Posts Tagged ‘WrestleMania 32’

NJPW Signing Talent To Multi-Year Deals, Kenny Omega On Talk Is Jericho, More

– Kenny Omega will be appearing on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast later this week.

– In an effort to prevent WWE from poaching talent, New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that they are in the process of converting their talent contracts to multi-year deals.

https://twitter.com/enuhito_eng/status/818424990303301632

More On Why WWE Is Making WrestleMania Weekend Scheduling Changes

For the past few years, Wrestlemania weekend has become a full four-day extravaganza. Traditionally, the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony took place on Saturday night, Wrestlemania on Sunday, and then Raw on Monday night. This year was the first time WWE had an NXT Takeover special on Friday night as well. Next year’s Wrestlemania 33 weekend from Orlando will see more changes to the four-day weekend.

The new schedule calls for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday night, NXT Takeover on Saturday, and then Wrestlemania and Raw will go on as usual. There are many benefits to the new schedule, but the reasoning is said to be mostly for convenience. In previous years, NXT would be set up in a different arena. With the old schedule, the staff would have to set up NXT Takeover, take it down to set up the Hall of Fame, and then set up for Raw on Monday.

The new schedule means the staff will set up the Hall of Fame, take it down, and then set up for NXT, Raw, and SmackDown. It’ll be a much easier process for everyone involved for the grueling five-day schedule.

WrestleMania 32 Brings Record $170 Million For Dallas-Arlington Region

WWE announced today that WrestleMania 32 generated a record $170.4 million in economic impact for the Dallas/Arlington area this past April.

Below is their announcement:

WRESTLEMANIA® GENERATES RECORD $170 MILLION FOR DALLAS/ARLINGTON REGION

STAMFORD, Conn., November 16, 2016 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE), Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams announced today that WrestleMania 32 generated $170.4 million in economic impact for the Dallas/Arlington region this past April, according to a study conducted by the Enigma Research Corporation. This marks a new record for WrestleMania’s economic impact and the fifth consecutive year that WrestleMania generated more than $100 million in economic impact for its host region.

Over the past ten years, WrestleMania has generated nearly $1 billion in cumulative economic impact for the cities that have hosted the event. WrestleMania 32 also generated approximately $23.8 million in federal, state and local taxes.

“On behalf of our city, we would like to thank all of the domestic and international WWE fans that converged on Dallas for WrestleMania Week to enjoy all that North Texas has to offer,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “The week-long series of events brought a tremendous economic windfall to our region.”

“We are proud that WWE’s biggest event in history was held here in Arlington,” said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. “The event was an incredible success for our city, and we would like to thank the Dallas Cowboys for their tireless efforts in bringing WrestleMania to AT&T Stadium.”

“We are thrilled that WrestleMania continues to break records for both WWE and our host community,” said John P. Saboor, WWE Executive Vice President, Special Events. “This success would not have been possible without the support of Mayor Rawlings, Mayor Williams, Charlotte Jones and the entire Dallas Cowboys organization as well as all of our public and private sector partners that embraced WWE’s worldwide fan base for this historic celebration. We now look ahead to our return to Orlando for WrestleMania 33.”

A record crowd of 101,763 fans from all 50 states and 35 countries attended WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza this past April, making it the highest-grossing and best-attended event in WWE history. Key highlights from the study include:

* $170.4 million in direct, indirect and induced impact derived from spending by visitors to the Dallas/Arlington region for WrestleMania 32.

* 72% of fans that attended WrestleMania were from outside the greater Dallas/Arlington region and stayed an average of 3.9 nights.

* $25 million was spent on hotels and accommodations within the Dallas/Arlington region.

* The economic impact derived from WrestleMania Week was equal to the creation of 1,550 full-time jobs for the area.

* $8.4 million was spent by visitors to the Dallas/Arlington region at area restaurants.

Next year, WrestleMania 33 will take place Sunday, April 2 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 18 at 10 AM Eastern through Ticketmaster. The event will be broadcast live on WWE Network in more than 180 countries.

WWE Earnings Call Recap: WWE Network, Wellness & Injuries, Social Media, More

Here are some highlights from the WWE First Quarter Earnings call with Vince McMahon and George Barrios today:

– WWE Network had 19 hours of primetime content during Wrestlemania 32 week and subscribers watched 22 million hours.

– They have 650 million social media followers and 450 billion video views across all platforms.

– Vince confirmed Seth Rollins, John Cena, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton returning soon, and touted 13 new stars on the roster.

– Superstar Ink and Game Night will be returning to their online platforms.

– They expect to hit 1.5 million subscribers in the second quarter (by the end of June).

– Vince feels good about where they’re at with health & wellness. Injuries have always happened but they’re ‘more visible’ now.

– They’re excited about Total Bellas, which they developed with E! and think it will be a lot of fun.

– They acknowledged the crackdown on WWE Network sharing of accounts but don’t believe the sharing was hurting revenue.

– They believe Tapout is a great fit for their brand and audience.

Wyatt Family Member Responds to Criticism Over Twitter Use, WM32 Blu-Ray/DVD News

– The WrestleMania 32 DVD and Blu-ray will be released in North America this week. WDN reports a special 1000-numbered Box Set will be released in the UK on June 6th. The set will include one of the Shane McMahon $1 million bills from his entrance, a piece of ring canvas and an autographed Sting artcard.

– Luke Harper has responded to fans who have complained about him being so active on Twitter, with the idea being that swamp people with cellphones is unrealistic. Harper responded:

WrestleMania 32 Breaks More Records: Digital-Social Media, Merchandise, WWE Network

WM32 Aerial SHot

WWE sent in the following press release on Thursday announcing even more records set this past weekend at WrestleMania 32. Not only did WWE shatter their all-time attendance record and live gate – but they also posted record-setting numbers for digital/social media, merchandise sales and WWE Network viewership.

WRESTLEMANIA® BREAKS MORE RECORDS

STAMFORD, CONN.April 7, 2016 – In addition to setting a new attendance record of 101,763 fans, which led to the highest-grossing live event in WWE history at $17.3 million, WrestleMania also broke records for digital and social media engagement and merchandise sales.

Digital/Social Media

  • WrestleMania 32 was the most social event in WWE history, according to Nielsen Social with 2.5 million mentions on Twitter throughout the day and 1.3 million mentions during the broadcast alone, an increase of 50 percent and 18 percent year-over-year, respectively.
  • WWE-related content saw more than 250 million video views across WWE.com, WWE App and social media during WrestleMania Week, an increase of 122 percent year-over-year.
  • WrestleMania set data usage records, totaling 8.6TB on the AT&T network. This set a new record for data traffic at AT&T Stadium, an increase of 36 percent over the data traffic during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2015.

WWE Network

  • WrestleMania reached 1.82 million global households on WWE Network alone, making it the most-watched WrestleMania in history, with pay-per-view data still forthcoming.
  • WWE Network subscribers viewed 21.7 million hours during WrestleMania Week or 12 hours per subscriber during the week. This compares to 15 million hours last year, a year-over-year increase of 45 percent.

Merchandise Sales

  • WWE generated a record-breaking $4.55 million in WrestleMania merchandise revenue, an increase of 37 percent or $1.2 million, from last year’s previous record at WrestleMania 31.

Original Plans For Dean Ambrose At Wrestlemania

It’s no secret that the WrestleMania 32 card underwent several rounds of changes as a result of the injuries that have plagued WWE’s roster over the past 6 months.

In the latest Wrestling Observer, it was revealed that original plans called for Dean Ambrose to work a feud against Chris Jericho at the show. The proposed angle would have been Jericho teaming with Ambrose for a while before turning him, similar to what played out with AJ Styles.

When AJ signed with the company back in January, WWE changed gears and went with the Y2AJ storyline. Say what you want about Jericho getting the win at WrestleMania to cap off that rivalry, but AJ is now the #1 contender to WWE World Heavyweight champion Roman Reigns in a match that is scheduled for Payback.

In a minor spoiler for this week’s SmackDown, the seeds are planted for an eventual match between Ambrose and Jericho, so it appears WWE is now going in this direction.

Bret Hart Reviews Wrestlemania Weekend

Bret Hart, WWE Hall of Famer and current host of the Sharpshooter Show Podcast, gave his opinions on Wrestlemania 32  yesterday on his show. As he has shown in the past, Hart is not afraid to tell people what he really thinks. Here are some of the more interesting highlights:

  • Disappointed with WrestleMania booking. Says “logic didn’t prevail” and the booking “wasn’t up to snuff”
  • Says he was the man who brought ladder matches to the WWE and can’t believe what a “piece of shit match” it’s turned into
  • Disappointed in the IC Title ladder match. “A lot of bullshit, a lot of wasted moves, too much laying around”. Calls it a prop match. “Stupid spots that make no sense”. Still calls the match the best match on the card
  • Says he’d line all the bookers up against the wall and shoot them
  • “Real wrestling is almost dead. CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Bret Hart, that kind of wrestling is almost dead”
  • Says he hates the Styles Clash. “Looks like you just gently brush someone’s stomach on the ground”. However, he calls it the Calf Crusher (got the two moves confused)
  • Really likes Barrett. Says he’s done the best with the lame gimmicks he’s been given. Thinks Japan may be “his cup of tea”. Compares Barrett to Drew Mcintyre. Both really good talents that were never used correctly
  • Nakamura vs Zayn was the best match of the whole WrestleMania weekend. Asuka vs Bayley was better than any match on the WrestleMania card
  • NXT is bringing “real wrestling” to the surface. RAW and WM is “a bunch of morons that sit around creating wrestling. Just writers from Hollywood who don’t know anything about the business. Just Vince Russo’s in a different uniform”
  • Everything about Nakamura vs Zayn (from entrances to handshake) was “beautiful wrestling”. Made Bret stand and salute. Said the finish to Asuka vs Bayley was also beautiful
  • Thought Sasha Banks should have won the title. It was her night and it was another bad booking decision
  • Regarding The Rock’s segment: “For me it was just another example of dweebs sitting around a table writing wrestling”. Called the whole segment “overly scripted bullshit”

To get every episode as it is released, subscribe to Wrestlezone Radio on iTunes, Soundcloud or Stitcher.

Viewership For The WrestleMania 32 Kickoff Show On USA Network

WWE’s one-hour WrestleMania 32 Kickoff pre-show on USA Network averaged 1,322,000 viewers on Sunday night. The special drew a 0.55 cable rating in the 18-49 demographic, and was ranked #22 in the Top 150 cable shows for the evening.

The portion of the WrestleMania Kickoff show that aired on USA Network featured The Usos defeating The Dudley Boyz, and Team Total Divas defeating Team Bad & Blonde.

Post-WrestleMania Updates On Lesnar and Undertaker

Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker were both advertised to appear on Monday’s episode of RAW, but neither of them appeared on the show.

According to Dave Meltzer, Lesnar actually went home after WrestleMania because the company had nothing for him, and they didn’t want to waste a date. Recently Lesnar admitted in an interview that the limited amount of dates he had signed for have been used:

“Vince (McMahon) got his checkbook out and he’s writing more checks,” Lesnar said. “But I have a limit and we’re at that limit right now.” 

Regarding the Undertaker, F4WOnline.com reported yesterday that The Undertaker was telling people backstage at WrestleMania that his match with Shane McMahon was his last, although Undertaker has said this in the past and would continue wrestling. As noted, Taker is advertised to wrestle on the upcoming WWE European tour.

Additional Details On WrestleMania 32 Attendance: What’s The Exact Real Number?

At the Wrestling Classics Message Board, Matt Farmer, who’s a well-known pro wrestling historian and former indie wrestler known to be very well connected in the industry, has posted the exact attendance for WrestleMania 32. Reports from Dave Meltzer and Brian Alvarez of WrestlingObserver.com pegged the number as somewhere between 93,000 and 94,000, which made sense because WWE usually exaggerates by about 8,000 people and they announced 101,763.

According to Farmer, the actual number is 93,730. [UPDATE: Farmer updated his number to 97,769,  which Meltzer and Alvarez are also now reporting.] That includes several thousand standing room tickets to the “Dallas Cowboys Party Plaza,” which is in the AT&T Stadium facility but not the main stadium bowl. It’s not unlike counting the old closed circuit crowds at the Felt Forum (now The Theater) as part of the attendance for Madison Square Garden cards where the forum was opened up due to overflow. They’re in the same building, but they’re not necessarily the same venue, though the Party Plaza is always counted in AT&T Stadium numbers.

Farmer also noted that “As of last week there was just over 86,000 tickets sold.”

This is the new undisputed WWE record, and is the verified professional wrestling record outside of the two shows at Mayday Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea in 1995. Those shows are extreme outliers, being that they took place in a dictatorship, nobody there had ever seen pro wrestling before, and, for lack of a better term, those in attendance felt it was their civic duty to attend. The previous announced record was, of course, WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, which WWE has always insisted publicly was 93,173. According to both Meltzer and PWTorch’s Wade Keller, Zane Brushoff, the local promoter (who’s since passed away), provided documentation to them showing the number was about 78,500. Meltzer was later given access to internal WWE records that showed the same number.

The actual record for WWE was 78,927 for SummerSlam 92 at Wembley Stadium, which was announced as “just” (as in relative to WrestleMania III) 80,355. Presumably the reason for that was wanting WrestleMania III to be the “official” record until they could beat it by a wide margin. Since then, stadium WrestleManias usually topped off a few thousand short of the record. There have been a number of stadium shows in places like India, Pakistan, and Greece that are believed to have drawn anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 fans, but it’s not at all clear how verifiable those figures are. Particularly, King Kong Czaja is believed to have drawn a number of six figure crowds in the 1940s.

But until we get more verification of those numbers, WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium is the biggest crowd that doesn’t involve loyalty to a dictator.

WWE Increased Security For WrestleMania, But Paige’s Stalker Still Got In?

WWE issued the following statement this morning with regards to the issues getting fans into AT&T Stadium for WrestleMania yesterday:

To ensure the safety of WWE fans, increased security measures were put in place tonight. We apologize that it may have taken some fans longer than usual to get into AT&T Stadium.

Fans in line at the stadium were told that the delays were caused by issues with the stadium’s Wi-Fi bringing down their wireless ticket scanning system. Given the two conflicting stories, it came off as at least curious.  Then this exchange happened on Twitter this morning:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/717013496865533954

That’s not a good look either way, but more so if they had increased security.

It’s not the first time WWE talent, female or otherwise, have had issues with stalkers. Most recently, as far as it going public, there was the man who was shot by police outside the WWE Performance Center. Previously, TMZ had reported on Maryse having her own problems with a stalker, and Tough Enough Season 3 contestant Lisa had infiltrated the backstage area repeatedly after being removed from the show when she had some kind of breakdown. Ric Flair also had numerous run-ins with a stalker over many years, as did Bret Hart, who wrote about the topic in his book.

Update On Shane McMahon’s Condition

In typical Shane-O-Mac fashion,  Shane McMahon took a 20 foot plunge of the top of the cell to land on a table (and still lost the match). Despite looking like he was “broken in half” as Jim Ross  would say, PW Insider is reporting that Shane avoided injury and was walking around backstage.  Of course WWE.COM updated his medical condition:

Following his Hell in a Cell showdown against The Undertaker at WrestleMania, Shane McMahon was taken to a medical facility in the Dallas area, WWE.com has confirmed”

If you missed the leap of faith, check it out here:

It is unclear if Shane McMahon appears on tonight’s Raw live from Dallas.

WWE Wrestlemania 32 Reaction (Editorial)

Wrestlemania 32 Kickoff Show

United States Championship Match: Kalisto (c) vs Ryback

Heading into Wrestlemania I thought for sure Ryback would become the new United States Champion. Ryback pretty much dominated the entire match, but it all turned when Kalisto sent him flying into the exposed turnbuckle. Kalisto then hit the Salida del Sol and it was all over. I guess the WWE really is trying to make Kalisto the new Rey Mysterio.

Team Total Divas (Natalya, Paige, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella and Eva Marie) vs. B.A.D. and Blond (Lana, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Emma and Summer Rae)

This match was far more entertaining than I expected it to be. Lana made her in ring debut and hit a couple of kicks. One of the biggest takeaways from this match was the incredibly negative reaction Eva Marie got from the WWE universe. In the end, Brie Bella got Naomi in the “Yes! Lock” for the submission. After the match, Nikki Bella came out sporting a neck brace and celebrated with Team Total Divas. This was a cool moment, especially since this is most likely Brie Bella’s last match.

https://twitter.com/Sloomzo/status/716752376221286400

The WWE Women’s Championship Belt is Revealed

Lita came out to the ring and unveiled the new belt which is replacing the Diva’s belt. The belt looks absolutely awesome and it is about time the WWE got rid of the word “diva” when it comes to professional wrestling.

The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz

I’ve hated the build to this match. The Dudley Boyz denouncing tables hasn’t made me hate them, it has just made this feud even more boring than it already was. This match was thankfully short but it was decent enough. As expected, the Usos got the victory. After the match, the Dudley Boyz attacked the Usos and brought tables into the ring. However, the Usos fought back and wound up frog-splashing the Dudleyz through the tables. The crowd booed the hell out of this for some reason. I thought it was pretty awesome and it makes sense since the WWE is trying to build up the Usos.

Wrestlemania 32 Main Card

Kevin Owens (c) vs. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Stardust vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara in a Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

This was an incredible match. There were so many amazing spots in this match. The one that stood out the most to me was when Kevin Owens pushed Sin Cara off the ladder and he landed on Stardust. Of course, Stardust was already laying on top of a ladder and they both went smashing through it. I never in a million years thought that Zack Ryder would wind up winning this match. He felt like a throw in, simply in the match due to the injury to Neville. This was a tremendous way to start off the show and the finish was certainly unexpected.

Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles

I thought that this match had the potential to steal the show and it did not disappoint. The match started out slow, but when it got going it was incredible. This was another shocking finish to me. I thought AJ Styles would surely get the win at his first Wrestlemania, but Jericho came out on top. I don’t really get why Jericho won but it doesn’t really matter. This feud will most likely continue and that sounds good to me.

The League Of Nations vs. The New Day in a Handicap Match for “Tag Team Supremacy”

Originally, this was going to be a match for the tag team titles but it was changed before Wrestlemania. Once that happened, I figured the League of Nations would get the victory and they did. The match itself was alright but what happened after was legendary. Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and Stone Cold all came out and whooped the League of Nation’s ass. Xavier Woods tried to get Stone Cold to dance and fell victim to a vicious Stone Cold stunner. This was the quintessential Wrestlemania moment for anyone that grew up in the 80’s or 90’s.

https://twitter.com/BBCSporf/status/716781978260017153

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a No Holds Barred Street Fight

The match started off with a trip to Suplex City for Dean Ambrose. Dean Ambrose fought back a bit but ultimately lost due to 13 german suplexes and an F-5 onto a pile of chairs. Everybody knew that Lesnar would win this match, the question was if the match will help Ambrose in the future. Dean Ambrose looked good and put up a fight against Brock Lesnar, but overall this match felt pretty insignificant. Watching Lesnar suplex the living hell out of people is always entertaining, I just thought there would be more epic moments in this match. It was entertaining but pretty forgettable.

Charlotte (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s Championship

This was another match that was excellent and another result I didn’t see coming. I thought Sasha Banks would walk out as the new Women’s Champion and once again I was wrong. It is amazing what female wrestlers can do if they are just given some time to perform in the ring. It seems like the WWE is finally figuring that out, better late than never I guess. Charlotte got Becky Lynch in the Figure 8 Leg Lock and Sasha Banks was unable to stop the hold because Ric Flair was holding her back outside the ring. I wish Ric Flair wasn’t involved in this match but it is what it is. This was a fantastic match and Charlotte is the first WWE Women’s Champion.

The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon Hell In A Cell Match (If Shane wins, he controls RAW/WWE. If Undertaker loses, he can never compete at WrestleMania again)

When Shane McMahon jumped off the top of the cell to try and elbow drop the Undertaker through a table I almost lost my mind. This match lived up to the hype and then some. I desperately wanted Shane McMahon to win the match just so the weekly promos from the Authority would stop. Unfortunately, that was not the case and the Undertaker got the win. Thus, Vince McMahon and the Authority remain in control of Monday Night Raw and the painfully boring promos will continue.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsMyHouse02/status/716811129079595008

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

DDP, Tanaka and Shaq were in the battle royal, so that was cool. Other than that this match’s sole objective was to take up some time before the main-event. NXT’s Baron Corbin wound up getting the win, which was refreshing. I was worried Kane or Mark Henry were going to win it.

After the match the Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleaders came out and danced. Then, for some reason, the Rock came out with a flamethrower. That went on for several meaningless minutes before he finally walked to the ring. He then went on to announce that Dallas, Texas has broken the attendance record but was interrupted by the Wyatt Family. Ultimately, this led a literal six second match between the Rock and Erick Rowan in which the Rock hit a Rock Bottom right away. The Wyatt’s went to attack the Rock but John Cena came out and made the save. It was good to see Cena back, even if he only did a couple of moves. I find it weird that the Wyatt family was once again buried in a big spot. Why take another Bray Wyatt promo seriously if he is just going to get destroyed at every big event? Sure, this was a cool Wrestlemania moment, but it buried the Wyatt family yet again.

Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a No Disqualification Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

As expected, the boos were deafening for Roman Reigns. The guy is clearly talented but has been the victim of bad booking ever since the Shield disbanded. Stephanie McMahon even cut a promo before the match that pretty much insulted everyone in the audience in a desperate attempt for the crowd to cheer Roman Reigns. It didn’t work. It will never work. Apparently that doesn’t matter to the WWE as they just went ahead and ignored the reaction from crowd after crowd. Roman Reigns gets the win over Triple H and is the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The WWE didn’t turn him heel or anything, he just won the match.

Final Thoughts

This Wrestlemania started out great and unpredictable. Unfortunately, it veered off that path and turned out to be rather safe and predictable. I have no problem with Roman Reigns being champion, I just don’t understand why he wasn’t turned heel. The WWE universe has let it be known that they don’t really want Roman Reigns to be the good-guy champion. It would have made perfect sense for Reigns to turn into a bad guy and walk out champion, the way he won it made no sense at all. Tomorrow night will have to be one hell of a Monday Night Raw for the WWE because people were already sick of Roman Reigns before he was champion. For those who think that Roman Reigns is another John Cena they are wrong. John Cena actually has the capability of entertaining the audience on the microphone and in the ring. Roman Reigns is decent in the ring and can’t cut a promo to save his life. What started out as a great Wrestlemania, ended with the WWE universe scratching their heads at the blind stubbornness of the WWE.

Actual Wrestlemania 32 Attendance

While the announced figure of 101,763 for Wrestlemania 32 was always believed to be an inflated number,  Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline.com commented on Wrestlemania’s actual attendance number based on information he got from Dave Meltzer:

 

WrestleMania 32 Final Preview/Viewing Companion With Predictions & More

WrestleMania 32 Kickoff Show (Mauro Ranallo as host/play by play announcer)

Team Total Divas (Natalya, Paige, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella and Eva Marie) vs. B.A.D. and Blond (Lana, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Emma and Summer Rae)

The two big things going into this match are that it’s Lana’s in-ring debut and probably Brie Bella’s last (or next to last) WWE match for the time being. The finish depends on what they’re trying to do here. Well, and if Lana has political weirdness going on. Brie winning would be a nice moment, but the heels need a big win a lot more, especially with Lana debuting and both Emma and Summer Rae returning to the mix. Still, this was so hastily thrown together (with an angle shot on Main Event, no less) that it doesn’t really matter. E! and/or Bunim/Murray Productions wanting Team Total Divas to go over could also be a factor, especially depending on what type of storylines they’ve been shooting and if they’re looking to give Eva Marie a big moment.

The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz

This has potential to be a really good match, as The Usos tend to deliver on big shows and especially WrestleMania, plus they may have chips on their shoulders about being on the pre-show. The Usos should get a win here to blow off the feud in what is, on paper, the best match of the kickoff show.

Kalisto (c) vs. Ryback for the WWE United States Championship

Kalisto’s first WrestleMania match, so he should be looking to make a statement with his performance as well. The only ending that makes sense is Kalisto conquering Ryback and proving The Big Guy wrong about if a good little guy can beat a good big guy. Anything else would be a flat ending and kill of Kalisto. In the ring, this might be the sleeper match of the card. Ryback has quietly improved a lot in the last year or so and he’s done some fun promos to hype this match, so if it delivers with an uplifting finish, it’ll be a nice way to gear the fans up for the main card.

WrestleMania 32 Main Card

Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles

This is the rubber match, and Styles has to win. On top of only being in for a limited run, Jericho has not been setting the world on fire since his return, most noticeable having blown a lot of spots in their previous pay-per-view match. Styles, on the other hand, is coming off a run where he was arguably the best wrestler in the world and excelling at putting on great big show matches. There’s really no reason for Jericho to win this match; It’s for Styles to get a big win over a tenured star in (hopefully) a great match at WrestleMania.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

With the reports that Braun Strowman has lost favor with Vince McMahon, this is wide open, especially with the surprise entrants. Baron Corbin is rumored to be one of the surprises (Tommy Dreamer is another) and would make some sense. Otherwise? If the Strowman story is false, he should still win. If it’s true? This is a pick ’em with no obvious winner except for maybe one of the surprises.

The League Of Nations vs. The New Day in a Handicap Match for “Tag Team Supremacy”

New Day has been winning most of the matches in this feud, which would make you think they lose here, but with all of rumors about their big entrance and a surprise star being involved in the finish,  it sure seems like they’re winning unless plans changed. In the ring, the feud hasn’t been lighting the world on fire but I could see them pulling out the stops here, especially with the kind of risks Kofi Kingston and Big E like to take.

Charlotte (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Divas Championship

All signs point to Banks winning here, though it feels like Lynch caught on better with the fanbase at large. In-ring expectations will be high coming off of their NXT matches, so expect the usual flashy, rehearsed match with a lot of dramatic false finishes. This should also lead to the rebranded WWE Women’s Championship being introduced tonight or tomorrow and the winner will be doing a lot of media, so expect this to be treated as a really big deal.

Kevin Owens (c) vs. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Stardust vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara in a Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Zayn should win to get momentum and set up an Owens program after how coldly he was introduced to the main roster fans. Will they do that? It’s not like the other options are especially realistic other than Owens retaining and maybe Ziggler winning for a renewed push. I’m especially curious to see what Stardust, Ryder, and Sin Cara pull out, as they’re all more talented than their pushes and are getting a rare major showcase match here. Given Owens, Zayn, and to a lesser extent Ziggler have a history of doing some pretty insane ladder matches, this has potential to be a lot of fans’ pick for best match.

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a No Holds Barred Street Fight

The booking patterns would suggest an Ambrose win, as revenge for Lesnar leaving him laying over and over again. This is another strong candidate for match of the night, as Ambrose is probably as willing as anyone on the roster to do a hard Lesnar style match, and at WrestleMania with weapons he’s totally in his element.

Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a No Disqualification Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Does Vince change his plans again? Who knows?!?! I don’t see a way Reigns doesn’t win, but the question has become if he’ll somehow turn heel in the process. With The Rock there, maybe Reigns can turn on him? That said, if Reigns doesn’t turn, at least it’s not going on last as of the most recent reports. In the ring, both guys are inconsistent, and it seems like the added No DQ stipulation will let them have all of the smoke and mirrors that Triple H loves.

The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon Hell In A Cell Match (If Shane wins, he controls RAW/WWE. If Undertaker loses, he can never compete at WrestleMania again)

This is the “real main event.” Shane McMahon will probably jump from somewhere high as the big spot in a crazy match with every kind of smoke and mirrors you can think of. Nobody knows who will win, but it certainly seems like Shane winning makes more sense unless Shane was somehow enticed back just to have a big main event opponent for Undertaker. Drama wise, expect a ton of crazy stunts and camerawork zooming in on facial expressions.

 

 

 

WWE WrestleMania 32 Results – April 3, 2016

WrestleMania 32 took place on April 3rd in Dallas, Texas at the AT&T Center with an attendance of 101,763.

WrestleMania 32 Kickoff pre-show

– The WrestleMania 32 Kickoff pre-show opens up our evening with a shot of the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Renee Young welcomes us along with Lita and Booker T. Corey Graves is outside with fans pumping up the crowd.

Kalisto def. Ryback to retain the WWE United States Championship: They taunt each other before the action starts and Ryback dominates the early moments of the match. Kalisto gets in a top rope bulldog for a 2 count before Ryback sends Kalisto back down to the ringside floor. Ryback gives Kalisto a ringside beatdown, throwing him into the ring post and the fan barrier. Ryback throws Kalisto back into the ring as the crowd chants “Goldberg.” Ryback continues using his size advantage to dominate Kalisto as fans file into the AT&T Stadium for the main show. Kalisto mounts a comeback with a big DDT and some kicks to the grounded Ryback. Ryback nails a spinebuster on the U.S. champ and takes him into a corner with an exposed turnbuckle. Kalisto ends up hitting the Salida Del Sol into the exposed turnbuckle for the pinfall victory.

Eva Marie, Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, Paige and Natalya def. Lana, Naomi, Tamina Snuka, Emma and Summer Rae: On commentary, Jerry Lawler acknowledges that there are still lines of fans outside trying to get in. The story in the opening moments of the match is between Eva and her partners not wanting to work together. Several minutes in, Paige gets the tag from Natalya and they double team Naomi with an old school Hart Foundation move. Emma gets the tag and hits a wheelbarrow on Paige and tags in Lana. Lana hits some kicks on Paige to continue the beat down. The heels go for a double-team superplex on Paige but Natalya makes the save. Paige hits a cross-body splash off the top onto the heels on the floor at ringside. Brie and Noami get the tags and Brie lays her out with a series of kicks and an X-Factor. After a series of run-ins from the non-legal teammates, Brie taps out Naomi to secure the win for her team. Nikki Bella comes out to celebrate after the match.

– Lita comes out to the ring unveil the new WWE Women’s Championship. She unveils a white belt with a red plate and a diamond WWE logo in the center.

The Usos def. The Dudley Boyz: The Dudleys start off on the offensive and Bubba talks trash before eating a superkick. D-Von gets the tag and they hit the Wassup diving headbutt. Bubba pushes D-Von like he’s going to ask for the tables, but The Usos hit simultaneous superkicks on the Dudleys to end their party. The Dudleys hit an inverted 3-D on Jimmy, but then Jey slides in the ring and hits a superkick on D-Von for the 1-2-3.

After the match, The Dudleys get the tables. The Usos lay them out with a couple superkicks, then both of them go up top and hit frogsplashes on the Dudleys through both tables.

WrestleMania 32

– WrestleMania 32 has officially begun! The 7-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship is up first.

Zack Ruder def. Kevin Owens vs. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Stardust vs. Sin Cara: Owens and Zayn are left alone in the ring while everyone else is on the outside getting the ladders. Owens hits a big back body drop on Zayn into a ladder, then Zack Ryder runs in and lays out Owens. Ryder starts climing the ladder and Ziggler joins him. Stardust pushing them both off to the outside, then Sin Cara takes Stardust t the outside. Zayn hits a suicide dive onto everyone on the outside, then a big tornado DDT on Owens onto the floor at ringside. Sin Cara hits a springboard suicide dive onto everyone on the outside, and everyone is down. Ziggler hits superkicks on Ryder, Sin Cara and Zack Ryder, then Ziggler and Owens superkick eachother and are both down. Stardust pulls out a polka dot ladder from under the ring to pay homage to his father, the late Dusty Rhodes. Stardust lays out everyone with the polka dot ladder except The Miz, who runs in and hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Stardust face-first into the ladder. Owens lays out Miz then throws the polka dot ladder to the outside. Owens sets up Zayn on a ladder propped up against the ropes, then hits frogsplash off the top rope onto him. The Miz comes in and brawls with Owens until Zayn lays out Owens. Zany goes up on a huge ladder and hits an elbow onto The Miz. Zayn heads back up the ladder, but Ziggler meets him 3/4 up and takes him down to the mat with a facebuster. Stardust is laid out on a ladder propped up between the ring and the fan barricade. Sin Cara climbs the ladder and Owens pushes him off and through Stardust on the ladder outside. Owens climbs up and almost gets the ladder, but Zayn meets him up top and they trade right hands. They pull each other off the ladder, then Zayn hits a huge half-nelson suplex on Owens who smashes his head hard on a ladder. The Miz climbs the ladder but Ryder pushes him off and grabs the title.

Chris Jericho def. AJ Styles: AJ hits a hurricanrana early on and clotheslines Jericho to the outside. Jericho takes out his frustration by kicking the ring steps. Back in the ring, AJ hits a springboard dropkick sending Jericho back to the outside. Styles goes to hit a splash on Jericho to the outside, but he flies right into a kick from Jericho. AJ hits a series of strikes on Jericho ending with a big dropkick. Jericho manages to get Styles in the Walls of Jericho, but AJ reaches the ropes. He hits his flying reverse DDT on Jericho for a 2 count. AJ hits a reverse suplex on Jericho off the top for a 2 count. AJ escapes a Walls from Jericho and gets him in the Calf Crusher. Jericho elbows him in the back of the head and rolls out of the Calf Crusher. AJ goes for a Styles Clash but Jericho gets out and drops AJ on the apron. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but misses, and turns around into a Codebreaker for a 2-count. Jericho goes to attempt a Styles Clash of his own on AJ, but AJ gets out and hits a suplex on Jericho for a 2 count. AJ reverses a Tiger Bomb attempt and hits a Styles Clash for 2-count. AJ springboards off the top with a 450 splash for another 2 count. AJ goes back to the apron and springboards in for a Phenomenal Forearm, but he flies into into a Codebreaker in midair and Jericho pins him for the 1-2-3.

– Zack Ryder cuts a promo in the back about winning the Intercontinental Championship. He says he’s going to take a picture with Razor Ramon with his new IC title.

– There’s a huge 20-foot box of Booty-O’s on the stage. It falls over, some cereal falls out, then out come the The New Day. They cut a promo on the stage before heading to the ring.

The League of Nations vs. The New Day: Sheamus is in first and The New Day overpowers him with quick tags. Del Rio gets the tag and goes to work on Xavier. Kofi and Sheamus get the tags, and Kofi lays him out with a series of kicks. Rusev runs in but Kofi lays him out too, then hits a big leg drop on both of them. Big E comes in and suplexes everyone who comes at him, then spears Sheamus, Rusev and Barrett off the apron to the outside. Del Rio hits a double foot stomp on Kington to the outside, then throws him in the ring where he walks into a big boot from Sheamus. Sheamus gets the pinfall victory.

– After the match, The League cuts a promo but they’re interrupted by Shawn Michaels. Michaels is wearing his wrestling gear. While Michaels is still on the stage, Mick Foley joins him. The glass shatters and Stone Cold Steve Austin comes out and flips off the crowd. They head to the ring and beat down the League. Foley introduces Sheamus to Mr. Socko. Michaels lays out Del Rio with a superkick. Austin pays homage to Dusty Rhodes then lays out Rusev with the Stunner. Barrett goes in the ring and the Hall of Famers all hit him with their finishers. The New Day comes back in the ring and starts dancing. Shawn Michaels and Foley join him. Austin joins for a moment with a Carlton Banks dance, but then hits a Stunner on Xavier and The New Day flees the ring.

Brock Lesnar def. Dean Ambrose: Lesnar starts off the match with some serious suplexes. Ambrose gets a kendo stick from the outside and works on Lesnar, but Lesnar keeps coming back with suplexes. Lesnar breaks the Kendo Stick in two and continues working on Ambrose. Amrbsoe gives a thumbs up to Paul Heyman, then receives some more suplexes. Ambrose tries to mount a comeback, but Lesnar gives him a German suplex that gets some serious air. Lesnar stands over Ambrose taunting him, and Ambrose drops him with a low bow then beats him down with a Kendo Stick. Ambrose grabs a chainsaw from under the ring but it wont start. Lesnar gives him a belly to belly suplex onto the floor at ringside, which JBL informs us is the 10th suplex of the match. Ambrose blasts Lesnar with a fire extinguisher then smashes him with a steel chair. He dropkicks the chair into Lesnar’s face in the corner. He comes off the top with the steel chair and smashes it on Lesnar on the mat. Ambrose throws a bunch of chairs in the ring into a pile, but when he’s back in the ring he gets caught with a German Suplex from Lesnar. Ambrose reverses an F-5 into the Dirty Deeds for a 2-count. Ambrose goes to hit Lesnar with a barbed wire bat, but Lesnar gives him a German suplex into the pile of chairs. Lesnar then hits the F-5 on Ambrose into the pile of chairs for the 3-count.

– Ric Flair is in the back giving a pop talk to Zack Ryder. Dolph Ziggler joins Flair in trying to teach Ryder to properly “Whoo.” Ryder eats the Snickers and transforms into Charlotte.

– They show a recap video of last night’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, and the inductees come out to the stage. Snoop Dogg is wearing a blue robe.

Charlotte def. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks: Snoop performs for Sasha’s entrance. All three women go back and forth with takedowns and pins in the opening moments. Charlotte hits a Rude Awakening on Becky off the top rope for a 2 count. Becky comes back and gets Charlotte in an arm bar, but Sasha breaks it up. Becky throws Sasha to the outside, then Charlotte drops Becky and puts her in the Figure Four. Sasha comes out of nowhere with a Frog Splash on Charlotte for a 2 count. Becky hits a big German suplex on Sasha that sends her to the outside. Becky hits a Rock Bottom on Charlotte for a 2 count. Sasha somersaults through the middle ropes onto Charlotte on the outside. Ric Flair gets in Sasha’s face: Woooo! Becky comes out of nowhere with a suicide dive on Flair through the ropes onto The Nature Boy.

Charlotte hits a moonsault off the top rope onto Becky and Sasha all the way down on the ringside floor. Charlotte hits a double Natural Selection on both women for a 2 count on each of them. Becky comes back and gets Charlotte in another arm bar. Sasha breaks it up with a backbreaker into the Banks Statement. Charlotte breaks that up with a Figure Four on Sasha. Becky pulls it apart and all three women exchange right hands. Becky hits a fisherman suplex on Charlotte off the top. Sasha gets Becky in the Banks Statement again, but Charlotte throws Sasha to the outside and gets Becky in the Figure Four. Flair holds Sasha back from rolling in the ring to break it up, and Becky taps out.

The Undertaker def. Shane McMahon: The Hell in the Cell lowers and Shane McMahon comes out with his three sons. They come down to ringside with him and he seats them in the front row before entering the cage. They trade punches in the opening moments but Taker gets the better of him and beats him down both inside and outside the ring, throwing him into the cage multiple times. Undertaker throws the ring steps into the ring. Taker lays Shane McMahon’s head over the side of the ring apron and gives him a big leg drop. Taker gives him a Last Ride in the ring, but Shane gets his shoulder up at 2. Undertaker goes to grab Shane but Shane locks him in a triangle choke. Taker gets out and chokeslams Shane onto the ring steps. He pins Shane ontop of the steps for another 2 count. Undertaker goes to elbow drop Shane ontop of the steps, but Shane rolls away and Taker is hurt. Shane sits on the ring steps in the ring and taunts Taker to come get some. Taker walks towards him, then Shane jumps up and DDTs Undertaker into the ring steps. Both men are down, then Undertaker gets Shane in the Hell’s Gate, but he gets out and puts Taker in a sharpshooter. Taker gets out and Shane beats him down in the corner. He goes outside and grabs a trash can and sets it up in front of Taker in the corner. Shane goes up top on the opposite turnbuckle and goes flying with a dropkick driving the trash can into Taker. Shane gets bolt cutters from under the ring and cuts some parts of the cage. Undertaker picks him up and gives him a spinebuster through the side of the cage, breaking out of it onto the floor at ringside. Taker beats Shane all over ringside then goes to Tombstone him through an announce table. Shane gets out and puts Taker in a sleeper hold, so Undertaker jumps through the table back-first ontop of Shane. Shane hits Undertaker in the head with a toolbox and the tools go flying. He puts Taker on the table and bashes him in the head with a TV monitor. Shane climbs all the way to the top of the cage and stands at the ledge. Shane jumps down for an elbow drop but Undertaker rolls out of the way and Shane crashes through the table to the floor. After a couple minutes, Shane gets up and asks Undertaker for more. Taker brings him back to the ring and gives him a Tombstone for the 1-2-3.

The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: All the competitors walk out to the ring together except Mark Henry, Kane & The Big Show, who get their own entrances. It’s me, it’s me, it’s D.D.P.! Diamond Dallas Page is a surprise entrant. Just when you think the match is about to start, it’s Shaq! Shaquille O’Neal comes out and enters the match. Tatanka is in the match too. Shaq and Big Show double chokeslam Kane, then all the other wrestlers gang up on them. Shaq and Big Show clear the ring. They grab each other by the throats until the other wrestlers get back in the ring and successfully eliminate both Shaq and Big Show by ganging up on them. The story of the match is The Social Outcasts teaming up to eliminate the other competitors. Kane, Corbin and Mark Henry eliminate all of the Outcasts. Kane and Darren Young team up to eliminate Mark Henry, but then gets eliminated by Kane. Baron Corbin comes out of nowhere and flips Kane over the top rope to win the match.

– A video airs promoting WrestleMania 33 next year in Orlando, Florida.

– The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders come out to dance to Thunderstruck by AC/DC.

– Finally… The Rock has come back to Dallas! The Rock comes out with a flamethrower and sets a giant sign of his name on fire. The Rock cuts a promo about 100,000 people being in the arena for WrestleMania 32. He reveals that they’ve officially broken the WrestleMania attendance record with 101,763. The Wyatt Family comes out and interrupts The Rock. They come down to ringside and Bray cuts a promo on Rock. Bray says The Rock represents a lie. The Rock mocks Bray and tells him he looks like he’s been hitting the bong for 8 days straight. He says clearly their parents are related and that Strowman looks like he was breastfed until he was 26. The Rock says he wants a match right now at WrestleMania. He tears his pants off and reveals he has his ring gear on. He puts his elbow pad on and will now face Rowan.

The Rock def. Eric Rowan: As soon as the bell rings, The Rock hits Rowan with a Rock Bottom for the win. He won in 6 seconds. After the match, the three Wyatt Family members surround The Rock. John Cena’s music hits and he hits the ring! They clear the ring and The Rock hits a Rock Bottom on Strowman. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment and the 5 Knuckle Shuffle on Rowan. Bray goes for the Sister Abigail on Cena, but Rock breaks it up and hits the People’s Elbow. The Rock grabs a mic and welcomes back Cena, if ya smell what The Rock is cookin’.

Roman Reigns def. Triple H: Stephanie is on a platform and cuts a promo on a headset mic and a strange leather outfit about The Authority owning all the fans. Triple H comes down with a bunch of masked people in coats holding World Heavyweight Title belts. They go back and forth until Triple H throws him out of the ring then holds the ring ropes open to taunt him. There’s a “Roman sucks” chant. They stare each other down and Triple H slaps Reigns and they start brawling. Triple H gets the better of Reigns and keeps him grounded. Reigns comes back off the ropes with a flying clothesline. Reigns lays HHH’s head over the apron and dropkicks it. Steph distracts the ref and Triple H kicks Reigns in the groin, then hits two inverted atomic drops for a 2 count. The Game hits a spinebuster for another 2 count. HHH throws Reigns to the outside and throws Reigns onto an announce table, then gives Reigns a swinging neckbreaker off of the table. HHH lays Reigns over the second rope and hits a knee drop to the back of his head. Reigns comes back with a big boot and a clothesline in the corner, then a Samoan drop for a 2 count. On the outside, Reigns does a flying clothesline off the ring steps. Triple H throws Reigns over an announce table, but Reigns comes back and spears Triple H right through a fan barricade. Reigns goes for a Superman punch but Triple H takes him down with an armbar. Reigns gets out and powerbombs HHH for a 2 count before Triple H puts him in another armbar, which Reigns also powerbombs out of. Reigns goes for a spear but runs into a knee. Triple H goes for a pedigree but Reigns back body drops him out of the ring to the floor. Stephanie gets in and distracts the ref. Reigns sets up for a spear and Triple H tries to position the ref for Reigns to hit, but Reigns spears Stephanie instead. Reigns gets up and walks into a Pedigree from Triple H for a 2 count. Reigns comes back with a Superman punch, he goes for a spear but Triple H puts up his knee to block it. Stephanie hands Triple H the sledgehammer but Reigns hits him with two Superman punches and a spear for the 3 count. Reigns celebrates in the ring to close out the show.

WWE Holds Pre-WrestleMania Backstage Meeting With Their Roster

WWE officials reportedly held a big pre-WrestleMania meeting with their roster in Dallas this weekend. PWInsider.com reports that one of the big subjects at the meeting was the WrestleMania 32 Kickoff pre-show.

Company management reportedly wanted to make it clear to talent that just because their match is on the pre-show, that doesn’t mean they aren’t part of WrestleMania. Management says they view WrestleMania and the Kickoff show as one big event, rather than just another pay-per-view with a pre-show.

WrestleMania 32 goes down on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016 and we’ll have live play-by-play coverage all night here on SEScoops.com

WrestleMania Weekend Notebook: Secret Rehearsal, WWE Talent Meeting, & More

A few photos and videos have gone up on social media of the WrestleMania 32 set being constructed, including this Instagram video that went up at midnight ET Friday night/Saturday morning:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDrv3s9ys9Z/

Note that the ring area is completely curtained off, which is always a sign of something secretive going on. For example, they broke out the curtains when Daniel Bryan rehearsed his return at SummerSlam 2010 less than 90 days after being fired. Given the report of a “major stunt” being rehearsed for WrestleMania, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if that’s what they’re hiding. Of course, there could be a number of things, especially since the legends we know will be there (The Rock, Mick Foley, Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels) haven’t been advertised as doing anything. There’s also a nice photo of the stadium setup that was tweeted a couple hours ago (without the ring being curtained off) that I can’t get to embed for some reason.

PWInsider reported behind their paywall (h/t WrestlingInc.com) that WWE held a talent meeting in Dallas before WrestleMania week festivities kicked off. The topic was apparently the pre-show, with it being stressed that anyone who’s working the pre-show instead of the main card shouldn’t feel that they’re “let out” or  not a part of WrestleMania. Instead, they consider everything from the first match part of the event since it’s an entity unto itself that’s not like a normal pay-per-view. Mauro Ranallo will be calling the two pre-show hours, with the first hour being a WWE Network exclusive and the second hour being everywhere, with USA Network and YouTube being the most notable platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPxEHXWVlMk

I’ve been told that security at WWE’s talent hotel as tighter than ever, with security even asking those staying in the hotel to come down to approve guests instead of just adding them to the list. In previous years, some fans or people not even there for WrestleMania would be coincidentally booked in the hotel, but this year, it looks like it’s all WWE personnel, friends, and family. Part of that may be that it’s a smaller hotel than last year, albeit part of the same chain. There are apparently no surprises on the security list, but WWE could very well be keeping any big surprises nearby but out of town like in Fort Worth.  Daniel Bryan, however, is on the list (well, Bryan Danielson is), but it’s possible that wasn’t changed when he was pulled from all of his dates. Being that he’s married to Brie Bella, she’s on the show, and obviously they would have been sharing a room originally, it’s not like there’s any reason to have changed it on the hotel/security side.

Stay right here at SEScoops for all of your WrestleMania weekend news, including love coverage of the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and WrestleMania 32 proper.

 

Our Best Look Yet At The WrestleMania 32 Stage

Construction has been completed on the WrestleMania 32 stage setup inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The size of in the ring (and even the massive Hell in a Cell structure) in comparison to the rest of the stadium puts into perspective what a massive spectacle we’re going to see on Sunday night.

mania-set

John Cena Gives His Take On Why Reigns Isn’t Connecting With Fans

In an interview with Complex.com, John Cena confirmed recent speculation that he has already cleared to start wrestling again.

Another newsworthy topic discussed is why Roma Reigns isn’t connecting with fans the way WWE brass have been hoping for. Cena says he studies the landscape differently then a lot of his competitors. “To say Roman Reigns isn’t connecting with an audience means you’re not listening,” Cena said. “I’ve watched a lot of Roman Reigns and every single time I see him, I hear noise. He connects very well with our audience.”

The interviewer asked Cena about adding new offensive moves to his arsenal in recent years, but Cena took the conversation back to Reigns – who he says, “is on the cusp of getting that heart truly beating.”

People know he is very gifted. His in-ring ability is not in question. I don’t care what any critic says. They are just being stupid. He can go. He is an athlete. I don’t really know who he is. Like I said, John Cena is easy: goody-two shoes Superman. Easy. A four-year old kid can tell you that. I don’t necessarily know the heartbeat of Roman Reigns. As soon as that first heartbeat happens, it’s going to challenge me. I’m looking forward to it.”

It has been speculated that Cena will have some sort of involvement at mania, even Cena himself has twitted cryptic tweets about WWE’s biggest event of the year. While its unknown what Cena has in store for the Wrestlemania, Roman is set to square off against HHH this Sunday Live at Wrestlemania 32.

WWE Preparing “Major Stunt” For WrestleMania 32 At Rehearsals

Yesterday in the WrestlingObserver.com Daily Update,there was an interesting (albeit not necessarily surprising item (I believe from Dave Meltzer) about what’s going on as part of WrestleMania 32 rehearsals at AT&T Stadium: “There was a major stunt being worked on and practiced yesterday afternoon.” Being that the hype for The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon has revolved heavily around Shane saying he will use his body as a weapon as well as clips of his past crazy stunts from the Attitude Era, it’s reasonable to think that if there’s a big stunt, it will be in that much. Perhaps even more so because the same update item says that the Hell in a Cell match in question is set to go on last as of the time it was written.

Besides his trademark flying elbow drop through the announcers’ table, Shane McMahon also did some incredibly elaborate stunts when he was at his most active. Most famously, at SummerSlam 2000, he took a bump off the truss near the top of the TitanTron onto a crash pad.

Shinsuke Nakamura’s Name Change For WWE/NXT

It looks like Shinsuke Nakamura will just be known as Nakamura to the WWE/NXT universe. The King Of Strong Style is listed by his last name only in the Wrestlemania 32 program being sold at the WWE Superstore and considering Chad Gable, Jason Jordan and Apollo Crews are on the same page with their full names — it seems like the name drop will happen.

It’s interesting to note that Nakamura is listed with NXT talent in the program, leading many to think he will spend more time than most believed on NXT programming. There is not much known about Nakamura’s direction with NXT/WWE, but this could be a good indication. Or it simply could just be they have him in the NXT section because he is debuting with NXT.

Nakamura is set to debut at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in a match against Sami Zayn . It has been one of the most talked about and highly anticipated matches on both NXT and WWE’s weekend events. The event is live on the WWE Network, Friday April 1.

Nakamura shinsuke wwe nxt takeover dallas wrestling name change

John Cena Reveals That He’s Been Medically Cleared To Return To WWE Action

As part of his WrestleMania media tour, John Cena did an interview with Thomas Golianopolous for Complex that went up today, and it’s pretty newsworthy: He’s been medically cleared to return to in-ring wrestling. Here’s the relevant exchange from the interview:

How close are you to returning to the ring?

If you ask me today, I should’ve been back two weeks ago. I’ve logged almost 400 hours of physical therapy. I got 111 visits in 12 weeks time. I go every single second I can. People say I have a Wolverine-like style of recovery. I was given a nine month quota to come back and after three months I can tell you that I am ready to do anything asked of me possible. It’s a matter of when they call me.

Are you medically cleared?

Yes.

Cena has been out with a shoulder injury since the start of the year, It feels like longer because he had just returned that week from shooting “American Grit” for Fox. Obviously, he doesn’t have a match this Sunday at WrestleMania 32, but now we know that he could get involved in one of the top matches. Make sure to read the whole Complex interview with Cena, as it covers a number of topics in depth, including if he’s been a heel all along.

Report: Which Match Will Be The Main Event At WrestleMania 32

There has been a lot of speculation on the internet on what the final main event of the evening will be at WrestleMania 32 on Sunday. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter now reports that as of Thursday night, the current plan is for the Hell In A Cell match between Shane McMahon & The Undertaker will close out the show. Take it for what it’s worth, as during WrestleMania week there are usually even more last-minute script changes than usual.

Triple H will be defending his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns in the second-to-last match of the evening on April 3rd at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Stay tuned to this site as we’ll have backstage news leading up to & following the event, and live play-by-play results on Sunday evening.

  • New Details On Backstage Drama Between Vince McMahon, Shane & Triple H