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Eric Bischoff on Why Sting Ditched his Surfer Character

Alex Laybourne
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During the 1990s there was one man who was the face of WCW. The icon himself, Sting. With his blonde hair and imposing physique, there was every reason for him to be the face of the TNT network. Former WCW president Eric Bischoff recently spoke on his 83 Weeks podcast about his former main man. As part of the discussion, Bischoff explained the real reason behind Sting ditching the bleached hair surfer gimmick that had been his character for many years.

Wrestling is all about storytelling. We all know about kayfabe and the illusion of character. So what was given as the reason for Sting’s change in attitude was far more dramatic than the reality.

Eric Bischoff explained that with his stock rising, Sting had eyes on a transition into movies, and acting. It was exactly that mindset that caused him to grow his hair and revert back to his natural color.

“Sting was taking acting lessons right around this time and working in that direction. Sting made up his mind, he didn’t want that blonde hair because you can’t get a movie, you can’t get a T.V. role with that look so he wanted more versatility.” Eric Bischoff explained.

Eric Bischoff Tried to Help Sting Make it on the Big Screen

It makes sense that a man with Sting’s presence would want to move into acting. Wrestling is, after all, largely a character-driven performance. Wrestling and acting go hand in hand. Just look at stars like The Rock and John Cena. Both have made the transition from the ring to the big screen.

Talking further, Eric Bischoff detailed how he was the man behind Sting’s first acting opportunity.  “I was the executive producer of Stings’ very first movie called The Real Reason Men Commit Crimes. I put the deal together and made it happen with Turner and funded it.”

Sting was one of the biggest names in WCW. It made sense for Eric Bischoff to help him get more fame as that would, in turn, benefit WCW as a company.

Chris Jericho Takes a Swing at Barricade Jumping AEW Fan

Alex Laybourne
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AEW was back on the road this week for the first time since before the pandemic. It has been 15 months since AEW left Daily’s Place. It’s understandable that those in attendance were excited. However, for one fan, a rush of blood got the better of him. Jumping the railings, he tried to get into the ring along with Chris Jericho.

Jericho was making his way to the ring for a segment with his long-time rival MJF when the fan tried to get involved. Chris Jericho swiftly called for security, but still took a swing at the many as he tried to get through the ropes.

https://twitter.com/SkullsMedia/status/1412938218731827203

Both AEW commentator Jim Ross and wrestler MJF weighed in on the event. With the latter working the moment into his character shouting “I welcome any other one of you fat, white trash hicks to jump in the ring too, so I can beat your ass.”

 While Jim Ross stated, “Well, we don’t condone that kind of behaviour, quite frankly.”

Chris Jericho Soon Got Back to Business

AEW Security swiftly got things under control, and Chris Jericho and MJF got straight back down to the matter at hand. The Labours of Jericho.

“This ain’t about them, Chris, it’s about us.” MJF declared before detailing his stipulations for Jericho earning a title shot against him. “You’re gonna have five labours, Chris. The first four will be opponents of my choosing, all with different stipulations, and you have to win back-to-back matches. And if you manage to get through the first four, which you won’t, you get that MJF rub one more time.”

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1412937680921505796

The long-running feud between The Pinnacle and the Inner Circle has been entertaining. From singles competition to full faction matches such as Blood and Guts and the Stadium Stampede. Both Jericho and MJF are fantastic on the mic and have led both sides by example.

Chris Jericho is currently 0-2 against MJF, but every AEW fan will be behind him as he embarks on his own hero’s journey, chasing the ultimate goal, victory over Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

Drew McIntyre Urges Released Superstars to Remain Positive

Alex Laybourne
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WWE has a history of culling its unwanted superstars, however, 2021 has brought a number of shocking announcements. Including the release of popular superstars such as Brawn Strowman and Aleister Black. Black just made his AEW debut, attacking both Cody Rhodes and Arn Anderson. Talking to the International Business Times, former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has spoken up about the recent wave of WWE releases.

“It is a huge opportunity. That’s the way I look at it.” He said when asked for his thoughts on the releases. “Perhaps some of the superstars that were released weren’t particularly happy with their position. Now, they have an opportunity to go out there and reinvent themselves and the world’s opening back up.”

Wrestling is an ever-changing world. A release does not always necessarily mean the end of the journey with that promotion.

Drew McIntyre Can Relate with Released WWE Superstars

Drew McIntyre is one of the WWE’s biggest stars right now. He was their main champion through the Pandemic Era. However, things were not always rosy for the big guy. McIntyre can relate more than others to the pressure and stress of losing a job. He himself was released by WWE back in 2014.

“I was so fortunate that when I was released from the WWE, that’s exactly what my mindset was–I’m gonna put the image out that I see myself as, as opposed to what others see me as. Thankfully, it caught on. I was given a lot of opportunities outside of WWE to make my name and it brought me back to WWE and to the top of the mountain.” Drew McIntyre said when talking about his own experience.

“There are so many talented individuals that just got released. They can do exactly the same [as I did]. If they’ve got the work ethic and the passion, they’re gonna make it happen and I’ll see them all again one day,”

If there is one wrestler who could serve as a guiding light for those superstars, then it would be Drew McIntyre. His story was chronicled by WWE ahead of his Wrestlemania moment in 2020. Drew will be looking to get back to the top of the mountain by winning the Money in the Bank ladder match later this month.

AEW Dynamite Road Rager Results: Tag Title Street Fight, Malakai Black Debuts

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite Road Rager aired live from the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. QT Marshall faced Cody in a Strap Match tonight. The Pinnacle’s Wardlow & FTR squared off against Inner Circle’s Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz. Andrade El Idolo made his in-ring AEW debut against Matt Sydal. The Young Bucks put the AEW Tag Team Championships on the line against Eddie Kingston & Pentagon Jr.

Dynamite Road Rager Results:

  1. Cody def. QT Marshall in a Strap Match
  2. The Pinnacle def. Inner Circle
  3. Andrade El Idolo def. Matt Sydal
  4. Orange Cassidy & Kris Statlander def. The Blade & The Bunny
  5. Young Bucks def. Pentagon Jr. & Eddie Kingston in a Street Fight to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Cody def. QT Marshall

Cody battled QT Marshall in a Strap Match in the first match of the night. QT Marshall got a jobber entrance as Cody’s kicked off the show and Marshall was already in the ring. Rhodes hit a Suicide Dive before the match began. Cody started off in control and planted Marshall with a Powerslam. QT used the strap to hit Cody with a low blow as Jorge Masvidal & Amanda Nunes were shown in the crowd.

Marshall whipped Cody with the strap a couple times and Rhodes got out of the ring to regroup. QT followed him out there but Cody ripped on the strap and sent Marshall into the ring post. Back in the ring, Marshall was busted open as Cody started walking around the ring to tap the turnbuckles. The lights in the arena went out and Marshall took advantage with a slam.

Cody battled back and perched QT up on the top turnbuckle. Rhodes went for a Hurricanrana but QT caught him and countered into a Powerbomb off the top rope. Marshall stumbled around the ring and began touching the turnbuckles but Cody cut him off at three.

Cody hit an Arm Drag and whipped Marshall a couple times. Cody planted Marshall with an awesome looking Cutter and then got some retribution with a low blow. QT spit in Cody’s face and he responded with three Cross Rhodes. Cody then touched the four turnbuckles to win the match.

Hangman Page Confronted Kenny Omega

Tony Schiavone tried to interview AEW Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis tonight. Callis told Tony to get out of the ring as the crowd chanted “you got fired!” at Don. Callis shouted “real men don’t quit, they get fired!”. Callis ran down all of Omega’s recent wins and claimed that they had to get an entourage just to transport all the belts.

Callis added that Omega has beaten everyone and there is nobody left. The crowd chanted “Cowboy Shit!” as Don claimed that there are no challengers at Fight for the Fallen. Evil Uno interrupted and made his way to the ring. Evil Uno asked Omega why he was ignoring the crowd and why he was so afraid of friend.

Another very loud “Cowboy Shit” chant broke out. Omega asked Evil Uno what the capital of Thailand was and hit Evil Uno with a low blow. Kenny joked that it is “Bangkok” and a brawl broke out. Good Brothers, Omega took control and beat Dark Order down.

Hangman Page made the save and set up for the Buckshot Lariat but stopped. Hangman got in the ring with Omega but got distracted when Karl Anderson hopped on the apron. Hangman knocked him to the floor but Omega retreated out of the ring to end the segment.

The Pinnacle def. Inner Circle

Wardlow & FTR (The Pinnacle) faced Jake Hager, Santana & Ortiz (Inner Circle) tonight on Dynamite. Tully Blanchard & Konnan were ringside for the match.

Inner Circle controlled the action early and took turns beating FTR down as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Ortiz unloaded some strikes on Cash Wheeler. Hager tagged in and hit a Spinebuster but Wardlow broke up the cover.

Ortiz connected with a Brainbuster and then Hager applied an Ankle Lock. Dax Harwood broke it up and got a big boot to the face from Hager. Wardlow tagged in and traded punches with Hager. FTR connected with the Big Rig and Wardlow covered Hager for the win. Konnan attacked Wardlow with the mad ball after the match. Tully hit Konnan from behind and then The Pinnacle retreated.

Jericho Will Have To Win Four Matches To Face MJF Again

Chris Jericho made his way to the ring as the crowd sang along to Judas. MJF and Jericho then took a seat at a giant table in the ring. MJF pointed out that he has already defeated Jericho twice and it is sad that Chris is begging for another one. MJF referred to himself as the “King of All Elite Wrestling” and said he doesn’t blame Jericho for wanting another match with him.

Jericho told MJF that he will accept any stipulation, including having sex with MJF’s mom. Jericho then comically added “again”. MJF claimed that he used to look up to Jericho and one of his favorite moments was Chris’s feud with Moxley. Max noted how Jericho made Moxley go through every member of the Inner Circle to get the match.

MJF said karma is a bitch and he is taking that blueprint but making it better. Max brought up Greek mythology and the labors of Hercules. He added that Jericho is going to have five labors and four of them will be matches against opponents of his choosing. The fifth will be the match against MJF where he will once again prove that he is better than Jericho and Chris knows it.

Jericho said that if he cannot do this than he doesn’t deserve to be in All Elite Wrestling. Le Champion accepted and said he is going to ruin MJF’s life. Jericho signed the contract and threw it at MJF. Max stopped Jericho and said he is from Long Island and a deal is not done until the shake hands. MJF demanded a handshake and Jericho obliged. Jericho didn’t let go and leveled MJF with a Judas Effect as the crowd popped.

Andrade El Idolo Debuted With A Win

Andrade El Idolo made his AEW in-ring debut against Matt Sydal tonight. Andrade and Sydal traded holds to start off the action. Andrade connected with a Brainbuster and made his way to the top rope. Andrade went for a Moonsault off the top and landed on his feet for a Standing Moonsault for a near fall.

https://twitter.com/tde_gif/status/1412941046636494850?s=20

Sydal battled back and climbed up to the top rope. Andrade shoved Sydal to the floor as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Andrade got Sydal in the Tree of Woe and went for a Double Stomp but Matt dodged it at the last moment. Sydal connected with Double Knees and went for the cover but Andrade kicked out at two. Andrade hit the Hammerlock DDT for the pinfall victory. After the match, Andrade attacked Sydal some more and locked in an Armbar.

Malakai Black Attacked Cody & Arn Anderson

Tony Schiavone was with Arn Anderson in the ring when the lights went out again. When they came back on, Malakai Black (formerly known as Aleister Black in WWE) was in the ring. Malakai leveled Arn with Black Mass and Cody got into the ring. Malakai then hit Cody with Black Mass as well.

Orange Cassidy & Kris Statlander Picked Up A Win

Orange Cassidy & Kris Statlander faced The Blade & The Bunny (Allie).

Blade and Cassidy started off the match and Orange went for the Beach Break early but Blade escaped. The Blade hit a Powerslam and went for a Suplex but Cassidy countered into the Stundog Millionaire. Statlander and Bunny traded punches until Kris connected with a Powerslam of her own. Kris held up The Bunny for a massive Vertical Suplex but then got distracted by The Blade. The Bunny capitalized with a cheap shot as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Statlander connected with a Michinoku Driver for a two count. The Bunny hit a German Suplex and tagged in The Blade. Orange Cassidy hit a Crossbody and followed it up with a DDT for a two count. Statlander hit Blade with a 450 Splash and Cassidy went for the cover. Bunny dragged Cassidy to the outside as Blade put on brass knuckles. Blade punched Cassidy but Statlander tagged in. Kross hit Bunny with Big Bang Theory for the pinfall victory.

Young Bucks Retained The Tag Titles

Young Bucks put the AEW Tag Team Championships on the line against Eddie Kingston & Pentagon Jr. in a Street Fight. Kingston and Penta went right after Matt & Nick and beat them down to start the action. Michael Nakazawa wound up eating a couple inadvertent Superkicks from Matt and Nick and then Kingston & Penta laid out the Young Bucks with some kicks.

Pentagon Jr. connected with a Dropkick with a chair on Nick Jackson. Eddie and Penta brought in some tables as Nick regrouped. Nick Powerbombed Kingston as Pentagon and Matt battled on the apron. Pentagon hit a ridiculous Destroyer that sent Matt through the table as Dynamite went to a break.

When Dynamite returned, Nick slammed Kingston to the mat and put a trash can on top of him. Jackson followed it up with a Senton off the top rope but somehow Eddie kicked out at two. Penta tagged in and delivered a couple Slingblades to the Young Bucks.

Kingston went for Backfist to the Future but Matt dodged it and connected with an Enziguri. Kingston battled back with a Suplex and Penta tagged back in. Penta connected with a Tornado DDT and locked Matt in a submission hold. Nick climbed the top rope and hit referee Rick Knox with a 450 Splash. Matt tapped but obviously the referee didn’t see it.

Good Brothers rushed the ring and beat Kingston down. Pentagon flipped onto Gallows and Anderson as Matt hit Kingston with a Spear. Brandon Cutler joined the party and brought the spray but Frankie Kazarian attacked him. Kazarian hit Cutler with a Powerbomb through a table as Kingston hit Backfist to the Future but the referee was still out.

Referee Paul Turner came to the ring for the count but Nick Jackson dragged him to the outside. Frankie leveled Nick with a Clothesline and rolled him inside the ring. Good Brothers took out Kazarian with the Magic Killer as Kingston dumbed thumbtacks all over the ring. Matt grabbed a handful of tacks and threw them in Eddie’s face.

Nick Jackson hit an Avalanche Frankensteiner onto the tacks and went for the cover but Kingston broke it up at two in an incredible sequence. Young Bucks welcomed Eddie Kingston to a Superkick Party. Young Bucks then put some tacks his face and hit another Superkick for the pinfall victory. Young Bucks are still AEW Tag Team Champions.

Malakai Black (Aleister Black) Debuts On AEW Dynamite

Andrew Ravens
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AEW made a big splash during its first show back on the road by having Malakai Black, formerly known as Tommy End and Aleister Black, make his promotional debut on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite from Miami, Florida at the James L. Knight Center. 

It happened in the second hour of the show when Cody Rhodes, who had beaten QT Marshall in a Strap Match earlier in the night, did a promo segment with Arn Anderson in the ring.

The lights went out with Black appearing and hitting his signature swinging kick finisher to Anderson then to Rhodes. He had some makeup on his face and a contact lense in his right eye to change up his look. 

Black’s real-life wife, Thea Trinidad (Zelina Vega), just returned to WWE Friday Night SmackDown last week.

Malakai Black had posted a creepy vignette on his Instagram account earlier in the day where he teased his new name. He was released by WWE last month due to budget cuts. While most WWE talent are subject to 90-day non-compete clauses, Black only had to sit out for 30 days.

He’s been rumored to be AEW bound, despite a push from people in WWE to bring him back.

WWE Raw Ratings Set New All-Time Low (7/5)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.472 million viewers with a 0.41 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.570 million viewers and even with the 0.41 rating. 

Just last week after WWE faced strong NBA Playoff competition as the game did over 5 million viewers, Raw ended up with its third-lowest total viewership on record and the second-lowest 18-49 audience last week. It was also the second-lowest viewed episode of the year. 

The lows got lower as Monday’s Raw set a new all-time low for viewership since the show premiered in 1993. 

Here’s the rest of the viewership breakdown for Monday Night Raw, courtesy of Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics:

  • P2+ (total viewership): 1472 (-12%)
  • P18-49: 536 (-14%)
  • M18-49: 340 (-22%)
  • F18-49: 195 (-16%)
  • P18-34: 173 (-10%)
  • M18-34: 1f06 (-20%)
  • F18-34: 67 (-24%)
  • P35-49: 363 (-8%)
  • M35-49: 235 (-10%)
  • F35-49: 128 (-3%)
  • non-P18-49: 936 (-12%)

Raw featured Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs. Bobby Lashley & MVP,  Miz TV with Raw’s men’s Money in the Bank ladder match participants (Ricochet, John Morrison, Riddle & Drew McIntyre), Ricochet vs. John Morrison, a storyline medical update from Charlotte Flair, and more. 

SmackDown Viewership

The episode drew an average of 1.741 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 1.859 million viewers. In the 18-49 demographic, it did a 0.46 rating, which was down from the 0.54 rating the week before.  The final ratings were 1.861  million viewers, down from last week’s 1.971  million viewers.

Mojo Rawley On Heel Turn: “I Painted My Face Like An Idiot For Nothing”

Chris Stephens
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Dean Muhtadi, better known to wrestling fans as Mojo Rawley, recently took part in an interview with Chris Van Vliet. During the discussion, he talked about his heel turn and face-painted gimmick he had briefly in WWE.

“I was so against that,” Rawley said through laughter when asked about the face paint. “I really didn’t want to do that. But truthfully the sketches didn’t look half bad. I remember thinking I hope when I wear this it looks this cool…”

Rawley continued to talk about how he pitched the idea of his character looking in a mirror and hyping himself up.

“I pitched this idea of everyone looks at themselves in the mirror and everyone hypes themselves up. Everyone has that degree of vanity, let me run with it. Let me cut promos where I am berating them for their shortcoming, and you don’t know who I am talking to.”

As the storyline would continue, it would be revealed that Rawley was talking to himself in the mirror. The angle took a bit of a turn, however, and ended up involving his character drawing on his own face.

“You find out later it’s me, and we can take this whole new attitude and run with it. Somehow that lead to me losing my mind and drawing on my face, I don’t know what it became.”

Mojo Rawley On Heel Run Against Apollo Crews

Rawley would continue to say he was really excited about having a run of matches with Apollo Crews. Unfortunately, it turns out his matches were to be short and fully written out for them beforehand.

“So they booked Apollo for my debut match in this new run. We were stoked, we were like lets go out and kill it, show them what we got. Then we found out it was a 60 second match that was written out entirely for us. Two and a half weeks, then it’s that, then it’s over. I just painted my face like an idiot for nothing.”

Mojo’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, & More Comment On NWO 25th Anniversary

Chris Stephens
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With today being the 25th Anniversary of the Bash at the Beach 96 PPV, WWE is celebrating “NWO Week.” Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and other members of the faction recently spoke to Sports Illustrated regarding the importance of the famous angle in WCW.

Hollywood Hogan On Turning Heel

“Hollywood” Hogan was interviewed for the piece. He spoke about who is influences were as a heel.

“I knew I could work as a heel because I’d watched so much of Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson and ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham and The Great Malenko,” Hogan says. “They’d chop, kick and beat the crap out of you, but then they’d backpedal, cross their heart, and drop to their knees the moment the babyface would make his comeback. For me, the problem was the timing. I didn’t know if that was the right timing to do it.”

“I thought I could be a really intense heel. But turning, after all we’d been through to reach that point, it really concerned me.”

Kevin Nash On The Match At Bash At The Beach 96 Not Being That Good

Few people talk about the actual main event match from Bash at the Beach 96. Kevin Nash noted in the interview that the match itself wasn’t very good. This was partly due to just how long it had been since either Hall or Nash had wrestled.

“That was the first match [since signing in WCW],” Nash recalled. “We hadn’t worked in a while.”

“It wasn’t that great of a match,” Nash said. “Hulk coming down was just him coming down, but it was all about what happened after that.”

“We knew we definitely had some heat in that building,” Nash continued. “But we didn’t know if it would transcend any further than that night.”

Scott Hall On The NWO Still “Making Headlines”

Scott Hall also commented on how the NWO still makes headlines today 25 years after it was born.

“We obviously did something right,” Hall says. “Twenty-five years later, we still make headlines.”

“It was a different time,” Hall also said. “The internet was not as prominent as today. People thought it was real. Other WCW wrestlers thought it was real. We sold the story that Vince sent me and Kev to join Hulk and cancel WCW.”

Eric Bischoff On The NWO Angle “Feeling Real”

Eric Bischoff spoke to Sports Illustrated for the piece. He said the angle felt real because that is how they treated it.

“It felt real because it was treated real,” Eric Bischoff said. “Kevin and Scott coming allowed us to apply that kind of reality to the WCW product. Once Hulk made his decision, I knew it would be shocking and I knew he would be good at it. I just didn’t know if he’d follow through on the decision.”

Bischoff continued to say that he had hoped to get maybe 8 months out of the storyline at first.

“I had hoped, initially, we’d get a successful six-to-eight-month story out of the NWO,” Bischoff added. “I had no idea it would become as big as it became, and still is.”

“Giant” “Big Show” Paul Wight On The NWO

Paul Wight was in and out of the NWO throughout its entire existence, even during its run in WWE. He talked about the importance the angle had on the business.

“The NWO changed the business,” said Paul Wight. “They made it possible for heels to be cool.”

“The reaction of the crowd that night of the pay per view told us something different was happening,” Wight continued. “The anti-hero became the hero, and that was a direct parallel to what was happening in society. And so much of that night was unpredictable.”

The full interview with the NWO can be read here.

Smackdown To Air From Rolling Loud Miami Festival Later This Month

Chris Stephens
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WWE Smackdown will air live from the Rolling Loud music festival later this month. The company put out a press release today to say that a portion of the July 23rd episode will air from the festival.

Smackdown that night will be a “split-site” broadcast. Multiple matches will air from Rolling Loud Miami and the remainder of the show will take place at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. 

“I grew up on Sweet Chin Music, mesmerized by the spectacle that Vince McMahon and co have built at WWE,” said Tariq Cherif, Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Rolling Loud. “The idea of weaving our two storylines into one world, one must see event, is electrifying.”

Rolling Loud is the largest hip-hop festival in the world. 130 different acts are signed on to take part in the festival this year.

“What Matt Zingler, Tariq Cherif and the entire Rolling Loud team have built is spectacular,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development. “We couldn’t think of a better partner to deliver such a unique WWE experience to fans during the July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.”

The festival’s official Twitter account has been having some fun since the announcement was made.

https://twitter.com/RollingLoud/status/1412808820523515905

Tommy End (Aleister Black) Posts Creepy New Vignette

Chris Stephens
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Tommy End (FKA Aleister Black) has taken to social media to post a new creepy vignette. The video features him in some type of asylum.

“I often wondered how many more there were, like in my head? Those voices. I don’t know which I prefer, the endless silence or the constant dialogue. I find them both equally frightening,” the video is captioned.

The scene starts out with two doctors discussing what they believe to be a dangerous patient. The scene then switches to End being interviewed by a doctor. The doctor then admonishes Black for getting into fights with other patients and not improving.

“All you have to do is go to your meetings, take your medicine and maybe you’ll start improving. You’ve been here for 5 years!” One doctor yelled at him.

“I have to agree with my colleague here, it’s been 5 years, you’re not getting any better, Tom” said the other doctor. Black signed with WWE in June of 2016 and was released in June of 2021, a period of 5 years.

After the lights flicker on and off for a period, Tommy then attacks the two medical professionals. The video closes with the words “The Devil Made Me Do It” flashing on the screen.

The video can be viewed in the below Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRB9ln2hyUu/?utm_medium=copy_link

AEW Road Rager Preview from Miami: Andrade Debuts, Tag Title Match

Michael Reichlin
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Tonight marks the beginning of a new chapter for All Elite Wrestling. For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, AEW hits the road for a special edition of AEW Dynamite from Miami, Florida.

AEW presents Road Rager tonight on TNT. The event will feature the in-ring debut of Andrade El Idolo, the Young Bucks defending the AEW World Tag Team Championships, an Inner Circle vs. Pinnacle 6-man tag match and much more.

Here is the full lineup for tonight’s AEW Road Rager edition of Dynamite:

  • AEW Tag Team Championship Match:
    The Young Bucks vs. Penta El Zero M and Eddie Kingston
  • Mixed Tag Team Match:
    Orange Cassidy and Kris Statlander vs. The Bunny and The Blade
  • South Beach Strap Match:
    Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall
  • Andrade El Idolo vs. Matt Sydal
  • Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Chris Jericho go face-to-face
  • The Inner Circle (Santana, Ortiz, and Jake Hager) vs. The Pinnacle (Wardlow and FTR)

Ahead of tonight’s broadcast, check out AEW’s latest Road To special previewing Road Rager:

Nick Gage Details What He Plans To Do To Matt Cardona

Chris Stephens
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Nick Gage will face Matt Cardona at GCW Homecoming on July 24th. Gage recently appeared on Busted Open Radio and issued some comments directed at his upcoming opponent.

“Listen, I’m going to carve Matt Cardona up,” Gage said on the show. “He needs to understand what he’s getting himself into. I’m going to break a lightube over my f***ing head and then I’m going to take that sharp piece off that light tube and I’m going to stab him with it. And then I’m going to keep it in his skin and I’m going to go right down his f***ing body.”

“He’s going to feel that burn, man. This guy has no clue what he is getting himself into.”

Cardona appeared on Busted Open last month and didn’t sound concerned about his match with Gage, however.

“I have to be a man and shut him up. Deathmatch wrestling, I respect the hell out of it. It’s not for me or my style, but when I dropped him with the DDT, I sliced my elbow on the glass. I’m doing the offensive move. There’s no doubt that it’s dangerous and real. I was walking to the back wondering where the blood was coming from, and it was coming from me. Am I crazy for getting involved? Probably.”

Gage will be putting his GCW title on the line in the match. So far, the only other confirmed match for Night 1 of GCW Homecoming is 2 Cold Scorpio taking on the Grim Reefer.

Gage’s comments can be heard in the below Tweet:

https://twitter.com/BustedOpenRadio/status/1412750182475866116

MLW Launching Women’s Division This Summer

Michael Reichlin
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Major League Wrestling (MLW) is launching a women’s division this summer.

This announcement comes just days ahead of MLW’s big return to a sold-out 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA this Saturday night.

According to MLW, legendary promoter Dave Prazak (founder of SHIMMER) will spearhead this new initiative.

Prazak had this to say about the launch of MLW’s women’s division:

“During my twenty-five years working in the sport thus far, I’ve had the opportunity to serve in a number of different capacities, for many companies which have focused on different types of professional wrestling. It is that variety of styles, and the right mix of different elements which makes me most excited to join the team at Major League Wrestling.”

He added, “Having focused greatly on the promotion of women’s wrestling over the years, I value the chance to assist some very deserving SHIMMER athletes in receiving opportunities to grow by entering the MLW ranks.”

Eric Bischoff Looks Back On The NWO’s 25th Anniversary

Chris Stephens
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Today (July 7th) marks 25 years since the formation of the New World Order, one of the most influential factions in pro wrestling history.

WCW’s Bash at the Beach took place on this date 25 years ago, back in 1996. The wrestling world came to a screeching halt as Hulk Hogan turned heel and was revealed to be the “third man” aligned with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

Eric Bischoff recently spoke to TSN, the station which aired WCW Nitro in Canada, and reflected on the faction’s 25th anniversary.

“I think the NWO, in the storyline, in the presentation of the NWO, presentation of the characters in the NWO really changed the industry probably more than anything since Vince McMahon went from being a regional territory under his father to becoming a worldwide territory and really changed wrestling back in the ‘80s,” Bischoff said to TSN.ca.

“But I think other than Vince McMahon really going national and international with the WWE product, I don’t think anything has had more of an impact on the profession wrestling industry than the NWO and all of the things that came with it.”

Eric Bischoff on Comparisons To NJPW vs UWFi Angle

Bischoff would continue to dispel the belief that the NWO angle was taken from the NJPW vs UWFi angle in Japan.

““To this day, I’ve never spent 10 seconds watching any of that,” Bischoff said of the angle. “I was completely unaware of it. It is a narrative that, I think, was created by a bunch of cosplay wrestling journalists, who tried to frame the NWO in that story in a way that suggested it was a derivative of something else and it was not original.”

Eric Bischoff on Turning Hogan Heel

Bischoff would continue to talk about what went into convincing Hogan to turn heel. The former WCW President would say that he spoke to Hogan about turning heel months before the NWO storyline was even an idea. Hogan was not receptive to the idea.

“I had a conversation with Hulk about eight months prior to Scott Hall and Kevin Nash coming in, where I suggested to Hulk that, perhaps, he might consider turning heel and doing a 100 per-cent overhaul of the character,” Bischoff said. “That was eight months prior, like I said, to Scott Hall even reaching out to me or the idea of the NWO even beginning to form in my head and I was summarily escorted out of his home. He did it very elegantly, I might add. He wasn’t mean or aggressive about it, but nonetheless, he made it clear to me that he had no interest in turning heel.”

The full interview is available here.  

Diamond Mine’s Roderick Strong Signs New Deal With WWE

Chris Stephens
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With the Undisputed Era now finished, Roderick Strong has returned to WWE NXT along with the Diamond Mine. According to a report from Fightful, Strong signed a new deal with WWE before the faction debuted. Strong re-signed just before his wife, Marina Shafir, was released by WWE last month.

The Diamond Mine, and Strong in particular, are expected to play a major role in the NXT Cruiserweight division moving forward. In addition to Marina Shafir, several cruiserweights released including Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, August Grey, and the Bollywood Boyz.

A KUSHIDA vs Roderick Strong NXT Cruiserweight Championship match could potentially be as big a match as the division has ever seen.

Strong signed with WWE in 2016 after having spent 13 years with Ring of Honor. He debuted for ROH in 2003. He is a 1x ROH World Champion, 2x Television Champion, and once held the tag titles for the promotion along with Austin Aries. In NXT, Strong is a 1x North American Champion and 2x tag champion along with his Undisputed Era teammates.

LA Knight Reveals His Plans for New ‘Butler’ Cameron Grimes

Jake Skudder
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WWE NXT Superstar LA Knight defeated Cameron Grimes on this week’s episode of NXT to retain his Million Dollar Championship. With Knight winning the match during the Great American Bash, he now has the services of Grimes as a ‘butler’ for the foreseeable future.

It appears as though WWE will be looking to have elements of the original angle between Ted DiBiase and Virgil, with the man now know for liking his ‘F*CK MONEY’ turning on DiBiase and becoming a big star for a very short time.

LA Knight revealed the plans he has for Cameron Grimes after NXT aired on the WWE YouTube channel. “I’m the Million Dollar mega star and now I have help. I got my own help,” LA Knight began when talking to cameras backstage at the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida.

LA Knight on Cameron Grimes

“The clause in the contract says that I have to give him a day to gather his stuff before he can come over [to my house] to do stuff for me” Knight continued.

“Well, Cameron, I hope you got your plunger, toilet brush and all the plumbing gear you need, because I got some toilets for you to clean” the Million Dollar Champion continued.

“I got some cars for you to clean and some meals for you to cook for me. I got an expensive chef but now I have free help, and I love it” LA Knight then concluded.

It is not confirmed exactly how long this angle is expected to go on for, but it looks as if we’re in for the long haul on this one.

Ethan Page Reveals His AEW Debut Almost ‘Didn’t Happen’ at Revolution

Jake Skudder
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AEW star ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The former IMPACT star discussed a number of topics on the show, including his All Elite debut at the Revolution PPV event earlier this year.

Page would admit that the debut was almost actually not going to happen due to visa issues for the Canadian. “Probably a week or less before the match. I was given the date and start time, but it was up in the air because of the whole visa process,” Page began on the podcast.

“So before it was actually confirmed, which is literally probably about a week before, it was just a hope and a dream, which is a lot in pro wrestling, until it happens, it might not happen” Ethan Page continued.

Ethan Page on AEW Debut

Page would also talk about the difficulty of moving from the pre-taped environment of IMPACT, which was without a crowd due to the pandemic, to Daily’s Place where there was at least some audience members and a live environment in general.

“I had to book private sessions in a closed-down wrestling school, during a pandemic, and Canada is very high restriction level” Page revealed. “I’m trying to manage that, have a training partner that I trust that will keep a secret or not care why he’s coming to train with me.”

You can check out the latest episode of AEW Unrestricted below:

WWE NXT Great American Bash Results (7/6): Cole vs. O’Reilly, Three Title Matches

Andrew Ravens
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The July 6, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.

WWE NXT Results 

  • MSK def. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher to retain tag team titles
  • LA Knight def. Cameron Grimes to retain Million Dollar Title
  • Zoey Stark & Io Shirai def. The Way to win women’s tag team titles
  • Adam Cole def. Kyle O’Reilly.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

NXT Tag Team Title Match

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Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher challenged NXT Tag Team Champions  MSK on this episode.

The match saw the champions dominate Ciampa throughout the match. Before the commercial break, Lee hit Thatcher with a moonsault off the middle rope. MSK rolled up Ciampa for the win to retain their titles. 

Ciampa & Thatcher became the top contenders to MSK’s titles by defeating The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) in a tornado tag match in the main event of a recent episode of NXT. Last week, there was a face-to-face segment with the teams. 

MSK won the NXT Tag Team Championships in a triple threat match against The Grizzled Young Veterans and Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver this April.

Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher challenged NXT Tag Team Champions  MSK on this episode.

Women’s Tag Team Title Match 

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Io Shirai and Zoey Stark challenged NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae. 

Shirai & Stark became the number one contenders by defeating NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai and Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in a triple threat tag team match on NXT last week when Shirai pinned Kai after hitting a moonsault.

The match was a lot of fun with the challengers bringing the fight to the champions. The charging battery hit 100% and it was revealed as Teagan Nox, who stood at the top of the stage. Starks hit her finisher to Heartwell for the win. 

Nox has been out of action since last year when she suffered a torn ACL. WWE had an angle where LeRae attacked Nox to write her off TV. 

Io Shirai and Zoey Stark challenged NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae. 

Million Dollar Title Match 

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Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight with the Million Dollar Title on the line and the stipulation that if Knight won, Grimes must become his butler, took place. 

Knight defeated Grimes in a ladder match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House last month to win the strap and to become the first Million Dollar Champion since 2010.

On the post-TakeOver: In Your House episode, Knight turned against “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and attacked him. Grimes made the save. Last week, Grimes challenged Knight to a Million Dollar Championship match and while Knight initially declined, he agreed with the stipulation in place. 

The match ended when Knight hit a DDT on the title outside of the ring so the referee couldn’t see it. Knight hit his finisher back into the ring to win the match. 

Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight with the Million Dollar Title on the line and the stipulation that if Knight won, Grimes must become his butler, took place. 

Face-to-Face

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NXT Champion Karrion Kross and Johnny Gargano did in fact meet face-to-face on this show. NXT authority figure Samoa Joe was there to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

Over the weekend in a promo, Kross told Gargano to leave his family at home for the segment and that he’ll leave Scarlett at home as well.

Kross and Gargano brawled throughout last week’s show including the parking lot. Kross put Gargano in the Kross Jacket and then tried to run him over with his car, but Joe moved Gargano out of the way before Kross could hit him.

The segment started with Gargano saying that Kross sucks and he’s been living rent free in Kross’ head. He said the reason Kross tried to hit him with his car last week is due to his fear that Gargano will expose him. Kross listed the things he thinks of every morning then knocked Gargano for wearing Candice LeRae’s jeans. 

Next week, Kross will defend the NXT Title against Gargano with Joe being the special guest referee.

Championship Cypher

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Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Hit Row hosted a championship cypher after Scott beat Bronson Reed to win the North American Title last week. 

There was a freestyle rap from each member of Hit Row. They all had moments to shine before doing an entire song in the ring. They were actually pretty good. 

Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly

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Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a singles match was the biggest bout on the card. 

The match was a brawl with rules in place. Cole targeted the left knee of Kyle throughout the match. Cole hit panama sunrise on the floor for a near fall. Kyle caught a superkick and hit a brain buster before missing a knee drop off the top rope. Cole hit the last shot for a near fall. Cole got the win with the panama sunrise then the last shot. 

At TakeOver: Stand & Deliver this April, O’Reilly defeated Cole in an unsanctioned match. Both stars were then both involved in the fatal five-way match at TakeOver: In Your House that saw Karrion Kross defeat O’Reilly, Cole, Pete Dunne, and Johnny Gargano to retain the NXT Championship. 

They got into a brawl on the June 15th episode of NXT that led to NXT General Manager William Regal making the match happen. 

Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a singles match was the biggest bout on the card. 

Competitors Announced For This Year’s WWE NXT Breakout Tournament

Andrew Ravens
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Just one week after announcing this year’s NXT Breakout Tournament, WWE has announced the competitors. 

WWE did so during the NXT Great American Bash episode with the names of the eight wrestlers: 

  • Trey Baxter: Formerly known as Blake Christian, who faced Kushida on the June 15 NXT episode
  • Carmelo Hayes: Formerly known as Christian Casanova, who wrestled Kushida on the June 1 episode T and Adam Cole on the June 22 episode. 
  • Andre Chase: Formerly known as Harlem Bravado who defeated Guru Raaj on the July 2 episode of 205 Live to qualify for.
  • Josh Briggs: A former EVOLVE Champion. 
  • Ikemen Jiro: He has worked on 205 Live since making his debut in May.
  • Joe Gacy: He beat Desmond Troy on the July 2 episode of 205 Live to qualify for it.
  • Odyssey Jones: Formerly known as Omari Palmer, who has worked NXT dark matches as well as wrestled Robert Roode in a dark match last week at SmackDown. 
  • Duke Hudson: Formerly known as Brendan Vink, who hasn’t wrestled since May 2020 on Raw.
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The tournament will begin on the July 13 episode of NXT with Jiro vs. Hudson. Next week’s show will also feature NXT Champion Karrion Kross defending the title against Johnny Gargano. 

LA Knight Retains Million Dollar Title, Cameron Grimes To Become His Butler

Andrew Ravens
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WWE raised the stakes for the feud between Cameron Grimes and LA Knight in their second match. 

Grimes challenged Knight for the Million Dollar Title on Tuesday’s episode of NXT: Great American Bash. The stipulation to go along with the bout was if Knight won, Grimes must become his butler. 

The match was in the first hour and they traded signature moves before going into various quick pin attempt spots. Knight hit a DDT onto the title and this led to a near countout spot, but Grimes got back into the ring. Knight hit his finisher for the win. 

The two wrestlers previously worked a ladder match at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event where Knight won the title. WWE first introduced the title by DiBiase as an unofficial title in 1989 and it was most recently featured on WWE television in 2010 when Ted DiBiase Jr. held it. 

On the post-TakeOver episode of NXT, Knight turned against “Million Dollar Man”  Ted DiBiase by attacking the legendary pro wrestler.

It will be interesting to see where this program goes next week on NXT. Heading into this bout, Grimes was listed as the favorite to win the bout even though Knight hadn’t held the title for that long.

MSK Retain WWE NXT Tag Team Titles At Great American Bash Special

Andrew Ravens
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MSK put up the WWE NXT Tag Team Titles on the line when they faced Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher on Tuesday’s episode of NXT: Great American Bash. 

The match allowed both teams to get their spots in for the opening bout. MSK rolled up Ciampa for the win to retain their titles. This was an interesting finish as Ciampa and Thatcher were favored in the betting odds to win the titles. 

Ciampa & Thatcher became the top contenders to MSK’s titles by defeating The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) in a tornado tag match on a recent episode of NXT. 

MSK became the champions when they won it in a triple threat match against The Grizzled Young Veterans and Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver this April.

Their previous title defense came in a winners-take-all six-man tag match at the WWE NXT TakeOver:  In Your House event when MSK teamed with then-North American Champion Bronson Reed to retain by beating Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde). 

Tony Khan Says Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch Expenses Were Refunded

Andrew Ravens
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The Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch between World Champion Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley in the main event of this year’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view event didn’t go according to plan.

There was supposed to be a big explosion when the clock counted down to zero, but that didn’t happen as it was a botched explosion or as some have stated, a “dud.”

AEW President Tony Khan talked about the situation in February during an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show. 

“I’ll never let the non-wrestling people…I was trying to be too safe and I let the professionals handle the stuff and they are guys who don’t understand wrestling. A professional pyrotechnic guy. They totally shit the bed. I ended up not paying them. It was like $100,000 they ended up refunding for all the expenses of the match. I ended up not paying for the (exploding) barbed wire deathmatch, which I shouldn’t have. They screwed up royally.”

Khan stated that they put together something great and Omega and Moxley worked hard, but it was forgotten due to the final explosion. 

“This is because we used professional pyrotechnic people who are supposed to know. The next time we do this, and I will do it again because the match drew. Everything Jon and Kenny did up until that point was outstanding, it wasn’t their fault it didn’t go off.”

Khan stated that it was a long time ago and they’ve bounced back since then. He pointed out how the next pay-per-view [Double or Nothing] was up and did a big number.

Eva Marie Discusses Criticism From Wrestling Fans

Andrew Ravens
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Eva Marie has dealt with criticism from wrestling fans since she broke into the pro wrestling business years ago. 

Marie signed with WWE in 2013 to take part in the first season of Total Divas and later started to wrestle in NXT back in 2015 then on the main roster. After she was suspended for a violation of the WWE Wellness Policy in 2016, she never returned to action. 

Marie signed a new deal with WWE last year to make her return and that came last month. Marie recently did an interview with TVInsider.com and during it, she spoke about the criticism. 

“I love it. That’s what it’s all about. I have the best fans. The WWE Universe is 100 percent the best fans in the world. The fact that I get love and hate, that’s what it is all about. I have no problem playing that villain. I embrace the criticism and all the hatred because I want all those fans to come to a live show and boo me, cheer me, be extremely happy seeing the smile on my face get knocked off by a Becky Lynch or a Bayley or a Rhea Ripley or anybody in the women’s division. If they’re talking, I’m doing my job.”

Marie has been paired with Doudrop, formerly known as NXT UK star Piper Niven since making her live TV return. 

Cody Rhodes Comments On NXT Using “The Great American Bash”

Chris Stephens
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In 1985, Dusty Rhodes created the Great American Bash. The first event was held on July 6th, 1985 from the American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The week before, on June 30th, 1985, another one of Dusty Rhodes’ creations entered the world when Cody was born.

Tonight, NXT presents the Great American Bash from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Florida. Cody Rhodes commented on WWE using the name of an event created by his father recently on Twitter.

“Business is business. They have the rights to many of Dusty’s greatest creations. My hope is that they do them justice and I will never be bitter about his legacy being honored and a whole new generation seeing he was a genius w/lasting concepts,” Cody responded on Twitter.

In 2019, Cody commented on possibly buying the War Games concept from WWE during an AEW media call as well.

“Well, you mention WarGames and I’m thinking to myself, I really just want to buy it back,” he said on the call. “I wonder if they would let me buy it back because Dusty thought of the match concept on a napkin in a parking lot. Arn Anderson was there, I got a witness. The one they do now isn’t truly loyal to the old school rules of it. Maybe I can get it back.”

Terry Funk In Residential Care, Battling ‘Mind and Body’ Health Issues

Chris Stephens
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Terry Funk is one of the most beloved, respected, and revered pro-wrestling legends of all time. The 77-year-old is said to be suffering from dementia and living in an assisted-living facility.

The news was first mentioned by Don Muraco on his podcast and later confirmed by Mike Johnson of PWInsider. Funk’s health is said to have declined over the last year following the passing of his wife Vicki.

“I heard that Terry Funk is in a home for dementia. I spoke with Scott Casey over the weekend and I guess he’s driving all the way down to Amarillo,” Muraco said on the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTwqHMRGl0&t=2s

UPDATE: Terry Funk’s official Twitter account has issued the following statement regarding his health:

Tommy Dreamer spoke to Terry Funk on Tuesday and relayed this information:

Mick Foley on Terry Funk’s Health

Earlier this year, Mick Foley commented on Funk’s health in a Facebook post.

“I need to give Terry Funk a phone call. From what I understand, he’s in some serious pain after a lifetime of giving his all to the wrestling business. His hip, in particular is giving him a lot of trouble. Terry is not only a great friend, but my mentor, and one of the biggest influences on my career.”

“In my opinion, he is the greatest of all time, based not only on his amazing array of incredible matches with all different types of opponents over the course of several decades – but for his ability to make it SO easy to believe! No one made the suspension of disbelief easier than Terry Funk.”

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1358885330062094336

Funk spoke with Sports Illustrated back in February about Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley’s Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match.

“If you want to make this match work, you need to give the people their money’s worth. That’s the bottom line, that’s the most important thing. You need to do whatever you can to accomplish that. Physically, that can sometimes be a rugged game to play.”

Wrestling World Reacts

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1412491533765447681
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