It's Tuesday. You know what that means. It's time for the Ignition Podcast with the aw fan podcast team. This is Kelson and Wow. We've got full Gear coming up on Saturday and tomorrow night. As a matter of fact, on the AEW Dynamite follow up show, instead of doing a review of AW Dynamite, we're going to be doing a full Gear prediction show and everybody is welcome to come and make their predictions on the podcast with us.
You don't have to speak, you can chat, but if you want to speak, we'll bring in and you can speak your mind on what you think is going to happen with the winners and losers of the matches, debuts, returns, storyline twists, whatever we think that we want to predict. But let's get started with tonight because we've got some hot topics to go over. The first thing we're going to talk about is there have been some wrestlers that have not been on TV in quite a while now.
Some are out due to injury, some are out due to just not being booked to be on TV, whether their contracts are expiring or in the good old Tony Kahan Doghouse, which which wrestlers do you want to talk about because there's quite a few of them out there.
How about Ricky Starks? How about Tricky Ricky? Yeah, I know, I'm gonna channel channel my inner rollins and maybe we'll summon them here. Ricky Starks has been sinning for the past like six or seven months. Originally people thought that he was injured, but to my understanding, he's just not being booked. There had been an indiscretion with him in upper management to the best of my knowledge, you know,
sad to see him sit on his hands. I guess he's not happy with his creative then and then anything they have planned for him now and there's a lot of speculation that next year, at the end of his contract, he's going over to WW with his buddy Cody Rhoads.
Now didn't Shane Didn't Ricky Starks recently wrestle in a indie event.
Yeah, he's popped up twice.
Now, Well, that's actually good, I mean that's I mean he hasd he since he's under contract with AW. And I may be wrong here, but my understanding is AW allows people to do the wrestlers are doing the shows, but they have to get permissions. So I guess AW did at least give the permission. Maybe that's a little bit of a crack in the door, you know, an opening maybe.
I mean, there are a couple active AW talents working the indies right now. Some of them are doing double duty and still being featured on TV programs Allah the Beast, More Toast. And then there's guys like Dan Housen, who's been sitting on his hands for the better part of the year for a multitude of reasons, mostly speculative. The only one that that there's any concrete evidence of is you know that he's got some family stuff and he can't do Saturdays for Collision, which is where they wanted
to feature him. I'm gonna pass it off. I'm talking too much.
What do you think, man, I to be honest with you, I he would be one I would like to see come back, but I'm thinking more of You know, they're keeping the Lucha Bros around until.
Yeah, right, so you're gonna if you're going to.
Keep them, you know, if Ray's gonna be there to do, If you're gonna keep him on the roster, let him wrestle.
I don't think he wants or he doesn't want to get injured.
Well, I get that he does have a problem with the injuries, so but I think he's I think his contract got extended like almost six months because of the injuries that he had over the last couple of years. So I don't know they would be like the ones I would like to see come back and add some flavor to the tag division.
I miss Miro, but I think Miro's problem is kind of the same thing as Andrada. He thinks he's a little too big Chris Bridges and he's not worth the time. In my opinion, he's gonna have this attitude that's the same thing with a lot of people.
I mean, have you read anything that Miro said saying that you know.
That he's turned down stuff and he was going through a divorce with Lana and I, I will admit I thought he was I thought he was released at one point, but I read it wrong, and he asked for his release, So I.
Was gonna say he asked release last year early or late early this year.
So I kind of agree with whoever said I believe it was suck and said get Ray Phoenix out there and put him in matches. Yeah, he's injuries are part are part of wrestling, and yes, Ray Phoenix is susceptible apparently to injuries, but let him wrestle.
I think he's been injured every year, hasn't he. I don't think there's been a full year that that those two have wrestled without one of them being injured since the beginning.
But my point is is that if he he gets out there and wrestles, then AW fans get to see Ray Phoenix, and if he does poorly, then it looks bad for him. If he does want to go to WWE, that's not what they want. So he's gonna go out there and he's going to be a professional. I don't believe that Ray Phoenix would go out there and frankly ship the bed in the ring. So Steve and Nett
haven't said anything yet. Do you guys have any wrestlers that you're missing right now or is there anything that you want to add to who's already been brought up?
Does that any magic want to wrestle? Or is he okay with announcing like he does an awesome job announcing that the commentator desk there, but I'd like to see him wrestle.
I think Aw's plans are for him to be at the announced table for some reason, and if something happens with Shockwave or whatever, hey, Daddy Magic is probably one of the prime candidates to do color commentary.
Oh yeah, that makes sense.
The obvious thing for Daddy Magic is that his tag team partner just brought their new child into the world, and the plans for them is to sit on their hands for the first six months, as they should. So, I mean he's a Daddy Magic as a tag team wrestler, he needs his better half. You know, he gets lunch. Wasn't daddy.
He didn't wrestle, but he was on collision, I believe with a segment.
Kelson. You know who I miss above all others.
So I think that's.
Love it.
I miss seeing everyone. I miss is injured. I miss Kenny. Oh yeah, I miss I'm miss seeing Rio uh Rio. I should say her name.
Properly about Rehold of the women's.
Yes, the women's wrestler. Okay, I miss seeing Emmy soccer more. I miss seeing a Boushie. So everybody I miss it's just kind of the same people. But I especially miss Eddie Kingston. So Eddie come back soon.
Speedball Mike Bailey is coming to a w yay. Yeah, but where does he fit in. I'm just gonna say it, they need a cruiserweight division.
I honestly don't know much about him. I watched his match with Osprey. I gave it the five minute a d D test and it kept my interest. So he's a good guy to keep around. I think he's a mid carter and that's fine. That's kind of what they need is kind of like Shelton Benjamin, put people over and make him look good. I would put him with
Will Ospray. He has history and I think Mark Davis is going to turn on him, so why not add add him with somebody he could talk a little bit and hide him behind will Osprey.
Well, he's not going to be you know, he's still obligated with He said his goodbyes to TNA, So I mean, like you said it, he fits in a program immediately with all the guys that are more acrobatic, Ricochet, Hologram, will Osprey. I think that'd be a great place for him. But on the topic of a of a cruiser rate division, that's a little WCW. You think Tony would ever pull the trigger on that they've got enough people for it.
I think he would. I think he would because they do have enough people for it. And I'm glad you brought that up because Shane he is even though he's not going to be wrestling for TNA anymore, he is still under contract until the beginning of the year that a lot of people have been speculating that Speedball Mike Bailey is going to be in the C two. He's not. He's not able to, so don't get your hopes up there.
The only way that would be possible was if Tony bought that out. But you see the debate because then everybody's saying, well, he could do that, but that might be something that WWE would be upset about because they work with TNA. So yeah, I don't think he. I don't really think he'd fit in the C two. To be honest about.
It, there was something that might be an added bonus if Mike Bailey were to come to a w Their wife, Vita Scott, is an announcer and also a women's wrestler, so you might get a little bit of both if they also came along with Mike, who knows.
Has me to stop Russell Toda w before. Has she done dark patches?
I don't think so. I've only seen her in the indies. I don't know.
He's amazing. He's a silent ninja. He doesn't need a microphone. He could just go out there and kick ass.
It ain't do you guys, who would you most closely associate his wrestling style? For people that haven't seen like Bailey, who would you think would be comparable? I I honestly think hog.
Now Holograham close, but he embodies that Luja. I think Mike Bailey is more kin to like the Osprey Ricochet, Old Fletcher.
I say Malachi Black. He has a lot of the same skill set that Malachi Black does.
But yeah, interesting the judo background. You're not wrong.
All right, let's move on because this is gonna be fun. You know, we do have the C two starting what next week, isn't it? That's when it starts next week. I'm thinking that tomorrow night on Dynamite and uh, because there is not a collision this week if I'm not mistaken, right, So I think tomorrow night I died of my We're going to see a couple, you know, at least a couple of people announced we're the C two, or they
may come out with a special. What I would do is come out with a special or or announced that they're going to announce the brackets for the C two are zero, which I.
Saw somewhere that they said that's what they were going to do. They were going to make it at the full gear. But I don't I can't remember where I saw that at. I saw it in Passing like two days ago.
Okay, uh so, But what we're gonna do is we're going to go right across the board for everybody, and everybody can pick three wrestlers that they'd like to see in the C two and and why.
Obviously like Jay White, I'd like to see him run it back. I'd like to see him take the whole thing, to be honest with you, because finish the you know, the conclusion of Jay White versus Kada, it's going to be a banger banger match. Swerve has a redemption arc right around the corner as well. I throw a Hangman in the mix just because you know, putting them every time you put two of them in the ring together, you're guaranteed to get a banger match at least a
lot of the sick old blood stuff. So that's my pick. It was my three.
I'll go, I say, Takeshta Hobbes and well, you almost got to put Garcia in it again just because of the run he had last year. I'd like to see him get back in it, do it again, see if he can repeat what he did last year, actually do better than last year. But those would be my three picks.
I'd like to see Shelton, Benjamin, Jack Perry, and I'm on the fence about Daniel Garcia. He had I think he has bigger fish to fry than it. But those two definitely, Jack Perry would be interesting to see because o'carda has to be in it, and a meet up with those two would be kind of interesting to see.
I think Raccata's already the only one that's been in oun sport.
Yeah, he has to be because he's a champion.
I'd say I'd like to see j White, and I actually would like to see Kyle Fletcher some more. I'm in the minority on this, but I actually like Kyle Fletcher quite a bit, and i'd like to see to Kesta Steve.
Do you have any picks?
Let's see Swerve. I like Kyle Fletcher as well. Let's see. Oh yeah, Jay White, I love j White too.
Yeah. I'm gonna try to go a little bit against the green here because you guys have mentioned people that I would absolutely pick, But I'm gonna try to mention people that you guys haven't picked one. MJF. I do see MGF being in this tournament. I see Adam Cole being in this tournament.
Yeah, I was thinking about him too.
Malachi Black.
Those are three really good pigs.
You've got twenty some that are easily able to go in there. You know what's interesting too, is also what Culture just did a video and they answered questions from Twitter, and one of the questions is how would you fix the aw women's division, Because, let's face it, I think, and I think that's fair too, is that it's been dragged a little bit. A lot of it's been due to injuries. The women's division has kind of slowed down a little bit. We're going to talk about Tony Storm
coming back next. But one of the things that they mentioned as something that would spike it would be sometime like February or something like that. I think they said next year, dual Women's Continental Classic. I of course it wouldn't be a continental championship. It'd probably be for like either the TBS or the world title. But I think that would be a good idea. I really do think that's a good idea.
The only problem I have with everything you said there was and that they are saying is the fact that their slow down is due to the injuries, because I mean, they have a few women that are injured, but they have plenty of women they just don't use. That's you too, I mean you can't you.
Know, in the beginning, when they had.
All those problems, when Brittain was in forget Ward jamps during the pandemic, you could say that because you had seven or eight girls out and that was basically it. But you've got so many.
That they don't even use anymore.
So you know, if they don't, they need to stop using that excuse and start using the women's division better.
Yeah, I could simplify that statement. Instead of relying on the people that are injured, build on the people that are active. I mean, I think there are so many wonderful talent talents that are just sitting on their hands right now, which is a damn shame.
Yeah, one of the things that they say in addition to just doing the C two is putting Athena in the C two.
Now, aa, Athena is fantastic, and though I believe that her place should be in the World Women's World Championship spectrum in ae W, she's literally one of the few things that's putting eyes onto the r O H product. Her matches are all bangers. It's been like that for her, which you know, maybe after her title run is oversial transition back over to aw TV. But yeah, I that would look cool. But are they going to bring a
new belt in? Why would we get Like my whole thing my objection to that, Kelson would be, why would we get a Continental Classic belt for the women before we got tag titles.
For the women? No, no, no, what I what I what I said was the the the Continental Classic would probably not be called the Continental Classic, although it would probably be ranged like it would be for the AW Women's Championship. So whoever the AW Women's Champion is at the time, like Okada is with the Continental I mean with the yeah, with the Continental title would be a part of the tournament.
Yeah, that sounds that sounds cool. But I remember, remember this time last year, we're doing pods and like the whole inside jokes, hope here comes another tournament. You know. I kind of like that we're fleshing out matches a little more organically without having to use structures like tournaments or points systems or you know, like constant rubber matches. You know.
Yeah, but to that point, Shane, and maybe maybe I'm wrong here, but when we were saying if here comes another tournament, who was here comes another meaningless tournament?
Yes, yeah, yeah you are You're not wrong. That was a big point of contention with this would be meaningful? Yeah.
So I just think that I think a women's tag team belt would would be better off for the women's division because it puts more people in there. On a on a show, you're guaranteed at least for people to be on there. There's so much chemistry between the people, so many storylines interwoven, that it would do some good. I don't believe they need to do like WWE is doing right now and have different and have different belts for different things. You know, they have a women's Intercontinent
or whatever. That's not what needs to happen. What happens is they need to get more eyes on the product. And they have some Josh used in Japan. They used to use that they don't even use anymore, and that would be a treat to see instead of seeing some other certain wrestlers that people don't like on the show all the time. There's there's talent out there, but putting them, putting them with a tag team then get them out there more.
So, make the tournament of tag team tournament.
I had actually brought that up a couple of weeks ago on the podcast that Yeah.
That would be the best way to do. That would be the best way to bring the women's tag team division into a place is to put them in that kind of a tournament.
Yeah, create the belt and put them in a tournament. That's a I think that's a fantastic idea. Speaking of Joshi wrestling and and whatnot, Tony Storm, Shane, you brought this up as a discussion topic, so I'm gonna let you take this over, h So, go ahead.
Tony Storms doing a little world tour for Tony Conner right now. One of my so I was at the Fright Night event the Dynamite here in Cleveland and something that I've noticed has been kind of floating around. Uh. You got to pay attention, but little newspapers whenever they're talking about the women's division, and it's where is uh, where is Tony Storm? Now I know my opinion on this. I'll wait to share my opinion on this and where I think she's going to be, where she's coming from,
and how it's gonna happen. But I have a sneaking suspicion that like the re emergence of the Women's Division is going to be on the back of Tony coming back and you know, interfering with things coming into the next couple of pay per views. What do you guys got on this?
I don't know where it put. I think she has to come back. She was a life of the party when she was here. I loved her character development. So I'm interested to see where she goes and how Mina uh plays and plays and involved in this and all and all that. Those three were the backbone of Women's Division. So I'll be interested to see where it goes.
Well, I can tell you where Tony Storm is. The last time we saw her, believe was at CMOL And so she's wandering around on the streets of Mexico City right now, because that's Mexico. The last three singles matches that she's had, she's lost, one in England, won in Japan, and one in Mexico City. Team I'm sorry.
When was her last win?
In aw The week before she lost to Mariah may Wow in a singles match. Now she has won tag team matches. She had a couple of tag team matches and stardom that she won, and she's participated in some other matches. But yeah, so she's uh, she's keeping in shape, but she's taken, for lack of better words, a break from winning.
I think there was there was something Netflix did too not long ago that had her and Britt Baker, something called the Queens of Wrestling or something like that. They're doing a little documentary and I think they were participating that too, So that's kind of why they've been some of the reason they've been going.
Also, Britt Baker is on Cobra Kai and Tony Storm and Camelle.
Queen of the Ring.
Yeah, you're right, Queen of the Ring.
No, no, I just made that up.
It sounds it sounds right, it sounds right.
Yeah, Well, that well w D.
Actually, the part I believe that Tony Storm was is playing in that movie was originally cast for Live Morgan. Live Morgan had to drop out and they replaced her with Tony Storm. Huh, because it's a period piece. I mean, I believe the the wrestler that it's involving is a real wrestler that I believe she wrestled in the thirties and forties, so Tony Storm would fit right in. She doesn't do that.
Yeah, Well, I think that Tony Storm's character is some of the best women's character work in professional wrestling today, and it's very easy to believe that her. You know, she came up so fast from where she was at as a stooge in the outcasts now to being like this big prominent presence for the aw women's locker room. It kind of has, you know, broken up the division a little bit. But I think, I truly believe so. My my theory, my running theory, is that she's coming
after Mariah. It's gonna it's coming at world's end. I don't think they're gonna rip the band aid off at at full gear next weekend. We might get like a little snippet a vignette or a montage after there after Mariah retains because I not probable to think they're going to drop the belf off of her this fast. But like a women's faction of people coming after Mariah May sounds pretty cool.
I know that Shane just alluded to a baby Tony Storm, but who do you think is going to be the next AW Women's Champion? And I'm going to preface this by also stating this May thirtieth, I believe was the date twenty twenty one Britt Baker won the AW Women's World Championship. That was forty one months ago, brit Baker, and that win on May thirtieth, twenty twenty one was the last time an American woman won the AW World Championship.
So just staying with the Americans, is there anybody on the roster that you can see not next week, not next month, but in the next cycle of maybe two champions down the line, maybe you know, six months date months from als or any American women on the woman on the roster that you can see winning the AW World Championship.
And yay, uh Statlander, Hell yeah two, how about that was not even.
We will of course?
Yeah, well, the fact they haven't slapped the belt on Willows sooner is shocking. She's wildly talented, pre matches a banger for her.
I think they need to start Groom and Camille more.
Uh.
I think she has lots of potential. Uh maybe some tutelage from somebody by her side, but I think she has a look, you know, but her talent is lacking a little bit. But she's there. She just needs the right push and to get away from Monet maybe.
Well, speaking of money, does anybody think that Monette drops the TBS title and goes after the World Championships.
She can try.
I don't want to get it.
She's nowhere near the top for that.
Yeah, the biggest name I kind of when I look at the names, you know, I kind of want to see somebody that's an underdog, similar to Private Party would in Detag Team champions. You know, look they they've been with the company for a while and now they're finally getting their roses basically. So like when you said Anna j I would be there for that. I would be there for even somebody like sky Blue when she comes back,
or even Julia Hart. You know, somebody coming in that you wouldn't expect to win the championship, but they do, and they keep it for a couple of months and maybe, you know, elevate the division a little bit by making it seem less predictable.
YO, speaking of Anna j My god, that Mariah May match over the weekend was ten out of ten. What a banger.
That was a really good match. I was unexpected. I didn't expect it, and I'm gonna be honest with you and I don't know if anybody agree with me here when I say I didn't expect it. I expected it from Anna Ja, but in a no DQ match, I did not expect Mariah May to do how she did.
Nelson, are you familiar with any of her backlog her DDT stuff.
I've watched a little bit of her DDT stuff. I've watched a lot of her stardom stuff, so I knew that she could definitely take bumps and sell and stuff like that and do some really interesting stuff. I just didn't expect it to happen. With all the injury problems and stuff that's going on. I didn't expect for Mariah May, the aw Women's champion, to have that kind of match on a pre taped collision that I guess that's what
I'm trying to say. We've got John Moxley in the death Writer's angle, and we've talked about this in the past. The main question here is is this angle starting to work for you or has it been working for you all along? Where are you on this angle? Look, I said it before and I'll say it again. We've got John Moxley at full gear facing Orange Cassie, and Orange Cassidy is someone that I've referred to in the past
as a transitional challenger. I don't think that there is any way in hell that Orange Cassidy wins this match. I think it's going to be almost a squash. Cassidy may get in a few shots, but I think Moxley will dominate throughout the match. And I hope that there's not any kind of interference by the death Writers or anything like that, because I think it's important because Look, I've said it before and I'll say it again. If Orange Cassidy wins this match, then what was the whole
point of the John Moxley thing to begin with? Because it was a failure. You know, I know we're doing our prediction show tomorrow night. But that's my prediction. But what I'm saying is right now. My question is since the beginning, if you've been on board with John Moxley, If not from the beginning, longing to take you to get on board with the John Boxley angle, or are you even on board with it now?
I'm on the fence. I like it. It had my interest, but I'm kind of ready for chapter two. I think Orange Cassidy will get beat down severely and it'll start chapter two without him because now all who do you have? Because or the other guys aren't really ready, so they're gonna have to fight and struggle and find themselves yet again. So I think I'm ready for chapter two.
The only problem I have with it is that it seems to me that they haven't been very clear with what Moxley's doing. If they would have made it perfectly clear from the beginning, it wouldn't be such a big deal and people wouldn't be having such a problem with it. I get what he's saying, and I get what he's wanting to do, but they really haven't because they don't have. Let's face it, adw's got a problem because they just don't really have any faces that you can put in that position right now?
You know you can.
You know if you don't.
Have a face, what are you gonna do? So if they they need to, We've always we've talked about this before. We assume it's gonna be uh Darby down the road, but getting to Darby, something else has got to happen. I've been enjoying it from the beginning.
Yeah, I want to. I want to piggyback off that. I think the bigger issue here is the slow burn approach. You've got MOX coming out with Marina Shaffir every single week, cut in the same promo, saying the same crap about the same people. I think if they really wanted to run a reset angle, they'd be going after everybody and
not just Orange Cassidy and his immediate umbrella friends. Like like, let's see some major shakeups, like not joy like you know the utiturn is coming, Like you know, Darby is probably the end boss of this and probably the guy to lift the belt off a MOX. But have him take a run at the don Kallis family, have him take a run on at all that that the Bend Bang Gang. Have him take a run that like at literally anyone else but that little conglomeration.
I think it just feels very uh death right or heavy, and they're beating down everyone, and I'd like to see a little more, maybe a little bit more back and forth. Uh not dominate, but I mean get a win. I know you will probably turn, but I need to see something out of the other side. Could it felds like a total beat down? And maybe this gives a little bit of limb of hope.
Yeah, I've loved this from the very beginning because we're not one hundred percent sure where it's going. We think it's going to end with Darby being the one to take the belt from Moxley, but I'm not one under convinced of.
That because of the Wheeler.
You the factor in this whole thing. Why they're saying it up for Wheeler to be the one that takes the belt off of Moxley, given how much like Wheeler has been gas lit. You know, they kind of did the same thing with jay Usso in the Bloodline story with w W.
Lee.
I know he didn't ultimately take the belt from Koe Rohades, but look at how over he is as a singles competitor. It feels like they're trying to do the same thing a little bit with Wheeler.
You, at least from my perspective, I honestly don't think that we I think Wheeler Yuda is incredibly gifted, but I do not think that he has the same sort of charisma and star power as jay Usso I see why you would have that perspective, and I respect that opinion, but I just you know, Wheeler still has He's still a young guy. He's still got a lot of growing to do into the character that he's developing now.
A couple of things, I'm I think that the whole Moxley thing has gone on a bit long. I think I said that last week. I've been waiting for this big reveal, and they just keep drawing the big reveal out. I'm also feeling a bit lost as to who he is talking about. And yeah, it's very isolated with Orange Cassidy and Orange Cassidy's friends, of which Orange Cassidy really didn't have any friends. Nobody was his friend anymore. So it seems like if John Moxley is shaking things up
and changing things, it should involve everybody there. And also, I had said a while ago that I thought it was Wheeler Yuda and nobody else agreed with me on that, so we'll see.
Okay. So I have a question. I believe it was Shade that brought up that Darby Allen was to be the final Boss. Do we think that Darby Allen is I don't know the word I'm looking for. Is he capable of being the final Boss? For John Moxley? Look looking at their styles, John Moxley is the world champion. I don't see Darby Allen able to beat John Moxley unless there's some kind of outside interference from somebody like
Wheeler Utah on Darby Allen's back half. That's the only story way I think that story can possibly happen, because I just don't see Darby Allen as being strong enough to defeat a frightening bruiser like John Moxley convincingly. I know that it's you know, grun men in their underwear playfighting, but still you want it to be you wanted to be convincing.
It's Tony Shavanni with the steel chair Man. No do they've been built building up a Darby for like the past two years. They started with pillar store and to just NonStop, and really he doesn't need to. He really doesn't need to like be a solid combatant in terms of like physical prowess or like fighting skill. With John Moxley, he needs to be able to take the beating. Remember they blood in blood out a Wheeler Uda, and Darby's
whole thing is like surviving death. So like, you know, he could survive John Moxley, and mox has called this out in promos with Darby himself like, hey, man, like you, I believe you're the guy. You can't be the guy, show me you're the guy, like like mox himself in promos, So I think it's possible, completely possible.
So I think he reminds me of a younger Derby. Darby reminds me of a younger raymons Terio where you had to literally pan't literally just beat the living crap out of him to to get him to submit. And you know he's he has a good following. H the fans really like him. I like him. He lives dangerously sometimes I think he needs to turn the down a notch for his own safety, but he's genuinely there and
he's shown before that he can technically wrestle too. He's just not you know, he had he had a very good match with MNJFF along a while ago that proved he can still go technically in the ring too. So he's all around guy, but they need him to be the guy. And I really do think that Max is trying to bring the best out of him, and this is what this whole angle is is to make him a man eventor Yeah.
You know, one of the things that's beneficial to having someone like Darby Allen with the aw world title is, let's face it, when he's in the ring, you never know what's gonna happen. He's not this big guy that's just gonna brutalize everybody. He every one of his matches is in doubt. Would you agree with that? And that would make it interesting.
Darby's the kind of guy that will give a thousand percent every time he's in the ring, doesn't matter who he faces, doesn't matter what the obstacle is, He's gonna go at it a thousand percent. And I think that would be make him a great champion. You got a factor in the possibility of a Sting appearance. He's been training stings son, who could become involved in a w through this this thing. So, I mean there's a lot of options. You could go with Darbab being champion.
Yeah, not Darby, but the sting Son thing. Do you think that he's gonna take up the moniker of Sting or if he's gonna do his own thing.
I kind of thinking, Yeah, I think he's gonna do his own thing. I don't I mean Sting two.
Yeah, that that whole thing with his doing his dad thing was to honor his dad during his final match. But I just don't see him. I don't think people would buy it Ding Junior, Yeah, I don't think they would. I mean, he could fight the same way a thing does, but the face paint, that kind of stuff, I just don't think they would. They would take to that too.
Well.
Now he may come out of his own face painted character. I think it would be a separated from staying in every way.
Yeah, he'll do distinguers, splash and stuff to still his moves a little bit, but I think he'll be his own person in the end.
Yeah. I'm actually looking forward to seeing when Steve Stephen Borden comes in and you know, and and actually Russells but as far as I know, he hasn't even done any indie matches yet. I'm not sure.
Yeah, you think that'll be I don't think that he'll have to. I think he'll just start here. That makes the most sense that.
He may start out here, doesn't If he does come to a w it doesn't necessarily mean that he has that matches. He could just be, you know, an enforcer for a while, you know, just a presence.
Cool.
Yeah, I like the Darby's bodyguard, I mean guard.
Yeah, goodness, I just I just don't I don't know. I just don't get the whole Wheeler you to think he's he's a good wrestler. I just don't see him ever being above top mid I don't. I don't ever see being that next run up. I just see him being a mid mid carter at the top. And that's about as far as I can see him going.
I don't like Wheeler, you to, But maybe maybe that's what we're missing, is that Mocks and the rest of them see something and Wheeler Udah that no one else sees, and at the at the moment it matters most Wheeler is just going to break out and be the person that they always knew he could be, and we'll all be amazed and surprised that he has it in him.
I want to shift gears a little bit here, uh. I want to talk about zero Hour at full gear and the match between AJ the Cotsco guy, and q T Marshall. Have a question for everybody, uh and please chime in on this. How many of you follow the Cotsco guys on TikTok?
I believe there are, I don't. I just know.
I've just been the only person raising his hand to a camera. Do you guys have your camera on? Yeah? I do, Yeah, I have kids. So like that's the.
Reason I was asking is because how many followers does.
This guy have or the millions, millions millions?
You know. So I've seen a lot of people, Shane, and you could agree with me or disagree with me on this, but there's a lot of people are saying, you know, why, why are they doing this? The reason they're doing this is because you've got a lot of kids and family friendly units that follow these cots Go guys that will now probably watch at the very least Zero Hour. It would be interesting to see how many views on YouTube zero hour gets compared to previous zero hours. Would you agree with that?
You know, Kelson, I want, I want to be objective because from a business standpoint, yes, it's a fantastic idea to put eyes on your products. Do you really think that the kid shoving a chicken bake down his throat on TikTok is about it's a double chocolate chom kookie? Like you guys really think that this kid is going to get pay per views? Like they're gonna put up pay per view numbers, the people are gonna buy the pay per view just because of this one match. I mean,
and then the cost go verse. I mean, unless there's a marketing deal and Aw's has some sort of cost go partnership and they're finding ways to promote each other's products. I mean, it's it's the tail of two companies. I mean, you got a grocery retailer and a pro wrestling cad. What are you gonna do to put those things together? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And if you want me to be like if it's stupid, it's stupid. I don't get it. I really don't. I
could justify a lot of I get it. I love the idea of exposing the art form to as many people as possible, you know, just so we could all share in the love of pro wrestling. But this one is a far reach. It's it's it's too far.
Okay.
First of all, he's wrestling QT.
Marshall.
When the Hill was the last time Qt. Marshall was in the ring in aw.
And I don't know, but he doesn't make to Marshall.
Yeah Marshall, Okay, whatever. Yeah, I have to agree with you Rowan that that or I'm sorry, Shane, I have to agree with you. There's this makes no sense whatsoever. You're wasting time on the pre show that you could have given to a wrestling I don't think it's going to be much reviews.
They could potentially bring kids in, like Kelsen was saying, why not. I mean we see celebrity stuff all the time. It didn't hurt anything. I mean, think about back to the early WrestleMania days of who who really thought Cindy Lapper Being was going to be joined in and wrestling. I mean, who knows what it could bring. I'm not comparing that to you, don't get me wrong, but when you got the costco guys and the Wrizzler and all these people. You know, why not try to cross from
road and get on TikTok and stuff like that. It's a win win for me.
We'll look at it this way. The Costco guy has been what's his name, aj Yeah, Dad, he's been on the Tonight show with Jimmy Fallon. I'm sure that they've been posting stuff on social media about the match. What I would do, I belie maybe he's gonna be on Dynamite tomorrow night, you know, saying something. But what I would do is make a point of having both heels and faces go up to this guy backstage before his
match and do an in character thing. You know, Hey, Orange Casside comes up to him and says hey, you know basically, and you have hook come up to him and say a couple of words to him, good luck or whatever. Things like that. Maybe even these couple of women wrestlers do the same thing, and then by the same token you have maybe some heels come out and do stairdowns. That would introduce the viewers that don't normally watch AW two, the AW wrestlers, meaning the kids and
the families that watch the Cotsco guys religiously. You know, that's the only way why this word. The match itself is not going to do anything. It's what they do with the with with the Costco guys that will do something.
Well, you gotta give them credit because the Costco guy went on Jimmy fallon the other night and plugged AW and AW social media presence shut up a little bit, and they got they're getting some more views on YouTube and they expect that viewership for Dynamite tomorrow is going to be higher because they're going to do, you know,
some sort of package with the Costco guys. I just again, you know, it harkens me back to the beginning of AW when they had the cracker barrel brahaul and it's like, do you really think all those people getting sausage, gravy and biscuits being angry with their waitresses at eight o'clock in the morning on a Sunday are really about to spend fifty bucks on this pay per view? Like it just again, you know, I'm not trying to beat a dead horse with that cot with that ideology, but maybe
it's me. I just can't wrap my head around it.
Yeah, I'm reaching here. I obviously am, but you know, hey, you don't grow if you don't take risks. You can't keep doing the same thing over and over again. Whether it's a good idea or a bad idea, you don't know until the idea actually comes to Pruis who knows. This may cause AW to get a lot of play. I've set up before it. I'll say it again. I truly believe that w WWE got popular back in the
eighties when it went mainstream. Yeah, you had Saturday Night's made event, but that was on what it was like at ten thirty eleven thirty at night. You know, not a lot of people were staying awake to watch that, at least not as many as people were watched will be awake to watch Raw at Dynamite at starting at
eight o'clock A collision. My point is is that at when Randy Savage an Ultimate Warrior and hul Cogan went onto ourcdio Hall show in character, that brought eyes to the product, and that brought the right eyes to the product that was those were adult stay at a wake that late at night, a popular late night TV shows watching these absolute morons because if you watch their segments, you can look them up on YouTube. They were way over the top, you know, and at w W has
continued to do it. Gold Dust did did you know what did he do? Steve Harvey? I believe, I don't.
Remember what he did, but he was.
He was in character that was hysterical. I thought it was. It was very uncomfortable with his wife.
I believe this stuff like the Goby Geoker.
Remember, I mean, I can't remember old Dust was on, but I know what you're talking about. It was really funny.
Uh, you know, like Jay Leno was on and Karl Malone and other people. So yeah, to intermit it.
When Karl Mullen was on, he was with DDP. He wasn't just Karl Malone. That's one of the things. That's that if you had guys going on here with him, I get that. But just sending a guy that has absolutely nothing to do with AW except for a match with Q T. Marshall and expecting that to be a big deal just don't fit. I mean, no, I agree, I don't get it.
I'm disagree. Yeah, I'm researching in real time right now, and I'll tell you as much as I don't get it, the internet loves it. They anticipated the YouTube viewership is going to shoot up into the millions for the first time for the for a zero hour event because this guy and his kid are going to be wrestling QT Marshall.
He's everywhere.
Marshal's rabbit. We as rabbit. AW fans don't have to like it. This is not geared toward us. It's geared toward people who don't watch the product.
Mm hm.
It's as simple as that we are not the right people to have this discussion. The people that have the discussion are the families and the kids that are wanting that are watch the Costco guys and ask them, Hey, would this make you maybe want to watch AW? It's possible. It's worth the shot. Shane. Uh you said that you had a news a breaking news item.
Oh I sure did.
Do you want to share that with us now?
Uh?
Yeah, I'm sure this is something that will be discussing soon. But they just AW just announced a a for Russell Dynasty, a Women's International Cup tournament between four promotions, Ring of Honor, a w CMLL, and Stardom. Uh oh yeah, the cool as hell. Oh. I can't wait, like I like I saw it and immediately I was like typing I muted and started typing fiercely into the chat, so curious to see,
like who everyone that they're gonna bring. I mean like they're talking about r H being a big presence in this, which could be cross promotional, you know for a w N r O r O H. Being that r H is women's division is great.
So so just to back up here, Shade, did you say it was a it was it a four women tournament or is it a for promotion tournament?
It's it's for four promotions for women per promort, per per promotion.
Four women per promotion. Correct, And it's gonna be one night tournament.
No, uh, it's gonna be. Yeah, it's it's the wait the best women's wrestlers to start them. Aw CMML and RARIS will compete in a four way match. Winner receives a title match in any promotion that they choose. That's a great concept. So basically, like the winner could pick a promotion and say I want to grab the belt in that one. So it's it is a fatal four way with four promotions for an undisclosed championship title shot. That's cool as hell.
Yeah that is that's interesting. Hey, I can guarantee you that WWE has never done that before. Yeah, I sure as hell don't remember w CW doing that before. Nope, pretty pretty sure TNA hasn't done it before. This is something new. Kudos to CML, CML and a W and stardom and New Japan and whoever is involved. That's a great idea. Who has thought of it?
Yeah? R R J I would I would not put it.
Well. We will probably be talking about this at length in a future podcast when more details come out. Uh, and I'm looking forward to because I agree with Shane, it's cool as hell. This is something that's needed, uh, especially when you think of you know, a W would stardom, specifically with the women's divisions that they have.
Uh.
C M l L has some really good women, although they're not as deep as as stardom in a W. Uh. There's a New Japan or is at r O H is the fourth promotion? It's r O h oh, it's r O H. So THETA and Billy Starks and Red Velvet. Yeah, well, I wonder if that we having a tournament deternament, who's going to be in the tournament?
That would be the Tony Conway. But the first Yeah, or maybe not a tournament. Maybe they'll do like a battle royal style match. That'd be cool.
We've all been wanting to see a casino women's match, a women's casino match. We've mentioned it many times. This is a perfect opportunity. Yeah, I like it. That's I like it. Well, I'm eager to go find out more information about this. I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to more information coming out on this. But that's gonna do for our show tonight. We will be back tomorrow night at all the Talk for our full year prediction show, So get your match cards out.
Hopefully they'll be adding some more matches tomorrow night. We're gonna go after all of them and give our predictions and invite everybody to come on. You can sit in the chat and type out your predictions because we'll see it, and or you can just raise your hand. We'll bring you in and we'll take our turns giving our predictions and maybe you know some brief thoughts on it. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it. But anyway, that's it for Ignition. This is Kelson and for the aw Fan podcast team.
Good night, everybody, Good night Yo take care,