Dixie Carter brought Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff into TNA Wrestling in early 2010. The deal actually came together in late 2009 but both Bischoff and Hogan would be on TNA programming that January. On an episode of Bischoff’s “83 Weeks” podcast, Bischoff discussed the impact Hogan had on TNA and the limitations they both felt while with the company.
“I was excited, I was excited at the possibilities and the potential that appeared at least initially to be there,” Bischoff said about debuting in TNA alongside Hogan in 2010.
He continued to say he didn’t feel TNA as a company did much to capitalize on the momentum they had shortly after Hogan and his debut, however.
“Had TNA as a company done the things necessary to take advantage of some of that momentum it may have carried itself forward.”
Bischoff then said that as things continued in TNA, he became less confident in the company’s ability to capitalize on the star power they had.
“The deeper we got into it the more we realized that there were no real resources put behind any of this by TNA. It was really wishful thinking on their part that all you had to do was throw these big names out there.”
“There were a lot of big names that were in TNA when we got there that weren’t really moving the needle the way they should have and I think a lot of that is because TNA didn’t know what to do with them.”
Eric Bischoff on TNA Running Monday Nights
Bischoff also spoke about TNA’s brief run on Monday nights during that period.
“The idea of moving to Monday night wasn’t so much because we thought we could be competitive to the WWE,” Bischoff said. “I hope someone from AEW is listening to this. It wasn’t because we thought we were going to be able to be competitive but we knew when we went if we went head-to-head with Monday Night RAW much like making an announcement at Madison Square Garden we knew that going head-to-head whether it was for a short period, it was an experiment. We knew that it was an experiment. It was never intended to be or committed to be any kind of a long-term decision but we knew we would create a buzz.”
Former WWE writer and actor Freddie Prinze Jr recently revealed that he had a ‘run in’ with The Miz during his time in WWE. Although apparently fairly light-hearted, Miz did not appear to be too pleased that Prinze Jr was brought in by WWE to give ‘acting lessons’ to the talent back at the start of last decade. Prinze Jr would discuss the situation and the context during this week’s episode of The New Day: Feel The Power podcast.
Acting Class
“It like 60% and it was mainly like the younger roster that were hyped” Prinze Jr began, discussing the ‘acting classes’ he was instructed by Vince McMahon to give backstage. “40% were like, ‘no chance.’ And I mean it was just they were not having it. The first promo class we did I remember Miz, who was doing his own thing and doing well with Morrison. They had the Dirt Sheet and I think..I don’t know if they had the [tag team] titles yet? But they were kind of doing their thing.”
Improv Technique
Prinze Jr would then go into the ‘improv’ technique to led to the ‘run in’. “We were going to do an exercise called repetition, where you’re locked into whatever I say. It’s like an improv technique. So I’d say to Big E for example ‘that’s the biggest Hawkeye shirt I’ve ever seen!’ And then Big E’s locked into that verbiage, so he goes ‘this is the biggest Hawkeye shirt you’ve ever seen!?’ It goes back and forth. When it’s two guys? That always gets almost physical. And then if it’s a guy and a girl that always gets like sexy right?”
The former WWE writer then got into how the incident with The Miz unfolded. “And so I said ‘who wants to try it?’ And nobody wanted to try it. But The Miz is like ‘I got it.’ And I’m like ‘alright, this guy’s got guts, he’s coming up. He doesn’t know what he’s in for but he’s stepping up.’ I said ‘I’ll start’ and he goes ‘no, no, I’ll start.'”
Freddie Prinze Jr vs The Miz
“And he goes, here’s the actual sentence, he goes: ‘what the hell are you gonna teach me about acting?’ And everybody, like all the energy in the room was gone. Just like you could feel it, and so I looked at him and just kind of cocked my eyes. I said ‘what the hell am I going to teach you about acting?’ Eventually he changed the verbiage which means you lose right? He tapped out. I remember saying this I said ‘look man I know I’m not Robert Downey Jr. But Robert Downey Jr don’t give a damn about you, I do.”
The Miz of course has gone on to have acting stints throughout his career, notably with The Marine series. It is interesting though that he would go right up against someone who Vince McMahon fired specifically to help talent.
Do you think that The Miz was out of line in this incident? Let us know in the comments
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recently discussed a tumultuous time in his career at the former Turner Broadcasting giant. On this week’s episode of the 83 Weeks podcast, ‘Easy E’ would talk about Spring Stampede 2000, the final iteration of the PPV before WCW folded in 2001.
Bischoff revealed some of the issues that he was facing personally around this time. To put the show into context, the PPV came just under a week after the returning tandem of Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff had vacated every Championship in the company. During the podcast, Eric Bischoff would reveal that he ‘compromised’ when it came to the creative at the time. Bischoff would also discuss how the company was “reacting too much to the internet chatter” and that WCW “were allowing the audience to dictate too much” of the product.
Eric Bischoff on Compromising
“I succumbed, I compromised here” Eric Bischoff would begin. “I think that’s, again. Looking back at the entire situation? I lived it, you know? I went through things that the audience will never know about. When I got done watching this episode and PPV? The thing that I walked away with just me personally, and, you know, 20 minutes after it was over? Was that I compromised.”
Bischoff would then elaborate further, confirming how he felt WCW ‘pandered’ too much to the audience and did not drive the narrative of their own storylines. Specifically, Eric Bischoff was referring to the Millionaire’s Club vs New Blood feud. This feud pitted the younger stars of WCW against the established veterans. Bischoff mentioned numerous times on the podcast how WWF’s attempts at the time to call WCW’s talent pool ‘old’ almost directly led to the creation of the angle to try and change the narrative.
Audience Dictating The Narrative?
“While some of those compromises ended up being pretty good under the circumstances?” Bischoff continued. “Overall, this show was really about compromise. And I knew going in that we were reacting too much to the internet chatter. I knew going into this before this show. I knew, based on the creative direction? That we were allowing the audience to dictate too much to us. And we weren’t taking control of our own product. And don’t get me wrong, I listen to the fans. I was the guy in WCW that wouldn’t sit backstage in [the] gorilla [position].”
Bischoff finished by discussing how he would attempt to get the ‘pulse’ of the fans in attendance. “[I didn’t have] can headsets on and watch a little eight by eight inch monitor. That’s a bullsh*t way of, in my opinion, a ridiculous way of trying to gauge or evaluate an audience’s response to anything.”
Bischoff would go on to discuss the PPV at length during the episode.
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is open to stepping in the ring against Roman Reigns. Johnson revealed the news during a recent live Q&A session he hosted on Instagram, where he has over 180 million followers.
The Rock spoke about how he believes anything is possible and that you can ‘never say never’ in the world of pro wrestling. In fact, he stated that he’s “always open” for a potential comeback match.
The Rock says you never say never to Vince McMahon. He enjoys a close personal relationship with the WWE Chairman. As The Rock has climbed the ranks of Hollywood, Vince has served as a business mentor to him. Their business relationship aside, The Rock considers Vince McMahon to be a “very, very close friend and confidant.”
He explained how you can never flat-out refuse an offer. Dwayne Johnson then stressed that, for it to happen, “the venue would have to be right.”
Dwayne Johnson On Needing The Right “Business Model”
Alongside the venue, Johnson joked about how the business model would have to be right, suggesting that as long as a matchup was the right decision for himself, Reigns, Vince McMahon and the pro wrestling industry, he’d be willing to explore the idea.
He then spoke about how close he is with Reigns, explaining how “he’s family to me, so we will see.”
NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano hates it when people refer to WWE’s black-and-gold brand as developmental. Speaking with Sporting News, Gargano explained why he considers those who do to be wrong and disrespectful.
Gargano argued how the belief that NXT is still WWE’s developmental brand “devalues everything we’re doing in NXT.”
“I believe everything is developmental when you want to look at it that way. I think if you’re going to consider NXT developmental than RAW and SmackDown are developmental as well,” Gargano said. “I believe we are all learning. We’re all growing. I don’t think just because you’re in a certain brand that doesn’t mean you’re progressing or growing any more than any other brand.”
As far as Johnny Gargano is concerned, people should be looking at NXT as WWE’s third brand. He believes their track record and talent pool proves his point. He argued how WWE could put any NXT Superstar on RAW or SmackDown, or have a Superstar come to NXT—much in the way Charlotte Flair has done. He explained how the three brands are “very much intertwined.”
Johnny Gargano stated how “If you’re still using the term developmental to evaluate NXT in any way, shape, or form, I think you need to get over yourself.” He then talked about wrestling should be fun and that people should enjoy it without devaluing people’s hard work and sacrifice.
SmackDown Superstar The Miz has opened up about his experiences wrestling in front of zero fans. WWE’s resident “A-Lister” broached the subject during a recent interview on Logan Paul’s podcast.
The Miz shared how talent has to find a different way to “get the adrenaline and utilize it.” He compared the recent empty arena matches to the muted, respectful crowd reactions in Japan. Miz explained how Superstars know how the Japanese audience were intently watching everything that happened in the ring. He added how they were always invested in the action, despite the lack of noise or interaction. He talked about how he takes the same approach with zero fan shows, visualizing the fans at home.
“I’m just picturing the people at home being invested in everything that we’re doing,” Miz said. “So every little maneuver counts. So it’s actually making me a better performer in the ring for sure.”
He acknowledged how everyone in WWE is pushing even harder in the ring during this time. The Miz believes this hard work will continue, even when the WWE Universe is finally able to attend live shows in the future.
Miz argued how everything that WWE does is different, and that’s what makes them an out the box wrestling promotion. He explained how they utilize everything, before reflecting on the lessons learned from the process and how they can best use it in the future.
MVP has shared some praise for recently released WWE Superstar Heath Slater. Taking to Twitter, MVP replied to a fan who shared footage of a Slater promo from SmackDown back in 2016. In his tweet, MVP recalled how the two developed a friendship. He also spoke about the respect he had for Slater’s work ethic and commitment to pro wrestling.
Recalling a story during their time in WWE developmental together, MVP shared how Slater had come to work for Deep South TV for free. He highlighted how Slater “WORKED his way into a developmental contract.”
At the time, Slater believed he couldn’t cut promos that engaged or entertained. After talking about his promo insecurities, MVP was taken by how charismatic Slater was. He shared how he had a “HUGE personality” before stressing that Slater needed to bring that attitude and personality to the mic.
MVP implored Slater to keep practicing his promos skills, something MVP stressed he did, pointing to the shared promo as sufficient evidence.
I was in WWE developmental with Heath. He came in for Deep South TV for FREE. He literally WORKED his way into a developemental contract. He told me he couldn't cut promos. We talked about it. I told him he had a HUGE personality! Bring that to the mic. PRACTICE! He did! OH BABY! https://t.co/WRUfZxLlvJ
He spoke about feeling the fire inside him once again. Slater then confessed that he’s looking forward to getting into “legit” shape as he prepares for a comeback post-WWE. He added how his approach is “No bullshi*, get ready for the encore.”
All Elite Wrestling commentator Jim Ross has talked about the possibility of Rusev joining AEW’s roster. Rusev was recently released alongside several other WWE in-ring talent as well as a number of backstage personnel.
Ross addressed the concept of Rusev becoming a part of AEW during an episode of his podcast Grilling JR via AdFreeShows.com. He argued how there had to be some “semblance of a reason” that Rusev’s previous push was cut short. Ross then noted that he doesn’t know what that reason could be. He divulged how he had never heard any “scandalous tales” about Rusev.
Jim Ross Would Consider Rusev A Priority
His experiences with Rusev have led Ross to believe he is a soft-hearted, well-raised person who is polite and decent. Ross then stated how securing Rusev for AEW would be his top priority. “That’s who I’d want to go after first because I can see him having some major pay-per-view main event matches with a variety of top talents in our company AEW. Anyone would be smart to hire him.”
He shared how he would like to call a high-level Rusev matchup before explaining how a company would “know what you’re gonna get out of the guy.”
With his recent departure from WWE, Jim Ross noted how Rusev now has something to prove. As far as he’s concerned, Rusev is and always has been a legitimate talent that he’s been high on.
Major League Wrestling presented its 2nd show as part of the AAA vs MLW Super Series. The event was held in Tijuana, Mexico and this week’s show featured 2 more matches in the series.
The full episode can be viewed in the player below:
MLW Fusion 4/18/20 Quick Results:
Averno defeated Douglas James (AAA leads 2:1)
Team Filthy (Dominic Garrini & Tom Lawlor) defeated Xtreme Tiger & Puma King (Tied 2:2)
After King Mo’s suspension was upheld, Tom Lawlor said Team Filthy would adapt. He also said that he and Dominic Garrini would form a tag team with the goal of relieving the Von Erich brothers of the MLW tag titles. This week, Garrini and Lawlor teamed up against Xtreme Tiger and Puma King. Team Filthy broke out some new double-team moves this week but in the end, it would be a basic rear-naked choke from Lawlor that would earn his team the victory.
There was some confusion at the end of the match as the referee didn’t signal for the bell right away after Tiger tapped. The referee immediately attempted to pry Lawlor off the luchador and neglected to ring for the bell until after Lawlor relented. Earlier in the contest, the referee had disallowed a blind tag by Team Filthy as well. There were concerns about AAA-bias from the officials in the night’s opening contest as well.
The night’s opening contest saw Douglas James of MLW take on AAA’s Averno. After Averno took the early advantage, throwing his opponent through a table on the outside and delivering a buckle bomb inside the ring, James then took control. James’ comeback led to a beautiful Meteora which looked to have his opponent finished. An extremely slow count from the referee allowed Averno time to recover, however.
In Mexico, it is not uncommon for a referee to show a little bias and it looks as though that is what happened here. After Averno recovered he delivered a massive forearm to James, knocking him out and ending the match.
Alexander Hammerstone Eats Cake After Brawl With O’l Mancer
The rivalry between the Dynasty and Mance Warner continued this week as O’l Mancer caught up with Hammerstone in the back. The two brawled throughout the arena until they hit a locker room where Alicia Atout’s birthday celebrations were ongoing. Just as Savio Vega, Brian Pillman, and Alicia Atout were going to enjoy some birthday cake, Hammerstone and Warner’s brawl spilled into the room. Warner ended up throwing Hammerstone face-first into the cake. The show ended as Vega and Pillman ate from the part of the cake that Hammerstone’s face didn’t smash into.
Brian Pillman Jr. was the victim of a vicious assault at the hands of Injustice recently. The trio smashed his head against a cinder block but miraculously, Pillman has been cleared to compete next week. Davey Boy Smith Jr. announced that Pillman will be back next week and the two Hart Foundation members will compete in tag action. He also suggested that Pillman knew “the right doctors” and that is how he got cleared.
Pillman being cleared infuriated the members of Injustice. The trio should be more worried about their upcoming shot at the AAA trios titles against Los Jinetes del Aire (El Hijo del Vikingo, Myzteziz Jr. & Octagon Jr.), however. That match will air in the coming weeks on Fusion.
Richard Holliday was interviewed this week alongside Alexander Hammerstone. Holliday will defend “his” Caribbean Championship next week against Chessman. He seemed not to know who Chessman is and did not seem overly concerned about the match. Holliday has also been lobbying as of late for the Caribbean title to be made an official championship of MLW.
Last week on Fusion, Pagano was involved in a hardcore battle on Fusion. This week, he cut a promo in the back where he specifically made mention of MLW World Champion Jacob Fatu. Pagano has promised to bring carnage to MLW and it appears he may have his sights already set on the world champion.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson were among the 20+ people who WWE released last week. They held the Raw tag team championships twice during their 3-year stint with the company. On the latest episode of the Talk’n Shop Podcast on MLW Radio, the Good Brothers addressed their departure.
Karl Anderson started off with an interesting perspective. Not everyone is liked behind the scenes is popular with the locker room. If wrestler has heat, others will say, “Yeah, f*ck him a little bit.” That was not the case this week. He genuinely liked everyone who was cut.
Luke Gallows said it very said that so many good people lost their dream jobs this week. “It was a crushing day in the professional wrestling world,” he said. “But the professional wrestling world always goes on.”
He encouraged fans to support the talent by following them on social media and buying their merchandise from Pro Wrestling Tees.
Gallows also briefly addressed their futures. Without giving too much detail, the big man told listeners that we haven’t seen the last of them. “Ya gotta wait on that,” said Gallows. “We ain’t ready yet, but when we are, we’re gonna unload.”
Gallows is keeping things close to the vest, but his partner is not being so secretive. Shortly after WWE released them, Karl Anderson posted a video on Twitter hinting at a return to Japan. The team had a decorated run in New Japan Pro Wrestling as part of the Bullet Club, so NJPW has to be seen as a strong option for them later this year.
WWE’s layoffs hit everybody hard. AJ Styles addressed Gallows & Anderson’s release during an online video stream. “I feel responsible for them being released,” he said. “It’s devastating.”
You can listen to the latest episode of Talk’n Shop at MLW Radio or in the player embedded below.
Cody Rhodes was recently interviewed by Bleacher Report Live. During the conversation, he spoke about his loose connection to the Netflix docu-series, “Tiger King.”
According to Cody, 5 years ago he was told the stories about Carole Baskin as if they were complete fact. “I have this very loose kind of connection to Tiger King,” Cody said during the interview. “Very loose. As far as, I went to a sanctuary that was in Melrose, Florida. A really great Tiger sanctuary called Single Vision. They took tigers that, situations like Joe Exotic – there’s a bit of an epidemic in this country with people who get these big cats and then don’t know what to do with them like you saw on the show. So they would go to places like Joe or Carole.”
Cody continued to say that when deciding which Tiger sanctuary to go to, he and Brandi were told the stories about Carole Baskin.
“I’m trying not to implicate anyone. I had heard the Carole Baskin story like 5 years ago. It was just a universally known thing amongst that world, that tiger world, like ‘hey don’t mess with her, this is what she did.” Now, I’m not saying I believe it but I was told as if it was absolute fact. So when it was brought up on the show, my mind was blown! Now I’ve heard this from multiple people in the animal world and now it’s for everyone to see again. I really enjoyed Tiger King, a very crazy outlook on a unique situation.”
Cody continued to talk about who told them the stories about Carole Baskin, though he did not implicate anyone personally.
“We were debating do we go to Big Cat Sanctuary or do we go to our other place. And the individual was like ‘you don’t want to go to the former because…’ and that’s where we heard it for the first time.”
Adam Thornstowe is 1/2 of Impact Wrestling’s Reno Scum. Evidently, when he isn’t teaming with Luster the Legend and helping Ace Austin with his underhanded tactics, he is working long hours in a hospital during a global pandemic.
“Just taking a little break at the hospital to let everyone know what I’ve been up to,” Thornstowe says in the video. “This is pretty much it. 40-60 hours a week I’ve been down here in surgery. Just trying to help out my community and do my part. This is what I do besides from Impact Wrestling. I try to juggle both jobs as best I can.”
“Being here at the hospital, every now and then it’s just a little mentally taxing,” he continued.
“I guarantee we are all going to get through this together. Reno Scum and Ace Austin are going to be kicking a** in an Impact wrestling ring before you know it. Hope you are all staying safe, staying inside, washing your hands, telling the people you love that you love them. Stay safe out there and I’ll see you a lot sooner than later.”
Thornstowe’s video can be viewed in the player below:
Impact has been posting videos with the #URTheImpact to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkAaQH7rfxc
Dawn Marie Providing An Essential Service
There can be no debating that what Dawn Marie is up to these days is far more essential than pro-wrestling. The former valet for the Impact Players now works in nursing.
There has never been a better crowd. I’m moved to tears! The families are cheering us as we enter and leave the buildings. I’ve never been more proud of my accomplishments then I am today. pic.twitter.com/4AjLrqGUtd
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) has not wrestled since March 11th, 2020. He teamed with the Butcher and the Blade on Dynamite that night and defeated the Jurassic Express. MJF has wrestled just once since defeating Cody Rhodes at AEW Revolution. It appears that MJF’s infrequent schedule might be as a result of an injury.
MJF noted on Twitter today that he is dealing with something that may require surgery.
My Issue has gotten worse, Its looking like I Might need surgery.
Earlier this month, MJF noted that he was dealing with something that was preventing him from performing.
I wish I could put my body on the line more for you guys. I truly care so much about you being entertained during your hour of need. Unfortunately something awful has happened to me and it has gradually gotten worse. I can’t comment on what the issue is at this time. https://t.co/1WoXSzPh7r
When AEW revealed its top-5 rankings for April 1st, 2020, MJF was not ranked. He had been ranked #2 the week prior. We noted in our AEW rankings post that week that his dropping out of the rankings was likely due to inactivity as he had only wrestled once in all of March.
MJF is 5-0 in AEW single’s matches. He’s defeated Brandon Cutler, Hangman Page, Joey Janela, Jungle Boy, and Cody. He’s also been in 2 battle royals that he didn’t win and one fatal-4 way match that was won by Hangman Page and also involved Jimmy Havoc and Jungle Boy. MJF is 3-0 in tag-team matches.
Alexa Bliss is currently 1/2 of the Women’s Tag Team Champions alongside her partner, Nikki Cross. Before she got to WWE, however, Bliss dealt with an eating disorder. She recently spoke to SI.com about the impacts this had on her life and the scary health consequences that resulted.
When Bliss was 15 years old, her weight fell to just 80lbs. Her heart rate fell below a normal healthy rate and she was taken to hospital.
“When I went to the hospital, I almost went into cardiac arrest,” said Bliss. “And I wasn’t allowed to go to sleep—they thought I’d die if I did.”
Bliss also spoke about how eating disorders run in her family. She also noted that every few years she deals with a bout of depression.
“Dealing with eating disorders, anxiety, and depression, I’m no stranger to mental illness. Every few years, I deal with a really bad spell of depression. You have to know it doesn’t have to overtake your life,” Bliss continued.
“Mental illness can dictate someone’s entire life. I put myself in a position to be in the public eye, but I’m doing what I love. I’ve gone to therapy, I’ve done everything I can do to get my brain in a healthy place.”
A link to the full interview with SI.com can be found here.
Alexa Bliss in WWE
Alexa Bliss is one of the most decorated women’s wrestlers in the modern era. She is a former 3x RAW Women’s champion. Bliss has held the Smackdown Women’s Championship twice as well. Additionally, Bliss Cross (Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross) is now 2x WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. The duo most recently won the titles from the Kabuki Warriors at WrestleMania 36.
AEW broadcaster and Senior Advisor Jim Ross discussed the XFL going into bankruptcy on a recent episode of his Ross Report podcast.
The rebooted league was Vince McMahon’s second attempt to establish an ‘alternative’ to the National Football League (NFL) and bring high-level football to fans during the traditional off-season.
JR has said in the past how much Vince McMahon invested into the original XFL concept, both financially and emotionally. Even after the league folded back in 2001 after just one season, McMahon hinted that he would give it another shot one day.
“I had the first meeting with Vince after the XFL went belly-up [in 2001]” Jim Ross said on an older episode of Grilling JR. “I talked with [McMahon’s personal assistant] Beth Zazza, ‘Is the boss gonna want to meet today?’ She said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah. He’s fine.’ He [Vince] just lost $50 million, I think it was, something like that. I said basically the same thing. ‘What could we have done differently?’ Vince said, ‘Not a god damn thing, JR. The way it was laid out? We did the best we could with what we had, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a calculated risk. And I would do it all over again. Because I believe in the concept.’”
XFL 2.0
It appeared as though this second attempt was at least on course to be viable. The games had been met with generally positive reviews and the quality of the football on show was solid.
The issue with this iteration of course stemmed from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the majority of sports leagues cancel or postpone their seasons. The NFL, NBA, MLB and MLS have all stopped play, and the XFL had to follow suit. The big issue for the XFL, unlike these other leagues, is that due to its infancy it was operating on a loss.
McMahon was hoping to get strong television rights following the initial success of the opening part of this season, but without the potential revenue coming in from networks? The brand was doomed to fail for a second time, albeit due to matters outside his control.
JR On The XFL Folding (Again)
When asked about the XFL filing for bankruptcy earlier this month, Ross admitted he was “a little bit shocked” by the news.
“I can see suspending play, much like the NFL has and other leagues,” he said on a Patreon Exclusive episode of Grilling JR. “MLB so forth and the NBA Playoffs. All these things that are being suspended based on, ‘Are we going to be able to proceed at some point in time, sooner than later?’ And of course we don’t know that. I think it’s absurd for [government] officials to talk about May 1st or June 1st. They’re just bullsh*tting us. Yeah, come on. They don’t know, right?”
Do you think that the XFL had a chance to succeed if not for the pandemic? Let us know in the comments
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The Revival are no longer with WWE, having been granted their releases from the company on April 10th. Prior to granting Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder their releases, WWE was planed to repackage the duo as a comedy act.
Vince McMahon is said to have personally given the above photos to illustrate the new look he wanted the team to go with. The photos come courtesy of Bodyslam.net. The Revival were to receive new ring music, in addition to the bow-ties, silly hats, glow sticks, oversized necklace, etc. that this new gimmick would have included.
Cash Wheeler (formerly Dash Wilder) was asked on Twitter if these photos are legit. He respectfully ‘pleaded the fifth’ and let the images speak for themselves.
— Daniel “Cash” Wheeler (@CashWheelerFTR) April 18, 2020
This is not the first time WWE has dogged The Revival with third rate comedy garbage. Last year, the world-class in-ring technicians were the butt of several wacky gags on WWE programming. During a feud with The Usos, they were caught shaving each other’s backs backstage in the locker room. They were also pranked with “Ucey Hot” cream, a high-point for WWE’s recent creative efforts.
Back in December, it had been reported that there were plans to turn the Revival into a full-fledged comedy team. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, the team was set to become a spoof of the Fabulous Ones.
“The booking plan on Smackdown is to turn The Revival into comedy characters,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “There are mixed feelings on this for obvious reasons and it still may get shot down, but the deal where Wilder tripped and fell during the ring entrance was supposed to be the start of it.”
The Revival is already using new ring names. Dash Wilder is now Cash Wheeler and Scott Dawson is going by Dax Harwood. The same day they were released from WWE, Wheeler filed a trademark application for the phrase, “Fear The Revolt.”
Whatever you call them, Wheeler and Hardwood are free agents unbound by no-compete clauses.
Dr. Britt Baker DMD has quickly become one of the most talked-about heels in AEW. In recent months on Dynamite, Baker has been ruthless in her comments to Tony Schiavone and even more ruthless to her opponents in the ring. Her new persona is not what she thought she would be doing when she started with the promotion, however. In a recent interview with the Bleacher Report, Baker spoke about her current character and the confidence she gets from working alongside Schiavone.
“It’s really totally not where I expected I would be right now, as far as character-wise,” Baker said. “I love it. Every second of it, I’m enjoying it.”
Baker also spoke about working with her “friend” Tony Schiavone on Dynamite.
“There’s always a sense of comfort knowing I have Tony Schiavone standing there with you because if anything really goes off the rails he can save it. It’s comforting, because I know he’s right there with me.”
“Tony Schiavone is such a pro and he’s so amazing, his reaction, his body language, and his gestures truly make the promos, because he’s so, so good. It’s these little organic things and these gestures. I nudged him one week and said, ‘Stand up straight,’ and he does it. He just acted on command, and it’s so funny because he’s such a professional.”
Baker also spoke during the interview about how she doesn’t memorize her promos. Rather she goes off of bullet points and then feeds off the crowd.
“You learn really quickly what works and what doesn’t. There’s a lot of moving parts to making something successful. I think I’m a prime example of people just improving over time with more TV exposure and getting more comfortable, but that comfort also comes with help from the back.”
Baker goes into further detail on these subjects in more during the interview. A link to the full discussion can be found here.
Britt Baker in AEW
At the time of this writing, Baker is ranked #5 in the AEW women’s division. She recently dropped from the #4 spot after losing to the #1 ranked Hikaru Shida 2 weeks ago.
Baker holds a career record of 10-7 in AEW. Her 10 wins is 3rd most of any female in the company. Hikaru Shida has a 12-5 career record in the promotion and Riho is sitting at an 11-6 record. She defeated Cassandra Golden this week on Dynamite.
Dustin Rhodes will face Kip Sabian in the 1st round of the TNT Championship tournament this Wednesday on Dynamite. In a clip from AEW’s “Road to the TNT Championship” set to air on Monday, Dustin tells his brother Cody that if he doesn’t beat Kip Sabian then he’ll retire.
“As you know, I soul-search every single week,” Dustin says to Cody in a voicemail during the video. “I’m always asking the question can I still do this? So my soul-searching has led me to this: This TNT tournament is the most important thing I’ve done since wrestling (Cody) at Double or Nothing, hands down. To be the first TNT champion means every frickin thing you can possibly imagine to me. So one of the things that I really want to discuss with you – and I would really like to talk to you instead of texting you this or voicemailing you this – Look, this guy Kip Sabian is no joke. If I cannot beat that son of a b**ch, I will retire.”
If Dustin loses on Wednesday, it would be the end of a very long and accomplished career that dates all the way back to the 1980s. Dustin made his debut in Championship Wrestling from Florida in the fall of 1988.
Reactions To Dustin Rhodes Putting His Career On The Line
Several people from AEW have reacted to Dustin’s statement.
Tony Khan posted the following:
1 week ago we celebrated @dustinrhodes’ birthday + his amazing career spanning 5 decades. There is hyperbole in wrestling but it’s no stretch to say Dustin’s better than ever today; I hope he’ll reconsider. @TheKipSabian carries a 2020 record of 6-3, same as Dustin. This is crazy https://t.co/yTfAM1vNmN
I think you still have it in you @dustinrhodes. You’re in the best shape of your life. Yes @TheKipSabian is a top contender. Yes @thePenelopeFord is crafty. But I’m in your corner Chicken. I’m not letting you go down without the fight of your life. Let’s go!
Yes you can still do it @dustinrhodes. You are so unbelievably incredible in the ring, on the mic, and everything you do behind the scenes. It’s just not time. Not even close. https://t.co/qxYUYrkxtt
Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux are now members of the NXT roster. While Kross has not officially debuted with the company, he attacked Tommaso Ciampa in the back to close out the most recent edition of NXT. Based on new merchandise for the Superstar, it appears he will not be going by the name Killer Kross in NXT, however.
Posters and t-shirts for Kross are already available on WWEShop.com. They can be found at this link. The shirts feature the name “Karrion Kross” indicating that he will be moving forward without “Killer” as part of his name.
The word is a noun meaning “the decaying flesh of dead animals.” It is normally spelled with a “C” rather than a “K,” however.
Karrion Kross In NXT
Triple H recently spoke about Kross during an interview with SI.com. During the interview, Triple H noted that Kross was something special.
“The first time you see him, you know right away that he’s something special,” Triple H said about Kross. “It’s been a long path for him to get where he is. He is a unique talent that combines what he does in the ring with his charisma and his intelligence. I’m excited for him to be here.”
It appears as though Kassius Ohno is amongst those recently cut by WWE. It is not clear whether Ohno has been furloughed or if he has been released outright, however. An employee who has been furloughed is still able to receive their benefits and could potentially be brought back in the future. WWE talent are being outright released while employees of the company are being furloughed, though this does not include all producers.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Ohno is part of the recent cuts. The 40-year-old had been with the company since returning in late-2016. Ohno had previously been with NXT from the summer of 2012 until the fall of 2013 as well. His last appearance in WWE was at the NXT UK tapings from Coventry in early March. Ohno also performed for the NXT UK brand on its January tapings as well.
Kassius Ohno in NXT
Real name Chris Spradlin, he has wrestled primarily under the name Chris Hero on the independent scene when outside of WWE. Amongst his accomplishments in wrestling include being a 2x ROH tag team champion along with Cesaro. The team was also awarded the Tag Team of the Year award in 2010 by the voters of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Ohno is also a former PWG World Champion and EVOLVE Champion.
Sami Callihan recently returned to Impact Wrestling. He took a brief hiatus from the promotion after losing the world title but returned as the man behind the ICU hacking incidents as of late. He is now scheduled to face Ken Shamrock next week on the 1st night of Rebellion.
During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Sami talked about his current gimmick in Impact and comparisons to his Solomon Crowe gimmick in NXT.
“Yeah but done the correct way,” Callihan responded when Van Vliet mentioned his current character is similar to the one he did in NXT. “And that’s not sh**ing on WWE at this point, they did not understand it at all.”
“We really didn’t even get to pull the trigger on the hacker cyber-punk character really at all,” he continued. “It was something that me and Dusty Rhodes had really written out, came up with ideas on and it was something that I came up with from being a big video game nerd and actually watching the movie Hackers.”
Callihan continued to say that when he suggested the character in NXT someone from the office asked him why a hacker would wrestle?
“Why would the Undertaker wrestle? He strikes dude with lightning bolts, I don’t think that’s really the hill to die on but it just didn’t click, I didn’t click,” Callihan said. He would continue to say that Impact is now trusting him to think outside of the box with the character, however.
The full interview with Chris Van Vliet can be viewed in the player below:
AEW commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently discussed the firing of WWE talent this past Wednesday. The company released and furloughed a number of on-air and backstage personnel, due to the economic climate and ongoing uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
In a Patreon Exclusive episode of Grilling Jr, Jim Ross would specifically make some intriguing comments on one released WWE Superstar in particular, Kurt Angle. Interestingly, Ross would discuss the potential of bringing in Angle to wrestle for AEW, even after his retirement from in-ring action last year at WrestleMania.
Jim Ross on Kurt Angle
“I know he wasn’t being used a lot” Jim Ross began, discussing the Olympic gold medallist. “There’s always some trepidation about Kurt’s health. He has had a lot of injuries. And you don’t want to get a guy [that’s] pushing beyond the pale. Look, Kurt’s also got a young family, he’s got several kids, you know? He’s got to find work. There’s a million things Kurt can do, no doubt. But he may have to get out of the day to day pro wrestling business to accomplish that.”
“his age and his injury situation may be a little bit prohibitive”
Jim Ross
Comparisons To Tom Brady
Jim Ross would elaborate further, discussing the quality that Angle could bring to the table in a number of industries. “He’s a great talker. He’s a hell of a personality, you know? He’s got acting chops, he’s got talent. But his age and his injury situation may be a little bit prohibitive. Now, he’s one of the greatest talents I’ve ever seen. He was a great signing for us [then WWF] when we signed him, he adapted. He took Dory Funk Jr’s coaching and Tom Prichard’s coaching very very well.”
Ross continued, comparing Kurt Angle to legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
“He is a monster athlete,” JR said of Kurt Angle. “But again, he’s like Tom Brady, he was at one time considered the greatest in the game. But at 42 for Brady? How’s Brady gonna play this year at that age? We’ll wait and see if he plays this year, If anybody plays [football] this year.”
JR – Short Run in AEW?
JR would finish by fantasy booking Angle for a short run in-ring at AEW. “Just fantasy booking here. This will make the internet for clickbait, because that’s what goes through their head. No creativity, and they’re little wh*res.” (Author’s note: Love you too, Jim!)
“Theoretically, if he’s cleared physically, and I don’t know that he would be. But if he was cleared physically? He may be a guy that you can bring in for a program against a guy like [AEW Champion Jon] Moxley. The matches between Moxley and Angle if Kurt is healthy and able to go? They could be phenomenal. But it’s not a long term thing, right? It might be a big program you get that takes you to a pay per view. But that’s it.”
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Former WWE SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff recently discussed what is now being billed as ‘Black Wednesday.’ WWE released a significant number of on-air and backstage talent earlier this week and Bischoff would weigh in on the situation for the After 83 Weeks w/ Christy Olson podcast. As part of the discussion, Bischoff would also talk about AEW and whether they would be likely to hire a number of talents from the released list.
Eric Bischoff on Released Talents
“I mean let’s take a snapshot of reality as it exists today” Eric Bischoff began. “Where can they [the released talents] go? They could, theoretically at least, go to AEW. But how bloated can that roster get? They don’t do house shows, they don’t tour. They do a pay per view once a month or whatever it is.”
Comparing AEW and WCW
Eric Bischoff would then shift the conversation into a comparison between WCW, saying “nobody’s really talking about it. As opposed to WCW when guys like Dave Meltzer and everybody couldn’t wait to disclose internal information about WCW that was leaked to them by talent. You don’t hear any of that coming out AEW. I have a pretty good idea what some of the talent are making. And, it’s astronomical sums of money compared to what even some of them have ever made at the peak of their careers in WWE or WCW.”
AEW’s Talent Budget
Eric Bischoff then clarified that statement, saying that AEW clearly has a ‘substantial’ talent budget to work with. “There’s a substantial talent budget there. It’s a talent budget for a roster that isn’t generating a lot of revenue, other than television. And, of course, pay per view. So how many top talents, how many of those names from WWE can AEW afford to hire? If they bring in three, four, or five or maybe they only bring in one?”
Bischoff finished by discussing a talent he worked with in WWE that he would consider bringing in. “That makes sense, one or two of the bigger names, I’m sure, Erick Rowan is a guy that I’d be surprised if they’re not looking at that got released. Super guy by the way I loved working with him in WWE. But there’s a handful of stars that I’m sure WWE or AEW are thinking about right now. But to think that they’re gonna absorb eight or nine or 10 people? It’s not realistic.”
Eric Bischoff
Do you think that AEW will bring in some of the recently released WWE Superstars? Let us know in the comments
The New Day have dethroned The Miz and John Morrison as the SmackDown Tag Team Champions
The title change happened on Friday Night SmackDown when Big E beat Jey Usos and The Miz in a Triple Threat Match with the titles on the line. This marks the eighth time that The New Day has won WWE Tag Team gold.
Just a few weeks ago, WWE had Morrison defend and successfully retain the titles in a Triple Threat Ladder Match against Kofi Kingston and Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania.
Although not confirmed, the belief is that a three-way tag team title match between The New Day, The Usos and Miz & Morrison will take place at WWE’s next pay-per-view event, Money in the Bank.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Gt9lKhVmM/
WWE has also confirmed matches for next week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on FOX.
Among the matches set for the show includes two Money in the Bank Qualifying bouts. Here is what’s on tap for the show:
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. Dana Brooke & Carmella.
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Drew Gulak vs. Baron Corbin.
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans.
WWE is thinking outside the box for the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The company is billing this year’s event as one of the most unique in company history.WWE announced on Friday that this year’s Money in the Bank ladder matches will take place at corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
The company also revealed the rules for the contests. The matches will begin on the ground floor, with Superstars fighting their way to the roof. The briefcases will be suspended above a rooftop ring in what will surely be a sight to remember.
The tagline for the show is, “Climb The Corporate Ladder!”
Thus far, Shayna Baszler, Asuka, and Nia Jax are representing RAW in the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, while Dana Brooke has qualified on the SmackDown side. More competitors will be added to the match in the coming weeks.
Rey Mysterio vs. Murphy, Aleister Black vs. Austin Theory, and Apollo Crews vs. MVP will compete in qualifying matches for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match this coming Monday night on RAW.
As noted, WWE has already confirmed that Braun Strowman will defend the Universal Championship against Bray Wyatt in one of the top matches at the show.
In fact, it will mark the first time Strowman has defended the title since winning it from Goldberg at WrestleMania 36.
