Anthony DiBern Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview

The Anthony DiBern Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview turned on a dispute with The Franchise: DiBern still considers him a friend, but says he went too far at House of Action. Speaking on Millions.co, DiBern also said he would not be cleared for his usual commentary duties on October 18, when The Franchise expects to face Paul Preston and Kylen Rowland in tag team action.

What did Anthony DiBern say about The Franchise at House of Action?

Anthony DiBern called what The Franchise did at House of Action “absolutely epic,” but said it went too far. DiBern did not withdraw his friendship after the confrontation. He acknowledged The Franchise’s anger toward Paul Preston while objecting to what The Franchise had done to him.

The House of Action confrontation

The Franchise said he had defended the Roundtable Pro Wrestling World Independent Heavyweight Championship at House of Action on Sunday the 20th and reclaimed the OIWA United States heavyweight championship for the second time. He told DiBern that his feelings were hurt because he had thought DiBern was his friend.

DiBern recognized the impact of what happened at House of Action, but pressed The Franchise on whether all of it had been necessary. The Franchise responded that he did not think he had gone far enough. Their disagreement was not over whether the confrontation mattered; it was over how The Franchise had treated DiBern during it.

DiBern’s view of their friendship

Despite that exchange, DiBern made his position on their relationship explicit. He told The Franchise:

I still consider myself your friend

DiBern also told him that his feelings about Preston were valid. He stopped short of accepting those feelings as a justification for his actions at House of Action. That distinction remained central to the conversation as The Franchise turned toward his next match.

What did Anthony DiBern hear about The Franchise’s October 18 tag team match?

Anthony DiBern raised an October 18 tag team match, prompting The Franchise to say that Paul Preston and Kylen Rowland had challenged him and Big Vicious. The Franchise warned that the match could bring back the Faction and pointed to Rose City Comic and House of Action as previews of the conflict.

Paul Preston and Kylen Rowland’s challenge

The Franchise objected to DiBern announcing the match before confirming the challenge himself. He described Preston and Rowland as the opposing team and Big Vicious as his partner. He used the exchange to continue his criticism of Preston, whom he accused of betraying their friendship.

That accusation shaped the way The Franchise discussed the match. Rather than treat October 18 as a separate contest, he tied it to his dispute with Preston and to what had just happened at House of Action. DiBern did not endorse that escalation; he continued to question whether The Franchise had already taken matters too far.

The Faction, Rose City Comic and House of Action

The Franchise asked whether Preston and Rowland really wanted to bring back the Faction. He referred to what fans had seen at Rose City Comic and at House of Action, saying those appearances had shown only a small part of what he intended. He also mentioned wearing Preston’s music and tights as part of the games he had played with him.

DiBern declined to follow The Franchise into another personal provocation. Instead, he brought the conversation back to Preston and asked whether The Franchise genuinely felt betrayed. That question led to the clearest explanation either man gave for their disagreement.

Why did Anthony DiBern defend The Franchise’s past help despite the dispute?

Anthony DiBern said The Franchise had been there for him when he was hospitalized with a broken hand and needed help after surgeries. He used that history to challenge The Franchise’s account of friendship, while still accepting that The Franchise felt let down by Paul Preston. DiBern’s objection was to how far The Franchise had taken his response.

Help after DiBern’s broken hand

DiBern reminded The Franchise that he had helped him when his hand was broken, including when he needed someone to pick him up from the hospital. It was a concrete example of why DiBern still regarded him as a friend, even as the two argued over their recent confrontation.

The Franchise did not dispute DiBern’s account of that help. His response shifted to a time when, he said, he had been left with a broken neck and doctors had told him he might never wrestle again. The Franchise asked where Preston had been when he needed someone.

The Franchise’s complaint about Paul Preston

The Franchise also said he had repeatedly run down to help Preston when Preston was being attacked, despite doctors telling him to stay out of it. He asked DiBern whether those actions made him the bad guy. DiBern answered that he had not called him a bad guy and did not deny what he had done for Preston.

DiBern’s answer left room for both positions: The Franchise could feel slighted by Preston, and DiBern could still believe The Franchise had crossed a line. The two did not resolve that disagreement before the conversation turned to DiBern’s commentary role.

Why will Anthony DiBern miss commentary on October 18?

Anthony DiBern said he would not be cleared for his usual commentary duties on October 18. He suggested he could watch the tag team match as a fan instead. The Franchise told him to sit in the front row and warned him not to speak out during the match.

Watching from the front row

DiBern did not give a medical explanation for his commentary status or say when he expected to return to the role. He told The Franchise that if he had to watch as a fan, he would do so. The Franchise insisted that DiBern would be there and described the beating he expected Preston and Rowland to receive.

The Franchise’s warning to DiBern

The exchange ended with a threat directed at DiBern. The Franchise said that if DiBern spoke even one word, in or out of context, he would drag him into the ring and do to him what he had done before. He specifically mentioned DiBern’s hand, fingers and neck. DiBern’s earlier insistence that they were still friends had not changed The Franchise’s warning.