Newest SmackDown Live Superstar Nikki Bella made her return replacing Eva Marie to join Natalya and Alexa Bliss against Becky Lynch, Naomi and Carmella. Nikki hit a TKO on Carmella to get the win for her team.
Tag: SummerSlam
WWE SummerSlam Card 8/21/16
Special start time 7/6 C
Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman vs Randy Orton
WWE Universal Championship: Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor (Demon King)
WWE World Championship: (C) Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler
AJ Styles vs John Cena
WWE Women’s Championship – Dana Brooke Is Banned From Ringside: (C) Sasha Banks vs Charlotte
WWE United States Championship: (C) Rusev w/Lana vs Roman Reigns
WWE Intercontinental Championship: (C) The Miz w/Maryse vs Apollo Crews
WWE Tag Team Championship: (C) The New Day vs Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens
Becky Lynch, Naomi & Carmella vs Natalya & Alexa Bliss (Eva Marie was suppose to be Natalya & Alexa’a partner but she was suspended. At the time of this posting a replacement hasn’t yet been named)
(Pre-show) Best of 7 Series – Match 1: Sheamus vs Cesaro
(Pre-show) The Dudley Boyz vs Zami Zayn & Neville
(Pre-show) The Vaudevillains, The Ascension and Breezango vs. The Hype Bros., The Usos and American Alpha
2016 WWE SummerSlam Betting Odds & Predictions
2016 WWE SummerSlam is coming up this Sunday, SportsBetting Dime has an article looking at the betting odds along with their predictions.
Below are some of the betting odds and their predictions:
Brock Lesnar (-320) vs. Randy Orton (+240)
Thanks to the WWE Draft, both men are now wrestling for two different brands, Orton for Smackdown Live, and Lesnar for RAW, so this match is brand vs. brand; Stephanie McMahon (RAW) vs. Shane McMahon (Smackdown Live). Expect this one to have some fireworks.
This has a big time main event feel to it and I appreciated the MMA-style booking of this bout, which fits Lesnar perfectly.
“The Beast Incarnate” is coming off a win over Mark Hunt at UFC 200, but with that win came a failed drug test for estrogen blockers. Lesnar escaped any discipline from the WWE due to the fact he’s already a part-time performer, but will he be knocked down a peg or two by WWE brass at Summerslam? Let’s not pretend that the failed drug test didn’t embarrass the organization who recently suspended Roman Reigns for violating their wellness program.
Randy Orton has been on the shelf for almost a year recovering from a shoulder injury. The 12-time world champion came back and invaded RAW with an out of the blue RKO on Lesnar that was a thing of beauty. Orton is so over and it’s well overdue. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s a very bankable star that has become a huge internet sensation over the last couple of years. It’s something the WWE can build upon.
So does it make sense to have Orton come back from a long layoff only to job to Lesnar? I’m sure that was the original plan, but something smells like the WWE could be looking to send a message to the locker room and Lesnar. They might not be able to suspend him, but they can definitely briefly damage the beast’s unbeatable aura and send him packing until the fall. Especially since Brock’s voice piece Paul Heyman is currently without a WWE contract.
Will it be Suplex City or Viperville? It might be best for business to see Lesnar win, but maybe things have changed in the Lesnar, WWE relationship. Somehow, Orton picks up the victory, maybe through interference or some other unclean finish. I see Lesnar’s run coming to an end for now. Take the upset here.
Winner: Randy Orton.
Finn Balor (+160) vs. Seth Rollins (-210) – WWE Universal Championship
I am not going to get used to saying “Universal” Championship, but that’s what the new belt is being called on the re-branded Monday Night RAW. Two fantastic workers will get a chance to show off their talents to see who gets to be the first man to wear the brand spanking new title.
There is so much buzz and expectations regarding this match, will it live up to the hype? Finn Balor’s stellar days in NXT are done, and after rushing onto the WWE scene, will the organization put the strap on him this fast? Balor is definitely a megastar in the making if he isn’t one already. Yet this is a match that is really hard to call.
Rollins is already a company cornerstone that doesn’t necessarily need a title but it’s really easy for the WWE to make him the first Universal Champion to build his legacy even more. He will most likely wear gold around his waist numerous times in his budding career.
Balor, though, is world-renowned, the most successful NXT Champion of all-time, and a fantastic in-ring performer. Whether Balor remains a face or turns heel, this has all the makings of a bold WWE move. Balor wins the WWE Universal Championship and puts a stamp on his career, proving the “New Era” in the WWE is legit.
Winner: And the very first WWE Universal Champion – Finn Balor.
(C) Dean Ambrose (-490) vs. Dolph Ziggler (+330) – WWE World Championship
This is going to be a hot match full of athletic ability, big moves, and hopefully great storytelling. Babyface vs. babyface rarely works, and this one sort of feels forced upon us. But these two are extremely hard workers who could definitely steal the show.
Many have wanted to see Ziggler in the main event spot for a long time, but something tells me his time as a babyface could be nearing an end. Will we see a heel turn at SummerSlam? Some of his best work in the past was as a heel. In my mind, it would be the right move here, and after a great match, maybe it extends this feud with Ambrose. We shall see. Regardless, it’s not Ziggler’s time for a belt.
Expect Ambrose to retain his title so the WWE Smackdown Live brand can continue to push Ambrose as a big face for the company, especially with John Cena on a part-time schedule.
Winner: And still WWE World Champion – Dean Ambrose.
(C) Sasha Banks (-1050) vs. Charlotte (+550) – WWE Women’s Championship
I was a bit shocked that Sasha Banks took the women’s title off of Charlotte on Monday Night RAWback in July. Why not save that big win for Summerslam? Not sure why they needed to rush that booking because it kind of makes this pay-per-view match fairly predictable.
In what will be an ongoing feud, expect Banks to defend her title successfully and not relinquish it anytime soon. I’d be shocked if they swerve here and put it back on Charlotte, but Vince McMahon does like his legacy champions, so there is a small chance we see another title flip. But that’s just conspiracy talking.
Winner: And still the WWE Women’s Champion – Sasha Banks.
The rest of the card (Subject to change):
- Apollo Crews vs The Miz (c) for the Intercontinental Championship – Winner: The Miz
- John Cena vs AJ Styles – Winner: AJ Styles
- Roman Reigns vs Rusev (c) for the United states Championship – Winner: Roman Reigns
- The New Day (c) vs the Club for the Tag team Championship – Winner: The Club
- Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens vs Enzo and Big Cass – Winner Enzo and Big Cass
Goldberg In New York City For WWE SummerSlam Weekend
Source: WrestlingINC
Bill Goldberg will be in New York City for WWE SummerSlam weekend, according to PWInsider. Goldberg is set to make appearances for the company but they are likely related to the WWE 2K17 video game. Goldberg is not currently scheduled to appear at the WWE TV tapings and there’s been nothing said about him appearing at SummerSlam.
Backstage News On Why Charlotte Dropped The WWE Women’s Title, SummerSlam Plans
Source: WrestlingINC
Regarding reports that Charlotte dropped the WWE Women’s Title to Sasha Banks because Charlotte is taking time off, that is not the case. PWInsider reports that Charlotte is scheduled for all future bookings and at no point did she request time off and there were never internal discussions about her taking time off.
The decision to put the title on Sasha was made for two reasons – WWE creative wanted to open the first RAW of the New Era with a big surprise by having Sasha Banks accomplish her dream, and Vince McMahon felt that Charlotte’s run as champion helped to establish the title as legitimate.
Now that there’s a foundation for the title, WWE officials are more open to switching it around and using it to help the RAW storylines. Vince is said to be a big fan of Charlotte’s work.
Triple H is said to be a huge proponent of Banks’ work and since Banks vs. Charlotte was already planned for SummerSlam, the feeling was that the change would add another dimension to their SummerSlam match. F4Wonline.com notes that their rematch is still planned for SummerSlam and that Charlotte has a “brutal” schedule coming up.
WWE Announces The First Ever WWE SummerSlam Concert With Flo Rida – Connor’s Cure Benefit
WWE announced the following:
WWE, Barclays Center and iHeartMedia have announced that the first WWE SummerSlam Concert will take place Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. ET at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with proceeds benefiting Connor’s Cure, a fund to help further pediatric cancer research.
The announcement was made by Stephanie McMahon on “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.”
Tickets for the concert, headlined by hip-hop recording artist Flo Rida and international pop superstar Jason Derulo, will go on sale this Friday, July 29, at 12 p.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com. The concert is part of WWE’s week-long lineup of events, including interactive fan experiences and community outreach programs, culminating with SummerSlam on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. ET from a sold-out Barclays Center and live on WWE Network around the world.
The WWE SummerSlam Concert will also include performances by recording artist Daya and emerging hip-hop recording artist Jordan Hollywood, as well as appearances by WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Executive Vice President Talent, Live Events & Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque and many WWE Superstars.
A portion of proceeds from the concert will benefit Connor’s Cure, and be distributed to leading research centers and hospitals nationwide. In 2014, Connor’s Cure was created by McMahon and Levesque as a fund within Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation to support pediatric brain and spinal cord cancer research. Earlier this year, WWE and The V Foundation announced a partnership to expand Connor’s Cure outside of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation and support cancer research nationally.
“I’m definitely honored to be a part of this spectacular event with my WWE family,” said Flo Rida. “They have been there from day one, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to perform for all my WWE fans.”
“We are proud to bring together some of the biggest names in music and entertainment for one night to support Connor’s Cure,” said WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon. “The first-ever WWE SummerSlam Concert will offer fans another opportunity to participate in SummerSlam Week while raising much-needed awareness and funds to support pediatric cancer research.”
“Partnering with WWE is a very heartfelt experience,” said Susan Braun, CEO, The V Foundation. “The V Foundation is honored to work side by side with Stephanie McMahon, Paul Levesque and the entire WWE team to increase the amount of research devoted to children’s cancers. Our world-class scientific advisory committee, who oversees the highly competitive V Foundation Grant process, ensures that the most important work is being funded: Research that will lead to saving children’s lives.”
“We’re excited to bring the first-ever WWE SummerSlam Concert to Barclays Center through our Brooklyn Direct programming division,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “We’re in our second year of a sold-out SummerSlam Weekend, and are proud to bring a new element of entertainment to this great series of events.”
Connor’s Cure was established in honor of 8-year-old WWE fan Connor Michalek, a patient at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC who battled medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord. To date, Connor’s Cure has raised more than $1 million and assisted more than 100 families around the world.
Learn more about Connor’s Cure at WWECommunity.com.
Grammy nominated Flo Rida is one of music’s best-selling artists, having sold more than 80 million records worldwide. Part of the WWE family, Flo Rida has performed at WrestleMania, hosted Monday Night Raw and participated in WWE’s Tribute to the Troops. Originally from Carol City, Fla., his 2008 breakout single “Low” was No. 1 for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital download sales at the time of its release. His 2014 single, “My House,” which was a WrestleMania 32 theme song, became his tenth Top 10 hit in the United States. His catalog also includes the international hit singles “Right Round,” “Club Can’t Handle Me,” “Good Feeling,” “Wild Ones,” “Whistle,” “I Cry” and “G.D.F.R.”
International pop superstar Jason Derulo is one of the most successful and sought-after artists in the industry today. In the six years since ascending to superstardom, Derulo has sold more than 55 million singles worldwide, all of which have been co-written by the artist himself. His music has been streamed more than six billion times on Spotify, and his singles have aired on radio to an audience of over 17 billion since his debut single “Whatcha Say.” His four acclaimed studio albums have accumulated 11 Top 10 singles.
Platinum recording artist Daya drives pop music down a different path as an independent artist scaling the pop charts. Her single “Hide Away” went platinum in January 2016, just one month after being certified gold. With more than 50 million streams on Spotify, a Top 10 iTunes Pop sales chart placement and No. 7 on Shazam’s Top 100, “Hide Away” reached a new BillBoard Hot 100 high at No. 24 earlier this year. Daya follows “Hide Away” with her second single “Sit Still, Look Pretty” and a full album to be released later this year.
South Florida rapper and songwriter Jordan Hollywood is blowing up the charts. His critically acclaimed mixtape “Sorry For This” received the highest praise from all of the major blogs and has more than 4 million streams across his social platforms. Hollywood’s “Trill” has been chosen as the song of the month for the iHeartRadio Digital Artist Integration Program. His single “The Truth” is quickly becoming the hottest song in Miami, winning the 99 Jamz Battle Jamz nine times consecutively and counting. Hollywood is also a noted writer and has co-written songs for Derulo and French Montana.
WWE Universe, don’t miss the first WWE SummerSlam Concert Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. ET at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with proceeds benefiting Connor’s Cure. Tickets for the concert, headlined by hip-hop recording artist Flo Rida and international pop superstar Jason Derulo, will go on sale this Friday, July 29, at 12 p.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com.
Paul Heyman Expected To Appear At SummerSlam, Despite Contract Holdup
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
Paul Heyman is currently negotiating a new deal with WWE after his contract expired in May but, it shouldn’t keep him from appearing at SummerSlam.
The Wrestling Observer first reported Heyman’s contract status this week, and now multiple sources tell us the holdup is over both sides trying to settle on the extent of Paul’s outside projects.
Back in March, Brock Lesnar’s advocate signed a distribution deal with Yahoo Sports to produce exclusive content for their site. He also announced this year that he’d be doing a reality show.
Despite the delay, we’re told the two sides are expected to hammer everything out before SummerSlam so that he can accompany Brock Lesnar to the ring for his match against Randy Orton.
New York State Statement On Brock Lesnar’s Participation At WWE Summerslam
Source: WrestlingINC
The New York Department of State, the body that governs the New York State Athletic Commission, issued the following statement to WrestlingINC.com in regards to questions about whether the NYSAC would prevent Brock Lesnar from performing at WWE Summerslam in Brooklyn, New York, on August 21. Due to a potential violation of USADA policy, related to drug-testing for his fight at UFC 200, Lesnar may be suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission. There have been questions about whether New York, which also regulates pro wrestling, would enforce that suspension at Summerslam.
In 2002, New York State passed legislation that scaled back the regulation of “professional wrestling” in many respects based on a recognition that the activity is entertainment rather than bona-fide athletic competition. Under current New York State law, “professional wrestling” is defined as wrestling “primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise a bona fide athletic contest or competition” (NY Unconsolidated Laws section 8928-b[1]). As such, the State does not license individual wrestlers, and Mr. Lesnar is not a licensee of the New York State Athletic Commission. In the context of “professional wrestling,” as defined above, the State licenses only the promoter, such as the WWE. Per New York law, among other health and safety requirements that apply to the licensing of a promoter, the event promoter is required to have a physician examine each wrestler and determine whether each wrestler is medically fit to participate.The question of whether Mr. Lesnar is fit to participate in a “professional wrestling” event is one that will be determined by the application of the professional medical judgment of the examining physician, the policies of the WWE, and the choices made by Mr. Lesnar with regard to his own participation leading up to the event date.
It seems the state is confirming it wouldn’t prevent Lesnar from participating in pro wrestling events such as WWE Summerslam due to an MMA suspension, because New York doesn’t license individual wrestlers, and his participation is merely up to the physician, WWE and Lesnar himself.
New York requires all pro wrestling events to have a medical physician present, who determines whether wrestlers are medically fit to participate. WWE provides their own ringside physicians, such as Dr. Chris Amann.
Lesnar vs Orton At SummerSlam
It was announced last night on SmackDown that Brock Lesnar will face Randy Orton at SummerSlam in Brooklyn, NY on Sunday, August 21st.
WWE.com issued the following:
The summer of dream matches continues Sunday, Aug. 21, when Randy Orton returns to the ring to lock horns with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. The blockbuster encounter was made official on tonight’s SmackDown.
Despite being two perennial main eventers who trained side-by-side during their formative years at onetime WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, The Apex Predator and The Beast Incarnate have only competed against each other once before in a WWE ring. It happened in September 2002, when both were still WWE rookies. Lesnar, already a month into his reign as WWE Champion, took the victory that night.
Much has changed since that lone, fateful bout, of course. Lesnar has since emerged as a true world-beater and the conqueror of The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak, a fearless, 286-pound juggernaut who packs dynamite, and bad intentions, in his fists. One of the most dangerous men in combat-sports history, Lesnar remains the only individual to have ever captured the WWE Championship, UFC Championship and NCAA heavyweight wrestling championship.
The Viper, meanwhile, bears little resemblance to the gifted, if inexperienced, shaggy-haired Superstar who stood across the ring from Lesnar 14 years ago. Since his one and only match against The Beast, Orton has gone on to win an incredible 12 World Titles, establishing himself as one of the most decorated Superstars of his generation. Orton has also exhibited on more than one occasion a disconcerting ability to turn sinister at a moment’s notice. Such a dark, remorseless attitude may prove invaluable against a monster like Lesnar.
Adding further intrigue to the clash is that it is Orton’s first match since injuring his shoulder late last year. Having been out of action since November, Orton is assuredly interested in reasserting himself as WWE’s Apex Predator. There may be no better way to accomplish that goal than by taking down The Beast Incarnate. Yet, the question remains: Will Orton’s shoulder end up being a weakness against Lesnar?
Watch this historic showdown in its entirety when SummerSlam airs live from Brooklyn, N.Y., on the award-winning WWE Network Sunday, Aug. 21, at 7 ET/4 PT.
WWE Trying To Get Ronda Rousey For WrestleMania 33?
Source: WrestlingINC
As if CM Punk, Brock Lesnar and potentially Paige VanZant weren’t enough for potential UFC and WWE crossovers, it appears as if the WWE is hoping to land Ronda Rousey for next year’s WrestleMania 33 event.
According to a report by Forbes, the WWE is looking to angle the Brock Lesnar UFC fight to potentially get Rousey on WrestleMania. As you may remember, Ronda Rousey participated in WrestleMania 31, working an angle with Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and the Rock.
As we mentioned earlier, the WWE is also hoping to get UFC stars to appear at Summerslam.
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