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.
** Coming out of NJPW’s Business Strategy Presentation, Tetsuya Naito spoke to Tokyo Sports and reacted to additional comments made at the presentation by Bushiroad CEO Takaaki Kidani. To close out his speech, Kidani shared his thoughts about the New Japan product from a ‘fan’s perspective’. He said everyone has worked hard through the pandemic and then jokingly asked if it was okay to critique New Japan seeing as how Naito was not there to do it himself.
Kidani feels that some of what is being presented is old-fashioned and slow. He said NJPW has to impress people and provide hope to those who are developing their own future[s]. He doesn’t think the company should be satisfied with where they are and would like a change of pace. He also criticized the Young Lion system and said there is an idea in place that one has to become a full-fledged professional in order to main event. He also questioned why Young Lions start off with their individualities being eliminated. Naito said the following:
Regardless of if what I say is good or bad, the fact that you have so many questions makes me think that you are thinking about New Japan and professional wrestling. But wasn’t [the Business Strategy Presentation] an opportunity for you [Takaaki Kidani], as a manager, to present your strategy to the audience? If you were going to criticize your own people, I would have preferred you to do it in the conference room.
You are the biggest person in this company, aren’t you? If New Japan is old, slow and hard, don’t you think you are partly responsible for that? That makes it sound like if performance improves, it’s to Bushiroad’s credit and if it deteriorates, it’s our fault.
** Season four of Taylor Wilde’s ‘Wilde On’ podcast includes an interview with Allie Katch. As they were discussing Katch’s start in wrestling and who she watched growing up, Lita’s name came up. Wilde feels that Lita is very important in wrestling but was not that great in the ring. She added that talents should not model their styles after her technique.
Wilde: Bless her. I’m not gonna — shade, no shade, whatever. Lita had her era, okay? She was very important but as a wrestler, not so great. I mean, in terms of her actual execution, if I wanted to talk about textbook movements, it wouldn’t be Lita but balls to the wall, homegirl went for it every time [Wilde laughed]. So no shade, no shade but, people, don’t model yourself after her technique. I would just say that.
And I’m not — girl does yoga because if I scorpion like that [Lita’s suicide dive landing on Raw], I’d be going to the hospital.
Back in 2019, Katch publicly announced that she would be taking a break from pro wrestling. What kept her in the sport was the realization of what wrestling is about for her personally. She also opened up about her struggles during that time in her life.
Katch: So I had moved and uprooted my life from Texas and I moved to the Midwest and then I moved to New York and then it was all kind of like [all over]. I was going. I was like, ‘I wanna be a wrestler and I wanna travel and do this,’ blah, blah and at home situation kind of got — the rug was pulled and I didn’t really have anything. All my stuff could fit in my car and so I didn’t have anything, I didn’t have anybody and I was like, what am I doing? What have I done? I should cut my losses and leave. I don’t wanna be here anymore. So I was really sad and I was like, I’m just gonna leave and go back to the real world and then I had a string of matches that month and everybody — the matches were good and all the fans were so nice and I was like living out of my car so I was actually seeing more of the country instead of just going in and out to shows and I was like, okay, so this is what it’s about. Now that I’m focusing on me and having fun in wrestling, it’s happening so maybe I shouldn’t leave.
** The latest Captain’s Corner virtual signing featured Larry Zbyszko as the guest. Zbyszko was close with the late Bruno Sammartino and recalled when WWE wanted Bruno for the Hall of Fame in 2013. Zbyszko played the middleman in getting those conversations going and shared that Bruno was hesitant about it because he did not want to be viewed as a hypocrite seeing as how he said he would never go into WWE’s Hall of Fame years prior.
To be honest, I was kind of instrumental in talking to Bruno [Sammartino] when the WWE approached me in 2012 because they always wanted Bruno in the Hall of Fame and Bruno said he would never go in the Hall of Fame years before. But then, you know, they came to me and asked me if I could talk to him because they really wanted Bruno in the Hall of Fame and it was gonna be the Madison Square Garden coming up, the next one and I wanted Bruno in the Hall of Fame. The Garden was perfect and then Bruno, I talked to him for some months and then he talked to some other people and he realized the WWE became a great company. They were taking care of their guys. If they got hurt, they still got paid, the charity work they did with Make-A-Wish and other charities and the jobs they supplied for thousands of families. Not just wrestlers, I mean truck drivers and camera people and special effects people and I mean, it was amazing, the crew they had. But Bruno realized it was a great company. His only thing was, ‘I don’t want people to think that I’m a hypocrite.’ I said, ‘A what?’ Because he said some years before that he would never do it and I said, ‘Bruno, no one will think you’re a hypocrite. Everyone wants you in the Hall of Fame!’ So after checking out the company and realizing it was a great company, Bruno said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it’ so, it all worked out great and it’s a happy ending for everybody.
Early in Zbyszko’s in-ring career, he was approached by a director about being in a film. Zbyszko turned the offer down after meeting with said director. That individual turned out to be Wes Craven, who wanted Larry to star in ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ (1977). Zbyszko said after that, he never turned down another role.
When I was in the dressing room, I got a note. Some guy said, ‘Hey, there’s a movie guy that wants to talk you about being in a movie,’ because we wrestled in L.A., you know, the Hollywood. So I went ‘okay’. So I go talk to the guy and the guy says, ‘Hey! I’m making my very first movie and you’re a big guy and I love the way you move and you’d be perfect for this part. It’s an independent film. We’re gonna go out to the desert for three weeks and shoot it and you’ll be doing your own stunts’ and the guy says, ‘I can’t pay you a lot because you know, it’s my very first movie, but I’d love for you to be in it,’ and I went down to his office which turned out to be a crap hole and got this script and it was about eating babies or something stupid. I mean, so I told the guy, I said, ‘You know what? I just got a commitment. I have to go back to the northeast. I got a great deal. I just don’t have the time’ and you know, the commitment — it was a nice way of saying no, I’m not doing this stupid movie. Well the guy’s name was Wes Craven. I know, I turned him down, his first movie, The Hills Have Eyes (1977). I was supposed to be in it. I was gonna play the part of the brother of the bald guy. Yeah [that’s one of those ‘what ifs’], so I never said ‘no’ again to a movie.
After having a knee scope done in the early 90s, Larry began the rehabbing process but was called by WCW who inquired about him doing commentary. He was offered a full-time position with benefits and Larry said he made more money as a commentator than he ever did as a wrestler.
The funny bit was I never planned to be a broadcaster. So I got the little knee scope done. I was home for a couple months recouping in the pool and I got a call from one of the producers that said, ‘Hey Larry, Jesse The Body just quit. Can you come down and do some voiceovers over a couple of our pre-taped shows for the syndicated market?’ And I went, ‘Yeah, okay, what the hell. I’m getting paid anyway’ so I went down and did a couple shows being the commentator and then the door flew open and the producer comes in and says, ‘Larry, you’re the greatest guy we ever heard! You wanna be a broadcaster? We’ll give you this much a year and make you an employee’ and I almost fell off the chair because it was twice as much more than I was making as a wrestler. That was the time when Turner was giving away money like it was candy. That was a — the WWE and WCW didn’t want talent to go back and forth so they were running the big contracts and so for almost ten years, I made more money than ever as an employee with all the benefits and all that, and nobody beat me up. It was great. Worked a day a week. That’s how my golf game got so good.
** During Zach Gowen’s chat with Gregory Iron on the ‘Iron-On Wrestling’ podcast, he stated that he’s taking a ‘significant’ amount of time off from wrestling. Gowen wants to spend more time with his family. At the time of the recording, he had two dates left and said he is not competing for the remainder of summer and probably the fall. Gowen is not sure if his in-ring career is done, but he’s glad to have his health intact and grateful for the career he’s had.
At this point, not much man [keeps me going in terms of wanting to continue being on the wrestling grind] because listen, I have next weekend in Nova Scotia and then [the] following weekend, I’ll be in North Carolina and I have zero dates after that. I’m not saying North Carolina will be my last match. I’m just saying for the rest of the summer and probably the fall, I’m not taking anymore wrestling dates period and that’s simply because wrestling right now, for the first time in my life, has a negative effect on my life and that’s kind of a weird position. It’s a negative effect, not because I don’t like wrestling or my body hurts or I don’t like performing for the fans or helping younger talent. I love all of that. It’s just simply because my schedule is so busy with speaking and with trying to raise three kids and stay married to my wife who’s pregnant now, it’s just not doable to keep the schedule as it is now and so I’m taking some time away and we’ll see what that looks like in the future. Obviously, there’s no last match in wrestling until it’s your last match. Just ask Ric Flair at the Nashville Fairgrounds at 74 years old.
There is no last match until it’s your last match and so I’m not saying I’m retiring from wrestling but I’m taking some significant time off and listen, at 39 years old, I mean realistically, what does that future look like in wrestling? Especially since I’ve been hopping around on one leg for over 30 years at this point as well, you know? And I’m grateful of my career. I’m so happy. I never thought I would be able to do the stuff I’ve done man, not in a million years and I’m even more grateful to be winding my career down with my health intact. Not a lot of people get out; one, get out alive but two, get out with their health. I just did a show a couple days ago with Charlie Haas and me and him were on the road together in WWE and we were reminiscing on how many guys have passed. Not only how many guys that were there with us that have passed, but how many guys have just lost it all, you know? Because they weren’t able to successfully transition once the spotlight wore out and so for me to be in the position I’m in, I’m so, so grateful and I’m blessed.
** Brian Hebner welcomed Gail Kim onto his Refin’ It Up podcast. The topic of the WWE Hall of Fame came up and Gail mentioned that back in 2018 in New Orleans, she had a conversation with a WWE employee and that employee thought the 2018 Hall of Fame ceremony would be the last because there was no one left to induct who could sell tickets for the event.
Kim: The celebrity part of it is the part that bothers me but whatever [Gail said of WWE’s Hall of Fame]. You know, listen, it’s a gimmick, it’s a ticket draw. A couple years ago, I remember being in New Orleans for WrestleMania and seeing one of their employees and they’re like, ‘Oh, I think it’s gonna be the last Hall of Fame’ and I said, ‘Oh really? Why?’ They said, ‘Because there’s no one really we can induct that’s gonna be a draw for tickets’ and so that’s when it kind of clicked in with me. Ah, okay, it always comes down to the almighty dollars so… but listen, you can say that about TNA’s Hall of Fame but I feel very honored. I worked my whole career to have the respect of my peers and my fans so, I don’t know. Everyone perceives it in a different light.
Hebner chimed in on the conversation and expressed that he feels Earl and Dave Hebner should be in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Hebner: And guess what? Just like you and me [Brian & Gail Kim] have always talked about… and I’m saying this for me, not you, for me. F*ck ‘em. That’s the same company that don’t have the f*cking Hebners in the WWE Hall of Fame and I don’t mean me, I’m talking about Earl and Dave. Just give me a f*cking break.
Back at TNA/IMPACT Slammiversary 2013, Gail and Taryn Terrell competed in a Last Knockout Standing match. Gail opened up about the limitations they were up against as they were told that due to the main event being a No Holds Barred match, she and Taryn were not able to use weapons. Gail begged the powers that be to let them have one chair for the match and told them that she would use it in a ‘girly way’ just to get it.
Kim: Nobody expected it. Nobody expected it [Taryn Terrell’s performance in the Last Knockout Standing match].
I just believe it’s all on your opponent and that you — I was always the type of worker, I knew in my mind to have the best match, you play to your opponent’s strengths. So I found her great [Kim responded when asked if it was fair to say Taryn was not the best wrestler].
Listen, I just looked at — like I just said, I wanted to bring out — listen, my approach to everyone, whether it was WWE, whether it’s TNA/IMPACT, whatever it was, I always would say, give me that girl. I will get a good match out of her. You know, that is what I wanted to prove to others, what I wanted to prove to myself, that I could wrestle a broomstick and have a good match, you know what I mean? But with Taryn, I always knew — I worked with her previously in WWE so I knew her personality a little bit but, even I didn’t know what she was capable of. I knew she was a stuntwoman, okay? Outside of the wrestling company. So I knew she was willing to go balls to the wall and she would always tell me, ‘I love physicality, I love physicality. Just yeah, whatever, hit me’ and you know, I knew there was no limit with her and that is a very, very rare thing to come across in the business. At least because I knew I was willing to go there, but it was very hard to find people to go there. So, when this came up, this match and you know, we had thought of a different finish actually with the writers but because of the venue and the stage and sometimes buildings don’t allow you to do certain things and then the main event that night was Sting and Bully Ray and they had some type of Hardcore match as well so, that night they said — it was Bruce [Prichard who] was the boss I remember and they’re like, ‘Well you guys can’t use weapons in this Last Knockout Standing match’ and I was like, ‘What do you mean we can’t? It’s a Last Knockout Standing match’ and they said the main event’s gonna be using [weapons] so literally, again, where I had to beg. I was literally begging in prayer mode with my hands like, ‘Please. Please, please can we just have one chair? All I need is one chair, that’s it and I will make the most out of that chair’ and I even said, my literal words were — because you gotta remember, we had a women’s division that was strong, but there’s still mentality of a very male-dominated mentality so I had to say, ‘I promise I will use it in a girly way.’ I literally said those words for the chair. ‘I’ll use it in a girly way’ and I explained each thing I probably would do, right? And they just turned out to be more physical than what people would imagine I guess. I didn’t even know how they would turn out. But, with the finish, it was just like, okay, you know, are we willing to go that far? And we said well f*ck it, we’re doing it and it turned out better than we ever imagined. You always hope for magic in wrestling and you don’t get those moments very often and I didn’t know if it was gonna happen after [Awesome] Kong but, with Taryn it did. I’m very fortunate to have been able to experience a couple of magical moments throughout my career.
She touched on the period of her career when she and Awesome Kong were in WWE together. Gail said there were some higher-ups in the company who acted as if they did not know about she and Kong’s history in TNA/IMPACT.
Kim: When they’re bringing in Kharma [Awesome Kong], I said, ‘Oh yeah,’ something about — I don’t know how the conversation came up about her but, they tried to act like they had never seen me and Kong work before. That’s just how the office was. They would never admit they watch TNA. So they would never admit it. But then I was like, ‘Do you think I’m dumb?’ I was like, ‘Then why did you rehire me? You fired me a couple of years ago so you rehired me for a reason. It’s because you saw what I did with Kong and you hired Kong for a reason, because you saw what she has accomplished’ so, you know, you just take everything with a grain of salt and translate everything to what you believe in to be honest [Gail laughed].
** Former two-time ECW World Tag Team Champion Stevie Richards appeared on René Duprée’s Café De René podcast. He talked about his past experiences with producers he worked with in WWE and was asked about Jamie Noble. Richards explained why he feels Noble was able to secure his spot in WWE by placing the blame on talents when something was done that Vince McMahon was not a fan of.
Well you know why he’s still there now [Richards said in reference to Jamie Noble still being with WWE, taking blame for something that was Noble’s fault].
I think it was England and once again, Jamie had to keep his job and do whatever but I think it was completely unnecessary. Jamie told me to do something and it was kind of outside of what they were — this is when we were going from, ‘Hey guys, give me seven minutes and give me a couple of things but don’t give me move for move.’ This is where they were going into move for move, write it on a piece of paper and Jamie — and I forget. I try to put these — I don’t really remember. I remember stuff but I try not to remember it too much for too long. Jamie pulled me aside — oh, it was his first time agenting or second time agenting and he goes, ‘Guys, you got to go out there and I don’t wanna get any heat’ and just do whatever they gotta do. As a matter of fact, it was what they wanted for the match and it was the exact thing I said, ‘Don’t worry. We won’t go off with anything’ and Jamie said, ‘Why don’t you throw this, this and this in there’ so he came up with a couple things I thought would have made him look good for the office and then he could take credit, the whole deal. So, because if you get heat with the agents, they’ll be the first ones to always bury you and say you have sh*tty matches on the road, house shows and then you’re off the road and you’re not making money. So, I did exactly what Jamie told me to do with the two kind of wild card-type spots or ideas put in there. Vince [McMahon] hated it and in Gorilla, Vince was like, ‘What the f*ck was that? Whose idea was that?’ And Jamie did the ‘ole Johnny Ace, ‘I don’t know. What the hell? I don’t know what they were doing? Stevie, what the f*ck,’ you know? Which usually, Johnny has half a smirk, you know what I mean? To know that like, and he winks at you like just play along type thing. But Jamie seriously threw — it was London, England. He threw me under the bus with it and I was like — I think it was me and Shelton [Benjamin]. That match was on YouTube and it was a really good match. But, it was just something to where I just looked at him and I was just like I didn’t say anything because it’s naturally, why are we gonna get into this right here? I’m just gonna walk off, take the heat and to me, I think there was probably, just my guess because I never experienced it but my guess was that there were times with Jamie throughout the years where that’s what secured his job doing those kinds of things.
Richards dove into what he was able to learn about the pay scale in WWE. He recalled sitting next to John Laurinaitis on a flight and having it explained to him that talents had to make themselves ‘unfireable’ to the point where the company cannot release them because they’re involved in a variety of different things.
I learned a lot about the way they [WWE] worked and Johnny Ace for some reason did take a liking to me and I was always willing to go to OVW and do house shows and get guys ready for TV and be the first match and we flew, I think it was when we did… I believe it was Singapore, Bangkok, Perth, Australia and then back to Phoenix all within four-to-five days. We were in a different country every day but we did the flight from the U.S. to Tokyo I think and Johnny was sitting next to me and we got to know each other and he was explaining — because I was kind of frustrated. I didn’t understand the way it worked and he was quite honest with me that I came in — there was a standard $75,000 a year guarantee but when the guarantees came in — but then it became, if you’re a $75,000 a year guy, then you usually stayed around there. You got up to $100 or $105, maybe $124. I don’t know why these numbers were always consistent with that but they gave you a little bit over that so you couldn’t really b*tch but they always kept you at a level of [Sunday Night] Heat or something where they fed you for a good match with like [Chris] Jericho once in a while or somebody. But you never could break that ceiling but if you came in and I think this is the way I explained it to you René [Duprée]: If you came in as a $200,000 a year guy, you were definitely almost going to be near that I.C. Title thing. If you were three to $400 or $500, you were always going to be in the mix for the I.C. or the tag but you also had a chance to maybe break up and work with the actual champion. It doesn’t mean you would ever break through there but that’s why Johnny sort of explained it to me and he goes, ‘You just have to make yourself completely unfireable and we can’t release you because we’re doing all these different things’ and that’s what I did from that point on.
Looking back on ‘Right to Censor’, Richards claims that it was essentially a rib to get him to cut his hair.
The Right to Censor was only a three-to-four-week deal… That’s all it was supposed to be. It was essentially in some ways a rib to cut my hair.
I think I had the best spot to get the haircut or at least the biggest reason because those guys [Test, Christian Cage etc.] were all still in the same kind of persona. My whole thing was going from the long-haired kid to being this conservative cult leader.
** Taylor Wilde was the guest for episode 66 of Café De René with René Duprée. Wilde reflected on the passing of Shannon ‘Daffney’ Spruill and expressed that she’s sad Daffney is no longer here but just knowing Daffney personally, Wilde is glad she’s free and no longer suffering.
And it’s not like I never even talked about it. Like Daff and I, we didn’t talk about it after. It wasn’t like, wow girl, that was amazing. We made f*cking history [in the Monster’s Ball match at TNA Sacrifice 2009]. But I do think in some regard, that may have been — not the beginning of the end for her because she had already been in the business a long time and had her demons that she was always fighting. But I think she started to do more hardcore things overall, like on the independents and just like anybody who does that, your probability of concussions and post-concussion syndrome and self-medicating to cope with those things, you know? We’ve seen it time and time again. It’s like the Elvis effect, right? So yeah, and you know, I watched her Instagram Live. I had no idea — and it’s weird because I never really had watched anybody’s Live up to that point and I just felt drawn to watch it for whatever reason and all of the Knockouts were on there, we all ended up on there and being like, ‘Daff, we love you.’ I had just talked to her two weeks before. I had a voice note still on my phone, asking her to do my podcast. But, as horrible and morbid as it is, she had been in a lot of pain for a long time both mentally and physically and by no sense of the word do I say suicide is an outlet but, knowing her the way I did, at least she’s free, you know what I mean? I’m sad she’s not with us. I’m sad there wasn’t anyone around to take her out of that horrible, dark place but when you’re in that much pain, you’re in that much suffering, like…
** New WWE signee Logan Paul received advice from Shawn Michaels while Michaels was on The Michael Kay Show. Michaels feels Paul has what it takes to be in WWE and encouraged him to go back and learn the basics of pro wrestling because the basics will take him further.
Well look, I think he’s [Logan Paul] an unbelievably natural, gifted athlete. He’s certainly got the gift of gab. He has all the qualities I think that make up a WWE superstar. Being so popular right now, honestly, the best advice would be if he could have as much as time to put in for some of those basics, you know what I mean? When you get thrown out there and WrestleMania is your first match, sometimes it’s very hard to go back and have an opportunity to learn some of the simpler, basic things that eventually will go a long way and carry you longer so that would be the only thing I would [say] is don’t be afraid to go out there and go back through the A, B and Cs of this stuff because starting at WrestleMania is not the reality of what everybody is probably gonna have all the time.
** To promote WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia in November for Crown Jewel, Bianca Belair spoke to ‘Arab News’. She looked back on the last time she was in Saudi which was for the Elimination Chamber event where she secured her title match at WrestleMania 38.
We have such an extensive roster, so much talent on the roster as far as the women (are concerned). So that speaks volumes of how extensive and deep our roster goes. You know, we have so many amazing women and to be one of the women to represent WWE and represent women in Saudi Arabia is one thing. But to be the woman that stands on top and wins the whole entire Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia, that then punched my ticket to WrestleMania (was) amazing, but to do it in Saudi Arabia, like I said, where I feel like the moment is way bigger than me … I love being a part of moments when it’s not just about me or going after the title or getting a WrestleMania opportunity, but where there’s representation, where history is being made, where moments are being made for people to remember and to affect people and inspire people.
** Pro Wrestling NOAH uploaded an interview with Hiroshi Tanahashi to their YouTube channel. Tanahashi spoke about Keiji Muto’s retirement tour and confirmed that he will not be facing Muto in that last match.
** The press in Japan caught up with Atsushi Onita to get his thoughts on the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Onita spent time with Abe in the early 2000s while he was in leadership.
** Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling is bringing back their ‘Go Girl’ event on August 28th at Korakuen Hall. Only women are able to attend and it is going to be admission free.
** ‘Hey Stamford! Food Festival’ announced their partnership with WWE to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research through Connor’s Cure. The dates for the festival are August 11th-14th and the 19th-21st. Happy Corbin is scheduled for 8/13 and newly crowned SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan will be there on the 14th.
** Anthony Greene versus Stallion Rodgers is official for Pro Wrestling NOAH’s 7/10 show.
** Episode 12 of the ‘Best Rivals’ podcast is out and Lindsay Snow was a guest.
** All Japan Pro Wrestling ‘Summer Action Series’ Results (7/9/22) Yokohama, Japan
– Yoshitatsu def. Black Menso-re
– Izanagi vs. Yusuke Kodama – Time Limit Draw (10:00)
-Ryuki Honda & Shotaro Ashino def. Shuji Ishikawa & Takao Omori
– Yuma Aoyagi def. Hokuto Omori
– Hikaru Sato vs. Suwama – No Contest
– Kosei Fujita & Tiger Mask def. Dan Tamura & Ryo Inoue
– Atsuki Aoyagi & Jake Lee def. Kento Miyahara & Rising HAYATO
** WDRB Sports ran a story about IMPACT Wrestling’s ‘Derby City Rumble’ show in Louisville, Kentucky. IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander and Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace were interviewed.
** Koffin Radio has an interview with Bateman.
** E! is rolling out a new cooking series titled ‘Celebrity Beef’ and among those scheduled to appear on the program are The Bella Twins (Nikki & Brie Bella).
** July 9th birthdays: Kevin Nash.
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.
