Footage from the RINGSIDE with Jim Ross show held this past Friday at Gotham Comedy Club where Paul Heyman made Jim Ross cry for six straight minutes found its way online.
Heyman was the special guest of JR on this show and towards the end, Heyman recounted the story of when Ross called him to see if he would be available to appear. When Heyman asked JR why would he open up himself to such vulnerable circumstances considering the death of his wife earlier this year, Ross replied saying that because when he’s up there with the fans, he feels at home and they make him feel good.
At that point, Ross started crying, along with some members of the audience as well. Heyman continued to put over JR for the work he did over the years in the business and how he always had his back dating back to the early WCW days.
Heyman held JR’s hand throughout the segment and after multiple standing ovations, he told the crowd that the final curtain call should be just to Jim Ross, and he left the stage after giving a hug and a kiss to the WWE Hall of Famer.
The beach ball made another appearance at the Barclays Center last night on Raw but unlike Cesaro, no one went to destroy it.
However, The Miz did not look happy at all when the dreaded beach ball was being passed around during the main event. When the show went to commercials, The Miz had enough and climbed on the second rope and gestured to the crowd to “bring it.”
After the referee told him something, The Miz went out, grabbed the microphone and said, “You get to watch The Miz and you’re cheering for a damn beach ball?” The Brooklyn crowd responded in the positive as a “beach ball” chant filled the Barclays Center.
You can see the hilarious footage from an uncut satellite Raw feed below.
John Cena returned to Monday Night Raw for the first time since the 2016 draft, and immediately called out Roman Reigns. The two – equally booed by the Brooklyn crowd – have been bad mouthing each other on Twitter lately.
Reigns remarked that Cena only runs his mouth on Twitter and now he was in “his yard” and was wondering if he was going to do the same face to face. Cena wanted to fight but the whole angle eventually led to a tag team match between Cena and Reigns vs The Miz and Samoa Joe, which Cena and Reigns won. Reigns hit the Superman punch on Cena by mistake during the match to escalate things.
The Brooklyn crowd had a lot of fun booing both Cena and Reigns and had a very loud “You both suck” chant going on earlier in the broadcast.
Two of the biggest heavyweights in the WWE today will be squaring off at No Mercy for the Universal title as Brock Lesnar will be defending his gold against Braun Strowman.
Strowman had the best showing at SummerSlam so it came to no surprise that he would be the number one contender. The “monster among men” interrupted Brock Lesnar’s opening segment on Raw last night and gave the champion two powerslams, leaving him motionless in the ring.
At SummerSlam two nights ago, Strowman drove Lesnar through two commentary tables and then overturned the last-standing table on him to big ovations from the fans.
No Mercy takes place on September 24 from Los Angeles, California.
Hello everybody! It’s @TheMagnumDA with tonight’s Raw report. We are LIVE from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. I’m trying a new, condensed format for these Raw reports. Give me your feedback on Twitter, and let me know what you think!
If you watched SummerSlam, you saw five (!!) championships change hands, with Jinder Mahal and Brock Lesnar successfully retaining their World and Universal Championships. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose won the Raw Tag Team titles from Cesaro and Sheamus. Natalya won the Smackdown Women’s title from Naomi, while Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss to become the new Raw Women’s Champion. Finally, Neville won back the Cruiserweight Championship and The Uso’s defeated The New Day for the Smackdown Tag Team titles. Tonight, I have a feeling that you’re going to see the seeds planted for much later down the road…maybe even WrestleMania.
We start tonight with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman! Great reaction from the crowd. Heyman talks about last night’s Fatal 4 Way, and how this is the first time Brock Lesnar left on a stretcher. However, Brock still conquered his opponents and retained his Universal Championship. Heyman gets a dig on Roman Reigns, saying that Lesnar not only prevailed but he did so by pinning Roman Reigns. Ouch! Crowd loved it, though. Heyman says that henceforth, the only man doing the conquering on Raw will be BRRROCK Lesnar.
This brings out Braun Strowman! Braun walks into the ring and immediately gets in Lesnar’s face. Surprisingly, a HUGE “Strowman!” chant breaks out from the New York crowd. Lesnar screamed, “You’re looking at the champ!” Apparently, this was enough provocation for Strowman to goozle Lesnar. Lesnar breaks free, but Strowman catches him in the gut with a knee. Strowman then delivers TWO major Running Powerslams on Lesnar, leaving him in a heap on the ground. I guess we have our main event for No Mercy!
Match #1 – Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass – Brooklyn Street Fight
Before the match, Enzo cut a promo saying that this is where it all started 15 years ago for Enzo and Cass. Enzo talked about breaking bread with Cass, and now all he does is break hearts. This match was all Cass at the start, as he was dominant over Amore. The big story of this match took place at the 8-minute mark, when Big Cass went to deliver a boot to the face of Enzo. Enzo ducked out of the way and pulled the rope down, sending Big Cass tumbling to the floor. Unfortunately, as Cass planted his leg on the ground (outside the ring), his blew out his knee. Frankly, it was pretty unsettling to watch. Cass tried to keep going, but his leg finally gave out during an Empire Elbow attempt. At that point, the ref called for the bell.
Winner: Enzo by Referee Stoppage (*)
After the match, the referee calls for the trainer as Cass is screaming expletives. You can’t help but feel bad for Colin after seeing this setback. Along with Asuka’s broken Collar Bone, Cass probably has a torn ACL. Injuries are catching up to these guys!
Emma is backstage talking trash about Sasha Banks and Nia Jax to Dana Brooke. Unfortunately, Nia Jax was standing right behind Emma when this all went down. Jax says to Emma, “After our match tonight…the hashtag is going to read #GiveEmmaCPR.” Any time you have to mention a hashtag, it sounds a little forced. Just saying.
Match #2 – Nia Jax vs. Emma
Jax completely decimated Emma in a matter of two minutes, winning with a Samoan Drop. More of a squash than anything else. This match will more be remembered for Booker’s immortal line about “Opposing opposition.” Corey points out, “Wouldn’t opposing opposition be friendship?” Yes, yes it would, Corey.
Winner: Nia Jax (*)
We are joined by THE DRIFTER! Err…wait. I guess he’s just going by “Elias” now. Elias talks about looking at the Eclipse, and how it has made everything crystal clear. Why would you stare at the Sun during a Total Eclipse?! The fans were actually behind Elias, but his concert abruptly ends when R-Truth interrupts!
Match #3 – Elias vs. R-Truth
Another quick match, lasting only 90 seconds. R-Truth got his offense in, but Elias eventually came back and won with the Drift Away. Surprisingly, Truth took most of the offense.
Winner: Elias (1/2*)
We are joined by Raw General Manager Kurt Angle! He has a big announcement to make, and that announcement is…John Cena is coming back to Raw! Cena makes his way out, and the fans take turns with “Kurt Angle Sucks!” and “John Cena Sucks!” over Cena’s music. Cena tells the fans that he came here specifically for one reason. He wanted to join Raw because he wanted to be face-to-face with a “certain WWE superstar”. (Curt Hawkins?! :-D)
Alas, he was referring to Roman Reigns, who comes out to a chorus of boo’s. When he approached the ring, you could hear the fans chant, “You both suck!” That’s not a good sign. Cena says that Roman Reigns was the guy he was talking about. Roman says that Cena runs his mouth on Twitter…so why doesn’t he run his mouth right now? After all, he’s standing in Roman’s yard. The fans, who are so enamored by this, start chanting for The Undertaker. Okay, that’s pretty funny. Cena says he’s not here to talk, and then he rips his shirt off.
This is interrupted by The Miztourage! Miz cuts a babyface promo to the Brooklyn crowd, telling them that week after week, he sees Roman and Cena get the spotlight. Miz talks about working hard and waiting for your moment. After tonight, he’s sick of seeing guys like Cena get preferential treatment while The Miz was not even on the Summerslam card. Ouch, he’s got a point. Miz asks the fans if Raw needs John Cena, which got a resounding “NO!” Cena plays around and acts like he’s going to leave, but Miz cuts him off and tells him that you’re not going to make a joke out of me again. Miz starts to turn on the crowd, telling them that they have no idea what they want. Miz knows what he wants…he wants respect! He wants HIS moment. Cena challenges him to a match right now, but Miz cuts him off and says he’s not ready to fight because he’s dressed in a three-piece suit. Nice.
Samoa Joe then comes out to interrupt the proceedings! Joe informs Miz that he will be his tag team partner against Reigns and Cena, because he’s sick of Reigns calling this ring his yard. Joe starts to say something to Cena, but then he just CLOCKS him with a right hand. The fight is on! The Miztourage fought with Reigns, as Joe and John Cena continue their brawl. Joe catches Cena in the Clutch, but Reigns comes in to break it up with a Superman Punch! They finally separate, with Reigns and Cena getting the best of it. The fans continue to chant, “You both suck!” Wow. Gotta love New York.
Match #4 – Cedric Alexander, Gran Metalik, Rich Swann and Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, Noam Dar and Ariya Daivari
The action is so fast and furious that I can’t call it all. I wished the NY crowd felt the same way. Sadly, they crapped all over this match. They start the wave at the midway mark, followed by a “This match sucks!” chant. Well, they’re honest, if nothing else. Gran Metallik hits a SWEET Moonsault Plancha onto Gulak and Daivari. The finish came when Alexander hit Tony Nese with the Springboard Enziguiri, followed by the Lumbar Check for the one, two, three!
Winners: Cedric Alexander, Gran Metalik, Rich Swann and Mustafa Ali (**)
Backstage, Charley is with Neville, the new Cruiserweight Champion. Neville runs down the Titus Brand, when Akira Tozawa interrupts! Akira challenges Neville to a rematch on 205 Live tomorrow night. It’s on! Meanwhile, Jason Jordan pleads with his father to give him a match with Miz tonight. Angle says that Miz is already booked, so Jordan brings up the name “Finn Balor”. Angle asked, “Are you sure you’re ready for that kind of competition?” Jordan says yes, so Angle books the match.
Ambrose and Rollins make their way down to the ring! They’re carrying the Raw tag straps with them. Great reaction from the crowd. Ambrose, sounding like a total geek, bragged about sleeping with the title in his bed and wearing the belt while walking around NYC. Renee, are you okay with the belt getting this much attention? Seth says that he’s surprised by Dean’s admission, but he also admits that tonight is all about the celebration! Ambrose teases an appearance by Cesaro and Sheamus, but instead we get Matt and Jeff Hardy! They are in total “Broken” mode. Jeff congratulated the champs, while Matt disclosed that he and Jeff have fought before in the past (just like Dean and Seth), but as a tag team…”it’s a beautiful thing.” Matt challenged the champs to a non-title match. Seth puts the Hardy Boyz over HUGE, saying that he idolized them growing up. He says they’ve been revolutionizing the business for 25 years, and tonight…they’re looking to do it again. “Well, let’s do the damn thing!” Seth proclaims.
Match #5 – Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs. The Hardy Boyz
Both teams are getting big cheers from the Brooklyn faithful. Highlights from the match include Jeff hitting a sweet Poetry in Motion to Rollins and Ambrose from the ring to the floor! Wicked. Right after this, Jeff went to splash Dean from the top rope, but Rollins pushed him out of harm’s way. At the ten-minute mark, the match really picked up steam. The crowd was getting into it! The finish came when Rollins hit the top rope knee to the face of Jeff Hardy, followed by Dean Ambrose’s Dirty Deeds! Rollins makes the cover for the one, two, three! A fantastic match. If you have Hulu, seek this one out.
Winners: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (***1/2)
The Miztourage and Samoa Joe are backstage together. Miz was trying to come up with a plan, but Joe cuts him off and tells him to shut up. Joe gave the following orders: Dallas and Axel need to be a constant presence outside the ring, while Miz stays on the apron to talk trash. Joe will take care of the rest. Well, that seems easy enough. After this, Cole makes it official: Brock Lesnar will defend the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman at No Mercy.
Haven’t had enough promos yet, tonight? Well, you’re in luck. We get another ten-minute promo, this time with Sasha Banks coming out to celebrate her championship victory. Banks says that, although she’s from Boston, she has left her heart in Brooklyn every year for the last three years. She recaps her match with Bayley from Takeover, as well as her awesome SummerSlam match with Charlotte last year. After giving love to Ric Flair, she tells the fans that Raw does not need a Goddess. This got a mixed reaction, which surprised me. This brings out Alexa Bliss! She points out that Sasha can win championships, but she can’t hold onto them. Sasha then points out that Little Miss Bliss tapped out last night, and that she is aware of the rematch clause. Sasha challenges Alexa to use it right now, but Bliss tells the crowd that they don’t deserve that match. Alexa did, however, say that she’ll use the rematch clause next week on Raw. Alexa says that after she wins the title back, Sasha Banks will not be known as a “Legit Boss”…rather, a “Legit Loser”. As opposed to an illegitimate loser?
Match #6- Jason Jordan vs. Finn Balor
Ah, the beach ball match. I don’t mind that there was a beach ball getting knocked around in the crowd…I do mind that Kevin Dunn decided to shoot it. Completely took away from the match, and it doesn’t give respect to the guys in the ring. I hope that doesn’t happen again. Jordan tried to hit the Hoist Neckbreaker, but Balor turned it into a crossbody for the one, two, no! After this, Balor hits his combination of the Sling Blade, the running dropkick in the corner, and the Coup de Grace for the one, two, three! I guess this is what an illegitimate loser looks like. Just kidding! 😀
Winner: Finn Balor (*3/4)
Main Event: John Cena & Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe & The Miz
This match had BOTH the wave and a beach ball appearance. The crowd must’ve been restless or something. Anyways, the finish came when Joe snuck up on John Cena to put him in the Coquina Clutch. Reigns came in for a Superman punch on Joe, but Joe put Cena in their path. After Cena was knocked out, Roman and Joe continued their brawl to the outside. Ever the opportunist, Miz comes in to pick the bones. He gets into position for the Skull-Crushing Finale, but this is reversed by Cena into the Attitude Adjustment! One, two, three!
Winners: John Cena & Roman Reigns (**1/4)
After the match, Cena shoots Roman a glare over the Superman punch mishap. Roman smiles and tells Cena, “My bad.” Sowing the seeds…I think these guys are either going to do business in the Fall, or they’re going to save it for WrestleMania. For now, they celebrate as we go to credits!
Final Thoughts: This did have the feel of a post-WrestleMania show, so I’ll give them credit for that. I will also give them credit for having the main event of next month’s PPV already figured out. We’ll have to see what happens in the weeks to come! I’m already looking forward to No Mercy. See you next week!
Asuka’s NXT Women’s title reign might be in jeopardy after the Empress of Tomorrow suffered a broken right collarbone during her match against Ember Moon on Saturday night at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III.
The injury did not stop her from continuing on with the match, although she was in considerable pain and discomfort. She eventually won with the Asuka lock, defending her title in yet another match.
“We performed an initial ultrasound backstage that was highly suspicious of a break that was later confirmed by an X-Ray,” said ringside physician Dr. Jeffrey Westerfield.
There’s no timetable for her return although the typical recovery time is 6-8 weeks assuming everything goes according to plan.
WWE has not yet decided what to do with the title. She can be either stripped off the belt or else wait till the next NXT Takeover in November during Survivor Series weekend where she should be able to defend it.
Big Cass will be facing some time out after suffering a knee injury during his street fight match against Enzo Amore last night on Raw.
After initially ignoring the pain and continuing on with the match, Cass had to eventually stop after his knee gave out, causing him to roll out of the ring and the referee stopping the match, handing Enzo a win.
“It’s hard to tell what the extent of the injury is, but we’re going to send him to get an MRI tomorrow and figure that out,” said WWE ringside physician Dr. Chris Robinson.
The injury occurred when Cass was going for a big boot but Amore held down the ropes, sending his former tag team partner flying out and landing badly on his leg.
WWE today announced that Lio Rush, the 22-year-old Maryland native, signed a WWE deal and he has already started training at the WWE Performance Center. WWE.COM described it as a “blockbuster signing.”
Rush made his wrestling debut in November 2014, learning the ropes at the MCW Training Center along with former Tough Enough contestant Patrick Clark. The two also held the MCW Tag Team titles for a short period of time. Clark is now at the WWE PC and NXT wrestling under the name of The Velveteen Dream.
Lio Rush wrestled for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Combat Zone Wrestling, and lately Ring of Honor before signing with WWE.
Usually, bookies have most, if not all, the matches figured out during pay-per-views. SummerSlam had a pretty big card, 13 in total, and judging by the odds we published yesterday which were valid up till 1PM EST, the results were a mixed bag.
Out of 13 matches, odds were correct in eight of them, with the remaining five matches all won by the underdogs.
Bookies correctly guessed Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, Natalya, Neville, Ambrose and Rollins, Big Cass, Fin Balor, and Randy Orton winning their respective matches.
However, Shinsuke Nakamura, The New Day, Alexa Bliss, Baron Corbin, and Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan were all favorites to win their matches but their opponents pulled the upset.
Smart money on Jinder Mahal winning his match against Nakamura came in late in the evening.
John Cena, Nikki Bella, Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella all appeared on the TODAY show this morning to talk about the upcoming season of Total Bellas.
Nikki discussed the proposal from WrestleMania and what a special moment it was for her. E! obviously caught all the footage which will be part of season two of Total Bellas. She said that producers got cell phone footage from different people inside the stadium and will be including them as part of the episode.
The hosts then asked Brie about allowing cameras inside the hospital room when she gave birth. Bryan joked that he had absolutely no say in it and Brie said that she thought that she owed it to the fans to see her give birth as well. She was in labor for 21 hours and cameras stayed there for the whole duration.
When Cena and Nikki were asked if their wedding will be on camera too, Cena said that just like Bryan, he has zero say, which got a chuckle from everyone. Nikki was nodding yes in the background while Cena was talking about the wedding, suggesting that it will probably be part of an upcoming season.
Before signing off, Cena put over the twins for their incredible work and called them entrepreneurs. He said they have a clothing line, wine that is coming out, successful YouTube channel, filming two different shows and still have time for their families.
Charlotte Flair – who was absent from SummerSlam weekend – posted somewhat of a positive message on her Instagram last night along with a photo of her father and herself holding hands on a hospital bed.
“After an incredibly hard week, my dad is getting better. There is still a long road to go and he’s not out of the woods just yet but I want to again thank everyone for their support on behalf of myself and my family,” Charlotte wrote.
She encouraged her fellow WWE Superstars to “give a little extra flair for him” during SummerSlam and said that everyone knows he would be backstage at the show if he could.
If you had any doubts on who is the next big star in WWE, well, last night should have answered all your pending questions: Braun Strowman is the next big thing.
The man dubbed as the “monster among men” absolutely decimated everyone during the SummerSlam main event, power slamming Brock Lesnar through two announce tables, then overturning the remaining announce table on him. Brock even did the stretcher job, although he returned later in the night.
Strowman also destroyed his two other opponents, Seth Rollins and Samoa Joe, but ultimately came short of winning the match as Lesnar got away with the title after an F5 to the night’s favorite heel: Roman Reigns. But the booking of the match was pretty obvious and it was done to make Strowman looking the best out of the bunch.
To the contrary of Strowman, two other individuals seem to be at the bottom of the pack on the WWE roster.
Baron Corbin, who last week lost his Money In The Bank briefcase cash-in, lost decisively and clean to John Cena. Corbin trash-talked his way through most of the match but Cena kept making fun of him leading up to the AA.
The other person who wasn’t so lucky at SummerSlam is Rusev. After losing his wife Lana as his on-screen manager, he doesn’t seem to have found his footing yet. The once big bad monster got RKO’d and a pin in just nine seconds.
A historic 30th annual SummerSlam was capped off by the most title changes in one night: five in total out of eight title matches.
It was bad news if you were a champion until AJ Styles broke the “streak” towards the second half of the pay-per-view, as The New Day, Akira Tozawa, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, and Sheamus and Cesaro all lost their respective titles to The Usos, Neville, Natalya, Sasha Banks, and Ambrose and Rollins.
AJ Styles, Jinder Mahal, and Brock Lesnar kept the United States title, WWE title, and Universal title respectively.
The Intercontinental title held by The Miz was the only title not to be defended on the show. This was a record for SummerSlam with eight title defenses.
In just a few days, the world is to witness the most epic fight in combat sports history. The Mayweather vs. McGregor match aims to attract tons of hype in media circles as well as within the online sportsbook market. At this very moment, a flurry of bets are being placed before we see Mayweather and McGregor go head to head in what will be recorded as one of the best fights yet. While many are clueless as to how it will all pan out, we give you a head start with some fight night predictions.
Bookmakers are providing enticing odds for the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight. Whether you back up the Mayweather ‘Money team’ or are on ‘Mystic Mac’ McGregor’s side, you’ll find highly generous odds for your favorite contender. Paddy Power has Mayweather as the top fighter for a win either by knockout, technical or split decision with a backing of 1/6 odds. On the other hand, several other bookies have McGregor as the favorite to win by any means boasting 1/4 odds as opposed to his rival. The dramatic fall in McGregor’s odds is aided by the promotional tours which where he was widely adjudged to have won. Further to this, in case of a draw, the odds stand at 50/1 according to both Paddy Power and Sporting Bet.
Things get a little more interesting when it comes to knockout wins. According to a few online sources, betting on a knockout win seems like the most popular bet. A McGregor win by a knockout is backed by 13/2 odds whereas a knockout win for Mayweather has 2/11. It is stated that McGregor’s boldness and confidence on the promotional tours resulted in more bets being placed in favor of the Irishman.
At this stage, it appears that high stake bets are placed on Mayweather to win the fight in the first round. A Mayweather win in round 1 is backed by 33/1 odds, round 2 wins are supported by 25/1 odds, while round 3 odds boasts 20/1 odds. On the flip side of the coin, McGregor is backed to win in Round 1 with 40/1 odds.
Looking at overall points, bookmakers have McGregor on 25/1 odds while Mayweather has 9/4 odds for a win on points. The category in which both fighters will be knocked down aims to pay 6/1 odds at Paddy Power and the fight to finish in 59 seconds issues 50/1 odds at 188Bet.
Kevin Brady, sportsbook manager at Bovada, states that McGregor is going into this match as an underdog, and that they’re nervous about the outcome. His emotions are based on the probability that the match will result in an outcome much like the Jeff Horn vs. Manny Pacquaio event which went against many people’s permutations including that of top bookmakers.
Many punters and former professional boxers are tipping Mayweather to win by a unanimous decision. Chad Dundas, a former boxing great, mentions that Mayweather’s defensive mastery will outweigh the inexperienced McGregor’s tactics. Other online reports show that McGregor is to take Mayweather to the very end, but in closing, will result in a Mayweather win.
Though Mayweather is the overwhelming favorite as he seeks to preserve his flawless professional boxing record of 49 wins with no defeat, come fight night, all that will be set aside. He will enter the ring on a different and new level and anything can happen.
Welcome to the Barclays Center for night two of WWE action with SummerSlam!
Renee Young, Peter Rosenberg, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler and the returning David Otunga are hosting the Kick-Off panel.
In the pre-show matches, The Miz, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas defeated The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan; Neville defeated Akira Tozawa to regain the Cruiserweight title; and The Usos defeated The New Day to regain the Smackdown Tag Team titles.
Shawn Michaels comes out as The Colonel from KFC. Major product placement. He just does his entrance, messes with the announce teams, and heads back.
Cool video opening. We got a graffiti artist spraying the SummerSlam logo on a wall as a montage of every SummerSlam match airs in between.
JOHN CENA VS BARON CORBIN
John Cena is the curtain jerker this year. Corbin trash-talked throughout the whole match, which was pretty hilarious. Cena was on the receiving end of a choke slam turns into a backbreaker, landing on his neck again. Cena hits the AA for the clean win. Wow. Cena hugs Arnie Skaaland’s widow after the match. No Nikki Bella as promised. This was quick in and out match for Cena.
Rocket League UpUpDownDown segment with Neville and Sasha Banks winning the whole tournament.
NAOMI VS NATALYA (SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH)
Natalya ties Trish Stratus with the most female PPV matches. Naomi has a coat that is LIT! The crowd was mostly dead for this match. Natalya puts Naomi in the Sharpshooter and Naomi taps! New champion, her first title in six years and 25 years after her uncle British Bulldog won the IC title at SummerSlam 92 from her uncle Bret. No MITB cash-in from Carmella.
Wicked commercial for No Mercy with Alexa Bliss airs.
BIG CASS VS BIG SHOW
Enzo Amore cuts a long promo and thankfully is cut off by Big Cass’ theme song. Locked in the cage, Enzo kept talking throughout the whole match. He strips down to his undies to fit between the bars and makes it out of the shark cage. After landing, he’s met with a big boot to the face and he plays dead. Big Show gets two big boots to the face one after the other and gets pinned.
John Cena Tapout men’s body spray commercial airs. Kurt Angle is shown backstage and is visited by Daniel Bryan. They both brag about their respective brands and start a Yes/No opposing chant.
RANDY ORTON VS RUSEV
Rusev quickly attacks Orton from behind while he’s doing his entrance. Ref pushes Rusev back as Orton recovers so he can ring the bell. When the bell rings, Orton hits the RKO in a matter of seconds and gets the pinfall. That was super quick! Poor Rusev.
WWE 2K18 commercial with Kurt Angle is next. And then we cut to the Brooklyn Bridge with SummerSlam graphics projected on it. That was awesome.
Bayley hugs Sasha Banks backstage and tells her to be safe. Crowd boos Bayley.
ALEXA BLISS VS SASHA BANKS (RAW WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH)
Sasha Banks has some cool outfit designed specifically for SummerSlam. Sasha is booed when she’s introduced, and Alexa gets a babyface pop. Both women looking fantastic. Crowd seemed more into this match than any of the previous ones on the PPV. Alexa had the upper hand for most of the time, working on Sasha’s shoulder but Banks pulled a Banks Statement and became a four-time Raw Women’s champion after Alexa tapped.
WWE Superstars attend an audition for KFC’s Colonel Sanders and they replay a bit of HBK from earlier today. Michael Cole says HBK delivered some “sweet thigh music.” Okay.
FINN BALOR VS BRAY WYATT
Finn Balor as the Demon King had an epic entrance as expected. Some sick paint on Balor today. Your basic match here, with Finn Balor winning with the Coup de Grace. Most of Finn’s paint stayed on! Amazing!
Total Bellas season two preview. They’re back on September 6. Mae Young Classic hype video too. Looking forward to this one.
SHEAMUS & CESARO VS AMBROSE & ROLLINS (RAW TAG TEAM TITLES MATCH)
With all titles changing hands so far, things are not looking good for the reigning champs! Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have separate entrances. Rollins is in new red gear. Ambrose is in…jeans. A beach ball made an appearance and distracted the crowd. Cesaro got pissed off, ran into the crowd, grabbed the beach ball and destroyed it to the biggest pop of the night so far. Great match with the champs dishing out some big punishment later in the match but the challengers found a way around it. Ambrose hits the Dirty Deeds on Sheamus for the pinfall. New Raw Tag Team champions. The new champs finish their night with The Shield fist bump.
AJ STYLES VS KEVIN OWENS (US TITLE MATCH)
Shane McMahon is the special guest referee for this match. The Smackdown Commissioner has his kids and wife at ringside. AJ and KO attack each other before the bell is even rang, with Shane having to separate the two from the opening second. Good match with Shane taking some bumps. Owens kept ripping on Shane throughout the match which was funny. “You fall off buildings! And you can’t get up to make that 3 count?!” Classic KO! At one point Owens taps but Shane was out of the ring after a bump so he didn’t see it. AJ pushed Shane, so he pushed back, nearly costing him the title with a close pinfall. Owens pins AJ after a Pop Up power bomb but AJ puts his foot on the bottom rope. Shane counts to three but then cancels it after realizing the mistake. Owens is pissed and fights with Shane. AJ hits the Pele kick and then hits the Phenomenal Forearm, followed by a second Styles Clash for the pinfall.
Cricket Wireless video, showing John Cena surprising kids in an anti-cyber bullying event.
JINDER MAHAL VS SHINSUKE NAKAMURA (WWE TITLE MATCH)
Violinist Lee England Jr is back to do the live Shinsuke Nakamura theme as the Brooklyn crowd sings along. Incredible. WWE switched the Network audio feed to Hindi for a bit. First time for that. Fans clearly behind Nakamura as fans chant “3MB.” We then get Funaki on commentary from the Japanese feed. This is an international affair! The Singh brothers come in handy once again as they interfere and while Nakmura is getting rid of them Jinder Mahal hits his Khallas finisher to retain. Fans did not like it. At all.
BROCK LESNAR VS BRAUN STROWMAN VS ROMAN REIGNS VS SAMOA JOE (WWE UNIVERSAL TITLE MATCH)
Big pop for Strowman. Same for Samoa Joe with “Joe Joe” chants. Crowd booed Reigns before his theme song even hit. That was awesome! Lesnar also gets a good pop and so does Paul Heyman for his trademark intro for the champ. There was carnage all over with four heavyweights trashing each other and everything around the ring. Strowman was the overwhelming favorite in this match, doing some crazy spots including two running power slams on Lesnar through two announce tables and then overturning the remaining announce table on Lesnar. Lesnar did the stretcher job. Brock returns and destroys everybody until Reigns recovers and Superman punches everyone. Brock Lesnar escapes all the carnage after pinning Roman Reigns with an F5. No text recap can do this match justice. Go to the WWE Network to watch it!
Hey fans! It’s @TheMagnumDA and it’s SUMMERSLAM SUNDAY! You know what that means: It’s time for my crew to make their SummerSlam 2017 picks. In addition to my boys Tricky Don and The Bull Brother, we’ve got W-O’s Editor-in-Chief Colin Vassallo contributing! Let’s not waste another second…IT’S PICKS TIME. Send your picks to @WrestlingOnline and @TheMagnumDA on Twitter!
(c) – indicates defending champion
* – indicates Kickoff show match
* Smackdown Tag Team title match The New Day (c) vs. The Usos
Magnum: I am really digging the new and improved Usos. They were always good in the ring, but now they have personalities. Plus, they’re talented rappers! Unfortunately, I think the New Day is in this for the long haul. They may not eclipse Demolition ever again, but they’ll survive tonight. Give me The New Day to retain.
Colin: The New Day. I love The Usos as heels. Way better than their face gimmick. But The New Day will get this one.
Tricky Don: I love when PPVs give us matches we have not seen. That’s why a match and feud we have seen too much of is on the preshow. Granted these two teams have great chemistry, but are there no other contenders in Smackdown? There will be some funny spots from the New Day and the Usos will cheat. The Usos will go twin magic (somebody should be using it since the Bellas aren’t) but the numbers game will be too much and the New Day will keep their Smackdown gold.
The Bull Brother: The cream of the Smackdown crop tag division…sadly are relegated to the kickoff show. As a diehard fan of tag team wrestling, I would have liked to have seen them on the main show. I look for The New Day to retain, getting the win on the 2nd biggest show, after merely hosting WrestleMania. A tip of the cap, if you will.
Raw Women’s title match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks
Magnum: I don’t believe Bayley was going to win the title at SummerSlam. That said…I think Sasha Banks was next in line to take the title from Little Miss Bliss. So I’m going with the hotshot and the upset. Sasha Banks wins the Women’s Championship.
Colin: Sasha Banks. I believe that if Bayley was there, she was going to be the one winning the title. Giving the title to Sasha can build towards a proper Sasha/Bayley program with Banks turning heel on her friend.
Tricky Don: How did Nia Jax not get that monster heel push and become champ and ready for Asuka. Oh sure you push on relative of the Rock no matter how much the fans boo because he should be heel but the Rock relative that embraces heel, eh. Back to the competitors this should be a great match. These two performers will go back and forth and pull off some spots. Sasha Banks will have another show stealing match in Brooklyn, but this time walk out the new champion. And you can take that to the bank.
The Bull Brother: This is going to be a good one. Bliss is so good at being bad, Banks is so good at being the Boss. The feud is something I hope to see continue with Bayley on the shelf. Bliss is the total package in the division, and a high profile win on the 2nd biggest show of the year solidifies her and her continuing reign. Alexa retains, but not without a Boss effort from the Legit one.
Smackdown Women’s title match: Naomi (c) vs. Natalya
Magnum: I do predict that the Money in the Bank briefcase will be cashed in DURING the match. Unfortunately, I don’t see Naomi or Natayla leaving as champion. Give me Carmella to leave Brooklyn with the gold.
Colin: Naomi. Natalya deserves the title as she has been there for quite a while and done everything, but I don’t see them giving her the belt. I think Carmella will eventually cash in her briefcase and walk away with the title.
Tricky Don: It’s neon versus the pink and black attack. Did you know that Natalya has only been Diva champion once. Diva…not WWE Women’s Champion, not Raw Women’s Champion, not Smackdown Women’s champion, or NXT’s Women’s champion. And this was back in 2010-11. Okay back to this SummerSlam, this will be a well fought match and Naomi will be a hart beat away from winning but Natalya will escape and lock in the sharpshooter to bring home the gold.
The Bull Brother: Naomi has been a pleasant surprise as Women’s Champ. Though not particularly a fan, I can respect the fact that her desire and in ring work has become something for others to aspire to. Natalya finds herself in another title match, and with recent history not being on her side, I don’t see her coming away victorious. Naomi is on a meteoric rise and will continue to stay on top.
United States title match (Shane McMahon as guest referee:) AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Magnum: I’ve mentioned this on Twitter…there’s something going on with Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens. The seeds are being sown for a WrestleMania match. I know this sounds like a bad idea, but you can tell the tension is there. AJ’s already had his program with Shane, so I don’t foresee an encore of that situation. Give me AJ Styles to retain.
Colin: AJ Styles. I hate too many quick title changes so I’m hoping AJ keeps. Not that he needs the title, but it’s more important with it around his waist.
Tricky Don: While Smackdown seems to be lacking in tag teams, they are doing great in people who can be US or WWE champion. Both of these guys put on great matches. KOmmerSlams will heat up the Barclays Center and be the face of the United States again.
The Bull Brother: In all honesty, the best match on the card and my most anticipated. As if it wasn’t enough to have 2 guys that deliver on a regular basis, but add in Shane as the guest ref, and you have a potential match of the year candidate. My only hope is that this match gets an ample amount of time on the show. The only way we lose as fans is if it doesn’t. The Face That Runs The Place…The Champ Of The Camp will retain and we will be entertained!
Raw Tag Team title match Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins
Magnum: They’ve been building this for the last month. You don’t build this for the last month…only to have the former Shield members to lose. They’re going to be packing the gold, when it’s all said and done. Give me Rollins and Ambrose to win the titles.
Colin: Sheamus and Cesaro. I have this weird feeling that Dean Ambrose will turn on Rollins during the match.
Tricky Don: Okay another match added to card in the go home show from Raw. What do you do when you have stars that you don’t know what to do with. Tag Match!!These are four of the top performers and all could be single competitors. Now back to the match at hand, what does WWE do when things don’t be seeming to go well… go back to the past. The Shield V2.0 will get fans to cheer and buy more merch. After a great match you will see the Shield get the win and the belts. I think we will see the V2.0 grow more as you read later.
The Bull Brother: Whoa, baby! Love the pre-fight hype this match is delivering. The fans have been clamoring for a Shield reunion, and get it in a sense. However, Sheamus and Cesaro have personified what two great singles wrestlers can do when they join forces. Will old wounds be re-opened with Ambrose and Rollins? I dont think so. The 2/3 Shield will pick up where they left off long ago, and give the fans what they have wanted for so long. This one is going to be fun, don’t miss Ambrose and Rollins winning. That beverage will still be in the fridge after the match!
*Cruiserweight title match: Akira Tozawa (c) vs. Neville
Magnum: As strange as this sounds…I could actually see Neville winning the title back at this event. He was in for a long title reign anyways…so it only makes sense that they get back on track with Adrian. Neville wins the Cruiserweight Championship back.
Colin: Akira Tozawa. Would make zero sense for Neville to win just a few days after he lost it.
Tricky Don: Wait, didn’t we just see this on Raw this week? Has there ever been a guy win the belt on Raw, and lose it less than 7 days later at a pay per view? Usually it is Vice Versa. The matches are great but they need more personalities (Enzo, Gable, Gargano, Ciampa). Tozawa will retain.
The Bull Brother: Tozawa finally tastes the Title, after Neville took the ball and ran with it for so long. Now Tozawa has to steal a page from Neville’s title run, and make the 205Live his own. And there’s no better way in doing that, then an immediate title defense against the best, and he will. Tozawa successfully defends the purple strap, and keeps 205 Live must see action.
Baron Corbin vs. John Cena
Magnum: Even though Corbin was in the doghouse for a period of time, I’m told that Nikki Bella will be ringside for this match. This only means one thing…Corbin is going to destroy Cena and make Nikki watch every second of it. Corbin wins and escapes the doghouse.
Colin: Baron Corbin. After Cena caused Corbin to lose the cash in, I’m expecting Corbin to annihilate Cena, putting him out of action for a while to explain his absence while filming Bumblebee. Plus, Corbin cannot lose the cash in AND to Cena in the same week. Right?
Tricky Don: Cena is back and he must be on the show before going back to Hollywood (looks like the Rock cleared the path for him at WrestleMania 28/29, although Cena was furious back then). Cena does put over a lot of newer talent but this seems like a match were Corbin will lose and continue a losing streak since cashing in the money in the bank. The lone wolf would need the nWo Wolfpac to beat Super Cena. I see one more match between these two where Corbin has to be stronger and meaner to beat Cena and propelling him to the main event.
The Bull Brother: Well, well, well…reaction for Corbin is one of the things to tune in for! This past weeks Twitter shortcomings cost the Lone Wolf his MITB shot, and merely transformed the WWE World Title picture. Cena, on the other hand, will be exiting for movie reasons, and after losing to Nakamura for the title shot, will be in need of a win. Despite what Corbin did on social media, he will defeat Cena, and continue down the path that he is destined for…it just may be a little longer wait then he had thought.
Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor
Magnum: Wyatt beat Balor so easily on Raw…if Finn comes out as the Demon King and comes up short, his mystique will be gone. The Demon reigns supreme over Bray Wyatt tonight. He needs the momentum.
Colin: Finn Balor. Just because it will be Demon Balor.
Tricky Don: It’s the Demon Kane…I mean Demon King or whatever it’s Bálor fighting the eater of worlds. Wyatt has great matches and should have more wins. But also he does seem to be the jobber to the stars. Bálor will go full demon and beat Wyatt on his way back to the main event once Lesnar is no longer champion.
The Bull Brother: The master of mind games, and an up and comer in the mental warfare field. Balor will undoubtedly have the entrance of the night, and will also make the biggest mess with paint all over the ring. Wyatt has been a long time favorite of mine, and I look forward to seeing how the big guy will immobilize the smaller, quicker threat. Hoping this kicks the show off. I look for Balor as the Demon King to impose his will and get the victory.
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Magnum: I don’t feel like Orton can lose his 4th straight PPV, can he? Rusev certainly needs the win to get back in the title picture, but I think tonight will be a “thank you” from Vince for putting Jinder Mahal over. Orton takes it with an RKO outta nowhere.
Colin: Randy Orton. I’m very indifferent about this match. With no Lana, Rusev really lost that edge in my opinion. And Vince loves Orton, so…
Tricky Don: Two great performers but not really buying the story line and WWE won’t say that this is push Rusev back up to the levels of WM31. I am sure Lana will cheat somehow to help Rusev, but I am not sure how yet. Maybe she will rip here skirt off and to distract the ref and Orton to pay homage to SummerSlam 1988.
The Bull Brother: When this match was first shown the light of day, I was a little perplexed. In hopes of Rusev being repackaged, and not, this feud left me scratching my head. Both guys need the W, but Orton seems to be the one needing it a little more right now…and it is owed to him for crying out loud. Please see dropping the belt to Jinder Mahal!!! Look for the RKO to take down the Brute and trudge forward into a competitive SD singles field.
Big Cass vs. Big Show
Magnum: I feel bad for Cass here. I really don’t care about Show or Enzo at this point, yet they’ve kept the booking 50/50 going into the PPV. I think Cass becomes a contender after a victory here. Give me Big Cass with the big boot.
Colin: Big Cass. If rumors are true of Enzo in hot water, this is the only result that makes sense. Big match for Cass.
Tricky Don: Does this feel like WCW when Booker T had to fight Big T for the letter T. After this match only one should get to use the word Big. The Big Show has been wrestling for 22 years and looks in the best shape. But like the good old grizzly vet, he will make Big Cass look like a star. Big Cass will get the pin and Show will move onto the next rising star. Personally, I want to see Enzo go heel and cause Show the match and teaming up on Smackdown with Big Cass and Carmella. But Enzo will probably end up on 205 live or NXT.
The Bull Brother: Too bad this match wasn’t featured on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week…it could have saved that Michael Phelps debacle. With that being said the antics of Enzo may carry this match, in what will probably be a win for Big Cass over Show. Look for Cass to continue to pick up steam, in what seems like a flooded field of Heel Big Men.
WWE title match: Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Magnum: I still can’t believe what happened last Tuesday, when Mahal pinned Baron Corbin to retain the title. As crazy as it sounds, I don’t think Jinder’s championship reign is over. Nakamura is a huge Vegas favorite, but they don’t say how…give me Nakamura by count-out. Mahal retains.
Colin: Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ. WWE is building Mahal and the India followers so I don’t see them taking the title away now. Nakamura will probably win thanks to interference causing the DQ. Nakamura needs to polish his English a little bit so he can cut some decent promos as champion.
Tricky Don: After three PPVs, Mahal gets to face someone other than Orton. This will be a fun entertaining match. The fans will see Nakamura fight the odds and the numbers against Mahal, The Singh Brothers, The Great Khali, Shawn Daivari, Ariya Daivari, Ranjin Singh, Drew McIntyre, and Heath Slater. It will look like the India World Order has Nakamura beat but out of nowhere…Kinshasas and a three-count. (Note from MagnumDA: I don’t see 3MB reuniting tonight. :-D)
The Bull Brother: Wrestling is a business, right? The current champ becoming the guy, was a business decision, correct? Sorry for the Business 101 Course Study, but I don’t think Mahal has any business, being looked at as the face of the business. Whew…enough of that big talk. Will this be Nakamura’s moment? I sure hope so, and say it is. This guy has wrestled all over the world, and now can become the guy in the number 1 promotion in his business (sorry, there’s that word again). Pinning Cena clean, Corbin going off on Twitter, Mahal’s title reign lackluster…all of these things for a perfect storm, and, fingers crossed, I’ll be looking forward to hearing those words…”AND NEW!!!!”…at the end of this match.
Fatal 4-Way for the WWE Universal title: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Magnum: I am not sure why they wanted to put Brock’s WWE career on the line in this match, but here we are. It would be shocking if Lesnar lost and sat out the rest of his contract, but it’s entirely possible. Then again…possible is not probable. Lesnar retains.
Colin: Brock Lesnar. This is a great match to have Lesnar lose the title without him doing the job and keep him strong. But I’d like to think that when/if Lesnar decides to leave, he’ll do the honors and drop the title clean. For now, since Lesnar is sticking around, he gets the W.
Tricky Don: It’s the monsters or Raw Fatal 4-way. Brock will dominate all early on. Reigns, Joe, and Strowman will get a few shots in but then all will relocate to suplex city. All three will smarten up and work together to stop the beast. Heyman will interfere but Angle will step in and through off Lesnar pulling him out of the ring and away from the match. Brock and Angle will fight outside and Brock will F-5 angle. Reigns will Hulk up and hit Strowman with a few superman punches and a spear. As Reigns is about to win Samoa Joe sneaks back in but Reigns knocks him out with a superman punch. As Reigns tries to figure out who to pin Brock makes it to the ring and F-5 and a three-count leaving all of the top stars in the ring as Brock and Heyman walk out a passed-out Angle being helped by Jason Jordan. As the shows looks to close we will see Reigns still out laying in the ring. Then what do we hear “Sierra – Hotel – India – Echo – Lima – Delta”. We see Rollins and Ambrose walk to the ring. The fans pop. Fade to black and tune into Raw.
The Bull Brother: A lot of ifs in this one. First, the Lesnar/Jones fight will happen. However not for a while, so rest easy residents of Suplex City. IF Brock loses, who is it to? IF I was in charge, he wouldn’t…yet. But IF i had to choose someone other than Lesnar, it’s gotta be Joe. Joe is the one who stormed onto the scene and made a huge impact immediately. Joe needs this title, more so than Reigns or Strowman. IF Lesnar is losing it is to Joe, but that’s a big IF. Lesnar retains, and ironically for fans of fight, the WWE Universal Title serves as a beacon of sorts towards the inevitable fight with Bones Jones in the Octagon.
That’s it from all of us at the pick’em contest! Enjoy the show tonight! #SummerSlam @WWE @TheMagnumDA @WrestlingOnline
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will be traveling to the United Kingdom and Ireland in January for his Showstopper Tour promoted by Inside The Ropes.
HBK will be in Dublin on January 15, Belfast on January 16, Manchester on January 17, London on January 18, and Glasgow on January 19. No exact locations were announced yet.
Tickets will go on sale on September 1 at 3PM GMT at InsideTheRopes.co.uk. No ticket prices were released.
With just hours away from the SummerSlam pay-per-view on the WWE Network, we take a look at the current odds for the whole show.
In the WWE Universal title match, Brock Lesnar remains the clear favorite to walk out of the Barclays Center with the title. His odds are currently at 2/7, with Samoa Joe behind him at 4/1, Braun Strowman at at 8/1, and Roman Reigns a distant 12/1.
Just like the odds from yesterday, Shinsuke Nakamura is also favorite to win the match and is currently at 1/8 in the odds compared to 9/2 of Jinder Mahal. A win for Nakamura does not necessarily mean a title switch as it could be a via a DQ or count-out.
The United States title currently held by AJ Styles looks like it will stay with the Phenomenal One if the bookies are correct, with AJ at 1/3 in the odds and Owens at 9/4 for the win.
The match between Natalya and Naomi for the Smackdown Women’s title is very, very close to call and Natalya is so far the favorite at 4/5 and Naomi is right behind her at 10/11. The Raw Women’s title match on the other hand looks like it is swaying in favor of the champion Alexa Bliss, with her odds at 4/9 while Sasha Banks is at 13/8.
The New Day are at 1/8 to retain the Smackdown Tag Team titles while The Usos are at 9/2. Over at the Raw version of the Tag Team titles, the former Shield members are the favorites to win the match at 2/5 and the current champs Cesaro and Sheamus are at 7/4.
Interestingly enough, Neville is also the favorite at 4/6 in the Cruiserweight title match, while Akira Tozawa is at 6/5 to retain. Tozawa just won the title earlier this week.
In other non-title matches, Big Cass is at 4/7 favorite over Big Show at 5/4, Finn Balor is 1/4 favorite against Bray Wyatt at 11/4, Baron Corbin is 8/13 favorite versus John Cena who is at 6/5 to win, and the team of the Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan are 1/2 to win against The Miz, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel who are at 6/4.
Remember, always bet responsibly. These odds are current as of 1PM EST.
Live tonight from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, WWE presents its biggest pay-per-view of the Summer, SummerSlam! The full card is as follows:
Brock Lesnar vs Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe in a fatal 4-way match for the WWE Universal title; Jinder Mahal vs Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE title; AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens for the WWE United States title with Shane McMahon as the special referee; Naomi vs Natalya for the WWE Smackdown Women’s title; Alexa Bliss vs Sasha Banks for the WWE Raw Women’s title; Sheamus and Cesaro vs Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins for the WWE Raw Tag Team titles; Randy Orton vs Rusev; Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt; Big Cass vs Big Show with Enzo Amore suspended above the ring in a shark cage; John Cena vs Baron Corbin.
The Kickoff show will consist of: Akira Tozawa vs Neville for the WWE Cruiserweight title; The New Day vs The Usos for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team titles; The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan vs The Miz, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel.
SummerSlam will have a start time of 7PM EST while the two-hour Kickoff show will start at 5PM EST. SummerSlam will air live on the WWE Network and it’s available for free if you start your subscription today! Go to http://w-o.it/wwentwrk to start your free trial.
We have not seen Nikki Bella on WWE television since John Cena proposed to her in the middle of the ring at WrestleMania 33, but tonight at SummerSlam, the former WWE Divas champion will be sitting at ringside for her fiancee’s match against Baron Corbin.
Nikki got into a Twitter spat with Corbin a few weeks ago after Corbin replied to a Cena tweet telling him that insulting him makes him no better than “all the losers on Twitter.” Nikki told Corbin that she can’t wait to sit front row and see her man “slap that mouth right off your face.”
Corbin advised Bella to bring a towel so she can throw it in when he cannot take it anymore and promised to slam Cena into the barricade in front of her.
The feud between Cena and Corbin escalated on Smackdown when Corbin cost Cena his match against Jinder Mahal but Cena returned the favor and cost Corbin the MITB cash-in a few minutes later.
Both Nikki and Brie are in New York and making appearances for WWE. They are also filming stuff for Total Bellas.
