Date: 06/11	11:00 PM
Views: 578

Fri. #2 is HERE. To help out the site subscribe to Mistah MegaManFan or support us on Patreon. Don't miss all of today's news updates! With the cheap plugs out of the way here's Saturday's latest wrestling news.

A federal court in Texas rejected a motion by Activision Blizzard to block a jury trial in Robert Booker Tio Huffman's lawsuit against them. Huffman, better known to you and me as Booker T, is suing them for allegedly basing a character in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on his copyrighted G.I. Bro character. (WO)

Bad Bunny is filming a movie in Mexico City based on the life and times of exotico wrestler Cassandro. (WO)

Taz went into the hospital yesterday for (in his own words) "getting this lump off my face." I hope that lump is benign and not malignant. Best wishes to him.

MLW is holding Battle Riot III on July 10th in Philadelphia. (MLW)

New SmackDown highlights and WWE related videos are available below.

The NWA PPV last week reportedly had less than 500 buys. (WO)

Here's a press release from Ring of Honor.

EC3 and "The Mercenary" Flip Gordon have done business together and been reluctant tag team partners, but they have never been friends.

At the Best in the World pay-per-view on Sunday, July 11 at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, EC3 and Gordon will be opponents.

During EC3's rivalry with Jay Briscoe, "The Essential Character" hired Gordon to cause Jay and Mark Briscoe to lose a No. 1 contender's tag team match in February.

That incident led to the ROH Board of Directors making a match pitting EC3 and Gordon against the Briscoes a few months later. By that time, EC3 and Jay Briscoe had earned each other's respect, so EC3 wasn't happy when he learned that Gordon had used a chain on Mark Briscoe to secure the victory.

EC3 confronted Gordon in the ring a couple weeks later and delivered an ominous, four-word message: "You have been warned."

In addition to this match being personal, it also could have implications for the ROH World Title picture. Gordon is owed a title shot and is No. 3 in the current rankings; EC3 recently stated that his mission is to become ROH World Champion.

Will EC3 score an essential victory? Or will "The Mercenary" shoot down EC3's title hopes?

Join us live in Baltimore, on pay-per-view or streaming for HonorClub to find out!

For the first time in nearly a year and a half, The Best Wrestling On The Planet will be presented LIVE and IN-PERSON to the best wrestling fans of the planet! The event will have limited capacity and "pod" seating will be implemented to ensure proper social distancing of six feet between each group of ticket holders. Get your tickets now!

ROH PRESENTS BEST IN THE WORLD
LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW AND STREAMING FOR HONORCLUB

SUNDAY, JULY 11
BELL TIME @ 7 P.M. EASTERN
BEST IN THE WORLD HOUR ONE AIRS FREE ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

CHESAPEAKE EMPLOYERS INSURANCE ARENA
1000 HILLTOP CIRCLE
BALTIMORE, MD 1250

ALREADY SIGNED:

BRODY KING vs. JAY LETHAL

EC3 vs. FLIP GORDON

LAST MAN STANDING MATCH JOSH WOODS vs. SILAS YOUNG

Tommy End (f/k/a Aleister Black) is expected to sign with AEW when his 90 day no compete expires on August 31st. (WO)

Speaking of former WWE talent, they are now being advised not to sign autographs under their in-ring name in their post-WWE career, possibly under threat of legal action for using WWE's intellectual property. For instance Braun Strowman could only sign autographs at a convention if he used his real name Adam Scherr or some other name he owns a trademark on. (WO)

And speaking of TAFKA Braun Strowman, despite his denials on social media that he has discussed any post-WWE bookings yet, PWInsider is sticking by their story that his business manager Nick Antocelli is quoting "$20-$25K" for anybody looking to use him. (PWI)

Now that she's the NXT UK Women's Champion, Meiko Satomura wants to face Sasha Banks or Charlotte Flair next.

Here The Miz talks about the backlash to the zombies at WrestleMania Backlash: "o a lot of people would be like, 'What is this? Oh, my God.' I'm the type of person that goes, this allows my creative juices to do whatever the hell we kind of want. So let's make a movie out of it. Let's make a meal out of it. I mean, there was a part in that match where Damian and I worked together to beat up all the zombies. And some people give us flack for going outside the box. And the problem with, I feel like, today's world is that it's so easy to just literally go on the Internet and just critique and say, 'This is terrible. This is horrible.' With my storyline, with Bad Bunny, nobody wanted to see it up until they wanted to see it at WrestleMania. You know? So nobody wants to let things develop and things get fun."

In this interview Kyle O'Reilly says he wants to face KUSHIDA in NXT: "I'm excited and curious. It's something I would like to playback and give to a whole new audience in WWE and NXT. We fought on multiple continents and all over the world. There are guys you come across in this business where you feel like, 'I just want to wrestle this guy. We have good chemistry.' KUSHIDA is one of those guys. Pretty much every guy in this five-way (at In Your House), I feel like that to a degree with. Johnny, Pete, Adam, these are guys I've been wrestling for many years and share a special bond when it comes to wrestling. There are guys you mesh well with and Kushida is on that list."

Bill Eadie a/k/a Demolition Ax is dealing with a "heart related issue" and family and friends are asking for well wishes and prayers. (PWI)

He's not the only one in bad shape as ROH and TNA star Jimmy Rave has a GoFundMe for medical expenses after having his left arm amputated below the elbow last year due to an infection. Yikes. Spare him a few bucks if you can.

Ever-Rise (Chase Parker and Matt Martel) signed a new WWE contract "months ago." (FF)

WWE has reportedly brought back Shawn Daivari as a producer after letting him go during the COVID-19 pandemic bloodletting last year. (PWI)

Sheamus talks about locker room morale after the recent round of releases: "The locker room has got to get on with it. I've been in the company 12 years and it is part of the business. People come in and people go and you got to get down with it. Every Monday you got to get there and perform. I don't think the morale is down, I think is a lot better than what it used to be when I started. There is a lot more camaraderie and we have great lads, experienced lads, and young lads working together during the pandemic with no fans. You talk to some of the legends and they will tell you that they would not adapt to perform in that ring, so I think that is a credit to everybody who has been working nonstop during the last 15 or 16 months and keeping the company going and people entertained during this situation."

Gerald Brisco talks about not enjoying the weeks leading up to SmackDown: "Truthfully, I hated it. I couldn't wait for the week to be over with. You can't explain to anybody, unless they've experienced it, how much pressure there is all of that week, and how little time you have during the week. And it's not only that week, it's a couple of weeks leading up to it. So that night when that countdown comes, you hear that countdown, 'Okay, on-air in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.' Now the wrestling starts, now that pressure is off, now all you have to do is your job. And your job, not anyone else's job. Once that bell rings it's the greatest event in the freakin' world, and I love it to death. But that preparation leading up to it is the most pressure filled lead-up you can have in that business. And everybody is stepping forward with that attitude, 'What can I do to make this better?' And that's a great thing, and that's what makes WrestleMania, WrestleMania, is that everybody is coming forward with their best thoughts. The production of that event and that week is truly a team effort. It takes from the security, to the referees, to the ring crew, to the announcers, to the catering, to everybody, to make that week what it has become. And they have the most skilled people to do it. So, it's truly a team effort. This isn't just this is Vince McMahon, or this is Triple H, or this is Stephanie McMahon. WrestleMania is truly a team effort. It's everybody in the truck, everybody carrying a camera, everybody carrying a microphone. It's an entire crew coming together with their best suggestions and their best thoughts on how to make things flawless. I mean, do they miss? Hell yes they do. But you can go back, and the majority of times they hit."

A Shining Wizards interview with Kwee Wee is below.

When using the below information please be sure to credit The Shining Wizards Wrestling Podcast and include this link for the episode: http://show.shiningwizards.com/shining-wizards/episode-536-the-whole-funkin-show/ .

On working with Goldberg and the 'Best Spear Ever': I wasn't there when he first got there. I came in shortly after. But, I mean, I think everyone got along with Bill. But when it comes to business, he had a chip on his shoulder. If you were not in the arena, and you were with him somewhere else, he was a great guy. When it comes to the arena, man, he had a chip on his shoulder. I guess he earned it. I know from my dealings with him, for instance, when we started our match that night... we're out at the ring when I realized I was going to work him, so I asked him what he had in mind, and he was like 'I got no fucking clue.' I said if you don't mind, I got an idea. If you remember, the whole match was 30 fucking seconds, so it was exactly how I told him from the very get go. This was all me that planned the match, which wasn't much of a match, but it's the only thing I could agree for him to do. But the problem with him was, and if you remember the match, he comes out and he slides under the bottom rope, and I said 'I'm going to get on you Bill. I'm going to hit you, kick you, punch you, whatever.' And he's like 'I'm not selling sh*t, kid,' and I'm like ok, big fucking deal. 'I'm just going to hit you and punch you, so just stand up. No sell it, I don't give a fuck.' So, I said 'after I punch you and kick you, I do a springboard sunset flip off the second rope, so I want you to step forward when you see me going to the rope. I'm gonna go in the air.' To get my timing down, I jumped up and he was like 'dude you're high as fuck.' I said yeah. I said 'now, I want you to fucking come running and spear me in mid-air.' He's like 'holy fuck, no fucking way. I can't do it.' I said 'Bill, what do you mean you're not going to do it?' Listen, I'm gonna work you and I know I'm not going to get sh*t in. I want people to remember this fucking spear and I don't care how bad I get hurt.' Him and I were friends. It wasn't like he didn't like me. He said 'I'm gonna hurt you, and I don't want to hurt you.' I said 'Bill, you trained with me down in the power plant, I'm not a p***y, don't worry about that sh*t. If I break my fucking ribs, guess what? They'll heal.' I told him to fucking bring it and not worry about hurting me. I don't give a sh*t. So we did it a couple times and he comes running at me and kind of grabbed me out of the air and was like 'Dude, this is gonna be awesome.' I said 'no sh*t, it's gonna be fucking great. It's going to be the best spear ever.' And then he said 'no I can't do it. I'm not doing it.' And I was like 'God dang bro, you gotta fucking do it.' And he goes, 'you really wanna do it?' And I said, 'Bill I'm not doing any other fucking match. We're doing it.' He said, 'I'm sorry if I hurt you, I think I'm really gonna hurt you.' So, we did it, and after the match he fucking popped huge. I go backstage. Doug Dillinger, head of security said 'Bill wants you in his dressing room. He wants to see you right now.' Bill hugs me and was like holy fuck bro, and he actually bruised my ribs. And I had to wrestle Mike Sanders on a PPV on Sunday, six days later, I got bruised ribs and I gotta wrestle on a pay per view after he just fucking killed me. He told me 'Bro, I owe you a favor. That was fucking incredible. I can't believe you did that for me.' He never [paid] on the favor, so I never got one back.

On Eric Bischoff's return near the end of WCW: When Eric Bischoff came in... if he would've bought that company, dude, I'd be a millionaire right now, no doubt in my mind. Eric was great. He was trying to take over the company. He was there, probably for the last month. He took over the show, he was the guy in charge. He was going through a transition of buying. It was gonna be great for me. Janie Engle was one of the lawyers for WCW. She came in the locker room one night and got me. Normally, that never happens. I'm still kinda young, still trying to get a spot on TV. Jaine said 'Hey, Mr. Bischoff would like to see you in his office.' I'm thinking, this could be either really good or really bad. It had never happened to me before, I didn't know what was going on. So, I go to his office. I sit down, and he starts talking to me. 'You do everything you're supposed to do, you got a great body, you're always on time, you do what you're told. I'm gonna make you a superstar. You're gonna be my next big guy, man. I'm gonna make you a lot of money, you're gonna get a raise' and this and that. Of course, I'm all in, man, I'm all fired up. He did this for about three, four consecutive weeks. The first week he did it, though, he said 'I need you to do a favor for me. I need you to put Rick Steiner over,' because at this time everybody thought that Rick Steiner was weak, a little bit. He said 'you put Rick Steiner over, make him look like a million dollars, and this is gonna be the start of something good.' Of course, I'm gonna do what I'm told. So I put Steiner over that night real big, we had a pretty good match, and Bischoff came back afterwards, gave me a big hug, and said 'Dude, that was awesome, that was exactly what I needed.' He knew that I was a team player and I was gonna do what he needed. Up until the time Vince bought the company, he (Eric) was high on me. I got nothing but good things to say about Eric.

Ronda Rousey has been filming at the 2300 (ECW) Arena with Paul Heyman and D-Von Dudley. (PWI)

As insane as this seems after cutting him earlier this year, WWE apparently already wants to bring back Samoa Joe for a wrestling role on NXT. (FF) If they offered him anything less than he made on the main roster as a wrestler, announcer, and interviewer I'd tell them take the offer and shove it.

Tegan Nox claims that Brie Larson expressed interest in getting into a WWE ring for a match.

Here Kenny Omega talks about the 'Wednesday Night War' that ended recently when NXT moved to Tuesdays: "For me, and I'm sure people in my company will be reading this and hearing this, and that's fine. This is my true honest feeling. I never felt one way or another towards the war, if you can call it that, I wouldn't call it that. I knew we would tell different stories in our company. I knew we would show different types of matches in our company. I can only control what I have a hand in, and that would be my stuff and variety of other things that may or may not be on the show. And I'm sure the Bucks feel the same way. For NXT to have moved to Tuesday, I mean sure, great. I just feel like now, I never felt like it was a battle for Wednesday. I feel like it's a battle across the board. There's so much wrestling every day during the week. I try to think back to when I was a fan, and I thought I was a mega fan, when I was watching wrestling but not doing it. And even still, I think at the height of my fandom, I couldn't watch the amount of wrestling that's available to us today. Couldn't do it five, seven days a week. I just couldn't do it. So for me, the real war is 'how do you get the eyeballs for your day of the week?' We're not battling for Wednesday, I feel like I'm battling for the week. You know what I mean?"