Bobby Fish Reacts to His NXT Debut

Bobby Fish spoke with WWE.com. Here are some highlights:

If he thought he’d make it to WWE: “At times, yes, and at times, no. I remember a conversation I had with Kevin Owens in a hotel gym in Chicago a few years back. We were both working for Ring of Honor, and at that time, it seemed like Kevin was headed toward the next step in his journey. I have immense respect for Kevin and all that he’s been through to find his success. He is not the prototype for what was rumored to be ideal here and neither am I. Understanding his drive to succeed here through that conversation made me think that if I want that — which I believe, in some way, anyone who laces up the boots to do this, does on some level — then I will create a similar opportunity for myself. So yeah, I did think I’d be here one day.”

NXT debut: “Somewhat surreal because much of this has come together very quickly. I watched the success of former co-workers and peers, such as Roderick Strong, Kassius Ohnoand Hideo Itami, make that very same walk at Full Sail. At this point, I feel so prepared for this new challenge. In my opinion, this life is about the journey, and when mine ends, I expect that this vessel, my body, will be banged up, battered and beaten, which will be a clear indication of a life well lived. NXT represents the next step in my journey.”

Wrestling in Japan: “Japan will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the place where I received the first big break of my career when I was selected to travel to the island and begin competing for Mitsuharu Misawa’s Pro Wrestling NOAH at the end of 2006. I worked eight years with NOAH and developed much of my style there. I learned from and tallied matches with Japanese legends like Misawa himself, Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama. I was also afforded the opportunity to develop alongside my Japanese peers like Hideo Itami, Atsushi Aoki and Naomichi Marufuji. In 2014, I left NOAH with their blessing to pursue a career with New Japan Pro Wrestling. There is no question in my mind that this is the place where I truly rounded out my skillset. I cannot thank [New Japan matchmaker] Gedo enough for the opportunity he gave me when I was invited there to compete. I shared the New Japan ring with a living legend in Jushin “Thunder” Liger, UFC Hall of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba, Yuji Nagata, Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi. The list is endless, and I am forever grateful. I am a better wrestler because of my time with New Japan Pro Wrestling.”

The Taz Show Recap – Great Balls Analysis, A.J. Styles Wins Gold, Reigns Attempts Murder, More!

Block 1:

Taz says he was shocked to hear that Austin Aries was released by WWE over the weekend. Aries is a great talker who takes great care of himself and is a terrific worker in the ring, so it’s too bad that things didn’t work out for him in WWE. He’s sure that Aries will apply his craft elsewhere in the very near future, such as Japan or in ROH.

He was also surprised to hear that A.J. Styles defeated Kevin Owens to claim the United States Title at the Madison Square Garden house show over the weekend. He likes that WWE did this, because it keeps fans guessing at live events. Switching a Title at a house show from time to time ensures fans that anything can happen at any WWE event. He’s sure that those two guys tore the house down in that match, and he’s happy for Styles.

Taz gets into his analysis of last night’s Great Balls of Fire PPV.

Taz was surprised to see Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt open the show last night. There’s nothing wrong with guys with star power opening the show like that, but Taz would have preferred if Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss opened the show. Nonetheless, Wyatt picked up a much needed win in what was a fine opening bout.

Chris Jericho Comments on WWE Return

As previously reported, Chris Jericho will take part in the RAW brand tours on June 30th and July 1st in Tokyo, Japan. At the events he will take on Hideo Itami. Both WWE Superstars commented on their upcoming match on social media with the following remarks:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVw26jnl9qC/

Mr. Pogo Passes Away

Mr. Pogo has passed away at age 66, according to a report by Yahoo Japan. It’s being said that he died in the hospital from a cerebral infection after receiving back surgery in Gunma, Japan.

For those not aware, Pogo started working in the early 70s, and he faced off with such stars Ric Flair, Harley Race, and Terry Funk. He is most memorable for his death matches, including a famous Electrified Exploding Barbed Wire Double Hell Death Match with Atushia Onita.

Vince Russo Issues Apology to Eric Bischoff

Vince Russo published another video to his YouTube channel where he issues an apology to Eric Bischoff. Here is a transcript of what was said in the video:

Hello, my name is Vince Russo, and we are summoned here tonight in what is a serious manner. Because, as you know I just offered an apology to Jim Cornette, and now suddenly an apology feels necessary to one Eric Bischoff. Let me apologize up front if I break down during this apology because as we all know, Vince Russo is a cryer, especially in meetings, so I’m going to apologize beforehand.

But Eric, I’ve said it all along, when Vince Russo is wrong he is not afraid to say that he is wrong, and I was wrong about you Eric, so I’m going to apologize. I’m going to go all the way back Eric, because there’s a lot to apologize to you for—even in your childhood. As the story goes, your teeth rotted and your hair turned prematurely gray at a very early age, and by the time you went into the 6th grade you had to have your teeth capped and you were dying your hair jet black. I can only imagine those kids on the playground during recess that were laughing at the kid with the chicklet teeth and the shoe polish in his hair.

Eric, you overcame that, which leads me to my next apology. I want to apologize that your former boss, Verne Gagne, Mr. Gagne kept sending you back to that same Deli time and time and time again because his coffee just wasn’t hot enough. I apologize for that Eric. I also want to apologize that a man had to have his lips sewn to another man for the better part of 20 years. It sounds like a bad centipede movie to me Eric, but that was the case—the case between you and Hulk Hogan, wasn’t it, Eric? How do I know this was the case? Here’s how I know it was the case, because I want to apologize that when Dixie Carter wanted to hire Hulk Hogan you rode in on the Hulkster’s coattails and you told Dixie Carter, “Hulkster ain’t comin without me, brother. This is a two for one deal.” Which you ended up milking Dixie for an exuberant amount of money when she never wanted you in TNA in the first place.

But Eric, once you got there, I really need to apologize for a couple of things that you did. I want to apologize for you convincing Dixie Carter that we had to go head to head with Monday Night Raw—it’s time Dixie, we are ready, we got the Hulkster, we can defeat them Dixie. Yes Eric, I believe it was you and the Hulkster, who were the big cheerleaders, why? It wasn’t your money, and what did you do? You embarrassed TNA. You ashamed TNA, and you scarred TNA for life.

You weren’t done there now were you? This leads me to my next apology. “Dixie, the Monday night thing didn’t work, but I got it this time! Screw this Universal Studios. Screw where you’ve been doing the shows for decades, we’re going to take the show live on the road every week. A different venue, a different arena, live! That’ll get the ratings up.” Eric, you know what that got up? That got up TNA’s debt. A debt that they haven’t been able to overcome to this day. This is what great ideas are made of I guess.

Now Eric, I want to apologize on the topic of balls. First of all, I want to apologize that going back to DX, driving that tank up to the doors of WCW, a script written by Vince Russo by the way. When you saw them coming, you screamed backstage like a little biatch, “Shut the doors! Shut the doors! Shut the doors!” You know what Eric? You didn’t have balls then. Anybody with a pair of balls would have let them in. It would have been great for live TV, but Eric let the big steel door come down right before DX can enter the building. That was when I first realized that Eric Bischoff has no balls. Here it is confirmed 20 years later when I apologized because Eric Bischoff does not have the balls to talk to me man to man, face to face, when he has been challenged. I gladly welcome the invite on Eric’s little show on WrestleZone, but no, he’d rather talk behind my back every chance he gets, reminiscent of that steel door coming down on DX.

Now Eric, I also want to apologize that you are now involved in a lawsuit with TNA attempting to milk them for even more money despite the fact that when you were under contract with them and they paid you millions and millions of dollars of the BS that you sold them, you delivered zero. You stole from TNA. You did nothing, but that wasn’t enough, and some would call you a greedy little bastard, but I’m not going to do that, I’m a gentleman. Now, we are going to sue them for even more money because the money that I stole from them just wasn’t enough, and I apologize for that.

Eric, I apologize that you had to bury me to SpikeTV every single chance that you got because that was the only way that you can even the playing field. You had to tear Vince Russo down to build your little self up; that is how politicians do it. That is how Car Salesman do it because they are not good enough to do it the All-American way. They are not good enough to take the challenge head to head and win the game. Why wouldn’t you take that challenge, Eric? Because on that creative playing field you knew you couldn’t touch Vince Russo so the only way to bring Vince Russo down is to bury him to the Television Executives, Eric, just like how you are trying to bury me in your little podcast now; same thing.

I apologize for that Eric, I really do. I also apologize Eric for telling Vince McMahon to hire you in 2002. I did that; despite the way I felt about you, because let’s face it Eric, everyone that worked with you all thought of you as an arrogant wussy, everybody. Despite that, with business being business, I said, “Vince, you have to hire this guy. He is a great performer. You can tell great stories with him.” I did that Eric, me, Vince Russo. Even though you were my arch enemy because it was right for business. You think Vince McMahon would have ever brought you in on his own? He heard the same stories about you that everybody else knew, but it was me that put you over to him that got you the job at the WWE.

How ungrateful can you be? Let’s get to the matter at hand becuase I have two big apologies that I saved until the end. First and foremost Eric—I want to apologize for you for being the reason for being fired by WCW in the first place. You see Eric, you had such a huge astronomical lead in WCW. You were kicking our a** in the ratings week after week after week. Then Vince McMahon brings in somebody by the name of Vince Russo and outside of crying at meetings, this guy had never done anything, but what he was about to do Eric, was going to be historical. Because what he was about to do was school you. What Vince Russo was about to do was beat your a**.

It was like a magic show, Eric. WCW here [showing hand gesture aiming high], and WWE here [showing hand gesture aiming low], and within a matter of months, WCW here [showing hand gesture aiming low] and WWE here [showing hand gesture aiming high] . Eric, it wasn’t all my doing—a lot of it was your doing, so I’m going to apologize for yourself because Eric, at the end of the day, you were the kid with the chicklets; the kid with the black shoe polish in his hair; and the man with one good idea. A whole career—but one good idea.

Eric, there are many that say you stole the nWo angle from Japan; I’m going to give it to you, I’m going to give you the full credit because Eric, you were a one-trick pony. You drove that idea into the ground and you opened the door for me and you allowed me to kick it in and beat your a** and get you fired.

Isn’t that what this is all about bro? How 20 years later you still can’t get over that? Sounds very familiar doesn’t it? The last guy I apologized to had an ax to grind because two employers chose me over him. I beat you bro. A New York Italian beat you and you got fired.

Eric—I really want to apologize to you for this one; I really didn’t mean for this to happen; but you talk about adding insult to injury; not only were you fired, but Brad Siegel replaced you with me. Can you believe that, bro? Not only did I put you out of a job, he gave me your job! Here you are 20 years later whining and crying about—-who is the cry baby Eric? Who is the cry baby?

I didn’t cry at any meeting; you and I both know it, but you cried when I kicked your a**. You cried when you got fired, and you cried when I replaced you.

For all that, I apologize from the bottom of my heart, I apologize. So Eric, going forward, I hope we can turn the page and I hope this is a new beginning. Relax; maybe take some time off. I know you like some night club, stripper club, strip joint in Atlanta, maybe you go down there a couple of days, whatever you have to do.

As I told Jimmy C [Jim Cornette], when a man apologizes, there is not too much more he can do. Eric—I’m sorry for being better than you.

If I had a mic now, I would drop it.

Hideo Itami Leaving WWE This Year?

During the mailbag segment on today’s installment of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer was asked about the rumors of Hideo Itami leaving WWE once his contract is up this year. Meltzer mentioned that he didn’t know for sure if Itami would leave, but he could see it happening. Meltzer explained that Itami has a lot of family in Japan and he could see him leaving WWE to head to New Japan.

As many of you are aware, Itami has had several injuries since coming to WWE several years ago. He seems to get hurt every time he builds any momentum on the NXT brand and it sets him back. Several of his peers that joined NXT around the time he did are already on the main roster doing big things while he is still trying to overcome the developmental system. It should be interesting to see how his career plays out in WWE with his contract nearing expiration this year.