While on a path that he hoped would lead to wrestling stardom, Chad Lail's journey took a four-year long detour when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during the Iraq War. The decision forced Lail to scale back on wrestling and shift his focus to the real-life dangers of serving his country.
As a marine, Lail's duties included being a truck driver and machine gunner while enduring deployments to countries in Europe and the Middle East. Lail, going by the name Phil Shatter, still wrestled on the independent circuit when he wasn't deployed or undergoing 14 grueling weeks of boot camp on Parris Island. Even though it cost him years of development, Lail has no regrets
"I don't regret serving my country at all," said Lail. "It got me out of my hometown (Hickory, NC), it was 2001 when I decided to join so I was right out of high school. I didn't know what to do or where to start or how to go about being a professional wrestler. So I decided to join the Marine Corps and it got me out of my hometown and let me see the world and let me realize there's a lot more to this thing (life). So I don't regret it at all."
Listen to the interview below:
Well-traveled veteran Austin Aries appears to be WWE bound as he was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this week, likely undergoing the required medical testing before signing with the company, according to PWInsider.
Last month, there was a report that Aries was backstage at an NXT Television taping. To supplement that report, a fan outside of the venue snapped a picture of Aries signing autographs for fans before he entered the building. You can view that picture at this link.
Aries, 37, has been a prominent fixture on TNA television since 2011 when he returned to the company. Prior to that return, Aries was thought to be leaving the industry to pursue "other career options outside of wrestling," per PWTorch.
Since then, Aries won his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship in 2012, In addition to TNA's biggest prize, Aries also held the X-Division Championship six times, the World Tag Team Championship once (with Bobby Roode), and is the company's fifth Triple Crown Champion.
Aside from his most recent stint with TNA, Aries is also one of the biggest names to ever come out of Ring of Honor (ROH), where he's a two-time World Champion and one-time Tag Team Champion (with Roderick Strong). After leaving TNA in late June last year, Aries returned to ROH and worked a few dates for the company.
Aries told The Mark Outlast year that he'd like to focus on helping the future of the industry. While he was mostly non-committal about own future at the time -- including a potential run with WWE -- Aries' status as a 15+ year veteran is something he'd like to pass on to others.
"I love this industry and I'd love to pass on what I've learned, myself and from others to guys who have passion for it like I do. I'm known to be outspoken, but a lot of that comes from having a lot of passion for what I do. I enjoy the other side of the curtain, so to speak. I enjoy what goes on outside of the ring as much as I do inside the ring. As I get over a decade now, coming on 15 years of my career this year, that’s definitely an area I want to start focusing on more and more."
With the Royal Rumble this Sunday, it'll be interesting to see if Aries could be a potential surprise entrant into the match. However, if he passes all the required tests, the "Greatest Man That Ever Lived" is likely headed for NXT to start his career in WWE.
[Photo by Tabercil via Wikimedia Commons]
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles will appear at this Saturday's Ring of Honor (ROH) live event in Duluth, Atlanta, at the Infinite Energy Center, the company announced in a press release.
A native of Georgia, this will be Styles' "final" appearance for ROH.
Styles will be appearing live in Duluth to sign autographs and take photos with the BEST FANS ON THE PLANET! A cornerstone of ROH since its inception in 2002, Gainesville, GA’s Styles has become one of the most accomplished stars in professional wrestling, capturing a litany of major titles including, most recently, the IWGP World Championship! Don’t miss your chance to meet and greet this ROH Legend at his LAST ROH APPEARANCE – you just don’t know where you may see him next!
Styles, 38, has been in the news for the last few weeks as former New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) superstar is reportedly WWE bound. As the Mark Out reported, Styles -- along with Shinsuke Nakamura and Bullet Club members Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson -- are all set to join WWE in the coming weeks.
This past weekend in Germany, Styles teased an appearance at this Sunday's Royal Rumble. Prior reports mentioned that the original plans were to have Styles enter the Rumble as a surprise entrant. Due to the news of Styles' impending debut being leaked, those plans may have changed.
Time will well where Styles is headed but as ROH indicated in their announcement, "you just don’t know where you may see him next!"
Sonjay Dutt has been a staple in the professional wrestling industry since his debut for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) in 2003 when the company was just a year old. In fact, Dutt is viewed by some as a TNA Original in the same breath as AJ Styles, James Storm, Bobby Roode, and others – despite never being a titleholder with the company.
But if it weren’t for TNA giving Dutt a chance in 2003 – which turned into a six-and-a-half year stint with the company – the high-flying and acrobatic Dutt might not have made it in the business.
“When I first came into Nashville at the Fairgrounds on a Wednesday night, I was like 20 years old and I thought I would be there for the next two weeks, maybe one week, and it turned into six-and-a-half years straight,” said Dutt. “It afforded me a life and a lifestyle I would never thought I’d have in pro wrestling, it afforded me the opportunity to support myself, and then, later on, my wife and my family, which is the most important thing for me.”
Listen to the interview below:
On the first Monday Night RAW of 2016, former six-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho made one of his seemingly annual returns to WWE, interrupting New Day. As the WWE Tag Team Champions were in the middle of a countdown to a gift they brought for the WWE Universe, their countdown was interrupted by Jericho's famous Y2J countdown.
The "Ayatollah of Rock N' Rolla" proclaimed that he was back and would "save us" once again. After running down the triumvirate of Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods, which included the articulation of his newest catchphrase 'Rooty Tooty Booty," Jericho took to Instagram and promised WWE fans a "wild ride."
"Had a blast last night, fooled you all again," Jericho wrote on social media the following night. "Thanks to a great crowd in San Antonio and look out WWE Universe -- it's gonna be a WILD RIDE!"
While Jericho's plans heading into Wrestlemania 32 are currently unknown, he is a confirmed entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble, set to take place on Jan. 24. The record-holding nine-time Intercontinental Champion has also promised he would win the Royal Rumble for the first time in his career.
"At the 2013 Royal Rumble, I made it all the way to the final 2...and lost," Jericho wrote on Instagram. "That will NOT happen again this year! In 2016, I will win my FIRST Royal Rumble and go on to my SECOND Wrestlemania Main Event! I GUARANTEE IT!"
However, with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line in this year's Royal Rumble bout, Jericho would become the champion (for a seventh time) if won the match. With Roman Reigns vs. Triple reportedly the planned Wrestlemania 32 main event, it's unlikely Jericho will be able to fulfill that promise.
That doesn't mean that there isn't a spot on the Wrestlemania 32 card for one of the most popular and decorated performers in WWE history.
With several top WWE superstars out with injury, including John Cena, Randy Orton, Cesaro, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, and Sting, Wrestlemania carries a lot of intrigues this year. How will WWE host its biggest event with the year without it's biggest name (Cena), several young superstars (Rollins, Cesaro), and a 2016 Hall of Fame inductee (Sting)?
[Photo by David Seto via Wikimedia Commons]
Before his shoulder surgery -- which will sideline him for six-to-nine months -- Cena was reportedly going to be The Undertaker's opponent at Wrestlemania 32. Obviously, those plans have been scrapped and a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via Wrestling Inc) says that WWE had no backup opponent in mind for The Undertaker before Cena's injury. Therefore, unless Cena miraculously heals in just two months, the company is not sure who'll face their current longest-tenured performer.
So why not have Jericho -- a man who hasn't performed at Wrestlemania since 2013 -- face The Undertaker for the first time ever on a Wrestlemania card?
It would give the show a match between two of the most popular performers of not just the past two decades, but all time. While Jericho and Undertaker have had a few encounters before, they have never wrestled each other in a singles bout on a big stage like Wrestlemania.
During The Undertaker's reign as World Heavyweight Champion in 2009, he and Jericho wrestled each on SmackDown -- including this gem of a match in England.
It's surprising how few times Jericho and Undertaker have crossed paths in WWE despite having been full-time performers with WWE during the same time periods. In a way, that mirrors exactly what a match between The Undertaker and John Cena would be.
Since his WWE debut in 2002, Cena has wrestled The Undertaker just a few times. They wrestled at No Mercy 2003 during Cena's rookie campaign and then sporadically through 2006 -- which is the last time they faced each other.
Clearly, Jericho and Cena are two different performers with one being the name and face of WWE (Cena) and the other a revered legend who pops in from time-to-time (Jericho). Yet, both of them have been limited to just a few matches against "The Phenom."
Since Wrestlemania 25, all of The Undertaker's matches have been treated as attraction bouts rather than a crescendo of a long, bloody, passionate feud. From Wrestlemania 25-26, Undertaker faced "HBK" Shawn Michaels in a pair of matches that are regarded by some as two of the best in Wrestlemania history.
[Photo by Simon Q/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons]
Then, from Wrestlemania 27-28, Undertaker wrestled "The Game" Triple H in two physical contests --which included an "End of an Era" Hell in a Cell match at Wrestlemania 28. Per Wrestle Newz, there were discussions that year for a possible Jericho vs. Undertaker match at Wrestlemania but obviously, nothing came of it.
At Wrestlemania 29, Undertaker wrestled CM Punk in a match that many viewed as the best match on that card. However, Punk left WWE for two months after that match, so it ended up as just another attraction for Wrestlemania that year.
Wrestlemania 30 was a real doozy and the infamous night when Brock Lesnar ended the famous Wrestlemania Undefeated Streak. After three F5's, Lesnar cemented his name in wrestling lore as the man who broke the one constant in wrestling for the 21 years that preceded it. That feud turned into two more matches between Undertaker and Lesnar the following year but once again, was a mere attraction.
This past Wrestlemania, Undertaker faced Bray Wyatt. The match itself was not bad but Undertaker made a total of zero appearances for the buildup of the match. Then on gameday, Undertaker walked into Santa Clara, California and defeated "The New Face of Fear" in a glorified 12-minute squash match.
With Jericho being Undertaker's opponent, it would add a lot of interesting elements to the match. For starters, nobody would or should question Jericho's credentials for such a high profile match. Aside from Undertaker himself, Jericho has been in the wrestling business longer than any other active superstar in the WWE.
Sure, Jericho's recent runs have mostly been comprised of putting over younger talent, but that's because the boss tells him to do that. If the boss told him to go out and present himself as a credible opponent to The Undertaker, all Jericho would need is a microphone and a pulse to pull that off.
Second, with the streak being over, any matches The Undertaker has at Wrestlemania's in the future are no longer foregone conclusions. Sure, Jericho defeating The Undertaker might be a bit of a stretch for a number of reasons. But remember, a part-time guy broke the streak, so why can't a part-time guy add another L to the Undertaker's Wrestlemania record? Stranger things have happened.
Finally, it would actually give Jericho something meaningful heading into Wrestlemania. It would also avoid another Fandango situation from Wrestlemania 29. Despite his 15 minutes of fame after Wrestlemania, Fandango's "popularity" fizzled out quick and a Jericho return and Wrestlemania match turned out to be a monumental waste.
It's rare to enter a foreign country as an outsider and grow into one of the country's own, but New Japan Pro Wrestling's (NJPW) Kenny Omega has done so while becoming pro wrestling's version of a video game character.
Among the moves and concepts Omega has incorporated into his act include a double palm thrust to his opponent's chest that he calls the Hadouken, taken from Street Fighter. Also, Omega's current gimmick of “The Cleaner” was directly inspired by combining Neo from The Matrix and Albert Wesker from Resident Evil. Additionally, Omega has performed Zangief's Ultra from Ultimate Street Fighter 4 and wears the shades that Marion Cobretti wore in the 1986 Sylvester Stallone film, Cobra.
While that entire persona and the antics have gotten Omega extremely popular in Japan – where he lives full-time and fluently speaks the language -- it's always a concern that the American audience won't be as receptive to his shtick.
Listen to the interview below:
With of the biggest names in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) reportedly on their way to WWE, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan continues to plead with the WWE to clear him.
Amid rumors of WWE potentially never clearing him to return, Bryan took to social medi to ask his employer for medical clearance.
Bryan, 34, has been out of action for most the last two years due to a myriad of neck and concussion issues. Shortly after winning championships at both Wrestlemania 30 and 31, Bryan was forced to relinquish his titles.
Since taking his latest injury leave this past April, there have been several reports about WWE being cautious with Bryan going forward. Bryan has stated in several interviews that it's possible he may never wrestle with WWE again, going as far as suggesting that he may wrestle elsewhere once his contract is up.
But if he does get clearance to return -- which looks more likely with injuries to John Cena, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Sting, and others -- Bryan may get his dream match. Last April, Bryan revealed to Title Match Wrestling that he wants to wrestle NJPW legend Shinsuke Nakamura in Japan.
Soon after, Nakamura took to Twitter and shared Bryan's enthusiam for a potential matchup.
With Wrestlemania season upon us, fans should expect continuous rumors regarding Bryan's status until a decision on his future is made.
[Image via NJPW]
After numerous reports of WWE apparently acquiring the rights to the Bullet Club name, it has been confirmed that the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) still owns the name.
Early Thursday afternoon, the Pro Wrestling Tee's Instagram account commented on a picture of a new t-shirt for the remaining Bullet Club members -- now known as The Elite.
The comment indicated that WWE acquired the rights to the Bullet Club.
Here's a screenshot of the comment.
[Imaga via The Inquisitr]
Further fuel to the speculation was added when NJPWsuperstar and one-half of The Young Bucks, Matt Jackson sent out a tweet about the Bullet Club. The tweet suggested that the Bullet Club name was no longer associated with NJPW.
Love it. Hate it. Who cares. #BulletClub changed the business & transcended wrestling.
As The Mark Out reported yesterday, the WWE is on the verge of signing Bullet Club members Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, now-former Bullet Club member AJ Styles, and NJPW legend Shinsuke
Nakamura. The impending signings have been referred to as a "raid" of NJPW by WWE.
There have been rumors of Styles potentially being a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble this year. Also, a report last night confirmed that Nakamura will be finished with NJPW at the end of the month as he is set to join WWE (via WhatCulture).
The WWE has made a lot of reference to the Bullet Club this week, including retweeting several photos posted by current NXT Heavyweight champion Finn Balor. Balor, fka Prince Devitt, is the architect of the Bullet Club, having found the stable in 2013.He has been vocal on social media regarding his former stablemates being WWE bound.
While it's always possible that WWE is currently working out some sort of deal for rights to the Bullet Club name, the company currently does not own it.
Former Ring of Honor (ROH) superstars and real-life married couple Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis debuted on the company's premiere on PopTV last night.
[Image by Anton Jackson/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons]
It was originally reported that Bennett and Kanellis were TNA-bound after Bennett and his tag team partner Matt Taven (The Kingdom) dropped the ROH Tag Team Championships at ROH Final Battle, per Wrestling Inc. After working the ROH tapings the following night, Bennett and Kanellis officially concluded their stint with the company.
TNA began airing vignettes of "The Miracle" which proves to be Bennett's new monicker.
Bennett, 30, made his professional wrestling debut in 2002. He was a mainstay on the independent circuit for years before officially signing with ROH in 2010 (Bennett debuted with ROH in 2008).
Although he never won any singles championships with ROH, Bennett did wrestle against some of ROH's top talents, including Jay Lethal, Kevin Steen (Owens), Tommaso Ciampa, and more.
[Image by Tabercial via Wikimedia Commons]
Throughout his time with ROH, the WWE reportedly had an interest in signing Bennett, but the two sides never came to terms on a deal.
The Kingdom tag team was formed in 2014 and engaged in matches with several tag teams, including The Addiction (Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels), The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), The Briscoes (Mark and Jay Briscoe), and more.
While The Kingdom did not win TNA Tag Team gold until September 2015, the duo did capture New Japan Pro Wrestling's IWGP Tag Team Championships in April 2015, defeating The Bullet Club (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson).
[Image by Tabercil via Wikimedia Commons]
Former Total Nonstop Action (TNA) World Heavyweight Champion James Storm returned at last night's IMPACT debut on PopTV, reforming the 'Beer Money' tag team with Bobby Roode. Per Wrestling News, Storm made the save as Eric Young and Bram assaulted Roode after he retained his King of the Mountain Championship. Storm proceeded to get on the microphone and discussed his exit from TNA, stating the reason he left was because he was not happy with the character he was "portraying."
Storm made a couple of appearances for WWE NXT after he left TNA, leading to speculation that he would be the latest former TNA superstar to sign with WWE. However, those few appearances turn out to be the extent of Storm's involvement with WWE.
[Image by Mike Kalasnik/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons]
Storm added that TNA was built by guys like him and seeing that he was voted the "Biggest Disappointment" didn't sit well with him. Storm then turned his attention to Roode, telling him that they've had a lot of beer and made a lot of money. After offering Roode a beer, Roode hesitated but accepted the gesture, thus reforming Beer Money.
The duo first teamed in 2008 with their partnership lasting until late 2011. During the course of their tag team, Beer Money has held the TNA Tag Team Championships on four occasions.
Storm himself is a former 13-time Tag Team Champion, having held the NWA Tag Team Championships on seven occasions and the TNA Tag Team Titles six times.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) stars AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura are reportedly headed to WWE's main roster rather than starting at NXT, according to F4WOnline (via Wrestlezone).
It was reported by Court Bauer of MLW Radioyesterday that Nakamura, 35, Styles, 38, and Bullet Club members Doc Gallows,32, and Karl Anderson, 35, all gave their notices to NJPW and were signing with WWE. F4WOnline's report adds that both Styles and Nakamura will be signing lucrative contracts with WWE, so they will likely skip NXT and head to the main roster. However, it's possible for both men to wrestle in a few NXT matches just to get the acclimated.
At NJPW's Dash event, the company ran an angle in which the Bullet Club turned on AJ Styles.
Not only was Styles kicked out of the Bullet Club, he proceeded to give a farewell to the Japanese fans. Wrestling News adds that Styles is not advertised for any Ring of Honor (ROH) shows. Since leaving Total Nonstop Action (TNA) in 2014, the two most notable promotions Styles wrestled for were NJPW and ROH.
[Image via Wikimedia Commons]
There is speculation that Styles could be one of the 30 entrants in the Royal Rumble this year, but that is not confirmed.
Also, current NJPW star and former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega defeated Nakamura in a tag team on the same night. Thus, it sets up an exit strategy for Nakamura as he can drop his IWGP Intercontinental Title to Omega -- who is getting a "pretty big push" with NJPW, per Wrestlezone.
Known as the "King of Strong Style," Nakamura has been with NJPW since 2002. During his near decade-and-a-half stint with the company, Nakamura can boast a myriad of accolades. Those accolades include three reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, five reigns as IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a one-time IWGP Tag Team Champion (with Hiroshi Tanahashi), and more.
Since Nakamura is a current titleholder, he will likely lose his championship first before debuting with WWE.
Standing nearly seven feet tall, weighing nearly 400 pounds, covered in tattoos, and always smiling, former WWE superstar Brodus Clay seemed destined to be a major attraction for the company for years to come. Under the “Funkasaurus” gimmick in which Clay would gyrate and dance to the ring with a couple of attractive young females, he became one of WWE's most recognizable entities.
However, in early 2014, Clay was released from the WWE for the second time. It was an unceremonious exit for the 42-year-old Clay as he seemed to be lost in the shuffle for over a year. Now, Clay has made his way to Total Nonstop Action (TNA) under the name Tyrus.
Alongside fellow WWE NXT Season 4 competitor and former TNA World Heavyweight champion Ethan Carter III (aka Derrick Bateman), both men have a platform to put their talents on display.
In three short years, The Mark Out has grown from a small, opinion based blog, to providing wrestling fans some of best exclusive content on the web. Not only has The Mark Out been credentialed to a litany of pro wrestling events, we've interviewed some of the biggest names in the profession.
From WWE Hall of Famers Bob Backlund and Lita to AJ Styles, John Morrison, Ken Shamrock, The Young Bucks, and Mr. Anderson, The Mark Out will continue to interview wrestling's biggest superstars.
Many of the interviews on The Mark Out have been featured on some of the biggest wrestling news sites around, including Wrestlezone.com, EWrestlingNews.com, Wrestling Inc.com, LordsOfPain.net and so many more.
