Match Spotlight: The Undertaker Vs. Triple H, WWE WrestleMania XXVII

The No Holds Barred stipulation, meaning there were no count outs or disqualifications, added quite a bit to the match, with “The Deadman” fighting hard to keep the streak alive, and “The Game” desperate to end it.

Triple H took it to Undertaker early, hitting him with right hands, but ‘Taker quickly took the match to the outside. Triple H got the upper hand by sending “The Deadman” through the plexiglass of the “Cole Mine” setup. Triple H went for a Pedigree on the commentary desk, but Undertaker countered with a back body drop, sending “The Game” crashing to the floor. As Triple H was recovering, Undertaker launched himself over the ropes to take his opponent out.

They battled around the ring, and once back between the ropes, Undertaker hit Triple H with a chokeslam, but one was not enough. He grabbed a chair, but caught a huge boot to the face. Triple H somehow rallied for a Pedigree, but couldn’t put ‘Taker away. Undertaker got a near fall off the Last Ride, then another off the Tombstone Piledriver.

With a burst of offense, Triple H hit a DDT onto the chair, followed by two Pedigrees, but Undertaker kicked out to a massive reaction. Triple H battered ‘Taker with the chair, yelling at him to “stay down.” An incensed Triple H hit a Tombstone of his own, and hit Undertaker’s signature pose during the pin attempt, but it still was not enough, something Triple H could not believe.

Triple H retrieved his beloved sledgehammer, but as he looked to use it, Undertaker locked in the Hell’s Gate, knocking the hammer from his opponent’s hands. Triple H dramatically grasped the hammer one last time, but couldn’t muster the strength to use it. In the end, he tapped out, bringing the Undertaker’s streak to 19-0.

Bully Ray Pitches Idea To Get The Rock Involved With Roman Reigns At WWE WrestleMania

Ever since the storyline between Roman Reigns and CM Punk invoked the Anoaʻi family, there’s been speculation about a return of The Rock, which Bully Ray feels would make for a great WrestleMania moment.

With Punk taking shots at Reigns’ father, Sika, and also goading Reigns and The Usos to bring their family to have their back, some have wondered if The Rock could return. Ray said on “Busted Open” that WWE dropped a hint on this week’s “WWE Raw,” during a backstage segment, where The Rock’s face on a WWE truck was shown in a shot involving The Usos.

“When it comes to the Bloodline, there was a shot last night with one of the trucks in the background. I think it was Jey or Jimmy talking to somebody about, watch what you say about my family, and in the background was The Rock,” he began. “Listen, Roman put out the bat signal to the entire Samoan family last week. Punk shoved it in his face. Not one Samoan showed up to do anything about it. Well, maybe they’re gonna show up when it matters the most. And that will be in Las Vegas at  WrestleMania.”

Ray continued by saying it would make for a captivating moment if the entire Anoa’i family were beside Reigns and acknowledged him after he beats Punk at WrestleMania.

“And if you get every member of the Samoan family coming out to have Roman’s back, including The Rock, that’s gonna make for one hell of a WrestleMania moment. Could you imagine Roman Reigns standing in the middle of the ring with The Rock to his left, his cousins to his right, and every living member of the Samoan family, whether they’re in the WWE or not, when Roman raises that championship high in the air, if everybody puts the ones in the air? I’m getting goosebumps because that is a fu**ing WrestleMania moment,” said an animated Ray.

One member of the Anoaʻi family who has expressed his unhappiness with Punk’s comments is Rikishi, who cautioned the World Heavyweight Champion about the consequences of his words.

TNA’s Indi Hartwell Describes Scanning Process For WWE Action Figure & Video Game

Although she is now a TNA star, Indi Hartwell was under contract with WWE from 2019 until 2024. In that time, she underwent digital scanning for both action figures and the WWE 2K video game series, and Hartwell described the differences between the two processes while speaking to JXT on YouTube.

The wrestler began by showing off how the person being photographed has to sit still while a moving camera rotates around them. That differs from the video game process, which features many more cameras.

“Both times I was sitting, so that was no problem,” Hartwell said. “For the figure, it didn’t take long – maybe like five minutes. And for the video game, you’re in a trailer. You’re sitting in a chair, and then the girls had … no makeup on at first. And then there’s just a circle of cameras around you, and there’s an iPad with Drake on it – like Drake the rapper – and he’s making faces, and you’ve got to copy the faces that he’s doing.”

The process continues after that, with the women going to get makeup applied before returning for more photography. All of it is digitally uploaded and applied to their representative in the video game series.

“My 2K model looks so good,” she continued. “I was so happy with it.”

Hartwell may have been a fan of how the game adapted her, but she isn’t generally a gamer. The TNA performer noted that she only ever played the game she was in one time, but she’s heard great things from many fans.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit JXT and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Johnny Gargano Returns to NXT, Earns North American Title Shot

Johnny Gargano Returns to NXT, Earns North American Title Shot

The March 24 episode of WWE NXT on The CW delivered a major surprise as Johnny Gargano made his return and secured a championship opportunity in dramatic fashion.

The night featured a #1 Contender Gauntlet Eliminator Match to determine who would challenge Myles Borne for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver on April 4.

The match began with Shiloh Hill and Jackson Drake starting things off. Charlie Dempsey entered at number three, followed by Dion Lennox at number four. A mystery participant had been teased ahead of time, and the reveal brought a big reaction as Candice LeRae appeared on stage to introduce her husband, Johnny Gargano.

LeRae’s presence played a key role in the story. She was shown trying to help Gargano regain confidence after his recent struggles on WWE television following Tommaso Ciampa’s departure. However, Gargano’s return did not start well. Jackson Drake immediately attacked him, leaving him laid out in the ring, mirroring the position fans had recently seen him in during his slump.

The chaos continued as O.T.M., consisting of Bronco Nima and Lucien Price, interfered and took out Dion Lennox. That allowed Shiloh Hill to capitalize and eliminate Lennox from the match. Hill then built momentum by eliminating both Jackson Drake and Charlie Dempsey.

After Dempsey’s elimination, the group Birthright, including Uriah Connors, Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo, and Dempsey, stormed the ring and attacked Hill. They threw him back inside, leaving him vulnerable. At that point, Candice LeRae urged Gargano to get back into the fight. While he still appeared out of it, LeRae took matters into her own hands and pushed Gargano on top of Hill.

The referee counted the pin, giving Gargano the win in unexpected fashion.

With the victory, Gargano is now officially set to challenge Myles Borne for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver. The result adds a major title match to the card and marks a significant moment in Gargano’s return story.

Johnny Gargano Returns to NXT, Earns North American Title Shot

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Big Matches Announced for NXT Stand & Deliver

Big Matches Announced for NXT Stand & Deliver

Several key matches were made official o the March 24 episode of WWE NXT on The CW, as the brand continues its push toward Stand & Deliver on April 4.

An in-ring segment involving Sol Ruca and ZARIA added another layer to their ongoing story. Ruca addressed ZARIA’s recent betrayal and made it clear she felt blindsided after giving her former partner multiple opportunities. She then called ZARIA out and challenged her to a match at Stand & Deliver.

ZARIA came out and explained her actions, stating, “I was always seen as just Sol’s friend, but when I turned on you, I became ZARIA again.”

Ruca pushed back, questioning how she had become the villain in ZARIA’s perspective. ZARIA responded with a sharp remark, saying, “You’re the mistake in my story.”

The exchange confirmed their match for April 4, adding a personal and emotional clash to the event.

Later in the night, the main event saw Ricky Saints face Tony D’Angelo in singles competition. Saints was accompanied by Ethan Page, and the match quickly turned chaotic when Page interfered and attacked D’Angelo.

That brought out NXT Champion Joe Hendry, who ran to the ring and fought off both Page and Saints. After clearing the ring, Hendry turned his attention to D’Angelo, who had previously targeted him in recent weeks.

The closing moment of the show saw Page and Saints both holding the NXT Championship belt, while Hendry and D’Angelo looked on from the background. The visual highlighted the growing tension around the title picture.

Backstage, NXT Interim General Manager Robert Stone later confirmed a major announcement. At Stand & Deliver on April 4, Joe Hendry will defend the NXT Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match against Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, and Tony D’Angelo.

In addition, a contract signing for the title match is scheduled for the March 31 episode of WWE NXT, which will take place at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

With multiple rivalries reaching a boiling point, WWE NXT is set for a stacked Stand & Deliver card, and the March 31 episode is expected to play a key role in the final build.

Here is the updated Stand & Deliver matches card:

  • NXT Tag Team Championship: Vanity Project (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes) (c) vs. TBD
  • Sol Ruca vs. ZARIA
  • NXT North American Championship: Myles Borne (c) vs. Johnny Gargano (w/ Candice LeRae)
  • Sexyy Red appearance
  • NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. TBD
  • NXT Championship — Fatal 4-Way Match: Joe Hendry (c) vs. Ricky Saints vs. Tony D’Angelo vs. Ethan Page

Big Matches Announced for NXT Stand & Deliver

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