Records are there to be broken. No matter how good you are, one day you will find your match. There only a few records in sports that still stand, especially if you carefully choose your opponents. But when your opponent is in the hands of your promoter, who wants the best for his promotion, then chances are your reign will one day or another come to an end.
Needless to say, Ronda Rousey probably had a piece of humble pie yesterday. Or maybe two pieces. I am a big fan of Ronda, I think she’s awesome, but her arrogance was putting me off. The same level of arrogance that Anderson Silva and Jon Jones had when they were champions. Yes, you’re good, you’re damn good, but there are ways to come across and most often than not, she chose the wrong way.
The MMA world is still in shock over the way Holly Holm destroyed Ronda Rousey last night at UFC 193. The baddest woman on the planet met her match. There was no pressure on Holm. Yes, she was undefeated, but a loss would have meant just another number who went down to the great Ronda Rousey. As some would say, there’s no shame in losing to Rousey.
All the pressure however was on the defending champion. Every time she steps in the Octagon, “Rowdy” has to surpass expectations, be it the amount of time needed to tap her opponent, the way she ends it, etc. Those are unfortunately the benchmarks she set for being so successful. When Meisha Tate took her to a second round, some were “disappointed.” Tate is a great, great fighter, but on that day, Rousey was better.
Rousey is still a great fighter, possibly the best female fighter on the planet, but last night, Holly Holm was the better fighter. I can name three fights off the top of my head where the favorite champion got owned by the challenger just like Rousey yesterday.
Georges St. Pierre vs Matt Serra, UFC 69 on April 7, 2007 in Houston, Texas. Serra, fresh off his TUF win, inflicted St. Pierre’s second loss and took his UFC Welterweight title in round 1 after just 3:25 on the clock.
Brock Lesnar vs Randy Couture, UFC 91 on November 15, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Couture was considered one of the best Heavyweights in mixed martial arts history and Lesnar, in his third UFC fight, took Couture out in the second round after the third minute, becoming the new UFC Heavyweight champion.
Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman, UFC 162 on July 6, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Silva is often referred to as the greatest of all time but after 14 successful title defenses, 29 year old undefeated Weidman shocked the world by finishing Silva in the second round after 1:18.
Holly Holm’s win over Rousey yesterday probably tops them all simply because the way Ronda Rousey is portrayed by the media as this indestructible woman. Holm pretty much took her to school and out fought her opponent from the first second. Now mind you, Rousey’s road to UFC 193 was far more difficult with countless media appearances and other distractions, but that’s no excuse. It’s part of the game of being a successful champion.
For the UFC it was probably the best outcome. Why? Rematch money. There are already rumors that Holm vs Rousey II will be booked as the main event for UFC 200 in July. The July UFC pay-per-view is the most important one of the year for the company. Having two females headline that pay-per-view is the equivalent of having two WWE Divas headline WrestleMania. If they keep both fighters protected over the next seven months, the rematch will do monster money both in gate and PPV revenue. For the UFC, I don’t think there was a better outcome. Rousey’s camp may differ, but for the promotion whose business is coming up with compelling fights, this is a great story.
Think about the Jose Aldo vs Conor McGregor fight that was supposed to happen a few months ago. So much money spent on promotion and then Aldo pulled out due the injury. McGregor won the Interim Featherweight title, setting up a McGregor vs Aldo title for title fight. I guarantee you the fight now will make money than it was originally going to make.
No matter what happens, the next time Ronda Rousey fights, no matter who it is against, she will do a lot of money for the UFC. Fans will tune in to see if her loss against Holly Holm was just a blip or if it’s something more serious. A second defeat in a row will surely raise some eyebrows. She has never tasted defeat in mixed martial arts and it will take some time for it to sink in. Rousey has to learn how to keep her emotions in check and not let anything come in the way of her game plan. She clearly lost it at the weigh-ins and said things in interviews that she might regret now. Everyone is beatable because everyone can have a bad day at the office.
Before the fight Rousey had already said that she will be vanishing for a few months and make people “miss her.” She has movies to do, and maybe who knows, WrestleMania 32 as well. Rousey, now with a record of 12-1, is still a superstar and a big draw.
A lot of champions have fallen…but it’s how you get back up that counts. We all have to just wait and see how Rousey rebounds from this loss. And yes, I’m still a fan.
Former WWE champion Randy Orton got married yesterday to his girlfriend Kim Marie Kessler. The two got engaged in July of this year.
In an episode of Unfiltered on the WWE Network, Orton described how he met Kessler during a WWE event. Kessler was a fan of his, and so were her kids, but it took a while before she told her kids who she was dating.
This is Orton’s second marriage, having been married to Samantha Speno in 2007. The two however got divorced in June 2013. They have a daughter together, Alanna, who was born in 2008.
Orton is currently out injured and is likely to face surgery to repair his dislocated shoulder. He could be out for up to six months, joining Seth Rollins in missing WrestleMania unless he recovers and gets cleared before.
WWE Hall of Famer Nick Bockwinkel passed away last night at the age of 80.
Bockwinkel made his wrestling debut in 1955 and in 1970 he joined the American Wrestling Association, where he won several titles including the AWA World Heavyweight and Tag Team titles. During his time in the AWA, he had legendary feuds with Dick The Bruiser, Jerry Lawler, Hulk Hogan, Verne Gagne, and others, and was also involved in the first ever AWA vs WWWF champion, wrestling Bob Backlund to a double count-out in 1979.
After leaving the AWA, he worked for the WWF as a road agent and then later on for WCW as well. In 2007 he was elected as the President of the Cauliflower Alley Club and stepped down in 2014 due to health reasons.
Several people from the wrestling industry including Jerry Lawler, John Cena, Triple H, Mean Gene Okerlund, Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, The Iron Sheik, Bill Apter, and many others all sent their condolences on Twitter. The WWE.COM website also wrote a short story on Bockwinkel’s passing.
WWE wraps up the November European tour today with the final two live events, bringing to an end a tour which took WWE Superstars and Divas to 8 different countries for 20 shows in 11 days.
It was a successful tour as the WWE crew performed in near sell-out crowds, which means big gate money and lots of merchandise sold which translates to a bigger pay check for everyone involved.
During this tour, WWE visited Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain, England, Italy, Northern Ireland, and Germany. The last two shows tonight are in Minehead, England, and Stuttgart, Germany. Everyone is flying into Greenville, South Carolina, tomorrow for Monday Night Raw.
If you follow Nikki and Brie Bella on their Twitter and Instagram social media accounts you will know that the twins have been in France and were at the L’Hotel in Paris yesterday, around 6 kilometers away from where the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris took place.
France was shocked with coordinated terrorist attacks yesterday night around Paris, with deadly blasts at different restaurants and a concert hall, leaving nearly 150 people dead.
Their brother JJ posted on his Twitter that all of them are safe. “My family is safe! Thank you for the concern! Let’s keep Paris in our thoughts,” he wrote, and earlier today, both Bellas addressed the situation themselves.
“I saw a City come together to protect one another. I thank the French people for our safety last night. They gave everyone amazing hospitality and protection and it didn’t matter your race, religion or nationality,” Nikki wrote on her Instagram account. “I will stand by France. I will pray for them. I will pray for peace. I pray that one day we all can live in this world together as one. But until that day I will stay fearless. Love.”
Her sister Brie also user her Instagram to talk about the terror attacks. “Last night I was enjoying the beautiful history and art in Paris at The Louvre. It saddens me how quickly something so beautiful can turn ugly. It breaks my heart in a million pieces to the victims of the terror attacks. You can feel the sadness here, but also the unity of the world. I was reminded so quickly how far world peace is…. but standing in the City of Love I know in the end love will prevail,” she added.
The 2016 Royal Rumble is sold out from Ticketmaster.com however there are still some Platinum tickets being sold as well as tickets on other third party websites such as Vivid Seats, Cheap Seats, and Ticket Network.
Platinum seats offered by Ticketmaster.com are selling for $1,000 for two seats and the closest row to the ring is row D. The third party websites have thousands of tickets being resold going up to $5,000 for ringside.
The Royal Rumble, one of company’s most important pay-per-views of the year which kicks off the road to WrestleMania, will be held at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday, January 24.
Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for November 12th, 2015
Introduction Segment: Welcoming
The regular Smackdown! video plays then Rich Brennan, Booker T., and Jerry “The King” Lawler greet us from Manchester, England. They review the situation around the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which now entails a tournament that will end at Survivor Series to create a new champion. Tonight, Stardust will take on self-professed Mex-American Champion Alberto Del Rio, Neville meets Barrett, and Ryback will face in First Round Qualifying Matches.
Segment #2: Arena Promo
The Wyatt Family walks out while a video recaps what happened with them and The Undertaker and Kane on Raw. Harper promises to destroy The Usos for Bray, as Erik and Braun say the same about anyone else who goes against them. Bray gets the microphone and claims that “The Undertaker and Kane will never ever be the same again.” The fans chant for “The Phenom,” and Bray embraces it, saying that Kane and ‘Taker are apart of him. He challenges them to a Tag-Team match at Survivor Series, and they get to pick who of the Family they face. He is letting them take the night to decide. “‘Brothers of Destruction,’ follow the buzzards” he shouts on his knees in front of Harper, Strowman, and Rowan. Braun will be wrestling next.
Commercials.
Match #1: Single – Braun Strowman (with Wyatt Family members Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Erik Rowan) VS. Fandango
Fandango tries with an immediate dropkick, but Braun is too strong and dominate. Strowman makes Fandango submit to his reverse Cobra Clutch for the victory!
Winner via Submission: Braun Strowman
Up next, Neville going against King Barrett in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament!
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Match #2: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship First-Round) – Neville VS. King Barrett
Neville clasps a grounding headlock on Wade for a two-count, then rolls him up for the same, and goes back to the grounding headlock to wear him down. Neville flips to the corner and springboards off with a crossbody for another near-fall, but is pulled down quickly, sending him to the outside. Barrett follows to the floor and rams his head off the announce table, then shoves him into the apron and throws him into the corner of the barrier.
Commercials.
Barrett is still in control, now working Neville over with a headlock. He catches Neville off the ropes and kicks him hard in the gut. He presses his leg against Neville’s head against the ropes, then knees and boots him; Neville tumbles to the floor again as Barrett poses. He kicks Neville again in the stomach as he is on the top of the corner, then continues to tire him with the headlock.
He whips Neville off the ropes, but Neville reverses a slam into a pin combo for two, but then is slid to the outside again. Barrett also follows again and taunts Neville by holding him in front of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He throws Neville to the ring, and turns around to talk to the commentator’s, but Neville walks the barricade and somersaults onto Barrett!
“The Man That Gravity Forgot” begins his comeback and almost takes this! He also kicks out of a couple more covers, then flips out of a potential backdrop and German-suplexes him for a close-call! Neville ascends the turnbuckle and leaps over Barrett who stands up and spins him around with The Winds Of Change! 1 – 2 – Neville gets his shoulder up!
King winds up for The Bullhammer Elbow, but Neville reverses into another pin combo for two, then reverses Wasteland into a DDT! He goes to the top again and lands the Red Arrow Tornado Splash for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall and Advancing: Neville
Segment #3: Backstage Promo
Rene Young inquires The Usos about squaring off against Erik Rowan and Luke Harper. Jimmy and Jey make fun of The Wyatt Family and put themselves over, as well as the rivalry they have had with them.
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Match #3: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First-Round) – Kalisto VS. Ryback
They shake hands to begin, then Kalisto starts fast with kicks, flips, and his finisher, but Ryback powers out at two!
Commercials.
Kalisto is kicking away but is caught into a spinebuster and three consecutive powerbombs! Ryback takes over, kneeing Kalisto in his side, then whipping him hard into the top turnbuckle. He holds Kalisto up in a standing-stalling-suplex, but Kalisto squirms out and tries to knee Ryback again. “The Big Guy” dominates again after suplex and stomps a few times. He riles up the fans with “Feed Me More” calls, then clamps on a grounding waistlock into a slam. He does this again, but Kalisto elbows out as they stand up, however is given a big-boot as he ran off the ropes.
Ryback splashes, but Kalisto moves, then the Lucha Dragon moves from a Meat-Hook Clothesline. He follows with a dropkick, then a springboard Asai moonsault to the floor, but Ryback catches and slams him. He carries Kalisto to the ring, but Kalisto shoves him into the ring apron and springboard-bulldogs him back in!
Ryback is still too strong, grabbing Kalisto from a hurricanrana position into the Marching Samoan Drop! Kalisto turns around into a sunset flip though, but Ryback gets his shoulder up. Kalisto gets planted with a Meat-Hook Clothesline though, but manages to place his foot on the bottom rope for the break! Ryback splashes Kalisto from behind twice, then places atop the turnbuckle. On top, Kalisto elbows and flips Ryback backward with his finisher and gets it!
Winner via Pinfall and Advancing: Kalisto
Post-match, “The Big Guy” hesitates but puts out his hand again and gives props to Kalisto.
Up next, Stardust or Alberto Del Rio look to move on in the tournament!
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Segment #4: Video Promo
WrestleMania 2016’s ticket sales are featured.
Match #4: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First-Round) – Mex-America (United States) Champion Alberto Del Rio (with Zeb Colter) VS. Stardust
Prior to the bout, Zeb and Alberto rip on Manchester and assert that Del Rio will become the first-ever WWE Mex-America Heavyweight Champion.
Stardust catches Alberto with a quick roll-up, but this infuriates the Mex-America Champ, and he becomes sharp quick. Stardust comes back with an uppercut and clotheslines Del Rio over the ropes, but Alberto takes umbrage, hitting a running-enziguri and chucking Stardust into the corner of the barrier.
Commercials.
Del Rio continues to dominate, giving Stardust a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near-fall. He runs and kicks Stardust in his head, then springboard-stomps him. Stardust grabs the ropes off a cover and kicks Alberto back.
Stardust punches away in the opposite corner, but Del Rio ducks out and pulls Stardust’s leg down. He hits Stardust with another running-enziguri but only gets two! Alberto locks on an armbar using the ropes, but is forced to break it before the count. Stardust gains advantage with a Side-Effect Slam, then some momentum with running elbows. He flips Del Rio out of the corner with a cutter, and then a reverse-DDT.
Alberto ducks again and hits the Backstabber, then runs at him with a clothesline! and finalizes this after a Double-Stomp from the top turnbuckle! Del Rio goes for the cross armbreaker but Stardust counters into the Disaster Kick! 1 – 2 – Alberto clutches the ropes!
Alberto pushes him back in the corner and kicks away, but Stardust counters another run with double-boots. He climbs the turnbuckle backwards, but Del Rio chops him down, runs at him with a kick, and finalizes this with the leaping-double-stomp!
Winner via Pinfall and Advancing: Mex-America (United States) Champion Alberto Del Rio
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Segment #5: Video Promo
Paige and Becky Lynch’s match ending from Raw is shown and discussed, as well as the Divas Championship contest between Charlotte, the champion, and Paige at Survivor Series.
Segment #6: Backstage Promo
Rene Young is with Roman Reigns, who talks about his next opponent in the tournament, Cesaro. Reigns reminds us about his journey, and Rene asks about Triple H’s offer to him from Raw, which Roman restates that he wants to get everything his way.
The Usos makes their entrance for the main-event, next!
Commercials.
Match #5: Tag-Team – The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) VS. The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper and Erik Rowan) (with Wyatt Family members Bray Wyatt and Braun Stroman)
The bell doesn’t ring right away, as Harper and Erik brawl with the twins. Jimmy and Jey are still good-to-go, and referee …. starts the match. Rowan tosses an Uso from the top turnbuckle with a fall-away slam, who rolls to the outside.
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Erik is still controlling an Jey, then tags in Harper. He sling-shots the twin into the middle rope, and slaps back at him. Rowan is back and tears at Uso’s face, then lands front-first on Jey for a two-count! Harper is tagged in but taken down, as The Uso tags in his brother, who is all over Luke!
Jimmy gears up, but Rowan pulls him out to the floor. Jey follows with a splash but is dropped, and Jimmy climbs the turnbuckle and soars with a crossbody onto Luke for a near-fall! Jimmy gives Harper a Samoan Drop. He flies over the top rope onto Erik, but is stopped and put back in the ring. Luke plants him with a sit-down powerbomb, but Jey breaks it up!
Luke attempts a clothesline, but Jimmy counters with two superkicks, and both brothers superkick both members of The Family. They then dive to the aisle onto Rowan and Harper again, but Bray and Braun come in and begin to attack, causing the dq.
Winners via Disqualification: The Uso
Post-match, The Wyatt Family keep going with their finishers, As Bray goes for a second Sister Abigail, the gong sounds and the lights darken. The arena is turned into blue as The Undertaker’s voice sounds, accepting the challenge for Survivor Series. He does not state which members “The Brothers Of Destruction” will face, but lets the lighting blast to explode the corner pyro in flames and close the show.
End Of Smackdown!
Reporter’s Rumblings
Today is a sad day in professional wrestling, as on November 13th, 2005, Eddie Guerrero passed away. In lieu of my usual review and title for the show, I will instead again give my thoughts on another great lost too soon.
Though the phrase “one of the best” tends to get thrown around too often, it can be honestly said about Eddie. He had everyone and everything to make it in this business, and he truly did, through thick and thin. Firstly, it was already instilled in him by his legendary family, so he had the passion and desire for the business for most of his career. He knew how to wrestle right from the get-go and he knew the little nuances needed to get himself, his opponent, the story, and the match over. He was absolutely wonderful at both making you hate him and love him, and the feelings of you as a fan or not at times in his life were genuine.
I commend him for conquering his demons of addiction, one the few to actually do so in this business and live seemingly happier in the last few years of life. The news of his death that day was surreal, and I believe if he was around still today, he would be a major contributor to WWE for the better, whether still wrestling or backstage as an agent looking after the younger generation.
Thankfully, he did leave us on an uplifting note, both in storyline being a face, and in life since he had overcome so many obstacles and appearing to be settled and in a good place. Eddie Guerrero, you will be missed always, but thank you for the wrestler and man you were.
WWE will be holding another Performance Center All Access behind-the-scenes tour in January following a successful outing in September.
For $1,499 per person, fans who purchase a ticket will be able to share breakfast and lunch with NXT Superstars and Divas, participate in a Q&A and orientation session with coaches, help produce, manage, and watch an NXT live event, hands-on training required to put up a live event, all-access tour of the WWE Performance Center, observe an NXT training session, attend a Q&A and autograph session with NXT’s Superstars and Divas, and learn how to cut a promo with a video of your performance.
Those attending will also receive a commemorative WWE Performance Center: All Access credential and lanyard, a WWE PC gift bag, photo ops, highlight reel of the whole experience, and a limited edition event chair pre-signed by NXT Superstars and Divas.
The event will be held on Saturday, January 23, and the very limited tickets will be available starting Monday, November 23 at 10AM EST at NXTTickets.com.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has reported today that Billy Gunn has been fired as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center due to testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone in a powerlifting meet from July.
According to Meltzer, his drug test came up with a 37-1 testosterone/epitestosterone ratio, well over the 4-1 limit, and he was suspended from powerlifting for four years. In addition, WWE were not aware of his involvement in powerlifting competitions until a few weeks ago.
The former WWE tag team title holder who is a big friend of Triple H made his WWE return in December 2012 and was assigned as a trainer at NXT. Since then, he made several appearances with Road Dogg as the New Age Outlaws, even winning the WWE Tag Team titles at the 2014 Royal Rumble Kickoff show.
Gunn was also one of the three coaches for this year’s Tough Enough along with Booker T and Lita. Apart from his job down at NXT, Gunn was also an agent and helped producing segments and matches.
The official launch date of the WWE Network in Germany is Tuesday, January 5, 2016, almost two years after the Network made its debut in the United States. With the German launch, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, will also get the WWE Network.
The 4 new countries receiving the Network will get the U.S. version of the product for $9.99 a month and will include full access to the WWE Network library including the 12 pay-per-views live. The 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.
“Germany is a strategically important market for WWE with a passionate and engaged fan base,” said George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer. “We are committed to growing our brand internationally, and global expansion of WWE Network is critical to achieving that goal.”
Germany was the last big market in Europe to adopt the Network due to contractual obligations with the local broadcaster.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be the subject of this Sunday’s Oprah’s Master Class episode which aires on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
In a short preview released on Youtube, showing the sit down interview with the former WWE champion, Johnson breaks down when discussing something that his 13 year old daughter at the time said to him.
Rocky also touched about the “Rocky sucks” chants at his first WrestleMania and how he was getting in trouble constantly. The Rock also discusses battling depression, his CFL career, leaving WWE to go to Hollywood, and much more.
The show airs at 8PM EST this coming Sunday. You can see the small preview below.
CMT has announced that the new season of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge reality series will returning on Sunday, January 3, at 8PM EST.
The new season will have 18 episodes featuring world-renowned athletic contenders from across the obstacle course racing world including Spartan and CrossFit, power lifters, professional athletes, MMA fighters and everyday heroes.
The new season kicks off with a special military-themed episode as brothers in arms face off in a series of intense challenges. In the end, only one Veteran will make it to the final challenge designed by Steve Austin himself, the Skullbuster. The half-mile obstacle course is the most grueling one yet, and only the toughest of the tough will make it to the end for a shot at winning $10,000. The military Veterans will also compete for a chance to win an additional $10,000 for the charity of his choice.
Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge is one of CMT’s highest-rated series, reaching more than 4 million weekly viewers across all platforms in season two.
The WWE World Heavyweight title tournament qualifying matches come to an end tonight on Smackdown which was taped on Tuesday from Manchester, England.
The three remaining qualifying matches include Neville vs King Barrett, Ryback vs Kalisto, and Stardust vs Alberto Del Rio. The winners of these matches will advance to the quarter finals along with Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, and Dean Ambrose, all of whom qualified during Raw this past Monday.
Only two quarter final matches are set so far with Reigns vs Cesaro and Ziggler vs Ambrose. Quarter finals are expected to start on next week’s Raw.
The Undertaker made a surprise appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show on NBC last night during the “Suggestion Box” segment.
Fallon was reading suggestions from fans and one of the viewers suggested that Fallon have Taker appear and Tombstone someone wearing a turkey outfit. At first, Fallon said that he has no clue how to get the Undertaker on such short notice but then the gong was heard and the theme song kicked in, with full effects.
Out came the Undertaker, who slowly removed his jacket, hat, and then tombstoned a guy who was dancing around in a turkey suit. The guy in the suit was none other than former Raw General Manager Brad Maddox.
After the stunt, Fallon tried to shake hands with the Undertaker, but the man celebrating 25 years in the WWE this month just stared Fallon.
Seth Rollins underwent successful knee surgery yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, to repair the ACL, MCL, and meniscus, an injury he suffered during the first day of the WWE European tour last week in Dublin, Ireland.
The operation was conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center and it involved rebuilding the former champ’s knee. A team of five other doctors and medical personnel assisted with the operation. Rollins is expected to be out for up to 9 months, missing WrestleMania next year in Dallas, Texas.
Judging from photos published by WWE.COM, it seems that WWE Network cameras were present, possibly there to capture the process for a future WWE Network original program.
Raw this past Monday was the first program that did not involve Seth Rollins ever since he made his WWE debut in 2012. He held the record for appearing in every single Raw show since he was called up from NXT.
Former TNA champion and current MMA fighter Bobby Lashley has been Bellator’s biggest ratings grabber according to a report on MMAFighting.com.
Noting the 814,000 viewers that tuned in to watch this past Saturday’s Bellator MMA event on Spike, MMAFighting.com says that the peak rating during the show came in for the Bobby Lashley vs James Thompson fight which was seen by 1,048,000 viewers.
“With the exception of people like Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz and Kimbo Slice, Lashley, with his pro wrestling fan base, has been consistently Bellator’s biggest ratings draw. Lashley’s fight this past weekend outdrew Ortiz’s championship challenge to Liam McGeary last month,” the report states.
Lashley registered his 7th straight MMA win this past week, finishing off Thompson in under a minute. His MMA record stands at 14-2.
Former WWE World Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been added to the WWE non-televised live event in Houston, Texas, which will take place on Friday, January 9, at the Toyota Center.
Apart from this house show, Lesnar is also scheduled to take part in the non-televised live event in Inglewood, California on December 19 at The Forum.
So far every non-televised live event that Lesnar has been a part of – the one in Tokyo in July and the one at Madison Square Garden in October – were turned into a WWE Network event.
The drama, the acting, the scriptedness of it all – it is arguably what makes WWE so great, and what makes audiences keep coming back for more. The principle players of yesteryear, who ranged from Stone Cold Steve Austin and his legion of followers who went around misquoting Bible verses, to prior to that with Hulk Hogan himself becoming an American icon alongside the likes of Chuck Norris the in the golden 90s, are still remembered today.
Nowadays, we live in the age of bingo sites like BingoSweets and a name change for wrestling (so as not be confused with a certain animal right’s organization), but the basic recipe for entertainment is still what underpins the American version of Mexican luchadores. (As an aside, perhaps a Mexican director will make a movie parodying dramatized versions of American wrestling the same way the Jack Black-starred film Nacho Libre did of Mexico’s proud tradition).
What went Down?
Or perhaps the question should be asked, who went down during the main pay per view event of the WWE? In short, Rusev, Sheamus, and King Barret were taken down by none other than the power trio of Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, and Neville; Roman Reigns took down Bray Wyatt; the new tag team champions are the New Day, thanks to a victory against the Dudley Boyz; Charlotte defeated Nikki Bella in a showdown of the divas; the heavyweights of Seth Rollins and Demon Kane faced off, with the former taking the victory; and Keven Owens decisively struck against Ryback for the Intercontinental crown.
Meanwhile, the highlight, by all accounts, was the final showdown between the Undertaker against Brock Lesnar, with all sorts of undertones of fraught tension in a climax of multiple ongoing narratives. There was blood, and it came down to a battle of wills as the two duked it out. The entire Wyatt family joined in to take down the Undertaker in an impressive display of unsportsmanlike conduct after he had already lost the match. Oh yes, it was a spectacle to behold, just like it was planned all along.
Other Takeaways
In the Diva category, Charlotte’s big win means that someone like Sasha Banks can now challenge for the title. Interestingly enough, other Divas were banned from the ring during the match, presumably just to focus the attention on the two in the ring. Just as an aside, who would not want to see Ronda Rousey of UFC fame throw her hat in the ring and deliver a real beat down on some of the women?
A promise was broken during the tag team event, where Kofi Kingston did not deliver on playing D-Von’s head like a drum of a bongo if they won. Now that would have made for good television. Luckily, the bad blood between the two groups continues, so the drama and intrigue find more fuel for the fire. Finally, another bright point is the chemistry between Reigns and Wyat. Reigns in particular looks posed to be making noise at the main event, next year’s WrestleMania, so keep an eye out for him.
During the Smackdown tapings in Manchester, England yesterday, WWE taped a segment where it will most likely not make it on the final edit of the show featuring Wade Barrett and The Undertaker.
Barrett cut a promo in the ring saying how awful the past two days have been and he’s going to tell Vince McMahon not to ever come back to Manchester. The Undertaker came out for his advertised appearance with a complete entrance and in full Undertaker costume.
“Can I help you mate? You lost or something? You know you’re not in Death Valley California now, you’re in the mean streets of North West England, i.e. the wrong side of the tracks, mate,” Barrett told Taker.
Barrett said he built quite a reputation here but it was Undertaker’s lucky day as he has better things to do and when he tried to exit the ring, he turned around trying to hit the Undertaker but Taker blocked him and chokeslammed him.
Taker then delivered the Tombstone piledriver and with fans chanting “one more time,” their wish was granted as the Undertaker hit another Tombstone on Barrett.
Monday Night Raw TV Report for November 9th, 2015 – “A New Path”
Introduction Segment: Welcoming and Arena Promo
Michael Cole addresses us from Manchester, England, and talks the huge, unfortunate, news that WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins has injured his knee and will not be able to compete for the next several months; he has had to be stripped of the championship and there is a tournament up to Survivor Series to get a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
The COO of WWE is out to outline the situation. Triple H first gives props to Rollins, who has battled to keep the WWE World Heavyweight Championship since WrestleMania XXXI in March; the crowd are on his side too, yelling “thank you, Rollins.” He then brings out the former #1 Contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Title, Roman Reigns. “The Game” tells Reigns that it is not right that he should be in this tournament after already fighting for the #1 Contender’s spot. He gives Roman a pep talk, citing that he was actually thinking of him first instead of Rollins to join up with The Authority; the only different between he and Seth was that Rollins was willing to do absolutely anything to be “the man.”
He continues to pump-up and dress-down Reigns, but tries to entice him to join after all and take an offer of only defeating his guy to be the new champion. Roman travels the clean road though, and declines, citing he wants to work for everything he gets, not be given it blatantly. HHH accepts his response, and then puts him at “the back of the line.” Reign’s now takes on The Big Show in a First-Round Qualifying Match.
Commercials.
Match #1: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First-Round) – Roman Reigns VS. The Big Show
Show is aggressive early with a couple of punches in the corner and slinging Reigns across the ring. he gives him a shoulder-block, then continues to punish him. On the outside, he goes to ram Roman into the post, but Reigns slides out and shoves back. It doesn’t phase Show much, as he tosses Roman back in the ring and works him over more.
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Reigns is now hitting back with right hands, but gets caught in a bearhug submission as he ran off the ropes. Roman gets out of it with a Samoan Drop, then kicks Big on the outside. Show counters one with a big (no pun intended) chop, but Reigns hits back with two double-boots. He hits a couple of Drive-By running front-dropkicks, then goes for the Superman Punch but Show grabs him by the throat and chokeslams him! 1 – 2 – Reigns kicks out! Big winds up for the K.O. Punch, but Reigns stops him with a Superman Punch then Spears and covers for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall and Advancing: Roman Reigns
The brackets are shown, with Cesaro and Sheamus wrestling later tonight for a spot.
Segment #2: Video Promo
A mix of The Undertaker’s and Kane’s careers are shown with The Wyatt Family
Commercials.
Match #2: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship First-Round) – Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens VS. Titus O’Neil (Non-Title)
Before the bout, Kevin cuts a promo ripping the English fans and everyone but himself. A lockup begins with Owens shoving O’Neil back. Titus hits a few punches and a big-boot which sends Kevin rolling to the floor. O’Neil follows and shoulder-blocks Owens into the corner of the barricade!
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The I.C. Champ has O’Neil in a rear chinlock and prolongs the beating while yelling at him. He whips Titus off the ropes, but “The Big Deal” reverses and gives him another shoulder-block and a clothesline! He leaps over Owens in the corner and then scoop-slams him. He splashes Kevin in the corner, but is almost beat with a roll-up by the I.C. Champ after Kevin moved! O’Neil counters again and flips Owens around with a pump-handle-slam, and then covers for a near-fall!
Owens counters a pickup and plants O’Neil with the Pop-Up Powerbomb and gets the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall and Advancing: Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens
Segment #3: Backstage Promo
Rene Young is with Paige and asks her about facing her former partner, Becky Lunch. Paige is all too happy to do away with her, and then Divas Champion Charlotte when they square off for the Title at Survivor Series.
Segment #4: Video Promo
Another recap of Undertaker’s and Kane’s career, this one with them both winning the Heavyweight Championships, at WrestleMania 13 (1997) and Money In The Bank (2010) respectively.
Commercials.
Match #3: Single – Becky Lynch VS. Paige
An elbow-collar tie-up starts and the two roll to the floor and back in and around the ring. Paige hits a few forearms but Lynch hits back. Paige holds onto the ropes after a whip, but is arm-dragged down a couple times and locked in an armbar.
Paige tosses Becky in the opposite direction then slams her head against the canvas and takes control. She ties Lynch upside down in the corner and stomps, then pulls her back from the outside. She puts an Abdominal Stretch on Becky, which Lynch reverses, but Paige elbows out of and throws Becky. Lynch uppercuts, clotheslines, and dropkicks back for two, but is kneed in the corner and on the mat. Lynch grabs Paige’s leg and suplexes her over, then hits a running legdrop.
Paige hits back with a back-kick, but Becky kicks out and springboard-kicks Paige in the corner. She can’t pick her up though and Paige drops Lynch with the Ram-Paige DDT in the corner; Becky grasps the bottom rope to stop the count! She argues with Charles Robinson, the referee, then tries an O’Connor roll-up, holding onto Becky’s tights, but Lynch reverses it and does the same, taking this one!
Winner via Pinfall: Becky Lynch
Post-match, an irate Paige secures Becky on the announce table in her P.T.O. hold until Divas Champion Charlotte charges out and breaks it up.
Up next, Miz will face Dolph Ziggler in another Qualifying Match!
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Match #4: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship First-Round) – The Miz VS. Dolph Ziggler
They commence evenly, trading moves until Miz kicks at Dolph’s left knee. He works on that appendage for a while, but misses a run in the corner and hits the turnbuckle. Ziggler’s knee appears to be hurt as he hops around on it, clotheslining Miz in the process. Dolph almost gets this twice with different roll-ups, then Miz tries to make Ziggler tap a Figure-4; Ziggler pursues out of it and then smacks him with a superkick to finish this!
Winner via Pinfall and Advancing: Dolph Ziggler
Segment #6: Video Promo
Undertaker’s return at Survivor Series 2005 and Kane’s Tag-Team Championship win with Daniel Bryan at Night Of Champions 2012 are shown.
Commercials.
Segment #6: Arena Promo
Zeb Colter and United States/Mexican-American Champion Alberto Del Rio come to the stage. Zeb criticizes the England crowd and pronounces Alberto as “the first Mex-American Heavyweight Champion.”
Team B.A.D. are dancing through the halls as Naomi will face Natalya, next!
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Match #5: Single – Natalya VS. Naomi (with Team B.A.D. partners Sasha Banks and Tamina)
Naomi slaps Natalya right away then chucks her to the floor. She follows with a hop to the apron, but Nattie pulls Naomi down. With referee John Coan distracted, Sasha shoves Natalya into the ring post, allowing Naomi to take over. She tears at Nattie with a chinlock, then smashes her head against the mat. She misses a rear-end splash and Natalya clotheslines her.
She taunts the fans and Sasha, then tries a Sharpshooter but is pushed away. Naomi tries the Rear-View, but Nattie doesn’t move and instead throws Naomi into Tamina, who stepped up on the apron, then rolls Naomi up for the finish!
Winner via Pinfall: Natalya
Post-match, Banks tries to give Natalya the Bank Statement at first, but Nattie counters and ties her up in The Sharpshooter. Tamina enters and kicks Natalya in the head, then Sasha stretches her with her Bank Statement Crossface.
Segment #6: Video Promo
‘Taker/Kane’s demonic ways are shown next, with Undertaker slamming Edge through the ring at SummerSlam (2008) during their Hell In A Cell match, and Kane disrupting Edge and Lita’s “wedding” in 2005 on Raw.
Sheamus and Wade Barrett make their entrance for Sheamus to take on Cesaro next in another Tournament Contest!
Commercials.
Match #6: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First-Round) – Sheamus (with King Barrett) VS. Cesaro
They both wrestle, exchanging holds evenly. Cesaro takes over quickly, particularly with an uppercut. Sheamus moves and gives Cesaro a backbreaker, then hammers away on his chest with 10 Beats Of The Bowron. He clotheslines Cesaro on the apron.
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Sheamus is dominating now with a rear chinlock and flip-over slam from the top turnbuckle. He mocks Cesaro and slaps him around, but this just fires up the “Swiss Superman” with slaps and a backwards torture rack drop! Cesaro signals and sweeps up Sheamus for the Big Swing, but Sheamus squirms to the bottom rope to break it.
Both slide in the ring just prior to the ten count-out, then Sheamus drops Cesaro with his White Noise slam! He goes for the Brogue Kick, but Cesaro slides under and grabs him in the Sharpshooter! Sheamus now hits a few uppercuts, but Cesaro hits back with a few of his own. He places Sheamus on top of the turnbuckle then dropkicks him, which sends Sheamus tumbling to the floor!
Cesaro follows with a running uppercut, flooring Sheamus over the timekeeper’s area. Cesaro poses with fans, but Barrett gets in Cesaro’s face, which allows Sheamus to clothesline him. Sheamus and Barrett argue with Wayne Rooney – Manchester United Football (Soccer) star who is at ringside – until Rooney slaps Wade. In the ring, Cesaro catches Sheamus in a pin combo to take this!
Winner via Pinfall and Advancing: Cesaro
Commercials.
Match #7: Single (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament First Round) – Dean Ambrose VS. Tyler Breeze (with Summer Rae)
Prior to this, during Dean’s entrance, Tyler and Summer Rae are interviewed. Breeze vows to send Ambrose “back to that trash heap where he found that awful ensemble he wears.” Rae concurs, and calls Tyler “a blessing” if he was to be WWE Champion.
Dean ties-up Tyler in a hammerlock and tries a clothesline but Breeze stops him. Ambrose clotheslines Tyler over the ropes and goes for a dive, but Summer gets in the ring. Dean switches sides and rockets through the ropes onto Breeze, then poses on the barricade with the fans.
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Ambrose has Tyler in a suplex-position on the top turnbuckle, but Breeze pushes him off and soars with a crossbody for a near-fall! He kicks Dean hard and almost gets him again, then stomps away in the corner. He chucks “The Lunatic Fringe” into the barrier then punches in the ring.
Dean begins to make a comeback, and they trade pin combos for twos, then Ambrose kicks out of a pin while Breeze had his feet on the ropes! He clotheslines Tyler down, then flies off the top with a front-dropkick! He appears to have hurt his knee or shoulder, then is run into the ring posts by Tyler.
“Prince Pretty” brings Ambrose backward with knees-to-the-back, then works over that hurt shoulder with an armbar. He argues with the referee after he is told to top the knees against the ropes, then is chucked to the floor. As Breeze re-enters, Dean traps Tyler in an inside cradle for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner and Advancing: Dean Ambrose
Segment #7: Video Promo
Undertaker and Kane’s power is shown, with clips from ‘Taker’s Hell In A Cell “End Of An Era” match at WrestleMania XXVIII (2012) with Triple H, and Kane’s 2001 Royal Rumble then-record of 11 eliminations.
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Match #8: Six-Man Tag-Team – Tag-Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E., and Xavier Woods) VS. Neville and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)
Before this, The New Day are angry that they were left out of the tournament, especially since they have been taking out top stars like The Dudley Boyz and John Cena.
Jimmy and Woods begin, with Jimmy already going for a superkick but Xavier ducking back and quickly tagging out.
Commercials.
The New Day are now in control, triple-stomping Jey in the corner. Kofi stomps on his back, then bring him to the mat with an armlock while paint-brushing his face. Big E. is in and gives Jey a big splash for a near-fall!
Jey manages to leap and get the hot-tag to Neville, who cleans house and flies from the top turnbuckle with a twisting-splash on to everyone on the outside! He kicks Woods down, then goes up for the Red Arrow. The trumpet is slid in, which distracts the referee, and Neville tripped up by E, and this gives Xavier the opportunity to pin Neville with his feet on the ropes for the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champions The New Day and The Usos
Segment #8: Video Promo
The last Undertaker and Kane promo airs, this from Hell In A Cell of this year.
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Segment #9: Arena Promo
Bray Wyatt is out alone and wants to “celebrate change.” He talks about the command that Undertaker and Kane have had for almost twenty years, but now he controls it. Wyatt says “there was no passing of the torch.” Bray claims that he “owns” the brothers. “The apocalypse is here.” He gets on his knees and yells “follow the buzzards,” but the video of Undertaker and Kane is shown and “lighting” sets the ring post and stage ablaze.
A gong is heard, and The Undertaker and Kane return! The “Brothers Of Destruction” saunter to the ring and face-off with Bray. The lights go out, and then the rest of the Family is surrounding the ring. ‘Taker and Kane are too strong, taking out Luke Harper, Braun Strowman, and Erik Rowan, and Wyatt himself! The “Brothers Of Destruction” walk to the top of the ramp and pose to close the show.
