If any of the quotes from the following podcasts or video interviews are used, please credit those sources and provide an H/T and link back to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
** Inside The Ropes spoke to Sammy Guevara ahead of this week’s Blood & Guts edition of AEW Dynamite. Sammy was asked about his personal growth over the past year, specifically coming out of the situation where his inappropriate comments about Sasha Banks resurfaced.
100 percent man. I mean the Sasha [Banks] stuff, those were just bad comments on my end from years ago. Just immaturity and I’ve grown since then and that was my whole thing too last year when I did the sensitivity training, it’s like I don’t know everything and I’m not gonna pretend like I do so when they said to do this training, I was like, ‘You know what? Let me look at it from the like the silver lining stuff.’ It’s like I can actually learn some stuff probably from this and I did learn some stuff man. That’s what life’s about, you know? Nobody’s perfect, we’re human and human means we make mistakes and so, I feel like when you make mistakes, it’s just important to try to learn, grow and go on, because life’s just gonna keep going and so, [Chris] Jericho’s the man though. He helped me a bunch during that whole time and all the controversies that are happening throughout my time and that’s the thing, all these wrestling sites, all these dirt sheets, they’re gonna have fun with me over the years man because I’m gonna be here for a long time and I intend to make a lot more news. Good, bad, whatever, you know? I just know I’m gonna be in the news regardless and they say no press is bad press, you know?
Guevara continued to speak about the fallout of his comments about Sasha Banks. He credited Banks for speaking to him privately when she could have taken it public. He says he has nothing but respect for her.
And that’s the thing, such respect to her, because I never even talked to her before and that’s like the first time. Unfortunate circumstances and she could have buried me or whatever and she was hearing me out and we came to — we had a civil discussion and so I have nothing but respect to her. She’s killing it right now, had a great match at Mania. Nothing but to best to her.
Back at the 2020 All Out pay-per-view during Sammy’s match with Matt Hardy, the two took a rough landing which led to Matt hitting his head on the concrete. Guevara says it was Matt who wanted to continue the match and described how hectic of a situation that was.
I think it was Matt [Hardy] who made the call. I’m not too sure about any of it. I just know — so when we first hit, I had no idea what happened because we hit so hard, that I kinda blacked out for a sec. It gets overshadowed of course because Matt hit the back of his head. But we hit so hard. I remember my hip hit the concrete, I remember just thinking, ‘Woah, what just happened?’ I remember I said that as we landed. It was like I’m running, I blank, I open my eyes and then we’re on the ground and I’m like, ‘Woah!’ So I have no idea that this man just hit the back of his head, and then when it was stopped, it was stopped and I thought it was over, and then but Matt being such a pro, he’s been doing this forever. He just went on autopilot and so they told me he was fine, we ran back out there, did the finish and then he went to the back but man, what a scary scene. I feel like everybody learned so much that day. That was like a big learning experience for everybody involved and luckily everybody’s okay in the end, you know?
** It was first reported by PWInsider that Major League Wrestling is scheduled to run a show in North Richland Hills, Texas on 9/11 with fans in attendance. MLW CEO Court Bauer confirmed that to The Dallas Morning News and said the organization is anticipating full capacity.
We anticipate full capacity. We also expect this [show] to sell out. It’s been a hot ticket.
** Drew McIntyre chatted with POST Wrestling’s own John Pollock to promote his book, ‘A Chosen Destiny: My Story’. McIntyre looked back on his recent feud with Sheamus and said in their respective minds, that could have gone all the way to WrestleMania 37.
So we were excited to do our first match which was considered a straight wrestling match and people’s response was really awesome and then we had the No DQ match which escalated to the next level and we got the pay-per-view match right before WrestleMania which my favorite part, Sheamus’ favorite part was the build-up video where they took our 20 years of history, the youth. Not just clips from when we were younger in WWE but clips outside the company and we got to see our journey together and how crazy that was and went out, we were able to deliver in that final match and escalate things throughout all three matches and knowing we can bring it back ’round again and in our minds, I guess in fantasy world, we would’ve went all the way to WrestleMania but it’s really cool that we took it right before WrestleMania, we had the big pay-per-view match and at WrestleMania, we were able to cement [Bobby] Lashley and his spot as a top-level superstar so everything happens for a reason and Sheamus and I will definitely come back around again.
** W Magazine has an extensive feature up about Bad Bunny. He told the publication that his in-ring training and eventual in-ring debut at WrestleMania 37 was a stress reliver as he was happy to focus on something other than music.
It has been a good way to relieve stress. Focusing on something else, working more with my body, the mind, and doing something different. It couldn’t have been a better time.
** While speaking with Steel Chair Magazine, MJF expressed that he intends to be AEW World Champion before his contract with the company expires in 2024. He added that when that time comes, he doesn’t see himself leaving AEW but if an offer is presented, he’s going to listen.
I’d say I’d be near the end of my contract. I would be the AEW World Champion, I would still be a part of the greatest faction in professional wrestling known as The Pinnacle, all of my brothers in arms would also have gold and then, at that point, the highest bidder, baby. Me and my boys, we’re willing to go wherever the money’s at, it’s that simple. Don’t get me wrong, AEW runs deep in me, I don’t want to leave, but I am a businessman at the end of the day, and I can’t help myself if somebody’s got an offer for me, I’m going to listen to it.
Elsewhere during the conversation, MJF was asked about the possibility of The Pinnacle adding a female member to the group. While he does not see that in the immediate future, he brought up Britt Baker and believes she is the current face of women’s wrestling.
Right now, our main objective is to get the Inner Circle out of the way, and they do not have a woman in their ranks, so right now, I’m not too concerned with that. Am I saying that, down the line, it might not, where it may make sense to add a woman into our group to make sure that we, The Pinnacle, have every single piece of platinum in AEW? I wouldn’t lie to you and tell you that’s not in the cards because it very well might be, but right now, that’s not our focus but absolutely, once we all win gold who’s to say we wouldn’t want a crusade for more by finding a woman that we feel deemed fit enough to join The Pinnacle.
I hear about Britt a lot, people are saying they wanted to be in The Pinnacle and, like I said, I’m a very affluent man, I am open to conversations if it makes sense for me economically, but on top of that, I will say this about Brittany, she is clearly not just the face of the women’s division in AEW, but at this point, I think it’s fair to say she’s the face of women’s wrestling as a whole, just like I feel it’s fair to say that I’m the face of men’s professional wrestling as a whole. I get why people keep bringing this up, it makes complete sense.
** The most recent guest on ‘Out Of Character with Ryan Satin’ was Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. She reflected on her title win at WrestleMania 37 and shared that due to nerves and lack of rehearsal time with Ash Costello, she forgot how to do her entrance.
It was such an epic moment in my life. Like, it’s funny because I was so nervous because we didn’t get to rehearse [with] the band at all so I was in their locker room. I was like, ‘Okay, this is where I do the stomp’ and, ‘This is when I do this stomp if you guys wanna join in with me’ and then it came to my actual entrance and I just forgot how to do my entrance, and I ran out there and you can see it. The camera zoomed out but I go out there and I do my stomp and I’m like, ‘Okay, that wasn’t the time to do my stomp.’ I was like, ‘Oh, it’s the next one. It’s definitely the next one.’ I’m like, ‘The pyro didn’t go off. It can’t be that one’ so then I do it again and the pyro went off. I was like, ‘Oh, sweet. Did it.’
To kick off the interview, Ripley stated that she is currently taking acting classes to help improve her confidence.
Yeah, definitely because I was telling you before, my confidence isn’t huge in my everyday life. I’m a real shy person, I’m not very confident, I’m not good at keeping a conversation and being that larger than life person but when I’m in the ring, that’s where I get all my confidence and that’s where I get to be Rhea Ripley but still myself at the same time which is weird to say out loud because it doesn’t make sense but then it does when you’re there doing it.
** Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce) and Jessica McKay (Billie Kay) are going to be launching their ‘Off Her Chops’ podcast.
** One-half of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, Ricky Morton sat down with John Bradshaw Layfield and Gerald Brisco for a new episode of ‘Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw’. Ricky is still actively wrestling and he began getting emotional while speaking about how difficult it is to step away from the ring.
You know, it meant so much to me, and even you guys [JBL & Gerald Brisco], I hadn’t seen you guys in a long time but seeing me, we were the boys, you understand me? And you don’t have that no more. You don’t have that. They don’t care about each other and I do, I still care, and I seen Scott Norton not long ago and he told me, he says, ‘Ricky I’ve known you for years.’ He says, ‘You’re the nicest son of a b*tch I’ve ever met in my life.’ I [said], ‘No, I just love the boys’ and that’s all. I don’t have heat. If I got heat with you, I’ll make it up to you, even if it’s not my fault, you know? I just — in a business that I fell in love with, a business that I still love today and it’s hard to walk away. Do you know that Gerry?
Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson have been a team since the early 1980s. Ricky shared that there was a point when they were both a part of Jim Crockett Promotions and he was approached about splitting from Robert and forming a new Rock ‘n’ Roll Express with Brad Armstrong. Morton declined and he and Robert have now tallied up 30+ years as a duo.
Dusty [Rhodes], he liked me. He had called me down to the office because he told me, ‘As being a booker, it’s hard sometimes because a lot of guys think the booker pushes himself but what I got in my mind, I don’t have nobody that can do that.’ He said, ‘Ricky Morton, you can do that.’ He says, ‘What I want, you produce.’ He says, ‘I want you to have this run with [Ric] Flair to go on’ but then boy, we did this angle with Flair and holy sh*t dude. I mean I remember the first time we were going to Charlotte. Five minutes, the building was sold out and they moved it out on the football field, that stadium over there by the old building. I mean, God man, it was 30,000 people. The big stadium, we did 30,000 people off that angle and yes, they did talk to me about it [splitting from Robert Gibson]. But I started this with Robert Gibson and I was gonna end it with him because if I would’ve turned away from him, he never — he wouldn’t have a job, because they were gonna get rid of him. The reason they were gonna get rid of him because he had to let people beat him that I’m gonna beat, you know, while I’m doing this and then, to go through another part of this right here, when Robert got hurt, that’s when they turned me heel and the reason they turned me heel and I’ve never even told nobody this before but the reason they turned me heel is because they wanted to team me and Brad Armstrong up to be the new Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and I love Brad. I even named my son after Brad, I got a son named Brad. I loved him, but I couldn’t do that, and after 38 years, me and Robert been together ever since. You know, I’ve been with him longer than my wife and damn I hate her too but I’m just kidding.
** Paste Magazine published their interview with MJF. He was asked about his former members of The Dynasty in MLW, Hammerstone and Richard Holliday. MJF heaped praise onto both men and said who’s to say those two won’t be seen on a different program.
Oh, I love the Dynasty, baby, of course I have. It saddens me… when I left I felt like I was leaving afloat on a raft, almost, in treacherous waters. But I think I underestimated them. They’re huge stars in MLW, as if they weren’t already huge stars before. Alexander Hammerstone is, in my opinion, easily the biggest star they have there in that promotion, and Richard Holliday isn’t far behind. He’s a guy that you can really put in the ring with anyone, in my opinion, and he’s going to have an incredible match, and he’s going to get the fans invested. Those two guys are great dudes. I love ‘em, I’m still Dynasty for life. And you know, who’s to say we won’t see those two guys again on a different program? You never know.
** Jeff Jarrett is continuing to make the media rounds to promote the debut episode of his podcast. One of the outlets he spoke with was Comicbook.com. Jarrett gave his thoughts on the success of Cody Rhodes and said he always knew Cody would find success after his run in IMPACT Wrestling. Jarrett added that he feels Cody is one of few wrestlers in AEW who has actually connected with the audience.
Yes, the short answer is absolutely…. Me and Dusty [Rhodes, Cody’s father] used to have conversations about Cody. The acting bug and his amateur [background], to fast forward, when he came on board for that short period, he’s got a charisma like his father, and I’ve worked with Dustin [Rhodes, Cody’s brother] back in the late ’80s. Dustin took his character of Goldust and that could have been… It goes without saying, that wasn’t the easiest character, but you talk about taking a character and making it your own? Dustin has a unique ability that Cody doesn’t, but Cody has the ability, like his father.
You talk about the acorn not falling from the oak tree, he’s got a magnetic charisma about him. He looks the part and he’s obviously a great athlete, but the one thing that, fast forward a couple of years, when I saw Cody and Nick Aldis in Nashville in the NWA 70th Anniversary, knowing obviously the box office numbers and the live event are sold out in the sports arena and the pay-per-view numbers, but when I saw the work that he had been away from the machine and gotten Stardust behind him, just all that with it. So your question was, ‘Did you know he had it?’ In the, we’ll call it the Global Force days, yes. I knew, Next*Gen champion, he had a different aura about him… but on AEW when you see him and he’s one of the few, in my opinion, that really is connecting with his audience, and that is what sets him apart.
** David LaGreca and Bully Ray welcomed Isaiah “Swerve” Scott onto Busted Open Radio. He opened up about his on-screen usage dating back to the last year-and-a-half compared to now. Scott feels that at the beginning of that timeline, he was only on the show to have good matches but there wouldn’t be much beyond that.
I think 2021 is gonna be a very interesting year for Swerve. I’ll just leave at that, but I will say for the last year-and-a-half, it didn’t feel like I was a prominent fixture on the show. I feel like I was booked to have good matches and then you wouldn’t really hear from me until I had another match on the show, you know? And that was where I felt like that — I felt like a little content with things so, for me, it was about what I’m doing now compared to then. It was about giving the show a different vibe, a change of pace. My presence changes the pace of the show, and that’s all these things I worked on. Getting my music more and more on TV, onto television every week. Now when you see these promos that I’m cutting in my lab with my people in the background, you don’t know who they are. They are kind of just producers and engineers moving around and stuff, helping with music.
** During his Suplexes and Cervezas podcast, Chavo Guerrero reflected on Lucha Underground’s peak of popularity. Chavo feels that there was something special there but there were too many people trying to be the boss.
I miss Lucha Underground so much because I thought we had so much potential and just… to me, it’s just one of those cases where there’s just too many chiefs and not enough Indians, not to be political like that but seriously, there was too many people trying to be the boss and not trying to do what was right for the company, you know?
** A new episode of the Last Minute Wrestling Podcast was pushed out and Holidead was the featured guest. She was candid about the ups and downs of her pro wrestling career and reaching out to various companies and promotions but always being told it’s a timing thing in regards to bringing her in. Holidead shared that she has considered quitting multiple times.
So, I wanna word this right since I’m still in the business and I don’t bury myself. But I’m not signed anywhere but this is my job, this is what pays my bills so, I reach out to companies as this is a job. I’ve been in contact with a good — a majority of these major promotions that have these platforms and you know, some of them have said they’re looking for something different. Some of them said I have the right look, I can work, it’s just a matter of timing. I’ve heard for years it’s a matter of timing and I was just like, ‘Okay… you know… alright.’ This is not my time. I don’t know if I bumped into somebody, spilled their coffee, I’m not friends with the mean girls. It’s honestly sh*t like that I’m just like, I don’t know so, I’m trying to keep a positive face. Again, like you said, the Twitter outpour is something that touched me and it’s like okay, maybe I should stick around for a while. I contemplated quitting a whole lot of times in wrestling. I just wanna say you’ll never hear me give a retirement speech. If you stop seeing me show up places, I quit. I’m not gonna make an announcement for retirement, because people do that and they come back but I have no plans on making an announcement. If you just stop seeing me show up places, I’m done.
Holidead said she would like to team with Thunder Rosa in the NWA or AEW. She feels she can go with the best of the best but hasn’t been able to catch the eyes of the powers that be.
Absolutely. Wrestling is something I love and I mean, I’ve said it before, I just want the opportunity to perform on high-level, consistent platforms and just show motherf*ckers what the f*ck I can do. I’d love to go in NWA or AEW and tag with her [Thunder Rosa]. Unfortunately, the powers that be, the people that make those decisions and I might not be what people are looking for or what they want. I don’t have those answers honestly. People ask, ‘Why aren’t you here? Why aren’t you here?’ Again, I would love to work on these various platforms. I feel like, not to brag or my ego but I feel like I can f*cking go with the best of the best and I can prove that if just given the opportunity. But for whatever reason, the powers that be are not a fan of me so I — there’s only so much I can do, you know? And I appreciate you guys tweeting out and stuff and showing your support but again, if the heads don’t want you in the door then the door’s closing, it’s just like, alright, I’ll keep trying. As long as my body holds up, I’ll be here and I’ll keep trying, you know?
** Karrion Kross spoke to Robbie Fox on the ‘My Mom’s Basement’ podcast. Kross listed off several of his favorite opponents and one of those names was Jon Moxley. Kross is hopeful that Moxley will return to WWE one day.
I better not get in trouble for this but Jon Moxley, Dean Ambrose. I have to say it. I hope he comes back one day. I think he will. Not that I would know or nothing’s been said because you know people go crazy with that but I hope he comes back one day. If he does, he’s gonna have to go through me and I think he knows that. We have unfinished business.
Kross regained the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. He feels that since that match with Finn Balor, he is fully back to who he was prior to his shoulder injury in the Summer of 2020.
Aside from all of the obvious things that people would probably take away from that match [Finn Balor at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver], for me I felt like I was me again and I don’t mean that in a disrespectful manner to anyone I had worked with prior to that but there was just a level of organic authenticity that I was just able to — like we were given a massive amount of time and I was just able to get myself into this, and not be concerned about where my shoulder was gonna be at or how my body was gonna respond to hitting the canvas. I feel like I’m totally back in such a way where I feel like I’m a total version of myself, right now at this present time. I got that breakthrough from that match.
** USA Today chatted with Mustafa Ali about his fasting during Ramadan while still performing every week. Ali said those behind the scenes at WWE have been very accommodating, but he does not want any special treatment.
I’ve performed and I’ve literally come back to the locker room and had someone make me a hot plate. And they knew that, sunset, so they warmed up the food for me and were like, ‘Here you go, man.’ Someone would go get me a Gatorade or whatnot. Even (the) WWE medical (team) is awesome. They know that I’ve got it under control but they kind of poke their head in and check: ‘Hey, you’re good? You’re doing all right? You’re staying hydrated?’ Reminding me that, you know, stay hydrated after my match.
I don’t want any sort of accommodations or, ‘Take it easy on him because he’s fasting.’ (Recently) I did four hours of media. Again, no water. I’m designed to do this. It’s all mental. I feel like — I hope this doesn’t sound too weird — I don’t feel like they need to do any accommodations because this is something that I’m doing for myself.
** Jay Leno went to go check out Bill Goldberg’s car collection.
** During her stretch of appearances on Monday Night Raw alongside Drake Maverick, Renee Michelle did compete in a mixed tag team match against R-Truth and Carmella. She shared during her appearance on the MCW Cast that the reason she didn’t do much in that match was because she got cleared from a knee injury that day and didn’t want to reinjure anything.
That was me being extra precautionary. I just got cleared that day, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t do this again,’ you know?
A period of Renee’s in-ring career was spent in Japan. She recalled being told by her trainer Chigusa Nagayo that she couldn’t be out late at night because she could be kidnapped.
When you do have to go to the city or whatever, you go together. Chigusa [Nagayo] was always telling me like, ‘No Renee, I can’t let you go out at night. They like your look’ and she’ll go like, ‘Because usually out in the city, yakuzas are out at night.’ So, because I look a particular way, they’ll like my look.
** Forbes has a piece on their website with quotes from Stephanie McMahon.
** Mikaze (Sarath Ton) joined Kory and Ant’s ‘Everything Is…’ podcast.
** WWE broadcast team member Kevin Patrick and his significant other welcomed their child into the world. WWE producer Pat Buck and his significant other welcomed their child into the world as well. POST Wrestling sends our congratulations to the families.
** Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald spoke to AEW’s Santana and Ortiz.
** WrestleZone ran their interview with Nick Aldis.
** Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling ‘Yes! Wonderland’ Results (5/4/21) Korakuen Hall
– Haruna Neko & Pom Harajuku def. Mahiro Kiryu & Moka Miyamoto
– Nodoka Tenma, Yuki Aino & Hyper Misao def. Marika Kobashi, Nao Kakuta & Raku
– Arisu Endo & Maki Ito def. Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai
– Princess Of Princess Title #1 Contendership — Three Way: Yuka Sakazaki def. Mizuki and Shoko Nakajima
– International Princess Championship: Hikari Noa def. Yuki Kamifuku (c)
– Princess Tag Team Championships: Mei Saint-Michel & Sakisama (c) def. Mirai Maiumi & Suzume
– Princess Of Princess Championship: Miyu Yamashita defeats Rika Tatsumi (c)
** The Independent conducted an interview with Jake Hager and he recounted the early conversations he had with Chris Jericho that led to him joining All Elite Wrestling and being a part of The Inner Circle.
In between I wrestled in the UK and with Lucha Underground, just trying to piece things together. Chris Jericho, during my fight camp, had started training with Dave Bautista at our gym and we kind of just got together organically. I have known Chris forever and he lives about 20 minutes from me. With our schedules we hardly ever saw each other so when we did, we started talking about AEW. It was July or August in 2019 when I had the first phone call with Tony, and that was directly from Chris.
** Steven Muehlhausen of DAZN spoke to Jeff Jarrett. The Wrestling News Source Podcast also has an interview with Jarrett.
** The following video is from the UpUpDownDown YouTube channel:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgr70xZWCqE[/embedyt]
** Paul Heyman was a guest on El Brunch de WWE.
** DDT Pro-Wrestling ‘Max Bump’ Results (5/4/21) Korakuen Hall
– Three Way Match: Kikutaro def. Antonio Honda and Danshoku Dino
– Akito def. Mad Paulie
– KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Championships: Chikara, Sanshiro Takagi, Yakan Nabe & Yukio Naya (c) def. Hideki Okatani, Keigo Nakamura, Toi Kojima & Yuya Koroku
– Three Way Six Man Tag Team Match: Konosuke Takeshita, MAO & Shunma Katsumata def. Daisuke Sasaki, Tetsuya Endo & Yuji Hino and Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi & Yuki Ino
– DDT Extreme & DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championships: Chris Brookes (c) [Extreme Champion] def. Saki Akai (c) [Iron Man Champion]
– Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Yusuke Okada def. HARASHIMA, Kazuki Hirata & Toru Owashi
– DDT Universal Championship: Yuki Ueno (c) def. Soma Takao
** Yahoo! Sports ran their interview with MJF.
** Jeff Jarrett spoke to WrestleZone.
If any of the quotes from the following podcasts or video interviews are used, please credit those sources and provide an H/T and link back to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
