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 #144 of the Café De René livestream featured Mace and Mansoor. Mace, the former RETRIBUTION member, recalled WWE wanting two female members in the group and when Mercedes Martinez left, creative were still looking for someone to fill that spot and talents were turning it down. He said people at the Performance Center were turning down the spot as well. Mace and Mansoor remember Danielle Kamela (Vanessa Borne) saying no to the opportunity.
Mace: From what I understand, Mercedes Martinez did not want to do it (RETRIBUTION) which is why she was in it and then she was no longer in it. I think that was one of the things that kind of… I think when they put together RETRIBUTION, while they wanted it to be an Antifa thing, I think they wanted a female tag team because at the time, they were just establishing the Women’s Tag Team Championships and they were really pushing for there to be two girls and which was funny because I was like, okay, we got a bunch of guys but they had Mia (Yim), who was Reckoning at the time and then they wanted Mercedes and then when she didn’t want to do it, they were looking around and they were asking people and people were just saying no… I almost wonder if that’s where it’s just like, ‘Alright! Well I give up!’
Mansoor: Vanessa Borne was one, right? That said no.
Mace: Yeah, I believe Vanessa Borne said no. It might have been one other which is funny because there were people in the Performance Center. There are certain people that don’t get a whole lot of opportunities. I was one of ‘em and I would’ve taken anything. I would have been a clown for you if they would have presented a clown opportunity. So, for RETRIBUTION to be so rancid that they’re going around the Performance Center just trying to give it away. Take a massive contract. Just put on a mask.
They further spoke about Maxxine Dupri’s arrival to Maximum Male Models. Originally, she was supposed to have a live in-ring promo on SmackDown for her debut but that was the same day Vince McMahon resigned from his role as Chairman and CEO of WWE. Prior to that, Mace and Mansoor helped Maxxine prepare for her promo by having her stand in a ring at the Performance Center and verbally heckled her while she spoke.
Mace: And she (Maxxine Dupri) was going to have a live in-ring promo (for her debut) and she had never done anything like that. She had never done that before.
Mansoor: Funny story about that actually. That was the day, her debut, was the day that Vince (McMahon) retired. So she was supposed to, on that day, come out and introduce us. Her first-ever live in-ring promo and we had gone to the Performance Center that week and practiced it with her. We were like, ‘Sydney –’ that’s her real name — Maxxine — ‘We’re gonna go over this 100 million times’ and we had her stand in the middle of the ring and cut a promo while we would shout sh*t like, ‘Boo! F*ck off! Get out of here.’
Mace: We were used to the heckling we would get. We would get heckled so much during these promos, we were like, ‘Listen, the audience hates it, Vince loves it. So you go full in, all in on this, we’ll be fine. But we’re gonna treat you like crap like we’re the audience’ because every time we walked out, it was, ‘This is the end of your career. You better quit now.’
Continuing on the topic of Maximum Male Models, Mace and Mansoor shared that they were interested in bringing Rick Martel back to WWE to collaborate with him.
Mansoor: Absolutely watched our tapes (on Rick Martel) and we tried to get a hold of him. We wanted him to come to a show. We were trying to get him for Survivor Series or something.
Mace: When things were really good and we felt like we could actually get stuff, absolutely. We were like, ‘For sure. Let’s get Rick Martel. If we can find him, let’s get him and get him on because that would be huge for us and him I’m sure.’ But, stuff stopped happening for us so (he laughed)…
** A new interview with Britt Baker is up on Ring The Belle’s YouTube channel. She looked back on ‘The Waiting Room’ segments she hosted on AEW TV. Baker said when Cody Rhodes was a part of the segment, her and Rebel would hold up sparklers as a rib about the amount of pyro he used for his entrances.
Cody (Rhodes) was great (on The Waiting Room). So Cody, we always used to rib Cody about his pyro, how it was a lot. It was a lot, you’d know. It was a lot and we said, ‘Oh, we have to make sure Cody has pyro coming into The Waiting Room’ so we had the sparklers, like fourth of July sparklers when he walked in the door as a rib. Reba still laughs about it.
Baker’s finisher is the ‘Lockjaw’ and she talked about how stressed out she gets before putting a glove on to execute the move. She added that the glove gets crumpled up sitting in her boot and her hands become sweaty from the match. Baker said people have no idea how stressed she gets in those moments.
It’s (glove) always in the boot so you have to pull it out of the boot. So you pull it out of the boot, you’ll show everybody. They got to know what’s coming. Keep ‘em wanting more, okay? And this is the part that is so hard on live TV because your hands are sweaty, the glove’s been crumpled up in your boot. It’s so hard. People will really underestimate how stressed I am at this moment in time when I pull the glove out. I swear, I’m not lying. This is as real as it gets, okay?
** While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Eric Bugenhagen (Rick Boogs) detailed his interactions with WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon. Bugenhagen said there’s been a bunch of times when he’s asked McMahon when are the going to work out together.
The first time I met him (Vince McMahon), so it was in Stamford. It was like the WWE tour or whatever. And everyone’s like, trying to be respected. I’m not an ass-kisser, I don’t care. It might be to my detriment but at the same time, I think it’s why people like me as well. So everyone’s like, ‘Vince, nice to meet you sir.’ And I see him like, ‘Vince, where’s the gym? What the hell? Give me a tour.’ He’s like, ‘(laughs) How much weight do you think you can pit shark?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, I don’t know. I maxed the thing out. I’ve done as many plates as you can fit.’ I say, ‘You know you can get those thin plates? The kilo plates.’ He says, ‘How much weight do you think you can get on them?’ ‘I don’t know. I mean, I’m not a mathematician. Couple 1,000?’ Meanwhile, the other people are just awkward while we are male bonding about pit shark squats. And another time at TV they say, ‘Oh my god Boogs, Vince wants to talk to you.’ I don’t know what (it was about), they’re freaking me out. ‘He wants to talk to you.’ He thinks that you’re a yes man, you’re not listening, you’re not doing what he wants you to do. Oh sh*t, okay. So I go in there and I’m like, ‘What’s up Vince?’ And I said, ‘Hey, by the way, I was at a gym today. And I just did like 585 on squat or whatever.’ (Vince says), ‘What do you squat?’ I tell him, ‘I go as low as possible.’ We are talking about squats, it is like the greatest conversation ever. Everyone is intimidated by him. I’ve always had a great (relationship). We just talked about lifting, about squats. It’s always about squats.
I asked him a million times, when are we gonna work out? Dude, I’ll frickin’ cut some suit pants off, make them shorts and do it at 3 AM with you if you want. That’s what I’ve heard he does, I would love that. I’ve tried to, I’ve messaged him and stuff and I think only to my detriment probably. (Vince probably thinks), ‘What the hell is this guy messaging me for?’ I don’t have his number but somebody was like, ‘Hey, try his email like Chairman or something like that.’
** Sam Roberts welcomed Adam Copeland onto his show and as they were reflecting on Copeland’s career, they looked back on the pandemic-era of wrestling with no fans. He remembers being in the ring during a match and hearing one of the crew members pass gas and the laughter that followed.
Now, I also remember hearing one of the crew guys fart while I was taking a move (while wrestling in front of no fans). That happened, that happened (he laughed). No, it happened, and I heard the laughs after it happened and we’re taping a match and I’m like, right, that just happened. I heard that and that bump really hurt. It really, really hurt. Yes, yeah (it was like a fart in church), except it was the Tropicana Field.
** While guest appearing on Busted Open Radio, NXT’s Fallon Henley said one of her dream opponents is Molly Holly.
Besides Mickie James, ooouuu, there’s a list but probably Molly Holly (is my ideal dream opponent). That was another one that my trainer was like, ‘Go watch her’ and another one that I just kind of fell in love with.
** University of Alabama outlet ‘The Crimson White’ published a piece on NXT men’s Breakout tournament winner Oba Femi. The article includes comments from Femi’s mother.
** Kenny Omega and Xavier Woods listed their top 10 video games of 2023 for the Giant Bomb website.
** Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Results (1/4/24) from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
– Mahiro Kiryu, Yuki Kamifuku & Toga def. Juria Nagano, Kaya Toribami & Moka Miyamoto
– Pom Harajuku, Raku & Ram Kaicho def. Haru Kazashiro, HIMAWARI & Runa Okubo
– Mizuki def. Nao Kakuta
– Shoko Nakajima def. Hyper Misao
– Riho def. Shino Suzuki
– Aja Kong def. Wakana Uehara
– Rina Yamashita def. Maki Ito
– TJPW International Princess Championship: Yuki Arai def. Max The Impaler (c)
– Vacant TJPW Princess Tag Team Championships – Three-Way Match: Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Arai def. Arisu Endo & Suzume and Miu Watanabe & Rika Tatsumi
– TJPW Princess Of Princess Championship: Miyu Yamashita (c) def. Masha Slamovich
** Virgin Media Sport sat down with Sheamus:
** Big Japan Pro Wrestling Results (1/4/24) from Shinkiba 1stRING in Tokyo, Japan
– Daichi Hashimoto & Takuya Nomura def. Kazuki Hashimoto & Yuya Aoki
– Abdullah Kobayashi & Drake Younger def. Daisuke Sekimoto & Kazumasa Yoshida
– TLC Death Match: Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto def. Jack Bennett & Kankuro Hoshino
– Barbed Wire Board Death Match: Green Phantom & Satu Jinn def. Masaya Takahashi & Yuichi Taniguchi
– Daimonji So, Ender Kara, Leyton Buzzard & Tempesta def. Fuminori Abe, Kota Sekifuda, Yasufumi Nakanoue & Zeke Andino
– Fluorescent Light Tubes Death Match: AKIRA, Masashi Takeda & Takumi Tsukamoto def. Daiju Wakamatsu, Kazumi Kikuta & Ryuji Ito
– Fluorescent Light Tubes Death Match: Hideyoshi Kamitani def. Necro Butcher
– BJW Death Match Heavyweight Championship – Light Tube Death Match: Yuki Ishikawa def. Madman Pondo (c)
** Bobby Lashley was interviewed by Sporting News.
** The latest excerpt from a longform interview that NJPW conducted with SANADA.
** The Black Rasslin’ Podcast invited ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion Bishop Kaun onto the show.
** Swerve Strickland was interviewed by Freddie Prinze Jr.
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.
