A number of matches which were rumored to take place at WrestleMania 34 ended up being nixed because the injury bug struck again and several stars were put on the shelf.
During a recent interview with The Wrestling Estate, Jon Robinson, the writer of the book Creating The Mania: An Inside Look at how WrestleMania Comes to Life, revealed a couple of matches which were planned for the show but couldn’t take place.
According to him, both Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose and Kurt Angle vs. Jason Jordan were planned but these bouts were affected by Jordan and Ambrose’s injury:
“There were a lot of matches in play that could have completely changed the card, and then you hear about injuries affecting things like Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose. They were also trying to do Kurt Angle vs. Jason Jordan, but then Jordan got injured.”
After Ambrose’s injury halted these plans, Rollins ended up competing in a triple threat match against the Miz and Finn Balor where he won the Intercontinental Championship then held by The A-Lister.
Angle, on the other hand, ended up competing in a mixed tag match where he teamed up with Ronda Rousey to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. This was Ronda’s debut in pro wrestling.
Wrestlemania weekend may be the better part of eight months away at this point in time, but that hasn’t stopped speculation amongst fans over the kind of unsigned talent that could potentially show up over that April weekend when WWE descends upon New Jersey.
With Ring Of Honor holding their G1 SuperCard show on April 6th at the legendary Madison Square Garden, that places the company in direct opposition to WWE’s NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center.
This move from ROH has already been paying dividends as the eyes of the wrestling world have turned towards it, leading to the show selling out, with fans anticipating the mix of ROH/NJPW action.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) August 8, 2018
There are a few wrestlers, however, that may not be present to take part in ROH’s historic event at the Garden.
Aggressive Negotiations
Contracts for The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and the Best Bout Machine; Kenny Omega, all expire months before the G1 SuperCard show takes place, and speculation is rife with whispers and rumours revolving around a potential jump to WWE, with the behemoth wrestling company in a position to offer them deals that other companies like ROH and NJPW may not be able to match.
General Manager for Ring Of Honor, Greg Gilleland, had this to say on ROH’s plans to keep the Bullet Club members within the ranks of ROH:
“They’re our top guys, right? Of course, we’re going to do everything that we can to keep them. And we have fair offers and fair plans to retain them.” He goes on to say, “We always operate with solid backup plans. And we have to always think about what if this, and what if that. If they go to the WWE, and they very much deserve that opportunity, we’ll continue to offer the best wrestling that we can. There’s other talent out there.”
Greg is candid over ROH having lost top talent in the past, referencing Kevin Owens, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk as all top tier ROH stars that have jumped from ROH to the WWE, and is fully confident in ROH’s ability to thrive despite this.
“They all went to the WWE, and the brand has continued to grow and prosper. […] We pride ourselves on the ROH experience, and it goes back to the question of losing top guys. Do I wanna lose the Young Bucks and Cody? No. Of course not. Why would I wanna lose them?”
He ends his discussion on the Bullet Club members, declaring, “Am I gonna make an aggressive attempt to retain them and sign longer-term agreements? Of course, we are. But, at the end of the day, the ROH brand is about the ROH experience, and that’s how we continue to grow.”
Ronda Rousey impressed a lot of people during her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 this past April.
The Rowdy One teamed up with WWE Hall Of Famer and Monday Night RAW General Manager Kurt Angle in a Mixed Tag Team match against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Rousey surpassed a lot of fans’ expectations and actually put on one of the more entertaining matches of the night.
In the end, Rousey and Angle emerged victorious. It turns out that Rousey was very ill in the days leading up to her in-ring debut in New Orleans. Triple H recently did an interview with GiveMeSport and revealed Rousey had food poisoning while preparing for the match.
The Game credited Rousey for her determination after she refused to stop training despite how terrible she was feeling. Triple H himself had to stop the training session in order to let Rousey get some rest before the match.
Former WWE and Intercontinental Champion The Miz recently sat down with the UK’s ‘Sporf’ online channel and he recorded a motivational speech for football team Liverpool ahead of their Champions League final against Real Madrid tonight.
Wrestlingnewsco have reported that “at least 1 TV network is interested in bidding for WrestleMania rights” in the United States. This coincides with the news that WWE have recently signed a massive $1 Billion dollar deal with FOX to take the programme there in 2019.
The idea of taking WrestleMania to free television could potentially give the show a ‘Superbowl’ like feel, the biggest game in the NFL calendar makes more than $1 Billion in TV rights and even just a fraction of that potential sum would be leaps and bounds ahead of what WWE would generate via Network subscriptions and PPV providers. The interested party have not yet been revealed and it appears as though this scenario is nowhere near coming to fruition anytime soon.
Could you see WrestleMania heading to television? Let us know in the comments.
WWE COO Triple H recently did an interview with Sky Sports to talk about several professional wrestling topics. One such topic of discussion was the possibility of WWE hosting a WrestleMania in the United Kingdom. The U.K. has been clamoring for a WWE pay-per-view (PPV) for quite some time now, and a WrestleMania in their homeland would be absolutely massive.
The Game said “never say never” when it comes to the possibility of the WWE taking WrestleMania overseas:
“If you’re going to set an ambition, set it high. As we always say, never say never. WrestleMania is a week-long series of events and the logistics of executing that week along with the week leading into it and the week after it are extraordinarily difficult in our own back yard. Doing them internationally with international crews and international support systems and everything else is a factor of difficulty way beyond what we have in the US.
“Can we get there? Sure, maybe over time. We would take steps in that direction and those steps are probably other pay-per-views. From my point of view I’d like to bring other meaningful events through WWE, whether that’s NXT or the United Kingdom championships, taking international brands and putting them on in those markets.
“As the world becomes smaller and more technologically advanced, it becomes easier to do these things live from different places. From my end, that’s what I’m working towards.”
You can read Triple H’s full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.
Public officials from Orange County, Florida are looking to bring WrestleMania to Orlando for a third time.
ClickOrlando.com reports that the a vote is scheduled for Tuesday that would earmark $1 million in spending to bring WrestleMania back to Orlando in 2023 or 2025. There will also be a vote to spend another $2 million to host the Special Olympic Games in 2022.
Last year’s WrestleMania 33 from Orlando brought approximately $150 million to the local economy. WWE has a strong relationship with the city of Orlando, which plays home to the company’s world-class talent development Performance Center.
Orlando is not the only city hoping to secure WrestleMania in 2023 and 2025. Less than a week ago, Tampa Bay Sports Commission Executive Director Rob Higgins announced his city would be submitting a bid to bring WrestleMania to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium in 2023, ’24 or ’25.
Cities competing for the right the host WrestleMania is nothing new, but it’s interesting to see negotiations are underway for an event that’s won’t be taking place for another 7 years.
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey will host next year’s WrestleMania 35 event on Sunday, April 7th, 2019. With that event locked in, sports commissions across the United States are already working to secure future WrestleMania events for their respective cities.
On Thursday night, Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins announced the city will be submitting a bid on Friday to host Wrestlemania at Raymond James Stadium in 2023, ’24 or ’25. Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buccaneers, can accommodate approximately 65,000 fans.
“I think it’s something we’ve been taking a hard look at for quite some time,” Higgins said Thursday evening at the Sneaker Soiree, an annual celebration of bay area sports.
“Naturally, we think with the rich tradition of professional wrestling in our community, with so many (WWE stars) who live here, with how much passion there is for professional wrestling, that it makes a lot of sense to try to host the premier event in Wrestlemania.”
Florida has already played host to WrestleMania on 3 occasions:
WrestleMania XXIV, March 30, 2008, Orlando
WrestleMania XXVIII, April 1, 2012, Miami
WrestleMania 33, April 2, 2017 Orlando
The article at the Tampa Bay Times also notes the city would like to host the Royal Rumble in 2022 or 2023, but does not specify if this would be a stadium show.
WrestleMania 34 has concluded this past weekend and WWE fans can expect the DVD to be hitting shelves fairly soon. A report from WrestlingDVDNetwork reveals that the DVD will not be including this year’s WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony.
The Hall Of Fame event ran nearly four and a half hours this year. In its place, the DVD will include the episode of Monday Night RAW the night after WrestleMania 34. The Hall Of Fame ceremony has been included in all WrestleMania DVDs since 2005.
It should also be noted that all matches from the pre-show will be included in the DVD, as opposed to last year.
Vince McMahon Thanks New Orleans & The WWE Universe
Days after the conclusion of WrestleMania week in New Orleans, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon took to Twitter to thank the city and the WWE Universe for experiencing WrestleMania 34 this past Sunday night:
SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair had one of the best WrestleMania entrances of the night in New Orleans for her title defense against Asuka. Charlotte made her way to the ring accompanied by three men dressed as gladiators – a bit of a callback to when Flair served as one of the masked women involved in Triple H’s WrestleMania 30 entrance alongside Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks.
It turns out the three men dressed as gladiators for Charlotte’s entrance were NXT stars Tino Sabatelli, Riddick Moss and Dan Matha:
As for Flair’s match, she became the first woman to ever defeat Asuka in WWE history. Flair ended Asuka’s undefeated streak of 914 days with a Figure-Eight that nobody was expecting would force The Empress Of Tomorrow to submit. Despite Asuka being favored to walk out of New Orleans with the gold, Flair pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the night in an incredible match.
– Daniel Bryan is back where he belongs – inside a WWE ring. After years of battling concussions, seizures, and a blockade from WWE’s medical staff – Bryan finally returned to in-ring competition at last night’s WrestleMania in New Orleans.
Bryan was cleared to return to the ring several weeks ago after passing tests from numerous doctors referred to him by WWE’s Medical Director Joseph Maroon. He then entered into a feud with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who attacked Bryan on SmackDown Live after firing the pair.
The former WWE World Heavyweight champion fired Owens and Zayn for their assault on SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon the previous week. Bryan then announced he would team with Shane O’Mac against Owens and Zayn at WrestleMania in a Tag Team match. Had Owens and Zayn won, they would’ve been reinstated on SmackDown.
Bryan and McMahon were attacked from behind early on in the bout, with Bryan being put on a stretcher after getting hit with a powerbomb on the ring apron. He later made his triumphant return into the match to bring his team back, and hooked the YES! Lock on Sami Zayn, who was forced to tap out.
WWE released the following video of Bryan reflecting on his WrestleMania return, and also his daughter getting to see him wrestle. Check it out here:
– New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Kenny Omega was asked on Twitter what he was doing during the biggest professional wrestling show in the world. It turns out The Cleaner was too busy playing video games instead of watching the New Orleans show:
– Speaking of WrestleMania, The Miz dropped his Intercontinental Title to Seth Rollins in a Triple Threat match that featured Finn Balor in the opening bout of the main card. Just prior to this, however, The Miz got to meet the stars of “Impractical Jokers” Sal Vulcano and Brian Quinn.
Vulcano and Quinn said that Miz would cheat in his match, which upset Miz (who just so happened to be walking by) a bit. Check it out here:
The advocate for the reigning, defending Universal Champion Brock Lesnar has just sent out a cryptic tweet concerning ‘The Beast Incarnate’s’ title match with Roman Reigns at tonight’s Wrestlemania show.
Paul Heyman posted an image with the ‘Tale of The Tape’ for tonight’s match and he made some interesting points, he stated that “Roman Reigns has been the main event on FOUR consecutive WrestleManias. Not even Brock Lesnar can say that. Roman has earned that position every single day, and deserves mad props for that. Please be advised, though. I’m leaving Wrestlemania 34 with the Universal Champion.”
Whilst Heyman could be referring to his client Lesnar there is certainly a cryptic element to his words. Heyman is an extremely savvy promoter and business man and could easily be stoking the fires for a potential ‘turn’ on his client and be aligning with the ‘Big Dog’ at Wrestlemania…or he could of course be leading fans down the wrong path deliberately.
Let us know if you think Heyman could be leaving Wrestlemania with Reigns in the comments.
Once again we have made it to the Grandest Stage of Them All…Wrestlemania! Fans from across the globe tune in via PPV or the WWE Network to check out the biggest spectacle in Sports Entertainment and we felt it would be a good idea to list the start times for anyone that isn’t based in the United States and wants to catch the action right from the Kickoff show:
WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz is set to defend his title in a Triple Threat match against Finn Balor and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 34 this weekend. The Miz has experienced many snubs in the WWE promotional department in the past, but to be left off an advertisement for The Grandest Stage Of Them All as a title-holder – it’s the ultimate disrespect.
Before Miz made his scheduled appearance at the Cricket Wireless store in New Orleans, he took to Instagram to comment on being left off the ad. Check it out:
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has confirmed that he will be performing in New Orleans this weekend as part of the massive independent shows surrounding WrestleMania.
The UK sensation took part in a hellacious bout with longtime rival Marty Scurll last weekend as part of New Japan’s Sakura Genesis event which saw him land awkwardly on his head following a One Man Spanish Fly from the ring apron to the floor. The match garnered a 5 Star review from journalist Dave Meltzer.
You can catch the ‘Aerial Assassin’ at the following events this weekend:
April 5th: Evolve & WrestleCon
April 6th: PROGRESS, RPW & WWN
April 7th: PROGRESS & CZW
Any fans attending any of the shows I’m on a have so much merch including the “Ospreay vs Louisiana” shirt.
Come over say hello and help me pay the fines ?
— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) April 4, 2018
WWE WrestleMania 34 will air live this Sunday from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Kickoff Show will feature the Cruiserweight Championship match, the women’s Battle Royal and the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. WWE will broadcast the Kickoff Show at 5 PM ET and the main show will begin at 7 PM.
Below is breakdown of the storylines and feuds that will be featured at WrestleMania 34. Join us on SEScoops Sunday night for live coverage of the event.
Who Will Win The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal has had some memorable moments at WrestleMania. New England Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski interfered in last year’s Battle Royal to help Mojo Rawley eliminate Jinder Mahal to win the match. The moment most people remember from previous Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royals happened at the very first one at WrestleMania 30. Cesaro showed off his incredible strength and lifted Big Show over the top rope for the victory.
Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Mojo Rawley, Dash Wilder, Scott Dawson, Goldust, Heath Slater, Rhyno, “Woken” Matt Hardy, Zack Ryder and Primo Colon have all been confirmed for the Battle Royal. WWE usually has some surprises up their sleeve and there will surely be an entrant or two that you weren’t expecting.
Baron Corbin and Mojo Rawley have already won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and are looking to do so for a second time. The winner may wind up being a Superstar flying completely under the radar and will surprise everyone with their own WrestleMania moment this Sunday.
Two Friends Will Battle For The Vacant Cruiserweight Championship
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali will battle for the vacant Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania 34. Alexander and Ali are friends, but both went all out in their match against each other on the January 23rd edition of 205 Live.
Newly appointed 205 Live GM Drake Maverick announced a week later that there will be a tournament to crown a new Cruiserweight Champion at WrestleMania 34.
Alexander defeated Gran Metalik, TJP and Roderick Strong to earn his way to this match. Ali defeated Jack Gallagher, Buddy Murphy and Drew Gulak. The finals will go down this Sunday, and Ali will look to avenge his loss to Alexander and capture the Cruiserweight Championship. Alexander will once again try to prove that he is the better Superstar at the biggest show of the year.
Bayley & Sasha Banks Will Meet In The Women’s Battle Royal
Sasha Banks and Bayley were best friends up until the first-ever women’s Elimination Chamber match. Bayley was climbing up one of the pods and Sasha Banks booted her to the steel floor surrounding the ring. The camera caught Sasha Banks with a grin on her face as she betrayed her best friend and it was an image that Bayley couldn’t get out of her head. Bayley refused Banks’ attempt to tag her during a match on the March 12th edition of RAW, which led to Sasha confronting Bayley the following week.
Things got worse on the March 26th episode of RAW between Banks and Bayley. Banks stated that she was sick of Bayley’s passive-aggressive nonsense. Bayley said that she thought Banks liked that she was passive and always put her first. Sasha had zero interest in apologizing for doing whatever it takes to get ahead and added that Bayley should do the same so that everyone doesn’t think she is a loser. A brawl eventually broke out between the two Superstars backstage.
On this past Monday’s episode of RAW, Bayley defeated Sonya Deville as Mandy Rose and Paige were ringside. After the match, Mandy Rose and Deville attacked Bayley from behind. Sasha Banks came down to the ring for the save and then demanded that Bayley raise her hand for helping her. Banks and Bayley started fighting again and Absolution capitalized. Rose and Deville beatdown Bayley and Banks as Paige cheered them on.
Bayley and Sasha Banks will both compete in the women’s Battle Royal this Sunday at WrestleMania 34. Natalya, Lana, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan, Becky Lynch, Naomi, Mickie James, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville and Carmella have also been confirmed for the women’s Battle Royal.
Who Is Braun Strowman’s Tag Team Partner?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Sheamus and Cesaro have dominated the RAW tag team division as of late. They got a bit full of themselves and proclaimed that they had no competition on RAW anymore because they had run through everyone. On the March 12th edition of WWE RAW, Sheamus & Cesaro were set to battle The Miztourage. The RAW tag division decided to come down to the ring before the match and beat the hell out of Sheamus and Cesaro.
RAW GM Kurt Angle announced that there would be a Tag Team Battle Royal to determine who will face The Bar next. Braun Strowman wound up coming down to the ring and eliminated everyone else with ease. The problem with Braun winning was that Strowman didn’t have a tag partner and wanted to face The Bar by himself.
Strowman battled Cesaro on the March 19th episode of RAW and then faced Sheamus the following week. On this past Monday’s episode of RAW, The Bar came down to the ring and called out Strowman. Braun offered them a deal, he would go get his tag partner if either of them agreed to face him in a match. The Bar accepted the offer and Braun Strowman went backstage. Strowman’s music hit again and he came down to the ring as “Brains Strowman”. Braun beat up Sheamus and Cesaro for a bit and then posed in the ring. Braun’s mystery tag partner will finally be revealed this Sunday at WrestleMania 34, when they battle Sheamus & Cesaro for the RAW Tag Team Championships.
Will April 8th Be Known As Rusev Day?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Bobby Roode and Jinder Mahal were in a rivalry over SmackDown’s Top 10 list. The list was supposed to reveal a weekly ranking of SmackDown Superstars as voted on by their peers. Mahal tried to get under Roode’s skin by poking fun at his ranking on the list and claimed that other Superstars didn’t respect him. Jinder then claimed to have stumbled upon Bobby Roode’s own top 10 list on the February 20th edition of SmackDown, in which he ranked himself first and didn’t have Orton in the top 10.
During this time, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan were still not on the same page. Shane McMahon announced later during the same show that Bobby Roode will defend his United States Championship against Randy Orton at WWE Fastlane. Daniel Bryan thought that Jinder Mahal also deserved an opportunity at the title, but Shane McMahon shot that idea down.
WWE Fastlane 2018 aired on March 11th. Randy Orton picked up the victory over Bobby Roode to capture the United States Championship for the first time in his career. Orton also became a Grand Slam Champion by winning the US Title.
Bobby Roode battled Jinder Mahal two nights later on the March 13th edition of WWE SmackDown. Jinder Mahal picked up the victory over Roode, making his case even stronger that he deserves a shot at the United States Championship. Bobby Roode still had his rematch clause, thus it was announced that Orton would defend his United States Championship against Jinder Mahal and Bobby Roode in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 34.
On the March 27th episode of WWE SmackDown, Jinder Mahal teamed up with Rusev to battle Randy Orton and Bobby Roode in a tag match. Rusev wound up pinning the United States Champion to earn the victory. Following the match, Jinder Mahal thanked Rusev backstage and stated that he could bring a guest to attend his Punjabi celebration after he wins the United States Championship at WrestleMania 34. Rusev wasn’t too fond of that idea and said that he was going to speak to SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan. Rusev felt that since he just pinned the United States Champion, he deserved to be added to the United States Championship match at WrestleMania 34.
It was announced later during the night that Rusev’s wish was granted and the US Title match at WrestleMania 34 was now a Fatal 4-Way. On this past Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown, Rusev defeated Mahal by connecting with a Machka Kick as Bobby Roode was on commentary for the match. US Champion Randy Orton rushed the ring after the match and planted Rusev with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton followed it up with an RKO to Aiden English as Bobby Roode got in the ring. In a sign of respect, Roode handed Orton his United States Championship and walked away.
Nia Jax Will Attempt To Squash Alexa Bliss Like A Bug
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Once upon a time, Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax were best friends. Bliss preyed on Nia’s insecurities about herself and manipulated her. Nia Jax lost to Asuka on the March 5th edition of WWE RAW. Jax was upset with herself and Bliss took this opportunity to insult Nia under the guise of a motivational speech.
Things got much worse on the March 12th episode of RAW. Nia Jax demolished a jobber as Mickie James and Alexa Bliss were shown backstage getting ready for a backstage interview. Bliss and Mickie were unaware that the cameras were rolling and proceeded to poke fun at Nia’s weight. Bliss stated that Nia was pathetic and admitted to manipulating Nia. Jax heard every single word from inside the ring and stormed backstage to take out her anger on Bliss and James. Mickie and Alexa were informed that the cameras were rolling and the two escaped just before Jax arrived. Nia tore apart the locker room out of frustration.
The following week, RAW GM Kurt Angle informed Alexa Bliss that she will be defending her RAW Women’s Championship against Nia Jax at WrestleMania 34.
On the March 26th episode of RAW, Nia Jax battled Mickie James while RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss was ringside. Jax picked up the victory, but was attacked from behind by Bliss. Alexa’s attempt at an attack didn’t phase Nia at all and Alexa scampered up the entrance ramp. Nia turned her attention back to Mickie James and planted her with a Samoan Drop.
On this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, Nia Jax sat down with Renee Young for an exclusive interview. Nia admitted that Alexa’s words hurt her, but then vowed to squash Alexa Bliss like a bug at WrestleMania 34.
Later on the show, Asuka & Dana Brooke teamed up to face Alexa Bliss & Mickie James. Asuka maintained her undefeated streak by submitting Mickie James via the Asuka Lock. After the match, Bliss and James attacked Asuka and Dana Brooke. Nia Jax came down to the ring and tried to get a hold of Alexa Bliss. Alexa made it to the ring apron before Nia caught her by her hair. Mickie James attacked Nia from behind and once again Alexa Bliss escaped. Nia slammed Mickie to the mat with a Samoan Drop and then stared at Bliss while she was retreating up the entrance ramp.
Can Seth Rollins Or Finn Balor Finally Capture The IC Title From The Miz?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Back on the February 26th episode of WWE RAW, The Miz demanded to know his opponent for WrestleMania 34. The Miz boasted about being close to becoming the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all-time and took it as disrespectful that RAW GM Kurt Angle hadn’t notified him who will be challenging for the Intercontinental Championship. The Miz didn’t get the response he was looking for, as Kurt Angle placed him in a match against Seth Rollins. Angle noted that the match might sway his decision as to who The Miz will face at the biggest show of the year. After Rollins defeated The Miz, Finn Balor came down to the ring and defeated The Miz in a match as well.
The following week on RAW, The Miz hosted the The Mizzies and poked fun at both Balor and Rollins. Balor and Rollins then battled The Miz & The Miztourage in a Handicap match. Balor had The Miz set up for the Coup de Grace, but Rollins tagged himself in and delivered a Curb Stromp to The Miz for the victory. Immediately after the match, RAW GM Kurt Angle came out and announced that The Miz will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Rollins and Balor in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 34.
During an edition of Miz TV on the March 26th episode of RAW, The Miz attempted to trick Rollins and Balor by getting in an argument with The Miztourage. The plan worked for a moment, as Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas attacked Rollins and Balor from behind. Gallows and Anderson sprinted to the ring and battled The Miztourage all the way backstage. This left The Miz alone with Balor and Rollins in the ring. Balor planted The Miz with a Slingblade and the Intercontinental Champion rolled out of the ring. Finn then decked Rollins with a forearm to the face and posed with the IC Title in the ring.
On this past Monday’s episode of RAW, Finn Balor faced off against Seth Rollins as The Miz was on commentary for the match. The Miz displayed a new attitude and claimed that he was a changed man after the recent birth of his daughter. Rollins picked up the victory over Balor in an excellent match.
Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey Will Fight The Authority
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Ronda Rousey made her WWE debut following the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match. Rousey got into the ring with Charlotte, Asuka and Alexa Bliss and pointed at the WrestleMania sign hanging above the ring. Rousey then approached Stephanie McMahon at the announce table and shook her hand.
At WWE Elimination Chamber, things got heated as RAW GM Kurt Angle revealed that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon only signed Rousey so that they could manipulate her. Angle claimed that they referred to Rousey as a “has-been” and wanted to get revenge for Rousey embarrassing them at WrestleMania 31. Triple H and Stephanie tried to play it off that Angle was suffering from an illness and had no idea what he was talking about. Rousey didn’t buy it and wound up slamming Triple H through a table.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon tried to smooth things over the following night on RAW. Rousey demanded an apology from Stephanie McMahon and Stephanie obliged. Triple H then cracked Kurt Angle with a punch to the face out of nowhere and exited the ring with Stephanie McMahon.
Things escalated even further on the following week’s episode of RAW. Stephanie McMahon revealed her true colors and reminded Rousey that she was her boss. Rousey brought up the fact that she gets to choose her opponent for WrestleMania and chose RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon. Triple H and Stephanie claimed that Rousey didn’t have the power to make that match, but RAW GM Kurt Angle chimed in and stated that Triple H and Stephanie also have contracts as WWE Superstars. Angle wanted revenge on Triple H and the tag match was made official for WrestleMania 34.
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H got some revenge of their own on this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. Jonathan Coachman hosted a Q&A will the four competitors and things quickly fell off the rails. Coach asked everyone to take a “classy and respectful” photo before the match, but naturally a brawl broke out. Stephanie wound up slamming Ronda Rousey through a table just six days before WrestleMania 34.
Can The Usos Or New Day Stop The Bludgeon Brothers?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
The Usos defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against New Day at WWE Fastlane 2018. Their match was quickly interrupted by The Bludgeon Brothers. Harper and Rowan attacked both teams and then brought their mallets into the ring. Both The Usos and New Day were able to escape, but they would be nursing their injuries from the attack for weeks to come.
The Bludgeon Brothers attempted to systematically take out New Day and The Usos on episodes of SmackDown following WWE Fastlane. It was eventually announced that The Usos will defend their titles in a Triple Threat match against New Day and The Bludgeon Brothers at WrestleMania 34. The Usos have not been featured on the main card at WrestleMania up until this Sunday. They will somehow have to survive The Bludgeon Brothers and overcome the New Day once again at WrestleMania 34.
Will Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Ruin Daniel Bryan’s Return To The Ring?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens were already having their issues, but their rivalry reached a new level when Kevin Owens brutally attacked Vince McMahon on the September 12, 2017 episode of WWE SmackDown. Owens left Shane’s father bloodied and beaten down in the middle of the ring.
The following month, Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon were surrounded by steel at WWE Hell in a Cell 2017. Shane McMahon wanted to avenge his father and take Kevin Owens out for good. Shane set up Owens on the announce table and then scaled the 20 foot cage. Shane went for an Elbow Drop off the structure, but Owens’ longtime friend/enemy Sami Zayn dragged Kevin off the table.
Shane crashed through the announce table and Sami Zayn placed Owens’ hand over him to earn him the pinfall victory. Sami Zayn explained his actions the next night on SmackDown. Zayn was bitter about being passed by over and over again in WWE as Kevin Owens captured championships. He wanted to join Owens and take over SmackDown on Tuesday nights.
Shane McMahon simply could not get over what went down at Hell in a Cell and how he had been robbed of getting his revenge on Kevin Owens. Shane let his emotions get the better of him time and time again on SmackDown, he made it his mission to make Zayn and Owens’ life a living hell.
SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan called Shane McMahon out on his actions and then their relationship started to unravel. Shane thought Bryan was in Sami and Kevin’s corner because he was living vicariously through them. Bryan claimed that Shane McMahon was turning into his father, using his power in the company to dictate who receives opportunities on SmackDown.
AJ Styles defended his WWE Championship in a Six-Pack Challenge at WWE Fastlane against John Cena, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. At this point, even Owens and Zayn were not on the same page. Shane McMahon decided to sit ringside for the match and was inadvertently Superkicked by Kevin Owens. Shane once again let his emotions get the better of him and cost both Kevin Owens and Zayn the WWE Championship.
On the March 13th episode of SmackDown, Shane McMahon announced that Kevin Owens will face Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34. Shane admitted that he had crossed the line at Fastlane and said that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence as SmackDown Commissioner. Owens and Zayn showed up and brutally attacked Shane McMahon.
WWE announced that Daniel Bryan was medically cleared to return to the ring on March 20th. Bryan came down to the ring and gave a passionate speech about getting to do what he loved again. Daniel added that he will address Owens and Zayn tonight about their attack on Shane McMahon.
At the conclusion of the March 20th episode of SmackDown, Daniel Bryan asked Owens and Zayn to come down to the ring. Bryan admitted that Shane was right about living vicariously through them, but noted that he did not understand why the felt the need to attack Shane after he said he was leaving. Daniel was left with no choice but to fire both Owens and Zayn. Sami and Kevin shook Daniel’s hand and went to exit the ring. Owens changed his mind and attacked Bryan. Daniel fought them off for a moment, but the numbers game caught up to him and Owens Powerbombed Bryan on the ring apron.
The following week on SmackDown, Daniel Bryan issued a challenge to Owens and Zayn. He proposed a tag match, Owens and Zayn versus Bryan and Shane McMahon. If Owens and Zayn win, they will be rehired on WWE SmackDown. If they lose, they will be gone from SmackDown forever. On this past Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan settled their differences and hugged it out. Later on the show, Zayn and Owens invaded through the crowd and vowed to obliterate Bryan and Shane at WrestleMania 34.
Daniel and Shane came down to the entrance ramp and instructed everyone in the crowd to point their cellphones at Owens & Zayn because this is the last time they will be on SmackDown. Bryan and Shane then sang goodbye to Zayn and Owens as they marched up the arena steps.
Is Charlotte Ready For Asuka?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Asuka won the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match back in January. Asuka debuted as a RAW Superstar, so it was just assumed that she would face Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women’s Championship. That didn’t turn out to be the case, Asuka confronted Charlotte after she successfully defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ruby Riott at WWE Fastlane 2018.
Asuka appeared on SmackDown once again on the March 13th episode to confront Charlotte. She stated that she chose Charlotte because she wanted to beat the best at WrestleMania 34. Charlotte remained confident and claimed that she was ready for Asuka.
On this past Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown, Charlotte defeated Natalya via the Figure Eight. Carmella came down to the ring to cash in her MITB contract but Charlotte booted the briefcase away. Asuka once again confronted Charlotte and stated that The Queen will bow down to the Empress of Tomorrow. Charlotte stated that The Queen bows down to no one and once again said that she was ready for Asuka. After SmackDown, The Miz and Asuka defeated Bobby Roode and Charlotte to win the Mixed Match Challenge tournament. Asuka will enter WrestleMania 34 undefeated and will look to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Charlotte Flair.
Will The Undertaker Accept John Cena’s Challenge?
John Cena has spent the past few months desperately trying to earn a spot at WrestleMania 34. He has come up short every time and was down to his final option, challenge The Undertaker to a match.
John Cena continued to demand that The Undertaker answer his challenge on the March 19th episode of RAW. Instead of The Undertaker showing up, his brother Kane marched down to the ring and planted him with a Chokeslam.
Cena then battled Kane on the March 26th episode of RAW and defeated him. Following the match, Cena couldn’t believe that The Undertaker didn’t show up to answer the challenge. John called The Undertaker a coward for not showing up for the fans that have been chanting his name the whole time. Cena pleaded with The Undertaker to do something and warned him that he only had one week left to answer the challenge.
On this past Monday’s episode of RAW, Cena attempted to call out The Undertaker one final time. The Atlanta crowd chanted as loud as they could to try and summon The Undertaker but it did not work. Cena said that he will be attending WrestleMania 34 as a fan and once again insulted The Undertaker for turning his back on the fans. The Undertaker will most likely show up in New Orleans this Sunday and confront John Cena at WrestleMania 34.
AJ Styles Will Battle Shinsuke Nakamura In A Dream Match
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Shinsuke Nakamura won the men’s Royal Rumble match in January and immediately announced that he wants to face AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. AJ Styles successfully defended his WWE Championship in a Six-Pack Challenge at WWE Fastlane 2018 to ensure that the dream match will happen.
Shinsuke Nakamura has spent the past few weeks trying to play mind games with AJ Styles on SmackDown. Shinsuke Nakamura saved AJ Styles from an attack from Rusev and Aiden English on the March 13th episode of SmackDown. AJ Styles thanked Nakamura backstage, but Shinsuke stated that he was going to take his WWE Championship with a knee to the face at WrestleMania 34.
Nakamura continued his mind games in the following weeks and even faked that he was going to hit AJ with a Kinshasa. Nakamura pulled up short and patted Styles on the head. AJ Styles teamed up with Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of this week’s episode of SmackDown to face Gable and Benjamin.
AJ Styles hopped on the ring apron right next to Nakamura and delivered a Phenomenal Forearm to Chad Gable for the victory. After the match, Gable and Benjamin attacked Shinsuke Nakamura as AJ Styles was on the entrance ramp. Styles looked on for a moment before deciding to help Nakamura out. Styles then played mind games with Nakamura and made it seem like he was going to hit him with the Phenomenal Forearm. Instead, Styles pulled up short and patted Nakamura on the head.
Can Roman Reigns Survive The F5?
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Roman Reigns won the men’s Elimination Chamber match to earn a shot at the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. Brock Lesnar was supposed to be at the February 26th edition of WWE RAW but ultimately did not show up. Roman Reigns took offense to that and stated that everyone in the back was sick of Lesnar disrespecting the fans and the business. Reigns added that he does not respect Brock Lesnar and he damn sure does not fear that b****.
Brock Lesnar failed to show up once again on the March 12th edition of WWE RAW. Reigns accused Lesnar of being Vince’s boy and stormed backstage to confront Vince McMahon. Vince escorted Reigns to his office and later announced that Reigns had been indefinitely suspended.
The following week on RAW, Universal Champion Brock Lesnar finally showed up. Roman Reigns violated his suspension and entered the ring while RAW GM Kurt Angle was speaking. Reigns was in the process of being taken into custody but Lesnar decided to brutally attack him. Roman was loaded onto a stretcher but The Beast wasn’t done. Lesnar came back down to the ring and attacked Reigns some more before finally leaving.
Roman Reigns’ suspension was lifted before the March 26th episode of WWE RAW. Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar came down to the ring and claimed that Roman Reigns didn’t show up. The Big Dog made his way through the crowd and confronted Lesnar in the ring. Reigns was still injured due to the attack from Brock and Lesnar took advantage. Reigns was able to get in some shots with a steel chair, but Lesnar overpowered him and beat him down with the steel steps in the ring. Brock put an exclamation point on the attack by connecting with an F5 to Reigns on top of the steps.
On this past Monday’s episode of WWE RAW, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman once again came down to the ring to close the show. RAW GM Kurt Angle had spent the entire night pleading with Lesnar and Reigns to not fight tonight and to save it for the WrestleMania 34 main event. Heyman claimed that he would keep things civil, but quickly started insulting Reigns during his promo.
Roman tried to get to Lesnar in the ring, but Kurt Angle had instructed several WWE Superstars to prevent him from doing so on the entrance ramp. Reigns convinced the Superstars to let him through because they know that Brock Lesnar doesn’t respect them. Reigns got into the ring with Brock and the Universal Champion immediately retreated to the outside of the ring.
Brock decided to grab a steel chair and join Reigns in the ring. Roman then connected with five Superman Punches in a row and the Universal Champion was down. Lesnar then managed to regroup and planted Roman Reigns with an F5. Lesnar exited the ring as Paul Heyman shouted that the F5 kept Roman Reigns down.
Many have wondered if The Rock will make an appearance this Sunday at WrestleMania 34. The Rock didn’t appear last year at WrestleMania 33 because he was wrapping up filming Ballers in Los Angeles. The Rock did show up at WrestleMania 32 and was confronted by Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman and Erick Rowan.
The Rock wound up defeating Erick Rowan in an impromptu match. The Wyatt Family attacked The Rock after the match, but John Cena came down to the ring to make the save.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated has confirmed that WWE recently scrapped a segment that would have featured The Rock at WrestleMania 34. The musical segment would have featured Elias, Jeff Jarrett, The Rock and others. The Rock was reportedly going to perform a “Rock Concert” and that would have then the centerpiece of the segment.
Barrasso noted that the reason WWE scrapped the segment was because they could not get a definite commitment from The Rock. As of now, The Rock is not scheduled be a part of WrestleMania 34 unless there were renewed discussions with WWE.
We noted that on Tuesday’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez stated that he thought The Rock was going to appear at WrestleMania 34 and perform a concert with Elias. It appears that those plans have fallen through for now.
For many years, wrestling fans wanted to see Samoa Joe sign with WWE following his success in Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor. Finally, he signed with the company in 2015. However, instead of being placed on the main roster right away like many fans thought would happen, WWE decided to place him in NXT. He was in NXT for nearly two years. He was later called up to the main roster. On the January 30, 2017, episode of Raw, Joe made his official main roster debut by attacking Seth Rollins from behind and aligning himself with Triple H.
The former NXT Champion recently did an interview with alarabiya.net to talk about various topics. During the interview, he opened up on his relationship with Vince McMahon.
“I’m terrible at small talk, so me and Vince’s relationship is? don’t want to say dispassionate, but when we have talks, they’re very brief, short, we lay out a few things, and I go from there. It’s not a lot of, ‘hey how are you doin’, how’s this, how’s that’. It’s calling the play, what do we need to get done, and I go out and get it done.”
Strowman is slated to challenge Cesaro and Sheamus for the RAW Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 34. WWE has made it known that he will need a tag team partner in order to challenge for the straps. However, he has yet to say who he has chosen. Joe has been someone rumored to be his partner.
“Braun out here talking about how he doesn’t get along well with other people, but I’m terrible at it. That sounds like something that’s very enticing to the fans, but I’m sure two minutes in I’d be punching him in the head.”
Construction is underway for the stage and set up for WrestleMania 34.
Fans should expect the WWE to release a ‘set reveal’ video later this week as we’ve seen in recent years. This photo gives a good idea of what to expect this weekend.
WrestleMania 34 is set to be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history.
– WWE is advertising Samoa Joe for the April 16th edition of Monday Night RAW at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.
The former NXT Champion has been out of action since suffering an injury back in January. It’s believed that Joe has been medically cleared to return, but WWE will wait until the RAW after WrestleMania for his television return.
He has been backstage at RAW for the past two weeks and is advertised for upcoming live events where he is slated to wrestle Roman Reigns.
– Stephanie McMahon is slated to team with Triple H to face Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34. WWE’s YouTube channel has released this video of McMahon training for her in-ring return, which you can see here:
Current WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz has been an important part of the WWE over the last decade.
The biggest match of The Miz’s career was when defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship back at WrestleMania 27 in 2011 in the main event. This marked the only time that WWE had booked The Miz in the main event of the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company.
The Miz recently spoke with Yahoo Sports to talk about various topics including his upcoming Intercontinental Title defense against Seth Rollins and Finn Balor in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 34.
Although the match will not be slotted in the main event, Miz is planning to make it the caliber of a match that should’ve been placed as the headliner.
“Even though my match is not called the main event, I plan on making it the main event and people to talk about it for years to come, moments that last a lifetime. We have all of the components. Finn Balor and Seth Rollins, as much as I make fun of them and degrade them, they are two of the top, elite, talents in WWE.”
“To be one of the focal points of Raw, to know that Vince [McMahon], Hunter [Triple H], Stephanie [McMahon], Shane [McMahon], that all of the execs, believe in me and know that I can put out there and revolve a show around me, that my star power can bring people into an arena, make people watch at home, that is second to none. That trust, that is what you live for as a WWE superstar.
I was the person that elevated that title, that made it prestigious and that was my goal. My goal was to have this title where it was when I was a kid, when Ultimate Warrior was going up against Hulk Hogan. It was the biggest match that you could see. That is where I’m taking the Intercontinental title.”
WWE has been putting a lot of promotion into the upcoming SmackDown Women’s Title match that will see Charlotte Flair make her next title defense against the undefeated Asuka at WrestleMania 34.
The general belief among fans is that Asuka will go over in this match and win her first title as a member of the main roster.
However, that might not be the case as the Smoothie King Center’s website is listing Flair vs. Carmella for the Smackdown Women’s Championship for next week’s Smackdown Live in New Orleans.
As we have noted earlier on the site, Asuka is advertised to face Nia Jax at RAW live events after WrestleMania. This could be taken as an indication of the outcome of the title match at WrestleMania. Flair could retain or Carmella could cash-in her Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania to win the title.
This should be taken as a rumor for now as cards for upcoming events can change at any time. AJ Styles defending the WWE Title against Shinsuke Nakamura in a WrestleMania 34 rematch is also advertised as a dark match for next week’s SmackDown Live.
Three years ago, Rusev rode into WrestleMania on an undefeated streak. He also literally rode into WrestleMania on a Russian tank. While he would eventually lose to John Cena at WrestleMania 31, the legacy of his entrance that day has endured.
Rusev Bringing the Tank Back for WrestleMania 34?
“This Sunday, maybe we dust off the old tank” – Rusev to WWE.com
Based on his comments to WWE.com, it appears Rusev might be looking to bring back the tank for this year’s WrestleMania.
Rusev will be 1/4 of the United States Championship match this Sunday. He was added to the match after pinning US champion, Randy Orton, in a tag match two weeks ago on Smackdown.
There’s no doubt about it, this WWE Superstar is a monster among most men. Braun Strowman has risen up the ranks in WWE in a short amount of time after making his main roster debut just a few short years ago as part of The Wyatt Family.
He has learned as he goes to be a top Superstar. It’s well known that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is a fan of big men.
Strowman is slated to challenge Cesaro and Sheamus for the RAW Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 34. WWE has made it known that he will need a tag team partner in order to challenge for the straps. However, he has yet to say who he has chosen.
Elias, Big Cass, Samoa Joe and even Rey Mysterio have all been rumored to be his partner. The other name that is being thrown around is Bray Wyatt, who was last seen on TV a few weeks ago when he lost to Matt Hardy. It’s been rumored that Wyatt will be repacked when he returns.
Strowman added fuel to the fire of rumors about Wyatt being his partner by posting this photo on his Instagram story today:
WrestleMania 34 is a stacked card from top to bottom. So much so that WWE officials feel that it’s not necessary to announce John Cena vs. The Undertaker in advance. This leads us to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Rock is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. He picked up his popularity in the mainstream while working in the WWE from 1996 to 2004 and was the first third-generation wrestler in the company’s history. He returned to WWE part-time from 2011–13 and continues to make sporadic appearances for the company. Every year there is speculation on whether he will appear at WrestleMania. He hasn’t wrestled since WrestleMania 29 against Cena but did have technically a match with Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 32 but it was very brief.
Bryan Alvarez talked about The Rock potentially appearing at WrestleMania 34 during Tuesday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Live. Here is what he had to say:
“Well, you’re not advertising The Rock being there so there would be no reason, you could put him in there if you wanted to […] I do think that The Rock is going to be at WrestleMania. I think The Rock and Elias are going to do a segment together and they’re going to do a concert.” Alvarez continued, “I don’t think The Rock got clearance to wrestle but I think he got clearance to do the show and I think that’s what is going to happen. We’ll see but I do think he’ll be a big surprise there.”
We now know which match will close the show this weekend at WrestleMania 34.
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and the rest of the creative team have been planning Roman Reigns challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company since 2017.
The idea is to have Reigns go over on Lesnar to make him a top babyface, which is something that the WWE has been attempting to do for many years now despite the backlash from their fans.
Bryan Alvarez reported on Tuesday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Live that as of Monday, the plan is to have Lesnar vs. Reigns serve as the main event.
Keep in mind that historically, WWE doesn’t make the final call on which match will main event the show until the morning of each WrestleMania.
WrestleMania 34 is set to be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. Both Raw and SmackDown rosters will be featured.
