– WWE COO Triple H and Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon are currently scheduled to compete in a Mixed Tag Team match against RAW General Manager Kurt Angle and ex-UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey.
This will be Rousey’s first match in her professional wrestling career. “The Game” took to Twitter to post the following video on he and Stephanie’s preparations for New Orleans, as well as what WWE means to them:
– Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair recently launched his own line of suits with Mr. Custom Made, and currently offers 12 items ranging from $595 to $795. The Ric Flair Collection can be found via this link.
TMZ Sports posted a video reviewing Flair’s suit line, and noted Flair has sent pairs to stars such as The Rock and Jamie Foxx, among many more. Check it out:
WWE NXT will hold their first international tour of the new year this summer.
Ever since Triple H came up with the idea for NXT, he has had a certain vision in mind. For years, WWE would sign top stars in other promotions during the territories era.
It’s pretty clear what Triple H’s vision for the developmental brand is. Sign athletes, who have no pro wrestling experience and train them to become WWE Superstars.
Also, he wants to sign the best of the best talents in the world and have them learn the WWE playbook then shine not only in NXT but on the main roster.
The NXT brand has gone from a developmental system to a third brand, and this latest news proves just that.
The former WWE Champion announced on his official Twitter account that they would head overseas this June when NXT comes to the United Kingdom, France and Belgium for a series of live events.
The tour represents the first time that NXT Live heads to mainland Europe. “The Game” sent out the following tweet:
This summer, @WWENXT returns to the @DownloadFest from June 8-10…tickets available now.
Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream, Nikki Cross, Undisputed ERA, Shayna Baszler, Ricochet and Kairi Sane are all advertised to appear. For more details including how to get tickets, please click here.
WWE COO Triple H recently did an interview with Express to promote his WrestleMania 34 match; in which he’ll team up with Stephanie McMahon against the team of Ronda Rousey and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. This will be the first professional wrestling match of Rousey’s career. “The Game” brought up the interesting fact that this will be Stephanie’s first-ever match at WrestleMania:
“This is actually Steph’s first match at WrestleMania,” Triple H said. “The opportunity to step in the ring at WrestleMania with Steph is very exciting, she’s very excited about that opportunity but then to go back in time, so to speak, with Kurt and I … It’s awesome to see Kurt come back after all this time.”
Triple H then discussed how amazing its been to be a part of Rousey’s rise in the WWE, and what it’s going to be like when the four of them step into the ring on “The Grandest Stage Of Them All”:
“And then to step into the ring with probably one of the biggest signings from an outside notoriety standpoint and certainly one of the most amazing signings athletically is the signing of Ronda Rousey,” Triple H responded.
“For her to come in to the WWE, not just as an attraction, not just as somebody coming in and looking for a moment or shine on a different platform, but she really feels like she’s home and that WWE is going to be bigger than anything she’s done in her career and she’s really excited about being here and wanting this.
“To be there as a part of the launch of that, and that’s really what this is, it’s just the opportunity to get her going and to kind of launch what she’s going to bring to the table,” Triple H said.
“It’s really exciting and this will be a special one for a lot of reasons for me and it’s funny because it kind of encapsulates a lot of things for me. My relationship with Steph, my history with Kurt but also a long journey of conversation and everything else with Ronda.”
You can read Triple H’s full interview with Express by clicking this link here.
WWE is pulling out all of the stops for their upcoming the Greatest Royal Rumble event. The sports entertainment company will be holding the show at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, April 27. For the first time ever, the Royal Rumble match will feature 50 WWE Superstars.
On Monday morning, (March 26, 2018), WWE issued a press release to announce three new matches for the upcoming event.
Triple H vs. John Cena in a singles match, The Hardys vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar and a Ladder Match with Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz.
Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, The New Day, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and Shinsuke Nakamura have already been announced for the show. Although the sports entertainment company has yet to come out and officially announce it, the belief is that this event will indeed be broadcasted on the WWE Network.
It’s also been reported that WWE is making “every move possible” to ensure that the first event as part of that agreement is to put on a big show.
It’s been well documented that Jeff Hardy has been cleared to return to in-ring action and has been working out at the WWE Performance Center to prepare for his return.
WWE’s 205 Live show has undergone a dramatic overhaul in recent weeks largely due to Triple H taking over the show. At last week’s WrestleMania 35 press conference from MetLife Stadium from East Rutherford, NJ, Triple H spoke with Mike Johnson of PWinsider about the state of the cruiserweight division and 205 Live’s new direction.
Triple H revealed that the Cruiserweight Classic tournament that aired on the WWE Network in 2016 was his pet project. The success of that tournament led to WWE reviving the Cruiserweight Championship, bringing the Cruiserweight division to Monday Night Raw and ultimately the creation of 205 Live, which premiered on the WWE Network on November 29, 2016.
205 Live lost its way shortly after premiering. The show featured a “WWE sports entertainment” vibe and not the sports-based feel that made the tournament such a hit. The departures of Neville, Austin Aries and most recently Enzo Amore led to the decision that it was time to shake things up.
“It’s a work in progress for sure,” Triple H said. “Every single show we do is a work in progress, at all times. If you think, hey this is what it is, you’re done. That’s across the board for WWE. People’s tastes change. Time changes. You do the same thing for two long, that gets boring. You constantly have to evolve. It’s one of the great things about our industry, I think. It’s constantly evolving.”
Triple H continued, “You constantly have to be in front of it. The day you stop thinking I have something to learn about this, you’re done. So, to me, all of it, is a work in progress. 205 Live is a work in progress. Look, it went in a direction after the Cruiserweight Classic, it went in a direction that was believed to be the right direction, and then fans told us it wasn’t the right direction. So, we’ve changed course. They told us they didn’t like vanilla, so we went to chocolate. They told us, ‘we’re digging the chocolate right now’, so we’re going to stick with it and I think that’s the exciting part of, you know…the great thing is we can turn on a dime and we can deliver to people the things they want to see.”
Triple H acknowledged that it might take some time to complete the Cruiserweight division’s transformation, but he’s confident they’re on the right track.
Mustafa Ali and Cedrick Alexander will square off at WrestleMania in the finals of a tournament held to crown a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
WWE COO Triple H recently took part in an international media call to promote NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. “The Game” was asked about the possibility of WWE Champion AJ Styles missing his WrestleMania 34 match against 2018 Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura due to an undisclosed injury. He noted that while it would be difficult to replace Styles, you always need to have a Plan B and C in place:
“You always have to have a Plan B, [and] just in case you have a Plan C,” Triple H said. “AJ is an incredible performer. Replacing AJ Styles would be very difficult. [He’s] not necessarily a replaceable talent, but we would do our best.”
He also revealed that “The Phenomenal One” is working very hard to get cleared in time for WrestleMania and WWE is providing him with the best medical care possible:
“AJ is working diligently on rehabbing his injuries and getting himself in tip-top shape for WrestleMania,” Triple H said. “We are trying to help him with that process of getting the best care and the best rehab and everything else possible. We’re hoping for the best.
“Right now he says he’s feeling a lot better and will be ready to go. Obviously we’ll get him doctors to make sure that he is ready to go and get a medical clearance, if that’s possible. He’s working very hard at it, so we’re hoping for the best.”
WWE COO Triple H was recently interviewed by USA Today’s “For The Win” to promote WrestleMania 34, and his match in which he’ll team with his wife, Stephanie McMahon, against Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey. Here are some of the highlights:
Are you serving as Stephanie’s coach or trainer as she’s preparing for this match?
“I mean, honestly, as a husband, do you really coach your wife on a whole lot? We’re training a lot. We train together, whether that be in the gym or in the ring. We’re trying to make sure she’s as ready as possible. I worked with her – it’s an interesting thing that I’ve been there for so much of the evolution of her as a character, even prior to us having a relationship together.
“I’ve been there all along the way and I’ve put her matches together for a lot of them, almost all of them, with her. It’s exciting to see this one come to fruition, but you know, she’s also a little bit older, has a little bit more responsibility. She’s got a lot going on, as we both do, but she wants to make sure her girls see her proud. So there’s a lot of pressure on her right now.”
The biggest story of the week in WWE was Daniel Bryan’s return after being medically cleared. What has it been like watching him work behind the scenes to get back to where he is?
“It’s been an amazing process. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do is tell talent that they can’t do this anymore. That you can’t live your dream. And for somebody like Daniel, man, it was soul-crushing. He went through *a lot* to try to get back to where he was, without any guarantee that it would ever work.
“But you take the advice of the doctors, the same doctors that told you he couldn’t, tell you he can… man, it’s like a second lease on life for him. Really excited, really happy for him. Watching him on TV the other night, just sitting at the monitor watching was unbelievable.”
TakeOver: New Orleans will feature a six-man ladder match for the inaugural North American Championship. What do you hope this new title will represent for NXT?
“I think it’s part of a long-term strategic plan for the brand. You see with the UK title, the North American Championship, I think as we branch out and become bigger, [with more] opportunities in different places.
“It allows for multiple events to take place with championships represented where I feel like, in locations across North America, Mexico, Canada, the North American Championship can be defended and be a main event-style match with the right players. The NXT Championship could be going internationally at that same period of time. It really depends, but it’s part of a long-term strategic plan.”
You can read Triple H’s full interview with USA Today’s “For The Win” by clicking this link here.
Last year was a wild ride for the WWE and NXT was certainly no exception. In 2017, Bobby Roode, Drew Mcintyre, and Cien Almas emerged as the cream of the crop on the brand. We also saw Asuka continue her dominance until leaving for Monday Night Raw. A new women’s champion then emerged and her name is Ember Moon.
San Antonio, Orlando, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Houston were all the destinations for NXT’s TakeOver events last year. The WWE Network is taking a look back with its “Best of NXT 2017” special. Here’s a first look with Triple H praising NXT talent:
“The superstars of NXT scratch and claw everyday to be the best. They give it their all to be the best. But the truth is, we cannot do any of it without you. We say it all the time, “We Are NXT.” And we truly mean that. Without the NXT universe, without all of you, we are nothing. You rise us up, you make us bigger, stronger, and better. And that’s what we do. We go to the ring every night, our NXT superstars, and they leave it all out there for all of you.”
Jim Cornette Thrilled With Mark Henry’s WWE HOF Induction
Legendary wrestling manager Jim Cornette is happy to hear that Mark Henry is on his way to the WWE Hall of Fame. Henry will join the class of 2018 which includes stars such as Goldberg, Jeff Jarrett, The Dudley Boyz, and more. It’s a long time coming for Henry, who has been with the WWE since 1996.
During a recent episode of “The Jim Cornette Experience,” Cornette talked about Henry’s road to this moment:
“The Hall of Fame has gotten one right, and I don’t mean they’ve never gotten one right before but I’m saying this time the good guy wins. To a nicer guy, it couldn’t happen. Mark Henry is going in the WWE Hall of Fame and I am wholeheartedly behind that because I’ve known Mark since he showed up there for 22 years or whatever.”
WWE 205 Live star Drew Gulak recently appeared on former Cruiserweight Champion Sean “X-Pac” Waltman’s podcast, X-Pac 12360, to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Gulak started off by saying that his character in WWE is all his creation and how much he turns it up on TV:
“It’s all me. I mean, I definitely turn it up for the show and stuff like that but it’s been cool being in WWE. It’s a collaborative process here. Because there are so many different people you know in creative positions, but they’ve been really receptive to working with our ideas and getting the most out of that.”
Gulak also divulged that, for the most part, his promos are written for him; however, he has the ability to manipulate them and make them sound more real:
“They are mostly written for me, but we are given freedom to manipulate them or make it sound more natural. A lot of guys will come in here and they’ll just see what’s written on the paper and go, ‘Ah, I can’t do this.’ And they’ll go out there and do their own thing or they’ll have it rewritten for them. I try to do my best with what I’m handed… If something doesn’t connect I’ll speak up or if something doesn’t’ look right I have no problem mentioning it.”
With Triple H now taking over 205 Live, Gulak also sounded off on the new decision to have “The Game” call the shots:
“I think originally it was his [Triple H] concept coming out of the Cruiserweight Classic. It was very much Triple H’s idea to bring in a Cruiserweight division and build this brand up. And as soon as we came over, Vince was like ‘hey this is great, let’s run with it,’ and he kinda took the ball and ran with it. Up until the last couple weeks, they basically went to the idea of basically having a tournament again to rechristen the new Cruiserweight Champion. That’s pretty much been under the guide of Triple H.”
Gulak also explained why he wants to see Joey Janela come to WWE in the near future:
“Well we were talking about Joey Janela, he’s someone that has come through the CZW school and worked hard later on in his career and lately he has just been doing a great job. He’s proven to me, that if he has a goal or is set on something he can go out and achieve it. So, really it just comes down to if you really want it , if you’re willing to do the things to kinda adjust and get here, I think it is within reach for some people.”
You can listen to Gulak’s interview on X-Pac 12360 by clicking this link here.
– After officially signing her contract with the Raw brand and slamming Triple H through a table last Sunday at WWE Elimination Chamber, Ronda Rousey was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame at the 2018 Arnold Sports Festival USA today in Columbus, Ohio.
Rousey was inducted alongside MMA legend Bas Rutten, The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan, and world powerlifting champions Dr. Terry Todd and Dr. Jan Todd.
Raw General Manager Kurt Angle was also in attendance.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf3oERbBRnE/
The festival, presented by WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzennegger, was founded in 1989.
– Here is Triple H’s latest “Midnight Workout” video.
– WWE is celebrating National Anthem Day today with this clip of former ring announcer Lilian Garcia kicking off the 15th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops from Naval Base San Diego with a performance of The Star-Spangled Banner.
– On last night’s closing segment of Monday Night RAW; Ronda Rousey, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Kurt Angle attempted to clear the air from their incident at Elimination Chamber. Angle was pressured into admitting that he lied about Triple H and Stephanie’s comments regarding Rousey. Angle apologized and Stephanie apologized to Rousey for slapping Rousey at Elimination Chamber after she put Triple H through a table.
Before Triple H and Stephanie left the ring, however, “The Game” hit Angle with a punch (that actually missed) and knocked him down. Rousey tended to Angle as RAW went off air. “The Rowdy One” took to Twitter to comment on Triple H’s sucker punch on Angle:
1st day on the job… @stephaniemcmahon slaps me… 2nd day on the job… my fellow Olympian @therealkurtangle, an American hero with pneumonia, gets sucker punched by @tripleh … This is far from over. pic.twitter.com/Q1klVTtVmq
– The dark main event of Monday Night RAW after the show went off air on the USA Network featured John Cena and Roman Reigns teaming against RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar. Reigns and Cena won the match, however, The Bar retained the titles. There was said to be a lot of comedy and mic work during the bout.
– As we’ve noted, John Cena teased a WrestleMania match with The Undertaker this April before stating that match is “impossible.” Check out the segment via WWE’s Twitter here:
"I'm here tonight to say my Road to #WrestleMania goes straight through SMACKDOWN!!!"
On last night’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made her return to WWE TV. Rousey made her WWE debut last month after the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. She came out to the ring to confront Rumble winner Asuka, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, and SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair. Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign and indicated her intentions to wrestle at the event.
After finishing up a film project she was working on in Columbia, Rousey returned to WWE TV in Las Vegas last night to sign her RAW contract. She was joined by WWE COO Triple H, RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Things got ugly when Rousey found out Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s true feelings about “The Rowdy One,” thanks to some comments from Kurt Angle. Rousey ended up putting Triple H through a table and eating a slap from Stephanie. McMahon retreated from the ring before Rousey could retaliate.
For the past several months its been rumored that Rousey will be teaming with a mystery partner against the team of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 34. The Rock was originally WWE’s top pick to partner with Rousey, however, after yesterday’s segment it seems like WWE is going with Kurt Angle instead. PWInsider reports that the company is looking to book Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for “The Showcase Of The Immortals.”
To add to that, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that WWE is attempting to book Rousey and McMahon’s feud similar to the way “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Vince McMahon’s storyline was put together – a baby face going up against a heel authoritative figure. It should be interesting to see how this plays out as we lead up to WrestleMania in April from New Orleans.
Ronda Rousey signed her RAW contract at tonight’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in a segment that also featured RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
Triple H confirmed during the segment that Rousey will be wrestling at WrestleMania 34. Angle ended up telling Rousey that Triple H and Stephanie have been plotting to keep her down in WWE due to how she embarrassed them at WrestleMania 31. Triple H tried to hush up Angle as he kept spilling their secrets but this backfired as Rousey slammed Triple H through the contract signing table. This led to Stephanie slapping Rousey and retreating before Rousey could get her hands on her.
As we’ve noted, the plan has been for Triple H and Stephanie to face Rousey and a partner at WrestleMania 34. Rumors on Rousey’s partner include The Rock, Angle, Seth Rollins and SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon.
Below are photos and videos from tonight’s segment:
Former NXT talent and current WWE Superstar Elias recently joined E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness to talk about his run on the main roster. The man formerly known as “The Drifter” discussed the origins of his character singing to WWE crowds:
“One time I went to Largo, Florida and Terry Taylor came up to me and asked if I could sing a song tonight and I said, ‘OK, about what?’ He said that I should sing about the crowd. I came up with a song that night and the song kind of clicked right off the bat, so I evolved it from there. I started asking, at the time, ‘Who wants to walk with The Drifter?’ I would then tell a little story; it all really started at NXT, even though the NXT audience didn’t really get to see that side of me too much; the live events crowd definitely did see that.”
Elias also revealed that Triple H predicted during his time in NXT that his character would be more successful on the main roster than in developmental:
“Triple H has told me specifically from the very first time when he saw me, he said that it would be a better main roster character than NXT. It never really clicked with the NXT audience the way it has. The way I see it, I took my live event act in NXT and brought it to the main roster. They saw the live event act and said let’s put that on TV. On NXT, I would sing songs, but wouldn’t even do that, plus it was very dark and cryptic, but this is the kind of stuff I was doing on live events in NXT before being called up.”
He also discussed how he looks forward to his character evolving as he continues forward in his journey on the main roster:
“I definitely see my character evolving. I don’t want it to run until the wheels fall off. I am definitely going to get the most out of this incarnation of it, then hopefully whatever the crowd reacts to it, and storylines take me there are many level. Think about just any kind of rockstar who has had a journey; they have their ups and downs, their egos and demands and then they hit rock bottom. There’s a million ways to go with ‘Elias,’ in my mind I see it evolving in many different ways.”
You can listen to Elias on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.
– This weekend’s Elimination Chamber match competitors; The Miz, Finn Balor, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins and Elias will all compete in a Gauntlet match on RAW tongiht. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz took to Twitter to slam Balor specifically ahead of the match:
– Triple H has reached 7 million followers on Twitter and has become the third-most followed professional wrestling personality on the social media platform, right behind The Rock and John Cena. Here’s the full top ten list:
1. The Rock (12.6 million)
2. John Cena (10.9 million)
3. Triple H (7.1 million)
4. Randy Orton (5.8 million)
5. Sheamus 4.8 (million)
6. Steve Austin (4.4 million)
7. Daniel Bryan (4.3 million)
8. Shawn Michaels (3.9 million)
9. Nikki Bella (3.4 million)
10. Chris Jericho (3.4 million)
– WWE has announced the following:
WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that tickets to Survivor Series will be available on Friday, March 16 starting at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Survivor Series will take place Sunday, November 18, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be streamed live around the world on WWE Network.
Ticket prices for Survivor Series range from $25-$500. All fans who purchase a $450 or $500 ticket will take home a commemorative Survivor Series chair. Tickets can be purchased at the STAPLES Center box office, www.AXS.com or by calling 888-9-AXS-TIX (888.929.7849) / 925-357-4228 (outside U.S. & Canada). All tickets are subject to service charges and facility fees.
In addition, Survivor Series Travel Packages will be available Monday, March 5 starting at noon ET at www.survivorseriestravel.com, allowing fans the opportunity to purchase NXT® TakeOver®, Monday Night Raw®, and SmackDown®Live tickets ahead of the general public.
– It looks Ronda Rousey will have a big role at SummerSlam later this year.
On Twitter, ESPN.com senior writer Arash Markazi gave fans a look at the ticket he ordered and received for SummerSlam and Rousey is among the 16 WWE Superstars featured on the lenticular collector ticket.
The first look at a WWE SummerSlam ticket featuring Ronda Rousey. The event takes place August 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/Um9lfmVGsI
SummerSlam comes to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for a fourth consecutive year on Sunday, Aug. 19.
– After spending a romantic evening with Stephanie McMahon on Valentine’s Day, Triple H decided to work out. Here is his latest “Midnight Workout” clip.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfN6EpWll5S/
– Coming off WWE’s announcement on Monday that former Women’s Champion Ivory will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, the company uploaded a rare video of Ivory wrestling for the American Wrestling Association (AWA).
This clip is from an episode of AWA: All Star Wrestling, which aired on syndication on Aug. 25, 1989. Competing under the name Tina Moretti, she defends the Ladies Sports Club Championship.
72-year-old Vince McMahon recently sold $100 million worth of WWE stock in order to invest in his new company, Alpha Entertainment. The company has since announced the planned return of the XFL in 2020.
With news that Vince McMahon is investing in non-WWE projects, it has led to speculation he will be reilinquishing more responsibilities in WWE. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that is exactly what is taking place behind the scenes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khlfATUQDE8
Report on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon Taking Over WWE
The report in the Observer states the belief backstage is Paul Levesque (Triple H) will be taking over more of Vince McMahon’s responsibilities in the near future. Levesque has already taken over the booking of 205 Live as of late. Jeremy Borash’s hiring in NXT is believed to be part of Triple H putting together “his team”.
Perhaps the biggest sign that Triple H and Stephanie are taking over more of Vince McMahon’s responsibilities is that they were responsible for signing the deal with Ronda Rousey and not Vince.
The report also notes Vince McMahon normally deals with Brock Lesnar’s contract but that could change as well. There is speculation that Triple H and Stephanie could take over that role as well when Lesnar’s contract comes due later this year.
This past week’s 205 Live bout between Kalisto and Lince Dorardo has (at the time of writing) hit 537,000 views on WWE’s official YouTube channel. When considering the fact that most 205 Live match replays average around 100-200k this can be considered somewhat of a win for the purple brand.
There has been a notable uptrend in match quality for the Tuesday night show over the past several weeks with fans describing the feel of the show as more akin to the Cruiserweight Classic. Recent rumors around Triple H’s involvement in 205 Live have added to the consensus that the show is in fact getting some much needed traction heading into Wrestlemania season.
This week’s episode also featured the 205 Live debut of Roderick Strong against Hideo Itami, last week’s episode also featured two great bouts in the form of Cedric Alexander vs Gran Metalik and TJP facing WWE UK competitor Tyler Bate.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler recently took to his Dinner With The King podcast to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Lawler recently served as a guest commentator for the Men’s Royal Rumble match and discussed the preparations for commentators before the bout:
“Honestly, I think Michael Cole does know. When I said I don’t have to go to production meetings, Michael Cole does. I mean, he has to,” Lawler said. “When you are the main guy you have to be ready for that information so I’m pretty sure who was coming out next from 1-30. I had no list. I went into this thing so unprepared I honestly felt like they may have forgotten they called me to be at the Royal Rumble. I mean, I talked to some people, but nobody in charge. I didn’t speak to anybody in charge all day,” he said.
“I had finished the pre-show and had headed up to the Gorilla position when the Royal Rumble started, because as you know the Men’s Royal Rumble was on the third match, so I went and changed into my old King coat and crown and all of this stuff. I had went up there and started standing around and then the show started. Vince McMahon saw me and got up and shook my hand to ask me how I was and then he went and sat back down. Michael Cole was already out there. I just felt weird because we were getting closer to the time of the Royal Rumble but nobody told me anything.
“Then, I finally had gone to Billy Kidman because he’s the one who kind of runs the time of the show because the Royal Rumble was about to start and then they run a package. I went over to him to ask if I was supposed to be out there already and he looked over at the sheet and said, ‘Oh no; you are going to have your music and entrance.’ I let out a big sigh of relief. Then, little bit after that I went out. I hadn’t talked to anybody; I hadn’t talked to Michael Cole or Corey Graves about what to do or say about the show. I had no clue about anything on the order that was going to happen.”
The King also offered his thoughts on former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and former Royal Rumble match winner Rey Mysterio returning for the bout:
“Rey Mysterio looked amazing. They have John Cena being the spokesperson for Pistachios, Rey Mysterio needs to be the spokesperson for Kapiti. What a tan he had! He’s like Tom Brady. I hope he is back full-time. I wish I had known he was 43 years old, I would have had some one-liners for that.”
Lawler also said that when he ran into Triple H at the Royal Rumble “The Game” joked at him by saying to stay awake for the match. This was in reference to the picture that went viral on social media during RAW 25, making it seem as if Lawler and Jim Ross fell asleep while off-air:
“The first time I saw Triple H at the Royal Rumble, he goes, ‘Hey King.’ I said, ‘Hey Hunter.’ He said, ‘Try to stay awake out there tonight.’ I said, ‘OK.’ So yeah, it’s kind of like a joke.”
You can listen to Dinner With The King by clicking this link here.
– WWE has decided to make some major changes backstage at 205 Live. PWInsider reports that the decision was made two weeks ago by Vince McMahon to let Triple H take the helm of the program. Triple H is currently the frontman at NXT and will now take on 205 Live as well.
While McMahon likes to focus on the characters on the program, Triple H has taken a different route – focusing on the in-ring product more instead. McMahon reportedly made the decision as an attempt to reboot and fix the show. People within the company have compared the past two weeks of 205 Live to NXT.
– NJPW has announced that AXS TV will broadcast their Strong Style Evolved event live on Sun. March 25, 2018. It’s NJPW’s second-ever standalone North American event.
NJPW made the following announcement on the matter:
NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING’S BIGGEST STARS RETURN TO AMERICA ON AXS TV’S EXCLUSIVE LIVE BROADCAST OF ‘STRONG STYLE EVOLVED’ ON SUNDAY, MARCH 25 AT 8pE/5pP
The Sold-Out Show Will Feature Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito & More from Long Beach, California
‘STRONG STYLE EVOLVED’ Marks NJPW’s Second U.S. Event as Japan’s Biggest Wrestling Organization Continues to Expand Stateside
Leading up to the Live Broadcast, the Network will Premiere Matches from NJPW’s New Year Dash, New Beginning in Sapporo and More
Los Angeles (Feb. 7, 2018) – AXS TV—the exclusive U.S. television home for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)—will partner with NJPW and TV ASAHI to broadcast NJPW’s second U.S. event STRONG STYLE EVOLVED live on Sunday, March 25 at 8pE/5pP from California State University Long Beach’s (CSULB) Walter Pyramid.
The cable network’s acclaimed commentary team, Wrestling Hall of Famer Jim Ross and former UFC Heavyweight Champion and NJPW veteran Josh Barnett, will call the live action ringside at STRONG STYLE EVOLVED. The broadcast is expected to feature NJPW’s biggest stars including Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tetsuya Naito among others in matches to be announced.
“New Japan Pro Wrestling’s popularity and ratings in the U.S. are at an all-time high,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “The G1 Special last summer sold out in a few hours, while STRONG STYLE EVOLVED, in an arena twice the size, sold out in less than 10 minutes. This second U.S. event is a great opportunity to further our relationship with NJPW and TV Asahi and we are looking forward to growing their strong style brand of wrestling in the states.”
AXS TV previously televised NJPW’s first stateside event—G1 Special in USA—live in July 2017 and also took over production of the Friday night series from distribution partner TV Asahi to air the Japanese events closer to the original air date. Continuing this trend, AXS TV aired a special presentation of NJPW’s biggest annual event—Wrestle Kingdom 12—on Jan. 6, 2018 just two days after it took place in Japan, which became the most watched broadcast in series history.
AXS TV wraps up its final night of Wrestle Kingdom 12 coverage on Feb. 9 at 8pE/5pP. Then, the network will showcase the best matches from NJPW’s winter events including “New Year Dash” (Feb. 16), three hours from “The New Beginning in Sapporo” (Feb. 23-March 9) and more to be announced leading up to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED.
AXS TV’s upcoming NJPW schedule is as follows (subject to change):
Feb. 9 – Wrestle Kingdom 12 Finale – Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito
Feb. 16 – New Year Dash – NJPW’s top wrestlers face off in a series of tag team matches and establish new rivalries for 2018.
Feb. 23 – The New Beginning in Sapporo – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki
March 2 – The New Beginning in Sapporo – The Young Bucks vs. Roppongi 3K
March 9 – The New Beginning in Sapporo – Kenny Omega vs. Jay White
– As per tradition, Triple H has posted the photo of The Philadelphia Eagles’ Championship Title belt after winning last night’s Super Bowl 52 match-up against the New England Patriots. Check out the title here:
– WWE has released the following video highlighting the “5 Things You Need To Know Before Tonight’s RAW.” The list names, Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Who will compete in the women’s Elimination Chamber?, Who will be The Miz’s next IC title challenger?, The Bar’s title reign, and The Revival’s hot streak as the five things. Here’s the video:
– After her debut at last night’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey spoke to members of the media about her jump to professional wrestling. A funny picture has emerged of Triple H peeking around the entrance ramp trying to snap a photo of Rousey himself. Check it out:
– If you watched NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia then you noticed Nigel McGuinness wasn’t on commentary as he was replaced by Percy Watson. F4WOnline reports that McGuiness missed the event after getting the flu. Mauro Ranallo and Watson took over commentating duties for the show.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently did an interview with Business Insider to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “Good Ole’ JR” was asked for his opinion on 72-year-old WWE frontman Vince McMahon and his ability to continue to run the company. Ross said that Vince isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, as he’s still very healthy for his age, but has his own idea of where the company will go without him:
“I have an opinion on where the company will go. I will say this — you know, Vince is very healthy. He still works out like a crazy man. He really takes care of himself,” Ross said. “So, he ain’t going anywhere soon. We don’t want him to go anywhere soon. He’s the rock that built that thing. He’s the rudder in the water. It’s an amazing company.”
As for who Vince’s successor would be once he decides to step away from WWE, Ross said that he’d put his money down on son-in-law Triple H rather than McMahon’s own son Shane McMahon:
“I think that, if I’m guessing, and it’s gonna strictly be a guess — that the money would be on, probably, Paul Levesque to be Vince’s successor,” Ross said.
The future WWE Hall Of Famer currently serves as the WWE’s Executive Vice President Of Talent, Live Events, and Creative. Because of these roles and opportunities given to “The Game” Ross feels that McMahon is grooming his son-in-law to take the helm once he steps down:
“I think Vince is kind of preparing him for that in a lot of ways. You always knew that he was different from the other guys because he was very studious, and very – under control,” he said. “He didn’t drink. No drugs. He looked to be a lifer early on, and he got a lot of that from being a fan all his life growing up in the northeast — New Hampshire. Then, getting trained by Killer Kowalski who was a great, old-school guy. So, I think he’s probably the heir apparent.”
Ross believes that both Stephanie and Shane McMahon would continue to be involved with the company after Vince steps away, but in smaller roles, while Hunter is left as the right man for the job:
“Stephanie is very involved and, you know, is really more of a face of WWE. She does a lot of charity work. And she’s great at that. And you’ve got to have that in that world,” he said. “I think Shane seems to be, apparently, content with being a TV character. I don’t know where his role’s gonna be going forward or what he wants it to be. But, I think that Paul Levesque is the one that seems to be earmarked to be the next guy, if and when Vince is not in that role.”
You can read Ross’ full interview with Business Insider by clicking this link here.
– Below is video of WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus talking to Charly Caruso after her brief appearance at RAW 25 on Monday night. Trish talks about how it always feels familiar when she returns, no matter how long she’s been gone, and how the fans still pop for her after all this time.
– As noted, Chris Jericho returned to WWE TV for RAW 25 and did a backstage segment with Elias, adding him to The List. Below is Fallout video with Jericho adding more names to The List – Tom Phillips, Mike Rome, Cathy Kelley and others working backstage.
– Below are videos of The Balor Club reflecting on their big RAW 25 moment with DX, Triple H discussing what RAW 25 meant to DX and a rare photo-op with DX, The Balor Club and WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall. Also below is footage of Triple H speaking to the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom after RAW ended.
– Former WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens hasn’t wrestled since January 9th’s episode of SmackDown Live when he and Sami Zayn suffered a loss to the team of Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE Champion AJ Styles, and Randy Orton in a handicap match. PWInsider is reporting that Owens is dealing with a back injury and he also missed this past weekend’s SmackDown live events. He is still expected to team with Sami Zayn against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
– Late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon is set to appear at tonight’s RAW 25 after losing a Lip Sync Battle to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H last week. Fallon teamed up with The New Day and sung Boyz II Men’s “Motownphilly.” McMahon and HHH performed Disney’s Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go.” The Rock was one of the stars in “Moana” and reacted to McMahon and HHH’s performance of the song on Twitter: