Mixed Match Challenge had its seventh week on Facebook Watch yesterday with two new matches on the card.
In the first match of the show, Braun Strowman and Ember Moon defeated the team of Alicia Fox and Jinder Mahal while in the second match, WWE champion AJ Styles and Charlotte Flair defeated the husband and wife team of Rusev and Lana.
With these results, both Strowman/Moon and Styles/Flair move to a 3-0 record while Mahal/Fox and Rusev/Lana have a record in the opposite direction, with three out of three losses.
Week eight next week will have Bobby Lashley and Mickie James taking on Finn Balor and Bayley and the second match will be R-Truth and Carmella versus Jimmy Uso and Naomi.
Ryan Satin of ProWrestlingSheet.com broke the story yesterday that Renee Young will be part of the Crown Jewel commentary team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday night.
The country of Saudi Arabia has very strict laws on women’s rights and having Young be part of the show, even if it means behind the commentary table, is a big, big win for WWE. During the Greatest Royal Rumble this past April, the crew involved only men and the company got a lot of flack for even partnering with the Kingdom for such events considering they were in the midst of a women’s revolution and Saudi pretty much treats women like second-class citizens.
Young, who made history by becoming the first full-time WWE broadcaster for the flagship show, has not yet commented publicly about her Crown Jewel assignment and WWE has not announced anything official yet either.
But if she will indeed be participating in the event as a commentator, Young can add that to her ever-growing list of accomplishments.
There will be 14 different price tiers for WrestleMania 35, starting with $35 for the cheapest ticket and all the way up to $2,500 for the highest-priced ringside ticket which also includes a commemorative chair.
Ticket prices will be $35, $50, $75, $100, $150, $200, $250, $300, $400, $600, $850, $1,000, $2,000, and $2,500. Tickets will also have an additional fee and taxes on top of it.
16 sections of the stadium will be unusable due to the large set that is being planned. Judging from the seating chart, the stage and entrance ramp will be one of the biggest in terms of area used on the floor. The 300-level seats – or nosebleed section – behind the stage will be open.
There will be 12 floor sections and 21 risers on the floor as well surrounding the ring. Four squarish sections in each corner are blocked and they will be used to support the structure of the canopy that will cover the ring. Those who have tickets behind that area will have a blocked view.
The hard cameras will be on the west side of the stadium with one big section – 139 – blocked off right on the 50-yard line.
Daniel Bryan was officially written out of Crown Jewel last night on Smackdown after he received his WWE title shot a few days early on the show.
Bryan wrestled the WWE Champion AJ Styles after Shane McMahon made the match official and Styles won clean after Bryan tapped out to the Calf Crusher.
After the match, Samoa Joe attacked both men and then later in the evening he was declared the new number one contender and will now be taking Bryan’s place at Crown Jewel, facing AJ Styles for the WWE title in Riyadh.
Bryan and Cena both wanted out of the show following what happened with the Washington Post columnist and WWE looks like they had no option but to agree.
Monday Night Raw drew an average of 2,471,000 viewers, down 77,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast.
Hour one had 2,723,000 viewers, followed by 2,455,000 in the second hour, and then 2,237,000 viewers in the third and final hour. Raw dropped 486,000 viewers from hour one to hour three.
The show was #4, #6, and #7 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and was #10 in overall viewership for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Just like John Cena, Daniel Bryan has been removed from the Crown Jewel pay-per-view card for this Friday according to a report by PWInsider.com.
Cena and Bryan were vocal to WWE management about not wanting to travel to Saudi Arabia and be part of the show following the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Bryan was supposed to get a WWE title shot against AJ Styles at Crown Jewel, an opportunity he won after he defeated The Miz at Super Show-Down in Australia earlier this month.
How WWE explains his absence will be addressed tonight on Smackdown as both Bryan and Styles are set for a confrontation on the show. Cena was written out during Raw and replaced in the World Cup tournament by Bobby Lashley.
One of the jobs of being a WWE Superstar is to visit hospitals and meet with wish kids, most of the time on their days or time off. But if you ask anyone who does it, they all say the same thing: making kids smile is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.
Recently, former WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns visited the Children’s Medical Center Dallas where he met with several kids who are in their own big battles. Last week, Reigns himself revealed that he has cancer again 11 years after he beat leukemia and surrendered the title as he fights the biggest fight of his career.
Now, the same kids that Roman visited swapped roles and it was them who sent their words of encouragement and support to him. “You are my hero. You got this Roman,” said one kid. “We’re with you Roman, we got you and we love you,” said another. The video, produced by Children’s Health, concluded with the words, “You are a Universal Champion. We know you can beat anything.”
In this episode the Divas take Miami by storm in celebration of the birthdays of two female Superstars, Natalya and Nia Jax. In order to maximize their friend’s enjoyment each Diva decided to give the girls special birthday surprises. The only problem with this was that everyone was apparently not aware of the plans as Brie Bella was left out of the group text. Here’s my advice, ladies, the next time you plan to do something as a group, make sure that the whole group is aware!
In addition to not having a surprise planned, Brie wasn’t aware of the expected grandeur of the impending surprises. She was completely caught off guard when Lana rented a Lamborghini for Nia and Natalya to drive to their dinner at a sushi restaurant.
The huge surprises continued because upon their arrival the Divas were greeted by a naked man laying on the table covered in different varieties of sushi. Apparently, this was a birthday surprise from Paige who thought that naked sushi meant that she and all of her friends would be able to eat sushi naked. Personally, neither eating sushi while naked nor eating sushi off of someone who is naked appeals to me, although, if someone was going to come up with that idea it would be Paige, who is definitely one of the more unique Divas on the roster at the moment.
Apparently, I am not the only one who thought the naked sushi idea was slightly weird, because Paige had to redeem herself by treating her friends chocolatey desserts after dinner. In addition, Paige hired an attractive young, male bartender to serve the girls for the whole weekend. Is it just me, or does there seem to be a theme to all of Paige’s gifts? After dinner, the two birthday girls seem to be in the mood for some mischief, because, they decided it would be the perfect time to play a prank on their friend, Lana.
I’m personally not much for practical jokes, the last time I pulled one was in the second grade, but the Divas seems to really get a kick out of them. This is particularly true if the jokes involve making a giant mess in an elegant place. Lana also seems to have been the recipient of more than her fair share of them. Natalya also seems to have a knack for playing practical jokes, as we all witnessed on last season’s trip to Mexico, when she threw Lana’s luggage into the ocean.
While this trip’s scheme was slightly less vindictive, it made just as big a mess as the first prank did. Natalya, the Bella Twins, and Paige woke Lana by screaming happy birthday in her face, smearing whipped cream on her face, and spraying her with champagne. Not only did this prank seem juvenile to me, but the girls also sprayed champagne on the ceiling of their fancy hotel suite, which seemed a little rude to the cleaning staff. Next time ladies, try being a little more mature. Though Lana seemed upset by the prank, she got over it quickly enough, as the birthday surprises continued the next day.
Next came Nicole’s birthday surprise in which she hired professional dancers to teach the group of friends how to dance in preparation for a dance off in one of Miami’s nightclubs. I thought that Nicole’s gift didn’t seem like much of one, because the professional dancers seemed to be giving the ladies more of a workout than a good time. I don’t think I would’ve appreciated that as a birthday gift. I think that Brie’s gift was much better because she surprised the girls by flying their moms out to finish the weekend with them. Their moms even got to watch the final dance off in which team Natalya was victorious. If the Divas continue to go on trips like this there will be plenty more drama for fans Of Total Divas.
The first big match for the 2018 Survivor Series was made official yesterday and will see the two women’s champions – Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch – taking on each other in a non-title match.
Lynch has been on a fast rise lately, adopting a character similar to what Stone Cold Steve Austin was back in the day and the fans have quickly jumped on her bandwagon. Despite doing some heel antics, Becky keeps getting cheered big time from fans.
Meanwhile, the still relatively rookie Ronda Rousey has won the Raw Women’s title in just eight months since her Rumble debut and has greatly improved from her debut match at WrestleMania. Rousey looks more confident on the mic and in the ring and taking on a veteran like Becky Lynch will push Rousey even more.
The fact that this is a non-title match probably means that there’s some room to do a DQ-type finish, protecting both women – and both titles – from looking inferior to each other.
Rousey described the match as “the unstoppable force and the unmovable object” while Becky said that this is “The baddest champ on the planet and Ronda Rousey.”
The bracket for the World Cup tournament that will take place during the Crown Jewel pay-per-view this Friday was finally published.
Over on the red side of the bracket, Seth Rollins will wrestle Lashley and Kurt Angle will take on Dolph Ziggler. On the blue side, Jeff Hardy takes on The Miz and Rey Mysterio wrestles Randy Orton.
The semi final matches will still have Raw vs Raw and Smackdown vs Smackdown with only the final match being a Superstar from Raw versus a Superstar from Smackdown.
Ironically enough, the World Cup tournament involves only United States wrestlers!
John Cena has been taken off the Crown Jewel pay-per-view and replaced by Bobby Lashley.
The news was delivered on Monday Night Raw yesterday in an angle involving Baron Corbin who said that Cena never qualified for the World Cup tournament so he would be replaced.
The real story is that Cena did not want to be part of the show following the murder of the Washing Post columnist inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Daniel Bryan has also voiced his concern and wanted out of the show but so far he is still listed to take on AJ Styles for the WWE title. The picture will be clearer after Smackdown Live tonight.
Cena has obviously more pull in the company than Daniel Bryan and he is in a position where he can refuse to work some shows if he doesn’t feel comfortable.
WrestleMania 35 tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 16 starting at 10AM EST. A pre-sale will take place during the week but no information regarding that has been released yet.
Ticket prices will range from $35 to $1,000 and there will also be a limited number of Gold Circle VIP Packages available ranging from $2,000 to $2,500. The Gold Circle packages include seating in the first nine rows ringside, access to a Gold Circle VIP Stadium Entrance and a commemorative WrestleMania folding chair.
Tickets can be purchased through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. All tickets are subject to service charges and facility fees.
If you are going to WrestleMania 35 and taking a WWE travel package, you better get your credit card ready as WWE announced that travel packages for next year’s Mania go on sale on Monday, November 5 at Noon EST.
Six different packages will be available: City Lights, VIP, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Each package will include a WrestleMania 35, Hall of Fame, NXT Takeover, Raw, Smackdown, and Axxess tickets, a 7-day unlimited MetroCard, and a New York City area hotel with either three, four, or five-day accommodation. Raw and Smackdown tickets are only available with the 4-day and 5-day options.
The Platinum, VIP, and City Lights packages will also include a collectible chair from WrestleMania and the VIP and City Lights will also have VIP/Premium tickets respectively for Axxess. The City Lights also has two other features: a private experience at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum with WWE Superstars and Legends, and an exclusive reception with WWE Superstars and Legends prior to NXT Takeover. Seating for each event depends on your package as well.
The City Lights package will set you back $6,940 per person for an occupancy of four while the lowest-priced package, the Bronze, starts at $1,175 with a group of four. The price increases big time if you’re single or a double occupancy.
With Evolution done and dusted, the focus quickly changes to the Crown Jewel pay-per-view which will take place this Friday from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ironically, WWE promoted the show during Evolution last night and Michael Cole, Renee Young, and Beth Phoenix ran down the card as the fans inside the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum responded with boos. When the boos continued to fill the arena, WWE production cut the video feed inside the arena, leaving only the live feed to the WWE Network going. The WWE women cannot perform on the show due to the very strict laws in Saudi Arabia so everyone saw the irony that this forced all-men’s pay-per-view is being promoted on the first-ever women’s pay-per-view.
WWE has been getting hit by critics for proceeding with the show following the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi but the company defended the move while Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon labeled it as a “business decision.”
Tickets for the show sold out in under three hours after they went on sale during the weekend.
NXT stars Fabian Aichner and The Street Profits went to EVOLVE and walked out with the EVOLVE Championship and Tag Team titles respectively yesterday.
The Street Profits, the team of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford, were the first ones to win the gold after they defeated Chris Dickinson and Jaka. Later in the night at EVOLVE 114, Aichner defeated Shane Strickland to get his hands on the company’s top title.
As the new champion, Aichner will be appearing on the upcoming EVOLVE shows over the next few months.
They were not the only one from NXT to be part of 114 as Dan Matha, Jessie Elaban, and Adrian Jaoude, all signed to WWE deals, wrestled on the show. WWE and EVOLVE share a good working relationship that enables EVOLVE to get some of NXT’s up-and-coming stars.
Here are the results from Evolution 2018 pay-per-view which took place from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
TRISH STRATUS AND LITA VS MICKIE JAMES AND ALICIA FOX (WITH ALEXA BLISS)
The Attitude Era Divas looked in great shape and both hit their signature moves throughout the match. Bliss interfered once but didn’t do much on the outside. Match had some botches especially the ending when Fox was late to save Mickie James from the three-count and the referee stopped at two. The replay didn’t make it any better! Trish covered Mickie for the pin after the Chick Kick.
WOMEN’S BATTLE ROYAL
The IIconics were eliminated first after they ran down Long Island and all the legends in the ring. It was a quick night for the Aussies. The legends were all picked out very early, with only Michelle McCool and Ivory surviving till the end. Ember Moon and Nia were the last two and nearly eliminated each other after Zelina Vega, who was hiding, came out to dump both of them. But it didn’t work. Nia eventually threw out Moon for the win.
TONI STORM VS IO SHIRAI – MAE YOUNG CLASSIC 2018 TOURNAMENT FINAL
The NXT UK star bested the Japanese sensation to get this year’s tournament. Great match and Io Shirai will be a big Superstar. Storm won with the Storm Zero finishing move. The two hugged it out following the match. Sara Amato presented flowers to Shirai while Triple H and Stephanie McMahon presented the trophy and flowers to the winner.
BAYLEY, SASHA BANKS, AND NATALYA VS THE RIOTT SQUAD
Some good stuff in this match but it was a let down seeing both Banks and Bayley wasted in a six-woman tag match. The faces won when Bayley hit the Macho Man elbow from the top rope and Sasha hit the Eddie Guerrero frog splash.
KAIRI SANE VS SHAYNA BASZLER – NXT WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH
There’s a new NXT Women’s champion in town as Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane to win her second NXT title. Baszler lost her title at NXT Takeover 4 in August. Great match but Sane got jumped by Baszler’s fellow Horsewomen Marina Shafir and Jessaymn Duke who helped her regain the strap.
BECKY LYNCH VS CHARLOTTE FLAIR – LAST WOMAN STANDING MATCH FOR THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE
Crazy match. Some good spots throughout the bout which kinda turned into a TLC match with tables, ladders, and chairs all over the place. At one point, Becky buried Charlotte with chairs and tables and Charlotte rose up with a look like from a horror movie. The finish came when Becky power bombed Charlotte from the second rope through a table on the floor and Flair couldn’t respond to the 10-count.
RONDA ROUSEY VS NIKKI BELLA – RAW WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH
Twin magic didn’t work out this time as Rousey managed to outsmart the Bellas. Nikki got a lot of offense on the champion who eventually regained her composure, took out Brie by sending her flying on the commentary table and then locking the armbar for the tap-out win.
After the show was over, all the women had a curtain call at the top of the stage with both champions on center stage with their titles held up high.
It’s October 27th, and it’sstill Road To Power Struggle–Korakuen Hall, but tonight the main event pits Bushi & Shingo Takagi against Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado. That’s right, it’s Los Ingobernables and Suzuki-Gun again, but this time, I have a dog in the fight: I love the team of Kanemaru and Desperado far more. Now, let’s get it on!
A few chants for Umino. Yoshida seems to be feuding with him, which is sad, considering Yoshida started his New Japan tenure in August a step above Young Lions. I expected Umino to win with a Boston Crab on one of the Young Lions, but, to my surprise, it was:
Ren Narita makes Uemura submit to a Boston Crab. Umino and Yoshida almost come to blows after the match. Interesting.
2. Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs Minoru Suzuki & TAKA Michinoku
Taichi comes out with his stablemates, but sits down to commentate. CHAOS do their best Suzuki-Gun impression and attack Suzuki-Gun, while still in their clothes, before the bell rings. They take Minoru and TAKA to the outside and dominate them there, until Suzuki reverses Ishii’s whip into the guardrail, and then goes to work with a chair. This continues, but eventually Ishii starts to no sell. This takes him far enough, but eventually Suzuki-Gun take over the initiative and Ishii & Suzuki brawl to the back. This match is already ridiculous as TAKA taking out Goto, shoot or work, is pretty unlikely. He hits Go To Heaven and then GTR for the pin.
Goto then grabs the mike. Chants of “Goto!” I can understand what Goto says even without translation: “I want the NEVER Openweight title back. Taichi, since your match at Power Struggle is off, because Ospreay is hurt, why don’t you take me on?” Taichi throws the belt into the ring. Not sure what he says, but he does say “One more chance.”
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Toa Henare vs Kota Ibushi, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens (with a new Yujiro valet I haven’t seen before)
Owens pins Henare with a packaged piledriver.
4. Kazuchika Okada, Best Friends, Rocky Romero & Toru Yano vs Guerillas of Destiny, Jay White, Gedo & Bad Luck Fale
Long and fun match. Chuckie T took most of the beating early on, even though CHAOS started by attacking OGs, not the other way around. Finally he tagged out to Okada, who started hitting Jay White, but, of course, GEDO saved Jay White, and Gedo was nailed instead. All the members of CHAOS teamed up, and Best Friends, Rocky and Yano even shared a hug–it was fun seeing Yano help out instead of being cowardly. Finally it came down to Rocky Romero and Gedo and after Sliced Bread #2 seemed like CHAOS would win, but Jay White hit Blade Runner on Romero and Gedo pinned him. After that, Okada started beating Jay White, but lost the numbers game. Things looked bleak, as the four surviving Clubbers were beating up Okada, and then…. Hiroshi Tanahashi ran in. He clobbered Tonga Loa, took out Fale’s knee cap and helped CHAOS out with Tama Tonga. Finally Okada and Tanahashi teamed up, to a huge pop from the crowd,to double elbow Switchblade. Jay White ran. Tanahashi then reached his hand out and Okada shook it. Huge pop from the crowd.
5. Jushin “Thunder” Liger & Tiger Mask vs Ryusuke Taguchi & ACH
Taguchi & ACH set a new tasteless stupidity record by coming out not just in rugby uniforms but in their opponents masks. Taguchi pinned Tiger Mask after a cradle.
6. Volador Jr & Soberano Jr vs Roppongi 3K
Fun match, which luchadors dominated, but YOH pinned Soberano after a double flapjack.
7. Kushida & Chris Sabin vs Taiji Ishimori & Robbie Eagles
Very good match. Ishimori pinned Kushida with a Bloody Cross. Seems like Kushida vs Ishimori title match is being set up.
8. Bushi & Shingo Takagi vs El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Fantastic match, with all the guys hitting the moves in their character. For the finish, looked like it was going to be another MX, but Desperado picked Bushi up, kneed him in the groin. Ripped off his mask, and one El Es Culero later, Suzuki-Gun’s team had two more points.
Toni Storm won the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament after she defeated Io Shirai with her Storm Zero finishing move at Evolution.
The 23-year-old New Zealand-born Australian professional wrestler is currently part of the NXT UK roster and has been signed to a WWE deal since May. Storm will also be a part of the NXT UK Women’s title tournament that is set to air on the WWE Network in the next few weeks.
To win this year’s tournament, Storm went through Jinny, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Mia Yim, and Meiko Satomura leading up to the final against Shirai.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and WWE Performance Center Assistant Head Coach Sara Amato presented Storm with flowers and the MYC trophy after the match.
Hey all you Cats and Kittens out there! It’s @TheMagnumDA with yet another PPV Pick’em! Tonight, the Pick’em Crew gets in touch with their feminine side, as they lay out their predictions for the first ever all-Women’s PPV in WWE history: EVOLUTION!!
Here’s a recap of the 2018 WWE PPV Pick’em Season so far:
Colin: 70 Points
Heel Turn Tom: 70 Points
MagnumDA: 69 Points
Tricky Don: 69 Points
No “69” jokes! Let’s have some decency. This is a ladies’ PPV, after all. 😀
Six-Woman Tag Match
Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya vs. The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan and Ruby Riott)
Colin: Will this be the night that Sasha and Bayley finally explode? Just do it already! Would have loved Sasha vs Bayley on this show. I pick the Riott Squad to win and a massive meltdown for their opponents.
Magnum: This has dramz written all over it. The Riott Squad has been prominently featured all summer, but they’ve jobbed quite a bit along the way. This is their chance to finally pick up a big PPV win, and all of this leads into the Sasha/Bayley blow-up that many of us have been waiting for since May. Riott Squad snakes a big W.
Tom: First off, prayers to Roman Reigns and his family. Get healthy and come back so I can boo you again. Sasha, Bayley, and Natalya get the feel good win to kick off Evolution over the The Riott Squad.
Don: I am tagging in Big Patt for this one, and the Big Patt says lately The Riott Squad has had pretty good luck in their recent matches and I feel like their teamwork will be better than ever this Sunday. Bayley, Sasha, and Natalya haven’t worked as a team yet so I feel like the Riott Squad has the advantage and will take the win.
Battle Royal – Winner Gets Women’s Title Match Participants Announced (so far): Asuka, Tamina, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Ember Moon, Alicia Fox, Nia Jax, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Carmella, Lana, Naomi, Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Alundra Blayze, Ivory, Kelly Kelly, Maria Kanellis, Molly Holly, and Zelina Vega.
Colin: Tricky one. So many potential winners but I’m leaning towards either Nia or Asuka. I think Ronda will be occupied for a bit with the Bellas so I’m thinking more of a Smackdown women getting the win here so I’m going for Asuka.
Magnum: DEUCE IS BACK! Sorry, I loved Madusa back in the day…and I never thought she would return to the ring as Alundra Blayze, but here we are. Speaking of returns, we got a commitment from Michelle McCool but NOT Layla El? I want my LayCool reunion, damnit! Also, where’s Sunny in this lineup? She just got out of jail, Vince! Throw her a bone, for crying out loud!
Okay, okay…let’s get serious. I think back to when Andre the Giant would dominate every Battle Royal he participated in, and it got me thinking…wouldn’t it make sense for Nia Jax to assume that role? There’s a lot of veterans and HOF’ers in the match, but whoever wins this has their eye on the future…and Nia Jax has some unfinished business with Ronda Rousey. Give me Nia to squash these ladies like bugs.
Tom: I see WWE trying to get someone over from the battle royal win but I feel this person will get the same push as the Andre the Giant Battle Royal winner. So, with that being said, I see Ember Moon winning and everyone gets a let down when this goes no where for her after one promo next week.
Don: My final four will consist of Nia Jax, Asuka, Alundra Blayze, and Naomi. I was originally leaning towards Naomi, to have her win the first all woman’s battle royal at both Wrestlemania 34 and Evolution. Ultimately, I think the WWE will go with Nia Jax, to help build her star power back up.
NXT Women’s Championship
Kairi Sane (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
Colin: I think it’s time for Shayna to move up to the main roster, join Ronda in her fight against the Bellas. Do the job, move up. Kairi Sane wins this one.
Magnum: Now THIS is a tough pick. It makes all the sense in the world for Shayna to win back her Championship, but Kairi wouldn’t have anywhere to go without that Championship. If someone comes in to cost Kairi the match, then she’ll be able to transition away from the title. Hell, let’s go with that finish. Baszler wins back her NXT Championship.
Tom: I think Shayna will be great on the main roster, but I don’t see a spot for her yet and I don’t want her to get lost in the mix like other champs (Asuka and Ember Moon). Also some titles have to change so Shayna taps out Kairi and is the new NXT Women’s Champion.
Don: I have to think that Shayna will be called up to the main roster for a possible feud with Ronda Rousey, or to set up a Four Horsewomen team at Survivor Series. With the possible call-up, I have no other choice to pick Kairi.
2018 Mae Young Tournament Finals
Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm
Colin: Should be a great match! Both are awesome women. I think the MYC tournament is ready for the second Japanese winner in a row. Io Shirai is simply on another level, if not planet. Fantastic performer and I can’t wait to see her more on NXT.
Magnum: Toni had her heart broken when she lost the UK Championship to Rhea Ripley. I think that this is the turning point for her. Toni will defeat the ultra-talented Io Shirai with the Storm Zero to become the 2018 Fabu…er…Mae Young Tournament Champion. 🙂
Tom: I am trying to get in the mindset of WWE. They had a Japanese wrestler win the tournament last year. Also, Storm may be in the mix for NXT UK title. So with those two reasons, Storm wins the 2018 Mae Young Tournament.
Don: The inaugural Mae Young Classic resulted in a Japanese wrestler winning the tournament. I think WWE has to shake it up, and can not go back to back with two Japanese wrestlers. With that being said, I think Toni Storm will be the victor.
Tag Team Match
Trish Stratus and Lita vs. Alicia Fox and Mickie James
Colin: In my original pick, I had Bliss and James winning with Bliss getting the pinfall on one of the two Hall of Famers. With Bliss out of the match, I think Lita and Trish will now get this one. It’s very unfortunate for Bliss to be out of this pay-per-view. She’s been excellent over the past two years. Unlucky.
Magnum: I miss Ms. Stratagias. Damn, she is so beautiful. Focus, Magnum! Sorry about that. Anyways, with the inclusion of Alicia Fox…methinks that the HOFer’s are going to dominate. Give me Trish and Lita to win, with Miss Foxy taking the fall.
Tom: The feel-good Attitude Era match. I wish this had something more like tag titles at stake. Mickie will take the pin from Trish. Attitude Era Divas (Trish and Lita) get the win and the pop.
Don: It is awesome to see Trish and Lita back. The Internet will lead us to believe this is not a one-off match, and could appear on future network specials. I have always rooted for Trish and Lita since the early 2000’s, and have always picked them to win. With 100% certainty we will hear multiple you still got it chants. With 90% certainty, Trish and Lita will reignite their career and light up the PPV. Trish and Lita win.
WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Championship – LAST WOMAN STANDING
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
Colin: The new “Stone Cold” Becky Lynch is absolutely awesome. Like she says…she’s “the man!” The two have been doing some great stuff and if Ronda wasn’t involved in this PPV they would have totally main evented the show. It’s “personal” and I love it! Anything but a Becky victory here would be wrong. She’s on a roll and she should keep on being the bad ass bitch. Becky wins.
Magnum: I’m right there with Colin…”Bad Ass” Becky Lynch is definitely a moneymaker. If she’s not careful, she could become the biggest babyface in the history of Women’s wrestling. Okay, that might be a stretch. Still…*right now* is the most fascinating time in Becky’s career, and anything to derail her momentum would be a crying shame. Since Charlotte doesn’t have to take the fall, I think Becky holds on to the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Onward, you Bad Ass Lasskicker. 😀
Tom: This is tough. I think it will be Flair as champ by Wrestlemania. But we have a lot of time, shows, and PPV until then. I am liking what they are doing with Becky and I don’t want to see that stop. Becky stands tall at the end and stays the champ.
Don: Evolution is going to make history. This match will make history as well. I think WWE needs to keep both stars strong, and creatively they will need to keep the title on Becky for now. This one will have a surprise finish and end when both superstars simultaneously take a huge bump. DOUBLE KO.
WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Nikki Bella
Colin: You know what, I’m actually looking forward to this one. Really. Rousey hasn’t disappointed since hopping onboard and this feud with Nikki kicked into overdrive over the past two weeks. I love it how they’re going all out against each other on social media in a worked-shoot style. This will no doubt main event the show and my money is on Ronda to win. How, though, remains to be seen. Can totally see Brie interfering causing the DQ but ending a historic night on a non-finish would be a downer.
Magnum: A lot of people are intrigued by this match. While I’m not as interested as those folks, I don’t think Ronda had too many choices for a dance partner (outside of a Nia Jax rematch). You really can’t blame the Bellas for wanting to swoop in and get involved with this show, but they represent Divas of a bygone era. Times have changed. Ronda destroys Nikki and retains the Raw Women’s Championship.
Tom: It’s nice Nikki is still getting work after breaking up with John Cena. It’s like she has family in the company. I see them trying twin magic. But if Rousey loses the title, I may stop watching. Ronda wins with a tap out.
Don: We have not seen this much main stream star power in one match since the 1980’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection since the 1980s. History will repeat itself as it did 30 years ago during the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection and the good girls will win. Ronda Rousey all the way, and this will lead to Rousey joining Total Divas, and quite possibly taking over Total Bellas.
Alright, that’s going to do it for the Pick’em Crew! We’ll see you later this week for the ultra-controversial Crown Jewel PPV! @TheMagnumDA, signing off.
We’re just a few hours away from a very big historic night in WWE history as the women will take center stage for the first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view.
The betting odds below are accurate as of time of this writing. They are likely to change by the time the show starts.
In the Raw Women’s title match, Ronda Rousey continues to be the overwhelming favorite with her odds at 1/8 and Nikki Bella with 9/2. These are unchanged from yesterday.
Becky Lynch is also the favorite to win her last women standing match against Charlotte Flair, with the Smackdown champion at 4/6 while Flair is at 11/10 in the odds.
The current NXT Women’s champion Kairi Sane has odds of 4/11 in her favor while Shayna Baszler is at 2/1 to regain the title.
The Mae Young Classic final match takes place tonight as well with Toni Storm the favorite at 1/2 while Japanese sensation Io Shirai at 6/4 to become the second Japanese MYC winner in a row.
For the battle royal with the winner becoming the number one contender for their respective women’s title, Ember Moon remains the favorite with 7/4 odds, followed by Nia Jax at 5/2, and Asuka in third at 3/1.
And in the two tag team matches, the team of Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Natalya are 2/5 to defeat The Riott Squad who are at 7/4 and the Hall of Fame team of Lita and Trish Stratus are at 2/9 to beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James who are at 3/1.
