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NJPW’s Harold Meij On Coronavirus, Getting Back To “Business As Usual”

Steve Russell
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New Japan Pro-Wrestling acted quickly as the coronavirus pandemic first started taking hold. The promotion cancelled their annual New Japan Cup tournament in order to help protect their fans and talent. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, NJPW President Harold Meij discussed how he intends to help get business back to normal.

“The Coronavirus has impacted the entire world,” Meij said. “However, throughout our 50-year history we have experienced and overcome numerous crises, not only emerging stronger as an organization, but also as a good social beacon bringing hope and excitement worldwide. NJPW sincerely believes professional wrestling will once again unite us all very soon, sharing our passion for wrestling together.”

Harold Meij On NJPW’s Alternative Content

Harold Meij reiterated how all New Japan events have been cancelled up to and including their March 21 show. He noted how eagerly everyone involved wants to get back to “business as usual.” According to Meij, NJPW officials are actively working towards that ambition. He acknowledged that the continuous situation is “fluid” and so they have to act responsibly with every decision.

“The Coronavirus has dramatically affected how sports and events-based businesses worldwide are able to operate,” Meij continued. “Being the biggest professional wrestling organization in Japan put a spotlight upon us and gave us a significant social responsibility. It has been our duty to not just act in the best interests of our fans, wrestlers and staff, but of society at large.”

In the wake of the New Japan Cup cancellation, the promotion has attempted to deliver alternative content to fans worldwide. NJPW has been releasing videos for their NJPW Together Project via NJPW World. The videos bring stars together to talk, entertain and provide wrestle commentary over matches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u5ykJ-O2yI

Daniel Bryan Acknowledges Elimination Chamber Wardrobe Malfunction

Steve Russell
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SmackDown Superstar Daniel Bryan has acknowledged his recent wardrobe malfunction. Speaking with the Bella Twins’ on their podcast, Bryan opened up about the moment that took place during WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

Bryan explained how he didn’t find out about what had happened when he came backstage. He shared how most people were either complimenting his matchup or concerned about his neck. “[…] so not a single person mentioned it. I went to sleep [that] night not even knowing that it was a thing. I didn’t feel anything, and you’d think because that’s a sensitive area, you’d think you’d feel a breeze or something like that, you know? But [that] night it wasn’t even a thing.”

Daniel Bryan’s Reaction

It wasn’t until the next morning when he got text messages from some friends that he realized what had happened. Bryan stated how he’s a terrible texter, so most people don’t bother texting him. “So that meant when I got two text messages from people saying, ‘Dude, I saw your balls!’ [laughs] I was like, ‘What?’ I didn’t know what was going on.”

He admits his first reaction was some natural embarrassment. That being said, he soon found the funny side to the situation. “[…] if your boobs come out … And then all these guys — I don’t want to say all these guys, but traditionally men — are like, ‘Boobs, yay!’ I didn’t see when I looked on social media, nobody said, ‘Balls, yay!’ [laughs]”

Daniel Bryan competed against Drew Gulak in a hard-hitting matchup during Elimination Chamber. Bryan would eventually walk away with the victory. At the time of writing, Daniel Bryan doesn’t have a scheduled match at WrestleMania 36, which now takes place on April 4 and April 5 from multiple locations.

H/T to 411Mania for the transcription.

Lita Discusses WWE Not Following Up On Evolution’s Success

Steve Russell
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WWE Hall of Famer Lita recently joined the Women’s Wrestling Weekly Podcast. During their conversation, she addressed WWE’s decision to not follow up with another Evolution or May Young Classic event. Given the feedback those shows received, Lita shared her disbelief at WWE holding back.

“Dude, why is it not back? So Mae Young got so much positive feedback, Evolution was sold out, granted, you can’t look at your own timeline for how people feel because they’re like, ‘You’re so great,’ and I’m like, oh, everyone loved it, but from what I got, everybody responded really positively to it, even just financially, it was sold out, I don’t understand why there is not another Evolution, why it didn’t make the regular PPV cut, was really shocking to me.” 

Lita competed during the Evolution pay-per-view. She teamed up with Trish Stratus. The duo defeated the team of Mickie James and Alicia Fox.

Lita’s Wrestling Mount Rushmore

Lita was then asked which female wrestlers would adorn her personal wrestling Mount Rushmore. She listed names from the industry’s past and present. Alongside Chyna, Lita included the current WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Luna. She explained how she always found Luna really cool and believed her to be underrated, “[…] she doesn’t get the love that she deserves.” 

Adding onto the conversation of legacy recognition, Lita noted how Chyna should be added into the WWE Hall of Fame as a solo entrant. 

H/T to 411Mania for the transcription. 

Jake Roberts Shares Harsh Words Regarding Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart

Steve Russell
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Jake “The Snake” Roberts has shared some harsh words regarding Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. During an interview with FlipDaScript, Roberts revealed how he felt that Michaels and Hart were “chumps” who needed the title to be relevant. He claimed the two were the worst champions WWE could have had and that neither man drew any money.

When asked which Superstars needed a championship to be relevant, Jake Roberts was quick to name Michaels and Hart. “Those chumps needed the title. Nobody paid attention to them. [Michaels] was in a tag team and they were pretty good and they made the girls say, ‘Oooh!’ But that’s about it. [Michaels] worked his ass off. I’ll give him that. He performs his ass off. But was he a good champion? Hell no. Did he put asses to seats? Not that many. Check the books.”

He continued, “Bret Hart & Shawn Michaels were the worst champions of all. They did not put money in the bank. Shawn Michaels had the ‘It’ factor but he was 215 pounds and in my day, you’re getting in the ring with 275, 300, 350 pound guys. Then you go Andre who’s 550. Can you imagine Shawn going up against Andre? My case is closed.”

Jake Roberts is currently a part of All Elite Wrestling. After teasing a new association with a key talent, Roberts soon revealed former New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Lance Archer was his new client. 

H/T to Fightful for the transcription. 

Matt Hardy Reflects On AEW Dynamite Debut

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Matt Hardy is now All Elite. Hardy debuted for the company during this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite during the close of the show. Reflecting on his debut in front of zero fans in an empty arena due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hardy shared how he is proud to be a part of AEW.

“Considering the uncertainty of the current world we’re all living in, last night’s @AEWonTNT was the best audience-free pro wrestling TV broadcast yet.. And I’m ready to fight over it. Proud to be a part of @AEWrestling.”

Matt Hardy & The Elite

Matt Hardy was revealed to have sided with Elite members Kenny Omega, Cody, Hangman Page and Matt Jackson. Hardy will be the fifth man in their upcoming Blood and Guts matchup against the Inner Circle, comprised of the former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho, Santana and Ortiz, Jake Hager and Sammy Guevara.

This week on Dynamite, the Inner Circle were able to pick up a victory of members of The Elite. This win gives them an edge going into their Blood and Guts match. Blood and Guts is set to take place during the next episode of AEW Dynamite.

With the current climate, however, it is unclear at the time of writing whether that will take place next Wednesday on TNT when Dynamite usually airs.

ROH COO Joe Koff Confirms They Are Planning Weekly Television Series

Anutosh Bajpai
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We have seen a number of wrestling shows getting new TV deals in recent times like NXT on USA, AEW Dynamite on TNT and Impact Wrestling moving to AXS TV.

This has made many wonder if other wrestling promotions such as ROH could also be looking to launch weekly episodic TV series anytime in the near future.

During a recent interview with WrestlingInc, ROH COO Joe Koff discussed these possibilities and confirmed that they have plans for a weekly series. Though he also explained that the ripple effects of coronavirus could force them to move their plans back:

“We are always looking at that and we have a plan on the table to look at a more weekly version. We don’t have a start date yet but it is this year,

Those rumors are not necessarily rumors as they’re closer to fact than not.” said Coff. “But we’ll have to see how [the ripple effect of COVID-19] transpires and if they affect us moving back that date. But it’s definitely one of our goals.”

The ROH COO also discussed their decision to cancel all ROH shows untill May 31 saying that it’s not just pro wrestling and the whole world is being affected right now.

He claimed that wrestling is his business and he loves it very much but the hindrance seems small compared to the bigger picture. You can check out his full interview at this link.

Cody Rhodes Responds To Criticism Over AEW Signing Ex-WWE Stars

Anutosh Bajpai
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While AEW officials including Cody Rhodes have taken credit for the improved pay rate of WWE talents, they have repeatedly said that the company will not be signing each and every wrestler that leaves WWE.

However, after the recent debuts of Matt Hardy and Brodie Lee, fans have once again started showing concerns over the company filling their roster with ex WWE employees.

One such fan took on his Twitter and responded to Cody Rhodes’ tweet where he welcomed Matt Hardy to AEW, by criticising the company for bringing in more former WWE stars.

Cody Rhodes responded to this fan with a tweet and he wrote: “Talent is talent. Merit based company. We have a great roster from all types of places (mainly blossoming independent stars). It’s a great balance.”

Another fan then posted a list of ex WWE employees which are working for AEW and in response; Cody Rhodes posted a list of his own featuring names who have never signed with the company. You can check out the whole exchange below:

After weeks of rumors and speculations, AEW finally revealed the name of the Exalted One and it turned out to be the former WWE Intercontinental Champion Brodie Lee.

Matt Hardy also made his debut during the same episode of Dynamite and he was revealed to be the final member of The Elite for their upcoming Blood and Guts match against the Inner Circle.

WWE Nixes Two WrestleMania Matches Due To Coronavirus Concerns

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE announced recently that WrestleMania this year will be a two-night event which will be taped from multiple locations to minimize the risks amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Though this is not the only precaution the company is taking to tackle the effects of the epidemic and latest reports reveal that they have cancelled two of the planned matches for the Show Of Shows. According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, WWE has made the decision to nix Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and Women’s Battle Royal from WrestleMania this year to comply with the CDC recommendations as much as possible.

This is not the only step the company is taking and in response to a query, they had previously revealed that they have a team of physicians testing everyone entering the Performance Center.

Only the essential personnel are brought in for tapings at the Performance Center and they have also been cycling big-name talents instead of bringing them in all at once.

The decision to shoot WrestleMania from multiple locations will also help the promotion as it will prevent the need to bring all the stars under one roof at the same time.

The company has also recently revealed the match schedules for both nights of WrestleMania which you can check out at this link.

Backstage News On If Brodie Lee Was Always Planned To Be Revealed As The Exalted One

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW had been teasing the reveal of the Exalted One on their programming for a while and many believed that Matt Hardy will be revealed as the leader of the cult.

However, it didn’t turn out to be the case and former WWE star Brodie Lee was revealed as the leader of the group on the latest episode of Dynamite instead

PWinsider provides some update on the situation. They confirm that Lee was always planned to be revealed as the Exalted One, once the company confirmed that he was free of his contract and will be signing with them.

The officials leaned into the speculations of Hardy being revealed as the leader of the Dark Order to help mask the former Luke Harper’s debut on AEW TV.

The site also notes that everyone who worked this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite did so voluntarily. Tony Khan had already addressed the roster last week and told talents that they can sit out the upcoming shows if they want, without any repercussions.

Everyone who was present at the show including the production staff made the decision to work on the episode themselves and anyone who might have sat out would still be paid as if they worked the tapings.

The current hope within the company is to continue airing shows live every week but it’s not guaranteed in the current situations. The officials also acknowledge the situation and they have worked precautions into this week’s episode of the show.

Bray Wyatt Reacts To Brodie Lee’s AEW Debut

Anutosh Bajpai
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1

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite saw two big debuts and one of them was the debut of former WWE Intercontinental Champion Luke Harper, now known as Brodie Lee.

The former WWE star made his debut during a segment on the show and to the surprise of many, he was revealed as the Exalted One of the Dark Order, a role many expected Matt Hardy to assume.

Bray Wyatt reacted to Brodie Lee’s debut on their rival promotion on Twitter recently. He posted a gif of a child mentioning how he and Rowan are the only ones left now:

Luke Harper originally debuted on WWE TV as part of the Wyatt Family led by the former Universal Champion and he remained closely associated with Bray Wyatt throughout his WWE career.

He had been unhappy with his position in WWE from the last few years and Lee had even asked for his release from the company, only for his request to be denied by the officials.

The company finally released Brodie Lee from his contract in December last year and he made his AEW debut shortly after his non compete clause expired.

You can check out the debut of the newest AEW star in the video below:

WWE Planning Ambitious Taping Schedule Over Next Week, WrestleMania To Be Taped?

Andrew Ravens
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WWE continues to not only make changes to their weekly television shows but also its next pay-per-view event, WrestleMania 36.

On Thursday evening, John Pollock of POST Wrestling reported that the company is planning an “ambitious” taping schedule for Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown that would see all episodes be in the can.

This schedule could also mean WrestleMania just weeks before its scheduled dates. 

Per the report, WWE plans to pre-tape the March 23rd and March 30th editions of RAW and the March 27th and April 3rd editions of SmackDown over the next week. These episodes will include the go-home shows for each brand. 

Also, one source told him both nights of WrestleMania could also be pre-taped, while another source was unsure if that was the plan.

This is all being done due to the uncertainty of the outbreak of the coronavirus in the United States, which has forced WWE to cancel shows and air all episodes of their weekly programs from their training facility, Performance Center. 

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on the format of these weekly shows and whether WWE plans to air a mix of recent archived content with a handful of new matches.

With the recommendations of how many people can be part of large public gatherings decreasing by the week, if just one talent or crew tests positive after working a show then it could shut down any efforts at producing live content at any time.

Thus, the plans mentioned above are being talked about. 

WrestleMania To Be Held As Two-Night Event From Multiple Locations

AEW Dynamite & NXT TV Viewership (3/18)

Andrew Ravens
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Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War. AEW won in total viewers. NXT didn’t crack the top 50 shows for the night.

Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

WWE NXT Viewership

NXT on the USA Network averaged 542,000 viewers, which is down from 697,000 last week. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.16 rating, down from the 0.21 rating that the show did last week. 

The episode featured three video packages that covered the Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano feud, NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair, and former NXT Champion Finn Balor. Triple H and Tom Phillips hosted the show. 

AEW Dynamite Viewership

AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 932,000 viewers, up from the 766,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.35 rating, up from the 0.26 rating that the show did last week. 

AEW Dynamite featured such as The Inner Circle vs. The Elite the main event, Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy vs. The Butcher and The Blade, Lucha Bros vs. Best Friends, the debut of Matt Hardy, Brodie Lee’s reveal as the Exalted One, and Hikaru Shida vs.  Kris Statlander vs. Penelope Ford vs. Riho.

Eric Bischoff Talks WrestleMania 36 Going Two Nights With No Fans In Attendance

Jake Skudder
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Former WCW President and co-host of the 83 Weeks podcast Eric Bischoff recently discussed the announcement that WrestleMania 36 will be taking place over two nights. For the first time ever, WWE’s biggest show of the year will take place without any fans in attendance. This is of course due to the current COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that has completely changed the state of live entertainment and sports over the past few weeks.

Eric Bischoff on WrestleMania

Bischoff talked about the lack of audience for the show on After 83 Weeks with Christy Olson. “Oftentimes I’m asked how important the audience is to the show itself” Bischoff would begin. “One of the things that I’ve said over the last three decades, and when I got that question was; someone told me once that, and I don’t know if this is true, someone told me once that Elvis Presley said that the most important part of any of his shows was the audience.”

“the audience is like the third or the fourth person in the ring”

Eric Bischoff

Eric Bischoff elaborated further, saying “that always stuck with me. Whenever I could keep the audience alive, with the Nitro girls etc. All those decisions were probably born out of the fact that it made a lot of sense to me. That the audience is like the third or the fourth person in the ring. You’ve got the two combatants, if it’s a singles match, you’ve got the referee, and then you’ve got the audience. So there’s really five characters, you know, or four characters on the show to draw an analogy, or to draw a kind of example.”

Unprecedented WrestleMania

Bischoff finished by saying “I would say just imagine, just close your eyes, use your imagination. Take the best WrestleMania match you can you can imagine, whatever you think your favourite WrestleMania matches are. Now have that match in a high school gym in front of no people. I’ve used that analogy over and over and over again over the last 10-20 years. I never would have imagined that we’d be sitting here, you know, discussing the fact that this WrestleMania is going to take place.”

Baron Corbin Discusses Frustration With Current WWE Role

Anutosh Bajpai
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Baron Corbin is regularly featured on WWE TV and the former US Champion is presented as one of the top heels of the company on the regular programming.

However, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of room for advancement in his current role within the company and it appears that the Lone Wolf is frustrated with this situation.

Baron Corbin recently appeared on the After The Bell podcast where he said that he wants the spot in the company where top guys like Brock Lesnar and The Rock would want to work with him and discussed how he is frustrated in his current situation:

“I want that spot [with Lesnar and The Rock]. That’s why it’s a double-edged sword for me because you [WWE] put me up there at the top but you’re not handing me the ball.

Give me the ball, so now I’m frustrated going, ‘What do I got to do to take that?’ And then I’ve finished with Roman, so I have to cycle back through, so now I’ve got to scratch and claw to get back to that top spot.” 

Elsewhere in the interview, Corbin mentioned how he has spent the last 18 months headlining live events against the likes of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns but he still doesn’t feel like the company has “handed him the ball” to become one of their top guys.

Quotes via SportsKeeda

WWE Reveals Match Schedule For Both Nights of WrestleMania

Steve Russell
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With WWE having split WrestleMania 36 across two days, fans have been naturally wondering what matches will be taking place on what day. WWE.com has now revealed when fans can expect specific matches to take place. At the time of writing, each WrestleMania 36 match preview on WWE’s official website stated the date.

As it stands, the WWE Universe can expect Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship defense against Drew McIntyre to close Saturday, April 4. The WWE Universal Championship match between Goldberg and Roman Reigns will round out the weekend on Sunday, April 5.

WrestleMania Schedule

The current card, per WWE.com, looks like this:

Saturday, April 4th, 2020

  • WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
  • NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
  • The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles
  • Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins

Sunday, April 5th, 2020

  • WWE Universal Championship: Bill Goldberg (c) vs. Roman Reigns
  • RAW Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
  • John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt

It’s worth noting that, although each match is listed as taking place at the WWE Performance Center, WWE intends to broadcast WrestleMania from multiple locations.

WrestleMania 36 was initially intended to take place at Raymond James Stadium on April 5. It will now take place on April 4 and April 5. The decision to relocate was made due to the current coronavirus pandemic. 

WWE Responds To Question About Talents Being Tested For Coronavirus

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

While WWE has scaled back its operations significantly, the company is still producing shows which means that a number of WWE personnel still have to travel and come in contact with other staff members.

This has made many wonder what precautions the company is taking and whether the staff members are tested in any way before entering the facility for the shows.

When asked about the same, the company released the following statement to Sports Illustrated, revealing that all staff members are required to participate in medical screenings prior to entering the Performance Center:

“In consultation with WWE Medical Director Dr. Maroon, WWE Associate Medical Director Dr. Dugas and ringside physician Dr. Westerfield, as a best practice and precautionary measure all WWE performers and staff are required to participate in medical screenings prior to entering WWE’s training center, which is now operating as a closed set,”

The site also notes that the company has established a series of protocols to minimize the risks and protect its staff. The protocols are based on guidelines set by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though due to the lack of testing for people who are in need, the sources say that WWE is not testing people who are not showing symptoms of the infection.

Sasha Banks On Fans Not Being Able To Attend WrestleMania

Anutosh Bajpai
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1

Fans who were excited for WrestleMania will unfortunately not be able to attend the show this year because it has been moved to Performance Center and it appears that the former Women’s Champion Sasha Banks understands their disappointment.

The Boss recently made an Instagram post where she addressed the WWE Universe. The former Champion said that it hurts to know that fans who planned to go to the Show Of Shows whole year won’t be able to attend the PPV.

However, she explained that the priority right now is everyone’s health and Sasha Banks claimed that they will do their best to put on a show which is worthy of the fans:

“It breaks my heart to know that fans won’t be able to attend #WrestleMania They aren’t just there to watch the show, they’re a part of it! But priority #1 is everyone’s health. So on April 5th we will do our very best to put on a show worthy of our fans. Its what you deserve.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B90MZuuBrLP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

Sasha Banks has not been announced for WrestleMania so far but she, alongside her partner Bayley, has been involved in a rivalry with the Women’s Tag Team Champions, The Kabuki Warriors in recent times.

While not confirmed, it’s believed that the two will be challenging the team of Asuka and Kairi Sane for the titles at the Grandest Stage Of Them All, which has been announced to be a 2 night event this year.

Ryback Claims Vince McMahon “Doesn’t Give A F*** About Anyone”

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Ryback has slammed Vince McMahon during a recent episode of Shooting Blanks Wrestling Report Podcast with Raj Giri. Reacting to McMahon’s decision to continue with WrestleMania 36 despite the coronavirus pandemic, Ryback claimed how the WWE Chairman doesn’t care about anyone or anything except his bank account.

“At the end of the day, and this is just this is my personal opinion, Vince doesn’t give a f*ck about anyone except for his bank account” Ryback began. “That is me being there and talking to a lot of other people in different generations, at different times, that have worked there [WWE]. And just personally? Seeing how things operate and looking him in his eyes on many many occasions; and just instinctually knowing that I never want anything to do with this type of human being.”

Ryback’s Opinion

Ryback stressed that this was just his opinion. He noted how the coronavirus is a “real-life experience” that humanity is collectively going through. He then reiterated his feelings, noting that Vince McMahon will at least “pretend” to care.

“I think he will…he’ll pretend that he cares but I don’t see it,” Ryback said. “The fact that they haven’t seen the other sporting organisations step up and say ‘we’re going to take care of this?’ They’re trying to figure out ways to run everything still. So that should tell you all that you need to know.”

WrestleMania 36 will now take place in multiple locations on April 4 and April 5. The decision was made to relocate from Raymond James Stadium in the wake of current coronavirus concerns. 

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription. 

Eric Bischoff Reflects On The Chemistry Between Steve Austin & Brian Pillman

Steve Russell
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0

Eric Bischoff has praised the chemistry that existed between Steve Austin and Brian Pillman during their time as The Hollywood Blonds. The two tagged together during in WCW. Bischoff opened up about working with the duo during a recent episode of his podcast, 83 Weeks. 

“I had the opportunities to kind of watch Brian and Steve backstage, not so much watching them in the ring. Which, is always fun to watch don’t get be wrong, but it was also fun watching them together backstage” Bischoff said. “They really enjoyed working together, the chemistry was great. Again, you know, similar personalities, different interests I’m sure but similar personalities in there.”

Eric Bischoff On Austin/Pillman’s Relationship

Eric Bischoff opened up about how Pillman could be “moody” from time to time. He explained, “It goes with the territory but for the most part, you know when you see these two guys together? They were cutting up. they were having a blast. You could tell the chemistry was there.”

He noted how the two weren’t merely “tolerating” each other. Instead, he could see how much they truly enjoyed hanging out and spending time together. Not only with their professional in-ring work but in travelling together and just hanging out. “It was great, great chemistry with amazing talent, which is why it stood out as much as it did.”

Teaming together as The Hollywood Blonds, Austin and Pillman won the WCW World Tag Team Championships and the NWA World Tag Team Championships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RyQDLFqlr0

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription

Kurt Angle On Who Is The Best Heel In The Business

Anutosh Bajpai
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9

While many people consider Baron Corbin to be a boring wrestler, it appears that the former World Champion and WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle believes different.

The Olympic Gold Medalist held another Q&A session from his official Facebook page recently where he answered questions like the best vacation place and more.

A fan asked which era was his favourite era of wrestling. Replying to it, Kurt Angle claimed that the Attitude Era was his favourite because it was very special and the wrestlers, fans and storylines of it were unparalleled.

Interestingly, when asked who is the best heel in the business right now, he took the name of The Lone Wolf: “Baron Corbin is a great heel. He is genuinely hated by fans.”

Apart from this, Kurt Angle revealed which three things he will take with him if he had to go to a deserted island and answered a question about preparing for a moonsault off the cage. You can check out his post below:

https://www.facebook.com/realkurtangle/posts/10159487468008047?__tn__=-R

The former WWE star had also discussed Cody Rhodes’ Evolution and revealed which weapon he thinks is the worst to be hit by in another Q&A which you can check out here.

What do you think about Kurt Angle’s remarks about Baron Corbin being the best heel in the business right now? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Jerry Lawler Talks About Working In Front Of Zero Fans, Using Crowd Noise

Steve Russell
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1

WWE Hall of Famer and current RAW commentator Jerry “The King” Lawler opened up about working in front of zero fans during an interview with USA Today’s Commercial Appeal. He also broached the idea of WWE piping in crowd noise to help create some atmosphere.

Lawler admitted that performing in front of empty arenas is WWE’s biggest obstacle right now. He pointed at how fan reaction helped let Superstars know whether they are doing a good job or not.

“That’s our obstacle [now],” Lawler said. “How do you entertain when you don’t have a live audience? That’s how you judge whether you’re being entertaining or not — the crowd response. When nobody’s there, you can’t tell.”

Jerry Lawler On Crowd Noise

Regarding WWE utilizing crowd noise to create a sense of atmosphere, Jerry Lawler believes it might benefit the current television product. He reflected on a past empty arena matchup between himself and Terry Funk. He shared how they wrestled at about 1 in the afternoon and, during the middle of the match, he couldn’t help but feel stupid.

“When I go back and think about it, I do remember, right in the middle of the match, I thought, ‘This feels stupid.’ He’s throwing me into empty chairs and those sorts of things. There’s no fans screaming, no background noise at all. It just made you feel kind of dumb.”

Lawler continued, “I’ve been to [football] training camps where the players go through their practice sessions with loud music or crowd noise piped in. I don’t think it would hurt anything at all if they piped in some crowd noise behind the matches. And even explain it to the fans. It’ll make the matches more entertaining and it’ll make it easier for the performers themselves.”

WrestleMania 36 now takes place across two days on April 4 and April 5 from multiple locations. The decision was made to relocate from Raymond James Stadium due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Sonya Deville On Entertaining Fans During Coronavirus Pandemic, Becky Lynch

Steve Russell
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1

SmackDown Superstar Sonya Deville recently spoke to With Spandex where she discussed entertaining people during the coronavirus pandemic. Deville has yet to participate in an empty arena matchup. That hasn’t changed how she would approach such a challenge, however. She observed how wrestling in front of zero people is a testament to the Superstars’ talent and charisma.

“I think it’s just really a testament to everyone’s talent and charisma, that they’re able to perform literally in front of nobody,” Deville said. “And that’s what wrestling and WWE is based off of. It’s based off of fan and crowd interaction, we feel your guys’ energy every single weekend.”

She continued, “That’s what drives us to do a lot of what we do. And so now it’s a completely different game. And just watching the superstars adjust and make that adjustment so smooth and still be entertaining is mind blowing to me. It’s awesome.”

Sonya Deville On Facing Becky Lynch

Sonya Deville also addressed her dream opponent, current RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. She reflected on the promo she cut about being a rising star on WWE’s The Bump, admitting she didn’t expect the reaction it garnered. 

“So I cut that little promo after she said that I was a rising star on The Bump, and so I took it and ran with it and I didn’t expect it to go as viral as it did. And I was like, “Wow, okay. Maybe there’s something here. Maybe people want to see me versus Becky.” So maybe we’ll give people what they want one day.”

At the time of writing, Sonya Deville has yet to be scheduled a matchup at WrestleMania 36. The event now takes place across two days on April 4 and April 5 from multiple locations. 

R-Truth Calls WWE One Of The “Most Forgiving Places”

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WWE Superstar and former WWE 24/7 Champion R-Truth has explained how WWE is one of the most “forgiving” places to work. Speaking with the NotSam Wrestling Podcast, R-Truth reflected how, during his first run in WWE as K-Kwik, he was possibly too outspoken. Upon leaving in 2002, he was worried he had done irreparable damage between himself and the company. 

“I thought I broke that bridge” R-Truth revealed. “One thing about this company [WWE] they give you. They let you go mature.”

He continued, “[…] this is one of the most forgiving places where. I probably thought I would never, ever have a chance to come back. But they [WWE], they know you make mistakes. They know you sometimes have to mature.”

R-Truth’s Departure And Return

R-Truth was used sporadically during his time with WWE in the early 2000s. He was in a tag team with Road Dogg and also participated in WWE’s Hardcore division of the time.

After leaving WWE, he joined Total Nonstop-Action Wrestling (TNA) where he would win multiple championships. During his time there, he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championships. R-Truth would eventually re-sign with WWE in 2008. 

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription.

Kota Ibushi Shares His Thoughts On Empty Arena Matches

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New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) was one of the first wrestling companies to cancel a major event in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak began as NJPW were gearing up for their annual New Japan Cup tournament.

New Japan’s Kota Ibushi recently sat down for an interview with njpw1972.com. During their conversation, Ibushi addressed the coronavirus and shared his thoughts on wrestling in front of empty venues in the way AEW and WWE have been doing.

“There’s a lot of different ways of thinking about it, but [in complete honestly,] I’m not a fan of empty arenas,” Ibushi admitted. “There’s, of course, a lot of merit to watching video, and you can get a closer sense of the action in the ring perhaps.”

“The thing is though, I’m not really about showing off what moves I can do. I want to be engaging a live crowd. In that sense, I really don’t see the point of running events if there aren’t going to be any people there.”

Kota Ibushi shared how he had previously wrestled in an empty arena during his time with Japanese promotion DDT. He joked how the empty arena wasn’t “by design” and that the show had started without any fans turning up.

Randy Orton Takes Issue With Latest WrestleMania Advertising

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WWE Superstar Randy Orton is preparing to face off against his former-Rated RKO tag team partner Edge at WrestleMania 36. Fans may not know it, however, looking at the recent posters advertising the event.

WrestleMania 36 will now take place across two nights. WWE shared an image to their social media, hyping the news. Newly announced Host of WrestleMania, Rob Gronkowski, is presented front and center. Randy Orton, however, is missing. Other Superstars featured include John Cena, Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre. RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and the WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar are also present.

Taking to his Instagram account, Orton shared his thoughts on being overlooked, writing: “Well ain’t that some bullshit. #letmecounttheways”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B95jemxAJuL/?utm_source=ig_embed

Randy Orton Vs Edge

This past week on Monday Night RAW, Edge challenged Randy Orton to a Last Man Standing matchup. Despite being planned to continue without an audience, the two are expected to clash on the “Grandest Stage of them All.”

Originally meant to emanate from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, WrestleMania 36 will now take place across April 4 and April 5 from multiple locations. The WWE Performance Center has already been confirmed as being one of the sites.

This decision was made due to the current coronavirus pandemic, which has affected events, conventions and sports worldwide.

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