SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is revealed each week and offers beneath-the-surface protection of the enterprise of professional wrestling.
Jake Paul on the success he and his brother, Logan, are having fun with: “We’re taking on the world. We’re the following Kardashians”
Jake Paul has an undefeated report in professional boxing. All six occasions he has entered the ring, he has exited with a victory.
If he has the identical prowess with predictions, then we’re solely days away from the crowning of a brand new WWE champion this Saturday at Crown Jewel, when his older brother, Logan Paul, squares off towards Roman Reigns.
“My brother goes to change into champion,” Paul says. “I consider that. That is his time.”
Reigns is the undisputed WWE common champion, and he has been blitzing by way of opponents over the previous two years. Logan Paul will finally be no completely different, even when Jake fails to acknowledge it. Regardless of the doubtless easy consequence, that is an surprising pairing of stars from two completely different worlds. It’s the kind of match that provides intrigue to WWE, particularly for a glorified home present at Crown Jewel.
“It’s loopy, so loopy Logan has this match,” Paul says. “I’m so pleased with him. It’s surreal he has this chance, and it’s serendipitous that his occasion and my occasion are occurring on back-to-back weekends. We’re taking on the world. We’re the following Kardashians.”
Solely 4 days faraway from a boxing victory towards Anderson Silva, Paul is unlikely to be on the WWE present. However he sees potential in working with WWE and a few of their stars. Transferring ahead, Paul can be open to partnering with the legendary Paul Heyman.
“Paul Heyman may be very entertaining and sensible,” Paul says. “I like loads of the WWE characters, and he’s on one other degree. I’d love him in my nook. We’d be Paul and Paul.”
The (on-line) week in wrestling
- Shinsuke Nakamura, who remains to be employed by WWE, is returning to Japan to wrestle The Nice Muta.
- There are a number of title matches that stand out on this week’s Dynamite, significantly Chris Jericho defending the ROH title towards a yet-unnamed former ROH champ and TBS champ Jade Cargill towards Marina Shafir in a match the place each can show it is a highlight they deserve.
- Alexa Bliss and Asuka are the brand new ladies’s WWE tag champs.
Bobby Lashley all the time knew his time would include Brock Lesnar
5 years in the past, Bobby Lashley knew a program with Brock Lesnar was inevitable.
Even when it appeared inconceivable.
“I need that battle with Brock Lesnar,” Lashley advised me in February 2017. “I don’t care if it’s within the ring, the cage or in a avenue battle.”
On the time, Lashley was employed by Affect and in his fourth reign as its champion. However he nonetheless believed there would come a time when he would lock up with Lesnar, and that’s precisely what occurred.
Lashley and Lesnar are set to satisfy in a singles match this Saturday at Crown Jewel. Their program began to kick off in the beginning of the yr, then resumed when Lesnar returned this fall. Their construct has included some phenomenal brawling, a practical show of physicality that nobody else within the business can match.
“That is two behemoths getting within the ring and preventing,” Lashley says now. “Two guys who’re bigger than life. That’s what I grew up watching. I’ve been coaching my ass off, and I’m positive Brock has been doing the identical. That is going to be one thing folks actually need to see.”
Lashley by no means misplaced religion that he would have a significant program with Lesnar, which appeared unlikely even once they had been in WWE for almost three years collectively—they by no means interacted with one another on-screen.
“I’m the kind of person who all the time retains a optimistic outlook,” Lashley says. “I all the time say, ‘The more durable I work, the luckier I get,’ and I’ve been working my ass off. So I all the time knew this may occur. With arduous work, you’ll get the belongings you need. I knew, so long as Brock was right here, this may occur.”
The prospect to share the ring—and battle one another exterior of it—has been precisely what Lashley imagined it could be.
“Brock is strictly who I believed he was,” Lashley says. “He’s a special animal. Take somebody like Seth Rollins. That’s arguably the most effective wrestlers within the enterprise, or take any individual like Edge—what he’s completed is astronomical. Or Rey Mysterio. These guys are all up there for the perfect within the enterprise, however Brock has a very completely different fashion. He may be the perfect ever. Getting within the ring with him, he’s extra highly effective than you may think about. It’s thrilling to be within the ring with an animal. This isn’t about simply having a superb wrestling match. His energy is a complete completely different problem.”
Lashley is a good friend of the good Kurt Angle, who as soon as defeated Lesnar in an impromptu newbie wrestling match earlier than a WWE present in 2002. Angle gained, although he was sensible sufficient to by no means entertain a rematch. In contrast to Angle, such a chance has by no means offered itself to Lashley. If it did, he would eagerly settle for.
“If I had the prospect, I wouldn’t say no,” Lashley says, who, like Lesnar, excelled as a school wrestler. “Brock is without doubt one of the greatest. I’d spar with him or wrestle him. As an athlete and competitor, each can be an honor.
“It’s a special locker room now. I used to exit and tangle with guys like Shelton Benjamin and John Morrison. Nobody from the locker room wrestles with me. With Brock, it’s by no means reached that time. We don’t spend a lot one-on-one time collectively. He’s strictly enterprise now.”
Tweet of the Week
Cody spoke his fact, and the Bucks responded.
Justin Barrasso will be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Comply with him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
