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AXS TV held a media call today with David McLane and Teal Piper to promote the 9/7 return of WOW Women of Wrestling for its second season on AXS.
David McLane said he was excited to promote the second season. The new episodes will run through December and then there will be another set of episodes in January, following a holiday break. They are very excited to have Teal Piper joining the cast of the series.
Teal said that she always wanted to be a performer her entire life, inspired by Indiana Jones and her father. She said that her dad was international in that he always knew someone or a place in every town he ever went to.
Teal told a story about how she once told her father she wanted to be a professional wrestler when she was 15 and he got extremely angry at her, because of the way she looked at female wrestling, given was presented at the time. Piper got furious and slammed his hands down on a table and broke it, yelling at her about how hard the women work and how they have to work twice as hard as the men. It was a big eye-opening moment for her and now she's gotten the chance to see how much the business has evolved for women.
Teal was asked if she had hesitations about joining the business after helping to write Piper's biography. The book made her more inspired. She knew the bad stuff and the dirtier side. Her dad was always on guard but the book made her realize the passion and love he had for the business, especially in the early era of his career. All this made her more inspired to be part of the business and pursue it.
She was asked how she felt about MJF being called the next Roddy Piper by people. She asked who are these people and said MJF is building his own legend. Comparing him to Piper discredits them both. Everyone should be their own person, including herself.
Teal was asked about Ronda Rousey's connection to her family. Teal said she wasn't a huge MMA fan until Rousey came on the scene. She loved what Ronda was doing for MMA. She was in the room when Ronda asked her father about using the "Rowdy" moniker. They had never spoken until Wrestlemania this year but she loves that she main evented Chicago.
Teal was asked about training with her brother. She said they trained before WOW signed her and he has shown her zero while training. She'd love to do a brother/sister tag team if he ever gets back into pro wrestling.
Teal will debut on episode 11 or 12 this season and then throughout the second set of episodes that begin in January.
David McLane noted that the former Diamante, known in WOW as Adrenaline and will be teaming with Fyre (Kiera Hogan) as part of a WOW Tag Team tournament. McLane said that the first episode that airs on 9/7 will be something that he thinks most will enjoy as they will pay tribute all the way back to the 1950s with Women's Tag Team Champions of the past including Jumping Bomb Angels, Mae Young, Joyce Grable and more. He thinks everyone will like the look back at the pioneers who paved the path for everyone today.
Teal was asked who she has her eyes on in the ring. Piper said she's having fun with pro wrestling and just wants to get in there and "mess things up" in the ring. She said that she doesn't think a lot are ready to deal with her personality in the ring. She'd like to face The Beast in WOW and that's one of her goals.
David McLane said that Teal carries her father's ability on the microphone and she can tear up anyone on the mic.
Teal was asked about training with Selina Majors. Piper said she is a legend as far as women in professional wrestling go. Things are set up for talents like Piper to just walk into the business but Majors fought tooth and nail for everyone to have that ability. She said that training with her made her want to work for WOW and she is so lucky to have trained with her.
They were asked about the WOW recruitment process in getting Teal to come in. McLane said that they had a common friend in Barry Bloom, who has represented so many stars over the years. Bloom called him and said they had a unique situation in that Teal was interested in getting into wrestling. That one phone call was all it took. McLane had her come down to meet Selina Majors at the training center so she could see if it was a fit and see if the company was for her. It wasn't really a recruitment as much as a mutual friend. Piper joked that she walked in and refused to leave and they've been training her ever since.
McLane was asked what brought him back to pro wrestling. He said that he grew up on pro wrestling, watching it with his older brothers. He loved the presentation but didn't know what it was, even though he loved watching it. He met Dick the Bruiser and began learning the industry from him while taking photographs. He said that going on the road gave him an experience similar to what Roddy Piper talked about with his daughter. He would go to the shows and could see that the female wrestlers weren't being used fairly. He didn't even know the word exploitation but knew it was happening. He felt they should have a big women's match and announced it, but was told by Dick the Bruiser and the locker room that no one was going to care, it was just a popcorn match. Women were always treated as an accessory, not as stars in their own right, even when Wendi Richter was feuding with Fabulous Moolah. So, he created GLOW and he was proud of it but he never got it to where he wanted it to be, due to business and financial concerns. WOW is closer to the vision of what he wanted.
Teal said that she's watched a lot of class wrestling promos, but doesn't want to be in a box creatively. She feels that if you watch something, you start to stylize it. She's trying to come at things fresh and showing a darker side of herself. Teal Piper's confidence on the mic is partly from her father but she has her own technique and style on the mic. She's trying not to copy anyone.
Teal was asked if she wanted the leather jacket given to Ronda Rousey back. She doesn't want to wear it herself to the ring but was honored Rousey wanted to wear it. She has a sentimental feeling over it, but it's a bit in your face to do that and she wants to be her own person. She will have nods to her father in her costuming but it won't be similar to what Ronda Rousey wears.
There won't be a lot of differences in production in the look of the show, but there will be a gradual, noticeable change in the crowd, with a lot more women and children coming to the show. McLane said that what's missing in wrestling is that it's a male-driven audience but in WOW, they have the families and the kids. He got interested as a kid and he thinks we'll see more of that feel on WOW. The editors have told him that everything in the show has been elevated since the first season. He feels they have the best wrestling show on television. Last year, they had the best women's wrestling show. Now, they have the best wrestling product on TV. He doesn't say that with an ego boost, but with humility.
Teal goes back to watch her father's stuff, because it's nostalgic to her. She joked about the coconut. Her dad was a funny guy and it shows his sense of humor. She tries to avoid the modern stuff so she doesn't fall into a box creatively. Her father's older stuff has already influenced her.
Teal wanted to be part of WOW because they have equal pay and positioning for the women. When she was brought to the training center, there was no pressure, they were just giving her training. She was watching the WOW show and they had a shot of a young girl who was in shock and amazement over what she was watching. Teal wanted to have that moment where she could inspire others with what she was doing. That moment made her want to sign with WOW.
David McLane said that he built the original GLOW but left after the second season, unhappy with the way the company was going. He said a meeting with Ric Flair while attending a show and Flair told him the wrestlers would get better but he enjoyed creativity.
He was asked the difference between WOW now and the 2001 version. He said the original version in 2001 failed because after they had 200 markets syndicated, the advertising market dried up after 9/11 and they couldn't sustain it. Jeannie Buss being an influence and being involved is a big difference now, as is how Ronda Rousey has changed the game for all female-driven sports. He said that when you add in Mark Cuban and the AXS TV team, you have a group of people who see the same vision and desire to make the league strong. It's not about a short-term gain and if it doesn't work immediately, you move on to the next thing. He has a team now, all of whom share the same passion and vision for the WOW brand. They want to have the best women's wrestling in the world, live and on TV.
Teal said that one of the reasons she wants to be part of WOW is that it has all an old school feeling to the stories. She said her dad had three daughters and a feminist at heart and she believes he would be proud to have her in WOW. She said you can't fake falling ten feet and it feels pretty real and she's training as much as she can.
Teal said she can't talk about what her storylines will be but there's a target on her back and she's doing everything she can to make it bigger.
McLane was asked to talk about AXS TV and WOW. McLane said they had New Japan Pro Wrestling and nurtured it and built the brand over time while using older episodes. climaxing that in Long Beach, CA. He never had a team with him before but what's great about AXS is that they created an entire Saturday Night Slam series lineup. They open with WOW and they re-air it after New Japan. That is special. You have a dedicated network promoting to the fans. TV is becoming more like radio where you program directly to a certain demographic. AXS has become the wrestling destination. They created a home where fans can tune in and watch.
Teal said that coming from a theatrical background, the mic comes easy to her. She's getting a lot of eyes on her because she's her father's daughter and the hardest hurdle is delivering what people are expecting of her.
They were asked about the women's evolution. McLane said that he thinks things have all caught up with what WOW has been trying to do with women. It's a sense of pride personally and he's happy that fans are getting what they want to see. WOW is the only women's wrestling show, period, on TV. The fact that WWE and AEW's women are getting the spotlight shined on them, it's great and it's about damn time. He's glad that the fans are getting what they want and they are the ones benefittng.
Teal said that Teal Piper was born when her father was born but she also wanted to be a big part of the women's movement and the respect women are getting in general. She wants to be part of a change for the better and she's excited to be part of WOW.
Teal was asked how she intends to establish a brand separate from her father. She's always worked under his biological name as an actresss but it felt weird not to use the Piper name in pro wrestling. She can only build her brand because there's nothing she can do to expand on his brand.
McLane said that he's respectfully offered the school so Teal could see what would happen but he didn't know there would be a possibility for WOW until he learned what a quality person she was from those at a training school. Others told them that she had her own personality and style and a great person. He was told similar things about Tessa Blanchard and he didn't want to hire someone based on their legacy or last name. He met Tessa and was so impressed that he wanted her to be working for them within the month. He wants quality people working for WOW. He wants Piper for her individuality and quality as a person. Piper joked that her "long con" is working on her.
Teal said she is still developing what her in ring style will be. It's hard to put a mirror on herself and explain what she will be. She loved her dad and loves being a heel, but she's going to have her own body language and style. She can't wait to test herself and hopes to team one day with her brother one day.
McLane was asked where he sees WOW in the legacy of women's wrestling. He said it's still developing in terms of legacy but it's the only women's wrestling show on TV. They have high standards and fans can be as proud of it as he is. His vision and goal is to see WOW outlast him. He said one of the things he enjoys is they have talents who are 18 and 19 years old. It gives him pleasure to know that if anything happens to him, WOW will continue with a wealth of young talent. He feels that will also speak to the history and legacy. There will be a longevity.
They specifically created a WOW Superheroes platform even at the expense of the other platforms they had previously built up. They hope to be with AXS for a long, long time. It's not easy to get a wrestling company on TV. In 2020, their goals are to build the international and social media platforms for the company. Jeannie Buss really wants them to tour, but he knows how hard that is. They are slowly fertilizing the brand, so that when they do go out on the road, it will be successful the way New Japan was when they came to Long Beach last year.
Teal was asked if she was bringing anything similar to Roddy to WOW, she said she can't say anything about that because McLane would laugh at her (jokingly) but she loves being on the right.
Teal and McLane were asked about the idea of Jeannie Buss getting in the ring. Teal said she would love to see that happening. They will be something released next Wednesday that will feature Buss in the WOW ring..
Teal said that she recognizes she is not her dad but is trying to make her own footprints for her own kids to one day stress over. She is still learning as an entertainer and an athlete, so she doesn't want to pigeon-hole herself and name her style. She wants to get in there and have fun.
They were asked about doing special shows in a place like NYC. He said they are doing things methodically so they don't partner with a third-party and take it out on the road prematurely. They aren't ready yet to do city to city. They are learning what works for talent and for the promotion.
He was asked about potentially bringing in bigger name stars from the independent wrestling scene. He said there are talents in WWE he would like to have but they are signed to WWE and have long-term contracts. He feels they have the best wrestlers right now, so there are no independent talents they would want at this juncture.
McLane was asked when he found out GLOW was influential and not just a piece of nostalgia. He said the moment he was doing it, he recognized it. When he was doing it, he knew it was special at the time and would have a place that was special. No one knows the real story of GLOW. Netflix have a great show and the writers get tjhe kudos of capturing the sisterhood of the women but no one knows the story of the business and getting it up and running. He knew it was special at the time, and he doesn't mean that from an ego standpoint.
McLane was asked if there's a WOW moment that has made him most proud. There have been many of them but his proudest moment was when Jeannue Buss got in the ring (and we'll see it next week) was one of his proudest moments. Everyone will get to see why next week when AXS TV reveals what he is talking about.
That was it for the call!
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