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.
** On AEW television, Britt Baker is involved in a storyline with AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter, Saraya, Toni Storm and Ruby Soho. Baker told the New York Post that the story is not for the ‘microwave babies’ but it’s for the fans who want a slow burn.
For the microwave babies that want something right now, this story’s probably not for them. But for the fans who like the slow simmer, this story is really exciting and it’s gonna be really exciting.
Speaking about her on-screen relationship with Hayter, Baker feels she should be there for Hayter because when she was champion, Hayter was there for her. She wants Jamie to have the spotlight and the big push.
If the roles were reversed, Jamie was always helping me. I had the belt and I was the center of attention. Once the role is reversed, why would I not be there for her right now too? It’s time for Jamie to have the spotlight and the title and for Jamie to have the big push. I want to be right there in her corner for all of this too. It’s not fair for me to just ditch her and be on her own right when she gets center stage.
** This weekend at AEW Revolution, Ruby Soho will be competing in a three-way for the Women’s World Championship. Ahead of the show, Soho was interviewed by Wrestle Joy. She was asked about the Street Fight that featured herself, Willow Nightingale, Tay Melo and Anna Jay and touched on the online reaction to the amount of blood she lost in the match. She’s glad it started a conversation.
And then obviously, during the match (Street Fight involving Soho, Willow Nightingale, Anna Jay & Tay Melo), the crimson mask was an interesting topic of discussion for a lot of people and it was something, at first, I didn’t know how I felt about it as far as the reaction but as time went on, it was good because I felt like it got people talking about it. Not necessarily just about me or the Street Fight or the amazing women that were a part of it, but it was a lot of why are you okay with this when this happens to Jon Moxley or MJF or whatever? And you’re not okay when it’s me. If it’s not your cup of tea, you don’t like blood and all that stuff, I understand. That’s completely okay, no problem there but if you’re just not okay with a woman doing it then there’s more that needs to be talked about. So, I was excited that-that conversation was happening and that there were people discussing it and trying to figure these things out because I think these are things that need to be talked about in women’s wrestling as to why one thing is okay for the men to do but not okay for the women to do so, it was definitely a match I will never forget and a match that I think helped my momentum get to where I am which is headed into a title match this week so, it was one to remember for sure.
Soho has been paired on-screen with Willow Nightingale and she stated that she has enjoyed working with Willow. Soho said she’s a star and will only get better from where she is currently.
I adore her (Willow Nightingale), but as far as how we came together, it’s like anything else in wrestling. The enemy of my enemy was my friend. So at the time, obviously, I was doing a lot of stuff with Tay Melo and Anna Jay and they had gotten on her bad side as well and I’ve been a longtime fan of Willow. I’d actually been on a couple independent shows where she was wrestling and I’ve been a fan of hers for quite some time and I think there’s a very specific and very unique energy that she brings as far as an authentic likeability when she comes to the ring. She doesn’t have to do anything. You just can’t help but smile when she’s out there and I’ve tried to not smile when I’m out there because I like to be serious when I’m out there, I like to have a good time and whatever but when it comes time for match time, I’m in the zone and she constantly makes me laugh and makes me smile, even when I don’t want to and it was a really amazing thing and I think when the Street Fight came, it was a big match for us and we hadn’t been a team for very long but we had a lot of momentum going into that match and I think for that match particularly, it brought out a side of both of us that I don’t think that the fans had seen just yet. A badass level of her that people hadn’t seen yet. They’d always seen the happy, smiley but when it comes time, she’s one of the toughest ones there is so, it’s been absolutely amazing, she’s a star and she’s only going to get better and be more of a star over the next few years so I’m very excited to see that.
** Looking back at his first year with AEW, Keith Lee told Comicbook.com that he would describe it as ‘unpredictable’ and ‘at times, confusing’.
It’s hard to say (how I would sum up my first year in AEW). I feel like I would call it unpredictable and, at times, confusing. There’s a lot in this industry you can’t really put your finger on, if you will, and a lot of shifts. Tectonic shifts. A lot of things happen in a short amount of time and that’s just the way professional wrestling works.
** On the February 10th episode of SmackDown, there was a segment that saw Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio exchange masks as a sign of respect. Escobar appeared on episode #93 of WWE Die Woche and said he feels it’s a moment that’ll be referenced 20 years from now.
That was one of those moments that will be there forever, that anyone can reference that moment (exchanging masks with Rey Mysterio). 20 years from now, people will look back and reference that specific moment. It’s one of those moments that you don’t even realize how big or important it is until afterwards. Say Halloween Havoc with Eddie Guerrero, they didn’t know it was that special. They knew it was a good match. But look back 20 years after the fact when I wore Rey Mysterio’s gear from Halloween Havoc on NXT, then you can look back and say, wow, that was an important moment. 20 years from now, who knows what’s gonna happen? I think that’s an iconic moment if I may say so.
One of the questions presented to Escobar is who he would pick to face at WrestleMania if it was up to him. He initially said Rey Mysterio, but feels he should be helping Rey prepare for the event. Escobar went on to say that he would select Cody Rhodes and added that he was supposed to face Rhodes at a AAA pay-per-view.
We’re so close for it (WrestleMania 39). I wish I had Rey (Mysterio) for the Lucha Libre empire. But at the moment, I think I should focus myself on getting him ready, you know what I mean? And getting him at 100 percent so that’s where my energy is right now. If I could pick, if I could choose an opponent for WrestleMania 39, I would want Cody (Rhodes).
But Cody, Cody is someone — I wanted to fight Cody in Mexico a few years ago and we were set to fight at a AAA pay-per-view and then I left the company, didn’t do it but I think that’s something now is possible. So, that’s why I would pick Cody for this Mania.
Santos is the leader of Legado Del Fantasma (Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro). He is looking forward to one day doing a six-man tag against Imperium (GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci).
Well, like I said, right now, my mind is set on one specific thing but absolutely (I’m looking forward to Legado Del Fantasma vs. Imperium). Those guys are amazing and I would really like to have one of those violent, non-stop six-man tag matches with them. I believe it will happen, eventually. Before or after Mania, who knows? But, yeah, I’m looking forward to it.
** To promote the 3/3 Friday Night SmackDown, Liv Morgan chatted with Mike Jones and during their chat, Morgan reflected on her performance in the 2023 women’s Elimination Chamber match. She feels she had some amazing moments including the sunset bomb off the pod that Morgan said required no thought and just action.
Unfortunately, it (Elimination Chamber) didn’t go my way but we got some pretty amazing moments that I’m very proud of so not all is lost.
That required zero thought, just 100 percent action (sunset flip bomb on Raquel Rodriguez from the Chamber pod) … I’m so glad that it went well and that I’m safe and that everyone enjoyed it. I definitely wanted to make that night memorable whether it was me pulling off the victory or fighting my way to it. So yeah, very happy and I’m finally all rested up.
** Episode #290 of Straight Talk Wrestling featured a chat with ‘Wild Boar’ Mike Hitchman. The former NXT U.K. talent told the story of when William Regal visited the WWE Performance Center in England and expressed his thought that NXT U.K. matches will be remembered similarly to WCW cruiserweight matches. The bouts were not appreciated in real time, but people grew to appreciate what was done.
I’m just proud (of what I did in NXT UK). To be honest, I don’t want it to sound like a cop out answer but I am proud of what I did there. I feel like as I was there and the more I did, the more work I did, more training, etcetera, I felt like I gained the trust and little bit of respect of the people that worked behind the scenes. If they were not familiar with my stuff beforehand, they’ve seen my stuff and were like, okay, well he’s good. He works hard and he’s getting it, you know? So that was the main thing. I really enjoyed teaming with Primate, that was a highlight. I really enjoyed working with Imperium when they were there. I worked with Gallus. Like I said, I’m very proud of the entire thing and I’m very proud of NXT UK as a whole with what we achieved and some of the matches that went out of there. I remember at the P.C. once, Mr. (William) Regal was saying about how he believes going forward that when people look back at some NXT UK matches like people would look back at the WCW cruiserweight matches. Maybe not appreciated in the time as much as they probably should be but when you look back and you think, oh sh*t, that was good and then it’s like — and I do believe that. I do believe we were putting on — as a brand, as a whole, I think some of the matches we were putting on were outstanding, world-class and could stand there with anyone.
All Elite Wrestling is going to be running a show in the UK in 2023. Hitchman says he has not been contacted for it but would jump at the opportunity if it presented itself.
Nope. I’ve not been contacted (by AEW about competing at their London show). Nope… I would jump at the chance but nah, nothing. Nothing as of yet.
** As Bobby Fish was the focus of a Q&A for the Going Broadway Podcast, he opened up about his history with The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe), how easy it was to work with them in-ring and touched on how inspiring it was to see the way the Pugh family took Jay’s passing.
I mean, The Briscoes, there’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said and how authentic they are and obviously, I’m not gonna belabor how talented they were from a wrestling standpoint. But they were certainly huge parts of helping to make Kyle (O’Reilly) and I legitimate. To win the tag titles from them, they were more Ring of Honor than the name ‘Ring of Honor’. They are synonymous, they are the quintessential… I got trained initially by Tony DeVito and The Carnage Crew was part of the early Ring of Honor veterans and I got exposed to The Briscoes early on in the formative years for them when I was just going to those shows and I wasn’t wrestling. I was working indies and stuff but I wasn’t ready for Ring of Honor. But I would go and kind of do the young boy thing. We were DeVito’s guys and so I saw Mark and Jay all those years earlier and they were, you know, much younger, etcetera and then to come back, whatever, like 10 years later and have an opportunity to get established as this tag team with one of my best friends, Kyle, and for them to do the honors for us was crazy and it took a lot of pressure off you because The Briscoes couldn’t have a bad match. So it was like, all you had to do was show up, put your boots on and get in the ring (Fish laughed). Mark and Jay will take care of everything else… Going to the service for Jay and even seeing the way Mark has handled himself since the tragedy, I mean it’s just watching the faith and watching that family walk out their faith. It’s one thing to talk about it but I mean, they truly are it. There’s no questioning that with them and I saw that with Papa Briscoe and their mother and with Mark. It’s still, to this day, any glimpse I see of them, they know, they know Jay’s in a better place and it’s inspiring to see that sort of faith because I think we all, even as believers, faith, it’s a slippery slope.
** NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Tyrus was featured in a Super Bowl LVII commercial with the title on his shoulder. NWA President Billy Corgan talked about that on Busted Open Radio and shared that Tyrus asked for permission to have the belt in the commercial.
Let me tell you a quick story about that (Tyrus having the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title with him in Super Bowl LVII commercial). So Tyrus texted me, he said, ‘Hey, they’re gonna do a commercial I’m gonna be in for the Super Bowl with the Gutfield! show. Are you cool with me wearing the belt in the commercial?’ So first of all, he asked permission which, I love that he shows that respect but secondarily, that’s all on him. He didn’t have to wear that belt, you know what I’m saying? He’s bringing the NWA into a much bigger world. When people don’t understand why Tyrus is important to the NWA, they don’t understand the man that he is.
** The child who Cody Rhodes gave his weight belt to on the 2/27 Monday Night Raw gave comments to MLive.com about the moment. Her mother spoke to the outlet as well.
** At the Japan Pro Sports Awards ceremony, Keiji Muto was on the receiving end of an award for ‘Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for Distinguished Sports Contribution’.
** GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya was interviewed by ‘ar WEB’.
** There’s a column about Shingo Takagi in Vol. 84 of Training Magazine.
** The written version of Daily Star’s chat with Wade Barrett is up.
** Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Kenoh is scheduled to do a live recording for his YouTube channel on March 15th at ‘Rensa’, which is a music venue in Sendai, Japan.
** Theo Williams of Gulf Coast CW spoke to The Honky Tonk Man.
** Joining Mickie James, Tommy Dreamer and David LaGreca on Busted Open Radio was Molly Holly.
** SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair guest appeared on The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz.
** Both Ric Flair and Titus O’Neil appeared on Busted Open Radio.
** March 2nd birthdays: Matt Taven, Kaun, Lady Shani.
** Lance Archer spoke to Thunder Rosa and Ryan McKinnell on Busted Open Radio.
** Dragongate Japan Pro-Wrestling Results (3/2/23) Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
– Rey de Parejas Semifinals: Yuki Yoshioka & Madoka Kikuta def. Shun Skywalker & KAI
– Rey de Parejas Semifinals: Kota Minoura & B×B Hulk def. Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda
– H・Y・O & ISHIN vs. Ultra Soki & Teelan Shisa – No Contest
– Don Fujii def. Daiki Yanagiuchi
– Kzy, Big Boss Shimizu & Jacky ‘Funky’ Kamei def. Masaaki Mochizuki, Mochizuki Junior & Shachihoko Boy
– Strong Machine J & Jason Lee def. Ben-K & Minorita
– YAMATO, Naruki Doi, Shuji Kondo & Takashi Yoshida def. Dragon Kid, Kagetora, Eita & Dragon Dia
– Rey de Parejas Tournament Finals: Yuki Yoshioka & Madoka Kikuta def. Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda
** WWE United States Champion Austin Theory appeared on the ‘Stick to Wrestling Podcast’.
** Party on Fifth Ave has an interview with Liv Morgan on their podcast feed.
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.
