Another loaded NXT TakeOver card is set to come fans' way this weekend from the Capitol Wrestling Center https://freebitco.in/static/html/token/investor.html?r=22336481
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day takes place on Sunday evening from the Capital Wrestling Center in Orlando. The event should -- as is the case with all TakeOver cards -- be filled with plenty of high-octane action and some memorable matches with three title bouts and the finals of both the men's and women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments.
In the main event, NXT champion Finn Balor is set to defend his belt against former NXT UK champion Pete Dunne in a match with potential to rank among the best of the year. The NXT women's championship will also be the line, with champ Io Shirai facing Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez.
The action is set to stream live on Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. ET on the WWE Network.
NXT Women's Championship -- Io Shirai (c) vs. Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez:
NXT North American Championship -- Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Kushida:
Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals -- MSK (Wes Lee & Nash Carter) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson):
Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals -- Dakota Kai & Raquel González vs. Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart:
This past Sunday, Edge walked into the men's Royal Rumble match in the No. 1 spot and outlasted 29 other stars to emerge victorious and punch his ticket to a title match in the main event of WrestleMania. The moment came just one year after Edge made his shocking return in the 2020 Royal Rumble after nearly a decade on the shelf due to a neck injury that forced him into a premature retirement.
Edge's return hit a speed bump last June when he suffered a torn triceps that again sidelined the 47-year-old. After all that time spent out of action, Edge, real name Adam Copeland, still managed to compete in the Rumble match for nearly an hour and come back the next night to face Randy Orton in his first match on Raw since March 2011.
"I will not tell a lie, I have felt better," Edge told CBS Sports on Monday. "I feel like I got tossed around in a hurricane a little bit. I feel like I should feel worse, at the same time. If that makes sense. After being off for seven months with a torn triceps and the long break that I had before that, there's no way to fully prepare for this other than to get in and do it. I was in there for a long time and scuffled with a lot of people, so I didn't necessarily know how I was going to feel. Once the adrenaline started to wear off, I was like, 'Oh, ok, I'm feeling this.' I've felt worse though. I'll take it."
Edge credited being able to successfully compete for nearly an hour to his triceps injury still allowing him to train his cardio while going through recovery. Knowing his cardio was where he wanted it took away much of the anxiety of the grind of picking up his second career Royal Rumble victory, he said.
The other standout moment in the Rumble for Edge and his overall story was the return of former tag partner and best friend Christian, real name Jay Reso, during the match. Like Edge, Christian was also forced to retire because of injuries and was forced to take a long road back to try to end his career on his own terms. Edge also gave some indication that Christian's return was not going to be limited to just one spot in the Rumble.
"Even just going back to last year and finding out that I was cleared, to the point where we found out that he was cleared and the Rumble last year and now it's the Rumble this year, the last year and a month at this point has been unexplainable," Edge said. "I've given up trying to because I can't properly articulate it. It just at times doesn't feel real. I still expect to wake up and think, 'That was an amazing dream!' But it is happening, and I'm learning to accept that it is happening and enjoy it and live it it and live in the present of this thing that shouldn't be happening but is. I need to just enjoy it. Hopefully the audience can understand that you've got guys who are just loving what they're doing. Hopefully that translates, and hopefully you can feel how much we love to be able to do this again when we thought it was taken away from us -- whether it's from the look in our eyes, the smiles on our faces or the stories we're trying to craft.
"The Rumble was one of those instances where, when Christian was coming down the ramp, I was so happy for him. I was so proud of him and proud of the work he put in and the grind and struggle to get cleared and be able to do this again. Similar to me, he can end it on his terms and not just have it taken away when you don't expect it. That's a hard thing to swallow, and now we have a chance to have that not be the case, and that's just really special."
While Copeland has only been in the two Royal Rumble matches and three singles matches -- all against Orton -- in the year since returning, he has his sights set on not only getting to WrestleMania, but on being a valuable full-time member of the roster moving forward. That means not falling into the trap that cripples so many WWE storylines involving legends and showing up at the ThunderDome every week to be a part of the show.
"I didn't come back to just do a greatest hits tour," he said. "That's not why I came back. I didn't just want to do regurgitated greatest hits. I wanted to come back because I wanted to tell compelling stories. I wanted to get in with a lot of talent so that ... if I could impart wisdom from 29 years of doing this, in terms of trying to tell a story, that's really exciting for me. I love so much of this talent, and it's exciting to be able to get in with them. Did I necessarily know that I was going to try to work toward WrestleMania? No. A lot of those things are out of your hands. I did know I was going to put the work in to be able to do it if called upon. That's part of my responsibility in coming back, as well.
"I don't just want to be another body. I want to be able to help, and to help the totality of the industry if I can. If that means that this year Edge main events WrestleMania? Ok. I will do my part to make that happen and make it as compelling as I possibly can. But I also want to get in there with loads of talent. My goal is to come back and tell great stories in the main event of WrestleMania or on Raw, whatever it is. I came back committed to this. After my family, this is my top priority. If I'm asked to be in a title program heading into WrestleMania? I'm here every week. That's the way I operate. I'm not going to be a guy who comes in for one week and floats off for eight weeks. If I'm involved and I'm in the mix, I'm going to be here every week because that's how I operate."
A recurring theme in the conversation with Edge was the idea of the variety of talented wrestlers on the WWE roster with whom he had never been able to wrestle. Asked about his commitment to staying active and having regular matches if he was "going to be here every week," Edge began to rattle off names and big ideas that would make any wrestling purist salivate.
"I've never laid hands on so many of these guys," Edge said. "I scratched the surface with AJ Styles and Seth Rollins just because of Rumbles. To me, both of those matches have to happen. They just have to. Last night, for the first time, I felt what Cesaro brings, and Matt Riddle. You go up and down the roster and think, 'Oh man, what I could do with that guy.' Ricochet and [Mustafa] Ali and Sami [Zayn] and all of these guys I've never had a chance to get in there with. That's really exciting for me. That almost makes me feel young -- maybe not after the match, but before and during. It's just super exciting. It really is, and it's all stuff that isn't supposed to be happening. I am going to enjoy all of this.
"In a perfect world, I can get in with every single one of them. It's a little out of my control. But if I can get in with at least some of them and try to have some amazing stories in there, that's part of why I came back, to just get in there and try to tell stories with new talent. Let me get in there with some people. Let me get in with Cesaro. I'd love to do an Ironman with Daniel Bryan. There's just so much talent I would love to get in with. I got a sample of Damien Priest, and that was exciting. It's just really fun for me because I see them get wide-eyed because we're having this cool, special moment, and I want more of those."
While the idea of an Ironman match with Bryan is certainly enough to get anyone excited, everything with the WWE is locked in on the Road to WrestleMania, with the iconic event taking place on April 10 and 11 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Edge and WWE have yet to reveal which world title he will be gunning for at the biggest event of the year, but he was quick to remind that the NXT championship -- currently held by Finn Balor -- is on the table as are Roman Reigns' universal championship and Drew McIntyre's WWE title. And, Edge said, there's plenty to be excited about no matter which of the three titles he pursues.
"To me, I can't go wrong," he said. "They each bring something different to the table and just as appealing in terms of the kind of story they can tell. They'd all be different stories and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. It's just what's going to be best for business. I don't know what that is, honestly. With Drew, you can follow his road to get back here and my road to get back here. You have two guys who didn't know they'd ever get back and who are now here and possibly main eventing WrestleMania for the WWE championship. That's compelling.
"Equally compelling is a guy like Roman Reigns, who I feel has been unleashed and been allowed to get the guy out that I always knew was in there. It's really exciting to see a performer clicking on so many levels and telling amazing stories. I look at that and I think, 'Whoa, man, that would be fun.' It's an entirely different dynamic than Drew, and I would be and an entirely different story. Maybe it's not based on respect -- it's Rocky and Apollo Creed. Then I see a guy like Balor who has never been better, and that's exciting too. It's an embarrassment of riches, is what it is."
WWE schedule, list of PPVs for 2021: Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber date, location, time, watch live
With 2021 now off and running, WWE enters an important year in its history with three truly distinct brands being produced as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage. The beginning of a new year also means the Road to WrestleMania 37 has begun. It's a key time of the calendar for WWE as it is supposed to put its best foot forward, especially once the football season wraps up in early February.
In order to ensure you stay up to date with all of WWE's signature events -- each of which will be covered right here by CBS Sports -- check out the entire 2021 pay-per-view schedule (at least the events we know about at this time) below along with the dates and locations of all key upcoming events.
WWE 2021 PPV schedule
| DATE | SHOW | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
Jan. 31 | WWE Royal Rumble | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Feb. 14 | NXT TakeOver | Orlando, Florida |
Feb. 21 | WWE Elimination Chamber | St. Petersburg, Florida |
Mar. 21 | WWE Fastlane | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Apr. 10-11 | WWE WrestleMania 37 | Tampa, Florida |
| May | WWE Money in the Bank (TBA) | TBA |
June | WWE Backlash (TBA) | TBA |
| June 20 | NXT UK TakeOver: Dublin | Dublin, Ireland |
July | WWE Extreme Rules (TBA) | TBA |
August | WWE SummerSlam (TBA) | TBA |
| Aug./Sept. | WWE Payback (TBA) | TBA |
| September | WWE Clash of Champions (TBA) | TBA |
October | WWE Hell in a Cell (TBA) | TBA |
| November | WWE Survivor Series (TBA) | TBA |
| December | WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TBA) | TBA |
Ronda Rousey reveals the surprises and struggles of her road to WrestleMania 34
How a bachelorette party and support from a Hall of Famer fueled Rousey to WWE
If Ronda Rousey can pinpoint the exact moment where her healthy flirtation with WWE began to feel like something more, the former UFC champion traces back to her bachelorette party last July.
Rousey, 31, who wed UFC heavyweight Travis Browne on Aug. 25 in Hawaii, certainly didn't have the most traditional final blowoff in mind before marriage when she picked up the phone to call WWE executive vice president Paul "Triple H" Levesque to plan her trip.
"I hit Triple H up and was like, 'It's my bachelorette, can me and the girls -- 'the Four Horsewomen' -- come up and train at the [WWE Performance Center] for like a week, and then we'll jump in the RV and drive with the Cruise America back to L.A?'" Rousey told CBS Sports last week.
Rousey went on to join her fellow Four Horsewomen -- best friends and former mixed martial arts training partners Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke -- for a memorable trip to Orlando, Florida. It was a weekend made more fun by Baszler, an aspiring independent wrestler who had yet to sign with NXT, appearing in the Mae Young Classic tournament tapings on July 13-14 for the WWE Network at nearby Full Sail University.
The courting between Rousey and WWE was apparent to even those watching on social media who weren't privy to larger details. Even though the tournament wouldn't be broadcast until the finals days of August, WWE put out a video interviewing Rousey outside the arena just hours after it happened.
Those watching inside Full Sail Live began to leak footage of Rousey, seated in the front row during Baszler's matches, taunting WWE's own Four Horsewomen -- Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. If the red carpet experience wasn't enough to give Rousey a simulation of what being a WWE superstar might feel like, she later took part in a staged backstage staredown with Flair that went viral and further speculation.
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"It was so different and we were just so excited to be in there for every single second we were there," Rousey said. "The more that I decided to learn about the industry, the more I was completely bitten by the bug by the end of the week."
Nine months later, Rousey will make her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 on Sunday in New Orleans as part of a tag team match with Kurt Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. The storyline is an extension from Rousey's memorable WrestleMania 31 appearance in 2015 opposite The Rock, which came at the peak of her UFC stardom before a pair of knockout defeats stole her invincibility and passion.
But talking to Rousey, it's hard to believe she would even be at this point -- from signing a full-time WWE contract to making a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble in January -- had it not been for that "lost weekend" of pro wrestling indulgence last July in Orlando. And if you're wondering whether Rousey had any ulterior motives in how she went about arranging the trip, the answer quickly became clear.
"That was my kind of tryout that I asked for in a roundabout way because I was too weary of rejection to ask for a tryout," Rousey said. "I think we were trying each other out -- I was trying [WWE] out and they were trying me out.
"It wasn't like I had an epiphany moment [about signing with WWE]. We just had a really good time all week, and by the time I pulled up to L.A., I was just like, 'Wow, that was so cool. Imagine what it would be like if we could do that all the time?' I think when it was over and I didn't want it to be over, that's when I knew that I wanted to be back."
Upon getting home, Rousey instantly set up secret training sessions with WWE cruiserweight Brian Kendrick at Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy in Los Angeles. Her background in judo, including a 2008 Olympic bronze medal and the "millions of falls" she had absorbed, proved to be a strong foundation for the physical pounding that would follow.
As negotiations with WWE soon followed, Rousey began sending videos to Levesque detailing her progress.
"I will say that from the athletic standpoint, I don't know that I've ever seen anybody pick it up faster other than Kurt Angle," Levesque told the CBS Sports' "In This Corner" podcast. "She is an amazing athlete with laser focus. When there is a goal in front of her and something she wants to hit, she is like a machine. You really have to tell her stop because she will just keep going because she's driven. And that's awesome."
Outside of some self-critiques about her spacing, footwork and timing, Rousey hasn't had much of an issue with the physical side of the job. If anything, the tricky part has been transitioning from keeping her moves as disguised and efficient as possible in judo to learning how to overemphasize them in WWE with as much impact and brutality as possible.
"Now, I'm trying to learn how to work with somebody instead of against them, to do something great together instead of doing something great in spite of each other," Rousey said.
The hardest part has clearly been utilizing the microphone and appearing comfortable while cutting promos in front of a live crowd. It's a position WWE has consistently thrust Rousey into on Raw in order to build the WrestleMania story and preserve the grand reveal of her first match.
The pressure of performing without a safety net is something Rousey expected. But having her "learning curve," as she puts it, so publicly documented and critiqued hasn't been easy, especially since most WWE superstars are given time to perfect their craft on much more private stages.
"I think one of the most difficult things is that I usually can't hear myself talk because it's so loud," Rousey said. "It's not like a closed movie set where you are just speaking, where it's like, 'Everyone be quiet! She's talking!' There you can focus. So it's quite an experience to be able to speak while you can't hear the words coming out of your mouth, which is a lot more offsetting than you would think it is. They are teaching me good timing, which is letting people quiet down before I talk again."
From Levesque's perspective, Rousey's comfortability will come once she finds the balance between her personality as an athlete and the persona she has developed through a burgeoning side career as an actress. He also described figuring out that blend to be "probably the most difficult part" of her overall transition.
Something that has only enhanced Rousey's early presentation as a pro wrestler has been her association with WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. During her fledgling days as a mixed martial artist, Rousey reached out to Piper through their mutual friend, martial arts legend "Judo" Gene Lebell, for permission to use his "Rowdy" nickname. A friendship evolved until his 2015 death.
When Rousey showed up at the Royal Rumble, she had the "Rowdy" nickname on her new WWE T-shirt in the same design Piper once used for his. She was also wearing Piper's own black leather jacket, given to her as a surprise gift backstage by his son, Colton Toombs, moments before Rousey entered the arena.
During an interview he gave with TMZ Sports the next day, Toombs described meeting Rousey for the first time as "one of the most purest moments" he has ever had. It had an emotional and powerful effect on both of them. Rousey, who tearfully shared with Piper's family her plans to elevate his legacy and bring it to new heights, said she could feel his presence during the conversation.
"I couldn't even believe that I was being entrusted to even try it on or hold it for a small amount of time," Rousey said. "When I put it on, it reminds me of a judo gi in a way, but one of my judo gis that I have worn for years. It just fit and felt like a hug. That's like the closest thing I could describe to getting that jacket on. It felt like a big hug from Roddy himself.
"I'm just happy that every time I walk out there, I can remind people of how great of a man he was and how somebody who was supposedly a bad guy can be such a great force of good. I'm so happy to even be associated with him and am doing everything I can to show that I deserve it."
The cool thing about Rousey's persona as a UFC fighter was that, like Piper, she often blurred the line between babyface and heel depending upon the situation. Some of that was planned, as Rousey has long admitted pro wrestling was her influence. But because her love for Piper is so deep, she's hoping for a chance at being a bad girl in WWE to fully honor him.
"I just have to trust that they will lead me in the right way to help me improve as quickly as possible," Rousey said. "If they think it's by being America's sweetheart first than I will be very happy to catch everyone by surprise [with a heel turn] later."
One person who has enjoyed instant success as a strong heel is Rousey's close friend Baszler, who challenges Ember Moon for the NXT women's championship on Saturday at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.
Rousey remembers first becoming a fan of Baszler, 37, a women's MMA pioneer who had her first pro fight in 2003, "back when the only fights women could get were in a circle of cars in a parking lot." She credits the natural charisma of Baszler for making her pro wrestling transition so fluid.
Considering Rousey had a front-row seat (many times literally) in seeing Baszler make the same career change she would undergo just a few years later, it's clear that Baszler's journey provided Rousey with a certain level of confidence to try it for herself.
"I think [Baszler] was always meant for pro wrestling," Rousey said. "I think that's what drew me to her in MMA, because she always had that pro wrestling style about her. She didn't take things personally and knew she was an entertainer. As the way everything has panned out, it makes you believe in fate more and more. You watch Shayna out there and you can tell she was meant to do this. Everything else that has happened until now has been leading her there."
It's makes you wonder whether Rousey is thinking the same thing about herself.
NXT TakeOver New Orleans results, recap, grades: Three new champions in best show yet
Three new champions were crowned in yet another fantastic NXT TakeOver offering
NEW ORLEANS -- One night before WrestleMania 34 takes place in the Superdome in New Orleans, the Smoothie King Center in the "Big Easy" was the setting for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. And once again -- as if we should be surprised by now -- the yellow brand delivered on one of its biggest stages of the year.
There were fantastic championship matches throughout the night at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, with three new superstars walking out with gold around their waist. This, of course, included the crowning of the first North American champion for the brand. The main event of the evening saw the grudge match we've all been waiting for between Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa, and as we all assumed going in, these two brought the physicality to the table that only a feud of this magnitude deserved.
Check out the full recap and grades from NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, along with highlights from the event below.
NXT TakeOver: New Orleans results, grades
A complete set of highlights from the show can be found below the
NXT North American Championship (Ladder Match) -- Adam Cole def. Velveteen Dream, EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan & Ricochet to win the inaugural title: If that wasn't the greatest match outright in NXT history, it was certainly the most dangerous and spectacular. The inaugural NXT secondary title was introduced in spectacular fashion with one death-defying spot after another and and a gluttony of "This is awesome" chants from the crowd (including one before the match started). In a weekend already loaded with must-see matches, it's going to be hard to top this one in terms of entertainment.
In the end, Cole popped the crowd by flinging Ricochet from a ladder to climb up uncontested to secure the title. But if there was an MVP award to be handed out in this match, Ricochet certainly stole the show. His acrobatic style was on full display in a trio of standout high spots including a springboard shooting star onto the floor early on. Later in the match, Ricochet was pushed off of a ladder in the center of the ring by Sullivan. But instead of landing in the ring or on the ring ropes, he leaped into a moonsault off the falling ladder onto two opponents outside the ring.
All six competitors will be lucky if they exit without anything more than bumps and bruises. Not only was Velveteen Dream cut over his left eye, a pair of physical spots late onto ladders which were draped across the announce tables produced chants of "Please don't die" from the New Orleans faithful. With Dream prone on the ladder, Sullivan hit a Rock Bottom on EC3 onto Dream, causing the ladder to snap. Moments later, with Ricochet prone on a separate ladder, Dain slammed Cole on top of him to collapse it. Grade: A+
NXT Women's Championship -- Shayna Baszler def. Ember Moon (c) via submission to win the title: This one was physical and gritty, which was likely the only way to set it apart from the spot fest of a ladder match it was forced to follow. After Moon fought through an arm injury to barely outlast Baszler at their NXT TakeOver match in January, Baszler did the same to claim her first title since joining WWE last year. In fact, Baszler sold an injured shoulder so well, at one point she fell to the ring apron in pain only to ram her shoulder into the ring post to pop it back into place.
Moon hit the spot of the match when she jumped off the second turnbuckle outside to hit an Eclipse on a standing Baszler. But Moon's attempt to hit her finisher inside the ring shortly after was blocked by Baszler, a former women's MMA pioneer, who sat back into a rear-naked choke. Moon fought hard to try and reach the ropes but ultimately passed out instead of tapping. Under a shower of boos from the crowd, Baszler celebrated her victory outside the ring by hugging former training partners Ronda Rousey and Jessamyn Duke, who were seated in the front row. Grade: B-
NXT tag team championship -- The Undisputed Era (c) def. Authors of Pain, Roderick Strong & Pete Dunne: Talk about a swerve finish. Adam Cole, who won the ladder match to open the card, was double choke-slammed through the Spanish announce table by AOP to start the match and was never heard from again. But Kyle O'Reilly received help from an unlikely source in Strong, as The Undisputed Era added a new member to its faction.
Dunne and Strong heated up to close the match, hitting a double-team finisher on Akam of AOP only to see Rezar break it up at the last second. Dunne then hit the Bitter End on O'Reilly and attempted a pin. But Strong turned on his new teammate and hit Dunne with a suplex into a double knee before placing O'Reilly on top of him for the 1-2-3. The addition of Strong to The Undisputed Era should ease the recent loss of Bobby Fish to injury. All four members posed on the stage with their three title belts and Dusty Rhodes trophy afterwards. Grade: B
NXT Championship -- Aleister Black def. Andrade "Cien" Almas (c) via pinfall to win the title: Bumped to the co-main event, Black and Almas produced a stiff and dramatic effort worthy of closing most shows. Well-timed interference from Zelina Vega was enough to help Almas extend the match numerous times and nearly claim victory. But Almas' manager went back to the well one time too many and the backfire lifted Black to the NXT championship.
Vega, who had twice hit black with hurricanranas earlier in the match, climbed to the top rope late in the match. But her attempt to splash Black missed when he shoved the referee into the corner, causing Vega to leap into the arms of Almas. With the champion's arms occupied, Black hit his Black Mass for the 1-2-3. The new champion had connected clean with his finisher earlier to knock Almas cold but Vega prevented the pinfall by placing Almas' leg on the ropes. Grade: B+
Johnny Gargano def. Tommasso Ciampa via submission (Unsanctioned Match): Gargano won his job back in this ultimate grudge match which survived a few slow periods in the second half to close strong with some incredible storytelling. Following an epic finish, which both former members of #DIY kick out in almost impossible fashion, Gargano appeared unwilling to finish off his former friend with a broken crutch. But after Gargano sat down next to heated rival, he quickly ducked Ciampa's attempt to hit him with his knee brace and went on to force the tapout via his Gargano Escape submission move (using the knee brace for extra leverage)
This blood feud was as physical as expected, featuring plenty of action outside the ring and into the crowd. The maniacal Ciampa used any weapon he could get his hands on, including a pair of crutches he stole from a fan in the crowd (which appeared to be a work). The action was so stiff throughout that Ciampa was left with a badly swollen right eye.
This 37-minute closer saw Ciampa hit his Project Ciampa finisher (powerbomb into knees to the back) but could only get two. Gargano came just as close after hurling Gargano face first into an exposed turnbuckle and hitting him with a running super kick. Gargano escaped the most dramatic near fall shortly after following a Project Ciampa from the second rope. Grade: A-
The Rock' Johnson discusses his battle with depression, mental-health issues
The wrestler-turned-actor discussed his struggles
Sometimes, it's easy to forget that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is human. At this point, it'd be hard to argue against him being a supernatural force who has more hours in a day than the rest of us. He's a relentless TV and movie star by day, and a happy-go-lucky champion of social media by night.
But, again, he's human, and that's not something he's ashamed of.
The 45-year-old wrestler-turned-actor opened up about his history of depression this week, saying that he's battled his mental health for decades.
While speaking to The Express, Johnson shared details about his mother's attempted suicide when he was 15 years old. At the time, their family had recently been evicted from their apartment.
"She got out of the car on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into oncoming traffic. Big rigs and cars were swerving out of the way. I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road," he said. "What's crazy about that suicide attempt is that to this day, she has no recollection of it whatsoever. Probably best she doesn't."
After that experience, Johnson said he went through bouts of serious depression of his own.
"I reached a point where I didn't want to do a thing or go anywhere," he said. "I was crying constantly."
He went on to reference several other low points in his life, including when injuries derailed his once-promising football career. Johnson played defensive tackle for the University of Miami, where he won a national championship on the 1991 Hurricanes team, but his childhood dreams of playing professional football only made it as far as a few months in the Canadian Football League.
Shortly after being cut from the CFL's Calgary Stampeders, Johnson says his girlfriend broke up with him, leading to his "absolute worst time" dealing with mental health issues.
Ultimately, he overcame losing his football career and that girl, and things have worked out pretty well for him. He's currently one of the highest-paid and most beloved actors in Hollywood.
However, those who have dealt with depression know that it's often not something that goes away, even with money and/or success. Luckily, Johnson says both he and his mother are in a better place these days.
"We both healed but we've always got to do our best to pay attention when other people are in pain," he said. "We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone."
Reigns, Lesnar get job done before WrestleMania 34
The go-home Raw before WrestleMania 34 was mostly a success for WWE on Monday night
the countdown to Sunday's WWE WrestleMania 34 card finally down to the single digits in terms of days, Raw delivered Monday with a strong enough go-home show to leave you wanting more. Nothing particularly groundbreaking took place and there were very few reveals outside of Goldust adding himself to the Andre the Giant Battle Royal on Sunday, but the main event player came through with the kind of intensity level the show demanded.
Stephanie McMahon provided the early highlight by putting Ronda Rousey through a table in the opening segment. Roman Reigns and Brock Lensar, meanwhile, brought the inconsistent quality of their storyline full circle with a juicy main event that saw both parties hurl insults and finishing moves. The biggest miss on this evening was the lack of resolution on John Cena's challenge to The Undertaker, leaving him without an official match as we close in on the "Showcase of the Immortals."
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Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar trade blows to close Raw
The build toward their main event duel was fueled by Angle warning Paul Heyman backstage to save it for the ring at WrestleMania and encourage Lesnar not to say anything that would cause Reigns to attack. A final warning from Angle to Reigns in the locker room was met with the "Big Dog" telling the Raw GM to take his peace treaty "right back down to that pawn shop where you sold your Olympic gold medals."
Angle instructed members of the locker room to form a wall on the ramp to block Reigns from getting to Lesnar in the ring. Heyman then cut a promo teasing Lesnar's return to UFC and that, should Reigns injure his client before Sunday, "this will be the last time you ever see Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman in the history of Monday Night Raw."
After Heyman called Reigns nothing more than Lesnar's bitch, Reigns came out and challenged his peers to make room. "Y'all full-time talent are going to stand out here and protect that part-time bastard?" Reigns asked. "Think about it boys." After they separated to let Reigns through, Lesnar retreated. He came back with a chair but Reigns hit him with the first of five straight Superman punches. But just as Reigns lifted up the universal title and shifted his attention, Lesnar leaped up to hit an F5 onto the belt. Heyman screamed at Lesnar afterward that the F5 put Reigns down for good.
After seeing this once-hot build take a two-week detour, Reigns and Lesnar delivered by re-exploring the core of their issues. Seeing Reigns convince the locker room to turn on Lesnar was smart. Heyman was also strong in reminding that this could be the final dance for Lesnar should he not re-sign with the company. This wasn't a rehash so much as it was a summary, and a damn good one. The fact that both walked off strong was the perfect final tease to the carnage Ronda Rousey through a table
Jonathan Coachman moderated an in-ring debate to open the show, pitting Rousey and Kurt Angle across from McMahon and Triple H. After some early insults between them, The Authority made sure to let Rousey know that her UFC credentials mean nothing in a WWE ring. "Ronda has been dreaming of coming to WWE her whole life," Triple H said. "To Steph, WWE is her whole life."
McMahon compared the recent actions of Angle and Rousey to an uprising, saying she plans to show the locker room the importance of "quickly biting off the head of the snake." The Authority then heckled Rousey's rough history with handling defeat. Rousey closed by asking McMahon which whether she's right- or left-handed "because I still want you to sign my checks after I rip your arm off."
After photographers entered the ring for a faceoff, Angle and Triple H shook hands. But Rousey refused to accept McMahon's hand, forcing Angle to step between them. Triple H hit Angle on the head with a microphone from behind. McMahon then hit Rousey with a back suplex through a table before trash talking in her face.
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