WWE officially announced that The Faboulous Freebirds as 2016 WWE Hall of Fame inductees last night on RAW. It is speculated that WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Von Erich will be the one inducting them.
Category: WWE
RAW Preview: 2/29/16
Source: WWE.com
The Undertaker returns! The Undertaker will appear live on tonight’s edition of Raw for the first time in 2016, WWE.com can confirm. Following Mr. McMahon’s blockbuster declaration that The Phenom will battle Shane McMahon inside Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania to decide if The Boy Wonder will assume control of Monday Night Raw, the WWE Universe has been speculating on what the legendary Superstar will have to say about his role in the McMahon family power struggle. Will The Deadman shed further light on his historic 24th contest at The Showcase of the Immortals?
How will Triple H continue to assert his power on The Road to WrestleMania after injuring his Show of Shows opponent? Will Reigns even be be able to face The Game for his title at WrestleMania? Expect more fallout on Raw.
Who will face Charlotte at WrestleMania 32? #1 Contender’s Match: Sasha Banks VS Becky Lynch
Even though Brock Lesnar obliterated Dean Ambrose in the parking garage before last week’s Raw, The Lunatic Fringe — neck brace and all — commandeered an ambulance and confronted The Beast during the broadcast. Goading Lesnar, even in his battered state, Ambrose demanded a No Holds Barred Street Fight with The Conqueror at WrestleMania. The unstable Superstar’s challenge was met with a brutal F-5 at ringside, then an acceptance by Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman. Despite seeming indestructible, even in the face of The Anomaly’s fury, this is still a bout pitting a man against The Beast. Yet, will the chaotic nature of this anything-goes Show of Shows confrontation favor The Lunatic Fringe?
Expect The Dudley Boyz to continue reminding WWE fans and the locker room that they’re no mere nostalgia act — they’re WWE Tag Team Championship contenders.
Backstage Talk On WWE Possibly Splitting Up The RAW And SmackDown Brands This Year
Source: PWInsider Elite
Shane McMahon’s WWE return and match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 for the control of RAW got a lot of fans talking about a potential brand split happening again.
Fans aren’t the only ones talking about a brand split as there have been rumblings within WWE for several weeks now, even before Shane returned, according to PWInsider. No word yet on exactly what is being discussed or how close they might be to actually executing the idea but there has been at least talk of doing some kind of split with RAW and SmackDown.
It will be very interesting to see if WWE could pull off a brand split with the way business is today. It doesn’t sound like NXT would be involved but that wasn’t stated in the report. There’s also no word on if the stipulation for Hell In a Cell at WrestleMania would tie into the split but it seems like that would be the easiest way to get there.
Nikki Bella Gets “Amazing News” From Her Doctor
Source: WrestlingNews.co
Nikki Bella, who underwent surgery to fix a badly herniated disk in her neck, mentioned on Instagram that she recently went to the doctor and got “such amazing news.” She posted this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCQpZN1ikMN/?taken-by=thenikkibella
The last official word on Nikki was that she would be out for six months before she can find out if she can compete again.
2016 WWE Hall Of Fame Update
Source: WrestlingINC
With WWE announcing Sting & The Godfather for the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame, the remaining Hall of Fame inductees are Jacqueline, The Freebirds and Regis Philbin in the celebrity wing. JBL was also expected to be inducted this year with Ron Simmons doing the induction, but plans may have changes as it was revealed last week that JBL and Simmons would be inducting The Godfather. PWInsider reported that the Freebirds induction is expected to be announced today and they are likely to be inducted by Kevin Von Erich.
SmackDown Preview: 2/25/16
What carnage will follow Triple H to SmackDown?
Which Superstar will team up AJ Styles & Chris Jericho to clash with WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day in a huge Six-Man Tag Team Match? And will “The Phenomenal One,” The Ayatollah of Rock ’n’ Rolla and their partner be able to slow down Big E, Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston?
Becky Lynch VS Natalya
Neville, Lucha Dragons & Dolph Ziggler VS League of Nations
Jimmy Uso VS D-Von Dudley
Did Roman Reigns Have Surgery For A Pre-Existing Condition?, More On The RAW Blood Spot
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter via WrestlingINC
WWE claimed that Roman Reigns had nose surgery on Tuesday in Tampa due to the beatdown he received from WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H on RAW. Apparently the surgery was legitimate, despite the planned blood spot.
Reigns was not injured in the Triple H angle but word going around Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings was that Reigns had a pre-existing condition with his nose that needed to be taken care of. There are still conflicting reports on if the surgery and the pre-existing condition are legitimate, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Regarding the blood spot, where Byron Saxton apparently handed Reigns a blood packet, the spot was obviously planned and WWE officials expected things to get bloody but they were surprised it looked as graphic as it did, which is why they didn’t shoot close-ups.
News on Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE NXT Contract
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter via WrestlingINC
Regarding Shinsuke Nakamura officially signing with WWE NXT, it was noted on Wrestling Observer Radio and in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion looks to be the first NXT Superstar to receive WWE main event level money.
No word yet on how much time Nakamura will spend in NXT but all signs point to a significant run there. It’s very interesting how WWE is paying big money for Nakamura if they have a lengthy NXT run planned for him.
The signing has been treated like a major sports story in Japan. The February 22nd press conference in Tokyo at the Hard Rock had more than 100 reporters, photographers and videographers.
Jim Ross Lands New Gig Calling Boxing
Source: Bleacher Report
Former WWE announcer Jim Ross has signed with CBS to broadcast boxing matches, according to a Tuesday report by Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press (via the Republic).
His debut broadcast will be on March 12 at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center in the first of eight “Knockout Night at the D” events to be held monthly.
Ross, 64, was both excited for the opportunity and aware he would require something of an adjustment period, as he told Brunt:
“I can’t overnight become a boxing expert. There will be learned boxing fans, longtime fans, that are going know infinitely more about boxing than I do, and I have no problem with that. My strengths are storytelling and getting you to know the fighter, and then bringing that spontaneity, that voice that cuts through the clutter.”
Ross served as a WWE announcer for 20 years, from 1993-2013. He also served as a WWE senior vice president for talent relations and notably signed “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, among other professional wrestlers, per Brunt.
While Ross will have to bring a different approach to announcing boxing matches as opposed to the WWE matches of his past, he doesn’t plan on totally changing his style.
“I’m excited because I’ll know about the fighters, I’ll know why you should like this guy, why he’s here, what it means to them—the story behind the fight,” Ross told Brunt. “And when the bell rings, I’ll call what I see, describe what I feel, and defer to my expert color analyst for the intricacies.”
That color commentator will be Al Bernstein, a veteran announcer who noted that Ross “brings to boxing the same wit and larger-than-life personality that has endeared him to wrestling viewers.”
In addition to his new gig in boxing, Ross is also working with FITE TV as an adviser and a spokesman and will be doing voice-overs for Mark Cuban’s New Japan Pro Wrestling show on AXS TV.
NXT Preview: 2/24/16
The following is scheduled for tonight’s 2/24 WWE NXT on the WWE Network:
* NXT Women’s Champion Bayley & Carmella vs. Eva Marie & Nia Jax
* American Alpha vs. Blake & Murphy w/Alexa Bliss
* Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bull Dempsey
* Apollo Crews vs. Chris Girard
