Paul Heyman's X-Rated WrestleMania Analogy & Lacey Von Erich On The Loose: Ten Things You May Have Missed In Wrestling This Week

So that was WrestleMania 37 then.

It wasn't perfect, but I thought the good far outweighed the bad and my lasting memories of the two-day event will be Bianca Belair's emotional title victory, Cesaro and Rollins going at it like it was Ring of Honor circa 2009, Bad Bunny doing the work and doing himself proud and Roman Reigns, Edge and Daniel Bryan rocking the house and giving us a match that ended the festivities on a high note.

And Samoa Joe and Michael Cole in ponchos.

After 'Mania, it was back to business as usual, with WWE moving back into the Thunderdome for a positively rotten post-WrestleMania Raw.

There was plenty going on this week between all of the WWE shows, a packed AEW Dynamite and everything else but, as usual, there were things that may have (understandably) passed you by.

Never fear, dear reader, because Ten Things You May Have Missed In Wrestling This Week will give you at least some of them.

Weather permitting, of course.

10. Mick Foley Gets Some Dude Love On Pawn Stars

WWE.com

You never know what - or who - is going to show up on the History Channel's popular series Pawn Stars.

In the past, celebrities ranging from Bob Dylan to Steve Carrell have stopped by the shop for one reason or another, and this week it was the turn of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, who was drafted in to verify the authenticity of two items.

The items in question were an autographed Mankind halloween mask and an original Dude Love t-shirt, both of which Foley confirmed as legit.

He interestingly noted that the t-shirt was a slightly different colour to the one he typically wore in the ring and was part of a limited run, because the tie-dye was an expensive process and they couldn't guarantee the colours would be the same every time.

After having his evaluation lowered, the fan who brought them in decided to keep the items, happy that he got to meet the Hardcore Legend.

9. Ready To Rumble Again?

WWE.com

Sadly this entry is not concerning a sequel to the much maligned WCW-produced film Ready to Rumble, but rather a potential return to wrestling for former WCW ring announcer Michael Buffer who, incidentally, appears in the film.

The man with the golden voice responded to a fan on Twitter asking if he would ever announce a wrestling event again, whether AEW, WWE or elsewhere, saying:

"In a heartbeat!!! Love the heels & babyfaces!! Some of the best athletes in the world..I don’t know how they do what they do!!". 

Babyfaces and heels eh, Buffer? How long have you been subscribing to the Wrestling Observer for then?

Considering Buffer owns the phrase the phrase 'let's get ready to rumble' and gets a big, fat cheque everytime somebody utters it in a public forum, I can't see him doing a wrestling pay-per-view anytime soon.

The tweet also led to a nice exchange between him and Sean Waltman, who commented that Buffer announcing the nWo versus Ric Flair, Roddy Piper & Kevin Greene main event from Slamboree 1997 was a career highlight.

In response, Buffer wrote to the former Syxx, saying:

"NWO! NEW WORLD ORDER on WCW! An amazing time for fans and talent!! Great photo of you with Kevin and Scott! I loved every minute of it..great to [hear] from you Sean! Stay well, healthy, strong and safe!".

Alright then, Buff boy, how much do I owe you for writing those five words earlier? Call it ten grand even?

8. Scotty 2 Nicey

WWE.com

Scotty 2 Hotty was great, wasn't he?

He was awesome in the 90s as a high-flying enhancement talent, dynamite in Too Cool and utterly dependable in his utility role towards the end of his WWE career as well.

These days, Scotty is a coach at the WWE Performance Center and was recently given a lot of credit by new Raw Women's Champion Rhea Ripley during an interview with Renee Paquette on the Oral Sessions podcast.

Ripley talked about how she felt lost and alone after signing with WWE and relocating to Orlando, before meeting the master of the Worm.

“I want to say that Scotty 2 Hotty was a massive impact in my career. There was a time at the PC where I felt like many people didn’t believe in me, and no one really gave me the time of day or helped me much. But Scotty 2 Hotty was one that was always there for me.

"Scotty was definitely the one who helped me mentally get through the games that are in wrestling. Every time that I was down or got told that I was crap and I wasn’t learning and that I was dangerous and sucked at everything, he was the one that would grab me straight after and [say], ‘No, you’re doing great. I see you every day, and I know that you’re improving. If you keep on this track, you will be big’. I love Scotty 2 Hotty”.

As do I, Rhea. One of the good ones, for sure.

7. Blue Meanie To AEW Confirmed

WWE.com

He may be the absolutely loaded owner of an NFL franchise, a Premier League (for now) football team and a nascent wrestling organisation, but Tony Khan is, was and always will be a die hard wrestling fan at heart.

His fandom is well documented and former ECW and WWE star The Blue Meanie has recently added to the lore, discussing TK's ties to the defunct Philadelphia-based promotion.

Speaking to the Wrestling Inc. Daily, Meanie shared this:

“Tony’s a great dude. Back in the ’90s when AOL was a thing, I used to always go in the chats. There was always a chat that was myself, Mike Johnson from PWInsider, our mutual friend Jeremiah, our mutual friend Del, and Tony Khan was in that room too. We were chatting and trading tapes back in the day, and you knew he loved ECW.

"I was just thinking about this the other night, it was on one of the last shows ECW ran at the Lulu Temple. It was the Lulu Temple, ECW Arena weekend, and that was the weekend we did the KISS [parody] both nights. They aired the one from the arena, but our test run was at Lulu Temple, and Tony was there for both of those nights”.

The Blue Boy also spoke of his admiration for Orange Cassidy and expressed a desire to mix it up with him in the future.

Well, orange mixed with blue does equal green, so...

...no, wait, it's brown, isn't?

That's much worse.

6. Chris Jericho Remembers Eddie Guerrero

WWE.com

One of the true highlights of a jam-packed wrestling week was Chris Jericho's surprising appearance on Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions.

Y2J and the Texas Rattlesnake talked everything from Jericho's work in AEW and New Japan to his big moments in WCW and WWE and his frustrations when leaving Vince McMahon's company in 2017.

It was a fascinating listen and, at two hours and ten minutes in length, barely scratched the surface, leaving the door open for part two.

Some stuff was left on the cutting room floor and released via WWE's YouTube and social media channels, including Jericho reminiscing about working with the late, great Eddie Guerrero.

The Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rolla commented that the older he gets, the more he realises that Latino Heat may have been the 'best, all-around total package that the business has seen' from his era, before talking about watching a match where he and Eddie tagged against the Faces of Fear on the February 24, 1997 episode of WCW Nitro.

It's said a lot, but Eddie really was that good and it deserves to be said again.

6. Chris Jericho Remembers Eddie Guerrero

WWE.com

One of the true highlights of a jam-packed wrestling week was Chris Jericho's surprising appearance on Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions.

Y2J and the Texas Rattlesnake talked everything from Jericho's work in AEW and New Japan to his big moments in WCW and WWE and his frustrations when leaving Vince McMahon's company in 2017.

It was a fascinating listen and, at two hours and ten minutes in length, barely scratched the surface, leaving the door open for part two.

Some stuff was left on the cutting room floor and released via WWE's YouTube and social media channels, including Jericho reminiscing about working with the late, great Eddie Guerrero.

The Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rolla commented that the older he gets, the more he realises that Latino Heat may have been the 'best, all-around total package that the business has seen' from his era, before talking about watching a match where he and Eddie tagged against the Faces of Fear on the February 24, 1997 episode of WCW Nitro.

It's said a lot, but Eddie really was that good and it deserves to be said again.

5. The Radioactive Ringmaster

WWE.com

Now here's a (nuclear) blast from the past!

Former WWE and WCW star Bryan Clark, who wrestled as Adam Bomb and was one half of the tag team KroniK,was recently interviewed for the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast and talked about his life and career.

During the chat, Clark claimed that WWE offered him the 'Ringmaster' gimmick in 1993, several years before it was bestowed upon Steve Austin:

“I remember trying out and getting hired. Then, they basically sent me home and said they were going to come up with something for me. They pitched a couple things to me and Adam Bomb was the one that I chose, but they also pitched me ‘The Ringmaster’ gimmick. They sent me two choices and I picked Adam Bomb.  

If I look, I could probably find it somewhere. People are like, ‘That’s BS’. Look, they trademarked it in ’93. Check the trademarks. I don’t care if you believe me or not. I got tired of defending it, but those were the two gimmicks I was offered and I went with Adam Bomb because I just felt like I could do a lot more with it.”

With all due respect to the man, when I think 'master of the ring', the first face that pops into my head isn't his.

The whole interview is worth a listen as Clark talks about developing the Adam Bomb character, his quick loss to Earthquake at WrestleMania X and much more.

4. Kelly Kelly Gets Married Married

WWE.com

Lads, I'm sorry to be the one break it to you, but you've had your chance and she's moved on.

Yes, Barbie Blank - who worked for WWE as Kelly Kelly between 2006 and 2012 - got married this week.

The former Diva's Champion tied the knot with businessman partner Joe Cobra in a ceremony in California. Blank took to Instagram to share pictures of the wedding and wrote:

"It’s you and me forever baby! @joebcoba You truly are my whole world, lover, and best friend. I cannot wait to walk with you hand and hand thru life. And honestly it’s the best feeling in the world to call you my husband! ‘Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back".

WWE congratulated the couple via their website.

My condolences to Mike Knox.

3. WWE Honours Vladimir The Superfan

WWE.com

For WWE fans of a certain age, superfan Vladimir Abouzeide is as recognisable as many of the stars from eras gone by.

He could be seen in the front row of countless WWE shows, always animated and always wearing something that showed off his muscular body. A true fan, Vladimir may have stood out and looked a little eccentric, but he was there to watch and enjoy the show, not steal the spotlight.

Take note, all you clowns out there...

Anyway, it was announced that WWE will actually be releasing a documentary on Vladimir, entitle 'Superfan' this summer, the result of two years' worth of filming and featuring interviews with Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and others.

At WrestleMania this past weekend, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon presented a plaque to Abouzeide (who had travelled from New York to attend the show), naming him WWE's first-ever officially certified superfan.

I'd like to recommend Vladimir's pal Lenny 'Faith No More Guy' Bonfiglio for 2022.

2. The Wacky Return Of Lacey Von Erich

TNA

Lacey Von Erich is back, you'll all no doubt be thrilled to know.

The former TNA knockout and daughter of Kerry Von Erich popped up at the weekend's WrestleCon event and ripped through it like a Texas Tornado.

She was there on behalf of the Texas-based SWE promotion and The Hannibal TV YouTube channel, and basically filmed herself walking around, drinking beer and talking to people with often hilarious (or otherwise cringe-worthy) results.

There are too many individual moments to recap, but this Twitter thread does a damn good job of highlighting the best, including her utterly bizarre encounters with Kevin Nash, Jake Roberts, Scott Steiner and Ted DiBiase.

Genuinely more engrossing than any of the wrestling from the past week, Lacey - who clearly doesn't follow the industry or particularly care for/about it - was a hoot, refreshing in the total and utter lack of sh*ts given.

We honestly can't do the thread justice. Head to the link hereto check it out.

1. Paul Heyman's X-Rated Announcing Analogy

WWE.com

Cast your mind back to the totally weird WrestleMania 36 and the main event of night two, as Drew McIntyre beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title in an empty Performance Center.

The lack of fans in attendance wasn't the only thing that felt 'off' about the match, as some noted that Paul Heyman didn't do his usual ring introduction for the Beast Incarnate.

Speaking with Sports Media, the advocate explained why doing so would have felt wrong with an interesting comparison:

“Last year’s WrestleMania the main event was Brock Lesnar versus Drew McIntyre. When Brock and I came out to the ring I said to Brock ‘I can’t announce you’. That was our schtick. I couldn’t do it, because my dance partner wasn’t there. And my dance partner was the audience. 

I didn’t realize it 'til we were halfway down the aisle to the ring. This is going to get me in trouble with WWE, but so be it. It’s the difference between sex and masturbation. Sex is with someone and it’s wonderful, it’s intimate and it’s give and take. And masturbation is by yourself.

I just couldn’t bring myself to pick up the mic and do that schtick without the audience there with me. Because that introduction was every bit as much about the audience doing it as it was about me doing it. And without them I’m just by myself. I didn’t feel it, I didn’t like it, I didn’t want it. And I couldn’t do it”.

So there you go, folks, the final mental image from this week's piece is Paul Heyman having a J. Arthur Rank.

Talk about a WrestleMania come-down...