Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including an update on Shotzi Blackheart’s missing brother, Yuji Nagata debuting for Bloodsport, NXT TV from Tuesday night, some ratings notes including a Smackdown surprise, an amazing Jon Moxley quote, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Tag: WWE Title
WWE Championship match to open night one of WrestleMania 37
The WWE Championship match will open night one of WrestleMania 37.
WWE confirmed this afternoon that the WWE title match between champion Bobby Lashley and challenger Drew McIntyre would open the show.
McIntyre expressed interest in opening the show in an interview with Wrasslinews last week.
“I mean, I would be happy opening the show or closing the show,” he said. “This year is so unique in the sense that the last match — every match at WrestleMania is a main event. Let’s be realistic, if you’re on WrestleMania, you’re in a main event, but when you’re fighting for the championship, generally it’s cool to close the show. This is such a unique WrestleMania, without having the fans there for an entire year, that first reaction is gonna be so, so special. So that’s why I said if I finish last, the last match — that’s phenomenal! That’s fantastic! That’s tradition! But if I’m in the opening match, to me that’s also just as big because if you get to walk out in that first match and get the crowd full of energy and all those pent up reactions that we’ve been keeping inside for a year, that’s gonna be special too.”
Night one of WrestleMania 37, which takes place on April 10, will also feature the following matches:
- Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women’s title
- Bad Bunny and Damian Priest vs. The Miz and John Morrison
- The New Day vs. AJ Styles and Omos for the Raw Tag Team titles
- Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon in a steel cage match
- Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins
- Lana & Naomi vs. Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose vs. The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott) vs. Natalya & Tamina in a Tag Team Turmoil match where the winners will face Nia Jax and Shanya Baszler for the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles on night two of WrestleMania 37
The Miz vs. Bobby Lashley WWE title match set for next week’s Raw
Bobby Lashley will face The Miz for the WWE title on next week’s Raw.
Lashley will face The Miz in a singles match after defeating Braun Strowman on tonight’s show. If Strowman had won, he would have been added to next week’s title match. After the match, The Miz tried to attack Lashley with the WWE title, but Lashley immediately laid out Miz with a spinebuster and spear, standing strong to close out the show.
Raw opened tonight with Lashley and MVP telling Miz that they came to collect a debt after Lashley laid out Drew McIntyre following his Elimination Chamber win, which set up Miz cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and pinning McIntyre to win the WWE title. Lashley wanted a title match, and gave Miz an hour to think about his response. After the hour, Miz said he needed more time.
Braun Strowman then came out, insisting he get a title match. WWE official Adam Pearce, along with Shane McMahon, eventually made the stipulations for the Raw main event.
Randy Orton wins WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell
Randy Orton is the new WWE Champion.
He won the WWE championship tonight at Hell in a Cell, defeating Drew McIntyre. The finish had McIntyre go for a second Claymore kick. When McIntyre went to execute, Orton countered with an RKO, pinning McIntyre for his 14th world championship.
This marks Randy Orton’s tenth WWE championship. He is also a four time World Heavyweight champion.
Drew McIntyre held the WWE championship for 214 days, pinning Brock Lesnar in the main event of the second night of WrestleMania 36.
This is the third time McIntyre and Orton have clashed in recent months. McIntyre won their first match at SummerSlam with a roll-up. The following month at Clash of Champions, McIntyre won an ambulance match with help from names Randy Orton had laid out in the months prior to the event — Ric Flair, Christian, Big Show, and Shawn Michaels.
The following night on Raw, Randy Orton retaliated, laying everyone out with a steel chair attack, which set up tonight’s Hell in a Cell match.
WWE title rematch set for Raw, McIntyre to pick stipulation
Drew McIntyre will pick the stipulation against Dolph Ziggler in a WWE title match that will take place next week on Raw.
McIntyre was in the ring during tonight’s Raw talking about his victory over Ziggler at Extreme Rules when Ziggler interrupted. He begged for another match, saying he came real close to winning. Initially, McIntyre rejected him. When Ziggler grabbed McIntyre, he responded by headbutting Ziggler.
McIntyre started to leave the arena when Ziggler continued to beg for a match, saying McIntyre could pick the stipulation. It was then when McIntyre agreed to the match, saying that he would pick the stipulations just as Ziggler had — right before their match.
At Extreme Rules, Ziggler picked the stipulation where McIntyre had to fight under normal rules while Ziggler could compete under Extreme Rules. Despite the advantage, McIntyre pinned Ziggler to retain the championship.
A women’s title rematch between Asuka and Sasha Banks has also been announced for next week’s Raw.
WOR 11/11: Raw ratings collapse, Smackdown spoilers, title tourney, Rousey preview, more!
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including Raw ratings from Monday, the slow and steady collapse, the WWE Title tournament and Survivor Series, Seth Rollins update, latest tournament brackets, Smackdown spoilers, UFC Saturday with Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm, Mirko Crocop retires and then gets popped by USADA, questions and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
WOR 11/10: Raw report, tournament matches, Del Rio and AAA, mailbag and more!
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back tonight to talk all the news in pro-wrestling including tons of thoughts on Raw from Monday night, the tournament matches, live reports and why it appeared the crowd was so dead, New Japan’s announcements for the Tokyo Dome and the G-1 Tag League Tournament, Dorian Roldan talks AAA and Alberto, Cibernetico may or may not have quit, tons of mailbag questions and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
WOL 11/9: WWE World Title tournament preview, brackets, Survivor Series and more!
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including tons of spoiler-free notes on the WWE World Title tournament which starts tonight on Raw. That includes the full brackets and some thoughts on where they could be going leading into the finals at Survivor Series. Plus, full notes on the New Japan Tokyo Dome line-up, John Cena return to TV today, your calls, emails and text messages on a number of different topics and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!