Tomorrow, that’d be amazing,” Banks said. “The match between her and the Legit Boss would prove to the world that I am the greatest NXT Women’s Champion of all time and the greatest women’s wrestler of all time. I say bring it on.”
– Dash Wilder, who has been working matches on WWE Main Event while his partner Scott Dawson recovers from a right bicep injury, took to Twitter to fire some shots at The Young Bucks yesterday. Check it out here:
– As we previously reported, the WWE is bringing back War Games at NXT: TakeOver Houston next month (November 18, 2017). Former WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes took to Twitter to react to the news, and while not being happy that the company brought back Starrcade, Rhodes claimed that he wasn’t made about War Games and believes “care and effort will be placed into it”:
I'm not mad. I was told. H worked for my Dad and then my Dad worked for him. They were friends. Care and effort will be placed into it.
– Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks teamed up with WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T to donate her ring-worn jacket that she wore the night she won the NXT Women’s Championship. All proceeds will go directly to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. eBay has the current bidding for the jacket at $8,000:
We’ve still got another 3 months left in 2017, but school is back in session and WWE is commemorating the occasion with a video yearbook.
In addition to this year’s ‘class photos,’ WWE has named the winners of several popularity categories, including Most Likely To Succeed, Most Popular, Most Unique, Most Talkative, Best Dressed, Best Hair, Most Friendly, Least Friendly and more.
Check out the 2017 WWE Yearbook below and see who won these esteemed awards.
Who is the most athletic Superstar in WWE this year? Or the most popular? Find out which Superstars won these superlatives and more.
Bleacher Report recently interviewed Sasha Banks prior to her match for the Raw Women’s Championship at No Mercy this Sunday and during the interview, she made some interesting comments about the four Horsewomen of UFC.
Banks was talking about the Mae Young Classic Finals and said that she was disappointed on not being able to support the women who saw the same dream as her by being there. However, continuing on the topic, the former Women’s Champion commented on UFC’s Horsewomen saying that those ‘phoney four Horsewomen’ couldn’t hang in their ring:
“I got to see the picture of our Horsewomen versus the phoney Four Horsewomen. They’re fans of us. That’s why they’re called the Four Horsewomen. Honestly, I do not care. They couldn’t hang in our ring and that’s it.”
When asked about her recent comments on Sam Roberts Podcast where she said that she doesn’t know the plans for her character ahead of time, the Raw star claimed that it’s exciting to come to work sometimes and not knowing what she will have to do:
“It makes it what’s exciting about coming to work sometimes. There’s an excitement to coming to work every week and not knowing what you’re doing and just making the best of it all.”
Apart from this Sasha Banks also talked about her ongoing storyline with Alexa Bliss and more. You can check out her complete interview here.
Tonight on RAW, Bayley made her return to the ring in her hometown of San Jose. Bayley came down to the ring after the match between Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss. Nia won the match, but Sasha Banks attacked her after the victory. Nia slammed Sasha to the mat and Bayley came down to the ring for the save.
Bayley, Sasha and Alexa Bliss then teamed up for a moment to knock Nia out of the ring. Sasha and Bayley started to celebrate and Alexa tried to join in on the fun. That didn’t go too well for the RAW Women’s Champion, as Sasha kneed her in the face and Bayley then planted her with a Bayley to Belly Suplex. Sasha and Bayley then celebrated in the ring.
It was then announced that Bayley will join the RAW Women’s Championship match at No Mercy. Alexa Bliss will now defend her title against Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax and Emma in a Fatal 5-Way match this Sunday.
“The Boss” Sasha Banks recently appeared on the Her Take interview series presented by Champs Sports. Topics discussed include her journey to WWE, the state of women’s wrestling, preferring NXT over RAW and who she was a bigger fan of between Steve Austin and The Rock.
Sasha Banks came up in NXT with Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley, collectively known as WWE’s “Four Horsewomen.” The group appears to be on a collision course with Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler and the other ‘Four Horsewomen’ of MMA. Sasha has fond memories of their time together inNXT.
“It’s the best, they motivate me. They make me who I am because I want to be the best and I want to get better every single day. I remember being with Bayley, Charlotte and Becky in NXT, and we just pushed each other, and I remember every time that we had a match we wanted to outshine the guys, having the fans be like, ‘You know what, they stole the show.’ That’s the best feeling in the world.”
Sasha says her best matches are actually the ones against her friends, because “you hit your friends harder” in the ring.
“It’s crazy, I feel like you hit your friends harder. Legit, we go to war with each other,” Banks said. “I’ve had countless amazing matches with Becky, and with Bayley we won Match Of The Year of 2015. I want people to be like ‘That wasn’t just a good match because they’re girls,’ or ‘That was a good girls’ match.’ I want them to be like ‘That was a good match, period.’”
In a rapid-fire Q&A round at the end, Sasha chose Steve Austin over The Rock, stating that even though she likes both, she has a soft spot for Austin because he “slid into her DM’s” to congratulate her on one of her matches.
“I love both, but I’m gonna have to choose Stone Cold Steve Austin, just because he slid into my DMs one time. And when he did he was just saying how good a match was and I just remember freaking out.”
– Mae Young Classic finalist Shayna Baszler was backstage during last night’s (Thurs. September 14, 2017) NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University. She was not working the tapings and there is no confirmation on whether or not she has signed with the company. There has been a ton of speculation on her status with the WWE since Triple H took to Twitter to welcome her and tournament winner Kairi Sane to the WWE prior to the finals.
– WWE Superstar Sasha Banks was featured on the latest episode of Champs Sports’ “Her Take,” in an interview filmed at the WWE Performance Center In Florida. During the interview Banks did a segment in which she has to choose between two things. “The Legit Boss” picked WWE NXT over RAW, Chyna over Sable, and Stone Cold Steve Austin over The Rock. Banks explained her pick of Austin over Rock, saying that “The Texas Rattlesnake” once DM’d her on Twitter to congratulate her on one of her matches. Check it out:
With another WWE appearance scheduled for Tuesday night’s Mae Young Classic finale red carpet event, it’s seeming more and more likely that Ronda Rousey will be competing in a WWE ring sooner than later.
During a recent appearance on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, Sasha Banks said Ronda Rousey and her Four Horsewomen (Rousey, Mae Young Classic finalist Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke) are “just fans” who need to “get to the back of the line” if they want to wrestle WWE’s Four Horsewomen (Sasha, Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley).
“I feel like I keep hearing rumblings of that too, which is cool. It’s awesome, but we are The Four Horsewomen and they’re just fans. Yeah, and if they wanted to fight us, they need to get in the back of the line like everybody else, get a contract, train down at the Performance Center, get on NXT, and try to get called up just like everybody else.”
While Banks considers Rousey an amazing athlete, “The Boss” says Rousey will never be on her level in the ring.
“She’s an amazing athlete. She changed the game.” Banks said, “She’ll never be on my level.”
Several weeks back, Jerry Lawler filled in for Booker T on WWE RAW commentary when Booker T was unable to make the show due to Hurricane Harvey. Lawler got strong reviews for his guest spot and was asked if WWE floated the possibility of him calling the action on RAW more regularly.
“Umm, no. But if they did, I missed the call,” Lawler joked. “I was more than happy to come back to fill in for Booker T on Raw when the hurricane kept him from being able to be at the show. But if they were to call me and ask me to come back on a full-time basis, it would be a really, really tough decision to make. If they said I was going to make the same money as I did before, that would go a long way in making me consider going back again.”
Earlier this week, WWE announced that for the first time ever, Monday Night RAW will broadcast live on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Lawler was surprised to hear the news and said he would never wrestle on Christmas. “I would never wrestle on Christmas,” he said. “That’s almost sacrilegious to me. I wouldn’t do it.”
One of the big stories from last week came from an interview Sasha Banks on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. She ranted about overzealous ‘stalker’ fans who ambush her at airports and hotel lobbies at 4am and sell her autographs on eBay. Several wrestles reacted to the remarks on Twitter, stating that fans pay their salaries and it should be an honor to have fans who are so loyal.
As one of the biggest stars in the history of the business, Jerry Lawler is quite familiar with overzealous fans. So, what did the King think about Sasha’s comments?
“You can’t be offended or get mad at them when you accomplished what you set out to do, and that’s be famous. So I think Sasha Banks needs to step back and think about what Bubba Ray Dudley says, because they will be a day when nobody is waiting for an autograph, and you’ll wish you were back in the way it is now.
But you gotta stop and for just a minute and explain that you will try to come back later or you’ll trying to eat your pizza while it’s hot. You can’t just ignore them. If you take a little time and be nice to those fans, that usually works out for the best.
There are stalkers out there, people who can be dangerous out there. I’m looking at it from my own, male perspective. But Sasha is looking at it from her perspective. I understand both points of view though.”
Head over to PodAvenue.com to listen to the full episode.
During her recent conversation with Sam Roberts on the Sam Roberts wrestling podcast, Sasha Banks vented about WWE creative, the ‘hot potato’ RAW Women’s Championship and preferring NXT’s creative style, where she knew her character’s long-term booking.
Another newsworthy topic coming out of the discussion was Sasha Banks talking about overzealous fans who cross the line and act in a why that she considers stalking.
“You want me to talk about how much I hate being bothered at an airport or hotels?” Sasha Banks started. “I grew up a wrestling fan so I knew I wanted to meet my favorite wrestlers but always in the back of my head I never thought in my life I’d be like ‘hey, they’re gonna fly in. Maybe I should wait at the airport for like twelve-hours at the gate Hey — they don’t need any sleep, maybe let me find the hotel they’re staying at and bother them.’”
She continued airing her grievances with these fans, Banks explained that there’s a fine line between approaching your favorite Superstar if you see them in public and hitting them up for an autograph at 4am at an airport or hotel lobby and then selling it on eBay.
“Like to me, that’s stalking. I don’t tweet out what hotel I’m at. I don’t tweet what airport I’ll be flying out of. I do tweet what arena I’ll be performing at so I do expect fans at the arena and I’m so happy to sign at the arena. That’s fine because I’m telling you where I’m going to be at. If I see you in public, that’s fine. But when I’m in the airport at four in the morning and I see somebody with a carry-on and they open it with a hundred items of everyone and they’re bothering everyone to get an autograph and then I see it on eBay… that’s not okay to me.”
Meanwhile, industry veteran Bubba Ray Dudley tweeted the following, an apparent reference to Banks’ remarks.
Never worry about fans waiting at an airport at 5am asking for your autograph. Worry when they're NOT there at 5am asking for your autograph
The Miz actually spoke to Sam Roberts about this exact topic several years ago. Miz had a similar stance to Bubba Ray, acknowledging that fans pay his bills and it’s an honor and privilege when they want an autograph.
“Whether it’s an adult asking for my autograph or a kid, whether I’m eating or doing something I don’t want to do, it’s like ‘They want my autograph’. It’s kind of a privilege and an honor… They’re the people that pay my bills.”
Former RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks joined the the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast this week and spoke about a variety of WWE-related topics.
Back at Money in the Bank, a lot of fans were unhappy that James Ellsworth got involved in the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank match. With the Women’s Revolution in full swing, it was a questionable booking decision for Carmella to win with a man’s help. Sasha says WWE knows how to get a reaction out of the audience and accomplished that with Ellsworth’s involvement.
“Knowing our company, everyone was talking about it and that is what they wanted,” she said.
Sasha Banks made a name for herself in NXT and is one of the biggest stars to come out of WWE’s developmental system. In NXT, she feels storylines were laid out much more clearly. She knew where her character was headed and was able to give a lot more input. On the main roster, she’ll arrive at RAW and have no idea what’s planned for her. She admits it’s frustrating not knowing what’s next for her in WWE.
“We kind of always knew where we were going [in NXT], so it helped me prepare and think about it ahead of time about how can I make this better. But when I go to Raw, it’s legit like I have no clue what I am doing so I don’t even know what to prepare for. I get handed something and told something and am like ‘okay, I have one hour to get… okay let’s just do it.’ Honestly, I wish we had the opportunity to know what we are doing in the next three months.”
Sasha’s a four-time RAW Women’s Champion, but has lost the title each time within a month. She doesn’t know why the RAW Women’s Championship is passed around so casually and whether it’s a sign WWE doesn’t have faith in her as champion.
“I don’t know if it was something with me or they just want to keep on flipping flopping, I don’t know!”
She also expressed frustration with the fact that she wasn’t able to attend the Mae Young Classic tapings in Orlando. Instead of being ringside like some of the other NXT women who graduated to the main roster, she was doing PR for WWE in Australia.
Sasha questioned, “How am I not a part of this?’ I can’t believe they booked it like that.”
Sasha Banks defended her RAW Women’s Championship tonight on RAW against Alexa Bliss in the main-event. Banks defeated Bliss at WWE SummerSlam to become the RAW Women’s Champion.
RAW Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs Alexa Bliss
Bliss started off the match in control and rolled up Sasha for a two count. Sasha quickly went for the Bank Statement and Alexa was able to avoid it. Banks then slammed Bliss’ head into the turnbuckle and then stomped on her in the corner. Sasha locked in an Arm Bar and wrestled Alexa to the canvas.
Alexa broke the hold but Sasha slammed her face-first into the mat. Alexa rolled out of the ring to try to avoid Banks and regroup. Banks connected with a knee to the face off the ring apron as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Alexa Bliss was in control of the match and had Banks in Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Sasha broke free but Alexa grabbed her hair and slammed her into her knee and Banks fell to the mat.
Sasha bashed Alexa’s face off the second rope and then connected with a Dropkick that knocked Alexa back to the corner. Banks hit Double Knees and went for it again but Alexa got out of the way and Sasha slammed into the turnbuckle.
Alexa then climbed to the top rope but Banks got back to her feet and connected with a forearm. Alexa went for a Crossbody off the top rope but Banks got out of the way and then went for a roll-up but Bliss kicked out at two. Banks went for another roll-up but Bliss once again kicked out at two. Alexa then hit a massive right hand. Banks battled back and hit a Shining Wizard for a two count.
Sasha slammed Alexa into the turnbuckle and then booted Bliss in the midsection. Banks then hit Double Knees onto Bliss in the corner and then climbed up to the top rope. Bliss sprung back to her feet and met Sasha up on the turnbuckle. Bliss then planted Sasha with the Superplex. Alexa slowly made her way towards Sasha and wound up being locked in the Bank Statement. Alexa then connected with a Bliss DDT for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Nia Jax came down to the ring and raised Alexa’s hand. Jax then hit a Splash on Sasha Banks in the corner. Nia then lifted up Alexa onto her shoulders. Nia then slammed Alexa to the mat and raised the RAW Women’s Championship as she stood over Alexa Bliss in the ring.
Alexa Bliss defended her RAW Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks tonight at WWE SummerSlam.
Banks beatdown Bliss in the corner and the referee broke it up. Alexa then powered out of the corner and connected with a big right hand. Banks connected with a Dropkick and Bliss rolled to the ring apron. Bliss connected with another right hand and followed it up with a Crossbody off the top rope for a two count. Bliss then hit a Clothesline for another two count.
Bliss stomped on Banks in the corner. Sasha caught Alexa’s leg and then booted her in the face. Bliss hung up Sasha on the second rope and then bounced her head off the canvas. Bliss hit a flurry of right hands for a two count. Alexa applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Sasha fought out of the hold but Alexa slammed her to the mat for a two count. Bliss knocked Sasha to the mat and made her way up the turnbuckle. Sasha met her up there and hit her with a right hand.
Alexa started choking Sasha on the turnbuckle. Bliss then threw Sasha to the mat and connected with Double Knees off the top rope. Bliss then flipped and hit another Double Knees but Sasha kicked out at two. Bliss leveled Banks with a Clothesline for another two count. Alexa glanced at the referee with a frustrated look on her face.
Bliss bounced Sasha’s head off the turnbuckle and then shouted at the referee when he told her to break it up. Bliss then launched her shoulder into Sasha’s midsection a couple of times. Bliss grabbed Sasha by the hair and then applied a Chin Lock. Banks broke free and launched Bliss off the turnbuckle and across the ring. Banks followed it up with a knee to the face and both Superstars fell to the mat.
Banks hit a Dropkick and then slammed Bliss to the mat for a two count. Bliss slammed Sasha’s face into her knee and went for a pinfall but Banks once again kicked out. Bliss shouted at Sasha to give up and Banks landed a kick to Alexa’s shoulder. Banks catapulted Bliss into the corner and Alexa’s head bounced off the second turnbuckle. Sasha then connected with Double knees for a two count.
Alexa went for a DDT but Sasha countered it into the Bank Statement in the corner of the ring. Alexa quickly made it to the bottom rope and the hold was broken. Alexa rolled out of the ring and then yanked the ring skirt while Sasha was on the apron and Banks crashed to the floor outside the ring. Bliss brought Sasha back into the ring, only to immediately throw her to the outside again. Bliss then posed in the ring as the referee started to count Banks out.
Banks made it back into the ring just in time but Alexa went right back on the attack and attacked Sasha’s arm. Bliss casually stepped on Banks on her way to the turnbuckle. Alexa climbed to the top rope and connected with Twisted Bliss but Sasha kicked out at two. Alexa then threw a tantrum in the middle of the ring and started slapping the mat. Banks locked in the Bank Statement in the middle of the ring. Bliss grabbed Sasha’s arm and slammed it across her own shoulder. Sasha once again was able to apply the Bank Statement and Alexa Bliss tapped out in the middle of the ring.
RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss was the latest on ESPN’s Cheap Heat Podcast and spoke to hosts Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg about Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.
Tonight on RAW, Sasha Banks and Nia Jax will square off to determine who will challenge for the gold this Sunday. During her conversation on Cheap Heat, Alexa revealed that she and Sasha Banks do not have the best relationship when the WWE cameras stop rolling, but she’s a professional and does not let that affect their work in the ring.
“I’ve always been the person to say ‘business is business, personal is personal.’ I will never let my personal feelings about somebody get in the way of business”, she said.”
“I want to have a productive match, I want to have a safe match, I want to have a great match; I want to take this company to the next level with our women with this WWE women’s revolution. I’ve seen the things she said about me. If that’s how she feels, that’s fine. But we know that we put it to the side and have a productive, professional match because that’s what it’s all about.”
You can listen to the full interview over at ESPN.com.
The August 14th, 2017 edition of WWE RAW airs live from the TD Garden in Boston, MA, and is the last episode of RAW before WWE SummerSlam 2017. Join us tonight at 8 PM ET for live play-by-play RAW coverage and discussion.
At least one SummerSlam match will be made tonight as Sasha Banks and Nia Jax will face each other to determine who gets a shot at Alexa Bliss’ Womens Championship at the pay-per-view.
Here are the top storyline items WWE is promoting for tonight’s show on their official website:
– Every woman for herself: Bayley’s out of contention with a separated shoulder, and so Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss will now field one of two challengers at SummerSlam: Sasha Banks, who The Huggable One is vocally backing as her replacement, or Nia Jax, who has become Little Miss Bliss’ ally as part of “Team Rude.” The two Superstars meet Monday in a win-and-you’re-in match, with the victor earning a date with Bliss in Brooklyn. Jax has the edge when it comes to pure power, and Bliss would seemingly prefer to fight a friendly face, but does Sasha have one more big win up her sleeve?
– Joe is gonna get you: One way or another, Samoa Joe always gets his man. After being pinned by Roman Reigns for the first time ever in a Triple Threat Match two weeks ago, The Samoan Submission Machine cost The Big Dog a Last Man Standing Match against Braun Strowman on Monday when he trapped Reigns in a Coquina Clutch that put him down for the count of 10. With all three of those Superstars slated to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at The Biggest Event of the Summer, Joe has suddenly surged in momentum, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will head into SummerSlam with the biggest head of steam.
– Mizzed opportunity: Brock Lesnar turned The Miz and his Miztourage into lunch meat this past Monday on “Miz TV,” but lost in all that commotion was why The Awesome One held Raw hostage in the first place: He wanted another piece of Jason Jordan, who embarrassed him the previous week on his signature talk show. Kurt Angle’s gold-blooded son was seen elsewhere dismantling a local named Jean-Pierre Goulet, but perhaps The A-Lister will have better luck this time around in getting what he wants.
– Face your fear: Bray Wyatt made one of his boldest declarations to date just moments before their SummerSlam bout was formally sanctioned, promising to drag down Finn and his followers. With one week to go until The Biggest Event of the Summer, how will Bálor respond?
– Brothers on the mend: After leaving Seth Rollins high and dry against Cesaro & Sheamus, Dean Ambrose finally seemed to come around to The Kingslayer’s redemptive crusade when his former brother rescued him from a joint beatdown by the Raw Tag Team Champions. This time, however, it was Rollins who denied the traditional Shield fist bump, leaving The Lunatic Fringe hanging. How will Ambrose attempt to save face, and will the former Shield-mates finally reunite in earnest?
Remember to join us tonight at 8 PM ET for RAW coverage, and sound off in the comments with your predictions for tonight’s RAW and Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view!
– Arjan Bhullar, who in May became the first fighter of Indian origin to join the UFC, announced on Instagram that WWE Champion Jinder Mahal will accompany him to the Octagon for his debut fight at UFC 215 on September 9, 2017, against Luis Henrique.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXqwKIMlPpY/
Here is a video of Mahal and Bhullar working out together.
– The WWE Network has added two “Old School” shows: Philadelphia Spectrum 11/24/83 (The Iron Sheik challenges Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship in the main event) and L.A. Sports Arena 7/15/88 (Jake “The Snake” Roberts faces “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan steps into the ring with Ultimate Warrior, and Andre the Giant battles “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan).
The Rock posted on Instagram about the evolution of his trademark Brahma Bull tattoo. His new tattoo is complete after 3 sessions and 22 hours of tattooing by Nikki Hurtado.
Evolution of the bull.
After 3 sessions and 22hrs of tattooing with world renowned @NikkoHurtado, the story’s almost done.. Every detail is a reflection of my own personal history.
From the cracks and heavy damage in the bone representing life’s hard lessons I’ve learned over the years. Just like scars and wrinkles – I’m so grateful to have ’em because they’re earned.
To the horns, not pointing up or out to the side, but pointing straight ahead representing relentless energy and forward progress.
The core and anchor of this image is in the eye. Look closely and you’ll find the life, energy, power and you’ll feel the MANA (spirit). The eye tells the story of a disruptive positive energy always ready to dent the universe.
Depending on the light and angle, sometimes the energy’s subtle and sometimes it’s glaring. But it’s always alive and ready to disrupt the universe and love and protect my family and all things I love with intense passion and gratitude.
Cheers to living, learning, evolving and growing. And to the positive disrupters ready to dent the universe.
Friendships in WWE don’t tend to last. Many are wondering if recent events may serve as the catalyst to a potential Sasha vs. Bayley rivalry down the road.
Heading into the match Sasha gave a confident interview, one that some might describe as “arrogant”:
Bayley and Sasha Banks Post-Raw Reactions
Bayley won the match last night by countering Banks’ frogsplash into a pinning combination. Banks was visibly upset after the match’s conclusion.
WWE.com reporters caught up with Bayley after the match:
Sasha Banks sent out a somewhat ambiguous tweet after the match:
Fatal 4-Way for Universal Championship announced for SummerSlam
RAW kicked off Kurt Angle coming down to the ring. Angle stated that his son, Jason Jordan, will have first match tonight on the RAW roster. Angle was about to reveal who Brock Lesnar would be facing at SummerSlam when Braun Strowman interrupted. Strowman told Angle that he better be the one that faces Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Samoa Joe interrupted and made his way down to the ring. The crowd chanted “Joe!” as he walked down the entrance ramp. Joe got right in front in Strowman’s face and said that he was the man that does not fear Lesnar. Joe then claimed that he definitely doesn’t fear Braun Strowman. Roman Reigns then came down to the ring.
Reigns started talking the crowd started to boo. Reigns claimed that neither Joe or Strowman have done anything in WWE. Reigns listed off his accomplished and brought up how he won the Royal Rumble in Philadelphia. Roman said that the crowd was certainly loud that night, making light of the fact that the crowd was basically silent last night at WWE Battleground at the Wells Fargo Center. Kurt Angle announced that it will be a Fatal 4-Way at SummerSlam. Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman.
RAW GM Kurt Angle then went to leave the ring and Samoa Joe started yelling at him. Joe stated that he is the only Superstar that deserves to face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Braun stated that he doesn’t care about anything else besides stacking bodies. An epic brawl then broke out. Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns teamed up for a moment to beatdown Strowman. Joe had the Coquina Clutch locked in on Strowman and Reigns connected with a Spear onto both Joe and Strowman. Several WWE Superstars then came down to the ring to try to break up the brawl. Strowman beat them all down and then started whipping security guards out of the ring. Strowman then planted Reigns with the Running Powerslam.
Bayley earns a shot at the RAW Women’s Championship at SummerSlam
On tonight’s episode of RAW, Bayley faced Sasha Banks to determine who will get a shot at the RAW Women’s Championship at Summerslam. It was a back and forth match, but in the end Bayley was able to roll-up Sasha for the victory after Banks connected with a Frog Splash. After the match concluded, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss entered the ring and raised the title in Bayley’s face.
Sasha Banks, Bayley & Mickie James predict tonight’s Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match
Sasha Banks, Bayley and Mickie James gave their predictions for tonight’s Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match at WWE Battleground. Tamina, Natalya, Lana, Becky Lynch and Charlotte will square off tonight to determine who will become the #1 contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship currently held by Naomi. Mickie James chose Natalya, Bayley went with Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks predicted either Tamina or Natalya will win the match.
Rusev vows to take John Cena down tonight at WWE Battleground
Rusev will face John Cena in a Flag Match tonight at WWE Battleground. Earlier this week, John Cena uploaded a promo about tonight’s match and asked people in Philadelphia to come to WWE Battleground. WWE uploaded a video of Rusev backstage earlier today. In the video, Rusev vowed to take John Cena and the USA down tonight.
Baron Corbin teases cashing in his MITB contract tonight
WWE uploaded a video of Baron Corbin arriving at the Wells Fargo Center earlier today for WWE Battleground. Corbin stated that after he takes care of Shinsuke Nakamura tonight, he will being paying attention during the Punjabi Prison Match for the WWE Championship. Corbin said that maybe there will be an opportunity for him tonight to walk out of Battleground as the new WWE Champion.
Alberto El Patron no longer a suspect in domestic violence incident
Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting that Alberto El Patron is no longer under investigation by police over the airport incident earlier this month between he and Paige. A rep for the Orlando PD told Pro Wrestling Sheet that “due to the detective’s investigation determining that Paige is the one who should be charged for domestic violence, they no longer view El Patron as a suspect”. Alberto El Patron is the GFW Champion, but is indefinitely suspended by GFW as they investigate the incident. It is unknown at this time if GFW has lifted the suspension since El Patron is no longer viewed as a suspect.
Sasha Banks & Bayley on their match on next week’s RAW
IGN has released the following video of Sasha Banks and Bayley at the San Diego Comic Con. During the interview, the two Superstars began hyping their match on next week’s episode of the RAW. The winner of that match will become the #1 contender for the RAW Women’s Championship. Sasha Banks claimed that she will be the one to win Monday’s match and Bayley reminded her that she usually defeats Banks whenever they face each other.
Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte see their new Mattel dolls for the first time
As noted earlier, WWE and Mattel have launched a girls product line with WWE Superstars Brie Bella, Sasha Banks, Natalya, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Alicia Fox and Eva Marie dolls available upon launch. The dolls are available to preorder online at ToysRUs.com and will be available exclusively at Toys “R” Us stores on Monday, July 24th. WWE just posted a video of Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte seeing the dolls for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con International.
Sasha Banks on going from being shy to being The Boss
WWE posted a video earlier today of Sasha Banks looking back on her initial WWE photo shoot. Sasha opened the envelope to reveal the picture and started to laugh. Sasha stated that she was trying to pose like Trish Stratus during the photo shoot. Sasha also said that at the time she was trying to be someone that she is not. Banks went on to say that she is not a model and that she hates taking pictures. Banks also said that she was nervous upon arriving to WWE, but she kept at it and became The Boss.
Sasha Banks recently spoke with News.com.au and below are some highlights from the interview:
Watching the WWE Women’s Division growing up:
“It’s changed so much. I remember watching it as a kid and the women weren’t really featured like the guys. I was like no, I want to be in the WWE, but I don’t want to do what they’re doing at the moment. I kind of caught like the MTV era, ladies in bikinis and beautiful women, not really throwing it down like the guys. I told myself when I was ten that I wanted to change what it meant to be a diva in the WWE. It’s crazy that we’re here, we’re superstars, we’re not divas anymore. It’s changed so much, I thank the women that came before me and who I work with today, we’ve done it together, we’re changing the world right now.”
Topping this year:
“I don’t know how you top it, I think you just keep getting better and keep striving. Just to make it a normal thing that people are not surprised women are doing these matches. I think the next goal is to main event a WrestleMania.”
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay’s potential:
“I think they are the future. They are incredible and have such passion for this business and I love watching them. They are amazing and Peyton Royce reminds me a lot of myself. Her favorite wrestler is Eddie Guerrero too and I love watching her. She’s incredible, incredible, incredible in the ring and I can’t wait for her to get called up to the main roster.”
It’s no secret that former Shield member Roman Reigns is one of the most hated Superstars on the WWE’s roster right now, but that doesn’t change the fact that “The Big Dog” has had a tremendous amount of success during his time with the company – something former RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks is able to recognize.
Banks recently did a few media appearances in Australia and found herself visiting the Victoria Zoo during one of them. During her visit, “The Boss” was asked to name who she believes was the best male wrestler on the roster. Banks broke the rules a bit and named three, however, she placed Roman Reigns at the top of her list and claimed that ‘all the guys are jealous of him’:
“I love Roman Reigns. Whether you guys love him, boo him, hate him – I think all the guys are jealous of him. He is an incredible athlete. He’s one to watch. He does it and kills it every single week”
“Of course, I have to say Cesaro. I watch his stuff and I go, “How do you think of that?” He’s so strong… Let me choose someone on SmackDown… of course, AJ Styles. He is legit phenomenal, I’m just like in awe every time I see him wrestle. He’s so sweet… he’s my Uncle Allen. What’s up, Unc? You good?”
Many fans are beginning to worry about the future of “The Boss” in WWE after a recent Tumblr post she made this past weekend. Banks is arguably the biggest female fan-favorite on the WWE’s roster and has held the RAW Women’s Title multiple times since making her main roster debut, with more title reigns certainly in her future.
Despite all this, fans believe Banks’ time in the professional wrestling industry could be short lived, as she posted the following on Tumblr yesterday (Sun. July 16, 2017):
“Two more years left! New beginnings coming”
Discussion: What do you think Banks could be referring to in this post?