WWE Week in Review: Gunther vs AJ Styles, Trick Williams Attacks Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes vs Jacob Fatu Set for SNME

<v Speaker 1>This is WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre and you're listening to
<v Speaker 1>the WWE podcast show.
<v Speaker 2>The one that everybody wants me got three sixteenth, So
<v Speaker 2>just with your.
<v Speaker 1>Ass is my you can acknowledge me.
<v Speaker 2>Well, here we are. It is Sunday once again for
<v Speaker 2>your week in review. It's January eighteenth, twenty twenty six,
<v Speaker 2>and we are week away from Saturday Night's main event
<v Speaker 2>that's shaping up to be. I mean, okay, I don't
<v Speaker 2>think there's a need for Saturday Night's main event. The
<v Speaker 2>Royal Rumble should have been the sole focus for the
<v Speaker 2>last four weeks. But we have somewhat of a card
<v Speaker 2>for Saturday and it's main event lined up in Montreal
<v Speaker 2>next weekend, and we have a little bit of Royal
<v Speaker 2>Rumble news. Cody Rhodes has declared himself for the Royal Rumble.
<v Speaker 2>As you know, you just have to declare it. There's
<v Speaker 2>no other prequalification. You just do that, and then you're in.
<v Speaker 2>Why everyone on Earth doesn't just do it because all
<v Speaker 2>that's all that's required makes no sense. There should be
<v Speaker 2>some kind of some kind of method to getting into
<v Speaker 2>the Rumble of than just declaring it, because it makes
<v Speaker 2>everyone else look foolish as hell because the grandest prize
<v Speaker 2>in the game is on the line. A title shot
<v Speaker 2>at WrestleMania doesn't mean you're in the main event, because
<v Speaker 2>Lord knows that if you're in a title match, it
<v Speaker 2>doesn't necessarily mean the main event of the show. That
<v Speaker 2>that's happened before. And look at WrestleMania forty for example,
<v Speaker 2>with the tag team match with the Rock and then
<v Speaker 2>the following night with Cody and Roman Reigns. Obviously that happened.
<v Speaker 2>But anyway, we've got some time here to go through
<v Speaker 2>the Rumble and all of its potentials, and that's going
<v Speaker 2>to be fun next week. But we do have a
<v Speaker 2>pitstop of Saturday Night's made event, as I said in Montreal,
<v Speaker 2>coming up in just under one week. So let's get
<v Speaker 2>into it. If you, oh, by the way, follow us
<v Speaker 2>on Patreon if you want to go ad free, there's
<v Speaker 2>a lot of ads, I know, head on over to
<v Speaker 2>Patreon and get that all removed. Patreon dot com, slash
<v Speaker 2>WWE podcast. So let's do it. Let's go through SmackDown,
<v Speaker 2>and I would encourage you to not only check out
<v Speaker 2>Amanda's review of SmackDown, but check out our main event review.
<v Speaker 2>We do have a host that does cover the main event.
<v Speaker 2>He covers it every single week. I believe it'll drop tomorrow,
<v Speaker 2>so if you haven't already, Daniel from Australia covers it
<v Speaker 2>every single week. All right, let's do it. Let's go
<v Speaker 2>to SmackDown and I'll give you my thoughts on it
<v Speaker 2>and yes we'll touch on raw. We do that every
<v Speaker 2>week two, but not for very long because there's a
<v Speaker 2>whole show for that. So we have Joe tessitur say
<v Speaker 2>this show was sold out. This is from the London,
<v Speaker 2>England arena, the Ovo is it ovo Ovoh, I don't know,
<v Speaker 2>Arena Wembley and it was I think it was two
<v Speaker 2>o'clock Eastern time. So all of you in the UK
<v Speaker 2>who are being spoiled for the last couple of weeks
<v Speaker 2>enjoy it because they're going to be back to regularly
<v Speaker 2>scheduled programming shortly. But now you guys get treated. You
<v Speaker 2>don't get a WrestleMania like you deserve, but you get
<v Speaker 2>your occasional shows every year that give you a reasonable
<v Speaker 2>time to watch them. But for us, it's two pm
<v Speaker 2>Eastern time, which is just bizarre because most of us
<v Speaker 2>are at work and kind of hard. But for you guys,
<v Speaker 2>I would imagine I could just is just off the
<v Speaker 2>top of my head for a normal raw, is it
<v Speaker 2>well like five or six in the morning that Rob
<v Speaker 2>would be on for you, I'd imagine that it's very
<v Speaker 2>very early in the morning, all right, So let's get
<v Speaker 2>into it. We do have a sold out show, according
<v Speaker 2>to Joe Tessitour and Cory Grave checked in and video
<v Speaker 2>package recapped Drew McIntyre beating Cody Rhose in the three
<v Speaker 2>stages of hell Match where Jacob FOUGHTU interfered, that's when
<v Speaker 2>we have the bagpipe players perform on stage, lined up,
<v Speaker 2>the entrance aile and we have the new WWEN disputed champion,
<v Speaker 2>Drew McIntyre make his entrance and the crowd was cheering
<v Speaker 2>for McIntyre as expected in London. Really a fun entrance
<v Speaker 2>there for McIntyre, and McIntyre said quote, I prayed for
<v Speaker 2>this and it happened. That's when you deserve it. Chance
<v Speaker 2>started and Drew said he knew it had been a
<v Speaker 2>rough few years, but if anyone could bring everyone together,
<v Speaker 2>it was him and the first British WWE champion, and
<v Speaker 2>the fans sang his name and he said, I just
<v Speaker 2>want to say to each and every one of you,
<v Speaker 2>screw you. He said, this isn't me doing the bad
<v Speaker 2>guy wrestler bit. No, seriously, screw you. When I got fired?
<v Speaker 2>Where were you? You want to jump on the bandwagon now?
<v Speaker 2>Ninety nine percent of you weren't there for me, and
<v Speaker 2>he said there were There was no uprising when the
<v Speaker 2>Bloodline screwed him over and the fans cheered for cempunk
<v Speaker 2>and did the stupid yeat with Jay Usso and said
<v Speaker 2>the fans did nothing when Cody Rhads and his referees
<v Speaker 2>screwed him. So McIntyre thanked himself, and he wanted to
<v Speaker 2>address the former champion. He said he knows it. It
<v Speaker 2>cuts like a knife every time he says former champion
<v Speaker 2>Cody Rhodes, and he said, SmackDown. GM. Nick Aldis added
<v Speaker 2>a sipulation which he said he would explain since ninety
<v Speaker 2>percent of Americans can't read, and McIntyre said there would
<v Speaker 2>be no rematch. Ella qb one era is over and
<v Speaker 2>the dangerous unpredictable Drew mcatarre era begins tonight. So Randy
<v Speaker 2>Orton comes out. I'll get to that in a second.
<v Speaker 2>Strong promo here, trying to get that fans against him
<v Speaker 2>and doing it in I don't want to say his
<v Speaker 2>home country, but closer to his home country. You knew
<v Speaker 2>Drew was going to be cheered here even though I
<v Speaker 2>mean it wasn't Scotland, but it was still closer, certainly
<v Speaker 2>than his typical tour of the United States. So I think,
<v Speaker 2>to be honest, I think even if he was just
<v Speaker 2>in the United States, he would have gotten cheered, but
<v Speaker 2>he made sure to the best of his ability that
<v Speaker 2>he was not going to be cheered. I mean, he
<v Speaker 2>did everything he could too play the role of a
<v Speaker 2>bad guy, and he see he said he's not doing
<v Speaker 2>the bad guy wrestler bit. I don't need to hear
<v Speaker 2>that from him. I mean, I get it. I get it.
<v Speaker 2>I love Drew and he's trying to be more real
<v Speaker 2>by bringing to the forefront of what he's trying to do,
<v Speaker 2>by saying he's not doing it, but he's really doing it.
<v Speaker 2>I get it. But overall, I think it was a
<v Speaker 2>very strong talking about how we abandon him. We weren't
<v Speaker 2>there for him during his time of need. We're only
<v Speaker 2>jumping on when now he's champion. I think a lot
<v Speaker 2>of that comes from a real place. I really do.
<v Speaker 2>That's what makes a lot of these wrestlers who do
<v Speaker 2>as great of work as Drew's doing great comes from
<v Speaker 2>a real place, and Drew is continuing to do fabulous work.
<v Speaker 2>I am very hopeful that they don't cut this title
<v Speaker 2>range short, they don't Jayuso him. I don't think they
<v Speaker 2>will because here's the difference between jay Usu and Drew McIntyre.
<v Speaker 2>Drew feels like a champion. He's felt like a champion
<v Speaker 2>before he was crown champion, and I think that's something
<v Speaker 2>that's overlooked a lot of times. Is well, maybe when
<v Speaker 2>they get the belt, they'll feel like a champion. To me,
<v Speaker 2>you should feel like one before actually becoming one. So
<v Speaker 2>Drew he's felt like it for years. I don't count
<v Speaker 2>his five minute reign as championed a few years ago
<v Speaker 2>WrestleMania and then see Himpunk screwed him and we know
<v Speaker 2>the story. That doesn't count to me. I know in
<v Speaker 2>the record books fine, but in reality it doesn't count.
<v Speaker 2>This is his first true start as champion, long long,
<v Speaker 2>long overdue, but it's here, and I don't think they'll
<v Speaker 2>jay us so him because of the fact that not
<v Speaker 2>only does he looked the part, he can play the part.
<v Speaker 2>He's been the part. He's carried the company before on
<v Speaker 2>his back, he's been champion before, not his first rodeo. Here,
<v Speaker 2>he's even more seasoned and more polished, and I think
<v Speaker 2>even in a better role than he was his babyface
<v Speaker 2>during his long first ten years champion in twenty twenty,
<v Speaker 2>beating brock Lesner at the empty arena WrestleMania thirty six warehouse,
<v Speaker 2>I think he's in a better position than even then,
<v Speaker 2>and he did an awesome job then. So I hope
<v Speaker 2>that this is going to be a six to eight
<v Speaker 2>month minimum. I don't need a Roman Reigns esque style run.
<v Speaker 2>But if we can get to June, I know that
<v Speaker 2>seems like a long, long long way off, but get
<v Speaker 2>past WrestleMania, have drew, retain at WrestleMania, and get through
<v Speaker 2>another pl e and get to June. I would call
<v Speaker 2>that a win. In today's world of no attention span
<v Speaker 2>and no patience, I would look at it look at
<v Speaker 2>that as a win. If he goes to WrestleMania and loses,
<v Speaker 2>it depends on the situation who he loses to what
<v Speaker 2>the potential plans are how he loses a lot of factors,
<v Speaker 2>So it's hard for me to judge there. Because WrestleMania
<v Speaker 2>is looked at as the place that the babyface goes
<v Speaker 2>to overcome the dastardly heel. Typically doesn't always happen, we
<v Speaker 2>understand that, but more often than not, it is the
<v Speaker 2>place that the baby faces go to overcome the heel
<v Speaker 2>that's been champion for a while. And by the time
<v Speaker 2>we get to April, which is three months from now,
<v Speaker 2>just about three months time, we're looking at WrestleMania forty two,
<v Speaker 2>and it will feel like he's been champion for a
<v Speaker 2>little while at that point. But how quickly time goes,
<v Speaker 2>it really isn't that long. So Drew with the three
<v Speaker 2>month title reign, I would not look at that as
<v Speaker 2>a win. But we'll see what the plans are. I mean,
<v Speaker 2>there are clearly are plans if they transition the championship
<v Speaker 2>to Drew. There are plans for that championship with Drew
<v Speaker 2>involved at WrestleMania. I see no way in which Drew
<v Speaker 2>goes to WrestleMania not walking in his champion. It would
<v Speaker 2>be a disgrace. Barring some kind of unforeseen injury. To Drew.
<v Speaker 2>Let's hope that doesn't happen. We're in for a hell
<v Speaker 2>of a run. We're in for finally the run that
<v Speaker 2>we do and he deserves. Most importantly, I don't care
<v Speaker 2>if he tries to make us boo him. That doesn't
<v Speaker 2>you know, I see through it. I don't care. I'm
<v Speaker 2>supporting him. I don't care if he tries to run
<v Speaker 2>down my entire family, Like you know what I mean,
<v Speaker 2>we all know that. It's just what it is. So
<v Speaker 2>Drew could be battling some of that. By the way,
<v Speaker 2>no matter what he does in every city, he could
<v Speaker 2>be getting, you know, a pretty positive reaction. He's going
<v Speaker 2>to have to work pretty hard to get to people
<v Speaker 2>to hate him because the fans are really along with him,
<v Speaker 2>even if he's trying to be the bad guy. So
<v Speaker 2>we'll see how that struggle works itself out over the
<v Speaker 2>coming months. But anything short of walking in at WrestleMania's
<v Speaker 2>champion is a failure. There is no There really would
<v Speaker 2>be no reason to have their Golden Boy drop the
<v Speaker 2>belt to Drew three months before WrestleMania if they didn't
<v Speaker 2>have plans for him to walk in as champion. That
<v Speaker 2>also means on the flip side with Cody Rhoades. Now
<v Speaker 2>he's going to be facing Jacob Fatu. Lol. We all
<v Speaker 2>know Cody's probably going to come out on top. You
<v Speaker 2>would think I shouldn't l ol that because they're trying
<v Speaker 2>to build Jacob and I get it, and now that
<v Speaker 2>no championship is on the line, Jacobatu could beat Cody.
<v Speaker 2>I shouldn't really lol that and steamrolled it. But there
<v Speaker 2>seems to be bigger plans for Cody. At the Rumble.
<v Speaker 2>He declared himself as the first entrant. I don't know
<v Speaker 2>if he said that he's going to be number one
<v Speaker 2>or he's just he's the first one to declare himself
<v Speaker 2>for the Rumble. That could be what he meant and
<v Speaker 2>not really that he's the first entrant. But Cody's in
<v Speaker 2>the rumble. I would not want him number one, and
<v Speaker 2>that means that something in the Rumble is going to
<v Speaker 2>happen to where you're going to have Cody find his
<v Speaker 2>opponent for WrestleMania. I would think, no, that's that's probably
<v Speaker 2>where I'm going or they're going with that. So a
<v Speaker 2>lot of moving parts here, and that's just the Drew
<v Speaker 2>and Cody dynamic. I know Jacob Two's here for a
<v Speaker 2>quick minute facing Cody Rhodes, and that's fine, but let's
<v Speaker 2>get back to SmackDown. So Randy Orton comes out and
<v Speaker 2>he uh Orton's he came. He came in the ring
<v Speaker 2>and told McIntyre he wasn't there to congratulate him, and
<v Speaker 2>he recalled. Mctire had a chance to kick his head
<v Speaker 2>through the table, but he declined, and Orton said that
<v Speaker 2>when he gets the company to return the favor or
<v Speaker 2>the company the opportunity, he won't hesitate. He said he's
<v Speaker 2>beaten mctyre for the title before and he'll do it
<v Speaker 2>again with an RKO. That's when Jacob Fattou comes out
<v Speaker 2>attacks mctyre once he endered the ring, and Fatu took
<v Speaker 2>the fight to the floor, where he slammed mcatire's head
<v Speaker 2>on the broadcast table, and McIntyre ran Fatu's head into
<v Speaker 2>the ring post and ran away. The mid shows up
<v Speaker 2>and puts Orton down with a skull crushing finale, and
<v Speaker 2>we get mis versus Orton in a qualifying match for
<v Speaker 2>a four way to a title shot, trying a shot
<v Speaker 2>at the w W Championship. So the Miz gets a
<v Speaker 2>rare one up on Orton, although that didn't last long,
<v Speaker 2>as we'll see, But Jakefa two gets a little bit
<v Speaker 2>of prime time here trying to build a new star.
<v Speaker 2>For those that are not interested in Jakfa two, this
<v Speaker 2>is the this is the star building process, guys. You know,
<v Speaker 2>if if you only want to see Orton and McIntyre
<v Speaker 2>and Cody and just the big names, and you're just like,
<v Speaker 2>what's let's you know, what's Jacoba two doing here? And
<v Speaker 2>I've heard some people saying that how do you expect
<v Speaker 2>everyone to be a big star all the time? Do
<v Speaker 2>you think big stars are just created in a lab
<v Speaker 2>and pushed out to the consumer. There's a process, there's
<v Speaker 2>a molding process, a constant molding process, and a lot
<v Speaker 2>of the fans don't want to deal with that. Only
<v Speaker 2>want the big stars, the biggest names, all the time.
<v Speaker 2>And this is the part they don't want to deal with.
<v Speaker 2>They don't. That's why a lot of fans don't watch XT,
<v Speaker 2>they don't watch TNA, and I look, I'm one of them.
<v Speaker 2>Not because I don't respect or appreciate the star building process.
<v Speaker 2>I just simply don't have the time. And other people
<v Speaker 2>are in that boat too, But I've heard people. I've
<v Speaker 2>heard people seeing conversations online that are just saying, you know,
<v Speaker 2>snooze fest. I don't you know boring? You know, yawn.
<v Speaker 2>Stars take a while to build, all right, and not
<v Speaker 2>everything can just be instantly big star. And you'll see
<v Speaker 2>these people, by the way, come along at WrestleMania. We're
<v Speaker 2>just about in that season now, just about in that timeframe,
<v Speaker 2>really close. They'll come around. Even though the rumble, right
<v Speaker 2>because rumbles a real fun event. I mean, even if
<v Speaker 2>you're not a big wrestling fan, it's fun to watch.
<v Speaker 2>But you'll see those people come around and go, oh wow, wrestling,
<v Speaker 2>Wrestling's h you know, WrestleMania. What do we got is
<v Speaker 2>the Rock coming back? Is Austin coming back? I heard
<v Speaker 2>the rumbles around the corners. I heard m brock Lessner.
<v Speaker 2>Is he you know you hear about these people that
<v Speaker 2>only know the household names, that only want to see
<v Speaker 2>the biggest of the big Oh did Austin come out
<v Speaker 2>and give a stuntard?
<v Speaker 1>Like?
<v Speaker 2>You know, all those people are about to come back
<v Speaker 2>into your life. If you have those fringe fans that
<v Speaker 2>only are fans when it's quote unquote okay or acceptable
<v Speaker 2>to be a fan. They're about to revisit your life.
<v Speaker 2>You're about to see them post stuff online or maybe
<v Speaker 2>even contact you if they know you're the wrestling fan
<v Speaker 2>in the friend group. So here we go. Maybe it's
<v Speaker 2>just as experience as I've only had in my life,
<v Speaker 2>but I'm guessing, being a wrestling fan for the last
<v Speaker 2>almost thirty years, that I'm probably not alone in this.
<v Speaker 2>So we get the Miss and Orton in a qualifying match.
<v Speaker 2>As I said, the match went four and a half
<v Speaker 2>minutes pretty quick, with Orton beating the Miss in you
<v Speaker 2>guessed it at RKO. Fine, there's just no chance that
<v Speaker 2>Miss comes out on top here the Miss. Isn't there
<v Speaker 2>a stack going around? The last time? Well, what's the streak?
<v Speaker 2>I don't know the date, but the Miz has lost
<v Speaker 2>the last like thirty three televised events or televised matches,
<v Speaker 2>something insane. So forgive me if the Miz bores me.
<v Speaker 2>If the Miz is a character, it's impossible to get behind.
<v Speaker 2>I mean, there is a little method to my madness
<v Speaker 2>as far as why I am just so down on
<v Speaker 2>the Miz. And not that I don't respect him, it's
<v Speaker 2>just there's just nothing there. You've seen it all. You
<v Speaker 2>know what he's about. He's rinse and repeat. He's a
<v Speaker 2>guy you're never gonna look to, and the company's clearly
<v Speaker 2>never gonna look to to be the guy that the
<v Speaker 2>the legends can talk about how he's underrated and he's
<v Speaker 2>one of the under unsung heroes of being a heel
<v Speaker 2>and I can understand him. He's he fits a role.
<v Speaker 2>He certainly fits a role. He can cut a good
<v Speaker 2>promo at any time. He's good in the ring, but
<v Speaker 2>he's never going to be a top guy.
<v Speaker 1>Ever.
<v Speaker 2>He has never been a top guy. Even if he
<v Speaker 2>was champion going into WrestleMania twenty seven, it wasn't about him.
<v Speaker 2>It was all about the Rock and John Cena and
<v Speaker 2>the Rock giving a rock bottom to John Cena. That's
<v Speaker 2>all it was about. They didn't give a damn about
<v Speaker 2>the Miz. And Yeah, so the Mizz to this day
<v Speaker 2>has just outside of maybe a little Daniel Bryan fun
<v Speaker 2>that they had on Talking Smack and that was a
<v Speaker 2>fun moment. Miz had a good Intercontinental title run a
<v Speaker 2>couple of times, some great matches with Dolf Ziggler. I mean,
<v Speaker 2>he's done some decent stuff, but he's never the guy,
<v Speaker 2>and you know that the company's never going to get
<v Speaker 2>behind him because they never They don't even have him
<v Speaker 2>win a match on television. In the last thirty three
<v Speaker 2>attempts a televised match that he's had, he has not won.
<v Speaker 2>It's a heel that you just don't take serious. So
<v Speaker 2>I don't take the character seriously. So yeah, all right,
<v Speaker 2>well moving on, We've got let's see here and Uncle
<v Speaker 2>Howdie video air. I'm starting to become a little disenfranchised
<v Speaker 2>and disinterested. I got to say, not trying to be
<v Speaker 2>a Debbie Downer again, but the why at six It's
<v Speaker 2>nice to get airtime, so there is that, and I'm
<v Speaker 2>happy about that. But it seems like they're not doing
<v Speaker 2>much with them as far as progressing them forward to
<v Speaker 2>something beyond being a tributary group to Bray Wyatt? What
<v Speaker 2>are you? What are you beyond a Bray tribute group?
<v Speaker 2>They're essentially they're a touring cover band, That's what they are.
<v Speaker 2>They're playing the greatest hits of a few bands, but
<v Speaker 2>they can't come up with their own original music, so
<v Speaker 2>they'll never be as big as the original. Yet they're
<v Speaker 2>living off of the successes of another and that's It's
<v Speaker 2>just a fact, and I'm not I'm not advocating for
<v Speaker 2>any of these men or women to lose their jobs
<v Speaker 2>like Exter Loomis, Joe Gacy, Niki Cross. I don't want
<v Speaker 2>them to. But the fact of the matter is they
<v Speaker 2>need to do something more with them other than be
<v Speaker 2>a cover band. So all right, But anyway, we had
<v Speaker 2>Uncle Howie say that Solo Sokoa stole their light, and
<v Speaker 2>he said the lantern doesn't belong in the hands of
<v Speaker 2>someone who believes it is more powerful than its true purpose.
<v Speaker 2>And he said the lantern will come back to them
<v Speaker 2>and they won't rest until it's home. So they're going
<v Speaker 2>after a lantern, all right. So Alexa Bliss standing outside
<v Speaker 2>the venue by production trucks when Charlotte showed up and
<v Speaker 2>Bliss question just how sick Flair was last week, and
<v Speaker 2>she said she was truly sick and spoke about the
<v Speaker 2>singles opportunity she'd put off for the benefit of the team,
<v Speaker 2>and she apologized, Okay, I hope this isn't the start
<v Speaker 2>of something that's gonna rift. Alexa and Charlotte apart, there's
<v Speaker 2>no need for it. I don't think it is. But
<v Speaker 2>Ni Jackson lash Legend showed up after Bliss left, and
<v Speaker 2>Jax told Flair that it was classic Bliss in that
<v Speaker 2>she makes people feel guilty and walks away. All right,
<v Speaker 2>So Women's US Champion Julia and Keanu James take on
<v Speaker 2>Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. And Charlotte and Alexa Bliss beat
<v Speaker 2>Julia and Keanu James in eight and a half minutes
<v Speaker 2>after Bliss makes a blind tag and James ran toward Flair,
<v Speaker 2>but Bliss cut her off and hit sister Abigail for
<v Speaker 2>the victory. And after the match, Ni Jackson lash Legend
<v Speaker 2>went through the heels to get to Flair and Bliss
<v Speaker 2>and Julia returned to the ring after Jackson lash Legend
<v Speaker 2>roughed up Flare and Bliss and James pulled Julia back
<v Speaker 2>to stop her from going after Jackson Legend. So I
<v Speaker 2>think this was good, predictable?
<v Speaker 1>Yes?
<v Speaker 2>Is Kanu James there to take the fall all the time? Yes?
<v Speaker 2>Protecting Julia a little bit, yes, also giving a little
<v Speaker 2>bit of momentum back to Alexa Blist and Charlotte Flair. Yes,
<v Speaker 2>It's just just fine. A fine match that served its purpose,
<v Speaker 2>building more towards again Charlotte Flair and Alexa taking on
<v Speaker 2>Lash Legend and Nijacks again. Nice to see a tag
<v Speaker 2>team fighting over something that's not about the tag team
<v Speaker 2>titles at the moment. Anyway, It's nice to see the
<v Speaker 2>tag team division actually exist for the women. And I
<v Speaker 2>mean that's all I can all I can ask for
<v Speaker 2>and not just have it. Imagine just like kind of
<v Speaker 2>out of whole cloth be invented right before WrestleMania, which
<v Speaker 2>we've seen in the years past. They throw you a
<v Speaker 2>bunch of women together that don't have anything else going
<v Speaker 2>on to create the illusion of a tag team division.
<v Speaker 2>We've seen that time and again this year maybe the
<v Speaker 2>first time that that's not true. So we had an
<v Speaker 2>MFT promo video air and solos a call looked into
<v Speaker 2>the lantern and he's taunting essentially the the Wide six.
<v Speaker 2>Cody Rhads coming out and he sang some fans, I
<v Speaker 2>should say, sang his name once he was inside the ring,
<v Speaker 2>while others booed. So Cody did not get a fully
<v Speaker 2>positive response. Here things could be a change in But
<v Speaker 2>as the Kings, I would always say, anytime you go
<v Speaker 2>to Canada or the UK, it's bizarre world, meaning they
<v Speaker 2>don't follow the typical narrative of who they should quote
<v Speaker 2>unquote cheer or boo, which always you know, of course
<v Speaker 2>makes the executives is Tummy's hurt in w W E
<v Speaker 2>now TKO. So Cody declared himself the first entrant at
<v Speaker 2>the men's Royal Rumble match, and he asked fans what
<v Speaker 2>they want to talk about, but he did say or.
<v Speaker 2>He asked what he had in common with Shawn Michaels,
<v Speaker 2>Hulkogan and Steve Austin, and he said they are the
<v Speaker 2>only ones who ever went back to back Royal Rumbles.
<v Speaker 2>He said, the only one of them won it three
<v Speaker 2>times in a row. And Cody said he loves a gamble.
<v Speaker 2>He put over some of his history in London while
<v Speaker 2>adding that the city deserves a WrestleMania. Well yes, so
<v Speaker 2>really trying to endear himself back to the crowd there,
<v Speaker 2>which is certainly deserving of a WrestleMania. Look, just because
<v Speaker 2>I'm in the US doesn't mean that I can't objectively
<v Speaker 2>look at the scope of who deserves WrestleMania who doesn't. Unfortunately,
<v Speaker 2>it doesn't go to the group that deserves it, It
<v Speaker 2>goes to the highest bidder. Those are not the same
<v Speaker 2>they are not the same, should they be? I mean
<v Speaker 2>in a utopia, yeah, because then those that deserve it
<v Speaker 2>always get it, and WWE gets the most money from
<v Speaker 2>the fans. So everyone's happy. But not this year, not
<v Speaker 2>next year. While we all have been waiting for a
<v Speaker 2>UK O to Arena or Wembley Stadium WrestleMania, it's not WrestleMania,
<v Speaker 2>for we know it's in Vegas, WrestleMania forty threes in Saudi.
<v Speaker 2>So now you guys are looking at twenty twenty eight
<v Speaker 2>for a potential WrestleMania in the UK. But you know what,
<v Speaker 2>even then, not to pour some cold water on you,
<v Speaker 2>WWE has to make it hasn't make good with New
<v Speaker 2>Orleans because remember this year's WrestleMania was supposed to be
<v Speaker 2>in New Orleans or New Orleans however you want to
<v Speaker 2>put it. And it's not because they went to Vegas
<v Speaker 2>because that would make them way more money. Because TKO
<v Speaker 2>is money obsessed at all costs, no matter no matter
<v Speaker 2>the side effect, who's hurt by it, what it means
<v Speaker 2>to the production, what it means to k Fabe, it
<v Speaker 2>doesn't matter. They want to squeeze every dollar out of
<v Speaker 2>you and me and the sponsors that they possibly can
<v Speaker 2>at all costs. So that means New Orleans got shafted,
<v Speaker 2>the UK got shafted. What does it mean for WrestleMania
<v Speaker 2>forty four? They might go back to New Orleans because
<v Speaker 2>they're owed one, which means you're looking at WrestleMania forty
<v Speaker 2>five at maybe in London. Maybe I feel so bad
<v Speaker 2>for you guys, and not that you know. It's going
<v Speaker 2>to depend whether or not you're a wrestling fan if
<v Speaker 2>you go to WrestleMania or if they have a WrestleMania there,
<v Speaker 2>because many of you who like WrestleMania go to whatevery year,
<v Speaker 2>or maybe you just only want to go once, will travel.
<v Speaker 2>I mean a lot of the fans that come to
<v Speaker 2>WrestleMania are international fans, so you guys make the trip anyway,
<v Speaker 2>but you deserve, you really do deserve a WrestleMania in
<v Speaker 2>your home country. Of course that goes. You can make
<v Speaker 2>the case for France and Spain. I mean, you could
<v Speaker 2>go around the go around Europe and make the case,
<v Speaker 2>but I would say London is more deserving than any
<v Speaker 2>other any other city right now in Europe. So guys,
<v Speaker 2>I hate to say, maybe WrestleMania forty five, and even then,
<v Speaker 2>Vegas is always going to be a threat, and now,
<v Speaker 2>forever and ever, Saudi Arabia is always going to be
<v Speaker 2>a threat to our royal Rumbles and WrestleManias because they
<v Speaker 2>give WWE the most money out of anyone and if
<v Speaker 2>they are primarily focused on only making the most money,
<v Speaker 2>the UK is going to have a problem. New Orleans
<v Speaker 2>is going to have a problem. Vegas and Saudi are
<v Speaker 2>the money capitals of the world. Okay, maybe New York.
<v Speaker 2>Chicago's a close second. The big big cities in the
<v Speaker 2>North America right in the US, we know them, so
<v Speaker 2>I mean they might as well. Just at this point,
<v Speaker 2>I could see WWE just bouncing back and forth between
<v Speaker 2>Saudi and Vegas every year, and if they had their way,
<v Speaker 2>they would. Now they can't actually do that as much
<v Speaker 2>as they want to, because there would be backlash, not
<v Speaker 2>just from the fans who complain about it, rightfully so,
<v Speaker 2>but also the sponsors. I really think they would get
<v Speaker 2>backlash and bad pr for it. It would probably make news,
<v Speaker 2>you know, there'd be a story written and it would
<v Speaker 2>just look bad. So they can't do it. But they're
<v Speaker 2>always going to be that looming threat. Even when they
<v Speaker 2>announce it, We've now learned for the first time. I've
<v Speaker 2>never seen them announce it in all the years of
<v Speaker 2>WrestleMania's that I've watched it. Anyway, they've never announced it
<v Speaker 2>and had to pull it or decided to pull it
<v Speaker 2>at their own discretion, not because they had to, but
<v Speaker 2>because Vegas made them more money by a lot, and
<v Speaker 2>they said, screw this New Orleans. You guys aren't going
<v Speaker 2>to make as nearly as much. We're going to Vegas.
<v Speaker 2>I've never seen them do that. So if they announced
<v Speaker 2>it somewhere, they've now shown us that they can change
<v Speaker 2>and will change the location. So it's a very strange time.
<v Speaker 2>But okay, sorry guys, back to back on track. So
<v Speaker 2>Cody tries to equate himself with Sean and Hulk and
<v Speaker 2>Steve Austin, which is, of course, to me ridiculous. Those
<v Speaker 2>three men are pillars of the of the UH pro
<v Speaker 2>wrestling world. But not gonna go on to Cody rant
<v Speaker 2>let's move. So Cody is again declaring himself in the rumble.
<v Speaker 2>Cody said that he wants to talk about Jacob Fatu,
<v Speaker 2>and he said that Jacob is a young veteran. That's
<v Speaker 2>kind of a oxymoron in a way. He said he
<v Speaker 2>knows what the word receipt means, and he said Fatu
<v Speaker 2>is the biggest receipt he's ever given coming. And he
<v Speaker 2>told Fatu he could come to the ring, or he
<v Speaker 2>could fund find him and beat his ass. And Cody
<v Speaker 2>ends up brawling. But here's some analysis according to Pro Wrestling,
<v Speaker 2>not always credit to them good guys over there. It says, quote,
<v Speaker 2>finally someone talks about the Royal Rumble. The show is
<v Speaker 2>only fifteen days away, yet Cody's the first person to
<v Speaker 2>declare himself for either of the Royal Rumble matches. I
<v Speaker 2>can't say that Cody winning a third Rumble does anything
<v Speaker 2>for me, but it's definitely interesting to hook for the
<v Speaker 2>men's match. I'd agree with that, but I don't want
<v Speaker 2>to see it. I don't believe records are made to
<v Speaker 2>be broken. There are some records that just because their
<v Speaker 2>records don't need to be broken for the sake of
<v Speaker 2>breaking them. You want the best example ever, the Undertaker's
<v Speaker 2>undefeated streak. I think it's nearly unanimous, even across not
<v Speaker 2>just fans, but those inside Wwe have gone on record
<v Speaker 2>of saying this is a stupid idea. I don't agree
<v Speaker 2>with it. Then. I didn't agree with that. I don't
<v Speaker 2>agree with it now this many years later, at WrestleMania
<v Speaker 2>thirty in New Orleans, speaking of and if you're looking
<v Speaker 2>at it through Hulk Hogan's eyes, it was the Silver
<v Speaker 2>Dome super Dome. But that is something that is unanimously
<v Speaker 2>kind of looked down upon and questioned, And to you know,
<v Speaker 2>I didn't agree with it at that time. I don't
<v Speaker 2>agree with it now I'm in that same camp. How
<v Speaker 2>many years later, twelve years later. Yeah, it was silly,
<v Speaker 2>made no sense, especially giving it to brock Lesnar Why
<v Speaker 2>all right, well we're getting off track. Okay, by the way,
<v Speaker 2>where is Brock. Where's good old Brock? I mean, I
<v Speaker 2>would imagine he's going to be a part of the
<v Speaker 2>Rumble making his return again. We have La Knight, who's
<v Speaker 2>gonna make this big splash Cody's hook for winning the
<v Speaker 2>third Rumble. I don't think it will happen, but okay.
<v Speaker 2>Trick Williams comes out. He faces Matt Cardona in a
<v Speaker 2>qualifying match for the four way to turn a shot
<v Speaker 2>at the Championship, and the match goes eight minutes and
<v Speaker 2>fifty seconds with Trick Williams beating Matt Cardona. After the match,
<v Speaker 2>Kit Wilson comes out and crosspaths with Trick in the
<v Speaker 2>aisle and Trick looked him up and down. Nothing happened,
<v Speaker 2>and then he meaning Trick Williams, I'm sorry.
<v Speaker 1>We have.
<v Speaker 2>Trick Williams walk away, and then we have Wilson attacked Cardona,
<v Speaker 2>which was kind of funny because he threw him into
<v Speaker 2>the stairs and then he said he's toxic and going
<v Speaker 2>on this whole tossic masculine anything. But then the entrance continued,
<v Speaker 2>which was really funny, very well done there. I enjoyed
<v Speaker 2>that kind of I'm gonna beat your ass for five seconds,
<v Speaker 2>ten seconds, and then the music continued on, which was funny.
<v Speaker 2>Trick Williams does beat Matt Cardona, So Trick Williams advances
<v Speaker 2>Matt Cardona is I mean, we'll see where he lands
<v Speaker 2>in WWE. I didn't expect him to go right to
<v Speaker 2>the top, but hey, he got a nine minute match
<v Speaker 2>here in a competitive match with one of WWE's up
<v Speaker 2>and coming blue chippers here in Trick Williams, and he loses.
<v Speaker 2>But you know, too early to make any definitive statements
<v Speaker 2>about where they see Matt Cardona in the next you know,
<v Speaker 2>six to twelve months. All right, we have then let's
<v Speaker 2>see here, Jakob Atu come in the ring and behind
<v Speaker 2>Wilson waited for him to turn around before superkicking him,
<v Speaker 2>and we have the fans. Boo and Fatu performed a
<v Speaker 2>running sent on and then performed the moon Salt. He
<v Speaker 2>took the mic and told Koldy Rhodes that if he
<v Speaker 2>had anything to say about him or to him, he
<v Speaker 2>should bring your punk ass out here right now. Cody
<v Speaker 2>comes out, they trade punches and security runs out to
<v Speaker 2>pull him apart. Okay, yeah, well, I mean fine, I
<v Speaker 2>have no problem with these two fighting. It's interesting though.
<v Speaker 2>I thought they were turning Jacob fat to babyface, and
<v Speaker 2>they're not so, at least for the time being. All right.
<v Speaker 2>Damian Priest versus Solo Soca in a qualifying match here
<v Speaker 2>again for the Championship, to earn a shot at the championship.
<v Speaker 2>The match went ten minutes and ten seconds with Damian
<v Speaker 2>Priest beating Solo Soca. The finish was the wide six
<v Speaker 2>being a part of this and getting the better of
<v Speaker 2>the MFTs Howdy runs Matteo into the ring post and
<v Speaker 2>then tossed him into the timekeepers area. How do he
<v Speaker 2>approach the lantern that was on the floor, but Solo
<v Speaker 2>ran him into the broadcast table. Solo then grabbed the
<v Speaker 2>lantern and returned to the ring, placed the lantern on
<v Speaker 2>the mat and turned around, and that's when Priest hit
<v Speaker 2>him with the South of Heaven and got the victory.
<v Speaker 2>After the match, Howd he picked up the lantern and left,
<v Speaker 2>and then Talatanga returned and stood behind Howdy and when
<v Speaker 2>Howd he turned around, Talatango dropped him with a big boot,
<v Speaker 2>picked up the lantern and handed it to Solo at ringside,
<v Speaker 2>So he doesn't quite get the lantern back. Obviously, it's
<v Speaker 2>just a memoriam to Bray, It's all it really is.
<v Speaker 2>So that's the hook right now. The Wide six not
<v Speaker 2>chasing championships, They're chasing lanterns. So there's that. So we
<v Speaker 2>have Sammy Zaine walking backstage and when Drew McIntyre approaches him,
<v Speaker 2>McIntyre recalled Zaane saying that he wanted him to beat Cody,
<v Speaker 2>yet predicted Cody would beat him. Zane said a part
<v Speaker 2>of him did want McIntyre to win. He said he
<v Speaker 2>would win his qualifying match and then challenge mcatyre At
<v Speaker 2>the Rumble. McIntyre said his record is eleven to zero
<v Speaker 2>in their past matches. He said nothing would change if
<v Speaker 2>they meet, and Zane said, we'll see. That's a cool stat.
<v Speaker 2>It's very rare WW brings up match stats. Anytime there's
<v Speaker 2>a win loss record, it's very rare they bring it up.
<v Speaker 2>But that's a great number for Drew to bring up. Hey,
<v Speaker 2>I beat you eleven times in a row. That's great,
<v Speaker 2>and it very well could be Samy's a who faces them.
<v Speaker 2>They have a hell of a history. They work incredible
<v Speaker 2>together and there's no reason to think they wouldn't this time.
<v Speaker 2>But again, as I said, you can't have Drew drop
<v Speaker 2>the belt under any pretense, any scenario. Really, Otherwise, the
<v Speaker 2>Cody loss was for nothing. Their golden Boy. Can't drop
<v Speaker 2>the belt to have the guy who won it then
<v Speaker 2>drop it. Why would you do that? I mean, I
<v Speaker 2>could be proven wrong. I just hope I'm not. Okay.
<v Speaker 2>Carmelo Hayes versus the TNA X Division champion Leon Slater
<v Speaker 2>for the US Championship. The match went eleven minutes I
<v Speaker 2>think this is longer than I thought, actually, and Carmelo
<v Speaker 2>Hayes ends up beating Leon Slater to retain. The finish
<v Speaker 2>was Slater shot up and grabbed Hayes's foot before joining
<v Speaker 2>him on the ropes. Both jumped from the top rope
<v Speaker 2>and Hayes hit him with a cutter on the way
<v Speaker 2>down and got That was the three count. So the
<v Speaker 2>match is longer than I thought. But that's not a
<v Speaker 2>bad thing. I should have prefaced that by saying, you know,
<v Speaker 2>this is not a complaint. The match's really good. It's
<v Speaker 2>a nice also a crossover mentioned for TNA, because TNA
<v Speaker 2>obviously is not and will never be a real threat
<v Speaker 2>to w W, which is why they're partnering with them
<v Speaker 2>and why they're on air talking about them by name.
<v Speaker 2>So it's nice to see them doing that and giving
<v Speaker 2>a little bit of shine to TNA and hopefully getting
<v Speaker 2>some viewers from w W to watch DNA and Leon
<v Speaker 2>Slater did an excellent job. Carmelo Hayes did an excellent job.
<v Speaker 2>It's great to see that nice little crossover of a
<v Speaker 2>little TNA influence here, and this is just a match
<v Speaker 2>to show off great matches by Today's standards. I mean
<v Speaker 2>this was really good, really good. Shins Kanakamara was shown
<v Speaker 2>watching the match backstage. Of course, we know that's gonna
<v Speaker 2>go nowhere because I don't do anything with Shinn's key.
<v Speaker 2>So Jordan Grace then takes on Chelsea Green and the
<v Speaker 2>match went two and a half minutes, with Jordan Grace
<v Speaker 2>beating Chelsea Green, hitting the direct Effect, which is a
<v Speaker 2>cartwheel driver, and getting the victory. Jade's at ringside all
<v Speaker 2>oiled up, her nails on, right, I mean she looks
<v Speaker 2>like she's headed out, hidden up the town. I mean
<v Speaker 2>she is greased up baby oil or whatever she's got on.
<v Speaker 2>And if you think I'm just being facetious or like
<v Speaker 2>you're being over dramatic, no, because you wan don't know
<v Speaker 2>how I know. So, first of all, Jade was sitting
<v Speaker 2>there doing her Jade thing, which is essentially making faces
<v Speaker 2>and making sure she looks good for the camera and
<v Speaker 2>not much else, and Grace got a mic and told
<v Speaker 2>Jade that it's extremely important she knows exactly what she's
<v Speaker 2>coming for. Grace told Jade that if she's tired of
<v Speaker 2>babysitting the title, she should step in the ring. That's
<v Speaker 2>when Jade stood up, got on the apron holding up
<v Speaker 2>her title belt, and then Green stood up tried to
<v Speaker 2>charge with Grace, but she accidentally hits Jade off the apron,
<v Speaker 2>and then Grace picked up Jade's title and posed with
<v Speaker 2>it before tossing it back. So my earlier point about
<v Speaker 2>greased up Jade is when she hit the mat on
<v Speaker 2>the outside, there was a big grease spot where she hit,
<v Speaker 2>so she had a bunch of baby oil on her,
<v Speaker 2>which I mean, I don't know what my point about
<v Speaker 2>that is other than just I've never seen that from
<v Speaker 2>a woman like I don't know if I have. I mean,
<v Speaker 2>she is just so obsessed with her outward appearance in
<v Speaker 2>ww is as well. That's why she has a contract.
<v Speaker 2>Let's be honest. She solely has a contract because of
<v Speaker 2>how she looks. That's it. If you took her ability
<v Speaker 2>and placed it in anybody else, she would not be
<v Speaker 2>with WWE. She's with them because of how she looks
<v Speaker 2>and nothing else. But I mean, I hope she continues
<v Speaker 2>to progress. She sung a little bit, and I'm hard
<v Speaker 2>on her because I can see what the WWE wants
<v Speaker 2>her to be. She's just nowhere near that, even though
<v Speaker 2>she's champion. She doesn't make me feel anything other than
<v Speaker 2>just kind of disappointment because I know what she could be.
<v Speaker 2>Her mic skills don't line up, unfortunately, anywhere near what
<v Speaker 2>she looks like. And I've been down that road, but
<v Speaker 2>I don't know where I was going with that. But
<v Speaker 2>Jordan Grace and Jade Cargill seemed to be on a
<v Speaker 2>collision course. Jordan Grace, nice to see her in the ring.
<v Speaker 2>Nice to see her, you know, obviously part of TNA
<v Speaker 2>and now part of W.
<v Speaker 3>And Jade.
<v Speaker 2>Fun little matchup, both muscular women. Obviously a big height
<v Speaker 2>advantage for Jade, but with Jordan Grace. Yeah, fun little
<v Speaker 2>pitstop before we ramp up to likely Bianca and Jade,
<v Speaker 2>with Bianco bel Air likely returning at the Royal Rumble
<v Speaker 2>in just a couple of weeks. Okay, let's continue on here.
<v Speaker 2>This is this three hour SmackDown is killing me. It's
<v Speaker 2>killer man, all right. So Sammy's Ain takes on Dragon
<v Speaker 2>Off in a qualifying matches that we've mentioned before. The
<v Speaker 2>match went twelve and a half minutes, was Sammy winning,
<v Speaker 2>and it was It was a decent match, nothing that
<v Speaker 2>you're gonna go crazy over, but fundamentally sound all the rest,
<v Speaker 2>and it ended again with Sammy z Ain winning in
<v Speaker 2>a hard, fraught match, And it ended with Trick Williams
<v Speaker 2>entering the ring, hitting Zane from behind and followed up
<v Speaker 2>with a trick shot and stood over him while the
<v Speaker 2>executive producer credits were shown because we have to show
<v Speaker 2>them because it's making sure that you know, hey, we're
<v Speaker 2>an episodic TV show. I don't like them, but nonetheless,
<v Speaker 2>samy'se Ain wins, Trick Williams now being pushed into the
<v Speaker 2>main event here also being pushed into a nice little program.
<v Speaker 2>I think with Sammy, who does such a nice job
<v Speaker 2>with not everyone, not just everyone he works with, but
<v Speaker 2>specifically newer talent that come in WW really trusts with
<v Speaker 2>Sammy z Ain to work with them, and oftentimes he's
<v Speaker 2>there to help put them over. But with Sammy's Ain's
<v Speaker 2>narrative over the last year being hey, he'll never be champion,
<v Speaker 2>then you can't have Samy's Ain's outright lose to Trick
<v Speaker 2>Williams here because they're kind of building Sammy's Ain for
<v Speaker 2>something as well. So we'll see what happens. I expect
<v Speaker 2>this four way match to be incredible. I mean the
<v Speaker 2>near falls and the kick of finishers, which I'm not
<v Speaker 2>a fan of, but if you like them, you're gonna
<v Speaker 2>get a whole boltload of them, all right. So the SmackDown, good,
<v Speaker 2>lots of good wrestling. The crowd was hot, as it
<v Speaker 2>always is in London. So let's uh, let's see here.
<v Speaker 2>I'm just gonna touch quickly on Monday Night Raw and
<v Speaker 2>on Raw we let's see why am I going blank?
<v Speaker 1>On Raw?
<v Speaker 2>I had the dang remind us up here because it's
<v Speaker 2>been a week, right, Like after a week, you just
<v Speaker 2>your mind gets erased. Oh AJ Styles and Gunther, Right,
<v Speaker 2>we had that match that ended Monday Night Raw. It
<v Speaker 2>ended with Gunther beating AJ Styles in eighteen minutes. That's
<v Speaker 2>what I got the notes up now, So fine, guntherer
<v Speaker 2>beats AJ Styles in eighteen minutes. And it was the
<v Speaker 2>whole issue of did he tap? He didn't see a tap,
<v Speaker 2>the ref saw a tap. Gunther uses the distraction it
<v Speaker 2>hit Styles with the low blow that yeah, I remember that.
<v Speaker 2>I'm not a fan of how Gunther won this. We all,
<v Speaker 2>I mean, I've told you you guys collectively what I
<v Speaker 2>think about Gunther and the fact that I had him
<v Speaker 2>beat John Cena and he should be a killer and
<v Speaker 2>instead he's resorting to low blows. Come on, WW can
<v Speaker 2>do way better on this here. The tried and true
<v Speaker 2>just method of heels needing to cheat to win does
<v Speaker 2>not apply to Gunther. All right, the other matches, I know,
<v Speaker 2>there's a bunch of segments. I'm just gonna touch on
<v Speaker 2>the match results for monaet Raw as a quick reminder.
<v Speaker 2>We had Javon Evans beat Bravo in six minutes. We
<v Speaker 2>had let's see here, oh, a trailer for the next
<v Speaker 2>season of Unreal, which I don't care for. We have
<v Speaker 2>Ronson Reid and Austin Theory lose to Penta and Dragon
<v Speaker 2>Lee by DQ and minutes because bron Breaker came out
<v Speaker 2>and just leveled everyone. And that's when the bron Breaker
<v Speaker 2>deal with Adam Pierce happened, which I was very high
<v Speaker 2>on then, I'm very high on now the way that
<v Speaker 2>it was presented last week, with Adam Pierce putting his
<v Speaker 2>hands on bron Breaker and Paul Hayman reminding Pierce what
<v Speaker 2>he did even though he suspended Braun. You know Bron's
<v Speaker 2>going to come out. You can't tell me the crowd
<v Speaker 2>isn't going to be waiting for him to spear. Adam Pierce,
<v Speaker 2>I'm looking forward to it. I have no ill will
<v Speaker 2>towards Broun Breaker, right, he's a machine. He's a young
<v Speaker 2>guy that has so many years ahead of him. I
<v Speaker 2>hope he levels Adam Pierce. I mean, we all want
<v Speaker 2>to see it, do we not?
<v Speaker 1>Come on?
<v Speaker 2>So that'll be fun because you know you're going to
<v Speaker 2>see bron Breaker tomorrow night. As I said, Gunther took
<v Speaker 2>on aj Styles. I feel like I'm missing a match
<v Speaker 2>as well. Only four matches, four matches? Oh what is it?
<v Speaker 1>Oh?
<v Speaker 2>Live Morgan in Roxanne. Perez beat the Kabooki Warriors in
<v Speaker 2>Bailey and Lyra in a three way to earn a
<v Speaker 2>title shot the Women's for the women's tag team titles
<v Speaker 2>at Saturday Night's main event. So Live in Roxanne are
<v Speaker 2>the numberone contenders?
<v Speaker 3>All right?
<v Speaker 2>Well that's kind of the recap here, not the weekap,
<v Speaker 2>but the recap of the week in WWE. And we
<v Speaker 2>have Saturday Night's main event in six days, the Royal
<v Speaker 2>Rumble the week after. Things are ramping up now because
<v Speaker 2>after the Rumble, I mean, we've got the elimination chamber, right,
<v Speaker 2>probably another Saturday night main event thrown in for no reason,
<v Speaker 2>and then we're off to the races, full blown, flew,
<v Speaker 2>full steam ahead towards WrestleMania in mid April. But I mean,
<v Speaker 2>we've got three months now, the way w W is
<v Speaker 2>cranking out pls. You know what I'm gonna do. Here's
<v Speaker 2>what I'm gonna do. While I'm recording here, I'm gonna
<v Speaker 2>look at the w WE twenty twenty six ple schedule
<v Speaker 2>because I feel like they keep adding stuff. So let's
<v Speaker 2>look at it all right, Saturday and it's made events.
<v Speaker 2>As we just said, in Montreal de bell Center, we're
<v Speaker 2>all rumble. January thirty first, in Saudi Arabia. We then
<v Speaker 2>have n XT's Vengeance Day. But again, if you're looking
<v Speaker 2>at just the main roster, so we go from the rumble,
<v Speaker 2>doesn't seem like there's anything in between the rumble and
<v Speaker 2>elimination chamber, which is kind of incredible. I think they're
<v Speaker 2>gonna look at that and go, hey, guys, we can't
<v Speaker 2>have no pl for four weeks. We need one every
<v Speaker 2>two So right now they have nothing scheduled. It's just
<v Speaker 2>rumble on January thirty first to the Elimination Chamber of
<v Speaker 2>February twenty eighth in Chicago. Keep that in mind for
<v Speaker 2>a CMPUNK title defense in the chamber. Likely we then
<v Speaker 2>have let's see here, I don't think any Oh my god,
<v Speaker 2>I mean, there's some NXT stuff stand and deliver. We've
<v Speaker 2>got the Slammy Awards, We've got the Hall of Fame.
<v Speaker 2>We've got roadblock, but that's the NXT roadblock, not the
<v Speaker 2>main roster roadblock. So we could very well go and
<v Speaker 2>this is insane, from the Elimination Chamber on February twenty
<v Speaker 2>eighth all the way until April eighteenth in Vegas for
<v Speaker 2>WrestleMania forty two. That looks like it's the case right now.
<v Speaker 2>That may be the longest stretch in recent memory. I
<v Speaker 2>would not expect that to hold. And even if it does,
<v Speaker 2>they'll give us crazy main events on smackdowns and raws
<v Speaker 2>to make it feel like there's kind of a PA
<v Speaker 2>League going on. I mean, there's no shame now of
<v Speaker 2>giving us title matches on the regular on free TV,
<v Speaker 2>which is I mean, we're long past now that ever
<v Speaker 2>not happening anymore. Everyone, we kind of expect it. I mean,
<v Speaker 2>I mean it's almost every single show. I would like
<v Speaker 2>somebody to do a little research and maybe a last
<v Speaker 2>chat ABT, like when's the last televised WWE Raw or
<v Speaker 2>SmackDown that did not contain a title defense.
<v Speaker 1>I don't know.
<v Speaker 2>I feel like there's always one going on. They even
<v Speaker 2>changed the top titles on SmackDown. They just did it
<v Speaker 2>last week. So I don't mind every once in a
<v Speaker 2>while that happening. But we've been so accustomed and expecting
<v Speaker 2>title matches to be on tele free TV. There was
<v Speaker 2>a time there used to be a time when title
<v Speaker 2>matches happening on a Raw or SmackDown was shocking, especially
<v Speaker 2>the top belts was shocking. It was must see TV.
<v Speaker 2>It was oh my god, call your friends. That happened
<v Speaker 2>many times during the Attitude Era. And here I go.
<v Speaker 2>I know, I'm the Attitude Era, you know, Guru, I
<v Speaker 2>understand or that's all I do. I'm the old guy
<v Speaker 2>talks about the Attitude Era. But that formula worked very well.
<v Speaker 2>It was a different time, different world back then, for sure.
<v Speaker 2>But I remember when Triple H was forced to defend
<v Speaker 2>his championship against Chris Jericho.
<v Speaker 3>Was that on?
<v Speaker 2>Was that like nineteen ninety nine, two thousand somewhere around
<v Speaker 2>two thousand, give or take a year. Just I can't
<v Speaker 2>think of the exact date. But Earl Hebner and Triple
<v Speaker 2>H the referee, Earl Hebner and Triple H were in
<v Speaker 2>a kind of a battle, not actually, but like Earl
<v Speaker 2>Hebner did not like Triple H, Triple H did not
<v Speaker 2>like Earl Hebner. Earl Hebner was one of the most
<v Speaker 2>beloved referees, if not the most single beloved referee of
<v Speaker 2>all time, and Chris Jericho was able to force Triple
<v Speaker 2>H to put his belt on the line and he
<v Speaker 2>ended up Earl Hebner ended up fast counting Triple H
<v Speaker 2>screwing him, but the crowd loved it, and Jericho became
<v Speaker 2>champion for like a quick moment that the decision was
<v Speaker 2>eventually reversed hell of a moment. Same with Austin taking
<v Speaker 2>on Cain in nineteen ninety eight after he lost the
<v Speaker 2>King of the Ring or lost the title at King
<v Speaker 2>of the Ring Bad Blood. In a Bad Blood match,
<v Speaker 2>Austin lost the belt to Kine because of the Undertaker.
<v Speaker 2>He challenges Kane the next siunt on Raw, so Kin
<v Speaker 2>was only championed for a day during the hottest era
<v Speaker 2>in professional wrestling. Kam was champion for a day he
<v Speaker 2>agreed to a championship match with Austin. People went insane
<v Speaker 2>for that insane. It felt like such a crazy moment.
<v Speaker 2>People lost their minds that Kane agreed to a title
<v Speaker 2>match on Raw and Austin ended up winning it back
<v Speaker 2>that night in a very rare, very rare top title
<v Speaker 2>belt change. And now you get these championship matches, like
<v Speaker 2>three titles on the line every night. Yeah, championship change
<v Speaker 2>here and there. I mean, it's a different world now.
<v Speaker 2>Things don't always have to stay the same just to
<v Speaker 2>stay the same. But man, it just I remember when
<v Speaker 2>it felt special to have a championship match when you
<v Speaker 2>just you couldn't believe you were getting one, instead of
<v Speaker 2>having to buy a pay per view and watch the
<v Speaker 2>championship match at that point like and wait and wonder,
<v Speaker 2>like it's just it was a different time. Was it better?
<v Speaker 2>I think, because of my own perspective, I think it was.
<v Speaker 2>That's up to you to decide. Many of you weren't
<v Speaker 2>even alive when a lot of this happened in the
<v Speaker 2>late nineties early two thousands. But anyway, I don't want
<v Speaker 2>to go with my old man bedtime stories here. I'll
<v Speaker 2>leave it there. Thank you everybody for listening. If you
<v Speaker 2>want to go add free, Patreon is of course the
<v Speaker 2>place to go. Patreon dot com, slash ww podcast, or
<v Speaker 2>click on that subscribe button on Apple. Apple does offer
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<v Speaker 2>Apple I see the stats. I think like sixty some
<v Speaker 2>percent of you go through Apple Podcasts. And if you
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<v Speaker 2>You don't have to download anything additional. So there's a
<v Speaker 2>one week free trial too, so you can give it
<v Speaker 2>a go if you want to try it before you commit.
<v Speaker 2>That'll do it, everybody, Thanks so much as always for
<v Speaker 2>joining us. We'll be back on Tuesday for what is
<v Speaker 2>likely going to be a very interesting Monday night raw review.
<v Speaker 2>Hi everybody, take care.
<v Speaker 3>Thanks for listening to the WWE podcast. Don't forget to
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<v Speaker 3>next time.