Brock Lesnar’s first night back in WWE since the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view in October will be next week at the non-televised live event in Inglewood, California at The Forum and his opponent will be the United States champion Alberto Del Rio. This will be the first time ever that the two will be meeting each other in the ring.
The only other two matches so far announced for that live event are Sheamus vs Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens.
Lesnar has been added to several Raw events leading up to WrestleMania but only one Raw in the lead-up to the Royal Rumble.
Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for December 10th, 2015
Match #1: Single – Roman Reigns (with Dean Ambrose and The Usos [Jimmy and Jey]) VS. United States Champion Alberto Del Rio (with League Of Nations partners Rusev, King Barrett, and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus)
The bell rings and the two square off amid “Roman” chants. Reigns knocks Alberto down with a shoulder-block, then is pushed into the corner after Del Rio grabs him around the waist. The U.S. Champion punches in the corner but Roman turns it around and does the same! He whips Alberto into the other corner, but is snapmared down and given a dropkick to the back.
Del Rio wears Roman down with a grounding chinlock, but Reigns hits a clothesline and suplex. Del Rio kicks out at two, then rolls to the apron. Roman meets him, but Alberto uses the ropes to give him a jawbreaker. He whips Reigns hard into the corner again and takes control. Roman kicks back and clotheslines Del Rio over the ropes, but is distracted by The League, allowing Alberto to whip him into the steel steps.
Commercials.
Del Rio is still dominating, even locking in an armbar-scissors with the ropes. Reigns powers out and slugs him off the turnbuckle to the floor. Alberto runs back in but is planted with a Samoan Drop! Both men punch at each other for a bit, then Reigns hits a flying-forearm! He clotheslines Del Rio ten times in the corner then gives him a big boot. The #1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship signals for the Superman Punch, but Alberto ducks it and dirves him with the backstabber!
Del Rio goes for the cross armbreaker, but Reigns reverses into a roll-up powerbomb for a near-fall! The WWE World Heavyweight Champion gets Reigns’ attention again, giving Del Rio the chance to hit a running enziguri; he covers, but only gets two! Reigns ducks a running kick and hits the Superman Punch, but The Nations pull Alberto to safety.
This breaks down after The Usos and Ambrose get in their face, and Roman beats on Sheamus against the announce table! The bell suddenly rings.
Winner: Neither Due To No Contest
Post-match, a melee happens until The League manages to escape after other referees enter.
Later tonight, a contract signing for the Intercontinental Championship Match between Kevin Owens (c) and Dean Ambrose will take place!
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Match #2: Single – Tyler Breeze (with Summer Rae) VS. Dolph Ziggler
An elbow/collar tie-up begins and Dolph gets Tyler in a hammerlock. He rolls around with Breeze still grappled, then goes into a front-facelock. The referee counts as Tyler gets to the ropes for a break.
“Prince Pretty” turns around into a side-headlock takedown, then hits a shoulder-block and dropkick as Ziggler ran off the ropes. He focuses on Dolph’s left knee, clamping on a half-crab. He dropkicks Dolph’s knee, then drops an elbow and ties it up again. He goes for a move against the ring post, but “The Show-Off” drags him face-first into the steel!
As Tyler gets back in the ring, Dolph hits a superkick and covers for the sudden victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Dolph Ziggler
Later tonight, Ryback will take on the Ascension, 2 – 1.
Commercials.
Match #3: Tag-Team – Tag Team Champions The New Day (Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston) (with Tag-Team Champion New Day member Big E.) VS. The Lucha Dragons (Sin Cara and Kalisto)
Prior to the bout, The New Day comically complain about N..B.A. Champion Lebron James receiving a multi-million-dollar deal with Nike, while they feel they can sell shoes just as well. They also are not pleased about their upcoming Triple-Threat Ladder Match at T.L.C. against the Dragons and The Usos with their championships on the line.
Kofi and Kalisto start, flipping each other around. Kalisto tags in Sin, who gives his partner a monkey-flip where Kalisto lands on Kingston with a double-legdrop! Woods blind-tags himself in, and then he and Kofi catch Cara off the ropes when he sprung for a crossbody. They throw him out and pose for a break.
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The New Day are dominating with their double-mudhole-stomping in their corner on Cara. Both Kofi and Xavier trade tags while punishing Sin. The Dragons eventually counters with a roll-up powerbomb and gets the hot-tag to his partner.
Kalisto is all over Kofi, almost taking this after a hurricanrana! Cara comes in and throws Kingston to the outside, but Big E. catches his partner. Sin manages to follow with a dive through the ropes! Back in the ring, Woods and Kalisto trade O’Connor rolls, then Kalisto hits a high kick and his jumping reverse-DDT finisher for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winners via Pinfall: The Lucha Dragons
Up next is the I.C. Championship Contract Signing!
Commercials.
Segment #1: Arena Promo
Dean Ambrose comes out but not Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens. Instead, Owens’ lawyer, Matthew Douglas, is representing him. He signs while “The Lunatic Fringe” bangs his head against the table. Ambrose is perplexed by the switch and goes on about what usually happens during a contract signing. He goes to sign, but notices the apron, where Kevin shows up! He engages Dean in a brawl, throwing him into the barricade. He goes for the steps, but Ambrose reverses. The I.C. Champ escapes through the other side of the ring, shoving his attorney in front of a clothesline by Ambrose, who also drives Douglas down with a Dirty Deeds DDT, then signs the contract!
Our main-event tonight is an Eight-Man Tag-Team featuring Reigns, Ambrose, and The Usos against the entire League Of Nations.
Ryback is shown walking backstage and he will go against both Ascension members, next!
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Match #4: Two-On-One – The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) VS. Ryback
(Note: Rusev and Lana are on commentary.) Ryback polishes off the tag-team quickly with a Meathook Clothesline and Shellshock Samoan Drop on Viktor!
Winner via Pinfall: Ryback
Post-match, Ryback and Rusev glare and mouth-off, then Rusev and Lana walk away.
Segment #2: Video Promo
Recap of Raw, featuring The Dudley Boyz, Tommy Dreamer, Rhyno, and The Wyatt Family is shown. It is announced that they will all wrestle in an Eight-Man Tag-Team Elimination Tables Match at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs this Sunday
Up next, Becky Lynch will take on Paige!
Commercials.
Match #5: Single – Becky Lynch VS. Paige
They lockup and Paige takes Becky down with a side-headlock. Lynch scissors out of it, while Divas Champion Charlotte is shown watching backstage. Becky flips Paige over, then the former “Diva Of Tomorrow” wants a timeout on the outside. She re-enters and kicks Lynch hard, then knees her against the middle rope. She gives another knee in the turnbuckle, then one more on the mat. Paige ears at Lynch with a chin-arm stretch, but Becky flips her again. She hits a couple of uppercuts and clotheslines, then a dropkick and t-bone suplex!
Lynch gears up but misses a splash in the corner, and both women clothesline each other. Charlotte’s music abruptly plays and the Divas Champion walks down, appearing to turn Paige’s attention. It works, as Becky catches Paige in the Disarmer Armbar, making Paige give-up!
Winner via Submission: Becky Lynch
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Segment #3: Video Promo
The rivalry between WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Roman Reigns is featured.
Roman Reigns enters through the fans for the Eight-Man, next!
Commercials.
Match #6: Eight-Man Tag-Team – Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) VS. The League Of Nations (United States Champion Alberto Del Rio, Rusev, King Barrett, and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus)
Alberto is first again, with Jimmy Uso. He knocks the twin down with a shoulder-block, but Uso comes back with a couple of chops and then tags in his brother. Rusev is also in, hitting a spinning-wheel-kick on Jey. He rips at Uso’s head against the middle rope, and The League takes control after throwing Jey into the barricade.
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The Nations are still governing, with the WWE World Heavyweight Champion now in and all over Jey. He hits 10 Beats Of The Bowron, which brings in Reigns to break it up. The referee gets in Roman’s face for the illegal move, giving Sheamus a chance for a break. This also gave Jey an opportunity to make the hot-tag to Dean, who is now hitting Sheamus left, right, and center!
Dean runs at Sheamus in the corner then brings him out face-first with a bulldog! He hits rapid chops, but then is tripped up by Barrett from the apron. Rusev is tagged, and he punishes Ambrose with stomps, chokes, and punches. The League take turns until Del Rio misses an enziguri, which Dean capitalizes with a Tornado DDT out of the corner! He slaps hands with Roman for the much-needed switch!
Reigns cleans on Rusev and Sheamus, hitting a fast and impressive Samoan Drop on Rusev! He clotheslines him ten-consecutive times in the corner, and puts him to the canvas with a leaping-clothesline! Roman hits the Superman Punch, but Sheamus and Alberto stop the subsequent cover.
The Usos enter and take Del Rio and Sheamus to the outside, where they rocket over the ropes with a splash! In the ring, Reigns hits a Spear on Rusev and covers for the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and The Usos
Post-match, the two teams stare-down one another to close the show!
End Of Smackdown!
Reporter’s Rumblings
I liked Smackdown! better than Raw, but still found it “off the mark”/confusing, particularly when wrestlers are wrestling twice. There’s much more room on the show for everyone to have one match, so why not!? Onto the particulars and then my predictions for T.L.C.
Excellence: matches between Reigns/Del Rio, Ziggler/Breeze, Luchas/New Day, and Paige/Becky (although shorter than I hoped!)
Loved the swerve Owens pulled for the contract signing; it so fits in with his character!
Bogus: not a fan of wrestlers wrestling multiple times, unless it is a tournament; I didn’t see the sense for The League and Roman/Company to go at it twice on both Raw and Smackdown! It seems like they were just filling time. Also, Raw’s beginning was great, but they should’ve had that 16-Man as the main-event, and then the brawl between Sheamus/Reigns to close tonight; would’ve hyped up T.L.C. much more.
As well, The Wyatt Family and The Dudleyz should’ve been featured in a match of some-sort to push their bout at T.L.C.; I wasn’t satisfied by the Raw recap that my Dad and I fast-forward through when we watch!
Not sure what to make of the sudden switch by Alberto on Zeb Colter. While I’m liking his feud with Swagger, I thought they made a good combo, but can also see it as Del Rio fantastic on his own too. It seemed too quick for him to split, as he had just returned and paired up.
I wish they had save Dolph/Tyler for T.L.C., with a 2-out-of-3 Falls stipulations; great match tonight, but since they were one-apiece, it should’ve ended at the bigger event.
T.L.C. – I’m liking this line-up, so hopefully it plays out well! Sheamus to retain (would be really stupid, as it is already, for Reigns to win on a non-big show after winning at Survivor Series then losing shortly after); Dean to win I.C. Title to continue feud (or Owens to cheat/dq; either way, not a one-off bout); Luchas are going to be new Tag-Team Champions – their momentum would be halted if not; Charlotte to deliberately cheat-to-win (R.I.P. Eddie Guerrero), and further this new side of hers; Wyatt Family wins over E.C.W. vets; Rusev should win to show his dominance with return
Until Raw, have a wonderful weekend and Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Fans!
Sami Zayn made his in-ring return at the NXT live event tour in Newcastle, England, yesterday and wrestled NXT champion Finn Balor in the main event.
Breaking the usual tradition, the champion came out first for his match, leaving Zayn to get one of the biggest pops of the night. Fans chanted “Ole ole ole!” as the WWE production team waited a few before kicking in Zayn’s theme song to build up the anticipation. Fans gave the returning Canadian a standing ovation. Sami is also sporting a new hairstyle as he shaved his head.
The match ended with Balor picking up the win after hitting the Coup De Grâce on his opponent. Balor and Zayn then hugged after the match and Balor held up a sign welcoming back Zayn. Zayn was left alone in the ring afterward as fans showed their appreciation.
WWE announced that the WWE Network will be available in Japan starting on January 5, 2016, with the first month of service offered for free to those who sign up. This is another major market cleared for the Network which was unable to broadcast there due to TV contract issues.
The WWE Network in Japan will be similar to the US version of the Network, costing $9.99 per month with no commitment and the ability to cancel any time. All the 12 WWE pay-per-views will also air as part of the deal and all the available video-on-demand will be accessible from day one.
WWE Network will first be available on desktop, laptop and mobile devices, followed by Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Roku and Smart TVs in time for Royal Rumble.
“Japan is strategically important for WWE given our passionate and engaged fan base in the market,” said George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer. “The global expansion of WWE Network is critical to the continued growth of our brand internationally.”
Daniel Bryan traveled to Singapore to promote WWE business this week and during one of the several media stops, he told The New Paper Online that his WWE career could be over.
I think it could be the end of my career in WWE, but I don’t think it will be the end of my career,” Bryan said. “I could find another passion, but it would just be sad because this is what I have been most passionate about since I was five.”
In previous media appearances Bryan did not exclude going back to the independents to wrestle if the WWE doctor does not clear him for an in-ring return. The former WWE World Heavyweight champions was cleared by one doctor but not by Dr. Joseph Maroon who heads up the WWE medical team.
Bryan has not wrestled since mid April after he was pulled out from the WWE European Tour due to a concussion.
During another media stop, Bryan said that WWE offered him an announcing position or even a trainer at the WWE Performance Center but he said that it would be soon to go that route although he can see himself doing one of those at some point.
WWE World Heavyweight champion Sheamus has a role in the upcoming movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows where he plays the character of Rocksteady.
Filming for the movie began in April of this year and Sheamus, who’s credited as Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly appears both as a live action actor and also doing voice over for the character Rocksteady when it turns to CGI.
Sheamus was not the only wrestler who auditioned for the movie as CM Punk revealed a few months ago that he auditioned for the role but lost to Sheamus.
The movie is set for release on June 3, 2016 and features Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Brian Tee, Tyler Perry, Brittany Ishibashi, and Laura Linney in the main roles.
The new TNA World champion will be crowned on the first episode of Impact Wrestling on Pop on January 5 live from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The semi finals and final of the TNA World Title Series will be taking place on the same broadcast as TNA moves to a network which has almost the same reach of Spike TV. Ever since moving to Destination America, viewership for TNA sank to just over a quarter of a million viewers while before on Spike they were reaching a million viewers every week.
The whole TNA World Title Series, which was kept under wraps until the announcement, was actually taped back at the end of July so everything you are seeing now on Impact is pretty much five months old.
Former WCW champion Sting has revealed that he will be needing neck surgery to repair the damage he sustained at the Night of Champions pay-per-view in the match against Seth Rollins. Sting made the announcement on Ric Flair’s WOOOOO! Nation podcast.
Sting said that his surgery will be similar to the one John Cena received in 2008 and is hoping that he would not need the more serious neck fusion surgery. Sting added that he’s suffering from cervical spinal stenosis, with an area in his neck which holds the spinal cord “choked off” at two different locations.”
Flair asked Sting if there’s one more match left in him and Sting said that while the surgery will put him on the shelf for a bit, “absolutely” there is another match.
WWE has landed a major sponsor for the Slammy Awards Raw broadcast which will air on USA Network on December 21.
The new sponsor is Coca-Cola, who apart from sponsoring the Slammy Awards, are also sponsoring the Tribute to the Troops event which will air two days later also on USA Network. The video promo hyping up the Awards Raw says, “The 2015 Slammy Awards presented by Coca-Cola” so most likely the name will also be announced during the broadcast rather than just showing the logo.
Raw lately has been sponsored by Kay Jewelers which seems a rather strange match to the WWE demographic. Kay Jewelers is a division of Sterling Jewelers Inc. The TLC pay-per-view is also sponsored by another major retailer, Toys”R”Us.
NXT makes history today as it kicks off its first ever International tour in the United Kingdom.
The tour starts in Newcastle at the Newcastle at the Metro Radio Arena. On December 11 it’s off to Glasgow, Scotland at The SSE Hydro. On December 12 there will be a show in Sheffield at the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena. On December 13 it’s Blackpool’s time with a show at the Empress Ballroom. On Monday, December 14 there will be a show in Nottingham at the Nottingham Capital FM Arena and on December 15 NXT goes to Cardiff, Wales for a show at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena.
The culmination of the tour will be on Wednesday, December 16, with NXT Takeover: London, at the sold out The SSE Arena in Wembley. The event will air live on the WWE Network at 3PM EST or 8PM GMT.
El Rey’s Lucha Underground will return for an all-new second season on Wednesday, January 27 at 8PM EST. The new season is currently in production in Boyle Heights, California, with the series being led by Emmy Award-winning producer Mark Burnett.
Leading into the new season, El Rey Network offers fans a chance to get reacquainted with the luchadores with five hours of back-to-back episodes from season one on Wednesdays at 8PM EST beginning January 6th, culminating with an epic weekend long, 40-hour marathon of the entire season from Saturday, January 23 at 10AM EST to Sunday, January 24 at 2AM EST.
“Season two of ‘Lucha Underground’ absolutely stands on the shoulders of last season with even more excitement and high-flying drama than ever before,” said El Rey Network Chairman and Founder Robert Rodriguez. “Mark Burnett and his team have delivered a truly compelling series and we are proud to bring the ancient traditions of Luche Libre to life in an unexpected and action packed format that has become a favorite for wrestling fans everywhere.”
The Rock is one busy individual as Deadline.com is reporting that New Line Cinema have won a bidding war for an action comedy vehicle for Dwayne Johnson which Will Gluck will direct and Dave Callaham will write. The picture will be a co-production between FlynnPictureCo., Olive Bridge Entertainment and Seven Bucks Productions.
While the plot of the movie is under wraps, Deadline reports that it’s something of a throwback to those mismatched buddy action comedies like Lethal Weapon, Midnight Run and 48 Hours. New Line is hoping that the first movie will launch a new franchise built around it.
Johnson and Beau Flynn of FlynnPictureCo., are right now working at New Line on Rampage, the film that Johnson will star in after he shoots the Seth Gordon-directed Baywatch for Paramount. Flynn is also producing that film, which stars Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario.
In an interview with Mexico-based Cancha.com, WWE United States champion Alberto Del Rio blamed AAA for their disorganization in the mess up that led to him not dropping the AAA title in the ring.
Del Rio said that WWE gave him permission to wrestle at the AAA Guerra de Titanes show on December 4 and any other show he had committed to prior to signing with WWE but AAA changed the date of the event which was going to conflict with his WWE dates.
Del Rio regretted not being able to say goodbye the proper way in Mexico but said that AAA should be blamed and not WWE. “The only reason I could not finish my last two matches in Mexico and lose the championship as it’s supposed to is completely due to the disorganization of the company I worked for,” Del Rio said.
John Cena showed off his acting and comedic skills while appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night to promote the movie Sisters.
During the interview, Cena “reflected” on some childhood memories which morphed into a segment where he even “sang” to Adele’s Hello tune. Apart from plugging the movie which he has a role in, Cena also talked about other stuff including staring bodybuilding at the age of 12.
You can check out the hilarious part of Cena’s “memories” segment below.
“Superfly” Jimmy Sunka will go on trial in March 2016 for the murder of his mistress Nancy Argentino, a case dating back to 1983 and which is finally seeing the light of day thanks to an investigative report by the Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
A Lehigh County judge on Tuesday set March 22 as the trial date with the trial expecting to last around a week. Judge Kelly L. Banach will be presiding over the case.
The judge also told the family of Argentino that they have to stop posting links related to the case on their Facebook, specifically her sister. There is a gag order in place, issued on November 2, that prevents either side from talking to the media. Prosecutors, relatives, and friends of Argentino and Snuka are also part of the gag order. The judge said that if the links on Facebook don’t stop she will consider sanctions against the prosecution according to the Morning Call newspaper who was present for the hearing.
Snuka, who is battling stomach cancer and bouts with dementia, denies all the charges and was at the hearing as well. Snuka remains free on $100,000 bail, paid by his ex-wife.
Monday Night Raw did an average of 3,054,000 viewers this week, down from last week’s 3,168,000. The third hour once again dragged down the number with Raw losing 420,000 viewers from hour one to hour three.
Hour one did 3,270,000 viewers, followed by 3,042,000 in the second hour and then down to 2,850,000 in the third and final hour. (Ratings credit: ShowBuzzDaily.com)
More matches were added to the TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view yesterday on Raw, bringing the total number to six on the card.
Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Luke Harper, and Erick Rowan of the Wyatt Family will take on The Dudley Boyz, Tommy Dreamer, and the returning Rhyno in an 8-man tag team elimination tables match, a match which surely favors the ECW Originals.
The United States title will also be on the line in a chairs match as Alberto Del Rio – minus Zeb Colter – will defend his title against Jack Swagger.
Charlotte and Paige will go one on one for the WWE Divas title with Charlotte having her father Ric Flair in her corner.
The triple threat tag team match for the WWE Tag Team titles was also changed to a ladder match as The New Day, The Usos, and The Lucha Dragons will try to create some new memories of epic tag team ladder matches involving the likes of the Dudleys, Edge and Christian, and the Hardy Boyz.
WWE will be taping Smackdown and Tribute to the Troops tonight at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Tribute to the Troops show will be airing on Wednesday, December 23 starting at 8PM EST on USA Network as part of WWE Week. This year, Grammy Award-winning rock band Train will be performing live for the soldiers in attendance at the arena.
Besides from the two hour event, WWE Superstars and Divas will be visiting military personnel and their families stationed at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Naval Station Mayport and Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.
While in town, everyone will spend the day giving back to those who serve and their families with visits to each base, a Be a STAR anti-bullying rally and military outreach.
Monday Night Raw TV Report for December 7th, 2015 – “’Tumultuous, Crazy, Levels”
Introduction Segment: Video, Welcoming, and Arena Promo
A recap of last week’s Raw and Smackdown!, featuring Roman Reigns’ WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match with Sheamus and the coming-together of The League Of Nations is shown. The new group is now in the ring, live, as Michael Cole greets us from Charleston, South Carolina.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus boasts about Reign’s five-minute-and-fifteen-second hold on the WWE Title, as well as his new faction’s abilities. He tears America down too, insinuating they aren’t big enough to join The League. The lights go out and The Wyatt Family suddenly appear in the ring.
Bray Wyatt tell Sheamus and Company who they are, but that The Family are the ones who command WWE.
The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer walk out on stage, and while Bray thinks they are in danger and out-manned, Bubba Ray declares that is not true. D-Von tells The Wyatts and The League they have upped the anti, bringing out their former rival and friend from ECW, (and NXT star for a while) Rhyno!
Roman Reigns’ music plays, and he, Dean Ambrose, and The Usos walks through the fans!
Commercials.
Match #1: Sixteen-Man Elimination Tag-Team Fatal-4-Way – The League Of Nations (WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, United States Champion Alberto Del Rio, King Barrett, and Rusev) VS. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Erik Rowan, and Luke Harper) VS. Team E.C.W. (The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray and D-Von], Tommy Dreamer, and Rhyno) VS. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey), Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns
Harper and Bubba, and Ambrose and Del Rio are going at it as we come back. Frequent tags and double-teams happen. Braun throws The Usos and Rhyno onto Tommy from the turnbuckle with a Tower Of Doom, and Erik Rowan is driven to the canvas with a DDT by Dreamer to be taken out!
Eliminated by Pinfall: The Wyatt Family
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A brawl breaks out between the three remaining regimes, then Rhyno and Roman are left to face-off! They don’t get to and the “brothers” give a 3-D to Rusev, but Bubba eats a Brogue Kick and The Dudleyz and Tommy are sent to the back.
Commercials.
It is back-and-forth for a bit, including another ad break, until Jey makes the super-hot-tag to his cousin, Roman, who is all over Alberto. He Superman-Punches Barrett off the apron, then does the same to Alberto. Ambrose clotheslines Sheamus over the ropes, then runs to the outside with a dive-between-the-ropes onto Rusev after Roman delivered the Drive-By to Sheamus!
The U.S. Champion throws Reigns into the corner barrier, but an Uso rockets over the top rope. Sheamus holds onto Roman’s ankle, and Alberto hits him with a kick-to-the-head. Reigns still kicks out and manages to counter a Brogue Kick with a Spear, covering to receive the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: The Usos, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns
Later tonight, Divas Champion Charlotte and her father, Ric Flair, will be on MizTV to talk about her match with Becky Lynch last week.
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Segment #2: Backstage Promo
Rene Young interviews Sheamus about his TLC match with Roman Reigns this Sunday, asking if his chances have diminished after the previous bout. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion is irate at her question, vowing to demolish Reigns at the Network Show/Pay-Per-View, and he will start that later tonight in the ring.
Segment #3: Video Promo
Stardust babbles on about Jack Swagger until Titus O’Neil shows up behind him. He tries to give some motivation to the second “Bizarre One,” but Stardust implies he doesn’t need it.
Dolph Ziggler makes his entrance, then do Tyler Breeze and Summer Rae. Ziggler is actually scheduled to wrestle Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens, and Breeze and Rae sit at ringside.
Commercials.
Match #2: Single – Dolph Ziggler VS. Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens (Non-Title)
They lockup and Owens shoves Ziggler to the mat. He rolls through on Dolph, but “The Show-Off” turns it into a hammerlock. They shove each other and Owens uses the ropes for a break. Kevin clamps on a standing side-headlock, then gives him a shoulder-block off running off the ropes. He continues to wear him down with a grounding rear-chin lock.
Dolph switches it up and holds Owens against the mat, but the IC Champ puts Ziggler into the corner and chops him hard. Dolph counters a backdrop-try with a kick-to-the-face, then attempts his Leaping-DDT; Owens tosses him, but Ziggler hits back with a dropkick. They fight on the outside a bit later, with Kevin chucking Dolph into the barricade with a fall-away slam. He rolls Dolph into the ring and covers, but “The Show-Off” does not go down. Owens taunts Ziggler and continues to punish him around the ring.
Dolph starts a comeback after moving from a running senton, then he slugs away. He doesn’t last long though, as Kevin hurls him into the ring post and Ziggler tumbles to the floor. Dolph barely makes it in the ring before the ten-count, then still kicks out after a running-senton connects
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The IC Champ continues to dominate until he meets the ring post too. Dolph takes advantage and drops an elbow for two, but is dumped back to the floor. The referee starts another count, but Kevin goes to Dolph, who drives him down with the Leaping-DDT!
Ziggler puts Kevin in the ring and almost takes this again, but Owens raises his shoulder and German-Suplexes Dolph! He misses the Cannonball in the corner though, and is face-planted with the Fameasser instead! Owens still kicks out, and after a little shove, he catches Dolph with the Pop-Up Powerbomb and the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens
Post-match, instead of Owens’ music, Dean Ambrose walks out eating popcorn and drinking. He enters the ring and chucks the food and beverage into Owens’ face, infuriating the champion!
Segment #4: Video Promo
The Wyatt Family appear on screen and Bray prophesizes about The Dudleys, Tommy Dreamer, and Rhyno. He goes over to Strowman, who explains what he will do tonight to “The Innovator Of Violence.”
Commercials.
Segment #5: Locker Room Promo
Adrian Neville is putting on his wristbands when The Miz walks in, who wants to continue to entice Neville into joining up with him and getting a career boost. Miz also brings in TV personality Donny Deutsch, who is actually more interested in Adrian and invites him to be on his show, while dismissing The Miz. He gives him his card, as does the Miz, but “The Man That Gravity Forgot” tosses Miz’s credentials and keeps Deutsch’s.
Match #3: Tag-Team – Team B.A.D. (Naomi and Sasha Banks) (with Team B.A.D. partner Tamina) VS. Team Bella (Brie Bella and Alicia Fox)
Sasha and Alicia begin, with Alicia giving Sasha a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. She gives one to Naomi as well shortly after she is tagged in. brie and Alicia double-dropkick Banks and Naomi, but Tamina yanks Alicia by the hair behind the referee’s back.
Brie is tagged in and goes into “Brie Mode,” but is tripped up and hit with the Rear-View by Naomi to give Team B.A.D. this one!
Post-match, Tag-Team Champions The New Day strut out and bonds with Sasha, Naomi, and Tamina, dancing with them and giving them horn headbands.
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Match #4: Tag-Team – Tag Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E.) (with Tag-Team Champion and New Day partner Xavier Woods) VS. The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) (Non-Title)
Prior to this contest, The Tag Champs cut a promo about themselves and how great they really are. (Note: The Usos are on commentary.)
This begins with Kofi and Sin Cara pretty evenly, until Cara rockets through the ropes onto Big E, however Langston holds on and tosses him with an overhead belly-to-belly! Woods plays the trumpet in Cara’s face.
Commercials.
The New Day control now, triple-mudhole-stomping Kalisto in the corner. He botches a tilt-a-whirl slam but makes the hot-tag to Sin Cara. On the outside, Xavier gets in The Usos face with the trombone. Jimmy and Jey steal the trombone away and hit Xavier; Kofi is distracted, which allows Cara to roll him up with an O’Connor Roll and finish this!
Winners via Pinfall: The Lucha Dragons
Post-match, The Usos tease New Day more as they walk to the back.
Up next, The Miz will be chatting with Divas Champion Charlotte and her dad, Ric Flair!
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Segment #6: Arena Promo
Miz is in the ring and brings out Divas Champion Charlotte and her pivotal father, Ric Flair. First, Charlotte criticizes Miz for not giving her father due process in his intro, so she rephrases, calling him “the only two-time Hall Of Famer.”
Miz gets to the point and inquires about her recent turn, wondering if she is taking more of her daddy’s side. Charlotte admits she will now do whatever she has to to win. Ric interjects and makes it known that he is backing his daughter at TLC, standing by her side during her match against Paige.
Miz is eager to find out what Charlotte would tell Paige, and brings her out, despite earlier telling Charlotte that Paige isn’t here. She walks out and takes a few shots, then slaps Ric and mocks his strut. Flair orders his daughter to “get her,” so Charlotte sweeps her up and tries to punch, but Paige scurries to the ramp.
Up next, Ryback will take on Rusev!
Commercials.
Match #5: Single – Ryback VS. Rusev (with Lana)
Rusev rolls to the outside at first for a quick break, then gets back in and they engage in an elbow-collar tie-up. Ryback gets the better with a suplex and a twisting plancha to the outside! In the ring, Ryback goes for the pin but Rusev gets his shoulder up at two. Ryback punches Rusev around the ring into a corner, then gives him a classic suplex.
Rusev reverses and launches Ryback to the floor as he was running, then uses the ropes to damage Ryback’s left-arm more.
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Soon after, Rusev takes control. Outside the ring, Ryback runs into Lana, which enrages Rusev. He locks on The Accolade while the referee tries to break him up.
Winner via Disqualification: Ryback
Commercials.
Match #6: Single – Stardust VS. Jack Swagger
This one is already in progress, and Swagger soon forces Stardust to tap to the Patriot Ankle Lock!
Winner via Submission: Jack Swagger
Post-match, Del Rio attacks Jack from behind with a chair, but the “All-American-American” fights back. Del Rio trips over Colter’s scooter and runs off. Swagger gets in Zeb’s face, trying to make him remember what he once stood for with “we the people.”
Segment #7: Video Promo
Another Adam Rose gossip airs.
Segment #8: Backstage Promo
Alberto Del Rio berates Zeb for tripping him up with the scooter; Colter responds, telling Del Rio is was because of him that the U.S. Champ is where he is at. Alberto doesn’t want to hear it and pushes a chair against Colter, then backs off. Zeb drives away and Del Rio chucks the chair in anger.
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Match #7: Single – Tommy Dreamer (with The Dudley Boyz [Bubba Ray and D-Von] and Rhyno) VS. Braun Strowman (with Wyatt Family members Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Erik Rowan)
Strowman completely destroys Dreamer, finishing him with his reverse Cobra Clutch.
Winner via Submission: Braun Strowman (with The Wyatt Family)
Commercials.
Segment #9: Arena Promo
Roman Reigns comes to the ring first and climbs the ladder in the ring. He compares the ladder to his main-roster career, using the rungs as the examples. Sheamus meets his challenger, but does not enter into physical contact. Roman eggs him on, but Sheamus doesn’t bite. He believes Reigns is setting him up, so he delays going into the squared circle.
Sheamus lists the reasons of why he will not enter the ring, but Reigns keeps taunting and making fun of him. Eventually, the WWE Champion tries a blind-side assault, but Roman fends him off. They scrap all around the arena, using various objects in the process. Finally finishing from the announce table, Roman Spears Sheamus through a table that was set up against the ring. Sheamus looks to be out-cold as Reigns clutches his elbow and poses for the fans to close the show.
Former WWE champion John Cena will be on two NBC shows tomorrow to promote the new movie Sisters which he has a role in. The movie is about two sisters, one very loose and childish, and the other uptight and divorced, who throw one last party at their childhood home, which their parents are about to sell. It opens in theaters on December 18.
Cena will start the day on TODAY, a show which Cena has appeared on several times in the past. Later in the day he will be on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Cena is currently in Washington state filming the FOX reality series American Grit where he is serving as the host so he will be flying to New York for the shows and then fly back west to continue on American Grit.
Cena is expected to wrap up filming on December 16 and return to the WWE on the December 26 show at Madison Square Garden in New York. He last appeared on WWE television at the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view where he lost the United States title to the returning Alberto Del Rio.
