WrestleMania season in WWE brings with it a plethora of Superstars whose stock is rising at the right time. They are the competitors who have momentum on their side and clear direction heading into the Showcase of the Immortals...
Edge's in-ring return at the Royal Rumble was undoubtedly the biggest shock of the newsworthy weekend. Better yet, it's clearly more than a one-off...
Royal Rumble Winner Drew McIntyre Challenges Brock Lesnar to WrestleMania Match
Jan 27, 2020
Brock Lesnar attends a UFC 200 mixed martial arts news conference, Wednesday, July 6, 2016, in Las Vegas. Lesnar is scheduled to fight Mark Hunt in a heavyweight fight at UFC 200 on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Fresh off winning the Royal Rumble on Sunday, Drew McIntyre challenged WWE champion Brock Lesnar for his belt at Wrestlemania.
Not only did McIntyre win the Royal Rumble, but he also eliminated Lesnar. It was an otherwise historic performance from Lesnar, who accumulated a record-setting 13 consecutive eliminations before McIntyre sent him over the top rope.
It was an impressive performance from Lesnar, who memorably entered himself at No. 1 and promptly eliminated Elias, Erick Rowan, Robert Roode, John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Cesaro, Shelton Benjamin, Shinsuke Nakamura, MVP, Keith Lee and Braun Strowman.
And it was one of the highlights of the event, with Edge also returning to the ring for the first time in nine years and reaching the final three.
But McIntyre was the last man standing, earning himself a shot at the WWE championship belt. His elimination of Lesnar was particularly notable, sending him over the rope with a Claymore before staring him down as Lesnar left the arena.
"It's the biggest deal. I've been struggling to find the words, but the only way I can do it is to say that this is simply a dream come true," McIntyre told B/R's Jonathan Snowden. "This is my life's work. I've always wanted to be a wrestler since I was four years old.
Even The Rock was pumped to see McIntyre win the event:
"Damn right I am," he told Snowden. "This is when you've got to turn up to a 100. I generally work around a 100, so this is probably where I turn up to 110. I know I've got a beast breathing down my neck. There's nobody in the world like Brock at any sport. And I know he's coming for me."
WWE Rumors: Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey 'Tentatively Slated' for WrestleMania 36
Apr 9, 2019
Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey may be facing each other for the second straight year at WrestleMania.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported on Tuesday that "WWE officials have tentatively slated Rousey to wrestle Lynch in a rematch at WrestleMania 36 in Tampa on April 5, 2020."
Lynch, Rousey and Charlotte Flair took part in a Triple Threat match for the Raw and SmackDown women's titles at WrestleMania 35 on Sunday. Lynch pinned Rousey to take the two belts in the card's main event.
Much talk following the main event surrounded the abrupt finish, which involved Lynch rolling up Ronda Rousey for a quick pin. Brad Shepard of Pro Sports Extra and Sean Michael Sapp of Fightful both said the finish was botched:
Sapp also reported that referee Rod Zapata was fined.
"Initially, referee Rod Zapata gained heat for the finish among some backstage, but that quickly seemed dissipate," Sapp wrote. "However, at Monday's WWE Raw, Zapata was pulled aside by Vince McMahon, who discussed the situation, and Zapata was subsequently fined for the main event finish."
Sapp also wrote that "the pinfall was supposed to happen off the crucifix, but McMahon told Zapata that he should have waited until the shoulders were down to count the three, and if any of the performers in the ring ended up struggling to regain their footing, that would be on them."
Dave Meltzer of MMA Fighting reported that Rousey suffered a broken right hand as she was throwing punches and just wrestled in a bout that "is expected to be her final World Wrestling Entertainment match at least for some time."
The match may not have reportedly ended as planned, but the heat emanating from the Flair-Rousey-Lynch feud was still fantastic in the buildup to WrestleMania. A rematch involving any or all of the participants in next year's event would definitely be worth watching.
CM Punk on Kofi Kingston's WrestleMania 35 Win: Should've Happened 10 Years Ago
Apr 9, 2019
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk said Monday that Kofi Kingston winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35 on Sunday night was long overdue.
Punk, who left the WWE in early 2014 and has since appeared in two UFC fights, spoke about 'Mania on Stadium's Sauce & Shram show (via Marc Middleton of Lords of Pain).
"It should've happened 10 years ago," he said. "You know, that's what I'll leave with. And it's one of those things where yes, I'm stoked that it happened now, but again, be ahead of the curve instead of behind it."
Kingston signed with the WWE in 2006 and joined the ECW brand the following year. He joined Raw in 2008 and spent the past 11 years mostly in mid-card feuds and, while he'd enjoyed his most successful run to date as part of The New Day stable, individual accolades had remained elusive.
The 37-year-old Ghana native started to gain a surge of crowd support in recent months, however, and it eventually helped him land a place opposite Daniel Bryan—who followed a similar story arc leading to his WrestleMania 30 breakthrough—in one of Sunday's top matches.
With New Day teammates Big E and Xavier Woods at his side, Kingston finally captured one of wrestling's top championships by pinning Bryan.
It completed a long and winding journey to the WWE mountaintop. One that included more frequently being used for his terrific creativity, highlighted by his numerous Royal Rumble highlight-reel moments over the years, than his in-ring ability, which he's finally had a showcase more often in recent weeks.
Punk is right, the main-event title run should have come long ago for Kingston, but it's certainly better late than never for the dependable veteran and budding fan favorite.
