Dain Compares Triple H, Vince; Dreamer Gives Terry Funk Update; WWE Plans for Strong
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Dain Talks Differences Between Triple H and Vince
Killian Dain was released as part of WWE's latest round of roster cuts last month after spending time both in NXT and on the main roster.
While Dain's main roster run as part of Sanity in 2018 and 2019 was brief, it gave him the unique opportunity to work with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon after having already worked alongside NXT founder Triple H.
In an interview with SportsKeeda's UnSKripted (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News) on Tuesday, Dain compared the management styles of McMahon and Triple H:
"So, I would say Triple H is a little more hands-on a regular basis. So like, you will have way more access to Triple H for NXT than you would have Vince because Vince is--you take away the fact that like he is going to be the head of the shows and whatever like that--he is also the CEO of the company. So, you're asking; there's a very small window that he is going to be available to be seen. That is problematic, I guess, for some people because they want to barge in, and he might not be there. So, I understand that might be difficult for people.
"At the same time, it's like I can't imagine any other place in the world where you could actually go and have a conversation with the CEO of a company on a regular basis. So, you know, that's me coming at it from a different perspective. But for me, working under Triple H was great because I find it really easy talking to him. Easy to understand what he was looking for."
Dain's comments seem to echo what many have said about McMahon and Triple H, which comes as little surprise given their respective roles.
As Dain alluded to, McMahon is overseeing the entire company, which makes it difficult to get much face time with him. Conversely, Triple H is primarily focused on NXT, giving him more time to work closely with the talent on the black-and-gold brand.
Dain's greatest success undoubtedly came in NXT, where he held the NXT Tag Team Championships with Sanity teammates Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe before getting called up.
He returned to NXT in 2019 and had some memorable matches and moments during his second stint, including his odd-couple tag team with Drake Maverick.
The Northern Ireland native is now waiting to see what is next for him in pro wrestling, although he still has a link to WWE, as his wife, Nikki Cross, is part of the Raw roster.
Dreamer Provides Positive Update on Funk
ECW legend Tommy Dreamer took to Twitter on Tuesday to ease some of the concern that has built up for Terry Funk in recent days.
It was first reported by WWE Hall of Famer Don Muraco on Don Muraco's Magnificent Podcast (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News) this week that Funk was in an assisted living home in Amarillo, Texas, and had been diagnosed with dementia.
The person who runs Funk's Twitter account later confirmed that the WWE Hall of Famer has been receiving residential care:
That led to an outpouring of support from concerned wrestlers and fans on social media, but Dreamer wanted to make it clear that the situation wasn't as bad as many assumed.
As part of a tweet Dreamer posted Tuesday, he noted that Funk is "not in bad health" after speaking to him on the phone:
Dreamer is one of many wrestlers who got the chance to work alongside Funk over the years, as they were both key figures in the rise of ECW.
The 77-year-old Funk is referred to by many as a hardcore legend, although he wrestled essentially every style imaginable and worked for almost every major company during his lengthy career.
After making his in-ring debut in 1965, Funk worked for the NWA, WWE, All Japan Pro Wrestling, WCW and ECW among other promotions.
Among his greatest accomplishments were holding the ECW and NWA World Heavyweight Championships, as well as the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. He was also one half of the WWE tag team champions while working with Cactus Jack under the Chainsaw Charlie gimmick.
Funk wrestled matches as recently as 2017, giving him one of the longest and most storied careers in the history of pro wrestling.
While Dreamer wanted to assure everyone that Funk's situation isn't as dire as initially thought, some positives came out of the concern, as a wrestling legend was properly appreciated.
WWE Reportedly Has Major Plans for Strong
On the heels of his return to NXT two weeks ago as part of Diamond Mine, there are reportedly major plans in place for Roderick Strong.
According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Strong recently agreed to a new contract with WWE, and there are plans in place to make him a featured part of the cruiserweight division.
NXT reportedly wants to make the cruiserweight division a big part of the show moving forward, and using bigger names like Strong is part of the vision.
Strong and Diamond Mine debuted by attacking cruiserweight champion Kushida following his match against Kyle O'Reilly.
Along with Strong, Diamond Mine is comprised of Tyler Rust, Hideki Suzuki and manager Malcolm Bivens, who figures to serve as the mouthpiece for the group.
Strong achieved great success as part of a stable in NXT previously, holding the NXT Tag Team and North American Championships while he was in Undisputed Era.
Working with a great talker like Adam Cole helped hide any deficiencies Strong may have had in that area, and pairing him with Bivens should have a similar impact.
Strong and Kushida are widely regarded as two of the best in-ring workers in the world, and a feud between them for the Cruiserweight Championship could go a long way toward elevating the division.
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