In the run-up to this weekend’s WrestleMania 36, WWE has been frequently referring to Shayna Baszler as a “Cage Fighter.” Baszler, who is a former MMA fighter, recently discussed the differences between competing in MMA and pro wrestling.
“Obviously there is a familiarity with making that walk to the ring, or a cage, or whatever it may be, to face someone in one on one personal combat,” Baszler informed SuperSport. “Someone is there to stop you, you are there to stop them. Being in that situation and also in front of a large live audience, and all the lights and stuff that comes with [being on]TV, that is a very familiar feeling for me.”
Baszler continued, “There was no adjustment time as far as that happened… I’ve been in every situation you can think of in a contest like that… The ‘submission magician’ isn’t just an invented name. Mauro called me that when he was calling one of my MMA fights. Never feeling lost or stressed out is the biggest advantage I have coming from Mixed Martial Arts.”
Shayna Baszler has previously fought in several MMA promotions. Her experiences include Elite XC, Strikeforce, Invicta Fight Championships, and even a short stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She is set to face off against Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship this weekend at WrestleMania 36.
IMPACT star Moose has discussed the growth of the promotion during a recent interview with Wrestlezone. Reflecting on the company’s live event success prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Moose noted how he’s happy to be a part of it. Despite this growth, however, he noted how IMPACT needs to begin to keep their talent signed to long-term deals, allowing them to develop deeper storylines over time.
“IMPACT has been growing steadily in the past year and a half, two years, and it’s all been great. You mentioned we’re doing house shows,” Moose said, “and you can see yourself we’ve been great on TV, and it’s only going to get better. I’m happy I’m a part of it.”
He continued, “The wrestling business, in general, is great, it’s just a weird place. A guy will be here for a year, then you’ll see him on AEW TV, or a guy will be here for two years and end up going to WWE or Ring Of Honor. It’s just how the wrestling industry is. You can’t expect a guy to be in one company forever, you know? Part of the struggle we have is keeping guys here long-term, but we’re not the only company that has those struggles. Every other company faces that.”
Moose wasn’t concerned over a lack of championship opportunities. He shared how it’s not something he’s losing sleep over, believing that if he wanted a world title shot, he could “easily get one.” Moose confessed that there are a lot of things he’s trying to improve and build on before he wants to step back into title contention.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has revealed he has suffered an unfortunate bicep injury. He shared the news via his Twitter account.
Hogan accompanied the news with a photograph. The image showcases he is now sporting a full beard rather than his iconic handlebar mustache and five o’clock shadow. In his post, he joked how this injury makes him and WWE Superstar Rusev “long lost brothers!”
“Both of my biceps have been torn at the insertions for 25yrs,today I tore my right bicep where it goes in at my front deltoid,well I guess Rusev and I are long lost brothers! BROTHER. HH damn it burns!!!”
Both of my biceps have been torn at the insertions for 25yrs,today I tore my right bicep where it goes in at my front deltoid,well I guess Rusev and I are long lost brothers! BROTHER. HH damn it burns!!! pic.twitter.com/JREZd784Ih
Rusev saw Hulk Hogan’s message and responded, writing, “We are just a couple of Real [American Flag Emoji].” The Superstar recently debuted a new look himself having shaved his head and grown a full beard.
Hulk Hogan’s nWo Hall Of Fame Induction
Hulk Hogan will once again be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He joins as part of the nWo alongside Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman. The nWo joins Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Batista, The Bella Twins, JBL and The British Bulldog in the Class of 2020.
The Hall of Fame ceremony was due to take place during WrestleMania week leading into the show this weekend. The coronavirus pandemic, however, has forced WWE to cancel and reschedule several events related to ‘Mania. The Hall of Fame will reportedly now take place during SummerSlam weekend.
Current WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch doesn’t believe she can change the minds of fans who “hate” her. More importantly, trying to do so isn’t something that interests her.
Addressing how she might change to appeal to subsections of the WWE Universe, Lynch told the NotSam Wrestling Podcast, “I think a lot of that is listening and knowing your audience. But also knowing the people are entitled to change their opinion. That they might turn on you and you might not be for them anymore. They might want somebody fresh and might want somebody new. Knowing that, that’s okay.”
Becky Lynch Won’t Waste Her Time On Haters
Becky Lynch explained how altering yourself to appeal isn’t the right reason to adjust. She noted how it has to “feel right” from a narrative and character perspective. She also added how it’s important to entertain and serve the people who enjoy what you do, rather than chasing the validation of those that don’t.
“[…] it has to feel like ‘okay is this where I am going?’ Is this the purpose that I want to follow? And, is this the story that I want to tell? Then you have to think of ‘okay there’s the people who love me and they’re gonna love me whatever I do, and let me serve them. What is, the best way that I can entertain them?’”
She continued, “Instead of the people that are going to hate me, how can I entertain them? ‘Oh can I make them love me?’ That’s just a waste of time, you’re not. That’s like chasing after the boy you just know never liked you, you know?”
Becky Lynch attempts to defend her RAW Women’s Championship this weekend at WrestleMania 36 against Shayna Baszler. “The Show of Shows” will be available to watch on the WWE Network on April 4 and April 5.
WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson has spoken about why WWE decided to push John Cena as their top Superstar. He broached the subject during a recent episode of The ARN Podcast while talking about WWE’s Ruthless Aggression era.
“There was a meeting Vince [McMahon] had” Arn began. “I don’t remember what year it was, but it was time to make some changes. We were coming out of the Austin and Rock era, and those guys were going to be moving on doing their own thing. You had to fill a huge gaping hole, as far as personalities and talents. That were, not only bigger than life, they were bigger than the business at the time. They had exceeded everything that had ever been done before, you know Rock and Austin, when they were at their peak.”
Anderson explained how Vince McMahon talked about WWE’s need to move on from past Superstars during a production meeting. He recalled how Vince spotlighted three guys he wanted the team to look at: Batista, John Cena and Randy Orton. According to Anderson, it was stressed that “it needs to be one of these guys, or all of these guys.”
Arn Anderson On Vince McMahon’s Superstar Selection
Arn Anderson shared how he felt that all three were great choices to push. He pointed to Orton was a natural in the ring. He also noted how, when Batista was the face of SmackDown, he was “red hot” during that time.
“But Cena you know, they finally decided he was going to be the guy. Because, he wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t, you know. There were no negotiation [type] issues with him, he was going to be there as long as they wanted him to be there. And he ended up being the face of the company. Being a babyface and staying a babyface.”
Anderson continued, “Randy’s character took some trips back and forth. And Dave would go on and do some other things [in Hollywood]. So, You know, they decided on him [Cena]. We went with him and every week it was a conscious decision on what was done with all of his content. Whenever he was doing on the show or backstage or whatever. There was a lot of thought given to that.”
John Cena returns to WWE this weekend for WrestleMania 36. He will wrestle against “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Fun House matchup.
Returning WWE Hall of Famer Edge has discussed his in-ring plans following this weekend’s WrestleMania event. During an interview with ESPN, Edge shared how he’s not physically capable of committing to a full-time WWE schedule. He noted how he’s put in his time and is ready to help teach the next generation of Superstars.
“Physically, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with that grind that all the young ‘uns are doing right now. I put in my 15 years of that, so now I can come back, and honestly, more than anything, I just want to help teach. And the best way for me to teach is to be in there in the ring with you and show you how to listen.”
Edge On Owning His Story
Edge divulged how, when it comes time for him to retire on his own terms, he wants the WWE Universe to think his current run was even better than his last tenure in the ring.
“When it is time to walk away, I want people to say, ‘Oh, my God, I think he was better this time.’ That’s the challenge. This story has never been written before. No one has ever taken nine years off. No one has ever come back from a triple-fusion. It’s a blank canvas, and the story I want to try and tell, I just want it to be compelling. I want it to be fun for everybody.”
Edge returned earlier this year at January’s Royal Rumble event. It has been reported that he signed a three-year deal that requires him to wrestle three times a year, though he is committed to five matches. He may also make approximately 25 appearances per year, in a deal similar to current WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar.
Edge faces off against Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing matchup this weekend at WrestleMania 36.
Posted April 1st, 2020 in News, WWE. Tagged: Edge.
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin appeared on a special episode of Monday Night RAW last month. The episode took place on March 16 and was named 3:16 Day by WWE.
During an interview with ESPN’s Peter Rosenberg, Austin shared how he had originally pitched for a sit-down interview with Byron Saxton or Jerry “The King” Lawler. He wanted a more serious platform to talk about what the day meant to him. WWE, however, had different plans.
Steve Austin & Byron Saxton
Instead of a sit-down discussion, Steve Austin would take part in a comedy segment alongside Saxton. He would end the night by delivering a Stone Cold Stunner to Saxton.
Unfortunately, the episode ultimately took place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, in front of zero fans. Austin confessed it was tough to perform in front of no people. This decision was made to help combat the further spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
WWE has been forced to make multiple changes to its production schedule and live event plans due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several shows have been pre-recorded from the WWE Performance Center, including this weekend’s WrestleMania 36. All of them, like with Steve Austin’s 3:16 Day, have been done in front of zero fans.
New Day member Big E has revealed who some of his favorite ‘Big Men’ from pro wrestling’s history are. He shared the information during a recent episode of his podcast, Feel The Power, with his co-hosts Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
Former WCW Champion, and current WWE Universal Champion, Goldberg was one of the first names Big E mentioned. He then admitted how he grew up a big fan of Ron Simmons.
“I like Ron Simmons because he was also big and thick. I was a Florida State fan as a kid [and] he had his number retired at Florida State which is rare. So Ron Simmons was the man.”
Big E’s List
Alongside Goldberg and Simmons, Big E pointed to “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner. “I love Scott Steiner. He’s all the muscles and he’s very athletic. I hope he’s doing well, yeah. Scott Steiner, who else did I like? It’s time, it’s Vader Time!”
Big E talked about he, as an athlete, likes to remain limber. He then recalled a time when Vader came to guest coach at FCW and how he was surprised at Vader’s flexibility.
“So Vader came down as a guest coach in FC W, many moons ago. And this man was so limber I couldn’t believe it. I lost my mind when I saw him pop like a full split, he would just sit in the ring and we would he would talk,” Big E recalled.
“We were just talking about the business, he was just comfortably sitting in a split talking to us, just this massive man in a split! Comfortably!? This point he’s probably in his 50s or so, yeah, it’s incredible.”
Big E and Kofi Kingston were set to defend their WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships this weekend at WrestleMania 36. However, with The Miz being pulled from the matchup, this will reportedly no longer take place.
Posted March 31st, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: Big E.
Ken Shamrock recently joined Chris Van Vliet on The Chris Van Vliet Show. During their conversation, Shamrock spoke about his decision to return to pro wrestling. He also discussed whether he feels he gets enough credit for being the first crossover star between MMA and wrestling.
“[…] when I stepped away, because I was only out a year when I stepped away from MMA, because I went out of pro wrestling into MMA, so I had stepped away and it had been about a year, and I just felt like, man, I can’t live like this,” Shamrock confessed. “I need excitement, I need something to challenge me and so I said, I’m gonna start training again, I’m gonna start getting back into the gym, to see if I could get myself in a position to where I could actually wrestle and feel good about wrestling.”
He continued, “And so I think it was about a year, maybe a little less than a year, I felt pretty good. I got in, I started doing some practicing, I was like, wow, I feel pretty good.”
Shamrock detailed how he intended to wrestle one time for Battle Championship Wrestling. After the matchup, however, he was surprised at how good he felt in the ring.
“[…] it was one of those things where I really didn’t know but when I first hit the ring, then I knew, and that’s when I made the challenge on Twitter and FaceBook, that I was coming back because I felt really good about where I was at and how my body felt after taking a year off. ”
Ken Shamrock On WWE Ignoring Him
Regarding getting credit for his transition from MMA to the world of pro wrestling, Shamrock admitted: “it is what it is.” He noted how it seems that WWE has purposefully forgotten him and don’t give him due credit. Shamrock highlighted a magazine article they had listing the top submission holds. He remembered how the Ankle Lock was on the list. However, instead of Shamrock being featured, it was Kurt Angle.
“I’m not trying to dis him or anything like that, but he’s never done one for real, like, so, sometimes when I see him put it on, it’s not even done right. But yet they use him as the picture for the finishing hold. And I’m the one that created it and did it for real. So those are the kind of things, and it’s not like they’ve corrected it, or done it and changed it, trying to make sure people understand where it came from. No, they keep trying to bury it, like they want Kurt to be the one who created it.”
He argued how, no matter how much WWE attempts to ignore him, “history always rises to the top,” and people will always know where something comes from.
Thoughts On Modern Pro Wrestling, AEW
Turning his attention to the modern pro wrestling landscape, Ken Shamrock talked about All Elite Wrestling. He believes the promotion is very talented and that they offer a different type of wrestling for fans.
“I mean you’re almost going back to the Japanese style but they’re putting a little more selling into it. But the moves, they’re these constant chain moves where everything is chain wrestling together.”
He juxtaposed AEW’s style with WWE, arguing how the latter doesn’t have enough chain wrestling. He noted what WWE does have in their favor, however, are storylines.
“It’s almost like, if you could put the two together, then you would have that Attitude Era. You would have the attitude, you would have the chain wrestling, you would have the storylines, you’d have the selling, you’d have the tough guys. I think the mixture of those two is what we’re trying to get.”
All Elite Wrestling’s Jim Ross recently joined Forbes for an interview. During their discussion, Ross shared what he feels makes AEW so special, leading to a deeper connection with their fanbase. He detailed how their defining feature lies in their storytelling. Ross argued that, although people are attracted to the “sizzle,” it ultimately all comes down to the steak that is good storytelling.
“Storytelling is the steak,” Ross explained. “‘The whistles and bells – the pyro, the graphics, the technical things – that’s the sizzle. It’s all about the steak.”
He continued, adding how vital character investment is to this process. “What is the reality of these individuals? Who are they? I think that’s kind of what we’re looking at here in this deal – we want to deliver more steak than the others in the same field or genre. And I think that’s what we’re doing.”
Jim Ross On AEW Listening To Their Fans
Jim Ross noted how AEW actively listens to their fanbase. Having identified who their core demographic is, the promotion can cater their stories and product to satisfy their loyal fans.
“You have to listen to your consumer base. You have to have product knowledge. And part of having product knowledge is knowing how to recognize and find your target audience. Simple marketing: Marketing 101,” Jim Ross explained.
“Identifying your audience is imperative for any marketer. Who is my audience? Who am I going to sell to? Who is going to buy my product? Where are they? How do I communicate with them? And that’s kind of where we are: we have a blast and we listen to the audience.”
AEW is still delivering episodes of Dynamite amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The promotion recently announced they will debut a new singles title belt. They will be hosting an eight-man tournament to crown their inaugural TNT Champion.
The Texas Rattlesnake opened up about his feud with Johnson during a recent interview with ESPN’s Peter Rosenberg. The two WWE Legends had a trilogy of matches on “The Show of Shows” at WrestleMania XV, WrestleMania X-Seven and WrestleMania XIX.
“Well, [WrestleMania] 15 was a good match, and of course me and The Rock had instant chemistry. We both loved working with each other and got along like gangbusters, you know, in the ring, out of the ring, you know, everywhere,” Austin explained.
“So 15 was really cool and for Jim Ross to call that match, but, you know, I was mad at 15 because I was going through a h— of a divorce, forgot my d— ring vest and so I had to walk to the ring in a T-shirt. And you never want to walk to the ring in a t-shirt when it’s WrestleMania, and you wanna look like a million bucks in full gimmick. You know, you’re not trying to sell a t-shirt, you’re trying to put on a show.”
Steve Austin On WrestleMania X-Seven
Austin explained how WrestleMania X-Seven was a great experience for him. He noted how the Houston Astrodome had a special meaning for him as he had seen several sporting events there as a kid.
He continued, “[…] so to go there and do that great buildup with The Rock and, you know, Jim Ross, we did that sit-down conversation in the locker room, that pre-match package, that build package they put together has never been duplicated with that Limp Bizkit song, it was just off the charts to set an attendance record at WrestleMania and take the crowd on that ride. […] And to be the main and to be able to go out there and have that kind of match between two of the hottest guys that were on planet Earth in the wrestling business was really, really cool.”
“The Show Must Go On”
Steve Austin then addressed WWE’s decision to continue with WrestleMania 36 this year despite coronavirus concerns. He admitted he didn’t know what to think about the situation but noted how “that’s Vince’s mentality.” He then referenced the tragic passing of Owen Hart and how the attitude was that the “show must go on.”
“[The] show must go on. You know, way back in Kansas City, Owen fell to his death, the show went on, so, you know, that’s his mentality. And God rest his soul but you know, it’s tough.”
WWE RAW Superstar Drew McIntyre believes that WWE has done the right thing by splitting WrestleMania 36 across two nights. McIntyre shared his thoughts on the subject during an interview with Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet.
“Yeah. I think WrestleMania would be good over two days. Especially if we’re gonna do it the way we’ve done it for the past few years, because it’s too long (for one),” McIntyre explained. “But also, it’s once a year and the fans look forward to it, and generally they travel from all over the world.”
He continued, “To spread that over two days to give them something really big to look forward to, so you have that one night and you’re talking about it the next day, and you’re all excited like “Oh I want to do it again.” Then you will be able to do it again the next day and it’ll give you an even bigger memory when you’re going home.”
Drew McIntyre Defends Delivering WrestleMania
Drew McIntyre argued that this year is an ideal time to test out a two-day event. He noted how spreading it across a weekend gives people something to look forward to, especially in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think this is the ideal year to start it and test it out. Spreading it out over two days gives people something to look forward to in these times, but going forward I really think it would be a good model so it’s not overkill.”
Drew McIntyre competes against Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship this weekend at WrestleMania 36. The event was initially intended to take place on April 5 from Raymond Jams Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The coronavirus outbreak forced WWE to relocate, eventually pre-recording the event. “The Show of Shows” now takes place on April 4 and April 5.
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has revealed her dissatisfaction regarding her previous clash with Shayna Baszler. Lynch opened up about their last meeting during an interview with Sports Illustrated.
The last time the two shared a ring, they were competing in an inter-promotional Triple Threat matchup at last year’s Survivor Series. That match also included Bayley. Baszler, who was the then-NXT Women’s Champion, would secure the victory for the black-and-gold brand.
According to Lynch, their triple threat did not meet her standards for a main event clash. Four of the seven matches scheduled for that night’s Survivor Series were triple threat matches.
Becky Lynch On Receiving Criticism
When asked if the fact it was a women’s match headlining the show, Becky Lynch was quick to say, “It shouldn’t be about women—people shouldn’t use it as a chance to say, ‘That’s why women shouldn’t be main-eventing. You can’t wipe out an entire gender based on your opinion to a match.”
Lynch added, “No excuses, I’m open to criticism. Give me your opinion, I’ll take it. This is what anyone in the main event, male or female, has to deal with. If you ever have a bad night or a match that people don’t agree with, you’re the one out there that has to change and adjust. It makes you better in the long run.”
Triple H has shared his relief at not having to compete during this year’s WrestleMania. “The Game” joined ESPN SportsCenter for an interview where he spoke about how his current role demands his attention full-time. He explained how he wouldn’t have been able due to his current responsibilities. If he had been expected to wrestle, Triple H noted how it would just be an “added burden.”
“Right now, I’m a full-time office guy. It’s funny, ironically I wasn’t scheduled to be in this year’s WrestleMania anyways. Every year as time goes by, it gets more and more hectic for me. Getting in the ring just becomes an added burden.”
Triple H continued, “Especially this year, with the way things turned out, and what we wanted to accomplish, I was very thankful I wasn’t scheduled to be in the ring this year, because it would have been almost virtually impossible to do everything else that’s happening.”
Triple H’s New Role
“The Game” hasn’t been a full-time competitor for several years now, rarely competing. When he does, however, it tends to be in a marquee matchup. Triple H’s comments come following the revelation that his job role recently changed.
During the interview, Triple H also addressed Roman Reigns’ decision to pull out of WrestleMania 36. He noted how Reigns’ pre-existing condition could potentially make him more susceptible. Reigns has previously twice beaten leukemia.
WrestleMania 36 airs on April 4 and April 5. The event, which has been pre-recorded, was relocated from Raymond James Stadium out of concern of the coronavirus pandemic.
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has shared his thoughts on who should fill in for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36. For “The World’s Strongest Man,” the answer is simple: Matt Riddle. Henry addressed the subject during a recent episode of Busted Open Radio.
“It’s easy to work with somebody that people want to see you work,” Henry said. “They [the fans] want this. Man, I love things that go together. I like peanut butter. I like jelly, I like milk, and I like cereal. And I definitely like meat on my sandwiches so I mean you gotta be able to put things together that match, that go together. that everybody wants to see.”
Mark Henry would detail the issues between Riddle and Goldberg. He pointed to Riddle’s perceived lack of respect for the former WCW Champion.
“Matt Riddle and Goldberg had an issue. Some of them based off respect [on Riddle’s side]. ‘You know, you overstepping your bounds, like you haven’t paid enough dues to be comfortable like that.’” Henry said. “And whatever the case may be, but I’m just saying. If you have an issue, and it’s gonna go to blows and it almost went to blows a couple of times. Yep. let em fight, put it together.”
Roman Reigns Out Of WrestleMania 36
Reigns recently confirmed that he had pulled out of his scheduled matchup with Goldberg. The two were due to face off for Goldberg’s WWE Universal Championship. Reigns had reportedly refused to compete out of concern of the coronavirus as he has battled leukemia twice and has a weakened immune system.
In a video statement, Reigns explained, “You don’t know the whole story, all you know is what you think. You don’t know what else is going on in my life. You don’t know if I have newborns, if I have family in my household, older family.”
At the time of writing, it has been speculated that Braun Strowman will be the Superstar to replace Reigns.
Ric Flair has shared his thoughts on the current coronavirus pandemic affecting the world. The WWE Hall of Famer addressed the situation in a video entitled “Keeping It Real!” which he uploaded to his YouTube channel.
With his wife Wendy next to him, Flair stressed how important it is to maintain social distancing and to self-isolate during this turbulent time. He noted how people worldwide should be doing their part so we can get back to living life sooner rather than later.
“I am the king of doing what’s wrong in life, self admittedly,” Flair confessed. “I’ve never done anything right, and here I am selfishly thinking that I’m missing WrestleMania—the greatest athletes in the world performing with nobody there, and I’m thinking that that’s making a statement by not going, and to me that’s the last thing.
He continued, “It’s learning right now that we have to social distance, we have to practice hygiene at its highest, we have to learn how to be self-contained. We have to beat this virus, we have to entertain ourselves, be it First Take, be it Get Up, be it Amazon, Netflix, just do it. Please, so that we can get out and enjoy the world. As we have for years.”
Ric Flair Urges Coronavirus Precautions
Ric Flair then emphasized how, if you’re not choosing to take precautions for yourself, then you should be undertaking the necessary social responsibility for your family and other people.
“If you’re not doing it for yourself, do it for your family. Do it for other people that are lucky enough to be alive. Thanking the doctors, the nurses, and everybody for all you do—the first responders.”
Flair then joked about how in the old days, “they had an electric fence for me to keep me from wandering!” He noted, however, that he is presently happy staying at home as he has found happiness there, urging how “that’s what everybody needs to do.”
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Rey Horus has officially signed a new agreement with Ring of Honor (ROH) wrestling. The promotion revealed the news via their Twitter account. At the time of writing, no specifics behind the new contract are known.
ROH shared how “It didn’t take long for Rey Horus to make an impact in Ring of Honor, and the company is pleased to announce that the exciting Mexican star will make ROH his home after signing a new contract!”
REY HORUS SIGNS NEW CONTRACT WITH ROH!
It didn’t take long for Rey Horus to make an impact in Ring of Honor, and the company is pleased to announce that the exciting Mexican star will make ROH his home after signing a new contract!#ROH? pic.twitter.com/N7RqF4PwrQ
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) March 27, 2020
Rey Horus In ROH
Rey Horus debuted for ROH in December 2019. He faced Flip Gordan at ROH’s Final Battle Fallout event. Gordon would ultimately walk away with the win that night.
Horus is currently one-third of the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions with his partners Bandido and Flamita. They defeated the Villain Enterprises team of Marty Scurll, Brody King and Flip Gordon for the titles during ROH’s Saturday Night at Center Stage event in January.
Before ROH canceled their 18th Anniversary pay-per-view, Rey Horus was scheduled to team up with Alex Zayn to face off against PCO and Brody King.
Their 18th Anniversary show isn’t the only show the promotion has canceled. The coronavirus pandemic has forced several wrestling promotions to cease operations, with ROH shutting down all shows through to May 31.
Eric Bischoff has broached the idea of David Benoit potentially signing with WWE or All Elite Wrestling. The former WCW President discussed the topic during a Q&A session on the After83 Weeks w/Christy Olsonpodcast. He was asked by a fan about the politics involved in Benoit signing with a major pro wrestling promotion given his family’s tragic story.
“At this time? I don’t know for sure,” Eric Bischoff began. “Because I don’t know what the politics that are you specifically asked, WWE? I think first of all I think we’d be far better served to go to AEW than WWE. But in either case, if either of those opportunities became available? If I were managing David? I would really think hard about getting into the ring and making that choice.”
Bischoff continued, “Because it’s being the son of a wrestler, being the son of a star in this business put so much pressure on you. Way more than the pressure is on the average person.”
“You take two people with equal, equal potential, everything is genetically equal. Almost identical except for birth parents, right, you put them through the same life experiences? You give them the same opportunities? You put them both into a wrestling environment to give them a chance to be a star? They’ll both accelerate in this example at the exact same pace; same levels, and the son of a star or daughter, as the case may be. An stablished star big name, versus the son of someone who’s coming in with no baggage, or help? I would bet against the son or daughter of a star every single time.”
Eric Bischoff On Nepotism, Wrestlers Proving Themselves
Eric Bischoff then acknowledged how there are hardcore fans that would take issue with the idea of nepotism potentially playing a factor. Bischoff suggested how Benoit would probably be under increased personal pressure if he decided to pursue a wrestling career.
He argued that if fans felt that a wrestler was getting opportunities and chances because of name association, that wrestler would have to work “two or three times harder than anybody else” to prove themselves.
This week, VICE TV aired the premiere of Dark Side of the Ring Season 2. The two-hour special focused on the tragic Benoit family story.
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee has reflected on sharing the ring with current WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
The two monsters had a confrontation during January’s Royal Rumble matchup. Upon his entrance, Lesnar audibly remarked to his advocate Paul Heyman, “Who is this motherf—er?”
According to Lee, he felt that he was right where he was supposed to be.
“In that moment it felt like that was where I was supposed to be,” Keith told SuperSport. “Even though I feel like it was slightly unexpected the reaction that I got from 42,000 people. They really wanted Keith Lee to show out. They got something special in my opinion… Maybe in the future, there is a chance that there is Keith Lee versus Brock Lesnar in a one on one match. I feel like I’m one of the few that can go toe to toe with him… Hopefully, that can come to fruition.”
Lesnar isn’t the only top-tier Superstar Keith Lee has shared the ring with. Back at last year’s Survivor Series event, he had a moment with “The Big Dog” Roman Reigns. Lee was a member of Team NXT; Reigns was a member of Team SmackDown. Reigns would eventually defeat Lee, securing the Survivor Series victory for SmackDown.
Brock Lesnar defends the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre next weekend at WrestleMania 36.
Drew McIntyre has credited his WrestleMania 36 opponent Brock Lesnar with helping to establish him at January’s Royal Rumble. According to McIntyre, Lesnar was instrumental in ensuring that McIntyre came off as a star.
Lesnar would be the first Superstar to enter the Rumble matchup. He then decimated pretty much every Superstar that tried to eliminate him. Superstars were doing all they could to conquer “The Beast Incarnate” but all failed. Except for McIntyre.
“If it wasn’t for that story that went in there to build Brock up as the monster he truly is, which in turn made Drew McIntyre when I put him out, that’s the reason the reaction was so big,” McIntyre explained to talkSPORT.
The 34-year-old Scotsman continued praising his WrestleMania opponent. “He made sure that story was told correctly. Watching him put that together, watching him at work, that was the first time I went, ‘Wow, this guy is really a genius.'”
Drew McIntyre previously shared how he didn’t know he would be winning the Rumble matchup until the day of the event. With his victory, McIntyre earned himself an opportunity at Lesnar and the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36.
WrestleMania 36 will air on April 4 and April 5. The “Show of Shows” was originally meant to take place at Raymond James Stadium. The coronavirus pandemic forced WWE to instead pre-record the show from multiple locations.
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has expressed his wish to see Sting wrestle one more match. Flair shared the information after recently joining SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. According to “The Nature Boy,” nobody thinks more of Sting than he does.
“Well, no one thinks more of Sting than I do,” Flair said. “[…] I probably haven’t talked to him in three or four months now, but if he’s medically…if he’s okay with his neck and all of that, yeah, I most definitely would love to see him back in the ring one [more] time.”
He then discussed Sting’s matchup against Triple H from WrestleMania 31. Flair broached the idea of ring rust, especially given how long Sting had been an inactive competitor. Triple H would defeat the former WCW World Champion in a No Disqualification match that featured appearances from members of D-Generation X and nWo.
— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) March 27, 2020
Ric Flair continued, “I do think with a guy like Seth Rollins or Randy Orton or somebody, that…yeah, he could have one more match. He stays in great shape, and he’s just really one of the really good guys in our business, and I think that I’m always in favor of guys like him, y’know, leaving at the highest possible level that we can afford people in our business.”
Sting wrestled his last matchup against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions 2015. He suffered a serious neck injury during their bout, which he was still able to finish. Rollins would ultimately walk away with the victory, retaining the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
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All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has reflected on his time in WWE portraying the Stardust character. Responding to a tweet from talkSPORT’s Alex McCarthy, Cody explained how the Stardust gimmick had broken him and that he was a “subpar performer” during that time because of it.
“Not pushing Stardust wasn’t the crime, the character had broke me and I was a subpar performer under the paint during that period. The crime was not capitalizing on 2010-12 where I was cooking with gas and my live event work was top level consistent. In the end, blame is on me.”
Not pushing Stardust wasn’t the crime, the character had broke me and I was a subpar performer under the paint during that period
The crime was not capitalizing on 2010-12 where I was cooking with gas and my live event work was top level consistent
Cody would be repackaged with the Stardust gimmick in mid-2014. It would see him don face paint, a bodysuit, and adopt mannerisms that initially aped those of his brother, Goldust.
In 2016, Cody revealed he had officially requested his release from WWE. He later revealed he had “pleaded” with WWE writers to end the Stardust gimmick for over 6 months. Despite pitching several storylines, all of them were ignored.
Cody Rhodes’ Dynamite Double Duty
Cody Rhodes is set for double duty this week on AEW Dynamite. Not only will he be facing off against Jimmy Havoc, he will also be providing commentary duties alongside Tony Schiavone.
Jim Ross has reflected on his discomfort at WCW’s decision to turn the real-life issues between Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan into an angle. Nancy Benoit had been married to Sullivan from 1992 to 1997. In 1997, WCW started an on-screen romance between Benoit and Nancy. They would eventually have a real-life affair.
“I thought their private life got way too public,” Ross said on his podcast, Grillin’ JR. “It became an angle, it became a storyline. As if we’re obligated to share our personal life and that should be voluntary, it should not be made a storyline out of.”
Ross continued, “I felt like making that, the marriage, the adultery, all this other stuff was simply unnecessary, we have to be more creative. Did we have to go there? I wasn’t really sure what was true in that whole deal and what wasn’t. In any event it made me uncomfortable.”
Dark Side of the Ring Season 2 premiered last night on VICE TV. It began with a two-hour special covering Benoit’s tragic story. Chris Jericho narrated the documentary. Alongside Chavo Guerrero, he was heavily involved with the process of helping the production put the episode together.
John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) took some time during his self-isolation to share a story with fans about a backstage fight between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle. According to JBL, both Superstars came backstage angry, leading to Guerrero attempting to take Angle down.
“Well, apparently, something happened in that match,” JBL began. “[…] As they come back, Eddie and Kurt get into a physical fight. Eddie leg dives an Olympic gold medalist. Now, Kurt Angle was not good in high school, he was not really good in college, he was the best in the world. Out of 8.5 billion people, he was the gold medalist. You might have a chance punching Kurt; hit him with something. Don’t leg dive an Olympic gold medalist.”
JBL recalled how John Laurinaitis separated Guerrero and Angle, shutting JBL in alone with a seething Guerrero. “Eddie comes back, doesn’t even look at me, sits right beside me, and he’s staring at the door, and he’s breathing so loud you can hear him breathe. And I looked at him, and he’s still looking at the door, and I said, ‘Eddie why would you leg dive a gold medalist?’ Eddie says, ‘Cause I’m stupid!'”
A fan then asked how JBL could know that Guerrero attempted to “leg dive” on Angle if he was alone in the locker room. JBL explained how he heard all the yelling as they fought. He added, “it was easy to figure out what happened.” He also noted that other wrestlers who had witnessed the exchange were explaining it to each other as they entered the dressing room.
Heavy Machinery’s Otis is reportedly still set to compete against Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania 36. The matchup has yet to be officially announced. It is expected that their clash will be confirmed during this week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, their planned clash has not been changed and will still be a part of WrestleMania 36. Their feud was a significant part of last week’s SmackDown. The show was performed in front of zero fans at the WWE Performance Center out of coronavirus concerns.
It has been speculated that WWE had considered plans for a mixed tag team match involving Heavy Machinery. Otis and his tag team partner Tucker Knight would have teamed with Sonya Deville. They would have faced the team of Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode and Mandy Rose.
WrestleMania 36 Changes
Originally intended to be hosted at Raymond James Stadium, WrestleMania 36 now takes place from multiple locations on April 4 and April 5. The show will be pre-recorded to try and combat the further spread of the coronavirus.
Orange County officials recently issued a “Stay at Home” order. This order will go into effect for two weeks from Thursday, March 26. It includes the locations of the WWE Performance Center and Full Sail University. It is unknown at the time of writing how this will impact WWE’s current production cycle and recording process, post-WrestleMania 36.