Tag: WWE

Update on Possible Ronda Rousey/WWE Plans

It was previously reported that Ronda Rousey is reportedly interested in a WWE run, and that she was referred to Brian Kendrick for training. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter confirms the initial reports and that she has been working with Kendrick. With Shayna Baszler participating in the Mae Young Classic, Jessamyn Duke also training and Marina Shafir being introduced on NXT as Roderick Strong’s girlfriend, it looks like they will do a Horsewoman vs. Horsewoman feud. But the end game will be to get a singles match out of Rousey at WrestleMania. The original idea was always Rousey vs. Stephanie McMahon in a singles match after the 2015 angle at WrestleMania in Santa Clara.

Source: 411Mania

Asuka Makes WWE History

Image result for Asuka NXT Women's Champion

WWE NXT Women’s Champion Asuka has passed Rockin’ Robin’s 502 days as WWE Women’s Champion and is now the longest-reigning women’s champion of any kind, and the longest-reigning champion in WWE history (besides the years-long reigns by Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund, Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino that will likely never be surpassed). Asuka is set to defend her title against Ember Moon at Saturday’s NXT “Takeover: Brooklyn III” event.

Below are comments from Bill Goldberg and Kevin Nash on the streak:

Source: WrestlingINC

Bayley Gives Update On Shoulder Injury, Has No Timetable For Return Yet

shoulder bayley injury update no timetable

Even though she isn’t appearing at the show, Bayley is in town for SummerSlam … and she just gave some updates on her shoulder injury in a new interview.

Speaking with PWInsider, Bayley confirmed that she is dealing with a grade 2 separation and explained, “It’s like the AC joint and the ligaments and all that stuff, so it’s not easy.”

Bayley admits she doesn’t know how long she’ll be out yet, but confirmed she has started physical therapy … adding, “Just within the past couple of weeks, I think it’s been two weeks now, I’ve actually been able to move it a little bit and the swelling has gone down a lot.”

The wrestler concluded by saying, “So, the motion is coming back a little bit more, but it’s more about getting the strength and being able to lift my arm in front of me.”

Bayley was set to take on Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, but received the injury on Raw a week later. Her best friend Sasha Banks will now be facing Bliss.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Former ROH Champion Adam Cole Signs With WWE

As has been expected for quite some time, former three-time Ring of Honor champion Adam Cole has signed with WWE.

That’s the word according to a report from PWInsider and confirmed by the Wrestling Observer.

WWE has been interested in the 28-year-old star for quite some time. However, he decided to wait so he could continue working for Ring of Honor along with more opportunities in Japan. Over the past year, he wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a member of the “Bullet Club” and also defeated Kyle O’Reilly at “Wrestle Kingdom 11” this past January to win the ROH Championship.

Cole is expected to report to the company’s Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. later this week and debut with NXT in the near future.  That could be as early as this Saturday at the “TakeOver: Brooklyn III” event at the Barclays Center on the night before “SummerSlam.”

Source: SportingNews

The Mae Young Classic Bracket To Be Revealed This Sunday After SummerSlam

WWE issued the following:

The Mae Young Classic is almost here, but before the tournament gets underway on Monday, Aug. 28, be sure to tune in to WWE Network this Sunday for your first chance to see the official tournament bracket.

Hosted by Corey Graves and WWE Hall of Famer Lita, the Mae Young Classic Bracketology special will feature an in-depth breakdown of first-round matches, competitor profiles and interviews, plus appearances by special guests Triple H and Alundra Blayze.

The Bracketology special will stream exclusively on WWE Network this Sunday immediately following The Biggest Event of the Summer, SummerSlam. An encore presentation will also stream Monday on WWE Network, following Raw.

Featuring 32 women from around the globe, the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament kicks off Monday, Aug. 28, when the first four episodes will be released in the VOD section on the award-winning WWE Network.

For more coverage of the Mae Young Classic, including competitor bios, click here.

Baron Corbin Cashes In MITB Breifcase But Fails To Win Title

baron corbin smackdown live money in the bank cash in fail video

Last night on SmackDown Live Baron Corbin unsuccessfully cashed in his Money In the Bank title shot against WWE Champion Jinder Mahal.

After attacking John Cena during the Cena vs. Mahal non-title main event and causing the disqualification, Corbin returned to the ring and cashed in his briefcase while Jinder was down on the mat. The referee finally started the match but Cena jumped up on the apron and distracted Corbin, allowing Jinder to roll Corbin up and retain.

Corbin joins Cena and Damien Sandow as the only three Superstars to unsuccessfully cash their MITB briefcases in.

WWE 205 Live Preview 8/15/17

Tonight’s WWE 205 Live episodes will take place from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island with the final hype for Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

* How will Neville respond to Akira Tozawa’s championship celebration?

* Is the rivalry between Rich Swann and TJP no longer friendly?

SmackDown Preview 8/15/17

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live episodes will take place from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island with the final hype for Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

* John Cena faces Jinder Mahal tonight on SmackDown LIVE

* AJ Styles to apologize to Shane McMahon

* Natalya battles Becky Lynch before SummerSlam title showdown

* Breezango returns to “Fashion Peaks” one last time

Full Details On WWE SummerSlam Week In New York City

WWE issued the following today:

WWE takes over New York City with SummerSlam WeekSummerSlam returns to the NYC-Metro area with a week-long lineup of events, including interactive fan experiences and community outreach programs. SummerSlam takes place this Sunday, Aug. 20, streaming live around the world on WWE Network with a special start time of at 7 ET/4 PT from a sold-out Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The events begin today and include:

Special Olympics Unified Basketball Game – Tuesday, Aug. 15
WWE, an international partner of Special Olympics, will support the Play Unified campaign by hosting a Unified Basketball Game at the Educational Alliance Boys & Girls Club: P.S. 64 Clubhouse. Special Olympics athletes and their unified partners will participate in the game as Superstars Cesaro, Sasha Banks and Sheamus and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior, serve as honorary coaches. WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel and WWE Superstar Big Show will serve as the game’s announcers.

“Be a STAR” Bullying Prevention Rally – Tuesday, Aug. 15
Superstars Apollo Crews, Bayley and Kalisto, WWE Announcer Charly Caruso and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior will speak about the importance of bullying prevention to Club members at the Boys & Girls Club of Kips Bay. Last year, WWE and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America launched a multi-year partnership focusing on youth development and bullying prevention efforts around Be a STAR, WWE’s bullying prevention initiative.

New York Yankees Batting Practice – Tuesday, Aug. 15
Superstars Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss and Big Cass will visit Yankee Stadium to interact with players and take part in batting practice prior to the Subway Series game vs. the New York Mets. At the game, WWE will present a custom WWE Championship to New York Yankees All-Star outfielder and MLB Home Run Derby Champion Aaron Judge.

Children’s Hospital Visits – Wednesday, Aug. 16
Superstars Finn Bálor, Natalya, Seth Rollins, Titus O’Neil and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior, will visit children at The Brooklyn Hospital Center.

Superstars Becky Lynch, Bayley, Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston, and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior, will visit children at Montefiore Children’s Hospital in the Bronx.

During each visit, Superstars will visit children and their families, take pictures, sign autographs and distribute WWE Championships.

Project: OM Yoga Event – Thursday, Aug. 17
WWE, Susan G. Komen and Manduka have partnered to support Project: OM, which aims to battle breast cancer in support of Komen’s goal to reduce the number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the United States by 2026. Superstars Natalya and Titus O’Neil, and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior, will join more than 150 participants for a yoga class led by veteran Dan Nevins in the Barclays Center’s Geico Atrium.

Brooklyn Cyclones Night – Thursday, Aug. 17
Superstars Apollo Crews, Carmella, Charlotte and Mark Henry will visit MCU Park in Coney Island and catch the first pitch, which will be thrown by local Boys & Girls Club members.

Hire Heroes USA Veteran Career Panel & Networking Event – Friday, Aug.18
WWE, in partnership with NBCUniversal, will host a Veteran Career Panel and Networking Event at Rockefeller Center in support of Hire Heroes USA. The event will give more than 70 veterans the opportunity to receive one-on-one career coaching while networking with key employers from the Tri-State Area including Pepsi, Revlon, Unilever and more. Superstar Mark Henry will be on-site to speak with the veterans.

New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell (NYSE) – Friday, Aug. 18
Superstars Braun Strowman and Sasha Banks will ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

New York Mets Batting Practice – Friday, Aug. 18
Superstars The Hardy Boyz, Curt Hawkins and Carmella will visit Citi Field to interact with players and take part in batting practice prior to the game vs. the Miami Marlins.

Make-A-Wish One World Observatory Visit – Saturday, Aug. 19
Superstars Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Charlotte Flair and Dolph Ziggler will visit One World Observatory positioned on top of One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, to meet with Make-A-Wish kids and their families.

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III – Saturday, Aug. 19
NXT Superstars take over Barclays Center for NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III. NXT Champion Bobby Roode will defend his title vs. Drew McIntyre, Asuka and Ember Moon go head-to-head for the NXT Women’s Championship, NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain take on SAnitY, Aleister Black goes up against Hideo Itami, and more.

SummerSlam – Sunday, Aug. 20
A sold-out crowd will converge on Barclays Center for SummerSlam, The Biggest Event of the Summer. The Universal Championship will be decided in a titanic Fatal 4-Way Match when Brock Lesnar defends against Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman, Shinsuke Nakamura will look to earn the biggest victory of his career when he challenges WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, John Cena takes on Baron Corbin, Natalya attempts to capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Naomi, Sasha Banks will challenge Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day put their titles on the line vs. The Usos, United States Champion AJ Styles will battle Kevin Owens, and more.

Monday Night Raw – Monday, Aug. 21
For the third night in a row, WWE will invade Barclays Center with Monday Night Raw, where fans can see the fall-out from SummerSlam live on USA Network at 8/7C. With more than 1,200 episodes, Monday Night Raw is the longest-running, weekly episodic program in U.S. primetime TV history.

SmackDown LIVE – Tuesday, Aug. 22
WWE caps off four consecutive nights of non-stop action at Barclays Center with SmackDown LIVE. SmackDown LIVE will air live at 8/7C on USA Network.

AJ Styles Reveals Who He Wants To Face At WrestleMania 34

AJ Styles wants to face Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 next year, a match that he prefers over one against Finn Balor.

Styles made the comments while speaking with fans while at Wizard World Columbus recently.

“There’s a couple guys that I’m looking forward to getting into the ring with whether it’s Shinsuke or Finn or Seth,” said Styles. “You know, guys like that – or even going back to Roman. I love wrestling those guys.”

Styles, who is on the SmackDown roster, said if he had to pick one of those guys to face at WrestleMania it’s Shinsuke Nakamura. He explained:

“I’m picking Shinsuke. Sorry, that’s nothing on Finn Balor,” said Styles. “The reason why I say this is because at Wrestlemania, it’s not going to happen with Finn Balor and I. Why? Because he’s on Raw. Shinsuke’s my best chance getting into that Main Event picture at Wrestlemania. That’s why he wins the championship. I hope he wins it so I can get in there and wrestle him at Wrestlemania.”

Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura signed with WWE together from New Japan Pro Wrestling early last year as part of what was literally a “talent raid.” Styles, the current WWE United States Champion on his second reign with the belt, is a one-time WWE Champion. Shortly before coming to WWE, Styles and Nakamura faced one-another in an IWGP Intercontinental Championship bout at Wrestle Kingdom 10.

“I think it’s great that Shinsuke is getting an opportunity to be – I don’t know if it’s going to be main event – but I think it’s cool that it’s going to be one of them,” said Styles. “This guy has paid his dues. He’s been in Japan for a long time and he’s so charismatic in everything he does. I’m looking forward to the match just like everyone else.”

Sources: WrestlingINC and ScreenGeek.net