superstars
WWE Changes RAW Superstars Name
It appears that WWE has decided to shorten Elias Samson’s name to just “Elias” moving forward.
In his bio section on WWE.com, the last name has been cleared away. This would be an indication that they have decided to shorten his name. WWE has done this in the past with Superstars like Big E Langston, Antonio Cesaro and Adrian Neville.
The Taz Show Recap – NXT Analysis, Effective Commentary in Wrestling, Will Taz Return to the Announce Booth? More!
Block 1:
Taz opens today’s show speaking briefly about last night’s episode of NXT. He says that Velveteen is a very captivating character with a terrific look, great size and a ripped body. He thinks Velveteen Dream has a plethora of potential moving forward, and if he had to pick two NXT Superstars who he believes will become legitimate stars he’d choose Dream and Aleister Black.
Speaking about the NXT commentary team, one line in particular really bothered Taz during last night’s episode. After Velveteen Dream dropped his elbow finisher from the top rope, Mauro Ranallo said, “The elbow was Macho like Randy!”. Taz cringed at that line, and he really wishes Ranallo wouldn’t have compared Veleveteen Dream to ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage.
Taz understands that Ranallo is not making this comparison maliciously and he’s doing his best to get Velveteen Dream over, but Taz doubts Vince McMahon is aware that this type of comparison is happening on a weekly basis on NXT. He doubts McMahon would approve of these young talents being compared to some of the business’ all time greats, and Taz believes Ranallo is simply trying too hard to get these guys over.
Is Finn Balor Working Hurt?
Several readers have sent word that Finn Balor worked Saturday’s WWE Live Event in Hampton, Virginia wearing Kinesio tape on his shoulder. It’s being speculated that he may have aggravated the shoulder on Friday’s Live Event, as he was not wearing the tape that night.
For those not aware, Kinesio tape is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion. John Cena used this tape back in 2016 when he was healing from an injury. Other WWE Superstars have been seen using it as well.
As of this writing, an injury has not been confirmed or announced but it’s probably something only minor. We will keep you updated if we hear anything else regarding Balor’s status.
AJ Styles & Others Hype Their WWE Battleground Matches
Several WWE Superstars have taken to Twitter to hype their matches at tonight’s WWE Battleground event. Here are a few tweets sent out:
Every match in @WWE is a #WWEBattleground. Every challenger, every title defense. Tonight is a no different. #USTitle #Phenomenal
— AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) July 23, 2017
“@JohnCena down. American flag down. @RusevBUL MACHKA!!!” The #BulgarianBrute is all confidence ahead of #WWEBattleground! #FlagMatch pic.twitter.com/Yvtm8VkSEA
— WWE (@WWE) July 23, 2017
@ShinsukeN likes to think of himself as an artist. Tonight I paint a violent masterpiece. #WWEBattleground
— Baron Corbin (@BaronCorbinWWE) July 23, 2017
I will put the last brush for our artwork.
— Shinsuke Nakamura (@ShinsukeN) July 23, 2017
Tonight on @WWENetwork #WWEBattleground you will see amazing things…but what will you remember? #NeverGiveUp
— John Cena (@JohnCena) July 23, 2017
The match type doesn’t matter.
The result will be the same. #RKOOuttaNowhere #Number14#WWEBattleground @WWENetwork— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) July 23, 2017
Some friendly competition in the gym, before some serious competition in the ring. #WWEBattleground @MsCharlotteWWE pic.twitter.com/kwHQG8NgGy
— Becky Lynch (@BeckyLynchWWE) July 23, 2017
The Brand Split Not to Affect House Shows?
It’s being speculated that the Brand Split won’t be an issue for Superstars appearing at house shows of the opposite brand.
Incidents like Seth Rollins’s appearing at SmackDown Live house show and Brock Lesnar’s upcoming matches with Baron Corbin are just a start and that such instances. It’s expected that it will happen more and more in the future.
However, this will only be limited to the House Shows and won’t affect the weekly television in any way.
Chris Jericho Comments on WWE Return
As previously reported, Chris Jericho will take part in the RAW brand tours on June 30th and July 1st in Tokyo, Japan. At the events he will take on Hideo Itami. Both WWE Superstars commented on their upcoming match on social media with the following remarks:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVw26jnl9qC/
Rapper Lil Yachty Says He is Ready for WWE Debut & Wants to Take A Beatdown
TMZ recently caught up with the famous rapper, Lil Yachty who was donning an old-school Hardy Boyz/Team Extreme T-shirt. When asked if he would ever step into the squared circle, the 19-year-old rapper said he already had meetings with the WWE to make a “special appearance” for the company.
Yachty said that he wants to take a major beatdown by some WWE Superstars if he ever shows up in the squared circle. He then talked about his favorite tag team, The Hardy Boyz and also talked about how his signature move would be.
Dinner with the King Recap – Great Balls of Fire Insight, Advice for Wannabe Wrestlers, Who Had the Best ‘Puppies’ in WWE? More!
Lawler is joined on today’s show by his co-host Glenn Moore.
Lawler informs that he appeared at the Comicon in Washington, DC this past weekend. He says that he had a great time there and he was able to see a lot of old friends. WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair and Nakamura even made an appearance on Saturday.
A listener writes into the show and asks Lawler which current WWE Superstar would fit well in Memphis Wrestling back in the day. Lawler says that he worked as the top babyface in Memphis for a long time, so their goal was always to find big, strong heels to work against him. Guys like Kamala and Bam Bam Bigelow fit that mould.
In that sense, there are a number of guys in WWE today that would work out well in Memphis. Lawler says that they would have made a lot of money with someone like Brock Lesnar in Memphis back in the day. They could also do wonders with talents such as Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt and of course Braun Strowman.
WWE Planning “Something Significant” for the UK Brand
Jim Ross briefly mentioned plans for the upcoming UK show for the WWE Network on today’s installment of Wrestling Observer Radio. While Ross didn’t reveal many details, he did mention that there are plans to do “something significant” for the brand. Ross said that talks are still on-going and the belief is he is just waiting to find out himself.
As previously noted, there was speculation that WWE would be adding a weekly show to the WWE Network that would consist of UK Superstars. The show was rumored to be taped once a month overseas once a month, with the shows airing later on the Network.
Triple H Frustrated With Vince McMahon
Triple H is reportedly frustrated with Vince McMahon and the recent booking of NXT Superstars on the main roster.
According to Wade Keller of Pro Wrestling Torch, Triple H hasn’t been very impressed with how Vince McMahon has used some of the NXT call-ups. Keller claims that Triple H is frustrated because he feels that his hard work is being wasted once a Superstar from NXT is called up to work the main roster.