AEW’s Willow Nightingale On How To Address Poor Treatment Of Women In Wrestling

As International Women’s Month marches on, women’s wrestling continues powerbombing through doors once closed to them. In spite of the popularity of women’s wrestling, the harassment most go through both in person and online remains at an all-time high. Although she’s known to “smile anyway” through her daily triumphs, Willow Nightingale cannot smile past these unfortunate circumstances. Speaking with Soundsphere Magazine, the two-time TBS Champion describes the precautions AEW has set in place for moments like this.

“I mean, at AEW, we have security. If ever we feel unsafe we call them, and we have a whole crew that is out there making the show possible and making sure we’re safe,” she said.

Regarding how to combat it entirely, Nightingale recommends those, including fellow wrestlers, to be more aware of and police the dogpiling (a term describing the disorderly heap those take on another person) before it gets out of hand.

“The only way to really police fan behavior is to try to create a culture where that kind of dogpiling, everybody looks down on. Really, everybody has to get on board,” she noted. “I love my fans, I love when they defend me. But I never like it when fans have to put somebody else down to try to hype me up, and I think it’s making that known, and speaking in that regard, will help inform the culture further.”

The former and inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champion and Nightingale’s partner, Harley Cameron, took her fair share of abuse online after they defended and successfully retained their titles against MegaBad (Penelope Ford and Megan Bayne). During their February 26 match on “AEW Dynamite,” Ford executed a moonsault from the ring to the floor, causing her to land awkwardly on her previously injured leg. Nightingale and Cameron got out of dodge before being on the receiving end of the moonsault, causing fans to harass the champions from not protecting their opponent better.

The Babes of Wrath would eventually lose their Women’s World Tag Team Championships to Bayne and her new partner in Lena Kross (collectively known as Divine Dominion) at Revolution on March 15. 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Soundsphere Magazine” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE NXT’s Ricky Saints Wants To Get Into Acting, Says He Could Play Marvel Characters

WWE stars of the past such John Cena, The Rock and Dave Bautista have all found themselves a career in Hollywood, with other current professional wrestlers such as Becky Lynch and MJF recently getting involved in the industry, and now another name has expressed interest in shifting from the ring to the big screen.

Last month, Saints appeared in Season 3 of The CW’s “Wild Cards,” and during a recent interview with “KRON 4,” the former NXT Champion stated that he envisions an acting career for himself after he’s finished with professional wrestling.

“My body won’t be able to do this forever. So, for those who hate hearing it, yes, I want to get into acting. Who cares? I love acting. I loved “Wild Cards.” I loved the whole experience. I thought it was really good, and it really gave me a sense of something that I’m able to do after this life is over. And so, the hope is more of that to come. And the network, they loved me. They really did. They enjoyed me. They cherished me.” 

After explaining that his fans also praised him for his acting work thus far, Saints claimed that he would ideally like to play two specific Marvel Comics characters in the future.

“I’ve always said I think I could play a really good Gambit. I just need to learn how to throw cards and shuffle a deck. But yeah, that’s like the top of the list. If I can get Gambit, it’s a wrap, or Blade. Imagine me as Blade. I think I look good in Leather.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “KRON 4” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

The Great Khali Wants To Return To WWE For A World Title Run & Match Against The Rock

From the mid-2000s into the 2010s, The Great Khali was one of the most recognizable silhouettes in WWE, reaching over seven feet tall. Khali hasn’t wrestled in WWE since taking part in 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble, but the “Punjabi Playboy” would love to make his return. He shared his idea for a WWE comeback during a recent interview with Monopoly Events.

“One day, I will come [for the world title],” Khali said. “I want to work with Rock. I work with so many guys, but I want to work with Rock. He’s my hero. One day, that’s my dream.”

In the same interview, Khali shared his thoughts on Brock Lesnar, who he never shared the ring with in WWE.

“If I come back, I’d love [to] work Brock Lesnar,” Khali stated. “I love Brock Lesnar, so one day, I [will] come, I [will] give you a chop.”

When asked if he’d ever consider appearing in AEW, Khali pushed back, stating that he only had interest in working with WWE, as it was the company that made him a star.

Before signing with WWE, Khali (real name Dalip Singh Rana) had stints with WCW, NJPW, and CMLL. He joined WWE in 2006, and eventually won the World Heavyweight Championship in 2007. Rana was the first India-born wrestler ever signed to WWE, and he went on to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. Meanwhile, he runs his own promotion and training school in India, while continuing to make the occasional WWE appearance.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Monopoly Events and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Eric Bischoff On Recent Scary Situation Involving OVW Referee: Everybody F***ed Up’

As the expression goes “to err is human,” especially in a high-paced space like pro wrestling. Mistakes do happen. Luckily by the grace of good fortune, what started off as a near death moment on Thursday, March 12, turned mending after an Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) referee, Dallas Edwards, took an unpleasant Phenomenal Forearm bump, leaving him convulsed and in an apparent seizure. Rather than stop the match, it continued. Wearing many hats on the mat and around it, the current Chief Media Officer for Real American Freestyle Wrestling, Eric Bischoff, had this to say about the catastrophic event.

“Everybody f***ed up,” the former Executive Producer and late Senior Vice President of WCW said on his “83 Weeks” podcast. “There’s really one thing that should have happened in that situation, and that would be to shut the show down and make sure this young man wasn’t in a situation worse than he obviously was, because that could have been true, too…It’s just life or potentially life or death…The talent, they’re too caught up in their own s***. They’re inexperienced and probably never even imagined being in a situation like this. There’s pressure on them, unrealistic pressure that they’re probably putting on themselves.”

Since the initial report, Edwards is out of the hospital and recovering at home. In a social media post on X [formerly known as Twitter], the referee noted that he had suffered a concussion and a subdural hematoma.

Later, co-owner of OVW, Al Snow, released a statement stating the company would, “review our existing procedures and updating several of our in-ring and ringside protocols to ensure we continue to meet the highest expectations for performer safety.” OVW’s next show will be held this Thursday.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE’s Stephanie McMahon Remembers Kindness Of The Late Bray Wyatt