With just days until the 2017 Royal Rumble, WWE’s plans for WrestleMania 33 are still being finalized, with several top stars still without certain opponents. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, here’s what’s currently being considered Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker is on the books as one of the headline matches.
The Observer also reports that current plans do not have AJ Styles and Kevin Owens going into WrestleMania with the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship. Styles is scheduled to defend against John Cena this Sunday at Royal Rumble while Owens will defend against Reigns.
Another WrestleMania match in the works is Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt. Rumors have Orton winning the Rumble and and Wyatt winning February’s Elimination Chamber match, setting up their WrestleMania match for the WWE Championship.
As noted earlier this week, John Cena vs. Samoa Joe has been discussed in recent weeks, but is not confirmed. Whether nor not that match happens, Joe is due to join the main roster soon.
These matches are in addition to Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Shaq vs. Big Show, both of which have been ‘set in stone’ for months.
This week’s RAW ended with a staredown between Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker to promote Sunday’s Royal Rumble Match. That staredown continued after RAW ended before Brock Lesnar was the first to make his exit.
Goldberg then left but stopped to greet a few fans at ringside. The Undertaker did his trademark pose before leaving the ring and raising his fist on the stage.
Vince McMahon has changed his mind on one of the biggest WWE matches of the modern era – John Cena vs. The Undertaker. That match had been considered for WrestleMania 33 in Orlando but it’s now off the books.
No word yet on who Taker or Cena will face at WrestleMania but it was reported by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Taker won’t be facing Braun Strowman, as has been speculated, and Taker will not challenge for the WWE Championship or the Universal Championship.
The current plan for the RAW Women’s Championship is a fatal 4 way with Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax, instead of the expected Charlotte vs. Bayley singles match.
There are set to be 6 or 7 main event-level singles matches at WrestleMania 33 this year, not including cruiserweights or women. Top Superstars still without matches are Finn Balor, AJ Styles, Cena, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, who may defend the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a multi-man ladder match. It looks as if Chris Jericho will be defending the WWE United States Championship against Kevin Owens.
As of this week, the confirmed top matches remain – Triple H vs. Seth Rollins, Goldberg vs. Lesnar and Shaq vs. Big Show. The Observer speculates that Lesnar vs. Goldberg will be the main event.
– WWE confirmed this week that Brock Lesnar will be appearing on WWE TV next Monday for the first time since Survivor Series. Next Monday’s RAW will mark Lesnar’s return, and he’ll likely come out to the ring with Heyman to promote the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 29th. The Jan. 16 edition of RAW featuring Lesnar will air live on the USA Network from the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, AR.
– WWE.com caught up with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels after RAW ended at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Michaels addressed rumors of a Royal Rumble appearance by saying that he may visit, but he’s going to set an example for his peers on how to stay retired. You can watch the interview below:
– Sami Zayn did not appear on last night’s RAW to sell the injury storyline from the week before. WWE’s website mentions that Sami is expected back next Monday but he’s suffering from multiple contusions and other injuries from the beatdown Braun Strowman gave him last week.
– The latest WWE Fury video looks at 16 Northern Lights suplexes and can be seen here:
– The latest WWE Canvas 2 Canvas video features The Undertaker and can be seen below:
– Big Show took to Twitter last week and tweeted a photo from the gym to warn Shaquille O’Neal as they prepare to do battle at WrestleMania 33. The NBA Hall of Famer responded via Instagram yesterday with this taunt:
The Undertaker interrupted the post-RAW celebration by Kevin Owens and new WWE United States Champion Chris Jericho after tonight’s RAW in New Orleans went off the air.
Jericho and Owens worked the mic before Jericho threatened The Deadman and the segment ended with chokeslams for each man.
The Undertaker returned to RAW in New Orleans tonight and announced that he will be in the Royal Rumble match from San Antonio later this month.
Confirmed names for the match as of this writing include Baron Corbin, Chris Jericho, Big E, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar.
Below is video of The Deadman’s return promo, where he announced that he is “back” on RAW and goes wherever he wants because he answers to no one:
WWE artist Rob Shamberger painted The Undertaker in the newest episode of Canvas 2 Canvas. The Undertaker will be making his return to Monday Night Raw later on tonight. You can check out the video below.
NXT Superstar Patrick Clark took to Twitter to call out wrestling fans. Clark seemed to be disgruntled at fans who pay to attend events and voice their opinions during the show. Clark went on to call fans entitled and classless.
Local advertising lists The Undertaker and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels for the 1/9 RAW from The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
This is being billed as a “special appearance” for HBK and Taker’s “return to Monday Night RAW.”
It’s possible that HBK’s appearance is tied to The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, a faith-based movie he’s starring in. WWE Studios will be distributing that movie on 1/20. We will keep you updated on their appearances when more information is available.
On Smackdown Tuesday, it was revealed that AJ Styles will be defending his WWE Championship against John Cena at the Royal Rumble. Styles has had Cena’s number so far. However, it is Wrestlemania season and it is John Cena, it would be hard to imagine him losing once again to Styles. In the video promo for the live event, it was advertised that AJ Styles will be defending his WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose on February 4th, 2017. This doesn’t mean that Styles will defeat John Cena at the Royal Rumble on January 29th. I’ve seen local advertisements for live events in Boston that I thought spoiled a future event and it turned out to not be the case.
There have been a bunch of rumors surrounding AJ Styles and John Cena. I haven’t heard too many people say that John Cena would be facing AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. The rumor I heard the most was that Styles would be defending his WWE Championship against The Undertaker at the Rumble and that Cena might wind up facing The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. After the Royal Rumble, it is the Elimination Chamber. In my opinion, I would have thought it would be more likely for The Undertaker to show at the Royal Rumble rather than at Elimination Chamber. I’m just basing that off of the fact that he is coming off of hip surgery. It would seem odd that his first match back would be in the Chamber but stranger things have happened. For all I know, The Undertaker may wind up appearing at both the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber.
Discussion: Do you think Styles will retain his WWE Championship against John Cena at the Royal Rumble? Would you rather see John Cena vs The Undertaker or Styles vs The Undertaker at Wrestlemania? Share your thoughts below.
WrestleMania rumor season is picking up and according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, John Cena vs. The Undertaker and a multi-woman match for the RAW Women’s Championship are new probable matches.
In regards to Cena vs. Undertaker, Vince McMahon has not decided on the match but it’s being considered. Another opponent being discussed for Taker is Roman Reigns but there’s a feeling that Reigns is the future of the company while Cena vs. Taker doesn’t do anything for the future. This could be Taker’s last match and the last chance to do Taker vs. Reigns on the big stage.
With Reigns and Cena both receiving championship shots at the Royal Rumble, it’s possible Taker gets a Universal Championship or WWE Championship shot at WrestleMania. That would indicate Taker having a spot in the Royal Rumble main event
The Observer noted that Braun Strowman, who is another favorite to win the Rumble, could end up facing Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens looks to be another WrestleMania match but The Observer reports that as of this week, only three matches are considered to be a lock for the big event:
-Triple H vs. Seth Rollins
-Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar
-Big Show vs. Shaq
All of these matches sound awesome. However, I’d prefer to see some more than others. Out of the five matches in the video, here are in order the matches I’d like to see the most.
#5: Finn Balor
Balor is an awesome performer and half of the excitement for this match would surround their entrances. My only issue with this match is that Balor is so much smaller than The Undertaker. I would really have to try and convince myself that Balor would have a shot in the match. It would still be great to see, but out of the 5 matches listed it comes in at number five.
#4: Kevin Owens
I would be ecstatic to see this match one year ago. Right now, Kevin Owens is being booked as someone that needs all the help in the world to win a match. Of course, this would still be an excellent match if it were to happen.
#3: Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman has been one of the bright spots on Monday Night Raw. Sure, it is tedious to sit through Strowman squash matches every week, but he is being build up correctly. Another feather in Strowman’s cap is that he is actually decent cutting a promo. He is a rare Superstar in that he is a massive human being and is also very athletic in the ring. He is the total package when it comes to a WWE Superstar. If Strowman continues to defeat everyone in his path, I wouldn’t mind seeing him go against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. I wouldn’t mind that one bit.
#2: Shinsuke Nakamura
I’m a huge Nakamura fan. His matches are so physical and every move he does looks like it legitimately hurts his opponent. This match is probably the least likely to happen out of those in the video but I would still love to see it. Nakamura has such an interesting style in the ring and I think it would be fascinating to see how he would work with The Undertaker.
#1: AJ Styles
In my opinion, AJ Styles is the best opponent for The Undertaker. He is currently the WWE World Champion and has been exceptional since arriving in the WWE at the Royal Rumble in January. Granted, Styles has always been phenomenal but I was skeptical if he would be given the chance to be in the WWE. Well, he was given the chance to show what he can do and he’s been the MVP for the WWE this year. Smackdown is a very entertaining show because Styles is on it. Styles is also a perfect opponent for The Undertaker because he can carry the match. AJ Styles can make The Undertaker look twenty years longer if they were to have a match together.
Discussion: Out of these five matches, which would you like to see the most and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the first person to be profiled in the new Seven Bucks Moment series from his own Seven Bucks Digital Studios. Seven Bucks describes the project as a series “that chronicles successful actors, athletes, musicians, comedians, influencers, and inspiring real people as they reflect on a turning point when they realized they needed to motivate themselves and capitalize on a perceived failure.”
– Here are a couple new videos from the Bella Twins’ Youtube channel looking at Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella as they prepare for Christmas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEayYntVJxk
– Eva Marie has landed her first magazine cover with dark hair. Below is a shot of the cover of the December issue of Millenium Magazine, which features an interview and shoot with the SmackDown Superstar:
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. In this installment, JR spoke about Monday’s RAW, recent shakeups with WWE’s broadcast teams, the Royal Rumble and more.
One of the top stories of the week is the announcement that Charlotte & Sasha Banks will participate in WWE’s (main roster) first-ever 30-minute Women’s “Iron Man” match at Roadblock later this month. JR believes both women will have to step up in order for the match to be a success, but WWE is to be commended for their handling of women’s wrestling.
“The 30 minute Ironman, (why not Ironwomen BTW?) match will be a challenge to Sasha and Charlotte as it will require a logical pace, timely selling, a on going, under lying thread to their match I.E. someone has a dinged body part and it is exploited,” Ross said. “I applaud WWE and the two ladies for this booking and wish them the best of luck in telling a great story while continuing to advance their gender’s place within the ‘man’s world’ of pro wrestling.”
The 2017 Royal Rumble is shaping up to be one of the biggest ever with Brock Lesnar and Goldberg already confirmed as two of the 30 entrants. JR thinks WWE should utilize Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at the Rumble to ensure the Alamo Dome show is a success.
“I like that both Lesnar and Goldberg are both in the Royal Rumble match as it should help move tickets locally for the Alamo Dome extravaganza. I’d love to see an official announcement that both HBK and Taker are going to be on hand in some role as to add to the marketable nostalgia for the event. The two legends do not need to wrestle but being creatively utilized in some manageable manner would help the event feel bigger and more desirable to attend.”
Speaking of the Royal Rumble, JR will be hosting a “RINGSIDE with Jim Ross” show the day of the Royal Rumble (2:30pm local time) at the Improv at River Center in San Antonio. If you’re in town for the Rumble, head over to Rivercitycomedyclub.com for ticket information.
WWE legend The Undertaker is currently backstage at tonight’s WWE RAW from Austin, Texas.
The Dead Man is a SmackDown Superstar and lives in Texas, so he very well might just be visiting. Keep it locked to SEScoops.com for our weekly WWE RAW Results & Live Discussion.
Props to our friends at WrestlingINC for getting this exclusive photo of The Undertaker at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
– Matt Sydal will be released from a Japanese jail on 12/6, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Sydal was arrested for possession of liquid cannabis in late September after trying to bring the cannabis in using a hidden pipe. He was then convicted on drug charges in October and sentenced to prison. Sydal will be returning to the US to resume his pro wrestling career.
– Goldust took to Twitter this week and praised Brian Kendrick and new Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann after this week’s 205 Live premiere. The WWE veteran tweeted:
– Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania will be released via DVD and Digital on 1/17 with animated appearances by Mr. McMahon, The Undertaker, John Cena, Triple H and Paige. You can see the new trailer below:
After The Undertaker’s return on last week’s SmackDown, reports hit the web that the Dead Man was rumored to face AJ Styles at WWE’s upcoming Royal Rumble event.
Dave Meltzer addressed these reports in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, claiming that there has in fact been discussion within WWE of putting ‘Taker and Styles against each other. However, Meltzer noted that there may be a timing issue in setting the match up for January.
The Undertaker recently underwent hip surgery, and is still currently going through rehab to recover. Meltzer says it’s possible that ‘Taker won’t be medically cleared to wrestle before the January 29th pay-per-view.
The 2017 Royal Rumble takes place in The Undertaker’s home state of Texas at the at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
ESPN’s upcoming “30 For 30” documentary about Ric Flair just got a little more intriguing. In Tuesday’s edition of Sports Illustrated media reporter Richard Deitsch’s column, he previewed the upcoming special, which will be one of two (along with an XFL documentary) where WWE is cooperating with the production. The big news in the piece has little to do with Flair himself, though, as Deitsch quotes director Rory Karpf as saying that “It was also awesome to get an interview with The Undertaker (real name: Mark Calaway) out of character.”
In the past, WWE refrained from showing The Undertaker out of character in their own documentaries or allowing third party documentaries from doing so, either. When “Wrestling with Shadows” and “Beyond The Mat” were shot backstage, for example, both productions were contractually prohibited from showing him. This impacted “Wrestling with Shadows” in particular, as director Paul Jay had caught Undertaker/Calaway furiously banging on Vince McMahon’s office door after the “Montreal screw job” in the Survivor Series ’97 main event.
The main exceptions to this policy came when The Undertaker had dropped the “Deadman” gimmick from 2000-2003 and focused on the “American Badass” persona. During that period, he also did an out of character interview (embedded at the top of this article) in a 2002 episode of TSN’s “Off the Record,” which regularly featured pro wrestlers going back to 1997.
Last night at Survivor Series, Goldberg defeated Brock Lesnar in 1 minute and 25 seconds. There are people that thought this match was great and that it provided them with a moment they will never forget.
It appears that this match has split the WWE Universe down the middle. Many feel like it provided an awesome moment and it was something that nobody saw coming. Others felt like it was barely a match and was way too short to be a main event at one of the biggest shows of the year. In my reaction article, I posted why I did not enjoy the match. Hopefully, the end result will be that more people will tune in for the next few months to see what will happen with Goldberg and Brock Lesnar. My fear is that the shock value will wear off once new viewers realize that Goldberg will not be at every show heading into the future. In the end, the WWE got what they wanted because people are talking about wrestling again.
What are your thoughts on the Goldberg and Lesnar match that took place last night? Do you think it was a mistake or do you feel like it was best for business? Let us know in the comments below.
Last night during the nine hundredth episode of SmackDown, The Undertaker made his long awaited return to WWE television. The impact he had in five minutes of television time is a testament to the level of respect the WWE Universe has for The Deadman, but it seems he’s only just started taking souls and digging holes.
It was reported earlier today that The Undertaker will be featured on SmackDown for the foreseeable future, which will lead him onto The Road to Wrestlemania. There has been a lot of speculation about what he will be doing at Wrestlemania 33 next year, but his opponent for next year’s Royal Rumble is just as interesting.
According to a rumor from CageSideSeats, the expectation is that Team SmackDown will lose on Sunday to Team Raw. The Undertaker warned SmackDown’s five men that they’d have to answer to him if they failed, so the plan is for someone to cost them the match and for that individual to be The Undertaker’s next feud.
It can be assumed that Randy Orton or AJ Styles will be responsible for costing SmackDown the match at Survivor Series. It’s been rumored for the past few days that we could be seeing Undertaker vs. Orton or John Cena at Wrestlemania, so the next high profile Undertaker match will most likely take place at the Royal Rumble when WWE looks to sell out the Alamo Dome.
Kane and The Undertaker reunited after last night’s WWE SmackDown 900 went off the air. After The Deadman made his exit following the main event segment, Kane’s pyro went off and he joined Taker on the stage.
The Undertaker returned at Tuesday night’s SmackDown Live 900th episode and said he’s back to “take souls and dig holes.” The appearance came during a special edition of The Cutting Edge with WWE Hall of Famer Edge.
Taker played up his history on the SmackDown brand, calling it “home” and telling Team SmackDown that they’ll answer to him if Team RAW doesn’t “Rest In Peace” this Sunday. The Dead Man said WrestleMania will no longer define him, a sign that he’ll be back on WWE television more regularly. His address to Team SmackDown about them having to answer to him if they lose could be used to set up The Undertaker’s next feud, but that’s speculation on our part.
On Talking Smack, SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan and Renee Young talked about Undertaker’s future. Bryan asked, “Did you hear what I heard? It sounds like he’s back.”
The Undertaker underwent hip surgery several months ago, which is why he was spotted using crutches. The announcement that ‘WrestleMania will no longer define him’ indicates he’s in decent physical shape and will be able to wrestle more regularly than once a year. A match at Wrestlemania 33 also seems to be very likely at this point, especially with The Undertaker (and The Rock, for that matter) featured in the latest promotional material for April’s big event.
– As noted earlier, on Tuesday’s SmackDown there was an injury storyline with Baron Corbin that pulled him from Team SmackDown for Survivor Series. He was replaced with SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon who will now wrestle at the November 20th pay-per-view instead of Corbin. McMahon wrote the following on Twitter to promote the news:
– As noted last month, The Undertaker appeared at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA Championship ring ceremony in his full wrestling gear. Undertaker was accompanied by Dana Warrior and her kids, and his wife Michelle McCool. He met with several NBA stars, but not Lebron James, who famously wore an Undertaker t-shirt during the NBA Finals. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com recently addressed fan questions about why Lebron James didn’t meet with ‘Taker, saying that Lebron may have purposely avoided the photo op.
Vardon noted that if someone who isn’t a personal friend of James doesn’t have an appointment with him, the chances of meeting him before or after a game are slim. Vardon added that James is wary of companies purposefully trying to attain money or press through him. Vardon said that James wearing an Undertaker t-shirt was “enough” for James.
The Undertaker will be returning to WWE TV on the 11/15 SmackDown episode from Wilkes-Barre, PA. This is not only the final show before Survivor Series, but it’s also the 900th episode for SmackDown.
The Dead Man has not appeared on WWE television since his WrestleMania 32 win over Shane McMahon.
Last week, he appeared at the opening game for the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
