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Yes, we feel the excitement too. We are only hours away from a packed SummerSlam card, and news has been rolling in faster than Shinsuke Nakamura's lightning quick strikes. It is difficult for us, here at Sportskeeda Wrestling, to stay apace with the latest news at times, so we can imagine how difficult it must be for you, dear reader.
For your convenience, we bring you the final pit stop before SummerSlam. Here is a rundown of news items you must know before the biggest event of the summer comes around in Brooklyn. Without further ado, we present the latest edition of SKFabe to you.
#1 Real heat among reel rivals
Yes, it is official now. Remember how Sasha Banks went off on Alexa Bliss on Raw Talk, insinuating that she wasn't a real fan of sports entertainment. That she couldn't tell the difference between Matt and Jeff Hardy from the Hardy Boyz. It seems like the heat was not an angle, but real-life animosity. Alexa Bliss was a guest on the Cheap Heat podcast and had this to say about The Boss.
I’ve always been the person to say ‘business is business, personal is personal.’ I will never let my personal feelings about somebody get in the way of business. I want to take this company to the next level with our women with this women’s revolution. I’ve seen the things she said about me. If that’s how she feels, that’s fine. But we know that we put it to the side and have a productive, professional match because that’s what it’s all about.
This certainly adds a new dimension to their match for the Raw Women's Championship at SummerSlam 2017. Real life heat makes for compelling real life professional wrestling programs too!
#2 The Intercontinental Championship will not be defended at SummerSlam
It's unfortunate that The Intercontinental Championship will not be defended at SummerSlam, but this is to keep The Hardyz on the SummerSlam card. As it stands, The Miztourage will take on The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan on the SummerSlam Kick Off show.
It seemed like WWE was heading towards a feud between The Revival and The Hardyz, but Scott Dawson's injury put that particular feud on hold. This seems like a great match to get the crowd warmed up before the actual show. Here's the official announcement of the not-so-big match.
#3 Jinder Mahal clarifies UFC rumours & speculation
Arjan Bhullar, the first UFC Fighter of Indian origin, makes his debut inside the octagon at UFC 215, and many news sites reported that Mahal would be walking him down to the cage. We conducted a special interview with the WWE Champion, and he clarified these rumours:
Actually it got reported a little bit wrong. Everybody said that I am going to walk Arjan Bhullar to the ring. I'm just going to be in attendance'.
Mahal went on to say that he was rooting for Bhullar and that he was very happy that a fighter of Indian origin made it to such a grand stage.
#4 Reason why WWE isn't pushing Mike Kanellis revealed
Sportskeeda's exclusive contacts revealed the reason why WWE isn't high on Mike Kanellis, in the SmackDown ranks:
Mike signed two months before he came in and it looks like he just sat on his couch. The company don't get it. He's one of the guys who said it's his dream to be here and he doesn't even get in shape for it.
Looks like Kanellis will have to hit the gym to ascend the ranks in WWE. In other news, he went to Twitter and opened up about his struggles with prescription drugs.
Not all is bleak for the WWE superstar, and we hope his message inspires thousands out of sheer darkness.
#5 A huge conspiracy theory emerges after MITB Cash In
The record books officially show that Baron Corbin failed to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on SmackDown Live. However, here's the glitch in this particular situation. If you see the visual shared above, Jinder Mahal's feet are under the ropes, translating into the fact that he was not really pinned in this particular situation. Does this mean that Corbin gets his contract back?
We are very curious to see if this situation is even addressed on the following episode of SmackDown Live.
#6 Former Cruiserweight champion suffers injury
WWE's injured list keeps on growing. Unfortunately, this time it is TJP, the man who was supposed to face Rich Swann on this week's episode of 205 Live but had to be replaced by Ariya Daivari. There was speculation with regard to whether this injury was a work or not, but this particular Tweet confirmed the gravity of the situation:
We wish TJP all the best and hope that he can return to full health very soon. As for 205 Live, it gives a chance to the rest of the roster to step up and show us what they are made of!
#7 Guess who's coming to Raw after SummerSlam?
If you were wondering why he calls himself a free agent, when he only appears on SmackDown Live, we have the answer for you. John Cena is all set to return to Raw, the very night after SummerSlam 2017. Don't believe us? Maybe this Tweet from the Barclays Center will change your mind!
This opens up the possibility for fresh feuds, including the dream contest between Cena and Reigns. Join us during SummerSlam and the Raw after SummerSlam, for our 'Best and Worst' series, immediately following the two shows. That concludes our weekly roundup of news. See you on the other side!
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