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.
** Episode #119 of WWE Die Woche was a conversation with Cody Rhodes. He praised WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER for his growth and went on to address those who shamed GUNTHER for evolving.
You actually mention the evolution and to me, specifically GUNTHER, just in this moment, he’s put in so much effort into building this version of himself, this final form, this evolved version of what was WALTER and then GUNTHER when he first got to WWE and then now and there’s this kind of odd collection of people who I feel like effort-shame, and my gosh, what he’s doing is 100 percent what you’re supposed to do no matter when you get signed. If you get signed at 20 like me and here I am, 38 now or whenever it is, the point is every time they see you, you’re supposed to have grown, you’re supposed to be better, or at least reaching your optimum, maximum potential and with him, we haven’t even seen maximum potential yet. Every week, he does something more special. Not the friendliest guy by no means. I don’t know if you’d find him on this Instagram Live chat but an absolutely entertaining sports-entertainer, wrestler, all those things.
** Guest appearing on the Battleground Podcast was soon-to-be IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Famer Traci Brooks. Looking back at her run with TNA, she shared that it was Lisa Marie Varon who pushed for the company to sign her.
You know who I never been in the ring with? Lisa Marie. Victoria, Tara. She is a huge part of my career for other reasons but, I had never got to be in the ring with her and it’s funny because I had a tryout way back in the day in 2002 when she was doing the crazy woman and she was standing beside me. She didn’t know me at all. I was an indie worker and she’s just like, ‘They think we look like sisters. So, maybe we could be like sisters on TV and be crazy’ and so she was pulling for me to get hired and back then, that was unheard of, because there wasn’t a lot of women’s spots, and so that’s why Lisa Marie will always have such a — that’s who she is though. But that’s why she will always have a special place in my heart but I never got to get in the ring with her.
** There’s an interview on The A2theK Wrestling Show’s YouTube channel with Leila Grey. She has consistently been working for Ohio Valley Wrestling and called that her developmental, adding that AEW does not have a system like that so he’s glad she has OVW to continue to grow and hone her craft.
That’s (OVW) my developmental, that’s the reason why I’m there. AEW doesn’t have an NXT or anything like that. So, I love that I’m allowed to still be at OVW and keep growing and elevating and developing.
A name who Grey would like to see in AEW is ‘Hollyhood’ Haley J.
Absolutely, absolutely (I’d like to see ‘Hollyhood’ Haley J in AEW). That’s what I’m loving about this Netflix show that more people are becoming familiar with OVW and yeah, Haley is such an important pillar of the company, specifically the women’s division. She’s a very important part of OVW. She’s super talented, has this huge personality as you guys saw on the show so yeah, she’s definitely somebody that I would like to see at AEW. I definitely believe in her and her work. I know she can do it, she’s entertaining, she’s funny as hell. She’s a good time to be around and me and her, we do have good chemistry and I’ve enjoyed working with her. I’m glad we got to be dance partners during the whole filming of Netflix because we were able to do some really cool stuff together. So, she’s got it man, she’s got it.
During Leila’s time as a member of The Baddies with Kiera Hogan, Red Velvet and Jade Cargill, they were paired with Stokely Hathaway at one point. Grey wishes more could have been done with that specific group.
Stokely’s fantastic. I’m actually upset that we didn’t get to work with him as long as I would have liked because I feel like we could have really done a lot with him.
** Chris Van Vliet pushed out his chat with Tommaso Ciampa. As the conversation rolled on, Ciampa was asked if he’d be interested in going back to NXT. Ciampa expressed that he’s not ready to transition into a coaching or producing role because he’s not done performing. He wants to continue competing on the main roster but if that was off the table, he would perform in NXT.
Performance-wise, I don’t think so (if he’d want to return to NXT). I think there’s a door that’s very open for guys like myself and Johnny (Gargano) because of loyalty, because of the way we handle ourselves outside of the ring, professionalism and stuff that like — there’s a spot producing, coaching, something. Yeah, I’m just not done performing. Like, physically. I know my body sometimes just tells me like, hey, stop. But really, mentally, I’m not anywhere close. So that wouldn’t — before I would do something like that, the option would be well, no, it’s the Ring of Honor option. It’s the, I think I can do this thing that’s really special. I’m gonna go do it… Please give me the opportunity to do it here. But if not, I’m still gonna go do it.
** Returning to NBC Sports Chicago was WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. He was asked if there’s a WWE power couple that matches Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Rollins joked about him and Becky Lynch being the power couple.
I mean, me and my wife are a power couple. We are the power couple in WWE. ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch, you don’t get any bigger than that in our world brother. So yeah, we are the power couple, we run the ship here in WWE, and we got staying power. We’ll see what happens with Swifty and (Travis) Kelce here. If they got staying power or he’s gonna end up as album fodder on her next record. Who knows? It’s a real risky situation for him. I wish them the best. Very, very cute relationship they got going on there but yeah man, they ain’t no match for me and The Man just yet. They still got some time to put in.
** Phil Strum invited Mickie James onto his Under the Ring podcast. James spoke about Traci Brooks, Mike Tenay and the late Don West making up the 2023 IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame class:
I think all three of them, a long time coming, you know? (James said about Traci Brooks, Mike Tenay & Don West going into IMPACT Hall of Fame). I adore Traci. She is the O.G., the O.G. Knockout. I think the first woman to ever be featured in Playboy. I mean don’t quote me on that but certainly the first Knockout and she’s just a great, great woman and an incredible friend. As far as Mike Tenay and Don West, again, a long time coming. Mike is in a whole ‘nother world all his own but I think Don West, I have such a great relationship with him and he’s truly, truly missed and I think that his voice alone and especially on house shows because I was on all the live events at the time of Hardcore Country coming to life I guess in 2010, 2011, 2012 and Don was on all of those house shows and his voice and his energy was just infectious and his love and his passion for wrestling and for the fans to get them fired up. It was just really, really special and I think that the entire IMPACT community really misses him and I think we’re all honored to be able to honor him and Mike side by side because those two together were, you know, like peanut butter and jelly, I guess.
** Kazuchika Okada will be speaking at the Japan Association of Sauna meeting on November 25th in Yonago, Japan.
** NWA owner Billy Corgan chatted with Fox News.
** Cultaholic has an interview with Gisele Shaw.
** October 19th birthdays: Toni Storm.
** To promote WWE Royal Rumble 2024, Drew McIntyre joined WUSA9.
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.
