WWE Shop is running a $10 deal with several WWE merchandise including posters, action figures, t-shirts and many more all on sale for just ten bucks.
T-shirts from NXT, Shane McMahon, WrestleMania 32, Daniel Bryan, Triple H, The New Day, Paul Heyman, and others are all part of the deal. Beer mugs, pendants, hats, and gloves featuring other WWE Superstars are also on sale.
The offer expires on June 30 at 2:59AM EST and you can start shopping at http://w-o.it/wweshopcom.
The BBC has put online a 30 minute documentary about the WWE hosted by BBC Radio 1 host and wrestling fan Greg James, a documentary which was filmed between WrestleMania 32 and the Download Festival in the UK which featured NXT.
James first interviewed WWE Women’s champion Charlotte, meeting her at a gym in Albany, New York where he trained with her while also asking her questions about her career. He then moved to meet Sami Zayn backstage at a non-televised event, followed by the popular duo Enzo and Big Cass. The last one interviewed was Baron Corbin, who James met at the Download Festival back home in the United Kingdom.
It’s quite an interesting behind-the-scenes look at these WWE Superstars. You can check out the documentary on the BBC iPlayer website. The BBC iPlayer is geo-locked to IP addresses registered in the United Kingdom only.
WWE sponsor Cricket Wireless invited a bunch of John Cena fans for an audition to become ambassadors of a new John Cena store, however what they didn’t know was it was all a hidden camera prank with Cena surprising everyone.
“What would happen if you meet John Cena?” one of the producers asked an unsuspecting fan. “I would probably hyperventilate, then pass out,” she said. Cena, along with two guys with trumpets playing his theme song, came through a John Cena Cricket Wireless banner behind the unsuspecting fans and the result was pretty hilarious.
Both kids and adults freaked out when Cena burst out from the back. Family members who accompanied those who were “auditioning” had no idea either and was pretty ecstatic to see the former WWE champion as well. “To be honest, I was about to cry,” said one little kid.
You can watch the video and a behind the scenes look at how it was done below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6m6g5y1bQs
https://youtu.be/rDKTMeVHs8g
The WWE World Heavyweight title has been officially renamed to the WWE Championship probably in anticipation of a second heavyweight title introduced for the brand split happening next month.
The WWE.COM title history page has been changed with the updated name, never mind that the actual title has World Heavyweight Champion in small letters underneath the WWE logo.
WWE started using the WWE World Heavyweight title name at TLC in December 2013 when both titles – the WWE and the World Heavyweight one – were combined together in a main event match between Randy Orton and John Cena. Orton is credited as being the first-ever WWE World Heavyweight champion even though the titles were combined before in December 2001 to create the WWE Undisputed champion, with Chris Jericho being the first one.
The rumors now are that each brand will have its own set of titles and it’s likely that the “big gold belt” will be returning after a couple of years on hiatus.
Speaking during the Colin Cowherd radio show earlier today, former WWE champion CM Punk said that he was flabbergasted that people were surprised when he left WWE as he always showed his intention to eventually leave.
He explained how during his indie scene days, the old timers who had more experience than him told him that you get in, make a lot of money, and get out before things go sideways.
He got out of WWE and now he’s in UFC and he plans to use the same mentality on his mixed martial arts career. Punk doesn’t know how long he will last in the UFC but for now he’s ready to prove everyone wrong. He can’t do much to stop those who have been saying that he will never step foot in the Octagon until he actually steps inside the cage. He said that he gets knocked down in training day in day out so come fight day he won’t get knocked down.
Punk also mentioned that it’s not far fetched that if he wins three or four fights he gets a title shot. But for now it’s all about getting that first fight under his belt, a fight which will take place on September 10 at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio against Mickey Gall.
With barely against any competition on television, Monday Night Raw tanked in the ratings, doing only 3,093,000 viewers for yesterday’s broadcast. That is down 373,000 viewers from last week’s post-MITB show.
Hour one started with 3,096,000 viewers, then followed by an increase to 3,173,000 viewers in the second hour, before closing the show with 3,011,000 viewers. It’s only beaten by the June 13 show as the worst number on a non-holiday for the past 20 years. Things will probably get worse next week as it’s the 4th of July holiday and the show is live on a day when many Americans don’t tune in. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The WWE Japan website has updated the line-up of the matches for the two nights they have at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Due to the absence of Roman Reigns, some matches had to be adjusted but it looks like the WWE fans in Japan will get some great matches in return. On the first night, the main event will be Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins in a triple threat match while Shinsuke Nakamura will be wrestling Chris Jericho. On the second night the main event is slightly changed to Ambrose vs Jericho vs Rollins in a triple threat match while Nakamura takes on Kevin Owens. NXT Women’s champion Asuka will take on Becky Lynch on night one and then wrestles Natalya on the second night.
Apart from Roman Reigns, two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair was also taken off the card as he no longer accompanies his daughter.
Total Bellas, the spin-off show of Total Divas, will premiere on E! on Wednesday, October 5 at 8PM EST. The show will feature six, one hour episodes which will give viewers an exclusive, intimate look into the VIP lives of the Bellas and their men, John Cena and Daniel Bryan, as well as their family.
This docu-series will follow the odd-couple relationships of these WWE Superstars as Brie does her best to nurse, not only Nikki, but John and Daniel back to health, all while trying to retain their sanity. With Nikki’s recent neck surgery, Brie’s retirement at WrestleMania, Daniel’s untimely retirement from WWE, and John’s rising profile in Hollywood, fans will get an exclusive beyond-the-ropes glimpse into how these dynamic individuals juggle their reality and prepare for their uncertain futures.
While the Bellas get their own spin-off, they will still be featured in the upcoming Total Divas series which has three newcomers to the cast – Maryse, Lana, and Renee Young.
Business Insider conducted an interview with WWE’s Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon yesterday and asked her about Brock Lesnar’s unique position of fighting in the UFC while still under WWE contract and McMahon responded with some interesting quotes.
McMahon started off by saying that UFC is not their competition because WWE is entertainment and UFC is competitive sport and for her it’s very different. Shen then took a shot at all those who lost in the Octagon. “UFC, they can make a big star but the second that person loses, they lose credibility, and how do you continue to make that star rise?“ McMahon said.
Stephanie seems to have forgot that Lesnar lost before in the UFC and a favorite of hers, Ronda Rousey also got beaten by Holly Holm. And the fighter they were pursuing to appear at SummerSlam, Paige VanZant, also lost in her last fight.
Clearing stating that the company is not supporting the fight and they’re not doing any cross-promotion with the UFC, McMahon added, “In Brock Lesnar’s case it was really a special case that we are allowing him to do this fight. We are not supporting the fight necessarily but, again, it’s not a competitor to us and the more that our superstars, that’s how we refer to our talent, the more they do outside of WWE, the more awareness it generates and the broader the audience can be that is then brought back into our properties. So we recognize the value of that.”
The interview tackles other topics, such as her rise in the WWE, WrestleMania, giving back to the community, and much more. You can read the full interview at http://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-stephanie-mcmahon-interview-2016-6.
Monday Night Raw TV Report for June 27th 2016
Introduction Segment: Arena Promo
We go live right away to Tampa, Florida, and Seth Rollins starts off. Michael Cole, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, and Byron Saxton welcome us, talking about the Triple-Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Battleground featuring Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns (who is currently suspended until July 21) and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose.
Seth gets right to business, speaking about Roman Reigns. He says that Roman has embarrassed him, as he was the one who brought Reigns into The Shield. Rollins shows Roman’s apology form his Twitter Account, which reads “I apologize to my family, friends, and fans for my mistake in violating WWE’s Wellness Policy. No excuses, I own it.”
Rollins rips on Reigns some more, and wants him banned from the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Triple-Threat Match at Battleground. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose interrupts and quarrels with Rollins. He defends Roman, saying that “everyone makes mistakes.” A.J. Styles moseys out and wants to be in the match; he declares that he should replace Roman. John Cena joins and says that, since Ambrose is a “fighting champion,” then it should be a Fatal-5-Way!
Raw Co-Runner Stephanie McMahon takes charge. She decides that if John Cena can defeat Seth Rollins, and if A.J. Styles can beat Dean Ambrose, then they will both be added to the Triple-Threat!
Later tonight, Chris Jericho will host his “Highlight Reel” with rivals Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn; up next, Women’s Champion Charlotte and Dana Brooke will wrestle Paige and Sasha Banks!
Commercials.
Match #1: Tag-Team – Paige and Sasha Banks VS. Dana Brooke and Women’s Champion Charlotte
Sasha and Charlotte begin jawing at each other, and then Charlotte runs into her corner to switch with Dana as Banks gave chase. Sasha rams Dana’s head against the top turnbuckle and chokes her with her boot, but Brooke turns around. Banks slaps back and tags in Paige. They double hip-toss Dana, and Charlotte and Brooke go to the aisle to regroup.
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Dana is now choking Paige against the middle rope with her knee and then brings in the Women’s Champ. Charlotte and Brooke trade, punishing Paige in their corner. Charlotte weakens Paige with a rear chinlock, and kicks her in the knee and then flips over. Charlotte hits Sasha on the apron and Dana punches away at Paige in their corner as Andrew the referee was distracted.
Paige eventually makes the hot-tag to Sasha who cleans house. She almost gets this with double-knees but Charlotte pulls Banks out of the ring. Paige kicks Charlotte hard on the floor, and in the ring, Sasha forces Dana to give in to the Bank Statement!
Winners via Submission: Paige and Sasha Banks
After the break, Titus O’Neil will take on United States Champion Rusev!
Commercials.
Match #2: Single – United States Champion Rusev (with Lana) VS. Titus O’Neil
Titus attacks Rusev before the bell, but the referee is able to separate and officially start the match. O’Neil continues to pound away and whips him hard into the corner, then splashes and powerslams him. Rusev hits back with a clothesline and takes over for a while.
Titus elbows, punches, and chops back, and hits a couple of clotheslines! He misses a boot, as Rusev dropped to the floor. He collects his championship, but Rusev runs at him, and they both clothesline each other! Rusev charges again, but O’Neil counters and chucks him over the corner barricade! The referee counts to ten and it’s over!
Winner via Count-Out Titus O’Neil
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Segment #2: Backstage Promo
Stephanie is on her phone when “Corporate” Kane walks up. He wants another chance to talk about becoming a General Manager, but Steph doesn’t listen. Intercontinental Champion The Miz, and his real-life wife, Maryse, interrupt. They are displeased with the lack of welcoming upon their return from The Miz filming “The Marine 5.”
Kane and Miz bicker, with Miz telling Kane he looks like “the devil’s favorite insurance salesman.” (Great-line!) Kane gets back at Miz, citing the WWE rule book to Stephanie where a champion must put his title on the line at least once a month; Stephanie agrees and decides to have Miz defend against a mystery opponent tonight!
Commercials.
Match #3: Single – Seth Rollins VS. John Cena
(Stipulation: If Cena wins, he is in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at Battleground!)
Rollins starts with a side-headlock, but Cena hits back with a running shoulder-block. Seth tries a test-of-strength, but John turns it into a side-headlock. Seth leap-frogs him and also gives Cena a shoulder-block! They faceoff again, with the fans split on who to cheer for.
Rollins becomes aggressive with punches and an axe-handle-smash; he hits a dropkick after whipping Cena off the ropes and covers, but only gets two. Cena hits a dropkick as well, but Seth regains control. He tears at John’s face, but Cena powers out, and gives a couple of running shoulder-tackles. He drops him with the spinout backdrop, but is kicked before he can land a Five-Knuckle Shuffle Fistrdrop!
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Cena has momentum again with an STF attempt, but continues with shoulder-tackles and the spinout backdrop and the Fistdrop. He tries the Attitude Adjustment, but Rollins drops out and kicks Cena in the head. 1 – 2 – John raises his shoulder! Seth spins Cena around with a Tornado-DDT from the corner; 1 – 2 – Cena still kicks out!
Both slug away, and Rollins hits a one-leg-dropkick. He ascends the top turnbuckle but John cuts him off. Cena tries an A.A., but Seth reverses into the running-corner-powerbomb for a near-fall! Rollins rockets off the top turnbuckle with Frogsplash, but Cena moves! Cena now goes to the top turnbuckle, but Rollins meets him there and suplexes, rolls through, and drops him with the Falcon Arrow front-suplex! 1 – 2 – John kicks out again!
Cena is kicked as Rollins tries for The Pedigree, but John reverses into a slingshot! Rollins lands on his feet on the turnbuckle and crossbodies back, but Cena rolls through and plants him with the Attitude Adjustment! 1 – 2 – Rollins places his foot on the bottom rope to break!
Cena clamps on the STF, but Seth crawls toward the rope. Cena drags him back, but The Club walks out. A.J. Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson distract John, allowing Rollins to drive Cena with The Pedigree and receive the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Seth Rollins (Note: John Cena is NOT in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at Battleground)
Commercials.
Match #4: Tag-Team – Carlos Cosi (?) and Mitch Waldi (?) VS. Enzo Amore and Big Cass
Prior to this bout, Enzo cuts his usual promo and asks the crowd to perform “The Wave” when it starts. It is a quick one, as Enzo and Cass finish this with their Rocket-Launcher Splash double-team!
Winners via Pinfall: Enzo Amore and Big Cass
Post-match, as Cass starts to call them “S-A-W…” The Social Outcasts return. Bo Dallas, Heath Slater, and Curtis Axel saunter down the ramp; they try to make fun of Amore and Cass with the word “h-a-r-d” but it is turned around into
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Segment #3: Video Promo
The same “Make Darren Young Great Again” tape from last week’s Smackdown! airs.
Segment #4: Video and Arena Promo
Footage of WWE’s and NXT’s partnerships with The Special Olympics is shown, along with The Big Show and Rene Young on the Raw stage with The Special Olympics President and the athletes, talking about the collaboration.
Commercials.
Match #5: Single – Summer Rae VS. Becky Lynch
(Note: Natalya is on commentary.) Before this even begins, Becky assaults Natalya and they brawl around ringside! The referee is able to split them as Summer watches on.
Winner: No Contest due No Official Start
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Segment #5: Arena Promo
Chris Jericho is out for his Highlight Reel with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Chris talks about them both, then brings out Owens and Zayn. He “pokes the bear” with their history, but Sami stops it. Zayn wants to wrestle again at Battleground, and call this feud with Owens, as they may be split with the draft on July 19th. Sami rips apart Owens for not winning big matches, as it was due to Zayn himself.
Kevin doesn’t respond, which Sami calls him out for. He tries to get Owens to admit why he turned on his friend when they both landed in WWE. “Tell me the truth, tell me it’s ‘cus you resent me. Tell me it’s ‘cus you’ve always resented me that it drove you crazy that I got signed by WWE before you did and it drove you crazy. So just for once, grow a set, and SAY IT TO MY FACE!”
The fans chant “grow a set,” and Kevin replies. He says he has said his reasons before; “what I did to you was business. I did it because it was the right move for my career.” Owens declares that Zayn broke their friendship, because he wasn’t “happy” when Kevin got the NXT Championship and they were both in at the same time. “I was always the better friend to you than you were to me.”
Owens agrees to “go one more time at Battleground.” Jericho plays it up more against Sami, but both Sami and Owens have enough and double-kick him! Zayn and Kevin glare at each other, and then Kevin walks away.
Up next, Intercontinental Champion The Miz defends his title against a secret wrestler!
Commercials.
Match #6: Single for the Intercontinental Championship – The Miz (Champion) (with Maryse) VS. ??? (Challenger)
The lucky wrestler is…. “Demon” Kane! Following formal introductions, Miz runs at Kane but Kane uppercuts! Miz manages to punch and kick in the corner, but runs into a chokeslam attempt! Miz hops out, but eats a boot-to-the-face; Kane whips Miz into the turnbuckle and follows with a splash, and then a clothesline in the opposite corner!
Kane sidewalk-slams Miz and stomps him on the mat; he suplexes and front-dropkicks for two! Miz elbows out of the corner, but gets an uppercut again as he dove off with a double-axe-handle. Kane tires another chokeslam, but Maryse distracts. She falls off the apron and appears to have hurt her leg. Miz uses the top rope to neckbreak Kane, and then goes to check on his wife. Referee Andrew counts-out Miz as the Champ carries Maryse to the back.
Winner via Count-Out: Kane (Miz retains the Intercontinental Championship)
Up next, Cesaro and Apollo Crews team-up against Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus!
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Segment #6: Backstage Promo
The Miz is still carrying Maryse, asking her what’s wrong. She starts to laugh and reveals she was “acting.” Miz compliments her; “that’s why I love you!”
Match #7: Tag-Team – Cesaro and Apollo Crews VS. Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio
Apollo and Sheamus start out, but Sheamus quickly tags in Alberto, who Apollo throws across the ring! Cesaro is in, uppercutting Del Rio and soaring with a crossbody off the top turnbuckle! He gives Alberto the “Uppercut Train,” and tries a Swing, but Sheamus comes in. He tries it on Sheamus too, but Del Rio kicks Cesaro and the heels govern for a while.
Cesaro counters the Irish Curse Backbreaker, and then reaches out to tag Crews. He clotheslines Del Rio a couple of times, but is hurled to the floor! Alberto suddenly enziguris Sheamus, and Apollo follows by front-dropkicking the steel steps into Sheamus! Del Rio leaves, and Cesaro and Apollo takes this with Crews’ Spinout-Powerbomb!
Winners via Pinfall: Cesaro and Apollo Crews
Segment #7: Backstage Promo
JoJo interviews WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose about his eight days as Champion. Stephanie interjects and berates Dean for being the champion.
Commercials.
This week on Smackdown, Intercontinental Champion The Miz, with Maryse, will have WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose on MizTV!
Segment #8: Arena Promo
Tag-Team Champions The New Day are dressed as The Wyatt Family, complete with their own “Wyatt” video. Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E. rip on Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Erik Rowan, and Luke Harper’s style; Xavier, however, is more reserved and wants to finish this now.
The Wyatt Family themselves go to the stage. Bray professes that The New Day’s oratories are more of a “fantasy,” telling them that the real world is much more harsh. Bray focuses on Xavier in particular, who is unusually quiet, and warns The Champs, “New Day Falls.”
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Segment #9: Backstage Promo
Rene Young asks Tag-Team Champions The New Day if it was right to antagonize The Wyatt Family. Kofi concurs that it was, but Xavier walks away silent.
Match #8: Single – WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose VS. A.J. Styles (Non-Title)
(Note: Seth Rollins is on commentary.) (Stipulation: If A.J. wins, he is added to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at Battleground.)
They lockup up and struggle, and then trade wristlocks. A.J. chops away but Ambrose reverses a whip; Styles counters and they both try their finishers to stops.
Commercials.
“The Phenomenal One” is dominating now, after kneeing Dean from the apron during the breather. He leaps onto Dean with a clothesline in the corner, but Ambrose makes a comeback. He almost gets this with a Fisherman’s Suplex and a neckbreaker and a backslide and jackknife!
A.J. goes to the top turnbuckle, but Dean climbs up too and butterfly-suplexes him over! He tries a corner-bulldog, but Styles reverses into a reverse-spinout-powerbomb! 1 – 2 – Ambrose gets his shoulder up! A.J. springs from the top rope for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Ambrose counters and tries another Dirty Deeds DDT, but Styles stops it.
Dean jumps off the turnbuckle, and appears to have hurt his left leg. A.J. rolls into the Calf-Crusher, but “The Lunatic Fringe” manages to break with the bottom rope. He tosses Styles to the floor and follows with a dive through the ropes!
Back in the ring, Dean climbs the turnbuckle again and leaps off with an elbow-dive, which A.J. rolls into a pin combo for a near-fall! A.J. hits the Pele Kick, but Ambrose hits back with a clothesline! The Club – Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows – walk out, allowing A.J. to Brainbuster-Suplex Dean! 1 – 2 – Dean gets his shoulder up!
John Cena helps out, distracting A.J. and giving Ambrose the advantage to Dirty Deeds DDT him and cover for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose (A.J. is NOT in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at Battleground.)
Post-match, all three members of The Club attack Cena, leaving him downed on the stage after Karl and Luke give him their Magic Killer finisher. Rollins follows in the ring, giving The Pedigree to Ambrose. Seth holds the WWE World Heavyweight Championship high and Styles, Gallows, and Anderson pose over Cena to close the show.
End of Raw.
WWE and Special Olympics today announced an international partnership that will see WWE support Special Olympics’ Play Unified campaign, which fosters friendships, understanding, and inclusive communities among people with and without intellectual disabilities by uniting them through the power and joy of sports.
WWE Superstars will participate in Play Unified events with Special Olympics athletes from around the world, including China, India, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and WWE will utilize its global platforms including WWE Network, television broadcasts, live events, and digital and social media to generate awareness and support for Special Olympics.
“Special Olympics and WWE have an authentic, shared value of creating understanding and inclusion and celebrating diversity. We are thrilled that WWE is joining us in Playing and Living Unified,” said Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis. Davis added “when an influential entity, like WWE, publicly demonstrates their support for Special Olympics and marshals its support around us, that’s an incredibly validating signal to our 4.5 million Special Olympics athletes that says ‘you count, you’re not invisible, your life matters.’”
Stephanie McMahon, WWE’s Chief Brand Officer said that WWE is proud to expand their support to the Special Olympics and the heart, passion, and dedication of the athletes has served as inspiration to all the WWE Superstars.
6 NXT regulars participated in the non-televised live WWE event in Orlando yesterday at the Amway Center, a smart idea considering Orlando is the home of NXT.
NXT champion Samoa Joe teamed up with Austin Aries to take on the tag team of Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura. The popular duo of Balor and Nakamura got the victory in this all-NXT match. Former NXT Women’s champion Bayley then teamed up with Summer Rae and Sasha Banks to take on Natalya, Dana Brooke, and Eva Marie, who has been full-time at NXT.
Balor and Bayley are expected to get the call-up to the main roster very soon and with the draft coming up, more NXT regulars will get a chance to spread their wings on television.
Meanwhile, ProWrestlingTees.com announced that they will stop selling merchandise for Bobby Roode and Eric Young come July 1. Roode has signed a deal with WWE while Eric Young is said to be close, if not done already. The two of them have a store on ProWrestlingTees.com selling their own merchandise but signing a WWE deal will obviously prevent them from doing that.
Paul Heyman called Brock Lesnar’s return to the UFC as “the greatest thing that has ever happened to him” as he wasn’t ready to walk away from mixed martial arts just yet.
Speaking with ESPN, Heyman said that win or lose at UFC 200 against Mark Hunt, he hopes that it will make Lesnar an even bigger star on a global basis and “drive a whole bunch of fans back to WWE for August 21” which is the date of SummerSlam. Heyman did admit though that whatever happens on July 9 will likely affect things going forward although he refrained to expand on the issue.
When asked if Lesnar gets a medical suspension how will WWE deal with it since SummerSlam is just over a month after UFC 200, Heyman said he doesn’t know what WWE has in mind and doesn’t know what Brock has discussed with WWE. He said that probably only Vince McMahon can answer that question.
The advocate of the former WWE and UFC Heavyweight champion added that there’s no other athlete on this planet that can do what Brock has done. Not Ronda Rousey, not Conor McGregor, not John Cena…nobody. “There is one being on the face of the planet that could possibly pull this off and his name is Brock Lesnar,” Heyman told ESPN. He also said that he wouldn’t put it past Lesnar to be the first and probably only person to hold both the WWE and UFC titles at the same time.
“He’s a born competitor. He’s not giving up WWE to do this. Could he hold the UFC and the WWE world championship? Absolutely he can and he’s the only being on the face of the planet who could possibly even consider making that accomplishment happen,” Heyman concluded.
Here comes the pain….again! Brock Lesnar was unveiled as the cover Superstar for the upcoming WWE 2K17 video game which is set to be released this Fall.
In a press release issued today, WWE and 2K touted Lesnar’s several impressive accomplishments both in and outside the ring. “My career has been defined by dominating every opportunity presented to me,” said Brock Lesnar. “I am excited for my newest opportunity representing WWE 2K17 as the franchise’s ambassador and honored to serve as the WWE 2K17 cover Superstar.”
Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K, said that Lesnar’s unmistakable talent, no-holds-barred mentality and unequivocal determination perfectly complement 2K’s commitment to authentically represent WWE at the absolute highest level. “With Suplex City as the ultimate backdrop and the ‘Beast Incarnate’ in charge, WWE 2K17 will come to life with an incredible roster and to-be-announced features like never before,” he added.
WWE 2K17 is currently scheduled for worldwide release on the PS4 and PS3 systems, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on October 11, 2016. Consumers who pre-order WWE 2K17 at any participating retailer will receive two playable characters of legendary WCW and WWE star Bill Goldberg, as well as playable WCW Monday Nitro and Halloween Havoc arenas, at no extra cost on launch day.
One half of the roster has one hell of a travel schedule and after getting on the road this past Friday for non-televised events, the WWE Superstars and crew won’t see home until July 6.
After Smackdown in Miami on Tuesday, some of the crew flies to Honolulu, Hawaii for a show at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, the first live event on the island in several years. However there won’t be much time to enjoy the Hawaiian island as the same crew then keeps flying west to Japan.
The Japan tour is short, only two back-to-back shows at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, where Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka will make their main roster debut. Joining them will be Dean Ambrose, Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Charlotte, and many others.
They return from Japan on July 3 and then it’s straight to Columbus, Ohio for Monday Night Raw on July 4 and Smackdown tapings the next night in Toledo, Ohio. After the July 5 Smackdown tapings, everyone gets a short break – two days – before regular touring resumes in the United States.
WWE has added AJ Styles and Seth Rollins to the upcoming WWE tour in Australia which will be held in August.
Styles and Rollins join John Cena, Sheamus, Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Kevin Owens, The New Day, and others for four days as the company visits Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. Prior to the tour there is also one stop in Auckland, New Zealand.
The line-up might eventually change again due to the upcoming draft which might see some of the Superstars mentioned working for the other brand that will not be doing the tour.
WWE has offered a sum of $27 million to purchase the large office space complex that currently holds their television studios.
Located at Hamilton Avenue in Stamford, the space is currently serving as AmeriCares world headquarters and has other tenants inside. The huge complex is around a mile away from WWE’s corporate headquarters on East Main Street.
“An opportunity arose that made sense for us to pursue,” WWE told the Stamford Advocate newspaper in an emailed statement. “If we’re successful in the purchase of the building, WWE would become the building’s landlord and assumes the previous owner’s lease obligations.”
Seaboard Realty, owners of the buildings, are bankrupt and eight city properties went up for a quick sale. WWE offered $3 million more than what the court approved but there is a long list of other bidders who have bid on the property and others.
Former two time WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins has joined the cast of Sharknado: The 4th Awakens, Syfy said. Rollins’ role is a small part and is not part of the main cast. He will play the character of AstroTech Lopez.
Sharknado 4 takes place five years after the third movie and stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, and Ryan Newman. Chris Jericho had a role in Sharknado 3, working as an attendant at a roller coaster ride however he ended up as a shark victim and was eaten alive.
Sharknado 4 premieres on Sunday, July 31 at 8PM EST on SyFy.
The Night of Champions pay-per-view seems to have gotten the axe WWE is replacing the name with a familiar one: Clash of Champions. Ticketmaster has also replaced the name to reflect the new one although it’s still displaying the old Night of Champions logo.
Originally Night of Champions replaced the Vengeance pay-per-view and made its debut in 2007 under the Vengeance: Night of Champions name. However the following year WWE opted to drop the Vengeance part of the name and Night of Champions has been a regular WWE pay-per-view ever since.
The Clash pay-per-view had a slight change in the name as back in the day it was known as Clash of the Champions. It started in March 1988 on TBS as a way to provide competition to WrestleMania. The first Clash broadcast was promoted under the NWA name and featured Ric Flair taking on Sting in a 45 minute draw as its main event. The name Clash of the Champions was used by WCW up until the last event in August 1997 which had a main event of Scott Hall and Randy Savage vs DDP and Lex Luger.
The WWE Clash of Champions will be held at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 25 and is marked as a Raw brand pay-per-view.
This week’s Smackdown drew 2,145,000 viewers on USA Network, up 72,000 viewers from last week’s show. The NBA Draft on ESPN took the night with nearly 3 million viewers and registered almost twice as much as Smackdown in the adult 18-49 demographic. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
