WWE creative writer David Kapoor, better known to WWE fans as The Great Khali’s manager Ranjin Singh, posted on Twitter that Khali is now a U.S. citizen.
“To my bro @GreatKhali, congrats on becoming a US Citizen today! Now we’re both as American as @WWEZeb #WeThePeople,” he wrote on his Twitter.
Kapoor posted a photo of Khali holding a small American flag with his hand on his chest during the ceremony which was held yesterday.
The 41 year old Khali has been employed by the WWE since 2006. Before beginning his professional wrestling career in 2000, he was a police officer in the Punjab state police.
Hulk Hogan posed for a photograph with the WWE Performance Center staff and trainers in Orlando, Florida, this week, and TMZ.COM managed to obtain the photo.
Hogan is seen in full wrestling gear centered between the staff and trainers including Bill DeMott, Dusty Rhodes, Norman Smiley, Terry Taylor and others.
The WWE Hall of Famer will be returning to the WWE this coming Monday on RAW and is expected to have a role at WrestleMania XXX in April. Hogan has been doing some training at the WWE Performance Center as he gets ready to make his first WWE appearance since December 2007.
During the conference call held earlier today to discuss the quarter earnings results, Vince McMahon made the first public comment about CM Punk since Punk walked out of the company several weeks ago.
When McMahon was asked about the upcoming WrestleMania and a status update on CM Punk by one of the callers who managed to get through. McMahon said that this year’s WrestleMania will be big both storyline-wise and talent-wise and as far as CM Punk goes, the Chairman and CEO said, “He’s taking a sabbatical, let’s just put it that way.”
WWE has avoided talking about CM Punk since he quit almost a month ago and Punk himself has not used his Twitter account since January 27, where he thanked his fans for all the support. WWE has denied releasing him last week and Punk remains on the WWE.COM website and his merchandise is still selling on WWEShop.com.
WWE today unveiled the WWE Network programming lineup which kicks off on Monday, February 24, at 9PM EST.
The first live show on the Network will be the RAW pre-show starting at 7:30PM EST on launch day, followed by a post-RAW show titled RAW Backstage Pass at 11:05PM EST. These will be weekly shows.
Smackdown will also get the same treatment, with a 30 minute pre-show starting Friday, February 28 at 7:30PM EST and then the Smackdown Backstage Pass follows at 10PM EST after Smackdown is over.
WrestleMania Rewind will premiere on Tuesday, February 25 at 9PM EST followed by WWE Countdown at 10PM EST. These will also be weekly shows.
A one hour special titled This Is NXT premieres on launch day at 11AM EST, giving everyone a behind-the-scenes look at the next generation of WWE Superstars and Divas. This will serve as preview for the first ever live in-ring event on the WWE Network, the NXT ArRival, airing live on Thursday, February 27 at 8PM EST. Before ArRival kicks off, a 30 minute pre-show will air live. NXT will also have a weekly show every Thursday at 9PM EST starting on March 6, at 9PM EST.
WWE Superstars will be airing on the WWE Network starting February 27 at 10PM EST with a new show every Thursday and another new show titled Beyond The Ring, featuring action from WWE, WCW, AWA, and ECW kicks off on Saturday, March 1 at 8PM EST.
Rounding up the new shows are Best of RAW and Best of Smackdown, with Best of RAW starting on Thursday, February 27 at 4:30PM EST and Best of Smackdown kicking off on Saturday, March 1 at 1PM EST.
The WWE Legends House premieres on Thursday, April 10 at 8PM EST and will air every Thursday. Legends House has Superstars such as Roddy Piper, Jim Duggan, Hillbilly Jim, Tony Atlas, and others living in a house together.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air in full on the Network on Saturday, April 5 at 9PM EST followed by the first ever pay-per-view on the Network, WrestleMania XXX, on Sunday, April 6 at 7PM EST.
In reaction to DISH Network’s decision to dump the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view from its schedule and basically the rest of the WWE pay-per-views, WWE issued a statement on their own.
“WWE is pleased that the majority of our cable and satellite Pay-Per-View distributors are giving our fans an option to purchase traditional Pay-Per-Views as we prepare to launch WWE Network on Monday, February 24. Unfortunately, DISH will not be doing so. We hope DISH will reconsider for this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View event and especially for WrestleMania 30,” the statement read.
WrestleMania 30 will undoubtedly be a major, major loss in revenue for both WWE and DISH if the provider decides not to carry it as well. DISH said that it will consider carrying WWE shows on an event-by-event basis.
The Hell In A Cell pay-per-view was the most successful in the last quarter while Battleground was the biggest loser out of the four pay-per-views which WWE offered between October and December.
The first Battleground did 114,000 buys, followed by Hell In A Cell with 228,000 buys, up from the 199,000 the show did the previous year. The Survivor Series was down from 208,000 buys of the 2012 edition to just 177,000 in 2013 while TLC did 181,000 buys, an increase of just 6,000 buys over the previous year.
Survivor Series is the worst of the original top four pay-per-views when it comes to buys and is no longer a draw as in previous years.
WWE announced its fourth quarter results ending December 31, 2013, before the market opened today, with revenues totaling $118.4 million as compared to $115.1 million in the prior year quarter. The company had an operating loss of $12.2 million compared to an income of $2.6 million in the prior year quarter. Net loss was $7.9 million compared to an income of $0.6 million.
The decline and loss were majorly due to a heavy investment in staff, talent, and marketing initiatives to launch the WWE Network.
“During the past year, we laid the foundation for future growth and enhanced our brand strength,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We have now announced the renewal of our television distribution agreement in the U.K., are continuing the negotiations regarding our domestic content, and are poised to launch our global WWE Network in the next few days. With preparations for WrestleMania 30 fully underway, we look forward to celebrating our enduring legacy and ushering in a new era as we blaze new trails in the media industry.”
In a statement issued to Wrestling-Online.com from DISH Network’s Corporate Communications office, the company has confirmed that they will not offer WWE pay-per-views however will consider the value of the PPV shows on an event by event basis.
“WWE has chosen to launch a 24/7 online network, without its TV partners, that includes all of its pay-per-view events. As WWE enters the increasingly fragmented media world by themselves, DISH will continue to consider the value of WWE
pay-per-view on an event by event basis,” the statement says.
“DISH continues to provide a variety of WWE programming, including WWE Raw on USA, WWE Smackdown on Syfy, WWE Main Event on Ion and WWE Total Divas on E!. At this time, WWE pay-per-view events are not available on DISH.”
DISH becomes the first PPV provider to dump WWE shows due to the WWE Network. DirecTV threatened to do the same in January but has confirmed that it will carry the Elimination Chamber, the last PPV-only show that will air before the Network launches.
Upcoming WWE pay-per-views will be available on the WWE Network as part of the $9.99 package and will also be airing on the traditional pay-per-view format for the usual price of $54.95.
As things stand, DISH Network will not be carrying the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view most likely in protest over the price of the WWE Network and the availability of all WWE pay-per-views as part of the cheap $9.99 monthly package.
An e-mail sent to Danielle Johnson, Programming/Consumer Relations at DISH regarding the pay-per-view remains unanswered at time of this writing. DISH has removed all mentions of WWE from their website. They do list the UFC and TNA shows which are set for pay-per-view this month and next month.
DirecTV, which threatened to take off WWE pay-per-views in comments to the Los Angeles Times after the Network was announced, is advertising the Elimination Chamber on their website and will be carrying the show as usual. It is important to note that the Chamber show is not airing on the Network since it launches the next day in the United States.
The first official trailer of Batista’s upcoming movie Guardians of the Galaxy was released yesterday, with the movie set to hit theaters nationwide on August 1, 2014.
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio del Toro, are the rest of the leading names in this movie, with Batista playing the role of Drax the Destroyer.
Filming started in July 2013 and was wrapped in October. Most likely Batista will be taking some time off to promote the movie once the Disney and Marvel go full speed ahead with the marketing prior to the release of the flick. You can see the trailer below.
WWE has issued a statement on the death of Nelson Frazier on the WWE.COM website and put up some videos of Frazier from his WWE career.
“WWE is saddened by the news that Nelson Frazier Jr., aka Big Daddy V and Mabel, has passed away. A larger-than-life Superstar, Frazier was a former World Tag Team Champion, Hardcore Champion and the 1995 King of the Ring. As the dark, formidable Viscera, he was also a member of Undertaker’s faction, The Ministry of Darkness. Frazier’s colorful personality made him a memorable competitor throughout the Attitude Era. Our deepest condolences go out to Frazier’s family, friends and fans,” the statement read.
WWE has promoted Tandy O’Donoghue to Executive Vice President of Strategy & Analytics starting March 15. In this newly created role, she will be responsible for overseeing corporate strategy, corporate and business development and data analytics for WWE. O’Donoghue will report to WWE’s Chief Strategy & Financial Officer George Barrios.
O’Donoghue will work with WWE executives to identify and execute cross-functional high-impact initiatives including the global rollout of WWE Network, the development and execution of WWE’s long-term gaming strategy and global content monetization initiatives. She will also lead WWE’s efforts in securing strategic equity investments and partnerships, and will provide leadership for WWE’s use of advanced data analytics to support short and long-term decision making across the company.
O’Donoghue previously served as WWE’s Senior Vice President, Affiliate Relations & Business Development, where she was responsible for the day-to-day management of WWE’s pay-per-view business as well as the development and launch plans for WWE Network.
Former colleagues of Nelson “Viscera” Frazer, especially those who spent time with him during the Attitude Era and his last run in the company in mid 2000 used Twitter to send their condolences and say what a great, big man he was.
“Nelson was a genuine man, my former tag team partner & good friend,” tweeted Val Venis. Tommy Dreamer said he was shocked and sad, adding that he was a good friend and just celebrated his 43rd birthday days before he passed.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Big Viscera today. Big guy, big heart, and a great sense of humor. He will be missed,” added the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. “RIP Nelson you were a friend,” wrote Kevin Nash, who shared the stage at SummerSlam with Frazer in 1995.
William Regal, Taz, Justin Roberts, Chyna, Devon, and many others also shared their thoughts with one common line – he was a great friend and a great man.
Extreme Rules is coming to the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 4 and the Internet pre-sale kicks off tomorrow!
Fans who wish to attend the show can use the code EXTREME, starting from tomorrow, February 20 at 10AM EST. The pre-sale ends on Friday, February 21, at 11:59PM EST with tickets going on sale to the general public on Saturday, February 22, at 10AM.
Tickets start at $25 and go all the way up to $500 for ringside, excluding ticket fees. You can go to Ticketmaster.com to book your tickets.
The world of pro wrestling lost one of its boys yesterday as Nelson Frazer, better known to fans as Big Daddy V, Viscera, and Mabel, passed away at the age of 43 due to a heart attack.
Frazer signed with the then-WWF in 1993 as Mabel along with his tag team partner Mo to form Men on a Mission with their manager Oscar. In 1995, he was pushed as a solo competitor and turned heel, winning that year’s King of the Ring tournament. He headlined SummerSlam 95 against Diesel for the WWE title but never won the big title.
In 1999 he returned to the WWE and was kidnapped by The Undertaker and the Acolytes. He was repackaged as Viscera and formed part of the Ministry of Darkness before being released a year later.
In 2004 he came back for his third run with the company with a completely new gimmick as the “world’s largest love machine,” and ring announcer Lilian Garcia proposed to him, only to be dumped after the Godfather offered many of his hos in return. He moved to the ECW brand in 2007 and wrestled his last match for the WWE against CM Punk in 2008.
During his time in the WWE, he won the Hardcore title once and the Tag Team titles once.
WWE TV shows could be moving to a new home as Variety is reporting that both WWE and NBC Universal have “stepped away from the negotiating table” with no deal in place to keep RAW and Smackdown on USA Network and SyFy respectively.
“WWE’s exclusive negotiating period with NBCU for our flagship television programs, ‘Raw’ and ‘SmackDown,’ has now expired,” WWE said in a statement. “While we were unable to reach an agreement with NBCU during this period, we have certainly appreciated our long and productive partnership. With year-round, live programming that is highly coveted by programmers, distributors and advertisers, we are extremely excited about our future. We look forward to engaging with potential partners who recognize the value of having the #1 show on cable and live content delivered 52 weeks a year.”
The exclusive window expired on February 15 and WWE can now talk with other networks such as Viacom, Discovery, Fox, and others. NBC Universal can still match whatever offer WWE receives from other networks as part of the original agreement to keep the shows.
Currently WWE receives around $140 million in licensing fees and the plan is to at least double up on that money. Variety reports that WWE is interested in either put all the shows on one network or else split them up.
If WWE decides to move to a new home, both RAW and Smackdown will continue to air on USA and SyFy until September 30 of this year.
When RAW went off the air, the fun didn’t stop for the folks inside the arena and Dean Ambrose was the one who drew the short end of the stick for the post-RAW antics.
After the dust settled following the huge fight between The Shield, The Wyatts, and all participants of the Elimination Chamber match, Cena, Bryan, Sheamus, and Cesaro were left with Ambrose in the ring. Cesaro got hold of Ambrose and performed the Cesaro swing – almost 30 spins – before dropping him to a large ovation from the crowd. Sheamus then followed with a Brogue kick on Ambrose and after he recovered from that he got hit with the AA from John Cena.
With the ring cleared, Bryan was left alone with Ambrose as the fans hit a “Yes!” chant and then he hit a running knee to finish off The Shield member.
The situation with CM Punk remains unclear and as noted yesterday he still is featured on WWE.COM both as a Superstar and to sell merchandise on WWEShop.com and now WWE is denying the rumor that Punk was released last Friday.
The report initially came by PWInsider.com saying that talk during the weekend non-televised live events suggested that Punk received his release on Valentine’s Day. Another report this time from Wrestling Observer countered the rumor, saying that WWE has officially stated to them that CM Punk was not released and he is still part of the roster.
Punk walked out of the company a couple of weeks ago and has not even tweeted since then. A few photos surfaced online yesterday of Punk picking up his girlfriend AJ Lee from the airport in Chicago during the weekend.
The Elimination Chamber card looks to be complete now with two matches added to the pay-per-view.
Announced yesterday were New Age Outlaws vs The Usos for the WWE Tag Team titles and Darren Young vs Titus O’Neil. Those two matches will join the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight title, Big E vs Jack Swagger for the IC title, The Shield vs The Wyatt Family, and Batista vs Alberto Del Rio.
The kickoff match will see Cody Rhodes and Goldust taking on Ryback and Curtis Axel. That match will air on the WWE App, WWE.COM, and WWE’s social media outlets such as Facebook, YouTube, etc.
Tonight, Raw is live in the “Mile High” City and six nights away from Elimination Chamber! We know that WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton’s “Elimination Chamber Gauntlet” is over after he faces Sheamus tonight. Will the champion get another much-needed win for momentum, or can Sheamus build some of his own as he looks to the challenge at the pay-per-view.
Last week, The Wyatt Family and The Shield had an incredible stand-off! What will the rivals do to antagonize each other this evening as they prepare to square off in six-man action at Elimination Chamber?
My favorite women’s wrestler of all-time, Lita, was announced for the Hall-Of-Fame. Will we get another inductee?
Finally, as always since it is the last show before a pay-per-view, my picks will be provided below!
All this and much more, so read on!
Monday Night Raw TV Report for February 17th, 2014 – “Chamber Bound”
Introduction Segment: Arena Promo
A still shot of the main-event from last week is shown, between WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton and John Cena. This was a mistake, as they quickly cut to the arena live. Out first is John Cena! Now they recap the match.
Cena puts over Raw and the hometown fans, as well as the stakes for the Elimination Chamber – which includes a match with #1 Contender “The Animal” Batista at WrestleMania XXX. Cena then rips Orton for his lack of push going into his big title defense at E.C.
Another competitor, Cesaro (with Zeb Colter), interrupts Cena and reminds him that he also beat Randy Orton on the last Smackdown. Cesaro declares that he will become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion and “the new face of America.” Cena reminds Cesaro that this is his “first dance,” (to use an overused cliche) and there is a plethora of other wrestlers Cesaro must go through first. “Don’t write checks with your mouth that your body can’t cash,” Cena warns.
Both Sheamus and Christian walk out and proclaim virtually the same as above, then their main man walks out. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton runs down the statistics of facing the other four. Of course, best for last, Daniel Bryan enters. The crowd is pleased as is he, and much like the everyone else, he says that it will be him standing in the ring at Elimination Chamber, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and move onto WrestleMania.
Pyro suddenly blows and the Director Of Operations, Kane, walks out. He reveals that The Authority has left him in charge, so he books Cesaro to take on Cena, and Bryan facing Christian!
Later tonight, Roman Reigns will wrestle Mark Henry, and Los Matadores & Sin Cara team to go against The Wyatt Family!
Back live, Christian immediately assaults Bryan, stomping away on the outside and hurling him into the steel steps!
Commercials.
Match #1: Single – Christian VS. Daniel Bryan
(Note: Kane is watching by the announce table.) Christian works over Bryan’s left shoulder with an armlock, but Daniel comes back with a knee-to-the-gut. He hits a few uppercuts, but gets punched hard when running off the ropes. He goes back to a grounding armbar, then gives Bryan a shoulder block take down. Christian slams Bryan then clamps on another arm submission. Daniel battles out, but runs back into another shoulder block.
Christian is atop Bryan and mount punches him, but Bryan reverses into a half-crab. Christian scurries to the ropes. He spins Daniel around with a Tornado DDT out of the corner, then drops headbutts on Bryan’s shoulder. Christian gets booed big when he yells “I should be the champ!” He poses again, but turns around into Bryan who chucks him to the outside and follows up with a suicide dive!
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Daniel is battling back with kicks to Christian’s legs, but misses a front dropkick as Christian clutched the ropes. Another break, strangely-timed, follows. My Dad says this was their WWE App clip they aired by mistake. (The Canadian channel, Sportsnet 360, went to break early.)
Commercials.
Bryan still fighting back with multiple kicks, hitting a final one to Christian’s head and getting a near-fall! Daniel soars off the top rope but Christian counters and gets a two-count of his own! Daniel counters and turns Christian around in the corner. He kicks away again and runs with a front dropkick! He runs again, but gets double-kicked. Christian flies off the middle rope with a spinning back elbow, then goes for the Killswitch, but Bryan counters into a Crossface attempt. Christian gets out of that and tries another Killswitch, but Bryan counters again and rolls him up backwards for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Daniel Bryan
Post-match, Kane congratulates Bryan on his win, but then announces Bryan has to wrestle again – “against … me!”
Match #2: Single – Daniel Bryan VS. Director Of Operations Kane
Kane begins attacking Bryan, then we go into another badly-timed break.
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Kane is all over Daniel returning from commercials. Bryan catches Kane with a jawbreaker using the ropes, then dives off the top rope with a front dropkick. He begins the kicks again, to many “yes, yes, yes” calls from the fans. Kane counters a kick with a choke, then shoves him out to the barricade. Kane wraps Bryan’s left arm around the post, and pulls at his face too. Charles Robinson, the referee, counts to five then gives Kane the dq signal for not breaking the illegal hold.
Winner via Disqualification: Daniel Bryan
Post-match, Kane continues the assault, then declares “yah, I know, I’m disqualified.” He walks off, pleased with his work.
Segment #2: Backstage Promo
Rene Young is with The Shield. Ambrose puts over his skills of beating up Mark Henry, which Roman questions. He knows he can do better than Ambrose. Rollins declares “we are always on the same page.” The United States Champion calls “Bray Wyatt and his little family, they’re an ‘illusion.'” Reigns finishes, “we don’t experience fear and we don’t back down. Believe that and believe in The Shield.”
Commercials.
Match #3: Single – Fandango (with Summer Rae) VS. Santino Marella (with Emma)
Santino tries comedy to start, but Fandango (thankfully) isn’t buying it. It’s a bit of back and forth until Santino goes for The Cobra. Rae hops on the apron for a distraction, which Emma dilutes by spinning her around on the floor. Marella comes out and attempts to kiss Emma, but Fandango interjects with a baseball front-slide. He follows up with a front-suplex slam and the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: Fandango (with Summer Rae)
(The best part of this match was J.B.L.’s line regarding the Denver Broncos and the Superbowl Champions Seattle Seahawks – “careful, Richard Sherman might pick off your dance partner!”)
Segment #3: Backstage Promo
Rene Young catches Mark Henry in the hallway. She asks about his upcoming bout with Roman Reigns, to which he replies “It’s not about titles, it’s not about winning. It’s not about losing. It’s about inducting someone into the Hall Of Pain, ’cause that’s what I do!”
The Shield make their way to the ring prior to the break.
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Match #4: Single – Roman Reigns (with Shield partners United States Champion Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins) VS. “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry
Reigns slugs away to begin, but gets whipped into the ropes and big-booted! Henry headbutts Reigns in the corner after a splash, but Roman fights back and impressively Samoan Drops Mark for a two-count! Henry catches a boot, but Reigns shoves him off. He leaps across the ring with the Superman Punch and subsequent Spear to finish Henry quickly and suddenly!
Winner via Pinfall: Roman Reigns (with Shield partners United States Champion Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins)
Post-match, Ambrose attacks a downed Henry, feeling he had to prove something to Reigns who looked on. The lights then go out and The Wyatt Family appear on the titantron.
Bray creepily sings “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay. As our day of reckoning inches closer, I can’t help but feel this ‘child-like’ excitement building up in me. The clock is ticking. Your defeat, it will not come in vain. Your shot of bones will plague the streets of my kingdom. And from my throne, I’m gonna turn them all. I can’t help but wonder Shield, I must ask you, ‘was all of this worth it?'” Harper inquires, “are you willing to die for this?” Bray completes, “because if you’re not, you’ve already lost.” Reigns challenges them to come on out, and Bray concurs. Rowan warns them to “run,” then their music plays.
The Shield await in the ring as The Wyatt Family saunter to them in the dark. The lights come on and The Family climb the apron. This is much like last week. Bray enters the ring and Reigns approaches him first. Harper and Rowan follow, as do Ambrose and Rollins. Again, The Wyatt Family backs out, to a chorus of boos, while Bray says “this day belongs to me.”
Commercials.
Segment #4: Locker Room Promo
The Brotherhood, Cody Rhodes and Goldust, are doing, well, some brother bonding over WWE’s new Lego playset. Wade Barrett comes in and delivers some “bad news” by kicking over their construction. (Pointless!)
Match #5: Single – Jack Swagger (with Real Americans partner Zeb Colter) VS. Kofi Kingston
Back and forth to begin, then Swagger takes over with wrestling, clutching Kofi in surfboard. He tosses Kofi into the ring post then splashes him with a Swaggerbomb for two! Jack in complete control, until Kingston counters a whip with a springboard dropkick! He hits another kick using the ropes, then springboards again with a chop. Kofi hops over Swagger and double-boots him in the corner. He splashes onto Swagger’s back for a close one! Kingston takes Jack down with the S.O.S. pinning combination, but Swagger places his foot on the ropes at the last second! Swagger rolls out of a crossbody into the Patriot Lock Ankle Lock, which forces Kofi to give up!
Winner via Submission: Jack Swagger (with Real Americans partner Zeb Colter)
Post-match, Intercontinental Champion Big E. walks out and stares down Swagger, who he will meet Sunday at Elimination Chamber for the I.C. Title.
Ads.
Match #6: Two-On-One – Intercontinental Champion Big E. VS. Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre (Non-Title)
Big E. dominates this bout, despite Colter trying to distract him with commentary on the microphone at ringside. (This was actually quite funny!) Big E. polishes off the “Two-Man Band” with a couple of belly-to-belly suplex, splashes, and The Big Ending!
Winner via Pinfall: Intercontinental Champion Big E.
Segment #5: Video Promo
Lana tells us that Alexander Rusev is “not here to make friends. He will achieve great accolades. He will make history.”
Commercials.
Segment #6: Video Promo
WWE continues to celebrate Black History Month with a montage of Ron Simmons’ (Farooq’s) career.
Segment #7: Video Promo
Clips of previous Elimination Chamber matches airs to push the bout heavily.
Segment #8: Backstage Promo
Rene Young is with John Cena. She questions him on his contest with Cesaro, and he replies “right now, the WWE is filled with promising young superstars. And I see Randy Orton clinging to that championship as the only source of his identity. Every single WWE Superstar knows that I mean this when I say it. They think that they have what it takes to be the ‘next generation?’ Well they will go through me to prove it. Cesaro is no different. The fate of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is decided in the Elimination Chamber. Tonight, well, we see what Cesaro is made of.” John Cena then makes his entrance to face Cesaro, next!
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Match #7: Single – John Cena VS. Cesaro (with Real Americans partners Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter)
Lockup and quick rollup from Cesaro to begin, then he clamps on a hammerlock to wear Cena down. he switches that into a standing side headlock, which Cena counters into one of his own! Both run off the ropes with a leapfrog by Cesaro, but he gets hip-tossed and takes a break outside.
They face off again, with Cena taking Cesaro down by a wristlock. Cesaro counters into another headlock and takes him down. Cesaro catches Cena off the ropes with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two-count! He hits a harsh uppercut, then locks in an arm stretch. Cena counters with another hip-toss, but Cesaro counters again by pulling the ropes down and sending Cena tumbling to the floor.
Cesaro chucks John into the barricade, but is jawbreaked with the ropes by Cena. Cesaro comes back with a dropkick for two, and does the same jawbreaker on the ropes to Cena. He flies off the ropes with an elbow drop for two! Cena counters again with a full-nelson neckbreaker for another near fall!
Commercials.
Cena breaks out of a submission, then hops on Cesaro and spins him around with a hurricanrana! Cesaro catches Cena with a fall-away slam and another near fall! He measures Cena, then clamps on a sleeper and grounding rear chinlock. Cena backs Cesaro into the corner to break out and begins to come back. He hits a couple shoulder block tackles, but is caught in a Big Swing position. John reverses into an STF try, which Cesaro gets out of and tossed over with a gutwrench suplex! 1 – 2 – Cena kicks out!
Cena throws Cesaro into the corner and brings him down with backdrop. He goes for 5 Knuckle Shuffle, but Cesaro counters by tossing him up in the air and hitting him with an uppercut! He signals for the Big Swing but Cena reverses again into a giant DDT! 1 – 2 – Cesaro kicks out! Cena ascends the turnbuckle, but Cesaro uppercuts him off, sending him crashing to the floor!
Cesaro brings Cena back in the ring via a suplex from the apron and over the turnbuckle! 1 – 2 – Cena kicks out to Cesaro’s surprise! He tries another STF, but Cesaro counters into the Big Swing! Cesaro spins him around for 14 revolutions, but still only gets two!
Cesaro goes for The Neutralizer, but Cena gets out of it. Cesaro nails a big boot after landing on his feet from an Attitude Adjustment, but is put down with a hard clothesline. Cena delivers the A.A. and gets the hard-fought victory!
Winner via Pinfall: John Cena
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Segment #9: Backstage Promo
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton is sucking up to C.O.O. Triple H., happy with everything they have done and will do, then recalls their history together. He rips on Batista, then Dave shows up and calls Orton the “ass” of WWE. Orton backs away and Alberto Del Rio approaches. He threatens Batista that he will “tear them off,” referring to his arms. Batista shoves Del Rio into the equipment and walks off, to the displeasure of “The Game.”
Segment #10: Backstage Promo
Rene Young interviews Titus O’Neil about his match with former tag-team partner Darren Young at Elimination Chamber. O’Neil puts himself over big time and rips on Darren for not being a great tag-team partner.
Los Matadores make their entrance prior to the break.
Commercials.
Match #8: Six-Man Tag-Team – Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando) and Sin Cara (with El Torito) VS. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Erik Rowan, and Luke Harper)
Longer match than I thought, but in the end, it is The Wyatt Family that comes out on top as expected following a Sister Abigail from Bray onto Cara.
Winners via Pinfall: The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Erik Rowan, and Luke Harper)
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Match #9: Single – Tag-Team Champion “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn (with New Age Outlaws and Tag-Team Champion partner “Road Dogg” Jesse James) VS. Jey Uso (with Jimmy Uso)
(Note: James and Jimmy Uso are on commentary, and it is announced that these two teams will square off at Elimination Chamber for the Tag-Team Championship.) Lockup between the two and Billy shoves Jey into the corner. He kicks Jey in the gut and rams his head into the top turnbuckle. Jey counters a run and hip tosses and armdrags Billy down. He leaps over Billy off the top, but gets turned inside out by a clothesline! 1 – 2 – Jey kicks out! Gunn punches away and takes control with a grounding rear chinlock. Billy punches away again, then goes for the Fameasser, but Jey moves and rolls up Gunn for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: Jey Uso (with Jimmy Uso)
Post-match, Jimmy takes out Jesse with a superkick, then Jey soars over the ropes with a diving plancha!
Segment #11: Locker Room Promo
Byron Saxton is with Sheamus, who puts over himself, the Elimination Chamber, and WrestleMania XXX. He warns Randy that he will give “The Viper” an “antidote – good ole fashioned, blunt-forced trauma, Irish style!”
Commercials.
It is announced that this week on Smackdown!, Sheamus will take on Christian.
Match #10: Single – WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton VS. “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus (Non-Title)
Lockups between the two, and Orton breaks it off to start again. A slugfest ensues, with Sheamus getting the better of it. He suplexes Randy, and Orton slides out of the ring for another rest. Sheamus gives chase, but is kicked and run into the ring post. Sheamus returns the favour, slamming Orton’s head off the announce table, then dropping knees on his head inside the ring. Sheamus tries for the Brogue Kick, but Orton moves and gets caught up on the ropes. Orton axe-handles him and then runs him into the ring post.
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Orton still in control and wears Sheamus down with a grounding rear chinlock. Sheamus battles back and puts Orton to the floor. He whips him into the barricade. Orton reverses another whip, sending “The Celtic Warrior” into the steel steps! Sheamus gets some momentum back with the Battering Ram shoulder block off the top! Orton rolls to the outside and backdrops Sheamus through the table! Sheamus manages to slide into the ring just prior to the 10-count being up!
Orton stomps away a bit more, but Sheamus gains a little more momentum, running into Orton in the corner, however, Randy catches him off the ropes with a powerslam for two! Orton tries for the Slingshot-DDT, but Sheamus tosses him over and then pounds away on his chest with hammer blows against the ropes. He goes for it again, and this time, plants Sheamus face-first after the Slingshot-DDT.
Orton is in the zone and goes for the R.K.O., but Sheamus gets out of it. He hits three Irish Curse backbreakers and fires up for the Brogue Kick! Just now, The Shield run in and attack Sheamus!
Winner via Disqualification: Sheamus
Post-match, all Elimination Chamber competitors run out and brawl with The Shield, then The Wyatt Family suddenly appear! They now slug away at The Shield, and the big melee closes the show!
End Of Raw.
This week was a pretty good one going into the Pay-Per-View. Definitely set the tone more and finally a few more matches for the card. A few grievances here/there, but in general, enjoyed tonight’s Raw. Onto the analysis:
Excellence: The hot-start to the show! Even though what everyone said was the ‘norm, it was still a “bang-on” beginning to get Raw rolling. This type of hot-start should happen much more often! Bryan VS. Christian was great; and it will be interesting to see if Christian keeps getting booed, or it was only because he was facing the fan’s #1 guy right now, Daniel Bryan!?
Anything Roman Reigns does right now, whether it’s wrestling or promos, is basically gold. Much like D.B. and The Wyatts, he can do no wrong. As well, another awesome, eerie prophecy from The Family. These guys really have a great ability to make you feel extremely weirded-out!
Pretty good match between Swagger & Kingston, and LOVED the verbal spouting Colter did during Big E.’s match. Another man who is beautiful on the microphone!
Getting more intrigued week by week on Alexander Rusev and Lana. I’ve seen them on NXT and he’s going to be another “dominant monster” type, but I really am interested in seeing how far they’ll push him right off the bat and who they will pair him up with for his first feud. (Which, hopefully, will begin next week after Elimination Chamber.)
Amazing match between Cesaro and John Cena! However, that should’ve been the main-event, and Cesaro should’ve gone over to build him even more a legitimate threat.
Bogus: Thought that Kane/Bryan was a waste – should’ve been built more, perhaps to the Pay-Per-View after WrestleMania? Same with Marella/Fandango – please no more between the two! Also again, why have all these General Managers when it seems that the power is being passed around on a weekly basis? Have just one person making all decisions!
Could’ve done without The Wyatts taking on Matadores/Cara – we all knew The Family was going to win. Would’ve been better for them not to wrestle at all. Again, where was Paul Heyman. I know Brock Lesnar is only slated for a number of dates, but I think Heyman needs to be on T.V. in some capacity to keep reminding us of his client and his client’s mission.
Really disappointed in Gunn/Uso match – thought it was going to be the sleeper of the night bout, but was just too “laid-back” and “going through the motions,” it seemed. Glad they have a Tag-Title match at the PPV though. Same with Orton/Sheamus – wasn’t into it and that should not have been the main-event.
Really, really, upset that The Brotherhood was used in that manner tonight. Same with them only being on the pre-show to Elimination Chamber. They should’ve easily been included in the Tag-Team Championship match, and/or a much more prominent role on Raw than the throw-away backstage segment. Very disrespectful to two men who were “going great guns” for the last few months and the fans still love.
The ending seemed a bit rushed, and should’ve been left alone to the Elimination Chamber participants.
Elimination Chamber Predictions: Batista will soundly defeat Alberto Del Rio; Big E. retains his Intercontinental Championship; The New Age Outlaws keep their Tag-Team Championship by nefarious means; The Shield/The Wyatt Family – draw, no conclusion of some sort (cannot pick a winner and both these teams deserve the win); my hope is Daniel Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Until next week, where the official Road To WrestleMania will begin, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!
