In this WrestleTalk News, WWE ban the YES chant, fans walk out on Raw, Bryan Danielson’s
shoot letter to WWE, Tempest’s review of NXT and more.
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But before we get on with any of our top stories, The Undertaker and New Day have just released
the first trailer for their upcoming Netflix choose-your-own adventure movie to see who’s
brave enough to wield the Deadman’s urn.
This is not a contrived set up to a joke.
But if it was, the punchline would be that you really have to earn the right ending.
Netflix and WWE announced the film earlier this month, and now the first trailer has
given us a look at the ‘plot’: which sees your boys the New Day going to visit Uncle
Taker at his scary mansion, explore the house’s various rooms, which you the viewer get to
choose using the Bandersnatch interactive function - like will you make Kofi follow
the lights, the fog or the whispers.
Where’s the option to pull knives on people in the locker room?
The good old days, am I right.
Which all culminates in a showdown with The Undertaker in some kind of Scorpion King-like
reveal at the end.
The currently top comment on the YouTube version of the trailer declares:
“This looks like the worst thing ever, and NOTHING is going to stop me from watching
it.”
The film is out on October 5th.
I wonder if anyone watching might be interested in a watchalong of the movie.
Wisely, WWE now don’t just have first-mover advantage on fictionalised choose-your-own
adventure adaptations of their intellectual property, they also now own the actual options
of Yes and No.
Ahead of his in-ring AEW debut tonight against Kenny Omega in the Dynamite Grand Slam special,
Bryan Danielson has been doing the media rounds to promote the show.
And in his typical beautifully honest style, he’s spoken about why he won’t be using
the ‘YES’ chant in his new company.
While fans have broken out into their own YES chants on AEW shows since Danielson debuted
there at All Out two weeks ago, Danielson himself hasn’t taken part, only nodding
his head rather than the full arms up screaming he did in WWE.
And talking to Rasslin with Brandon F. Walker, he’s revealed it’s because he had a “great
conversation with [Vice President of Production] Kevin Dunn” before he debuted in AEW, where
he very respectfully gave WWE a heads up about his plans before they happened.
“They asked me, politely, to respect their intellectual property, even some of the things
that couldn’t be legally enforced.
I’m trying my best to do that.”
So while WWE can’t legally trademark the word YES, because it’s a pretty common word
in the English language, and there’s arguments other people used it before him - with Bryan
citing UFC fighter Diego Sanchez as his inspiration - Danielson wants to respect his former employer’s
wishes.
To be honest, it might be for the best.
Fans can still chant it when they want, and it lets Bryan recreate himself for what he’s
revealed will be the final full-time run of his career.
Speaking to WFAN, Danielson revealed: “I see these next three years as my last
three years as a full-time wrestler.
I don’t want to see it as, ‘Okay, he’s tapering off.’
This is the climax of my career.
This is the climax of my career, these next three years.
It all starts tomorrow.”
Adding to the sense of occasion, Danielson has taken the very rare step of publishing
an open letter on the Players’ Tribune thanking WWE, before he’s set to debut in AEW tonight.
Meanwhile, prison break metaphor videos and Talk is Jericho podcasts are like, dude, this
is not the way we do things here.
In the letter, Danielson calls Omega his “dream opponent” in a company that’s “modernizing
wrestling” - but explains how his emotions are mixed.
He’s excited, but he’ll miss his WWE family too.
He thanked his fellow wrestlers, the crew, the creative team, the fans, and even, most
shockingly for people who leave WWE, “the Big Man, who I know hates to be acknowledged.
I won’t say much, but thank you for the conversations, the life lessons (about both
what to do and what not to do), and the best hug I’ve ever received.
I wish more people could see you how I see you.”
I think he’s talking about Nick Khan.
Sure, it doesn’t have the juicy behind-the-scenes revelations of many other wrestling company
defections, but perhaps this is a sign of burgeoning maturity for the WWE vs AEW tribal
war.
Both Danielson and Adam Cole have chosen to be respectful to WWE, opting to sign with
AEW for a new challenge rather than creative dissent or being fired.
Maybe we could all learn a little lesson in humility and conduct from both men, in how
to voice our opinions to friends or in comments on YouTub-
Oh my god have you seen Vince McMahon’s old man notes on NXT?
Fightful Select is reporting McMahon wants the new version of NXT, NXT 2.0, to be an
“edgier” product - specifically wanting to target viewers between the ages of 18 to
34, which would include: “everything from in-ring work and aggression to harsher language”,
and to “Keep up with current affairs with promos and character verbiage".
Now, I was then going to do a joke where this next bit would be entirely 1920s slang, when
I found one of the top phrases from the time was “Dewdropper: like lollygagger, a slacker
whole its around all day and does nothing, often unemployed.”
They’re already doing this.
You should break up with Eva Marie, you bum, you Dewdropper.
Another awkward bit of direction for NXT 2.0, which Fightful Select do admit they haven’t
fully verified, “was more lenience on female character gear, though it wasn't specified
what exactly that means.”
What could that feedback from Vince McMahon on an edgier product possibly mean?
I tell you what it means, NXT needs some hotsy totsy.
None of those Mrs Grundys.
A few Bearcat Tomatoes.
That sounds like berries to me!
Meanwhile Triple H has just gotten out of hospital and is like, what, what have you
done?!
Triple H underwent successful heart surgery earlier this month for a “cardiac event”,
which WWE’s statement said “was caused by a genetic heart issue.”
Triple H himself has now tweeted out his first message since the news broke:
“I’ve been blown away by the outreach and support from so many people.
I’m recovering, doing well, & deeply grateful for all the love in my life.
Especially grateful for @ShawnMichaels & all the Superstars & crew @WWENXT!
(Steph and the girls loved the snacks!)
See you soon 🙏❤️ But while NXT 2.0 has actually improved ratings
for week one, this week’s Raw, at least in the arena, saw an alleged mass exodus of
fans two thirds into the show.
Dave Meltzer claimed on yesterday’s Wrestling Observer Radio that 1,500 people left the
arena during Raw’s Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair segment.
Bryan Alvarez later updated this to 700 after receiving a text message from someone who
was in the building.
Which is still a large portion of the reportedly 8,000 strong crowd, but less than half of
the originally claimed figure.
Some fans on Twitter continued to debunk the report, saying people just went to the merch
table, possibly to buy Bliss’ Lily merch.
Whatever happened at the show, the report has sparked the latest edition of Dave Meltzer
feuds with a WWE lady star, as Bliss herself tweeted:
“Sorry Meltzer (or whatever) you can’t get clout off of our segment … move on ✌🏻 #StopLying
#LitterallyDidntHappen #YoureEmbarassingYourself” From watching at home, I thought the crowd
were very into the segment, which was much better now they’ve dropped the overtly supernatural
elements from Bliss’ character.
And in addition to that, Raw’s viewing figures were up on last week to 1.79 million.
After staying silent over the weekend after sexaul assault allegations against him were
made in Thursday’s Dark Side of the Ring episode, Ric Flair issued a statement on Monday
to deny the accusations.
And now he’s made another statement to Wrestling Inc defending his actions - specifically that
he used to spin his penis around in front of people:
“To clarify, the “helicopter” as it was called, is accurate.
I wish I could blame it on youth, but it was a case of drinking too much and being inappropriate
and I apologize for that (and have countless times over the years).
I made some bad decisions during dark periods in my life, and it is something I’ve spent
a significant part of years I was given by the doctors in 2017 trying to make right.
I condemn sexual assault in any way, shape or form.
I could (and have) written books (as have others) that have covered my transgressions.
I’ve made some terrible decisions, but I’ve never forced myself on anyone in any way.
Period.”
Rob Van Dam, who was one of the talking heads on the episode, then also tweeted saying that
he never saw Flair sexually assault a flight attendant - blaming creative editing for if
it came across that way.
But he did confirm Flair was in the back of the plane for several minutes with the flight
attendant.
Flair then responded to RVD’s tweets, posting himself:
“A Man Tried To Destroy My Reputation Based On An Assumption.
I Don’t Even Know What To Say Right Now.”
There’s no easy way to transition out of that story, so here’s Tempest with a review
of last night’s NXT… in about 5 minutes.
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