Date: 02/03	11:00 PM
Views: 875

Wed. #2 is HERE. To help out subscribe to Mistah MegaManFan or support us on Patreon. Don't miss Thursday Night AMP w/ Dan Berg taping at 9 PM ET! With the cheap plugs out of the way here's Thursday's latest wrestling news.

In this interview Rey Mysterio says he won't be leaving WWE any time soon: "We never made the signing of my new deal public, but there is definitely going to be more time to see Rey Mysterio in WWE. I'm going to keep wrestling, at least until Father Time catches up and says, 'It's time to go.' I am so happy to see my son Dominik doing so well, and it means so much to me to be with him in WWE. When I left WWE in 2015, I was tired, I was beat and I was going through a phase in my life where I just needed some time off. That time away recharged my batteries. During that period, I was given time to think about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I sat down with my wife and my kids, and we ultimately made the decision together that it was time for me to come back to WWE. I am thankful for that opportunity because I knew my son wanted to be part of this industry, and I wanted to reopen the door for Dominik to eventually get a foot in the business. WWE has treated me like I had never left, and I am so grateful and truly blessed for that. I'm under WWE's wings once again, and they've seen such potential in Dominik and such a bright future for him."

Speaking on a ROH podcast, Session Moth Martina said she's been dealing with an ankle injury for a long time: "Seven or eight years ago, in training, I jumped off the top rope and landed on my ankle really bad and it never healed right. I would do something and roll on it. I had my first hardcore match in my home promotion and it was the same week I was going to the States and Japan. I was doing Mania week and then flying to Japan. I did the hardcore match and rolled on it on my entrance. Not even during the hardcore match, where I took every bump, did thumbtacks, fire, staples to the head. I was dancing to the ring and rolled my ankle. Ever since then, it's something where if I trip over it a little, it swells up. This last year, even though I've been running, it's fine. My back is fine, my neck is fine. It's amazing, but also makes me scared like, 'Is it gonna hurt more after this?'"

New NXT highlights and other WWE related videos are available below.

In addition last night's AEW Dynamite videos are below.

That's not all -- here's a new Ring of Honor video.

In this interview Edge talks about seeing Christian in the Royal Rumble: "Here's the beautiful part, here's where wrestling can work at its purest, best level. When you have reality and truth, and real emotions that can't be fabricated, that can't be written, that can't be scripted. So the look you saw on my face as Christian was coming down the ramp, that was real. That was me being part dumbfounded that we were both in the Royal Rumble in 2021 after being told we could both never do this again. Proud - there was pride because I know how hard he worked to get back to the point where he could be cleared - which was evident by looking at him. There's so many emotions in that moment and in that look - because I've known he's been cleared for a little while, right? So I knew all of these things, but then when it's actually happening, you're in the moment, you're in the pocket, that's when you get everything that you've been feeling for this last little while and it's able to come out. 'It just so happens to be able to come out on screen, and that's a beautiful thing!"

Bad Bunny is now reportedly training at the WWE Performance Center. (PWI)

According to ShowBuzzDaily.com Impact Wrestling did a 0.05 18-49 demo this week (the same as last week) with 173K viewers (down from 186K).

WWE has dubbed the next Takeover taking place February 14th "Vengeance Day." The card as it stands is below. (WWE)

* NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne
* NXT North American Championship Match: Johnny Gargano vs. KUSHIDA.
* NXT Women's Championship Match: Io Shirai vs. Mercedes Martinez vs. Toni Storm
* Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic Finals: Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell OR Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon
* Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic Finals: MSK OR Legado Del Fantasma vs. Grizzled Young Veterans OR Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher

If you want to watch the latest MLW Fusion it's available right here.

Here's the updated AEW Revolution card for March 7th. (AEW)

* AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Young Bucks vs. Chris Jericho and MJF
* Street Fight: Sting and Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage and Ricky Starks

A Josef Samael interview from WrestlingEpicenter.com is below.

Skip to content
Using Gmail with screen readers
1 of 26,918
CONTRA Unit's Josef Samael Talks MLW Being the Bridge from Old School to New, Jacob Fatu, Retirement from the Ring, more
Inbox
Wrestling Epicenter
    
2:40 PM (7 hours ago)
    
to James, bcc: me

Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: MLW's Josef Samael
Date: 02/03/2021

JOSEF SAMAEL on how it feels for MLW to be back in action after shutting down for the pandemic:
"Well, we're not fully back. As you said, it isn't 2019. But, it feels good. Besides injury, I've never been inactive for so long so it feels foreign to me. I've been in the wrestling business for 22 years. Yeah, it feels strange. But, it feels nice to be back!"

On MLW working overtime during the pandemic to grow the brand:
"For sure! That is a testament to Court Bauer and the people he surrounds himself with. Everyone, for the most part, that is in MLW wants to be there and believes in the product. Being in front of as many eyeballs as possible is the name of the game. The good thing about MLW is the product does not insult the viewer. Behind the scenes, people things were happening but also creatively, they've done a great job connecting the dots on why things stopped in our universe. I don't think we've mentioned "pandemic" once since we've been back. That is creative in a business that sometimes feels like everything has been done, I think MLW is on an island on its own as far as that is concerned. They take the product very seriously and nobody is afraid to be in the professional wrestling business. This is our universe and we're able to create, you know, our universe! We do a really good job from the writers to the directors to the performers. It has been refreshing to see the company go through hard times and, on camera, seem like we've not skipped a beat. We haven't skipped a beat."

On what CONTRA Unit is all about:
"It is kind of like an underground crime syndicate. A lot of this stuff is still to be revealed. The mystery of it all really lends to the creative... It is almost like, and I apologize that my thoughts are fragmented here a little bit. I wasn't prepared for this question. It is almost like when you see a really good movie and somebody says, "Yeah, but have you read the book?" And, in reading the book, it kind of connects the dots that were tailor made for you. I think that is where CONTRA is right now. On the surface, it is an underworld, underground crime syndicate that is trying to take over MLW and hijacking their airwaves and get their message across on MLW's broadcasts. What their message is is yet to be revealed. What they're going to do to get it revealed, how it will be revealed... It is just compelling programming. It is open ended in a way to where you can zig when people think you're going to zag. You can go up when people think you're going to go down. I know that is a long, broad answer to the question but it is what it is. So, CONTRA is an underground crime syndicate that is trying to take over MLW's airwaves to get their message across."

On the CONTRA NES video game coming to mind whenever CONTRA is said:
"Absolutely! (laughs) Up, up, down, down, BA, BA! (laughs) That could be my favorite video game. I wasn't thinking of that but that was such a fun video game to play. Whoever came up with that, I think it was Konami, that was such a great game. And, the timing. I don't know if you remember the cover art but it was almost Comando, Rambo, Alien, Predator... It embodied every action movie of the 80's!"

On how he and Jacob Fatu became friends:
"Oh wow! I believe Jacob Fatu and I became friends in 2015. At the time, I was running a promotion in California, and, well, I still am but the pandemic kind of stopped it, called PCW Ultra. I met Fatu on the Internet. He wanted to come to my company and, after seeing his film, I wanted him there! We jsut became fast friends. He's just such an athletic phenom. He's just such a natural athlete. He was just coming on when I was in the winter of my career, if you will. I had a thing or two to teach him. We had kind of a nephew-Uncle kind of relationship. It was just a pleasure teaching him what I knew and watching him soak it up like a sponge kind of watering this tree and thinking of things I wanted to do but athletically, I couldn't perform them. (laughs) Almost like a Frankenstein, using my brain with his athletic talent. It became a thing! We really worked well together. And, we realized early on that when we got out in front of crowds, the reaction to us was better together than us on our own. It was just a strange thing. It worked together. It was a contrast but it was just right. It was magic. Me being around for 22 plus years, I knew how special that was. We started to work the independents and we started being booked in some high profile matches. We started to get interest from a lot of companies, MLW being one of them, and what MLW was serving up sounded best to us. We knew that MLW had a lot of respect for the wrestling business and they saw the wrestling business the same way we did. So, yeah, we entered MLW as a packaged deal. We signed for a very short period of time as a means of protection for ourselves. We quickly resigned because we were happy with the company and the people involved. And, we're here now! The vision from Court and the way we performed it turned out to be magic in MLW. The group that came in (CONTRA), without bragging, they kind of built the company around us. To be the type of heel that I am and that Jacob is, we're main event heels. To be recognized that way was very refreshing. There is nothing worse than trying to convince somebody of your worth. MLW knew right away who we were, what we were, and what they wanted to do with us. As far as I can see, we don't have any plans of going anywhere else. We're very happy with MLW!"

On Simon Gotch's involvement in CONTRA:
"Well, initially, he brought us in and we were his guys. But, as things kind of shifted... Talking is my strong point so I kind of shifted into the leader... And that is kind of my personality backstage. I'm an event planner, I'm an agent, I'm a booker. I'm a manager for shoot and on screen. Simon? He's one of the boys. I don't think he'd want to be a leader. I think he wants to lace up his boots and go to work. I do think he is a throwback. He's so technically sound so much so that you can sometimes see him wrestling around people. Like they say, "Hey could wrestle a broomstick!" (laughs) He's just a really brilliant technical wrestler. I'm very happy being involved with him. The cool thing about CONTRA is all the characters are vastly different but in some weird salad, they all seem to fit together."

On Josef wrestling less himself in MLW of late:
"Yes is the short answer to that. This (the pandemic) kind of kicked me into an early retirement which is fine by me. My brain is 100% wrestling and I'll always be in the wrestling business. I love the backstage aspect of it. I've always enjoyed putting matches together, I love agenting young talent - I love giving people the how's, the why's, and the when's. Your tool is your body in this business and I've been wrestling a rugged style for so, so long. And, i can go. I can still go but, you know, I feel real comfortable in the role that I am in and to be perfectly honest with you, it sure doesn't suck not taking bumps! (laughs)"

On being a manager now:
"Managers, nowadays, are like ""Oh, he can't get it done. Make him a manager." In the old days, managers were old grizzled vets that could really direct traffic out there. Because MLW is such an old school company, that is the spot I'm in. And, I really like that spot. I like selling popcorn, setting up the chairs, setting up the ring, being a referee, getting to where you can wrestle. I've been a world champion in Japan, I've wrestled and main event on nearly every continent. I've done all of this stuff. And then, you start working your way back down, I can still add but it doesn't have to be in the ring. Lets showcase the Jacob Fatu's of the world and I'm out there to go, "Hey, on that, you should've done this or you should've done that." Or, water the tree and give them all the confidence they need to know that they did it right from an eye that can see that it was right. Wrestlers know when they're being bull crapped. They know when they've done something so to have someone in their corner that recognizes it, that builds trust. So then, when you see something is wrong and you're going to cut limbs off that tree, they understand that they trust you and that you're coming from the right place. In today's business, especially on the independents, it is real easy to get off track. And, to have veterans keeping you on track is not really the norm in today's business. But, MLW being set up that way and Jacob Fatu coming from a family that is so steeped in old school, it really makes... And there are many, many pieces that are not seen that make this puzzle and make this puzzle successful."

On MLW's style:
"It is really something I've been preaching for years. It is the bridge from the old school to the new. It is not forgetting the past. It is not forgetting the architects that built this business. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But, you have to update. You have to be modern. MLW is the bridge from the old school to the new. It is the athleticism that meets the history and the psychology. That is very important. I know there are some casual fans and new age which that might not be important to but there is a massive fan base that it is important to and I think MLW is a product for them and I like to be that product for them."

On Jacob Fatu heading into a war with Hammerstone:
"I can say it until I'm blue in the face. Hammerstone is the hardest worker that I've ever seen. I have seen Hammerstone cut 40. 50 pounds to make weight for a Lightweight Championship. I have see Hammerstone put on 50 pounds of muscle. The way he can manipulate his body and the dedication he has to his craft... I haven't seen it from many other people. He is just a phenomenal athlete and a phenomenal talent. I'm very happy he's getting what he has earned. I won't say "deserved" because I hate when people say "You deserve it" in wrestling. The business doesn't owe you nothing. The one thing I can say is when those two get in the ring (Fatu and Hammerstone), you know it is going to deliver! I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. I know Hammerstone. I know Hammerstone better than anybody... Maybe even better than Hammerstone knows himself. We'll have to see how that pans out. But, one thing is for sure, every fan that sees that match is going to get their money's worth for sure."

On why fans should watch MLW on Wednesday nights instead of the other guys:
"If you tune in to MLW on Wednesday nights, you're going to see the big boys, the real wrestlers. You're going to see wrestling the way it should be presented. You're going to see wrestling that is the bridge from the old school to the new."

Speaking of interviews Shawn Stasiak is miffed he wasn't called to induct his father in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018: "Honestly, just the way that they put my dad in the Hall of Fame was very hurtful to me. Because, I anticipated that for years that they would call upon me, his only son, at least that I know of. That's where I first learned that they will put my dad into the Hall of Fame through Twitter. I was like, 'No!' I could have had a phone call. I wasn't invited to even the arena to pay my respects. I was expecting a phone call, like, 'Hey, we want to put your dad in, we want you to induct him.' I anticipated this for years, so when they went about it the way they did, it was very very disheartening. Of course you know, I connected with Vince through a text, I tried to call. I asked him not to do that. If you're going to do it, you know, do it right, man. I'd say, by the way, that he's only the WWE, or back then WWWF Champion, you know same promotion, the only WWE Champion that got put in the Hall of Fame that never got a personal induction and just got thrown in some wing."

The "Sinister Minister" himself Father James Mitchell was the officiant at Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford's wedding on AEW Dynamite last night. (AEW)

Ivar from the Viking Raiders is doing his injury rehab with Diamond Dallas Page.

According to this interview Buchwhacker Luke talks about his four second Royal Rumble elimination and the fact it was as unceremoniously removed from Royal Rumble video packages as he was from the match itself: "Butch is still mad. I am still too because Vince stopped putting us on the promo for Royal Rumble 2018. 2018 was the last time that they had me marching in and out of the ring, the four seconds thing. In 2019, 2020, he never showed me, not in 2021 or the pre-shows. He never uses that anymore. He stopped that at 2018, but he kept playing that from the year it happened to 2018, and another thing on that, Butch was still pissed off. He was in for 25 minutes. I was in for four seconds, and we both got the same payoff."

Shaquille O'Neal and Jade Cargill will face Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet on the March 3rd episode of AEW Dynamite. (AEW)

Here are the updated Dusty Rhodes Classic brackets. (WWE)

Men's Semifinals:
* MSK vs. Legado Del Fantasma
* Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Tomasso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher

Women's Finals:
* Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell OR Shotzi Blackheart & Ember