LIVE From The Dean's Den

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!"...

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...

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...

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...

For quite a while Impact Wrestling, despite having some top tier talent has been considered the "weak sister" of the wrestling business, despite being the only option to WWE with an actual TV deal. However, multiple channel changes and numerous talent defections made the future of the alternative promotion doubtful, especially once All Elite Wrestling started running...

Tonight I'm going to cover some items we didn't get to cover Thursday (ERN Presents TNT On BTR, available on most podcast carriers) along with some fresh items. Someone who was named in the Speaking Out movement was none too happy about it.  A WWE employee whom we interviewed a few years back has introduced a motivational website and a line of products to go with it...

A few weeks ago I did a show that was supposed to talk about the resurgance of the Japanese wrestling scene in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to technical difficulties a full episode did not make air. This is my attempt to rectify that situation.

Since that episode NJPW has really kicked up their event schedule, but they aren't sticking to Japan...

(Note: Halfway through the episode news of the passing of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman broke. I am a Marvel fan as well as a wrestling person)

For my listening audience that has never heard my story, I grew up in the days of the territories. My area was run by Verne Gagne and the AWA. It was all I really knew because it was the only wrestling on TV...

Here's what I'm going to be talking about tonight:

JIM CORNETTE - In a strange turn of events, AEW's biggest critic DEFENDS the company he likes to make fun of.

JORDYNNE GRACE - Don't feel sorry for the former Knockouts Champion, she has some good things going on, despite the pandemic and the title loss...

Tonight Sportskeeda's Lee Walker joins Steve in The Den and the converstaion should be VERY interesting:

NXT UK - WWE's British roster plans to go REALLY old school on their next big idea...