30/4/2019

MITB:

Braun Strowman, Ricochet, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin are official for the upcoming MITB match. Natalya, Dana Brooke, Naomi and Alexa will be in the women's.

Miz vs Shane in a cage is also on.

Why Revival stayed:

WWE had to put Revival onto top gy money to keep them from walking earlier this year. They are now on $5,00,000 a year for 5 years each.

Club moved:

Anderson & Gallows have swapped to Raw as the brand shuffle continues.

RVD back:

RVD returned to Impact TV at their taping last night.

Ryan to WWE?:

Joey Ryan has written a farewell note to the indies, as he teases agreeing to personal terms with WWE, for a role at their PC.

SD tease:

• What will WWE Champion Kofi Kingston have to say in an exclusive interview following Kevin Owens' shocking betrayal?
• Becky Lynch and Bayley to square off for the first time ever in WWE
• Which SmackDown LIVE Superstars will compete in the Men's and Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Matches?
• How will Roman Reigns deal with Shane McMahon & Elias?

Kurt Angle reveals new WWE role:

"I signed a five-year deal with WWE. I'm going to do some part-time - if they need me in front of the TV, maybe managerial, where I would be managing some wrestlers. But the most important thing is I'm going to be a producer. I'm going to help the wrestlers with their technique. I'm going to help them structure their matches. It's something I'm very good at. I thought I'd be able to contributor the company."

**Peter Mayhew**

29/4/2019

Impact:

Brian Cage is the new champion for Impact. He won the gold at Rebellion this past weekend, as did LAX with the Tag straps.

In another big moment for the company, Michael Elgin, who was rumoured to be talking to WWE, turned up at the PPV for his Impact debut.

Real heat building between WWE women:

Becky Lynch was ragging on Bayley on social media, wanting a match with the hugger, and Bayley responded that she would not be upset over a Twitter comment, likely referencing Alexa getting legit upset with a tweet Becky made about her last week. Alexa picked up on the sleight, and responded with digs of her own, telling them to go home to look after their friend, probably meaning Sasha Banks, and that she would save a spot on the locker room floor for when the come back, referencing the bizarre incident at Mania, where Bayley and Sasha reportedly laid down on the floor and refused to go out for their match.

Legend at PC:

Meiko Satomura will have a guest coaching spot at the WWE PC next week.

Old boy's good deed:

Kevin Thorn has arranged a fundraiser to raise monies to support a youngster with their cancer battle.

Champ rushed to hospital:

Brian Cage was rushed to the emergency room shortly after winning the Impact gold. He says he injured his back during the match, and is suffering terrible pains shooting down his legs.

Cody responds to HHH's AEW dig:

"You mean to tell me some piss-ant bodybuilder making every match a 'No DQ,' meandering around the crowd, throwing the jib cam at his opponent compares with a Kenny - Okada match?. Or some bra and panties spectacular can match-up with what the women did last September 1st? Or even Dwayne—as electric as it was—rhyming and raising. Was it really better than what Punk said, sitting on that stage?"

Raw tease:

• A WWE Money in the Bank edition of "A Moment of Bliss"
• A Phenomenal foe for The Beastslayer
• Call him Robert Roode
• Cesaro and Samoa Joe become Raw Superstars
• The Man down (but not out)
• The "Firefly Fun House" is open

PPV dropped again:

Backlash has been dropped again. A new PPV will debut in it's place, called Stomping Grounds.

NXT UK surgery:

Eddie Dennis is having surgery on a pectoral tear.

Alum to MMA:

Lilian Garcia has joined an MMA company, as their new in cage announcer.

28/4/2019

Angle names WWE's GOAT:

Kurt Angle says John Cena is the greatest WWE star in the company's history.

New champion:

Allysin Kay is the new NWA Women's champion.

At the same show PCO and Brody King won the Crockett cup and Tag ttiles.

Liv Morgan injures herself on holiday:

Liv Morgan has broken a toe whilst playing around on a strippers pole in Hawaii.

Seth's surprising weekend:

Seth Rollins made an appearance at an NXT live, and an indie show, to support some of his school's students, this weekend.

Is Kane retired?:

"There's a saying in WWE to never say never. I love to perform. That last match as the Brothers Of Destruction against D-Generation X, two legendary teams, two mythical teams. It didn't turn out like Undertaker and I wanted it to turn out. So never say never, maybe I'll get back out there at some point."

Why won't WWE release Harper?:

It is claimed WWE, or more accurately Vince McMahon, is refusing to release anyone right now, to stop AEW getting their talent. Goldust is the only exception, but even that took political pressure from Triple H, who had to talk Vince into allowing the veteran to quietly leave in January, in time to see out his 90 days no compete, before debuting at the first AEW PPV.

Gail Kim:

Gail Kim says her return to the ring tonight will be a one off.

27/4/2019

WWE try to make amends with AEW:

WWE will Mark Henry to the AEW legends event, in place of Undertaker and Kurt Angle, who were pulled earlier in the week. They have also given a hidden gem match, previously thought lost from the WWE archive, but recently discovered. The match between Bret Hart and Tom Magee is said to be Vince's personal favourite match. The footage will only be allowed to be played for the live audience, not on any stream or home video release.

Reby sickened by reporter:

Reby Sky has claimed a reporter asked Matt Hardy if he was sexually attracted to her, because of a physical resemblance he saw between Reby and Matt's brother, Jeff. She shared the story on social media this week.

Harper:

WWE pulled a big return feud between Sami Zayn and Harper, designined to bring them both back in a big way, after Mania, possibly leading to Harper's decision to ask to be released, a release WWE are refusing to honour.

Bischoff regrets TNA:

Eric Bischoff has said he wished he did not work for TNA, and called his time there ''Regrettable.''

Induct Benoit:

Vickie Guerrero has called for WWE to induct Chris Benoit into the HOF...

"It's a sad situation," Guerrero began. "I loved Chris Benoit. His family was our family. His wife Nancy, we were close friends and their son Daniel and we were all really close. I wasn't there when it happened and I don't understand why it happened, but I still love him. Aside from all of that he loved us and he respected us. He was a talented wrestler and he had his own legacy, I think that it shouldn't be ignored and it's sad how things turned out, but I would like to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame."

Belts reactivated:

NWA say they will present the winners of the Crockett cup their Tag titles, which have not had an owner since 2017.

Real life feud:

Tessa Blanchard says she has lingering heat with Ivelisse Velez, ex of LU, who is currently trying out for a return to WWE. She says Ivelisse told her that she was only working in the sport because of her surname, and had no right to be competing at her level.

26/4/2019

Alum quits:

Dean Malenko has ended a near 20 year WWE career, spent, for the most part, behind the curtain. He quit the company this week. His frst gig outside of WWE... the AEW legends event.

DYoung offended by LGBTQ tribute:

"When I was released in 2017, I was more hurt, not about the release, but more about months later, at WrestleMania, the LGBTQ colors were embraced by a good friend of mine, a straight ally, Finn Balor, who's an amazing wrestler, an amazing talent, and good human being. But I was kind of upset because, why not let me embrace the colors while I was still with the company? Why not let me show my pride and all that other good stuff? I cried like a baby, honestly. I was just… I was just devastated that I wasn't even invited to the festivities at that WrestleMania."

HOF'er says Sahsa Banks has destroyed her WWE career, whatever she decides:

Tony Atlas says Sasha Banks has ruined her legacy, reputation and chances of making herself a legend with WWE over her spitting the dummy and going home...

"They never fire you on the spot. You always get it at home. That's why they say go home and think about it. Now what they do, they have a meeting. Now, if she [does] decide to come back, they're going to destroy her. Her career is over. They'll job her out. She lost [reliability], because what she... just told them, 'you can't trust me.' That's all she did. She let the wrestling world [down], and not just the wrestling world; everybody affiliated with the WWE is looking at it the same way."

Ref breaks leg:

NXT ref Tom Castor broke his leg during a match on the lives this weekend, but continued to officiate the match (Photo).

Raul Mendoza was injured into a match on the same card.

PC prospect gets wish:

Stacey Ervin has been allowed to leave WWE. HE asked for his release after just a couple of months at the PC after taking a bad bump and deciding the grap game was not for him.

Did fan die during WWE TV match?:

Reports havce been rife this week after a fan was taken away during the Roman Reigns / Elias and Shane segment of SD. He was on a stretcher and completely covered, head to toe with a blanket. The fan suffered a medical emergency and received treatment in the crowd before being carried backstage. The manner of the medics doing so caused concern for fans in attendance, but it has now been confirmed the fan is alive. He was apparently covered to protect him from all the camera phones focused on him while he was ill.

Belt for sale:

WWE are releasing a limited batch of replica eco- friendly titles, based on Daniel Bryan's belt, on their shop site.

MITB match leaked:

A graphic showing the participants for the men's match has been leaked. Drew McIntyre, Rey Mysterio, Cesaro, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, Aleister Black and Andrade are on it.

25/4/2019

WWE star in surgery:

Nia Jax has gone under the knife on her damaged knees today.

Mr. Rousey blasts media:

Ronda Rousey's husband, Travis, has taken to his youTube to blast the media in the US for giving the HOF attacker TV time over his assault of Bret Hart at the ceremony...

"This guys name should never be mentioned again. He's not the guy at the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame that rushed the stage or anything like that, no. This guy needs to disappear and go back into the nothing in which this piece of s--t was born. It could've been way worse. We're lucky that that's all it was."

WWE want controversial indie star:

WWE have reportedly expressed an interest in signing Joey Ryan, he of the penis of doom. Talks are said to be ongoing for him to join developmental.

WWE first quarter fail:

WWE have blamed high profile superstar absences in the first quarter of the year for them losing money over the early part of the year.

The company promise a major overhaul of their Network and a new partner to improve their live events, to combat declining numbers.

WWE playing dirty with WWE star:

WWE are refusing to allow Harper to leave, even when his deal runs out in November. They say he has spent a long time on the shelf during his contract and want him to give them the dates he was injured. They have extended his deal well into 2020.

This is likely because he has already established relationships with AEW staff, and would be on his way there at the earliest opportunity.

Heat on UK star:

Rhea Ripley is in heat for a live stream on social media. A fan paid her $15 for her to insult him. She replied by calling him a ''Stupid mother fucking faggot..''

Naturally, the social media mea culpe followed, tweeting under her real name...

"Demi Bennett speaking here: I know a lot of you are upset with me after tonight, but I just wanted to publically say that I am sorry. My brain to mouth filter came down for a second and I forgot that some words are a big no no to a lot of people. I am a firm believer that everyone should be treated equally, whether that be race or sexual orientation. With that said, I just wanted to say how dearly sorry I am to everyone that was offended by my choice of words tonight.''

Matt Riddle:

Matt Riddle has been pulled from the road this weekend with an illness.

Heat on arrogant Rush:

WWE officials are hot with Lio Rush for saying he feels he should be the star Raw is based around.

Ambrose officially gone:

WWE have moved Dean Ambrose onto their Alumni page.

B Team on blue brand:

WWE have switched Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas to the blue show.

Injuries:

Jeff Hardy has re-injured the right knee he destroyed in a dirt bike wreck in 2015.

Tommaso Ciampa has started working towards his return. He is back in training after a neck injury doctors said could kill him if he returns to wrestling.

ROH's Chris Sabin has finally had his ACL tear repaired. The injury happened in January.

24/4/2019

PPV saved:

Backlash will happen this year afterall. It has been moved though, and will now be at the end of the month of June, rather than the first week.

D Young reveals life in WWE, for the mid-card roster:

"They sit in catering. They sit in catering all day at TV… Live events, the matches are a little bit longer. When you get to TV it's survival of the fittest. It's a dog-eat-dog world. There are only a certain amount of spots that can be filled, and the one thing I learned from Titus O'Neil is how to be a businessman. So anytime we didn't have anything on TV we would do backstage skits, get those reps together on camera. Do a backstage skit. Do something for the WWE app that was just being put on the map. So we'd say, 'PTP didn't land on the WWE app, the app landed on PTP!' So we were hustling and bustling backstage, Titus and I, when we weren't having any matches. You just gotta keep yourself busy, you know? You can get a little down on yourself, you could get depressed and all that stuff. But that's the nature of the business."

WWE pull legends from AEW event:

Kurt Angle and Undertaker have been pulled from Starrcast !! because of their affiliation with the new AEW.

KO Day:

Kevin Owens new friendship with New Day was brief. He turned heel on them last night on SD.

MITB:

Roman Reigns vs Elias is booked for Money In The Bank. Becky Lynch will defend her blue strap vs Charlotte Flair, as well as the red vs Lacey Evans.

Roster change:

Junder Mahal and his entourage have joined the blue brand.

Jazz reveals why she vacated NWA gold:

"Due to medical and personal issues in my life at this time. I'm having to turn the belt over without defending it. I will post again soon. Thanks for your support. ... Shout out to NWA for giving me the opportunity of being the best Women's Champion. One helluva run. Got to work some of the best talent in the game today. Hopefully this will not be the end. Until. #Andstill."

Why Andrade moved back:

(Possibly Jinder too). It was apparently not Charlotte having a strop backstage that caused Andrade's transfer to Raw to be cancelled, but Fox, who want more latin and ethnic performers on the show when they take over broadcasting it later this year.

Tama Tonga reveals locker room revolted against Cass and Enzo joining ROH:

"What up, Real1? I'll just address you straight up. Ya ain't gotta call out the locker room. It was me. It was f---in' me. Huh, Real1? You're a real f---in' idiot. You know why we ain't letting you in? Because you're cancer. We don't want that to spread in our workplace. You're a f---ing cancer. You're talking about bringing in money? Aw, s---. No, we're talking about you killing our business. You're a cancer. Not on my f---ing watch. B----."

Enzo took offense at the use of the word ''Cancer'' and made a number of social media posts calling him out in response.

WWE Alum sexually assaulted:

Eve Torres has shared a personal story of being sexually abused, for an awareness campaign aimed at encouraging others to speak out...

"It took me 10 years to admit to myself, and then to others, that I was a survivor of rape. It happened on a night with mutual friends, alcohol, and while I was out of town in an environment that was unfamiliar to me. At the time of the assault, I used all of these circumstances to tell myself that I had participated in the act, when in reality, my verbal and physical resistance indicated otherwise. It is so common for women to believe that because we didn't physically 'fight' him off, we invited it, and it wasn't rape. This is not true. When we are faced with a situation that seems impossible to get out of, or would require a battle we don't believe we are equipped for, we often feel we have no other choice than to continue without resistance. This form of cooperation can even be considered a survival tool in some circumstances, but it does not mean that we allowed it, wanted it, asked for it, invited it, or chose it. If we did not offer our consent, it is sexual assault, and in many cases, including mine, it was rape. It took me embarking on my journey in Women Empowered to garner the confidence to acknowledge the reality of what happened, and then share my story with others. In order to authentically ask others to advocate for themselves, I had to be an advocate for myself. Self-defense doesn't end if/when an assault takes place. Self-defense is the mindset that we deserve to be protected, supported, and safe, and that may mean seeking help after an incident occurs. One might think that acknowledging a sexual assault would make someone feel powerless. In reality, it wasn't until I was able to identify it as such that I was finally able to take back the control that I felt was stolen from me that night. I know that if I were put in the exact same situation, all these years later, I now have an arsenal of physical and psychological tools to defend against him. As the shame was stripped away, my power emerged."

23/4/2019

Happy England day...

BAR-eak up:

Cesaro and Sheamus are splitting up after a long and successful partnership. The Swiss superman is moving to the red brand to counter the changes made the other way, with Andrade and Zelina having their transfers axed, and Aleister Black going with them after only a week as a Raw star.

Fans change name:

After a torrent of mocking and heat filled jibes on social media, WWE have changed the name of the Viking Experience to Viking Raiders. Vince demanded the name be changed when they stepped up last week, but no decent options could be thought up in time for the event. Rejected suggestions included the Berzerkers and the New Berzerkers (Presumably after someone pointed out there had been one before).

They were not the only ones to get a change, Bobby, is now Robert, Roode. He also shaved his face into a moustache that very much resembles the man whose name he shares, Rick Rude.

And Bray Wyatt is now the Firefly, a bizarre twisted kids TV presenter.

Wrestlers in movie:

Mick Foley is joining former World champ David Arquette in a new film.

MITB:

Becky Lynch will put her red title on the line at MITB vs Lacey Evans. There is speculation she will also defend the blue in a separate bout.

Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles for the Universal is also booked.

Injury:

Jeff Hardy reportedly hurt his leg on the lives over the weekend.

WWE target staying with NJPW until he dies:

Kota Ibushi says his newest contract with New Japan has sealed a deal until the day he dies. WWE had hoped to sign him after the CWC, but both members of the planned final refused deals, so they, Ibushi and Zack Sabre, were instead knocked out in the semi's.

WWE end ban:

Becky Lynch's new monicker, Becky Two Belts, has caused WWE to end it's more than 10 year ban on the term 'Belt.'

SD tease:

• Will Roman Reigns be fired this Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE?
• Becky Lynch to come face-to-face with Charlotte Flair for the first-time since WrestleMania
• WWE Champion Kofi Kingston to battle Shinsuke Nakamura

Sasha staying home:

The Meltzer claims his WWE source has confirmed to him that Sasha Banks has told the office she plans to sit out the remainder of her contract, and will then leave the promotion.

22/4/2019

Bully says no:

Bubba Dudley says he felt he had to reject an offer from Impact after they lost Hardyz and Drew McIntyre in 2017. He said they offered him lots of money, but did not bother coming up with a creative angle for him...

''And then they handed me creative for Drew Galloway. Everything they wanted to do with Drew Galloway and then Drew left, went back to WWE and they handed me his creative. I said that you can't just plug me into somebody else's stuff. I go, I was an established character here with an established history and story. We have to re-think this. They weren't willing to re-think anything and I walked away from the money and then I went back to the original company I wanted to be with. I always knew that Ring of Honor was the company that I wanted to be with, I just didn't know if Ring of Honor was willing to dip their toe in the water with an act that went so against what they are all about. Ring of Honor is more about the moves, and the spots, and I am talking about the story part of it. I said that one of the things that the company lacks is the storytelling. I wanted to bring storytelling to Ring of Honor; episodic week-to-week, month-to-month pay-per-views and stories where they can actually have a payoff and have other people benefit from it. I'm not looking to get myself over, and I know that having other people over I am going to get the residual of it and get them over in the process. We worked it out with ROH, and my first night was at the Hammerstein Ballroom, and it has been an amazing experience since."

WWE axe PPV:

WWE have reportedly cancelled Backlaah this year. The event is just a week apart from the planned KSA show, and the company felt it was not worth having two so close together, so axed one. It seems the money of the KSA deal won out over the 20 year old PPV.

Horror fame:

WWE HOF'er Hacksaw Jim Duggan is starring in a new horror film 'Menantico Blues'. He is one of a group of deer hunters that go from hunter to hunted, whilst visiting some isolated woods.

Jazz vacates:

Jazz has given up a nearly three year reign as NWA Women's champion. A tournament will decide who replaces the third longest reigning champ in the promotions long and storied history.

AEW want Punk:

AEW's owner, Tony Khan, says CM Punk has been his number one target since the launch of AEW. He may have had his hopes boosted by Punk making his first competitive wrestling appearance in 5 years this past weekend.

Raw tease:

• Shaken and stirred - Superstar Shakeup fallout
• Will a new Superstar emerge as Seth Rollins' next challenger?
• What creepy force is infiltrating WWE?
• Lacey Evans calls for The Man
• Does The Miz have unfinished business with Shane McMahon?

Bray Wyatt's new gimmick is set to be unveiled too.

Extreme Rules leaks:

Wells Fargo Centre have leaked three matches for the PPV at their arena...

• Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton
• AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre
• Seth Rollins vs Baron Corbin (Universal)

Dean Ambrose talks end of WWE career:

"Eight years ago, I walked into this casino. Now I'm cashing in my chips and I'm walking away from the table. I won the game. What I do with the rest of my life from here on out is my business. I answer to no one. This time the 'Million Dollar Man' didn't get what he wanted. Because I can't be bought. So if you excuse us, it's time for us to go do what I want The Shield to be remembered for and that's kicking serious ass."

AEW:

AEW have signed some more stars today, including Blue Pants, ex of NXT, who will play The Librarian.

MITB:

WWE are planning on making the MITB match mean something again. They have reportedly promised to push the winner of this years to the stars, during a talent meeting. The company feel the match is losing it's sparkle, as recent wins have not equaled the results of the early years of the bout, and that the case does not mean as much for the holder as they used too.

Charlotte makes change:

WWE have swapped Andrade and Zelina Vega back to SmackDown, less than a week after making the change in the brand draft, on their site. Andrade is in a relationship with Charlotte, who was reportedly unhappy with them being separated. In a seemingly related move, Vega's husband, Aleister Black, has also been swapped from red to blue, but without his tag partner, Ricochet.

21/4/2019

Goldust joins AEW:

Cody Rhodes has announced he will wrestle his brother at the first AEW PPV. Goldust had denied letting his WWE deal run out earlier in the year, but, WWE would clearly not grant him permission to have the match, so, it seems he is gone from the company. His profile has also been moved onto the Alumni page of the WWE site.

Former World champ returns to wrestling:

CM Punk made his wrestling return at an indie this weekend. He hit his GTS on a wrestler at school gym show, under a mask, and later posed for photos with attendees, wearing the same hoodie as the mysterious masked man.

JR criticises HOF:

"The Hall Of Fame, it seemed to me, I don't want to say it was a throwaway because it was not a throwaway. It just seemed to not have as much sizzle this year as it has in previous years, well, I think those ensemble casts are… like DX certainly should have gone in and I don't have an issue with anybody going in. It's not my call, but the bottom line is that one predominant headliner that stands above the pack did not exist this year, in my opinion."

He went on to call for Christian to be inducted, although said it should be as a tag team with Edge.

Impact re-sign WWE reject:

Mahabali Shera failed to make the grade with WWE, and was recently released from the PC. Impact have wasted little time in bringing him back to their employ, confirming his signing today.

20/4/2019

DOD going on tour:

WWE have invited Beth Phoenix to go on the European tour with them. They want her to continue teaming with Nattie.

Main roster star moves to UK:

Alexander Wolfe looks to be moving to the WWE UK brand. He was at the tapings last night for talks with creative, and is expected to debut next week.

Angle talks WWE future:

"I would like to teach the sports entertainers anything that I can to help them improve. It will be fun and challenging. I may end up with a managerial role on TV down the line. It would be fun managing the talent."

Chelsea Green talks breaking her arm and continuinag wrestling:

"The finish to my first WWE NXT Full Sail match. My forearm had been broken for about four mins or so. Cleanest finish? Strongest pin? Absolutely not...but I think I pulled it off with one wrist. #IndyForLife"

Celeb recalls working Mania:

Colin Jost said of his experience earlier this month...

"It happened because Che is a really diehard WWE fan, and I was growing up, it was a huge thing for my brother and I. Che had gone to a couple events before and they were like, 'You guys should come and do something,' which they never do. It was a huge honor, it was really cool. It's weirdly like SNL, but slightly more physical. It's all live, so they all are super professional, they're on the road—it's the biggest traveling show in the world, they're on the road like 300 days a year."

Bryan pulled:

Daniel Bryan has been pulled from the road as he deals with a still unspecified injury.

Drew misses show:

Travel issues cost Drew McIntyre an appearance on the Raw tour this weekend.

WWE star ring career over?:

Aiden English has started accepting convention bookings outside of WWE, likely meaning he has decided to join the commentary team full time.

19/4/2019

Drew blasts lazy whiners on WWE roster:

Drew McIntyre says he is tired of WWE stars taking to social media to whine about their status...

"I can look around now and see people who have lost perspective. They're perhaps tweeting about how upset they are and their lack of opportunity instead of bettering themselves or working harder outside of the ring. They're clearly not going to the gym and they don't have that fire anymore, and I understand it because I was there. And I can spot it because I was that guy. It's my job and my character's job to get rid of those who don't necessarily have that fire and remind me of my younger self."

Kofi responds to 'Roid up comment:

Kofi Kingston was asked a difficult question during a manistream media interview this week. Newsweek asked him his view on Superstar Billy Graham telling him to get roided...

"It's so important to have representation for all races on TV. All people, from all walks of life. So when other people look at the television screen they can see and identify with that person doing great things. It's very powerful and motivating and inspiring. So, for me to be the inspiration for kids who look like me, for kids from any race who have struggled or continues to struggle or have any obstacles to overcome, I take a lot of pride in being that beacon of hope. I take pride in being the guy that people can look up to and believe in themselves because of what I've done.' I think it's great. A group of guys who are not what you would think of when you think of a typical professional wrestler. You see a lot of smaller guys who can do some incredible things on top. It's funny, because I had an appearance with Shawn Michaels and Johnny Gargano and we were all talking about how when you're smaller, you have to give it a bit extra. You have to fight a little bit harder and that much better and allow your talent to shine through. That's been proven by guys like Shawn, guys like me - guys like Gargano or AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins - we take a lot of pride in being workhorses and just giving it everything we can and proving that size doesn't matter. It's really all about getting the people to believe in you and the harder you work, the better you become. I've heard a few things through the grapevine. Honestly, I haven't seen them myself. People can say whatever they want. But as long as they turn on the television, they will see me as champion. That's really all that matters. And I don't have a comment about people's opinions. People are entitled to their own opinion as far as what a WWE Champion should be, but the fact is that I am WWE Champion and that's a fact. It is what it is."

Tazz blasts Rousey as insulting:

Tazz says he feels Ronda Rousey hsa insulted the business by taking her ball and going home so soon into her career. He says she has had her hand held by the WWE and went home sulking because fans did not give her the same referential treatment...

"I gotta tell ya. It's a little tough to swallow. Because, look, she's entitled to do whatever she wants, I understand that. But she's been in the game for a year, and she's got pushed to the moon, and skyrocketed because of her credibility and her legitimacy over the years in the MMA game and now is a UFC Hall of Famer and all these other great accolades she has. And she's earned every one of them, I'm not knocking her for that. But to take a break from the business after a year is a little tough for a lot of the lifers in the game, and people who follow that business and respect the business. It's insulting to the people that this is their lifestyle. Being a professional wrestler, no matter if you're in the WWE or anywhere else, is your life. It's not a job. I never looked at all my years in the ring or even segueing into broadcasting, I never looked at that as a job. I looked at it as a career, but it's part of my life, it just encompassed my job. It wasn't a 9 to 5 gig."

Alum's done with ROH:

Cass and Enzo were not brought in for this weeks TV tapings for ROH, leading to mixed speculation that either there invasion of the big co-pro show was legit, or that they have already upset someone in ROH and have been dropped already.

John Cena:

John Cena hosted the 'Ellen' show today.

Road Dogg goes home:

Road Dogg is not actively working for WWE at the moment, and is expected to be on an extended break. After quitting the creative team of SD he was expected to be fast-tracked into another role, possibly on air, as a commentator, but no idea pitched to him has interested him enough to take the role on, so WWE have stopped offering.

Dean's last match:

Dean Ambrose will work a 6 man with Shield vs Drew Mcintyre, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin on the lives this weekend. It will be the final match of his current run with the company.

Why Taker is back with WWE:

WWE reportedly made a financial offer that the Undertaker could not refuse. They legally could not stop him from attending the AEW legends show, but they tried, and have been leaning on other promoters, including the UK one, to demand he be pulled from the booking, or any speaking engagements be axed, or changed.

18/4/2019

Roddy re-homed:

Rowdy Roddy Piper's statue has been moved to the WWE HQ,and now lives in the lobby of the offices.

Online cat fight:

Alexa Bliss reacted angrily to a joke from Becky Lynch on Twitter yesterday. Lynch had joked about Bliss' recent injuries...

''Really bex ... I’m sure me having career threatening injury is really funny for you ... you know how they say don’t bite the hands that feeds you? .. maybe don’t bite the hand that made you relevant. When all I had to do was debut  ''

Injury:

Sheamus reportedly has a concussion.

WWE star appeals for help:

Ricochet's mother's home has burnt down in a fire. The new Raw star has asked for financial help on social media, raising over $11,000 already.

Lana hacked:

Lana has been hacked on Snapchat by an adult content site.

Mania death:

WrestleMania 2 celebrity announcer, Chet Coppock, has died aged 70, from injuries suffered in a car wreck.

Dean departs:

Dean Ambrose will work his final WWE match this weekend.

17/4/2019

Shakeup (Not?) completed:

Finn Balor, Ember Moon, Bayley, Elias, Roman Reigns, Liv Morgan, Apollo Crews, Chad Gable, Otis and Tucker have gone to the blue brand from red, Buddy Murphy comes from 205, and Kairi Sane has steeped up from NXT to form a new tag team with Asuka, they will be managed by Paige. Free agent Lars Sullivan looks to have joined the blue team, although it was suggested he was going to be red yesterday, so that may need to be cleared up.

Samoa Joe has been confirmed as going to Raw. WWE hoped to make the change on TV, but Joe was too unwell to be unveiled on the night.

Despite the on screen and social media changes being finished, WWE say they may announce more incidental changes on their site later in the week.

Second star quits:

Alexander Wolfe has seemingly followed Harper in quitting WWE this week. He took to social media to say goodbye to WWE, citing the split of his Sanity group as the final straw for him with the promotion. There is though some speculation that he may be dropping back into NXT for a repackage, as he is still officially, for now at least, under contract.

Factions split:

Sanity and Riott Squad have been broken up, at least in their previous form, in the superstar shakeup.

Real life couple Charlotte and Andrade have also been separated.

Sasha vs WWE:

Sasha reportedly (Meltzer) no showed Raw after Bayley told her WWE were splitting their team in the roster draft, further upsetting her.

Alum awarded:

Darren Young will receive an award for his advocacy work in relation to LGBTQ athletes, and the help he has given to people across many sports to feel empowered to follow in his footsteps and come out.

RKO bandit arrested again:

The 18 year old school boy arrested for performing an RKO on his principal has been arrested again after damaging a $4,000 alligator display at a Florida shopping centre, by, you guessed it, performing an RKO on it.

John Cena in big talks:

John Cena has the chance to be a part of the sequel to 'Suicide Squad' he is in talks for a role.

Injuries:

Daniel Bryan and Sheamus are dealing with unspecified injuries. WWE are keeping Bryan's knock, which happened at Mania, a closely guarded secret, leading to some concerns about his history of concussions.

Top indies start WWE careers:

Kusida, Shane Strickland and Garza Jr,  reported for their first day of WWE work, at the PC today.

16/42017

JR rebuffs TV deal:

Jim Ross says he refused to work on a new WWE show for Fox, before agreeing to his AEW deal.

Joe no go:

Samoa Joe was scheduled to be involved in the Raw shakeup last night, but was very sick backstage, so his segment was dropped.

Promotion and re-brand:

War Raiders are now The Viking Experience, Erik and Ivar, as they step up from NXT to join Raw.

They were not the only ones getting a new gimmick, Punishment Martinez is now Damien Priest.

Superstar shakeup:

The Miz, Andrade, Zelina Vega, Rey Mysterio, Uso's, Naomi, AJ Styles, and Eric Young have transferred from SmackDown to Raw while Cedric Alexander joins from 205. Lacey Evans, Aleister Black, Ricochet, Lars Sullivan and EC3, who have all been free agents since coming out of NXT, have all pinned the colors to the red show.

WWE vs Sasha Banks:

Sasha Banks no-showed Raw last night, leading to an apparent on air dig, delivered by Corey Graves...

"Sasha Banks lost her ball and quit the game."

Booker signs deal with Impact:

Booker T has signed his ROW promotion up with Impact, for a co-promoted show at Booker's gym in the summer.

SD tease:

• Mr. McMahon to reveal the biggest acquisition in SmackDown LIVE history
• Who will join Team Blue in the Superstar Shake-up?
• Who is Paige's new tag team?
• What's next for WWE Champion Kofi Kingston?
• Will any team step up to The Hardy Boyz?

Punk vs Cabana:

CM Punk vs Colt Cabana, the court case, has had some movement this month. Punk asserted to a judge that text messages offering to pay Colt's legal fees for the lawsuit they won vs WWE, over a controversial podcast they did together shortly after Punk quit WWE, were a gift of friendship,and did not constitute a contract. The judge initially agreed, but then Colt's team presented an e-mail from Punk's lawyer, that the judge said was ''Sufficient'' in his mind to be considered a contractual offer of funds and legal services, from CM to Cabana.

The two sides will meet in court on May 21 for an initial hearing of their arguments.

Alum takes ill:

Adam Rose suffered a mild heart attack over the weekend, but is now back home after receiving medical care.

Harper quits:

Luke Harper has requested his release from WWE, and it sounds like it may have been accepted, from his social media post announcing his decision, but that is not official from WWE.