WWE Backstage analyst CM Punk has shared who he thinks “should” win this year’s Royal Rumble matchup, naming NXT’s Keith Lee. Punk stressed that there is a difference between who he thinks should win the Rumble match as opposed to he thinks is going to win before fantasy booking his choice:
“Keith Lee from NXT should win the Royal Rumble,” Punk said. “I think he had a tremendous showing at Survivor Series, and he, to me, is a big fish in a little pond right now.”
He continued, “Not to say NXT is little by any means, but I think you need to follow up on stuff like this. You strike when the lightning’s hot. You see the little moment he had with [Roman] Reigns right there [at Survivor Series], that already feels like it was two years ago. We gotta get going with Keith Lee here. I think he needs to chuck Brock over the top rope and he needs to win that whole thing.”
When it came to his prediction for the Women’s Royal Rumble matchup, Punk went with “The Boss” Sasha Banks.
CM Punk’s fellow Backstage analysts also provided their predictions. Paige chose Otis and Kairi Sane; Christian picked current WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Shayna Baszler. Renee Young sided with Drew McIntyre but didn’t provide a pick for the Women’s Royal Rumble.
WWE’s Royal Rumble event takes place this Sunday at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
All Elite Wrestling’s Darby Allin was a recent guest on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk is Jericho. During their conversation, Allin opened up about how he signed with AEW, as well as why he decided to choose AEW over WWE.
Allin was quick to credit one person in particular for his signing: Cody Rhodes. Turns out that Rhodes was in attendance for a match between Allin and another AEW star, Pentagon Jr. That match impressed Rhodes and helped to get the ball rolling until, eventually, Allin debuted for the company.
“Yeah, Cody was the man who kind of made it happen. Yeah, I think he saw this match I had at Northeast against Penta,” Allin explained. “And, like, it that rate, before that, I think he thought I was just this stunt dummy guy. Do you know what I mean? Like, just do all these crazy stunts. But then, I think he saw that match and he’s like, ‘yo, this guy can actually, like, work.’ Do you know what I mean? And then, the ball started rolling, so it was very nice that I got to wrestle him in my first debut in this company. So yeah, it was good.”
Jericho, who has previously compared Darby Allin to Jeff Hardy, noted how Cody’s experience on the indies helped in scouting potential talent for AEW. Alongside Allin, he pointed at names such as Sammy Guevara, Joey Janela and Maxwell Jacob Friedman as top indie talent that could be assets to the promotion.
Darby Allin’s Decision
Reflecting on his decision to side with AEW, Allin recalled being offered an opportunity with WWE—one he ultimately turned down.
“Yeah, they had Canyon [Ceman], they wanted to do something where, like, I go to the Performance Center,” Allin recalled. “Not for a tryout, but I get signed and I go to the Performance Center for like a year. And then, debut a year from [then] or some crazy s—t.”
He continued, “I was just like, that’s the beauty of AEW. They’re just going making people instead of like… if I was there, God, it’s crazy to think about. A lot of my friends that got the opportunity, AEW or WWE, they chose WWE because it’s like I don’t know, ‘I just want to say I was in WWE’. I’m like, ‘come on, guys.’ Like, you can’t. That goes back to being the fanboy. Do you want to be the 100th guy who never sees the light of day, or do you want to be on the forefront of what we have? And a lot of guys just want to go brag to their friends and family, ‘oh, I’m in WWE.’”
Darby Allin competed on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite in a losing effort to Pac.
NXT Superstar Keith Lee has been making waves in WWE’s black-and-gold brand in recent months. Despite his current success, however, at one point WWE wasn’t interested in bringing Lee into the fold, with WWE rejecting Lee three times. Speaking with Corey Graves on his WWE podcast, After The Bell, Lee opened up about how the rejections affected him.
Keith Lee’s Rejections
“About three years in (being a wrestler), some people know him as Lance Archer, some people know him as Lance Hoyt, was in the WWE and said to somebody that I should be one to look out for,” Lee said. “Then, I got invited to do some work. In my case, I got thrown into a barricade by one Mr. Triple H and also got poked in the eye by Shane McMahon and punched in the face by Vince. That was my introduction to the bosses of today.”
He continued, “At some point, I gained interest in that first meeting and ended up with my first try out. That was in 2008. I was turned down. In 2011, I did some extra work, and I got asked to come back for another tryout. I was also turned down. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do-wrestling wise going forward. In 2013, when the Performance Center first opened up in the fall, I was part of that first class. Then, I was turned down a third time, so, I wasn’t really sure if I was going to continue wrestling.”
Conversations With Legends
Lee credited conversations with wrestling legends Dusty Rhodes, William Regal and Jim Ross as helping him to refocus on his ambitions. He believes that, if he hadn’t spoken with Rhodes and Regal, he may have quit pursuing wrestling. Lee explained how, following those conversations, he committed to being himself. He no longer wanted to subscribe to the idea of what a big guy “should be,” instead choosing to embrace what made him different as an athlete.
“After that talk, I decided to just listen to myself and bet on myself. At the end of the day, it was the greatest decision I’ve ever made.”
Keith Lee faces off against Roderick Strong this Wednesday night on NXT. They will compete for Strong’s NXT North American Championship.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) talent Sonny Kiss recently spoke with Andrew Thompson of Post Wrestling. During their conversation, Kiss shared his ambitions within AEW and named who has been mentoring him backstage.
When asked about who has helped him, Kiss was quick to name two backstage personnel: Dustin Rhodes and Billy Gunn. He shared how they have been instrumental to his career ever since he first met them. He noted how his relationship with Billy has seen him learn from the WWE Hall of Famer for about four years.
Kiss admitted that regardless of whether he is competing on AEW: Dynamite or AEW: Dark, there will always be nerves involved. Despite these nerves, he remains ready to compete on whichever show AEW need him on.
Sonny Kiss On Authenticity
One of the things that attracted Kiss to the promotion was Brandi Rhodes’ promise to allow their talent to be “exactly who they are.” It’s a promise that Kiss confirms has been delivered on:
“I feel like every person that you see is authentic. They’re not altered by anybody or anything. It’s just kind of, like, this is their character, this is who they are in and out of the ring, and I think that’s awesome.”
To Kiss, the sky is the limit in terms of what he wants to achieve in the promotion. He noted how he wants to “continue to break barriers” and be a role model to those watching.
Sonny Kiss previously teamed up with Dustin Rhodes for an episode of AEW: Dark. The two defeated the team of Peter Avalon and Q.T. Marshall. Despite teasing that the two may continue to tag together, they have yet to have another match together.
All Elite Wrestling’s Matt and Nick Jackson have talked about this week’s episode of Dynamite airing at sea. The show will take place on Wednesday, live from Chris Jericho’s Rock ’n’ Wrestling Rager cruise.
“It’s not just for wrestling fans, there’s a little bit of everything,” Matt told Jim Vasallone of the Miami Herald. “Just being on the ship itself is exciting. We put together some stellar wrestling cards, too. If you’re just going for the wrestling, you’re gonna have a lot to watch. It’s action-packed. Nick put together most of the card by himself, and I was just looking at the final card last night, and Chris was going over it, and man, it’s loaded.”
Matt then noted how some of the matches that will take place will be hosted exclusively for the passengers.
The Young Bucks’ Tag Team Passion
The brother duo competes within AEW as The Young Bucks. However, as the company’s Executive Vice Presidents, they have a vested interest in developing the promotion’s tag division.
“We wanted to show the world you could do it as the main event, as the opening act, you could do it as a mid-card act, you could throw it in anywhere and entertain the fans,” said Nick.
Matt added how he can’t recall a time in wrestling since the 1980s where tag team wrestling has been so popular or relevant. He stressed how AEW’s tag division is “loaded” and that further developing their division and tag team wrestling remains a passion for them.
SmackDown Superstar Mustafa Ali has shared his approach to social media. Speaking with Jim Stratman of News 14, Ali opened up about wanting to be the “light in the dark” to the WWE Universe. To do so, Ali has attempted to harness his social media for positivity as opposed to embracing its negative aspects.
“What’s really cool about social media is people are learning the man or the woman behind the superstar,” said Ali. “I think my following, my fan base, they realize what the message is behind all this: why I compete, why I fight with all my heart, why I say the things that I say, why I respond to certain internet trolls the way that I do. And my whole philosophy, my message is, ‘Be the light in the dark.’ There’s plenty of dark times around us. There’s plenty of dark moments around us but it’s on us as a society, as people, as human beings, to be that light. And I think that’s what’s having people flock toward me a bit.”
Mustafa Ali Isn’t About Tearing People Down
It’s an approach Ali has been utilizing on-screen as well. He explained how, as opposed to trying to “tearing other people down” to build himself up on WWE programming, he doesn’t want to subscribe to that methodology.
“That’s the way they elevate themselves, by ripping someone down. I’m not about that. So I think it’s kind of a fresh new way… and to me, that’s the way I live my entire life, but at least for the WWE perspective, the audience perspective, it’s something new. It’s something calm.”
Naturally, not everyone shares Mustafa Ali’s thoughts on social media. In the past, former United States Champion AJ Styles has stated how he wished “social media didn’t exist.”
All Elite Wrestling’s Marko Stunt has addressed how his size initially stopped him from pursuing his dreams of becoming a pro wrestler. Speaking with Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho, Stunt confessed how negativity has a major impact on him:
“[…] growing up, I never really saw myself as a different size because I’ve always been this size,” Stunt said. “I don’t know what it’s like to be any taller. I’ve always had the mentality of like, ‘Oh, if I want to do that, I’m gonna do it,’ you know? I’m really bad about taking negative things the wrong way, like I’ve always taken negative things to heart, so it’s had to get on Twitter and see a bunch of stuff now. But even back when I wanted to do it growing up, I had people telling me I shouldn’t, I’m too small, so I kinda threw that away for a long time.”
Marko Stunt In Person Vs. On Screen
Stunt also explained how it’s a different experience to watch him live versus on TV. He admitted that he’s trying to improve on connecting with fans through their screens and not just with those in the arena.
“I’m new to this but I’m definitely used to the being in person, connecting with the crowd that’s there, not necessarily connecting with the crowd that’s watching me from behind a screen. So, I understand watching me on TV and being like, ‘Okay, well such and such and such and such,’ because I’m not connecting with them.”
He continued, “But being in a stadium or something, I feel like I connect well with that crowd specifically. I feel like I’m able to read them to an extent and either they like me or they don’t. But usually I’m able to connect with them and I feel like I have a decent charisma about me and it’s not necessarily my wrestling, either.”
During their conversation, Stunt also shared how The Big Show was his favorite wrestler growing up. It was The Big Show that actually got him interested in wrestling. He then divulged how he gravitated towards Superstars like Big Show, Kane and The Undertaker. This was because he “wanted to be tall. I wanted to be big.”
WWE Superstar Sheamus has given high praise to one of WWE NXT UK’s top talents. Speaking with GiveMeSport, the multiple-time champion pointed to fellow Irishman Jordan Devlin as a name the WWE Universe should familiarize themselves with.
“Jordan [Devlin]’s great, a lovely fella. He’s busting his ass and making a name for himself in the UK. But people all over the world and in the states are going to see his match [vs Tyler Bate at TakeOver].”
Sheamus continued, “He’s trained by Finn Balor [Fergal Devitt]. He’s got a great background, great fundamentals. As long as he takes care of his body he’ll have a long career. He’s still very young. Stay the course, stay injury-free and there’s no reason he can’t be in the states full-time.”
Earlier this month, Devlin competed against Mustache Mountain’s Tyler Bate during NXT UK’s recent TakeOver: Blackpool II event. Despite his best efforts, Devlin would eventually lose to Bate following a highly competitive matchup.
During his extended hiatus away from the ring, it turns out the Superstar had actually contemplated retiring from in-ring action. He admitted how the idea of it is “something that’s always in the back of your mind.” Despite these thoughts, however, Sheamus recently returned to WWE programming, sporting an old-school look.
Braun Strowman clearly has his eyes set on the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Speaking with Dallas News, Strowman spoke about competing against the current champion, Shinsuke Nakamura. He also shared what it would mean to win the championship.
“Talking about Shinsuke Nakamura, this is the first opportunity I’ve had to work with him here in his stint with WWE,” Strowman said. “I’ve been pretty impressed so far. … It’s been a different change of pace being in the ring and mixing it up with Shinsuke. And I think what the outcomes have been these past couple outings that we’ve had, I’ve without a doubt earned myself a title opportunity for that Intercontinental Championship.”
He continued, “We’re going to see what the powers that be will have [to say] — you never know, the last SmackDown leading into the Royal Rumble here coming up in Dallas, if they’ll give me that opportunity to take on Shinsuke for the title before we go into the Royal Rumble.”
Braun Strowman As Intercontinental Champion
Strowman believes that holding the title would be an “absolute honor.”
He noted how several legendary Superstars have held the title. To him, they all added prestige to the belt, and that it would be a “great fit” for him.
Many have used the championship as a means to leverage themselves into the main event picture for WWE’s top belts. For Strowman, he thinks holding the strap would be “an awesome way to get my foot in the door on carrying a singles title and showing the world where I belong.”
Braun Strowman joins 30 other men this Sunday for the Royal Rumble matchup. The event takes place at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts has divulged what he finds problematic in modern pro wrestling promos. When asked for his thoughts on All Elite Wrestling’s style and quality of promos, the WWE Hall of Famer, unsurprisingly, didn’t hold back.
“It’s better than what we have been getting. I’m excited a little bit about it but there’s just a few things I can’t stand. One of those is the invisible wall during these talk fests,” Roberts told the WINCLY podcast. “If you’re really thinking about all of that with a guy that’s in the ring with you – I guess guys are stuck between an invisible wall and you can’t get to the guy.”
He continued, “I guess that’s the business now and in my day you wouldn’t have two guys in the ring with mics. It just wouldn’t happen. If it was the real world, are you gonna sit and talk about this BS or are you gonna whoop his ass?”
Jake Roberts’ Coaching Plans
Known for his intense promos, Jake Roberts has expressed an active interest in helping to teach and cultivate a new generation his skills. He highlighted how he has previously helped guide talents such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Diamond Dallas Page and The Road Warriors in the past, noting: “I taught them well evidently and then to get kudos from Undertaker on his thing with Steve Austin was cool.”
Roberts also noted how wrestlers and industry professionals within the business should “all pull together” in an aligned effort to “make the product better.”
Daniel Bryan has revealed that it was his idea to shave his beard during his feud with the “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. Bryan divulged the story during an interview with MySanAntonio.com. He opened up about why he pitched the idea, admitting he wanted to prolong his rivalry with Wyatt.
“Actually, it was my idea,” Bryan said. “And my idea was not the hair, it was just the beard. I had kind of pitched this to them as this idea of, ‘OK, how do we extend this story with Bray Wyatt,’ which is what they wanted to do, because he’s already defeated me cleanly, right? How do we do that? One of the things to me was that he’s changed people’s character so much when he’s faced them. And by him ripping out or cutting my beard, it would be this idea that he’s stripping me of part of my identity.”
He continued, “That was my kind of pitch to them. What actually happened? They said, ‘Well, yeah, then he can cut your hair, too!’ And I was like, ‘No, I don’t really want that. I don’t want my hair to be cut.’ I kind of wanted my hair to be longer. Just wrestling wise, I like that.”
Daniel Bryan’s Hair Cut
Bryan broke down what happened after he was dragged under the ring to have his head shaved. According to Bryan, there were two barbers under the ring, ready to shave off his long hair.
“So, they pulled me under the ring, they’ve got two barbers there who are in charge of like, getting my beard off and getting hair off so there can be this appearance of him ripping out my hair and all that kind of stuff. And we have a minute and a half of TV time left on the live show. And there’s also a producer down there, who’s saying, ‘We need more hair, we need more hair, we need more hair!’ And it’s completely dark under there. We were all so crammed in this little area because there’s also like real stuff under the ring that needs to be under the ring.”
“It’s just all in this crammed little area and these guys are cutting my hair and cutting my beard really quick and they’re supposed to just to cut X amount of hair off, which wasn’t as much as they ended up doing,” Bryan explained. “But the one guy on one side did a great job. They actually both did a great job considering the circumstances. But one guy just went a little too tight and a little too high. And then, after the show, they did their best … they tried after the show for like 45 minutes to make it like not just a shaved head. But that was the best we could do under the circumstances.”
Telling Brie Bella
Bryan then recalled having to break the news to Brie Bella. According to him, his wife “hates shaved heads.” After trying to soften the revelation with a few text messages, he eventually FaceTimed her to show her the result of the angle.
He shared how Brie became very quiet, and he could “see the anger.” Thankfully, this took place over Thanksgiving. He explained how it allowed him the opportunity to come home and spend time with family where she “couldn’t be too outwardly mad.”
Daniel Bryan will face off against “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt this Sunday at WWE Royal Rumble. They clash in a Strap Match for the WWE Universal Championship.
WWE RAW Superstar Drew McIntyre has opened up about his recent on-screen character changes. In an interview with Corey Graves for the After The Bell podcast, McIntyre acknowledged how he has been showing the real Drew Galloway in recent performances.
“I am psychotic when it comes to that and my drive. I didn’t necessarily love the ‘Scottish Psychopath’ name because I wasn’t necessarily doing psychotic on television,” McIntyre confessed. “But the real Drew Galloway is psychotic in his drive. This is what I always wanted to do, and I did let that huge opportunity slip away. And I don’t regret it; like I say, all the ups and downs have led me to the man I am today and the position that I’m in. To be ready for every opportunity that’s given to me.”
“Show Them The Real Drew McIntyre”
Reflecting on his character evolution, McIntyre spoke about how he has been actively “eliminating complacency” over the past few months. He addressed how his character motivation was muddled and confused. Now, however, he has been given the green light to showcase the “real Drew Galloway.”
“[…] suddenly I was just talking about eating carcasses for a brief period, and then I was buddies with a bunch of guys, which wasn’t the real Drew. And over the past couple of months, I’ve been given the okay to ‘Hey, show them the real Drew Galloway. Show them the real Drew McIntyre. You’ve noticed things have started to change. I heard you in one of your rants about, ‘Let people be themselves.’ What you’re seeing right now on television? That’s Drew Galloway; that’s Drew McIntyre.’”
McIntyre previously shared his Royal Rumble ambitions in a WWE backstage exclusive. He explained how not one World Champion has ever given him an opportunity during his entire WWE career. Because of this, he is committed to earning his chance by winning the Royal Rumble match.
Cain Velasquez has shared how he was initially turned down by WWE when he first expressed an interest in pro wrestling. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion detailed his experience in an interview with Cultaholic. He also discussed what first sparked his interest in switching over to the squared circle.
When he first became interested in jumping to wrestling, Velasquez attended WWE Elimination Chamber 2019 with several other UFC stars, including Daniel Cormier. That show helped to reignite his interest in pro wrestling, noting how he was a fan of the product when he was a kid. He had so much fun watching “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey defeat Ruby Riott, he asked himself “‘Why not? Can I do that?’”
Cain Velasquez’s WWE Pursuit
Velasquez would pursue this interest, eventually debuting for AAA under a mask. Before this, he and his agent reached out to WWE as, “this is obviously where the best guys are, this is the top.” He revealed how Triple H and Vince McMahon were not “going to give me a shot right away,” which eventually led him to lucha libre and AAA.
“I said, ‘Okay, let’s do something else.’ I’ve always loved lucha. Lucha was my first love of wrestling. I watched that as — that was my first time watching any kind of pro wrestling. So I said, ‘Why don’t we do a lucha match?’ Me and my wife, my manager — my wife was super into it. She was like, ‘Why don’t you do a lucha match?’ I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it’…I wanted to wear the mask. I wanted to do traditional lucha moves just to pay homage to the people who have done it in the past and they just look f**king cool to do.”
Cain Velasquez recently expressed his interest in participating in WWE’s upcoming Royal Rumble match to earn a championship opportunity. At the time of writing, Velasquez has yet to be inserted into the match.
Drew McIntyre came out on top of a high-stakes triple threat match this week on Monday Night RAW. “The Scottish Psychopath” managed to emerge victorious despite competition from AJ Styles and Randy Orton. Following the matchup, McIntyre caught up with WWE in a backstage exclusive, where he claimed to be ready to fight for a championship opportunity.
Drew McIntyre’s Royal Rumble Momentum
“I think this momentum is everything,” McIntyre said regarding the upcoming Royal Rumble. “I don’t know when exactly…when things have turned around for me. I reckon, if I was going to guess, about six or seven weeks ago.”
He continued, “I’ve been on a bit of a roll, and the key to it all is: I don’t know what went wrong when I first came back to Monday Night RAW; obviously I was on a bit of a warpath. But I had a lot of people in my head, a lot of people by my side. It wasn’t really me, and I don’t know how I let it get to that stage. I had a little injury not so long ago. I found myself again, and everything you see right now, whether I’m talking on the microphone, whether I’m in the ring, this is 100 percent Drew McIntyre.”
He then explained how not one World Champion has ever given him an opportunity during his entire WWE career, though a former multi-time champion certainly believes he is capable of it. McIntyre stated how, because every champion is too scared to face him, he’ll just have to earn the opportunity by winning the Royal Rumble match later this month.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
Bray Wyatt has reached out to his former Deleters of Worlds tag team partner, Matt Hardy. Wyatt took to social media, posting a cryptic offer of help to Hardy. He promised he could “heal” him, “just like you did for Me”
“dear matt, i couLd nEver hurT you i could heal you, just like you did for Me whEn the world threw me away you were the only one offering to pick me up and I Never forget…..”
dear matt, i couLd nEver hurT you
i could heal you, just like you did for Me
whEn the world threw me away you were the only one offering to pick me up
The two split as a team back in August 2018. In that time, Bray Wyatt has gone on to reinvent himself completely. He introduced not only the Firefly Funhouse but eventually the character of “The Fiend.”
Having developed this new gimmick, Wyatt subsequently defeated Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship back at WWE’s Crown Jewel event last October.
Matt Hardy’s Free The Delete
Hardy has recently expressed his apparent frustration with his current position within WWE. After having been associated with SmackDown, he made a few appearances on RAW before being unceremoniously moved once again. This led him to refer to his brand status as him being in “limbo.”
He started a series of new YouTube shows, including Free The Delete—a show that embraces a more creative way in telling its story. Hardy likened its style to the Final Deletion. He recently stated how if fans see something that stands out and possibly means something, that is an intentional creative choice, not just coincidence.
This past Sunday saw NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II take place in Blackpool, England at the Empress Ballroom. One of the major surprises from the hyped show saw NXT’s Undisputed Era appear at the end of the event. They attacked NXT UK’s Imperium stable. Speaking during a media scrum following the end of the show, Triple H was asked about how they managed to keep their appearance a surprise.
Triple H On Fan Secrecy
“It seems to me anyways that fans of NXT, both in the US and here, they wanna be respectful, I think, to what we’re trying to do, and it seems almost like […] even if somebody tended to see them here, they would be like, “Well, I’m not saying anything, I don’t want to ruin it.” Do you know what I mean?” Triple H said.
He continued, “Because, in some ways, I think there is this moment where was have said, “NXT is your brand.” We’ve built it that way. We mean that. If you’re watching, if you’re a fan, if you’re here, you’re a part of this. [You’re] with us. We’re building it from the ground up, and I think that resonates with fans.”
Following #NXTUKTakeOver, I asked @TripleH just how difficult it was to keep Undisputed Era’s appearance a secret.
Triple H added how they don’t have issues with fans leaking Superstar sightings. He shared how he is appreciative and thankful that fans “protect the brand like we protect the brand.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
The Big Show made his in-ring return to RAW this week. He teamed with Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe in a “Fist Fight” against Seth Rollins and Authors of Pain after last week’s surprise return. Speaking with ESPN.com about his comeback, Big Show looked back at his recent injuries and surgeries. He also expressed his wish to participate at WrestleMania one more time.
Big Show’s Back
“I was very humbled and overwhelmed by the reaction,” he said. “About the kids who were excited to see me, the fans who were excited to see me and the opportunity that was given to me to help out Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens.”
He admitted that he has been “chomping at the bit” after a rough two years: “I needed five surgeries in a year and a half. You’re trying to do recovery therapy, and then there’s a setback. It was very frustrating for me for a while. This opportunity came up, and I was blown away by it. Right fit, right time.”
Big Show continued, “I was angry I had to have the surgery done, and I felt like my career was getting pulled away from me. It wasn’t on my terms.” He confessed his health issues “tested” him and his faith. Not only as a person but as a performer and athlete.
WrestleMania Ambition
Now that he’s back in the fray, there’s only one thing he wants: to be a part of WrestleMania again.
“That’s every competitor’s dream,” he said. “I’d love to get one more in. Especially because it’s in Tampa, where I have a house, so I can drive home after the show.”
He described his comeback as the planets and universe aligning. For him, it just feels right to be back in the ring competing in front of the WWE Universe.
WWE Hall of Famer and hardcore legend Mick Foley has shared some constructive thoughts regarding All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Foley explained how AEW has, in his opinion, not been patient enough in their storytelling. He highlighted the Unsanctioned Lights Out match between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega that took place at last year’s AEW Full Gear pay-per-view as an example.
“Maybe, they’re not showing the patience they need to. I would say that Moxley and Kenny Omega shouldn’t have had their first match in a wild, anything goes environment,” Foley explained to Inside The Ropes.
He continued, “I think these are mistakes made out of wanting to give people the absolute best product they can. But I do feel like there needs to be somebody reigning in their enthusiasm.”
Mick Foley On NXT’s Advantage
Foley highlighted how NXT’s current advantage lies in how their talents work the camera. He argued this comes from a more seasoned team of both crew and Superstars.
Although he is isn’t critical of AEW’s enthusiasm, he reiterated his belief that “somebody needs to reigns these guys in” in the same way Gerald Brisco once did with a young Mick Foley. He believes that this mentality would lead to longer, satisfying feuds and storylines. It would also help with a performer’s “longevity” as a competitor.
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently had Kane join him on an episode of his WWE Network show, Broken Skull Sessions. During their exchange, Kane opened up about being approached by Vince McMahon about the infamous dentist gimmick, Isaac Yankem DDS.
Life Before Kane
Kane recalled how Vince asked him if he had ever been afraid of going to the dentist. Confused by the question, he ran through a mental checklist trying to figure out why he was being asked the question. After replying ‘No,’ Vince allegedly responded: “Good, because I’ve always wanted to do this character: Issac Yankem, a wrestling dentist. Get it, I. Yankem?’”
“And then he did the Vince laugh, first time I ever heard it. And then of course you do the Vince laugh, too, right? Because you’re like, ‘Oh, this is going to be great,’” Kane said. “So, I was like way up here [laughing], ‘That’s great…how am I going to do that?’ I remember just flying back home thinking, ‘How in the world am I going to pull that off?’”
Kane would portray the dentist Yankem from 1995 through to September 1996. He would eventually be repackaged as The Undertaker’s brother, Kane, making his re-debut at Bad Blood: In Your House on October 5th 1997.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
Injured WWE Superstar Ember Moon has opened up about the frustrations she has felt in the company, admitting she has felt lost in the shuffle. Speaking with Booker T on his podcast, The Hall of Fame, Moon shared how in the modern pro wrestling landscape, not everyone on the roster may feel as crucial to the show. She compared it to when she used to watch the product as a fan when everyone across the card felt important.
Fan Investment
“[…] when I grew up everybody had a story, everybody on TV felt important. From beginning to end, built across the board, Attitude Era and post-Attitude Era, Invasion stuff, it was about the storytelling from beginning to end,” said Moon. “Whether it was Crash Holly walking out with the scale, even if it was that, he weighed in and that meant something. Now it’s weird because we only have like four guys on each show that we are constantly building up despite everyone else and again, they will eventually bring in a Humberto Carrillo, and an Andrade, you only see one new person in that little angle and then they disappear for a while.”
She explained how if there were more consistent storytelling and character development, all matches would matter more. That way if Drew Gulak or Akira Tozawa were to face off against top WWE Superstars, the match would actually mean something, as opposed to them “having a bang out match for no reason.”
“[…] when I turn on the TV if I see a Drew McIntyre versus Cedric Alexander, I don’t believe that Cedric Alexander is going to win,” she explained. “Even though he is a phenomenal athlete and a former Cruiserweight Champion I just don’t believe it because they haven’t done anything to make me care about him. He jumped off the stage once. I just feel like with the roster being so big that maybe we need a rotating roster or something like that because I feel like we have lost that ability to tell a story for the lower card.”
Ember Moon’s Frustration
Having been sidelined with an unfortunate Achilles injury, Moon confessed that she had been feeling lost in the shuffle in WWE. She admitted that it’s been a difficult time and that it feels as though there is “more and less of an opportunity.”
“[…] it’s weird because we’re in the middle of this revolution and a lot of people thought that it ended at WWE Evolution but we still fight everyday and for everything. It is a weird combination of being frustrated and lost in the shuffle; yeah, do you get jealous? Yes, who doesn’t? Do you get angry? Yes! Of course. Who doesn’t?”
Ember Moon spoke about how the hardest thing for a talent to do is to walk into a locker room “knowing your worth as a performer and an entertainer” only to sit in catering fort two months. She admitted that despite her frustrations, as soon as she gets in the ring and her music hits, she can’t help but fall in love with pro wrestling all over again.
At one point, All Elite Wrestling’s Kenny Omega was the top star in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He was at the pinnacle of the promotion as their champion, holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. According to Omega, however, once NJPW learned he intended to leave the company, they did “whatever they could” to paint him in a negative light. He addressed his issues with NJPW in a recent episode of Wrestlers On The Road Ordering Room Service.
Omega’s Problem With NJPW
“Once they knew that I was going, they did whatever they could – they did a complete media blitz – to make it look like I was this terrible person,” Omega recalled. “Once I picked up on that, it actually inspired me to make a video that I made.”
He continued, “Yeah, some of my good friends in real life, Toby Fox, the guy who made Undertale, he helped me write the script for this game idea. I funded the whole thing because I knew it wasn’t going to get cleared [by NJPW]. I was like, ‘okay, we’re clear, here it is. I even edited it for you. It’s all done.’ And they’re like, ‘no, we’re not showing it.’ And I was like, ‘you’re not showing it?’ Yeah. I’m like, ‘well, what do you want me to do then?’ And they’re like, ‘well, the President doesn’t like it. Gedo doesn’t like it.’ Okay. So I said, ‘okay, thankfully, I own it, so here you go, Nick.’ We put it up on BTE.”
“It got a ton of media, press It went viral right away,” Omega noted. “And then, New Japan hits me up like, ‘so if we, like, edited the parts we didn’t like, could we use that video because I’m noticing it’s, like, getting a lot of traction. Could you actually give it to New Japan World?’ And I’m like, ‘oh, I’m sorry, I already gave it to Nick.’”
Kenny Omega’s Contract
Omega noted later in the video how he had requested a specific clause to be written into his AEW contract. This addition would have allowed him to maintain a relationship with the promotion and continue travelling and competing in Japan outside of AEW.
“I think the part that was strange for me was that I had always made clear that being a part of Japan or having roots in Japan was important to me,” Omega explained. “And that I was there to help them, anybody at any point in time for the long run, and I had it written into my contract with AEW to do so.”
Working Relationship
Nick Jackson then divulged how they had included similar additions to their contracts. He shared how the Young Bucks had attended meetings with ROH and New Japan to express how open they were to work together.
Although Kenny Omega may not be appearing on a NJPW show in the near future, two AEW stars recently competed during Wrestle Kingdom 14 earlier in the month. Both Jon Moxley and AEW World Champion Chris Jericho travelled to Japan to be on the show. Despite this, Nick has maintained the “door has not opened up at all.”
WWE Superstars Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival are “going away for a while” as they figure out their next career moves.
Dawson took to Twitter to share The Revival’s intentions. He wrote, “Guys, it’s time to go away for a while until we get everything figured out. See ya soon. #FTR” With the team’s contracts reportedly expiring soon, speculation is rife over where The Revival may go if they decide to leave WWE.
For a short time, Dawson and Wilder were partnered with “The Viper” Randy Orton. The three frequently used their social media accounts to tease interest in jumping to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), with several hints and references towards their plans. Despite this, Orton would end up signing a new multi-year deal with WWE.
Guys, it’s time to go away for a while until we get everything figured out. See ya soon. #FTR
Dawson followed up by stating that his tweet resulted in his friends and fans asking for clarification. He is taking a break from social media and he will continue acting in the best interests of his family.
I’ve had many friends & fans ask me about this. I should’ve clarified, I’m taking a break from social media. I apologize for that vague tweet, but I do appreciate EVERYONE’S support. Everything I do is for my family. I only want the best for them. They’re my #1.
The Revival Promise To “Change Everything” In 2020
The Revival’s comments come off the back of another recent tweet where they promised to “change everything” in 2020. Wilder summed up the team’s years beginning in 2017, writing how “2017 was a wash. 2018 we got our groove back. 2019 we took control back. 2020 we change everything.”
Despite this latest tease, The Revival appears to remain interested in a matchup against WWE Hall of Famers Harlem Heat. The team initially disrespected Booker T during the WWE TLC Kickoff show back in December.
Booker T has admitted he has spoken to his brother, Stevie Ray, about the matchup, with both teams appearing to be interested in a bout.
How will the Revival “change everything” in 2020? We should know within a matter of months.
Current Ring of Honor (ROH) World Champion PCO has commented on the promotion’s safety guidelines, calling ROH a “first-class organization” for their concern and attention to detail. The Villain Enterprises member spoke with CBS Baltimore, recalling how ROH helped him deal with an injury.
“They never charged me for one thing,” PCO shared. “They sent an agent after the show was done. They took care of everything, signed the papers, brought me back to the hotel, made sure I was okay. [Whenever I get] a little banged up or something, I always get a phone call. ‘Are you good? Are you okay?’ And the next day, ‘Thanks for what you’ve done.’ They are nothing but a first-class organization.”
PCO On ROH Controvery
Addressing the recent controversy that transpired between ROH, Joey Mercury and Kelly Klein, PCO expressed that he didn’t know “why [Mercury] said those things.”
He continued, “I don’t know if it might’ve been some frustration because things weren’t going the way that that person was hoping. Was it a personal vendetta? I don’t know what it was. I can’t talk for that guy. And I love him to death, but from my side, it has been nothing but first-class from Ring of Honor. From my signing to every event and to everything that they do.”
PCO defeated Rush for the ROH World Championship at ROH’s last pay-per-view, Final Battle.
Former Ring of Honor (ROH) World Television Champion Shane Taylor participated in a recent interview with Solowrestling. Over the course of their conversation, Taylor addressed his initial championship victory and storylines. He even touched on ROH’s attendance drop during 2019.
Reflecting on his championship win at ROH War of the Worlds 2019, Taylor called it a “surprise.” He defeated the defending Jeff Cobb, Villain Enterprises’ Brody King and New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Hirooki Goto. Despite this initial shock, Taylor is confident in the decision. He stressed how he had been delivering “good matches, worked well and people began to see what I was doing.”
“It helped raise not only me, but my rival and when they have matches with me, social media and the world of wrestling talk about that match, other wrestlers want to get in the ring with Shane T,” he said. “For me, it means who the man is, it means more than any title when your friends want to wrestle you because they believe you make them look better, or that you make the company better. It is the legacy I want to leave. Know that your skill is being demanded and that people want to work with you.”
Shane Taylor Productions
Turning his attention towards his Shane Taylor Productions storyline, he stressed how he wasn’t just complaining. He was telling the truth. Having been left off of posters and marketing materials, Taylor took issue with ROH’s perceived disrespect at having omitted him.
“As a Television Champion, one of the most prestigious wrestling championships, leaving you out of the poster is ridiculous,” he said. “I decided to do things my way. I bought my contract so that no one would fire me and I became a free agent, so I could open Shane Taylor Promotions, my promotional company, and have the platform and equipment I need to make sure that people can see everything I do and see the star I’ve become.”
“Those Who Say There Is No Star Power, Do Not See ROH”
With many top ROH stars having left for other promotions, live attendance took a dip in sales. Taylor, however, isn’t concerned as he states it is “normal” after top talent depart for sales to be impacted for a time.
“It is no different than a basketball team and your star leaves,” Taylor explained. “Especially when you tell your people that he is the central figure. It was expected, but those who say there is no star power, do not see ROH. Simply, people talk but do not see the product because it is not. Our live events are amazing. Everyone will have their favorites, but in the end, people who are loyal to ROH will see that ROH always returns to the top and continues to innovate and continues to mark the style that everyone now copies, because that style was created in ROH.”
Shane Taylor recently lost the championship to Dragon Lee at ROH’s final pay-per-view of 2019, Final Battle.
Ken Shamrock competed in the opening bout during last night’s Impact Wrestling event, Hard to Kill. He defeated Madman Fulton. At one point in the matchup, Shamrock locked in a kimura. Whilst talking to media in a post-match press conference, he expressed concern for his opponent, confessing that Fulton’s shoulder “popped.”
Ken Shamrock’s Concern
“Yeah, there’s no question in wrestling. And even though Fulton can get under your skin and can be a jerk… you know, genuinely you’re concerned about people when you’re in there working,” Shamrock stated. “Cause it’s a way of living, right? These guys make money, and they put food on the table, and they’ve got families to support. This is no different.”
He continued, “I had him. I sunk it in, we both spoke at the same time, and his shoulder popped. There’s no question his shoulder got hurt. I thought it was over, I thought we were done. He wasn’t going to have it, so I had to do what I had to do. I didn’t feel good about it, but I did what I had to do. He wanted to keep going, so I had to finish it.”
Last night’s Hard to Kill event was headlined by Sami Callihan versus Tessa Blanchard. Blanchard made history by becoming the first woman to hold the Impact Wrestling World Championship following their heated rivalry.
If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.
