ROH wrestler Mike Bennett comments on Davey Richards leaving the company, the worst moment of his career, says he promoted Final Battle even if ROH did not because he wanted people to see it

Shining Wizards Podcast with Mike Bennett
Hosts: Tony Z, Eddie, and Matt
Interview available at Shiningwizards.com

On Ring of Honor's lack of promotion for Final Battle: "I've learned all these media and promoting techniques from Maria. If Ring Of Honor's not going to promote it, I sure as hell am because I want people to see it."

On working legends Steve Corino, Lance Storm, Jerry Lynn: Working with those guys was probably the best thing in my wrestling career. Feuding with Steve Corino was a life saver. He taught me so much. Working with Lance Storm was to this point highlight of my career. That he requested that he wanted to work with me was an honor. Being able to work with Jerry Lynn in his last ring of honor match, he's not only a ring of honor legend, but a wrestling legend. You can't work with those guys and not learn.

On Whether he follows the current product: Wrestling is not can't miss. I don't make a point to watch wrestling, but if it's on I'll watch it.  

On injuring BJ Whitmer and what it did to his psyche: That was the absolute worst moment of my career. Your main goal is to be protect your opponent 100% and I pride myself on never hurting somebody. It crushed me for a while. I was miserable. You have no more confidence in yourself. BJ was great about it. I owe him the world for how he handled it.  

On whether it affected their relationship: "It brought us closer. I literally spent the whole night with him in the hospital because i couldn't wrap my head around what happened. He kept telling me it wasn't my fault. Accidents happen."

On Blame Game in wrestling: It depends on the person and how they are as a human being. Some people handle situations really well and there are people in life that always play blame games. Wrestling is a very tight knit community that we put our bodies on the line so much that you have to understand what we're doing is not balet. You'll realize that people that play the blame game are the people that really don't get the wrestling business.

On his stretcher match with Kevin Steen at Final Battle: Steen took offense to the fact that I've called my pile driver the greatest. Steen likes to poke and prod and get under people's skin, but he hasn't gotten under me and Maria's skin becauseMaria is a devilish woman and she's gotten to him way more than he's gotten to us. The only way to settle this is a blowoff violent match and Ring Of Honor decided a stretcher match was the way to go. I want to show people that stretcher matches are supposed to be more than gimmicky and goofy. They're actually brutal violent matches and that's what I think me and Kevin Steen are going to have. I don't plan on losing so I don't have a plan if I can't use the pile driver.

On Davey Richards leaving Ring of Honor: He's always been super great to me. Davey is his own person. He's who he is and you either accept it or you don't. I can't speak for how management handled it but I know he is very well liked by the boys because he works his ass off. He's a hell of a talent. I personally think very highly of him. I think it sucks he's not going to get a farewell match in ROH, but I also stand behind what Ring Of Honor does because despite negative feedback, they are out to put on the very best show they possibly can. The fact that they can't give Davey a farewell match kind of speaks for itself. I think he's going to do great in WWE.