WWE Superstar Mandy Rose recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The SmackDown Superstar would discuss a number of topics from her recent career with the company. These would include the red-hot storyline involving her and Otis, Becky Lynch now leaving the company and what it is like pitching directly to Vince McMahon.

One of the points raised was the SmackDown Hacker, a character that has been a recurring part of the blue brand over the past few months.

Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville

The first major plot point that the Hacker revealed was that Sonya Deville had betrayed Mandy Rose, thus leading to their eventual feud and the continuation of the Mandy/Otis storyline. With the Hacker being such an important part of said storyline many believed that it would be someone linked to the aforementioned Superstars…but it isn’t that clear.

The SmackDown Hacker appears to be targeting a number of Superstars on the Friday Night show. Interestingly, Mandy Rose and at least one other SmackDown Superstar have no idea who the person is behind the Hacker gimmick.

“My prediction? To be honest, I have no idea” Mandy Rose revealed on Gorilla Position, confirming that she has no clue who the mystery Hacker is. “But the voice sounds very…actually it’s funny.”

Maryse?

Mandy Rose would then talk about who she feels the actual cadence and tone of the Hacker sounds like. “The Miz was walking by the other day and he thinks the voice sounds like Maryse. I was like ‘wow I didn’t think of that!’ Like ‘oh my god is it Maryse!? I know you’re like joking but, um, it kind of does!’ I’m kind of happy I’m not gonna lie, because it exposed Sonia and Dolph [Ziggler]. But no I have no idea. I do not know who the hacker is.”

We’ve seen this sort of storyline play out in WWE in the few decades, and there’s always a chance that the company themselves are not sure who to use in that Hacker position right now. There has been speculation that CM Punk is behind the gimmick, but he continues to deny any involvement with WWE beyond his role on WWE Backstage.

Who do you think the SmackDown Hacker is? Let us know in the comments

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WWE Superstar Mandy Rose recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The SmackDown Superstar would discuss a number of topics from her recent career with the company. These would include the red-hot storyline involving her and Otis, Becky Lynch now leaving the company and what it is like pitching directly to Vince McMahon.

It was recently revealed that Mandy Rose pitched the idea of the Otis storyline directly to the WWE Chairman. Since the beginning of that feud Otis has gone on to have a featured WrestleMania match and win Money In The Bank; so it’s fair to say that the pitch worked out well.

Pitching to Vince

“You want to make sure that he likes it, hopefully!” Mandy Rose began talking about pitching storylines to the WWE Chairman. “And if he doesn’t? Whatever you know? At least you tried. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Rose would then say how difficult it can be getting the time to speak to McMahon, due to his busy schedule. “He’s [McMahon] a very important man, he’s so busy it’s hard sometimes trying to get a word in with him. Sometimes? If it’s a good time, and it was a good time, I just went with it. I just gave him quick bullet points of what I think it would be, how it would be cool involving Otis and he loved it.”

Mandy Rose and Otis Storyline Resonating

Mandy Rose finished by pinpointing the time that she felt the storyline was going to be a hit with the crowd. “The time where it resonated with me so well? That this would be a great story? Was the time before Thanksgiving when we did like the ham thing and I gave him a kiss backstage on the cheek and we heard the crowd erupt. I was like ‘wow this is going to be something good’ and I think everyone [backstage] felt that.”

With Mandy and Otis seemingly getting big pushes going forward on WWE television we may see both edge closer to the main event scene before the year is finished.

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AEW on-screen talent and former WWE agent Arn Anderson recently discussed WWE’s Over The Limit 2010 PPV on the ARN podcast. As is usual with the show format, Anderson would also discuss issues from the time of the show with co-host Conrad Thompson.

One of the topics raised was that of Jim Ross, who stated in his new autobiography Under The Black Hat how he was mistreated by WWE and Vince McMahon on a number of occasions. JR would also state that despite this he loved working for the company and still holds Vince McMahon in high regard to this day.

Arn Anderson on WWE

Conrad Thompson would ask Arn Anderson on the podcast “Most would agree WWE mistreated JR. It felt like as as an outsider that Vince [McMahon] occasionally used JR as a bit of a public punching bag. Would you agree with that?”

Anderson would not only agree but he elaborated on how WWE would sometimes treat the most loyal of employees. “Imagine that, kick the most loyal in the nuts” Anderson began.

“It just seems like sometimes. and it happens in every occupation out there, that the most loyal employees? The ones that that work the hardest and try the best to be a model employee? It seems like squeaky wheel always gets the grease, you know?”

Anderson would finish by saying that “these guys get abused and used. And the guys that give them [WWE] all the sh*t? They are the ones that get the grease, so I think this is just another huge case of that.”

Arn wouldn’t confirm who he was referring to with regards to people who give the company “sh*t,” but with the amount of stories out there about certain individuals it is fairly easy to get an idea of who ‘The Enforcer’ was referring to.

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AEW star and leader of the Dark Order Brodie Lee recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former WWE Superstar would discuss a litany of topics from his short time with the All Elite promotion, as well as leaving him WWE earlier this year.

One of the topics discussed with Brodie Lee was the level of talent in the AEW locker room. The now Exalted One will be challenging for the AEW Championship this weekend against Jon Moxley, another former WWE Superstar. Brodie Lee recently stole the belt from Moxley, and he is saying that the former ‘Lunatic Fringe’ will have to earn it back at AEW Double or Nothing.

Brodie Lee’s Wishlist

If Brodie Lee defeats Moxley he has a ton of potential opponents going forward, and the Exalted One gave his list of preferred names on the AEW roster. “The list is so long. A guy like Kenny Omega, probably? Darby Allin, Jungleboy, Cody Rhodes…the list is so wide so it’s hard to choose.

Lee would elaborate further, “even the Proud and Powerful, [Chris] Jericho all those guys in the Inner Circle. I don’t want to come off like ‘oh you know everybody’ but like literally almost everybody on the roster is a fun matchup to me, it’s all fresh, it’s all new.”

The Exalted One would finish by saying that Kenny Omega is at the top of the list, and that he could have a big time matchup with the ‘best bout machine.’ “A guy like Kenny Omega is probably at the top of the list, o have that crazy big time matchup.”

Would you like to see Brodie Lee vs Kenny Omega? Let us know in the comments

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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently commented on the on-screen chemistry of Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts and Lance Archer.

When Jake Roberts first appeared on AEW television it was to the shock of the wrestling audience. Roberts has not been a prominent figure in such a high profile role in many, many years.

When it was confirmed that Roberts would be managing Lance Archer, there were some who were concerned that WWF legend would overshadow the newcomer to All Elite Wrestling. Mark Henry confirmed that he doesn’t see that as being the case.

Lance Archer

“No, I don’t think that that Jake is overshadowing Lance Archer” Henry would begin on the show. “There’s been many managers, that you know…I remember Bobby Heenan with Andre [The Giant]. He was the most vocal of the two and he brought up a bunch of valid points, but he never overshadowed Andre.”

Henry would elaborate further on the point, comparing the dynamic to Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. “And then you have Paul Heyman, we consider Paul to be one of the top managers of all time. He’s been the mouthpiece and the spokesman, but every now you’ll see Brock Lesnar go, ‘Paul, now’s not the time for comedy. Say what I told you to say.’ And then you see who the boss is.”

Focus on Business

Bringing the discussion back to Archer and Roberts, Henry pointed out that Archer will need to establish he is the top dog and cement the dynamic ala Heyman and Lesnar. “At some point? Archer is just gonna turn to Jake and say ‘Snake? You here because I want you here, I need to focus on my business. You just say what I said.’ It’s easily done like that, there won’t be overshadowing. If I see it? I know they see it.”

Lance Archer will be challenging to become the inaugural TNT Champion this weekend at the AEW Double or Nothing PPV when he faces Cody Rhodes in the tournament final.

Do you think that Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts is overshadowing Lance Archer in AEW? Let us know in the comments

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• Brodie Lee Left WWE Because He “Wasn’t One of The Chosen…

AEW star and leader of the Dark Order Brodie Lee recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former WWE Superstar would discuss a litany of topics from his short time with the All Elite promotion, as well as leaving him WWE earlier this year.

The now Exalted One will be challenging for the AEW Championship this weekend against Jon Moxley, another former WWE Superstar. This is the first main event singles bout for Brodie Lee in a long time, and he would describe how he wasn’t getting these opportunities in WWE, which ultimately led to him leaving the company.

“That’s the main reason why I didn’t want to be in WWE anymore, it’s because I knew those opportunities weren’t coming” Brodie Lee would begin. “No matter how hard I scratched and clawed, no matter what I proved? They weren’t coming. I wasn’t one of the chosen ones. So now here I am, I’m creating [those opportunities] myself.”

Brodie Lee would elaborate further, saying “I know I’m great at professional wrestling, I know I deserve these spots. So now I have to show up and prove that to other people. So now there’s a certain pressure on me, because there’s nobody to blame anymore [other than myself].”

The Exalted One would then discuss his opponent at Double or Nothing this weekend, Jon Moxley. “It’s a wonderful, very freeing feeling to be in that spot. And to do it with Jon Moxley? It’s even better because we’ve done it in EVOLVE, we’ve done it in FCW and we’ve done it in WWE. And now? We’re going to do it at AEW Double or Nothing. I think it’s 10 years? We’ve wrestled multiple times around the world. So, this is a very cool opportunity to have and like I said I’m gonna make him [Moxley] earn it back [the AEW Championship] because I have something to prove.”

Who do you think will be leaving Double or Nothing this Saturday with the AEW Championship? Let us know in the comments

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WWE Superstar Otis recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. Mr Money In The Bank appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a number of topics from his career. One point raised was when and how Otis plans on cashing in his MITB briefcase.

With Otis winning the contract just over a week ago, he has the opportunity to challenge for any World Championship in WWE at any time. There has been speculation that the Heavy Machinery member may be considering gifting the briefcase to Mandy Rose or even going for the Tag Team Championships with his partner Tucker.

Mr Money In The Bank Otis

“There won’t be much basking baby” Otis began the interview after being asked if he wants to enjoy the moment of having the briefcase before cashing in. “It’s a matter of my personality: sooner, the better.”

“I don’t know when but soon but sooner rather than later this bad boys getting cashed in” Otis would continue. “I don’t care if my opponent sees me coming, or sees it from the side or sees me coming from behind, which I usually never do. I’m going to keep on coming to get this.”

Elevating Careers

Otis, in his own special way, would then discuss how winning the briefcase could elevate his career massively. “Because this is what makes life better, for your situation your career. I cash this in. I don’t know what title yet, I’ve haven’t decided…my brain just does this (mimes swirling motion). you know?”

Otis would finish by re-iterating that he wants to go for a Championship as quickly as possible. “I’m going to say sooner than later, OOH YEAH, I ain’t waiting. I’ve never been a patient man I just keep going BABY.”

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WWE Superstar and host of UpUpDownDown Xavier Woods recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast.

During the interview with James Delow, Xavier Woods would discuss a number of topics during his time with WWE. These included his New Day run, the creation of UpUpDownDown and his eventual return from injury.

One of the points raised during the interview was Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship win at WrestleMania 35. Woods would discuss how emotional the moment was for him, Big E and Kingston when Kofi beat Daniel Bryan to win the Championship.

A Lot of Emotions

“It’s a lot of emotions and I…it always comes up when we’re talking about this, that picture of Big E and me holding Kofi and I’m bawling uncontrollably” Woods would begin. “Because it’s super meaningful for a lot of reasons.”

Xavier Woods would then talk about the importance of Kofi becoming the first ever African-born WWE Champion. Woods would also discuss representation in pro wrestling, saying how previously he felt there wasn’t someone who represented him as a young black man watching the product. “As a kid growing up? There wasn’t always someone in the limelight that represented me and the way that I look.”

Xavier Woods on the Angle

Woods elaborated further, saying “to be able to be a part of this angle? Of the story? Where I am able to help prop up the person who is able to be that for this next generation of kids? I have not done anything in my career that has meant more than that. And I will most likely not do anything in my career that will mean more than that moment.”

The creator of UpUpDownDown would then describe the moment with Kofi as “perfect.” Using the analogy of blackjack and saying that they hit 21 with the angle. “There’s not many moments in wrestling that I would say are perfect. That was perfect. When I tell people that wrestling is incredible? Like, that’s what I’m trying to say like, no, you’re not always gonna land on 21 when you’re playing blackjack. But, you know, as long as you can stay around like 17/19? You’re okay. But that was 21, that was the best that could possibly have been done.”

Woods would finish by saying how to him it’s the greatest moment in pro wrestling. “And so that’s the greatest moment in wrestling, to me, just for the personal reasons. But then, also being able to be in in wrestling in that time where so many things had to come together for that most perfect moment.”

It’s importance of Kofi’s win at WrestleMania 35 is undeniable. Even with the way in which Brock Lesnar would defeat Kingston to take the title? There’s no doubt that the moment will live on in history and the match itself between Bryan and Kofi was fantastic to boot.

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WWE Superstar and host of UpUpDownDown Xavier Woods recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast.

During the interview with James Delow, Xavier Woods would discuss a number of topics during his time with WWE. These included his New Day run, the creation of UpUpDownDown and his eventual return from injury.

At the end of the interview Woods was thrown a curve ball, he was asked by Delow to submit his suggestion for The Undertaker’s final match. The new ‘Last Ride’ documentary series by WWE began last week and it detailed how ‘Taker is looking to have one final ‘great match’ before he rides off into the sunset. Woods’ suggestion for the Deadman was…interesting.

Xavier Woods on ‘Taker’s Final Match

“This is for me specifically right?” Xavier Woods began, almost apologising before he gave his answer. “Perfect opponent for The Undertaker? Papa Shango.”

Woods would then explain his scenario where he believes that a cinematic style match with Papa Shango and The Undertaker would work. “Think about this, in that WrestleMania match, that Boneyard Match? We saw greatness. We saw powers being used. Magic was being used, that house blew up!”

Papa….Shango?

Xavier elaborated further, saying “it [Boneyard match] was incredible. The only thing about it? Only ONE person had ‘powers’ and we got such an incredible match! Imagine if there were TWO people with powers!? Shango making him [Undertaker] BLEED the BLOOD.”

After much laughter (although Woods did seem pretty serious about this), Xavier Woods would then reference the feud between Papa Shango and The Ultimate Warrior. Shango would ‘curse’ Warrior during their feud, leaving him the writhe in pain and unable to properly compete. “What did he [Shango] burst? Was it Warrior’s appendix? Something was messed up in his guts? Yeah he did something. Like think about that, this [Shango vs Taker] would be so good, so give that to me!”

If you could pick a final opponent for The Undertaker who would it be? Please also feel free to give reasons as to why it wouldn’t be Papa Shango.

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NXT Champion Adam Cole recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The Undisputed Era ‘leader’ appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a plethora of topics across WWE programming.

One of the points discussed revolved around the WWE Championship match that took place this past Sunday at the Money In The Bank PPV. Drew McIntyre successfully retained his title against the ‘Monday Night Messiah’ Seth Rollins.

“So truth is I’ve been in the ring with both of these gentlemen” Adam Cole began, talking about Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins. “The one thing I am is honest and both of those guys are two of the best that I’ve ever been into the ring with. So I was very excited to see this matchup.”

Adam Cole had previously had a bout against Rollins back in November. That match was part of the build around Survivor Series, which saw RAW vs SmackDown and for the very first time NXT got involved in the action.

You can check out that match below:

“I knew it was going to be physical, I knew it was going to be intense” Cole continued discussing the MITB match. “Drew McIntyre proved once again that no one is going to stop him on this run that he’s on. But, I think both guys showed a lot. I was really impressed.”

Do you think that Drew McIntyre is having a good run as WWE Champion? Let us know in the comments

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Former WWE Superstar and World Heavyweight Champion Christian appeared on this week’s episode of WWE After The Bell.

‘Captain Charisma’ appeared on the podcast and discussed a number of topics from his illustrious career. One of the points raised was the fact that Christian is hailed as one of the innovators of the ladder match, alongside his former tag team partner Edge.

Edge & Christian

Edge and Christian were of course part of the first ever tag team ladder match, where they faced The Hardy Boyz back at No Mercy 1999. That bout looked a lot different to the ‘Corporate Ladder’ Money In The Bank match that took place this past weekend.

“My initial thoughts were obviously ‘this isn’t a traditional ladder match’ in the sense of what I came up doing” Christian would begin on the podcast talking about this past Sunday. “You know we’re in a unique situation in the world at this point in time, anytime.”

Christian would then touch on WrestleMania 36, the event that took place at the WWE Performance Center without a live audience. “You know having WrestleMania at the Performance Center? It’s unheard of, but for me it was necessary to do that show. To give the world some entertainment to escape.”

Cinematic Matches

The former WWF Tag Team Champion then moved into discussing how the ‘cinematic’ matches from that show have set a precedent for WWE. “That being said, it [the pandemic] also gives an opportunity to do more unique things. Like we saw with the Firefly Funhouse and the Boneyard Match and now the Money In The Bank match. I thought it [MITB] was innovative, I thought it was well done. I thought it was different and different is hard to do these days.”

Christian would finish by laying out the importance of the unique bout. “And more than anything? I think that every participant in it came off looking better than going into it. That’s important.”

Were you a fan of the Corporate Ladder MITB match? Let us know in the comments

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NXT Champion Adam Cole recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The Undisputed Era ‘leader’ appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a plethora of topics across WWE programming.

One of the topics discussed was who the reigning NXT Champion wanted to face next now that Velveteen Dream is seemingly in his “rear view mirror.” Cole defeated Dream on a recent episode of NXT to retain his Championship and lengthen his historic and record breaking reign.

“There is someone I’ve been thinking about recently, because I surpassed his record of being the longest reigning NXT champion” Adam Cole began.

The man Cole was describing was Finn Balor. The ‘Prinxe’ was previously NXT Champion for 292 days, Adam Cole has surpassed that with a reign in excess of 340 days and counting.

“A lot of people keep bringing up Finn Balor as someone that they would love to see challenge once again for the NXT Championship” Adam Cole continued. “And the beautiful thing is? I’ve defended my Championship against Finn Balor, and guess what? Adam Cole BAY BAY beat him.”

Cole would then officially put the challenge out to Balor for the Championshp match. “So if he wants to do another match? Whether it’s NXT television, whether it’s an NXT TakeOver? I’d be happy to wrestle Finn Balor and put to rest finally, that again? Not only did I surpass his record as the longest reigning champ, I’m a better champion than he is. Anything can happen in the WWE.”

Do you want to see another program between Adam Cole and Finn Balor? Let us know in the comments

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WWE Superstar Big Show recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The star of Netflix’s ‘The Big Show Show’ appeared on Sirius to discuss a number of topics from his recent career in the company.

One of the points brought up was Big Show’s WWE Championship match against Drew McIntyre. Technically, the match was shown on the RAW following ‘Mania. But with the staging still set up with the WrestleMania styling? It was arguably the main event of night 2.

Big Show’s Personal Take

The fact that the match took place with no crowd in attendance was mentioned, and Big Show said that he and other Superstars are just getting on with the show. “A lot of people are making a really big deal about it” Big Show began.

“My personal take on this might be a little bit different. I am very proud of WWE and our talent that are doing everything they can during these crazy times to give people a show. Just give them a product and were able to pull off a WrestleMania. And to also complete a lot of those storylines and angles that went on all year.”

Younger Talent

Big Show would also discuss the younger talent in WWE, and how he believes that the current situation in the world will actually help them. “I think the empty arena and working in the ring with your opponent is going to make our younger talent a lot better” Big Show stated. “Because you really see your businesses exposed when you don’t have a crowd to hide your mistakes. You don’t have a crowd that can boost along your story. You can’t stop your foot on the mat and get them going or clap your hands or scream at the crowd.”

Show elaborated further, saying “it is these shortcuts that get the live audience involved. To steer them where you want to steer them in the match.”

Big Show would finish by saying that without these shortcuts the only way to get the audience at home involved is your ability to work during the bout. “The only way you can steer them with your match now? It’s actually by your work in the ring.”

Do you think that these no crowd shows are helping the younger talent in WWE? Let us know in the comments

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Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater recently appeared on the Chris Van Vliet podcast. The ‘One Man Band’ would discuss a number of topics from his time with the company and what he plans on doing now that he has hit the independent circuit.

Two names that Heath said he wants to face in the ring are NJPW and Japanese Wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi and AEW’s Kenny Omega.

Heath Slater on Meeting Tanahashi

Heath would tell a story of when Tanahashi visited the FCW developmental territory while he was there. “I remember Hiroshi Tanahashi came to FCW, and this was a decade or so ago? No longer than that. This was when FCW finally got into the warehouse” Heath Slater began.

“He [Tanahashi] came down I want to say he was with Yoshi [Tatsu]? He came down for a visit and just talking and shaking hands and stuff but then left. And then, he was huge in Japan! But I remember him just talking and stuff.”

Heath elaborated further, saying “I remember seeing these clips and everything and then people reminded me ‘that was him, that was him!’ I was like ‘oh crap!’ And then he became the mega star over there in Japan to where I would like to go and work him over there.”

Kenny Omega

Slater would then discuss his time in WWE’s Deep South developmental territory, where he worked alongside another extremely notable talent, Kenny Omega.

“Kenny Omega. You know, I worked him back in the developmental days of Deep South” Heath Slater would reveal. “That’s the only match we ever had, and we were babies, you know? I would like to work him again. I feel like we can kill it.”

Who would you like to see Heath Slater mix it up with on the independents or otherwise? Let us know in the comments.

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Former President of WCW and Executive Director of WWE SmackDown Eric Bischoff recently commented on the ’empty arena’ tapings that AEW and WWE are producing.

Eric Bischoff has begun discussing TNA shows on his 83 Weeks podcast, where he and Hulk Hogan would spend some time during the start of last decade. At the time, TNA would air at Orlando Studios in Florida at a soundstage.

With the current climate of professional wrestling and the coronavirus pandemic, both AEW and WWE have had to combat the lack of ‘atmosphere’ that a building without fans creates. WWE especially have had to film at the smaller ‘soundstage’ setting that the Performance Center in (ironically) Orlando that gives the shows a much smaller feel.

Eric Bischoff on AEW, WWE & TNA

“This is where I want to draw an analogy between what we’re seeing today in WWE and AEW. And, to a degree? The challenge that TNA had” Bischoff would begin. “I think one thing that we can all agree on right now? Is that wrestling doesn’t work without an audience.”

Eric Bischoff would compare the smaller stages that AEW and WWE are having to work in, with WWE utilizing the Performance Center in Florida. “Nobody has to be a rocket scientist to come up with that observation. But one of my concerns with TNA and one of the reasons I wasn’t excited about doing it? Is because it was in a soundstage.”

Bischoff would claim that having a tiny soundstage with fans who were entering for free was a huge detriment to the TNA product. “Now, while a soundstage arguably is a live audience is just a little bit better than having cardboard cutouts in the seats with piped in fake noise? It’s not a real audience. The audience, for the most part, didn’t really understand, weren’t really engaged.”

‘Easy E’ would also talk about how the company did have some die hard fans who would attend, but for the most part the causal audience that entered the ‘IMPACT Zone’ would often not be enough to add to the product.

• Related: Okada Recalls The Language Barrier Hindering His Run With TNA

WWE Superstars The Miz and Maryse appeared on this week’s episode of WWE’s The Bump. The former SmackDown Tag Team Champion Miz appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a number of topics from his recent career, including the success of USA Network’s ‘Miz & Mrs.’

The Miz would be asked on the show how his fan reception has changed; now that the WWE Universe gets to see a different side to him thanks to the reality show format.

“Hundred percent” Miz revealed, discussing how fan reception has changed. “I think Miz and Mrs more than anything else? I think obviously being in WWE for 15 years when people thought that I was going to be out in three months, I think says a lot about my dedication, my heart and my work ethic in WWE.”

The Miz would elaborate further, talking about his past in the reality TV space. Specifically, MTV’s The Real World, which helped get Mike Mizanin get noticed by WWE.

“I think Miz and Mrs, seeing our family together? Me as a father, Maryse as a mom? It’s one of those shows that…I wasn’t sure at first if I would like doing it. I mean, I loved doing The Real World, but that was when I was in my 20s. Now I’m a grown man, and I have a family.”

Miz & Mrs

Miz would then go into the format of the show, and how it caters to a wider audience. “Once we set out to do the show, we didn’t hold anything back. And it’s a show that you can watch with your entire family and literally just sit back, escape your reality, whatever is going on in your life, and just enter ours and laugh.”

In terms of holding nothing back, Miz would then claim that he looks at the show in the same vein as some sitcom greats. “Because that’s what it is, it’s an absolute comedy, it’s a sitcom. We kind of look at it as Curb Your Enthusiasm meets The Office, meets Seinfeld, meets The Real World. It combined all those together and that’s kind of what you get.”

Have you been watching Miz & Mrs on USA? What do you think of the show and format? Let us know in the comments

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WWE Superstar Ryback recently made some extraordinary claims on a recent episode of the Shooting Blanks Wrestling Report podcast.

Ryback and co-host Raj Giri were discussing the recent furloughing of WWE’s Gerald Brisco. The former on-screen ‘stooge’ for Vince McMahon has been a fixture in the company for a number of years, having been one of the more prolific ‘scouts’ for the company. Brisco is credited as discovering Brock Lesnar, among others.

Ryback on Gerry Brisco

“He’s done so much for WWE, and for Vince [McMahon]” Ryback would begin, talking about the recently furloughed Brisco. “He’s one of those guys. But we’ve seen Vince cut ties with people that have been a part of that company from the beginning. [People who were] with him building all of this.”

Ryback would then discuss his time in FCW with Gerry’s son Wes Brisco. “I came up with Wes Brisco, his son, in developmental. Wes was always a great guy and Gerry was always so fantastic with me.”

‘The Big Guy’ would then reveal a fascinating story from his time in FCW. Gerald Brisco told the then ‘Terminator’ character that he would be a big star in WWE; and, that there was potential for Ryback to be the person to beat the then undefeated Undertaker at WrestleMania and break the historic streak.

The Streak

“He [Brisco] came up to me when I was in FCW as the ‘Ryback The Terminator’ character. I’d had a match, and I was new to the system. I never got a lot of positive reinforcement from anyone, like as far as anyone from the office. He [Brisco] was still in the position there at the time [helping and building talent]. And he just said ‘you’re going to be a major star in this company.’ He even said ‘I could see you breaking the Undertaker’s streak.’ He was dead serious. I remember thinking like, ‘holy sh*t like he sees something in me.’ I’ll never forget that.”

When Ryback first hit on the main roster at WWE he was being groomed for a major push and had a lot of potential heading into his first WWE Championship match against CM Punk. The circumstances of the situation meant that Ryback would not win the title, as Punk was on the road to his 434 day reign as Champion and a match against The Rock at the Royal Rumble.

Having said that, beating The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak? Do you think Ryback could’ve been the guy to do so? Let us know in the comments.

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Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently commented on the WWE Championship situation on his Conversation With The Big Guy podcast. The ‘Big Guy’ would praise Drew McIntyre; discussing how he went from perennial jobber for life to become one of the most promising prospects of the next decade.

Another Superstar that Ryback would comment on was Jinder Mahal. The former 3MB member of course teamed with McIntyre for a big chunk of his WWE career alongside the now released Heath Slater. Both Mahal and McIntyre have held WWE main event gold; however while the seemingly ‘shocking’ WWE Championship win of Mahal seemed to be an anomaly? McIntyre looks set to remain in the main event picture.

Jinder Mahal Returns

Ryback would discuss how Jinder Mahal is a potential opponent for McIntyre down the line, seeing as both have parallels in their career paths and their history in the 3 Man Band stable. “He [Jinder Mahal] was off TV I think for like nine or 10 months? For a pretty significant period of time” Ryback would begin. “They [WWE] just assume that everyone forgets everything.”

Ryback would then talk about how WWE fans have a good memory when it comes to the perception of talent, with Jinder having previously played a lower-card comedy character. The subsequent rise of Mahal to the WWE Championship originally was such that unlike McIntyre, fans didn’t really seem to latch on to the ‘Modern Day Maharaja’ as a main event character.

In The ‘Circle’

“This is one of those things, I don’t think Jinder is in the ‘circle'” Ryback would continue. “I don’t think he ever was in the ‘circle.’ I think that he served a purpose for them by putting the title on him, because of the rumours of that whole thing with India? Whatever the reason was.”

The ‘Big Guy’ would then finish by talking about how Jinder was dropped down the pecking order by WWE after he lost the WWE Title. Ryback would also claim that talents in that coveted ‘circle’ do not get demoted after they lose a title. “You see the guys that are in the circle? They will stay [in the main event] well after. Jinder didn’t, and he was relegated back to no entrance, which is the worst thing for any wrestler. When you’re getting put out there with no entrance? That sh*ts not good.”

Scottish Psychopath vs Modern Day Maharaja?

Ryback finished by saying that he believes Jinder will get a shot at the title, but it will be a short program with McIntyre. “I think he’ll be used for a matchup for Drew. They’re [WWE] gonna make Jinder look like he was this former champion, build them up and to serve the purpose of getting a one off probably. My personal opinion? I hope it’s more for Jinder. But, just based on how they have used him throughout? He’s never, never been in the circle.”

Do you think that Jinder Mahal will get a match for the WWE Championship? Let us know in the comments

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AEW World Champion Jon Moxley battled Jake Hager in an Empty Arena No Holds Barred match on the April 15th edition of AEW Dynamite.

Moxley spoke about the experience during a recent interview with SEScoops to promote his new movie Cagefighter: Worlds Collide. You can hear his comments below.

“You know it was a thing where I just got to Jacksonville,” Moxley began. “We had no real plan we just knew we had to film stuff. We were only allowed 10 people in the building at that time. So we didn’t even have anybody dotted in the audience to make any energy whatsoever.”

The match was set up when Moxley attacked Hager at the March 25th edition of Dynamite. AEW hyped the bout for several weeks before delivering on April 15th. Moxley says they went into the 3/25 show without much of a plan and decided on the spot to film the angle and the match that night ‘just in case.’

“It was a thing where it’s just like, ‘Alright well let’s just get this in the can.’ We kind of cobbled together a little program really quickly, ‘You can drop me, no sell a DDT and choke me out. Then we’ll go to the World Title match, let’s just do it tonight and get it in the can.’ Because we didn’t know when we’d be able to film again.”

It turned out to be the right call. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly brought about dramatic changes to AEW’s production schedule. The company began taping several weeks of shows in advance, with most of the roster unable to appear.

• Tony Khan Talks AEW Filming Empty Arena Shows During Pandemic

Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager

Moxley describes a ‘different energy’ from the no-crowd experience. AEW’s rabid crowds provide the performers with a ton of energy to feed off, but the champ had to get into his own headspace this night.

“We just went out to the ring and and wrestled. It was actually really fun, it’s different energy, you know? It’s obviously so awesome, the adrenaline spike and just the crazy fun of coming out with the crowd at a live AEW Dynamite; where the house is packed and they’re going nuts and walking through the people high five-ing and getting ready to get into a big brawl or whatever, you know? The adrenaline is like off-the-charts.”

“With this you have to go to a different place. To me? For some matches I worked myself up to the point where with matches or promos or whatever? I worked myself up to a point where I think ‘I really hate this guy and I really want to go out there and hurt him.’ So, I guess it’s similar in that way to a movie. You got to bring the energy from within. And then that match, add that nice Florida humidity, and I broke a nice little sweat. I got into a groove, just kind of free flowing and wrestling. And we beat the absolute hell out of each other and it was quite fun.”

Catch Jon Moxley in Cagefighter: Worlds Collide – premiering Saturday, May 16th on FITE pay-per-view.

• Jon Moxley Reveals Advice He Got From Roddy Piper About Wrestling Psychology (Exclusive)

You can see the finish of Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager below:

Former WWE Superstar Zack Ryder/Matt Cardona recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The creator of Z True Long Island Story would discuss a number of topics from his time in WWE and subsequent release.

During the interview Matt Cardona would make impassioned comments about languishing backstage at WWE. The former Zack Ryder made it clear that he was in professional wrestling to be at the top of the mountain, to be a World Champion.

“I don’t have a family, I don’t have kids to feed. If I was in that situation, maybe I’d be thinking differently, right?” Cardona began. My dream, my goal was to always be a professional wrestler. Not just be any professional wrestler but be one of the top ones.”

Matt Cardona Wants To Wrestle

Matt Cardona would then go into his time ‘sitting in catering,’ a phrase often used by fans to describe someone under contract to WWE but sparingly being used on RAW, SmackDown or NXT. “I don’t go to work to just sit in catering and eat that sh*tty salt and pepper chicken” Cardona would proclaim.

“I want to wrestle, I want to be creative,” he continued. “I want to do something. I’m so excited about it [the release] and it’s just like, it really does feel like Christmas. I have those 90 days [release clause] and right now this world is so messed up I couldn’t even work anyway.”

Cardona finished by using a metaphor to describe his time waiting for the 90 clause to finish. “There’s no way to work right now, but that’s why it’s like Christmas gifts! You just turn the corner, and your dad has set up the cameras, you can’t go get them yet and I just see those those Christmas gifts and I want to rip them open and wrestle and just have fun. It’s, I have goosebumps right now just talking about it.”

You can check out Matt Cardona’s Pro Wrestling Tees store here.

Where do you think the former Zack Ryder will end up? On the indies or AEW, IMPACT, NWA? Let us know in the comments

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Former WWE Superstar Zack Ryder/Matt Cardona recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The creator of Z True Long Island Story would discuss a number of topics from his time in WWE and subsequent release.

Mass Text

Talking directly about the day of release, Cardona said “we all got this mass text to watch his Vince McMahon video, explaining that the cuts would be happening. So, I can’t say it was unexpected.”

Matt Cardona Being Anxious

Matt Cardona would elaborate further, saying this WWE contract was actually coming up for renewal, and that he had felt anxious about what direction his career would take. “I never re-signed my contract so my deal was going to be up in August” Cardona revealed. “I had been dealing with contract negotiations for over a year. The anxiety that I had about it, like do I stay? Do I go? It was really eating me up. So when that call was made and I was released the decision was made for me, instantly, I was relieved. You know what I’m saying? Because the anxiety I had for over a year. Subconsciously, Consciously, it anxiety was instantly gone.”

14 Years

The former Zack Ryder would then discuss the potential opportunities that he has ahead of him on the independent scene, having been with WWE for 14 years. “I felt so excited because I want to work. I want to do stuff, I want to be creative, you know? To now be able to do whatever I want. I’ve been fortunate that I was with WWE for 14 years, that’s when I signed, I was was 20 years old, I grew up there.”

“I grew up as a as a wrestler, I grew up as a man, but It’s time. It’s time for me to go out and do it my way. To do my things, to fail on my own, to succeed on my own. Even having like a pro wrestling tees store! Thinking of ideas, I just love the hustle. I love being creative and I love wrestling so I cannot wait for the future.”

You can check out Matt Cardona’s Pro Wrestling Tees store here.

Where do you think the former Zack Ryder will end up? On the indies or AEW, IMPACT, NWA? Let us know in the comments

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Jeff Hardy appeared on this week’s episode of WWE’s After The Bell podcast. The Charismatic Enigma spoke to Corey Graves about returning to SmackDown and his desire to work a ‘cinematic’ match against “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt.

“I just want to have one more good run man and maybe become the World Champion, the Universal Champion” Jeff Hardy began. “I would love to do something with The Fiend Bray Wyatt, I got some crazy cool ideas.”

Jeff Hardy Enters The Twilight Zone

Hardy would then go into detail with ideas for the potential ‘cinematic’ match with Wyatt. “I was like ‘what if there was something like The Twilight Zone?’ Because back when we did the Hardy Show that we had this thing called the WhyLight Zone. So now what if we, I don’t know…like Wyatt beat me and took me under the ring? Then all of a sudden I’m in the Funhouse by a black and white TV and it’s like the Twilight Zone?”

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic situation WWE have had to be creative when it comes to filming certain bouts/segments. WrestleMania 36 was unprecedented for a variety of reasons, two of them being the Boneyard match and the Firefly Fun House match.

It’s fair to comment that the ‘Deletion’ matches that Matt (predominately) and Jeff Hardy spearheaded have had a huge influence on these types of bouts. With WWE now able to add a world class production style to the cinematic bouts they can take a life of their own.

“I’m just excited about crazy creativity like that that you can pitch, throwing it out there, see if it sticks.”

– Jeff Hardy

Jeff would elaborate further on what he would suggest for a Wyatt match; saying “we do like ‘you’re trying to get out of the black and white TV?’ I’m just excited about crazy creativity like that that you can pitch, throwing it out there, see if it sticks. I’m just not be afraid to be open minded and creative.”

Discussion: Do you want to see Hardy vs. The Fiend in a ‘cinematic’ match?

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Jon Moxley believes there are endless possibilities ahead for the 20+ wrestlers recently released by WWE.

The AEW World Champion spoke with SEScoops earlier this week to promote his role in Cagefighter: Worlds Collide. The film premieres on FITE pay-per-view Saturday night, May 16th for fans outside the United States. A domestic release is planned for later this year. Moxley plays Randy Stone, a pro wrestler who crosses over into the world of mixed martial arts. Moxley told us that he relates to Randy Stone, who he described as ‘kind of an a-hole’ with a chip on his shoulder.

We asked Jon Moxley if he thinks AEW should sign some of the Superstars who were laid off by WWE last month. We also got his take on AEW’s impact on the wrestling industry at large.

Jon Moxley on WWE Releases

WWE released and furloughed over 30 people in April. Many of the released performers could be strong additions to All Elite Wrestling, whether in the ring or behind the scenes.

We asked Jon Moxley if AEW should considering signing some of them, or if he thinks AEW should focus on developing their current roster.

“Everybody in wrestling, you kind of generally end up where you’re supposed to end up,” Moxley began. “That’s just kind of how it goes. The cool thing is that, of all the kind of current free agents who are unfortunately on the market at an unfortunate time? Once the world kind of goes back to normal and stuff? Now [companies] are all gonna have all these great talents.”

Getting released by WWE is the end of the road for some. It marks a new beginning for others. We’ve already seen The Revival, Gallows & Anderson, Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder), EC3 and others set the stage for the next chapter of their careers.

Jon Moxley says he would not simply sign former WWE talent and plug them right into AEW programming. He thinks the talent needs time to branch out and evolve.

“It’s not like I’m just gonna plug this person in here and then put them into AEW and it’s gonna be the same thing,” he said. “You can’t even think like that because you have no idea what these people are going to become. They may become totally new characters, they may branch into a different style. It may be the best version of all 20 of those people, we’ve yet to see. It’s endless possibilities, and you just kind of have to see what the future holds.”

• Cody Scoffs at AEW Signing Released WWE Talent: “This Can’t Be All Friends Wrestling”

AEW’s Impact On The Business

We asked Jon Moxley what his friends in WWE think about AEW. He hasn’t gotten much feedback specifically about the AEW product, but a few people said it looks like he’s having fun.

“I haven’t really got much feedback or opinion on anything like that from anybody within WWE,” Moxley began. “Just in general, just like ‘Happy for you, looks like you’re having fun, keep killing it’ kind of thing. I don’t really know what the opinion and situation is. But I do know that … in terms of business? Obviously nothing’s gonna change in the last month or two, but from the time AEW came in the picture? All positive things have happened for the business all across the board.”

He elaborated on AEW having a positive impact on the industry. “People in WWE have gotten new and better contracts or new and better schedules. NXT is live on TV now as a direct result of that [AEW Dynamite] so that’s a great opportunity for those people. I think it’s just good for everybody. It’s good for the whole business, so I don’t see how there could be any negative thoughts whatsoever. I think everybody’s loving that the business is still kind of on fire right now.”

Catch Jon Moxley in Cagefighter: Worlds Collide on Saturday, May 16th at FITE.TV.

Order CAGEFIGHTER: Worlds Collide on FITE PPV

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley stars in the new movie Cagefighter: World Collide. Moxley plays Randy Stone, a pro wrestler who crosses over into the world of mixed martial arts. Cagefighter premieres exclusively on FITE Pay-Per-View Saturday night, May 16th for fans outside the US. A domestic release is planned for later this year.

Jon Moxley spoke with SEScoops this week about the project. Moxley discussed how former WWE Superstar Christian , identifying with his character Randy Stone and why the Cagefighter story is especially timely with everything going on in the world right now.

Jon Moxley’s Role in Cagefighter

Moxley revealed that former WWE Superstar Christian reached out to him about playing Randy Stone. “You know I originally got a call from Christian,” he began. “He was working as executive producer on this. He was the first one to reach out to me and throw my name out there for this role.”

Moxley told Christian to send him the script and immediately felt, “Yeah, I can play that guy. Because you know the character as is written? He’s kind of a…he’s basically a jerk. Kind of an a**hole. There’s an unapproachable kind of chip on his shoulder. A kind of bristly quality to him that is not unlike what I may have been when I was younger.”

He would go into how the character mimicked elements of himself and would mesh perfectly with the antagonist character of Randy Stone.

“I am…at my worst times? I can sometimes not be the most approachable guy in the world. Combine that with trying to bring a bit more of the over the top, full of himself, talking, big ego kind of always a pro wrestler thing? It’s kind of a combination of those two things; being the super obnoxious guy who just runs his mouth so much you want to see him get his clock cleaned by the end of the film. Combine that with a little bit of my chip on your shoulder, kind of bristly real life personality? That’s kind of what I tried to bring to it.”

Ad Libbing His Lines

All Elite Wrestling provides its wrestlers the ability to cut promos without over-scripting. Moxley has praised this aspect of the AEW creative process.

Film acting is traditionally a more structured format. Jon Moxley was given the leeway to ‘ad lib’ most of his lines in Cagefighter.

“Cool thing for me was so much of my lines in this movie are ad libs,” he said. “They just really gave me the freedom to just kind of say whatever I want. As far as, talking trash and cutting promos and stuff like that. We had a scene where we did a press conference and all these different interviews. Where I’m talking trash to them. It was really fun to just kind of be able to be obnoxious and say whatever thing comes to your head. It was really fun.”

Cagefighter & Today’s Climate

Jon Moxley feels the film is suitable for the current world climate, with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic still causing many to lose jobs.

“Basically the the story of the movie? It’s kind of apropos for right now; this guy hits the skids, and the worst thing that could happen to him happens that he’d never imagined could happen. He hits rock bottom and he’s ruined in every sense. Personally, professionally and financially. He’s embarrassed, and he has to climb all the way back up to the top. To where he was before, and a redemption story like that is kind of a good message to send right now I think. So many people are being affected by these crazy times, financial or worse.”

He elaborated on this point further, saying “I think it’s gonna probably still have lingering effects for the next year or two or longer. People have lost their jobs, businesses have shut down. People have been laid off. You know people are taking hits right now, so any kind of message of perseverance? Picking yourself up and dusting yourself off? Tough times won’t last forever, you just gotta get back to the grind and do it. I think that a good message to send right now.”

Jon Moxley says he has not yet seen the film, but will be watching live on FITE pay-per-view onMay 16th. “I myself haven’t even seen it yet because I’m waiting till May 16 to watch it with everybody else, and kind of experience it all together on the night of the premiere so it’s very, very exciting.”

Order CAGEFIGHTER: Worlds Collide on FITE PPV

AEW Commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently discussed the Backlash 2000 PPV on the Grilling JR podcast. This episode is available to listen to at AdFreeShows.com, you can find more information about the subscription service at the bottom of this article.

During the podcast, JR would allude to then WWF Superstar Triple H ‘killing’ the career of ECW performer Taz. The ‘Human Suplex Machine’ joined WWE/F in January of 2000, appearing at the Royal Rumble PPV as a surprise opponent for Kurt Angle. Following the event, Tazz would then be pushed down the card into the Hardcore division, soon diminishing into obscurity on the roster.

Tazz vs Triple H

One of the (seemingly) brighter moments for Tazz in his run in 2000 was when he faced then WWF Champion Triple H on SmackDown, just 10 days before ‘The Game’ was due to defend his title against The Rock at Backlash 2000.

This match pitted the reigning ECW Champion against the reigning WWF Champion for the very first time ever. Tazz had won the belt by defeating Mike Awesome, a WCW contracted wrestler, in a controversial match set up by Paul Heyman to get the title off of Awesome. Mike Awesome had signed for WCW whilst still ECW Champion, and this caused a major issue for the Extreme brand.

Unprecedented

With the unprecedented match between Tazz and Triple H taking place on SmackDown, it looked like the ECW Champion might be getting a bigger push in the company than the preceding month had indicated. However, as stated by Vince McMahon in the ‘Rise and Fall of ECW’ documentary, it was pretty poor form from WWE; who many believe ‘killed’ the ECW brand that night by having Triple H beat Tazz in the fashion he did.

Did It Kill ECW?

“It didn’t do ECW any favours, but ‘kill’ might be a strong word” Jim Ross refuted on Grilling Jr. “It didn’t help anybody in that regard, except Hunter got a nice win in Philadelphia.”

JR would elaborate further, saying “Tazz was so under-utilized when we hired him for WWE. For whatever reason, he was never in political favour. You know Hunter/Triple H may have had an issue. Hunter was 6’4, Tazz what? 5’8, 5’10 or 5’9? I don’t know, but he’s under six foot.” There have been reports in the past of Triple H allegedly destroying pushes for talent that he deemed where not ‘big enough,’ another example being the alleged attempt to hold down Kurt Angle in the same era.

Human Suplex Machine

Jim Ross would elaborate further, saying “the perception was, even though Tazz could snuff out 99% of the guys on the roster? That he’s not ‘convincing.’ Well if you watch any of the ECW stuff? Tazz got over. And people believed he WAS the ‘Human Suplex Machine.’ So that was a big get for me [as head of talent relations], I was a big mark for his work in ECW. [Paul] Heyman knew how to book him.”

Ross would finish by making some scathing remarks, again seemingly aimed towards ‘The Game’ Triple H. “So, there again you get these egos involved. ‘Okay, He’s too short’ says who? The f*ck are you now Lou Thesz!? And then the other thing is, guys that haven’t been in too many real fights? Have never had their ass beat by somebody shorter than them.”

Do you think that the match hurt Tazz’s WWE career back in 2000? Check it out below and let us know your thoughts in the comments

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