Current State of WWE: Booking The Undisputed & World Title Matches at WrestleMania 40

This is WWE superstar Drew McIntyre and you're listening to the WWE podcast. Stop
the show, the one that everybody wants me god tell for sixteen so your
ass is miner you can acknowledge me. Welcome to the current state of WWE.
It is Monday, March fourth, twenty twenty four. We are of
about a month away from WrestleMania forty and some really big progressions and storylines this
past week, especially on SmackDown, and y'all know where I'm gonna go with
this. I think with the rock segment that lasted forty minutes on television and
had obviously I think it overran by ten or fifteen minutes and had to cut
other segments on the show because of it, But that led to a final
card for WRESTLEMANI when it comes to this program of a tag team match which
has major implications into nighte two with Cody versus Roman, and boy, what
a segment easily the segment of the night for what people are talking about,
and it ran long, but I enjoyed the hell out of it. Anthony,
Welcome to the show, and what did you make of this forty minute
segment of the Rock and Roman reigns. Wow. You know, it was
good, but it also felt a bit forced in a way. And look,
I'm a Rock fan and I've really appreciated him going back full heel,
you know, pulling on his Hollywood heel gimmick, and his gimmick back from
like nineteen ninety nine is corporate Rock. But it was the first time where
like it felt to me, like, man, I don't know if he
should be here right now, and like, now you're having a tag team
match on Night one, which had been rumored for quite a while, and
in turn, you're kind of taking the spotlight off of not only the undisputed
Championship match of Cody and Roman, but also off of the World Heavyweight Championship
match. And I'm like, well, you're the only one that's not involved
intimately, I guess, with either title, and you're just deciding that you're
having a tag team match, and the stipulation obviously isn't interesting. How if
Cody wins, the Bloodline is barred from ringside, and if the Bloodline wins,
then like they're allowed to be involved or whatever or however he worded it.
But while I'm still interested, it just felt for the first time that
it was like intruding on other things. And obviously it runs over twenty five
percent of the show, Like almost a third of the show was the rock.
Actually, I think it's exactly one third of the show was this segment.
And in my head, I'm just like, was it that necessary?
And it just felt like it's this entire angle, this this like this story.
It's just starting to take up too much space for me. That's a
fair I think that's a fair criticism. I mean, I enjoyed it.
I mean it did run a little long in the tooth. It was a
little bit excessive when it comes to you could have probably trimmed it by ten
or fifteen. I mean they could have. He could have got to the
point in like ten minutes fifteen minutes instead of forty. You really could have.
But I understand why he's out there. He's a big star. It's
spikes ratings, Oh my god, the Rocks on TV. He guess what
people are doing. They're calling their friends or they're you know, texting their
friends, and hey, the Rocks on it. It just creates more of
a buzz. And his shirt was probably my favorite tart he's worn thus far.
It was a throwback. I loved it, and I said this on
my show last night, that he looks the rock looks like he has.
He's aged like maybe five or ten years, and when I look side by
side even I'm like, it's been twenty years, twenty plus, and I'm
like, without even without hair, he has aged very well, I have
to say, And so kudos to him. I love how we're getting corporate
rock, but a kind of a twenty twenty four spin on it. I
still wish they would update his music. I heard a remix of it.
I thought it was official and it's not. But I think they should still
modify it. That would kind of complete the turn. But that said,
the content of his promo I thought was good and it Yes, it was
repetitive and there's a lot of fluff in there. But there were some funny
moments about crack, like, I mean, how often does WWE you hear
actual explicit language about specific drugs? Do you never hear that? I mean,
like that never comes up? So that was funny but also a little
bit NONPG and his final line of saying, now go home and smoke some
more crack before I mean that that made me laugh, and it's almost like
the crowd doesn't boo that though. They were almost like cheering themselves because it's
getting getting scorched by the Rock is almost a term of endearment, and no
one is really booing outside of you know, he gets a big pop at
the beginning. No one was booing upon his entrance, by the way,
like it's almost as if this is a Babyface version of the Rock outside of
just trying to hit the audience for insults and insulting the city he's in,
it's difficult to boo the Rock because he is entertaining as hell. We're getting
a throwback. This is way better than his version of just kind of vanilla
Dwayne Johnson coming in to play the Rock. But as far as this getting
a little bit, you know, overbearing when it comes to television, this
was I mean, yeah, it is kind of taking up space in every
facet of the top titles, with the world title being the biggest culprit.
I mean, we're almost forgetting there's a world title match and it's not going
to main event Night one, neither other women, which is a big disappointment
for some people. And it is a bit frustrating. If you know,
if you're on the roster and you're like this, damn, the storyline is
taking up both nights to the main event. It is frustrating and I would
be a bit pissed off too, But the fact is this is the biggest
storyline going on, and Rock and Roman eventually will have one another turn on
one turn on the other. My question to you is early prediction. I
mean, how do you feel outside of yes, it does take up certainly,
it does take up I think too much time. I hope they don't
do forty minute segments every week. I hope that all you need is like
ten to fifteen minutes and that's it. So I think, given they'll trim
that down. How do you feel about the outcome of Night one with if
Roman and Rock win, it's bloodline rules, anything goes, I e.
No DQ match or Cody and Roman one on one, no shenanigans. I
mean there's benefits really to both. What do you think? What way would
you want to go with the you know, night one and then night two?
How would you book it? Well, how would I book it?
I would book it the Cody and Seth win and then there's no monkey business,
because I think that there's a certain amount of integrity that you have to
keep with the main event of WrestleMania. Like for me, we always talk
about I'll give you an example, we always talk about Rock Austin the trilogy,
Right, which one, Matt is the one you think of the most
when you think of Rock versus Austin, I mean the second one exactly.
For me, that one is always a bit stained because of how it ended,
and the only match where there was no outside interference was the third,
which is why that's my favorite. Like even when Triple h was in the
main event of Wrestleme twenty Defende's World title against HBK and Chris Benoit one of
the best main events in my in my opinion, probably the best triple threat
match I've ever seen. For me personally, it would have been so easy
for WWE creative to insert Evolution in that match, right, that was the
peak of evolution. Evolution had been running raw for pretty much a year.
They were always involved, but in that match particularly, they weren't involved,
and for me, I think that there they've gotten away from that with Roman
reigns. Like last year's main event was probably the most overbooked match I've ever
seen in my life at a WrestleMania. It was the same story with him
in the triple threat match against Edge and Daniel Bryan in twenty twenty one.
The only match where there wasn't any hanky panky was the brock Lesnar match from
two years ago, but that was so predictable that didn't even matter, and
it was and there was things taken away from it for other reasons. So
me personally, I would have Cody and Row and Seth Win just to get
like a true one on one match at a WrestleMania. Yeah, no,
I there absolutely and that's the biggest benefit to this being just straight up one
on one. Rock can interfere. No one from the Bloodline can, and
that makes sense to me. It's cleaner, that shouldn't be an overbooked finish.
It's just who's the better man to with no solo nobody. However,
the other side of the coin is you. I mean, you do run
the risk of overbooking this if it's bloodline rules. But to a lot of
people end in management and creative in WWE, you know that there is a
huge temptation here because it allows them a lot more creative freedom and a lot
more interference, which I know you and I are not big fans of.
However, it does, in their minds possibly create those those beloved WrestleMania moments
meaning and a lot of people are already predicting this, and I'm I think
it's I'm trending towards this as well. You know, I don't want this
overbooked. I want Cody, if he's going to have a victory, to
do it cleanly. There's there's nobody who touches Roman to help him out.
You want this, if this is going to be that big of a title
change, to mean something and not be stained by the fact that, oh
he needed help from John Cena to come out or whatever. But what I
would say is this it would be exciting. Even though I understand it,
it could be looked at as overbooked. If you do have bloodline rules,
Oh crap, Cody now has another hurdle to overcome. The bloodline guaranteed are
gonna get involved, so you don't have to wonder if they are. You
know they are, And what's Cody gonna do? Oh my, he has
to climb up the mountain, even in a more steep incline to get to
the top. Now he's facing another hurdle. It's another piece of his story
and you could have this has been heavily rumored, but I actually believe it's
true. Stone Cold Steve Austin. If you've been watching his Instagram or any
end of his social media, he is working out like an animal right now,
I mean like crazy town. So I think that he may get involved
to clear the deck of Solo Jimmy and possibly give the Rock a stunner which
the people would lose their minds over that. To me, I understand that
it's not about rowing a rock, it's not about Austin. It is about
Cody and Roman. But if you only have those like Austin or a Johnsena
come out to even the odds, just to even it into a level playing
field, and the bloodline is is neutralized, but it comes down and back
to Rock or back to Cody and Roman, I think there is something there
if it's done right. However, there is a massive risk of this being
overbooked. If you do that, well, that's it right. There's a
lot of benefits and pros and cons to both rather and for me, I
think it's more just because I'm Roman out in his classic type of match,
Like if it wasn't for all the past matches that went down that same exact
path, maybe I ought to have more of an appetite for a bloodline rules
And you know what, probably that is where this will go eventually, because
there is a lot of rumors like well the Rock betray Roman, is Steve
Austin gonna get involved in like pay homage to or nostalgia Like for me,
I would love to see a lot of those things. It's just that we've
seen so many Roman reigns bloodline matches go down that road that I would like
to just see a classic one on one Like when's the last one on one
match Roman Rains has had where there was no like outside interference. I was
thinking Summer Slam, but wait, nope, Jimmy, yeah, I don't.
I mean also let me think, I mean it might be back uh
wrestling thirty eight thirty eight, I think right with Brock, That's what I
was thinking, and like like, look, he's a heel. Heels often
need outside interference. There's a reason whyther He'll I get that. But every
once in a while, like a heel can do it on his own.
Kenny Non, Oh yeah, the heels always have to cheat to win.
I've said that for I totally agree. I know that there's a general rule
all while the heel they're gonna need help to win. They're gonna have to
do something behind the referees back. They're gonna have to do a low blow
brass knucks. No, what about a heel that's just simply better than the
baby face? Doesn't that make you more angry that there's a person who's a
bad person who's better and more skilled than the good guy. I mean,
I think it's a lost art yep. And I think that that's why so
many people like Gunther And now I guess you could argue that you're turning gun
their babyface by doing such, but the point still stands. And look,
even if he loses, like make him lose clean Like look at John Cenawayne
defeated JBL at WrestleMania was it twenty one? Yes, JBL had the cabinet,
the Bashams and Orlando Jordan. They weren't involved in that match, like
you could have easily had like this big brew haha with Orlando Jordan and the
bashams like trying to get involved. But there's just something about WrestleMania about keeping
it one on one, you know. And if someone does get involved,
it's like a manager, like a Rick Flair for Triple H or whatever.
It doesn't always have to be like, oh, here come the USO's okay,
Well, here comes Solo. Okay, no, here comes Sammy and
Kevin to even the odds, Oh no, Solo's bad. Like you know,
last year it felt like almost like a three on three like match,
like to to not Yeah, yeah, that's that's my concern. And you
know what even concerns me more is no matter the outcome of that tag team
match. I think even if it's in a contract, somehow they'll have a
bloodline member interfere. Maybe that person will be in a hoodie so they can
claim that, oh it's not somebody from the bloodline who knows who it is,
So they'll still have somebody interfere in that match. I really have that
concern too, that, oh, well, great, Cody's not gonna have
the bloodline to worry about, but they find a roundabout way to see the
bloodline try to cheat to win. I could see it either way really.
I mean, even if Cody wins that match, do you think that Cody
and Seith are going to win the first match? The more I think about
it, the more I think as of this moment, no, because the
creative envelope is open to the world and WWE loves that. I know,
it's a different regime. I know Triple H this is his first mc mannlis
WrestleMania, so so we don't know really what to expect from Triple H.
He hasn't had his own WrestleMania yet, so it's kind of difficult to see
where he's gonna go. But I think that they're gonna look at this and
go, oh, okay, well, everyone knows the blood Line's gonna interfere,
so we might as well just tell them outright, Hey, Bloodline is
gonna interfere. We're gonna screw you over. And that way, it's not
wondering when they're going to it's a matter of just or if it's when,
and it's guaranteed they're going to interfere, And how does Cody counter that?
What ace does he have in his back pocket? And those that person or
persons could be Austin and John Cena. Now what the hell Austin's beef is
with the bloodline, I don't know, or why he's interfering, I don't
know, But either way, I think the blood line's going to interfere.
It's just a matter of what does Cody have up his sleeve to counter that
and neutralize the bloodline? And who is it well for you? Like,
are you approaching a breaking point with interest in the bloodline or has the Rock
breathed a new life into it? Yeah? Yeah, I mean generally if
the Rock wasn't here, I mean, I've been kind of over bloodlined Heel
bloodline for a while. I don't. I don't groan when I see them.
I don't. I don't feel like I want to vomit, like when
I see Cody Rhodes and his dog. I mean, like, I just
I'm like, Okay, you know there's still a big group. You know
it's gonna be some something important is gonna be said. I don't have a
problem with it, but I don't. I'm not super engaged. Like we
were a year a year and a half ago, and Sammy was involved and
it was so intriguing, must watched TV. I was starting to get pretty
bored with it. Am I interested in Jimmy and Jay too? No,
I have, I really am, Like I feel like I'm the only one
who doesn't give a damn about Jimmy and Jay as far as like you know
them. It'll be a brother brother, a twin twin, fine, cool,
But I'm that feels like a year ago that that should have happened.
And so generally I'm over the blood line. And once the rock you know,
leaves, whatever he does after WrestleMania, I mean, the interest level
for me decreases even more unless they're going to build a rock Roman at forty
one, But that's a year long build. So I mean, I think
we're nowhere near the end of the bloodline from a heel perspective. Anyway,
I think we've we've got at least thro WrestleMania forty one when eventually we get
the rock and rollman. And my concern and I'm on board with you here,
but like, what does this mean for Drew McIntyre, Like, is
Drew McIntyre gonna take a back seat, although even though he's the number and
contended for the World typeweight Championship, and to be fair and to Triple H's
credit. He had Drew McIntyre address that on My Night Raw last week,
telling seth Rawlins like don't how did he word it again? Like sometimes it's
better like not to chase, the risk isn't worth taking or something like that
or something like that. Yeah, and I appreciated that because, you know,
I feel like under Vince mic mahn, they're just like, oh,
if the crowd won't care, like Drew is getting his world title match,
who cares? But like it is true that, like Drew McIntyre was robbed
of the main event at WrestleMania, Like I'm pretty sure that would have been
the main event, the closing match to WrestleMania THIRTIESI it wasn't gonna be Goldberg
versus Roman? Can you okay? Side note? Can you believe they tried
to get us to be pumped about Roman reigns versus Goldberg at WrestleMania. No,
No, that's no. I know I haven't even heard or said the
word Goldberg in a while, so that that kind of I flushed that on
my head. But no, that's that's Vince McMahon all over it. I
mean, that is Vince. So this is pretty much Drew mcinto's makeup moment
right four years later, deservingly, so he's a heel this time around.
But still he's probably gonna win the championship. I believe he will and to
get his moment, and he's doing the best work of his career. He's
probably even more popular than popular than he was four years ago when he first
turned baby face at the Rumble in twenty twenty, But are you gonna have
him being overshadowed by not only the undisputed championship, but by a tag match
on the first night and then, like to say nothing of the women like
Bailey versus Eo Sky, which to this point has still been underwhelming on SmackDown?
Where's that going to be on the card? Rear Ripley versus versus Becky
Lynch, Where's that gonna be placed? Like I thought that Rea Ripley should
have at least main event at Night one? Give the women something? Is
Jade Cargill gonna go head to head with Bianca Belle Air? Like are they
gonna be drowned out? Like I'm just I'm a bit skeptic, not skeptical,
but I'm just nervous for like what, like what kind of shrapnel is
going to be thrown across the board here, just to prioritize everything. Bloodline.
Cody Rhoades related well, to be fair, I mean, we are
all assuming that that is the Night one main event. I don't think that
is true, he said. He just said on Night one, we all
assume if The Rock's wrestling, which he hasn't wrestled in my god, since
I don't care count Eric Rowland like no one does, uh what wrestling twenty
eight against uh John Cena, So in an actual match, I think that
was the last time. So it's been twelve years, so that's quite a
bit of time, and you could promote the hell out of it. Because
The Rock isn't wrestling on night too, there's no one on one for the
Rock. It's the tag team match. We were all assuming that's the main
event for Night one, and do I think they'll do it, probably,
but they could also do it in the semi main event. They could even
open the show with it. That Actually there's an argument to be made to
open the show with that tag team match with the Rock enrollment. I mean,
imagine how hot the crowd would be for that. So, again,
assuming that's the main event. Yeah, I mean it does suck for the
women, it sucks for the world title, and I don't I actually would
not put it as the main event because I think that sends the wrong message
to the roster. I think it hurts morale. Honestly, I know that
no one really as fans, we don't give a damn about it. But
just from a common sense perspective, you know, if you're running the company,
it's good to have other people in the main event other than just this
one storyline that clogs up both. So yeah, I mean, you could
argue the World Women's World title, but I mean the World Heavyweight Championship also
should be. I mean, how do you not have if we're told that's
the most important championship in WWE by Seth Rollins, and it's not in the
main event, how does that work? You know, Like, how do
you justify that? So I would I would. I would actually not book
Rock the tag team match in the main event for Night one. I would
do it. Yeah, No, I agree as well. I was just,
I guess, foolishly assuming, but I guess it was just he said,
the biggest tag team match in the history of WrestleMania and you had a
tag team match main event Night one of last year, but to be fair,
it had nothing well I guess it did have to do with the Bloodline,
as it was the users Kevin and Sammy. But yeah, I mean
opening Night one with this match, I think that'd be pretty huge, and
especially with their history of big matches opening the card lately, Like didn't brock
Lesner and Seth rons open up wrest May thirty five. I'm pretty sure they
did for the Universal Championship. So I mean, if they open up this
match open up Night one, would you think that Seth would fight Drew mckint
later that night or would you move him tonight too. Hmm, that's a
good question. I would I would still have him wrestle. Hmmm. Yeah,
I don't know. That is a that's a hell of a question.
If he wrestles at the beginning of the show, you could make an argument
for him also main eventing the show, but they also could push it tonight
too. However, then you'd have two men's championship the two top belts in
the company on Night two, and Night two would feel a bit lopsided,
but you could also have Seth at the end of Night one, main event
Night one where how what about if Drew screws Seth in that match? What
if Drew is the reason that the the Cody and Seth lose. I mean,
he's so involved in this. Drew seems to have it, you know,
a pretty invested interest in this whole Bloodline debacle. He keeps injecting himself
into this. Perhaps Drew is the reason, and maybe he Claymore's Seth rollins
before their championship match. Seth loses the tag team match and then is seeking
revenge at the end of the night against Drew McIntyre in the World title match.
But also if Drew wins, then Seth has a really bad night.
So yeah, I don't know. I mean, that's that's how I would
do it. And then the other thing about this is it's like, then
is it something? But I guess Drew is a heel and his entire I
guess m O during this heel run has just been taking advantage of things out
of his control, even if they are indirectly benefiting him. But with this,
like, do you think it could hurt or effect negatively Drew's victory if
this is If it is the case, he I mean no, because that's
how we I mean think about his victories thus far. I mean, he's
gained all this momentum just by happenstancing himself into victories he hasn't really, at
least from my knowledge, maybe like one or maybe not even that he along
the way since he's been a heel, almost every victory he's had has just
been him being lucking into circumstance. He has enemies of his opponent, the
enemies come out, or the his opponent gets attacked by the person that they're
feuding with, and he just takes advantage, hits to Claymore and gets the
victory. He's just trying to win matches. He's not doing anything underhanded.
But it's also coming across that way even though he's not doing anything wrong really.
So it's a very interesting heel turn he's had, but I don't think
it would hurt him because of the way he's won matches up to this point
have been almost exclusively that way, and it may just continue the way to
have him win the world title. We all know who and what Drew is.
It's not as if he's some upstart. You know, he's carried the
company before. So it's not as if he has to prove the fans or
gain the respect of fans by not locking into it. If he does it,
that's been them that's got him to this spot thus far, So I
would continue it, yeah, because like he isn't a way kind of turning
himself back babyface because of just how I guess not relatable he is, but
like there's nothing I guess it is heel, but like nobody would not do
what Drew is doing right, Like he's just taking advantage of what of what
has been made available to him. So like for me, like I want
Drew to be positioned in a prominent way and I don't want his victory to
feel tainted in any capacity as well. So I guess like as long as
they can position that tag match that will not negatively affect the World Heavyweight Championship
match, I'm okay with this going down. Obviously it's gonna feel massive.
You get to feel like the rock and rollman are on the same page,
which we haven't seen in a wrestling match capacity to this point. Cody versus
Cody and Seth tagging is gonna feel like something I guess completely out of left
field if you would have asked this like two years ago after their Maniam match
and their subsequent two matches to follow. So it's gonna feel like a big
match. I just want to make sure that it doesn't negatively affect any of
the other title matches. That's the key. That's gonna be the thread,
the hole they're gonna have to thread. I mean, I don't know how
they're going to do that, but I agree with you on Drew when it
comes to yeah that that who who doesn't want to win a match? I
mean, what is he supposed to do it? If his opponent gets attacked
and gets left laying and the referee doesn't see it, Is Drew supposed to
stand back a whole hole? Hold on, I can't get I I can't
take the victory here, guys, I gotta I gotta step a step back
and wait till he recovers. That's not fair. No, if you're of
course going to get a victory, your of course just going to pin your
opponent. That If if the goal is to win the match, which is
what we should believe, then Drew would be a fool. He would look
stupid if he does not take the advantage of that. So he has lucked
himself into this in a lot of ways. At the same time, he
is a legitimate badass. We know what he's capable of. I really don't
have an issue whether it's clean or if it's happenstance. Maybe Seth ends up,
I don't know, you know, something happens, he has a faux
injury with his back or he I don't know. Some wacky things happen even
if it's not someone else interfering, and Drew takes advantag the situation. Maybe
the referee wants to stop the match because of this faux injury, and Drew
just hits a claymore and gets the victory like a you know, a savage
sob. Well, he's just trying to win the match. I mean,
so there's ways to do it that don't have people interfere but still give Drew
a clean victory over Seth. And I don't think Seth will be hurt by
this at all. I think fans honestly are ready to move on from Seth
as champion. I don't think he's turning heel, but there is a case
to be made for Hey, it's almost many year you've had a really fun
run. It's it has elevated this world title to where you'd hoped it would
be. And I have no issue with Drew winning here, whether it's clean
or whether it's happenstance and he just lucks into a victory again, which would
be unpaced and on par with what he's done this far. Either way,
Drew has to win this. Can you can you actually imagine a scenario where
Seth doesn't drop the belt and he maintains I mean, do you think there
is a scenario which Seth actually retains. No, I don't think so,
and it's nothing in Seth, But like, not every title has to be
a year long run, you know what I mean. And it just feels
like we've gotten to that endgame with Seth and the World Heavyweight Championship, and
I really think people want to see Drew win. And I don't think we'll
see if you hold the title for that long because with you'll have Damien Priest
lurking, assuming he cashes in on the world champion and not the undisputed champion.
So I mean, I think people are ready for Drew to be champed.
I think that people would like to see a lengthy run with Drew's champ
and very lengthy. I mean it's all subjective as to what that would exactly
mean, but I mean, how long would you like to see Drew hold
the world title? At least six months? I mean, after all this
time, and you have Drew get screwed by just circumstances beyond his control with
COVID, which I really felt for him. I mean I remember watching that,
like, damn, this sucks. I feel so bad for Drew because
he earned that moment with Brock and there's nobody there. It just ah.
I felt for him. But this to has to be a six month run.
Now, Triple H has shown thus far he loves himself some long runs
and my long runs, I mean like one year plus. He hasn't taken
the belt off of Roman EO. Sky has held it for quite some time,
obviously, ree Ripley's held it since last year's WrestleMania. There's been I
mean, outside of the women's tag titles, which don't really count as real
titles. I mean, let's be serious, the way they treat them.
He has been very steadfast on longer title reigns, opposed to what Vince has
done, which was a lot of hot potato. So I think Drew minimum
needs to hold it for six months. I would love to see a longer
one, but I think six months is a solid reign from April till you
know, September October and lose it maybe towards Survivors Series heading into next year's
WrestleMania, how about you? Yeah, I mean I at least I would
say next fall, because I wouldn't imagine that Drew would go in holding the
world title in the next year. And to your point, you don't always
have to do a year plus. But the Damien Priest thing is interesting because,
like, would they make him cash in on Cody Rhodes? Would Cody
Rhodes actually take two years to finish his story only to be cashed in on
by June let's say, or whatever the deadline is for Damian Priest to cash
it in. So I would actually be expecting Drew to probably hold it until
May ish And what's a pay per view in there? Is that Night of
Champions falls in the maytimeline, Like I could see him holding it to that
point. Unfortunately, I think that him losing it at SummerSlam would probably be
good because as much as they try and position SummerSlam as like a major pay
per view or pl E and like the resume of the summer, I feel
like more times than not, it comes and goes and feels a little lackluster,
like especially this past year. The year before I think was the year
with the tractor right with brock Lesner YEP, which I think that was Triple
H's first pl in charge of Creator. But in terms of major title changes,
it feels like it's been a while. Maybe Roman reigns wing the Universal
Championship back in twenty eighteen was the last time that they made a major title
change, So I think that ideally it would be until SummerSlam, but because
of that briefcase, I feel like it would be even sooner. Well,
I think you brought up the point that many a lot of people aren't thinking
about and I actually dropped it dropped out of my brain for a while.
Is we all assume Damian Priest is cashing in on the World Heavyweight Championship?
Well, what about the undisputed Championship? Why are we discounting that? And
there is good reason because a lot of people believe that it's well, Cody
and Roman and nobody. You know, Damian Priest is a third party that
doesn't need to get involved. But I mean, hey, there's an opportunity
there that a lot of people aren't thinking about because that briefcase is good for
any championship in WWE, and sure the Intercontinental Championship is that something else he
could take a shot at. But he's got until July early July, so
he has a few more months until he has to actually cash it in or
lose it. So yeah, we're looking at as a as you asked me
earlier. Backlash is in France this year on May fourth, there's no June
pay per view, and then money in the bank is on July sixth.
So what I mean you could have actually Damien Priest cash in I think that
day if I'm not mistaken, I have to see what day he actually won
it. But I mean, I don't think we've ever seen someone go coast
to coast, so to speak, where you have someone win it and then
cashing in at the next year's money in the bank. I don't think we've
ever seen that. So that's a possibility too, where Damien goes the distance
and ends up cashing in at that same event. But at that point you'd
be like, you'd know a cash in is coming because that's the last opportunity.
So I'm not saying that's going to happen, but yeah, I mean
that people are discounting the Cody Rhodes cash in factor, you know. I
mean, I don't. I honestly, I don't know what I would do
with Damien. I'm back and forth. Would you actually have him be successful
in the cash in or have it be a wasted cash in? I think
it has to be successful just because just because did you hear that, Yes,
it was a big whistle or feedback, I'm guessing, Okay, sorry
about that. Can you edit that out? Yeah? Okay, perfect,
Wow, that really threw him off the track there. But no, I
think you have to make him cash in, honestly, because last year was
a failed cash in on the United States Championship. The year before was Big
E, which was successful, but then the year before that Otis won it
and then it got transferred to the miss and I'm like, you know,
then the year before that, I think it was brock Lesnar. So for
me, it's been a few years since the money in the bank briefcase felt
like a legitimate, like a legitimately big deal, and I think that with
it, I was about to say around the waste of a Damien, But
in the hands of Damien, it's felt more legitimate, like more of a
traditional money in the bank, like a big moment, like a crowning moment,
moment for a main eventor and I think that you have to capitalize on
it, because I do think Damian Priest is a budding eventor a budding superstar
and no pun intended. And the last four years or so, the money
in the bank hasn't felt like that. Like obviously Theory cash in on a
mid card title and it blew blew up in his face, big e.
I mean, that was okay, but it happened what two months after and
like I found, his main event run was a flop. We all ran
through the oldist thing and then brock was just a weird Vince McMann type of
decision. So and then I think even Baron Corbyn the year before that failed
to cash in, or I think twenty eighteen with someone else as well.
But all this to say, it's been a while since the main the money
in the bank briefcase felt as big as it does now because it's making you
kind of forget that it's there, which is kind of the point. And
it feels very akin to when Edge held it with the inaugural match in five
and he cashed in, I think with two or three months to spare,
and it feels like this is the longest time someone's held onto that briefcase since.
Then? Are you bringing this st back for me? When Edge cashed
in again? You're there at the New Year's Revolution pay per view elimination chamber
match right after John Cena had retained Edge cash in and very proud to say
I say this every time, but it's very very much worth saying. We
were one of the few audiences at that time to just heavily destroy John Cena
when it comes to booing. Well, I mean, we weren't the first,
but it felt very good that Albany was united in their hate for John
Cen at the time. So I'm proud to say I was part of that.
But that said, I mean that is right. I mean, you
have an opportunity right now to have Damian Priest be anointed as the top guy.
It's just that the timing seems weird because if you do it against Cody,
I mean, I don't think anyone wants to see that, especially after
all the struggle and complaining of a heel champion that's never there three and a
half years. We know the numbers, but also Drew McIntyre winning, assuming
he wins, it's like, well, you got to give him time to
breathe. This champion, he's an excellent heel. At that point, you
would have a heel cash in on a heel, So how does that work?
You know? So, I mean it is a bit perplexing. The
timing of Damien Priests and the cash in is a little weird, but they
have to make it work for the integrity of the briefcase and what that briefcase
means. You have to have it be successful, I think, and you
have to have it done against probably the world champion. Cody makes no sense
given what everything will mean when he finally conquers Roman Reigns at WrestleMania forty.
So yeah, I don't know if you have any final thoughts as we wrap
it up here. Well, all I would want to say is that when
he does cash in, I really wanted to feel like a big deal because
I think that Damien Priest, you know, aside from well, I know
you have Gunther too, but I feel like Gunther's on the verge of being
a babyface, don't you. Oh he's he's I think he's in transition right
now. Yeah. So, because I was about to say, aside from
Roman reigns, Damian Priest could be the biggest heel the company has, but
I was gonna pivot to Gunther. But I really don't think that gun there's
gonna be a babyface for that much longer, and without Gunther as a heat
or not, he's not gonna be a heel for that much longer, and
without Gunther as a heel, like it could be Damien Priest, to be
honest with you, like, aside from Roman reigns, like who else feels
like a major heel right now in WWE, aside from Roman rains like the
Rock Well, he's not full time aj Styles will he's past his prime.
Drew McIntyre, for sure, Drew McIntire's right up there, Logan Paul,
But like Damian Priest could be that major guy. I guess that major,
big heel he has, Yes, And that's the thing that also, I
think that needs to be reiterated is Damian Priest has where he was to where
he is now and the progress he's made on the mic, his presence in
the ring, I mean, just everything. He is absolutely I think a
believable and deserving champion when and if it happens, and I don't think we
should overlook that now. Whether or not the Judgment Day is going to disband
or not, I don't think they will, but that's another conversation. And
as you mentioned with Gunther, who it would be a perfect formidable opponent,
assuming he loses the Intercontinental Championship soon and moves up after that, you can't
have heel heel. So Gunther, who is ultra respected by the fans,
never puts on a bad match. You can't see through his work. He
it just got such a unique look, all of it, and he really
would be I think an excellent babyface because it doesn't even he doesn't even cheat
to win, by the way, So I think you could have him transition
slowly into the babyface character that what ultimately challenged Drew McIntyre, maybe at a
Summer Slam or something like that. I wouldn't rush Gunther into the world title
picture. You know you have it there ready to go, But Gunther,
you know that is gonna be I think Imperium's going to implode very soon,
and Gunther is going to be on the hunt very probably within a few months
after WrestleMania when he loses the Intercontinental Championship. That we're all assuming a lot
of assumptions here, but yeah, there's just so many, so much talent
that they could work with here and really push into an ascension towards the main
event scene and Gunther and Damien Priest, Like in a year's time, could
we not be talking about that as like the one of the main events of
rest Way for the World Heavyweight Championship, Gunther versus Damien Priest. I have
no issue with it that that sounds like a very plausible main event for the
World Heavyweight Championship and Gunther struggling to reach the top. I think fans will
be with him the whole way. I really do. I really think the
fans will have no issue when they're ready to turn the switch on Gunther to
get behind him. He's actually kind of funny too, Like people don't realize
the things he says and does in the ring, Like when he's on the
mic and insulting his opponents, I think he's kind of funny, and I
don't think he's doing it on purpose, but he's he's quick witted on the
mic, and he's again just such a just a he's got that it factor
man that I'm ready for him to be world champion. I think he's ready
to move up. And when we get a Damien Priest and Gunther's main event,
Gunther should be the heel here. I don't see Damien Priest turning baby
at this point. I think it is absolutely going to be a Gunther baby
face turn more than much faster than a Damien Priest. So any final thoughts
on WrestleMania forty as were my god four weeks four four a little before.
It's crazy how fast it moves, But no, I mean, I'm sure
as we dive into it more and more of the coming weeks, I'll have
more thoughts. But we cover a long ground here to even tease the possible
main event for restume at forty one, absolutely, and I'm sure next week
we will have another hopefully not a forty minute, but we'll have a rock
segment to break down, as he's going to be on the next two consecutive
smackdowns, and then I don't think he'll be on the go Home show.
I don't believe. I'll have to check, which is odd that he's not
going to be on the Go Home Show. But the Rock is going to
be on the next two smackdowns, and then it'll be WrestleMania forty. So
we'll have another hopefully shorter rock segment to dissect next week. Yeah, man,
looking forward to it. All right, have a good night you too.
Thanks for listening to the WWE podcast. Don't forget to subscribe on your
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