Zack Ryder made his return to TV last night on SmackDown Live after going down with a knee injury last December. Ryder reunited with “Hype Bros.” partner Mojo Rawley in a backstage segment. Below is video from that segment and tweets from the two:
Tag: WWE
Braun Strowman Cleared For WWE Return
Braun Strowman has been cleared to return to action, according to PWInsider. Word going around at last night’s WWE RAW was that Strowman was cleared a week ago. He will be back on RAW as soon as creative comes up with a plan for his return.
Strowman underwent elbow surgery in mid-May to fix some issues he’d been dealing with. WWE reported then that Braun would be out of action for up to 6 months but it was speculated that the lengthy absence was announced just to set up a super-human comeback ahead of schedule.
It will be interesting to see how WWE brings Strowman back as he’s still in a feud with Roman Reigns. Braun has stated that he’s not done with Reigns yet. As noted, Reigns will be on next week’s RAW to announce his SummerSlam plans.
Source: WrestlingINC
SmackDown Live Preview 6/13/17
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live will take place from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans with the final hype for Sunday’s Money In the Bank pay-per-view.
* Money in the Bank competitors team up for Six-Man Tag Team battle
* Mahal and Orton come face to face before WWE Title rematch
* New Day & Breezango join forces for Eight-Man Tag Team Match against The Usos & The Colons
* Can Tamina pin Naomi again?
* Charlotte Flair and Natalya square off before historic Women’s Money in the Bank
Dash Wilder Cleared For In-Ring Action
Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Dash Wilder (one half of the tag team The Revival) was cleared by doctors to return to the ring. Wilder met with WWE docs yesterday and got the green light to wrestle again.
Dash fractured his jaw in April at an NXT event and had to get it wired shut.
RAW Preview 6/12/17
Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA.
* Will Brock Lesnar bring the pain to Samoa Joe?
* The Hardy Boyz challenge Cesaro & Sheamus for the Raw Tag Team Titles in anticipated rematch
* Who is Enzo Amore & Big Cass’ attacker?
* Can Alexa Bliss evade Nia Jax’s fury?
* Is Bray Wyatt coming for The Kingslayer?
* Will Dean Ambrose strike again?
Emma Returns From Injury At Live Event (Video)
Emma made her in-ring return from an injury Friday night at a WWE Live Event in Mississippi.
Emma tagged with Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax against Sasha Banks, Mickie James and her former partner Dana Brooke.
Two Raw Superstars Set To Join Cast Of ‘Total Divas’, Renee Young Not Returning
Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that RAW Superstars Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax were recently added to the cast of Total Divas for season 7.
It was previously reported that Eva Marie will no longer be apart of the Total Divas cast, and now Renee Young revealed that she’s no longer part of the cast.
Young replied to a fan Saturday night on Twitter who asked if she’d still be on the show next season and Renee answered, “Nope I am not, but the new cast will crush it!!”
So it appears that Bliss and Jax will be replacing Eva Marie and Renee Young on the show.
John Cena Addresses Reputation Of Burying Younger Talent
John Cena addressed his reputation of “burying younger talent” in a new interview with The Wrap to help promote the return of his reality competition “American Grit,” which premieres Sunday on Fox.
“If you look at my existence in WWE, I have never asked anyone and will never ask anyone to pull any punches,” Cena explained. “I believe that it’s a ‘Strong Survive’ environment, and accept nothing less. I think people forget my [history] in WWE sometimes and the fact that I truly had to earn every inch. There is this overwhelming perception that I am protected and coddled — that couldn’t be father from the truth.”
The comments were in response to talk about his “vicious promos” earlier this year on SmackDown with The Miz, which of course culminated with the mixed tag team match at WrestleMania 33, also featuring each of their significant others, Nikki Bella and Maryse.
John said, “I just believe you bring your best to every story and you bring your best to every fight. And if my skills aren’t as good, then it’s time to step back. It’s just a matter of believing in myself and going out there and speaking from the heart. I believe that sometimes that’s something missing in some of the WWE storylines … being honest and brave enough to put everything out there on the table.”
As for having a reputation of “burying younger talent,” Cena says he always speaks from his heart and brings his best.
“This is why I have the reputation of quote-unquote ‘burying younger talent,’ because I will let them do whatever they want with me — and then after they get done, they’re not as motivated,” Cena remarked. “So, it’s not that I sink their ship, it’s that they fail to operate at an elite level. And I’m on to the next person, [to] whom I say, “Hey man, bring your best punch and I’m gonna punch back” — and they don’t take that attitude beyond me.”
John believes this approach really helped turn a match no one wanted to see at WrestleMania 33 into one of the best things on WWE television of the year. He elaborated on his systematic approach, “I take that approach to everyone. The Miz story couldn’t be a better example of that, because when that story started … no one wanted to see that match. No one. I made it a point to have everyone work as hard as they could to change everyone’s mind.”
“And now here you are, months after the fact, saying that was one of the most entertaining things done on television,” Cena continued. “That just goes to show you that it’s all just about how much you’re willing to invest and how strongly you believe in what you want to do.”
Cena, who has been away from WWE filming a movie in Atlanta, GA, will return to Smackdown on the July 4, 2017 episode. You can read more comments in his interview with The Wrap by clicking here.
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE Holds Classes on Cyber Security Threats
According to Pwinsider.com, following explicit and private material featuring current and former performers leaking onto the Internet over the past several months, WWE held talent meetings at this past week’s Raw and SmackDown tapings to try and prevent such things from happening again. These were mandatory meetings, and were described as a class on cyber security threats, with an expert from a cyber security firm brought in by the company to give a presentation to the roster.
The class broke down different ways that people find themselves tricked into inadvertently allowing their security to be breached. Talents were specifically warned not to accept USB drives as gifts, even if they were from beautiful women promising naked photos, which talent were told was a scenario that has happened to celebrities in the past. The expert also gave examples of incidents that have embarrassed public figures online and provided advice as to how talents can and should protect themselves since they are celebrities and out in the public light.
WWE also gave out an amendment to their social media policy for talents to sign, but its contents have not been revealed. WWE stressed to talents that no one but the talents and WWE social media teams should have access to their social media accounts.
Source: 411Mania
Update On The Mae Young Classic
We noted before that WWE officials were planning on releasing 3 or 4 episodes of The Mae Young Classic at a time instead of one new episode each week. PWInsider now reports that a preview special for the tournament will air on the WWE Network on Sunday, August 20th with the first round of the tournament being released via on-demand during the final week of August as a way to let fans binge-watch the episodes.
The second round of the tournament will then be released during the first week of September. The original plan was to release them during SummerSlam week but the decision was made to hold off so The Mae Young Classic isn’t overshadowed by everything else going on that week.
The live finals had been scheduled for Tuesday, August 29th but the new date is Tuesday, September 12th. It’s possible that the finals air live from Las Vegas on the WWE Network as WWE will be in town that night to tape SmackDown.
As noted, the 32-competitor tournament will tape on Thursday, July 13th and Friday, July 14th at Full Sail University.
Source: WrestlingINC
