SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
TORCH TODAY – Sunday, November 29
– WWE wraps up the weekend with a live show in Huntington, West Virginia. The advertised main event is new WWE World Hvt. champion Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns. Plus, The Wyatts vs. The Usos & Kane, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, and more in action. (We’re looking for results sent to pwtorch@gmail.com.)
Additional Notes on the Huntington show: Dolph Ziggler talked to the Herald-Dispatch newspaper about his current WWE run promoting the show. Ziggler acknowledged “taking time to develop chemistry” with Lana when they were paired together on TV. He also said he “keeps thinking about” doing more comedy shows to balance the WWE schedule as he enters his 12th year in wrestling. “We’ll see where it goes,” he said of the comedy career.
Also, the Herald-Dispatch reports that there will be extra security at the event, including pat-downs and longer lines to get inside the building.
– Ring of Honor and PCW wrap up their four-show tour Sunday in Preston, England with a big singles match of ROH champion Jay Lethal vs. ROH TV champion Roderick Strong. (Full Line-up)
– WWE NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS: The Network has a Monday Night Wars marathon in the morning, then a Breaking Ground marathon throughout the afternoon, evening, and late-night.
– Did You Know: Great Khali was signed by WCW at one point? In a new interview promoting a talent search in India, Khali talked about nearly making it on WCW TV before the company was bought by WWE and then transitioning to New Japan very early in his career.
“After six months there (in the U.S.), I signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling. There I continued to learn the trade and to fight, but then Vince McMahon, chairman of WWE, bought the company. It left me disappointed because only in 7-8 months that I was there, the company was bought. I was not sure how things would transpire now and what would happen to my career,” he said.
“After training for a few more months, I got an offer from New Japan Pro Wrestling and I wrestled there for three years. And it should be noted that most of the famous WWE wrestlers have been involved in Japan at some point. I feel the Japanese wrestling is tougher in all respects including the physical aspect. It is tougher too and there is a lot more bloodshed.”
– TNA wrestler Rockstar Spud has signed an endorsement deal with Starlight Children’s Foundation to be the “charity ambassador” reaching sick children in the U.K. (Full Details reported by The Mirror)
– Texas independent wrestler Rudy Boy Gonzalez, who encountered Daniel Bryan when Bryan first started at Shawn Michaels’s wrestling school, commented on his first impressions of Bryan and chances of stardom in a new interview.
“You knew he was going to have a spot because Bryan was just ‘that guy’ and just a nice guy. He did everything that was asked of him and was always on time, trained hard, and did things without an excuse. He was always asking questions,” Gonzalez said on the “Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling” podcast. “But, to be very honest I never knew he would become THE guy in WWE and at that time it was ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Rock, Kane, The Godfather – I never thought I could see Raw and say I can see Bryan Danielson doing anything like that. But, watching him rise the way he has, I see him and I am proud of him, wish him the best with his health issues, and I hope he gets over it. Everything he was getting, he deserves.”
– Former WWF wrestler Navajo Warrior (Steve Islas) recently talked about working with John Cena very early in Cena’s career for UPW in California.
“John and I have had quite a few matches. When he was first starting, I met him at a promotion called Ultimate Pro Wrestling in Santa Ana, CA. He was brand-new, he was the ‘Prototype.’ Some reservation tours were coming up in Northern Arizona, and I approached John about ‘Would you be interested in coming along? It would be good experience.’ Of course, you could see something in this guy. He looked like he was chiseled out of granite, he had a real good look to him, a great attitude,” said Islas on the “Like Father Like Son” podcast with Jeramie & Sam McPeek.
“So he came along and we were wrestling each other almost every night on these tours. We’d have a singles match and then Mike Knox would interfere, and we’d come back and have a tag-team match later that night. It was a lot of fun and it was not the same people you would see at the UPW shows, so it was a good way for him to get that experience wrestling in front of all kinds of crowds.”
– Dennis Stamp, the Texas wrestler & referee made famous in the “Beyond the Mat” documentary, talked to the Amarillo Globe-News about his wrestling career, working with the Funk Brothers, and territory era memories. Stamp also talked about overcoming lymphoma four years ago and now being involved in amateur wrestler. “It’s the only time I’ve really ever been alive,” said Stamp of being in a wrestling match. “There’s no place I’d rather be to this day than in the ring.”
– Finally, the Sheet Sandwich has released its 2015 nominations for the best in pro wrestling reporting and coverage. Check out the list of PWTorch nominations HERE.
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