Former TNA announcer and beloved pitchman Don West is back and he’s pumped up about Global Force Wrestling.
GFW released a new video of Don West hyping the promotion’s Grand Slam Tour and of course, their extensive line of merchandise, including coozies (!!!) and the must-have Jeff Jarrett special edition guitar.
Jeff Jarrett recently spoke with Aaron Oster of Rolling Stone about Global Force Wrestling. Jarrett spoke in-depth about the company’s identity, his feelings about TNA Wrestling and more.
When asked about what defines Global Force Wrestling, Jarrett said they plan to be “forward-thinking and innovative.” They’ve formed alliances with other promotions around the world so we can share talent. He emphasized that every wrestler has a story and he plans to focus on who these athletes are. While they will certainly feature some storylines, their goal is not necessarily to “tell stories” – they want to document stories.
Jarrett was asked if we’re going to see him as a regular character on the GFW shows, Jarrett said flat out, “No. I’m certainly not going to wrestle for the foreseeable future. I’m not going to say that I’m retired, but 99.9 percent of my time is going to be dedicated to promoting the brand and promoting the athletes of Global Force Wrestling.”
As for their ultimate goal, Jarrett said, “We want to put up compelling content with compelling wrestlers, and that will be a barometer of success. We just want to be a positive influence within the wrestling industry.”
The inaugural Global Force Wrestling shows take place this weekend in Jackson, TN and Knoxville, TV as part of their Grand Slam Tour of minor league baseball parks. Here are the lineups:
Friday, June 12 – Jackson, TN
The Ballpark At Jackson (Tickets)
Jackson, TN Meet and Greet
Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Jim Cornette, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, “Bullet Babe” Amber Gallows, Chris “The Adonis” Mordetzky, Thea Trinidad, Dustin Starr
Sonjay Dutt vs. Jamin Olivencia
Lei’D Tapa vs. Thea Trinidad
Tate Twins vs. Best Friends
Kevin Matthews vs. Moose
The Bullet Club (Gallows/Anderson) vs. New Heavenly Bodies
Chris Mordetzky vs. Dustin Starr
Special guest: Jim Cornette
Saturday, June 13 Knoxville, TN
Smokies Stadium (Tickets)
Knoxville, TN Meet and Greet
Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Jim Cornette, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, “Bullet Babe” Amber Gallows, Chris “The Adonis” Mordetzky, Thea Trinidad, Devin Driscoll
Chris Mordetzky vs. Devin Driscoll
Sonjay Dutt and Chase Owens vs. Jamin Olivenica and Jason Kincaid
Tate Twins vs. Best Friends
Lei’D Tapa vs. Thea Trinidad
Kongo Kong vs. Moose
The Bullet Club (Gallows/Anderson) vs. New Heavenly Bodies
Special guest: Jim Cornette
Several more talents have been confirmed for the Global Force Wrestling roster:
GFW’s first TV tapings take place on Friday July 24th from The Orleans casino & hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For Immediate Release
May 6, 2015
Talent Announced for Global Force Wrestling at Orleans Arena
Chael Sonnen named GFW Analyst; Roster includes international talents, former professional football players and more
Las Vegas – Global Force Wrestling revealed some of its talent roster in a press conference today at the Orleans Arena. The roster includes talented international athletes, former NFL players, mixed martial artists and more.
“We have slowly but steadily been building toward this day,” said Jeff Jarrett, GFW founder and CEO. “The feedback I have received in my international travels has been off the charts. Fans are ready for the reveal of the entire GFW roster and they’re eager for their voices to be heard!”
Staying true to the GFW mission statement, the roster offers “elite professional athletes from five different continents,” as well as “real stories, real people and real meaning.” Fans will be able to see stars like the “Bullet Club” tag team of “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows; the “Killer Elite Squad,” a tag team composed of Lance Hoyt and Davey Boy Smith Jr., who have made a name for themselves in Japan as well as stints throughout the world. Also joining GFW are Chris “The Adonis” Mordetsky, South African sensation PJ Black, former NFL offensive lineman Quinn “Moose” Ojinnaka, and women’s stars Lei’D Tapa and Thea Trinidad, with more names to come.
GFW has alliances with 13 promotions on five continents, including New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Mexico’s AAA and more top independent organizations in Europe, Australia and Africa.
Also at the press conference, outspoken MMA star and ESPN broadcaster Chael Sonnen announced his role as an expert analyst for Global Force Wrestling.
“As an expert analyst, Chael Sonnen is something we’ve talked about for a long time,” said Jarrett. “He’s not one to shy from speaking his mind, and we’re all eager to see what he has to say about the GFW athletes.”
The GFW Las Vegas TV tapings will take place on Friday, July 24; Friday, August 21; and Friday, October 23. Tickets for all three events will go on sale on Friday, May 15 at noon, with an exclusive pre-sale beginning on Monday, May 11 at noon. Tickets are available starting at $30 and can be purchased online at www.orleansarena.com, by phone at 702-284-7777 or in-person at Boyd Gaming box offices. VIP tickets will include a Meet & Greet with GFW talent. Join the conversation online with the hashtag #GFWVegas.
Global Force Wrestling announced 10 roster members at a press conference this afternoon from Las Vegas, Nevada. The “special guest” advertised for the press conference was Chael Sonnen, who will serve as GFW’s Expert Analyst. The following wrestlers have been announced:
Global Force Wrestling has announced that they will be hosting a press conference this Wednesday at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas to reveal which wrestlers have signed with the promotion.
The press conference, which takes place at 10am local time (1pm EST) will feature a “special guest” to help Jeff Jarrett unveil the Global Force talent roster.
#GFW & @orleansarena host a HUGE press event Wed. 5/6 at 10A PT. Tix info & the start of the roster reveal! #GFWVegas pic.twitter.com/E3ivBAydNJ
— My World with Jeff Jarrett (@MyWorldPod) May 4, 2015
Comment below and tell us which current free agents you’d like to see in Jeff Jarrett’s new promotion.
Eric Bischoff took part in a Q&A session with Jeff Jarrett over the weekend for Preston City Wrestling and revealed that he will be working with Global Force Wrestling.
Karen Jarrett asked Bischoff if he’ll be working with Global Force. Both Jarrett and Bischoff said yes, but noted that they are still in the early stages of launching the promotion.
Global Force will hold their first round of TV tapings on July 24th from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jeff Jarrett made his big announcement regarding the future of Global Force Wrestling on Sunday evening.
Jarrett announced that GFW will be holding three shows across three months, all of which will be taped for future television broadcasts.
While no cable partner was announced, it was confirmed that Global Force will be taping events at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 24th, August 21st and October 23rd.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted a new blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
Projects He’s Working On: “We had some productive meetings in LA the past couple of days and my itch to get back into some form of play by play needs scratching. Boxing and MMA folks are speaking with us and where that goes is anyone’s guess but I’m told that it looks positive multiple fronts.”
Potential Lawsuits Over Bill DeMott: “Contingency attorneys must be licking their chops on the thought of expected litigation on the allegations directed to the Bill DeMott matter. If I were them I might not spend that money just yet. ”
NXT: “Smart move by WWE to tour outside their home base of Florida as it helps the talents in a multitude of ways. Poor travelers don’t make great roster members in my view. Plus, by booking some experienced talents with the younger ones the ‘rookies’ will improve exponentially faster. Fact: rookies cannot improve as needed working only with other rookies.”
Global Force Wrestling: “Getting lots of questions about what’s next for Global Force Wrestling and I expect Jeff Jarrett to address this matter after WrestleMania. However if he does to a series of TV tapings I do think that doing them in Las Vegas is a splendid idea. Begs the question, if Jeff actually is planning on taping TV, could a network deal be too far behind? Yes, Jeff and I are talking but there is no “deal” on the table at this time.”
Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling will be holding their first TV tapings from Las Vegas, Nevada later this year.
There are conflicting reports regarding whether the first tapings will take place in May or July, but Jeff Jarret himself has confirmed that big announcements are forthcoming.
Jarrett released the following video giving fans an update on “The State Of Global Force Wrestling” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbBlCwbIx7o
Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett recently spoke to Brian Fritz of SportingNews.com about the rollout of his new promotion.
Below is an excerpt from the interview.
“It’s live event programming or it can be live event programming and in today’s world that’s very important. Global Force is doing the rollout and we’re strategically looking at the distribution models because brand awareness is everything and the wrestling business is very healthy and Global Force is ready to do the rollout in 2015.
Timing is everything but brand awareness is at the very top. You have to very strategically roll out. In business, the bottom line is all that really matters. So when you put the pieces together of talent, of live event shows, of sponsorships, of distribution, legal and finance go with all of that but brand awareness sits on top of all of that. First impression is a last impression, so I think to roll it out strategically, you got to do it the right way. Patience is not in my DNA but thus far I’ve had some good patience and I’m taking it step by step.”
Check out the complete interview at SportingNews.com.
Below are complete results of the New Japan Pro Wrestling and Global Force Wrestling “Wrestle Kingdom 9” pay-per-view event, which featured U.S. commentary from Jim Ross and Matt Striker. Results are from Dave Meltzer and F4WOnline.com.
NEW JAPAN RUMBLE MATCH
We’re opening the Rumble with Tiger Mask vs. Yuji Nagata. Guys are coming in every minute. The building is really empty at this point, but then again the advertised start time is 40 minutes away.
Yuji Nagata pinned Yoshi-Hashi with the bridging back suplex in a long Rumble match. It wasn’t very good. They are shooting right into the tarped off sections which makes no sense at all. Crowd wasn’t that hot for it. There were a few surprises, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Great Kabuki and Hiro Saito. Saito gave everyone sentons and Fujiwara gave everyone head-butts. Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu did some good stuff and Tama Tonga went for a Stinger splash on Yoshi-Hashi when he was one of the last three, Yoshi-Hashi ducked and Tonga flew over the top to the floor. This was a Battle Royal where you could be eliminated by over the top rope, pins (mostly gang up pins) and submissions. Japan has never done Battle Royals well and this was the epitome of a get everyone on the show match.
Great video package to open the show.
BOBBY FISH & KYLE O’REILLY VS. YOUNG BUCKS VS. ALEX SHELLEY & KUSHIDA VS. ROCKY ROMERO & ALEX KOSLOV FOR IWGP JR. TITLE
Fish & O’Reilly won when O’Reilly pinned Koslov after Chasing the Dragon. Great match with all kinds of super moves. Really cool spot where Romero gave a Doomsday Device onto the Young Bucks who did a flip bump and landed on their feet and hit. All the dives, superkick party, Meltzer driver, Forever clothesline and all the stuff you’d expect. Really fun, hurt a little because the juniors have a hard time getting heat in a building this large.
SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN & TOMOAKI HONMA VS. JEFF JARRETT & BAD LUCK FALE & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI
Karen Jarrett and Scott D’Amore were at ringside. Surprise ending as Honma pinned Yujiro with a diving head-butt off the top rope after Jarrett went to hit Honma with the guitar, but he moved and it hit Yujiro. Solid match built around Honma. Match was really rushed.
TORU YANO & MIKEY NICHOLLS & SHANE HASTE & NAOMICHI MARUFUJI VS. TAKASHI IIZUKA & SHELTON BENJAMIN & DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. & LANCE ARCHER
Another rushed match when Marufuji pinned Iizuka with a Tiger uppercut kneelift. Good athletic action by Nicholls & Haste, who worked a lot with Smith & Archer. Benjamin did a leap to the top and threw overhead belly to belly on Marufji all the way across the ring. Good for what it was.
KAZUSHI SAKURABA VS. MINORU SUZUKI IN UWF RULES
Jim Ross put this match over so big like people have waited a lifetime for this, the best protege of Karl Gotch against the best protege of Billy Robinson.
Suzuki won with a choke after a choke suplex. The story of the match is that Sakuraba may have broken Suzuki’s arm with a Kimura on the floor. So Suzuki worked the rest of the match with one arm. There were super hard kicks and slaps back and forth, teased knockdowns, and great early matwork. They played UWFI music for Sakuraba after the match even though he lost. The match would have been better with five more minutes but they are rushing through things. For what they were doing, this was really good.
TOMOHIRO ISHII VS. TOGI MAKABE FOR THE NEVER TITLE
Super match mostly stiff elbows and elbows. Makabe worked on the injured left shoulder, including a German suplex on the shoulder. Makabe won the title after tons of near falls and one count kick outs after a kneedrop off the top right on the bad shoudler that Makabe worked on the entire match. This was the best thing so far.
Next is the announcement of the big shows for the year
2/11 New Beginning in Osaka
2/14 New Beginning in Sendai
3/5 New Japan Cup show final in Tokyo
3/15 New Japan Cup in Hiroshima
4/15 Invasion Attack in Tokyo
4/29 Big show in Kumamoto
5/3 Fukuoka Internatioal Center Wrestling Dontaku
May Ring of Honor tour
6/7 Best of the Super Junior tournament in Tokyo
7/5 Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall
G-1 Climax 25
7/20 opener in Sapporo
8/14 at Sumo Hall
8/15 at Sumo Hall agian
8/16 finals at Sumo Hall
– Former WWE Champion will make his ROH debut at tonight’s TV tapings from Nashville, TN tonight. He’ll face Christopher Daniels at the Nashville Fairgrounds Arena, formerly known as the TNA Asylum.
– Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett is reportedly in talks with Mexico’s AAA promotion to bring AAA to pay-per-view in the United States. This would be a deal similar to GFW presenting this weekend’s New Japan Pro Wrestling Wrestle Kingdom 9 event.
– Tickets for House of Hardcore VIII go on sale this Monday afternoon. The event takes place on March 7th from the former ECW Arena in Philadelphia.
The following are highlights of a new U.K. Mirror interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On working Global Force Wrestling’s English-language presentation of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 9 this weekend: “Jeff Jarrett made the inroads, he and my business manager worked out the deal, it was a win-win for both of us, so I said ‘I’m in.’ I’m excited about it. I’ve been in this business for 40 years, so when you get a chance to do something new after being around that long, it’s pretty motivating. I look at this as a new adventure, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
On if he will call another event after this weekend: “I don’t know if I’ll do any more, I don’t know that I want to do any more. If there’s anything after that it’ll be a bonus. But I’m going to do this show, I’m preparing to do this show, like it’s my last major pay-per-view lead play-by-play.”
On his WWE departure: “I had 21 years there – it wasn’t like I had a brief little run and everything was over. I had a great run in WWE, I went into the Hall of Fame, there were a lot more good days than bad ones. Was it the ideal way to exit? Probably not. I assumed a level of responsibility in that SummerSlam symposium, I was driving the train and the train got off the tracks, so the decision was made that it wasn’t a good thing and I moved on.”
On Vince McMahon saying he would be open to working with Ross again on Steve Austin’s podcast: “There’s an old expression in wrestling that says ‘never say never’, when you are in my stage of my life, where I’ve been so blessed with this career, I’m not going to tell you that I’d never go [back] but it’d strictly depend on my role and how much time away from home it would demand. I leave the door open. Would I say definitively no, I would never work for WWE again? Absolutely not. It would necessitate me to give it some thought and it would depend on what the job description was and what they wanted me to do. I’m 62, I’ll be 63 in January, I have to be conscious of jobs.”
On whether or not TNA tried to hire him: “No. They know I don’t have any desire to get back in the weekly grind of that. Dixie and no-one else has asked about me coming back full-time and that’s why this opportunity [with GFW] was so fit really – it was a one-time deal, a one-off. I like knowing I don’t have any pressure on me beyond that, I can focus on this one big event, really try to nail it without any pressure that I’ve got to do something tomorrow, or next week, or next month.”
On agreeing with Vince that no WWE Superstar has grabbed the brass ring since John Cena: “Since we signed John Cena, no-one has outworked John Cena. John Cena’s work ethic is beyond reproach. It’s been phenomenal to see what he does and he’s made himself a brand. John was willing to do things that had not been done, he was willing to take a chance – his wrestling attire was non-traditional, he was a Caucasian rapper and that was unique for wrestling, that was bold. Vince made a good point, Cena did all he could to become the guy. Has anyone else since John Cena worked in every phase of their game to get really good? I think the argument could be made that some have worked as hard as Cena in some areas, but not across the board as he has.”
“Sometimes if you look at your talent as athletes, not entertainers, they need to be challenged occasionally – we need you to play better, I need you to lose 20 pounds, I need you to work on your tan, as silly as that sounds. From an athletic point of view, every coach has those heart-to-hearts with their team at some point in time. If you’re going to go down the athletic road, every now and then they need a pep talk, and every now and then they need to ask themselves, ‘What have I done to make myself better than I was last week? What am I doing to make myself a more valuable player?’ I think Vince is sending a subtle message there, or not-so-subtle, that Cena was the last guy that went the complete distance to grab the brass ring. And then when he grabbed the brass ring he didn’t quit growing, he kept trying to get better. He’s their guy right now, lord knows what they would be without John Cena.”
Check out the complete interview at Mirror.co.uk.
The following are highlights of a new WNS Podcast interview with GFW founder Jeff Jarrett:
ON THE PRESENTAYION OF WRESTLEKINGDOM 9 AND HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT
It goes back to late March-April right around the time I launched the company’s name April 7, 2014. New Japan reached out and they knew they wanted to bring New Japan to the North American market. And so we sat down and strategized and it became obvious real quick that what better way to make a splash than to enter the North American market with their biggest show of the year the TokyoDome. WrestleKingdom 9, I believe this is the 24th year they’ve had this event. It was real obvious that this was the event so we put the wheels in motion and made it happen and we couldn’t be happier thus far with the promotion, the hype and just everything coming together.
ON BRINGING JIM ROSS ON BOARD TO DO COMMENTARY AND ANY POSSIBILITIES OF WORKING TOGETHER ON A REGULAR BASIS
How it came about is a two part question. New Japan and Global Force sort of had to cement their relationship and we did and we made it official back in August. I went over there and made a formality. But we had our agreement in place and then we turned to the pay per view providers as it relates to the TokyoDome show and put those 8, 9, 10 contracts in place and then the Flips guys came onboard and then the next logical step was if we’re going to present to the North American english speaking market we need to find two announcers. So when you start looking around, it was a no brainer. Jim Ross, in my opinion, has no peers. He’s the voice of this wrestling fan’s generation. He’s had a main event run that goes back to The Clash Of Champions. I mean he’s been on top of this game, this business and what he does in this business for over 20 years and so you know it’s like I said. It was a no brainer. I’ve done business with his representation on and off for years. Great group of people. Fair, honest, stand up guys and so we communicated then got into negotiations and Jim stayed out of it. It’s funny because in years past Jim dealt with the agents of the talent and the talent tried to stay out of it. And now, years later, I used to be a talent. Still a talent but in this situtation I was negotiating with Jim who’s the talent. So, we closed the deal, we got down to work and I cannot tell you. I knew that it was going to be big. I knew that Jim was going to take the event to another level to the North American market. I knew that we were going to get some positive feedback. But it’s blown me away. Just the media reach it’s like every day there’s a new media hit or multiple media hits and mainstream stuff. And so, the online advertising and feedback has gone through the roof. Man it just keeps growing literally daily. I can’t wait for January 4th and we’re a couple of weeks away and we couldn’t be happier with the signing of Jim Ross.
ON NOT ONLY SECURING JIM ROSS BUT THE ADDITION OF MATT STRIKER AS WELL AND ON TOPMOF THT ACTION IN THE RING AS WELL
I’ve done a bunch of media and still got several more heading into January 4th. But talking about that and then we’ll be 20-30 minutes into a podcast or interview and they’ll say, and we haven’t even begun to talk about the matches and that’s a GOOD THING. Matt Striker, if I can just for a minute, he just blew me away and I’ve been asked why Matt. Literally, six or secen not great but good candidates. But the pre-requisites, Jim’s the one who’s going to be driving that bus. He’s the one who’s going to be steering that ship. And so I needed someone that really, two things, one can they compliment Jim? Can they get out of Jim’s way when need be? They’ve worked together in the past Jim felt real comfortable and I felt real comfortable. The second thing was you gotta know the product. You gotta immerse yourself in the product. And Matt, anybody can study up on these 10 matches and sort of wing it and get by. But Matt blew me away with by his in depth knowledge of just how good Japan came about 42 years ago and the stories and the ebbs and flows and different ownerships and just all the american talent and the japanese talent through the years. Matt, I think he’s impressed people with his Lucha Underground work. He’s going to blow people away with his knowledge of that product
ON IF WE WILL SEE GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLONG WEEKLY TELEVISED PROGRAMMING
Yes. In 2015 you will
ON A PREFERAVLE TIMETABLE FOR WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN
One thing I understand is the anticipation and the excitement and some people the anxiety, the aggravation. Not enough information has been given out. But we’ve done that on purpose strategically. I have learned from past things, watching things, being a part of things. Not just wrestling. Any type of product, brand. When you really rush something to market before it’s ready, you can potentially have fatal mistakes. And so we at Global Force have a real strategic holdout mindset. April 7, I announced the name of the company. April 30 I announced the agreement with AAA. June 23 was New Japan. In Europe, we made the announcement in July. In South Africa, August, late August was Australia. Spreading the brand, rolling things out piece by piece. Getting brand awareness. Just brand awareness and I love it. “What is Global Force?” You said the majority of the questions in some shape or fashion was “What is Global Force?” What are we gonna see?”. That’s great. I love that. I love that feedback tha there’s anticipation that the fanbase cares and they want to know. And so the next strategic step obviously was announcing the New Japan pay per view. Then the addition of Jim Ross and Matt Striker. We’ve got an announcement coming up soon from our South African partners. And so we have our eye on the ball. From January 4th you back up 8 weeks. This has consumed us and this is what we want the world to know about Global Force Wrestling is that we’re representing this event. After the event, we’re going to have to keep rolling out and make the correct announcements
ON WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WILL STAND OUT IN GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING
Well I don’t want to get into too much show specifics. I’ll save that for the viewers and when the show actually rolls out. But you can obviously see some fundamental differences in our presentation that in years past promotions act like other promotions don’t exist. And if they do recognize them, they degrade them or talk bad about them. In Global Force, we’re 180 degrees different. We’re not only going to recognize other promotions around the world we’re going to help promote. Just a couple of weeks ago on Ring Of Honor’s pay per view. That Sunday, we used our digital station and social media to help promote them. Ring Of Honor is part of the New Japan Dome show. So, we believe that it’s healthy for the industry, it’s healthy for Global Force, it’s healthy for the other promotion to recognize and help promote and that is a big fundamental difference.
ON WHETHER THE INDY CIRCUIT WILL FEEL MORE PRESSURE TO PUSH THEIR TALENT FURTHER AND TOO MUCH
The short answer to your question is no I don’t think it’s going to put additional pressure because there are guys who are going to flat out do what they want to do. Some get good advice, some get bad advice. The term ‘indy’, I believe, is almost passe. I think it’s somewhat a negative connotation. The word I’m using right now which I really like which is true is free agent. Guys that are free to work for any promotion and I believe, like you said, guys like Steen, Prince Devitt, these guys that have come from the ‘independant scene’ is just a testament. The independant scene, the free agent market is very very healthy. And Inthink it shows. In North America you have Ring Of Honor with their syndicated deal, congrats to TNA they got their Destination America deal, Action Spring in New Japan, El Rey with Lucha Underground. Global Force will be on the scene in 2015. So, the business is healthy, the free agent market is healthy and I thinkit didn’t happen overnight. It’s taken many years but as a promoter I couldn’t be happier.
THOUGHTS ON STORYLINES PRESENTED IN WRESTLING
Global Force Wrestling has aired numerous videos on our youtube channel and in one of them Jim Ross refers to not overthinking it. The basics, the fundamentals. Global Force is going to have a real core fundamental that guys are going to step in the ring. Sure you’re going to have characters larger than life. That’s what the business has always been about but it’s going to be about competition and a 1…2…3. In New Japan over the last 36-48 months it all culminates at the Dome on January 4th. They do very fundamental basics and every person that’s ever been a part of matchmaking, creative, booking, whatever you want to call ittend to outthink themselves at times and that NXT show wasn’t outthought and it didn’t surprise me when I saw Pat Patterson. Pat Patterson knows what he’s doing. The matchmakers at New Japan, they certainly knew that Okada and Tanahashi are mega stars and they’re going for the title and let’s not outthink it. Jim said it, it may be the best main event he’s ever called. That takes in alot of ground. I mean, when you really think about that one statement. “it may be the best main event Jim Ross has ever called”. That’s 15-20 Wrestlemanias, that’s Clash Of Champions, that’s umpteenth Royal Rumbles, Summerslams, many Monday Night Raws. Fantastic main events. When you think about that then to me it almost says it all. January 4th is a can’t miss event and it’s about the basics of wrestling
ON SOME OF THE MATCHES ON THE CARD INCLUDING YOUNG BUCKS VS RED DRAGON
When you talk about “it may be the best main event Ross ever calls”, it’s going to be interesting to hear Jim Ross call that Four Corners Match because those four guys, it’s non-stop. Young Bucks are the best tag team in wrestling today. They’re wrestling 2015 and beyond. That match, on a different spectacle may be one of the best tag matches the world has ever seen. Those guys can live up to the hype, they’re all very competitive individuals. As trams as well as individuals. People ask me what match are you looking forward to? The main event and even if you don’t know who Okada and Tanahashi I tell the wrestling fan that asks imagine your most favourite rivalry. I don’t care if it’s Flair-Steamboat or Savage-Steamboat, Hogan-Andre or Austin-Rock. Cena-Orton, Jarrett-Angle whatever your favourite rivalry ever was imagine these two guys Okada and Tanahashi then the opening match, the Four Corners match. Then the third one to me and this is a little bit near and dear to my heart but it is sort of a cap of the year of AJ Styles. What he had. AJ steps away from his comfort zone, he went out on his own and he took over and he rose to the occasion. I think this is probably the best year of AJ’s career and so his match in the Dome against Naito. Naito is a main event player but he’s really trying to break through to that Okada level and so those two guys that will be a matchfor the ages as well
ON THE ONE MEMORABLE LINE FROM JIM ROSS, “THIS IS A SONG, THE GUYS IN THE RING PROVIDE THE MUSIC. HE’S JUST HOPING TO PROVIDE THE CORRECT LYRICS”
That lone has resonated with a lot of people, me included. I’ve repeated that line on a few of my podcasts, print interviews, digital interviews and that is really what this event has ccome all about. Global Force and New Japan and the pay per view and the Flipps app. The stars have aligned and then Jim Ross and the main event. And just everything it comes down to is if you’re a wrestling fan, you can’t miss it. You truly cannot miss this event. Sure there’s tv shows and other pay per views and different things that you go ‘it’s not going to be the end of the world if i don’t see this’. I’ve told a lot of people that I’ve done interviews with and business associates and people that I’m dealing with some sponsorships that are a little bit new to this business so to speak and I ask them are you gonna watch it and they’re like hell yeah and you don’t have to lie to me I can’t check your cable bill. When ARE you gonna watch it and about 9 out of 10 say ‘I’m watching live’. That’s where it resonates deep in my promoter’s soul is that ‘yep, it truly is a can’t miss event’. We’re gonna stay up all night to watch. 4hr event and priced right. When all those decisions were going on there was a strong contingent internally and externallysaying that’s really going to be the price?. It’s not going to be $44.95 or $49.95 because society with the UFC and boxing fightsthet’re $69.90 way up there. No, for the wrestling fan $34.95 is the right price in my opinion
ON THE ORIGINS OF ‘SLAP NUTS’
It’s simple, my grandmother is the one who got us into this business. She sold wrestling tickets to make extra money and work her way up in this business. She did everything but wrestle. She ran the back end of the business and she was around all kinds of characters and she’s a woman who made it big time in a man’s world and she said the one tning that agitated her was she’d say I don’t like people who talk more and more about less and less and she called them slappys and so i took slappys and tirned it into slap nuts
Check out the complete interview at WrestlingNewsSource.com.
The following are highlights of a new In Your Head Wrestling interview with Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett:
How did the deal with New Japan to promote Wrestle Kingdom 9 come about? Was this something that GFW wanted to do or something New Japan wanted to do to get into the North American market?
“Well, a little of both. Back in April of 2014 when I announced the formation of my company and founded Global Force Wrestling, I had already been talking to the partners around the world and piecing things together. New Japan approached me and knew that they wanted to bring their product to the North American audience. It became real obvious real quick that what better way than to pick their biggest event, this is the 24th year, the annual Tokyo Dome show,…to really make a splash on the North American scene with the New Japan product. So we started piecing things together, and quite frankly we couldn’t be happier with where we’re at now: The Bullet Club red hot, Jim Ross getting on board, Matt Striker, all the videos and promotional stuff that we’ve put out, the buzz, the excitement. It all just sort of came together one thing after another and it has shaped up very nicely, and I’m really excited for January 4th.”
Are the plans for GFW in the future to do more shows like Wrestle Kingdom 9 where you present different wrestling from around the world or will you have your own roster and have more of a traditional wrestling program?
“The answer is both. In 2015 we will continue the rollout of Global Force Wrestling. I am talking with several international companies about bringing their product to North America. We are in the process, and there was a press conference December 22nd in South Africa and we have big plans down there in 2015. Then there is the stand-alone company with talent and sponsorship and venue and distribution and everything that goes together; that rollout will continue in 2015 as well.”
Have you seen a lot of guys on the Independent scene that you would like to bring into GFW?
“Absolutely. I’ve said it dating back to February of this year that I believe the professional wrestling business is just on the cusp of a boom period and I think a big component of that is that wrestling is healthy, and wrestling’s healthy because the free-agent market …I don’t like to refer to it as the Indy wrestlers; they may be independent promotions but I like to call them free-agents…is red hot. I’m sitting in my office right now and there’s a white board and there are 64 names on it and 48 of them are guys who have never worked for a major company with worldwide distribution. The Independent scene is red hot in my opinion.”
What do you think about TNA’s new television deal with Destination America?
“Thank the Lord that they got a deal. You know there was a couple of months there that I didn’t know, and certainly anybody else didn’t know, and there were reports online…I don’t think it would’ve been good for the industry whatsoever. Remove the fact that I’m still a minority owner; the wrestling business is my passion and I want everyone to succeed and I think there’s plenty of room. You have ROH in the syndication market and they’re just entering into the pay-per-view world. You have TNA with Destination America. You have New Japan coming on AXS TV. You have El Rey with Lucha Underground. You have Global Force – we’re going to continue our rollout. With all of that being said, the WWE still probably has 75, 80, 85, 90 percent of the market share. Other promotions need to be healthy.”
Check out the complete interview at IYHWrestling.com.
The following are highlights of a new Pandemonium Podcast interview with Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett:
On when GFW will be a stand alone company: “2015. I know that’s very, very broad. We rolled out the name of the company in April & got our AAA alliance announced. The NJPW alliance, building up the brand. We got a couple funny Twitter comments from you [laughs] that I smiled all about so there’s another alliance in there [to special guest co-host, Marty] but, no, all kidding aside… rolling out the brand. And then the New Japan situation came about and all eyes in Global Force are focused and if I would have to release details from now until January 4, I don’t want anything seeding headlines or move anything. We’re laser-focused on January 4. Post January 4, I’m going to be making announcements about distribution, talent, venues, and sponsorships, and everything that goes with a stand-alone. 2015 I’ve obviously been holding things pretty close to the vest and that’s obviously by design. I made it a real focus. I want Global Force to be a different kind of brand. Yes, it’s going to be a standalone. We have these professional relationships where we can present, not just to the North American audience but the entire globe… different styles, different forms, different, innovative ways to bring wrestling to the masses.”
On doing cross-overs & co-promotions with other wrestling companies & whether is it essential to please wrestling fans: “Essential is a pretty strong word. Do I believe it’s beneficial? Absolutely. It goes without saying that WWE 95% of the market share. It’s all about how do you cut through. Not that just because it’s wrestling, WWE is #1, who’s #2, who’s #3, who’s #4, who’s #5. I don’t think it’s appropriate or necessary. I think it’s counterproductive to success. In the music business, you can have 10 country music artists who are selling out arenas. You can have pop music, rock music, and all different forms. So, I believe it’s in everybody’s best interest. A couple of weeks ago, ROH had their pay-per-view and we used our digital space and our social media to encourage people to watch the show. I think that it’s healthy for the industry if all promotions are thriving. Is it essential? I don’t think I’d say it’s essential but I do say it’s very, very healthy.”
On competition and Bullet Club: “Well, I said back in February or March that I thought that the industry as a whole was right on the cusp of a boom period. Some people thought I was crazy and some people agreed. But, here we are 11 months later, NJPW is going to be on access, we’re bringing the pay-per-view with Jim Ross and I can’t tell you just how the media requests, alone. Jim can talk until now until January 4 and he wouldn’t be able to get it all in. NJPW is going to be on access, Lucha Underground is on El Ray, TNA, God bless them, signed a new TV deal, & WWE has the WWE Network. There is a lot of healthy things going on in this business. The more needs for professional wrestling? I do think there is a void in the marketplace. WWE, how could you complain or argue about their success? They’re publicly traded company, a billion dollar organization that’s been around for 60 years. What they do is their style and they do it very well. Do I think that NJPW will be coming to North America or AAA coming to North America? Other forms of wrestling coming to North America? Do I think that would be successful? You’re damn right, I do. Let’s take that show this past Saturday night [Pro Wrestling Syndicate]. There were 1500 people in the building and I think I saw 250 Bullet Club shirts. That, to me, is a very strong indicator of how hot that product is and The Bullet Club is all American, outside of Takahashi, are all American. They’re all great wrestlers. Kenny Omega and AJ Styles are two of the very best performers in the world. Gun and Gallows held the [tag] titles for a year now. They’re strong. Young Bucks, who I think is the best tag team in the business today, their timing in what I call, ‘new age wrestling’. I think there’s a lot of indicators of that indicate the potential of how successful it can be here.”
On independent wrestling: “They’re independent promotions but I don’t call the guys working them ‘indy wrestlers’. I think there’s a negative connotation that goes with that, unfortunately. I’m calling them free agents and, I think the free agent market right now is as hot as its ever been. You’ve got guys that are working Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from anywhere 1,500 to 2,500, and these promoters… you’re always going to have some bad promoters out there. But, for the most part, I’m looking around and seeing guys who are businessmen who are putting on really good shows. The business is healthy and that really excites me. My family has been in the business since the 1940s. My grandmother started. It’s ‘put groceries on the table’ for over 70 years. To see the amount of work at shows and, not just in North America, but in Europe, UK specifically, is having some really good shows and Austailia. There’s a lot going on out in the world of professional wrestling that is not WWE-related.”
On being the only person who is both a member of the NWO and the Bullet Club: “Funny you ask. At that show, Kevin Nash was there and we filmed him and that video came out yesterday. To hear Kevin Nash be so complimentary of the Bullet Club. I’m still in shock. I’m lucky that I’m the only guy to be in both. When those guys approached me back in August after NJPW and GFW solidified their relationship, they said, ‘Hey, we want you to be part of Bullet Club.’ How could you turn that down at this stage in my career? So I’m really honored and can’t wait to get to the Tokyo Dome. But, when I was talking to Kevin and listening to when he was getting interviewed, and he said the Bullet Club is much more athletic than the original members of NWO– Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan. I’m like, ‘he’s right.’ He’s being honest about it. I can tell you that i witnessed firsthand when the NWO first came on the scene and they powerbombed Bischoff off the stage and just the buzz and showing up at those Nitros and they were sold out 5 days in advance. Just the electricity and the buzz… I mean, they were selling out buildings just by showing up in limos and beating people up and they didn’t even have their first match. If you look at the comparison and the vibe, the Bullet Club does the ‘Too Sweet’ that’s the homage to NWO and Kevin threw it back at them so it’s cool. It’s a special time in the business, I’ll say.”
On what he predicts will be “match of the night” on Wrestle Kingdom 9: “Well, I mean, typical wrestler… I have to say my match is going to be the best [laughs] I’m kidding, I’m kidding. No disrespect to the other nine matches but there’s three in my mind that I believe are going to be 5-star matches. I believe the 4-team match is going to be a match that is going to be potential to set the standard barrier. I don’t want to call this a exhibition match because it’s bigger and broader. It’s more dynamic. The 4 corners match is going to be a showstealer. The main event is for the title so that’s the second one. One of the best rivalries. AJ Styles’ match is going to be off the charts. Those are the three. Sorry I couldn’t nail it down to one.”
On whether AJ Styles should change his finisher, The Styles Clash: “I want to have all due respect to guys that have been injured but I’ve heard that and I just have to laugh. Actually, I laughed. This business, as Jim Ross says, ‘it ain’t ballet.’ But you need to learn how to protect yourself and if you can’t protect yourself, either A get out of the business or B don’t take it. Don’t put it on AJ. Back in the asylum, Frankie Kazarian took it wrong and I know that the nature of our business is the tuck your chin to protect your neck. On this, know going in, focus and know, if AJ can be in this predicament. You know what to do. I put it on the performer, not on AJ. Not even close. It’s ridiculous, in my opinion, for someone to say, ‘AJ, that move needs to be banned.’ He’s done it for 12 years and, if a guy can’t protect himself, it’s not AJ’s fault.”
On the funniest people in wrestling: “When you look back over the years, the first name when you said funniest in the dressing room– Road Dogg and Brad Armstrong, God rest his soul. Brad was the funniest of the bunch and Brian will tell you today, Brad was the funniest but it never coorelated to the audience but Brian’s did.”
Check out the complete interview at VOCNation.com.
The following are highlights of a new VOC Nation Radio interview with Scott D’Amore:
On Wrestle Kingdom 9 at the Tokyo Dome: “It was a career goal to be involved in an event at the Tokyo Dome. They’ve been doing it for 23 years now & there have been so many amazing moments that have happened in Tokyo Dome. Over here, WWE has always had Wrestlemania & it’s bounced all over the United States & even in Canada, but when it comes to NJPW wrestling & Japanese wrestling, the biggest events always happen at the Tokyo Dome & they always happen January 4. It’s going to be great to be a part of that. Last year, I went over & I was there doing some R&R & I wanted to see some of my students, Alex Shelley & the Timesplitters so I was able to sit there in the crowd & spend time with friends. Sitting there & watching the event, I looked at it & I was like, ‘This has to has to has to… somehow we have to get this to a North American audience.'”
On what Global Force Wrestling intends to provide that “sports entertainment” is lacking: “There is so much good talent around the world that isn’t getting an opportunity to be seen & GFW is going to go out there That’s why its formed all these partnerships around the world. We’re going to know when people are making waves & when exciting things are happening & we’re going to help bring that to the wrestling audience. I think that the biggest difference is going to happen with GFW is that, for so long in wrestling, if you did something somewhere else, it didn’t exist. If you came to another promotion, it seemed that everything in the past was just swept under the rug. We’re not only going to acknowledge people’s history which is what helps get them where they are but we’re going to acknowledge things throughout wrestling. Just because something is happening in a different place doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. It’s time to treat wrestling with a little more respect & wrestling fans with a little more respect. We’re living in a digital age. Everything is available at their fingertips. We’re going to stop trying to treat people as if they don’t know what’s going on out there in a broader sense. We’re going to be very interactive & very fan-friendly & look to deliver great wrestling action to fans through multiple platforms. There is so much good talent out there in independent wrestling around the world & it’s time to start giving a place where those people can get an opportunity to shine.
I think it’s just a matter of really being more open & honest with the fans that helps build part of the realism of the product. If Sydney Crosby goes & scores the gold medal winning goal for the Olympics, that’s going to be acknowledged on an NHL broadcast. To me, it makes great common sense but sometimes in business, we get away from things that may be what we should be doing. When you get too close to something, sometimes, you just start doing things a certain way & it just stays that way. I think this is going to be a better opportunity to be open with the fans. They’re going to be interactive & feel that they’re a big part of the GFW product. ”
Part of it is, without having a domestic weekly television in place yet, it’s getting it out there & getting people to understand this product. Getting them to know what’s going on, getting them to know the characters. This has been a monumental task of going in & promoting Wrestle Kingdom 9 without having a weekly television platform to do it off of. I think it’s the power of social media, right. No longer are you completely at the mercy of a handful of television executives on what people get to see. People can view & share & retweet the videos & the articles & the traction that we’ve been able to get is amazing. It shows what’s possible in this digital world we now live in. I think GFW is doing a great job of getting content out there. If there’s one thing that can be said, no one can say, ‘Well, man, I haven’t seen anything about this’ or ‘Man, I wish they would put out more information.’ We put out very detailed articles by very good writers, explaining the different factions & characters & some of the history. The video crew has been going around the clock putting out these videos.”
On wrestlers who aren’t involved speaking about Wrestle Kingdom 9: “The people in the industry… Scott Steiner & you mentioned Kevin Nash… these guys aren’t attached to Wrestle Kingdom. These guys aren’t going to be on Wrestle Kingdom but they were still willing to sit down & answer questions, do interviews, & talk about their experiences having been involved. That’s one of the signs that I take that it’s like, ‘Something is going on on the right path’, when people who aren’t making a dime from this deal in the wrestling business. Your & my friend, Scott Hall, likes to say, ‘This is show business, not show friends.’ Despite the fact that Kevin Nash & Scott Steiner & all of these people aren’t part of this event right now & aren’t making any money, they’re still willing to sit down & take the time to record these videos & do these interviews & help get the word out so that fans understand… the fans that haven’t had a chance to experience the New Japan product know what they’re missing & what they could expect if they tune in on January 4.”
On Jeff Jarrett: “That’s a testament to the quality of New Japan & the amount of the stars there that have had positive experiences. It can also be attributed to the respect & good will that Jeff Jarrett has built up in the wrestling industry over his career. He walked away from a company that he had built. It was his baby &, for his reasons, I know you’re going to be chatting with him, I’ll let him explain, that’s a pretty huge decision to make. He walked away from a company he formed & built from day 1 & took from the tiniest little company into a company that was on national TV on 50-something companies around the world & he chose to leave that to focus on forming GFW & forming this new company because he really seems to understand that there is an audience out there that’s not getting a product that what’s what they want & not engaging them & exciting them & he’s looking to put that together. I don’t know if people understand how much it turns over your life to walk away from something you started from scratch. Start with quitting your job & not having a check every week. That’s a pretty big life changer for a guy who has a wife & five kids. The fact is, to start it from scratch all over again… it’s amazing what he’s done. I’ve been out of the wrestling business for years with the exception of a Border City Wrestling show here or there, dipped my toe in the water. It hasn’t been a big part of my life as far as my business life. I’m a wrestling fan. Jim Ross put it best when I first started talking to him about this event, he said, ‘Scott, I’m a wrestling fan. I grew up a wrestling fan. I was lucky to make my living & be successful for many years in the wrestling business. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m a wrestling fan & I’ll die a wrestling fan.’ That’s how I feel. I didn’t see myself getting back into the wrestling industry on a major level but, when this stuff started coming together & when Jeff Jarrett was forming GFW, it was almost perfect timing. He left in late December of 2013 & I was in Tokyo in January of 2014. Being there at Tokyo Dome for Wrestle Kingdom 8 put the fire back in my belly. As Jeff started getting things rolling, we chatted a little bit here & there & Jeff is someone I have a lot of respect for & a lot of good feelings for & I have a lot of faith in, which I think may be the best way to sum it up. Me & Jeff have had a good relationship over many years. Like any relationship, it has its up & downs, but there has never been a time where I didn’t have respect for him & what he does. I didn’t not have faith that he was nose to the grindstone, plugging ahead, trying to make wrestling better. Wrestling has been his whole life, professionally, from the time he was a boy up until now. I just think that he’s got a passion & it’s really honestly the excitement of seeing what he was doing & the message he was sending, & the fact that it’s him, quite honestly, because he’s one of the people that I would run through a brick wall to help him out because he’s always been someone who’s supportive of me & supportive of the wrestling business & try to better it. If that’s going to happen, if there’s a way that I could help then, you know, hey, count me in”
On cross-overs & cross-promotions with other wrestlng companies: “I don’t understand why everything has to be adversarial. In some levels, as business grows, there may be a day where Pro Wrestling Syndicate & House of Hardcore & GFW are on the same level competing for wrestling fans & that’s healthy. But I don’t understand or have ever really understood why that has to be, say, adversarial. I grew up in the construction industry &, every time a job comes out, there could be an upwards of 12 or 15 of us bidding on the same job to get the same work so we were definitely in direct competition but that didn’t mean that we couldn’t have respect or decent relationships with other companies that were in competition with us. To me, if you get people who are focused on getting their own business better & focused on delivering the wrestling fans a quality product that they want to see, well, then there’s not reason why House of Hardcore, Pro Wrestling Syndicate, & GFW can’t be on good terms. There isn’t a reason why there can’t be a day where GFW can help out House of Hardcore & Pro Wrestling Syndicate can help out GFW & House of Hardcore can swoop in & save the day. Say something is going on in GFW & Tommy Dreamer does something or uses one of his many connections or anything to help each other out, & I think that’s one of the things that we’re going to try to do with GFW. In wrestling, we’ve always been very exclusive in the sense like, ‘this is our company… we’re going to do our own thing & that’s how it’s going to be. We don’t work with other people’. I think one of the biggest things about GFW is, it’s not going to be exclusion, it’s going to be inclusion. Why can’t we have a good relation with House of Hardcore? Why can’t there be ways that we can work together. I’m not talking in a sense of having Tommy Dreamer leading an invasion of Hardcore talent on a GFW TV show or vice versa… Jeff Jarrett leading a GFW invasion on House of Hardcore. In order to be able to productively work together, maybe House of Hardcore has a business connection that might be beneficial to GFW &, if it doesn’t harm HOH in order to share that business content, then great.’ Or if we’re in an area, running an event in a venue that HOH has dealt with or had a relationship with, they might be able to assist. Maybe they’ve been somewhere that we’re looking to go & they can say, ‘this is the good & this is the bad.’ That has to be reciprocal, right? HOH coming down to Nashville & Jeff was all like, ‘Here’s my friends. They do the top-rated morning show here on the morning drive. Here’s a TV contact that will do something…’ & that’s part of it. Part of it is talent & exchanging information. The biggest way we can help each other is exchanging information & part of that can be in relation to talent. If HOH has a junior heavyweight event going on & I can pick up the phone, ‘Hey Tommy.” Tommy pretty much knows everything in the wrestling business. He eats, sleeps, & breathes this business. Outside of his family, I don’t think there’s anything that Tommy loves more than this business. If GFW saw this unbelievable cruiser-weight in South Africa & Tommy hasn’t seen or heard of him, we can say, ‘Hey Tommy, you’re running this world junior heavyweight tournament… you have to see this guy.’ Open communication between different groups & promoters to me has to be a positive. It has to be a positive for business & there’s no way it’s not a positive thing as far as delivering a better product to wrestling fans all over the place.”
In his opinion, what will be the “match of the night” for Wrestle Kingdom 9: “There’s going to be so much stuff. You’ve got Suzuki going out there in MMA rules with Sakuraba, which is going to be awesome. You’ve got Okada & Tanahashi in the main event for the championship, which is the biggest prize in New Japan Wrestling & possibly the world right now. They’ve main event-ed shows & the Tokyo Dome & put on unbelievable performances & they have to step it up another level & I’m confident they’re going to do that. Going with the idea that the main event can’t steal the show, which it’s theirs to have, I’ll give 2. I’ll say that… because I have to cheat my way out of this. There’s the IWGP Junior Tag Championship, which has The Timesplitters who obviously, I’m biased for because they both spent considerable time training at the wrestling school here. They’re amazing. Versus the Young Bucks, representing the Bullet Club. If the Young Bucks weren’t already awesome in the last year, plus, they’ve just gone to a whole new level. The stuff that they do is amazing. They’re charismatic & entertaining as Hell. They’ve been there with the champions, The Red Dragons, who are fantastic. Fish & O’Reilly are a fantastic tag team. Then you throw in the Forever Hooligans with Romero & Koslov. Their swagger & their change of pace… I know that that match is going to put on an unbelievable display . I think it’s going to be awesome. The second match I’ll say that, this event is the first major, major, mega event since signing with NJPW for Kenny Omega, another Bullet Club member. Kenny Omega, if you haven’t seen him, this guy does things that the human body just wasn’t meant to do. You’d never imagine that a human body could do it, especially considering, & to say this respectfully & not diss anybody else, because there’s guys that do super athletic & high-flying things. They’re much smaller guys. Kenny is at the very top end of the Junior Heavyweight weight class. He’s a thick muscled, powerful individual &, the things that he can do with his body are amazing. Some of the stuff that he’s going to pull off at the Tokyo Dome in front of 50,000 people is going to be a huge rush. I just think that he’s going to use that grand stage to show why he was one of the best kept secrets in wrestling for so long now.”
On whether we will see him near the ring at Wrestle Kingdom 9: “The major events, I’ve made my way down to ringside. It’s part of the solidarity thing… showing of support with Bullet Club. As Karl Anderson was there the second that it was born, he likes to joke that me & Jeff Jarrett are the Bullet Club Office. Everybody in the Bullet Club has a lot of swagger & unique style. Me & Jeff are a little older. We still have a little business savvy to us. We have a tendency to show up for major events wearing suits. Machine Gun always says we’re the Bullet Club Office. They take care of things in the trenches & we take care of stuff in the Board Room. I like that analogy because a lot of what Jeff & I have done is behind-the-scenes stuff & organizing relationships & dealing with the business end of things. That doesn’t mean we don’t like to roll up our sleeves & get our hands dirty. That’s part of it. From a straight non-storyline sense, it’s a chance for me to walk out there in the Tokyo Dome & be part of an event that I’ve really, really legitimately dreamed about being part of so, going ringside, not going to leave Double J out there by himself, how about that? I’ll be out there, as always, me. I never get involved. I never interfere. I just sit there quietly & support our talent. I’ll just be there acting like a little angel, I’m sure.”
On Bullet Club: “In Bullet Club, there’s just such a cool factor. That’s why you’re seeing the Bullet Club transcend in NJPW. That’s why you see there shirts in crowds at Ring of Honor, TNA, WWE, independent shows, even though it’s got no domestic TV here in the US. I saw sullet Club shirtx walking through a mall in Windsor, Ontario, at Detroit Tiger games, & a Cottonmouth Kings concert. You’re starting to see Bullet Club become so popular. The thing is, ten years ago, it might not have been like this but with the explosion of social media, stuff gets out there & shared & retweeted. It’s almost like this underground swell of support for Bullet Club. It started out very simply… just a few guys who had started together in New Japan dojo, the non-Japanese guy who formed this group & it just kind of grew & took on a life of its own. It’s a huge part of the reason why New Japan’s product continues to soar.It’s got that NWO cool feel. The great thing is you got guys who aren’t trying to recreate the NWO. They’re doing their own thing. I think it’s hilarious with the fingers in the air. Too Sweets & that was done from Day 1 with the Bullet Club, as a way to pay homage to Scott & Kevin & the NWO. They grew up watching them. I saw an exchange on Twitter where somebody said something to Scott, ‘How do you feel about the Bullet Club stealing your sign’ & Scott is real cool & says, ‘I don’t look at it that way. I’m just honored that someone still remembers something we did.’ After that, I see Karl Anderson pop in & say, ‘Hey Scott, no disrespect. We do this because you’re the reason why we’re in the wrestling business. It’s completely done out of admiration.’ To me, it’s a cool faction & continuing to grow & adding Kenny Omega… The talent that’s in the Bullet Club is so unbelievable. It gets to run around & do what it wants, where it wants, when it wants. It gets to shake up NJPW & Japanese wrestling in general is kind of structured. It’s got the pageantry & everything but it doesn’t have the referees getting knocked down or all of the interference. Bullet Club doesn’t always do it but it does it when it needs to be done & that makes it different from the rest of the product & helps make it stand out.”
On Jim Ross: “I think it’s fantastic & super exciting that Jim Ross is returning to call this event. He’s the most legendary announcer in our industry’s history. I think Jim Ross can announce a chess match & draw the audience in. He’s the best storytelling announcer in the business– not just the wrestling business but in the wrestling business. The fact that he didn’t have to come back & call wrestling. I mean, he’s called MMA, boxing, & done little projects but if Jim Ross didn’t come back or call another wrestling show in his life, no one would have said a negative thing about it. The fact that he stepped out of the box & he’s coming back in… there’s going to be people who are going to be excited for this. Jim Ross had to come back & do all this prep work. He’s got to go out there & be the very best that there could be because that’s who he is & what he is. The fact that he would take time out & this event is what he chose to make that return & say, ‘Well, hell yeah, damn it, I want to call wrestling again & this is the show I want to call.’ I can tell you, from my conversations with Jim from the very beginning of this, he loved the product & he respected it. He said it reminded him of the product that he grew up watching & that he was a part of in his early years under Bill Watts. I can see the similarities between the two products but, overall, are quite different. They have the same aspects. They treat wrestling with respect, they’re hard-hitting, they’re great storytelling. They don’t get bogged down in a lot of the BS of the backstage stuff & everything else. They’re storytelling but, for the most part, it starts & ends in the ring. It’s presented in a believable way. It shows a respect for wrestling fans & I think having JR come back to call this event takes it to a whole other level. Now you have that voice that’s attached to so many memories over people’s years of the wrestling business. Everybody can go on & on with soundbytes of Jim Ross, whether it’s the boyhood dream has become a reality & any of the other hundreds of ‘Oh Wow’ moments that he’s gotten to call. He’s going to be there. It’d be easy for him to say, ‘You know what? Set up a studio here ten minutes from my house & we’ll set up a satellite link & I’ll call it here. That would’ve been cool just having him call it. But, I can tell you, from the first second that I talked to Jim Ross, there was no way he was returning to wrestling or calling this show unless he was sitting there ringside at the Tokyo Dome. For Jim Ross, on his birthday weekend, to get on a plane & travel 20 hours instead of being in Las Vega watching UFC. Instead, he’s traveling 20 hours & he’s going to Tokyo to a different culture & he’s going to deal with all the time changes & how that’s going to effect his body. He’s going to land on the ground & he’s going to start making sure everything is right & everything is set. He’s going to go out there & do what he does better than anyone else & that’s call wrestling action to tell the story going on in the ring. I think that’s super exciting.”
Check out the complete interview at VOCNation.com.
– Several of Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” on Monday’s Christmas-themed edition of WWE RAW were independent pro wrestlers. Among them were Shelli Kapowski, Donnie Peppercricket and Shawn Nautilus. Also, Jaysin Strife, who was the solider that Rusev kicked back in October, played the chicken in Rose’s group on last night’s show.
– The latest edition of Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit” podcast, which features an interview with Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett, is now online. The official description for the show reads as follows:
PP-Ep38 – Jeff Jarrett
“Jeff Jarrett’s about to turn the wrestling world on it’s head! The eleven-time world champion enter’s Piper’s Pit to reveal his plan for world domination with the launch of Global Force Wrestling. The founder of TNA talks to Hot Rod about the mistakes he made with Total-Nonstop-Action and why those hard lessons led him to launch a new worldwide empire. How will it stack up to TNA? Will it have Vince McMahon waking up in cold sweats fearing that the WWE’s days are numbered just like he was when the WCW went to war with him in the 90’s? Find that out all that and more on this episode of Piper’s Pit.”
You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.
Global Force Wrestling issued the following press release today …
Global Force Wrestling Vice President of International Scott D’Amore said GFW founder and CEO Jeff Jarrett and the North American announce team will address the media as part of Wrestle Kingdom 9’s festivities the day before the big show at the Tokyo Dome.
Hall of Fame play-by-play man Jim Ross and Matt Striker will appear at the Jan. 3 “Grand Pro-Wrestling Festival 2015” news conferences at the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, as will all of the NJPW stars, such as Tanahashi, Okada and Nakamura. The Bullet Club, which includes Jarrett, D’Amore, A.J. Styles and IWGP tag team champions Doc Gallows and “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson, also will be on hand. There will be autograph signings and meet-and-greets with Japanese and international fans in attendance between and after the news conferences. The festival even includes two matches.
“We’re pleased to be invited to attend the festival and to further the budding relationship between GFW and NJPW,” D’amore said. “When you have an event of this magnitude you always want to include the fans and do what you can to enhance their experience.”
GFW announced its partnership with NJPW in June and revealed that it would promote WK 9 in North America on Nov. 4. Ross came on board on Nov. 11, and Striker was added on Dec. 18.
“NJPW is one of the hottest promotions in the world right now, and all eyes will be on Tokyo for Wrestle Kingdom 9,” Striker said. “It will be an honor and a privilege not only to sit beside Jim Ross again but to call the action involving many of the best performers this business has to offer on such a grand stage.”
“GFW Presents New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 9” will air live in North America at 2 a.m. ET on Jan. 4, which is 4 p.m. in Tokyo. The four-hour telecast also will air in primetime in North America at 7 p.m. ET on DirecTV, Dish, AT&T U-verse, Comcast, Verizon Fios and all cable systems in the United States, and in Canada on Bell ExpressVu TV, Rogers, Shaw, Sasktel and Telus. Check your local listings for availability. The show also will be available on the Flipps app on iTunes or Android.
Wrestle Kingdom 9 will be the 24th consecutive year for the Jan. 4 dome event, which kicks off the year in Japan and annually is the largest wrestling show in the world outside of the United States, drawing in excess of 40,000 fans.
The following are highlights of a new Main Event Radio interview with Jeff Jarrett:
On the NJPW ‘Wrestle Kingdom 9’ pay-per-view: “This is truly a global event. The most widely distributed live wrestling event in history. New Japan is a red-hot promotion. Expecting over 50,000 fans and I can tell you this will be a card that is on par with a Wrestlemania. Jim Ross, the voice of a generation of wrestling fans is going to be calling the action. This truly is a can’t miss event.”
On The Young Bucks: “I consider the best tag team in wrestling today. New age wrestlers of 2015 and beyond.”
On AJ Styles: “We’ve gone side-by-side together for the last 12 years…he stepped away, out of his comfort zone and he had in my opinion possibly the best year of his career. He’s an incredible athlete and an even better person. I met AJ when he was in his early 20’s and now he’s married with 4 kids. I’ve seen him develop as a man and I’m very proud of him as a man and in his career. The X division matches that he had and his world title runs, he is without a doubt the hottest free agent out there and a great professional wrestler.”
On Jim Ross: “We knew when Global Force Wrestling and New Japan cemented the deal in August and then got the PPV contracts confirmed throughout United States and Canada with every provider in both countries. So when we looked around to find out who would be the English-speaking announcer and realized that Jim Ross was available, it was a no brainer. He is the best of the best of the best, he has no peers and he is simply the best. We knew by signing him, by acquiring him, he was going to raise the profile of the event. But over the last 3-4 weeks the amount of publicity and media requests has taken off a whole new life. The buzz is taken off the charts. With the Flipps app, this event is available on a worldwide basis for anybody to watch.”
On leaving TNA: “It was time. I founded the company back in 2002. We were rocking and rolling. I put everything I had into that company. I knew when 2013 came to an end; I looked in the mirror and knew it was time for me to take the next step in my life and my career. I’ve got no regrets, I’m very happy with my time there but it was time for me to go in a different direction. Very thankful, very blessed, and very grateful for my time in TNA. The early years were such a unique set of circumstances. The rabid fan base began to grow back on a weekly basis back on the Wednesday night PPVs. The original fans, then we got the Spike deal and things began to gel. From 2002 right through 2009 were my favourite times. A lot of fun, great talent, the X division, it really exploded.”
On if it bothers him at all that TNA refers to Bobby Roode as their longest reigning champion: “No, because that’s wrestling. Bobby’s a good friend. I can remeber him at the early days at the asylum. I walked up to Bobby and I scratched my head why he wasn’t signed to WWE. We jumped on him immediately and signed him. He’s a great talent, I’ve got a ton of respect for the guy and he can get it done in the ring.”
On his plans for Global Force Wrestling: “We have very methodically rolled out the Global Force Brand. Partnering with AAA in Mexico, New Japan in Japan, with announcements to come for United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. Systematically, we’re having patience. We’re going to be a fully-functioning promotion with our roster, sponsorships, venues, talent, distribution. We’re putting those all in place. In early 2015 the roll-out of GFW will continue. Stay tuned. We’ve got some really unique opportunities ahead of us. A wrestling PPV has not been promoted without a traditional cable outlet. We’re innovative. Everything, not just the wrestling business, is headed to the digital world. WWE Network, New Japan World, Major League Baseball. With us partnering with other promotions around the world, that is a fundamental difference in today’s wrestling.”
Check out the complete interview at MainEventRadio.com.
Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett joined Chad Dukes of CBS Radio Washington DC 106.7 The Fan and the Chad Dukes Wrestling show on Wednesday afternoon to preview Global Force Wrestling’s presentation of New Japan’s “Wrestle Kingdom 9.” In his discussion with Dukes, Jarrett talked about growing up in the business, the vision for Global Force Wrestling, Jim Ross, the crowded wrestling market, his relationship with TNA, WrestleKingdom 9, and more.
Here are some highlights of what he said about:
His Vision For Global Force Wrestling:
“Global Force will be its… a standalone. I think that’s a nice enough term for it. With its own roster, with its own sponsors, own venue, running shows everything that goes with a promotion. But at Global Force Wrestling we also have a fundamental philosophy that’s a 180 from what’s been done over the last 10-15 years. Most promotions act like they’re the only promotion that exists and no other promotions…they certainly don’t talk about them and if they do they don’t talk about them in a negative light. We’ve got a different philosophy. We’ve recognized and partnered with the best promotions in the world, New Japan’s at the very top of that list. They’re obviously the best promotion in Japan. AAA, in Mexico, a red-hot promotion in Mexico. We have partnered with independent promotions around the world. Our South African partner, we’re going to be making some announcements on that in the days and weeks to come.
Yes, we’re going to be a stand alone promotion, and that’s going to roll out in 2015, but we’re also going to partner and what better way to step onto the grand stage and create even more brand awareness, partnering with New Japan bringing WrestleKingdom 9.”
Who To Watch at Wrestle Kingdom 9:
“I’ll give you two matches on this show that are in my opinion, Wrestling 2015 and beyond. The first match on the show is guys that you’re very familiar with, the Young Bucks, the Forever Hooligans, the Time Splitters- Alex Shelly & Kushida, and then Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions, ReDragon. That four corners tag match, I’ve seen bits and pieces of them on my previous trips over to Japan but those guys in a Dome atmosphere, there’s no doubt in mind it is going to be a match for the ages. It will blow you away.
And then the last match of the night, the main event, Tanahashi, and if you want to talk about just one guy, that’s the guy. He’s a rock star, he’s in his mid 30?s, he’s in the prime of his career and he’s facing Okada, the Rainmaker. Those two guys have an awesome rivalry. It’s just like a Rock-Stone Cold, a Hogan-Andre, Bret Hart-Stone Cold, whatever your feud or rivalry of a lifetime, whatever your favorite feud is, their rivalry is right on par with it. “
The Increasingly Crowded Wrestling Market:
“I said it back in February or March, that I felt the business was so healthy and just on the cusp of a boom. Here we are rolling into 2015 and Ring of Honor has entered the pay-per-view world, you mentioned Lucha Underground, New Japan’s got a deal on AXS TV, New Japan World as a digital streaming service, obviously everybody knows about the WWE Network and the massive amount of content, Global Force Wrestling is doing its rollout, it’s a very healthy market. I used this analogy the other day, I got asked sort of the same question, if you’ve got a busy intersection with a lot of fans and a lot of people, let’s just say for example you put a McDonalds hamburgers on one corner and across the street you put a Wendy’s hamburgers. The people at Burger King try to do everything in their power, ‘how can I get on the other corner because the other two hamburger joints are doing good.’? I believe it’s making all of us healthy.”
The following are highlights of a new Huffington Post interview with Global Force Wrestling (GFW) promoter Jeff Jarrett:
On Sting signing with WWE: “Finally! Very happy for him. Couldn’t be a better guy. He’s a good friend and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
On CM Punk signing with UFC: “Win, Win, Win! Win for Dana White at UFC, a win for CM Punk fans and whether CM Punk wins or loses in that octagon it’s a win for him because I’ve got a lot of respect for a guy that follows his heart and follows his passion.”
Check out the complete interview at HuffingtonPost.co.uk.
Global Force Wrestling (GFW) issued the following …
Global Force Wrestling and KevinSullyTV team for a worldwide video marketing campaign fueled by the fans on social media outlets such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With daily exclusive video content, fan engagement is high as Global Force Wrestling promotes the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom pay-per-view event set for Jan 4, 2015.
With over 100 videos and more than 240 different meme and print style adverts, the exclusive content slated for the campaign is more than any other major sporting event to date. This exclusive daily video content gives the fans something new and exciting every day, including the announcement that legendary Hall of Fame announcer, Jim Ross will call the action. Thus far the Wrestle Kingdom 9 campaign has made over 4 million impressions in the first 30 days.
“We have put together a stellar campaign that will attract fans around the world,” said Kevin Sullivan, President and Executive Producer at KevinSullyTV. “We wanted to create awareness through the power of ‘storytelling’ and engage the audience while keeping the message authentic and real.”
“This is a venture that has never been done in professional wrestling,” said Jeff Jarrett, CEO of Global Force Wrestling. “Daily on-demand docu-style content is truly where the future is heading. Understanding the audience and delivering what they want is what we strive to do.”
Global Force Wrestling and KevinSullyTV also created a 30 minute pre-show airing now for free at GFWWrestling YouTube channel giving the fans even more behind the scenes insight and never before scene interviews before the Jan 4 event. GFW cable and satellite partners will also be airing the pre-show leading up to the event, as well as the Flipps app.
“Global Force Wrestling Presents: New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 9” will air exclusively on pay-per-view in the United States live at 2 a.m. ET on Jan. 4, (4 p.m. in Tokyo). The four-hour telecast also will air in primetime in the United States at 7 p.m. ET on your pay-per-view provider, including Dish, AT&T U-verse, Comcast and Verizon. Fans can also watch via the Flipps app worldwide. Visit Flipps.com or download the app now.