The Ross Report Recap w/ Jason Powell – MITB & RAW Analysis, A.J. Styles vs. Nakamura, Lesnar’s Expiring Contract, More!

Ross congratulates Seth Rollins on being named as the cover Superstar for WWE 2K17. He says that’s a big deal for Rollins personally and professionally, and it’s a big deal in the WWE locker room as well. Ross has heard that the two finalists for the cover were Seth Rollins and A.J. Styles, and he thinks Styles would have been very deserving of the cover as well.

Speaking about Sunday night’s Money in the Bank PPV, Ross thought the St. Louis crowd loved the legends sitting at ringside. He also thinks that Naomi is a very talented performer, and her athleticism allows her to continue to grow as a performer in the ring. It was nice to see her continue her Women’s Championship run at Money in the Bank with a win over Lana.

Ross liked that Mahal got some heat by defeating Randy Orton in his hometown on Sunday. The distraction finish protected Orton and allowed Mahal to continue his momentum. Ross does feel that Mahal needs to pick up a few convincing wins as some point where he can show off his aggressiveness, and he needs to vary his style from time to time.

However, Ross does like where Mahal is headed, and he credits WWE for putting their Championship on him to help build his credibility as rises to prominence within the company.

The Ross Report Recap w/ John Pollock – Extreme Rules Analysis, Delivering on ‘Extreme’ Expectations, Ross to Call Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar?…

Ross opens today’s show by speaking about the fact that wrestling commentary teams continue to  document the length of every Title reign. He can only assume that the higher-ups in each promotion want to have those stats discussed, but it’s starting to bother Ross because he doesn’t think it’s a necessary talking point.

He says that he was pleased to see Samoa Joe emerge victorious form the Fatal 5-way match at Extreme Rules, because he thinks a match between Joe and Brock Lesnar is a real money maker. He can’t wait to see  how WWE decides to book this program because if it’s done correctly, Ross thinks this can be a massive success for Joe, Lesnar and WWE as a whole.

Ross thought that all five men in that Fatal 5-way match came out of it stronger than they went into it. All five competitors had their chance to shine and none of them were really sacrificed to highlight another. He gives each man credit for carrying their weight Sunday night and delivering a terrific match.

The Ross Report Recap w/ Paul Ellering – Returning to NXT, Partnering with The Road Warriors, Extreme Rules Stipulation A Rib? More!

Ross thought the two main events on RAW this week delivered, and did a good job of building towards the Fatal 5-way at Extreme Rules next Sunday. He says that this is a difficult time of year for WWE as they’re still in the shadows of WrestleMania but are also a long way from SummerSlam.

With Summer on the horizon, weather is improving and there are a lot of distractions for fans. WWE needs to do their best to keep fans interested and watching through these difficult months.

Ross finds it very interesting that India has become such a hotbed for professional wrestling all of a sudden. IMPACT are currently conducting television tapings there, and ROH have been recently approved for television clearance there. WWE’s new Champion is Jinder Mahal and they’re doing their best to build their infrastructure and brand there as well. Ross says that it’s possible for all these promotions to have success in this market, but there’s no denying that WWE holds a distinct advantage in most new markets they enter.

He says that he’s looking forward to the Fatal 5-way match which will take place at Extreme Rules this coming Sunday. He thinks that WWE has booked the build-up to this match well, because you can make the case that any of the five superstars has a legitimate chance to win.

Ross wonders how WWE came up with the idea to have a ‘kendo stick on a pole match’, and he suggests that this might have been a backstage rib on someone. In spite of this stipulation, Ross thinks that Bliss and Bayley are both very special, and if they’re both on the same page he thinks they can put together a great match.

He thinks the sleeper match of the evening will be the submission match between Neville and Austin Aries. Both of these talents are terrific, and Ross thinks this match would be a good candidate to open the show while the crowd is hot and ready for a great match.