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.
** Fumi of the ‘Asian Not Asian’ podcast welcomed new WWE writer Kenice Mobley onto the show. Kenice is a stand-up comedian and has been featured on The Tonight Show, VICE and NBC. She admitted that she was not immersed in wrestling, but WWE did not require her to know much about it as a whole.
Yes, I have just been hired by WWE. Given the things that you know about me and my entire life and what I’m into, yes [that’s surprising]. Yes, also a surprise for me. They did not require me to know anything about wrestling but I do have a background in film production and comedy writing and they’re like, ‘Perfect. Come on in.’
She shared that she is a part of the Raw writing team and as of the podcast release date which was June 7th, she had not started her position yet.
So I am on the Monday Night Raw team. So there’s Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown and the people I know that are on it are Bobby — his name is either Bobby Ashley or Bobby Lashley and I really should know that. He’s like this giant Black guy and he and the people who are part of his crew, I know that they call — or at least as of last year, they called themselves The Hurt Business. The Hurt Business. They wear suits and they’re like, ‘We’re cool.’
Elsewhere during the conversation, Kenice recounted being asked if she thought working for WWE would diminish her dignity and she disagreed with that.
I went on a date and this guy was like, ‘Don’t you feel like you’re –’ he effectively said, ‘Don’t you feel like you’re diminishing your dignity writing for WWE?’ And I was like, ‘Um, I am getting paid to do the thing that I’ve been working on for eight years,’ and this is twice — or no, this is three times what I make at my non-profit job so yeah, I’m gonna take it.
** Lucha Libre Online recorded an interview with Zeda Zhang. Zeda spent a full year with WWE from 2017 to 2018. She was candid about her struggles in the company. Zeda feels that she was brought in to appeal to the Chinese market and there was no intention to use her in a featured spot. She added that she was often taking care of fellow Asian talents and felt she was doing more backstage work than wrestling.
You know, I went in at a strange time. I feel like — my experience was mixed. I’m really thankful I went over there but I know that I wasn’t the person that they really wanted to promote. They wanted someone Chinese because they wanted to get into the Chinese market but the issue is I wasn’t born in China, I was born in the U.S. and so because of that, they didn’t think that I was the most fitting person to push and when I was there, I felt like a lot of my time was being used as a translator and even as unfair as it was, I understand it was business. Even though I was there, signed as a wrestler but they had me doing so much more than what I was supposed to be doing. I was running around taking care of like nine different Chinese people and having to do everything for them, which they’re my friends and all, I’m fine with helping them but at the end of the day, I was realized that so much of my time was spent into helping someone else out and I wasn’t spending enough time for myself and I was exhausted to even be able to do anything for myself to really learn pro wrestling and it really wasn’t — the reason why I even got any opportunity to begin with was because of timing, because Xia Li, my friend from China, she was injured so I had the opportunity to get to wrestle some more and get some TV time but unfortunately, I don’t think I was in the plans to be pushed initially so I mean — well ever. So because of that, it’s kind of been disappointing. On that aspect, I really wish that I was able to be pushed more there but I’m not in the market for it because I’m not Chinese enough and then I’m not American enough so being Asian-American, it’s only a small portion of the population so of course, business is business. They’re not really gonna wanna use me to make loads of money so I understand that.
Zhang recalled asking to be billed from Shanghai, China in the Mae Young Classic and according to Zeda, she was told that she couldn’t be billed from there because she was not born there.
When I got there [WWE] and we had to work on characters, I wasn’t allowed to be the MMA girl, I wasn’t allowed to be a model, I wasn’t allowed to have my character be a singer. Like, I remember I pitched so many things to them. They said I wasn’t allowed to be Chinese, that’s why during my Mae Young Classic tournament [entrance], the flag that I represented was both Chinese and American because they asked me where I wanted to be billed from and I’m like, ‘Can I be billed from Shanghai, China?’ And they said, ‘No. You can’t be billed from there because you’re not from there,’ which I thought was strange because no one tells the truth of where they’re from really, but I know what it was now. Now, looking back on it, I understand. They wanted to save the China spot for my friend Xia [Li] who is actually from China so there’s no way I’m ever gonna be able to take that, just simply from where I was born.
** A GoFundMe was set up to help cover Don West’s medical bills as he battles lymphoma.
** Britt Baker chatted with the guests in attendance at Steel City Comic Con. She revealed that her ‘Waiting Room’ segments will be returning.
That will be brought back [The Waiting Room], so we actually have to change the set because we’re gonna be on the road again traveling and they’re like — it’s like a whole room. They built a room. We had a lot of downtime in Jacksonville. So they can’t take that on the road with us but it was Cody [Rhodes’] idea actually and Cody had a lot to do with kind of helping me in the right direction of promo work and everything like that, as well as Chris Jericho and Tony Khan himself but The Waiting Room was absolutely 100 percent Cody Rhodes’ idea.
She discussed some of the injuries she dealt with last year. Britt suffered a broken leg in May of 2020. At the time of the injury, it was shared on TV that Britt sustained a partial LCL tear, an interior tibia fracture and a small tendon tear.
Well, last year was rough for me so I had a really bad concussion which took me out for a good month and then right after that — I mean the broken nose sucked, but I think as far as what I felt was really gonna take me out of the game was when I broke my leg, but honestly it was the best thing that ever happened to me because then, I still got to stay on TV and do promos and video packages so whereas the worst injury, it’s the best thing for my career in my opinion.
When asked what talents she would like to face from other companies, she mentioned Sasha Banks and Bayley and credited them for paving the way for some of the women’s wrestlers of today.
Oh, speaking of the devil [Baker referring to a previous comment about her hugging Izzy at the Double Or Nothing media scrum], probably Bayley or Sasha [Banks]. It’d have to be one of them because those are two of my role models that I watched when I was first training to be a wrestler, so that’s something — but I mean that’s five years ago so that’s when I was training, they were main-eventing NXT TakeOver so that was when the tides were turning, they kind of paved the wave for my generation of wrestling even though they’re still my generation, they came before me.
Coming out of Baker’s Unsanctioned Lights Out match with Thunder Rosa, she had 87 thumbtacks removed from her body.
Oh my God, I go to the gym religiously every day. I didn’t go to the gym for a week, did not even walk on the treadmill, nothing. I just laid around for a week because I was in so much pain. I did go to work though. I went to the dental office three days after and I had thumbtack pinpoint holes down all my arms and everyone’s like, ‘What happened? Like why do you have holes all over you?’ So that was an interesting conversation. ‘Well there was these thumbtacks?’ ‘Like what do you mean thumbtacks? What are you doing with thumbtacks?’ 87 [thumbtacks had to be taken out].
** Eddie Kingston was the focus of a virtual meet-and-greet session with Pro Wrestling Junkies. While conversing with those who joined the stream, Kingston stated that he believes Nick Gage would do well in AEW.
Yeah he would [do well in AEW]. That’s my man, Nicky’s my boy. I wrestled Nicky at least ten times. I wouldn’t even say ‘wrestled’. I fought for my life against Nicky about ten times. When you get in the ring with Nicky, you fight. My man is real, you fight him but, at the end of all those matches I’ve ever had with him, we all sat down and had a beer together and a laugh, you know? And I think he would be great at AEW. Do I think it could happen? Eh, but I think he could go anywhere. I think Nicky could go anywhere because he’s genuine and if you’re genuine, people will relate to you man.
Both Aleister Black and Samoa Joe were released from WWE in the past several months but Joe recently returned to NXT. Kingston said he would like to wrestle Aleister again and also wanted Joe to come to AEW. Kingston added that he’s happy for Joe regardless and hopes he’s making as much money as he can in WWE.
One dude who I do know that I’ve known for years, I met him in Germany years ago is Aleister Black, whatever, Tommy End. Ima call him by what I know him, Tommy End. He and I never got to fight each other out on the independents and I would love to fight him, out of respect, I’d love to fight him. Of course I wanted [Samoa] Joe to come. I fought Joe before but Joe’s my man, you know what I mean? I know Joe, I respect Joe, I’m so happy for him. I hope he’s getting that good cheddar over there, you know what I mean? He’s getting that bank, but of course I wanted to fight Joe again. When I first fought Joe, I came back from an ankle surgery so I was a little bit slow but all the other times I fought Joe, they were fun man and I just wanted to do it on TNT against Joe, or TBS, it don’t matter. It’s just on something, on some type of national television but I respect Joe, that’s my man. He’s one of the dudes that — like I said, I don’t watch [WWE] religiously but there’s certain guys when I hear they’re on, I watch, like Kevin Owens and so many others. I don’t wanna start naming names because next thing you know, I’m gonna forget someone’s name and hurt their feelings. All I’m saying is if I know you and I mess with you and they know who they are, I make sure I check out what they’re doing.
While reflecting on his days in Ring of Honor, Kingston mentioned Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish not getting along with himself and Homicide. Eddie wishes well for both Kyle and Bobby despite their past issues.
When me and Homicide got to Ring of Honor, they asked us what we wanted to do and of course, me and Homicide [both have] the same attitude. If we’re gonna do something, it might as well be for the world championship or getting a title shot, whatever you wanna call it. We didn’t get along with Bobby [Fish] and Kyle [O’Reilly], surprise. We don’t get along with other people. They know that too. They don’t like us either. God bless them though, I’m happy for both of them because I don’t wanna knock nobody’s hustle or be a hater, whatever but you know what I mean? Whatever. Competition’s competition.
Further speaking about Homicide, he is currently a part of a stable in Ring of Honor with Brody King, Chris Dickinson and Tony Deppen. Eddie Kingston said he would return to ROH to team with Homicide.
I’m happy for them now. Homicide’s back there doing his thing with Brody King who’s a good dude, Chris Dickinson, he’s from around the way, you know what I mean? [Tony] Deppen’s a good dude so I’m happy for them man. You talk about a forbidden door, if I could, I would go back over there [Ring of Honor] and help Homicide out.
** Steel City Comic Con took place during the weekend of June 11th and one of the featured panelists was Rikishi. He recounted falling off the Hell In A Cell structure at the Armageddon pay-per-view in 2000. Rikishi fell onto a pine chip filled bed on the back of a truck. Rikishi said that prior to the pay-per-view, there were no steel railings on the side of the truck but when he saw the truck again when it was time for the spot, it had railings on it and he was not told about the change.
Let me tell you how that match there, for me, you know when we — that bump is so iconic, it’s so seen all over the world every time this Hell In A Cell pay-per-view is advertised, every time I watch that bump, that fall off the top of the cage onto that steel flatbed, you know when the time came for what we call a walk-through, the walk-through is like, ‘We’re gonna see where you’re coming from here to here’ and during that time during the walk-through, that same flatbed when it came out the first time, there was no steel railings. There was no steel railings here, but during the live show when they came out, there were steel railings here. Now, you’re trained as a professional wrestler–during a live show–is to adapt. The show goes on. I already knew I had to take that bump. That was the money bump, but when it came out and I seen those railings, in my mind, I’m good, but if I don’t hit my mark on that flatbed, I might as well say — I wouldn’t be here today to talk to you. So when that time came, you know, Taker had grabbed me in the chokehold and I just paused for a minute because I didn’t know if this was gonna be the end of me or am I gonna make it and the last thing I said to him, I said, ‘Tell my family I love em.’
Continuing on the topic of Hell In A Cell, Rikishi receives residuals every time WWE shows that clip of him being pushed off the structure.
So Hell In A Cell for me, I love it because ‘till today, every time they show a Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, I get residuals because they show me falling backwards off that cage from Undertaker.
He went on to speak about the ongoing storyline involving Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso. Rikishi stated that they fought the same way when they were kids and he’s happy to see them obtaining success.
Well, first of all I’m proud of them [The Usos & Roman Reigns]. We know where they come from, what bloodline that they represent and these boys here and Roman, they’re all trained professionally and to be able to see your family members headline SmackDown, headline WrestleMania, headline Monday Night Raw, it’s a beautiful thing, it’s prideful for us, because they came in during the time after the mighty Yokozuna. If you guys haven’t had the chance to see the absolutely tremendous documentary that WWE had put together on the mighty Yokozuna, check it out. But, these guys come in from a family behind us, from a family that’s from Umaga to Yokozuna, The Rock, I mean the list goes on and to be able to see your kids and your nephew out there doing it out there and representing and holding it down, it’s a beautiful thing. I think the storylines they’re going through as of now, I think it’s beautiful. It’s not a story, that’s really them. They’ve been fighting like that since they were kids in the backyard and now to be able to do that on-camera and get paid for it, I’d say it’s a beautiful thing. Samoan Dynasty is winning.
In 2015, Rikishi was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. He feels that 2 Cool (Scotty 2 Hotty & Brian Christopher Lawler) should be inducted into the Hall Of Fame as well.
Well I miss them [Scotty 2 Hotty & Brian Christopher Lawler]. You know, for the record, I think 2 Cool should be [in] the WWE Hall Of Fame. They were a big part of the Attitude Era and they were a big part of my career as well.
** LuFisto guest appeared on Cultaholic’s Desert Island Graps show and she told the story of how she was able to disband a wrestling commission in Ontario, Canada. LuFisto was told by the commission that she could not wrestle men. She then partnered with an Ontario Human Rights group and got approval for women to wrestle men, on top of the entire commission being taken down.
I saw the Jake Roberts story [Dark Side of the Ring]. It’s like, mine is nothing compared to him but it was the same kind of, every day, ‘You can’t do this, you suck, you’re too fat. You’re never gonna make it in this. This is for guys, what do you think? Oh, you’re gonna eat all this? You fatso,’ nonstop. So in my mind when I was doing wrestling, when I started wrestling, it was like, ‘I’m gonna show you I can.’ It became a mission to show that women could do it too, could do it better to shut them up first, and then all the other guys that were telling me I could not do this because I’m a woman. So when this happened, it was the government, in my head, acting the same way, stopping me from doing something because of my gender and it pissed me off and I was really upset and I cried but I was like — I’m very sensitive but I was like, ‘No, there’s no way I’m gonna accept any of this on top of everything else I’ve been through, still going through, that people don’t want me to be in this business because I’m a woman and they tell me every day.’ So what I did was I did some research [on] the very internet that was not — probably was running on 56k back then up through a phone line. I did [some] research and I found the phone number for the Ontario Human Rights and I called them and I was like, ‘Here’s what’s going on: I’m a professional wrestler. I’ve been training with guys, I’ve been doing this for –’ it was like five years at this point and, ‘They are stopping me from wrestling guys’ but at the same time, Ontario are filming stunt movies where stunt women are fighting and stuff and like, what’s the difference? And then the woman on the phone says, ‘Oh, there’s a case here. There’s no way somebody can tell you-you can’t do something because of gender.’ So from that moment on, she sent me a bunch of papers that I filed, that I sent back. Tons of papers to file, tons of phone calls. I didn’t go to court myself. The Ontario Human Rights, since I was living in another province, they would go to court for me and represent me and it took three years-and-a-half or close to and one day I get the call, ‘You did it. They are gonna remove the law that women cannot wrestle men in Ontario’ and not only that, not only the commission removed the law but the whole wrestling commission was taken down, completely gone.
** Arash Markazi and Ji Hae Wiley welcomed Stephanie McMahon onto The Arash Markazi Show. Stephanie was asked about the forthcoming WWE tryouts in Las Vegas during SummerSlam week. She explained what the company will be looking for while evaluating those who participate in the tryouts.
We’re putting it all together right now. We’ve done various tryouts all over the world, as I’m sure you’re aware and Vegas is gonna be really special because we’re looking to bring not only the best athletes, not only those who are the most interested in WWE but also just incredible personalities and athletes from the West coast, from the entertainment sector, from Hollywood, from every different walk of life so I do think there’s gonna be a lot of content. It’s gonna be a lot of fun and it’s gonna be a lot of hard work. When you think about how we actually recruit and what we do in these tryouts is we try to physically wear down certain folks and try to wear them down as much as we can for the first couple of days and then what we’re looking for are really the emergent leaders. We’re looking for those people who are bending down and picking somebody up off the ground. You know, ‘Don’t quit,’ somebody who’s encouraging others, someone who’s really taking that lead and we’re not looking for the people who are like, ‘See ya, and it’s all about me’ because that’s not WWE. WWE is a team and we want the best quality and caliber human being that we could possibly have in addition to of course the best athlete, performer, etcetera. So that’s part of what we’re looking for.
SummerSlam is taking place on a Saturday this year. Stephanie stated that the location of this year’s event played a key role in moving SummerSlam from Sunday to Saturday.
I think in terms of the future, we’ll see, you know, based on performance but you’re right, Saturday night is the night in Vegas. So we always wanna make sure that we’re as fan friendly as we can possibly be when of course we want to maximize the amount of people we want to bring in, the amount of people who can watch so the location is really what drove the day part in terms of Saturday night in Vegas.
** Colt Cabana did an interview with Cultaholic and gave his take on the idea of Braun Strowman possibly signing with All Elite Wrestling. Cabana thinks most wrestlers would like to work in an environment like AEW’s and if Strowman does join the company, Cabana wants to be the first to wrestle him.
I’m going to assume that everyone wants to work for AEW. It’s so great, it’s such a wonderful place to wrestle and I’m not just saying that. I’ve been in the WWE locker room, I’ve been in the AEW locker room, I’ve been in New Japan, Ring of Honor, even did some matches in IMPACT, and it’s just a fun environment. It’s led by essentially The Bucks and Omega, who started this wonderful takeover on the independent scene, and it led into AEW, and they’ve tried their best to keep that fun aura, and to know that they and we were essentially the misfits of pro wrestling – very much like ECW – [the wrestlers] that nobody wanted. Nobody thought they could do it, then Tony Khan was like, ‘I believe in you.’ It just took that one person. We want to keep that aura in the backstage and make it fun. We remember the heat The Young Bucks got from Booker T for not shaking hands at a SmackDown when there was 8,000 wrestlers there. We don’t want that, we want a relaxed locker room, a great locker room, so, of course, Braun Strowman wants to wrestle for AEW. You know what, I would be the first to wrestle Braun Strowman. Colt Cabana is challenging Braun Strowman [laughs] and it doesn’t even have to be in AEW, it could be anywhere. We’d both have to wear those Hulk hands. It’s a Get These Hands Match [laughs]. There’s Hulk hands on a chain, and there’s a ladder, and we literally have to get these hands, and the first one to get these hands can use these hands.
** Ariane Andrew is making the media rounds to promote her single ‘Born With It’. She spoke to Wrestling Inc. and gave her take on Total Divas possibly not being renewed. She feels the show could make a comeback and it could be utilized because WWE’s women’s division is “stale”.
I actually had the Bella Twins on Sippin’ The Tea. We were talking about that, and I was telling them they’ve paved a huge wave and they were like, ‘We were the OGs of Total Divas.’ I feel very blessed and grateful that I had that opportunity. That was so big with WWE, the behind the scenes and knowing the stuff that goes on.
I feel very fortunate that I’ve got to be a part of that, even though I didn’t last as an OG forever, but I always say never say never. How many things get rebooted or come back to life? I just did an audition with my coach a few days ago for Saved by the Bell, that’s rebooted. There’s always so many reboots. If it happens to be the end, which I feel like the pandemic had a lot to do with that, I could definitely see it coming back, but they need something fresh because right now, the women’s division is stale.
** Jungle Boy joined Bully Ray and Dave LaGreca on Busted Open Radio ahead of his AEW World Title match against Kenny Omega on Saturday Night Dynamite. Bully Ray asked Jungle Boy what he thinks AEW can improve on product-wise and Jungle Boy stated that he normally is locked in on himself and sometimes loses sight of the overall scope of AEW.
Oh, damn that’s kind of a hard one. I feel like in a way, I might not have the best answer to this because I think a lot of times I’m so focused on what I can do to just be the best I can be at this point. A lot of times, I’ve been wanting to be on Dynamite when I’ve been on Dark or whatever so I’m concentrating very much on myself and my group, my team or whatever, what we can do. So I think I may lose sight a little bit of the entire thing altogether. I’ll circle back to that if I think of a good one by the end.
He did share what he wants to improve on individually and Jungle Boy is looking to become better at promos.
I am not a promo guy at all. You know, that’s never been something I’ve been super into, probably because I’m not so great at it and it’s not something I’ve done a lot and I can definitely feel that’s kind of a weak point in my game so I would like to improve that, just kind of be a better well-rounded wrestler altogether.
** Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp caught up with Thunder Rosa. Rosa looked back on her Unsanctioned Lights Out match with Britt Baker and felt slightly disrespected because despite being the winner, most of the attention from the match went in Britt Baker’s direction.
I don’t want to say it’s hate, but the disrespect I felt after the Lights Out match, and I know it was historical for both of us. Because it wouldn’t happen if she wasn’t there and it wouldn’t have happened if I wouldn’t have been there. It would have been completely different. I just feel that I was robbed a little bit even though I was the winner. There’s a lot of things adding up. She’s the face of the women’s division. Congratulations are in order. You work your ass off. But, I think she has been going through tribulations on her own and I give her kudos for that. But me, as Thunder Rosa, everybody knows my story. I don’t think there is somebody that has struggled so much to be where I am and even now, working in two different companies, I’m still struggling to get that respect that I deserve. It’s not because you’re giving it to me. It’s because I earn it. Every single time I step in the ring. In Dark, in Elevation, on Dynamite and NWA. [I don’t put out crappy matches.] I work my ass off and yes, I put my life in danger every single match I step in there. Not only one.
** While chatting with Lucha Libre Online, Wesley Blake detailed what it was like to be a part of Jerry “The King” Lawler’s return match in May of 2013 following the heart attack he suffered on Monday Night Raw the year prior.
You wanna talk about a wild and humbling experience because at that time, of course everyone saw Monday Night Raw, Jerry [Lawler] go down and his heart condition, stuff like that so, and of course you feel for him. He was a legend in this business and he’s done so much and he was able to — and what he’s done with commentating and with outside the ring, and pop culture-wise, back in the 70s and 80s and stuff, he was a huge name, huge draw and stuff like that and when we were told Jerry Lawler’s first match back is gonna be there at the Dory Funking Conservatory, we were just ecstatic. Just talking about one of those surreal moments where that’s when as a young performer, you’re driven and you want to get in the ring and you just want to do good with Jerry Lawler and stuff like that and Jerry Lawler was an absolute pro when he came in that night. He was so friendly to talk to everyone, everyone in the locker room and tell stories and just made us at ease I would say because of course when you have someone coming in the locker room like that, even to be in the locker room with Dory Funk, it can be nerve rattling because these two are just two legends, two Hall Of Famers and so but they made it so easy for him, they made it so easy for us to talk and communicate and just tell stories and just kind of put your mind at ease and stuff like that and so, by the time the match was coming, I was almost like, I was excited but for some reason when talking to him, he just put my mind at ease where I was like — he put confidence in me to where I could go out there and perform and he performed with the best of us. It was an eight-man tag, he tagged with Dory and we did an amazing job and I was just so happy that I was able to share the ring with a legend like that and when you first get in the wrestling business, you never think those moments would happen and that did and that was a moment that I will treasure forever.
** NXT UK’s Tyson T-Bone chatted with Ringsiders Wrestling. He spoke highly of fellow NXT UK talent Saxon Huxley and added that if Huxley is not NXT UK Champion within the next two years, there is something wrong in creative.
The man. If he [Saxon Huxley] is not NXT UK Champion within two years, then there’s a problem. There is a problem in creative. I think he is someone, to me, I feel more than anybody has benefited so much from what we get taught because I feel like he came in at the right time for him to have his brain really looked into to make it better for wrestling whereas they would say the likes of me and Rampage [Brown] where we’d already got stale in our heads so we were a bit more stubborn to learn that way again. It’s almost like, ‘Aw man, I know this already but I don’t know it that way so I’ve got to go back’ whereas Saxon, bless him, was almost like a — not a blank canvas at all by any means because he was still a great guy but, he was much more acceptable to all this new information and how he wrestles now compared to how he was four years ago when he signed, I think he’s a completely different person. I absolutely — watching him now, even when we’re just having training matches and stuff like that, I watch him and just think, ‘This guy needs to get a monster push and soon because he’s class.’
T-Bone dove into getting accumulated with the WWE style. He feels that as of late, he can see more a direction for his on-screen character and how he’s being used. In the past, he felt like he had a very limited role.
Yeah, [I’ve been taught the WWE style] to an extent. For me, it’s been different for the last four years as such with the character they had me doing was [a] very limited role as such with limited respects of move-sets and stuff like that and where I was going with things and primarily just punch, kick, whereas now with, again, something starts to change again now where I’m allowed to do a bit more so I’m kind of — I’m in a position now where I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next. But yeah, it is good being there, really good. Sometimes you pinch yourself to don’t ever take it for granted. Like there’s a reality pinch, don’t take it for granted.
In NXT UK, T-Bone shares a locker room with his former longtime partner Rampage Brown. He has pitched to creative to pair him and Rampage back up.
The best. I tell him [Rampage Brown] today, I wish — it’s the one thing that I keep literally putting forward to creative. I don’t mean this nasty to the thing I’m in now but, I continually have put it forward for the last four years of being at NXT, ‘Please tag me with Rampage, please tag me with Rampage, tag me with Rampage’ and I say to him all the time, I don’t think he understands just how good he is and it was like five years I was tagging with him and in that five years, how much he helped me develop as a wrestler, as a person. To me, he isn’t just someone you see as a wrestling friend, he’s someone you see as a friend and a role model. So many people could learn life, not just wrestling from him.
** Wesley Blake told Sportskeeda during an interview that he believes he and Steve Maclin have unfinished business as a tag team.
The great thing about these opportunities now is that you have Steve Maclin, formerly known as Steve Cutler, he’s over at IMPACT. I would always…that’s another thing I’d like to do. I think me and him have a lot of unfinished business. Of still being a tag team together.
** On a recent episode of the Talk’n Shop podcast, Doc Gallows told the story of when John Laurinaitis became angry with him and Terry Ray Gordy Jr., also known as “Jesse” during his time in WWE. Laurinaitis brought in Dr. Death Steve Williams to coach some of the OVW talents and because of an issue that Ray Gordy Jr. had with Williams, Laurinaitis called for a meeting with both Gallows and Gordy Jr.
I did not read the book because I had already read it. So we come in to take — and we come in one day and there’s a quiz to see who really read the book and I’m sitting next to my partner, Jesse, a.k.a. Ray Gordy, son of Terry Gordy who was legendary tag team partner of Dr. Death Steve Williams from many years in Japan and I do the quiz and I know I got all these things right because I read the book on the sh*tter for over a week and I look at Ray and he wrote ‘Ray Gordy’ on top of the quiz and then he turned it in and I go, ‘Why did you do that?’ And he goes, ‘F*ck Dr. Death’ and I went, ‘Okay.’ So then we just commence with our lives, we do the OVW shows, we go do the SmackDown loop, we get to TV on Tuesday, I’m trying to read the Digest version and we walk in and Johnny Ace goes, ‘Hey! You two motherf*ckers! Get in my office right now!’ And as we’re walking down the hall, he doesn’t stop yelling. He’s like, ‘Did you think because people cheer when your f*cking stupid music hits that you’re f*cking over!?’ And we were like, ‘Uh, what have we done? What did we do this week to piss him off?’ So we go ahead and he’s cutting this promo and he’s like, ‘I bring a f*cking legend from Japan in Dr. Death Steve Williams and you pieces of sh*t f*cking disrespect him. You don’t read his book, you both get F’s on the quiz.’ I’ve done this in several meetings in WWE in my 20s. I raise my hand, like I’m in class but there’s only three people in the room. He goes, ‘What Festus!?’ I said, ‘Uh, with all due respect, I read the book. I bought it with my own money. It was $20 dollars and I got a ten out of ten on the quiz. I do feel like my partner has a personal issue so I’d love to be excused’ and he goes, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that. You’re excused.’ So I go outside the door and do what any good wrestler would do and I put my knees to the ground and I cupped my ear to [the door] and he goes, ‘What the f*ck do you have to say for yourself Ray?’ And he goes, ‘I’ll tell you what I got to f*cking say for myself. My daddy’s dead and Dr. Death owes my momma $35,000 dollars. F*ck Dr. Death!’ And I went, ‘Oh no. Oh, we’re gonna get fired,’ and then Johnny goes, ‘Well Ray, I didn’t know that. Sorry about this, have a good TV.’
** Lucha Libre Online conducted an interview with PCO. After being in the wrestling business for over two decades, PCO stated that he is satisfied with his career, but added that he has more to accomplish.
I’m pretty happy. I’m pretty happy but I think I’ve got something more to accomplish. Yeah, I got one more step to go I feel, and we’ll see how it goes. Like I said before, sometimes it doesn’t look like where I want it to go but sometimes it’s that quick turn and things are happening so, I’m really focused on really achieving a few more things in this business, but I feel pretty good about my career. But, of course if I had to do it all over again, I would do very, very many things differently, but it is what it is and I’m very happy with what I have accomplished.
** JTG spoke to ‘Metro’ and told the site that his passion for wrestling and the memory of Shad Gaspard is what is driving him to keep moving forward in the business.
Besides my passion, it would definitely be representing both Shad and myself. I’m not just representing myself anymore. When people see JTG, Jay Tha Gawd, they automatically think of Shad. I wanna make sure I represent the team and myself and him in the best light possible, and keep Cryme Tyme alive with whatever I do [going] forward.
** Mike Johnson of PWInsider pushed out his interview with Franky Monet. She shared that she would be open to doing a reality TV show under the WWE banner with John Morrison.
Absolutely. Who wouldn’t want to be creating some great moments on screen with their husband? John is my favorite human in the entire world. I also think he’s the most talented person in the entire world. And I just know that it’s been proven before that we have great chemistry in the ring. We have great chemistry if we’re wrestling each other, if we’re wrestling … if he’s wrestling, I’m wrestling, and vice versa. And I just feel like this would be a great opportunity for us to be reunited at some point, but I do think that it’s very important for me to be having my moments in NXT by myself since I am new to the WWE universe. So I know that things like that will come in time, and I look forward to that day. And right now, I’m just really focused on letting everybody know in the WWE universe who I am, my past, my present, what I plan to do in the future, and just showing who Franky is.
Monet has been with NXT for several months now. She explained how welcoming her fellow roster members have been such as L.A. Knight, Cameron Grimes and Santos Escobar.
It’s very similar. Honestly, it’s been such a … I know every answer I have is just being so positive, but it’s really how I feel. I feel like I felt like I was the new girl at first. And then I realized that there’s so many people there that I know. And so everyone’s been so welcoming from someone like Santos Escobar that I’ve known for nine years since I first started in Mexico to McKenzie Mitchell to Swerve [Isaiah Scott] to Cameron Grimes to LA Knight. So, even though there was this moment of me being a little bit insecure because I was new and this was a new environment and everything and not knowing really what to expect, I also felt a sense of welcoming and everyone’s been super cool. I’m just still getting to know everyone, because there’s a large group of people, but it’s just been a very positive for me so far. And yeah, I really don’t have anything negative to say about it because it just hasn’t been like that. I’m just trying to take it day by day and continue to show who I am.
** The Sportster’s Denise Salcedo has an interview on the site with Franky Monet. Monet formally arrived to the NXT brand after TakeOver: Stand & Deliver and when she initially got the call about joining WWE, she thought it was a prank.
There was a lot of silence on my end because I was like, ‘This isn’t really happening, are they really calling me? Is this really real or is someone prank calling me?’ {laughs}. I always go the worst-case scenario, this is just kinda what we’ve been taught, to never get excited until something is there and I think that I just didn’t allow myself to be fully excited about this until I was walking into the Performance Center, and I was shaking Triple H’s hand, wearing the shirt, doing the stuff. That was when I think it really, really set in. Because obviously, the process is a long one, there’s obviously so many steps that go into it. I just tried to contain myself till it was actually happening and then when it did I was like, ‘Oh no, this is real.’ [laughs}
** Renee Paquette welcomed Lita onto the Oral Sessions podcast. Lita dove into the double standard that exists in regards to her relationships in pro wrestling. She said she still gets negative comments about those relationships to this day and is sure that none of the men in those situations get those comments.
Like, it’s still talked about and my relationships are commented on-on a regular basis. Like on my Instagram, still or social media but meanwhile, all of the men involved — and I mean anything not controversial like being with [CM] Punk or Edge or Matt [Hardy], I guarantee you they don’t get asked about it. I know they don’t get asked about it because they’re dudes and it’s that double standard thing and I think that, at this point is probably what I hold onto which with feeling like the double standard but I’ll tell you, it was not easy. I mean, for sure I almost quit amongst the whole love triangle but at that point, not only was it so hard, it was also out of shame. I wasn’t proud of the way I conducted myself and yes, if I had to do it over again, I absolutely would’ve handled myself different but I didn’t and so I was very much like, ‘Make the bed, you lie in it’ and at that point, I was kind of just like, ‘I deserve all of these terrible things everybody is saying to me. I deserve not wanting to wake up every morning’ and so, that was very difficult and it was really difficult to also, as time passed, to let myself off the hook and be like, ‘The only way you can move forward with your life. Sure, you learn from your mistakes and you keep going but you have forgive yourself.’
Lita did catch the Britt Baker versus Thunder Rosa Unsanctioned Lights Out match. She heaped praise onto both Baker and Rosa and said they went all out and delivered.
I did [see the Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker] match. Not initially but yeah. Like I said, I’ll hear about something and I do care so after I — it’s like, you know, you hear about something and it slips your mind but this kept coming back and I was like, ‘I need to watch this’ and not as a favor to Britt [Baker] who [you said wanted me to watch the match], but I’m like, ‘Oh cool, something cool happened. I didn’t see it, I wanna watch.’ Holy sh*t, right? Insane. That was great that they got that spotlight but just to talk about — you just need a moment that brings you up from a wrestler that people have heard about to just knock your stock up. You know, I think Thunder Rosa won the match but it was one of those where it’s like it doesn’t matter. They just tore the house down and there’s also no counterpoint. There’s no counterargument. Like that was an awesome match. I mean not to mention — or yes, actually to mention, the crazy stuff they did. I saw the bag come out and I was like, ‘I’m for sure there’s thumbtacks in there’ and yeah, they fully went for it. Not for a gender or for an amount of time in the business. They went for it and delivered. It was crazy.
** WWE Chief Financial Officer Kristina Salen was a part of Fortune’s ‘Emerging CFO: Future Finance Leaders’ series.
** Cesaro, Adam Cole and Tyler Breeze played WWF No Mercy:
** Collider uploaded their interview with John Cena to YouTube.
** Myron Reed, Gino Medina and Mads Krugger have been added to MLW’s 40-person Battle Riot on July 10th.
** Andrade filed to trademark “Andrade El Idolo” on 6/17.
** Xavier Woods is hosting EA Play Live on July 22nd.
** Sami Zayn is scheduled for the 6/23 episode of WWE The Bump. Zayn picked up a win over Kevin Owens at WWE Hell In Cell.
** The Wrestle Slam Podcast welcomed Rikishi onto the show.
** NJPW Kizuna Road Results (6/22/21) Korakuen Hall
– Taichi vs. Yuya Uemura
– Zack Sabre Jr. def. Yota Tsuji
– Toru Yano, Kazuchika Okada & Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) def. Jado, Gedo, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori
– Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Kota Ibushi def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA)
– NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships: Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (c) def. EVIL, Dick Togo and Yujiro Takahashi
** FOX Sports’ Ryan Satin chatted with Carmella.
** Sportskeeda’s Rick Ucchino interviewed Franky Monet.
** PEOPLE.com caught up with Ric and Charlotte Flair to promote Ric’s WWE/A&E Most Wanted Treasures episode.
** Drew McIntyre guest appeared on Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV outlet.
** Tom Lawlor and Team Filthy’s theme song was uploaded to New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s YouTube channel.
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.
