Heading into their title match at SummerSlam, Goldberg dropped Bobby Lashley with a spear on last night’s episode of Raw.
Last night’s go-home edition of Raw was headlined by Lashley and Goldberg meeting face-to-face for the final time before their WWE Championship match this Saturday. Lashley vowed to end Goldberg’s career at SummerSlam, and Goldberg responded by calling that “bullsh*t.” Lashley went to attack Goldberg, but Goldberg avoided it and hit a spear.
Goldberg then celebrated with his son Gage as the show went off the air.
Two new matches were added to the SummerSlam card last night. After RK-Bro reunited on Raw, it was announced that Randy Orton & Riddle will challenge for AJ Styles & Omos’ Raw Tag Team titles on Saturday. Alexa Bliss vs. Eva Marie was also announced for the pay-per-view.
WWE has made a few announcements for Monday’s SummerSlam go-home edition of Raw.
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and Goldberg will take part in a face-to-face segment on Monday’s Raw. It will be the final build to their title match at SummerSlam.
Drew McIntyre vs. Veer & Shanky in a handicap match has also been announced for Monday’s Raw. If McIntyre wins, Veer and Shanky will be banned from ringside for McIntyre’s match against Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam. But if Veer & Shanky win, McIntyre’s sword Angela will be banned from the SummerSlam match.
Plus, Randy Orton vs. Omos is set for Monday’s Raw. Orton defeated Omos’ tag team partner AJ Styles in the main event of Raw this past Monday.
Orton returned to WWE television on this week’s Raw, appearing for the first time since June 21. Orton said he didn’t want to team with Riddle anymore and told Riddle not to accompany him to ringside for his match against Styles. But Orton got the win after Riddle tried to neutralize Omos at ringside. Riddle then wanted a hug from Orton after the match. Orton gave in and hugged Riddle, but he then dropped Riddle with an RKO.
Orton smiled and chuckled after hitting the RKO on Riddle, and Byron Saxton said on commentary that he thought Orton and Riddle were now back together. Riddle said in a post-show interview that he was confused by Orton’s actions, but he hopes he and Orton can work things out so that their RK-Bro team can be a thing.
Styles & Omos are the current Raw Tag Team Champions.
Monday’s Raw is taking place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Bobby Eaton, one of the all-time greatest between the ropes
Jody Hamilton and the legend of the Assassins
Bray Wyatt and Ric Flair’s WWE departures
An update on how the biggest WWE & AEW shows upcoming are doing
WWE says AEW isn’t competition publicly and at the same time what was happening not publicly
Dragon Gate’s biggest shows of the year and the retirement of Masato Yoshino
A.J. McKee and the problems with the current set up in MMA
PWG returns
More detail on the ratings than any other source, how many different viewers the shows had, breakdown of who watches the shows, how they watch, DVR numbers and how long the average fan watches
Results of the major pro wrestling events of the past week
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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
John Cena appeared before the crowd following last night’s Raw, giving a hug to Riddle and Randy Orton. He then teamed with Damian Priest in the dark match main event, defeating Jinder Mahal and Veer.
Riddle spoke to SportsKeeda regarding a recent interaction with Goldberg. “Bill Goldberg is extremely entertaining, I can’t take anything away from that but I’ll tell you this, I saw Bill the other day before he challenged Bobby Lashley and he was walking to the Gorilla Position and I was standing there and I was with Damian Priest at the time and he says hi to everybody and then Goldberg comes up to me gives me a look. He was making a face and then he goes, ‘Hey, congratulations kid….’ and I was like, ‘Oh man, Goldberg is kind of nice’, so I gave him a little handshake and he went out and challenged Bobby and then he was coming out, through Gorilla again and I was like, ‘Hey Goldberg, good stuff’ and as he gave me a fist bump he says, ‘I only need two moves’ so I was like, ‘Oh man, the guy’s still got it’”.
Keith Lee defeated Chico Adams in a dark match prior to last night’s Raw tapings.
A TikTok video shows the day in the life of the Baron Corbin character.
The former Bray Wyatt posted on Twitter for the first time since being released from WWE, posting a picture with text saying “You can’t kill it”.
Mercedes Martinez commented on her release for the first time on Twitter, writing: My life..I never thought I would ever make it to the WWE. I stayed dedicated, hustled, grinded, and sacrificed more than I could ever imagined to reach that goal. It took 20yrs…..but I wouldn’t change anything bc the universe has a way of making things work out. I never fit the mold ANYWHERE but I stayed TRUE to myself, ALWAYS. “The diamond in the rough” so to say….I truly want to thank @tripleh @wwe and @WWENXT for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I understand this business is never a guarantee for anything, and that sometimes the risk is higher than the reward. I’m grateful, blessed and humbled. Thank you to all that have text, messaged, emailed, called, and to those that put me on blast on social media..lol. The overwhelming love does not go unnoticed. But…….DONT COUNT ME OUT! The BEST of me is still yet to be unseen. I’m rebuilding myself and I know my worth, always have. My drive, dedication, perseverance and my hard knocks stubbornness says I have more to prove. I’m looking forward to THE NEXT CHAPTER!……”
Masked Republic has secured visas to bring 50 luchadores to the US. Names include Psycho Clown, LA Park, Psicosis, Aero Star, Super Crazy, Mistico, and Drago. Japanese stars Ultimo Dragon, The Great Sasuke, and Tajiri are also part of the list.
QT Marshall spoke to Digital Spy about Shaq’s appearance on AEW television back in March, saying he lied to Shaq about the table spot he eventually agreed to. “He said something about maybe going through some tables and I told him, ‘Oh it won’t be that bad, we’ll put a really thick pad underneath,’ which was not true,” Marshall said. “I just didn’t want him to back out of it. So it was a lot of fun, as soon as he came in the back, right away, he said, ‘You lied to me! There was no pad under there!’ That’s wrestling ,welcome to wrestling.”
On last night’s episode of AEW Dark, Joey Janela turned on tag team partner Sonny Kiss, attacking him prior to a scheduled match. On social media, Janela wrote: “I did what I did not because Sonny, it’s because most mainstream wrestling “fans” are absolute losers, mutant scum! Always arguing about ratings, what’s wrestling & what’s not, who’s dating who, body shaming, & what’s going on backstage.. now you have a reason to really hate me!”
Mark Henry talked to The New York Post ahead of the debut of AEW Rampage on Friday, where he will be part of the commentary team.
Chelsea Green is the guest on this week’s Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette.
GCW will bring ‘EMO FIGHT’ to The Melrose Ballroom in New York City on September 23. It will stream live on Fite TV. In a press release, EMO FIGHT was described as “a popular celebration of emo, pop punk and your favorite music from the days of Myspace with the world of Game Changer Wrestling. “
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Goldberg became official for SummerSlam on last night’s episode of Raw.
After twice dismissing Goldberg’s challenge for a title match, Lashley finally accepted on last night’s show. Lashley and Goldberg had a confrontation last night that included Goldberg’s son Gage getting involved in their feud. When Goldberg headed to the back following the confrontation, Lashley and MVP both taunted Gage at ringside. Goldberg then came back down and laid MVP out with a spear.
There was a backstage interview later in the night where Lashley accepted Goldberg’s challenge for SummerSlam. Lashley said he hopes Goldberg brings Gage with him to SummerSlam so he can see Lashley annihilate Goldberg.
The build to SummerSlam also continued with Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. facing Charlotte Flair in a non-title no holds barred match in last night’s main event. After losing to Charlotte the previous week, Nikki A.S.H. got the win last night.
Nikki A.S.H. will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Charlotte and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match at SummerSlam.
Goldberg is officially the next challenger for Bobby Lashley’s WWE Championship.
Lashley will defend his WWE Championship against Goldberg at SummerSlam on Saturday, August 21. A confrontation between Lashley and Goldberg on Raw tonight led to the match being made official for SummerSlam later in the episode.
After Goldberg headed to the back following the confrontation, Lashley went face-to-face with Goldberg’s son Gage at ringside. Lashley and MVP both taunted Gage. As MVP was telling Gage that Lashley will end Goldberg’s career at SummerSlam, Goldberg came back out and hit a spear on MVP.
Goldberg returned to Raw two weeks ago and kicked off the build to him facing Lashley at SummerSlam. Goldberg also confronted Lashley on that episode, but Lashley dismissed Goldberg’s challenge. Lashley finally accepted the challenge during a backstage interview on Raw tonight. Lashley said he hopes Goldberg brings his son with him to SummerSlam so his son can watch Lashley annihilate Goldberg.
SummerSlam will be the first time Goldberg has wrestled since losing to Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble this January.
Lashley has been WWE Champion since winning the title from The Miz this March.
SummerSlam is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Here’s the updated card for the pay-per-view:
Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against John Cena
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley defends against Goldberg
Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. defends against Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match
WWE comes to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois for tonight’s episode of Raw.
The show will feature an appearance by Goldberg. He returned to Raw two weeks ago and confronted WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, but Lashley has twice dismissed Goldberg’s challenge. Goldberg will address Lashley tonight.
Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. and Charlotte Flair will face off in a non-title no holds barred match on tonight’s show. Last week, Charlotte defeated Nikki in a non-title main event. Nikki then challenged Charlotte to a rematch. Charlotte accepted and beat Nikki down.
Nikki A.S.H. is defending her Raw Women’s Championship against Charlotte and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match at SummerSlam. The pay-per-view is taking place on Saturday, August 21.
Riddle will face off with one-half of the Raw Tag Team Champions as he takes on Omos tonight. Riddle lost to John Morrison last week when he was distracted by Omos breaking his scooter. AJ Styles then laid out Riddle with a Styles Clash after the match.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
Bobby Lashley-Goldberg Segment
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and MVP made their way to the ring to start Raw. The fans gave them a big reaction and quickly started booing. MVP welcomed Chicago back to Raw, and they erupted in cheers. MVP noted everyone wants to see Goldberg and mockingly chanted his name. The fans booed.
MVP recapped Goldberg returning and challenging Lashley for a title shot. The fans booed again. MVP praised Goldberg and noted he could beat any man on the roster. But Goldberg didn’t challenge any man; he challenged the All-Mighty. MVP noted Goldberg facing Lashley might be his final match. He asked Bill if he wants to be remembered as a casualty. The fans broke into a “Goldberg” chant.
Goldberg made his entrance, and the fans cheered. When the music stopped, the fans started booing. Goldberg pointed out that Lashley looks like he’s scared. The fans broke into another “Goldberg” chant. Goldberg asked Lashley if he’s ready for the challenge. The fans broke into a “We Want Wyatt” chant. Goldberg noted his age doesn’t matter because he’ll always be Goldberg. He said he lives by the spear, and Lashley will die by it. Goldberg told Lashley he’s next at SummerSlam.
Goldberg went to the back. Lashley and MVP then noticed Goldberg’s son Gage in the front row. Lashley jumped out of the ring and approached Gage. MVP sent Lashley back in the ring but started yelling at Gage. Goldberg ran back out and speared MVP.
They showed Drew McIntrye standing in the back with his giant sword.
The fans reacted big for McIntrye, but the match dragged. The weak finish didn’t help either.
McIntyre made his entrance but then brought the sword with him to the ring. Jimmy Smith noted McIntrye named the sword Angela after his late mother.
McIntrye was momentarily in control until Veer and Shanky sent him shoulder-first into the ring post. The fans briefly chanted, “Drew.” The heels took over and beat down McIntyre. The fans broke into a “CM Punk” chant.
McIntyre fought back and hit a neck breaker on Veer. He sent Shanky to the floor and set up for the Claymore. Shanky grabbed the leg, and Mahal jumped in with a chair for the disqualification.
After the match, all three heels grabbed a chair and faced off with McIntrye. McIntyre then grabbed his sword, Angela, and fought off all three heels. The fans erupted in cheers for Angela.
McIntrye knocked Mahal’s chair out of his hands with the sword. He then took out Veer with a Glasgow Kiss. McIntyre then pointed the sword and Shanky. Shanky stood in fear for what felt like several minutes.
Mahal, Veer, and Shanky ran to the back. Kevin Patrick tried to interview them as they ran out of the building. Mahal promised that karma would get McIntrye.
Nia Jax takes on Rhea Ripley next. Jax told everyone to watch what she does to Rhea.
Back from the break, Kevin Patrick interviewed McIntrye. He’s ready for Mahal and promised to beat him again.
This was a fine match, although it had some rough spots. The fans gave Ripley a good reaction. Jax got busted open and was bleeding down the side of her face.
Ripley had the early advantage. She hit Jax with a head butt, but it didn’t affect her. Jax sent Ripley into the ring post shoulder first. She followed up with a splash on the apron against the ring post.
Ripley fought back and attempted the Rip Tide, but Jax broke free. She sent Ripley shoulder-first into the ring post and went for the splash again, but Ripley moved.
Ripley hit a cannonball off the apron, but Jax moved, and she hit Baszler instead. Jax jumped Ripley and hit a Samoan Drop against the barricade.
Back from the break, Jax was firmly in control, but Ripley fought back. She hit a hurricanrana off the second rope and followed with a missile dropkick for a near fall. Jax missed a splash but regained control and hit a leg drop for a close near fall.
Ripley regained control and went for the Rip Tide. Baszler jumped up on the apron and tried to cause a distraction. Baszler jumped off the apron, and Jax ran at Ripley. Ripley moved and rolled up Jax for the win.
After the match, Jax and Baszler argued. The fans cheered when Baszler took off her jacket. She jumped out of the ring, and the fans booed. Ripley jumped back in the ring and hit the Rip Tide on Jax to a huge pop.
They recapped Mustafa Ali and Mansoor beating T-Bar and Mace last week.
T-Bar & Mace defeated Mustafa Ali & Mansoor (2:58)
This was a good match while it lasted.
Ali got a huge reaction from the hometown fans. The fans went crazy for him and broke into a loud “Ali” chant. Of course, his team lost, and he got beat down after the match.
Mace knocked Ali off the apron immediately. The heels took over and isolated Mansoor. T-Bar knocked down Ali at ringside and hit a springboard elbow for a near fall. Ali got the hot tag and ran wild. He hit a dive onto T-Bar at ringside.
T-Bar fought back and sent Ali back in the ring. He knocked Mansoor down with a boot to the face.
Ali then caught T-Bar with a DDT for a very close near fall. Ali tagged in Mansoor and climbed to the top rope. T-Bar then sent Mansoor into the ropes knocking Ali down.
Mansoor got on the second turnbuckle, but Mace caused a distraction. T-Bar then pulled Mansoor off, and he hit the turnbuckle on the way down for the win.
After the match, the heels jumped Ali and gave him a double chokeslam to loud boos. Ali saved Mansoor again from getting attacked.
They showed Nikki A.S.H. in the back get ready for her match later.
Charlotte Flair Segment
This was a fine segment, but It felt a bit long and dragged at times.
The fans booed and wooed as Flair made her way to the ring. Flair mentioned Simone Biles withdrawing from the Olympics due to mental health issues. She then tied that to Nikki A.S.H. cashing in her Money in the Bank and winning the title. Flair noted she woke up the next morning and had a nervous breakdown. The fans seemed to boo Flair as she compared herself to Simone’s situation.
The fans broke into a “Becky” chant, but Flair noted she’s not there. Flair then claimed that she sold out the All-State Arena. She jumped out of the ring and threw in a kendo stick and chair.
Flair was furious that she lost her title three times because of someone cashing in the briefcase. She ranted about Nikki cashing in and promised to defeat her later.
Nikki A.S.H. jumped in the ring and hit Flair with a chair to the back. Nikki celebrated as Flair rolled out of the ring.
They recapped Eva Marie and Doudrop against Tamina and Natalya. Kevin Patrick interviewed Eva Marie and Doudrop. Marie didn’t want to talk about Natalya’s injury and complained about Alexa Bliss instead.
Tamina defeated Doudrop (w/Eva Marie) (3:47)
Tamina and Doudrop had a fine short match that dragged at times. They recapped Natalya’s injury from last week.
Doudrop was briefly in control, but Tamina quickly took over. She hit a splash in the corner and started climbing to the top. Marie distracted Tamina and Doudrop took over. She hit an elbow off the second rope for a two-count.
Doudrop slowed the pace down. The fans broke into a loud “CM Punk” chant. Doudrop followed up with a senton for a near fall.
They traded shots in the middle of the ring. Tamina then hit a back elbow in the corner, but Doudrop avoided a superkick.
Tamina was down, and Marie yelled at Doudrop to hit her crossbody. Doudrop hesitated and then went for the crossbody, but Tamina moved. Tamina then hit a Samoan Drop for the win.
After the match, Alexa Bliss and Lilly appeared on the screen. She mocked Doudrop and Marie. Bliss got a mixed reaction, but her music played instantly.
They recapped Damien Priest defeating Sheamus last week.
In the back, Riddle approached Damien Priest. The fans popped for Priest and erupted in cheers for Riddle. Riddle isn’t worried about facing Omos later because he’s got the power of Randy Orton pumping in his blood.
Priest isn’t worried about appearing on Miz TV since he beat them with Bad Bunny at WrestleMania.
Miz TV with Damien Priest
This was a fine segment that dragged at times. The fans were into Priest but seemed bored during certain parts.
Miz introduced Priest and noted he couldn’t hide his disdain for him. Miz noted Priest put him in a wheelchair. They pointed out that Priest took advantage of an injured Sheamus last week. The fans broke into a loud “CM Punk” chant.
Priest questioned Miz’s injury and wondered if he’s going to wrestle again. Miz blamed Priest for his injury and claimed he’d slap Priest if he weren’t injured. Morrison got in Priest’s face and threatened him with the drip stick.
Priest noted no kid wants to grow up to be either of them. Miz warned Priest that Morrison would take care of him. Priest said he came out here to challenge Sheamus, but instead, he will take on Morrison.
Miz tried to use the drip stick, but Priest stopped him. He threw Morrison out of the ring and soaked Miz with the drip stick.
Damien Priest defeated Johnny Morrison (w/The Miz) (3:07)
Priest and Morrison had a good match, but they didn’t get a lot of time.
Morrison had the early advantage until Priest fought back. He hit a series of kicks and forearms to take over. He climbed to the top rope, but Miz used the drip stick, and Morrison took advantage.
Morrison then hit a Samoan Drop over the ropes and went for Starship Pain. Priest countered and went for a chokeslam. Morrison rolled him up for a near fall and followed up with a running knee. He then hit a standing moonsault for a near fall.
Morrison attempted a move off the second ropes, but Priest caught him. The finish came when Priest hit a chokeslam for the win.
After the match, Sheamus ran out, and the heels beat down Priest. Ricochet then ran out for the save, and the faces cleared the ring.
Ricochet & Damien Priest defeated Sheamus & Johnny Morrison (3:44)
This was another good match playing off the previous angle. They had a fun match, but it felt rushed at times.
The faces had the early advantage as Ricochet ran wild. Ricochet and Morrison ended up fighting around ringside. Miz wet the floor with the drip stick, and Morrison then threw Ricochet across the floor into the steps.
Sheamus slowed the pace down, but Ricochet fought back. Priest got the hot tag and ran wild. He hit the chokeslam for a near fall, but Sheamus made the save. Priest sent Sheamus to the floor, and Ricochet hit a moonsault onto Sheamus.
Morrison used an inside cradle for a close near fall, but Priest recovered and hit The Reckoning for the win.
In the back, Bobby Lashley accepted Goldberg’s challenge and hopes he brings his son to SummerSlam.
They recapped the Riddle and Omos feud.
Omos defeated Riddle (2:32)
Riddle and Omos had a fun short match, considering the limitations.
In the back, Kevin Patrick interviewed Omos. He noted he broke Riddle’s scooter first, and Riddle’s spine is second.
Riddle jumped on Omos before the bell. He tried locking on a choke, but Omos broke free. The bell rang, and Riddle briefly hit a series of shots. Omos took back over and threw Riddle out of the ring.
Omos then threw Riddle over the barricade. Riddle just barely beat the ten-count and got back in the ring. Omos then knocked Riddle off the apron, but Riddle beat the ten-count again.
Riddle recovered and hit a series of knees on Omos. He avoided Omos, but Omos recovered and rocked Riddle with a vicious clothesline. Omos then hit a slam for the win.
In the back, Alexa and Lilly talked about all the people Lilly influenced, including Jack the Ripper. Suddenly, Doudrop jumped Bliss from behind. Eva Marie picked up Lilly but threw her to the ground, and they stormed off.
Bliss rolled on the floor in pain with Lilly a few feet away from her. Lilly then stood up after the heels left. The fans loudly booed Lilly standing up.
Non-title: Keith Lee defeated NXT Champion Karrion Kross (9:24)
Lee and Kross had a good match, but the fans weren’t into it most of the way. They did 50/50 booking, which didn’t help Kross. The fans popped for the finish.
Earlier today, Kross held an hourglass and promised to defeat Keith Lee in their match. They recapped Lee defeating Randy Orton last year at Payback. The commentators pushed the idea that Lee hasn’t won a match since his return.
They locked up, but Lee backed Kross into the corner. There was a brief and faint “NXT” chant. Kross gained control until Lee hit a series of shoulder tackles. Kross sent Lee over the top rope, but he landed on the apron. Lee then hit a slingshot cross body for a near fall.
Kross took over and hit an exploder suplex. He then dragged Lee to the floor and gave him a suplex into the steps.
Back from the break, Kross was firmly in control and hit a clothesline for a near fall. Lee fought back with a boot to the face. Lee then a hit back elbow and head butt on Kross. He followed up with the double chops.
Lee rocked Kross with a big shoulder tackle. He went for the Spirit Bomb, but Kross countered with a forearm to the back of the head. Kross then locked on the Straight Jacket submission.
The fans came alive and broke into a “Keith Lee” chant. Lee broke free and hit the Spirit Bomb for the win.
Reggie explained that he used Reginald and a French accent to get his foot in the door. On commentary, Corey Graves was offended that Reggie bamboozled Carmella.
24/7 Champion Reggie defeated Akira Tozawa (2:05)
This was an okay match. There wasn’t much to it, and it was a typical Reggie match.
Reggie avoided Tozawa with a backflip off the apron. Tozawa charged at Reggie but missed and hit the barricade.
Reggie ran into the ring and slipped out to the other side. Tozawa chased after him and hit his face on the bottom rope.
Tozawa yelled Ninja Power, but Reggie avoided Tozawa with backflips. He then hit the flipping senton for the win.
In the back, Nikki A.S.H. promised to defeat Charlotte Flair next and prove that anyone could be almost a superhero.
No Holds Barred Championship Contender Match: Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. defeated Charlotte Flair (14:35)
Flair and Nikki had a good match. Flair dominated Nikki and easily beat her down throughout the match. Nikki only got in brief flurries of offense.
Flair quickly took over and threw Nikki to the floor. Flair cleared the announce table, and the fans broke into a “We Want Table” chant. Nikki fought back, but Flair recovered. Flair then pulled out a second table and propped it up against the ring.
They showed Rhea Ripley watching in the back. Nikki briefly fought back, but Flair regained control. She gave Nikki several suplexes on the floor and followed up with a spear through the barricade to a big reaction.
Back from the break, Nikki missed a flying crossbody, and Flair hit a boot to the face. Flair pinned Nikki twice but pulled her up each time before the count of three. The fans chanted, “We want tables.” The table was now set up in the corner of the ring.
Flair rolled out and pulled out of a bunch of chairs from under the ring. Nikki fought back and hit a tornado DDT off the apron. The fans broke into another “CM Punk” chant.
Flair sent Nikki over the barricade and yelled that nobody is cashing in on her again. Nikki attempted a cross body off the barricade, but Flair caught her and gave her a powerbomb through the announce table to a massive pop.
Flair rolled Nikki in the ring and tried pinning her with one foot. Flair went for the spear, but Nikki moved, and Flair crashed through the table. The fans broke into a “This is Awesome” chant. Nikki then hit the twisting neck breaker off the second rope for the win.
Nikki celebrated her win with the fans to end Raw.
WWE has confirmed that Goldberg will be appearing on Monday’s episode of Raw.
Goldberg will be on Monday’s show to address WWE Champion Bobby Lashley. After Goldberg returned to Raw last week and confronted him, Lashley has twice dismissed Goldberg’s challenge.
Lashley and MVP were interviewed backstage after Lashley’s confrontation with Goldberg. MVP said Goldberg disrespected Lashley and they weren’t going to dignify it with a response. On Raw earlier this week, Lashley reiterated that he wasn’t going to respond to the challenge.
Goldberg challenging for Lashley’s WWE Championship is scheduled for SummerSlam but hasn’t been officially announced.
In addition to him being on Monday’s Raw, Goldberg is scheduled to appear on the Monday, August 16 episode of the show in San Antonio, Texas. That’s Raw’s go-home show for SummerSlam.
WWE has also announced that Nikki A.S.H. vs. Charlotte Flair on Monday’s Raw will now be a no holds barred match. Nikki A.S.H’s Raw Women’s Championship won’t be on the line in the match. She’s defending the title against Charlotte and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match at SummerSlam.
Monday’s Raw is taking place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Here’s the updated lineup for the show:
Non-title no holds barred match: Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. vs. Charlotte Flair
The August 16 episode in San Antonio will be Raw’s go-home show for SummerSlam.
Goldberg returned to WWE programming this past Monday night and kicked off the build to him challenging for Bobby Lashley’s WWE Championship at SummerSlam. After Lashley defeated Keith Lee on Raw, Goldberg came out to the ring and confronted Lashley. Goldberg laughed in Lashley’s face and declared that “I’m next.”
Lashley and MVP were interviewed backstage after the confrontation. MVP said Goldberg disrespected Lashley and they weren’t going to dignify it with a response.
Goldberg also challenged for the WWE Championship at this January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. He lost to Drew McIntyre.
SummerSlam is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, August 21.
Goldberg appeared on Raw tonight and made it clear he was next in line for the WWE Championship.
During tonight’s show, Bobby Lashley issued an open challenge. Keith Lee accepted that challenge, returning after being gone since January. While it was a competitive match, Lashley pinned Lee after a spear. As Lashley was celebrating, Goldberg came out and stared down Lashley, telling him that he was next.
Backstage, MVP and Lashley were asked about Goldberg showing up. MVP said they were not dignifying his challenge with a response.
Goldberg has not been on WWE television since the Royal Rumble back in January, when he faced Drew McIntyre in a match for the WWE Championship. McIntyre defeated Goldberg to retain the title.
Lashley issued the open challenge following last night’s Money in the Bank, when he successfully retained the title against Kofi Kingston in what essentially was a squash match, defeating Kingston in less than ten minutes. During a promo prior to tonight’s match, MVP said they had dropped the partying and fun and games in order for Lashley to be the most dominant champion in history.
WWE’s first episode of Raw back in front of fans could have a major star return, according to a report.
Fightful Select reports that as of today, Goldberg is scheduled to return to WWE Raw on Monday’s episode at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The Fightful report also states that WWE’s current plan is to have Goldberg face Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam on Saturday, August 21 at Allegiant Stadium in Nevada. The report also states that Goldberg’s WWE contract runs through 2022 and calls for two matches per year.
Goldberg’s last WWE appearance came at Royal Rumble 2021 on January 31. He challenged Drew McIntyre for the WWE title on that show in a losing effort.
Goldberg wrestled twice in 2020, defeating The Fiend for the Universal title at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia in February, then dropping the title to Braun Strowman on night one of WrestleMania 36.
Goldberg also wrestled twice in 2019. He lost to The Undertaker at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia in June, then defeated Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam in Toronto.
After a successful Wrestlemania, paced by what will probably be remembered as one of the great Mania matches ever, there is no time to savor the victory, because there are uncharted waters ahead.
Early indications are that Mania will wind up near or above records as the biggest money pro wrestling event in history. We also set an all-time record, by far, for poll responses to the show. That would seem an amazing comeback from the late 2003 low point of Armageddon. But much of the success of the show was based on other factors, the significance of a year-long promotion of the 20th annual event, and main stars who are not with the company as it goes forward.
When Brock Lesnar told management at Smackdown on 3/9 in Atlantic City that he was quitting after Wrestlemania, a panic set in, even though business has been on the upswing.
A documentary focused on Goldberg will premiere on the WWE Network this weekend.
WWE has announced that “Goldberg at 54” will premiere on the WWE Network on Sunday, March 7. It will be uploaded on demand at 10 a.m. Eastern time and will also air on the WWE Network live stream at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Goldberg at 54 “follows the WWE Hall of Famer as he prepared for his WWE Championship Match against Drew McIntyre at Royal Rumble in January. This intimate look at the former Universal and World Heavyweight Champion reveals the mental and physical challenges that Goldberg was forced to confront during his most recent comeback as he readied to challenge a world-beater 20 years his junior.”
McIntyre defeated Goldberg at the Royal Rumble, with them then showing respect to each other and shaking hands in a post-match angle.
Goldberg celebrated his 54th birthday on December 27, 2020.
“HEAVEN,” which is the WWE Network’s first non-pro wrestling documentary, will also be uploaded to the WWE Network on demand at 10 a.m. Eastern on March 7 and will air on the live stream at 8:30 p.m. Eastern. It “tells the story of high school athlete Heaven Fitch. Fitch made history in 2020 by becoming the first female to win a boy’s state wrestling championship in North Carolina.” HEAVEN is narrated by Beth Phoenix and will also be available to watch on WWE’s social media channels.
The match order of Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble card is taking shape as WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Goldberg is set to open tonight’s pay-per-view, announced by WWE on the pre-show.
The story was reported earlier in the day by Fightful and PWInsider.
Additionally, PWInsider and Fightful reported that the men’s Rumble will close the show, later confirmed by Dave Meltzer. This follows the news that the Women’s Tag Team Title match will take place on the pre-show as Charlotte Flair and Asuka will defend their titles against Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler.
That would leave the women’s Rumble, Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens in a last man standing match, and SmackDown women’s champion Sasha Banks vs. Carmella for the rest of the main card.
This will be Goldberg’s first WWE match since losing the Universal title last March to Braun Strowman at WrestleMania and his fifth match overall since 2019. McIntyre returned to action at last week’s Superstar Spectacle after a brief absence due to COVID-19. Before that, he successfully defended his title against Keith Lee on the January 4th Raw.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, Goldberg, and Edge all returned on the final Raw before the Royal Rumble.
After not being able to appear in person the previous two weeks due to testing positive for COVID-19, McIntyre returned to Raw last night. His Royal Rumble challenger Goldberg was also on the show for a face-to-face confrontation ahead of Sunday’s pay-per-view. It included Goldberg laying out Money in the Bank briefcase holder The Miz with a spear and McIntyre dropping Morrison with a Claymore. McIntyre and Goldberg then had a staredown and they exchanged words as McIntyre held his WWE Championship high up in the air.
Edge appeared in a pre-taped promo that aired on last night’s Raw. Edge declared that — for the second year in a row — he’s returning to the ring in the men’s Royal Rumble match. Sunday’s PPV will be the first time Edge has wrestled since suffering a torn triceps while filming his “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” against Randy Orton for Backlash last June.
Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss in a Raw Women’s Championship match headlined last night’s show and ended without a finish when Orton gave Bliss an RKO. Orton’s face was exposed with the burns that he supposedly suffered when Bliss threw a fireball in his face two weeks ago.
Ahead of their WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble, Drew McIntyre and Goldberg will both appear on Raw next week.
It was announced on tonight’s show that McIntyre and Goldberg are returning to Raw next Monday. It will be the first time McIntyre has made an in-person appearance on WWE television since testing positive for COVID-19.
McIntyre and Goldberg’s WWE Championship match was set up for the Royal Rumble when Goldberg made a surprise appearance at Raw Legends night earlier this month. After McIntyre retained his WWE Championship against Keith Lee, Goldberg confronted McIntyre and challenged him to a WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble.
McIntyre wasn’t able to appear in person on Raw last week due to testing positive for COVID-19, but he appeared via video and accepted Goldberg’s challenge for the Royal Rumble. McIntyre also gave an update on his condition and said he isn’t experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Another video from McIntyre aired on Raw tonight. He said he’s still asymptomatic and announced that he’s returning to Raw next week. WWE later announced that Goldberg will be on next Monday’s Raw as well.
Tonight’s Raw featured a Dirt Sheet segment with a McIntyre impersonator and Gillberg appearing as The Miz and John Morrison’s guests. The Miz said neither McIntyre nor Goldberg will win at the Royal Rumble because he’s going to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase and become WWE Champion.
Next Monday’s Raw is the brand’s go-home show for the Royal Rumble. The pay-per-view is taking place on Sunday, January 31.
