The WWE Backlash pay-per-view main event saw Roman Reigns defeat Samoa Joe in a match that seemed to drag on at times. Twitter user @RYANFALCONE tweeted this video of a large amount of fans leaving during the main event:
https://twitter.com/RYANFALCONE/status/993329132447633408
Source: WrestlingINC
(Kickoff) Bayley vs. Ruby Riott – Winner: Ruby Riott
Intercontinental Championship: (C) Seth Rollins vs. The Miz – Winner: Seth Rollins
RAW Women’s Championship: (C) Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss – Winner: Nia Jax
United States Championship: (C) Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – Winner: Jeff Hardy
JoJo introduces Elias, who is in the ring with a spotlight and his guitar.Elias talks about how he’s friends with Bruce Springsteen but the only thing wrong with Bruce is he’s from New Jersey. Elias goes on and says this song is for Bruce listening at home. He ends up toying with the crowd and isn’t sure if he wants to stay or go. He decides Bruce needs to hear this so he’s going to stay but the music interrupts and out comes The New Day – Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E. Woods gives some props to Elias and he thanks them but he’s not sure why they’re out here because he wasn’t done. Elias asks if they want some autographs and Kofi says definitely not. Kofi proposes a dual-brand Backlash jam-off as they also came out with instruments. Elias asks if they want to play with him? Woods says no, they want to walk with Elias. This leads to Big E starting things off as they play their instruments at ringside. Elias yells at them to stop. Elias says maybe one day they can open for him but tonight is not that night. he tells them to take their toys somewhere else. Elias calls for JoJo to start over as the lights are dimmed. Elias is interrupted before he can get started as we hear Aiden English getting ready for a performance. Fans pop. English sings and raps some to remind us that today is Rusev Day. Rusev is out next to a pop as his music hits. Elias calls for the music to be cut and asks why the hell these two are here. A big “Rusev Day” chant breaks out. Rusev says they are doing whatever they want. There’s only one person here that celebrates a holiday in his honor and it’s not bootleg Bob Dylan or The Booty Boys. Elias says Bob Dylan wishes he was Elias. Elias goes on and says this is his night. He asks for JoJo to start over once again. No Way Jose interrupts this time as he comes out with his conga line. Jose’s conga line includes Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews and Dana Brooke. Elias yells for the fiesta to be stopped and the music cut. Elias says no more conga line, no more gang of freaks, no more Rusev Day and The New Day. This is his night and no one will ruin it. Elias is angry now. He calls for JoJo to start over one more time. “Glorious” hits this time to interrupts. Bobby Roode hits the ring out of nowhere and drops Elias with a Glorious DDT. The crowd and some at ringside go along with Roode’s “Glorious” pose. Jose’s music starts back up as he leads the conga line up the ramp. Titus Worldwide, Breezango and The New Day are in it now. Rusev Day watches the line go by. Roode is at the end and he’s also dancing. Roode dances with Titus, Jose and The New Day on the stage to end the segment. (transcript from WrestlingINC)
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass – Winner: Daniel Bryan – (by submission)
After the match, Big Cass assaulted Bryan and left him laying
SmackDown Women’s Championship: (C) Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair – Winner: Carmella
WWE Championship No DQ: (C) AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Double Count Out – neither man could answer the 10 count after kicking each other with low blows. The fans booed the finish.
Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn – Winners: Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley
Owens & Zayn was not getting along
After the match, Sami looks on from the ramp as Braun and Lashley stand tall over Owens. Sami has the chance to help Owens after the match but Braun scoops Owens and plants him with the powerslam. Sami yells from ringside as Braun stands over Owens again while his music hits. Owens is sent to the floor and he’s laid out while Sami checks on him. Braun leaves the ring and grabs Sami as he tries to run away. Braun brings Sami back into the ring and he begs them both to take it easy. Braun scoops Sami and delivers another powerslam. Braun’s music hits again as he and Lashley stand tall. (transcript from WrestlingINC)
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe – Winner: Roman Reigns
NXT star Tino Sabbatelli recently underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle according to a new report by Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline on Friday. Sabbatelli suffered the injury during the NXT live event in Largo, Florida on April 28 against The Velveteen Dream. Sabbatelli will be out of action for several months following the surgery.
Sabbatelli had been featured on NXT TV for several months in a tag-team with Riddick Moss and had recently turned on Moss, presumably beginning a push as a singles competitor before the injury.
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE Championship No DQ: (C) AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
RAW Women’s Championship: (C) Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Women’s Championship: (C) Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair
Intercontinental Championship: (C) Seth Rollins vs. The Miz
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
United States Championship: (C) Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
(Kickoff) Bayley vs. Ruby Riott
The rumors of Hulk Hogan returning to WWE have been swirling for some time now, but TMZ Sports is reporting Hogan and WWE have been in contact and the talks have been “positive.” Thanks to the Greatest Royal Rumble, Hogan was apparently one of the talents requested to appear at the event. Hogan didn’t make the trip, but it got the two sides talking for a potential reunion.
TMZ was told WWE wants to bring him back and Hogan is ready, but they want to make sure it’s done “the right way” and be sensitive to those who were offended by his past rant that initially cost him his WWE gig. 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. Hogan, who was upset with his daughter Brooke dating a black man, used the n-word several times in the tape and said, “I guess we’re all a little racist.”
In March, Hogan made an appearance at the HBO/WWE Andre the Giant documentary premiere in Los Angeles, California. At the time, WWE wanted to make it clear Hogan was not in the fold by putting out the following statement:
“Hulk Hogan is an important part of Andre the Giant’s history, however his appearance at tonight’s HBO premiere of the documentary and his plans to help others learn from his mistakes does not mean WWE is rehiring him. Hogan is not scheduled to be at any upcoming WWE events.”
WWE has been paying close attention to how Hogan’s speech went yesterday after he was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame. He mentioned wanting to help educate kids to not use language like he did, which received an ovation from the crowd.
https://twitter.com/BoysGirlsClubGA/status/991919889727111168
In March, Mark Henry spoke about Hogan’s potential return and said he wasn’t sure he’s ready for that return. Hogan was asked about Henry’s comment and responded:
“I just heard [Henry] made a comment on TMZ about it and that I should apologize,” Hogan responded. “I totally agree, but not to black wrestlers, to all the wrestlers. Yeah, what I said was way out of line, I’m forever sorry for that, but I never heard Mark Henry say that, he’s my boy, man.”
WWE issued the following statement in response to the report this afternoon:
“WWE applauds the work Hulk Hogan is doing with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to turn what was a negative into a positive by helping young people learn from his mistake. While he has taken many steps in the right direction since we parted ways, Hogan is not currently under contract to WWE.”
Source: WrestlingINC
Sami Zayn likely was not included in last Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble main event from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia because he is of Syrian descent. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Syria cut relations in 2012. WWE filmed a segment at the GRR go-home RAW that saw Sami mention the 50-man match to Kevin Owens but another segment was later filmed that had Sami say he wasn’t feeling well, hinting that he wouldn’t be able to make the trip to Saudi Arabia for the event.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports this week that the Sami situation was kept secret before and during the GRR event. Sami had known he wouldn’t be appearing for about a week as he was told that he would be doing an injury angle on the April 23rd RAW to explain why he would not be appearing, despite being advertised for the 50-man match. Sami was not told why he was off the show and it looks like he still has not been told, based on what he’s said to people privately since then. The Observer adds that Sami is claiming he has no explanation on why he was pulled from the show.
There was also a directive handed down, that no one could speak on the Sami issue until after the show, to avoid any potential controversy over WWE being told that one of their talents could not work a show because of his ethnicity, according to The Observer. We noted before how the whole WWE crew was given a list of cultural miscues to avoid while in the Kingdom, such as to never blow off a handshake to anyone because it would be taken as an insult and you don’t want to insult the wrong person. One of the items on this list was to never mention anything about Sami.
WWE issued this statement on Sami missing the big event in Saudi Arabia last week:
“WWE is committed to embracing individuals from all backgrounds while respecting local customs and cultural differences around the world.”
Source: WrestlingINC
Former WWE Superstar Danielle Moinet, f.k.a. Summer Rae in WWE, will be returning to the ring for Battle Championship Wrestling in Melbourne, Australia on Friday, May 25th. She will face Ivelisse in the second half of the first round of the BCW Women’s Championship Tournament at the Whitehorse Function and Convention Centre. Moinet, who was released by WWE last October, hasn’t wrestled since August of 2016 after she suffered neck and back injuries. She was cleared to return to action by WWE in May of 2017, but was never used.
Source: WrestlingINC
Chris Jericho, who just appeared for WWE at the Greatest Royal Rumble event last Friday in Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to make his return to New Japan Pro Wrestling this week at the company’s Wrestling Dontaku event in Fukuoka, Japan.
According to a report by Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, Jericho’s appearance this week will setup a storyline for another appearance for New Japan at next month’s Dominion event in Osaka, likely with IWGP Intercontinental champion Tetsuya Naito.
Jericho became involved with New Japan earlier this year at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in a highly touted match against Kenny Omega. He then showed up at New Japan’s New Year’s Dash event attacking Naito. The angle never ended up leading to anything long-term. However, it would appear they will be picking back up where they left off this week.
Source: WrestleView
Despite competition from another upstart football league, a WWE executive has reached out to officials in Orlando hoping to put an XFL team in their city.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, WWE’s senior vice president of special events John Saboor contacted Orlando’s executive director of venues about the prospect of putting a team in Camping World Stadium.
It’s worth noting that Vince McMahon initially claimed WWE and XFL would be separate entities, but clearly that’s not the case if WWE employees are working on the new league.
The article also mentions that the XFL’s attempt might be difficult to pull off though, because Charlie Ebersol’s Alliance of American football — which kicks off one year before the XFL does — has already announced that they will have a team in Orlando.
WWE is confident, however, that both league’s can co-exist there.
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
* Dunne aims to even the score against Strong
* The Street Profits and “The Mighty” TM61 collide in tag team action
* “NXT’s Finest” Kona Reeves returns
* Will Candice LeRae have her head in the game against Bianca Belair?
