Joe Coffey has been wrestling for more than 17 years, and the chip on his shoulder remains. The well-traveled veteran feels renewed motivation these days, especially when it comes to thinking about all the potential opportunities in MLW. He made his debut alongside his brother Mark and longtime running mate Wolfgang. Together the trio known as GBOT (Glasgow Boys on Top) made their presence felt during MLW Fusion’s premiere on May 30.
“It was great seeing Fusion on Saturday. It was really good. It was fantastic,” Coffey said, “MLW has a very high quality setup. I think seeing that back on Saturday just proved it’s a major promotion. It’s making a lot of noise. I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback as a whole…We’re just getting started here. I’m excited to see where it goes.”
During the show, the Coffey brothers faced the Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson). It was a match Joe had wanted with the tag division starting to heat up.
“They are great in the locker room,” Coffey said. “They are great to have around. That’s why they are called the Good Brothers. It was a great experience…To be able to do it on a platform like MLW with the crowd that was there that night and to showcase that during the premiere for Fusion. There was no better fit I think.”
The performer enjoyed his time in MLW so much he committed to the company by signing a contract in March. He felt like it was the right fit.
“To speak with Court [Bauer] as well, it’s something we thought would be a good idea. I think I have a lot to prove as well,” Coffey said. “…I feel like I’ve been wasted the last couple of years. I just want to go prove myself and show character work and show what I can do in the ring. I want to show people who I am again. I thought MLW was a good place to do that.”
Beyond the ring, the driven Scot also upped his training in the gym as well. For him, it’s not just for maintenance and health reasons. It’s about building a “suit of armor” to lessen the chance of injury. Confidence has never been an issue for the talent, even after his time with WWE ended. After all, not many could say they trained and helped Dwayne Johnson get ready for WrestleMania like he and the rest of the formerly named Gallus did in 2024.
“We’re very thankful to be trusted to have that opportunity,” Coffey said. “…It was on us. He was really good. He was super cool with us. Proper humble as well. It was just a good experience. Of course, he is The Rock and has the aura and that. Once I laced my boots up it was more let’s go, come on. I don’t care who you are.
“When you step through the ropes, you’re anyone. It doesn’t matter. You’re just another pro wrestler to me. I just wanted to get going. I just wanted to get in and wrestle and test myself. Being in there with Dwayne, it’s amazing to see how he works on a different level taking into account how the crowd would react. There are only certain people in the world who can do that. It’s just really cool to work with him. It was absolutely brilliant.”
The landscape of the industry is constantly changing and evolving. Big news came from across the pond that Nikki Cross and her husband Big Damo acquired Progress Wrestling. Coffey has high hopes for the promotion’s future under this power couple.
“I was as shocked as anyone [when I found out]. He kept it quiet, and I was traveling with him the last couple of weeks,” Coffey said. “It’s great. I think Progress couldn’t be in the hands of two better people. Two great human beings. It will be interesting to see where they go with it. Progress has always had a history with high level professional wrestling. I think it’s only going to go up. The sky is the limit. I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen with it.”
Coffey feels the same way about MLW when it not only comes to tag teams, but in the singles ranks as well. He has enjoyed sharing the squared circle with opponents from all walks of life.
“The roster is stacked. I’ve got to mix it up a little bit with Diego HIll in Battle Riot. It would be great to work and wrestle with him. Even someone like Paul Waler Hauser. Someone who still has very much a massive name value but very much new to this job,” Coffey said.
“That would be a fun and interesting one, going back to being in the Battle Riot with him. There are so many people. Even people who I worked alongside with but not necessarily got the chance to get in the ring with like Bishop Dyer, Dijak. Kross is another one. He has that big shiny MLW title, which I have my eye on as well. There is such a good mix of people who have been doing this for a while and who are familiar with the fans. Then you have got people who are starting out and making things for themselves. I’m hoping I can check a few off the MLW bucket list as well.”
Watch MLW Fusion on Saturdays 6:05 p.m. ET on YouTube, 9 p.m. ET on Veeps, and 10 p.m. ET on beIN Sports
Killer Kross put his endurance to the test in Battle Riot VIII where he won the MLW Heavyweight Championship. He stood as the sole survivor in the 40-man match during the event taped in Kissimmee, Florida on January 29. The 40-year-old prepared for the night by restricting calories and increasing water and electrolytes, as well as focusing on cardio by hiking, climbing, and running. He spent the first two weeks of January in Africa, traveling through Ethiopia. The time in the mountains made all the difference.
His latest achievement meant even more knowing his mom, who overcame cancer, was in attendance. Adding to the special evening was the fact that mom didn\’t know the main event result.
\”She knew nothing,\” Kross recalled. \”This was the first time she saw me perform live since she finished her treatments. For people who don\’t know when you\’re going through cancer treatments your immune system is compromised, so you can\’t be around a lot of big groups of people. You kind of have to hunker down and protect yourself. She really didn\’t know what was going to be happening. She just knew the aspects of the match and what the performance was going to be about and all the stakes involved. But she knew nothing.\”
The former WWE superstar has been in demand, given his strong connection to fans. He sat down with MLW before coming back about how things would potentially go. Those conversations went well.
\”I thought they were sensible,\” Kross said. \”I thought they were fair. I thought they were a challenge. I enjoy challenging performances. I\’m not looking for an easy road. I\’m not looking to roll in and rest on my laurels and reap the benefits. I\’m not saying there is anything wrong with that at all. Dues are dues, but I really miss challenging performances. I want to be challenged out there because that resonates with the audience. If everything is a breeze, there are benefits to that. You probably physically feel better. Things being easy and clearing good money is a dream scenario for most people in life, but I\’m just different.
\”I like being challenged. I feel like when you accomplish those challenges, the reward is that much sweeter and more real when there is skin in the game and something on a line, I think that\’s the component that makes a wrestling show really special for people to watch because they know and are smartened up and know there is real shit going on here. Despite whatever their preconceived notions are about pro wrestling, they can feel when someone has to show up and you\’re not able to roll in on cruise control. There will be some shit involved here. That night is what it felt like for me. That\’s what it was all about.\”
Kross has always enjoyed the MLW locker room, but he felt even more so now with numerous veterans. He sees this as elevating the product.
\”People who know who they are in the ring. People who understand different market audiences. People who understand what the business should be beyond what is just on the paper given to them, for the betterment of the audience. In my opinion, we\’re lucky to have who we have. This is a solid roster,\” Kross concluded.
Among those new names that have entered the mix is Kross\’ wife Scarlett Bordeaux. A veteran in her own right, the \”Smoke Show\” has been getting more time to shine.
\”When she went to WWE there was a long period people were just being introduced to her for the first time,\” Kross said. \”They had no access to Telemundo or were familiar with the Latin American countries airing or promoting AAA. A lot of people didn\’t even know she was a wrestler. She wasn\’t presented as a wrestler, only occasionally. The moments she was given on TV were very small, so nobody could see her go.
\”Now in MLW she is being given matches where people can actually see what she can do. Her original fan base that has followed her everywhere for almost 15 years are like finally. Everyone wins. I think MLW giving her the ability and time to perform not only is good for her because she is having fun and scratching that itch, but I feel the fans are being rewarded and feel that people who haven\’t seen her perform are getting something new, fresh and special.\”
Kross can see a bright future for MLW. One where the promotion has the potential to find itself with a new TV platform.
\”MLW has the type of roster and internal team that in my opinion can produce something episodically every week,\” he said. \”I absolutely believe that. I know there is such a thing as wrestling fatigue. If there are too many options, people aren\’t going to watch this, that, and the other thing. But in respect to that, MLW is a very strong alternative to what a lot of people are able to see on television. So if they are watching something and feel it\’s the same thing over and over again, MLW will give you something different.
\”They are aiming to give you something different. They are not looking to do a copy paste of things they\’ve previously done. They are looking to refresh things and make things exciting and perhaps do the things other places are not able to do. I think in terms of television distribution and things, respectively, I\’m not in those conversations. At one point, if we do cross that bridge I\’d love to be in those meetings and be able to talk to them. I feel like the time I\’ve been able to have independently and the elbows I\’ve been able to rub up against being a free agent independent, I\’ve learned a lot of the mechanics of all that. I think I can be a value in those conversations…\”
Former NXT Champion Oba Femi recently flipped the script on doubters questioning his readiness for WWE\’s biggest stages. During the No-Contest Wrestling Podcast, \’The Ruler\’ said the real question is whether the Elimination Chamber or any opponent is ready for him.
\”A lot of people\’s question is, is Oba ready for the next big thing, the next big stage? Is he ready for the chamber? But the real question is, is the chamber ready for Oba Femi? Because a lot of times it\’s not just that we\’re looking for a spot for Oba, where to plug him in. The truth is like not everybody wants to be plugged in, not everybody [wants to face him] because the boys know what that entails. So wherever I can fit, I will dominate. I will execute and it will be great.\”
Oba Femi\’s Dominant Main Roster Debut
Femi addressed his destructive Raw debut against The War Raiders and highlighted that his dominance was not a knock on the veteran tag team. He said:
\”I think the main roster crowd has not, the audience has not fully understood the concept that it\’s Oba. Like they don\’t get, I don\’t think they understand yet. They will, they\’ll catch on. They\’re starting to. Oba destroying the War Raiders is not a knock on the War Raiders. That\’s just how good Oba Femi is. Come on now. And the sooner they realize that, the sooner they understand that, the easier things will be for them.\”
Femi put the main roster on notice with his performance on the post-Royal Rumble edition of Raw when he demolished Erik and Ivar, continuing his run as WWE\’s hottest free agent. With momentum building and confidence sky-high, Oba Femi would be aiming to make a mark at the Elimination Chamber.
Two-time WWE Grand Slam Champion The Miz recently admitted that YouTuber-turned-WWE wrestler Logan Paul is doing his \”outsider\” gimmick. The A-Lister believes Paul is doing it better than most.
During his appearance on Six Feet Under with The Undertaker, The Miz highlighted how he joined WWE from the Real World when that path was heavily criticized, compared to today when YouTubers are more easily embraced. He further jokingly added that he felt someone else was \”stealing” his gimmick and pulling it off nicely. He said:
\”When he said, \’Yeah, I\’m an outsider,\’ I was like, I wonder who the first outsider was,\” The Miz said. \”I was on the Real World coming to WWE when it was hard to do that. Now you\’re a YouTuber and we applaud it, oh, he\’s in here. But our audience won\’t. But everyone else is like, yeah. But I was like, oh man, this dude\’s stealing my gimmick. And he\’s doing a really good job of it too.\”
Fastest Learner Miz Has Ever Seen
The Miz labeled the former WWE US Champion Logan Paul the fastest learner he has ever witnessed in WWE. He said:
\”Logan trained as well. But Logan was the fastest I\’ve ever seen anyone pick up WWE in my life. I\’ve never, and I like, I know I\’ve said this before, but it still blows my mind how good he is and how good he can be. I do feel he\’s the future of this business.\”
Bad Bunny\’s Unmatched Commitment
The Miz also praised Bad Bunny\’s dedication during the pandemic era shows at the Tampa baseball field. The former WWE IC Champion said:
\”Bad Bunny, every time I would come to the show during COVID at the baseball field in Tampa, he was there early in the ring. Then he would go sing at the Grammys, he\’d be right back in the ring. He\’d go to SNL and he would have the 24/7 title, with that title in his arm. And I was like, man, this dude just loves what we do.\”
Bad Bunny\’s commitment also extended to his own car.
\”He let us spray paint his $500,000 car, real spray paint. And it was his idea. He goes, \’No, no, you spray paint.\’ I think it was like a Bugatti.\”
Bad Bunny, who took WWE by storm, is expected to return to the company for WrestleMania 42.
Dominik Mysterio\’s Transformation
The Miz further highlighted Dominik Mysterio\’s heel turn as another example of next-generation talent thriving.
\”Dom has a baby face now. Like, can you even see it? Like, remember he was cleanly shaven, short hair, just a smile on his face. So young. So happy to be here. Now you look at him, he\’s just Eddie Guerrero. Just like a dirt bag.\”
WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker recently described the exact moment he knew his in-ring career was over. During the Six Feet Under with The Undertaker podcast, \’The Phenom\’ recalled the early-morning hours of filming the Boneyard Match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36. Taker said:
\”I think I retired when I was 55. Those last few years for me were like a struggle. I was so envious of Shawn when he retired. Seeing the peace that he was in. My mind\’s eye had envisioned that match that I want to go out on. I want to go out on a five star, hang my six shooters up on the mantle, say kiss my ass, follow that, I\’m done.\”
Honesty During the Pandemic
\’The Phenom\’ admitted that he hadn\’t been honest with himself regarding his physical limitations. He said:
\”I don\’t think I was really honest with myself knowing with the injuries and everything else that was going on that I wasn\’t gonna be able to do that.\”
The clarity came during the shoot of the cinematic Boneyard Match.
\”I think it\’s probably three or four in the morning and we\’re still shooting. And it hit me. It was like, dude, you\’re done. I still had another hour and a half of filming to do, but I knew when I walked off that set, I was like, yeah, I\’m done.\”
The Undertaker\’s Training for John Cena match at WrestleMania
Undertaker also recalled training \”like a maniac\” for his WrestleMania 34 match against John Cena, hoping to redeem himself after a disappointing outing with Roman Reigns.
\”I\’m thinking that right. I\’m not thinking story as much of I am redemption as far as my end ring. I get there and Vince goes, \’Yeah, three minutes.\’ I\’m like, what, excuse me. Three minutes.\”
\”I was in shape, I could have done, holding my breath, I bet I could have done 25 minutes,\” he continued. \”My whole motivation, which it should have been, you know what, Undertaker and John Cena, first time ever in at Mania. I\’m thinking, all I\’m thinking is like the last time you were in the ring, you stunk it up. My opinion. You stunk it up, I\’m gonna go out and show people I still got the motor.\”
The Undertaker is currently enjoying his retirement following a legendary pro wrestling career. He has also spoken openly about his retirement and wrestling career on his Six Feet Under episodes.
The Miz recently reflected on one of the most difficult periods of his WWE career. He opened up about a six-month exile from the locker room stemming from a chicken incident.
During a candid conversation on Six Feet Under with The Undertaker, the A-Lister recalled eating a piece of chicken over someone\’s bag, which was then reported as him \”throwing chicken everywhere\” in the locker room. Here is what The Miz said:
\”I got yelled at probably the worst I\’ve ever been yelled at in my entire life. And then that night I went to Chili\’s and I got a gift card and I gave it to the person. Person that yelled at me goes, chewing on a straw, \’I think you need to be kicked outta the locker room just for live events.\’ Then the next day was TV. I see the person chewing his thing, \’Hey, you\’re kicked out of the locker room, TV and this.\’ It was like six months, I think it was even longer than that.\”
The Miz\’s Backstage Struggles
The Miz explained that he was forced to change in broom closets and backstage areas during the exile. When the person who had the power to let him back in left the company, he had no way to return.
\”I would find places to go and then the person told me, \’You can come in when I tell you can come in.\’\”Something happened to that person and that person went away. And so I had no way of getting back in.\”
The story is part of a larger pattern of adversity The Miz overcame early in his career. He also discussed being labeled a \”no talent hack\” for coming from MTV\’s The Real World, surviving grueling conditions at Deep South Wrestling, and turning down his father\’s offer to be \”king of Cleveland\” to pursue wrestling instead.
Unexpected Allies
Despite the hardship, The Miz noted that some veterans, like JBL offered support. He recalled:
\”JBL gets a lot of flack for like bullying and like, was an ass or whatever. It wasn\’t really him. He was the person that would take me aside and go, \’Hey kid, you\’re doing a good job. You know what? Keep doing this, keep doing this, do this, this, this, this and this and this, this. But keep it up.\’\”
The Undertaker himself endorsed The Miz during a Performance Center speech, with Vince McMahon present. According to the former WWE Champion, Taker said,
\”The Miz, he is the guy. Every last one of y\’all need to study what he is doing. He is the top heel, he is master.\”
Joe and Mark Coffey are looking to make 2026 their year. For the Scottish brothers, all eyes are on the Major League Wrestling Battle Riot VIII. They’re among the 40 top participants in the elimination match. The big event is set to take place January 29 from the Events Center at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fl. Given the history the two share in Central Florida, it’s even more meaningful.
“Orlando has essentially become our second home for us as we settled in here before. We’re looking forward to the opportunity of getting in the mix of MLW, especially coming back to Orlando,” Joe said. “It’s the first time in six years MLW has been in Orlando, so there is a sense of anticipation and excitement, as I’m sure the fans will be that night. I don’t think there is a better way for myself and Mark to get in the mix when there is a title on the line as well. So to be debuting for a championship is very exciting to us.”
Mark added, “Orlando is a second home to us now. That being our first night in MLW, it certainly doesn’t feel like we’re away from home. It very much feels like a home game for us. We’re really excited for it.”
Joe makes no bones about the challenges the two have faced, especially over the past six months. The brothers along with their Gallus running mate Wolfgang were released from WWE last May. If that wasn’t enough, they had visa issues. After all they’ve been through, he is happy to get down to the business back in the United States and demonstrate their skills on a high level.
“There is a massive chip on my shoulder. I’m not going to lie,” Joe said. “I have been a professional wrestler for 16 years and wrestled at elite levels with elite people, Hall of Famers, world champions…MLW to me is one of the top wrestling leagues in the world. I want to showcase what I can do and what we can do as a group. It’s that simple. I’m a very hard-nosed individual. I say it like I see it. That will translate in the pro wrestling ring as well, especially in the Battle Riot.”
Mark feels MLW is an exciting place right now. The former mult-time champion sees the big names within the brand. He is up for meeting the best of them.
“For us, we don’t need our hand held,” he said. “This is a chance for us not to hold anyone’s hand. We’re walking out there to prove ourselves to prove ourselves against the top talent in the industry right now.”
As brothers, the duo have been grateful to have each other to lean on during the good and bad times. Mark describes their dynamic similar to back home in Glasgow. They have each other’s back…unless it comes down to the two of them in the Battle Riot.
“Me and Joe will fight absolutely everyone and then we’ll fight each other,” Mark said. “Nobody could push your buttons like your sibling. When it comes to this past year, and you need someone by your side, there is nobody to have by your side than your brother. Again, that’s exactly what you’re looking for when you enter something like Battle Riot….We were always close growing up. We’ve traveled the world together. It has made us closer. It has been a fun journey.”
Another familiar face that could prove an ally in the Battle Riot is Wolfgang, who has also been announced. Could we see the trio take over MLW?
“I feel we’ve built an identity as a unit. Going forward just now, we are the GBOT We are the Glasgow Boys On Tour,” Joe said. “We are taking this act on the road. We’re letting everyone see how good we are and reminding people that, oh by the way, we are absolutely class at this.”
Mark added: “It will be exciting to see Wolfgang in there. Probably one of the most unpredictable wrestlers I’ve ever met in my life, which is exciting for me to tag along with personally. Sometimes he shows up and he is the most classic pleasant guy in the world. Other days he shows up, and it’s prepared for battle. You never know what you’re going to get. I\’m excited for everyone in MLW to experience that firsthand.”
Beyond the big showdown, the team also could see going for gold within the tag ranks. That means potentially crossing paths with The Skyscrapers Bishop Dyer and Donovan Dijak. They are proud to represent Scotland. A country that has given pro wrestling some of the notable names in the industry including WWE Undisputed WWE Champion. Joe takes pride being among 20 or so who have gone on to work for major companies around the world. He cites the exposure and success of Insane Championship Wrestling. As for the future, Mark says they are taking it one day at a time.
“It’s freedom. It’s almost like we’re modern day pirates where you can just roam around work here, there, and work with whatever your schedule allows you to or wants you to,” he added. “With MLW, it’s a case of wanting to get this first one under our belt because it’s such an exciting company right now. We’re really excited to be a part of it.”
Joe continued, “MLW is also a place we’ve always had eyes on as well. Before moving to the States, we were friendly with a lot of people there. Paul London has stayed in touch with us for a long time and always spoke very highly of it. It’s just getting that opportunity and taking it in with both hands and seeing where it goes.”
The possibilities are endless in the Coffey bros eyes. Building on momentum, they could even see MLW running Scotland one day.
“We’d absolutely love to see that and do it,” Joe said. “We’ve seen a lot of companies grow. We were with ICW for a long time. There are similarities with growth. It was always a pleasure to watch it expand because with that company for example, we’ve done 7,000 tickets at an arena there. The scope is there. Ultimates everywhere. MLW is no different. It puts on an elite level product, so why not reach for the stars and start tuning in everywhere.”
Mark added, “I think MLW is a company the UK fans would absolutely attach themselves to. It has that atmosphere the UK fans love. I think they would love it.”
TNA Wrestling is planning to pull out all the stops for the premiere of Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC. Along with the homecoming of AJ Styles and big matches like World Champion Frankie Kazarian versus Mike Santana, the January 15 extravaganza will also feature an appearance by Perez Hilton.
Yes, the famed blogger and TV personality is set to be part of the show in some form or fashion. The 47-year-old tells us that the opportunity came about organically through TikTok. It’s there Hilton connected with Nicole Racine, Senior Vice President of Sales with Anthem Sports and Entertainment.
“She is my guardian angel who not only invited me to a show last year, but then this year came to me to not just watch, but be involved,” Hilton said. “And not just any show, the debut of Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC. So, it is a big deal and I’m truly honored.”
The celebrity gossip reporter remains tight-lipped on what he’ll be doing. However, Hilton does provide a little tease. “What you can expect from my appearance is a lot of booze,” he said, playfully. “I’m fully prepared for the audience to not be very receptive to me there. Call me ‘Heel Hilton.’ And just like anything else, you’re just going to have to watch and see.”
At the moment the polarizing figure looks at this as a one-off. Though he wouldn’t rule out other spots on future programs. “I would love to do more with TNA,” Hilton said.
On the surface, this may look to be a random collaboration. But the special guest explains that he does enjoy the product.
“I’m definitely a pro wrestling fan. A big pro wrestling fan. Not the biggest. I would say I’m big because I love to go watch professional wrestling,” Hilton said. “I’ve gone to TNA. I’ve gone multiple times to see WWE. I was even involved with WWE. Look that up a while ago. I think 10 plus years ago I was on Monday Night Raw in the ring with the Bella Twins.”
It’s true. Hilton served as guest host of the January 16, 2012 episode. He even served as a guest referee for a tag team match.
“I remember I showed up, and they gave me a Raw shirt to wear because they didn’t like what I was wearing. I don’t even know what I was wearing, but I definitely got a lot of booze then. I don’t know if much has changed since for the public. I’m not dumb. I’m not going to walk out there to cheers and applause.”
Like any bad guy of the ring, Hilton embraces being the villain going into the TNA event. For the longtime media influencer, covering the industry is not that different from other avenues of entertainment.
“Scandal, drama, still is what gets the most eye balls,” he explained. “Whether it be the awfulness surrounding Hulk Hogan’s death and everything that came after that to the very delicate situation with Nikki Garcia and her baby daddy. I cover all professional wrestling and their personalities regularly more often if there is something newsworthy for the masses.”
Hilton keeps on the pulse of the business and remains friendly with those in the business. Among them, the Bella Twins. He recently connected with them.
“They were lovely. They look so good still. Oh my God, I love them. It’s really inspiring to see what Nikki and Brie have built,” he said. “They are moguls. I caught up with them in Vegas where I live at The Palms at Ghostbar where they were hosting an event for their wine company. They were just lovely.”
Jody Threat is looking forward to being a part of what is shaping up to be one of TNA Wrestling’s most transformational years. The company is on the verge of its bigThursday Night iMPACT! premiere on AMC. January 15 is a milestone date for the team with more eyes on the product after a six-year run on AXS TV.
“We were called into a virtual meeting where we were told the great news,” Threat said, looking about when she was told about the TV deal. “It felt like a movie moment where we were like, ‘Yay, it happened.’ It was an accumulation of years of hard work. Not only on the front of us workers, but everyone in the office too. It really was a team effort. It really is a beautiful thing. It was a beautiful end to a story when you get a big win like this with all the work put in because we’re not always so lucky.”
The excited Canadian was putting in the work to hone her skills for a number of independent promotions. This got Threat recognized among TNA officials where she secured her first TV wrestling contract.
“I have an extensive career where I’m doing it in front of a crowd, but now having to do it in front of cameras, it was a bit of a learning curve,” she said. “Everyone was so supportive in helping me get comfortable and improve my presentation on the television screen because it is very much different…I’m not much of a fancy girl, so a lot of [the Knockouts] helped me with my fashion and helped me present myself onscreen when I’m not in the ring too. Honestly, from day one I knew [TNA] was something special and felt supported and somewhere that I felt like I was at home.”
Among those who helped Threat ease into the new environment in 2023 and beyond has been Alisha Edwards. The System’s not so secret weapon followed in the footsteps of those who supported her like Gail Kim and Madison Rayne. She has since paid it forward.
“This might blow her cover,” Threat said playfully. “ Lish has been someone who has truly helped me deal with dressing myself and being more comfortable with photoshoots and my skin when it comes to that. As much as I’m a performer, I actually don’t like to be the center of attention.”
Threat also felt some sort of divine intervention as Dani Luna came in around the same time. Together the powerhouse duo formed Spitfire, going on to win the TNA Women’s Tag Team Championship.
“ Dani came in a little bit after me, but Dani is one of my best friends in real life,” she said. “Her coming after me was great. Before my trainer was at TNA, Josh Alexander was my trainer. For me to be hired by the company where my mentor was, I felt like I was truly set up for success. He was able to mentor me through things. A few months later one of my best friends shows up and we’re able to come together as an official tag team. It did make the transition of being on TV more manageable because it is a big difference.”
One aspect of the business the emerging star admittedly is still finding her footing with is social media. She credits producer-director Jorge Barbosa for assisting in developing content. He has served as a mentor in this space.
“From Day 1, I set the goal that we would not go out of my comfort zone and my morals and values. If you notice, what I represent online, I don’t try to sell sex…I’m trying to put out a representation of what it takes to be a woman that is a bit different. That doesn’t always mean dressing up cute. I’m a tomboy,” Threat said. “It is what it is. I like to fight. I like to lift heavy weights. I love dogs. I love baked goods. You’re going to see all of that and explore the world and film my content. I do a lot of stuff when I’m in a new city, I’m exploring the food.
“I’m a big food guy. I feel like I’m lucky because that is the branding I’ve done from Day 1, even when I was in the indies trying to grow my following. Most people respect that. I feel like I don’t have the same engagement as fans that are a bit disrespectful or weird or feel it\’s okay to make comments because someone is wearing a cute bikini or something like that. Of course, I’ll get weird comments in the DMs, but we really don’t look at the DMs. But for me, my social media is a platform to represent what it means to be a female, girl, a woman, and doing it my way.”
As someone with a wealth of experience, Threat has taken pride in helping others along. Among them is newcomer Jada Stone.
“Jada is so talented and so new to the game. So, it’s fun. I feel like she was very much me coming in. Just excited,” Threat said. “She is more athletic than me. It’s crazy what she can do with her body. I’m a big sister. I have two younger sisters. I’m very comfortable being the big sister in different roles. It’s cool and very natural. I learn stuff from Jada as well. I love it.”
The star looks to January 15 as history for TNA. A roster known for scratching and clawing for everything including getting on a major network. Years of build has led up to this. One would argue there hasn’t been this much potential visibility for the brand, even going back to the Spike TV days when considering AMC+ accessibility. Not to mention the fact many TNA performers have also been appearing on WWE NXT programming.
“This partnership is allowing our imaginations to go wild a bit more and create different match-ups and opportunities you didn’ t think would be possible,” Threat said. “I love it. I love women’s wrestling and the opportunity to be challenged by different people and different flavors. I’m a big fan of fusion food. I feel like NXT is one flavor. TNA is another flavor, and we’re putting it together for a fusion of delicious flavors and really great wrestling, really sick wrestling, really unique wrestling. Match-ups you didn’t think you’d ever be able to have.”
The “Wild Child” could see a wealth of possibilities with TNA and AMC. Perhaps, even bringing her “Bumps & Bites” travel food show to bigger audiences. She filmed a pilot for the travel food show that sees the colorful figure explore the city she is wrestling in. “For me, if I could get that on a bigger screen, that allows me to eat more food and show all the yummy food. That would be great.”
Mistico has emerged as one of the biggest names in lucha libre over the last 25 years. The star brings a unique aura to every venue he appears. It’s what makes him arguably CMLL’s top draw. His visibility extends beyond Arena Mexico working for promotions around the world including Major League Wrestling.
Mistico, a former MLW World Middleweight Champion, went on to win the Opera Cup by defeating KENTA at Fightland in 2024. Then he made history once again by overcoming Volador Jr. in the finals of the 2025 tournament at the MLW x Don Gato Tequila live special in November. The iconic performer became the first to win the Opera Cup twice in the modern era and consecutively.
“I’m so happy to be the first Mexican luchador to win the Opera Cup and back-to-back,” he said “It was a great match against Volador. It was so great for me that I took the victory a couple of months ago. With MLW, I’m so grateful to them and all the fans that support me…I’m ready for what is coming up.”
Despite having such a strong year, Mistico remains humble. He is also dedicated to testing his skills against the best. Among them was his standout matches versus Austin Aries, MJF and Will Ospreay. His goals for 2026 are well defined.
“Something I want to achieve in the next year is the MLW World Heavyweight Championship,” Mistico said. “It’s something I’m looking forward to next year. It’s something I would like to have an opportunity for in the future. Again, I’m so grateful to have the support of the fans. It’s important to have that support at all MLW shows.
\”I love lucha libre. It’s a part of my life and it’s something I want to bring in every show. It doesn’t matter where it is. This relationship is so important for me, this relationship between MLW and CMLL, to bring everything. I want to have some more important victories in my career.”
On December 9, Mistico gained more mainstream popularity when Bad Bunny wore a Mistico mask to disguise his identity at CMLL event. The company confirmed the Puerto Rican mega star was front row in the “King of Silver and Gold” mask while witnessing the action inside Arena Mexico. For the luchador, the connection to the fans, whether they are multi-platinum recording artists or not, is key.
“Bad Bunny, a huge artist and so famous. It was so important to me that he wore my mask…” he said.
Mistico attributes his success to staying prepared. He treats every match the same. Adding, “Despite being at a great level, I’m still preparing for all the matches for all the shows. It doesn’t matter where it is. I want to bring everything to prove why I love lucha libre and why it’s part of my life. I’m so grateful to have the support of the fans.”
The cross-promotional name looks forward to building on the momentum created in 2025. Mistico looks to make the most of every opportunity. At the top of the list right out of the gate is MLW’s upcoming Apocalypto 2026show on February 7. The event will feature CMLL talent sure to electrify the crowd at the Cicero Stadium, just outside of Chicago.
“I’m open to face any luchador that wants to face Mistico in CMLL or another company all around the world with all these relationships,” he said. “…I want 2026 to be better for Mistico and want to do this with the relationship with MLW.”
Age is but a number for Blue Panther. The legendary luchador proudly wears the MLW National Openweight Championship after winning it in September against Último Guerrero. This was the veteran’s first singles title win in two decades. It also happened in Arena Mexico during a CMLL event, mere days after Blue Panther celebrated his 65th birthday.
“I received the opportunity to face a great luchador in Último Guerrero,” Blue Panther reflected. “I had the victory on a special day because it was September 21, the [National Day of Lucha Libre]. The 21st of September, every year is a special day for lucha libre, for every luchador. So, it was an important victory in my career. I’m so proud to be the MLW National Openweight Champion.”
The partnership between MLW and CMLL continues to grow going into the new year. A shining example of this comes on February 7 in Chicago when MLW presents Lucha Apocalypto 2026.
“I’m enjoying this moment. I enjoy being on every MLW show. I’m hoping it’s a sold-out MLW show,” Blue Panther said. “That would be so great. For sure, it will be a sold-out show with MLW and CMLL superstars. I’m so happy to be in Chicago with all the Latin American fans and be part of lucha libre. Also, this partnership with MLW and CMLL is so important because lucha libre is going to new places to new countries to new shows to new cities. I consider that it’s so important for CMLL and lucha libre to be in different parts of the world.”
Blue Panther’s love and dedication for the business remains stronger than ever. During a recent interview, he took a moment to take out his phone to share photos of past wars. Bloody battles from the 1980s with one particular visual of him flying through the air. The legendary figure, like others in lucha, were revolutionary and ahead of their time. This high-flying, fast-paced style continued to evolve to what we see today.
“I’m open to facing any MLW or CMLL superstar,” the champ said. “I would like the person from MLW or CMLL to take the decision of who wants to face Blue Panther for CMLL National Openweight Championship. I prefer an American luchador because I want to exchange the style, my style, with the new generation of style. I would like to face these challenges in the future for the championship.”
Along with holding the gold solo, Blue Panther takes pride in seeing his sons follow him. Still active, he gets to work alongside and guide Blue Panther Jr., Black Panther, and El Hijo de Blue Panther. He joined the latter as Los Divinos Laguneros in a fun four-way showcase during the MLW X Don Gato Tequila show in November.
“That’s so important for lucha libre,” Blue Panther said of the family heritage. “All this tradition. I’m so happy my sons have been in lucha libre. At first I didn’t want them to become luchadores, but day-by-day for all of them, it was all lucha libre. It was something that would happen in the future when they were child. Now they are luchadores. I’m so happy for all of them because they respect lucha libre. I like that they respect the traditions, as a sport, the mask, everything.”
It has been fun for Blue Panther to see lucha explode in popularity. He attributes a lot of that to accessibility thanks to technology.
“The different platforms that help us a lot in CMLL is the fact that everywhere in the world can see lucha libre,” he said. “That there is a main company in lucha libre, and it is CMLL. With 92 years of history, I think it’s something important for all of us for the roster, for the luahdors, for everyone in lucha libre. Before, it didn’t happen; before, we didn’t have these platforms. Before it was in the magazines, the newspapers, but right now all around the world people can see us on the phone, TV, social media. The platform, the technology, it’s helping CMLL show lucha libre around the world.”
As for what keeps him competing at a high level after so many decades, he attributes it to discipline, passion, and genuine love of lucha libre. Blue Panther added, “I’m so grateful. I’m not thinking of retiring from lucha libre. I still want to prove why I love lucha libre and why lucha libre is my passion.
Even after all these years, the pigeons are loose! Newly minted TNA Wrestling Hall of Famer Velvet Sky is set to join her Beautiful People sister Angelina Love at Slamdown on November 23. The women’s wrestling convention runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Orlando.
For Sky, the thought of an all-female convention would be unheard of back when she was coming up.
“I think women’s wrestling has evolved even from when I started in wrestling,” she said. “I got my start in 2001. Back then it was women’s wrestling that didn\’t exist. It was more eye candy and valets, which don’t get me wrong, I loved that era. Don’t get me wrong. I was molded through the Attitude Era, the Divas Era, I loved that…To see what it has evolved into all these years later is amazing. It’s just women who have made their mark in the business, cemented their legacy in the business, their spot, and it’s no longer just a man’s world.
“I think a lot of the men love and respect that. I know speaking personally from my own experience with Angelina when we were in TNA and the Beautiful People were getting the highest rated segments on the show week in and week out. We would go to the back and all the guys would high five us and congratulate us. Nobody was in competition with us. None of them thought we were stealing their spotlight or taking their spots. They were just happy and proud that wow, these women are killing it. It’s just a breath of fresh air to see how far women’s wrestling has come.”
Sky and Love are not only signing autographs at the event, but the trailblazing duo are set to do professional photo opps at 1 p.m. The gathering also continues the celebration for the two, who were inducted into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame at Bound For Glory. Sky still finds the honor received surreal.
“You get into the business just hoping to get noticed by a TV wrestling company and get your shot there and wrestle on TV and be known worldwide,” she said. “That was good enough for me. Like wow, I did it. I made it. I set out for this goal. And this career goal in my life with wrestling I retired and am happy. I never expected to have that career highlight….being inducted into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame with Angelina Love. It’s a dream come true.
“You see all these women icons that came way before Angelina and I. I remember as a fan going to wrestling shows, WWE shows, and these icons I want to be like and follow in their footsteps were there. And now to be referred to as icons in the wrestling business. It\’s amazing. It’s gratefully appreciated. It’s humbling to have made history and forever cementing the legacy of TNA Wrestling.”
Even though the former Knockouts champ’s days of wrestling are in the rearview, that doesn’t mean the pigeons will stay in the coop. Sky would love to work in a producer role. Especially, when it comes to lending her experience to elevating a pro wrestler’s presentation including an entrance. That or maybe even as a television personality. The star stays on the pulse of the business as she reminds a fan. Among the things Sky has been excited about is TNA’s collaborative partnership with WWE. Another thing that wouldn’t have been thought of as a possibility during her time.
“I think it’s freakin\’ awesome,” Sky said. “I think doing those crossovers and seeing talent that were mostly TNA talent getting their shot to shine on a WWE platform [is great]. The crossovers from TNA to WWE and WWE to TNA, I think it’s amazing. I think it’s brilliant. I’m excited that in 2025, nearing 2026, that TNA and WWE will have this working relationship.
“I remember even back in when I was in TNA before that, it was hush, hush, you can’t mention another company’s television or you get in trouble. Now it has evolved. The business has evolved so much. I think it’s great TNA and WWE have this cross promotion and working relationship. It introduces TNA talent to a WWE audience and gets them more exposure. Maybe there are diehard WWE fans who have never seen TNA and are just not fans of TNA who are now being introduced to TNA by this cross promotion and vice versa. It’s just great.”
Sky takes pride in the fact TNA is getting a bit more respect than a few years ago. The veteran believes history hasn’t always been kind to the Nashville based company. Not because of the talent, but poor management decisions. Sky makes no bones about her feelings that former TNA President Dixie Carter was to blame for the promotion’s downfall
“I never had any personal run-ins with Dixie, but I’’m not or have never been a fan of her or her choices or her decisions for talent and moves she made in TNA,” Sky said. “I’m not the only one who feels this way. For a while it was really doing well, you had Dixie’s parents at Panda Energy that were funding it and keeping it afloat. She was kind of like the stand-in person, the in-between person to keep it running. It was her poor business decisions that made the ship start to sink.”
A notorious segment from a November episode of Impact in 2009 saw Carter give a speech to talent that did not go over well. It was essentially a real backstage gathering filmed and shown on television. Largely seen as a morale killer, the TNA head gave an ultimatum regarding her direction for the company. It was get on board or find another place to work. When the clip recently popped up on social media, the sentiment remained the same.
“We had no idea that was even taking place,” Sky recalled. “We were in the middle of a production day. A lot of the girls were in the makeup room getting ready, hair and makeup, for pretapes. A lot of people were eating in catering and going over their matches. It was okay, we\’ll stop. We have to go have this talent meeting. Talent meetings were a part of a TNA workday. No big deal. But we had no idea we were going to be recorded like this. They put us on the spot being bullied by this woman that has no idea what she is talking about. The speech was self-explanatory for those who have seen the clip that resurfaced. It was her way or the highway. If we don’t like it, we can leave. It took all of us aback. As you can see from all our faces in the clip, everyone was like what. It was being recorded and had to be aired on Spike TV for her to show the size of her balls and to stroke her ego.”
Sky holds nothing back with her feelings for Carter. At the same time, she remains grateful for the opportunities TNA has provided. The outspoken performer remains thankful for Jeff Jarrett signing her to a contract. She describes an atmosphere where everyone walked on eggshells and feared repercussions speaking out with WWE being the only other viable game in town.
“I rolled with the punches because I’d be damned if I worked my ass off on the independent scene for six and a half years, almost giving it up before I got the call from Terry Taylor. I thought I’m going to keep my mouth shut as much as I don’t like this woman. I’m going to keep my mouth shut. I’m not going to let her ruin my big break and shot in TNA, roll with the punches,” Sky said.
“There is so much positive in TNA. The roster was stacked. Other aspects of management were great. The Knockouts locker room was phenomenal. There were so many positives amidst the negative. My decision to leave in 2016 was not because I had an injury or I didn’t want to be there anymore. I was always grateful for my time at TNA. I will never forget where I came from or the people who have helped me along the way in the company get to the level of success I have achieved. But in 2016 my contact was coming to an end and I decided I didn’t want to re-sign because at that point she made it so unbearable for so many of us. I didn’ t want to be around anymore because I was no longer having fun. It\’s not because I wasn’t grateful I didn\’t want people..she made it unbearable for the majority of us, which is why people were opting out of their contracts and leaving and jumping ship.”
Sky affirms she was healthy in 2016, but the environment wasn’t fun anymore. The popular wrestler opted not to re-sign. Several things she experienced also reinforced her decision.
“[Dixie] never talked down to me or treated me poorly personally. I never got her that close to me to let her try that, but I\’ve seen how she speaks to other people that could do nothing for her. These were wonderful, hardworking people that didn\’t deserve that treatment from her,” she continued.
“When I would witness what I witnessed I would go to the person that was spoken down on, and they were so distraught and I remember. I’m not going to say who it was, but we were backstage. It was either a pay-per-view or live TV taping and [for this person]….it was just demeaning, demeaning, demeaning. I heard what was being said and for the wonderful person she was talking down to, I walked over to this person after [Dixie] got done spewing, and they were in tears because they just couldn’t believe how they were spoken to. I was consoling this person.”
Sky stands by her accounts she has witnessed firsthand. One of the OG knockouts got a chance to experience how things are in the locker room today while attending Bound For Glory. For Sky, it was good to be home and to come full circle.
“Meeting Carlos Silva, being around that locker room, our home environment all over again, it reignited this spark in me that I never lost anyways. I’ll never lose that spark for wrestling. Once you’re in the business, whether you’re in the business or not, you’re always in it,” she said. “Your heart, mind, body, soul, and gut will always be cemented in wrestling. Even though I’m not active in the industry as much as I was before, I will always and strive to be in it in some way, somehow, just because I love it so much. It’s my heart and soul. It’s what I worked my whole youth for. It’s the only thing I ever wanted to do, so I will never let it fall by the wayside. Never.”
She also spoke highly of her interactions with Silva at the event. A stark change was felt compared to past regimes.
“[Carlos] is wonderful,” Sky said. “The talent meeting he had before Bound For Glory was very positive, very uplifting, very inspiring. Looking around while he was giving his speech, everyone was so invested and smiling and excited by his encouragement. That is a breath of fresh air and what a proper president in management does. They boost up their talent. They boost morale, especially ahead of a big night for everybody.
“So everybody went into Bound For Glory just that much more inspired by Carlos’ positivity. That was something I took note of right away. I’m a people watcher at times just to see people’s reactions to certain scenarios and what people are saying. I’m listening to what Carlos is saying and looking at all the talent’s faces. Everyone was smiling ear to ear and enthused and clapping when he was done talking. That was the boost of morale that talent needs on a big night…that was only my first taste of that. Nothing but good things to say about him.\”
For Mustafa Ali, Full Sail University elicits fond memories and a career milestone. The once upstart was introduced to fans on a high level for the first time working the WWE Cruiserweight Classic almost a decade ago. He’d fill in as an alternate based on a recommendation from Lince Dorado. Fast forward to today and Ali is an established name riding on momentum in TNA Wrestling, which will broadcast three nights from the beloved venue November 13-15 including Impact and TNA+ special Turning Point. Central Florida in general holds a special place in the heart of the Order 4 faction.
“Going back there is going to be huge,” Ali said,. “Even when I went back to the PC (Performance Center) for the NXT versus TNA Showdown I didn’t know what to expect or feel, but it\’s so weird you see some old faces. I saw Shawn [Michaels]. I saw the medical office who I’ve known forever, the receptionist I’ve known forever, security. There are these people who I haven’t seen in two years and just picking up a conversation like it wasn’t two years ago. Obviously, there was a lot of pressure with that performance, but walking in it was nice to see old faces. But yeah, I think I’m at that stage where I don’t get spooked or intimidated.
“I still care. Don’t get me wrong. I still get those nerves of wanting to perform good. I never have that moment where I don\’t care. I very much care, but I’m past the whole time of ‘this venue is so big,I’m so intimidated.’ That’s not me at this point. But it was really great to see Shawn again, and talk to him and have conversations with him over the span of two weeks. The week before to set up the match and the match itself. The big thing was everyone was just so happy with the performance me versus ‘All Ego’ [Ethan Page]. Everyone was happy with it. It was a huge homerun. I had a chip on my shoulder. I just wanted to remind everyone what what they missed out on.”
The upcoming events mark the next chapter in many ways for TNA. After all they are coming off a record-breaking Bound For Glory. One that saw Ali’s faction battle The System in a wild 10-person intergender Hardcore War.
“What a tricky match in that it’s intergender, all these weapons,” Ali recalled. “Those matches can be chaotic and dangerous. My biggest thing is we went out, created a lot of moments of violence and craziness and concern, but genuinely everyone walked out of it okay. A couple scrapes, a couple of staples that need to be removed, a couple of thumbtacks removed. For the most part, everyone was okay. But yeah, you look at that spot where Agent 0 and Alisha Edwards are getting chokebombed through dozens of thumbtacks.
“A new level of respect for her taking that because that Agent 0 guy, he’s tall ladies and gentleman. I don’t know if I would want to take that. Let me just say that. The big point being that was their first time being on Bound For Glory, and Bound For Glory is TNA’s biggest event. So, I was really happy I was able to play an instrumental role in ensuring those people were able to get on that card. It was a huge show, marquee match, and I feel we delivered. So, hats off to everyone involved.”
Ali couldn’t be prouder of his crew made up of emerging talent like the, dubbed now, Great Hands Jason Hotch and John Skyler. He predicts tag team gold in their future within the next year. The veteran also sees big things for Tasha Steelz, who essentially reinvented herself.
“Tasha Steelz was a former Knockouts Champion and sort of went into this, I don’t want to say rut, but this moment of trying to find where she fits on the card,” Ali said. “Now she is known as the mastermind of Order 4, this strategic evil mastermind that is able to put these ideas and plots together has given her a whole new dimension to work within the ring and outside the ring. With these promos she has cut, post-filming she will get a standing ovation just because of her delivery and how committed she is to the character.
“That was my big thing with Order 4. I saw so much potential in every member. I had a spotlight, but if needed to take a step back and push them in the spotlight a bit, I will do that. I’m reaching down to pull them up, but by pulling them up, they have been able to prop them up. It’s a process. I told all of them when I came back to TNA earlier this year I promised all of us, I said give me six or seven months and we’ll be the top heel act here. Sure enough here we are and Order 4 reigns supreme.”
As for Ali’s onscreen high-politicized character, it’s a tight rope he walks. The Pakistani-American performer has admittedly run into a dilemma playing the Commander in Chief-like persona, but remaining true to himself and his values.
“I am who I am. My name is Mustafa Ali,” he explained. “I’m very clearly from a certain region of the world. My belief is very open. So within that and this character, I have found that it is tricky sometimes what I want to say and how I want to say it or how I want to be perceived can be misconstrued, can be misquoted and misinterpreted. At the end of the day, we are entertainment. Our job is to entertain the fans. I would never want someone from anywhere in the world to tune in and feel offended or feel like I’ve been isolating them in a negative manner. This character, this presidential politician, almost dictator-esque character is strictly within the confines of professional wrestling. There is no subliminal messaging, no I’m really talking about this, I’m talking about championships, contenders, and that’s it.
At the end of the day, I’ve found I need to sometimes be cautious of real-life events and how they can be misinterpreted into wrestling. This character makes it a little more difficult to navigate. I am very open about what I think is right and wrong. I’ve always been about treating people right. That’s a conversation for another time, but the point being is this character I do have to double-check sometimes what I’m saying and how I\’m saying it or how it looks because we unfortunately live in a world today where a fan will grab a quote, or screenshot, and saying, ‘he was saying this,’ and that is not what I was saying at all within the context of the promo. It is fairly difficult. I feel like anywhere you look in the world now there is trouble. How do you not try to mirror that? Whether it’s intentional or not intentional. At the end of the day, my goal is to put on the best product, performance. My goal isn’t to offend anybody with what I’m saying. I’m fairly cautious. That’s always in the back of my mind when I’m performing.”
Along with Orlando, TNA’s last string of shows continue on into El Paso with Impact and Final Resolution from December 5-7. Ali could feel the energy of the audience the last time the company ran there in March. It also brings back some good and some painful memories.
“I was wrestling now TNA World Champion Mike Santana,” he said. “I was in the ring and nobody told me that he was coming out on a lowrider. His music hits, and I’m looking around to see where he is at and I see this garage lift up and see this lowrider and think, ‘you got to be?’ The crowd goes nuts. Not just because it’s Santana, but because he is paying tribute to one of the greatest of all-time [Eddie Guerrero]. He came out, and I could feel this crowd.
“I want to say crowd-wise and in-ring-wise it was probably one of the best matches TNA put on this year. Go back and check it out. I believe it was Sacrifice where it was me versus Mike Santana. You could feel the energy in that match. At one point my jaw was literally located this way. I had to put my hand in my mouth to bring it back in. That\’s how intense and physical that match is. I’m looking forward to going back to El Paso with TNA. I hope they bring that energy and noise like last time. I hope I don’t get my jaw dislocated this time. I can do without that. Other than that, let’s go. El Paso is just one of those great towns with great wrestling.”
The former X-Division Champ has high hopes not only for himself in the new year, but TNA as well. Amid whispers network talks and potential weekly live TV opportunities, Ali will focus on the task at hand. Putting on the best shows possible.
“I’m going to show up to work and see what is asked to do and go do it,” he said. “What I\’d like to see from TNA, and this is just my controversial take, but they are in a position where they can be different. They don’t have to follow the formula. I think one of the coolest things about TNA was the six-sided ring, which was the X-Division. What I’m trying to say is I want TNA to go back to that experimental phase where we’re just trying these wacky ideas. At the end of the day, you can’t argue with the business model right now. Sold-out shows, potential network deals, and things like that. I also remember a time where I’d look out at TNA and see maybe a couple hundred people. At Bound For Glory, I looked out and saw a couple of thousands.
“It’s a beautiful thing, but whatever TNA is doing, I think they are doing things right. They have their eyes on young talent. They have tryouts coming up. It’s a great mixture of these talented veterans, then like the middle child are trying to figure out their journey and their brand-new people coming in. It’s a beautiful locker room, a great team to work with. Production just keeps getting better and better with each show. There is a lot of experimentation going on. I think at Bound For Glory we had our first 4K camera for the entrance, so there were some unbelievable shots coming out. I’m just really excited, but if you asked me, selfishly I’d just like to see them experiment more with wild concept matches because we are in a position I feel we can do it. I think that would attract even more wrestling fans toward our product.”
Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson are all about belt collecting while working for a number of promotions around the world. The Good Brothers look to add the Major League Wrestling Tag Team Championship to their long list of accolades. Their first step toward achieving this goal comes on November 20 when they formally debut for the promotion at the MLW x Don Gato Tequila: Live Special. The veteran duo square off with the current title holders The Skyscrapers Donovan Dijak and Bishop Dyer in Charleston, South Carolina.
“I’m looking forward to the MLW debut,” Gallows said. “We’ve been going everywhere…We have never been in an MLW ring. So we’re marking things off the list we haven’t done yet. It has been on there for a long time. It’s been lined up, and we’re excited about it. The Skyscrapers are a great team as MLW Tag Team Champions. That’s one we don’t have on the mantle…Karl is not usually the small one in the ring, but he will be for this one. I’m looking forward to it. It’s a hell of a test.”
Gallows and Anderson have felt rejuvenated after their latest run in WWE ended during the early part of this year. Each appearance is another opportunity for them to remind fans what they can do. Hitting the ground running in terms of bookings has been by design.
“We went from nine or 10 contracts in a row, which is a blessing in this business. It really is, but it was kind of like we were on somebody else\’s schedule,” Gallows said of the freedom. “Kind of where we were told what was going to happen, what we were going to do. So, to take the bull by the horns and go out on our own and places we want to go, to show up where we want to show up, it’s a blessing. We’re not under contract anywhere. We’re not obligated or paid by WWE, AEW, TNA, New-Japan Pro Wrestling. We’re not affiliated with any of these places right now for the first time in a lot of years. It’s nice to be able to go, do, and say things you please. It’s very exciting.”
A big reason for their longevity comes down to the fact they genuinely like each other. Good Brothers is more than a name. It describes the bond they share.
“Karl and I are business partners in wrestling and outside of wrestling,” Gallows explained. “We’re best buddies, and we’re an act. I think people are most familiar with us as an act. We enjoy traveling together, setting these bookings, and setting things up in all these places. I think it is unique because there are a lot of singles people out there doing it. The Matt Cardona’s, and Blackheart, [Priscilla Kelly] are killing it in the women’s division as singles. We’re kind of one of the only tag teams doing it and just going everywhere. It’s definitely by design. We’re picking up with our Talk ‘n Shop podcast. It’s a Good Brothers revival sort of thing. I’m enjoying it.”
Another rarity for these multi-time champs is they’ve never really had an official onscreen breakup. Well, if you don’t count the brief hot potato of the WWE 24/7 Championship. However, that doesn’t mean Gallows rules it out down the line.
“That’s a whole other portion of a story that could be told somewhere,” Gallows. “There are a lot of unfinished stories with us, ,but on the other end we’re real-life friends. We’re buddies. We know each others’ kids. We stay in each other’s homes on the road. We have our Talk ‘n Shop podcast together. We invest together. There are so many things. The bond is real.
“Everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve gone together. Every time you’re facing something new, a new challenge, and new opportunity it may be we have another one to lean on. We’re actually fortunate in that way. A lot of guys don’t get along that well. When you think about teams that have stayed together for a really long time and are still active, maybe you have the Young Bucks, who are buddies of ours and real-life buddies, and the Hardys, who are real-life brothers. There aren’t a lot of them out there.”
For Gallows, who reached 20 years in the ring, there isn’t an endgame in sight right now. There is more work to be done.
“Nobody dwells on the past and there is no illwill with WWE, but there wasn’t a lot, with the new management changes and stuff this last go around, for us to get our creative juices flowing too much. Idletime was our biggest enemy,” he continued. “We were ready to get out there and do something. That’s why we wanted to take the world by storm.”
The Good Brothers may not be hanging up the boots any time soon, but their good friend AJ Styles has made no bones about his retirement plans. Styles announced 2026 would be his last year in the ring. Gallows isn’t sure if his former Bullet Club, The Club, or The O.C. running mate will truly step away forever.
“As far as AJ goes, he is one of the best to ever do it undeniably,” Gallows said. “Do I fully believe he will retire? Not a hundred percent. I mean we were in the ring in Europe for his last retirement. He didn’t end up retiring, and that storyline didn’t even play out. It just led to a one-off match with Cody Rhodes I believe. I think AJ stepping away from the family is a great thing. I don’t know if he does step away, how long he’ll be able to step away is a better way to put it. Once this is in your blood and it\’s something you love to do, it’s hard to get rid of. We’re just as motivated now as when we were 18 or 19-year-olds seeing this for the first time.”
It has been a grind for Donovan Dijak, who is working a demanding schedule. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. The 38-year-old enjoys being booked and busy with the former WWE superstar dedicating a lot of time to Major League Wrestling. For the veteran who first impressed fans first in Ring of Honor and then on WWE’s NXT, it’s an environment to prove himself all over again. Not to mention having a hand in elevating the brand to new heights.
“It has been tremendous. Growth, that’s exactly what we’re going for in MLW and achieving over and over again,” Dijak said. “It seems like I’ve been there for about 14 months now. In that time, the progress of more shows, more territories, more platforms we’re going to be presenting.”
The imposing figure also cites collaborations like with Danny McBride’s Don Gato Tequila for MLW’s next special on November 20 as an example of moving things forward. Not to mention the card deal with Panini. Dijak takes pride in being an ambassador for the promotion as one-half of the MLW Tag Team Championship. He shares the gold with partner Bishop Dyer.
“He is obviously outstanding,” Dijak said of the former Baron Corbin. “His is the continuation of his reinvention of himself in the same way and same process I’ve reinvented myself. There was this perception of both of us, especially as sort of main roster members on WWE programming. I think that leans into this perception of the big man in professional wrestling, which was quite frankly deserved in the 1990s and the early 2000s. This isn’t to take away from the great big men out there like The Undertaker and JBL, who are some of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. For everyone one of those there was 10 big lumbering, can’t do much, less is more types.
“I never liked the saying less is more. I much prefer the saying I took from Tommaso Ciampa. He said get more out of less. I’ve always subscribed to that as a wrestler and trainer. To me, that doesn’t imply I\’m not going to do anything. It implies if I’m going to do something, I’m going to get a lot out of it. I think that should be the mindset. I think that should be the mindset of Bishop Dier. I think that’s not the mindset of myself. We’re not these big lumbering guys that we’re big and not going to do anything. We still do all the exciting maneuver and moments and all the components of professional wrestling. I think that is kind of the test now in 2025 where the bar is so high. It almost seems like a bar achievable for big men. You have to have these high octane matches. I think he and I have proven throughout our career, certainly the past three or four years of our career, that we can both meet and exceed the level smaller wrestlers are doing just as effectively.”
As a student of the game, Dijak appreciates how MLW provides a mix of old school fundamentals and mentality with a high-octane, car crash, anything goes approach. That unique blend will be on full display during the next live special when Dijak and Dyer, collectively known as The Skyscrapers, defend against Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, collectively known as The Good Brothers. This match is part of one of the most star-studded cards in MLW history.
“I think what’s going to make us stand out a lot from what a lot of other tag teams are doing with their tag divisions is we have the size and experience to put on some of the best spectacle, as well as technical ,as well as explosive tag team matches possible,” Dijak said. “There is nowhere else in the world you’re going to get a tag team match with three guys who are all 6 \’7 or 260 pounds or bigger. That doesn’t exist in today’s pro wrestling landscape….”
For Dijak, it’s all about looking ahead and not the rearview. He contends he doesn’t do anything wondering what WWE thinks. Rather than a chip on the shoulder, the athlete makes it a goal to be the best professional wrestler he can.
“If you get bogged down in the world of professional wrestling and worrying about what someone else thinks, what the booker thinks, or what a company thinks of what I’m doing, then you’re going to get completely blindsided and sidetracked with that through process,” Dijak explained.
He continued, “because the reality of the pro wrestling business is it’s not as performance based as fans want it to be as much as wrestlers want it to be. We all wish and hope that what pro wrestling is whoever does the best is going to be rewarded. That makes sense. That’s how football works. That’s how basketball works. The best get the championships and things like that. Pro wrestling is a business. And business models are different than sports models. At the end of the day timing is a massive factor, money is the bottomline and ultimate factor, any decision is going to be based on those things in deciding how good you are and how well you\’re doing, which isn’t to say those things aren’t completely irrelevant. But pro wrestling is a huge pie chart. If you get bogged down in those details and worry about what someone else thinks of me, you’re going to get lost in the shuffle. I only focus on myself, and right now, for myself, MLW is the complete focus because they are investing in me so I will reciprocate that to them tenfold.”
The husband and father of two young children credits his family for being “completely on board” with whatever decision he makes. At the same time, he doesn’t hold any grudges against WWE or is he seeing any…retribution (sorry, I couldn’t resist). When it comes to former colleagues experiencing their own journey post-WWE, some transitions haven’t been as easy. Among them being Luke Menzies. The former Ridge Holland’s contact was allegedly terminated early before it was set to expire due to what the company considered a breach of his agreement due to recent social media posts. At the same time, Menzies has been sidelined with an injury and recovering. The former rugby player felt he had been “hung out to dry” by WWE and worried about being unable to pay his mortgage as a result. A GoFundMe was started without income coming in. Dijak thinks Menzies is in a tough spot.
“It’s a spot that quite frankly I think about myself sometimes in that I’m an independent contractor right now,” he said. “I have no guaranteed contracts or guaranteed money or anything like that. So, if I get injured…I was training at the New England Pro Wrestling Academy last night because like I said this is my passion. Being in the ring is my passion. If I tear my ACL, knock on wood and hopefully that doesn’t happen, in training last night, I’m not going to make my booking on Saturday. I have a booking in the South on Saturday and a booking in Mexico on Sunday with CMLL. Obviously, I can’t do those with a torn ACL. Then that number one question comes up again of how do I provide for my family? The answer is we’ve got to find a way to figure it out.”
Dijak quickly clarified that line wasn’t “throwing shade at Luke.” He described him as a “smart dude.”
“He is a friend of mine, so I know he is going to figure it out,” Dijak added. “It’s unfortunately these pro wrestling contracts, as much as we don’t want to admit it, they’re a gamble. You’re kind of rolling the dice and hoping it works out for you. Sometimes it works out great. There are a lot of people making a ton of money in WWE being featured very well. Sometimes it doesn\’t. For me, fortunately, I never looked past how fortunate I was in my WWE run, both healthwise and in terms of how long I was there, the presentation I was given, and the fact that when my contract ended I could wrestle right away. I was very thankful for all of those things. Luke is in a position unfortunately where he can’t do some of those things. I think he is out for I think six or seven months.
“That’s not a great spot to be in, but I do know Luke is an unbelievable wrestler. He is incredibly talented, and I know he is going to find a way, especially after those seven months to get back in the ring and perform at a high level and bring back that income to his family. The great part is there are places for him to do that. There are lots of options and great opportunities for him. He did have a run where he was a recognizable name as a professional wrestler at this point in his career. He has some huge hurdles to overcome, especially over the next seven months, but I have no doubt in my mind he is going to do that because he is a very perseverant individual and smart individual. I know he loves and cares for his family very much, so I know he is going to persevere.”
For Jennifer Brisman, no matter the environment the guest is the gold. She is the founder and CEO of VOW, a one-stop shop platform for event orchestration to help products and planners coordinate every moving part of the live experience in real time. Brisman has helped produce more than 600 events from Saturday Night Live to the Tony Awards and has broken through in the sports space with the PFL (Professional Fighters League).
The MMA company uses the platform specifically for VIP experiences. It manages key sponsors, fighters’ families, and stakeholders through grand scale seating assignments and list management tools in real time. She looks to grow capabilities from 10,000 people to 25,000 in Q1 and 50,000 Q2. Brisman has set aggressive benchmarks looking to stand at the forefront of live event organization technology and expand further in combat sports.
“What’s really exciting about wrestling is first you’re super close unlike more broadly sports or sports adjacent events. You are close to the smell of the sweat. That is the first thing true live action. No matter where you are in that arena or that space or event, you feel it, you can touch it. Wrestling fans are just an unbelievable unique make and model and they are dedicated to that sport,” Brisman said, bringing her perspective to what WWE has done. “What’s interesting in wrestling in general and action sports is not that you’re just close to the action, but it’s the way they deal with VIP experiences. All of these groups have VIP experiences that might relate to hosts to corporate groups to private groups.”
She continued: “They are bringing them in, pulling them through, but you also have to remember, for the most part you are 360 around the ring right around the action. You also have to think about who is sitting around the ring that the broadcast is hitting. This is such a key component only our software allows you to do because everything in it is real-time with live data and where people are sat and where groups are sat that allows broadcasts to focus. This is a big thing for WWE and other similar groups to be able to ensure that key faces are near the sponsor where broadcast is hitting a sponsor logo or sponsor name.”
As companies like TKO with WWE under that umbrella, VIP focus and experiential packages have become priority. Not to mention big moneymakers that weren\’t prevalent to what it has become in recent years. In her eyes, little things like who is rubbing elbows with who matters in the short-term and long-term.
“They really think about who is sitting around the action, who is sitting around the ring. How that camera is going to pan to those faces or guests or sponsors. Again because it’s 360, that’s significant and major,” Brisman. “Also, wrestling moves. They are moving venues in different cities, sometimes a little different than teams and leagues so they have amazing partners across broadcast partners. Our platform would allow them to ensure to have all seating information, VIP guest attendee fan information, all in real-time. Wrestling is really unique and super exciting. They’ve really doubled down on VIP experiences and hospitality moments.”
Brisman appreciates what TKO has created by consolidating partnerships and expanding in different areas. It comes down to the question of what drives a sponsor to come on to a major brand. Also, what brings fans coming back while leveraging the live event experience to keep fans, sponsors, and stakeholders invested.
“It’s the rinse and repeat with what can be done and creating stable revenue,” she said. “It’s brilliant what they\’ve done and certainly commend them for thinking about what their fans want and really broadening that base.”
Shotzi has been booked and busy ever since her exit from WWE. Pro wrestling’s queen of Halloween could be found virtually all over working for some of the most notable independent companies. On top of those dates, she also enjoyed her time at Major League Wrestling.
“They just get the ballsy bad ass,” she said. “MLW just completely understands me. I had no idea they would get me this much and bring in my character. Just promos, matches, and the ‘Graveyard Shift,’ and I can tell they brought me in knowing who I am and really appreciating my character work and giving me the most ballsy creative stuff.”
On the “Graveyard Shift\”, Shotzi looks to make this segment more than just an October time offering. She has plans to expand on it. “I’m going to push that it is on more shows and not just for the spooky season,” she said.
Shotzi is excited for MLW x Don Gato Tequila live special on November 20. The event broadcasting on YouTube and BeIN Sports will feature the MLW return of Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux. Having her friends there is bittersweet.
“I wish they were killing it on WWE and wish they were just champions, but selfishly I’m happy to have them on the indies with me,” Shotzi said. “It’s crazy because we’ve had so many parallels in our wrestling careers. We all got signed together. Me and Scarlett were the only two to get signed on the same day. We became really friends because we were put together. We started doing the drives together, and that’s how we got close. It’s how we both found out we like the paranormal stuff and then Kross got signed. Then we got fired-ish around the same time. It’s these weird parallels. We even got called to the main roster at the same time together. So, to have them at MLW is another ordeal. I just love having my friends with me.”
One other familiar face she may not enjoy seeing is Priscilla Kelly, a fellow alum who has been making her own waves on the scene.
“That\’s always been my girl. She brings out the best and worst of me. She has been calling me out. I don\’t mind that. I like a girl that knows what she wants,” Shotzi said. “I think she wants my spot in MLW, but it’s going to be hard for her to get it because I’m having a lot of fun in MLW and am not going to let her take my spot for sure. She is going to have to bring her A-game in November if she wants my spot.”
With so much star power coming into MLW’s women’s division, Shotzi is excited to be a part of it. She teased this is only the beginning in terms of what’s to come.
“I can definitely tell you it is going to grow, and there are going to be some huge names coming into MLW in the women\’s division,” she said. “Not that I was the start of that, but I think them bringing me in for multiple dates is kind of the start of them bringing in more and more people who fans will be excited to see coming into MLW. I know there is some stuff abrewing, and I can’t wait for everyone to see how the women’s division develops in MLW.”
Outside goals for herself, she has also set up goals for herself in MLW. Perhaps, the dedicated performer eyes the Featherweight Championship held by Shoko Nakajuma?
“I always used to say titles never used to matter to me, but I\’m at a point now that I want to be the face of a company,” Shotzi said. “I want the challenge to not just have crazy matches or just be this wild character on a show. I want to be the face of a company. I want that challenge. I want to lead the charge. I want to be at the top of the division. That’s what I want to develop in my career right now. I want to be a leader.”
From Krusher Kruschev to Smash in Demolition to the Repo Man and everything in between, Barry Darsow entertained professional wrestling fans for the better part of 30 years. The legendary performer looks back at his storied career through “Sickles, Studs & Stolen Cars: The Many Faces of Barry Darsow.” Given the title of the memoir, published through Titan Insider Press, you don’t have to be a historian to know the 66-year-old has lived quite the life.
“I kind of got away from the business for a long time and then I got back with Bill Eadie, Ax. We started traveling around the country again. It was almost like I was back on the road working again,” Darsow said. “I always told Bill, ‘You know I don’t want to do a whole lot of these things, going out of town and doing autographs and all that.’I loved meeting all the people and seeing them all again.
He continued: “Then after doing a few of them I said, ‘Let’s really start doing this.’ All of a sudden now we get calls from everywhere and so many people say, ‘you ought to write a book.’ ‘Who is going to buy that,’ I thought. Then I thought, ‘what the heck? I have a lot of great stories.’ It’s not like you can tell all the stories in one book. But I put a couple of them out there. I talked to my wife and asked her what she thought about it and she said, ‘yeah, you ought to write a book.’ That’s how it started.”
Meeting fans and being back on the road again reminded him why he got into the business in the first place. It fueled his motivation to sign a legends contract with WWE last year. In the past Darsow found himself in previous lawsuit filings.
“Everyone thinks I had a falling out with them, but I never had a falling out with them,” Darsow said, hoping to set the record straight. “When you’re done with them, and they don’t need you anymore, they don’t call you. I was never someone who called the office and talked to people. I just did my job whatever was asked of me, and that’s what I did. When Bill and I go out two or three weekends a month all the time. We’re booked up to a year in advance, so I never really even wanted to get a legends contract with WWE because we’re making great money without them. When they finally contacted us and said, ‘we would like to put you under a contract,’ we really had to think about whether we really want to do this. But when I was talking to Bill, we had to get back in the thick of things and see everybody and money is not everything.
He further explained, “when they asked us to do it, we signed the contract. Right away, we were asked to go to the Hall of Fame ceremony and WrestleMania. The year before that they asked us to, but we already had our schedules set. When we got to the Hall of Fame, we got off the elevator Bruce Prichard was right there, and I love Bruce. He sat down and talked to us. CM Punk ,who was unbelievable.I had never met CM Punk before. It was like he knew us. I really have some respect for him. He was just a good guy. We saw The Undertaker and ‘Stone Cold’ [Steve Austin] and it was almost like we never left there. We were friends with all these guys and they took us right in. It was worth signing the contract just to go back and see the guys and say hi to everyone again.”
The book, written alongside Graham Johnson, features a forward written by Darsow’s longtime partner Eadie. For Darsow, it was a fun trip down memory lane from growing up with his mom doing all she can to support him. He was among Robbinsdale, Minnesota natives who went on to become top names in the industry including Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, and The Road Warriors Hawk and Animal.
“What was so unbelievable is when you’re in the locker room and there are 30,000 people out there,” Darsow said. “Here you are with all your buddies back in the dressing room, laughing and talking, and playing cards and doing everything. You’re kids again on the playground and right now in the dressing room laughing and ribs on everybody like I said I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
Darsow takes pride in all he accomplished inside and outside the ring. Unfortunately, his career came to an unexpected turn after being let go from WCW after his controversial “King of the Road” match against Dustin Roades. The two rivals battled on a caged trailer on a moving truck. Their firing was reportedly done due to breaking a no-bleeding policy in place during the 1995 event ironically called Uncensored.
“Everything I put in the book was just thoughts I had. It wasn’t to really get even with anybody and that stuff. It was just the story. When that match happened in the truck with Dustin, when we were all done with that match, we both hugged and were on the field and there was blood, horse manure, we were covered with everything and were laughing,” Darsow, then working as the Blacktop Bully.
“That match went on for an hour it seemed like. We thought we had the greatest match of all-time. Then that next morning I got a call from Eric Bischoff. He said, ‘Barry, I have good news and bad news.” I said, \”what\’s the good news?\” He said, “well, you had a hell of a match. The bad news is you’re fired.” I don’t think a lot of people knew what happened. We got fired because we were bleeding in the match. We were told to bleed. A lot of the blood wasn’t blood we did. It was hitting barbed wire and fencing and all that stuff. What was incredible was Mike Graham, Dustin, and myself, we were the only three who got fired. It was like why didn’t the camera crew get fired. Why didn\’t anyone else get fired? I never did find that out, but what do you do? They are the bosses and you’re just workers. That’s one thing I learned in my life. You’re a worker bee and they\’re the bosses and you do what they say otherwise you’re gone.”
Darsow said he never really sat down with Eric and talked about what happened all those decades ago. He hoped to down the line, feeling there was more to the story on the other side of things. Looking back, it begs the question what would have happened to Darsow had he continued in WCW as it entered the boom period. Would he have been part of the nWo? Darsow popped up again in the promotion adding the “Mr. Hole-in-One” to his list of personas.
“I thought the Blacktop Bully was a great gimmick. I thought it was going to take off and really do something,” he said. “I think I could have been one of those semi-main event, main event guys. I really thought in that part of my career that would be the last gimmick I had and I was going to get a big push and be there for a while. That was going to be me. Then when that shut down, that was the end of it. That was kind of when I wanted to be done with the business.
“ When I came back, Eric promised me a job, and I got a job. I got paid real well for hardly doing anything. I felt so guilty about doing the trade that was my whole life, and I thought I was good at it. It was weird making money and not working. That’s now how I grew up. I knew that was the end of my career at that time. I thought for sure Blacktop Bully was going to be something. It was changing of the guard, and I wasn’t part of that clique. I wasn\’t in the nWo clique. It was a tough situation.”
Darsow is excited to have the book out for readers to enjoy. With this bringing all his accomplishments back to the forefront combined with the reacclimation into the WWE Universe, is a WWE Hall of Fame induction finally going to come for the iconic Demolition?
“There hasn’t been any discussions at all. I would love to be in there,” Darsow answered. “It is a huge honor, especially when you look at how big WWE is now. It’s unbelievable. If you could have that under your belt, the Hall of Fame, it would be huge. There are so many people. I always thought they should have more than one tag team. Maybe two or three tag teams because there were so many people. How are they going to induct everybody in there that should be in there?…It would be nice to be inducted in there when you can enjoy it with your family and friends. Hopefully, it will be soon, but you never know.”
Darsow remains one of the most underrated talents during an era filled with comic book-like characters. In many ways, what he did with every one of those personas he tackled, it’s a lost art.
“When I grew up watching wrestling, I watched Harley Race, The Crusher, The Bruiser, Baron Von Raschke, they were larger-than-life to me when I was a kid,” he said. “…To me, the gimmicks I thought were a great time of the wrestling business. I think that is what brought a lot of people into watching wrestling. All the kids are watching it now. I think they need to get into a few more of the gimmicks, less talking, more wrestling, and I think that’s probably going to be the next thing. It all goes back into wrestling…”
Braun Strowman has an appetite for a culinary adventure on his new USA Network series Everything on the Menu. The former WWE superstar takes viewers on tour through eight cities including Fort Worth, Washington D.C., Orlando, Las Vegas, Chicago, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Tampa. Each destination and establishment featured brings a unique flavor, history, and charm. The “Monster Among Men” not only hopes to shine a light on these places, but show another side of him through these experiences.
“The whole world knows Braun Strowman. They know my character. They know what I’ve done in WWE,” he said. “This is the first time in my life I’ve had a massive platform in USA Network where I get to be Adam Scherr, unscripted the man behind the monster, and really showcase my passion for life, food, and everything in between.”
The concept for the series was born while Strowman was recovering from a neck injury in 2023. He had his neck fused after a freak accident in the ring. This was a sobering reminder of the risks involved being a professional wrestler, but also a chance to think about projects in a different space of entertainment.
“As I’m out recovering, I’m pondering life,” Strowman said. “Whether I’m ever going to be able to wrestle again, lift weights. What am I going to be able to do in life? Something inside of me I know that I have is the ability to put smiles on people’s faces. How can I continue to do that?”
The conversation turned to food. The near 7-foot powerhouse knew he enjoyed a good meal and taking people out to dinner for them to venture out of their comfort zones. He’d often order two or three entrees at places. It got him and his team thinking about a kind of travel show encapsulating all this. They shot a pilot in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, about an hour from his farm, at a place called the Great Outdoors Supper Club. It is home to the iconic 96-ounce prime rib called the Old “96er. “I picked it up and ate it like a loaf of bread,” Strowman recalled.
USA Network bit on the pitch, and the rest is history. Each of the half-hour episodes is broken down into two restaurants the fun-loving giant visits.
“The first restaurant is more the signature dish of the city. All those restaurants were open 30,40,50, 60 years. Getting in there and talking to the owners and chefs and the customers and hearing the lineage of the restaurants. What has gone into the recipes that have kept people coming back 30, 40 years their entire life coming back and eating that,” Strowman explained.
“Hearing the stories of the community, the outreach, and everything that keeps these restaurants going. There is such a heartbeat in these cities. Then you take an opportunity and realize you’re eating something that is a piece of American history and has been part of this community for all this time… The second restaurant is a hotspot or up and coming or talked about restaurants. We vetted restaurants that haven\’t been featured on programming and showed love and support to those restaurants.”
Strowman finds the show’s blue-collar approach makes the show stand out. Not knowing the foodie terms or official terminology of the process, the everyman learns as the audience does. The former world heavyweight champion also enjoys pulling from his skillset.
“I’ve learned throughout my time with WWE and tools they gave me to go out and do so much other stuff and be articulate and break these stereotypes that follow big people like me around that think we just fee-fi-fo-fum through life and everyone else between….I’m really proud of all this,” Strowman said.
Among the most heartwarming interactions Strowman had was with Virginia Ali. The 91-year-old stands the driving force and heart of Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington D.C.
“You talk about an absolute angel of a human being,” Strowman said. “Within 30 seconds of talking to her, I felt like I’ve known her my whole life. I got to go back behind in the kitchen and get my hands dirty. They showed me the whole process. The fans were shocked seeing me and didn’ t know who I was getting to know who I was. Then the closing with her kissing me on the cheek telling me she felt the lord blessed her with another son. It brought it tear to this big monster’s eye. It was very special.”
One that hits home for the Strowman is Beefy King in Orlando. Early in his WWE journey, Carolina boy recalled moving to Florida with $150 in his pocket and whatever could fit in his Kia Soul. He’d sleep on couches, spare rooms, and even his car to work toward a dream. And the iconic restaurant helped provide the fuel.
“I knew I could go in there and get a sandwich that was good and priced well and fed me well. Another thing that is so special to me,” Strowman said. “During the pandemic them and another special spot in Orlando Jimmy Hula helped me and partnered together. We fed a thousand AdventHealth and Orlando Health employees on the frontlines saving people\’s lines during the pandemic and made that a mission I was able to accomplish with them.
He added, “They are so special to me. Shannon [Woodrow] and her family. They’re bread is from a bakery. Everything has been the same there for almost 60 years. The smiles, the smells, the hugs every time I go in there. Now after my episode debuts I will have my own sandwich on the menu. They are putting the monster on the menu.”
Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman premiere, October 24, 10/9c, USA Network
McKenzie Mitchell is always on the move with business in mind. Whether that be ring announcing for TNA, running her jewelry business Headline by MM, or even writing a coffee book. The latter, called “Threads of Triumph: Professional Wrestling’s Most Iconic Looks,” was a labor of love for the 31-year-old. It also combines her love and appreciation for what she is passionate about. For Mitchell, it’s surreal to be seeing a five-year vision realized with the project set for release next April and available for preorder now.
It all started with an idea pitched to WWE and other avenues, but the budding author wasn’t getting any traction. Doubters weren’t quite sure what the demographic would be for something based on pro wrestling gear. Mitchell was undeterred.
“I actually filmed a pilot with Johnny Gargano that lives somewhere within the WWE archives for an actual episode with WWE,” she recalled. “We filmed it, and it was great. The conversation just flowed. It was amazing. Then it just never found its footing . When I was released in 2023 I was like, “what do I want to do? I put that idea to work, and ‘Threads with McKenzie Mitchell’ was born. I got a lot of love then and traction.”
A sitdown with Natalya set the wheels in motion for what would become the book. The trailblazing former women’s champion encouraged Mitchell to pursue the concept further. This led to writing a full 30-page book proposal and securing a literary agent. “I got four offers in two weeks,” she said.
With an official offer in hand last October from publisher Chronicle Books, she got to work and began writing. Mitchell pulled out her proverbial rolodex meeting with the likes of Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Rhea Ripley. Despite having a busy schedule, she would find time to write.
“It has been a lot of time and consumption of my life,” Mitchelle added. “(Husband) Vic [Joseph] and I took a cruise for my birthday in March. I was writing on the cruise. Literally, it was land, air, and sea, I have been writing this book almost in secret everywhere I am this year.”
Mitchell has been touched by the response from fans and those in the industry. Someone even said, ‘finally, a book for me.” It’s a gratifying feeling for her.
“It’s no secret I didn\’t grow up watching professional wrestling, but I always loved the fashion side of professional wrestling,” she said. “That the wrestlers would wear and present themselves to an audience and that connection from a fan to a wrestler. A lot of times fans look at professional wrestlers and say, ‘I love this person,’ but they don’t know why they connect to them. This book really connects those dots. It comes from them wearing something and telling a story with it without them speaking at all.”
The book chronicles the evolution from the 1940s as professional wrestling entered television’s golden era into the colorful decades that followed. From Ric Flair and “Macho Man” Randy Savage to Chyna and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Rey Mysterio and Bianca Belair, it’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane in a way never really done before.
“Gorgeous George was doing all these ideas. He was implementing these ideas that were so out-of-the-box and out of character and out of the norm at that timeframe,” Mitchell explained. “You’re able to take what he did and implement and see that in the Ric Flair’s and see that in the Charlotte Flair’s and see that within all these people that are making this path if you will that started back in the 1940s with Gorgeous George.
“It’s a story to be told, how we evolve as people, how fashion has evolved over time. But fashion in the sport of professional wrestling and pop culture. How these athletes and celebrity figures were doing things over time that stood out and were different and now we’re able to celebrate that path and honor what they did and we’re still able to see these moments laced if you will into the threads of the current professional wrestlers you’re seeing today in WWE, AEW, TNA, and all the major promotions. It started somewhere. It started back in the day.”
When it came to who should contribute the foreword, Mitchell knew she wanted a female voice to bring that unique perspective. After time and care went into choosing a name she slid into the DMs of Mercedes Moné.She was connected to Moné’s agent. Mitchell described the process as a seamless moment with a foreword sent to her within a week. The AEW TBS Champion was honored to have the opportunity. By the same token, having a marquee name certainly adds more bankability to the project.
“She has had such an amazing career in her own right going back to Sasha Banks and all that she has done in AEW and her time in Japan and the anime she brings to life as well,” Mitchell explained. “She is very true to who she is, and you are able to see that come across her character in any way she is presenting herself. I wanted this person to make sense for ‘Threads.’”
Bound For Glory was a time of celebration for the entire TNA Wrestling roster. For McKenzie Mitchell, it was a time to reflect on the company’s rollercoaster journey. Her start into the business came through a three-year stint with the company. Earlier this year she returned home back in the role of ring announcer. Certainly, things like introducing the Hardy Boyz and Team 3D in their “One Final Table” will be a career highlight.
“Standing in the ring at Bound For Glory in Boston with nearly 8,000 people. Sometimes you don’t take the moment to stop and truly look around and look at what is happening before your eyes. For me, it was a moment to soak everything in,” Mitchell said. “You talk about the ‘One Final Table’ match with the Hardyz and Dudleys. That is the last time those two iconic tag teams will be in the ring together.
“I was lucky to be a smart part of that. I told Bubba this the other day that I wanted to really do them justice of their careers and everything they’ve done putting their bodies on the line year after year. For me, I was very lucky. I was very honored to be a part of that. Again, in wrestling because it moves so quickly…For Bound For Glory, before I did the announcement for the Dudleys and the Hardyz, I just stopped and looked around and saw everyone on their feet for this moment. It was really an opportunity to pay respect to them. It was so cool I was just a small part.”
It’s a great time to be a pro wrestling fan in this landscape of collaboration. Among those partnerships has been an unheard of one between TNA and WWE’s NXT brand. The two sides have been sharing talent, meshing, and overall working together. So much so that Mitchell was able to go back to her old stomping grounds at the WWE Performance Center where she helped ring announce for the NXT x TNA ‘Showdown’ special. An added bonus was getting to see her husband, voice of NXT Vic Joseph, at work.
“Obviously, I started my career at TNA for three or four years of my life. I remember back then, in my resume reel I was submitting to WWE to get hired by WWE, it was almost this feeling that I’m this TNA girl,” Mitchell recalled. “I think back then…I applied on the website, WWECareers.com. I also made a new resume reel that was things that were outside of professional wrestling, that wasn’t just TNA wrestling. I didn’t know that for a fact, but it kind of felt like it was hurting my chances of being able to make the transition to WWE. I went out and filmed other things to show my versatility and what I could do as a broadcaster.
“Now you fast forward to this partnership, something we thought would never happen because they were separate brands. You were either TNA or WWE. Now to see this seamless blend of this partnership. I think it’s something the fans can appreciate. True TNA diehard fans are getting their feel. WWE fans are getting their feel. These are matches you would never have thought would happen. Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater, what in the world? The talent these two have in the ring is really cool. What’s really awesome, to put it in a one-word way, but it’s awesome to see the growth that has been had and is still to come. Talking about working with my husband, it’s almost like this full-circle moment. Starting in TNA, going to WWE, and going back to TNA and still doing this handshake moment is really awesome for me.”
Mitchell loves wearing many hats. Her skillset has taken her from ring announcing to broadcasting to interviewing. However, one part of the pro wrestling show we haven’t seen is an actual in-ring performer. Will that ever happen?
“I have never taken a bump,” Mitchell answered. “In all of my years in professional wrestling, I’ve been in wrestling for 10 years, I’ve never taken a bump. Now something you say in wrestling is never say never. I always have to say never say never. I would like to take one kind of bump, whether it’s in a match or just behind the scenes just so when I have kids one day I can say, \’your mom did that one time and it hurt really, really bad.’ I think I would want to because I would then be able to relate what these athletes do week in and week out, putting their body on the line.
“I have been approached several times about having the match. For me it\’s a matter of, I think I’m a better talker than I am wrestler or would-be wrestler. I did grow up an athlete. I was a cheerleader. I was a dancer. I played volleyball, so I was athletic growing up. If the right opportunity would present itself, maybe I would have my Michael Cole moment at WrestleMania. We all remember that moment. Never say never, but it would have to be the right opportunity for me.”
Though she might be a little too busy these days to buckle down for training. After all Mitchell is a mogul in the making. Not only does she have her commitments to TNA, but she is a business owner and brand boss within the jewelry industry. The entrepreneur owns a Headline by MM online store, as well as a formal store in Nashville. For Mitchell, the business venture follows in the footsteps of her family, which spans more than 75 years in the jewelry business. Her Drippin collection took off thanks to those who have worn custom pieces from Seth Rollins to Trick Williams. Jeff Hardy even sported a piece of Mitchell’s collection during Bound For Glory. She also has some of country music’s biggest names like Sarah Evans and Lainey Wilson wearing her jewelry.
“I wanted it to be the perfect blend within my professional life and personal life kind of creating this moment coming together,” she said. “…It has snowballed, and I’m so excited to see where we go with this and how we can build this dream.”
“I say this to my husband all the time. I know a thing or two about fashion, why do you not want to just listen to me,’ she explained. “Put on a necklace, a lapel pin, there are so many things we can do. My husband is very set in his ways, and so we’re working on it. The other day we were at Disney with the Garganos, and Johnny was wearing a nice bracelet. I said, ‘See, Johnny is wearing a bracelet. Why can’t you wear a bracelet?’ Shawn Michaels was wearing a nice watch the other day. I said, ‘See, Shawn is wearing a nice watch.’
“This is how it goes. Maybe, maybe he’ll start wearing something. But to keep it simple, he owns zero pieces. It is one of those things too when you\’re growing up and your mom says you should wear this. And you think, ‘mom that’s a dumb idea.’ It’s similar. The fact he still doesn\’t believe I know what I\’m talking about. Maybe one day he’ll realize, ‘hey, maybe my wife does know what she is talking about.’”
Alex Hammerstone spent more than 600 days as MLW World Champion and became the first-ever Openweight Champion. Despite all these accomplishments, the 34-year-old powerhouse returned back to the company with a chip on his shoulder. He was motivated to turn heads and test himself against the best on the roster. His latest match against Matt Riddle at Slaughterhouse, even though the result didn’t land the way the star hoped.
“I didn’t want my night ending getting hit in the ball bag, but at the same time I went out there with the guy who had the company’s number one prized championship for the last year, and I took him to the limit and proved I am the greatest champion this company has ever had,” he said.
“I beat the crap out of Matt Riddle for 15 minutes, and I think I did so in quite a dominant fashion that hasn’t been done up to this point. So, I was very happy to display that. Obviously, to get the match of the night bonus was such a cool thing. It’s not only great to get some extra money in your pocket but to have that feeling that the work you’re putting in is appreciated. Sometimes you give a lot and a lot and wonder if anyone is even noticing. Is the hard work paying off? Is there any point to this? Little things go a long way.”
The athlete stepped away from MLW for more than a year to see what opportunities were out there. This included a stint with TNA and even an appearance on WWE NXT. The dedicated performer described the time before returning home with some good and not so good experiences.
“One thing I really learned was the value of having something that you can sink your teeth into where you can get creative and excited about,” Hammerstone said. “There were a couple of months during that time away I had nothing. I was kind of floating around. When that happens, it’s a very dangerous spot for a professional wrestler because this isn’t an industry where you can come into work, clock in and work 9 to 5. You have to be inspired and have to be excited to be creative and to be able to put forth something people are going to be captivated by where it resonates.
“When I lost all that passion, it’s sort of a vicious cycle because not only was I stuck in the spot where nothing was good happening for me, but my mind started losing interest and confidence and all these things in myself where I started putting forth my best effort. If I’m not putting in my best effort, there will probably be less opportunities for me. It snowballed in that direction So when I talked to MLW about coming back, we talked about avoiding that and going in the direction where I want to enjoy this and be doing something I ‘m passionate about and strongly about and get those gears turning again. It really has revived my passion. I feel like I’m firing on all cylinders right home, which is great because there was a time I wasn’t.”
Hammerstone looks to channel the renewed motivation in helping take MLW to the next level. He feels this time around is a little different than when the Arizonian was under a long-term contract. However the job remains the same.
“I’m very invested in the product. For every ounce they want to put into me, I’m going to pay that back ten-fold,” Hammerstone explained. “I want to be part of this company growing again. MLW had some ups and downs, boom periods and lulls, a lot of things really negatively affected it. I feel like in 2020 we were at our peak. We were on TV, doing pay-per-views and COVD nuked it. Coming out of that formation of AEW and stuff starting companies started locking up talent and all these factors. Now we’re here back in the company and feeling things out I’m seeing the product is better than ever. I think the potential for growth is huge. I just want to do whatever I can to contribute to that.”
During the short time back, Hammerstone has seen other alums arrive back on the scene. Among them was the shocking appearance of AEW’s MJF. The Dynasty members shared some brief time together. Will we see this again? Could this be the beginning for more collaboration between the two companies?
“That was a very unexpected situation and a very pleasant surprise,” Hammerstone responded. “ It’s always great to see Max. It just shows how different the wrestling landscape has change. You would never have ever had that happen years ago. It was really cool.
“As far as what that can mean for AEW and MLW, I don’t necessarily think it will flourish into some full-on partnership. It obviously goes to show though to some degree the companies are willing to work with each other when it means good business. If that means me crossing over there or more of their stars crossing here, the doors are always open. It’s just about stepping on through it.”
One familiar face we do know coming back to MLW is Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux. The power couple look to return after three years during the MLW x Don Gato live show on November 20 from the Charleston Music Hall Thunder Studios Arena in Charleston, South Carolina. The event will air on YouTube and beIN Sports.
“I have tons of history with Kross. I was around when he first started training. I’ve wrestled him a ton of times in different locations. I’m a huge fan of his. I think he is one of the most charismatic wrestlers I\’ve ever encountered in my entire life,” Hammerstone said.
“Any time he is a part of it’s exciting. His first go around in MLW we never got to touch or interact. Who knows? Maybe things could be different this time around. I think it’s a match fans will always be entertained with. With that being said, it goes to show the talent pool is deep and getting deeper. It’s more signal to me that I have to f*ck’in stay on my toes.”
Hammerstone is excited for the momentum MLW continues to build. He feels optimistic for what’s to come in terms of the promotion’s future.
“We can all say we want a weekly television deal and pay-per-view. Who knows? There is some talk behind the scenes about things being worked out. I’m not saying we have to do one thing. I just want to mostly see what I’m already seeing,” he said. “That’s a locker room full of people who are showing up to create something special. The vibe back there is a team of guys trying to keep the best wrestling product out there…the talent is undeniable.
“I’ve sat there and watched the show and every match had something that blew me away. I just want that to continue and this group of guys, a mix of young hungry guys with talented veterans, international stars, all providing their own flavor. I want us to keep doing it. That’s going to steer the ship exactly where it needs to go.”
Mr. Thomas has been one of the names to have broken out in Major League Wrestling. Often the veteran would find himself helping another like Alex Kane within the Bomaye Fight Club. Now the Philadelphia native is focused on building on the momentum he has created in the last year in MLW. It’s one of the big reasons Thomas decided to sign a new deal with the promotion.
“There is very little loyalty in this business unfortunately,” he said. “MLW has always been loyal to me. I worked a good amount of time without a deal and was okay with that and was always loyal to the brand. I put in my time and effort, so when it was time to sign again, there was nowhere else I would rather be when it comes to my ability to have input into what I do, the matches, things of that nature.
“The schedule is more to my liking. I like to live a normal, peaceful, successful life outside the wrestling world. Right now, MLW allows me the ability to do that. Not to say the schedule won’t become more intensive as we move forward with things changing in life. I’m prepared for that. I think it’s the perfect split between real life and professional wrestling that people don’t tend to have.”
For the star, who got the Mr. Thomas name based on what his cleaning lady would call him over the years, MLW is the top priority. This is why you won’t see him doing much outside that arena. He also takes a more fight camp approach in between matches.
“The last time I stepped in the ring to practice so to speak on a Tuesday or Wednesday and tried to work on my skills, I immediately tore my ACL. In this aspect of wrestling, I try to limit my injuries as much as possible,” Thomas explained. “I have a very close strength and conditioning coach I work with here in Tampa two and three times a week. We’re doing a lot of different things that aren’t necessarily shooting the ropes, doing dropdowns, leap frogs, drills of that nature.
“We try to incorporate more real-life aspect training into what goes into wrestling. There is more than just doing grapples and things like that. And between you and I, my timing is perfect brother so I don’t have to brush up on that. Likely, I know whatever I have coming up, I’ll always be paired off with a top-notch individual in this wrestling world we live in. I’m not in there solo. I’m in there with people I know and trust and are capable of bringing me up if needed and vice versa.”
He is grateful to be stepping foot in the ring with the likes of Satoshi Kojima. Thomas has enjoyed getting the chance to spotlight his skills in a singles capacity. At the same time, the performer enjoyed the dynamic between himself and Alex Kane.
“We were kind of thrown together,” he said of their origin story. “I’ve known of him before. We really just meshed. Luckily enough to be on the same page as someone. I’m a little older than him, but I’m not saying that I was there to babysit or guide him. But [I could] set him in the right ways and try to figure out what works best for him, his character, my character, how we can play off each other. It worked out for the best.
“He went from being an unsigned, no-name person that gets drafted to MLW in the 2021 draft, we popped up our first time together and he is the MLW Openweight champion. We steamrolled through everyone he won the world title, black world champion, it was good to see the highs and lows. I learned a lot from him, and I hope he learned from me. We really worked together as a team inside and outside the ring. We traveled together, hung out together, and we still talk every day. That relationship can’t be broken. We did have our one-on-one match in the Opera Cup last year. I think we’ll probably do that at some point when the time is ready. I don’t know if he’ll ever turn on me or I’ll turn on him, but we’ll see what happens when the time comes.”
Thomas has his sights set on dethroning new champion Mads Krügger in the Chamber of Horrors match at Slaughterhouse on October 4. Other participants revealed thus far include Matthew Justice and CW Anderson with two other mystery participants. The Long Beach event will air on YouTube and beIN Sports.
“As much as I love surprises, I hate surprises,” Thomas said. “CW Anerson is a great veteran and competitor from the ECW days. We’ve had our feud the last year, year-and-a-half where the Rogue Horsemen went up against the Bomaye Fight Club with Matthew Justice on the same team in the War Chamber, which I came out victorious in, for the record. When it comes to cage matches this year, Mr. Thomas is 1-0 amongst everyone else. With that being said, Mads is just fresh off a world title victory and hate to say it transition champion possibly.
“I want that belt more than anything in life right now. The way it is being described to me is we get in this cage and fight til someone becomes world champion. I know there will be weapons involved and we will be caged in and not sure there will be something at the top as much as I or Matthew Jusciee want to jump off and dive through everything. I will be a very safe wrestler this weekend. I’m going to utilize my technical ability instead of jumping off things or going through things, but I will take a shortcut and hit someone over the head with what is available to me at that moment because anything goes.”
As for who the other two getting added to the mix, Thomas has his suspicions. No matter who it is, he’ll be ready to take them down a peg.
“I’m not spoiling anything because I don\’t ask questions, but the things I’ve seen and heard and tweets I read in between the lines is we got someone new coming in who might have been around a few times,” Thomas hypothesized. “Someone who might have just gotten let go from somewhere else, which is fine. I’ll tell him the same thing as I’ll tell anyone else. Don’t come to MLW thinking this is your meal ticket to the top because you have to go through a lot of other people to get through the top spot in the company, me being one of them.
“I will fight and do whatever it takes to make sure my spot is not taken by some guy who got released or couldn’t politic himself into getting re-signed somewhere else. That is a personal shoutout to anyone who wants to Tick Tock, times ticking, this sun dial bullshit of time and measurement is, I don’t want to hear about it. Come see me to my face in LA on October 4 and we’ll see who walks out world champion.”
Winning the top prize in MLW would mean a lot to Thomas. In his eyes, it would signify confidence from the company and confidence within himself that he could rise above the rest.
“For me, the world title being my first singles title in MLW would be crazy,” the challenger added. “I would love that more than anything. It’s exactly what I\’m going for. I’m on to bigger and better things. Everyone once and a while I get grouped with the Bomaye Fight Club thinking I was just a sidekick or bodyguard or the strategist, whatever you want to call me. I’m on my own now. I have a name to prove to myself now. In the ring, outside the ring with everyone watching.”
Bishop Dyer remains motivated as ever to prove he can hang with the best pro wrestling has to offer. The former WWE superstar known to fans as Baron Corbin for 13 years works to reinvent himself in the next chapter of his career. He didn’t waste any time making his presence felt in Major League Wrestling starting at Battle Riot VII.
“I’m doing it backwards,” Dyer said of his journey. “I think for the most WWE talent, at least a vast majority of it, they did the independent scene prior to coming to WWE. That’s how they built their name. That’s how they built equity in their character and social media to get the attention of WWE. Whereas I was lucky and fortunate to get a tryout and made it that way.
“So, I never got to experience the wild west, if you will, of the independent scene. For me, when my career ended, I know I missed a lot in that aspect. I wanted to wrestle in some of these bigger independent companies because there is a ton of talent on these rosters, especially when you look at an MLW roster. The list of talent they have is amazing. It’s up-and-comers, it’s guys that are independently established, and true legends like [Satoshi] Kojima.”
The veteran considers himself lucky to be able to control where he works. This includes dates on the independent scene. His criteria for taking bookings comes down to how a particular promotion treats their talent and takes care of them. Dyer decided to work for MLW due to the way the company tells stories across continuous programming rather than just one-off matches. Controlling his schedule has also helped the dedicated husband and dad be home more.
“My wife works full-time. She owns her own company, so she is very busy as well,” Dyer explained. “When I was on the road with WWE, she would work five days a week. Then she’d come home to be a mom because I would be gone. A lot of times too I’d be gone on the weekends, which really sucked for her. When we’re doing full tours, I’m leaving the house Thursday, and coming home Monday or Tuesday. She works all week and has to keep the kids entertained Saturday and Sunday. They are young, 3 and 6, so they are busy bodies. For me to be home, I’m taking two shows a month, relatively. I told myself I would really enjoy this year and pump the brakes on things and be a part of it all. I’m very good at home at being that family man and being with my kids because that’s all that matters to me at the end of the day.”
He continued, “So, now I’m getting to take my kids to school every day, picking them up every day. It’s elevating a lot of stress from her. It’s also giving me a lot of joy because I get to be here and a part of everything. I’m not missing birthdays, school functions, and school events. Those kinds of things. I really do it as a blessing. Having the ability to go and wrestle twice a month, it doesn\’t bother them like it used to when I was leaving every single weekend. They are excited for me. They are excited when I\’m telling them who I’m working and where I’m working. I’ll show them videos of the guys because they are so used to the WWE thing and just know the main names. My daughter asked about John Cena all the time like they’re friends, which is hilarious. I think they are excited. I think with that too, if I’m doing shows in fun places, I can bring them and stay a few days. Like my wife\’s favorite thing to say now is we can plan things.”
Outside the ring Dyer has also been able to explore his other interests. Whether it’s providing cook tips on TikTok or winning 14 gold medals through ju-jitsu, the performer is living his best life. Adding to his other business ventures along with working as an analyst and host for Pro Wrestling Nation 24/7 on Sirius XM is a budding coffee business.
“It’s called Open Air Coffee where we sell through ecommerce, but I\’m building a facility in Tampa,” Dyer said. “I have 8,000 sq. ft. and I’m building a coffee roastery, a community roastery for all the coffee shops in the area, even Orlando…We’re doing something cool here. With that, not having that WWE paycheck consistently, it can add some stress when you’re financially building a company and things like that. It can be stressful, but I have the time to do that now. Also, exploring new things..
“We’re also getting to go to more concerts now, which I love so much because we can plan stuff again. Having that freedom to do my thing is really fun and allows me to be creative again. When you’re in that cog of WWE, the creativity of the talent gets lost a little bit. Someone else is writing the stories and helping you evolve your characters where as now, especially in the wrestling world I can do it all myself. I’m building the ‘Nomad’ Bishop Dyer. I can wear what I want to wear. I’m not wearing weird suit vests and stuff like that. I’m really getting to do me and be creative from social media to food to coffee to jiu jitsu to planning activities with the kids.”
Dyer has enjoyed his time in MLW, reconnecting with Dominik Dijak to form The Skyscrapers. Together the two imposing figures won the MLW Tag Team Championship alongside their savvy manager Saint Laurent.
“Working with Dijak is great because we were sharing the ring before in NXT,” said. “We were both grinding and always trying to better ourselves. When I got the email about the plan and that they were going to put me and Dijak together as a team as The Skyscrapers, instantly I smiled because what a really cool ode to the past. They do a great job of incorporating things from the past.
“Pairing me with him and giving us The Skyscrapers name, I was worried at first. But it has gotten a great reception. People love it because we have the same type of aura if you will. We’re big dudes who can move. We’re very athletic. We can be very violent and physical with our opponents. It’s a really cool thing. Having Saint Laurent as our manager, it’s extra heat poured on. I’ll take as much as I can get. We do a great job with that. It’s fun and exciting, but it’s nice too at MLW because you’re not pigeonholed to just that tag team. I’m also competing in the Opera Cup where I’m facing Kojima. I’m getting to do multiple things with one company with 95 percent of the roster I’ve never worked with.”
Dyer still remains a fan, watching pro wrestling across the board weekly. Not only to stay on top of things for his “Busted Open” work. He is proud to see his former tag team partner Bron Breakker continue his ascent to the top in WWE.
“I like him in The Vision, but I don’t like him in The Vision,” Dyer explained. “I think he is such a star. He carries so much personality, athletic ability, and with what he can do in the ring he is truly special. Obviously, I’m partial to him because we created The Wolf Dogs, and that woke a lot of people up to how good I am as well. We were doing some pretty incredible matches, and I think I did a good job bringing a little bit of personality out. Not just being the tough angry guy, but having fun with it. I think it helped him evolve. We bettered each other. So, when I see him in the background of a group because you have [Paul] Heyman, Seth [Rollins], Becky [Lynch], and then Bronson [Reed] and Bron are a step behind them.
“He is not a background player. I know it’s buying time and getting him reps, but you kind of just put him in another tag team. He is a singles star all the way through. The day he turns on Seth I’m going to be so happy whenever that happens because I think he is going to headline a WrestleMania at some point. I love supporting him and what he is doing and the stuff he is putting out there. He is out of his mind, and I love it. He does these crazy things, and I’m just like just be safe. It’s exciting. It’s fun to support guys.”
Despite WWE deciding to part ways with Dyer, he still has love for his former employer. The 41-year-old is grateful for the opportunities given. He stays in touch with colleagues there to catch up and share news like getting to wrestle the legendary former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima coming up at Slaughterhouse on October 4. The Long Beach event will air on YouTube and beIN Sports.
“When I found out I was wrestling Kojima, I’m texting [CM] Punk, I’m texting Finn Balor,” Dyer said. “Guys who appreciate it. It was really cool to get that response from them of how cool that is that I get to do this now.”
The talent is looking forward to stepping up against Kojima. Wrestling in Japan is also on Dyer’s to-do list because he finds his style likens to theirs.
“For me, it’s a test of am I as good as I think I am and I feel like I would have a lot of success over there,” Dyer said. “This will be a test to say yeah you will or keep working. It’s one of those things. I’m always under the mindset I can get better every day. I was training at Nattie’s gym Wednesday continuing to get better. I’m always bouncing ideas off of TJ [Wilson] because I want to make sure I give him the best opponent I can give him being the legendary he is. I think it’s definitely a place to plant my flag and say I’m for real. I respect him and look up to Kojima as a superstar and the things he has done and the physicality he brings.
“He has beaten countless people by a clothesline. That’s as old school and rough as it gets. For me, it\’s an honor to step in the ring with him, but when the bell rings, I’m going to set all of that aside and we’re going to fight. This is to continue to the next level of the Opera Cup. That’s the ultimate goal, to walk away with that. If I have to put Kojima down in the process, I will. And I will give him his respect afterward and prior to. But between those bells, this is what we do. We’re prize fighters in a sense and will go to war. For me too, I think it will open people’s eyes that Bishop Dyer is for real. That I’m just not some WWE guy. He is out here making a name for himself, accomplishing big things, and continuing to further his career between those ropes.”
Mads Krule Krügger shocked the pro wrestling world when he became the MLW World Heavyweight Champion. The terrifying masked man of Contra Unit cashed in on his Gravity Gamble contract on September 13 at Fightland. He dethroned Matt Riddle, who had already been defending against Donovan Dijak.
“It’s still surreal a little bit,” Krügger said. “I’m always of the mind set of what’s next. I don’t really take a lot of time to revel in any big accomplishment. Obviously, this is a very big accomplishment, and I’m really proud of it. But it’s about what’s next. What do we do? How do we build this to make it successful?”
Since the title change, the 40-year-old journeyman has felt appreciation and respect from the fans. Many of whom were pleasantly surprised at the recent sequence of events.
“There is a responsibility, but I’ve always felt that responsibility from the day they brought me on the first time,” Krügger said. “In any company I work for, my job is to make it better. If I’m not making it better, then what’s the point of me being there. I’ve always had that mindset and it is true for any job you have in life. Now, yes, there is the pressure. I don’t feel that way because we now have to work harder, keep getting better and make sure we are telling stories the crowd and fans are going to engage with and want to see.”
The 20-year-vet has honed his skills and worked his way up the card for opportunities like the one MLW provided. Over the last five years, Krügger enjoyed evolving what is seen on television. He grew into “The Black Hand of Contra.”
“Contra was basically a pro wrestling terrorist organization bent on taking over MLW,” Krügger said. “I’ve often said that Jacob Fatu when he was here and the leader of that group, it was going to be very hard to go from that to something new just because of how great he is and work he did. I knew I had to take it in a darker direction. Less on the terrorist and more into the horror. That’s my character in itself. I base my character off of horror movies. I think it’s something that is lost on pro wrestling, real monsters. I wanted to be Jason Voorhees. We’re still in the process of it. I think changing it is slow for a reason. I think fans will see that as we continue forward from here. It’s going to grow and evolve into something completely different than before, which is necessary.”
Krügger looks to show more sides of his persona in the weeks to come, leaning into more cinematic elements. His posts on social media have been a little taste of what he looks to produce. The Georgian lives on a 100-year-old farm, which provides the perfect backdrop for segments that could be right out of a Blumhouse movie. Along with the darker presentation, Krügger has also been in his fair share of hardcore style matches that border on what would be considered death matches. These battlegrounds provided him the space to “create a monster within modern wrestling.”
“It’s not for the faint of the heart. It takes a lot of your body,” he explained. “My feelings on death match wrestling is it does have a place. Anything you do in the world of professional wrestling has a place as long as people are going to pay to see it and get invested in it. There is a place for it. Is it everyone’s cup of tea? Of course not. Do I think it’s overdone sometimes? Absolutely, especially being a professional wrestler in that mindset.
“I go in, even in a deathmatch, with the mindset of a professional wrestler. How do we tell a story? If we’re not telling a story, it’s just as pointless as any match in my opinion. I’m a fan of it obviously because I’ve done it, but in saying that, I think there are stories told in it. I think I’ve done that successfully by creating this monster that was undeniable because I walked through glass and everything they threw at me and came out of it on the other side.”
His first big test as MLW Champion comes October 4 when he defends against CW Anderson, Mr. Thomas, Matthew Justice, and two other challengers in a brutal Chamber of Horrors match. The Long Beach event will air on YouTube and beIN Sports.
“This is definitely my yard,” Krügger said. “This is what I’m made for and what the character is made for. Matthew Justice, he is also made for this environment. We’ve had our feud in the past, and it’s just going to continue to light back up and become a thing again. Mr. Thomas, I think is one of the most underrated talents in MLW. He doesn\’t really work in other places outside of that. MLW is his home and where he works. I respect that. He is building himself now the last few months and really stood out and became a prominent member of the roster. CW is an old school guy. I have so much respect for him. I don\’t know who the other two guys are, but I hope they’re coming ready to fight because it\’s going to be one of those. It’s going to be violent and intense.”
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