Various: New ROH TV Tapings Announced for May, Steve Maclin, New Japan World Subs Update

New ROH TV Tapings Announced for This May

Ring of Honor recently announced that they will be holding a new set of ROH TV tapings on May 6th and May 7th at the Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.


Steve Maclin Comments on His WWE Release Had Motivated Him Creatively

A recent episode of the Tru Heel Heat podcast had current Impact World Champion Steve Maclin as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Maclin’s thoughts on how his release from WWE in February of 2021 had motivated him creatively for his career in Impact Wrestling.

“It just motivated me even more. I was told the creative differences were that creative had nothing for me, so I was like ‘okay cool, I’m gonna go create something for myself to make you want me.’ Whether I was to go back or not, but now it’s IMPACT Wrestling has given me the opportunity with the team that they have on the opposite side of the camera for creative. It’s just a good mold of just working together and throwing ideas and I just love that I get to be creative who I am and how I’ve envisioned myself. For anybody that is out there that is trying to create, just keep working match after match and honing in your craft. Try something new at least one thing new every match but also know like you have to work on your character.

It can be whatever you want it to be whatever your personality if it’s dialed up or you see a character in a comic book. I like to steal from comics, and I like to steal from movies. It’s where I get my ideas and it’s just invest in yourself and be all in on it and just have the balls to be able to stand your ground and know who you are. That’s pretty much all I try to do is just stay true to who I am, and anytime you see that camera on and even behind the scenes, I try not to be a kiss-ass. I try not to politic my way to get what I want. I know sometimes you have to kind of schmooze a little bit to get your way, especially throwing ideas around or pitches and you finally have to get it that way, but I just try to stay true to me and work hard.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com


New Japan World Subscriptions Amount Update

New Japan Pro Wrestling reportedly gained around 40,000 new subscribers for their New Japan World streaming service during this past January, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Dave Meltzer reported that the big gains are currently believed to be mainly due to the Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega match and Mercedes Mone’s debut at this past January’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 event. Melzter reported that this year’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 event broke the record for most live viewers for a NJPW event on the service at around 90,000 out of a total subscriber base of around 150,000 to 160,000.

Meltzer reported that increase in subscriptions for this year’s Wrestle Kingdom event was only 2,000 behind the all-time record of around 42,000 from Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018, which featured the Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho match.