WWE Superstars from the Raw brand are currently in Germany for a four-day tour across four cities.
The Road to WrestleMania German tour kicks off tonight in Dusseldorf with a show at the ISS Dome. Tomorrow it’s off to Nurnberg for an event at the Arena Nurnberger Versicherungen. On Friday it’s Hannover’s time with a show at the TUI Arena and then the last show on Saturday at the Donau Arena in Regensburg.
There will also be one meet and greet opportunity with Charlotte Flair tomorrow in Nurnberg at the Toys R Us store starting at 3PM.
Commenting on Twitter about calling CM Punk on the phone after Raw went off the air, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said that he works off instinct and always listens to the people to try and give them something special.
The Rock said that what he did had “huge positive feedback” from the WWE fans, however, WWE management weren’t thrilled about his post-show shenanigans.
According to PWInsider.com, WWE did not approve of The Rock’s actions and somebody from backstage went down to tell The Rock to “go in another direction.” Johnson, who can afford to piss off WWE many times over, ignored the order and not only did he call Punk and leave a message on his voicemail, but even tried to FaceTime him before giving up.
CM Punk and WWE doctor Chris Amann are currently engaged in a lawsuit after Punk went off on Amann during a Colt Cabana podcast. The lawsuit is still pending to go to trial.
WrestleMania will be playing host to a tag team match featuring two of the most famous couples on the WWE roster.
Yesterday during Smackdown, the seeds for the angle that will lead to The Miz and Maryse taking on John Cena and Nikki Bella were planted after the heels got the upper hand.
First it was Nikki Bella who suffered an attack from Maryse during her falls count anywhere match against Natalya. Maryse came out as Natalya was about to tap and beat up Nikki with a pipe. Eventually The Miz came out to take his wife away and Natalya pinned Nikki.
Then in the battle royal later in the evening, Cena eliminated The Miz, but The Miz came back in and threw Cena out. Cena tried to run after The Miz but he quickly left through the fans and did the ‘You Can’t See Me’ hand sign to Cena, who was escorted out of the ring by the referees.
WrestleMania is set to be Nikki’s last match as a full-time WWE performer and a tag match between the Total Divas stars and their respective loved ones is a good way to go. There’s not much friendship between the Bella Twins and Maryse and the three share a nasty history with the real-life situation covered on Total Divas earlier this season.
Cena and The Miz shared the main event of WrestleMania 27 with The Miz coming out victorious.
The Smackdown battle royal to determine the number one contender for the WWE title ended in a draw after the final two – Luke Harper and AJ Styles – eliminated each other.
The finish did not go over well with the fans in the arena especially after Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan announced that there will be no winner and the match is a draw.
AJ Styles touched the floor first even though WWE cameras were not in the best position to capture the obvious botched finish. Unlike previous battle royal draw finishes, there were no replays provided. The footage later uploaded on YouTube of the battle royal shows a different angle of the finish from the opposite side of the ring, blocking the view of who touched the floor first.
AJ Styles and Luke Harper will now wrestle next week on Smackdown to determine the number one contender and a spot in one of the main events of WrestleMania.
Tuesday Night Smackdown! Live Television Report for February 21, 2017 – “Decisions, Decisions.”
Introduction: Video Promo
A recap montage of Elimination Chamber, last week’s Smackdown!, and Talking Smack surrounding the WWE Championship scenario starts.
Arena Promo
We go live to Ontario, California. Tonight, a 10-Man Battle Royal to determine who will meet WWE Champion Bray Wyatt (love to write that!) at WrestleMania for the WWE Championship will happen. General Manager Daniel Bryan makes his entrance to a loud ovation. He reiterates how close we are to WrestleMania, and that many things can change before then. He asks the crowd to welcome Women’s Champion Naomi. She fans greet her happily with “you deserve it chants,” but theirs and hers moods turn when Bryan announces that he has to get her to give up the title due to her knee injury.
Naomi surrenders the championship and gives a heart-felt goodbye, talking about how last week was a high and this week is not. She figures that wrestling at WrestleMania is not going to happen either, but vows to regain the title as soon as she is ready.
Former champion Alexa Bliss walks out. She applauds and mocks Naomi for her speech, and then, after getting frustrated with the fans, she presumes she will be getting the championship back. Daniel starts to and then denies; instead, he says that she will wrestle another woman for the title, right now! That woman is Becky Lynch!
Commercials.
Match #1: Single for the Women’s Championship – Alexa Bliss (Challenger) VS. Becky Lynch (Challenger)
They lockup and then shove each other. Alexa goes for a kick but Becky turns it into a roll-up. Lynch goes for a kick, but Bliss catches it; Becky counters with an enziguri for two! Becky runs off of the ropes with a shoulder-tackle, and then trips up Alexa as she went for a leapfrog. Bliss reverses into a jackknife cover, which Lynch turns into a backslide for two! “The Irish Lass-Kicker” arm drags Alexa, but can’t get an O’Connor Roll-up as Bliss held onto the top rope.
Alexa pounds away on Becky’s head and then presses her against the middle rope. She stretches Lynch’s arms, but is reversed off of a whip-try into a Beck-Xploder suplex!
Commercials.
Lynch measures Bliss in the corner and hits her running-forearm and then exploder-suplexes her again for two! Becky kicks Bliss away and then climbs the turnbuckle. She soars off with a missile-dropkick but still can’t take this. She tries to drag Alexa, but Bliss holds onto the ring apron; as the referee fixes it, Alexa hits Becky in the throat and rolls her up for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall and NEW Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss
Post-match, Bliss celebrates with Mickie James, and then Mickie runs and tries to attack Lynch, but is fended off.
The announcers put over the #1 Contender’s Battle Royal, and say that all involved will talk about the opportunity.
Video Promo
Dean Ambrose is backstage and says, that despite all he’s been through between Elimination Chamber and Smackdown! Live last week, he will fight for the right to the WWE Championship, even if he has to go through Baron Corbin.
Kalisto says that no one expected him to make it this far, but he has and will go further, thanks to the fans.
The Miz wonders why there is even a Battle Royal; he says he should just have the title shot due to his status.
Up next, Tag-Team Champions American Alpha will be wrestling!
Commercials.
Backstage Promo
Rene Young asks Natalya about her Falls-Count-Anywhere Match with Nikki Bella tonight. Natalya proclaims that Nikki “has everyone fooled,” which includes her real-life boyfriend John Cena, but that won’t happen anymore following their match, and she dismisses Rene.
Match #2: Tag-Team – Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) VS. Tag-Team Champions American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable) (Non-Title)
Breezango attack Alpha right away and then dominate for a bit; Jordan and Gable comeback and finish Tyler and Fandango with an Electric-Chair Bulldog!
Winners via Pinfall: American Alpha
Post-match, The Usos cut a promo from the front row, saying that whatever feeling Chad and Jason have, it is Jey and Jimmy right behind them!
Commercials.
Video Promo
A.J. Styles is joyful backstage – he pronounces that he is going to WrestleMania!
Dolph Ziggler declares that “the new era is over” and superkicks the background.
Mojo Rawley is “hyped-up” (pun-intended) for the Battle Royal because “it’s for WrestleMania.”
Luke Harper says that he has broken himself from the spell of WWE Champion Bray Wyatt, and threatens “after I am victorious tonight, there will be nowhere left for him to run.”
Backstage Promo
Nikki Bella is asked by Rene Young about her feud with Natalya. She says “stay tuned, because after tonight, Nattie will forever be known as ‘The Broken Hart.’”
Nikki makes her entrance for the match, next!
Commercials.
Match #3: Single – Nikki Bella VS. Natalya
(Stipulation: Falls-Count-Anywhere)
Nikki spears and hammers away on Natalya immediately! She covers but only gets two, and then goes under the ring to collect a table. Natalya baseball-slides to stop it and then puts the table back under the ring. They brawl through the crowd, and Nattie tosses Nikki over a barricade into an equipment area. She tries a suplex from there to the floor, but Bella stops it. Nikki leaps off with a kick and almost takes this!
Bella chucks Natalya back to the ring area but is shoved into the corner of the barrier. Natalya throws her into the ring post and the steps. Nattie collects a kendo stick but elects to rip the announce table apart instead! Nikki hits back with forearms, but is almost powerbombed through the table from the apron! Nikki picks up Natalya Alabama-Slams her onto the table for a near-fall!
Commercials.
Natalya has Bella locked in the Sharpshooter, but Nikki crawls to the bottom rope. Natalya drags Nikki to the ramp where she suplexes her! 1 – 2 – Nikki lifts her shoulder! She chucks her into equipment boxes and into the backstage area. Maryse walks over and is tackled into; Nikki rams Nattie’s head into a mirror, shattering the object. 1 – 2 – Nattie lifts her shoulder! They fight back to the ramp, where Nikki reverses a Sharpshooter into the STF! Maryse runs out and starts whaling on Nikki with a pipe. Miz manages to lift Maryse away, but Natalya crawls over and covers for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: Natalya
Commercials.
Video Promo
Baron Corbin is backstage, saying that “the spotlight will be on me, as I take my rightful place in the Main Event of WrestleMania. Why? Because ‘Baron Corbin.’”
Apollo Crews proclaims that anyone who is in his path will be “rolled-over, run-over, and tossed over the top, real quick.”
WWE Champion Bray Wyatt is with his new protégé, Randy Orton. He tells Orton that he has “earned the keys to ‘the kingdom,’” and that the winner of the Battle Royal will be his “sacrificial lamb” at WrestleMania.
John Cena makes his entrance and the Main Event is next!
Commercials.
Match #4: Battle Royal – John Cena VS. Kalisto VS. Apollo Crews VS. Mojo Rawley VS. The Miz VS. Dolph Ziggler VS. Luke Harper VS. Baron Corbin VS.A.J. Styles VS. Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose
(Stipulation: #1 Contender’s Spot for the WWE Championship)
They all brawl and try to eject each other for the first bit.
Commercials.
Baron Corbin is on top, as he is the only one standing. Mojo makes a comeback but is suddenly tossed over and is eliminated! Harper hits a superkick on Baron, and then Kalisto plants Ziggler with his Solida-Del-Sol! He puts Luke down and then (awkwardly) moonsaults Ambrose from the top turnbuckle. He and Dolph fight on the apron, and Ziggler tears at Kalisto’s mask and then superkicks him to eliminate! Apollo gains some momentum, and then leaping-kicks Dolph to eliminate him! Ziggler grabs a chair and whacks Kalisto on the back; Crews was distracted and then dumped out by Corbin! Apollo takes the chair and chases Dolph away.
A.J. and Cena slug away in the middle, with cheers for A.J. and jeers for John. An Attitude Adjustment is tried but Styles lands on his feet; Harper superkicks Cena but gets Pele-Kicked! Ambrose tries Dirty Deeds but is countered with a forearm; but A.J. is hit with a clothesline and then Dean hits back on Baron with the slingshot-clothesline!
Miz is realizes he is the only one fresh, and then taunts like Daniel Bryan. He hits running-corner-dropkicks on Harper, Corbin, Dean, and A.J. He then kicks away at John like Bryan, but misses the final one and Cena tosses him to the floor!
Commercials.
Ambrose tries to suplex A.J., but Styles reverses into a German Suplex try! Cena runs up and clasps Dean, and then a triple German suplex is given between all three! He goes for the Five-Knuckle-Shuffle, but is slammed with End of Days by Corbin! He almost gets a Dirty Deeds DDT, but works his way out of it; he runs at Ambrose but the I.C. Champ ducks and pulls the top rope down, sending Baron tumbling and eliminated! Baron yanks Ambrose under the rope (so he is not eliminated) and drives him to the floor with End of Days.
John is up but Miz slides back in and throws him over; the officials hold Cena back and signal that he is eliminated! Miz backs into the crowd.
We are down to Harper and Styles! They both go back-and-forth, with eliminations! Ambrose slides back in (right, he’s still in this!), and almost dumps both! All three are now on the apron, eligible for elimination. Dean is almost dropped, and then A.J. jumps onto him; Luke kicks Dean, taking him out!
Harper tries a suplex from the apron, but A.J. wiggles to land on the apron. Luke is back in the ring while Styles is on the apron. Harper sees it but they are both back in the ring and square off. A.J. kicks away, but Luke boots back. They both fight tooth-and-nail, and Harper suplexes A.J. but also drops to the floor. The referees are trying to decide who won; General Manager Daniel Bryan runs down and may do that!
Bryan calls it “a draw,” and announces there will be a winner next week.
Winner: None due to General Manager’s Decision of a Draw
Post-match, Luke is furious and hits A.J. with a Discus Clothesline! The lights go out and WWE Champion Bray Wyatt, along with Randy Orton, appears on screen; he laughs maniacally to close the show.
The big scene filmed for the movie Fighting With My Family last night on Raw saw Thea Trinidad playing the role of AJ Lee and Florence Pugh as Paige, while Tessa Blanchard was on standby as the stunt double for Pugh to film the wrestling moves.
Trinidad, in full AJ Lee accent and mannerisms, cut the same promo that AJ did the night after WrestleMania XXX and then Pugh came out as Paige. Pugh also had her own TitanTron as Paige playing during her entrance.
When the two finished their verbal exchanges and some other spots, Tessa Blanchard jumped in to film the wrestling moves and the wider shots. The fans mostly co-operated with the filming, except for chanting for CM Punk during the match and chanting “ten” every time the referee counted.
You can see three videos shot from Raw by fans who stayed around for the filming below.
A 10-man battle royal will headline tonight’s Smackdown with the winner of the match challenging Bray Wyatt for the WWE title at WrestleMania.
The 10 Superstars in the match are John Cena, Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, The Miz, Luke Harper, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Mojo Rawley, Apollo Crews and Kalisto. Randy Orton, who won the Royal Rumble and the right to face the champion at WrestleMania, is still expected to feature in the title match as rumors are it will be a three-way between Orton, Wyatt and Harper.
Two other matches have been announced for tonight’s broadcast, including a fall counts anywhere match between Natalya and Nikki Bella and Naomi defending her Smackdown Women’s title against Alexa Bliss.
WWE’s current roster has between 40 and 50 superstars, and it changes constantly, with some wrestlers moving on and legends like Goldberg or The Rock coming back for special occasions. There are some superstars who stand out over the rest as the most featured in WWE betting events and as the most likely to come out on top.
AJ Styles
Making his long-awaited WWE debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble, Styles has put on instant classic after instant classic in the WWE against the likes of Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and John Cena. He even held the WWE Championship for almost five months and he is expected to be featured in the main event scene regularly and earn more title runs. Many consider Styles the best wrestler in the world and the company recognizes his value, so he will probably win most of his pay-per-view matches in 2017.
John Cena
As the face of the WWE for over a decade, John Cena has had an incredible career and while it’s slowly starting to wind down, he is always featured at all major events. Cena has usually won around 90 percent of his matches but now he’s pretty much a part-timer that is willing to help push other stars like Styles or Bray Wyatt, so his win-loss ratio is not what it used to be. It could be the right time to visit the Pinnacle Sportsbook review of the odds and put some money against Cena from time to time, as he’s no longer WWE’s Superman.
The Undertaker
The Undertaker is one of the most legendary WWE superstars of all-time. Having a successful career for over 25 years is enough proof of his endurance and popularity. Nowadays the Undertaker usually wrestles once or twice a year, including his annual WrestleMania match. Since his epic undefeated streak at WrestleMania is over, it’s highly unlikely that he will lose another WrestleMania match, especially since his retirement is near, so keep that in mind when betting on that event in April.
Triple H
Just like The Undertaker, Triple H now wrestles once or twice a year, as he has taken the role of Chief Operating Officer and is the man in charge of NXT, WWE’s developmental system (although it’s pretty much a brand as popular as Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live!). The results of Triple H’s matches are unpredictable. He beat Sting at WrestleMania 31, when he shouldn’t have, he won the WWE Championship by emerging victorious in the 2016 Royal Rumble and then lost it to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 32, when he shouldn’t have. Based on his last three matches, betting on Triple H to win is extremely risky.
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is a part-time wrestler nowadays, appearing in four to five matches a year and he has been the company’s star attraction for a while. Lesnar is pushed as an explosive and dangerous superstar. After his stint as UFC Champion, Lesnar ended the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania and he’s been extremely dominant against other superstars. He wins most of the time, but there have been interference on some of his matches, so keep an eye on who will be his opponents before placing your bets on him.
Roman Reigns
Most fans hate him but Roman Reigns is inevitably positioned to replace John Cena and become the face of the company. Reigns has wrestled at pretty much all the top WWE pay-per-view, always being part of the main event scene and chasing the most prestigious titles. His win/loss ratio hasn’t been spectacular but it’s mostly because there’s always some kind of interference or dusty finish. Still, he is expected to start winning more often so don’t overlook him when choosing what wrestler to bet on.
Cricket Wireless has been confirmed again as the wireless sponsor of WrestleMania 33, and to celebrate this continued partnership, Cricket is sending a lucky fan and his guest to Orlando for WrestleMania.
Starting today through March 19, WWE fans can enter the VIP sweepstakes by either going to a local Cricket Wireless store or online at cricketsweepstakes.com/WWE33.
The grand prize winner will receive roundtrip airfare and lodging for two, a $500 prepaid gift card, a new Samsung Galaxy S7 with 1 year of Cricket Wireless service, a pair of tickets to WrestleMania 33, WrestleMania Axxess, and VIP WrestleMania Pre-Party passes.
Additionally, three first prize winners will get a new Samsung Galaxy S7 with 6 months of wireless service from Cricket. And 10 second prize winners will receive a replica WWE Intercontinental Championship commemorative title belt autographed by Dolph Ziggler.
“WrestleMania is one of the biggest sports and entertainment events in the world. Cricket is the only wireless provider giving WWE fans a chance to see it live,” said Tiffany Baehman, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Cricket Wireless. “To build on the excitement around WrestleMania, we are hosting an in-store Meet & Greet in Orlando on March 31 with a WWE Superstar, and we’ll be on-site participating in WrestleMania Axxess from March 30 through April 2. We’re bringing our customers closer to the action in and outside the ring.”
WWE today announced the appointment of Sal Siino as Senior Vice President, Global Content Distribution & Business Development. Siino, who previously held senior leadership roles with WeMash, Bedrocket Media Ventures, T3Media and Westwood One, will report directly to Tandy O’Donoghue, WWE Executive Vice President, Strategy & Analytics.
As WWE’s Senior Vice President, Global Content Distribution & Business Development, Siino will be a key member of WWE’s leadership team, responsible for the management of WWE’s worldwide content distribution business across all platforms. Siino will also manage business development initiatives and partnerships, and provide related support to WWE’s business units.
Prior to joining WWE, Siino was Co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer of WeMash, where he connected premium content owners including movie studios, news organizations, sports entities, music labels and publishers with video artists, filmmakers, and musicians to re-imagine content beyond its original context.
Not only did The Rock appear after Raw went off the air, but the People’s champion also appeared on stage prior to the show going live.
The Rock explained what he’s there for and how everyone will be in the movie when they film the big scene of Paige winning the Divas title for the first time after Raw goes off the air. He told the crowd that he’s going to be backstage watching Raw, cheering for everyone the crowd cheers for, and booing for everyone the crowd boos for… including Roman Reigns! He also informed the fans that he would not be appearing live on Raw.
Rock checked his phone and he said that he had 4 minutes left before Raw goes on air live on USA Network so he was gonna close out with the greatest catchphrase in professional wrestling.
“Whatcha gonna do,” Rock said, as the crowd laughed. “Ooooh yeah! Dig it.” Wrong catchphrase again. “Too be the man…woooo…you gotta beat the man!” Wrong again. “And that’s the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so.” Nope.
And then, he did his trademark catchphrase. “If ya smell what The Rock is cooking!” That worked…except that Vince McMahon’s theme song kicked in. Rock walked to the back and out he came with the boss. The two shook hands and then Vince did his catchphrase. “You’reeeeee fired!”
Former WCW champion Diamond Dallas Page was announced as one of the inductees in this year’s WWE Hall of Fame, a very deserving honor to the man who helped several former wrestlers get their life back on track.
The 60-year-old started his professional wrestling career late, making his pro wrestling career in 1991 in World Championship Wrestling as a manager of The Freebirds. To get ready to step in the ring, DDP enlisted the help of Jake “The Snake” Roberts and the rest, as they say, is history. Page went on to have a very successful WCW career, wrestling in main events with the likes of Macho Man Randy Savage, the nWo, Hulk Hogan, and many others. During his time in WCW, he won the WCW title three times, the United States title twice, the TV title once, and the Tag Team titles four times.
DDP then moved to WWE after the company purchased WCW, debuting in June 2001, three months after the sale. He was revealed as the stalker of The Undertaker’s then-wife Sara and spent a few months feuding with Taker and Kane. His character was then changed to an optimistic motivator and his catchphrase, “That’s not a bad thing…that’s a good thing” caught on with WWE fans. He stayed in WWE for a year and won the European and Tag Team titles once during his short reign.
But perhaps his most impressive achievement is DDP Yoga, a fitness program that has helped many, many people achieve what they were told was impossible. Page’s generosity also reached his former teacher, Jake Roberts, and Scott Hall, two individuals who were on the verge of death due to their addictions only to be given a new clean start by DDP who welcomed them into his home and rehabilitated them. Against all odds, both Jake Roberts and Scott Hall eventually returned for cameo appearances in WWE and both were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
It looks like The New Day will not be wrestling at WrestleMania in April as the trio were announced as the hosts of the show. The exclusive of the news was given to TMZ.COM.
The team of Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods will be in similar roles to that of The Rock at WrestleMania 27 and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 30.
Ever since losing the Raw Tag Team titles to Sheamus and Cesaro, the team did not do much on television and are currently not involved in any major angles.
At last year’s WrestleMania, The New Day wrestled Rusev, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio in a six-man tag team match and after the match, HBK, Mick Foley and Steve Austin came out to destroy the League of Nations. The New Day danced around and shared a beer with the three Hall of Famers but Xavier Woods ended up eating a Stone Cold stunner after he tried to get Austin to dance.
After Raw went off the air last night, The Rock decided to have a little bit of fun with the crowd after they started chanting for CM Punk.
Johnson was there because after Raw they filmed the scene when Paige won the Divas title from AJ Lee the night after WrestleMania for the upcoming movie Fighting With My Family. With AJ Lee came the natural CM Punk chants and the former WWE champion had the genius idea of calling CM Punk on his cell phone from the middle of the ring as production crew set up at ringside waiting for the scene to be filmed. Someone pointed out that it was 11:30PM in Chicago, and Rock replied saying he doesn’t care that it’s 11:30PM.
“To voicemail, voicemail,” The Rock said, as the crowd booed. “Hey I’m gonna leave a message…here we go!” he added.
“Hey Punk it’s Rock. This is not a joke I’m literally calling you from the middle of the STAPLES Center with 15,000 strong,” Rock said, with now the crowd screaming. “I hope you hear this, it’s not a rib, they are chanting your name. That is real 15,000 strong chanting your name in LA.”
The Rock then tried to FaceTime Punk but he said that the STAPLES Center has some “shitty WiFi.”
Punk acknowledged the voice mail on his Twitter without mentioning WWE or The Rock. “Thanks Los Angeles. Nice to hear from you,” Punk wrote, adding that he was walking Larry for his birthday when the call came in. Larry is his dog.
Hey! It’s @TheMagnumDA with another installment of the RAW report. Two weeks until Fast Lane!
We open with a recap of last week’s Festival of Friendship, culminating with Kevin Owens’ turn on his longtime buddy Chris Jericho. From there, we have a spotlight promo with Kevin Owens seated in the ring. Owens explains that he doesn’t have to beat Goldberg at Fast Lane to hold on to his Universal Championship. He teases that he knows how to play “The Game” better than anyone else. Goldberg chants get louder and louder as Owens screams his head off. KO says that the Universal Championship is not a prop, and at Fast Lane…Owens will prove that Superheroes do not exist. What a buzzkiller. Kevin says that Goldberg will bark “YOU’RE NEXT!”, but KO simply says, “You’re nothing.” Finally, he says, “Now, as far as Chris Jericho goes…” and then simply drops the mic to massive boos. Wow. Very good stuff.
Match #1 – Enzo & Cass vs. Sheamus & Cesaro (#1 Contender’s Match)
Sheamus clubs Cass in the corner to start, but Cass returns serve with some shots to the gut. Sheamus comes back with the rolling kick, and tries to put Cass on the apron for the forearms, but Cass powers him back into the ring. Cesaro and Sheamus trade tags to get some offense in, but Cass slams Sheamus hard to quell that run. Enzo comes in and attacks both Cesaro and Sheamus, but Sheamus catches him with a forearm during a trip to the top rope. Cesaro tags in and drills Enzo with a clothesline on the outside. Then Cesaro mocks Enzo’s dance. “How is he doing? Not very well.” Hilarious!
After the commercial, Sheamus has Enzo in the sleeperhold. Enzo fights out, but Sheamus catches him with the Irish Curse backbreaker, followed by a knee to the face for two. Cesaro tags in, and a double stomp gets two. Sheamus is tagged back in, and catches Enzo with a shoulder in the corner. What’s with the quick tags? Seems like extra work to tag a guy in (three times!) after three separate moves. Enzo fights off both Cesaro and Sheamus, but gets pulled outside and beaten down. Enzo fights off, and comes back in after Cesaro who catches him with a European Uppercut for two. Cass comes in and he’s a HOUSE OF FIRE! Fallaway slam, Stinger Splash, but he misses the boot. Cesaro tags in and catches Cass off guard with an uppercut and a cross body press for two. Another great exchange leads to a corkscrew on Cass by Cesaro. Giant Swing attempt is blocked by Enzo, and this allows Cass to catch Cesaro with the East River Crossing. ONE, TWO, THREE! Wow! What a pace.
Winners: Enzo and Cass (**3/4)
Afterwards, Enzo tells the Swiss Superman “We got that Kryptonite!” and Sheamus SMACKS him with a Brogue Kick. Jesus, that looked bad.
Backstage, Kevin Owens is leaving the arena when Mick Foley informs him of a match with Sami Zayn tonight. Owens says, “I thought you liked Zayn.” This guy is cold. I like it. We then get video packages for Braun Strowman and Bayley, as they recap last week’s main event. It’s cool that Bayley has the title, but I have a feeling that this reign will not last long. I’m still in favor of that Sasha Banks heel turn, though. We come back with Mick Foley and Roman Reigns, who are interrupted by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Foley tells Reigns to find a partner for a match tonight, and Reigns says that won’t be necessary. Again?
Match #2 – The Brian Kendrick vs. Akira Tozawa
Akira refuses the handshake to start, so Kendrick hits him with a lariat. Kendrick then takes Tozawa and locks him in the corner. Kendrick then puts him in the Captain’s Hook, and apparently the bell never rang. Aries makes fun of Tozawa’s mouthguard. What the hell was that?
Winner: No Contest
Kendrick is backstage with Charly, and I am trying to hardest to pay no attention to anything below Charly’s neck. Kendrick considers Akira’s rebuff to be extremely disrespectful, so he’s going to beat some respect into him. I guess we’re going to need more purple tape at Fast Lane!
Match #3 – Roman Reigns vs. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows
Anderson runs right after Reigns and attacks him, but Reigns catches him with a Shoulder Tackle. Anderson tags out, but Reigns knocks Gallows out of the ring. Reigns has basically taken control right away. Drive-by to Gallows, but a distraction from Anderson leads to a Mafia Kick from Gallows. Inside, Luke beats down Roman and poses…because, well…wrestling. Suplex for two, followed by elbows and a sleeperhold on Reigns. Reigns fights out, but Gallows hits a variation of the Baldo Bomb for two. Anderson tags in, and a double team move is thwarted by Reigns.
Anderson and Gallows eventually pull Reigns outside, and proceed to beat him down. Gallows brings a chair in, but gets knocked down coming back into the ring. Reigns grabs the chair and destroys the tag champs for the DQ. Reigns beats down Anderson in the corner, and then catches a Superman Punch on Gallows. Anderson goes up top, but Roman PLANTS him with an awesome Spear in midair! Match sucked, though.
Winners: Anderson & Gallows (*)
The New Day are announced as the hosts of WrestleMania 33!
Match #4 – Rusev & Jinder Mahal vs. The New Day
Oh no, he’s actually getting introduced as “Handsome Rusev” now by Lana. EVEN WITH THE MASK. Awesome. Byron says that Jinder Mahal now goes by “Hardbody Mahal”. I’m sorry, in 1996…that gimmick works as a D-Level guy in WCW. In 2017? It’s a little…umm, homoerotic. Even by Pro Wrestling standards. New Day comes out and they talk about their upcoming projects, including New Day Ice Cream, a cameo as the Hyenas in The Lion King (wha?), and their hosting gig for WrestleMania 33.
Apparently, Lana stole their recipe for New Day Ice Cream, and Big E makes a “Russian Hacker” joke that gets a huge laugh from the American crowd. Are these teams really fighting over an ice cream recipe that has UNICORN HAIR in it?! What is happening right now?! Oh, for the record…a match hasn’t even happened yet. After the break, Rusev has Kofi in a bearhug. Rusev drills Kofi with a dropkick as HARDBODY MAHAL comes in. I can’t even say that with an ounce of seriousness. Mahal immediately tags Rusev back in and they double team Kofi. Kofi catches Rusev with a Tornado DDT, and tags in Big E who is a HOUSE OF FIRE with a HARDBODY SUPLEX. Utah, make it two! E hits a BEAUTIFUL Warrior Splash, and tries the Big Ending. Rusev kicks E right in the face, but gets thrown out of the ring attempting to hit Kofi. Kingston hits the Suicide Dive. On the outside, Xavier scares off Lana with his Trombone, leading to Lana giving up the tablet with the ice cream recipe! I can’t believe I am typing that. Big E and Kofi hit the Midnight Hour inside the ring for ONE, TWO, THREE! New Day win it!
Winners: New Day (**)
Memorial for George “The Animal” Steele. What a character and what a career. Very touching video.
It’s now time for a Contract Signing between Neville and Jack Gallagher for Fast Lane. Neville will be defending his title against Gallagher. Gallagher declares that he is ready for the match and quickly signs the contract. Are those tea and biscuits?! Very classy. Neville also dashes in and signs the contract. Neville is asked to come into the ring as a “TEA AND BISCUITS!” chant breaks out. Jack is tasting a biscuit while Neville calls him a stereotype.
Neville says he is like the mean streets…ugly, and rough around the edges. Neville calls him a panderer, and says that the fans think Jack’s a joke. Neville says he’ll have the last laugh at Fast Lane. Jack tells him, “I’m not playing a gentleman, I AM a gentleman.” Gallagher says he will not stand for a man who calls himself a “King”. Neville throws the table of food down. Neville asks Jack what he’s going to do about it. Jack spears him and then CLOBBERS him with an incredible headbutt to the outside.
Match #5 – Nia Jax vs. Sarah Pierce
Nia splatters Pierce in the corner, and then throws her around. Nia then hits another splash in the corner, and then drops Pierce with the Samoan Drop for ONE, TWO, THREE. Well, that was quick.
Winner: Nia Jax (No Stars)
After the match, Nia Jax says that she would destroy Bayley and Sasha Banks at once, if given the chance. After this match, a Black History tribute video comes on, but this is for Barack Obama. I thought this was a classy video, but I have a problem with the way WWE has people speak (using the interview style). It’s basically fragments of dialogue already prepared by WWE. I don’t quite understand it. This video is followed by Bayley, who is on her way to the ring!
Bayley comes out to the ring to a great reaction! She talks about having the biggest dreams growing up, including becoming a champion in WWE. She considered the end of last week to be one of the most amazing moments in her life. She called her Dad and thanked him for everything, and then did it again tonight in person. She is such a nerd. Haha…she is now fulfilling a dream that she had since the age of 10. Bayley tells Charlotte to face facts, but then Stephanie McMahon interrupts her. Steph asks if Bayley’s victory is legitimate. She says her three daughters look up to Bayley, who has high moral character. Steph is asking if she’s willing to throw it all away to hold a title that wasn’t earned. It’s a real argument, but it also feels like a mind game. Steph tells Bayley to relinquish the title. Yep, it’s a mind game. “You don’t want to win that way, Bayley. You’re better than that.”
Bayley starts to give up the title, but then she turns her back. This is pretty good stuff. Steph holds her hands out to take the title, but Sasha Banks stops the proceedings. Sasha tells Bayley not to listen to this garbage. She tells Bayley to listen to the fans, because they love her. Sasha says she loves her. Sasha asks the crowd if Bayley should give up the title, and the crowd says no. Personally, I think she should. The chase would be sweeter. Sasha and Steph almost get into it, but Bayley interrupts to say HELL NO she’s not giving up the title. She said she won this because of each and every fan’s support. Steph is gobsmacked. CHARLOTTE IS OUT. Good Lord, this is a NIGHT OF THE PROMOS. Charlotte says that she is invoking her rematch clause at Fast Lane against Bayley. Sasha tells Charlotte to shut her mouth, and Stephanie makes Sasha vs. Charlotte for RIGHT NOW.
Match #6 – Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks
They lock up and Sasha slaps Charlotte in the face. Charlotte kicks Sasha in the leg, and then goes after the injured knee. Sasha gets consecutive rollups for two, but Charlotte fights out. Sasha plants Charlotte in the corner, and proceeds to chop her. WHOO! Sasha misses a charge, but so does Charlotte. Banks throws her across the ring, but Charlotte catches Sasha with a falling knee to the mouth. Sick! Snapmare, an elbow, and a headscissors driver to Sasha. This turns into Charlotte using some unique offense with the headscissors. Banks fights out, but gets a boot in the mouth. Sasha is thrown to the outside.
After the break. Charlotte has Sasha in the Dragon Sleeper. Look at Charlotte mug at the camera during this move. That’s classic Flair. Sasha catches Charlotte with knees, followed by a backflip for a rollup, ONE TWO, NO! Charlotte throws Sasha in the corner, but Sasha catches Charlotte with a hairpull, clothersline, and a bulldog. This is followed by a reversal into another bulldog! ONE, TWO, NO! Sasha follows Charlotte into the corner and catches her with forearms. Sasha misses the double knee, but when Charlotte goes outside, Banks catches her with the double knee. Dana Brooke comes out, but Bayley stops her from getting involved! Meanwhile, Charlotte gets caught in the Bank Statement! Charlotte taps!
Winner: Sasha Banks (**3/4)
Diamond Dallas Page has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Wow. This guy is an inspiration to 32-year-olds everywhere who still want to become a Professional Wrestler. In this day and age? Good luck.
Charly is with Sami Zayn. Sami is not happy to be right about Kevin’s turn on Chris Jericho. Sami says that just like Samoa Joe, Kevin’s a selfish man who makes excuses for his behavior. Sami Zayn says that Owens needs to be worried about his teeth getting kicked in. Why do I feel like Jericho’s showing up at Fast Lane?
Match #7 – Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (non-title)
CHAPTER CII!!!! Before Sami Zayn makes his way down the aisle, SAMOA JOE shows up! He destroys Sami and throws him into the post. Joe catches him with some jabs and throws him into the post. Running Senton Bomb onto Zayn! Sami’s carcass is thrown into the ring, as Owens calmly looks away. The ref argues with Sami, but Sami says to ring the bell. Owens levels Zayn twice with a clothesline, and then drops him with the Cannonballs. KO continues to beat down Zayn, and then hits him with a pop-up power bomb for the three. Whoa. Squash City. Wasn’t even really a match.
Winner: Kevin Owens (*)
After the break, Stephanie buries Mick Foley some more. Foley stands up to it, and the crowd cheers him on. We then go to Michael Cole, who is with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Cole starts to ask his question, but Heyman cuts him off and tells Michael to watch his tone. Lesnar stands up and takes Cole’s chair, and then props himself front and center. Heyman tells Kevin Owens that Brock Lesnar will make sure that Goldberg goes into WrestleMania as the WWE Universal Champion. Pretty intimidating image of Lesnar staring right into the camera. Probably meme-worthy, though.
Main Event – Big Show vs. Braun Strowman
They lock up as Cole says the “big bulls are marking their territory”. Braun tries to roll out of a wristlock, and then KIPS UP?! Strowman puts Show in the corner, and then says “I’M THE GIANT NOW.” Show takes Braun down with a single-leg, but Strowman gets a side headlock takedown right after. Big Show fights out of the headlock, but Strowman just HAMMERS Show with a lariat. Strowman with a running boot to Show’s face, followed by fists and kicks while he’s down. Strowman is dominant. Braun charges into the corner, and Show catches him for the Choke Slam, but this is reversed into a DDT for ONE, TWO, NO. Strowman pounds Show in the opposite corner and the splash hits this time. Strowman with gut shots, and a forearm to the back. Cole says this is the most impressive outing for Strowman yet. Eh, maybe.
Strowman with ANOTHER massive lariat to Show for two. Suplex attempt is blocked by Show, and Show gets the HUGE suplex. Strowman tries to go after Show, but Show gives him two boots and a foot to the gut, a splash, and a flying tackle takes down Strowman. Show gets a HUGE Chokeslam! ONE, TWO….NO! Whoa. Show goes upstairs for the Vader Splash, but Braun clips his leg. Show counters a slam attempt, and puts Strowman on the ropes. Show gets hit twice in the gut, and Strowman jumps off the top rope to meet the KO PUNCH. ONE, TWO, NO! Show tries another Vader Splash, but Strowman blows his spot and barely gets Show up for a sloppy powerslam! ONE, TWO, NO! The people are standing. Show tries one last attempt to get the chokeslam, but Strowman hits another Powerslam! ONE, TWO, THREE!
Winner: Braun Strowman (**1/4)
After the match, Reigns takes Strowman down with a Superman Punch, but Strowman hits a low dropkick! What a counter, especially after that match. Strowman then hits a running powerslam on Reigns. He screams right in Reigns’ face as we go to credits. Wow, they put Strowman over big time.
Final Thoughts: Pretty good show. Some creative ideas, but it feels like the big sell is coming next Monday. GOLDBERG will be live next week on RAW. See you then!
After Raw goes off the air tonight, a scene from the upcoming movie Fighting With My Family will take place inside the STAPLES Center, with all members of the WWE Universe in attendance being used in the movie.
The scene will be Paige’s WWE debut the night after WrestleMania, when she defeated Divas champion AJ Lee to win the title on her first night on the main roster.
Independent wrestlers Thea Trinidad will be playing the role of AJ Lee while Tessa Blanchard is the stunt double who will be standing in for Florence Pugh. Pugh is playing Page’s character.
“For those who are are new to the wrestling world when you see our movie, just know you’re watching some very unique and special athletes achieve greatness in a male dominated world. Respect is given when it’s earned. Tonight, they earn it,” wrote Dwayne Johnson on his Instagram account.
TNA announced four sets of television tapings all the way through August, probably the first time in a long time that there seems to be some stability within the company.
All the tapings will be done at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and although it was rumored that TNA would tape some stuff during WrestleMania week, it looks like the company is avoiding being in the area when WWE is in town.
The next set of tapings will start on Thursday, March 2 for four days, ending Sunday, March 5. Another four days of filming will be held starting on Thursday, April 20 through Sunday, April 23. During the 4th of July week there will also be tapings, starting Sunday, July 2 through Thursday, July 6, although it’s not clear if there will be tapings on Independence Day. With tapings set for four days, the dates suggest that there won’t be filming on July 4. And then in August, they start on Thursday, August 17 and run through Sunday, August 20.
The April 20 and August 17 will be live Impact tapings on POP, or better yet, live-to-tape as Impact airs a couple of hours after tapings start.
The Rock published a photo on his Instagram with the first look at Florence Pugh as WWE Superstar Paige in the upcoming movie Fighting With My Family.
The 21-year-old British actress is seen in the photo reading her lines with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and director Stephen Merchant with a WWE ring in the background at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.
“We shot some great scenes together today that reflected my real life pivotal conversations I had with Paige. Very interesting to relive and shoot those moments,” Johnson wrote.
Johnson also noted that they’re taking the production to “rock” the STAPLES Center tonight for Monday Night Raw. Could this mean an appearance by The Rock on the show tonight? WrestleMania is around the corner…and the former WWE champion has not been mentioned yet if he will be taking part.
WWE.COM has an interesting video on the construction of the brand new Elimination Chamber structure. The design and built of this new structure was left in the hands of Atomic Designs.
“We do a lot of stuff that we talk about being bullet proof, and anytime WWE calls, it’s not a metaphor anymore…it really needs to be bullet proof,” said Zek Keller, the project leader for Atomic.
The company has never built anything like this before, noting that WWE wanted a bigger, stronger, completely resistant structure with better visibility for the aerial cameras.
The structure – 26 feet high, 10 tons of steel, and almost 2 miles of chain link – required between 4,000 and 5,000 men hours to construct with material being ordered in bulk “in record time” to meet the deadline.
“I’m not worried about the Chamber, I’m worried about them,” added Keller in the interview.
Tamina Snuka returned to WWE action for the first time since May 2015 at the non-televised live event in Edmonton, teaming up with Natalya to take on Carmella and Alexa Bliss.
Snuka, the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, underwent knee surgery in early May to repair torn ligaments and was not drafted during the 2016 Draft. The Edmonton show was a Smackdown-brand live event although it’s still not clear if Tamina will be part of the blue brand going forward.
Tamina had a rough start to 2017, losing her father in January.
