Category: WWE

WWE Announces Ronda Rousey’s China Live Event Debut

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WWE has announced that they will return to Shanghai, China on Saturday, September 1st for a live event at the Mercedes Benz Arena.

This live event will be Ronda Rousey’s in-ring debut for China. Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Nia Jax, Finn Balor, Sasha Banks, Jinder Mahal, Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt are also advertised.

Below is WWE’s full announcement on their return to China:

SHANGHAI, China and STAMFORD, Conn. — WWE will return to China for the third straight year when WWE Live Shanghai comes to the Mercedes Benz Arena on Saturday, Sept. 1. Tickets for WWE Live Shanghai are available at 10 a.m. local time Thursday, and can be purchased at www.damai.cn.

Fans attending WWE Live Shanghai will see WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey make her in-ring debut in the country, In addition to Ronda Rousey, as well as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, Finn Bálor, Jinder Mahal, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt and many more.*

WWE Live Shanghai is presented in partnership with AEG Presents, a global player in live entertainment.

“We are thrilled that WWE Live Shanghai will be presented in partnership with AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company,” said Robb Spitzer, Senior Vice President, Asia – AEG Presents. “AEG Presents is proud to be partnering with WWE for the first time in China and entertain people of all ages.”

“We are excited to return to Shanghai, demonstrating WWE’s commitment to our passionate and growing fan base in China,” said Jay Li, Vice President & General Manager, WWE Greater China. “Fans can look forward to seeing an action-packed night of family-friendly entertainment that will create lifelong memories.”

WWE programming, including Raw and SmackDown LIVE, airs live on PP Sports every Tuesday and Wednesday. Fans can also subscribe to WWE Network on PP Sports, which showcases WWE’s monthly live events and groundbreaking original series, including NXT and 205 Live; reality shows, such as Total Divas; documentaries; and classic matches from WWE’s storied history.

RAW Preview 7/16/18

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Keybank Center in Buffalo, New York with the red brand fallout from Extreme Rules.

* Will Brock Lesnar be stripped of the Universal Championship on Raw?

* Is Braun Strowman finally finished with Kevin Owens?

* What chaos will ensue when The B-Team return to the red brand as Raw Tag Team Champions?

* Are the days numbered for The Goddess of WWE?

* Does The Architect have plans for Dolph Ziggler?

Backstage News On Why Team Hell No Was Attacked At WWE Extreme Rules, Announcement On Kane By Marc Middleton | July 15, 2018

Image result for Harper and Rowan attacked Kane and Daniel Bryan backstage at Extreme Rules

Last night’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view saw Team Hell No lose to SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers in a match that Kane barely worked. Earlier in the night WWE did a backstage segment where Harper and Rowan attacked Kane and Daniel Bryan backstage. Bryan later started the match by himself and worked it until Kane came out limping with a foot brace on.

Kane was attacked in the backstage segment to cover up a legitimate injury to his left foot, according to PWInsider. The WWE veteran was seen wearing a walking boot earlier in the day backstage at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

There’s no word yet on when Kane may be back in action or when he suffered the foot injury but WWE announced a storyline injury update after Extreme Rules went off the air and said he suffered a broken ankle in the match. You can see their announcement below:

Kane suffers broken ankleAt WWE Extreme Rules, Kane suffered an injury at the hands of The Bludgeon Brothers. Despite returning to action to help his Team Hell No tag team partner Daniel Bryan, X-rays taken on The Devil’s Favorite Demon later revealed that he has suffered a broken ankle.

Source: WrestlingINC

Hulk Hogan Reinstated To WWE HOF, Backstage At Extreme Rules, Has Not Signed New Deal

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WWE announced after a three-year suspension Hulk Hogan has been reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. Below is WWE’s full announcement:

“After a three-year suspension, Hulk Hogan has been reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. This second chance follows Hogan’s numerous public apologies and volunteering to work with young people, where he is helping them learn from his mistake. These efforts led to a recent induction into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame.”

According to PWInsider, Hogan was backstage at WWE Extreme Rules and made a formal apology to the WWE locker room for his comments in 2015. Sources who were present for the meeting noted Hogan apologized for embarrassing himself and the company, and told the wrestlers to be careful what the say as they could be recorded withing knowing it. He received a big reaction afterwards with a number of wrestlers shaking his hand and hugging him. Hogan was said to be very emotional during this meeting.

Hulk Hogan then made his first statement on Twitter, looking to acknowledge that same meeting.

https://twitter.com/HulkHogan/status/1018589061852917766

Before the meeting with the WWE locker room, Hogan met with a number of WWE officials and “the feeling backstage is he’s back on board with the company.” However, another report from PWInsider does note that he has not signed any kind of contract with WWE, despite showing up backstage.

The report also said he might be at this week’s TV tapings, but that’s not set in stone as of right now. Hogan hasn’t appeared for WWE since being fired by the company in 2015 shortly before a tape containing him making racist remarks was made public.

Update: Bryan Alvarez of F4Wonline.com noted on Twitter that Hogan’s meeting with the roster was filmed for an upcoming WWE Network special. Hogan reportedly said his goodbyes during Extreme Rules and was headed back home to Florida.

Regarding Hogan’s WWE future, Hogan will not be on this week’s TV shows and there’s no word yet on when he might be back. There was some speculation on Hogan being backstage for RAW and SmackDown but PWInsider reports that Hogan is not booked for this week’s episodes. It was also noted that Hogan has not signed a new contract of any kind, as of Sunday. The feeling at Extreme Rules was that Hogan is back with the company and Charly Caruso noted on the Extreme Rules Kickoff pre-show how everyone was excited for Hogan to be back with the WWE family.

Source: WrestlingINC

Update: According to a rep from WWE, Hogan’s meeting with the roster was not filmed by a camera crew. This was confirmed by WWE according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.

Mark Henry, who was present at the meeting, talked about it on Busted Open this week. “He [Hogan] made an announcement, he apologized, he’s done a lot of stuff with the Boys and Girls Club. But I didn’t want to lose track of the fact that there’s more work to be done,” Henry stated.

Mark also told TMZ Sports there’s currently a divide amongst the black wrestlers over the backstage apology, describing at as a 50-50 split … with some saying “to hell with him.”

WWE Extreme Rules Results 7/15/18

Image result for wwe extreme rules 2018 streaming live Sunday July 15 on WWE Network

(Kickoff) Tables Match: The New Day vs. SAnitY – Winners: SAnitY

RAW Tag Team Championship: (C) “Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The B-Team – Winners and new RAW Tag Team Champions: The B-Team

Charly Caruso backstage with RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, who has an announcement on WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Angle says he recently opened up talks with Paul Heyman and Lesnar about the next title defense. Heyman stopped those talks and Lesnar isn’t interested in fighting anyone. Angle goes on about how Lesnar shows up at UFC without defending his title in WWE, saying Lesnar doesn’t care about WWE. Angle says he’s tired of it and the fans are tired of it. Angle says Heyman and Lesnar must come to RAW and agree on terms for the next match or Lesnar will be stripped.

Finn Balor vs. “Constable” Baron Corbin – Winner: Finn Balor

The Bludgeon Brothers attacked Team Hell No backstage.

SmackDown Women’s Championship (James Ellsworth in shark cage above the ring): (C) Carmella vs. Asuka – Winner: Carmella

United States Championship: (C) Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

– Nakamura hit Hardy with a low-blow before the bell and as soon as the bell rang, Nakamura hit Hardy with the Kinshasa for the quick win.

Winner and new United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura

After the match, Randy Orton came out and grabbed Hardy by the legs and nailed a low-blow stomp.

Steel Cage Match: Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens

– Strowman shoved Owens off the top of cage through the announce table, so Owens gets the win.

Winner: Kevin Owens

Owens was taken out on a stretcher

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: (C) The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Team Hell No –

Daniel Bryan had to start the match all by himself, Kane later came out wearing a walking boot on his injured foot from the backstage attack earlier in the night.

Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley – Winner: Bobby Lashley

RAW Women’s Championship – Extreme Rules Match (Ronda Rousey will be sitting at ringside): (C) Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax – Winner: Alexa Bliss

WWE Championship: (C) AJ Styles vs. Rusev – Winner: AJ Styles

Intercontinental Championship – 30-Minute Iron Man Match: (C) Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins – Draw 4-4

Kurt Angle came out and announced sudden death overtime

McIntyre appeared out of nowhere distracting Rollins at the ropes. Ziggler took advantage and immediately hit the Zig-Zag for the pin.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

WWE Extreme Rules 7/15/18

Image result for wwe extreme rules 2018 streaming live Sunday July 15 on WWE Network

WWE Championship: (C) AJ Styles vs. Rusev

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

RAW Women’s Championship – Extreme Rules Match (Ronda Rousey will be sitting at ringside): (C) Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax

Steel Cage Match: Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: (C) The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Team Hell No

Intercontinental Championship – 30-Minute Iron Man Match: (C) Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins

United States Championship: (C) Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

SmackDown Women’s Championship (James Ellsworth in shark cage above the ring): (C) Carmella vs. Asuka

RAW Tag Team Championship: (C) “Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The B-Team

Finn Balor vs. “Constable” Baron Corbin

(Kickoff) Tables Match: The New Day vs. SAnitY

Brock Lesnar Confirmed For WWE SummerSlam

Brock Lesnar has been confirmed for next month’s SummerSlam pay-per-view, according to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer. His opponent for the show has not been confirmed.

It will be Lesnar’s first match since defending his WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at The Greatest Royal Rumble event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this past April. It will reportedly be the final match of Lesnar’s current WWE contract and he is expected to face UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier next year. Lesnar set up the future fight by shoving Cormier after his UFC Heavyweight Championship victory at UFC 226 this past Saturday. He had put himself back in the USADA drug-testing pool last Tuesday, making him eligible to fight again for the UFC after January 8, 2019.

WWE SummerSlam will take place on Sunday, August 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Comes Up Short In Emmy Nominations

Despite the recent “For Your Consideration” party held in Los Angeles, WWE came up short today as the nominations for the 2018 Emmy Awards were announced. It is worth noting that this is the first year that WWE was able to get their programming on the preliminary ballot.

WWE had the “Empowered” WWE 24 special and the documentary on WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant on the preliminary ballot for Best Documentary or Non-Fiction Special. Other spots on the preliminary ballots were RAW and Mixed Match Challenge for Outstanding Structured Reality Program, Total Bellas and Total Divas for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and WrestleMania 34 for Outstanding Variety Special (Live).

Netflix’s GLOW was nominated for Best Comedy Series while Betty Gilpin, who portrays Debbie on the series, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress In a Comedy. GLOW was also nominated for a half-dozen technical awards. The Rock’s Ballers on HBO was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series.

Source: WrestlingINC

 

Maria Kanellis Returning To The Ring Later This Summer

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Maria Kanellis is planning on returning to the ring this summer.

Maria was recently backstage at WWE Money In the Bank, one of her first trips to a WWE event since she and Mike Kanellis welcomed their first child together back on April 4th.

Kanellis recently posted the following Instagram post and noted that she will be in Florida in early August to fight for WWE TV time. No word yet on if WWE will be using her for The Mae Young Classic, which tapes on August 7th and August 8th. Kanellis noted in another Instagram post that she would like to team with her husband at WrestleMania 35.

Hmmmm… mommy is ready to get back to work. Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Children of all ages come see the most talked about couple in wrestling prior to joining the greatest show on earth, WWE. Imagine what could happen if self made talent could meet the biggest marketing machine of them all? An over night success is when experience meets opportunity. A Superstar is when a talent meets WWE TV time. I’ll be down in Florida at the beginning of August fighting for that time. Even if I’m doing it with stretched out mommy belly skin and a baby on my hip. I don’t have a college education saved in the bank for my baby girl so momma has to go back to work. #unscriptedreality #themoon #backtowork #firstlady #milkmoney Just call me mommy the money maker!!

It’s been 8 years since I was considered a full time wrestler. Crazy. #unscriptedreality #passionismymotivation #milkmoney

Source: WrestlingINC

Daniel Bryan Booked For More WWE Events After Deal Expires

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It’s looking more and more like Daniel Bryan will be re-signing with WWE once his current contract expires on Saturday, September 1st.

Bryan is now being advertised for the WWE European tour in November, as well for the December 26th WWE live event from Madison Square Garden. We’ve noted how Bryan was also announced for the WWE Super Show-Down event from Australia on October 6th, which will air on the WWE Network.

It should be noted that WWE’s website also has Bryan listed for all SmackDown live events after September 1st.

The day his contract expires, September 1st, Bryan is advertised for the WWE live event at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. He is scheduled for the live event the following night in Kalamazoo, MI, that Monday’s live event in Saginaw, MI and the next night’s SmackDown taping at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on September 4th. For all of those shows he’s scheduled to team with WWE Champion AJ Styles and WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy to face The Miz, Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe.

WWE event listings are always subject to change but it is interesting that Bryan is being booked for several shows scheduled for later this year.

Source: WrestlingINC