#Gabe Sapolsky
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I don't have the time to cut out the parts right now but if anyone's interested in hearing Punk talk about Raven and their feud in his solo shoot interview back in ROH, here are the time codes:
https://youtu.be/86DNFrekexw?t=5082
Punk talks about him turning heel, about the matches and Raven's methodical pace, Raven saying no to a lot of things like taking bumps and chops ("they hurt and they are useless"), about them calling their first match completely in the ring because they went out earlier (because Raven started bleeding spontanously backstage).
https://youtu.be/86DNFrekexw?t=5421
"Would you call working with Raven a learning experience?" Yes. Punk talks more about how Raven doesn't want to take that Japanese hard style stuff ("you don't gotta hit me so hard, stop, stop") and how he's helped Raven get booked ("you're the kid and I'm the boss, and you're supposed to do things like that for me").
And then Punk also talks about the whole alcoholic dad angle, which is very much worth listening to, because Punk trauma dumps on Gabe Sapolsky (jokingly but also... "he didn't beat me or anything like that, he just liked to drink a whole lot") and Punk says people called him after seeing that alcoholic dad promo to ask if he's okay.
https://youtu.be/86DNFrekexw?t=5849
Punk talks about the dog collar match, about Raven teaching him psychology, and then also about the whole post match beer baptism angle ("that's pro wrestling man, that's hot, that's art, I'm a genius"). Gabe: "I said beer and you said tie me up and dump it down my throat."
https://youtu.be/86DNFrekexw?t=6215
Punk talks about their cage match, how much he hated it, that everything hurt and that everyone should of course have listened to him instead of Raven when they laid it out. Plus Punk talks about blading and why he bleeds so much in Ring of Honor ("I'll do anything if it makes sense, if it makes sense for me to jump out of a helicopter naked into a pile of razor blades I'll do it").
#roh#raven#cm punk#roh punk#punk vs raven#he's so full of himself but that's okay since he's the best in the world
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ECW Magazine: February 2000
16 QUESTIONS WITH YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI
BY GABE SAPOLSKY
‘JAPANESE BUZZSAW’ KICKS HIS WAY THROUGH ECW ROSTER
Since joining Extreme Championship Wrestling in the beginning of 1999, Yoshihiro Tajiri has proven to be a perfect fit for the federation. From his bloody, barbed-wire beating at the hands of Taz at Heat Wave on July 18 to his victory over Little Guido and Super Crazy during a three-way dance at Anarchy Rulz on Sept. 19, Tajiri solidified the brutal reputation he built as a wrestler in Japan.
Tajiri is currently a soldier in Steve Corino’s war against hardcore wrestling. The following is an interview with the “Japanese Buzzsaw” conducted through an interpreter.
Q1. DO YOU LIKE WRESTLING IN THE UNITED STATES?
A. I like it except for the people. They are really ignorant and disrespectful. This has become a home to me, though. In Japan, I was also considered a rebel, I never really fit in. I am much more comfortable here. I get paid the most money here. I’d say that’s my favorite thing about the United States.
Q2. HAVE YOU PICKED UP A LOT OF ENGLISH?
A. I’m learning very quickly. I know a lot of phrases, for instance (now speaking in English): “ECW fans are white trash” (now back to Japanese through the interpreter). I’m very intelligent so my English improves every day. I learned Spanish while I was in Mexico. Soon I’ll be fluent in three languages.
Q3. HOW DOES MEXICO COMPARE TO THE UNITED STATES?
A. Im supposed to answer that in one paragraph? They are very different. I can live in Mexico, Japan or the United States with equal ease.
Q4. HOW DO THE DIFFERENT PROMOTIONS YOU’VE WORKED FOR COMPARE?
A. ECW has been my favorite promotion. I’m on national television every week here, I get the biggest checks of my career. I’m in a video game and everywhere I go I can find someone to kiss my ass because they know how good I am.
Q5. HAVE YOU HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING AROUND IN THE UNITED STATES?
A. Not really. A guy named Doug Gentry has actually helped me a lot. I call him and he drives me wherever I want. If I need something done around the apartment, he comes running. If I ask for a favor, he does it. He’s such a mark. It makes me laugh. It’s like I have my own butler.
Q6. WHY DON’T YOU HAVE RESPECT FOR THE ECW FANS?
A. Like I said earlier, most of them are ignorant white trash. They chant items off a Chinese food Menu at me. They are just too stupid to even know that I am Japanese. Most of them couldn’t tell the difference between a Japanese, Chinese and Korea =n guy if they were all standing next to each other with their country’s flags hanging over their heads. That is pure ignorance.
Q7. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOUR CHANGE IN APPEARANCE AND ATTITUDE SINCE YOU ENTERED ECW?
A. This is the real me. I acted polite and quiet when I first got here because I was trying to earn a job. Now that I have cemented my place in ECW as a star, I can do and act however I want. You can say I put on an act and that I worked the ECW fans. Their stupid minds stereotype me as a nice, little foreigner. Well, that’s not me. I’m the Japanese buzzsaw and I’m the most dangerous athlete in ECW. I’m after the big money and I’ll do anything to get it.
Q8. THAT INCLUDES ALIGNING WITH STEVE CORINO?
A. He pays me the best. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make as much money as I can. There were two things that attracted me to wrestling. I wanted to travel and I wanted to make money. So far in ECW I’ve been very successful at both.
Q9. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THE TARANTULA?
A. That has to be one of the stupidest questions I've ever been asked. I'm proficient in Japanese, American and Mexican wrestling styles and kick boxing. I know every pressure point and every way possible to twist and turn your body. I know more wrestling hods than most wrestlers, for instance Tommy Dreamer, will ever forget. The Tarantula is just what happens when I apply my immense knowledge to the ring.
Q10. WHICH WRESTLING STYLE DO YOU PREFER
A. It really doesn’t matter to me. I’m a machine. I just win and make money.
Q11. WHO HAS INFLUENCED YOUR CAREER?
A. Of course Kendo Nagasaki who trained me. I’d say from Mexico it would be Negro Casas. I have learned many things from him that I do today in ECW. As far as non-wrestlers, Victor Quinones, who booked me in ECW, has been very influential to me in and out of the ring. Victor has played a huge role in my success
Here are the names of some people you have been involved with in ECW. What are your opinions of them?
Q12. STEVIE CORINO
A. He is one of the most intelligent people I have met. Did I mention he pays me really well?
Q13. Jack Victory
A. A true legend in the business. It is an honor to be associated with him.
Q14. TOMMY DREAMER
A. I have shown respect for everyone mentioned, but I cannot do that for Tommy Dreamer. I hate everything that Dreamer stands for. I really take pleasure in hurting him and anything that is dear to him. That is why i sprayed Francine in the face [on July 31 at ECW arena in Philadelphia]. I will make him suffer and I will break his back and put him out for good.
Q15. SUPER CRAZY
A. Crazy and I were once very good friends. The rivalry we had in ECW has destroyed that friendship. I think he’s just getting jealous because I’m winning more of the matches. He is definitely one of the best lucha libre wrestlers in the world and a great athlete, but I’m better.
Q16. JERRY LYNN
A. I’ve been in the ring with the best of Japan, like Jushin Liger, the top wrestlers of two Mexican promotions and many of the top stars in America. Jerry Lynn is one of the best technical wrestlers I have ever faced. He is flawless, except for one thing: He is weak. He is always injured and that always gives me a body part to kick the hell out of. If i know Lynn has injured ribs, you better believe I’m going to kick and chop those ribs until he cannot breathe. That is why he will never beat me.
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My reaction to being fired was different than even I would have expected of myself. I felt liberated, as if an enormous burden had been lifted off my shoulders. I thanked Vince for the opportunity, and after he expressed his regret one last time, I responded, “Don’t be sorry. I’ll make more money now this year than I did with you guys, so don’t be sorry for me at all.” It was a weird thing for me to say, because I’m not overly money-driven, but all I saw was opportunity. There is no better time to be fired than after a hot angle like the Nexus’s debut, especially because I essentially got fired for being too violent. And a lot of independent fans hated the sanitized version of wrestling that’s required to be PG. I knew they would see the whole thing not only as an injustice but also as proof that the only place they could see the kind of wrestling they liked was on the independents.
------
Laurinaitis told me Vince said I could start working independent dates as soon as I wanted, as long as it wasn’t for television or pay-per-view. That was all I needed to hear. As soon as I got off with Johnny, I called Gabe Sapolsky, who was booking shows for both Dragon Gate USA and Evolve. When he picked up the phone, I said, “Gabe, we’re going to make a lot of money.” (As a side note, what I considered a lot of money, some people would laugh at. It’s all relative. If I showed Steve Austin how much I made during the time I was fired, he would not be impressed. My family, however, was very impressed, and so was I.)
Gabe and I were both very excited. We discussed some ideas, and Gabe later got me hooked up with a graphic designer to quickly create a new T-shirt and launch a Web site that would basically be a vehicle to sell the shirts he was going to design. I had never been one to try to sell much merchandise when I was on the independents. I hated producing it, and I hated sitting out by a merchandise table trying to sell it. I knew, though, that if I didn’t do it, I’d miss out on the opportunity. In the span of a couple of hours, I turned into a full-blown capitalist.
- Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania by Daniel Bryan, Craig Tello
#book quote#yes!#my improbable journey to the main event of wrestlemania#daniel bryan#craig tello#bryan danielson#wrestling#sports#nonfiction#biography#quote#quotes#booklr#bookblr
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EFFY Calls WWE Staff Member Gabe Sapolsky 'The Problem With The Entire Industry Today'
EFFY took some time Monday morning to tear into former ROH booker Gabe Sapolsky, calling him a fraud and saying that he held great indie talent back.
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All of us here at the CORE booking office would like to personally thank Gabe Sapolsky for the praise of CORE’s The Co-Op 2023 schedule during his recent Industry Space event. People are saying that Gabe described the Jeff Jarrett’s Spring Breakers card as, “better than anything I ever booked for Mania Weekend.”
P.S. Thanks for the fruit basket!
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New Post has been published on https://rackradioshow.com/wordpress/2022/09/the-rack-09-29-22/
The Rack 09-29-22
On this week’s edition of the Multi-Time Award Winning, The Rack returned with your hosts Lindsey Ward & Sir Rockin. On the program this week we will be giving you the latest news in WWE, AEW & Impact which includes:
*John Cena sets a GWR for Make a Wish
*Candice LeRae returns to WWE
*WWE to make SEC Title Plates
*Gabe Sapolski returns to WWE Creative
And More!
We then looked at Saraya’s first AEW Promo and the state of the AEW Womens Division, including what role Saraya will play in it.
Plus Tweet of the Week!
Check it all out on this week’s edition of The Rack Presented by “MBG Films”.
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@prfctcellrulz
#pro wrestling#professional wrestling#indy wrestling#indie wrestling#independent wrestling#Ring Of Honor#Ring of Honor Wrestling#ROH Wrestling#ROH#Gabe Sapolsky
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it’s hilarious that evolve is such a big part of aew now days, darby allin, ethan page, eddie kingston, chuck taylor, jd drake, countless more and now strickland & anthony henry showing up.
yet gabe sold out to the wwe, sold his company, got fired and now shills for NFTs on twitter.
embarassing stuff.
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Enjoy hearing gabe sapolsky scream “TOILET FLUSH!”
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Listen, this is the obvious joke to make and a lot of people made it, but I’ll be damned if I’m just going to smile and nod as Gabe Sapolsky tries to score cool points by mocking Blink-182 (blink-182?). Gabe is some kind of ultracool scenester into the rarest sounds? Please. This is the guy who, when he was promoting the disastrous relaunch of FIP during the FloSlam deal, couldn’t bring himself to write the word “motherfucker” on Twitter, instead going for “mother f’er,” which is something even a church camp counselor would hesitate to say. Gabe absolutely has a Toyota Camry with a six-CD changer, and four of those CDs are Dream Theater. I believe this absolutely.
One of the great lessons in life is that everyone has shitty taste in music. Once you accept this cosmic truth, you are one step closer to becoming a bodhisattva.
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Why Did IMPACT Pull LAX? Big NJPW News and More!
Why Did IMPACT Pull LAX? Big NJPW News and More!
(more…)
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#djz#Evolve#Gabe Sapolsky#impact wrestling#LAX#MLW#new japan pro wrestling#pro wrestling news#wrestlecorp news#wrestling news#WWE
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“I forgot about the diapers!” Shortly before his daughter is born, Kevin has a terrible realization.
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WWE Staffer Called Out For Being A Huge Problem In Pro Wrestling
WWE has many people on their staff who worked for different companies in the past. Triple H brought Gabe Sapolsky in, and he holds a position on the company’s staff. …
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EVOLVE 93 Live Review.
MATCH RATINGS:
-Cedric/Yehi 3.5
-Yehi/??? NR
-Henry/Kincaid 3.75
-Drake/Theory 2.75
-Freelance 4-way 3
-DJZ/Darby 3.75
-TrollBoyz/Workhorsemen 2.25
-ZSJ/Lee 4+
-Riddle/Tracy 4.25
-The venue was great. Plentiful free parking, air conditioning (on a 90+ degree day), plenty of concessions (including good, cheap pizza), alcohol, clean and spacious bathrooms. Zero complaints about that building. A comfortable fan experience if I've ever had one.
-Zack Sabre Jr. is the most naturally over babyface the Evolve roster has. The ovation he received from the Summit crowd was loud and sustained, different from the reactions received by Keith Lee and Riddle. It's not easy to describe, but ZSJ got everybody on their feet the most of anybody, while guys like Lee and Riddle received louder chants from the audience. Then again, "Ooh, Zack Sabre, Jr." is always a hit among the live crowd.
-DJZ and Darby Allin had one of the most fun, succinct matches I have seen in a hot minute. Both are criminally underrated and linger in that "we'll do anything to put on a good match" territory -- including Darby diving from the corner post to a seated DJZ on the floor. Nuts! These two need more bookings elsewhere. I'd love to see Darby in AAW -- maybe a rematch of this one?
-Matthew Riddle is the best wrestler in the world when it comes to fan interaction. He is second to none in this regard. I could write a fucking novel about the ways he has gone above and beyond for me, including naming his finishing move after me. Yes, he has a move called "The Derek," and he uses it to close matches. Exclusively. Nobody has kicked out of it yet. (That I have a finish named after me, that I gave to a wrestler who is my favorite, that is protected to this degree -- that Matt even points at the move's rightful owner before he hits it... come on. What the fuck is even going on?)
-I felt the Freelance showcase was a little rushed, like the guys were trying hard to impress, which led to a little sloppiness. Matt Knicks slipped off the top rope and nearly ended himself right in front of me. I didn't need to see that. Beyond that, this was a fun match that got the crowd going. Lots of "Free-lance Wrest-ling" chants. I saw people buying Stevie Fierce shirts and Freelance merch, and honestly, isn't that what it's all about?
-I laughed at the antics of the #TrollBoyz, but they looked extremely... how do I say this? Checked out? They're clearly unhappy in Evolve, and they wear it on their faces. Maybe run the next Evolve show in the Knights of Columbus in Hamilton, ON and these guys will perk up a bit, I don't know. Beyond the Yehi squash, the tag title match was my least favorite of the evening.
-Seeing Cedric Alexander was a treat, but something about his appearance felt a little off. Maybe it was because it was for the live audience only, maybe it was because it opened the show. The match was one of the best of the night, but people were still filing into the building and a number of them missed this match. I think offering an exclusive match at the start of the show, when you open doors only a half-hour early, is a bit silly. Open doors at 7, do the show at 8. What's difficult about that? Gives people more time to give you their money.
-Fred Yehi is a treasure. An over-the-top nice person and a heck of a wrestler to boot. Big personality. Fred needs more bookings.
-Anthony Henry is a bona fide star in the making, and the match he got out of Jason Kincaid was wonderful. I phrase it like that because Kincaid's style of offense is so much lighter and he can't take that huge beating you like to see out of a guy. But he meshed extremely well with Henry here, and this match really helped shape the beginning of the show for me. I think I liked this more than Cedric/Fred.
-If I never have to see Jarek 1:20 ever again, that will be too soon. I got up to take a leak and talk to Shigehiro Irie during his segment.
-I was not impressed by James Drake and his high-waisted trunks. Austin Theory is jacked beyond belief at like, 19 years old, and I'm afraid to see what he's going to look like when he's my age (for numerous reasons). I just wasn't a fan of this match. Priscilla Kelly is always nice to have around, but she didn't add much to this one. Not a bad match, don't get me wrong, but it didn't burn down the house.
-It was fancy seeing Dominic Garrini in Evolve as Stokely Hathaway's enforcer. I think if they play up that angle -- that he is Stokely's protection from guys like Riddle -- that would be for the best. Dom more than looks the part, and he kills it in the ring, so this was a good call. Love me some Dom.
-ZSJ and Keith Lee was some hot soup, though! I went four stars-plus on that, because I'm a sap who does star ratings, quarter-star ratings and all that other stupid Meltzer-like stuff. Lee dominated throughout the 18 minutes, flattening Zack with chops and elbow strikes, with Zack selling like a bastard. The finish was a bit rushed, and I honestly wanted to see Zack win by blunt force as opposed to a lucky flash pin, but I'm also an idiot. (Yes, Derek, ZSJ winning via five straight penalty kicks is great business!) Good pacing, much different from the match that followed.
-Apparently to the viewer at home, Keith Lee's consistent attention he gave the guys seated right behind me played into the match, and led to Lee getting pinned at the end. From a live viewership perspective, this flowed completely organically. I thought Keith was legitimately upset with these legitimate jerks behind me, so he kept staring over at my side of the arena. But he kept doing it. It was weird, a bit, just how distracted by these guys he was, at one point jawing at them that what he was about to do to Zack was because of them. Brilliant move that it tied into the rest of the match, but again, from my perspective seated in the front row, I thought it was just crowd interaction.
-My match of the night was Bro vs. Sauce in anything goes. There were restrictions they had to work around here, due to the building -- for example, they couldn't use the crowd chairs the way they wanted, and they couldn't do anything with tables since they were plastic. They wanted to do more but what they delivered was nevertheless creative and inspired and left fans wanting more. There were some funky-looking spots in this one, don't get me wrong. A Bro-buster on the apron, a tombstone on an open folding chair, and a Van Daminator from Riddle to Tracy, but using Riddle's knee. A respectable blow off match. Now, leave it at that. Don't pull an Ego/Darby and keep it going.
-Chicago crowd was hot all night. The draw was great. I would say there were maybe 250 there? Maybe 300? I am bad with numbers, but I had joked about the potential for a bad draw going into this show, and Evolve well surpassed my wildest dreams. I give them credit. They delivered on their promises and I don't think anybody went home unhappy. A return date should be announced sometime in the next calendar year. I think the Detroit/Chicago loop is lucrative and will work well in Evolve's current show rotation.
-Finally, I just wanted to say I got zero beef with Gabe or anybody. I respect the booker man and I had a nice chat with him after the show last night. I was hesitant to approach him, because of the whole "Derek trolls people online sometimes with his criticisms" thing, but fuck it, we're just people. And Gabe is a nice enough guy to me, has always been decent to me. WWN and Evolve get a lot of trash, but personally speaking, I still dig them and they will have a customer in me going forward. (There is no Bullet Club-style finger gun to my head as I say this.)
Fun night. I'm still beaming. Check out a show if you can.
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YIKES! Things ain’t looking good for Gabe
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GABE SAPOLSKY: “WITHOUT WWE, EVOLVE DOES NOT EXIST” Gabe Sapolsky has given an interview to Sports Illustrated giving his appreciation to the WWE and in particular to Triple H.
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