If you hadn’t heard, the so-called Forbidden Door is a popular topic amongst wrestling fans. Since All Elite Wrestling popularized the phrase in the midst of Kenny Omega’s AEW Championship win, the prospect of cross-promotional matches and companies working together has been front of mind for any and all fans of the sport.

Of course, in having the opportunity to chat with Ring of Honor star Shane Taylor yesterday, I had to ask about the potential of ROH getting involved in the fray.

“You’ve got a pay-per-view stretching two nights. You’ve got a capacity crowd. Ring of Honor has been sending out some fairly interesting posts on social media about the Forbidden Door maybe opening,” I mused.

“Is there maybe anybody out there, any trios or anybody individually, that maybe Shane Taylor would like to step across the squared circle from sooner rather than later?”

Taylor was quick to answer.

“Any and every trio could get it,” he stated emphatically.

“A lot of people have been tucked away behind borders or in other countries kind of just holding on to trios titles. They’re not doing the things with those titles that we’re doing with ours. So, if people want a unification fight to see who the greatest trio is in the world of professional wrestling, I welcome it.”

However, though Taylor and his fellow members of STP are more than eager to step into the ring with anyone and everyone, the partnership has to be something that benefits Ring of Honor in the long-term, he explained.

“I welcome anything, any partnership, that’s going to actually help Ring of Honor. If it doesn’t, then keep the door closed, in my opinion,” Taylor said. “But, if it helps Ring of Honor, then great.

Historically, that hasn’t been the case. This is what it is. But, I have said, and will say and will continue to say, Ring of Honor, from top to bottom, has the very best roster in all professional wrestling. I don’t believe it’s something that we need, but again, if it is something that the fans want, and it’s something that helps Ring of Honor, then I’m all on board.

”

Please credit Spencer Love/Love Wrestling with any of the above quotes. Thank you!

As someone with over seventy championships to his name, Jeff Jarrett certainly has some memorable championship victories to his name. However, when we recently spoke for Love Wrestling, I wanted to ask Double J about one of his most famous championship losses, the time he lost the Intercontinental Title to the 9th Wonder of the World, Chyna.

“Of course, someone that you famously lost the Intercontinental Championship to was Chyna,” I commented to Jarrett, “and I know, again, you’ve dove into that story quite a bit on your end of things.”

“But, with the documentary just coming out on her, I wanted to just maybe get some thoughts on Chyna the person rather than the professional wrestler, and again, the situation that maybe caused you to lose the championship to her.”

“You know, I’ve said this a lot on My World and a lot in my life,” Jarrett began with a smile. “My kids have heard it. I don’t believe in coincidences. I just don’t. I believe in convergences. I don’t think anything really happens by accident, and when I sit here today, obviously years removed from the situation that when I left the WWF at the time, I had my last match with Chyna. Then, fast forward, Chyna’s last match was against me in a TNA ring. That didn’t happen by accident, and for whatever reason, and I don’t know, but God rest her soul.

She really battled her demons.”

“The fond memories that I had, that Good Housekeeping [match]. That night there was – obviously, I’ve gone into a lot of drama about the pay and that whole we’ll say out-of-the-ring situation. But, as far as the creative, and the in-ring, and the match that was laid out, and Pat Patterson, and just the different finishes, and how Pat came up with that creative swerve. I knew in my mind before I got to the building sort of a match that I wanted to layout and building up to that.

The entire story, as you know, sort of goes back several weeks, if not months.”

Jarrett went on to describe his thoughts on Chyna’s influence not only on his own career, but the Attitude Era overall. While the era was certainly full of first-class talents, he says, Chyna provided something completely unique, regardless of gender identification.

“Quite a bit because DX – yes, Stone Cold in so many ways identified the Attitude Era, and so did Mick Foley and Hell in a Cell and all that,” began the two-time Hall of Famer.

“But, when you look at DX at the real height of the Attitude Era, you know, the New Age Outlaws and Road Dogg and his catchphrases and just the emotion that evokes. But, also a part of that was, to me, just right up there at the top of it all [was] a female for the first time, and her look, and her charisma. That’s Chyna. I mean, she identified the Attitude Era in so many ways, and the storyline [of] me beating up women, and Cindy Margolis, and Moolah, and just the whole build-up to that, and the mud match and all those kinds of things. It really was a fantastic creative story. I’ve nothing but fond memories of all that, but man, what a tragedy.”

“The documentary was heart-wrenching in a lot of ways,” Jarrett concluded solemnly. “A lot of people say, ‘Oh, my God, why’d they document that,’ but if they can help one person – and it can help, I can assure you, I feel like it will help a lot of people – seeing Chyna, the megastar on TV, but realizing in everyday life, she, in a lot of ways, was literally living in hell on earth. That’s tragic in so many ways.”

Please credit Spencer Love with any transcriptions used. Thank you!

Last night’s edition of AEW Dark saw the first appearance of one of independent wrestling’s brightest stars, Masha Slamovich. Despite being only 23 years old, ‘Russian Dynamite’ is a well-traveled veteran of the squared circle and one of the indies’ most well-known names. Last night’s edition of Dark was certainly proof as to why, as despite losing to Penelope Ford, Slamovich looked right at home in the confines of an AEW ring.

As part of our upcoming chat for Love Wrestling, we discussed last night’s debut among a myriad of other subjects.

“You’re everywhere right now, including on – at the time of this recording – last night’s AEW Dark,” I commented to her near the beginning of our conversation. “What was it like for you to debut for the promotion, especially [with] the rumors out there and how exciting time it is for the promotion as a whole?”

“You know, it was a really incredible experience,” Slamovich began. “I didn’t really know what was coming and it totally caught me by surprise. I had a day and a half, two days notice about it, so I didn’t know as much as the rest of y’all didn’t know! I tried to keep it real quiet, went and did it and when it happened, it blew up. It was really great. Just being there and experiencing AEW and actually going out there and wrestling was really awesome.

I certainly hope for more of that in the future.”

Penelope Ford

“It was really cool to see you square off with Penelope Ford as well because I’m a personal mark,” I laughed. “Let’s just use the wrestling term. I’m a huge fan of hers! What was it like stepping in the ring with her?”

“It was really great, because the last time we wrestled was, like, 2016, 2017,” replied Slamovich. “So, it’s been quite a few years since we shared the ring together. It was really awesome to do so on such a grand stage.

“Again, I had a great time wrestling her. I would totally do it again.”

Please credit Spencer Love/Love Wrestling with any of the above quotes. Thank you!