At Sportskeeda Wrestling, we take pride in being the prime source of news and information for our readers, from the WWE world. While we break the hottest news, as it happens, we recently started this feature that brings you a summary of the hottest news that transpired this week. One week removed from Backlash, we are headed towards the Raw exclusive pay-per-view Extreme Rules, this weekend. Much has happened over this week that should pique your interest if you are a real wrestling fanatic.
Read on, and let us know if we missed out on some important happenings, in the comments below.
#1 We have a brand new WWE Champion
At Backlash, there were no title changes, except for one. Unfortunately for his detractors, and fortunately for his fans, it was the one title change that mattered most. Jinder Mahal upset WWE Champion Randy Orton and claimed the title from ‘The Viper’ at the pay-per-view event.
There has been much speculation about the reason for Jinder Mahal’s unexpected victory. Some claim that it is to consolidate WWE's hold in the Indian market, while others argue that it is to make the product unpredictable and garner instant social media buzz. Whatever, the reason may be, we have to tune in and find out if this decision pays dividends for the company in the long run. Until then, Jinder Mahal is your reigning and defending WWE Champion.
#2 One brand falls while the other soars high
Last week, SmackDown Live scored its lowest ratings for the year, 2017. From 2.175 million viewers, SmackDown rose to a total of 2.328 million viewers with an increase of 153,000 fans tuning in to watch. This was probably because of a dream alliance between Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles, as well as the shock of Jinder Mahal’s sudden win.
On the other hand, Raw scored its lowest ratings all year long with only 2.615 million viewers tuning in. It was a massive drop from the 2.751 million viewers who had tuned in to watch last week. Unfortunately, it seems that the lack of the Universal Champion on the show is adversely affecting the product.
#3 Participants for Money in the Bank match announced
Shane McMahon began this episode of SmackDown Live with a huge announcement. He named the participants for the 18th annual ‘Money in the Bank’ ladder match, and they are AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Shinsuke Nakamura and the US Champion, Kevin Owens. Did you know that this is the first time that Money in the Bank will be an exclusive SmackDown Live Event? The event will take place live on June 18 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, where one man will claim the briefcase.
#4 Asuka conquered Goldberg’s streak
Asuka went past the historic 173-0 record held by Goldberg following his WCW debut. The NXT Champion has now been undefeated for over 420 days, and it looks like she won’t be conquered any time soon. After passing the streak, she tweeted the following:
Goldberg replied with the following words of praise for Asuka:
#5 WWE announced the name for the Women's Tournament
It’s official. There will be a Women’s Tournament on July 13th and 14th at Full Sail University, and it will feature talent from all over the world. Triple H announced its name on social media too.
We wonder if a victory in this tournament guarantees a shot at the NXT Women's Champion, Asuka.
#6 Nakamura’s fate was affected by the NBA
A large portion of the build for Backlash was centred around Nakamura, so it naturally came as a surprise when his match against Dolph Ziggler opened the show. Apparently, this was because an NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics was on at the same time, as reported first by us at Sportskeeda Wrestling. WWE aired the opening match with Nakamura and Ziggler before the basketball contest actually began. The basketball game also ended much before the main event at Backlash.
#7 Braun Strowman shared a very scary image
Everything about Braun Strowman is scary. This was possibly the scariest. Get well soon, Braun. We are rooting for you.
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