The following are highlights from a recent interview with WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose:
On what it’s like working for WWE: “It’s been a whirlwind from the day [The Shield] started on television. We come through the crowd and feel that energy night after night. We’ve worked with all the top stars – John Cena, Undertaker, The Rock, (WWE World Heavyweight Champion) Randy Orton, etc. It’s surreal to be a part of this. You get to travel the world on someone else’s dime and you’re never really home. If you like being at home, WWE is not for you!”
On what he feels are some of the biggest misconceptions about wrestling: “[The] biggest misconception is it’s fake, it doesn’t hurt and everything is scripted in and out of the ring – those are the big ones. Not everything is scripted. Things change on the fly and you have to react to think on your feet. You only get one chance to get it right since it’s live. Nothing about it is fake. It all hurts. I feel the toll of what all I’ve put my body through year after year, but hopefully I’ll come out on the better end of it.”
On why people should come to a WWE event: “The cool thing about a WWE live event as opposed to TV is the energy is totally different. You’re closer to the action and you’re part of the energy of the crowd, free to cheer or boo or do whatever you want to do. You should kick yourself if you don’t see it firsthand. It’s an unforgettable experience.”
Check out the complete interview online at DaytonCityPaper.com.
– As a bit of an update on the Hulk Hogan rumors from Wednesday, not only was he not in Las Vegas, he was in Tampa, Florida, as previously reported, and was filming something for ESPN.
– The Dayton City Paper website has a featured article up today focusing on WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose, who is from the Ohio area. The article mainly focuses on Ambrose returning home for a show in Dayton on January 20th. Ambrose is actually from Cincinnati. You can check out the article online at DaytonCityPaper.com.
– The Forbes website posted an analysis feature on the WWE Network. You can check that out online at Forbes.com.
Noah Mark is back with his analysis of Old School Raw! Check out The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us if you agree with this week’s picks.
Orton playing the generic Bad Guy, he’s much better than this. NO!
Ric Flair, Randy Orton, & John Cena PromoOld School Raw kicked off with the 16 time “Nature Boy” Ric Flair out first. He was quickly interrupted by former Evolution partner. Randy Orton. Randy Orton said he respected Ric Flair, but he needed the time more to address the one on one rematch putting himself vs John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at The Royal Rumble. Ric chimes in saying he’s not as good as he thinks. Orton threatens Flair, Cena ends up making the save.
For me this segment fell flat, and seemed forced. Orton was seemingly going through the motions, with “I respect you, but….” going into generic heel mode. This is not The Viper I know and enjoy. I feel some people don’t give Randy Orton the credit he deserves for his promo and character skills, he makes great facial expressions, and conveys a cold-hearted disposition. Well normally he does, this promo didn’t do Orton any favors. Clearly Ric Flair is getting order, or he had a few in the back, because he sounded marble mouth in this segment. Cena didn’t offer anything to this segment either. One month ago Cena may have delivered the best promo of his life in Seattle. Here, I felt the whole thing was boring. NO!
NO!
Jerry Lawler Health Update: Earlier in the day we reportedBreaking News Jerry “The King” Lawler was hospitalized. Of course with Jerry’s Heart Attack last year during Raw, your first thought would be another heart issue. Thankfully it seemed to be a stomach virus or food poisoning. however that didn’t stop the WWE from sensationalizing by directing viewers to turn to the WWE App to get an update on Jerry Lawler. NO!
Daniel Bryan…er Wyatt. So far okay. YES!
Luke Harper, Erick Rowan & Daniel Bryan vs. The Usos & Rey Mysterio Our first chance to see Daniel Bryan on TV as a Wyatt. First the original Wyatt trio appeared for their normal entrance, followed by the fourth Daniel “Wyatt”. Daniel Byran came out looking like he was in a Janitor or prison jump suit. A blank stare on his face, as he teamed up with Rowan and Harper to take on The Usos and Mysterio. I enjoyed this, I thought Bryan looked good with the group. They ended up losing the match due to Harper getting rolled up after a brief disagreement with Bryan as to who should come into the match when Rowan tagged both men. I would have preferred The Wyatts to win clean in this match. Their first week out and they’re arguing, I think an eventual separation from Bryan would be more effective if they were on the same page to start. But I’m still okay with this story line, provided I don’t have to wait 15 more weeks for Bryan to “Snap out of it”. YES!
Too Cool & Rikishi just 3 of the Old School Legends at Raw YES!
WWE Legends On Old School Raw:I was happy to see some of my old school favorites on Raw. Everyone had a good role on the show and for older fans this definitely was a great nostalgia feel. I will say that over the past few years we’ve seen a crop of “usual” legends. Most of which were not actually on a whole lot of episodes of WWE Raw. I would love to have seen a Raw with more attitude era and post era stars. Some of them are still affiliated and working for WWE. Perhaps WWE held a few back for a Royal Rumble appearance. There was also no “old school” diva on this show. I know Mae Young was originally scheduled to attend this show, however Mae Young experienced health issues and was unable to appear. With Brock Lesnar, in attendance this seemed like a perfect time for Sable to make an appearance in the show. YES!
Piper’s Pit – Piper’s still got it plain and simple. His interaction with The Shield, the hottest faction, group, whatever you what to call them. Piper pinching Roman Reigns cheek put goosebumps on my arm. I saw Reigns neck throbbing, great moment! People have compaired Dean Ambrose to Piper in the past, it was great to see Ambrose get to interact with a Legend. This would not be his only legend interaction on this episode of Old School Raw. I enjoyed seeing CM Punk and The New Age Outlaws come in to save piper. YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW Old School and our Overall Raw Rating
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 he said about Monday’s Old School RAW:
Piper’s Pit: “Thought it was one of the better Piper’s Pit segments that we’ve seen over the past few years. Succinct, cut to the chase content, etc. Nice rub for the Shield. Roddy endorsing Punk did nothing but good as well.”
Brock Lesnar’s Segment With Mark Henry & Big Show: “No issues with Lesnar/Henry/Show but for anyone to think that Lesnar is as hot right how as he needs to be isn’t looking at Brock through honest eyes. His absence was long and Brock wasn’t red hot when he left. The former WWE and UFC champion is an amazing talent but he’s got little traction from where I sit and needs to promoted aggressively and soon if he’s expected to sell PPV’s at WM30. The good news is that it can be done.”
Daniel Bryan & The Wyatt Family: “I’m still confused as to where the Daniel Bryan/Wyatt Family storyline is headed. I’m trying to like it as I’m a big fan of all the men involved in the equation but I don’t know much more about their relationship or issues than I knew last week. As a fan, I needed a little more concrete info or a viable tease from these four men than I was provided.”
Jerry Lawler’s Health Scare: “Good to hear that Jerry Lawler is fine after Monday’s health scare. Sounds as if King had a stomach virus or food poisoning but NO heart issues Monday in Baltimore. I hope to have a conversation with King this week if he can work me into his busy schedule. It’s not easy being a combination of a superhero and Larry Flynt. :)”
Jake Roberts’ Surprise Return: “The final surprise of Jake the Snake Roberts was a good surprise. Jake looked good and he was well received. Via @DDPYoga and making smart, personal decisions, Jake has gotten himself healthier and the alternative if he had continued to travel his former road was bleak.”
With WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper scheduled for tonight’s Old School RAW, SEScoops.com can confirm that a special edition of Piper’s Pit is in the script for tonight’s show. His guests will be The Shield.
The segment will be used to continue teasing dissension among Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.
The following are highlights from a recent Philly.com interview with WWE Superstar and Shield member Seth Rollins:
On working with top WWE Superstars: “We’ve all had the opportunity to get in the ring with some guys that are considered in the history of this business; CM Punk, John Cena, the Undertaker, The Rock, guys like that. At this point, it’s kind of customary. I don’t feel out of place. There are no nerves. I feel at home.”
On growing since his WWE debut: “I feel like for me, I’ve become smarter. I’ve become a more intelligent wrestler. I’ve become a more intelligent performer and I think that shows. I’ve had the best matches of my career probably over the last year.”
On The Shield’s rise to the top: “It happened at the speed I think it was meant to happen at. I always envisioned myself moving even quicker up the ladder, but that’s just kind of my personality.
“I’ve always had the upmost confidence in my abilities as well as the other guys in The Shield. We all have kind of have the same mindset as far as success, personally and professionally. I think that has a lot to do with the way we come across on the television screen, at a live event. I think the connection with the crowd, I think the people feel the energy that we’re putting off and I think that has always been a determining factor in how successful we’ve been as far as wrestling individually and as a unit.”
Check out the complete interview online at Philly.com.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has published a new Facebook blog about The Shield, speculating whether they will break up or not. Here’s an excerpt:
“I don’t know if there’s going to be a true split between the SHIELD. or if the weeks long rift is going to turn out to be a false alarm. I think there has to be an eventual parting of the ways, if only because it’s been obvious from the start that all three members – Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose had promising singles careers ahead of them. But if/when that split happens, the WWE Universe will be ready for it.
In a business where things seem to move at warp speed, where we sometimes are in such a hurry to turn out a product that we forget to take our time with it, storylines can often jump onto our screens on our screen like a quick, microwaved meal – they gets the job done, but without any real passion in the craftsmanship, and ultimately, completely unmemorable. But WWE has taken the time to put the right spices into this angle, and when it emerges from the oven, it’s going to fully seasoned, and baked with that old world craftsmanship – something we can all savor for a while.”
WWE United States Champion Dean Ambrose recently spoke to The Fairfax Times about being compared to WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper:
“I don’t see how you could not take that as a compliment,” Ambrose said. “He was a legend and a hall of famer. He was a guy who stirred the pot and drew a good amount of money. I feel like I haven’t really done anything yet. Not that I’m holding back — right now I’m just working as hard as I can in the role that I’m in. I still feel like I have a LOT of stuff in my back pocket that when the opportunity strikes … there’s a lot more to me than people have seen yet.”
He also talked about the impact The Shield has had in WWE since their debut, calling them the “backbone” of the company:
“We feel like we’re the backbone of the company,” he said. “We go out there every night and show off the work ethic that rubs off on everybody we work with. We go out there every night to have the best national show — whether it’s one or two matches, you got to work twice or whatever it is — we never take a night off.”
Happy New Year everyone! Noah Mark is back with his the latest installment of “The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us if you agree with this week’s picks.
Alright everyone, I’ve been sitting on writing this article to give all of us enough time to digest what we saw on Monday. I didn’t want to make a knee jerk reaction to what I saw. So hopefully here is my calm observation.
Daniel Bryan Takes On Luke Harper – YES!
Daniel Bryan Joins The Wyatts: Daniel Bryan is an incredible wrestler, he’s got a likable personality, and he’s good on the mic. Shawn Michaels definitely taught him well, but Bryan has that extra ingredient needed to make a star, that unteachable “it” factor. You either have it, or you don’t. Bryan has it, and it has developed over the years to something a massive audience can get behind. We are in in a time where WWE has failed to match the caliber star power and top new talents of the decades before it. So partly due to John Cena’s injury Daniel Bryan is given the ball. The crowds love him, and are behind him. Daniel Bryan headlines Summer Slam with Cena, followed by the next 3 Pay-Per-Views with Orton. The Pay-Per-View buy rates were down from the previous year. It shouldn’t rest squarely on Bryan’s shoulders, there is an incredible short shelf on top stars, with practically all of them on John Cena’s level either retired or part time. Look at Survivor Series, headlined by Big Show vs Randy Orton, drawing one if not the lowest Survivor Series buy rates in the PPV’s history. I could argue that Daniel Bryan in the main event SAVED the prior three pay-per-views from a similar dismal buy rate.
Erick Rowan vs Daniel Bryan – YES!
Nonetheless, back down Daniel Bryan goes on the card, he becomes the scapegoat, pun intended! Bryan’s been in a feud with the Wyatts since the end of October. My anger and frustration has clouded my appreciation for the Wyatts, and this story line. So let me look at it just from the perspective of the story line alone. The Wyatts have a great persona, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan can hang with the likes of just about anyone in the ring. I feel Bray Wyatt is the weakest wrestler out of the group, but wrestling isn’t the most important talent needed for this, Bray could easily fit in a horror movie, he looks the part and is competent enough. So after two months of mostly Daniel Bryan getting the short end of the stick, on this past Monday’s Raw Bryan is given a chance to go one on one with Bray Wyatt. All Bryan must do is defeat Luke Harper and Derrek Rowen.
Daniel Bryan Joins the Wyatt Family. YES!
After the two matches Bray comes in the ring, the match starts, Erick and Luke join in on the attack. Bray tells Bryan he’s afraid this is where their story ends. He says he has no mercy left to give. He says this is his fault. Bryan says you’re right, you were right all along and joins the Wyatts. (View Full Details here) So within the story line itself. I’m okay with this, in fact I’m totally fine with this scenario, provided Daniel Bryan is out of this “spell” by The Royal Rumble. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, in this day in age, with people wanting instant gratification, binge-watching full seasons of TV shows in a sitting, I can’t wait 16 weeks for WrestleMania XXX for Daniel Bryan to come out of his spell. Doing so may inflict permanent damage on his popularity. So if Daniel Bryan is “following the buzzards” for four weeks, I’m on board. YES!
CM Punk takes on Seth Rollins on an “Off Night” – NO!
CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins: Everyone has an off night, Seth Rollins and CM Punk didn’t work. there were a few botches, CM Punk tried to cover by turning a move off the ropes into a small package, but it was sloppy. I would imagine most of the heat goes on Seth Rollins, but it takes two to tango. CM Punk on Twitter knew it was a stinker NO!
“@RMB316: @CMPunk IM sure you hear this a lot. Good match on #Raw really enjoyed it. Keep it up all the best in 2014” it was garbage.
– The Onnit podcast recently conducted an in-studio interview with The Shield.
– The following matches are being advertised for the WWE live event on January 18th in Cincinnati, Ohio:
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Goldust & Cody Rhodes (c) vs. The Real Americans
Kane vs. Big Show
– Former NWA Champion Adam Pearce has added episode three of his new “The #ScrapYard” podcast to his official YouTube channel. Anyone interested in checking that out can do so below:
– After Monday’s WWE RAW went off the air, CM Punk defeated The Shield in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match. Punk got the win after hitting the GTS on Dean Ambrose.
– There were some technical difficulties during the broadcast of Monday’s WWE RAW. Fans watching via DirecTV and Comcast (and possibly other providers) saw the feed freeze and get pixelated several times during the show.
– Both WWE crews today (leaving Richmond and Toronto) are experiencing travel issues today. Vickie Guerrero tweeted:
It was announced on the special New Year’s edition of WWE RAW on Monday night that at next week’s special “Old School” themed edition of RAW, CM Punk will battle Shield member Roman Reigns in a singles match.
Also announced on RAW, in one of the promised “blockbuster announcements,” Stephanie McMahon revealed that John Cena would challenge Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the main event of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in a traditional Championship match.
Check out this video of The Shield’s grand entrance from the 2013 WWE Tribute To The Troops special. The Shield wrestled the team of The Usos and Rey Mysterio in one of the best matches on the card.
Roman Reigns recently spoke toThe Norfolk Navy Flagship to promote WWE’s Tribute to the Troops. Here are the highlights of what he said:
If His Family Members (The Rock, Afa and Sika of the Wild Samoans, Rikishi) Influenced His Wrestling Style:
“My natural movement, it’s hereditary I’ll say. We all are able to move and do pretty athletic things. My family is the majority of the influence, but going down to FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling, now NXT – WWE’s developmental program) and wrestling all of those guys down there – Dr. Tom Prichard, Joey Mercury, Bill Demott, Norman Smiley, Steve Keirn. Even to this day, talking to Triple H and with all of these resources we have here. When it comes down to it, I try to create a different style. A little more brutal. You can watch fight scenes or MMA and see how they move. There have been a lot of things that influenced me, but I can only be me. That’s what I try to focus on, making everything my own.”
His Favorite Moment In WWE So Far:
“I have to say WrestleMania. I look around and there are guys who have never performed on that stage. Just to say that we did that our very first year and opened the show. That’s a big deal for all three of us. There are a lot of cool moments we have had. When we wrestled The Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan in London (during a recent European tour) – there’s a shot of us flying in on a helicopter. What some people don’t know is that we did a live event earlier that day. We opened that show and then we jumped on a helicopter and flew all the way to London. We went out there and wrestled three of the biggest stars of all time. The next night, we put (The Undertaker) out. That was a surreal moment. WrestleMania and working with The Undertaker are phenomenal moments that I won’t forget for the rest of my life.”
If Edge & Goldberg Influenced His Spear:
“Even to this day, watching matches, I don’t watch the maneuvers. I feel like I am athletic enough to do any maneuver. It’s not the moves, but what you do between them. The mannerisms are where the money is. A spear is a spear. I’d like to think that I deliver the best one ever seen, but that’s up to the fans to judge. It did help playing football all of those years.”
What He Has Planned For 2014 & Dissension With The Shield:
“As far as The Shield – for the past 13 months, it seems like we’ve done it all. People are going pretty nuts about what we’ve done, but there’s so much left to do. Whether we’re working together or fighting each other, there’s just so much more to see. It’s going to be the year of The Shield, whether we’re together or not.”
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Noah Mark is back with his the latest installment of “The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us if you agree with this week’s picks.
Complete WWE RAW Results (12/23)
WWE RAW (12/23)
Here are some quick thoughts about this weeks edition of Christmas Raw. Did you watch it?
The WWE Diva’s are awesome to look at. Not so awesome to watch wrestle.
12-diva’s Jingle Bells Match: The tag team division has been completely turned around. At one point it seemed like there was barely a tag team division. AJ Lee is the best women’s wrestler on the roster, why aren’t we seeing her in great matches. I guess I know why, because of Total Diva’s. That doesn’t mean there can’t be great woman’s wrestling. NO!
John Cena, CM Punk, and Big E. Langston victorious to end Christmas Raw
CM Punk John Cena & Big E Langston vs The Shield I enjoyed the match, Cena, Punk and Big E all out there. The end seemed silly though. Why would there suddenly be a disqualification, because the two illegal Shield members saved themselves from being pinned by Big E? It doesn’t make sense, but still the match was better than the Good Santa vs Bad Santa, which I thought for sure would close the show. Therefore it gets a YES!
The USOS vs The Prime Time Players: The match was fun to watch. Good tag team action YES!|
The USO’s and The Prime Time Players all celebrate after the match. Barf
The USOS & Prime Time Players Curtain Call Before the match Darren Young mistakenly refer to Austin Texas as Houston, to get some sort of heel heat, I didn’t have a problem with this. I did have a problem with after the match, The USO’s and The Prime Time Players all doing the Millions of Dollars dance. Here’s why I have an issue with it. This is starting to become a thing, with Superstars hugging after the match, we saw it a few weeks ago with the Michael Strahan, Miz, Titus O’neil segment. We saw it with Big Show, Rey Mysterio and The Rhodes. Forget about ruthless aggression, these guys are all becoming wimps! It’s OKAY for two fan favorites to dislike each other, and not hug at the end. I’m not saying they need to attack each other after the match… but I’m hoping it’s just a lighthearted Christmas episode thing, and not a growing trend. Although with the recent article of WWEshopping their television shows to TV Network’s including Disney. We might see everyone hug at the end of matches in the future. NO!
“Bad Santa’ full of Christmas Cupcakes
Good Santa Vs Bad Santa:It is what it is I guess. Mark Henry playing the good Santa, Damien Sandow playing the bad Santa with produced backstage segments contrasting the two. The announcers played it up as you would have expected. The whole concept is silly. Bah Humbug! NO!
Live Announcing: I would say it was a good thing that Michael Cole and JBL announced the show live from Stanford CT. (They had pre-recorded cut-in’s from the arena, but voiced most of Raw Live) it gave it a fresh feel, JBL made some topical references as he eluded to on twitter. The Batista announcement which clearly wasn’t scheduled for the show originally was added in, and the live commentary allowed for reaction from JB and Cole. Did you miss Jerry “The King” Lawler? I did not. YES!
@NEIL_MALONE@WWE@GoToBermuda pre taped? Not sure u noticed, our commentary was live. The Romo reference should have given that away.
“Santa Claus is an Illegal Immigrant” – Zeb Colter
The Real Americans vs Los Matadores: Another good tag team match on Raw. We saw the Antonio Cesaro swing, which if you haven’t’ seen live is an awesome thing to watch. With all the tag teams in the WWE, I think the WrestleMania pre-show match should involve all the tag-teams that one make it to the PPV. Perhaps the winner can face the champions. YES!
RAW OVERALL: NO! Call me scrooge if you will, but the over cheesy holiday wrestling show, should go on Smackdown! I think Raw looses it’s coolness by being lame. If Disney pony’s up the cash this could be what you see on RAW every week so get used to it! There was some good action on the show which I enjoyed, no real progression of WWE story lines but the big announcement of The Animal Batista, which was awesome to see.
In pro wrestling, the mindset of a fan is: “what’s next?” A great match or moment happens at a pay-per-view and immediately afterwards the question becomes, “how do they follow this up on RAW tomorrow?” So while 2013 had its’ share of good moments and bad, as we near the end of the year, the question inevitably becomes, “what’s next?”
If you read the headlines here on the website on a regular basis, when it comes to WWE, it appears as if 2014 will be a year where some new blood breaks through at the top level. Where guys who are just getting started in WWE break through to that next level and become legitimate WWE Superstars. Where guys who aren’t quite there just yet, but are so close, finally reach that level. They become main event players. Who will these people be? Well, in WWE, you never really know, but let’s take a look at five guys who seem to be well on their way.
As Santa Claus fills up the gas tank in his mighty sleigh, as the New Year looms right around the corner, we’re going to take a look at three Superstars currently in WWE that will likely come into their own and reach the top of the profession within the year. It’s time to take a look at the “Top 5 Superstars To Look Out For In 2014.”
#5. Damien Sandow
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross wrote about this guy recently. WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley talks about him on a regular basis. WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has said if this guy shows a little bit more of a mean streak, he’ll be well on his way, and Damien Sandow has been doing exactly that in recent weeks. He’s a talented performer who is stuck in a pretty lame gimmick, yet he somehow makes it work. He’s entertaining, period. If the guy gets some real opportunities in 2014, which I feel he will, he could legitimately break through to the next level. Will he become the face of WWE in 2014? Doubtful. Will he ever be the face of WWE? Probably not. But will he be stuck on pay-per-view Kickoff Show matches that serve little to no purpose? I don’t think so. I think by this time next year, Damien Sandow will be a legitimate Superstar. He may not headline many shows, but I think this is one of the few guys on the current WWE roster with the talent and potential to perform at a higher level than that in which he currently resides. I think Damien Sandow is somebody to look out for in 2014.
#4. Big E. Langston
Big E. Langston is a different situation altogether. While he may not shock and awe wrestling fans with his match quality, or his promo ability for that matter, he has that certain something that WWE looks for. I wouldn’t necessarily call it an “it factor” as much as I would the ability to lift a lot of heavy weights. Vince McMahon, and to a lesser extent Triple H, both of whom have a strong passion for bodybuilding, (remember the WBF, everybody?) seem to have set their sights on Langston as a future Superstar in WWE. There may be a whole heap of performers on the current WWE roster that are more deserving of some big opportunities, but from all accounts, it appears as if 2014 will be a big year for the muscled-up Tampa native. Big E. Langston is somebody to look out for in 2014.
– Former WWE Superstar Eugene (NXT coach Nick Dinsmore) made his return to the ring at last night’s WWE NXT live event in Tampa, FL. Dinsmore revived his Eugene character and teamed up with Santa Claus for a match.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated the Q&A section of his website at JRsBarBQ.com.
When Chris Jericho first debuted with his promo at The Rocks expense, how electrifying was the atmosphere?
“It was massive. Set up perfectly. Excellent booking.”
Which of the 3 members of The Shield do you think will make the most impact in WWE?
“I like them all. Obviously Reigns is breaking out. All tbd. ”
JR when do you think it is the right time for WWE to induct The Rock in the WWE Hall of Fame?
“Any time both parties are ready.”
With talk of the WWE Network seeming to come up more and more, I have wondered if there is potential for certain independent promotions to get television deals with WWE. What, in your estimation, would be the positives and negatives of giving promotions like ROH, PWG, Dragongate USA, etc. a television deal?
“Let’s just say that there’s no business like show business.”
Earlier this week, The Shield appeared on the Onnit podcast. Here are some highlights that Dean Ambrose talked about:
Getting Called Up To The Main Roster: “By the time we actually got through sitting in Tampa for a while, we had all been down there for a long time… but by the time we were at like, we’re at Wrestlemania, we’re on the main stage, we’re doing our thing, because we got thrown right into the fire really quickly. We had a good little act with three rookies, and they just threw us right out there with the main eventers. We were working with John Cena, Randy Orton, Big Show.”
Working with Undertaker: “We were working with Undertaker in a six man tag in London. The most legendary, most intimidating figure in the history of the business, wrestles once, maybe twice per year. Usually once a year, he did an extra match that year, working with us in the six man tag.
“We had double-shotted [worked two shows] that day and did a show in Cardiff, Wales earlier in the day and they helicoptered us in to do the other show, which was a live RAW. We got there pretty much right as our music was playing, and pretty much had to go right up and right down into the crowd and right into the ring, which was nothing, nothing really worked out or anything.Someone proofread this. We were in there with Undertaker who, again, is one of the most legendary, intimidating guys in the business, but at this point we’re like the World Series guy, screw it, let’s just go out and do it.
“So we just went out there and did it. We were like, that was cool. It was like we’re at Wrestlemania, we’re on the main stage, we’re in the WWE. Hell yeah we are. This is where we belong. It doesn’t feel like whoa, this is such an accomplishment. It’s just like, no, it feels right. This is where we’re supposed to be.”
The reason CM Punk was booked to win against The Shield at the recent WWE TLC pay-per-view was for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, WWE had already booked John Cena and Daniel Bryan to lose their matches at the TLC show, and the feeling was all three couldn’t lose on the same pay-per-view.
Another reason WWE gave Punk the win was because it added to the drama surrounding The Shield currently, since they decided to have Roman Reigns spear Dean Ambrose, setting up the eventual pin for Punk.
This past Monday night on RAW, WWE had Roman Reigns get the win on Punk with the idea that Reigns is eventually going to be the real “golden boy” of the company, since he has the look and the sports background that WWE officials prefer, as opposed to Punk and Bryan, both of which will never fully get past the size and look issues that WWE has.
Additionally, Punk was considered to be “protected” from the loss with the feeling that having him do a promo segment with Shawn Michaels before the match would leave a larger impression on fans than Punk actually getting pinned.
According to current creative booking plans, Shield member Roman Reigns is going to have a major role in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match
Originally, it was expected that Reigns would have a similar role as most large athletes in the Rumble match in the past, such as Kane or Diesel, where they make him look strong by having him eliminate multiple participants in the match.
We are looking into further specifics, but the latest plans for Reigns’ role at the Rumble are even more significant than just a few weeks ago.
The following are highlights from a recent Chicago Now interview with WWE Superstar Roman Reigns:
On his WWE debut: “It was a literally a rush. Looking back at it I felt like I was so unprepared. The funny thing is that day they wanted us to come out during the Triple Threat Match, with literally riot shields. They gave us turtlenecks and stuff and it didn’t really fit us, so we made a few adjustments. We were the new guys so all the eyes were on us and they wanted to see what we were made of.”
“After that match, after we walked through the curtain, it was high fives all around. From that day forward, the three of us made a pact that we are in this together and whatever happens, we do it together.”
On their entrance through the crowd: “I don’t know if it was creative or us but once the idea popped, we immediately said yes. I think it was a little bit of both, but we jumped on it. It’s a part of us now and it’s good for the show. I think it’s something that makes the aisle seats ‘hot seats’ because people want to be on TV or see us walk down the stairs. It’s a special bond with the fans and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
On his family background in the sport: “My big brother is a huge part of my career. I’m experiencing a lot of things that he has gone through and I can always ask him about anything. Anytime I can reach out to him and get some advice he’s always willing to talk and answer questions.”
“It really helps me ease my mind when I know I can talk to somebody who has gone almost everything.”
On coming up with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins: “I can’t say enough about Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Those guys have busted their ass in the independent circuit. We were all on the same page because we were all hungry. We all wanted to be the best and that will never change. We have a strict regimen; workout, eat and wrestle. Sometimes we sleep but in the end we do it together.”
On possibly leaving The Shield and becoming a singles star: “Even though I’m part of the Shield, I’m still my own individual wrestler. Deon Sanders was on a team his entire career, but he was still him. When it comes to comes to team fighting I will be there ready to roll but again I’m still me. There’s a lot of strong personalities in this business and I’m right there at the forefront.”
“Whatever path I’m put on either with a group of guys or by myself I won’t change my mindset. That’s how I was born and raised doing anything.”
Check out the complete interview online at ChicagoNow.com.
The following are highlights from a recent Houston Press interview with WWE Superstar Roman Reigns:
On coming from the legendary Anoa’i Samoan family: “It’s a responsibility; I’m from such a prestigious linage. Multiple WWE Hall of Famers are in my bloodline. It’s one thing to reach par, but I’m trying to hit hole-in-ones every single night.”
On winning a Slammy Award for his spear: “The spear speaks for itself, but it’s nice to be on the same page as the fans. It was flattering.”
On who he’d like to spear that he hasn’t yet: “Maybe Triple H. That would be pretty cool.”
Daniel Bryan, winning three Slammy Awards competing in a match, appearing in the Championship Ascension Ceremony, was without question the star of the show. His hometown crowd chanting YES! YES! YES! and DANIEL BRYAN! throughout the beginning of the Championship Ascension Ceremony. Going back earlier in the night to his first Slammy win for Superstar Of The Year. On stage The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. He announces the Superstar of the year is Daniel Bryan. We were all expecting fireworks to occur during that interaction. HBK even exited stage right a perfect set-up for a “surprise” superkick from out of nowhere! But there was no Sweet Chin Music. Just a humble acceptance speech by Bryan for his Slammy Award which he refereed to as The “HB Swizzle” award, Michaels naming it that just before presenting the award. Bryan did mention if it wasn’t for Shawn he wouldn’t be in the WWE. Likewise if it wasn’t for his interference at Hell-In-A-Cell he would be the WWE Champion. Although there was no physical interaction here, that wouldn’t be the last time these two interacted on the show.
See this is why I can’t shake off fighting the Daniel Bryan cause, he belongs in the main event. Heck this article uses his YES! and NO! and lord help us all if Daniel Bryan ever appears in a “NO!” portion of this article. Some people might say, he was in his hometown and had an extra kick of support. There may be a bit of truth to that, but I feel that there are just some hot wrestling towns. Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and apparently Seattle. After what transpired later in the show who knows what will happen the next few months. I’m excited! YES!
Championship Ascension Ceremony
John Cena showing why he is in fact the face of WWE.
Former World Heavyweight and WWE Champions appeared all in the ring for the Championship Ascension Ceremony. As I said earlier the crowd was going crazy for Daniel Bryan. While Triple H was talking up the match, and the championship, the Seattle crowd chanted YES and Daniel Bryan to the point where Triple H gave them what seemed like at least a minute of chanting and Yessing and clapping. This crowd was on fire for Daniel Bryan. Triple H introduced both Orton and Cena. The crowd did not want to hear what Orton had to say. There were boos and boring chants. Then Cena took the mic. More boos and cheering mix. Then Cena begins to speak and prove why he is the face of the WWE. These days with everything being very planned and scripted, Cena played to the crowd and included Daniel Bryan in the conversation, he compared Randy Orton’s rise to success to Daniel Bryan’s. The idea was Bryan didn’t have a father and grandfather to get him in to the WWE, he did it by working. Cena turned practically the entire crowd around and behind him., shouting out his past opponents, HBK, CM Punk, and putting over that the only fair shot Daniel Bryan had was the one with him. Brilliant, this is why he is where he is. The end was something I haven’t seen in the WWE in a long time. It was an awesome chain of events excuited perfectly. Cena and Orton shake hands as the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Championship are hoisted up. Orton gets in a cheap shot, the two are down on the mat fighting. Orton and Cena get pulled apart to their corners. CM Punk gets shoved by Orton causing CM Punk to start attacking Orton. Triple H throws down CM Punk, who retaliates with a knockdown of his on on The Game. HBK Superkicks CM Punk, setting up Daniel Bryan to
The Authority and John Cena look over A fallen Randy Orton. A great segment to end raw.
WWE Reminding us what they are capable of, a Powerful and compelling end to Raw.
deliver his running Knee on HBK. Orton tries to RKO Bryan but instead gets shoved into Stephanie McMahon knocking her down. Triple H runs to Stephanie’s aid, and then gets up and pedigrees Randy. The show closes with The Authority and John Cena looking disappointed over Randy Orton on the mat. What a great segment. This is what WWE used to do on a regular basis. Twists and turns, these chain-reaction action segments. YES!
Quick Mentions
Dean Ambrose vs CM Punk – Ambrose vs CM punk was a Pay-Per-View quality match with a great dissension in the ranks tease when Dean Ambrose wanted Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins to head to the back so he could finish the job by himself. Punk gets the win shortly after that exchange, although Punk loses out to the numbers game and gets a great spear from Reigns. YES!
The Wyatts – With a chip on my shoulder because of Daniel Bryan’s demotion, I don’t think I appreciated Bray Wyatt’s amazing performances over the last few weeks. They are great, and compelling. YES!
Hit up Page 2 below for the “NO!” of this week’s WWE RAW: