WWE Tag Team Champion Big E. (Ettore Ewen) of The New Day recently spoke with Brian Fritz of Sporting News about his days as an amateur wrestler for the Iowa Hawkeyes and dealing with a wie variety of injuries prior to coming to WWE. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On his undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes facing Michigan State for the Big 10 championship:
“I don’t think a lot of people really predicted it to be a 12-0-type season but it’s very cool to see. It’s one of the toughest Iowa teams that I can remember seeing. It’s pretty remarkable so I’m quite proud to go out and watch these guys play their best and deal with a lot of difficulties and adversity.”
On his football playing days with the Hawkeyes:
“I have to use the term ‘the best of times, the worst of times. Worst of times mainly because it was very frustrating dealing with all of the injuries. I tore both of my ACLs. I broke my right patella. I tore my left pec, all within about a 2½-year span. That was very frustrating. But it was a dream come true for me. The first thing I wanted, looking back, being a child, was being a football player. That was my very first dream and getting to live that was really cool.”
On finally making it onto the field during the 2006 season as part of the defensive line’s second unit:
“That year, I believe we played Ohio State when they were No. 1 in the nation,” he said. “The week of, I remember the amount of hype. I believe we were No. 12 in the nation at the time. Things didn’t end up going our way the rest of the year; we finished 6-7. But the atmosphere of that game was really cool. We played Michigan at the Big House when they were No. 2 in the nation. We had some pretty big moments.
“Those are things that I’ll take with me to the grave.”
– In the “holiday spirit” department, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, along with longtime top WWE Superstar and the star of the new FOX reality show “American Grit,” John Cena, posted the following Thanksgiving messages on Twitter today.
Today is the day to truly remember what we’re thankful for in life. Happy Thanksgiving to the WWE Universe.
– In keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, WWE.com is running a poll today asking fans which WWE Superstar they are the most thankful for. The options include Roman Reigns, John Cena, Dean Ambrose, Charlotte, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, The New Day, Dolph Ziggler, Paige, The Dudley Boyz, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan, The Usos, Kane, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Ryback, Natalya and “Other.” Leading the pack with 17 percent is The Undertaker, followed by Roman Reigns (14%), Dean Ambrose (12%), John Cena (10%), Cesaro (7%) and The New Day (7%).
– SEScoops.com would like to wish everyone a healthy and happy Thanksgiving!
As noted, Kevin Owens blocked Melissa Joan Hart on Twitter on Monday after the actress called Owens a “lazy wrestler” in a tweet that ended up getting addressed on the air during RAW on Monday. Since the story made the rounds on the internet, Melissa Joan Hart has apparently been receiving a lot of backlash from wrestling fans on social media, as she posted this update on Tuesday:
Speaking of Melissa Joan Hart, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of The New Day made a point to show fans that they blocked the actress on Twitter as well. You can check out the tweets from Kingston and Woods below.
Bubba Ray Dudley recently appeared as a guest on Live Audio Wrestling and discussed possibly playing his heel character in WWE, The New Day, James Storm’s NXT debut and more. Below are some of the highlights.
Bringing Bully Ray to WWE:
“If WWE came to me and they told me that is something that they wanted to try out I would be more than happy to go down that road since I know I’ve done it in the past & I know I’ve done it in the past well. So I definitely think it could work.”
New Day balancing being entertaining and playing heels:
“I think when I go out there I go out there with a totally different mentality. My mentality is a little bit more old school and I think my mentality doesn’t exactly fit perfectly into what the WWE would want out of a ‘villain’ or ‘good guy’. What they want is entertainment and the New Day are entertaining and that’s the very first thing you need to be in the WWE. So if you’re entertaining and the people hate you that’s fine. And if you’re entertaining and the people love you that’s fine – as long as you’re entertaining.”
James Storm’s debut on NXT:
“Storm is a really great in-ring wrestler. He is really accomplished on the microphone. He is one of the guys that I worked with from Day One when I was in TNA. He was part of a very successful tag team. He did well on his own. He has a lot of years of knowledge & I think he can only help down there in NXT.”
Possible relationship between WWE and Team 3-D Academy:
“It’s definitely something that me and D-Von have thought about in the past. We’re very proud of our school, the Team 3-D Academy. Our school is a traditional school where if someone off the street wants to become a professional wrestler they come to us and we train them and hopefully they can move on to bigger things. Only 20 minutes away is the WWE Performance Center. So if they were ever interested in possibly getting together and having something like a minor league feeder system we would definitely be interested in talking to them about something like that.”
– Tonight’s WWE Main Event and SmackDown tapings take place from the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Talent advertised for tonight’s show include Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Sheamus, Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt. No matches have been announced but SmackDown will have a Halloween theme.
– In this RAW Fallout video, WWE Tag-Team Champions The New Day react to their two losses on RAW.
– Xavier Woods is rumored to be missing tonight’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, as he is scheduled to get married this weekend. Bubba Ray Dudley tweeted the following regarding tonight’s pay-per-view, adding a “get well soon” message to Woods. Below is what Bubba wrote, as well as a response from The New Day’s Kofi Kingston.
– Kurt Angle is one of many wrestlers in Los Angeles, California this weekend, the site of tonight’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view. Below is a photo of Angle catching up with Booker T in L.A. this weekend.
– WWE announced that “Corporate Kane” has been suspended by The Authority. WWE posted the following just before this week’s edition of RAW:
The Authority suspended Corporate Kane for tonight’s Raw earlier today after a series of closed-door meetings, WWE.com has learned. Last week on Raw, the Director of Operations scheduled a Lumberjack Match between Demon Kane and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, defying The Authority’s instructions. It is not yet clear, however, whether Corporate Kane’s suspension is directly related to his actions last week.
– Also announced just before RAW goes live tonight is a six-man tag-team match thatg will feature John Cena & The Dudley Boyz vs. The New Day.
Make sure to join us right here at SEScoops.com for live WWE RAW play-by-play results coverage this evening!
– 16 crushing ring post collisions are shown in the latest WWE Fury video on YouTube, which you can check out below.
– WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston responded to a fan who wrote about World Wrestling Entertainment not selling The New Day merchandise and memoriabilia at live events. Kingston tweeted the following:
I know…BUT the good news is that we've got some real cool stuff on the way very very soon… https://t.co/ZOmfYTT2DY
– The latest Canvas 2 Canvas video from WWE artist Rob Schamberger, which you can check out below, features one of the most decorated tag team duos in the history of sports entertainment; The Dudley Boyz.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
WWE’s Booking of Seth Rollins:
“Funny how some people confuse Seth Rollins role of a chickens!t heel to being ‘booked weak.’ It’s obvious to me that Rollins is following a HBK path to some degree meaning that he will be a helluva fan favorite in time. Let’s not rush it.”
Brock Lesnar’s Appearance on RAW:
“Thought Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman were somewhat underutilized Monday night in a subdued, or so it seemed, Boston. Why can’t a disrespectful heel wanting to make a name for himself interrupting a Heyman promo and then Lesnar then takes matters into his own hands and woodsheds some poor bastard to provide the fans some hint of physicality? The Taker vs. Brock HIAC match is tepid at best since their Summer Slam match which had a unique finish that isn’t talked about enough IMO.”
The New Day:
“Big fan of the New Day trio and hope that they can become the heels WWE seemingly desires but it won’t be easy but it’s also not impossible. It’s going to take work and being smart especially on how the talents themselves execute in the ring.”
In addition to the Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker “Final Chapter” match and the Seth Rollins vs. Kane match with the WWE title or Kane’s “corporate duties” on the line, WWE announced another title match for this month’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
In tag-team title action, The Dudley Boyz will look to become ten-time champions in WWE as they battle the current WWE Tag-Team Champions The New Day at the event scheduled for the Staples Center in L.A.
WWE Hell In A Cell 2015 takes place on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Make sure to join us here on 10/25 for the best Hell In A Cell coverage on the web!
– The New Day reacted to what happened with The Dudley Boyz at Saturday night’s WWE Network special from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The New Day ended up making Kyle Edwards walk away from the interview with a box over his head. Video below:
– During a No Disqualification Match against Roman Reigns at last night’s WWE live event in Bangor, Maine, Bray Wyatt suffered bad cuts to his head and hand. It was reported that the hand injury came from a kendo stick shot where his trainers attempted to tape Wyatt up and continue the match. Ultimately, Bray lost the match. Below are tweets obtained from reporter Jon Alba:
Bray Wyatt's head busted open the hard way here at #WWEBangor. No DQ match with Reigns. Doctors out but he's good. #WWE
– WWE has released a 17-minute ‘uncensored’ video of The New Day doing their thing from after Monday’s RAW. “The Power of Positivity explodes through your screen in this unbelievable, unedited 17-minute interview with The New Day.”
– Sheamus tweeted this photo of himself with King Barrett and TNA star Drew Galloway, who is competing in the main event of Sunday’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view:
– Following a string of recent fan incidents during WWE live events – as well as during RAW and the WWE Night of Champions pay-per-view it appears that WWE have increased their security.
Several fans have noted on social media that on attending live events over the past weekend that there were more security than usual to prevent anyone making their way into the ring.
– On Twitter yesterday New Day member Big E teased that WWE Shop could soon be launching New Day socks which feature their logo and the text “Power of Positivity”.
– King Barrett should be back on television soon, as he recently completed his scenes in the UK for a WWE Studios action-thriller.
The film was originally titled “Eliminators” but Barrett revealed in an interview last week that the name will be changed by release time.
– Cody Rhodes has posted a new blog at BeingBrandiRunnels.com ahead of tonight’s WWE RAW from Buffalo, NY. The city is significant for him because it’s the setting for the very last “Bionic Elbow” delievered by his father (Battleground 2013).
– Big E revealed that New Day Socks are coming soon to WWEShop:
– Here’s another preview for the NXT All Star Panel that airs tonight on the WWE Network immediately following RAW. The panel was taped in Brooklyn during SummerSlam weekend:
Big E recently spoke with CentralJersey.com to promote next Friday’s WWE live event from Trenton, NJ. Here are highlights of what he said about:
The New Day’s Success: “Nothing quite changes going from feud to feud. As performers, we all strive to get the best possible reaction, whether that’s getting the loudest boos or the loudest cheers. The amount of work we have done behind the scenes, and seeing it come to fruition, has been amazing. We’re always trying to steal the show and to have the best possible match we can and leave people with something memorable.”
His Goal in WWE: “As a performer in the WWE, obviously my goal is to become World Heavyweight Champion, but right now being a two-time tag champion with my brothers is really cool. Titles are important but you also want to be part of the most entertaining segments and I think that’s something we are all putting forth and I think all three of us are coming into our own as performers.”
New Day Splitting Up: “The thought of that has crossed our minds, but it’s not something that we currently want at this time. We are very persistent. We believe in the three of us as a trio, working together and I think we have great chemistry together.”
Tag-team legends The Dudley Boyz — Bubba Ray and Devon — were Michael Cole’s guests on this week’s WWE.com sit-down interview.
During the interview, which you can watch above, Devon noted that they were overwhelmed by the reception they received for their WWE return on RAW in Brooklyn, New York. Bubba Ray added that the great part about the whole situation was that it was kept a secret.
Regarding what The Dudley Boyz have been doing over the past ten years, Bubba Ray said, “everything,” while Devon mentioned All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), however neither alluded to TNA Wrestling in any way, unless you count Devon saying that they have been active all over the world, as they go “non-stop.” (Total “Non-Stop” Action)?
Bubba Ray Dudley then spoke about how he saw the once nearly insignificant WWE tag-team division begin to thrive once again, particularly because of The New Day, and said that it was time for The Dudley Boyz to help get the WWE tag-team scene back to where it once was, and where he feels it belongs again today.
Michael Cole then brought up The New Day and asked if they feel they are entertaining. Devon said that they are a good team and they are very entertaining, but that they are also “kick-ass guys.” He mentions that The New Day is trying to follow in the footsteps of The Dudley Boyz because they are doing everything that The Dudley Boyz used to do to get attention.
Finally, Cole brings up the fact that The Dudley Boyz will be challenging The New Day for the WWE Tag-Team Championships at the next live WWE Network special, scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2015 from Madison Square Garden in New York City. As far as that fact is concerned, Bubba Ray mentions that it doesn’t get any better than to win the titles back in their hometown, especially in a building like MSG.
Make sure to visit SEScoops.com on Saturday, October 3, 2015 for the best live WWE Network results coverage from Madison Square Garden.
An additional match has been made official for the next WWE Network live special, which is scheduled to take place next month in New York City.
In addition to the Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show match announced for the event, WWE has announced a tag-team title rematch from this past Sunday night’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view.
In WWE Tag-Team Championship action, current champions The New Day will be defending their tag-titles against The Dudley Boyz.
The next WWE Network live special is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2015 from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The post-Night Of Champions edition of WWE RAW is scheduled to take place tonight from the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas with the fallout from Sunday night’s pay-per-view.
WWE Superstars advertised for tonight’s show include Seth Rollins, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Kevin Owens, Sheamus, The Dudley Boyz and The New Day.
While no matches have been officially announced as of yet, WWE is focusing on the following five points in their RAW Five-Point Preview.
* Why has Demon Kane returned?
* Is Ryback hungry for a rematch against Kevin Owens?
* How will Charlotte celebrate her Divas Title victory?
* What might The Dudley Boyz have planned for The New Day?
* Will Cena’s newly won U.S. Title be on the line?
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com later this evening for the best live WWE RAW results coverage on the web!
– WWE posted the following video of The Dudley Boyz arriving to the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas for tonight’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view, where they will look to become ten-time tag-team champions by defeating The New Day.
– WWE also posted the following tweet to hype up the mystery tag-team partner of Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose for their six-man battle against The Wyatt Family at tonight’s pay-per-view.
– WWE Tag-Team Champions The New Day will be fielding questions from fans during the WWE Night Of Champions Kickoff Show on the WWE Network tonight. Fans can submit questions to Big E., Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods via Twitter with the hashtag, “#SaveTheTables.”
– WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler noted via social media that he will be debuting new ring gear for his match against Rusev at tonight’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view. Ziggler tweeted the following.
– WWE Diva Lana posted the following video update on Saturday evening, noting that she will be getting her stitches taken out of her wrist soon and will also soon begin physical therapy.
New Day member Xavier Woods recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald about a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On how the early days of The New Day act worked in the trio’s favor: “Initially, it didn’t go the way people thought it would go. We wanted to capitalize on the heel stuff, which is something we kind of wanted to begin with. So everything worked out together, I feel like it worked out in our favor because if we were to come out doing this from the get-go it wouldn’t’ be as effective and feel as fun. That’s why this evolution and journey we’ve been on in trying to get where we are means a lot more to us. I feel it also means a lot to the fans because they can feel how they’ve effected the change in us.”
On how video games have had a positive effect on his life: “Video games were my haven,” Woods said. “I just didn’t talk to humans at all. I was very socially awkward, so all I did was video games. Then when I started to play video games with other kids. That was the time I talked to people. So those kids brought me out of my shell and really helped me. Without them I would still be up against the wall playing my N64 not talking to anyone. So it really drew me out and made me who I am today. So I really owe my life to video games.”
Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.
On Monday’s WWE Night Of Champions “go-home” edition of RAW, a special segment was announced for this week’s SmackDown.
Nikki Bella, who became the longest reigning WWE Divas Champion in history when she managed to escape her match with Charlotte as the Divas Champion, as Charlotte won via disqualification, will take part in what is being advertised as a “Bella-bration” on this Thursday night’s edition of WWE SmackDown.
Also on Monday’s RAW, when The New Day successfully defended their WWE Tag-Team titles against The Prime Time Players, they made their match against The Dudley Boyz for this Sunday’s WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view official.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com this Sunday night for the best WWE Night Of Champions live results coverage.
WWE RAW is scheduled to take place tonight, Monday, September 14, 2015 from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee for a show that WWE is billing as the “season premiere” of RAW.
Tonight’s RAW, which is the second-to-last edition of the show leading into the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view on September 20th, will feature two advertised title matches.
Nikki Bella will look to break AJ Lee’s record as the longest reigning WWE Divas Champion in history as she defends her title in one-on-one action against former NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte.
Additionally, WWE Tag-Team Champions The New Day will defend their titles against former champions The Prime Time Players.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com later this evening for the best live WWE RAW play-by-play results coverage on the web!
– On this week’s edition of WWE RAW, it was announced that on next week’s RAW, The Prime Time Players will challenge The New Day and the winner of that match will defend the WWE Tag-Team Championships against The Dudley Boyz at the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view on September 20th.
– Edge and Christian posted the following goofy photo on Twitter to promote their interview with WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the “Stone Cold Podcast” on the WWE Network on Monday night.
– King Barrett is going to be off of WWE television for a while as he is scheduled to film a new WWE Studios movie called “Eliminators” in the United Kingdom.
– WWE has announced a new NXT date for October 2nd in Nashville, Tennessee.
– For the replays, and most likely in the DVD of this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, two notable edits are The New Day singing “Empire State of Mind,” likely due to legalty rights, and Brock Lesnar flipping off The Undertaker in the Hell’s Gate, likely due to the non-PG nature of the content.