WWE has officially announced one match for the upcoming Clash at the Castle premium live event, but there’s a second match internally listed for the show.
Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Riddle vs. Seth Rollins is “confirmed internally” for this event.
Riddle vs. Rollins was originally scheduled for SummerSlam this past Saturday night but the company did an injury angle where Riddle suffered a stinger due to an attack from Rollins on the SummerSlam go-home episode of Raw.
At the time, it was reported that WWE had tentative plans to do the match down the line with the working plan for it to be held at Clash at the Castle.
At SummerSlam, Rollins attacked Riddle, who wanted to go through with the match. On Monday’s Raw, Rollins teased, eventually going after Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
WWE presents the Clash at the Castle event on Saturday, September 3, 2022, from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, that will air on Peacock.
Drew McIntyre will challenge Reigns for the title at the main event at this show. WWE will be announcing more matches for this event in the coming weeks.
Seth Rollins has had one hell of a wrestling career filled with many accolades. However, he has also had his fair share of troubles in his journey to becoming one of the most successful pro wrestlers of all time.
This was especially true for his training days. Former NXT trainer Road Dogg had recently talked about this. He explained that The Architect would become annoyed with advice given to him during his developmental run.
The former world champion responded to these claims during an interview with Sports1. Rollins admitted that he was pretty stubborn at the time:
“I used to be pretty stubborn, that’s true, and that was a problem starting in WWE twelve years ago and going through the NXT roster.
On the other hand, my personality helped me because you need confidence to make it in WWE, but it was difficult with me.” said Seth Rollins, “It must also have been because I came from another world.”
The WWE star also talked about his visionary character. He was asked about comparisons to ‘The Macho Man’ Randy Savage and whether the colorfulness of his gimmick is inspired by the wrestling legend.
Replying to it, Rollins said that his main goal was to differentiate himself from how Roman Reigns is doing things but admitted that he is a big fan of wrestling from the past and Savege.
Seth Rollins was pulled from media obligations during WWE SummerSlam weekend.
Much has been made about the status of Seth Rollins going into the big July 30 premium live event. WWE’s biggest show of the summer will be held inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Rollins was expected to share the ring with Riddle. Instead, WWE ran an injury angle where Rollins stomped Riddle’s head onto steel steps. In storyline, the injury was bad enough to cancel the match.
The angle reportedly wasn’t done to hide a real injury, it was simply a creative change.
Seth Rollins Yanked From Media Obligations
Seth Rollins (Photo: WWE)
Seth Rollins was expected to attend media day on the Friday before SummerSlam. While Seth was in the area and witnessed WWE tryouts, he ended up being pulled from his planned media interviews. Fightfulbrought word of the news.
At this time, it is unknown why Rollins was pulled from media obligations. There also hasn’t been an update on whether or not he will remain on the card.
Speculation has run rampant on who Rollins’ opponent will be if he still has a match for the show.
Names such as Dolph Ziggler and top free agent Johnny Gargano have been rumored. Nothing has been confirmed at this time.
One WWE superstar has made the trip to Nashville despite his match being canceled.
We are officially in the midst of SummerSlam weekend. WWE has opened up media availability and a lot of questions are being answered.
This will be the first major premium live event under the new regime in WWE. Stephanie McMahon is the new Chairwoman and co-CEO, sharing that title with Nick Khan.
Triple H is in charge of creative and he’s already made his presence felt when it comes to one big SummerSlam match that was originally planned.
Seth Rollins at SummerSlam Location
(via WWE)
The first major move Triple H made was putting the hammer down on an initially scheduled SummerSlam match between Seth Rollins and Riddle. An angle was done on the go-home episode of Raw where Rollins injured Riddle by giving him The Stomp on steel steps.
The injury is just for entertainment as Triple H reportedly has bigger plans for the match at Clash at the Castle on Sept. 3 in Cardiff, Wales.
The good news for Seth Rollins fans is that he has been spotted in Nashville for the WWE tryouts. Whether or not he’ll stay on the card remains to be seen.
Rumors have been swirling about a potential new opponent for Rollins on the show. Names such as top free agent Johnny Gargano and Dolph Ziggler have been rumored.
Nothing has been confirmed on that end at this time.
For decades, there has been a debate about who is the greatest wrestler of all time.
Names like Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and John Cena could all lay claim to being the G.O.A.T, but there’s plenty more than just those five wrestlers.
Everyone has their personal pick for the greatest wrestler ever, including the current WWE roster.
The Greatest of All Time
Seth Rollins has plenty of accolades to his name, including reigns as WWE and Universal Champion, the WWE Grand Slam as well as capturing the Money in the Bank Briefcase in 2014 and the Men’s Royal Rumble match in 2019.
Rollins is known, on and off-screen for his high opinion of himself, but has chosen a different current Superstar as the greatest of all time.
Speaking to Sport1, Rollins named his wife Becky Lynch as the greatest to ever step foot in WWE (via Wrestling Inc.)
“Becky has developed into one of the biggest stars in the history of our industry with her personality, she is now the greatest wrestler of all time for me. And you can see that there is more than one way to be ‘larger than life.’ If you’re already physically fit, it’s definitely easier, but there’s another way. You don’t have to look like Hulk Hogan or John Cena, Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather are also ‘larger than life,’ although they feel physically 1.50. In the end, it’s not about the physical conditions, it’s about what you make of your conditions.”
“With her personality, she is now the greatest wrestler of all time.”
Seth Rollins on his wife Becky Lynch.
Lynch will challenge Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at Summerslam, while Rollins’ match with Riddle has been postponed.
Some have suggested that Rollins will still have a presence on the show tomorrow night.
This Saturday will mark WWE’s annual Summerslam Premium Live Event, marking the first time the show has taken place outside the month of August.
The show will feature Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown, including a main event Last Man Standing match between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
Updated WWE SummerSlam Preview
Match Pulled
Summerslam 2022, the first Premium Live Event of the post-Vince McMahon era will be a huge event, but one match is off the card.
On Twitter, WWE confirmed that Raw Superstar Riddle has been medically disqualified from competing at Summerslam.
WWE explained that due to an attack by Seth Rollins, who Riddle was scheduled to face at Summerslam, the ‘Original Bro’ has suffered a brachial plexus injury, more commonly known to fans as a ‘stinger.’
BREAKING: @WWERollins injured @SuperKingofBros with a vicious attack on #WWERaw that resulted in a brachial plexus injury (a stinger). Riddle is medically disqualified until full strength returns.
Rollins’ attack came during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
WWE has confirmed that the match has been postponed until a later date, but did not disclose a specific date when the two will face off.
The match had been considered a potential show-stealer as both men are very strong workers who have been prominently pushed on WWE programming.
Rollins had this to say about his SummerSlam match being postponed:
For anyone who purchased a ticket to #SummerSlam hoping to see me in action, I apologize. I did everything I could over the last 6 months to earn my spot on this show, but some things are out of my control. Thank you for always singing my song. They’ll hear ya someday.
WWE’s Cody Rhodes recently revealed that he was told by WWE to save the reveal of his torn pec for the Hell In A Cell premium live event.
Performing Through The Injury
At Hell in a Cell, Cody Rhodes entered the cell with a torn pectoral muscle. The injury was announced before the show, but Cody fought through and still wrestled against Seth Rollins.
While making his entrance, Rhodes covered up the injury with his American Nightmare ring jacket. He made the big reveal when he was in the ring with Rollins. Rollins, and the crowd, were stunned when they saw the intense bruising on Cody’s chest.
Cody Rhodes shows off more of his gnarly pec injury after match with Seth Rollins
Cody Was Told To Save The Reveal
When speaking to ComicBook, Cody talked about the big reveal:
“No one saw it, other than, I think Vince (McMahon) saw it. I was going to take my robe off for cameras, and the voice of God, whoever is head of production in that moment, I remember them saying, ‘Don’t.’ Stu, the camera operator, told me we were going to save it for the show. Very few people had actually seen it and how bad it was.
Through the day, it was getting worse because there was so much blood, so much blood under my skin. I’m almost anemic, so if you chop me or squeeze me, you can see it instantly. Just the perfect person to have their body ripped in half for that moment.”
Seth Rollins doesn’t expect The Shield to reunite with one another until they’re eventually inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Rollins was recently interviewed by Stephanie Chase with Digital Spy, where he was asked about a potential reunion between the trio. “The Architect” admits that he doesn’t expect a true Shield reunion could ever take place again given the star power of the three as individuals.
“It wouldn’t look the way you want it to look. It wouldn’t be like the old days in The Shield, it would be a different animal. I think we’re all just too big stars with too big personalities at this point.
“We needed each other back then and now none of us need the other one. We’re at a point where we’re all standalone stars on a different level. So to have to kind of minimize that to fit into each other’s molds, I just don’t see it ever happening again. I think it would look a whole lot different than the next time you see us together.
“The next time you see us together it’s going to be when we’re inducted into the Hall of Fame. That’s going to be it.”
When the three do finally reunite together on WWE TV, Rollins expects it will be when they’re inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Currently, both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns remain as top stars in WWE. Reigns holds the WWE Undisputed Championship over on SmackDown Live. As for Rollins, he’s one of Monday Night RAW’s top stars.
Dean Ambrose, now going by the name Jon Moxley, reigns as the World Champion over at All Elite Wrestling (AEW). If and when the three do finally get together again on professional wrestling programming, it will likely be a very long time from now.
Seth Rollins has issued an apology for a recent “harsh” interaction he had with some fans at his gym.
Over the years many professional wrestlers have been very open about their expectations for how fans should conduct themselves should they see them in person. Some welcome fans coming up to them and asking for autographs and/or pictures, while others remind fans to be mindful of the respective situations.
Others also would rather keep to themselves altogether. This can lead to some pretty negative blowback on social media, especially after a bad interaction gets leaked out online to the public.
Seth Rollins Apologizes
Recently, Seth Rollins took to Instagram to get out in front of a recent negative fan interaction he had at his gym. Rollins admitted he was frustrated during a workout and was harsh to some fans that approached him and Becky Lynch.
Check out his full apology below.
“Hello fine folks! I love interacting with my fans. You guys are the best. Your continued support of me and the @blackandbravewrestling enterprise is what keeps our collective heart beating strong.
“Today a couple of young cats saw my wife and me training in the back of the brick and mortar and stopped by to say hello. Unfortunately, I was right in the middle of a loooooong workout. I was very harsh and abrupt in my candor. For that, I apologize. There’s no excuse for that.
“If either you folks who I was short with today are reading this, please come back another time. I’d love to apologize in person. That open invite is all inclusive too! Feel free to pop by the school. If I happen to be here, please just be conscious of what’s going on around you! Don’t be deterred if I’m teaching a class or deep in the sweat game.
“It may take a few extra minutes, but I promise I’m down to take a pic or have a quick chat. In closing, thank you again to all of you who’ve had our backs over the years! Here’s to many more! Our door is always open (during business hours) so come on by!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgNkHoRJjI2/
Rollins is currently gearing up for a big one-on-one matchup with Riddle at SummerSlam later this month. The match was set up on RAW this week after he attacked Riddle during a “KO Show” segment.
Seth Rollins headlined the WWE Hell in a Cell event in June with Cody Rhodes, who had a torn pectoral muscle.
The pectoral muscle was completely off the bone ahead of the match, and Rhodes, who defeated Rollins inside the Hell in a Cell structure, had a huge bruise covering his upper body.
While speaking with Stephanie Chase for Digital Spy, Rollins noted that he didn’t expect Rhodes to look how he did and felt the same as everyone else in attendance.
“It was pretty gnarly. I don’t think I expected it to look like that. I’ve had some torn muscles in my day, and I know that the blood seeps down, gravity just takes over, but I had never seen anything like that. I remember Triple H had torn his pec some time ago at an event and shared a picture of it, and it was pretty brutal but nothing like what we saw from Cody at Hell in a Cell.
“His bicep, tricep, shoulder, pec it was down to his belly button almost, it was pretty gnarly. It was definitely shocking and I think the way I felt about it was how the audience in Chicago felt. They were just very uncomfortable for the first little bit. I think people were even wary just to cheer for him because it was so wild.”
Rollins stated it’s one of those things that he has never encountered before and was completely new to him to prepare for.
“It was a full hurdle thrown my way that I’d never seen before and so trying to wrap ourselves around it was an interesting process. I think what we got out of it was magic, how we got there wasn’t ideal but that’s life, you gotta roll with the punches sometimes.”
Rollins will face Riddle in a singles match at SummerSlam on July 30 in Nashville.
The July 18 episode of WWE Raw is in the books and here’s what went down once the USA Network broadcast ended.
This episode of the red brand’s show was held inside the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Featured on the latest edition of Raw was Miz TV with special guest Logan Paul.
There was also a Raw Women’s Championship match between titleholder Bianca Belair and Carmella. Fans also got to see a singles match between AJ Styles and Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory.
After The Show
(via WWE)
Fans in attendance got to see a dark match between Riddle and Seth Rollins once Raw went off the air.
Riddle and Rollins are involved in a feud that will lead to a singles match at SummerSlam. During the July 18 episode of Raw, Rollins attacked Riddle from behind during the KO Show and hit him with The Stomp.
Later on in the night, Seth defeated Ezekiel in singles action.
The feud between Riddle and Rollins began in the buildup to MITB. It has spilled over past that match as Riddle delivered an RKO to Rollins on the July 4 episode of Raw to prevent him from attacking Ezekiel.
Here’s an image of the dark match between Riddle and Rollins.
WWE confirmed on Monday evening the latest match for SummerSlam as Riddle will battle Seth Rollins in a singles match.
Riddle has been feuding with Rollins over the last few weeks since becoming a singles star once his tag team partner Randy Orton was sidelined with an injury and losing to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
They both came up short in this year’s men’s Money In The Bank Ladder before Bobby Lashley & Riddle defeat Seth Rollins & Theory on last week’s Raw. They’ve also been working house shows since late June, with Riddle going over in the majority of their matches.
WWE presents the SummerSlam event on Saturday, July 30, 2022, from the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show over the next week. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE SummerSlam Card
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar – Last Man Standing Match
Happy Corbin vs. Pat McAfee
WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Theory
Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The Street Profits – Jeff Jarrett as the special guest referee
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey
WWE Hall Of Famer Road Dogg reveals a “bad habit” Set Rollins used to have when he worked with him.
Road Dogg recently took part in a Q&A over on AdFreeShows, and was asked about “bad habits” that independent stars had when signing on with WWE. He actually used Seth Rollins as an example for this answer.
The Hall Of Famer explained that Rollins had a “bad habit” of not taking advice from his elders well, seemingly responding in a disrespectful way.
“He used to do this thing in the corner where he would jump up and down, and jump up and down, and run like he was in a mosh pit, and then just run and hit the guy with the forearm,” James said.
“And I thought, ‘Man, that’s so anti-climatic.’ It seemed like the build-up to it was bigger than the finish of it. So I went to him and told him that, and he said, ‘No, that’s what I do. I’m not changing it. That’s what I do.’ And I went to [Triple H] and I said, ‘Well, that kid, I’ll never talk to him again.’
“His bad habit was not saying, ‘Okay, thank you sir,’ or whatever and being respectful and then not doing what I said like every other young wrestler. At least pretend to respect what I’m telling you, you know what I mean? And what I was telling him was right.
“He did change it, and he did come up with something that was more [of] a bigger pop than the set-up to it. They had a ‘come to Jesus’ speech with him down there. And he changed his whole philosophy and perspective on how he was looking at stuff, and look at him now, man. On top of the world, doing some of his best work too, I might add.”
Of course, today, Rollins is one of the top stars in WWE. Over the course of his career “The Architect” has racked up four World Title runs, a Royal Rumble win, and so much more.
He had one of the more compelling rivalries so far thus year with Cody Rhodes, which was cut short due to Rhodes’ injury. Recently, he comes off of a failed bid at yet again becoming Mr. Money In The Bank.
The July 1 episode of WWE SmackDown has come and gone but there was a dark match after the show.
During this week’s edition of the blue brand, we found out who would be the final participant in this year’s men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. It ended up being Madcap Moss who defeated Ezekiel, Happy Corbin, and The Miz to earn his opportunity.
We also got quite the tease of a tag team possibly breaking up. Kayla Braxton dropped a potential bombshell rumor that The Street Profits haven’t been getting along.
Once Cameras Stopped Rolling
Once the FOX broadcast went off the air, Riddle and Seth Rollins had a singles match. Both men will be participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match on July 2 in Las Vegas.
Rollins and Riddle have been at each other’s throats in the buildup to Money in the Bank. It’s led some to speculate that it’ll lead to a match at SummerSlam but that hasn’t been confirmed at this time.
For now, it looks like they’re starting a string of dark match and live event battles.
(via javimmunoz_1988)
There was also a dark match before the show aired. Shinsuke Nakamura took on Humberto in singles action.
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Chelsea Green spoke about the creative pitches she made during her time in WWE and the process surrounding it.
Chelsea Green and her husband Matt Cardona have been everywhere on the independent scene after their releases from WWE. On April 15, 2021, Chelsea Green was released from her WWE contract.
Matt was released exactly one year before Chelsea on April 15, 2020.
After her release, Green made it known that she made multiple pitches to Vince McMahon to try and get herself on TV.
Unfortunately, during her main roster debut match on the November 13, 2020 episode of SmackDown, Chelsea suffered yet another arm injury.
Green’s WWE Creative Pitch
Green spoke about the pitches she made and her process for pitching them to Vince.
“No, actually one that was really ridiculous and I get made fun of all the time on the internet still for it, was like this kind of like nun character where- What was Seth Rollins? He had a character and he would come out and be like The Messiah. And, I wanted to come out with him, I always thought that I could be a good valet, but then also be able to be in the women’s division. But I really loved the idea of being like a 90’s style valet.“
“So, I wanted to come out with him as kind of like his follower, his disciple, and just basically be like a yes man to everything that he wanted when he wanted to kind of stir things up in each division.”
Chelsea Green on her WWE pitch
“When I first pitched the character to Vince and I said a nun, I think everyone just has this immediate thought of what that is and how that’s not going to work, and finally he kind of like laughed and was like, ‘I need you to explain this for me.’
“And I explained like the look that I had in mind, the attitude that I had in mind, the fact that it was more of building this following of everyone following Seth Rollins to the ring. Finally, he’s like, ‘Oh, okay,’ and you can see the wheels turning.“
WWE Creative Is Ever-Changing
“A lot of the scenarios that I pitched were like that, like, ‘Okay, how can we make this work? Can we make this work? What’s gonna be-‘ I mean Raw and SmackDown, when I say they’re ever-changing, I seriously mean up until ten minutes before showtime. So, something could work, and then ten minutes before showtime, it doesn’t,” Green said.
“All these ideas are so out of left field and so opposite that they can’t tell you whether it’s a bad idea or a good idea or yes or no because they might need to use it last minute, or they might need to give it to somebody else and have someone else use it because they fit the mold. They’ll never tell you no, but I mean if you have any sort of brain, you can tell what’s hitting and what’s missing,” she said.
Possible Name Change
Recently, WWE has seen many superstars face name changes. It seems that Chelsea was scheduled to get a name change as well. She was asked about working with WWE creative and how they responded to her pitching so many ideas.
Green responded, “I think there’s a fine line where if you don’t do what they want then yes [creative would ignore ideas]. But, I never did that. They gave me, they called me, they said, ‘You’re going to be in this qualifying match for Survivor Series and your name is going to be Victorious.’
“I’m like, ‘Great.’ A lot of people laughed at that name, but I’m like, ‘F*cking awesome dude.’ This is a name I can work with. This is a name people won’t forget.
“It might be so ridiculous and sound like a stripper, but on the other hand you’re not going to ever forget this name. Once I’m Victorious, you’re not going to forget Victorious was Victorious kind of thing.
“I think if I had been like, ‘Well, I have different names for you.’ Do you know what I mean? Like, that is something I would never do.“
Green’s Willingness To Work
“I only suggested things because I was sitting waiting. So, I wanted them to know, ‘Hey, I’m not just sitting here collecting a paycheck.
“I’m sitting here collecting a paycheck because I am every single day thinking about what I can do to get on TV, how I can change my look. Goddamnit, I will dye my hair.’ I will never forget, I said to Cannon before he hired me at NXT, ‘What do you need?
“Do you need me to dye my hair blue? Do you need me to shave my head? I’ll do it. I will do it. Just tell me what you need. Tell me what’s missing, and I will be that missing piece.’ That’s what I was trying to give to the writers.
“So, if they told me, ‘You’re going to be CM Punk’s next person who’s shaving their head and stuff,’ I would’ve done it. “
Green In Impact
Chelsea can still be seen on Impact Wrestling as she recently competed, in a losing effort, for the Knockouts World Championship in a first-ever Queen of the Mountain match at the Slammiversary pay-per-view.
Chelsea was able to have a memorable moment with Deonna Purrazzo when they both fell off of a tall ladder to the outside of the ring and through two tables.
Front row view of the Chelsea/Deonna table spot from #Slammiversary !! Fkng terrifying!!?? Glad they’re both OK.
Everyone wants to be the best at what they do, and professional wrestling is no exception.
In WWE today, it’s safe to consider Roman Reigns the biggest Superstar of the current era, as the “Head of the Table” is now in his 661st day as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Reigns has dominated WWE since his heel turn and title win in August 2020, but Seth Rollins believes he has a leg-up on the Champ.
Rollins’ Comment
This week, the New York Post published an article, saying that Rollins is on an all-time run in WWE.
The article said that Rollins’ current run may be better than the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Responding, Rollins told the NYP to drop the maybe, assuring that he is definitively better than the “Tribal Chief.
Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have had their careers compared for years, thanks in part to their simultaneous debuts at Survivor Series 2012.
In terms of metrics, Reigns has a clear advantage, being taller, bigger, and with more World Championships to his name.
However, Rollins is often considered the better wrestler between the two given the multiple styles he can bring to the ring.
Rollins is considered by many to be the more popular of the two, given that Reigns was hated by fans for much of his tenure as a babyface.
“The Architect” also has some accolades Reigns does not have, including two tenures as Intercontinental Champion, as well as being a former Mr. Money in the Bank.
Rollins is also the only person to hold a PLE victory over Reigns since the latter’s heel turn, albeit via disqualification at the 2022 Royal Rumble.
With that said, it’s clear which name WWE considers to be a bigger star, as while Rollins competes each week, Reigns’ appearances are becoming rarer and treated as a much bigger deal.
Name changes aren’t new in WWE but this venue botch takes the cake.
WWE superstars will be making their way to the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, NJ on Aug. 14. This is being billed as a “Sunday Stunner” event. In other words, it’s a house show.
This live event is set to feature the likes of Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Asuka, Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, and others.
Introducing “Franklin” & “Ashule”
Reddit user “chairduck” noticed something rather odd on the official venue page advertising this particular “Sunday Stunner” show.
The page listed Seth’s nickname as “Franklin.” Asuka’s name is completely butchered, as she is referred to as “Ashule.”
Someone call Maffew of Botchamania.
Asuka has been feuding with Becky Lynch. The two challenged Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell on June 5 in a triple threat match. Belair picked up the win to successfully retain her gold.
As for Franklin Rollins, he recently attacked an injured Cody Rhodes despite suffering three losses in a row to “The American Nightmare.” While not official, one has to figure Seth will be in the Money in the Bank match on July 2nd.
The third and final match in the feud between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rolins ended with them meeting inside the Hell in a Cell Structure at the themed event.
As previously reported, Rhodes entered the match with a torn pec that he suffered while lifting weights. He’s expected to be sidelined anywhere from six months to a year once getting surgery.
The match was saved for the main event. Despite the injury looking nasty, Cody pushed through the pain and that was the story of the match. Rollins wore polka dots tights, a mental edge as Dusty Rhodes wore them during his WWE run. Rollins missed a frog splash off the top rope through a table.
Cody pulled out a bullrope and they tied it to their wrists. Cody with a superkick then hit him with the bell for 2. Cody with the crossrhodes for 2. Rollins powerbombed him in the corner through a table. Cody hit the pedigree for a near fall. Rollins with the crossrhodes, but then Cody hit one of his own. The finish saw Cody hit two crossrhodes then hit him in the face with the sledgehammer.
On the May 16th edition of Raw, Rhodes issued the challenge to Rollins as a response to Rollins attacking Rhodes during his United States title match with Theory on the previous week’s episode of Raw. Once Rhodes made the challenge Rollins started laughing at him before accepting it.
Rhodes made his return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in April where he beat Rollins and then won the rematch at WrestleMania Backlash on May 8.
WWE has once again been forced to pivot on the fly.
Hell in a Cell will take place tonight inside Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The card will feature seven matches including a Raw Women’s Title match between champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Becky Lynch.
There will also be a mixed six-person tag team match featuring AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and Liv Morgan taking on The Judgment Day (Edge, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley).
WWE Alters Plans
There are other matches on the card but none are bigger than the HIAC match between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
While WWE had plans laid out for the match, officials have needed to make changes. That’s because word broke that Cody may have suffered a torn pectoral while training for the match.
WrestleVotes reports that WWE has been making changes to the match all day.
Unfortunately, the Cody Rhodes injury news going around is accurate. He is still scheduled to work tonight’s HIAC event, w/ the severity of the injury still being determined. I’m told plans for the match have been changing all day long. Feel terrible for Cody.
“Unfortunately, the Cody Rhodes injury news going around is accurate. He is still scheduled to work tonight’s HIAC event, w/ the severity of the injury still being determined. I’m told plans for the match have been changing all day long. Feel terrible for Cody.”
Something was amiss when Cody didn’t compete in a scheduled match at a house show this past Saturday night. He was set to take on Seth Rollins but WWE announced that he suffered an injury.
Drew McIntyre ended up replacing Cody and he pinned Rollins. After the match, Cody ran Seth out of the ring.
The May 30 episode of Raw was held inside the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. The show featured a brawl between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins after Seth referenced Cody’s time in AEW.
There was also a non-title match between Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Asuka. Belair ended up winning the match with a rollup. After the match, Becky Lynch attacked both women.
The show ended with a contract signing between Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Omos. Despite a run-in from Cedric Alexander, the show ended with Lashley nailing Omos through a table with a Spear.
Once Cameras Stopped Rolling
It’s been a running theme for WWE to have Cody and Seth wrestle once Raw goes off the air. Things were no different on May 30 in Des Moines.
Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins did battle at least one more time before their Hell in a Cell match on June 5.
WWE fans can expect to see more of their favorite Superstars on both Raw and SmackDown as the brand split is considered to be finished.
In 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand split, five years after merging Raw and Smackdown’s rosters into one collective.
According to Bryan Alverez who spoke on Wrestling Observer Live, WWE is doing away with the brand split, and fans can see more Superstars appear on both brands.
“They haven’t officially said anything, but the brand extension is essentially done. Half of the Raw crew is going to be on SmackDown Friday. Cody’s going to be there, I think Seth is going to be there. They’re just going to do whatever.”
Bryan Alvarez
Andrew Zarian followed up on this, saying that a WWE source told him that while the company doesn’t plan on officially announcing the end of the brand split, there will be far more crossover going forward.
Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and Kevin Owens have all been advertised for this Friday’s SmackDown though it’s unclear if they’ll appear on the broadcast.
In addition to this trio, Roman Reigns is also able to appear on both Raw and SmackDown due to his place as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
The Usos are also able to appear on both Raw and SmackDown after unifying both brands’ tag team titles following their win over RK-Bro last week.
The May 23 episode of WWE Raw is in the books but some important movement took place after the USA Network airing.
In the main event of Raw, Asuka took on Becky Lynch in a rematch. The stipulation was that if Becky won, then she’d be added to the Raw Women’s Title match at Hell in a Cell on June 5.
Asuka ended up accidentally kicking Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in the head, causing a distraction. Asuka almost got counted out but it didn’t matter as Becky rolled up Asuka for the pinfall.
It’ll now be Belair vs. Asuka vs. Becky at Hell in a Cell.
MVP’s Stipulation Revealed After Raw
Fans also witnessed MVP defeat Bobby Lashley thanks to interference from Omos. As a result, MVP got to lay down the stipulation for Lashley vs. Omos at Hell in a Cell.
Before MVP could get a word out, however, Lashley got him in the Hurt Lock.
When the show went off the air, WWE held its Raw Talk show. During the show, MVP announced that it’ll be him and Omos vs. Bobby Lashley in a handicap match.
As far as the live crowd post-show is concerned, Cody Rhodes spoke to the fans in attendance. This was after he had a dark match in which he pinned Seth Rollins. He took pics with as many people as he could after the match.
I tried to get some Rollins chants going tonight for you but the “Cody” chants overpowered. Thank you for giving us a great match tonight though and for all you do. I truly appreciate you and I’m glad you were in Evansville tonight. Also yes you are the greatest! #ROLLINSFOREVERpic.twitter.com/dUh1Mb8u7S
So sad right now!. @CodyRhodes was taking pics with the #WWERaw crowd and we would have been next but he walked and left us hanging ? he was right in front of me lol. it's our 3rd anniversary so it would have been a cool moment. Hopefully one day we'll get one. #anniversarypic.twitter.com/fvwSMGqX2T
Cody Rhodes has said he is not interested in facing Seth Rollins again after defeating the former multiple-time world champion at WrestleMania Backlash.
In the opening match of last night’s Premium Live Event, Rhodes defeated Rollins with a roll-up pin and a handful of tights. It was a bit of tit-for-tat on Cody’s part as Seth had attempted to use the tights for leverage first.
This is Rhodes’ second televised victory over Rollins since returning to WWE, after beating “The Architect” at WrestleMania 38.
In a post-match interview shared by WWE, Rhodes said that he is moving forward and does not plan on having another match with Rollins.
“I think we can walk away on this one. Seth is an amazing, amazing Superstar wrestler, I can’t wait to see what he does next. Whatever he does now, good luck. I’m moving forward.”
Cody Rhodes
Rhodes concluded by wishing Happy Mother’s Day to his mother, his wife, and all the mothers in the world.
On the post-WrestleMania 38 Raw, Cody Rhodes said he will fulfill the promise of becoming WWE World Champion that he made to his father Dusty Rhodes.
Since coming back to WWE, Cody Rhodes has feuded primarily with Seth Rollins but has his eyes set on championship gold.
In a promo on the post-WrestleMania 38 episode of Raw, Rhodes said he plans on becoming a WWE World Champion, fulfilling a promise to his late father “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.
In the post-WrestleMania Backlash interview, Rhodes again made his goals clear.
“After the match, I did the generic symbol for wanting the belt – because it’s real. That’s what I want.”
Cody Rhodes
Rhodes is expected to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at some point in the future, which is currently held by Roman Reigns.
A young fan jumped the barricade this week in the hopes of getting a photo with Cody Rhodes after WWE SmackDown went off the air.
After last night’s episode, Rhodes defeated Seth Rollins in a dark main event ahead of their match this Sunday at WrestleMania Backlash.
In a clip shared online, Rhodes can be seen taking a selfie with fans at ringside when he is approached by a child.
Cody speaks to the fan, who points at where he was sitting, while security gently leads the kid back to his seat.
Responding to the video in a tweet, Cody said that he was “popped” to see the young fan ask for a photo, and said that he did take a picture with him later in the night.
Instead, it was a scammer posing as Rollins on social media, who had tricked 24-year-old Elisah Spencer out of gift cards and his money.
In 2019, Zachary Madsen jumped the barricade during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony to attack Bret Hart, saying that it “felt like it was the right moment,” during a court appearance. The man ended up being dropped by a punch courtesy of Cash Wheeler.
Fans caught jumping the barricade are usually kicked out of the venue and banned from future WWE events, but the company made an obvious exception this week.
