Browsing: Bully

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It can be argued that Jon Moxley and the Death Riders are at a bit of a crossroads. After dominating AEW for almost a year, the group has suffered two setbacks over the last few months, with Moxley losing the AEW World Championship to “Hangman” Adam Page at All In, and then quitting against Darby Allin in an I Quit match this past weekend at WrestleDream. That last defeat, following Moxley’s vow that he would never quit, particularly stings, and one could argue calls into question his entire aura within his stable.

As is the case most big defeats in wrestling, it also opens the door for Moxley to disappear into the shadows for awhile and return later with a new focus. Alas, Bully Ray doesn’t believe that will happen. On Monday’s “Busted Open Radio,” the two-time Hall of Famer cited the fact that Moxley didn’t go away after losing to Page as a sign that he is likely to stick around on TV. That’s not the worst thing in the world, however, as Bully laid out a path he believes AEW can take to end Moxley’s heel run and turn him back babyface.

“So now we get Moxley losing to Darby, to the Sharpshooter and … the bat, the Coffin Drop, the Sharpshooter,” Bully said. “Now, Moxley should screw off again. But I see a very good reason for Moxley not to go home yet. … If Moxley is going to stick around because AEW has main event roster issues with injuries and people not being on TV right now, … it is time for AEW to tell the story of Jon Moxley and Renee Paquette, and how Renee finally gets in Jon’s ear. … Behind every man is a stronger woman. Renee needs to be that stronger woman. If somebody can turn Jon Moxley back into a babyface, it is Renee Paquette.”

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

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WWE faction The Vision underwent a massive shift last week, with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed seemingly ejecting Seth Rollins from the group via a ferocious beatdown at the end of “WWE Raw.” As a result, it seems likely that both men will take a step up in the company’s hierarchy. Speaking on “Busted Open Radio” in the aftermath of “Raw,” Bully Ray shared his take on whether or not Breakker is ready to become a regular main eventer.

“I never like to see talents jump too far ahead of things, but Bron is one of those very unique talents, so I’m gonna compare him to a couple of guys,” Bully said. “Brock Lesnar. Randy Orton. Kurt Angle.”

Those three performers have more than a few things in common, and Bully believes WWE’s leadership and creative team had a clear idea of what they wanted to do with those wrestlers. He believes the same could be true for Breakker. While there’s a chance that he could stumble and lose the audience, Bully doesn’t think it’s likely in this case, as Breakker has a ton of raw talent.

That being said, Bully showed some hesitation when it comes to the idea of making Breakker one of the company’s top stars right now. One thing that Breakker needs to work on, in Bully’s estimation, is adding some depth to his character.

Though the discussion focused on Breakker, and he was the one who initiated the coup, it’s worth noting that Reed just picked up a victory over Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel days before. Because of that, it seems WWE has significant plans for both Reed and Breakker, and Bully noted that Reed’s Tsunami finisher was used in tandem with Breakker’s spear to put Rollins out of commission.Â

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

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Brock Lesnar has polarized many fans recently with the controversies he’s been involved in, but he still has a fan in Bully Ray, who praised him and his wrestling mindset.

Ray, while talking about Lesnar on “Busted Open,” called the former WWE Champion one of the sharpest minds in the pro wrestling business.Â

“With Brock, it’s all about quality and not quantity. And that’s the way it should be,” he said. “And I can’t hammer this home enough: Brock Lesnar is one of the smartest pro wrestlers on the planet.”

To drive home his point, Ray took listeners back to the 2020 Royal Rumble, where Lesnar decimated everyone in his path in the men’s Royal Rumble match. However, he fell to McIntyre, which received a loud reaction from the fans, and put the rocket on McIntyre heading into WrestleMania.

“If you don’t believe me, just go back and watch that Royal Rumble right before Drew McIntyre and leading up to right up until Drew McIntyre eliminates Brock. That entire match is designed by Brock just to make Drew. If other people would have gotten eliminated in that match that were not eliminated by Brock, it would have taken away from Drew McIntyre. And Brock went into that match saying, ‘I’m going to make Drew McIntyre. How do I make him?’ Brock already knows that in getting eliminated by Drew, it’s going to be a big deal. But how do we make that elimination even a bigger deal? How do we make people jump up on their feet and scream at the top of their lungs? Well, I’m going to decimate every single person who gets into this rumble before Drew comes to the ring.”

Several of Lesnar’s peers have heaped praise on his wrestling intelligence, with former opponents like McIntyre himself and Omos, all talking glowingly about Lesnar’s intense understanding of the business.

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Seth Rollins has been among the focal points of WWE in 2025, from forming The Vision to faking an injury to cash-in and win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but recently things have started to go sideways. For one, Rollins and his wife, Becky Lynch, came up short against AJ Lee and CM Punk at Wrestlepalooza. Now, he’s set to battle Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel, a risky proposition for Rollins given he has never beaten Rhodes in singles action.

On Monday’s “Busted Open Radio,” Bully Ray analyzed Rollins’ situation. Given Rollins’ current struggles while the rest of The Vision is finding success, Bully believes Rollins losing to Rhodes and having a bit of a breakdown may not be the worst thing in the world.

“I want to see Seth Rollins go crazy,” Bully said. “And when I say crazy, I want him to have a breakdown, because things are not going [well]. Because he loses to Cody. Because he and Paul are on different pages. His wife won’t shut up. The Bron’s are doing whatever they want to. Everything is falling apart at the seams for Seth Rollins.”

The problem with that scenario is that Bully has already labeled the upcoming Rhodes-Rollins match as a must win for Rollins, given his previous defeats. As such, it will require, in Bully’s eyes, WWE choosing what’s best for Rollins’ momentum, or what’s best for the storyline.

“There’s definitely a lot of layers with all of these characters,” Bully said. “It does make it interesting. We’ll see where they go with it. I think that, even though I’ve said I think it’s a must win match for Seth, it’s better for the Seth story if he loses again.”

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

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WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray has offered a critical assessment of World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins’s connection with the WWE Universe, stating that he believes Rollins is currently lacking the emotional bond with fans that is necessary to reach the absolute highest levels of superstardom.

Bully compared Rollins to top stars like Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk, arguing that while Rollins is undoubtedly talented, he struggles to draw the same genuine, passionate reactions from the audience. Speaking on a recent episode of Busted Open Radio,Bully Ray broke down what he feels Rollins is missing from his character.

“I always go back to what it truly has to do with, and this is old school 101, emotional connection to an audience. People genuinely love Cody. Children love Cody, thus, the parents love Cody. Roman has a god-like aura to him. You feel like you are amongst royalty when Roman comes out. Plus, he has that Samoan heritage and bloodline, which we respect so much in wrestling, but respect even more in the WWE. Punk, the consummate rebel, the guy who has always been the voice of the voiceless and the peopleâ€s guy. All three of those guys have a unique emotional connection. Emotion, thatâ€s all this f—ing business is about. The emotional manipulation of the fan base and how you can get them to love you or hate you anymore. Thatâ€s it. Seth doesnâ€t have that level of emotion yet, and heâ€s been around for a long time.â€

He then critiqued Rollins’s elaborate attire and presentation, suggesting it makes him appear as if he is trying too hard to connect with the audience.

“Youâ€re not as quick to say ‘is pro wrestler†as you were the other three. That is the microscopic nuance of the emotional connection to Seth, where when you see the get-ups every week, itâ€s almost like heâ€s trying so hard. Forget about how I feel about the suit, Cody wears a suit on the beach. Roman looks like he could be walking into a gym or the grocery store, and Punk looks like your regular everyday guy. They could be wearing those clothes anywhere. Seth is putting on this garb to go stand in the middle of the ring. Heâ€s putting Seth Rollins on on Monday night and taking it off on Tuesday morning.â€

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By Ella Jay

Oct. 2, 2025 10:40 pm EST

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With a half-dozen world titles to his name, Seth Rollins is widely considered to be a top star in WWE. Whether or not he’s ever been presented as the face of WWE, however, recently came up for debate on “Busted Open Radio.”

In the eyes of WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray, one missing element is preventing Rollins from being at the highest tier of WWE, where names such as Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk reside.

“I always go back to what it truly has to do with, and this is old school 101, emotional connection to an audience,” Ray said. “People genuinely love Cody. Children love Cody, thus, the parents love Cody. Roman has a god-like aura to him. You feel like you are amongst royalty when Roman comes out. Plus, he has that Samoan heritage and bloodline, which we respect so much in wrestling, but respect even more in the WWE. Punk, the consummate rebel, the guy who has always been the voice of the voiceless and the people’s guy. All three of those guys have a unique emotional connection.

“Emotion, that’s all this f***ing business is about,” Ray continued, “the emotional manipulation of the fan base and how you can get them to love you or hate you anymore. That’s it. Seth doesn’t have that level of emotion yet, and he’s been around for a long time.”

The Answer Lies In The ‘Microscopic’ Nuances

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To further illustrate the tiny nuances of human emotion as it relates to wrestling, Ray asked his co-host Dave LaGreca whether Rhodes, Reigns, Punk, and Rollins appeared as actual pro wrestlers or as if they were merely portraying one. LaGreca identified the former three as legitimate pro wrestlers with ease. When trying to classify Rollins, however, LaGreca admittedly had some reservations. According to Ray, therein lies the subtle difference.

“You’re not as quick to say ‘is pro wrestler’ as you were the other three,” Ray said. “That is the microscopic nuance of the emotional connection to Seth, where when you see the get-ups every week, it’s almost like he’s trying so hard. Forget about how I feel about the suit, Cody wears a suit on the beach. Roman looks like he could be walking into a gym or the grocery store, and Punk looks like your regular everyday guy. They could be wearing those clothes anywhere. Seth is putting on this garb to go stand in the middle of the ring. He’s putting Seth Rollins on on Monday night and taking it off on Tuesday morning.”

In recent weeks, Rollins, the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion, has taken issue with fans labeling Rhodes, the current Undisputed WWE Champion, as the “quarterback” of WWE — something Rollins rather believes himself to be. At WWE Crown Jewel, Rollins aims to prove that for good when he takes on Rhodes in a champion vs. champion match, with the winner earning the Crown Jewel Championship and a commemorative ring. Rhodes collected his first ring last year when he defeated “The Ring General” GUNTHER at the same event.

Rollins claimed his World Heavyweight Championship at WWE SummerSlam when he successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on CM Punk. Rhodes regained his respective title the following night by besting John Cena, who was also once viewed as the face of WWE.

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

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Tiffany Stratton defeated challengers Nia Jax and Jade Cargill to extent her WWE Women’s Championship reign on “WWE SmackDown, but that match didn’t end without controversy, as it ended on a major botch that saw the referee fail to make the three count despite Jax failing to kick out of a Stratton pinfall. Following the controversy, Bully Ray explained who he believes is at fault.

“In wrestling it’s better to be early than to be late,” Bully said during an episode of “Busted Open Radio,” noting that the botched sequence began when Stratton was late breaking up a Cargill pinfall on Jax with a dropkick. This led to Jax kicking out, but Stratton hit the dropkick anyway and covered, with Jax then failing to kick out of Stratton’s pin. The ref, however, swiped her hand away on the third count rather than count the three and end the match.

“The ref swiped on three because she clearly does not think that this is the finish,” Bully said. “What I think was supposed to happen was that Tiffany Stratton was supposed to steal the victory from Jade Cargill. Jade hits the Black Hole Slam, one, two — Tiffany hits the [dropkick], and then covers and gets the 1-2-3 … You can’t be a 100% positive of who makes the mistake; whether it’s the ref or Nia not kicking out … If Tiffany is supposed to steal the win, why did the ref swipe on three?”

After co-host Dave LaGreca expressed that he believed the mistake lies with the referee and not with Jax, Bully agreed — for the most part.

‘There’s obviously miscommunication there’

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“Nia didn’t kick,” Bully continued. “In that situation, the referee’s responsibility is to count to three. Now, we go past that. This is what the most puzzling part of the match is. I can deal with mistakes … it’s gonna happen, it can happen to anybody. What I don’t understand is why Nia decides to have a conversation with the referee.”

Bully was referring to what happened after the ref swiped her hand, when Jax could be seen raising her head to communicate with the ref before performing an exaggerated kick-out long after it made any sense.

“There’s obviously miscommunication there,” Bully said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen blatant [mis]communication like I saw there … You have to be a little bit more aware, especially in 2025 with high definition-cameras and cameras all over the place, that that conversation is being picked up.”

Bully reiterated his belief that “the planned finish was for Tiffany Stratton to steal the victory from Jade, because that would be good heat. If it’s just the moonsault, what’s the big deal?” He then suggested that he would have made the spot simpler, having Stratton toss Cargill out of the ring before making the cover, rather than relying on someone with Stratton’s relative lack of experience to get the timing exactly right on the dropkick.

“I don’t know if I would rely on Tiffany to have that split-second timing to hit that [dropkick] just as the three-count is starting,” he said.

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

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Bully Ray recently commented on the departure of a WWE star, suggesting that a lack of passion and drive for professional wrestling may have played a role in their decision.

Jazmyn Nyx was a member of the Fatal Influence faction alongside NXT Womenâ€s Champion Jacy Jane and Fallon Henley, and was recently written off television. While the on-screen explanation was a backstage attack, reports revealed the real reason was her decision not to renew her WWE contract. She later revealed that, financially, the deal didnâ€t make sense for her long-term plans, leading to her exit.

Although Nyxâ€s reasoning appeared logical, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray (formerly Bubba Ray Dudley) argued that passion, or the lack thereof, was another major factor in her decision to leave.

Bully Ray’s Reasoning For Comments On Jazmyn Nyx’s WWE Departure

Speaking on the latest episode of Busted Open Radio, the former WWE Tag Team Champion stated that if she had trained in a wrestling school before her in-ring career began, she might have developed more of a passion for it, as most wrestlers are willing to go through the grind to achieve their dream.

He explained that when a talent is recruited from a different field of sport, such as soccer, like Jazmyn Nyx was, the level of commitment often isnâ€t the same. He provided the example of Stephanie Vaquer, who has previously expressed what wrestling meant to her and how much she was willing to sacrifice to pursue her dream.

According to Ray, Nyx possibly lacked this hunger, which ultimately led to her leaving the Stamford-based promotion:

If Jazmyn Nyx would have trained at a wrestling school, wrestling would have been her passion and her dream. She most likely would have stayed put and grinded it out. There’s one thing about wrestlers, they will accept the grind to chase the dream.

But when you get pulled in from soccer, MMA, football, or whatever, it’s not the same. You don’t have that burning sensation, that burning passion. Like Stephanie Vaquer, who told me that wrestling was her nourishment when she didn’t have enough food to eat.

That doesn’t burn in Jazmyn Nyx. It’s not that same mental state, not that same pit-of-your-stomach grind where you need to do it, you need to make it.”

You can hear Bully Ray’s comments in the clip below, which was shared by Busted Open Radio on their X/Twitter account:

“When you get pulled in from soccer, MMA, football, whatever – [the passion] isn’t the same.”@BullyRay5150 breaks down Jazmyn Nyx’s exit from NXT, on the latest edition of Busted Open: The Masterâ€s Class.

Subscribe Now: https://t.co/9KUPhGNrk2pic.twitter.com/BcLV6eb0P3

— SiriusXM Busted Open (@BustedOpenRadio) September 29, 2025

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Whether The Rock returns to WWE anymore or not is anyone’s guess at this point, despite what appears to be unfinished business and/or abandoned storylines still floating out there in the universe. According to “Busted Open Radio’s” Bully Ray, “The Final Boss” simply doesn’t need wrestling at the moment, focusing on Hollywood matters, but he does envision a final goodbye, tied to John Cena’s retirement tour.

“I don’t think The Rock would want to cloud anything up in Hollywood right now by coming back to pro wrestling,” Bully said. “I think he’s got his career back to where he wants in Hollywood, thus doesn’t need wrestling right now to serve whatever purpose he needed it to serve in the past for him.” Seeking some closure, however, more so than wrapping up any loose ends he may have left from his last run, Bully wants The Rock to close the book on things symbolically, with an appearance after Cena’s final match.

“There is some spilled milk to still clean up,” he said. “I know other people have cleaned it up and still continue to clean it up but I’d love to see him come back and do it himself.” In this scenario, Rock wouldn’t be putting a bow on his career with a final match of his own, but rather in a joint farewell of sorts, after Cena wraps up his own WWE run—against an interesting opponent.

“I’m talking about this: Here’s my off-the-top-of-my-head scenario. Last match: Dom versus John.”

Thank you Cena (and Rock?)

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Highlighting Cena’s final run so far was capturing a record 17th WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. But one title he’s never held in his career is the Intercontinental Championship, currently held by “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio. In Bully’s proposal, that’s the angle that they’d lean into heavily to set up the big double-goodbye.

“IC Championship on the line,” he envisioned. “Holy s***! Will John win the IC Championship on his last night in the company? The only championship that he’s never won before, right? I’m interested.” Keeping in line with the age-old wrestling tradition of going out staring at the lights, Bully doesn’t see Cena winning here, but rather falling to Mysterio after the champ uses some very familiar underhanded tactics. “Get to the finish of the match,” he added, “lie, cheat, and steal, just like Uncle Eddie [Guerrero taught him] and he beats John Cena.”

With the match finish now in the rear view, and a victorious Mysterio now having exited, this is where Bully sees the surprise appearance from The Rock taking place, just as Cena is getting his flowers from the fans and thank yous are put forth in both directions. “Right in the middle of the ‘Thank you, Cena!’ chants, [Rock’s music hits]. Boom! The place will s*** itself.”Â

Bully’s final visual, then, would play out like so: “Out comes The Rock and there’s your face to face. Rock takes John’s wrist and he lifts it in the air one final time and The Rock leaves, end of story.”

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

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Throughout his career, John Cena has earned a reputation as one of the most giving participants for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, paying visits to countless children dealing with serious illnesses. Speaking on “Busted Open Radio,” Bully Ray suggested a different kind of wish that Cena could grant ahead of his WWE retirement in December.

“What better person to grant a wish to than Joe Hendry?” Bully said. “This guy has been wishing for a match against John Cena for over a year now. He said that he fully believes in manifesting and if [he] manifests it enough, it will happen. I would like to see that happen.”

While he’s currently contracted to TNA, a recent report indicated that Hendry will likely soon start winding down there in preparation for a full-time move to WWE. Although Bully would like to see the match happen, when asked if he would book Cena vs. Hendry if he was in charge, he admitted that he likely wouldn’t do it with so few Cena appearances left.

“In reality, no, but it would be nice, because it would make sense,” Bully continued. “I love the fact that John has granted so many wishes to children, right? How about granting a wish to a professional?”

Along with Hendry, Bully named Bron Breakker, Dominik Mysterio, and GUNTHER as three other wrestlers he would like to see Cena wrestle before he calls it quits. Cena has only five announced appearances left before he hangs up his boots, and based on the way his match against Brock Lesnar went at WWE Wrestlepalooza, it’s likely that one of those final appearances will consist of a rematch against his longtime rival.

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

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