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.
** After the 3/15 New Japan Cup show, Jeff Cobb gave his backstage comments and put IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega on notice. Cobb approached Omega at New Year’s Dash and was told to come find Omega in North America. Jeff said he may have to come find Kenny at his own company.
Also on a side note, Kenneth Omega, you have been running and running and running — no, let me rephrase it, you’ve been flying away from where Jeff Cobb is. How many miles do you have? Are you a Diamond status on Delta yet? Kenneth, you said come find you in America and I went to every spot you go to; Maid cafés, comic book shops, video game bars, nowhere to be seen so Kenneth, I’ve got a couple miles saved up myself. I may just come find you again… at your company. So Kenneth, sayonara and oyasumi.
** The March 2nd edition of IMPACT Wrestling on AXS concluded with Chris Bey and Ace Austin becoming IMPACT World Tag Team Champions. Bey reflected on that title win during his appearance on ‘Counted Out With Mike & Tyler’.
One of those crazy nights that you don’t know how it’s gonna feel until it feels and I was under the impression that around Sacrifice, we should face the (Motor City) Machine Guns for those championships and they decided that-that night would be a better night which I’m not a guy who turns down competition, Ace (Austin) isn’t a guy who turns down competition but, to be ready to just go and do battle with the Machine Guns is not an easy task but we’ve done it before. Our very first tag match was against the Machine Guns. The first time me and Ace were on the same page and we didn’t get the job done that night and before we went to Japan, we didn’t get the job done and we came back and we didn’t get the job done so it was feeling a little bit deflating but, we knew, just like the catchphrase, man, ‘All it takes is one shot’ and something about us doing it and being in Vegas where it all began for me. I was fighting with something different that night and every time that they were targeting my arm and every time I just felt like I didn’t have anything left, the people gave me all their energy and I had more in the tank than I knew and the magic happened that night. Ace likes to say we don’t rely on luck, we make our own luck and it was one of those nights where it was just special, everything lined (up) right and we beat the Motor City Machine Guns, we became new World Tag Team Champions. We didn’t wanna have a torch that was passed, we wanted to take the torch and I think we took it.
In late 2022, Bey and Austin made it to the finals of NJPW’s Super Junior Tag League tournament. Bey recalls being on that stage and making sure to take the moment in.
It was an honor (to represent IMPACT Wrestling & BULLET CLUB in NJPW Super Junior Tag League) and I don’t find myself being able to dive into the moments too often, you know, because I’m too busy being locked in. But that was one of those moments where I decided to really take it in, you know? We did the finals right after Karl Anderson had his match and I remember him coming through the curtain and just giving me one quick fire-up before I went out there and I hadn’t seen him in a while because he had just left recently but, having his energy right there for a second and then when me and Ace (Austin) hit that curtain, there’s a great photo of me sitting on the top rope just looking into the sea of people. But I stood on the top rope for two minutes because I really just was taking it in for the first time and I was just looking up at all the people and I remember going over to Ace in the corner going like, ‘Yo, look up real quick. Look out there. You see all that? Look where we’re at right now. This is cool.’ Having to really take it in because we’re at the finals and we’re gonna have this great match and this is where it all really counted even though everything counts, this is the one right here and I found myself being like, man, we’re here, we got IMPACT on our back, we got New Japan trusting us, we’re representing the BULLET CLUB in this marquee semi-main event match on this huge card. This is us bro, we’re here and this is just the beginning.
** One of the guests on the most recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast was Brian Gewirtz. During their chat, Gewirtz recalled being at WrestleMania 30 and hearing that The Undertaker’s streak was ending. Gewirtz pulled one of WWE’s lead writers to the side to talk to him about it and the writer was not aware that was happening.
That (backstage at WrestleMania 30) was when I was walking by and then was told by someone, ‘Hey, the streak’s ending tonight.’ Like, what!? And I pulled one of the lead writers off to the side to tell him and he didn’t even know about it, so I think that was definitely a monumental decision that was not planned months in advance. I think anyone could tell you — that would probably be the most biggest example of something that was probably decided right up until the last second.
A conversation was held about Vince McMahon not being concerned about the internet’s response to his programming. That led to Gewirtz talking about the post-Monday Night Raw meetings that were held.
He’s (Vince McMahon) never cared about the quote-unquote internet opinion or the gossip and the hearsay and you know, it’s like, even if the quote-unquote Triple H era is universally praised and what have you, he’s gonna think about it the way he thinks about it… We used to have post-Raw meetings at the end of every Monday night. It was horrific because you do the show, you put your heart into it and then you just want to go to the next town and prepare and sleep a little bit until it’s time for SmackDown but instead, at 11:30, we’d gather in Vince’s office and go over the show, segment by segment and then sometimes, the executive producer would come in with the quote-unquote studio feedback and they’re gonna say what they’re gonna say and at the end of the day, it didn’t matter if the crowd was roaring or performers were feeling good, Vince feels the way he feels about a segment. It’s like, ‘No, this was crap’ or, ‘No, this was good.’ This is how he feels and if other people could rarely change his mind… He blocks out that noise. He doesn’t really care what the scuttlebutt is.
Looking back on his full-time days with WWE, Gewirtz shared that the reason the Hardcore Championship was retired was because there were no more ways to ‘up the ante’ with matches and stipulations for the belt without ‘being completely ridiculous’.
Same thing with the (WWE) Hardcore Title, I remember Vince (McMahon) saying, ‘Short of throwing somebody off of a roof or something –’ I mean, we did a spot with Shane (McMahon) where I think Kane fell backwards into a flaming dumpster or something like that on fire and you have a little bit of flexibility because he’s supposed to be Friday the 13th and Jason and all that but you really, really… that’s why the Hardcore Title was disbanded because it’s like, we can’t up the ante anymore without being completely ridiculous, much less unsafe. We gotta go back to basic storytelling and what brought us back to the dance as far as being invested in characters and personal issues and that kind of thing because otherwise, it’s just gonna be complete garbage, dreck and horribleness.
** While speaking to ET Canada, Chris Jericho expressed his thought that AEW’s production has improved and said Mike Mansury, AEW’s co-Executive Producer and Senior Production Executive, has contributed to that growth.
I think we just do AEW and continue to improve upon that. I think our production has gotten so much better over the last month or so. We got a new Director named Mike Mansury who’s just really made a big difference as far as replays and the way things are shot. All the things that make you appear more gigantic and all those little things and those subtle things matter in the ring and outside the ring.
** Joining the newest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet was The Undertaker. He touched on being considered the locker room leader and his colleagues feeling that way because they knew what they were getting with him. Undertaker said he was never going to go behind anyone’s back nor let his off-screen friendships with colleagues get in the way of what occurred in the workplace.
Um, there’s several (lessons I’ve taken from my friendship with Vince McMahon). You know, and I mentioned it last year in my speech at the Hall of Fame, perception is reality. And, you know, I think sometimes he may have forgotten that, but I never did. And so that went a long way. Perception is reality and how I dealt with people through my career. I didn’t want anybody to ever think that, you know, that I swerved them or that I had to go behind their back or do anything. What they saw is what they got, and I think that was probably a large factor in people always considering me the locker room leader. Everybody knew my relationship with Vince and Bruce and all of those, Pat Patterson, everybody knew my relationship there. But those same guys that I was on the road with, that I was hanging out with and partying with, they knew what happened there was safe, and there was never going to be any crossover. Don’t let what we’re doing at night get in the way of business. I mean… that was a really strong rule with me. I don’t care what we do, don’t be late, and work hard. That was the only thing that I [told people], ‘Don’t get in trouble, don’t make us late, don’t embarrass us, don’t be late to work and work hard. And I think that was why I garnered, I guess the respect because people trust me. And they knew that the two never cross, I was going to do what was best for business, and that’s something that I learned from Vince. With Vince, regardless of what anybody thinks, deep in his heart, he’s one of the boys, he really is. And he has that mentality. Things had to change, obviously, whatever, things changed, when the business, when the company went public, there were a lot of changes that had to happen, changes for the better. Everything’s, you know, we’ve evolved into a whole… I think WWE is in a lot of [ways], a lot more now is regarded in the same way as other major sports franchises, you know, NBA or the NFL, we’re on that. If we’re not on that level, we’re really close, and the company is run that way. It is not that circus, you know, carny kind of thing anymore. It is a big, huge business, as everybody knows. And that’s the way it’s treated. The product has evolved, and it’s evolved for the better.
** Pro Wrestling NOAH pushed out the written version of their chat with GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya. He reflected on the match he had with IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada at Keiji Muto’s final match event. Kiyomiya said he felt the difference between Okada and other top wrestlers and he learned a lot from Okada.
My impression of the match was that (Okada) was really pulling on me. I felt the difference between him and the top fighters in this industry. The way he fought on the big stage of Tokyo Dome, the way he brought the atmosphere of the audience. In fact, when I was entering the ring, I was only watching Kazuchika Okada, but I think Okada was watching the entire Tokyo Dome, and I really learned a lot from him.
** AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata was interviewed by NJPW1972.com. He expressed how proud he is to achieve accolades in other companies while being contracted to New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Well, I think it’s about always being ready, being able to compete for those titles, in those settings, drive business in those companies. To do all that representing NJPW is something I’m proud of.
** In edition #16 of Akira Hokuto’s interview series for Tokyo Sports, she further spoke about her broken neck injury in the 1980s. There were people that was against her coming back to the ring. A wrestler who was thought of to be her return opponent expressed that she was scared to take the match in addition to Hokuto being advised by her seniors to not take a match if she was offered one.
However, everyone was against my return (after I broke my neck). One junior was once named as a possible opponent for my return match. The girl said, ‘I’m scared and I don’t want to be your opponent for your return match.’ My seniors are telling me, ‘If you get an offer, say no.’
** In early February 2023, Genichiro Tenryu underwent emergency surgery for septic shock. The ‘Tenryu Project’ official Twitter page provided an update on Tenryu and noted that he is recovering well and has resumed some of his work duties.
** On June 14th, Minoru Suzuki is scheduled to compete at an event being put together by Kenta Kobashi.
** NBC New York published a feature story about Johnny Rodz who opened up about his silent heart attack in late 2021.
** STARDOM Results (3/16/23) Osaka, Japan
– Lady C def. Momo Kohgo and Yuna Mizumori
– Saki Kashima def. Miyu Amasaki
– Mina Shirakawa & Mariah May def. Mayu Iwatani & Saya Iida
– Tam Nakano & Natsupoi def. Maika & Mai Sakurai
– Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM def. Hazuki, Koguma & Hanan
– Giulia def. Himeka
– Syuri, Konami, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei def. Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid & Ruaka
** ABC6 got a comment from John Cena Sr. while he was at Monday Night Raw on 3/6 which featured the return of John Cena.
** Tony Khan and ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey guest appeared on Busted Open Radio.
** Australian outlet ‘Nine News’ spoke to NXT’s Grayson Waller.
** In a new edition of Akira Hokuto’s interview series on Tokyo Sports, she spoke about suffering a broken neck in April of 1987.
** Episode #293 of Straight Talk Wrestling featured Jack Evans.
** Aubrey Edwards, Amanda Huber, Vickie Guerrero and Leva Bates discussed AEW Heels on the AEW Unrestricted podcast.
** AEW’s The Bunny and The Blade were interviewed by Grue Rume Show.
** Joining Taylor Wilde on her ‘Wilde On’ podcast was Alex Gracia.
** Erinn and Oliver Hudson welcomed Bryan Danielson and Brie Bella onto their Unconsciously Coupled podcast.
** Mick Foley was welcomed onto Busted Open Radio.
** Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated conducted an interview with Solo Sikoa.
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.
