Fastlane 2018 card
SmackDown will host Fastlane on March 11 in Columbus, Ohio. It will air on WWE Network and pay per view at 8 PM EST/7 PM CST. This is the card:
WWE Title Match: Six Pack Challenge
AJ Styles (c) vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
WWE United States Title Match
Bobby Roode (c) vs. Randy Orton
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Title Match
The Usos (c) vs. The New Day
WWE Smackdown Women’s Title Match
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ruby Riott
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev
Carmella & Natalya vs. Becky Lynch & Naomi
Werdum coming to WWE?
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Fabrico Werdum is open to following Brock Lesnar’s path and joining WWE and competing in UFC. Earlier this week, he said in an interview with Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com that he had a meeting scheduled this past Thursday to explore the crossover.
War Games follow up?
NXT Takeover: War Games was a huge success during Survivor Series Weekend this past November and rumors came up that the concept would return this year when NXT and Survivor Series heads to Los Angeles. AXS.com referenced the event but after a statement from WWE that stated that there were no plans for another War Games, the reference was removed.
Jeff Hardy set to return
Pro Wrestling Sheet has reported that Jeff Hardy has been medically cleared by his surgeon after undergoing rotator cuff surgery back in October. The Charismatic Enigma now needs clearance from the WWE and he is expected to be able to participate in WrestleMania 34.
Samoa Joe’s return
According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Samoa Joe may be involved in the Intercontinental Championship angle for WrestleMania 34. Braun Strowman is speculated to be possibly involved but his role is uncertain since he’s believed to be a contingency as WWE braces for possible blowback from Roman Reigns’ possible steroid ring involvement. Should Reigns vs. Lesnar go as planned, Braun is expected to be involved in a nonwrestling role. In this writer’s opinion, it may be something involving him and Alexa Bliss, if things proceed at their current state.
Rich Swann retiring!?
Rich Swann raised eyebrows by announcing his retirement from wrestling after he fulfills his independent bookings. Swann stunned fans and the industry by getting arrested for domestic violence and getting suspended by the WWE as a result, this past December. He was ultimately cleared of the charge but he was released by the WWE last month. He is slated to start wrestling in The crash Lucha Libre, in Tijuana, Mexico, on St. Patrick’s Day. He will be wrestling throughout the rest of 2018.
WWE going Down Under
WWE has confirmed rumors that it will host a supershow in Melbourne, Australia in October. An official announcement is expected to be made during Wrestlemania Weekend.
Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet
It looks like Velveteen Dream and Ricochet will be feuding soon. Ricochet has been limited to house shows since signing the WWE and is set to debut on TV with NXT. This feud will be great way to introduce him and help further push Velveteen Dream. Velveteen Dream has been calling out Ricochet on Twitter as of late.
Alberto Del Rio returning to WWE?
Alberto Del Rio may be returning to the WWE. According to a report from PWInsider, Alberto was at WWE Headquarters last week and met with Vince McMahon after filming interview material for a Rey Mysterio project. Alberto left the WWE in 2016 after being unhappy about his role and utilization.
Rey Mysterio status
According to Mike Johnston of PWInsider, the biceps injury that Rey Mysterio recently suffered has been diagnosed as a partial tear. He is still engaged with talks regarding returning to WWE.
NXT releases
Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Abbey Laith and Sage Beckett have been released from their NXT contracts. Both women competed in the Mae Young Classic this past summer but hadn’t gotten utilized much after being signed. WWE has not given an official reason why the decisions were made. SquaredCircleSirens.com has reported that Ming (Gu Guangming) has been released from his developmental deal with WWE.
Bobby Fish status
According to a report from Dave Meltzer, Bobby Fish underwent surgery on Thursday to repair minor ACL and MCL tears that he suffered this past Sunday. He’s expected to be out six months.
Scott Hall disses British Bulldog & Lex Luger
Scott Hall raised eyebrows and tempers by calling The British Bulldog and Lex Luger “failures”. Hall responded to a fan on Twitter who wrote about The British Bulldog and Lex Luger’s “Allied Powers” tag-team being “everything a kid from the 1990s wanted out of a tag-team.” The WWE Hall Of Famer responded with a quip, writing, “You mean failed singles wrestlers?” Scott deleted the tweet but as we all know, you can’t unring the bell in the Digital Age. Gerogia Smith, The Bulldog’s daughter, fired back with the following statement:
“F**k you [Scott Hall], my Dad was not a failed man in ANY way. Don’t have the fondest memories of you as a child, & haven’t seen much recently that makes me think you’ve changed. 3 of your 5 best matches involved my family, & you didn’t win one of them.”
Diana Smith, Bulldog’s widow, wrote the following:
“Well said @georgiasmith87 & I say @SCOTTHALLNWO overrates himself. He’s a jealous, bitter wrestler who hated taking bumps, never went off his feet, was lucky he got anywhere in wrestling w/his limited mentality & technical ability, but no limit to all of his fears aka weak!”
