Monday Night Raw pulled in an average of 2,922,000 viewers this week, an increase of 151,000 viewers over last week’s broadcast. It was the most-watched Raw since the August 20, 2018 episode, helped by the return of Roman Reigns and the Ric Flair birthday party segment.
Hour one started with 3,167,000 viewers, followed by 2,952,000 viewers in the second hour, and then down to 2,648,000 viewers for the third and final hour. The first hour number was the most-watched hour of Raw since the April 23, 2018 first hour.
Raw was #1, #2, and #3 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and #3 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
WWE announced that its NXT UK brand will welcome five new signings to the roster: Ilja Rukober, Kay Lee Ray, Jazzy Gabert, Oliver Sauter and Jay Melrose. All five will report to the WWE UK Performance Center to start their WWE journey.
Rukober is 25 years old and was born in Russia and raised in Germany. He participated at a WWE tryout in Cologne last year and was one of the standout participants.
The Scottish Ray is 26 years old and was a participant in the first Mae Young Classic tournament. She has been wrestling professionally for 10 years and won several titles in the United Kingdom.
Gabert, also from Germany, participated in the first Mae Young Classic tournament and although she was eliminated in the first round, she was an instant hit with the fans. She was meant to sign a WWE deal afterward but required surgery and was told to get healthy before trying again. Both Gabert and Ray were at the NXT UK: Takeover: Blackpool event sitting at ringside.
24-year-old Sauter is from Switzerland and also attended the Cologne tryout last year. Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Sauter was a football (soccer) player.
Melrose made his NXT UK debut in December, wearing an ape mask. The Newcastle native is a former soldier in the British Army and also served on the British Household Cavalry team which provides protection for the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.
After not being defended at the last pay-per-view, the Smackdown Women’s title will be on the line at Fastlane.
Asuka will put her gold up for grabs against the new number one contender Mandy Rose. The former Tough Enough competitor defeated Asuka last week on Smackdown in a non-title match in a major upset.
This is the fourth title match on the Fastlane card so far with the Women’s Tag Team, Smackdown Tag Team, and WWE title all on the line.
The Bella Twins ever-present drama showed no signs of abating in the sixth episode of their fourth season. In fact, the drama became so intense that one twin showed signs of cracking under pressure.
While both Brie and Nikki made a wrestling comeback just before WWE’s all women’s pay-per-view Evolution, it was new mom Brie who showed the most ring rust, which caused her to injure her opponent, Liv Morgan. Because Brie prided herself on never before having injured and opponent, Liv’s facial injury upset her greatly.
In addition, online bullies added to Brie’s turmoil by making rude and insensitive comments. While we’re on the subject, this reporter realizes that some of her comments regarding Brie’s performance were also rude and insensitive and they may contribute in future to Brie’s hurt feelings, or the hurt feelings of another reader. If this is the case, I apologize, my intent was only to entertain never to bully. Sometimes we can all forget that even celebrities have feelings, but we shouldn’t. In future let’s all try to be more considerate before posting things online.
The negative backlash Brie received even caused her to begin to think that perhaps a wrestling comeback had been a big mistake. I, for one hope that Brie reconsiders her decision. After all, what would the Bella Twins be with only one Bella? However, I do agree that Brie has been putting too much on your plate this season and applaud her decision to only wrestle on one brand, Monday Night Raw.
Meanwhile, Brie’s sister Nikki also faced an agonizing decision, whether or not to begin dating again. Despite Nikki’s very public breakup with her former fiancé, WWE Superstar John Cena, it seems that Nikki has once again decided to put her personal life on display. She chose to allow her sister, Brie to set her up on a date with The Bachelor alum, Peter. She then further complicated matters by having their first date take place in front of a national television audience.
This would not have been my first choice were I reentering the dating scene after the turmoil that Nikki has suffered in the past year. However, I guess that’s why I’ll never become a celebrity.
The date seemed to go off without a hitch though. Peter, or perhaps his agent, planned a romantic gondola ride for the couple complete with wine from Nikki and her sister’s wine label. This was followed by a fire-lit dinner and conversation by a separate fire. However, the episode ended on a cliffhanger, to kiss or not to kiss? That is the question.
Just as Peter went in for what Nicole claimed would be the first kiss from a new guy in six years, the episode ended. So, we’ll just have to tune in next week to see whether or not the kiss occurs.
The Hardy Boyz reunited on Smackdown last night as Matt Hardy made a surprise appearance on the show which took place from the brothers’ home state of North Carolina.
Matt had been tweeting a countdown to the end of his WWE contract which is up at the end of this week but left his followers hanging when it comes to what’s next for him.
This was Matt’s first WWE match since September 2018 and the two brothers took on Sheamus and Cesaro. The Hardys won the match after Jeff hit the swanton bomb on Sheamus.
Matt has been out with a back injury and after his last match last year said that it was probably the last time we were going to see Woken Matt Hardy wrestle in a WWE ring.
After the match, Matt tweeted that the greatest tag team in all of space and time “are back” and that they are indestructible, unkillable and unstoppable.
Kevin Owens returned on Smackdown last night and was declared Daniel Bryan’s new challenger for the WWE title at Fastlane.
It was Vince McMahon who interrupted the Bryan/Kofi contract signing segment and then introduced the returning Owens as the challenger. As you can probably imagine, fans were not that happy and chanted for Kofi as The New Day exited the stage.
Owens even wrestled his first match last night as well, teaming with Kofi Kingston to take on Daniel Bryan and Erick Rowan. Owens picked up the victory for the team. It was Owens who requested to be teamed up with Kofi in a backstage segment after he told Shane and Stephanie that Kofi was just as deserving for the WWE title shot.
The former Universal champion has been out of action since October 2018 after he underwent a double knee operation.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Tammy “Sunny” Sytch was arrested on February 23 for driving while intoxicated in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
Officers from the Seaside Heights Police Department pulled over the WWE Hall of Famer at 6:30PM and charged her with the sixth DUI in four years, three of which came in the state of New Jersey. According to PWInsider, Sytch was given summons for having an open alcohol container in a motor vehicle, for consumption of alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, reckless driving, failure to stop at a stop sign, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, driving with a suspended driver’s license and careless driving.
The Holmdel Police Department picked her up after she was arrested due to several outstanding warrants in their jurisdiction. The former WWE Diva is now locked up at the Monmouth County Correctional Facility in Freehold, NJ.
Travel packages for SummerSlam will go on sale on Tuesday, March 6 at Noon EST at SummerSlamTravel.com. If you prefer purchasing individual tickets for the show, these will be available on Friday, March 15.
This year’s SummerSlam will take place from Toronto, Canada and there are four packages available: Championship, Platinum, Gold Tier 1, and Gold Tier 2.
All packages include tickets for NXT Takeover: Toronto, Raw, Smackdown, and SummerSlam, breakfast with WWE Superstars and Legends, meet and greet with WWE Superstars and Legends, and three or four night hotel accommodation in a Toronto area hotel. The Championship package also has an exclusive reception with Superstars at the Scotiabank Arena prior to SummerSlam, a Toronto Boat Cruise on the Pajama with WWE Superstars, and the SummerSlam collectible chair. Seating positions are assigned depending on your travel package.
The cheapest package goes for $1,740 for one person while the most expensive for a single person is $3,855. Prices decrease if you add more than one person to the same package.
Roman Reigns was a guest on Good Morning America on ABC this morning live from New York in an eight-minute segment to discuss his battle with leukemia.
Asked what was it like to be back by host Robin Roberts, Reigns said that it was amazing and it was something that he thought about over and over again because he thought the journey would not be complete until he steps foot back in that ring. He put over the fans for being so gentle and gracious and also talked how super nervous he was yesterday during the promo.
Reigns talked about connecting with fans, especially the younger audience. He said that they do so many charitable causes and when the kids from the Dallas hospital did the video for him, it lifted his spirits and said he can’t wait to go back to visit them.
The former champion said he was 22 years old when he was originally diagnosed with leukemia and his family has been his rock. He said that families are the ones that suffer the most in these situations. When he was diagnosed the first time, he said he felt he was on an island by himself but this time he was surrounded by guardian angels and that fear went away when all the fans and friends got behind him.
Reigns said that every time he steps in that ring he is a symbol of hope and they’re in the process of creating a foundation to help people who are suffering from leukemia.
WWE today announced that The Honky Tonk Man, the self-proclaimed greatest Intercontinental champion of all time, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2019. It’s somewhat of a long overdue recognition for the 66-year-old but his time to join the Hall has finally come.
Born Wayne Farris on June 25, 1953, he started his wrestling career in 1977 with Koko B. Ware. He moved to Memphis Wrestling in 1978 and also had stints with the AWA, Jim Crockett Promotions, Puerto Rico’s WWC, and Stampede Wrestling before hitting the big time in WWE.
Farris joined the WWE in 1986 and was given The Honky Tonk Man gimmick. He teamed up with Jimmy Hart to solidify his turn as a heel and the move paid dividends as less than a year later, he won the Intercontinental title from Ricky Steamboat. After feuds with George “The Animal” Steele, Macho Man, Brutus Beefcake, and even Hulk Hogan, Honky’s time as Intercontinental champion came to a close at SummerSlam 88 after The Ultimate Warrior beat him in just 31 seconds, ending his 454-day reign. To this day it remains the longest Intercontinental title reign in the history of the WWE.
HTM later teamed up with Greg Valentine to form Rhythm and Blues in 1989 but in 1991 he left WWE and resurfaced in WCW in 1994 for a very short period until he was fired by Eric Bischoff. Honky Tonk returned to WWE in 1997 as a color commentator and a manager but left again in 2001. He made sporadic appearances on WWE television throughout the past several years including showing up on Old School Raws and other programming. He inducted his friend Koko B. Ware into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Ric Flair 70th birthday party on Raw turned out to be anything but a party thanks to the returning Batista.
With Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Ricky Steamboat, and Sting waiting in the ring and all the Raw Superstars on the top of the ramp, Flair never made his way out after his famous theme song kicked in.
WWE cameras then cut to backstage where Batista hijacked a WWE cameraman in front of Flair’s locker room. He slammed the door shut and after a few seconds, the former World Heavyweight champion dragged Flair’s body outside the room.
“Hey Hunter, do I have your attention now?” Batista said looking directly into the camera.
The angle kicks off the program between Triple H and his former Evolution partner Batista which will climax with a match at WrestleMania 35.
Batista was last seen at the Smackdown 1000 episode where he reunited with all members of Evolution and teased a confrontation with HHH after he noted how Triple H never beat him one-on-one.
On October 22, Roman Reigns announced to a stunned audience that 11 years ago, he had leukemia and now it has returned. His announcement, live on Monday Night Raw turned boos to cheers and a show of respect by the usually-hostile WWE crowd. Reigns surrendered the Universal title and was out of the picture for four months.
Until last night.
Appearing for the first time on WWE television since that address last year, Roman Reigns returned to Raw, welcomed by an usual sound: loud cheers.
Looking less bulkier than usual, Reigns said that he was always a man of faith and God always kept an eye on him. Before announcing his leukemia last year, he said he was scared and insecure and didn’t know if he wanted to share that secret with the world.
He said the main reason he was scared was because he didn’t know how the fans would react but by the time he went home, everyone found a way to get to him and that overwhelming support gave him new strength, new life, new opportunity, and new purpose.
Reigns added that his most important goal is not to win titles but to be able to step in the ring every single night and he will now use his time and the power of the WWE to raise awareness and give support to those in need like he needed a few months ago.
“Well, we advertised this as an update so should we get to the update?” Reigns said as fans chanted “Yes!”
“The good news is…I’m in remission y’all!” Reigns told the crowd which erupted in cheers. “So with that being said…the big dog is back!”
Reigns thanked the crowd and told them he loves them as he went around to hug and high-five fans at ringside. As he was making his way up the ramp, Seth Rollins came out to hug him at the top of the ramp.
In the latest episode of Being The Elite, it was confirmed that The Young Bucks will be taking on The Lucha Bros at the upcoming Double or Nothing pay-per-view from Las Vegas on May 25.
Matt and Nick Jackson made their presence felt at the AAW Pro Wrestling Art of War show in Chicago and interfered to cost The Lucha Bros the AAW Tag Team titles. After the lights went out towards the end of the match, The Young Bucks were in the ring when lights came back up and super kicked Fenix and Pentagon Jr. They then hit the Meltzer Driver on Fenix as LAX then hit their finishing move to capture the titles.
After the match, Matt and Nick challenged Fenix and Pentagon to a match but before their opponents answered, The Bucks hit them with another double super kick.
Josh Alexander, a 32-year-old professional wrestler from Canada signed a three-year deal with Impact Wrestling.
Alexander, who mainly wrestles on the independent scene in Canada, was announced as the latest member of the Impact roster during last week’s show promoted by Destiny Wrestling in Ontario. Scott D’Amore, one of Impact’s Vice Presidents, was present at the show to welcome Alexander to the Impact family.
“Congrats Josh and welcome to the @IMPACTWRESTLING team. Having watched you grow and mature over the years I am honored to be part of providing you the grand stage you deserve to compete on,” he later tweeted.
Alexander usually teams with Ethan Page, who already wrestles for Impact Wrestling. The two have won tag team titles for Fringe Pro Wrestling, Insane Wrestling League, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.
Starrcast LLC, the company which runs the Starrcast convention owned by Conrad Thompson, filed for a trademark related to The Undertaker titled Dead Man Talking.
Filed on February 14, the trademark is listed for “entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality,” among other things.
Dead Man Talking is most likely the name that will be promoted for The Undertaker’s event at Starrcast during the All Elite Wrestling weekend in May. Tickets for Taker’s event have not gone on sale yet but are expected to be the most popular of the weekend.
On this episode of Total Bellas, the twins added more chaos to their already busy schedules by finally making a comeback on Monday Night Raw.
While one would think that both twins would be ecstatic to become a part of the history making all women’s pay-per-view, Evolution, it seemed as though one twin’s joy was tempered with sorrow.
Brie Bella, who in addition to being a WWE Superstar and co-owner of two companies, Birdiebee and a wine company, is also mom to one-year-old Birdie Danielson. It appears as though Brie is having a difficult time balancing her three important roles, and, at least in this episode it seemed to be her role as Mom that was taking a backseat to the other roles. Understandably, this upset Brie tremendously, particularly because due to having a storyline together on Smackdown, there would be nights when neither of Birdie’s parents would be home, and therefore she would need to be left in the care of a nanny.
While I understand Brie’s anxiety about leaving her child in the care of a babysitter for an extended period of time, I also feel as though Brie should have known that her schedule would become even more hectic when she agreed to have storylines on both Smackdown and Raw. Further, she should have factored in the extra time needed to run both of her businesses, particularly in light of the fact that Birdiebee was scheduled to have its first ever fashion show during the filming of this episode, thus requiring the presence of both of the twins in Phoenix.
Furthermore, WWE Superstars are given an advanced schedule of TV tapings and live events at which they are performing. Brie, who has spent a number of years performing for WWE, would have been well aware of contract requirements beforehand. Also, I didn’t think it was very fair that when Brie decided to skip an appearance that she and Nicole were supposed to make at Comic Con, Brie seemed to almost have a laissez-faire attitude about the fact that she was standing her sister up by leaving her to cope with the fan appearances alone. Another thing which angered Nicole was that Brie kept mentioning the fact that she had a child which was leading to all of her extra stress and emotional exhaustion.
Is she implying that those of us who don’t have children can’t also be stressed and emotionally exhausted? If that truly was her intention, I have news for her. She is wrong! Another point that I would like to make is that I found it to be incredibly insensitive of Brie to continually point out her status as a mom, particularly when being a mom is something which her sister wants so badly, but doesn’t have at this point. Maybe Brie needs a massage and some sensitivity training. Brie also might want to brush up on her wrestling skills while she’s at it since in this episode she kicked Liv Morgan in the face causing her to bleed severely. Maybe Nicole’s new training partner, Rhonda Rousey would be willing to let Brie use her in-home wrestling ring at the same time that Nicole does.
Despite the friction which existed between the Bellas throughout this episode, there fashion show for Birdiebee still had to go on. The twins displayed their commitment to representing women of all sizes, ages and stages of life by having some of their family members model outfits for the show. Family models included the twins new stepsister, Maya who has just begun to express her interest in modeling in spite of her father, John Laurenitis’s wish that she follow in his footsteps and join the wrestling business.
While I thought it was kind of the twins to be supportive of their sister, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have someone who never modeled before walk a runway over a pool. Further, is it a good idea to have a 16-year-old lingerie model? I don’t really think so, but that’s just me. Maya was extremely nervous about her first runway show, so much so that someone from the company suggested that it might be a good idea to replace her. However, after a sisterly pep talk Maya went on to stun people on the catwalk, and make her father, Johnny proud. I guess maybe her stepsisters are passing along some of that Bella strength.
This is great news for us because Maya’s presence may provide some additional fun and drama on future episodes of Total Bellas.
A big Monday Night Raw is set for tonight live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. There are two major focal points for the show: one involving Ric Flair, and one involving Roman Reigns.
The Nature Boy turns 70 today and WWE is throwing the two-time Hall of Famer a big birthday bash on Raw. Ric Flair and party in the same sentence usually means one thing: chaos! Several WWE Legends are expected to appear for the party and there are rumors that Becky Lynch will also be part of the segment to further her storyline heading into WrestleMania. Will Lynch spoil the party?
Also, former Universal champion Roman Reigns will make his first WWE televised appearance in over four months to give an update on his health condition. Reigns announced late last year that leukemia has returned after 11 years in remission and he needed to go and take care of himself before returning.
Also, the four NXT stars who appeared last week – Ciampa, Gargano, Black, and Ricochet – will be back on the show as they will be pulling double duty, appearing on NXT TV and main roster shows at least until NXT Takeover: New York.
The Fighting With My Family movie closed the weekend in #4 with just over $8 million in box office revenue according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
It sits behind How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Alita: Battle Angel, and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. The Paige family flick was screened in 2,711 theaters, over a thousand theaters less than the #1, #2 and #3 movies on the box office chart.
The movie has a 91% rating on RottenTomatoes.com, the same as How To Train Your Dragon which sits in #1. Fighting With My Family had a production budget of $11 million.
Matt Hardy has been counting down the days till the end of his WWE contract on Twitter with eight more days to go.
Matt, however, has been toying with wrestling fans on his social media but has not said what’s going to happen at the end of his countdown. He did say that he showed he’s capable of surviving outside WWE’s comfort walls and with many Superstars leaving WWE to find opportunities elsewhere, it wouldn’t be surprising if Matt decides to go that route.
Negotiations between WWE and the Hardy brothers have been ongoing as they would like to keep both Matt and Jeff around. Matt has not wrestled in several months and even tried his hand at producing backstage but made sure to say that he has not retired.
Episode six of season four of Total Bellas returns on E! tonight with an episode titled The First Date.
The synopsis for tonight’s show reads, “Brie becomes emotional and overwhelmed by the backlash she receives on social media since accidentally injuring Liv Morgan in the ring, leaving her wondering if she’s taken on more than she can handle. Meanwhile, Nicole takes the plunge and agrees to go on a date with Peter Kraus and is pleasantly surprised by their immediate connection during their romantic night together.”
