Tag: WWE

Backstage Notes On Paul Heyman Influence On This Week’s RAW, Was Corey Graves’ Line Scripted?, Eric Bischoff SmackDown Note

Paul Heyman reportedly had “his fingerprints” all over last night’s WWE RAW episode, with most of the material going through him, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. However, Vince McMahon and red brand head writer Ed Koskey were the main ones discussing the show at the big production meeting for this week’s RAW, not Heyman.

Last night’s RAW was not 100% Heyman’s show, but it was a “very heavy Paul Heyman” episode, essentially his first as the new Executive Director of the red brand.

It was speculated that Corey Graves’ “Holy s–t!” line after the stage explosion with Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley may have been scripted. Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the line was scripted. We had noted earlier how WWE didn’t use the 7+ second delay to bleep the word. There was reportedly a feeling that they did the line to add to the recent efforts to make RAW seem more edgier.

Fans online seem to be under the impression that Heyman ran last night’s RAW as it came off as a better episode compared to what we’ve seen in recent weeks. There was a light “thank you Heyman!” chant in the American Airlines Center following the stage explosion angle with Strowman and Lashley last night. Regarding that explosion angle, WWE used the overhead shot backstage because they wanted to make it look like it wasn’t a part of the planned show.

Heyman did appear on RAW as Brock Lesnar’s advocate, in a backstage segment to get WWE NXT Tag Team Champions The Street Profits over, but there are still no plans for him to be an authority figure on TV. Heyman has been very adamant about not working an authority figure role on WWE TV, with the feeling that the role has been played out for years. One of the changes Heyman reportedly wants to make is doing away with the authority figures.

New SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff is expected to be at tonight’s blue brand show from San Antonio. Bischoff’s “fingerprints” may end up being on tonight’s SmackDown, but word is that his first official episode will be the post-Extreme Rules show on July 16.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Mentions AEW In Social Media Error During RAW (Photo)

It’s very possible that a member of WWE’s large social media team was reprimanded during this week’s WWE RAW episode after All Elite Wrestling was accidentally mentioned by the official WWE Instagram account.

The AEW mention came when the WWE Instagram account posted a backstage photo of WWE NXT Tag Team Champions The Street Profits, who made their first main roster appearances during backstage segments on RAW.

The original caption on the photo read, “The #NXT Tag Team Champions AEW here on #Raw!”

They meant to say, “…are here on #Raw!”, but for some reason AEW was on the mind of the social media employee who made the post, or they fell victim to auto-correct.

WWE’s Executive Vice President of Digital & Social Content Jayar Donlan spoke with Sports Business Daily in May 2018 and revealed that he then had a staff of 90 employees who worked WWE’s social media department. There’s no word on if that number included interns or how big the team is today.

The error received several thousand likes and comments on Instagram before it was fixed. The corrected photo, seen below, has many comments from fans about the botch, with most people joking about someone getting fired.

You can see a screenshot of the AEW botch below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Maria Kanellis Pregnancy Update Following WWE RAW

Last night on RAW, WWE shot a backstage segment with Mike and Maria Kanellis approaching Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins. Maria challenged Lynch and Rollins, referring to Mike as “my bi–h” and saying that they wanted to face Becky and her “bi–h,” which led to a mixed tag team match.

During the mixed tag match, Maria announced that she was pregnant. Maria took the mic and wondered how Mike got her pregnant because he wasn’t man enough. Maria continued to berate Mike on the air before he tapped to Lynch’s “Disarmher” finisher.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Maria is actually pregnant. That would be the explanation as to why she didn’t compete inside the ring.

Prior to Monday’s RAW, Mike had been wrestling on 205 Live. Both Mike and Maria recently signed new five-year deals with the company. The deal is reportedly worth $500,000 per year.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Highlights 7/1/19 – AJ Styles, The Club, The Undertaker, Strowman & Lashley, Kanellis’s, 24/7 Title, Street Profits & More

Last night on RAW there was a heel turn by AJ Styles and The Club are officially back together as they beat down United States Champion Ricochet after he retained his title in the main event of RAW against Styles.

Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre called out The Undertaker and he came out to the ring and had a message for Shane & Drew.

Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley were both taken by ambulance to the hospital after Strowman speared Lashley through the stage’s LED boards which sparked some explosions.

Mike and Maria Kaneliis had a mix tag team match against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. During the match, Maria announced as Becky was about to hit her that she was pregnant, but that she doesn’t believe Mike was man enough to be the one to have impregnated her. After The Kanellis’ lost, she got on the microphone and further berated her husband.

Drake Maverick regained the 24/7 title from R-Truth just as he was heading out on his honeymoon.

Watch these highlights and more below:

WWE RAW Preview 7/1/19

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas as the road to Extreme Rules continues.

* Falls. Count. Anywhere.

* The New Day and The Viking Raiders to throw down in tag team action

* How will Baron Corbin & Lacey Evans exploit Seth Rollins’ “kryptonite”?

* The Big Dog and The Deadman unite

* Is AJ Styles in line for a U.S. Title opportunity?

* Is Samoa Joe our next WWE Champion?

Paige On WWE Creative Frustration With The Kabuki Warriors, Recent Vince McMahon Interaction

Paige recently spoke with The Sun to promote the DVD release of WWE Studios’ “Fighting with My Family” movie and was asked about Vince McMahon’s reaction to the film.

“I don’t know what Vince’s reaction to it was. But if you get a big hug from Vince McMahon you’re doing well. I saw him last week and he gave me a big hug and said, ‘I’m very happy for you.’ I don’t know it that’s about the movie or the fact that I’m healthy. I think he probably liked it if he did watch it,” Paige said.

Paige also spoke about being the manager for The Kabuki Warriors, Asuka and Kairi Sane. Paige is convinced the team can be a game changer for the WWE women’s tag team division, if they can get the TV time. She talked about being frustrated over how the team has been used.

“If we don’t get used I get really frustrated because we’re a good tag team and we need to be utilised. Sometimes the writers have so much on their plate with everyone else’s storylines, they put things on the backburner. I have to remind them, ‘Ok, but there is a women’s tag team title… I’m like, ‘What the hell dudes? Let’s make something happen.’

“It frustrates me but once you actually get to speak with Vince and Hunter about your problems and frustrations, they’re always the first to say, ‘Let’s change this.’ If you go up to writers it’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes, whereas if you go to Vince and Hunter they’re like, ‘If you have a problem we can change that for you.’ The Kabuki Warriors can be a force to be reckoned with and that was the plan from the beginning… After the match in Tokyo hopefully we’ll get to build towards a pay-per-view, which gives the girls something to look forward to. So I’m happy we have a boss that really listens to us.”

As noted, Sane and Asuka became the new #1 contenders to WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics by winning a non-title match in Tokyo this past week. There’s no word yet on when they will get their title shot.

Regarding her WWE future, Paige said she wouldn’t be interested in a role on the creative team, but she does see herself staying with WWE in some capacity, and she’s interested in pursuing acting.

“One way or another I’ll always be a part of WWE, whether it’s in front of the camera or behind the camera. I’d love to do a GM role again. I felt like I really found myself in that role. It really pushed me,” she said. “Also, I love acting, I truly really love it. Obviously wrestling always will be my first passion but unfortunately I can’t do that anymore.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Triple H Teams With The Club In Japan (PHOTOS)

Triple H was an honorary member of The Club last night in Tokyo during a tag match, and the WWE exec said it was “too sweet.”

The WWE live event match in Japan featured Triple H teaming with AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson against Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Samoa Joe.

Hunter picked up the win for his team after hitting the Pedigree on Corbin.

After the show was over, Triple H tweeted: “An amazing night in . A city I’ve performed in countless times with an incredible roster of [WWE] Superstars. An honor to give Mr. Shinma his  Legacy Award and team with The Club. …and if this was one of my last times to perform in Tokyo… it was .”

Check out some of the photos and a video below.

https://twitter.com/AnnetteReid24/status/1144616481348567041

Below are results from the show:

WWE presented Hisashi Shinma with a Legacy Award for being inducted as a Legacy member of their Hall of Fame.

– United States Champion Ricochet defeated Cesaro to retain his title

Ricochet retained with a flying headscissors into a pin.

– Braun Strowman defeated Robert Roode

Strowman won with a powerslam. Roode ended up being put through a table after the match.

– The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) defeated Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics (Peyton Royce & Billie Kay) in a non-title match

Asuka took out Kay with a hip attack, then Sane hit the InSane Elbow on Royce to win. As a stipulation of their win, Asuka & Sane will get a Women’s Tag Team title shot in the future.

– Triple H, AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre & Samoa Joe

Triple H got the pin on Corbin after hitting a Pedigree.

– Raw Tag Team Champions The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) defeated Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins to retain their titles

Gallows & Anderson came out after, building to tomorrow’s show.

– Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defeated Alexa Bliss to retain her title

Lynch submitted her with the Dis-Arm-Her.

– Universal Champion Seth Rollins defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain his title

Rollins retained after hitting two superkicks and a Curb Stomp. He tweeted after the match: “Pro wrestling is so f’n cool. Thank you @ShinsukeN. Thank you #WWETokyo.”

Sources: Pro Wrestling Sheet and Wrestling Observer

FOX Hoping To Make AEW Look Inferior With WWE SmackDown Debut?, News On AEW Start Date And Time Slot

AEW is expected to start on Turner during the first week of October, which is the same week that WWE SmackDown will being airing on Friday nights on FOX. The news was first reported by MMA insider @fightoracle, who first broke the story that Turner Sports would be presenting AEW at their upfronts last month. As noted, AEW applied for the trademark “Wednesday Night Dynamite” earlier this month.

With the television show seemingly airing on Wednesday nights, the premiere date will be October 2nd. Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that while there are still meetings occurring regarding the show, strategies, and other ideas from the TNT side, the plan is for the show to air on Wednesdays, with 8-10 p.m. being the most likely time slot.

WWE SmackDown will make its much anticipated debut two nights later at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. It was reported in The Observer that FOX will be testing out two new cameras for the debut. FOX is also looking to invite a lot of celebrities and give the show the feel of a major event, which is a reason that it’s being held in Los Angeles. It was noted that the idea is to make WWE look as major league as possible, which in turn would make AEW look minor league from the start.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On WWE Hiring Paul Heyman And Eric Bischoff, Former TNA Employees “Baffled”, TV Roles

As noted, WWE has hired Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman to work as Executive Directors of RAW and SmackDown. Bischoff will head up the blue brand while Heyman will run the red brand, and both will report directly to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

Below is a new WWE Now video with Cathy Kelley looking at the buzz surrounding the latest WWE creative shake-up. While this is not currently planned to be a part of any storyline, the WWE website did cover the announcement after WWE issued their press release to us and other media outlets. The story was originally reported by Sports Illustrated, and has since been picked up by some mainstream media. The story is currently the featured article on the WWE website.

It’s possible we see significant creative changes to RAW and SmackDown as soon as Monday and Tuesday as Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that he’s heard Bischoff and Heyman will begin their new roles immediately. It’s unknown if that means right now or next week, or soon after, but we should have an update on when they are starting soon. Meltzer also noted that Fox officials had no idea that the Executive Director hires were coming, but it was indicated that they did want to work with Heyman.

“I do know the Fox people had no idea this was coming… but they wanted the other guy,” Meltzer said.

Bischoff will be working closely with Fox officials as the blue brand prepares to premiere on Fox Friday nights in October.

On a related note, Bischoff’s full-time return to WWE has surprised a lot of people. Meltzer noted that people who worked with Bischoff in TNA, that are working with WWE now, were more than baffled by the news.

It looks like the former WCW President will continue to be involved with his “83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff” podcast. John Pollock noted on Twitter that there will be “no change” regarding Bischoff and the podcast, which features Starrcast founder Conrad Thompson as the co-host. The podcast takes a weekly look at Bischoff’s time in the business, mainly in WCW. It will be interesting to see if the podcast continues as Bischoff gets settled into his new gig with WWE.

Heyman and WWE just recently came to terms on the new role but they have been going back and forth on the new deal for a long time, according to PWInsider. The former ECW boss has been in WWE’s inner circle when it comes to the creative process for some time, but without an official title. That changes with the announcement. We noted earlier how WWE has been pursuing Heyman to officially sign on to work in their corporate circles since February. An offer was made to Heyman to work as a full-time member of the creative process back around the same time Bruce Prichard was brought back as a Senior Vice President. The talks were slowly progressing, and just recently finalized. It’s no secret that Heyman had been working creatively on storylines involving Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar, but he has also been working on material for Alexa Bliss and many others, long before the talks.

Regarding Bischoff’s return, WWE looked at his previous work with Turner Broadcasting, Spike and other networks in building past TV series, and that was one of the reasons they hired him for the role, according to PWInsider. The deal with Bischoff was inked within the last few weeks.

As noted, while they will still report to Vince, Heyman and Bischoff will essentially be running RAW and SmackDown. One source compared the new roles to Triple H’s role in WWE NXT, in that they will be in charge, but this is still Vince’s company and he still has the final say-so. There’s no word yet on how Triple H and others will factor into this shake-up.

Heyman is expected to continue his TV role as the mouthpiece for Lesnar. Despite this not being a part of any TV storyline as of now, there’s obvious speculation on when we will see Bischoff return to TV, if he’s brought back at all, given how he’s always done well in those character roles.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Kenny Omega Strongly Criticizes WWE For Streaming Evolve Show Opposite AEW Fight For The Fallen

WWE announced yesterday that the WWE Network will stream EVOLVE’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. It will air as the EVOLVE 131 event, on Saturday, July 13 from the former ECW Arena, the 2300 Arena, in Philadelphia, PA. . The special will feature WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. Akira Tozawa with the title on the line, Matt Riddle vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak in a non-title match. The event will also feature NXT’s Arturo Ruas (Adrian Jaoude) and Babatunde, plus EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory and EVOLVE Tag Team Champions Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy. A full line-up of matches will be announced soon.

“Evolve was the birthplace for many current WWE and NXT Superstars so it is only fitting that their 10th Anniversary Celebration will be showcased live on WWE Network,” Triple H said.

WWE began their working relationship and talent exchange with WWN Live’s EVOLVE promotion back in 2015. Booker Gabe Sapolsky now works behind-the-scenes for NXT and the WWE Performance Center.

Many fans have pointed to how the WWE Network EVOLVE stream is airing on the same night as AEW’s Fight for the Fallen event from Jacksonville, FL. This event will have a portion of the proceeds donated to victims of gun violence.

It should be noted that the EVOLVE 131 date was first announced back in mid-May. We don’t know when WWE began negotiating for the livestream. AEW first announced the details on Fight for the Fallen during the first week of March.

AEW Executive Vice President Kenny Omega has fans talking on social media today after a tweet he made on the EVOLVE – WWE special. He apparently called out WWE for working with Saudi Arabia.

“If lining your pockets with blood money is okay, then what’s wrong with trying to undermine a charity show for victims of gun violence? I hear that healthy competition is supposed to be a good thing and yet I can’t help but feel like I’m gonna be sick,” Omega wrote.

Omega has deleted his original tweet that apparently knocked WWE for their working relationship with the Saudis. His new tweet, also seen below, reads like this: “I’ve said my piece and it opened the door to a very toxic environment. It wasn’t a message to fans, or the boys, just the decision makers. I wish everyone wrestling on any show that day all the best. That is all.”

You can see Omega’s full tweets below:

If lining your pockets with blood money is okay, then what’s wrong with trying to undermine a charity show for victims of gun violence? I hear that healthy competition is supposed to be a good thing and yet I can’t help but feel like I’m gonna be sick.

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) June 26, 2019

https://twitter.com/KennyOmegamanX/status/1143980930203312133

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1143954386592423937

Source: Wrestling Inc.