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.
** There’s an interview with WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY on the Tokyo Sports website. During the conversation, SKY looked back on her run in NXT and said it went well. She added that she was there for four years and that’s a long time for her. She thought she was going to be heading to the main roster.
My career at NXT was going pretty well. But it was four years, so it was a long time for me. I thought I was going to be on the main roster, but there was no information. For two years, due to the Coronavirus, the company itself had not been active (in the way it was pre-pandemic). There were weeks when there were no matches, even though I was ready to wrestle. I had to ask myself, ‘What am I doing here?’ It was hard for me to ask myself that question for too long.
** 17-year veteran Nicole Matthews was interviewed by the Wrestling-Infos.de Podcast. She spoke highly of fellow independent talent Hyan. Matthews stated that out of everyone on the independent scene, she’s surprised Hyan isn’t signed.
When I was keeping my eye on her (Hyan)… I’ve watched her from afar. We’re friendly with each other, we’ve interacted a few times but watching her from afar, it’s been really impressive to see her rise as a wrestler, to see her completing herself and figuring herself out and just being the star she is. I’m actually — she’s my number one pick I think on the independent scene of who I’m surprised isn’t signed anywhere because I think she’s just so talented… She knows herself, right? And that’s very obvious when you’re watching her wrestle and that’s a tough thing to get too and she’s still relatively young too so I, again, I’m sure this will be silly in like a year from now when she’s signed somewhere killing it but, in my head, she’s like the number one prospect on the indies.
Earlier this year, Matthews made appearances for AEW and Ring of Honor. She wrestled the likes of Jade Cargill and Leyla Hirsch, respectively. Nicole feels she is more interesting to watch live as opposed to being watched on television.
Maybe (you can expect more from me on bigger stages). I don’t know. I had a lot of fun in my recent experiences, both of them. I did AEW in Winnipeg against Jade Cargill and that was really fun and it was great to see everyone backstage too because there are so many people I haven’t seen in years and then I recently in Calgary did an ROH taping which was really fun too so I have nothing but great things to say about both my WWE and AEW experiences. I just am a very self-critical person who knows my strengths and weaknesses and know I’m maybe a more fun wrestler to watch live than I am on TV.
** Speaking to MuscleManMalcolm, Jacob Fatu recalled after an independent show ended, fellow talents and personalities were watching Drew McIntyre versus Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle. Fatu thought McIntyre was going to win and when he saw Solo Sikoa intervene, he jumped up in excitement.
I can’t call it (who’ll dethrone Roman Reigns as champion) … I almost thought Drew (McIntyre) was gonna beat him at that pay-per-view. Matter of fact, we’re at the second year of The (Wrestling Showcase). This sh*t happened last year at The Showcase. We wrestled early… The match (between Reigns & McIntyre) was playing. Jim Ross, Conrad (Thompson), you got me, Moose, all of us, the boys up in there, (Matt) Cardona was there… We’re sitting there watching it. Man, I thought uce was gonna lose though. As soon as he hit him with the bam, one, two, man, and when bro got pulled out, man, when I seen Solo (Sikoa), boy, boy, I jumped up, in front of everybody; the boys, especially Jim Ross and them, they’re looking at me like I’m a mark. I’m like, ‘I don’t give a f*ck. That’s my cousin,’ you feel me? ‘Let’s go!’ It was a special moment. It was a real f*cking good, special moment and I love that sh*t. I really did.
** Scheduled for Pro Wrestling NOAH’s 9/24 event is Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. defending the GHC National Championship against AAA’s Psycho Clown. An excerpt from his conversation with Weekly Pro Wrestling was shared on NOAH’s website. He dove into his father’s history with Psycho Clown, being National Champion and honoring his family.
It has been 10 months since I became the GHC National Champion, and my love for this belt has grown even stronger. It is a great feeling to be able to tour with this belt. I have learned a lot with this belt. Every time I compete, I make this belt shine even more. I think that is my role. All of the fighters I have fought in the past defenses have given their all. Every match is special to me. This GHC National Title defense road has given me the confidence to wear the traditional white mask of the Wagner family. I think every second- and third-generation wrestler like me has to go through this, but if you wear the same mask and costume as your family, you will inevitably be compared to your great predecessors. Up until now, I have been wearing colorful masks because I was inexperienced and wanted to make my own way first. However, with the experience I have gained along with this belt, I can now become a wrestler who can live up to my father and grandfather. Besides, N-1 is a series that I have a lot of feelings about, having competed in NOAH for the first time in 2019. I decided to go into N-1 with a white mask because I felt confident that I could combine my individuality and family pride without losing sight of who I am, even when wearing the traditional Wagner family mask. Before coming to Japan this time, I was injured in Mexico, and my right shoulder was in so much pain that I could not use it as much as I wanted. However, I always told myself that I would fight through with my strength and somehow hold on. Although I was unable to advance to the N-1 Victory final, it was a good experience for me. When Psycho Crown came to Osaka on September 3rd, the final night of N-1, I thought I was having a bad dream and had to wake up quickly. I thought I had cut off the past, but now the memories are coming back to me. On August 26th, 2017, at AAA Triplemanía, my father, Dr. Wagner Jr. was defeated by Psycho Crown and unmasked. My hero died that day and a part of me died too. It was the saddest day of my life. My father, who had his mask removed, told me, ‘It is your role to avenge this humiliation and protect what the Wagner family has built.’ I also have respect for Psycho Crown because he took off the mask of a famous Mexican wrestler. He is a great warrior, and he has wrestling blood running through his body. On the other hand, I hate him. I want to destroy him. Since August 2017, I have been gradually having less and less matches in Mexico. It was NOAH that saved me in this situation. I took a chance with this ark and now NOAH is my home and the warm fans have become my family. It has been decided that Psycho Crown will challenge for the GHC National Title in Nagoya on September 24th, and this fight will be the biggest challenge of my life… I am focused and pushing myself in practice, and I believe that against an experienced opponent, I need to be smart, not win with hatred or anger. There are two outcomes to this fight; either I beat him or I die. I must defend my belt. Psycho Crown may be the top luchador in Mexico, but if I fight him here in Japan, I will never lose.
** Guest appearing on Busted Open Radio was Savannah Evans. She touched on the differences between being paired with Gisele Shaw and Jai Vidal versus being paired with Tasha Steelz.
It’s definitely a different vibe between being teamed with Tasha (Steelz), being teamed with Gisele (Shaw). Obviously, we have Jai (Vidal) on our side too so we have a whole different dynamic. Still playing personal bodyguard for Gisele, but it’s a different opportunity to work with Gisele because she’s so different, she carries herself in such a way that I think the three of us gel really good together, and I think the fans would agree from what we’ve been seeing online. Just a unit, an entourage… So it’s been great being able to work with them and like you said, adding on a little bit to the character of what I can do, what I’m doing.
** The likes of Sareee, Tatsumi Fujinami and Yoshiaki Fujiawara were present for a screening of the Antonio Inoki movie that releases on October 6th.
** Microman was interviewed by Carlos Sagaón Ruiz.
** Episode #28 of Going Ringside With The Local Station featured an interview with Victoria Crawford a.k.a. Alicia Fox.
** NJPW Road to Destruction Results (9/21/23) Shimane Prefectural Gymnasium in Shimane, Japan
– Togi Makabe def. Oskar Leube
– Ryusuke Taguchi & YOH def. Tiger Mask & Satoshi Kojima
– Yuji Nagata, Master Wato & Shota Umino def. Yuto Nakashima, El Desperado & Ren Narita
– Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Oleg Boltin & Tomoaki Honma
– CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) def. T.M.D.K. (Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls, Zack Sabre Jr. & Bad Dude Tito)
– United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Callum Newman) def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI)
– HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & SHO) def. SANADA, TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & DOUKI
** Orange Cassidy, Kris Statlander, Billy Gunn, Max Caster and Anthony Bowens joined Busted Open Radio.
** MMA fighter NØRI a.k.a. Nori DATE is returning to pro wrestling. She’ll be a part of the LLPW-X (Ladies Legend Pro Wrestling-X) promotion which is headed by Shinobu Kandori. NØRI began her in-ring career in 2017 and spent seven months with Ice Ribbon.
** Alicia Atout posted her conversation with Nigel McGuinness.
** In The Kliq spoke to Claudio Castagnoli.
** September 21st birthdays: Ricky Morton.
** Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser was invited into WWE Die Woche.
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.
