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.
** Joining Bobby Fish on his Undisputed Podcast was Malakai Black. The AEW World Trios Champion spoke highly of his in-ring interactions with Randy Orton and said Orton is a step above a ring general. He said he cannot express what it’s like to be in there with Orton. Malakai recounted one occasion during one of their house show matches when he gave him a spinning heel kick a.k.a. Black Mass. As Orton was selling the move, he told Malakai it was amazing.
Me and obviously Randy get into it and obviously, Randy being the most, the greatest… I cannot express how it is to be in there with Randy Orton who is just — he is a step above being a ring general. He just knows everything and the slightest body movement and every body — it’s insane how crazy good Randy is. So it’s time to come for the heel kick and you know, I hit him with it and as I hit him with it, he goes, ‘Oh brother, that’s amazing’ and he falls down. It’s one of my favorite stories.
There was a point in the conversation when Black was heaping praise onto WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. This led to him mentioning Roman Reigns and calling The Bloodline storyline ‘compelling’.
I have a lot of love for Roman (Reigns) because of the road he’s traveled. I think The Bloodline stuff is probably some of the best storyline in wrestling that we’ve seen in — oh my God, it’s so compelling, it’s so good. I’m sure that (Paul) Heyman has his hands in that as well…
** On night two of NJPW STRONG Independence Day, Eddie Kingston defeated KENTA to become STRONG Openweight Champion. Jon Moxley told Sports Illustrated that he normally does not pay attention to what is happening before his match but this occasion was different. He expressed what it was like to watch Kingston perform in that bout.
I generally don’t pay much, if any, attention to what’s happening on the show prior to me going out. Traditionally, I catch up on the show the next day when I’m not focused on my match. But this was different. It was very evident what being here and competing at Korakuen Hall and winning a title meant to Eddie (Kingston). Just to see him here taking in this experience, it felt like you were watching Eddie at Church. It was a deeply moving experience. I hope that comes across to the people watching.
** Taylor Wilde welcomed Renee Paquette onto her Wilde On podcast. Paquette credited WWE commentator Michael Cole for always pushing for her and wanting her to do more while she was in the company.
Even there (in WWE), being in such a male-driven, testosterone kind of world, I was really lucky to be working under somebody like a Michael Cole who was always just the best to work for, so talented and he always pushed for me and fought for me and wanted me to be doing more and working some more so it’s really nice when you know that other people that you respect see the value in what you’re bringing to the table. I think there’s not a better confidence booster than that.
** Armbars & Sidebars uploaded a new interview with Caprice Coleman. He told the platform that he would love to open his own wrestling school, but has the mindset of if he’s going to do it, he has to be all in.
I don’t know (if I’d open my own wrestling school). I’ve thought about it. My brother and I, we talk about it all the time and yeah, in my head it’s like the Ageless Academy. I definitely would love to do it but I’m the type of person, I don’t start anything unless I can finish it because there’s no use in having a bunch of candles lit if you don’t have any fires burned and so if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it, you know what I mean? I’m not just gonna have it.
Looking back on the early days of his career, Coleman shared that while he was working dates for N.C.W. which would convert into NWA Wildside, there was an idea to pair him with R-Truth. It did not come to fruition because Truth started getting looks from companies so he would not be at shows.
They (NWA Wildside) were gonna bring me in as R-Truth’s tag team partner because Chris Hamrick was his tag team partner at the time and I think Chris Hamrick was getting signed and so I was gonna be R-Truth’s tag team partner but, I think R-Truth started getting looks too (so) he would never show up, you know what I mean? Those times or whatever so they started doing — at this time, it was before it was NWA Wildside. It was called N.C.W. and it had a different owner.
** Jacob Uitti of The Guardian published a feature story about Satnam Singh. During their conversation, Singh mentioned that he feels he’s ready to win a title in AEW.
I’m ready for that (to win a title in AEW).
** There’s a feature story on The Athletic’s website about WWE’s N.I.L. program and one of the talents interviewed for the article was Roman Macek, known on NXT TV as ‘Luca Crusifino’. His on-screen character is an attorney and he spoke about his experience in WWE thus far.
It’s unbelievable (his time in WWE thus far). It’s a dream come true. It’s tough to describe it in words… We’ve created something I love and think can go a long way (referring to his on-screen character) … I just want to get one percent better at one thing every single day. By the end of your career, you’ll be something special. That’s my focus. If someone sees me and says, oh, that’s that attorney guy, I’ll know I made it.
** Joining Busted Open Radio was Angels of IMPACT Wrestling and he expressed how excited he is to be part of Ultimate X at Slammiversary.
Oh dude, I mean it’s a bucket list item of mine to be not only on Slammiversary, but Ultimate X in general. Growing up as a kid, obviously I watched WWE a lot but, once I started watching TNA, the X Division was my guys and I went to Bound For Glory 2007 and there was an Ultimate X match there, L.A.X. was in it and it was by far my favorite match so, being in an Ultimate X match is kind of a really big deal for me. More than anybody I think would know or realize. So I’m super excited for it.
** Guest appearing on Mark Andrews’ My Love Letter to Wrestling podcast was independent talent Andy Roberts, who was part of the pull apart brawl on the 6/30 Friday Night SmackDown between The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso), Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. Brown said he did not know what he would be doing when he arrived to the venue.
It’s amazing (getting to be part of SmackDown in London, England). Obviously, everybody works the indies with the intention, I assume, to work with the biggest companies in the world so to get an email to come down and do something like that is unbelievable so, I was happy just to come and whatever happens, happens and I just wanted to enjoy the experience. No, (I didn’t know) anything (about what I was going to be doing).
** Episode #178 of Cultaholic’s Desert Island Graps featured a chat with Mercedes Martinez.
** KAIRI is scheduled for Sendai Girls’ September 2nd event. She has not wrestled for the promotion since 2015.
** Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS Results (7/6/23) Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
– Kengo & Rekka def. GENTARO & Tatsuhito Takaiwa
– Yuya Susumu def. Dragon Libre
– Hardcore Eight-Person Tag Team Match: Masashi Takeda, Takumi Tsukamoto, Rina Yamashita & Yusaku Ito def. Dobunezumi Fukki, Kyu Mogami, Toshiyuki Sakuda & Violento Jack
– King Of FREEDOM World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Jun Masaoka (c) def. Takahiro Katori
– Barefoot Thumbtack Death Match: Jun Kasai def. Takayuki Ueki
– King Of FREEDOM World Tag Team Championships — Free Weapons Death Match: Daisuke Masaoka & Toru Sugiura def. Mammoth Sasaki & Takashi Sasaki (c)
– King Of FREEDOM World Championship — Double Glass Board, Fluorescent Light Tubes & Alpha Death Match: Tomoya Hirata (c) def. Minoru Fujita
** Guest appearing on Busted Open Radio was Matt Striker.
** At MLW’s FUSION taping on July 8th, Mandy Leon is going to be in action.
** At the WWE Money in the Bank media junket, Wrestlesphere caught up with Santos Escobar.
** NWA World Women’s Tag Team Champions Madi Wrenkowski and Missa Kate appeared on the Insiders Edge Podcast.
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.
