It’s looking more and more like the rumored Roman Reigns vs. Triple H showdown will be taking place at either the Night Of Champions pay-per-view, or the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
Originally, Reigns vs. HHH was scheduled for SummerSlam, however, as previously reported, it’s looking like Reigns vs. Randy Orton is the plan for that show.
WWE is looking to stack the deck at Night Of Champions, as that’s when the initial six-month WWE Network subscriptions expire. As a result, the Reigns-HHH match was likely pushed back in the plans, as to schedule it so that it happens when Network subscriptions are up for renewal.
Additionally, the thought process is that Night Of Champions or Hell In A Cell would be closer to WrestleMania 31, where the idea is to push Reigns into the top baby face spot.
Chris Jericho will not be working WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan. Instead, he will be on the July 13th show in Wildwood, New Jersey and July 12th event in Madison Square Garden, where he is scheduled to do a Highlight Reel segment.
Speaking of the upcoming WWE MSG show, the main event will feature John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt in a Lumberjack Match, with Ric Flair and Triple H as the leader of the two teams of lumberjacks. Also on the show will be a triple-threat match for the WWE United States Championship, with Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio.
The following are highlights of a new Miami Herald interview with Kevin Nash:
Hulk Hogan’s nWo heel turn and heels today: “[Hulk] was watching the show, and he saw the momentum really shifting. He saw Scott and I as heel personas were perceived as being cool. He thought if there was a time to switch, it was now, because he could see the momentum going with Scott and I. So when he jumped, it was a shock, but it was a tsunami that pushed the thing for almost three years. It’s so hard. You look at John Cena. He plays the guy in the white cowboy hat. Our society has gone with the anti-heroes probably since Brandon Lee in ‘The Crow.’ Times have changed. It’s no longer waving the flag as much as it was. There’s a lot of disgruntled people in society. When you look at the demographic, you ask, ‘Where’s the money at?’ Well, the money’s in this kind of tweener guy — a bad guy with a cool persona. One thing about Hulk. If he smells dollar signs. it doesn’t take him long to make a decision. He saw the way it was going and made the decision.”
The nWo and DX in WCW and WWE: “They both had members of the Kliq. DX is what really made Triple H. He was playing the blue blood, and then Triple H went away from that persona and kind of took over DX, and that’s when Paul Levesque got to be himself. That’s when I think he really took off because he’s got an incredible sense of humor, a really fun loving guy. They kind of took our [nWo] formula. They [DX] were younger guys, and they made it a little hipper. Anytime WWE produces anything it’s going to be produced better.”
The latest sit-down interview between Michael Cole and Triple H has been added to the official YouTube channel of WWE.
During their latest discussion, Triple H talks about the returns of Chris Jericho, The Miz and AJ Lee from this past Monday’s RAW, the fatal four-way match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the WWE Battleground pay-per-view and the “jaw-dropping” conclussion of Monday’s RAW.
“Details on this potential return are scarce, but WWE.com sources say that this ring warrior is a cross-platform entertainer who has found numerous successes outside of the squared circle. Who could it be?”
– The latest edition of Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit” podcast, which features an interview with former NFL star Ross Tucker, is now available. The official description of the show reads as follows:
PP-Ep13 – Ex-NFL Ross Tucker
“Ross Tucker, Former NFL football lineman and host of “The Ross Tucker Football Podcast” steps into Piper’s Pit! Ross wanted to be a wrestler – babyface or heel? Plus, Hot Rod and Ross talk concussions, injuries, their favorite wrestlers & squared-circle stories, and Johnny Football himself, Johnny Manziel.”
WWE storylines can be a short term or long term plan by management to push certain superstars or to do the complete opposite. Professional wrestling has had many hot storylines over the years – Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant, the New World Order taking over WCW, Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon buys WCW and the list goes on.
The NWO, Austin versus McMahon and even Shane buying WCW, which led to the Invasion storyline, all lasted a long time. Multiple years were given to these hot storylines. Eras in the professional wrestling have been the length of some of these plots in WWE or WCW.
However, there have been times when WWE had a hot storyline going and then….BAM! It’s over. WWE fans wanted more and the company for whatever reason changed direction. This is one of the the most criticized aspects of WWE that fans complain about. The company was building a young star to the top or had a very compelling and interesting storyline happening, when the whole angle is just dropped. Sometimes it has to do with wrestlers being fired or suspended, but other times there aren’t any explanation for the change.
Here are ten hot storylines that quickly died and were killed by WWE management.
9. Nexus
WWE.com
Nexus was a group of rookie superstars from the very first season of NXT. At this point in time, which was 2010, NXT was supposed to be a reality television show where wrestlers competed against one another for a contract in WWE. In reality though, all the superstars were signed to WWE in some capacity. In any event, Wade Barrett (now Bad News Barrett) won the first season and at first was the only member to be on WWE programming.
However, Barrett would recruit the other members of NXT season one and form the Nexus faction. The group immediately caused havoc attacking everyone from John Cena to Justin Roberts. It seemed as if no one was capable of beating Nexus. Their fights always seemed to be a handicap match involving all members of the Nexus helping each other out.
Nexus’ big run in WWE began in June and then two months later, it was SummerSlam time. Nexus faced a team of WWE Superstars including John Cena, Chris Jericho, Edge, Bret Hart, R-Truth, John Morrison and former Nexus member Daniel Bryan. This was the perfect opportunity for WWE to put Nexus over their top stars. However, Cena wanted things to happen differently.
Edge joined Chris Jericho on his podcast in December of 2013 and they discussed the situation.
Chris Jericho: “It was Team WWE vs. Team Nexus, and the finish boiled down to [Edge] and [Jericho] in there, but it was Cena against a couple of them. John wanted to do things a certain way and we told him ‘you’re wrong’. He did it anyways, and it sucked. And then after he came over to us and said ‘I should have listened to you, but I wasn’t seeing it that way.'”
Edge: “I remember. I was like, fine I’m out of the match by that point.”
Chris Jericho: “He wanted to get DDT’d on the floor by Barrett, then kick out and beat them both. And you and I were like, that’s the dumbest thing. That’s just throwing it away for no reason.”
Edge: “They should have gone over because they were so hot.”
Chris Jericho: “We were fighting for Barrett to go over. And where’s Wade Barrett now?”
Jericho and Edge were probably right. After SummerSlam, Nexus was never the same. They would gradually lose members and gain new ones until CM Punk was the leader and began his Summer of Punk storyline in 2011.
There is said to be a feeling within WWE right now that the company is no longer viewing Daniel Bryan as someone that should be used in the main event picture right away. When it was announced that he would be making his first appearance since getting stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Money In The Bank Kickoff Show, many felt that if it were someone like John Cena, Batista or Triple H, it would never happen on a pre-show.
As unfortunate as it sounds, there is also said to be a feeling from the higher-ups in the company that Bryan got injured when they needed him, so they’re hesitant to rely on him to run with the ball in the future.
Many still point to the fact that prior to CM Punk walking out on WWE, as he was supposed to work with Triple H at WrestleMania XXX, that Bryan was only going to be working with Sheamus at the biggest show of the year, despite his growing connection to the WWE Universe with the “Yes! Movement.”
The following are highlights of a new Miami Herald interview with Steve Austin:
The concept for his new show: “I loved doing ‘Redneck Island,’ but there is a lot of drama on the show and how you get voted off the island is actually a vote. I wanted a competition show that involved challenges, and when you leave the ranch, it’s because you lose something. So that’s how the original concept was born. Through my body of work as the ‘Toughest S.O.B. in WWF’ and the Broken Skull Ranch, one of the toughest places in Texas, the ultimate thing was to have a competition show on my ranch with the baddest and toughest athletes in the United States. We came up with the concept of three rounds of competition with eight people and end up with one. Next day that one takes on my obstacle course called the “Skullbuster”. We drew from the world of CrossFit, Spartan racers, Tough Mudder, MMA (mixed martial arts) and pro wrestling. We’ve got some of the best athletes in the United States doing head-to-head competition at my place, and that’s what I like, a tough, no BS competition. No frills. Nothing fancy.”
Now being an exciting time for WWE fans: “For a period there was a pretty good gap of great new talent that was going to be able to sell tickets. With The Shield and the Wyatt’s, Cesaro and a couple of other guys, they’re going to move the needle. It’s refreshing. I remember back in the day when I was still around. John Cena is a very good friend of mind and has been a top guy for 10 years. I have so much respect for him, but their houses have kind of fallen off. I want the business to go back to the way it was when we were selling out every night. I think with this new depth of talent they have rising out of the ranks of NXT, developing these new stars. They continue to gain more momentum and get the business where it was back in the day.”
The Shield splitting up: “I wanted them to remain together for a little bit longer. So at some point they would have had to fly on their own, and they chose the time to do that. I don’t know if it’s a lack of depth. I know they have a lot of guys on the roster, but guys that are going to be these potential superstars are few and far between. They are the ones booking it, so we will see how it unfolds. Was it premature or not? I would have liked to see them stay together longer, maybe about three to six months.”
The WWE World Heavyweight Title situation: “Triple H has had it enough. Cena has had it enough. You need a fresh face, so you might as well take advantage of a bad situation, which is Daniel Bryan’s neck and make a new superstar. With Cesaro having [Paul] Heyman in his corner, he would be a great choice because of Heyman’s advice. His credibility, Cesaro’s in-ring ability speaks for itself. He is going to be a badass. Bray Wyatt I like as a heel even though the crowd is trying to switch him to babyface. Really, I don’t know. Maybe Roman Reigns is my favorite to take that belt. I think the crowd is ready to get behind him. He’s missing a little bit of his game, but he is going to be a mega star very quickly. So either way you go with that, I think it’s going to be fine. It’s put up or shut up, and you have to take the football and run with it. I think whichever guy gets that belt, he will do that….”
“I’m just wondering if Brock Lesnar is going to come in there and smoke whoever has the belt and then have a monster run until WrestleMania next year. Then drop the belt to somebody who is really good at carrying it. So will this guy be a sacrificial lamb or will they give them a run with the belt? I just want Daniel Bryan to get well because he was coming into some good money working on top and worked his ass to get there. He has been around a long time at the lower level. Now he is at the top of WWE. I just want his neck to get well, so he can continue making money and be the top guy because he earned it.”
The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.
Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.
Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)
I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.
Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall
Rusev vs. Big E
These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.
I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel
The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.
He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.
The latest edition of the sit-down interview series between Michael Cole and Triple H has been added to the official WWE YouTube channel.
In their latest discussion, “The Game” talks to WWE’s lead television announcer about the decision to add Kane to the ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
The WWE COO also addresses the firing of Vickie Guerrero on Monday’s RAW and whether or not he’s concerned about becoming Dean Ambrose’s “enemy for life.”
Stephanie McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque have announced the formation of “Connor’s Cure,” a charity that they have personally funded through Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation named in honor of Pittsburgh native Connor Michalek.
Connor passed away at age 8 earlier this year from Medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord
Donations to Connor’s Cure, which can be made at GiveToChildrens.org, will provide funds for pediatric brain and spinal cancer research, and medical care for children and their families.
Here’s the official charity information:
“Connor Mason Michalek is the inspiration for the fund, “Connor’s Cure”. Donations will provide funds for pediatric brain and spinal cancer research, and medical care for children and their families. Connor was just 4 years old when he was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord. Connor endured an 8 hour surgery, hospitalization for months where he had to relearn how to walk and talk, 8 weeks of radiation, and 4 years of chemotherapy. His parents were told he would most likely have trouble speaking, would be socially awkward, and would have very little hand and eye coordination. He was also told he would only have 1 year to live.
Through the love of his parents and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Connor persevered over this affliction. In fact, Connor became so talkative and engaging that he became a local celebrity including superstar treatment by both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the WWE. Connor also played baseball for 3 years. He hit the ball every time he was at bat, and always scored a run. Connor did what so many of us don’t do, he truly lived. He lived for every moment. He was always loving and compassionate. And he let everyone know that his dad and his little brother Jackson were his best friends. WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan said it best, “If you talked to Connor, you couldn’t help but fall in love with him.” And so many people continue to fall in love with Connor every day when they hear his story.
Connor lost his battle to cancer when he was just 8 years old, but his message of light and love continue to thrive. This fund has been created by Paul “HHH” Levesque and Stephanie McMahon to do what Connor would have wanted, to save other children’s lives. By clicking the Donate Now button from Connor’s page, your gift will support the fund, Connor’s Cure. Thank you for your donation and contribution to find “Connor’s Cure”.
The additional participants for the second Money In The Bank ladder match for the briefcase at this Sunday’s pay-per-view were announced during the “go-home” RAW show on Monday night.
During an in-ring segment with Triple H, “The Game” revealed the following participants for the match:
– Seth Rollins
– Kofi Kingston
– Jack Swagger
– Dolph Ziggler
– Rob Van Dam
– Bad News Barrett
Later in the show it was confirmed that Dean Ambrose would indeed be the seventh and final participant in the match.
– The official WWE website has recently added a new article looking at the 15 greatest Superstar entrances of all-time. The top ten of the list reads as follows:
#10. Rey Mysterio
#9. Gangrel
#8. The Rock
#7. Hulk Hogan
#6. Chris Jericho
#5. Bill Goldberg
#4. Triple H
#3. Kane
#2. Ultimate Warrior
#1. Undertaker
You can check out the complete article at WWE.com.
– The latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” YouTube show, which features Triple H, is available below.
As previously reported, Seth Rollins revealed during this week’s edition of WWE Main Event that at the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view on June 29th, a second ladder match will take place with the infamous Money In The Bank briefcase on the line. Rollins announced that he was the first official participant in the match.
Since then, Triple H has confirmed the match in his latest sit-down interview with Michael Cole, which is available right now on the main page of this website.
The remaining participants in the second ladder match at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view will be revealed during next Monday night’s MITB “go-home” edition of RAW. This was revealed during a graphic shown during the SmackDown television tapings on Tuesday night, as it was noted that the remaining entrants would be announced next Monday night.
The latest sit-down interview between Michael Cole and Triple H has been added to the official YouTube channel of WWE.
In their latest discussion, “The Game” talks about Stephanie McMahon’s recent illness, Roman Reigns winning the battle royal on RAW and a second Money In The Bank ladder match on June 29th.
WWE announced via a mobile notification today that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon will be opening tonight’s edition of WWE RAW, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio.
It was stated that The Authority will be addressing the WWE roster to kick off this week’s show.
During the summer of 2001, the WWE was under attack and at risk of a hostile takeover. After finally winning the Monday Night Wars, the WWE had to find a way to integrate the influx of talent that was acquired with the purchase of WCW.
Their first attempt at doing so would come in the form of the Invasion storyline, which saw former WCW and ECW employees “invading” the WWE in an attempt to take over the company. If this sounds a bit like the nWo’s plot to conquer WCW, well that’s because it is essentially the same story.
Ultimately, the program forced the WWE to fend off the intruders by forming a coalition to battle Team Alliance, which was led by Shane and Stephanie McMahon, the respective on-screen owners of WCW and ECW at the time.
Many fans have cited the Invasion storyline as one of the most entertaining periods in recent WWE history, as it featured a number of matchups that had previously been unimaginable. However, there were many aspects of the storyline that could have been handled better, resulting in a program with great potential that was squandered by poor booking. Here are ten reasons why the Invasion storyline was not as memorable as some fans recall.
There continues to be a lot of talk regarding plans for a physical WWE Hall Of Fame and wrestling museum. WWE has reportedly contacted several historians and have made solid financial offers for various memorabilia.
It’s being said that while Vince McMahon has never had any real interest in a physical Hall Of Fame, Triple H is very interested in it, and is looking to make it happen.
Triple H sat down with Michael Cole once again this week for their weekly interview for WWE.com. This week, the main topic of discussion was Daniel Bryan being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on RAW and a new champion being crowned at Money in the Bank.
Cole asked Triple H why he’s been gloating and laughing a lot this week. Triple H said he’s so happy because he’s excited to finally give the WWE Universe what they deserve: a fighting champion. The uncertainty regarding Daniel Bryan’s ability to compete went on for too long and its now time for concrete results. WWE fans will finally get what they deserve.
Cole brought up Triple H’s own injury history, including the quad tear back in 2001 that kept him out of action for almost a year. He asked Triple H, how is this different than Bryan’s situation? Triple H said that its different because he wasn’t WWE Champion when he tore his quad. If he had been champion, he would have been man enough to hand over the belt and walk away. He came back, won the Royal Rumble and won the gold back at WrestleMania – something Bryan has the option of doing.
Triple H then switched things around on Cole, asking him what he would have done if he was WWE COO. Cole said he’d follow the rules and if the champion can’t defend the title for 30 days, he can’t be champion anymore. Triple H pressed Cole about what he’d do if Bryan refused to surrender the title. Triple H told Cole he would do what was right and ole agreed that he would strip Bryan of the title.
When Daniel Bryan returns from injury, will he get a rematch? Triple H said it depends on a lot of “ifs.” He would consider him for an opportunity, but it depends on a lot of circumstances.
Cole finds it funny that Triple H and Stephanie have been in such great moods lately, despite Batista quitting, one of the most popular acts in WWE breaking up (The Shield), Brad Maddox being removed as RAW General Manager, etc. Triple H says that Cole is the kind of person who worries over things he has no control over. The WWE World Heavyweight championship being decided in a Money in the Bank ladder match is a reason to be happy. It’s not often that he can guarantee that history will be made at a specific moment, but that will happen later this month.
Triple H ended the interview assuring Cole that WWE has never been in better hands.
– This week’s edition of WWE RAW opened up with the promised “blockbuster announcement” from Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. The Authority announced that Daniel Bryan is officially stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to his inability to compete at the June 29th Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
It was confirmed that the Money In The Bank pay-per-view main event will be a Money In The Bank ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Already confirmed for that match are Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton. Later in the show, Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett in a hard fought battle to also qualify. Additional participants will be determined via additional qualifying matches.
– It is expected that the “blockbuster announcement” that Triple H is hyping on Twitter for tonight’s RAW, which is expected to be Daniel Bryan being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, will be opening tonight’s show.
– Tonight’s show had to be re-written due to the situation surrounding Daniel Bryan and the upcoming WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
– The dark match main event for tonight’s show is advertised to be John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt, however with Cena’s eye issues, it’s possible that will change.
– The word going around is that there will be at least two Money In The Bank qualifying matches on tonight’s show.
WWE is advertising the following on their official website for tonight’s RAW:
“Following Seth Rollins’ betrayal of his Shield cohorts, how will Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns address the actions of their former “brother” tonight on Raw? Also, what “blockbuster announcement” does The Authority have planned to kick off the show? For exclusive analysis, don’t miss Raw Pre-Show at 7:30 p.m. ET on WWE Network.”
As noted earlier in an exclusive SEScoops.com report, Daniel Bryan will not be able to wrestle at the upcoming Money In The Bank PPV, thus he will likely be stripped tonight on RAW.
Two big matches are being considered for the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Aside from the tentative Daniel Bryan vs. Kane match and the Money in the Bank ladder match, WWE is also planning Seth Rollins to face his former partner Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton to compete against Roman Reigns.
The idea is that Reigns vs. Rollins would take place at Battleground in July, leading into the rumored Reigns vs. Triple H match at SummerSlam.
WWE Money In The Bank takes place on Sunday, June 29, 2014. As always, we’ll have live coverage the night of the show.
This week’s edition of WWE Raw took place in Indianapolis, IN and was the post-Payback episode of the longest running weekly episodic television show in history. The card featured a total of nine matches, including a contest between John Cena and Kane, as well as a Money in the Bank qualifying match between Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio.
The show also featured two incidents that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the storyline for weeks to come. A lot of questions were answered, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Is Cesaro Going to Challenge for the Intercontinental Championship?
On this week’s Raw, Cesaro abandoned his partner Bad News Barrett, leaving him helpless against the team of RVD and Sheamus. After the match, Cesaro stood on the stage staring at Bad News Barrett, perhaps alluding to an upcoming feud between the two for the IC strap.
This feud could help both parties, as it would provide Barrett with a worthy opponent to work with, while also allowing Cesaro to challenge for the company’s second most important title. With rumors of Cesaro being the top contender to win the Money in the Bank briefcase, there are a few directions they could take with the King of Swing, and fans would likely welcome any push.
4. Will WWE Listen to the Fans and Push Dolph Ziggler?
One of the biggest injustices of the past year has been Dolph Ziggler’s demotion to the midcard. After finally cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship from Alberto Del Rio on the Raw after WrestleMania last year.
His reign would ultimately be cut short following a concussion, and after a few harsh words directed at John Cena, Ziggler’s burial was a certainty. He hasn’t been able to claw his way out of the doghouse since, despite calls from fans to give him a push.
There were chants for Ziggler during the match between Big E and Rusev at Payback, and it seemed like he might finally get back on track during a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Alberto Del Rio on this week’s Raw. The hopes of Ziggler fans around the world were quickly dashed, however, as he was forced to tap out to the Cross Armbreaker and it looks like Dolph has become a permanent fixture at the bottom of the card.
3. Who Benefited More from Their Feud: John Cena or Bray Wyatt?
During their last man standing match at Payback, John Cena literally buried Bray Wyatt after slamming him through a crate that was conveniently placed at the foot of a table.
Now that it appears their feud is over, one has to wonder which superstar benefited more from the program. It is hard to argue that any victory could put Cena over more. Wyatt used the program to get himself over with the audience, but he ultimately looked weak in each of their contests.
Wyatt lost two of the three matches, and his one victory came with the help of Harper, Rowan, and a child. Ultimately, Cena did not gain anything from the feud, and Wyatt is just as over as he was before and looked weak throughout, so I would say that neither guy really benefited.
