Sin Cara recently spoke with Sports Illustrated to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Reason WWE Superstars dislike Enzo Amore:

“To be honest, I’m not sure, exactly, what is going on. Maybe they’re thinking he hasn’t gone through enough to have the successes he’s having, but who am I to judge? All I can say is about myself. The only thing I can say is I wish him the best. Hopefully, that helps his career and makes him better, not just with his promos, but his in-ring work, too.”

Rumors that he had issues with Chris Jericho earlier this year:

“Me and Jericho are good friends. He actually asked me if he could borrow one of my masks for that segment, and I said that it would be an honor. There is no heat between him and I. Nowadays, with social media, there are always a lot of rumors, but we are fine. That’s why I let him borrow my mask. If that wasn’t the case, I would have said no.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Titus O’Neil appeared on the latest edition of Chasing Glory With Lilian Garcia to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Being a WWE Superstar:

“It’s a scripted program. No matter how good or bad of a wrestler I could be, if I’m written a certain way, I can be written a certain way. I don’t lose track of the fact that regardless of whether I’m the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, or the Universal Champion, or the Intercontinental Champion, or the Tag Team Champion, regardless of what title I hold in regards to the company and the title, I’m going to remain the professional that I am and I’m going to remain the person that I am. Even if I was the Universal Champion, the way that I act, the things that I do both inside and outside of WWE would not change. It would only put I guess more emphasis on what it is that I’ve already been doing. So for me, I look at like, okay I have an opportunity to continue to help change hopefully the narrative and the stereotypes that come along with being a wrestler per say, that’s what they call us, but we actually really are Superstars. We do so much more than wrestling. We got guys acting, and activists, and advocates, doing so much more than just going out and doing moves in the ring. So for me, I feel like I am a WWE Champion. I’m everything that this company should have in a Superstar, not only from a physical standpoint, but really from a business standpoint.”

His incident with Vince McMahon that led to him being suspended:

“I still don’t understand it. I literally put me my hand out and said, ‘Ladies first.’ So I don’t know what the wrong time is to say, ‘Ladies first’ or the right time. It’s water under the bridge. It happened and I took ownership of it regardless if I was right, wrong, or indifferent, or if the situation could have been handled different. It happened. I served my suspension and its over with. It goes back to the fact that I know who I am and I know what I did and I know why I did it and God has rewarded me tenfold.”

You can listen to the podcast here.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry over at his official website where he gives his thoughts on various topics. Here are the highlights:

CM Punk wanting to fight again:

“I’m happy @CMPunk is going to fight again because that’s what he loves to do and we all should have the courage to follow our own dreams no matter if others think we’re nuts. Trust me, I know of what I speak on this one.”

His new book:

“@Amazon is doing a terrific job with our fan base all over the world shipping SlobberKnocker on all platforms including hardcover, audio and EBooks.  www.audiobooks.com and www.novelaudio.com  also can quickly get you a copy of the audio version of SlobberKnocker.

I’ve been told that next week that SlobberKnocker will go into its third printing which  I’m informed is remarkable for a wrestling centric book after only being released less than two weeks. I really feel that wife Jan is smiling on all of us for the success of our story.”

Ross also talked about doing commentary for NJPW on AXS TV and more. You can read the blog here.

Joey Ryan recently spoke with Sports Illustrated to talk about various topics. Here are some of the highlights:

If his character would work in WWE:

“If Vince is still taking headbutts, then he could definitely take this, too. But in the PG-era of WWE, I don’t think the Joey Ryan character would be doing anything with the p—s in WWE. The super, powerful p—s would not be part of his repertoire in WWE. I don’t think that’s the place for it.”

His status with Lucha Underground:

“I wouldn’t mind starting my own 21-0 WrestleMania streak. But fingers crossed, I’d love to see Lucha Underground have a season four. Lucha Underground has the right to pick up my contract, and I would love to be a part of it. Opportunities come my way, and I try to make the best of them.”

You can read the entire interview here.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada spoke with NJPW’s official website. Here are the highlights:

Calling Los Ingobernables “too soft”:

“Well, they’re certainly popular, there’s no doubt about that. You see LIJ shirts at all the venues, and even outside of wrestling on the street there are LIJ shirts and caps. They’re super popular. But as an actual team … I think they’re still a little too soft.”

“Well, generally speaking, they’re a young team. They should be really representing what the present and future of wrestling is, but I’m not sure that’s something they’re getting across to the fans. CHAOS aren’t as young as them, maybe we don’t beat them in terms of speed, but we have a lot more up our sleeves. That’s what makes us a great team.”

Younger wrestlers wanting to challenge him:

“I think whatever field you’re in, you always need something new, always need change. That’s how something everyone loves and that’s what’s inspirational. I don’t want fans in the future to say ‘Okada was cool, but after that…'”

You can read the entire interview here.

Former WWE Champion Roman Reigns recently spoke with UK Mirror to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Beating Cena at No Mercy:

“It was a huge honour. You don’t really get to face people like John Cena often. He’s definitely a rare breed, we had a lot of heavy things to say to each other building into the match, but I think at the end of the day we both came out of it with a lot of respect for each other, not only for what we do in the ring, but what we do for the company and all the various responsibilities that come with this role. I’m proud to say that I was able to beat an athlete and a competitor, a superstar and a role model like John Cena, especially in hindsight, someone who has been on top of the mountain for 15 years. He said it, it’s not just like he was wrestling at a certain level, he was at the elite level. I don’t think anybody else is going to have a career like John Cena, to be able to hold the fort down for 15 years, it seems superhuman. I’m just really glad I was able to display my skill and my talent in the ring and we had a really great match and I’m very proud of it.”

Learning from Cena:

“I think I learned that I’m up for any challenge. That was one of the biggest challenges for me and that’s what great competitors do. If I had to lower myself to compete with John Cena, then there’s no point in competing with John Cena. But what he did, like any great competitor, any great superstar, he forced me to step up. As he said, ‘you either step up or you step aside’. I’m very proud to show that I’m able to do these different things. For a long time my strength has always been in the ring and I haven’t had these barn burner promos that everybody talks about the next day. But, I know inside that I’m able to step up. I know what I have ability wise and talent wise and I think that’s all that John was trying to do, he wanted to bring out the best in me and I think he did that and I’m very grateful for that. I think that’s my job, that’s the most important thing about being the top guy, that you lift everybody up, that you bring everybody up to that standard. It can’t be the other way around because if that’s the case, then the whole structure is off. I think he did a great job of lighting a fire under my ass and I think I did a great job of stepping up to the occasion and we made great TV for it.”

His WrestleMania dream matches:

“Yeah I mean, when I first heard about the match with Cena, I immediately was thinking ‘man, let’s save this, let’s do this at WrestleMania’. But when the time is right, the time is right. But in the same light, I can only see me and Rock going at WrestleMania. Not only because of his schedule, but just the level of that match and the level of superstar that he is and you know, where I’m trying to get. But we also have a deep family tie. We represent the same family tree and having the opportunity to represent our culture, there would obviously have to be a sit down and we would have to express how we feel and the light we want to do this in… because there’s a lot of people we represent watching. The last thing I want to do is make it confusing or anything like that. But at the end of the day, I know it’s a money match. And I’m the guy who is still in the ring, so if someone who isn’t in the ring every single night wants to come back in the ring, we now call it my yard, so he is going to have to come to me and then we’ll go from there. It won’t go down anywhere other than a WWE ring, that’s all I’m saying. If he wants to get it, then I’m not stepping back for anybody.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross spoke with Pop Culture to promote his new book, Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling. Here are the highlights:

Which Superstar will hold a title in WWE next:

“Probably Sasha [Banks]. I think Bray Wyatt’s an amazing upside. I think he’s a character baby face and I think Sasha Banks is a [natural] heel.”

Whether WWE should alter Roman Reigns’ push as the top guy:

“Well, I think you just got to continue to allow him to be pretty good. You know, whenever the time is opportune. He is better than pretty good and a good kid, real good kid. Very committed.

“There’s nothing you say on TV, there’s no pillow vignettes, let’s change his music, let’s change his hair color, let’s change his outfit. You know, let’s change for change’s sake. Let’s change not knowing the selection, but just change for change sake. Because well, it might work. It might not. Steer the course and not be so wrapped up in getting him accepted as a fan favorite or a villain. I accept him as a star. And that’s what Roman Reigns is, he’s a star.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Former WWE/TNA star Matt Morgan recently spoke with Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald about his bid to run for District 4 Commissioner in Longwood, Florida (Seminole County). Here are the highlights:

Why he’s running for office:

“Enough of the citizens over the last five years have been asking me to run,” he said. “That combined with giving back to all these other cities during my career, I wanted to do it with my own city and take it where it needs to be. As a commissioner, you have an opportunity to have somewhat of a say by doing the job of listening to the people. They have gotten away from that. Not all commissioners, but my opponent for sure has.

You need a non-politician in office. That’s what we need. Someone who can keep these guys straight. Somebody whose vote can’t be bought. Someone whose vote can’t be swayed. You can have your own ideas. I’m not saying you don’t, but your job is to be the vehicle for the citizens and their opinions and see what their opinions are and then vote on their behalf. It’s the citizen’s opinions.”

How he will be successful due to his background:

“Just like me as a pro wrestler. The argument I get is that I was successful as a pro wrestler because I’m 7-feet, 300 pounds. I can see that getting me in the door, but what always made me successful was the ability to outwork people. Whether it was in the gym, my dieting, cutting promos in the mirror every day I would wake up early in my career. Whatever it took to outwork people. I have a certain work ethic.

All I’m doing is taking that over to this. School was the same way. It’s the one thing you can control in life. You can control how hard you work at something. Once it started raining my campaign manager asked me to get out of there because he couldn’t risk me being sick knocking on doors the next day. I responded, ‘Even if I do get sick, I’ll work on through it.’ I did catch a cold, but I still worked the next two days knocking on doors. It was to show the citizens there is nothing I won’t do for them.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A on Facebook and commented on a number of interesting topics, including CM Punk returning to WWE one day, Nakamura being qualified to carry the WWE Championship and where he ranks himself among the best wrestlers ever.

Here are some highlights of what RAW’s General Manager said about:

The possibility of CM Punk back in WWE one day:

“Anything is possible. I think so.”

Shinsuke Nakamura as WWE Champion:

“Yes. I wrestled Nakamura 9 years ago, it was epic, and he’s much better now! I think it’s his time, but Jinder is a beast.”

Which female competitor he wants to see inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018:

“Right now? Trisha Stratus. If she’s not already [Note: She was, back in 2013], Mickie James will be a shoo-in once she hangs it up. I hope not too soon though!”

If he’s excited about The Shield reuniting:

“Who isn’t?!?! I wish Team Angle could go a round with the Shield.”

His favorite exercise: 

“I love to run, it clears my mind. And if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. If I stop running it will be very difficult to start back up at my age. LOL.”

If he listens to Bruce Prichard’s Something To Wrestle With podcast:

“No. But Bruce was there and was a big part of it. What he says is true…at least most of it…lol.”

Where he stands with the best wrestlers ever:

“At the very top. Yes, I feel that way. It kind of sucks that my matches in TNA were just as good as the ones in WWE, but the WWE Universe didn’t see them. If you add my 11 years in TNA/Japan plus my 7 year WWE run, then yes. I think most would agree with that.

But, we all have our own opinions. That’s what is fun about debating. Hearing others’ opinions on it.”

SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya, who will be defending the title against Charlotte Flair at this Sunday’s WWE Hell in a Cell PPV, recently spoke with Scott Fishman to promote the event and the upcoming season of Total Divas on the E! Network. Here are the highlights:

Tyson Kidd returning to Total Divas this season:

“Tyson came back to the show and jumped into a new role in WWE that he loves. So, we are both in happy places. But the first time I met Brie and Bryan’s Birdie I was telling my husband, ‘So much has changed for us. Birdie almost makes me want to have a baby.’ Granted, I’m not in that place in my life yet, but Birdie is like no other baby I ever met. She is the best of Bryan and Brie. She is just so good-natured. I’ve never seen her cry. She could give any girl baby fever.”

Setting a WWE record at the Hell in a Cell:

“Come Hell in a Cell, I would have had the most pay-per-view matches out of anyone in WWE history. I will surpass Trish Stratus’ record. To know how hard I worked, and to get this opportunity, it’s so great because 100 or so episodes later you see me achieve my dream. It’s a great message for men and women alike that if you believe in yourself and don’t give up, no matter how many times you want to throw in the towel, you can reach your dreams. Everything you ever wanted to happen can. You just have to keep going.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase recently spoke with Bleacher Report to talk about various topics. Here are some of the highlights:

His “The Million Dollar Man” gimmick:

“The Million Dollar Man the character is actually a Vince McMahon original. It was presented to me and Vince kind of started laying it out. In a moment when he was called away and I was just sitting there with Pat Patterson who at the time was his right-hand man, Pat looked at me and said, ‘Ted, if Vince can be a character in his own show, this is it, this is who he would be.’ It had never been done before. Vince said, ‘I chose you because you’re articulate; you carry yourself well; you interview very well; you are a great wrestler; you’re perfect for this.'”

The late Bobby Heenan:

“Bobby Heenan to me, he was the best. Of all the guys that have been managers that can pick up a microphone and talk, he was a natural and so good. His character like mine was so hated, it was like a little weasel. Everybody wanted to kill him and that was the whole point. Bobby Heenan was as quick-witted off the cameras as he was on the camera and just as funny. A great guy and I just thought the world of him as a person.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, who is scheduled to defend the title against Shinsuke Nakamura at this Sunday’s at WWE Hell In A Cell PPV, recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Winning WWE Championship:

“There was originally no plan in place for me to become WWE champion. It felt like I became the number one contender out of nowhere. I call what I did forcing the results. I wasn’t happy with my position. I was putting in the work, but I wasn’t getting the results. I was going to force the result no matter what the cost.”

His planned promo on Shinsuke Nakamura last month that received backlash:

“Every day in WWE is also an opportunity. I have to rise to the occasion every time I am given that opportunity, and that includes every promo on SmackDown, too.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross spoke to ESPN to promote his book Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling. Here are some of the highlights:

Bringing The Rock and Steve Austin into WWE:

“They are two of my signees. They’re two guys I had a very strong personal relationship with. And you know I just thought the world of both those guys. They were what we needed to revitalize the talent relations department. They were components of what we needed to re-jump-start the competitive feeling you get often times when you have a locker room that’s dotted with overachievers and ex-mainstream athletes. It’s all because of that group of guys and gals that we assembled, that we put in that team environment, that had great skills and we were able to, maybe not 100 percent of the time, but more often than not, give them the opportunity to fully express their creative abilities. And those are still being felt. Randy Orton’s still a key member, John Cena, those guys are two of my last guys.”

Making his WWE debut at WrestleMania 9 in 1993:

“That’s not the greatest feeling to have when you’re getting ready to do your first assignment. It’s only going to be a live show with no net, and the biggest event of the year. So, that was a little unsettling, but you persevere, man, you work through it. Poor me. I’m going to broadcast WrestleMania IX. I’m a wrestling fan. It’s taken me 19 years to get here. And I’m going to b—h and moan that I didn’t get the Chamber of Commerce welcome wagon welcome? You kidding? The first night was an adventure, commentating alongside “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Bobby Heenan, but Ross pushed forward and did his job as well as he could do it, toga and all. Things could have gone sideways in a hurry if the iciness from the rest of the boys continued, but Ross found a pair of key allies in one of the most recognizable commentary teams in wrestling history.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Former Raw Women’s Champion Bayley recently spoke with Metro.co.uk to promote the Raw live events in the UK next month. Here are the highlights:

Being frustrated with her latest injury:

“It was hard for me to watch wrestling because I get really anxious whenever I watch matches. If I see something I like I want to practice it and try it myself. This sounds like I’m a loser but when I’m feeling down or I need a bit of motivation I do watch old NXT matches because they have some of my favorite memories as a performer in WWE. I watch a lot of that to put me back on the right mindset – including my match with Nia Jax at NXT Takeover: London. She’s the one I want to get back at, and I defeated her that night! That was a match I watched a few times.”

Possible heel turn:

“It’s something I think about because I know anything is possible when you’re with WWE. I don’t know if I have to go to the dark side, although I do read all the tweets and I do know it’s what the fans are kinda hoping for. As a performer I need to change in the ring, to be a little bit more aggressive and go about things in a different way rather than Bayley following the rules all the time. I might have to bend the rules a little bit to get what I want this time around. I realized when I was out with my injury that I need to go about things differently and not let people push me around so much.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Alicia Fox appeared on the latest episode of Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia. Here are the highlights:

Past relationship with Wade Barrett:

“My mom was on the street for like three years. It was insane. That was horrible. That was horrible because for me I knew that she was giving me a lot of stress and anxiety that I was bringing to work. I didn’t really realize it was having such a huge effect on me. I couldn’t even talk to Stu about it. I love Stu to death, but he was not the kind of relationship partner that I felt comfortable to talk about where I was emotionally and that was something I felt like, ‘Well, maybe I’m not worthy, maybe I shouldn’t, maybe these emotions aren’t right.’ It’s just who he is. He’s not an emotional person. We’re just better friends.

When I was really going through this thing when my mom was on the street and stuff, I wanted someone to talk about it with. So instead, I held it in my stomach and moved on. So my mom kept a diary of her whole experience on the streets. Sleeping in cars, meeting people, doing this, doing that and she kept a diary of it. I keep telling her, ‘Mom, you got to write this book out. You got to put it out there because people could probably really benefit, you know? Maybe somebody’s in the same zone.’ I haven’t brought myself to read it because from some of the stuff my mom’s told me so far, it sounds really ugly and very scary and very life threatening.”

Feeling embarrassed about her career sometimes:

“Sometimes I feel embarrassed of my career in a sense because like when the fans come up and say, ‘Underrated or this or that.’ I never really realized that until social media popped up. Then I’m left thinking, ‘Am I underrated?’ I’m one of the only girls that don’t have any merch, never had any merch even when the Bella Twins and I were together it was still Team Bella, but I never complained about any of those things because in my head, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay.’

A lot of fluffy content thinking. But you know what, maybe it’s not okay, but then it gets me upset and angry because then I’m thinking well what will my next chapter look like? Is it going to be okay if I’m not putting food on my table or my career’s at the control of someone else?”

Seeing herself on Total Divas:

“I was on it and I didn’t like the way I came off. Not because of their editing, but because of myself. I didn’t like seeing where I was at that point. I thought I looked like a crazy young drunken nut. Trust me, I have those moments still, but I didn’t like everyone else seeing that. That made me feel very uncomfortable.

It’s still kind of uncomfortable because you think there were more wrestling fans because it’s my real job, but there’s more Diva fans in some cases and all they want to say is, ‘Oh my gosh, you and Paige are so nuts!’ Or if I’m at a bar or restaurants, they’ll send shots. I don’t like that. I think it relates to where I was in that state of mind and I couldn’t help but to blame my environment.”

Billy Corgan recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about his future plans for the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) brand, his time working for Impact Wrestling and his time working with Impact Wrestling. Here are the highlights of what Corgan said about:

The Future of the NWA:

“We want to be part of a new revolution of how wrestling can be consumed by fans and matches can be presented. This NWA brand dates back to 1948. The past few years have not been as kind as we would have liked, but we plan on building this into a powerhouse over time. Our focus is on the NWA plan, and we have a 20-year plan. We’re not going to just come in and throw money around for two years.

We’ve learned from the past mistakes of TNA, which we have intimate knowledge of. We’re armed with this knowledge, and we’re setting out to rebuild the brand so a fan that currently doesn’t know anything about the NWA will respect the tradition and also respect what we’re trying to accomplish, like a Ring of Honor or a New Japan. That’s where we are starting, and we’re building from there.”

His time in Impact Wrestling:

“I was very, very frustrated by the obstacles I faced internally, both culturally and fiscally, at TNA. I dealt with a lot of backstabbing and lies. I was able to push through some things that ended up being successful at TNA, and I was very frustrated because you would think the success would have led to more leverage and further opportunities. But it was exactly the opposite.

People were out to get me because I had power. At least now, in this situation, I am my own boss. You have to build your own infrastructure from the bottom up and work with people you really trust. The traditional ‘carny’ aspect of the wrestling business that plagues a lot of companies, and has plagued a company like TNA, are problems that hold the business back. You can’t run an effective business if it’s like Game of Thrones every week.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Superstar Sami Zayn recently spoke with Joe.co.uk to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

What happened to his El Generico gimmick:

“There a lot of parallels between my style and his, I suppose, but I never actually met the man. But from what I hear I think he’s still running an orphanage, still fighting the good fight in Mexico. That’s as far as I know.”

If he’s worried about long-term sustainability with high-risk moves:

“Well, there was a time when I would have said yes. But I think even that is scaling down a little these day. Definitely, we are performing more moves now, and they are high impact moves. The game has changed since the ’80s, where you could punch and kick and headlock, and do one suplex, and that’s a 25 minute match. Those days are gone and you’ve got to adapt accordingly. But I think when I started wrestling on the independents it was definitely a time when people were pushing the envelope on how risky or dangerous some stunts could be. Whereas now I think a lot of the stunt show aspect of it has gone down. There’s a lot more technical skill executing these moves than it is falling off a giant scaffold or something like that. I think the stunt show aspect of the business has regressed, which is a good thing.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Samoa Joe recently spoke with Sky Sports to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Recovery from a knee injury:

“The recovery’s going really well but I’ve only been able to perform at about 80 per cent capacity since joining NXT. Back then I had no chance to take time off because of the WWE opportunity, before I was just treating the knee problem with ice and elevation at home.”

(Joe noted that he’s doing better and is hoping to be back for WWE’s UK tour in November). “Now it’s the best I’ve ever felt, it really is. I also needed nasal surgery as I’ve broken my nose about eight times in my career so I was only breathing at around 60 per cent. You have no idea how invigorating it is now.”

Roman Reigns beating John Cena at No Mercy:

“Roman Reigns is very good, he’s at the peak of his career,” Joe said. “The fans have a bone to pick with him but that doesn’t concern me. He’s WWE’s guy, he’s beaten Cena but he’s never beaten me. Next time I’ll beat his ass.”

Former WWE Champion Kane recently spoke with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

WWE preparing him for politics:

“I’ve been in WWE for 22 years and reached a point in my career where, within the locker room, I’m one of the people that guys come to if something needs to be discussed. I’m also one of the people that the WWE executives, if there is a problem in the locker room, I’m one people that is consulted about that. …  It’s actually my involvement in WWE that I’ve found hopefully will help me out in the political realm.”

If he still watches WWE:

“I catch a little most Mondays. I’m really happy to see Braun Strowman. People ask me who reminds me of me, and it’s probably him. So, I’m really happy to see him doing so well. I think WWE is in very good hands with — they’re not even the younger generation anymore — but with the people that are there now carrying the flag for them.”

If he has retired from pro wrestling:

“We have a saying in the WWE: never say never. So, I can’t answer that question.”

You can read the entire interview here.

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights.

Why Cesaro should be WWE Champion:

“Cesaro should be world champ,” said Swagger. “I’m not afraid to say it, Cesaro is my favorite wrestler. It used to be Kurt Angle, but it’s now Antonio Cesaro. He’s the strongest guy there, he can go with anybody, and he is a guy that a company can invest in. In addition to being gifted athletically and being the strongest guy in the room, Cesaro is very smart upstairs,” said Swagger, whose new website offers some not-safe-for-work t-shirts. “He can go in the back and wrestle a match out in his head, then he’ll add his Cesaro-isms in the ring to really make the match special.

“He knows exactly where to put things and make a match explosive. ‘Sell, sell, sell, then holy sh–, explosion!’ He’s so flexible, and he’s made all his tag team partners better. He made Tyson Kidd better, and he was the driving force for me in the Real Americans tag team. His big swing is gold. He’s very hungry, and coming from the indies, he has a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. He uses that as fuel to keep getting better and not get complacent, and he would be the perfect guy to be world champ.”

His future in pro wrestling:

“I want to wrestle everywhere. I’m open to wrestling for Global Force, Lucha Underground, even if I’m under a mask, and Ring of Honor. I want to work them all. Everyone is talking about how hot the wrestling scene is in Japan, but the U.K. market, promotion across promotion, is very consistent and growing. I just did WAW (World Association of Wrestling) in Norwich, England, and their television production value was amazing. I wrestled Cody Hall, who had [his father] Razor Ramon in his corner, and that was really cool. I want to grow my brand and help wrestling continue to grow, too.”

You can read the entire interview here.

The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) recently did an “Ask Me Anything” chat on Reddit. Here are the highlights:

Most underutilized wrestler in the WWE:

Nick: Gallows and Karl and Sami.

Possibly having CM Punk join The Bullet Club:

Matt Jackson: Haha. I’ve been bugging him for over 2 years about that.

A superstar that they want to have a match with in WWE:

Matt: The Revival.

Invading Raw:

Matt: As we were filming, I realized that we were doing something very special. Something that had never been done before. It felt empowering.

Nick Jackson: We’re the only ones in the business currently who have the balls to do what we did. It was great, and people will talk about it for a very long time!

Top 3 tag teams in WWE:

Matt: Hardy’s are number one all time anywhere. Gallows and Gun are quite the team too. New Day also. Three great teams. I can’t think of any other tag teams for this list. There, I listed three tag teams that aren’t called The Revival.

Nick: Hardy’s, Uso’s, New Day.

Sami Callihan, who worked in WWE NXT from 2012-2015 as Solomon Crowe, recently spoke with ESPN to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

Feeling like he was walking on eggshells in NXT:

“When I was in the WWE, I’ll be the first person to say that I walked on eggshells and I became a shell of the person that I was when I signed. I allowed too many people to get in my brain. Too many people to pull me in different directions. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I felt like I didn’t know how to wrestle anymore.”

Leaving WWE:

“I’m not gonna lie, it was scary. When I finally pulled the trigger and really bet on myself that was a scary thing, but I had to bet on myself. I wanted to be a guy remembered for going out on his own way. By leaving on my own terms, it kinda made me a badass character. I quit WWE. Not a lot of people can say that.”

You can read the entire interview here.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote the release of his new book, Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling, that comes out on October 3rd. Here are the highlights:

Possibly returning to commentary on SmackDown Live:

“I really do appreciate when people think of me for an opening. If WWE ever needed me to fill in, I would certainly do it with no reservation. Now, is it something I want to do full-time? Absolutely not. It’s a young man’s game, so let’s continue to develop these new guys.

I’m thrilled to have my WWE jersey back. I’m going to do between 30 and 40 dates a year. I am happy to fulfill my obligations. If I’m needed for more, I’m ready, but I do not want to do 52 weeks a year. WWE is going to use me if the weekly U.K. show comes to fruition, and my hope is that I’m involved in that show with Nigel McGuinness.”

His new book:

“I don’t know that you’ll find anyone in this business with my role. I’ve been fortunate to have been an administrator, a gopher, a driver, a whiskey buyer, VP, EVP, Senior VP, and the voice of a brand. My book is more relatable to the average guy than, say, Brock Lesnar’s book. How many Brock Lesnars are there walking around on the face of the earth? I’m a fan. I had a very humble upbringing, earned everything I got, and learned how challenging it is in the pro wrestling business. I was a long shot to succeed, and I’m still not supposed to be here. When I was born premature, I wasn’t supposed to be there, either. I’m a wrestling fan with a phenomenal journey. The book starts out that way and ends that way. I think people will be motivated by this book, will want to set goals after reading it, and remember that it is the kiss of death to put limits on yourself. It’s a very emotional book, and I am excited to see how people respond.

Vince McMahon doing a foreword for the book:

“Vince was very accommodating, and I appreciated it. I never looked at that as an issue. I wanted him to write the foreword, and I never had any trepidation that he wouldn’t.

There is a letter in the book from Vince that he wrote to me when I was sick with Bell’s Palsy for a second time. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was battling depression. I didn’t want to come out of the house. Vince told me how badly he wanted me to come back to work, and he wrote, “Get the f— back up!” That might seem abrasive to some, but I knew he was being real and coming straight from the heart. Vince’s letter was a handwritten one that he had somebody from the office deliver to my door, and he let me know exactly how much I meant to him. Vince was so great at the “Mr. McMahon” character that some people think he wouldn’t want to help people in real life, and that’s just not true.”

You can read the entire interview here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced several big matches for their upcoming King of Pro Wrestling event that takes place on October 9th at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Four title matches are slated to take place at the show.

Kazuchika Okada will defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against EVIL in the main event. The other three title matches are IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay, IWGP Tag Team Champions Killer Elite Squad vs. War Machine vs. Guerillas of Destiny, and IWGP Jr. Tag Team Champions Ryusuke Taguchi and Ricochet vs. Roppongi 3K.

Here is the full lineup:

— IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL

— Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the WrestleKingdom 12 briefcase

— IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay

— Hiroshi Tanahashi and Togi Makabe vs. Kota Ibushi and Juice Robinson

— YOSHI-HASHI, Baretta and Jado vs. Kenny Omega, Cody and Marty Scurll

— IWGP Tag Team Champions Killer Elite Squad vs. War Machine vs. Guerillas of Destiny

— IWGP Jr. Tag Team Champions Ryusuke Taguchi and Ricochet vs. Roppongi 3K

— Toru Yano and Hirooki Goto vs. Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.

— Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and Leo Tonga vs. SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI

Former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam was recently interviewed by Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote his appearance at Booker T’s charity event on Sunday in Hollywood. This show will be for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

During the interview, Van Dam spoke about a potential return to WWE. The former WWE Champion hasn’t been seen on WWE television since he left the company in 2014. Here is what he had to say:

“I’m looking at 24 matches, all international, booked over the next 12 months. I don’t have any plans to share, but there is always a possibility of a return. I’ve talked to WWE recently, but it’s about the new video games that are coming out. That was more of a business talk about that, but when the business is right, and it’s the right time to go back, that, of course, is then always a possibility.”

You can read the entire interview here.