BodySlam

Author: Rami Afif

  • Rob Parker: I Don’t Understand How Grown Men Still Like Wrestling

    Rob Parker: I Don’t Understand How Grown Men Still Like Wrestling

    Fox Sports’ Rob Parker had a lot to discuss when it came to the discussion of professional wrestling fans.

    After the massive weekend that was produced from plenty of pro wrestling companies, from the Indies to the WWE in Las Vegas, Nevada for Mania Week. It sparked a lot of athletes, celebrities, and even TV personalities diving into the conversation to give their thoughts on what they think about professional wrestling.

    One Fox Sports TV host by the name of Rob Parker had this to say about grown men that are into pro wrestling on his show, The Odd Couple.

    “I’m just shocked to see ESPN….I know McAfee was involved and Stephen A. It was a big ordeal. I saw stuff online where people were ripping it that it wasn’t good. A lot of commercials. Four hours and they only wrestled for an hour and a half. 

    “I can’t understand how grown men are still into wrestling. I can’t. We all went to the zoo. We all went to the circus as kids, right? At some point, you grow out of it. I just can’t get over how older guys who are sports fans, who watch the NFL, baseball, the NBA, and live and die for that stuff, but they have this soft spot for wrestling, and they’re walking around with the belts, and they’re going to a watch party at a sports bar. I need somebody to explain it to me, because I don’t understand it.”

    Parker has worked for FOX Sports and ESPN, where he has appeared many times on shows like Colin Cowherd’s The Herd and on First Take, alongside Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith where he talked about controversial takes in sports.

    You can see his comments about WWE’s WrestleMania 42 below.

     

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    He also worked as a contributor for Skip and Shannon Sharpe’s show on FS1.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Becky Lynch Says She Wants To Change The Narrative That Women Can’t Be In The Main Event Of WrestleMania

    Becky Lynch Says She Wants To Change The Narrative That Women Can’t Be In The Main Event Of WrestleMania

    Becky Lynch believes the women are the biggest stars in the WWE today and they belong in the main event.

    This weekend will be another massive WrestleMania PLE for the WWE where the main events for night one and two are headlined by Cody Rhodes defending the WWE Undisputed Championship vs. Randy Orton, and CM Punk will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.

    While speaking with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Becky Lynch, who is also set to compete at the grandest stage of them all had explained how the WWE needs to fight more to condition the fans to believe more in the women and the idea of them being in the main event once again for WrestleMania.

    “I just want to tell good stories, have good matches. Want to make sure that the business is better when I leave it than how I found it. I know that what I have done is prove that women could be the biggest stars in this company, and they are and can be. I think sometimes we need to fight to make sure we’re positioned as such, because you can be a huge name, but if you’re not positioned in the main event. It’s very easy when we condition the audience, this person’s the main event, this person’s the main event, this person’s the main event, we see them as the main event. When we don’t condition the audience, then it becomes a little bit harder, and for the last few years, I think we’ve, for the most part, those main events have gone to two, maybe three, four dudes constantly. I think we need to change that again. I think we need to. I don’t know what that means, whether that means fighting a bit more, whether it’s me or somebody else.”

    Lynch will look to regain the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship when she battles AJ Lee at WrestleMania 42 this weekend.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • CM Punk: I’m A Gold Medalist At Crossing The Line Because I Will F*ck With You And Get In Your Head

    CM Punk: I’m A Gold Medalist At Crossing The Line Because I Will F*ck With You And Get In Your Head

    CM Punk understands that the consequences to his actions will unfold on Sunday night at WrestleMania 42.

    On March 2, CM Punk delivered one of the most shocking lines to end his promo battle with Roman Reigns when he mentioned that he would bury Reigns next to his father, Sika, who had passed away in June 2024.

    When asked if Punk crossed the line by mentioning Reigns late father by Corey Graves for WWE, CM Punk believes he is doing what has to be done for his game plan of getting in Reigns head to work.

    “I 100% crossed the line, because that’s what I do. I’m a gold medalist haitual linestepper because I will fuck with you and get in your head. I have all the respect in the world for Sika, Afa, all the Wild Samoans. He needs to be taught a lesson. Yeah, I crossed the line. I legitimately feel a little bit gross about it because it’s low-hanging fruit and I know I’m better than that, but I’m doing what I have to and I’m following my game plan.”

    CM Punk is scheduled to be in the main event of WrestleMania 42 on Sunday night where he will put the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against the 2026 Royal Rumble winner, Roman Reigns.

    You can watch the entire interview with CM Punk below.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Stephanie McMahon: Ronda Rousey Was The One To Request Our WrestleMania Match

    Stephanie McMahon: Ronda Rousey Was The One To Request Our WrestleMania Match

    Stephanie McMahon reflects on her battle with Ronda Rousey at the grandest stage of them all.

    As the Billionaire Princess looks to be immortalized in the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame, she has been reflecting on some of her biggest moments in the world of the WWE, including her WrestleMania 34 match where she teamed up with her husband, Triple H to go against Kurt Angle and the debuting Ronda Rousey.

    On What’s Your Story, Stephanie went more in-depth on the match and how it was Rousey who requested the match between the two in her first official match with the WWE.

    “I’m a big fan of hers. She was the one who requested the match. It was a couple of years later. Originally, she was going to come in sooner, but there was a movie or something. You [Triple H] signed her, and Ronda was the one who said, ‘We need to finish the story with Steph.’ She is the reason I ever had a WrestleMania match. It was her first match and we had to really train and put it together. It was stiff [laughs]. Safe, but stiff,” she said.

    Rousey departed from the WWE a couple of years later and is now set to battle Gina Carano in her return to the world of combat sports on Saturday, May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

    Stephanie will officially be inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, April 17. There is no word yet on who will be inducting her, but it should be a induction speech to remember for ages.

    You can listen to the entire episode of Whats Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon featuring WWE Hall of Famer and COO Triple H, below.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Jade Cargill: I Would Love Paul Heyman To Be My Manager

    Jade Cargill: I Would Love Paul Heyman To Be My Manager

    Jade Cargill would love to have the man of a million names by her side throughout her WWE career.

    During a chat with 8 News Now — Las Vegas for the WWE’s build to this weekend’s WrestleMania 42 event, the current WWE Women’s World Champion, Jade Cargill spoke about the impact that was left on her by Joanie Laurer, a.k.a. Chyna and how she’d love to add the WWE Intercontinental Championship to her list of accomplishments with a certain Wiseman in her corner.

    “Of course,” Cargill responded when asked if she’d be interested in the Intercontinental Championship. “If they let me and — listen, I would love Paul Heyman to be my manager if I’m going that route. But, if they let me, I would love that and I would take over for sure. Of course.” The interviewer said Cargill and Heyman would be next-level, and she responded, “Let it happen, guys. Let it happen.” 

    The current holder of the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship is AJ Lee, she is set to defend the gold against former champion, Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 42 this weekend.

    Cargill will be defending the WWE Women’s World Championship against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 42.

    You can watch the entire interview with WWE Women’s World Champion Jade Cargill from 8 News Now – Las Vegas, below.

     

     

  • Triple H: Stephanie McMahon Is The Heart And Soul Of The WWE

    Triple H: Stephanie McMahon Is The Heart And Soul Of The WWE

    Triple H is excited to see his wife get inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.

    Appearing as a guest on What’s Your Story, Stephanie’s husband Triple H talked about the impact that his wife has made upon her arrival in the wrestling business from turning it from the wild west to a real family, and how she is the heart and soul of the WWE.

    “You put the culture in what we do. It didn’t exist before that. It was just the fucking wild west. It’s just what the business was. You came in and sort of changed it. All of a sudden, there was a different take and perspective of it. It wasn’t that wild west business anymore. All of a sudden, it was a family. I don’t know that it was a family before that. It was a business before that. You had people on the road that you worked with that were like your family, but it was very much a business treated that way. Hard, cutthroat, all those things. Then, you changed it over time. You made the changes internally, you made the changes on the road. You were the person that listened and knew everybody’s families and kids and the crew.”

    “You changed that culture, and you still see it today. There is a component of it, that no matter what, you will hear people say it that were here. Some of the people that are new don’t get it, but anybody that was here through that period of time all the way through to when you left the office, ‘Steph was the heart and soul.’ You’d hear it all the time. I still hear it. People light up when they see you. When you’re at the arena, and I see people later in the day, ‘Oh my God, I saw Steph.’ They are so excited and happy. If none of the other things were there, but that was there, then you changed the business. How could you not be in the Hall of Fame?”

    Stephanie is set to be the headliner for the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, April 17, following WWE Friday Night SmackDown.

    You can listen to the entire episode of Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast featuring WWE Hall of Famer and COO Triple H below.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Roman Reigns: If I Lose To CM Punk, I Don’t Belong In WWE

    Roman Reigns: If I Lose To CM Punk, I Don’t Belong In WWE

    Roman Reigns statement has been heard loud and clear on the eve of WrestleMania weekend.

    In a new Michael Cole interview for WWE, Roman Reigns was the man of the hour as he stated that if he were to lose his match at WrestleMania 42 on Sunday night against the current WWE Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk. Reigns says he doesn’t belong in WWE and his work will officially be done in the company.

    “If I lose to CM Punk at WrestleMania, I don’t belong in the WWE anymore. If I were to lose on Sunday, I’d say my work is done,” he said.

    Asked what happens if he wins, Roman replied, “I bring this place back to relevance. I reset the standard. I already set the standard. It got screwed up. Somebody has to come in and re-fix it. That’s what I’ll do.”

    Reigns has only been successful once going into WrestleMania as the sole challenger for the WWE Championship when he defeated Triple H in 2016 at WrestleMania 32 to win the gold.

    This will be Punk’s second time being in the main event of WrestleMania and his second time with a WWE Championship around his waist, the last time was when he defeated Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 28 in 2012 to retain the gold.

  • CJ Perry: It Would Be A Dream To Return And Work With Rusev

    CJ Perry: It Would Be A Dream To Return And Work With Rusev

    CJ Perry doesn’t rule out a future return to the WWE.

    It has been quite some time since the pairing of Lana and Rusev have both been on WWE TV together, but that doesn’t mean CJ Perry hasn’t been thinking about the possibilities of making that happen in the future.

    While speaking with Ariel Helwani, Perry was asked when she might return to the WWE and if she would like to work with her husband, Rusev in storylines again. Perry had said that she hopes this will happen sooner, rather than later.

    “Lana, right now, is exiled in Siberia. She let her country down and is doing work there. CJ, when the time is right, I will appear. Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later, but in the meantime, I’m focusing on writing for Uncrowned. I love new journeys. If I can be in the world of storytelling and entertaining, if it’s on a podcast, stand up, writing a wrestling column, I am very grateful that I can stay in the business or storytelling and hopefully entertain and put a smile on faces.”

    “That would be a dream, for sure. I love working with my husband. One of my favorite things to do is collaborate with create with other creatives, and I think my husband is one of the most creative, smart, funny, athletic, iconic wrestlers and creative minds that I know.”

    Rusev is set to go after gold when he battles Penta, Je’Von Evans, JD McDonagh, Dragon Lee, and now Rey Mysterio in a Ladder match at WrestleMania 42 for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, this will go down on Sunday night.

    You can check out the entire episode of The Ariel Helwani show featuring CJ Perry, known to many as former WWE Superstar Lana, below.

    h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Tiffany Stratton vs. Jordynne Grace Announced For 4/17 SmackDown

    Tiffany Stratton vs. Jordynne Grace Announced For 4/17 SmackDown

    A new match has just been announced for the April 17 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

    Originally, it was supposed to be a Women’s United States Championship match between Giulia vs. Tiffany Stratton, however, that seems to have now been changed with the latest update from WWE.

    Now, it’ll be a #1 contender’s match between Stratton and Jordynne Grace, who recently made her return at this past week’s WWE Main Event where she defeated Zelina Vega after spending the last couple of weeks on the shelf due to an ankle injury.

    https://x.com/WWE/status/2045208193459249298?s=20

    This match will also join the lineup that features matches such as

    • WWE Women’s United States Championship Number One Contenders Match: Jordynne Grace vs. Tiffany Stratton
    • Cody Rhodes to speak
    • Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
    • Street Fight: The Wyatt Sicks vs. MFTs
    • Jacob Fatu responds to Drew McIntyre
    • Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Lyra Valkyria & Bayley

    Following SmackDown, viewers in the United States can watch the Hall of Fame ceremony on ESPN Unlimited. International fans can watch it on Netflix or if you do NOT have a VPN go to NordVPN.com/bodyslam use code: BodySlam for a discount today.

  • Marko Stunt: I Wouldn’t Have Even Considered Returning If Jack Perry And I Weren’t Teaming Up

    Marko Stunt: I Wouldn’t Have Even Considered Returning If Jack Perry And I Weren’t Teaming Up

    Marko Stunt is happy to be back in the pro wrestling world with his best friend right by his side.

    Joey Janela’s Spring Break X features plenty of crazy matchups for Mania Week, but one of the biggest comes with the return of Marko Stunt as he reunites with Jack Perry to get revenge on KJ Orso and Sam Stackhouse.

    Stunt announced in November 2024 that he would be stepping away from pro wrestling immediately and retiring due to health issues. Since then, he has worked at a dealership and was adjusting to life outside of the business. However, that has now changed and he is back to chokeslam his enemies like his hero, the Big Show.

    While speaking with Jeremy Lambert & SP3 on In The Weeds, Stunt opened up about how his return to pro wrestling came about and how he wouldn’t be doing this if he wasn’t teaming up with Perry.

    “A few months ago. Joey called me and pitched the idea. I wasn’t sure at that point if I was going to be able to do anything again, at all. Legitimately, the retirement was a real deal thing. Obviously, I’m back right now. I started wondering if there was a possibility of me doing it again. I went and got a couple extra opinions and had some doctors look at some stuff. I talked to them and they told me that it looked like something that we could work through, so I’ve been working through it. Right now, I feel okay. Feel good enough to beat up on KJ and Sam Stackhouse, with Jack in my corner. I plan to try and do some stuff after. Joey called me with an idea, not necessarily the full idea. A couple of months ago, I started honing in. I knew what was coming and what the potential was, but realistically, I wouldn’t be doing it at all if it had not been with Jack. If Jack and I were not tagging, I wouldn’t be returning. I wouldn’t have even considered it.”

    “We were talking one night and I was just like, ‘Man, I miss it. I miss not being involved anymore.’ That kind of sparked some talks. ‘What if?’ I’m like, ‘I doubt it,’ but those what ifs? Ended up spiraling. Brett (Lauderdale) contacted me and set everything up. I did the whole retirement speech and bawled like a baby because it was real to me. I didn’t know if it was going to be a one-off. Right now, it’s not. I knew about it a couple of months ago and with it all coming to fruition now, I’m excited.”

    You can check out the entire interview with Marko Stunt on In The Weeds below.

    H/t to Fightful for the transcription.