Tag: Mankind

Around the World of Pro Wrestling 6/7/26: AEW Collision & Promo: Mankind “A man of integrity!? I ought to smack you!”

đŸŽ™ïž Rundown — AEW

Presented by Ed & Gordon.

🟩 DESK INTRO

Ed: “Fans, Collision has been hotter than a stovetop in July! AEW rolled from Dynamite into Collision with championship fights, tournament drama, and more chaos than a Fourth of July parade!”

Gordon: “Indeed. A most turbulent stretch — rivalries sharpened, titles defended, and several competitors made emphatic statements.”

đŸŸ„ AEW — KEY DEVELOPMENTS (Dynamite)

⭐ MJF survives Rush in a brutal No‑Countout war

MJF retained the AEW World Championship after Rush passed out in the hammerlock, following a violent match involving barricades, exposed turnbuckles, and apron piledrivers.

⭐ Mark Briscoe defeats Lio Rush and calls out MJF

Briscoe pinned Lio Rush, then demanded a World Title shot.

⭐ Andrade El Idolo continues his climb

Andrade defeated Vandu and declared his intention to chase the World Title.

⭐ Kevin Knight retains the TNT Championship

Knight defeated Speedball Mike Bailey in a hard‑hitting match, continuing his run as Don Callis Family’s centerpiece.

⭐ Owen Hart Cup momentum builds

Will Ospreay advanced in the men’s bracket; Mercedes MonĂ© returned as the women’s Wild Card and won her quarterfinal.

⭐ Triangle of Madness escalates their STARDOM feud

Thekla, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue cut a scathing promo on STARDOM.

🟧 FULL MATCH RESULTS — AEW COLLISION (June 6, 2026)

(Youngstown, OH — Covelli Centre)

đŸ”„ AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship

Divine Dominion (c) def. TayJay A wild, back‑and‑forth match ending with Bayne & Kross hitting Divine Intervention to retain.

đŸ”„ Shane Taylor def. Alan Angels

A decisive win capped with a package piledriver; Taylor then called out the Death Riders.

đŸ”„ Death Riders def. Shane Taylor Promotions

Moxley, PAC, and Claudio overcame STP in a heated trios battle.

đŸ”„ Tommaso Ciampa def. Beef

Ciampa won via submission and forced Schiavone to declare him “better than Chris Jericho.”

đŸ”„ Clark Connors def. Juice Robinson

Connors scored a big singles win over the Bang Bang Gang’s Robinson.

đŸ”„ AEW World Trios Championship

The Conglomeration (c) def. LFI (Rush, Dralístico & Sammy Guevara) A fast‑paced trios match with the champions retaining.

đŸ”„ Owen Hart Women’s Tournament Quarterfinal

Hazuki def. Persephone Hazuki advanced — then Mercedes MonĂ© attacked both women to send a message.

📰 AEW NEWS

  • Mercedes MonĂ© vs. Hazuki set for the Owen semifinals after their Collision brawl.
  • Shane Taylor vs. Jon Moxley for the Continental Championship expected on Dynamite after Taylor took out Wheeler Yuta.
  • Orange Cassidy vs. Andrade El Idolo announced for Dynamite’s Summer Blockbuster.
  • The Dogs challenge the Young Bucks for a future showdown.

🟩 SPECIAL FEATURE — THE MANKIND INTERVIEW (WWF, MAY 26, 1997)

Ed: “Fans, before we close, we’ve got to revisit one of the most unforgettable sit‑downs in wrestling history — the night Mankind bared his soul to Jim Ross in 1997!”

Gordon: “Indeed. A most revealing portrait — equal parts disturbing, poignant, and transformative.”

⭐ BACKGROUND

The May 26, 1997 episode of WWF Raw Is War featured Part 2 of Jim Ross’s multi‑week deep‑dive interview with Mankind (Mick Foley). This segment explored:

  • Foley’s childhood obsession with wrestling
  • His hitchhiking trip to Madison Square Garden to witness Snuka vs. Muraco
  • The origins of the Dude Love persona
  • His early training under Dominic DeNucci
  • His emotional and psychological evolution into Mankind

These details are documented in fan archives and retrospectives.

⭐ SUMMARY OF THE INTERVIEW

Gordon: “Mankind spoke with a raw honesty rarely seen at the time. He described hitchhiking to Madison Square Garden as a teenager to witness Jimmy Snuka leap from the cage — a moment he said ‘changed the course of his life.’ He recalled creating the Dude Love character in homemade videos, imagining himself as a heart‑throb despite knowing he didn’t fit the mold.”

Ed: “He talked about training under Dominic DeNucci, getting roughed up in the ring, and discovering that pain didn’t scare him — it motivated him. The interview showed clips of his early backyard footage, his bald spot from pulling out his own hair, and his struggle between who he wanted to be and who he became.”

Gordon: “A most compelling portrait — not merely of a wrestler, but of a man shaped by trauma, ambition, and an unbreakable will.”

đŸŽ™ïž DESK OUTRO

Ed: “Fans, AEW is rolling into summer like a runaway freight train — and with Collision, Dynamite, and the Owen Cup heating up, the next few weeks are going to be explosive!”

Gordon: “Quite so. A most eventful period — and the echoes of that classic Mankind interview remind us how powerful wrestling storytelling can be.”