Here is your fight size update for July 16, 2021:
- Speaking on DC 101 radio, Bianca Belair declared that she believes that Liv Morgan will win the money in the bank because she has a fire in her eyes.
“I would have to say, there's so many talented women, any one of them has an equal chance of getting it. But, I will say that Liv Morgan has a fire underneath her. She's gone through so much to get into this match and she's finally in it... She kind of let me know she was coming for me. So, anybody that has the guts to tell the champion, ‘I'm coming for you,’ I have to respect. So I'm going to be watching Liv Morgan a whole lot come Money in the Bank.”
(If you use any of the above quotes, please link back to this article giving Fightful credit for the transcription.)
- Recently, Edge stated on Talking Smack that he does not count the 24/7 Championship as an actual championship. R-Truth responded by saying that was fine because he just doesn't acknowledge Edge for any of his championship wins.
- Speaking with Wrestling Headlines, Josh Alexander opened up about the other matches outside of his own that he is looking forward to watching at this weekend's Slammiversary event.
“I'm definitely excited to get back in front of fans. I don't think there's anybody in our locker room that isn't extremely excited to finally be in front of fans because it just gives everybody that extra push that extra edge, and an extra bit of pressure. And as the Ultimate-X match...I feel an extreme amount of pride to perform on Saturday at Slammiversary because not only is there going to be a ton of eyes on Sunday because it's Slammiversary, one of the biggest pay per views that we have all year, but we also have the headlining match of Kenny Omega and Sami Callihan bringing in eyes. We have Deonna Purrazzo defending her Knockouts Championship against somebody who may be a surprise coming in through a forbidden door. Who knows who that might be? So there's a lot of interest in this show much like there was last year which was like, the craziest most-watched show and it was viral all over Twitter and stuff like that and trending worldwide. I think the same thing is gonna happen this year. I think I'm put in a very good position as X-Division champion in this Ultimate-X match, which has garnered a ton of interest to go out there and just over-perform, and steal the show and make a name for myself.”
- Speaking with Denise Salcedo, Nikki A.S.H. discussed the importance of evolving as a character.
Nikki in NXT, the fact that people still talk about that and it’s 5 years old, I think it's a wonderful thing. We created something they connected so much with, it was awesome. I think the last 5 years we’ve seen that there’s been a long evolution of Nikki Cross….So for me, I think there's been this amazing, amazing journey to get from this to this…. I think this all just came together into this awesome steak pie. (laughs). But for the fact that we created something so beautiful that people love and still want it back 5 years later, I am like ‘we’ve done something right.' (laughs) If you’ve seen all my journeys and you’ve seen all the character transformations/character developments and if you've followed them for years on social media and followed the stuff we’ve done with WWE.com and the digital side and if you followed all that, it makes this an organic journey to then being this Nikki A.S.H. You've seen the journey that I’ve had, you've seen what I've been through and I am still here with a big smile on my face putting this positive message out because Nikki Cross the character has been through a lot. What we wanted to do was show that, show that journey. I've got so much pride and I am so satisfied and so fulfilled with what we're showing and I love that people are talking about it.
"People evolve and I think wrestling characters should too. For me, like I said, the heart of this character is for a young audience to feel inspired and be good and be kind to each other as a superpower. It may not be super strength, it may not be the coolest superpower like super strength or super speed or x-ray supervision or laser eyes. But I think there is something very important in being good to one another and being positive as a superpower and that's the message, that's the heart of what we’re trying to do. "
- In an update on WALTER’s hand injury, the NXT UK Champion was recently seen wearing a brace on his hand in a new photo.
- Speaking with Tyler Treese of ComingSoon, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray recalled playing the opening of WWF New York.
"Boy, you want to talk about the dark side. I’m going to leave some names out. By the way, Vince McMahon, he’s today’s P. T. Barnum. For him to sell Sugar Ray like that before we went on, I’m like, “Oh my God, we’re destined to fail now.” I mean, they must think Nirvana is going to come out and walk on stage, but that was incredible. I remember being in Times Square, opening up the WWF, back then, cafe. I remember all the wrestlers were there and they all wore these fanny packs, all these fanny packs. I just thought it was kind of crazy. Cause this was [2000] and fanny packs weren’t even ironic then, you know what I mean? They were just fanny packs and it was super lame.
"I go, what do those guys have in there? And they would open up the fanny pack and there would be all sorts of like pills and things like that. Things to keep them up and running and things to keep them slowing down. I mean, you think rockstars live a rockstar life. The wrestlers were on some other shit, if you know what I’m saying. So I remember that being ironically, a dark night, tying into me narrating the Dark Side of the 90s. The guys were great. They’re bigger-than-life characters. Obviously, they are when they’re in the wrestling ring, but it’s not a big surprise that there are some dark stories in the wrestling world, similar to the rock and roll world."
- Big E is excited to get back in front of fans:
- Speaking with TV Insider, Sami Callihan, opens up about where his loyalty to IMPACT was formed.
“My first show with Impact was still kind of under the old regime. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be in the company. I didn’t know if it would be a good fit for me. Then as soon as [EPs] Scott D’Amore and Don Callis got into power and built up their team, I knew this is exactly where I wanted to be. I was always an Impact/TNA fan, even before I went to WWE. My number one goal was to be in TNA. I think I’m the wrestler I am today and the fan of wrestling I am today from TNA 2005 through 2011.”
- Today, WWE stock closed at $50.58 per share.
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- Roman Reigns and Edge prepare their troops to open tonight’s SmackDown: WWE Now, July 16, 2021