Evolution Radio Network Presents:

While wrestling in front of live audiences in the US is still pretty much non existent, with WWE & AEW doing TV at set locations using talent to make noise Japan is starting to return to a somewhat normal stage. Yes they are now requiring masks for all audience members, but many have been wearing masks since the tsunami of 2011 so they have no issue with that. The seating has been changed with gaps between seating areas to observe social distancing. Even the current four person commentary team, which includes retired Japanese legend Jushin Thunder Liger are placed in two separate areas and separated on opposite ends of the tables they were at. 

This week I will look at the resurgence of the Japanese wrestling scene, from the Bushiroad owned New Japan and Stardom to the smaller promotions dotting the landscape. With a new reality new stories are being developed and new champions are emerging. I hope this week to provide you fans, especially those whose knowledge of wrestling is limited to WWE and AEW with a fresh perspective, something new to look at and consider watching more of.

Earlier today a major story concerning a name that means professional wrestling to many people broke via a usually unimpeachable source, especially considering his connection to the main person involved in the rumor. This afternoon a denial came from the person primarily involved with that name.

Should a disabled person be allowed to train as a wrestler? This was the subject of a long Facebook post from the mother of someone who was supposed to be training at a facility featured this past Tuesday on IMPACT Wrestling's Slammiversary go home show. This is a subject that is near and dear to the heart of Sean, being a disabled person who was trained. We'll let him expound upon it with Steve chiming in having worked with disabled people in and out of the ring. Speaking of Slammiversary, Steve's pick for the surprise fourth entrant in the world title match is now out due to circumstances beyond his control. There may, however, be a real surprise entrant, someone who is flying completely under the radar. 

The name of the late Japanese wrestler Hanah Kimura has resurfaced, this time in a complaint against the Japanese broadcast regulators. Speaking of Japan, the scene there is starting to heat up, especially in New Japan where some major surprises happened over the weekend involving one wrestler and two factions. They also brought back live audiences for the first time and we'll talk about the effect on the action. 

We'll discuss Fight For The Fallen, RAW's ever dropping numbers and MORE, TONGHT.

The IWC, or Internet Wrestling Community, is a funny thing. There becomes a groupthink where once a few people think someone is being buried or overpushed the entire group posts that idea all over social media. This time the praise turned derision has fallen upon one Matthew Riddle. Tonight I'll discuss Riddle's progression from UFC to Evolve to WWE. I'll examine what may have turned the IWC against the "Original Bro" and is there a way to reverse that.

If there's time I'll also discuss the absence of  Bianca Belair, Angelo Dawkins adds to the "fam", Taz passing the ultimate torch to Brian Cage, the public burial or Ruby Riott and other stories as they happen.

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Tonight we are bringing a special edition of Wrestling Authority Radio as we talk to someone it's taken a few years to get back on after her battery died in the middle of our interview.

When we first met and had Mel Cervantes on, not only was she working on the independent circuit using the name Thunder Rosa she had just made her debut on what was our favorite wrestling show at the time, Lucha Underground as a masked queen of a tribe of animal masked wrestlers under the name Kobra Moon. She continued to tour as Thunder Rosa during Lucha Underground's run, but after the show was not able to get renewed she took the Kobra Moon character to the Jeannie Buss/David McClain WOW promotion. After a short run there Mel brought Thunder Rosa to the NWA. There she was teamed up in an alliance with former TNA star Marti Belle and former WWE star Melina Perez which helped her gain the NWA Women's Championship, beating Allisyn Kay at the Hard Times pay per view in January. She currently holds the title and like most promotions is waiting to be able to return to Atlanta to defend it.

That doesn't mean Mel hasn't been busy. In addition to being wrestler, wife and mother, she is getting ready to change the face of the business, again. We will be talking to Mel about what motivated her to make this move and what her goals are for the future of her new upcoming venture. We are excited to have Mel on this evening and we hope you will enjoy her as well.

The fallout from the #SpeakingOut movement continues. More NXT UK roster members have been released and with no ability to travel not just in the UK but outside of it things don't look good for the formerly hot European brand. At the same time, we have encountered someone in the Midwest who has been trying to use sex to get bookings and we are putting that person on blast tonight. You can run, but you can't hide, especially not from us!

Once we hopefully get back to the easier, though not always good, side of the news, we will discuss the situation with currently on the shelf WWE Women's star Ember Moon. The man known as EC3 has released another "cryptic" video, although if you listen to the wording he's pointing in one direction, and no, it's not at the screen on the entryway... YET,  Steve thinks he knows who the "mystery opponent" is in the main event for Impact Wrestling's Slammaversary pay per view event in a few weeks. He'll tell you who and his reasoning behind his choice. There is already one confirmed signing, the question is where will they be used? If NXT UK folds will any of the roster be brought in? We know of at least one person they want to keep but will they be able to?

Fyter Fest Part 1 aired last night and there was a couple of not so subtle pokes at WWE. We'll discuss the results, the shots at WWE and what to look forward to for Part 2. Where is Bianca BelAir? We know now and we also have the not so good news about a returned WWE star. All these things and more - TONIGHT.

Last week, several weeks ahead of plans, The Den returned amidst the then just starting #SpeakingOut trend. Myself and Lee Walker from Sportskeeda.com were literally reporting a story in progress as news was happening while we were live on the air. 

Tonight we return with more stories as we find them, including the major shakeup at Impact Wrestling. There are more witnesses coming forward to back up previously reported stories on Jim Cornette, including one ERN fans are VERY familiar with. More action on the WWE UK front is happening and I'm sure more will happen before we hit the air tonight.

Join Lee Walker and myself as we continue to examine the repercussions of the #SpeakingOut movement as well as more positive COVID-19 tests and other news that happens.

Dear Wrestling,

What the actual f***? While we were on last Thursday with revelations of past racist social media posts by Chad Lail you proceed to bring to our attention a story about Jim Cornette and his wife Stacey having sexual involvements, not entirely consensual, with young trainees. You made us quickly switch to covering that. We got off the air and thought that was going to be the end of it. Obviously you had other ideas. Within a few hours after we got off the air the hashtag #SpeakingOut started trending. How bad was it? You made Steve bring back LIVE From The Dean's Den several weeks earlier than he intended. It got awkward because more information was coming out while Steve and Lee Walker were trying to do the show.

We finished up, thinking we were going to be done, but you had other ideas, didn't you? As the weekend and the next few days progressed you exposed many people, some of whom we regarded as heroes or even friends, as being predators. Now while you did show us the heroic survivors, it was the villians, some of whom we cheered as heroes, that you exposed. You forced us to face the enemy within, some of whom many of us shared a locker room with. 

You're broken, wrestling. We don't know if we can fix you over the next several years. What we are going to do is be honest about your flaws. We are going to name names. We are going to put people on blast tonight that we never thought we would. But, wrestling, you're not innocent in all of this and we're going to call you out too. Believe us, it's going to hurt you even more than it's going to hurt us, and it will hurt us badly. However, you need to hear this, and you need to fix this. We're going to try and help you fix it, but you need to listen, no matter how hard it is.

Get ready, dear wrestling, the healing is going to come with pain, and tonight we're delivering the pain.

Sincerely,

ERN

NOTE: I was not planning to bring the show back this soon. However, I would be less than the journalist I have always considered myself to be if I did not start this VERY painful conversation.

For those of you who are fans of the legendary Warren Zevon you recognize the lyrics I am using for the title tonight. For those who may not be, the second chorus says "Send lawyers, guns and money. The **** has hit the fan!". No statement can be truer than this, especially as relating to what has broken over the last 18-24 hours. For those of you who were listening to TNT On BTR Thursday, we started by discussing early racist and Islamophobic posts made by Chad "Jaxon Ryker" Lail. Before the night was over stories regarding sexual abuse by Jim & Stacey Cornette were burning up social media. Today, the dam started to break wide open as numerous wrestlers, including one we covered for over year, were being exposed as rapists/sexual assault perpetrators.

Some of these charges include pedophilia and are particularly frighteningand uncomfortable to talk about. Tonight, myself and Lee Walker from Sportskeeda.com will only scratch the surface as I am sure by the time I go live there will be numerous additional allegations that will come out. We will discuss much more in terms of accused wrestlers and what the accusations are. 

Please note, this show is NOT for younger or more sensitive listeners as there will be VERY mature subject matter discussed.

Tonight we are going to be joined by some guests and discuss some fun subjects and some very controversial subjects.

We are scheduled to be joined by representatives and participants from Denver based Primos Premier Pro Wrestling. Tomorrow night they will be hosting a unique event called BLACK WRESTLERS MATTER. We'll discuss not only the unique situation with the entire production, from backstage to in the ring, but why this event is being held tomorrow.

Following that we will be discussing a very controversial situation, one that we covered in our special "Wrestling With Racism", the controversy surrounding Chad Lail, currently employed by WWE as Jaxon Ryker as part of The Forgotten Sons. We will be joined by Lee Walker from Sportskeeda who today uncovered some posts Lail made prior to being signed that could spell the end of his career.

In other news we will talk about an Owen Hart documentary that is now in the works. The Street Profits are in trouble after the RAW episode that aired Monday. Who isn't at the Performance Center right now? We know. The line of the night on last night's Dynamite was delivered by a note. 

Well talk about all of these things and more - TONIGHT!

Two weeks ago we brought three legendary members of the ECW roster. We were hoping to have some good conversation and swapping stories. What we got was such great discussion that trancended the original concept that as we went from two hours into three, we agreed to bring this group back in two weeks as we already had last week booked.

Tonight we continue our discussion basically where we left talking about properly promoting, but we are going to expand the conversation. We are going to talk about booking in terms of match psychology and finishes. Then we will also talk about refereeing and why it seems officials today lack the appearance of control in matches today.

Joining us will be:

Tommy CairoJim MollineauxBill Alfonso (Due to situations beyond his control Bill will be joining us in hour two. We appreciate him making himself available to us.)Possibly a surprise guest

If you enjoyed Part 1 of our discussion you should really enjoy Part 2.