WrestleMania week is upon us. WWE’s biggest event of the year takes place this weekend, but there’s plenty of action in store before WrestleMania 38 kicks off Saturday night.
The following is a list of WWE programming scheduled for the coming week:
Monday:
WWE Raw, USA Network (8pm ET, 5pm PT)
Tuesday:
NXT 2.0, USA Network (8pm ET, 5pm PT)
Friday:
WWE SmackDown, FOX (8pm ET, 5pm PT)
WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Peacock (10pm ET, 7pm PT)
Saturday:
NXT Stand & Deliver, Peacock (1pm ET, 10am PT)
WrestleMania Kickoff Show, USA Network, Peacock (6pm ET, 3pm PT)
WrestleMania Saturday, Peacock (8pm ET, 5pm PT)
Sunday:
WrestleMania Kickoff Show, Peacock (6pm ET, 3pm PT)
Last week, multi-time world champion Triple H officially retired from the squared circle. In an appearance on First Take with Stephen A. Smith, Triple H detailed his health struggle last year relating to issues with his heart, including a near-death experience.
Due to his condition and the fact that he now has a defibrillator, Triple H will no longer be able to participate in any wrestling matches moving forward. The news stunned some in the wrestling world, but pretty much universally, people reacted to the announcement by celebrating Triple H’s career.
After seeing the outpouring of support from the industry as a whole, as well as fans and family, Triple H took to social media on Sunday to react.
The post starts with a quote from author Louis L’Amour.
“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning.”
Triple H then wrote, “I am truly humbled by the texts, calls, posts and all the kind words. I’m grateful to each and everyone one of you. I wish I could respond to each of you, but I type so slow I’d never leave the house again. Please know how much they all mean to me. Stay healthy, be grateful for all you have and seize the day……. I know I am!”
During the interview with Smith, Triple H confirmed that he is back at the office working now though he has taken a step back in recent months. He mentioned he has been focusing on recruitment and development for the company, talking about the pending arrival of NCAA star Gable Stevenson, as well as the propect of opening more WWE Performance Centers in the future.
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
We are less than one week out from WrestleMania 38 kicking off in Arlington, Texas, and the stadium is starting to transform into the face of wrestling’s biggest event.
This is the second time that the massive stadium has been transformed for WrestleMania, having hosted WrestleMania 32 back in 2016 as well. With six years of technological development, we’d expect this year’s event to surpass what we saw that year, visually-speaking.
Check out some of the photos of the outside of the venue below as it prepares to host WWE’s Super Bowl.
Per Austin Kellerman, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram also featured a front pay overlay ad for WrestleMania on Sunday. Interestingly, Stone Cold Steve Austin was the only talent featured in the advertisement.
The full card for WrestleMania 38 so far is as follows:
Night One
WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair
The Miz and Logan Paul vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio
Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match The Usos (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
KO Show Featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin
Night Two
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match Queen Zelina and Carmella (c) vs. Sasha Banks and Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan vs. Natalya and Shayna Baszler
Anything Goes Match Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn
Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory
WWE RAW Tag Team Championship Match RK-Bro (c) vs. The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy
Edge vs. AJ Styles
WWE Championship vs. WWE Universal Championship – Winner Take All Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (c)
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
Tony Khan is making a big promise to fans ahead of the Owen Hart Cup.
Back in Sept. 2021, AEW announced a partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation. The business relationship between AEW and the foundation means the company will be able to market merchandise using Owen’s likeness. This includes the upcoming AEW console game.
Tony Khan On Owen Hart Cup
AEW’s head honcho Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio and said he has high hopes for the tournaments and made a bold promise to fans (via Wrestling Inc).
“I’m excited, in May, we’re going to start the Owen Hart Cup tournament. And before the cup tournament starts, similar to the Olympics or the World Cup or a lot of the big tournament events out there, there’s qualifying. You know, pre-tournament qualifying. And we’re going to have that for The Owen Hart Cup, both the women’s tournament and the men’s tournament.
“And I’m really excited about getting in there and finding out who’s going to make the competition. I’ll have announcements coming up soon about The Owen Hart qualifying matches, but I promise the fans these tournaments, both the men’s tournament and the women’s tournament, will be excellent.”
There will be a men’s and women’s tournament for the cup. The widow of Owen, Dr. Martha Hart, will be presenting the trophies to the winners.
Alexa Bliss has poured cold water on a recent rumor involving her and Ronda Rousey.
A Twitter user caught wind of a rumor that claimed Bliss badmouthed Rousey behind her back in a group chat with other WWE talent. The rumor also claimed that Bliss took issue with Rousey for not being safe inside the ring.
Alexa Bliss Dismisses Rumor
Alexa Bliss took aim at the rumor and said she’s not even in a group chat outside of one for her bridal party.
This is quite comical & not true . I’m only in one group chat & it’s with my bridal party ? … #keeptryingtrolls
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) March 27, 2022
“This is quite comical & not true. I’m only in one group chat & it’s with my bridal party. #keeptryingtrolls.”
In the past, Bliss has heaped praise on Ronda Rousey. Back in 2018, she appeared on the Cheap Seats Podcast and gushed over Rousey’s ability to fit in the wrestling industry so quickly (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“I am absolutely impressed, Bliss said. “She does really well at her facial expressions, which I appreciate because I am really big on facial expressions. It is really easy to appreciate the fact that you know she has been hit before, and you know that pain, you have that emotional connection to her one way or another when you watch her perform. I was very impressed with her match against Nia Jax, and also her match at WrestleMania with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, it was just awesome. I am very proud of her and it’ll be fun to see where things go with that.”
Logan Paul has been prepping for his in-ring debut.
The YouTube sensation is set to team with The Miz on night one (April 2) of WrestleMania 38. The two will take on Rey and Dominik Mysterio inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Logan Paul Trains At WWE PC
WWE released footage of Paul having a training session a week prior to the “Grandest Stage of Them All.” In the clip, Shane Helms heaped praise on Paul’s fast progression.
“Training Logan Paul has been one of the easiest celebrity trainings I’ve ever done. He’s a natural athlete, natural charisma, natural personality. It’s just a matter of feeding him a little bit of information, he processes it and dude, it’s been super easy.”
The Miz also chimed in, saying Paul has been passing every test with flying color thus far.
“Logan Paul, I had a bar set. He has exceeded the bar every step of the way. This kid is on another level.”
Please H/T SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.
WWE has always been open to outside collaboration and bringing in celebrity guests or talents from other sports. However, such partnerships also attract criticism for stealing the spotlight from regular hard-working talents.
One such star who has received criticism for taking the spots from the more deserving talents is Ronda Rousey who will be facing Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.
The Queen recently had an interview with Bleacher Report where she discussed a number of things. When asked about the complaints about Rousey, Flair mentioned how the former UFC champion was the one who wanted to join WWE. She then explained why she welcomes such collaborations:
“Sometimes people get critical of outside talent coming in, but she wants to be a part of what we’ve done here, that should make you feel good, and she does bring more eyeballs to people who aren’t necessarily familiar with the product, like Total Divas.” said Flair.
“Total Divas brought outside viewers and that’s great for us,” she added. “I want Bad Bunny to come back! He was incredible. It’s an entertainment show. That’s what we do!”
Charlotte also mentioned how the special attractions have led to more spotlight and main events for the women’s division on the whole. She also responded to people who are critical of her constant push.
You can check out Flair’s comments on the matter here.
Despite claiming that he wasn’t done with the business, Bo Dallas has not been seen inside a wrestling ring since his WWE release in 2021. However, he is now promising to return very soon.
The former NXT champion recently took part in a virtual signing with Captain’s Corner. Among other things, he also provided some update on his in-ring future.
Dallas first mentioned that he has been busy with other business ventures since his release. He then claimed that he will be back in the ring within the next couple months:
“Not saying I’m done with wrestling or that’s what I’ve been saying for the past year and now that I’ve got that squared away and that’s in the works, I can get back to my passion.
I will be back in the ring in the next couple of months” revealed Bo Dallas, “And that’s a guarantee because I don’t make promises I don’t deliver on.”
The former WWE star also responded to a comment saying that he belongs in AEW. He said that while he appreciates the remark, he is not sure anyone knows what to do with him.
Though continuing on the topic, Dallas said that he takes the remark as a compliment. He noted that showing up in AEW is not out the realm of possibility.
Wrestling legend Gangrel spoke with SEScoops Ella Jay this week to promote his return to Major League Wrestling (MLW). The Attitude Era star competed on this week’s episode of MLW Fusion, which you can catch on YouTube.
We discussed a wide variety of topics, including his 30+ years in the business, what’s missing from wrestling today, his career coming full circle, his goals in MLW and much more.
Here’s our half-hour interview with Gangrel, with some highlights below:
His Goals in MLW
Gangrel was asked if he is interested in going after a championship or if he simply enjoys working with up-and-coming talent and showing fans that he can still go in the ring.
“Well as my records show in the past, I don’t think I’ve had too many championships in any major company. So that’s not really my number one goal but I do enjoy working with the young talent and most of that locker room I’ve crossed paths with in the ring at some time or another, throughout the early points in their career and stuff like that”.
He continued, “I’ve trained Jacob Fatu – he was one of my students so I trained him, and then I hear rumors Holidead’s coming to MLW, I’ve trained her. Plus I’ve probably wrestled Alexander Hammerstone thirty times, and many of the other guys in the locker room. I enjoy bringing a bit of the old school meeting the new school, and mixing it in the middle and seeing what we come up with.”
Old School vs. New School
Gangrel was asked how he would describe the old school style vs the new school style, and what happens when the two styles meet together.
“The key word is ‘moment’. There’s no wasted moments. There’s no wasted moves to build to great moments. They’re so talented and athletic, there’s so much athletic ability. Also with the luchadors and the international market that MLW is in right now, it’s insane. I’ve travelled the world, probably wrestled more in Europe than I have in the United States and when you start logging in matches, I’ve done eighteen years in Europe. So if you had them up against the full-time schedule in the States, it’s really close and I think Europe might outweigh it working seven days a week there twice a day sometimes.
So with that and then the time I spent in Puerto Rico and then in Calgary and whatnot, so many different styles and I love that MLW has that flavor and that little spark to it – that international flavor. No one match is the same. You watch it, and you can watch other companies and it’s like the same match after the same match but here, they’re all different and I’m really looking forward to adding my bit of ‘hot sauce’ to that ‘stew’.”
Why MLW is a Good Fit for Gangrel
Gangrel in MLW (2022)
Gangrel was also asked what made MLW a good fit for him. He said that he always drifted to MLW whenever he wanted to watch some wrestling while doing cardio, and that’s why he wanted to work in the promotion.
“It’s the flavor of it. It’s just that allure. I just sit down when I’m doing cardio, like a lot, when I watch wrestling. I can’t sit still. I don’t have enough time to sit down at home and watch wrestling. But when I do cardio, I always drift – out of all the companies that you can go find out there – WWE, the AEW, Ring of Honor, Impact – I always drift to MLW. I think it just has something about it, that flavor and something just draws me to it that I just really enjoy. I’ve enjoyed watching that out of all the other companies, now I’m gonna enjoy being a part of that company and hopefully I can add my own little bit of pizzazz and my own little spark to it and and make it a better way.”
His Career Coming Full Circle in Florida
Gangrel trained in Florida in the late ’80s and about 35 years later, it’s kind of a full circle moment for him as he’s training wrestlers in the same state that he trained in. Gangrel was asked what’s it like for him to have his career come full circle like that in Florida:
“Well, it’s home, Florida’s home. Born and raised, so full circle back around. When I was getting into wrestling, I didn’t have a lot of money and whatnot for tuitions and things that go along with the school. The people training me, I said [to them] ‘Listen, I can’t really afford this.’ and I was gonna pull out of it and everything. And they said ‘We’re gonna train you. Don’t worry about it. We’re gonna put you on the books as a trainer, just always give back to professional wrestling.’
“So I’ve just tried to stay true to my word and I’ve always tried to continue on in some type of training somewhere. Whether it was California with KnokX Pro which is a school I opened with Rikishi, or I had my own school for a while, GWA here [Florida]. Now I’m with CCW – Coastal Championship Wrestling and running their facility which is so crazy busy. I’m there Monday through Thursday. It’s crazy, and I’m doing private sessions. I’m doing one-on-one, training Paige VanZant now. Things are crazy so I’m like super super busy, but it’s an honor. I’m honored to be able to give back. It’s a blessing and I love pro wrestling so anytime I get to do what I love, anytime I get to lace a pair of boots up, climb through some ropes and get into that ring… It’s just a blessing and I’m honored. I might be nice and smiling now, but when I get in there, I’m gnarly and nasty. I’m even nastier as a trainer than I am as Gangrel the vampire.”
Today’s Generation of Wrestling Fans
Gangrel also touched on the differences in the wrestling community today compared to the old school days:
“Well, one is the size of the wrestlers has changed. But I don’t know, MLW got Killer Kross there now, Alexander Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, you got some pretty big guys walking around in MLW, some pretty gnarly dudes too. It’s still wrestling, the objective of it is to win a match. Pin somebody’s shoulders. As for the characters, for a lack of better words, heel and babyface – a good guy or a bad guy. Well now it’s more like, the fans kinda cheer for who they want. The MLW though, I feel that’s another thing that I’m drawn to. There is a clear villain. There’s a clear white hat and black hat. Pick a side and ride it out. I like that a lot about MLW. But with a lot of wrestling, in the sense that’s changed. It’s just like everybody goes out there and does a million moves. There’s a lot of wasted movements and stuff like that. So that’s changed, but it’s still pro wrestling. You’re still trying to pin somebody, get your hand raised for the victory and all that.”
What’s Missing from Wrestling Today
Modern pro wrestling is very different than the pro wrestling of past eras. According to Gangrel, the number one thing missing from wrestling is..
“Magic. Everybody knows the tricks now. Magic made a difference. Everybody wants to believe in something. I think a wrestler’s believability. I believe that Killer Kross could kill somebody, you know? Alexander Hammerstone. I believe that he could pick anybody up and give him the pendulum. Jacob Fatu, I believe is a savage. I trained him so I know he’s a savage. I know if you get on his bad side, it can go all all kinds of sideways. This magic, the mystique, the mystery of a pro wrestler is what I think is missing.”
Gangrel added that MLW is touching base on that and trying to dial that back in, but he thinks the allure is missing from professional wrestling overall. He also thinks the advent of the internet and social media has contributed significantly to this.
“With the internet and social media you can’t really pull the wool over anybody’s eyes. It’s super hard. But one person can make you believe that they’re one bad mofo. That one person can make you believe in him and if next to you a guy across the ring makes you believe, it can be a chain reaction. Slowly, you can at least get people to believe in you and your character, even if they think they know what’s gonna happen and they can research it and go get spoiler alerts. But you can make them believe in you and that’s still magic.”
Freedom of Speech in Wrestling
Conversely, Gangrel wished there was more freedom of speech present in the wrestling business when he started out:
“More freedom of speech. When I broke in, it was more like ‘ears open mouth shut’. Whereas in this generation, they have a lot more input in things. They’re not afraid to put their thoughts out there and personal things in their characters. Back then it was just ‘Shut up kid or we’re gonna break your legs,’ and you’re gone tomorrow. I hate to say it, but it was the ‘Hey brother’ system. Now it’s more open to things and wrestling just in a general is a wide open area now. You can take advantage of more things. It was just all like, black and white back then. I believe in the good guy and a bad guy, a heel and a face. I truly believe in the whole good guy-bad guy thing but I think there was still a whole spectrum of characters missing with people’s individualities and the freedoms to be who they are.”
The Importance of Creative Freedom
Gangrel also talked about how creative freedom is so important, especially when you’re playing a character like Gangrel that needs its own unique style in the ring.
“I was terrified to do the vampire thing. Luna [Vachon] kept telling me ‘That was always okay, you can do it!’ I was like ‘Oh no way!’ Because I broke in ’87, there were no vampires running around with fangs and stuff in the ring. They’d be like ‘Beach up. What’s wrong with you kid? You on drugs? I told you not to take that acid or whatever it is you’re taking.’
“But I did it slowly and then the times just kept changing. I came in during the late ’80s and ’90s and then things evolved and it is where it is today. Now they don’t think twice about it. They go, ‘Yeah, a vampire. At least it doesn’t sparkle’ [referring to the Twilight series].”
How He Keeps up with Wrestling
Gangrel was asked how he manages to stay informed on professional wrestling programming and news with his hectic schedule, to be able to cover it on his podcast Fangin n Bangin.
“Don’t tell anybody, but I just listen to the dirtsheets,” Gangrel said jokingly. “I try to watch it, but it’s very hard. I get so lost, there’s just so much to keep track of in current wrestling. I need to stay current and it’s tough.”
Gangrel explained that he has to keep up to date with current programming to know what his students’ mindframes are. “As far as the results go, I look at it on certain sites and read the results. If something piques my interest then I go watch it. For the most part, I watch a lot of wrestling when I’m doing cardio.”
MLW’s two next shows are scheduled for WrestleMania weekend, at Gilley’s in Dallas, TX. If you’re in town, visit MLWTix.com for ticket information.
Former WWE Superstar Lana’s movie Cosmic Sin won a Razzie Award. That’s not a good thing.
Lana (C.J. Perry) appeared in the film alongside Hollywood legend Bruce Willis. The Die Hard and Sixth Sense star has become somewhat of a meme for churning out a staggering number of “B-movies” each year.
Willis makes so many movies that the latest Razzie Awards has an entire category dedicated to, “Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie.”
That category had eight nominees, including:
American Seige
Apex
Cosmic Sin (Winner)
Deadlock
Fortress
Midnight in the Switchgrass
Out of Death
Survive the Game
How bad was Cosmic Sin? It currently has a 3% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which puts it into “so bad, it’s good” territory.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTVU58oPd9J/
At the end of the day, Bruce Willis is cashing huge paychecks for these films. Lana is building her acting portfolio, which will help her land future roles. Her next project, a sci-fi movie WolfLike, is currently in production.
Lana was released from WWE in June 2021 after eight years with the company. Her husband, Miro, is signed with All Elite Wrestling.
Bret Hart has heard only good things about Brock Lesnar’s abilities in the ring, which is the complete opposite of his own experience with another monster athlete – Goldberg.
During a recent appearance on Sports Guys Talking Wrestling podcast, Natalya had discussed how The Beast Incarnate told her that Hart was a dream match for him.
Bret Hart addressed this during his appearance on Signed by Superstars event. He praised Brock, saying that he has always heard the WWE champion to be a good worker:
“I heard that I was his [Brock Lesnar] dream match. That was just a week ago I heard that. Always heard Brock was a good worker.
I’ve never heard that [Lesnar was stiff in the ring].” said Bret Hart, “Always heard just the opposite, that he looks stiff, but he’s a real pro in the ring. Totally the opposite of Goldberg.”
Hart is of course referring to the botched kicked from Goldberg during their infamous WCW championship match at WCW Starrcade 1999. The wrestling legend suffered a severe concussion due to it.
The injury later forced the Canadian star to retire from active competition. Bret Hart has been critical of Goldberg ever since, and has called the former world champion out on many occasions.
John Cena main evented several WrestleManias during his decade-long stint as the face of WWE. One of them was against The Miz at WrestleMania 27.
The A-lister recently took on his Twitter to remind the Cenation leader of his victory on the Show of Shows 11 years ago. In response, the 16-time world champion praised his opponent for his work ethic.
John Cena replied positively while responding to the question of whether he remembers the match. He mentioned how The Miz did his best for the audience and claimed that his passion has not changed:
“I do. Vividly. You worked your a** off on the road to the event and at the event itself. Sacrificing your body during the event to do all you could to give the audience every ounce, even possibly at the expense of your own memory. Your passion and dedication hasn’t ever changed.”
I do. Vividly. You worked your a** off on the road to the event and at the event itself. Sacrificing your body during the event to do all you could to give the audience every ounce, even possibly at the expense of your own memory. Your passion and dedication hasn’t ever changed. https://t.co/VJkfwOOiYV
The Miz walked into WrestleMania 27 as the WWE champion. He managed to win the match after The Rock interfered and delivered a Rock Bottom to John Cena.
The Miz is currently involved in a feud with The Mysterios. He is set to face Rey Mysterio on the WrestleMania go-home episode of Raw this Monday. John on the other hand, is not expected to be part of the big event in any way.
Bobby Lashley has not been seen on WWE programming since the Elimination Chamber PPV. Latest reports suggest that he might be returning to TV soon.
According to Mike Johnson of PWinsider, the former WWE champion is expected to make his return to WWE on this Monday’s episode of Raw from Pittsburgh.
Lashley is rumored to face Omos in a singles match at WrestleMania 38. It’s likely that this match will be set up during the go home episode of the red branded show.
The All-Mighty has been out of action since the Royal Rumble PPV in January. He suffered a shoulder injury in his match with Brock Lesnar at the show.
While Bobby Lashley was officially a part of the Elimination Chamber match, WWE did an angle to remove him from the bout before the action started.
Bobby Lashley Reveals Why He Retired From MMA
The former champion has been rehabbing his injury since then. Though he hasn’t had a surgery which is a good sign for the Raw star.
Apart from Lashley, both Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar are scheduled for this week’s Raw. The show will also see RK-Bro going up against The Usos in an inter-brand champion vs champion match among other.
Dustin Rhodes worked a match against Lance Archer this week on AEW Rampage, and Rhodes revealed on Saturday that he did not walk away from the match unscathed.
Rhodes won the match but was attacked by Archer after the final bell. In a post to social media on Saturday, Rhodes revealed that he had to get five stitches and also suffered a ruptured eardrum.
“Hey guys, rough night, told you all I’d give you an update,” Rhodes said. “Got five stitches in the head. Pretty sore. The main thing is that I have a busted eardrum. Cannot hear out of it at all. But guess what? I’m in good spirits and I’m not going anywhere.”
You can view Rhodes’ video addressing the injury below.
Rhodes looks to remain a member of the AEW roster for the immediate future as his brother, Cody Rhodes, prepares to return to WWE this week as part of WrestleMania 38 in Arlington, Texas. This is likely what he was referring to with the “I’m not going anywhere” comment, at least tongue-in-cheek. It’s unknown how long the injury will keep Dustin out of action.
At the first-ever AEW event back in 2019, the Double or Nothing PPV event in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Rhodes brothers had what is still arguably one of the top matches in the history of AEW. Dustin walked away bloody from that encounter as well.
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
Charlotte Flair has been the chosen face of WWE’s women’s division since her debut in 2015. She always finds herself in the center of the most important stories concerning the division. This constant push, however, has also led to a lot of criticism for the Queen.
The SmackDown women’s champion recently addressed the IWC’s grudge against her in an interview with Bleacher Report. Flair claimed that she has put in an incredible amount of work to stay in the position she has been. Instead of praising her ethics, however, people take the critical approach:
“People don’t realize how much pressure and hard work and dedication and I’ve never been about for a lengthy time. Instead of looking at it as a positive, like ‘Wow, what a consistent performer, what a hard-worker,’ it’s just, ‘Ugh, she’s always in the title picture, she always has the title.'”
Charlotte Flair then explained that she must be doing something right if she is always talked about. She mentioned how the male workers of the industry aren’t always met with the same criticism as her:
“I don’t think the same criticism always goes toward men being in the title picture. In this business, you want to be the champion. It’s not like you wake up and say, ‘Today, I don’t want to be the champion.’ No, you should always want to be the champion.”
Flair noted that being the champion means that you have to be the hardest worker in the room. She claimed that while she doesn’t understand the criticism sometimes, her haters make her that much better all the same.
Jonathan Gresham was in a good spot financially when the COVID-19 pandemic first took effect but he thought his in-ring career could be over.
Gresham has been renowned for his technical wrestling and his hard work has paid off. He is the current ROH World Champion and is set for a big undisputed title match with Bandido at Supercard of Honor on April 1.
While it looks to be smooth sailing for Gresham now, there was some uncertainty back in 2020.
Jonathan Gresham On Dealing With Pandemic
Jonathan Gresham appeared on The Kurt Angle Show and said that from a financial standpoint, he was more worried about wrestlers who were on per appearance deals and didn’t have a job guaranteed. With that said, he was still concerned about his own career (h/t Fightful).
“Yes. I try to stay optimistic. I’m a pessimist from the start, but when it hit I was financially in a pretty good situation but I was more concerned about my comrades, guys that were coming up and on pay-per-appearance with Ring of Honor. So, I was really thinking about them.
“ROH did a really good job of keeping us on payroll the entire pandemic, so I was concerned but I was also thinking, ‘Okay, I’m going to jump to what next?’ I spent my entire adult life becoming a professional wrestler, so there was really nothing else I could really use that knowledge for, so that was kind of scary.
“But yeah, I thought it was over for me. But I was just going to ride the wave of the contract. Money was still coming in and hope for the best.”
It’s safe to say that Gresham will be sticking around in the wrestling business. Reports have already surfaced claiming that Gresham could very well be in business with both ROH and AEW for the foreseeable future.
Reika Saiki, a former TJPW and Actwres girl’Z titleholder, has announced her retirement.
Saiki issued a statement on her Twitter account. She suffered a fractured jaw back in 2019 and hadn’t competed since. The injury is fully healed but Saiki has decided to walk away from the wrestling industry.
Saiki had also been known for being a bodybuilder but she’s stepping away from that venture as well. In her statement, Saiki revealed her desire to transition into acting.
TJPW will be holding a retirement ceremony for Saiki on May 3.
Saiki started training at the Wrestle-1 dojo back in 2015. She made her pro wrestling debut in March 2016, defeating the late Hana Kimura.
In her career, Reika Saiki captured the Tokyo Princess of Princess Championship, Tokyo Princess Tag Team Championship, won the 2017 Tokyo Princess Cup, and captured the AgZ Championship.
ROH star Bandido is prepping for Supercard of Honor but things could get a bit murky after the event.
PWInsider is reporting that Bandido’s work visa under the ROH banner will be expiring soon. It’s been said that ROH had no plans of renewing any work visas before Tony Khan purchased the promotion.
Mike Johnson also notes in the report that Bandido could find himself in a similar situation that other international talents in ROH could be facing. That being, international stars may need to pull out of independent bookings this summer if their visas can’t be renewed.
The report claims that if Bandido can’t get his visa renewed, then he will take booking dates in Mexico in the short term.
Bandido is scheduled to take on Jonathan Gresham at Supercard of Honor on April 1. The winner will be recognized as the undisputed ROH World Champion.
Kairi Sane has returned to wrestling for the first time since 2020. On Stardom’s World Climax Show earlier today in Tokyo, Sane returned using the ring name KAIRI.
KAIRI left WWE back in July 2020 to be with her husband in Japan. She was an ambassador for WWE upon her return to the country. When the deal expired, she was free to sign with any other wrestling promotion.
KAIRI announced back in February that she would be joining Stardom. And for the first time since 2020, the 33-year-old returned to in-ring action at the promotion’s World Climax Show.
KAIRI teamed up with Mayu Iwatani to defeat the team of Tam Nakano and Unagi Sayaka in a tag team match. She took her team to victory by hitting her signature elbow drop. She looked in great shape and impressed fans with her incredible moves. She also made a post on Twitter to announce her return to wrestling, aptly writing, “I am back!!”
KAIRI has previously wrestled for Stardom under the ring name of Kairi Hojo from 2012 to 2017. She became a one-time World of Stardom Champion, a one-time Wonder of Stardom Champion, a three-time Goddess of Stardom Champion and a four-time Artist of Stardom Champion. This was her first match for the promotion in five years. KAIRI will have her first singles match for Stardom since her return on Saturday where she will face Starlight Kid.
KAIRI signed with WWE in 2017, also the year when she won the Mae Young Classic. She would go on to win the WWE NXT Women’s Championship, and the Women’s Tag Team Championships once with Asuka. KAIRI’s fans would be interested to see what’s in store for “The Pirate Princess” next, as Stardom was her home before she arrived in WWE.
Among all the new generation of wrestlers, MJF is one star who is holding the torch of old-school wrestling. His character work has helped him become one of the most talked-about wrestling personalities at the young age of 26. The fastest-rising pro wrestler of all time recently spoke to Ariel Helwani. He discussed the current wrestling landscape and detailed his issues with the performers of the new generation.
The AEW star said that people are trying to become something that they are not. Per MJF, wrestlers nowadays are trying to fool people into believing that they are a star:
“Here’s my issue with professional wrestling today and why I stand out like no other. I feel like people are putting on a superhero costume before they go through the curtain, they are trying to be something that they’re not. They’re trying to fool people into believing they’re a star. The reason why the territory days were a beautiful thing is because these men were themselves. They were men.”
MJF explained that nobody had to tell people like Tully Blanchard or Ric Flair how to act. Such names became famous just being themselves. According to the salt of the earth, people like Buddy Landel were authentic just like he is:
“Just like I’m as real as it gets and that’s why, to me, that’s the golden age of professional wrestling. Right now, we’re having a resurfacing of the golden age of professional wrestling and I’m leading that charge. You’re welcome.”
During the talk MJF also revealed that WWE had shown interest in him before he joined AEW. The Pinnacle leader went into detail behind his decision to choose Tony Khan as his boss over Vince McMahon. You can check out his comments at this link.
Wrestling legend Gangrel spoke with SEScoops Ella Jay this week to promote his return to Major League Wrestling (MLW). The Attitude Era star competed on this week’s episode of MLW Fusion, which you can catch on YouTube.
During the half-hour conversation, Gangrel spoke about a wide variety of topics. In this installment of our write-up, we’re focusing on The Brood.
The Brood was a faction in WWE during the beloved Attitude Era. Led by Gangrel, the Brood helped introduce Edge and Christian to the WWE Universe. A later incarnation, The New Brood, saw Gangrel paired with Matt and Jeff Hardy.
The Brood remains popular to this day, as evidenced by Edge busting out the Brood entrance and “Brood Baths” in some of his recent feuds. Gangrel would have been down for a surprise Rumble appearance and a Brood reunion in WWE, but gave a surprising (and disappointing) reason why it never happened.
Here’s our half-hour interview with Gangrel, with some highlights below:
“People Won’t Remember The Brood”
Last year, Christian reunited with Edge at the Royal Rumble. This year, fans were hoping that Gangrel would make an appearance at the Rumble to continue the Brood nostalgia tour.
Gangrel says he’d speak to Edge about reuniting the Brood in WWE, but Edge didn’t think Vince McMahon would be on board.
“No, I would talk to Edge, he would tell me that he didn’t believe Vince McMahon believed people will remember The Brood, let alone myself.”
– Gangrel on a Brood reunion in WWE
Over the past year, Edge has paid homage the Brood several times, including for special entrances and for unleashing “Brood Baths” on his enemies.
Edge’s Brood entrances were always a hit with WWE fans, but he really had to work hard in order to convince Vince McMahon that it was worth doing.
“[Vince is] very set on certain things, so [Edge] told me he had to work like two and a half months to get the music to be able to do a ‘Broodbath,’ not a bloodbath because the networks wouldn’t have blood,” Gangrel continued.
“He did that for two and a half months and and he said he was trying to work it all out. He said he did it pay homage to The Brood and myself and all that he was super happy about it.”
Gangrel said he actually had an AEW appearance lined up at one point that would have included an elaborate entrance, but that got derailed.
“And then when I told [Edge] ‘Yeah well…’ He was like, so excited to tell me on that Monday, and I go ‘Well… I was supposed to do AEW that Wednesday, they were gonna do the whole entrance and everything.’ But it just trended so much that it was just like forget it. So that was a bummer one way, but in another way it was just great to see Adam, Edge come out to that and then it cut and go to his music. It was just really, really cool and I was super happy for him and honored and flattered.”
Watch Edge’s Brood entrance from WWE Day 1 (1.1.22)
Memories of Working with the Hardys, The New Brood
Gangrel spoke fondly about working with Matt and Jeff Hardy in the early years of their careers.
“Yeah, well, a lot of people ask me what was my favorite Brood, The New Brood or the old Brood. I always say older with Christian and Edge because for one, we’re the original. We were working the Hardys and we had a program with them. I always love wrestling the Hardys. I personally love wrestling Matt Hardy because he’s a thumper. He’ll get in there and he’ll mix it up. Matt Hardy is a bit harder and tougher than people think.
I remember Michael Hayes would drive those poor guys crazy. I hope that I didn’t drive Christian and Edge as crazy as Michael Hayes did with his old school banter like ‘It’s my dime and it’s my time’ and stuff like that.
They’re just great guys. I’ve known them since, I don’t know, like since they were 16-17? I think we were all floating around doing extra work and different stuff for WWF whenever they came to the South. So I’ve known them for a long time. They’re just tremendous guys. Jeff’s super laidback, Matt’s more always intense about the business stuff. I’m super super happy for them.”
Gangrel also revealed that he’s going to be wrestling against The Hardy Boyz somewhere in Virginia soon. It will be Gangrel and Joey Janela (the “The New New Brood”) against The Hardys (“The Old New Brood”).
Gangrel with The Hardys
Steve Austin’s Input on Theme Music
The Brood’s theme music is legendary (you can listen below) and really set the tone for the group’s image. Gangrel shared a cool story about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin giving him advice about the importance of entrance music.
“…One time Steve Austin asked me, ‘What do you like about you like your music?’ The music that I had with the Brood. I go, ‘I could walk to it.’ And he goes, ‘That’s the key thing, you really want to become one with your entrance music. You really want to get that groove and that vibe and be able to gel with that coming out to get a feel.’
MLW’s two next shows are scheduled for WrestleMania weekend, at Gilley’s in Dallas, TX. If you’re in town, visit MLWTix.com for ticket information.
After months of rumors and speculations, Triple H finally opened up about his cardiac event from last year during his appearance on Stephen A’s World. The Game announced his retirement from in-ring competition, leading to an outpouring of posts about his influence on the business from both WWE and AEW stars.
The interview made people wonder about the future of his current role with the company. Talking about it, Triple H claimed that his foot is not off the gas:
“No, my foot’s not off the gas, I suppose in some manner I’ve got to step back a little bit. I’m still in recovery and my endurance is not exactly quite what it used to be before. But right now I’m back, I’m at the office. I am fully focused on recruiting and developing of our talent in the future.”
The King Of Kings claimed that his focus is on finding potential future stars such as Gable Steveson. It’s about making sure WWE is a success for generations to come:
“It’s finding that, it’s creating that future. That’s the biggest focus for me and as we move forward from there, it’s making sure WWE is a success for generations to come.”
Dolph Ziggler has been with WWE for over 15 years. He has seen the highs and lows of being a talent in the company and has become well versed in dealing with the infamous WWE creative. The NXT champion appeared on After The Bell podcast where he talked about dealing with all the sudden plan changes.
Ziggler who recently revealed that his NXT title win was a last-minute decision as well, mentioned that you rarely get what you want in the company:
“It’s not even, ‘You don’t always get to do what you want to do.’ It’s, ‘You rarely get to do what you want to do.’ You might be a champion one day, and then the next day, you’re not on the show.”
Dolph Ziggler noted how you can go from being one of the hottest acts to not being on the card the next day. According to him, it’s not always personal:
“It’s like, ‘We need to get this Roman-Brock story on. This is the part, and we need you to do this, this, and this, and you’re gonna have to sacrifice a few other pieces.’ A lot of times, two thirds of the roster is being sacrificed. and you go, ‘That’s going to be you no matter whether you’re new or old.’”
With all this trouble many wonder why he has not quit the company yet. Ziggler answered the question saying that “They never missed one check, so I appreciate that.” Though elsewhere he also claimed that you get a high once in a while which almost makes it worthwhile because you trucked around.
How do you feel about Dolph Ziggler’s assessment of the WWE creative? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
The Get to Know Wrestling Podcasts series looks at The Black Announce Table. The podcast is making strides in the wrestling community with its new deal with Seat Geek. The Black Announce Table shares how the brand came together, the growth in wrestling podcasting and what the partnership means for independent content creators.
It can be challenging for independent wrestling content creators to find success, particularly in podcasting. Since it grew in popularity, wrestling podcasting has become a competitive profession, mainly dominated by former wrestlers’ names attached to the project. However, new independent podcasts have emerged in popularity in recent years, like The Black Announce Table.
After years of producing content, the independent wrestling brand announced a partnership with Seat Geek. The deal opens new opportunities for the brand and creates new possibilities for other podcasters.
I recently had the chance to speak with the group. Here’s the video of our discussion, followed by written highlights.
Get To Know The Black Announce Table Podcast
In 2017, Ephraim “SkyHighEph” Lawrence created the Black Announce Table Podcast alongside Codie “Codie Dre” Wilson and Chris Ann “Ms. Sookoo” Sookoo. All three content creators got into podcasting because of their love for wrestling. The group also noted that when they started, there weren’t aware of many well-known black wrestling podcasters, but they did credit Cheap Heat and Wrassle Rap as podcasts that stood out.
Although it took time reach their success, the podcast has flourished with over 200 episodes. When speaking on the growth of the podcast, Lawrence said, “… We’ve never rushed anything, and we’ve taken step by step by step, we’ve taken it at our own pace and our own time. That’s just been the way it worked out for us.” He shared that the brand also has multiple shows on Patreon that fans requested to help their growth. Lawrence continued,”… As far as branding and becoming a brand to go back to my dad again, do it yourself. I can’t sit here and wait on some company or some brand or somebody to come and reach out to me. I might sit here forever to try to get that. Let’s do it ourselves.”
The partnership with Seat Geek is The Black Announce Table for unique because the group is independent and not backed by another brand. Although they don’t rule out potentially working with the likes of Spotify, they are focused on working for themselves and increasing their audience.
The deal also shows the increased interest for independent wrestling content creators. On Feb. 17, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Spotify signed an agreement with Complex Networks for audio programming. Among the new Complex shows was the introduction of their wrestling show led by The Jobber Tears Podcast‘s Sir Wilkins and Church of Joshi’s Alex Queen of the Ring. Other content creators like Public Enemies Podcast, The Black Rasslin’ Podcast, and Bell to Belles also show growth in engagement with fans and wrestlers.
The Black Announce Table believes more opportunities are coming for wrestling content creators. Wilson also believes podcasting overall is experiencing success and noted Pat McAfee’s $120 Million deal with FanDuel. “These deals they are signing for podcast right now is at an all time high. Looking back on it, starting this podcast and everything we didn’t know all of this was in the future, if anything, said Wilson. He continued “We just wanted to get out here and talk, but now seeing the avenues and the plays that can happen from the podcast right now is crazy.”
The group hopes to continue to increase their audience and compete with other wrestling podcasts. Podbay ranks The Black Announce Table Podcast number 34 on trending wrestling podcasts. However, most podcast ahead of them are either published by a network or associated with an established wrestler. The success of The Black Announce Table shows that independent wrestling content creators can thrive and live their dream of talking about wrestling.
With a three-decade long career in professional wrestling, The Undertaker is one of most successful pro wrestlers of all time. His advice is very useful for any talent including Keith Lee.
The limitless one recently appeared on AEW Unrestricted. He talked about things such as receiving a big pop during his AEW debut and more.
Speaking of The Dead Man, Lee revealed something The Undertaker told him a long time ago that has been instrumental to his career:
“He told me, years, and years, and years ago. ‘In this life, whatever it is I choose to do, I need to make sure that it means something. Don’t do anything for nothing, always make it mean something.’
“That is something that I have applied, especially wrestling in the indies.” said Keith Lee, “Any match that I’ve had, I’ve tried to make it sure that match meant something special.”
The AEW star also detailed another interaction he had with one of the most legendary pro wrestling names in Jim Ross. Lee revealed that Ross pulled him aside after his third failed tryout with WWE.
According to him, JR told him that he believed him to be a ‘million-dollar talent’ despite the rejection. It was something he appreciated very much coming from the Attitude Era star.
