- 5 weeks ago
In this episode we discuss new details emerging about Sheamus's WWE contract, legendary Japanese high flyer Tiger Mask calls it a career after 31 years, and Brian Cage explained why he chose aew over WWE.
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00:12Pro-Wesley
00:14What?
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00:22Bang!
00:22That's all right, what's up, he's back in the head!
00:26Whoa!
00:27Pro-Pro Wrestling Podcast
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00:39Woo!
00:41UD7! UD7!
00:45Who have you to doubt Elf and this guy's a serious professional?
00:49Can he do it?
00:50Come on!
00:51Oh, and a kick out!
00:54Unbelievable!
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02:33Of the Pro Wrestling Podcast
02:35If you've got questions
02:36Comments
02:37Something you want me
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02:38In a future episode
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02:44And I will get those
02:45Questions, comments, or concerns
02:46In a future episode
02:47Tonight
02:48Gotta revisit
02:49The Seamus conversation
02:50The contract situation
02:51Because more information
02:53Has come out
02:53And it is very confusing
02:55Look
02:56I have been online
02:57For the last several days
02:58Debating with people
03:00Arguing with people
03:01Defending positions
03:03And arguing positions
03:04About the Seamus contract situation
03:06The earliest information
03:07We had
03:08Was that Seamus' contract
03:10Was running out
03:11And he chose
03:13Not to re-sign
03:14Because they gave him
03:16A lower offer
03:17Now
03:18If that was
03:19All there was
03:20To the story
03:21I know it sounds
03:22Controversial
03:23I hope I don't lose
03:24Listeners because
03:24Of my opinion
03:25But
03:26When your contract
03:27Runs out
03:28You do not have a job
03:30You're not fired
03:31You're not released
03:33Your contract ran out
03:35If I hire somebody
03:36To come out
03:36And build my deck
03:37Once they finish
03:39Building my deck
03:40They're not still
03:41My employee
03:41These wrestlers
03:43Are independent
03:43Contractors
03:44They get a contract
03:45For a certain period
03:45Of time
03:46When it's over
03:46That's done
03:47That's why
03:48There is supposedly
03:48Not going to be
03:49A 90 day
03:50No compete clause
03:51That's what we heard
03:53Now I had people
03:53Arguing
03:54No he was released
03:55Just like
03:55Kofi and Woods
03:56Were released
03:56Just like
03:57Dolph Ziggler
03:57Was released
03:58Dolph Ziggler
03:59Asked for a release
04:01And it was granted
04:02Okay
04:03So here's the difference
04:04Every year at
04:05Wrestlemania
04:06Post Wrestlemania
04:06We always get like
04:079 million talent cuts
04:08And everybody feels
04:09Horrible for these
04:10People
04:10And justifiably so
04:11But those are
04:13Talent cuts
04:13That is
04:14We're a company
04:15We want to make money
04:16So we're letting you go
04:17So we can save some money
04:18That's very different
04:20Because then all the blame
04:21Filters to the company
04:23Because there was no choice
04:24You're just gone
04:26This
04:27Starting with Dolph Ziggler
04:28Was
04:28I'm not happy here
04:30So I really would like
04:30To go somewhere else
04:31Okay fine
04:32You can go
04:33And they release him
04:34That's different
04:35It's voluntary
04:36WWE didn't release
04:37Dolph Ziggler
04:37Because they don't want him
04:38They're both to term release
04:40But they feel very differently
04:42One
04:42The company
04:43Is just a money maker
04:45And they're
04:47Insensitive to the needs
04:48Of the talent
04:49And they just let somebody
04:50Go for no apparent reason
04:51The other one is
04:52I want to better myself
04:53Can you please let me
04:54Out of my contract
04:54And they graciously
04:55Didn't have to
04:56Graciously
04:57Accept your
04:59Request
04:59When it came to the new day
05:01They had contracts
05:02Signed in October
05:03Of 2025
05:05Five year extensions
05:06And then they were
05:08Approached about
05:09Renegotiating
05:10At a lower salary
05:11Well why would
05:12WWE do that
05:13Well they were tasked
05:14With reducing
05:15Millions of dollars
05:15Of spending
05:17And they felt
05:18That the value
05:19That the new day
05:20Brought to the table
05:21The less dates
05:22That they wrestle now
05:23Because their schedules
05:24Are much more limited
05:24These days in WWE
05:25Than they used to be
05:26Last year
05:27LA Knight had more matches
05:28Than anybody in the company
05:29Only had 96 matches
05:30Okay
05:31Compared to
05:3220 years ago
05:33When they were wrestling
05:33300 to 400 matches a year
05:35You know
05:35Every seven days a week
05:37Twice on Saturday
05:37Twice on Sunday
05:38Some people would say
05:40Shout out to Ric Flair
05:41But
05:41When you think about it
05:44Them asking
05:45Kofi and Xavier
05:46To take a pay cut
05:47Whether you like it or not
05:48They had done
05:50Everything
05:50Pretty much there was
05:51To do
05:52The one thing
05:52They could have done
05:53WWE chose not to do
05:55Was do more with
05:56Big E
05:57Separating from the group
05:58And them turning heel
05:59But they botched that
06:00To heaven
06:01And it was all
06:02A year later
06:03More than a year later
06:04Almost a year and a half
06:05After that turn
06:06So all that momentum
06:08Was gone
06:08So they weren't
06:09The whole point
06:11Of the wrestling business
06:12Is
06:13The talent
06:14Has to be able
06:16To put enough people
06:17In the seats
06:18And sell enough
06:19Merchandise
06:19To not only
06:21Counter the amount
06:22Of money you pay them
06:23But to make a profit
06:24On top of that
06:25So you can expand
06:26The business
06:27If they felt
06:28That Kofi and Woods
06:29Weren't doing that
06:30That's why you offer
06:30A lower offer
06:31Kofi and Woods said
06:33No
06:33We're not taking
06:34Less money
06:35Now
06:35They could have
06:36Made WWE look bad
06:37And said
06:38You have a contract
06:39With us
06:39You're going to
06:40Honor what you
06:40Already offered us
06:41And WWE goes
06:43No we want to
06:43Pay you less
06:44Well tough
06:44We're not paying
06:45Any less
06:45And if you don't
06:46Like that
06:47You can release me
06:49But that's not
06:50What they did
06:50Because if they
06:51Had done that
06:52And said
06:52Fine
06:52We're not taking
06:53A pay cut
06:53You can release us
06:54But we're not
06:55Taking a pay cut
06:55And WWE releases them
06:56Again
06:57It goes on WWE
06:58Just casting somebody
06:59Aside
07:00That's not
07:00What happened
07:01The reports
07:02All came out
07:02That Kofi and Woods
07:04Asked to be released
07:06After not liking
07:07The offer
07:07They were given
07:08They asked for that
07:10It was voluntary
07:10Some sites said
07:11It was a mutual
07:12Parting of the ways
07:13Yeah you know
07:13How that works
07:14We want you
07:15To take a pay cut
07:15I'm not taking a pay cut
07:17I want to leave
07:18Well we don't want you
07:19To leave
07:19But we want you
07:19To stay for less money
07:20But I'm not
07:20Staying for less money
07:21Okay well
07:23I'm not staying
07:23For less money
07:25You're not going
07:25To pay me
07:26What I'm worth
07:26Why don't we
07:27Separate
07:28Okay we're out
07:29If you want to
07:30Go that route
07:30Then fine
07:31A mutual parting
07:32Is not the same
07:33Kind of release
07:33Either as a
07:34Post Wrestlemania
07:35Budget cut
07:36It's just not the same
07:38It hits differently
07:39And all the people
07:40Out there who are going
07:41After everything
07:42These people have done
07:43What they've done
07:44For the company
07:44They deserve more
07:45No it's a business
07:47You can't do this
07:48With your heart
07:49I love Kofi
07:51I've met Kofi
07:52He's one of the
07:53Nicest human beings
07:54On the planet
07:54I watch Celtic
07:56Warrior workouts
07:56All the time
07:58I adore Seamus
07:59He's one of the
08:00Most unique appearances
08:01And skill sets
08:02In decades
08:03For me
08:04And
08:06Seamus's contract
08:08Is running out
08:08Seamus was offered
08:10A low ball offer
08:11And decided
08:12Not to take the offer
08:13They decided
08:14And now
08:15Here's where it
08:16Gets weird though
08:16The new information
08:17Is that
08:18He had signed
08:19A five year
08:20Contract extension
08:21In 2023
08:23If that's true
08:24Then his contract
08:25Should run until
08:262028
08:27So one of a few
08:28Scenarios is possible
08:30He was asked
08:31To renegotiate
08:32He declined
08:33And now his
08:34Contract is running out
08:35So what happened
08:36To those other years
08:36Those other years
08:37One
08:38Is this a budget cut
08:40We want you to
08:40Take a pay cut
08:41I'm not taking
08:42A pay cut
08:42Fine
08:43We're letting you go
08:43If that's the case
08:45He'll have a 90 day
08:45No compete clause
08:46And since technically
08:47The word today
08:48Is he's still under
08:49Contract for now
08:50Even though they
08:50Moved him to the
08:51Alumni section
08:52Of the website
08:54Until his contract
08:55Actually runs out
08:56We're not going to know
08:56If there's a no compete clause
08:57If there's none
08:59Then his contract was up
09:00If there is one
09:01He was released
09:02So this could be
09:03Another budget cut
09:04That we didn't realize
09:05Was a budget cut yet
09:06Did he have
09:08Company
09:09Or
09:10Talent
09:11Option years
09:12Of that five year deal
09:14That took it until
09:142028
09:15That he's voiding
09:16Or they are voiding
09:17That is a thing
09:18In the world of pro wrestling
09:19And pro sports in general
09:20It wasn't one of these things
09:22Where in 2023
09:23They signed a three year deal
09:25With two more option years
09:27That could either be
09:27A talent option
09:29Or a company option
09:30And he gets here
09:31And they go
09:32Listen we want you
09:32To take less money
09:33And he goes
09:33You know what
09:33I'm not taking less money
09:35And I'm going to void
09:35The last two years
09:36Of my deal
09:37Or
09:37Did WWE come to him
09:39And say we want you
09:39To take less money
09:40And he says yeah
09:40I'm not taking less money
09:41And you go fine
09:42We're going to void
09:42The last two years
09:43Of your deal
09:44Those two also
09:45Are not releases
09:47Voiding
09:48Years of a contract
09:49That are options
09:50Means they are optional
09:52They're not guaranteed
09:53The only part that's guaranteed
09:55Is whatever
09:55Is not an option
09:56Which in that scenario
09:58If that was the case
09:59Would have been originally
10:00A three year deal
10:00With two option years
10:01I don't know what happened
10:03I wasn't in the room
10:04I didn't negotiate the deals
10:05And neither do any
10:05Of the people online
10:07You know if you're
10:07Tuning into this podcast
10:08Feel free to put
10:09Whatever you want
10:09In the comments
10:10And I will appreciate
10:11Whatever I can
10:11I'll go back and forth
10:12With people
10:13And play devil's advocate
10:14All you want
10:15But people get
10:16Livid over this stuff
10:18It's all business
10:20If you
10:20Bobby Heenan
10:21Everybody loves
10:22Bobby Heenan
10:23Gives him so much respect
10:24For being such a brilliant
10:24Mind in the business
10:25He'd be the first one
10:26To tell you
10:27There's a great video
10:28From RF Video
10:29Where he's doing
10:30A shoot interview
10:31And he says
10:31If you're in this business
10:32For any other reason
10:33But to make money
10:34You're a fool
10:35They the companies
10:36Or the talent
10:37That is what it's about
10:38It's not about
10:38To feel good
10:39It's not about
10:40Making
10:41Putting smiles on faces
10:42And all that stuff
10:42That people say
10:43When it's a PR situation
10:44If you're not making money
10:45You're out of business
10:47That's it
10:47So this is all business
10:49So this is all business driven
10:49Just saying
10:51Jumping into something
10:52A little different here
10:52Brian Cage
10:53Was on Chris Van Vliet's show
10:55And one of the most
10:56Interesting parts
10:57About his interview
10:57Was the reason why
10:58He said he chose
10:59AEW over WWE
11:00When his contract
11:01Was up last time
11:02He said that there was
11:03A lot of interest
11:04From WWE
11:05And let's be honest
11:05His body style
11:06Is exactly what
11:07WWE would love
11:08Especially right now
11:09He just won a
11:10Bodybuilding competition
11:11Out in the Midwest
11:12But he said
11:13One of the reasons
11:14He chose AEW
11:14Is he didn't want to
11:15Meet just another guy
11:16Who could just be released
11:18Hence what we were
11:18Just talking about
11:19Another guy who comes in
11:20Signs a contract
11:21And then they just
11:22Choose to release you
11:23He didn't like
11:24That possibility
11:25He feels like
11:26There's more security
11:27In AEW
11:28Factoring in the point
11:29That Tony Khan
11:31Pays for transportation
11:32Hotels
11:32All that stuff
11:33That WWE does not
11:35That's not their deal
11:36Talent pays for that
11:37In WWE
11:37So he liked the security
11:39And he likes being able
11:40To do his outside
11:41Project
11:41Still works a ton
11:42Of indies
11:43Still runs
11:44He's a huge sponsor
11:46For
11:48Red Con 1
11:49Sponsors him
11:50As one of their
11:50Leading athletes
11:52Still gets to do
11:53His bodybuilding competitions
11:54All that kind of stuff
11:55He can do whatever
11:56He wants
11:56Because Tony Khan
11:57Is so much more
11:58Flexible with that stuff
11:59And WWE keeps people
12:00On lockdown
12:01And it's just not
12:02A good look
12:02So
12:03Love the fact
12:04That he was able
12:06To eloquate that
12:07In a way that
12:07Makes a lot of sense
12:08And
12:09Just glad to hear
12:10That he's happy
12:11With his decision
12:12I just wish
12:13He was getting
12:13Used better
12:14In AEW
12:15Because I really
12:16Do feel like
12:16And anybody
12:17Who saw him
12:18In his TNA run
12:19Or in Lucha Underground
12:20He can go
12:21He could be
12:22Your number one guy
12:23If you push him
12:24The right way
12:24Maybe I'm a little
12:25Partial
12:26Because we're
12:26Friends on Facebook
12:27And he's been
12:27One of the most
12:28Wonderful
12:28Gracious
12:29People
12:30I could possibly
12:30Describe
12:31But I really
12:32Hope to see him
12:33Do more
12:33And the last thing
12:34We got to get
12:35Into this episode
12:36And this one's
12:36I'll be very honest
12:38They're kind of
12:38A tearjerker for me
12:39When I was
12:40A teenager
12:41I really started
12:42Getting into
12:42The cruiserweight stuff
12:44Not necessarily
12:45Here in the United States
12:45It wasn't big here yet
12:47Other than maybe
12:47Flying Brian
12:48Versus
12:48Scotty Flamingo
12:50Which would
12:51Eventually become
12:51Raven
12:51In WCW
12:52But my
12:53Real fandom
12:54Came back in the day
12:55In tape trading
12:56And tape trading
12:57With
12:59Japanese wrestling
13:00And one of the
13:01Most amazing
13:02Japanese wrestlers
13:03For me
13:04And at the time
13:05I didn't even know
13:05There were numbers
13:06Associated with this
13:07Was Tiger Mask
13:08And over the weekend
13:10Tiger Mask 4
13:12Who is played by
13:13Yoshihiro Yamazaki
13:15He has been
13:17Tiger Mask
13:18Number 4
13:19For 31 years
13:20And he officially
13:21Retired this past
13:22Weekend
13:23And it
13:23It has been
13:25An interesting year
13:25Because he
13:26On his farewell tour
13:27His last two matches
13:28He had a victory
13:30Over Rocky Romero
13:31And he had a
13:33Time limit draw
13:34And this is the one
13:34That really tugs
13:35At the heart strings
13:35He had a time limit draw
13:37Against the Dynamite Kid
13:39Tommy Billington
13:40Who is
13:41The nephew
13:42Of the original
13:43Dynamite Kid
13:44Tom Billington
13:45And they did that match
13:47And went to a draw
13:48In honor of the
13:50Original series of matches
13:51Between the original
13:52Tiger Mask
13:53Who was
13:54Satoru
13:55Sayama
13:56And
13:57Dynamite Kid
13:58And it was like
13:59A throwback to them
14:00It paid homage to them
14:01And I was like
14:02Wow
14:02Like
14:02That's your last match
14:04Is paying homage
14:05To the original
14:06And Sayama
14:07Was in attendance
14:08For his final match
14:10Which
14:11You want to talk about
14:12Something crazy
14:13In New Japan Pro Wrestling
14:14They went all out for this
14:15Like
14:15There have been other guys
14:16Who have been
14:16Tiger Mask
14:17In the force
14:17In the past
14:20Satoru's
14:20Sayama
14:21Was the original
14:22Eventually
14:22Would become
14:23Mitsuharu Misawa
14:24If you don't know
14:25Who Mitsuharu Misawa is
14:26Go back
14:27And find some of his matches
14:28Is one of the greatest wrestlers
14:29In the history of life
14:31And then Koji Kanemoto
14:33Was Tiger Mask
14:35For a little while
14:35But
14:36Tiger Mask 4
14:38That incarnation
14:38With Yamazaki
14:40The longest running
14:42Tiger Mask
14:43Portrayal
14:44In that gear
14:45And
14:45I think
14:46For me
14:47The most amazing part
14:48Of the send off
14:49New Japan
14:50Did a whole ceremony
14:51And there was all these
14:52Megastars from the past
14:53There
14:54Jushin Thunder Liger
14:55Professional baseball
14:57Players from Japan
14:57All kinds of people
14:58There for this ceremony
14:59What really got me
15:01Was the original
15:02Tiger Mask
15:03The original Sayama
15:05Was there
15:05With his Tiger Mask
15:06Mask on
15:07He was wearing a suit
15:08He's in the ring
15:09To honor Tiger Mask
15:10For retiring
15:11And they did
15:12This ceremonial thing
15:14Where
15:14The ring announcer
15:16Came into the ring
15:16And he announced
15:17Tiger Mask
15:18The original
15:19And then they announced
15:20Tiger Mask 4
15:21As Tiger Mask
15:22And it's the one
15:23Who's retiring now
15:24And a referee
15:26Got in the ring
15:26And he called for the bell
15:27And the two
15:28Kind of danced
15:29Around the ring
15:29For a little bit
15:30And even the original
15:31Tiger Mask
15:32Looked like he was still
15:33Spry
15:33You know what I mean
15:34And they moved around
15:35And they locked up
15:36And the place
15:38Was just emotional
15:39Seeing these two
15:40Legends lock up
15:41And then the referee
15:42Just called for the bell
15:43You know
15:44To draw
15:44And they
15:46Embraced
15:47And it was just
15:47It was beautiful
15:48Now I get it
15:49There's a lot of
15:49American wrestlers
15:50That don't understand
15:50Why that's such a
15:51Touching thing
15:51But if you are a huge fan
15:53Of cruiserweight style
15:54Wrestling
15:55Lucha Libre
15:55That kind of thing
15:57These are two of
15:58The greatest individuals
15:59In the history
16:00Of the business
16:00At those types
16:01Of weight classes
16:02The number of
16:03Memories and matches
16:04That they've put on
16:05And the talent
16:06That they've worked with
16:07Across the years
16:08I mean we're talking
16:08About people who really
16:09Helped break people
16:10Like Chris Jericho
16:11And Chris Benoit
16:13And Dean Malenko
16:14And people like that
16:15They helped break them
16:16Into the business
16:17And make them the stars
16:18That they would go on
16:19To become
16:20None of them would be
16:21As far as they are
16:22Without the body of work
16:24They did with people
16:25Like Tiger Mask
16:26Tiger Mask 2
16:27Tiger Mask 3
16:27Tiger Mask 4
16:28So this was
16:29This was very special
16:30So congratulations
16:32To Tiger Mask
16:35On just a legendary career
16:37I hope Yamazaki
16:39Is ready for
16:41You know
16:41All the fruits of his labor
16:42Just celebrating all that
16:44Going forward
16:44The Japanese crowd
16:46Was almost stunned
16:47In the silence
16:47It was just a beautiful thing
16:49That's all the time
16:50We have for this episode
16:51Check back with us
16:51Next episode
16:52We run down the latest
16:52Wrestling news and rumors
16:53Special thanks as always
16:54To Suno for creating
16:55The music and sound effects
16:56We use in our show
16:57Special thanks to
16:59Beezle Games
17:00Bringing a new friend
17:00To family game night
17:01Is easy with sketchy people
17:03Showcase your artistic side
17:04In this game from Beezle Games
17:05By going to
17:06TheGameCrafter.com
17:07And picking up your copy today
17:09If you're looking
17:10For your next career move
17:10Maybe you're considering
17:11College, university life
17:12Maybe you just need
17:13Some formal training
17:14For your next career decision
17:15Go to our website
17:16Of FroLifePlanning.com
17:18For all your higher education needs
17:19As FroLife Educational Planning
17:20Is for today
17:21For tomorrow
17:22And for life
17:23With FroLife
17:24I'm Fred Froelich
17:25Better known as Dr. Fro
17:26I want to thank you
17:26For taking some time
17:27With us today
17:27Until next time
17:28Take care everybody
17:28Have a great night
17:29I want to thank you
17:59I want to thank you
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