WWE superstar AJ Styles may get an all-new presentation for WWE WrestleMania 40 next month. He has been featured as a ‘Babyface’ and a ‘Heel’ in the past but has retained the same entrance music. However, ‘The Phenomenal One has recently hinted that he may be getting a new theme along with his new persona. 

Styles recently did a live auction on the UpUpDownDown YouTube Channel alongside Tyler Breeze. While signing merchandise for fans, Styles said they shouldn’t be surprised to hear something different when he appears at ‘The Grandest Stage Of Them All’ next month.

“…You’ll be surprised come WrestleMania when it comes to music. I probably shouldn’t have let the cat out of the bag,” said Styles. 

Breeze replied that Styles’s changing his music is a big deal, as it has been the same since his WWE debut in 2016. However, Styles feels that it’s necessary for his current persona and that it is time for him to evolve. 

“…It’s big because my music is pretty freaking awesome, but it doesn’t suit the AJ Styles that people are seeing at this moment,” said the former WWE Champion

Styles’s personality shift changed after he was taken out of action for two months by The Bloodline(Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso) last year. Styles would return with a different physique and attitude, looking to go against the faction. He also set his sights on popular ‘Babyface’ LA Knight, as he feels Knight took his spot when he was on hiatus. 

Preview Of AJ Styles vs. LA Knight At WWE WrestleMania 40

Styles is currently involved in a heated rivalry with Knight. Both prevented the other from winning crucial matches that had championship implications. They will compete at WWE WrestleMania 40 next month to settle their feud. 

On the March 29 episode of WWE Friday Night Smackdown, they got into a brawl, with Knight winning the exchange. They aren’t advertised to appear on next week’s show, but it could change. However, fans reacted well to their segment and seemed excited for their matchup at the company’s biggest event of the year. 

If Styles isn’t on TV next week, fans may not hear his new theme song until he comes out for his match against Knight. The hope is that the former WWE Champion’s next entrance music will be great and add to his character. 

Fans of Xavier Woods’ popular UpUpDownDown YouTube channel will soon get to hear the group’s single ‘Can’t Stop Da Party.’

Da Party consists of Woods, former WWE Superstar and current trainer Tyler Breeze, Ring of Honor World Champion Claudio Castagnoli, and AEW’s Adam Cole.

On Twitter, Cole shared an image of the four members and said it is just two more days before the track’s release.

Given that the tweet was released yesterday, that means that ‘Can’t Stop Da Party’ will drop at some point tomorrow.

Fans can find out more information on how to purchase the track by clicking here.

Harley Cameron

All four members of Da Party have proven themselves in the ring, and while Woods can hold his own on the trombone, none are known for their singing.

In addition to the foursome, the track will feature Harley Cameron, who is a wrestler/singer.

Cameron worked with Shotzi and Scarlett last October for a cover of ‘I Put a Spell on You’ and produced the theme song for The IInspiration in Impact Wrestling.

Da Party

The quartet of Woods, Breeze, Castagnoli, and Cole were highlights of UpUpDownDown for years, but the group’s run was cut short by factors outside of their control.

Breeze was released from WWE in 2021, and Cole would choose not to re-sign with the company shortly after.

In October 2022, members of Da Party teased a reunion and in November, streamed on Twitch for their first time playing together since Cole’s departure.

Forbidden Door has been the trending topic of discussion among fans the last few days. Xavier Woods has now used it to retrieve the UpUpDownDown Championship from a released WWE superstar.

Tyler Breeze had held the YouTube brand’s top title for over 500 days until last year. However, Mia Yim defeated him in April 2021.

The gaming channel then went through an inactive phase. The content creators of the channel went on a strike in solidarity with Woods to get him a better deal for running the whole operation.

Unfortunately for the brand, it was during this time that many of their regulars were released from their WWE contracts due to budget cuts. This included Yim.

• King Xavier Woods Takes Aim at WWE’s Repetitive Booking

Xavier Woods Gets The UUDD Championship Back

Xavier Woods announced the return of UUDD in May this year but the status of the championship remained in question.

Finally yesterday the New Day member noted that he had been trying to get through the Forbidden Door to retrieve the belt. Now Shayna Baszler has gotten the job done:

Woods and company are set to hold a tournament to crown a new UUDD champion on July 2. Baszler has earned herself a spot in it by getting the belt back.

This isn’t the only time the Forbidden Door has been opened by WWE this week. A number of AEW stars appeared on Monday’s Raw. You can check out the reason behind it here.

Former WWE star Tyler Breeze will be making his UpUpDownDown come back for the return of the Battle of the Brands special next week.

After months of inactivity, Xavier Woods welcomed fans back to his gaming YouTube channel earlier this month. He had been teasing a special announcement regarding the channel recently.

Woods released a video on his channel making the announcement of Breeze’s return yesterday. The video is a spoof of the science fiction film The Matrix.

The promo starts with The New Day member entering a milk-white room while someone is watching him. There he encounters Morpheus which is also played by Woods himself.

Morpheus offers him the choice of picking up a red or blue controller. Though before he can make his choice, Tyler Breeze makes an appearance.

The former WWE star slaps the controller out of Xavier Woods’ hands. He then announces his return to the channel next week.

Before his release, Breeze had been a featured star of the UpUpDownDown YouTube channel. He was a member of DaParty, the four-man group also consisting of Woods, Adam Cole, and Cesaro.

This won’t be his first UUDD appearance following his release in June 2021. He has not made his in-ring return yet. Word is that he is taking time off to heal from his injuries.

• News On Behind The Scene Issues Affecting UpUpDownDown Content Production

Xavier Woods has pressed the restart button on UpUpDownDown.

The YouTube gaming channel of the WWE star had been barely active in the last few months. Though it appears that things are going to change soon.

The New Day star posted a video message on the channel on Monday afternoon. He welcomed the fans back with a majestic promo.

The video package saw Xavier Woods discussing the highs and lows of UpUpDownDown. It featured images of stars such as Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Big E, and more.

Behind The Scene Issues At UpUpDownDown

The gaming channel became inactive in November last year, after the creators stopped working in a show of solidarity with Woods.

The people who worked on the channel believed that the New Day member was being taken advantage of. They wanted WWE to give him a better deal.

The channel had mostly been inactive since then. The only content posted on UpUpDownDown in recent months was related to WWE 2K22.

Back in April WWE officials held a meeting. They confirmed that talents will now be additionally compensated for all revenue they generate through third-party sites.

This latest video from Woods suggests that he may have gotten a new deal too, that will help him be paid more fairly for his work on the channel.

Xavier Woods has utilized a number of WWE talent in the past as he grew his successful YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown.

What began as a passion project for The New Day member has evolved into a show loved by members of the WWE Universe worldwide. That didn’t go unnoticed by WWE.

Speaking with spin.ph (Sports Interactive Network Philippines), Woods divulges just how much influence WWE has with UpUpDownDown, as well as the impact playing video games has helped the locker room morale.

Despite beginning with just Woods wanting to share his love of gaming, he admits that UpUpDownDown is now “within the WWE umbrella,” but insists that “It is its own thing.”

“I would say I have 92% creative control,” he said. “I am lucky enough to now have a team of editors and producers. We’ve gone from me and two other guys to now me and six other people. So, it’s creating jobs within the company. There isn’t much they take out. The biggest thing is just cursing and that’s because people get heated.”

He then reflected on how WWE’s attitude toward gaming has shifted since his YouTube show’s success, calling their mindset a “complete one-eighty.”

“[…] once the YouTube channel was generating money for the company, it became okay. When we set up a Playstation or an Xbox, we call it ‘The Lab,’ because when we’re in there, we’re cooking. At its height, you might see eight Playstations going on at one time in the locker room and it’s a rotating thing. We have the shows to worry about and we need a way to relax. Back in the day, it used to be cards.

“For us, it’s upped morale by a hundred percent! There are guys who might not have been as close to each other and now, they’ve got a tight-knit battle they’ll want to get to when they get to the arena. So it helps in that respect. And honestly, that boosts everyone up so once we’re in the ring, performing, we’re a lot more comfortable with each other. It’s very healthy for the locker room, I think.”

Austin Creed has continued to develop his video-game YouTube channel with the latest matches in the 2018 FIFA and Madden tournaments.  While Luke Harper showed promise in previous rounds, Kofi Kingston cemented his place in the SmackDown Live final against AJ Styles.

Early on in the match Kofi looked to get underneath the skin of Styles, who has a history of volatile outbursts.  However AJ explained that he wasn’t going to become frustrated because he was playing “one of the greatest gamers”.

Unfortunately, AJ Styles’ modesty did not help him.  In fact, if this were last year’s tournament, AJ would have fallen victim to the mercy rule as he trailed 24-0 at one point during the match!  To the disappointment of Kofi Kingston, no controllers were thrown, which leads me to think that AJ’s skill lies in his aggressive approach; perhaps AJ should return to his brooding heel roots that saw him reach the final of last year’s tournament.

Elsewhere, the FIFA tournament continued with Grizzle Gary taking on The Dangler…?  Or in normal terms: just Sheamus vs Fandango.

With 3/4 of the semi finalists competitors from the U.K. it seemed as though the tournament would be dominated by the Brits; but Apollo Crews had something to say about that as he took on Two Feet (Finn Balor) in the first of the semi finals.

The next matches will feature Sheamus VS Noam Dar, with the winner going on to face Apollo Crews in the final.

The final of RAW’s Madden tournament is between Curtis Axel and Jason Jordan, with a prize of facing Kofi Kingston in the grand-final.

While UpUpDownDown’s main tournament features Madden 18, an alternative tournament has been created for the other sport known as football… you know… the one that is known for using feet and balls… (can you tell I’m English?)

Anyway! All joking aside, Tyler Breeze, Finn Balor, Becky Lynch and Noam Dar make their debut in the new FIFA 18 tournament on UpUpDownDown that also introduces the appropriately named “Backflip Master” – Apollo Crews.

The first match was between Prince Pretty and Two Feet:

While Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze produced a close 1-0 match between Manchester United and Real Madrid, Becky Lynch had to face the experienced Noam Dar as Manchester City VS Ateltico Madrid.

It’s difficult to tell whether Noam Dar is genuine in this video as he constantly looks to engage with “banter”, but it’s also difficult to not enjoy his antics.

Bonus:

Check out the previous final from the FIFA 17 tournament on UpUpDownDown between Neville and Rusev; they are both outrageously hilarious and worth watching just for their mockery of Austin Creed right at the beginning.

As always, Austin Creed has been working on his YouTube channel: UpUpDownDown.  The past week has seen 2 major features uploaded for videogame fans to enjoy.  The first is Round 2 of the Madden 18 tournament which sees RAW’s Jason Jordan take on TJ Perkins.

Jordan previously shocked the tournament in one of the most intense, yet hilarious matches as he beat 3 time champion: Seth Rollins.

TJP destroyed the inexperienced Luke Gallows in his last match-up, and demonstrated solid potential as he takes on Jason Jordan: The Champion Slayer.  Check out the game below:

However, the most entertaining video of the week on UpUpDownDown featured Austin Creed himself, and Jimmy Uso in a UFC 2 Championship Title match.  Although there is no current tournament, Creed has used a similar system to any other championship title in UFC or WWE by hosting championship matches with worthy opponents at any time.

Not only was it an excellent display of skill and talent, there were multiple cameos and moments outside the game which make this a must see.  Check out the title match below, as well as a list of highlights.

5 Highlights From Austin Creed vs Jimmy Uso:

1. This is taking place in a University Volley Ball Court – WHAT!?  That’s dedication.
2. Kevin Owens makes an appearance, wearing his Face of America brand t-shirt; he then partially remains in character as he removes the American flag background and stands in it’s place.  Everyone else just accepts this and says “Oh, yeah, it’s his thing”.
3. They’re told to be quiet, and have to continue the game while trying to whisper – which doesn’t go well as Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Jey Uso are there to provide support and commentary.
4. Sami Zayn appears, topless, and impress Big E with his New Day like dance moves.  If you watch anything from this video, skip to 6:49 just for this!
5. The in-game fight is ridiculously entertaining and close (without giving spoilers away).

The final round of the Madden 18 Tournament on UpUpDownDown saw 3 time champion Seth Rollins (The Champ) take on Jason Jordan (Dick Wellington).

The video starts with a confident Seth Rollins reliving his victories against AJ Styles and discussing how annoyed and upset The Phenomenal One was with the defeats.  Jason Jordan reminisced about Styles playing Madden backstage at shows, and how dedicated he was with the tournament.

By half time of Rollins vs Jordan, the two superstars are caught at a 7-7 draw, with Jordan scoring an interception in the last 20 seconds of the half.  And so began a second half of intense football that will never be forgotten.

Early in the second half Seth Rollins asked the question: “What happens if we go into overtime”.  Jason Jordan replied to the question by adding 6 points to the board and denying Rollins the chance to score any.  The Champ is no more.

Rollins has openly shown how nervous he can become while playing Madden, and this is no exception.  He was caught rocking back and forth as he tries to work out why and how he is losing; Jordan meanwhile remains cool, calm and collected.

Early in the game, the two discuss how greed caused the interception that led to Dick Wellington‘s first half score.  Later they continued by turning the events into wise lessons for all on the pitfalls of greed, adding a moral tone to the video.  Unfortunately Seth wasn’t able to hide his frustration and anger in the closing moments as he walked up with a few seconds still left on the clock.

This is the first time in Madden Tournament history that Seth Rollins has lost.  He is no longer invincible and there is now a guaranteed new Champion in this year’s tournament.  Safe options for this year’s Champion would be AJ Styles, Luke Harper or Kofi Kingston.

Highlights of the video:

1. Just how close Seth Rollins gets to the screen in the final plays of the game.
2. Seth Rollins’ monologue as he leaves the game, resulting in some well timed dolphin sounds to censor his emotions.
3. This quote from The Champ: “Fudge me.  Fudge me right in the fudging fudge”.
4. Jordan’s sheer delight at the end of the video, he can’t contain his happiness as Rollins rants down the corridor.
5. The fact that Jordan never practiced, or played the latest Madden game.

Dick Wellington joins the winner of the SmackDown Live showdown that was released yesterday, Luke Harper who shocked Jimmy Uso with a solid performance.

Bonus Question:

Does this mean that Seth Rollins will have to change his GamerTag on UpUpDownDown as he is no longer The Champ?

The penultimate match in Round 1 of the 2017 NFL Madden 18 Tournament included a new face to UpUpDownDown, and Seth Rollins should be worried.

Jimmy Uso reached the quarter final stage last year against AJ Styles which resulted in an entertaining match.  The highlights of that game are:

1. The amount of censorship required in the final minutes to keep Jimmy Uso family friendly.
2. AJ Styles’ delight in securing outrageous interceptions.

The Prince of Phenomenal made his way into the SmackDown Live semi finals, to face Jack Swagger, with a 24-17 win over UCE.

Unfortunately for UCE, he didn’t have much luck in this year’s tournament either as he came up against a surprising adversary.  Out of all the superstars, Luke Harper does not spring to mind as someone who would be video game savvy, yet he proved any doubters wrong.

While his in-ring persona suggests that he may not be familiar with electricity, let alone Xbox One or PS4, he is more than capable of taking the challenge to Seth Rollins in the 2017 tournament.  A mixture of good football knowledge and understanding of how to convert that knowledge onto the virtual pitch is exactly what made Seth Rollins The Champ.  However, Luke Harper has proven that he has all those skills too.

What’s even better about this video is the amount of fun that each superstar had; it doesn’t even seem like Harper has missed a beat or bean away at all from SmackDown Live.

Highlight of the match:

Jimmy Uso repeatedly trying to rip his shirt and off and failing.

Austin Creed’s YouTube channel, UpUpDownDown, is in the middle of it’s 2017 Madden 18 Tournament.  Previous years have been dominated by The Champ: Seth Rollins.  He is still undefeated and continues his pursuit, looking to add a third championship to his cabinet.

Previous match ups have included Baron Corbin VS Kofi Kingston, as well as Titus O’Neill VS The Miz; both showdowns saw the former football athletes struggle.  While Corbin and Kingston were able to stay relatively lighthearted, with smiles and laughs on both sides, The Miz was unable to stop talking for the entire 26 minute video as he took on the head of Titus Brand Worldwide.  It’s difficult to not feel sorry for Titus as he sat silently throughout the unwarranted barrage of advice and taunts; however, it’s also extremely amusing and enjoyable.

The Hollywood A-Lister advanced through to the next round of the tournament in a 24-09 win and will come up against a member of The Miztourage: Curtis Axel, who beat Brian Kendrick 37-0.

The latest Madden 18 game to feature on Austin Creed’s YouTube channel was between two WWE superstars making their debut in the tournament: TJ Perkins and Luke Gallows.  This match-up potentially represents the most experienced video game player, overall, against the least experienced.  TJP based his in-ring persona on retro gaming, using 8-bit logos and music to support his character, which seems to be most inspired by Megaman games.

The only knowledge Luke Gallows was able to pick up before the start of the match, came from his old friend “Uncle AJ”; unfortunately it still wasn’t very helpful and Gallows had to sit as he was beaten by a nerd.

The beauty of this episode is found in the continuous jokes that each superstar bounces off.  They both have a great rapport with each other and work together, especially as TJP appears to look up towards Gallows, constantly wanting a Too Sweet.  While he destroys his inexperienced opponent, it seems as though TJP just wants to be liked by his older relative, and at the same time – his older relative just wants to fit in.  It’s an amusing insight into an unusual combination that wouldn’t be seen in-ring together.

Opinion:

Recent rumours have run around the internet about Gallows and Anderson potentially leaving the company, fueled by the removal of WWE from their Twitter descriptions.  Whether these rumours are true or not, it’s clear to see that Luke Gallows is a respected and admired superstar in the locker room.

Seth Rollins has appeared on multiple videos recently for Austin Creed’s YouTube channel: UpUpDownDown.  The Champ, as he is known as on UpUpDownDown, is most notable for becoming the three time, undefeated Madden Champion.  However his latest adventure saw him take on WWE 2K18 with Austin Creed.

Check out their first tag-match, joined by Corey Graves!

The main event of this feature was the Royal Rumble that they entered as their own characters in the game.  While they watched the entrance of Seth Rollins, who entered at the number 1 position, Creed began an extremely interesting insight into the current state of RAW.

The host of UpUpDownDown asked whether Rollins still considered himself to be The King Slayer or whether he had moved up to the mantle of ‘The King’.  Rollins replied that he slayed The King, referring to his match with Triple H at WrestleMania, but that The King Slayer doesn’t automatically become The King afterwards.

The exchange continued with Austin Creed asking if anyone had taken the throne after Triple H, with Rollins replying:

“I don’t know, no one’s really taken the throne I suppose […] RAW, there’s a lot of claims to the throne, no one has actually taken it.”

Seth went on to explain that he would take up the role of The King Slayer again, when a King returns to RAW, acting as a superhero.  This suggests that Seth Rollins will remain as a face within the company after The Shield, and that he expects to challenge the main role on RAW when the time comes.

While this was a brief side thought in a video that focuses on promoting the WWE video game, it reflects the absence of Brock Lesnar and RAW’s lack of a week in week out leading star.  As Rollins said, there are a lot of contenders, but no one has claimed the throne.  Some would argue that The Miz fits the job description as he is RAW’s biggest heel.  However The King needs to dominate and rule as the most powerful superstar on the brand, holding the leading championship or corporate power.

Check out the full Royal Rumble match on UpUpDownDown here:

The Bulgarian Brute showed his lighter side as he laughed, mimicked and joked around with a quieter AJ Styles on the UpUpDownDown Madden Tournament.  The two superstars played out a rematch of the 2017 Super Bowl between AJ’s home town team: the Atlanta Falcons; and Rusev’s choice: the New England Patriots.

Before watching the amusing match up, it is worth checking out the final from the previous tournament that featured AJ Styles and Seth Rollins which became heated in the final moments of the game.

AJ walked out before the game had finished, exclaiming that his loss came from the match being played on PS4 rather than Xbox.  Style’s then threw his runner-up trophy on the floor, breaking it and causing a piece to fly off and injure a WWE official!

A rematch was declared using an Xbox instead:

Sadly this did not favour the Prince Of Phenomenal as The Champ (Seth Rollins) picked up the big W again.

In contrast, safe in the knowledge that Rusev has little NFL knowledge, AJ appeared much more relaxed and tolerant of the Bulgarian’s comedic value.

Throughout the encounter Rusev provided an unorthodox style that contrasted AJ’s methodical dominance, resulting in a secure win for the Prince Of Phenomenal.  However, from the moment the camera’s started rolling, AJ couldn’t keep a straight face.  Rusev even broke into song, serenading AJ with his own version of “I Believe I Can Fly”.

The beauty of UpUpDownDown’s Madden Tournament is seeing superstars in their natural environment backstage.  Sometimes it’s possible to tell when an act is being put on, but it’s great to see Seth Rollins nervous, or Rusev laughing and joking as he clumsily tries to play a game that he’s learning properly for the first time.

If you watch all of the rounds, it’s easy to catch guest appearances from other superstars who just walk into the room by accident.  Titus O’Neil, Jimmy & Jey Uso, and the rest of The New Day all make regular appearances as they take sides and cause chaos, while also giving us a unique insight behind the scenes of WWE superstars.

Here is a bonus video that hi-lights the beautiful hilarity which UpUpDownDown captures:

Former WWE Superstar Ryback has released his book today. Ryback is still wrestling in the independent scene and has had a lot of interesting things to say about his time in the WWE on his podcast. You can purchase the book by clicking here.

Now Available on Amazon! Thanks to @amazon for getting this up asap for @ArchangelInkPub Looking forward to your feedback. Please review pic.twitter.com/asId3TYC8t

— RYBACK (@Ryback) January 4, 2017

Xavier Woods and Neville faced off in a game of FIFA on Woods’ Youtube channel, UpUpDownDown.

A fan on Twitter suggested that “the list” gimmick was being wasted on Jericho and should have been put on a younger wrestler. Jericho fired back at the fan in a tweet of his own.

https://twitter.com/Mroutt/status/816488729749651456

Waste? You have zero understanding of how the business works, you dumb moron. https://t.co/IjrDL9d6qb

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) January 4, 2017

• Rumor Update On TNA & Alberto El Patron 

– Two WWE Hall of Famers are celebrating birthdays today, Kevin Von Erich (59) and Ron Simmons (58).

– Xavier Woods’ UpUpDownDown YouTube channel has surpassed half a million subscribers.

We did it! 500K subscribers! Thank you all so much! Our #superstarsavepoint w/ @BeckyLynchWWE will go live tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/fzCUVshl6p

— UpUpDownDown (@UpUpDwnDwn) May 15, 2016

– Daniel Bryan continues training BJJ in Washington State, as seen in this new photo:

https://twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan/status/731574338772566016

– Tyler Breeze’s latest “Shootin’ the Breeze” video features several NXT stars including Samoa Joe:

– Summer Rae posted this red carpet photo from the Nylon Magazine Young Hollywood Party last night:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFaWAspFRDt/?taken-by=daniellemoinet

– Here’s the new WWE Fury video with pump-handle neckbreakers, slams and throws: