WWE’s multibillion-dollar deal with Netflix has lined up several changes for “WWE Raw” as it moves to the streaming platform next year. WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash has seen the wrestling industry transform since his debut in 1990 and he recently weighed in on the shift in programming.

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“There was maybe — in that two hours — one match that did ten/twelve minutes, everything else was a three/four-minute squash match,” Nash said during an episode of “Kliq This.” 

He recalled how commercials were paced differently back then, and that shows had them between the squash matches but picture-in-picture ads didn’t exist. Nash noted that shows can now go up to three hours, which means pacing needs to change, but stated that wrestlers are more athletic today than they were in his day. The veteran also remembered how matches during pay-per-views were usually sponsored by a specific brand but stated that there are several revenue outlets today that justify picture-in-picture ad segments.

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“I guarantee you, unless you have that premium service where you don’t have advertising, you’re gonna get advertising,” Nash said while speculating how ads could work with “Raw’s” move to Netflix.

The veteran then noted how the locker room has had several major stars out of action over the past year, like CM Punk, but his stint in commentary after his injury kept him relevant during his feud with Drew McIntyre. “If you were the color commentator, that was an elevated spot above being a guy in the ring. Now it’s, if you’re still a player, that kind of diminishes you,” Nash opined.

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One of the most unique characters in TNA Wrestling history came from the mind of the legendary Matt Hardy, who brought “Broken” Matt Hardy to life, complete with catchphrases, lore, a host of equally as unique characters, and even a “Lake of Reincarnation.” Though Hardy carried the character with him and attempted to make it work in both WWE, alongside the late Bray Wyatt, as well as during his time with AEW, the “Broken” character thrived alongside the Hardy Family in TNA.

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Hardy recently spoke on “Busted Open Radio” about how the character came to be. He explained that he was influenced by the show “True Blood” and the concept that vampires can live for thousands of years, and you see them throughout different periods. He also pulled ideas from other shows like “Dexter,” while detailing how he wanted to be more creative in the ring as he got older.

“The guys are so athletic and so talented now and they’re smaller, and I can’t wrestle like I did 20 years ago, 25 years ago. So I said, ‘What if I try to be more theatrical and more performative?'” Hardy said. “I did think of, like, a throwback to the Papa Shango, Undertaker stuff when he first started. I said, ‘Either people will buy in that I am this supernatural character because something has happened, my brain has opened up,’ or they’ll think I’m crazy. Either way, I’ll make it work.”

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Hardy and his brother Jeff returned to TNA on June 17 after both finished up their time with AEW. Though still currently working with the promotion, the tag team reportedly met with WWE officials ahead of SummerSlam in August.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

The “Mr. McMahon” docuseries about the life and times of Vince McMahon brought to light the controversies surrounding the disgraced former WWE CEO, with several former WWE stars talking about their experience working with McMahon. While there have been several negative stories about McMahon in recent years, retired WWE star Titus O’Neil doesn’t have a bad word to say about his former boss.

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O’Neil, who had a 10-year run under McMahon in WWE, said in a recent interview with “Us Weekly” that McMahon’s contributions to wrestling cannot be wiped out. He also expressed gratitude towards the former WWE Chairman for giving him an opportunity in WWE.

“At the end of the day, what he built cannot be erased. It’s sad that the situation came to what it came to, but I don’t have any bad words for Vince,” said the former WWE 24/7 Champion. “It’s very interesting to hear different perspectives on things, but at the end of the day, I’ll forever be grateful for what Vince McMahon built, the platform that he built for so many people. He’s human, just like anyone else.”

O’Neil has been at the wrong end of Vince McMahon’s idiosyncrasies when he was punished for holding McMahon’s arm on screen, leading to a 60-day suspension.

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McMahon, who was initially a part of the six-part docuseries, walked away from filming following the news of the sexual assault allegations against him in 2022. Before the airing of the docu-series, McMahon criticized the show for misrepresenting him and alleged that the narrative was set by the creators to intentionally deceive viewers. It has also been reported that he tried to buy back the rights to the docu-series prior to being aired.

Former AEW Continental Champion Eddie Kingston is recovering from a serious knee injury, and his rabid fans are eager to see him back in the ring. Reports have suggested that Kingston will be out of action until the spring of 2025, which would bring his time away from the ring to almost a full year.

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However, during a recent appearance on “The DAVINci Report,” Kingston stated that he would like to return around that time despite already having the itch to get back in the swing of things.

“So the injury originally happened in May [2024], I would like to be back in May [2025]. Maybe even April, something like that, you know what I mean? But I’m not rushing it,” said the AEW star. 

The reason Kingston is taking his time with his recovery is because of how strong AEW is right now.

“To be honest with you, AEW right now don’t really need me at this point in time, in my opinion, with what’s going on, you know what I mean? They’re doing their thing, and I think having me around right now may mess up some plans, which I like doing, but also me trying to be a company guy. I’m trying, I’m trying, you don’t want to mess up the plans too much,” said the former AEW Continental Champion.

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Kingston has had his eye on what has been happening recently and revealed that he knew something was going on with Jon Moxley and his change in attitude as he usually trades text messages with the former AEW World Champion. However, it has been a while since he’s spoken to Moxley, which Kingston immediately saw as a red flag.

Please credit “The DAVINci Report” when using quotes from this article, and give an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.