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.
** During episode #248 of the Grilling J.R. podcast, Jim Ross revealed that former principal owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, offered to fly out the best neurologist in the U.S.A. to Oklahoma to tend to his wife Jan after her accident. Ross greatly appreciated it and is grateful to Cuban, but he was told by medical professionals that Jan was not going to make it. They could have kept her alive, but she would’ve needed a respirator and would not be able to talk. This all occurred when Ross was commentating matches for NJPW on Cuban’s AXS TV.
And then Jan (Ross) got killed in 2017 and that’s when my relationship with Mark Cuban really bonded because he made a call to me. I think I had mentioned on social media that she was struggling and she was fighting, because she never regained consciousness after that accident and so, he called the guys at AXS, ‘Find out how’s J.R. doing, what’s going on.’ So he gets a hold of me and says, you know, ‘I’ll fly in the best neurologist in America to Oklahoma to help take care of your wife’ and I never took him up on it because quite frankly, and it sounds morbid but I was told she wasn’t gonna make it and (if) we did keep her alive, it was gonna be on a (respirator), and she wasn’t never gonna talk. Just horrible. God bless her. I loved her so much, still do. So he called me and volunteered. Fly a doctor in on a private plane and to give me another opinion. But, it just wasn’t anything there. She got the worst hand dealt to her that you could get but that just gives you an example of the kind of guy Mark Cuban is. He pays attention and he takes care of his people.
** Joining the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast was WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner. He spoke about MJF’s version of the ‘Steiner Math’ promo from September 2023 and said it made him laugh.
I think when MJF did my math promo in AEW, I mean, it made me laugh. So, to this day, I still laugh about it (Steiner Math).
** The latest guest to join The Kurt Angle Show was Matt Riddle. He further spoke about the relationship he established with Randy Orton. He said Orton helped him through personal situations and they remain in contact. As of the podcast recording, the last time they spoke was before Orton’s Triple Threat match with A.J. Styles and L.A. Knight on Friday Night SmackDown. Orton told Riddle he would call him back because he was mapping out the Triple Threat, but he never called.
He (Randy Orton) really helps me out through a lot of tough times because I was going through a divorce at the time and everything else and he’s been through a similar situation and he was just a real brother, you know? And especially when you’re on the road, it’s not like I can call anybody — I can but, it’s not the same and to have him there and be that supportive because you know how Randy can be and for him to be that supportive to me and you know, it was nice. Randy has a spot in my heart forever… I do (stay in contact with him). I talked to Randy before his SmackDown match the other day. He was busy though. He was like, ‘Hey Matt, I’ll call you back. I’m calling this three-way,’ what have you. I go, ‘Alright dude.’ He didn’t call me back but, you know… He picked up, he picked up… I know he’s doing good, he’s calling the match. That’s all. I just wanted to check in anyways.
When it comes to his time on WWE’s main roster, Riddle says the peak for him was retaining the Raw Tag Team Championships with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 38.
I’d say my favorite moment on the main roster if I had to pick one, has to be when me and Randy (Orton) retained the (Raw) Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania (38). That audience when we both geed him up and the whole crowd (inaudible) because they want those RKOs and then they take it away but then we get ‘em back with the springboard RKO and then he catches (Chad) Gable out of a diving headbutt and it was a magical moment, at least for me. I got a plaque over there on the wall from it… So yeah, for me, that was probably the end-all but, that was the peak for sure.
Earlier in the conversation, he touched on his NXT run. Along the way, Riddle heaped praise onto Adam Cole.
I’m a big fan of good matches, so even if it’s like a bigger moment, I’m a big fan of good matches and I had a great match with Adam Cole in NXT for the title and it was just — Adam Cole’s such a talent and he’s fun to be around and everything else and I really love that match.
** While doing a virtual signing for Captain’s Corner, Heath shared that due to personal issues, Adam Rose was not a part of the filming for ‘The Marine 5: Battleground’, which The Miz starred in. With Rose being out, Trinity Fatu was added to the cast. Heath said they filmed for 40 days. Their break time was 6 AM-6 PM and they filmed from 6 PM-6 AM.
Marine 5 was awesome. Honestly, this is back whenever we were doing The Social Outcasts gimmick and then we were running with that and Vince (McMahon) was like, ‘Hey man, We gotta do another Marine movie.’ The Miz is pretty much The Marine and all that stuff at the time and next thing you know, he needed a villain group and somehow, Social Outcasts was the brand for it. I know (Adam) Rose was going through some stuff behind the scenes to where he wasn’t able to be in it and that’s why Trinity got in… She got a great little spot there to be in a movie where she wasn’t even thought of at the time. But yeah, we were in Vancouver, Canada for 40 days, taping this movie and most of the movie was shot at night. So pretty much, we were sleeping from 6 AM until 6 PM and then working from 6 PM to 6 AM… It took a while (for my sleep schedule to get back on track).
** The late Killer Khan’s Izakaya (drinking establishment) in Tokyo, Japan is going to close on January 27th.
** NJPW’s official website recapped a talk show that IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito and NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi were the focus of. Naito’s father was in attendance.
** Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Taishi Ozawa is going on an overseas tour. NOAH will be holding send-off matches for him on January 20th, 21st and 23rd.
** All Japan Pro Wrestling Results (1/14/24) from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
– Pre-Show: Mii & Sakura Mizushima def. Kyoka Iwai & MARU
– Fuminori Abe, Hikaru Sato, Koji Iwamoto & Kotaro Suzuki def. Atsuki Aoyagi, Dan Tamura, Rising HAYATO & Ryo Inoue
– Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Osamu Nishimura def. Naruki Doi & Ren Ayabe
– AJPW GAORA TV Championship: Seigo Tachibana def. Black Menso-re (c)
– AJPW World Tag Team Championships: Saito Brothers (Jun Saito & Rei Saito) (c) def. Hokuto Omori & Katsuhiko Nakajima
– Battle Royal: Yuma Anzai def. Hideki Suzuki and Kento Miyahara and Minoru Suzuki and Ryuki Honda and Shotaro Ashino and Suwama and Yuma Aoyagi
– Yuma Anzai def. Masanobu Fuchi
** STARDOM Results (1/14/24) from Osaka, Japan
– Mai Sakurai def. Miyu Amasaki
– Three-Way Match: Mina Shirakawa def. Ruaka and Lady C
– Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Hanan & Saya Iida def. HANAKO, Yuzuki, Ranna Yagami & Sayaka Kurara
– Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid & Fukigen Death def. Syuri, MIRAI, Ami Sohrei & Saki Kashima
– Maika & Megan Bayne def. Saori Anou & Yuna Mizumori
– Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani def. AZM & Mei Seira
** Chihiro Hashimoto appeared on Kenoh’s YouTube channel.
** NWA backstage interviewer and correspondent, May Valentine, was profiled by Heart of Hollywood Magazine.
** January 14th birthdays: Katana Chance.
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.
