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.
** New Japan Pro-Wrestling is viewing applications from those looking to pursue a career in wrestling. If accepted, they’ll have the opportunity to be guided by Kazuchika Okada. Okada was interviewed by Nikkan SPA! and explained why he is taking on the role. The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion says New Japan needs more stars and as much as he would like to stay on top for decades to come, he knows that’s not possible.
I want to create stars who will lead New Japan in the future. In order to create a star, it is faster if a star teaches a star, isn’t it? Besides, I myself did not originally come to New Japan as a member of the wrestling elite. Although I entered the world after graduating from junior high school, I did not have a spectacular record in amateur wrestling like other wrestlers. When I first joined Toryumon [Ultimo Dragon’s wrestling school], I couldn’t even do 500 squats and everyone around me kept telling me that I was no good. I am proud to say that I have something to teach a wide range of people because of this experience. I want to give back to New Japan Pro-Wrestling by raising the next top person myself.
If someone can beat me, that means he is a star among stars. I want more and more people like that to join us. It is with such people that the future of New Japan Pro-Wrestling will exist. We must pass on to the next generation the sashes that have been passed down from one generation to the next for the past 50 years. To do that, we need stars and the more stars we have, the better. I wish I could stay at the top for another 100 years, but that is impossible. There is a limit to how long I can stay at the top. By nurturing such a top star with my own hands, I can repay New Japan Pro-Wrestling and engrave the name of Okada Kazuchika in the history of the wrestling world as the man who created a new top star.
** Back in 1994, Jacques Rougeau had his first retirement match against PCO at a house show in Montreal, Canada. PCO shared during a virtual signing with Captain’s Corner that the event was filmed and was supposed to be released on WWF Coliseum Video. That plan was done away with following a disagreement between Vince McMahon and Jacques. PCO added that Jacques received a $50,000 payout for the match and has the paystub framed in his home gym.
You could see it coming [The Quebecers split] but the big split was done on a house show in Montreal where it was like maybe ten, 12,000 people so those ten, 12,000 people saw it, then when we did the return for the Jacq Rougeau retirement match, we worked on top of the bill, we were the main event. You had Undertaker and Yokozuna working under us. It was Shawn Michaels, the whole TV roster was there like Double J Jarrett, Razor Ramon, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart. It was like 11, 12 matches on the card.
A lot of scalpers, totally sold out. It was awesome.
The WWF, they had brought the camera for that. It was supposed to be a Coliseum Video, collection tape. But what happened was a big argument between Jacq and Vince McMahon and Vince said, ‘We’re not gonna do it anymore.’ It was shot. Everything’s ready. They could release it now if they wanted… Jacq retired over either thinking or knowing that he didn’t have the money they promised him for that year so, so basically he ended up asking for 50 Gs for his last match against me. Well he got it. He framed it in his gym. Yeah, the check, the receipt or whatever [PCO laughed].
While PCO has enjoyed being in stables and tag teams, he is looking to go on another singles run and sees that for himself in IMPACT Wrestling.
Probably a big — for a while, a big single run [could be what’s in my future in IMPACT Wrestling]. I think it’s time now for the monster to be by himself and see what he can do by himself or with Destro. But, yeah, that’s what I think… I like every single one of my partners that I had but, I had a great time with Honor No More, I had a great time with Villain Enterprises.
** Actor Holt McCallany has been cast as Fritz Von Erich in the film ‘The Iron Claw’ which is about the Von Erich family. Johnny Rodz, who’s been training wrestlers for over 30 years is working with McCallany to prepare him for the role. Rodz discussed working with Holt while on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw.
Right now, I’m training Holt McCanally. I don’t know if you guys know, he’s a movie star. I’m training Holt McCallany in my ring now. I got another month to go with him. I’m staying late at night to help him out. If you Google Holt McCallany, he’s a star. He did a boxing thing a long time ago but because he did that, he knew I was at Gleason’s Gym. Now, gentlemen, he’s doing practice wrestling with me to do Fritz Von Erich new movie that’s gonna come out about a year from now about the drama, his sons dying and all that. He’s doing Fritz Von Erich and I’m training him for that.
Right now, this gentleman wants to be Fritz Von Erich. Can you imagine, Gerry [Brisco] and John [Bradshaw Layfield], me trying to make this guy who looks like Fritz Von Erich, like the old man? Can you imagine me trying to make him do The Claw? And walk around like Fritz did. I know what Fritz used to work like but can you imagine? I gotta train this guy for two months for him to learn how to do a little skit like that which is that he’s only got another month to go. He’s a nice guy, a real sweetheart of a guy.
And I’m gonna succeed because I’m not gonna say I can’t. I’m gonna make him look like he could do the stiff moves that the [wrestlers back then] did. You know how the old timers work. We didn’t climb up there and triple somersault and landed on some guy or I don’t know what… He’s stiff like a board so I’m trying to loosen him up so this way, I can help him. He’s a real good guy, he’s gonna do it. He’s already signed a contract and the people making the movie, he says they got a lot of money. So what happens now is that it’s already started so they’re gonna take about a year before they finish with this. All about the poor sons that died, the whole drama and a couple of skits in the ring with Fritz wrestling.
** Nick Gage guest appeared on Busted Open Radio with David LaGreca and Thunder Rosa. He shared that at some point over the last several years, he fell out of love with wrestling but watching younger talents in GCW hone their craft made him regain that passion.
That match I just had with Jon Moxley [at GCW Fight Club] was just incredible. You know, I kind of fell out of love with wrestling for a little bit so I took some time off for a year. But that year, I needed it because I sat and watched them young, talented wrestlers learn how to wrestle and bust their ass each and every night because you know GCW travels everywhere, we’re running shows every weekend mostly and to get to sit back and watch them guys, it inspired me to get back to f*cking doing what I love and that’s pro wrestling and get back in the gym and get back to where I need to be and now I love it and I just wanna say shout out to all the young talent, all the veterans in the GCW locker room that motivated me to get back to the top notch where I belong.
** Coming off his guest referee spot at WWE Extreme Rules, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier joined The Ringer’s Masked Man Show. He spoke about officiating the Fight Pit match and joked about his response to fans in attendance who asked him to climb on the ledge with Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle.
That ledge up there [Fight Pit at Extreme Rules], it looked cool on TV, but I mean, it was hard. It was like L.E.D. lights or something like that. It was like a frame with L.E.D. lights on top of it. These guys are fighting up there and fans are going, ‘D.C., climb up there.’ I’m like, ‘Not enough zeros next to [my pay] to get me to climb up that cage,’ you know what I’m saying? [Cormier laughed] It was crazy to watch those guys perform up there.
Rollins lost the Fight Pit match but the following Monday Night Raw, he captured the United States Championship. Cormier expressed his excitement about Rollins’ title reign and thinks he’ll elevate the belt to new heights.
Bro listen, and we’re in the ring, it was a reaction for when I come out the curtain [at Extreme Rules]. There’s a reaction when [Matt] Riddle comes out the curtain. There is everybody on edge and everybody standing… but when he [Seth Rollins] comes out, everybody’s up and singing. It’s just a difference. It is as clear anything in regards to reception. They are going crazy when this man hits the curtain. The moment you hear that little [beginning of Rollins’ theme], they just go nuts, people go nuts and it’s just, I’m so happy for the dude because I know how hard he worked to get to where he is today and you know, it’s been difficult because he’s always had a guy that’s always been with him. It’s hard when somebody’s with you, right? For the Macho Man, I loved him so much because he was doing all that he did while still having to be with [Hulk] Hogan in that same era where everybody thought Hulk Hogan and now Rollins has been with Roman Reigns the entire time. So he’s dealt with the same thing and still carved out a nice space for himself to become as huge as he is. Him winning the United States Title is gonna elevate that title like it hasn’t been viewed in a long time. So excited about that.
On the NXT front, Cormier enjoys The Creed Brothers’ work. He singled out Julius Creed and thinks he’ll be WWE Champion one day.
They’re good bro. The Creed Brothers are really good. Let me tell you something, Jake [Julius Creed] is gonna be a main event player at some point and I’m not taking anything away from his brother [Brutus Creed] but, look at him, you can just look at him and see that he’s got that thing, right? He’s big, he’s in phenomenal shape, he can do anything in the ring. I asked him the other day, I said, ‘How do you do that one move?’ He goes, ‘What?’ I go, ‘When you’re sitting on your butt and you got a guy in a suplex and you stand up. How in the world do you get up with a guy on your shoulders?’ And he was kind of explaining it to me. I’m not telling you guys that [podcast hosts]. It’s crazy how he can do that. The kid’s got everything. He can do high-flying moves, he can wrestle as a powerhouse, he can do it all. He’s gonna be a future champion and maybe not right now you view him as a future WWE Champion but he will be at some point. I really believe this.
** Prior to IMPACT Wrestling Bound For Glory, Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace joined Straight Talk Wrestling. She dove into how more eyes can be brought back or over to IMPACT’s product. Grace feels the stigma around the company must be changed and added that one single person cannot cause more people to tune in. She added that-that was a route that was taken when AEW talents were brought over.
I sure hope so [I can help bring more eyes to the Knockouts division]. Obviously, I can’t do it myself because I’m not the person who gets eyes on IMPACT I guess you would say. One person is not gonna make someone watch IMPACT I don’t think. I know that they tried to do that with a couple of people, just bringing them over from AEW but I think it’s just a thing where people have to get over the stigma of the old TNA and I hear it all the time about, you know, so and so ruined TNA and they never watched again but it’s been ten years. So I really feel like if for nothing else, you just gotta watch it one time just to give it a chance and Bound For Glory is a great opportunity to give it another chance because honestly, our pay-per-views have not missed in a long time. We have some of the best pay-per-views in professional wrestling period.
** As Shawn Michaels continues to be at the helm of the WWE NXT product, he told Corey Graves and Vic Joseph on After The Bell that one of the biggest attributes he looks for in talents is charisma.
I think there’s a number of things [that stand out to me in terms of what I look for in a talent] but obviously, believe it not [Michaels laughed], character is a big thing but to me, it’s charisma. Again, because I feel like from an athletic standpoint now, we’re getting some machines in here. We are getting studs, so, you know, there’s not much athletically they might not be able to handle so I think, to me, it’s seeing that X factor that everybody talks about. You can’t really describe it but you just see it and look, I think you would be able to give it a word, it is charisma and a comfortability with what it is we’re doing and again, I think that to me is the first thing that I look for from them because again, you got a lot of people that can chase numbers, that can push a lot of weight around, can set certain goals and achieve every one of them from a physical aspect here at the Performance Center but it’s being able to understand the performance and the entertainment aspect of this and that’s what I think separates the men from the boys so to speak.
** At the end of 2021, the Ice Ribbon promotion lost multiple wrestlers who opted to depart the promotion. Hikaru Shida, who is one-half of Ice Ribbon’s International Ribbon Tag Team Champions was interviewed by Sports Graphic Number. Shida commented on those exits and said it’s important that the promotion’s younger talent continue moving forward and views the shift as an opportunity to change things.
No one knows what will happen to Ice Ribbon from now on. What is important is that young wrestlers keep moving forward. When I was a member of Ice Ribbon, [Emi] Sakura and the other members quit and the number of members decreased. Then Tsukasa [Fujimoto] became the director and I became the coach. I thought the situation at that time was a chance to change many things and I hope the current wrestlers feel the same way. If things don’t go well, it’s enough to destroy Ice Ribbon once. Not only in the ring, but also in the management system.
** In early August, Karl Fredericks announced that he would not be re-signing with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and was opting to become a free agent. Clark Connors, who became close with Fredericks at the NJPW L.A. Dojo, spoke to Ringsiders Wrestling and commented on Fredericks’ future.
Everyone [from my NJPW Dojo class] is really doing well right now and yeah, I’ve always thought that. Karl [Fredericks] is a superstar. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, he’s got that.
** For Shingo Takagi and El Phantasmo’s match at NJPW Rumble on 44th Street, Shingo proposed that they compete in a ‘Last Daddy Standing Match’ which is a play off of their ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ match but under Last Man Standing rules.
** Tokyo Sports reporter Yusuke Okamoto wrote about Katsuya Kitamura’s passing. He’s conducted interviews with Kitamura in the past.
** NJPW Battle Autumn Results (10/15/22) Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
– TAKA Michinoku & Taichi def. KENTA & Gedo
– Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii def. Tomoaki Honma, Ren Narita & Togi Makabe
– Alex Zayne, David Finlay, Master Wato & Tiger Mask def. El Desperado, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
– Yujiro Takahashi & SHO def. Jado & Hikuleo
– Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, SANADA & Titán) def. Great-O-Khan, Gideon Grey, TJP & Francesco Akira
– Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi def. Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
– NJPW World Television Championship Tournament Match: EVIL def. Aaron Henare
– NJPW World Television Championship Tournament Match: YOSHI-HASHI def. Jeff Cobb
** Titus O’Neil sent a video message to a student in Dayton, Ohio whose cancer is in remission. O’Neil informed the student, his classmates and their teacher that they’ll be attending a WWE house show on October 22nd.
** Sheamus brought back Celtic Warrior Workouts and Bobby Lashley was his guest.
** Pro Wrestling NOAH ‘Sunny Voyage’ Results (10/15/22) Sun Arena Sendai in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima, Japan
– Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Manabu Soya, Tadasuke & Hajime Ohara def. Takashi Sugiura, Satoshi Kojima, Naomichi Marufuji, Atsushi Kotoge & Alejandro
– Chris Ridgeway, Yoshinari Ogawa & Jack Morris def. Kaito Kiyomiya, HAYATA & Yasutaka Yano
– Seiki Yoshioka def. Hi69
– Masato Tanaka, Mohammed Yone & Akitoshi Saito def. Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba & Yoshiki Inamura
– Ninja Mack & YO-HEY def. Super Crazy & Eita
– Xtreme Tiger def. Kai Fujimura
– Shuhei Taniguchi def. Daishi Ozawa
** Pro Wrestling NOAH’s October 16th show will stream for free on their YouTube channel up until the third match.
** Dragongate Japan Pro Wrestling ‘The Gate of Victory’ Results (10/15/22) Kobe Sambo Hall in Kobe, Japan
– Dragon Dia & Madoka Kikuta def. Ishin Iihashi & Mochizuki Jr.
– Ho Ho Lun, Jacky Funky Kamei & Super Shenlong def. Mondai Ryu, Punch Tominaga & Takashi Yoshida
– Yuki Yoshioka def. Kaito Nagano
– Dragon Kid, Gurukun Mask, Syachihoko BOY & Ultimo Dragon def. BIG BOSS Shimizu, Don Fujii, Genki Horiguchi & Kono Mama Ichikawa
– Z-Brats (BxB Hulk, Diamante & KAI) def. Masaaki Mochizuki, Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda
– Natural Vibes (Kzy, Strong Machine J & U-T) def. Ben-K, Kota Minoura & Minorita
– Open The Brave Gate Championship: H.Y.O (c) def. Jason Lee
** For the most recent edition of AEW Unrestricted, The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) were the featured guests.
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.
