Here’s a rundown of the most notable or most popular stories of the week, in case you missed anything.
WWE Management “Not Happy” with The Rock’s CM Punk Call
As mentioned, The Rock showed up after Raw and called CM Punk, leaving him a voicemail with the crowd chanting his name.
According to PWInsider, WWE management “did not appear to have been happy” with The Rock doing that, and at one point, someone apparently was sent to ringside to ask Rock to get off the topic. The Rock also said “they better not turn off my mic” at one point. WWE obviously had nothing to do with it and it was a “spur of the moment” thing after the crowd began chanting “CM Punk” on their own.
WWE and CM Punk are still not on good terms after CM Punk left the company in January 2014 because he was not doing well physically. Punk claimed that a “lazy” WWE doctor ignored an MRSA infection and that doctor (Chris Amann) later filed a lawsuit against Punk for slander. That lawsuit is expected to go to trial in summer of 2018. CM Punk claims that WWE is funding the lawsuit to get back at him, but WWE denies that.
WWE also apparently sent CM Punk termination papers on the day of his wedding (damn), which Vince McMahon later apologized for on The Stone Cold Podcast. Stephanie McMahon also recently took a shot at CM Punk a few weeks ago after the crowd began chanting CM Punk at her in the ring, saying, “if you guys could keep that up for about two minutes and 15 seconds, you’d last one second longer than Punk did.”
Shelton Benjamin Close to a Return
Shelton Benjamin tweeted that he “feels almost normal” but still has work to do.
Repping out 225LBs easily for the first time in 8 months. Feels almost normal but still got work to do.
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 18, 2017
Benjamin signed with WWE and was set to return to SmackDown shortly after the brand split in July, but suffered a torn rotator cuff before he could re-debut and has been out of action since. However, he is expected to return to WWE once he is ready and tweeted shortly after his injury that he will be back.
Bray Wyatt Is Still Probably Going to Face Randy Orton at WrestleMania
Randy Orton is still expected to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE title at WrestleMania despite WWE’s “refusing to wrestle” storyline, according to Dave Meltzer.
There is a possibility that Luke Harper may be added to the match if he beats AJ Styles next week on SmackDown, making the WrestleMania match a triple threat, but it seems like Orton will still end up in there somehow.
WWE obviously seems to be going somewhere with the Wyatts/Orton angle and it seems unlikely for WWE to leave Orton out of any match at WrestleMania after having him win the Royal Rumble.
They teased something at the end of SmackDown with Bray Wyatt laughing while Orton stared at the WWE title, as you can see in the pic and video below.
.@LukeHarperWWE might not like the results of the #BattleRoyal, but @WWEBrayWyatt and @RandyOrton seem perfectly at ease… #SDLive pic.twitter.com/ijqM75swqn
— WWE (@WWE) February 22, 2017
Rumor: Roster Trades Probable After WrestleMania
We may begin to see some trades between Raw and SmackDown after WrestleMania, according to Wrestling Observer Radio.
WWE also seems to be possibly teasing trades in the near future, with an article posted on WWE.com a couple of days ago titled “5 WWE trades we want to see”.
Vince McMahon also mentioned the possibility of roster moves a couple of weeks ago at the WWE stock earnings call, saying this about his perceived success of the brand split:
“You have fresh talent coming from one brand to the next. So in essence, if you haven’t seen a Roman Reigns on SmackDown, then when he does – if and when he does – then that’s really a big thing. It freshens up talent and it gives us a much longer range in terms of the use of those talents and the [intellectual property] that goes with them.”
Is Shaquille O’Neal Backing Out of Big Show Match at WrestleMania?
It seems like WWE may be getting worried that Shaquille O’Neal is going to back out of his expected (but not yet confirmed) match against the Big Show at WrestleMania.
In a recent interview on WWE.com, Big Show had this to say:
WWE.COM: Last question: You’ve been very vocal about wanting a match with Shaq at WrestleMania, and you just called him out on Twitter over karaoke and doughnuts.
BIG SHOW: I mean, here’s the thing. We shot this off at the ESPY Awards, Shaq said he’s in, I thought this would be a good match for fans to see two giants go at it. And I see Shaq riding around, singing karaoke and stopping in at Krispy Kreme. I’m like, “Hey! If you’re not gonna take it serious, find something else to do!” I’ve given 22 years of my blood, sweat and tears to this business and I’m doing this favor to Shaq. This could be my last WrestleMania. He needs to step up. I’m not trying to be mean, but my time’s valuable. I get it. I don’t have foot powder commercials, car commercials, insurance commercials. I get it. He’s a busy man. But if he’s gonna step in the ring, in my business, at our biggest event of the year? Show me you’re serious. If anything, talk a little trash. Let me know you’re motivated. Because right now? I just get the feeling he’s terrified. He shot his mouth off, he’s in over his head and he’s trying to back out. So just let me know what’s going on, brother.
It seems like WWE may be trying to put a little pressure on Shaq to get him to commit to the match. The last time he mentioned anything about it was apparently on January 9 on Instagram, when he posted “I’m coming for you BIG SHOW.”
Update on the Hardys’ Possible Future With TNA or WWE
The Hardys’ future with TNA is very much up in the air, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. They have committed to dates with TNA and indie promotions through April, but have been telling indie promoters that they aren’t able to commit after that until they figure out their future with TNA or possibly WWE.
Their contracts have either just expired or will be expiring within the next week, according to Meltzer, and WWE has “made it clear” that they want the Hardys, though they have not had any direct negotiations because they have been under contract with TNA.
Diamond Dallas Page to be Inducted Into WWE Hall of Fame
WWE has announced that Diamond Dallas Page will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, joining Kurt Angle, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and Teddy Long so far for the 2017 class. The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Friday, March 31 (WrestleMania weekend) in Orlando, FL.
DDP was interviewed by Rolling Stone about the announcement.
Where were you when you got the big news?
We were filming Positively Living, the Diamond Dallas Page three-DVD set. I’m a Jersey boy, so I was on the Jersey Shore in my hometown, and it was the end of the day and we were filming one more thing. They handed me the phone and said, “Boss wants to talk to you.” It’s HHH. I called him a couple weeks earlier and he hadn’t gotten back to me yet, so I thought this was that return call. So we’re talking about casual stuff, and then I start to hear him talk about my career and where I’ve been and how I got here, and then it hits me – is this that call? I’m not a guy who has trouble talking, but I couldn’t talk. Tears are running down the sides of my cheeks and I just said, “Bro, I love you man.”
BREAKING: As first reported by @RollingStone, @RealDDP will be inducted into the #WWEHOF Class of 2017! https://t.co/76Kxz8PcBr pic.twitter.com/qcG47uhnJe
— WWE (@WWE) February 20, 2017
Ivan Koloff, Former WWE Champion, Passes Away
Ivan Koloff, birth name Oreal Perras, has died at the age of 74 due to liver cancer.
Nicknamed “The Russian Bear,” he wrestled in the WWWF (now WWE) throughout the 1970s, winning the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (now WWE Championship) in 1971, ending Bruno Sammartino nearly 8 year reign as WWWF Champion. Koloff wrestled in NWA throughout the 80s, then in ECW in 1992.
WWE posted this:
WWE is saddened to learn that Ivan Koloff, best known to the WWE Universe as one of Bruno Sammartino’s most bitter rivals, has passed away at age 74.
Koloff, nicknamed “The Russian Bear,” quickly became a primary rival to one of the most beloved WWE Champions of all time, Bruno Sammartino. In an infamously memorable instance in WWE and Madison Square Garden history, Koloff crushed Sammartino’s throat with his knee by jumping off the top turnbuckle. This act on Jan. 18, 1971, allowed “The Russian Bear” to cover the WWE Hall of Famer and score an astonishing three-count to become WWE Champion, ending the Italian powerhouse’s record-setting seven-year title reign.
WWE extends its condolences to Ivan Koloff’s family, friends and fans.
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