Category: WWE

RAW Preview 6/19/17

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Ford Center in Evansville, IN as the road to Great Balls of Fire and SummerSlam continues.

* Roman Reigns to make SummerSlam announcement Monday night

* Does Samoa Joe have Brock Lesnar’s number?

* Can Bayley get back into the Raw Women’s Title picture?

* What’s next for the Raw Tag Team division?

* Can “The Man” Seth Rollins stand up to a “god”?

I will be in attendance at tonight’s RAW from Evansville, Indiana. I will post some photos from the show tomorrow.

 

Seth Rollins Announced That He Is On the Cover Of The WWE 2K18 Video Game

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Seth Rollins announced this morning on ESPN SportsCenter that he is on the cover of the WWE 2K18 video game. He noted that being on the cover is exciting and while he’s a gamer, it’s weird to see his face on the cover.

WWE 2K18 hits stores this fall on PS4 and Xbox One. It’s also rumored for the Nintendo Switch.

Below is the full announcement 2K:

BE LIKE NO ONE: 2K Announces Seth Rollins™ as the WWE® 2K18 Cover Superstar

New Early Access initiative invites players to purchase the WWE 2K18 Deluxe Edition or WWE 2K18 Collector’s Edition and receive the game before its worldwide release date

New York, NY – June 19, 2017 – Be like no one.

These four simple words likely generate several reactions, but for WWE Superstar Seth Rollins™, they are a master class in describing his unmatched work ethic, disruptive mindset and definitive WWE career.

Since joining WWE in 2010, Rollins has done things on his own terms. Like many claim but never accomplish, he was destined to be different, blaze his own trail and take no prisoners along the way, even if it meant disrespecting history. The first move on Rollins’ chess board: become the inaugural NXT® Champion in 2012 and put everyone on high alert. The second move: make his WWE main roster debut at Survivor Series® later that year, align with WWE Superstars Roman Reigns™ and Dean Ambrose™ to form The Shield™ and rally against authority. As the pieces continued moving, the accolades followed: two-time WWE Champion, United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion and “Mr. Money in the Bank®,” to name a few. And now, “The Kingslayer” stands tall after a definitive checkmate: defeating Triple H® on WWE’s grandest stage at WrestleMania® 33.

For every calculated action and result, there is no question Rollins will prevail by any means necessary, and in doing so, embody everything it means to be like no one.

In celebration of his in-ring accomplishments and bold individuality, 2K today announced Seth Rollins as the cover Superstar for WWE® 2K18, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. In addition, Rollins will personify WWE 2K18’s worldwide marketing campaign – BE LIKE NO ONE – which invites players to explore Rollins’ identity, as well as those of several other WWE Superstars, while learning more about the game. WWE 2K18 is currently scheduled for worldwide release on October 17, 2017 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One.

“As the WWE 2K18 cover Superstar and franchise ambassador, it is my incredible honor and mission to ensure this game will truly BE LIKE NO ONE – a calling card perfect for everything I stand for – as it sets forth on its own unique path,” said Seth Rollins. “Following in the footsteps of other WWE 2K cover Superstars – Dwayne “The Rock®” Johnson, John Cena®, Stone Cold Steve Austin® and Brock Lesnar® – I now carry the torch and proudly represent a new generation of WWE Superstars. I am the future, and the future can’t be stopped.”

“Each year, the WWE 2K franchise emerges with a unique identity, impeccable authenticity, an incredible roster and the freedom for players to customize and control the virtual WWE world through its extensive offerings,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K. “In determining who truly epitomizes BE LIKE NO ONE and represents WWE 2K18 to the fullest extent, there was one obvious answer: Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins.”

In addition, today 2K announced details surrounding WWE 2K18 premium product offerings and their scheduled release dates:

About the WWE 2K18 Deluxe Edition

Players who purchase the WWE 2K18 Deluxe Edition, available in both physical and digital varieties at participating retailers, will receive Early Access to their game copies and in-game bonuses beginning four days early on Friday, October 13, 2017 for PS4™ system and Xbox One. The WWE 2K18 Deluxe Edition includes the following items:

* Copy of WWE 2K18 video game with Deluxe Edition packaging;
* Access to Season Pass content (details announced this fall);
* Access to WWE 2K18 pre-order bonus digital content (details announced this summer);
* Additional WWE 2K18 Collector’s Edition digital content (details announced this summer).

About the WWE 2K18 Collector’s Edition

Players who purchase the WWE 2K18 Collector’s Edition at participating retailers will also receive Early Access to their game copies and in-game bonuses beginning four days early on Friday, October 13, 2017 for PS4™ system and Xbox One. Details of the WWE 2K18 Collector’s Edition, as well as the ability to pre-order this version of the game, will be available later this summer.

Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K18 is not yet rated by the ESRB. WWE 2K18 is scheduled for worldwide release on October 17, 2017 for the PS4™ system and Xbox One. For more information on WWE 2K18 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #WWE2K18 and #BLN1 or subscribe on YouTube.

2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

WWE Money In The Bank (SmackDown) Results 6/18/17

(Kickoff) Hype Bros vs. The Colons – Winners: Hype Bros

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella vs. Tamina – Winner: Carmella

 – There was a controversial finish because James Elsworth climbed the ladder to retrieve the briefcase and gave it to Carmella. After the match, the 3 referees huddled up to discuss what happened and Elsworth grabbed the mic and announced Carmella the winner.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: (C) The Usos vs. The New Day – Winners by Count Out: The New Day – The Usos still Champions

SmackDown Women’s Championship: (C) Naomi vs. Lana

– Carmella with James Elsworth came out during match as if she was going to cash in MITB briefcase but didn’t

Winner: Naomi

An episode of The Fashion Files. A mystery team that claim responsibility for trashing Fashion Police office challenges Breezango to a match.

Mike(Bennett) & Maria Kanellis made their debut.

St. Louis wrestling legends sitting at ringside was introduced – Greg Gagne, Larry “The Axe” Hennig, Baron Von Raschke, Sgt. Slaughter, “Cowboy” Bob Orton and Ric Flair

WWE Championship: (C) Jinder Mahal w/The Singh Brothers vs. Randy Orton

– The Singh Brothers got ejected from the match, they went after Bob Orton and Randy came to his dad’s rescue and destroyed them and Jinder Mahal took advantage of the distracted Orton and was able to get the win.

Winner: Jinder Mahal

Breezango vs. The Ascension – Winner: Breezango

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs.United States Champion Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin

– Corbin attacked Nakamura on the ramp as Nakamura was making his entrance The match started without Nakamura as he was helped to the back. Nakamura eventually made his way back out to join the match as Corbin was about to climb the ladder.

Winner: Baron Corbin

 

Mike And Maria Kanellis Make WWE Debut At Money In The Bank

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Mike Bennett with Maria Kanellis made their WWE debut at Money In The Bank. They’re introduced as Mike and Maria Kanellis. Maria is an ex-WWE talent and they both have recently been with Impact Wrestling and Ring Of Honor before that.

Maria introduces herself, for those of us who don’t know her. Mike introduces himself as Mike Kanellis. Maria says no, we aren’t seeing things… the First Lady is back in WWE. Maria says for the past 7 years she’s been searching for the perfect partner. Mike says and she found him. And now, Maria says they are here to educate everyone on SmackDown the power of love. Their cheesy love song hits again as they dance at the entrance.

Daniel Bryan’s Paternity Leave Is Over, Returning To SmackDown Live Next Week

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SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan is heading back to work … because his paternity leave is officially over!

Bryan made the announcement on Twitter this evening and said he’ll be returning to his post as GM following this weekend’s Money in the Bank event.

No word on whether he’d appear on Talking Smack, but it definitely seems like a good bet.

This will be Bryan’s first appearance on WWE programming since the birth of his and wife Brie Bella’s first child, Birdie Joe Danielson, last month.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Considering London As Host City For Wrestlemania

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Could a future WrestleMania be coming to London? The answer may not be as cut-and-dry as it once was.

According to The Independent, fans at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando were given a survey about which cities they would like to see host future iterations of the event, and London was on the list.

There’s no question that a WrestleMania show in London would sell out – the city is a hotbed for wrestling, both for WWE and the UK’s independent scene. Tens of thousands of fans travel from Europe to the U.S. for ‘Mania and the attendant festivities each and every year, and London would be a much easier trek for them than, say, Dallas.

WWE has long avoided hosting a worldwide Pay-Per-View event outside of the contiguous United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico simply because of the time zone issue. With WWE’s core audience located in the U.S., a show outside in London would either have to air early in the day, take place in the middle of the night, or air on a tape delay. In the case of SummerSlam 1992 – the last major event held in the U.K. – they chose tape delay, but even the young Internet of the day hosted spoilers before the show aired in the U.S.

Now that PPV has been replaced by the WWE Network as a revenue stream, though, things like timing and spoilers won’t hurt the financial performance of any individual show. With that in mind, putting on a show – even WrestleMania – that airs at noon ET is less of a concern.

Source: WhatCulture.com

WWE Money In The Bank (SmackDown) 6/18/17

Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: AJ Styles vs. United States Champion Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin vs. Sami Zayn

WWE Championship: (C) Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton

SmackDown Women’s Championship: (C) Naomi vs. Lana

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: (C) The Usos vs. The New Day

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella vs. Tamina

(Kickoff) The Hype Bros vs. The Colons

Scott Steiner On Why He Left TNA, Never Going To WWE Hall Of Fame, Today’s ‘Cookie Cutter’ Promos

Scott Steiner spoke with Ring Rust Radio on a number of wrestling topics. Here are some of the highlights:

Why he initially left TNA:

“When I left nothing impressed me; that’s why I left. The change of management which was a problem because Dixie Carter is an idiot and then she brought in these other idiots like Hulk Hogan. I was just like damn; I got to get the hell out of here. I watched them from afar and their pockets kept getting run down and then thank God, someone else bought it, ran her out and now the right guy is back in charge being Jeff Jarrett. That’s basically who I started with before when Jeff started Impact Wrestling. I definitely wanted to come back and work for the organization again.”

Hall of Fame inductions:

“I am already in a couple Hall of Fames like the Michigan Hall of Fame and the Dan Gable Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame so my accolades speak for themselves. Let’s just say I’m not losing any sleep over any Hall of Fame induction. The one Hall of Fame that I refuse to go in is the WWE Hall of Fame because do you know where it’s at? Where is it? Do you have an address? It’s a bunch of bulls—. If they called me up, I wouldn’t go because there’s no address; you can’t go see it, so, where is it? What do you think they do with that Ric Flair statue, the one he was jumping up and down over? Where do you think that statue is at right now? If you had to guess right now where do you think it’s at? I say it’s in Triple H’s bedroom. Let me ask you this, do you think they made a statue of Macho Man? If they made a statue of Macho Man where did you think it would be? It would be in Stephanie’s bedroom. It’s a freaking joke. If you can have a Hall of Fame, at least have an address. That’s the only Hall of Fame I laugh at. Come on man, give me a break.”

How his generation cut promos compared to WWE’s approach today:

“I think why the fans could relate to me is because when I went out there, you could tell I was telling the truth. You could tell I wasn’t bulls—ting and I was putting it on the line and if people don’t like it, then do something about it. A lot of my frustrations were with management and a lot of my frustrations were with candy asses in wrestling like guys who weren’t tough, but try to come across as such. People could really tell how I came out and in the way, I spoke my mind, I was to the point, direct and really no bulls—. I think that’s why the people related to what I was saying. As far as nowadays, I feel sorry for guys, especially with what they do in the WWE. They are cookie cutters. You got 20 or 30 idiot writers with the two biggest idiots being Stephanie McMahon and Hunter McMahon. I say Hunter McMahon because I can’t tell which one is the bigger douche, her or him. I’ll give him her last name because he’s a man without a backbone. So, got those two and the 30 writers trying to write for all these guys and they all got the same mindset trying to make all these characters. When I came up, it was Macho Man and all these other guys and you had to come up with your own stuff. If you didn’t come up with your own stuff, you weren’t getting over. If you can’t relate to the crowd, can’t make people hate you, can’t make people like you, you didn’t have a job. Now it’s like do this, do this, do this, and everything is way too staged. It’s hard to watch, it really is. I feel bad for the fans because they are cheating the fans and that’s what happens when you don’t have competition. Look at the WWE, their ratings are just horrific. I don’t know what to say or what they will do. Go buy another company so you can bury some other guys? They are a bunch of a–holes. When you got competition, it makes people think outside the box. When the ratings are down you got to reach to a higher level and come up with different ideas. Nowadays you can put crap out there and if it doesn’t work, who cares? What else are they going to watch? That’s their mindset and it’s just disgusting.”

Source: WrestlingINC

You cam listen to the full interview below:

IWC Radio’s Exclusive Interview With WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne

IWC Radio’s Martyn Nolan was scheduled to attend the NXT live show in Manchester on the 6th June. Due to the recent tragic events which have unfolded in Manchester and London in the past few weeks, this event was understandably cancelled.
 
However, WWE were kind enough to offer all those who had purchased tickets for the Manchester show a complimentary ticket for the following night in Leeds. It’s there that IWC radio were fortunate enough to be invited to catch up with the newly crowned WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne for a few quick questions before the show later that evening.
 
Full Interview (YouTube): https://youtu.be/D8fdwluZCv0
 
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
 
Martyn Nolan: Where did the term Bruiserweight originate?
 
Pete Dunne: I was in China for 3 months, doing a tour and I was teaming with CJ Banks. We needed a name and it was around the time of the Cruiserweight Classic. We thought Bruiserweight’s was a pretty funny name. We put it on social media and never thought anymore of it. Then, Andy Quildan from Revolution Pro Wrestling contacted me and said that he wanted to bring me in and use this Bruiserweight stuff. Whilst there, I just added pieces to the puzzle and it’s become what it is today. That year, I was trying to stand out as much as possible and the term Bruiserweight really fit my character and people seem to like it.
 
Martyn Nolan: Obviously, everything has happened so fast for you with WWE. Is there a particular moment where you feel that you need someone to pinch you to make sure this is actually happening?
 
Pete Dunne: It’s always afterwards. This all moves so fast and it’s one thing to the next and they keep you working really hard. Ultimately, you’re focused on doing the best job that you can. It’s when you go back to independent shows and get the chance to speak to fans and even notice queues at your merchandise stands. It’s a massive difference and it makes you realise how much exposure the WWE Network can give you. Myself and Trent Seven are always talking to each other saying “How did this happen!?”. Again, I think it’s the speed of it all. Most people come in, they go to NXT, they build up, their stock rises, and by the time they get to the roster it’s a natural progression. Whereas with us, it feels like it’s all happened at once and I can’t thank WWE enough for that.
 
Martyn Nolan: This is the first time WWE have performed to a UK audience since the tragedies in Manchester and London, how does it feel for you and the other talent to be involved in NXT Leeds tonight?
 
Pete Dunne: I think it’ll be really special tonight. Obviously it was unfortunate that they had to cancel the Manchester show but I think it was the right thing to do in my opinion. They’ll be a lot of people from Manchester here tonight so hopefully it’ll be pretty special. I didn’t personally get to meet any of those affected in Manchester but I know a lot of the guys who did and they was telling me how special it was. That’s the power of WWE, getting the chance to experience something like that is really special.
 
Martyn Nolan: It’s common that British wrestling fans keep asking if there is the chance that WWE will hold a WrestleMania in the UK. Is this something that’s ever spoken about between the talent in the back?
 
Pete Dunne: It’s not something I’ve heard but it’s always something I try to talk about. Considering my  responsibility of being the UK Champion, if I can help that happen, then I will do my best. Whether it’s that, a different PPV or another WWE Network special, the more of that stuff then the better. The more British wrestling we can get then that’s got to be better. I hope that one day we can do that and that I can be a part of it.
 
Martyn Nolan: Obviously, here in the UK you’re part of the ‘British Strong Style’ faction with Tyler Bate and Trent Seven. If you could feud with any other faction, who would it be?
 
Pete Dunne: I would have to think about that one. In the UK brand, I would personally like to have a continued rivalry with Mark Andrews, he’s always my favourite opponent and if I could do that in different stages with WWE then I would be really happy. I’d also like to have a rematch with Tyler Bate.
Source: Martyn Nolan/IWC Radio

WWE Reveals First Four Competitors For Mae Young Classic

WWE has officially released the first four names to be included in this year’s 32-women Mae Young Classic.

International standout Toni Storm, NXT Superstars Lacey Evans and Sarah Logan, and lucha libre champion Princesa Sugehit are the first four competitors officially confirmed for WWE’s inaugural Mae Young Classic.

The announcement brings into focus the global scale of the 32-woman tournament, coming this summer to the award-winning WWE Network.

The tournament will be taped on July 13 and 14 at Full Sail University with a live finals on September 12.

Click in this link for more info on these four competitors.