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.
** Joining the newest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet was two-time AEW TNT Champion Christian Cage. He confirmed that he was not cleared when he did the Unsanctioned match against Randy Orton on WWE Raw in 2020. Cage was not happy because he felt he could’ve done more in the ring. After seeing the ratings and how many people tuned in for the segment/match, he felt like he let those people down.
I was not (cleared when I had Unsanctioned match against Randy Orton on WWE Raw) … Probably not the smartest thing to do (taking punt kick) but, there were ways around it at the time in the Performance Center. So that’s what we did. But, I was not happy about that day because I felt that I could do more, and then when the ratings came in and it was the highest-rated show in a long time, I was like, ‘Wow, people really thought I was gonna wrestle and they were excited to see me wrestle,’ and I feel like I kind of let them down. So, that was another thing that was in my head that, ‘Is this how I want to go out?’ It was unsanctioned. Do I want that to be the last memory people have of me being in the ring? It wasn’t.
** The Masked Man Show welcomed NXT Champion Trick Williams onto the podcast. He shared that he’s asked Booker T to do a match with him and added that he’ll put the title on the line.
I already asked Booker (T) can we run it one time… He can still go. He’s in the gym all the time. He doesn’t slow down one bit. It’s up to him. It’s up to him, it’s up to Shawn (Michaels). If we can make this happen, I’m all game. I would put the title on the line. Oh yeah man!
I think he got one more in him and bro, that would be the hugest honor for him to run it with me. I wouldn’t complain if nothing else happened.
** As a media briefing was taking place that was hosted by NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi, Bushiroad CEO Takaaki Kidani and NJPW Representative Director Hitoshi Matsumoto, Tanahashi expressed that they want to make the STRONG Titles USA-exclusive. Kidani added that there could be a rare exception like the titles being defended at a Wrestle Kingdom. The STRONG Tag Titles are going to be defended at Dominion on June 9th.
Tanahashi: Well, first of all, we want to make the STRONG titles American-exclusive. Additionally, there have been a lot of new titles of late, and it’s important I think for wrestlers to understand what championships they want to aim toward, and for fans to understand that as well. Each title can have a role in different events, but we want the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to consistently be the peak and have those roles take place after that.
Kidani: As I mentioned, this is a big project and some of those details will take time to iron out. The case with STRONG titles might become one where you have the rarest exception, like a Wrestle Kingdom where the titles are in Japan, but with the rest of the time on U.S. shows exclusively, and there are NJPW events every month in the U.S. right now. That’s meant that feuds over U.S. titles have carried themselves over into Japan as well, making things a bit vague. So the goal is to bring the STRONG championships more in line with what they were originally intended to be.
** Dragongate Japan Pro-Wrestling ‘Rainbow Gate’ Results (6/4/24) from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
– Madoka Kikuta de. La Estrella
– Último Dragón, Masaaki Mochizuki & El Cucuy def. Don Fujii, Toru Owashi & Shuji Kondo
– Mochizuki Junior def. Yasushi Kanda
– YAMATO, Naruki Doi, Susumu Yokosuka & Kagetora def. Kzy, Strong Machine J, BIGBOSS Shimizu & U-T
– Hyo & JACKY KAMEI def. Kota Minoura & Minorita
– Dragon Kid, Dragon Dia, Flamita & Ninja Mack def. Shun Skywalker, KAI, ISHIN & Jason Lee
– Open the Dream Gate Championship: Ben-K def. Luis Mante (c)
** All Japan Pro Wrestling ‘Super Power Series’ Results (6/4/24) Shinkiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
– Dan Tamura & Hikaru Sato vs. MUSASHI & Seiki Yoshioka – No Contest (12:05)
– Hideki Suzuki def. Hokuto Omori
– The End (Odinson & Parrow) def. Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Seigo Tachibana
– Suwama def. Kumaarashi
– The Saito Brothers (Jun Saito & Rei Saito) def. Hartley Jackson & MAZADA
– Fuminori Abe & Yuma Aoyagi def. Rising HAYATO & Ryuki Honda
– Ren Ayabe & Yuma Anzai def. Kento Miyahara & Shotaro Ashino
** Hiroshi Tanahashi was interviewed by MOVIE WALKER PRESS about his fandom of actor Jackie Chan. There’s also a feature on Tanahashi in Weekly SPA! Magazine.
** SENZ pushed out the written version of their interview with Bronson Reed.
** Trick Williams made the media rounds and one of the outlets he spoke to was USA TODAY.
** June 4th birthdays: Riho.
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.
