• RAW Storyline Update On Roman Reigns
Below is what WWE posted about “The Big Dog” Roman Reigns’ current storyline ahead of tonight’s episode of RAW:
Will The Big Dog’s rampage continue?
“This past Monday night on Raw, Roman Reigns got some much-needed payback against Jinder Mahal — who cost The Big Dog a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match — by pummeling The Modern Day Maharaja and then Spearing him through a wall.
The attack prevented Mahal from competing in the night’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match main event — a bout won by his replacement, Kevin Owens.
Will we see another brutal confrontation between Reigns and Mahal this tonight?”
• WWF Veteran Says He Would Show Lesnar vs. Reigns Match To Someone Who Says Pro-Wrestlers Aren’t Athletes
During a recent interview with The Wrestling Estate, former WWF & WCW ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta talked about Bruno Sammartino passing away, wrestlers being successful outside of WWE, his thoughts on Roman Reigns & more.
Below are the highlights:
On ranking Bruno Sammartino among the all-time greats:
“Top five. There would not have been a healthy WWF to purchase and take forward and expand if it wasn’t for Bruno. I kind of chuckle when I hear Mr. Today Wrestler is seven-times world heavyweight champion. But how long did he hold that title for? Sammartino was a two-time champion, but he held it for a long stretch of time and carried the promotion on his back. There’s a big difference and it sort of diminishes the title. That kind of phraseology is meant to build up the personality for the here and now, but it shuts out the historic importance.”
On wrestlers being successful outside of WWE:
“Yeah, and it’s healthy for everybody. When I see the success of Cody, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, I call it the democratization of wrestling. That’s a group of guys who have gained power, mostly independent from a major corporate organization. If WWE ever seeks them out or if they ever want to go to WWE, there’s an even playing field that didn’t exist in the past.
I would compare them to Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher, who didn’t need American promoters in order to have a successful wrestling career. They were able to call their own shots. And now they’re All In promotion in Chicago. I wish them well. They’re really sharp. It was more difficult to do in the past because today there are free marketing tools available online, but they’re very savvy in how they use them.”
His thoughts on Roman Reigns:
“I like Roman Reigns. I don’t understand what exactly they’re doing with him, and I don’t really understand why the fans boo him, other than they’re following what somebody else said they should be doing. Anybody that saw the WrestleMania match between him and Lesnar, you’ve got to have respect for these guys. What a brutal match. That would be a match I’d show someone who says these guys aren’t athletes.”
