Here are the results from New Japan’s annual New Year Dash show. This is traditionally seen as New Japan’s version of the ‘Raw After Mania’ and the main storylines/feuds heading into February’s New Beginning shows start to take shape.
Kyle O’Reilly, Ricochet & David Finlay b. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV & Henare – Finlay took the win for his team
Yujiro Takahashi & Hangman Page b. Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn – Hangman Page took the win after hitting the Right of Passage on Yoshitatsu
YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero & Barreta b. Adam Cole and The Young Bucks – Yoshi-Hashi took the pinfall victory for his team after rolling up ROH Champion Adam Cole
Scott Norton, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Hiro Saito & Cheeseburger b. Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & BONE SOLDIER – Kojima hit the Lariat on BONE SOLDIER to take the win for his team
Michael Elgin & KUSHIDA b. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi – Elgin took the win after hitting a Burning Hammer on Naito, he now looks set to be the next challenger for Naito’s Intercontinental Championship. CMLL Star Dragon Lee also appeared to attack longtime rival Takahashi and stated that he wants a shot at Takahashi’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title. Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata & Juice Robinson b. Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay – Robinson took the shock win over NEVER Champion Hirooki Goto to set himself as the next challenger for the title
NJPW/NOAH legend Minoru Suzuki appeared after the bout with his stable (The Suzuki Army) and attacked the members of CHAOS, Suzuki then proclaimed that all of New Japan’s titles will soon be theirs.
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Championship Match – Hiroshi Tanahashi, Manabu Nakanishi & Ryusuke Taguchi b. SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI – Nakanishi hit the Hercules Cutter on BUSHI to win the titles and make Los Ingobernables’ title reign end after one day.
Here are the results from New Japan’s World Tag League final that took place in the Sekisui Haim Super Arena in Miyagi:
Ryusuke Taguchi & David Finlay b. Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV – Finlay took the pinfall victory over Tiger Mask
Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi b. Manabu Nakanishi & Henare – Yujiro hit the Pimp Juice on Henare to secure the victory for his team
Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn b. Chase Owens & BONE SOLDIER – Billy Gunn hit the Fameasser on BONE SOLIDER to take the win in just over 5 minutes
War Machine b. Brian Breaker & Leland Race – Rowe hit the Fallout on Leland Race to secure the win
SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata – EVIL took the pinfall victory over Kojima after hitting his namesake finisher
Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI b. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson – Goto hit the GTR on Shibata to take the pinfall victory for his team
Tetsuya Naito & Rush b. Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA – Rush hit the Rush Driver on KUSHIDA to take the win, after the match Hiromu Takahashi came out to the ring and laid out KUSHIDA before accepting Naito’s offer to join Los Ingobernables
Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii b. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page – Okada hit the Rainmaker on Page to take the win
World Tag League Final – Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma b. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa – Makabe hit the King Kong Knee Drop on Tanga Loa to secure the win and make Honma/Makabe the first team in New Japan history to win the tournament in consecutive years
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma defeated Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii in the final match of the World Tag League B BLOCK to take their place in the final against the current reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa).
The final standings for the tournament blocks were:
Former WWE Superstar and trainer Billy Gunn recently spoke with Chris Featherstone for Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog.
One of the most recent big moments of Gunn’s WWE career was his involvement in the Sting vs. Triple H match at last year’s WrestleMania 31. Fans either loved or hated their interference, but Gunn thinks that DX and the nWo made the match even bigger in the eyes of the fans.
“You’re really looking for moments. It is a Sting moment, because it’s the first WrestleMania he’s ever been in and he’s wrestling Hunter. But then again, from a company standpoint, how do we get the most out of this because our fanbase is not really a Sting fanbase? Sting being there is a big moment, but when you have DX and nWo behind that, it makes a little bigger in the majority of the people’s eyes. I’m not meaning to downplay Sting in any moment, but the way I look at it, it was just a bigger moment at a WrestleMania, rather than just that single moment.”
He also commented on his release from WWE last year after violating the company’s Talent Wellness policy. There had been reports that Gunn tested positive for PED’s at a powerlifting event and kept it quiet for several months. He explained to Sports Illustrated:
“The first thing I want to makeclear is the powerlifting meet that I went to. I wasn’t on it to win that powerlifting contest because it was me against me anyway. I popped on their test, because I was over their test limit. Let’s face it: I’m 52 years old. I have my [prescription] from the doctor, but it was the way it all came out is what they had to do. I don’t blame them at all, and I’m going to take every single bit of it because it wasn’t fair to NXT for what Hunter had done for the company. What he’s done with that brand is amazing. [WWE] had to do what they had to do. They did it, and I’m perfectly fine with it, and hopefully one day they’ll hire me back because I feel I was a pretty good coach. It’s just the way it all came out. It wasn’t anything that WWE did; they [had] to do what they did, and I feel like I let the NXT kids down. I never, ever wanted to do that. Ever. So I’ll take that.”
Other topics discussed include DX’s invasion of WCW live on Monday Nitro back in 1998, his time in TNA and much more. Check out the full interview at SI.com.
WWE Superstar Tyler Breeze recently spoke with The Charleston Post & Courier about the role Billy Gunn played in his development in NXT, his transition to the main roster and the legendary Gorgeous George being an inspiration for his current character.
On using wrestling legend Gorgeous George for inspiration:
“In the same vein, just modernized. He was a big influence as far as presentation and mannerisms. I watched a lot of his stuff when I tried to put this character together.”
On coming to the main roster from NXT:
“It’s been a big change for me. As much fun as NXT was, it totally took a different turn up here. Working in front of sold-out houses and at events like Survivors Series, and working with someone like Dolph Ziggler, makes it a real pleasure to come to work.”
On Billy Gunn playing a big role in his development:
“He showed me the character and showmanship part of it. He is so over the top and helped bring that out of me. I wasn’t very much like that before. I wanted to wrestle. I liked the wrestling moves and the athletic part of it. But I didn’t really know the showmanship part of it, and he helped bring that out of me.”
Former WWE performers Chyna and Billy Gunn reunited this week. The two have been friends since their days as DX members and Chyna has credited Gunn for being a great friend to her during her breakup with Triple H and eventual departure from WWE back in the early 2000’s.
– The producers of the new marijuana-themed documentary, “The Emperor, The President & The King,” which prominently features former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam, recently released the above clip from the film that features RVD talking about marijuana curing cancer, Rick Simpson and the healing properties included in marijuana. For more information on Rick Simpson and his website for curing cancer with marijuana, visit PhoenixTears.ca.
– There is said to be a feeling among many in WWE that Billy Gunn will eventually be brought back to the company after he deals with being “punished” for about 9-12 months. As noted, Gunn was fired from his job as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs for a power-lifting competition he took part in back in July.
– Stephanie McMahon and Linda McMahon are currently in Miami, Florida for the Eisenhower Fellows’ “Making Strides: Global Networks Forum On Women’s Leadership” event. Stephanie tweeted the following photo of the two together at the event.
As noted, Billy Gunn was fired from his job as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center over the weekend after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs at a power-lifting competition back in July. WWE was unaware of Gunn’s suspension or the fact that he was active in power-lifting competitions.
Bryan Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live that it’s believed WWE only tests contracted talent, not the WWE coaches or staff at the WWE Performance Center. This is likely why there was never a negative WWE Wellness test for Gunn.
WWE officials were forced to release Gunn when they became aware of the situation, as they felt they couldn’t have one of their trainers testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs without it making their entire developmental program look bad.
No official decision has been made regarding Gunn’s replacement, however WWE is reportedly considering two people for the job.
Billy Gunn was fired by WWE on Friday due to a drug test he failed over the summer while competing in a powerlifting event, according to f4wonline.com.
The 52-year-old former tag team champion reportedly tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone back on July 25. He had a testosterone/epitestosterone ratio of 37-1, which is off the charts compared to the 4-1 limit. He was suspended from competitive powerlifting for four years – with WWE officials completely unaware he was competing as a powerlifter until just a few weeks ago.
Gunn had been working as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center. He appeared on the most recent season of Tough Enough as well as Breaking Ground on the WWE Network.
– JBL noted via social media that he has recorded three more episodes of “Legends with JBL,” however there is still no official word on when they will premiere on the WWE Network.
– NXT coach Billy Gunn celebrated his 52nd birthday on Sunday. His “New Age Outlaws” tag-team partner, Road Dogg, wrote the following on Instagram.
“Happy Birthday to my brother from another mother @realbillygunn I love you Billy Nilly and I hope you have a great day! #NAO #OUDK”
– The key sponsor for this year’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view is Rolaids. WWE Superstar Big Show can be seen in the Rolaids banner ads on the Internet and in print ads, as seen below.
James Storm made an impact last week when he attended NXT Takeover: Respect and then made his NXT in-ring the following night at the NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University.
It turns out that it was actually Billy Gunn who was instrumental in Storm working with WWE. The two are good friends behind the scenes and as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, Gunn helped open the lines of communication between the two sides.
There had been some reports that TNA made a last minute ‘big money’ offer to get Storm back, but PWInsider states that TNA simply reached out to Storm in hopes of getting him to join their upcoming tour of India, without any promises of a bump in pay.
– WWE had camera crews at the NXT live event in Winter Haven, Florida this weekend filming matches for the WWE Network show, “Breaking Ground.” They have had the same crews at the WWE Performance Center and other recent NXT live events for the same reason.
– Speaking of the NXT live event in Winter Haven, Billy Gunn made an appearance in front of the crowd and the aforementioned camera crews at the end of the show. Finn Balor invited Gunn to the ring after his match, and while Gunn declined at first, the fans in attendance eventually changed his mind. Gunn went on to hit Blake with a FameAsser before closing out the show doing the D-X routine alongside Balor and The Vaudevillains.
– Triple H posted the following on Twitter to the late Dusty Rhodes on what would have been “The American Dream’s” 70th birthday.
– In the Tough Enough Digital Extra video shown above the cameras catch Billy Gunn losing his cool with the competitors and in particular ZZ over their in-ring performance at this stage in the competition.
On the Tough Enough Twitter account, a short video was also shared showing ZZ in the ring with Booker T and NXT’s Jason Jordan also reacting:
– As noted yesterday Darren Young and Titus O’Neil (The Prime Time Players) were confirmed as the guests for next week’s show and were photographed on the back of a fire truck.
The Tough Enough Twitter account has since shared a number of photos showing the challenge the competitors faced with the Orange County Fire & Rescue Department in Florida:
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which is available right now, features an interview with actor Scott Baio. You can download the show at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE Tough Enough coaches Booker T, Lita and Billy Gunn break down week two of the show in the video featured below.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus carried the torch for the Pan Am Games in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada last week. Below are some photos of Trish at the event.
Ahead of the return of “Tough Enough” tonight on the USA Network, WWE have released a video where new coach Billy Gunn talks about the first challenge the contestants will have to endure.
USA Today’s Brian Truitt recently spoke with Triple H, Booker T and Chris Jericho about the return of the show. The full interview can be found at this link.
During the interview, Triple H spoke about taking the show to the next level:
“Our athletes and performers make what we do look very easy because they’re very, very good at it. People lose perspective of how difficult it is. You ostensibly have the opportunity to see an icon 20 years from now at Wrestlemania where you can say, ‘I remember seeing the day that they walked into the Performance Center and ran drills and threw up in the garbage can.'”
Triple H also addressed the most important quality in a potential superstar, their charisma:
“It’s the hardest thing to teach. It’s that guy who walks in the door and everybody stops and says, ‘Who’s that?’ It’s the girl who walks in and doesn’t have to be the hottest chick, but there’s something about her that you’re just like, ‘Wow, look at her.’ ”
The new series of “Tough Enough” premieres tonight at 8pm EST on the USA Network and will also be available on the WWE YouTube channel at the same time.
– The official WWE Tough Enough website has a new video interview up with Billy Gunn. Gunn, who will be serving s one of the trainers on the new season of the show informs the contestants what they can expect. You can check out the video at WWEToughEnough.com.
– Although he confirmed the news himself via social media earlier today, WWE is now officially advertising rapper Machine Gun Kelly as a guest star for the June 15th edition of WWE RAW in Cleveland, Ohio. WWE.com wrote the following about his scheduled appearance:
“Machine Gun Kelly is returning to the WWE Universe.
The hip-hop star who played John Cena to the ring at WrestleMania XXVIII and provided an official theme song of WrestleMania 29 will reunite with the Superstars and Divas of WWE when he appears as the Guest Star of the June 15 edition of Raw in advance of the release of his second album, due later this summer. Is a reunion with Cena in the cards for MGK, who will be guest-starring in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio? A musical performance of his new single, “A Little More?” Tune in to Raw June 15 at 8/7 C live on USA Network to find out!”
– NXT Diva Lina Ranene announced that she and Uhaa Nation will be making their NXT debut at the live event tonight in Venice, Florida. Ranene tweeted the following:
The format of the returning WWE Tough Enough reality show is going to be completely revamped compared to past seasons.
There will be training and in-house footage shot during the week, which will air on the Tuesday show. So when you watch an episode, the training and drama in the house we see will be from the previous week, very similar to The Ultimate Fighter season that they tried to do semi-live, as well as the UFC Primetime and “Embedded” specials which they try to keep up-to-date.
The television show will air each Tuesday, with footage shot during the week as well as a live show in front of a studio audience.
While Chris Jericho is scheduled to be the host of the show, it’s said that he will have somewhat of a “Ryan Seacrest role,” and won’t be hosting the show in the style that WWE had “Stone Cold” Steve Austin do several years ago.
As far as the rest of the cast, Hulk Hogan, Paige and Daniel Bryan will serve as panelists, mentors and judges, while Booker T, Billy Gunn and Lita will serve as the actual trainers for the contestants. Each week on the show there will be a judges vote and an audience vote to decide who goes home.
WWE has reportedly gone out of their way to recruit certain people to be cast members on the show, including Tessa Blanchard, daughter of WWE Hall Of Famer Tully Blanchard. It’s also said that they badly wanted Moose on the show.
Apparently WWE is telling people that they are recruiting to be on the program that they will be guaranteed a spot on the show, however the actual winner of the season will not be pre-determined and will be completely legitimate based on the fan voting.
Chris Jericho announced on Thursday that he will be hosting the new season of WWE Tough Enough, which premieres on the USA Network on Tuesday, June 23rd.
WWE also issued a press release giving tons more information about the new season, including details on judges, trainers and more.
– Hulk Hogan, Daniel Bryan and Paige will be judges on the series.
– Booker T, Lita and Billy Gunn will be the trainers.
– Tough Enough will be filmed out of the WWE Performance Center and Full Sail University, home of NXT.
– The official Tough Enough app will be launching on May 25th.
– There will be a lot of fan interaction, including the ability to vote via the Tough Enough app and texting to interact with various live elements
– Contestants in the series will “come face to face” with Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and John Cena over the course of the series.
The following is a new blog from WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley’s official Facebook page:
FUTURE CHAMPIONS!
I know they’ve been teaming up for a few weks, but tonight’s ?#?Smackdown? was the first time I’ve seen Tyson Kidd and Cesaro together as a tag-team, I know this may seem like a premature evaluation, but based soley on this one match, I am going to boldly predict that Kidd and Cesaro will be the ?#?WWE? tag team of the year for 2015. Remember, I’m the guy who boldly predicted that the waves of ?#?SandowMania? were going to one day crash down upon our shores…and so they have! Don’t even try pointing to that double-loss on WWE Monday Night Raw either – because the legend of #SandowMania is going to outlive us all, daddy!
Sure, they were probably just thrown together by creative. But sometimes, that’s how great teams are formed. Just ask Billy Gunn and Road Dogg, who were put together on a whim for the sake of a house show run in 1997, and became one of the most entertaining and successful units in pro-wrestling history.
Given the chance, and some time to gel, I see big things – and great matches – in this team’s future. Holler if you hear me.
A lot of the factors in pro wrestling are subjective. Some people enjoy this, some people enjoy that. Some fans prefer a better in-ring technician, some like a strong promo guy and others enjoy a great character. No one is wrong, because it’s all personal preference.
Generally speaking, when an editorial features a list, it’s “the best of” or “the worst of.” Today, we are going to switch gears a bit.
In keeping with the subjective theme, today we are going to look at who I personally consider to be the five best factions in the history of the business. Not the five best, my five favorite. And I’ll explain why, starting with …
#5. The Varsity Club
Many of the current generation of wrestling fans may have never even heard of The Varsity Club. Growing up, they were one of my favorite wrestling stables.
The original group consisted of Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotunda and Rick Steiner, all of which wore their amateur wrestling letterman jackets. The guys were among the most legitimate tough guys in the business at the time, and the group had the perception of being the baddest son of a bitches on the planet.
As is the case with any wrestling stable, as time went on the group was watered down. Members such as “Dr. Death” Steve Williams and “Dangerous” Dan Spivey were added to the mix, and before too long, the group ceased to exist. While they were around though, in my opinion, they were pretty damn cool.
#4. The Fabulous Freebirds
As far as I’m concerned any writer who doesn’t include The Fabulous Freebirds on their “top stables” or “top factions” lists should have their head examined. The Freebirds were as cool as it got when I was a youngster.
The group was led by Michael “P.S.” Hayes, a current WWE creative team member who is credited with introducing theme music to the ring-walk portion of the professional wrestling presentation. The group consisted of Hayes, Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy and Buddy Roberts. Roberts was considered a great in-ring technician, and prior to the Birds, had a lengthy career worthy of Hall Of Fame status. In fact, Roberts was part of the original “Hollywood Blondes” tag-team, a name that was later used for the team of “Stunning” Steve Austin and “Flyin'” Brian Pillman. Gordy was a legend in Japan and portrayed the “enforcer” role in the group. Hayes was a rock star and easily one of the most charismatic wrestlers of his time, if not of all-time.
Later on, Hayes and Jimmy “Jam” Garvin would bring back The Fabulous Freebirds as a straight tag-team act. How this group has yet to receive an induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame confuses me to this very day.
#3. D-Generation X
I’m of the belief that there is not a fan of North American professional wrestling that has not heard of D-Generation X. That would mean they did their jobs and left a lasting legacy in the business.
D-X consisted of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna and Rick Rude. When the group officially formed, you could make the argument that along with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, they officially ushered in the infamous “Attitude Era” in WWE. They did things for shock value at a time when Howard Stern, The Jerry Springer Show and many other shock-television style shows reigned supreme. It was a natural fit, and the group really cemented Triple H as a main event performer in WWE.
Later on, as is the case with every faction or stable in history, an attempt was made to get the gang back together, only this time — it worked. You could argue that the second version of D-X was actually more successful than the first. The second group featured Triple H as the leader instead of Michaels, and his group consisted of Chyna, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn and “The Road Dogg” Jesse James. Anyone who saw WWE RAW the night that D-X “invaded” WCW will never forget that moment. It was amazing entertainment and really symbolized the “Monday Night War” going on at the time between WWE and WCW.
D-X was brought back again in the 2000s as a straight tag-team act that featured the two original members — Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Personally, I didn’t enjoy that run nearly as much as their first run, but it was still a cool thing to see the two back together having fun.
While unofficial, the belief is that the spot that resulted in Billy Gunn getting injured at WrestleMania XXX was the finishing sequence, which saw The Shield hit their trademark triple-powerbomb on both he and Road Dogg at the same time. As previously reported, Gunn was coughing up blood after the match as a result of the injuries he sustained.
Based off of things said at Monday’s post-WrestleMania edition of RAW, it appears as though the New Age Outlaws will be off of television for a while, as the six-man tag-team match at WrestleMania XXX was their blow off for their latest run on television.
– WWE is auctioning off a WWE Championship belt signed by Hulk Hogan, John Cena, The Undertaker and Triple H at CharityBuzz.com. Proceeds go towards the Superstars For Kids charity. The auction ends at 12pm EST on Tuesday, with the current bid listed at $1,425.
– As you can imagine, the atmosphere was very positive backstage at WrestleMania XXX. Everybody was in great spirits and it felt like the celebratory landmark show that it was.
– One of the big wildcard issues heading into WrestleMania was how the WWE Network stream would hold up. Aside from some very minor skipping, the stream was considered a huge success.
– Billy Gunn tweeted the following after reports that he suffered from internal bleeding after his match against The Shield at WrestleMania:
Ok thanks everyone I am fine just a miner hiccup. Just busted some blood vessels in my lungs
According to the official WWE website, Billy Gunn was injured during his match with Road Dogg and Kane against The Shield at WrestleMania XXX on Sunday night in New Orleans.
The official WWE website reported the following:
“At the very end of the match, Billy sustained a powerbomb maneuver,” reported WWE’s Dr. Chris Amann. “After that maneuver, he started to develop hemoptysis, which is the medical term for coughing up blood.
“We brought him back and evaluated him immediately, checked his oxygen, his blood pressure … everything was stable,” Amann continued. “We got some X-rays of his chest, which did not show any evidence of a collapsed lung, so our diagnosis right now is that he most likely ruptured a small blood vessel that caused bleeding to the airways and, subsequently, coughing up blood.”
As for Gunn’s condition at this time, Dr. Amann said, “We’re going to monitor him closely for the rest of the night, and we’ll have any additional updates as they’re available.”
As previously reported, WWE held another tryout camp at the WWE Performance Center earlier this month. The tryouts were held by Bill DeMott, Norman Smiley, Matt “Tensai” Bloom, Billy Gunn, William Regal and Dean Malenko.
One of the participants in the camp was Matt Dawson, a professional bodybuilder who stands 6’3” and weighs in at 282lbs. Dawson wrote the following blog recently at JTStrong.com about his experience.
“Incredible experience, but the most difficult thing I have EVER done, as far as athletics go.
I arrived in Orlando on Wednesday evening. Met my roommate and several others who were attending the camp at the car rental place inside the airport. We got our car and headed back to the hotel to unpack. Several of us then went out to eat, and turned in pretty early, as we knew we were about to go through hell.
Hell just might be an understatement. We arrived to the WWE Performance Center at 7:30am, as we did not want to be late for the 8am start time. We checked in and immediately had full physicals to ensure we were all healthy enough for the camp. I measured in at 6? 2 3/4? and 282lbs. I was the second largest athlete there. There was somebody they brought in from Russia who was at least 6’4? and 320lbs.
There was 30 of us in total. 20 of the guys were experienced “professional” style wrestlers, who have been doing this type of wrestling for years and years (some as long as 10 years). They were professional wrestlers from Japan, and various countries around Europe, as well as the US. These are the people who have worked their entire lives and are 100% dedicated for the sole purpose of making it into the WWE. Almost all of them have impressive amateur athletic backgrounds, from All State and All American amateur wrestlers, football, track and field and other athletic endeavors. Several of them even majored in theater while in college for the sole purpose of trying to make it into the WWE.
The other 10 of us were referred to as “athletes.” We have no “professional” style wrestling experience at all, but all have extremely various athletic backgrounds ranging from former NFL football players, All American amateur wrestlers, bodybuilders, powerlifters, Olympic bobsledders, All American college football players and even All American gymnasts.
I was extremely impressed with the coaches, as they knew ALL of us right when we walked in. They definitely did their homework as they knew our entire athletic backgrounds and all of our previous experiences. For all you wrestling fans, the coaches were Bill Demott, William Regal, Billy Gunn, Dean Malenko, Normal Smiley, Matt Bloom (Prince Albert) and several others.
Anyways, day 1 and 2 were broken down into two, 3 hour training sessions, with a 90 minute lunch break or so. After all the physicals were complete they immediately began our training which consisted of 3 hours of pure, 100% conditioning. This certainly isn’t my forte, as all my training for the past 15 years has been geared towards lifting maximal weights, and no conditioning work longer than 30 second bursts. There were 3 wrestling rings set up and we went nonstop from one ring to the other to the other doing various wrestling style conditioning drills. Let me emphasize that this was 3 hours of practically non stop conditioning with various rolls, jumps, flips, slams, updowns etc… I thought I was going to die at least 5 times, but I never quit or gave up. I couldn’t believe the extent that they pushed us, as this was by far the hardest thing I have ever done athletically. I would rather go through 2 months of college football 2-a-days then experience another 3 days of this. Brutal is an extreme understatement.
After each and every training session I honestly didn’t know if i was going to survive. Every single muscle, joint, tendon, and ligament was screaming.
Day 3 was a bit easier as it was the final day, and we only had one session, half of it consisting of doing our “promos” and photoshoots. I did my promo as a crazy school teacher who was fed up with children who were spoiled, parents who don’t discipline their children, and kids running the show while the parents sit back, hopeless and afraid to set rules and guidelines for their kids. Apparently it went extremely well, as everybody was super impressed with the promo I gave….little did they know it wasn’t that far off of what I truly believe anyways!
At the end of the camp, the coaches gave us a great speech. Basically they all said that this was one of the best camps they have ever had (they hold 3 camps per year). Nobody quit, and we all powered through the training. They knew all of our backgrounds and knew many of us were not designed for that crazy level of conditioning. They simply wanted to weed us out, see who was tough enough, and who wouldn’t quit. The WWE is a great company, and they took very good care of us while we were down there. I was totally impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the WWE. They said they will let us know, one way or another, if they want to offer us a contract or not within 6-8 weeks.
All in all it was an amazing experience, but an experience I never want to repeat. I have an entire new respect for all the WWE superstars, and the brutal training they put their bodies through day in and day out.”
– WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee attended the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con late last year (along with Sheamus) and revealed that she actually turned down an offer to be part of the Total Divas reality show.
– Attitude Era star Scotty 2 Hotty, who returned as part of the Too Cool act at Old School RAW a couple of weeks ago, attended the WWE NXT event in Daytona, Florida. Scotty tweeted the following photo from the show: