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.
** A new interview with STARDOM President and Executive Producer, Taro Okada, was pushed out by Hiroshi Arai of Proresu-TODAY. He opened up about his position in the promotion.
To be honest, it is quite difficult (Okada said about his position in STARDOM). But my role is to lay the groundwork for the athletes to perform to their fullest potential. We will support them and make sure that they are moving in the right direction. Right now, the wrestlers are extremely motivated, so we are actually being pulled along by them as we prepare the path.
We listen to what the athletes want to do, and if what they want to do is in line with the company’s performance and goals, we can make it happen. Until now, Mr. Ogawa led with his strong leadership and charisma, and the wrestlers followed him. Actually, I wonder if the company was watching this from a distance.
** Golden Ring Collectibles hosted a virtual signing with former WWE talent Camron Branae a.k.a. Amari Miller. She recounted being at the Performance Center on the day Zachary Wentz was released. Branae remembers Wes Lee and Gigi Dolin being emotional. She said it was like a ‘death at work’.
I remember seeing them (Zachary Wentz & Gigi Dolin) in the P.C. together and we didn’t know and then the day that he left, I remember Gigi was just crying and I remember Wes (Lee) was crying too and I couldn’t figure out what was going on and then they were like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s not coming back’ and my heart broke. It was a death at work.
And I feel like if you know Zach, you just have this gut feeling of like, no, that’s not Zach, that’s not Zach (she said in response to allegations against Wentz on the lead-up to him being released). He’s great. Zach’s amazing. I don’t know if you’ll ever see this Zach but I freaking love you! I love you.
** There’s a virtual signing with former WWE talent Nidia that was hosted by Martin ‘Tmart’ Damato. When asked who would she like to wrestle if she got back in the ring, she named Charlotte Flair and Mercedes Moné.
Oh my gosh… Charlotte Flair. Sasha Banks (is who I’d like to wrestle if I got back in the ring)… Does Sasha Banks still wrestle?… Nice! (she responded when informed that Mercedes Moné is signed to AEW).
** At For the Love of Wrestling (via Monopoly Events), SoCal Val hosted a Q&A with Trish Stratus and Lita. The WWE Hall of Famers looked back at their respective inductions and on Trish’s front in 2013, she shared that it was Stephanie McMahon’s idea for her to announce her pregnancy as a part of her speech. Lita followed up a question from SoCal Val and jokingly asked how it was decided that Stephanie would be the one doing the honors.
Stratus: I think I was the first of the era to be ushered in (the WWE Hall of Fame) and to be honest, Kevin Dunn called me and told me the news. Very exciting, right? And then I was like, ‘So, here’s the thing, I’m pregnant’ and my work brain said — because usually the person in the Hall of Fame has to do an angle. ‘Would I have to do an angle? Because I don’t know if it’s gonna work because I don’t think I can have an angle because I have a baby inside of me’ and then Stephanie (McMahon) called me and she said, ‘This is amazing.’ Of course, ‘We should make this a moment’ and so, she was like, ‘What if you announced your pregnancy as a part of your Hall of Fame speech?’ And so I got to introduce Max to the world… from the inside out. But he felt the love for sure and I got to be inducted and just share that with the world, just letting everyone know that baby Stratus was coming.
Lita: Yeah, how did that come about? (Stephanie inducting Trish)
Stratus: How did that come about?
Lita: Pshhh.
Stratus: Okay, look, they were looking at it like this: She was like my first major pay-per-view feud. I was a bit of an underdog coming in. I was green, I was crappy for a while there and then she was the first feud, real feud that we had together. We had a pay-per-view match, my first real pay-per-view match, singles match and so it was kind of like that moment and we got to build on that and that’s sort of what we went back on. It was kind of like the sparks of my career.
Lita: Taking it back to the roots.
** Barstool Yak’s WWE 2K24 video featuring Big E and Liv Morgan:
** Joining the 2024 AJPW Champion Carnival tournament field is Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Rei Saito.
** STARDOM Results (3/16/24) from Himeji, Japan
– Hana & Saya Iida def. Mei Seira & Ranna Yagami
– Cinderella Tournament Round Two: AZM def. Sayaka Kurara
– Cinderella Tournament Round Two: Miyu Amasaki def. Mai Sakurai
– Syuri, MIRAI, Ami Sohrei & Saki Kashima def. Saori Anou, Natsupo, Yuna Mizumori & Aya Sakura
– Cinderella Tournament Round Two: Xena def. Waka Tsukiyama
– Cinderella Tournament Round Two: Ruaka def. Hazuki
– Maika, Mina Shirakawa & HANAKO def. Utami Hayashishia, Saya Kamitani & Lady C
– Three-Way Trios Match: Tam Nakano, Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira def. Mayu Iwatani, Koguma & Yuzuki and Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid
** Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling ‘LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING’ Results (3/16) from Radiant Hall in Yokohama, Japan
– Kaya Toribami def. Kira Summer
– Three Way: Rika Tatsumi def. Mahiro Kiryu and Uta Takami
– Toga & Wakana Uehara def. Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo
– Maki Itoh & Shino Suzuki def. Chika Nanase & Moka Miyamoto
– Pom Harajuku, Raku & Yuki Aino def. Arisu Endo, Suzume & HIMAWARI
– Miyu Yamashita, Mizuki & Shoko Nakajima def. Miu Watanabe, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Kamifuku
** Kaito Kiyomiya and Masa Kitamiya are scheduled for Pro Wrestling NOAH’s U.K. tour in September.
** Dragongate Japan Pro-Wrestling ‘Rey de Parejas’ Results (3/16/24) from Akaiwa Sanyo Fureai Park General Gymnasium in Okayama, Japan
– A Block League: Dragon Kid & Naruki Doi (4) def. BIGBOSS Shimizu & Strong Machine J (2)
– A Block League: Mozuku Tominaga & Shuri Joe (0) vs. KAI & Gianna Valletta (2) results in double count out
– Hyo, Don Fujii & Luis Mante def. Kzy, U-T & Masaaki Mochizuki
– ISHIN def. Shachihoko BOY
– Ben-K, Kota Minoura & B×B Hulk def. Madoka Kikuta, Dragon Dia & Ryoya Tanaka
– B Block League: YAMATO & Susumu Mochizuki (3) def. Jason Lee & JACKY ‘FUNKY’ KAMEI
** Live 5 News conducted an interview with Damian Priest.
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.
