Jim Ross shared his thoughts on several segments and matches from Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in the latest blog posted on his official website.
Below are highlights:
On Roman Reigns’ promos: “Thought Roman Reigns mic work showed improvement. He seems to be the kind of talent who works much better with a bullet point format than adding the additional challenge of ‘remembering his lines’ to the always challenging promo facet of one’s game in the biz. Mic work doesn’t happen over night and too many fans show no patience while these skills are being developed. Reigns is far from the only talent on RAW that needs to work on that phase of their game. It’s an on going process that doesn’t come naturally for every talent. Reigns has great presence and knows that he has to become more proficient with his verbal game and I’m confident that will occur in time.”
On Goldust & Stardust breaking up: “The apparent soon to break up, or not, Goldust and Stardust duo have more interest in their team than any team on the roster or so it seems to me. Seems as if this pair has been on again and off again for weeks but I’m interested in them.”
On the Sting segment on RAW: “Didn’t have any issues with the Sting-HHH presentation but in hindsight I did not need to see the image of Sting entering the ring. Thought the graphics and overall video production was excellent. Looking forward to this confrontation.”
On Rikishi’s WWE Hall Of Fame induction: “It seems that no matter who is announced to be inducted into the WWE HOF some fans simply cannot be satisfied or happy and instead make the announcement about someone that they feel has been passed over or is more deserving. Has anyone been really passed over as anyone not inducted still has a viable chance in being honored in the future. I’m happy for Rikishi and his family.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
The Road to WrestleMania took a brief detour last night, stopping at THE Ohio State University for Raw. Sting finally answered Triple H’s challenge, and the show was bookended by a pair of nearly identical matches. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons from last night’s episode of Raw.
Pros
The highlight of the night was easily Dolph Ziggler vs. Bray Wyatt. These guys have competed over the past two weeks, and have exhibited amazing chemistry on both occasions. There were a number of impressive spots in this one, including Wyatt delivering a brutal blow to Ziggler’s midsection and a devastating clothesline outside the ring that eventually set up Sister Abilgail for the win. Wyatt later cut another promo, presumably directed toward the Dead Man.
Triple H calling out Sting was a close second. The video package, which featured Sting’s makeup being transposed onto Triple H’s face, was both eerie and entertaining. The only downside to this was the absolutely dreadful Sting doppelganger they sent into the ring. With that said, I absolutely can’t wait to see what these guys have planned for Fastlane.
The Usos squared off with Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. Kidd and Cesaro put in some decent heel work by crashing the dinner party on SmackDown, and it’s certainly nice to see them getting some television time.
Rusev continues to improve on a weekly basis, in my opinion. I loved his promo, where he made claims such as, “You don’t want me. I am a hero.” His brawl with Cena was also entertaining and helped further their feud heading into Fastlane.
The opening promo was also entertaining, but nothing to really write home about. Reigns seems to be more confident on the mic each week, despite a minor flub. It was also nice to see Bryan on the mic, taking a humorous shot at Triple H for his involvement in the Katie Vick storyline.
It’s nice to see Axel getting more time on the mic. His promo was humorous, even if he was quickly dispelled after being hit with Dirty Deeds. Barrett’s new BNZ segment could also be entertaining, but I’m not totally sure how much shelf life it has.
Finally, the main event helped further the tension between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. The match was nothing incredible, by any means, but there were a few memorable moments, including Dolph Ziggler getting involved at the end. Roman’s spear to Bryan was also the perfect way to end the show. It seems like the next step in Roman’s evolution will be to turn him heel and possibly pair him with Heyman following WrestleMania.
– On Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, Sting aired a vignette accepting Triple H’s challenge and confirming his appearance for a “face-to-face confrontation” at the upcoming WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view.
– Below is the return vignette for Sheamus that aired on Monday’s RAW.
– Various cable TV providers are teasing that Sting might answer Triple H’s challenge for a face-to-face meeting at Fast Lane tonight on RAW. It’s unknown whether Sting will accept in person or if they will air a taped statement.
– The next episode of WWE 24 on the WWE Network will debut on Monday, February 23rd after RAW and will focus on WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. The episode is titled, “Sentenced To Greatness.”
– WWE’s latest Canvas 2 Canvas video features artist Rob Schamberger new NXT painting:
– Although it was reported on Tuesday via Reddit user “MetsFan4Ever” that WWE officials were considering changing NXT star Kalisto’s gimmick to that of a gay hair stylist, WWE sources reached out today and claimed that is not the case, and that Kalisto will not be changing characters at all.
MetsFan4Ever has since posted an update – stating that his initial report was that the idea was being considered – not that it was definitely happening. It remains to be seen if WWE does pull the trigger on this unique character change, but it was discussed.
– In what could be taken as a sign of a possible Fast Lane spoiler, as of this week the people in charge of handling the actual promotional materials for WrestleMania 31 were still under the impression that Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns will be the main event of the show. In the promotional materials, the workers were told to feature Reigns the most prominently, followed by Lesnar and John Cena.
It’s worth noting that WWE has not included Sting in any of the promotional materials for WrestleMania as of yet, and since he’s all but confirmed for the event, his involvement will likely be a major selling point for the show, so new materials will likely be released in the near future to include him.
The latest edition of Michael Cole’s weekly sit-down video interview with Triple H is now online.
In this week’s installment, the two talked about the recent “Stone Cold Podcast” interview this past Monday night on the WWE Network, where HHH claims that his appearance on the show drew 40 percent more viewers than Vince McMahon’s interview on the show.
When talking about the controversy stemming from the Royal Rumble, “The Game” explained that “backing Roman Reigns into a corner” on Monday’s RAW was done in an attempt to make things fair, as he feels they didn’t get a fair result to the Rumble match this year and the changes they made now makes things fair.
HHH complained some more about The Rock and Sting interfering in his business in recent weeks. He says The Rock is always welcome in the WWE, but not in a way where he interferes in his business. He points out that Rock and Sting are not WWE Superstars.
He continued on the subject of Sting, bringing up their upcoming “face-to-face confrontation” at this month’s Fast Lane pay-per-view. He promises to put an end to their problem if Sting shows up at the pay-per-view, and if he doesn’t, Sting is the coward that he always thought he was.
On Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Denver, Colorado, we saw the beginning of several programs leading into the first ever WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view, which emanates live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee on Sunday, February 22, 2015.
Below are some confirmed and rumored matches for the show:
Confirmed
– John Cena vs. Rusev
– Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan (#1 Contendership Match)
– Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige (WWE Divas Championship)
– Triple H and Sting face-to-face confrontation
Rumored
– Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Make sure to visit us here on the website on Sunday, February 22, 2015 for the best WWE Fast Lane live results coverage on the web!
This week’s edition of WWE RAW opened with The Authority — Triple H and Stephanie McMahon — making their way down to the ring to make their “major announcement” that will “shake WWE to its’ very core.”
After making a bunch of jokes and bad puns about Sunday’s NFL Super Bowl game, the two showed footage of the Royal Rumble match. Triple H talks about The Rock interfering in the match. He also spoke about his face-to-face confrontation with “The Vigilante” Sting at the upcoming WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view later this month.
Finally, they get to the “major announcement.” On RAW, Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins will go one-on-one in a singles match where the winner will go on to face Roman Reigns at the WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view. Whoever wins the match at Fast Lane will go on to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 31.
We will update you here on the website later tonight when the winner of the Bryan-Rollins match emerges.
Triple H is the guest on the latest edition of Michael Cole’s weekly sit-down interview for WWE.com.
In this week’s interview, Triple H talks to Michael Cole about the following topics:
– Weather issues resulting in the cancellation of Monday’s post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE RAW, resulting in WWE airing SmackDown live in Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday night.
– The WWE Network reaching one million subscribers, becoming the fastest growing digital streaming subscription service of all-time.
– WWE offering another free month of the WWE Network in February.
– Triple H appearing as the second guest on the “Stone Cold Podcast” live on the WWE Network next Monday night immediately following WWE RAW.
– The next NXT Takeover live special on the WWE Network on Wednesday, February 11th.
– The controversy stemming from last Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view and his big announcement coming up on next Monday’s edition of WWE RAW.
– His challenge to meet Sting face-to-face at the first ever WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view on Sunday, February 22nd.
Check out the complete Triple H and Michael Cole sit-down video interview at the top of this page.
On the live edition of WWE SmackDown on Thursday night, WWE announced a new title match for the WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Sunday, February 22nd.
Nikki Bella will be defending the WWE Divas Championship against Paige at the show, which is the final pay-per-view before this year’s WrestleMania 31 event in March.
With the Bella-Paige match announced, below is the latest official lineup for the first-ever WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view event:
– John Cena vs. Rusev
– Triple H and Sting face-to-face confrontation
– Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige (WWE Divas Championship)
Make sure to join us here on Sunday, Feb. 22nd for the best WWE Fast Lane live results coverage on the web.
Roman Reigns was the last man standing in the 2015 Royal Rumble match and earned a WrestleMania title shot against Brock Lesnar, who retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a phenominal 3-way match with John Cena and Seth Rollins.
During the WWE Royal Rumble Fallout post-show on the WWE Network, Rusev interrupted John Cena’s interview with Renee Young, leading to the two going nose-to-nose and being kept apart by other Superstars. This is the kickoff to a Cena vs. Rusev WrestleMania feud.
As of yesterday, there was no talk of Sting being in Philadelphia tonight, the site of the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view. There had been some rumors that he would appear on the show in some capacity, however as of last word, Sting will not be on tonight’s show. As is always the case with WWE, things could change at the last minute.
Regarding Diamond Dallas Page, who is rumored to be a surprise entrant in tonight’s 30-man over-the-top-rope battle royal, he flew into the East Coast from Utah this weekend and is still expected to work tonight’s pay-per-view. DDP was in Utah for the new Jake Roberts documentary premiere.
Finally, there is some talk going around certain circles within WWE that former WWE Superstar The Boogeyman could end up appearing as a surprise entrant in tonight’s Royal Rumble match.
Make sure to join us here at the website later tonight for the best WWE Royal Rumble live results coverage on the web!
– The Thursday, January 22nd, WWE Royal Rumble “go-home” edition of SmackDown averaged 2.814 million viewers. The number was up from the previous week’s show, which drew 2.675 million viewers. SmackDown was the number one rated show on cable for Thursday night.
– WWE added the following video to their official YouTube channel this weekend, which features “unseen footage” of Sting’s arrival, as well as Brock Lesnar’s beatdown from this past Monday’s RAW Reunion show in Dallas, Texas.
– Heath Slater returns on the road with WWE at this weekend’s live events. As noted recently, all charges against Slater stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident at a 2011 WrestleMania after-party have been dropped.
– The latest edition of “WWE Top 10,” which you can view below, looks at the ten most dramatic endings to past Royal Rumble matches.
– Below is a video of Dolph Ziggler and Ryback “returning to work” after being re-hired thanks to Sting and John Cena on this past Monday’s RAW.
Daniel Bryan sat down with Robert Leigh of The Sun to talk about Sunday’s Royal Rumble. Bryan also gives his thoughts on Sting, Triple H, Paul Heyman, and his ideal scenario for WrestleMania 31 with Brock Lesnar.
Thanks to Robert Leigh of the Sun in the UK for sending us the following quotes:
On Sting vs Triple H –
“I think he’d do very well. But it will be interesting because there’s a lot of pressure in WWE. And he’s older now.
“Let’s see how he handles that kind of pressure, whether it is a Wrestlemania match or doing something at the Royal Rumble.
“It has been a long time since he’s performed in front of a crowd that big.”
On Paul Heyman –
“Paul Heyman’s been an incredible performer for years and he’s been able to change and evolve with the way the business has evolved,” said Bryan.
“To me, I feel like he’s very ahead of the curve.
“If you talk to Paul Heyman, he’s like a wrestling genius. He understands the fanbase, he knows what people want.
“He’s an amazing performer.”
On Brock Lesnar –
“Literally, my ideal scenario for Sunday would be I win the Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar wins his WWE World Heavyweight championship match and then we wrestle in the main event of Wrestlemania.
“That’s what I hope happens.
“It’ll be interesting to see what actually does happen.”
You can read the full interview by clicking here (behind a paywall).
Triple H is once again the guest on the latest Michael Cole weekly sit-down interview.
In this week’s video interview, which you can view in full above, Triple H talks to Cole about Sting’s appearance on Monday’s RAW Reunion show.
“The Game” got worked up talking about Sting, questioning why he insists on sticking his nose in his business and speculating that he’s either going straight at the top guy, or that he’s simply a crazy man who paints his face.
HHH told Cole that he’s the reason Sting has never been in WWE, and soon he will find out why.
Below are this week’s “RAW Fallout” videos. The first video shows The Authority, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, storming out of the arena after Sting showed up and helped John Cena win the main event, which allowed Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan to get their jobs back.
In the second video, the New Age Outlaws talk about The Ascension, who they will meet in the ring at this Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
And finally, here’s the third RAW Fallout video, which features Cena gloating about his friends getting their jobs back.
Last night’s Raw was held in Dallas, TX and was the final episode before the Royal Rumble. There were plenty of surprises, and after weeks of terrible programming, perhaps the biggest shocker was that the company put on an episode of Raw that wasn’t half bad. Without further ado, here are this week’s pros and cons.
Pros
There were a few highlights to choose from, but for me, the final segment easily takes the top spot. The action during the contest was commendable, but the real excitement occurred after the match. Sting’s appearance was completely unexpected, especially an in age where nearly everything is spoiled online beforehand. The Stinger looked great (much better than he did at Survivor Series, imo) and held the pose long enough to make everyone wonder if it was a picture to distract the Authority, or whether he was really in attendance.
Fans quickly found out the answer, making a match between Triple H and Sting at WrestleMania all but official. Sting’s appearance, followed by Lesnar’s destruction of everything in sight, was an amazing way to end the show and sell Sunday’s Rumble. Speaking of Lesnar, the crowd is dying to cheer this guy. He could have a monster face run if he decides to stick around after ‘Mania.
A close second goes to the nWo reunion. The Ascension is completely laughable and unconvincing as intimating heels (Hall was straight-up laughing at them throughout the segment). I predict they will be dancing on the WWE comedy circuit within a year. With that said, it was awesome to see JBL finally take out his anger on these fools. It was hard not to mark out at the Clothesline From Hell, and it was pleasant to see actual planning and some sort of payoff for once.
The legends panel was decent, even if it’s the same three guys that are there every time a group of legends rolls into town. However, it was nice to see three Rumble winners talk about their victories, with Shawn Michaels saying, “There would be no Mr. WrestleMania without the Royal Rumble.” It was also humorous to watch Big Show bring up talking points from about two decades prior and refer to anyone as “three washed-up has-beens.”
In terms of wrestling action, the best match of the night, in my opinion, was Dean Ambrose and Bad News Barrett. These two had good chemistry and pulled off a number of impressive spots. In particular, Ambrose’s reversal of Wasteland into Dirty Deeds was an awesome way to end the match. I wouldn’t mind seeing these guys work a program for the IC Title at WrestleMania.
Finally, Sandow posing as X-Pac backstage was absolutely hilarious. This guy deserves bigger and better things. Hopefully the company comes to the same realization before it’s too late.
Sting made a surprise appearance at the end of Monday’s WWE RAW Reunion and once again stuck it to The Authority.
The 3-on-1 main event match featuring John Cena vs. Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane. If Cena lost, he would be removed from the Royal Rumble title match this Sunday. If he won, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan get their jobs back.
When it looked like Cena on the verge of succumbing to the odds, Sting appeared on the big screen. He made his way to the stage and distracted Seth Rollins, allowing Cena to roll him up for the pin.
As a result, Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan get their jobs back.
Make sure to check back this Sunday for our WWE Royal Rumble Live Coverage play-by-play results.
– Sting has been added to the WrestleMania Axxess lineup. Other top stars doing autograph signings include Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Triple H, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart.
– Eva Marie told E! Online that she could be out of action for 2 to 3 months after undergoing surgery to fix a breast implant leak.
She said, “It really sucks because I’ve worked so hard to get to this point in my career. And taking time off, that’s the last thing that I want.”
The latest edition of Michael Cole’s weekly sit-down interview, which features the return of Triple H, is now available.
On this week’s interview, Triple H talks in-depth about the return of The Authority and the angles from RAW, namely the “firing” storyline involving Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan.
HHH also brought up Sting, noting that “he has had his 15 seconds of fame.”
As noted earlier today, Seth Rollins did not appear on “Miz TV” at the SmackDown tapings on Tuesday night as was advertised on Monday’s RAW. HHH revealed during the interview that Rollins wouldn’t be appearing on the talk show segment, because “he doesn’t need to be.”
You can check out the complete Michael Cole sit-down interview with “The Game” above.
For those wondering, Sting is not expected to be a surprise entrant in the 2015 WWE Royal Rumble match. As things stand now, the plan is still for Sting to work a match against Triple H at WrestleMania 31. If those plans end up changing, we should hear about it in the near future.
As far as Triple H and The Authority are concerned, apparently the plan was set for some time to bring them back, and the decision to bring them back sooner than originally expected was said to not be a reactionary move to recent declining ratings.
The five most-shipped WWE DVDs of 2014 so far are WrestleMania XXX, with 153,000 units sold, which is down from the 174,000 units from this time last year, Slam City with 100,000 units, The Ultimate Warrior Collection with 94,000 units, The Best of Sting with 66,000 units and WCW’s Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches with 53,000 units.
By comparison, DVD sets on CM Punk, The Rock, Undertaker and Bill Goldberg from recent years all topped the 100,000 mark, with The Rock being the best individual seller of the past two years.
Where I’m from, local residents occasionally use the phrase “lazy man’s load.” If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it involves straining oneself by carrying multiple bags of groceries from the car in order to save a trip. Based on last night’s episode of Raw, I’m starting to wonder if WWE creative lives in my neighborhood.
As most know by now, the Authority is back in power in the WWE. We all knew they would be back in some shape or form, but most (myself included) did not expect them to be back so soon. So, was bringing the Authority back best for business?
The company appears to be laying the groundwork for a Triple H/Sting match at WrestleMania.
It is hard to deny that Raw has been directionless over the past few weeks. One week we had Daniel Bryan making matches, next fans were subjected to a stupid podium that decided to show up for a week or two, and finally we had Hogan dressed as Santa Claus calling the shots. In short, the shows were all over the place, and for the most part, just plain bad.
That isn’t a knock on the superstars, as they did everything they could to make the shows entertaining. Instead, it’s a knock on creative because they are unable to adapt from their comfort zone. For the past year, nearly every major storyline has focused on the Authority, and it seemed that creative was lost without their tried-and-true conflict creative device.
With that said, I suppose it is necessary to bring the Authority back into power to set up a potential match between Sting and Triple H at WrestleMania. It definitely appears that Sting’s first match in the WWE will be against the Game, so it makes more sense to have Sting deal the final blow to the Authority than to have Triple H request a match to exact revenge even though he’s no longer in power.
As noted in the past, a match between Sting and Triple H is considered likely for WrestleMania 31, however recently, another match for Sting has been discussed internally.
The idea of a Sting vs. Seth Rollins match has reportedly been brought up recently, a match that seems like a long shot, but has been talked about.
It’s also worth noting that there has been some rumors going around that claim Rollins could be in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture soon. Obviously if that were to happen, the Rollins vs. Sting match would not.