Forbes has a story here about the massive amusement park-themed WrestleMania 33 set, noting that it “could be the greatest over.”
WrestleMania 33 set photos:
Source: WrestlingINC
Tag: WrestleMania 33
Mauro Ranallo Says He’s Stronger, Comments On WrestleMania
It appears Mauro Ranallo will not be working WrestleMania 33 this week as he tweeted well wishes to his WWE family as they head to Orlando today.
Mauro missed Tuesday night’s WrestleMania 33 go-home edition of WWE SmackDown Live – his third week in a row. Mauro’s absence is related to his battle with depression, which he’s fought since he was a teenager. Mauro noted last week that his doctors had advised him to stay off social media.
Mauro’s good friend and podcast co-host Bas Rutten recently appeared on The Luke Thomas Show and commented on the status of the SmackDown announcer:
“Yeah, he’s doing OK. As everybody knows, he’s very vocal about it but Mauro is bi-polar and sometimes, a few times a year, things are going too fast and he needs to just simply slow down. But he’s doing good and I talked to him… he’s sending me funny video clips, he just sent me something… It’s all in good spirits, I think he will be back to normal very soon.”
Source: WrestlingINC
Wrestling News Blog Podcast: WrestleMania 33, WWE HOF and NXT TakeOver: Orlando
WRESTLEMANIA 33 PREVIEW WITH ED & VANESSA!
Ed Boston and Vanessa Vasquez take a look at this weekend’s events. Including the Hall of Fame, NXT Takeover and of course WrestleMania itself!
WrestleMania 33 Tickets Made Available
WWE announced today that new seats for WrestleMania 33 at Camping World Stadium have just been released via Ticketmaster. Get them now before they’re gone.
Naomi Returns From Injury, Inserts Herself Into SD Live Women’s Title Match (VIDEO)
Last night on SmackDown Live, Naomi made a surprise appearance by running down the ramp and hitting Natalya with a running hurricanrana.
She then cut a promo confirming that she’s officially entering the SmackDown Women’s Title Match at Wrestlemania 33 in her hometown of Orlando, Florida.
The pre-show match also includes Natalya, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch and Mickie James.
Al Roker To Be Guest Ring Announcer At WrestleMania 33
John Cena appeared on NBC’s “Today” show this morning and announced that weather man Al Roker will be the guest ring announcer for Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse for Sunday’s WrestleMania 33 pay-per-view in Orlando.
WWE announcement:
John Cena reveals that Al Roker will be a guest ring announcer at WrestleManiaDuring a guest hosting appearance on NBC’s “TODAY,” John Cena surprised Al Roker with the opportunity to be the guest ring announcer for Cena & Nikki Bella’s match against The Miz & Maryse at WrestleMania 33.
WrestleMania’s forecast is looking up!
Will Roker bring the thunder on the microphone at The Ultimate Thrill Ride? Find out this Sunday when The Showcase of the Immortals airs live on WWE Network!
WrestleMania Available Live In China For The First Time
WWE and PPTV today announced that WrestleMania will be available live in China for the first time on PPTV Sports via pay-per-view at 7:00 AM Beijing time on Monday, April 3 with a choice of Mandarin or English commentary.
SHANGHAI & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and PPTV today announced that WrestleMania will be available live in China for the first time on PPTV Sports via pay-per-view at 7:00 AM Beijing time on Monday, April 3 with a choice of Mandarin or English commentary.
PPTV customers can go to WWE.PPTV.com starting at 3:33 PM Beijing time on Thursday, March 30 to subscribe to WrestleMania for a one-time payment of RMB 30 using Alipay, WeChat or Bank Card. Subscribers will be able to stream WrestleMania live on Web iOS, Android devices and digital media players. WrestleMania will also be available for purchase on demand for 30 days after the live broadcast.
WrestleMania 33 will be held at Florida’s Orlando Citrus Bowl and will feature WWE Universal Champion Goldberg™ vs. Brock Lesnar™; WWE Champion Bray Wyatt™ vs. Randy Orton™; Raw® Women’s Champion Bayley™ vs. Charlotte Flair™ vs. Sasha Banks™ vs. Nia Jax™; Roman Reigns™ vs. The Undertaker™; and John Cena® and Nikki Bella™ vs. The Miz™ and Maryse™.
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with PPTV and distribute WWE’s biggest pay-per-view event, WrestleMania, live in China for the first time,” said Jay Li, Vice President & General Manager, WWE Greater China. “In addition to watching Raw® and SmackDown® on PPTV every week, fans in China can now watch their favorite WWE Superstars compete live on the grandest stage of all, WrestleMania.”
“I am extremely excited that PPTV Sports is able to launch a sports pay-per-view event for the first time in China,” said Yicheng Lou, Vice President of PPTV Sports. “Equally exciting is the fact that we can launch this feature with WrestleMania, one of the world’s most valuable sports and entertainment events. This is a solid step towards developing the largely untapped sports pay-per-view market in China.”
WrestleMania is one of the world’s top five most valuable sports events, according to Forbes, alongside the NFL’s Super Bowl, Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup. Over the past 10 years, WrestleMania has had a cumulative economic impact of nearly $1 billion for the cities that have hosted the event.
Visit WWE.PPTV.com or WWE China Weibo for more information.
Shawn Michaels Reveals That He Was Offered Match With AJ Styles At WrestleMania
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels appeared on the latest episode of The Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. During the interview with Roberts, Michaels revealed that he was actually offered a match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33.
“I guess I’m breaking something with you and I don’t even know if I should, but I could have had that match,” Michaels said (h/t to Sports Illustrated for the transcription). “They didn’t have an opponent for AJ at WrestleMania. I said that I hadn’t been asked because I hadn’t—but then I was.
“I said, I wish that young man was here 10 years ago, man. I honestly do. I think he’s very talented.”
Michaels has not wrestled since losing a “Career vs. Streak” match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI in 2010. He told ESPN earlier this year that Triple H and Vince McMahon had never approached him about a return match, but he thinks that a match with Samoa Joe would be something that he would have enjoyed.
“I look at Samoa Joe and I’ve told him a number of times that I see his stuff at NXT and think to myself, ‘Man, I could have a great deal of fun with you.’ He’s a guy I have sort of enjoyed, and one of those sleeper guys that no one talks about,” Michaels told ESPN in January. “We have contrasting styles. I get that everybody wants to see me and AJ or Seth or Dolph [Ziggler]. From my standpoint, I think really telling a great story out there [is most important]. I could do it with a guy like Samoa Joe. His stuff looks really good, and sometimes he just looks like he’s beating the tar out of somebody.”
Source: WrestlingINC
RAW Star Returning To SmackDown Soon?, News On Possible SmackDown Women’s Title Match Participants
Summer Rae was apparently training for her return at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Summer has been out of action since last summer with a knee injury.
While Summer has not appeared on WWE TV since the Draft after being sent to the RAW roster, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that there’s talk of bringing her back to the SmackDown roster with an appearance at WrestleMania 33 in the SmackDown Women’s Title match.
Regarding that match, graphics have confirmed that it will be Alexa Bliss defending against Becky Lynch, Mickie James, Carmella and Natalya but it’s possible we also see appearances by Naomi, Tamina Snuka, Eva Marie and Summer. There’s also been rumors of a stipulation being added to the match.
The Observer adds that it’s also possible we see former WWE Superstars return for the SmackDown Women’s Title match. We’ve noted how the company contacted several women from the past about appearing at WrestleMania 33 for an angle or match that has been kept secret. Kelly Kelly and Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria) were among those contacted about working for the company in Orlando that Sunday.
Rusev Scheduled To Miss Time Due To Injury, WrestleMania 33 Appearance Unlikely?
According to F4WOnline, former United States Champion Rusev is scheduled to be absent for a period of time. Although it is not confirmed that healing an injured shoulder is the cause of the upcoming hiatus, The Big Show recently told a fan that Rusev does have to undergo surgery, which will shelve him for a while. When asked why he squashed Rusev at Fastlane last week, The Big Show reportedly said, “he’s having shoulder surgery and I put him over strong years ago.”
Rusev has not been involved in any major storyline since his angle with Lana against Enzo Amore dissolved. For a short amount of time, he teamed with Jinder Mahal, but this partnership has ended. During the WWE Fastlane pay-per-view, Rusev competed against Big Show, and was dismantled, receiving multiple chokeslams and a knockout punch. This could have been a way to write him off television while he recovers.
With just three weeks left before WrestleMania, an appearance is unlikely from the Bulgarian Brute.
Source: WrestlingINC
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