The Undertaker collapsed while walking to the backstage area following his match with Brock Lesnar at Sunday night’s WWE Summerslam PPV:
Undertaker collapsing going into the back
-RoosyPosted by Jericho Invented That on Sunday, August 23, 2015
– The next WWE pay-per-view will be the WWE Night Of Champions event, which takes place on Sunday, September 20, 2015, live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. WWE aired the following promo during SummerSlam last night to promote this year’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view.
– Brock Lesnar’s return to the world famous Madison Square Garden in New York City will be on October 3, 2015. No opponent has been announced as of yet for Lesnar.
– WWE announced the following new original programs for the WWE Network during WWE SummerSlam on Sunday night:
* WWE Breaking Ground, which will look at the WWE Performance Center and what it takes to become a WWE Superstar
* Next “Stone Cold Podcast” guests will be Edge and Christian
* WWE Swerved, new episodes including the season finale
* WWE 24: NXT, which will follow the NXT stars
– Although a date was not announced, it was revealed during the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view on Sunday night that the next edition of WWE Hall Of Famer Steve Austin’s “Stone Cold Podcast” will feature Edge and Christian as the special guests.
– There was controversy during the main event at SummerSlam on Sunday night, as The Undertaker actually tapped out to a Kimura from Brock Lesnar near the end of the match. This is why the time keeper called for the bell and the bell was rung prematurely. Replays after the match showed that Undertaker did in fact tap out, however because the referee didn’t call it, Undertaker’s submission victory over Lesnar stands.
– The New Day won the Fatal Four-Way WWE Tag-Team Championship match at WWE SummerSlam on Sunday night, defeating The Prime Time Players, The Lucha Dragons and Los Matadores to become the new WWE Tag-Team Champions.
– “Arrow” actor Stephen Amell won his in-ring WWE debut at SummerSlam, defeating King Barrett and Stardust with his tag-team partner, Neville. The finish of the match saw Neville hit the Red Arrow for the pinfall victory. Amell actually did a pretty good job of executing some cool moves during the match.
– Seth Rollins debuted new, all-white ring gear in his “Title vs. Title — Winner Take All” match against John Cena at SummerSlam. Rollins would go on to win the match with help from Jon Stewart, who hit Cena with a chair and set up the chair for Rollins to Pedigree Cena on, making himself the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion and the new WWE United States Champion. Below is a photo of Rollins’ new ring gear.
WWE SummerSlam Kickoff Show
The Kickoff Show opens up with the panel, consisting of Renee Young, Booker T, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. The four talk about tonight’s show and in their usual goofy, fun-loving style, start talking about some of the matches.
Renee then kicks it to the social media lounge where Tom Phillips talks about some of tonight’s social media interaction. Use the hashtag “#SummerSlam” to engage throughout the evening. He plugs an interview later in the Kickoff Show with Stephen Amell and Neville.
Backstage: John Cena & Jon Stewart
Backstage, Jon Stewart is walking with his son when he runs into the WWE United States Champion John Cena. Stewart gets an autograph for his son. When Cena leaves, Stewart says the autograph isn’t for his son, but he’s going to sell it on eBay because “daddy’s retired now.”
Kevin Owens Attacks
When the panel breaks down Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro, they talk about how he could barely walk out of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn after Finn Balor beat him up. Corey Graves picks him to win, Booker T says he likes him, but Byron Saxton doesn’t think he can.
As they continue to talk, Kevin Owens walks up to the panel out of nowhere. He gets in Booker T and Byron Saxton’s face. Owens mocks Saxton and tells him he’s going to turn the Cesaro Section into the Silent Section tonight. He gets in Booker’s face and yells, “You dig that?!” He walks off.
Backstage: Sheamus
Backstage, Sheamus talks about how Randy Orton got involved in his business and ruined his dreams of cashing in his briefcase and becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He promises to beat the fangs off The Viper tonight.
Backstage: Stephanie McMahon
Backstage, JoJo catches up with Stephanie McMahon and asks about tonight’s Divas match. Stephanie talks about bringing some of the NXT Divas up to the main roster. She talks about Ronda Rousey and Serena Williams dominating their sports. She talks about two women graduating the Army Ranger course. She says she can’t wait to see what the WWE Divas will do tonight. JoJo asks for a prediction. She says let’s just say she’s anxious to see who’s going to win because to the victor goes the spoils.
Social Media Lounge Q&A: Stephen Amell & Neville
The panel shoots things over to the social media lounge, where Tom Phillips is with Stephen Amell and Neville, both of whom will be in tag-team action together tonight against King Barrett and Stardust at WWE SummerSlam.
Phillips fields questions from the fans. He asks what their strategy is tonight. Neville talks about how it’s a unique strategy because Stardust is an unusal character himself, Amell is a rookie and admits it himself. Phillips asks a couple more basic questions like that and the two give pretty generic answers.
WWE SummerSlam 2015
This year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view opens up with Lilian Garcia introducing the host for this year’s show, Jon Stewart.
Jon Stewart & Mick Foley Kick Off SummerSlam
Stewart, already in the ring, welcomes Brooklyn to SummerSlam. He promises we’re in for a historic night. The fans start giving Stewart the “What?” treatment something awful. Stewart ignores it and talks about what we’re going to see tonight, listing a bunch of WWE Superstar names.
Jon Stewart says he’s still upset that Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker’s streak. He said as a small weak man, he can’t do anything about it. So, he’s going to interview Lesnar tonight with his friend, The Hardcore Legend — Mick Foley. With that said, Stewart introduces Mick Foley.
Foley’s music hits and out comes The Hardcore Legend himself. The fans chant “Foley! Foley! Foley!” as he stands in the ring alongside Jon Stewart.
Foley goes on and tells some jokes and then says he thought Stewart wanted him to help interview Rock, not Brock. He makes a big deal out of the “B” sound in Brock compared to Rock, and says because of that, he’s not going to help him. Foley says he’s terrified of Brock Lesnar. They joke around some more and then Stewart says, “let’s get to the show!”
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently spoke with AMNY.com to promote tonight’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On how it feels to team with Dean Ambrose again at SummerSlam: “It feels good to have small talk and inside jokes out there. And to be able to laugh and watch Ambrose do something crazy, watch him freak out and start destroying stuff. It’s such a good dynamic, I think it’s going to be a great matchup. Anytime you put some Shield boys in the ring with some Wyatt boys, it turns into some magic and some hectic craziness, so hopefully we don’t burn the whole building down in one night.”
On what other matches he’s excited to watch tonight: “To be honest, I’ve been so immersed in my feud, and my beef with Bray and Luke, and as you know, any time it becomes a family thing, all attention span is thrown out the window. I’m like an unleashed dog. I can’t focus. I just want to fight. I want to wrestle the Wyatts. I’ve got to be completely honest. Just right off the top of my head, I can say Brock [Lesnar] and [The Undertaker] is going to be the matchup of a lifetime. … I’ve been in the ring with both, even more so with Brock. I’d be extremely shocked if we didn’t see an epic match and one for the books.”
Check out the complete interview at AMNY.com.
– Due to the success this week, WWE has already begun working on having another major SummerSlam week next year. You can likely expect another NXT Takeover event to be coupled with the show, which will probably run four hours again.
– Actor Stephen Amell tweeted the following photo of himself in the Barclays Center as he prepares for his in-ring debut at tonight’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.
https://twitter.com/amellywood/status/635553342094221312
– WWE posted the following video of several WWE Superstars and Divas playing a game of “H.O.R.S.E.” with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center this week.
https://youtu.be/3DDU1X7Bq2g
The wait is finally over – tonight WWE presents SUMMERSLAM live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. If you’re not watching the show – join us here starting at 6:30pm EST for our Live Coverage of the show. Hell, even if you’re watching it live on the WWE Network, join us here for our discussion and chat with other fans throughout the show.
Here is the final card for WWE SummerSlam 2015, hosted by Jon Stewart:
WWE Title vs. U.S. Title (Winner Take All)
– Seth Rollins (c) vs. John Cena (c)
WWE Intercontinental Title
– Ryback (c) vs. The Miz vs. Big Show
WWE Tag Team Titles
– The Prime Time Players vs. The New Day vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores
Elimination Match
– Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch vs. Naomi, Tamina Snuka and Sasha Banks vs. Brie Bella, Alicia Fox and Nikki Bella
– Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
– Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper vs. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose
– King Barrett and Stardust vs. Stephen Amell and Neville
– Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens
– Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
– Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev
– Cesaro, generally known as one of the toughest stars in WWE, recently spoke with FOX Sports Australia and revealed who he feels is the strongest athlete in WWE.
“Mark Henry,” said Cesaro. “They don’t call him the Worlds Strongest Man for nothing. I was in the gym a couple of times when he was in there too and the weight he eats is scary.”
Check out the complete interview at FOXSports.com.
– Former WWE announcer turned ESPN analyst Jonathan Coachman tweeted the following photos of himself with various WWE talents. Coachman has been conducting interviews with WWE stars for ESPN’s SportsCenter during WWE SummerSlam weekend.
We are kicking off @WWE #SummerSlam weekend with @TheCoachESPN. pic.twitter.com/35JYPkVH65
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 22, 2015
Brian Fritz of Sporting News caught up with Dean Ambrose ahead of Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view and asked him about the rumors regarding Sting possibly appearing at the event.
“I didn’t hear that,” said Ambrose. “Anytime you get to see Sting in WWE, it’s a dream. Nobody ever thought he would be here, to see him at WrestleMania was awesome.”
Ambrose continued, “I have a feeling, you know, Sting is always very mysterious and he keeps it real like that, and I like that about Sting. I would hope that we see Sting in a WWE ring again.”
Since the interview, it has been reported that Sting left the New York City area to travel to Chicago for a Wizard World appearance, and will not be appearing at SummerSlam, despite the rumors.
WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley wrote the following post on his official Facebook page regarding NXT Takeover: Brooklyn and SummerSlam.
WRESTLING’S BIG WEEKEND
With so much going on, in so many places, involving people who have meant so much to me on a professional or personal level, I feel inclined to just congratulate the business itself for standing strong and delivering great matches and shows on so may different levels. From the towering achievement of WWE NXT #TakeoverBrooklyn selling out the Barkley’s Center, to one of the most anticipated #SummerSlam events in recent memory, to Jim Ross at the Grammercy Theater, to #ROH doing what they’ve done very well for a very long time, to the huge #ProWrestlingSyndicate show that I’ll be part of TONIGHT in #Sayreville NJ – there seems to be SOMETHING for EVERYONE over the course of the next few days. Check out that #PWS card if you can, featuring Rey Mysterio, Kenny Omega, Jimmy Snuka, myself and many, many more. if you can. Tickets are available at http://realmickfoley.com/
What are YOU looking forward to the most this weekend? The ladder match with Owens & Balor? A potential classic from the #LegitBoss Sasha Banks in her title defense against Bailey – a match in which I am counting on #Brooklyn to compensate for the disrespectful climate the WWE women faced on WWE Raw last Monday. Or, like many, are you looking forward to Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker – wondering if the payoff can live up to the legendary build.
– A new episode of WWE Swerved is scheduled to air on the WWE Network this coming Monday night immediately after the post-SummerSlam edition of WWE RAW. The official description for the show reads as follows:
“Rosa and Foxy meet a sleazeball dad and his loudmouth kid. Zack Ryder helps a pregnant woman. Heath Slater gets treated to a messy 3D TV.”
– The latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” web show, which you can check out below, features art work from WWE artist Rob Schamberger on The Undertaker and Sting.
– WWE posted the following video of Cesaro’s workout for his big match at this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog about this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker: “A brawl is the only way to go for these two. What a great story it would be if both guys try to make their opponent submit. Think of what it would mean for a victory if both men were working for a submission–if the Undertaker continued to go for his gogoplata chokehold, and Lesnar was trying to get the kimura, which is a double wrist lock. Getting your opponent to tap out is the most macho of all the ways to win, and I can see that story woven in there by the announcers.”
On Divas triple threat match: “The Divas feuds are lacking structure and a reason to care. The emotional investment is not there yet in this rivalry. Who goes over with nine of them fighting? And how much time do they have? They need two good finishes in this match, and then you need to have Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Paige win. But I don’t know where they’re going with this–they haven’t established any real rivalries yet. They’re on the roster, getting some exposure, but it’s inevitable that some of them are going to have to take out some of their repertoire in a match with nine people.”
On Seth Rollins being a great heel: “But I sincerely hope there are no plans, somewhere down the road, to turn Rollins babyface. He’s still learning how to be a great heel, and it’s doing a damn good job with it. He’s a student of the game, works hard, and every week he adds another nuance of being a heel. He’s a major block in the foundation, so Cena beating him at SummerSlam is not the right thing to do. Rollins needs to retain the title, even if it’s with the help of plenty of outside interference.”
Check out the complete interview at SI.com.
– Daniel Bryan is now in New York City for this weekend’s WWE SummerSlam activities. Sting, however, has already left NYC for a Wizard World appearance in Chicago and will not be appearing at SummerSlam on Sunday.
– Wrestling journalist Dave Scherer will be the guest on the next Jim Ross “Ross Report” podcast, which drops on Tuesday night at 9pm EST. at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE posted the following video looking at John Cena granting his 500th “Make-A-Wish” earlier this week.
King Barrett hosted a Twitter Q&A on Friday to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Below are some of the highlights.
On who he picks to win the SummerSlam main event:
Lesnar https://t.co/Dcd91RXc0K
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) August 21, 2015
On his next WWE Studios movie:
Filming starts in September. Can't wait! https://t.co/ZIA6eRHs2k
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) August 21, 2015
On his post WWE career:
Would love to commentate post-wrestling https://t.co/SashjmqZpU
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) August 21, 2015
On which WWE gimmick he liked better:
Bad News was a lot more fun. https://t.co/dL7tp3cN1D
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) August 21, 2015
On who he likes in NXT:
I'm a big fan of @wwebalor and @MmmGorgeous https://t.co/sRe4RB9SbM
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) August 21, 2015
On whether or not Stephen Amell is worthy of a Bullhammer Elbow:
He's earned a serious beating at #Summerslam. Make sure to catch it on the #WWENetwork this Sunday! https://t.co/WLXw4pGATh
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) August 21, 2015
Jonathan Coachman recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog to promote ESPN’s coverage of WWE SummerSlam this Sunday night in Brooklyn, New York. Below are some of the highlights of the interview.
On how ESPN plans to cover this event: “We’re doing a lot of sit-downs on Saturday with guys who have cross-over appeal. We’re going to sit down and talk with different wrestlers that either played football in college, like Roman Reigns or John Cena, to the Miz, who was a reality star, so there are a lot of guys the casual sports fan would know. We’ll meet with them on Saturday, and those interviews will be on ESPN.com and our SportsCenter feed on Twitter, and then we’ll be doing live shots on Sunday morning from outside the arena to show people the atmosphere. Then we’ll interview a few people about what Sunday night means to their careers.”
On how he will approach covering the event: “We’re used to dealing with athletes and asking, ‘What does this game mean to you?’ Well, performing at SummerSlam is just like performing in the NFC Championship game. You’ve got to bring your top game so you can make it to the Super Bowl in WrestleMania. We want to introduce a lot of these guys to the part of the sports world who don’t watch Raw.”
On possibly working for WWE again and his plans at ESPN: “ESPN is not a place you come to take the next step, it’s a place you come to spend your career. I plan on retiring at ESPN, but I would love to be involved with ESPN and WWE. The biggest network in America for credibility in sports and entertainment is ESPN, so the best way to make your product credible is to be on ESPN. I’m proud of the fact that I am the liaison for the WWE. I appreciate the executives at ESPN opening their hearts and their minds, and I can’t think of anything cooler than what we’re doing this weekend at SummerSlam.”
Check out the complete interview at SI.com.
WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently spoke with IGN to promote WWE 2K16, as well as this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On who will win the Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker match: “I think it’s [Brock Lesnar’s] turn. And if you go that way then you can take the rubber match to WrestleMania and then Brock goes over and Taker rides off into the sunset. That’d be my prediction.”
On John Cena and the internet wrestling community giving him a hard time: “But everybody also knows that I’m a huge John Cena fan for his contributions for what he’s done for the business. He’s been the top guy for the last ten years. I’ve been there and I did it, so the run that he’s had is amazing. When you get the IWC involved, a lot of people have had a gut-full of him. But when a guy like me from outside, who was inside in the business at the highest level, looks at what he’s done, it’s phenomenal. So you could flip a coin on this one. You’d really have to get inside Vince McMahon’s head and see the chess game that’s going on. Get his mindset to see what he wants to do with the pieces on the table. That’s a hard one for me to pick. I’ll go Taker on Taker/Lesnar, but it’s really hard to call Cena/Rollins.”
Check out the complete interview at IGN.com.
Although he was in Brooklyn, New York for some WWE 2K16 obligations, as well as some other work, WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will not be sticking around for Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn or Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam events. There were those who were hoping that Austin would make an appearance because of how WWE is promoting this year’s SummerSlam to be a WrestleMania-sized event, however that will not be happening.
It is worth pointing out, however, that Ric Flair will be in town for Saturday and Sunday’s shows. There is no word as to whether or not Flair will actually appear on camera in some form or fashion, however it’s definitely a possibility.
According to F4WOnline.com, “something huge” is planned for Monday’s post-SummerSlam edition of WWE RAW. What exactly that is isn’t clear at the moment, and things could always change before Monday night, however as of right now, something big is planned for the show.
https://youtu.be/cGcmxAcdeEs
WWE performer Paul Heyman released a new “Heyman Hustle” video on Thursday to make an announcement regarding SummerSlam headliner Brock Lesnar.
In the video, which you can view above, Heyman takes to the streets of New York City, where he mingles with the people and even takes a street chess player to “Checkmate City, Bitch!”
Also during the video, Heyman delivered the “mega-announcement” that his client, “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar, will indeed be part of the new WWE 2K16 video game.
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker headlines this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Make sure to visit SEScoops.com on Sunday evening for live WWE SummerSlam results coverage.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gave a speech at the WWE 2K16 media event in New York City on Thursday night about Vince McMahon calling him about being the WWE 2K16 cover star. Austin noted that he was surprised, but didn’t want to talk himself out of the opportunity, as he admitted he has made a lot of bad career decisions in the past and he didn’t want this to be another one of them.
– King Barrett will be holding a Twitter Q&A today at 5pm EST. to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, where he will team up with Stardust to take on Neville and “Arrow” actor Stephen Amell. Fans can submit questions to Barrett using the hashtag #SummerSlam.
– Below are the “Top 10 WWE SmackDown Moments” for this week’s show, which was the SummerSlam “go-home” edition of the program.
Actor and SummerSlam performer Stephen Amell is preparing to head to New York for his big tag-team match with Neville against Stardust and King Barrett at this Sunday’s pay-per-view.
Amell posted a new video on his official Facebook page where he reveals that he will be wearing some special “Arrow” gear to the ring on Sunday.
Amell also noted via Twitter that the t-shirt he and WWE collaborated on has already raised $80,000 for the Emily’s House charity.
You can check out the new Amell video at Facebook.com/stephenamell.
WWE performer Paul Heyman recently spoke with CBS Sports to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. During the interview, Heyman was asked the secret to maintaining his friendship with Brock Lesnar.
“I’ve never let him down,” Heyman said. “I always tell Brock Lesnar the truth. I don’t appease Brock Lesnar. I don’t placate Brock Lesnar. When Brock Lesnar asks me for an opinion, I give to him an honest opinion that I’m willing to back up with facts, with theory. It’s never just what he wants to hear, or what benefits me the most. And I get the same from him, I assure you.”
Heyman also sang the praises of current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, noting that he has “risen to the top faster than anyone else that has been called up so far from NXT.”
“I think Seth Rollins is a perennial champion for the next decade,” said Heyman. “I think in the same way that John Cena and Randy Orton are multi, multi-time champions from 2005 on, I think that is now Seth Rollins’ position. I think Seth Rollins is in the title picture for the next decade. He has established himself as a main event performer. He has delivered on every occasion that he has had the opportunity to perform. And he has risen to the top faster than anyone else that has been called up so far from NXT. So I think Seth Rollins is just at the very beginning of his career as a main eventer.”
Heyman continued, “I mean, Seth Rollins was involved in the main event of this year’s WrestleMania, but he wasn’t advertised as a main event at this year’s WrestleMania. We have yet to see Seth Rollins have the opportunity to perform in a WrestleMania main event. I don’t think you’ve even seen Seth Rollins scratch the surface of what he’s capable of doing.”
With Paul Heyman in his corner, Brock Lesnar goes one-on-one with The Undertaker in “the rematch too big for WrestleMania,” this Sunday, August 23, 2015, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York at WWE SummerSlam, live on pay-per-view and on the WWE Network.
Part-time WWE performer Chris Jericho recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights from the interview..
On the reason he’s still around: “I’ve gone far beyond having to do anything for any financial reasons, but it’s a good time to go out there in the ring and it’s very second nature to me. Mentally, it’s still there, and you think about things a little differently after doing this for 25 years. Physically, I feel better than I felt ten years ago. I just started doing yoga five years ago, and it just changed everything around for me, as far as the soreness and the level I had of pain I’d feel during or after a match. But the most important reason I still do this is because I enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun, and I like working with the younger guys–it reinvigorates my desire to continue. Those guys work a lot like the gang of guys from my generation, and that gives me a kick, as well.”
On his current WWE status: “I do as many shows as I can to keep my foot in the WWE door, so I’m not gone for a year at a time. I’ve been off TV for a year, but I’ve worked 50 shows in the interim just doing live events, which, to me, is a lot more fun. I’m also working with all of the younger guys–I worked with Kevin Owens two weeks ago when Cena broke his nose–and that’s fun, too. Anyway I can be involved, I enjoy it. When it comes time for me to be full time, we’ll figure out what I’m going to do and I’ll come back.”
“The invitation is there 365 days a year. It’s not like I’m auditioning for a job with the WWE. It’s the other way around, ‘Give us as many dates as you can. You want to just work weekends? Do it. You want to just work TV? That’s fine, too.’ They leave it up to me, and I like working the schedule I’m on now. I like working the weekends. I don’t have time to commit to doing TV. For example, I don’t work weekends when we have Fozzy shows. I’m working the ones that I’m choosing, but I have the invitation to work 300 days a year with WWE if I wanted.”
On Tough Enough: “We’ve never seen anything like this version of Tough Enough, where it’s half-reality and half-live. When you start something new, there is a little bit of process to see how you’re going to make something work. So, as the weeks have gone by, I’ve increased my presence in the show. I was in the ring helping the competitors work out and book their match [last week], so being involved a little more in the reality portion of it balances out what I’m doing on the live part, as well. It’s been a lot of work, but the show has come into its own. People are always going to complain, ‘I wish it was that way,’ or ‘I wish that guy stayed,’ but it’s a whole new world for us that we’ve created. It kind of reminds me of when the Elimination Chamber happened. We’d never seen one before and there wasn’t anything to look back on, so you had to figure it out as you went along. And that’s what we’ve been doing, and it’s been working out–and it’s a great series so far.”
On the recent Hulk Hogan scandal: “I’m nobody to judge anybody. I’ve had just as many issues as anybody else. But you stand by your friends in good times and bad times, and Hulk’s my friend. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”
On Vince McMahon still being the boss: ?“Until the day he leaves this earth, Vince McMahon is in charge of every aspect of the company. It’s his company and it always will be. He’s giving out more responsibilities but, at the end of the day, anyone who was any responsibilities delegated by Vince still has to get final approval by Vince. He’s still the boss. I work with him very closely on Tough Enough every Tuesday in the direction meetings, and he still has a lot of great ideas. He still has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on. And it doesn’t matter what you hear other people say–everybody who works in the WWE knows who the boss is.”
On Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker at SummerSlam: “Undertaker has to win. There is no way he loses twice. Brock is at his best when he’s there to just fight. “That’s why his match with Reigns at WrestleMania was so good, and that’s something Lesnar and Undertaker didn’t do as much as they could have in their match at WrestleMania [30]. That pull-apart we saw a couple weeks ago on Raw between Lesnar and Undertaker will be the type of match we’ll see. It will be a rough fight. I’m sure they’ll exchange many false finishers, and each one will do the other’s finishing move, but it will be more violent and more hard-hitting. Any time Undertaker is on the show, you know it’s going to be a great show.”
Check out the complete interview at SI.com.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair is in town for WWE SummerSlam weekend. Flair is there primarily to watch his daughter Charlotte wrestle at SummerSlam, and apparently other members of the Flair family are also in town for the show. Former WCW star David Flair is among those from the Flair family that made the trip.
– WWE taped the following matches for tonight’s edition of WWE SmackDown:
* Ryback vs. Big Show
* The New Day vs. Los Matadores and El Torito
* Neville vs. Bo Dallas
* Brie Bella vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch
* Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Cesaro vs. Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Kevin Owens
– WWE posted the following video of Triple H looking at the new Ultimate Warrior book, “Ultimate Warrior: A Life Lived Forever.”
SummerSlam is just days away and the anticipation is building for WWE’s annual summer spectacular. The 4-hour show is packed with matches featuring WWE’s top talent, but the two major questions heading into Sunday remain:
We want to know what you think – cast your votes in the two polls below and don’t miss our live coverage of WWE SummerSlam this Sunday.
[poll id=”32″]
[poll id=”33″]