WWE News: Jinder Mahal faced off against Randy Orton after SmackDown went off air

Jinder Mahal had a grand celebration on SmackDown after becoming the WWE Champion

Jinder Mahal reportedly faced off against Randy Orton in a dark match after SmackDown went off the air. The match ended with the former champion winning via disqualification, owing to interference from the Singh Brothers.
The aforementioned dark match is said to have transpired after the 205 Live tapings that take place after SmackDown Live. Most fans who attended this week’s SmackDown tapings at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio stayed back for the 205 Live tapings, following which Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal squared off in a singles match.
Mahal shocked the world this past Sunday by dethroning Randy Orton and becoming the new WWE champion, with a bit of assistance from the Singh Brothers. The Maharaja appeared at the aforementioned live broadcast of SmackDown with an extravagant Punjabi celebration.

Nevertheless, Randy Orton, despite being in the arena this Tuesday night didn’t feature on the TV broadcast.
The fans present at the Huntington Center got to witness, what many are calling, an epic encounter between reigning WWE champion Jinder Mahal and former champ Randy Orton. The match, however, would not have a definitive result, so to speak, as Orton would hit an RKO on Mahal only for the Singh Brothers to then intervene and attack the Viper.
The referee called off the match awarding Orton the victory by way of DQ.
Fans can watch a few exchanges from the matchup below:
SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon announced that Randy Orton will face Jinder Mahal for the latter’s WWE championship at the upcoming SmackDown brand-exclusive PPV event Money In The Bank that will take place in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri on June 18^th.
Jinder Mahal’s sudden push by WWE management has come as a surprise to both fans and pundits in the professional wrestling community and is one of the hottest topics of debate right now. Mahal was nothing more than a jobber a few weeks back and now holds the company’s most prestigious belt; hence, it’ll be interesting to see how WWE books him from this point moving forward.

Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley for the RAW Women's Championship: WWE Payback 2017 winner, video highlights and analysis

Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley

Bayley entered with her RAW Women’s Championship and was prepared to defend it against Bliss. Bayley had the crowd support as this was her hometown, while Bliss got some heat.
Bliss started with the mind games as Bayley made her attempt to dominate. Bayley dominated the match at the start, despite Alexa’s antics. Bliss rolled out of the ring and continued her tricks, but Bayley slammed her with heavy knees before she could get in.
Bayley continued to dominate by smashing Bliss’ face against the turnbuckle until the challenger countered. Bliss then began her domination by delivering multiple shots to the Champion. Bliss seemed desperate for the win and tried everything, even standing on and pulling Bayley’s hair.

Bayley tried her best to counter but failed as Bliss continued to control the match. Bliss kicked Bayley out of the ring and attempted to humiliate the Champ in front of her home crowd. However, this time Bayley countered after Alexa attempted to gloat and the took the upper hand.
Bayley began unloading on Alexa Bliss and went to the top rope as she managed to connect with an elbow, but yet again Bliss countered, only for Bayley to counter Bliss’s top rope move. Yet again Bliss covered the champion only for her to kick out.
The match was a continuous trade of blows, but Bayley, however, seemed to be in the driver's seat with an ‘Elbow Drop From The Top Rope’. Bliss seemed down for the count but a push into the turnbuckle saw Bliss take full advantage as a prone Bayley took a ‘DDT’ to lose her championship. Making Alexa Bliss the new RAW Women’s Champion.
She is the only woman to hold both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s titles. Respect ‘Little Miss Bliss’.

WWE Rumors: Women’s Division Superstar might be making a RAW comeback

Summer Rae to make a WWE comeback?

What’s the story?

As reported by wrestlinginc.com, Superstar Summer Rae might be making a RAW comeback tonight. This speculation is based on the fact that Summer (real name Danielle Moinet), tweeted saying that she is in Sacramento, California at the moment – the same city where tonight’s episode of RAW is scheduled to take place.

In case you didn’t know

Moinet signed with WWE in November of 2011 as a member of the developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling, as a manager and ring announcer. After FCW disbanded, she joined NXT as a ring announcer in 2012 and by 2013 she was performing in-ring under the name Summer Rae.
Summer arrived to the main roster in April of 2013 and faced Superstars like Natalya, Layla, Paige and Alicia Fox. She had her last appearance on WWE programming on 14th August 2016 and since then had been on hiatus due to undisclosed injuries.

The heart of the matter

According to Summer Rae’s twitter posts, she will be in the same city where tonight’s instalment of RAW is scheduled to take place. Summer has been off of WWE programming since mid-2016 and is hopefully fit again to appear as a full-time member of the RAW roster.

She had been drafted to RAW during the Superstar Shake-up but her injuries kept her from appearing on television or for live events.

What’s next?

It has been a while since we’ve seen Summer Rae on WWE and it will be interesting to see what WWE creative has planned for her in terms of rivalries and story angles.

Writer’s take

I am looking forward to seeing Summer Rae back in action if she does show up for tonight’s RAW and I think it will be a good surprise for the WWE Universe who have indeed had their share of WWE comebacks recently.

WWE News: Alexa Bliss custom plates added to RAW Women's title

Five Feet of Fury now has her own customised title belt.

What’s the story?

New WWE RAW Women’s champion Alexa Bliss has got her custom plates added to the RAW title belt.

In case you didn’t know...

Alexa Bliss (Alexis Kaufman) has won numerous world titles since her NXT debut back in 2013. The 25-year old is a former 2-time SmackDown Women’s champion, and most recently won the RAW Women’s title as well after defeating Bayley at WWE Payback.

The heart of the matter:

The WWE has posted a video on its official website displaying Bliss’ custom plates being fitted on her newly won belt.

Alexa Bliss created history this Sunday night in San Jose, California by emerging victorious in the championship matchup, making her the first Superstar to win both the SmackDown and RAW Women’s titles.

What’s next?

Having followed up on her promise to beat Bayley in the latter’s hometown, fans can expect the duo’s heated rivalry to continue on Monday Night RAW in the days to come.

Author’s take:

Five Feet of Fury truly put on one hell of a performance at Payback and has now ascended to the throne of the WWE’s red brand.
Now I know she’s a heel and technically, we’re supposed to boo her, but when you have someone as charismatic and feisty as Li’l Miss Bliss you can’t help but smile when she rules the ring like a Legit Boss (no offence Sasha Banks!).

WWE News: Carmella opens up on why she wasn't called up with Enzo and Cass

Carmella speaks on why she was separated from her team.

What’s the story?

During an appearance on Lillian Garica’s Making Their Way To The Ring podcast, Carmella said that she wasn’t called up with Enzo & Cass because Triple H felt that she had the potential to make it as a singles Superstar.
In case you didn’t know...

Carmella (real name- Leah Van Dale) debuted in the WWE’s NXT brand back in 2013 as the on-screen manager of WWE Superstars Enzo Amore and Big Cass.
However, following the tag-team duo’s main-roster debut on Monday Night RAW last year, the ‘Princess of Staten Island’ was assigned to SmackDown Live, where she made her main-card debut in July of 2016.

The heart of the matter

Carmella featured on a recent edition of Lillian Garcia’s podcast, Making Their Way To The Ring, where the 29-year old former cheerleader addressed the case of her being separated from the tag-team and, in particular, her real-life boyfriend William Morrissey (Cass). Here are a few excerpts from her statements-

“When Hunter (Triple H) told me he said the reason why you’re not going with them is because you have the ability to make it on your own, you’re not just a hype girl for Cass and Enzo you’re not, I see more in you, you have more potential and you’re gonna be fine on your own.” 

She added that Cass being a night owl is in direct contrast with her habit of going to bed early. However, she also confessed that’d she’d be lying if she said that it wouldn’t be nice if the two of them were to work on the same brand.

“Like when I get home on Wednesdays when he picks me up from the airport it’s just so nice like we have our few days together and we’ve gotten really good at like texting and like figuring out like what works best for us when he’s on the road and um when I’m on the road, so it’s bittersweet you know, it’s like either way there’s gonna be an issue but we’ve really worked our way to like figuring out what works best.” 

Also read: 5 up-and-coming WWE NXT Superstars to keep an eye out for

What’s next?

Carmella is presently signed to SmackDown and is part of a heel stable alongside her sidekick James Ellsworth, Natalya and Tamina.

Author’s take

For those of you who didn’t follow Enzo and Cass during their NXT days, you ought to know that Carmella was a perfect match with the tag-team before their split in 2016.
Regardless, I’ll have to agree with Triple H’s assessment here, in the sense that Carmella truly has that ‘It’ factor and doesn’t need to be a mere hype girl for Enzo and Cass. After all, she is ‘Fabulous’.

WWE SmackDown Live Results May 2nd 2017, Latest SmackDown Live winners and video highlights

Shane McMahon finally returned the title to its rightful owner

A clip was shown of Jinder Mahal having a photo shoot with the WWE Championship. Shane McMahon then interrupted and said that titles were earned. Jinder vowed to become champion. Shane took the title and said he would return it to its rightful owner, Randy Orton. He announced that Jinder would be facing Sami Zayn later in the night

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Chris Jericho gets more than what he asked for on his arrival to SmackDown Live

Chris Jericho was confronted by his old friend-turned-foe

Shane McMahon introduced Chris Jericho to SmackDown Live. Shane said that he was thrilled to have him on the blue brand. He announced that he would be defending the US Title against Kevin Owens later in the night. AJ Styles then made his way out.

AJ Styles acknowledged the patchy history with Chris Jericho. He said that he didn’t forget the past that easily, and nothing would please him more than to take the US Title from him at Backlash. Chris Jericho said that he was the new face of America.
He teased putting AJ on the list for not thinking he would retain against Kevin Owens, and as he was about to do it, Kevin Owens came out. The crowd definitely wasn’t behind Owens. He said that the trio of AJ, Shane, and Y2J talking was the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen. He vowed to take back the United States Championship from him.
He told AJ that it wasn’t about him and told him to get out of  “his ring”. As he was about to take a shot at Shane, AJ ran out and started a brawl with Owens. Referees and Shane McMahon cut in between to stop the fight.

WWE News: Becky Lynch wants a match with James Ellsworth

WWE superstar Becky Lynch

What’s the story?
Becky Lynch, better known as the Irish Lasskicker, has defeated many foes on Smackdown LIVE in her short tenure there. On social media, she asked Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan if she could fight James Ellsworth.
The Context

Since his emergence in the WWE, Ellsworth has made an impact on WWE television. In what began as a squash match with Braun Strowman, the West Virginia native caught the eye of WWE officials who paired him up with AJ Styles. Ellsworth defeated the former WWE champion on two different occasions, thus giving him slight legitimacy in the world of WWE.

Also read: Becky Lynch comments on the state of the Women’s division

Fast-forward several months, Ellsworth is now the valet for Carmella. While remaining a comedy act, his words started to get him in trouble on-screen. He continued to call out wrestlers on both brands during his WWE TV career, but now a female WWE star is calling out Ellsworth.
The heart of the matter
Recently on Twitter, Lynch was asked if she would fight Ellsworth and the Lasskicker replied with great excitement.

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What’s next?
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Lynch and Ellsworth actually compete in a sanctioned match. The only realistic way would be for Carmella and Lynch to enter into a long rivalry. Ellsworth would have to insert himself into the program and engage in physical contact with the Irish Lasskicker. Other than that, the possibility of it happening isn’t high.
Author’s take
I don’t want to see this happen because Lynch belongs in the championship picture on Smackdown LIVE. Anything else feels like a demotion to me. She deserves better because her talent dictates that. A feud with Carmella won’t drag her down a path of obscurity, but a match with Ellsworth would.

SK Exclusive: How John Cena's marriage proposal changed the face of WrestleMania 33

John Cena’s marriage proposal changed the face of WrestleMania 

What's the story?

An inside source has revealed fresh information about WrestleMania 33. We can now report that John Cena's marriage proposal actually altered the entire face of WrestleMania and resulted in the WWE changing several matches, including scrapping The Undertaker vs John Cena.
This story was broken on the “Dirty Sheets’ Podcast, via our “DS Breaking News” show. You can listen to the Podcast, below (4 minutes and 32 seconds).

In case you didn't know... 

John Cena and Nikki Bella faced Miz and Mayse in a Mixed Tag Team match at WrestleMania 33. After Cena and Nikki won the match, John Cena proposed to Nikki in the ring.

The Heart of the matter 

The idea for John Cena to propose was pitched to Vince McMahon by Kevin Dunn. McMahon then spent several weeks pitching the idea to Cena, who was initially not in favour of the idea. Cena eventually gave in, and he was rewarded with a short WWE Championship run. Cena was NOT initially set to win the title. The Royal Rumble match was originally slated to be The Undertaker vs AJ Styles, with The Deadman winning the championship.

Also read: SK Exclusive: Plans were scrapped for Shinsuke Nakamura to debut at WrestleMania 33

The Undertaker was then set to drop the title back to AJ Styles at the Elimination Chamber, after being eliminated from the match by John Cena. AJ Styles was slated to defend his WWE Championship against Randy Orton, who was always set to win the Rumble. Original plans called for Orton to turn on Wyatt in the Rumble and then defeat him at the Elimination Chamber in a singles match.
The WWE also scrapped plans to have Shinsuke Nakamura debut as Daniel Bryan's surprise challenger for the Intercontinental Championship, against the Miz.

What's next? 

The Undertaker has now retired after losing to Roman Reigns, who was chosen as Cena's replacement at WrestleMania. John and Nikki Bella are likely to wed sometime next year, and it will be featured on the second season of Total Bellas.

Author's take

WrestleMania isn't aimed at hardcore fans anymore. It is aimed at the masses, and it's a variety show where the WWE showcases every aspect of what they are about.
Instead of doing the dream match between John Cena and The Undertaker, WWE decided to go with the marriage proposal in order to please the E! network and create publicity. This decision is symbolic of the modern nature of WrestleMania.
Be sure to check out my Podcast, “The Dirty Sheets” for the latest breaking news, along with rumours and in-depth analysis. It is available via iTunes.
If you enjoyed this article, check out our SK WWE Exclusive section for more news, scoops and interesting stories.

WWE SmackDown LIVE Preview: 25th April, 2017

Will Charlotte become the first woman to be both Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion?

Raw failed to whet our appetite for Payback, this Sunday. Considering that a few SmackDown LIVE superstars will also be a part of the pay-per-view, we hope they do a better job of creating excitement for the show.
SmackDown comes to us from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, and from what we know about the show, it already seems packed with interesting segments. On paper, it does look like a better show than Raw. However, without jumping the gun, we present some possibilities, ask some questions and explore the landscape of SmackDown LIVE.

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#5 Will Naomi feel the blow?

Will it be the last night of Naomi’s reign?

With all due respect to Naomi, who’s a fantastic athlete and an absolutely stellar character, she is still not Charlotte Flair. With Alexa Bliss moving to Raw, we’re confident that Charlotte Flair will be the nucleus around whom the Women’s Division on SmackDown will revolve. Does her reign begin already, immediately after the Superstar Shake-Up? Or will there be interference during the Championship match, thanks to the three woman (and one man alliance) of Carmella, Natalya and Tamina Snuka (with James Ellsworth)?

What’s certain for now is that whatever the outcome, Charlotte Flair really needs to look strong. Naomi definitely won’t be pinning her clean this week. What will be really interesting are the dynamics in the women’s division if the title were to change hands. Will Charlotte continue feuding with Naomi or start a new program with Becky Lynch, considering these are the only two babyfaces in the division?! Since the heel stable led by Nattie has targeted Charlotte, is she playing a babyface now?

WWE News: Vickie Guerrero says she was backstabbed in WWE

Guerrero has had a fairly successful career in the WWE as a manager.

What’s the story?

On a recent episode of Madusa’s Full Throttle Podcast, Vickie Guerrero talked about a number of things and delivered a harsh message for the women that worked with her. She said:

”I guess in general, thanks for the backstabbing. That probably pertains to like, five people.”

In case you didn’t know...

Vickie Guerrero (real name Vickie Lynn Benson) performed as a former on-air authority figure in the WWE. Vickie is also the widow of the late WWE Hall of Famer, Eddie Guerrero. She has managed a number of wrestlers including Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Edge, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show and many others. She is notorious for her catch-phrase “Excuse Me!” that generated incredible heel heat.

The Heart of the matter

Vickie Guerrero recently appeared on WWE Hall of Famer Madusa/Alundra Blayze’s podcast, where she talked about her time in WWE and many other things. When the former General Manager of Monday Night Raw was asked to give a message to the women who worked with her during her time in the WWE, she sarcastically thanked them for the backstabbing and said that it only pertained to five people.

Also read: 5 times WWE Superstars were caught cheating on their on-screen partners

What’s next?

Vickie Guerrero is currently studying medical administration and won’t be seen on WWE TV anytime soon.

Author’s take

Vickie Guerrero was someone that the fans loved to hate. There was a certain quality to her character that put her over the top. However, this also means that she was a great heel. Her statement could certainly set the rumour mill in motion, but backstage politics in WWE isn’t anything new, so things like this shouldn’t come off as a huge surprise to anyone.

5 WWE couples with the biggest age difference

The WWE’s power couple

 Meeting someone to spend the rest of your life with is a tricky task at the best of times, but when you’re an employee of World Wrestling Entertainment, it becomes that much more difficult. The reason for this is that given the hectic schedule you have to endure, it quickly becomes impossible to meet anyone outside of the industry and form a relationship with them.
This is one of the main reasons why so many wrestlers decide to date other wrestlers; it is also why an article like this has come into existence. For years and years now, Superstars in promotions all over the world have looked towards the comforts of someone in the same profession as themselves, and it’s not all too surprising when you think about it.
However, every so often you get a couple within this business that don’t seem to match up in terms of age gaps necessarily. Obviously, age shouldn’t be too much of a factor when it comes to love, but these guys and girls take things to a whole new level. But hey, they all seem to be pretty happy together, so that’s the most important thing – right?

With all that being said, here are five WWE couples with the biggest age difference.

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#5 Nikki Bella & John Cena – 7 years

John Cena and Nikki Bella are two of WWE’s biggest Superstars

Nikki Bella and John Cena pretty much represent everything that the WWE Universe hates, which makes their supposed status as babyfaces on SmackDown Live all the more confusing. The two Superstars have been together for a few years now, but it was only when Total Divas came along that people really got an insight into what their relationship was like.
Many fans believe that their love is manufactured, but whatever the case may be, nobody can deny how successful they’ve been since partnering up together. They’ve hit the mainstream in a way that nobody could’ve anticipated, and their stint on Total Divas eventually led to the spin-off Total Bellas being created. Not bad at all.
It turns out he is a bona fide stud after all.

WWE SmackDown Live Results 25th April 2017, Latest SmackDown Live winners and video highlights

New heel faction?

SmackDown Live comes to us from Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines and we can look forward to kicking off the show with Renee Young’s interview of ‘The Artist’ known as Shinsuke Nakamura. AJ Styles takes on Baron Corbin and SmackDown’s newest recruit, Charlotte, takes on the Women’s Champion Naomi in a Title match. We also look forward to the SmackDown Live Tag Team division’s Beat The Clock challenge, to determine the number one contenders to challenge the Usos.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the complete results from the go-home show before Payback!

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Renee Young interviews Shinsuke Nakamura (Dolph Ziggler interference)

Nakamura debuts his new ‘Vibe’ t-shirt

No sooner has Nakamura made his entrance, and Renee prepared to ask the first question, Ziggler’s music hits and he spoils the party. Renee Young exits the ring and Ziggler goes on a weird rant, referencing an old Simpson’s episode and Michael Jackson in an attempt to troll Nakamura.
Nakamura replies in kind, forcing Ziggler to kick him in the stomach. But Nakamura ends the segment standing tall as retaliates and sends Ziggler packing.

5 WWE Superstars who held positions of authority that you probably don't remember

We all remember these people, but not all authority figures have such an impact.

Authority figures have been a staple of WWE programming for two decades. Ever since WWE struck gold with the ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin vs. Mr McMahon mega-feud, they’ve been trying to replicate that success with numerous different authorities, often to no avail.
It’s not hard to see why they keep going to this story idea: not only do they have tangible proof of the formula working vis-à-vis Austin-McMahon, but it’s something that resonates with many people. The concept of the evil, overbearing boss is something that many people can relate to, so whenever they see a babyface being abused by a power-hungry person of authority, they want to see that babyface succeed because it’s something they can relate to.
It has reached a point where WWE has developed an obsession with authority figures on their regular programming. Nowadays, the authority figures are not just matchmakers that act as secondary characters in feuds involving various wrestlers. They’re key figures themselves, and in some cases, they also wrestle (see: Shane McMahon).

Of course, not every WWE personality that became an authority figure was a big success. For each one that succeeded, there was at least one that failed to set the world on fire. Some people have the charisma and speaking abilities to make an authority character work, while others do not. Here are five WWE Superstars that held positions of power that were so forgettable that they only ever get mentioned in retrospectives like this one.

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#1 Ric Flair

Flair had a brief run as a man in power in WWE.

‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair has done it all in pro wrestling, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Flair actually had a brief tenure as owner of Raw.
After Survivor Series 2001 ended and team WWF defeated the Alliance, the WWE roster ended up doubling in size. The idea at the time was that the newly-combined roster would be split in two, with each show being owned by a different person. It was revealed that Shane and Stephanie had sold their stock to Flair, who then became the co-owner of WWE and the man in charge of Raw.

Also read: Ric Flair wants Jay Lethal in WWE

Flair’s time as owner of Raw was somewhat limited, as his only major feuds in this capacity were against the Undertaker (who had been furious over being ‘selected’ to Raw and later challenged and defeated Flair at WrestleMania X8), and Mr. McMahon (with whom Flair feuded over total control over WWE).
It was rumoured that the feud between Flair and McMahon was meant to go longer into 2002, but due to Steve Austin leaving WWE abruptly, things were changed, and the dispute ended much sooner.

WWE Rumors: WWE planning its first inter-gender match in ages

Will this match actually become a reality, very soon?

What’s the story?

Becky Lynch and James Ellsworth, who's currently playing the role of the male valet for Carmella, have been at odds for many months now. Recently, a tweet from Brian G. James, who’s one of the creative forces behind SmackDown LIVE, fueled speculation that this match may actually transpire.

In case you didn’t know...

While inter-gender matches are a prominent feature of independent wrestling shows and even televised programs such as Lucha Underground, WWE has often strayed away from man-woman violence in recent times (even though they were a prominent feature of the Attitude Era), because of their largely PG programming.

Also read: Charlotte Flair comments on moving to SmackDown LIVE and reuniting with Becky Lynch

Even though the women on the show regularly slap their male counterparts, the men hardly ever respond in kind. James Ellsworth has been a thorn in the side of Becky Lynch in recent times, and both competitors have expressed their desire to face each other.

The heart of the matter

The whole episode began with a fan-made graphic, of Becky Lynch with the Women’s Championship and James Ellsworth with the Divas Title.
Another fan saw the Tweet and linked it to Road Dogg, the creative mind behind SmackDown LIVE. Road Dogg, in turn, responded to him and pretty much said that he would be quite happy to watch that match.
Following the Tweet, fans are enthusiastic about the contest between the Irish Lass Kicker and the world’s most famous jobber.

What’s next?

This inter-gender match is only a dream scenario for now. Let’s see if this match actually does transpire in the future, in WWE’s current politically-correct environment.

Author’s take

Purely as a wrestling fan, this match does nothing for me. I'd rather see Becky Lynch in a serious program with Charlotte Flair and kept as far away from Ellsworth as possible. It could be an amusing sideshow, but it’s not something I’m keen to watch. If the match does happen, I want Lynch to squash Ellsworth in seconds.

WWE News: King Maxel reacts to the Hardy Boyz entrance on Monday Night RAW

King Maxel had a mark out moment while watching Monday Night RAW.

What’s the story?

Reby Hardy, also known as Queen Rebecca, has posted a video of her toddler son King Maxel wherein the latter is seen having a complete ‘mark out’ moment upon seeing his father Matt Hardy and uncle Jeff Hardy make their entrance on the most recent episode of Monday Night RAW.

In case you didn’t know...

Matt and Jeff Hardy returned to the WWE after a 7-year absence from the company, winning the RAW Tag-Team titles at Wrestlemania 33. The WWE fame of Matt and Jeff notwithstanding, the Hardy family that includes Reby and Maxel Hardy as well, have gotten wildly popular since last year, owing to their ‘Broken’ gimmick on Impact Wrestling.
Maxel, Reby as well as her father, who goes by the name Senor Benjamin, played a significant role in the on-screen programming of TNA/Impact Wrestling. The Hardys parted ways with Impact Wrestling earlier this year.

The heart of the matter:

Given the fact that Impact Wrestling’s new owners have issued a Cease and Desist order against the Hardys in regards to the Broken gimmick, and considering that Reby and Maxel play a significant part in the Broken gimmick, the mother-son duo hasn't appeared on WWE’s on-screen programming as of yet. Nevertheless, the current legal issues with Impact notwithstanding, Reby posts photographs and videos on social media of herself with King Maxel, whilst routinely referencing the Broken gimmick.
Nevertheless, King Maxel’s mark-out video is being touted by fans as somewhat of an anomaly, given the fact that His Highness is usually very calm and reserved by nature. Here’s the video with King Maxel going Gaga over the WWE entrance of his “Dada”-

What’s next?

Matt and Jeff Hardy will defend their WWE RAW Tag Team belts against the team of Cesaro and Sheamus at the upcoming Payback pay-per-view on April 30^th. King Maxel and his mother Reby Hardy are yet to appear on WWE’s television programming; however, fans can expect them to appear in some capacity in the near future.

Author’s take:

I think we can unanimously agree on the fact that our reaction was somewhat similar to that of Maxel, when the Hardys’ music hit at Wrestlemania 33.
I’m really intrigued at the prospect of seeing the interviews this kid will give a few years down the line, when probed by reporters about his adorable videos as a kid. All Hail King Maxel!

WWE News: Summer Rae continually denies photo leak

Summer Rae has not been in action for nearly a year now

What’s the story?

Summer Rae has continued to deny the authenticity of the allegedly leaked photos of her.

In case you didn’t know...

Summer Rae began denying the authenticity of the leaks on March 19^th, when her twitter feed exploded with a screenshot of an alleged private video of hers. However, it was confirmed that the image used was false.
Former WWE superstars Kaitlyn and Maria Kanellis are said to be the two latest victims of the private photo leaks.

The heart of the matter

Hours after Summer Rae’s second tweet, more photos of her allegedly came out. However, this time the woman in the pictures had the exact same case that was seen in Summer Rae’s Instagram profile.
It could still very well be photoshopped, as Alexa Bliss had alleged private photos leaked, but they turned out to be clear cases of photoshop as well.

What’s next?

Hopefully, Summer Rae won't become a victim of the private leaking scandals that have been happening of late. Paige and several Hollywood actresses fell victim to various leaks in the past month. As of now, Summer Rae will be looking to get back into tip top shape and come back to RAW and join the women’s division.

Author’s take

It would be unfortunate for Summer Rae or any person for that matter to have their private photographs leaked. She is an incredible talent who has been severely underutilised throughout her time on the main roster.
Hopefully, she can find herself right in the mix of the women’s division upon her return and prove to everyone what she is truly capable of achieving. We got to see some of her potential in NXT, where she was heavily featured in some of the main women's division storylines during the rapid rise of women's wrestling in WWE.
Now is the perfect time for her to come back successfully and put a stamp proving that the RAW women's division is exactly where she belongs. The last thing she needs is for her career to be tainted by leaking of private photographs or videos which have not even proven to be real yet.

WWE News: Natalya wants to be Ronda Rousey's first WWE opponent

Natalya was full of praise for Ronda Rousey, in an interview

What's the story?

SmackDown LIVE’s Natalya recently spoke to Sports Illustrated at length about a variety of topics.
During the course of her interview, Natalya was full of praise for MMA Superstar Ronda Rousey, who has been vocal about her love for professional wrestling and has also been involved in the proceedings of WrestleMania in the past.
Natalya said that Rousey would be a great addition to WWE and also mentioned that she would like to be the first to face the UFC Superstar.

In case you didn’t know...

Ronda Rousey was an integral part of WrestleMania 31, teaming up with The Rock to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in an in-ring segment that created much buzz across the world.
Following this, there was much speculation about Rousey coming on board full time, with Stephanie McMahon even expressing hope that Rousey would take up the offer.
Rousey herself is a lifelong WWE fan, borrowing the ‘Rowdy’ nickname she uses from Roddy Piper and calling her group of fighters the Four Horsewomen, after Ric Flair’s iconic heel stable.

The Rock teams up with Ronda Rousey at Wrestlemania 33

The heart of the matter

Natalya was quite hopeful of being the first woman from WWE to face Ronda Rousey if she joins the wrestling company.
In her own words:

“The great thing about WWE is, you look at our entire women’s division, and you see so many different women from so many different walks of life. It’s just great because we have such a diverse group of women.
Ronda represents someone that breaks the mold. She’s not your average girl. She’s somebody that’s really unique and that’s what we’re all about in is embracing our unique qualities.
I hope Ronda does sign with WWE, because I want to be the first in line to wrestle her.”

What’s next?

After losing to Amanda Nunes in her last fight, Rousey's future remains unclear.

Also read: WWE News: Hall of Famer Jim Ross believes Ronda Rousey would succeed in the WWE

Natalya however, will be a part of a multi-woman match for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 33 and will continue to be an integral part of the blue brand.

Author’s take

I definitely don’t see Natalya as the first opponent that WWE chooses for Ronda Rousey. Rousey is too high profile a star to not be battling Charlotte Flair or even Stephanie McMahon at a stage like WrestleMania or Summerslam.
All of this can only happen if the mercurial Rousey actually decides to join sports entertainment.

WWE News: Goldberg and Brock Lesnar set for final confrontation before WrestleMania 33goldberglesnar Who will triumph in Orlando? What's the story? As revealed on last night's edition of Monday Night Raw, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg will come face to face next week on the go-home show for WrestleMania 33. The two men will then compete against one another at the showcase of the immortals for the Universal Championship. In case you didn't know... The two goliaths are set to write the final chapter in their storied rivalry, which began all the way back at WrestleMania 20 when Goldberg defeated Lesnar in a relatively poor bout. With the Universal Champion currently holding a 2-0 advantage over The Beast Incarnate in terms of wins, many fans are expecting Lesnar to walk away with the belt in Orlando. The heart of the matter Not long before the end of last night's Raw broadcast, it was announced that Lesnar and Goldberg will appear next week in Philadelphia in a head to head confrontation just six days prior to their championship bout. Given how the build has gone so far, nobody is expecting too many fireworks when it comes to any kinds of stipulations being added. What's next? It's time to sit back and watch the drama unfold, with the stage having already been set for what is sure to be a fiery encounter at the Citrus Bowl. Also read: WWE Rumors: WWE open to signing Goldberg for more dates Given the part-time nature of both men's contracts, there's a certain level of anticipation in the air regarding how the match is going to finish, especially given that there's no Money in the Bank contract in play this year. Author's take There's probably not going to be too much to shout about in terms of this confrontation, but it'll be fun to see the two behemoths standing across the ring from one another one last time before Mania. Nobody knows what to expect when it comes to their Universal Title match, and that's probably the best thing that could've happened. The unpredictability, coupled together with the expectation of a short bout makes Lesnar vs Goldberg III a must see event.

Who will triumph in Orlando?

What's the story?

As revealed on last night's edition of Monday Night Raw, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg will come face to face next week on the go-home show for WrestleMania 33.
The two men will then compete against one another at the showcase of the immortals for the Universal Championship.

In case you didn't know...

The two goliaths are set to write the final chapter in their storied rivalry, which began all the way back at WrestleMania 20 when Goldberg defeated Lesnar in a relatively poor bout.

With the Universal Champion currently holding a 2-0 advantage over The Beast Incarnate in terms of wins, many fans are expecting Lesnar to walk away with the belt in Orlando.

The heart of the matter

Not long before the end of last night's Raw broadcast, it was announced that Lesnar and Goldberg will appear next week in Philadelphia in a head to head confrontation just six days prior to their championship bout.
Given how the build has gone so far, nobody is expecting too many fireworks when it comes to any kinds of stipulations being added.

What's next?

It's time to sit back and watch the drama unfold, with the stage having already been set for what is sure to be a fiery encounter at the Citrus Bowl.

Also read: WWE Rumors: WWE open to signing Goldberg for more dates

Given the part-time nature of both men's contracts, there's a certain level of anticipation in the air regarding how the match is going to finish, especially given that there's no Money in the Bank contract in play this year.

Author's take

There's probably not going to be too much to shout about in terms of this confrontation, but it'll be fun to see the two behemoths standing across the ring from one another one last time before Mania.
Nobody knows what to expect when it comes to their Universal Title match, and that's probably the best thing that could've happened. The unpredictability, coupled together with the expectation of a short bout makes Lesnar vs Goldberg III a must see event.

WWE Rumors: Emma and Summer Rae reporting to the Performance Center this week

Emma and Summer Rae in WWE NXT

What’s the story?

Former-WWE NXT standouts Emma and Summer Rae on their way back to the ring, as Squared Circle Sirens has reported that they were going back to the WWE Performance Center this week.

In case you didn’t know...

Summer Rae’s time in the WWE hasn’t been anything special.
Years back, her debut was alongside Fandango. When the duo split up, she began a singles career, which didn’t materialise. Plenty of odd rivalries and matches went by without anything sticking. Then, Rae injured her shoulder and hasn’t seen any in-ring action since August 2016.

As for Emma, or Emmalina, her WWE career thus far can go down in the history books as one of the strangest.
She was an accomplished wrestler on WWE NXT. Her match with Paige at the first NXT TakeOver pay-per-view is still one of the best women’s matches in NXT history. However, Emma never found her niche on the main roster.

Also read: Emmalina problems point to bigger problems within the WWE creative team

Her short-lived program with Santino Marella didn’t last long. Then, an 8-week vignette streak teasing a new character called,“Emmalina” had the WWE Universe anxious for a big debut.
When she did have her debut, however, all she said was that she was going back to being Emma. The vignettes continued.

The heart of the matter

While both women have been gone from the squared circle for a lengthy period of time, the Squared Circle Sirens report states they could show up at WrestleMania 33.

“We’re told that Summer Rae was flown down to Orlando, Florida in hopes of being cleared in time for a WrestleMania return alongside Emma.
Sources tell us that Vince McMahon has been pushing for Summer Rae and Emma to return to possibly be apart of the SmackDown Women’s match at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida in a few weeks.”

What’s next?

If all goes according to plan, Emma and Rae should appear at WrestleMania 33. What doesn’t match the report, however, is the fact that Emma is on the WWE Raw brand and last checked, Rae isn’t even on a show.
So there would have to be changes made in order to make the SmackDown LIVE Women’s championship match more interesting. Unless McMahon changes his mind on Emma, there won’t be big plans for either of them in the foreseeable future.

Author’s Take

Emma and Summer Rae are good wrestlers who have the potential to be champions in the future.
The Australian-born WWE Superstar Emma has had quality matches before. It just doesn’t seem like anybody in Stamford, Connecticut cares about either wrestler on television, however.
From a fan’s perspective, if Rae and Emma weren’t to ever wrestle again, the casual fan may forget who they even were. Hopefully, the rejuvenation of both Superstars helps their respective careers. WrestleMania 33 would be a good start.

5 Things the WWE won't tell you about Charlotte

Charlotte and Ric have stood by each others side.

If you've ever heard the name Ashley Fliehr then you probably know who we are referring too. If we liberally change the spelling of her last name to match the pronunciation, it would spell Flair. Today, there is only one Flair that is getting all the attention, even though it is her father that made the family name. 
Ashley competes under the name Charlotte, and during her time with WWE, fans have seen growth and progression in her as a professional and competitor, which shows she is determined not to just get by on her father's name.
What we normally see on WWE programming is the company boasting how a performer has had to overcome a number of challenges to make it where they are today. Charlotte has had to work twice as hard, being the daughter of a legend. 

She has seen a number of ups and downs in her life but has overcome these obstacles to become the success that she is today. Here are a few things the WWE won't tell you about Charlotte.

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#5 Made some mistakes before finding herself

It has never come easy for the second generation wrestler. She has faced obstacles throughout her life.

We all make mistakes in life. We learn from them, grow, and move forward with our lives. Before her time in WWE, Charlotte was arrested for an incident in 2008 in North Carolina. The reasons for the incident are said to be tied to not only her but her father Ric and her ex-boyfriend. 
It involved assaulting a police officer during a fight between her boyfriend, and father. Whether she struck the officer in the midst of the skirmish, or while defending her dad or attempting to fight off her boyfriend, isn't quite clear. 
What is clear is that at the end of it all, Charlotte pled guilty to a lesser charge and as a result was sentenced to jail. Thankfully the sentence of 45 days in jail was reduced to supervised probation and a $200 fine. 
life. It is important to acknowledge how she has overcome that incident and not allowed it to define her moving forward. Today, Charlotte appears to be every bit the dedicated professional.

5 women John Cena has dated

The WWE’s power couple

When you’re a celebrity, your love life is under constant scrutiny. The general public wants as much information as they can get their hands on about what their favourite celebs are doing and it’s no different for WWE Superstars.
And, when it comes to WWE Superstars, there is nobody bigger than John Cena. Well, there’s The Rock, but I think we can all agree that he’s more of a movie star than a WWE Superstar these days. So, back to my original point, there is nobody bigger than Big Match John in the WWE.
As one would expect, the leader of the Cenation has had his fair share of female companions over the years.

Right from his early days as a trainee in WWE’s developmental territory of OVW to the superstardom he has found in equalling Ric Flair’s record of 16 World Titles, Cena has had a number of girlfriends and was even married at one point.
So, without further ado, let’s get into our list of 5 women John Cena has dated:

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#1 Nikki Bella

We start this list off with John Cena’s latest beau, Nikki Bella. One-half of the Bella twins and The Face that Runs the Place have been an item since 2013 and this relationship seems to be one where Cena finally settles down with The One.
The two are currently working together on-screen for the first time in their careers and are embroiled in a heated feud with The Miz and Maryse where the heels have repeatedly rammed home the point that Cena will never propose to Nikki.

Also read: 5 Things WWE doesn't want you to know about John Cena

The obvious culmination of this angle should be Big Match John finally proposing to the love of his life and for the two to be wedded in the near future. In the days of reality television involving Total Bellas as well as Cena and Nikki’s high-profile positions in the WWE, this is a relationship which is meant to stand the test of time.
Regardless of all the nonsense, the two seem to be genuinely happy together so we wish the best for John Cena and Nikki Bella going forward.

WWE/Impact Wrestling News: Reby Hardy drops a big hint about the Broken Hardy's being WWE bound

Reby Hardy has been quite active on Twitter lately...

What’s the story?

Reby Hardy has been on the offensive over the past few days on Twitter with her vitriol directed at Anthem and Impact Wrestling. One tweet in particular from this weekend was very interesting where she took a screenshot of a statement from ProWrestling.net and accompanied it with a thinking emoji as you can see below:

 

The tweet mentions the WWE, and combine it with Reby’s emoji and you have to think that there might be a connection as to where the Hardy’s are going.

In case you didn’t know...

Reby has had some epic rants on her Twitter account this past week. She has included claims that Anthem is threatening pay per view providers who show Matt and Jeff Hardy with their Broken characters, as well as showing proof that Impact Wrestling’s Twitter is blocking fans that are being critical of their handling of the Hardy situation.

The heart of the matter...

Anthem is claiming that the Broken gimmick of Matt and Jeff is the intellectual property of Impact Wrestling; however, Reby has said in multiple tweets that she has proof that it isn’t the case and that Anthem is fighting an uphill battle.
The comment from ProWrestling.net states that everyone wins in the situation of letting the Hardy’s continue. The key part to this is mentioning those merchandise sales astronomically increase if they sign with the WWE.

What’s next?

This weekend will have the next television tapings for Ring Of Honor, and the Broken Hardy’s will definitely be involved as they are under contract until at least Supercard of Honor on April 1^st.  It’ll be interesting to see if the Broken gimmicks are used, as they were not at the 15^th Anniversary pay per view on this past Friday.

Sportskeeda’s take

The way Anthem is treating the Hardy family is quite ridiculous. Blocking the use of the Broken gimmick really benefits nobody. Anthem and Impact Wrestling cannot use it any longer, and it is depriving the fans of one of the best gimmicks in pro wrestling over the past decade.
Reby’s attacks on Twitter probably aren’t helping a whole lot, but at the same time, she is providing quite a bit of information regarding the situation. There really isn’t a benefit for her to make this information up, and hopefully, everything gets resolved quickly so we can all move on.
The emoji that Reby posted with the screenshot is very interesting as many think the Hardy’s are heading to the WWE after WrestleMania. Is Reby showing her hand with that emoji and confirming that it is the case?

WWE Rumors: WWE considering changes to Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania 33?

Is Dana about to find herself presented with a huge opportunity?

What’s the story?

Cagesideseats.com is speculating that there may yet be more changes to come with regards to the Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 33? Currently, the bout is scheduled to see champion Bayley defend her title against Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks in a triple threat match, but the site (along with Wrestling Observer) is speculating that WWE is considering adding Dana Brooke or Nia Jax or even both to the match.

In case you didn’t know...

Bayley won the Raw Women’s Championship in mid-February by defeating Charlotte Flair in an excellent match on Raw and subsequently defended the title against the deposed champion at Fastlane. Bayley retained the title in controversial circumstances which lead to a triple threat match between Bayley, Flair and Sasha Banks being booked for WrestleMania 33.
Dana Brooke finally stood up for herself in the face of constant humiliation from Charlotte Flair, and whilst that story could be over and done with next week there is a chance Brooke could find herself in the title match too. All the while Nia Jax has been running roughshod over the women’s division on Raw, and despite her Fastlane loss to Sasha Banks, she would be a strong addition to the match.

The heart of the matter

For months it was rumoured that the Raw Women’s Championship would be defended at the Ultimate Thrill Ride in a four-way match featuring Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Nia Jax, but when the match was finally announced Nia was nowhere to be seen. After months of building Jax up, this was somewhat surprising, and it isn’t entirely shocking to hear that WWE officials may not be completely sold on the three-way just yet.

Also read: WWE Rumors: Sasha Banks to turn heel soon

The potential addition of Dana Brooke is more surprising, however, given her non-status on WWE television over the past few months. On the one hand, this could be seen as a great opportunity for Charlotte’s former protege, but equally, it could be interpreted as WWE trying to get as many people on the card by any means necessary.

What’s next?

This situation will surely be cleared up this coming Monday on RAW. The WWE Universe will see where Dana Brooke and Charlotte are headed following their fall-out last week, and Nia’s status will hopefully become clear too. With just 16 days to go until WrestleMania 33, it is unlikely that WWE will leave it to the last minute to set up the show, and WWE fans can be forgiven for assuming Dana and Nia will know their roles sooner rather than later.

Author’s Take

The story should have been so easy to tell. Bayley defeating Charlotte Flair for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 33 and ending Flair’s pay-per-view undefeated streak in the process was the lowest-hanging fruit and a moment that everyone knows should have happened. Instead, we are getting a messy multi-person match that feels like a non-event as opposed to the next step in a true revolution.

5 Possible storylines WWE can use after the recent Paige leaked photo controversy

Paige’s controversial situation could become the basis of a WWE storyline in the future...

If you haven’t been on the internet over the past 48 hours, news has broken out that Paige had personal photos leaked onto the internet. These photos, as well as an accompanying video, showed her in an intimate situation with one of her co-workers. Ever since they have been leaked, the IWC has, unsurprisingly, erupted.
It’s a dreadful situation to find oneself in. You think that something you keep on your phone or computer is locked away securely, only for someone you either don’t know or might’ve trusted previously to access them and threaten to release as much as possible to the public.
Right now, this issue is being dealt with privately by Paige and her family, but one mustn’t forget for whom Paige works. WWE has long been more than willing to pounce on any high-profile happenings outside their sphere of influence in order to use them for their own gain.

From creating the Warrior Award in memory of the Ultimate Warrior to the ‘Eddiesploitation’ that lasted months and months after Eddie Guerrero passed away, WWE has often sought to weave reality, no matter how controversial, into its storylines.
While Paige’s current situation with WWE remains complex, there is a chance that they might to the same things they did in the past with her. Vince McMahon hasn’t shied away from using controversy to generate interest in his product, and actually, might do the same thing in this case. Sure, it might look bad for him to be using real-life controversy to improve his ratings, but he has done the same before and has gotten away with it.
Even if today’s WWE is far more risk-averse, there’s a chance they could find a way to use these recent developments to create more interesting programming. If that’s what they decide to do, these are the five best suggestions for how they should go about it.

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#5 As Punishment For Xavier Woods

Woods’ image might be damaged by this situation...

New Day member Xavier Woods is believed to have taken part in at least one of the videos involving Paige, which definitely wouldn’t look good on him. The New Day are supposed to be all about positivity, and when they do engage in ‘bad’ activity, its under the guise of hijinks or mischief. Being involved in a private video with one of his co-workers would damage that image and could harm the New Day’s future.
But instead of doing some harm to the group, this could actually be used to revitalize the otherwise directionless New Day. They haven’t really done anything since losing their tag team titles, so a storyline showcasing one of them as doing something contradictory to the group’s mantra could make for a compelling story.
Would Kingston and Big E turn on Woods for his behaviour? Would Kingston, who has spoken publicly about being a father, lambast his ally for his actions? Would it damage the positive role model ideal WWE has been trying to cultivate for Woods for years, ever since the ‘WWE 24’ video showing him wrestling while trying to complete his Ph.D.?
Even if Woods ends up being an innocent party in all of this, it would make for an interesting turn of events for Woods, especially since these events are so contradictory with his on-screen character.

WWE Rumors: Sasha Banks to turn on Bayley at WrestleMania 33

Are we going to witness the second act in the storied rivalry of these two tremendous competitors?

What’s the story?

For months, the WWE Universe has been clamouring for Sasha “The Boss” Banks to turn heel and it looks like they will get their wish at this year’s WrestleMania.
Cagesideseats reports that Sasha Banks will most likely turn on Bayley at WrestleMania 33 and will become a heel in the process.

In case you didn’t know...

Sasha Banks earned her way into the Raw Women’s Championship match a few weeks ago by defeating Bayley on Monday Night Raw. Ever since her inclusion into the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 33, WWE has been teasing some tension between the duo.

Sasha Banks has been a stalwart friend of Bayley on the main roster until now. But if one remembers correctly, they had the most heated rivalry of the women’s division during their stay in NXT. The history between the duo is well-known to the WWE Universe.
Their storied rivalry has raised the bar of the women’s division in NXT and we can expect that bar to be raised on the main roster too.

The heart of the matter

It looks like the wish of Sasha’s fans might soon come true. In the latest update from Cagesideseats, it is speculated that Sasha Banks will most likely turn on Bayley at WrestleMania 33 and turn heel in the process.
For weeks, the WWE Universe has been witnessing the mounting tension between Sasha Banks and Bayley. With Sasha being added to the Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 33, the tension has reached its breaking point.

Also read:  WWE News: Sasha Banks teases turning on Bayley at WWE Live Event

It is now widely speculated that Sasha might turn on Bayley at any moment. According to the reports, we can expect Sasha to turn heel by attacking Bayley either at WrestleMania 33 or at the night after WrestleMania.

What’s next?

On April 2^nd, Raw Women’s Champion Bayley will defend her title in a Fatal 4 Way match against Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Nia Jax. Given the latest rumours, we can expect Bayley to hold on to the championship and thus inciting Sasha to attack her after the match.
In that case, the WWE Universe will be treated with both Bayley’s WrestleMania moment and Sasha’s heel turn.

Author’s take

With Sasha turning heel soon, WWE is now devoid of any major babyfaces in the women’s division on Raw. Considering how thin the women’s roster on Raw is, this would create some major headaches for WWE in the upcoming weeks.
Even though Dana Brooke has turned face recently, compared to the heel trio of Charlotte, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks (if she indeed does turn heel), the babyfaces face a serious disadvantage.
This might also be an indication that Emma would indeed return on the night after WrestleMania as a babyface. The status quo of heels vs babyfaces in the women’s roster then may balance with Bayley, Dana and Emma on one side and Charlotte, Sasha and Jax on the other side.
Who knows, WWE might even debut Asuka to the main roster on Raw to make things more interesting.

WWE Live Event Results: Worcester, MA (03/20/2017)

Did Bliss leave Worcester as champion?

The WWE Raw crew might have been in Brooklyn last night for the penultimate episode of the flagship show on the Road to WrestleMania, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the superstars of SmackDown LIVE had the night off. The blue brand was in Worcester, Massachusetts for a live event featuring a stacked roster and some top quality matches, as SmackDown continues to make a compelling argument for being the best show on WWE television right now.
The card featured three championship matches along with a Worcester Street Fight, and the full results and review can be found below.

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#1 Randy Orton vs. The Miz

The show opened with two former World Champions doing battle in the shape of Randy Orton and The Miz. Whilst The Viper may well be towing the line between heel and face on television, he was in full babyface mode here, picking up the win over the former Intercontinental Champion with a crowd-p

Result: Randy Orton defeated The Miz

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#2 Kalisto, Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. Curt Hawkins & The Vaudevillains

Could there be a SmackDown LIVE team of three lower guys than Curt Hawkins & The Vaudevillains? The babyface trio of Kalisto, Heath Slater & Rhyno had little trouble putting away Hawkins, English and Gotch in what was a throwaway match between six men with little direction.

Result: Kalisto, Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated Curt Hawkins & The Vaudevillains

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#3 Apollo Crews vs. Dolph Ziggler

Speaking of SmackDown LIVE stars with little direction, Dolph Ziggler and Apollo Crews continued their frustrating feud at the live event in Worcester, with The Showoff picking up the win over Crews. Neither man has much on their plate at WrestleMania 33 and will be hoping for renewed focus in the post-WrestleMania landscape.

Result: Dolph Ziggler defeated Apollo Crews

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#4 SmackDown Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss vs. Mickie James vs. Carmella vs. Natalya vs. Tamina Snuka

The first title match of the evening was something of a WrestleMania teaser, as Alexa Bliss defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship against four competitors in the shape of Mickie James, Carmella, Natalya and the recently-returned Tamina Snuka. Bliss was able to escape Worcester with her title, but will she be able to survive even more foes at the Show of Shows?

Result: Alexa Bliss defeated Mickie James, Carmella, Natalya and Tamina Snuka and retained her championship.

WWE Rumors: WWE open to signing Goldberg for more dates

Could we see more of Goldberg following after WrestleMania 33?

What’s the story?

Cageside Seats reports that the WWE is open to signing Goldberg for more dates. As of now, Goldberg seems to be under contract until WrestleMania 33, but a contract with more dates could make Goldberg a recurring character on Monday Night Raw.

In case you didn’t know...

Goldberg was originally involved with the WWE exclusively for the WWE 2K17 video game but was signed for a one-time match at Survivor Series against Brock Lesnar. After his victory at Survivor Series, it was revealed that Goldberg had signed on for even more dates.

Also read: WWE Rumors: Possible duration of the Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar WrestleMania 33 match

Goldberg and Lensar are set to headline WrestleMania, and The Beast Incarnate is expected to get revenge and win the WWE Universal Championship.

The Heart of the Matter
If the WWE and Goldberg reach another agreement, then his deal would likely be similar to his current one where he only works a few Raws and wrestles exclusively on pay-per-view. However, even if this did happen, the outcome of his WrestleMania match isn’t likely to change.

What’s Next?

The WWE were in a similar situation back in 2015, just before WrestleMania 31, when Lesnar was contemplating between remaining with the WWE or returning fulltime to the UFC. Lesnar eventually revealed that he would stay with the WWE before WrestleMania, so expect Goldberg to make an announcement soon.

Author’s Take

Goldberg remaining with the WWE could potentially be good for Monday Night Raw. He definitely still is a draw and the possibility of seeing him mix it up with wrestlers like Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, and Roman Reigns could make for some interesting encounters.
However, if Goldberg is re-signing with the company, then his matches would have to be a lot longer. Fans have grown tired of seeing Goldberg have extremely shorts matches and would like to see him compete for an extended period of time. Hopefully, his WrestleMania 33 match and any potential matches going forward will be longer than his previous ones

WWE SmackDown Results 3/21/17, live updates

What to expect from Tonight's show?

What will happen when Ambrose & Corbin clash again?
Baron Corbin injured Dean Ambrose in a Forklift assault two weeks ago and sent him out on a stretcher. The Lone Wolf appears to be on the hunt for The Lunatic Fringe’s Intercontinental Championship and to destroy his adversary permanently.

 Ambrose is never one to back down from a fight and will most certainly return to get retribution, so is SmackDown LIVE prepared for the all-out destruction that will occur when these two Superstars brawl again?

American Alpha to defend the SmackDown Tag Team Titles against The Usos tonight
SmackDown Tag Team Champions American Alpha are “Ready, Willing and Gable” to take on all comers.However last week, with only three episodes of SmackDown LIVE left before The Ultimate Thrill Ride, The Usos scored a huge non-title over Chad Gable & Jason Jordan.

As a result, WWE.com has learned that American Alpha will defend their titles against Jimmy & Jey tonight on SmackDown LIVE!Who will walk onto The Grandest Stage of Them All with the SmackDown Tag Team Championship?

Will John Cena and Nikki Bella or The Miz and Maryse emerge as SmackDown LIVE’s A-List couple?
Last week, John Cena & Nikki Bella challenged The Miz & Maryse to a Mixed Tag Team Match at The Showcase of the Immortals, but who will prove they are the true A-list couple of the blue brand?

And one week after scrambling into the crowd to avoid a confrontation, will Miz and his dangerous bride attempt to regain some momentum just two weeks before The Ultimate Thrill Ride?

Who will survive the mind games en route to The Ultimate Thrill Ride?
Randy Orton may have burned down The Wyatt Family Compound, but WWE Champion Bray Wyatt has apparently returned more powerful than ever after being baptized in the ashes of Sister Abigail.

But, as The New Face of Fear and The Viper prepare to engage at WrestleMania, who will win the war of intimidation between these two absolute masters of psychological warfare?

Is AJ Styles fired or heading to WrestleMania to face Shane McMahon?

Last Tuesday, after blaming Shane McMahon for having to “jump through hoops” in pursuit of a WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania, AJ Styles ambushed the SmackDown LIVE Commissioner and hurled him through a car window.

As a result, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan fired The Phenomenal One and kicked him out of the building. However, as the blue brand was about to conclude, a battered Shane-O-Mac emerged to make the emphatic statement, “AJ Styles says he doesn’t have an opponent at WrestleMania … he does now.”

So, is Styles gone for good? Or will he be heading to The Ultimate Thrill Ride to take on Shane McMahon?