The WWE UK Championship Live special on the WWE Network has been moved back by a day, and will now premiere on Friday, May 19 rather than Thursday.
Apart from the date change, the time has also been changed to accommodate the United Kingdom viewers, with the show kicking off at 3PM EST which is 8PM GMT. Since this is specifically targeted for the UK audience, WWE wanted to maximize the viewership of the premiere. A replay of the special will air at 8PM EST later in the day.
Jim Ross and Nigel McGuinness will be doing commentary for this 90-minute show, taped over two days at Epic Studios in Norwich on May 6 and 7.
The date and time change was originally reported by British newspaper The Mirror.
The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Io Shirai, the 27-year-old Japanese female wrestler who took the sport by storm over at that side of the world, has accepted to join WWE.
Shirai, considered the MVP of World Wonder Ring Stardom, attended a tryout at the WWE Performance Center this past March, although her tryout was different from the rest of the crew as she did not participate in the regular workouts. WWE brought Shirai over to check out the place and see the local area in hopes of wooing her to eventually join the company.
That move apparently worked and Shirai will be joining Kairi Hojo, one of the company’s champions, for a new life in the United States and in WWE. Hojo already announced her departure and is expected to report to Orlando imminently.
Hey everybody! It’s @TheMagnumDA with another Raw Report. A couple of Twitter shout-outs, if I may.
First, hello and well-wishes to @YujiTsuruta. Yuji is the son of Japanese Wrestling Legend Tomomi “Jumbo” Tsuruta. Jumbo was the first ever AJPW Triple Crown Champion. It was a somber anniversary this past weekend for Yuji, but I wanted to take a moment and let him know that I’m thinking about his family right now. Yuji, your Father was one of the best ever. Also, a shout-out to @Tom_Feldman. Tom will be joining me this July at the National Wrestling Museum Hall of Fame ceremonies held in Waterloo, Iowa. Looking forward to seeing Paul Orndorff, Gerry Brisco, and many more! Hope you enjoyed Smackdown in Des Moines, buddy.
We recap Roman and Braun from last week. The program begins Raw with the General Manager Kurt Angle! He mentions that Braun Strowman was put in the hospital because of Roman Reigns. Braun has a cracked elbow, and he will be out for six months. I knew it was bad! Don’t be surprised if Braun’s back by SummerSlam, though. Kurt shows graphics on the Titantron of the top five contenders to the WWE Universal Championship. They are: Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, and Bray Wyatt. The GM proclaims that at the next PPV (Extreme Rules), there will be an Extreme Rules Fatal 5-Way match for the #1 contendership. They each come out and take turns with promos. Seth comes out last, and then challenges Samoa Joe. All five contenders brawl around the ring, ending with Finn Balor catching the Sling Blade on Roman Reigns. Balor gets a running start and then hits a magnificent dive onto Wyatt and Rollins. My only comment on this: They could’ve done this the other way around, with everyone jockeying for position leading up to the announcement of a Fatal 5 Way.
Backstage, the GM books Rollins vs. Wyatt and Roman vs. Balor. No action for Joe, eh?
Match #1 – Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy
If these two men are true professionals, Jeff’s going to be giving Sheamus a receipt. It’s only a matter of when and where. Hardy charges and throws rights at Sheamus. Sheamus recovers, but misses a Brogue Kick. Jeff sends him to the outside, but Sheamus takes control and throws Jeff into the barricade. After the break, Sheamus hits a huge knee drop for two. Sheamus puts Hardy in a headlock as the fans cheer Brother Nero on. “Delete” chants! Hardy fights up, but gets powerslammed for two. Hardy gets his foot caught by Sheamus, but he dropkicks out of it. He hits a signature series of moves, leading to the legdrop and the sitting dropkick for two.
Hardy’s Twist of Fate is countered and Sheamus BLASTS Jeff with a knee to the mouth. This guy is getting dangerous with his carelessness. TONE IT DOWN, DUDE. Hardy fights back and sends Sheamus in the corner. Sheamus kicks him away and goes to the top. Jeff catches him coming off the top! ONE, TWO, NO! Cesaro gets on the apron and Matt pulls him off. Sheamus completely whiffs his kick, and Matt no-sells it. Well, that was awkward. He gets Matt on the second attempt, but Jeff is ready with a Twist of Fate. Swanton Bomb from the top! ONE, TWO, THREE!
Winner: Jeff Hardy (*3/4)
Match #2 – Sasha Banks vs. Alicia Fox
I freaking love this feud. Maybe it’s just me. Sasha catches a go-behind which is reversed. Sasha elbows her right in the mush. Banks catches Alicia’s kick and chops her in the chest. Fox counters with a BRUTAL kick to the eye. Alicia hits that crisp Northern Lights Suplex for two. Fox gets Banks in a chinlock, but Banks is able to get to her feet. Banks gets some momentum with clotheslines and headscissors.
Banks hits the double knees on Sasha, but Fox is able to turn in a sunset flip for two. Sasha tries a sleeperhold, but Fox takes Sasha over the top rope, sending Sasha to the floor. I think Banks hit her Knee or Hamstring. Back inside, Banks tries a roll-up but only gets two. Suddenly, Alicia hits the Harlem Sidekick for the ONE, TWO, THREE!
Winner: Alicia Fox (*)
Oh no…that’s not good news at all. They went RIGHT to the finish. They even took the cameras off Sasha Banks. I hope she’s okay. Otherwise, why was she booked to lose like THAT to Alicia freaking Fox?
Match #3 – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. The Miz
Immediately, Miz backs himself into the corner, but Dean pulls him out and back in the ring. Dean chops Miz and hits the bulldog. They’re flying out there. Miz tries the SCF early, but it’s countered by Dean. Dean rolls up for two, but Miz kicks out. Irish whip leads to two clothesline counters, as Dean catches a neckbreaker for two. This is a breakneck pace! I never thought I would say that about a Miz match, but it’s true! It’s true!
After the break, Miz hits the clothesline in the corner, followed by an axe handle off the top! ONE, TWO, NO! Miz gets a sleeper locked in, but Dean fights to his feet. Dean carries Miz to the corner but Miz counters for the two! Maryse is looking fine! Miz continues to kick Dean while he’s down. Miz does the Daniel Bryan kicks, but Ambrose rolls up Miz for two! Ambrose tries Dirty Deeds, but Miz fights out. Miz is tossed outside, and Dean hits the suicide dive to the outside! Dean throws him back in and hits a set of running clotheslines. Splash in the corner and a bulldog by Dean! ONE, TWO, NO! That was an awesome cradle.
Dean puts Miz up in the corner as Booker T starts FEELING IT on commentary. His “I’MMA TELLYA” count is up to 22! Okay, I’m exaggerating. Slightly. Miz and Dean fight up top, and Miz knocks Dean off. Dean catches Miz from the top and hits the Dirty Deeds! Dean counters and hits the top rope elbow to the face! ONE, TWO, NO! Corey talks about his feelings on the match, and Booker is ON Corey, asking him, “What are you talking about!?!” Great sequence where Dean misses the middle rope lariat, leading to the SCF by Miz! ONE, TWO, NO! Miz tries the SCF again, and Dean gets another roll up for two. Dean knocks Miz outside and tries to go from the top rope! Unfortunately, Maryse was put in the way. DEAN JUMPS ANYWAYS! Maryse runs for her life as Dean drills Miz! They both get up at the 9 count back into the ring. Miz tried a low blow, but Dean blocked it! Dean returns serve with a kick square in the balls! The ref DQ’s Dean instantly. Sorry Miz…you lose your shot at the belt and your gonads as well. Hate the DQ finish, but I loved the pace. Dean was a madman here.
Winner by DQ: The Miz (**3/4)
Okay, next week I should totally have a special Booker T. “I’MMA TELLYA” count. Our first backstage segment at 9:07 PM! Wow! Charly is backstage with Finn Balor. Balor says that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. It might be Roman’s “Yard”, but this is Balor’s universe.
The WWE Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss, is on her way to the ring! She insults the audience and calls everyone failures. Bayley comes out to invoke her rematch clause. Alexa says that she wants this to be “Extreme Rules”. Alexa tells Bayley to take her seat at the kiddies table, and WE HAVE A FIGHT. Alexa takes advantage and grabs a Kendo Stick. She PLASTERS Bayley, sending her crashing to the outside. Props to the fan that asks, “Are you okay, honey?” This could be a fantastic match, and it could show a new side of Bayley.
Backstage, Miz demands satisfaction from Kurt Angle. No, not like that. He wants another match with Dean Ambrose, but this time the title can change hands on a DQ. Why not just do something with a No DQ stipulation at Extreme Rules instead?
Match #4 – WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville & TJP vs. Austin Aries & Gentleman Jack Gallagher
Whoever edited Aries’ music: You blew it. Aries and Neville start. Strike that…TJP gets tagged in. Aries chops TJP and knocks Neville off the apron. TJP is thrown in the corner and Gallagher is tagged in. They hit a double team move on TJP, and then Aries is thrown by Jack over the top rope right onto Neville and TJP! After the break, TJP picks up Aries and slams him to the ground. Neville tags in and stomps down Austin Aries. I think that was a “We Want Jack!” chant! Neville tries another nearfall after a double team sneak attack, but only gets two.
He continues to stomp down Aries as the fans boo. Neville tags in TJP as there is a fan being kicked out. TJP attacks Aries and puts him in a sleeper. Aries fights out as a “CM Punk” chant breaks out. Aries gets kicked in the gut, and sent to the apron. Aries fights off both Neville and Perkins, and hits the earclapper on TJP. Gallagher tags in A HOUSE OF FIRE! Series of suplexes by Gallagher! ONE, TWO, NO! TJ is put in a reverse front Full Nelson. TJP fights out and his throw is countered by Jack. All four men get in the fracas, and Aries gets injured again! They hit crazy spots, including Aries hitting a dive on Neville! Jack hits the HUGE headbutt and goes for the dropkick, but Neville grabs him! Aries fights him off. Jack sees all of this happening, so TJP capitalizes with the Detonation Kick on Gallagher! ONE, TWO, THREE!
Winners: Neville & TJP (**1/2)
Backstage, Kurt Angle and Bayley go back and forth about the Women’s Championship match at Extreme Rules. At first, it’s booked as a regular match. Angle then does an about-face, turning the match into a “Kendo Stick on a Pole Match.”
Really? Did we have to Russo this whole thing up? Just make it an Extreme Rules match!
Meanwhile, Goldust motivates R-Truth in preparation for their match against Gallows and Anderson.
Match #5 – Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns
Roman takes control in the corner to start. They lock up and Roman catches a fierce elbow. He follows this up with tossing Balor across the ring. Roman throws a right, but Balor counters and attacks. Roman takes control in the corner again. Balor is launched AGAIN as Roman attacks Finn in the corner. Roman is kicked in the face, and Balor hits some forearms before flying right into a Samoan Drop. Dueling chants by the crowd. Balor crawls to the apron, and Roman tries to pick him up. Balor is kicked in the face, and he hits a series of forearms followed by a kick to the face. Balor charges in the corner with a chop, but Roman drills him and knocks him back. Reigns charges to the corner but lands shoulder first! It’s the injured shoulder! Balor capitalizes and attacks the injured areas of Reigns’ body!
After the break, Reigns and Balor trade offense, with Balor catching a kick to Reigns on the apron. Balor makes a charge, but Reigns picks him up and slams him into the post! Roman breaks the count and throws Balor into the barricade. Reigns hits the Drive-By with Balor’s back propped against the post! ONE, TWO, NO! Reigns gets Balor in the corner and hits the signature lariats! Balor dodges the Superman Punch, but gets hit with the Spinning Power Bomb for his troubles. Reigns misses another Superman Punch, and Balor hits a combo! Reigns tries to regain advantage and go for a Power Bomb, but Balor reverses with a Double Stomp! ONE, TWO, NO! Sling Blade! Balor gets in position, but Roman hits the Superman Punch! ONE, TWO, NO! Balor kicks out! Roman tries to hit his move, but Balor catches him with a knee and another Sling Blade! Balor goes up top, but Reigns throws him off the ropes back into the ring! Balor gets up but Reigns is waiting with the Spear! ONE, TWO, THREE! Very good, but they had some built-in psychology to help guide them.
Winner: Roman Reigns (***1/4)
I know Roman going over was Vince’s call, but why would you have a “24” Special for Finn on a night where he goes down cleanly? Just a thought.
The announcers talk about Raw, when Bray Wyatt interrupts for a promo. Ramble on…sing my song…After this, Charly interviews Seth Rollins. Seth says that Bray will not stand in his way on his path to becoming Champion.
Match #6 – The Golden Truth vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
The Golden Truth come out to the cheers of the crowd. Right after R-Truth calls out to the city of Newark, Goldust TURNS on him! Goldust slowly destroys Truth and throws him into the barricade. This crowd is stunned. Goldust continues to batter him down…and then he grabs the house mic. “THAT’S…what’s up.” I think Goldie might get one last singles push! Wouldn’t that be something?
Winner: No Match (No Stars)
Enzo & Cass comes out for a Homecoming! Well, for Enzo at least. This is interrupted by Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews! Apparently, Titus got his booking mixed up, as he thought it was Crews vs. Enzo. Mr. O’Neil is wrong. It’s a shame he’s going to have to wrestle in that $3000 suit.
Match #7 – Titus O’Neil vs. Big Cass
Titus beats down Cassidy and then takes him to the corner. Titus takes the belt off and threatens to whip him with the belt. Enzo tells Titus not to do it, and that’s enough of a distraction for Cass to hit the BIG BOOT for the three.
Winner: Big Cass (No Stars)
Good segment after the match, as Apollo Crews gets upset at Enzo for taunting Titus while he was down. He hits the Ghetto Blaster on Enzo, effectively turning heel in his own right. That’s two in this hour alone!
Main Event – Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt
Incredibly, Booker says “I’MMA TELLYA’ twice IN THE SAME SENTENCE. This man is META. Bray hits a headbutt charge out of an Irish whip. Rollins gets a headlock, a knee, and snapmare. He follows up with a kick to the chest. Rollins chops Wyatt in the corner, and sends him into the ropes. Wyatt misses a side press and falls outside the ring. Seth hits a dive on the outside, and sends Bray into the barricade. Rollins gets in position to his a springboard, but Bray catches him with a shot, followed by a Uranage Slam into the barricade as we go to break.
After the break, Wyatt hits a NASTY front jawbreaker for the two-count. Booker gets in a “Crossfit” reference, questioning it as a method of training. He’s killing it tonight. Rollins and Wyatt fight up in the corner, leading to a Superplex by Wyatt for the ONE, TWO, NO! Wyatt continues to go after Rollins’ back with headbutts and a chinlock with one knee applied to the back. Rollins fights up, but gets a knee to the ribs. Rollins throws Bray outside the ring and tries a suicide dive. Wyatt was waiting for him and hit him with a punch. Back inside, Rollins counters a whip in the corner with a boot and the Blockbuster. They interrupt the main event to show a caption of the main event for the PPV. Why? Sling Blade by Rollins, followed by a Single Arm DDT into the middle corner post. Rollins hits the dropkick through the second rope, followed by the suicide dive onto Wyatt.
Back inside, Rollins hits a springboard clothesline for the ONE, TWO, NO! Rollins tries to suplex Wyatt, but Bray counters with a Sister Abigail attempt. Seth fights out and makes a dash for the ropes. He gets PELTED with a clothesline by Bray for the ONE, TWO, NO! Rollins fights back but walks into the Uranage Slam by Bray for ONE, TWO, NO! Sister Abigail attempt is countered into a roll-up for the two! FALCON ARROW onto Wyatt! ONE, TWO, NO! Rollins climbs to the top, but Bray rolls outside. Seth catches him outside the ring with a flying press! SAMOA JOE appears for the DQ!
Winner: Seth Rollins by DQ (**3/4)
After the match, Samoa Joe hits the HEADROCKER on Rollins. After this, Samoa Joe and Bray have a staredown. They turn their boots to Rollins. Wyatt turns on Samoa Joe with the Sister Abigail! Rollins gets one for good measure! Wyatt poses alone in the ring with both men down. We go to credits!
Final Thoughts: Raw apparently drew less than Smackdown on the European Tour, and it’s easy to see why. The things that encouraged me a few weeks ago…are in a holding pattern. There was some pure booking garbage at times, so I feel inclined to bring you the “Extra Cynical I’MMA TELLYA” Edition of Raw next week. I am glad that Brock is coming back soon, because this show desperately needs a World Champion. Err..uh..Universal Champion. One last thought…I don’t like that Rollins/Balor both use the Sling Blade, while both Samoa Joe/Bray Wyatt use the Uranage Slam. I think it should be kept to one guy. Just my thoughts. Have a good week, see you next Monday!
Braun Strowman underwent successful elbow surgery this past Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama under the care of Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, the man who fixed the likes of John Cena, Finn Balor, Cesaro, Seth Rollins and many others.
Strowman flew back home after Monday Night Raw in London last week to prepare for the surgery, cutting his European tour short. He was written off television following an attack by Roman Reigns.
WWE.COM states that Strowman is expected to miss up to six months following surgery, far more than the initial estimates of up to eight weeks.
Netflix has unveiled the full trailer for their new series GLOW, the wrestling-based series inspired by the 80s television show of the same name.
GLOW tells the fictional story of Ruth Wilder, an out-of-work, struggling actress in 1980s Los Angeles who finds one last chance for stardom when she’s thrust into the glitter and spandex world of women’s wrestling. In addition to working with 12 Hollywood misfits, Ruth also has to compete with Debbie Eagan, a former soap actress who left the business to have a baby, only to be sucked back into work when her picture perfect life is not what it seems. And at the wheel is Sam Sylvia, a washed-up, B-movie director who now must lead this group of women on the journey to wrestling stardom.
GLOW is created by Liz Flahive (Homeland, Nurse Jackie) and Carly Mensch (Nurse Jackie, Orange Is The New Black, Weeds). Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan and Tara Herrmann are executive producers alongside Flahive and Mensch who are serving as showrunners.
The series debuts on Netflix worldwide on June 23 with all episodes available for binge watching. You can check out the trailer below.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross announced on his Twitter today that he will be at NXT Takeover: Chicago this weekend doing commentary for one match.
Ross, who officially returned to the WWE on a limited basis at WrestleMania 33, will be joining Nigel McGuinness to call the WWE UK Championship match between Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne.
The two were announced as the commentators for the WWE UK Championship Live special on the WWE Network which will air this Thursday so pairing them up again during Takeover for that match makes sense.
JR was going to be in Chicago anyway as he will be doing one of his Ringside shows on Sunday before Backlash at Zanies Comedy Club.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Billy Corgan, the lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins, has signed the agreement with Bruce Tharpe to officially take over the National Wrestling Alliance.
The deal includes the name, trademarks, NWA titles, and now the on-demand video library. The original deal did not include the video library, and although Corgan will not technically own the library, he will have the rights to run the on-demand website at nwaondemand.com.
The majority of NWA video library is owned by the family of Paul Boesch, the former promoter of Houston Wrestling. This Boesch video library is said to be comprised of matches from the late 1960s through 1986 and it’s one of the major libraries that WWE does not have access to.
In 2015, the WWE tried to purchase the library through its Executive Vice President of Content Lisa Fox Lee, however she was unsuccessful and was eventually fired from the job, with many sure that she got the pink slip due to her not landing the video tape library.
One of the most popular WWE Network shows, WWE 24, returns tonight with a new episode following Monday Night Raw.
Titled simply Finn Balor, the show will capture Balor’s story of triumph and tragedy as the first ever Universal Champion was forced to relinquish his title. WWE 24 will chronicle Balor’s shoulder surgery and subsequent rehab all the way to his return the night after WrestleMania 33.
This is the 11th episode in the WWE 24 series and the third one this year following the WrestleMania Dallas and WrestleMania Monday specials in January and March respectively.
A WWE 24 special on Kurt Angle is also on the schedule although no date has been announced for that show yet.
In a quick one minute chat with Chris Van Vliet from WSVN-TV at the world premiere of Baywatch, Dwayne Johnson revealed the reason why he did not make an appearance at WrestleMania in Orlando this year.
“No…I didn’t get a chance to. I was shooting at that time, we were just wrapping up Ballers in LA so I didn’t get a chance to make it,” The Rock said. This was the first WrestleMania since WrestleMania 27 that The Rock missed.
At WrestleMania 27, he was the host of the show and the next year he faced John Cena in the main event which was marketed as “once in a lifetime.” That once in a lifetime ended up being a lie as the next year in New Jersey at WrestleMania 29, The Rock dropped the WWE title to John Cena. At WrestleMania XXX he opened the show in a historic segment with Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin and the next year in Santa Clara at WrestleMania 31 he confronted Triple H and Stephanie McMahon and had a little help from Ronda Rousey. And then last year at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas he announced the record-breaking crowd number and then had a face off with the Wyatt Family, wrestled Erick Rowan in a very, very quick match, and had help from John Cena to fend off the rest of the Wyatts.
Ballers used to be filmed in Miami, which would have made an appearance much more possible, however the whole production moved to Los Angeles this year due to tax credits from the state of California.
Paramount Pictures hosted the world premiere of Baywatch last night in Miami Beach, Florida. Baywatch is the upcoming movie featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson donning the famous red uniform as he plays the iconic character of Mitch Buchanan, originally played by David Hasselhoff.
The whole cast, including Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Jon Bass attended the premiere along with tons of celebrities and former cast of the original Baywatch television show.
The R-rated Baywatch will open in theaters nationwide next week on Friday, May 26. You can watch several photos from the premiere below.
The long WWE European tour wraps up today with a final Smackdown live event in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Raw brand already left after finishing up yesterday and they’re on the way to Newark, New Jersey for tomorrow’s live Monday Night Raw.
The first European tour of 2017 had a total of 22 shows in 12 days across 14 different countries in Europe. This time around, WWE visited Italy, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Spain, Germany, Northern Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, and Denmark.
This tour used to start a week after WrestleMania but this year WWE altered the touring schedule to give everyone some time off before starting this very tough tour. The next European tour is scheduled for November.
Just in case you forgot, Brock Lesnar is Raw’s Universal champion and he has been missing in action since the night after WrestleMania 33. But the mayor of Suplex City is returning to WWE television next month to start his road for his first title challenge.
Lesnar has been announced for three Monday Night Raw events leading up to the upcoming pay-per-view Great Balls of Fire. These dates are June 12 in Lafayette, Louisiana, June 26 in Los Angeles, California, and July 3 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view is on July 9 and Lesnar is also advertised for the Raw the night after that, on July 10 in Houston, Texas.
There’s still no hint of who will be challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal title.
The WWE UK Championship Live events that were held during last weekend are set to air – or at least part of them – on Thursday, May 18 on the WWE Network.
It seems that there will only be one airing, even though there were two days of tapings held. Titled UK Championship Special, the 90-minute show with play-by-play from Jim Ross and Nigel McGuinness will see stars from the UK Championship Tournament and 205 Live battling out in the ring at Epic Studios in Norwich.
The events featured a title match for the UK championship as well as the number one contender’s match for the title, with the winners of each match facing off at NXT Takeover: Chicago on May 20.
The show will kick off at 8PM ET with multiple repeats throughout the day on Friday and Saturday.
This week’s Impact on POP recovered a little bit in the ratings as the show drew 309,000 viewers, up 49,000 viewers from last week’s show. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Serena Deeb, the former WWE Diva who was part of the Straight Edge Society with CM Punk and Luke Gallows, had 25 of her private photos leaked, many of them nude.
The majority of the photos contain her breasts exposed and in some of them she’s fully naked. The photos also include different marks around her body that serve as proof when compared to her clothed photos to show that they’re real and not fake.
The 30-year-old has worked for Ohio Valley Wrestling, Shimmer, and TNA as well in the past and is now a yoga instructor having retired from professional wrestling.
Over the past two months, tons of naked photos involving current and former WWE Superstars were leaked online, most recently those of Charlotte.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, former WWE champion John Cena said that the post-WrestleMania match proposal was the greatest moment of his life and thanked the audience for their behavior.
“I was able to make it the greatest moment of my life, which just so happened to be at a WrestleMania, in front of what I consider my family at what I consider my home,” said Cena. “I really want to thank the audience that attended WrestleMania for understanding what that moment meant to me. If you watch the match back, they certainly did enjoy Mike and they certainly didn’t enjoy me. That was par for the course and I figured it would be that way, but I think everyone understood the gravity of the situation. I can’t tell you how much their show of respect meant to me,” he added.
Cena said that it was a moment that he will have with him forever and fans could have spoiled it with either “No” or “Cena sucks” chants but he’s appreciative towards everyone for allowing him and his fiancee to enjoy the moment.
Cena described how all the stars aligned together that night at WrestleMania because he never thought he would be able to do it while Nikki was his partner in a match. “The whole experience was a great example in great storytelling, hard work, and honesty, and it was buttoned with a wonderful moment that will certainly be the best moment of my life.”
During the same interview, Cena also talks about Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura and the movie The Wall which comes out today. You can read the full interview at http://on.si.com/2qabPbM.
During her press interviews while in the United Kingdom, WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon expressed her desire to see another major event taking place in the UK and said that she’s still wondering why it hasn’t happened yet.
“The UK fans are pretty loud, pretty rowdy in a great way, and you know we are constantly evaluating that. Personally I would love to see it. I know it would be incredible,” McMahon said during an interview with The Mirror newspaper.
Stephanie said that she was at SummerSlam 1992 – the last time a major PPV took place in England – and agreed that the event was pretty historic.
WWE and Saran Media today announced a new multi-year agreement to televise WWE’s flagship programs Raw and Smackdown in Turkey on S-Sport beginning tomorrow.
Every Saturday at midnight, S-Sport will televise a two-hour edition of Raw followed by a one-hour edition of Smackdown at 2AM, both in Turkish. S-Sport subscribers can also watch episodes they missed through video on demand and S-Sport’s 7-Day Catch-Up feature.
“We are proud to work with Saran Media to televise WWE’s premier programs Raw and Smackdown to our passionate fans in Turkey,” said Ed Wells, WWE Executive Vice President, International. “This new multi-year agreement shows the increasing global growth of WWE, while also giving us the opportunity to connect with local fans by delivering WWE content via a first-class platform.”
Selim Usta, General Manager of Saran Media, added, “Turks love sports in all forms, and WWE is a very popular brand in particular, especially for the Turkish youth. WWE will be in good company with S-Sport’s other premier programming including the English Premier League, NBA, Formula 1, ATP 500 and Moto GP.”
This season finale began at last year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view with all of the Divas prepping for WWE’s second biggest pay-per-view event.
The usual excitement that comes with pay-per-views was heightened because all of the Divas were trying to solve the big mystery, the mystery of who would take WWE Superstar Eva Marie’s place in a Divas tag team match. The preparation for SummerSlam had begun several weeks earlier as WWE Divas, Natalya, Carmella, Naomi, and Eva Marie were excited to learn that they would be part of SummerSlam along with Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss.
Eva Marie was especially excited because she was finally being allowed to be brought up from NXT, WWE’s developmental division, to the main roster. However, upon arriving at SummerSlam, Eva Marie learned that she had failed one of WWE’s mandatory drug tests, and therefore wouldn’t be allowed to compete at SummerSlam. This meant that the tag team match would be short one member.
However, WWE talent relations promised to have a replacement for Eva Marie before the big match. Meanwhile, WWE Diva Maryse had another plan for SummerSlam weekend.
Maryse wanted to throw a party for all of her friends in celebration of SummerSlam, however, she didn’t want just an ordinary party, she wanted to recreate one of the biggest parties in a young person’s life, the prom.
At first, her husband, WWE superstar The Miz, didn’t like the idea, and took the it as a joke. Then he suggested that maybe Maryse could have her mom send out her original prom dress from high school. Maryse then shared that she had gotten dumped just before her first prom, and hadn’t even gone.
After hearing this, The Miz decided to give his wife the prom that she never had. From the ice sculpture to the photo booth, this prom had it all. The Miz even selected Maryse’s dress for her. He also hired the man who played Mr. Belvedere on Saved by the Bell to act as principal and emcee for the proceedings. I don’t usually like The Miz, but I have to admit that this prom was very loving gesture on The Miz’s part.
The Bella Twins had drama of their own this week as always.
Nikki Bella has been working extremely hard to return to the ring following her neck injury. Even though she has been cleared by her doctor to continue wrestling, talent relations has been reluctant to allow her to return to television. When Nikki complained to her sister Brie about her continued absence from television, Brie decided that she would go to her husband, Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan to put in a good word for Nikki.
Bryan said that said that he would think about it. However, when Brie delivered the good news to Nikki, she became enraged. She thought that Brie shouldn’t have to put in a good word for her, she should be able to return to television based her own merit. So Brie apologized for her interfere in Nikki’s return and added that they would only be partners in their lingerie business now.
All of Nikki’s worries were needless though because the WWE decided to allow her to make her return to the ring at SummerSlam.
A new movie titled The Wall featuring John Cena in one of the leading roles opens tonight in a limited release in theaters across the nation.
The Wall is a deadly psychological thriller that follows two soldiers pinned down by an Iraqi sniper, with nothing but a crumbling wall between them. Their fight becomes as much a battle of will and wits as it is of lethally accurate marksmanship.
Directed by Doug Liman, from Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Edge of Tomorrow, the movie also features Aaron Taylor Johnson of Godzilla and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The Wall is produced by Amazon Studios and will be out in 541 theaters this weekend. You can watch the trailer below.
