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** DDT Pro-Wrestling has a lengthy interview on their website with Konosuke Takeshita to promote Ultimate Party on November 12th. Takeshita stated that he’s open to having a singles match with Kota Ibushi anytime.
Anytime is fine with me (to have a singles match against Kota Ibushi). But realistically, the only ring where we can have such a match is AEW. In that sense, I have a dream, because AEW is an organization where dream matches are commonplace. So, Japanese fans, please save your money and come to the U.S. to see it. I want DDT fans to experience the atmosphere here.
Speaking about the wrestling landscape, Takeshita feels Will Ospreay is stepping into the spot of being the best in the world. It would be the highest honor for Takeshita if he was viewed as the best in the world. He feels if fans were asked who’s the best in Japan, the consensus would be Kazuchika Okada.
Takeshita thinks a way for him to get into those conversations is to win a title with the word ‘world’ in it. He’s of the mindset that if fans around the world call him the best then he’s the best. The 28-year-old Takeshita has always thought his prime years will be his early 30s.
When wrestling fans around the world say, Takeshita is the best in the world of wrestling today, that is the pinnacle. Although not everyone will agree on that. I don’t currently hold the AEW World Championship, I don’t currently hold the WWE Championship, and I’m not currently the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, but I… I can objectively say that Will Ospreay is about to step into the realm of being the best in the world. And even though he is not the singles champion at the moment, I think that many fans would answer Kazuchika Okada when asked who is the best in Japan. So, in order for me to become the best in the world, I need to win a belt with the name ‘world’ on it, but more than that, if wrestling fans around the world say Takeshita is the best in the world, that means I am the best pro wrestler in the world. That’s what I mean. I think I have been saying this since I was about 21 years old, but my best years will probably come when I am about 32. I have a hunch about it, but in a way, I am also pushing myself.
At DDT Ultimate Party, Takeshita is going one-on-one with Chris Jericho. He was asked to name some of his favorite Jericho matches and moments. He brought up the bout with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 19, Jericho doing the Walls of Jericho on Chris Benoit. He then mentioned a Triple Threat between Jericho, The Miz and Wade Barrett from WWE Raw 2013.
That match is something he’s watched since becoming a wrestler and when it comes to influencing him, it’s in his top five, summing the match up with the word ‘creative’. He had it set in his mind what pro wrestling should be but added that he was able to digest what he had been so fixed on at the time.
The match between Jericho and Shawn Michaels (at WrestleMania 19 in 2003) comes to mind first. I also remember when he and Benoit did the Walls of Jericho on the ladder… This might be a maniacal choice, but the Triple Threat match between Jericho, The Miz and Wade Barrett on Raw in 2013 is something I’ve watched since becoming a professional wrestler. In fact, it’s one of my top five matches in the sense that it has had a big influence on me, and to sum it up in one word, it’s creative. At the time, I was very much set in my mind about what professional wrestling should be! I guess I was able to digest what I had been so fixed on at the time.
** While guest appearing on The Kurt Angle Show, WWE commentator Corey Graves looked back at the start of his broadcast career in the sports entertainment company. Towards the backend of his time in NXT, Graves began to feel stagnant. He wanted a shot to call the action for Raw or SmackDown. He later found out that the powers that be knew he was ready, but they would’ve rather him be overprepared than to show up on the main roster and underdeliver.
But as far as commentary goes, I never had any sort of confidence that I would ever make it to Raw or SmackDown. I remember getting actually to the point where in NXT, I was frustrated, because I went, ‘This is as good as I’m going to get here. I need to work with a Michael Cole or a Jerry Lawler’ or whoever that may be because as you know Kurt (Angle), the only way you get better in this business is to work with someone better than you are, and I felt like I was treading water. But again, at the end of the day, I was still getting a paycheck so that was okay and I remember thinking, God, just give me a chance, give me a shot at Raw, let me do something once, let me fill in for somebody. I’ll set the world on fire and it’s since been relayed to me, you know, several years down the line that they knew I was ready back then and they said they’d rather I be a little bit overprepared than to come up and underperform, which now I’m grateful. At the time, I wanted to swing at anybody who told me no but now I’m grateful it worked out that way.
Earlier in the chat, Graves revealed that Windham Rotunda a.k.a. Bray Wyatt suggested ‘Corey’ for his on-screen first name. Rotunda threw the name out there while singing ‘Sunglasses at Night’ by Corey Hart. Graves stated that initially, he hated the name ‘Corey Graves’.
Funny enough, when we used to get signed to FCW, the standard protocol was unless you had a big name from outside of WWE which very few people did, you would have to submit lists of names that would be approved and you could be that character’s name and I remember having a really hard time with a first name, because there was just nothing that came to mind that I felt fit and I submitted the last names ‘Ness’ and ‘Graves’ and Ness was from Mike Ness from Social Distortion and Graves was the singer of the Misfits at the time and I thought, okay, I’ll borrow one of their names. Much like Seth Rollins, he borrowed that last name and Corey, ironically enough, came from Bray Wyatt at practice one day and he was singing ‘Sunglasses at Night’ by Corey Hart… And I don’t know why that song was being discussed at the time. I’m sure there was a reason at the time but he goes, ‘There’s your name.’ He goes, ‘You’re Corey Graves’ and personally, I hated it. But I didn’t submit anything different in time and one of the guys that worked in the office was like, ‘Well, the office approved Corey Graves’ and I said, ‘Alright. I guess I’m Corey Graves.’ So here I am.
** Simon Miller of WhatCulture Wrestling chatted with IMPACT President Scott D’Amore. As their conversation rolled on, D’Amore recounted writing The Bunny (Allie) off IMPACT television. She went on to sign with All Elite Wrestling.
The first time that we killed off a character, it was Allie and it was like, the decision was made that she had been with the company for a while and was gonna move in a different direction and it sucks. Anyone who enjoys letting somebody go or telling somebody that their contract’s — is really kind of a sick human being. It sucks. I’ve been in the position where it’s happened to me, I’ve been in the position where I’ve had to do it to others but the fact that in this industry in this day and age, you can go, ‘Hey, this is kind of where we are. But this is how we’re kind of thinking of doing it’ and have talent go, ‘Oh, I like that. That’s kind of neat,’ and I mean, look, she landed on her feet. She’s doing great. She’s at AEW, she’s doing awesome. It was probably the right decision for both sides but, we got to do it in such a cool way, right? And we’re like, that kind of works and I don’t know if I wanna do it every week. We’re not a supernatural show per se but you know, Jimmy Hart always said that the wrestling’s like the circus, right? There’s something for everybody. Some people like the high wire act, some people like the elephant, some people like the clown, some people like the guy shot out of the cannon. Let’s give ‘em all of it and hope that we find something for everybody. So, throwing a little bit in there, doing stuff with Rosemary and stuff like that and The Undead Realm and everything else, if we can do it to where some people can look at it and enjoy it for the tongue-in-cheek kind of thing that it is and not turn off…
** On an Ask Me Anything edition of Arn Anderson’s podcast, he stated that if he was in his prime, he would’ve liked to share the ring with A.J. Styles.
A.J. Styles (is someone I would love to wrestle if I was in my prime). I just always was very aware and respectful of his talent and I’m not sure he ever did with WWE or ever will be rewarded or understood just how good he is.
He does enough flashy stuff that he really keeps you tuned in. But he also does some really cool stuff in the ring and it’s just one of those that I would watch from afar and watch how good he was and just marvel at the guy and obviously, two different time periods for our careers but… You know what? (Styles being from Georgia) May have something to do with it. There’s another check (Styles being a Georgia Bulldogs fan).
** RevPro Live in London 79 Results (11/5/23) The Venue in London, England
– Great British Tag League Block A: Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II) (6) def. Keiron Lacey & Mark Trew (0)
– Robbie X def. Spike Trivet by DQ
– Dani Luna & Kanji def. Alex Windsor & Mercedez Blaze
– Ricky Knight Jr. def. Shigehiro Irie
– Leon Slater def. Trent Seven
– Great British League Block B: Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper) (3) def. Danny Black & Maverick Mayhew (0)
– RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship: Michael Oku (c) defeats Luke Jacobs
– RevPro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship: Connor Mills (c) def. Sha Samuels
** To promote AEW Dynamite on November 8th in Portland, Oregon, Darby Allin appeared on KOIN 6.
** STARDOM Results (11/5/23) Ushiku Sports Park Gymnasium in Ushiku, Japan
– Saori Anou & Yuna Mizumori def. Hazuki & Saya Iida
– Five-Way: AZM def. HANAKO and Rina and Hina and Ruaka
– Maika, Megan Bayne & Mai Sakurai def. Syuri, MIRAI & Saki Kashima
– Goddess of Stardom Tag League Red Block: Giulia & Thekla def. Mina Shirakawa & Waka Tsukiyama
– Goddess of Stardom Tag League Blue Block: Ami Sohrei & Lady C def. Mayu Iwatani & Hanan
– Goddess of Stardom Tag League Red Block: Natsuko Tora & Momo Watanabe def. Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira
** For the first time since 2019, Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) are going to be in action for PROGRESS Wrestling. They are scheduled for the promotion’s 1/28/24 event.
** Dragongate ‘The Gate of Destiny’ Results (11/5/23) EDION Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan
– Kota Minoura, Ben-K & B×B Hulk def. Genki Horiguchi, Kagetora & Problem Dragon
– Open the Brave Gate Championship: ISHIN (c) def. Ryoya Tanaka
– Shun Skywalker, KAI & H.Y.O. def. Masaaki Mochizuki, Mochizuki Jr. & Yoshiki Kato
– Último Dragón, Luis Mante, Naruki Doi, Shuji Konda & Eita def. Kzy, Strong Machine J, Jason Lee, U-T & JACKY ‘FUNKY’ KAMEI
– Open the Triangle Gate Championships: YAMATO, Dragon Kid & Punch Tominaga (c) def. Don Fuji, Takashi Yoshida & The Bodyger
– Open the Twin Gate Championships: Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia def. Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda (c)
– Open the Dream Gate Championship: Madoka Kikuta (c) def. BIGBOSS Shimizu
** November 5th birthdays: Axel Tischer.
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.
