PWInsider.com is reporting that a situation between them and Lucha Underground involving wrestler Shawn Hernandez has led to TNA dropping the whole Beat Down Clan storyline.
The website reports that Hernandez, who returned at the recent Impact tapings in Orlando is still signed to Lucha Underground, preventing him from appearing on TNA television, a detail which apparently Hernandez failed to mention.
PWInsider adds that TNA tried to sort the situation out with Lucha Underground by offering money however the television company behind the series turned down all offers, leaving TNA with no choice but to scrap the entire storyline.
Hernandez filmed several weeks of television shows with TNA as part of the BDC, none of which now can be used, effectively putting other members of the group off television as well. TNA is now scheduled to film other segments to fill up the void left by the BDC footage ending up in the cutting room.
None of the wrestlers on Lucha Underground can appear on other television shows as they are all under strict contracts. Hernandez last wrestled for TNA in May 2014 and then his contract expired and was not renewed. He spent 10 years with the company before making his return last month.
Episode two of season four of Total Divas did slightly better in the ratings this week, getting a total of 1,031,000 viewers and a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demo.
That is up from last week’s season premiere of 977,000 viewers although still down from what the show used to do on Sunday nights last season. (Ratings credit: TV By The Numbers)
Intercontinental champion Ryback has been taken off this Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view due to an injury. The WWE.COM website said that the champ is off all events this weekend and did not specify what happened.
However on his Twitter account, Ryback wrote that on Tuesday morning after Raw he woke up with a severe staph infection in his right knee. He was taken to hospital and given antibiotics apart from having 90cc of fluid drained out of his knee over 24 hours.
“We caught it in time thanks to the great WWE medical team and I will make a full recovery,” Ryback wrote. He noted that he will be kept in the hospital for several days which will prevent him from defending the Intercontinental title on Sunday.
Ryback apologized to his fans and to WWE and said he’ll be back soon.
There are big rumors floating around that The Undertaker will be back on WWE television next week to start an angle to lead to a match at SummerSlam.
A reliable source on the popular Reddit Squared Circle forum and who correctly spoiled a lot of big things lately before others reported it wrote, “I told you all that you needed to be talking about Battleground more. Did you really think that was because of a HHH swerve job? He’s back.”
When a user wrote back “Glass shatters,” referring to Steve Austin, the source who has the user name ‘falconarrow’ wrote, “No not him. The guy with the coffins.”
Today other industry insiders picked up on the story and said that while Taker might not be on Battleground, he’s certainly locked for Monday Night Raw to start a program with someone who has not been named.
The Undertaker last wrestled at WrestleMania and defeated Bray Wyatt in his first TV appearance since losing the streak at WrestleMania XXX to Brock Lesnar. He has not wrestled at a SummerSlam event since the 2008 event.
Besides that, trainer Joe DeFranco, who is Triple H’s and Stephanie McMahon’s personal trainer, tweeted a photo of the Undertaker lifting weights two days.
“The #Undertaker finishes 2days wkout w/ a “gun show”. Lookin forward to seeing his progress on our program,” DeFranco wrote.
Bully Ray’s one-time appearance with TNA a few months ago has now turned into another full time gig as the former TNA champion was revealed during last night’s Impact to be the new authority figure in TNA.
Ray was introduced by TNA President Dixie Carter in front of the whole roster and he said that he is extremely happy to be back in front of wrestling fans and to be part of the best wrestling locker room in the world.
He then asked the fans if they want him to lead TNA back to promise land and the fans cheered. He then shook Dixie Carter’s hand and said he accepts the position.
The former champ left TNA in October 2014 but in May of this year he returned as a special guest referee for the Kurt Angle vs Eric Young TNA World title match on Impact. In between that he also made an appearance at the WWE Royal Rumble in January of this year, 10 years after having his last WWE match.
On Twitter he often commented on WWE storylines and even got into an argument with Luke Harper, suggesting a Dudleys vs Harper/Rowan match for an upcoming WWE show.
The episode that aired yesterday was taped around three weeks ago.
The NXT Takeover: Brooklyn pre-sale kicked off today on Ticketmaster.com with fans able to purchase tickets for the show on the eve of SummerSlam before they go on sale to the general public.
If you are interested in going to the show, you can head over to Ticketmaster.com and use either TAKEOVER or PIXWWE as the pre-sale code to unlock tickets.
Ticket prices are $25.50, $35.50, $45.50, and $80.50. The pre-sale will continue till tomorrow, July 17, ending at 10PM EST. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, July 18, at Noon EST.
The show takes place at the Barclays Center on Saturday, August 22. It’s the first of three consecutive WWE shows at the same arena with SummerSlam and Raw to follow.
Episode four of Tough Enough did 977,000 viewers and a 0.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic, down 244,000 viewers from last week’s show.
This has been so far the lowest rated show of the series and the first one that didn’t break the 1 million viewership mark. (Ratings credit: TV By The Numbers)
TNA today announced that it is partnering with AO1 Productions, an industry-leading global production company, that will tag team with Ron and Don Harris, two seasoned professional wrestling and production veterans, to enhance broadcast production and the fan experience.
“We recognize the importance that advancements in technology play in producing and delivering a more immersive fan experience, whether cheering from the arena or at home watching TNA programming,” said TNA Chief Financial Officer Dean Broadhead. “A01 brings a vast knowledge of current and emerging technologies we will be integrating into our production. While some upgrades will directly engage the fan’s senses, others are focused on driving operational efficiencies behind the scenes.”
AO1 Productions, a Virginia-based multi-media and multi-platform production house, has more than 50 years of experience consulting and activating global broadcast events, delivering world-class audio, visual and lighting solutions to corporate and entertainment clients.
“We are proud to be partnering with TNA and utilizing our experience and knowledge of state-of-the-art technology to deliver enhanced in-venue and broadcast experiences that will have TNA fans engaged from start to finish,” said AO1 Director of Operations Tim Morin.
Twin brothers and TNA veterans, Ron and Don Harris, who have 30 years of experience both in front of the camera and behind the scenes in production and touring, have returned to the company to lead production of live events and broadcasts, including Impact Wrestling.
Astro, the leading Malaysian pay-television service, and WWE today announced the launch of WWE Network in the country.
The WWE Network will be available on Astro as a premium, a la carte channel (SD Channel 820; HD Channel 840), beginning today for RM10.60 ($2.80) per month for Astro Sports Pack Subscribers and RM15.90 ($4.20) per month for Astro Non-Sports Pack Subscribers, and includes all 12 WWE pay-per-view events live at no additional charge.
Subscribers will have access to 24/7 programming and 25 hours of video-on-demand content every month, including past WWE pay-per-view events. The agreement expands WWE and Astro’s existing partnership to air WWE’s flagship programming, Monday Night Raw, SmackDown, WWE Main Event, WWE NXT and WWE Superstars throughout the region.
To subscribe, visit Astro Service Portal on Channel 200, call 603-9543 3838 or visit www.astro.com.my/shop.
Meanwhile, NJOI customers will also be able to subscribe to WWE Network (SD: Channel 820) at RM15.90 ($4.20) for 3 day access and RM31.80 ($8.40) for 30 day access. For more information on NJOI, please visit www.njoi.com.my.
“This is for WWE fans in Malaysia, who have been clamoring for a dedicated WWE channel. WWE Network is the place for them to catch nonstop 24/7 action, including all WWE pay-per-view events LIVE at unbeatable value,” said Lee Choong Khay, Astro’s Head of Sports Business.
“Working with an extraordinary partner in Astro, we are able to provide our fans with a tremendous value proposition and an opportunity to experience all that WWE Network has to offer,” said Gerrit Meier, WWE Executive Vice President, International. “WWE is committed to continuing the global growth of our brand, and this partnership further illustrates the flexibility we have in rolling out WWE Network around the world.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson decided to prank his fans with a video posted on his Instagram, a video which got 107,000 comments and over half a million likes.
The Rock said that he had a little accident on the set of Central Intelligence, the movie he’s currently filming with Kevin Hart in Boston, and the director asked him if he’s bleeding. At that point, the camera goes down to show one of Johnson’s fingers badly dislocated, bending at an angle which surely it was not supposed to.
“I said bleed? I ain’t got time to bleed! Alright let’s pop the sumbitch back in,” Rocky said while smiling.
A representative for New Line, who are doing the movie, told Variety that the video was only a joke and The Rock was wearing a very real-looking prosthetic hand.
WWE today announced that it will report its second quarter 2015 results on Thursday, July 30, 2015, before the opening of the market. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and the Chief Strategy & Financial Officer George Barrios will host a conference call beginning at 11:00AM ET to discuss the results.
Of course the most important part of these conference calls will be the WWE Network subscribers number. The day after WrestleMania it was announced that WWE had just over 1.3 million subscribers. WWE has lost millions and millions of dollars in pay-per-view revenue since switching to the WWE Network and the only revenue to make up for that comes in the form of Network subscribers.
Monday Night Raw’s string of bad viewership numbers continues this week with the show getting 3,531,000 viewers, down 116,000 from the previous week.
The first hour did 3,432,000 viewers, followed by 3,514,000 in the second hour, and then up to 3,647,000 viewers in the third and final hour. The only good news was that the show increased viewers as it went on. (Ratings credit: TV By The Numbers)
The first three weeks of Tough Enough felt relatively bland, as the judges were able to very easily cut otherwise forgettable competitors such as Hank, Alex, and Daria. With the sudden loss of Dianna, I got a bit worried that the judges’ votes would suddenly be swayed towards the men of the barracks in an effort to keep balance.
Instead, we were introduced to a replacement competitor in the form of Chelsea Green. For those that follow social media, Chelsea’s entry into the house wasn’t much of a surprise as it was heavily talked about on the Tough Enough Twitter. For those that don’t and seem to feel as if she looks familiar, it’s because she once played Daniel Bryan’s physical therapist/estranged lover about a year ago. Little explanation was made on-air about her entry to the house; though one could speculate that producers wanted to make sure the competition would be able to last through their allotted episode count.
As we kicked off the July 14th episode of Tough Enough, there really wasn’t much said by the competitors about Chelsea, either. Instead, we were treated with another dose of the Gabi and Amanda rivalry. Once again, Gabi continued her path to self-destruction, calling out Amanda on having fake breasts. The irony of the entire argument – Gabi has fake breasts, too (as pointed out by Sara Lee).
I’m sure Gabi had a point to make. But unfortunately for her, she’s the only one who ever seems to know what that point is.
I’m Afraid I’ve Got Some Bad News
King Barrett joined the cast at the Performance Center this week to talk to the group about cutting promos. After giving an entertaining example about his recent crowned royalty, he invited each of the competitors into the ring to show their stuff. The first part of this week’s challenge is for each competitor to cut a promo about why he/she will be the winner of next year’s King of the Ring tournament.
If you blinked – you would have missed the entire segment. We were treated mostly to a few words from a handful of the competitors, which wasn’t nearly enough to make any sort of determination on their skill level. It’s worth noting, however, that Mada seemed incredibly intense and believable in his brief snippet.
Tough Enough Takes it to the Improv
The promo challenge actually continued later that evening when Chris Jericho took the cast to a local Orlando Improv. Here, the competitors would be pitted against one another in an 8-mile-esque promo battle where the audience would determine the winners. The match-ups were as follows:
Mada vs. Josh
Chelsea vs. GG
Tanner vs. Patrick
Amanda vs. Gabi
Sara Lee vs. ZZ
While most of the promo battles were entertaining, the battle between Sara Lee and ZZ was borderline unwatchable. Neither Sara nor ZZ seemed to grasp the concept of the exercise and instead of trying to lean on their strengths, they tried to pretend being mean. In was an utter failure, making even Gabi’s self-praising segment seem bearable.
Mada, GG, Patrick, Amanda, and ZZ were dubbed the winners of their respective battles and were brought on stage so the crowd can pick an overall winner. For the third week in a row, Patrick and GG were named the male and female winners.
Mada had what I considered to be the best in-character promo, but there’s clearly a ton of fan support behind Patrick. Noticing this himself, Mada got a bit frustrated that he wasn’t the winner and called out Patrick for talking directly to the crowd instead of cutting an in-character promo. Patrick’s new found arrogance flared up, leading him to take a few personal shots at both Mada and Josh, with him specifically saying that “the era of the big man is over.” The argument was very close to coming to blows and actually resulted in some of the show producers stepping in to help ZZ break the three up.
Finally…Some Wrestling!
For what seems like the first time of the entire series, we’re finally treated with a bit of actual wrestling training. In the Performance Center, Coaches Billy Gunn, Booker T, and Lita show the competitors how to execute (and receive) a standing shoulder tackle and a scoop slam – though they stop short of actually slamming each other on the mat.
For the most part, everyone seems to pick up the moves well, only needing a little bit of polish. But when it comes time for Sara Lee to take the scoop slam, she struggles dearly. After several botched attempts at just being picked up, Billy Gunn gets in her face and reams the poor girl out. Sara looks visibly defeated, but manages to shake off the criticism and finish on a high note.
After the training session wraps up, the trainers award top performance honors to Chelsea and Josh. Having a bit of indy experience under her belt, it wasn’t a big surprise to see Chelsea excel in the ring. Josh defeating Patrick, on the other hand, was unexpected and prompted Patrick to call Josh’s accommodation a “most improved award” and “not a real win.”
Before heading out to the live voting, we cut back to the barracks where Sara Lee finally breaks down. Earlier in the day, Jericho told her she didn’t belong in this competition if she wasn’t going to show more passion and stop smiling. Coupled with the constant berating from Paige and now Billy, Sara Lee questions why she’s constantly the one getting the brunt of all the yelling when Gabi barely gives any effort. She fears she’s going home, despite actually trying her hardest, and receives quite a bit of comfort from the other girls in the house.
Meanwhile, in another room, we get a bit of flirting between Tanner and Chelsea which ultimately results in a small kiss. It felt a bit out of place and could’ve just been a staged camera-move set up by the producers.
Another One Bites the Dust
The judges all seemed to have their minds made up about their bottom three from the start of the show. As usual, Paige starts by selecting Sara Lee. Before allowing the other judges to name their nominees, Paige expresses her profound disappointment in Sara Lee, saying how she saw something in Sara from the very beginning and wants to see her bring that out. Sara actually gets a bit mouthy with Paige, which she seems to like.
Hulk Hogan’s nomination surprisingly goes to Tanner, who Hogan says lacks charisma. He’s very critical of Tanner’s personality behind the microphone, regardless of how much he thinks of Tanner’s athletic ability. He also makes it a point to call out Patrick on his comments from earlier about big men. He says that Patrick is slowly becoming more arrogant when he should be focusing on showing the judges a new side of him, other than being “a smart mark.”
Daniel Bryan wrapped up the nominations by finally selecting Gabi, which literally brought a sigh of relief to the other competitors in the bottom three.
Instead of a final plea, Jericho announces that each of the competitors would get an opportunity to cut one final promo on the judge that put them up. With Sara Lee bombing virtually everything leading up to this point, Paige made it a point to shout out that Sara was being given a lifeline to stay in the competition.
Watching the second promo attempt by Gabi was actually physically painful. She had to be reminded several times by the judges to stop reading her resume and telling them “why she’s best for business.” She seemed lost and completely confused as to what she was even competing for.
Tanner followed Gabi and, as the favorite heading into the impromptu challenge, also flopped. Despite being a physical beast, Tanner is very dry. He spoke in a very monotone voice and was praising Hogan the whole way through. The Hulkster even made it a point to tell Tanner to talk about how he’s going to take Hogan’s spot; advice that seemed lost on the former favorite.
When the mic was handed to Sara Lee, Paige stood right up out of her chair, which made Sara laugh. After she got over a her nervous bout of laughter, you could see Sara really starting to let out all of her frustrations. She got loud, she got angry, and she marched up to Paige, who met her in the middle of the stage. Sara ended with a line saying that the reason Paige has been picking on her was because she’s “afraid of what will happen to [Paige] when she’s not sitting behind a desk.” The very passionate promo got a huge pop from the live audience and a personal applause from the former Divas Champion.
The voting was turned over to the fans, who unsurprisingly sent Gabi packing. In her final moment of stupidity, Gabi said during her closing thoughts that she was “glad to be leaving the show so she could start the next chapter in her WWE journey.” Renee Young, who was interviewing Gabi, looked floored at the response…as were we all!
Good riddance, Gabi. And goodbye!
Assorted Musings
I’ve said since Week 1 that the minute Gabi hit the bottom 3, she’d be going home. She’s undeniably a bitch, has no interest in the business of professional wrestling, and is either incredibly stupid or is incredibly good at pretending to be a ditz. She’s been lucky enough to hold on this long, having outlasted someone like Daria, who truly deserved another chance.
If this episode accomplished anything, it was turning my tastes on Patrick. I used to really be behind the kid, but he just came off as incredibly arrogant to me. Every time he’s won, he’s rubbed it in everyone else’s faces and every time he’s lost, he’s come up with an excuse as to why. One of the judges actually went so far as to point out on Tough Talk that Patrick has become the person that made him hate Tanner in the beginning. Their roles have completely reversed. I hope he shakes the attitude.
Mada’s promo skills were on point. He was passionate, fierce, and authoritative. He did a great job playing up the Pharaoh character from the last challenge and even went so far as to shout in Egyptian. He did a stellar job and I truly do feel he should’ve won the promo contest. Unfortunately, he was a bit overshadowed by Patrick in their “duel” during Tough Talk — but I won’t hold that against him.
My fear about ZZ winning this competition because of fan support was highlighted again during the Improv segment. When selecting the final winners, the crowd was very vocal for ZZ, who absolutely bombed his promo. He had arguably the second loudest pop, behind Patrick and tied with Mada. He is genuinely a funny guy and I enjoy watching him on TV, but I’d hate to see him beat out other competitors who are clearly leagues ahead of him in terms of character building and in-ring ability.
Tough Talk continues to be the highlight of the week, every week. The Miz is just such a natural on the microphone. But this week’s quote of the week doesn’t go to him nor does it go to the often outspoken Paige. This week’s quote of the week goes to Daniel Bryan, who accidentally referred to”Battleground” as “Battlefield.” The mishap prompted a great reaction from the crowd and the competitors alike, with Mada shouting “he doesn’t watch the product,” in a clear rib at Patrick. Hogan had a bit of fun with it, too, saying he’s finally off the hook for his Superdome / Silverdome slip up.
So how did you like the episode this week? Are you happy that Gabi is finally out of the house or do you think Sara Lee’s been given one too many chances? I’d love to hear your thoughts on Twitter at @suggafnshane, using the hashtag #WrestlingOnline!
The Courthouse News Service is reporting that a security guard is suing WWE and a bunch of wrestlers for an incident which happened at a 2013 event at the Savannah Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia.
In a complaint filed in Chatham County Court, Troy Rivers says he was hired strictly as a security guard for the WWE non-televised live event and while his job was only to stand with his back to the ring and monitor the crowd, he got “struck about the head, neck and back by a folding chair” without any warning.
Rivers does not know who hit him since his back was against the ring although he believes it was Dean Ambrose. Since he doesn’t know who hit him, the lawsuit also names everyone who worked the show that night including John Cena, Kane, Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Seth Rollins, and others.
His wife, who is a plaintiff in the case, says that the incident now deprives her of “conjugal fellowship” with her husband. Her husband claims that because of gross negligence of WWE, he is suffering from “physical and mental anguish, diminishment of his earning capacity, and continues to suffer a loss of enjoyment of life.” Rivers is seeking unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.
In a statement, WWE said that they don’t have any knowledge of such incident and the security company which was hired to look after the event and which hired Rivers doesn’t have any record of it either.
Total Divas returns tonight with episode two of season four on E! at 9PM EST with an episode titled “She Said, She Said.”
The synopsis for tonight’s show reads, “WrestleMania week is off to a rocky start as the Diva drama escalates. Brie fears she and Bryan are facing fertility issues; Nattie worries her dad may relapse; and Paige discovers she’s unprepared for the biggest event of the year.”
The whole episode will revolve around WrestleMania week. Total Divas will start on E! as soon as Tough Enough ends on USA Network.
Stephanie McMahon told Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch that she was proud of them for what they have done in a cool backstage moment that was captured by WWE cameras.
“I mean it when I say you have created this opportunity for yourselves,” McMahon told the trio. “The reason they popped so big and so huge, the reason they’re so excited is because of what you’re doing. You created this moment.”
McMahon said that they will take this competition to another level and now they have to keep it up. “I couldn’t be more proud. But you need to be proud of yourselves,” Stephanie said as all three cried with joy.
NXT Divas Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and champion Sasha Banks all made their debut on Monday Night Raw last night, or in the case of Charlotte, her second appearance.
Charlotte and Lynch joined Team Paige while Sasha Banks joined Naomi and Tamina in the current Divas storyline against the Bella empire. The segment started with Nikki Bella cutting a promo, only to be interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. McMahon said she wanted to start a revolution and first introduced Paige, then her backups, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte. Naomi and Tamina then interrupted saying they do have a bone to pick with the Bellas and then McMahon introduced NXT Women’s champion Sasha Banks to the mix.
All the 9 women in the ring, including Brie and Alicia Fox who were with Nikki, started a brawl as fans chanted “this is awesome.” With one by one getting kicked out of the ring, the three NXT Divas locked their finishing moves on Brie, Nikki, and Fox to end the segment with more “this is awesome” chants.
“It was everything in my life coming to a point, everything I busted my ass for my whole life. Not just the last few years my whole life,” tweeted Banks after making her debut. Charlotte, who wrestled Natalya once on Raw wrote, “Tonight was for my brother Reid & Dusty… #NXTStrong & Proud. NEW GENERATION of Flair @WWE @WWENXT WOOOO!” Lynch also thanked Dusty after the segment aired. “Walking on air. Dreams do come true. Thank you Dream for helping me realize mine,” she said.
Triple H, who oversees NXT added, “Sometimes all you need is a spark to start a revolution….Here we go #NXTProud.” Mick Foley, who is a big admirer of the NXT Women’s division wrote, “I’m a 3X @WWE Champion…and I just shed tears of joy for @SashaBanksWWE @MsCharlotteWWE @BeckyLynchWWE & #WomensWrestling #RAW.”
Atlanta’s Philips Arena will be hosting this year’s Survivor Series with the pre-sale going on right now on Ticketmaster.com. Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Saturday, August 29, at 10AM.
Ticket prices range from $29 all the way to $404 for ringside which also includes a commemorative chair. Some ringside seats are available in the pre-sale as well and Ticketmaster is allowing fans to pick their seats rather than automatically being assigned one.
Several Official Platinum Seats are also available for purchase and they are priced from $600 to $1,000 for two tickets. These seats are located in rows 1 to 4.
To purchase tickets go to Ticketmaster.com and use the code ATLANTA.
Recap of the feud between Brock Lesnar and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins is shown.
Segment #2: Welcoming and Arena Promo
Michael Cole greets us from Atlanta, Georgia, then Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman enter. Paul E. talks about Lesnar being the challenger for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship this Sunday, at Battleground, against Seth Rollins. He recaps “The Beast Incarnate’s” previous times he was a challenger to a title; this included his first WWE Championship match against The Rock at SummerSlam 2002, in the U.F.C. facing Randy Couture, and at last year’s SummerSam versus John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship too.
Heyman proclaims that “Brock Lesnar will enter the ring the challenger; Brock Lesnar will not leave the ring the same way. This Sunday night, Seth Rollins, you’re going to get beat up by Brock Lesnar. You’re going to get your ass kicked by Brock Lesnar. You’re going to get F5’ed by Brock Lesnar. You’re going to be pinned by Brock Lesnar.”
As Paul goes on, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion himself walks out. Seth Rollins and Kane stand on the stage and Rollins threatens to “wipe that smile off your stupid face.” He calls Lesnar a “coward” for destroying J & J Security’s car instead of going man-to-man against him last week on Raw. Seth says the WWE Championship is his symbol and that he is “everything right about WWE” and declares that he is “going to burn Suplex City to the ground.”
Lesnar wants to bring the WWE World Heavyweight Champion to Suplex City on Raw, but Kane interrupts and announces they will instead engage in a contract signing for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at Battleground. Kane warns Lesnar and Heyman not to mess around, but Paul E. mocks Kane about being The Undertaker’s “baby brother” (which the crowd starts chanting) and advises Rollins to not “poke the bear” with Lesnar or he will find himself in Suplex City.
Dean Ambrose will take on Bray Wyatt later tonight, and up next, Ryback and Randy Orton team up to go after Sheamus and The Big Show!
Commercials.
Match #1: Tag-Team – Intercontinental Champion Ryback and Randy Orton VS. Sheamus and The Big Show
(Note: The announcers make it known that Orton and Sheamus will square off at Battleground as well, and The Miz is also on commentary.) Ryback and Sheamus start off with a lockup, then Ryback backdrops Sheamus, and slingshot-splashes from the top rope to the floor on him!
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Orton and Sheamus are now slugging away, with “The Viper” getting the better and whipping Sheamus hard into the corner. Randy continues to punch and kick away, but Sheamus carries him off with an inverted atomic drop. Orton hits back with a clothesline and stomps on Sheamus’ gut, then tags in the I.C. Champ. Sheamus gets control with knees, but it is quickly turned around when Ryback mudhole stomps him in the corner.
The Big Show is switched in and repeatedly stomps/bounces his foot off Ryback’s back. He slaps Ryback hard in the corner against the chest, then tags in Sheamus. Ryback picks up Sheamus and tags in Orton, who hits again at Sheamus. He backdrops him against the barricade, but is kneed in the gut as he ran off the ropes. Sheamus knees Orton again in the head and clotheslines him to the canvas.
Commercials.
Sheamus has Orton clamped in a rear chinlock, then drives him down with the Irish Curse Backbreaker. He switches again with Show, who walks over Randy and then sits on him twice. Big signals for the Chokeslam, but Orton hops out of it and plants him with a DDT! Both are down as Orton reaches for the hot-tag. He makes it to Ryback who cleans house on Sheamus. He Lou Thesz Presses and splashes “Mr. Money In The Bank,” then, as he goes for the Meathook Clothesline, is distracted by The Miz. Show gets involved and knocks out Ryback, then chases Miz to the back. Sheamus looks to take advantage, but Orton R.K.O.’s him instead, and Ryback rockets off the top turnbuckle with a splash and covers for the hard-earned victory!
Winners via Pinfall: Intercontinental Champion Ryback and Randy Orton
Segment #3: Office Promo
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Director Of Operations Kane are discussing what to do about Brock Lesnar later tonight but no real conclusion is reached.
Dean Ambrose makes his entrance for his bout against Bray Wyatt, next!
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Match #2: Single – Dean Ambrose VS. Bray Wyatt
This contest doesn’t even start properly, as Roman Reigns runs out behind Wyatt during his entrance and begins a brawl. Reigns totally dominates the attack, both outside and inside of the ring. He Superman Punches Reigns, but is hit hard in the head with Bray’s lantern.
Winner: No Contest due to No Official Start
Commercials.
Segment #4: Arena Promo
Team Bella strut to the ring with Divas Champion Nikki talking about her accomplishments as the Division’s Champ since November 23rd, 2014. She states that herself, her sister Brie, and Alicia Fox “have the power” because of the Divas Championship.
Nikki is interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. She objects to Nikki’s report about controlling the Divas Division, as it is not just all about her or Alicia or Brie. Stephanie talks about the “revolution” that is going on with women in sports worldwide, from Soccer to UFC. She asks Paige, who has tried to start it in WWE, to join them. Paige obliges, as does two other women that Stephanie brings out. They are NXT Women Wrestlers Becky Lynch and Charlotte (daughter of Ric Flair).
Naomi and Tamina also interrupt and complains that they are not getting what they deserve. Stephanie agrees, but also introduces NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks into the fray. All women are now in the ring and challenges them to go with what she’s given them. They all have a stare-down, then brawl. The NXT Women end by locking Team Bella in their respective submissions (Figure 8 for Charlotte, Armbar by Becky, and Crossface-type with Sasha.) Paige holds up Becky and Charlotte’s arms as Sasha holds up Naomi and Tamina’s.
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Match #3: Six-Man Tag-Team – The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E., and Xavier Woods) VS. Tag-Team Champions The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O’Neil) and Mark Henry
Before this bout, The New Day cut a promo on what went wrong with Atlanta this year, but how the city also “stayed positive.” They assert that “Prime Time is out of time” and will become the Tag-Team Champions again.
They begin fast with quick-tags by both teams until Henry and Prime Time Players empty the ring for a break.
Commercials.
Titus and Xavier are now going at it, with Titus getting corned by New Day. Kofi dropkicks O’Neil, then kicks him two times after running off the ropes. Big E. splashes Titus running off the ropes too, but only gets two! Woods is in and locks up O’Neil with a Cobra Clutch, which Titus gets out of and slaps Henry with the tag. It breaks down from here between the two teams, and Henry finishes it with a World’s Strongest Slam on Xavier!
Winners via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champions The Prime Time Players (Titus O’Neil and Darren Young) and Mark Henry
Segment #5: Video Promo
The same recap of Rollins/Lesnar’s rivalry from Raw’s opening is shown again.
Ads.
Match #4: Single – R-Truth VS. King Barrett
An elbow-collar tie-up starts, and Truth shows Barrett up quickly. He almost gets this one with a victory-roll running off the ropes, but is booted hard in the face. Barrett dominates now with a sidewalk slam, and dives off the second rope with an elbow. He wears down R with a grounding chinlock, but Truth hits his way out. He headscissors Wade out of the corner and drives him to the mat with The Lie Detector (Jumping Flatliner) for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: R-Truth
Post-match, Truth collects his “King What’s Up” gear from under the ring and antagonizes Barrett more.
After recalling the Dolph Ziggler/Rusev/Lana/Summer Rae feud, United States Champion John Cena will be having another U.S. Open Challenge, next!
Commercials.
Match #5: Single for the United States Championship – John Cena (Champion) VS. ???
The person to answer is …. Rusev! He walks out with Summer Rae and talks about how he is “the greatest United States Champion ever” and blames Lana for not being the champion anymore. Kevin Owens now walks out and wants to take on Cena. Of course, Rusev takes umbrage (thank you, Y2J – shout out to his book, Best In The World At What I have Know Idea, for that word/idea; if you haven’t read yet, READ IT!), as does Cesaro who walks out. The three challengers fight to a break.
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It is now a Triple-Threat match to determine the challenger for John Cena’s U.S. Title tonight on Raw!
Match #5: Triple-Threat for the #1 Contender’s Spot to the United States Championship – Rusev (with Summer Rae) VS. Kevin Owens VS. Cesaro
(Note: Cena is also on commentary.) Cesaro suplexes Rusev, then Owens runs at Rusev in the corner, then Cesaro uppercuts Owens. “The Bulgarian Brute” also Cannonballs Owens in the corner but is uppercutted too by Cesaro. Owens climbs the turnbuckle and attempts a Senton Bomb, but Cesaro gets his knees up! Rusev picks up and gives Cesaro a spinning-backdrop for a two-count. Cesaro gains control over both Owens and Rusev, but Owens grapples him from behind in an Electric Chair Drop position. Cesaro wiggles out of it, and Rusev dives from the top turnbuckle, knocking both Kevin and Cesaro to the canvas!
Owens and Rusev strike each other back-and-forth, then Kevin attempts a German Suplex; Cesaro runs up and clutches Owens and double-German Suplexes both men! He then follows up with a running-twisting plancha-splash to the outside on both as well! Back in the ring, Cesaro wants to swing Rusev, but Owens kicks him down. He springboard-splashes Cesaro from the middle turnbuckle, but is kicked out of the ring by Rusev. “The Bulgarian Brute” tries to lock on The Accolade, but Owens breaks it up.
Kevin grabs Rusev’s head, but Rusev reverses into the Alabama Slam! He stomps on Owens’ back and holds him in The Accolade submission (Camel Clutch) Cesaro kicks Rusev, then holds him up for a stalling-suplex! All three are laying on the mat, seemingly exhausted.
Cesaro and Owens get to their feet first, and Owens punches both Rusev and Cesaro repeatedly. He yells at both “he’s mine,” referring to Cena. This infuriates Rusev and Cesaro who double-team Owens. Owens ends up leaving the ring to the back, leaving the opportunity for only Rusev and Cesaro.
Commercials.
Rusev and Cesaro are still wrestling, with Rusev trying to make Cesaro tap to a grounding chinlock. Cesaro works his way out and soars off the top rope with a tornado back-elbow! He hits Rusev in the corner with recurring uppercuts, but is countered and suplexed from the ring to the floor! Rusev rolls Cesaro in the ring, then points at Cena. He ascends the top turnbuckle, but is stopped by a leaping uppercut by Cesaro. He is knocked with a dropkick, but tosses Cesaro face-first to the canvas; Rusev follows with a diving headbutt but misses! Cesaro capitalizes with a Crossface submission, but Rusev reverses into a slam! 1 – 2 – Cesaro kicks out! Rusev goes for another Accolade, but Cesaro reverses into a Sharpshooter try. Rusev kicks him off and somersault-splashes him! He tries another Accolade, but Cesaro turns over and grabs Rusev’s legs to swing him around a few times! He turns this into the Sharpshooter! Rusev struggles, but manages to grab the ropes and pull himself to the floor for the break. Cesaro follows with a suicide dive, then runs Rusev into the corner barricade and hits another uppercut. Back in the ring, Rusev abruptly kicks Cesaro in the chest and suddenly takes this extremely hard-fought contest!
Winner and #1 Contender to the United States Championship: Rusev (with Summer Rae)
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Match #6: Single for the United States Championship – John Cena (Champion) VS. Rusev (with Summer Rae) (Challenger)
Cena and Rusev circle each other, then Cena takes Rusev down with a side headlock. He scoop-slams him for a one-count, then suplexes him for two! Cena clamps on a bearhug, and then puts him to the canvas again. He runs at Rusev in the corner twice, then runs off the ropes with a couple of flying shoulder-blocks. Cena backdrops Rusev and hits the Five-Knuckle-Shuffle Fistdrop. Cena measures a very-worn-down Rusev and picks him up for an Attitude Adjustment, but Rusev drops out into an Accolade! Cena sells the surprise, but stands up and runs Rusev into the corner. Rusev is still to strong and falls back on Cena in The Accolade position! Kevin Owens runs back in and kicks Rusev in the head, causing a DQ.
Winner via Disqualification: Rusev (with Summer Rae) (Cena keeps the United States Championship)
Post-match, Kevin yells at Cena, “I told you. No one’s taking that title but me!”
Segment #6: Backstage Promo
Kane and Seth Rollins are chatting, with Rollins ordering Kane that their plan must work.
Commercials.
Segment #7: Arena Promo
WWE Hall-Of-Famer Lita is out and introduces the Tough Enough contestants.
Segment #8: Video Promo
Stardust appears on screen and prophesizes about “heroes and villains,” referring to Neville. Up next, he will be wrestling “The Man That Gravity Forgot.”
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Match #7: Single – Neville VS. Stardust
Neville tries to shake hands with Stardust, but Cody refuses and clotheslines Neville instead. He dominates Neville for most of the bout, until Neville kicks him from the apron. “The New Sensation” leaps over Rhodes , but is driven to the mat with a Side Effect Slam! Stardust runs and kicks Neville in the face, then works him over with a grounding rear chinlock. Neville slides under Stardust and kicks him a few times, then forearm-smashes him in the corner. He sunset-flips him out of the corner for a near-fall, and rolls him up from behind, but Stardust reverses and holds on to Neville’s tights for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Stardust
Following the break, the contract signing will take place!
Commercials.
Segment #9: Arena Promo
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Director Of Operations Kane are out first. Rollins declares that he is “sick and tired” of seeing the video of Lesnar shattering the car throughout the night. Instead, he presents video of when The Authority came back together and left Lesnar laying in the ring three weeks ago on Raw. Rollins now tells us that he is “not afraid of Brock Lesnar.” “This Sunday at Battleground, I will stand in the remnants of Suplex City and I will still be the reigning and defending WWE World Heavyweight Champion.”
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman now meet Kane and Rollins in the ring. Lesnar takes a seat in the chair, as does Rollins across from him. Paul E. informs Seth that he, the fans, and Lesnar himself have wanted to tear Rollins apart for the “dastardly” deeds Rollins has done since joining Triple H and company last year. “This Sunday night, every person watching Battleground, is paying to see you get your ass kick.” Heyman reiterates from earlier tonight what will happen to Rollins at the Pay-Per-View by “the real future of the WWE, Brock Lesnar.”
Rollins puts his signatures on the paper first, then passes over to Brock, who also writes on it. Heyman notices Rollins reach under the table and calls him out, so Lesnar flips the table and pulls out a stick. He puts it back on the now-flipped-back table and sits down again. Seth quickly yanks the stick away, but then is hammered with the table! Lesnar shoulders Kane, and German suplexes Seth! Lesnar and Kane go the outside, and Lesnar catches Rollins as he tried to slingshot-plancha him! Kane boots Lesnar and then he and Seth begin the assault. Rollins holds Brock and pushes him into to Kane, who batters him with the steel steps. Rollins tries to Pedigree his challenger on the other steel steps, but Lesnar carries him into the barricade. He is almost chokeslammed by Kane, but reverses into an F-5. He runs after Rollins, who escapes through the fans.
Lesnar goes back to Kane, and drops the first set of steps onto Kane’s right ankle against the other steel steps. Lesnar holds the WWE World Heavyweight Championship high in the ring, then walks to the back with Heyman as replays of his destruction of Kane’s ankle are shown. Live again, Rollins walks back to the ring and tosses the contract signing furniture around. He takes the microphone and puts Brock on notice that he “will be forever known as ‘the man who slayed “The Beast.”’” As Kane is being checked on by the arena personnel, Rollins berates him for the failed idea. He tells him “it’s on you” then stomps on Kane’s ankle again and walks way with the WWE World Heavyweight Title to close the show.
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp
A fantastic, action-packed, and well-built “go-home” for Raw tonight! I really loved just about all, and am also looking forward to Battleground, as it has been hyped very well with the matches/feuds themselves. Onto the review, and then my picks for Sunday’s show:
Excellence: Promos by Heyman, Stephanie, The New Day, Stardust, and Rollins; all had a degree of passion (especially Heyman and McMahon’s) and all put over their opponents/the rivalries very well. Even Stardust/Neville has me invested, and I’m glad this looks to continue.
Barrett/Truth was surprisingly decent (although, at first, I didn’t want to see them wrestle again. Hopefully they have the final match soon and end this one.) Triple-Threat, Tag Opener (especially with Miz on commentary), and U.S. Title were awesome! Match Of The Night definitely goes to the Triple-Threat, and I can easily see these four in a Fatal-4-Way/Elimination at SummerSlam if they keep Dolph off TV for the rest of July and August. I would actually be okay with this and like to see it; then Ziggler can return and screw Rusev out of the title opportunity at SummerSlam and continue the feud after. As for Cesaro/Owens/Cena, see my predictions! (I give a nod to Jimmy Korderas, former WWE Referee and now analyst on the Canadian show Aftermath, which examines the week’s happenings after Smackdown! on Wednesday nights, for using his prediction-foreshadowing method and “hamster-on-the-wheel” [ideas])
While the contract signing was the typical fight at the end, I loved how both Lesnar and Rollins had the advantage at times and left no clear-cut winner for Sunday; it really helps boost Rollins’ credibility, as most would not consider him a decent opponent for Lesnar all because of his size. However, tonight’s actions and the ones three weeks ago, proved he belongs in the main-event and hang there.
Bogus: The segment with the Divas and NXT Women itself was done really well overall, but I wish they had waited until after Battleground. I think they should’ve gone with Paige/Naomi/Tamina VS. Team Bella at that PPV, with Tamina/Naomi turning on Paige after a loss; then have Paige miss next week while Team Bella defeats Naomi/Tamina again and assert they’ve defeated all the Divas in the division. Paige would return the following one (July 27th) with the NXT Women, either with or without Stephanie introducing – could work both ways there – and do this segment then, but without Sasha turning on NXT Women too. This would’ve been a little more proper for the build to SummerSlam..
Battleground Picks: Reigns/Wyatt No Contest and continues to SummerSlam, in a Gimmick Match; New Day reclaim the Tag-Team Titles and have one more match at SummerSlam with P.T.P. and a stipulation added; Ryback retains his I.C. Title; Sheamus to defeat Orton, continuing his push; Cesaro interferes and causes a No-Decision between Owens/Cena and this leads to the triple threat at SummerSlam for the U.S. Title, and then the final match between Owens and Cena at Night Of Champions; Rollins squeaks out and keeps his WWE World Heavyweight Championship, proving he can do it.
Until next week, where the landscape could change again, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!
NXT Divas Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and champion Sasha Banks have all arrived at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, according to photos which are making the rounds on Twitter.
The three are rumored to be a part of a major angle with Paige, Alicia Fox, and the Bella Twins that will most likely culminate at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. Charlotte and Banks have been ready for the call-up to the main roster for a while and it seems that tonight will be the night that WWE will pull the trigger on their arrival.
Banks, Charlotte, and Lynch are three of the most popular Divas in NXT and all of them had great matches over the past few months and will no doubt be a breath of fresh air on the main roster.
The rumored angle is that the NXT Divas will come in for Paige’s rescue as she continues her one-woman fight against the Bella empire.
