If any of the quotes from the following podcasts or video interviews are used, please credit those sources and provide an H/T and link back to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
** The National Wrestling Alliance officially added Joe Alonzo to their talent roster as he has signed a deal with the company. Alonzo guest appeared on Robert Anthony’s ‘Podding With Ego’ podcast and among the many topics they dove into, one was Alonzo’s extra work with WWE. There were a series of stories involving former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis and one involving former CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon.
Alonzo started off by recounting getting a match with Veer on Main Event prior to Monday Night Raw. Alonzo was originally supposed to have a segment with Kevin Owens on Raw, but Laurinaitis said he looks like a wrestler and there was no need for him to play the role of a production guy.
Alonzo: I show up and the first thing they [WWE] tell me is, ‘Hey, you have a segment with Kevin Owens…’ [This is in] Chicago in Rosemont. So then, they tell me I’m doing that and then [John] Laurinaitis saw me and goes, ‘He looks like he might be a professional wrestler. It would make no sense for him to go out and be a production guy. We need someone with short hair…’ I was pissed. I’m like, f*ck dude and then they were gonna give Storm [Grayson] the match. So I was like, damn, he already got the match. He doesn’t need one… So they took the guy who was getting the match that I ended up getting, they gave him to Kevin Owens and they just last second flip flopped and it was me to wrestle Veer [on Main Event]. They just flipped our spots.
Back in April, Joe had a match against GUNTHER on SmackDown. He received a positive response from people backstage. Coming out of the match, Alonzo contacted Robert Anthony and they came up with a plan for Joe to cut a promo in front of John Laurinaitis. Joe sought out advice from an unnamed individual who told him not to be thirsty for a job. The second person Joe went to for feedback about the idea encouraged him to go through with it, but Laurinaitis had already left the arena.
Alonzo: So, I do SmackDown [in April 2022]. Had the GUNTHER match. Walk through the curtain, everyone’s telling me how good of a job I did. Didn’t you say that as the count was happening, you got a text?
Anthony: I did.
Alonzo: What’d the text say?
Anthony: ‘Joe did amazing…’ I could look it up but my phone’s recording but it was a positive text. ‘He did really well.’
Alonzo: Pretty important names texted you and said I killed it, right? So then, everyone’s congratulating, [John] Laurinaitis shook my hand and I get to the locker room, I call you, thanking you and you were like, ‘Dude, put all that sh*t in the past. F*ck the match that just happened. Now, here’s what you need to do: You need to go find Laurinaitis, you need to pull him aside and you need to cut that promo to Laurinaitis. You are not leaving tonight unless you cut that f*cking promo in front of Laurinaitis.’
Anthony: We had a plan that Joe wasn’t gonna ask John Laurinaitis to watch him wrestle. He wanted to have him hear him cut a promo. Right in front of you. Usually, guys go up to people and say, ‘Hey, can you please watch our match? Can you please watch our match?’ I told Joe, ‘Go tell him something he’s never heard before.’ Say, ‘I want to cut a promo for you right now’ and that takes balls. There is not one independent wrestler out there that would have thought that or had a plan to do that… So when I told Joe that, you got nervous and you questioned it. You were like, ‘Wait, what!?’ And I had to sell it to you. I’m like, ‘Every f*cking extra from Chicago to California is asking them can you watch my match? Can you watch my match? Can you watch me wrestle?’ They don’t give a f*ck about you wrestling. They care if you could talk and get people into the building… So I told you to go cut the promo. You didn’t find him, right? He was gone.
Alonzo: So, I went to one person and pretty much was like, ‘Hey, have you seen Laurinaitis?’ He goes, ‘Why? What do you need?’ He was very quick to be like, why are you asking me this question? And then I kind of told him. I was like, here’s my idea and he pretty much just said, ‘Don’t be thirsty for a job’ and he goes, ‘There’s a lot of people who’ve been thirsty and they’ve said some things to Laurinaitis or anyone and it kind of buried them to never come back.’ So he’s like, ‘Don’t be too thirsty’ so then I said, f*ck that advice. I found somebody else, because if someone tells me an answer I don’t like, I need to find someone who’s going to give me the answer that I want and it was your boy and I told him and at first, he was like, ‘Ah, you know what? He knows who you are… We come to Chicago, the Midwest a lot.’ He’s like, ‘If you were in a state that we never really come to, I’d say go for it’ but he’s like, ‘You’re gonna see him again’ and whatever and then he’s like, ‘So I’d say no.’ But then he goes, ‘But you know, you just wrestled in front of him. I seen him come up to you and shake your hand after the match. You know what? What is he gonna do?’ He told me, he goes, ‘You’ve already done twice now with all you can do with extra work.’ So he’s like, ‘F*ck it. Go for it.’ So, Laurinaitis f*cking leaves early.
Although Laurinaitis left, Joe was able to meet and shake hands with Vince McMahon after the show. McMahon was with his security team and initially, Joe gave McMahon a head nod and the former Chairman of WWE walked past him. Vince then turned back around, shook Alonzo’s hand and told him he did a good job in the match with GUNTHER.
Alonzo: So then, I noticed [John Laurinaitis] dipped out. I was like, damn and then after I noticed he was gone, I was like, well I’m gonna stay right here anyways because everyone already kind of left and I know Vince [McMahon] is walking out soon. So I just wanna get my face in front of Vince, right? So then pyro goes off, end of the show happens, everyone’s walking back. Vince’s security guards are always like 15 feet in front of him, right? So he starts walking by and I’m like, ah sh*t, he always tells everyone to clear out. I’m the only one in the area so I just hide behind the tall bins that they put everything in, the titles and all that. There’s two of ‘em. I stand in between them.
I hide in between the things. Vince’s security guard walks past me. Vince just walks past me. He was walking. I give him a little nod and he didn’t look at me, he walks past me and I’m like, oh, all right and then he just turns, looks at me, comes up, walks up to me, puts his hand out, nice, firm handshake and goes, ‘Good job tonight kid. Thank you very much’ and then walks and I was like — I don’t even know what I said to be honest. I think I was just like, ‘… Thank you.’ I don’t know what I said but then he walked off and then I went up to whatshisname… I go, ‘I didn’t get to cut the promo in front of Laurinaitis, but however, this happened’ and he’s like, ‘And that’s genuine. Vince doesn’t give a f*ck about anyone, who you are.’ So he’s like, ‘So if he came up to you, that’s legit. That’s how you know you did a good job.’
There came a point when Joe was invited back to do extra work for WWE and was able to cut that aforementioned promo for Laurinaitis. He went back one time prior, was not used and was determined to not let that happen again. An individual who works for WWE that Alonzo knows from outside of wrestling was able to get him an on-the-spot meeting with Laurinaitis.
Joe recapped the promo he cut and shared that Laurinaitis liked it and the banter they had. The individual who was present for it told Joe that Laurinaitis thought all he lacked was size. This led to Joe being the only extra who was able to do a pre-tape. It took several attempts for him to get that promo right, but he got it done. The following week, Laurinaitis was no longer actively with WWE as the hush-money stories and Laurinaitis’ involvement in the allegations began to circulate.
Alonzo: Yes [I drove to Detroit for WWE and was not used] and you [Robert Anthony] were happy. You were like, ‘I’m glad. This is humbling, this is humbling.’
So then the next time, I told myself, I was like, yo, I am not gonna not do nothing again. I’m cutting this promo for [John] Laurinaitis. I’m finding him, it’s gonna happen and the night, I was already dressed as a security guard for a segment with Bobby Lashley and so I’m in the security thing and then whatever happens, someone hooks me up to just introduce me to Laurinaitis… I know this person personally, outside of wrestling… what are the chances of that? And then I told him, I was like, ‘I had this idea…’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll just find him at the right time. What time do you think is the best?’ And he’s like, ‘Well usually between this time and this time. He might not be doing anything and why not?’ He’s like, ‘Just don’t give him an out.’ He said, ‘If you come up to him and ask him to cut the promo, be kind of pushy on it… Don’t say, if you don’t have the time right now because then you’re giving him the option to say no. Don’t give him the option to say no. If you say, if you have time then he’ll be like, I don’t have time. So just be like, hey, can I cut this promo for you right now?’ So then I told him that and he just goes, ‘Or I could just bring you to his room and I can introduce you and you can cut the promo for him…’ My knees started shaking dude.
He’s like, ‘All right, let me be right back.’ So, such and such goes inside of Laurinaitis’ office and three minutes later, he comes out… Yes [it was the longest three minutes of my life]. He comes up to me, he goes — and I thought it was gonna be later — he comes up to me, he goes, ‘Can you do it right now?’ I’m like, ‘F*ck bro.’ Storm Grayson was right there and in that three minutes, I cut that promo three times. I was cutting the promo to Storm, like on the side. ‘Can I cut the promo on you?’ He was like, ‘Do it.’ So I kept repeating the lines, repeating what I had, repeating it and he’s like, ‘Good luck dude if you go in…’ So, such and such opens the door, he comes and he’s like, ‘Let’s go’ and I’m like, ‘F*ck.’ So my stomach’s hurting right now from telling this story. So we walk in the room and it’s just an empty office which is literally one table and a computer, a laptop and a chair. Laurinaitis, his back is to us so he’s on the laptop, door shuts. I hate the sound of silence. So I just go, ‘How you doing John? Nice to you meet you.’ Right away… He doesn’t say hello, doesn’t turn around and then he just goes, ‘One second…’ He was typing and whatshisname is in the room with us so he’s by the door and I’m looking at him and he’s just telling me to chill out, just calm down, calm down. So then he turns around, he’s like, ‘All right.’ He’s like, ‘What’s your name?’ I’m like, ‘Joe Alonzo.’ He’s like, ‘How old are you?’ I’m like, ‘25 years old.’ Asked me height, weight, all this stuff.
I was upset because the questions he’s asking me are the questions I’m already giving in the promo… He asked me who trained me and I said, ‘Robert Anthony’. He’s like, ‘Robert Anthony… Do I know who that is?’ ‘You gave him a job at Deep South’ and he’s like, ‘I sign a lot of people…’
So he’s like, ‘All right, let’s hear it…’ So you [Robert Anthony] had that line, right? [About not having anything or anyone at home holding you back and wanting to commit to making money for the company] I asked you, I kept bugging you, ‘Help me write this promo’ and you said, ‘You gotta do it on your own man. You gotta do it on your own.’ So, I didn’t actually cut this promo for you until SmackDown where I was like, ‘Rob, before I go cut this promo to Johnny, you need to hear this promo’ and I said it to you over the phone, you’re like, ‘Love it, go for it, go’ and I’m like, ‘All right.’ So that was the first time you ever heard it and I memorized that. He’s like, ‘All right, go ahead. The floor is yours’ and I go, I was like, ‘Before I even start on this promo, I just wanna thank you for even giving me the time of day because I know you’re a busy man.’ I shifted into the promo rather than like, all right, scene. I was like, ‘I know you get a lot of guys asking you, hey, can you watch this match? Can you take a look at this match for me? Can you take a look at that? But I’m simply asking to cut a promo for you live in the flesh. Now who would have the balls to do something like that? Who would have the guts to come up to John Laurinaitis and ask to cut a promo for him? Joe Alonzo, that’s who. The 25-year-old punk kid from Chicago who never learned to shut his mouth, who’s always finding himself getting into some sort of trouble…’ I said personal, family sh*t and then I go, ‘The reason I didn’t fall into that trap of that system, of that lifestyle that I should have grew up to become that person…’ I was talking Leonardo [DiCaprio], Wolf of Wall Street [style]… As I’m doing it, my knees are just like that… My knees are shaking as I’m doing this and I think, at least in my mind, my voice sounds like I’m about to cry because I’m so f*cking nervous. But I’m supposed to be cocky and I’m like, oh dude and so I go, ‘The reason why I didn’t fall into that trap of that system, of that lifestyle was because of one single distraction and that distraction was the WWE and this isn’t the part where I go into the spiel of, oh, this is something that I want because this is not just something I want John. This is what I need’ and then I just go to put myself over. I’m the most, this, this, this and this but I was like, ‘What good is it having all these talents if I only get to showcase it for the local independents of Chicago? Back home at Chicago, I have no responsibilities, I have no wife, I have no kids, I have zero obligation to stay in my city. I’m ready to make myself and WWE more money than I don’t even know what to do with. So here’s the go-home to this promo because the go-home to this promo is not up to me, it’s up to you John because one of two things are gonna happen here. Either one, you take a chance to change my life and you send me to Orlando, Florida to prove that I can make millions of dollars for myself and this company or two, you send me back home to Chicago, showcase my talents there. Maybe I’ll catch the attention of another company, maybe I won’t or I’ll just go down as another wasted talent. The choice is yours. My fate is in your hands John. Do what you will with it…’ The room goes f*cking silent and John looks at me, looks at whoever and just has a little smirk and he goes, ‘Kid can cut a good promo’ and then he goes, ‘Why is your hair tied up in a bun?’ And I go, ‘I have a segment to do as a security guard.’ He’s like, ‘That’s not what I asked you. Why is your hair up in a bun?’ I said, ‘Probably because they think it looks more professional.’ He’s like, ‘Exactly.’ So he hinted for me to cut my hair and I just go, ‘Yeah, but it looks really good when it’s down and it’s wet and the girls love it’ and he just laughed.
I didn’t know what else to say. I don’t look good with short hair so I don’t know what else to say to that. So then, he turns to whatever and goes, ‘Get this to me and then we’ll get the ball rolling on this next week.’ I’m like, I don’t know what the f*ck that means and I’m like, ‘All right, thank you very much,’ shook his hand, went outside. Such and such comes outside five minutes later and he goes, ‘Yo, Ace loved you’ and I’m like, ‘Nah, be honest with me. Tell me if I was dog sh*t. I need you to tell me right now. Do not f*ck with me.’ He’s like, ‘No.’ He’s like, ‘What he said was word for word. Kid can cut a good f*cking promo,’ but you just lack size. So I’m like, ‘I can’t grow this way but I can grow this way’ and he’s like, ‘That’s fine, that’s fine. So what you’re gonna do now is you’re gonna come up with a completely different promo. You’re gonna go to the pre-tapes’ and he was like, ‘I’ll give you some time. If you need 30 minutes, just put your sh*t together’ and he’s like, ‘Come find me and we’ll take you to pre-tapes.’ Immediately, I was like, ‘Okay, cool.’ Run to the furthest end of the arena, I call you, you’re not answering. I call Michelle, I’m like, ‘You need to go get your f*cking husband. This is an emergency, 9-1-1’ and then she, like, ‘Rob! Rob!’ You’re outside or whatever and you get the phone and I tell you I just cut the promo for Laurinaitis and you’re sitting there trying to argue with me whether I’m telling you the truth or not. I’m like, ‘I don’t have f*cking time right now Rob. I got f*cking time to convince you that if I should cut this promo or not. You need to help me. What do I do? What do I say?’ So we’re going over it, trying to put this together in like 20 minutes and then I go to the pre-tape, I f*cked up twice and then they’re like, ‘We have to go film something’ with such and such. I was pissed. So I was like, they’re not coming back. The audio guy goes, ‘Hey, they’re coming back but you need to kill it this next time because I’m telling you this now, they have not done one of these pre-tape things in years and they’re doing it for you.’ He goes, ‘They must see something in you’ and he goes, ‘I’ve seen a lot of people do this sh*t and none of them have the energy you’re bringing.’ He’s like, ‘I like you’ and he also goes, ‘You’re Mexican, right?’ ‘I go, ‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘I gotta look out for my people’ and he goes, ‘You need to f*cking kill it right here. Don’t f*ck up. The test is to see how many times you can do this.’ All right. Comes back, get the promo done in that last take right there and the promo was, I go, ‘I just did something no extra talent has had the balls to do in the last 15 years. I just went in the office and told John Laurinaitis exactly who the hell I am.’ Yes [all the other extras were there] because our locker room was right next to pre-tape. They’re peeking in and they’re like, why is this kid cutting a pre-tape? I go, ‘I just did something that no extra has had the balls to do in the last 15 years. I just went up to John Laurinaitis and told him exactly who the hell I am. You wanna know who I’m not? I’m not a security guard.’ I took the security guard shirt off, slammed it on the floor. I said, ‘Who I am is a loudmouth kid,’ whatever and I go, I said, ‘From Chicago who’s not –’ I introduced myself by the way too — and I go, ‘Who’s not afraid to run his mouth because I know I can back it up. I’ve been backing it up my entire career. My entire career, I’ve been told my mouth is the one thing that will hold me back. Yet, my mouth is the exact thing that got me here in this exact position. If any other extra was in my position, they would just sit around and wait for an opportunity but that’s not what Joe Alonzo does. Joe Alonzo goes out and he makes opportunities’ and then I said, ‘But then again, at the end of the day, I’m unlike any other professional wrestler you’ve ever met in your entire life because at the end of the day, pro wrestling is not who I am, it’s what I do and I just so happen to do it better than each and every one of you’ and then boom, cut the promo, next week, John Laurinaitis, fired.
Towards the end of their chat, Joe and Robert shared more comedic stories from their time in NWA together. It was revealed that Joe has missed every single flight that NWA has scheduled for him.
Anthony: I remember a certain millionaire who shall remain nameless.
Alonzo: Wonder who it is?
Anthony: Certain millionaire. Good guy. I told him what happened [Alonzo being offered NWA contract]. He goes, ‘I love that kid’ and he goes, ‘This will be the first of many contracts that he signs’ and I was like, ‘Woah.’
Alonzo: ‘You’re a superstar kid.’
Anthony: ‘You’re a superstar kid. Stop hanging out in the lobby’ [Anthony laughed]. All right, f*ck it, it was Tyrus, and Tyrus snitched on Joe for hanging out in the lobby ‘till three in the morning, missing his flights again. Bro, he’s four-for-four in the NWA. Four f*cking flights.
Alonzo: I don’t know what it is. I’ve missed every time.
Anthony: When I’m not with him, he misses those flights.
Elsewhere in their conversation, Robert Anthony stated that pre-pandemic, he was scheduled to be an extra for WrestleMania 36 when it was going to take place at Raymond James Stadium. He is not aware of what exactly he was going to be doing at the show.
Anthony: COVID-Mania [WrestleMania 36], I was supposed to be an extra and I don’t know if it was Taker but I was gonna do something and then it got canceled. I was so upset because I wanted just to walk out and see that Mania crowd. It’ll never happen again [Anthony laughed].
** As MVP and Omos were promoting the 12/12 Monday Night Raw, they stopped past the ESPN Milwaukee studios to chat with Good Karma Wrestling. MVP expressed that his primary goal at this point in his career is to help Omos become world champion in WWE.
I hope to accomplish one thing at this point in my career and that is leading The Nigerian Giant to championship gold. He knows what it is to be a winner. He’s been a winner his entire life. Now, he’s made it to the WWE, I would say the NFL of professional wrestling if you will. The absolute apex. No one is bigger, no one is stronger and with my experience and his aptitude, the WWE Championship, I would say it’s an inevitability. We will get there. But it’s not easy. I’m not gonna discount the talents of anyone in the WWE. You have some amazing talents, amazingly talented people. For example, Roman Reigns who is the Undisputed Champion right now and we’re trying to get there, but, intelligently, step by step, The Nigerian Giant Omos is smashing everyone in his path and the goal, my goal is to see him hoist the premiere championship in all of sports-entertainment.
** There was a K & S WrestleFest virtual signing that Dirty Dango and Dylan Postl (Hornswoggle) were the focus of. Dango recounted when Vince McMahon told him he was going to be repackaged and proceeded to tell him he would be changing from a ballroom dancer to a Flamenco dancer.
This [photo Dango was holding] was my Rosa Mendes phase of my life when I was a Flamenco dancer. Vince [McMahon] pulls me in the office, ‘We’re gonna repackage you.’ I’m like, thank God. ‘You’re not gonna be a ballroom dancer anymore. You’re gonna be a Flamenco dancer.’
** Prior to winning the ROH Pure Title at Final Battle, Wheeler Yuta guest appeared on the Battleground Podcast. He said he wants to defend the Pure Title against NJPW’s El Desperado and Robbie Eagles. Both talents defeated Yuta in Best of the Super Juniors and he promised them title opportunities at the time.
I did promise Robbie Eagles and El Desperado both Pure Title matches after they beat me [in NJPW Best of the Super Juniors] … I would still love to do those down the road. There’s a few others I’m sure would like to challenge as well.
** There were four times in D’Lo Brown’s career when he became WWE’s European Champion. He spoke about his association with that title while doing a virtual signing for Captain’s Corner. He feels that as long as that title is remembered, he’ll be remembered.
I am very fortunate. For some reason, I am linked to that title [WWE European Championship] and in the world of wrestling, to be linked to anything significant and history-making is pretty cool. So, doesn’t matter, as long as that belt is remembered, I’ll be remembered and that’s pretty badass.
D’Lo has had several stints on commentary and one of those was on Sunday Night Heat alongside Jonathan Coachman. Brown said he and Coachman being on commentary marked the first time there was an all-Black commentary team in pro wrestling.
I thought Sunday Night Heat was one of the best shows out there because you got to see stuff and rivalries. I think I was the king of Heat. So, it was an opportunity. They were looking for just a special guest commentator at one point and Coach was the play-by-play guy so they had auditioned Miss Jackie, Lita, myself, a few other guys and I got the spot and it marked the first time there was an all-Black commentating team in professional wrestling history with Coach and myself, and I spent probably 11 months doing it and it allowed me to get practice for when I did color commentary for IMPACT for a year. So it allowed me to have that experience and it allowed people to see my personality and hear me talk a little more so, I enjoyed it, it was fun times and being with a guy who’s your friend, in Coach, made it all the more special. We were the first all-Black commentating team in all of professional wrestling. So, we call ourselves ‘Collective Soul’ by the way. Collective Soul.
He would go on to tell the story of when he had a shoot fight with Dan Severn after Dan’s original opponent backed out. The ring announcer for the night was Michael Buffer and D’Lo was excited to have his name announced by Buffer. Michael ended up introducing him as ‘Dolo Brown’.
Another story most people don’t know of, my first time wrestling, my first time wrestling Dan Severn was not in the WWF/WWE. It was a shoot fight in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I was a sub for a guy who backed out and his nickname was ‘The Mountain’. So, Michael Buffer was the ring announcer so here I am thinking, oh my goodness, Michael Buffer’s gonna say my name. So I get to the ring and Michael Buffer goes, ‘Standing in the corner to your left, he weighs in at 295 pounds, fighting out of Chicago, Dolo The Mountain Brown.’ I went, ‘Dolo!? Who’s Dolo?’ I was like, Michael Buffer messed my name up. I’ve been waiting all day for Michael Buffer to say my name and he called me Dolo.
** Brian Kendrick was the focus of a virtual signing hosted by Captain’s Corner. He stated that he started using the ‘Captain’s Hook’ submission out of necessity because he does not have the same level of confidence in his knees to execute the ‘Sliced Bread’.
Out of necessity [is why I started using the Captain’s Hook submission]. I don’t have the confidence in my knees anymore so, I had to shy away from doing the Sliced Bread.
** A member of this year’s Tokyo Sports Awards committee was revealed to be Kenta Kobashi.
** STARDOM’s Saki Kashima received her certificate to become a caregiver for dementia patients.
** Jake Lee reacted to comments made by Atsushi Onita who proposed that Jake should participate in an explosion match with him.
** As a result of Ricky Knight Jr. being sidelined with an injury, Revolution Pro Wrestling announced that Zak Zodiac will defend the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship on behalf of his brother against Great-O-Khan on 12/17.
** GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya took up kickboxing and trained with former RISE MMA Lightweight Champion Taiju Shiratori.
** To promote Monday Night Raw on 12/12, MVP and Omos appeared on CBS 58 in Milwaukee.
** Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Manabu Soya is returning to All Japan Pro Wrestling for their December 25th show. He’ll be facing Takao Omori.
** December 13th birthdays: Lee Johnson.
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.
