Below are some top WWE news stories of the day, involving the Nation of Domination and Shayna Baszler.
• Mark Henry, like The Rock, initially struggled to find his footing in the WWF as a clean-cut babyface. However, his career trajectory changed dramatically when he joined the Nation of Domination during The Rock’s tenure with the group. This period allowed Henry to showcase more of his personality and make a significant impact in the WWF/E.
In a recent interview with Sean Ross Sapp, Henry reminisced about his time with the Nation of Domination, expressing pride in the group’s legacy. He even argued that this version of the Nation is among the greatest factions in wrestling history.
“The best faction of all time. It’s hard to argue,” Henry stated. “The first person to talk to me about it was Vince (McMahon), and then Ron Simmons and The Rock both said, ‘Hey, you need to go down to the ring because they want to talk to all of us together.’ I was like, ‘All of us? Who is us?’ Then Dwayne proceeded to tell me, ‘Yeah, it’s going to be my thing. I’m going to bring you into the Nation to help us.’ I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t.’”
Henry described his surprise and excitement upon learning about his new role. Initially, he thought it would be a one-time appearance, but it quickly became clear that Vince McMahon had bigger plans for him within the faction.
“I was in shock. I was like, ‘Man, this is awesome,’ and I was kind of like the heavy, like the fold-your-arms bodyguard type of dude at first,” Henry continued. “It was a surprise that they were making me. I just thought that I was going to go out there and do something with them, and it was like a one-off. I didn’t think that that’s what Vince meant when he said that he was gonna put me with him tonight.”
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• WWE Clash At The Castle has been hailed as one of the most thrilling and successful events in the Paul “Triple H” Levesque era. The show set a record-breaking gate, and fans in Scotland were treated to an electrifying experience. However, the event also sparked discussions about several notable botches involving the ropes.
One of the most talked-about incidents involved Jade Cargill, who attempted a high-flying move by jumping through the ropes but failed to execute it properly. Another mishap occurred during the main event when Damian Priest tried to perform a dive over the ropes but also botched the attempt.
These incidents led to speculation and criticism, with some detractors attributing the botches to issues with the ropes. However, WWE superstar Shayna Baszler, who was in the match where one of the botches occurred, took to social media to address the controversy.
Baszler used her X account to highlight her partner Zoey Stark’s flawless execution of three springboard moves during the same event. By doing so, she subtly suggested that the mistakes made by Cargill and Priest were due to their own errors, not any problem with the ropes.
“‘Ropes issue’ but @ZoeyStarkWWE nails 3 perfect springboards. MVP status,” Baszler posted, clearly implying that Stark’s successful maneuvers debunked the rope issue claims.
Despite the botches, Clash At The Castle remains a highlight of WWE’s calendar, showcasing both the excitement and unpredictability of live wrestling. Shayna Baszler’s defense of the event underscores the high level of skill required to perform in the ring, regardless of the occasional mishap.