POST IT NOTES
**The Rocky Maivia Picture Show is up on the site with host Nate Milton joined by John Siino for a review of G.I. Joe: Retaliation and is available on the main POST Wrestling feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
**Friday’s edition of Rewind-A-SmackDown featured a long discussion about the ongoing news issues surrounding WWE’s tapings during the pandemic and changes over the past few days, how the industry is handling the pandemic, as well as discussing the Impact Wrestling situations with Tessa Blanchard and Michael Elgin.
**Eric Marcotte has a great review of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card including a fight-of-the-year contender in the main event.
**Wai Ting and I will be back Monday night with Rewind-A-Raw following Monday’s episode with all the latest news, a review of Raw, and we will take your questions and feedback.
**Dr. Alex Patel will be returning for another interview with us this week.
WRESTLING NEWS
**Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa’i) spoke with The Hindu Times and discussed his decision to remove himself from WWE’s tapings back in March ahead of WrestleMania. Reigns said it was due to his wife and him having twins and not wanting to expose them to the virus. Reigns did do one empty arena episode of SmackDown with a contract signing with Bill Goldberg prior to Reigns removing himself from WrestleMania.
The decision was taken mainly because each performer travels so much, and we are all such a diverse group and from all over the place. I’m not convinced, and I can’t trust the fact that everybody is taking it as seriously and locking themselves down at home like I am. I trust my life with my co-workers every time I step foot in the ring, but I just can’t put the same trust when it has my children, my wife and my family involved.
But I don’t want it to come off as I am taking a stand against the company at all, because I love the WWE. I’ve been a part of this company just since I was a little boy. That’s why I always take it so personally when I represent them.
**We reported on some changes to WWE’s taping schedule after all the chaos this weekend. Coming out of this weekend, they will resume tapings with two NXT episodes on Wednesday with the Great American Bash episodes. On Thursday, they have dropped the two additional NXT episodes that will be taped later, and instead, two SmackDown episodes & 205 Live will be taped that day. On Friday, they will tape two editions of Raw for July 6th and July 13th as well as Main Event and Raw Talk.
**Mike Quackenbush (Mike Spillane) has issued a length statement regarding allegations against him and trainers at CHIKARA’s Wrestle Factory school, which has been closed after the allegations were issued.
First, he addressed allegations from an anonymous female trainee about a story of another trainee going to the home of a coach, getting blackout drunk, and believed they were sexually assaulted. Spillane said it was the first he had heard of this allegation and that coach had been removed months ago.
Of the allegations against himself, Spillane denied ever bragging about any sexual conquests and stated he keeps his sex life private. He had two relationships during his life with CHIKARA performers that he said were consenting adults and not a relationship with trainees.
He admits to using homophobic language and it was brought to his attention when a trainee left the school and voiced their displeasure the words were used. He does not recall using racist or misogynistic language but owns it if he did and apologize for past ignorant comments.
He denied ever injuring a trainee on purpose as was alleged when a student was hurt, and jokes were allegedly made that they were “injured on purpose”. He said it goes against his ethos as a teacher and would be left liable to conduct himself like that.
Spillane stated there was an incident where a derogatory comment was made about someone with autism and mentioned a close friend of his with autism worked with the company. The comment was allegedly made by a performer booked by Spillane.
There was another allegation about a trainer asking a trainee if they were called “gay” in high school. Spillane didn’t witness this but gives the benefit of the doubt to the accuser and he didn’t do enough to change the culture of his school and the trainee is owed an apology.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha3kcsOB1mQ
**Brian James and Scott Armstrong revealed that their mother, Vida Gail James died on Sunday morning and posted the following statement:
This morning our Mother, Vida Gail James, the Matriarch of the James/Armstrong family, went to be with the Lord. We are so thankful that our Father was able to be at her side until the very end. At this time we respectfully ask for your thoughts and prayers for our family.
**Monday’s episode of Raw will feature two contract signings ahead of Extreme Rules with Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler, and another one with Asuka and Sasha Banks.
**NXT has added a match between Oney Lorcan and Timothy Thatcher for this Wednesday’s Great American Bash special.
**Sean Ross Sapp at Fightful reported on Friday that Velveteen Dream (Patrick Clark) had been in a car accident that day and was released from the hospital.
**Chris Jericho will be on commentary for Wednesday’s episode of Fyter Fest.
**Bret Hart has launched a new web series called “Confessions of The Hitman” with 35 episodes available on his website for $35 (Canadian). The series features Hart going through stories involving his childhood, wrestling career, life after wrestling, and non-wrestling subjects.
**The El Rey Network is launching a new talk show called “Vampiro Unleashed” covering entertainment, politics, martial arts, and wellness. The series will premiere on Thursday, July 9th at 9 pm Eastern.
MMA NEWS
**On Saturday, Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker had one of the best fights of 2020 with a five-round war that Poirier won by unanimous decision. The first two rounds saw each absorb tremendous shots with Hooker nearly finishing Poirier when the horn sounded to end round two. The second round would be a strong candidate for the round of the year. I had Hooker ahead 20-18 after two but Poirier came back to win the final three rounds and the fight 48-47 on my card. The judges had it 48-47, 48-47, and 48-46. I would put this ahead of last weekend’s fight between Josh Emmett and Shane Burgos, but I don’t think any fight will top Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk as the best fight of 2020.
Poirier is very much at the top end of the ultra-deep lightweight division and would be a great fight for Conor McGregor with the two having a rematch six years later and at lightweight this time, instead of featherweight. With a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, it is hard to make fights for Poirier as he is going to beat a lot of the top contenders on the rise, such as Hooker, but a rematch with Nurmagomedov doesn’t make sense for him right now. Poirier said he might fight at the end of 2020 or the new year, which is a lifetime away and the contenders could look different by then. If the two would find it worth their while, Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson would be a great fight as well.
**Poirier and Hooker received the Fight of the Night bonus while Kay Hansen and Julian Erosa were awarded the Performance of the Night bonuses for $50,000 each.
**The UFC is off next weekend and then begin their four cards on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. They will begin with the loaded UFC 251 card on July 11th which has three title fights with Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns for the welterweight title, Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway for the featherweight title, and Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo for the vacant bantamweight title. They continue with cards on the island on July 15th, July 18th, and July 25th. The next card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas is tentatively set for Saturday, August 1st.
**Invicta FC will hold its first show since March 6th when they return this Thursday for a card on Fight Pass. The following fights have been announced, which streams at 8 pm Eastern:
*Emily Ducote vs. Juliana Lima
*Alesha Zappitella vs. Lindsey VanZandt
*DeAnna Bennett vs. Victoria Leonardo
*Olivia Parker vs. Chelsea Chandler
*Trisha Cicero vs. Laura Gallardo
*Shelby Koren vs. Genia Goodin
ON THIS DATE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgYqoBAk7V0
*****
THE ROCKY MAIVIA PICTURE SHOW #18: G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
This month on The Rocky Maivia Picture Show, Nate Milton welcomes the Associate Producer & Social Media Manager of upNXT, John Siino into the theater to review 2013’s “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”!
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/06/27/the-rocky-maivia-picture-show-18-g-i-joe-retaliation-2013-w-john-siino/
*****
REWIND-A-SMACKDOWN 6/26/20: WWE COVID-19 & Taping Chaos
John Pollock & Wai Ting go through a packed day of news with the latest on WWE’s COVID-19 cases, updated taping schedule, talent releases, and a review of WWE SmackDown’s Tribute to The Undertaker.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/06/27/rewind-a-smackdown-6-26-20-wwe-covid-19-taping-chaos/
*****
BRITISH WRESTLING EXPERIENCE: #SpeakingOut
Martin, Benno & Jamesie are joined by Emma G of the Journey Through Guerrilla Island podcast to talk the #SpeakingOut movement and the allegations that have rocked both the British and Irish Wrestling scene, as well as the wider wrestling world.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/06/26/british-wrestling-experience-speakingout/
*****
REWIND-A-DYNAMITE 6/24/20: WWE COVID-19 Positives, AEW talent off Dynamite
John Pollock and Wai Ting review AEW Dynamite ahead of the Fyter Fest shows, WWE has multiple COVID-19 positives, the latest on #SpeakingOut stories, and more.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/06/25/rewind-a-dynamite-6-24-20-wwe-covid-19-positives-aew-talent-off-dynamite/
*****
upNXT 6/24/20: “Are You Afraid of the Trunk?”
Braden Herrington and Davie Portman review the June 24th edition of WWE NXT featuring a Triple Threat Match for the NXT North American Championship between Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano, and Keith Lee.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/06/25/upnxt-6-24-20-are-you-afraid-of-the-trunk/
*****
REWIND-A-WAI #64: WWF Ground Zero 1997
John Pollock and Wai Ting review WWF Ground Zero: In Your House from September 7, 1997, featuring the first-ever televised singles match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. This show was originally reviewed on the debut edition of Review-A-Wai back in September 2009.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/06/24/rewind-a-wai-64-wwf-ground-zero-in-your-house-1997/
*****
REWIND-A-RAW 6/22/20: Impact Releases, Guevara-Banks, Last Ride Finale
John Pollock and Wai Ting discuss the news coming out of the weekend involving #SpeakingOut, plus a review of WWE Raw and the finale of The Undertaker: The Last Ride documentary series.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/06/23/rewind-a-raw-6-22-20-impact-releases-guevara-banks-last-ride-finale/
*****
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