Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2021/07/13/post-news-update-jay-lethal-im-gonna-be-with-ring-of-honor-until-i-die/
If any of the quotes from the following podcasts or video interviews are used, please credit those sources and provide an H/T and link back to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
** Prior to Ring of Honor’s Best in the World pay-per-view, Jay Lethal sat down with Chris Van Vliet for an interview. While discussing if there was ever interest in joining WWE, Lethal explained that once he realized he could make a living in wrestling outside of WWE, that no longer was his goal. He added that he’ll be a part of Ring of Honor for the remainder of his life.
For me it was, ‘I can make a living and not have to go to WWE?’ I didn’t know that was a thing. I didn’t even know that was possible. It wasn’t, thank God it is now but I mean, so there was a few times there was a little interest but because of contracts here and there, it was never like a thing that I could pursue and part of me thinks it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to be — you know, hindsight’s 20/20. We don’t know what would’ve happened but I became the face of a company known around the world for its wrestling, I was a world champion. In Ring of Honor, it’s like you worked so hard and you got that big promotion and you got that corner office looking out over the water. Like I got that promotion. Who knows what would’ve happened over there, and now that I have that promotion, why do you give that up to go try to — you know, I might as well have a big Ring of Honor tattoo on my back because I’m gonna be there until I die.
During his time in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, Lethal portrayed the ‘Black Machismo’ character. He did have the chance to chat with ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage but at the time of the call, Lethal did not truly believe it was Savage. He shared that if he was aware of that, he would have asked Savage to help him break down the formation of a match. Lethal feels that Savage and Triple H are two talents that never had bad matches.
Oh man, there was so many things . So I enjoyed most of his heel stuff as opposed to his good guy stuff. So I would’ve picked his brain. I wanted to become better at wrestling. ‘What advice do you have?’ There was one thing that I try to do is I would have wanted him to hear me plan a match and tell me what was good about it. ‘No, don’t do this. Why do you do it like this?’ And like, because the way his matches came out, to me, when he was a bad guy was so incredible. There’s two people when I watch their matches and I think they’re geniuses; him and the other is Triple H. Like they don’t have bad matches. From a wrestler’s standpoint, it’s what we called structured and the way it plans out, it’s always, to me, flawless. So that would have been the main thing I would have asked him. ‘Can you hear me plan this match? And can you tell me what I shouldn’t do and what I should?’
** AEW’s Trent underwent neck surgery in late June. During an interview with Stephanie Chase, Trent said that he feels fine post-surgery but knows it will be quite a while before he can return to the ring.
It’s been like two weeks now and I feel great but I know that in between my vertebrae, I don’t have bones or anything yet. It’s kind of just dust and I’m waiting to grow into bone. It doesn’t feel like anything but, it’s still gonna be a while before I come back so, but it was actually, surgery-wise, like way easier than I expected it to be but yeah, I feel good, thanks.
Trent’s mother Sue made semi-regular appearances on AEW programming and gained a great deal of attention on social media for those appearances. Trent shared that his mom is always excited about the TV spots.
She’s so annoyingly excited about it. She goes nuts, she loves it so much. But it really went to her head. She gets so excited. Like if she was a wrestler who was wrestling for a long time and was getting that excited and talking about it that much, people would be like, ‘Oh this guy…’ but since it’s my mom, it’s okay, you know? She loves it so much.
** The latest guest on Teasy’s Table was former WWE personality Josiah Williams. Several months ago, Williams was let go from the WWE for a second time. He holds no ill will towards the company and feels there is no reason for him to be bitter.
It’s not worth it. At all. Especially when you realize it’s like man, so much of this is just — it’s God given. You can only, at least for me, point to God as like you come from middle of nowhere Illinois to this situation. Man, I can’t not be thankful. I have to be thankful and I can’t just sit here and be bitter about something when I have so many things to put it to as a result of it, both in wrestling and outside of that. With my family and all types of stuff. You can’t be bitter man. It’s not worth it.
Williams is known for his music and Wrestle and Flow videos that he made for/about wrestlers. He was candid about how challenging it can be to navigate the corporate structure of WWE when it comes to putting out content.
The layers of all of that of like, ‘Okay, there’s a corporate system that you kind of have to go through.’ That’s a challenge because when you’re just making music on YouTube, it’s just for fun, you can do whatever you want, right? Nine months later when you’re working for WWE, there’s a whole channel of people that you have to go through, get approved. ‘Hey, you can’t do that. Hey, you can’t say that’ and keep in mind, I’m clean, I’m a Christian rapper so like, I’m not even saying anything crazy but they’re like, ‘Hey, if you say that, it’s gonna come off as this and that kind of goes across these things’ and it’s like alright, so there’s kind of all that to kind of piece apart.
** Allan “Kwee Wee” Funk welcomed Mark Jindrak onto his ‘Get Funk’d’ show. Among the many topics that the two parties discussed, Jindrak was candid about his past issues with Diamond Dallas Page. There were several incidents that rubbed Jindrak the wrong way and he explained why he is not fond of DDP.
I’m sorry but I always thought DDP was kind of a douche and you know, if he was here, I’d say it to his face. He was kind of a douche, I’m sorry. That’s just the way I feel. I mean, just common sh*t, like b*tch sh*t.
That’s some b*tch sh*t .’ You’re f*cking 6’2, dick. I’m 6’6.
Like what the f*ck you doing yoga boy? The f*ck out of here, and it always stuck with me. It always stuck with me and then the Natural Born Thrillers, we had like a little bit of an angle with Nash when we turned on Nash then DPP came back and it was just a — I never just — setting up the matches, he would not give you anything. It was him, him, him, him, him and you get some offense, it was, ‘Give me a boot there brother’ and that was kind of the problem towards the end of WCW was just like a lot of resistance. Guys didn’t wanna work with us and stuff and young guys so it was just — but overall experience, when I get a chance to put over Kevin Nash, I put him over and when I get a chance to bury DDP, I bury DDP.
In July of 2005, Jindrak was released from his WWE contract. He was still added to the SmackDown vs. Raw 2006 video game roster. He revealed that he received a $53,000 royalty check for being in the game.
What was cool too, I got fired in 2005, I didn’t start doing sh*t until July — and I didn’t start doing sh*t until like May of 2006 because I remember I got on the last video game for — even though I got released, I made the last cut for Raw vs. SmackDown 2006 and you know with video games, those royalties were f*cking sick, you know? I got — I think one royalty check — I was released and I’m thinking, my gears were spinning. I was like, ‘I need to party less, I need to date less and go on less dates. I gotta turn it down.’ I had a sweet Hummer and then all of a sudden, I opened my mailbox one day and a royalty check came for the f*cking video game and it was for f*cking $53,000 and I was like, ‘Umm…’
WWE Hall Of Famer Paul Orndorff passed away on July 12th. This interview was recorded prior to Orndorff’s passing. Jindrak shared some of the interactions he had with Orndorff while they were a part of WCW and Orndorff was training talents at the Power Plant alongside Buddy Lee Parker
Well here’s the thing and I don’t wanna beat a guy when he’s down. The thing about it was Paul Orndorff, when he was training us would always f*cking preach these things. You know like, yeah, he had a great run. He was in those 80s WWF and he had runs with Hogan. Mr. Wonderful, you know? Man of the piledriver. So, you know, although Sarge freaked out and did some weird thing.
Jindrak opened up about the colleagues he has lost in pro wrestling. He mentioned that Sean O’Haire, Lance Cade and Chris Long, who were all partners of his, have passed away.
Look at my partners, Sean O’Haire, died well before his time, you know? Garrison Cade, died before his time. My other partner eventually in Lucha Libre USA, ‘Solid’ Chris Long died before his time. Luther Reigns, I think he had a stroke. Absolutely, he’s still kicking.
Jindrak is 44 years old and last wrestled in 2018 for CMLL. He said he’s looking into getting his knee operated on because he has a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus. Jindrak added that his ACL has been torn for 11 years.
Here’s the thing, I’m 44 now and I’m probably getting my knee operated 1980s NFL player, you know? So…
** IMPACT Wrestling Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore appeared on Vickie Guerrero’s ‘Excuse Me’ podcast. Scott said he has been approached by AEW’s Britt Baker about the idea of a match between herself and Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo. Deonna is defending her title at Slammiversary against a mystery opponent.
Yeah, that’s a great question and look, I get it tweeted at me and everything all the time and all I can say is from our perspective — I mean look, I got cornered by Britt Baker down there at Jacksonville a few weeks ago and she’s like, ‘When do I get Deonna?’ And I said, ‘Hey Britt, come on.’ We’ve always said we have an open-door policy and open to doing it. I mean, you know the deal in wrestling. Sometimes there’s a lot of hurdles to jump through but, I think the relationship with AEW has been fantastic. I think that Tony Khan is a breath of fresh air in many ways in the wrestling industry and it’s just been great to deal with a person who’s in a different company, a competitor, whatever you wanna classify it but where — I mean there’s just honesty, transparency and it’s like, ‘Oh hey, let’s do that. You know why? Because it’s cool’ and we share a vision for a world like that and I’d love to see it. Whether it’s Britt or whether it’s Nyla Rose or there’s so many others of the great talent that you have there. I’d love to see it. Imagine if Nyla came in and hit the ring on Deonna and just laid Deonna out and left her lying there and just picked up that title, right? And Nyla has a pretty good mouthpiece sometimes if she comes in there and now that the fans are back, could really rile up the crowds so, let’s get Tony on this call. Let’s start hashing this stuff out.
** Ahead of his NXT Championship match on 7/13, Johnny Gargano appeared on the Wrestle Buddies podcast. Gargano shared that originally, he planned for there to be a fifth member of The Way to join himself, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell and Austin Theory.
So, I’ve always had the idea of five people. That was my goal, originally was five people. It was the four of us you bring us four in, it makes the dynamic different if there’s someone else in there. But who knows? In every sitcom, they could have a big brother, they could have a crazy aunt. You never know so eventually we’ll see what happens but right now, this current incarnation, us four together I think is the right idea.
** Vincente Beltran uploaded his interview with Big E to his YouTube channel. On the topic of New Day being listed as WWE’s greatest tag team, Big E finds it hard to put New Day on that pedestal although he appreciates the honor. He went on to name his Mount Rushmore of tag teams.
So, I’m pretty self-deprecating. It’s hard for me to put us as the greatest tag team of all-time and I’m very thankful that a lot of people have, I’m very proud of our accolades. I think we’re definitely worthy of being in the conversation. Man, as far as the Mount Rushmore of tag teams, I would put The Road Warriors in there, I would — man, there’s so many great ones. Let’s go Road Warriors, let’s go Edge and Christian, let’s go… let’s go Dudley Boyz. The problem is I’m gonna have an omission and I’m gonna feel real bad about it, and for my final tag team, who do I want to put here? Let us go with… Harlem Heat. Yes, let us go Harlem Heat.
** While speaking to That Hashtag Show, Eddie Edwards stated that he’s feeling 100 percent after undergoing surgery for appendicitis. Eddie admitted that there were thoughts running through his mind about how his appendix issue could hinder his in-ring career.
I’m good man. I feel back to 100 percent or as I like to say, ‘normal’ or whatever that normal is. For each and every person, I feel relatively ‘normal’ right now. It was a rough couple of weeks but now I’m back on and I feel good, back in the routine, getting ready for man.
There was a couple moments like heading to the hospital at the time and it’s like, what if there’s a couple minutes of traffic and it’s like, ‘Maybe that’s the two minutes where my appendix blows up and kills me. What if that’s taking me out?’ But you try to stay positive and it was mostly focused just on the pain and wanting to actually get it done and over it.
** Johnny Gargano made the media rounds to promote the 7/13 edition of NXT on USA Network. One of the outlets he spoke to was TV Insider. Gargano gave his take on how he thinks Vince McMahon views NXT and while Gargano cannot speak for McMahon, he said his interactions with WWE’s Chairman have been positive.
I can’t speak for him, but my limited interactions with him have all been positive. He has always been very supportive of me and NXT. As far as that is concerned, I hope he would realize NXT and the people we have are immensely talented. I think the future of his company, and wrestling in general, is in NXT and in that building. I think there are tons of talented guys and girls in that Performance Center just waiting for that opportunity.
** During the latest New Day: Feel The Power podcast, Big E spoke about the ThunderDome/PC portion of WWE’s pandemic run coming to an end. He said he is interested to see how live crowds change the direction of where a talent is headed on-screen.
You know what I’m interested in too? Is just how much the live crowds will dictate the show or certain guys thinking like, ‘Hey, I’m in a great spot. I’m beloved, I’m over’ and then you get in front of people, it’s like, ‘Uh! Not so fast.’ But hey, that could be me too. It could be me going out there thinking like, ‘Oh! I’m the man’ and I go out and it’s crickets and I think, ‘Ouuu, I gotta change something real fast.’
** Jim Varsallone chatted with Eddie Edwards and Eddie explained how much Davey Richards means to his pro wrestling career:
It’s tough to sum up how much he with MVP and a big show over in England. We rode the roads together, we traveled together and it’s funny because we’re very two different people outside the ring. Inside the ring, we just have this chemistry, we have this connection and at times, I didn’t think it could get any more in sync and we would. We’d be in the ring, each match it was like somehow, something else would click and that just speaks to how great Davey is and it speaks to the chemistry that we had together and we still have. You know, who knows what happens down the road? Davey’s back in wrestling, who knows. Never say never but I owe so much to Davey. I could never repay all he’s done for me.
** talkSPORT pushed out their interview with Big E. He told the publication that post-KofiMania, Vince McMahon did float the idea out there of possibly splitting New Day up.
I know there were rumors for a while that certain things were pitched, but I think because we had been so adamant about not wanting to be broken up I think that’s where people were like, ‘Ehhh, I don’t know if we should because they really don’t want it.’ I can’t really divulge the conversation, but even from the top of the business, the very head of what we do – you know exactly who I’m talking about – he directly told us, ‘Hey, this is the idea’ and we said, ‘We’re not feeling it.’ This was post-KofiMania. There were people who wanted it earlier as well.
If we’d done it, we would have missed out on so many great moments. I still think that doing it now or soon, there are great moments to come and we have a lot more to offer. I think you’ve seen happy, clappy New Day for a very long time. I still even want to play around with the original ideas we had. When you saw Woods come out in that red and white suit in 2014… that was our original intent, our original plan! To be this hard-nosed, not shaking hands, not singing, not shucking and jiving anymore – we’re not taking it anymore. We’re not sitting back, we’re going to take it. Obviously, the group ended up being the exact opposite . We had to pivot a bit but it all worked out for us. I think we still have so much to offer as a group and I just like telling stories in a different way. I get our business is a business of conflict, but I think the story of brotherhood and three guys who genuinely want the best for each other is different and unique.
** Sportskeeda published their chat with Johnny Gargano. He reflected on his comments from the TakeOver: In Your House press conference during which he expressed that his run as NXT Champion was an “embarrassment”. Gargano feels he has another run with that title in the wings and he wants the ball like how it was given to him for his recent North American Title run.
I just feel like I have another run in me. I feel like, kind of the same regard to the North American Championship, where I just want the ball. And that just might be me in my competitive nature, where I always want the ball. I always want to be the guy to run as fast as he can to the end zone and score the touchdown for you. I guess it makes sense, given the Johnny Wrestling story and Johnny Wrestling arc. That he fought so hard to get the Title. He finally got the Title and then Adam Cole took it from him. So story-wise, it makes tons of sense. But personally, me being the guy that I am, I want the ball man. I want to be able to have the run that I would like to have one day.
** Northeast Wrestling announced that Cody Rhodes will be present at their August 14th show.
** POST Wrestling would like to send our congratulations to Matt and Reby Hardy on the birth of their fourth child.
** All Japan Pro Wrestling ‘Summer Action Series’ Results (7/13/21) Tokyo, Japan
– Dan Tamura & Hikaru Sato def. Jun Saito & Rei Saito
– Koji Iwamoto & Takao Omori def. Chikara & Yoshitatsu
– Ryuki Honda’s 7 Match Trial Series Match #5: Zeus def. Ryuki Honda
– Izanagi, SUGI & Yusuke Kodama def. NEXTREAM (Atsuki Aoyagi & Rising HAYATO) & Akira Francesco
– NEXTREAM (Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi) def. Hokuto Omori & Kuma Arashi
– Shotaro Ashino & Suwama def. Jake Lee & Koji Doi
* ‘Metro’ caught up with Paul Heyman.
** People Magazine covered Bandido’s Ring of Honor World Championship win.
** K & S WrestleFest hosted a virtual signing with Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake.
** Tony Nese streamed on his Twitch channel on 7/12.
** Below is the post-Best in the World edition of ROH Week By Week:
** NJPW Summer Struggle Results (7/13/21) Aomori, Japan
– Yoshinobu Kanemaru def. Yuya Uemura
– Dick Togo, EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi def. Tomohiro Ishii, YOH & Yota Tsuji
– Hiroshi Tanahashi, Master Wato, Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi def. El Phantasmo, Gedo, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori
– The United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb) def. Kazuchika Okada & SHO
– Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) def. Suzuki-gun (DOUKI, El Desperado, Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.)
** Alexa Bliss’ new theme song:
** Comicbook.com conducted an interview with Titus O’Neil.
** Bianca Belair did an interview with FOX 43 to promote WWE’s live event at the GIANT Center in September.
** WTVR CBS 6 profiled Mickie James.
** Bianca Belair put together a video about the creation of her dress that she wore at the ESPYS.
** The following video is from the UpUpDownDown YouTube channel:
** Raven joined Wrestling Travel’s ‘Lockdown Sessions’ series.
If any of the quotes from the following podcasts or video interviews are used, please credit those sources and provide an H/T and link back to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.