POST NEWS UPDATE: Mall of America hosts wrestling show for the first time in 27 years

Claudio Castagnoli talks friendship with Sheamus, Canadian indie talent set for Toronto AEW show, weekend results & more.

September 11, 2022 Neal Flanagan NEWS
Photo Courtesy: F1RST Wrestling

POST News Update: Mall of America hosts wrestling show for the first time in 27 years

** The Mall of America, which was the venue for WCW Monday Nitro’s premiere on September 4th, 1997, last night played host to a wrestling show for the first time in 27 years.

Independent promotion F1RST Wrestling put on the event at the enormous 5.6 million sq ft venue, featuring Rob Van Dam, Orange Cassidy, Ethan Page, Dante and Darius Martin, Colt Cabana, and Effy.

Under the banner of “Saturday Night Nitro”, the Bloomington, Minnesota venue was sold out for the show, which was also available on FITE TV.

Full results:

  • Arik Cannon def Darin Corbin
  • Ethan Page def Jah-C
  • F1RST Wrestling Uptown VFW Championship: Devon Monroe (c) def Brandon Gore, Lince Dorado, and Rylie Jackson
  • Free-Range Kara def Billie Starkz w/ Lisa Marie Varon as the special referee
  • Orange Cassidy def Effy
  • ThunderFrog won a Rumble Match involving Warhorse, Dark Sheik, Badger Briggs, Black Stallion, ESQ, Kal Creed, Ryan Cruz, Shane Black, and Lore
  • Colt Cabana def Dak Draper
  • Rob Van Dam vs. Dante Martin w/ Darius Martin was a no-contest after the Trustbusters interrupted the match
  • Dante Martin & Rob Van Dam def The Trustbusters (Sonny Kiss & Ari Daivari)

** Ring of Honor World Champion Claudio Castagnoli appeared on the latest AEW Unrestricted podcast, during which he spoke in glowing terms of his former WWE tag partner, Sheamus.

Castagnoli, addressing his run as Cesaro in ‘The Bar’ with Sheamus, said:

I think that was probably the funnest three years…We are both from Europe, so we have similarities, but we were not best friends. We were just like coworkers, cordial, and we talked. We were not best friends, and we became best friends over those years, and we are still best friends.”

We had a great time, especially when we went internationally going to all kinds of football stadiums and stuff like that. If something’s authentic, it will connect with the fans, I feel, and that’s the stuff that you cannot fabricate.

** Canadian independent wrestler Chantal has spoken of her delight at being selected to take part in the Toronto AEW tapings in October.

In an interview with the Alliance Pro Wrestling podcast, she revealed that she had been picked for the spot by QT Marshall after he scouted her during a Lutte Wrestling Academie competition that netted the winners a chance to train at the Nightmare Factory.

As a result, she will appear on AEW Dark.

New Brunswick’s Chantal said (transcription courtesy of Fightful):

It just kind of really happened. It couldn’t have happened at a better time just because I was already planning on expanding, like going to work and wrestle in the United States come 2023. So I think that this will help a lot with exposure especially in promotions down there. So I’m hoping to get like as many bookings in the States as in Canada.

That opportunity makes me nervous, but also happy because it is exposure, and whatever happens, happens from it, of course. But that’s the only thing is that you never feel fully ready, but you just have to do it.

** Freddie Prinze Jr, actor, and former WWE writer has claimed that he knows “for a fact” that the producers were supposed to cut the live feed before Drew McIntyre and Tyson Fury’s sing-along with the crowd at Clash at the Castle.

Speaking on his podcast ‘Wrestling with Freddie’, he said:

The end of the match was weird because they forgot to say, ‘cut’. I know this for a fact. I asked a couple of people. They left the feed running and, all of a sudden, Drew McIntyre was feeling good. Tyson Fury came out to the ring, and they sang.

** AEW posted a brief hype video for the upcoming ‘Grand Slam’ event at Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, on September 21st. None of the promotion’s currently-suspended talent is featured in the clip.

** NJPW Burning Spirit Tour results, 11th September 2022, Togane Arena

  • Dick Togo, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, EVIL def Akio Fujita, YOH, YOSHI-HASHI, & Hirooki Goto
  • Aaron Henare, Francisco Akira, & TJP def The DKC, Master Wato, & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens def Gideon Gray & Jeff Cobb
  • Jado, Tomoaki Honma, Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA def Gedo, Hikuleo, KENTA, & Taiji Ishimori
  • BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA def TAKA Michinoku, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, & Zack Sabre Jr
  • JONAH, Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito def Toru Yano, Togi Makabe, & Kazuchika Okada
  • Great-O-Khan def Yuji Nagata

** Wrestling fans who took note of the bakery mentioned by CM Punk during his now-notorious press availability after All Out has taken the opportunity to have some fun in leaving reviews for the outlet.

There are some less-than-funny attempts at humor among the Google reviews for Mindy’s Bakery, but they include:

My buddy Ace visited here after failing to eat Kenneth Omega. Awesome muffins.

I have every receipt. I have every invoice.

The muffins sure beat eating a chair, or a co-worker.

About Neal Flanagan 1101 Articles
Based in Northern Ireland, Neal Flanagan is a former newspaper journalist and copy editor. In addition to reporting for POST Wrestling, he co-hosts The Wellness Policy podcast with Wai Ting and Jordan Goodman.
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