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.
** As Bad Luck Fale was chatting with Piers Austin on Shooting The Sh*t UNCENSORED!, he was asked if there’s ever been interest from WWE or AEW. Fale opted not to name names, but he said there has been interest shown and expressed but he’s turned it down because he’s not interested in going there and being ‘used up and spat out’.
I don’t wanna mention names but there were a couple times (interest from other companies was expressed) and I did turn it down because I’m not interested in going over there and like I said, I’m happy trying to develop and grow this territory which in the long run will help me more than going over there and having a short run or being used up and spat out like most of the guys who go there.
Dating back to 2013, Fale has been a member of BULLET CLUB and started out as the bodyguard for Finn Balor. Fale feels Balor took the group to a great place, but it was AJ Styles who took BULLET CLUB to its peak.
Everyone came in (BULLET CLUB), did their job. So (Prince) Devitt took us to a really great place but I think when AJ Styles came in, it was just a whole different level. So I think Devitt missed out on the peak. So AJ Styles came in and took us to the peak which is when everything just blew up.
Looking back at the early portion of his career, Fale recalled when he was supposed to work for TNA Wrestling when he went on excursion.
I can’t remember most of them (places I competed when I was based in the USA). Texas, there was a few places in Texas I went to, there is places in California I think, Chicago and Michigan. It was just all over the place. But the sad thing was, I was there to learn but when I was there, most of the bookings I got were monster squash matches so I didn’t learn much. It was really sad. At the same time, I was supposed to be working with TNA at the time, but I went there just as they kind of died (he laughed).
Because when (Kazuchika) Okada came back to Japan, that’s when it was my turn to go on excursion.
Present day, Fale is hands-on with NJPW’s TAMASHII brand and was an instructor for their March 2023 tryouts in Australia. His hope for TAMASHII is that the brand gets big enough that NJPW USA is requesting to do a show with them.
That’s the goal (for NJPW TAMASHII to be something consistent going forward). My goal is to take TAMASHII so big that Japan in America wants us to fight them (he laughed).
** While appearing on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Nigel McGuinness expressed how much he’s enjoyed doing commentary in wrestling and has enjoyed it as much as the in-ring portion of his career. He talked about what he learned from Michael Cole and Tom Hannifan, recounted doing a seminar on commentary and went on to call Cole one of the most underrated and underappreciated at that position.
Yeah, absolutely it was, very much so (enjoyed commentary as much as the in-ring part of my career). Commentary was something that I never thought about doing in any way, shape or form. I was very lucky that when my in-ring career ended, Ring of Honor and specifically, people in the company I was friends with went out of their way to get me a non-wrestling role for which I will always be grateful. First on commentary and then as a matchmaker so yes, the commentary stuff, I didn’t take to it very easily at first. As most people who try commentary, they find out pretty quickly how difficult it is. You gotta find your voice, you got to find what it is you’re adding to the show and to that end, I think I took a big influence from Joe Rogan, what he did on UFC and how he found his voice there and I tried to do something similar within pro wrestling. It’s obviously a little bit of a medium, but still there are a lot of similarities with them so once I found that voice and then when I was able to go to WWE and get that kind of feedback and that kind of experience from guys like Michael Cole or Tom Phillips/Hannifan, it was amazing. I’ve said to people sometimes, if I knew this much about commentary when I went to WWE, this is what I learned. It was just absolutely incredible and speaks to the talent and the ability that guys like Michael Cole and Tom and all those play-by-play guys have to just keep things on track. I actually just did a seminar recently on commentary and there’s not a lot of that out there. There’s a lot of information about being a wrestler. A lot of former wrestlers and that’s great but not so much in the commentary industry and so, when I had the seminar and I saw all the people there, it suddenly occurred to me how much information there really is in terms of being a good commentator because it’s so different depending on where you are. I mean if you’re a commentator for WWE, it often times can be a very different job than if you’re a commentator for Ring of Honor or New Japan or AEW or whatever it is, you know what I mean? So to be a great commentator nowadays, you got to have great versatility.
I really think that Michael Cole is one of the most underrated or underappreciated commentators in the history of this industry. I cannot put him over enough.
** Joining episode #64 of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast was Ethan Page. As Matt and Ethan were discussing their AEW stable, The Firm, Matt revealed to Ethan that after they wrestled The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt & Nick Jackson) on the 2/3 AEW Rampage, The Elite wanted to work with them again. Hardy recalled Nick praising The Firm.
I’ll tell you this too, this is something that I am going to confirm. After we (The Firm) worked with The Elite, there was a point where they wanted to work with us again because they had a couple ideas doing some other stuff too which I don’t even know if you (Ethan Page) knew that or not, and they wanted to work with us again because they really liked what we did in that match (on AEW Rampage) or whatever and just, you know, once again, Nick (Jackson) just said, ‘The story you guys have all together and the interactions are just so good, so great,’ which is a huge compliment because once again, we were like this melting pot of misfit toys and we came together and then we made something out of nothing and now it’s something that’s on TV and it’s a story that people are emotionally invested in and I take a lot of pride in that.
** Ahead of WrestleMania 39, Rhea Ripley spoke to ABC Sports (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and she reflected on playing the role of ‘Eleven’ from Stranger Things in the WrestleMania commercial.
Oh man, incredible. The Hollywood video of me as Eleven in Stranger Things for WrestleMania 39, so absolutely insane. I honestly had to pinch myself when they asked me because I was just like, this is so cool.
** In 2022 and 2021, La Rosa Negra competed for AEW on their Dark show. During her appearance on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling, La Rosa responded to the question of if there are places she’d like to work for going forward. On the topic of AEW, she expressed that she’s not big on their system but thinks the wrestlers are great. She said if that system or their ideas get shifted, she’d be more attracted to and interested in them.
In AEW, well, if they change the deal with the talents, you know, sometimes and really look (at) the skills of everyone so then I can be more attractive about them. So what I did, I had dream matches versus Skye Blue, versus Red Velvet and versus Marina (Shafir) and I like working with the girls because the girls doesn’t have the fault about whatever happens during the match and what the agent say, what everybody say, you know what I mean? I like working with the girls. What I do not like is how is the system that they got. I don’t like the system that they got. I like the talent that they got. They have a lot of talent with skills like wow… You know the roster right now. Contract and no contract, they are completely good wrestlers. But if they turn the ideas and system in other way then maybe, you know, option B, option C, the other way to make things happen, maybe I will be more attracted or interested about them. But right now, it’s like if they call me, I call you right now, it would be okay. If not, it’s okay too. Before I was like, calling! Calling! Email! Email! Do this, do that! Now I’m like, okay, um, I’m waiting.
There was a period of La Rosa’s career when she wrestled for STARDOM. Back in 2015, she broke both of her knees in a match and described it as a nightmare.
In October, 2015, October 25, I get hurt. I break my two knees in Japan and that was two weeks after me getting the champion belt, the High Speed Champion, I get hurt (she chuckled). So that was, ugh. That was a nightmare. It was a nightmare for me.
** On the latest edition of WWE After The Bell, several of the matches on the WrestleMania 39 card were previewed and MVP shared his thoughts about those bouts, including the Raw Women’s Title match between Asuka and champion Bianca Belair. MVP recounted being blown away by Belair versus Mercedes Moné at WrestleMania 37 and is expecting the same with Belair versus Asuka.
If you look at their pedigrees through the business and Asuka, we won’t even have to look at what she’s accomplished before coming to WWE but if you look at her accomplishments at the Performance Center from NXT all the way to WWE, Asuka and Bianca (Belair) are very similar. They both set the bar extremely high in NXT, becoming champions there. Coming up to the main roster and then doing it again, having impressive championship runs. They’re both incredibly talented, incredibly intelligent and I am stoked to see how these women match up and I remember seeing Bianca versus Sasha Banks in that main event several years ago and I remember watching that and thinking, that was one of the most impressive matchups I had ever seen, gender be damned, male or female. Those two women showed me something that blew me away. I’m expecting to see that again with Asuka and Bianca and I don’t think that Bianca will be phased by Asuka’s psychological warfare but by the same token, I wanna see how Asuka is able to deal with the very noticeable attributes, her strength, her power and athleticism.
** Back in November 1993, Akira Hokuto defeated Rumi Kazama in a Hair versus Hair match for the Ladies Legend Pro Wrestling promotion. In edition #23 of Hokuto’s interview series for Tokyo Sports, she explained that she could not get her head shaved because after she broke her neck, she had holes in six places on her head. Seven months prior to the Hair versus Hair match, Hokuto was dropped on her head and bled from that area.
I fought Rumi Kazama in a Loser’s Haircut Match at the L.L.P.W. Komazawa Gymnasium on November 9, 1993. I could never get a shaved head. The reason why is because when I broke my neck in 1987, I had holes in six places on my head, so I was covered with bald spots. Moreover, when I fought Shinobu Kandori about seven months prior, I was dropped headfirst onto the commentary table with a piledriver and bled from the top of my head. If I shaved my head, I would be covered in bald spots, so it would be no joke to expose such an embarrassing appearance. I couldn’t have my long golden hair cut off. I won the match.
** On June 24th, Pro Wrestling NOAH is celebrating Kenoh’s 15-year anniversary as a pro wrestler. To promote the event, he was interviewed by Awawa Magazine. Kenoh touched on his friendship with Hakushi (Jinsei Shinzaki), who guest appeared on his YouTube channel recently.
I had a lot of experiences during my time at Michinoku Pro Wrestling, but the thing that I remember most is how I was able to be close to Jinsei-san. Since I had more opportunities to be close to him, I was able to learn more about how cool each of his gestures was and how he felt about Tokushima. I am a bit ashamed to say this, but when I first joined the team, I was surprised at how much practice I had to do (laughs). Especially the ukemi (passive stance). I had a hard time at first because I couldn’t do it very well. But thanks to the hard practice I did back then, I am now able to celebrate my 15th anniversary. I want to thank everyone who taught me back then. Now I can do perfect ukemi even when I’m drunk! (Laughs)
** DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling is partnering with Gatoh Move to present two events in Japan on April 25th and 27th.
** F4WOnline’s Wrestling Weekly podcast has an interview with Nigel McGuinness.
** STARDOM Cinderella Tournament Results (3/26/23) Yokohama Budokan in Yokohama, Japan
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Waka Tsukiyama def. Lady C
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Saya Iida def. Miyu Amasaki
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Ami Sourei def. Yuna Mizumori
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Haruka Umesaki vs. Starlight Kid – Draw (5:47)
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Xena def. Hina
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Mariah May def. Rina
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Saki Kashima def. Momo Kohgo
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: MIRAI def. Hanan
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Thekla def. Koguma
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Natsuko Tora def. Ruaka
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Syuri def. Tomoka Inaba
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: AZM vs. Hazuki – Draw (5:20)
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Mai Sakurai def. Giulia
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Mina Shirakawa vs. Natsupoi – Draw (6:15)
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Mayu Iwatani vs. Saya Kamitani – Draw (3:49)
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Momo Watanabe def. Maika
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Nanae Takahashi vs. Utami Hayashishita – Time Limit Draw (10:00)
– Cinderella Tournament First Round: Tam Nakano def. Himeka
** Shinjiro Otani was scheduled to be in attendance for an event that was in conjunction with Pro Wrestling ZERO1. That event has been cancelled. It would have been Otani’s first public appearance since his cervical spinal cord injury in April 2022.
** Pro Wrestling NOAH Sunny Voyage Results (3/26/23) Mutsu Maeda Arena in Mutsu, Japan
– Yasutaka Yano def. Daishi Ozawa
– Masa Kitamiya & Daiki Inaba def. Akitoshi Saito & Kinya Okada
– Ninja Mack & Alejandro def. Super Crazy & Xtreme Tiger
– Saxon Huxley def. Mohammed Yone
– YO-HEY & Tadasuke def. Yoshinari Ogawa & HAYATA
– Kongo (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Manabu Soya, Hajime Ohara & Hi69) def. Naomichi Marufuji, Atsushi Kotoge, Shuhei Taniguchi, Takashi Sugiura & Seiki Yoshioka
– GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: AMAKUSA (c) def. Lancelot
– Good Looking Guys (Jake Lee, Jack Morris & Anthony Greene) def. Yoshiki Inamura, Kaito Kiyomiya & El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr.
** AJPW Dream Power Series Results (3/26/23) Shinkiba 1stRING in Tokyo, Japan
– Mizuki Watase, Oji Shiiba & Ren Ayabe def. Black Menso-re, Takao Omori & Yoshitatsu
– Kotaro Suzuki def. Rising HAYATO
– Kaito Ishida def. Ryo Inoue
– Hokuto Omori & Naruki Doi vs. Atsuki Aoyagi & Yuma Anzai – Time Limit Draw (20:00)
– Dan Tamura, Hikaru Sato, Rey Paloma & Yuji Nagata def. Masao Hanabatake, Ryuki Honda, Shotaro Ashino & Yusuke Kodama
– Voodoo Murders (Jun Saito, Rei Saito & Suwama) def. Kento Miyahara, Shuji Ishikawa & Yuma Aoyagi
** Korakuen Hall will play host to a talk show on June 14th that Stan Hansen and Kenta Kobashi will be the focus of.
** Charlotte Flair recapped her daily routine in a piece for Us Weekly. Flair was interviewed by SHAK Wrestling as well.
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.
