SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Keith Lee Reveals What Roman Reigns Told Him After Their Survivor Series Encounter

    Survivor Series was the first official introduction of Keith Lee for the casual WWE fans and it\’s safe to say that the NXT star left a lasting impression on the fans with his performance during the night.

    Lee was the special guest for this week\’s episode of WWE Backstage. During the episode, the current Champion talked about a number of things and also reflected on his big moment at the PPV last year.

    The NXT North American Champion also talked about coming face to face with Roman Reigns during the last segment of the elimination match they were competing in and Keith revealed what The Big Dog told him after the bout:

    \”He speared me out of my boots on to my neck but after that, that moment right there set a tone for me\” recalled Keith Lee. \”And after that was over with he then told me straight up \’I want a one on one match with you.\’\”

    Keith Lee also revealed his dream match during the episode and said that since Kurt Angle is retired now, his #1 dream opponent at the moment is the former US Champion Cesaro.

    Apart from this, Keith Lee talked about his encounter with Brock Lesnar during the Royal Rumble PPV and responded to CM Punk\’s praise for him.

  • Latest Update On The Big Show\’s Status

    It appears that WWE is planning to use former World Champion The Big Show a bit more extensively in the coming weeks as he is booked for a number of upcoming WWE events.

    Per reports from PWinsider, the Monster Sized Athlete was backstage for this week\’s episode of Raw but he wasn\’t used on the show. He is now booked for the following episodes of Red Branded Show:

    • February 24 from Winnipeg
    • March 2 from Brooklyn
    • March 9 from Washington, DC
    • March 16 from Pittsburgh

    The Big Show is also expected to be backstage for the upcoming Super Showdown event from Saudi Arabia on February 27 but it\’s not known what he will be doing at the event.

    The former World Champion returned to WWE programming after a two-year hiatus last month and he got involved in the feud between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins.

    Show competed in the first-ever Fist Fight during the January 13 episode of Monday Night Raw. He was once again taken off of the WWE programming after this but Kevin Owens had announced that the Attitude Era star will return eventually.

    Big Show is currently being advertised to face Seth Rollins at the mentioned shows so while there is no update on the plans for his future, it\’s likely that he will continue his rivalry with the Architect and his crew when he returns to WWE TV.

  • Brock Lesnar Advertised For Upcoming Raw Episodes

    WWE Champion \’The Beast\’ Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman have been confirmed for appearances at the upcoming two episodes of Monday Night Raw.

    Both the MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York which are the venues for February 24 and March 2 episode of Raw have recently announced Lesnar for the respective events.

    The February 24 episode will be the go-home show for the Super Showdown event where the WWE Champion is set to defend his title against Ricochet in a one on one match.

    So it\’s likely that he will have a confrontation with the One and Only before their championship match in the Middle Eastern country on Thursday, February 27.

    On the other hand, the March 2 episode will be the ideal place to start hyping his WrestleMania match and it would make sense for Brock Lesnar to have a showdown with his WrestleMania opponent Drew McIntyre during the episode.

    The arena in Winnipeg is also advertising Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton and Big Show vs. Raw Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins for the upcoming episode of the Red Branded Show.

    Though it\’s most likely that one of these matches will end up being the dark main event for the show with the other one being changed to fit the script of the episode.

  • JBL Reportedly Set To Be Inducted In Hall Of Fame

    After it was confirmed that the Hart Foundation member Davey Boy Smith will be going into Hall Of Fame, a new report has revealed another interesting name for this year\’s class.

    Former World Champion John \”Bradshaw\” Layfield or JBL is set to be inducted into Hall Of Fame during the WrestleMania weekend this year, according to WrestlingInc.

    The former WWE Champion started his career way back in September 1992. He wrestled for NWA and toured the world to compete in countries like Mexico and Japan before joining WWE in January 1996.

    The company ended up being his home for the rest of his career. Layfield stayed active in the promotion for almost 14 years and won over half a dozen championships during his tenure as an active wrestler.

    While JBL went through many character tweaks during his career, his run with Faarooq as a tag team known as Acolytes Protection Agency or APA is one of the periods most fondly remembered by the fans.

    John announced his retirement from active competition after losing an Intercontinental Championship match to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania XXV and he has been making sporadic appearances for the company ever since.

    If these reports are true then JBL will be joining Batista, nWo, The Bella Twins, Jushin \”Thunder\” Liger and The British Bulldog in the Hall Of Fame class of 2020.

  • Report: Davey Boy Smith To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame This Year

    So far WWE has only announced a couple of entries into the Hall Of Fame 2020 but reports have revealed other names for this year\’s class.

    Two such entries that were revealed last week were the induction of the Bella Twins, Nikki Bella & Brie Bella and Japanese wrestling legend Jushin \”Thunder\” Liger. Now another name has been added to this list.

    The rumors for it were first heard last week and Dave Meltzer confirmed on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live that \”The British Bulldog\” Davey Boy Smith will be going into Hall Of Fame this year:

    \”So obviously they announced Batista and the nWo, these are confirmed. The Bella Twins people know about them, that was out last week along with Jushin Liger and the other one is Dave Boy Smith. Dave Boy Smith will be going into the Hall Of Fame.\”

    Davey Boy Smith had numerous stints with WWE including his initial run with the promotion from 1984 to 1988. Though probably his most notable tenure was when he signed with the company in 1994.

    It was during this time when he formed a tag team with Owen Hart and they were later joined by Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Brian Pillman to form a new version of the Hart Foundation. This run ended shortly after the Montreal Screwjob.

    If this report is true then Davey Boy Smith will be joining \’The Animal\’ Batista and the members of nWo in Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Sean \’X-Pac\’ Waltman into the Hall Of Fame class of 2020.

  • New Championship Match Added To Super Showdown

    WWE has added another championship match to the upcoming Super Showdown event after this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

    Kevin Owens has been involved in a feud with Seth Rollins and his crew in recent times and he has teamed up with different partners over the weeks to compete against the Architect, including the likes of Samoa Joe and Big Show.

    This week\’s episode of Raw saw Owens teaming up with the Viking Raiders to take on Murphy and AOP but the match ended in a disqualification.

    After the bout, Rollins and his partners took out the Raiders and they started working on Kevin. However, the Street Profits made the save for the former Universal Champion, sending the heels in retreat.

    WWE has announced following these incidents that Seth and Murphy, who hold the Raw tag team titles, will be defending their championships against Street Profits at the upcoming event from Saudi Arabia.

    Updated Super Showdown Match Card

    This is the seventh match that has been announced for the show after the inclusion of the big Gauntlet match involving AJ Styles just recently. You can check out the updated Super Showdown match card below:

    • WWE Championship Match: Ricochet vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
    • WWE Universal Championship Match: Bill Goldberg vs. \”The Fiend\” Bray Wyatt (c)
    • RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. Seth Rollins and Murphy (c)
    • SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: John Morrison and The Miz vs. The New Day (c)
    • SmackDown Women\’s Championship Match: Carmella or Naomi vs. Bayley (c)
    • Gauntlet Match for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy: AJ Styles, R-Truth, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, WWE United States Champion Andrade
    • Steel Cage Match: King Baron Corbin vs. Roman Reigns

    Super Showdown 2020 will take place on Thursday, February 27 from the Mohammed Abdou Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  • Unaired Footage Of Matt Hardy After Randy Orton\’s Attack On Raw

    Matt Hardy was expected to face Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred match on this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw but the match never took place.

    Last week\’s episode of Raw saw Matt confronting Orton over his attack on Edge and the segment ended with the former Evolution member unleashing a vicious attack on The Attitude Era star with a chair.

    Due to the attack, Matt Hardy was not cleared to compete on Raw this week but he still confronted the former World Champion, asking what was wrong with him.

    While Randy did apologize for his actions at the beginning, he later started assaulting Hardy once again and the segment ended with the Viper delivering an even brutal assault on the Broken One than last week.

    Randy Orton went backstage after this and the broadcast moved to the next segment after a commercial break, but WWE later posted the following unaired footage of Matt Hardy being taken backstage after the attack:

    Matt Hardy\’s current WWE contract is set to expire on March 1 and there is a lot of uncertainty regarding his status and future with the company. Reports suggest that he is not signing a new contract with WWE because he wants creative control.

    So if the two parties can\’t agree to terms and he decides to leave the company when his contract expires, then this segment could very well turn out to be Hardy\’s last WWE appearance.

  • Shelton Benjamin Reveals He Has Signed New WWE Contract

    Shelton Benjamin hasn\’t been used very much on WWE programming recently but it appears that this hasn\’t discouraged the former US Champion and he is hopeful about his future because he has signed a new contract with the company.

    The Raw star recently appeared on the Chasing Glory podcast of former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia to talk about his wrestling career in detail.

    Before the interview started, Benjamin claimed that he was reluctant to do it because he hasn\’t been doing much and admitted that it\’s frustrating for him:

    \”I was reluctant because I always like to put my best foot forward,\” Benjamin said. \”I like to be in the mix. I like to be producing. I like to inspire people. Lately, I haven\’t been doing much as far as on-air with the WWE. For me, it\’s just frustrating.\”

    Though continuing on the topic, Shelton revealed that he has just signed a new deal with the company: Yes, I just re-signed another multi-year deal with the WWE, so, I\’ll be here for a little while.\”

    Shelton Benjamin officially re-signed with WWE in August 2017 but he hasn\’t done much since then and the former Champion has been making sporadic appearances on WWE programming in recent times.

    There is no word on the length of his new contract but it\’s likely in the same line as the other WWE superstars who have recently signed 5 year deals with WWE like Lana, Randy Orton and more.

    You can check out the episode of Chasing Glory featuring the WWE star below:

    Quotes via WrestlingInc

  • MVP Confirms New Backstage Role With WWE

    Reports suggested that MVP is moving to a backstage role in WWE after his latest appearances and now the former US Champion himself has confirmed the news.

    The wrestling star recently appeared on Hall of Fame podcast of Booker T where he talked about a number of things including his wrestling career and more.

    During the episode, MVP also talked about his recent appearances on WWE TV and revealed that he will be joining the WWE team as a backstage producer:

    \”I\’m gonna go ahead and give you the scoop,\” MVP said \”Whether or not I\’ll be seen on WWE television more has yet to be seen, because I don\’t make those decisions.

    I would definitely make myself available for an on-screen role in some capacity, but I\’ll be joining the team as a backstage producer. So, there\’s your scoop.\”

    MVP made his surprise return to WWE programming during the Royal Rumble event last month and he then lost a match to Rey Mysterio the next night on Raw.

    He hosted the VIP Lounge with Drew McIntyre on the February 10th episode of the show. MVP was attacked by McIntyre during the segment, resulting in a match between the two on this week\’s episode of the Red Branded Show.

    It\’s unknown if the company has planned more appearances for him in the future but his new backstage role means MVP will be available and they can bring him back on WWE TV whenever it\’s needed.

    Quotes via WrestlingInc

  • Backstage Update On Tito Ortiz Visiting WWE Performance Center

    The reports of UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz visiting the performance center last week raised many eyebrows, leaving fans wondering about the reason behind it.

    Now PWinsider has provided some updates on the situation and it suggests that the MMA veteran could be working with WWE in the coming future.

    Per the site, Ortiz\’s visit to the performance center was an introductory meeting. It was spread out over several days so Tito and WWE could feel each other and explore the possibilities of working together down the line.

    The former UFC star did get some basic pro wrestling training during his visit and he also familiarized himself with the WWE system. Overall, it was described as a “let\’s feel each other out\” kind of situation.

    Tito Ortiz defeated former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio in an MMA Fight for the Combate Americas promotion back in December last year.

    During the media rounds before the match, the UFC Legend had expressed interest in a wrestling career, saying that he would love to work with Brock Lesnar.

    Now it would be interesting to see how the relationship between these two parties develop further and what role WWE gives the 45-year old star if he does decide to join the company.

  • Triple H On Women Possibly Main Eventing Takeover Events

    We have seen women\’s matches headline many WWE shows in recent times including the main event of WrestleMania 35. However, so far, none of the NXT Takeover events have been headlined by a women\’s match.

    During a recent interview with Yahoo Sports! the godfather of NXT Triple H talked about a number of things and he explained what they look for while choosing the main event for the special NXT shows.

    Triple H first revealed that people ask him how he feels about women headlining the Takeover events and claimed that when he looks at Takeovers, all he looks at is where it lays out from a storyline standpoint.

    The Game then said that to him, it\’s not a thing about woman or man and he wants to see the biggest storyline with the most emotional connection in the last spot:

    \”To me, it\’s not a man, woman thing, not a tag team or singles title thing, not anything else.\’ said Triple H. \”Whatever the biggest storyline and whatever has the most emotional connection is what I want to see in that last spot.

    You don\’t put the biggest battle scene in the middle of the movie and then taper it off toward the end. You want to approach this that way.\”

    Apart from this Triple H also talked about the growth of Bianca Belair as a performer and how she came in with no experience and has grown into this role.

    The former World Champion said that Belair is feeling it and 6 months ago, it would have been hard to imagine that she would be in this position.

  • Former World Champion Scheduled For Raw

    Former World Champion and veteran wrestling star, the Big Show is currently scheduled to be a part of this week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw, according to Pwinsider.

    After staying away from in-ring action for more than two years, the Big Show returned to WWE programming last month to help Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe in their ongoing feud against Seth Rollins and AOP.

    The former Champion teamed up with Joe and Owens to fight the team of Rollins and the former NXT Tag Team Champions in the first-ever fistfight on WWE TV during the January 13th episode of Raw.

    Though they couldn\’t win the match against the Architect and the others because Buddy Murphy interfered in the bout. He later joined the group led by Monday Night Messiah.

    Big Show was written off TV after this bout but Kevin Owens had later announced on the following episode of the show that the Monster Sized Athlete will eventually return to deal with the heels.

    It\’s unknown what the company has planned for Show when he returns on Raw but it\’s likely that he will get involved in the rivalry between these two groups once again, as the former Universal Champion had teased last month.

  • Roman Reigns Reveals His Advice For Simone Johnson

    Simone Johnson has no shortage of family members she can turn to for advice when it comes to wrestling and one of them is the current WWE superstar and cousin of her father The Rock, Roman Reigns.

    Reigns recently had an interview with TMZ where he talked about a number of things and he also revealed his advice for the newest WWE star.

    The former World Champion was asked if his niece should use the People\’s Elbow made famous by her dad and replying to the question, Roman said that his advice to Simone would be to develop her own personality:

    \”If I were to give her some advice, I\’d say try to develop your own personality and develop your own shtick, your own character,\” Reigns said.

    \”I mean, we can do anything we want. I could\’ve been The Savage from the Island of Samoa if I wanted to, but I developed a different character and I went a different route.\”

    Reigns then explained that he has developed his own character but he is still able to pay homage to his heritage and Johnson will feel more accomplished if she does the same.

    Apart from this, Roman Reigns also responded to UFC star Jon Jones\’ recent comments about joining WWE and discussed a potential match with the MMA fighter. You can check out his comments on the matter here.

  • Former Lucha Underground Star To Make NXT Debut This Weekend

    Former Lucha Underground star King Cuerno, also known as El Hijo del Fantasma will finally be making his NXT debut during a live event this weekend.

    The Mexican star, now renamed to Jorge Bolly recently appeared on a video with new NXT on-air personality Kat Marino and announced that he will be making his NXT debut at Saturday\’s Live Event from Ft. Pierce, Florida.

    He revealed that he will be teaming with Raul Mendoza for a tag team match but their opponents were not confirmed. You can check out the video featuring the announcement of his debut below:

    Making his professional wrestling debut in 2000, Bolly has wrestled for a number of big companies in Mexico, including AAA and Lucha Underground.

    He also made several appearances for Impact Wrestling in 2017 and 2018, competing at events like Slammiversary XV and Bound For Glory.

    WWE announced the signing of the Luchador back in September but it was later revealed that he was recovering from a knee injury and that\’s why he hasn\’t made his debut yet.

    Jorge Bolly also teased the introduction of his tag team partner in the video above and called their team \’Tequila\’. So now it would be interesting to see which star he introduces as his partner during the show.

  • Roman Reigns On Potential Match With UFC Star Jon Jones

    UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones had recently said that a move to WWE is \’inevitable\’ and it\’s only a matter of time. Now it appears that Roman Reigns is ready to take on the MMA star when he arrives.

    Reigns recently spoke to TMZ during the WrestleMania 37 press conference. He was asked if Jones can dominate WWE like UFC, and Roman said that he has the tools and there could be a future for him in wrestling if he can put in the time.

    Discussing a potential match with the UFC star, the former World Champion said that someone like Jon would definitely want to be in there with the Big Dog. When asked if he can take on Jones in a match, Roman said that it would be a hell of a fight:

    \”Oh man, it would be a helluva fight,\” Reigns said. \”But when it comes to the squared circle, I don\’t think there\’s anybody better in the world. So, yeah, I feel very comfortable being in the ring with Jon Jones.\”

    Roman also said that Jon Jones has a huge career in UFC which is still going on so he should keep his eyes on the ball and don\’t worry about WWE right now.

    Apart from this, Roman Reigns discussed The Rock\’s daughter Simone Johnson joining WWE. You can check out what advice he would give to Simone in the video below:

  • The Usos To Miss SmackDown Due To Legal Issues, Mystery Partner Match Announced For Roman Reigns

    The Usos will be missing this week\’s episode of SmackDown due to past legal issues and it means that Roman Reigns will have to find a new partner to defend the pride of his bloodline in a match against the Miz and John Morrison.

    The Miz took on his Twitter yesterday and made some interesting comments. He mentioned how he has done more than what many superstars can dream of and name-dropped The Usos and Roman Reigns.

    The A-Lister had also teased that the Usos won\’t be able to appear on SmackDown this week. Reigns then jumped in to defend his bloodline and he fired some shots of his own:

    WWE has since confirmed that the Miz and John Morrison will be competing in a tag match against Roman Reigns at this week\’s episode of the show.

    They confirmed the news on their official website and announced that the Big Dog will have to find a partner for himself due to the \”impending absence\” of the Usos.

    For those who don\’t know, this week\’s SmackDown will be taking place from Vancouver, Canada and the Usos will not be a part of it because their past legal troubles prevent them from entering the country.

  • Update On Rusev\’s Contract Dispute With WWE, Super Showdown Appearance

    When WWE announced Rusev for a gauntlet match at the upcoming Super Showdown event, a lot of people started wondering if his contract dispute with the company has been resolved but latest reports suggest that this isn\’t the case.

    According to reports from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rusev\’s dispute with the company is still ongoing and him being booked for the event is not a sign of things getting settled.

    For those who don\’t know, it was reported earlier this month that WWE has pulled Rusev from TV due a contract dispute, though not many details were revealed about the situation between the two parties.

    The Bulgarian Brute last appeared on WWE programming during the January 20 episode of Monday Night Raw where he teamed up with Liv Morgan and lost a mixed tag match to Bobby Lashley and Lana.

    Rusev has been unhappy with his position for a while and many believe that he will be leaving the company once his current contract expires.

    The former US Champion had also changed his twitter bio back in mid-January to indicate that he will be a free agent soon but he has since removed the reference and the Newsletter is reporting that there is still \”plenty of time\” left on his current contract.

    Whether or not he actually leaves WWE will be revealed in future but one thing we know is that his wife Lana will be staying with the company for the foreseeable future as she has recently signed a new 5 year deal with the promotion.

    Rusev will be competing in a gauntlet match alongside AJ Styles, Erick Rowan, R-Truth, Bobby Lashley, and WWE United States Champion Andrade at the upcoming Super Showdown event for the Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy.

  • Backstage Update On Advertised Elimination Chamber Line Up

    The advertised line up for the Elimination Chamber has got fans excited but latest reports suggest that this could change when the time for the event comes.

    Dave Meltzer talked about the advertised line up on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio and revealed that WWE has not made a final decision on the participants for the chamber match yet.

    According to Meltzer, the advertisements are just something the company has sent out to help the ticket sales and it\’s possible that the line up will change before the PPV.

    Roman Reigns is rumoured to be winning the Elimination Chamber this year and face the Fiend at WrestleMania 36 so he is still very likely to end up in the match.

    However other advertised names like Robert Roode could be replaced because WWE just \”threw six names” in the line up to advertise the bout in the local market.

    For those who don\’t know, the Wells Fargo Center is advertising that Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Shinsuke Nakamura, King Corbin & Robert Roode will be competing in the Elimination Chamber match this year.

    The winner is then expected to challenge the Universal Champion Bray Wyatt or Goldberg at the Grandest Stage Of Them All.

    Though this isn\’t the only match which is being advertised for the PPV and the company is also promoting a Super Showdown championship rematch for the show. You can check out the match here.

  • Has Shayna Baszler Officially Joined WWE RAW Roster? Triple H Comments

    Former NXT Champion Shayna Baszler made her Raw debut this week but it appears that she isn\’t considered a member of the red roster, just yet.

    Triple H held a media call this week to promote Sunday\’s NXT Takeover: Portland event and talked about things like NXT Championship possibly being defended at WrestleMania, dropping the term women from NXT titles and more.

    When asked about Shayna\’s appearance on Raw where she attacked and bit Becky Lynch, the Game first joked that he is wearing a big collar to avoid getting bitten by her. H then claimed that Shayna is still considered an NXT star:

    \”At this point I’m not 100% sure as far as right now goes? I sort of look at this like sports teams in a way of where do things net out and you’ve got to make deals to get people to go different places.\” said Triple H. \”As far as I’m concerned right now, Shayna Baszler’s still an NXT talent until we make a deal for her to go someplace else\”

    The WWE Vice President later also teased the possibility of the Raw Women\’s Champion Becky Lynch coming to NXT to take revenge of the attack on Raw.

    Apart from this, Triple H talked about the ratings battle between NXT and AEW and commented on the reports of Matt Riddle having heat with Vince McMahon, which you can check out here.

  • Simone Johnson On The Rock\’s Reaction To Her WWE Signing

    Simone Johnson is only beginning her pro wrestling career but she has already made history by becoming the first fourth-generation star to have signed with WWE.

    The 18-year-old daughter of The Rock recently had an interview with Cathy Kelley where she talked about things like the legacy of her family, watching wrestling as a kid and more.

    When asked how she would describe the feeling of signing with the company, Simone Johnson said that she feels like she is a 10-year-old kid again:

    \”I keep just going back to the idea of… I\’m like, \’Oh, I feel like a kid again and I feel like 10 year old me.\’ Because I have loved wrestling for as long as I can remember, and now that I have the opportunity to finally pursue that, like, I don\’t know, I can\’t put it into words,\”

    She also talked about The Rock\’s reaction to her signing with the company and Simone said that the Great One and her whole family was very supportive of her decision:

    \”He was so supportive, my whole family has always been so supportive, and I\’m really thankful for that, and he\’s been with me every step of the way.\”

    Apart from this, Simone Johnson revealed that she first became interested in wrestling after watching various WWE DVDs in her grandmother\’s house, and talked about carrying the legacy of her family. You can check out her full interview in the video below:

    Quotes via WrestlingInc

  • Super Showdown Rematch Advertised For Elimination Chamber

    It appears that the upcoming Elimination Chamber PPV can see a championship rematch from the Super Showdown event taking place at the show.

    The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia which is the venue for the event has recently updated their line up for the PPV and they are now advertising a match between The New Day vs. The Miz and John Morrison for the event.

    John Morrison returned to WWE programming earlier this year. He has started teaming with The Miz after his return and the two won a fatal four-way match to earn the rights to challenge for the SmackDown tag titles at the upcoming PPV from Saudi Arabia.

    Though this isn\’t the only match being advertised for the show and there is another huge bout being locally advertised which can serve as the main event of the PPV.

    The advertisement suggests that Roman Reigns, King Baron Corbin, Robert Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, Daniel Bryan, and WWE Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman will all be competing in an Elimination Chamber match at the event.

    The winner of this match will then go on to challenge the winner of the announced Goldberg vs. The Fiend match for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36.

    The Super Showdown event will take place on Thursday, February 27 while the Elimination Chamber is currently scheduled for Sunday, March 8.

  • WWE Backstage Sees Big Increase In Viewership

    This week\’s episode of WWE Backstage featured a number of big names and it appears their presence helped the show as it saw a big increase in viewership numbers.

    This week\’s episode of WWE Backstage featuring Charlotte Flair as the special guest and the debut of Stephanie McMahon on the show drew 169,000 viewers, according to Showbuzz Daily.

    This is a big 74% increase from last week\’s episode of the show which featured the Royal Rumble winner Drew McIntyre as the special guest and had drawn 97,000 viewers.

    The episode drew a 0.06 rating in the key demographic of 18-49 and it ranked #132 on the Cable Top 150. For comparison, last week\’s episode of the show had drawn a 0.05 rating and it ranked #145.

    This week\’s episode of the show also featured CM Punk in the panel alongside the regular hosts Renee Young, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, and former Champion Paige.

    These viewership numbers are the second-best the show has done since its official premiere back on November 5. The highest watched WWE Backstage episode was the one aired on November 19, which drew 180,000 viewers.

    The November 19th episode was the one featuring CM Punk\’s official return on WWE programming so the numbers this week are especially notable.

  • News On Jeff Cobb\’s AEW Contract Status Following Dynamite Debut

    Former ROH TV Champion Jeff Cobb made his AEW debut on this week\’s episode of Dynamite, as seen blow.

    Despite an impressive debut and a high-profile match scheduled for next week\’s show, Jeff Cobb has not signed a long-term deal with the promotion. PWinsider reports that the 37-year-old Olympian remains a free agent.

    Cobb\’s appearance with AEW should not be seen as the start of a working relationship with ROH, as the appearance was booked independently.

    It was announced during this week\’s episode of Dynamite that Le Champion Chris Jericho has hired Cobb to take out Jon Moxley in a match next week.

    Cobb made a surprise debut during the closing segment of the show. After Moxley scored a hard-fought victory over Inner Circle member Santana, he was taken on a Tour of the Islands.

    Jeff Cobb will return to AEW programming next week to take on Mox in the announced match, but this report puts his future beyond that in doubt.

    Chris Jericho defends the AEW World Heavyweight Championship against Jon Moxley later this month (2/29) when AEW Revolution invades the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

  • Triple H On Reports Of Matt Riddle Having Heat With Vince McMahon

    Matt Riddle has been very outspoken about wanting to wrestle the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and him repeatedly calling out the Beast led to an interaction between the two at Royal Rumble.

    However, while Brock told Riddle to stop talking about him, the NXT star hasn\’t slowed down. Reports suggest that this has caused him to have heat with Vince McMahon who believes that Matt has no respect for the hierarchy of the business.

    Triple H was asked about these reports during a recent media call to promote the upcoming NXT Takeover: Portland event and the Game claimed that the Boss has not expressed his disapproval on anything:

    \”To be honest with you, I haven\’t asked anybody about it. Vince didn\’t express his disapproval of anything that was said, and I\’m sure if there were an issue, he would\’ve called me directly. He\’s not shy about that.

    The WWE Vice President then mentioned the confrontation between the two stars. He said that they had a conversation which was between them and he doesn\’t know if it\’s a work:

    \”To be honest, I read something [and I go], \’I don\’t know if that\’s a work, that\’s legit. I don\’t know.\’ I don\’t care either way from that standpoint, I\’m entertained by it. If somebody has a problem with it, they come to me, and I\’ll help deal with the problem.\”

    Triple H then praised Matt Riddle as an incredible performer who is very vocal and said that the former UFC star writes checks which in his mind, he can cash.

    NXT Takeover: Portland will take place from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon this Sunday on February 16. You can check out an updated match card for the event here.

  • Matt Jackson On If Marty Scurll Was Going To Be The Exalted One

    Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks recently did a Q&A on his Instagram story where he answered some interesting questions such as his worst injury, if MJF is really the person he portrays on TV and more.

    When asked what is the hardest part about being an EVP while also being an active performer for AEW at the same time, Matt said that the hardest part is that he gets very little time to prepare for his own matches.

    The relationship between the Elite and officials from NJPW has been subject to many rumors in recent time. Though when asked if they will go back to the promotion, Jackson explained that it won\’t be happening anytime soon:

    \”NJPW helped put us on the map and I\’m incredibly proud of our body of work there over six-plus years. We will not be returning any time soon though.\”

    The Dark Order storyline has been one of the prominent stories of AEW in recent times. So a fan inquired if the original plans were for Marty Scurll to be revealed as the Exalted One, to which Matt simply replied with \”Nope.\”

    Apart from this, Matt Jackson also said that Hangman Page will be the biggest star in AEW in a year and revealed that his favorite AEW match is the one between the Young Bucks and the Private Party.