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.
** The Asylum Wrestling Store hosted a virtual meet-and-greet and Gail Kim was the focus of it. Gail’s last match took place in 2019 against Tessa Blanchard at IMPACT Wrestling’s Rebellion event. Gail shared that she was asked to come out of retirement again.
I feel fortunate to be able to do that [produce] because I think that if I didn’t have this role, I would probably be like, ‘Do I need to come back to the ring and wrestle?’ It gives me my fulfillment. It really, truly does and they did ask me to come out of retirement again. I actually agree with you [that the match with Tessa Blanchard can’t be topped]. It’s a once in a generation talent like her who comes along number one, and they built the story so great. I said, ‘You really need to put the time into the storyline’ and they did and they really gave me everything I really hoped for and I couldn’t have asked for anything better so, I don’t wanna ruin that, right?
Following up on that, Gail stated that her back has gave her problems throughout her career and she’s still feeling some of that pain. All things would have to align perfectly in order for her to get back in the ring.
You know, it would probably have to be — because of my back, it’s just my back. It’s pretty bad. It would have to be the right opponent. It would have to be even — you know, because I had such a good close to my career, I don’t wanna mess that up, because I’m like, ‘Why would I go back and take the chance of ruining my last match?’ And I really don’t wanna do that so it’d be a big, big risk for me and I get to just be backstage with IMPACT and work with the Knockouts right now and that gives me fulfillment. I’m very passionate about that so…
She is currently an agent for the Knockouts division in IMPACT. One talent that Gail feels is close to reaching the next level of stardom is Jordynne Grace. Kim added that Jordynne is missing one piece to the puzzle but did not share what that piece is.
If I’m gonna look at other companies [outside of WWE] and people who I think have great potential, I’m gonna say Jordynne Grace. Maybe it’s because I get to work with her side-by-side and I see. Only because when she entered the company, she was at a certain level and it was like stubbornness and I was trying to get her to break through in certain things and I’ve seen her develop that and I feel like she only is lacking one part of this aspect of the business right now and I think if she gets that, I think the sky’s the limit for her. I really, truly believe that and because I get to see things that fans don’t get to see; the work ethic, the ideas coming in, the creative ability, all those things, I see that with her. So, if she just gets that one last part that I’ve been telling her, I think that, like I said, sky’s the limit for her.
The Netflix series GLOW was cancelled in the Fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gail Kim and Lisa Marie Varon were going to be filming for the show prior to the production halt.
And so what happened was, actually, because Chavo [Guerrero] was one of the — he was the stunt coordinator and the wrestling coordinator on that show. Before COVID hit, me and Lisa [Marie Varon], Victoria, I don’t know what you wanna call her. We were on our way the next week to go shoot for GLOW and then it got cancelled and then they cancelled the whole show.
Gail is a member of the IMPACT Wrestling Hall Of Fame. If she were ever to be inducted into WWE’s Hall Of Fame, she would choose either Molly Holly or Christy Hemme to induct her.
I don’t know if that’s gonna happen [WWE Hall Of Fame induction]. If I was gonna pick someone, I mean Molly [Holly] is the one that inspired me and she was the one that gave me my opportunity. She’d probably be at the top of my list. But then some parts of me — and not that we’re not good friends, we are. We just don’t talk — we talk a couple times a year. It would probably have to be one of my closest friends and someone who’s my best friend is Christy Hemme because she knows me really well and knows my passion and has kind of been there through a lot of my journey and we’re still kind of continuing our journey together, working on outside projects and everything so, just like I did in my TNA [Hall Of Fame induction], I asked three people to do it. It was [Awesome] Kong, Taryn [Terrell] and Christy and they both are all special to me throughout my wrestling career, so it would be one of the two. I actually wouldn’t know who.
** Matt Hardy sat down with ‘Signed By Superstars’ for a virtual signing. Hardy revealed that he was asked to be a part of Dark Side of the Ring’s ‘Plane Ride from Hell’ episode but he turned it down. Hardy is good friends with some of the individuals who are focal points of that story and he did not want to say anything negative about them.
Dark Side actually contacted me about doing it and I reluctantly said no just because so many people are my friends that I’m close with and helped me out so much. I just didn’t wanna go sound like one of those guys that just buried stuff. I didn’t have anything good to say. It was just gonna — I think it would’ve been in poor taste so, I respectfully said no to that.
Matt has been with All Elite Wrestling for over a year. He plans to finish his career out with the company and also wants one last run with Jeff Hardy in AEW.
I mean with the way things are going right now in AEW, I’d say yeah [I’ll finish my career there]. They’re great and I’d really like to have a last hoorah with Jeff [Hardy] there too.
At AEW’s Double Or Nothing pay-per-view, Hardy tossed the debuting Lio Rush out of the Casino Battle Royale. Soon after Rush’s AEW appearance, he announced his retirement from wrestling after suffering a shoulder injury. Hardy doesn’t believe Rush is done.
Did you see the Lio Rush announcement that he said he was retiring or whatever? We had the match [at Double Or Nothing], he was in there for a few minutes ‘till the end with myself and Private Party and he got dumped out and then I thought everything was fine. I saw him later, he’s got a sling on or whatever and I guess he did legitimately get hurt with that. I know he said he was retiring. So many people were so mad at me that it was my fault that I eliminated him. I didn’t have anything to do with it. But it’s just crazy. I’ve been wrestling longer than he’s been alive. He can’t retire, he’s not gonna retire. He’ll be back. Lio will be back.
Looking back on his time in WWE, Matt recalled having an endorsement deal on the table with the ‘Troops’ apparel company. They made a limited number of shoes for Matt but WWE would not allow him to take the deal.
Whenever I was first doing Version 1 and it got kind of hot, Troop, somebody at the shoe [company] was a fan of the Matt Hardy Version 1 gimmick and the whole Sensei of Mattitude deal and they offered to make a line of shoes for me with WWE and as you can see, it has like ‘Mattitude’ on the back and it’s like legit Troop shoes and I was sent about five or six pairs of these things and they wanted to give me a sponsorship deal but WWE ultimately didn’t let me have it. So they just sent me the shoes and I’ve had these sitting around and I just said, ‘I’ve got a few pairs of em. I should sell one.’ These are a very rare collector’s item. The Sensei of Mattitude, as you can see right there it says ‘Mattitude’ on the back, was gonna have his own line of shoes but I wasn’t allowed to have the endorsement deal.
Hardy and Bray Wyatt held the Raw Tag Team Titles as a pair in WWE. Matt thinks that Vince McMahon did not understand what they were trying to present as a duo. There were vignettes that Matt wanted to shoot with Bray at the Hardy Compound as well.
We did have input, but I don’t think Vince [McMahon] got what we were going for. If we would’ve followed what we wanted to do, we were gonna have Bray [Wyatt] kind of be homeless because he lost Abigail and Randy [Orton] burned his stuff down. He was gonna come to the Hardy Compound and we were gonna do a series of vignettes there, as opposed to just wrestlers on the show every week. I felt like that waters down so much. We wanted to do stuff that was gonna be [at] the Hardy Compound that was super entertaining. We had a lot of great stuff in mind but, it is what it is.
While speaking about the late Jon Huber (Brodie Lee/Luke Harper), Matt said when he caught up with Huber after their respective AEW debuts, Huber thanked him for swerving the audience into believing that Matt was The Exalted One.
The thing I remember about Brodie [Lee] the most is that night after the show [their AEW debuts] was over, I was the last thing on Dynamite and came to the back and he said, ‘Hey man, I just wanted to say thank you for working so hard to make this a swerve and act like you’re The Exalted One and it kind of didn’t have any suspect it was gonna be me and it added to the shock value and surprise of it’ and he was just really grateful. I said, ‘Of course man.’ I like doing that stuff anyway so I’m glad and I said, ‘I’m so glad you’re here. This is a great opportunity for you to really shine and do your thing’ which he did so…
** Tom Lawlor is a part of the Professional Fighters League and is aiming to make the organization’s playoffs in August. Lawlor told Jim Varsallone that if does not make the playoffs, it may be the last time he competes in the octagon.
Yeah, for those people that don’t know, the winner of each weight class gets a million dollars at the end of it. You know, I just want to say that if, unfortunately if I don’t make these playoffs, you may not see me back in that cage. I’ve told multiple people I don’t know if I’m setting myself up to retire sooner than later but I may just not take a fight for a while so, my goal is to — I kind of look at this like do or die for my career. My goal is to get that six points, be fighting in August and if that’s not the case, then it’s been a fun one.
Continuing on the topic of his future, Lawlor does not see himself transitioning to a coach or producer role anytime soon. He said he’s got a lot left in the tank for pro wrestling and MMA.
You know, I’m kind of a person that likes to take things one thing at a time. I like to look at what’s directly in front of me and I still see myself competing for a good portion of time. I’m not looking to step into the background and be a coach or just be a supporting act. I think Filthy Tom Lawlor’s got a lot left in the tank and I’m gonna run that tank dry.
** The most recent guest on Chavo Guerrero’s Suplexes and Cervezas podcast was Alundra Blayze, also known as “Madusa”. Alundra last wrestled at the 2018 WWE Evolution pay-per-view but she is still seeking a formal retirement match. She believes either Natalya, Charlotte Flair or Beth Phoenix would give her a good match.
I want a retirement match. I never had one. No [I didn’t have one]. What do you think? If I had trained at least three months to get in there and do whatever…
That’s a great question [who she would face in her retirement match]. So in today’s — and it just isn’t WWE, right? But again, tell me if this sounds weird: So, I would love to choose somebody that I know that would take care of me because of just my fragility. I’m fragile basically. I’m not fragile, but I am older, but I am forgetful, but I am this and that. I want somebody that could carry me.
I think Nattie would do that with me and I think, oh my God, Beth Phoenix would do that. I’d feel comfortable. I think Charlotte [Flair] and I. Oh my God, a lot of people say Charlotte and I so that’s that.
Blayze is going to be releasing a book about her life and her trails and tribulations in pro wrestling. As the news of her putting out a book became public, she was contacted by an individual who threatened to sue her if their name was brought up in the book.
These changes and transitions do happen for a reason and we don’t see ‘em right now because we’re angry, because everything we worked for, whatever. But there’s something else there, there really is and when I look back on my wrestling career, those adversities Chavo, that I freaking faced and some of the most horrific times and questionable [times]. I’m talking about the challenges within the business and some of the people in it. I look back at it now and it has made me who I am today. Some of it is not something I would even share with people, some of it I will take to my grave, some of it will be in my biography which I just signed my publishing deal and it will be out soon. Oh honey, oh honey. But, I will tell you this on a little side note, a little cliffhanger, I have gotten a call saying, ‘If I’m in your book, I will sue you.’
But it’s not about that so, thank God I got a great publisher and I got great lawyers and stuff so it’s really amazing that when you’re talking and you’re doing this whole book thing, it takes about a good year, right? And when you go back and you look at it and you’re putting your chapters together. First I wanna go back to that phone call. The first thing I said, ‘The book’s not about you. So if you got anything to be scared about, you might wanna maybe have a come-to-Jesus talk and make things right.’ So, you know, the book is not a tattletale book at all. It’s not about other people. I change names. I changed the names but the old timers will probably figure it out but it’s not about that. No, no, some of them are not innocent so, I changed the name to protect the people in their families. Yeah, so I’m not about that.
Throughout her career, she held the WWF Women’s Championship on three occasions. Back in 1995, she was cut from the WWF and the company did away with their women’s division for the time being. Blayze believes that Vince McMahon let her go because of the situations WWE were tied into at the time such as the steroid trial.
I knew it wasn’t because of my work ethic because my work ethic is freaking off the roof, right? And I was reliable so, I knew it wasn’t any of that and I knew it wasn’t me personally and I knew it wasn’t my relationship with Vince [McMahon]. So what it was-was all the crap he was going through and he probably had to downsize or he almost had to close his doors then, so he had to make decisions so he closed the whole women’s thing and that was the choice and the reason why I know, the reason why I know that is because they were so far above their eyebrows with so much sh*t. [What] I’m talking [is] about The Steroid scandal, the IRS scandal and all of the other personal scandal things going on and that was all hitting at the time. Oh my God, right? So, I know that this wasn’t personally towards me because if it was, they would’ve stripped the belt from me but they weren’t thinking, they weren’t thinking. They just knew they had to get rid of — they were thinking about, ‘Hey, we gotta save our ass here.’ I mean that’s my analogy and I’m gonna stick with it because really, you think about it, who would let their freaking champion go with the title? So I’m gonna stick with that because that made me feel good all these years.
** Gabbi Tuft, the former “Tyler Reks” in WWE, wrote an article for Men’s Health about her gender transition. She was open about the mental struggles she endured and how her significant other comforted her at her lowest point. Here is an excerpt from the piece:
There was, however, one time when a miscommunication occurred. She said, “So look, you’ve been getting dressed up just about every night, and in the daytime, when you’re back to presenting male, I’m having a difficult time with that. I’m still seeing an image in my head of you as a woman.” While it really wasn’t a show of disapproval, I took it as such. Being the extremist I was, I told myself that this has got to stop and that this has to be bad for my marriage and family. That’s when I cut everything off. This moment was a pivotal point for me because immediately after I stopped presenting female, I then became really, really depressed.
I seriously contemplated suicide.
I remember one very dark night; I was in the master bedroom walk-in closet dealing with some very dark thoughts. The pain of not being able to live my life as a female had become so intense that I felt completely overwhelmed and felt that I should just end it all. It was like a computer program was running in my brain where I almost felt like I didn’t have a choice. I was lying on the ground crying uncontrollably. I knew that if I were to stand up, I’d reach for my gun on the top shelf, put the barrel to my head, and pull the trigger. So I yelled out for help, and Priscilla heard me. I’ve never once in my life cried for help like that. I was bawling. Priscilla came running in, and she saw the situation and gave me a big hug, told me everything was going to be okay, put a cold washrag on my neck, and slowly walked me out of the master bedroom closet.
** Graham Matthews of Bleacher Report spoke with Charlotte Flair for an exclusive interview. The two parties discussed Andrade El Idolo’s exit from WWE and his arrival to AEW. Charlotte has been with WWE her entire career so the thought of leaving WWE is scary to her.
I’m WWE homegrown. I think that’s what people forget. I’m a product of the PC. That would be so scary to me to leave my home, which is WWE. To know that he has traveled the world and that he’ll continue to travel the world and make a bigger name for himself, I’m so excited for him.
Further speaking on Andrade’s WWE exit, Charlotte expressed her full support in his decision and knows the star power that Andrade possesses.
I’m just so motivated and inspired by his decision. It was his dream to be in WWE, but I think he knew and felt he wanted more. He could get more and maybe going and showing his worth and working on things that he needed to like his English, that’s what it was going to take to be where he wants to be. To do that on his own accord and not be scared of the future but to know that he’ll succeed and one day come back… I don’t know if that’s what he’d want to do. But he wants success.
He wants the platform. He wants to get better. He wants to main-event shows. To see him come out the other night when he debuted, full-blown star. You can’t deny him, he is a star. Working on his English, I know things are going to get bigger and better and brighter for him and I support him 100 percent. It’s really inspiring to watch. He just went and did it.
Coming out of the pre-NXT TakeOver: In Your House media call, conversations arose on social media stemming from Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s remarks about how another all-women’s show does not equal equality. Flair is of that same mindset and wants to be the best on any card and not just an all-women’s card.
I think [another Evolution is] more of a when [than an if], but I get asked this question a lot. Would an all-women’s show be great? Yes. Would another all-women’s pay-per-view be great? Yes. But I’m in the mindset that I want to be on the card with men. I want to be on the card where there’s eight matches and I want to be the best of the night no matter the gender. I don’t need an all-women’s show or an all-women’s pay-per-view to highlight my performance or skill or being a lady wrestler. No. I want to prove, no matter man or woman, I am the best. I think it’s great, but I don’t need an all-women’s show to show I’m a great wrestler.
** GQ has a feature story up about Cody Rhodes and his diet. Rhodes discussed the wear and tear he has put on his body over the years and how important his diet is in combating that wear and tear. Rhodes said his pelvis is out of line and he has herniations in his back.
A big thing as a wrestler is you have to allow yourself the time where you’re not just jamming a protein bar into your mouth on the way to the gym. As soon as I’m up, I always eat breakfast. I’m an egg whites guy. Basic, dry wheat toast guy. I don’t really have any breakfast meat because of the sodium and added salt. And then after breakfast we hit the gym.
As you mentioned, I’ve been on the road and doing this since I was 20. I’m 35 now and that means I’ve got the body of a 50 year old. My pelvis is out of line, I have a few herniations in my back. So when it comes to workouts, typically that means a little bit of HIIT training, but more than likely it’s going to be one big principle lift—squat, bench, or deadlift—and then it’s going to be two monster sets with three sets. So three different exercises, three sets. It’s not going to feel like I did a whole lot outside of that principle exercise. Then it’ll just be the elliptical for 14 minutes. 40 seconds moderate, 20 seconds sprint. That’s been my go-to workout throughout the pandemic on a workday. Then I come into my office and it’s all day. As soon as I shut the door, there’s a knock.
** On the latest edition of his Table Talk podcast, D-Von Dudley stated that he would be willing to partake in the 2022 men’s Royal Rumble match. D-Von said it is a matter of WWE clearing him to compete following his stroke in 2020.
I would love to but then I heard all of the hurdles that I gotta jump [through], just to go to medical to get me there. I’m just like, ‘Eh.’ It’s not the point that I’m fine, it’s the point that they [WWE] gotta think that I’m fine. It’s not me. I’ll go in there tonight but I gotta get them to believe that I’m okay to go in there and do it. I can’t pass out. I can see them now, they try to get me to do a stress test and all of a sudden I pass out, I just pass out. They would say, ‘Oh, well you know, D-Von, he didn’t make it. He passed out.’ Listen, I didn’t have to have the stroke. I would have passed out before the stroke [if] had they had me do a stress test. I don’t know about that [being in the 2022 Royal Rumble match], I would love to. We’ll see what happens. We still have a few months to go so we’ll see.
Ricochet joined D-Von and his co-hosts on the podcast. D-Von discussed Ricochet and Mustafa Ali’s series of matches on WWE Main Event. D-Von feels that at times, WWE does not allow their talent to go all out and put their full skillset on display when they’re on Main Event.
Well you’re not gonna say it but I will. A lot of times I just feel like Main Event, the Main Event, that show that comes on right before Monday Night Raw, a lot of times the office, if you wanna say it, don’t want these guys to go out there and to do too much and I’m like, ‘Let them go out there and do their thing’ and that was the one thing I was very happy about with you [Ricochet] and [Mustafa] Ali is that they let you go out there and do what you wanted to do, and that was great and this is what happens when you do that. I mean again, you gotta have the rope to pull it back a little bit if things get out of control with some people, but, for the majority of the time, let ‘em go, let ‘em do it. That’s what you got them for, that’s why they’re there.
After taking time off due to his health issue, the first match D-Von agented was Ricochet versus Mustafa Ali. He explained that he was nervous to help put the match together because he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep up and match what Ricochet and Ali had in mind.
Well I was just happy and again, I wanna thank you [Ricochet] and [Mustafa] Ali because when I came back from my stroke and I came back to work, I’m nervous. It was like the first time I had ever been back on a headset again and you know, I’m just like, ‘Oh God, what do I do?’ And I had Ali and Ricochet’s match on Main Event and you talk about a clinic, you talk about Tiger [Mask] and Dynamite [Kid] part two, that was it right there. I mean they did — we did I think three of those matches. We did two and then you did the whole Main Event match, the whole Main Event show where you guys had like three or four segments into one and I’m nervous as hell because I’m like, ‘This is the first time I’ve been back from my stroke. How am I gonna keep up with these guys?’ You know, get all this stuff started. I remember going back to them and asking them like seven times, ‘So, I know you just told me but what did you say again? Just tell me one more time so I have it’ and I expected one of them to give me a dropkick and drop me into the wall or something like, ‘God damn it D-Von, I told you already, sh*t.’ But no, but it was great man.
** ‘Metro’ conducted an interview with Ted DiBiase Jr. In 2013, DiBiase Jr. made the decision to step away from the wrestling business. He is glad he made that choice because he was able to be there for his children. He shared that prior to his departure, WWE offered him a five-year contract extension.
What I gave my son was the greatest gift I could ever give him. I gave up my dream to be a father. It was a no-brainer for me. It doesn’t mean it was easy, it was one of the hardest decisions of my life. WWE was gracious, they had offered me another five-year deal. I just knew that it was more important for me to be here, you know?
** Franky Monet formally arrived in NXT following TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. She talked to Jim Varsallone about her time with WWE thus far. Monet mentioned that she was told ‘no’ multiple times but that one ‘yes’ was worth it.
I’ve been at NXT now for three months and I’m just really looking forward to what this next six months of 2021 brings and beyond, you know? Working at WWE is an absolute dream and I would not have it any other way. It took me a long time to get here, took me a lot of failure, took me to get told ‘no’ seven million times and be told ‘yes’ once but it was all worth it.
** The week of SummerSlam, WWE is hosting tryouts for talents that are present in Las Vegas, Nevada that week. Drew McIntyre appeared on CBS 8 and stated that he’d like to be a part of the tryouts and help out.
I just heard about it today [WWE tryouts in Vegas] but I’m gonna try and get a role in it because I remember when I was younger, if I had the opportunity to tryout for WWE, I would have done anything to make it happen and so I’m gonna find out more information. I want to be a part of it, I wanna tell everyone out there that’s got the dream to pursue WWE, we’re all different shapes and sizes these days. I might be 6’5, 270, but there’s a lot of different bigger guys, smaller guys. You watch UFC, you watch boxing, some of the cruiserweights, some of the lightweights are main eventing now. They’re the biggest drawing money acts and it’s the same in WWE so if you’ve got the talent, if you’ve got the work rate then get along and try it out.
** Highspots Wrestling Network hosted a virtual signing with Jeff Cobb as the featured guest. Cobb and current WWE Champion Bobby Lashley both attended Missouri Valley College. Cobb recounted when Lashley returned to the school for Homecoming and they mat wrestled. Lashley overpowered Cobb and took him down.
I wrestled Bobby Lashley once, when I was still in college. We went to the same college and he came back one year for Homecoming and he came in our wrestling room and I wrestled with him and I was like, ‘Man, this dude is so strong.’
This is when he had the U.S. Title when he was feuding with [Fit] Finlay. Yeah, and I was like 200 pounds at that time, maybe. But yeah, he was — I won’t say what happened but eventually, he picked me up and dumped me and he was a strong, strong boy.
** Taylor Wilde welcomed Thunder Rosa onto her Wilde On podcast. Rosa is currently training her son who wants to become a professional wrestler.
You know, he [Rosa’s son] is a little jerk sometimes because he watches all my matches and he’ll be like, ‘You haven’t used this move, you look boring, you gotta mix it up, try to do this thing’ and him and my husband are always like that. Like, ‘Dude, what were you doing?’ I’m like, ‘I hate you guys’ so, but it’s like we all — in professional wrestling terms, we all give feedback to each other because my son’s becoming a professional wrestler too. Yes, yes. He is training with me so I watch him very closely and I was like, ‘You did this well, but, you gotta work on this’ and he watches all my matches [and he’ll] be like, ‘The match was really cool, but you need to stop doing this because it looks so whack.’
On top of her wrestling career, Rosa has dabbled in MMA. She had a pro fight in 2019 and was scheduled to have more before the COVID-19 pandemic. She stated that she’ll have to eventually decide if she wants to continue fighting as her pro wrestling career is on the uptick.
Well I had a fight, a professional fight in 2019. I was scheduled to have three more fights but COVID happened but right now with my wrestling career going on the rise, I have to make a decision if I wanna keep fighting or if I wanna just focus 100 percent on professional wrestling and I mean I have to be honest with myself, right? And so I have to make a decision. I’m not gonna stop training MMA. That is, I think, one thing that has created an edge that is so much different than a lot of the girls in the circuit. So I will not stop training MMA. That’s not gonna happen. Just in case if decide to say, ‘You know what? Before I sign with anybody, if I want to have another fight, I’m still in condition and everything, ready to go’ but it’s — financially, it’s very hard. It’s very, very hard to make that decision.
** While discussing the idea of WWE working with other wrestling companies and organizations, Drew McIntyre told Sportskeeda that the proverbial ‘forbidden door’ never existed and in WWE’s case, if working with another company is a good business move, then the things will be followed up on.
There’s never been a forbidden door as such. I think it’s just if this makes sense for our company and for everybody else then WWE’s always going to do business and that’s what we’re all about. So I would love for it to make sense. I’m going to keep trying to find reasons for it to make sense business wise.
** Charlotte Flair is making the media rounds to promote WWE’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view and one of the outlets she spoke with was the New York Post. Flair was asked about Nikki Cross’ involvement in she and Rhea Ripley’s feud. Flair is enjoying Cross’ role in the story and likes what Nikki is adding.
I love adding wrinkles and I adore Nikki Cross. I have for many years, prior to her being added to this storyline. It just gives it another person who could be in the title picture against Rhea that is a player and see her grow. I’m not sure where it’s gonna go. I think the one-upmanship is I’m saying that Rhea isn’t mature enough and at the same time it’s my own ego that always seems to get in the way. So who really is the mature one? (Laughs).
** Jazz was a guest on Sassy Stephanie’s Talkin’ Sass podcast and discussed the idea of working as an agent or a producer for WWE. Jazz has not been contacted by WWE about said position and is not sure if she would accept the offer if it was on the table anyway.
Yeah, that’s okay [that WWE never offered Jazz a coaching job]. When you do people right, good things come back to you so, you know, and I’ve always tried to treat people right and just live life right so I’ve been blessed even without WWE so, I’m not gonna — I don’t even know if I would wanna be a part of that crazy world, honestly. To move [to another state], that’s a lot and you know how they operate. They could wake up on the wrong side of the bed and be like, ‘Eh, we don’t need her anymore.’ I don’t know if I would wanna — I’m 48-years-old so I don’t know if I wanna, you know, play those games right now.
** All Elite Wrestling is going to be presenting their ‘Dynamite: Grand Slam’ show on 9/22 at Arthur Ashe stadium. Tony Khan spoke to Sports Illustrated as the news made the rounds and Khan credited Rafael Morffi, AEW’s director of live events, for making this idea a reality.
We’ve been working on this idea for two years, and Raf has put so much of this together. He used to work for WWE in live events for years, and he worked for the Kraft family in New England. He’s negotiated and managed this every step of the way. People here are already very excited about it. I was telling Christian Cage about this show, and he thought it was a brilliant idea. Christian is a huge tennis fan and he goes to matches, and he said this is something he’d thought about for years. And it made him really excited that he is going to be part of it.
** WWE’s Titus O’Neil was named a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
** Bell To Belles conducted an interview with NXT UK’s Xia Brookside. She gave her thoughts on the WWE Raw debut of Piper Niven. Brookside says Niven deserves all of the success that is coming to her.
We saw a mysterious woman debut on Raw. No, I’m so proud of her [Piper Niven]. She deserves it. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my entire life. Like I met her in Japan, I think it was 2017 I wanna say was my first trip to Japan and I met her out there and three months in Japan on your own, I was 18. That’s a lot. That’s a lot. She was there for me the whole time and that’s where the mommy things come from. She’s my mommy and I’m her baby because she just took me under her wing and protected me the whole time from — she’s been there ever since and she has so much to offer, so much to offer to wrestling, to people, she’s so inspiring. That’s who to follow on social media.
** Bobby Lashley spoke to Fightful and recounted several occasions when Vince McMahon would contact him about working out together while Lashley was not with WWE.
I was heavily [into MMA] but there were times when Vince would reach out to me and send a text here and there. We’ve always had that common bond and mentality of working out. He would come down to Denver and be like, ‘I’ll be in Denver, we have to get a workout in.’ We never really did, but it was a running joke and a possibility that we’ve talked about a few times. It wasn’t one of those things where we talked consistently, just a few text messages over the ten or eleven years I was gone.
** IMPACT Wrestling’s Scott D’Amore and Doc Gallows are hosting a talent tryout/evaluation in Utah on August 7th. The ‘Devotion Wrestling’ promotion is presenting the opportunity in conjunction with IMPACT.
** WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Tamina appeared on El Brunch de WWE.
** Renee Paquette joined Alyssa Marino on her ‘Let’s Get Cereal’ show.
** Here’s the updated list of talent that are scheduled to compete in MLW’s 40-person Battle Riot match on 7/10:
– Alex Hammerstone
– King Muertes
– Richard Holliday
– Lee Moriarty
– Zenshi
** Ring of Honor uploaded Jay Lethal vs. Homicide from Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor (2012) to their YouTube channel.
** Sportskeeda chatted with Bobby Lashley ahead of his WWE Title defense against Drew McIntyre at Hell In A Cell.
** Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling ‘Additional Attack’ Results (6/17/21) Korakuen Hall
– Nodoka Tenma, Yuki Aino, Pom Harajuku & Raku def. Arisu Endo, Haruna Neko, Moka Miyamoto & Suzume
– Shoko Nakajima def. Kaya Toribami
– Nao Kakuta & Yuki Kamifuku def. Mahiro Kiryu & Miu Watanabe
– Mirai Maiumi def. Yuki Arai
– Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki def. Hyper Misao & Rika Tatsumi
– International Princess Championship: Hikari Noa (c) def. Marika Kobashi
– Princess Tag Team Championships: Mei Saint-Michel & Sakisama (c) def. Maki Ito & Miyu Yamashita by referee’s decision
** Stephanie McMahon co-hosted The Female Quotient’s ‘Women in the Business of Sports’ panel.
** IMPACT Wrestling backstage correspondent Gia Miller was a guest on Straight Talk Wrestling.
** Tyler Treese of ComingSoon.net chatted with American Ninja Warrior Executive Producer, Anthony Storm. Storm discussed Kacy Catanzaro’s run on American Ninja Warrior and her transition to NXT.
** Raquel Gonzalez spoke to Newshub about her friendship with Dakota Kai.
** Ring of Honor’s Quinn McKay chatted with Wrestling Inc.
** The newest Battle of the Brands episode with Tyler Breeze and Xavier Woods:
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.
