Under the Ring – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Report: WWE eyeing Cleveland as potential SummerSlam 2024 location

Nothing says WWE’s Biggest Part of the Summer like … Cleveland?

Location news and rumors have been fast and furious this week surrounding WWE’s premium live events in 2024. Between Bash in Berlin and a potential show in Paris, France, WWE may have a heavy European flavor next year. But for another marquee show, arguably the company’s second-biggest premium live event, there’s a surprise twist brewing.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), Cleveland, Ohio is being considered as a potential host for WWE Summerslam 2024. One WWE source told Fightful Select that the event is likely to be held in the city.

It is unclear at this time which location, either Cleveland Browns Stadium or Progressive Field (home of the MLB Guardians), WWE has in mind for the event.

WWE just went to this area of the United States this past August for SummerSlam, making it an interesting choice if it happens. It usually doesn’t repeat the same region in consecutive years for major events.

WWE likely wouldn’t consider using Cleveland as a city for WrestleMania, unless they built a new, state-of-the-art arena as others have, but this presents an opportunity for a smaller market city to host one of the most significant events on the WWE schedule. A similar situation occurred with Detroit earlier this year, and soon, with Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida for the Royal Rumble in January.

It’s also no longer stunning for WWE to host premium live events in areas that don’t usually receive them. With the planned international shows, the aforementioned SummerSlam 2023 and Royal Rumble 2024, it’s catering to different audiences. Places like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles already receive their fair share of premium live events, so this spreads the wealth while WWE shows are red hot.

WWE has not made an official announcement about Cleveland hosting SummerSlam, so it will be interesting to see if other locations enter the fray. While surprises are possible, for now, it appears that the Great Lakes region will be the destination for WWE’s biggest summer event.

Mickie James explains why she feels ‘A lot of people sleep on Impact’

Mickie James pointed to the roster, the creative freedom and the storytelling as strengths of Impact Wrestling — particularly for women.

When Mickie James steps through the curtain at Bound for Glory near Chicago this weekend, she’ll truly be home again. Not in the geographical sense, mind you, as James hails from Virginia, but competing in the company that first put her on the map in its biggest show of the year — and in a first time singles match against Trinity for the Impact Knockouts World Championship she never lost.

James has reached heights few women have ever matched in pro wrestling, winning 11 world titles between WWE and Impact. At this point in her career, it’s important for her to work somewhere that is supportive of both her and women’s wrestling in general, and as she explained to Under the Ring host Phil Strum, that place is Impact.

“A lot of people sleep on Impact, and I’ve never, never understood it because I look at the roster and I look at the television product and the storylines and the different things that they do, and the packages, and I’m like, ‘this is so great.'” James said.

She added that when she parted ways with WWE in 2021, she wanted to make sure she did something for women’s wrestling. One of those projects became NWA EmPowerrr, that company’s first ever all-women’s event that featured talent from several companies.

Not only was Impact supportive of that card, but James says it has been consistently beneficial for women’s wrestling writ large.

“I feel like they’ve always done a really great job, before anyone else,” she said. “They were the first to really do an incredible job with their women, and to promote them and to give them the time that the men got. And so it felt natural for me.”

Listen to James’ full conversation with Strum above to get more insight from her on:

Facing Trinity for the first time one-on-one at Bound for Glory, and why Impact has been a great fit for Trinity
Why she feels every wrestler should have championships as their goal
What it was like being part of the Asylum era in TNA
This year’s Impact Hall of Fame class, which features Traci Brooks, Mike Tenay and Don West
How she feels about husband Nick Aldis becoming SmackDown General Manager in WWE

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Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included Wrestling Junkie managing editor Nick Tylwalk, longtime manager Father James Mitchell, and AEW star Swerve Strickland.

To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.

Swerve Strickland on motivation for AEW WrestleDream: ‘There’s still doubters out there’

Swerve says “I see and hear everything” and is out to silence his critics in Seattle.

Spend a little time in pro wrestling’s corner of social media and you’ll see Swerve Strickland mentioned fairly often as someone who could deliver as a world champion. But the AEW star knows he hasn’t won everyone over to that point of view just yet.

Formerly a fan favorite, Strickland has found his groove as the menacing, calculating frontman of the Mogul Embassy. He’s done a masterful job provoking Hangman Adam Page, explaining that he wants to beat the best version of Page when they face off Oct. 1 in Seattle at WrestleDream.

Still, Swerve told Under the Ring host Phil Strum it’s not the moment itself or even wrestling in front of fans in his home in the Pacific Northwest, but rather the fuel provided by the naysayers that drives him most.

“There’s still doubters out there in the social media world, in the media world, the podcast world and stuff like that,” Strickland said. “Because I listen to everything, I see and hear everything. I don’t always acknowledge everything, but I do see and hear everything that’s out there.

“That’s kind of what keeps the chip on my shoulder, you know? So now when I go out there Oct. 1 at WrestleDream in Seattle and I beat the brakes off of him while he’s saying he’s bringing his best, there better not be any more conversation about do I deserve this, did I live up to the hype or any of this other bullcrap that I hear.”

“As much as this is for the city of Seattle and as much as this is for AEW, for WrestleDream, and as much as this is for Hangman Page, it’s way more for me,” he added.

It was Strickland’s second appearance on Under the Ring, as he also was a guest in September 2022. Check out his full conversation with Strum above for more on what they discussed this time, including:

Why Swerve finds speaking on the microphone to be the toughest part of pro wrestling
His thoughts on The Elite and why they are “second to none” as talents
Working with Brian Cage, who he calls one of the most underrated minds in the AEW locker room
How great it’s been to see the career resurgence of Prince Nana, who he’s known for 15 years, and what a help Nana has been to him personally
Much more on the wrestling scene in the Pacific Northwest and Swerve’s music career

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included NXT star Ilja Dragunov, AEW TBS Champion Kris Statlander and top free agent Richard Holliday

AEW TBS Champion Kris Statlander has found her balance: ‘I can’t be too serious all the time’

Statlander also told Under the Ring that she owes the AEW World Champion a debt of gratitude for being her biggest early supporter.

No longer billed as being from the Andromeda Galaxy, Kris Statlander has proven she’s meant to be taken seriously as one of AEW’s top talents. That doesn’t mean she can’t have fun while doing so, however.

Statlander has battled her way back from injury twice already in her AEW career. The most recent time proved how much faith the company had in her, as she defeated Jade Cargill at Double or Nothing in May, ending Cargill’s long winning streak and claiming the TBS Championship.

She’s defended that title against all comers since then, including Cargill in a rematch, as well as Britt Baker on the Sept. 16 episode of AEW Collision. Statlander has left her persona as “The Galaxy’s Greatest Alien” behind, but as she told Under the Ring host Phil Strum, she doesn’t want to be all business all the time.

“I feel like I had the transition where I stopped being the alien and I became a much more serious version of myself,” Statlander said. “Then I got injured once again, and then I came back. And I feel like now, in this version of Kris that has come back from injury a second time, and has gone through super fun alien and very serious, I feel like we’re trying to find the balance: a fun, very cool, awesome person that can also be serious when she needs to be. I feel like a lot of people kind of feel that way, but that is kind of who I am.”

As if to emphasize that point, Statlander was briefly interrupted by her dog before finishing her thought.

“I can’t be too serious all the time, because that’s just not fun, and I like having fun, and I like laughing and making people laugh. And I’m in a group with the Best Friends, and they’re all a bunch of goofballs also, so it’s hard not to have fun when you’re with them.”

Check out Strum’s full conversation with the TBS Champion to dive in deeper on:

Statlander’s athletic background, including years spent as a gymnast
What translates well from gymnastics and stunt work to pro wrestling — and what doesn’t
The inspiration behind her recent “Zoolander”-themed ring gear and what it was like for Ben Stiller to notice it
Why she started incorporating elements of ASL into her entrances
The meaning behind using “More Than a Woman” as a slogan
How she got started in AEW, and why she owes a big debt to a certain AEW World Champion

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included top free agent Richard Holliday, ECW Original and current Impact Digital Media Champion Tommy Dreamer, and AEW star Powerhouse Hobbs.

Tommy Dreamer on what differentiates Impact Wrestling: ‘It’s wrestlers running a wrestling company’

The ECW Original also talked about his potential final match at Victory Road and shared some great Terry Funk stories.

Tommy Dreamer knows what he likes in a pro wrestling company. And he should; along with his well-known status as an ECW Original, the New York native has wrestled in promotions large and small, worked as a producer and coach, and run his own school and promotion.

In short, he’s done everything there is to do in the business. Dreamer now finds himself staring down the potential end of his in-ring days thanks to a Title vs. Career match with Kenny King at Impact Wrestling’s Victory Road on Sept. 8 — and he vows that if he loses, this really is it for him.

Dreamer says he doesn’t need the money, and he certainly could take it easier and simply chill as a host on the insanely popular “Busted Open” show on SiriusXM. But he sees something special in Impact at this particular moment in time, as he told host Phil Strum on the Under the Ring podcast.

“You have a lot of hard-working men and women behind the scenes as well,” Dreamer said. “It’s wrestlers running a wrestling company, and it’s from different aspects of the industry. That’s a big key, because everybody’s who’s helping behind the scenes gets it. You get the wrestler’s point of view.

“You understand the trials and tribulations of travel or any other thing that pops up that a lot of people, or in a corporate world, they don’t understand those things.”

Dreamer also said he appreciates the way Impact has been continually innovative, noting that the company probably doesn’t always get mentioned enough in that vein.

“AEW has their stuff they do with the Forbidden Door, cool; Impact’s been doing it for a long, long time,” Dreamer said, mentioning the company recently bringing in Sanada and snagging Will Ospreay for Bound for Glory. “They’re willing to work with everybody.

“Another thing you say about Impact, I don’t think it’s ever gotten the credit for all the stuff that it’s done historically in professional wrestling, what they’ve done first. And there’s been a lot of firsts.”

Dreamer and Strum go back a long way, which you can tell by listening to their full conversation above. Among the topic they covered were:

What’s unique about the Westchester County Center, the site of Victory Road and Impact 1000 — and what the building means to Dreamer personally
Tommy’s mixed emotions about putting his career on the line, and the real life factors that got folded into his challenge to King
What Impact needs to gain more overall awareness, and the importance of strong platforms in the current era of pro wrestling
Many great stories about the late Terry Funk
How Dreamer hopes he’s remembered when he’s completely gone from the business

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included AEW’s Powerhouse Hobbs, veteran wrestler Greg Gagne, and AEW star and recent All In headliner Adam Cole (bay bay).

Powerhouse Hobbs looking forward to ‘big man hoss fight’ with Miro at All Out

Powerhouse Hobbs also told Under the Ring some great stories about who first introduced him to the legends of the California wrestling scene.

When Powerhouse Hobbs steps in the ring with The Redeemer, Miro, in Chicago at AEW All Out, it will be the first time the two big men have ever wrestled. But that doesn’t mean they’re not familiar with each other.

On the contrary, Hobbs and Miro have known each other for years. They first crossed paths at KnokX Pro Entertainment in Hobbs’ native California, where the trainers included WWE Hall of Famer (and father of The Usos) Rikishi, Reno “Black Pearl” Anoa’i and Gangrel.

But as Hobbs told host Phil Strum on the latest episode of the Under the Ring podcast, that was “quite a while back.” Now that both men are established stars, he’s looking forward to their collision (no AEW pun intended) bringing something different to AEW fans.

“As far as the fan aspect, I don’t think the fans have seen a real big man hoss fight in AEW yet,” Hobbs said. “It’s not going to be a lot of flippity-doos and superkicks, it’s just gonna be two big MFs hitting each other.

“You know, Miro calls himself the big, jacked Bulgarian. Well I’m pretty much big, black and jacked, so it’s gonna be heavy hitting.”

While Hobbs wasn’t well known to the wider U.S. wrestling audience before he burst on the scene in AEW in the summer of 2020 — he says he was “stuck in a bubble in NorCal” — part of his appeal is the authenticity in his presentation. What you see is what you get with Powerhouse, and everything from his “Book of Hobbs” promos to his take no prisoners in-ring style is shaped by his upbringing.

“I grew up in the slums, in the hood, so all we had was wrestling and sports,” Hobbs said. “Growing up where I’m from, it taught me how to be tough … It definitely shaped who I am as an adult, but wrestling did the same thing.

“The way I grew up, man, I bring that to the ring.”

Check out Strum’s full chat with Powerhouse above to hear more of his insight on:

Which matches he considers the highlights of his career so far
Why “everyone loves a good ass kicker”
What it was like coming into AEW during the pandemic era, and why that made impressing his peers even more important
Who got him into pro wrestling at a young age
What he thinks of comparisons to Butch Reed, and what it meant to him to meet Reed’s family
His contributions to AEW’s efforts to destigmatize mental health discussions
Which AEW coaches and trainers he considers mentors — and who he calls “my wrestling dad”

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included veteran wrestler Greg Gagne, AEW star and recent All In headliner Adam Cole (bay bay) and AEW referee Aubrey Edwards

Adam Cole is ready for his All In moment: ‘I feel the best I have felt in years’

Adam Cole knows how fortunate he is to be in position to main event one of the biggest shows in pro wrestling history.

It’s safe to say that the significance of AEW All In isn’t lost on anyone involved. If it is, what could end up being the largest crowd in wrestling history at London’s Wembley Stadium this weekend will make them realize it real quick. Yet for Adam Cole, the road to the main event has been even more special — because just months ago, there was real doubt about whether he’d ever have an opportunity like this again.

Cole battled back from severe concussion symptoms that kept him out of action from June of 2022 until this March. After finally being cleared to return, he’s been one of AEW’s top stars, leading to his super popular pairing with AEW World Champion MJF.

Ahead of a night that will see him both team with and battle MJF, Cole told Under the Ring host Phil Strum that he battled some self-doubt early in his return but now feels absolutely ready for what’s in front of him.

“I feel great,” Cole said. “I feel really, really good. I’ve been wrestling for 15 years, and I remember thinking nine months is both a long time, and I would also trick myself into thinking ‘nine months isn’t that long.’ You know, I’ll jump right back into it and I’ll be totally fine.”

“And there definitely was a relearning curve when I came back,” he continued. “I think a lot of it had to do with the severity of what I went through. I remember being totally relieved and so happy that I was cleared by multiple doctors. But there still was that like, ‘God what if something else happens?’ type of fear, and I’m just being totally transparent and honest when it comes to that.

“But now as time has gone on, specifically, these past few months, I feel the best I have felt in years, honestly — in the ring, on the microphone, while traveling, in my personal life. Everything that’s happening right now, I could not be happier.”

A star in ROH, NTX and other promotions before joining AEW, Cole has seen and been through almost everything in the business. Check out his full discussion with Strum above to hear him talk about:

What it means to him to headline a show the magnitude of All In
Why he felt MJF would be a big star as soon as they first met
The crowd response he expects at All In
What it was like looking in from the outside when the first All In planted the seeds for what became AEW
How important a successful and viable AEW is to the entire wrestling business
The joy he gets from being in the same company as girlfriend Britt Baker, allowing them to travel and discuss wrestling together and simply be there for each other
What made the “black and gold” era of NXT so special, and how history will view it
The uniqueness of PWG and why its audience deserves credit for its rise to prominence on the independent scene
Who his mentors were at different stages of his career

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included AEW referee Aubrey Edwards, Lucha Libre (and WCW) legend Konnan, and WWE superstar Drew McIntyre,

Aubrey Edwards on the evolution of AEW Heels: ‘It’s been a really beautiful thing’

Edwards also told Under the Ring why being a pro wrestling referee is “surprisingly similar” to being a ballet background dancer.

Along with being one of the most recognizable referees in pro wrestling right now, Aubrey Edwards wears many hats for AEW. She co-hosts the AEW Unrestricted podcast with Tony Schiavone, and is involved with AEW Games — logical, given her background as a video game developer.

Yet somehow, Edwards still has time to be one of the driving forces behind AEW Heels. Though it started as a community “where women and female-identifying fans can come together and celebrate their love for professional wrestling,” and that’s still a big focus, Edwards told Under the Ring host Phil Strum that it’s become much more than that.

“As our membership has grown — I think in the last year, we’ve tripled our membership — we’ve just, as a result, kind of had to change what we offer and how we manage this community,” Edwards said. “A number of our community members are now moderators; they’re sort of helping us run the community and making sure that all of the pillars of what we’re trying to do is held true.

“We also have started kind of offering more content that is outside of focusing on just AEW talent. We’ll talk a lot about mental health. We’ll talk about LGBTQ+ issues. Because not only are we wrestling fans, that’s sort of the thing that brings us together, what makes us unique is that we’re people with different backgrounds and different successes, different failures, different things going on in our lives. So we’ve sort of had to adjust for what the community has grown into, but I think it’s been a really beautiful thing.”

Listen to the full discussion between Edwards and Strum to hear more about:

AEW Together and how Amanda Huber has made herself an integral part of AEW’s behind-the-scenes processes
The feedback Edwards gets from Tony Khan on everything she’s doing
Why she “never, ever in a million years would have imagined” herself building a career in the wrestling business
How being a wrestling referee is “surprisingly similar” to being a background dancer in a ballet production
What qualities are necessary to be an excellent referee — and a very common misconception about the role
Which matches were the wildest ones she’s ever worked
Why it wasn’t a big deal for her to referee men’s matches in AEW
Whether all pro wrestling refs all know each other
Tons about AEW Games

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship No. 1 contender EC3, Lucha Libre (and WCW) legend Konnan, and WWE superstar Drew McIntyre,

Konnan on AAA’s ambitions: ‘We’re negotiating to come into the United States in a major way’

Konnan also told Under the Ring who he felt were the most creative wrestlers out there today.

Thanks to a career that has seen him fulfill almost every role there is to play in the pro wrestling industry, Konnan emits a sense of self-confidence that is built on a foundation of having seen and done it all. So when he says that the third part of AAA’s Triplemania XXXI — which is set for Mexico City on Saturday, Aug. 12, and can be viewed in the U.S. on PPV through Fite TV — will be a great show, it’s easy to believe him.

Just don’t expect it to be what you’re accustomed to from U.S. wrestling promotions. As Konnan told Under the Ring host Phil Strum, that would be like complaining about the lack of hot dogs at a Mexican restaurant.

“Not only do we have our own universe, we have a different style,” Konnan said. “This is Lucha Libre. It’s not American pro wrestling, it’s not Japanese pro wrestling. And so, there are things that American fans won’t understand unless they’re real big fans of Lucha Libre, and vice versa.”

But one of the things that translates across any cultural divide is talent, which Mexico has been exporting from the Lucha Libre scene for decades, from legends like Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero to one of the most talked about wrestlers in the world today, El Hijo del Vikingo.

Those kinds of performers have helped prepare fans everywhere for what Konnan says is the logical next step for AAA: delivering authentic Lucha Libre directly to U.S. viewers.

“We have our own style, we love our style, we think it’s very creative,” he said. “We think it’s very different, and hopefully next year … I can’t get into details, but we’re negotiating to come into the United States in a major way, hopefully with a TV deal.”

Listen to Konnan’s full discussion with Strum above for more on:

How AAA tries to give each Triplemania show its own personality
The importance of Mask vs. Hair and Mask vs. Match matches within Lucha Libre, and why the one at Triplemania Mexico City has so much potential
What makes El Hijo del Vikingo such a special talent — and which other current wrestlers Konnan puts on his level in one special attribute
What he looks for when evaluating talent
How he felt seeing Mysterio inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and why he thinks Rey “revolutionized” the business
His thoughts on seeing his godson, Dominik Mysterio, catch on in WWE

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship No. 1 contender EC3, WWE superstar Drew McIntyre, and long-reigning former NXT North American Champion Wes Lee.

Drew McIntyre got his WWE ring name from Wikipedia

Drew McIntyre told Under the Ring that there was definitely not a grand plan behind his WWE ring name.

When Drew McIntyre made his WWE debut in the fall of 2007, he had one big thing going for him: the presence of English veteran Dave Taylor.

One thing he didn’t have? A ring name.

It seems wild now to think that the two-time WWE Champion’s first steps in the WWE weren’t meticulously planned out, but he had previously wrestled only under his real last name. As he told Under the Ring host Phil Strum ahead of his eagerly anticipated Intercontinental Championship match with Gunther at SummerSlam in Detroit, the decision on what to call him was made at the very last minute and with the help of a unlikely if very familiar source.

“It was bizarre, because I had just gotten to America like three weeks prior and suddenly I was on SmackDown,” McIntyre said. “And I was in the Gorilla position, before you go through the curtain, and Stephanie McMahon asked me, ‘Is your real name Galloway?’ And I said yeah, and she was like ‘hmm … usually we switch the name.’ Kind of thought about it, had a quick conversation with somebody and said ‘yeah we should probably switch it.’

“So I had to run to Talent Relations with Michael Hayes, look up Scottish names on Wikipedia, and all I kept saying is it has to be three syllables, it has to be chantable when I try and do it one day.”

After dismissing McDonald since it was the name of a now deceased friend also in the wrestling business, he settled on McIntyre, and the rest, as they say, is pro wrestling history.

Check out Strum’s full discussion with the Scottish Warrior above for more from McIntyre on:

His expectations for the SummerSlam showdown with Gunther
Why he feels that Gunther has “no ceiling” in the business
His unique relationship with Sheamus — and why he’s probably done making age jokes
Where Europe stands as a talent pipeline to WWE and other major promotions
What he learned while reinventing himself between WWE stints
Who had the most actual musical talent in 3MB

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included NXT star Wes Lee, recently returned Impact Wrestling star Eric Young, and ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe.