Here's more wrestling news for August 17th 2021
And your headlines for Afternoon include
WWE Selling 1-Of-A-Kind Vince McMahon Merchandise At Auction!
Is Jinder Mahal's Win At Summerslam Certain After RAW?
CM Punk Drops Massive Hint At AEW Rampage The First Dance Debut!
The Undertaker Presented With Special Gift!
Roman Reigns Speaks On Jimmy Uso’s Recent DUI Arrest!
Former WWE Champion Claims WWE S uperstars Really Don’t Have A Say With Their Entrance Music!
Kurt Angle Teases Facing Miro For AEW TNT Title!
RK-Bro To Achieve RAW Tag Team Title Glory At Summerslam?
"I Owe The Business A Lot More Than I Have Given" - Goldberg On Wanting To Give Back To The Younger Talents In WWE!
Bobby Lashley Reveals How He Really Feels About Facing Goldberg At WWE Summerslam And more!
We’re starting today with Vince McMahon, who even at 75-years-old, remains firmly in charge of WWE.
As the owner of the company, and on- screen personality, McMahon merch is nothing new, but soon, one lucky fan
will own a one-of-a-kind piece of merchandise from the Chairman himself. Goldin, the leading auction house for
trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia, have teamed with WWE to auction off incredibly rare items, including a billion-dollar
bill signed by Vince himself, as well as a one-of-a-kind Billionaire Bucks t-shirt.
This auction will happen at Allegiant Stadium for Summerslam on August 21st, but the Chairman’s merch isn’t the only
item up for grabs. Other Summerslam-centric items for auction include Randy Orton’s Money-in-the-Bank
briefcase that he used on Daniel Bryan at the 2003 event, as well as the Big Boss Man’s night-stick, used against Koko B. Ware at the
firs Summerslam in 1988. Odds are fans will pay big money to own these one-of-a-kind items, and some
people will be leaving the biggest party of the Summer with some serious iconic memorabilia.
Over to RAW now, as the entire Drew McIntyre-Jinder Mahal feud has been to build Mahal up to Drew’s level, and has
worked to revitalise McIntyre’s career now he’s unable to challenge for the WWE title.
On last night’s show, McIntyre defeated Veer and Shanky with relative ease, and throughout this feud, McIntyre has looked good, showing
his lighter, more entertaining side on TV. What fans may not like, is that given how things have played out, a Mahal win at
Summerslam seems certain, as having Drew win on Saturday would make this feud seem pointless,
especially since Mahal has largely had the upper-hand on RAW. It’s expected that Mahal’s win this Saturday
will lead to the feud continuining, and though Veer and Shanky have been banned from ringside, the Modern-Day Maharaja has a
golden opportunity this weekend to show he can defeat his 3MB bandmate on his own.
AEW news next, as this Friday’s Rampage should see the debut of CM Punk, who’s expected to have between 10-12 matches
a year for the company. Neither AEW nor Punk have confirmed the reports of him signing a deal, but plenty of
hints have been dropped by Punk himself. On Twitter, MMA fighter Deandre ‘The Prototype’ Anderson shared a smiling
selfie with Punk, but it’s Punk’s choice of badge that got fans talking.
In the photo, Punk can be seen wearing a Chicago Bulls pin on his coat, with the Roman numeral for 20, and fans were
quick to note how Punk is expected to debut for AEW on August 20th, in the Chicago Bulls home court, the United Center
This is just the latest tease by Punk, who referred to a fighter as All-Elite during his most recent MMA commentary gig, and
we’ll soon know if the reports of his impending debut are true at this Friday’s Rampage.
As the unquestionable phenom of WWE, The Undertaker has a ton of fans, but the Deadman himself is a known huge fan
of the Texas Longhorns football team. Now, the team has shown their respect for the former WWE Champion, as he
was invited to a practice last Saturday, and was presented with a Longhorns helmet, with his logo on the inside.
Calling the gift “awesome,” The Undertaker said how that as a lifelong Horns fan, the gift meant the world to him, calling his symbol on
the Helmet “two symbols of excellence.” The Undertaker is still retired from WWE, but is in a long-term contract that’ll keep him
employed for years to come, and even if he never steps in the ring again, he’s likely going to be watching WWE as closely as
he watches his beloved Texas Longhorns.
Last month, Jimmy Uso was arrested yet again for driving under the influence, and didn’t face any punishment by WWE.
Instead, the Usos won the SmackDown Tag Titles shortly after the arrest, a decision that angered fans who felt that WWE was
rewarding Jimmy for being related to Roman Reigns. In an interview with the New York Post,
Roman Reigns has now given his view on his cousin’s actions, saying he “doesn’t condone that kind of behaviour or decision making,
and added: “We’re all human, we’re all cynics, we all make mistakes. Instead of what some people might
feel you should give up on somebody or maybe turn your back on that type of behavior, that’s one way to do it. But I don’t think that’s the way
to push through and gain experience or make progressive movements of becoming a better man or a better human. So for me, it was diving
into it with great attention, great love and very thorough communication to make sure my family is continually bettering themselves and
putting themselves in a position to make better decisions.” It was reported that Jimmy only avoided a
punishment by WWE, including a possible release, because he factors into the company’s plans for Reigns Vs. The Rock
in the near future, and we can only hope that the SmackDown Tag Champion has finally learned his lesson
Over to NXT, and last week, it was confirmed that the gold brand will now be taping several shows weeks in advance, instead of airing
shows live. This new schedule is all part of Vince McMahon’s rebranding of NXT, but the
USA Network didn’t pay for taped shows, and they’re not happy about the idea.
On the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast, Andrew Zarian reports that USA executives are livid with WWE’s plan, with one source
saying “a taped show isn’t what we paid for.” Zarin added that there’s no confirmation that NXT will permanently be a taped show, but
the company is planning on taping the next three weeks worth of TV at once.
It’s possible that this taping schedule is so that NXT can use Adam Cole as much as possible, as his current contract with WWE
ends this Sunday, and there’s been no word on him re-signing yet. Whatever the reason, NXT is being taped in
advance for the time being, and that’s something the USA Network aren’t happy about, and will no-doubt be thinking about the next time they
negotiate with WWE
In wrestling, a person’s entrance music can often make or break a career, and there’s few songs more iconic than Kurt Angle’s theme.
Originally used for the Patriot and Sgt. Slaughter in 1997, Angle used the theme from 1999 onwards, and it remains one of the most
instantly recognisable themes of all time. Speaking on his show, Angle revealed WWE’s process of giving a Superstar some
music, and how little influence the Superstar actually has: “They make a song for you, and then you’ll
show up at the arena and they’ll play it out loud in the arena. And you decide if you like it or if you don’t. But for the most part, they’re basically
saying, ‘Hey, this is the music we made for you, this is the music you’re gonna have to use.’ You can say you don’t like it, they’ll go back and
-edit it, but for the most part it’s gonna be identical to the first one they made.” After years with the same theme, and the
subsequent You Suck chants, Angle has been enjoying retired life, but there’s always the chance we’ll hear his iconic theme one
last time in WWE.
Fans may be soon hearing a new theme for Angle, who’s teased challenging AEW TNT Champion Miro for the title.
On Twitter, Kurt shared a photo of himself and Miro having a face-off, and tweeted that if he didn’t already have a room full of titles and
championships, he’d take the TNT title too. In the past, AEW has offered Kurt a contract, but he declined, and his plans to be Riddle’s
manager in WWE didn’t work out either. Kurt’s last match came at WrestleMania 35, where he lost to Baron Corbin, and despite
keeping busy with his own show and his nutrition business, the Wrestling Machine still has his eyes on championship gold.
More from AEW, as Jon Moxley was once part of a team called the Switchblade Conspiracy with Sami Callihan, and that name is making a
comeback. It turns out that Moxley has trademarked the Switchblade Conspiracy and the Switchblades
and that the filings was done by wrestling’s resident trademark attorney, Michael E. Dockins.
On October 30th, Moxley and Callihan will reunite for Wrestling Revolver’s Tales from the Ring show in Clive, Iowa, and now the two can be
called the Switchblade Conspiracy again thanks to this trademark.
Back to RAW, and during this week’s show, Randy Orton made it clear to Riddle that RK-Bro was done, in a heartbreaking moment
for the former U.S. Champion. Things went from bad to worse for Riddle, who later lost his match to AJ Styles,
a match that Orton walked out on just as it started. Facing Omos later in the show, Orton was
decimated by the RAW Tag Team Champion, but it was Styles who ended the match early, attacking Orton, leading to a
disqualification and a two-on-one beatdown. This set up the save from Riddle, and Orton later said that RK-Bro is back together,
making the long-anticipated RAW Tag Title match between the two teams official for Summerslam.
As a highlight of RAW, RK-Bro seem destined for a huge victory this Saturday, and we’ll have to see if WWE pull the trigger on the popular
tag-team whilst the iron is hot.
RK-Bro are expected to do better than Goldberg this Saturday, who’s expected to lose against WWE Champion Bobby Lashley.
If so, this will mark Goldberg’s third loss in a row, with his last win being at Super Showdown in February 2020, but the Hall of Famer doesn’t
mind putting over the current roster. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Goldberg spoke about his career, and what he wants to do
now in his later years, saying: "I was fortunate to run through the wrestling world like a hot knife through butter in my
career, and then I was gone. Serving the business is a responsibility. That includes getting b**ts in seats and making sure people
invest in the product, but it also means you have to give back. I didn’t always do that before. But that’s my duty, and that’s a
big reason why I am here. I owe the business a lot more than I have given. I can provide a star like Bobby Lashley a worthy
adversary. I need to come back for that reason." It's not just the Almighty WWE Champion Goldberg wants to help, as he explained
There is also a plethora of talent that I believe is on the cusp of stardom, and I am here to help elevate them to the next level," Goldberg said.
As long as I can still provide something as this character, I’m willing to take these opportunities, because these chances pale in comparison to
the payoff. The payoff is not monetary or glory- driven. It’s a chance to provide moments with my family that are few and far between in this world
Goldberg’s current contract grants him two matches a year, meaning Summerslam will probably be the last we see of him in 2021,
and that’s fine with the former Universal Champion, who wants to give back to the industry.
And we’re ending with the WWE Champion, as facing Goldberg this Saturday will be one of the biggest matches in Lashley’s career.
Speaking to TV Insider, Lashley discussed the match, and how he’s still holding out for a collision with Brock Lesar:
You feel the excitement when Goldberg walks to the ring," said Lashley. "I was there. After I beat Keith Lee on Raw, Goldberg’s music
came on and the whole place erupted. There is no question about his star power. It was something that was needed in my career to
have this kind of match. When Goldberg comes, he looks toward those big matches. I don’t know what
is going on with Brock, but we have several different pay-per-views throughout the year. SummerSlam is not the biggest one. It is one
It is one of the biggest ones. There are still options to maybe see some of these big matches everyone wants."
Lashley has been a dominant Champion since winning the title on March 1st, and added:
"I have a lot of respect for Goldberg for what he has done in his career," said Lashley. "It really doesn’t matter if Goldberg is in shape
or ready or can do a longer match. That is irrelevant. It was like the last pay-per-view I was in. It didn’t matter if Kofi was in shape
or ready to have a long match. It was just me beating him up for however long I wanted to beat him up. It’s the
same thing here. He can take a break and relax because the outcome will be the same. Me kicking his ass for as long I want to kick
his ass. If it’s 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes, I can throw him around for as long as I need to do it."
Lashley is expected to retain, in what’s sure to be a physical bout, as the Almighty era shows no signs of slowing down