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We publish a whole lot of content here at Cageside Seats. We’re also [looks around and whispers so the bosses can’t hear] not the only place producing wrestling content on the internet. So, as a service to you on the weekdays, we’ll be producing a wrestling newsletter, "Rude Awakening." Well, it will be a newsletter eventually: for now, it’ll just be part of your experience here at Cageside, collecting the news, recaps, and social moments from the greater wrestling universe daily so you won’t fall behind, with a newsletter format to come.
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There was an announcement on Monday that Roman Reigns would make an announcement next Monday, and all we know for sure is that it’s regarding what Reigns will be up to at SummerSlam. He’s not in any feud at the moment, which leaves things a bit open, but at the same time, so much of the main event scene is already busy that it’s unclear how many options there actually are for Reigns in Brooklyn.
So, we might as well think big while things are fuzzy, and there are two very different definitions of “big” we can go with here. It could be Reigns challenging whoever the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe is for a SummerSlam Universal Championship match, but with someone interrupting. That someone could be Finn Balor — who has nothing going on — or it could be Braun Strowman making his triumphant return from elbow surgery.
With Balor, it would give us the third meeting of Reigns vs. Balor, and the first one-on-one match-up between the pair at a pay-per-view. And not any pay-per-view, either, but one of WWE’s Big Four. Finn won the first round, giving him a chance at the Universal Championship at last year’s SummerSlam, and Reigns took round two more recently on RAW. Balor vs. Reigns would be money, especially since it’s the rubber match and should determine the winner of this feud and setup the next non-Joe challenger for the Universal Championship.
As for Braun, interrupting to let Reigns know he’s not finished yet could mean we get the blowoff match between the two we would have seen at Extreme Rules, if not for Strowman’s injury. This would also likely mean that Brock vs. Joe is more than a one-off, in addition to the good news about Strowman’s health. It would leave Balor without something obvious to do, but you could say the same thing about Braun should he be ready to return and both Brock and Roman are occupied.
This still doesn’t clear up what Reigns would be up at Great Balls of Fire, of course, but maybe his SummerSlam plans will just have to start up a little early.
- Tuesday’s Rumor Roundup indicates that it might not be a dream to imagine Brock vs. Joe going past Great Balls of Fire.
- RAW started hot this week with Lesnar brawling with Samoan Joseph, but they once again wrote a skippable episode instead of actually trying to make people feel bad about missing it to watch the NBA Finals.
- This lame finish to the RAW Tag Teams Titles 2-out-of-2 falls match is a pretty good example of what’s wrong with WWE’s counter-programming mentality.
- That brawl was legit, though.
- John Cena is coming back on July 4, and he’s coming to SmackDown Live, but for some reason he’s being billed as a “free agent.”
- Bray Wyatt’s wife filed for divorce, citing an alleged affair between him and ring announcer JoJo Offerman. Normally it would be a more private affair, but since it involves multiple WWE employees, it became news.
- Did you watch New Japan’s Dominion event? At the least, you should watch Kenny Omega vs. Okada and read our recap.
- Speaking of New Japan, they announced their lineups for their stateside shows.
- Brandon Stroud spoke with Alison Brie and more involved in Netflix’s GLOW about the show, wrestling, and how they made 80s cheese into prestige TV.
- The WWE Network has an interview with the Hardys where they discuss their return to WWE and their future... including the “Broken” gimmick.
- Xavier Woods didn’t just give the Fashion Police their own RompHims. He also wore one.
- A pair of Lucha Underground stars walked away from a frightening accident with a drunk driver.
- The anniversary of Dusty Rhodes’ passing recently came up, and WWE superstars remembered one of the greats who touched so many of their lives.