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.
** AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes guest appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast. Rhodes opened up about her promo on Jade Cargill that took place on a November edition of Dynamite. A conversation about code-switching arose from that promo and Brandi went on to explain her thought process going into it and the reaction online following it. She added that she doesn’t think it’s a conversation people should have if they’re not Black.
It was great because I think nobody [has] seen that yet. When they’ve seen character stuff with me, it’s always calm and I curse a lot, you know, Detroit Brandi likes her promos but it’s always calm. I never go to 100. I’m always at like 60. So I think it surprised a lot of people and it opened up a conversation about code-switching, which I don’t think it’s a conversation that people should have if they’re not Black. I really don’t.
So code-switching is when you take on a certain voice, tone, persona for certain groups of people. The problem with that is when it comes to me, when I’m actually mad, that doesn’t exist, that’s not real. You’ve heard me be mad but I don’t think you’ve ever heard me hit 100. Like 100 is high for me. Nothing matters except what I think and what I have to say to you, and that’s what I did there in that. I didn’t know anything she was saying and that was by design. I didn’t wanna know her promo, I didn’t wanna know what she was gonna do with Cody [Rhodes] so she comes to this ring, she’s an absolute specimen of a human being, she’s touching my husband, she said he had a small dick. Like all these things that I didn’t know were gonna happen, so I’m getting amped up and even people backstage in Gorilla are going, ‘Holy sh*t Brandi. What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do?’ I’m not even answering anybody. I’m just, ‘Just tell me when I go out.’ But I knew. I’m like, ‘I’m gonna cut her ass up. I’m [gonna] cut her to the bone. Like I’m so glad she’s doing this because it makes it easier for me’ so yeah, I just went out there with real anger and real emotion and said a bunch of stuff and they forgot to bleep a lot of it, they were behind because they’re not used to me doing that. It was great. It was so funny. But yeah, you can’t call somebody out for code-switching unless that is actually what they’re doing and I’ll be honest, I have what I call an announcer’s voice which is my professional voice. But that’s not even my in-ring persona unless I’m announcing. But yeah, so when I cut promos and stuff as just Brandi, that’s not even that. That is what I would consider code-switching. Like Brandi on the news, totally different diction, every word annunciated, just try to get rid of the Mid-western accent, like straight delivery. So I thought it was a little unfair for people who’ve never seen that side of me to coin it that way, but I definitely thought it was really unfair for a white man to say — and I won’t say who it was but it was a reporter that said, ‘Well, she better talk like that all the time now,’ and I’m like who are you to tell me what I better do ever?
Brandi and Cody Rhodes are expecting their child so Brandi has been off TV. She has been offered spots to return to television during her pregnancy but doesn’t plan on taking any of those opportunities.
No, no [I haven’t been featured on TV while pregnant]. I don’t really plan to either. I don’t know, it’s a wrestling show, so who wants to see a pregnant lady? I mean, because there’s been times — well tons of people have asked, ‘Hey, do you want to be on commentary for this or do you want to be a part of this?’ And I’m thinking like, ‘I wouldn’t want to see me on commentary because I’m not gonna do anything.’ You know I’m not gonna do anything. Somebody can get in my face and there’s nothing I can do about it so that’s kind of anticlimactic. But, I don’t know. I say ‘no’ sometimes and then I get shoehorned into doing something, but I’m trying to stay out of it.
** FOX’s Missouri affiliate spoke to the family of the late Butch Reed who passed away on February 5th. He suffered two heart attacks this year, but his family believes he passed from COVID-19 which he tested positive for “around January 12”. POST Wrestling would like to send our condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Butch Reed.
** Torrie Wilson made her return to WWE as a part of the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble match. Prior to her return, Wilson partook in a virtual meet-and-greet/signing with The Asylum Wrestling Store. Wilson said if she could have one career do-over, she would’ve taken herself off TV and properly learned how to wrestle.
Honestly, if I had one career do-over, it would’ve been insisting that I go off TV and go train properly to wrestle, so that I was comfortable in the ring moving forward. That would be my do-over.
Torrie shared a storyline that she was fond of from her time in WWE and one that she did not enjoy. She enjoyed working with her father on-screen but one that she was not big on was her program with Sable.
The most fun which was probably not the most popular was the one with my dad. I loved it because it was a long storyline, I got to bring my dad into this world and share it with him, even though I was just like frightened every week at what he was gonna do to embarrass me. It was still really fun and I was so into it, and the one I probably disliked the most was the one with Sable, because I was completely out of my comfort zone there and we had a lot of segments where we were trying to be sexy and dancing in the ring and I’ll be quite straight up with you, I never felt comfortable with that. I felt like I had no rhythm, like the worst rhythm ever. I would watch her be so sexy, so naturally and then I’d have to follow that up and I just — honestly I just wanted to shrink away and die usually.
While discussing storylines from her time in WWE, she recalled there being one with Trish Stratus that both she and Trish were not sure about so Trish voiced her opinion on it.
There were a couple things that, you know — something with Trish [Stratus] that they wanted us to do that was a little pushing the edge and she was a little ballsier about saying, ‘Mhm, I’m not sure about that.’
Wilson’s last singles match in WWE was in 2007. She stated that if she were to come back for another singles match, she would like to wrestle Charlotte Flair and feels that Flair would make her look good in the ring.
I’ve been asked this question a few times and I wish I could give a different answer every time. I just love Charlotte [Flair] as a person and I love that she’s tall and so athletic and she’d make me look like a million bucks.
She’s so great. She’s such a jaw dropping athlete. I watch her and I’m just like, ‘How can she do this all the time?’
Elsewhere during the meet-and-greet, Wilson told the story of when she teased John Cena during a WWE UK tour in 2002. Wilson and Billy Kidman defeated John Cena and Dawn Marie in a mixed tag team match at Rebellion and Wilson jokingly called Cena a “jobber”.
You know what? It’s so funny, I remember on that tour, that was before he really hit it big, and I remember teasing him backstage and calling him a jobber which is like what we call each other when we lose all the time, and I kind of pride myself on that because it was just way before — who would ever call him a jobber? No one.
Wilson also spoke highly of former 3-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion Tajiri. She said Tajiri wanted to see her shine and she always appreciated that.
You know, it’s interesting. He was the first guy that I worked with in the WWE and it was a little bit of language barrier, but I think we both really appreciated what the other one brought to the table for each other and I loved — I really appreciated and loved that he wanted me to shine, let me do — for a guy to let a girl do his move, it’s kind of a big deal, and I really appreciate that. I have nothing but love and respect for him. He’s so talented.
** The Turnbuckle Tavern welcomed Nick Aldis onto the show. As their conversation rolled on, Aldis discussed the possibility of WWE collaborating with another wrestling organization to present a show. Aldis threw the idea out there of a co-presentation of Starrcade by WWE and the NWA.
And if there comes a moment where they decide that interacting with a smaller entity for a certain amount of time or working out different things which they have done it recently. They did it with EVOLVE, they did it with some of those British independents there and stuff, and they did it before with ECW. This is not a new thing. So, in my mind I’m like, I’d love to see a point, and I’m putting this out there, just putting it out in the universe but it’s like, when I saw them do Starrcade on the [WWE] Network, it kinda broke my heart a little bit, and again, just because of the expectation I had created for it, right?
But to me it’s like well, the IP’s still there and if we can build up enough momentum to where they can’t ignore it and if the fans want it enough and the fans voice it enough and they make enough noise about it, who’s to say that we couldn’t have a huge extravaganza of Starrcade with the first time in history in the decades old sort of story of the NWA and WWE, the two sort of — historically, the two kind of powerhouse organizations. For the first time ever, they come together and co-promote Starrcade. It’s like you know what I mean? These things can happen.
** Mark Henry and David LaGreca welcomed Britt Baker onto Busted Open Radio. Baker stated that it feels normal now to be wrestling under the current conditions and said she’s somewhat forgotten what it feels like to have thousands of people in an arena. She hopes to have that number of fans back soon as she feels she is in her prime.
Yeah, it’s weird. It’s almost like I hate to say it but I don’t remember what it feels like to come out and there’s 10,000 fans and it’s sad because we’re in the norm now where it’s we’re in Jacksonville every week and we have some fans trickling in but, it’s definitely a hard pill to swallow too because I feel like I’m in my prime right now so I’m like, ‘Where [are] these fans? Get ‘em in here’ but we gotta be patient, the time is coming I think. I’m hoping here soon we can get back to those full arenas and our fans are very special, so our live shows, you gotta be there to see it, to feel it. But hopefully soon, soon, when it’s safe.
Elsewhere during the show, Mark Henry spoke about the Yokozuna ‘WWE Icons’ documentary on the WWE Network that he was a part of. Henry said there were certain topics that he did not speak of out of respect for the Anoa’i family.
You know, there’s a lot of stuff that was not said intentionally because it felt like that was too personal or something like that, and I was told recently, ‘Aye man, you was with Yoko up until that point to where he got sent away to the fat farm and why didn’t y’all talk about that stuff?’ I just felt like as a respect to the family, that there was some of that stuff that I shouldn’t say and that dude took care of me man. I didn’t pay for the car, I didn’t pay for my hotels, nothing. He took care of everything. All he asked was for me not to question him. He said, ‘Look man, if I tell you to do something, just do it, and I got you’ and he did. He took care of me in a way that nobody in my wrestling history has.
** WWE’s 2016 Fastlane pay-per-view was the focus of Arn Anderson’s latest podcast episode. Arn shared that he once pitched for Bo Dallas to be added to The Wyatt Family and along the way, former WWE producer Mike Rotunda, father to Dallas and Bray Wyatt would be involved in the story.
Other than it being stressed, there was plenty of ways to bring him [Bo Dallas] into the fold and make him more important. Let’s just say and at that time I pitched a deal where you brought him in with The Wyatts and you told ‘em who he was. He was Bray Wyatt’s brother and he was Mike Rotunda’s son and do a deal where let’s just say Mike came down during one of The Wyatts’ matches and in his capacity as a producer was trying to break up a fight and let’s just say Big Red [Erick Redbeard] and Brodie Lee, let’s just say they dropped Mike and for the first time they had Bray Wyatt, who other than join in what was going on with the other two Wyatts, he pulled him off and said, ‘Not him, not him’ and now you find out that he’s the son of Mike Rotunda because I don’t think it was 100 percent everybody knew that, now you have The Wyatts back off and you have Bo introduced as the babyface other brother who he really is. You put him in with that group and you got all these monsters with these footlong beards and there you’ve got this babyface who is Bray Wyatt’s legitimate brother and he’s standing over here. It just would’ve opened up some different avenues to give the kid a chance to get started and in the mix with top talent to where you could’ve went anywhere with that, you know? Just as an example. I know that’s long-winded and it was just something that was pitched but it would’ve gave them a better launching pad than having him run around the ring with a Bolieve sign I think what was drawn on the sign. Is that quite correct?
** QT Marshall was the focus of Pro Wrestling Junkies’ latest virtual meet-and-greet session. He was asked about his tasks of balancing being a wrestler and producer and admitted that it has been trying as of late. Cody Rhodes recently pulled him aside and they had a discussion about it.
It’s getting very difficult lately. Cody [Rhodes] pulled me aside the other day and we did one of the matches for AEW Dark and he told me, he was like, ‘Hey man, you’re gonna need to take 30 minutes out of your day right before you go out there’ because I asked him what he thought. He was like, ‘Everything was fine, you look great, but you can tell you’re just flustered. You’re literally re-writing with Tony Khan, helping re-write the TV show right before we start and you can tell you literally just got changed and ran out there’ so luckily, I’m experienced enough to get in the ring and just kind of go with the flow and I don’t have to sit there a bunch of hours and debate everything we’re gonna do but also that’s my detriment too because I know I can fall back on that. So, it’s getting a little rough but, it’s only one thing we can do, right? We just gotta keep pushing forward and make it work so…
It was announced that Aaron Solow and Nick Comoroto are joining The Nightmare Family. QT explained he and Cody’s decision behind bringing Solow and Comoroto into the group and what it means to be a member of The Nightmare Family.
Aaron Solow is somebody that’s been around a very, very long time and he’s kinda just been floating. He was never fully signed to any company. I met Aaron in 2013 when I was with Ring of Honor. He did a couple independent shows for me down in Florida and in October, he kind of just spoke to Cody [Rhodes] and I and said, ‘Hey, I really –’ he did some [AEW] Dark stuff for us and then he said, ‘I really want to make this my full-time job’ and I said to him, ‘Hey, you must be missing something. Let’s figure out what it is,’ and he said, ‘I’m going to move to Georgia for the month. I wanna come to the facility, I wanna really be around you guys and really figure it out together’ and he did just that and he really impressed at TV and he’s kind of — I guess the best way to describe him, he’s not someone that maybe jumps right out at you, but over time, you can really appreciate all the good that he does and he’s just a great human being as well and something that Cody, when he sat down and thought about additions to the brand, Aaron Solow is somebody that fits the brand. Nick Comoroto on the other hand, somebody that I met a long time ago when I was coaching at the Monster Factory and he looked the exact same at the age of 23. I think he’s about 28 right now and he’s someone that does pop out right at you and he had gotten released from NXT at one point and we always stayed in touch and I always tried to guide him throughout the years and so that was just kind of a natural fit. It was just a matter of getting him around the right people and kind of letting them see what I had already seen in him many years ago and today we made the announcement. He’s been doing some stuff with Dustin [Rhodes] and I on Dark, which has been really cool because it’s kind of like — it’s cool to see guys I’ve invested my time in and stuff like that really succeed and get the opportunities to succeed and sometimes it’s really all it is, it’s a matter of getting somebody to co-sign on you and give you that chance so, we’re excited man. Those graphics went out today. They seem pretty well received. A lot of people, they’re wondering what we all have in common and I think the biggest thing is that we all — hate to use to quote but we all do the work, you know what I mean? We all really put the time and effort into being the best at what we do. This way, it’s not just somebody co-signing and giving us a jacket, because that’s not all it is. It’s what the jacket represents.
** Wrestling Inc. conducted an interview with Ariane Andrew. She discussed taking on social media sponsorships and other opportunities that made her money while she was under contract to WWE. She mentioned the expenses that she’d be paying just by being on the road and wanting that extra stream of income.
No [I didn’t get in trouble], but you know how everything goes. Everyone talks. People, they’re writing stuff down, and I was doing red carpets before you could do that. I was doing sponsored deals. When Instagram first got on, I was doing a sponsorship deal for this alcohol company that I never told them about. Everyone was talking about it, and you weren’t supposed to do those type of things, but at the end of the day, I was like, well, I’m very grateful for the opportunity. But when you’re on the road, and you’re paying for so many things, you’re like, whoa, okay, what I’m paying for? What I’m getting, it’s kind of like, okay, well, I need to make a little bit more extra money. And I’m not doing anything bad. If anything, I’m just producing more publicity. Before Fashion Nova was a thing, I was wearing Fashion Nova and doing sponsor stuff with Fashion Nova. That was years ago, and now Fashion Nova is huge.
I was always that person who was kind of pushing the boundaries but not in a bad way. It’s just I have to look out for myself. They could fire me any time and be like ‘bye’. It’s like, okay, well, what does that mean once I’m done with my contract? You have to kind of look out for yourself, and I feel like as long as you’re doing it in a way where you’re not f**king someone over or hurting someone, there’s really no harm, no foul.
** A story about Curt Stallion joining WWE. It’s noted in the article that Stallion was recommended to WWE by EVOLVE officials.
** Ahead of his IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Title match at New Beginning in Hiroshima, SANADA spoke to NJPW1972.com. He admitted that one of his weak spots in his overall presentation is his mic skills.
** Matt Hardy joined D-Von Dudley’s Table Talk podcast and threw the idea out there that he, Jeff Hardy, D-Von, Bully Ray, Edge and Christian could have a cinematic TLC match.
You know what I think would be masterful? I think we could do it. If The Dudleys versus Edge and Christian versus The Hardys in the first-ever TLC cinematic match. Is that money or no? We can make it super entertaining and keep everybody safe. See, that’s what I do now. I’m a promoter.
** Mahabali Shera recently made his return to IMPACT Wrestling and he realigned with Rohit Raju. Shera stated during an interview with Sportskeeda that he was away from IMPACT because he was spending time with his father who was terminally ill. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic began and travel restrictions were instituted.
I had to take a break and go to India as my father was battling cancer. Sadly, he was terminally ill. I knew that he didn’t have much time left. And then, COVID-19 happened. I didn’t know that I’d be stuck there for a year. I didn’t have access to a ring in my home city of Chandigarh. But I was excited to return to IMPACT Wrestling and mix it up with all of the new faces in the company.
** While speaking to Ringsiders Wrestling, former ROH Pure Champion John Walters expressed interest in wanting to continue to wrestle but if he doesn’t wrestle again, he’s content with that.
I’d like to go over to Japan again, once we’re allowed to. I feel good. I don’t have any injuries, I’ve kept myself in shape, I got good reviews from my matches in Ring of Honor. I don’t have any ring rust, especially if I’m more active and I’m wrestling regularly, I’ll just work out the kinks, whatever kinks I have will get worked out quick. I kept myself clean, clean living, no drugs, never took a steroid so it’s like my bones aren’t brittle like some of these guys that have been doing this for 20 years and I’ve taken breaks so that has helped my body recoup. Ring of Honor, I would like to go back and do more there. As for the other companies, I don’t know if I wanna be on the road full-time. I don’t know if I would even entertain that at my age but, I’m kind of just seeing what happens. If I never wrestle another match again, I’d be content. If the right opportunity comes, I’m down. I think if you’re happy and you have self-peace, you’re content with anything that happens. I don’t wanna be done wrestling but if I was, I’d be okay with that.
** WWE published an article about Shad Moss (Bow Wow’s) comments about wanting to join WWE and his Twitter interactions with WWE talents.
** Episode 74 of AEW Dark:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aj_3sQSYXU[/embedyt]
** All Elite Wrestling announcer Tony Schiavone chatted with Lucha Libre Online for an interview. From 1989 to 1990, Schiavone worked for the WWF and he said that other than his time thus far in AEW, that period in the WWF was the best of his career. Schiavone admitted that he once regretted his decision to leave the company.
I had a great year with them [WWF]. Before I started working with AEW, I would consider the WWF year my best year in pro wrestling. I loved working there and I got along with Vince McMahon. His children were very young at that time, they weren’t in the business, [it] was 1989 and so I got to know Vince, I got to know Linda McMahon very well, they treated me very well. But I had grown up in the south. I had grown up in Virginia, I had moved to North Carolina, that’s where I had been working with Jim Crockett Promotions. They were purchased by Turner Broadcasting in 1989 and I decided I didn’t wanna work for Turner Broadcasting and Vince McMahon and the WWF offered me a substantial amount of money, so I packed up my family, moved to Connecticut. After about a year there, I — we just didn’t like living up there. We didn’t think it was a good place to raise a family. The cost of living was very expensive, so my decision to leave the WWF was based purely on what was best for my family, not what was best for my career professionally, and it was a move that I regretted for many, many years, and I finally — after many, many years of being with WCW, things got okay but in the beginning when I came back, it was very tough and I regretted the decision to leave because I really liked working with the WWF but it was basically just a decision based on family needs, cost of living because we had five young children, so it was very difficult for us to live in Connecticut and close to New York City.
** Shane Taylor and RUSH’s ROH World Championship match will air on the 2/27 episode of ROH TV.
** Tommy Dreamer welcomed Ace Austin onto his House Of Hardcore podcast in early January. Dreamer told Ace that there were plans in place to put the IMPACT World Championship on him but that did not happen. While speaking with Inside The Ropes, Austin was asked if him not being world champion yet has frustrated him and here’s what he had to say:
You’ve got to take the good with the bad. I have to say that, it feels like my biggest career failure so far, almost – but ‘The Inevitable’ was born out of that. The confidence that I have in my ability is where that ‘inevitable’ phrase comes from, because I have zero doubt in my mind that, that might not have been the day, but it’s never over. I’m not a quitter, so I’ve still got time and I’m confident that I’m going to make that happen.
** AEW announced that Hangman Adam Page will have a promo segment on the 2/10 episode of Dynamite.
** Sweet Daddy Siki joined David LaGreca and Tommy Dreamer on Busted Open Radio.
** Malaysia-based pro wrestler Ayez Shaukat Fonseka Farid was profiled by The Sun Daily. He shared that he was supposed to debut in the U.S. for Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling promotion but the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on hold.
** La Rosa Negra appeared on the Women’s Wrestling Talk podcast and during the conversation, she spoke about how difficult it has been for the wrestling scene in Puerto Rico since the pandemic began last March.
Because in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico is hard for wrestling with this pandemic that’s happened. Really f*cking hard, no wrestling for nothing, and also they pay — it’s not business for us, you know? It’s not business for us. Also for women’s wrestlers, for [the] women’s division, it’s more work, because in Puerto Rico, it really — [they’re starting] to work now, doing private TV tapings and the indies doesn’t work because Puerto Rico, the governor, they closed all the centers so if you wanna use a center to do a show, you can’t do it.
** During his ‘Hall Of Fame’ podcast, Booker T spoke about the passing of Butch Reed.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl1Lxx-RoD0[/embedyt]
** IMPACT Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo chatted with The Irish Sun and gave her Mount Rushmore of wrestling to the publication.
** Below is the lineup for the 2/12 episode of NJPW Strong:
– KENTA addresses Jon Moxley
– Jordan Clearwater vs. JR Kratos
– Clark Connors vs. Bateman
– TJP & Ren Narita vs. Chris Dickinson & Danny Limelight
** Injustice (Myron Reed & Jordan Oliver) versus Simon Gotch and Shawn Daivari is set for the 2/10 episode of MLW FUSION.
** Bianca Belair spoke to The Independent.
** Karam did an interview with Ringsiders Wrestling. He feels that his on-screen presentation is made for TV and that he’ll never be an “indie darling”. As far as signing a contract, he feels that wherever he lands, he’s going to grow in that environment.
That’s the goal and that’s what me and Hakim [Zane/Rohit Raju] say, like we’re made for TV. I’m not going to be an indie darling, you know? I’m made to be there and that’s why I call myself the epitome of a professional wrestler. When you look at me, I look good, I’m big, I can talk on the mic. I’m a challenge, I’m competition, so I appreciate that. That’s my deal. But honestly when I look at contracts right now or where I would sign, it’s more so for the experience because whoever [is] signed right now is good, and I want to work with people who are good, so it’s really because I’m so young in this, I know wherever I sign, I’m going to grow as a wrestler and I’ll be worth more and everything like that so there’s really not a bad turn for me. So I’m open to anything honestly, I’m really open to anything. It’s just the experience and just to get better and work with people who are better than me because there’s a lot of them and I just want to grow with each match, you know?
** Renee Paquette was a guest on Casual Conversations with The Wrestling Classic.
** The latest installment of The Bellas Podcast.
** The following video is from the UpUpDownDown YouTube channel:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeC4Nd4XB60[/embedyt]
** Milo Beasley welcomed Kenny King onto his show.
** Rob Schamberger’s latest piece which is focused on Bianca Belair:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIDb4cB-lpM[/embedyt]
** Flobo Boyce and Jack Farmer caught up with NXT UK commentator Andy Shepard.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXh3exqJp7c[/embedyt]
** Tony Quant chatted with Ace Austin.
** Inside The Ropes ran their interview with NXT UK tag team Pretty Deadly (Lewis Howley & Sam Stoker).
** WBIR.com covered Bianca Belair’s 2021 women’s Royal Rumble win and she gave comments to the publication about her feat.
** Ruby Riott joined Xavier Woods on UpUpDownDown for Superstar Savepoint.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYO4f99rZNU[/embedyt]
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.
