WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed WWE’s use of the Hurt Business. Whilst the group does appear to be getting some traction on television, Bully Ray believes that it is another case of WWE cutting off a ‘hot angle’ before it can really get going.
“As fans? The minute we get a little bit of traction, and we’re getting into something? They [WWE] stop it, they cut it off” Bully Ray began on Busted Open. “That’s why, even with the Hurt Business, I haven’t been fully on board.”
Bully Ray on The Hurt Business
“I like the Hurt Business” Bully Ray clarified. “I think there’s a tonne of potential to further the Hurt Business. But the minute anyone gets a little bit of traction? Something goes wrong.”
In the past WWE have appeared to be prone to cutting the legs off more organic occasions of talent getting over. One of the biggest examples is Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder, who produced his own YouTube show that become extremely successful back in the early 2010s. Although WWE would start to get behind Ryder? They completely killed his push as they made some questionable booking decisions involving John Cena and his feud with Kane.
Ray would finish by discussing the Hurt Business again in particular. “The minute the Hurt Business starts the show looking like these big, bad, intimidating mother truckers? Then they go losing matches. The minute the four of them start to gel? Here goes Cedric [Alexander] splitting on them. I don’t know, it’s almost like…it’s almost like I’m scared to get into a relationship with any WWE characters.”
Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think there’s too many characters that WWE pulls back on when they’re just getting hot on television? Let us know in the comments
AEW star QT Marshall recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The Nightmare Family member discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, including teaming with Dustin Rhodes in All Elite Wrestling.
“There’s a lot of nepotism and stuff that goes along with that, being friends with Cody” QT Marshall began on the podcast. “I always feel like I just, I need to prove myself. Even though like I’ve been training in wrestling for 16 years and I don’t really need to prove myself? But to certain fans? I feel like I always do. I always have to justify why I’m here.”
QT Marshall also discussed the Bunkhouse match that he took part in recently. The Natural Nightmares took on The Butcher and The Blade on Dynamite in a bloody affair. Marshall hit a massive elbow drop during the match from the top of a ladder, something he discussed on the Talk Is Jericho podcast.
QT Marshall on The Bunkhouse Match
“What could I do…that if I never wrestle again? What could I do that would live forever? The night before I was just at the building looking over stuff, you know as I do for the production side of things. I saw a humongous ladder and I was like, ‘what if I jump off this ladder?’ And then I climbed up when no one was here, I just climbed up and I looked down. I literally yelled to one of the production guys and was like, ‘hide this ladder, because this one is way too big!”‘
Did you watch the Bunkhouse match on Dynamite? Are you impressed with the tag team of QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the RAW interactions between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. Ray would compare the two British Superstars to Randy Orton and Edge; saying how their real life history gives the potential upcoming storyline feud ‘real life’ legitimacy.
Bully Ray on Orton vs Edge
“Randy [Orton] and Edge have characters and personalities that are carved out” Bully Ray began on Busted Open. “That’s why you will stay invested in their story. They had a history, that’s why you will stay invested in that story. They talked about real life relationships, but their real life relationship? That’s why you will stay invested in that story.”
Edge and Randy Orton had a run of bouts earlier in the year. These would include the Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania and ‘The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’ at Backlash.
“Sheamus and Drew [McIntyre] are very similar” Bully Ray would continue. “They’re friends in real life. They have story, characters and personalities that are carved out and definitive. That’s why you’ll be invested.”
Drew McIntyre and Sheamus go back an extremely long way. The two men were featured members of the Irish Whip Wrestling promotion, back in
Bully Ray would then use a movie analogy to finish and elaborate on the point. “This is why being into the character or the personality first? Is so important. When you watch a movie, what’s the most important thing a movie can do within the first half hour or so? Build the characters.”
Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think that Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre could be a strong feud given their British/Irish links? Let us know in the comments
Former AEW Champion Chris Jericho recently discussed Dean Malenko and the role of an agent/coach on his Talk Is Jericho podcast. This week’s episode featured AEW star QT Marshall, who himself has apparently been working with Chris Jericho to ‘agent’ some of his matches.
“Dean [Malenko] was always my coach, agent, producer, until finally recently I was like, ‘he’s being wasted with me'” Jericho began on the podcast. “Because I put together my stuff and I’ll always ask Dean his opinion. But [AEW should] put him with some guys that he can really be helping with.”
Jericho and Malenko are of course two stars who are very well aware of each other’s in-ring capabilities. Chris Jericho’s famous ‘man of 1,004 holds’ promo (including the armbar) came during the duo’s feud in WCW. During the late nineties both Jericho and Malenko were an integral part of WCW’s Cruiserweight division. Both men would end up leaving to join the then WWF at different points.
Chris Jericho on QT Marshall
“I said just put QT with me” Chris Jericho would continue. “Because the few times when I had a question for QT or I said ‘do you have any suggestions?’ He came up with a couple of things. That’s like what Jamie Noble was like [as an agent], it didn’t have to be a lot.”
Jericho would finish by saying how he is at a point in his career where he wants to get pointers and ideas, whereas someone the calibre of Malenko can be helping younger talent on a more 50/50 basis.
“Dean did it last week with me and Max’s [MJF] match. Sometimes one idea is all you need to fit everything together you know? I was like ‘just put QT with me, let me bounce off my 99%. if he has 1%? Great. Let Dean go do 50/50 with the younger guys, you know?”
Do you think that Chris Jericho will move into a ‘coaching’ role when he finishes in-ring with AEW? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE, TNA, WCW and NWA personality Jim Cornette recently discussed Vince McMahon and his recent WWE television appearances. Mr McMahon was recently seen on the Survivor Series PPV, introducing The Undertaker for his Final Farewell in the company.
Many fans and critics have noted McMahon’s advanced age and look during his recent appearances. Cornette himself would also comment on McMahon’s physical stature as he reaches his mid to late 70s.
Jim Cornette on Vince McMahon
“He looks like an old man” Cornette would begin on the Drive Thru podcast. “The one guy that…everybody that knew him? We thought he would never age. The one guy that they’ve [the fans] seen with all that vim and vigour on television, even if you’ve never met him, or seen him in person.”
Jim Cornette would then question why WWE still has McMahon being presented in the ‘same’ way he has been for the past 20+ years on television. “I think it’s just at this point? To have him stand in the ring and do the same type of delivery? Or deliver the message the same kind of way? It might be…it’s a bummer now [to watch]!”
“Maybe he should be in a boardroom setting” Cornette would continue. “I mean make use of the most famous wrestling personality they still have in the company. Make use of him! Just don’t have him doing the same kind of sh*t he used to do, because then you’re comparing it to 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago. Anybody’s gonna lose something [after that long].”
Do you agree with Jim Cornette? Do you think that Vince McMahon needs to stop appearing on WWE programming? Let us know in the comments
Check out the video of Vince McMahon from just 4 years ago to see the difference!
AEW on-screen Coach and former WWE Agent Arn Anderson recently discussed the Nexus faction on his ARN podcast. This week’s episode is focused on the TLC 2010 event, which saw John Cena defeat Wade Barrett in the main event of the show.
At the time the Nexus were one of the top factions in the company, with Wade Barrett looking set to become WWE Champion. The crowning of Barrett would never happen, meaning that he would not become the fabled first-ever British WWE Champion. That honor would go to Drew McIntyre almost a decade later.
Arn Anderson would say that WWE were always looking to make Nexus/Barrett a massive part of the on-screen presentation; but this just never materialised due to a stop-start approach to booking.
Arn Anderson on PG Era
“It was the era of Cena” Anderson would begin on the podcast. “Which meant we were pointing towards children, having a PG product. Which was a far stretch from the Attitude Era, obviously, you know about as far as you can get.”
“I felt like we were trying to go with the Nexus full bore” Anderson would continue. “But it was start and stop. They [WWE] wouldn’t just go ahead and pull the trigger. I think the number of guys that were filtered through a card? There was probably seven or eight of those guys and you would filter them through a card…they were well represented, but they [WWE] weren’t pushing them. They never really pushed some heat on them, and I think that was a big mistake.”
Do you agree with Arn Anderson? Do you think that WWE could’ve made a much bigger deal with the Nexus group? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE on-screen personality Renee Paquette (Young) recently discussed her pregnancy on the Oral Sessions Podcast. Oral Sessions is Paquette’s newest venture; now on the second episode which features former MMA and Pro Wrestling star Josh Barnett.
Barnett hosts the annual BloodSport events and Paquette’s husband Jon Moxley has been a long admirer of the concept. The ‘shoot’ based event saw Moxley appear for the 2020 iteration back in October, facing Chris Dickinson in the main event.
Renee Paquette on new Podcast
Prior to the event Renee would record her episode of the podcast with Josh Barnett. “What’s kind of funny is that this was literally recorded days after I found out that I was pregnant” Renee would reveal on the show. “So, I had no idea what was going on with anything.”
“It was a very interesting time” Paquette would continue. “I was just wrapping my head around the fact that I was pregnant. AND trying to get this podcast off the ground.”
Renee would then discuss the difficulties of recording the interview during the COVID-19 pandemic whilst also being pregnant. “I was in Indianapolis with Jon (Moxley) who was going to do Bloodsport finally for the very first time. So I was stuck in the hotel room, I had to fully quarantine and couldn’t hang out or do anything because I just found out I was pregnant. I couldn’t do anything! Josh had been COVID tested, Jon had been COVID tested, so we were all safe to be able to gather around and crank out this podcast.”
Have you started listening to Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast? Have you got over the name yet? It’s ridiculous, right? Let us know in the comments
Check out the full episode of Oral Sessions view the embedded player below.
Good Brother and co-host of the Talk n’ Shop podcast Karl Anderson recently touted the success of the TalknShopaMania 2 show. Whilst the PPV was successful, it didn’t draw as big a buyrate as the first one, leading Machine Gun to (jokingly?) say that they now don’t have to do a third show.
Karl Anderson on TalknShopaMania 2
“It’s kind of like The Matrix. You don’t expect it to be that good then all of a sudden it makes 100 million dollars” Anderson began on the podcast. TalknShopaMania 2 was successful right but it wasn’t as successful as the first one.”
TalknShopaMania 2 had some interesting names on the card. Scott Steiner, Shane “Hurricane” Helms, Teddy Long, Gangrel, Heath. As well as JTG, Brian Myers, The Rock N’ Roll Express, Taya Valkyrie, and Mark Jindrak were among them. The main event for the show was a ‘Ball For A Ball Match’ between Sex Ferguson and Chad 2 Badd.
“Not a blockbuster, but it still did well” Karl Anderson would continue, before saying how it got rave reviews from some big names. “And it got rave reviews as well; as in like Randy Orton texted us and said ‘dude blew part one away, oh my god, amazing.’ Scott d’Amore pulled us aside at work (IMPACT Wrestling) last week and said, ‘guys I watched it from start to finish, it’s so much better than the first one. It’s unbelievable. You should be proud!’ That kind of stuff.”
Karl Anderson would then state that the group (Gallows, Rocky Romero and Anderson) now don’t need to make another PPV with the TalknShop name. “Machine Gun’s thought on this? It was good, I loved it. It wasn’t as successful as the first one, which means we don’t have to do a third one now. Thank God it’s over.”
Did you watch Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Rocky Romero’s TalknShopaMania 2? Did you enjoy the show? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently discussed Vince McMahon and by extension WWE’s communication as a company.
The Big Guy would compare WWE’s communication with talent with that of a professional sports team like that in the NFL. Ryback would make the point that when you aren’t performing well in a ‘real’ sport you’re pulled aside by your coaches and your path to success is laid out in front of you.
Ryback on WWE Communication
“They [WWE] don’t communicate” Ryback would begin on the Shooting Blanks Wrestling podcast. “That stems from Vince, because Vince doesn’t know how to communicate. Vince only knows how to lie. That’s done on purpose, to control things and to create that fear mentality.”
“They breed that fear and it gets passed down all the way to developmental” The Big Guy continued. “I’ve lived it, it’s something that needs to be better. It doesn’t need to exist, you know? In traditional sports? You know if you’re not performing.”
Ryback would finish by using the aforementioned football analogy. “If you’re a starting running back you know you’re going to be told exactly what you need to be doing. ‘Look, we need you need to start performing you need to do this, this and this. And then if you don’t? We’re going to take you out of this.'”
“They don’t do this in depth, and this is speaking for WWE solely” The Big Guy continued. “And it’s frustrating because it doesn’t need to be that way. It’s all just a lack of communication.”
This is not the first time that Ryback has made disparaging comments regarding WWE and or Vince McMahon. It likely also won’t be the last.
Do you think that we’ll see Ryback in the likes of AEW or NJPW? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed The Undertaker’s Final Farewell at Survivor Series 2020.
Henry of course had multiple bouts against the Deadman throughout his career. This included their WrestleMania 22 Casket Match, which saw ‘Taker go 14-0 in his historic ‘Mania streak.
“Deservedly so” Mark Henry began on Busted Open, agreeing to how the Undertaker’s Final Farewell was as grand in scale as it could be at WWE’s ThunderDome. “I mean like outside of Andre [The Giant], Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin? There’s never been a more exciting presence that you look forward to in wrestling.”
Henry would then discuss how ‘Taker’s presence and character outweigh any physical or in-ring weaknesses he may have. “There have been better grapplers, there have been better [in-ring]. There’s Shawn Michaels for example, as far as how many titles he’s won? But the Undertaker didn’t need titles.”
“The Undertaker was the Undertaker, he was the backbone of the business” Mark Henry would continue. “If his name was on the card? Your money went up dramatically. It wouldn’t be a couple of dimes here in there. I’m talking about being on a card with the Undertaker and not being on the card with Undertaker could have made a difference of whether you make 5 or 10 grand a week difference. He was the guy that changed everything.”
Do you think that we’ll ever see The Undertaker on WWE television again? Let us know in the comments
NXT UK and former PROGRESS, Fight Club:PRO Superstar Trent Seven recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The WWE Superstar discussed a number of topics during his time on the show; including his Moustache Mountain partner Tyler Bate, the BT Sport studio and possibly moving to RAW or SmackDown.
Trent Seven on WWE & WrestleMania
“I suppose I can try and spin as many plates as I can” Trent Seven began on the show, after being asked if he wants to appear on RAW and SmackDown and represent the British style of wrestling.
“Also by focusing on making sure British wrestling is represented at the highest level” Seven would continue. “That may mean going to NXT in America, that may mean going to SmackDown, it may mean going to RAW. Obviously those kind of opportunities you can’t turn down.”
Trent Seven would then describe how the opportunity to appear at WrestleMania is one of his major goals in WWE. “I feel like if you’re a professional wrestler, especially within the WWE? If your goal is not to be on a WrestleMania card at some point in your career? I find it hard to relate to anyone who wouldn’t want that. Very rarely do I meet those people.”
British Wrestling Legends
Seven would finish by saying how he wants to be remembered as a legend of the British wrestling scene. “The one thing that I always keep in mind is now look back, 20-30 years ago? We look back at the people, the incredible names that have come from British wrestling. Davey Boy Smith, William Regal, Rollerball Rocco, Johnny Saint etc, the list goes on and on and on.”
“The thing that really is motivating to me at the moment? That in 20-30 years time from now, who are the British legends going to be?” Seven would continue. “Now I need them to be me. I want them to be Tyler Bate and I want them to be Pete Dunne. Obviously there’s a plethora of other guys, but I’m focusing on myself at the moment.”
“At the minute there’s no Moustache Mountain (Seven’s tag team with Tyler Bate) right now, and no British Strong Style (Seven’s stable with Bate and Pete Dunne). That’s something that’s been a major driving force for me [being remembered as a British legend].”
Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently discussed Lars Sullivan on his Shooting Blanks Pro Wrestling podcast. It has been noted over the past several years that Sullivan has been suffering from mental health issues, and these appear to now be being brought to television for his on screen persona.
The initial segments from late October/early November showed signs of a mental health based angle, however these have ceased recently, leading some to believe that the angle was nixed.
Ryback on Lars Sullivan
“He does have psychological issues to a degree. Sullivan’s had counselling and had issues and they’re kind of putting him in that role on TV, of acknowledging the problems” Ryback would begin on the podcast. “Which is a great storyline, if you’re doing something with it.”
As mention the angle appears to have been sidelined for the time being, and Ryback questioned why the company would pull the trigger only to renege on it. “But then all of a sudden…to do that and then to [pull the angle]? There could be something to that where he goes, ‘look, I’m not comfortable doing this guys.’ Then [they say] ‘it’s okay you’re off TV until we’re gonna figure out,’ maybe they’re finding something different. That’s a very realistic scenario.”
Ryback would then praise Sullivan as a presence on the show, saying he could be a big time player in WWE. “There’s money in Lars Sullivan. “There’s money with him, to a degree. But I’m saying this, pro wrestling is the last business you need to be in if you have any mental issues, regardless.”
“[That could be] anxiety, or anything” Ryback continued. “You have to have thick, thick skin in pro wrestling on every aspect, especially in the WWE land. I think AEW in a way? It’s a friendlier environment. But the land of WWE? They can eat you alive.”
Do you agree with Ryback? Do you think that Lars Sullivan could end up a big star in WWE? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently commented on the Final Farewell of The Undertaker. This past Sunday was the 30th anniversary of The Deadman, who of course made his WWE debut at Survivor Series 1990.
‘Taker took his final bow in the company in the ’empty’ ThunderDone arena. Whilst fans were visible on the screens around the ring they were of course not in Anway Center to celebrate the career of the iconic Deadman.
Although WWE and Undertaker himself have claimed that this was the final appearance? Ryback believes that we will see ‘Taker again, when fans are allowed back into arenas safely.
Ryback on The Undertaker Farewell
“Vince [McMahon] is a great businessman, regardless of my personal feelings on certain things” Ryback began on the Shooting Blanks podcast. “So what they’re doing? I promise you this…that’s not the last time we’re going to see the Undertaker.”
“That was a way to capitalise on the 30th anniversary” Ryback continued, discussing the Survivor Series 2020 ‘Final Farewell.’ “The moment there are people back [in arenas]? There will be another farewell. There’s no way you’re not going to get that, when an opportunity comes up. Even if they don’t market it as a farewell? It’s the Undertaker appearance, it will be another farewell.”
Ryback would finish by praising WWE for the ‘smart’ business decision of capitalizing on the 30th anniversary of Undertaker’s debut. “I think it was a smart business move capitalising on that, you’d be silly not to now. Did they have to say it’s the farewell? Was that necessarily? Maybe not. You could have just been celebrating 30 years, but I think it [the finality] gives it that that extra special feel. But it’s like…retiring and wrestling? It’s the least respected retirement in all of sports!”
Do you agree with Ryback? Do you think that we will see The Undertaker again when there are crowds in arenas? Let us know in the comments
NXT UK and former PROGRESS, Fight Club:PRO Superstar Trent Seven recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The WWE Superstar discussed a number of topics during his time on the show; including his Moustache Mountain partner Tyler Bate, the BT Sport studio and possibly moving to RAW or SmackDown.
Trent Seven on BT Sport Studios and NXT UK
“It’s been a very, very bizarre last few months” Trent Seven would begin on the show. “But I just wanted to, on that note…the work that has been put in? Between the staff at NXT UK, WWE and BT Sport? It has been second to none.”
NXT UK moved to BT Sport Studios for the ‘relaunch’ of the weekly show. The COVID-19 pandemic initially meant that there were months without new content for NXT UK, however WWE’s ‘new’ UK television partner BT Sport would offer their in-house studio to host the weekly program.
The show now also has screens featuring WWE fans watching from home. This gives the effect of WWE’s ThunderDome, but at a much smaller scale.
“That studio is, oh it’s absolutely incredible” Trent Seven would continue. “And I for one just can’t wait to see the day when there’s fans in there. Because it’s going to be an absolute…it’s going to be a real kind of independent vibe, kind of a hotbed, but with the production value of WWE. [It’ll have] a world class studio level, so very exciting times on the horizon, I think.”
The UK wrestling scene hit a boom period during the last decade. The likes of Seven, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne were a huge part of the scene, headlining events for the likes of the aforementioned PROGRESS, FCP and RIPTIDE Wrestling.
Have you been watching NXT UK on the WWE Network? Are you enjoying the show? Let us know in the comments
All Elite Wrestling star Ricky Starks recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s podcast. The current member of Taz’s on-screen stable discussed a number of topics during the show; these included including how signed with AEW and being friends with The Undertaker.
“So back in Austin? There’s a gym called Onnit” Ricky Starks began, as he told the story of his meeting Mark Calloway. “I only started going to Onnit because I thought I would have a [WWE] tryout back in 2016. So I was training way before I fully had my tryout.”
Ricky Starks on The Undertaker
“And so I was there, barely making it by because the fee is $194 a month, and I was making minimum wage” Ricky Starks continued. “So I would go at the same time that ‘Taker was there. Undertaker was preparing for his match against Shane [McMahon] in Dallas for WrestleMania 32. He was there constantly.”
Ricky Starks would then confirm that Undertaker was filming what would become The Last Ride documentary for WWE Network. “He was filming a documentary, but he was filming a documentary just for his family, because he figured that would be the last one. I’d befriended the the guy who was doing the documentary, his name is Brandon. He’s a really nice dude, I told him like ‘Taker one of my favourites, and I would talk to ‘Taker. I went up to him say thank you for everything, and so since I was there all the time? Undertaker would come and make small talk with me.”
The AEW star would finish by saying how he actually trained with Undertaker before his match against John Cena at WrestleMania 34. This was especially surreal for Starks, as he has mentioned how he is a ‘mega fan’ of the Deadman.
“‘Taker was getting ready for his match against Cena at ‘Mania 34 in New Orleans. He had us up and wanted to train, so WWE sent this ring to this location, it was a sick setup. I’ll never forget, we were in there, I want to say for two days or three days? I was in the ring sparring with Undertaker and I, I cannot fathom it. I cannot understand it!?”
Do you think that we’ll ever see Ricky Starks in WWE? Let us know in the comments
The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The AEW Tag Team Champions discussed a number of topics during their time on the show; these included their time in IMPACT, changing their working style and writing their new autobiography.
Matt Jackson would start by saying how much of an influence Mick Foley’s ‘Have a Nice Day’ book was when he was younger. “Ever since I was a kid I remember reading Mick Foley’s Have a Nice Day. It was when I was a freshman, I think it was in my language arts class?”
The Young Bucks on Autobiography
“Miss Mira, for some reason she had that book on her bookshelf” Matt Jackson would continue. “I picked it up, I read it and I fell in love with it. I remember telling myself at the end like ‘man if I ever have a career worth writing about that would be so cool!’ So it was always a dream of mine to write a book.”
Jackson would then describe how they were contacted by Harper Collins, one of the major global publishers. “We got an offer from from HarperCollins publishing, which is one of the biggest in the world. When HarperCollins calls? You pick up, you know? At the time Nick and I were going through a really strange thing in our career, like a kind of a fork in the road.”
Matt Jackson would then say how the timing of the book coincided with the Young Bucks getting an offer from WWE. “There was the big decision to be made, whether or not we’re gonna go to WWE or if we’re gonna start this new thing (AEW). And I remember thinking to myself like ‘this is worth documenting’ and we do have a really interesting story. It’s a story that is kind of different than all the other wrestling books you’ve probably read from the the Attitude Era guys.”
“I think we have a unique story” Matt Jackson continued. “We were the first guys from the independent ‘boom’ era that have really had a chance to write our story. I was going to say put pen to paper but it wasn’t even been to paper! It was literally all written on our iPhones in between business trips and in hotel rooms and while I was at the bus stop waiting for my daughter to get picked up from school. We were literally writing this thing while we were opening up AEW so it was really terrible timing, actually.”
Have you read The Young Bucks’ new book? Let us know in the comments
All Elite Wrestling star Ricky Starks recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s podcast. The current member of Taz’s on-screen stable discussed a number of topics during the show; these included including how signed with AEW and being friends with The Undertaker.
“I didn’t re-sign with NWA, I told them ‘no thank you I’m, I’m good'” Starks began on the show. “Then this pandemic started. I remember watching AEW Dynamite. It was the night that Cody came out and said that he would be issuing an open challenge; and then he went on Twitter and said ‘this is open to anybody.'”
Ricky Starks on TNT Open Challenge
Ricky Starks’ first appearance in AEW was the aforementioned TNT Open Challenge issued by Cody Rhodes. Starks would outlay how the opportunity arose for him to get a shot at the title. “The next day Thursday I was at the gym, and this vision came to me, where I was like, ‘I could see myself walking out [on Dynamite]. I could see myself cutting this promo, and it just this huge thing right?”
“And so, that Sunday? I got a text message from from AEW saying ‘hey, there’s a opportunity here to challenge for the title, are you interested?'” Ricky Starks would continue. “The funny thing is? I thought that was just a one off thing. In my head? I thought I would wrestle, go back on the Indies and raise my rate, then build my stock.”
“Absolute” Ricky Starks (Photo: AEW)
Starks would then state that he was shocked when he got the call to be signed, mainly because he wasn’t expecting any companies to be hiring during the pandemic.
“I didn’t think that they were hiring. I just, I figured ‘we’re in a pandemic no one’s hiring.’ So yeah, I came to the back [after the Cody match] and really didn’t hear much, just it was good, you know? Just a good reaction to the match, but that was it. And then when it aired? I got a call from Tony Khan and kind of went from there.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling star and Bullet Club member Tama Tonga recently discussed what has made BC such a lasting force in pro wrestling. Tonga commented on the long running stable during the latest episode of his Tama’s Island podcast.
The group was initially formed back in 2013, with Prince Devitt/Finn Balor, Karl Anderson, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale becoming the nucleus and initial core group of foreign talent to call themselves Bullet Club.
Bullet Club would add (and then later throw out) some of the biggest names in pro wrestling. AJ Styles, Adam Cole, Kenny Omega and Adam ‘Hangman’ Page are all alumni of the prestigious group.
Tama Tonga on Bullet Club
“It was the foreigners doing it big in Japan” Tama Tonga would state on the podcast, saying why the group began to gain momentum. “When Americans could see like these Americans doing it so big in Japan? I think that was something they gravitated to, it was awesome.”
Tama Tonga would then heavily praise the ‘second wave’ of members who joined the group. Most notably, The Young Bucks Matt and Nick Jackson. “Another thing was The Bucks” Tonga stated. “The Buck were red hot and on the indie scenes. They brought over a lot of fans to watch us [in NJPW].”
Tonga would finish by saying that the way the group utilized social media was also a massive part of their growth and enduring nature. “It was just some of our like social media things that we were doing up there. It was this against the grain type attitude, It was just cool, it was. We’re just cool.”
Do you think that Bullet Club will continue to rise into the next decade? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently commented on the retirement of the Undertaker. ‘Taker of course had his ‘Final Farewell’ at Survivor Series this past weekend, with several legends and even a hologram Paul Bearer paying tribute to the WWE icon.
There has been talk of Undertaker potentially returning for one more bout, especially when there are crowds allowed in arenas once again. Bully Ray however believes that this is really it for the Deadman.
Bully Ray on The Undertaker
“After what Steve [Austin] said to him on the Broken Skull Sessions about ‘you’ve had your last match? I think that this could be it” Bully Ray would begin on the show. “I think ‘Taker now goes into the ‘in case of extreme emergency break glass’ category.”
Bully Ray would elaborate on this point, saying how Undertaker is a last ditch attraction now if all else fails. “I think Taker has now become an adrenaline shot to WWE. If someone’s dying and you can’t bring them back with the heart paddles? You stick a needle in their heart that’s full of adrenaline. I think that ‘Taker goes into that category now.
“Only if there’s some kind of disaster and Vince needs something? Do you call the Deadman” Bully continued. “But for the most part? I think, yep, that’s it. And you know what? It should be. What else is he going to do? What else is there left for him to do?”
Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think that Undertaker is finally finished as an in-ring competitor? Let us know in the comments
WWE Commentator Corey Graves recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former Sterling James Keenan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show. These would include Roman Reigns’ run at the top of SmackDown, working commentary during the pandemic and his After The Bell podcast.
Corey Graves on Fans
“There have been some hiccups along the way” Corey Graves began, discussing how the After The Bell podcast has evolved over the past few months. “I was the first WWE podcast before anyone kind of realized that the podcast network was going to take off. [That was] before we knew we were going to have a litany of podcasts and all the content available on WWE network.”
“So it’s been a growing process and I was sort of the guinea pig” Graves continued. “But for me personally? It was something else to kind of learn and test myself and my ability to do. It’s difficult to interview somebody if you don’t know what you’re doing! And I really had no experience as far as doing an actual interview. Doing commentary at ringside isn’t exactly the same, but [I wanted] to be able to keep the conversation moving and try not to get lulled into the doldrums of the minutiae of the people’s business.”
Corey Graves would then describe how he doesn’t want After The Bell to be about people’s personal lives and gossip. “From time to time? I’ll bring up the gossip, or a hot rumor and let people either confirm or deny it. But that’s not…that’s not my prerogative. I know there’s a place [for that] and a lot of fans like dirt sheets and behind the scenes stuff. That’s their prerogative and that’s cool and I have a lot of respect for that. But, that’s not what I wanted on the podcast.”
Corey Graves himself has of course had his own fair share of personal gossip spread online. So it is understandable if he wants to keep this out of his own podcast.
Do you listen to Corey Grave’s After The Bell podcast? Let us know in the comments
WWE Commentator Corey Graves recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former Sterling James Keenan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show. These would include Roman Reigns’ run at the top of SmackDown, working commentary during the pandemic and Drew McIntyre’s rise to the main event of RAW.
Corey Graves would state that Roman Reigns’ recent heel turn has the perfect amount of reality embedded into the storyline. “I think it’s the perfect example of when you bring the right amount of reality into the sports entertainment business. If you just capture it? It can be magic.”
Corey Graves on Roman Reigns
Graves would then confirm that Roman’s recent change in on-screen character is actually far more in tune with the man himself. “This is kind of interesting to a lot of guys that know Roman. Because this isn’t a ‘new’ character. This IS Roman Reigns. This is the guy that we’ve all known and loved…or despised, for years.”
“Roman believes this stuff that he says” Corey would continue. “Roman knows that he is the guy keeping SmackDown ahead of the pack right now. I genuinely enjoy the hell out of it, because I have the utmost respect for the entire Anoa’i family.”
Graves would finish by saying that the Anoa’i/extended Samoan family have been a major part of his career. “They’ve actually helped me out personally in my career. One of my first big break internationally was with Rikishi’s company over in Europe. When I first broke in Pittsburgh? Samu Anoa’i helped me. So I’ve had a lot of fun, a lot of time with the family and got to know everybody.”
Corey Graves would finish by praising the storyline due to the reality based beats of the Roman/Jey Uso ‘feud’ thus far. “To see that kind of play out on screen and for the whole world to get to know that legacy is legitimate? [It’s great] knowing it’s not some storyline that was drawn up in a writers room.”
Do you agree with Corey Graves? Do you think that Jey Uso will get his time to shine once again and main event against Roman Reigns? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed NXT Superstar Rhea Ripley. It has been heavily rumored over the past week that Ripley will be heading to the ‘main roster’ shortly, and Bully Ray would give his reasoning as to why she could end up being a major player in WWE.
Bully Ray on Rhea Ripley
“When when I watch her? The thing that comes to mind the most is command of her own athletic ability” Bully Ray would begin on the show. “This is what I think separates talent, the good, the great and the exceptional. Rhea is tall, she’s about 5’10. She’s lanky, she’s not like ultra thin. She’s got a little bit of thickness to her, a good sickness to her. And she has control of all of it.”
Bully Ray used a baseball analogy to elucidate his point. “I always compare control in the ring to how a pitcher on a pitcher’s mound has control of his fastball. If you can throw a fastball 90 miles an hour? That’s great. But if you can’t throw it for a strike? It’s pretty much worthless. That’s command of your own athletic ability, being able to put the ball where you want it.”
“When I see a woman like Rhea? She really is a standout to me” Bully continued. “She has such great control of her own athletic ability, no matter what she’s taking or no matter what she’s giving. I don’t see any wasted movement in her. Whether she’s selling or moving around? She doesn’t just flop and flail, I can tell she’s selling realistically.”
Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think that Rhea Ripley could end up a major part of the WWE roster? Let us know in the comments
WWE Commentator Corey Graves recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former Sterling James Keenan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show. These would include Roman Reigns’ run at the top of SmackDown, working commentary during the pandemic and Drew McIntyre’s rise to the main event of RAW.
“Drew entered in an unwinnable situation here” Graves began on the show, saying how McIntyre’s WrestleMania win and subsequent Championship run has panned out due to the pandemic ‘era.’ “Think of the year that guy’s had. Winning the Royal Rumble with 40,000 people in attendance? Then here comes the pinnacle moment of his career, if not his life? You’re going to headline WrestleMania for the WWE Championship, it literally does not get any bigger than that.”
Corey Graves on Drew McIntyre
“And to have that taken away? And just kind of stay the course?” Corey Graves continued. “Drew to his credit realized these are unusual circumstances, these are strange times. But we needed somebody that you can hitch the wagon to. Drew McIntyre has worked his a** off.”
Corey Graves would also give credit to Randy Orton for the feud over the summer between he and the Scottish warrior. “Also hats off to Randy, who for whatever reason, all these years later? Just decided to have maybe the best year of his career in the ring. The two of those guys man have been absolute magic all summer long.”
Graves would finish by saying that he believes McIntyre will get his opportunity to have another major moment in front of a live crowd. “I truly believe that when the world returns to normal? Whenever that may be, that MacIntyre will have his chance.”
“I can’t wait to hear the fans show their appreciation, because I think this is one of those rare instances where, whether you like it or you don’t? Everyone kind of looked at this and goes ‘well, this is 2020, the world is upside down.’ And I think people will actually very much appreciate what Drew was able to do during his tenure as Champion.”
Have you enjoyed Drew McIntyre’s runs as WWE Champion this year? Let us know in the comments
The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The AEW Tag Team Champions discussed a number of topics during their time on the show; these included their time in IMPACT, changing their working style and writing their new autobiography.
The Bucks would also talk about their chaotic and ‘spot fest’ style of tag team wrestling. It’s clear that there have been detractors of this type of in-ring style; particularly among those with an ‘old-school’ mentality, such as Jim Cornette. The Young Bucks would express exactly why they feel they’re so polarizing as a duo during Busted Open.
Young Bucks on Wrestling ‘Rules’
“We broke the unwritten rules of wrestling” Matt Jackson would begin. “Like you’re only supposed to do a couple of high spots in the match. Well what do we do? We start off with 20 high spots.”
“And ‘hey, the Superkick is a finisher!’ Not for us” Jackson would continue. “For us it’s just a fun move we do 12 times a match. These are the rules of wrestling that…the unspoken rules you do not break. So, when you do those things? People say ‘you’re going to kill the business.'”
Young Bucks: Killing the Business from Backyards to the Big Leagues is the duo’s newly released book. Matt Jackson would also discuss how the name came about based on the aforementioned in-ring style. “I think that’s kind of where the phrase was kind of coined. It was the critics who said that we were spamming Superkicks. That we were doing too many high spots. We were doing all of the things that you’re not supposed to do. But for whatever reason? It worked for us when it was never supposed to work.”
Do you enjoy the AEW Tag Team Champion’s style of wrestling? Are you going to check out the new book? Let us know in the comments
WWE Commentator Corey Graves recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former Sterling James Keenan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show. These would include Roman Reigns’ run at the top of SmackDown, working commentary during the pandemic and Drew McIntyre’s rise to the main event of RAW.
Discussing working commentary during the COVID-19 pandemic, Graves would say “at first it was jarring. It was really bad. We were in the Performance Center for the first few months of the pandemic. Just like the talent? We feed off of the crowd in a different way, more so for our tone and when we need to push the excitement and accentuate certain moments. We as commentators feed off the crowd as well.”
“So to have that completely gone? We become just narrators” Corey Graves would continue. “We’re just telling the story that’s supposed to be told. [That’s] without the variable that is the WWE Universe, or a live crowd, that can sway things and change things and even turn things completely around. So to have that sterile environment? It was very jarring at first.”
Corey Graves would then discuss how much of a change the ThunderDome setting has made to WWE programming. WWE will be leaving Amway Center for Tampa’s Tropicana Field in December, it is not yet known how the ThunderDome will change in its presentation. “Now that we have the ThunderDome? We actually have some crowd noise piped into our headsets for Cole and I. So we kind of know when we need to exaggerate or speak up or slow down. It’s not perfect.”
Graves would finish by saying how WWE’s ThunderDome concept has been groundbreaking and on par with anything else in entertainment. “I think with the ThunderDome? We’ve taken some amazing steps and it is truly state of the art. As far as live entertainment goes around the globe? I challenge you to find anybody doing better than what WWE is doing right now. But, there is no valid replacement for live fans.”
Do you agree with Corey Graves? Do you think that the ThunderDome is at the pinnacle of television production right now? Let us know in the comments
