“Smackdown Live” Ratings and Audience – March 27, 2018

You had to know this was coming. Last week’s episode of “Smackdown Live” saw a big story with the return of Daniel Bryan, who announced that he was cleared for in-ring competition. The story was announced before the show went on the air and people came to see it. So how many of them stuck around for next week?
Miss this week’s show? Here are some quick highlights.
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According to 411mania.com, this week’s episode of “Smackdown Live” drew a .78 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 2.576 million viewers. These numbers are down 21% and 11% from last week’s .99 demographic rating and 2.88 million viewers. It should be noted that last night saw the return of “Roseanne”, which drew the highest rating for a sitcom in nearly four years. You can read last night’s full results here.
Opinion: You had to expect this. With Bryan just talking about wrestling for the second week in a row, there’s only so much you can do. The fans tuned in for the big feel..

Why Hasn’t John Cena vs. Undertaker Been Announced?

Priorities aren’t exactly WWE’s strong suit. With one episode of “Monday Night Raw” and “Smackdown Live” left before “Wrestlemania XXXIV”, we have thirteen matches set for the show. However, despite the card being stacked, there’s one more match that hasn’t been announced yet and it’s kind of a big deal. Now why is that the case?
Maybe if they did something:
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According to the “Wrestling Observer Newsletter” by way of ringsidenews.com, the Undertaker vs. John Cena match hasn’t officially been announced because there’s so much else going on. Between the Ronda Rousey in-ring debut, AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Daniel Bryan returning to the ring, Vince McMahon doesn’t feel that the match needs to be announced yet. Here are Dave Meltzer’s comments from the Newsletter: “They had Danielson have his checkup by Dr. Maroon eight days earlier because Vince was so adamant that he didn’t want to wait until what would have been this week to shoo..

What Was Different About Asuka’s Opponent This Week?

A new face in the crowd. Earlier this year, Asuka won the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble to earn herself a Women’s Title shot at “Wrestlemania XXXIV”. That means it’s time to build her up with even more wins. WWE has done that for a few weeks now, but the victory this week on “Monday Night Raw” was very unique.
Remember this one?
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According to Wrestlinginc.com, Asuka’s opponent this week, Jamie Frost, had never actually wrestled a professional match until last night. She had been trained in the Pittsburgh area and was actually wrestling in her first match when she lost to Asuka. The match consisted of Frost hitting a few forearms and then getting kicked in the head for the pin in 32 seconds. Here are the full results from this week’s “Raw”.
Opinion: Well….ok then. I mean, it wasn’t exactly much of a match with such a short amount of time and it’s not like anything happened. That being said, it’s really not the best idea to throw someone ..

Shane McMahon Hospitalized Following Assault on “Smackdown Live”

It’s a good thing he’s taking time off when he is. WWE.com has posted an update on Shane McMahon’s condition, after he was attacked by Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens two weeks ago on “Smackdown Live.” The assault came after he announced that he was taking a leave of absence as commissioner of the blue brand.
You can see a clip of the incident below:

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From the report:
Shane McMahon is currently recovering from acute diverticulitis and an umbilical hernia in a New York-area medical facility, WWE.com has learned.
Two weeks ago on SmackDown LIVE, McMahon announced he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from his position as the blue brand’s Commissioner. Following that announcement, McMahon was brutally attacked by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. WWE medical staff initially diagnosed him with a laryngeal contusion and trapezius and rhomboid strains as a result of the beating.
Following the vicious assault, McMahon went to the Caribbean with ..

Update on Vader’s Medical Condition; How Did Open Heart Surgery Go?

It had been previously reported that WWE legend Vader recently underwent open heart surgery in Dallas, TX. He has always been known as a monster in the ring, making a huge statement during his debut on “Raw” in 1996, when he attacked then WWE president, Gorilla Monsoon.
You can see that clip below:
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His son tweeted the following message from his dad’s Twitter account, indicating that the surgery was a success, but the recovery will be a long one:
This is his son Jesse. I wanted to let everybody know that I just spoke to the Surgeon. The surgery was a success but it was worse than we had expected. Long road for recovery. Will keep you posted. Thank you for the prayers.
— Big Van Vader (@itsvadertime) March 26, 2018
Vader was last seen on WWE programming in 2012, when he defeated Heath Slater in a singles match on “Raw.” During the 1000th episode of the show, Vader and a number of other legends dismantled Slater.
In 2016, he inducted Stan ..

Monday Night Raw Results – March 26, 2018

Monday Night Raw
Date: March 26, 2018
Location: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jonathan Coachman
We’ve got two shows to go before New Orleans and WWE is still dragging its feet to get to John Cena vs. the Undertaker. Tonight we have Cena vs. Kane though, which is likely the next step on the way to the big showdown. Other than that, we might get a few more names added to the battle royals. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Here are Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman to open things up. Heyman recaps the attack on Roman Reigns last week and of course we see some clips. As it turns out, Reigns’ suspension is lifted but he’s not here tonight. Heyman goes over the Samoan wrestling family raising Roman to be a star and a champion. What they didn’t raise him to be is a man.
Reigns was the one saying he was here every single week no matter what but he’s not here tonight. Maybe Reigns should have found three MMA stude..

Official “Monday Night Raw” Preview – March 26, 2018

It’s almost here. With two weeks to go before “Wrestlemania XXXIV”, we only have two episodes of “Monday Night Raw” to go as well. Last week’s show focused on the Ultimate Deletion but also kept us moving towards Undertaker vs. John Cena. What does this week have in store? Forget what happened last week? Here’s a recap.
WWE.com has released its official preview for this week’s episode of “Monday Night Raw”. This week’s preview is a little big bigger with seven stories previewed rather than the usual five or six. The main story is Cena vs. Kane, who attacked Cena last week after the insults hurled at Kane’s brother the Undertaker. Here are this week’s featured stories:
John Cena takes on The Big Red Machine
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What’s “Woken” Matt Hardy’s next move?
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Braun Strowman needs a WrestleMania partner
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Are Stephanie McMahon & Triple H ready for Ronda Rousey & Kurt A..

Main Event Results – March 22, 2018

Main Event
Date: March 22, 2018
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph Nigel McGuinness
I’m just going out on a limb here but I think Smackdown might get some extra attention this week. You know, because of that whole biggest story of the year thing that went down. There was good stuff on Raw too though, meaning we might not be getting a lot of original content this time around. Let’s get to it.
Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Curt Hawkins vs. Heath Slater
Hawkins wastes no time in laying down so Slater can pin him but his “surprise” kick to the head is easily countered. A running clothesline puts Hawkins on the floor and he’d be more than happy to have Rhyno attack him for a DQ. Slater cuts him off but Hawkins cuts him off, followed by a chinlock inside. The comeback is cut off with a dropkick and Slater has to break out of another chinlock. There’s an enziguri to get Slater out of trouble and a neckbreaker is ..

Jeff Jarrett Discusses His Relationship With WWE, Future of Global Force Wrestling

Jeff Jarrett was recently interviewed by The Times-Picayune, in preparation for his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. He discussed a number of topics, including his relationship with the company, the future of Global Force Wrestling and more. In his first run with WWE in the 90’s, he made a music video to “With My Baby Tonight.” You can see it below:
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Below are some questions along with “Double J’s” answers:
What was your reaction when you got the phone call to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?
It was a Sunday morning in early January. It was all in about 60 seconds. I was shocked. It was a very surreal moment. And then pretty quickly, I had a real sense of gratitude and am very grateful and humbled. My family has been in the business for three generations. For me to get this honor, I’m just incredibly humbled about this situation.
What’s your relationship with WWE?
It’s been nothing but spectacular reconnecting. Really looking fo..

Baron Corbin on WWE: “[I] Thought It Was Going To Be Easy”

Baron Corbin was recently interviewed by Sky Sports, where he discussed his time in WWE and how he thought the transition to the company would be. He recently competed on “Smackdown Live” against Tye Dillinger, and you can see a clip of that match below:
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Below are some highlights from the interview:
On joining NXT and WWE:
“Honestly, I was a little bit arrogant because I came in and thought it was going to be easy and that I’d be on television in a year, no problem.
“Then you realise how many different things it takes to become a successful superstar, and it really is a rude awakening. I thought it would take a year, but it was three and a half years later that I got called up (to the main roster). It is not easy.
“I didn’t realise how much detail went into it all and it was a rude awakening for me and it was humbling.”
On if professional wrestling gets the respect it deserves:
“I definitely don’t think it does. I would challenge anyon..

Video: WWE Music Fills the Streets of New Orleans

The band plays on. With less than three weeks before “Wrestlemania XXXIV”, it’s time for the WWE to take over New Orleans. While there’s a lot to Wrestlemania week, some of the coolest things that they do has nothing to do with the actual wrestling shows. There’s a lot of culture in New Orleans and that’s what we’re looking at today.
This is just cool.
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In a new video posted to WWE’s YouTube page, a brass band walks through some of New Orleans’ most famous landmarks playing various WWE themes. Some of the songs include John Cena, Bobby Roode, Triple H and Shinsuke Nakamura. At one point, the band is joined by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Opinion: I love this kind of stuff. It really gives you a feeling that Wrestlemania is almost here and that’s an exciting time for any fan. Just knowing that we’re about to get to where we’ve been heading for the better part of a year is worth it. The music is cool too and it would get me very excite..

Full Match: Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar From “Wrestlemania XXIX”

It was a Brockbuster. Back in 2012, Brock Lesnar returned to WWE after an eight year absence. Now with the skills of a UFC fighter, Lesnar was the unstoppable force who ran roughshod over the company. This included a victory over Triple H at “Summerslam 2012”, but you know Triple H isn’t taking that laying down.
And he’s getting that win back on the grandest stage of them all.
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WWE has posted the full version of Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar in a no holds barred match with Triple H’s career on the line. The match saw a variety of interference as Triple H tried to fight off the Beast. This was the second match between the two of them with the blowoff coming the following month at “Extreme Rules 2013”. Don’t remember the show? Here are the full results.
Opinion: This still bothers me five years later. The win felt like it was ALL about Triple H instead of making Lesnar feel like a big deal. Throughout the year long feud (started the night after..