** Bobby Lashley did an interview with Sports Illustrated and talked about his current storyline with Lana. Lana has publicly spoken out about the death threats she has received and Lashley also spoke about the racial and threatening messages he has received because of their storyline:
“Yes, I’ve experienced a tremendous amount of hate. We as a society come out and we’re anti-bullying, anti-hate, anti-this, anti-that, but I think we actually pick and choose who we hate and bully. Because everybody still knows me, and knows what I do and what I’m capable of doing — what I’ve done in my career as far as the military, being a single father, putting myself through college, graduating with honors, and I could keep going. But I received a tremendous amount of hate here across the board personally for the things that, I guess I do. It’s all over the board. It’s from the fact that this is interracial, because I’ve had guys saying the n-word to me and, ‘I’m going to kill you, we’re going to get you when you come down south.’ I just kind of sit back and laugh about it. I’ve even experienced some people that are in the business of wrestling, tweeting things and posting pictures, and I just sit back and laugh. A lot of times we feel that the person being hated on or being bullied should be a frail person. But now you take somebody like myself and Lana, who is a gorgeous woman, and we don’t look like the typical people that are bullied. I’m glad I have thick skin, because if I didn’t have thick skin, some of the things that I’ve had to experience would be very difficult to take.”
Bobby Lashley also talked about the differences between being paired with Lana and being paired with former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Lio Rush. Lashley said he and Lio worked out too well and feels that-that is the reason why they were split up. With Lana, the fans love to dislike her so it makes it easier for the dynamic that WWE wants for their storyline.
“I thought Lio was amazing. Part of the reason why me and Lio were taken apart was because it was working out too well. We weren’t bad guys. People liked what we were doing, and we started having a lot of fun with it. I don’t know why it was pulled, it was pulled for whatever reason. Lana, on the other hand, Lana is a heat-seeker. People hate her and they love to hate her, and she loves every bit of it, and I love it too. Me and Lana talk all the time about this. People are afraid to be hated right now. Not us. We don’t give a damn what people think, and that’s good for everyone else because, whoever we get in the ring with, people want to see them beat my butt and shut her mouth. But the bad thing about it is that nobody on the roster can.”
** One-half of the current Big Japan Pro-Wrestling Tag Team Champions, Daisuke Sekimoto will be missing BJPW’s show on January 5th due to the flu. Yuki Morihiro is missing the show as well due to changes made to the 1/5 match card.
** Sportskeeda had the opportunity to chat with WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie was asked about her on-screen and off-screen roles in WWE and stated that there is no comparing being in front of a live crowd with millions of people watching from their respective areas.
“There is no comparison to the pressure of performing in front of what is millions of people when you consider the reach of our platforms, and a live audience of nearly 80,000. There are no words to describe the pressure, the feeling, the adrenaline and the excitement. Yes there’s nerves and anxiety, but what you can’t possibly underestimate as a performer is the passion, the love and the energy [of the audience]. Our mission is to put smiles on people’s faces and there is no greater feeling than connecting with the audience in the ring and giving them what they want, and taking them on a ride. If we do our jobs right, our matches not only bring smiles to many people’s faces, but they’ll create memories that will last a lifetime. Being a part of that is absolutely humbling.”
** The WWEPC YouTube channel has footage up from Chelsea Green and Deonna Purrazzo’s respective RAW debuts:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SfP4rFOaN4[/embedyt]
** Former NXT Champion Aleister Black took to Instagram to reflect on his 2019:
“2019. I thank you all, whether you were cheering or booing you were a part of what I can only recall as a crazy year. From working NXT, Smackdown! And RAW all together for two months straight before finally landing on Monday night RAW permanently to competing in Europe, the UK, South America and Mexico this was a hectic year for professional and personal growth. Clearly not the biggest user of social media now a days but I try and do my best to represent, how I personally feel, my brand and character in the best way possible. Being a WWE wrestler is anything but easy, screw that being a wrestler in general isn’t easy. There is a constant mental beatdown that takes place besides the physical one trying to complete and shape who and what you are within this universe. Much like we do in real life, we only do it in-front of an open platform and don’t get second takes nor chances. Wrestling is incredibly difficult and has details far exceeding the comprehension of most. Every day I discover new things, ways and thoughts in regards to my work and skill. This is a never ending working curve and I am glad it is the path in life I have chosen. I hope you all have a great 2020. Yours, AB.”
** Outsports published an article about Liv Morgan’s return to RAW and Liv being involved in a love storyline with Lana.
** FOX’s New Year’s Special that was hosted by Steve Harvey, drew in 2,604,000 overnight viewers according to Showbuzz Daily. During the show, FOX aired a match between Dolph Ziggler and Roman Reigns that was taped after last week’s SmackDown. Also, a 24/7 Title segment was featured during the live New Year’s Eve special.
** Michael Cole and Renee Young are guest appearing on the first episode of WWE After The Bell in 2020.
** BT Sport conducted an interview with Charlotte Flair. During their chat, Charlotte talked about the direction of her character and how she is sometimes portrayed as a heel and sometimes portrayed as a babyface.
“I don’t know because I feel like I’m kind of in a weird position. I keep playing bad guy, good guy, bad guy, good guy. I want to be a bad guy and my argument is, when are you going to feel sorry for me? The next time I’m in the title picture, I’ll be going for my 11th championship. No matter how long I held each title, find a villain for me because I feel like I’m the villain in everyone else’s story. That’s why I don’t necessarily prefer to be a good guy. When I think of the best good guys, they’re relatable, they’re endearing. I built this character that is not relatable, that’s not endearing, that people love to hate me. So, I feel like right now I’m in a difficult position. It’s harder to be liked than disliked. I was in a feud with Bayley as technically the good guy and then I was drafted to RAW and the first night, I’m a bad guy. Now, I don’t know. I’m just happy that they can trust me to play both roles but I prefer the bad guy.”
** Here’s a video of Tegan Nox and Johnny Gargano playing ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pafLiJP-Rik[/embedyt]
** The California State Teachers Retirement System acquired an additional 1,752 shares of World Wrestling Entertainment.
** During an interview with the New York Post, Andrade told the publication that Charlotte Flair has given him pointers on how to uniquely present himself as a champion in WWE.
** Scott Fishman of TVInsider spoke with Lana ahead of the 12/30/19 edition of Monday Night RAW.
** Lenconnect.com ran an article about independent wrestler James Hamblin, who was one of Baron Corbin’s henchman this past Friday night on SmackDown.
** Here’s episode two of former WWE Tag Team Champion Fred Rosser’s ‘Rosser Rewind’ show during-which he reviewed WrestleMania 30:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ObkjCjXr-8[/embedyt]
** While chatting with Chiefs Wire, Baron Corbin said the next logical step in his career is to win the WWE Championship. He feels that he has earned his stripes and now it’s time for a world title.
** This week’s edition of AEW Dark is a ‘2019 Year In Review’ episode featuring some of the top matches that the company has presented this year:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY8mWcxixnY[/embedyt]
** Ring of Honor streamed their 2019 Final Battle pay-per-view on their YouTube channel:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8WkGQso7p8[/embedyt]
** Independent Wrestling TV announced their merger with Smart Mark Video. Details on the merger can be found at this link.
** The Dallas Morning News published a detailed feature article about Ross and Marshall Von Erich and their run in Major League Wrestling. The two talked about not wanting to use their family history as a way to get reactions from crowds. MLW founder Court Bauer was also featured in the article and said the chances of developing as a talent in WWE have decreased as the company continues to add more talent to the roster.
** The reverend for Lana and Bobby Lashley’s wedding segment on RAW was Rick Malone.
** Here’s a promo for Kota Ibushi and Kazuchika Okada’s IWGP Heavyweight Title match on night one of Wrestle Kingdom 14:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDXM8SoySHI[/embedyt]
** Ring of Honor’s Brian Johnson was a part of ROH’s ’10 Questions’ series.
** Ring of Honor is also returning to Center Stage in Atlanta on January 11th. At the event, there will be a Triple-Threat tag team match involving the pairs of Jeff Cobb and Dan Maff, LifeBlood (Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams) and The Briscoes. Rey Horus will be taking on Andrew Everett at Honor Reigns Supreme on January 12th, and Joe Hendry is set to team with Dalton Castle on that show to face The Briscoes.
** Air Wolf and Angel Dorado have been announced for GCW ‘For The Culture’.
** NJPW1972.com released their interview with Kota Ibushi.
** Matt Sydal was a recent guest on WrestlingINC’s WINCLY podcast.
** During FOX’s New Year’s Eve special hosted by Steve Harvey, Mojo Rawley won the 24/7 Championship from R-Truth and Truth quickly won the title back.
** Charlotte Flair and Andrade got engaged on New Year’s Day.
** AEW World Champion Chris Jericho did an interview with The Aquarian.
** PROGRESS Wrestling announced a live stage show based on Jimmy Havoc that is slated for January 2nd at the Boston Music Room in London, England.
** Bar Wrestling: ‘Ball Drop’ Results (12/31/19) Baldwin Park, California
– Chris Bey def. Lucas Riley
– Andy Brown & Ray Rosas def. Caleb Konley & Zane Riley
– Eli Everfly def. Douglas James
– Gisele Shaw def. Priscilla Kelly
– Dom Kubrick & Heather Monroe def. Ruby Raze & Tommy Dreamer
– Teddy Hart def. Jake Atlas
– Colt Cabana, David Arquette, Joey Ryan & RJ City def. The RockNES Monsters (BHK & Yuma), Rust Taylor & Watts
** Beyond Wrestling: ‘Heavy Lies The Crown’ Results (12/31/19) Worcester, Massachusetts
– Dark Match: Addy Starr def. Davienne
– Wheeler YUTA def. Fred Yehi
– No-DQ Match: Nick Gage def. Slade
– IWTV Independent Wrestling Championship: Warhorse (c) def. 1 Called Manders
– David Starr def. Erick Stevens
– Chris Dickinson, Jaka & Pinkie Sanchez def. Legit Legends (Chuck O’Neil, Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) (w/ Larry Legend)
– Brandon Thurston def. Daniel Garcia
– Christian Casanova def. Tony Deppen
– Special Referee: Ava Everett: Josh Briggs def. Anthony Greene
– John Silver def. Kris Statlander
– Fans Bring The Weapons Tag Team Match: Bear Boulder & Bear Bronson def. Bill Carr & Dan Barry
** WWE put together a video of the top-ten most watched videos on their YouTube channel from 2019:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ci2l345ZFI[/embedyt]
** Sami Callihan revealed the new version of the IMPACT World Championship. Callihan is slated to defend the title against Tessa Blanchard at IMPACT’s ‘Hard To Kill’ pay-per-view on January 12th.
** Mark Adam Haggerty has signed a deal with Major League Wrestling. Haggerty works as a ring announcer at MLW events.
** To promote his Texas Deathmatch against Jon Moxley at Wrestle Kingdom 14, Lance Archer released the following promo:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UQgPQttqGY[/embedyt]
** Wrestle 1: W-1 Wonder Carnival Results (12/31/19) Edion Arena
– Hiroaki Moriya, Kyosuke Ikaho & Takashi Daimonji def. Hajime, Kai Fujimura & Takuro Niki
– Strong Machine F, Strong Machine G & Strong Machine J def. Alejandro, Ganseki Tanaka & Masayuki Kono
– R.E.D. (Big R Shimizu & Takashi Yoshida) def. Koji Doi & Ryuki Honda
– Jun Tonsho & Pegaso Iluminar def. Genki Horiguchi & Kzy
– Seiki Yoshioka & Shigehiro Irie def. TAJIRI & Yusuke Kodama
– Ryouji Sai def. Kuma Arashi
– Street Fight Texas Tornado Deathmatch: Atsushi Onita, Leatherface & Masato Tanaka def. AKIRA, Manabu Soya & Takao Omori
– GAORA TV Championship: Yoshitatsu (c) def. Seigo Tachibana
– Jun Akiyama, Kaz Hayashi & Shinjiro Otani def. Andy Wu, Jiro Kuroshio & Takanori Ito
– Keiji Muto, Masaaki Mochizuki & Zeus def. Shuji Ishikawa, Suwama & Shuji Kondo
– Daiki Inaba & Kaito Kiyomiya def. Katsuhiko Nakajima & Shotaro Ashino
** The National Wrestling Alliance are now selling ‘Mama Storm’ t-shirts.
** WWE Hall Of Famer The Godfather was a recent guest on the Jordan Garber NOW podcast.
** Samoa Joe was featured on a new edition of Sheamus’ Celtic Warrior Workouts:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWeggwBEQwI[/embedyt]
** All Elite Wrestling pushed out the cold open for their episode of Dynamite tonight from Jacksonville, Florida.
** AEW official Aubrey Edwards chatted with Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert at Starrcast IV. During their conversation, she talked about the chemistry she has with AEW World Champion and believes they have something good going on on-screen.
“I think Jericho and I have a thing going. I don’t know where it’s going to go from here, but he’s kind of a jerk. I worked with MJF before and that was alright. I really like working with Darby. We both came from Seattle. To have Seattle wrestling go from basically nothing to what it is now with 321 Battle, DEFY, and all these promotions popping up. For us to help build that region back up, its been a blast. Plus, his whole move-set is crazy fast. That’s my speed.”
She credited fellow official Earl Hebner as someone who has helped her. Edwards stated that just being able to be under his learning tree is something she is grateful for.
“Earl Hebner has helped me out a lot. There’s a lot of things that are big and scary with TV wrestling and a lot of things to keep in mind. He’s been a great person to go to with his virtually unlimited amount of experience. To hear what he has to offer and sit under his learning tree, I’m grateful for even just that.”
** Bill Apter conducted an interview with The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags):
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4OxjzYq7is[/embedyt]
** While speaking with Yahoo! Sports, Cody Rhodes opened up about himself, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega not holding a title in AEW thus far in the company’s run:
“In my case, it was met with criticism internally because I was in the middle of the hottest run of my career and to take myself out of the title picture [wasn’t a popular decision],” Rhodes said. “I think we made it clear that we would be listening to fans. Part of listening to fans asking what if this were to become an Elite-only show. I love the Elite, but we didn’t want to monopolize the company so we made sure we put the fresh faces first. That’s the number one thing for recruitment into the company, the number one word, fresh. Everyone has done a great job. Kenny has taken a step back to help build up the women’s division. Matt and Nick have really cultivated a great tag-team group. Tony has kept us all on track. Even with this fandom going on, I’ve been able to do things diplomatically when it comes to our time. We want to make sure that when we said we were going to change the world and give better quality of life to pro wrestlers, that we present more than just the Elite.”
** Dominic DeAngelo of WrestleZone conducted an interview with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. During their chat, Hacksaw talked about making appearances at independent shows and the advice he gives to up-and-coming talents in the sport of wrestling.
“I enjoy doing the indies because they are the kids that are busting their butt trying to get the break that the odds that are a million-to-one ’cause I tell them, the young kids that come up, ‘You know, I want to be a wrestler.’ I said, ‘Well you look at it as a business, you know, not just wrestling but as a business you gotta support your family.’ Think of it, there’s 1,500 NFL football [players] this year, there’s 500 NBA basketball players, there’s 100 WWE wrestlers. It’s a television show. It’s more competitive than sports but people don’t look at it that way. It’s just not kids from America, you got kids from Japan, Australia, Europe. It’s an extremely competitive business. I always tell kids to chase your dream. Look at Daniel Bryan. I first saw that kid, I said, ‘There’s no way he’s gonna make it,’ but there’s a guy who had the drive, the desire, the work ethic and he became a huge star. So I always tell kids to chase your dreams cause who would have ever thought a guy with a 2×4 would work? So do your deal, but keep in perspective the odds are against ya, you know.”
