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.
** While in England, Britt Baker and AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter were the focus of a Q&A panel. One of the questions presented to them was would they like to share the ring with Mercedes Moné at Wembley Stadium for All In. Both talents said they would be open to the match.
Hayter: Of course (we’d like to face Mercedes Moné at All In).
Baker: She’s showing up? Do you know something we don’t know?
Hayter: Tell me all the details.
Baker: Of course. I think we pretty much welcome any and all opponents always so…
Hayter: Yeah, definitely.
Baker: Except Ruby (Soho).
Going into Hayter’s title win at Full Gear 2022, she began to transition from a heel to a babyface because of the support she received from the crowd. She spoke about the change in presentation and it made her feel like she’s doing something right. Hayter does not think it was one moment that led to the crowd getting behind her but it was a culmination of moments.
Hayter: Yeah, it was very shocking to me in a way (the crowd turning her into a babyface). But, you know, the fans just for some reason, I don’t know why, they all got behind me and that meant so much to me and when we got backstage, it was just a really hard-fought match (between myself & Toni Storm at AEW Full Gear). I think we really went out there and kicked each other’s asses, and I broke Toni’s face, sorry Toni. Actually, not sorry. I’m not sorry about that now. I’m never sorry. So yeah, the reaction was really good and it made me feel like I’m doing something right. I’m doing myself good by just going out there and doing my best and yeah, just kind of going with the flow really. There wasn’t anything in particular that got me to that point I don’t think. It was just the kind of a culmination of multiple things, so it was a really special moment for me and yeah, I’ll cherish that for a very long time.
The idea of ending Jade Cargill’s streak and becoming TBS Champion was brought up and Britt said it’s something to think about.
Baker: I guess we kind of would look great with two belts, right?
Hayter: We would look amazing.
Baker: Right? If we each had a belt.
Hayter: We’d look so dripped out.
Baker: I don’t know. That’s something to think about though for sure (becoming TBS Champion).
** Looking back at his match against ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage at WrestleMania III, Ricky Steamboat shared with Captain’s Corner during a virtual signing that he gave Savage an ‘out’ in the match. He suggested that the referee should be down when Savage hit the elbow drop so he could have room to claim he had Steamboat beat. Ricky wanted to put that in the match because Savage was doing the honors and he added that Savage appreciated it.
You know, during that match (with Randy Savage at WrestleMania III), he came off the top with the elbow and that’s after me and (Dave) Hebner had a double knockout and the referee was down and then Randy went up top and he came off with his elbow and there’s no referee. I put that in that match because I wanted Savage to have an out. I wanted him to have an out. Because I said, ‘Randy, this is going to be your out that after the match, this is sort of after the fact, you said you had The Dragon beat, you hit me with your elbow but there was no referee.’ So I said, ‘I wanted you to have an argument to back it up with’ and he just loved the fact that-that was put in there. ‘I want you to have an out.’ I said, ‘At the end of the night, you’re doing the honors, dropping me the belt. But somewhere in there, you have an out…’ That, having an out, also down the road for return matches leaves the door open.
** Zilla Fatu, son of the late Edward Fatu Smith (Umaga), guest appeared on The Be Someone Podcast and spoke about his father passing away.
I just knew… it’s weird for me to say this but I feel like — you know that saying, ‘All good things come to an end’? And that right there (Umaga’s passing), it confirmed that. Because with him, I looked at him as a hero. I looked at him as unstoppable, invincible growing up so just to see him laid out on the floor, it didn’t feel real. But I felt like he was gonna be good. I just felt like he was tired because of traveling and all that. I went to school and I came back, I heard the news and it’s like, damn. You sure? And I ain’t even believe it. I did not believe it. I couldn’t believe it.
** NJPW’s 2023 Best of the Super Juniors tournament is kicking off on May 12th. Competing in the tourney is ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey and he spoke about it on the Battleground Podcast.
I am looking forward to wrestling in front of the Japanese audience once again. I don’t think there is anywhere in the world an audience watches shows, taking in as much detail and appreciating all the intricacies quite like it is in Japan and I think that’s why Japanese wrestling is so good. I think New Japan is the best promotion in all of Japan and so I think the audience is incredibly appreciative of that and seeks to understand the wrestling that is happening to the level that the performers are doing it and so I think that’s always been really special to me is the connection with those Japanese audiences.
** Lead vocalist for Downstait, Zack Call, appeared on Culatholic’s Desert Island Graps podcast and shared that the band has some songs in the works for talents in the NWA.
We write quite a bit for the NWA product as well and Sandow, Aron Stevens, we do quite a bit of his stuff whenever he’s — because he’s just getting character work over and over and over down there and we do quite a bit of stuff for him but through that, there’s a guy I actually worked when I was in the ring, Mims. Got a big, strong song for him which is good for him but we have a few in the works with a couple of other guys down there.
Zack shared that Russ Jones, a wrestler who is a friend of his, brought up the idea of Zack getting back in the ring. Call said that conversation triggered something in him in a positive sense. He took training classes at Ohio Valley Wrestling and it was during those sessions that he took a belly-to-back suplex that caused him to lose some grip with his hand but that has since been addressed.
It might not be my last match. I’ll just say that. Let’s leave it there. Never say never. I want to give a shoutout to, I believe it’s AAW in Chicago. They’re a decent promotion and my boy Russ, Russ Jones, I’ve worked him a few times but I’ve just known the guy for five, six years and he’s starting to really, really excel. He actually hit me up this morning about getting back in the ring and it triggered something. I will say training down in OVW, I did the beginners course at the same time I did the advanced course. Just because a few of us guys in the beginners course caught on quickly and were able to go and do some more training. About seven weeks into that course, I took just a belly-to-back, really easy bump and throwing myself at the mat a little bit and I had a little bit go into my neck and down to my fingers a little bit and again, I’m the old guy in that group so I was like, ‘Ouu.’ Dealt with it for a little bit and I started losing a little bit of grip when I grab door handles and stuff like that and I couldn’t open door handles. Like, what’s happening? Oh, you’re not squeezing it. So, I think that’s been addressed and I think that was a little bit of a flexibility issue. Oddly enough, I think it was a yoga thing that actually solved a little bit of that. I’ve always got the itch to get back in the ring and do something physical and I work too hard on my body not to get in there and show it off a little bit to be honest. That’s egotistical but it’s the truth. I’ve worked for 20 years on this and now it’s getting a little bit of beer down here but, I play with the kids when I’m coaching. Right now, I get out there and I run with them and I still think I could get in there and run the ropes a few times which is by far the worst part of wrestling, until your calloused. It’s the worst part.
Earlier in the conversation, Zack recalled being told by The Miz that it was Kofi Kingston who suggested that The Miz use Downstait’s version of ‘I Came To Play’ opposed to Jim Johnston’s version.
Jim (Johnston) had got a hold of us (Downstait) after he heard the Bully Beatdown song which is kind of a rap-rocky thing. Got a hold of us and he sent us over the skeleton of the song (The Miz’s WWE theme) and it’s really goofy to hear Jim sing some of this stuff. It’s just really bad at times but he’s a genius, he’s incredible. So he sends over this song and he gives us ideas of what he wants it to sound like and that’s when we got to get creative on it because I’m sure he sent that out, as not spam, but he sent it out to a few bands to see who would hit on it. We went down to Florida, we recorded it. I have to give all the credit to my brother. The extra, any of the piano stuff, any of the synth stuff, my brother wrote all of that and tones of our guitars and stuff like that, he really laid in on that project and made it into a Downstait song more or less and then we sent it back and funny story, first time we meet Miz, some of the new call-ups were backstage walking around in Indianapolis when we were talking to him and I was like, ‘Man, that’s Kofi. I’m a big fan of him. I’ve watched him on his ECW run’ and he goes, ‘Funny you say that. We ride together. He’s the one that when we were listening to the different versions of I Came to Play that said that one.’ So yeah, Kofi Kingston was like, ‘Hey, use this version. This is the one right here.’
** The focus of a Captain’s Corner virtual signing was NWA World Women’s Television Champion Kenzie Paige. She expressed interest in sharing the ring with Charlotte Flair, Mercedes Moné, Britt Baker and Bianca Belair.
Charlotte Flair obviously (is someone I’d like to face). I feel like if you’re a women’s wrestler, Charlotte’s probably gonna be at the top of the list of people you wanna wrestle. I think she’s probably one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time. She is actually, and then, Mercedes Moné. I think those are top two… Oh yeah, yeah, we would (Kenzie & Britt Baker could do something good in the ring). For sure… Ouu! Yes, two Knoxville girls (Kenzie said about Bianca Belair).
Kenzie is part of Pretty Empowered which includes Ella Envy. Kenzie touched on her friendship with Ella and said being a part of Pretty Empowered is her favorite thing she’s done in wrestling.
Pretty Empowered is honestly my favorite thing I’ve ever done in wrestling. Me and Ella Envy. She came and actually lived with me for a little bit. We lived with my grandparents. Then we took off from there. We went to training all the time, we wrestled around everywhere, took multiple road trips together so, that’s just one of those bonds that won’t ever be broken. Me and Ella, we’re like this (tight).
Elsewhere in the conversation, Kenzie talked about how Trevor Murdoch has been helpful to her behind the scenes at the NWA.
Every time I’ve got a match, I’ll always find Trevor (Murdoch) and I’m always like, ‘What do you think?’ It’s one guy I always go up to and he’s helped me ever since I’ve been there, since I was — I came in as just the young girl who was just there to do what she’s supposed to do so, Trevor is always the one after my matches, before my matches, I’ll go up and talk to him and he always gives me the best critiques so, someone I talk to. Always been great to me.
** There’s an interview with Tiffany Stratton on the Stick to Wrestling podcast feed.
** STARDOM Results (5/9/23) EDION Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan
– Three Way Match: Saki Kashima def. Waka Tsukiyama and Aya Sakura
– Lady C & Miyu Amasaki def. Yuna Mizumori & Hanako
– Maika & Mai Sakurai def. Hanan & Saya Iida
– Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM def. Syuri, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei
– Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid & Ruaka def. Club Venus (Mina Shirakawa, Mariah May, Xena & Jessie)
– Giulia & Thekla def. Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira
– Tam Nakano, Natsupoi & Saori Anou def. Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki & Koguma
** Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Kenoh is having his 15th anniversary show on June 24th. Announced for the show thus far are the following names: Kazuyuki Fujita, Masakatsu Funaki, Kazushi Sakuraba and GAINA.
** Ahead of the 2023 NJPW Best of the Super Juniors tournament, NJPW1972.com pushed out their interview with Dan Moloney.
** A feature on Ricky Starks to promote AEW in Austin, Texas on May 17th.
** Episode #118 of The Kurt Angle Show.
** While in Puerto Rico for WWE Backlash, Adrian Hernandez interviewed Santos Escobar.
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.
