As noted, it looked as though Shinsuke Nakamura would be working with Dolph Ziggler in his first storyline feud on the WWE main roster after moving to SmackDown Live from NXT following WrestleMania 33 earlier this month.
On Tuesday night’s episode of SmackDown Live, the Nakamura-Ziggler angle was furthered, as “The Show Off” interrupted Nakamura during the opening segment of this week’s show.
Check out the video footage of the Nakamura-Ziggler segment from this week’s show, courtesy of WWE’s official YouTube channel, below:
One potential plan that WWE has for a storyline for Nia Jax is eventually for her to turn face and feud with Alexa Bliss. This storyline is likely to happen within the next couple of months or so.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
China on Friday condemned an incident in which Hong Kong’s justice secretary was jostled by masked demonstrators in London, and accused Britain of fuelling pro-democracy unrest.
Teresa Cheng, Hong Kong’s deeply unpopular Secretary for Justice, fell while being surrounded by a crowd of jeering pro-democracy protesters as she prepared to attend a speaking event on Thursday night in London.
She regained her feet moments later and was escorted away with no visible signs of injury in video footage of the incident.
But China called it an "appalling attack" and has demanded that Britain offer security protection to the Hong Kong minister.
"If the British side does not change its wrong practices, and continues to add fuel to the fire, sow discord and instigate others, and make false countercharges, then it will bring calamity on itself," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing.
Read More | Hong Kong crisis
Mr Geng said that failing to act on "anti-China elements" in Hong Kong will not only cause trouble in the semi-autonomous territory, but will also "cause serious interference and destruction to the international community including the United Kingdom."
He called for Britain to "bring the culprits to justice, and… safeguard the personal security and dignity of all Chinese personnel in the UK."
Ms Cheng is in London on a visit to promote Hong Kong’s role as a dispute resolution and deal-making hub.
She is one of the most unpopular government officials in Hong Kong, seen as playing a key role in pushing forward the now-shelved extradition bill to China, which sparked the ongoing unrest.
But some sought an exemption due to their circumstances, and the first ceremonies went ahead on Saturday, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne.
"Australia’s first legal same-sex marriage has just taken place. Congratulations Amy and Lauren," Equal Marriage Rights Australia announced on its Facebook page.
Amy Laker and Lauren Price say their vowsCredit:
Getty
Fairfax Media said Lauren Price, 31, and Amy Laker, 29, solemnised their vows in Sydney, while Melbourne couple Amy and Elise McDonald – who coincidentally have the same surname – tied the knot two hours later.
A photo showed Price and Laker dressed in traditional white gowns and holding hands as they said "I do" on a glorious Sydney day.
Among hundreds of comments on the Facebook page, Paul Antoine said: "Now… has the country collapsed? NOOO!! Two women have just shown their love. Pretty simple, but nonetheless special in my view!"
Jason Chapman added: "Relentless dedication from so many over the last fifty years have led us to enjoy this beautiful moment of equality. Congratulations ladies."
The couple – who had been engaged for two years – had originally planned on having a civil union, but were granted an exemption to the 30-day notice period to make their union legally binding under the new lawsCredit:
Getty
All but four members of Australia’s 150-seat lower House of Representatives voted in support of marriage equality, with the legislation passing without any religious freedom amendments that some were pushing for.
The bill was introduced in parliament by the conservative government after Australians in November endorsed the reforms in a contentious voluntary postal vote.
Nearly 80 percent of eligible voters took part in the poll, and almost 62 percent of those who voted chose "yes" on their ballots.
Fairfax said Price and Laker had originally intended to hold a commitment ceremony at the British consulate because Price was from Wales.
But when the new law was passed, they sought an exemption from the normal waiting period because Price’s family had already travelled to Sydney for the celebrations.
Melbourne’s Amy and Elise McDonald, aged 36 and 28, reportedly only got permission to marry on Saturday morning, gaining an exemption for similar reasons, according to the Herald Sun newspaper.
They were allowed to have a legal marriage on financial grounds and because their families had travelled from overseas.
Same-sex marriage is now recognised in more than 20 countries, of which 16 are in Europe.
Busted Open Radio recently interviewed WWE Superstar Chris Jericho. Below are the highlights of the interview:
On his WWE run and if he’s excited to be on tour with Fozzy: “The original plan was for me to finish after WrestleMania (with Owens). Then Vince had the idea for me to stay through April 30th and then May 1st and then May 2nd …so it’s a little bit crazy. But yeah, I think it’s fun. We had a break for about a year and a half with Fozzy so getting back in the room with the guys and just rehearsing and playing Judas for the first time live, it’s really exciting. It takes me right out of the WWE world and straight to Fozzy world very quickly, which helps because I don’t even really remember what happened on Smackdown. It’s a little bit crazier than I expected.”
On his recent run in WWE being among his best: Not to pat yourself on the back, but if you ask me “Was this the best run of my career” that’s not for me to answer, it’s for the fans and the people who watch the shows to decide. It’s definitely one of my favorites, top two along with the the Shawn Michaels feud and that era of Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Big Show was my partner. This year, I would like to say that we were geniuses and we thought to do this from the start and orchestrated the whole thing, but it just was all very organic. The whole partnership with Kevin Owens, the whole “list, stupid idiot” all that stuff it just became a thing much to my surprise to be honest with you. And Bully Ray will tell you this, when you catch lightning in a bottle in the wrestling business, you gotta run with it because you never know if it’s going to happen again. So as soon as everything really started getting over last March, we knew that we really weren’t doing much with Fozzy and the guys were doing another Stuck Mojo record so I said “Listen, I’m just gonna stay in WWE for 2016, I’ll take a break from the road with the band.” I think it was a pretty fun route because it just kept getting better and better even up until Smackdown on Tuesday. It was a great way to end the saga between Owens and Jericho because it started organically and then we went through the whole ups and downs and all this other stuff and turning on each other and then finally getting the surprise win on Sunday [Payback] and then having him take me out, kill the “knight in shining armor” on Tuesday I think was a fitting end and a nice way to kind of button everything up.
You can listen to the entire interview of Chris Jericho at SoundCloud.com.
The Daily Mirror in England recently spoke to Stephanie McMahon about a number of topics in the second part of a two-part interview.
The Undertaker’s retirement: “There will never be another Undertaker… and everyone feels the same whether it’s backstage or out in the arena. I think that everyone that is part of the WWE Universe is a fan of The Undertaker. There will never be anyone [else] like him.”
The Undertaker being like a brother to her: “Yeah. Ha ha. He would say ‘maybe not that little’. He’d say ‘I’m not that old’. I’ve known him for a very long time. He’s almost like a brother to me.”
Working for her father: “Working for my dad is incredibly challenging, in a variety of ways. It can be challenging from a family standpoint, right, because I think sometimes working with family you take certain things for granted, and that can be challenging, as I keep saying! But from an opportunistic standpoint, I would never have had the opportunities that I have been given and afforded if it weren’t for my father. I think you have to work that much harder when you are part of the family to prove yourself and to keep growing, but again those are the best life lessons that you can possibly have. The best part of working together, at least in my family, is this incredible shared passion. We all love what we do. To be able to bring different aspects of that passion literally to the table is a unique proposition and one I would never give up.”
The video can be found Here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/wrestling/wwes-stephanie-mcmahon-the-undertaker-10441710
Tommaso Ciampa shocked the world at the end of Takeover last weekend when he turned on his longtime friend and tag team partner Johnny Gargano. After being hit with a kneestrike and thrown through tables, Johnny Gargano was taken away in an ambulance and is currently injured in storyline. However, in actuality, it is Ciampa who is actually injured after being badly hurt during an NXT live event right before the Takeover show in Chicago. He apparently hurt his leg during a tag team match with Gargano against Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe. Fans of NXT who are looking forward to the outcome of the #DIY breakup and a possible Gargano/Ciampa feud may have to wait for a while.
PWInsider is reporting that the injury that Ciampa has received is apparently much worse than originally believed. However, during his ladder match against the Authors of Pain at Takeover, Ciampa apparently suffered a new injury. This one is looking like an injury that could keep him out for a few weeks, and he is heading down to Birmingham, Alabama soon to have surgery. The exact condition of his already injured leg is unknown, as is what he may have injured during his Tag Team Championship match. We should be hearing a report soon revealing how long Tommaso is expected to be out for. Until then, the show may have to continue on without Ciampa or Gargano as a result of the injury.
SPOILERS: Tommaso Ciampa recently appeared at the most recent set of NXT tapings to explain to the Full Sail crowd why he decided to turn on his best friend. He appeared before the crowd on crutches and was using them backstage as well. Ciampa being gone is a shame since NXT fans are just waiting to see what the followup will be to the #DIY breakup angle. Hopefully he will be able to return before their next big Takeover show in Brooklyn this August to set up the first match between himself and Gargano. Sadly though, Ciampa will be going away for a little while, and we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer for the inevitable match.
WWE is highly considering having Vince McMahon of a future “Table for 3” Episode later this year. There has apparently been some talks on having Vince McMahon participate in an future “Table for 3” episode.
WWE Network officials would absolutely love to have Vince McMahon on a future show as it is guaranteed to draw a huge audience and ratings for the show. But as it is in WWE, the ultimate decision is up to Vince and currently it is not known whether he is even seriously considering it.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Current Smackdown Women’s Champion Naomi was interviewed by CBS Local recently and spoke on a variety of topics, including her current and upcoming TV projects. Here are the highlights:
The rumors that she was filming a new TV show:
“What?! I can’t say what it is, but I can tell you it’s for Nickelodeon…I can’t speak on it yet, but it’s definitely a fun show, a kid-friendly show. We went out there and filmed it for four days, and it was a lot of fun. You guys will be seeing that in November, I believe.”
Whether it was a one-time thing or not:
“Yeah. It’s not a reality show or anything like that. I wish I could tell you! I’ve probably already told you too much already! It’s just a one-time thing that we filmed, and we had a blast. It’s actually a kids show. It’s a race like a tournament. You guys will see it later this year.”
The next season of Total Divas:
“Oh, yeah. I just got the info this week. So, I will be back on this season. Thank goodness, because I probably would have blown a gasket if I was off another season. Yes, we are on this season, and we have so much for y’all this season. There are a lot of changes and a lot going on in our lives right now outside of work.”
The interview can be found here: http://sports.cbslocal.com/2017/06/08/naomi-knight-interview-wwe-smackdown-womens-champion/