Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans with the fallout from last night’s WrestleMania 34.
* The Beast came marching in
* Blaze of glory: Seth Rollins returns as the Intercontinental Champion
* Not like most champions: new RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax
* Will Braun Strowman really defend the Raw Tag Team Titles with a kid named Nicholas?
* Raw gets rowdy: what’s next for Ronda Rousey?
Ronda Rousey spoke to ESPN about her impressive WWE debut at WrestleMania last night. Below are a couple of highlights:
Her two losses in the UFC:
“It was me versus the world in an individual sport. I thought I would never say this, but I’m so happy I lost those fights [to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes] because it led me here. This is so worth it.
“Everything really does happen for a reason. I’m just so grateful. I thought I never would be [grateful] for [the losses], but time is a great teacher. I’m just really, really glad I gave it time instead of giving up and feeling it was the end of the world. There’s so many people who encounter tragedies who feel like the world and time won’t heal it. But all I can say to those people is: Just give it time, even if you think time can’t heal it. You never know what will happen and where it will lead you. Every missed opportunity is a blessing in disguise. I really believe it now.”
Owing WWE fans an apology:
“I owe the WWE universe an apology, because I thought they were going to boo me out of the building from day one. They really accepted me from day one. Hopefully, I satisfied a lot of skeptics tonight. I underestimated how kind the WWE universe would be. I thought any outsiders would be shunned. I was expecting to get shunned and to have to battle to be accepted. I worked my ass off to pay respect to what’s so important to them, and hopefully they saw that tonight. I’m just so grateful, man. I’m trying my best to deserve it.”
Rousey also discussed still supporting UFC fighters, how she celebrated after WrestleMania, WWE feeling familiar to her and more. You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Source: WrestlingINC
Last night at WrestleMania 34 Braun Strowman picked a kid (Nicholas) out of the audience to be his partner in the RAW Tag Team Championship match against the champions The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro). Braun & Nicholas won to becopme the new RAW Tag champs.
It has been revealed that Nicholas is the son of WWE referee John Cone.
Below RAW explains why he picked Nicholas to be his partner:
(Kickoff) The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: featuring special guest commentators WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler – Winner: Matt Hardy
Bray Wyatt appeared in the ring and helped Matt get the win.
(Kickoff) WWE Cruiserweight Championship Finals: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali – Winner: Cedric Alexander
(Kickoff) Women’s Battle Royal: featuring WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix as a special guest commentator – Winner: Naomi
Intercontinental Championship: (C) The Miz vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor – Winner and new Intercontinental Champion: Seth Rollins
SmackDown Women’s Championship: (C) Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka – Winner: Charlotte Flair
Asuka said Charlotte was ready for Asuka
A ref ran out and told John Cena (sitting at ringside) something and Cena ran to the back.
United States Championship: (C) Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev – Winner and new United States Champion: Jinder Mahal
Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon & Triple H – Winners: Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: (C) The Usos vs. The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers – Winners and new SmackDown Tag Team Champions: The Bludgeon Brothers
John Cena comes out to the ring for a match. Cena tells the camera that “he” is here. A referee comes running to the ring as we get ready to go. Fans chant for The Undertaker for a minute or so as Cena waits. Cena steps out of the ring to some boos. The lights go out and fans pop thinking it’s The Dead Man. Elias appears on the stage instead, with his guitar. Elias calls for fans to silence their phones and shut up.
Elias walks to the ring and says we must have been expecting someone else. Elias says that someone else doesn’t have the charisma or talent that he has. Elias says Cena probably thought this was just going to be a walk in the park. Elias is in the ring now. He tells Cena to back off because he’ll take it from here. Cena isn’t thrilled. Elias is going to do what he does best and suggests Cena go do what he does best – watch from the crowd like a spectator. Elias says he’s about to make history. He starts performing a song, taking shots at Cena and the crowd.
Cena has heard enough. He comes in the ring and gets the upperhand on Elias. Cena nails the Five Knuckle Shuffle and the Attitude Adjustment to send Elias out to the floor. Cena stands tall and looks disappointed as fans chant for The Undertaker. Cena’s music hits as he hits the corner to pose. Cena walks up the ramp and his music stops. The lights go out. A spotlight shines n the ring and we see Taker’s hat and gear sitting in the middle of the ring like he left them. Lighting strikes. The spotlight comes back on and the gear is missing. The lights hit again and here come the bells tolling. Taker’s entrance starts up as fans pop. The Dead Man finally appears as fans cheer more. Taker slowly marches to the ring as Cena looks on
Transcript from WrestlingINC
John Cena vs. The Undertaker: Winner: The Undertaker
Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (If Owens/Zayn win they return to SmackDown, if they lose they remain fired) – Winners: Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon – Owens & Zayn remain fired
RAW Women’s Championship: (C) Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax – Winner and new RAW Women’s Champion: Nia Jax
WWE Championship: (C) AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Winner: AJ Styles
After the match, Nakamura assaulted Styles. Looks like a heel turn for Nakamura
RAW Tag Team Championship: (C) The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) vs. Braun Strowman & a kid Braun picked out of the audience named Nicholas – Winners and new RAW Tag Team Champions: Braun Strowman & Nicholas
Universal Championship: (C) Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns – Winner: Brock Lesnar
Women of Honor championship Tournament Semifinal: Mayu Iwatani vs. Kelly Klein – Winner: Kelly Klein
Women of Honor championship Tournament Semifinal: Tenille Dashwood vs. Sumie Sakai – Winner: Sumie Sakai
Chuckie T vs. Jonathan Gresham – Winner: Jonathan Gresham
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Punishment Martinez – Winner: Punishment Martinez
Kota Ibushi vs. Adam Page – Winner: Kota Ibushi
Women of Honor championship Tournament Finals: Sumie Sakai vs. Kelly Klein – Winner and WOH Champion: Sumie Sakai
ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship – Ladder Match: (C) So Cal Uncensored vs. Flip Gordon & The Young Bucks – Winner: SoCal Uncensored
Post-match, Matt Taven smacks Daniels with a title and steals the titles
Brian Milonas and Beer City Bruiser vs. Motor City Machine Guns vs. Luke and PJ Hawx (Pre-Show Match) – Winners: Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas
ROH Tag Team Championship: (C) The Briscoes vs. Jay Lethal & Hiroshi Tanahashi – Winners: The Briscoe
ROH TV Championship – Last Man Standing Match: (C) Kenny King vs. Silas Young – Winner and new ROH TV Champion: Silas Young
Cheeseburger and Eli Isom vs. The Dawgs
The match doesn’t get officially start when The Dawgs attack before the match officially starts. ROH Enforcer Bully Ray comes out and calls The Dawgs scumbags for doing this, especially after they weren’t even booked on the card. Isom gets taken out, Bully says if Cheeseburger can’t find a partner he’ll have to throw out the match. Cheeseburger wants Bully Ray to be his partner, Bully initially says no and then agrees and the match gets started.
Cheeseburger and Bully Ray vs. The Dawgs
Bully hits some big punches, Cheeseburger with a big chop. Bully nails a body slam. Cheeseburger does the “Wazzup!” headbutt from top rope. Bully calls for the tables and then chokeslams the heck out of Cheeseburger. Match just fizzles out. He gets on the mic, calls Cheeseburger a piss ant and didn’t appreciate him putting Bully on the spot. Bully says guys like Will Ospreay, Flip Gordon, and that “Nobody” Ricochet, the whole generation is selfish and entitled. Out comes ROH COO Joe Koff to see what Bully is doing. Bully calls him an “old bastard” and says the reason the wrestling business sucks is because Koff signs guys like Cheeseburger. Gordon comes to the ring and Bully grabs Cheeseburger and tells Gordon not to come in the ring or he will piledrive Cheeseburger. Bully says if he does it will get the show shut down and the fans won’t get Castle/Scurll and Cody/Omega. “Do you know who I am? I’m Bully Ray. I’m a WWE Hall of Famer.” He powerbombs Cheeseburger and bails.
Cody vs. Kenny Omega
Cody tries for a cross rhodes, no, both wrestlers gets shoved to the corner and they smash the referee. Double cross body and now all three guys are down. Out from the back comes The Young Bucks. They get in the ring and look to be talking about something. Bucks are sizing up Kenny and then now Cody. Superkicks to Cody, but he ducks and they hit Omega by mistake! Cody with cross rhodes, ref wakes up, cover, a very slow 1-2-3.
Winner: Cody
Post-match, Young Bucks check on Omega while Cody puts on his ring of honor and heads off. Omega shoves Matt and Nick away as he’s helped away.
ROH World Championship: (C) Dalton Castle vs. Marty Scurll – Winner: Dalton Castle
Source: WrestlingINC
NXT North American Championship – Ladder Match: Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream – Winner and first-ever NXT North American Champion: Adam Cole
NXT Women’s Championship: (C) Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler – Winner and new NXT Women’s Champion: Shayna Baszler
NXT Tag Team Championship: (C) Undisputed ERA (Kyle O’Reilly & Adam Cole) vs. The Authors of Pain vs. Roderick Strong & Pete Dunne
Winning team also wins the Dusty Rhodes Classic – Winners: Undisputed ERA (Kyle O’Reilly & Adam Cole) – Roderick Strong turned on Pete Dunne to give Undisputed ERA the win. Strong joins the Undisputed ERA
NXT Championship: (C) Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Aleister Black – Winner and new NXT Champion: Aleister Black
Unsanctioned Match: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – Winner: Johnny Gargano
WWE Championship: (C) AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Universal Championship: (C) Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
SmackDown Women’s Championship: (C) Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
RAW Women’s Championship: (C) Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon & Triple H
Intercontinental Championship: (C) The Miz vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
United States Championship: (C) Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev
Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (If Owens/Zayn win they return to SmackDown, if they lose they remain fired)
RAW Tag Team Championship: (C) The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) vs. Braun Strowman & TBD
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: (C) The Usos vs. The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers
Will The Undertaker answer John Cena’s challenge?
(Kickoff) The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: featuring special guest commentators WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
(Kickoff) Women’s Battle Royal: featuring WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix as a special guest commentator
(Kickoff) WWE Cruiserweight Championship Finals: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali
John’s Picks
Ed’s Picks:
Vanessa’s Picks:
Trevor’s Picks:
Today at WWE’s Business Partner Summit, Triple H announced the UK Championship Tournament will return for two nights on June 18 and 19 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Last year, Tyler Bate was crowned the first WWE UK Champion after defeating Pete Dunne in the finals. Below is WWE’s full announcement:
“Triple H revealed during today’s Business Partner Summit that the United Kingdom Championship Tournament will return for two nights this summer on June 18 and 19. This showcase for the finest talent in the U.K. will emanate from the most famous arena in London, Royal Albert Hall.The first United Kingdom Championship Tournament was held in 2017 on Jan. 14 and 15 in Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom and aired live on WWE Network. The competition to crown the first-ever WWE United Kingdom Champion was won by 19-year-old Tyler Bate, who beat Pete Dunne in the final. Dunne later defeated Bate for the title at NXT TakeOver: Chicago in a modern classic, and continues to hold the championship as of this publication.
The Royal Albert Hall, meanwhile, is one of the world’s most vaunted arenas. Opened by Queen Victoria in 1871, it has hosted Beatles concerts, Muhammad Ali boxing matches and sports-entertainment bouts dating back as far as 1904 when WWE Hall of Famer George Hackenschmidt grappled there. And on June 18 and 19, it will serve as the proving ground of WWE’s next great U.K. talent.
Stay with WWE.com for more information on the return of the United Kingdom Championship Tournament as it becomes available.”
Impact Wrestling issued a statement on Saturday evening confirming the official departure of Alberto El Patron (former WWE star Alberto Del Rio) from the company.
The official statement reads:
“IMPACT Wrestling announced today that it has terminated its agreement with Alberto El Patron, effective immediately.”
This announcement comes just 24 hours after Patron reportedly no-showed last night’s Impact vs. Lucha Underground special that aired live on Twitch.
Patron had been scheduled to face Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship in the main event of the Redemption PPV on April 22. That match is now off.
It was reported earlier this month that Patron was at WWE Headquarters in Stamford to film footage for an upcoming project involving Rey Mysterio. Patron’s deal with Impact was already scheduled to expire in April. He did take part in a press conference on Friday in New Orleans to promote the Redemption PPV, but apparently something changed quick.
Source: WrestleView
Impact X-Division Champion Matt Sydal vs. MOOSE vs. Caleb Konley vs. Matanza Cueto vs. Jack Evans vs. Chavo Guerrero – Winner: Matanza
* Impact Knockouts Championship: Allie (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie – Winner: Allie
* Scott Steiner & Teddy Hart vs. oVe – Winners: Scott Steiner & Teddy Hart
* Drago, Aerostar & King Cuerno vs. Andrew Everett, DJZ & Desmond Xavier – Drago, Aerostar & King Cuerno
* Trevor Lee vs. Marty “The Moth” Martinez – Winner: Trevor Lee
* Impact Tag Team Championship: LAX (c’s) vs. Killshot and The Mack – Winners: LAX
* Eli Drake vs. Brian Cage – Winner: Brian Cage
* I Quit Match: Eddie Edwards vs. Jeremiah Crane (Sami Callihan) – Winner by Forfeit: Jeremiah Crane (Sami Callihan) – Crane pulls out the bat from under the ring! Crane sets the chair up over Eddie’s face again and then Crane decks the referee with the bat as he begged Crane not to do it. Don Callis comes out and screams at Crane not to do it. Callis throws a towel in the ring to call the match. Crane decides to hit Eddie with the bat anyway but Moose hits the ring with a chair and chases him off.
Alberto Del Rio was not there main event changed to a Triple Threat Match
* Triple Threat: Impact World Champion Austin Aries vs. Fenix vs Lucha Underground Champion Pentagon Jr. – Winner: Pentagon Jr.
