Hello and welcome to the WrestleTalk News - I’m Oli Davis.
Mixed Match Challenge Teams With WWE’s new Mixed Match Challenge show
just over a week away, two more intergender teams have been added to the already announced
lady-man combos of Bliss-Braun, The Glorious Robes, Boss Club and Ravishing Rusev Day.
First up for Smackdown was Jimmy Uso’s tag partner being revealed as the rapper Sweet
Beatz, aka Daniel Bryan!
Thankfully, this was a joke rather than the most inappropriately booked in-ring return
of all time, as Bryan then revealed Jimmy’s real-life wife Naomi would team with him for
the tournament.
Secondly came Raw’s announcement of Enzo Amore’s replacement - Nia Jax will instead
be teaming with Titus Worldwide... or, more specifically, Apollo Crews, as Nia pointed
out on Twitter: “Let’s get a couple things clear...I am
NOT, I repeat NOT apart of #TitusWorldwide & I am actually very delighted with my partner
@ApolloCrews, one of the most talented men on our roster, I just wish he didn’t come
with such....BAGGAGE REGRETTING OLI DAVIS NOT BEING MY BEST FRIEND FACE EMOJI ”
I’m surprised they made that expression into an emoji, too.
Enzo Amore Returns At WWE Live Event Enzo being replaced for Mixed Match Challenge
is rather odd, as although he missed several days last week because of the flu - which
is why Angle pulled him from the tournament - he returned at Friday’s house show in
Evansville, and WWE have announced he’s now medically cleared to defend his Cruiserweight
title against Cedric Alexander on tonight’s episode of Raw.
But that isn’t the only Cruiserweight thing WWE have pulled recently…
First 205 Live House Show Cancelled In an attempt to create a fourth touring wrestling
brand to exist alongside Raw, Smackdown and NXT, WWE announced three 205 Live-branded
house shows for the 19th, 20th and 21st of January.
To stack the card beyond the Cruiserweight division, Nia Jax was billed as the special
guest referee for the Amore vs Alexander match, and the events would also feature a Special
Attraction Match between the very not 205 pound Woken Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt.
The Friday show’s venue, though - the Ryan Center in Kingston, Rhode Island - has now
announced the first date has been cancelled due to “routing and scheduling issues”,
where all tickets will be “fully refunded”.
While the ‘scheduling issues’ could truly be to blame, there’s speculation WWE cancelled
the first 205 Live house show because of poor ticket sales - similar to the speculated reason
they dropped a second India date last December.
WWE have confirmed, however, that the Saturday and Sunday shows will go ahead as planned.
John Cena Moving To Smackdown?
In another piece of noteworthy scheduling news, John Cena has just been announced for
a special guest appearance for WWE Fastlane on Sunday 11th March - which is the last Smackdown
pay-per-view before WrestleMania.
Ever since his 4th July return last year, Cena has enjoyed ‘free agent’ status,
meaning he can face Roman Reigns on a Raw pay-per-view one month, and then turn up fighting
for Team Smackdown in a random Survivor Series cameo the next.
He’ll be appearing at Raw’s 25th anniversary special on the 22nd January, and he’s already
entered himself into the Royal Rumble shortly after - a match he’s currently favourite
to win.
Cena is then booked for every episode of Raw in February, when the brand will host Elimination
Chamber, but is then advertised for Smackdown’s Fastlane show on the 11th March.
His next scheduled date is the 8th April for WrestleMania 34 - possibly implying he’ll
feud with a Smackdown wrestler for the biggest show of the year.
Or the Undertaker, as he doesn’t care about which brand he’s on either.
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