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In just a few hours, Sportskeeda Wrestling will be bringing you the hottest sports entertainment action from Survivor Series. We thought that a week's recap, leading into the big event, could prepare you for the events to come, at the massive show.
We saw a lot of great action in the ring, this week. The ratings and, in some ways, the fan reaction reflected the same, too. However, there was just as much that happened behind the scenes that piqued our fancy.
We bring you the seven hottest news items that happened this week. Sit back and immerse yourself in the world of sports entertainment news.
Let's start with the unfortunate piece of news that took the WWE Universe by storm this week.
#1 James Ellsworth released, still very thankful
He came in as enhancement talent only. Because of his unique look, he got over with the WWE Universe and was inserted into the thick of things, on SmackDown Live afterwards. He picked up wins over AJ Styles and became Carmella's sidekick.
Unfortunately, this week, James Ellsworth's fairytale run came to a bitter end, and he was released from his contract. We're glad to see that he is thankful for his time in WWE, and will possibly use his WWE run, to leverage his independent career.
This is what Ellsworth had to say about his time in WWE:
Ellsworth has made it clear that when his contract with WWE runs out, he will start taking independent bookings and will still remain associated with sports entertainment. Thank you for all the memories, sir!
#2 Ziggler took a dig at Ellsworth
Over the period that he spent in the SmackDown Live locker room, Ellsworth forged enduring relationships with the rest of the SmackDown Live roster. It was surprising, then, to see this Tweet from SmackDown Live Superstar Dolph Ziggler.
We have reason to believe that Ziggler was merely playing his gimmick in his Tweet and not being serious. This is because he retweeted a post from Ellsworth about independent bookings following this Tweet. Ziggler's current gimmick showcases him as a disgruntled employee who is grouchy because the WWE Universe appreciates style over substance.
Let's hope Ziggler does not follow suit soon afterwards. There have been departure rumours, for a long time now.
#3 Paul Heyman says that he's still learning
This week on RAW, Paul Heyman regaled us with 5 reasons why AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar will be a must watch match, come Survivor Series 2017. During his promo, the audience chanted 'she said yes', obviously referring to a proposal in the audience.
Heyman wasted no time, and silenced the crowd, as only he can. His response went viral on social media, as people heralded him as the greatest promo ever.
This social media interaction is a good indicator of how Heyman keeps his promo skills up to speed, even today:
How great is it to see that Heyman is a man who hones his craft, even to this day. No wonder then, that he is the best promo in the business. We're certain that his best sports entertainment promo is yet to come.
#4 Natalya reflected on her big title loss
This week, Natalya and Charlotte Flair went to war over the SmackDown Live Women's Championship, that was ultimately won by the latter. Natalya was devastated at her loss, but also grateful for the opportunity to entertain people, that she has.
She went to Twitter and posted a very inspiring message, vowing that she'll be gunning for the SmackDown Live Women's Championship, once again.
Even though Natalya plays a heel, she broke character for just a bit, as she posted an extremely babyface comment. It was heartwarming in a lot many ways.
She ended her Tweet with the hope that she will get her title back someday.
#5 Finn Balor revealed whom he wants to face at WrestleMania 34
There was much hoopla around Finn Balor when he first made his main roster debut. He became the first ever Universal Champion in just twenty-seven days. Sadly, since his return, he has not fared nearly as well, as his first run. Balor certainly has some big dreams though.
Balor was recently asked in an interview with Ringside Collectibles, about his dream WrestleMania 34 opponents, with whom he could tear the house down. This is what he had to say:
There's a lot of people I would love to face... Triple H, Undertaker, AJ Styles. Either one of them, singles, one-on-one. Listen, I could wrestle eight matches at WrestleMania if I wanted to. I'm fit."
Any of those matches would be a treat to watch for fans. Maybe even more than one of them, if Balor wishes to wrestle multiple times during the evening.
#6 Daniel Bryan thinks he will wrestle again
There is an 85% chance that Daniel Bryan will wrestle once again. There's a 20% chance that he will wrestle for WWE.
We're not just making this up. He said so himself, in the following interview:
Another interesting thing that Bryan revealed during the interview is that WWE did want him to wrestle, but because of circumstances regarding his health, they could not allow it right now.
Bryan does not seem too excited about a full-time schedule, considering he wants to be home with his loving family. For the time being, we're going to have to be content about seeing him as an Authority Figure.
#7 Triple H wants to revisit a classic rivalry
Survivor Series this weekend features three major stars from the Attitude Era. Two of them are Kurt Angle and Triple H, two men who've had classic encounters in the past.
During a recent conference call, Triple H was asked if he wanted to step into the ring with Kurt Angle once again. This is what he had to say, in response.
Could we see these two men clash at WrestleMania 34, in a match that should get all the old school fans back to watching the product, once again? We're certain both men could still put on an absolute clinic in the ring.
Let us know in the comments what you think of such a clash. Also, join us for Live Coverage of Survivor Series 2017, this weekend. See you soon, dearest readers. Prepare for yet another episode of SKFabe again, next week.
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