The career of Sami Zayn has seen lots of changes in recent months, but one thing that has remained with him is his finishing move. The Helluva Kick, a running Yakuza Kick with his opponent prone in the turnbuckle, earned its name through a happenstance of mispronunciation, WCW magazine, Denny’s and one of AEW’s lead commentators.
Ahead of his main event match with Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber last month, Sami shared how his version of the Yakuza Kick earned its name, for the first time ever, with Love Wrestling.
“If you want the actual history here, I don’t know if I’ve ever actually told it in an interview.” Sami begins. “When I was a kid, I had a WCW magazine, and I was reading some match results. It said Chris Jericho defeated Syxx – or maybe it was the other way around – with a hell of a kick.
It was written “helluva” like that, and I thought it was a Helluva kick, so I thought it was a type of kick.”
It wasn’t until he shared this anecdote with a peer that Sami’s Yakuza Kick would earn the variant name. “So I told this story to Excalibur, who now does commentary on AEW every Wednesday. I told this story to him at dinner one time at Denny’s after a PWG show, then we started calling the running Yakuza kick in the corner that I would do at the time, we started calling it a Helluva kick. So that’s actually the real history of that name.”
Sami also shared his thoughts on returning to Montréal, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me, and Sami For Syria. Tune in to the full video interview below, and please give a h/t to Zak Ralph for the transcription.
Check more of Love Wrestling’s interviews from the Elimination Chamber junket, including conversations with Natalya, on YouTube
AUDIO INTERVIEWS
Mat Rats, the fledgling promotion run by Teddy Hart, is one of the great ‘what-if’ stories in professional wrestling. In spite of its short run, Mat Rats consisted of some of the most talented young wrestlers in the country, including TJ Wilson, Harry Smith, Jack Evans, and more. Not only was the promotion set to be produced by former WCW booker Eric Bischoff, but was set to run on MTV. Though the promotion never got off the ground, its impact on the Canadian, and worldwide, wrestling scene is immense.
One individual who got their start in Mat Rats was none other than Natalya Neidhart. Beginning with the promotion as a ring announcer, Natalya was surrounded from the start of her career by a veritable who’s-who of the Canadian wrestling scene.
“Mat Rats was so crazy because it was something that was just thrown at us,” Natalya stated. “It was like ‘Eric Bischoff’s producing the show with Jason Hervey and they want to make this for MTV. It’s gonna be like wrestling and rock concert joined together.’ That’s actually where my cousin – I worked with TJ [Wilson], Harry [Smith], and my cousin Ted [Hart] and Jack Evans. Rene Dupree was in it. Mauro Ranallo was in it. I’m just trying to think who else was in it. We had a whole bunch of different people in it.
“
Natalya continued, stating that not only was that where she learned the inner workings of professional wrestling but her first move, too.
“They were like ‘Natty should do a move,'” she began. “The very first wrestling move that I ever learned was a dragonrana, which is like a front flip onto somebody’s shoulders into a hurricanrana. I never even knew how to do a headlock! That was the first move I learned. It was so much fun doing Mat Rats.”
In spite of the presence of future industry legends, Mat Rats unfortunately never earned its place on MTV, and now is simply looked back on fondly by all involved.
“Of course, it never really got off the ground,” Natalya lamented. “But, it was just a really cool chance for us as kids. My husband and I were on that together.
It was a good chance for us as kids to see what it was like to work for a big set. It wasn’t just like a small independent show. There was cameras and there was TV angles, and there was monitors, and people backstage, and producers, and directors, and it was just like it was cool. I felt like I was on a movie.”
Tune in to the full video interview below, and please give a h/t to Spencer Love for the transcription.
Women of Wrestling star. Trained under Thunder Rosa and Jazz. Some know her as Jennifer Florez. Jasmin Allure is here! You’d be hard-pressed to find a major promotion that Jazmin Allure HASN’T worked for at this point! Signed to Women of Wrestling and with appearances for WWE, AEW, and the NWA under her belt, Allure’s quickly become not just a rising star on the independent scene, but a star, period! Tune in as she chats with Spencer Love about her meteoric rise in pro wrestling, signing with W.O.W, taking on the likes of Lacey Evans, Thunder Rosa, Kamille, and more, advice from AJ Lee, the character-based nature of WOW, and more!
VIDEO
AUDIO
HIGHLIGHTS
On her relationship with AJ Mendez, fka AJ Lee
“So with Jazz and Thunder [Rosa], they trained me. They physically trained me. AJ is more
like my mother. My godmother, I call her. She’s my godmother, because she made my dream
come true! She gave me the first contract. She brought me to W.O.W. But she’s like a
mother to me. She tells me when she sees me training, she’s like, where are your elbow
pads? Wear your elbow pads, you don’t want to have that elbows like me!
The first training
she saw me, my elbow started bleeding from the mat, like the mat burn. She’s like, ‘What did
I tell you? Wear your elbow [pads]! She’s just like a mother, and she gives great advice.
When we’re at W.O.W., she watches my matches and afterwards, she’ll give me critiques
and stuff like that.”
Choosing to sign with W.O.W
“When I heard they were coming back, and I heard AJ was a part of it, I was like, ‘wow, this
is gonna be really good.’ I, at first, was kind of like, oh my god, they’re very character [based]
and like, gimmicky and all that stuff, and I’m kind of not. I’, more of a wrestler-wrestler.
But,
when AJ contacted me, she was like, ‘I think you’d be great for this.’ I was like, ‘I can’t say no
to her!’ And, also, Women of Wrestling, I would watch that as well.
These woman kicking
ass, they’re so inspiring as well. And the locker room! Once I got there, everyone was so
nice. There’s no drama. It’s 40, I think 40 girls, plus. For that to be as great as it is, it’s
insane. It’s pretty awesome. We’re all so supportive, and it’s really great. The fact that AJ
brought me in, and getting to meet like David McLane, who owns it, it’s a pretty great
opportunity.”
Bronson Reed joins Zak Ralph of Love Wrestling to chat about his return to WWE, his tribute to Bam Bam Bigelow, Vader, unfinished business in WWE, and his thoughts on the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame!
VIDEO
AUDIO
HIGHLIGHTS
Bam Bam Bigelow
“I’m a huge Bam Bam fan. I love all the stuff he did in ECW. I think that was a bit of a different run for him. WWE-wise, I love the LT [Lawrence Taylor] main event he had WrestleMania. Now a lot of people might not put it up there as like a classic matchup, but Bam Bam was such a professional and so good at what he did that he made LT look like a million dollars. That’s something I’ve fond memories of as a kid. That and the whole flame attire and stuff!
He always stood out to me as a kid. So that was why I wanted to have that inspiration for the TakeOver gear that I had.”
Big Men in Wrestling
“Yeah, Vader is one of them. I was a big Vader fan. The stuff that he did in WCW, obviously here in WWE, but also all the stuff that he did in Japan. They’re probably the two I take away from most: Bam Bam Bigelow and Big Van Vader.
”
(continued) “I actually have one of [Vader’s] masks at home! His son actually sent me, which was really nice. He sent me as a gift one of his dad’s masks. So I have that at home. So maybe I could wear that at some point. I mean, I’d like to do the big Mastodon stuff.
That’s the that’s the goal! With the smoke and everything. That’d be awesome.
THE DRUID’S HAND star Mitch Clarke & director Mitch Oliver | Smark & Friends #96
This podcast has a strict no-Kane policy. Not sorry, Glen.
Our guests today are members of the team behind THE DRUID’S HAND, A Saskatchewan-based short horror film, An ostracized town priest and his acolyte face the ramifications of their dark past. We have the co-writer and director Mitch Oliver alongside the leading man who happens to be one of western Canada’s emerging wrestling stars, leader of the RADz, Magnificent Mitch Clarke! We talk about the film, how Clarke got cast, the hugely successful Kickstarter that funded the project, the film’s run on the festival circuit and much more!
VIDEO
AUDIO
YOUR STARS
THE DRUID’S HAND
https://www.instagram.com/thedruidshand/
THE DRUID’S HAND screened at the Portland Horror Film Festival this past Thursday, and streams for ticket buyers until the end of the weekend.
https://portlandhorrorfilmfestival.com/
MITCH CLARKE
https://www.instagram.com/mitchclarkemma/
MITCH OLIVER
https://www.instagram.com/mitch.oliver_/
LPW 6 WELCOME TO PARADISE Edmonton, Alberta, July 29
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/love-pro-wrestling-6-welcome-to-paradise-tickets-373306468697
LOVE WRESTLING
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RK ATHLETICS
rkathletics.ca
Twitter
Instagram
PODCAST EDITING: Tina Lulham
VIDEO PRODUCTION: Zak Ralph
MUSIC: Trevor Nemeth
https://lovewrestling.podbean.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast…
https://www.youtube.com/lovewrestlingca
https://www.twitch.tv/lovewrestlingca
On June 24th, Lio Rush releases his brand-new EP, Not Found 2. Prior to the release of some brand-new tunes, the 27 Year Old Piece of Gold joins Spencer Love for an exclusive chat covering his growth as an artist, the crossover between wrestling and hip-hop, returning to NJPW, his injury status, and quick hits on some favourite wrestlers-turned-rappers!
VIDEO
AUDIO
LIO RUSH
Pre-Order Not Found 2: https://www.liorush.com/
Twitter: @IamLioRush
Instagram: @iamliorush
LOVE WRESTLING
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveWrestlingCA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoveWrestlingCA
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/LoveWrestlingCA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/LoveWrestlingCA
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lovewrestlingca
Podbean: https://lovewrestling.podbean.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LoveWrestlingCA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/love-wrestling/id1544146794
PASS ME BY Authors Kat Simmers & Ryan Danny Owen | Smark & Friends #95
For the third straight year, Smark & Friends proudly presents an episode in affiliation with Toronto Comic Arts Festival. The past two years they have put us in contact with great guests and this year is in that same spirit. Kat Simmers and Ryan Danny Owen are the authors and artists behind PASS ME BY, the graphic novel series telling a queer rural Canadian tragedy about a man facing dementia, and being confronted by a past he chose to forget.
We talk at length about Pass Me By, including goals for the third book in the series and the inspiration behind it. We also discuss mural work, their own contributions to this year’s TCAF, and of course, watch a little wrestling. Much like the main character of Kat & Danny’s work, we’re watching a match featuring a pair of legendary wrestlers who refuse to let wrestling pass them by(nailed it). The Butcher & The Blade take on Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson, The Rock N Roll Express, in a match from Beyond Wrestling!
VIDEO
AUDIO
YOUR STARS
TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL June 17-19 at Toronto Reference Library, June 18th – 26th Online
https://www.instagram.com/torontocomics/
https://twitter.com/TorontoComics https://www.torontocomics.com/
KAT SIMMERS
https://www.instagram.com/kat_simmers/
RYAN DANNY OWEN
https://www.instagram.com/rdannyowen/
https://www.ryandannyowen.com/
PASS ME BY via RENEGADE ARTS ENTERTAINMENT
https://renegadeartsentertainment.com…
BEYOND WRESTLING
https://www.youtube.com/user/BeyondWr…
https://twitter.com/beyondwrestling https://www.instagram.com/beyondwrest…
LOVE WRESTLING
MANSCAPED
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RK ATHLETICS
rkathletics.ca
Twitter
Instagram
PODCAST EDITING: Tina Lulham
VIDEO PRODUCTION: Zak Ralph
MUSIC: Trevor Nemeth
https://lovewrestling.podbean.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast…
https://www.youtube.com/lovewrestlingca
https://www.twitch.tv/lovewrestlingca
It’s week two of our @Fringe Montreal Festival celebrations as Montreal’s best theatre fest sneaks up on us, approaching June 9th. Our guest is no stranger to the Fringe, nor to CBC, JFL, and the comedy circuit at large. Leighland Beckman joins Smark & Friends in advance of An Evening With Leighland Beckman, which happens to coincide with Aural Turpitude, his comedy record of raunchy, raunchy music.
Leighland joins us for a watchalong of pro-wrestling proportions, as we enjoy footage courtesy of @Lucha Libre & Laughs out of Denver, Colorado. The match in question features Hoodie Howlett, taking on emerging indie legend and someone who would be right at home at Fringe MTL, the incomparable EFFY!
VIDEO
AUDIO
YOUR STARS
AURAL TURPITUDE | Preview and Pre-Order, released June 9th
https://leighland-beckman.bandcamp.co…
MONTREAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
https://twitter.com/fringemtl https://www.instagram.com/fringemtl/
LUCHA LIBRE & LAUGHS
https://www.instagram.com/lucha.libre…
https://twitter.com/LuchaLibreLaugh
EFFY
HOODIE HOWLETT
https://mobile.twitter.com/HoodieLCG
LOVE WRESTLING
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RK ATHLETICS
rkathletics.ca
Twitter
Instagram
PODCAST EDITING: Tina Lulham
VIDEO PRODUCTION: Zak Ralph
MUSIC: Trevor Nemeth
https://lovewrestling.podbean.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast…
https://www.youtube.com/lovewrestlingca
https://www.twitch.tv/lovewrestlingca
The Tin Hat Aesthetic with Loose Cannons Theatre Company’s Valérie Boisvert | Smark & Friends #93
The Montreal Fringe Festival is one of the many cultural events that make the city of Montreal great, and with the Fringe coming up on the horizon we are welcoming an artist for a wrestling watchalong!
Valérie Boisvert and Loose Cannons, her theatre company alongside recent Dawson College graduates, will be performing Down The Rabbit Hole, a dark comedy exploring the nature of conspiracy and how even the best of us are susceptible to connecting dots that just aren’t there.
With such subject matter, it was only appropriate to share a match featuring west coast wrestling’s own conspiracy theorist. With footage kindly provided by our friends at @Nation Extreme Wrestling, we’re watching one-half of tag team State of Emergency take on the cryptid connoisseur Eli Surge!
VIDEO
AUDIO
YOUR STARS
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
https://montrealfringe.online.red61.c…
MONTREAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
https://twitter.com/fringemtl https://www.instagram.com/fringemtl/
LOOSE CANNONS
https://www.instagram.com/theloosecan…
https://twitter.com/loosecannons_
VALERIE BOISVERT
https://twitter.com/valeriiboisvert
https://www.instagram.com/valeriebois…
NATION EXTREME WRESTLING
https://www.instagram.com/nationextre…
https://twitter.com/NEWWrestlingInc
MILES DEVILLE
https://twitter.com/Miles_Deville
ELI SURGE
https://twitter.com/RealEliSurge
LOVE WRESTLING
MANSCAPED
Use code LOVE WRESTLING to take 20% off of your order and receive free shipping on MANSCAPED! #ad
RK ATHLETICS
rkathletics.ca
Twitter
Instagram
PODCAST EDITING: Tina Lulham
VIDEO PRODUCTION: Zak Ralph
MUSIC: Trevor Nemeth
https://lovewrestling.podbean.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast…
https://www.youtube.com/lovewrestlingca
https://www.twitch.tv/lovewrestlingca
[SPOILERS, CW/Self Harm] It has been awhile since we reviewed a film or a series involving a wrestler – fortunately, Adi Shankar dropped a new series on Netflix, and it stars the master of the Diamond Cutter, Diamond Dallas Page! Guardians of Justice follows Night Hawk (Page), a costumed vigilante investigating the apparent suicide and possible murder of Marvelous Man, an hero from another world who’s godly power kept the world in peace by keeping it’s power in check. Among Night Hawk’s suspects; his and Marvelous Man’s own superhero cohorts, The Guardians of Justice!
Joining us for the review is a pair of all-stars in the wrestling content and journalism sphere of the internet; Ross W Berman IV (WrestleZone, Tama’s Island) and Mr. Warren Hayes (The Mr. Warren Hayes Show, belltobelles.com). Join us as we explore the plot, performances, and absolutely BONKERS visual style featured in Guardians of Justice!
No punches are pulled in this review regarding spoilers. Please be advised that the series, and thus our review, has references to self-harm.
GUARDIANS OF JUSTICE now playing on Netflix. Starring Diamond Dallas Page, Sharni Vinson, Denise Richards and Derek Mears. Featuring appearances by John Hennigan, Will Yun Lee and Andy Milonakis. An Adi Shankar Experience.
Ross W Berman IV
Twitter
Bandcamp
Tama’s Island Patreon
Mr. Warren Hayes
Twitter
YouTube
BellToBelles.com
Support for Love Wrestling:
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RK ATHLETICS
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PODCAST EDITING: Tina Lulham
VIDEO PRODUCTION: Zak Ralph
MUSIC: Trevor Nemeth
Podbean
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast…
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As I say at the top of the show, it’s been a while since we reviewed any films or shows. Last time, we welcomed Fowl Original for a review of The Package, starring Stone Cold Steve Austin & Dolph Lundgren. Catch the movie on Tubi, then catch our chit-chat!
S&F #72 feat. Fowl Original