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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.

(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)

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Former President George W Bush delivered a touching eulogy to his father, President George HW Bush who died on Friday at the age of 94.

Mr Bush’s tribute was full of fond memories of his father, including his unwavering lust for life in his ninth decade.

He extolled the elder Bush for his service as president and as a role model as a loving husband, father and grandfather.

"To us," the son said of the father, "his was the brightest of a thousand points of light."

Mr Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost when she was three years old and his mother, Barbara, who died in April. He took comfort in knowing "Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom’s hand again".

Regaining his composure, he patted his father’s flag-draped coffin twice as he went back to his seat.

Read the eulogy in full here:

Distinguished guests, including our presidents and first ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries and friends, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I and our families thank you all for being here.

I once heard it said of man that the idea is to die young, as late as possible.

At age 85, a favorite pastime of George HW Bush was firing up his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three 300-horsepower engines to fly – joyfully – across the Atlantic with the Secret Service boats straining to keep up.

At age 90, George HW Bush parachuted out of an aircraft and landed on the grounds of St Ann’s by the Sea in Kennebunkport, Maine, the church where his mom was married and where he worshiped often. Mother liked to say he chose the location just in case the chute didn’t open.

In his 90s, he took great delight when his closest pal, James A Baker, smuggled a bottle of Grey Goose vodka into his hospital room. Apparently, it paired well with the steak Baker had delivered from Morton’s.

To his very last days, Dad’s life was instructive.

As he aged, he taught us how to grow with dignity, humor and kindness, and when the good Lord finally called, how to meet him with courage and with the joy of the promise of what lies ahead.

One reason Dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it, twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later, he was alone in the Pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did.

God answered those prayers. It turned out he had other plans for George HW Bush.

For Dad’s part, I think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life, and he vowed to live every day to the fullest.

Dad was always busy, a man in constant motion, but never too busy to share his love of life with those around him.

He taught us to love the outdoors. He loved watching dogs flush a covey. He loved landing the illusive striper. And once confined to a wheelchair, he seemed happiest sitting in his favorite perch on the back porch at Walker’s Point, contemplating the majesty of the Atlantic.

The horizons he saw were bright and hopeful. He was a genuinely optimistic man, and that optimism guided his children and made each of us believe that anything was possible.

He continually broadened his horizons with daring decisions.

He was a patriot. After high school, he put college on hold and became a Navy fighter pilot as World War Two  broke out.

Like many of his generation, he never talked about his service until his time as a public figure forced his hand. We learned of the attack on Chichi Jima, the mission completed, the shoot-down. We learned of the death of his crew mates, whom he thought about throughout his entire life. And we learned of the rescue.

And then another audacious decision: he moved his young family from the comforts of the East Coast to Odessa, Texas.

He and Mom adjusted to their arid surroundings quickly. He was a tolerant man. After all, he was kind and neighbourly to the women with whom he, Mom and I shared a bathroom in our small duplex, even after he learned their profession: ladies of the night.

Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person and he usually found it.

Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary, that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values like faith and family.

He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognised that serving others enriched the giver’s soul. To us, his was the brightest of the thousand points of light.

In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is a part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure. He showed us how setbacks can strengthen.

None of his disappointments could compare with one of life’s greatest tragedies, the loss of a young child. Jeb and I were too young to remember the pain and agony he and Mom felt when our 3-year-old sister died. We only learned later that Dad, a man of quiet faith, prayed for her daily. He was sustained by the love of the Almighty, and the real and enduring love of our mom. Dad always believed that one day he would hug his precious [daughter] Robin again.

He loved to laugh, especially at himself. He could tease and needle, but never out of malice.

He placed great value on a good joke. That’s why he chose [senator] Simpson to speak.

On e-mail, he had a circle of friends with whom he shared or received the latest jokes. His grading system for the quality of the joke was classic George Bush: The rare sevens and eights were considered huge winners, most of them off-color.

George Bush knew how to be a true and loyal friend. He nurtured and honored his many friendships with a generous and giving soul. 

There exists thousands of handwritten notes encouraging or sympathising or thanking his friends and acquaintances. He had an enormous capacity to give of himself.

Many a person would tell you that Dad became a mentor and a father figure in their life. He listened and he consoled. He was their friend.

I think of Don Rhodes, Taylor Blanton, Jim Nance, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton. My siblings and I refer to the guys in this group as brothers from other mothers.

He taught us that a day was not meant to be wasted. He played golf at a legendary pace. I always wondered why he insisted on speed golf. He was a good golfer. Well, here’s my conclusion: he played fast, so that he could move on to the next event, to enjoy the rest of the day, to expend his enormous energy, to live it all.

He was born with just two settings: full throttle, then sleep.

He taught us what it means to be a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was firm in his principles, and supportive as we began to seek our own ways. He encouraged and comforted, but never steered.

We tested his patience. I know I did.

But he always responded with the great gift of unconditional love.

Last Friday, when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy who answered the phone said, ‘I think he can hear you, but he hasn’t said anything for most of the day’.I said, ‘Dad, I love you, and you’ve been a wonderful father’. And the last words he would ever say on earth were, ‘I love you, too.’

To us, he was close to perfect. But not totally perfect. His short game was lousy. 

He wasn’t exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor.

The man couldn’t stomach vegetables, especially broccoli. 

And by the way, he passed these genetic defects along to us. 

Finally, every day of his 73 years of marriage, Dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. He married his sweetheart. He adored her. He laughed and cried with her. He was dedicated to her, totally. 

In his old age, Dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, the volume on high.

All the while, holding Mom’s hand. After Mom died, Dad was strong, but all he really wanted to do was hold Mom’s hand again. 

Of course, Dad taught me another special lesson. He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country. 

When the history books are written, they will say that George HW Bush was a great president of the United States, a diplomat of unmatched skill, a commander-in-chief of formidable accomplishment, and a gentleman who executed the duties of his office with dignity and honour. 

In his inaugural address, the 41st president of the United States said this, ‘We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighbourhood and town better than he found it. 

‘What do we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there? That we were more driven to succeed than anyone around us, or that we stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better, and stayed a moment, there, to trade a word of friendship.’

Well, Dad, we’re going to remember you for exactly that and much more. And we’re going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever. 

So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son or daughter could have. And in our grief, let us smile, knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom’s hand again. 

WWE has announced the stipulation for AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at Money in the Bank.

It will be Nakamura challenging for Styles’ WWE Championship in a last man standing match. Nakamura confirmed that tonight after brawling with Styles, laying him out with a steel chair and a Kinshasa, and counting to 10. Nakamura defeated Styles in a non-title match last week where the winner would pick the stipulation for Money in the Bank.

Dave Meltzer reported two weeks ago that the last man standing stipulation had been talked about for the pay-per-view.

Their next match will be the fifth time Styles and Nakamura have faced each other on television or PPV this year. At Backlash, their no disqualification match ended without a decisive finish as Styles and Nakamura simultaneously low blowed each other and couldn’t make the referee’s 10 count.

Money in the Bank is taking place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on June 17th.

Egyptian authorities have quietly introduced restrictions on the sale of yellow reflective vests, fearing opponents might attempt to copy French protesters during next month’s anniversary of the 2011 popular uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Security officials and industrial safety retailers revealed instructions not to sell yellow vests to walk-in buyers and to restrict business to wholesale sales to verified companies, but only after securing police permission. They were told offenders would be punished, the officials said without elaborating.

Six retailers in a Cairo downtown area where industrial safety stores are concentrated said they were no longer selling yellow vests. Two declined to sell them, giving no explanation, but the remaining four told The Associated Press they were told not to by police.

"They seem not to want anyone to do what they are doing in France," said one retailer. "The police came here a few days back and told us to stop selling them. When we asked why, they said they were acting on instructions," said another.

Security officials said the restrictions would remain in force until the end of January. They said industrial safety product importers and wholesale merchants were summoned to a meeting with senior police officers in Cairo this week and informed of the rules.

The officials, who have first-hand knowledge of the measures, spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to brief the media. Repeated calls and messages to the spokesman of the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, to seek comment went unanswered.

The move showcases the depth of the Egyptian government’s concern with security. The past two years, Egyptian authorities clamped down heavily, deploying police and soldiers across the country, to prevent any marches to commemorate the January 25 anniversary of the start of the 2011 uprising.

The yellow vests worn by French protesters have become the symbol of the wave of demonstrations that began in November against a rise in fuel taxes but mushroomed to include a range of demands, including the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron.

Egypt has virtually banned protests, and the general-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi often warns that his tough hand ensuring stability is necessary, pointing to war and destruction in Syria, Yemen and Libya as the alternative. His emphasis on security has taken on added significance amid his ambitious programme to reform the economy, which has unleashed steep price hikes, hitting the middle class hard.

Negad Borai, a rights lawyer, said the government could delay expected price hikes next year "to avoid protests inspired by what’s happening in France".

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He cuddles puppies, cycles nonchalantly in shades and lowers his near-naked torso into icy waters. But perhaps less conventionally, Japan’s latest calendar pin-up is no fresh-faced popstar: it’s Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia.

Loft, a Japanese chain of lifestyle stores, has reported that calendars featuring the rugged, blue-eyed Russian president are flying off the shelves and eclipsing even its most popular domestic celebrities.

Sales of official 2019 Putin calendars containing a stream of testosterone-fuelled images of the 66-year-old president were reportedly in Loft’s number one sales spot.

Following closely behind the perhaps unlikely political pin-up were calendars devoted to the thirty-something Japanese actor Kei Tanaka and, in third place, 24-year-old Olympic skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu.

The popularity of the ageing Russian president’s calendars was reportedly fuelled by a surge in self-proclaimed “Putin fans” – mainly young Japanese women apparently seduced by his rugged charms, according to local media including SoraNews24.

One person who is perhaps unlikely to rush out to the nearest Loft store to buy a calendar featuring Mr Putin in all his manly glory is Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe, with the surge in calendar sales sitting a little incongruously with current bilateral relations.

Tensions continue to simmer between Japan and Russia thanks to a decades-long territorial dispute over a chain of islands, which is the reason why the two nations have still not signed a World War Two peace treaty.

Indeed, in the shadow of soaring calendar sales was also news this week that Russia had built new barracks for troops on the disputed island chain, a move likely to anger Tokyo after repeatedly urging Moscow to reduce its military activity in the region.

There are reports that Mr Abe may also visit Russia next month in a push to defuse the territorial dispute stalemate between the two nations and take a step towards signing a post-war peace treaty.

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The New Day’s WWE 2018 Pancake Powered New Year Super Spectacular drew 584,000 viewers on The USA Network on Wednesday night. The special aired at 10PM ET and ranked #33 on the Cable Top 150. The one-hour special featured WWE’s year-in-review “through the unique lens” of The New Day’s Big E, Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston. Cable subscribers can watch the full episode on The USA Network website at this link.
WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick is set to announce a new challenger for WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy on next Wednesday’s episode. As previously reported, that episode will have a “Best Of” theme to it.
Below is a video from a backstage segment between Maverick & Murphy on this week’s show. Murphy talked about his recent wins over Mustafa Ali & Cedric Alexander, then said that he is the best cruiserweight in the world and everyone needs to know it, which is how Drake will help him.

“My next title defense, I want a challenge. I need a challenge. That way, when I win, no one can deny that I am the greatest Cruiserweight Champion in history,” Murphy said.
Maverick then said that he liked that idea and he will put together something for an announcement next week. There is no word yet on who will challenge Murphy, perhaps for a title shot at The 2019 Royal Rumble PPV, but we will keep you updated.

If @WWE_Murphy wants to prove that he is the greatest @WWE #Cruiserweight Champion of all time, he’ll need a little help from @WWEMaverick… #205Live pic.twitter.com/sPNrZM5h73
— WWE (@WWE) December 20, 2018

As previously reported, this week’s WWE NXT main event saw NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa help former partner Johnny Gargano defeat Aleister Black in a Steel Cage Match. WWE posted the video below of Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness & Percy Watson calling the match, with a focus on Mauro’s reactions.

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