Latest news with #MichelleMcCool
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Will The Undertaker's wife make a surprise WWE return at Evolution 2?
Michelle McCool and The Undertaker (Image via Getty Images) With WWE Evolution 2 just around the corner, surprises are expected, but one name has fans buzzing more than most. Michelle McCool, the WWE Hall of Famer and wife of The Undertaker , might just be gearing up for one more big moment in the ring. A simple emoji was all it took for fans to start speculating, and now the spotlight is on whether the "Flawless One" will walk into the Battle Royal. Michelle McCool's name has come up countless times in fan discussions, especially with the Battle Royal still having open spots. Her unexpected response to a WWE post asking for Battle Royal suggestions has added even more fuel to the fire. Could The Flawless One be gearing up for another iconic appearance? The hype of Battle Royal and surprise entries at the mega event The Women's Battle Royal at Evolution 2 carries huge stakes. The winner would not just celebrate a victory that night, they would also earn a world title shot at WWE Clash in Paris. With six NXT stars already confirmed, fans are eagerly waiting to see which other names will fill the remaining spots. It's the perfect setup for a legend to walk in and shake things up. And who better than Michelle McCool , who was a key figure in women's wrestling long before the Evolution movement officially began? Her appearance at the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble proved she's still in shape and ready to compete when called upon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo While WWE has not officially added her to the card, her teasing online hints that she might be keeping a return tightly under wraps. Michelle McCool's legacy and WWE's missed opportunity? Michelle McCool was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year during WrestleMania 41 weekend. It was a long-awaited honor that recognized her contribution to the division as a multi-time champion. Despite her legacy, she has not been contacted yet for Evolution 2, something that surprised many fans. When a fan suggested she should pick up the phone for WWE's call, McCool replied with, 'Hasn't rang!' That short but sharp response left many wondering why WWE has not reached out yet. She has been working out, keeping fit, and even hinted at a desire to have another match. Nevertheless, the call is yet to come.' With her husband, The Undertaker , currently involved with WWE's LFG reality show, where McCool is also a mentor, she's not far from the ring. Her participation could elevate the match's star power and bring a nostalgic yet powerful moment to the show. Michelle McCool (Image via WWE) The clock is ticking, but WWE is famous for last-minute surprises. If Michelle McCool does return at Evolution 2, it could easily become one of the most talked-about moments of the night. With legends like Trish Stratus and Lita having their own comeback runs, McCool could be next. Whether she is teasing or truly preparing, one emoji has already put all eyes on her. Also Read: Did AJ Styles Drag The Undertaker's Wife Michelle McCool During Their Historic WWE Feud? For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
18 Of Our Favorite Jelly Shoes For Peak Summer Vibes
It's official—the jelly sandal is the shoe of the season. While there's a decent chance you had a pair in elementary school, the updated versions are sophisticated while maintaining a nostalgic, lighthearted feel. A good pair of jelly shoes is comfortable, versatile and an easy way to incorporate a quintessential summer trend into your wardrobe without necessarily having to make a major spending decision. The best jelly sandals complement a wide variety of summer outfits, and they have a playful, ... More nostalgic feel. ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS The fashion revival isn't showing any signs of slowing down, either. 'Jellies are the ultimate neutral,' says personal stylist Michelle McCool of McCool Style, who adds that they're a stylish complement to everything from denim shorts to linen dresses to printed maxis. We rounded up all the best jelly shoes for women, including rubber net styles, pastel Mary Janes and waterproof fisherman platforms, that offer a carefree vibe and will earn you serious style points. (For more summer shoe styles, check out our stories on the best slides for women and the most comfortable wedges.) Brazilian shoe brand Melissa was founded in 1979 and is notorious for its wide range of jelly designs (this pair comes in more than 25 colors). New York City stylist Gina Donnelly, who also buys Melissa jellies for her daughter, highly recommends this pair. 'Not only are they eco-friendly, they're comfortable, stylish and affordable,' she says. 'I bought my first pair at a high-end luxury pool resort in Las Vegas, but proceeded to wear them throughout the streets of NYC, St. Tropez and even my hometown of Kansas City—all while getting stopped with compliments on how great the shoes are.' Anthropologie Jeffrey Campbell Jellz Caged Slip On Shoes The caged lattice design of this pull-on pair offers just enough peek-a-boo for your pedicure. They come in an impressive range of nine colors, so you can have a pair for every day of the week, and then some. Reviewers say they're comfy, true to size and don't cause rubbing. Shopbop Ancient Greek Sandals Iro Jelly Flats Ancient Greek's take on the jelly shoe features a small lattice pattern. This pair is a favorite of Nicole Kwass, personal stylist with Ready To Where. The nude and clear go-with-everything shades act to elongate the leg, while the bright options of this style—including pink and blue—look great as a pop of color with white outfits. TKees initially gained popularity for its dressy take on flip flops, and now the brand has dozens of summer sandals that can be dressed up or down, like this barely there pair with jelly straps. We also love the Jelly Joey and Jelly Valerie styles for their unique strap patterns and vibrant colorways. Macy's Dolce Vita Julio Sandal This translucent pair has wide dual-buckle closures on the vamp that are adjustable for comfort. Reviewers say they have a supportive feel and plush cushioning, and they don't cause feet to sweat. Fisherman styles are particularly comfortable to wear because the wide, adjustable strap at the ankle allows for a secure fit. The crayon blue and vivid begonia colors of this sandal may be our favorite, but they sell out fast. Wild Fable, an in-house Target brand, is a great option to try the jelly trend without a big financial commitment. These come in clear, light pink, turquoise and red, but certain sizes tend to sell out fast. To note: Some say they run large. Bloomingdales Sam Edelman Michaela Jelly Mary Jane This charming pair brings casual summer vibes but it's also office-appropriate. It has an adjustable buckle, comfortable rounded toe and a cork footbed to absorb shock while walking. The Michaela Mary Jane comes in six colors, including versatile clear and a pretty soft blue. Vince excels at sleek sophistication. Kwass recommends this slide, which is a dressed-up take on the jelly shoe's casual construction. It has a padded leather footbed for additional comfort, and it also comes in dark amber and clear if you're looking for a transparent PVC shade. Jimmy Choo Jimmy Choo The Jelly Ballerina Flat Jimmy Choo's romantic take on the jelly ballet flat features an intricate, unexpected cutout pattern and crystal embellishments across the strap. This pair is a favorite of McCool's, who says, 'these are not your childhood sweaty-feet-in-plastic jellies—they're breathable with an open weave design.' They come in clear as well as Easter egg colors, and they have a comfy, padded footbed. Shopbop Tory Burch Mellow Mary Jane Jelly Flats For an elevated feel, Tory Burch's jelly Mary Jane reads dressy, with a push stud closure, and the lattice, open back design keeps feet cool. These come in brown, black and white. This open toe style offers more breathability, and the faux leather accent gives it visual interest. The upper strap is also adjustable for a comfortable fit at your arch. Style them with denim or crisp cotton poplin on hot summer days. If you gravitate toward platform styles or you're just looking for a jelly sandal to give you more height, Melissa's Possession Platform is a bestseller for its elevated silhouette, lightweight feel and flexible construction. It comes in neutrals like beige and black, but we also love the soft pastel green. Nordstrom Veronica Beard Tia Jelly Slide Sandal For times when you're looking for a little lift, Veronica Beard has reimagined jellies with a 2.5-inch kitten heel and a PVC vamp. 'I'm styling this shoe with all the brightly colored wedding dress guest dresses,' says McCool. It comes in five wearable neutrals, including sand and silver. The best jelly shoes are elevated, fun and never fussy, like this ballet style from The Gap. These come in four colors, although we're partial to this tomato sauce red. Some reviewers say these run large. This pair has a thong silhouette and unexpected petal-shaped heel. 'Chloe's perfect pink thong heel jelly somehow disappears on the foot and goes with everything,' says McCool. 'Pair them with a slouchy pair of shorts and you are the instant cool girl.' These come in baby pink, bright pink, brown and light blue. excels at trendy styles, while making them wearable. This fisherman style comes in four colors. Wear them with cutoffs, a swimsuit and coverup, or dress up a summer sundress. Tuckernuck Loeffler Randall Rhys Jelly Sandals Loeffler Randall's designs toe the lie between classic and unexpected. This twist on a fisherman sandal has sparkly rubber with rhinestone detailing across the bridge and toe for a glamorous spin. And the adjustable ankle strap makes them comfy to wear on days you'll be doing some walking. The Forbes Vetted fashion team spends a lot of time researching, reporting on and testing footwear. We've written about the best wedges for women, the most comfortable heels and the most comfortable flats. We rounded up the best jelly shoes by taking a multi-tiered approach: We compiled shoes from top brands that we like the look of, have tried or want. We also spoke with experts and took user experiences into account. We began by surveying options on the market from reputable brands, including emerging ones as well as established brands. We took recommendations from our fashion team into account, and we spoke with three personal stylists for this story to determine their favorite translucent styles for the season. We evaluated each pair for style as well as size and color availability, and we included pairs that ranged from extremely casual to more dressy. We pored through customer reviews, heavily weighing fit and comfort and only including styles that had mostly positive ratings. 'Jelly shoes are playful, nostalgic, and surprisingly versatile,' says Nicole Kwass, personal stylist with Ready To Where. 'There are so many different variations—I am seeing chunky platform jelly sandals, transparent and iridescent finishes, pops of color jellies, and strappy fisherman styles, which are a true throwback and nod to the pairs we all pined for at The Gap in 90's,' she says. And with all the variety, there is lots to consider when planning your purchase: Straps In many instances, the presence and placement of straps can add to a jelly shoe's comfort by enhancing its fit and preventing rubbing. Ankle straps—like those on fisherman style jellies—offer a secure fit. Slip on jelly styles work well in flexible rubber because they allow feet room to swell when it's hot out. Color Neutral color jellies may seem more wearable because they go with a lot. But the translucent nature of many jelly shoe styles means they can be easily paired with a variety of summer outfits, even in bright or pastel colors. Don't be afraid to purchase them in pink, green or blue for a fun dose of color. How You'll Style Them When buying a shoe, it's always smart to preemptively envision what you'll pair them with in your closet. Jelly sandals go with everything from summer dresses to Bermuda shorts. Kwass also has some styling recommendations: 'For a fun and feminine look, wear strappy or heeled jellies with a flowy sundress or midi skirt,' she says. 'Opt for pastel tones to keep the look soft and dreamy.' 'For an edgier street look, go bold with chunky jelly platforms, wide-leg trousers, and a graphic tee or basic tank,' she says. 'To really lean into the Y2K vibe, wear them with a mini skirt, cropped baby tee, and colorful accessories,' she says. 'Top the look off with a claw clip.' What Are The Best Jelly Shoes? There are lots of amazing pairs available right now. For a versatile fisherman style, we like Melissa's Possession Sandal. Some of our favorite pull-on pairs are Jeffrey Campbell's Jellz Caged Slip On and Ancient Greek's Iro Jelly Flats. If you're looking for a cute jelly Mary Jane, we recommend Sam Edelman's Michaela Jelly Mary Jane. Are Jelly Sandals Comfortable For Walking? They can be, although some cause feet to sweat. Look for pairs with an adjustable strap, flexible rubber or a padded insole like Sam Edelman's Michaela Mary Jane or Dolce Vita's Julio Sandal. Are Jelly Shoes Waterproof? Most are, since the majority are constructed with polyvinyl chlrodie (PVC) or silicone. But some jelly sandals have padded leather footbeds, so they shouldn't be worn in water.
Newsweek
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
WWE Star Has Surprisingly Not Been Contacted for Evolution
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As WWE prepares for its second all-women's premium live event, Evolution, fans are speculating about which legends might make a surprise appearance. However, one WWE Hall of Famer has confirmed that as of now, she has not been asked to be part of the show. Michelle McCool took to social media to address fans who were hoping to see her compete in the event's high-stakes battle royal. Her response indicates she is not currently scheduled to be in Atlanta for the July 13th show. Michelle McCool Says WWE Hasn't Called On X, a fan urged Michelle McCool to "pick up the phone" and get herself booked in the battle royal at Evolution. In a direct reply, McCool shot down the idea that she was holding out, stating that WWE simply has not reached out to her. McCool responded to the fan, "Hasn't rang!" This simple but clear statement seems to confirm she will not be one of the surprise entrants in the battle royal, where the winner will earn a future championship match. A History Of Surprise Returns McCool's potential involvement was a popular topic among fans due to her history of making surprise returns. Since retiring from full-time competition in 2011, she has made several popular one-off appearances in WWE. DORTMUND, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01: Natalya competes in the ring against Shotzi during the WWE Live Show at Westfalenhalle on November 1, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany. DORTMUND, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 01: Natalya competes in the ring against Shotzi during the WWE Live Show at Westfalenhalle on November 1, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany. She has been a frequent surprise entrant in the Women's Royal Rumble match, competing in the 2018, 2022, and 2023 editions of the match, which created an expectation that she would be a likely candidate for the Evolution battle royal. She has remained involved with the company in other ways as well. McCool currently serves as a coach on the second season of the A&E series WWE LFG, alongside her husband, The Undertaker. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Michelle McCool's Trailblazing Career Michelle McCool is one of the most decorated and important competitors of her era. She made history by becoming the first-ever WWE Divas Champion in 2008. She later unified that title with the original WWE Women's Championship, making her the first person in history to have held both belts. Her dominant heel run alongside Layla as the team "LayCool" was a top act on SmackDown for years. In recognition of her trailblazing career, McCool was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. While she appears to be sitting this event out, the Evolution card is still loaded, with Trish Stratus challenging Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship and Iyo Sky defending her Women's World Championship against Rhea Ripley. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
WWE LFG season 2 kicks off with new faces, big drama, and a power couple showdown
Image via WWE WWE's hit reality show Legends & Future Greats (LFG) returned for its second season on A&E with a dramatic premiere on June 22, 2025. The series, which gives aspiring wrestlers a chance to win a coveted NXT contract, launched with a fresh mix of new and returning contestants, a revamped judging panel, and high-stakes rivalries among WWE legends. Michelle McCool replaces Mickie James as judge One of the most notable changes this season is the addition of former WWE Women's Champion Michelle McCool, who steps in as the sole female judge, replacing Mickie James. Her appointment has sparked friendly competition with husband and fellow coach, The Undertaker . While McCool is determined to 'bring the title to the other side of the bed,' The Phenom has named her his top rival for the season, despite veteran coaches Booker T and Bubba Ray Dudley also being in the mix. The Undertaker & Michelle McCool will bring their competitive relationship to WWE LFG Season 2! Coaches clash as hopefuls compete This season's format has 16 contestants dubbed the 'Future Greats' - divided into teams of four, each mentored by a WWE legend. Each week, coaches earn points if a team member is declared a standout. The ultimate goal for the legends is the LFG Championship Belt, while the Future Greats are battling for a WWE NXT contract. Returning names include Zena Sterling, Elijah Holyfield, and Dani Raye, alongside fresh faces like former NFL player Trill London and standout newcomer Summer Sorrell. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Early tension flared in episode one when coach Booker T walked off set, jokingly claiming he 'should have won season one.' Streaming options While the drama on screen is heating up, viewers can catch all the action live on A&E every Sunday at 10 PM ET. The show is also available to stream via services like Philo (7-day free trial), DirecTV (5-day free trial), and Sling TV. Fans without cable have plenty of options, with streaming platforms offering both live and on-demand access to WWE LFG. The format has been tightened this season to a faster-paced 60-minute episode, ensuring more action, quicker eliminations, and constant twists. With veteran icons competing as fiercely as the rookies, and Michelle McCool vs The Undertaker shaping up as a highlight storyline, WWE LFG Season 2 promises to be must-watch reality TV. If the premiere is any indication, the road to WWE stardom will be anything but smooth - and the legends may have the most to prove. Also Read: John Cena promises 'something special' ahead of WWE Night of Champions showdown with CM Punk Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Forbes
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Bubba Ray Responds To R-Truth, Makes Bold Prediction About WWE LFG
WWE LFG Season 2 premieres June 22, 2025 on A&E. If Bubba Ray Dudley (AKA Bully Ray) was a catchphrase, it would be 'That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.' As a no-nonsense curmudgeon with a heart of gold, Bubba Ray took to coaching the Season 1 cast of WWE LFG like a duck to water. Bubba showed a soft spot for potential prodigies in Zena Sterling and Drake Morreaux, but never hesitated to default to mean Uncle Bubba when he was shown disrespect. This manifested itself several times through the season-long beef alongside Season 1's habitual line-stepper BJ Ray. Jasper Troy (Team Booker T) and Olympic gold medalist Tyra May Steele (Team Undertaker) prevailed in Season 1, however neither was under the tutelage of Bubba Ray. Now back for Season 2, Bubba Ray is picking up where he left off. Bubba back as a coach in Season 2, where most of the Season 1 cast will be returning alongside new coach Michelle McCool and new talent Trill London, Hayley Montoya and Karyn Best. Bubba was also in rare form throughout this informative, if not heated, interview. Bubba Ray On Season 2 Of WWE LFG Bubba Ray Dudley: Alfred, before we get started- Alfred Konuwa: Let's go, let's go. BRD: Have you ever buried me on social media? AK: I don't believe I have. BRD: You don't believe you have? AK: No, because— BRD: Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah When Uncle Bubba talks you listen. Have you ever spoken disparagingly of me on the old Twitter machine? AK: My answer to you is: I do not think so. But because you're bringing this up, can you let me know what I may or may not have said? BRD: No, I'm asking you a flat…you would know if you talked bad about me. It's a yes or no question. AK: My answer is no because I've always put you over. BRD: Then we can proceed. As a matter of fact, since you put me over in the past, why don't you put me over some more? AK: I will (laughing), because one of my most viral tweets is when I said that I thought the Bully Ray character in TNA is a top five heel all time, without any qualifiers. And I can't tell you how many people I fought. Now, I'm not one of these people who stays on Twitter all the time and cares about what people tweet about me. But that was one where I got a lot of blowback about it and I stood on business about that. So no, I've said way more good things than bad, if I've said any bad things about you. BRD: Uh, uh, uh you almost slipped up there, Alfred, you almost... At, at, we almost caught you. AK: (Laughing) Okay, but I'm positive I've never buried you on social media. BRD: So, doesn't Forbes always do like their Top 100 or Top 500 or something like that? AK: They do do stuff like that. They have the 40 Under 40, Top Real-Time Billionaires etc. BRD: So is this like for the Top 10 Most Handsome Men in Professional Wrestling? AK: We could make it that. Why not? BRD: Because we all know by listening to 'Busted Open' every day and there's super sexy swinging sounds of Uncle Bubba's sandpapery smooth voice, that I am one of the most handsome men in professional wrestling. You would agree, right? Alfred? AK: I would agree that you are a Top 5 handsome man, without any question, without any qualifiers. BRD: (Laughing) You may ask your questions now, Alfred. AK: Absolutely. Well, I want to start by, of course thanking you. Again, big fan of yours. I don't care what anybody says. You are obviously an all-time great and you're coming back for season two of LFG. I would like to know, just based on Season 1, seeing everybody's coaching styles: Booker T, Undertaker's coming back, Michelle McCool is going to be there. Who do you feel is your biggest competition in terms of the coach? BRD: Actually, I have no competition because I don't look at it as a competition. And that's a genuine answer. We all have very unique in coaching styles. Obviously myself and Booker having wrestling schools over the past 15 to 20 years, Booker with Reality of Wrestling in Houston, Texas, myself and my brother D-Von with the Team 3D Academy down in Orlando, Florida, Booker has pumped out a lot of talent that has made it to the top. We have pumped out so much talent that has made it to the top of all wrestling companies. So, we have our very unique styles. As a matter of fact, as much as me and Booker break each other's chops about so many things, we agree on nine out of 10 things that will come up about the way we train. And we often find ourselves using the same terminology or the same methods to help pass down the knowledge. This is very new for the Undertaker. This is new because we're seeing more of the Undertaker than we probably ever have seen before. As a matter of fact, the word on the streets is that Undertaker is too nice on season one. Will we see a meaner, more stern Undertaker on Season 2? And Michelle brings a different set of eyes and ears for the women. I think Mickie James did a phenomenal job in season one. Mickie became like the mother to these future greats. I don't think Michelle McCool has that same vibe with them, but she is now a Hall of Famer, four Hall of Famers, four legendary talents up there, all judging these 16 future greats. It's not a competition to me. I want to see all 16 of these future greats take steps forward. But mostly, I want to see Zena Sterling do in Season 2 what should have happened in Season 1. And that is her being given that NXT contract and moving on to become the star that Zena will become. AK: I'm glad that you brought up Zena because there's a lot of familiar faces we're going to see an LFG from Season 1. Are there any names that come to mind that after seeing and working with this talent in Season 2, where your opinion has either gone up or down about them? BRD: Not my opinion because I'm pretty dead on balls accurate, once I meet you for the first time. I've been doing this for a while so I can kind of figure it out within the first five minutes. It's like a song. I know within the first five seconds whether I know a song or not. And I can tell you within the first five minutes whether or not I think a talent will pan out, and whether or not I think they have the right personality for our industry. There are however talents that have come out of their shell, that at first you say to yourself, "I'm not quite sure if we're ever going to see this person's real personality." And then somehow, some way it shines through. On the women's side, it's Sirena Linton, the girl who, Season 1, told us the story about how she watched her dad get deported and her brother get killed at an early age. And we saw the emotion out of her. She really didn't do too much in the first half of Season 1. She started to shine at the end of Season 1. And in Season 2, we're seeing more of that inner spicy side of her come to life, a lot more confidence in Sirena. And she's going to be interesting to watch. On the men's side, I got two words for you: Elijah, mother-trucking, Holyfield. I'll say those two words again. Elijah, mother-trucking, Holyfield. Elijah, another guy…when I first saw Elijah, I was like, "Oh my God." You want to talk about the it factor when it comes to just the visual? Wow. Dear God. But then he would open his mouth and there'd be nothing there, no confidence, no nothing. But as I spoke to Elijah a little bit more and I watched him and I observed him, very shy, very reserved. One day he said something and I was like, "Aha, there's something there. There's an inner anger, there's an inner volcano waiting to explode." And we saw it happen in the middle of Season 1. And in Season 2, I think you're going to see even more of Elijah Holyfield. You're going to see that bad mother trucker that we all know that he can be. And I think he's going to open a lot of eyes, and I think he's going to get out of the shadow of being the son of Evander Holyfield. AK: That's amazing. And I've already read some of these synopses for the first couple of episodes. And I saw that it says that you revisited some old issues with one Drake, mother trucking, Morreaux. So what are your thoughts about— BRD: Alfred, Alfred, don't ever use my terms. If you want to use my terms, you have to ask Uncle Bubba permission first. And it should sound like, "Uncle Bubba, can I please use your terms? Thank you. XOXO, Alfred." That's for the future. AK: My apologies, Uncle Bubba. BRD: Drake is… really like Drake Morreaux, I really, really do. But I think that's the problem. I think he's too likable. I think I put this Bayou Boogie kind of New Orleans dancing happy, beer-drinking, alligator-juice-drinking, throwing personality on him because I didn't think that the inner badass would come through because he's so nice. So, I gave him something that the people could get behind, that they could relate to. Everybody loves going to New Orleans, everybody loves having beads thrown at them. To me, Drake Moreau came across as a modern-day, Jimmy Boogie Woogie Man, Valiant. And everybody loved the Boogie Woogie Man. But when the bell rang, Boogie Woogie would kick your ass. And that's what I wanted from Drake. Season 2 starts out with a little bit of animosity with me and Drake because I don't think Drake believes in me like I did not believe in him at the end of Season 1. Although, I really wanted to believe in him. So, you'll see the dynamic between Bubba and Drake play out in Season 2. Bubba Ray Reacts To R-Truth's Response To Him AK: Speaking of the dynamic of the happy-go-lucky wrestler who—when the bell rings—they could get serious. You've had some pretty controversial thoughts about one, Ron Killings in saying that you did not necessarily agree with him going so serious so soon. BRD: You're wrong, Alfred. You're wrong. I never said that. AK: Okay. But can I just premise this by saying that him coming back and being more serious, you did have some objections to that. Am I right about that? BRD: No, you're wrong. AK: Can you let me know exactly what you said, and more importantly what you meant? BRD: So, did you listen to everything that I said on 'Busted Open,' or did you listen to clips on the cesspool that is Twitter? AK: Not only did I listen to everything you said on 'Busted Open,' I saw R-Truth's response, who seemed to also take exception to you saying that maybe he should be more of who he was before he got released. And I'd like to know your response to his response. BRD: When Ron Killings came on 'Busted Open,' did he seem as fired up or more fired up on 'Busted Open' as he was on Monday Night Raw? AK: He did seem very fired up. BRD: You're welcome. Because only I can bring that type of level of fire out of people, because I'm off frickin Sith Lord, when it comes to lighting fires underneath asses. It's what I do. And it's a dying art form in our industry. And very few get it. What I said was, I didn't want to hear…and this was just a personal opinion, did not want to hear him refer to himself as R-Truth anymore. I didn't want to hear the Truth theme. It seemed by cutting off the hair, to me was symbolic of him leaving the Truth persona behind. He wants to be serious Ron Killings, then I only want to hear about Ron Killings. Truth is somebody that we were entertained by for 20 years. I was entertained, I laughed with, I laughed at R-Truth, but did I ever really care about R-Truth? I want to care, I want to be emotionally invested. And I want that serious side of Ron Killings that I want to care about the serious side of Ron Killings. That's why I said, "I don't need to hear the Truth name anymore." This was an opinion. This was not like he has to do this, he must do this. And if Truth heard something that inspired him to pick up the phone and call 'Busted Open,' well, as I said in the beginning, you're welcome. I bring out the best and the worst in everybody. Bubba Ray Praises John Cena Heel Character AK: And Ron Killings, we're seeing what I think is the best of Ron Killings because I love this feud that he has with John Cena, who has been very polarizing as a heel. What do you think WWE has gotten right with the John Cena heel character? What do you think they've gotten wrong with it? BRD: I'm not falling into your trap. AK: What's the trap? I'm asking both sides. BRD: What have they done wrong with John Cena? AK: I'm asking the question, I'm not going to say. BRD: And I'm asking you back. You tell me first. What have they done wrong with him? AK: If I could say anything that they've done wrong, which I've enjoyed more than I haven't, I would say that John Cena not changing anything was a misstep. I think it's a great idea that 'I'm not going to give you fans a new John Cena,' I love the psychology behind that. But for John Cena to continue to come out dressed like that, you still see him as John Cena. He still gets cheered. And I think if he was a completely different character, maybe he would get booed more. BRD: Alfred, are you familiar with a band named Kiss? AK: I am. Detroit Rock City, even though I was born in [Milwaukee.] BRD: Okay. Detroit Rock City, probably the greatest opening song of any rock act in history. Kiss wears the same makeup, plays the same songs. Gene Simmons blows the same fire, he spits the same blood, they play Rock and Roll All Night the same way. At the end of every show, they blow the confetti and they say, "Thank you. Good night. We're Kiss." They haven't changed a damn thing. And up until Kiss's very last show on December 31st in Madison Square Garden in 2000 and I don't know, 23, 24, whatever it was, they sold out every single night doing the exact same thing for 20 years. Why should John Cena change a thing? I'm not a big fan of cliches. And here's one, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You're getting different side of John, a different personality from John. Why does John have to wear different clothing? It's about the personality. I want to react to everything that John Cena says. I want to react to his words, his tone, his inflections, his mannerisms. I don't give a damn what he's wearing, because if I'm booing the clothing, then I'm not booing the man. By the way, all this advice I'm giving you and smartening you up is free. The next round, you pay for. AK: I really appreciate it because I was going to take out a credit line, but now I don't have to. Thank you so much. I wish we could go on and on. You're going to have to invite me on 'Busted Open' one of these days. I love this conversation. I'm going to put you over on Twitter again. BRD: Thank you, Alfred. Appreciate you. WWE LFG Season 2 premieres January 22, 2025 on A&E at 10 pm EST/9 pm Central. All quotes were received firsthand unless otherwise noted.
